NFL Week 7: Are Pats with points safe?

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NFL Lines Week 7

Barry Bruce Bill

Game 49-35-2 45-39-2 38-46-2

LV @ Chi +3 Chi Chi Chi

Cle @ Ind +2.5 Ind Ind Ind

Buff @ NE +8.5 Buff NE NE

Was @ NYG +2.5 NYG NYG NYG

Atl @ TB -2.5 TB TB TB

Det @ Balt -3 Balt Balt Det

Pitt @ LAR -3 Pitt LAR LAR

AZ @ Sea -8 Sea AZ Sea

GB @ Den +1 Den Den Den

LAC @ KC -5.5 KC KC LAC

Mia @ Phil -2.5 Phil Phil Mia

SF @ Min +7 Min Min Min

 

Last week 10-4 8-6 7-7

Season 49-35-2 45-39-2 38-46-2

Bruce: Why am I taking the Pats? 1. Because I can’t resist home dogs. 2. 8.5 points is a lot of points. 3. Buffalo has been a little off this season. 4. The Old Dog in the hoodie still has a few tricks up his sleeve (Wait … he doesn’t have sleeves. Doubt creeps in).

Not that far back, Detroit would’ve gotten way more than 3 points at Baltimore. The League humbles everyone who starts getting high on their own farts. I’m still not sold on the Lions. History. BTW, I once interviewed Buddy Parker, who won two NFL Championships in Detroit in the 50s. They haven’t won one since 1957, and Buddy Parker (RIP) has been dead for 41 years.

Barry continues to roll. Folks, 14 games over is legendary stuff. I may have to get him to put his picks in first so I can steal from him. And Bill’s too good at this to continue to struggle.

Barry: The Lions are one of the NFL’s best teams. The Patriots are one of the worst. What exactly is going on? Halloween isn’t for nine days and New England’s season is basically over. Unreal.

For those folks who like watching quality football, find a way to watch the Dolphins at Philly game. Check out the wide receivers. Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Speed all over the field. It’s enough to make Patriots fans cry. As for that game, take the Eagles and lay the points. Philadelphia will bounce back from its loss to the Jets..

 

Bill: The Patriots may not win, but they could salvage a cover on the +8.5-point line. Then again, they could lose by 40. The Bills were 2 yards from losing to the Giants at home Sunday night. Josh Allen has mastered Bill Belichick. But the rest of his offense is sputtering.

Elsewhere, the Alabama Bowl – also doubling as the Dolphins-Eagles game – offers the first NFL meeting between former Crimson Tide teammates and quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. Tua and the Dolphins are the team to beat in the AFC as long as he stays healthy and upright. The Eagles have fought their way to a 5-1 record, while it has come surprisingly easy for Miami. Even on the road at a hellscape like Philly, the Dolphins getting points is too good to pass upon here.

Unlike the Patriots, we pulled out our tailspin last week. We’re going to build on our 7-7 mark and look for a surprise wildcard berth in Week 18.

Ramaswamy: Israel should provide post-Gaza invasion plan to assure further U.S. aid

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Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Saturday suggested the U.S. should not provide more military aid to Israel until the government can outline what happens after invading Gaza.

“The U.S. should be clear with Israel that further U.S. support is contingent on Israel identifying clear objectives for success in Gaza and a coherent plan for what comes after toppling Hamas even if Israel is successful in doing so. As of now, these critical questions remain unanswered,” he said.

That message was part of a broader statement provided to POLITICO, where the entrepreneur restated his strong opposition to President Joe Biden’s $106 billion funding request to support Israel against Hamas and Ukraine against Russia.

Ramaswamy said the United States is too deep in debt to keep supplying those two countries with weapons, adding that America “wasted” trillions of dollars during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ramaswamy said that assisting Ukraine “increases the risk of major conflict with a nuclear power” and backing an Israeli ground invasion of Hamas would lead Hezbollah to enter the fray, “which would almost surely draw the U.S. into a prolonged all-out regional war in the Middle East.”

“I call on lawmakers in both parties to vote NO on this disastrous proposal,” the candidate said on Fox News Friday night.

The administration’s request includes $61.4 billion for Ukraine, including $44.4 billion to provide Department of Defense equipment for the country, to replenish weapons stocks and to continue providing other military support. The administration is also asking for $14.3 billion for Israel and $9.15 billion for the State Department to provide humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, the enclave of 2.3 million people. There are also asks to boost military support for Taiwan and enhance security at the southern border.

Biden and his team have repeatedly said that Israel has a right to defend itself and go after Hamas. But U.S. officials are warning against an all-out assault, pushing Israeli forces to prioritize a reduction in civilian harm and more targeted operations against Hamas. It is still unclear what Israel will do after significantly degrading Hamas’ capabilities.

The statements by Ramaswamy, polling fourth nationally and in Iowa, are consistent with others he’s made. He often expresses skepticism of further entanglements by the United States in foreign conflicts, regardless of the country the U.S. is assisting. Ramaswamy has, however, promoted military strikes on Mexican drug cartels to curb the spread of fentanyl and warned other countries, namely China, that if they wade deeper into the Western Hemisphere, they will “have hell to pay.”

Ramaswamy has faced intense pushback from fellow Republican candidates on his foreign policy views, especially from former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. During the party’s first presidential debate of the cycle, she accused him of being a neophyte on global affairs. The two have also tussled over Israel policy, with Ramaswamy arguing the U.S. should find ways to wind down military aid to the U.S. ally.

On Thursday, Ramaswamy accused his competitors of being too afraid to recommend that Israel not invade Gaza, calling such a move so “disastrous” that it would “advance neither Israel’s interests nor ours.”

Both Ramaswamy and Haley are two of three candidates to qualify for the next GOP presidential debate. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will join them, while faraway frontrunner Donald Trump, the former president, is unlikely to appear.

Blinken welcomes aid passage to Gaza, warns Hamas against interference

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As the first humanitarian aid convoy entered Gaza Saturday morning, Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked regional partners and encouraged further uninterrupted assistance.

“The opening of this essential supply route was the result of days of exhaustive U.S. diplomatic engagement in the region and an understanding President Biden reached with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his recent historic visit to Israel,” a State Department release said.

President Joe Biden has repeatedly called for Israel and Egypt to open the Rafah border crossing and allow aid deliveries to Gaza, where water, medicine and food have been in short supply.

“Hamas must not interfere with the provision of this life-saving assistance. Palestinian civilians are not responsible for Hamas’s horrific terrorism, and they should not be made to suffer for its depraved acts,” Blinken added, saying that allowing additional aid into Gaza was “imperative to the welfare of the people.”

Humanitarian concerns grew after an Israeli order to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of a ground invasion last week, causing residents to concentrate in the blockaded strip’s southern portion.

Israeli airstrikes in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack have continued throughout the last two weeks, as IDF forces continued preparations for an “expanded” engagement, including a ground assault.

IDF continues preparations for ground invasion

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The Israeli Defense Forces is continuing preparations for an offensive in Gaza, including for ground operations, it said in a statement Saturday.

The IDF said plans for “expanded operational activities” had been approved recently and that both regular and reserve service members were being deployed and were conducting training exercises.

“We will achieve what is required with the spirit of battle and determination in order to bring security to our people for many years to come,” said IDF LTC Or Volozhinsky, commander of the 188th Armored Brigade.

Israel last week warned Palestinians in Gaza to evacuate the northern area of the strip ahead of a potential ground invasion, leading to the displacement of many residents to southern Gaza.

Aid deliveries began moving Saturday into the territory, where water, food and medicine have been in short supply.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday called for protection of civilians and the sparing of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and U.N. premises, from Israeli bombardment.

Hamas’ “reprehensible assault” on Israel “can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” Guterres said at a summit Egypt is hosting on the Israel-Gaza war.

Guterres pointed to the “the wider context” of war, saying that the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “the only realistic foundation for a true peace and stability,” according to the Associated Press.