The debate is over.
The mighty undefeated New England Patriots fell in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants rendering Tom Brady and his current group of Pats no longer perfect in the Super Bowl.
Despite the many great successes of their undefeated regular season, this team is now infamous for losing to the underdog New York Giants right on history's doorstep, when David Tyree made a miracle 32-yard catch and somehow held on to the ball as safety Rodney Harrison tried to punch the ball out.
The only quarterback that even remotely resembled the legendary Joe Montana was Eli Manning and his last minute drive culminating with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress to win the Super Bowl.
That clinching drive reminded some of the final moments of Super Bowl XXIII, as Manning threw the game winning touchdown with 35 seconds left.
Montana to Taylor happened at 34 seconds to go.
The Patriot offense was stifled and the defense showed their age, especially when Manning made play after play on that epic drive.
With the Giant upset, the 2000-era Patriots can no longer be considered a powerhouse dynasty when compared to the 1980s and 1990s 49ers during their two-decade run of dominance or even the Dallas Cowboys of the 1990s.
These teams not only won, they took opponents out in convincing fashion. The Patriots were expected to win and they choked under the pressure of the Giant defensive line.
In Montana's fourth Super Bowl, he set records and led the 49ers to a 55-10 victory over John Elway and the Denver Broncos. The 49ers were expected to win, and they did so in record breaking fashion over a tough team and a future Hall of Famer.
In Brady's fourth Super Bowl appearance, he resembled a young Dan Marino in Super Bowl XIX, as he was constantly hit and beat up throughout the game.
Montana's 49ers were perfect during their run, including Steve Young's title in Super Bowl XXIX. The Brady and Belichick-era Patriots now have one of the most disappointing losses in NFL history to deal with.
Most championship teams are best known for winning the Super Bowl, but the contrary is true for this New England patriot dynasty.
The 2007 New England Patriots and their perfect 16-0 regular season was an impressive accomplishment, but great teams are remembered for winning titles.
Not the kind of legacy you are looking to have when history was right on their doorstep.
Even if the Patriots go on to win their fourth Super Bowl in the future, that loss on the night of February 3, 2008 slightly tarnished their dynasty, while the past 49ers accomplishments continue to sparkle in history's eyes as being truly extraordinary.
The 1984 18-1 49ers and the 1985 18-1 Chicago Bears were far superior teams to the Patriot teams of this decade. Although, the 2007 Patriots share the same record as these two great teams, they simply didn't close the deal in the Super Bowl.
Offensively, the Patriots may have set multiple records that year, but the 49ers revolutionized offensive football when Bill Walsh implemented the West Coast Offense that sprung up so many copycats throughout the league in recent years.
Tom "Golden Boy" Brady is no doubt one of the greatest quarterbacks in history, but he won't leave the shadow of true Super Bowl perfection that is the San Francisco 49ers with his Super Bowl loss.
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