New England quarterback Tom Brady looks for an open receiver while being chased by New York's Barry Cofield. Brady threw two touchdown passes for an NFL-record 50 for the season, and the Patriots defeated the Giants, 38-35, on Saturday night in East Rutherford, N.J.

East Rutherford, N.J. ? With one mighty heave, Tom Brady and Randy Moss took care of the record books. Now it’s down to business for the unbeaten New England Patriots: stamping themselves as the greatest team in NFL history.

The Patriots completed a perfect if somewhat joyless journey through the regular season Saturday night, finishing with a remarkable 16-0 record following a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory over the New York Giants.

Still, New England became the first NFL team since the 1972 Dolphins to win every game on the schedule, and that one was only 14-0. This victory required a comeback from a 12-point deficit engineered by the brilliant Brady, and smashed the Patriots’ league mark for consecutive victories.

“Going undefeated during the regular season is a remarkable achievement,” 1972 Dolphins coach Don Shula said. “I know firsthand how difficult it is to win every game, and just as we did in 1972, the Patriots have done a great job concentrating on each week’s opponent and not letting any other distractions interrupt that focus. If they go on to complete an undefeated season, I will be the first to congratulate Coach Belichick and the Patriot organization.”

Validation of the Patriots’ inexorable march through the season can only come by adding a Super Bowl championship, their fourth of the decade. Do that, and there’ll be no challenge to their spot at the top.

“I think it’s a lot of hard work,” Brady said. “I’m proud of the way this team responded. We’re losing there in the second half and came out and played some of our better football.”

In gaining their 19th straight win over two seasons, the Patriots also got record-setting performances from Brady and Moss, including the winning score, a 65-yard bomb with 11:06 remaining. Brady beat Peyton Manning’s mark of 49 touchdown passes by throwing two to Moss against the Giants (10-6), giving the star quarterback 50. Moss broke Jerry Rice’s record of 22 TD receptions. And the Patriots finished with an incredible 589 points for the season, another single-season record.

The Giants, already guaranteed a playoff game against Tampa Bay next weekend and with little to play for except spoiling New England’s perfect ride, led 28-16 in the third quarter. It was the Patriots’ largest deficit all year as the Giants showed no fear and plenty of versatility, scoring the most points New England allowed in a game during this remarkable run.

Once the victory was clinched, Belichick was barely more animated than usual. He shared hugs with players and assistant coaches on the sideline, but there was no thought of carrying him off on the Patriots’ shoulders or dumping Gatorade all over him.

That will have to wait for three more victories – if they come.

Who knows, the Patriots might even wind up facing the long-shot Giants in the Super Bowl. Could happen if Eli Manning again resembles his vaunted older brother.

Manning threw for four touchdowns, and Domenik Hixon, in his first game as New York’s primary kick returner, went 74 yards for a score 11 seconds after Brady and Moss tied their respective records.

Not to worry. These Patriots are unflappable, and they matched their comebacks in victories over Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Baltimore earlier in the season. A 73-yard drive ended with Laurence Maroney’s 6-yard run to make it 28-23 with 4:00 to go in the third period.