As a premier player for the NFL's only undefeated team – and one in the midst of what may be the least-hyped 7-0 start in league history – Roddy White would love to get in touch with his inner Rodney Dangerfield and tell you the Atlanta Falcons don't get any respect.

White, however, completely understands why the Falcons have yet to generate comparisons to the 1972 Miami Dolphins, or even the 2011 New York Giants. During its impressive, five-year run under the leadership of general manager Thomas Dimitroff and coach Mike Smith, Atlanta has face-planted in the postseason like Katy Perry covered in cake frosting.

Roddy White is tackled in the first half by Philly's Nnamdi Asomugha. (AP)"We're off to a good start, but until we finish strong, we're just a big question mark," the Pro Bowl receiver said in a phone interview after the Falcons' 30-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. "We can be 7-0, 10-0, whatever – but until we get into the playoffs and win, we're just regular-season warriors."

It's tough to argue with White's

Read More »from Falcons' Roddy White: 'We're just regular-season warriors' until achieving success in playoffs

DENVER – When Peyton Manning talks about his football mortality, acknowledging his physical shortcomings and scoffing at the notion that he plays as he did in his prime, it all makes perfect sense. He is 36, coming off four neck surgeries and a lost 2011 season, and he's struggling to get in sync with new teammates in a new city as the clock on his career mercilessly ticks away.

Yet while I may have politely nodded in agreement Sunday night as Manning, in a hallway outside the Denver Broncos' locker room at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, told me, "I can't do the same things I used to do, and I'm learning to adjust," my head hurt from the twisted logic.

Peyton Manning throws a pass for a TD against the Saints in the third quarter. (AP)After joining 76,832 fans and a national TV audience in watching Manning toy with the New Orleans Saints in the Broncos' 34-14 victory, it's tough to reconcile the decline of a once-mighty quarterback with the magnificent mastery we're witnessing on a weekly basis.

In a virtuoso performance that left Denver (4-3)

Read More »from Morning Rush: Peyton Manning as early MVP favorite? Broncos' QB not buying it

Brady Quinn spent the Kansas City Chiefs' bye weekend alone at his house in South Florida, cleaning up a giant mess. Leaking fluid, courtesy of a backed-up air-conditioning unit, had infiltrated his garage, which doubles as a weight room. Quinn, instead of working out fresh off his first NFL start in three seasons, was bailing out. He tried very hard not to view the situation as a metaphor.

When Quinn returned to Kansas City, he was still a backup quarterback – but not for long. On Monday morning, Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel called the former first-round draft pick into his office and delivered some unexpected news: Quinn, who'd filled in for the injured Matt Cassel the previous Sunday, had officially displaced him as the team's starter.

Brady Quinn throws a pass as tackle Eric Winston blocks vs. the Bucs. (AP)"It was pretty surprising, to be honest with you,” Quinn said earlier this week. “We were competing over the bye week, but Matt got most of the reps. So I was surprised, but excited about it, for my career.”

Quinn, who turns 28 on

Read More »from Lost in Tebowmania a year ago, Brady Quinn gets chance to turn around the Chiefs

As the loudest, most conspicuous Cam Newton defender of 2011 – not to mention one of the most productive passers in pro football history – Hall of Famer Warren Moon has a fair amount of credibility when it comes to critiquing the Carolina Panthers' struggling second-year quarterback.

After Panthers owner Jerry Richardson reacted to the team's 1-5 start by firing longtime general manager Marty Hurney on Monday, plenty of fingers were pointed at Newton – who has followed up his record-setting rookie season with a baffling sophomore slump.

Cowboys LB Dan Connor (top) and FS Gerald Sensabaugh tackle Cam Newton on Sunday. (AP)While Moon believes placing the bulk of the blame on Newton for the franchise's struggles is a stretch, he does feel that criticisms of the young player's demeanor have been valid and believes it's an issue that must be addressed.

"The big thing with him is he doesn't like losing," Moon said Monday. "He doesn't handle it very well. I don't see anything wrong with that; it's OK not to like losing. You just can't show it as

Read More »from Hall of Famer says criticism of Cam Newton's demeanor is valid, but believes race is a factor

Throughout their 11-year history, the Houston Texans have been a team desperate for exposure. The media friendly organization made life easy for reporters while habitually coming up short on the football field – until last season, when the Texans finally broke through and reached the playoffs.

In 2012, Houston came out hotter than "Modern Family" at the Emmys – until last Sunday night, when the Green Bay Packers ransacked Reliant Stadium and rolled to a lopsided victory over the mistake-prone home team on national television.

At that point, it was fair to ask whether the Texans had been exposed.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco is sacked by Texans OLB Connor Barwin in the first quarter. (AP)On Sunday, we got our answer, and it was delivered in ruthless and resounding fashion. The Texans, in dismembering the Baltimore Ravens 43-13, made it clear to 71,708 fans at Reliant and a football-watching nation that they are the team to beat in the AFC, and that their face-plant against the Pack was likely an aberration.

Or to put it another way, while borrowing from the

Read More »from Morning Rush: Texans laying down the 'Law' while taking the upper hand in AFC

SAN FRANCISCO – In the heat of the moment, with Thursday night's tight NFC West showdown between two hard-hitting teams hanging in the balance, Jim Harbaugh made one telling decision that spoke to his feelings about two quarterbacks.

With six minutes remaining, his team held a four-point lead over the Seattle Seahawks and faced a third-and-7 in the red zone. At that pivotal juncture, the San Francisco 49ers' second-year coach seemed to experience more shrinkage than a windsurfer at nearby Candlestick Point.

Alex Smith drops back to pass under pressure from Chris Clemons. (Getty)

Instead of trying to put away the Seahawks, Harbaugh green-lit a play from offensive coordinator Greg Roman that called for Alex Smith to run a quarterback draw through the middle of the line. The conservative call gained three yards, set up David Akers' 28-yard field goal and essentially dared Seattle's rookie quarterback, Russell Wilson, to launch a dramatic, end-of-game touchdown drive for the second consecutive week.

Harbaugh's strategy paid off: The Niners

Read More »from Conservative play call raises question whether Niners have complete confidence in Alex Smith

Andy Reid kicked off the Philadelphia Eagles' bye week in literal fashion, bidding farewell to defensive coordinator Juan Castillo on Tuesday as part of what the coach later suggested would be a more comprehensive shakeup.

If Reid's plan for prodding his 3-3 team toward a deep playoff run and saving his job includes benching quarterback Michael Vick, here's some borrowed advice from the great football philosopher Ice Cube: check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Andy Reid (L) speaking with defensive coordinator Juan Castillo during training camp. (AP) Firing Castillo, a close friend and trusted assistant for the past 14 seasons, seems like a panic move, and that's the way it will be perceived by many in the Philly locker room. Given that the Eagles' defense, despite last Sunday's fourth-quarter collapse in a 26-23 overtime defeat to the Detroit Lions, has actually been a strength this season, replacing Castillo with secondary coach Todd Bowles comes across as a self-serving, knee-jerk reaction. Understand that Reid habitually tells players to look in the

Read More »from Andy Reid should avoid compounding Eagles' problems by resisting benching of Michel Vick

SEATTLE – When the Seahawks took over at their own 43-yard line with 2:38 remaining in Sunday's game against the New England Patriots at CenturyLink Field, rookie quarterback Russell Wilson ran to his right for a nine-yard gain. Two plays later, Marshawn Lynch took a handoff and gained two more yards, picking up a first down but provoking some nervous head shakes and groans on the Seahawks' sideline.

Russell Wilson (3) congratulates teammate Sidney Rice after his game-tying TD catch. (Reuters)Trailing by six points and 46 yards away from the end zone, with the clock ticking toward the 1:30 mark, some of Seattle's players worried that coach Pete Carroll was being too conservative. They wanted Wilson to pass; this was an epic fail.

"We were like, 'What's with the running plays?' " one Seahawks player said. "Like, 'Shouldn't we be going after it?' We realized later he was setting up the play-action. Then it all made sense."

Realization came with a resounding suddenness – for the Seahawks, who may have found a franchise quarterback in a manner that defies

Read More »from Morning Rush: Debate's over; Russell Wilson's rally past Pats wins over fellow Seahawks