"Our guys have to understand, 'OK, how did we get to this point?' " Texans coach Bill O'Brien says. "Well, we're doing these things this way, we've got to continue to do it that way. It's all about hard work and putting the time in."
"Nobody wants to be pushed around or whatever, so you take a lot of pride in what you do," Reid says.
CHICAGO — This turnaround might be the most stunning. The Bears looked inept in their first three outings, and their first three wins came by a total of seven points. Star running back Matt Forte has been sidelined, and top receiver Alshon Jeffery has played hurt.
But there always has been faith in a defense led by Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and rookie cornerback Marcus Peters. Charcandrick West has been a suitable replacement for Charles. And tight end Travis Kelce has been terrific.
Anyone who wrote off the Texans, Chiefs, Redskins and Bears when they slid to the bottom of the early NFL standings better have used pencil.
The defense has taken to the coaching of John Fox; Pernell McPhee and Lamarr Houston have benefited in particular.
In fairness, though, Cutler has ranged from steady to sensational in the past month, with his work in a comeback win at San Diego perhaps the best of his much-maligned career.
The AFC wild-card race is muddled, and KC's remaining schedule is weak. Plus division leader Denver is beaten up, with a hurting Manning benched this weekend.
"We're just trying to grow from a week-to-week basis and get better and better as the season progresses," Gruden says. "We've got a different football team than we had last year — lot of different faces: rookies, veterans, different leadership.
Yes, all are 4-5 and have the kind of holes that make them virtual non-contenders for the Lombardi Trophy. But they're revitalized and figure to be dangerous opponents down the stretch, with the Texans and Redskins still in the mix for titles in weak divisions.
With standout running back Arian Foster gone for the season, the ground game has ground to a halt. But DeAndre Hopkins has emerged as one of the NFL's best receivers.
"Overall, I like where we're at, where we're going."
The Chiefs won handily at Denver, driving Peyton Manning to the bench. The Bears are 3-0 against the AFC West and bullied the Rams' hard-charging defense last weekend. The Redskins have beaten Philadelphia, the supposed NFC East favorite, and hammered New Orleans last Sunday.
Far more significant has been the rebirth of the defense. J.J. Watt remains the best defensive lineman and probably the best defensive player on Earth. He's getting plenty of help from Whitney Mercilus, Johnathan Joseph and Brian Cushing,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, who leads the team with 76 tackles.
A .500 record would be significant progress in Chicago. The Vikings and Packers are superior,NFL Jerseys China, and the other wild-card contenders are better than the Bears. Still, progress is being made.
To think Washington is even in that conversation is remarkable given how unimpressive this team has been in most areas. The run game should be far better than it has been, and the run defense is weak.
So is the coaching. Could owner Dan Snyder finally have hired someone, Jay Gruden, he will allow to be successful?
Adds Chiefs coach Andy Reid: "I always felt like the sky's the limit for this team, as long as we're in the right mindset and ready to go."
KANSAS CITY — After an opening victory, the Chiefs handed a game to the Broncos and went into a funk, losing four straight. They also lost their best offensive player, RB Jamaal Charles,NFL Jerseys From China, for the season.
And their quarterback is Jay Cutler.
HOUSTON — Almost quietly, O'Brien guided the Texans to a 9-7 record following their league-worst 2-14 of 2013. That success came with a revolving door of quarterbacks, and three have played this season; Brian Hoyer now is pretty entrenched as the starter.
So what has changed and where are they headed?
A victory Sunday would say a lot about Washington.
WASHINGTON — A win Sunday against undefeated Carolina would be monumental. It would lift the Redskins into a tie for first in the NFC East, and they have four divisional games remaining.
While those four teams don't have championship-level talent, they've revived their fortunes and are making some noise.

The mindset is pretty positive right now, even though Houston started 1-4,Wholesale NHL Jerseys, Kansas City 1-5, Chicago 0-3 and 2-5, and Washington 2-4. Then, the Texans snapped the Bengals' unbeaten record