FOXBOROUGH - This was a game that probably said more about the state of the NFL than it did about the New England Patriots or Denver Broncos.
The NFL in 2008 has no great teams and it has no hopeless teams (OK, maybe the Lions). You simply don't know who is going to show up from week to week. This is a good thing for a Patriot team learning to live without Tom Brady. You can hang out in the Big Middle and still hope to make the playoffs, maybe more.
Humbled in two of their previous three games, the Patriots last night annihilated the Denver Broncos, 41-7, on "Monday Night Football." The Broncos entered the game with a 4-2 record and more confidence than Bill O'Reilly, but played one of the worst games in franchise history. The Patriots at times looked like the History Boys of 2007.
It is the way of the world in NFL 2008. The late Pete Rozelle's dreams have come true. Any Given Sunday is an absolute truth. Any Given Monday, too. Remember the Giants and Browns last week?
Seriously. It's great to say nice things about the Patriots when they play well, and they beat Denver every way you can beat a football team. They dominated the line of scrimmage. They enjoyed their best rushing game (257 yards) in 15 years. Matt Cassel threw three touchdown passes, two to Randy Moss. New England's special teams were truly special. The Patriots literally knocked players out of the game. Bill Belichick was the king of schemes.
But the Broncos were so bad it was difficult to get a read on New England's strengths. Denver allowed 404 yards, turned the ball over five times, and committed 8 penalties for 87 yards. Ever-intense coach Mike Shanahan looked like he was ready for an orange jumpsuit and leg irons when he walked into the tunnel at the end.
It made you wonder . . . how could the Broncos be 4-2? For that matter, how could these Patriots have been smoked at home by the Dolphins or looked so pathetic just one week ago in San Diego?
Don't bother to ask. Just don't expect to know what's going to happen Sunday when the Rams come to town.
"That was a really great job by our football team," said Belichick. "I just can't say enough about the way those guys went about it all week. We played a good complementary game, kind of a complete game. It was just good team football. We just prepared well and played well. Our guys just played hard."
Still hungover from the Red Sox' crushing defeat in St. Petersburg late Sunday, groggy New Englanders made the trek down Route 1 early last night, hoping the Patriots might furnish some of the October magic that'll be missing when the World Series starts tomorrow night at Tropicana Field.
They were rewarded.
