Kansas City Chiefs #25 Jamaal Charles

Kansas City Chiefs #25 Jamaal Charles

ATLANTA -- Matt Ryan insists the Atlanta Falcons were mentally tougher than they were last season.

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The veteran quarterback went out and showed it Sunday.

Ryan completed 9 of 11 passes for 75 yards on a game-winning drive that ended with his 11-yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu down the seam. Sanu was mismatched against linebacker Jake Ryan. It marked Matt Ryan's 34th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, giving the Falcons a 33-32 win over the Green Bay Packers.

"They don't call the guy `Matty Ice' for no reason," Sanu said of his quarterback. "The guy's got ice in his veins. He just goes out there and just executes, man."

The Falcons sorely needed this one after losing the previous two weeks to the Seattle Seahawks (26-24) and San Diego Chargers (33-30 in overtime). Now at 5-3 and leading the NFC South, they have a little momentum going into a crucial division matchup with the Buccaneers (3-4) Thursday night in Tampa.

After the San Diego loss, Falcons coach Dan Quinn showed his team a tape of boxer Marvin Hagler winning a championship bout after losing the first matchup by decision. The point of the clip was to emphasize not letting someone else decide the outcome for you.

Ryan obviously took the message to heart. He threw a pass the perfect height to Sanu with Julio Jones drawing double coverage, as usual

"When you feel his demeanor on the sideline, when there's a timeout and he comes over and he has that locked-in look in his eyes, he's ready to go," Quinn said of Ryan's demeanor. "His teammates respond to him because of his toughness and his attitude that he display for them all the time.

"These guys are a very tight group. They just love playing football for one another. It shows in the locker room and it shows on the practice field."

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Ryan, touted as the MVP frontrunner after guiding the Falcons to a four-game winning streak, finished Sunday's completing 28 of 35 passes for 288 yards with three touchdowns and a passer rating for 129.5. He did all that with the league's most dangerous threat, Jones, catching just three passes for 29 yards, all in the first half. Sanu, one of the team's big offseason acquisitions, picked up the slack with nine catches (10 targets) for 84 yards. The Falcons will need Sanu to continue to play that way to alleviate some of the pressure off Jones the remainder of the season.

"That's what he's brought to this team: He's a big body and excellent in the red zone," Ryan said of Sanu. "I thought he did a great job all day."

The defensive issues the Falcons had against Aaron Rodgers and a depleted Packers offense -- they surrendered five plays of 20-plus yards despite an inspired, two-sack performance by Adrian Clayborn and another sack for Vic Beasley Jr. -- emphasized how Atlanta has to win with its offense. Ryan said prior to the season the Falcons have the ability to average 30 points per game. Right now, the Falcons are averaging 32.8. They'll need to keep up that pace to close out the second half of the schedule and make the playoffs for the first time since 2012.

More than anything, the Falcons have to show poise in tight situations. The poise Ryan showed set an example for his teammates.

"For me, the longer I've played, the more I understand that you never know how a game is going to shake out," Ryan said. "Getting up or down or out of your normal concentration doesn't help, so I try to remain that way all the time -- very calm and focused on getting that next completion, getting the next first down.

"The message I give to the guys before we go out is in that situation, don't worry about the touchdown play. Let's get the first down and get the sticks moving. I thought we did a great job of that."

The quick turnaround to a Thursday game against a Buccaneers team the Falcons already lost to in the season opener (31-24) won't make things any easier, especially with it coming on the road. The Falcons then play at Philadelphia before a much-needed bye week that is followed by home matchups with Kansas City (5-2) and Arizona (3-4).

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Let's see if the Falcons have finally figured out how to finish. They sure did Sunday.

Jacksonville Jaguars #15 Allen Robinson

Jacksonville Jaguars #15 Allen Robinson
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Allen Robinson had a breakout year in 2015 and that led many to expect him to become one of the league’s next elite receivers.

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It’s six games into the 2016 season, however, and Robinson isn’t even the most productive receiver on his team.

The Jaguars' offense has struggled and so has he and that’s a big reason the team is 2-4 heading into Thursday night’s game at Tennessee in a season that was supposed to see them contend for the AFC South title. To make things worse, Robinson just had one of the worst games of his career, catching just two passes for nine yards in the Jaguars’ 33-16 loss to Oakland.

"I would say it’s been one of the more frustrating years of me playing football in general," Robinson said. "But at the end of the day, I can’t let that have any effect on my play. At the end of the day, I’ve got to go out there and play. For me, just this week, just trying to get my mental [approach] right, help my teammates out, and all just try to go out there and have fun and make it easier on one another."


Allen Robinson caught just two passes for nine yards in the Jaguars' loss to Oakland. David Rosenblum/ Icon Sportswire
Robinson knew it wasn’t going to be easy in 2016 coming off a season in which he caught 80 passes for 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl. Receivers coach Jerry Sullivan made it very clear to him during the offseason that he would be the focal point of opposing defenses. He would be double-teamed, defensive backs would be more physical with him, and teams would keep a safety over the top to keep Robinson from making the big plays down the field that he thrived upon last season.

It was something that Robinson was going to have to fight through, just like the league’s other elite receivers. A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, DeAndre Hopkins and others all receive the same kind of attention and they all had to learn how to adjust.

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It’s taking Robinson longer than he thought. He has 26 catches for 296 yards and three touchdowns and is averaging 11.4 yards per catch. Through six games last season he had 28 catches for 488 yards and five touchdowns and was averaging 17.4 yards per catch. Nearly the same number of catches, but the biggest difference is that Robinson isn’t making plays down the field.

That was his strength and a big part of the Jaguars’ offense in 2015. Blake Bortles gave the 6-foot-3 Robinson plenty of jump balls and back-shoulder throws and Robinson thrived on those plays. Robinson had 13 catches of 30 or more yards, including five in the first six games. He has just one this season.

"I’ve just got to go out there and play," Robinson said. "I can’t press for the big plays and things like that. I just got to go out there and make the plays when my number is called.

"It all depends on the looks and things that we’re getting. For me at the end of the day, I trust in the plan week in, week out."

Teammate Marqise Lee, who leads the Jaguars with 29 catches for 337 yards, said he can tell Robinson is frustrated with the way defenses are playing him this season. Defensive backs are being more physical with Robinson at the line of scrimmage and they’re pulling and tugging and banging him around during his routes. Sometimes that’s getting called but other times it’s not, and that’s irritating Robinson.

"You’ve got to be prepared for it," Lee said. "We know what we signed up for. We know you aren’t going to come off the line and get a clean release every time. We know things are not going to happen like that, but at the end of the day, we know that we just got to go out there and compete and A-Rob knows the exact same thing. He knows he’s going to go out there and do the things he needs to do.


"I can honestly tell you it’s not every week a receiver is going to get off [and have a great game]. There’s going to be some weeks where you have a slump and A-Rob, unfortunately, is having a little slump at the beginning of the year but he’s going to fix it up. Everybody knows how good A-Rob is so we’re not worried at all."

That includes Bortles, who has watched Robinson drop three passes this season and had two other passes that should have been completions bounce off Robinson’s hands and get intercepted -- including one in the end zone against Chicago two weeks ago.

Robinson dropped only four passes last season.

"It’s obviously very uncharacteristic for A-Rob to drop a ball," Bortles said. "I know from his point of view, he wants to get an opportunity so bad. He’s getting doubled; he’s getting safeties over the top of him. I know he’s juiced up and dying to make a play.

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"From my point of view, it doesn’t matter if he drops one ball or 10 balls, every time I get a chance to throw Allen Robinson the ball, I’m gonna."

Indianapolis Colts #1 Pat McAfee

Indianapolis Colts #1 Pat McAfee
INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts quarterback Andrew Luck is on his third offensive coordinator in five years in the NFL.

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And if there’s one thing that has become evident with Rob Chudzinski as the coordinator, it’s that he prefers to have Luck operating out of the shotgun no matter the down, the situation or what part of the field they’re at.

The Colts have run 469 offensive plays this season. And of those 469 plays, Luck has lined up in the shotgun on 260 of those plays, run and pass.


Andrew Luck has lined up in the shotgun on 260 of the Colts' 469 offensive plays this season. Jim Brown/USA TODAY Sports
Not counting 2015, when Luck missed nine games and the Colts switched coordinators after Week 9, the quarterback has attempted a career-high 74.2 percent of his passes out of the shotgun this season. Luck is 136-of-205 for 1,518 yards, 12 touchdowns and four interceptions while operating out of the shotgun.

“Andrew is very comfortable in the shotgun a lot, so that’s something that plays into it as well," Chudzinski said. "Your run game, certain things you’re going to do in the shotgun, certain things you do under center.”

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Chudzinski mentioned how the game has changed from when quarterbacks ran the offense predominantly under center earlier in his career.

Being in the shotgun, according to Chudzinski, allows the quarterback to see the field better and still run the offense the same. It’s not uncommon for quarterbacks to enter the NFL being more familiar with running the offense out of the shotgun than under center.

“You can do the run game and do so many things more that you didn’t used to do,” Chudzinski said. “You can do them in the gun. That’s how you’re seeing the game move.”

One of the biggest disadvantages of not having Luck under center is that the Colts can’t use his 6-foot-4, 240-pound frame to run quarterback sneaks. But Chudzinski believes they can do everything else in the run game. Running back Frank Gore is averaging 4.1 yards on the 30 carries he has made when the Colts were in the shotgun.

“When you’re in the gun or under center, the exchange point is going to happen,” Chudzinski said. “You’re still taking the ball back to the running back. It’s not like you’re under center and you’re stepping and the guy is coming up to take the ball at the line of scrimmage.

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“Defenses will give you different looks based on if you’re in the gun or under center. If you’re under center they’re all crowding up in there, especially something up the middle. Sometimes in the gun they loosen up because there’s more of a pass threat, more of a threat on the edge and those types of things. You can get different things out of your different alignments, particularly if you’re talking about in short-yardage situations.”

Houston Texans #99 J.J. Watt

Houston Texans #99 J.J. Watt
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- For the first time since he fractured his left forearm in the Denver Broncos' Week 2 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, linebacker DeMarcus Ware was back on the practice field Wednesday.

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"I think we've got a shot," Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said of seeing DeMarcus Ware return for Week 8. Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports
Ware was wearing a padded shield on his injured arm as he went through his first practice since he fractured the bone just before halftime against the Colts. Ware was officially listed as limited in Wednesday's practice -- the Broncos did not have pads or helmets -- but coach Gary Kubiak said he liked what he saw.

Asked if he believed Ware could play Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, Kubiak said: “I think we’ve got a shot, I’m encouraged by what we saw today. ... We’ll pick it up [Thursday], but I felt good about what I saw him do [Wednesday].’’

Ware himself said he wasn’t sure, but wants to get back as quickly as possible.

“[I] feel really good, but it’s a process, though,’’ the 34-year-old said. “... Don’t know if I’m going to play this week, don’t know if I’m going to play next week, but if it progresses like it should, you know I’ll be out there.’’

After Sunday's game against the Chargers, the Broncos have road games at Oakland (Nov. 6) and at New Orleans (Nov. 13) before their bye week. Ware, who usually lines up on the defensive right, said the fact that the injury was to his left arm matters because he often uses that arm in his first move against opposing offensive linemen.

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Shane Ray, who has four sacks this season, has played in Ware’s spot much of the time since the injury. Ware said as the bone has healed, he has tried to regain his strength in the arm and aim to minimize the pain he has when he returns to the lineup.

“I play on the right side so the majority of time when I’m punching, I’m punching a guy with my left arm,’’ Ware said, adding that he feels “that shocking sensation going through the bone ... just making sure it’s not painful every single time you hit somebody.’’

Ware, who had 1.5 sacks in the season opener against the Carolina Panthers, will practice, and play, in the near future with a soft cast on his forearm that “has a lot of padding around it.’’

Linebacker Von Miller, who has 6.5 sacks since Ware’s injury and 7.5 for the season, said it will be far more difficult to double-team Miller when Ware is once again in the rotation in the pass rush. The Broncos, with Ware having missed five full games, head into Week 8 with an NFL-best 22 sacks.

Ware’s presence in the Broncos' rotation will only make the defense more difficult for opposing offenses to handle. Ware said one offshoot of all of the training and conditioning he’s done as he has recovered from the injury was that he's slightly bigger now.

“I’m about 250 [pounds], I feel like a beast ... just waiting for my arm to get right,’’ Ware said.

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Ware is 10th all-time in sacks with 136.5 in his career. He needs six more to move all the way up to No. 5. Bruce Smith, with 200, is atop the list.

Green Bay Packers #4 Brett Favre

Green Bay Packers #4 Brett Favre
On September 8, 2008, a year before Brett Favre would join the organization, the Minnesota Vikings traveled to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. Aside from being Aaron Rodgers’s debut as a starter, the game was noteworthy for its physicality and aggressiveness. In the first half alone, the teams combined for 12 penalties for 86 yards. It was a sloppy, messy, nasty affair, and in the days and weeks following the Packers’ 24–19 win, Minnesota’s coaches stewed. After watching the tape, they were convinced that Nick Barnett, Green Bay’s outstanding linebacker, had gone out of his way to injure Adrian Peterson, the Vikings halfback.

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The rival franchises played again nine weeks later, and three days before kickoff a Minnesota coach stood up in a team meeting, mentioned Barnett by name, and said, “I will give $500 to anyone who takes this motherfucker out of the game.”

This was hardly a shocking move in the Vikings’ locker room, where piles of money were regularly collected—then distributed as rewards—for injuring opposing stars. “It was part of the culture,” said Artis Hicks, a Minnesota offensive lineman. “I had coaches start a pot and all the veterans put in an extra $100, $200, and if you hurt someone special, you get the money. There was a bottom line, and I think we all bought in: you’re there to win, and if taking out the other team’s best player helps you win, hey, it’s nothing personal. Just business.”

Although the Barnett affair occurred in 2008, Hicks insists the Vikings were no different a year later, when Brett Favre was quarterback. He recalled no one on the team complaining, nobody arguing with the approach. “This isn’t a game or culture for the fainthearted,” Hicks said. “You bleed, you suffer, you sacrifice, and if need be, you try and knock people out. It’s the NFL.”

Following the win over Dallas, the Vikings weren’t thinking about injuring opposing players, or taking someone out. That type of talk was often reserved for meetings with the league’s more aggressive teams; black-and-blue franchises like Green Bay, Chicago, and Pittsburgh.

The NFC Championship game would be held on January 24, 2010, in the Crescent City, and while the Vikings certainly preferred a home contest, this was the next-best scenario. Minnesota’s coaches and players watched film of the Saints and came away both confident and surprisingly unimpressed. In compiling a 13-3 record, New Orleans relied on a high-flying offense that, behind quarterback Drew Brees and a gaggle of dangerous wide receivers, led the NFL in total yards and touchdowns. One week earlier they advanced to the title game by whooping the Arizona Cardinals, 45–14. It was the 10th time in 17 contests that New Orleans put up at least 30 points. “They scored and they scored quickly,” said Leslie Frazier, the Minnesota defensive coordinator. “You had to be ready.”

It was on the other side of the ball, though, where the Saints struggled. Gregg Williams, New Orleans’s defensive coordinator, was known as one of the sport’s great masterminds, and his ability to mix and disguise blitz packages became something of a calling card. Yet in 2009 the Saints ranked 20th in total defense, and their 35 sacks were just the 15th most in the league. Not one player accumulated 90 tackles, and only one (defensive end Will Smith) eclipsed 10 sacks. Darren Sharper, the 34-year-old free safety, led the Saints with nine interceptions, but Favre’s former Green Bay teammate was a risk taker who—on tape—missed nearly as many tackles as he made. A couple of days before the game Favre was asked about Williams’s group, and while he made certain to sound impressed, he wasn’t particularly concerned. The Cowboys had a defense. Look how that turned out.

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There were lots of marvelous narratives for the press to spend a week lapping up. Favre was the 40-year-old man returning to the region where he was raised watching Archie Manning and the Saints. New Orleans, as a city, was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and a Super Bowl trip would do wonders for the region. Could the Vikings handle the noise inside the Louisiana Superdome? Could the Saints stop Peterson, the game’s best running back?

One thing that went undiscussed: Williams’s plan to handle Favre. In a way, it’s sort of surprising. For all the talk of the quarterback’s experience, no one asked Williams or his defensive players what—in hindsight—seems to be a perfectly sensible inquiry: At his advanced age, will you try and be more physically dominant than usual?

New Orleans knew the Vikings were dangerous. They also knew it would be a lot easier stopping Favre than Peterson. So the goal was, simply, to beat the snot out of the quarterback. To hit him and hit him and hit him some more. To wear him down and wipe him out. To cause him to limp and cause him to bleed. “Make him pick his old ass up—that was our plan,” said Anthony Hargrove, a Saints defensive lineman. “Make Brett keep getting off the ground, and hope at some point he just said, ‘This is too much. I’m not getting up this time. I quit.’”

Favre was as likely to quit as the French Quarter was to go dry. But Williams’s men would try. Much like the Vikings, Saints players operated a reward system for hurting and incapacitating opposing stars. “It wasn’t a bounty, where you name one guy and offer money for him,” said Hargrove. “It was incentives for good plays, hard hits, changing the game. We all put in, and maybe you could get $100, $200, $500. That’s what it was.”

Would taking out Brett Favre be lucrative?

“There’s a brotherhood in football,” said Hargrove. “You never want to end anyone’s career. But at the same time, we have incentives...”


Morry Gash/AP Images
Of the 39 NFC Championship games played before 2010, few could match this one for excitement, energy, intrigue. The Vikings scored first on a 19-yard Peterson run, and the Saints fired back with a 38-yard pass from Brees to Pierre Thomas. The Vikings made it 14–7 on Favre’s 5-yard pass to Rice, the Saints tied the score at 14 on a 9-yarder from Brees to Devery Henderson. For fans in the stands, or fans viewing at home, it was everything you could hope for from a football game.

For Favre’s family members and friends, it was unwatchable. Jeff Favre, his younger brother, and Brandi Favre, his sister, were sitting in the Superdome, observing the beating, hands covering eyes, when they rose and left. They had attended plenty of games where Favre was the enemy. That was fine. But here, inside the Superdome, it felt more like a bullfight than a football game. The matadors were the Saints, the weakened bull was Favre. The fans wanted blood. “Jeff and I got a cab and watched the rest from the hotel on TV,” Brandi said. “They were out to kill him. I knew they were trying to kill him. I’ve seen a lot of football, and that wasn’t normal. It was disgusting.”

“They were destroying him,” said Scott Favre. “The Saints—they still rub me the wrong way from that game.”

“It was inexcusable,” said David Peterson, Favre’s cousin. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.”

By one count, Favre was unnecessarily/gratuitously hit 13 times. Many were awful. Some were horrible. Two, in particular, were borderline criminal. In the quarter, Favre handed off to Percy Harvin on a jet sweep. The ball was out of his hands, and Harvin had taken five full steps in the opposite direction when—Pop!—defensive end Bobby McCray (all six feet six, 260 pounds of him) pulverized an unsuspecting Favre into the turf. Later in the game, Favre dropped back to pass when McCray swarmed from the right and linebacker Remi Ayodele from straight ahead. Almost simultaneously, McCray dove into Favre’s knees while Ayodele bent him backward like a soggy slice of bread, then rolled atop his listless corpse and popped up. Favre hobbled to the sideline, favoring his left ankle. Hargrove later said that after running off the field, Ayodele yelled, “Gimme my money!”

In some ways, it was Favre’s lowest moment as a professional football player. In many ways, it was his greatest. The hits kept coming, and Favre kept standing up, brushing himself off, returning. The Saints pass rushers were bigger than the quarterback, stronger than the quarterback, younger than the quarterback. But they weren’t tougher than the quarterback. “He took every shot they had,” said Pat Morris, the Vikings’ offensive line coach. “And he didn’t flinch once.”

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The Vikings were right—they were the better team. Faster, stronger, significantly more athletic. The Vikings won the possession and yardage battles—Peterson rushed for 122 yards and Minnesota gained 475 overall. But they also made lots of mistakes. Favre threw two interceptions (he was 28 of 46 for the game, with 310 yards and a touchdown); there were six total fumbles. It was ugly execution. “The football turned seemingly slick,” wrote Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune, “as Andouille sausage plucked from a bowl of gumbo.”

Detroit Lions #20 Barry Sanders

Detroit Lions #20 Barry Sanders
Through seven weeks, there have been six different teams to sit atop ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) after having a total of four No. 1 teams in 2015. While critics may point to FPI’s volatility, the number of changes before the midpoint of the season illustrates the state of the NFL.

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Take a look down the standings and you will see that nearly every team in the NFL is in some way flawed.

No team is in the Top 8 of both offensive and defensive EPA ESPN Analytics
For the most part, the EPA ranks by unit are largely what is to be expected. The Dallas Cowboys, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots rank in the top five in offensive EPA per game, while the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills are in the top five defensively.

What may be surprising, however, is that most teams that rank high on one side of the ball are among the least efficient on the other. The top eight teams in offensive EPA have an average defensive rank of 24.6, and only one (New England Patriots) ranks higher than 15th defensively. Similarly, the eight best teams in defensive EPA have an average offensive rank of 21.8, and only one (Buffalo) ranks higher than 15th offensively.

Let’s run through a few notable outliers:

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The Vikings lead the league in defensive EPA but rank 28th on offensive. Their defense has added 59 points towards their scoring margin, while their offense has cost them 17 points this season.

The Falcons, on the other hand, have the most offensive EPA in the league (Cowboys are better on a per-game basis) but rank 28th defensively.


The Lions have joined the Saints as a team with an explosive offense and Swiss cheese-like defense. Their offense is adding nearly 10 points per game to their net scoring margin (third in the NFL), while their defense is costing them about 11 (worst in the NFL).

The Baltimore Ravens are the opposite of the Lions with the eighth-ranked defense and worst offense.

Overall, no team ranks in the top nine of both offensive and defensive EPA. The Patriots are closest to being the most complete team with the fourth-most efficient offense and 10th-most effective defense. It’s no coincidence that the Patriots also sit atop ESPN’s FPI.

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The next question is whether this year is unique. In seven of the past 10 seasons there had been at least one team ranked in the top nine in offensive and defensive EPA in every single week of the regular season. In two of the three outlier seasons, there was a team in the top nine on both sides of the ball in all but one week. The biggest outlier during that time was 2008, and that year the Pittsburgh Steelers (great defense and flawed offense) beat the Cardinals (great offense but flawed defense) in Super Bowl XLIII. Chances are we will see another Super Bowl like that this season.

Denver Broncos #58 Von Miller

Denver Broncos  #58 Von Miller
Von Miller’s 15 minutes in front of the cameras typically are on Thursday afternoons in the same fashion, no matter the upcoming opponent, no matter the talking points, no matter the team’s performance in practice minutes earlier.

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He’ll open with “Howdy,” then field questions while donning his signature sports glasses and Broncos gear.

He’ll refer to himself in the third person — at least once, but more likely a few times — as he reiterates his plan to “be the best Von Miller I can be.”

He’ll laud his upcoming opponent — he has the utmost respect for Philip Rivers and Julio Jones and Mike Evans and Cam Newton and Andrew Luck and most everyone in the AFC West — and then he’ll laud his teammates. The Broncos have “the best secondary in The National Football League,” you know.

And more often than not, he’ll go back and mention those who helped him years ago and continue to play a role in his success in the league.

Mike Sherman is one.


“He thought he was playing good football, but he really wasn’t. He was a linebacker off the line of scrimmage and wasn’t diagnosing things very well, didn’t work at it at that point real hard,” Sherman said. “Fortunately for me, he had a dad who backed me up and told him to do what coach Sherman tells you to do and sent him back to College Station (Texas) to be a part of the football team. If he didn’t have the dad he has, he could have ended up at another school and we never would have heard from him.”

Miller was on the brink of leaving and never returning, never finishing his tenure at Texas A&M, never winning The Butkus Award as an Aggie in 2010 and, possibly, never being selected at No. 2 in the 2011 draft and never winning Super Bowl MVP honors in 2016.

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“But he made a decision to come back to do what he had to do,” Sherman said. “From that point forward he kind of changed things up. He was very accountable after that and did the things we wanted him to do.”

In 2013, Sherman could only watch from afar as Miller, again, ran into trouble off the field with a six-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. But Sherman, knowing Miller, had little doubt as to how it would end.

“A lot of guys when they get in trouble they blame everybody else,” Sherman said. “He doesn’t do that. He blames himself and he fixes what needs to be fixed.”

And he has little doubt of where Miller can still go. Sherman, who admits he’s biased in the Hall of Fame conversation for Miller, believes the linebacker has yet to reach his peak, even after winning Super Bowl MVP — a scary prospect for opposing quarterbacks.

Sherman says the “sky’s the limit” for Miller — who leads the league with 7.5 sacks through Thursday. He says  it in part because of Miller’s rare natural ability.

“He could play a lot of positions on the football field. Obviously, the one he’s playing right now suits him just fine,” Sherman said. “But he could probably return kickoffs. He could probably be a running back, could be a tight end. There are very few players who have the ability and talent to be able to play multiple positions on an NFL field, but I think he has the ability to do that. That’s the level of talent that he is.”

But especially because — to quote Miller — he’s “still the same Von Miller.”

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“Nobody said a bad word about Von Miller. He was back then what he is today,” Sherman said. “I think one of the most amazing things he did was after winning the Super Bowl, after becoming the MVP — and this kind of speaks volumes as to who he is — instead of sucking it all in and telling everybody why he is who he is and how great he is, he’s offering praise to other people in his life. I think in that moment, that’s one of the hardest things to do — to achieve the success he achieved, winning the Super Bowl, winning the MVP and to have the awareness and humility to point fingers at other people who helped him along the way. I don’t know really how much I helped him. He really helped himself and made his own decisions. He was gracious enough to offer praise to a lot of different people in his life who had been there for him. I’m probably most proud of him for that than anything he’s ever done.”

Cleveland Browns #32 Jim Brown

Cleveland Browns #32 Jim Brown
A Washington sheriff shot back at the NFL over a statement it made about how his office handled information requests into a domestic violence investigation against New York Giants kicker Josh Brown.

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The NFL stated that its investigators had repeatedely attempted to obtain more information on Brown but was denied by the King County sheriff John Urquhart's office. Urquhart went on the defensive and told Seattle radio station KIRO that the investigator never identified himself as being part of the league.

"Nowhere on the request does he say that he works for the NFL and so, we don't know that it's the NFL and we're not gonna give it out anyway, so we denied it," Urquhart said. "'NFL, National Football League,' he could have (said) any of that."

The King County Sheriff's office investigated Brown -- a former Seahawks player -- for domestic violence in 2015 but dropped the misdemeanor charge the within days of Brown's arrest in Woodinville, Washington, last May.

The sheriff's office, though, released more than 150 pages of documents on Wednesday that showed the Brown of physically and verbally abused his ex-wife her more than 20 times.

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Brown received a one-game suspension from the league earlier this season but now plans to review the new information.

Urquhart admitted that other investigators identified themselves as NFL representatives but that they were denied since it was an open investigation. Urquhart said if the league had gone through proper public disclosure channels, the request would have gone straight to him, who would have been able to help out more.

"I would have said exactly the same thing, 'We cannot release the case file.' But since this is a hot-button item in the NFL, since it's the NFL, we probably would have told them orally a little bit more about what we had," he said, adding that "I don't like to get pushed around by a bully."

The league released the following full statement regarding Brown's case:

"NFL investigators made repeated attempts -- both orally and in writing -- to obtain any and all evidence and relevant information in this case from the King County Sheriff's Office. Each of those requests was denied and the Sheriff's Office declined to provide any of the requested information, which ultimately limited our ability to fully investigate this matter. We concluded our own investigation, more than a year after the initial incident, based on the facts and evidence available to us at the time and after making exhaustive attempts to obtain information in a timely fashion. It is unfortunate that we did not have the benefit or knowledge of these materials at the time.

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"In light of the release of these documents yesterday, we will thoroughly review the additional information and determine next steps in the context of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy. We will not be making any comments on potential discipline until that time."

Cincinnati Bengals #85 Tyler Eifert

Cincinnati Bengals #85 Tyler Eifert
We provided updates yesterday with the latest on Week 5's key injuries (Eddie Lacy, Steve Smith Sr., and Jeremy Hill), but as we officially head into Week 6, fantasy football owners are likely just as worried about players like Jonathan Stewart, Tyler Eifert, Dion Lewis, Doug Martin, Arian Foster, and Dez Bryant -- i.e. guys who have already missed several games.

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Here's the latest news so you can update your handcuff list and prioritize your waiver wire pickups for the week, plus get an early jump on figuring out who to start and who to sit.

For the past couple weeks, all signs have pointed to Stewart (hamstring) being ready for Week 6, and that's what Panthers coach Ron Rivera implied last week when he said he was "pretty comfortable" with the idea of Stewart being ready for Sunday's game against the Saints.

Stewart will likely be listed as "questionable" leading up to the game, and considering it's a highly favorable matchup, Cameron Artis-Payne should be picked up or owned as insurance, but right now, we like Stewart's chances of playing and getting around 15 touches.

Will Tyler Eifert play in Week 6?

Eifert's season debut was delayed last week because of a back injury suffered in practice, but the Bengals think he has a chance to play this week against the Patriots.

At this point, he's in our TE rankings (No. 9), but don't be surprised if this comes down to a game-time decision. Between the offseason ankle problems and the new back issue, it's unclear just how many snaps Eifert will play and how effective he can be.

WEEK 6 RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Defense | Kicker

Is Dion Lewis worth picking up on the waiver wire?

There's been little to no news about Lewis (knee) since he was placed IR back in August, but fantasy owners are wondering if now's the time to stash him.

What we do know is that he's out until at least Week 7, and it's been believed that he likely won't return until Week 10, at the earliest. At that point, it's anyone's guess as to how effective he'll be, but after watching him last year (88.9 yards per game, four total TDs in seven games), it's easy to see why owners don't want to miss out on him. If your league has an IR spot, by all means grab him, but if you have to eat a roster spot for the next month (maybe more), you can probably wait a week or two to make the move.

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Dez Bryant injury news

No surprise, but it sounds like Bryant (knee) will miss Week 6's game in Green Bay and rest through Dallas's Week 7 bye.

With Tony Romo (back) also expected back in Week 8, Bryant's fantasy value should see a nice uptick -- provided both he and Romo can stay healthy.

Doug Martin, Jacquizz Rodgers updates

Martin (hamstring) is tentatively expected back after the Bucs' Week 6 bye, but given his injury history, Rodgers' is worth grabbing off the waiver wire.

With Charles Sims (knee) on IR, Rodgers will be the primary handcuff to Martin, and his 35-touch, 129-yard performance in Week 5 showed that he can handle the load, at least for a single game.

Will Arian Foster play in Week 6?

There's a good chance Foster (groin, hamstring) will suit up in Week 6, but he'll likely come down to a game-time decision after limited practices all week.

Jay Ajayi would likely function as Miami's feature back again if Foster is out, making him worth a waiver add this week.

Latavius Murray injury update

Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said he "hopes" Murray (toe) plays this week, but, like most of the RBs we've already talked about, he'll likely be a game-time call.

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If he plays, expect a three-man rotation between him, DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard, which essentially makes all three unplayable in fantasy leagues. If Murray is out, Washington and Richard will both have flex value

Chicago Bears #34 Walter Payton

Chicago Bears #34 Walter Payton
On Sunday afternoon, Ohio State’s last two running back starters, Carlos Hyde and Ezekiel Elliott, opposed one another in an NFL game.

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After Elliott’s Dallas Cowboys had disposed of Hyde’s San Francisco 49ers 24-17, the two former OSU teammates posed for a photo holding each other’s jerseys.

OSU redshirt freshman Michael Weber, four games into his career as the heir apparent to Elliott, was asked if he saw that moment.

“I saw it,” Weber said. “If I keep working hard, maybe one day that can be.”

Through four games, Weber’s OSU playing career is off to a fast start. He was named the Big Ten freshman of the week after rushing for 144 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries in OSU’s 58-0 romp over Rutgers.

For the year, Weber has 68 carries for 495 yards (7.3 average) and two touchdowns. He leads the Big Ten at 123.8 yards per game.

On Monday, OSU coach Urban Meyer was asked if the 5-10, 212-pound Weber reminds him more of Hyde or Elliott.

“More Carlos,” Meyer said. “He's a banger. It's a thumper and a plus yardage guy most of the time. Zeke was too. Doesn't have the top end that Zeke has. We're working on that. And Carlos' is a great back. We have been fortunate. I think Mike falls right in that category.”

On Saturday, Weber got loose for a 46-yard touchdown run. He was also tracked down on a 49-yard run. Meyer was asked what Weber can do to improve his speed.

“Yeah, just keep working,” Meyer said. “Zeke was a national level high hurdler in the 110s and Mike is not. But Mike has great feet, great power, and that's why I compare him a little bit closer to Carlos Hyde.”

Weber was asked who he would compare his game to.

“That’s kind of a hard question,” he said. “I just go out there and play my hardest. I want to be myself at the end of the day.

“Those two are great running backs. But I still have a lot of work to do.”

Weber was then asked what running backs he followed growing up. He went old school when he brought up Sweetness, former Chicago Bears star Walter Payton.

“I liked Walter Payton,” Weber said. “My dad played running back, too, and he showed me (Payton’s) highlights and Barry Sanders’. I was more into those kind of running backs than today’s backs.”

Asked what he applies from Payton’s game, Weber said, “Really, just running hard. I like running hard and being a punisher running the ball. It just feels good running over people. He did a good job with that.”

As a Detroit native, Weber was asked how he could favor Payton over Sanders. Weber revealed he is actually acquainted with Sanders and sees him as a mentor of sorts.

“Actually, I’m really cool with Barry Sanders,” Weber said. “I played golf with him a couple of times. When I was little, I played in a little All-American game and he spoke to us and I met him. I know people who know him. I talk to him often. I never really talked about football with him, just regular stuff.

“He wanted me to keep No. 20, but I wanted No. 25.”

One of the things that has endeared Weber to his coaches and teammates has been his willingness as a pass blocker. He has also been used as a lead blocker for Curtis Samuel in some split-back sets.

“At Cass Tech, we do pass block,” Weber said. “But it’s not as big as what we do here. Zeke helped me out with it and I got better at it. It’s actually fun.

“Coach Alford showed us video of Zeke pass blocking and lead blocking. They made sure that’s how they want our running backs to play in the future. I was willing to do that.”

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Meyer agreed that Weber has received high marks internally for the way he blocks for his teammates.

“There is such an emphasis here about the selfless player,” Meyer said. “Zeke had a reputation of being arguably the best tailback in couple decades as far as blocking and things without the ball, so we actually want him to be a lot like Zeke, and use it as an example quite often.

“He's doing really well. His protection is outstanding. His effort is great. We are really pleased what he's turned into.”

Quarterback J.T. Barrett said he is appreciative of the way Weber has protected him.

“That was something he was not accustomed to when he got here,” Barrett said. “We all saw the kind of job Zeke did as a pass blocker. That was something he saw through Zeke and he knew how much pride he took in blocking for me.

“And that was whether I was in the pocket or at there running. That’s something he started doing because he knows it’s about the team. That’s an unselfish thing for a running back who just wants the ball.”

Flashing back to his signing with Ohio State in February 2015, there was some immediate controversy when then-OSU running backs coach Stan Drayton left for the NFL’s Chicago Bears. Weber, who picked OSU over Michigan, expressed some displeasure with how that was handled. Tony Alford was hired to replace Drayton and, over time, the rifts were healed.

“I chose Ohio State because it is a really great program,” Weber said. “Coach Meyer and his staff do a really great job of putting guys into the NFL. They develop guys for after football. I felt at home even though I’m not from Ohio.

“It’s working out now. It was all a part of growing up.”

Meyer said he and the staff worked quickly to smooth over any hard feelings with Weber and his Cass Tech High School coach Thomas Wilcher, who played at Michigan with current UM coach Jim Harbaugh.

“I was shocked when it all took place,” Meyer said. “I called their high school coach and we had a very honest conversation. This is how it occurred. We have some pretty good built up bank with high school coaches that this is the way we operate. We don't do things that are going to disrupt young people.

“I mean, it was over. I think it carried on for a little bit maybe here, but not -- Mike was great. He came into spring, and within a day or two everything was done. That had zero impact once he started showing up here and getting ready to go.”

Weber redshirted as Elliott enjoyed an 1,800-yard season in 2015. Once Elliott left for the NFL in January, Weber became the next back in the pipeline. Meyer and strength coach Mickey Marotti assigned Weber to work out with offensive line stalwarts Pat Elflein and Billy Price as a way of speeding his development – both physically and mentally.

On Saturday when Weber scored his touchdown, Elflein was seen speeding toward him. For reasons unclear, Weber tried to hoist the 300-pound Elflein. It did not go well with Weber joking on Twitter he nearly slipped a disc in his back.

“He came to me one day and said, ‘Because we are always the guys picking up the running backs, how about you pick me up?’ ” Weber said.

“I said, ‘If that’s what you want … but you’ve got to at least jump and help me.’ I guess he forgot. After I scored the touchdown, he didn’t jump at all. It was kind of hard to pick him up.”

Weber may be working his way toward what Elliott was – an honorary member of The Slobs fraternity with the offensive line.

“They gave me a wristband,” Weber said. “I work out with my linemen as well. I’m really close with Billy and Pat. I worked out with them and J.T. all off-season. I built a good relationship with them.”

On Saturday, Weber was the lead contributor in a 410-yard rushing onslaught against Rutgers. Demario McCall (10 carries, 85 yards, one TD), Curtis Samuel (nine carries, 68 yards) and first-time playing freshman Antonio Williams (six carries, 28 yards) also got opportunities. Receivers Johnnie Dixon and Parris Campbell each had 5-yard touchdown runs. They were among eight different Buckeyes who scored.

“We have a lot of depth and a lot of talent,” Weber said. “For example, with Antonio Williams and Demario McCall, all of us are really good. We got out there and showed what we could do. Every day in practice, we see how much talent we have.

“For me, I was just following my blocks. They were opening holes. There was one play where it was so wide open I ran through and didn’t have to do anything.”

Asked what he saw on his touchdown, Weber said, “My eyes got big. I saw the end zone and I just took off.”

Weber reached the 100-yard mark for the third time in four games.

“I am a lot more comfortable now,” he said. “With my first start (against Bowling Green), my heart was pounding. Now I have a demeanor when I go out there to play football – the game I love and the game I have played my whole life.”

Barrett was asked if he had any trepidation about Weber stepping in for Elliott at running back.

“No, not really,” Barrett said. “I have faith in our coaches that whoever is out there on the field is the best player at their position.

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“I wasn’t worried about that. When Coach Meyer looked at me and said, ‘Mike Weber is the real deal,’ I believed him.”

Baltimore Ravens #9 Justin Tucker

Baltimore Ravens #9 Justin Tucker
Cynics might suggest it's easy to have fun with quick and frequent success. But no one can argue what Tucker has meant to a Ravens franchise that, before his arrival, had already been blessed with two Pro Bowl kickers in Matt Stover and Billy Cundiff.

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Tucker's on-field achievements are well-documented:

- He is the AFC's most accurate field-goal kicker of all-time and second-best in league history at 88.7 percent (through Week Four), topped only by Dallas' Dan Bailey (90.5).

- He reached the 500-point career mark faster than any kicker in NFL history, just 60 games. By one game, that eclipsed a record set by the only pure placekicker in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Jan Stenerud.

- Tucker claims 12 career game-winning kicks, including two on the road this season, a 49-yarder in Cleveland Sept. 18 and a 54-yard boot with 1:02 remaining to pull out the win in Jacksonville one week later.

- He has won six AFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards and, just last month, took home his third AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honor.

- Through Week Four, Tucker had missed only six times in his career in the fourth quarter and six times when the Ravens are trailing. He had also made all 144 extra-point tries, including 34 in a row after the nearly automatic 20-yard distance was moved back to 33 yards in 2015.

With such success comes an often harsh spotlight on pro athletes. But when someone is as multi-faceted and well-rounded as Tucker, it can also display the very best someone has to give. For him, that is plenty.

Since Tucker arrived in Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2012, he's become a familiar figure on Charm City's sports scene, flashing an eclectic (and entertaining) personality that's endeared him to fans and teammates alike.

The 26-year-old Tucker is an amalgam of Orioles outfielder Adam Jones' confidence, Baltimore Colts legend Art Donovan's shoot-from-the-hip sense of humor and former-Terps head coach Gary Williams' intensity. It would be no shock if Tucker could impersonate those three as well as he handles the unique vocal patterns of such diverse celebrities as businessman (and Republican presidential nominee) Donald Trump, Oscar-winning actors Christopher Walken and Matthew McConaughey, and former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, among many others.

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In short, Tucker is a 6-foot-1, 180-pound bundle of energy, passion and charisma, not to mention accuracy.

"He's like a comedian," punter Sam Koch said. "You could be around [a] comedy tour, 24-7. Everything that comes out of his mouth is trying to make somebody laugh and have fun. He enjoys his time here, and that's good, because there are going to be times around here that things aren't fun. That's his attitude, his personality and his character."

While some might characterize placekickers, hockey goalies and relief pitchers as "flaky," that sobriquet doesn't fit Tucker at all. He does not embrace obscure philosophies and religions or draw inspiration from little-known pseudo-scholars claiming they have the answers to cure societal ills. A Ravens website headline from October 2012 said it all: "Lovable Weirdness."

Tucker is simply an extroverted guy with a wide variety of interests, such as comedy, music (his major at the University of Texas), television and volunteering to take part in the Ravens' many community-oriented initiatives. Last month, Tucker and running back Justin Forsett were spotted paying tolls for Fort McHenry Tunnel drivers dressed in full toll-collector gear.

"Why does anybody have to feel like they should fit into box x, y or z?" Tucker said. "We're people; we don't fit into boxes, or baskets, for that matter. So I'm of the thought that you should do what you like to do, and do everything you can to shine a light around others around you as well.

"I think it was kind of natural for me to take an interest in fine arts, especially in music. It wasn't anything that seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe to somebody else looking in, when they say ‘football player' they want to peg me as a football player and say, ‘That's your role.' I've never been one to think that you should put a label on anybody for any reason."

Besides his family, no one is around Tucker more than his teammates, including linebacker and locker-room neighbor Zachary Orr, who is well-placed to testify to Tucker's tension-easing propensity.

Like Tucker, Orr was an undrafted player who had to work harder than most during his nascent days with the team. Today, Orr is the starting weak-side linebacker who enjoys Tucker's penchant for helping create the loose locker room that is a Ravens trademark.

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"He's definitely one of those people that is going to break the tension," Orr said. "If it's quiet, you can definitely count on Tuck to say something. If Tuck's quiet, you know something is really, really wrong. Tuck can definitely be one of those guys when, if the mood is kind of down, he'll be able to pick everybody up."

Atlanta Falcons #24 Devonta Freeman

Atlanta Falcons #24 Devonta Freeman
Week 6 in the NFL and now the contenders and pretenders of fantasy football and real football have established themselves. Every week counts as we near the midway point through the season. Who can fantasy owners trust to get them a victory this week?

Start

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Jeremy Maclin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs

Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin has underachieved this season with just 244 receiving yards and a single touchdown. But, if there’s a week that fantasy owners should feel confident playing him, it’s this week at Oakland. The Raiders are notoriously bad against the pass and have surrendered well over 300 passing yards a game and 12 touchdowns.

Jonathan Stewart or Cameron Artis-Payne, RBs. Carolina Panthers

Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart expects to be back on the field Sunday for Carolina’s game against New Orleans. Stewart has missed the past three games with a strained hamstring. This week’s matchup is a juicy one with the Saints giving up 121 rushing yards per game and eight scores on the season. If Stewart can’t go, backup Cameron Artis-Payne is a must play.


OCTOBER 12, 2016 Fantasy Post podcast Episode 2: Gronk vs. Bennett; Is it time to worry about C.J. Anderson?
OCTOBER 11, 2016 Is Sammie Coates the new Martavis Bryant? Fantasy Football Waiver Week 6
Jesse James, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense has been absolutely dominant the past two weeks, posting a 43-14 win against Kansas City and a 31-13 drubbing of New York. That trend should continue when the Steelers travel to Miami. With tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Cameron Brate on a bye this week, Steelers tight end Jesse James may be available. He’s a good bet to get in the endzone as he’s scored a touchdown in three of his last four games.

Ryan Mathews, RB, Philadelphia Eagles


Ryan Mathews has put up solid numbers in three of his four outings this year. Just when the fantasy world thought maybe fellow back Wendell Smallwood would get more touches in the Eagles offense, Mathews owned the backfield last Sunday against Detroit. Mathews did lose a costly fumble that ended up in a game-winning field goal for Detroit so he may lose touches this week. Nevertheless, Mathews has a good matchup on deck against a Washington defense that allows 130 rushing yards per game to go with eight rushing touchdowns this year.

Sit

Rashad Jennings, RB, New York Giants

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Giants back Rashad Jennings is set to return from a thumb injury, but he draws a really bad matchup against the Ravens. Fantasy Football Outsiders has Baltimore listed as its No. 1 run defense. The Ravens have allowed just two rushing touchdowns on the year.

Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has been amazing for fantasy owners this season, but I’d leave him on the bench on Sunday. The red-hot Falcons play the Seahawks who have one of the best passing defenses in the league. In four games, Seattle has allowed just one passing touchdown. The Falcons have proven they can win tough games against great opponents with running backs Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. If Atlanta wins this game, it’ll look similar to last week’s victory in Denver, in which Ryan put up a modest day for fantasy owners. Of course, that assumes for good weather, which likely won’t be the case given a stormy forecast.

Quincy EnunwaAndy Lyons, Getty ImagesQuincy Enunwa #81 of the New York Jets runs with the while defended by Jalil Brown #25 of the Indianapolis Colts during the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 21, 2015 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Quincy Enunwa, WR, New York Jets

Sitting wide receiver Quincy Enunwa on Monday is an indictment of the matchup and the Jets’ offense. This marks the second time in three weeks that the Jets are facing a top-five passing defense in terms of yards allowed per game. While Brandon Marshall has flourished, Enuwa has been mediocre at best. He hasn’t seen double digit targets since Week 3 at the Chiefs. While Enunwa looked like a bona fide fantasy asset earlier this year as the No. 3 receiver when Eric Decker and Marshall were in, he’s now a desperation play even with Decker out. With Arizona allowing just 190 passing yards a game and the Jets just not getting him the ball, Enunwa is a sit on Monday Night Football.

Jeremy Hill, RB, Cincinnati Bengals

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There’s a lot to hate about playing Bengals running back Jeremy Hill this week. For starters, Hill is banged up. The Bengals’ official injury report says he’s dealing with a chest issue but reports have surfaced that he’s also dealing with a shoulder injury as well. ESPN reported that Hill was in a sling Wednesday before he practiced on a limited basis. Though Hill finished the week with two full practices Thursday and Friday, he still faces a stout New England front this Sunday. The Patriots have held opposing rushers to fewer than 90 yards on average with just two rushing scores in 2016.

Arizona Cardinals #32 Tyrann Mathieu

Arizona Cardinals #32 Tyrann Mathieu

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) celebrates a stop against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
In July 2014, Patrick Peterson signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $70 million with $48 million guaranteed. It made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, and meant he was under contract with the Arizona Cardinals through 2020.

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He then went out and had arguably the worst season of his career, surrendering eight touchdowns while being flagged for his fair share of penalties.

We learned since then Peterson was dealing with diabetes, which had been previously undiagnosed and led to him not exactly feeling like an elite athlete should.

With the health issues under control, Peterson has emerged in 2015 as a true lock-down corner, staking his claim as being the best in the game. His pedestrian stat line of just 23 tackles and two interceptions is courtesy of the fact that, quite simply, opposing quarterbacks are not throwing his direction.

The way Peterson sees it, if he’s keeping the other team’s No. 1 receivers off of the stat sheet and out of the end zone, the Cardinals have a better chance of winning.

“I think I’m doing a pretty good job this year,” he said. “I just want to make sure I stay focused and understand what teams want to do each and every week because each and every week is different, and I just have to make sure I stay the course of the game plan and make sure that I’m dialed in and focused on what teams want to do to try to attack my weakness.”

Weakness?

Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said Peterson is “playing probably as well as Deion Sanders did when he was young,” noting that the team can basically put him on a receiver and then essentially watch a great player become a non-factor for the opponent’s offense.

“I just want to continue getting better,” Peterson said. “I want to continue doing the things that got me in this position and what got me that high praise this year.

“I’ve been very, very focused this year, honed in on my assignment at all times. I’m making sure that I take a different mindset this year because last year wasn’t my best season, so I have to make sure that I’m always tuned in and always focused and always making sure of what my opponent’s going to do at all times. But to be compared to Deion Sanders of young, that’s a huge, huge complement, but in my opinion I have a long way to go.”

Peterson still has some work to do if he is to match Sanders’ eight Pro Bowls, six First-Team All-Pro selections and Pro Football Hall of Fame status, but the No. 5 overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft seems well on his way with four Pro Bowls and two First-team All-Pro selections already under his belt.

After last season’s struggles, some may have doubted that he could ever reach this level. It’s not that he was a terrible player or anything — he was selected for the Pro Bowl, after all — but he just wasn’t as good as he had been in the past or as the team was banking on him being. Peterson, though, said his confidence never wavered.

“I can care less if I was the worst corner in the league last year, I’m still going to have high confidence, I’m still going to play at a high level — if my body allows me to,” he said. “But my confidence will never shy away. I’ll always have high confidence in myself.”

It’s probably not as simple as saying the diabetes was the only thing holding him back, but at the same time, the difference in both his appearance as well as play is staggering. He looks like a completely different person and player in 2015 than he did in 2014.

“I knew what held me back last year,” he said. “I was fat and I couldn’t make any plays. I was one or two steps behind of making a play. I knew what kept me back last year of hindering my play.”

Now, there’s nothing holding him back.

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“I don’t know the right word,” defensive coordinator James Bettcher said when asked to describe Peterson’s play this season. “Special, unique — I don’t know that anybody else in this league is doing what he’s doing. Every week he’s in a situation where he’s defending the best receiver on the other team, and he’s doing it at the highest level.

“I don’t know if there’s anything else to say other than that.”

Dwight Freeney, a future Hall of Famer who has been with the Cardinals since mid-October, said he’s never seen a cornerback play at the level Peterson is right now.

“He does so much from a different perspective for this team,” he said. “He’s out there returning punts, he’s out there playing man-to-man, playing against the No. 1 receivers most times and shutting them down. To have a guy like that is so valuable to a defense.”

Healthy and happy, the 25-year-old’s ascension is noticeable in areas other than just the field, though. A captain for the first time this season, he made some headlines earlier in the week when he made the call to cancel “Victory Monday” for the defense, ensuring the players on that side of the ball would show up to the training facility to go over things on what was day off granted to them by Arians.

Then, Wednesday, he was named the Cardinals’ 2015 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year due to all the good he does in the community.

Tyrann Mathieu, a teammate of Peterson’s both now and in college at LSU, said the cornerback has always led by example but has become more vocal this season.

Peterson said over the offseason he spent time with some of the greatest professional athletes of all time, including Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Ray Lewis and, incidentally, Sanders, hoping to learn more about how to be a better team leader.

“What those guys were telling me, if I’m playing at a high level and I speak, my words carry a little bit more,” he said. “So I always want make sure, and especially now that I have that C on my chest, although I am more vocal I wanted to let my play do the talking so guys know I’m just now out there talking, I just don’t want to get the best out of you — I want you know you have to follow me as well.

“So I have to make sure that I’m always have high energy, always praising all the guys because all the onus is on me and Calais (Campbell) because we do have that C. We have a ton of leadership here, but it’s just more pressure on the top guys.”

Pressure comes with being a top five pick in the draft, and it only increases when you sign a contract that makes you one of the highest paid players in the league.

This time one year ago, it seemed as though he may not be worth the money. Peterson said there’s “no question” this is the best he has ever played.

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“As far as mentally, as far as preparation, as far as my patience at the line of scrimmage,” he said. “Just everything I’ve been working on this offseason is definitely coming all together.”

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Former Virginia football stars Morgan Moses and Brent Urban squared off on Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens played host to the Washington Redskins. 

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Moses started at right tackle for the Redskins (3-2), who defeated the Ravens, 16-10. Moses left the game and was evaluated for a concussion, but returned to the game. 

Urban recorded two tackles for the Baltimore (3-2). 

After the game, the former Cavaliers met a midfield and swapped jerseys. 

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Baltimore Ravens' Brent Urban,left, and Washington Redskins' Morgan Moses swap jerseys after an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, in Baltimore. Washington won 16-10. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

Gail Burton

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Baltimore Ravens' Brent Urban,left, and Washington Redskins' Morgan Moses swap jerseys after an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2016, in Baltimore. Washington won 16-10. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)

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Urban and Moses weren't the only former Cavaliers to meet on an NFL field on Sunday. Former UVa left tackle Oday Aboushi and safety Anthony Harris met when the Minnesota Vikings hosted the Houston Texans. Aboushi is an offensive lineman for the Texans, while Harris plays for the Vikings.