hed have to take on more of the load in Oklahoma City.

Topics this week include the Cowboys looming quarterback decision, a former head coach who could get another shot this offseason, the terrible defenses in the NFC South, and more.Dak Prescott or Tony Romo?By most accounts, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo is getting better since he suffered a cracked vertebrae in the preseason. His MRI last week was encouraging. He has been throwing, and his rehab is on schedule for a targeted return of Oct. 30 against the Philadelphia Eagles, according to team sources. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan even suggested last week that Romo was ahead of schedule.Romo has remained publicly silent as he has watched rookie Dak Prescott perform to a level that few people, if any, saw coming. The good news for Romo: If he comes back healthy and is able to sustain the physical hits, Prescott most likely will deliver a Cowboys team that is still in contention. The bad news: If Prescott has no significant slips during the rest of the month, Romo has a standard to match. Now its not just about health, but about maintaining the level Prescott is playing at.Were a few games away from Tony coming back, but Dak has not thrown an interception, said Michael Irvin, the Hall of Fame Cowboys receiver. Tony is a great quarterback, but we all know that he has thrown that interception during his career where people just dont forget. This kid hasnt thrown any. It will be hell around here in Dallas if Tony comes back and throws an interception that costs [the Cowboys] a game.Romo, therefore, has a psychological hurdle to clear as well.I think Tony can handle it -- and I know hes happy for Dak and the team -- but you better believe its messing with his head, Irvin said. I went through it with Troy [Aikman] when he was hurt and Steve Beuerlein came in and ran off six or seven wins. I kept reminding people we were Troys team when a lot of people in the building and the public wondered whether we should just stick with Beuerlein for the playoffs. I saw it wearing on Troy. Were only human. Tonys only human.Irvins reference to Aikman is from the 1991 season, which was Aikmans third season. He hurt his back in a vital Week 13 game against the Redskins and left with a 14-7 lead. Beuerlein padded it to 21-7, and the Cowboys held on for a 24-21 win, giving the Redskins one of only two losses in a Super Bowl-winning season. Beuerlein won the last four starts of that regular season, and coach Jimmy Johnson gave him the start in the NFC wild-card playoff game, a 17-13 road win over the Bears. The next week, Aikman was back behind center, and the Cowboys were crushed 38-6 by the Lions in Detroit, a playoff elimination.That stuff bothered Troy, but there was no doubt going forward he was still the guy for the franchise, Irvin said. In this case, between Tony and Dak, most people know that Dak is the future for the franchise. And if Dak has to go to the bench when Tony is ready, its not going to affect Dak. He has won over this team, and he is just a mentally tough, even-keeled young man who is going to be ready and stay ready for whatever is thrown his way.--?Chris MortensenShort stay in Philly for?Jim Schwartz?Carson Wentz is getting most of the attention, but with the Eagles traveling to Detroit for Sundays game, its no surprise that Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who is?about to face the franchise where he served as head coach for five years through the 2013 season, is one of the storylines.If the Eagles maintain their winning ways, Schwartz will be among the?NFL assistants who will surface as a head-coaching candidate for 2017. Eagles linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who was with Schwartz for four years in Detroit, said, I think he deserves it.The Eagles defense has allowed just 27 points in three games. Everyone could rationalize the success of the first two weeks coming against the Browns and Bears, but then Schwartzs defense stymied the explosive Steelers in a 34-3 victory in Week 3. His work as the Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator in 2014 also was highly commended, but Rex Ryan came in as coach and Schwartz enjoyed a years hiatus before the Eagles called.This is where first-year Eagles coach Doug Pederson also deserves credit, just as he should receive credit for Wentzs unforeseen early success in the wake of the circumstances of Sam Bradford being traded to the Vikings before the season started.Pederson had no real prior relationship with Schwartz. He had other candidates on his list for defensive coordinator. When organizational discussions turned to the dynamics of what Pederson was facing in his first season, however, Schwartz became an intriguing candidate. Pederson wanted to be the offensive play-caller in his first season, in addition to being the head coach. He needed someone with experience and a track record on the defensive side. The two coaches met, and the fit was there.Whether its just a one-year fit remains to be seen. Some who know Schwartz dont believe he will take just any job if it presents itself. He could be entertained by the right college opportunity.For now, its on to Detroit for Schwartz. Again.--?Chris MortensenKyle Shanahan has Falcons offense rollingWhile Schwartz is earning his rightful accolades, the same is now happening for Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, whose offense has performed at a level significantly above any other this season.One quarter of the way into this season, the Falcons are averaging 80 yards per game more than anyone else. It helps playing in the NFC South (more on that below), but Atlanta has been ringing up video-game numbers, improving its record and bolstering Shanahans resume for future openings.One reason the Falcons offense has improved is personnel. Atlanta?added former Browns center?Alex Mack, who has solidified the offensive line, strengthening it from the inside out. Plus, there have been reinforcements added at wide receiver, with?Mohamed Sanu,?Aldrick Robinson?and?Taylor Gabriel?replacing Roddy White and Leonard Hankerson. There is more talent, more depth and, consequently, more production.Behind the strength of its offense, Atlanta has risen in the NFC South, though it did the same early last season before fading. This years team appears better positioned than last years, but Shanahan knows well the challenge that lays ahead.This week the Falcons return to Denver, where Shanahans offense will take on the Broncos coach he has known since he was a little boy, Gary Kubiak. Shanahan learned at the feet of Kubiak, who learned from Shanahans father, Mike, the former Broncos coach.?When Kubiak was hired as Houstons head coach, he brought along the younger Shanahan as his offensive coordinator.Kubiak this week called Kyle Shanahan exceptional. ... as sharp a guy as Ive ever worked with.It is Shanahans No. 1-ranked offense vs. one of the NFLs top-ranked defenses. It also is the first of back-to-back challenges for Atlanta. Following Sundays game in Denver, the Falcons will stay out West and travel to Seattle, where they will spend the full week practicing for a game against the Seahawks, who will be coming off their bye week. And if Shanahan can figure out a way to beat Denvers and Seattles defenses, his profile is going to rise even higher.--?Adam SchefterHow MLB could become model for NFLFootball is the most popular, lucrative sport in this country, yet the pay of its finest general managers are dwarfed by those who do the same job in baseball.Just last week, Cubs general manager Theo Epstein signed a record five-year, $50 million extension that easily would have set a new mark in football. No NFL general manager is making anywhere close to that number, no matter how many Super Bowls he has won.GM salaries in football usually are kept secret, and exact figures are almost never publicly known, but Baltimores Ozzie Newsome and Green Bays Ted Thompson -- each of whom has helped his franchise to a Super Bowl win -- are thought to be making close to $4 million per season, not close to Epsteins new deal.Seattle GM John Schneider was a season away from becoming the winters hottest free agent before he re-upped with the Seahawks in July?on a deal that will pay him well north of $3.5 million per year. Denver GM John Elway is thought to have two years remaining on his contract, and he could become the NFL executive who?breaks the glass ceiling on GM salaries.At a time when franchises are worth more than ever, when TV revenues are higher than ever, none of the salaries for NFLs GMs or front-office positions have gone up in proportion to what owners now are making. It is one of the least-discussed and least-noticed aspects of football.Yet in the NFL, pressure on GMs has risen at a much steadier pace than salaries have. Somewhere along the past decade, they have come under the same fire that head coaches have. At the end of the season, there are questions on social-media platforms and on sports talk radio about whether certain GMs should survive. It always was that way with coaches; recently, GMs joined them.NFL GMs are under more pressure than ever before. Yet their pay is not all that different.It used to be that way in baseball, too, until Epstein built a champion in Boston and then took his talents to Chicago to try to do the same. Not only has he constructed a winning baseball franchise, but he has become the model for NFL GMs to chase.-- Adam SchefterNot much D?in NFC SouthNFC South and defense do not belong in the same sentence, unless the sentence is about the NFC South having four of the NFLs five worst defenses.A quarter of the way through the season, as the league heads into Week 5, the Saints are ranked 32nd in the league, allowing 32.5 points per game.The Buccaneers are 31st, allowing 32 points per game. The Falcons are 29th, allowing 31 points per game. The Panthers are 28th, allowing 29.5 points per game.Part of the issue is that all four teams have franchise-type quarterbacks, capable of big and explosive plays. But that cannot explain how so many bad defenses are all clustered together.There are more challenges ahead, starting Sunday. The Saints have a bye weekend to try to make some defensive repairs, while the Falcons travel to Denver to play the Broncos, and the Panthers host the Buccaneers on Monday night.Teams are hoping for improvements, even if they are slight. But make no mistake, the NFC South has become heaven for fantasy football players and just the opposite for defensive coordinators in the division.-- Adam SchefterEmptying out the notebookJust as the NFC South has some unusual distinctions, so, too, does the AFC South. Its the only division in which each of its teams has allowed more points than it has scored. The Texans have scored 69 and allowed 73; the Jaguars have scored 84 and allowed 111; the Titans have scored 62 and allowed 84; and the Colts have scored 108 and allowed 125.We see it every season, and we are seeing it again now: Turnovers define seasons. Need any more proof of this? On the way to its NFC Championship, Carolinas turnover ratio was +20; this year, with the Panthers in last place, it is minus-3. Last season, on the way to the drafts fourth overall pick, the Cowboys turnover ratio was minus-22. This season, with Dallas at 3-1, it is +3.Weather constantly seems to be an issue for the Buccaneers. If they play early, they encounter extreme heat; if they play late, they run the risk of lightning, which has interrupted and halted their past two home games. In fact, Tampa Bay now has more lightning delays at home this season, two, than they do wins at home, zero. Fortunately for the Buccaneers, they have only one more late game, so theyre hoping for no more lightning delays -- but more home wins.Even with Frank Gore, Indianapolis now has gone 54 straight games without a 100-yard rusher. If this keeps up, the Colts will threaten the record of 67 straight games without a 100-yard rusher, which the Bengals set from 1992-97, before Corey Dillon came along.The Eagles will get at least another game from right tackle Lane Johnson, their former first-round pick, while his appeal of a pending 10-game suspension for violating the PED policy is decided. Johnson has expressed anger toward the supplemental company of the product he ingested and even toward the NFL Players Association. As one team executive pointed out, however, Johnsons case is now being decided by a neutral arbitrator under the new drug policy that was finalized on Sept. 12, 2014. What does not help him is the lesson he should have learned when he served a four-game PED suspension at the start of the 2014 season -- no matter what, a player is responsible for what he ingests into his body. Hes not a first-time offender of this ignorance, even if one is inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.When C.J. Spiller was signed by the Seahawks last week, they were certain he would be an immediate contributor. Sure enough, he caught a touchdown pass against the Jets. Even when Thomas Rawls returns to join Christine Michael in the backfield, the Seahawks are convinced Spiller has a role on the team the rest of the season and gives the offense a lift as a third-down back and maybe a little more than that.Update on Dolphins tight end Jordan Camerons visit last week to Pittsburgh-based concussion specialist Dr. Micky Collins: Sources say Dr. Collins believes Cameron eventually will be cleared to resume playing; the length of that wait, however, is uncertain. Thus, the team and Cameron are in deliberation mode after he suffered his fourth concussion.--?Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen Adrian Wilson Jersey . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. Kyler Murray Youth Jersey .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. http://www.thecardinalsshoponline.com/kyler-murray-cardinals-jersey-yp/ . The Lightning are 2-0 so far on a four-game road trip, giving the club five straight wins as the guest and improving Tampas away record this season to 11-8-2. Hakeem Butler Cardinals Jersey . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Arizona Cardinals Jerseys . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. ATLANTA -- Russell Westbrook floated off the man he was covering, anticipated the pass into the lane and slipped back to pick it off.Then he sped off the other way, with only a single defender able to get back and Victor Oladipo serving as wingman. At about the 3-point line, Westbrook whipped a bounce pass toward his teammate, who took it from there for a layup.With that, Westbrook earned his 10th assist and another triple-double.It wasnt even midway through the third quarter.He can do so many different things, Atlantas Thabo Sefolosha marveled after Monday nights 102-99 loss to Westbrook and the Thunder. Its definitely mind-blowing. And the way he does it. Hes everywhere.Seems that way, for sure.The Oklahoma City star is working on one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, having already piled up 11 triple-doubles in the Thunders first 22 games.Hes had six in a row, the leagues longest such streak since Michael Jordan had seven straight in 1989. More impressively, Westbrook is averaging 31 points, 11.3 assists and 10.9 rebounds through more than a quarter of the season.The last player to average a triple-double for an entire season was Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson in 1961-62. He finished at 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists.Obviously, the league hasnt seen something like this in a long, long time, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.To give it a bit more perspective, Jordans streak came during a season in which he finished with 15 triple-doubles.Westbrook is only four off that total with 50 games still to go.No wonder he heard chants of MVP! MVP! -- even while playing on the road.Its crazy, man, Westbrook said. Its definitely catching me off guard.He got off to a slow start offensively against the slumping Hawks, missing seven of his first eight shots. But Westbrook was helping his team in other ways -- crashing the boards and looking for the open man, giving him seven rebounds and eight assists by halftime.Its unbelievable, teammate Anthony Morrow said. Hes getting it within the game. Its not like hes forcing it. Its something Ive never seen before. Its a blessing for all of us to be a part of thatt type of greatness.ddddddddddddOf course, it was just a matter of time before Westbrook found his shooting range.That came in third quarter, when he suddenly got hot.Westbrook made five of his last seven attempts in the period, swishing three of them from outside the 3-point arc. He had 16 points in the third, outscoring the Hawks all by himself to stretch Oklahoma Citys one-point halftime lead to a 14-point cushion heading to the final quarter.Atlanta rallied down the stretch, but Westbrook helped preserve the victory. He finished with a line that is becoming all too familiar: 32 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, not to mention a steal and a block.Its just picking your spots, he said nonchalantly. The game will tell you what to do. When its time to be aggressive, thats what its time for. Thats what I try to do.When Kevin Durant bolted for Golden State, Westbrook knew hed have to take on more of the load in Oklahoma City. He seems to have put the entire franchise on his back, prodding and cajoling his teammates to come along for the ride. The Thunder have won all six games during his triple-double streak, climbing to first place in the Northwest Division.He does a great job of getting his teammates involved, Atlantas Tim Hardaway Jr. said. In the first half, you could see it. Hes gets on `em when they dont make the pass, when they dont make plays. But they love that about him. You can see that. They take it to heart.Perhaps the only question is whether Westbrook can maintain this sort of pace and intensity for an entire season.At least hes got a few days to rest up.The Thunder are off until Friday, when they host the Houston Rockets.I get satisfaction from winning, Westbrook said, shrugging off his individual achievements. Thats the most important part to me. My guys do an amazing job of working with what I give them and making my job easy.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . ' ' '