Great unknown

If the Patriots go 19-0, where will they rank in NFL annals? It's a question some say is best left unanswered

January 27, 2008|Jim McCabe, Globe Staff

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After leading the Colts to a game-tying field goal with seven seconds left, Johnny Unitas took his team on a dramatic drive in overtime. It was a second-down pass completion to Jim Mutscheller that stuck out in Anderson's mind, for even though it got the ball to the goal line and set up a winning plunge by Alan Ameche, the throw nearly was intercepted. Over the roar of celebrating Colts, Anderson wondered if Unitas had feared being intercepted on that pass.

"He looked at me with those cold Croatian eyes and said, 'When you know what you're doing, you don't get intercepted,' " recalls Anderson, laughing. It was almost as if Unitas were oblivious to the pressure, and Anderson nearly 50 years later can still feel the aura that emanated from No. 19 as he waved off any fear of his pass landing in the wrong hands. It was as if Unitas were saying, "When you're good, you're good."

It's that way with teams, too, said Anderson. The great ones will be forever great and they don't need anyone to put them on some sort of list to prove it. But if you feel strongly about compiling just such a list and ranking the teams and you find yourself putting the 2007 Patriots at the top, Anderson has a question for you: "How do you know?"

The answer is: You don't.

Jim McCabe can be reached at jmccabe@globe.com