But the cleanest Football in the NFL is being played in the AFC East. Buffalo, Miami, New England and the New York Jets rank among the five least-penalized teams this season. And that gives all four a chance to play on into January.

The quickest way to beat yourself in the NFL is with generosity, either by giving your opponent free footballs from turnovers or free yardage from penalties.

The Patriots have been penalized a league-low 37 times this season, so they have not been beating themselves. They are 7-4 despite the season-long injury absence of NFL MVP Tom Brady.

The Dolphins have been penalized 50 times, the Jets and Bills 51 times apiece. The Jets lead the East at 8-3 and both the Dolphins and Bills are 6-5.

The Arizona Cardinals led the NFL in penalties last season, which helped short-circuit their playoff bid. The Cardinals were penalized 137 times for 1,128 yards, free yardage that contributed to an 8-8 finish. The Oakland Raiders lead the NFL in penalties through 11 games this season with 85 and are scuffling along at 3-8.

The last time a team led the NFL in penalties and managed a winning record was 1996, when the Patriots overcame 139 penalties to win the AFC championship.

The 2007 New York Giants were penalized only 77 times, the fewest by a Super Bowl champion in the last 25 years. Through Week 12 this season, the Cowboys were penalized 84 times with December still looming on the schedule. That's a pace for 122 penalties. The last three Super Bowl champions were all penalized fewer than 100 times. The only team in the Super Bowl era to win a championship with 120 or more penalties was the 1983 Raiders at 121.

Some give, others take

Penalty leaders and Super Bowl champions for the last 10 seasons:

Year NFL leader Penalties Yards Champion Penalties Yards

1998 Kansas City 158* 1,304 Denver 115 1,023

1999 Dallas 136 1,196 St. Louis 113 889 2000 San Francisco 134 1,135 Baltimore 95 730 2001 Buffalo 123 954 New England 92 802

2002 Minnesota 137 1,139 Tampa Bay 103 789

2003 Oakland 134 1,120 New England 111 998 2004 Oakland 134 1,013 New England 101 822 2005 Arizona 145 1,184 Pittsburgh 99 876

2006 Green Bay 123 903 Indianapolis 86 667

2007 Arizona 137 1,128 NY Giants 77 652 *NFL record

Flag Football

The five most- and five

least-penalized teams

through 11 games:

2008 MP Yds.

Oakland 85 630

Dallas 84 655

Arizona 83 569

Green Bay 81 730

Baltimore 80 606

2008 LP Yds.

New England 37 346

Seattle 48 371

Miami 50 436

NY Jets 51 381

Buffalo 51 391

MP- Most penalized

LP - Least penalized