Sam Bradford and Matt Cassel actually made ‘Sunday Night Football’ kind of fun

HERO: Sam Bradford wasn’t spectacular against the Cowboys, but he was pretty darn good, and the throw he made to Jordan Matthews for the overtime win was dead on the money. It was certainly one of his best games in an Eagles uniform. Most importantly, he was the best quarterback in the stadium.

CASSEL CRASHING: Matt Cassel actually played reasonably well for the Cowboys, but he was still rough around the edges. One of his touchdown passes was an absolute prayer to Dez Bryant, who was fantastic in his second game back. He also threw a pick-six before and had to get bailed out by a questionable pass interference call on the Cowboys’ game-tying drive before the regulation. Maybe if the Cowboys had gotten possession to open overtime, this headline would be different.

SUNDAY: Be the smartest fan at the water cooler today with our rundown of everything that happened Sunday in the NFL.

KARMA: Now, sportswriters aren’t technically supposed to take sides, but it’s impossible not to root against the Cowboys when they continue to employ Greg Hardy. His spot in the starting lineup amounts to tacit endorsement of domestic violence. For those who believe in karmic justice, it’s fitting that the Cowboys haven’t won a game since Hardy came back from suspension.

RAY RICE SPEAKS: Rice said that domestic violence must be taken seriously, with or without photographic evidence. That statement applies to Rice’s domestic violence case, obviously, but Rice’s interview with ESPN also illustrates a disturbing fact: Hardy is ceding moral high ground to the player who became THE face of the NFL’s domestic violence crisis just last year. At least Rice has shown what appears to be genuine contrition. The only reason Hardy is playing and Rice isn’t may be because Rice had a bad season the last time he appeared.

WRONG IN EVERY WAY: The Falcons could have done almost anything else and it would have been better than making this field goal. Even MISSING it would have resulted in a better outcome.

CLASSIC BELICHICK: “It’s always good to run the ball. It’s always good to throw the ball. It’s always good to score points.“

SUH LOSES HIS HEAD FOR THE RIGHT REASON: Ndamukong Suh has a reputation for being ill-behaved on the field, but he was absolutely right when he told refs, “You gotta call that dead, or I’m gonna slam the f*** out of him next time,” after what should have been a blown sack on Tyrod Taylor.

SB Nation presents: Maybe Ndamukong Suh needs to learn how to be more aggressive

CHEAP SHOT: Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer directly called out Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for the cheap shot that Lamarcus Joyner laid on Teddy Bridgewater, who was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Vikings players joined in. So did media.

In fact, Rodney Harrison told a disturbing story on NBC about how current Rams head coach Jeff Fisher laughed at the safety after he was injured on a cheap shot to the knees when Fisher was coaching the Titans. Accusations of dirty play have followed Fisher’s teams for years. Where there’s smoke ...

DROPSIES: Mike Evans dropped more passes in one game than any receiver has in 10 years. The crazy thing is that Evans still had a great game, catching eight passes for 152 yards.

THE DUMBEST PENALTY: And it might not even be close. Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib poked Colts tight end Dwayne Allen in the eye as the Colts were trying to run out the clock on what would be an upset win. The refs saw it, rightfully gave Talib a 15-yard penalty, and gave the Colts a fresh set of downs to end the game.

SO, THAT’S WHAT THE COLTS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE: The Colts’ win might have been the most significant result of the day. They beat the previously undefeated Broncos 27-24, and likely would have won by more if they hadn’t given up an 83-yard punt return for a touchdown just before halftime. The Colts are still in the driver’s seat in the AFC South. If this is a sign that they’re coming together, they may still be able to make a run in the playoffs.

WARE OUT: To add injury to the insult, the Broncos lost their best pass rusher to a recurring back injury. DeMarcus Ware is expected to miss “a week or two.”

YO GABBERT GABBERT: Seriously, Blaine Gabbert is winning football games in 2015 and not looking half bad.

BY A HAIR: Todd Gurley may be the first NFL player ever ruled out of bounds because of his hair style. Yes, dreads count as a part of your body. Don’t let them hit the ground.

PACKERS IN TROUBLE: The Packers lost to their second undefeated team in as many weeks, and it’s creating unrest among the players. Defensive players started shoving each other on the sideline, which can never be a good sign.

CAUGHT ON CAM: Cam Newton tore down a sign made by Packers fans that had been hanging over the wall at Bank of America Stadium. Now those fans want their sign back. Not likely. Panthers official policy prohibits fans of opposing teams from affixing banners or flags to any surface.

SB Nation presents: Cam Newton goes out of his way to give fan a souvenir

BIG BEN DOWN: Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t been back with the Steelers for long, but he’s already out “a few weeks at least” after suffering a foot injury against the Raiders.

DOWNTOWN ANTONIO BROWN: The Steelers still won a thriller, however, thanks in large part to an absolutely brilliant day out of Antonio Brown, who had 17 catches for 284 yards on 23 targets. He recorded the most receiving yards ever by a player who didn’t score a touchdown.

TITANS ... HOPE? Marcus Mariota was incredible in the Titans’ win over the Saints, answering every criticism against him coming out of Oregon. Though 2015 may be a lost season for Tennessee, the future is very bright at quarterback for the franchise.