What has Ryan Tannehill done to suddenly become one of the hottest passers in the league? As it turns out, Tannehill is succeeding largely by virtue of not being Marcus Mariota.

The Rams have lots of problems, from injuries to poor performances to scheme failures. At the heart of it all, however, they have a quarterback who is failing to adjust to the changes going on around him.

You know about Drew Brees, Alvin Kamara, and Michael Thomas, but defensive backs such as Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson deserve credit for New Orleans' success as well.

Forget the running, and forget the highlight-reel deep balls. It's the subtle elements of what Baltimore's quarterback does in the short passing game that keeps the Ravens offense on track.

Halfway into their rookie NFL season, Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury is showing that the principles of his offense will work in the pros as well as they worked in college, while his quarterback has displayed the kinds of gifts that can make any offense work at any level.

Don't look now, but the Raiders are hanging around in the AFC wild-card race. Derrik Klassen shows how Oakland's quarterback is operating in sync with his offensive line, passing targets, and coaching staff in a bid to return the Silver & Black to the postseason.

The Panthers have won four games in a row behind a backup quarterback. Derrik Klassen shows how the defense is carrying the team, and how Shaq Thompson and company can play like few other teams can.

How do you protect your franchise quarterback when you can't rely on your offensive line? You spread the field with empty formations and let said franchise quarterback do what he does best.

Cleveland's franchise quarterback has stumbled out of the gates in his second season. What are the holes in his game, and what can Freddie Kitchens and the coaching staff do to manage them?

How did Buffalo's defense manage to shut down Tom Brady and make the Patriots look beatable? By solidly executing some deceptively simple coverage schemes -- and with solid contributions by some of the NFL's most underrated defenders.