Earl Thomas was the best player on the field for the Seahawks on Monday night. (Beall/Wikimedia Commons)

Panthers 31, Buccaneers 13

Cam Newton has settled nicely into his caretaker role. His playing style has generally been more conservative lately, but he still knows when he has to make explosive plays. And the Panthers keep winning.

This was the first time this year where I’ve really watched Darrelle Revis throughout the entire game. When he was matched up on Steve Smith, Revis usually got the better of him. It puzzles me why the coaches didn’t ask Revis to follow him for the whole game instead of playing a soft zone from time to time like he usually did on third downs. And the Bucs keep losing.

-Sunday-

Lions 31, Cowboys 30

Calvin Johnson owned Brandon Carr all game long. It’s interesting to think what kind of quarterback Matthew Stafford would be without Johnson catching his passes.

The Cowboys cannot run the ball, and that doomed them in this game when they were trying to run out the clock. However, this is a problem that should be helped by DeMarco Murray’s return next week. The Cowboys have some big flaws, but they are still probably a playoff team coming out of the horrendous NFC East.

49ers 42, Jaguars 10

The 49ers offensive line is the best in the league and I don’t know if it’s close. Easy win for San Francisco.

What did you expect from the Jaguars? They will probably win a game one of these weeks, but they won’t do it against a team like the 49ers.

Chiefs 23, Browns 17

Alex Smith is pretty inaccurate when he’s asked to throw downfield. But as long as he keeps churning out first downs and doesn’t turn it over, the Chiefs will win a lot of games.

If the Browns ever get a quarterback who can consistently create some offense by getting the ball to Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron without turning it over (i.e. Alex Smith), the Browns have the talent to be a playoff team. While the playoffs are a long shot this year, fortunately for Cleveland, the near future looks bright.

Patriots 27, Dolphins 17

It’s very rare that you see a defensive back have two sacks in an entire season, much less in one game. Logan Ryan managed to pull this off, and Ryan Tannehill looked unprepared for Ryan’s slot blitzes all game long.

The Dolphins ran the ball well, but Tannehill continues his mini-slump with another multi-interception game. Miami needs to start winning soon before their playoff hopes slip away.

Ryan Tannehill needs to turn around what has become a sophomore slump. (June Rivera/Wikimedia Commons)

Saints 35, Bills 17

It was clear from the start that Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s game plan was to hit Thaddeus Lewis early, often, and hard—a strategy that was highly effective even though Stevie Johnson was able to take advantage of one-on-one coverage on a New Orleans blitz to get his only touchdown on the day. On the Saints’ offensive side, Kenny Stills’ subtle warding-off of defenders combined with great hands enables him to consistently come down with jump balls even though he does not have a distinct size advantage.

The Bills’ Jairus Byrd usually won’t be the fastest player on the field, but he somehow is always around the ball. He deserves to be mentioned among the top safeties in the league.

Giants 15, Eagles 7

The Giants finally got their pass rush going. It’s crazy to think that they are only two games out of the division lead.

It’s probably too early to judge, but the Chip Kelly experiment has not been what was expected thus far.

Bengals 49, Jets 9

When Andy Dalton plays like this, watch out for Cincinnati— they have the talent to go far.

Antonio Cromartie had a pretty terrible game, as did Geno Smith. Both should be expected to play better in the future, and the Jets should be expected to contend for a playoff spot.

Raiders 21, Steelers 18

The Raiders are no joke, and Darren McFadden looking like himself of two years ago gives them a weapon who can take some pressure off Terrelle Pryor. The defense is playing well, too.

The Steelers’ inability to run the ball was crucial in this game. Also, watching Troy Polamalu intercept a pass made me realize I haven’t seen him do that in a long time.

Andy Dalton is playing well lately, and it's no coincidence the Bengals keep winning. (Batson/Wikimedia Commons)

Andre Ellington finally had his big breakout game. They Cardinals have some good talent on their roster, and this game by Carson Palmer shows what the team can do with decent quarterback play.

The Falcons are bad. I’m not even sure how good Matt Ryan is when he doesn’t have wide open receivers to throw to all the time.

Broncos 45, Redskins 21

After going down 21-7, the Broncos made this one look easy. As long as everybody stays healthy on offense, they don’t need much of a defense.

The Redskins simply aren’t that good, and I don’t know why they don’t run Alfred Morris more than they do. And DeAngelo Hall can still play a little bit.

-Sunday Night-

Packers 44, Vikings 31

The fact that Aaron Rodgers is playing so well without Randall Cobb, Jermichael Finley and James Jones is amazing. The first touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson was ridiculous.

I’m not sure how Minnesota managed to put up 31 points with Christian Ponder at the helm.

-Monday Night-

Seahawks 14, Rams 9

Seattle’s offensive line is so bad. Paul McQuistan should not be playing tackle at the NFL level. Would putting in backup left tackle Alvin Bailey, who looked really good in pass protection during the preseason, really be any worse? Also, Earl Thomas is an absolute stud. Most average fans probably see him as more of a ball-hawking safety, but last night his rangy tackles were a huge difference in the game.

The Rams clearly have some talented players and a beast of a defensive line. And that misdirection play they repeatedly ran with running back Zac Stacy was very effective. They played an overall better game than the Seahawks, but turnovers and the big play given up to Golden Tate proved to be the differences.

Reach Staff Writer Andrew McKagan here or follow him here.