Patriots' Pursuit of Perfection
If you could even call it a pursuit. What Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the Patriots have wreaked on the league in the first seven weeks is obscene, mind-blowing and stupefying. As a team, New England is on pace to shatter the Vikings' single-season scoring record of 556 points set in 1998 when, you guessed it, Moss, was wearing a purple 84, by an astounding five points per game. They are beating teams by more than 22 points a game, a margin of victory which is better than nearly a third of the league is scoring per game. It's been said by some pundits that "Oh, the Patriots. Well, they haven't played anybody tough this year other than Dallas." People, this is the NFL. You know, "Any Given Sunday" where any team can conceivably beat any team on any day. The Patriots are simply the most exquisite team I've ever seen assembled and quite possibly the best ever. As I said a few weeks ago, 19-0 looms.
Brady is playing at a level I've never seen before. When Dan Marino set the phenomenal mark of 48 TD passes in a season back in 1984, I, amongst many other thought it would never be broken. Then again, I was seven years old; what'd I know? Peyton Manning broke that record with 49 two years ago. Very impressive. But Brady? On pace for 62 TDs? Oh my!
And then there's Moss being Moss again. Double-teamed on both those TD catches Sunday. His wondrous sense of timing and still-sensation leaping ability got him the first one. The second? The one he caught with the crook of his arm? Yikes. And that wasn't his best one of the game. That would be the one-hander he caught just out of the back of the end zone. (What did you say about Randy, Art Shell? That his legs were gone; that he was washed up. Art? Aaa-rrrt? I can't hear you. That's what I thought.) Moss is on pace to break Jerry Rice's single-season TD catch record of 22 and is once again looking like the most talented wide receiver of all-time.
Can't wait for Patriots-Colts in 12 days. Here's an early prediction: NE 42, IND 24. That might settle the argument. (And Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN.com, who I used to enjoy reading, can fall off his high horse any time now. His speculation of what or what might not have happened with Spygate was just that: speculation, not good journalism. The fact that he believes that the Colts represent Good and the Patriots Evil is a great angle for a column. But since Week 1, he has been sitting on his high horse and beating it to death. Shut up already!)
Ahh, mixed metaphors…my favorite.
The Big Chill
The Vikings led the Cowboys 14-7 at halftime Sunday, thanks in part to another pretty TD run by Adrian Peterson. Guess how many times the best rookie running back since Eric Dickerson touched the ball as a running back in the game? Try 13. EVERYtime I think Minnesota coach Brad Childress can't possibly get denser, he goes out and proves me wrong. That was an imminently winnable game on Sunday even with the terrible play of Tavaris Jackson. It could have been the biggest victory in recent Purple memory for that matter – a road win at the odds-on NFC favorite – but Childress again failed to utilize the second-best running back in the league. Peterson was never in the game on third down. And a week after burning the vaunted Bears defense for 224 yards, Childress again used Peterson as a backup and only called 12 freakin' running plays for him. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!
Yo, Adrian. Next year will be better, I promise, when we get rid of this anti-MENSA candidate as coach and bring in a box of rocks. At least the box might know to give the ball to the best player on the field. (I'm just going to walk away muttering to myself. Ooh-sa.)
Random thoughts
Rockies-Red Sox. I just might enjoy this World Series. Too bad the Tribe choked on their tomahawks and screwed up my prediction. My prediction tomorrow.
The Golden Gophers have officially reached a new low. Losing to North Dakota State? Maybe they should get Sisters of the Poor back on the schedule. I'm too sick to speak of them right now.
I miss my MJ. If anyone sees my pretty black girl, tell her I said hi.
The Wild are still unbeaten. Nisky's still with the big club. It's going to be a fun NHL season.
I can't wait to see KG win a title. And yes, it'll happy next year.
Until next time…
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