Ellis wins Comeback Player of the Year award.

Five months ago, no one, not even Greg Ellis, knew when, or if, he was going to step on a football field this season, or ever again.

When the Cowboys defense takes the field on Sunday afternoon against the Giants, Ellis will be out there, starting at outside linebacker, as the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year.

Ellis beat out New England’s Randy Moss, who rose like a phoenix to have a record-setting year for the Patriots.

Moss’ numbers are great, but if you base the award on how far the winner had to come back to succeed, Ellis should have won it in a runaway (he got 12 votes to Moss’ 10).

After Ellis tore his Achilles’ tendon last season, in the midst of what could have been a career year for him, when he would return to the field was up in the air.

Then the Cowboys drafted Anthony Spencer in April. Then, Ellis aggravated the injury early in training camp, and as he waited, waited, and waited for the nagging pain to subside, he sulked openly, both about his uncertain future, and about his contract situation.

For a little while, it was easy to wonder if he was going to get on the field again, may it be in Dallas, or at all.

The season started, Spencer started in his position, and Ellis waited some more.

Finally, he got back on the field in Week 4 against the Rams, and when he did, it looked like he’d never left, as he had a sack and a half that day.

With a two-sack night in the 37-27 win over Green Bay on November 29, Ellis had a new career high of 10.5 sacks in only nine games, one higher than the nine that he had in 16 games in 2004.

He finished the season with 12.5 sacks, which tied him for sixth in the NFL.

From doubts about his career to a career year.

Congratulations Greg, and hopefully you still have plenty of sacking and QB harassing left in you.

'72 Dolphins, you can still rest easy for now.

Well, Tom Coughlin kept his word. He not only played his starters, but he played them the entire game.

Problem was, Bill Belichick had the same idea.

The Giants took a 28-16 lead in the third quarter before the Patriots (surprise, surprise) came back for a 38-35 victory to wrap up a perfect regular season.

Besides finishing 16-0, the Patriots set an NFL record for most points in a season, Tom Brady became the first QB to throw 50 touchdown passes in a season, and Randy Moss broke Jerry Rice’s record for touchdown receptions in a season.

Yawn.

None of the records will mean much unless the Patriots get three more wins and take home the Lombardi Trophy.

Don’t think that I’m bitter, because I’d say the same thing if the Cowboys were in this position. I’d certainly be happy, no doubt about that. But, there's nothing like realty and perspective to keep that excitement reeled in.

New England has had a great season, and they deserve a ton of praise for all that they have done up to this point. But, there are three teams still standing in their way of glory, so no confetti and thrones yet.

They’re the favorites to do so, especially if Tom Brady is as sharp as he has been most of the year. You don’t throw for more than 4,800 yards and 50 touchdowns without being good and having some quality receivers to throw to, and both are certainly the case with Brady. It doesn't hurt when you have Randy Moss, who's back to being Randy Moss (minus the dysfunctionality) and Wes Welker, who's having a career season.

But, it’s certainly not all Brady, because the team as a whole just gets it done, somehow, which is why so many people hate/envy them. You can’t blame them though, because they get paid to win, just like everyone else in the NFL, but just happen to do it more than most, thanks to that 'walking, not talking' attitude that they have, thanks to the stone-like Belichick, who's good for about three smiles a year. He does deserve whatever criticisms that he has gotten for the videotaping controversies, but that's another issue for another time, and doesn't carry much relevance now when they've emphatically answered any questions about if they need to cheat to win.

Before it starts to look like I'm joining the Patriots' love fest, let's get this straight: They, like the other 31 teams in the NFL, and any other football or sports team on the planet, can lose, and will, sooner or later, and maybe sooner rather than later.

They can be beaten, but it’s just a matter of actually getting the job done, which involves minimizing your flaws, because one little mistake is more than enough for New England to punish you. Just ask the Cowboys, Colts, Eagles, Ravens, and Giants, who all did plenty of things right against the Patriots, but not quite enough, because football is a 60-minute game, and knocking off the Patriots requires remembering that important fact.

For example, when the Giants went up 28-16, they just seemed to shut it off, and that allowed the Pats to come back. And then, even when New England went up 31-28 in the fourth, it wasn’t over, with 11 minutes still left. But, with a holding penalty that negated a first-down run and then an interception on the next play, the Giants all but sealed their fate.

Aside from making few mistakes (or at least not letting the ones you make burn you), it also requires finding the dents in the Patriots’ armor, because believe it or not, they do have their flaws like anyone else - their running attack is questionable, and their defense is susceptible to getting scored upon. And, as invincible as Brady looks, he can be forced into a mistake or two here and there, especially if he’s under duress - which is something that the Giants, as good as their pass rush is supposed to be, didn’t do much of tonight.

Best team through 16 games in 2007? Certainly. Best team ever? Ask me again in a little more than a month.