One-quarter of the way through the schedule http://www.coltsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ryan-kelly-jersey , minus the Panthers and Redskins who had byes in Week 4, , we'll try to decipher what happened in a September that saw some early season swoons and some sizzling starts.THE GOODThe NFL wants offense, offense and more offense. If a game winds up 60-55, the folks on Park Avenue will have no problem with it.So the points explosion the Rams and Chiefs put forth in the first four games deserve praise for their entertainment value, and perhaps for pleasing the upper echelon bosses of the league. Both teams have young, strong-armed gamblers at quarterback, dynamic running backs, and schemes that befuddle defenses.Kudos, too, go to some of the unexpectedly impressive teams through the opening month. We talk of:—Cincinnati . Although the defense hasn't quite come around, the Bengals (3-1) have displayed enough with the ball, averaging 31.5 points despite playing three road games. There's a resilience this club rarely has displayed in recent seasons, best exhibited by the way the Bengals rallied to win at Atlanta on Sunday."We didn't flinch," quarterback Andy Dalton said. "We just kept going. That's what you need to be a really good team and to be a good offense."—Baltimore . And most notably, Joe Flacco, who with a new and much stronger receiving group, has looked like the guy who helped the Ravens (3-1) win the 2012 championship. Almost always possessing a reliable defense, Baltimore has yielded 65 points; only Jacksonville among clubs that have played four times has yielded fewer.—Tennessee . Talk about resilience, the Titans (3-1) have won three straight, each by three points. The gumption they showed in overtime versus defending Super Bowl champ Philadelphia — converting three fourth-down plays in overtime, one via penalty — is a great sign in Music City.—Chicago . Monsters of the Midway indeed. It's been a while since a trade just before the season kicked off has had the kind of impact of the Bears (3-1) getting Khalil Mack from Oakland. This is a defense that should keep Chicago in every game — don't go overboard, Bears fans, by Mitchell Trubisky's six touchdown passes against a befuddled and, at times disinterested group of Buccaneers — and that bodes well for winter time for a recently downtrodden team.—Cleveland. Hey, the Browns (1-2-1) have a win already. And a tie.—TV ratings. They are up and, as we get closer to cold and nasty weather, the numbers figure to continue climbing.THE BADLet's start with the new head coaches, who have a combined mark of 10-18, including Arizona, the only winless team at 0-4. Steve Wilks has a defensive background, but the Cardinals have allowed 94 points while scoring a measly 37. Already, 13 teams have scored at least 37 points in a game.You must score consistently to win in the current NFL.Chicago's Matt Nagy and Tennessee's Mike Vrabel (see above) each are 3-1. Indianapolis' Frank Reich, Oakland's Jon Gruden, Detroit's Matt Patricia and the Giants' Pat Shurmur all are 1-3.Also not worth bragging about:—10-minute OTs. The 2017 rule change had no effect as there were no ties. Already we've had two this season, nearly had three more on Sunday, and a perhaps unintended consequence of the shortening of overtime from 15 minutes Joe Haeg Jersey , generally for player safety, could be coming. The OT structure allows the team that kicks off to begin the extra session to get the ball if the opponent opens with a field goal. What if that opponent uses up all 10 minutes and kicks a three-pointer to win it as overtime expires?—The malaise plaguing supposed Super Bowl contenders in Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Atlanta, all playing far below expectations and revealing some alarming weak spots.SHIELD YOUR EYESLe'Veon Bell's holdout and what it has done to the Steelers, on the field and in the locker room, has gotten ugly.Injuries to such key players as Earl Thomas, Tyler Eifert, Jimmy Garoppolo and three Falcons defensive starters not only were tough to watch, but could have long-range impacts on their careers and their teams' chances.Finally, the officiating.Coaches grit their teeth or, in the case of Packers' Mike McCarthy, slam their play sheet to the ground. Players demonstratively protest calls and reversals of calls. Broadcasters, including former NFL officiating chiefs, wonder aloud where that decision came from and how it was reached. Owners probably throw food around in their luxury boxes.Points of emphasis become so emphasized that they exceed their intent. Hey, a Miami Dolphin gets hurt trying to avoid landing too hard on a quarterback in fear of getting a penalty for something that physics say is unavoidable.Video replay in September became more intrusive than ever, and perhaps even a bit unreliable.Of course, there are three more months to go. Let's see what October brings.Colts vs Redskins: Week 2 winners and losers There is nothing quite as sweet as getting a win in your road opener against a tough opponent. That’s exactly what the Indianapolis Colts did when they walked into FedEx Field and upset the Washington Redskins 21-9. It was a solid performance from both sides of the ball, and one that never really felt like it was out of the Colts’ hands. The defense in particular managed to really limit the potent rushing attack of the Redskins, which enabled the offense to put up points and play with the lead. So let’s take a look at the winners and losers from this week two matchup.WinnersDarius LeonardPhoto by Patrick Smith/Getty Images18 tackles. Clearly this guy’s parents didn’t teach him to share, as he just basically went out there and hoarded all the tackles for himself. 1 sack, 1 tackle for a loss, 1 pass defended, and 1 forced fumble. If the Colts would have lined him up out wide on offense, he probably could have caught a touchdown pass too. In all seriousness, this is how you put yourself into serious consideration as Defensive Rookie of the Year. Darius Leonard was all over the place making plays, and you can bet people will know his name going forward. This guy is going to be a fun player to watch for a long time, and of the type the Colts haven’t had in a long while.T.Y. HiltonHilton made his presence known early, and proved to be a major factor all game. 7 of 11 for 83 yards and a touchdown, Hilton worked perfectly as a security blanket for Luck, playing a major role in the offense’s success on 3rd down in the first half. Given the tendency for this offense to spread the ball around and get everyone involved, we likely won’t see insane numbers to Hilton this season. However, his involvement and ability to make plays after the catch has already been on display, and was even more significant today. If the Colts can get their offensive line healthy, they can likely work the deep ball more and that’ll further help Hilton’s effectiveness.Jordan WilkinsPhoto by Rob Carr/Getty ImagesWilkins looked like the best running back on the field in yesterday’s game and was the Colts’ most effective back in the Colts’ running back by committee approach. With Marlon Mack still looking to me like a guy who is playing at less than 100%, Wilkins stepped right up. He seemed patient, balanced, and willing to take what the defense gave him and then some.He finished the day with 10 carries for 61 yards. Wilkins doesn’t need to be a dominant player Authentic J'Marcus Webb Jersey , and I expect his year to look less impressive on the stat sheet than it does on film. This game showed what a patient runner he is and how good his vision is as well. If not for quick thinking and a nice play by him, a terrible screen pass call would’ve resulted in a safety. This guy looks like a very solid addition to the running backs room. Jabaal SheardThis was a strong effort from both Sheard and Margus Hunt. Sheard was in on 3 tackles, 2 for a loss, a sack, 2 QB hits, and a batted ball. This is exactly the kind of performance the Colts hope to see against a very good offensive line. Sheard certainly wasn’t doing this alone, and much of their success was as a result of stunts and twists, but it was a good showing, and the kind they need to keep seeing this or better from him if they want to have any chance to get wins against some of their tougher opponents. Pierre DesirGeoff Burke-USA TODAY SportsAfter not seeing a single defensive snap last week, Desir made the most of his time on the field yesterday. He had 4 tackles, 1 for a loss, had a critical pass breakup in the end zone that prevented a touchdown, very nearly intercepted another that he broke up, and recovered a fumble that was forced by Darius Leonard. Not a bad showing for a guy who last week played second fiddle to a guy with a broken hand. He certainly made a case for keeping himself in the lineup going forward.Honorable Mentions: Jihad Ward, Eric Ebron, Nyheim Hines, Offensive LineLosers3rd Quarter Offensive Play CallingPhoto by Michael Hickey/Getty ImagesThe biggest and most concerning loser of this game is definitely the 3rd quarter offense, and the play calling that is leading to it. It seems as though the team has a very good game plan in place for the offense throughout much of the early first half. At some point, however, there has been a clear drop-off through two games in terms of the offensive effectiveness. I don’t know what the cure is here, but they’ve got to come out of half time with some scripted plays for the second half, so that the offense can find some momentum. This coaching staff is going to have to figure out a way to adjust and deal with all those defensive changes from the other team. Maybe that means coming out of the half running no-huddle to wrong-foot the defense, or maybe it means scripting some situational plays so that they know they can get a couple quick wins to get started. Whatever they land on, they have got to figure something out, because better teams are going to beat them if they go flat for a whole quarter every game. Andrew LuckPhoto by Rob Carr/Getty ImagesThe biggest danger to the Colts getting a win today was due to Andrew Luck’s play. His two picks both led to points by the Redskins, and the Colts’ defense bailed him out by holding them to field goals rather than touchdowns. Luck’s first pick of the game is hard to pin on him, because it was a good play by the Redskins’ defense to get a hand on the ball, and a heads up play by Swearinger to get under the ball for the pick. Defenses get paid to make plays, and this was an example of a very good one.However, the second one was just another example of Luck getting antsy and trying to force the ball in to Hilton when the pass isn’t there. He has Jordan Wilkins open on a dump pass to the left side, Chester Rogers crossing the middle of the field, and Jack Doyle on a drag route from left to right. All these guys are better options than Hilton given the coverage, but that’s where Luck goes. If they cannot eliminate these kinds of silly turnovers, they’ll put themselves in bad spots and give up games they should win. This young defense cannot hold out every time, and it would be foolish to put pressure on them to do more than hold on to a lead. Hopefully Andrew will settle down and begin getting more comfortable with his many receiving options and learn to throw the ball away when the good options simply aren’t there. For now though, we can simply bask in the glow of a win on the road and look forward to a meeting on the road against the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles.