Sunday Rundown: Falcons undefeated with no end in sight; Rams' Jekyll and Hyde act

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Falcons on pace for 9-0 start?

The Atlanta Falcons are 4-0 and primed to remain standing as the NFL's last undefeated team.

And they're doing it with the same top-heavy, largely talent-poor roster that won six games a year ago.

The difference is coaching. Dan Quinn has transformed the NFL's softest defense into a formidable unit - and emerged as front-runner for Coach of the Year honors in the process.

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan has manufactured an equally big effect on his side of the ball. Shanahan's scheme has produced the NFL's best wide receiver in Julio Jones and a rushing attack, led by Devonta Freeman, that has put up seven touchdowns in the past two weeks.

History may show that the Falcons' decision to slow-play their coaching search was the best move the franchise has made in a half-decade.

After firing the milquetoast Mike Smith following a disastrous 6-10 season, the Falcons never wavered in their pursuit of then-Seattle Seahawks coordinator Quinn.

Several other teams sought Quinn, too, but they pulled out of the race one-by-one as the Seahawks went deep into the playoffs. Perhaps out of fear of missing out on Quinn and being left with only uninspiring coaching candidates, the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and San Francisco 49ers called off their pursuit and found their new coaches elsewhere.

The Falcons waited ... waited some more, and then got their man.

Now they're reaping the rewards - and there's no reason to expect that to stop. On the heels of a 48-21 dismantling of the Houston Texans on Sunday, the Falcons could cruise into their mid-November bye without a loss.

Look at this upcoming schedule: vs. Redskins, at Saints, at Titans, vs. Buccaneers, at 49ers.

Where are the losses in there?

-David P. Woods

Rams' Jekyll and Hyde act keeps NFC West wide open

The St. Louis Rams have, once again, beat a divisional opponent in a thrilling upset, making it even more difficult to understand what this team is all about.

After looking great against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the Rams took a two-week sabbatical, losing to the Washington Redskins and Pittsburgh Steelers in ugly fashion.

The Rams' offense put up 24 points on a really good Cardinals' defense Sunday after only mustering 16 points over the past two games. They've now scored 58 points against two of the best defenses in the league. Go figure.

With Todd Gurley showing up in the second half, salting away the victory by rushing with a combination of speed, power, and vision, the Rams may have found an elixir to their persistently up-and-down play. Getting a lead and running the ball looks like a foolproof formula for a team that is still searching for consistent quarterback play from Nick Foles.

The only known for the Rams, at this point, is that they get up for inter-divisional games, potentially a nod to head coach Jeff Fisher's motivational techniques and a detractor if they can't win 10 games.

What team shows up next week against the 4-0 Green Bay Packers remains to be seen.

-Joe Thomson

Stray Thoughts

• The Jaguars were presented with a prime opportunity to prove themselves more than a perennial AFC South doormat. They failed. Jason Myers missed a field goal to seal the game, and another chance in overtime. If the Jaguars can't defeat the Colts with 40-year-old Matt Hasselbeck at the helm, they can't be taken seriously for quite a while.
• Chip Kelly's overhaul of the Eagles' roster looks like a complete disaster at this juncture of the season. DeMarco Murray is rightfully demanding more carries, while the rest of the team put together an erratic performance for the fourth straight week. This may serve as a lesson not to cede personnel control over to the head coach, without being certain first.
• Colin Kaepernick reserved the best performances of his career against the Packers, but they shut him down completely Sunday. Kaepernick went 13-of-25 and was abysmal against a Packers defense that's rounding into top form. Comparing Kaepernick's plight against a red-hot Aaron Rodgers shows the scope of quarterback performances across the NFL.
• Texans head coach Bill O'Brien could've shot the confidence of both his quarterbacks after a listless performance against the Falcons. O'Brien named Brian Hoyer the starter at the end of the preseason, as captured by HBO's "Hard Knocks." Since then, O'Brien has vacillated between Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, both of whom performed poorly on a short leash. If the Texans' woes continue, O'Brien may need to seek an external option.

Injury Ward

Recapping the weekend's most significant injuries.

Lane Johnson, RT, Eagles
Suspected MCL injury. Headed for MRI.
Johnson told reporters he thinks he re-sprained his MCL. If so, he could miss a month or longer. Losing Johnson would exacerbate the struggles for what has been one of the NFL's most disappointing offensive lines.

Jordan Reed, TE, Redskins
Evaluated for concussion. Prognosis unknown.
Reed has a history with concussions, so it's possible he will be out for a while.

Sean Lee, LB, Cowboys
Evaluated for concussion. Prognosis unknown.
The Cowboys simply can't afford to lose another of their best players and leaders.

Stat of the Week

Quote of the Week

Martellus Bennett on criticism of teammate Jay Cutler: