It was a Sunday where the early games were dominated by some truly ugly quarterback play but punctuated by seriously clutch performances. I think the stark contrast between what Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees did--both were almost perfect--and a lot of the QB play earlier in the day shows just how important it is to have consistent reliability at quarterback. When you have a great QB playing at a high level, you are not going to lose very often. You have Charlie Whitehurst or Kyle Boller as your QB, you are not going to win. Ever. $.01-- Just when I thought it was safe to write off the New York Jets, they come out strong and knock off the rested Chargers. Actually, the Jets came out a little slow and then emerged from their sleepy shell to run away with the game. That probably impresses me more, because early on it looked like San Diego was poised to bury the Jets. This is the kind of game that Jets fans envisioned with their offseason dreams of grandeur. Darrelle Revis was fantastic, picking off his third pass in two weeks. Shonn Greene apparently realized he is a 230 pound bowling ball and not a ballet dancer of a running back. Plaxico Burress broke out of his glass prison and finally looked like he belonged in the offense. Mark Sanchez wisely looked for Plax in the red zone, and they connected for three TD passes that looked a whole lot like the Plaxico of old. But more importantly, The Sanchize shook off a rough early start. I thought that the Eric Weddle INT after the disallowed Holmes touchdown was the end for the Jets. I thought wrong. New York picked it up, and the Chargers were surprisingly supportive victims. San Diego committed 13 penalties, and Philip Rivers threw two interceptions in another subpar performance that should legitimately put into question anyone who still thinks Rivers is an elite QB. Five touchdowns offset by seven interceptions and three fumbles in the last five games--those are not the calling card of an elite QB. They are not even the numbers of a playoff caliber quarterback. What I find more disturbing is how Rivers reacts when things don not go his way. He whines like a preschooler forced to share his favorite toy every time he misses a throw. Nothing is ever his fault. Case in point: the final play for San Diego, where Rivers badly missed Vincent Brown. Even though there was clearly nothing afoul by the Jets on the play, Rivers ranted and pouted to the officials. Never mind that the throw was off target, or that he threw it to a rookie that was pretty well-covered and not to Pro Bowler Vincent Jackson, who was also covered but had room to make a play inside if Rivers had looked at him. Rivers pulls this act all the time, and I know I am not the only one that finds his immaturity tiresome. He reminds me a lot of Rasheed Wallace, another very talented pro athlete that often gets taken off his game by deluded perceived slights and hyper-emotional reaction to his own failures, mistakenly believing he did no wrong. Granted the game was poorly officiated throughout by referee Ron Winter and crew, but that sword cut both ways. Rivers might be a better thrower than Mark Sanchez at this point, but I will take The Sanchize, who stands up and owns his faults and understands how to lead his mates. There were a lot of things wrong with San Diego in this one, but it starts with their whiny, faultless, overrated quarterback. $.02-- Atlanta topped Detroit 23-16 in a game that demonstrated to this Lions fan that my team is not anywhere close to what its record of 5-2 says it is. The Lions were once again plagued by sloppy execution, stupid penalties, inept special teams, and erratic QB play from Matt Stafford. If that sounds eerily familiar, it is because the Lions have played that way for the vast majority of the last month. The lack of in-season progress with Detroit is disturbing. Players continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over, and the Lions clearly lack mental toughness. More disturbing to me is that Matt Stafford continues to look like a marginal starting quarterback and not anything close to the #1 overall draft pick with the rocket arm and snarky swagger. The numbers (15-for-32, 183 yards, 1 TD) actually seem inflated relative to his performance. Several of his completions required great effort from his receivers, and many of the misses were of the “who is he throwing to?” variety. Stafford really struggles when pressured, and watching his mechanics is painful. When he sets his feet, steps into this throw and rolls his shoulder over the top, Matt Stafford has the sort of throwing form that coaches wish they could teach. But if he has to roll out or gets someone in his face, look out. He throws off balance, sidearm, panicked, off-target lobs. Given the offensive line of Detroit, he is going to have to learn to handle heavy pressure or else he will not be the starting quarterback for long. Give Atlanta some credit for the win. The Lions repeatedly tried to make the game a chippy affair, and after a couple of early transgressions I felt that the Falcons handled themselves with poise and focus. They were better at tackling, better at rushing the passer, better at special teams, better at coverage, and better at making in-game adjustments. The records say the Falcons are 4-3 and the Lions are 5-2, but Atlanta sure feels like the team with better playoff potential in a crowded NFC middle class. $.03-- Welcome to the NFL, Christian Ponder. The Vikings rookie quarterback made his first career start against the undefeated Packers, the defending Super Bowl champs. And even though the Packers won and the numbers look poor, I thought Ponder played a decent game and showed promise for both the immediate and long-term future in Minnesota. Those numbers (13-for-32, 219 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, 2 sacks) are indeed ugly on the surface, but here is why I like what I saw. Ponder was continually under pressure but looked composed. He was very good on 3rd down (7-for-12, 6 conversions plus a penalty conversion and a run for another, with a sack as well). I like how the Vikings came out swinging, scoring on their second play on a long throw that Donovan McNabb clearly could not make anymore. Ponder made plays with his legs, running for 31 yards and holding the safeties with the threat of the run. Minnesota had a fighting chance, requiring the Packers to make a late 3rd down conversion to salt the game away, and Ponder was a big part of that. The interceptions were (hopefully) learning experiences, a stark reminder that there are not any Charles Woodsons in the ACC. Some of the incompletions were throws where receivers were open but the accuracy just was not there. In the months leading up to the draft, I struggled with my evaluation of Ponder. There were times when he was at Florida State where I thought I was looking at a guy that could legitimately be the first pick in the draft. Other times I saw a guy that did not trust his arm and waited too long to throw the ball to open receivers. His throwing motion and history of arm trouble scared me then, and it still does; he torques his elbow in a bad way when he throws the ball hard and does not shift his weight properly, though that has improved with better NFL coaching. After six quarters of pro experience, I still feel conflicted about Ponder. I have seen much to like but much that still gives me long-term concern. I do know this though--he gives the Vikings a solid chance to win, even against the mighty Packers. $.04-- Chicago and Tampa Bay played in London, a place where the NFL is quite obviously and indiscreetly trying to put a team. Chicago won thanks to another very strong performance from Matt Forte and some dreadful QB play from Josh Freeman of Tampa Bay. Forte leads the league in yards from scrimmage and is the first player to top 1000 total yards in less than 8 games since Priest Holmes and Tiki Barber in 2004. Both these teams are 4-3, and I defy anyone to make a wager on either team from week to week with any sort of confidence. Chicago has strung together two impressive efforts in a row after being bombarded by Detroit and squeaking past Carolina. Tampa has lost two of three in embarrassing fashion, as this 24-18 score was not indicative of how poorly the Bucs played. Already playing without Legarrette Blount, replacement RB Earnest Graham was lost early on and the offense was forced to go through Josh Freeman. The big youngster proved wildly incapable of the task, routinely bouncing throws to open receivers and throwing four interceptions. His propensity for starting games slowly has become a very real problem, one that he must conquer if anyone is to take the Bucs seriously. If the Bears wish to be taken seriously, they need to bury opponents playing poorly like the Bucs were in this one. Once again, however, the Bears kept the Bucs in the game with truly ponderous play calling and poor execution. A prime example was the safety against Matt Forte, where the Bucs had 10 players lined up within eight yards of the line of scrimmage and had four players blocking the exit from the end zone before Forte even got the ball. The inability to check out of plays that quite obviously have no chance of success continues to plague the Mike Martz offensive system. Both teams return stateside and get bye weeks, which the Bucs will spend trying to find a running back that can stay on the field and the Bears will spend trying to find a safety that will not give up ridiculous amounts of pass yardage. The thought that one of these two schizophrenic teams is a fair bet to make the playoffs is a little disturbing. $.05-- Doubt Tim Tebow at your own risk. That is the lesson from Miami, where the Broncos essentially played a home game as Tebow authored a stunning comeback and overtime victory in spite of being unspeakably awful for the first 55 minutes of play. The book on Tebow is that he is a winner more than he is a quarterback, and that proved true once again. It is a crazy intangible that you really do have to see to believe. There were two series in this game that epitomize what Tim Tebow is as an NFL quarterback. Just before the end of the first half, Denver had 2nd and 20 near its own goal line after a holding call. Tebow scrambled out of three or four tackles and ultimately wound up with a 21 yard carry that took about 20 seconds off the clock. On the next play Tebow never even sees Yeremiah Bell on a safety blitz and gets crushed for an 8-yard loss. The next snap Tebow uneasily scrambles around, getting a four yard run but not seeing his tight end breaking alone some 25 yards down the middle. The next play Tebow fumbled the ball while being sacked. It reminded me of playing middle school football, it was that primitive and disordered. Flash forward to the final five minutes of the 4th quarter, with the Broncos down 15-0. His numbers to that point: 4-for-14, 40 yards, plus five sacks that left him with a net 14 yards passing. They were 0-10 on third down. Cue the miracle comeback. The rest of the way Tebow was 9-13 for 121 yards and two touchdowns, and of the four incompletions, two were dropped and one was a semi-deliberate throw away that nearly found the Atlantic Ocean. The throw to Daniel Fells that set up the second touchdown wobbled sideways like a toddler throwing a Frisbee, almost defying the laws of physics in finding its target. Tebow forces overtime with an easy 2-point conversion run where the Dolphins inexplicably left no linebackers to spy him. The Miami crowd cheered louder than it has all season when Tebow crossed the goal line. Once overtime began there was never any doubt that the Tebow magic was going to carry the Broncos to the victory. It was so magical that Tebow did not even have to do anything to secure the win; Miami fumbled on its second possession and the Broncos set up Matt Prater for the game winner. Tebow might not be a very good quarterback, but I am not sure there is another QB in the league that could have won that game for Denver. Therein lays the conundrum with Tebow that will continue to dominate sports talk radio, as both sides have perfectly valid points. Tim Tebow is a lousy NFL quarterback, but he is an amazing inspirational leader that wins games. Denver will happily side with the latter. $.06-- The best line I heard all day came from the Kansas City/Oakland game. When Carson Palmer threw his third interception of the 2nd half, the Chiefs radio announcer (sorry I truly forget the name) declared that with that pick, Palmer became the first Raiders QB to throw three interceptions in a half since…Kyle Boller in the first half of the same game. It was that kind of day for the Raiders, where the Black Hole described the Oakland offense more apropos than it did the befuddled and shell-shocked fans. Almost every Raiders fan greeted the news of the Palmer trade with optimism and positivity. It was a bold and aggressive move designed to help a 4-2 team keep winning now, something that energized the fans and helped them digest the heavy price tag to acquire a guy that has been an average-at-best starter for the past three years. The first sign of trouble was that Palmer could not beat out Boller for the starting job, even after just three days of practice. Kyle Boller throwing three interceptions in a half was no surprise, nor was his ostrich-like capitulation when defenders got anywhere near his feet. The fact that Boller continues to draw an NFL paycheck is completely baffling, as he has been a stinking failure in repeated opportunities. The fact that Palmer was not any better probably should not have been a surprise either, though I must admit I had no idea it would be this bad. Not having Darren McFadden, who left the game in the first series, clearly hurt, but Palmer looked worse than he ever did in Cincinnati. Oakland gets perhaps the most-needed bye week in NFL history to get Palmer acclimated to the offense. Even after this egregious performance, I still think Raiders fans will ultimately like the Palmer trade. But the luster has clearly worn off already. Quick kudos to Kansas City and their coaching staff for righting the ship after a start that would have cost many a coach their jobs. Their defense is playing with more cohesion and toughness, and Matt Cassel appears to have found a comfort level with the offense. I am still not overly impressed--their offense sputtered quite a bit--but at least the Chiefs quickly shed the pushover label and have clawed their way back into contention in the winnable AFC West. $.07-- Cam Newton continues to run away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and this week his efforts led to a Carolina win over the Ethnic Slurs. Newton was very sharp throughout the game, finishing 18-for-23 for 256 yards and rushing for another 59, including a 16-yard TD run. Bagging 256 yards on only 23 attempts against what has to this point been a pretty solid Washington defense is very impressive for anyone, let alone a rookie that noted draft guru Todd McShay said could never legitimately earn a starting job in the NFL. Newton appears to be learning to win. The Panthers had four close-but-no-cigar losses so far, games where he made enough mistakes to cost them victories. Not this time. I really liked the body language and energy of his Carolina teammates, as they showed complete faith that Newton was going to get the job done and played hard for their young leader. The confidence was tangible, particularly when juxtaposed with how the Washington players looked with John Beck leading them out of the huddle. Carolina has an intriguing schedule coming up that could really launch Newton. Minnesota and their decimated secondary comes to Charlotte next week. After a bye, they host the Titans (who got torn apart by Arian Foster and Matt Schaub without Andre Johnson), visit a suddenly reeling Detroit team, followed by a trip to winless (and they will still be winless then) Colts team and an unpredictable Tampa team. I am not saying Carolina is a contender, but if Newton continues to play this way they have a very realistic chance at finishing 8-8 and build momentum for a playoff run in Year Two of Cam Newton. $.08--5 NFL quickies: 1. I never like to call for the head of a coach, but whatever Steve Spagnuolo is selling to the Rams, his players simply are not buying anymore. It is tough to criticize a team playing with a backup QB and more DBs out with injuries than Snow White has dwarves, but you could tell by the posture and body language of the Rams that they never believed they were going to win against Dallas. That is a coaching failure. 2. Seahawks DT Red Bryant had quite a Sunday. He blocked two field goals and had a tackle for loss on 3rd and short that snuffed out another Browns drive, but he will wear goat ears for his ridiculous penalty that ultimately cost Seattle a loss. After the Seahawks had forced 4th down deep in Cleveland territory, Bryant was baited into a personal foul head butt. That got him ejected and kept the drive alive, one that the Browns cashed in for the winning FG in a God-awful boring 6-3 win. 3. My wife and I both really enjoyed the piece from Rachel Nichols on Saints TE Jimmy Graham on the morning show. It is quite a story and makes you appreciate who Graham is and how far he has come. It also reminds me that every kid deserves a chance but not all are fortunate enough to get one, and I will try better to give a little instead of turning a blind eye. After watching it I had a feeling he was going to have a big game, and Graham delivered in the Sunday Night blowout. 4. On Friday afternoon, I listened to a self-proclaimed fantasy guru admonish a caller to not give into the temptation to start Cowboys RB Demarco Murray over Rams RB Steven Jackson as the two went head-to-head on Sunday. Murray set a Cowboys record with 253 yards rushing, including a 91-yard scamper in the first quarter that effectively ended any hope the Rams had of winning. Jackson was not bad fantasy-wise (70 yards and a touchdown) but it was pretty clear that the stars were aligned for Murray to have a breakout game. I hope the caller started Murray to spite the truly obnoxious fantasy advisor, who talks down to everyone as if he is Biff from Back to the Future 2 and knows how every game is going to play out. Good call on Curtis Painter as a sleeper QB start against the Saints too, Mr. Advisor… 5. The stat flashed late in the Sunday nighter about the fate of teams that are hosting the current season Super Bowl is mind-boggling. As the score was 62-7 when NBC broke it out, I will recap it for you. Since 2000, the only host team that has made the playoffs is the 00 Bucs. Every other team has had a losing record, save the 08 Bucs who missed the playoffs at 9-7. This year the Colts are the host and they, uh, are not gonna make it. And you thought the Madden cover curse was bad… $.09--College/Draft Quickies: -- Got my third in-depth look at Oklahoma State as they tore apart Missouri and I am even more impressed with over-aged QB Brandon Weeden. His ability to throw the ball on a rope anywhere on the field is very strong. His mechanics are darn near perfect, with a compact delivery and swift motion that stems from great balance on his toes and a very natural shoulder torque. Even though the offense calls on him to make only two reads (long and short on the same side of the field), he almost never misses a pre-snap read. He is more advanced at progressing and deciphering than Sam Bradford or Blaine Gabbert were at the same point. Because of his age (he is 28, a few weeks older than Aaron Rodgers), I cannot see Weeden going in the top 50 or so picks, and his maturity will be less of an asset when playing in the NFL. But I think he can readily step in as a solid #2 that could start in 2013 and remain a starter for several years. All those years he spent playing baseball were years he was not getting crushed by big linemen. -- Texas Tech went into Norman and stunned the Sooners 41-38, surviving a spirited Oklahoma comeback. I thought this game was a great demonstration of why Oklahoma LB Travis Lewis is horribly overrated as an NFL prospect. Tech continually sucked Lewis in and threw right behind him, and Lewis really struggled to close on the ball in space. As that is his most trumpeted asset, it sure does not look like Lewis is more than a special teamer in the mold of Ashlee Palmer at the next level. -- LSU destroyed Auburn in all phases of their lopsided contest Saturday, but what impressed me most was the play of the LSU defensive front four. They dogged the Auburn quarterbacks all day, often with simple stunts and twists that were executed to perfection. With how good their secondary is--Morris Claiborne will be the first corner taken this year, and Tyrann Mathieu looks to have that status whenever he comes out--the front gets a lot of opportunities, and they know how to take advantage. There is not a big-time NFL prospect up front, but I think three or four of those guys, notably Bartevius Mingo, can play on Sundays. -- I was riding high on the Kirk Cousins bandwagon preseason, but thus far he has disappointed me with his lack of progress. But the Michigan State quarterback looked better in the upset of Wisconsin. I thought he drove the ball from a strong base more frequently, and he kept his eyes down the field better when pressured. Neither skill is where it needs to be yet, however, and Cousins still showed too much skittishness and poor decisions with the ball for my liking. I thought he could elevate himself into the first round with a strong senior year, but right now I see him as a 5th/6th round prospect in the mold of TJ Yates or Curtis Painter. -- That MSU/Wisconsin game is a great reason why people should ignore all the recruiting hype. The man who threw the final TD pass was Cousins, who was rated the third best QB…in the Michigan State recruiting class that year. The man who caught the ball was Keith Nichol, who was heavily touted as a surefire QB prospect before washing out of Oklahoma (he could not beat out Sam Bradford) and then gradually lost out to the clearly superior Cousins after scurrying home to Michigan State. Cousins hailed from a smaller Christian school with little football tradition (Holland Christian), while Nichol hailed from a giant HS (Rockford) with a strong gridiron reputation. I know officials who worked both their games who insisted that Cousins was the better player despite all the hype to Nichol, who was mentioned by college recruiting services after his freshman year. If the NFL draft is a crapshoot, then the world of credibly rating high school kids as college football prospects is an overturned outhouse. $.10-- So how was your Halloween party? I was invited to two different ones but I sat them out. My son was invited to two as well, but he just isn not into the whole first-grade party scene; he would rather play basketball or do math (yes, I am raising a nerd. When my 6-foot-8 nerd dunks on your 5-foot-11 meathead, see how much that bothers me). The preschool my daughter attends has already had its Halloween party as well. My little ladybug loved it, though she did not really understand her 2-year old classmate and his ninja costume or why we keep telling her that Halloween is still coming up. If you find all of that perplexing because of the date, welcome to the party. Today is October 23rd, a full eight days and a full weekend before Halloween. Yet that has not stopped way too many people from celebrating an 8th century pagan holiday with a fervor that rivals Christmas and dwarfs Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. Seriously, do we really need two full weekends of partying for Halloween? I am a proud graduate of Ohio University, the Halloween party capital of the world, and even the massive drunken masquerade party only lasts about 36 hours. The overkill is staggering. I am already sick of all things Halloween and the day itself is still over a week away. One of the houses in my neighborhood has had hundreds of dollars of decorations dominating the property for a good month now. I am a sucker for inflatables, but an animatronic 12-foot black cat surrounded by supersized spiders that move and upwards of 20 scarecrows is over the top for a Tim Burton movie. I am not even anti-Halloween; I enjoy the costumes and love watching the kids trick or treat, especially when they bring home lots of Tootsie Rolls. I love the irony of the supposedly pious going against character and celebrating evil things like witches and devils and horror movies. I even admire those that have capitalized on this booming celebration; try and find an old Circuit City building that is not a Halloween store for the months of September and October. But can we tone it all down and contain the revelry a little, please? Halloween parties should be celebrated no earlier than the weekend immediately preceding the holiday. There are only so many times I can paint my face yellow and get into a giant banana, and my son will wear his construction worker gear so frequently I am expecting him to either become a roofer or a member of the Village People. I will gladly enjoy the Halloween block party in my neighborhood next Saturday, but I will not be taking my kids door to door begging for candy three nights in a row, which I know some will do. I need all that time to start decorating my house and shopping for Christmas, which is only 63 days away! Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com