1.   And every time the Boston offense took a run at the similarly helpless White Sox staff, Red Sox pitchers wasted the effort.

2.   And in an age when offense is taking over as the biggest aspect of the game, Palmer seems prepared to piece together a strong one.

3.   Anderson arrived, and the offense took flight.

4.   All through the offseason, the offense took precedence.

5.   All the defense ever has wanted is for the offense to take advantage of its hard work.

6.   Each time offenses take one step forward in pro football, defenses shuffle to take two.

7.   Fassel knew some players, Barber being one of them, were unhappy about the new direction the pass-happy offense had been taking.

8.   Four seconds remained after that as the Harvard offense took the field for the triumphal formality.

9.   From the first pitch, the Angels offense took to beating up on Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay.

10.   He has been gone for nearly two months now, and this allegedly free-flowing, warp-speed offense has not taken flight in his absence.