With regrets to Don Shula, perfection, as pompous as it sounds, might be the New England Patriots' only salvation.

Let's be honest. This is a mockery. The Patriots, in this era of parity, have not much to play for.

The 56 points they had scored just 1:01 into the fourth quarter, about five minutes after the Patriots started handing it off to an ex-Navy running back, was emblematic of this season thus far.

Embarrassing.

But what might have been even more embarrassing than the 56-10 win at Buffalo was what happened elsewhere in the NFL.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, the only team "allegedly" capable of beating the Patriots - they come to Foxboro on Dec. 9 - weren't capable enough to beat the lowly New York Jets ... in Pittsburgh.

The Dallas Cowboys, the only team other than the Colts to give the Patriots a game through three quarters, held their collective breaths until the last play of the game to beat the Washington Redskins (28-23). The same Redskins the Patriots pummeled, 52-7, only three Sundays ago.

Next week's foe, the Philadelphia Eagles, barely held on to beat the winless Miami Dolphins (17-7), with their starting quarterback Donovan McNabb watching on the sideline after a knee injury. There is no word if McNabb, whose recent play has Eagles fans wanting him benched, will be ready for the Patriots next Sunday night.

The once-competitive Baltimore Ravens, another team thought to be a fly in the Patriots' undefeated season ointment, lost to the Cleveland Browns in overtime (33-30), in Baltimore. They are now 4-6 and, quite frankly, a disgrace.

The Indianapolis Colts, the only team to test the Patriots for four quarters, beat the Kansas City Chiefs, who are now 4-6, by a field goal (13-10). As each week passes, you wonder if the Colts really would want to make a trip to Foxboro in late January.

Relatively speaking, the Bills were a good team heading into last night's home game.

They were 5-4 and two last-second heartbreakers away from 7-2. Buffalo fans, with legitimate hopes of a Wild Card berth, called this one of the biggest regular season game in two or three decades.

Here's what Bills safety Donte Whitner told the Buffalo News of his team being a 15-point underdog heading into the game.

"Nobody gives us a chance," Whitner said. "We like that, though. We don't want people saying maybe Buffalo can upset New England. We want them to say, 'Yeah, they're going to blow Buffalo out.' "

Sorry Donte, Buffalo will be quiet for a few days.

But they are not alone. Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, Washington, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and several other cities who have witnessed the Patriots' wrath or will very soon, will quietly put their seasons in some sort of perspective this week.

NBC's John Madden, who earlier in the week, predicted the Patriots would lose at least one game, seemed to back-track a bit.

The 2007 version of Tom Brady, he said, was the best of all-time, better than any version of Joe Montana.

While a pretty big statement, he shouldn't have stopped there.

Montana's 49ers never did this. While amazing at many times, they never looked like the 2007 Patriots, which is basically perfect.

E-mail Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.

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Countdown to Perfection

Date%Team%Time

Nov. 25%Philadelphia%8:15 p.m.

Dec. 3%at Baltimore%8:30 p.m.

Dec. 9%Pittsburgh%1 p.m.

Dec. 16%N.Y. Jets%1 p.m.

Dec. 23%Miami%1 p.m.

Dec. 29%at N.Y. Giants%8:15 p.m.