Shula still remembers the morning of Feb. 4, 2002. As Patriots fans were still dancing in the French Quarter, Shula was a couple of miles away in the Hyatt Regency. He couldn't concentrate on his breakfast because he was so awed by the 20-17 New England win that he had seen the previous night.
"Can you believe this?" he said the morning after Super Bowl XXXVI. "Can you believe this coaching job from Bill Belichick? It's one of the best coaching jobs I've ever seen."
This is from a coach who has actually achieved what everyone else wearing a headset is seeking. Perfection. His Miami Dolphins were 17-0 in 1972.
"And don't forget," the 74-year-old legend recently said, "we were pretty darned good in '73. We were 15-2 that year, so that's 32-2 and two Super Bowl wins in a two-year period."
Earlier this year, Shula thought the Kansas City Chiefs would be the team most likely to be mentioned with his Dolphins of 31 seasons ago. On Oct. 5, the Chiefs were undefeated and the Patriots had two losses. Since then, four losses, a playoff exit, and a fired defensive coordinator have been added to Kansas City's tab. The Patriots are trying to make it 15 in a row in Houston on Feb. 1.
"I think their streak is unbelievable," Shula said. "I know how hard it is to do. There's one thing about the Patriots that reminds me of us: They don't give up cheap touchdowns. We were the same way. We had a few real close games -- I remember at least three 1- and 2-point wins. But we didn't give up a lot of cheap scores.
"I watch the games every week, and when I see the Patriots, it's obvious how well-coached they are."
Shula is right about the close games, although there weren't as many as he thinks. There was a 1-point win against Buffalo, a 2-pointer at Minnesota, and a 4-pointer against the Jets. The Dolphins won their three playoff games -- including the AFC title over the Immaculate Reception Steelers -- by a total of 15 points.
