Monday Morning Digest: Norman-Beckham II, All Aboard the Wentz Wagon and More

It's hard to upstage Odell Beckham and Josh Norman, especially when they are doing everything in their power to entertain us: catching passes, making big stops, losing fights to sideline equipment and so forth. 

Yet the NFL found a way to one-up its featured attraction this week, and Digest has the rundown. Inside, you'll hear about:

• The Wentz Wagon rumbling through Philadelphia, crushing skepticism in its wake.

• Trevor Siemian's rise from "Who?" to "Why isn't he on my fantasy roster?"

• The Bills' upset of the Cardinals: Is it a turnaround or just a short-term fired coordinator power-up? SPOILER ALERT: It's the second thing.

• The Vikings' pummeling of Cam Newton, and a (mostly) quiet afternoon otherwise in the city of Charlotte.

And much, much more!

The Front Page: Wentz Wagon Keeps Rolling

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If you don't think you have ever seen anything like Carson Wentz before, it's because there has never been anything like Carson Wentz before.

If you resisted climbing aboard the Wentz Wagon because the Eagles rookie quarterback beat two terrible defenses (Browns, Bears) in his first two starts, you had better climb on now. At the very least, you had better get the heck out of the way.

Wentz threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns as the Eagles dominated the Steelers 34-3. Yes, the Steelers—the perennial Super Bowl contenders who looked excellent in their first two games. They were obliterated by a rookie quarterback and a rookie coach.

Wentz now has 769 passing yards, five touchdowns and zero interceptions in his first three starts. He was what we have quickly learned is his usual self. He made adjustments at the line, delivered crisp throws and took care of the football. He looked entirely unlike a rookie quarterback. He looked like Alex Smith with an arm. He looked like Andrew Luck with a defense and a game plan.

No rookie quarterback has ever started the season with a run like this.

According to Pro Football Reference, the only rookie quarterbacks to throw for over 700 yards in the first three games of the season before Wentz were Cam Newton (1,012), Andrew Luck (846), Marcus Mariota (833), Geno Smith (801), Robert Griffin (747) and Carson Palmer (711). Dak Prescott joined the club in the Sunday night game.

The only rookie quarterbacks to throw five or more touchdowns in the first three games of the season were Mariota (8) and Luck (5).

The only rookie quarterbacks ever to throw zero interceptions while starting the first three games of the year are Wentz and Prescott.

Wentz's quarterback rating is 103.8. The only other rookies with ratings over 100 while starting the first three games of the year were Mariota (110.3) and Griffin (103.5). Both were 1-2 after three starts. Wentz and the Eagles are 3-0.

Yes, Prescott is also good. You could ignite a Prescott Is Better campaign if you are willing to ignore his having just one passing touchdown, the Cowboys' 20-19 loss to the Giants and so on. Yes, Prescott runs a little better than Wentz, though Wentz runs fairly well and Prescott is not Russell Wilson. Lots of rookie quarterbacks make some plays with their legs. None has made this many with his arm, not with so few mistakes.

So the Wentz Wagon is rumbling through uncharted territory. You could argue that some rookie quarterbacks have been as good as him to begin the year. But no team has been as good with a rookie starter at the beginning of the year as the Eagles.

Doug Pederson has done an outstanding job getting Wentz ready. He has game-planned brilliantly. He has left defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to his own devices to great effect. The Eagles have wafted away the Chip Kelly smell. (Patchouli and kale smoothie, mostly.)

For all of his faults, Kelly is legitimately one of the most innovative thinkers in the NFL. Yet the Eagles look more inventive and unpredictable without him. That starts with a quarterback who keeps doing the unprecedented.

Now, Eagles fans fall in love with quarterbacks quickly, then break up with them bitterly. The list of hot streaks followed by heartbreaks is long. There are Nick Foles jerseys moldering in closets, tattered Bobby Hoying jerseys used as cleanup rags in garages. Eagles fans are harsher critics than Eagles haters, and for every smitten member of the Philly Phaithful writing mash letters on Facebook, another is taking the hard line wait-and-see approach.

There will be losses in the future. And bad games. The Eagles probably aren't a Super Bowl team.

But right now, they look better than any team in the NFC, even the inspirational but beaten-up Vikings. They certainly look better than the Steelers, which theoretically makes them as good as the Patriots and Broncos.

If Wentz makes them look that good after three starts, how good could he be after 10 starts? Thirty starts?

At some point, waiting and seeing is just being contrary. Wentz is special. So far, he has been historically special.

It's time to climb on board and enjoy the ride.

Digestible Nuggets

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No running back? No problem. Or maybe there is a problem. This week's Digestible Nuggets focuses on teams that were forced to rely upon running-back committees, rotations or wishful thinking due to injuries to their high-profile starters.

Panthers: Carolina is never the same without Jonathan Stewart, as the Super Bowl illustrated. Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne cobbled together a quiet 69 yards on 17 carries Sunday and some receiving yards, but the Vikings had little respect for the Panthers ground game. Mike Tolbert is no longer much of a tackle-breaking, pile-moving threat, and Cam Newton was asked to convert too many third-and-short runs on a gimpy knee. The Panthers need to inject some dynamism in their ground game when Stewart is unavailable.

Seahawks: With Thomas Rawls not around for Seattle and Russell Wilson out for much of the game with a sprained ankle, Christine Michael (pictured) finally had the game you waited four seasons for: 20 carries, 106 yards, two touchdowns. Michael has always been talented; he has just had the reliability of a cellphone in a train tunnel since entering the NFL.

Believe in Michael as soon as he has two successive weeks like this, and remember that: (a) the 49ers are terrible, (b) the Seahawks offensive line still stinks and (c) things will only get worse if Wilson is lost for any meaningful amount of time.

Vikings: Minnesota ran the ball just eight times in the first half. Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata combined for just 60 rushing yards and—more alarmingly, considering McKinnon's versatility—two receiving yards by the end of the game. At some point, all the things going wrong for the Vikings will catch up to them. (Didn't we say that about the Broncos last year?)

Buccaneers: Charles Sims ran well in relief of Doug Martin after a slow start. He blasted through the line for 23 yards on 4th-and-1, punched in a one-yard touchdown and caught six passes for 69 yards. He also deflected a flat pass right into the hands of defender Mark Barron.

The Buccaneers have a not-ready-for-prime-time look about them: too many penalties, ball-security problems (that's you, Jameis Winston), clock-management errors, missed field goals and so forth. None of these are Sims' problem, and none would be solved by Martin.

Dolphins: Miami got little out of Kenyan Drake in relief of Arian Foster for most of the afternoon, despite playing an opponent (Cleveland) with a terrible defense and a third-string quarterback at the helm. Then Jay Ajayi, fantasy darling turned guy-who-doesn't-make-road-trips-with-team turned change-up back scored the 11-yard game-winning touchdown in overtime. The moral of the story: The Dolphins exist solely to lower your expectations and ruin your fantasy league.

Player Spotlight: Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman

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What They Did: Beckham caught seven passes for 121 yards. Norman nearly intercepted a first-quarter pass at the goal line. Norman lifted Beckham up in the end zone early in the game and held him there like they were rehearsing a production of "Swan Lake."

Beckham got past Norman in zone coverage for a one-handed sideline grab that would be the highlight of most players' careers (it may have cracked OBJ's top five). Beckham bobbled and dropped a fourth-quarter pass in the red zone. He stiff-armed Norman to turn a short pass into a 24-yard gain, only to have the scoring-drive momentum erased by a Weston Richburg unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and an Eli Manning interception. A frustrated Beckham slammed his helmet into the field-goal practice net on the sideline, just to have the metal rim of the net swing back and hit him in the face.

Yes, after months of trash talk and hype, Beckham pulled a Sideshow Bob and lost a fight with a net. And his Giants lost the game.

What It Means: Fans who paid good money for the Norman-Beckham fight were shocked when a Giants-Redskins game broke out. Washington's 29-27 victory was so full of lead changes, heroics by other receivers (Sterling Shepard, Jamison Crowder), heroics by other defenders (Su'a Cravens, Quinton Dunbar), strange clock management, ejections and other intrigue that it feels silly to dwell on one overhyped matchup.

Yet Norman and Beckham defined the flow of the game with both thrilling highlights and late-game mistakes: Norman's roughing foul on a Shepard crossing route; Beckham's late-game pick-and-roll interference penalties. They dominated even when the ball didn't come their way.

When Eli Manning attempted a fade pass to 5'8" third-string running back Bobby Rainey in the end zone, it was a sign that the Giants were digging deep into the bowels of their playbook to play keep-away from Norman.

Call Beckham-Norman a draw: Beckham got the stats, but the other Redskins defenders got opportunities when Manning tried to force the ball into places Norman wasn't.

What's Next: Beckham-Norman III is scheduled for Dec. 4. The field-goal net is already talking smack on Instagram.

Game Spotlight: Vikings 22, Panthers 10

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What Happened: The Panthers led 10-0 and appeared to be cruising when Danielle Hunter sacked Cam Newton in the end zone for a safety. Newton later came up limping after a Linval Joseph sack, and the complexion of the game suddenly changed.

Marcus Sherels (pictured) returned a punt for a touchdown for the Vikings, Sam Bradford ended a crisp 79-yard drive with a touchdown to Kyle Rudolph and the Panthers discovered that playing from behind against a vicious defense with a hobbled Newton is no fun.

Newton endured eight sacks, many of them coverage sacks as he scanned the field looking in vain for open receivers. The Vikings offense netted just 211 total yards, but that was all it took.

What It Means: Think of the current Vikings as a vintage Ravens team. Their offense is ugly. But their defense is nasty, their roster depth allows them to endure multiple injuries and their special teams can generate big plays and win field-position battles. Granted, shaky kicker Blair Walsh is no Justin Tucker or Matt Stover. But the Ravens have proven that a team can win 10 or 11 games with the Vikings' current recipe. It's hard to be skeptical after back-to-back Packers-Panthers victories that could end up having an impact on playoff tiebreakers.

The Panthers need to worry about the beating Newton is taking, their lack of rushing efficiency, blunders on special teams, a secondary that doesn't generate big plays and other issues that are already threatening to turn this into a disappointing season.

What Happens Next: The Panthers get a relative respite against the Falcons. The Vikings face the Giants on Monday night in Week 4 and hopefully enjoy a few days with only minor injury news.

Player Spotlight: Trevor Siemian, Quarterback, Broncos

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What He Did: Siemian completed 23 of 35 passes for 312 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in the Broncos' 29-17 win over the Bengals. The big game against a tough opponent on the road proved that the Broncos don't necessarily need nonstop heroics from their defense to win games. Though they may get those anyway.

What It Means: On third-down passes against the Bengals, Siemian was 5-of-10 for 132 yards and two deep touchdowns. That makes him 14-of-22 for 217 yards, two touchdowns and nine first downs (plus one interception) on third downs this season. As Siemian develops into a confident, reliable downfield passer on third downs, he grows from Inexpensive Caretaker Quarterback Who Won't Lose Games to Effective System Quarterback Who Might Sometimes Win Games.

Remember, "system quarterback" isn't an insult when you are a seventh-round pick no one heard of nine months ago, and when the system wins Super Bowls.

What Happens Next: The Broncos face the Buccaneers, Falcons and Chargers over the next three weeks. You won't need to take that Paxton Lynch jersey out of the closet before Halloween.

Game Spotlight: Bills 33, Cardinals 18

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What Happened: "No one circles the wagons like the city of Buffalo," an NFL television personality has been known to say. So it should not have been any surprise that the Bills channeled the spirit of Liam Neeson in a Taken movie after the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman put everyone in the organization on pink slip notice.

The Bills defense intercepted Carson Palmer four times. New offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn assembled a game plan of power runs, options and wildcat plays that racked up 208 rushing yards and three touchdowns. Despite the absence of Sammy Watkins (foot), the Bills took a 17-0 lead and never looked back, dropping the uncharacteristically sloppy Cardinals to 1-2.

What It Means: If you believe that Lynn's goulash of complex pre-snap motion, direct snaps to LeSean McCoy (pictured; he finished 17-110-2) and long scrambles by Tyrod Taylor is a sustainable offense, we have a patch of land to sell you in Buffalo where orange trees grow in February. The Bills threw for just 119 yards, a low total even when Watkins' absence and Buffalo's playing with a lead are factored in.

The Bills need a plan once the new coordinator smell wears off, though in fairness to Lynn, they at least had an offensive identity this week.

The Cardinals have now lost two games to opponents trying to make epic statements. There are some reasons for Cardinals fans to worry, like the pressure on Palmer and the defense's tendency to overrun and overpursue every misdirection play it faces. But look for Bruce Arians' team to get its act together once it faces opponents that aren't furious over a quarterback suspension or worried that everyone is about to get fired.

What Happens Next: The Cardinals work out their frustrations on the Rams next week. In Buffalo, Rex Ryan will maintain the intensity and urgency for one more week in preparation for the Patriots. Then the Bills will have a sugar crash and get their butts kicked for the rest of October.

Unsung Hero: The City of Charlotte

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What Happened: It wasn't perfect. But it was mostly peaceful. The Panthers-Vikings game went off without a hitch after days of protests that sometimes descended into violence in the wake of the shooting of Keith Scott by police on Tuesday.

There was, as WBTV reported, some "pushing and shoving" after the game. There were some skirmishes between police and protesters as evening fell. But the Twitter feeds of local news outlets in Charlotte also featured stories of families picnicking in parks and fans dining in downtown restaurants after the game. The city of Charlotte lifted the curfew that was in place for three days.

What It Means: Fear. Outage. Distrust. Grief. Mix these emotions with police in riot gear, vociferous protestors and troublemakers acting like protestors. Then add an ugly football loss on top of it. The results could have been catastrophic. Instead, there was a ray of hope.

The lifting of the curfew on Sunday night was the second step toward life returning to normal in Charlotte. Hosting a Panthers game without incident was the first step.

What Happens Next: A city, region and nation search for solutions. Hopefully, we can do so peacefully.

Fantasy Digest

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Winner: No matter how bad things get in San Francisco, keep starting Carlos Hyde. Chip Kelly only has seven or eight plays in his entire playbook, three of them are handoffs, and he runs them over and over even when the 49ers are trailing by three touchdowns. Hyde (pictured) finished 21-103-2, with a fourth-quarter touchdown and two-point conversion to cut the 49ers' deficit to 19. He will remain a steady source of meaningless fantasy production until he inevitably gets hurt.

Loser: Avoid all Jets until you are certain Brandon Marshall is 100 percent healthy. Marshall caught just three of 10 passes targeted for him for 27 yards and looked suspiciously like he was jogging his way through decoy routes on some snaps. Ryan Fitzpatrick's life strategy is to throw the ball somewhere near Marshall, hope for a leaping catch from his BFF and accumulate wealth. When he tries that strategy with Quincy Enunwa or Jalin Marshall, the result is a six-interception Jets horror show.

Committee: Dwayne Washington and Theo Riddick got 10 carries each for the Lions with Ameer Abdullah injured. Riddick produced the Joique Bell Memorial 10-carry, nine-yard stat line, though he added seven receptions. Washington gained 38 rushing yards and lost three receiving yards. From a fantasy standpoint, there is nothing to see in the Lions backfield.

Fluke: Jay Ajayi is Christine Michael 2.0. Don't go near him until he goes at least three weeks without fumbling or getting left at home during a team road trip.

Leech: Spencer Ware (20-75-0) leeched a touchdown from himself when he bobbled the ball slightly as he reached for the pylon: one slip of the fingers and much replay-grinding later, his touchdown became a touchback. Don't those touchdown-turned-touchbacks feel like gotcha plays? Whoops, you came within inches of scoring but fumbled out of bounds. Other team's ball for doing nothing! Until "What's a Touchback" replaces "What's a Catch," don't expect anyone to worry too much about it. Except you, if you needed six more points from Ware this week.

Awards Digest

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Defensive Player of the Week: Linval Joseph recorded the safety that gave the Vikings momentum. Danielle Hunter tripped up scrambling Cam Newton, causing the injury that turned the game around. But Everson Griffen (pictured) gets this week's award for three sacks that resulted in 37 lost yards for the Panthers. Griffen also wrapped Newton up and forced him to throw the desperate interception that squashed the Panthers' final comeback attempt.

Offensive Line of the Week: Breathing easier, Packers fans? It may be because Aaron Rodgers was sacked just twice and not pressured very often, while Eddie Lacy had room to rush for 103 yards on 17 carries. Let's hear it for David Bakhtiari, Lane Taylor, JC Tretter, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga! R-E-L-A-X and T-R-U-S-T.

Special Teams Player of the Week: Ravens games aren't won just by 54-yard Justin Tucker field goals. They are also won by the blocked kicks that set up 54-yard Justin Tucker field goals. Brent Urban (blocked) and Zach Orr (recovered) share this week's award for giving the Ravens a chance to beat the Jaguars in a prototypical Ravens-Jaguars game. Remember that Digest watches every single Ravens game so you never have to.

Anemic Stat Line of the Week: Chris Ivory made his much ballyhooed return to the Jaguars lineup after missing two weeks with an undisclosed medical condition and rushed 12 times for 14 yards, adding one nine-yard reception. The more money the Jaguars spend, the worse they get.

Mystery Touch of the Week: Quinton Dunbar didn't just intercept a pass in the end zone against the Giants. He also caught a fake-punt pass from Redskins punter Tress Way for 31 yards and a first down. Dunbar remains ever at the ready if Washington needs a big play on special teams or a clutch interception. (Way may be the starting quarterback for the Patriots or Browns in Week 4.)

Final Thoughts

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1. Terrelle Pryor (pictured) ended up playing 14 snaps at quarterback for the Browns, both as a wildcat wrinkle and when Cody Kessler entered concussion protocol. Pryor also played safety in the Browns' Hail Mary defense. And he played wide receiver. It's fun to see the Moneyball Browns get the most out of Pryor—a unique player who has never found a position before but may suddenly be finding three. It's also fun watching the Dolphins get taken to the wall by a team so economy-minded and injury-plagued that they make guys play three different positions.

2. The Colts beat the Chargers. On any given Sunday, a Pagano brother will lose a game on a late defensive collapse.

3. The Rams-Buccaneers game ended with a 70-minute lightning delay, followed by Jameis Winston drifting five yards beyond the line of scrimmage on the final play, squaring to throw what would have been the most blatantly illegal game-winning touchdown pass in history and getting sacked anyway. The moral of the story: There is no good reason to wait one hour and 10 minutes to see the conclusion of a Rams-Buccaneers game.

4. A few dozen NFL writers, including me, Tweeted the message "I Stand With Those Who Kneel" at precisely 1 p.m. on Sunday. It was a simple message of solidarity with the ever-growing number of professional, college and high school athletes who have chosen to use the national anthem as a forum for peaceful protest. I cannot speak for my colleagues, but I chose to participate because the loudest voices in public discourse lately have been those attempting to either silence others or deliver messages of division and intolerance instead of unity and acceptance. NFL players and high school kids kneel because they care passionately about what the symbols of our nation represent. I am proud to stand in support of them.