Before the games began, we were all loving the Redskins and what a shocker, losing to the Rams like that. I mean, they won two division games on the road and then come home and play a team that hasn't won a game. I mean, are you kidding me?

NFL Week 6

Week 6 action

Falcons 22, Bears 20 -- Recap | Box
Texans 29, Dolphins 28 -- Recap | Box
Colts 31, Ravens 3 -- Recap | Box
Vikings 12, Lions 10 -- Recap | Box
Saints 34, Raiders 3 -- Recap | Box
Jets 26, Bengals 14 -- Recap | Box
Bucs 27, Panthers 3 -- Recap | Box
Rams 19, Redskins 17 -- Recap | Box
Jaguars 24, Broncos 17 -- Recap | Box
Cards 30, Cowboys 24 -- Recap | Box
Eagles 40, 49ers 26 -- Recap | Box
Packers 27, Seahawks 17 -- Recap | Box
Chargers 30, Patriots 10 -- Recap | Box
Browns 35, Giants 14 -- Recap | Box


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Analysis

• Marvez: Ryan isn't a typical rookie
  
• Glazer: Gonzalez wants out of K.C.
  

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Video

• Strahan takes on Giants
  
• Albert and Johnston on Rams-'Skins
  
• Online OT: Complete NFL coverage
  

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Photos

• Week 6's best action
  
• Marvez: NFL future stars
  

A team like Washington we found out can't afford to have a lapse. I think Jim Zorn now understands that anybody can get beat in this league. Everybody can beat everybody.

The one sure thing so far has been the defending champs, the New York Giants. I guess I can say they have been a dominant team thus far. I hope by me saying that, they don't lose to Cleveland on Monday night.

To me, the Cowboys are in trouble. They've lost their swagger and have to be wondering. Green Bay is too beat up, I think, to really make a run. The Saints are still the most explosive and fun team to watch right now. Drew Brees has been lights out this season.

But right now, it's hard to get a real feel for this league. I think we will know more in another month. Everything is so wacky. But the New York Giants are looking like a real deal.

The Redskins really were over-confident. Now, I tell you it's a product of everybody back in Washington probably telling those players how great they are. It's a product of the players thinking they are a great team. The players had to be thinking that they don't have to give their best effort against a winless team like the Rams. And what you find out is that you have to bring it week in and week out.

There's no reason for the Rams to beat the Redskins. I mean, there is no excuse for that. Turnovers killed them. They hadn't turned the ball over all season on offense, and Sunday they had three turnovers.

I realize this is difficult for the players to grasp. But when I played, we had great leaders on the Steelers and our coach, Chuck Noll, was someone who drove us good and hard all the time. He always kept us focused. He was a coach who said these guys will beat your butt if you don't work and do this and that. We always knew when we had an inferior opponent on Sunday because practice that week was hell.

Noll was a tremendous coach at maintaining our focus that if we don't play our best, we can be beaten. If we play our best, we dominate. The Redskins need to learn that. I'm telling you, they are going to look back on the season and say, 'Gee, we could have been 5-1.' They really messed up a great chance, and now let's see what they do now.

It's like taking a book and you have all the blank pages in the binder. Now, the Redskins still have to write their story. We just don't know how it's going to turn out. The trouble with some teams is that they write the first chapter or two and then all of sudden they want to skip to the end of the book. Players and coaches have to understand that they have to go page by page, chapter by chapter, idea by idea, and too many of these players want to skip all the way to end. You can't do that. The season is a learning process.

Brett, Brett, Brett

I have to say this again. Brett Favre continues to amaze me. He looked like he hurt his arm Sunday, but he just wiggled his right arm and kept on playing. Fans have to understand that we don't ever see many players like this, playing game after game for 16 seasons. There is just nobody like him. I have the greatest respect for him.

The thing about sports in general is that when you have good ability, so often the difference that takes you to the next level is confidence. I think you can see that with the Falcons, the confidence that is building within that team. I'm sure that nobody predicted how well the offense and defense is playing there. And this rookie quarterback has given them a chance.

And how about Roddy White? Now, there's a story. This guy had a good season last year, but he has the look of a star receiver now. But that just shows what happens when you have a quarterback that goes through his progressions — he keeps everybody in the offense alive. I mean, when a quarterback doesn't go through his progressions, the players know it and they will get despondent and quit on their routes and basically not give great effort.

But with Ryan, the receivers are saying, 'Hey, this kid is smart and if we run our routes and he reads correctly and we're open, chances are he's at least going to come to us.' Now, that's exciting. They are winning on the road, they are winning close games, they are building momentum and they are building confidence.

I wasn't that high on Ryan coming out of college, but I also hadn't sat down with him, either, like the scouts do. I didn't know what kind of kid he was. But he is the real deal. They took a lot of heat for giving him so much money, but it's Arthur Blank's money and that's what he chose to do. And right now, it's such a great story for the city of Atlanta.