Everyone is talking about it, so I’m going to add my two cents: The 1985 Chicago Bears versus the 2007 New England Patriots.

The ‘85 Bears team is one of the greatest in NFL history. On their way to an 18-1 record, the Bears ranked seventh in overall offense, first in rushing offense and 20th in pass offense. The strength of the team, however, came on the defensive side of the ball.

New England, one win away from completing a perfect 19-0 season, ranked first in the NFL in overall offense, first in passing, and 13th in rushing offense in the regular season.

I’ll break down which team has the edge on offense, defense and personality.

Offense

Tom Brady put together a ridiculously good season. With 4,806 passing yards (third all-time), 50 touchdowns (NFL record), only eight interceptions and a QB rating of 117.2 (second all-time), Brady’s stats alone give the Pats the advantage over the Bears.

But let’s not forget that Randy Moss also set a new NFL record for touchdown receptions.

The Bears weren’t known for their offense but were still a good offensive team in ‘85.

Quarterback Jim McMahon passed for 2,392 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Running back Walter Payton led the team in rushing with 1,551 yards and nine touchdowns. The NFL’s second all-time leading rusher also led the team with 49 receptions with two touchdowns.

But the combination of Brady and Moss is too much to overlook.

Edge: Patriots

Defense

New England’s defense ranked fourth overall in the league in 2007. I honestly can’t think of anything truly outstanding from the regular season.

The Bears on the other hand, had the sexiest defense ever, if you can call a defense sexy. Da Bears’ “D” ranked first in the league overall, first in rushing defense and third in passing defense.

They shut out their first two opponents in the playoffs and held the AFC Champion Patriots to only 10 points in Super Bowl XX.

Anyone who would pick the Patriot’s defense over the Bears would have to be nuts or otherwise completely biased.

Edge: Bears

Personality

The Patriots are a pretty boring team. They come in on Sundays and just dominate. It doesn’t look like they have any fun.

The ‘85 Bears, however, were a team full of charismatic superstars. They had fun doing their jobs. Everyone has seen the “Super Bowl Shuffle” video. We’ve all heard the controversy surrounding the punky QB McMahon, who mooned TV helicopters and was accused of calling New Orleans women “sluts.”

It’s rare to see overpaid athletes having fun while doing their jobs.

Edge: Bears

Outcome

In this dream matchup, I would have to roll with the Bears. Yes, New England has a potent offense, but Da Bears’ ‘D’ would shut them down. Defense wins championships.

Sadly, this matchup can only be played out on paper or in our minds. For now, we can only stick to reality, sit back and witness history: The first perfect season in 36 years.