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Had a good Twitter discussion Sunday night with some angry fans who cannot be convinced that Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub is better than his backups. During it I realized one thing: there is a difference between being a great quarterback and playing great during a playoff run.

There are certainly better quarterbacks in the league than Schaub, even after the four indisputably elite ones (Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers). But there are also many more who are much, much worse. Schaub's pick-six was the most costly play of the week, but he's inconsistent, which means he has great games, terrible ones and a lot sprinkled in between. Schaub's pick was costly, but there was more that went wrong during the Texans' 23-20 loss to Seattle.

I made the point in my post-game entry last night that Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco threw five interceptions in the Ravens' 23-20 loss to the Bills. Flacco isn't a great quarterback. But he did play great during the Ravens' Super Bowl run. Does that change you as a player? His statistics this season would indicate no. Bill Barnwell from Grantland.com drew a similar comparison, using Flacco and Eli Manning as examples of players who have had dubious regular seasons, but won Super Bowls.

Barnwell took an extended look at both Schaub's Week 4 performance and his situation in the grand scheme of things.

Some key lines:

• "It was Schaub's third pick-six in three weeks, but it's not like Schaub has some disease where he throws awful pick-sixes; according to Pro-Football-Reference.com, Schaub didn't throw a single pick-six in either the 2011 or 2012 seasons. He has 10 across seven seasons as the Houston starter, which isn't an egregious average."
• "Pretend, for a moment, that Eli Manning and Joe Flacco had produced the same Week 4 performances this week without any notable run in the playoffs to their name. Would anybody in their right mind look at their days (or 2013 seasons, for that matter) and suggest they were good enough to win the Super Bowl? Of course not! In fact, Giants and Ravens fans would be sitting in the same parking lots saying the same things about how they needed to upgrade at quarterback to have any hope of winning a Super Bowl."
• On Schaub: "he's going to need help from his team, which hasn't offered much: Arian Foster's per-carry numbers are down, as he's averaging 3.8. Andre Johnson got hurt and has missed time over the past few weeks. The team has already been without elite left tackle Duane Brown for the past two games, and star inside linebacker Brian Cushing missed the fourth quarter (when Seattle came back from 20-6 down to tie it up) with a concussion."
• "I feel comfortable saying Schaub is good enough to win a Super Bowl, because I've seen quarterbacks who were worse than him during their season at the helm get hot during the playoffs and win the big trophy. As critical as you are of his throw (and you should be, since it was terrible), there's nothing about it that proves he can't win when it really counts in the longer term."

A review of four hot issues from the Buffalo Bills' 23-20 win against the Baltimore Ravens:

Henderson gets game ball: Game balls are often given out by coaches to players, but the Bills gave a game ball to defensive backs coach Donnie Henderson following Sunday's game, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported. The Bills' secondary was without its top three players but held its own against Joe Flacco and the Ravens. Henderson came up through the coaching ranks with the Ravens and Jets early last decade, along with Rex Ryan and Mike Pettine. But four years ago Henderson was out of work and volunteering for the California Redwoods of the now-defunct United Football League. Quite the turnaround for the veteran coach.

Too close for comfort: Despite what looked like a lopsided matchup on paper -- the defending Super Bowl MVP leading a 2-1 Ravens team against a 1-2 Bills squad with a rookie quarterback -- this was a game the Bills controlled nearly from start to finish. Two Buffalo drives stalled in the red zone in the first quarter, and even so, the Bills were still able to lead 23-14 by late in the third quarter. It wasn't ideal for Buffalo to allow the Ravens to make it a three-point game late, with a chance to tie or win prior to Flacco's last interception. "We let them back in the ballgame," defensive tackle Kyle Williams said. "We didn't steal a game or we didn't squeak by. We let them back in and we let it that get close."

Bills tie team record: The Ravens didn't exactly try too hard to run against the Bills' defense, but when they did, they weren't able to gain any first downs rushing. That ties a Bills record, set three times prior: Oct. 30, 1966 against the Jets; Oct. 26, 1982 against the Patriots; and Oct. 30, 2011 against the Redskins.

Test for Bills ahead: The Bills are 2-2 entering the second month of the season. They're 2-1 at home, but they enter a tough October stretch that includes three road trips, starting Thursday in Cleveland on a short week. They return home to face Cincinnati in Week 6, but play only three of their final 10 games at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills have gotten the job done at home, but they'll need to prove themselves on the road.

An examination of four hot issues from the Titans' 38-13 win over the Jets:

Is anyone actually watching? It’s time to start giving Jake Locker his due. He was superb against the Jets, with three touchdown throws in the first half. Yet a national overnight radio host put him in the same category as Tim Tebow and another national personality compared him to Oakland’s Terrelle Pryor. Sure, Locker has had issues with his game before this season. But if you've actually watched him through four games, you see a guy making good decisions and good throws. The Titans are 3-1 largely because of Locker, not despite him. Now they have to see how long he’ll be out with a hip injury and how well they can survive with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm.

Michael Griffin wavers: A week ago against the Chargers, the Titans free safety went low on a pass-catcher on a play he could have blown up with a high hit, or might have even intercepted. He admitted the reason he approached the play as he did was because of the way the NFL is fining players for high hits. Against the Jets, as Alterraun Verner intercepted a Geno Smith pass on the second play from scrimmage, Griffin hit the receiver, Stephen Hill, in the chin with his helmet. Hill wound up with a concussion, and odds are Griffin will end up with a fine.

Receiver depth showing: Kenny Britt was out because he’s got an injured rib and neck. Set aside any conspiracy theories. The Titans may lack a superstar receiver, but all along we’ve spoken of their good depth. They showed it off against the Jets. Nate Washington was big again. Justin Hunter had a TD catch that was better than the game winner against the Chargers. Damian Williams chipped in with five catches for 53 yards. With or without a functioning and focused Britt, the Titans have guys who can make plays.

Swarming: The Titans don’t have a singular pass-rusher, but if the group effort is like this, they don’t need one. Ropati Pitoitua, a run-stopping defensive end, had two sacks of Geno Smith. Linebacker Zach Brown and defensive tackles Jurrell Casey and Karl Klug also had sacks. He Titans hit Smith an additional six times. He dropped back 34 times and the Titans hit him on just under a third of them.

Four hot issues that emerged from the New York Jets' 38-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans:

Who are these guys? The Jets finished the first quarter of the season at 2-2, demonstrating many of the qualities we expected from this group -- a defense-minded team with a mistake-prone rookie at quarterback. For the most part, they’ve been terrific on defense, especially at the line of scrimmage. Other times, such as Sunday in Nashville, they’ve suffered from shaky coverage on the back end. Offensively, they’ve been what we expected for 12 out of 16 quarters -- a struggling unit. They were prolific against the Buffalo Bills, but was that a mirage? Sure looks like it. The lack of discipline (44 penalties) is uncharacteristic and alarming.

Help the kid: Smith will remain the starter for the time being, so it’s up to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to figure out a way to help him. On Sunday, he should’ve leaned more on the running game instead airing it out. Bilal Powell averaged 5.7 yards per carry in the first half, gashing the Titans on some first-down runs, but he carried it only three times in the third quarter, when it still was a game. Look, I’m not going to rip Mornhinweg for being aggressive -- a week ago, he was hailed for his attacking mentality -- but he should dial it back a little when Smith slips into one of his funks. He already has eight interceptions, a season’s worth for some quarterbacks. It makes sense to feature the run against the Atlanta Falcons, considering wide receivers Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion) are banged up and running back Mike Goodson is returning from a four-game suspension.

Cornerback issues: For three-plus years, Rex Ryan enjoyed the benefit of having two excellent cornerbacks, Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. He never had to worry about bad matchups on the outside. Now that Revis is gone, Ryan is experiencing what most coaches go through. Darrin Walls became the third player to start at right corner, following Dee Milliner and Kyle Wilson. The once-formidable secondary doesn’t scare anyone anymore. The run-oriented Titans compiled a 129.8 passer rating, beating Cromartie twice for touchdowns and Walls once. I’m not second-guessing the Revis trade, but you can certainly criticize the Jets’ post-Revis plan, as Milliner was struggling before he got hurt.

Self-inflicted wounds: The numbers are damning -- 12 giveaways and 44 penalties. Let’s simplify: That’s 56 bad things in four games. If you throw in the 14 sacks allowed, it’s 70 bad things. It’s hard to win football games at that rate. That they have only two takeaways, meaning a minus-10 turnover margin, compounds the issue. It has to get better or else the Jets will be out of the race by Halloween, especially with a tough October schedule. Ryan’s team is leaking oil in a lot of places, and it’s too late for a full-service oil change.

PITTSBURGH -- An examination of four hot issues from the Pittsburgh Steelers' 34-27 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

NFL's worst team? Forget numbers when assessing how far the Steelers have fallen. Simply listen to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who said the Steelers might be the worst team in the league after falling to 0-4. Only the presence of the Jacksonville Jaguars makes that a slight exaggeration, but the point is well taken. Coach Mike Tomlin drew a line after the loss and said those who are not fully vested in turning the Steelers’ season around will not be with the team. “It’s that simple,” he said. Actually, it isn’t. Roster limitations preclude Tomlin from making sweeping changes as much as he would probably like to go that route, especially along the offensive line. Left tackle Mike Adams has been a disaster, but any plans to try Kelvin Beachum there might be put on hold if left guard Ramon Foster's chest injury causes him to miss some games.

Poor tackling: The Steelers’ tackling, as it turned out, was every bit as bad as it looked. Vikings running back Adrian Peterson gained 93 of his 140 yards after contact, according the ESPN Stats & Information. Peterson had gained 112 yards after contact in his first three games combined. The Steelers weren’t any more successful when they dared Vikings quarterback Matt Cassel to beat them. Cassel completed 7 of 10 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown when the Steelers put eight men in the box, according the ESPN Stats & Information. The bye-week practices give the Steelers a chance to get back to basics. Working on their tackling technique will be a top priority this week.

Ugly streak: Pittsburgh’s streak of rushing for fewer than 100 yards has stretched to 10 games, but the ground attack is headed in the right direction. Le'Veon Bell asserted himself as the feature back with 57 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his NFL debut. Assuming he stays healthy, the Steelers can ditch the running-back-by-committee approach they had been forced to use. Jonathan Dwyer and Felix Jones will also factor into the running game moving forward, and Isaac Redman looks like the odd man out. Redman, who opened the season as the starter, might not carry the ball again in what will be his final season with the Steelers. He did not dress against the Vikings and will be inactive as long as Bell, Dwyer and Jones stay healthy.

Not so special: Special teams play, which had been a strength through the first three games, took a step back against the Vikings. The Steelers gave up an average of almost 29 yards on five kickoff returns, and only a penalty on a fair-catch signal brought back a long punt return by the Vikings. Zoltan Mesko could be on shaky ground after averaging 35.4 yards on four punts, and the Steelers did not get much out of their return game. One worry they don’t have on special teams is Shaun Suisham. The veteran kicker is 6-for-6 on field goal attempts this season after making two against the Vikings.

A weekly examination of four hot issues from the Cleveland Browns' 17-6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals:

1. Cameron crazies. Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer may be the feel-good story in Cleveland right now, but he'll be the first to tell you the dream season he's currently experiencing wouldn't be taking shape if it wasn't for his big tight end, Jordan Cameron. In the two games Hoyer has started, Cameron has caught 16 passes and four touchdowns. During Hoyer's homecoming Sunday, his first career start in the stadium he attended games as a teenager, Cameron hauled in 10 passes and went up high and brought down a fade in the end zone. As the season continues, still possibly with Hoyer behind center, football fans across the country will learn more about Cameron. In that respect, before you know it, there might be a new kind of Cameron crazies.

2. Some good, some bad. The middle two quarters Buster Skrine played Sunday likely left some Browns fans scratching their heads and screaming at their TVs wondering if and when he might be replaced. In the fourth quarter, though, that all changed when Skrine read the high tip off a mishandled Andy Dalton pass and dived to snag the game's only interception. When the defensive back grabbed the ball out of the air with 3:43 remaining in the game, he effectively ended the contest. Even though the Bengals ended up getting the ball back one more time, they would have needed to score on that possession and another with time expiring in order to pull off a comeback. Along with the interception, Skrine had a pair of tackles and broke up three passes, including one that came on a pivotal third-quarter third down. He also had penalties for pass interference and unnecessary roughness that could have cost the Browns. Cincinnati, however, was unable to take advantage of either.

3. Efficient red zone play. Cleveland had to be encouraged by its play inside the Bengals' 20. Only once in three trips did the Browns not convert a red zone possession into a score. The lone failed red zone conversion came early in the second quarter, when kicker Billy Cundiff missed his first of two field goals. The other two drives ended in goal-to-go territory and resulted in passing touchdowns to Cameron and running back Chris Ogbonnaya.

4. Haden halts Green. Browns cornerback Joe Haden and Bengals receiver A.J. Green have been going against one another since they were in college playing in the SEC at Florida and Georgia, respectively. By now, they know each other's tendencies and nuances. In this latest matchup, though, it was Haden who got the better of Green, locking him down and making it difficult for Dalton to complete passes in Green's direction. When Haden wasn't batting away one of his two passes, he was typically right in Green's face, forcing an overthrow, or hitting him as soon as he caught the ball, limiting Green's yards after the catch. Targeted 14 times, Green caught seven passes for just 51 yards.

A weekly examination of four hot issues from the Cleveland Browns' 17-6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals:

1. Cameron crazies. Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer may be the feel-good story in Cleveland right now, but he'll be the first to tell you the dream season he's currently experiencing wouldn't be taking shape if it wasn't for his big tight end, Jordan Cameron. In the two games Hoyer has started, Cameron has caught 16 passes and four touchdowns. During Hoyer's homecoming Sunday, his first career start in the stadium he attended games as a teenager, Cameron hauled in 10 passes and went up high and brought down a fade in the end zone. As the season continues, still possibly with Hoyer behind center, football fans across the country will learn more about Cameron. In that respect, before you know it, there might be a new kind of Cameron crazies.

2. Some good, some bad. The middle two quarters Buster Skrine played Sunday likely left some Browns fans scratching their heads and screaming at their TVs wondering if and when he might be replaced. In the fourth quarter, though, that all changed when Skrine read the high tip off a mishandled Andy Dalton pass and dived to snag the game's only interception. When the defensive back grabbed the ball out of the air with 3:43 remaining in the game, he effectively ended the contest. Even though the Bengals ended up getting the ball back one more time, they would have needed to score on that possession and another with time expiring in order to pull off a comeback. Along with the interception, Skrine had a pair of tackles and broke up three passes, including one that came on a pivotal third-quarter third down. He also had penalties for pass interference and unnecessary roughness that could have cost the Browns. Cincinnati, however, was unable to take advantage of either.

3. Efficient red zone play. Cleveland had to be encouraged by its play inside the Bengals' 20. Only once in three trips did the Browns not convert a red zone possession into a score. The lone failed red zone conversion came early in the second quarter, when kicker Billy Cundiff missed his first of two field goals. The other two drives ended in goal-to-go territory and resulted in passing touchdowns to Cameron and running back Chris Ogbonnaya.

4. Haden halts Green. Browns cornerback Joe Haden and Bengals receiver A.J. Green have been going against one another since they were in college playing in the SEC at Florida and Georgia, respectively. By now, they know each other's tendencies and nuances. In this latest matchup, though, it was Haden who got the better of Green, locking him down and making it difficult for Dalton to complete passes in Green's direction. When Haden wasn't batting away one of his two passes, he was typically right in Green's face, forcing an overthrow, or hitting him as soon as he caught the ball, limiting Green's yards after the catch. Targeted 14 times, Green caught seven passes for just 51 yards.

An examination of four hot issues from the Chicago Bears’ 40-32 loss to the Detroit Lions:

Run defense: The Bears allowed Reggie Bush to gain 112 yards in the first half, then held him to 27 yards in the second half. With Henry Melton out, the Bears played Stephen Paea at the 3-technique spot and moved Nate Collins to nose tackle. The Bears might want to consider trying Collins at the 3-technique and Paea at nose.

After the game, Paea wore a walking boot due to minor turf toe on his left foot, and maybe that injury diminished Paea’s effectiveness.

“I’ve played some 3 [technique] before, but it’s just a matter of time, repetitions and practice,” Paea said.

Jay Cutler: This could come off as odd, but despite Cutler’s horrid performance (65.6 passer rating with three interceptions, plus a fumble returned for a touchdown), this game might have shown growth on the quarterback’s part.

Detroit scored 17 points off turnovers, and Cutler appeared to be the culprit on every giveaway but one (his first interception). How the quarterback handled himself in the heat of battle and afterward gives reason for optimism. Despite the mistakes, Cutler held up well and nearly brought the Bears back. After the game, Cutler showed accountability for his contribution to the loss and told it how it was, which signals he’ll take the appropriate steps to correct the issues.

“I have to give us a better chance to win. I mean, three picks. It’s hard to come back from that,” Cutler said. “[I] have to play better.”

Third-down conversions: The Bears converted just one of 13 third downs, and no matter how well the defense plays, it’s difficult to overcome that deficiency. It’s not all on Cutler. In the second quarter, Jordan Mills was whistled for a false start on third-and-10. Two series later, Cutler was in a third-and-21 situation after a 9-yard sack on second down. In the third quarter, a 27-yard gain on third down was negated by a Kyle Long penalty. Then, on the next series, Cutler was sacked and fumbled for Nick Fairley’s 4-yard touchdown.

“The big thing was third down,” Bears coach Marc Trestman said. “We did horribly today [on third down], and that starts with me.”

Too much pressure: Cutler was sacked three times and spent most of the day under duress. This team has invested too much into protecting Cutler for this to continue.

"Either we didn't execute on the play or we didn't give Jay enough time to throw the ball," running back Matt Forte said. "Give credit to them for giving a great rush, but we didn't do our part."

An examination of four hot issues from the Bengals' 17-6 loss to the Browns:

1. Paging A.J. Green. Cincinnati has made a concerted effort to get the ball to receiver A.J. Green this season, targeting him 50 times through just four games. The success rate in actually getting the ball in his hands hasn't been very high, though. Of those 50 times he has been thrown to, Green has caught just 26 passes. In his past three games, the third-year wideout has caught just 17 of the 37 balls that quarterback Andy Dalton has sent his way. During Sunday's game, the pair connected on half of the 14 passing attempts that were directed toward Green. On multiple occasions, though, passes were either overthrown, underthrown or thrown into a space that Green didn't cut into. In order to get Cincinnati's offense rolling again, these two have to get back on the same page.

2. Still going to Gio. Rookie running back Giovani Bernard is another offensive player the Bengals are trying to get the ball to. Ever since his two-touchdown performance in his unofficial coming-out party during the Week 2 win over Pittsburgh, Bernard has been a fan (and fantasy fan) favorite. His speed makes him a threat to make plays in space and pick up large chunks of yards off short screen passes. Although Bernard wasn't able to get in the end zone Sunday in Cleveland, the Bengals' promise of putting him in more positions to make plays has taken shape. After having just five touches in Week 1, Bernard's role has steadily increased. He had nine touches in Week 2, 14 in Week 3 and 16 on Sunday. Against the Browns, Bernard's 6.3 yards per reception was his lowest single-game total this year.

3. Third-down difficulties. The Bengals couldn't seem to stay on the field long enough offensively, and couldn't kick the Browns off it defensively. In both phases the Bengals' third-down conversion ratings were the worst they have been all season. On offense, they converted just four of their 14 third-down opportunities (28.6 percent). On defense, they allowed the Browns to convert 9 of 18 opportunities (50 percent). All season, the offensive third-down conversion rating has trended negatively. After starting at 63.6 percent in the opener, Cincinnati has been less and less successful across the past three weeks. Before Sunday, the offense's third-down conversion percentage against the Packers (36.4 percent) had been the lowest. "At the end of the day, the tale of the tape would be third-down conversions," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "Those are things we've got to do better."

4. Crocker feels fine. Cincinnati hopes to get a little healthier this week when undefeated New England comes to town. Against the Browns, the Bengals were down three defensive backs, including veterans Leon Hall and Reggie Nelson. They hope the pair can heal from hamstring injuries this week. If not, safety Chris Crocker, who was re-signed last week and relieved both players at times on Sunday, feels confident that he can go out again if needed. After his first game since the 2012 regular-season finale, Crocker said his "conditioning was pretty good, and each week I'll be better."

Analyzing four hot issues from the Houston Texans' 23-20 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks:

Was the play call wrong on the pick-six? The play on which Richard Sherman intercepted Matt Schaub was a short pass on third-and-4 with just under three minutes left in the game. The Texans were up seven points and ran four straight run plays on which Arian Foster had gains of 6, 5, 5 and 1 yard immediately before that play. Texans coach Gary Kubiak said it was the wrong call.

"I believe we've got to just run the ball, but we run the plays that are called, and we have to make good decisions," Texans tight end Owen Daniels said.

I say both the play call and the execution were wrong. A run play eats the clock and doesn't have as dramatic a floor as a pass play does. Fumble returns for touchdowns are possible, but much less likely than a pick-six, especially against Seattle's transcendent secondary. If they hadn't picked up the 4 yards necessary, so what? Punt the ball, let your defense do what it did for all but one drive. Further, the Seahawks had that play well-scouted, running it in practice all week. Then again, in the situation in which he found himself, there's no excuse for Schaub to have tried to force the ball to Daniels. Up seven with so little time left in the game, he didn't need the first down.

Is it time to panic? The panic that followed this game was tremendously predictable. Those panicking should remind themselves that the Texans have played only four games and this most recent loss was to what might be the best team in the NFL.

Wilson vs. blitzes: Russell Wilson has been good against blitzes, but he hadn't faced a team yet this season that brings extra pressure quite as much as the Texans do. Wilson was successful against five or more rushers in his first three games, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. The Texans were much more effective at containing him: He averaged just 4.7 yards per attempt on Sunday in Houston. When Wilson finally got going it was because he used his legs, which he would rather not do.

Rotating guards: The Texans fidgeted with their left guard position on Sunday. Starter Wade Smith rotated with second-year guard/center Ben Jones, who started 10 games at right guard last season. Smith had knee surgery before this season, and last week I asked Kubiak if Smith's knee was still bothering him after he had some rest during the week's practices. Kubiak said it was not, but added that getting Smith ready between games has been a more involved process because of how quickly he returned. Smith didn't appreciate my asking if his knee felt OK. "Why does that matter?" he replied. I said I wondered if the knee was part of why he rotated with Jones and asked what he was told about the rotation. "I felt fine," Smith said, to both questions.

A review of four hot issues from the Detroit Lions' 40-32 win over the Chicago Bears:

First place: This is, without question, a big deal for the Lions. While Detroit might have matching 3-1 records with the Bears, it has beaten Chicago, and that means first place in the NFC North for now. It also sets up what could be the ultimate statement game for the Lions on Sunday at Green Bay against the Packers. Detroit has not won there since 1991 -- and if they pulls it off, the Lions might take a step into being considered a major contender in the NFL this season.

But that’s still six days away. For now, first place in a division it has never won should sit pretty strong with Detroit a month into the season.

Secondary concerns: There’s still a bunch to learn here throughout the week, but both of Detroit’s starting cornerbacks, Chris Houston and Rashean Mathis, were knocked out of Sunday’s game by injury. Mathis insisted he passed the two concussion tests that were given to him Sunday, so that could bode well for his return against the Packers. Houston left Sunday’s game with a leg injury -- he was battling a hand injury during the week -- and his status for Green Bay will be a big issue. He is Detroit’s top cornerback, and he’ll be needed against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Going into a major game without him will be dicey.

The dominance of Ndamukong Suh: The fourth-year defensive tackle out of Nebraska is playing the best football of his career. He had his best game, statistically, this season by sacking Jay Cutler twice. One of the sacks forced a fumble that led to a Nick Fairley touchdown, after which Fairley knocked Suh down in the ensuing celebration.

Much was made last week of Suh’s matchup against Bears rookie Kyle Long on Sunday. Instead, Suh saw double-teams most of the game and still pretty well dominated the rookie.

“He’s a grown man,” Long told MLive.com after the game. “That’s a grown man I played against [Sunday].”

As written about a lot here in the past seven days, Suh’s ability to control an offensive line opens things up for Fairley, and ends Ziggy Ansah and Willie Young in a way few other defensive tackles can replicate.

Big game for Brandon Pettigrew: The tight end has been criticized in the past for his inability to hang on to the ball in critical situations. Even his coach, Jim Schwartz, said he has to catch better in traffic. Quarterback Matthew Stafford made Pettigrew a priority Sunday by targeting him seven times. The bigger deal? Pettigrew caught all seven passes for 54 yards. If Pettigrew can do this consistently, it gives Detroit three tight ends who can make plays, an advantage as the season continues on.

LONDON -- An examination of four hot issues following the Minnesota Vikings' 34-27 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers:

Who's the QB? That will be the Vikings' big question during and after their bye week, as they prepare for their next game against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 13. Coach Leslie Frazier said Sunday, "If you're asking, our quarterback is Christian Ponder," even after Matt Cassel threw for 248 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Vikings' first win of the season. Players such as Greg Jennings and Adrian Peterson have stood by Ponder in his struggles, but even those two seemed relieved to be praising, instead of defending, their quarterback after Sunday's win. Frazier will have to gauge how his team would react to a return to Ponder, and Cassel's struggles the past two years in Kansas City are proof he has had his own issues. But it will be interesting to see how Frazier navigates the next two weeks and how his players will react to whatever decision he makes.

Peterson emerges: The numbers would suggest Peterson hadn't played poorly in three games before Sunday -- he had still run for 281 yards in three games -- but the NFL's reigning MVP hadn't looked like himself until heading to London. With fullback Jerome Felton back, Peterson seemed more comfortable, romping for 140 yards in the Vikings' win. His 60-yard run in the first half was actually set up by quarterback-turned-receiver Joe Webb, who sealed off safety Troy Polamalu after seeing something on a previous play. "He came to me on the sideline," Peterson said. "He was telling me, 'Hey, on the 42 Lead, Troy [Polamalu], the safety, is cramming in, and he's shooting right down. So just trust me on being able to pin him in. You can get it outside.' And sure enough, the next time we caught it, it happened exactly the way he was playing."

Secondary struggles: The Vikings won, and they survived without Chris Cook and Jamarca Sanford, but those facts probably won't dampen concerns about their defensive backs after the Vikings allowed more than 300 yards passing for the third time in four weeks. Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had to throw on almost every play in the fourth quarter with Pittsburgh down 17, but he targeted second-year cornerback Josh Robinson throughout the game, and Robinson added a 48-yard pass interference penalty to the Steelers' production for the day after he grabbed Antonio Brown and put the ball at the Vikings' 1.

London calling ... again? This won't emerge as a front-burner topic for a while, but it wouldn't be surprising to see the Vikings back in London before they open their new stadium in Minneapolis in 2016. Vikings players gushed about the accommodations the team had at The Grove Hotel in Watford, England, and Frazier spoke glowingly about the experience after the Vikings won at Wembley Stadium on Sunday and lifted a little pressure off themselves before their bye week. Before the game, team officials privately weren't keen on the idea of coming to London as the home team again and taking players out of their routine for a week in addition to giving up a home game. But it will be interesting to see if the Vikings have different feelings now that they've seen a week in London is manageable. Frazier is a big believer in settings like these, which encourage team bonding, and if the London trip emerges as a turning point in the season, you can bet the Vikings will consider doing it again. With the team at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium in 2014 and 2015, the NFL is likely to ask.

A review of four hot issues from the Arizona Cardinals' 13-10 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Offense needs work: Arizona''s offense struggled to move the ball last season, and it seems to be carrying over into the Bruce Arians era. The offense seems to get stuck in the mud and spin its tires for most of the game until it gets a light nudge from the defense or one of its receivers. And, as much as the Cardinals have talked about fixing the problems, the same things keep happening. Arizona didn’t convert a third down in the first half and was 1-for-10 overall. Six of their 10 third downs, including the one conversion, were for 10 yards or less. The Cardinals managed just 87 yards of total offense in the first half, and they were lucky to win. Since 2001, the Cards are 20-47 when totaling less than 100 yards in either half, according to ESPN Stats & Information. There could be a simple fix, but it’s a matter of finding out exactly what’s wrong.

Run D showed up: No wonder the defensive line wanted to know how many rushing yards it allowed right after the game. The Cardinals held Bucs running back Doug Martin to 45 yards on 27 carries, his lowest total of the season and the lowest of his career when he has 27 or more carries. Martin is averaging 137 yards per game in the four contests in which he has 27 carries or more. According Mark Dalton, Arizona’s vice president of media relations, with information from the Elias Sports Bureau, Martin is the eighth player to have 45 or fewer yards on 25 or more carries since 1935.

Fitz needs to be fed: As Carson Palmer attempted each pass during the first half, none of which were intended for Larry Fitzgerald, the shock spread. Fitzgerald wasn’t targeted once in the first two quarters for the first time since Week 16 of 2010 against the Dallas Cowboys, when the Cardinals also squeezed out a win, 27-26, according to ESPN Stats & Information. As soon as Fitzgerald was worked into the game plan Sunday, Arizona moved the ball with ease because it put the Bucs on alert.

Injuries hurt defense: If the Cardinals weren’t decimated on defense already after New Orleans on Sept. 22, they might not want to go into the training room Monday. Arizona lost three more players to injuries, all at key positions. Linebacker Vic So'oto left the game with a possible concussion. Defensive tackle Darnell Dockett left with a groin injury, as did linebacker Jasper Brinkley. This is on top of the rash of injuries suffered two weekends ago and the loss of Dan Williams for the game. So’oto’s injury could be more serious than the others, but Dockett and Brinkley have until Wednesday to rest, otherwise it’s another run through the waiver wire.

A review of four hot issues from the Jacksonville Jaguars’ 37-3 loss to Indianapolis:

Staying with Gabbert: Blaine Gabbert has thrown five interceptions and has led the offense to just three points in two home games this season, but Jaguars coach Gus Bradley is sticking with him as the team’s starting quarterback. Gabbert has a 5-21 record as a starter and has shown little progress since he was selected 10th overall in the 2011 draft, but Bradley wants to see more of Gabbert in the team’s current system before making any judgments about his future with the team. “I know you say, ‘Gus, we’ve waited to see,’ but I’ve got to see it,” Bradley said. He said some of the issues on Sunday may have been receivers not finishing routes, plus all three interceptions came after receivers bobbled passes.

No help: With Marcedes Lewis’ return lasting just the first series before he had to leave the game after reinjuring his calf, the Jaguars were again without any complementary playmakers to receiver Cecil Shorts. It’s one of the offense’s main problems because teams are able to roll coverages toward Shorts and force Gabbert to beat them with the other receivers -- two of whom were signed from the practice squad on Saturday. It didn’t work, obviously. Gabbert completed just five passes to other wide receivers (four to Ace Sanders, one to Jeremy Ebert). Justin Blackmon returns this week from a four-game suspension, so that should help, but Lewis’ absence is still significant.

TE troubles: The Jaguars again struggled to cover the tight end. Coby Fleener caught five passes for 77 yards and one touchdown, a 31-yarder in which he was wide open. Depending on the defense called, responsibility for the tight end falls to a linebacker, safety or nickel back. Regardless of which player had responsibility, there have been mistakes that resulted in big plays. As good as he is against the run, linebacker Paul Posluszny sometimes struggles in coverage, and the Jaguars started a pair of rookies at safety against the Colts. Through four games, tight ends have caught 20 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. The Seahawks' and Colts' tight ends combined to catch 14 passes for 183 yards and three touchdowns.

Discipline problem: It’s not the fact that the Jaguars committed nine penalties for 65 yards that’s troubling. It’s the kinds of penalties that are the issue. Eight of the nine were discipline penalties: four defensive offside/encroachment, one illegal substitution, one false start, one roughing the passer, and one unsportsmanlike conduct. Those are mental mistakes that are avoidable. Jason Babin committed three, including lining up offside twice. The Jaguars aren’t close to being talented enough to be able to overcome mistakes like that, especially against a quarterback like Andrew Luck. “We cannot have that as part of our game,” Bradley said. “Obviously our players aren’t getting the message, and that’s on me.”

An examination of four hot issues from the Kansas City Chiefs' 31-7 win against the New York Giants:

Using the tight end: Tight end was a bright spot in the passing game as Sean McGrath and Kevin Brock combined for seven catches, 91 yards and touchdown. It’s critical that the Chiefs get help from all of their receivers because they don’t have a superstar for Alex Smith to throw to. The Chiefs were confident heading into training camp that they would get big receiving numbers from their tight ends, but none of their top three players at the position suited up against the Giants. Tony Moeaki is out for the season, and it might be at least one more week before Anthony Fasano (ankle) or Travis Kelce (knee) will be ready to play. The Chiefs grabbed McGrath off waivers from Seattle when the regular season started, and Brock re-signed only two weeks ago after being released by the Chiefs at the end of camp.

A new formula: The Chiefs proved they can win a game without winning the turnover battle. They were even in turnovers against the Giants, with each team committing three. That’s a positive sign as they head to Tennessee for Sunday’s game against the Titans, the only team in the league yet to commit a turnover. The Chiefs had been thriving through their first three games by winning the turnover battle. Heading into the Giants game, they were plus-nine in turnover differential, which was best in the league.

Streak ends: Smith's streak of 160 passes without an interception is over, but he didn’t appear much at fault with either of the two interceptions he threw against the Giants. Dwayne Bowe was running a slant on one interception and then appeared to cut the route short. Smith’s second interception was deflected by Jamaal Charles to a New York defender. Smith’s streak was second only to Denver’s Peyton Manning. Smith’s three touchdown passes were a career high. He is 23-5-1 over the past four seasons as a starter.

Scoring in every phase: The punt return brought back 89 yards by Dexter McCluster was the third touchdown scored this season by either the special teams or the defense. That equals the Chiefs’ total for the past two seasons. Touchdowns from the defense and special teams will continue to be important for the Chiefs, who don’t have a big-play offense. The Chiefs did a nice job sustaining long drives against the Giants, including one for 98 yards and another for 80 yards that resulted in touchdowns. But the big gains, such as a 69-yard touchdown catch by the Giants' Victor Cruz, have largely been the domain of the opponent.