The major controversy over who is the best team in the NFL has finally come to an end after this weekend’s performance. Or has it? Tuning into ESPN after the Patriots defeated the Colts, it seemed that the controversy had not come to a close. Announcers on every sports channel still sided with the Colts, even though the Patriots placed a win in the record books. So, who is the best team in the NFL?

Every season we go through the same matchup process, especially between quarterbacks. Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Which quarterback will ultimately lead his team to victory? For some, it is a toss up. With two of the best quarterbacks in NFL this year – Brady leading the league in passes, but Manning always able to help his team gain that extra edge for the win – we all expected a close and surprising game. However, the game did not end so well for Manning, even after it seemed it was going to be easy.

The Patriots came from behind to crush any hopes the Colts had that they were going to win in the fourth quarter. With 9:42 left in the game the Colts led 20-10. For many, it probably seemed as though that was a good enough lead for one of the best teams in the country. However, this was quickly shown to be incorrect when Randy Moss came up big for the Patriots, scoring a touchdown with plenty of time remaining for all kinds of possibilities. The Patriots defense then started to play with a vengeance, ready to put as much pressure on Manning as possible. Recording four sacks in the fourth quarter alone, the Patriots defense did not give the Colts a single break in their fourth-quarter runs.

With four minutes remaining in the game, Manning fumbled the ball, allowing the Patriots not only decent field position but the opportunity to win the game. Donte’ Stallworth caught a pass from Brady for 33 yards ultimately setting the Patriots up for a 13-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Faulk for the winning score.

With two minutes remaining in the game, the Colts had an opportunity to score. However, they were unsuccessful as they tried to get past the unstoppable Patriots defense, resulting in yet another win for the undefeated Patriots.

And after this game, are we all still debating on who the better team is?

Going into this game, announcers stated that the two best teams in the country were going to face off and by the end we would be able to determine the best team by the results. Well, the results are in, and the Patriots have come out on top where they have remained all season, and yet the debate continues. Will it ever be settled? Probably not until the Patriots have proven their status by winning the Super Bowl, and even then, the controversy will most likely remain.

However, I find it hard to believe that the best team in the country did not win that game. The Colts had many scoring opportunities in the first half that they were unable to take advantage of. And people are arguing that this is the best team in the NFL? They were only able to score two field goals during key touchdown opportunities, which ended up hurting them in the end. Another reason why the Colts are not the best team in the NFL is because they were unable to finish that game. The Colts were up by 10 with a little under 10 minutes to go, yet they allowed two touchdowns. They held Brady and his offense the entire game until a mere 10 minutes remained. I’m in disbelief that people are even advocating for the Colts, a team that is unable to finish a game. The best team in the NFL would have been that much more aggressive to win the game because they knew that they had missed out on key opportunities, which, if they were taken advantage of, ultimately would have won the game for the Colts.

However, the Patriots jumped on these missed opportunities and took advantage of the 10 minutes remaining. Not only did they finish, but they played every single minute of the game in its entirety, knowing the game was not over until the clock struck zero. That resembles the best team in the NFL. ———————-

Carolyn Brown is a senior communication major from Oklahoma City, Okla. She can be reached at [email protected].