Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

From the gridiron to the diamond:

-Quite an impressive defensive performance by the Patriots Sunday, wasn't it?

Bill Belichick's boys shut down a very good Falcons offense. With Jerrod Mayo already out of commission and Vince Wilfork hobbling off the field, the stage was set for an Atlanta offensive explosion. Instead, the Pats buckled down and put up their best showing against a quality offense in a long, long time.

-Good thing, because New England's scoring unit is still slightly out of sync. Wes Welker's injury is playing a major role in those struggles, as is Joey Galloway's calcification. It wouldn't surprise me one bit to find the once dangerous receiver on the waiver wire any day now.

-Perhaps Laurence Maroney getting banged up again (there's a shocker) might lead to the realization that this running back by committee nonsense needs to stop. Fred Taylor got to carry the ball 21-times and, not-so-mysteriously, a running game emerged. Freed from the shackles of shared playing time, Taylor racked up 105-yards and made Tom Brady's life much easier. To paraphrase Keyshawn Johnson: "Get him the damn ball!"

Seriously, how can you expect running backs to find a rhythm when there are four different guys carrying the ball a handful of times each? Any great runner in history will tell you it takes about 15-carries to develop a feel for the game. Most of them do their damage after that, when they've had a chance to wear down a defense and get in the flow. It can't be good for offensive linemen, either, who must adjust to multiple running styles.

This isn't just a critique of the Pats. It's a league-wide phenomenon spreading like wildfire over the last couple of years. Front office types will tell you it's intended to keep backs fresh and healthy. Don't buy it. It's a way to keep their wallets light and empty. Big yardage and touchdown totals equal big salaries, something owners don't want to have to account for in the salary cap era.

What they're missing is the fact you don't need a Hall of Fame RB to win Super Bowls, but you do need a go-to guy. A quick glance at the list of NFL champions will show that the last time a true running back by committee took home the ultimate prize was the 1973 Miami Dolphins of Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris.

-I find talk of the Red Sox starting John Lester over Josh Beckett in Game 1 of the playoffs downright silly. With Curt Schilling now making and playing video games, Beckett is the best big game pitcher of this generation. When he's on in October, he's almost unbeatable. He more than anyone else is responsible for the 2007 World Series title, giving Boston's Boys of Summer and automatic 1-0 lead in every series, not to mention saving the ALCS with a dominant Game 5 at Cleveland.

Was Lester good in the '08 post-season? Sure was. Was he unbeatable a la the vintage Josh Beckett? Not even close.

With a maddeningly inconsistent offense, especially away from Fenway, the '09 Red Sox will go as far as their pitching staff takes them. Trot out Beckett, Lester, Dice-K and Buchholz in that order, and I'll take my chances with Boston over any other team, Yankees included.

That's the view from here...how do you see things?