Bill Belichick has not lost three in a row since October of 2002 and it was the only time it happened after his first 5-11 rebuilding year in New England. Bill Walsh, after two rough years resurrecting the Niners' franchise, never again dropped more than two consecutive games. Great coaches work harder after a loss and are known to make the team facility their home all week after two defeats, seeking to avoid stacking the three dreaded losses that run the risk of spinning a season out of control and losing the confidence of a locker room.

The Ravens and Jets both started the season smoking out of the gates with 3-0 starts, but after back-to-back defeats, John Harbaugh and Rex Ryan each faced the biggest test of their young head-coaching careers, with the Vikings and Bills on the docket respectively.

Each game came down to the wire, with a confident Joe Flacco leading the Ravens into position for a potentially game-winning field-goal attempt and Thomas Jones' career-best 210 yards rushing sending the Jets into overtime.

However, just as fast as they started, they both came crashing down, as Ravens PK Steven Hauschka hooked the kick left and Jets holder Steven Weatherford botched the snap on a 50-yard Jay Feely FG attempt, soon setting up the Bills for the game-winning kick.

Even more devastating to the Jets was the shaky arm and decision making of rookie QB Mark Sanchez, whose arm was challenged by the Meadowlands winds as he tossed five interceptions, and the second-quarter knee injury to Kris Jenkins that could force the dominant nose tackle to miss the rest of the season and very much weaken the core of what was still a very staunch defense, with Pro Bowl CB Darrelle Revis adding Terrell Owens to the list of receivers he has shut down this season.

The Ravens can be inspired by the progress Flacco has shown in his second year, showing improvement that many evaluators did not expect to see, but the too frequent freelancing of defensive leaders Ed Reed and Ray Lewis, trying to do too much, has hurt the integrity of the defense and made an already suspect set of cornerbacks even more vulnerable. But for as much as the secondary was scorched by Sidney Rice for clutch big plays, it was a physical front seven that had not allowed a 100-yard rusher since 2006 that was more disappointing, as it allowed Adrian Peterson to surge to the head of the NFL's rushing leaders like it did against Cedric Benson the week prior by allowing 167 ground yards.

Great coaches go on the road and win games that they are not supposed to. Harbaugh, in his first real test of adversity, could not find a way to pull through it. The Ravens have the Broncos, Bengals, Colts and Steelers all on the November docket, so the schedule does not lighten. The Jets, having to travel four hours across the country to face the Raiders like the Eagles did, could slide deeper into a funk that becomes increasingly difficult to escape with each loss.

• Bears RB Matt Forté might have lost only two fumbles in his first 478 touches in the NFL, but after being drilled on back-to-back goal-line carries by Curtis Lofton and Jonathan Babineaux, the fumbling issue that dogged him in college showed up, as he coughed it up twice on successive downs. His upright running style leaves him especially vulnerable to big hits. Credit unheralded Falcons DT Thomas Johnson for getting underneath Olin Kreutz, controlling the line of scrimmage and consistently showing up. With Forté struggling mightily this season, averaging a mere 1.5 yards on 15 carries against Atlanta, it's difficult not to notice that two of the NFL's top five rushers — Cedric Benson and Thomas Jones — were former Bears that have been able to blossom elsewhere.

• It took a struggling Titans defense and a snowy field that helped all but eliminate the Tennessee pass rush, but Tom Brady finally looked comfortable in the pocket like he did pre-injury in 2007, as he played pitch and catch with Randy Moss and Wes Welker. If the Patriots can keep the quick-strike, vertical, big-play element that had been lacking in their offense, they can put it on cruise control and coast to an AFC East Division crown.

• The presence of Jim Zorn in Washington has become a major distraction that needs to be addressed. Stripping the play-aller of responsibilities does not solve the Redskins' biggest problem. There is an accountability issue in the nation's capitol, and it is not going away until owner Daniel Snyder looks in the mirror and sees his shadow. Snyder is very competitive and willing to do whatever it takes to win. He could have his pick of some of the league's top evaluators, a number of whom could provide the blueprint to build a winner. Instead, he continues to cycle through head coaches with blind loyalty to Vinny Cerrato, grossly undervaluing the importance of the GM role. The Redskins will never win until they hire an accomplished personnel boss.

• Albert Haynesworth might have signed the NFL's richest contract in the offseason, but his signing was far from the NFL's best move. It could be argued that the best offseason move was made by Saints head coach Sean Peyton, who sacrificed $250,000 of his own salary to entice defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to New Orleans. For as well as Drew Brees has played this season — and he is the top contender to challenge Peyton Manning for midseason MVP honors nearing the halfway point — Williams' pressure-packed defense has been the Saints' MVP through the first five games. He knows when to dial up the heat and when to play it safe and preserve a win.

• There might not be any more Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde division than the NFC West. With the exception of the lowly Rams, who have struggled mightily to get over the hump every week, there is no telling how the Cardinals, Seahawks or 49ers will play. They have been consistently inconsistent.

• Through the first quarter of the season, it appeared all hope was lost for Raiders QB JaMarcus Russell, but by the low standards he set, the third-year pro performed very well against the Eagles, showing improved pocket presence and confidence in his arm. He did well to continually connect with TE Zach Miller, whom Eagles CB Asante Samuel did not appear to want anything to do with on Miller's 86-yard TD catch-and-run. Samuel had a clear shot and flat out whiffed in the open field, failing to even connect as Miller sidestepped the undersized, timid corner.

• It does not matter if Donovan McNabb is healthy again if the Eagles are going to continue protecting him with Winston Justice and King Dunlap. Raiders DL Richard Seymour and Trevor Scott ran around the soft edge protectors like they were turnstiles and never gave McNabb time to settle down in the pocket. The Eagles were aggressive in addressing their void on the edges in the offseason after age and injuries caught up with longtime veterans Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan, but with Shawn and Stacy Andrews both being shelved with injuries and Jason Peters leaving the Oakland game with what appeared to be a serious knee injury, the Eagles could have major difficulty with anything more than the short passing game moving forward, as the makeshift line in place would have trouble handling a collegiate defensive line.