In a year in which there do not seem to be an overabundance of "it guys" in the coaching ranks, more attention should be paid to the work being done by Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael. Drew Brees is having his best season in years and is doing so despite a defense that will readily prove no lead is ever truly safe.

Another crop of young position players are starting to develop on the offensive side of the ball as well. Carmichael has learned well from Sean Payton, one of the best coaches in the game, and goes into each Sunday knowing that his unit may have to score into the mid-30s to remain competitive. There is a real pressure inherent in that.

Carmichael is not one to politic for jobs or kudos, but with the Saints inching back into the playoff picture despite their limitations on defense (they just gave up 500 yards to the 49ers for goodness sake), he's someone who is worthy of having owners doing their homework on him. The Saints are averaging 30.25 offensive points per game, second only to Atlanta (31.55), and Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is a virtual lock to be heavily interviewed for head coaching gigs this winter.

Baltimore Ravens

Give credit to Ravens secondary coach Leslie Frazier for Baltimore's airtight approach to the Steelers last week. Pittsburgh literally did nothing through the air until the fourth quarter, after falling behind 21-0, and scouts could see a lot of Frazier's Tampa-2 influence in the game plan.

"It looked to me like they were running a lot of what Leslie is known for," one scout said. "You can tell he is working well with (defensive coordinator) Dean Pees. That team went into the bye saying they needed to tackle better and be smarter and more fundamentally sound, and that's how they played against Pittsburgh."

Denver Broncos

I give it two weeks, tops, before Paxton Lynch is running the Broncos offense. He has too much upside and there's too much predictability and stagnation from the offense now. Trevor Siemian has some limitations, the Broncos are in a tough division, and with the defense slipping some due to injuries and otherwise, they are not a team that is going to be able to play from behind as presently constructed.

Dallas Cowboys

Looking for an unsung hero for the Dallas Cowboys' rise? Drew Fabianich, their national scout, has a major role in setting the draft board and cross checking regional scouts and the Cowboys have been on a roll selecting players in recent years. That's not an organization that spreads the accolades around -- and frankly they'd be pretty happy for you to believe that Jerry Jones is picking the players -- but they have a lot of good football men there who have played a big role in the rise of this franchise.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Is all that speed on the Jags defense manifesting itself in positive ways? I asked a scout who has watched them a few times recently about former first-round pick Dante Fowler, midway through what amounts to his rookie year as he missed all of 2015 due to injury.

"I see the same kid I saw in college," the evaluator said. "He'll make a big play or two but give up a few more. He's still a little undersized and really he should be playing only on third down, but who else do they have? I like him and I think in a few years he'll be a player for the next staff that comes in there, but it's going to take some time."

Los Angeles Rams

Have yet to hear from a scout or executive in the league who can make a case for the Rams sticking with Case Keenum at quarterback.

"The problem for [coach Jeff] Fisher now is," one exec said, "he's taking this thing out so long, that he's sort of damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. If [Jared] Goff comes in and doesn't [urinate] down his leg, then everyone will say, 'Why didn't you play him a month ago?' And if he does come in and [urinate] down his leg, well, then, 'Why did you trade up to [first overall] for him?'"

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers feel like they will have a much more fluid offense this week against Dallas. They never got going against Baltimore and they feel like Ben Roethlisberger worked through some of the initial kinks in his first game back after a minor knee surgery and will be better for it this week.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks had been praying they could reach a point where Russell Wilson's legs could become a bigger part of their game plan, and Monday night those questions were answered. The Seahawks knew the read-option looks and designed runs for Wilson were a big part of what made them effective, but even they didn't fully appreciate the extent to which it tempered opposing defenses until Wilson was hobbled by injuries. He looked refreshed and vibrant against the Bills, and while Seattle's defense was an issue, getting Michael Bennett and Kam Chancellor back in the coming weeks will be a boost for that side of the ball.