It was bound to happen.

Mark Sanchez couldn’t continue to play like he was Joe Montana week after week without suffering a setback. The Saints proved to be Sancehz’s setback on Sunday by constantly harassing the rookie into three huge mistakes in the New Orleans’ 24-14 victory at the Superdome.

Sanchez’s first mistake came early in the second quarter when Darren Sharper intercepted his pass on the goal line, then returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Two possessions later while backed up to his own end zone, Sanchez held onto the ball too long on a 2 and 7 from the 5-yard line and was sacked by Will Smith. Remi Ayodele recovered the fumble in the end zone to give the Saints a 17-0 lead early in the second.

Down 14 points with about five minutes remaining, Sanchez made his final mistake on a desperation fourth down play in which he was once again intercepted by Sharper. For as much swagger as Sanchez had played with throughout the year, he looked like a beaten rookie on Sunday.

This loss doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of Sanchez, though. New York offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer didn’t do the rookie any favors by failing to offer him max protection when the Saints proved early in the game that they could generate a pass rush with only their four down linemen. On multiple occasions, Charles Grant came off the edge untouched and forced Sanchez to scramble in attempt to make something happen.

It’s great that the Jets have confidence in Sanchez to make plays in the passing game, but Schottenheimer’s play-calling was atrocious and he should re-visit how he plans on protecting his quarterback in future weeks.

For the Saints, this win further proved their elite status in the NFL. Drew Brees and the passing game was held in check throughout the game, but Pierre Thomas and the Saints’ rushing attack racked up 153 yards and often kept the chains moving. Hopefully Sean Payton was paying attention to how hard Thomas ran throughout the game, so he doesn’t continue to leave the talented back on the sidelines in short-yardage situations.

The Saints defense has improved dramatically this season. Sharper has played like a man possessed and veterans like Roman Harper and Jabari Greer have stepped up in the secondary. New Orleans’ front four is as good as anyone in the league, too.

The NFC South is the Saints to lose, if not the conference.

Baltimore took a 13-3 lead deep into the third quarter but following a Nate Washington 8-yard reception on a 1st and 10 play from Pittsburgh’s 33-yard line, LB Jarret Johnson was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty that set up the Steelers at the Raven 44-yard line.

Up until that point, Pittsburgh was lifeless and Heinz Field resembled a morgue. The Steelers wound up scoring three plays later on a Santonio Holmes 38-yard touchdown reception, which trimmed Baltimore’s lead to 13-10. Then on the Ravens’ first play following the kickoff, Pittsburgh LB James Harrison crushed rookie QB Joe Flacco, causing a fumble that was scooped up by LaMarr Woodley at the 7-yard line and taken into the end zone for a Steelers’ touchdown. Suddenly, two and a half quarters of solid play went out the window for the Ravens and they found themselves trailing 17-13.

After the Steelers pushed their lead to 20-13 on Reed’s second field goal of the night with just under 10 minutes to play, Flacco led Baltimore on a nine-play, 76-yard drive which ended with Le’Ron McClain scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 20. It all went for naught, however, as the Steelers forced the Ravens to punt on their opening possession of overtime, then won the game seven plays later on Reed’s third field goal.

Baltimore flat out blew an opportunity for a big win. Before Johnson gift-wrapped momentum for the Steelers thanks to his penalty, Pittsburgh looked lost. For the second straight week Ben Roethlisberger was playing like crap, they had no running game and outside of finding some success running the no-huddle, the Steelers’ coaching staff appeared befuddled on how to move the ball on the Ravens’ nasty defense. But that’s why teams have to play all 60 minutes, especially when they’re on the road and playing in a tough environment. There’s no doubt Baltimore will look back at this game and think about what could have been.

Side Note: Is it just me or did anyone else get the impression that ESPN commentator Ron “Jaws” Jaworski was flat out rooting for the Ravens during the game? I know Tony Kornheiser mentioned that Jaws’ son went to Delaware (same school as Flacco), but man, most of his comments seemed aimed at how good Flacco is/could be. I like Jaws, but he seemed a little biased tonight.

Also, it was great to hear that Andre Frazier was up and walking around the Steelers’ locker room after the game. Frazier was taken from the field on a stretcher after injuring his spine on the opening kickoff of the game.

Following a Robbie Gould field goal that gave the Bears a 24-20 lead with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game, Donovan McNabb and Correll Buckhalter led Philadelphia on a 70-yard drive down to the Chicago 4-yard line. But the Bears’ defense held the Eagles out o the end zone on four straight rushing attempts, including stonewalling Buckhalter on 4th and 1 with just under four minutes to play.

In two previous games against the Panthers and Bucs, the Bears blew double-digit leads in the fourth quarter, largely because the offense couldn’t gain first downs late in each game. But they were able to move the ball successfully on their final possession Sunday night, eating up three minutes of the clock and leaving the Eagles with only one last desperation pass at the end. It was clear not having Brian Westbrook really hurt Philly’s offense, even though Buckhalter did finish with a 4.1 YPC average.

While Chicago will take the win, Philadelphia can look at several blown opportunities to come away with a victory. Bears’ QB Kyle Orton threw two interceptions, including one in the end zone that could have netted Chicago points, and also fumbled twice (one was just as much Kevin Jones’ fault after a botched handoff). But the Eagles could only turn Chicago’s gaffs into field goals and came up short in the end. The Bears’ defense was once again the stars, keeping Philly out of the end zone and covering up the offenses’ mistakes. The score doesn’t indicate it, but Chicago’s effort was probably one of the better defensive efforts of the year.

Eagles 20 @ Bears 24
Matt Forte (24 touches, 85 yards) continues to be the Bears’ workhorse back, even though he failed to score…Kyle Orton (199 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT) has his second straight high-scoring fantasy game, throwing scores to Greg Olsen (4-35-1), Devin Hester (3-27-1) and Marty Booker (1-23-1)…Brandon Lloyd was injured this week but finished with two catches for 33 yards…Donovan McNabb (262, TD, INT) had a decent game, but DeSean Jackson (receving: 5-71-1, rushing: 2-35) was the Eagles’ offensive star…Correll Buckhalter (18 touches, 90 yards, TD) filled in admirably for the injured Brian Westbrook, but failed to score on a 4th and goal that would have given Philly the late lead…Reggie Brown (6-79) looks like he’ll be the guy targeted most aside from Jackson.

Chargers 28 @ Raiders 18
LaDainian Tomlinson (22 touches, 115 yards, 2 TD) had his second consecutive multiple TD game and looks to be almost 100% healthy…Phillip Rivers (180 yards, TD, 2 INT) didn’t have a great day throwing the ball against what should be a pretty solid Oakland secondary…Antonio Gates (5-58-1) had a nice game, but both Vincent Jackson (3-52) and Chris Chambers (2-42) were relatively quiet…JaMarcus Russell (277 yards, TD, INT) finished with pretty good passing stats, but he still seems to be struggling with his accuracy at times…Michael Bush (21 touches, 128 yards) filled in for Darren McFadden (9 touches, 37 yards) who was hobbled with an injury…Zach Miller (5-95-1) finally broke out with a big game. It’s not clear if he’s worth picking up, though if you’re hurting at TE, you could do worse. It seems like the entire Oakland passing game will be pretty spotty week to week.

Bills 31 @ Rams 14
Marshawn Lynch (23 touches, 81 yards) had a relatively quiet game and failed to score…Fred Jackson turned 10 touches into 55 yards and a TD…Trent Edwards (197 yards, TD, INT) yet again posted solid numbers, hooking up with Lee Evans (2-88-1) on a 49-yard TD late in the game…Josh Reed (4-47) might be worth a pickup in large PPR leagues…The Buffalo defense (4 sacks, INT return for a TD) continues to play well…Trent Green (236 yards, INT) wasn’t the answer at QB. With Scott Linehan reportedly out after the loss, it will be interesting to see if Marc Bulger is reinstated as the starter…The Rams wisely featured Steven Jackson (29 touches, 188 yards, TD) but Torry Holt (4-65) just had a so-so day. Linehan’s possible departure should be good news for Holt since the two reportedly don’t get along…Donnie Avery (3-22) also had a 37-yard TD scamper.

Redskins 26 @ Cowboys 24
Jason Campbell (231 yards, 2 TD) and the entire Washington offense was impressive in the win…Santana Moss (8-145) continues to be the main threat in the passing game, with Antwaan Randle El (4-36-1) and Chris Cooley (4-28) chipping in with the occasional strong game…Clinton Portis (23 touches 135 yards) racked up some major yards, but didn’t score…Tony Romo (300 yards, 3 TD, INT) continues to put up stud numbers in the passing game…Jason Witten (7-90-1) scored a TD and continues to post solid stats as the league’s best tight end…Patrick Crayton (7-87) had a good game and Terrell Owens (7-71-1) posted decent numbers despite a couple of drops…Miles Austin (3-45-1) had another nice game out of the Cowboys’ WR3 position…It was a very quiet day for Marion Barber (10 touches, 37 yards) who failed to score…Felix Jones didn’t get a touch offensively.

Falcons 9 @ Panthers 24
The Carolina passing game looked great. Jake Delhomme (294 yard, 2 TD) hooked up with Muhsin Muhammad (8-147-1) and Steve Smith (6-96-1) all day. Muhammad should be owned in all leagues…DeAngelo Williams (18 touches, 66 yards) and Jonathan Stewart (14 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD) split the backfield duties again, though Stewart looks like the Panthers’ goal line back so he carries more value…Donte Rosario (2-18) and D.J. Hackett (2-24) were minor factors…Roddy White (7-90) was the lone bright spot for the Falcons’ offense…Matt Ryan (158 yards) didn’t throw a TD or a pick, and Michael Turner (18 carries, 56 yards) is starting to look like a back that you bench against good defenses and start against bad ones.

Browns 20 @ Bengals 12
Since he got the win, Derek Anderson (138 yards, TD, INT) may live to start another day…Jamal Lewis (27 touches, 94 yards, TD) had a very solid game…Kellen Winslow (5-54) and Braylon Edwards (3-22-1) were the only major players in the Browns’ passing game…Carson Palmer was the team’s third QB this week with elbow problems; Ryan Fitzpatrick (156 yards, TD, 3 INT) didn’t play very well in his place…Chris Perry (17 touches, 43 yards) had a disappointing day against a suspect defense…T.J. Houshmandzadeh (6-50) and Chad Johnson (3-28-1) had decent days.

Texans 27 @ Jaguars 30
David Garrard broke out with a nice game (236 yards, pass TD, rush TD) and threw a TD to Matt Jones (5-71-1) who is developing into the Jags’ best receiving threat…Maurice Jones-Drew (9 touches, 49 yards) and Fred Taylor (13 touches, 46 yards) both had surprisingly quiet days against a mediocre (at best) Texans defense…Steve Slaton (18 touches, 116 yards, TD) continues to be the main main in the Houston backfield…Matt Schaub (307 yards, 3 TD) had a great day throwing the ball to Slaton (8-83-1), Owen Daniels (7-87) and Kevin Walter (8-76-2)…Unfortunately for Andre Johnson (3-38) owners, he continues to struggle.

Broncos 19 @ Chiefs 33
Larry Johnson (28 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD) had a huge game against a bad Denver rush defense. He also had five catches for zero yards…Damon Huard (160 yards, TD) was efficient in the win…Dwayne Bowe (7-85) continues to shine and is a must-start in PPR leagues…Tony Gonzalez (3-47-1) had another solid game…Jay Cutler (361 yards, TD, 2 INT) finished with pretty good fantasy numbers but struggled against the Chiefs defense…Eddie Royal (9-104), Brandon Stokley (7-80) and Brandon Marshall (7-77-1) split the receiving duties…Selvin Young led the Broncos in rushing with 49 yards on 11 carries, and it doesn’t look like any of the Denver RBs are solid starts right now…Matt Prater (4/5 FG, including a 56-yarder) continues to shine.

49ers 17 @ Saints 31
Drew Brees had a great day (363 yards, 3 TD, INT) throwing to Lance Moore (7-101-2) and Robert Meachem (2-99-1). Moore looks to be a fantasy starter as long as Marques Colston is out…Reggie Bush (15 touches, 37 yards) had a quiet day but Deuce McAllister (20 carries, 73 yards, TD) took over for Pierre Thomas as the Saints’ between-the-tackles back…Frank Gore (18 touches, 113 yards) had a relatively quiet day…J.T. O’Sullivan (257 yards, TD, 2 INT) finished with decent fantasy numbers, but was sacked six times…Arnaz Battle (7-120) and Isaac bruce (5-54-1) were the only big players in the passing game…Vernon Davis (1-19) continues to disappoint.

Cardinals 35 @ Jets 56
Rumors of bad weather didn’t really affect this game…Brett Favre (289 yards, 6 TD, INT) had a huge game throwing to Laveranues Coles (8-105-3) and Jerricho Cotchery (4-67-2)…Favre also threw a TD to Dustin Keller (1-24-1)…Chanci Stuckey (2-12) was a non-factor for the first time this season…Thomas Jones (20 touches, 69 yards) had a quiet day…Kurt Warner (472 passing yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) had a good fantasy day but turned the ball over six times (3 INT, 3 fumbles)…Larry Fitzgerald (8-122), Anquan Boldin (10-119-1) and Steve Breaston (9-122-0) led the way in the receiving game. Boldin left with a scary neck injury but apparently was just knocked out and should be fine…Edgerrin James had a solid game, rushing for two TD and catching five passes for 37 yards…Tim Hightower vultured a TD again.

Packers 21 @ Bucs 30
Brian Griese (149 yards, TD, 3 INT) was shaky but got the win…Earnest Graham finished with 111 yards on 20 carries and a TD, but doesn’t seem to get regular carries unless the Bucs are ahead late in the game. For that reason, he’s sometimes a questionable fantasy start…Warrick Dunn turned 18 touches for 86 yards…Alex Smith (2-26-1) caught the Bucs only passing TD, while Antonio Bryant (4-39) led all TB receivers in yards and catches…Ike Hilliard (2-21) was basically a non-factor…Aaron Rodgers (165 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT) had a rough day. He looked great on the opening drive, but for the rest of the game, the Packer offense never got in synch…Greg Jennings (6-109-2) had a huge day and has officially taken over WR1 duties from Donald Driver (1-8)…Jordy Nelson (4-31) was the next best threat in the Green Bay passing game…Ryan Grant (15 carries, 20 yards) once again struggled in the running game, though he looked a lot better than he did two weeks ago against the Lions. The holes just weren’t there…

Vikings 17 @ Titans 30
Chris Johnson (20 touches, 75 yards, 2 TD) continues to thrive in the Titans run-heavy attack…LenDale White (11 carries, 13 yards, TD) scored but struggled rushing between the tackles…Kerry Collins (199 yards) had a quiet game, but Justin Gage (5-92) returned from injury to post a solid game. He should be owned in most PPR leagues as long as Collins is under center…Adrian Peterson (22 touches, 101 yards, 2 TD) was listed as questionable, but had a nice game…Chester Taylor (1 carry, 0 yards) was a non-factor…Gus Frerotte (266 yards, INT) finished with good yardage, but failed to throw a TD…Bernard Berrian (5-78) and Bobby Wade (7-75) were decent, and TE Visanthe Shiancoe (4-47) had his second consecutive solid game.

- Brett Favre threw six touchdown passes as the Jets routed the Cardinals 56-35 in New York.

- The Jaguars won their second game in a row, edging out the Texans 30-27 in overtime.

- The Panthers dominated the Falcons 24-9 to improve to 3-1 on the year and share the NFC South lead with the Bucs.

- Larry Johnson nearly rushed for 200 yards on the ground as the Chiefs upset the Broncos 33-19 to notch their first win of the year.

- The Browns beat their AFC North division rivals the Bengals 20-12 to earn their first victory of the season.

- The Bucs bruised and battered Aaron Rodgers in a 30-21 win over the Packers. Tampa is now 3-1 to start the year.

- Drew Brees threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns as the Saints crushed the 49ers 31-17 in New Orleans.

- The Titans are one of only two teams still undefeated in the AFC as they beat the Vikings 30-17 on Sunday.

- It wasn’t pretty, but the Chargers earned their second win of the season, beating the Raiders 21-18. San Diego scored 18 fourth quarter points.

- With Scott Linehan’s job on the line, the Rams still couldn’t muster a win, falling to 0-4 after losing to the Bills 31-14.

- One of the more impressive wins of the day was in Dallas, but it wasn’t by the Cowboys. The Redskins are now 3-1 on the year after pulling off an upset, beating the ‘Boys 26-24 at Texas Stadium.

The score was close, but the game really wasn’t. Washington dominated in nearly all facets of the game, including on the ground where Clinton Portis rushed for 121 yards on 21 carries. The Skins dominated the time of possession battle 38:09 to 21:51 and didn’t turn the ball over once. Jason Campbell was also solid, throwing for 231 yards and two touchdowns on 20 of 31 passing. He also made two great tosses to Santana Moss in the first half that allowed Washington to build a 17-10 halftime lead.

The Redskins really won this game in the trenches. They held the Cowboys to only 44 yards on the ground and also did a nice job on Terrell Owens. While he caught seven passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, Washington didn’t allow T.O. to beat them deep.

Speaking of Owens, he mentioned last week that as long as the Cowboys won, he wouldn’t be upset if he didn’t have great numbers. But clearly Dallas got him plenty of opportunities today and they lost. Did offensive coordinator Jason Garrett sacrifice his game plan so that T.O. could get his touches? Or was it just an aberration that Garrett only attempted 11 rushes the entire game despite the Cowboys running the ball very successfully in previous weeks? Hmm.

Either way, Zorn and the Redskins have been impressive so far this year. The Cowboys are arguably the best team in the NFC and Washington soundly beat them on their home turf. The NFC East is a beast of a division.

Peter King of SI.com reported on Saturday that if the Rams were to lose, head coach Scott Linehan would be fired. Things looked promising for St. Louis early as they built a 14-6 halftime lead and headed into the fourth quarter up 14-13. But Jabari Greer intercepted Trent Green, who Linehan decided to start over Marc Bulger earlier this week, on a brutal pass attempt to start the fourth quarter and returned it 33-yards for a touchdown.

Buffalo then added a 39-yard Trent Edwards-to-Lee Evans touchdown and a 45-yard Rian Lindell field goal to put the game away midway through the fourth quarter. Edwards finished 15 of 25 for 197 yards and a touchdown.

It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the rumors were true and Linehan will get his walking papers following this defeat. The Rams are an absolute mess and clearly a dysfunctional team right now. If Linehan is fired, whoever takes over needs to earn the respect of the players fast or else things are going to unravel even more than they already have in St. Louis.