By Jeff Risdon/RealGM

$.01--Andrew Luck announced his arrival and legitimacy with an excellent last-minute drive for the comeback win over the Packers. By besting reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers, the number one pick is already achieving greatness. 

Hyperbolic? Absolutely, but not without legitimate basis. This is what so many expected of Andrew Luck throughout the draft process. The only surprise is that he is doing it so soon, with so little relative help. To dredge up the clichéd comparison, Peyton Manning had Marshall Faulk, Marvin Harrison and Tarik Glenn during his rookie year. That’s two Hall of Fame skill position players and one of the better left tackles of the last 15 years. Luck has Reggie Wayne and, uh, hmm, mostly guys that have been recently cut or fellow rookies. Four of the five starting offensive linemen have been let go by another team within the last 11 months. Oh yeah, his rookie head coach is out with leukemia. 

This victory is a real stunner. Down 21-3 to the mighty Packers, Luck engineered the sort of comeback you just don’t expect from a rookie with all those aforementioned disadvantages. The Packers did some enabling with lousy play calling and poor decisions, and the officials threw the Colts a couple of bones as well, but history will remember this as the day when Andrew Luck planted his flag on the Mountain of Elite Quarterbacks.

Aaron Rodgers still sits on that mountain, but his seat is getting warm. Once again Rodgers looked inferior to the Godgers we have come to know and expect over the prior two seasons. His accuracy is waning and he is developing a nasty propensity to hold the ball too long. The vision isn’t as sharp as it has been either. I cut him some slack for being without Greg Jennings, who is far more integral to the Green Bay offense than most Cheeseheads want to admit, but there is something different about Rodgers as well. If he doesn’t get back to where he was, this team is in real peril of missing the playoffs, an unthinkable proposition a month ago.

$.02--Atlanta remains undefeated, but few will bring that topic up when discussing the Falcons/Redskins game. The 5-0 Falcons will be overshadowed by what happened with Robert Griffin, who left the game after a hit that left him “shaken”.

More like stirred on the rocks. RG3’s freewheeling style finally caught up with him, ironically in a game that saw him running much less than he had in his first four contests. A perfectly legal hit on a play where Griffin had ample opportunity to run out of bounds knocked him out of the game. Officially, the word was a minor chin injury and that he was shaken up; unofficially it’s a minor concussion. It’s officially the worst nightmare for Redskins fans, seeing their hero leave after four and a half games of violent punishment and total disregard for personal safety.

Let’s hope this is a teachable moment for RG3 and that he’s smart enough to learn the lesson. He must take great pains to improve his self-preservation instincts. Griffin must learn to pick his spots, to understand when and how to slide, to grasp his importance to the franchise. The Skins franchise mortgaged everything on Griffin, with the only insurance being fellow rookie Kirk Cousins. That’s akin to buying a Maserati and using state-minimum insurance you buy from a strip mall storefront next to the sex toy shop. Washington is going to win or lose with Griffin, but they will only lose without him.

Back to the victors for a minute. This is the second week in a row where the Falcons have struggled against a non-playoff team. If you’re an optimist, you look at it and say the Falcons are still good enough to win without bringing their “A” game. If you’re a pessimist, you say that the Falcons must play better if they are to be taken seriously as legit playoff contenders. I thought the offense got a little too cute for its own good today, using shifty Jacquizz Rodgers in short yardage situations and throwing the ball in space to less-than-spry Michael Turner, among other oddities. The defense was excellent in this game, however, and that is something they can hang their hat upon going forward.

$.03--It was nice to see Cam Newton step up and accept responsibility for playing poorly after Carolina lost yet again. Acknowledging the problem is important for the young Panthers QB, and he is exactly right: he is playing poorly. The numbers look bad enough on their own: 12-for-29, 141 yards, no TDs, four sacks. But it’s how he accumulated those meager numbers that is the disturbing trend. Last week against Atlanta his numbers looked much better but Newton wasn’t exactly great in that game either, and the Giants game before that was an abomination. 

When I look at Cam Newton, I see someone who already believed he made it. I don’t think he truly realized how radically different things would be from his jaw-dropping rookie year to his second campaign. The defenses made adjustments, and Newton did not. Some of that falls upon his coaches for not emphasizing the need to put in the extra work, but truly great players don’t need that motivation; they anticipate it and they attack it. Newton got satisfied too early and now he and the entire Panthers organization are paying the price.

I think this is a big contributing factor in what many like to call the sophomore slump. A player achieves greatness or unexpected heights earlier than expected and gets complacent. They don’t understand the intense drive it takes to stay at the pinnacle, the chronic need to keep working and developing. The great ones figure it out and bust their butts going after it. Lebron did it that way, as did Warren Moon. In Sunday’s post-game presser, I saw the grim realization on Newton’s face and in his language, both the timbre of his voice and the urgency of his posture that he now gets it. Carolina is now on its bye, and I expect a revitalized, focused Cam Newton in two weeks when Dallas comes to Charlotte. It is probably too late to salvage this 1-4 start, but I’m still bullish on Newton and the Panthers long-term. 

$.04--The much-hyped annual tilt between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning turned out to be mostly a dud. Brady was fantastic, rediscovering Wes Welker in a huge way while the Patriots upped the pace of the offense and ran all over Denver.

Manning was forced to try and festoon foie gras from pigeon poop. The Patriots jumped out early with an impressive offensive flurry, racing out to a 24-point lead in the third quarter while operating almost exclusively from the Oregon-style no huddle. Leave it to the master, Bill Belichick, to play against type and borrow liberally from a gimmicky collegiate offense which draws derisive sneers from most NFL intelligentsia. Aside from the wider line splits, mobile QB and eyesore uniforms the Ducks rely upon, New England looked very similar to the Oregon offense which keeps defenses panting and officials downright gassed. As with Oregon games, you get the distinct impression that some flags come more to allow the zebras to catch their breath than for any legit rules violation. Denver certainly didn’t have an answer as the Patriots racked up 35 first downs and 89 offensive plays. 

Manning finally answered, but it was too little too late. A Stevan Ridley fumble and a couple of quick scores made it interesting, but the Patriots had raced too far ahead. Peyton looked solid and showed he can still zip it on occasion. However, this game illustrated how far Denver has to go to truly compete with the better teams. They’ve played the Patriots three times in their last 10 games and have lost by a combined 117-54 margin. Losses to Atlanta and Houston were close but no cigar affairs. Denver at 2-3 is solidly middle class in a poverty-stricken AFC. I’m not sure that’s what they aspired to when landing Peyton Manning. 

$.05--Chicago is far from a great team, but one thing they do better than anyone is generate points with their defense. The Bears now have five defensive touchdowns and five offensive touchdowns in the last ten quarters, with two pick-sixes apiece for Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman. It’s an impressive statistic and accomplishment, but how sustainable is it? 

I believe the Bears can keep it up. Obviously, converting that many points on defense is not likely to maintain, but the way they are achieving those turnovers is no accident or fluke. This is a veteran group that has years of continuity playing together in what is roughly the same base defense. They play less Tampa-2 now than before, but the principles are the same. Urlacher, Peppers, Tillman, Jennings, even lesser-knowns like Henry Melton and Chris Conte have developed a preternatural sense of communication and positional responsibility together. Everyone understands their roles, and the system is designed to produce turnovers. Because their special teams routinely keep the Bears at a field position advantage, it enables the defense to be more aggressive in going for turnovers. A missed tackle or a bite on a double move isn’t as likely to wind up as points for the other team because the offense faces a longer field and the Bears cover for one another so innately. The improved play of the young safeties has been the big piece in revitalizing what had been a staid defense. 

It’s easy to chalk up this win as a case of Jacksonville being lousy, but that is too convenient. The Jaguars absolutely struggled at all phases of offense, from protecting Blaine Gabbert to MJD not finding running room to inaccurate throws to middling receivers, but the Bears strong defense had a lot to do with all that. What I really like is how it takes the pressure off Jay Cutler and the offense, which too often looks like Jacksonville’s did on Sunday. Cutler is often very good when he doesn’t need to be great, and he’s much more at ease with his shaky offensive line when he has a margin of error to play with. It’s not always pretty for Chicago, but they’ll gladly take the wins.

$.06--The Cleveland Browns remain winless at 0-5 after an embarrassing collapse against the Giants. After storming out to inspiring early 14-0 and 17-7 leads, a series of unfortunate events conspired to keep the Browns in the land of the lost. It’s fairly safe to say the Browns lost this game a lot more than the Giants won it. 

Not that it was all negative for the Browns. Rookie Brandon Weeden made a lot of very good throws in this game, while fellow rookie Trent Richardson impressed once again. Rookie wideout Josh Gordon caught two touchdown passes. Rookie (notice a theme here?) tackle Mitchell Schwartz had his best game, showing well against a strong Giants front seven. Even after enduring the Giants turning a 10-point deficit into a 17-point lead in a little less than 20 minutes of playing time, the Browns did not quit. 

Alas, Cleveland is still learning how to win. As impressive as Weeden can look at times, he can also closely resemble a propane cylinder in an open fire. The red zone INT in the early 4th quarter, a play after a dumb penalty (one of three on that drive) was a throw most high school QBs know not to attempt. There were a couple of times where Weeden missed open wideouts by yards, and he has little pocket presence when pressured. The Browns wideouts don’t help Weeden with their inconsistent hands (being charitable to Greg Little) and uncertain route running. The over-reliance on Weeden to do everything smacks of coaching inadequacy. Weeden has 1288 yards in his first five games, the second most ever (to Cam Newton last year) by a rookie. It’s over 350 yards more than Dan Marino produced in his first five rookie starts. It’s 160 more than Peyton Manning, who also threw more INTs (12) and fewer TDs (4) in the same time.

The point here is that while most fans are dogging Weeden, he is far from the problem. The run defense completely collapsed once D’Qwell Jackson left the game with yet another injury. On two of Victor Cruz’s three touchdown receptions for the Giants he appeared to be uncovered as if by design; the coverage and communication were that egregious. Josh Cribbs is more apt to fumble than to break off a big return these days, and he had one of each in this game. The depth across the roster is paper thin, a byproduct of so many missed drafts and regime/scheme changes that churned out too many schematic misfits. Sadly the new ownership almost certainly signifies yet another regime/scheme change which will hamstring the franchise for another year of losing. I’m not bemoaning the inevitable firing of Pat Shurmur, Tom Heckert et al, as much as I understand that what this team must do is commit to a core group of players and a cogent plan. Many of those players are in place, now it’s time for the master plan.

$.07--Awards:

Offensive--Reggie Wayne. The Colts wideout notched a career-high 212 receiving yards, none more important than the last one he squeaked out for a lunging touchdown. Many eyebrows rose when Wayne chose to come back to the rebuilding Colts, but his presence has been invaluable for an otherwise wildly inexperienced offense. 

Defensive--Robert Quinn. In a truly dominating performance by the Rams defensive front, the 2nd year defensive end notched three of their nine sacks, a forced fumble, a TFL and a PD in St. Louis’ pummeling of previously unbeaten Arizona. Many STL defenders looked stellar, but Quinn shone the brightest.

Special Teams--Bryan Anger. Jacksonville’s rookie punter was excellent Sunday, averaging 48.5 yards on his 6 punts while sticking two of them inside the 10. More importantly, his hang time and directional savvy prevented dangerous Devin Hester from finding any running room, getting just 8 yards on 4 returns.

Assistant Coach--Bill Musgrave. The Vikings OC showed some creativity in Minnesota’s bombardment of the hapless Titans. Moving Percy Harvin all over the formation and varying the attack, Musgrave consistently kept his offense a step ahead of his Tennessee counterparts. His work with Christian Ponder has been nothing short of outstanding. 

$.08--5 NFL Quickies

 1. Since taking a two touchdown lead on New England in the third quarter last week, the Bills have been outscored 90-10. They’ve given up over 950 yards in under six quarters. Ryan Fitzpatrick might not be the solution, but he’s sure as hell not the only problem. The Niners became the first team in NFL history to top 300 yards rushing and 300 yards passing in this blowout. How’s that Mario Williams signing looking now, Buffalo? You were warned… The Bills-Niners game was the first this year where neither team achieved a first own via penalty; all 12 accepted penalties were on the offenses. 

2. For as lethal as the Andy Dalton-to-AJ Green combo has been for the Bengals, the rest of the passing offense is often M.I.A. Against MIA, it wasn’t enough even though the Dolphins were without one starting corner and lost his replacement early in the third quarter. Impressive outing for Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill, who showed moxie, accuracy and awareness in getting Miami a win in a close game after some close losses.

3. The Saints and Bears won on Sunday, becoming the first teams this year to not lose the game leading into their bye week. Carolina and Jacksonville made it eight for eight, though the Bears beat the Jaguars to snap the streak. Both teams coming off the bye last week (PIT and IND) won their first game back.

4. The Chiefs somehow ran for 214 yards against the Ravens and still lost 9-6. How big of a stinker was this game? Without question the best QB on the field was Brady Quinn, who filled in for Matt Cassel after he got knocked cold. Games like these that are why nobody really trusts Joe Flacco. And everyone should watch Eric Winston’s diatribe at the classless KC fans.

5. Color me nonplussed by Drew Brees breaking Johnny Unitas’ consecutive games with a touchdown pass streak. It’s impressive that the Saints offense has remained so consistently prolific, but the game is vastly more geared for the passing offense than it was in Johnny U’s era. I would normalize Unitas to 92 straight in the modern era given all the rule changes and inherent advantages to the passing offense today.

$.09--5 College/Draft Quickies

1. Geno Smith further solidified his grasp on the Heisman Trophy by leading West Virginia to a 48-45 barn burner over Texas in Austin. It wasn’t his best night, but four more TD passes and nearly 300 more yards against a highly respected, talented Longhorns defense proves Smith is no flash in the pan. From a scouting perspective, I really liked how he bounced back from adversity. He gave up a fumble that was returned for a TD and took some hard sacks but still looked very accurate and poised down the stretch. He’s my #1 quarterback by a wide margin.

2. One of the players in competition for the #2 QB spot, Aaron Murray of Georgia, had a very rough outing against South Carolina. Murray struggled with pressure all afternoon, something he has not shown before. It was the first time I’ve really seen Murray’s lack of size (he’s 6’0”) become a problem as well. The Gamecocks defense is loaded, arguably as stout as any in the nation. Murray needs to show this was just a bad night when the Dawgs play Florida. I would really like to see him against the great defenses in LSU and Alabama, but neither is on the Georgia schedule.

3. One player I investigated in depth this week was Notre Dame center Braxston Cave. A local product for the Irish, Cave has a wide base and shows the ability to really maul off the snap. He struggled with quickness in the Purdue game but consistently manhandled his assignments against Michigan this year and Wake Forest a year ago. He lacks the athleticism of the upper crust centers but has enough skill and tenacity to merit a 5^th or 6^th round pick and stick as a top reserve interior lineman.

4. As I predicted last week, the Big Ten is shut out of the USA Today top 25 for the first time ever. Northwestern got bombed by Penn State, while Nebraska made the offensively challenged Buckeyes seem like an arena league team in production. The concept that no Big Ten team is definitively better than Louisiana Tech or Ohio U. is incredible to me, using that word literally. Big win for my Bobcats in hanging on against a weak Buffalo team, but it probably cost Ohio a shot at getting ranked for the first time ever.

5. The flip side of the Big Ten’s fall is the rise of the heretofore moribund Big East. That beleaguered conference has three undefeated teams--Louisville, Rutgers, and Cincinnati--in the top 20. Never mind that they are the only three teams with a winning record, or that Louisville has somehow yet to play a conference game. It also impresses that recent Big East defector West Virginia sits atop the Big 12 with a #5 ranking. But I suspect you won’t hear a whisper about yanking the Big 10 from the BCS equation the way you have heard the shouts to revoke the automatic qualifier status of the Big East.

$.10--The NFL Network aired a documentary this week called “Cleveland 95” about the departure of the Browns from my hometown and how it impacted the players and coaches on the Browns at the time. I found it less emotional and more humdrum than I expected, but it got me to thinking about my experience from that fateful time.

I was a sixth-year senior at Ohio University in December of 1995, home on our extended Winter Break. I actually missed the final home game against Cincinnati because I was at work, but I’ll never forget that afternoon. Following my departure from working the front desk of a hotel where sports teams often stayed, I set out to drive to my then-girlfriend’s (now wife of 16 years!) home. The game ended shortly after I got in the car, and the sheer emotion of the day overcame me. As I pulled up to the ticket booth on the Ohio Turnpike, the radio was filled with soliloquies on how the Browns players were cavorting in the Dawg Pound with the fans. Even though I couldn’t see it, I felt it from some 15 miles south. Tears started flowing down my cheeks even though the Browns have never been my team. I knew how incredibly obsessive and passionate Clevelanders were about out sports, and none were more intense than the love affair with the Browns. Even the Indians' first trip to the World Series in more than a generation (41 years) which ended in disappointment a few weeks earlier didn’t move the meter like the Browns losing nine of 10 heading into that final home game in the Mistake on the Lake that was Municipal Stadium. That I felt so strongly about the loss even though I didn’t really root for the Browns or even see the final game speaks to how ingrained the Browns were and to the soul crushing darkness that fell upon the city.

I’ve had the unique opportunity to be on both ends of a franchise move. My family moved from the Cleveland area to Indianapolis exactly two days before the Colts relocated to Indy from Baltimore. I was in seventh grade at that time, old enough to appreciate the positive impact on my new city but aware enough to comprehend the sordid other side of the coin. Much like the Browns, the Colts were terribly disappointing at the time of the move. It didn’t matter. People in Indianapolis were crazy for their Colts, packing the cavernous Hoosier Dome while decked out in new blue-and-white gear. Everywhere you turned you were reminded that Indy was now a legit big city because they had the Colts. It was impossible to not get swept up in the excitement the Colts brought to town, even for a pubescent immigrant Lions and 49ers (because middle schoolers love front runners!) fan.

I tried hard to think of that during December 1995 in Cleveland. I knew the people of Baltimore would especially appreciate getting a team back after going through this experience some 12 years earlier. I knew they would empathize with Clevelanders, that they wouldn’t rub it in our faces and how they would cherish the incredible gift given to them. I still try and think that way, even though it’s very hard for me to see the Ravens franchise so consistently thrive while the replacement Browns continue to flounder. Even though I don’t actively root for the Browns, I do still have a strong connection to my hometown team even though I haven’t lived in Cleveland since the second week of the inaugural return season of 1999. Most of my immediate family still lives and dies, mostly dying, with the Browns. It’s hard to hear their frustrating cries and perennial disgust with their team, knowing that it never had to be like this. Seeing the Ravens succeed and the Belichick coaching tree thrive in so many places is constant stings to the sensitive skin for them. Much like the NFL Films production, I will avoid getting into the reasons behind the move here, but I know it didn’t have to end this way. I think back to that tearful car ride on December 17th, 1995 and it reminds me that millions of people in Northeast Ohio still cry those tears nearly every Sunday.