What we learned from NFL Week 4

Okay, are we all back to hating the real refs yet? I thought so. Yeah, you can put your hands down now, Packer fans.

I have to admit now, the replacement refs, save for the Seattle disgrace, made for good entertainment. Especially based on the reactions from ESPN and social media to every single blown call.

So, can we still question the NFL's legitimacy if the regular refs are blowing calls?

You know what? The fans will always be angry at the refs, whether they have day jobs at McDonald's or Goldman Sachs.

Anyway, here's the Week 4 "5 Things":

1. The Saints are done. D.O.N.E.
 I don't care if they go 8-2 for the remainder of the season. You simply do not recover from an 0-4 start in the NFL. It never equals a Super Bowl win, even in an era of parity. No coaching structure, no continuity, no wins.

2. The Vikings are better than we all thought.
Give Christian Ponder credit for showing some growth in his second season in the NFL. No one thought he would step up his game to the level he has, but he has the men in purple believing. A 20-13 victory in a tough environment such as Detroit is a big step forward. Oh, and having Adrian Peterson back healthy helps, too.

3. The Cowboys should hold off on giving Tony Romo his huge contract for much longer than a few days.
Say what you want about Romo's 5 interception performance and how his recievers haven't helped him out. The truth is, Romo has never proved he can win a big game, much less perform at an elite level in a primetime game. Last night's debacle reenforced this. I guess having good looks and playing for "America's Team" gets you glam no matter how good or bad you are. But Jerry Jones needs to think long and hard about this one. Is Romo really the long-term answer? He hasn't been for the past five years.

4. The Falcons are showing signs of maturing as a team.
Games like Sunday's against Carolina truly test the will of a good team. The Panthers just kept clawing away and clawing away after their no-show last Thursday against the Giants. But the Falcons didn't panic after getting down 28-24. They get two late Matt Bryant field goals to cap two gritty, clutch Matt Ryan drives give this team massive confidence going forward. We'll see if this translates to bigger and better things. Like a postseason victory.

5. Other than maybe Atlanta, no team comes close to being complete more than the Houston Texans.
Four dominating wins. They have to be licking their chops for next Monday night against a beyond depleted and shaken Jets team. The AFC South (and #1 seed) is theirs to lose. Schaub, Foster, and Johnson have looked great. Mario Williams is NOT missed on that defense. This is looking like a special season.

Overreaction Plan the Parade Route Super Bowl pick: Minnesota vs Cincinnati

Top 5
1. Houston
2. Atlanta
3. Arizona
4. Baltimore
5. New England

Bottom 5
32. Cleveland
31. New Orleans
30. Jacksonville
29. Miami
28. N.Y. Jets