$.01--The biggest development of Week 3 came before the games were played. The Cleveland Browns traded RB Trent Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts for Indy’s first round pick next spring. Richardson, you might recall, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. In fact, the Browns traded several mid-round picks to move up one spot to take Richardson. But that was the Mike Holmgren/Tom Heckert/Pat Shurmur regime.

After two games of plodding ineffectiveness, the new regime in Cleveland decided to sell high. Richardson did not fit well with new coach Rob Chudzinski’s more aggressive, vertically-oriented offense. The new front office, notably GM Mike Lombardi, had little use for players they did not select themselves. They saw a chance to move Richardson for a useful asset, and they took it.

Browns' fans, already unhappy with an abysmal 0-2 record thanks to a flat offense that struggles with execution in all phases, went off the rails on a crazy train. How quickly these fans forget last Sunday, when the airwaves at WKNR (the main sports talk radio station in Cleveland) were ablaze with criticism of Richardson for not seeing holes and never making things happen for himself. I know because I listened and noted it, and I saw the same on Twitter as well. That criticism is perfectly valid, too; Richardson has just one run for more than eight yards in his 31 carries, and his 3.4 yards per carry is at least a yard below what would be considered acceptable for him. Just three of his runs have produced first downs. Browns' legend Jim Brown infamously called Richardson “ordinary”, but thus far Richardson hasn’t even been that good.

This is a bold move by the Browns. It’s a tacit acknowledgement that they are not going to contend for anything but the top overall pick this year. NFL teams almost never throw away a season, certainly not so quickly as this. I don’t believe they’re going to miss Richardson as much in the offense as many might think, but the psychological message the front office sent could unwittingly foster a defeatist attitude. For the players who predate the latest front office turnover, this has told them it doesn’t matter how well they play, they are eminently disposable. What kind of motivational tactic is that?

Apparently an effective one. The Browns went into Minnesota and hung a loss on the winless Vikings thanks to a strong day from backup QB Brian Hoyer. Deploying a true “running by committee” approach, Cleveland rushed for 103 yards on 17 carries, far greater than what Richardson had been producing. The pessimistic Browns fans, of course, like to point out that they can’t even tank the season right, but any win is welcome. Having said that, I don’t think it’s sustainable; I don’t believe the Browns top four wins.

$.02--From a Colts perspective, they have sent the opposite message to both their fans and their players. Attention whore owner Jimmy Irsay had already put his team on notice that their efforts in preseason were not to his liking. Instead of just whining, Irsay went out and did something about it. 

The Colts have gone all in on winning this year. While that frequently turns out poorly for NFL teams and hyper-aggressive owners (hello Dan Snyder!), I like the calculated gamble here. The AFC outside of Denver is completely uninspiring. Houston, New England, Kansas City, Miami and Cincinnati, the other major contenders, all have serious flaws in one form or another. The Colts had a big hole at running back and they filled it with a player who was talented enough to be a top-3 pick just one year ago. Richardson is strong in the passing game, which fits in great with the Colts offense. No other team could possibly add as much of an impact player as what Indy did with T-Rich.

Will it pay off? It depends on your judging criteria. As long as Richardson stays healthy in 2013, it’s hard to see these Colts missing the playoffs in an incredibly watered down AFC. If they win a playoff game this year, and they might, that has to be considered a success. Their defense is still a major concern, but with Richardson they have more ability to salt games away with their offense. I do believe that Richardson gets inspired by the shocking dismissiveness of his skills by Cleveland, and that makes these Colts very dangerous. These players know they have strong front office support and high expectations, and that absolutely matters.

It certainly paid off this week. Richardson scored Indy’s first touchdown in their surprising 27-7 romp of the San Francisco 49ers, but his presence clearly inspired Ahmad Bradshaw and the offensive line. They blocked better than they have since Edgerrin James’ glory days, and Bradshaw looked fresh and confident in nearly bagging 100 yards, including a touchdown. The Colts got the message from ownership; this is their time. They played like it in knocking the crap out of the once-mighty 49ers, who are now 1-2 and look toothless on offense and old on defense.

Over the longer term, I have a feeling Colts fans are going to dislike this move more with each passing season. Richardson doesn’t have the great vision or breakaway speed to thrive long-term as a feature back. Acquiring him cost the Colts a first round pick that could have brought in much-needed defensive help. The days of a first round running back sure appear to be a thing of the past, and Richardson’s knee issues hamper his long-term viability. If he doesn’t thrive right away, it could be a fatal blow to his confidence. Even though he did score a touchdown, 13 carries for 35 yards is not the kind of production that should inspire confidence in Colts fans. 

$.03--Carolina Panthers 38, New York Giants 0. Wow. This is a stunning loss for the Giants, the worst in the Tom Coughlin era by a pretty wide margin.

Carolina entered this game 0-2, with 30 points in its first two games. The Panthers played without three normal starters in its defensive back seven. All the ingredients were present for Eli Manning and the Giants to break out of their early season doldrums and spank the hosts. Instead, the recipe turned horribly wrong. 

Manning was sacked seven times, including five in the first quarter. New York’s pathetic offense turned the ball over three more times, giving them 13 giveaways in three games. According to Elias, the Giants have just 133 yards rushing in those three games, the 5th worst total for that time period in the Super Bowl era. At 2.7 yards per carry, blame is equally shared by a shaky offensive line that is long overdue for an overhaul and the ongoing struggles of RB David Wilson.

I’d like to give more credit to Carolina. Really, I would. Cam Newton finally showed some sharpness and positive energy, and their own offensive line played its best football of the young season. But this is all about the implosion of the vaunted Giants, my pick to win the NFC East and I know I’m not alone in picking them either. They appear utterly inept at protecting the football and have no semblance of a pass rush or pass defense at all. I do think the turnover tide will stem, but the other problems are not going away anytime soon. They have too much firepower in the passing game to continue to stink so badly, but the playoffs sure look out of reach, even in a dreadful NFC East, which is quite easily the worst division in football this year.

$.04--49ers' sack master Aldon Smith was arrested for DUI early Friday when he crashed his car into a tree. This is Smith’s second DUI arrest since entering the league. Police on the scene also found marijuana in his possession, as well as some pills. Smith is also the defendant in lawsuits stemming from a party he hosted where at least two men were shot. 

If Smith played in New York or Washington, he absolutely would not have played Sunday. He might miss next Sunday too, and rightly so. Yet Niners coach Jim Harbaugh apparently found nothing wrong with Smith’s repeated illicit behavior. Smith started against the Colts and Harbaugh shrugged away any notion that he might want to discipline his star linebacker. 

Mr. Harbaugh, it is not wise to mess with karma. Smith failed to get near Andrew Luck, though he did register a tackle for loss. The Niners were destroyed by the Colts 27-7. Indy had its way with San Francisco, dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. That is the antithesis of 49ers football, and it has to make you wonder how tight of a grip Harbaugh has on his team. They’re 1-2 and could easily be 0-3. Teams are not respecting their receiving threats at all, and it’s giving young Colin Kaepernick fits. Once again he completed less than half his passes, and he looked disheveled and lost as the game progressed. He was under heavy pressure down the stretch, and he succumbed to that pressure with a pair of awful turnovers.

This is not at all what anyone expected from San Francisco. They still have time to regroup, but the lack of weapons on offense isn’t going to go away. Neither is the loose coverage on the back end. I cannot believe how much they miss safety Dashon Goldson, who took the money and ran to Tampa Bay. They must get a more productive pass rush, but Smith’s issues make that cloudy. The NFL will certainly have its say on his latest flagrant violation of league policy. Even before Commissioner Goodell gets involved, it appears Smith could be lost for some time:

Here’s hoping that Aldon Smith gets the help he so clearly and desperately needs, before he becomes the next Josh Brent. Maybe doing the right thing here will change the fate of the badly fading 49ers, who travel to St. Louis for a Thursday night game against a team they couldn’t beat last year when they were the NFC Champions.

$.05--The Detroit Lions did something on Sunday they had never done before. They played a road game in Washington and came away winners.

Detroit vanquished a streak that dated back to the day Tina Turner was born, November 26, 1939. The recently relocated (from Boston) Skins beat the Lions 31-7 on that day. Twenty other times Detroit travelled to our nation’s capital, and twenty times they went home losers. Some of those losses were particularly painful. The 41-10 playoff blowout in 1992, where Mark Rypien torched the Lions secondary and Erik Kramer proved he was not a quarterback capable of winning playoff games. There was the 34-3 beatdown in 2007, where the Lions entered the game 3-1 but left town producing under 150 yards of offense as Jon Kitna was sacked 7 times. Lest I forget the 27-13 playoff game in 2000, where the Lions lost yards on half their 12 drives while the Skins scored the first four times they had the ball.

It was a cathartic victory. You could see it on Jim Schwartz’s face after the game ended, when he spiked his headset and carried a wry, relieved smile as he crossed the field. You could hear it in my neighborhood here in West MI, where shouts of joy were audible when Calvin Johnson caught the rifle shot from Matt Stafford that put the Lions up 27-17 with a little over three minutes to play. You could see the disgust on the faces of the Washington defenders, who missed at least 15 tackles in this game, including four on one Joique Bell 9-yard run.

Lions fans have reason to be optimistic…to an extent. The offense looks very strong, and Stafford is throwing the ball better than he ever has before. Bell is emerging as a strong all-purpose running back. The defensive line, led by lightning rod Ndamukong Suh, is playing outstanding football. The defense is forcing turnovers, two more in this one. Yet it’s important to temper the good vibes. Their two wins have come against winless Minnesota and Washington, both of whom have major issues. The undisciplined penalties are making way too many of my hairs turn grey, as they appear to be doing to Schwartz too. The return game is an unmitigated disaster, and the Lions have continually battled a decided field position disadvantage. Still, it’s an unprecedented road win that puts the Lions at 2-1 and with the chance to seize first place in the NFC North next week when Chicago comes to Ford Field. That’s all Lions fans can ask for at this point.

$.06--Miami improved to 3-0 with a hard-fought win over the visiting Falcons. In the win, the Dolphins might have finally buried the long shadow of Dan Marino thanks to a masterful performance under pressure by Ryan Tannehill.

The game-winning drive would have done Danny Boy proud. Tannehill calmly but urgently drove his team 75 yards down the field to a game-winning touchdown after the Falcons blew a chance to increase the lead. The second-year QB hit on 8-of-11 on that drive. Two of the three incompletions were bad drops by his receivers on easy throws. The one-yard touchdown lob over Dion Sims’ shoulder for a one-handed catch was absolutely beautiful, as soft as a piano concerto. When the Dolphins picked off Matt Ryan’s desperate, and tipped, throw to seal the victory, Sun Life stadium erupted from that piano concerto to Metallica playing Enter Sandman.

Dolphins fans should be excited. Tannehill is still a work in progress, but the promise he offers and the talent he flashes more and more frequently are legitimate. Between his improving play and their active, hard-hitting defense, Miami has climbed up several pegs in the AFC pecking order. Just as the 3-0 Chiefs and Saints, both last place teams a year ago, appear legitimately improved enough to make a playoff run, so too do these Dolphins.

$.07--Thursday night saw Kansas City beat Philadelphia in a game that was widely disseminated as Andy Reid’s triumphant return to the city where he coached for over a decade. That made for a nice storyline, and the Chiefs certainly validated their 2-0 start with an impressive road win to stay undefeated. But I watched this game to check on the progress of two of the first four picks in the 2013 draft.

Eric Fisher was the No. 1 overall pick, and the Chiefs immediately plugged him in at right tackle. Philly chose Lane Johnson from Oklahoma with the fourth pick, and he too started right away at right tackle. This was a great chance to do an apples-to-apples evaluation on how these prestigious prospects are doing.

It was not a good night for either young tackle. Fisher gave up a QB hit on the very first play of the night and never really recovered. The Central Michigan product earned two holding penalties and could have been flagged for at least two others. He looked uncomfortable in handling speed off the edge. More specifically, Fisher was not dropping his inside foot deep enough with his kick step. That means he has to overextend to reach outside rushers and has no power when they engage him. I did see him block well on plays where Alex Smith scrambled around, and his run blocking was acceptable. It’s not what you want to see from a #1 overall pick, but it could be worse. He could be Lane Johnson.

I take a certain amount of selfish pride in watching Johnson struggle so ineptly. I wrote about Johnson in the predraft process over at DetroitLionsDraft.com and said the following:

“Everyone wants to hype up Oklahoma tackle Lane Johnson, but my notes are not as charitable on the greenhorn tackle. There is no doubt he is athletic, but his technique is rawer and he is more vulnerable to getting beaten than it seems most would like to admit. The tools are there but the toolbox is not yet organized or complete. I noted in three different games, viewed at different times, that he struggles with rushers lined up tight and keeps his outside foot artificially deep, leaving him very vulnerable to having defenders cross his face…Some fan base is going to find that out the hard way, I suspect.”

Not that I wish ill will on Johnson, but it was plainly obvious to anyone with an unbiased eye that he was going to struggle. Yet draft analysts with far more status and prominence than me laughed off his struggles. I don’t see Michael Vick laughing at the three sacks, three other QB hurries, and missed run block that got Vick creamed. According to the good folks at Pro Football Reference (you need a subscription to view the table, but if you love football it’s well worth your money!), Johnson is the second worst tackle in the league in pass protection, and there are some really awful tackles in the NFL right now (ask Steelers and Falcons fans). There’s a lesson here for all you aspiring draftniks: trust your own eyes. You might see things better than those of us who actually get paid for our opinions. For as frequently as I’m reminded of my scouting misses, your bloody well right I’m going to pat myself on the back a little here.

Both Fisher and Johnson will improve with more experience, but let them also be another lesson to not raise expectations too high for rookies, even top-5 picks.

$.08--Five NFL Quickies:

1. I don’t know enough about precisely what is going on with Von Miller and the reports that he attempted to alter his drug testing protocol, but it’s not a good sign. This is a very serious charge, and it appears the NFLPA is fully behind the punishment. Much like Aldon Smith, Miller is an incredibly talented pass rusher but one with a very disturbing pattern of substance abuse and behavior. As with Smith, I really hope he gets his head on straight and cleans up. Guys with God-given skills like that don’t come along all that often, and to see them squander it senselessly is painful.

2. If you follow me on Twitter (@JeffRisdon) you know I’m not a big fan of Bill Polian’s work since about 2006. To show I’m not the only one who feels that way, check out this brilliant piece from Scott Kacsmar from Football Outsiders: Why Bill Polian Just Doesn't Get It. Polian drops nuggets of patently false wisdom like that at least twice a day on his Sirius radio spots.

3. I didn’t see one snap of the game, but I’m very surprised at how easily the Ravens thumped the Texans. I thought the Ravens might win, but 30-9 is stunning. Baltimore going 8-of-16 on 3rd downs against this Texans defense is mighty impressive. Houston has proven vulnerable to giving up points in waves, and the INT return by Daryl Smith and the punt return by Tandon Doss less than two minutes later were way too much for the Texans to overcome. Good win for Baltimore.

4. New England pounded Tampa Bay 23-3 in a game that moves the Bucs one step closer to complete implosion. Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman was once again scattershot, completing 19-of-41 and often missing open receivers by country miles. They came away with one field goal in two red zone trips on offense, and their defense struggled to contain what had been a sloppy New England passing offense. The Patriots are amazingly 3-0 thanks to their defense, which is going criminally underrated. One key performer on that D is Rob Ninkovich, who was rewarded with a contract extension over the weekend. He deserves every penny.

5. If you’re looking for a reason why the Rams are 1-2 after being shellacked 31-7 by Dallas, here are three. First, their running game is a toxic brew of poor blocking and an inability of their RBs to create. Second, Sam Bradford and the passing game are wildly inefficient. He put up 240 passing yards but it took 48 attempts to get there. His yards per attempt have been lower than the opponent all three weeks, and they’re trending in the wrong direction. Third, schizophrenic corner Cortland Finnegan is back to being Bad Cortland. Even before his lousy showing vs. Dallas, Finnegan was far and away the worst corner in the league this year. He’s had these wild fluctuations before, and they don’t end quickly. Ask Titans fans.

$.09--Five College/Draft quickies

1. I got my first extended look this year at Fresno State QB Derek Carr on Friday night. I liked what I saw. Carr has plenty of arm strength and showed the ability to fit balls into tight windows. He was composed and in full control on the game winning drive. Carr threw for 460 yards and looked very mechanically and fundamentally sound. When I watched him last year he had a propensity to go cold at times, but he kept running hot in beating Boise State. He’s got some similarities to his game with Matt Stafford, for better and worse. And yes, he is former No. 1 overall pick David Carr’s little brother. At this point Carr looks like a 40-60 overall prospect but I bet his stock rises when NFL coaches see his velocity and release up close.

2. Another underexposed Western quarterback is Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton, who is more of a dual-threat type. Keeton also possesses great arm strength, but he must learn to dial it down on shorter throws; against USC he bounced at least three passes off receivers on shorter routes where not even Lester Hayes’ level of Stickum would have helped them catch it. Keeton throws one of the prettiest deep balls around, and he can extend plays with his legs while keeping his eyes down the field. He’s an exciting improviser with relentless spirit. Unfortunately, his unpredictability often gets him into real trouble. Keeton’s delivery is not quick, and he’s built like a slender NBA shooting guard. He looks like a late rounder with potential to be a backup and valuable practice weapon.

3. Michigan once again threatened to lose to a heavy underdog for the second week in a row. Last week they escaped at home against Akron. This week they squeaked past lowlier UConn, needing a late touchdown drive to stave off the Husky upset. UConn was dominated at home by FCS member Towson, and barely managed 200 yards of offense in this one. But Michigan QB Devin Gardner continues to make baffling decisions and ponderous turnovers that you don’t normally see from eight grade signal callers. He is without question my biggest disappointment of the college season so far. Not far behind is let tackle Taylor Lewan. Widely hyped as a top 10 overall pick, he has not played anywhere close to that level this year. Twice in this game he apathetically loafed an edge block that resulted in a pressure on Gardner, and he consistently lunged out too far and fell off his blocks. If you base his draft stock strictly off his 2013 performance, and I’ve seen every snap so far, he’s nothing better than a fourth or fifth round pick.

4. It was blowout weekend as Ohio State, Louisville, Baylor, and Miami all scored at least 70 points. That’s embarrassing for college football. The Buckeyes game is somewhat excusable as Vanderbilt backed out of the scheduled game late and FAMU was a last-ditch option, but there is no excuse for top level programs to be scheduling FCS opponents after the opening weekend. Show some respect for your fans and the game itself.

6. I’ll have my initial mock draft here later this week. Here’s a teaser. The top 7 picks will be, in some semblance of this order: Teddy Bridgewater, Jadeveon Clowney, Brett Hundley, Marcus Mariota, Anthony Barr, Bradley Roby, and Marqise Lee. I will not have a running back in the first round, though I strongly suspect Lache Seastrunk winds up earning a first round grade from me.

$.10--I turned 41 last Tuesday, which is no big deal in the grand scheme of things. It did, however, get me thinking about history. In my 41 years, none of the three professional sports teams I actively root for have won a title. The Detroit Lions, Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Indians all own title droughts that go back well beyond my lifetime. The Lions and Cavaliers are not realistically close at this point, though both have some intriguing pieces. I’d like to get excited about this year’s Indians, but I live in Tigers territory and Detroit is clearly superior.

So when will the suffering end? Surely it cannot last forever. Every dog has its day, right? I watched my friends in Boston celebrate the Red Sox and Bruins ending years of futility, and they already had the dynastic Celtics and Patriots to lean on. My brother in law is a huge fan of all things Chicago, and I remember the giant smile on his face weeks after his White Sox won a World Series for the first time in over 80 years. A couple years later he was rewarded again by the Blackhawks, and the Bulls spoiled him rotten in the 90s. I see eternally futile teams like the baseball Angels and Phillies, the football Buccaneers and Rams, the hockey Kings and Lightning all win titles. Why not my teams?

I’m assured by many close friends and family that my patience and sports suffering has forged a strong character. I’m told that when the Lions win a Super Bowl or the Indians capture a World Series that it will be that much sweeter to me. Maybe so, but I’m tired of the waiting. It’s frustrating beyond comprehension for most people, even most Lions fans; after all, they have the mighty Red Wings and can still recall the Bad Boy Pistons. I’d love to sell out and back a real winner, but I’m too old to change gears now. I do root for the Houston Rockets, mainly because my son is a huge fan, but they don’t pull the heartstrings like the teams of my lifelong fancy.

For those of you who are young and fortunate to root for a winner, cherish it. You cannot imagine how long 41 years of futility feels, and there are many who have suffered far longer than me.