$.01-- The NFL got the marquee matchup in primetime it so desperately coveted, landing the unbeaten Chiefs in Foxboro to play Tom Brady and the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. NBC so savored the matchup between Patrick Mahomes and Brady that it was hard to know there were 52 other players on each team. 

A funny thing happened on the way to inducting Mahomes into Canton in just his 7th career start. Bill Belichick figured out a way to slow down the furious Chiefs offensive attack. The Patriots defense forced the young star into some off-target throws and a couple of interceptions in the first half. Brady had no such problems against Kansas City’s league-worst (in yards per game) defense and the Patriots scrambled out to a 24-9 halftime advantage. 

Then the game got really interesting. After a halftime where the broadcast crew nervously worried about the Patriots cruising against a Chiefs defense missing several regulars, Kansas City stiffened on D enough to allow Mahomes, Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and the fastest offense in the NFL a chance to rally back. 

The second half was as fun of a football game as anyone will watch all season. Kansas City rallied to take a lead, then Brady answered. Mahomes responded with a one-play drive to Hill, who raced past the blown coverage to tie it up.

But Brady got the ball last, and we all know what that means. Gronk smashed his way into field goal range and Stephen Gostkowski booted the game-winner. Patriots 43, Chiefs 40. 

The loss leaves just one unbeaten team, the Rams. That doesn’t take away from what the Chiefs have done through the first third of the season. They’re legit. So are the Patriots, who got blasted by the Lions the last time we saw them on a Sunday night. 

Rematch in January, please... 

$.02-- After four weeks of play the AFC South sure looked like a two-horse race between Jacksonville and Tennessee. Both were 3-1, and the Jaguars one loss came to the Titans in a 9-6 slugfest played with the intensity, if not the execution, of a playoff game.

Since Week 4, neither the Jaguars nor Titans have won. In fact, both are 0-2 in spectacularly embarrassing fashion. Sunday’s action might have been the low point for both franchises over the past few seasons. 

Dallas pasted the visiting Jaguars 40-7, flipping the script on the prevailing narrative that the Jaguars are a power to be trusted and the Cowboys were on the brink of chaotic and discordant changes. Dak Prescott and the Dallas offense would have none of that. They efficiently posted 378 yards and 23 first downs on the alleged mighty Jacksonville defense. That’s a week after Kansas City hung 424 yards and 24 points (KC also had a pick-6) on them. The Jaguars offense managed just 10 first downs and 204 total yards. Blake Bortles never looked comfortable behind a shaky line and without Leonard Fournette, still sidelined with injury.

As bad as the Jaguars were in Dallas, the Titans topped it in getting shutout 21-0 by Baltimore. Here’s the story of that game in one stat: Marcus Mariota was sacked more times (11) than he had completed passes (10). Baltimore’s offense also played to role of hot knife to the butter that was the Titans defense, but when your offense is that spectacularly inept it doesn’t really matter.

This has opened to door for the surging Houston Texans. After starting 0-3, Bill O’Brien’s crew has quietly won three in a row. The latest came with a 20-13 squeaker over the Bills, the same Buffalo team which won in Nashville last Sunday. Houston prevailed in a defensive struggle where the shaky offensive lines of both teams prevented much of anything positive for either unit. 

The Texans knocked Josh Allen from the game with an injury to his throwing elbow, and it proved costly right away. Nathan Peterman came off the bench and threw a pick-6 to Johnathan Joseph. Buffalo’s final gasp nearly ended the same way but the Bills managed to tackle Kareem Jackson after his too-easy pick off Peterman. Deshaun Watson didn’t play well and took more hits than he should once again, but it was enough to vault the Texans right back into the division race.

None of the three 3-win teams in the division need to worry about being caught from behind by the 1-5 Indianapolis Colts.

I only caught a few plays of the New York Jets’ 42-34 win over the Colts but when I did pay attention to this one, it sure looked like the Colts only had 10 defenders on the field on every play. They had 11, of course, but you’d never know it. The Colts are a bottom-5 team with little chance of escaping anytime soon.

$.03--There is a Giant problem coming to a head in New York. After Thursday night’s hapless 34-13 loss to the visiting Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants are in serious jeopardy of being the NFL’s worst team.

The biggest issue is the relationship between Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr., which has decayed far more than Manning’s fading skills at quarterback. Beckham ripped Manning last week in a very public, very inappropriately timed hit job on the veteran. Rather than play the final snap of the first half, the star wideout sauntered down the tunnel as his Giants teammates tried not to get the snot beaten out of them any worse.

Beckham’s critique of Manning’s skills was not incorrect. The lack of response by Manning, and also by the coaching staff, is an even bigger problem. By not defending himself, Manning acquiesced the war of public opinion to Beckham. That the coaching staff and organization did nothing more than fining Beckham shows they don’t have control of the situation either. Now other players are confiding in reporters their lost confidence in Manning.

It’s not going to get any better for the Giants, not even with the mini-bye before they play the Falcons on Monday Night Football in Week 7. The scrutiny of a nationally televised game will only crack this team further. Nor will an Atlanta offense that can follow the blueprint of the Eagles and consistently toast another Giant with fading skills, Janoris Jenkins, in coverage. As great as rookie RB Saquon Barkley is as a weapon, the team is going nowhere until the QB/WR situation improves. And Eli isn’t about to recapture his 2015 self or the locker room. Beckham’s fat contract dictates that he’s the building block, and moving him seems impossible. The rest of the roster needs a lot of help but won’t be able to adequately address it when the focus is on replacing Eli.

$.04-- The first 60 minutes of oddly entertaining football in the scorching Miami heat wasn’t enough for the Dolphins and Bears, so the Brock Osweiler vs. Mitchell Trubisky battle went to overtime. Osweiler, a surprise starter for injured (maybe--more on that in a bit) Ryan Tannehill, threw for 380 yards and 3 TDs against a Bears defense that entered as one of the league’s stingiest. 

He came up big when his team needed him most, leading the Dolphins to two scoring drives in overtime. They only scored once, of course. Kenyan Drake fumbled at the goal line on the first possession, nearly pissing away the win after an impressive drive. Osweiler did it again after the Bears willingly settled for a 53-yard field goal attempt...which Cody Parkey missed because that’s what NFC North kickers do these days.

Osweiler made sure the second time wouldn’t get lost. Jason Sanders nailed the game-winner as the clock expired and lifted the Dolphins to an unexpected 4-2. The Bears fell back to their divisional pack at 3-2, losing a golden opportunity on the road off the bye week against a vulnerable opponent.

Back to Tannehill. Two different Dolphins beat writers reported that the shoulder injury which sidelined the struggling QB was not what was indicated, a sprained AC joint. Tannehill is definitely not 100 percent, but there is a difference in perception if his status is backed by a more bankable diagnosis than the ambiguous “he’s not ready.” Osweiler was ready and once again led the offense more effectively (albeit pockmarked with awful plays) than Tannehill. It presents an interesting dilemma for a team very much in the thick of the AFC playoff race. 

$.05-- As is customary when Pittsburgh and Cincinnati square off, controversy marred the game between the Steelers and Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.

The controversy stemmed not from a cheap shot or egregious personal foul, though Vontaze Burfict did have one of each. Instead the final touchdown, the game-winner from Pittsburgh and Antonio Brown, is the subject of a lot of enmity and misery from both Bengals fans and those tired of seeing the NFL enforce rules against some teams but not others. 

Here’s the play in question. Brown (No. 84) motions inside and sets up a natural pick, in this case more of a moving screen and holding foul in basketball. Watch No. 11 Justin Hunter and not Brown:

That is not legal. It’s also almost never called, at least not on the Steelers. It’s certainly not getting called in such a critical situation that late in a rivalry game with so much on the line. 

Give credit to Mike Tomlin and the Steelers for knowing the officials will keep the flags holstered on that kind of play in that kind of situation. It’s not their fault they can exploit the predictable inconsistency. But if you’re a Bengals fan, that obviously illegal offensive pass interference (or hold, take your pick) is the difference between being 5-1 and having a 2.5-game lead and victory in hand over Pittsburgh and now having a half-game lead and a divisional home loss. That could very well be the difference in January between hosting a playoff game and sitting on the side watching the Steelers play in one.

$.06-- Saturday provided a massive shakeup in college football. In the span of a few hours…

No. 2 Georgia got waxed 36-16 by No. 13 LSU as Bulldogs QB Jake Fromm had a rotten day handling pressure and the Bayou Bengals offense finally started clicking.

No. 6 West Virginia got taken out to the country roads of Ames and buried by Iowa State. The Cyclones won by 16 but it should have been at least double that if not for some terrible special teams. 

No. 7 Washington lost in overtime in a hard-hitting battle at No. 17 Oregon. Ducks QB Justin Herbert -- the likely No. 1 QB come draft time -- didn’t have his best afternoon but still guided his team to a huge win.

No. 8 Penn State fell at home to Michigan State on a great final drive keyed by Spartans QB Brian Lewerke and WR Felton Davis willing their team to the win. As with Washington, this is the Nittany Lions second loss on the season. Say goodbye to the playoffs. 

No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 10 UCF both nearly joined those on the upset line. Both remain unbeaten after narrow wins over Pittsburgh and Memphis, respectively. Because the Irish and Knights are not in a Power 5 conference, staying unbeaten is a must for their playoff aspirations. Even close losses against unranked opponents can jeopardize their cases. No. 23 USF, also undefeated, beat Tulsa on the last play of the game.

No. 15 Wisconsin got blown out at No.12 Michigan. QB Alex Hornibrook completed more passes to Wolverines (2) than Badgers (1) in the span of 8 drives.

No. 16 Miami fell to Virginia. No. 21 Auburn became the first SEC team to lose to Tennessee in two years. No. 24 Colorado fell to USC, the Buffaloes first loss.

It was a crazy Saturday which proved two things to me. First, preseason polls are worthless. Second, we know the four CFB Playoff teams right now provided they win out: Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Notre Dame. As long as the first three there win their conference title games, each can afford a regular-season loss and will still make it, too.

$.07--Something you will not see on FOX News or hear from the vociferous critics of the NFL: player arrests are down significantly since 2014.

In fact, USA TODAY (disclosure--I cover the Browns and Lions for the parent company) tracked the arrests of active NFL players and found it has reached low levels not seen since the 20th century. 

This is part of a concerted effort by both the NFL and NFLPA to keep players from hurting the game by hurting themselves with very public incidents like Ray Rice or Josh Brent or even Aaron Hernandez. The report notes a big decline in DUI arrests (like Brent’s) and stricter enforcement of domestic violence rules ebbing the tide of the unfortunately prolific incidents. 

The teams also deserve some credit. Players with more questionable backgrounds are facing tougher scrutiny in the draft process from more front offices, and teams are not so forgiving to players who screw up. It’s not as good as it needs to be, but for as much as the NFL -- and the players even more -- get dumped on by certain segments of the population, the very real progress deserves some positive recognition.

$.08--NFL Quickies

--Prayers up to Ravens OL Alex Lewis, who left the win over the Titans immobilized on a cart after suffering a neck injury. He did have movement in all his extremities but it’s still scary to watch. 

--Good day for the city of Los Angeles as both franchises won road games. The Rams stayed unbeaten by holding off the Broncos 23-20 in Denver, with Todd Gurley running wild (208 yards). The Chargers ran over the Rally Possum in Cleveland, annihilating the upstart Browns 38-14 and dominating in every phase of the game.

--The Broncos became the first team in the Super Bowl era to allow a 200-yard rusher two weeks in a row. Todd Gurley got them this week after Isaiah Crowell of the Jets ran over, around and through them last week. 

--RIP Jim Taylor. The Hall of Famer and 1962 NFL MVP passed away on Saturday at 83. He retired from the expansion Saints before I was born, but I remember Taylor being talked about as one of the godfathers of trash talk during his Packers days.

$.09--College/draft quickies

--Nebraska remains winless in the Scott Frost era after falling to Northwestern. Frost has parlayed an undefeated season at UCF into a 0-6 start at his alma mater. Meanwhile, his old school remains undefeated and has the nation’s longest win streak. Maybe it wasn’t Frost…?

--UCLA notched the first win in the Chip Kelly era by knocking off Cal. He improves to 3-19 as a head coach since 2016, 2-14 with the ‘16 49ers and 1-5 with the Bruins. You can’t start a fire without a spark, or something…

--Crushing defeat on homecoming day for my alma mater, Ohio. Northern Illinois scored 15 points in the 4th quarter to rally and win 24-21. Frank Solich’s Bobcats are a big disappointment at just 3-3 in a season where most of us alums expected a run to the MAC championship. Solich has had a gilded run in Athens but time is running out for the 74-year-old coach to capture the school’s first MAC title in 50 years. 

--We have our first coach firing of the season. Bowling Green fired Mike Jinks in the middle of his third season after a 1-6 start. He was an odd hire to replace Dino Babers, having never stepped foot in the state of Ohio before the MAC school hired him. Carl Pelini replaces him on an interim basis.

--Congrats to Ferris State for winning a thriller in the Anchor-Bone rivalry game over Grand Valley State. It’s the best D-II rivalry in the country and it plays out right in my backyard here in the Grand Rapids area. Scouts from three NFL teams were in the stands to watch the Bulldogs rally for the win over the Lakers.

$.10-- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame revealed the finalists for the induction class of 2019. As is becoming increasingly and frustratingly predictable, the nominating committee has a very loose definition of “rock and roll”.

Some of the 15 nominees definitely deserve enshrinement in Cleveland. First-time finalist Def Leppard is a no-brainer. The story of music in the 1980s cannot be told without the artist who brought us “Pour Some Sugar on Me” or the epic Pyromania album, one of the first mainstream hard rock crossovers. My parents and my children instantly know Def Leppard when they hear it. They’re probably the only finalist that can be said about. 

Several finalists are not rock artists, period. LL Cool J is a great performer and an endruing musical act, but he’s got nothing to do with rock unless you count Five Finger Death Punch covering “Mama Said Knock You Out”. I feel for Chaka Khan, but nobody ever heard her music and thought, “that’s a rock star”. Janet Jackson is a pop icon and musical goddess, but her music has never been rock. She’s the most likely of those listed here to make it.

In the fan voting, I chose my five:

Def Leppard

Rage Against the Machine

The Zombies

The Cure

Todd Rundgren 

The toughest decision was including Rundgren over both MC5 and Radiohead. His diversity and range as a session musician, producer and writer won out over the niche genre greatness of MC5 or Radiohead, a band I don’t like at all but respect for their fervent fans and colossal influence over many artists I do love. 

Acts who should at least be nominated but are shamefully snubbed for no valid reason, in the order I believe they should be considered:

John Coltrane

Pat Benatar

Iron Maiden

Scorpions

Judas Priest

Depeche Mode

Nine Inch Nails 

I guarantee you the general population thinks of any of those iconic artists as rock stars before they come up with John Prine or Devo, two of the other finalists.