The next time I talk to perennially grumpy San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, I'll have some leverage to ensure that he talks longer than six minutes on his media conference calls: Coach, give with the multi-sentence answers, or I'll publish a post on Shutdown Corner containing video proof that you once played Screech's cousin on "Saved By the Bell."

Whoops -- too late. Guess we published it anyway.

Harbaugh's entrance is just in time -- protagonist Eric has fallen out of love with football after a bumpy ride, and it's up to Harbaugh (then a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts) to save the day.

"Sounds like you were thinking more about yourself than you were the team," Harbaugh opined, after hearing that Eric did his touchdown dance on the 2-yard line. "People think I'm a hero because I can throw a football, but I wouldn't be anything without my teammates. When you start to think you're a big shot, that's when you usually get into trouble."

Words to live by. Harbaugh then went the extra mile, agreeing to be the "Hero" subject in young Eric's Communications class.

"I'm here because my friend Eric has learned the hard way that being famous does not make you a hero," Harbaugh said in front of the students. "Being a hero isn't about what you do out there on the field. It's about who you are -- in here."

Harbaugh then pointed to his heart, proving that some people just have a knack for acting.

"It's about helping your friends, your school, and your community."

Great sentiments, and everybody got an "A." We were inspired by Harbaugh's words, by his pseudo-Tom Cruise look, and by the fact that even grumpy coaches have skeletons in their closets.

Miami Dolphins rookie fullback Jorvorskie Lane was a standout for the Texas A&M Aggies from 2005 through 2008, gaining over 2,000 yards on the ground, and scoring 49 rushing touchdowns. He was expected to make some sort of splash in the NFL right away, but emotional issues took those chances away for a while. Before he knew it, Lane had put on serious weight, and was stuck moving furniture for a living, his dreams of pro football seemingly behind him.

"Before I knew it, I was 300 pounds," Lane recently told Yahoo! Sports. "It's easy to put on, and hard to get off."

Before his senior season at A&M, Lane's grandfather passed away. Lost without the man who raised him, Lane started gaining weight, and was switched from halfback to fullback.

"I came out of high school at 270, so I was naturally big," Lane recalled. "But when I lost my grandfather, that's when it started -- that's what triggered it. Eating was comforting me. I didn't really know what I was doing. It got out of hand."

Lane was 318 pounds at his heaviest, which made him an unappealing selection in the 2009 NFL draft. He was unpicked and unsigned, and as far away from the NFL as he could be. It took a rude awakening for Lane to turn himself around.

"My 25th birthday -- that's when everything changed," he said. "I was watching my high school highlights, and I was like, 'Man -- this is where I want to be. This is what I want to get back to.'"

But at that point, Lane was working for a furniture store in Texas. He had to take it upon himself to get back in shape, embrace fitness in a new way, and change his lifestyle.

"The whole time I was losing weight, I got away from football," Lane said. "I didn't do cone drills or none of that. I was catching myself running stairs and bleachers all day, sparring, and I was seeing results. I fell in love with it, and that's what I've been doing ever since."

Lane's wife Chan picked up the slack with their young family, putting extra effort into the day-to-day with their three children, while he got back into shape.

"I really owe a lot to my wife, because she knew what I wanted to do, and that was to play football."

Dan Snyder is a happy guy ... for now. (Getty Images)

After the Washington Redskins beat the New York Giants, 17-16 in an exciting Monday Night Football game, Redskins owner Dan Snyder became even more excited.

Via the New York Post's Mike Vaccaro:

Well, you didn't expect Dan Snyder, the owner of the Redskins, to embrace prosperity with the humility of a Mara or a Tisch, did you? So after years of running a beloved civic trust into the ground, after years of losing, of abject failure, Danny Boy had himself a moment in the sun last night. Snyder, in front of several media witnesses, had this to say to a Redskins staffer:

"I hate those mother[bleepers]," Snyder said gleefully.

Actually, Giants president and CEO John Mara may be behind Snyder's invective, and Mara wasn't acting with humility when he said what he said about the $36 million in salary cap penalties the Redskins were hit with in March. When asked about the cap hits, which Snyder's team was given in response to alleged contract irregularities during the uncapped season of 2011, Mara (who is also the head of the NFL's Management Council, the governing body that doled out the penalties in the first place), had this to say:

"I thought the penalties imposed were proper. What they did was in violation of the spirit of the salary cap. They attempted to take advantage of a one-year loophole, and quite frankly, I think they're lucky they didn't lose draft picks."

We can argue whether the penalties handed to Snyder's Redskins and Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys (who were docked $10 million over two years) were fair, but it was pretty clear that Mara appeared to have a fairly serious conflict of interest. All of a sudden, two of the Giants' division rivals are so out of whack that their salary caps need to be affected to that extent? And draft picks should have been taken as well?

Gosh. We suppose there's a new sheriff in town.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Redskins used Mara's quotes as bulletin board material leading up to Monday night's game. Redskins officials are still convinced that Mara used the ploy to try and wrest enough draft picks away from them to make the deal with the St. Louis Rams that allowed them to move up to second place in the 2012 Draft and select Robert Griffin III impossible. Of course, that didn't happen -- Washington traded its 2012 first-round pick, its 2012 second-round pick, and its first-round picks in 2013 and 2014, for the right to select Griffin. At this point, that deal may turn out to be a bargain.

Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards in happier days. (Getty Images)

Receiver Braylon Edwards played for the New York Jets through most of the 2009 season and all of the 2010 campaign, which happened to be quarterback Mark Sanchez's first two years with the team. He caught 88 passes for 1,445 yards and 11 touchdowns before moving on to the San Francisco 49ers in 2011 and the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. He hasn't done much since he traded in Gang Green for the NFC West, catching just 23 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown in his past two seasons.

But on Tuesday, seemingly unprovoked by anything or anyone else, Edwards put the 5-7 Jets' front office on blast when considering the current Sanchez situation, and the fact that Sanchez seems to get a lot of the blame for the team's current issues. From his Twitter account:

(@OfficialBraylon)

Well, alrighty then. Edwards later triedto clarify his comments via Twitter:

I would like to apologize to the Jets family and my fans for my emotional outburst. Mark is a friend and former teammate, who I wholeheartedly support. Nonetheless, I have disrespected and insulted an administration that I have the utmost respect for.

Edwards may have been trying to mend fences, because the now former Seahawks receiver was waived/injured by the team on Tuesday.

Sanchez was benched in Sunday's 7-6 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in favor of Greg McElroy after throwing three interceptions in a performance that could only be described as pathetic. This season, he's completed just 55 percent of his passes and he's thrown 12 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. He's also fumbled 10 times.

[Also: Charles, Perkins, Belcher families open up about murder-suicide]

In retrospect, the team's decision to trade for Tim Tebow can be seen as an enormous mistake, except through the narrow public relations and marketing view that was probably the key to that move in the first place. The Jets' coaching staff doesn't seem to have any clue how to use Tebow, who was relatively effective in Denver's offense in 2011. General manager Mike Tannenbaum has made his share of mistakes in the last few years, and head coach Rex Ryan doesn't always seem to know how to run that particular asylum. It's a tough job when everybody's talking about you for all the wrong reasons.

But in the end, Sanchez's current situation is Sanchez's fault. He was somewhat productive in his first two seasons, when the Jets had a strong running game and defense, and he could be managed in that particular situation. He was decent in 2011, but anyone expecting a huge jump in 2012 may have been playing hope against reality. When he was asked to shoulder more of the load in the last two seasons, he has rarely shown the specific attributes needed to become a top-tier quarterback in the NFL.

The Jets took a gamble on Sanchez's future, signing him to a five-year, $58.25 million contract extension in March that guarantees his 2012 and 2013 base salaries. If the Jets did want to move on from Sanchez after this year, they'd have to pay out $8.25 million. And the way he's played this season, Sanchez might be the type of quarterback you'd pay to not play on your team.

(Getty Images)

On Monday, the families of Jamaal Charles, Kasandra Perkins and Jovan Belcher all released statements with their thoughts and feelings about Saturday morning, when the 25-year-old Belcher, a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs, shot Perkins to death at the couple's home. Belcher then drove to the Chiefs' facility, where he shot himself in the presence of Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, head coach Romeo Crennel and defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs. The deaths left the couple's 3-month-old baby in the care of Perkins' family.

Charles, the Chiefs' primary running back, is married to a cousin of Perkins, and Charles introduced Belcher to Perkins. Charles spoke about the incidents for the first time on Monday via a statement:

Our family has suffered a personal tragic loss. Kassandra Perkins was in-fact first cousin to my wife, Whitney. As this is a very tough time for our family, I ask that we are respected as we grieve. Kassandra was not only family, but a friend and a loving mother. As my actual family and my Kansas City Chiefs family have been altered forever, we ask that you keep us and most importantly their child in prayer.

Kasandra Perkins' family also released their own statement:

On behalf of the Perkins Family, we appreciate the outpouring of love and concern for our Kassandra "Kasi" Perkins. Our hearts are truly broken for Kasi was a beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, mother, cousin and friend. At this time we request the media respect our privacy during this difficult time as we grieve for our loved one. Please keep us in your hearts and prayers as well as the Belcher family for two lives were loss. Again we thank you for your support, our wish is for Kasi to be remembered for the love she shared with us all. Kasi will be truly missed!

Jovan Belcher's family released a statement via TMZ.

The Giants beat RG3 in Week 7, but they couldn't quite stop him. (Getty Images)

Monday Night Football
8:30 p.m. ET
New York Giants (7-4) at Washington Redskins (5-6)
FedEx Field, Landover, MD

When the New York Giants beat the Washington Redskins 27-23 on October 21, the winning team walked away with an unusual feeling of foreboding: They had seen Robert Griffin III for the first time up close, and they were very impressed. With 2:07 left in the game, on fourth-and-10 from his own 23-yard line, Griffin looked to throw to tight end Logan Paulsen up the middle, but linebacker Chase Blackburn closed that off. The Giants' vaunted pass was closing in, and Griffin had to run to his left. Most rookie quarterbacks break down right there, but Griffin didn't -- he faked end Jason Pierre-Paul out of  his shoes, stepped forward, and hit the now open Paulsen for a 19-yard gain.

[More NFL: Victorious Chiefs make no effort to hide pain one day after tragic events]

Three plays later, and after he also scrambled for 24 yards, Griffin his Santana Moss for a 30-yard touchdown and the lead. What everyone remembers is the 77-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz that decided the game -- it was one of Manning's most emphatic late-game responses in a career full of them -- but the Giants couldn't stop talking about that throw to Paulsen.

"I was going for him, almost had him, trying to get him to the sideline, and he hit the brakes on me," Pierre-Paul said. "He broke me. He's a good quarterback, man. What more do you want me to say? I wanted them to be off the field, but he extends the play with his legs. When a quarterback can do that ... it helps you to stay on the field and get that extra set of downs."

And as safety Antrel Rolle recalled, when RG3 goes on the run, defensive backs suffer from extreme option anxiety -- do you cheat and peek, hoping to stop the Olympic-level sprinter, or do you stay back and respect the deep arm that can torch any defense?

"You have to [peek]," Rolle said. "If you're human, that's what you have to do in order to play that game. You have to keep your head on a swivel and you have to read numerous different things."

[Also: Rex Ryan talks about benching Mark Sanchez]

In his last two games, Griffin has made that reading assignment more difficult than ever. In wins over the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, Griffin tempted safeties all over the field -- daring them to bite on run-action fakes, and then, dropping the hammer with the throw up top. In those two games, Griffin threw for eight touchdowns and one interception, and made a lot of highly-paid defenders look very silly in the process.

But now, the Giants will be the first NFL team to see Griffin up close for the second time, and that's where the adjustments are supposed to come in. The question is, how to you stop an offense that is as multiple as the one the Redskins are running with RG3 as its pilot? Griffin dictates more of the action than most quarterbacks, because he's set to run any number of different option concepts out of multiple formations and pre-snap shifts. Even if the G-Men get a real read on the tendencies of those options based on their own history, the Redskins might have a few new wrinkles of their own.

"I'd say that he's more a down-the-field passer than I think that people expected him to be," linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka recently said of Griffin. "He's got good poise in the pocket and he can also extend the play and look to get the ball down the field, not just the runner that everybody knew that he was coming out."

[Also: Charlie Batch steps up, leads Steelers past rival Ravens]

However, the threat of Griffin's mobility sets things up very nicely for his running backs -- specifically fellow rookie Alfred Morris, who currently ranks eighth in the league with 982 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 208 carries.

(Getty Images)

Megatron being Megatron: We talked Sunday about the historical significance of Calvin Johnson's season, and here's the play of the day Megatron pulled off against the Indianapolis Colts. Sometimes, it just isn't fair -- especially when the Indianapolis Colts decided to single-cover Johnson on the sideline, and Johnson responded with this ridiculous one-handed catch.

Luck to Avery for the Win: That said, Johnson walked off the field with a 35-33 loss, because Andrew Luck -- who'd had a pretty awful game otherwise -- nailed this 14-yard touchdown throw to Donnie Avery with time running out.

Golden Tate beats the Bears: Perhaps Tate is inspired by the exploits of his Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but the second-year receiver has been on quite a tear of late. But this late touchdown against the Chicago Bears was a pretty impressive physical effort.

Sidney Rice wins in overtime, gets clocked for his trouble: Ouch! Seattle's main receiver will feel this one for a while. He took this pass in from Russell Wilson in overtime and broke the plane for the winning score, but really paid for it when Bears safety Major Wright blew him up.

Adrian Peterson does it all: Maybe AD and Larry Fitzgerald can get together in the offseason and start a support group for extraordinary players saddled with quarterbacks who are anything but.

(Getty Images)

Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos: When Peyton Manning signed a five-year, $96 million deal with the Denver Broncos in March, it was thought that the best-case scenario would be that Manning could take a team that sort of won an AFC West that nobody else wanted in 2011, and push things forward a bit. The actual result has exceeded most expectations -- most likely, even Manning's. After four shoulder surgeries in the last two years, and overcoming a nerve impingement that would have ended the careers of lesser men, Manning has come back to enjoy perhaps his most amazing season. When he finished his day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 27 completions in 38 attempts for 242 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, Manning had also amassed the Broncos' single-season record for touchdowns with 29. That put him ahead of John Elway, the guy who signed him, and who was a pretty decent quarterback himself.

[Related: Andrew Luck leads list of winners (and losers)]

Manning is also running the ninth winning streak of seven games or more in his estimable career, and only Tom Brady ranks ahead of Manning in Football Outsiders' opponent-adjusted metrics. What Manning's done this season would be impressive if he simply switched teams without the injury narrative. Given the full story, it's easy to argue that Manning is enjoying his best and most special season in a career that already had people wondering if he was the greatest quarterback of all time.

Brady Quinn, QB, Kansas City Chiefs: Quinn's stat line was pretty decent and nothing more, for a quarterback who really hasn't done much in his NFL career -- 19 of 23 for 201 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks. It was what Quinn did and said before and after Kansas City's 27-21 win over the Carolina Panthers that made him an MVP. Not to get all Tom Rinaldi here, but Quinn's inner strength in the wake of the Jovan Belcher incident showed that when things were really tragic, he could be a leader of men. Quinn was the one who faced the media when other players could not yet do so before the game, and he was the one who most eloquently summarized the pain and confusion his teammates were feeling after Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, 22-year-old Kasandra Perkins, and then took his own life.

[Related: Victorious Chiefs make no effort to hide pain]

"When it happened, I was thinking, 'What could I have done differently?'" Quinn said after the game. "When you ask someone how they're doing, do you really mean it? When you answer someone back, are you really telling the truth? We live in a society of social networks, and Twitter pages and Facebooks, and that's fine. But we have contact with our work associates, our families and friends, and it seems sometimes that we're more preoccupied with our phones than the relationships going on in front of us. Hopefully, people can learn from this and try to figure out that somebody's battling something deeper on the inside than maybe they're revealing on a day-to-day basis."

Belcher's actions left a lot of questions unanswered -- and perhaps unanswerable. But Quinn showed all the strength, heart, and courage you could ever expect from a marquee quarterback on this day.

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks: What did the third-round rookie from Wisconsin have to do to beat the Chicago Bears in overtime and move the Seahawks to 7-5 on the season? Oh, not much. At Soldier Field, and against one of the best defenses in the NFL, Wilson had to lead a drive of 97 yards to put the Seahawks up, 17-14, late in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Golden Tate.

[Related: Jets coach Rex Ryan talks about benching Mark Sanchez]

When the Bears countered with a tying field goal, Wilson then led the Seahawks on an 80-yard drive, concluding with a touchdown pass to Sidney Rice, to take the game home with him. In his last four games, Wilson has completed 72 passes on 107 attempts (67.2 percent) for 878 yards (8.2 YPA), nine touchdowns, and no interceptions. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin have justifiably taken the Offensive Rookie of the Year award and made it their own personal volleyball, but when it comes to sheer bang for the buck, Wilson might be the NFL's best rookie value this season.

Morgan Burnett, S, Green Bay Packers: