I’m a huge fan of Bruce Arians as a had coach, but some of his aggressive calls on offense and defense late in the game almost blew up in his face. On their past possession in regulation, the Cards had an opportunity to run out a good chunk of the remaining clock by running the ball, but he he had Carson Palmer try a difficult pass up the sideline to Larry Fitzgerald in an attempt to seal the game, but that incompletion gave Aaron Rodgers enough time to launch the game-tying Hail Mary. On that incredible play, Arians chose to go with a blitz as opposed to stacking defenders in the end zone, and that cost him as well.

In overtime, Palmer redeemed himself after some shaky play in regulation with an incredible throw across his body to Fitzgerald after scrambling away from pressure, and Fitzgerald rumbled all the way to the 5 yard line to set up the game-winning score.

This is just one of the many wild playoff games the NFL has produced this season and in recent years. The league has some issues, including the overall quality of play during the regular season, but many these playoff games have been incredible.

You see, it doesn’t matter what you, me, or McNabb thinks about Stafford as a player. The Lions firmly believe that he’s a franchise signal caller and thus, they were justified to pony up for his prime years. There have been exceptions to the rule but generally speaking, if you don’t have a quarterback, you don’t have a Super Bowl contender.

Are there flaws in Stafford’s game that he needs to fix? Undoubtedly. But he’s a strong leader, a hard worker, and is dedicated to his craft. If he weren’t, the Lions wouldn’t have signed him to an extension with two years remaining on his rookie deal. Besides, he didn’t receive as much guaranteed money as Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco or even Tony Romo, who only has one more career playoff win than Stafford. Plus, had the Lions chosen to make Stafford prove he deserves a new long-term deal, what’s to say he wouldn’t have led them to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance and demanded more than what they wound up paying him? It was a good deal for both sides.

When will Ryan sign?
There’s zero reason why the Falcons shouldn’t sign Matt Ryan to an extension before the season starts. Aaron Rodgers, Joe Flacco, Tony Romo and Matthew Stafford all have new deals, which means Atlanta has a baseline to use to structure Ryan’s new contract. No matter what you think about Ryan’s ability (or inability) to lead a team to the Super Bowl, the Falcons know what they have in their franchise signal caller. In his five seasons, he’s led Atlanta to the playoffs four times and has posted a winning record in all five years he’s been in the league. And while he only has one playoff victory to show for his efforts, anyone who watched him operate in Dirk Koetter’s vertical-based offense last year knows that he’s on the fringe of becoming elite. (Granted, he did have Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez at his disposal, but Ryan posted outstanding passing numbers last season despite playing behind an inconsistent offensive line and an unproductive running game.) It’s not a matter of “if” but “when” the Falcons finally pony up and get a deal done.

Discretion apparently isn’t a word that the Pouncey brothers are familiar with.
It’s great to see Maurkice and Mike Pouncey express their freedom of expression by wearing “Free Hernandez” hats to a nightclub over the weekend. After all, they do hail from the same University of Florida that Aaron Hernandez attended before he was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. But seeing as how the two brothers’ names were mentioned in the 2007 incident report stemming from a double shooing that also may have involved Hernandez, one would think the Pouncey twins would want to bring as little attention to themselves as possible. Not to mention, a man is dead and another is awaiting trial after he was charged with murder. This is hardly the best time to make a statement via wardrobe.

The Broncos were wise to lock up Clady.
The two most valuable players on the Broncos’ roster are Peyton Manning and Von Miller but if you were to rank a top 3, left tackle Ryan Clady would nestle into that third spot. Denver handed Clady a new five-year, $52.5 million contract on Sunday night and they were wise not to wait a minute longer. According to Pro Football Focus, Clady was ranked as the fourth-best left tackle in all of football last year and his extension ensures that Manning’s blindside will be protected heading into this pivotal 2013 season. The Super Bowl window isn’t going to stay open for forever in Denver, so it was vital that the Broncos locked Clady up long-term. Handing him $33 million in guaranteed money also proves that team doctors must be confident that Clady is fully recovered from season off-season surgery.

New quarterback but O-line will still hold Arizona back.
There has been a handful of positive reports to come out of Arizona this week about Carson Palmer, who has drawn praise from teammates like Larry Fitzgerald and Calais Campbell. Palmer is a good fit for new head coach Bruce Arian’s vertical passing game, as he still has enough arm strength and velocity to move the chains through the air. That said, he has no mobility inside or outside of the pocket and that’s likely to hurt him behind Arizona’s shaky offensive line. Granted, the Cardinals did select Jonathan Cooper with the seventh overall pick in this year’s draft and getting a healthy Levi Brown back will definitely help. But the bottom line is that the Cardinals still have question marks at four out of the five positions along their O-line and Brown is only two years removed from being considered the worst left tackle in all of football. At his age, Palmer will need plenty of functional space within the pocket and it’s unlikely he’ll receive it on a consistent basis. The Cards will be improved this season, but don’t expect them to make a huge leap with Palmer having to play behind that line. Besides, the Seahawks, 49ers and Rams are going to be tough to beat.

+ Did Elvis Dumervil just pass up his best chance at playing for a championship by not re-signing with the Broncos? Think about that for a moment. It’s not as if he took the money a la Mario Williams and become a hired mercenary for a bad team – the Ravens are the defending champions, after all. But the last franchise to win back-to-back Super Bowls was the Denver Broncos in the late 90s, which proves how difficult it is to repeat in the NFL. Thanks to Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh, Baltimore will continue to compete year in and year out. But if it weren’t for Rahim Moore’s mistake in the Divisional Round last season, the Broncos may have won it all in February. (One could certainly make the argument that they were the best team heading into the playoffs.) With Wes Welker now catching passes from Peyton Manning, the Broncos should be right back in the Super Bowl mix in 2013. While he may never regret the decision to leave the Mile High state (especially when you consider the manner in which things ended in Denver), it would be a bitter pill to swallow if Dumervil was forced to watch his former teammates compete for a title next year. And that may very well happen.

+ Buddy Nix continues to boggle the mind in Buffalo. He had to part ways with Ryan Fitzpatrick a couple of weeks ago because he made the bone-headed decision in 2011 to overpay Fitzpatrick for one month of quality football. But why sign Kevin Kolb to a two-year, $13 million contract? He doesn’t represent a clear upgrade over Fitzpatrick, who also would have been a fit for coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s “K-Gun” offense. Fitzpatrick often displayed poor footwork and mechanics but he was at his best when getting the ball out of his hands quickly and spreading it around to different receivers. Instead of throwing more money at the position, Fitzpatrick could have been the starter until Ryan Nassib or another rookie was ready to take over in 2014. It just doesn’t make sense although hey, we’re also talking about the same guy in Nix who passed up on Andy Dalton, Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson in the second and third rounds each of the past two years. Not much Nix has done over the past three years has made much sense.

+ The more film I watch on this year’s defensive tackle class, the more I like. Star Lotulelei is versatile in that he can play in multiple defensive fronts, can anchor and also collapse the pocket when rushing. Meanwhile, Florida’s Sharrif Floyd is massive at 6-foot-2 and 297 pounds, but he’s light on his feet and has the ability to be a double-digit sack lineman as a 3-technique tackle. One could easily say the same about Mizzou’s Sheldon Richardson, who is an athletic marvel and a player that spent a lot of time in the opposing team’s backfield last season. When you get past the top three, Ohio State’s Jonathan Hankins was considered the best defensive tackle prospect at the start of the 2012 college football season (until his play fell off the map as the year wore on), and North Carolina’s Sylvester Williams is athletic, strong, and shows burst off the snap. It’s a great year for teams looking for interior pass-rush help.

+ Geno Smith might be the biggest wild card in the first round this year. The Chiefs have expressed interest in him, but chances are they’re planning on drafting Luke Joeckel with the No. 1 pick. The Raiders could take him at No. 3 but they’ve also expressed interest in Matt Flynn, while the logical move for the Bills would be to wait until the second round and nab Doug Marrone’s former Syracuse quarterback Ryan Nassib. (This after signing Kevin Kolb to a two-year, $13 million contract over the weekend.) If Smith goes in the top 10, my best guess is that it’ll be to Arizona at No. 7. There have been so many smokescreens surrounding the Cardinals over the past few weeks that you would think the entire state of Arizona is on fire. But I’m not buying their interest in Matt Barkley, whose best fit is in a West Coast offense. He simply doesn’t have the arm strength to run Bruce Arians’ offense efficiently, and neither does Carson Palmer (whom the Cardinals have expressed interest in as well). Smith is far from an elite quarterback prospect, but he does have enough arm strength to challenge the seam at the next level. That’s vital in Arians’ system.

+ If Manti Te’o falls out of the first round, it’ll be because of the current value for NFL middle linebackers – not because of his fake girlfriend or one miserable game versus Alabama. Just as he showed in the months leading up to the national title game, he sifts through traffic well, he plays downhill, and he’s an instinctive player. But this is a pass-happy league and if Te’o is going to play middle linebacker in a 4-3, he’s likely to come off the field on third downs. Middle linebackers simply don’t hold as much value as they did 10 years ago, which is why a player like Alec Ogletree may come off the board ahead of Te’o. Ogletree is a knucklehead who ran into off-field issues at Georgia, but he’s also a former safety that can run and cover. Assuming he develops at the pro level, teams won’t have to take him off the field in nickel situations. There’s a lot of value in that attribute, more so than a prospect that is a true thumper in the running game that has his limitations in coverage.

+ With all the talk surrounding Tavon Austin this year, one receiver that should be getting more attention is Louisiana Tech’s Quinton Patton. He has good size, quickness, and pass-catching ability. He doesn’t drop passes, he’s smooth in and out of routes, and he shows a willingness to block. Unlike Austin, Patton lacks top end speed, doesn’t separate and he didn’t make much of an impact as a return man in college. But he was productive in his two years with the Bulldogs and he has great intangibles. Prior to the 2011 Poinsettia Bowl, he gave a $300 Best Buy gift card (which was one of his bowl gifts) to a child from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Some team in the second round is going to get a solid player on the field and a high-character person off it.

+ Some team is either going to hit a grand slam with LSU’s Barkevious Mingo or they’re going to strike out looking. I fear there’s no in between. He’s a freak athletically and he could potentially be a headache for opposing teams as a designated pass rusher, but he’s really lean and may not hold up against the run. He also wasn’t overly productive at LSU and arguably wasn’t their best pass rusher, either. (That would be teammate Sam Montgomery.) If he can’t defend the run and he can’t set the edge, will he be worth taking in the first round based on his upside as a pass rusher? Bruce Irvin was, but the Seahawks also used him appropriately (i.e. as a DPR). When Irvin had to start versus the Falcons in the Divisional Round last year because of the injury to Chris Clemons, Atlanta ran right at him because he couldn’t set the edge in run support. Then again, he also finished with eight sacks as a rookie and there are plenty of teams that would kill for similar production. It’ll be interesting to see which ones will be willing to give up a late first-round pick in hopes of acquiring that same kind of output from Mingo.

+ The Dolphins just signed an underrated player in Brent Grimes. Assuming he’s healed from the Achilles injury that robbed him of nearly his entire 2012 season, he’ll upgrade a secondary that was often torched last year. He’s small but he’s technically sound and often the best athlete on the field at any given time. Granted, in signing him to a one-year, $5.5 million contract they overpaid for his services, especially considering he’s coming off the injury. (The cornerback market has also been weak this year.) But Miami got a quality player nonetheless.

A year ago right now, Michael Vick was being considered as a top five overall fantasy football draft pick.

Now, he is not even being considered amongst the top five overall fantasy quarterbacks; his overall current ADP is just a remarkable 45^th overall.

2011 was a step back for the entire Eagles franchise, not just Vick.

Still, he set a career high in passing attempts (423), yards (3,303), and third highest passing TD total (18). Vick’s 76 carries were his lowest season total as a starter, yet his 7.8 ypc was his 2^nd highest.

589 yards from your QB on the ground? That’s 45 YPG, son, as good as many a RB #3.

Sure, w/Vick you’re always going to worry about him missing games. That’s why you grab a QB like Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh Freeman to use in Vick’s week 7 bye or for general use, post-injury, should one occur.

Wake up– Don’t sleep on Mike Vick in 2012.

Paul Eide can be heard dispensing fantasy football advice every Friday AM during the NFL season on Jacksonville’s 930 AM “The Fox” at 8:00 EST. Listen live here. Email Paul at paul@pauleide.com

– It’s ironic really. Three weeks ago every NFL talking head said that if the Packers could get past the Lions in Detroit and the Giants in New York that they’d probably go undefeated. And after Green Bay mopped the floor with Oakland last Sunday, it was almost a foregone conclusion that the Pack would finish 16-0. Then the Chiefs, led by a chewed up and spit out Kyle Orton, go out and pull off the upset of the year by knocking off Green Bay, 19-14. Everyone will analyze this game to death but there’s not much to dissect. The strength of Kansas City, its defense, once again stepped up and played incredibly well. Aaron Rodgers, on the other hand, did not as the usually explosive Green Bay offense fizzled for the first time all year. Romeo Crennel didn’t pan out as a head coach but there’s no doubt the man knows how to run a defense. He put together a scheme today that will be studied, picked apart and emulated by every defensive coordinator that may face the Packers down the road. To hold Rodgers and Green Bay to just 14 points is truly remarkable.

– When you think about it, it makes more sense that an inferior team like the Chiefs were the ones to knock off the Packers instead of a playoff contender like the Lions or Giants. The Packers will always see Detroit or New York coming, so theoretically they should play their best football. A team like Kansas City, however, has a better chance of sneaking up on Green Bay (again, theoretically). Still, the Chiefs have nothing offensively so for them to pull off an upset like this was almost flabbergasting.

– The talk this week leading up to the Patriots’ clash with the Broncos was how Tim Tebow needed to step up in order to match Tom Brady. But in the end, Brady essentially made Tebow a non-factor by craving up a Denver defense that has the biggest reason for the Broncos’ success these past six weeks. One of the many things that make Brady so great is that he usually doesn’t force his hand when he doesn’t need to. For example, with Deion Branch out with an injury and Wes Welker and Rob Gronkwski drawing double teams, Brady simply keyed on Aaron Hernandez, who shredded the Broncos for 129 yards on nine catches. Even though New England’s defense was shaky at times (especially in the first quarter), the Pats proved how difficult it’ll be for Denver to match up with the elite teams in the AFC come playoff time.

– There’s no reason to devote 150 words to how the Saints beat the Vikings today in Minnesota. The Vikings’ secondary resembles a revolving door to the end zone, so it wasn’t surprising to see Drew Brees throw for 700 yards and 19 touchdowns versus a bad Minnesota defense. But it must be a little unnerving to fellow NFC contenders that the Saints finally looked good on the road. They haven’t played well away from the Superdome this season and quite frankly, they’ve developed a reputation of being more conservative on the road than at home. But today they went out and made it look easy. With the Packers falling for the first time all season, maybe the power structure in the NFC has shifted ever so slightly in New Orleans’ favor. If you were to pick one team and one team only to beat Green Bay, it has to be the Saints, who are the only NFC team that can match up with Green Bay in a shootout.

– If I’m a team like the Falcons or Lions, I’m praying that the Giants make it into the playoffs. Because right now they’re about as dangerous as a roll of Tollhouse cookie batter. In the last six weeks the Giants have wilted against good competition (San Francisco, New Orleans and Green Bay) and floundered against inferior division rivals (Philadelphia and Washington). The only reason they’re still alive in the NFC East is because the Cowboys crap themselves whenever they’ve expected to rise to the challenge and make a stand. As I noted in my predictions piece this week, I expected Washington to hang with the Giants. But I even wrote that I didn’t expect the Skins to win. Instead, they absolutely dominated the Giants from the opening kickoff and somehow managed to sweep New York for the first time since 1999. Given how Dallas had already won, how first place was on the line in the division, and how they were at home, it was inexcusable for the Giants to lose to the Skins. But why be shocked given how poorly New York has played the past month and a half? We should be long past expecting this team to dominate an opponent just because it’s better on paper, especially considering how the Giants have played down to their competition all season long.

– Between the Jets, Titans and Bengals, I don’t know which team I want to see in the postseason less. The Jets were absolutely manhandled by the Eagles from start to finish in Philadelphia, the Titans couldn’t muster more than 13 points in a loss to the previously-winless Colts, and the Bengals were in a 6-6 deadlock with the powerhouse Rams before finally shaking loose in the second half. At this point the NFL should just give the No. 3 seed in the AFC a bye and save itself the embarrassment of a Mark Sanchez v. T.J. Yates battle royale.

– I shudder to think how good the Detroit Lions could be if they had even an ounce of discipline and/or composure. As they showed today in Oakland, the Matthew Stafford-Calvin Johnson connection is electrifying, the front four will give most offensive line fits and the linebacker corps continues to overachieve. That was a great come-from-behind win for Jim Schwartz’s squad but this is a team that lacks the fundamentals (see tackling and not committing stupid penalties). Still, at 9-5 the Lions look like a lock for one of the two Wild Card spots in the NFC and after a decade of miserable football, it’s all smiles right now in Detroit…

– …of course, the Raiders really handed the Lions that game today. Had Oakland stuck with Michael Bush and the running game instead of getting cute with shotgun formations late in the fourth quarter, the Raiders probably win today and make things interesting again in the AFC West. (It also didn’t help that Carson Palmer missed a wide open Chaz Schilens on a third-and-three that could have sealed the game for Oakland.) For all intents and purposes Hue Jackson has done a great job for the Raiders this season, especially considering all the injuries Oakland has suffered through. But he could have managed the fourth quarter better today.

– The Texans were due for a game like they had today against the Panthers. They deserve all the credit in the world for persevering through injury after injury after injury, but T.J. Yates is their starting quarterback. At some point he was going to turn in an ugly performance and he certainly did today. Even with Arian Foster and that powerful rushing attack, it was only a matter of time that the defense would falter and Yates would stumble trying to make plays. That said, seeing as how they’re already in the playoffs this loss will actually serve Yates and the Texans well in the end. It’ll be a good learning experience for the rookie.

– Why again did the Bears not reach out to Donovan McNabb a few weeks ago? Because Mike Martz’s offense is too complicated to learn in a short period of time? That makes sense. Far be it for me to question Jerry Angelo but the odds were rather high that Hanie would struggle as a full-time starter. I would have rather given McNabb a shot to learn a scaled back version of Martz’s offense than allow Hanie to piss away a potential Wild Card spot. Granted, McNabb has shown nothing in two years that would make you think he could have saved Chicago’s season but at least with him there was a chance to catch lightning in a bottle.

– The Seahawks have been pretty fun to watch these past few weeks. Disagree with me and I’ll remind you that they had a fat guy score a touchdown today. Fat guy + touchdown = fun. It’s science.

– I would hate to play the Panthers if I were a team fighting for a playoff berth right now. They pulled off a “fumblerooski” with Richie Brockel in their 28-13 win over the Texans today. There’s no telling what else they’re capable of.

– Next Monday night in New Orleans is going to be f.u.n. – fun. The Falcons have finally found some consistency on offense and if they’re firing on all cylinders out of their no-huddle attack, they can hang with the Saints. New Orleans has been unstoppable at home this year but if the Falcons can get Brent Grimes (knee) and Kelvin Hayden (toe) back from injuries then the Atlanta defense is capable of slowing Brees and Co. down. The defense has quietly been the strength of the Falcons team this season.

– Hello, George Wilson? Yes, this is the grounds crew at Ralph Wilson Stadium. One of our employees retrieved your jockstrap following today’s game. We went back and watched the film and we can pinpoint the moment you lost it. Do you remember when Reggie Bush did that spin move on you in the second quarter? Right, well he spun you right out of them. You can come pick it up at lost and found at your earliest convenience.

– I would love to be a fly on the wall whenever Buffalo’s front office gets together to watch Ryan Fitzpatrick play. There must be a ton of, “Dear God what…were…we…thinking!” after they handed him that seven-year, $62 million contract back in late October. Dude has been brutal ever since. Don’t be fooled by his stat line (31-of-47, 316 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INTs) from today’s loss to the Dolphins. He was awful, posting his two touchdowns and the majority of his yards when the game was pretty much out of reach in the fourth quarter.

Why do you smite me NFL prediction Gods? WHY! WHY I ASK!

For those that continue to fade me, I say nice work. I’m now 17-23 on the year after another 2-2 week (the Steelers and Patriots covered while the over in the Saints/Falcons and under in the Giants/49ers games did not) and chances are I’ll either go 0-4, 1-3 or 2-2 again this Sunday. Winning would be too much to ask apparently.

WHY!

Bengals @ Ravens, 1:00PM ET
When Baltimore jumps out to a 42-point lead in the second quarter I’ll say to myself, “Yep, that makes sense.” But for now, I think Cincinnati is being undervalued while Baltimore is being overvalued. Seven points is a lot in a divisional game, especially considering how the Bengals have played all season. Yes, I know that Leon Hall and A.J. Green are out with injuries but Andy Dalton has made plays all year. Plus, and this is a biggie, Baltimore has been so inconsistent on offense that the Bengals could feasibly win this game outright. I don’t think that’ll happen, but I do like Cincy to keep it close.
THE PICK: BENGALS +7

Raiders @ Vikings, 1:00PM ET
Oakland really needs this game after Denver beat New York on Thursday night making the AFC West race even tighter. The Raiders are banged up but they were banged up last week in San Diego and beat the Chargers by a touchdown. Carson Palmer needs to play mistake-free football, especially considering Minnesota’s run defense isn’t going to allow Michael Bush to run all over them like he did versus San Diego. With the spread sitting so low I like Palmer’s chances of beating the rook Christian Ponder, even through this game is at the Metrodome.
THE PICK: RAIDERS –1

Titans @ Falcons, 4:15PM ET
Six points is way too much to lay with an Atlanta team that likes to keep things conservative by staying on the ground and eking out victories instead of stomping on their opponents’ chests. The Titans should be extra motivated to win now that Matt Schaub is out for the season and they have a realistic shot of winning the AFC South. With Chris Johnson coming alive the past two weeks, I think Tennessee will stick with Atlanta throughout and maybe even win outright.
THE PICK: TITANS +6

Eagles @ Giants, 8:20PM ET
The Eagles are 4-0 against the spread in their last four trips to East Rutherford but I don’t trust Philly as far as I can throw Andy Reid. And I cannot throw him very far. He’s a very large man and I just can’t seem to get the leverage. Vince Young is likely starting tonight for the injured Michael Vick, which means a quarterback with zero experience running Reid’s offense during the regular season will be counted on to win the most important game of Philadelphia’s season. I don’t like the Eagles’ chances. Eli Manning is playing the best fourth-quarter football of any quarterback in the league and I like the Giants to rise up against a Philadelphia team that looked as if it quite last Sunday versus the Cardinals. Let’s up that same Eagle team shows up again tonight.
THE PICK: GIANTS –4.5

– It’s not surprising that the Giants gave the Patriots all they could handle today in Foxboro. It’s not even all that surprising that New York won 24-20 despite the fact that New England never losses consecutive games under Bill Belichick. For whatever reason, Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning have Belichick and Tom Brady’s numbers. But if you were asked before the game which quarterback would pull off a great fourth-quarter comeback to lead their team to victory, most people wouldn’t have said Eli. (Even when you consider how many fourth-quarter comebacks the G-Men have already tallied this season.) People scoffed when Manning said he considered himself to be in the same class as Brady back in August. Whether you think he does or not, consider that he has the best fourth-quarter passer rating of any quarterback in the league this season and that his Giants are 6-2 when everyone thought they’d be looking up at the Eagles in the NFC East standings right about now. He’s also been the winning quarterback the past two times the Giants have played the Patriots, so the whole “does Eli belong in Brady’s class” conversation is rather moot at the moment. It’s all about wins, losses, and…nope, that’s about it.

– The Chiefs were due for a letdown. While they had won four in a row heading into Week 9, they seriously lack offensive explosion now that Jamaal Charles is out for the year and they would have lost to the Chargers on Monday night had Philip Rivers not decided to break out his best Rex Grossman impression late in the fourth quarter. That said, I don’t think anyone woke up this morning thinking, “Yeah, today is the day the Dolphins get their first win behind Matt Moore’s three touchdown passes and stingy defensive play.” I actually thought Miami would keep things close but 31-3? For the first time all season Tony Sparano will get a good night of sleep.

– The Rams pulled off the upset of the year last Sunday when they knocked off the Saints at home. So naturally they went out today and lost to an Arizona Cardinals team that started John Skelton at quarterback. St. Louis was given every opportunity to notch back-to-back victories for the first time all season and it screwed the pooch instead. The special teams unit was an absolute disaster in the fourth quarter and in overtime, as the Rams had a game-winning field goal blocked and missed four tackles on Patrick Peterson’s electrifying 99-yard punt return in OT. When his team played that brutal schedule to open the year, at least Steve Spagnuolo had an excuse for losing. There’s no excuse to lose to the John Skelton-led Cardinals when the game was practically in the bag.

– The Jets-Bills game wasn’t nearly as close as the 27-11 final would indicate. Buffalo was dominated from the opening kickoff to the final painful second of the fourth quarter. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills’ offense did nothing until David Nelson caught a meaningless 7-yard touchdown with 3:14 left on the clock. Even though New England also lost today, this is the type of loss that plants the seed of doubt in Buffalo. The general consensus on Fitzpatrick is that he’ll only take a team so far and he certainly didn’t do anything to dispel that notion today.

– The Giants-Patriots game felt a lot like Super Bowl XLII. The Giants’ defensive line dictated the game as Tom Brady turned in a rather pedestrian performance. It’s not too often that Brady’s throws are off the mark but he was highly inaccurate today and he turned the ball over three times. I truly don’t think New England should panic. The Jets still have major questions on offense and the Bills could be ready to descend from the top of the AFC East standings. That said, the Pats can’t be feeling too confident right now.

– The Steelers held a 20-16 lead on the Ravens with less than two minutes remaining in the game and couldn’t defend 92 yards. They allowed Baltimore to march right up field as Joe Flacco often had a clean pocket to work with and open receivers free in the Pittsburgh secondary. I know the Steelers had a couple of guys banged up on defense but the Ravens pretty much did whatever they wanted offensively. If they hadn’t settled for so many field goals the game wouldn’t have been as close as it was. Dick LeBeau’s unit looked completely befuddled on that final drive and despite Baltimore’s receivers trying desperately to give the game away with multiple drops, the Steelers couldn’t hold on. Bad effort time for Pittsburgh’s D.

– It’s not often that a quarterback throws for 385 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort, but welcome to Philip Rivers’ 2011 season. His three interceptions were the difference in the Chargers’ 45-38 loss to the Packers today. Two of his picks were returned for touchdowns and his final interception killed San Diego’s fourth-quarter comeback attempt. He’s now thrown 14 interceptions in his last eight games but thanks to the fact that nobody wants to win the AFC West, the Chargers are still in great position to make the playoffs.

– It’s pretty remarkable that Indianapolis fans are starting to show up to home games decked out in Andrew Luck jerseys and other paraphernalia. After all Peyton Manning has done for the Colts, one would think fans wouldn’t be encouraging their team to draft another quarterback. Then again, I don’t blame Indy’s fan base for never wanting to be subjected to another one of Curtis Painter’s passes the rest of their lives. He threw for 98 yards today in the Colts’ 31-7 loss to the Falcons. Ninety-eight yards. I’m considering buying a Luck No. 12 jersey right now just thinking about Painter’s performance, and I’m not even a Colts fan.

– Fortunately for the Raiders, Carson Palmer’s arm strength wasn’t a big concern today. Unfortunately, his lack of mobility and questionable decision-making were. Oakland paid a hefty price to acquire Palmer from Cincinnati three weeks ago and with the AFC West completely up for grabs, he can’t turn the ball over as much as he has in his first two games. But at least he showed marked improvement from his first outing and he did throw three touchdown passes to go along with his three interceptions in today’s loss to the Broncos. Perhaps the more pressing concern for the Raiders is that they just allowed 38 points to Tim Tebow and Denver’s highly non-explosive offense. And at home, mind you.

– It’s not easy making people long for the days of Rex Grossman but congratulations John Beck, you win. Washington’s offensive line is terrible and it’s not like Mike Shanahan has stocked the cupboard full of playmakers. But Beck flat out ignored open receivers in today’s 19-11 loss to the 49ers while looking to run immediately after taking the snap. He’s a disaster and a switch back to Grossman has to be coming soon for Shanahan and the Skins.

– Suddenly the Bucs look very pedestrian. Raheem Morris and Greg Olson have to figure out ways to be more explosive offensively and LeGarrette Blount better learn how to pass protect if he wants to be an every down back. Tampa Bay can’t have Kregg Lumpkin out there on passing downs because he’s not going to scare any opponent defensively. How are the Bucs supposed to beat the Saints in New Orleans with that offense?

– The Titans continue to lose pace with the Texans in the AFC South, but at least Chris Johnson “broke out” for 110 total yards in today’s 24-17 loss to the Bengals. Unlike the first eight weeks of the season, Johnson only looked hesitant on a couple of runs and the Titans finally gave him some opportunities to plays in space. He won’t crack the 1,000-yard mark but at least his effort on Sunday gave Tennessee a little hope that he’s starting to turn things around.

– One of the only things the Browns had going for themselves this year was that the defense was playing well. Then they went out today and got shredded for 261 yards in a 30-12 loss to the Texans. Cleveland fans had to be excited when Andre Johnson was ruled out for the game but as it turns out, Houston didn’t even need him.

– Is it just me or are the Packers being ignored? On a day where they score 45 points and beat a team that many thought could contend for a Super Bowl berth this season, all anyone can talk about is how the Patriots have lost two in a row. I’ve been critical of Green Bay the past three weeks because it hadn’t played a full game in quite awhile. And while Philip Rivers did shred the Pack for 385 yards and four touchdowns, Aaron Rodgers and Co. looked unstoppable. I don’t think it’s too early to start talking about this team finishing 16-0, which is amazing when you consider how poorly Green Bay’s defense has played this season. That’s how good Rodgers is right now.

– Rex Ryan’s defense is starting to heat up. I mean, the Bills could do nothing today offensively. Ryan Fitzpatrick didn’t have a clue on how to beat the Jets’ secondary, which often left Darrelle Revis alone one-on-one with Steve Johnson. There was a play right before halftime where Fitzpatrick didn’t even look Revis’ way despite the fact that he was in single coverage on Johnson. Instead, Fitzpatrick thought he had a better chance of completing the pass if he heaved it into a congested mess of Buffalo receivers and New York defenders. There’s no price for that kind of defensive intimidation. Mark Sanchez kept the Bills in the game with turnovers or else the 27-11 final would have been a heck of a lot uglier thanks to New York’s stingy defense.

– Torrey Smith will grab most of the headlines after scoring the game-winning touchdown in the Ravens’ 23-20 victory over the Steelers, but Joe Flacco deserves most of the praise for Baltimore’s huge win. He looked calm throughout the game and while the Ravens had to settle for field goals early, Flacco made sure Baltimore’s final score was the difference in the game. He overcame missed opportunities (Smith) and drops (Anquan Boldin) to lead the Ravens to their biggest victory to date. For a guy that hasn’t played consistent throughout the season, Flacco has looked good the past two weeks.

– Sunday’s 31-7 win over the Colts was exactly the type of game the Falcons envisioned when they gave away 67 draft picks in order to select Julio Jones last April. The rookie only caught three passes but he made all of them count, racking up 131 yards and two touchdowns. The speed he exhibited on his 80-yard touchdown was impressive but not nearly as much as the catch he made between multiple defenders on his 50-yard score in the first quarter. The media keeps lamenting that the Falcons need to stick with what they do best, which is running the ball. But as I’ve said for weeks, being one-dimensional didn’t work last season and it won’t work this season. They have to develop a passing game that can attack defenses if they want to not only reach the postseason, but go beyond the first round. The Falcons opened things up with Jones and Matt Ryan today and the results were highly positive. With the Saints on the schedule next Sunday, it’ll be interesting to see if the success Atlanta had throwing the ball transfers over.

– The Saints had a slightly difficult time putting the Bucs away in the fourth quarter but it wasn’t surprising to see them bounce back following their loss to the Rams last week. You expect a team led by Drew Brees and Sean Payton to rebound following an embarrassing loss. And despite the fact that Tampa beat New Orleans just three weeks ago, the Saints dominated the Bucs for most of their game today. With a grudge match coming up next Sunday with Atlanta, it’s time to find out if New Orleans will run away with the NFC South in the second half.

– Following Tim Tebow’s disastrous game against the Lions last week, John Fox said that he saw improvements in the young quarterback’s game. Today Tebow responded by throwing two touchdowns and zero interceptions in the Broncos’ 38-24 upset over the Raiders. Nobody is expecting Tebow to put up elite numbers from week to week. But he’s proven twice in the past three weeks that he’s capable of leading a team to victory if he plays his game, which includes running the ball and making decisions out of the shotgun. Of course, it also helped Tebow and the Broncos that Willis McGahee broke out for 163 yards and two touchdowns today. (Carson Palmer’s three interceptions didn’t hurt either.) Tebow isn’t going to beat the elite teams most weeks, but at least he had the fortitude to bounce back from last Sunday’s ugly display.

– The 49ers have been so good this season and they play in such a horrendous division that they could actually clinch a playoff spot by Week 11. San Fran’s defense and special teams continues to dominate while Frank Gore carries the offense on his back. It’s been a long time since 49ers-Giants has held meaning and fortunately for NFL fans, that matchup will be on display next Sunday in ‘Frisco.

– Diehard Dolphins fans have to respect their team’s effort the last two weeks. Miami nearly beat the Giants last Sunday in New York and waxed a Kansas City team today that had just won four in a row. Fans and the media can talk all they want about the “Suck for Luck” campaign, but clearly the Dolphins are still fighting.

– Who needs Andre Johnson when your team rushes for 261 yards on the ground? Even Matt Schaub rushed for a touchdown today for Houston.

– The legend of Andy Dalton continues to grow. He threw for three touchdowns today while rallying the now 6-2 Bengals, who have now won five straight games. Perhaps what was most impressive about his performance today was the zip he put on his 5-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell in the fourth quarter. Not many pundits were talking about Dalton’s arm strength back in April, or the fact that he could potentially lead the Bengals to their longest winning streak since 1988. The defense is still the key to whether or not Cincinnati will continue to contend for a playoff spot. But it certainly doesn’t hurt that Dalton continues to play like a seasoned vet instead of first-year starter.

– I watched Patrick Peterson’s punt live and as he was backing up to his own goal line to receive the kick, I’m saying, “What the F is this kid doing?” Then he broke four tackles while doing a pirouette and running 99 yards for a game-winning score. He now has three punt returns for touchdowns this year and while his coverage continues to be a work in progress, he’s been worth the price of admission on special teams.