PHOENIX, Ariz. - For any New England football fan born before 1975, the words "46 Defense" still bring on the shakes.

It was the 1985 Chicago Bears - complete with bug-eyed linebacker Mike Singletary, and fearsome linemen Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Steve McMichael and William "Refrigerator" Perry - who decimated Raymond Berry's Patriots in Super Bowl XX, 46-10.

The Bears finished that season 18-1, the lone blemish a regular-season loss at Miami, behind that amazing defense, which gave up just 10.9 points in those 19 games.

Sunday, the 2007 New England Patriots, among other accomplishments, could wash any argument away that the 1985 Bears might have as "the greatest team ever."

Beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII and it's bye, bye Bears.

But what if you could match up the two on field? What would happen if Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Co. took on the Mike Ditka-coached, Buddy Ryan-schemed 46?

Would those bullies on Bears clothing stand a chance?

"Really, I don't think there's a more potent offense that's ever been on a football field," said former Bears veteran safety Shaun Gayle, a starter in the secondary with the 1985 team. "I've never seen a team blessed with all these weapons."

Gayle wouldn't go as far as saying those big, bad Bears would prevail. He did declaratively state: "I can assure you of one thing. After the game, the Patriots would absolutely know that they had just been through the fight of their lives."

Brady and the Patriots "spread" vs. the rush happy "46."

Talk about a clash of styles.

"The "46" was based on each defender winning the one-on-one battles," added Gayle, who now works for Ruppert Murdoch, helping bring the NFL game to Europe. "You have 11 men on offense and 11 on defense. Match up one-on-one and the guy accounting for the quarterback gets a clear run at him."

Brady has chewed up gambling schemes all year long, finding the open men when it counts.

It sounds like advantage Patriots, but is it?

Doug Plank wore No. 46 for the Bears in the late 1970s and 1980s as a rugged, fearless safety.

He was the man Ryan named the defense for, because of Plank's ability to step up and take on linebacker tasks and still get back as a safety.

"The '46' basically featured six linemen, three defensive backs and two players, who were either linebackers or safeties, that were counted on for so much," said Plank, now the head coach of the Arena Football League's Georgia Force.

"We had certain coverages that would have linebackers covering the deep half of the field in the passing game."

If the '07 Pats or the '85 Bears were ever to collide on the field, it would certainly feature a battle of wills.

"I don't know if the game would ever get past the game-plan meeting early in the week," said Plank, because of the matchups and more importantly, the mismatches it could create.

Remember, those Bears teams did what essentially would amount to putting a linebacker like Wilber Marshall or Otis Wilson on a Wes Welker.

"Many times, the defensive ends would have coverage responsibilities on the running backs," added Plank.

So your talking Richard Dent, at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds trying to corral waterbug Kevin Faulk?

"Just imagine the defensive end, charging up field, with the angle he's able to take. Most of the time, instead of covering, they just took the running back and tackled (even without the football)," said Plank.

Would Ryan and Ditka alter the game plan as Plank suggests?

Gayle's not so sure.

In fact, he thinks the Giants could use some of that Bears' philosophy come Sunday night. It may be New York's only chance.

"Against New England, defenses this year have been picking their own poison," said Gayle. "Shut down Moss, hold Wes Welker to only three or four points, and there's still Laurence Maroney and the running game that can chew you up."

Gayle's point is a well-taken one. Teams have slowed the Pats down in the second half, pushed them some by taking away the long ball, but a loss, be it 52-7 or 38-35, is still just a loss.

The goal here at the Super Bowl is to win.

"Why not attack them? Get up in the receivers' face, be physical and play tight man to man," said Gayle. "The teams that have come close have taken some chances. Facing a team of destiny, to win, you have to gamble."

The thought of Brady stinging the Bears with his quick release is a pleasant one.

As Patriots legend Andre Tippett noted in Super Bowl XX, there were a lot of "what ifs" in that game.

"What if Stanley Morgan didn't drop that pass, and what if Don Blackmon had picked off those passes? He had two of them, that looked like he could take all the way," said Tippett yesterday.

"What ifs" haven't been part of the 2007 equation with the New England Patriots. And in the end, that fact - that Brady and his offensive mates have been closer to perfection than any other team in NFL history - would set New England, at 19-0, apart from any team to ever play the game.