Last year Brees threw for more than 5000 yards

The Vikings can beat two teams in the same season that had an identical record to the Dolphins.The Vikings can beat a 17-0 New Orleans Saints team and an 18-0 Indianapolis Colts team on their way to the NFL Championship. In measuring champions, we don’t just look at the numbers of wins and losses. We also measure champions by the competition with which they do battle.One of the reasons that we recognize Muhammad Ali as the greatest heavyweight boxing champion of all time is because of the amazing talent in the weight class at the time of his reign. Would anyone really consider Ali the greatest if his bouts with smokin’ Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston, Ken Norton, Sr., and George Foreman were replaced with multiple bouts with Zora Folley, Alvin Lewis, Henry Cooper, and Brian LondonThe achievement of the Dolphins in winning 17 games is amazing, without a doubt. Yet one of the reasons the Dolphins haven’t universally been labeled the greatest team of all time is the level of competition that they faced in the playoffs.Miami played good teams, but none of the teams they played in the playoffs had superstars at the peak or near the peak of their abilities.The Dolphins beat the Cleveland Browns 20-14 and the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-17. The Browns' leading rusher did not reach 900 yards and their starting quarterback Mike Phipps had 16 interceptions while throwing only 13 touchdowns.The Steelers had not yet hit their stride as quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. While running back Franco Harris did rush for more than 1,000 yards, he also had seven fumbles.Even if the Saints and Colts lose a game before the playoffs begin, the Vikings, in beating a 16-1 Saints team and 17-1 Colts team, would be more impressive than the run of the 1972 Dolphins.Of course, if we are talking about impressive playoff runs increasing the stock of a champion, the fans of the 49ers and Bears can claim that their respective teams are the best of all time, ahead of the 1972 Dolphins. The 1984 Super Bowl Champion 49ers had an impressive playoff run in beating the New York Giants 21-10 and shutting out the emerging Chicago Bears 23-0. The 49ers then throttled a record-setting year by NFL MVP Dan Marino and his Miami Dolphins 38-16 in the Super Bowl.Beating Marino was no small accomplishment in 1984, as he had a season for the ages: 64.2 percent completion rate, 5,084 yards, 48 TDs, and only 17 interceptions. The Dolphins also had two receivers, Mark Clayton and Mark Duper, who both had more than 1,300 receiving yards.The 1985 Super Bowl Champion Bears, however, had an even more impressive playoff run. The Bears pitched two shutouts in the NFC playoffs, beating the New York Giants 21-0 and the Los Angeles Rams 24-0.The Giants were led by Phil Simms, who threw for 4,004 yards and 22 touchdowns. The Rams had the game’s best running back in Eric Dickerson, who rushed for the highest season total in NFL history at 2,105 yards.The Bears then went on to demolish the New England Patriots 46-10 in the Super Bowl.Which bring us back to why the Vikings should be considered the best team of all time if they beat the undefeated or even one-loss New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts on their way to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.If the Vikings beat the Saints and Colts, they will have beaten two of the best quarterbacks in the history of the league while both were at the top of their game and leading candidates for league MVP honors.The numbers Brees and Manning are putting up this year are very similar to the numbers put up by Marino in 1984.The Saints' Drew Brees has a completion rate of 68.1 percent and is on pace to throw for 4,394 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only 14 interceptions. The Colts' Peyton Manning has a completion rate of 69.8 percent and is also on a torrid pace, as he is projected to throw for 5,069 yards, 34 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions.Last year, Brees threw for more than 5,000 yards. Brees has thrown for more than 4,400 yards in the last three seasons. If Manning throws for more than 5,000 yards this season, his fans won’t have to apologize for placing him ahead of Brees, as Manning has thrown for more than 4,000 yards in nine of his last 10 seasons.If the Vikings beat both the Saints and Colts, will any NFL team in reaching the pinnacle have faced two better quarterbacks in their primeWill style points matter Don’t style points always matter in these debatesA close game won by the Vikings on a questionable call made by the replay officials will obviously taint any claim that the Vikings may have to the best team of all time. An injury by Brees or Manning that renders them unable to play the Vikings will also diminish the achievement of the Vikings.But if the Vikings beat both the Saints and Colts, Vikings fans may finally have a season to make them forget about the four prior, failed attempts at claiming NFL immortality in the big game.Yes, there is a lot of football left to be played. All three teams have roadblocks in their way before the end of the season.Who knows, the final six weeks of the season could be unkind to the remaining three elite teams in the NFL. As the reigning Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers are finding out this season, the fortunes of a team can dramatically change with an injury to one or two key players.Hopefully, the three elite teams will avoid the injury bug and give NFL fans a special postseason treat.If the Saints and Colts finish the regular season undefeated or with only one loss and the Vikings finish the regular season 15-1, the Vikings may not be simply playing for the Super Bowl, but may be playing for the title of the best team in NFL history . Have you recovered from the shock yet"The shock of what" I hear you ask.The shock of Jimmie Johnson winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. I mean no one was expecting that, were they If you despise NASCAR, you can read the same comment to the long-expected announcement of Nico Rosberg as the first driver at the new Mercedes/Brawn team this week.Elsewhere in things you weren't expecting, it was the Macau Grand Prix weekend, or several drivers charging around streets that would not normally be suitable for long vehicles, let alone racing cars (see picture for graphic representation of why), with the decision of another world champion.The Power Rankings have been a visiting feature on Midweek Motorsport on Radio Le Mans Wednesday at 8pm UK time, 3pm Eastern, 12pm Pacific and on iTunes shortly thereafter.. The third and final driver in this crash.Motorsport Idiot of the Week.Man Least Trusted to Recognize Semaphore.Almost made up for by the fact he was caught re-adjusting his man veg on international TV (a moment sadly just missed by this clip). The BMW team appears to have been sold to a conman.Ousted Nigerian Tribal Chief waiting for further news before making new bid.. The first third of the race going forward, making his popularity worthwhile.The rest spent wiping the car off on the wall and going backwards.This man is a pessimist's dream!. Was Tony Stewart ever on Juans Christmas card listNot anymore..

Now pretty much assured of the V8 Supercars championship, and so the final title of 2009. Will's got a full-time Penske seat.So now the best Newman/Haas/Lanigan car will be sixth.. No other brand in Formula 1 can look back on such a long and successful tradition in motor racing.Maranello reverberates to yet more audible teeth-grinding.Read more.. So desperate to continue his habit of a season he actually tried to finish eighth this time before winning race two.Race one report and results.Race two report and results.. Yes, he won the race, but he still wrecks like a girl.Did three seasons as Tony Stewarts teammate teach you nothing Winner of the IRC Rally of Scotland.Possibly.. Hopes his successful weekend at Macau will re-open his racing career.Funny, I didnt hear anything about him winning the jackpot at the casinos, too.. The oldest-ever FIA World Champion, at 47.No wonder the man needs a rest..

This concludes the forty-fifth and final edition of the Motorsport Power Rankings for this season.A season that has seen worthy champions born out of great battles, a season that has seen rumour run rife, more twists and turns than a lap of any of the world's great tracks.But as we have all sat and watched 45 weeks of racing, and passed comment, positive and negative, serious and flippant, about the men and women who climb behind the wheel and the other men and women who help them get there, it has also been a black season, marred by reminders of the danger that hangs over each one every time they pull tight a seat belt.I repeat what I said in the introduction to the Power Rankings the week after Henry Surtees' tragic accident.Though I have spent a year poking fun at every crash, race, reaction, and comment this year, I mean nothing but respect for the men and women far more talented than myself who have been the subject of these pages this year.This is just my way of showing it. HUDSON, N.H.(Business Wire)Micronetics, Inc. (NASDAQ:NOIZ) announced today that it's New Jersey-basedsubsidiary, Microwave Concepts has been awarded a firm fixed contract from aleading defense contractor for microwave assemblies used in a high performancejamming system. Demand for this system has been strong and additional systemadd-ons are expected over the next 6 months. This award is the contract finalization that started with advanced fundingreceived by Micronetics in June 2008. Hardware deliveries to this contract havecommenced in Q3 FY09 and will continue for 18 months.