Monday 10/18 Quickie: Brady, Brees, BCS

I'm all for crediting the Saints as the best team in the NFC... but the jaw-dropping shellacking that the Patriots gave the Titans was the most remarkable result of the weekend.

(If only for its novelty: Biggest halftime differential EVER? Brady setting an NFL record for TD passes in a half? The final score being the biggest beat-down since 1976 and 6th-most ever?)

Fire Jim Zorn? How cliche. I've got an idea: Fire Jeff Fisher. Not just because his team suffered an epic humiliation, but because at 0-6, they are arguably performing worse than the Rams.

(Here's how bad the Titans were: You know how when you look at a scoreboard page, they show you the player who leads each team in passing, rushing and receiving? The Titans had "Young, 0/2, 0 yards, 0 INTs, 0 TDs" -- because Kerry Collins WAS EVEN WORSE.)

Today's SN column leads with the Pats -- and all the other big talking points from Week 6 in the NFL.

Meanwhile, what can we make of the first BCS rankings? Nothing more than we already knew: Barring the unlikely upset -- and if it wasn't happening to Florida on Saturday, it ain't happening -- the BCS title game will be a clean set-up between the Florida-Bama winner and Texas.

I do, however, like the intrigue below that. I agree with the BCS formula: Iowa deserves to be ranked ahead of USC, which has fewer big wins -- plus that ungainly loss.

And I'm impressed with Boise State at No. 4 -- we'll see how long they can keep talking about that opening-week win at home over an unprepared Oregon before the reality of TCU's superior resume -- as early as next week when TCU beats BYU in Provo -- vaults them, not to mention teams from conferences where Boise State would never be able to consistently run the table.

(See the post immediately below for my BlogPoll Top 25 ballot for this week.)

You've gotta love the October weekends where MLB LCS results are the 3rd-biggest story on the board. I've got two words for you: Cliff. Lee. Yeah, maybe my "Lee for Cy!" campaign was quixotic, but you can't disagree that he has been ridiculous in the postseason for the Phillies.

Meanwhile, I don't know what's the bigger novelty: The Yankees on at a reasonable 4 p.m. ET or A-Rod continuing to play the postseason hero. Presuming the Yankees go on to win the World Series, A-Rod has ALREADY done enough to counterbalance his career playoff futility.

There's a ton more in the column today. Check it out here. More later.

-- D.S.