The Patriots had just won their 16th and final regular season game of the season.
New England had just beaten the New York Giants, the sixth team on its schedule to make the 2007 playoffs.
And QB Tom Brady and WR Randy Moss broke two records on one play.
So why did Sports Illustrated's senior NFL writer start off his post-game interview with Brady discussing *No Country For Old Men*, a film that's getting critical acclaim at the box office?
It's an interesting anecdote that's part of a bigger story about the Patriots on SI's website.
Meanwhile, the Pats have this weekend off, thanks to their top-seeded ranking in the playoffs. But next weekend, they'll face one of three AFC opponents.
"It's all one-game seasons now," said head coach Bill Belichick following his team's regular season finale. "Everybody is aware of that. We'll have to have a good week of preparation and prepare to play well against our next opponent, whoever that is. But we know that team is one of the best teams in the league. So it will be a huge challenge for us and that is what we will start getting ready for."
Today, The Boston Globe takes a closer look at Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, and Tennessee, any of whom could be coming to Gillette Stadium next Saturday night.
And in a similar playoff article examining all the important playoff questions, FOXSports.com has a piece explaining why two teams could upset New England in the playoffs. One is obvious (defending champion Indianapolis), but the other may surprise you.
And if you just can't get enough talk about Brady and Moss, The Providence Journal has your fix. There you'll find a fun column about the two. Here's a sample:
*Brady and Moss. Love and marriage. Brady and Moss. Horse and carriage. Brady and Moss. Hot dog and mustard. Brady and Moss. Pizza and beer. *
*Some things just seem to go together. They're made for each other. A perfect match. *
*Martin and Lewis. Brady and Moss. Fred and Ginger. Brady and Moss. Sonny and Cher. Brady and Moss. *
*Ruth and Gehrig. Brady and Moss. Cousy and Russell. Brady and Moss. Manny and Big Papi. Brady and Moss. Orr and Espo. Brady and Moss. *
*They are legends. They are magic. They are special. *
QUICK HITS
After two injury-plagued seasons, S Rodney Harrison has returned this season as a primary player for the Patriots. Today's Boston Herald offers a piece on Harrison's dedication to winning another Super Bowl with New England.
"I've worked so hard," he told the paper. "[Critics] told me for years, for my whole career, the only thing I heard was, you can't play no more. You're old. You can't come back from a knee injury. You're washed up. You're done.
"To be able to come in here and stay healthy and play all the games after I came back, pretty much all of the snaps, I'm proud of that. I'm proud of it."
Can it happen?
It would certainly be one of the greatest sports stories of all time, if the New England Patriots win the Super Bowl with a 19-0 record this year.
And MSNBC.com thinks it will come to pass (no pun intended), as it examines the most intriguing story lines of the NFL playoffs.
Come again? A columnist in upstate New York writes that the Patriots aren't a lock to win the Super Bowl, then goes on to explain why they will.
