In their toughest test all year, the Patriots beat the Ravens by a score of 27-24.

The Ravens were leading for most of the game, controlling the game and the Patriots behind the hard running of Willis McGahee. McGahee finished the game with 138 yards on 30 carries and a touchdown.

All that running really allowed the Ravens to keep the Patriots offense off the field.Wwith solid defense and a heavy dose of McGahee, the Ravens had the time of possession edge, 32:54 to 27:06.

In the end though, it was Brady in the clutch(and shotgun). With the Patriots down by three, and under 3 minutes to play, it was 4th and 6 for the Patriots from the Ravens 35. Brady lined up in the shotgun and scrambled up the middle for 12 yards before being stopped by Ray Lewis. Then the Patriots did what they do, score touchdowns. 4 plays later Brady found Jabar Gaffney in the end zone for the go ahead touchdown.

The Ravens go the ball back with :44 to go, but needed 4 points and couldn't get anything going.

What is most interesting about the game is that before Brady's scramble, it was 4th and 1 from the Ravens 30 before a false start made it 4th and 6. I think it is interesting that on 4th and 1 from the 30 down by 3, about a 47 yard field goal, Belichick goes for it. It was windy in Baltimore, but that is a makable field goal. That tells me Belichick wants to win, and wants to win out.

Like most people, I would like to see New England lose one, just to knock them down a peg, but I am glad the team to do it was not the Ravens. I don't like the Ravens at all. I don't think there is a more chest-thumping, look-at-me type team in the league. Let them enjoy 4-8 for a while.

EDIT: Chance points out in the comments that they Patriots were down by 4, not 3, so kicking the field goal was not an option.

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.

Why is Travis Henry still playing football? Is smoking pot ok in the NFL now? Is the NFL getting its drug policy cues from MLB?

Shanahan vouched for Henry yesterday, saying,  "If I thought the test was positive, Travis would not be on our football team" after the team administered it's own hair test and polygraph. Thanks coach, like no one thinks you wouldn't do whatever it takes to keep your star running back on the field. Henry failed a random drug test in early October. Setting up a non-random, team sanctioned test 6 weeks later does not inspire a lot of confidence.

Travis Henry was suspended in earlier in the year, but went to court for an injunction to keep him playing. The league already has an appeals process, so I'm not sure why this judge sent down an injunction, but the NFL can't be to happy with its players going outside the union for redress. The whole point of a union (well, at least 50% of the point) is to solve problems internally. If Henry's appeal is overturned, look for him to be done with the NFL.

The NFL does a pretty good job keeping players out of trouble, and trouble players out of the league. Once this comes back from the courts they need to send a clear message that drugs, and external court appeals will not be tolerated. The NFL scores should be the headlines, not the conduct of its players.

In anticipation of a Seattle victory tonight, I present the Seattle Sea Gals. All images pop to a slightly larger version.

In the NFC game of the week, the Washington Redskins (5-4) go to Dallas (8-1) to play the Cowboys on Sunday, November 18th at 3:15.

This is a divisional game, both teams coming from NFC East. Any game between division rivals is interesting to watch, what makes this game more important for the Redskins is their Division record, which stands at 1-2. The Redskins lost to the Giants and recently the Eagles, and they can't really afford another division loss if they want to keep any playoff hopes alive.

This is also the first meeting between Dallas and the Redskins this year, so it will be interesting to see how they match up against each other. This has the makings of a good game, a good offense (Dallas) against a good defense (Washington). While Washington's defense has slipped a bit lately, they are still above average in yards allowed per game (11th) and rushing yards allowed per game (10th). They were ranked higher earlier in the year, but they gave up a lot of points to New England (55) and last week to the Eagles (33).

Dallas on the other hand, is on a tear. They are arguably the best team in the NFC, having lost only to the best team in the NFL, the New England Patriots. The Cowboys offense is 2nd in the NFL in points and overall yards, third in passing yards and 10th in rushing. Dallas' average victory over the past 3 games? 14 points. They are winning, and they are winning big.

While the Cowboys are the better team overall, but they could be ripe for an upset. They have the 3rd ranked passing offense in the league, but that could be slowed down a bit against the 10th ranked passing offense. They are also coming off a big win against the Giants and my stumble a bit, especially looking ahead to the Jets and then the big showdown against the Packers. If the Redskins find a way to at least slow down TO, they might have a chance.

Prediction: Dallas wins, 24-14.

The San Fransisco 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks November 12th on Monday Night Football.

This is probably not the match up the NFL was hoping it would be. The 49ers (2-6) are playing very poorly and the Seahawks (4-4) are playing decent, but most people thought they would be better, especially with Shaun Alexander.

The good thing for the Seahawks is that in the NFL, you are almost always only 2 games away from turning your season around and they are playing in the anemic NFC West. That and they are playing the 49ers.

The 49ers are last or almost last in almost every significant offensive category. They are 31st in points, 32nd in total yards, 32nd in pass yards and 26th in rushing yards. Their defense is better, but not a whole lot, 24th in points allowed, 20th in total yards, 14th in pass yards and 24th in rush yards allowed.

Look for the Seahawks rushing game to get back on track this week as they extend thier division lead.

Prediction: Seahawks over the 49ers 24-10

When is the NFL going to let the defense play again and keep games out of the hands of refs?

I just watched Green Bay vs Kansas City and Indianapolis vs New England and the refs were mugging the defenses.

The calls against Green Bay on Woodson that setup the Chiefs 2nd touchdown and the call on Bush in the back of the end zone on the two point conversion were non-existent.

Then the zebras give Indy 2 chances for a touchdown in the first half, the second of them being the most offensive.

Let them play the game already, quite having the refs decide the games.

The Colts are the Champs, and they will win this week and basically secure home field advantage this weekend.

"What about Moss?" you scream! "Vrable is a machine!" someone adds.

Yes, and yes, but people have not spent enough time watching the Colts. Moss and Brady get on ESPN every week with 80 yard bombs and press conference fashion shows, but the Colts wear teams out with long 9 minute drives. The Colts are perfect, they plod along, waiting for the other team to make a mistake while they make none.

They will keep Brady and Co. off the field for long stretches at a time before they score. If Brady comes on and answers a long drive with an 80 yard bomb, the Colts will go right back to work against an already tiring Patriots defense.

If New England should miss a pass or two, or lose a yard rushing and have to punt, Manning will trot back on the field, *poke*, *dink*, *poke* back into the end zone.

The Colts will wear out the Patriots, they will drive on them, and by the end of the game, they will break them.

Prediction: Colts over Patriots 34-30 on Sunday.

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.

As everyone knows by now, the Giants beat Miami in London today, marking the first time a regular season game was played outside of the US.

Good idea? Bad idea?

I love it. I hope the NFL gets popular over seas. I hope England gets a team, I hope India and China get a team. I want to see this thing go worldwide.

Then I want to see US teams punch them in the nose.

Dear NYTimes, don't ever write about football again.

This drivel about Aaron Brooks is the worst kind of victimization writing I have ever seen.

Quote :"I have no doubt that Brooks’s stinging criticisms played a role in his difficulty in returning to the N.F.L."

Are you kidding me? NFL players rape, drive drunk, do drugs, beat people up in bars, murder people, and get caught with hookers the night before the Super Bowl, and they get to play. If you are better than the other players available, you get to play in the NFL, no doubt about it. You think a few comments about Katrina are going to keep you off the team?

This tool, William C. Rhoden writes

"He(Brooks) felt Tagliabue should have visited the Saints' players in the weeks after the hurricane." For what? Hugs? I'm sure whatever Saints players lived in LA were fine, they could probably afford a plane ticket or a hotel room. It was the people not making at least $250,000 a year who needed help.

Poor Aaron Brooks. According to the Times, just another victim being persecuted for speaking his mind.

Tell ya what NYT, stick to writing about fashion and Broadway celebrities and politics or even baseball, and don't ever write about football again.