Posted by Teddy Panos, Sun Staff

From Red Sox playoff previews to Patriots game reviews:

-OK, so Terry Francona once again ignored my advice and went with John Lester over Josh Beckett in Game 1. I guess the move makes sense, especially if Lester goes on short rest in Game 4. He's much more likely to bounce back strong than Beckett, who would hurl Game 5 on normal rest or be ready for Game 1 of the American League Championship Series.

Clay Buchholz over Daisuke Matsuzaka in Game 3 is a bigger gamble, in my book. Not that I'm overly confident in Dice-K, but I'm always nervous about rookie pitchers in the post-season. Then again, Tito has two World Series rings and I have ring around the collar, so take my thoughts for what they're worth...not much.

-A quick gaze into the crystal ball shows the Yankees beating the Detroit-Minnesota survivor, St. Louis over Los Angeles and Philadelphia climbing over the Colorado Rockies.

As for the local nine, I was all set to go with the Angels. Then I remembered Mike Scioscia. The Halos manager is likely to cost his team a game with his boneheaded baserunning strategy, and in a best-of-five, one game is all it takes to swing a series. So I'll take the Sox...in five.

-That smile on Bill Belichick's face at the end of Sunday's game told me how much that game meant and how much of a struggle it was.

The Patriots, while still sporting many soft spots, are slowly jelling, especially on defense. The one guy they could least afford to lose from that unit without it falling apart was Jerrod Mayo. Yet lo and behold, they've survived 3 ½ games without Mr. Indispensible, and have beaten two very good offensive squads back to back in Atlanta and Baltimore.

By the way, rookie cornerback Darius Butler is the real deal. The kid has playmaker written all over him.

-A week after arguing for Fred Taylor to become the workhorse out of New England's backfield, I watched in amazement as Laurence Maroney not only started the Ravens game, but also carried the ball more than any other runner until finally being banished to the bench after a measly 6-yards on 7-carries.

I get that there's going to be a committee out of the backfield in Foxboro. But does Maroney have to chair that committee? The former first round pick is just plain awful, something that became even clearer when he tip-toed around on kickoff returns instead of using that blazing speed to blast through an opening somewhere.

I say put Maroney in a sequined shirt and send him to Dancing with the Stars. Just get him the heck off the football field!

-Finally, Rush Limbaugh wants to buy St. Louis' NFL team. Does this mean the Rams will switch to the Right Wing-T offense?

That's the view from here...how do you see things? What are your Red Sox and MLB playoff predictions? Should it have been Dice-K over Buchholz in Game 3? Are the Patriots on the right track? Is Laurence Maroney officially a flop yet?