Instant replay is a fairly recent addition to NFL football. Instant replay is great, because important games should not turn on mistakes or non calls by the officials. It does, however, have some problems.

When it started out, the officials had 30 seconds to review the play, and issue a ruling. That system was removed, because rushing the official did not accomplish the goal of getting the call right. In the current system coaches have 2 challenge flags they can throw. Throwing a flag triggers a review of the play.

The problem is, these flags are being abused. It is possible to throw a flag on a unchallengeable call. Pass interference, for example, cannot be challenged. If the coach throws the flag and finds out he cannot challenge the call, the flag is returned.

So what happens is the coach basically gets a free conference with the official while everyone picks around. Coach throws the flag, finds out he can't challenge, and gets his flag back.

Jacksonville's coach Jack DelRio took it a step further. He just help up the flag and got a conference with the zebras while his team was on defense. What this does is slow down the game, lets his defense get a breather, and throws the opposing offense off balance. (DelRio is not the only coach to do this, just the most recent.)

Football is not Shakespeare, there should be no long, drawn out "to challenge or not to challenge". Play should continue, and if a coach wants to challenge, he should throw the flag. Can't challenge it? Lose the flag. Mis-throw? Lose the flag. You get two a game, use them wisely.

Take the game out of the officials hands, and let them play football.

The Patriots SHOULD have run up the score against the Redskins on October 28th.

This is football, not ice skating. The Patriots are as good as they are because they play 100% every time, every down. They are dominating right now. They don't take plays off, and they punish people.

If the Patriots start taking it easy, or going soft on teams, it could become a habit, or they could get a little too much of an ego and start playing at 99%. As good as they are, not many teams in the NFL can win at 99%, and The Patriots have the Colts coming up this week, they need every edge they can get. Maybe they were practicing new plays to use against the Colts. Maybe they were showing the Colts some new looks. Who cares why, they have a right too.

The Redskins do not get to ask the Patriots to tone it down. The Redskins have to get off the field on their own. This is football, this is America, you get up and off the field on your own, with the team you came with. Don't ask the other team for help, or mercy, or pity.

To the Redskins credit, they did not say anything ill too the Patriots, it was mostly the media.

I say, let em play.