Tom, you're starting to resemble Peyton Manning, circa 2004.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing? This corner rapped Manning for destroying Dan Marino's season TD pass record with his penchant to ignore the running game in short, goal-to-go, situations.

Brady's second-and-two, two-yard TD toss to Kyle Brady was absolutely Manning-esque. It winds up a footnote in Tom's 21 of 25, 354-yard, 6-TD performance in the Pats' 49-28 decimation of the Miami Dolphins.

Manning was celebrated on the charge, so there had better not be whispers about Brady.

Still, those types of cheapie TDs - and Manning pocketed a bundle of them rolling up his 49 in '04 - should be noted ... right there with the fact that he's hitting an ungodly 74 percent of his passes (169-of-229), has thrown for 2,125 yards and only has two interceptions to go with his 27 TDs.

Brady is at the apex, right where he should be at age 30. But let's let the touchdowns come as a part of the offense, not as part of a personal quest.

By the way, Brady now is on pace to throw 62 TDs, a number that would shatter Manning's mark.

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While many critics said the Randy Moss thing would never work here, we've been a believer since Day 1.

We can't say the same for Donte' Stallworth, for whom doubts have persisted since the opening of camp.

Injury-prone and more of a me-guy in the past than Moss ever was, Stallworth was the ultimate square peg.

It didn't take long for the vets in the Pats' locker room to round him into form.

Stallworth, like Moss, has answered every call since the opening drive of the season. With 22 catches for 367 yards and three TDs, Stallworth has worked perfectly opposite Moss, either in tandem with slot man Wes Welker or alone when Welker moves to the Moss side.

Mea culpa, folks. Stallworth plays the game like he's got a point to prove, or like he needs a contract.

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Kevan Barlow reportedly led the cast of tryouts this week at running back in Foxboro and expect a steadier flow this week, following Laurence Maroney's 6-carry, 31-yard return to the lineup yesterday.

As expected, Belichick would't comment on Maroney's early exit from action, but this half-dozen and out doesn't fit the coach's modus operandi.

With Sammy Morris' collarbone injury sounding more and more serious by the day, the Pats need a runner. Kevin Faulk, Lyle Eckel and Heath Evans aren't No. 2 backs to Maroney and certainly are not No. 1 types if the second-year man out of Minnesota can't go.

There is no state of emergency here, no time to panic. But you just can't imagine a Bill Belichick team hitting December without a decent running game.

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And again, not to panic, but . . .

Where has the defensive line been the last couple weeks?

Ty Warren, Jarvis Green and Vince Wilfork combine for a total of three tackles on a day the Dolphins run 30 times for 179 yards.

Clearly, the linebackers have made their share of plays. Adalius Thomas, Mike Vrabel, Rosie Colvin, Junior Seau and Tedy Bruschi are well on their way to a big, fat midseason "A."

And while the defensive backs haven't exactly tackled well, they are active and quick to force plays.

But Wilfork and Warren especially have been absent vs. the run. It doesn't matter now, but when the games count, say on Nov. 4 in Indy and then again in January, the front three must produce.