Week 4 Monday Morning After - MIA/IND, CLE/MIN, PIT/GB, TB/NE - and Trying to Make Sense of Someone Else's Relationship

Man, what a bummer so many of yesterday's contests turned out to be. I envy NFL fans who can keep themselves emotionally distant from the outcomes of the games.

By Tuesday evening, half of NFL fans are disappointed. More, if there are ties. And the data is skewed because of bye weeks. But, roughly half of the League's audience are disappointed each weekend. Why, then, do I continue to attach myself emotionally to the losing teams I'm watching?

Let's just get to it.

This weekend I listened to the Dolphins radio broadcast in the 1 o'clock spot, as well as watching a muted version of the Browns/Vikings. Then I caught Steelers/Packers while flipping over to the Cardinals/Rams. And I feel like the whole country watched Pats/Bucs – maybe the whole world. And golly jee, if I wouldn't have been happier by the end of my day if I'd just watched the Browns, putting the Dolphins out of my mind entirely.

Cus this season is lost for Miami. The season is lost, the fans are jumping ship, and how much longer does Flores survive the fans? How much longer until Ross, who is himself a fan, decides to cave under the pressure from his fanbase? I've tried to work it around in my head every which way I can that this team isn't sunk – but there's just no way.

I'll talk about that when I recap the games. What I really want to talk about in this opening section is my envy of people like Matt “Money” Smith – people who are maybe “too cool” to root for a team.

It occurs to me all the time that I love football more than I love the Dolphins. That's how I can be on my feet and biting my nails and losing my mind over the contextual drama of games that have nothing to do with me, the Dolphins fan. Or should have nothing to do with me. As fans we think all too often that these games are about us – but in a way, they sort of are.

I'm not plotting out my break-up with Miami just yet. I mean, I am, but that's not what this part is about. Honestly, I'd just like them to have a single player I can root for every week, winning or losing. Usually that player is a quarterback. If that player is anyone other than the QB, you've either got yourself a losing team or one with so many great players you can kind of take your pick.

I'd like to root for Tua. To unironically own a jersey with another person's name on the back.

Anyway – the last thing I'll say before we go to my Recap is that it must be nice to be able to go a week without your emotions played with like a yo-yo.

But what's love without regular disappointment?

Indianapolis Colts (1-3) @ Miami Dolphins (1-3)        

Welp. The Dolphins and the Chiefs don't have the same record anymore!

That was the hope I was holding onto through three weeks – even the Chiefs! Were struggling to start the season.

What I said: The Colts were set up for one of those 50-0 romps Miami has in the AFC South every four years or so.

What happened: Miami's 3 points in the first half were set up by a muffed punt on the first Indianapolis drive. Miami had the ball for the first 10 plays of the game and moved it a total of 19 yards. The defense was looking like it was going to be stifling, though. Ogbah ends Indy's first drive on a sack; Eguavoen and Phillips shared a sack to end the second drive. Just not good enough to overcome penalties, and then the rest of the first half and the third quarter were all Indy after Jakeem Grant muffs a punt of his own. Miami finds some success in the no huddle and hurry-up in the fourth, but there's no tying rally to force Overtime or steal a win.

Takeaways: You can't beat anybody playing the way Miami did on Sunday afternoon. Not the Colts, not the Jags, not the East Carolina Pirates.

Something is wrong with Jason Sanders. There was a point – it must have been in the first quarter – where Miami were in kicking range (a 56-yarder, I think) and Flores chose to punt rather than attempt a makeable field goal. Also, the opening kickoff was out of bounds. Unusual for Sanders.

Carson Wentz is still a good quarterback. He surprised Miami. I think they expected his mobility issues to make him easy to pressure, and it seems obvious the defense were expecting turnovers. They didn't get any. I heard Xavien Howard's name way too many times making tackles after passes were completed against him. Way too few breakups in general.

Nik Needham is having a pleasant season so far. I've been hearing his name for positive reasons a lot, this year. And if Byron Jones is down, it's next man up – and that's him. Maybe we even get to see Noah Igbinoghene suit up. That would be fun.

I'm not ready to bury the offensive talent after this performance.

During the radio show pregame, they called someone involved with the Colts from a press standpoint. And he was really shitting on Indianapolis's defense. He called it a “bad defense.” They sounded like they weren't playing bad. They sounded like they were playing really well – or is that deceptive? Were they coached really well – were they schemed really well – or was Miami's offensive gameplan as offensive as it sounded?

It always takes me time to go back and watch these losses. But I don't think I'm overreacting this time. What I heard is what happened. Jimmy Cephalo and Jason Taylor were kind of losing their minds about the offensive playcalling. At one point in the second half, Jason is saying that he's watching the offense, and every play is Jaelen Waddle running short routes and DeVante Parker and Mike Gesicki going deep. He says he'd like to see that reversed. Then Jimmy quips he'd like to just see a play where all the receivers run deep. Do something to get the pass rush off Brissett's back.

And golly, that fumble was worthy of a benching, wasn't it? It's first down, Jacoby! Throw it away!

Jesus, Miami did not look like a team who had a Coach of the Year candidate two years ago. Granted, the coach who won the award that year is Matt Nagy – and he doesn't look like he should have been hired in the first place. So where does that leave me feeling about Chris Grier and the Brian Flores Experience? Four games is too few to judge the job they're doing. Not when your quarterback and your high-paid free agent wide receiver aren't playing. And I insist that if it is true that Miami have a Jim Mara in Stephen Ross, it doesn't matter who is helming the Front Office or the Head Coaching spots – few teams have ever overcome meddlesome ownership.

Sigh. I should talk about the Colts.

Indianapolis isn't winless anymore! That seems to be a theme running around the League, this weekend. Good for them. They played like the better team. More importantly, they played like the better offensive coaching staff. This was the Colts team their fans have been expecting since Wentz was acquired from the Eagles.

And the Dolphins might be a get-right team moving forward.

Seriously, though – why is the offense inside out? Is it that the coordinators are trying to be too cute? Do they know that defenses are going to assume the roles of their wideouts, so they try to use them differently to catch opponents napping? It's not working, and that doesn't make sense. The skill positions aren't that good. Miami aren't Kansas City – they aren't even as good as the Chiefs from five years ago who drew up the playbook Miami is currently using.

I really feel like I've written about the horizontal passing game and how it doesn't work too much already this season.  (halfway through Fields's segment) But I can already tell I'm going to have to hop on that pony and ride all year.

I'm done talking about this game. I really want the taste of it out of my mouth. I really want to never taste a game like this again. But we both know how that's going to go.

Cleveland Browns (3-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (1-3)        

This feels like a game I could pat myself on the back for calling basically right.

What I said: The Vikings defense needed a get-right game, and Kirk Cousins was going to shit the bed. The Browns are a complete team and just need to put it all together, whatever that means.

What happened: I would love to lie to you, but I can't: While I was watching this game with my eyeballs, I wasn't tracking it closely. I was making my salsa and listening to the Dolphins. I should've just watched it and let the Browns set my emotional pace for the day. But that should be a takeaway, huh?

I kind of feel like the story of the game is told in the stat comparison, really. Total Yards: MIN, 255; CLE, 327. Passing Yards: MIN, 190; CLE, 143; Rushing Yards: MIN, 63; CLE, 184. Minnesota threw a pick; Cleveland were better on third down; Cleveland had the ball for a full 11 minutes more. The Browns were the better team - that's what those numbers indicate. You can't have that big a yardage differential because of your ground game and not expect to win. Their secondary came up with more plays, and their runners had more of an impact on the game.

Takeaways: If I were a professional, and I were really breaking these games down in my Game Rankings – and maybe I should be better about that – I would have said that these teams are exceptionally evenly matched. I should have made a bigger deal about what it means that Kevin Stefanksi was returning to Minnesota. I rely on you as readers to maybe know too much about the games and to already have your own opinions for me to come back to these Recaps and pat myself on the back for what I thought and never wrote down.

Who saw the Browns as a team that could win high-scoring games as well as on the back of their defense? I wish I could argue that I saw Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett working together this well.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) @ Green Bay Packers (3-1)    

Another ugly Pittsburgh loss.

What I said: The Steelers aren't going to be competitive with Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback this season. And the Packers don't have a get-right defense, even without the Smiths rushing the quarterback. (Man, I really feel like this one was a win for me.)

What happened: It actually wasn't Big Ben's worst game of the season. In fact, for how limited he obviously is physically and has always been pre- and post-snap, I thought he played well. It was his receivers, namely JuJu who were letting him down. I tweeted it, you've no doubt seen it, but I'll say it again: When you're dumping it off to the running back on fourth and long – and you still have time in the pocket – it's not because you trust your wide receivers to make an effort play.

But, then again, even though I went into the game rooting for the Packers, by halftime I found myself rooting for Big Ben. It was like 2011 all over again - only this time I was falling for Ben, not Aaron.

Najee Harris is the only bright spot on the Steelers' offense. Smith-Schuster is not a #1. There's no effort there. No determination.

Takeaways: The Steelers are fucked this season, with or without Big Ben starting. This one was ugly. Frankly, if it weren't for the Steelers defense showing up, specifically TJ Watt, this game is a blowout. As it was, this is two weeks in a row the Packers have taken their foot off the gas and given their opponents apparent life in the second half. I'm not worried about this one, though.

The game was in Green Bay. You could see it on Aaron Rodgers' face that he was having a good time, that there was no real anxiety that the Steelers were going to get back into the game and make it competitive.

This game should have buoyed me emotionally, but I did that thing I always do - and I got tangled up in Ben and Harris. Ben still wants it. I wondered whether maybe he weren't a little emotionally distant. But he clearly wants it. He just has no mobility anymore. He looks worse than a statue back there – whatever that would be. But god damn if he isn't trying.

You're going to hear people say Ben missed too many open receivers. Whatever. That's not what I saw. I saw guys out of position and just getting beat.

The Jaire Alexander injury is a major bummer. Especially with King still sidelined (with a concussion, right?). Man, that tackle was a thing of beauty, though. That's why it's major – you'd really like to see a guy be able to pop back up after blowing up a play like that and celebrate. Instead he gets to miss the rest of the game in pain – and potentially more time. Maybe a lot.

An AC joint sprain sounds like total agony – from someone with rotator cuff injuries.

Speaking of Najee Haris (several paragraphs ago), I can't watch him without getting bitter indigestion. He should be a Dolphin. Look at what this depleted Steelers offense is able to do because of him. Then thing what Miami's limited quarterbacks could do with a consistent and sustainable rushing attack

And I just really have to move on to Sunday Night.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) @ New England Patriots (1-3)

He did it. That son of a bitch got him.

It looked like Tom said something like that after the missed field goal to end the game. “That son of a bitch, we got him.” Something like that.

And good for him. I'm still all emotional, thinking what that game must have been like for Tom, for Bill – but especially for Mac. Who, speaking of, earned himself a fan, last night. I like this kid. His touchdown – doing Tom's celebration and then laughing about it – the Superman audible, the Jordan audible....

Mac's not just calling audibles, he's audibling formations. Granted, when he did that, he still had his coach in his ear. So maybe it was the coach's call. But he did it. Multiple times. Without incurring procedure penalties. Can any of the other rookie quarterbacks say that for themselves?

He fell short, though.

Isn't it kind of fucked up that it stopped raining for Tom's lead-stealing drive, then starts pouring harder than ever when it was Mac's turn to respond? The weather, man. Even the football gods root for Tom Terrific.

This game was too good and too fresh in everyone's mind for you to want a recap from me. I left this contest wondering how long it took Brady to get to where Mac is, as far as his command of the offense and the huddle – but more than that, I wonder how long it took Brady to become the Brady we think of today.

He didn't step onto that field in Foxborough with the mystique that if he had the ball inside two minutes with the chance to score and take the lead he would. Did he earn that in his first season? Was it the Tuck Rule game? (or whatever it's called, now) My girlfriend and I had a discussion about that. She pointed out that the way Brady's story is told, for that game, at least, is that Brady's legend began that day in the snow.

I'm not actually going to do any research and try to find the exact date that Tom was considered clutch; but I wonder if it wasn't several years into his career. My memory of Tom and his legacy is that there were question marks beside it until Manning retired. Once Manning retired and Tom was the last of the Old Guard of Qbs – that is, the last of them playing at a truly elite level (I'm sorry, Ben) – the conversation became all about his singular greatness.

But while Manning was still in the League, most people were split between Manning and Rodgers – or Manning and Favre – even Manning and Big Ben - or Manning and whoever else. It was always Peyton Manning. Rarely Brees. Sorry, man. Tom has always had an asterisk next to his name. It even took him a full 18 more games to break Brees's passing yards record. I'd asterisk that.

But what you can take away in averaged-out numbers, you can't take away from his longevity. That he has done it this long means he has earned and does deserve those records. 

What the fuck am I even talking about anymore? I need a producer in my ear reminding me to talk about things people want to read.

The question I want to ask is where Mac Jones tracks in being clutch.

He was set up perfectly to Brady Brady in the house Brady built. The field goal missed. But more than that, the offense completely fizzled on second and third down on their final drive. Is that on Mac?

I didn't think so. I walked away from that game feeling like the AFC East (well, the Dolphins and the Jets) are in trouble: Mac Jones looks like Tom Brady with First Round traits.

I've wandered so far from the format I'm trying to establish for this game— Fuck it.

I feel like I sat around on Twitter for an hour after waiting to hear about or see reports of whether Tom and Bill met, after. The “meeting” on the field was no meeting. That lasted exactly long enough for Bill to pull him close, shout “Good job” in his ear, and slap him once on the shoulder. (And evidently for them to agree to meet up after the game, so maybe I'm being dramatic, here.) Then Bill turned and ran like he thought Tom was going to try to kiss him.

If I were an asshole, I'd say he was afraid Tom was going to cry on him.

Because when Tom was left reeling by Bill's non-meeting, he fell right into the arms of Josh McDaniels – and there were tears, then. The hug was real, and it was powerful. And then I was left stunned for a long time.

We'd all been waiting for that moment – and that was what we got.

But reports started coming out eventually that Bill visited Tom in the Visitors' locker room. They were evidently together for half an hour. Or thereabouts. Bill was late for his post-game presser. And when they came out, they came out together.

Tom said after the game – and I want to actually get this quote right: 

“We got a personal relationship, you know, for 20-plus years. He drafted me here. We've had a lot of personal conversations that should remain that way and are very private. And I would say so much is made of our relationship. You know, as I said earlier this week, from a player's standpoint, you just expect the coach to give you everything he's got, and I'm sure as a player, that's what he was hoping from me.

“But nothing is really accurate that I ever see. It's all kind of – definitely doesn't come from my personal feelings or beliefs. I got a lot of respect for him as a coach, and obviously a lot of respect for this organization and all the different people here that try to make it successful.”

I think this piece is plenty long enough, and I've stopped talking about the actual games a long time ago. So maybe I'll try to organize my feelings about what is actually going on with Bill and Tom and I'll probably devote an entire piece to that. I've listened to a lot of people talk about it over a lot of years (like, you know, twenty of them), and while they're disjointed, I think I might have thoughts to add to the overall conversation.

Don't expect that today. Maybe Wednesday or Thursday. Thursday would make more sense, probably. You tell me.

I'm going to spend the rest of today diving into the weekend, then tomorrow I'll recap MNF and re-rank the games. Teaser: The Browns might be moving – just not down.

Until then— Oh! I didn't burn my salsa this week. It came out perfect. And now I get to enjoy it on everything I eat for the next two weeks because I cook like I have friends coming over.

Anyway. Thanks for stopping by, for making it this far, and for any past or future visits I haven't thanked you for yet. I hope your weekend was awesome, and I hope your Monday only gets better from here.

Talk at you soon.