The Patriots will go undefeated if...

They can get through the next few games. This Sunday, the Pats play the Cowboys (who are also 5-0) in Dallas, where the Pats have never won. Having said that, the current era Patriots have beaten the Cowboys in their last two meetings, in 1999 and 2003. The Pats have had a good record against NFC teams, with 7 straight victories since 2005, including going 4-0 last season with a combined score of 111-41. I think Tom Brady can continue to air it out all over the field, with a number of targets including Randy Moss (who I hope gets the TD record as well as a long-waited-for Super Bowl ring this year), Donte Stallworth, and Ben Watson. The Pats defence should be able to take it to Dallas QB Tony Romo, who is almost like Rex Grossman with his interceptions and collapses amidst some great plays. The difference between Romo and Grossman is that Romo can get it together with confidence, which Rex just doesn't seem to have. Anyway, I can see more interceptions than touchdowns for Romo on Sunday, courtesy of Asante Samuel, Junior Seau as well as some bone-crushing hits by Adalius Thomas. If I was Tony Romo, I would not be looking forward to this game.

The week after that, the Pats play the Redskins, who seem to be doing well this year. The Redskins's demolition of the Detroit Lions last week may say more about the Lions than it does the Redskins, since they are now 0 for 21 in Washington, a record that dates back to 1934. The Lions's number-one passing offence had made up for its woeful 29th-ranked passing defence, until the game against Washington. The Redskins kept Jon Kitna to 144 total offensive yards! It's hard to win a game when you only cross the 50-yard line twice. Redskins QB Jason Campbell had a fine showing, but I think the Pats will eat him up for breakfast (or maybe supper, since it is a late-afternoon game).

In between is the classic "trap" game, that the Pats may go into thinking they have already won it, since the Miami Dolphins are winless this season. However, the Patriots have had trouble beating the Fish on occasion, so with the bookends of the Cowboys and Indians (Washington Redskins), the Patriots may choke on a bone they find in the Fish.

After Washington, it is off to Indy, to face the next-strongest team in the AFC, if not the NFL. The Patriots have some revenge to exact on the Colts, after the loss in the AFC Championship game last year, if they have the fire in their belly(-chick), the Pats can get past their toughest challenge of the season.

After Indianapolis, the Pats have a rest with their bye week. The second half of their season looks to be fairly easy, with only Pittsburgh standing in their way of a perfect season. At that point in the year, injuries will have taken their toll on players. I think New England has the deepest pool of talent in the league and they have proven themselves flexible enough to substitute position players and have strong enough second-string guys to be able to finish strong.

Bottom line for the next few weeks, I am glad that Richard Seymour and Rodney Harrison are back in the lineup. Those defensive players haven't been missed too much, but they can only add to the force that is the Pats's D-line and secondary.

I think the off-season additions of Randy Moss (who is the most talented receiver in the NFL, even at the ripe old age of 30), Wes Welker (who is now in contention for my favourite player on the team), and Adalius Thomas (who provides a menacing threat to any QB) were all genius, adding even more rounds in the gunbelt that Belichick wears each week.

As strong as the past Super Bowl champion Patriot teams were, I believe that this year, they are the most talented they have ever been. If they don't go all the way, I will be shocked -- shocked! -- and deeply disappointed.

Once the Patriots go undefeated this year, it will finally knock off one of the oldest and hardest streaks to beat: the 1972 Dolphins won all of their 14 regular season games as well as three post-season wins, including Super Bowl VII, in what has been called the Perfect Season. The urban legend is that the '72 Dolphin players still get together to celebrate when teams are now beaten late in the season, like the Steelers and Colts were a few years ago. They deny the rumour, but I wonder if these contemporary streaks go completely unnoticed by the '72 Dolphins players.

One may argue that the 16-game season is harder to complete without a loss, and one would be correct in that assertion, but it remains that unless a team goes without a loss in their regular season and through to win it all, the '72 Dolphins will always have that bragging right as the sole owners of the Perfect Season. I think this is the Patriots's best chance for the Perfect Season. Let's hope that it come true!