OK, so it’s preseason. Against the Redskins, who have yet to win a pre-season game. But 41-zip is impressive. Especially on the heals of the 30-3 win against Arizona last week. The numbers are impressive too. 7 sacks. 464 yards off total offense, 170 of that on the ground. Four rushing TD’s. Perfect kicking game (2 FG’s, 5 PAT’s). Opponent held to 154 yards of total offense. Pats offense ran 38 passing plays and 38 rushing plays.

And this win is significant in a number of ways, given the kind of talk about the Pat’s you see on ESPN and SI. They ran up 460 yards of offense without Deion Branch. Sure, they could have probably done more with him in there, but 10 players caught passes – mixing RB’s, TE’s, and WR’s almost evenly as usual. With that kind of balanced attack, so what if they don’t have a typical “#1 Receiver” right now? And with the running…

I didn’t get to see the game, but based on the score, the stats and the reports the Patriots are back:

Almost an even balance of run and pass plays. Five running backs each with over 20 yards (plus Cassel for 31 more). Fifteen players caught passes. Long drives. Two interceptions. Both quarterbacks throwing at about 75% efficiency.

As good as the offensive show was, it’s the defense which is the better news. It was talked up big this week that Arizona’s offense would be a tough test for what was looking like a weak secondary. It looks like things are coming together, though. And that’s without Harrison and Bruschi … Seau was watching from the sidelines, expect him in next week.

And, as for the offense, as much as everyone wants Deion Branch back, the Patriots are getting it done using what they have. The top receivers for the night was a even blend of TE’s, RB’s, and WR’s…

Wow, this came as a total surprise. Just three days after Pro-Bowl linebacker Junior Seau announced his retirement he signed a one-year deal with the Patriots. Talk about thinking outside the box. This would almost be the kind of move I’d expect from the Raiders, except I doubt Seau would have gone there – he may actually win a SuperBowl with the Patriots.

The move puts Seau back on the field with his long-time team-mate from the Chargers, Rodney Harrison. Who must be just aching to get back on the field now – if he wasn’t already.

At 37 years old, Seau won’t be like in his prime. But he brings a work ethic, leadership, and a formidable presence to the table. He fills the void left by Willie McGinest’s departure in that regard. And he’s a playmaker; like Bruschi and Harrison, if you need a sack or interception to turn the game around, odds are he’ll be one of…

Rating:
Of all the comics (“graphic novels”) I’ve seen converted to the big screen, “V” has to be the best. Most of these efforts veer too much towards being cartoon-like. Or rely too much on special effects. Or try too hard to be dark with no measure of reason for it. Or are just exercises in getting big names onto the screen to support a merchandising effort.

For starters, “V” is literate. There is a reverence for language and the power of the written and spoken word which I haven’t seen represented in film (or anywhere else, for that matter) in a while. This is a stark contrast to most films of the genre which descend into reparte or catch-phrases. This is a movie you have to listen to, because what is spoken is not just filler between special effects.

The characters are performed and scripted more in keeping with European style. They’re more flambouyant in their actions,…

The score is pretty irrelevant in this one. Either team could have won it going down to the wire and its more important that no one got injured, because this was a fast-paced game.

The Patriots defense looked like you’d expect given the complexity of the scheme they run. It usually takes several games for new players to adapt to it. So things looked kind of porous there. Still, they got one interception and came close to a couple more. A few sacks too. The newly drafted players did well, especially given that some were playing positions they never had in college. By October this group should be fine, especially once Bruschi and Harrison and Seymour return.

The offense had plenty of good news. Maroney looked awesome. New England has always had punshing backs, like Dillon and Smith, but Maroney has the kind of speed and moves that will cause defenses fits. Dillon looked like his old self … with…