Todd: Like any good quarterback, I have a few passing thoughts to scatter around our blog field once again this week.

First, kudos to the Boston College Eagles, who defeated a top-ten ranked opponent for the first time in a decade last week.  Their 37-31 win over ninth-ranked Southern Cal was led by senior QB Tyler Murphy, who ran for 191 of BC’s 452 total rushing yards.

It was already a night beaming with maroon-and-gold pride at the Heights, as in attendance were the parents of former BC lacrosse player Welles Crowther, who was killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks; and Pete Frates, the former Eagles baseball player who this past summer inspired the ice bucket challenge for ALS research.

The Eagles take on Maine this weekend.

I know it’s been long season for the Red Sox (and they will get column here in due time), but how about another round of kudos for Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, which won the Governor’s Cup (International League championship) for the second time in three years, thanks in part to now current Boston centerfielder and Cuban import Rusney Castillo. With the PawSox trailing two games to one in their best-of-five championship series against the Durham Bulls and down to their final strike in Game 4, Castillo’s RBI single tied the game that Pawtucket went on to win in 13 innings.

Also a shout-out to old friend Ryan Lavarnway, who went 10-for-22 in the Governor’s Cup series (including a home run in the decisive fifth game) to earn MVP honors.  That makes two championships in two years for the Sox farmhand, not to mention a degree from Yale University to fall back on, if it turns out he’s nothing more than a ‘4-A’ ballplayer.

I’m actually afraid to write anything about the NFL that doesn’t pertain to game action, as I fear that a story will come out involving yet another player transgression off the field.  But like death and taxes, I can unfortunately guarantee that it is going to happen (sooner rather than later) whether I type this paragraph or not, so for what it’s worth here are my two cents.

It is both sad and pathetic that a St. Louis-based brewery and a Minnesota-based hotel chain have officially become the official moral compass of the NFL.  What other conclusion can I come to as I’ve watched events unfold these last couple of weeks?  Putting aside the obvious that what these football players have done or have been accused of are heinous and disgusting acts of violence, both the NFL and some of its teams have dealt so poorly in reacting to these events that it’s casting a gigantic shadow over the games on the field.

How the Minnesota Vikings dealt with Adrian Peterson this week is incomprehensible.  First they did the right thing and deactivated Peterson for last week’s game against the Patriots, but after the Vikings lost 30-7 he was reactivated while the legal process played out…hmmm.  But the next day when one of those aforementioned corporate sponsors didn’t like that decision, Vikings ownership suddenly had an epiphany in the middle of the night and placed Peterson on the newly-formed exempt-commissioner’s permission list, a list that I fear is going to fill up with names pretty fast.

Then there’s Commissioner Roger Goodell, who has been oddly quiet.  Not to trivialize the events of the last few weeks, but looking back to how hard Goodell laid down the law during ‘Spygate’ seven years ago compared to how he has reacted to the infractions of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson should provide enough evidence to anyone that this guy has outlasted his usefulness sitting in the NFL’s corner office.

Ok, I’m going to use the Spygate reference to finally segue into some honest-to-goodness football talk.  Congrats to Bill Belichick for earning his 200th career coaching win and to the Patriots for a much-needed win last week over the Vikings.  The offensive line performed much better, the defense played much better aided by old friend Matt Cassell’s four interceptions, and AFC defensive player of the week Chandler Jones was a beast with two sacks and the incredible block/scoop/score on that field goal attempt.

Yes, the Pats have been flagged for an alarming 24 penalties in two games, and Tom Brady is not completely satisfied with offense’s performance (my advice to Tom: find those open receivers!).  But I think things will improve on both fronts this week when the Pats finally play at Gillette Stadium.  The Oakland Raiders, who have lost fourteen consecutive games they’ve played in the Eastern time zone, will fly 3,000 miles to the right and I see them getting brunched.  Patriots 31, Raiders 17.

My other game picks (1-2 last week): Ravens over Browns, Lions over Packers and Dolphins over Chiefs.

Mike:  I'm going to keep things short and sweet this week. I am shocked at how much bad stuff is coming out of the NFL.

What is completely shocking is how long it has taken to get these players off the field. While the Vikings acted relatively quickly, the Panthers kept going back and forth on Greg Hardy, someone who has been CONVICTED. He should have been off the field right away.

What makes it even more disgusting is that Panthers' owner Jerry Richardson made a public spectacle of himself, crying over the issue at a speech. Saying "when it comes to domestic violence, my stance is not one of indifference."

Yeah, right. Then why was your team going to play this guy until public pressure mounted and forced you to take him off the field.

Here's the video:

Spare us Jerry.

And don't even get me started on the San Francisco 49ers, who continue to play Ray McDonald even after he has been charged with domestic violence. The NFL should step up and get this guy off the field.

But there are some good stories coming from the league. The Cincinnati Bengals are doing the right thing with defensive tackle Devon Still, making sure he has all the time he needs to tend to his cancer-stricken four-year-old daughter. They have even donated all of the proceeds from sales of Still's jersey to pediatric cancer research.

But the story goes even further.

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton heard about the story and he bought 100 of the jerseys to do his part.

That is the story that should be out there. Good people doing good things, not a bunch of thugs.

As for the Patriots this week, I can't see the Raiders putting up much of a fight. Pats win 31-10.

For my other picks (2-1 last week), I'll take the Saints over the Vikings, Seattle over Denver and the Bears over the Jets.

Check out more Time Out For Sports Talk on Facebook and Twitter. You can watch the TOST show here.

Our next LIVE show is this Monday night, September 22 from 8-9pm.  You can post your questions via Twitter using the hashtag #TOSTsep22 or call in at (617) 484-2443.

More From 92 Moose