15 Down, One To Go: Patriots Chase History

Is this really happening?

Are the New England Patriots really one game away from becoming the first 16-0 team in NFL history?

I'm what you'd call a hometown guy, so the love for New England has never been there.

But the Patriots' pursuit of perfection has been a must-see for football fans PERIOD.

Never in a million years would I have thought the Patriots would be 15-0 at this point. Think back to training camp, when Randy Moss was nursing a bum hammy. Critics said he'd never last under Bill Belichick.

So much for that.  

Moss has resurrected his career. 21 touchdown receptions leave him one short of Jerry Rice's single-season record. 

Not even a Pats fan could have seen that coming.

Wes Welker has been an even bigger surprise. Before this season, no receiver of Tom Brady's had caught more than seven touchdowns in a season.

Moss and Welker have 29 between them.

Brady, for his part, has been on another planet this year. His 48 touchdowns passes leave him two shy of Peyton Manning's record, set in 2004.

As for Belichick—call him smug, call him arrogant...but the guy has done more than enough to earn your respect.

If the Pats do indeed go undefeated, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime feat. That's why it's so great to be an NFL fan in 2007.

You always remember where you are for historic events. For New England, history is only a week away.

Where will you be?