Patriots off to one of most complete NFL starts in NFL history

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The scoreboard will say it was a 26-point win, but the Patriots have many things to work on after their Week 5 rout of the hapless Redskins.

But despite the litany of offensive issues that popped up against Washington — a stunted rushing attack in the first half, a Phillip Dorsett injury, an offensive line that had trouble protecting Tom Brady at times, receivers that couldn't seem to create enough separation — New England was still able to put up 33 points while its defense put together another dominant effort.

Add it all up and you get a start that hasn't been seen in the NFL in almost 100 years.

Through five games, New England is averaging 31 points per game, and by allowing seven points in Washington, their defensive scoring average actually went up — to 6.8 points per game.

That's good for a +121 point differential so far this season. That's the second-best scoring margin through five games since the merger in 1970, trailing only the 1999 Rams, aka the Greatest Show on Turf, who outscored their opponents by 123 points over that five-game stretch.

The Patriots will look to extend their undefeated start in Foxboro Thursday night when they face the 2-3 Giants, who lost to the Vikings Sunday.

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