The Colts are officially off everyone’s radar, right?

Then it’s time to suspend all discussion of next week’s unexpected rematch with San Diego and take a breath to appreciate what we are seeing from Tom Brady and, in the spirit of these corny titles that ESPN and the NFL is putting on everything the Patriots do, Tom Brady’s “Ascendance into Transcendency!!!”

Brady has surpassed Larry Bird as the greatest Boston athlete my generation (1970 and up) has seen. A 19-0 season may shoot him past Ted Willaims and Bobby Orr on anyone’s list and into Bill Russell’s company for overall legend, including sheer dominance of his era. But let’s just forget about making lists for a second and just consider what we’re watching.

He was near-perfect Saturday night, which in retrospect isn’t shocking because he was in his element. As thrilling as the deep ball has been to watch this year, and as good as he’s been at it, the surgical short game is where Brady is at his most unstoppable. The Chargers can thank Jacksonville for demonstrating that taking away Randy Moss is great and all, but if it leaves Brady all day to throw, they will be picked apart as well.

It was the Brady of 2003 and 2004 Saturday night, only with more and better weapons. It was also the Brady of Super Bowl XXXVIII, being pushed by another quarterback who was rising to the occasion and raising his own game to another level.

Delighted as many of us were to see Peyton Manning’s season come to an end yesterday, we should feel cheated that we don’t get to see another Brady/Manning showdown. A week’s worth of hype might have made those outside of New England realize there really is no discussion when it comes to comparing Brady and Manning. We’ll have to wait for a Brady/Favre meeting for that kind of hype.

I don’t know how, unless a discussion of his love life with Giselle emerges, the media can overhype Brady. What can’t he do to win? The first throw to Donte Stallworth summed up Brady perfectly. With the poise to take a blown-up play and turn it into a big play, then the mechanics to make the throw itself, Brady melded awareness, improvisation and arm into one play.

Throw in his definitive leadership qualities and you have the quintessential quarterback.

There were some questions last week whether Brady would try to force the ball downfield to Moss or just take what the defense gave him. The theory was that 50 passing TDs and 23 to Moss had given Brady big-play fever, or hubris. Saturday night, he took what the defense gave him because that’s what it took to win. Tom Brady the pragmatist gave Tom Brady the gambler the week off.

Maybe against San Diego’s suspect secondary (except the scintillating Antonio Cromartie), Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Brady will decide the gambler needs to return. Maybe he’ll just throw to Kevin Faulk and Wes Welker all day again. However he does it, is there any doubt Brady will get it done?

With the Patriots unbeaten and now one game from the Super Bowl that could make his team transcendent, is there any way that Brady, the ultimate opportunist, doesn’t seize the moment? He will probably transcend the moment.