EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Simply the best. Ever. That’s what these New England Patriots are.

Are they perfect?

Their record says they are. And all the records they’ve set further attest to the supremacy of the Pats – the first team in NFL history to go 16-0 in the regular season.

Now, after preserving that perfect record with a dramatic, second-half comeback from a 12-point, third-quarter deficit, the Patriots face what they hope will be a three-game season that will bring them not only their fourth Super Bowl victory in seven years, but also enable them to join the 1972 Miami Dolphins as the only undefeated champions the NFL has ever seen.

Their 38-35 victory over the Giants last night in the Meadowlands certainly was something to see.

The undefeated Pats may not wind up winning the Super Bowl, but they proved last night, beyond the shadow of a goal post – or a doubt – that they are a Super team.

And quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss are super players -- as every Patriots fan already knew.

What better way to win a game than with a record-setting, 65-yard touchdown pass? Especially after Moss had dropped a long, low throw from Brady on the previous play.

Those two, back-to-back throws tell you everything you need to know about Brady, about Moss, about the unbeaten, unrattled, unequalled New England Patriots.

Trailing by double-digits in the second half, in danger of losing for the first time all season, a lesser team might have been flustered.

Not the Patriots. This is a team that, even under pressure – especially under pressure – pushes all the right buttons. And never the panic button.

Some players, some teams, might have been discouraged when, on second-and-10 at their own 35, Brady threw a long, low pass to Moss that was dropped at the New York 15.

It wasn’t an easy catch, by any means. But, throughout what has been a spectacular season, Moss had made difficult catches look stunningly simple. This one, though, he couldn’t handle.

So what did Brady do?

He went right back to his main man. Showing the speed and stamina that has made him one of the NFL’s all-time greats, Moss blew by Giants defensive back James Butler and was wide open near the right sideline.

Brady hit him in stride, and Moss cruised into the end zone for what was his 23rd touchdown reception of the season, breaking the record set by San Francisco’s Jerry Rice in 1987.

It also was Brady’s 50th TD pass of this record-setting season, surpassing the NFL mark of 49 set by Peyton Manning in 2004.

Records were falling like snowflakes last night, as the Patriots became the highest-scoring team in NFL history, racking up 589 points.

Little Wes Welker, the perfect, 5-foot-9 complement to the 6-foot-4 Moss, broke Troy Brown’s franchise record for receptions in a season. He had 11 catches, for 122 yards, giving him 112 on the year.

But the record that really mattered – the one all the Patriots wanted – was the 16-0 mark.

Perfection. A place in NFL history. A season to remember. A year never to be forgotten.

It was a rare chance, and the Patriots weren’t about to let it slip through their hands.

In the end, it came down to the “hands” team – the special teams unit New England puts on the field when it knows the opponent is going to attempt an onside kick.

Which is what the Giants did with 1:04 remaining, after driving 68 yards in 11 plays to a touchdown that made the score 38-35.

Lawrence Tynes’ kick one-hopped its way to New England’s sure-handed linebacker, Mike Vrabel, who caught the ball, wrapped both arms around it, and fell to the ground at the New York 42, holding history in his hands.

He was the perfect player, in the perfect position to make such a play. Although he makes his living on defense, Vrabel also has 10 career touchdown catches, garnered while doubling as a tight end in goal-line situations.

But isn’t that the way it is with the Patriots? Isn’t that what they do?

They are, after all, simply the best.

They are perfect. And they have the 16-0 record to prove it.