Patriots are on pace for some records</p> FOXBOROUGH - Redskins coach Joe Gibbs has seen his fair share of offenses since beginning his NFL coaching career in 1973, and the one his team is preparing to face Sunday might be the best ever. It's part of the reason Gibbs stated earlier this week the Redskins will "probably be the biggest underdog in the history of sports."</p> "They're on pace to break almost every record," Gibbs said of the high-flying Patriots attack. "We've been looking at them and it's hard to find anything there. There are no weaknesses we can find."</p> With quarterback Tom Brady pulling the trigger and receiver Randy Moss adding a dimension to the offense that has seldom, if ever, been seen around these parts, the Patriots have put together a seven-game stretch that has them on pace to set standards in a plethora of team and NFL categories.</p> Projections are always dicey, especially with nine regular-season games remaining, but the Patriots have been too lethal to avoid looking ahead at what the offense could accomplish.</p> Where does one start?</p> With 279 points scored, the Patriots are on pace to put up 638 this year. That wouldn't just break the NFL record set by the 1998 Vikings (556), it would crush it.</p> Of course, the common thread between the 2007 Patriots and 1998 Vikings is Moss, who was a rookie on that Minnesota team that went 15-1. Moss totaled 69 catches for 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns as he exploded onto the NFL scene. His quarterback that year, Randall Cunningham, enjoyed a similar experience to what Brady is going through.</p> Daunte Culpepper, Moss's QB later in the receiver's career in Min nesota, isn't surprised to see Moss - who has 44 catches for 732 yards and 10 touchdowns - burning things up.</p> "Randy is a phenomenal player and that is being seen around the league," Culpepper wrote via e-mail. "He is clearly on fire. New England is lucky to have him."</p> As for Moss's chase of the record books, his 10 touchdown catches put him on pace for 23 this season, which would eclipse Jerry Rice's mark of 22, set in 1987.</p> And as for Brady, his 27 scoring passes put him one shy of tying his career high for a season (28), which he accomplished in 2002 and 2004. The blazing start has him on pace for a season of 62 TDs, which would annihilate the NFL record of 49, set by the Colts' Peyton Manning in 2004.</p> Manning touched on Brady's pursuit last week in Indianapolis.</p> "I saw where Tom said that in the midst of the season, he doesn't have much time to think about individual records and accomplishments, and he's concentrating on the team," Manning said. "I have to say, if and when he approaches that record, and it certainly seems like he's on pace to do so, my hope would be to handle it with as much class as Dan Marino did a few years ago when I came near to that passing record."</p> Manning isn't the only current quarterback impressed with Brady's sizzling start.</p> "It's off the charts," said Green Bay's Brett Favre. "The way he orchestrates his team is as good as any that's ever played. Then you throw in those guys around him, I think his offensive line, I don't want to say is underrated, but with Randy and Wes Welker and [Laurence] Maroney, [Donte'] Stallworth, and those guys [the linemen] don't get a lot of attention, but when he drops back, very rarely does he ever get pressure.</p> "If they stay healthy, they could break every record. Obviously, it starts with him, but every passing record that's out there. And I thought Peyton's would never be broken - of course, I'm sure people thought Dan's would never be broken. But he could hit 60 touchdown passes. That sounds crazy, but it could happen."</p> Brady is on target to crush more than that just the record for touchdown passes.</p> A 61.9 percent passer entering the season, he has completed 73.8 percent of his throws this year (169 of 229), which if he keeps pace would rewrite the record books. Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson connected on an NFL-record 70.55 percent of his passes (218 of 309) in 1982.</p> And for those who like the passer rating stat, despite its sometimes misleading nature, consider that Brady has a seven-game rating of 137.9. If that holds, it would surpass Manning's record of 121.1 from the 2004.</p> Welker has jumped quickly out of the chute and is leading the team with 47 receptions. That puts him on course for 107 receptions over the 16-game regular season, which would break Troy Brown's club mark of 101 in 2001.</p> The Patriots have kept the chain gang busy. Their 179 first downs easily lead the NFL and project to a total of 409, which would be an NFL record, surpassing the 2004 Chiefs (398).</p> The team's 36 total touchdowns would yield a season total of 82, breaking the NFL mark of 70 set by Marino and the 1984 Dolphins.</p> Of course, projections don't guarantee future success. But it's easy to see why Gibbs is so impressed. The Patriots are steamrolling the opposition and on course to assault the NFL record book in the process.</p> "Their offense is so prolific, people are having a tough time stopping them," Gibbs said.</p> "They have great talent and they're on a record-setting pace. Nobody has been able to come close to playing with them."</p>
Not necessarily though, they just need to win all the games, and keep doing what they have done offensively.</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Not necessarily though, they just need to win all the games, and keep doing what they have done offensively.</p> </div></p> Stealing defensive signals?</p> </p> </p> <font size="1">(I just couldn't resist.)</font></p> </p>
They say records are made to be broken, but, how can that be living in a digital age like we do? hmmmmmmm?</p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Not necessarily though, they just need to win all the games, and keep doing what they have done offensively.</p> </div></p> Stealing defensive signals?</p> </p> </p> <font size="1">(I just couldn't resist.)</font></p> </p> </div></p> That too. haha</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (DolfanDale)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticKing)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> Not necessarily though, they just need to win all the games, and keep doing what they have done offensively.</p> </div></p> Stealing defensive signals?</p> </p> </p> <font size="1">(I just couldn't resist.)</font></p> </p> </div></p> I bet the Dolphins coaching staff have never thought to look over at the opposition defensive coordinator just standing there out in the open making large, easily distinguishable, hand-signals on the sideline.</p> Exactly what is the difference between someone sitting in the stands (or a coaching box) watching with binoculars and taking detailed notes and tape recording? Aside from one being inforceable and one not, I don't see the difference. Cheatin' is cheatin'. Patriots just invested more money in it.</p> </p>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (agoo101284)</div><div class='quotemain'></p> I bet the Dolphins coaching staff have never thought to look over at the opposition defensive coordinator just standing there out in the open making large, easily distinguishable, hand-signals on the sideline.</p> Exactly what is the difference between someone sitting in the stands (or a coaching box) watching with binoculars and taking detailed notes and tape recording? Aside from one being inforceable and one not, I don't see the difference. Cheatin' is cheatin'. Patriots just invested more money in it.</p> </div></p> Let me break something down for you; Its only human nature to try & get an upper hand and if the Phins staff were to do something questionable Dale, Beef, & I would call them out. I'll go so far to say that three of us are more critical of Miami then the other 31 teams combined.</p> Agoo; you forgot to mention that one team could have someone watch the game if televised and glean insights from the announcers.</p> </p>
