Monday Playbook: Peyton Manning-Tom Brady rivalry to open new chapter

• A closer look into the Peyton-Brady relationship
• Why the Jets shouldn't bench Sanchez
• Who's early frontrunner for defensive player of the year?

Now that you've slept on the scores and digested the stats, here's an in-depth look at Week 4 of the NFL season, with observations and analysis from the USA TODAY Sports team. Take your time reading it while Commissioner Roger Goodell mulls whether to reduce Jonathan Vilma's suspension and let the other three Bountygate suspects off with time (or at least bad press) served.

Orange you glad he came back: It's Manning vs. Brady

This week, nearly everyone will be talking about Sunday's matchup between the relocated Peyton Manning, who, after several neck surgeries, seems intent on playing forever (or at least until he gets one more ring), and Tom Brady, the guy who says he is going to play until Bill Belichick cuts him.

They are the Magic and Bird of the NFL, buddies waging some of the most fierce quarterback battles over the past decade. Now comes another chapter, with Manning visiting Gillette Stadium in a Denver Broncos uniform.

Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri has played with both, and he gave USA TODAY Sports a peek inside the unique rivalry.

"They have a mutual, unbelievable respect for each other," Vinatieri said. "They're very, very competitive, and they want to beat each other very badly. But they are very good friends as well. They talk on the phone. They seek and give each other advice whenever they need it.

"It's kind of like playing backyard football with your brother. You love him, you want to pick him up when you're done. But when you're playing, you want to beat his butt. It really is that way."

And here's how Vinatieri describes their personalities.

Brady "is kind of a fun-loving guy in the locker room. He's entirely focused, but he keeps it real light -- not screwing around and joking around necessarily. But he's not against talking to other guys or bopping around a little bit if there might be some music on in (the) background.

"He's that guy I compare with Joe Montana -- the story you heard about when Joe stepped into the huddle and told those guys to look at John Candy in the crowd and told them that joke to win the Super Bowl on that last drive -- that's Tom. He has a fun time at it."

And Peyton?

"The first pick overall, everybody expected the world out of him and that's exactly what he gave everybody," Vinatieri said. "Coming in right away, he was something special, breaking records, doing all kinds of amazing things.

"Peyton is much quieter in his own kind of world when he prepares himself. He'll talk to guys and to make sure and say, 'Hey, we're doing this on this play.' He's not the guy who's going to bounce around and screw around. He's much more in focused mode. I don't know if there's a more hard-working individual than Peyton Manning."

That's a tease to Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET in Foxborough, Mass.

Now, a look back.

Ten things we learned in Week 4

1. Defense inside the final two minutes of games continues to be horrendous. The Jacksonville Jaguars scored on a 39-yard touchdown with 20 seconds left and no timeouts against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 1, and the Vikes then were able to kick a field goal to force overtime before ultimately winning. The Indianapolis Colts allowed an inexcusable 80-yard touchdown to the Jags last week. And the Detroit Lions completed a 46-yard Hail Mary to force overtime in Week 3 at Tennessee.

Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons kicked the winning field goal despite starting their final drive at their own 1-yard line with 59 seconds to play and no timeouts. Matt Ryan's heave to Roddy White for 59 yards over safety Haruki Nakamura on the first play just can't happen. It just can't. For those who can't stand the dink-and-dunk approach under a prevent defense, you're witnessing the alternative across the league.

2. The Buffalo Bills remain the most difficult team to understand from week to week. Or, should we say, quarter to quarter? Up 14 early in the second half against the New England Patriots, here's what went down: Pats TD, Bills three-and-out, Pats TD, Bills punt, Pats TD, Bills fumble, Pats TD, Bills interception, and a Pats TD to make it 42-21. Game over. From a Week 1 beat-down loss to the Jets, to wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns and a solid start against New England, to the second-half meltdown, not to mention their Jekyll-and-Hyde showing last season, who are these guys?

3. Christian Ponder can protect the ball. Through four games this season, the Vikings' second-year quarterback has thrown 123 passes without an interception. The Jaguars' Blaine Gabbert and the Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb were picked off Sunday, making Ponder the last quarterback (with at least one start this season) without an interception. Three of the Vikings' first four games have been decided by a touchdown or less, which means they're not leaving much room for error, so they'd better hope Ponder's safe play continues.

4. The Cards can't go back to John Skelton. Despite his two interceptions Sunday, Kevin Kolb battled in the fourth quarter and completed two fourth-down passes, including a 15-yard touchdown to Andre Roberts on fourth-and-10 to force overtime. Skelton was 14-for-28 for 149 yards and an interception in the opener before leaving with an ankle injury. Kolb led a comeback victory that day, too, and hasn't lost since for the 4-0 Cardinals. Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt would be off his rocker to even think about putting Skelton back in when he's healthy again.

5. Peyton Manning's arm strength is just fine. What's that, you say? We wrote that after Week 1? Cool. Oh, and the entire Denver Broncos offense seems to be coming together. Say what? We wrote that last week? Alrighty. Listen to us on all things Manning and Broncos. We'll get you through.

6. The Houston Texans' passing game doesn't revolve around Andre Johnson anymore. What we mean is Johnson has led Houston in receiving yards only once this season -- in Week 1, when he had 119 yards against the Miami Dolphins. Tight end Owen Daniels, who led the way the past two weeks, had 72 yards in the blowout victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. All of this is bad news for defenses that must respect Johnson and can't ignore a powerful running game. With that offense and an outstanding defense, the Texans continue to be the AFC favorites. They have the Jets on Monday and then face the Packers on Oct. 14.

7. Mike McCarthy is coach of the week. From the moment he sent out 11 players for an extra point against the Seattle Seahawks that meant absolutely nothing after the replacement refs' blown call on the game-winning score, through this past week when he took the high road in talking about the play, to Sunday when his team responded to his challenge of playing through the adversity of a stolen victory, McCarthy has shown he can lead his guys from the lowest of lows. And that's excluding the way the defense held tight after the real refs blew a call when they ruled fumbling Darren Sproles down by contact on a kickoff and the Packers had no challenges.

8. The early success of Robert Griffin III only will be helped by the Washington Redskins' running game. Make that the best running game in the league right now at 175.5 yards per game (largely thanks to RGIII). Running the ball well sets up the play-action passes and bootlegs the Redskins design for Griffin. If they force defenses to stay honest against their rushing attack, Griffin is going to be extremely tough to stop.

9. Tim Tebow is not the answer to the New York Jets' problems. After an embarrassing 34-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at home, coach Rex Ryan was asked what it'll take for him to make a change from Mark Sanchez to Tebow. For all those who think Sanchez is the issue, did you watch that soft Jets defense Sunday? Did you see a lack of physicality and tackling? Did you not see how Sanchez's targets are having issues getting open? Have you not noted the running game's pathetic 3.2 yards per carry? We're not absolving Sanchez, who missed some open receivers, lost a fumble because he was carrying the ball recklessly during a scramble and threw an interception because he had zero touch on a screen pass that got tipped. But there are many more issues with the Jets and Tebow's accuracy issues can't help at this point.

10. It continues to be awfully confusing: Ice a kicker, or not? Sometimes it works out for the defense (see the New York Giants' blocking a kick against the Dallas Cowboys last season) and other times it works out well for the kicking team (see the Jets' victory over the Dolphins after what should've been a blocked kick negated by a timeout). On Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles' Andy Reid went for the icing and felt "surrounded by 66,000 people that want to probably rip your throat out" after Lawrence Tynes yanked his 54-yarder wide left. The second attempt by Tynes was much straighter but (whew!) short. We don't quite know what the best approach is. And with mixed results surely forthcoming, we probably never will.

Taking stock

Here's a glimpse at the NFL market and whether we're getting in or getting out:

Buy: The Eagles' late-game heroics (three fourth-quarter comebacks) as a sign of a newfound mental toughness they badly needed.

Sell: Rex Ryan's postgame ire doing anything to get the Jets' attention and turn the season around.

Buy: The Cincinnati Bengals as contenders. They don't have a ton of depth, so they need to stay healthy to make it happen, but they have good players in a lot of places.

Sell: The Detroit Lions' chances. They had high hopes, and we bought in a bit. We're just not feeling it right now and that's a tough division to have to climb.

Buy: Chris Johnson's turnaround. His 141 yards is a good sign for the Titans. Not that it's any indication they can make the playoffs or anything.

Sell: The Giants' pass rush right now. They're talking about blocking schemes and such keeping them in check, but they've been able to work through them in the past. They have only eight sacks right now. Justin Tuck has none.

Buy: Ryan Tannehill's prospects. His 431 yards Sunday against the Cardinals was no joke. And don't forget about what he did late in the game against the Jets last week to force overtime.

Sell: The Cardinals as the league's top defense. There was some talk of that coming into the weekend, but Brian Hartline's 253 yards receiving should put an end to such chatter for now.

Buy: The New England Patriots' outburst. With old nemesis Peyton Manning coming to town Sunday and the wounded Jets on the way later this month, expect Bill Belichick and Co. to put up some grudge points.

Sell: The Seattle Seahawks' .500 record. Their next four games are at the Carolina Panthers, home vs. the New England Patriots, at the San Francisco 49ers and at the Lions. If they go 2-2 to be 4-4 at the midway point, they should be thrilled.

Week 4 awards

Comeback Player of the Week -- Peyton Manning: Everyone was questioning his arm strength after he had a career-high with 26 incompletions last week. So Manning fired back at his doubters the best way possible, hitting 30 of 38 passes for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Bottom line: Broncos 37, Raiders 6. Question that.

Surprise performance -- Greg Zuerlein: Rams RB Steven Jackson called Zuerlein, a rookie, the St. Louis Rams' offensive MVP after the former Division II kicker drilled four field goals in a 19-13 victory over Seattle on Sunday. Zuerlein, from Missouri Western, is the first in league history to convert a 60-yarder and a 50-yarder in the same game. Zuerlein was 4-for-4 Sunday (58, 48, 60 and 24 yards). He hasn't missed in 12 attempts this season.

Biggest disappointment -- New Orleans Saints: For all the self-analysis, the Saints are the NFC's lone winless team. They find themselves in a 0-4 hole, probably too deep to dig out of and make it back to the postseason. The commissioner isn't the only one to blame, however.

Under the radar

-- 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman. Vic Fangio's defense has received most of the credit, but against New York Jets Wildcatter Tony Sparano, Roman used lots of wrinkles to spring the 49ers for 245 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He called a 28-yard end-around for former Giants receiver Mario Manningham and utilized backup quarterback Colin Kaepernick as a Wildcat option. Kaepernick out-Tebowed Tim Tebow with a 7-yard touchdown run and five carries for 50 yards.

-- With doubters everywhere, the Arizona Cardinals remain under the radar despite their 4-0 start. Ken Whisenhunt's team is the 11th in the past nine years to start 4-0 after beginning 1-3 or 0-4 the previous season. Nine of the previous 10 teams advanced to the postseason.

-- With their offense nothing special, special teams carried the 3-1, NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings to a win over Detroit, matching last season's win total. Percy Harvin's 105-yard kickoff return touchdown and Marcus Sherels' 77-yard punt return score helped kick-start the Vikes.

Under the microscope

-- A lot of Kansas City Chiefs fans might think quarterback Matt Cassel is no longer the answer following his three-interception stinker in a loss against San Diego that dropped the Chiefs to 1-3. But are Brady Quinn or Ricky Stanzi better alternatives? It's kind of the same reason why Rex Ryan is sticking with Mark Sanchez. The bullpen is thin.

-- Where's Run DMc? Oakland Raiders tailback Darren McFadden has been MIA this season. He gained 34 yards on 13 carries in a loss to Denver Sunday.

-- Redskins kicker (for now) Billy Cundiff. The Ravens cut him at the end of preseason because they never regained faith in him after he missed a short field goal in last season's AFC Championship Game that would have put them in the Super Bowl. Sunday, he missed three field goals before kicking the game-winner. Said his coach, Mike Shanahan: "Obviously, if you miss too many, your employment isn't too long."

I'd be concerned if I were ...

Rex Ryan. The predatory Houston Texans defense arrives next Monday night to face shaky Sanchez, who has three interceptions and a lost fumble in the last three games. For all Ryan's boasting, the Jets are a mess.

Cardinals QB John Skelton. His ankle is better, yet there's nowhere to go because Kevin Kolb has won his job back with two fourth-quarter drives to the winning or tying touchdown.

Redskins Defensive Coordinator Jim Haslett. His defense is going up against Matt Ryan and the explosive Atlanta Falcons offense, with its trio of targets in Roddy White, Julio Jones and ageless tight end Tony Gonzalez.

I'd feel pretty good if I were ...

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. His Bengals (3-1) have the Miami Dolphins (1-3) and Cleveland Browns (0-4) up next.

Tom Brady. The Patriots' running game is humming like never before with Stevan Ridley and rookie Brandon Bolden combining for 243 rushing yards against Buffalo on Sunday. The Patriots had two 100-yard rushing performances in a game for the first time since 1982.

Houston Texans owner Bob McNair. He kept coach Gary Kubiak despite fan outcry for his firing in 2010, and the Texans have a shot at an unbeaten season with a balanced offense and a dominant defense.

Don't be surprised if ...

Falcons QB Matt Ryan, who has 11 touchdown passes and two interceptions through the season's first four games, makes a run at Brady's single-season record of 50 touchdown passes.

Chargers RB Ryan Matthews got the message after getting benched until the fourth quarter Sunday against Kansas City. San Diego general manager A.J. Smith said this week, "He can be somebody else's fumbler.'' Matthews had fumbled 11 times in 23 career games before watching Jackie Battle start in his place against the Chiefs.

Saints QB Drew Brees eclipses a record once considered unbreakable, Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas' 47 consecutive games with a TD pass. Brees can set it Sunday night against his former team, the San Diego Chargers. If he does, maybe he'll give the ball to suspended coach Sean Payton, whom Brees credits with taking his career to another level.

Some powerful Wattage

Maybe Wade Phillips is prophetic. Or maybe he's just seen it before. Either way, J.J. Watt is making the Houston Texans defensive coordinator look pretty smart.

Watt, a second-year defensive end, looks like an early front-runner for defensive player of the year honors. He leads the NFL with 7.5 sacks. When he's not planting quarterbacks into the turf he's swatting their throws onto it, already credited with five pass breakups.

His production is all the more astonishing considering he plays in a 3-4 base defense, a system that usually turns linebackers into stars and leaves the linemen doing grunt work.

But Phillips knows Watt is special, saying during training camp that Watt was "going to be a bust -- not a first-round bust but a bust in the Hall of Fame."

Twenty NFL games is an awfully small sample size, so no need to call Canton's sculptors just yet.

But there's no reason to think Watt can't win some hardware after this season, even if no 3-4 defensive end has been the defensive MVP since 1996. The Buffalo Bills' Bruce Smith was honored after that season -- while playing for a defensive coordinator named Wade Phillips.

They'll knock the quiche out of you

For years, the NFC West has been derided as the NFC Worst, the howls ringing loudest when the Seattle Seahawks won the division with a 7-9 mark in 2010.

Well don't look now, but the NFC West might just be the NFC Best.

The division's collective 11-5 record is easily the best in the NFL. None of its four teams has a sub-.500 record, a claim only the vaunted NFC East can share.

And though the West Coast is often synonymous with nice weather and a laid-back lifestyle -- how many times has the Pac-10/Pac-12 been called a finesse conference? -- the NFC West may be the NFL's most physical division. The Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and Seahawks boast three of the league's most imposing defenses, and the St. Louis Rams will likely continue rankling opponents as Jeff Fisher's DNA becomes imbued in their program.

The offenses aren't bad either. How many defenders want to square up against Seahawks tailback Marshawn Lynch -- the NFL's top rusher with 423 yards -- the Rams' Steven Jackson or the stable of Niners running backs unleashed by their nasty offensive line?

San Francisco was viewed as a preseason Super Bowl favorite and looked every bit a juggernaut Sunday after thrashing the New York Jets 34-0 on the road. But the 49ers are second in the division to the 4-0 Cardinals and could end up battling their NFC West brethren into January.

Said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll recently: "The 49ers have played so well last year and did such a good job throughout the season, they look like they're really legit again. The rest of us are trying to catch up a little bit. It's happening, though kind of like the Pac-12. It seems to be growing out here in the West. Everybody seems to be getting better."

CJ2K lays it on the (offensive) line

No one with the Titans was willing to say Chris Johnson is back after his performance against the Texans, but the signs were encouraging: The running back rushed for 141 yards on 25 carries, providing one of the few positives for the Titans in a 38-14 defeat.

It was his first 100-yard game since last December, when he gained 153 yards against the Bills.

"Yeah, it was a pretty good game, running the ball or whatever," Johnson said. "I feel like my offensive line went out there and did a great job from the first snap. Just getting up on guys, pushing those guys back, recreating the line of scrimmage and just giving me somewhere to run. Like I've been saying all year, I'm going to be as good as my offensive line."

Through the first three games, Johnson had 45 yards on 33 carries, an average of 1.4 per attempt. He averaged 5.6 yards per attempt against the Texans and had his longest gain of the season with a 19-yard burst.

"No matter what's going on, no matter what the situation, I want to go out there every game and be the best player I can be," he said. "It's a situation that we know we have a good offense and we just to have execute the plays and things like that," Johnson said. "I think today helped us to take a step. I wouldn't just say we ultimately solved the problem, but I feel like we took a good step and hopefully we continue to get better."

Contributing: Jim Corbett, Nate Davis and Mike Garafolo from USA TODAY Sports; John Glennon and Jim Wyatt from The Tennessean