Congratulations to Ralph, whose 10-4 record makes him week seven champion. All picks are against the spread. Home teams are in CAPS, including Miami playing at home in London. Here are my selections. Browns -3 over RAMS, BEARS -5 over Lions, Colts -7 over PANTHERS, Giants -9.5 over DOLPHINS, TITANS -7.5 over Raiders, VIKINGS +1 over Eagles, Steelers -3.5 over BENGALS, Bills +3 over JETS, CHARGERS -9.5 over Texans, BUCS -4 Jaguars, Saints -3 over NINERS, PATRIOTS -16.5 over Redskins, and, on Monday Night Football Packers +3 over BRONCOS. Make your picks in the comments section.

Cleveland
De-Riot
Indianapolis
New York (Giants)
Oakland
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
New York (Jets)
Houston
Jacksonville
San Francisco
Washington
Denver

Browns
BEARS
Colts
Giants
TITANS
Eagles
Steelers
Bills
Texans
BUCS
Saints
PATRIOTS

Monday Night

Packers

I am the greatest!

Browns
Lions
Colts
Giants
TITANS
VIKINGS
Steelers
JETS
Texans
BUCS
NINERS
PATS
Packers

Browns,
Lions,
Colts,
DOLPHINS,
TITANS,
VIKINGS,
Steelers,
Bills,
CHARGERS,
BUCS,
Saints,
Redskins,
BRONCOS.

browns, bears, colts, giants, titans, vikings, steelers, jets, texans, jaguars, niners, redskins, broncos.

Congrats Ralph. Even a Cowboy's fan can get it right once in a while.

Browns
Da Bearss
Colts
The New York football Giants
Titaniums
Vikes
Steelers
Bisons
Bolts
Bucs
Pink 49
Pats
Da Pack

Wow. That was an offensive display put on by the Pats against a pretty good Skins defense.

Anyone care to argue that the score that resulted from going for it on 4th and 1, in the middle of the 4th quarter, up 38-0 wasn't running up the score?

Hey Ralphy, put away your skirt and understand that this ain't little league. As was said about the Boyz: it's up to PROFESSIONAL defenses to stop PROFESSIONAL offenses. And if they can't, tough! Hate to clue you dude, but these teams are out there to win, not to be fair and pleasant fellows.

Gaud Almighty! Talk about the whimpification of our society.

Boo f'ing Hoo.

But seriously.....

Thom Brady:
Three passing touchdowns (30); two rushing touchdowns.

Any questions!

So in your opinion there's no such thing as running up the score. That's fine, but nobody seems to think so but Pats fans.

You can't think that offensive stats that are put up when the other team has conceded the game are as impressive as those put up when the game is still being played in earnest. Ever hear of "garbage time"? I guess you don't think that exists either.

Anyway, it's a classless thing to do. Apparently, Bill is upset about having been caught cheating, so he feels the need to thumb his nose at the NFL by running up the score. He put Brady back in the game against the Dolphins, for god's sake! What an a**hole.

It's funny to me how, when an@lyzing pro games where the Patriots are involved, the same cry babies who watch college football don't bat an eye when one dominant team beats the crap out of another team, as reflected by a lopsided score.

Only in the minds of those getting beaten and many self righteous fans does such a thing as running up the score exist.

The Colts won 30-7 and I don’t hear anybody biatching about that as a ‘run up’.

It’s not the job of the offense to go out there to run three plays and punt. They're out there to score every time they can. And score as often as they can. And it's up to defenses to do their jobs.

Next you’re going to say that the big meany Vrabel shouldn’t have forced those fumbles because it made Washington’s offense look bad.

Right now, the Patriots are the Varsity and other teams are the Junior Varsity. And until such time when other teams stop them, all cry babying complaining, panty wearers will need to deal with it.

I'm not disputing that the Pats are men against boys right now. They mauled the Skins, pure and simple. Same with the Fins, and to a lesser extent, the Cowboys. That doesn't change the fact that they've run up the score in all of those wins.

I'm now opposed to running up the score in college football. But it's a bit different because of the role that rankings play in the college game. The fact is that pollsters award points for big blowouts. Heck, margin of victory used to be a component in the BCS rankings.

The Colt's victory was border-line running up the score, but at least an argument can be made against that charge. Going into the 4th, the Colts lead 24-7. A 17-point lead is not insurmountable. They scored their final touchdown in the opening minutes of the 4th, and then let up. There's no doubt they could have scored more TDs, but Dungy has class.

The Pats, on the other hand, went for it on 4th and 1, up 38-0 in the 4th quarter to set up another TD. And that wasn't even their last one! The difference between 31-7 and 52-7 is THREE TDs.

It's cheap. And the fact that it's in response to being caught cheating makes it cheaper.

Cry baby.

Homer.

Jealousy is an ugly thing.

Almost as ugly as classlessness.

If Belichick and the Patriots were running the war in Iraq, it would be over in two weeks.

Touche.

I’m hearing that Bush is considering invading Foxboro Mass. He highly suspects that there are weapons of mass destruction at Gillette Stadium.

Ralph: Something about the 52-7 victory over the Skins did not sit right with me (throwing deep to Moss in the fourth quarter is one example). But Brady and Moss were out of the game with 9 minutes to go in the game. You can't blame the second stringers who scored the final touchdown for running up the score. You can blame the heartless and humbled Redskins defense.

Question: Did the Cowboys run up the score in Super Bowl 27 against the Bills? They won 52-17. Did they really need to score 21 points in the fourth quarter? Were you angry with Jimmie Johnson for not going for field goals? Did Aikman really need to air it out when up by multiple touchdowns?

Homer??? WTF?

The only thing I'm enjoying is the fact that Pats fans are now on the receiving end of the nationwide hatred once reserved exclusively for Cowboys fans.

All glory is fleeting, bitches. This too shall pass.

But the hatred (hopefully) will remain and make kicking the Pats when they finally fall down all the more enjoyable.

The Pats have been there and done that, have seen the highs and lows, and they're smart enough to know from experience that there will be an end to this at some point. But....THEY DON'T GIVE A CRAP!!!

They're playing old school, in your face, smash mouth football. The way God intended for it to be played. And their approach is completely logical and unapologetic about beating teams into submission and with extreme prejudice.

Call it retribution for disrespect; for camera gate; HGH use, what have you. I call it motivation and if it helps them to run the table, to the chagrin of the professional pundits, I’m ok with that.

Unfortunately, in these days where professional sports is primarily "sports entertainment" and we need to listen to a trio of morons on MNF talk about Brett Favre's first baby step and how, for the thousandth time, his Father has passed, do we find an underlying current of whimpiness and emotional fluff.

This doesn’t apply to the New England Patriots. And other than the football purists, it pi$$es people off.

I'm proud of this team now and I'll be proud of them when their dominant run ends and another team steps in to take up the mantle of smash mouth nasty. And I won't cry about it either way.

Homer: Ralph meant that I'm a Home-r. Referring to my support of our dynamic and most excellent professional football francise.

Not you cupcake.

You mean, like, Homer-Eroticism and your obsession with these strapping young men?

Hey, I'm not like our resident Romo-sexual but I do have a man crush on the Pat's #12.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Dan,

My issue is not so much with who is in the game, Brady and Moss or their back-ups, as with the play-calling, e.g., throwing down the field, and going for it on fourth down. They should be running the ball, and punting or kicking on fourth down. I have no problem with them continuing to score under those circumstances.

Concerning the Cowboys' 52-17 Super Bowl win, I don't recall how Dallas scored in the fourth quarter (I seem to remember them running the ball and the defense scoring), but I might be willing to make allowances for Super Bowls. Perhaps that's inconsistent, but I don't think so. Dallas certainly didn't run up the score in it's regular season games or even in the previous rounds of the playoffs. Whereas, the Pats are sticking it to every team on the schedule.

One final thought. Not only is it poor sportsmanship, but it may turn out to be dangerous. How long before a team that's getting trampled in the fourth quarter decides to send a message of its own by taking a shot at Brady? If things keep going like they're going, I'd say the odds are pretty good.

Ralph: You say you don't remember Dallas "running up the score" on other teams. Not to be a wiseass, but there has never been a team, at least in my viewing lifetime, like the 2007 Patriots. The early '90s Cowboys didn't run up the score because they couldn't run up the score--at least in the way the Patriots are accused of. "Any given Sunday" has meaning to fans, because they know that in the NFL--as the Bills nearly showed the Cowboys a few weeks back--there is not such a difference between first and last place teams that the latter cannot beat the former. That phrase goes out the window with the Pats. Other than the Colts, no one in this league is in their league. The Pats have blownout everyone they've played. They are a dominant team. Cry about "running up the score." Or, beat them on the field. No one can do the latter, so we'll probably be hearing more crying. Here's a tissue....

Dan,

After last Sunday's game, I came away thinking that this is one of the most technically sound professional football teams I've ever seen. They are playing at such a high level on both sides of the ball and we’re seeing the execution of almost flawless football. As fans we should savor it as something special.

In every dimension, they thoroughly beat up a pretty good NFC East team and shredded their highly touted secondary which was supposed to be the meat of what Washington was to use as the defensive stopper for an efficient Patriot's offense.

It’s an excellent point you make regarding the alleged running up of the score. They score a lot, because they can. Other teams just can’t stop them! After the Miami game, a frustrated Zack Thomas said that they did everything they could to stop the Pats but at some point in the game, they just knew that they couldn’t. Scary.

The more I watch this team play, the more apparent it is that they think that they should have had another ring last year and are out to make darn sure they get one this year.

"It's fair to wonder if New England's pour-it-on mindset will leave it vulnerable to any repercussions in the season's second half. Will some humiliated defender put a target on Tom Brady's back, or try to take out his frustrations via a cheap shot on Randy Moss' slender frame? Revenge, of course, is a two-way street, and the Patriots' habit of winning big certainly isn't winning them any friends, but it may be influencing their enemies. If a team did try to take revenge, the impact on New England's Super Bowl dreams would be obvious."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/10/30/pats.running.up/index.html?eref=T1

God forbid. I'd hate to see Brady collapsed on the field in agony, the Pats' championship hopes dashed. I would definitely need a tissue then.

F#$k SI,
F#$k ESPN,
F#$k the fans,
F#$k the media in general.

All these yelps about "sportsmanship" from people who openly fantasize about cheapshot hits ending a star players' seasons.

I found Steve Young's whines about running up the score particularly galling. Steve, do you remember the 94 season? Your 42-3 and 50-14 wins over Atlanta? Your six-touchdown passes in the Super Bowl over the hapless Chargers?

"All these yelps about 'sportsmanship' from people who openly fantasize about cheapshot hits ending a star players' seasons."

One good turn deserves another.

A great piece on Bill's lack of class: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/7392370

Wow Ralphy, you are one angry and bitter little dude.

I know that you can only wish and pray that the Boyz were as good as the Pats, but I think that suggesting it would be some kind of warped justice that any of our players get hurt is out of line and frankly a bit immature.

I suppose it's still stinging that the Pats bit@h slapped your Boyz.

Lack of class? To quote a great wordsmith, "How bout them Cowboys!!!" You cheered on a team owned by Jerry Jones, coached by Jimmy Johnson (you might remember him as the coach of Thug U.) and then by Barry Switzer (Violations? What Violations?), and led by a guy who, when not catching touchdowns, could occasionally be spotted snorting the thirty yard line. Bellichek cut his star receiver (Terry Glenn) when he acted up. The Cowboys gave their problem child millions of dollars.

But my indignation is also on behalf of the Fins and the Skins and whomever else Bill disrespects. It's disrespect for the game.

Also, I don't really want Brady out for the year. I'd like them to get to the Super Bowl so Dallas could get another shot at them. But I wouldn't mind Brady being side-lined for a few games.

Here's an ana1ogy. If a baseball team were up big on another team, and then, after hitting a homerun, one of their players walked to first as he rounded the bag, I'd have no problem whatsoever with the other team's pitcher throwing a 98 MPH fastball at the next batter.

By the same token, if Bill's going to leave Brady in late in games for the sole purpose of running up the score, then he's fair game for retaliation. If he gets hurt, it's nobody's fault but Bill's.

Dan,

What do any of those examples have to do with a lack of class? Lack of character, yes, but none of those involve disrespecting other teams.

Ralph, you write: "if Bill's going to leave Brady in late in games for the sole purpose of running up the score, then he's fair game for retaliation. If he gets hurt, it's nobody's fault but Bill's." Your premise is false. Brady hasn't been playing late in the big blowouts. Against Washington and Miami, the two games you cite, both Matt Guitierrez and Matt Cassell (the two backups), played. There is no fourth-string QB. What else is Bellicek supposed to do, line up Vince Wilfork behind center? Brady played for two minutes of the 4th quarter against Miami and got pulled with nine minutes left against Washington. In other words, Bill hasn't left Brady in late in games for the sole purpose of running up the score. On the contrary, he's played two backups for the very reason that he's not interested in running up the score. When Matt Cassell or Kyle Eckel scores off you it's not running up the score.

Bill put Brady back in late in the Miami game after Cassell had thrown an INT. Brady proceeded to lead the offense to another TD.

Brady was in the Skins game in the middle of the 4th when the Pats were up 38-0. He ran a QB sneak on 4th down to sustain a drive that eventually led to a Wes Welker touchdown.

I just wanted to point out that there is no "A" in Boston.

Oh crap, I meant to put this in the Tower of Babel thread...

I've been reduced to mocking your accents since your teams are unbeatable.

Last night, I listened to a replay of an interview with Brady on local sports talk radio from this last Monday morning and they drilled him on the alleged "run up" issue. As expected he adamantly defended what they’re doing by saying, and I paraphrase, that it's their offense's job to score points and the job of the other team’s defense to stop them from scoring points. Simple, logical and indisputable.

But what was more interesting and to the point was something he said regarding how opponents don’t stop competing so why should they. Specifically he mentioned that when, even if the score is lopsided, the other teams will still continue to stack the box with sometimes as many as six defenders so the Pats will naturally throw the football. And in that case if they don’t throw the football people will get hurt. He didn’t say it, but he probably meant him.

Now, the fact that he is a passer of excellent ability and his receivers can catch and YAC, well………you know the rest.

Too bad that many fans and media would rather see the Patriots get hurt than to do what the good Lord intended for them to do: score points.