Ray Lewis and Ed Reed might be right for being the whistleblowers for the whistleblowers, but that doesn't change the reality that the Patriots' offense did what it needed to in a stirring 27-21 victory over the previously undefeated Ravens on Sunday.

The victory puts the Patriots into a tie with the Jets, who won the first meeting between the two teams, atop the AFC East standings. But perhaps more important than what the victory means in the standings is what the offense showed — consistency, rhythm and efficiency against a top-rated defense.

The PFW spin

It's one thing for the Patriots to get into a groove against a ho-hum crew like the Falcons' defense. It's an entirely different animal to do it against the likes of Lewis, Reed, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata. And that's the most encouraging sign to take away from New England's triumph Sunday, if you're a Patriots fan.

Tough as it is to fathom considering how many A-listers dot the Patriots' offensive depth chart, there was pause for concern after their Week Two fold job against the Jets. Sure, nobody really doubted that they could move the sticks well against bad-to-mediocre defenses, but after New York pummeled Tom Brady in Week Two, questions arose about how well they could tame the toughest of opponents.

Those questions were answered on Sunday.

Let's be clear about something — the Patriots' offense is nowhere near the mind-blowing juggernaut it was two seasons ago. It won't be hanging 50 points on anybody anytime soon, nor will it have Brady chucking it to Randy Moss on 1st-and-goal from the one-yard line to pad the quarterback's stats.

Ego and vindication are no longer fueling factors in the Patriots' game plan. They're not trying to embarrass anybody, nor are they trying to rewrite the record books. And yes, they most certainly were attempting those feats in 2007. In '09, they're merely trying to win. And by using that simple and singular motive, the Pats might not be piling up the numbers, but they have become a more organic offense, and one that's efficient enough to best a defense as suffocating as the Ravens'.

Check out the Week Four stat sheet. The balance was tremendous, with 35 pass plays and 30 running plays. Despite gaining a modest 319 total yards, at no time did they force the issue to a particular player, choosing instead to let Brady get set, fire to the open man or hand it off to one of their many capable running backs. A whopping nine players caught balls on Sunday, including four wide receivers, four running backs and one tight end. TE Ben Watson led the team with just 51 receiving yards.

Those aren't mind-blowing stats, folks. But that's the beauty in the evolution of Patriots football. They're now winning games with measured acumen and precision, not rock-'em, sock-'em fireworks. Of course, it helps that Bill Belichick's defense has been shockingly proficient given its personnel attrition, but watching the offense operate on Sunday it's easy to see that the Pats' offense now has the ability to dictate the tempo of the game if need be.

That said, not everything is coming up roses. The O-line continues to have kinks that need to be worked out, and veteran WR Joey Galloway has fallen off the map. The 37-year-old was a healthy scratch on Sunday, and it's looking as though the Patriots made a poor decision in keeping him over Greg Lewis in light of the now-Viking's heroics against the 49ers. Fortunately, the emergence of rookie revelation Julian Edelman offsets Galloway's disappearing act.

Only the most optimistic Pats fan would say that the Patriots are once again the league's best offense. However, with Brady back comfortable in the pocket, Moss content being just another cog in the wheel and a stable of able-bodied backs, there aren't too many offenses better-suited to stand toe-to-toe and control the flow when facing an upper-crust "D."

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