FLASHUPDATE WEEK 11 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 14 Nov. 2007
Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris
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ARIZONA CARDINALS
Anquan Boldin acknowledged recently that a hip injury likely will keep him from being 100 percent for the remainder of the season. As Arizona Republic staffer Kent Somers noted, Boldin's statistics since his return suggest that he might be missing some explosiveness. 
Boldin has played in the past three games after missing three games because of the injury. Since his return, he has caught 14 passes for 94 yards and two touchdowns. That sometimes has been a day's work for him. 
He did get two touchdowns in Washington, but other than his big day in Baltimore, Boldin has had trouble making a big impact. He and Kurt Warner seemed to have their signals crossed a couple times Sunday. 
"He had a severe injury, and he worked hard to get back from it," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "but your body can't recover, especially when you're out here pounding it every day in practice and in games. 
"It really bothers him when he picks his leg up, and that's when you drive in and out of your routes. Until he gets back 100 percent, he's not going to be as good as maybe you would expect for him to be. ..." 
According to Somers, no one will be happier with Sunday's win over Detroit than Boldin, but still, he's only human. He's going to want to be a bigger part of things. ... 
In the meantime, the Sports Xchange reports that Larry Fitzgerald is responding to some hard coaching. 
The staff has been on him about finishing plays and running after the catch. So, it's worth noting the he scored the team's go-ahead touchdown against the Lions in the second quarter and gave the Cardinals a 31-14 lead in the fourth after turning a slant into a 20-yard scoring reception. He evaded cornerback Fernando Bryant, then pulled three defenders with him for 5 yards into the end zone. 
As Republic columnist Paola Boivin suggested, that's what can happen when you're 6-3, 226 pounds and able to outmuscle the opponent -- when you want to. 
"He is too big, too fast and too strong not to be able to finish those plays," Whisenhunt said. "This is the type of player he can be when he is working the way he has been working the last couple of weeks in practice." 
When Boldin was sidelined for three games, Fitzgerald stepped up, posting 25 catches for 353 yards and a touchdown. But he also has revealed a propensity for fumbles, losing three during a four-game stretch. 
Fortunately, he took Whisenhunt's advice to heart, worked hard and came away from Sunday's victory with eight catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. 
"A lot of people don't appreciate his ability to go get the football, especially down in the red zone," Kurt Warner said. "He's got a tremendous ability to go up and find the football and make those plays." 
As Boivin noted, Fitzgerald's upside is mind-boggling. At 24, he's the youngest receiver on the team, even though he's in his fourth season. The next youngest, Steve Breaston, is a rookie who's 11 days older. 
But his talents could put the Cardinals in an interesting bind next season, when he enters the fifth year of a six-year rookie contract. He has achieved so many of his incentives that his 2008 salary-cap number could hit the neighborhood of $15 million, which might lead the Cardinals to seek some type of restructuring. 
But for now, coaches are focused on getting him the ball as much as possible. ... 
In a related note. ... Pro Football Weekly suggests that Whisenhunt isn't happy with the contributions his offense has received from the No. 4 spot behind Fitzgerald, Boldin and Bryant Johnson. 
With free-agent addition Sean Morey proving incapable of sufficiently filling the bill, ex-Seahawk Jerheme Urban has tried and mostly failed to pick up the slack, showing a disturbing tendency to drop catchable passes in tight spaces. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... Warner continues to play with a brace on his left arm because of a torn elbow ligament, and he's limited to handing off with his right hand. In the tight confines of a goal-line situation, the club has inserted Tim Rattay, who threw his second touchdown pass of the year in that role Sunday. 
"What's up with that?" joked Warner. "Credit should be partially mine or something. ..." 
Unfortunately, it's no joking matter for Fantasy owners looking to maximize scoring potential while setting lineups. It's not a major issue, but it is an issue. ... 
Also according to the Xchange, Leonard Pope is becoming a bigger focus in the passing game, especially near the goal line. He had two touchdowns last week. He wasn't perfect, however, drawing his eighth penalty of the year and fumbling after a reception. ... 
According to Somers, Edgerrin James was the featured back against Detroit, but Marcel Shipp and J.J. Arrington got some work in special packages. James had 60 yards on 18 carries. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Kurt Warner, Tim Rattay, Tim Hasselbeck 
RB: Edgerrin James, Marcel Shipp, J.J. Arrington 
FB: Terrelle Smith 
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson, Jerheme Urban, Sean Morey, Steve Breaston 
TE: Leonard Pope, Troy Bienemann, Tim Euhus, Ben Patrick 
PK: Neil Rackers 
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ATLANTA FALCONS
As Associated Press sports writer Charles Odum reminded readers on Monday, after their first seven games, it appeared the Falcons were bound for one of the worst seasons in franchise history. 
Suddenly, two wins later, the mood is on the upswing. 
A bye week following the 1-6 start seems to have helped. The Falcons have won two straight games and, because they play in the weak NFC South, they would move only one game out of first place if they beat Tampa Bay at home this week. 
Even after Sunday's last-minute 20-13 win at Carolina, the Falcons still are only 3-6, and they're still in last place in their division. But now there's evidence the players are gaining familiarity and confidence in first-year head coach Bobby Petrino's system. 
"Everything has been new," Petrino said Monday. "So hopefully we'll just keep getting better. You need a lot of things to work in order to do that." 
On offense, Petrino said "You have certain things now you really understand." 
The first example cited by the coach: "Get Roddy the ball." 
Roddy White, enjoying a breakout season, leads the team with 42 catches for 642 yards, including six receptions for 57 yards against the Panthers. 
Another obvious key in the two wins has been the resurgence of Warrick Dunn, who ran for 100 yards in a win over San Francisco on Nov. 4. Dunn added 89 yards rushing with a 30-yard touchdown, plus three catches for 51 yards, against the Panthers. 
Dunn needs 58 yards rushing against Tampa Bay, his first NFL team, to reach 10,000 for his career. 
"We would certainly like to see him get it on Sunday," Petrino said. "I think all our coaches have been aware of it. Certainly it's a great thing for Warrick." 
Tight end Alge Crumpler, who early in the season accused Petrino of phasing out veteran players, had the game-winning, 30-yard touchdown catch from Joey Harrington with only 33 seconds left. 
"We won the game in the fourth quarter last week against San Francisco, and we found a way this week," Crumpler said. "That's huge for us. We haven't won back-to-back games this season. Now we've got to make it three, four and five to continue to build upon what we are doing." 
The big question of the week: Who will start at quarterback against Tampa Bay? 
Although he has helped the Falcons win two straight games, Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer Steve Wyche notes Harrington has not entrenched himself as the long-term starter. 
Byron Leftwich is moving closer to being medically cleared to resume practice after ankle surgery two weeks ago. It means he could be moving closer to re-assuming the starting quarterback job he's held for just a half of a game. 
Petrino was non-committal Monday about Leftwich's role once he is healthy enough to play, which signaled he and his staff are assessing all ramifications of making a switch at a time when the Falcons (3-6) are playing their best football of the season. 
If Leftwich is able to practice this week -- and he did take part in the first session of the week on Wednesday, a change could be in the works. 
"We've kind of got to wait and see the health of Byron," Petrino said. "There's a lot of things before you consider ..." 
Until the team's recent reversal of fortune, there was little doubt among the coaching staff that Leftwich would regain the starting job once he recovered surgery to have screws inserted in his lower leg to support tendons he damaged after being tackled in the third quarter of a loss at New Orleans Oct. 21. 
Despite being on the field for an aggregate of just more than three quarters -- he relieved Harrington in the fourth quarter of a loss at Tennessee Oct. 7 -- Wyche notes that Leftwich's arm strength, leadership and penchant for throwing the ball up field allowed Petrino and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to run the more aggressive offense they prefer. 
According to Wyche, the coaching staff would rather not put Harrington (168 of 264, 1,737 yard, five TDs, five INTs) in a position to make an abundance of plays. He can't make some of the downfield throws Leftwich can and he has a history of inconsistency, especially when he's faced with pressure. 
Leftwich had hoped to be able to practice last week but he suffered some unexpected discomfort last Tuesday after a workout Monday. The medical staff cautiously managed his rehabilitation schedule the rest of the week and Leftwich was among eight inactive players at Carolina. 
"We don't know how his health is yet," Petrino said of Leftwich. "We've got to wait and see how healthy he is. He felt like he would be back last week and that didn't materialize. Even though he did get a lot of work later in the week. There's no reason to say or think anything until you know the health status." 
That status will be worth watching in coming days. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... Receiver Joe Horn (hamstring) and tailback Jerious Norwood (ankle) were designated inactive because of injuries. Robinson started in place of Horn, and Artose Pinner replaced Norwood. Rookie Laurent Robinson had five catches for 32 yards. He also fumbled after one of his catches, allowing Ken Lucas's 27-yard return for Carolina's only touchdown in the second quarter. 
Petrino said the fumble call was reviewable, but coaches who watched immediate film replays advised him not to challenge the play. 
"They told me upstairs that he did fumble it," Petrino said. ... 
According to the Sports Xchange, Horn is expected to return against Tampa Bay. It is not known if he will reclaim his starting job from Robinson. 
There was no medical update on the condition of Norwood, but rookie running back Jason Snelling was activated from the practice squad Monday. Snelling has been cross-trained as a tailback and fullback. 
There was no comment from the team as to whether his activation was due to Norwood possibly healing slowly. ... 
Rookie tight end Martrez Milner suffered what was initially diagnosed as a high left ankle sprain against the Panthers. He was placed on injured reserve Monday. 
Atlanta claimed former Detroit tight end Courtney Anderson off waivers to replace Milner, the No. 3 tight end. 
Anderson is a fourth-year player with 28 career starts, all with the Oakland Raiders, where he spent the first three seasons of his career. He has 62 career catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns. 
It is not known if Anderson will be ready to play Sunday. 
A few final notes here. ... Morten Andersen became the first player in NFL history to reach 2,500 career points. Andersen reached the milestone with a 36-yard field goal with 3:24 to play in the third quarter in Sunday's game. 
The 45-yard-old kicker, who is playing in his 25th season, entered the game 14-of-19 on field goal attempts. 
And last but not least, Dunn's 30-yard touchdown run marked the first time in 45 games that the Falcons scored a touchdown on their opening drive, according to the team. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Byron Leftwich, Joey Harrington, Chris Redman 
RB: Warrick Dunn, Jerious Norwood, Artose Pinner 
FB: Ovie Mughelli, Corey McIntyre 
WR: Roddy White, Joe Horn, Laurent Robinson, Michael Jenkins, Adam Jennings 
TE: Alge Crumpler, Dwayne Blakley, Courtney Anderson 
PK: Morten Andersen 
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BALTIMORE RAVENS
As Baltimore Sun staffer Jamison Hensley reported, Steve McNair will be out at least two to three weeks with a shoulder injury, which means Kyle Boller will be the Ravens' starting quarterback Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. 
McNair sustained a subluxation of his non-throwing shoulder -- which means it kept popping in and out of joint -- late in Sunday's 21-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, head coach Brian Billick announced on his weekly radio show Tuesday night. 
Boller, who was a three-year starter before the Ravens traded for McNair, is 2-1 as the starter this season. 
"Obviously, Kyle is cranked up and ready to go," Billick said. 
The injury comes at a point where the Ravens could have been ready to bench McNair. 
McNair, who has already missed time this season with groin and back injuries, committed three turnovers and threw for only 128 yards Sunday before being replaced in the fourth quarter of a 21-7 loss to Cincinnati. Six days earlier, McNair lost two fumbles and threw an interception in a 38-7 defeat at Pittsburgh. 
"This is probably the lowest point in my career that I've had over my last two games," said McNair, a four-time Pro Bowl selection. "What do I need to do about it? I don't know. I'm trying to play hard, but it's just not there. 
"My turnovers have been killing this team." 
McNair's health has been an ongoing issue. Since hurting his groin on the second play in the season opener against the Bengals, he has not resembled the quarterback that shared the 2003 MVP award -- let alone the player who last year threw 16 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions. 
According to Carroll County Times staff writer Aaron Wilson, McNair has been playing in slow motion. His instincts and ability to serve as a caretaker for a conservative offense seem to have eroded nearly completely. 
His arm strength is extremely questionable. Completing 17 out of 26 passes for 128 yards, his longest completion was 17 yards and he finished with a putrid 61.1 quarterback rating. 
For the season, McNair, who has thrown only two touchdown passes dating back to Dec. 31, 2006, including the playoffs, has passed for just 1,113 yards with four interceptions and a 73.9 quarterback rating. 
Boller has thrown 71 fewer passes than McNair, but has more touchdown throws (3) and one fewer interception. After replacing McNair late in Sunday's game, Boller produced Baltimore's lone touchdown against the league's 31st-ranked defense. 
As is often the case, change can be for the best. ... 
Something that won't change? Billick insisted Monday that he will remain the play-caller, acting as his own offensive coordinator for the NFL's 23rd-ranked offense. 
Despite a three-game losing streak and general downward spiral, Billick will continue to design and orchestrate the game plan. 
"Yeah, that's my plan right now," Billick said. "That will be under constant review by me. That's my obligation. 
"If the first inkling that I get that there's a better way to go about it, I'll make that change in a New York second. I'm going to put this team in the very best position I can as the head coach each and every Sunday as we go forward." 
As Wilson noted, Fan and player discontent has been rising steadily as the Ravens have lost all four division contests by a combined score of 103-47. The Ravens have committed 10 turnovers over the past two games, being outscored 59-14. 
"Our fans deserve better than what they saw," Billick said. "We've got to find a way to not turn the ball over and leave ourselves vulnerable that way. Not that in and of itself is the only answer. It is not, but that is job one right now." 
Billick admitted being acutely aware of the rancor from the fans, who expressed their disapproval during Sunday's 21-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with a mass exodus from M&T Bank Stadium after constantly booing the offense. 
Wilson suggests there might not be a worse case of fan disconnect during Billick's nine-year tenure. 
"If there was, it certainly doesn't feel that way right now," Billick said. "I understand that, I appreciate that. We need to give our fans better play. 
"I'm very, very much aware of that and want very much for the fans to get a better return on their time and energies than they are getting right now. ..." 
Other notes of interest. ... Tight end Todd Heap aggravated his strained hamstring against the Bengals and is a question mark for Sunday's game. 
"It's been better," said Heap, who left the game in the third quarter and didn't return. "It's been hampering me for a while. It's definitely something that's frustrating and something I haven't dealt with before. 
"I don't know what to expect from it. I'm just trying to do everything I can to get back as soon as possible." 
Quinn Sypniewski will be the starter this week if Heap, who wasn't on the field for Wednesday's practice, can't go. ... 
Wide receiver Demetrius Williams was on crutches after suffering a high-ankle sprain, an injury that forced Devard Darling into the lineup. Given Williams' diagnosis it seems unlikely he'll play this week. He wasn't on the practice field Wednesday. 
Thrust into the role of returner after rookie Yamon Figurs' sprained right knee was too sore for him to play, Cory Ross returned seven kickoffs for 112 yards (including a long of 25 yards) and two punts for 27 yards (including a long of 15). 
But Ross chastised himself for failing to corral a short kickoff that bounced off his hands and was recovered by Cincinnati safety Marvin White at the Ravens' 11-yard line. 
"It took a real funny bounce," Ross said of the muffed kickoff, which the Bengals converted into a field goal. "And the way the bounce was going, I tried to jump on it, and I just mishandled it. I knew it was a live ball, but it was just a mishap on our parts. Just an all-around bad day for us. ..." 
And finally. ... Closing out on a positive note, with eight receptions for 107 yards, wide receiver Mark Clayton moved into eighth-place on the Ravens' all-time receiving yardage and receptions list. With 136 career catches and 1,682 yards, he eclipsed wide receiver Jermaine Lewis and tight end Shannon Sharpe. 
It was the sixth 100-yard receiving game of his career. 
"You've got to leave it on the field," Clayton said. "It's not easy. Nobody likes losing." 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Kyle Boller, Steve McNair, Troy Smith 
RB: Willis McGahee, Musa Smith, Mike Anderson 
FB: Le'Ron McClain. Justin Green 
WR: Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Demetrius Williams, Yamon Figurs, Devard Darling 
TE: Todd Heap, Quinn Sypniewski, Daniel Wilcox 
PK: Matt Stover, Rhys Lloyd 
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BUFFALO BILLS
Marshawn Lynch underwent an MRI on his sore left ankle on Tuesday with head coach Dick Jauron admitting he is "concerned" about his rookie running back. 
And after the Bills returned to practice Wednesday without Lynch, Jauron told the Boston media (via his regularly scheduled conference call): "He's real sore, we'll just have to see as we move along here, but we're not particularly optimistic about it." 
The coach then told the local media that Lynch's injury is more significant than an "average" ankle sprain and he could be out for multiple weeks. 
The Bills are expected to use both rookie Dwayne Wright and veteran Anthony Thomas in Lynch's place. 
Lynch's absence would obviously be a blow. 
As Associated Press sports writer John Wawrow suggests, the first-round pick has been the team's most consistent offensive player and has played a significant role in helping the team rebound from a 1-3 start. 
The touchdown against Miami was Lynch's team-leading sixth rushing this season. With a touchdown passing as well, Lynch has had a hand in seven of 10 touchdowns produced by the offense this year. 
He ranks fifth in the NFL with 751 yards rushing, and his 196 carries rank second behind Pittsburgh's Willie Parker. 
Against the Dolphins, Lynch was the clearly the difference-maker. 
"He's a hard runner and he's a relentless runner," tackle Langston Walker said. "I don't know how he does it. It's just youthful exuberance." 
Or it's "Beast Mode," which is how Lynch describes his game-day mindset. 
"It's simply the attitude you can't get tackled by one defender," Lynch says. 
"He inspires the offensive line to want to block harder and run downfield and hit other guys," said guard Brad Butler. "Because you know when we watch it on film, you'll look pretty foolish if he's breaking tackles downfield and you're just standing there. ..." 
"He doesn't shirk," said Jauron of Lynch. "He doesn't shirk in practice, and he definitely doesn't shirk on game day. ..." 
Unfortunately, it's now looking very much like that hard-running style will cost Lynch. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... J.P. Losman did not play poorly enough to lose the starting job, but did he play well enough to keep it? 
Jauron was mum about whether Losman would remain the starter after Sunday's win. 
Losman completed 12 of 23 passes for 157 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. But as Buffalo News beat writer Allen Wilson noted, Losman made some key throws down the stretch, got a critical first down on a fourth-down quarterback sneak and engineered two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to help the Bills avoid an embarrassing upset to the only winless team in the NFL. 
Jauron wasn't ready to critique Losman's performance, giving the familiar, "I have to look at the tape" refrain. But Jauron did give Losman credit for making some plays at the end. 
"He missed on some throws, and at the end of the game, he made some big throws. The quarterback sneak was huge." 
Losman's solid fourth quarter made up for his struggles in the other three stanzas. The Bills went three plays and out on their first four possessions and it was nearly 21 minutes into the game before they recorded a first down. 
Losman's first five passes fell incomplete. Late in the second quarter, he had wide receiver Lee Evans open in the end zone, but the pass was underthrown and intercepted by Dolphins cornerback Will Allen. Losman also took a couple of sacks that were the result of good coverage by Miami and his indecisiveness in the pocket. 
"They did a good job scheming us," Losman said. "They were pretty much two deep all day, taking away the deep stuff and taking away anything over 10 yards. You just got to check it down and keep the ball in our guys' hands on some little things and let them make some plays." 
Losman also got a little pep talk from his best receiver. 
"Early in that game I just told him to keep playing. Shake it off and keep playing," Evans said. "Some of the things they were doing it was kind of a chess match between what we wanted to do and the coverages they played. But in the second half he really responded and played a lot better and played like he needed to for us to win that football game." 
According to the Sports Xchange, Jauron said it never occurred to him to yank Losman in the third quarter and go with rookie Trent Edwards. ... 
Also according to the Xchange, Roscoe Parrish has been mostly unproductive as a receiver in the passing game. He was blanked in Miami and has only 23 catches for 197 yards. 
But his punt returning played another key role in a Buffalo victory. Parrish ripped off a 40-yarder late in the fourth quarter, taking the ball from the 10 to the 50, and it set up the Bills for their winning field-goal drive. 
"Roscoe's punt return was huge," Losman said. "Everybody blocking there on special teams, that gave us a short field to work with, and it paid off big for us." 
Parrish leads the league with a 19.4-yard average, and he reminded everyone, "There are three phases of the game -- offense, defense and special teams. Special teams are always a key because it gives you the momentum on offense and defense. It changes the game." 
One last note. ... Jauron said starting tight end Robert Royal's status is uncertain after he sustained a mild concussion against Miami. Royal didn't practice on Wednesday, but it sounds like he'll make an effort to get back to work before the end of the week. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: J.P. Losman, Trent Edwards, Craig Nall 
RB: Anthony Thomas, Dwayne Wright, Fred Jackson, Josh Scobey, Marshawn Lynch 
FB/HB: Ryan Neufeld 
WR: Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, Sam Aiken 
TE: Robert Royal, Michael Gaines, Matt Murphy 
PK: Rian Lindell 
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CAROLINA PANTHERS
Amid the boos and the constant battering on talk radio, Associated Press sports writer Mike Cranston notes that head coach John Fox is pushing back. 
A day after Carolina's third straight loss and its sixth straight at home dating to last season, the airwaves and Internet were full of people taking the Fox to task for everything from his love for draw plays to the way he claps his hands on the sideline. 
As Fox met with the media on Monday, he wanted to make a few points: He doesn't think he's conservative and he thinks the Panthers are doing the best they can after losing starting quarterback Jake Delhomme to a season-ending elbow injury. 
"I'd remind all our fans that in only one of those six (home losses) did our starting quarterback play," Fox said. "I think that's not an excuse, it's reality. We deal in reality. Of those six games, your starting quarterback is only in one of them. Sometimes that's not ideal." 
Fox also disputed his label as a conservative coach. While Fox acknowledged the number of times he's gone for it on fourth down in his six years in Carolina could be "counted on one hand," he's tired of being criticized for his style. 
"We've won some games around here. I think it's been effective," Fox said. "I'm not ashamed of the games we've won here or our record here." 
Despite leading Carolina to a Super Bowl appearance and an NFC championship game in six seasons, Fox clearly knows he's under pressure. At 4-5, the Panthers are only a game out of first place in the weak NFC South, but they appear to be in a free fall. 
Carolina has scored two offensive touchdowns in the past three games, has no stability at quarterback, an inconsistent running game and receiver Steve Smith can't get the ball. 
The Panthers' biggest problem is at quarterback. Vinny Testaverde, who turns 44 Tuesday, completed 13 of 28 passes for 153 yards while playing with a sore right Achilles' tendon. Rookie Matt Moore threw an interception on a desperation heave at the end of the game. David Carr sat out and Fox acknowledged Monday that the quarterback has suffered two concussions -- not one -- in the past month. 
Since Delhomme was lost in Week 3, the question of who will start at QB has hovered around the team almost every week. It leaves the Panthers without "much margin for error," Fox understated. 
As Cranston suggested, that was apparent Sunday, when every mistake was magnified. Fox's rare gamble on fourth-and-1 from the Atlanta 20 early in the game backfired when Smith fumbled out of the end zone for a touchback. 
"If I had known we were going to have a (turnover) I would have kicked it," Fox said. "Unfortunately I can't make that call after the play. But some people do." 
Fox was also second-guessed for the draw play in a tie game on third-and-18 with just over a minute left. After DeAngelo Williams gained 12 yards, Jason Baker's poor punt was brought back 23 yards to set up Atlanta's winning score. 
Fox defended the call after the game. On Monday he defended his team. 
"They played very hard and it gave us a chance to win," Fox said. "I think everybody is disappointed with the way it turned out. Not just us, but the fans. We'll just continue plugging until we can find out a way to win one. ..." 
That certainly appears to be the approach Smith is taking. 
Against the Falcons, the league's most explosive receiver caught five passes, the longest of them for 20 yards. As Charlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen put it: "[Smith] is the world's fastest possession receiver." 
Smith came into this season the way he was supposed to, catching four touchdown passes in his first two games. Delhomme played quarterback then. 
Smith has caught two touchdown passes since, and not many non-touchdown passes. Two weeks ago he caught two passes for 18 yards, and last week he caught three for 15. 
"Offensively we didn't do a very good job," says Smith, who had 61 yards receiving against Atlanta. "We've got to do a better job. If we don't, things are going to continuously keep happening like this." 
Somebody asked Smith about the mood of the team. 
"I can't speak for everyone," Smith explained. "But for me I'll come here, lift weights, watch film, see the things I did right, the things I did wrong, evaluate the film and take any information, build on it and just keep plugging it in and go next week and do the same thing each and every week. I just approach everything that happens as data. 
"There are no feelings. You try not to have any feelings in it and take it as information to get better. ..." 
Other notes of interest. ... Meanwhile, as Rock Hill Herald beat writer Darrin Gantt pointed out, when they called it a game-time decision, the Panthers meant it with Testaverde. 
Testaverde was able to start after getting through pre-game warm-ups. At that point, they weren't sure if he was going to be able to with his sore right Achilles, which kept him out of practice except for Thursday. 
"He did he have some soreness, I'm sure," Fox said. "But in the NFL, there's a lot of guys that have soreness at this stage of the season. He was healthy enough to play." 
The Panthers promoted just-arrived practice squad quarterback Drew Olson to the active roster Saturday just in case, though he was inactive. Moore, the only other healthy one, came in for the final play to throw an interception on a desperate prayer. 
Testaverde said he hoped taking it easy last week would enable him to play the rest of the year. He said he tried to push himself Thursday so he'd know where he stood, but then couldn't work Friday when the problem flared up. 
"I'm good," Testaverde said. "The Achilles was good enough to get me through the game. Being smart this week, hopefully we'll just keep moving forward in a positive direction -- no setbacks like I had this week. We'll go from there." 
According to the Sports Xchange, Carr will be re-evaluated Wednesday after missing Sunday's game with a concussion. At this point, it's unclear who will start at quarterback against Green Bay. Fox wouldn't say Monday who would get the call if both Carr and Testaverde are healthy. ... 
It's worth noting that Olson was waived on Tuesday, perhaps a sign that Testaverde and Carr are both on track in terms of their health. ... 
The Panthers understand that with their quarterback situation in disarray, they need an effective ground game to win. They tried last Sunday, but the final result was 90 yards on 28 carries, a 3.2 average. 
DeShaun Foster, who had four 100-yard games in the past five outings against the Falcons, was held to 59 yards on 20 carries. His longest run of the day went for 9 yards, and the Panthers were held to 90 yards rushing on 28 carries, a mere 3.2-yard average. 
According to Fox, Foster aggravated a turf toe Sunday. The veteran halfback was held out of Wednesday's practice and his status will be determined as the week progresses. 
With starting wideout Keary Colbert inactive because of a foot injury, the Panthers started Drew Carter and gave rookie Dwayne Jarrett his most extensive time of the year. 
They combined for five catches for 56 yards, though there were opportunities for each to make more plays than they did. 
When asked to evaluate Jarrett, Fox leaned back on the standard "until I see the film," defense. 
Colbert was able to practice Wednesday, but his status for this week's game remains unclear. ... 
And finally. ... Carolina has been waiting for rookie return specialist Ryne Robinson to show why the Panthers drafted him, and he did so Sunday. Returning both punts and kickoffs, he was sure-handed and showed speed and some nice moves. He averaged 10.8 yards on six punt returns and 25.7 on three kickoff returns. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Vinny Testaverde, David Carr, Matt Moore 
RB: DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams 
FB: Brad Hoover 
WR: Steve Smith, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter, Dwayne Jarrett, Ryne Robinson 
TE: Jeff King, Christian Fauria, Donte Rosario 
PK: John Kasay 
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CHICAGO BEARS
Rex Grossman came off the bench and rescued the Chicago Bears with a go-ahead touchdown pass and Chicago Tribune staffer Vaughn McClure, citing an unnamed team source, is reporting that Grossman will start at quarterback for the Bears against Seattle. 
Grossman took snaps with the starting offense during Wednesday's walk through. The Bears canceled their quarterback press conference, but McClure reports the decision has already been made. 
Head coach Lovie Smith said Monday that Brian Griese sprained his left shoulder Sunday in Oakland and needs medical clearance before he can play. 
Griese was not on the field for Wednesday's practice. 
Meanwhile, Grossman has the momentum of his game-winning 59-yard touchdown pass and a passer rating of 109.8 against the Raiders, the highest by a Bear since his 114.4 against the Rams last Dec. 11. 
"I like what Rex did in the game," Smith said. "Whenever you come in like that in a hostile environment and lead your team to a win, you have to take notice, and I definitely took notice. 
"It showed that Rex has been paying attention. All of the players that you dress, you assume that they're ready to go in, and that's how it was with Rex. But Rex has prepared that way. You're disappointed when you're not the starter, but you have to prepare like you could end up coming in and playing, and that's what he's done, and I think that's what we saw from the way he played. ..." 
Although Grossman would benefit from a stronger rushing attack, the Sports Xchange suggests that's unlikely to be the case. 
The Bears are 30th out of 32 teams in rushing yards with an average of 78.8 per game. They are dead last with an average gain of 3.0 yards per carry, and they remain the only team in the league without a run of at least 20 yards. 
Cedric Benson's average is down to 3.0 yards after a disappointing 29-carry effort vs. the Raiders that produced just 76 yards, a 2.6-yard average and a long gain of 9 yards. And that was against a Raiders team that has allowed as many yards per carry (4.8) as any team in the league. Only three teams have allowed more rushing yards per game than Oakland's 144.2. 
As McClure pointed out, the Raiders obviously were intent on not giving Benson much wiggle room. 
"I'm sure they were determined to pick up their run defense," Benson said. "Everybody's been getting good yards on them. That's what most teams do against them. We came in wanting to do the same thing." 
They just came up short. ... Again. 
"We're not pleased with where our running game is right now," Smith said. "I know you guys (the media) are going to ask me about the yards per carry, and I'm going to say we need to improve that, too. 
"But what I do like about the running game is the amount of carries (34) we had. That normally will put us in position to hit some big passing plays, which led to the win at the end of the football game." 
But when a team averages just 3.0 yards per carry, it only has the luxury of running the ball 34 times when its defense is dominating the opponent as the Bears did in Oakland. The Bears might be able to live with getting 3.0 yards per carry from Benson -- but only as long as the defense allows just six points per game. 
So how about more carries for backup Adrian Peterson? 
"Whenever you dress three running backs, you assume that you could use all three of them," Smith said. "They all do some good things. We're not pleased with our running game. We need to make improvement with it -- Adrian, Cedric and Garrett [Wolfe], also." 
According to Arlington Heights Daily Herald staffer Bob LeGere, it's hard to blame Peterson, who's averaging 4.4 yards per carry but has just one more carry all season than Benson got against the Raiders. Wolfe lost 4 yards on his only carry in Oakland and has rushed just six times all season for a total of 2 yards. ... 
One last note here. ... The Raiders dared to kick to Devin Hester on Sunday and succeeded in containing the NFL's most dangerous return man. Hester returned six punts for just 14 yards and two kickoffs for 34 yards against the Raiders. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Kyle Orton 
RB: Cedric Benson, Adrian Peterson, Garrett Wolfe 
FB: Jason McKie, Lousaka Polite 
WR: Bernard Berrian, Muhsin Muhammad, Rashied Davis, Devin Hester, Mark Bradley, Mike Hass 
TE: Desmond Clark, Greg Olsen, John Gilmore 
PK: Robbie Gould 
=========================

=========================
CINCINNATI BENGALS
According to Dayton Daily News beat writer Chick Ludwig, Carson Palmer used one word to describe wide receiver Chris Henry after the Bengals' 21-7 victory on Sunday. 
"Phenomenal," the quarterback said. 
Ludwig went on to note that Henry made an immediate impact in his first game back from an eight-game suspension, hauling in four passes for a team-high 99 yards -- a 24.8 average -- including a long gain of 50. 
Henry is a mismatch nightmare for opponents because he's so tall and fast. He brought fresh legs to the field, and it showed. 
"That was my job -- to stay in shape while I was out," Henry said. "So I'm good to go. I ain't missed a beat. I'm ready to play ball. It's what I do." 
Head coach Marvin Lewis was pleased by Henry's performance. 
"I thought Chris made a couple of nice third down catches on the sideline," Lewis said. "The thing I was most worried about was him possessing the ball. Obviously, it's the first time he's been tackled in a while. He did a good job. 
"Hopefully, as he keeps getting back into things and understanding his assignments more and more, he'll continue to make plays." 
That's what he plans on doing. 
"Like I always say, I'm a playmaker," Henry said. "I'm going to make that happen every chance I get. It's going to make it tough for other teams now that I'm on the field with Chad [Johnson] and T.J. [Houshmandzadeh]." 
Henry was asked if he feels like he's got a target on his back because Bengals fans are waiting for him to make another off-the-field mistake, which would jeopardize his career. 
"I'm not going to let nothing like that bother me," he said. "It's kinda crazy. I'm always on the news for negative stuff. I've just got to put it behind me. It's over with now. I'm just focusing on playing Arizona next week. ..." 
Palmer wasn't the only teammate pleased to have Henry back in the mix. 
Fellow wide receiver Houshmandzadeh, who tied Henry for the team lead with nine touchdown receptions in 2006, was also pleased to have his teammate back on the field, giving him and Johnson more room to operate. 
"It just gives us another weapon, where they really can't focus on me and Chad all the time," Houshmandzadeh said. "[The Ravens] tried to do that today and [Henry] made some critical plays for us." 
Fantasy owners should expect more of the same down the stretch. ... 
In a related note. ... Houshmandzadeh had a touchdown reception in the first eight games of the season. Sunday, he did not get to the end zone, nor did the offense. 
The Bengals were 0-for-7 on touchdowns in the red zone and 0-for-3 in goal-to-go situations for touchdowns. 
"We won the game. It doesn't matter," Houshmandzadeh said of the streak. 
He did have a team-high six receptions for 45 yards. He has 68 catches for 719 yards. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... As Cincinnati Enquirer beat writer Mark Curnutte pointed out Tuesday, in the past two games, the Bengals have rushed 49 times -- taking away two Palmer kneel-downs Sunday at Baltimore -- for 100 yards. 
Lewis is not happy and was uncharacteristically blunt in assessing the play of his offensive line against the Ravens. 
"We got our butts kicked," Lewis said. "They were more physical than we were at the point of attack, and you can take your pick at which guy and which time. I thought collectively, up front, we didn't play very well. We need to get that corrected and get that done better. 
"We have to have our (running) backs on track more often, and our guys up front, our fullback, tight ends, etc. We left some yards out there." 
The Cardinals, for all of their star-power on offense, have a strong defense that is ranked ninth overall in yards allowed per game. Arizona also is 12th in rush defense and 10th in pass defense. 
"They played aggressively on defense," Lewis said of what he saw from their game with the Lions. "They have a formidable front, a very athletic front. ..." 
Against the Ravens, Rudi Johnson rushed 22 times for 46 yards with a long of 15. At halftime, though, he had run six times and gained no yards. 
After the half, he was 16 for 46. For the season, Johnson has rushed 96 times for 242 yards and no touchdowns. He had rushed for more than 1,300 with 12 touchdowns rushing in each of the previous three seasons. 
With Johnson dominating the touches against Baltimore, the previously more-effective Kenny Watson seemed to fall by the wayside. Watson finished Sunday's game with nine carries and 24 yards. He added another 25 yards on three catches. ... 
Also according to Curnutte, the Bengals are expecting some injured players to return for the Arizona game Sunday. 
Lewis said that tight end Reggie Kelly (knee) could return. Right tackle Willie Anderson (knee) is a "longer shot" to play. 
Daniel Coats made his first NFL start Sunday against the Ravens in place of Kelly, who was inactive. He caught one pass for 6 yards and said the early action helped him to relax. Coats credited Kelly, who was on the sidelines, for helping him throughout the game. Coats and Nate Lawrie shared the job. 
"They hung in a very physical football game and kept their heads up and kept playing," Lewis said. 
And finally. ... Three weeks after Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas set an NFL record with eight field goals, Shayne Graham almost put his name in the record books. 
The kicker booted seven field goals yesterday, breaking the team record set Nov. 6, 1994, when Doug Pelfrey converted six against the Seattle Seahawks. 
Graham acknowledged afterward that he entertained the thought of Bironas' record. 
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for another chance," Graham said. "There really wasn't enough time to explain it with where the clock was. You don't want to rub it in to the other team because the game was already won at that point, and it wouldn't be right." 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe 
RB: Kenny Watson, Rudi Johnson, DeDe Dorsey 
FB: Jeremi Johnson 
WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson, Chris Henry, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman 
TE: Reginald Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie 
PK: Shayne Graham 
=========================

=========================
CLEVELAND BROWNS
As Northeast Ohio News-Herald reporter Jeff Schudel suggested on Tuesday, it does not bode well for a football team when on four plays the kick returner piles up more yardage than the entire offense does in 53, yet that's what happened to the Browns on Sunday while they were losing, 31-28, in Pittsburgh. 
Joshua Cribbs returned kicks 90 yards, 8 yards, 100 yards and 6 yards. The short returns occurred when Jeff Reed respectfully kicked the ball short so Cribbs couldn't build a head of steam, but Cribbs still totaled 204 yards in returns, just eight yards short of the Browns' all-time record. 
The Browns went into the game averaging 365.4 a game, the fourth-best offense in the league. They gained just 163 against the Steelers, owners of the best defense in the NFL. 
The first drive went for 71 yards and a touchdown, and the last gained 32 yards before stalling on the Pittsburgh 35. They had six possessions in the second half before the final drive, and in those six possessions ran just 17 plays that gained a total of 16 yards. 
Last year in Pittsburgh, Derek Anderson was victimized by nine dropped passes on a frigid night at Heinz Field. He completed 21 of 37 passes for 276 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception in a 27-7 loss. 
This time around, Anderson threw for three touchdowns -- all in the first half -- but lost it after halftime. He completed just 6-of-19 passes for 43 yards in the second half, and the Browns' offense could muster just two first downs. Both of those came during a frantic and desperate last-minute drive. 
"Obviously, they were playing good defense," Anderson said. "I missed some throws and didn't get into the rhythm we had in the first half." 
According to Canton Repository staff writer Todd Porter, Anderson's passes in the second half usually were off target. He threw behind receivers, at their feet and above their heads. 
"There were not as many dropped passes," head coach Romeo Crennel said during his news conference Monday. "I saw some that weren't thrown as well as they needed to be thrown. 
"I didn't see the ball hit us in the hands and dropping them. Some of the passes weren't good. I saw one or two drops, which is probably normal in a game. But I didn't see everybody dropping the ball." 
It's worth noting that Anderson didn't face a heavy rush and was not sacked for the second week in a row. Yet unlike the Seattle game, when he completed 29 of 48 passes for 364 yards, he completed 16 of 35 for 123 yards this time around. ... 
Next up is a game against the Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens lost, 21-7, to the Bengals on Sunday on seven field goals by Shayne Graham while allowing 326 yards. 
Still, Crennel is not worried that all of a sudden the offense has vanished. He believes the problem last Sunday had more to do with the Steelers' stout defense than Anderson. 
"Maybe (the Steelers) weren't quite as ready to play on that first drive as they were in the second half, after they went into the locker room and had whatever discussion they had," Crennel said. "But they came out and they were a different unit. They executed, they performed and we didn't perform well enough." 
Jamal Lewis carried the ball 16 times for 35 yards -- a 2.2-yard average. He picked up 11 yards on his first run of the day, which means he averaged 1.6 yards on his 15 other attempts. He also had runs of 7 and 5 yards, which means his remaining 13 carries netted just 12 yards. 
Jason Wright did not carry the ball, though he caught one pass for seven yards. Jerome Harrison was unavailable because he was on the inactive list. 
Crennel said Lewis' struggles, which included a critical fumble in Browns' territory in the third quarter, will not make him rely less on the eight-year veteran in his first season with the Browns. 
"The defense that we were going against. ... (Has) been consistently good against the run throughout the year," Crennel said. "The choice you have to make is how many times to give it to him versus trying to use some other weapons that you have that have been proven they can operate. 
"With our offensive line being able to protect the way they have been able to protect, you make a choice sometimes to throw the ball to try and move it. I think that happened a little bit yesterday." 
The Browns tumbled from fourth in the league in offense to 11th. They are averaging 342.9 yards a game. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... Braylon Edwards and Randy Moss are the wideouts on The Sporting News first-half All-Pro team, but Edwards has hit a lull. The Seahawks contained him (five catches, 67 yards) and the Steelers shut him down (one catch, 16 yards). Granted, the one catch was a spectacular touchdown grab, but aside from that big play, his impact was nil. 
According to the Sports Xchange, Joe Jurevicius took a shot to the legs on his final catch of the game, but Crennel said Jurevicius should be OK this week. Jurevicius could not take part in a play after his catch, forcing the Browns to spike the ball and settle for a 52-yard field-goal attempt. ... 
Getting back to Cribbs' big day. ... SI.com insider Peter King advised readers on Monday: "You won't see many better returns not for touchdown than Cribbs' 90-yard, double-stiffarm runback of a kickoff that led to the second Cleveland touchdown in Pittsburgh. 
"The only better return you'll see? The one he tight-roped down the right sideline for a 100-yard touchdown in the second half, which should have been a 3- or 7-yard return after Cribbs flubbed the ball." 
"That dude was a killer today," Hines Ward said. On the first return, not only did he elude three Steeler tacklers, but he also repelled another for 10 yards down the left sideline. ... 
And finally. ... FOXSports insider Jay Glazer noted on Sunday that the Browns have a fantastic dilemma -- two promising young quarterbacks currently sit on their roster. Anderson is a restricted free agent after the year and odds are teams will come after him if he continues to play at the level he's shown so far. 
Team sources have told Glazer that if Anderson continues his progression they will look to lock him up to a long-term deal and make him their quarterback of the future. That would put Brady Quinn in a situation much like the Falcons had with Matt Schaub -- a talented guy on the bench who could eventually be traded for good value. 
Or, if Anderson ever gets hurt they have a promising QB in Quinn waiting in the wings. As Glazer pointed out, considering all the teams that have been knocked off QB carousel this year, having two talented youngsters is a luxury. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn, Ken Dorsey 
RB: Jamal Lewis, Jason Wright, Jerome Harrison 
FB: Lawrence Vickers, Charles Ali 
WR: Braylon Edwards, Joe Jurevicius, Tim Carter, Joshua Cribbs, Travis Wilson 
TE: Kellen Winslow, Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkins 
PK: Phil Dawson 
=========================

=========================
DALLAS COWBOYS
How's this for a day's work at Giants Stadium: Six catches for 125 yards and a pair of back-breaking touchdowns in a 31-20 win? Terrell Owens now has three 100-yard games in a row, eight touchdowns and still nearly a half-season to go. 
"This is just scratching the surface," Owens said. "The sky's the limit for me." 
As Dallas Morning News columnist Kevin Sherrington suggested: "Be afraid, Redskins, Jets and Packers. Be very afraid. ..." 
Tony Romo tells us that we pay too much attention to statistics. Even when he wasn't putting up big numbers in crucial situations, Romo said, Owens drew double-coverage, which made life better for teammates, and he did the little things to help the Cowboys win. 
But as Sherrington further suggested, Jerry Jones didn't hire T.O. to do little things. He's got a roster full of guys to handle those duties, and they come a lot cheaper. Without headaches, too. 
Bottom line: Jerry took T.O. on because he hoped he would make big plays in big games, and his wide receiver is finally delivering when and where it counts. 
Back when we still thought the Bears were contenders, Owens hauled in eight catches for 145 yards in Chicago. In Philadelphia, he piled up 174 yards and a TD on 10 catches. And Sunday, in a huge contest, Owens delivered his best game yet. 
Three potentially difficult road games. 
Three Pro Bowl performances. 
Question: What was the difference between the Cowboys and Giants on Sunday? 
Romo certainly outplayed Eli Manning, but he only threw for 11 more yards. The Giants outrushed the Cowboys, 102-85. New York even held the ball nine minutes longer. 
But the Giants didn't have anyone to match Owens. Plaxico Burress? He put up 144 yards and three touchdowns in the opener, but all he could manage Sunday was four catches for 24 yards. Jeremy Shockey? A career-high 12 catches Sunday, but even Roy Williams managed to keep Shockey in front of him most of the evening. 
Owens, meanwhile, made big catches, tough catches, clutch catches. And as Sherrington pointed out: "Unlike games we've seen throughout most of his Cowboys' tenure, when he clumsily clamped the ball to his chest with what appeared to be oven mitts, he suddenly looks sure-handed." 
"Stress-free football," is how T.O. explains his transformation. 
"I'm pretty much the same person," he said last week. "It's just that we're winning, and I'm getting more involved within this offense." 
He's also trying to be low-key, he told his mom, because too often his proclamations are "blown out of proportion," making life tough on his teammates. 
"I'm just trying to eliminate that," he said. 
So far, so good. ... 
For the record, Romo passed for four touchdowns against the Giants; Owens' were good for 25 and 50 yards. 
Other notes of interest. ... Jason Witten was held to a season-low 12 yards after beating the Giants for 116 yards in the season opener, but it was almost by design. 
Concerned with the Giants' pressure from their defensive line, Witten was asked to block more than in other games. The result was two second-half catches for 12 yards. 
"It was just kind of how the game went," Witten told the Morning News. "I was excited for the challenge and the chance to get some opportunities, but they were doing a lot of blitzing. ..." 
Reserve tight end Tony Curtis has three catches this season and all three are for touchdowns. "People go around calling me 'touchdown' all the time," Curtis said. "Plays that I get opportunities to make catches are in the red zone." 
According to Morning News beat writer Calvin Watkins, for the first time in two weeks the running game didn't get over 100 yards, but Julius Jones rushed 11 times for 48 yards and had a 20-yard run. Marion Barber had 12 carries for 34 yards with a 2.8 average, but he picked up 26 yards in the fourth quarter. ... 
Despite the low output against the Giants, Pro Football Weekly noted this week getting fullback Oliver Hoyte back is huge for the Cowboys. Rookie Deon Anderson, who had replaced Hoyte (stinger) for the past six games, was doing a nice job but will miss the rest of the season with a torn rotator cuff. 
Hoyte says he has full feeling back in his arm after losing it completely immediately after suffering the injury. ... 
With Tyson Thompson inactive again and Isaiah Stanback shelved with a shoulder injury, kick return duties fell to Miles Austin. And on his first runback, which opened the game, he briefly saw daylight. 
"It was real nice for a little bit and then the hole closed up," Austin said of a 25-yard return. "But other than that, I'm looking forward to going next week. If I'm back there returning or I'm back there as the off guy, I'll be happy just the same." 
Reserve cornerback Nate Jones had a 27-yard return in the first quarter. 
"It was like a flashback, it felt good," Jones said, noting that his return ability at Rutgers helped him get drafted in the first place. Stanback said in the locker room that he expects to play next week against the Redskins. ... 
In naming "Coach of the Week" in his regular MMQB column, SI.com insider Peter King noted that Cowboys coordinator Jason Garrett has spearheaded an offense averaging 32.9 points a game, with a comfortable quarterback and a non-mutinous Owens. 
King added: "Jerry Jones has erred on coaches before -- Barry Switzer comes to mind -- but he was spot on when he put Garrett in charge of the offense, even before he hired Wade Phillips. ..." 
According to ESPN.com senior writer Len Pasquarelli, the Cowboys felt they might be able to have wide receiver Terry Glenn, who still is rehabilitating from two knee surgeries, back some time in November. But it doesn't look like that will happen now. 
Glenn isn't even jogging hard yet and probably is still several weeks away from running hard. It doesn't appear he will be back until December, if then. 
At this point, the Cowboys might be happy to have Glenn play in a couple of regular-season games and have him available for the playoffs. 
And finally. ... SI.com's Don Banks pointed out that even with Cleveland's tough loss at Pittsburgh, you know who really isn't enjoying the season being put together by the Cinderella Browns? 
That would be Jones and his Cowboys, who traded their No. 22 first-round pick to Cleveland last April in exchange for the Browns' No. 1 in 2008. 
Dallas presumed there was a darn good chance of copping itself a top-10 pick with that deal, but Cleveland's first-round slot is looking more all the time like it'll be in the low 20s. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Tony Romo, Brad Johnson 
RB: Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Tyson Thompson 
FB: Oliver Hoyte 
WR: Terrell Owens, Patrick Crayton, Sam Hurd, Miles Austin, Isaiah Stanback, Terry Glenn 
TE: Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Tony Curtis 
PK: Nick Folk 
=========================

=========================
DENVER BRONCOS
Travis Henry has convinced head coach Mike Shanahan he's not a pothead. Now he'll take his case to the NFL. 
As Associated Press sports writer Pat Graham noted, the troubled tailback is trying to keep the league from suspending him over the results of a drug test earlier this season. He'll present his case to the NFL in Phoenix on Friday. 
If he's unsuccessful, he faces a year's suspension. 
Shanahan is confident that won't be the case. 
"If I thought the test was positive, Travis would not be on our football team," Shanahan said Monday. 
Shanahan said he doesn't expect to hear back from the league on a ruling until after his team's game against the Tennessee Titans, Henry's former team, next Monday night. 
"I don't think they would do that," Shanahan said. "You practice somebody during the week and not let them play Monday night? I don't think that's been done before. I'm sure it will be the day after or the week after." 
Either way, Shanahan believes in his running back, who signed a five-year, $22.5 million free agent contract that included $12 million in guarantees this offseason after the Titans released him in a cost-saving move. 
Shanahan said Henry passed a lie detector test and a recent hair sample taken from Henry came back negative for marijuana. 
"All the tests except the one has come back negative," Shanahan said, referring to a urine sample taken from Henry as part of his involvement in the NFL drug program. "Let's give him a chance to have his day in court." 
Henry, who had been suspended for four games in September 2005 for violating the league's substance abuse policy while in Tennessee, was weeks away from cycling out of the drug program when a random test came back positive. 
Henry sued the NFL to keep from being suspended for a year. He contends the league violated its substance abuse policy by not allowing his expert to be present for the testing of his urine sample. 
The lawsuit is separate from his hearing this week in Phoenix. 
Henry led the league in rushing after the first month of the season, but he's been dealing with bruised ribs and an aching knee that has kept him out of two games. He hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 3. 
He had 433 yards after the first four weeks, including three 100-yard games, but has rushed for just 147 yards since -- mostly due to health issues. 
According to Graham, Henry is scheduled to get an MRI this week on his swollen left knee. 
Henry wanted to play Sunday. Shanahan instead went with undrafted rookie Selvin Young, who rushed for 109 yards and his first NFL touchdown in a 27-11 win at Kansas City. 
"Before the game, if you would have gotten a close-up of me, I had tears coming out of my eyes," Young said. "It has just been so long and so much dreaming, wishing and working hard. I feel blessed." 
Sunday's game was the rookie's first 100-yard game in the NFL. Young's 20-yard touchdown in the third quarter was the longest scoring run by a Broncos player this season and just Denver's fourth rushing TD all year. The Broncos previous long had been a 6-yard scoring rush in Week 2 by Henry. 
Young ranks third among rookies with 331 yards, trailing Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (1,081) and Buffalo's Marshawn Lynch (751). But as Rocky Mountain News staffer Lee Rasizer noted, they have three times the rushing attempts, not to mention millions more in the bank. 
Peterson and Lynch were top-15 picks. Young wasn't drafted. 
In each of Young's three appearances with at least eight touches, he has broken off at least one 20-yard play. 
"He's got an extra gear," Jay Cutler said. "He's got a good feel for the cutback. He can block. He can catch out of the backfield, so the more we can get the ball in his hands, the better." 
At 5-11, 207 pounds, Young still needs to prove he's large enough to take an every-down pounding. He doesn't run with the powerful low center of gravity of a Henry, whose mission was to bring a strong between-the-tackles element back to the Broncos. 
But as Rasizer reminded readers, Clinton Portis wasn't huge, either. 
And while it's unfair to compare the two from a skill standpoint, Portis used quickness, big-play ability and strength to succeed with the Broncos. Young has shown some of those traits in limited action. 
"He's young and has some things to learn," tight end Daniel Graham said. "But he's going to be a great running back." 
And yes. ... Young is absolutely a viable Fantasy prospect down the stretch. ... 
And this week? 
According to Denver Post staffer Mike Klis, the Broncos figure to put Henry and Young in competition for carries against the Titans. The hot back would get 15 to 18 carries; the other back would get eight to 10 carries. Henry would bring toughness between the tackles. Young would bring not only speed, but speed off the jump. 
And, of course, it's an approach that's going to make Fantasy owners looking for some clarity -- if not certainty -- at the position rather miserable. ... 
In a related note. ... Post staffer Bill Williamson reports that running back Wali Lundy was the most recognizable name on the Broncos' weekly tryout list Tuesday. 
Lundy was drafted from Virginia by Houston in the sixth round in 2006 and fits the Broncos' running system. Lundy gained 476 yards and scored four touchdowns as a rookie for the Texans. He was cut in August. 
The Broncos routinely look at players to consider for future signings. In addition to Lundy, the Broncos looked at running backs Steven Jackson, Ray Perkins and Marquis Weeks -- for obvious reasons. 
In another related item. ... The Sports Xchange notes that Andre Hall only had nine yards on five carries against Kansas City. However, most of his carries came late in the game when the Chiefs knew Denver would run. 
The Broncos like Hall's ability to run between the tackles. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... No way did Jason Elam think he'd be kicking field goals at distances of 48 and 50 yards. 
And that thought crossed his mind during Sunday's warm-up, never mind the previous few days. 
"To be honest with you, Thursday night I didn't think I'd be able to go," said the veteran kicker, who earlier that day strained the calf on his kicking leg at practice. "Even Friday morning they were talking about the possibility of bringing someone in." 
But Friday afternoon, Elam tried a shortened, one-step approach to his field goals and fared OK. He carried on that technique Sunday morning, when he didn't try any field goals longer than 48 yards during the pregame session. 
"I figured we're not going to be trying long field goals with my calf strain," Elam explained, adding, "Ended up, we were bombing away." 
Elam's 50-yarder in the second quarter now stands as his season long. The ball snuck just inside the right upright, hit the crossbar and bounded over. The kicker had been 2 for 4 on field goals of at least 48 yards entering Sunday's game with two good legs the first eight games but was perfect on both attempts vs. the Chiefs. 
"I'll take them any way I can get them," he said. ... 
Also according to the News, Brandon Marshall took one for the team just before halftime. As he attempted to get out of bounds just inside the two-minute warning, Marshall was struck by a punch by Chiefs defensive back Tyrone Brackenridge directly in the groin. 
Marshall, who also incurred a facemask on the play, went down and had to be helped off the field, costing the Broncos a timeout. 
"Things happen. I'm not worried about it," said Marshall, who finished with team-highs with six catches and 85 yards. "He came up to me and told me he was glad I got up. It wasn't intentional. It wasn't cheap. It was just football. ..." 
On the injury front. ... Cutler briefly left the game after being hit in his injured left leg, but returned after Patrick Ramsey had played three plays. Cutler, who played with a pad on his bruised lower leg, will receive treatment throughout the week. ... 
Tight end Tony Scheffler left the game in the first half with a bruised chest, but returned to the lineup after going to the locker room. Shanahan expects Scheffler to practice this week. 
Running back Cecil Sapp suffered a neck injury and left the game as well. 
Meanwhile, the Broncos are still hopeful wide receiver Javon Walker, who has missed seven games with a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery, can begin running in the coming days to return to the lineup. 
His progress bears watching this week, but Shanahan has characterized Walker as a longshot to play against the Titans. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Jay Cutler, Patrick Ramsey 
RB: Travis Henry, Selvin Young, Andre Hall, Mike Bell 
FB: Cecil Sapp, Mike Bell, Paul Smith 
WR: Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley, Glenn Martinez, Taylor Jacobs, Javon Walker 
TE: Daniel Graham, Tony Scheffler 
PK: Jason Elam 
=========================

=========================
DETROIT LIONS
According to the Associated Press, Rod Marinelli hasn't changed his mind. ... One day after his Lions ran the ball just eight times in a 31-21 loss at Arizona, Marinelli defended the decision by offensive coordinator Mike Martz to abandon the ground game. 
"We felt that our most favorable matchups were in the passing game, and that our best chance of moving the ball would come through the air," he said. "We knew that with Arizona's defense, running the ball was going to be tough sledding." 
Detroit's running backs didn't do anything to change their coaches' thinking. The Lions finished with minus-18 yards rushing, the lowest total by an NFL team since Oct. 13, 1946 when the Chicago Cardinals held Detroit to minus-24. 
"We had a lot of things break down in our execution," Marinelli said. "This was all about fundamentals, and those are correctable. That's the good news." 
During their 6-3 start, the Lions found some offensive balance with the return of Kevin Jones from a foot injury. 
However, Jones was troubled by soreness in the foot against the Cardinals and vanished from the offense. He carried just four times, all in the first half, and finished with minus-4 yards. He did catch eight passes, but none went for more than seven yards. 
Jones has practiced little this season while recovering from the injury, and is still missing most workouts to save his foot for the games. 
"He hasn't practiced a lot, and that's hard, but we've got to get him going," Marinelli said. "It has hurt him to miss practice time, just like it would hurt any player. A good football player has to always be working on skill development, and Kevin hasn't been able to do that." 
To make matters worse for the Lions, they now face two tough games in five days: The New York Giants on Sunday and the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving Day. 
According to Detroit Free Press reporter Nicholas J. Cotsonika, Marinelli said Jones was sore Monday but no more than usual. The question is how he might react to playing two games in five days. Will the Lions consider playing Jones in one game or the other -- perhaps resting him against the Giants so he can be fully ready for the Packers, the NFC North leaders? 
Marinelli acknowledged he isn't sure Jones will be able to play both games -- he usually doesn't practice until Friday of most weeks -- but he isn't ready to rule anything out. 
"We may have to make a decision on that, on which game to use him in, but that's going to depend on how he feels this week," he said. "Maybe he'll play against the Giants and come out of that game feeling great. We don't know." 
Detroit's rushing numbers were skewed by a 15-yard loss on a botched end-around by Shaun McDonald, but Jones wasn't the only one struggling. With Tatum Bell benched, backups T.J. Duckett and Aveion Cason combined for just one yard on two carries. Cason ended up leading the Lions in rushing with one yard. 
"That's not good at all," Duckett said. "We've got to find a way to get things going against the Giants, and if K.J. is hurting, they can give me the ball, and I'll do anything I can." 
According to Detroit News staffer Mike O'Hara, Duckett, who has 14 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown this year, just might get his wish. ... 
Meanwhile, with a negligible running game, Jon Kitna ended up throwing 45 times. He enjoyed the chance to put the ball in the air, but knows it isn't a good solution. 
"I love throwing -- I'd do it on every play if I could -- but it is brutal on our offensive linemen," Kitna said. "They don't get the chance to fire out and punish guys like they do on running plays. We need to be able to do both. ..." 
Other notes of interest. ... Kitna dismissed questions about a back injury Monday, despite concerns raised by Marinelli. Marinelli said Monday that Kitna had a lower back injury, but Kitna disagreed. 
"I feel as good today as I have in five weeks," he said. "I'm fine. ..." 
Looking for positives in the wake of Sunday's loss? Look no further than Roy Williams. 
After going five games without a touchdown, Williams scored twice against the Cardinals and as MLive.com beat writer Tom Kowalski noted, the receiver was well covered on both red-zone plays. 
On the first play, a 7-yard scoring pass to the left corner of the end zone, Cardinals cornerback Eric Green was holding on to Williams' left arm when Williams caught the ball. 
"That guy was playing pretty high and soft and he wasn't looking at me so you can throw that one in there," Lions quarterback Kitna said of his bullet into Williams. "On the other one, (the cornerback is) looking at me so I just put it up there and Roy made a great play." 
The second one, also a 7-yard scoring pass, was converted when Williams simply outjumped the coverage. 
"If we get our guys one-on-one, we have to take advantage of that. We feel they're going to win that battle," Kitna said. 
On Kitna's two interceptions Sunday, he also was looking for big plays downfield to Williams and rookie receiver Calvin Johnson. 
On the first pick of the game, Jones didn't get a clean block on blitzing safety Adrian Wilson, who hit Kitna has he released the ball. 
"I got hit and the ball didn't go anywhere near where I was throwing," Kitna said. "I was throwing to [Johnson] and it went 20 yards right of Calvin. You can't do anything about that. Calvin was wide open; if I don't get hit, we have a big play." 
On the second interception, early in the fourth quarter, Kitna was looking downfield for Williams but weakside linebacker Karlos Dansby stepped in front of it. 
"I had Roy and I just didn't see that guy. He made a pretty good play because on film he hasn't shown that he'd be there in the coverage they were in," Kitna said. ... 
One last note here. ... Johnson aggravated his back a bit when he fell on it Sunday, but the Sports Xchange reports it doesn't seem to be serious. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Jon Kitna, J.T. O'Sullivan, Dan Orlovsky 
RB: Kevin Jones, T.J. Duckett, Aveion Cason, Tatum Bell 
FB/HB: John Bradley 
WR: Roy Williams, Calvin Johnson, Mike Furrey, Shaun McDonald, Troy Walters 
TE: Sean McHugh, Casey Fitzsimmons 
PK: Jason Hanson 
=========================

=========================
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Brett Favre took a big hit that left him feeling a bit woozy. On Monday, Favre was the same old ironman. 
"I just checked on him, he checked out fine," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "He's not even on the medical list." 
As Associated Press sports writer Colin Fly reported it, the three-time MVP took a hard hit late in the third quarter in Green Bay's 34-0 victory over Minnesota on Sunday when Vikings defensive end Kenechi Udeze caught Favre's head and jarred his neck as Favre tried to slide for a short gain. 
Udeze received a 15-yard personal foul penalty on the play and Favre, in his 246th consecutive start, stayed down for a moment, but remained in the game. 
"It was legit," Favre said after the game. "I had people say, 'Man, good job baiting them into the call.' I can find better ways to draw the call. ... I was conscious of what was going on, but I was a little woozy." 
Backup Aaron Rodgers was on call just in case, but McCarthy had first-year running back Ryan Grant play doctor and quickly check out Favre, a 17-year veteran, before the next play. 
"I could talk to him, and he kept saying he was OK, and Ryan Grant, I spoke to him right after the play and told him to go look at his eyes to see if he was OK," McCarthy said. 
Two plays later, Favre attempted to throw a pass from his knees that fell incomplete, though the Packers later scored on the drive. 
"We haven't worked on that yet," McCarthy said smiling. "It's not advised." 
McCarthy even joked about how the coaches graded Favre from film study of the game. 
"Minus footwork," McCarthy said. "I don't think it had anything to do with him being hit in the head. You'd like to give him a mulligan there." 
Favre, who has been on the injury report nearly 50 times in the past, had his sixth 300-yard game in the last seven and his numbers are on par right now with his MVP seasons. Favre has thrown 16 touchdowns to eight interceptions and has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for an NFL-best 2,757 yards. 
And as Green Bay Press Gazette staffer Rob Demovsky noted, by halftime, 10 players had caught passes from Packers quarterback Brett Favre. When it was over, eight of them had at least three catches, and six of those players had at least four. 
No receiver caught more than five passes, yet the Packers had 35 completions in 48 attempts. 
According to Demovsky, Favre's ability to spread the ball around was partially the result of McCarthy's decision to use more multiple-receiver formations, including a five-receiver set. That allowed the Packers to find favorable matchups against a Minnesota secondary that was missing injured starting cornerback Antoine Winfield. 
It was Favre's third straight game with a passer rating over 100 -- the second time he's done that this season. Previously, he hadn't put together three 100-plus rating games in a row since the first three games of the 1996 season. Now, he's done it twice in a matter of two months. 
From a pure statistical standpoint, it might be Favre's best stretch since the first six games of the 1996 season, when he had five games with passer ratings over 100. 
"I thought [we] played at a very high level in the passing game," McCarthy said. "When you're able to control the clock for 40 minutes and you're throwing the ball that much, I think it's a tribute to the offense, not only the perimeter but the protection. ..." 
In a related note. ... Ruvell Martin got his chance Sunday even though Koren Robinson's recent return has dropped Martin to the No. 5 receiver in the rotation. 
With Robinson back last week at Kansas City, Martin was among the Packers' eight inactives. Shaun Bodiford was the fifth receiver in that game, mainly because he's a backup kickoff returner to Robinson and special-teams cover man. 
However, McCarthy activated Martin instead of Bodiford for Sunday's game against Minnesota, and Martin came through with four receptions, including two touchdown catches. 
Martin played in the Packers' new five-receiver set, which they used about six times, plus he worked in occasionally in other groupings as well. 
After catching three passes for 18 yards in his debut against Kansas City, Robinson saw increased playing time and caught five passes for 45 yards. 
His most impressive catch came on a fourth-and-3 play in the first quarter. Out of a five-receiver set, Robinson ran a short out, went to the turf to catch a low pass from Favre and then jumped forward for the first down. 
"I'd like to say I made something there, but it was all Koren," Favre said. 
Robinson also returned the Vikings' only kickoff and gained 22 yards. 
After the game, Robinson took the time to seek out Vikings coach Brad Childress, who cut Robinson from the Vikings after he was arrested during the 2006 training camp. That arrest led to Robinson's one-year NFL suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. 
Since then, Robinson has served time in jail and says he has given up alcohol. 
"I wanted to let him know that he did play a key part in that, nothing negative but just positive," Robinson said. "He told me I'm going to be successful, and I appreciate that. ..." 
With all the attention being focused on Favre and the passing attack, it might be easy to overlook Grant's performance. As the Sports Xchange suggested, his huge first quarter was an accomplishment in itself against the Vikings' supposedly vaunted run defense. He's proven in the last three games not to be gun-shy about taking defenders head on, and he tore right through Minnesota into the second level for 81 yards on eight carries in the opening 15 minutes. 
Whereas San Diego insisted the previous week on running LaDainian Tomlinson straight into the heart of the Vikings defense, immovable tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams, the Packers got Grant charging full steam ahead outside the tackles. 
The blocking on the perimeter was superb, springing Grant for four runs of more than 10 yards in the first quarter, including a 30-yard touchdown. 
Grant, though, had only two carries of more than 5 yards in the final three quarters and had to settle for 119 yards in becoming the first back to hit the century mark against the Vikings this season. Brandon Jackson offered little (four carries, 1 yard) after Grant was pulled from the game (because the outcome had been determined). .... 
"I'm not used to seeing the ball run on our defense that way," said Childress after watching Grant do what Tomlinson, Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook, Dallas' Marion Barber and Kansas City's Larry Johnson couldn't -- rush for 50 yards against his run defense. The same one that limited the Packers to 46 yards on Sept. 30. ... 
For the record, Grant said he was holding his right knee late in the fourth quarter because he sustained a cut. ... Receiver James Jones had a cramp in a calf after his 15-yard catch from Rodgers in the fourth quarter. The team reported no other injuries. ... 
Veteran tight end Bubba Franks (knee) was seen doing some running Wednesday, but he didn't practice and seems unlikely to return to practice this week. ... 
And finally. ... Quarterback Aaron Brooks, who has had a long relationship with McCarthy, was one of six players in town Tuesday for tryouts with the Packers. Brooks, 31, has been out of football since being waived Feb. 22 by the Oakland Raiders. 
In 1999, McCarthy was the Packers' quarterbacks coach when they drafted Brooks in the fourth round from Virginia. The next year, the Packers traded Brooks to New Orleans, where McCarthy was the new offensive coordinator. 
Quarterback Rohan Davey also was auditioned Tuesday. 
Davey, 28, spent 2002-'04 with New England and a portion of '05 with Arizona, playing in seven games with no starts. He was the Patriots' fourth-round pick in '02 from Louisiana State. 
It's worth noting that Martin has taken snaps as the emergency No. 3 quarterback behind Favre and Rodgers. The team's interest in QBs could be an indication they are preparing for a playoff run. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers 
RB: Ryan Grant, Brandon Jackson, Vernand Morency 
FB: Korey Hall, John Kuhn 
WR: Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Koren Robinson, Ruvell Martin 
TE: Donald Lee, Ryan Krause, Bubba Franks 
PK: Mason Crosby 
=========================

=========================
HOUSTON TEXANS
According to Houston Chronicle beat writer John McClain, Matt Schaub, receiver Andre Johnson and running back Ahman Green will be in the lineup Sunday when the Texans play the New Orleans Saints at Reliant Stadium. 
And McClain added, after getting five consecutive days off to refresh and focus, Schaub, Johnson and Green will try to jump-start an offense that has been inept and inconsistent way too often, primarily because of injuries. 
Johnson suffered sprained knee ligaments in the second game at Carolina, a victory that gave the Texans a 2-0 record. They haven't been the same without him. 
"The extra week helped everybody," said Schaub, who missed the Raiders game after suffering a concussion against San Diego. "We needed the time off. I'm ready to go; there's no doubt about it. You can't be tentative. I'm planning to throw caution to the wind and play with the same vigor as before the injury." 
Johnson, who made the Pro Bowl last season after leading the NFL with 103 catches, wants to make up for lost time. 
"I wouldn't say I'm 100 percent, but I'm good enough to play without any problems," Johnson said. "I feel good. The next six days are key for me, but I don't think I'll be limited in any way." 
Before he was injured, Johnson had 14 catches for 262 yards (18.7 average) and three touchdowns. 
"To be honest, I'm not even really worried about my knee," he said. "When I'm out there playing, I'm not really thinking about it. I'm concentrating on just trying to make sure my technique and the depth of my routes are the same as when I left. You tend to do things faster because you're so anxious to make a play, but at the same time, you don't want to do anything crazy to hurt your team." 
"He looks good," head coach Gary Kubiak said of Johnson. "I think the best thing we did is not play him in Oakland. That was really hard not to do, but I think it was good for him. He looks like his old self right now, so everybody's excited to see him back on the field." 
Johnson's injury gave Kevin Walter a chance to become the go-to receiver. It also gave Andre' Davis an opportunity to show he could play. Rookie Jacoby Jones also flashed a lot of talent before he was sidelined with a shoulder separation. 
Walter has 43 catches for 545 yards and a touchdown. Davis has 23 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. 
Against the Saints, McClain suggests it would help the offense if the Texans could continue to run the ball like they did at Oakland, where they rushed for 178 yards, including 122 by Ron Dayne. 
During their week off, the Texans sent Green to Birmingham, Ala., to be examined by Dr. James Andrews. 
"The good news is that they didn't find anything else," head athletic trainer Kevin Bastin told McClain. "He's got some tendinitis in his knee, and he took a blow to it. We're hopeful that he's turned the corner." 
Green has missed three games. He hasn't finished the others after being injured in the opener against Kansas City. He returned against Oakland and caught a 53-yard screen pass and scored on a 7-yard touchdown before he was forced to leave midway through the second quarter. 
"We're going to continue monitoring what he can tolerate and how he reacts from day to day," Kubiak said. "We'll keep the same plan, which is for him to work a little on Thursday, a little on Friday and be ready to go on game day. 
"If something alters that and he doesn't think he can go, then we'll have to make adjustments, but that's the way we're going to treat it the rest of the year. ..." 
For what it's worth, the Sports Xchange suggests Green will start Sunday, but the tendinitis will likely keep him from finishing games. He will play each week until his knee swells up too badly on him. 
But the Texans have been able to mitigate the issue. Dayne is the leading rusher and is averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Adimchinobe Echemandu has been a quality acquisition late in the season, adding another dimension and a young, hungry player into the mix. ... 
Also of interest. ... Pro Football Weekly reports that Kubiak will not consider the Texas A&M head-coaching opening should the school replace Dennis Franchione. 
"Texas A&M taught me about loyalty, and I'm loyal to this situation here, these players, this football team, this organization, and to the man that gave me my chance to be a head coach, and that's Bob McNair," said Kubiak, who played at Texas A&M. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Matt Schaub, Sage Rosenfels, Craig Nall 
RB: Ahman Green, Ron Dayne, Adimchinobe Echemandu 
FB: Vonta Leach, Jameel Cook 
WR: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Andre' Davis, Jacoby Jones, David Anderson 
TE: Owen Daniels, Mark Bruener, Jeb Putzier, Joel Dreessen 
PK: Kris Brown 
=========================

=========================
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
As Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot framed it, head coach Tony Dungy spent Monday morning sorting out a mess. He broke down the Colts' latest game tape, called the league's officiating director and tried to figure out who might play next week against Kansas City. ... 
After seeing a two-time league MVP throw a franchise-record six interceptions, the league's best clutch kicker miss a go-ahead 29-yard field goal with 1:31 left and the Colts' coverage teams allow two kick returns for touchdowns in Sunday's 23-21 loss at San Diego, Dungy struggled to explain it. 
"It was much more disappointing than Jacksonville," Dungy said, referring to last season's 44-17 debacle. "Jacksonville was one of those games where things happen. These last two weeks, you lose in the fourth quarter and we're not doing the things you need to do to win." 
No, the Colts didn't look like themselves Sunday night. 
Peyton Manning threw four interceptions in the game's first 16 minutes, Joseph Addai averaged 2.5 yards per carry and Adam Vinatieri missed two makable field goals, including a potential game-winner on a soggy, recently resodded field. 
Then again, the Colts weren't themselves. 
Seven injured players didn't suit up, and Indy dressed only 44 players -- one fewer than NFL rules permit. Four more players went down during the game, and there's no indication when they'll play again. 
Among those who sat out Sunday were perennial Pro Bowl receiver Marvin Harrison (bruised left knee), tight end Dallas Clark (concussion), rookie receiver Anthony Gonzalez (dislocated left thumb) and left tackle Tony Ugoh (neck). 
If that wasn't enough to challenge Manning, he spent the entire second half working with a makeshift line. Ugoh's backup, Charlie Johnson, left in the first quarter with a left foot injury and did not return. Right tackle Ryan Diem hurt his right knee just before halftime and right guard Jake Scott wound up playing right tackle. 
"I thought they did a remarkable job, given the circumstances," Dungy said of his line. "Jake played tackle, which he hadn't done in about three years, and he and Michael [Toudouze] did a good job blocking two Pro Bowl guys." 
The team also lost star defensive end Dwight Freeney -- apparently indefinitely -- to a foot injury. With Freeney out, the Colts claimed Simeon Rice on waivers from the Broncos. 
Complicating matters for Dungy were questions he had about the officiating. 
An inadvertent whistle wiped out Clint Session's 94-yard interception return in the first half, a call team president Bill Polian told local NBC affiliate WTHR he hadn't seen since high school. 
In the final two minutes, Dungy was even more upset when a booth challenge respotted the ball short of a first down, forcing a fourth down. As the Colts lined up to try and draw San Diego offside, tight end Ben Utecht was called for simulating the snap as he shifted. 
Dungy was so upset he sought explanations from the league office Monday morning even as he explained the loss was not a result of the officiating. 
"The only problem I had with it (the review) was that when we had the ball it was outside the 16 and then the marker is inside the 6. I don't know how that happens, and I called (NFL director of officiating) Mike Pereira trying to find out how the chains got set," Dungy said. "I talked to Pereira about that (false start) today, too, and he said they'd be much more technical about that in a fourth-down situation. He felt that was a penalty, so that's something we learned." 
With so many key players hurt, a two-game losing streak and a one-game lead in the AFC South, the Colts appeared both heartbroken and angry after losing a game Dungy said they didn't deserve to win. 
"I take full responsibility for all of them (interceptions)," Manning said Sunday night. "Certainly [Shaun] Phillips made a good play on the one that was kind of tipped up. The rest of them were poor throws or poor decisions, either one of them." 
In Dungy's mind, the solution rests solely with his players -- or at least those healthy enough to play this week against Kansas City. 
"I hate to say it, but we can't get concerned with who's not going to play," he said. "Hopefully, we'll get some of those guys back this week. ..." 
Fantasy owners, of course, will be concerned about who's not going to play. 
According to the Sports Xchange, Harrison's availability for the Kansas City game will be updated later this week. Harrison has been sidelined for three of the past four games due to a bruised left knee. 
Gonzalez could miss another three weeks. 
Clark, who was injured in the Colts' home-field loss to New England, but did not show any effects of the injury until midweek. He saw limited practice time last week. Clark hopes to be available for the Kansas City game. 
But as Pro Football Weekly pointed out, Clark has regressed recently catching just four passes for 37 yards in the last two games. 
The team's not too concerned, however, as both the Panthers and Patriots made Clark a focus of their defensive game plan with Harrison out. Still, PFW suggests it's a sign of the gap between Clark and elite talents like San Diego's Antonio Gates and Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, both whom repeatedly dominate games despite their teams' lack of upper-crust wide receivers. ... 
And finally. ... Defensive end Dwight Freeney will have season-ending surgery on his left foot but is expected to be fully recovered for the 2008 season, the team announced Wednesday afternoon. 
The Colts claimed Simeon Rice off waivers from the Broncos on Monday. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi 
RB: Joseph Addai, Kenton Keith 
FB: Bryan Fletcher 
WR: Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, Aaron Moorehead, Roy Hall, Anthony Gonzalez 
TE: Dallas Clark, Ben Utecht, Bryan Fletcher 
PK: Adam Vinatieri 
=========================

=========================
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
According to Florida Times-Union staff writer Vito Stellino, David Garrard, who missed the last three games with a high ankle sprain, and Josh Scobee, who hasn't kicked since the opener, when he strained his quad in pregame warmups, both might be ready to play Sunday. 
"I'm almost positive [about playing] if we don't have any setbacks during the week or anything," Garrard said. "I think it'll be full speed ahead." 
Scobee said he's "very optimistic" he'll play after not aggravating the injury when he kicked in practice last week, though he conceded he's still not 100 percent. 
Garrard, who practiced with the first-team offense Wednesday, said he could have played in last Sunday's victory at Tennessee, but figured it was better to be cautious and give the injury another week to heal. 
"I'm so far ahead of schedule," he said. "I have to think about the long haul, not just the here and now. As much as it hurt not to get out there and play, it was better just to be smart," 
Stellino went on to remind readers, however, that head coach Jack Del Rio, who likes the keep the opposing team guessing, might not announce whether either will play until Sunday. 
"We'll see how practice goes," Del Rio said of Garrard. "He did OK [last week] but he wasn't quite ready. We'll anticipate he'll be better this week." 
Of Scobee, Del Rio said, "He practiced last week. We'll see how he goes through practice this week and make a determination at some point. He kicked last week without incident, so I do think he's being closer to be an option for us." 
Stellino suggests that if Scobee returns, the Jaguars might change their strategy on longer field goals. Replacement John Carney has made 9 of 11 field-goal attempts, but none longer than 41 yards. He missed 42- and 48-yard attempts. 
Because Carney lacks a strong leg, the Jaguars have been gambling more on fourth-and-short situations. They lead the league with 23 attempts on fourth down. New Orleans is a distant second with 14. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... When Fred Taylor became the 21st player in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards rushing for a career, something rather surprising occurred: According to Times-Union beat writer Michael C. Wright, an ovation rumbled through the pro-Titan crowd of 69,143 at LP Field in Nashville. 
"Here [against] one of the most heated rivals that I've played against since I've been in the NFL, for some of them to clap -- I didn't think they would do anything -- that shows a lot of sportsmanship," Taylor said after running for 45 yards and a touchdown Sunday in the Jaguars' 28-13 win over Tennessee. 
"I was shocked." 
Taylor shook his head in awe, displaying a sense of humility about the crowd's display of respect for his accomplishment which, unlike the majority of his NFL tenure, didn't fly under the radar. 
In the minutes before Sunday's game, he spoke with Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher, who told Taylor that he hoped to see him reach 10,000 yards near the Titans' sideline so he could be the first to congratulate the running back. 
"He joined some elite company," Del Rio said of Taylor. "He deserves to be in that elite company." 
Needing 13 yards to reach 10,000, Taylor stepped into NFL history on his third rush of the game, a 15-yard jaunt up the middle of Tennessee's defense. The run was part of a 13-play drive that took 7 minutes, 31 seconds off the clock and set up the Jags' first touchdown, a 2-yard pass from Quinn Gray to Greg Jones. 
Taylor now has 10,032 yards and 57 touchdowns in 121 games. Former New York Giant Tiki Barber was the last back to reach 10,000 yards for a career, when he did it last December against Carolina. 
"You know what? That was nice," Maurice Jones-Drew said of the fans' reaction to Taylor's accomplishment. "A lot of fans probably wouldn't have done that. But they've probably seen Fred the whole time he's been here twice a year. They know he's done a great job throughout his career and respect him." 
Of the top 49 rushers of all-time, Taylor is the only player to have never been invited to the Pro Bowl. But even that factoid did little to tarnish a monumental day for Taylor, who posed for a picture with members of the Jaguars offensive line after the game. 
In a celebratory Jaguars locker room, seemingly every player talking to a reporter was discussing Taylor's accomplishment. Jones, who joined the Jaguars in 2004, said Taylor helped him to make the transition from Florida State to the NFL. 
"He's meant a lot," Jones said. "He taught me the ins and outs about playing running back when I first got here, stuff like reading, studying the playbook and keeping your body healthy. Hopefully, I can keep doing the same things he does and I can stay in the league for 10 years." 
Known for his penchant for collecting, Taylor said he kept everything from Sunday's game, "down to the socks, man." With help from the Jaguars equipment staff, Taylor plans on placing a mannequin in his home and dressing it with the uniform he wore Sunday in reaching 10,000 yards. ... 
Meanwhile, Jones-Drew's 8-yard touchdown in the second quarter gave him his fourth rushing TD in the last six games. Jones-Drew has scored 22 TDs in the last 23 games. 
The second-year man also posted his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season. ... 
"Greg Jones has two [touchdowns] -- we call him all-purpose now -- [Taylor] has 10,000 [yards rushing]; it was all fun," Jones-Drew said. "Everybody was just having a good time. ..." 
Jones-Drew leads the team with 536 yards rushing on 101 carries. 
Gray completed his first seven passes to seven different receivers. For the game, he completed passes to eight receivers. "He made some timely throws," Del Rio said. "Quinn did a nice job of directing our offense today." 
Gray has a 63.3 quarterback rating, which would rank him 29th in the league if he had enough attempts to qualify. He has four touchdown passes and five interceptions. ... 
And finally. ... According to the Sports Xchange, receiver Matt Jones was inactive for the third time this season against the Titans and his future with the team now seems up in the air. Jones may be active for the team's next game against San Diego because John Broussard suffered a sprained ankle against the Titans. 
But Jones only has nine catches this year and it looks as if the Jaguars lost their gamble on him when they made the college quarterback a first-round pick in 2005. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: David Garrard, Quinn Gray, Todd Bouman 
RB: Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Greg Jones, LaBrandon Toefield 
FB: Greg Jones, Montell Owens 
WR: Dennis Northcutt, Ernest Wilford, Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, John Broussard 
TE: Marcedes Lewis, George Wrighster, Greg Estandia, Richard Angulo 
PK: John Carney, Josh Scobee 
=========================

=========================
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
The time has finally come. ... Brodie Croyle will start for the Chiefs at quarterback in Sunday's game against the Colts in Indianapolis. 
"You need a spark,'' head coach Herman Edwards said in explaining the change -- one that really didn't require much explanation at all. "We've been in some contests now where we haven't had the ability to score points. That's part of your job as a quarterback, to put points on the board and move the football team. We've moved at times but we've also been very inconsistent. 
"We understand what we're walking into when we're playing a young quarterback. At times it might look real good and at times, you might say, 'Why did he do that?' But you know what? So be it. We'll live with that.'' 
Croyle will replace veteran Damon Huard, who committed three turnovers in Sunday's 27-11 loss to Denver at Arrowhead Stadium. Croyle replaced Huard in the third quarter but wasn't much more effective than Huard. 
Croyle was the Chiefs' third-round draft pick last season. He will be the first Chiefs draft pick to start a game for them at quarterback since Todd Blackledge, who was drafted in 1983 and last started a game in 1987. 
Teammates seem to be on board with the move. It might help that it didn't catch anybody by surprise. 
Edwards had hinted all week that he was about ready to make the change to Croyle, the 24-year-old QB that Priest Holmes calls "Blu-Ray," after the laser. 
"He's got a laser for an arm," Holmes says. Now we'll see if Croyle can aim the laser a little bit better than he did this summer, when Huard beat him out for the starting job the second-year man seemed certain to win by the opener. 
Hey. ... Better late than never. 
Also of interest. ... No real surprise here, either; the Chiefs will not have star running back Larry Johnson against the Colts this weekend. 
The Chiefs announced Monday that Johnson will miss Sunday's game against the defending Super Bowl champion Colts due to continued swelling in his sprained right foot. 
Johnson suffered the injury November 4 in a 33-22 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The two-time Pro Bowler will continue to rehabilitate the injury and will be evaluated by a foot specialist next Monday. 
Johnson missed last Sunday's 27-11 loss to the Denver Broncos and was replaced by Priest Holmes. 
As FOXSports insider Jay Glazer noted on Sunday, the Chiefs have remained very mum on the injury to Johnson. The team insists he had a bone in his fourth metatarsal in the right foot pop out but they were able to pop it back in and they don't expect him to miss extended time. 
However, that's not what Johnson is saying. 
Instead, he's telling teammates he has a cracked bone in the foot and could be out a while. The team, however, has him rehabbing on a daily basis as if he has a chance to return within the next couple of weeks. 
Meanwhile, several players said they were excited to see the first start in years for Holmes. According to Glazer, there has been ample frustration this year with the way Johnson has taken handoffs and danced in the backfield while looking for running room. 
Holmes takes the handoff and hits the gap that is called for in the huddle -- whether the hole has opened or not. Holmes had 20 carries for 65 yards and also had two receptions for another 14 yards against Denver. 
They are modest statistics compared to the numbers put up by Holmes while he earned three straight Pro Bowl trips from 2001-03. 
But for a player whose career was thought to be over, Holmes felt more than satisfied with his performance Sunday. 
"It would have felt better to come back and be able to be more electrifying and scoring more touchdowns and things of that nature," Holmes said. "It didn't happen, but it will happen. I felt good just to be out there with the offensive linemen, to get in tune, to see how they block and for them to see how I run, so they'll know what to expect." 
What did Holmes miss most? 
"Just being inside the chalk, inside that white line, being able to be free to play," Holmes said. "That is where no one can control you." 
The last time Holmes carried the ball at least 20 times in a game was September 11, 2005, when he had 85 yards on 22 carries against the Jets. 
"That's a lot for him all of a sudden," Edwards said of Holmes' workload. "He did a good job. He hit some holes, made some on his own and made some guys miss." 
As the Sports Ticker noted, Holmes did not have a carry for more than 11 yards and did not find the end zone. He also was thrown for a 13-yard loss on a 3rd-and-2 at the Broncos' 5-yard line in the second quarter. 
Holmes kept retreating in hopes of finding an open avenue before he was tackled at the 18, forcing the Chiefs to settle for a field goal. 
Holmes may never be the feared back he was in his first three years with the Chiefs, but he has defied the odds to be starting again while Johnson heals. Holmes said he had "no doubts" that he would make it back. 
"I believe in hard work," he said. "I believe in showing up daily. It has gotten me to this point. I feel really good. I look forward to running the hill tomorrow. I still have to continue to do those little things, to continue to stay on this level and be able to perform. I'm not going to take it for granted. This is an opportunity and I'm going to take it in full stride. ..." 
In a semi-related note. ... Johnson was fined $7,500 for planting a Chiefs flag in the Arrowhead Stadium turf after he scored a touchdown in the team's Week 9 loss to Green Bay. 
The league considers that to be unsportsmanlike conduct. The NFL bans the use of all outside objects as props for touchdown celebrations. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... As the Kansas City Star noted, Dwayne Bowe replaced Tony Gonzalez, for one game at least, as the favorite receiver of Chiefs quarterbacks. Bowe caught a career-high nine passes for 105 yards. 
Bowe has 604 receiving yards, and if he isn't driven out of the lineup by injury, may wind up holding the Chiefs' single-season rookie receiving yardage record. He is currently fourth behind Chris Burford (in 1960), Sylvester Morris (2000) and Johnny Robinson (1960) but needs only 186 yards to pass Burford. 
On a less positive note. ... Edwards said wide receiver Eddie Kennison aggravated a sore hamstring that has been an issue since the regular-season opener and limited him to less than a full game to date. 
At this point it's not clear whether the veteran receiver will be available this week. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Brodie Croyle, Damon Huard, Tyler Thigpen 
RB: Priest Holmes, Kolby Smith, Larry Johnson 
FB: Kris Wilson, Boomer Grigsby 
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Eddie Kennison, Samie Parker, Jeff Webb, Eddie Drummond, Bobby Sippio 
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Jason Dunn, Kris Wilson 
PK: Dave Rayner BR>=========================

=========================
MIAMI DOLPHINS
The winless Miami Dolphins have decided to find out whether rookie John Beck is their quarterback of the future. 
Beck will make his NFL debut when he starts Sunday at Philadelphia, replacing Cleo Lemon with the first team. Head coach Cam Cameron told the quarterbacks of the change Wednesday, according to reports by the Associated Press, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post. 
All the reports cited anonymous sources because Cameron planned to wait until after practice to announce his decision. But the Post did report that Beck was seen running the first-team offense early in practice while Lemon worked with the backups. 
Beck, a second-round draft pick from BYU, will become the 12th quarterback to start for the Dolphins since Dan Marino retired following the 1999 season. He'll be the third starter at QB this season for winless Miami, following Trent Green and Lemon. 
Green started the first five games but went on injured reserve Oct. 20 following his second severe concussion in 13 months. Cameron decided to promote Beck after the Dolphins lost the past five games with Lemon as the quarterback. 
The Dolphins are only the seventh team to start 0-9 since 1990. 
Beck was the first quarterback drafted in the first or second round by the Dolphins since Marino. Giving him a tryout now will help them decide whether they need to acquire a quarterback in 2008. ... 
And in another rather interesting development, Ricky Williams' suspension ended after more than 18 months Wednesday when he was reinstated by the NFL. 
Still unclear is whether the Dolphins want him back. 
The 2002 league rushing champion, who has played in only 12 games since the start of the 2004 season, was in the Canadian Football League last season and applied for reinstatement Oct. 1. 
He was suspended last year after violating the league's drug policy for the fourth time and tested positive again for marijuana in April, delaying his return through the first half of this season. 
Williams remains under contract with the Dolphins. And even though Cameron has given no indication he wants Williams, FOXSports insider Jay Glazer reports the coach met with the team on Wednesday, informing them Williams had been reinstated. 
Sources told Glazer, however, that Cameron has made a decision on whether to Williams would be allowed back on the team and that he would not make the call until speaking to Williams personally. 
The league said Williams is eligible to attend team meetings and practice immediately, but will not be able to play in a game until Miami plays at Pittsburgh on Monday night, Nov. 26. The team will have a roster exemption for up to two weeks if and when he starts practicing. 
"Ricky worked extremely hard to meet the requirements for reinstatement," said his attorney, David Cornwell. "He is grateful for commissioner [Roger] Goodell's decision. Ricky is committed to making the most of the opportunity to rejoin the NFL." 
Williams rushed for 3,225 yards in the 2002 and 2003 seasons after being traded to the Dolphins from New Orleans. He then retired in 2004, traveling in India and Australia before returning to the Dolphins in 2005, when he ran for 743 yards alternating with rookie Ronnie Brown. 
Brown is on injured reserve, leaving the Dolphins short on running backs. But they may decide to keep Williams inactive the rest of the season and then try to trade him. 
In May, when discussing Williams' most recent relapse, Cameron said it's difficult to salvage the careers of troubled players. 
"The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior," the coach said. 
As AP sports writer Steven Wine noted, Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller is unlikely to lobby for Williams' return. It was Mueller who traded Williams to Miami when both were with the Saints. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... As South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporter Craig Barnes noted, Jesse Chatman was so nauseated during the first series of the Dolphins' 13-10 loss to Buffalo on Sunday that he dropped his pregame meal around the 25-yard line. 
By game's end, Barnes suggests, the Bills were probably just as sick of him. 
With his nerves settled, Chatman dropped 124 yards (27 carries) on the Bills, the second 100-yard game of his career. 
He had 103 yards against Jacksonville on Oct. 10, 2004, while playing in San Diego. 
"It got a little Willie Beamon-itis in me a little bit, but I was all right," said Chatman, referring to the Jamie Foxx character in the movie "Any Given Sunday." 
"That's what I needed because my stomach was hurting at the beginning. Just a little nervous. ... I'm nervous before every game. If you're not nervous, you aren't human." 
Chatman, who replaced Brown when he injured his right knee against New England on Oct. 21, has joined with a maturing offensive line to give the Dolphins' offense a starting point. Against the Bills, it helped maintain possession for 36:59, normally a number good enough to win. 
The Dolphins rushed for 143 yards. It was their seventh consecutive game over 100 yards, the longest current streak of 100-yard rushing games in the NFL. The team is averaging 4.8 yards per carry, among the best in the NFL. 
"We've got a lot of confidence in him," Cameron said of Chatman, "and have had since he's been here." 
Chatman wasn't that impressed about his performance that included 149 all-purpose yards and solid effort on special teams. 
"It was an all-right showing," Chatman said. "I'm not going to say it was good. I've got a lot more work to do. I would rather win than have stats. I don't care if I have 300 yards if we have to take a loss. I would rather have 2 yards and win. ..." 
According to the Herald, when Ted Ginn's nullified 86-yard kickoff-return touchdown was shown during Monday's game-film review, the Dolphins team exploded in disparaging noises when they saw what drew the holding flag on Greg Camarillo. A recorded review of the play from the CBS broadcast -- the network never ran a replay -- shows it to be at least a close call. 
As Ginn starts his return, Camarillo and Buffalo's Justin Jenkins come together and Camarillo sends Jenkins past him to the ground. It appears Camarillo used Jenkins' momentum against him via either a block (legal), a well-placed left arm hooking Jenkins' upper body (legal) or a grasp of the jersey (holding) -- although Jenkins' jersey doesn't appear to be pulled. 
Camarillo said Jenkins told him after the game that the block was legal. 
"The call that was made was in the area of the ball," Cameron said. "It was not on the backside, and they haven't called that all year. All the calls have been at the point of attack." 
Ginn was at the Dolphins' 21, inbounds off the left sideline by about a stride and a half. Camarillo and Jenkins were on the left hash mark at the Dolphins' 30, but Ginn cut across the field through that area. As he made that slice at the 32, the flag came from far enough up the field to be off the TV screen. ... 
And finally. ... According to the Sports Xchange, rookie running back Lorenzo Booker made his long-awaited NFL debut Sunday but after just one short screen pass reception -- which was wiped out by a Buffalo offside penalty -- he spent most of the day trying to work out an apparent leg injury. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: John Beck, Cleo Lemon 
RB: Jesse Chatman, Patrick Cobbs, Lorenzo Booker 
FB: Reagan Mauia 
WR: Marty Booker, Ted Ginn, Derek Hagan, Greg Camarillo 
TE: David Martin, Justin Peelle 
PK: Jay Feely 
=========================

=========================
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
As Adrian Peterson was prone on the Lambeau Field turf, his football future flashed before his eyes as a searing pain radiated from his right knee. 
"That pain was horrible. I don't know if you've ever experienced pain where you don't want anybody to touch you. Just be still for a few minutes until it calms down. That's the kind of pain it was," Peterson said. "Not really knowing what to expect because it was my knee. I was just praying, 'God please, don't let it be anything serious.'" 
According to the Associated Press, he spent a sleepless Sunday night at his home, with the worry getting so great that he found himself doing a self-examination of both knees to see if he could detect any differences, all in the hope of finding some comfort. 
After getting an MRI exam on Monday, Peterson should be sleeping much better now. 
The rookie, who just a week earlier set the NFL single-game rushing record with 296 yards against San Diego, will miss at least one game with a torn lateral collateral ligament. But the official company line says injury is not deemed serious enough to require surgery or jeopardize Peterson's season. 
"I was very relieved. It could've been a lot worse," Peterson said. "I just thank God. I'll be back soon." 
Head coach Brad Childress ruled Peterson out for Sunday's game against Oakland, but wouldn't put a timetable on his recovery beyond that. 
Team doctors told Childress that with ligament tears graded on a three-point scale, with three being the worst, Peterson's tear is "two-plus." It's not as serious as an anterior cruciate ligament tear. 
"He's lucky," head athletic trainer Eric Sugarman said. "If he's 30 degrees in front with that foot fixed, we're talking about a very significant injury today. So he's very lucky that this is all he has." 
True enough. ... But losing the only offensive star it has will be a devastating blow to an offense that has struggled in every game Peterson has not topped 200 yards rushing this season. It's been a one-man show in Minnesota, with Peterson accounting for 1,081 of the team's 1,551 yards rushing and eight of the team's 10 touchdowns rushing. 
In addition to making history two weeks ago against the Chargers, the No. 7 overall draft pick out of Oklahoma was on pace to smash Eric Dickerson's record for yards rushing by a rookie in a single season. 
Peterson took over for veteran Chester Taylor as the starter after rushing for 224 yards in a victory over Chicago on Oct. 14. The Vikings scored 34 points that week, and the only other time they've topped 30 points in a game this season was in their 35-17 victory over the Chargers two weeks ago. 
An unbalanced attack on offense is mostly to blame. The Vikings rank No. 1 in the NFL in rush offense, but are 31st in passing offense and have played musical quarterbacks all season. 
Brooks Bollinger became the third quarterback to start this season in Sunday's loss to Green Bay, and Childress said he will go with Tarvaris Jackson against the Raiders. 
Meanwhile, Taylor will jump back into the starter's role until Peterson is ready to go again. Taylor topped 1,200 yards in his first season as a starter last season and is averaging 5.0 yards in a backup role this season. 
"He obviously has a track record," Childress said. "He's a good player as well, so just like I mention to you every week, we just expect somebody to pick up from there." 
The good news for the Vikings is that Peterson, who had little swelling and good range of motion on Monday, won't be gone for as long as initially feared. He will have to wear a brace to protect the knee at first, Sugarman said, but once he regains the ability to cut and plant, he will be back on the field. 
"Adrian's going to be fine," Sugarman said. "He just needs a little time to heal." 
But a renowned orthopedic specialist told St. Paul Pioneer Press beat writer Sean Jensen that Peterson should shut it down for the rest of the 2007 season. 
"It's not realistic," Dr. Johnny Benjamin, the chief of orthopedics at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Fla. "Saying it's a Grade 2-plus (tear) is the doctors trying to give coach Childress and all the Viking faithful some hope. 
"But it's a torn ligament, and a torn ligament is going to take six weeks to heal. And that's for someone like a doctor or news writer, who doesn't go out there and make cuts like Adrian Peterson obviously does." 
Childress acknowledged that Peterson could do more damage by returning too soon, and he added, "We're not going to put him out there until he can protect himself." 
Benjamin said Peterson could return this season -- the Vikings have seven games left -- but he said the risk isn't worth taking. 
"If you're looking out for that young man's career, you'd shut him down," said Benjamin, who works with the Los Angeles Dodgers during spring training and has worked with, among others, former Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper and Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson. "But if coach Childress is looking for his job security, then you're trying to figure out a way to get him back on the field. 
"If treated properly, Adrian Peterson will be the beast he's always been," Benjamin said. "But if treated improperly, this could be a nagging injury and impact his career, and he may never be the same. He is maybe the best rookie ever. Why would you take a chance on his career by bringing him back too early?" 
Benjamin said an LCL tear can heal if "given the proper time," but he added that there are no exercises or magic elixirs to expedite the process. 
"You don't want to stress it," Benjamin said. "Let it quiet down. Get it nice and strong and tight again." 
There is another challenge, Benjamin said: Even if Peterson's knee heals, his fitness could suffer because his workout options would be limited. 
"He may be able to swim and ride a bike and do Pilates," Benjamin said, "but football has that added dimension, and that's contact." 
Benjamin pointed to players who miss a significant chunk of training camp but keep working out. "It's not the same," Benjamin, who never examined Peterson (or his test results) said. "You got to get back in football shape. ..." 
The Vikings fired back on Wednesday. 
Dr. James Andrews, the world's foremost authority on sports injuries, said today in a statement provided to the Vikings that Peterson's right knee injury should be evaluated on a "week-to-week basis." Andrews' evaluation jibes with the Vikings' original position that Peterson will recover in time to play again this season. 
The full text of the statement, which is addressed to the Vikings: 
"I have reviewed Adrian's MRI and agree with your assessment and diagnosis. I agree that you are taking the correct approach. He has an isolated injury to his lateral collateral ligament. He should be re-evaluated on a week-to-week basis and be allowed to progress as his symptoms allow." 
Bottom line? 
Childress and Sugarman both said it was possible Peterson could return in time for the Nov. 25 game against the New York Giants. A December return, however, seems much more realistic. 
For the record, LCL tears are the least serious but also the least common among knee ligament injuries in football. Vikings receiver Robert Ferguson sprained his LCL and MCL when he played for the Packers in 2005, and the combination injury forced him to miss five games. 
But he said the LCL injury was mild. 
"That's the easiest one to have," Ferguson told Minneapolis Star Tribune staffer Judd Zulgad. "If you had to choose one [ligament to have injured], it would probably be that one." 
Other notes of interest. ... Childress said the Vikings "kind of erred on the side of caution" in holding Jackson out against the Packers because of the concussion he suffered a week earlier against San Diego. 
The concussion was the third injury this season for the second-year quarterback, who missed three other games because of a strained groin muscle and fractured right index finger. 
With seven games remaining, Childress said there's enough time to make a reasonable evaluation of Jackson for next season and the future. 
"It's reasonable if he stays healthy," Childress said. "That's the big if. ... I would like to be able to evaluate him over the course of a string of games." 
Wide receiver Bobby Wade told the Pioneer Press it would be good for the offense to get its No. 1 quarterback back. 
"Tarvaris has been able to make plays for us," Wade said. "It's just been on and off. The more he gets comfortable and confident with himself, there's no doubt that he'll be the player that we expect him to be." 
Jackson has to prove that he can stay healthy, and Childress said injury history over a body of time would factor into the evaluation process for the future. 
"Then you ask yourself, is this just one particularly bad year?" he said. "Is it the fact that he's a china doll? Somewhere you have to have some durability and resilience." 
Asked if there's a growing concern in the organization that Jackson is a "china doll," Childress said, "Not from my standpoint, no. ..." 
The Vikings set a new low -- if not an NFL record -- in fourth-down production during Sunday's loss. 
Three times they went for it on fourth down, and they completed passes to Ferguson each time. Amazingly, they failed to convert all three when Ferguson was tackled short of a first down. 
The Vikings' version of the West Coast offense routinely calls for players to make yardage after the catch, but Childress said each play had "different answers." 
Asked about each play, Childress indicated that Bollinger could have found another receiver on the first play and that Ferguson should have extended his route on the second. 
One last note here. ... Rookie receiver Sidney Rice missed last week's game with an injured hamstring. His status for this week has yet to be determined. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Tarvaris Jackson, Kelly Holcomb, Brooks Bollinger 
RB: Chester Taylor, Mewelde Moore, Adrian Peterson 
FB: Tony Richardson, Jeff Dugan, Naufahu Tahi 
WR: Bobby Wade, Troy Williamson, Sidney Rice, Robert Ferguson, Aundrae Allison 
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan, Garrett Mills 
PK: Ryan Longwell 
=========================

=========================
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
In an article published a day after the Patriots Week 9 win over the Colts, SI.com insider Peter King wrote: "It's amazing, and I do not use that word lightly, that New England got Randy Moss for a fourth-round pick on draft day from Oakland. He's the best receiver in football right now, the most dangerous deep threat and a player blessed with the ability to catch a ball one-handed better than anyone I've ever seen." 
In retrospect, it's easier to understand. 
The Raiders were desperately trying to peddle an underachieving, oft-injured Moss to the Packers in April, and fruitlessly tried to get a deal with Green Bay hours before dealing him to New England. 
As King noted, the Packers shied away, fearing how disruptive Moss could be because of his recent history with Minnesota and Oakland. 
It's also surprising the Pats were able to snare Wes Welker for second- and seventh-round picks from Miami, after the Dolphins failed to put a first-round tender offer on the restricted free agent. Welker led the Dolphins in the rare trifecta of receptions, punt returns and kickoff returns last year. 
The Pats gave Welker an offer sheet, and Miami awkwardly tried to save face on the deal by taking a final-round pick from New England. 
And the market for free agent Donte' Stallworth was thin, teams fearing his off-the-field problems. 
As King pointed out, New England swooped in and got them all -- for the remarkably manageable 2007 cap total of $8.4 million. Imagine, King further suggested, getting an all-star receiving corps for eight percent of your overall cap. 
That's what VP of player personnel Scott Pioli and coach Bill Belichick did and there's no doubt their presence has been a major factor in the Patriots 9-0 record. 
That's especially true of Moss. In fact, Boston Globe beat writer Mike Reiss suggested on Tuesday that if each skill-position offensive player on the Patriots' roster had an odometer that measured playing time, there is no question who would be first in the shop for an oil change. 
Other than the obvious answer of quarterback Tom Brady, it's Moss. By a landslide. 
In assessing the playing time of receivers, tight ends, and running backs in the first nine games this season, Moss stands out for having been on the field for 500 of a possible 593 offensive snaps, or 84 percent of the time. The snaps don't include quarterback kneel-downs but do take into account plays in which the offense gains yardage via penalty. 
For perspective, Reiss notes that Welker and Stallworth are next in line, with Welker on for 376 snaps, a 63 percent clip, and Stallworth for 358 snaps, a mark of 60 percent. The numbers then drop off to fourth receiver Jabar Gaffney (182 snaps, 31 percent) and No. 5 option Kelley Washington (33 snaps, 6 percent). 
The playing-time stats provide a different lens through which to view Moss's impressive roll. 
Not, as Reiss conceded, that his 56 receptions for 924 yards and 12 touchdowns haven't been impressive on their own. But when factoring in that Moss is hardly leaving the field -- most of his time on the sideline is when games have been decided -- the word "workhorse" also should be associated with his performance. 
That hardly matches the perception of the player some felt the Patriots were acquiring. After Moss's seven years in Minnesota and two in Oakland, some coaches -- such as former Raiders offensive coordinator Tom Walsh -- felt he wasn't willing to run certain routes and didn't always practice or play hard. 
In New England, however, the numbers and consistency of performance tell a different story. 
"That's why he was brought here, and that's why you condition yourself, to play every snap," said Washington, who has contributed mostly on special teams units. "His job is to stay on the field when the offense is out there and make the plays he has." 
Moss's on-field presence was especially noticeable in the Patriots' most recent victory, over the Colts, when he retreated to the sideline for just two of the team's 55 snaps. Both came in short-yardage situations when the Patriots did not have receivers on the field. 
That meant Moss was in the huddle as part of seven other positional groupings, which not only illustrates his physical endurance but also his smarts to learn a variety of receiver roles. Belichick previously called Moss "probably the smartest receiver I have coached." 
Reiss went on to remind readers that when Moss missed most of training camp after tweaking his hamstring, he said his primary concern was not slowing the tempo of the team's offense. The Patriots eased him into the mix, keeping him on the field for 39 of a possible 63 snaps in the season opener against the Jets, and he announced his arrival by outrunning a triple team on a 51-yard touchdown reception -- and finishing with nine catches for 183 yards. ... 
As for the rest of the Patriots' skill-position players, tight end Kyle Brady has played 386 snaps (65 percent), while the numbers of fellow tight end Benjamin Watson have dropped after he missed 2 1/2 games with a left ankle sprain; he has totaled 297 snaps (50 percent). 
Although he is labeled by some as a third-down specialist, Reiss notes that Kevin Faulk leads all running backs in snaps with 225, or 38 percent. The injured Sammy Morris is next at 161 snaps (27 percent), while Laurence Maroney -- who missed three games with a groin injury -- has played 144 snaps (24 percent). 
Fullback/running back Heath Evans is not far behind at 114 (19 percent). 
But all in all, any discussion of offensive snaps played should start with Moss. 
"He's a well-conditioned athlete, a top world-class athlete as far as running and conditioning," Washington said. "He knows what type of player he is, and when he's out there, it opens up the whole field. Defenses are always keying to where he's at, and it opens up a lot of other things. Mentally he knows he has to be on the field. He's a big part of the offense, one of the best receivers in the game. 
"He is a No. 1 receiver. He has to be on the field. ..." 
Given the level of talent in front of him, it's hard to imagine how the recently activated Chad Jackson will fit onto the Patriots' 53-man roster. 
According to his agent, David Canter, the second-year receiver is just thrilled to have a chance and potentially be part of a historic run. 
"He's really excited. It's a great opportunity to be a part of something that could turn out truly special," Canter told Boston Herald staffer Karen Guregian. "It's been a long time coming back and a long struggle. We're all eager and excited about it. There's no guarantee he'll play in the game coming up (against Buffalo Nov. 18). It's still a wait-to-be-seen proposition because there's so much talent at that position." 
The 6-1, 215-pound Jackson tore his ACL in last year's AFC Championship Game against the Colts. He was on the physically unable to perform list until being activated for practice Oct. 17. 
"He actually thinks he's in better shape than he was going into his (NFL) combine, which is pretty amazing because he was the fastest player there," Canter said of the former second-round pick out of Florida, who is spending the bye week working out with his trainer in southern Florida. 
Jackson, who has clocked a 4.32 in the 40, told reporters three weeks ago that he felt like he hadn't lost a step in the aftermath of knee surgery. 
"We'll see what role he plays on the team. I don't have any idea. I don't think he knows how they're going to fit him in," Canter said. "He's just another key cog in the machine that can help them win football games. But knowing how bright those guys are, I'm sure they'll figure out a way." 
Technically, Jackson's natural position is end, which is where Moss holds shop most of the time. Stallworth, Welker, Gaffney, Washington and, potentially, Troy Brown also are competition. 
Brown will begin practicing with the team this week. Brown began the year on the physically unable to perform list, and the Patriots will have 21 days from the time he starts practicing to decide Brown's future with the team. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Tom Brady, Matt Cassel, Matt Gutierrez 
RB: Laurence Maroney, Kevin Faulk 
FB: Heath Evans, Kyle Eckel 
WR: Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker, Jabar Gaffney, Kelley Washington, Chad Jackson 
TE: Ben Watson, Kyle Brady 
PK: Stephen Gostkowski 
=========================

=========================
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
There wasn't much in the way of good news following Sunday's loss to the St. Louis Rams. But if you're looking for positives, how about this? 
Head coach Sean Payton stopped short of calling the reason Reggie Bush left Sunday's loss to the St. Louis Rams a concussion. 
During his Monday press conference, Payton didn't give any sort of timetable for Bush's return, but hinted the head injury wouldn't be a concern and could have been much worse. 
"It's something that we pay close attention to and the league has really in the last year and a half or so spent a lot more time defining the protocol," Payton said. "So we're on top of that and fortunately it wasn't a more serious concussion or something that would have kept him out for a long period of time." 
LaMar Griffin, Bush's stepfather, told the New Orleans Times-Picayune after the game that Bush had suffered a mild concussion and was "woozy" after the 37-29 loss to the Rams. 
Bush returned to the game after the injury on the next Saints series and scored his second two-point conversion following the Saints' final touchdown with less than a minute left in the game. 
"You can kind of tell when a guy is (knocked) out," Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon told reporters after the game. "His eyes kind of rolled back in his head. He was kind of rigid and frozen in position. I didn't see how it happened, but I heard it happen." 
Bush postponed a press conference he had set for Monday to announce a charity basketball game during the NBA All-Star Weekend in February. Saints officials said Bush wasn't feeling well and planned on speaking Monday. 
Also, All-Pro left tackle Jammal Brown's injury doesn't look to be as serious as once thought. 
Payton said Brown's left leg injury is only considered a muscle strain and he thinks Brown will be ready to return to practice Wednesday. ... 
Otherwise, not much to crow about. ... The Saints dropped a 37-29 decision to the Rams, but the final score was hardly a true indicator of what happened in the Superdome. And no one had to tell the Saints, whose four-game winning streak came to an abrupt and shocking end against the previously winless Rams. 
Things couldn't have been worse for the Saints as they blew an opportunity to move into a first-place tie with idle Tampa Bay. 
As Baton Rouge Advocate correspondent Sheldon Mickles noted, the Saints offense never got into a rhythm after Drew Brees led them down the field on their first possession. 
Former Saints coach Jim Haslett, now the Rams defensive coordinator, had the answer for the last four games in which Brees shredded their opponents for 1,246 passing yards and 11 touchdowns. 
Haslett brought extra defensive pressure on 16 of the first 18 snaps to set the tone for the game. Brees was 9-of-14 for 68 yards in the first three quarters and the Saints never got anything going until the Rams' lead ballooned to 34-7 early in the fourth quarter. 
"To me, the guy that makes the whole thing go is the quarterback (Brees)," Haslett said. "We figured that we weren't going to let the quarterback sit back there and pick us apart. 
"We were going to take some chances, come after him and try to disrupt him. Because as good as Reggie is and their receivers and the offensive line are, No. 9 makes the whole thing go." 
Brees came around after the Rams quit blitzing in the final quarter and finished 25-of-36 for 272 yards with two TDs and two interceptions. With 213 yards in the final quarter and touchdowns by Billy Miller, Aaron Stecker and Eric Johnson, the Saints made the score look more respectable. 
"I never felt like we had a chance to get in any kind of rhythm," Brees said. "Defensively, the Rams had a plan for us. Besides the first drive and fourth quarter, I thought they executed that plan very well. They did a great job getting pressure on us." 
Which helped make things look a lot worse to Payton and a packed Superdome. 
"They threw the ball well and they converted the third downs," he said. "It was painfully obvious when you watch the game as to what team played better. They did a better job than us, and the score indicated it. ..." 
For what it's worth, because they had the ball for just more than 20 minutes and 48 plays, the Saints didn't have much of a chance to run the ball against the Rams. They finished with just 43 yards on 11 carries with Aaron Stecker leading the way with 26 yards and a TD on three attempts. 
Bush added 17 yards on seven carries and also scored a touchdown. The Saints, however, managed just 3.9 yards a carry. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Drew Brees, Jamie Martin 
RB: Reggie Bush, Aaron Stecker, Pierre Thomas 
FB: Mike Karney 
WR: Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, David Patten, Lance Moore, Terrance Copper, Robert Meachem 
TE: Eric Johnson, Billy Miller 
PK: Olindo Mare 
=========================

=========================
NEW YORK GIANTS
As New York Daily News sports writer Ralph Vacchiano noted Tuesday, Plaxico Burress has gritted his teeth and played through a painful ankle injury all season. But it's clearly getting worse. 
One day after he was held to an ineffective four catches for 24 yards in a 31-20 loss to Dallas, Burress said his right ankle felt "probably the worst it's felt" all season -- amazing since it's been bothering him since he first sprained it on Aug. 2. 
"It seems like its getting worse," Burress said Monday. "All I can do is keep getting treatment and rehab. That's really all I can do about it." 
Burress has caught just 11 passes for 81 yards and no touchdowns in the last three games (though one game was played in sloppy conditions at London's Wembley Stadium). In the first six games, he was averaging five catches for 84.5 yards and 1.3 touchdowns. 
Head coach Tom Coughlin conceded Burress' ankle injury is hurting his production. "I would think that certainly has a lot to do with it," Coughlin said. 
Burress said he has no intention of sitting out a game. 
"I don't think it is going to get better," Burress said. "It's just something I have to play with for a little while. I'll be glad when it's all over and I can rest it and get it healthy." 
Jeremy Shockey established a career high with 12 receptions against the Cowboys, but as New York Newsday staffer Erik Boland noted, the star tight end turned out to be the only target Eli Manning looked to on a consistent basis. 
"We tried to move [Shockey] around, put him outside and get the matchup with him on Roy Williams," Manning said of the Cowboys safety. "We had a good plan. You have to do what the defense is giving you and what they were doing was opening up some routes to Shockey." 
Everyone else was a virtual non-factor. All four of Burress' catches came in the first half. Next was Amani Toomer, who had three catches for 37 yards. No other Giant had multiple receptions. 
"I don't really like to talk about individual efforts," Shockey said. "I won't have much to say until I see the film. [This] was like the first game we played. It's always a close game." 
Shockey caught eight balls for 86 yards in the first half and his 8-yard touchdown reception with 6:13 left in the first quarter tied the score at 7. Shockey, however, finished with 129 receiving yards as, like the rest of the team, his second half was quieter than the first. 
Manning finished 23-for-34 for 236 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. 
Boland went on to suggest on a misfortunate afternoon in which the Giants offense looked at bit like the Chad Pennington-led Jets -- meaning few throws downfield -- Manning's longest pass was a 29-yard sideline route to Shockey late in the second quarter that led to a field goal. But in fairness, the Giants' inability to stretch the field could not all be blamed on Manning, who was sacked five times. 
"They did a good job of getting pressure," Manning said. "When you get sacks and different things like that and you have negative yardage, it's hard to make it up, especially against a good defense." 
A unit that essentially did what most have not been able to do this season: almost completely take Burress out of the game. 
"Touchdowns are a privilege to score in this league and when I was doing it, I couldn't believe it myself," Burress said. "You just have to keep on going and keep trying to make plays and when you get [a chance], you have to try and score a touchdown." 
As Boland summed up, those chances came for too few Giants Sunday. ... 
In a related note. ... Pro Football Weekly, noting the Giants have had success moving Shockey around more than they had previously -- and even though his production is right about in line with his earlier production, the team feels better about the way he's playing and might even utilize him more going forward since he has managed to stay healthy. 
Other notes of interest. ... Dallas receiver Patrick Crayton said the Giants tried to "talk themselves" into Sunday's game, and that's what happens when you are scared of your opponent. 
"It started with Brandon Jacobs and it kind of trickled down a little bit to some of the other players," Crayton said after the Cowboys' victory. "I don't know why he was talking. He had a good rushing day [95 yards], but in the end they lost." 
Jacobs was told Crayton also said the two teams were on different levels, to which he replied, "I don't think that's a fair assessment. It was unfair for him to say that because he [stinks], first of all." 
Jacobs was then whisked off before he could continue his rant. ... 
Jacobs carried 23 times for 95 yards, failing to notch a third consecutive (and fourth overall) plus-100-yard game. With running back Derrick Ward (ankle, groin) inactive, Jacobs was busy enough. 
Reuben Droughns had three carries (including the only ground TD on a 1-yard burst). 
As the Sports Xchange noted, Jacobs, 6-4 and 264 pounds, is being used consistently on wide runs and displays exceptional speed for a big man. ... 
The Giants do miss Ward's change of pace, but who knows when he'll be ready to play again? 
According to Newsday beat man Arthur Staple, there was no word on Ward as of Wednesday's practice. But as Staple pointed out, Ward's role as a receiving option out of the backfield can't be underestimated anymore with Burress' effectiveness on the decline. 
For the record, Staple also reports that Burress was held out of Wednesday's practice and that Steve Smith (hamstring) may already be out for Sunday; Coughlin said there was little improvement on Smith's hammy, and the rookie receiver needs to practice in order to play. ... 
One last note. ... According to ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli, Coughlin, in the final year of his contract, probably has saved his job. But team officials have not approached Coughlin about a contract extension and probably won't until after the season. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Eli Manning, Anthony Wright, Jared Lorenzen 
RB: Brandon Jacobs, Reuben Droughns, Derrick Ward, Ahmad Bradshaw 
FB: Madison Hedgecock, Reuben Droughns 
WR: Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Sinorice Moss, Steve Smith, David Tyree, Domenik Hixon 
TE: Jeremy Shockey, Kevin Boss, Michael Matthews 
PK: Lawrence Tynes 
=========================

=========================
NEW YORK JETS
Kellen Clemens comes off the bye with an additional week of study under his belt and a chance to further prove himself. If Clemens plays well over the final seven games, the organization can go into the offseason knowing it has found a replacement for Chad Pennington. 
But as New York Daily News beat writer Rich Cimini noted over the weekend, it's not going to be a breeze for Clemens, who will be tested by some of the NFL's toughest and most complex defenses. Five of the Jets' remaining opponents are ranked in the top 13 in total defense -- the Steelers (No. 1), Titans (2), Patriots (4), Cowboys (8) and Chiefs (13). 
The Jets' season resumes against the Steelers this week. 
"Every snap that I get, every opportunity I get to play a little more, you grow with confidence, you grow with experience," said Clemens, who is 0-2 as a starter. 
In the team's Week 9 overtime loss to the Redskins, his first start as the Jets' No. 1 quarterback, Clemens displayed several positives. But, three days later, he still was haunted by a missed opportunity on his final pass. 
With a chance to put the Jets into field-goal range in overtime, Clemens fired a thigh-high, third-down pass to Jerricho Cotchery. It was dropped, but Clemens took the blame for delivering it too low. 
"That was a tough one," he said. "That was one of those where they brought pressure and we could've punished them with it, but it was not a well-thrown ball." 
Clemens led the offense to only 13points, which isn't going to win too many games, but he there was plenty to build on. He showed toughness and surprising mobility, scrambling seven times for 48 yards. He'll never be a dangerous runner, but it provides a dimension the Jets haven't had at the position since Ray Lucas was their QB in 1999. 
"Fear can make you run a lot faster," Clemens joked. 
That Clemens didn't commit any turnovers was the most impressive aspect of his 23-for-42, 226-yard, one-touchdown performance. What head coach Eric Mangini liked best was the throws he didn't make. Clemens rarely forced balls into tight coverage, belying his inexperience. 
"Sometimes the best decision is to throw the incomplete pass, just sail it out of bounds," Mangini said. "There were a couple of times where he made that decision. Peyton Manning has always been outstanding at that." 
As for the extra preparation afforded by the off week? 
"I don't think it's necessarily unique to Kellen," Mangini said when asked about the benefit of the extra study time, "but it's definitely good for Kellen going back and looking not only at that (Washington) game, but the Baltimore game and some of the other opportunities he's had to play. And (to) sit down with (offensive coordinator) Brian [Schottenheimer] and talk about his areas of emphasis, his areas that he needs to improve on and to also have another couple of days working with the players at practice. 
"That's three additional days of practice with the group that comes at a good time where he's moving into this role. ..." 
Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, Laveranues Coles (concussion) practiced Monday without a red (non-contact) jersey for the first time since returning to practice during the bye week. 
Also according to the Xchange, Thomas Jones is 11th in the NFL in rushing with 606 yards, despite the Jets sometimes abandoning the run during games. 
Jones has topped 100 yards twice but also had one game in which he carried only 12 times. 
Second-year back Leon Washington averaged 4.3 yards per carry last year but is gaining only 3.3 as the line is still a work in progress. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Kellen Clemens, Chad Pennington, Marques Tuiasosopo 
RB: Thomas Jones, Leon Washington 
FB: Darian Barnes, Stacey Tutt 
WR: Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith, Justin McCareins, Wallace Wright 
TE: Chris Baker, Sean Ryan, Joe Kowalewski, Jason Pociask 
PK: Mike Nugent 
=========================

=========================
OAKLAND RAIDERS
According to San Francisco Chronicle staff writer David White, cornerback Chris Carr would be the convenient scapegoat for the latest Raiders loss. After all, he's the one who got beat on the game-winning touchdown against the Bears. 
But White noted, to throw Carr under the bus would be to absolve a Raiders offense of its overwhelming complicity in Oakland's fifth straight loss, and the offensive players don't deserve to have anyone on the defense take the fall for them. 
Indeed, it was the Raiders' offense that blocked the exits and forced the rest of the team to take its unfair share in a 17-6 loss to the Bears at a sold-out Coliseum. 
The Raiders scored zero touchdowns. They collected 193 total yards, also a season low. The 108 passing yards? They've done worse, but that's no consolation. 
"It's got to be better, period," quarterback Josh McCown said. 
As White suggested, it can't get any worse without being 2006 all over again. Though carryover players keep saying this year is different in a better way, the truth is Oakland is just as 2-7 and southward bound as it was last year. 
"Just disappointing where we're at," said first-year head coach Lane Kiffin, who hadn't been five games below .500 in his coaching experience. 
"I thought we'd be more explosive as an offense." 
The Bears didn't expect such a thing, which was understandable as the Raiders' offense scored only three touchdowns in the previous four games. 
Oakland knew Chicago would come out with an eight-man front to stop the running game. Every team does, so Kiffin opened the game with three-receiver sets and shotgun formations, hoping to pump air into a lifeless passing game and create wiggle space in the box. 
The Bears played an eight-man front anyway. They assigned a safety to cover Oakland's third receiver. On top of that, they let a rookie cornerback, seventh-round draft pick Trumaine McBride, shadow Jerry Porter in man coverage. 
The move was as insulting to the Raiders' passing offense as it was effective. McCown was 14-for-27 for 108 yards with one interception. Porter had two catches for 22 yards. Ronald Curry had three catches for 20 yards. No third receiver, be it Tim Dwight or Johnnie Lee Higgins, caught a pass. 
"They did something that doesn't happen very often in this league," Kiffin said. "They didn't play a nickel defense with three wides. That usually doesn't happen. Once they were doing that early, we tried to spread them out and throw a little bit. 
"Didn't have much success doing that." 
In the first half, Oakland was 0-for-5 on third-down conversions, with three requiring 14 or 15 yards. McCown threw each time, completed two and converted none. 
Kiffin gave up on the spread strategy at halftime and decided to run Justin Fargas into Chicago's defensive wall. That didn't work, either. Fargas had 23 carries for 81 yards, a 3.5 yard average. 
"Chicago's defense is a tough defense," Fargas said of the NFL's 28th-ranked defense -- a comment that also speaks volumes about Oakland's offense. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... LaMont Jordan, benched three games ago, did not play a snap for the first time all season. He spent the second half wearing sweatpants over his uniform, running in place and practicing cuts on the sideline. 
The reason, Kiffin said, was Dominic Rhodes was going to be the backup off the bench. 
"Dominic hadn't had any touches so we were going to use Dominic as the changeup back," Kiffin said. "He would have had a chance to carry it more if we'd have had more first downs." 
As it stood, Rhodes played two downs and had one carry for 2 yards against the Bears, whom he helped beat as a Colts starter in last season's Super Bowl. ... 
McCown could hardly walk with his right leg after the game, thanks to the latest injury in a season filled with them. McCown got a serious bruise on his right thigh in the fourth quarter but finished the game, his second back after missing a month with a broken toe. 
"It's the worst type of bruise I've had so, hopefully, it can get better," he said. 
According to the Sports Xchange, McCown was moving about much better on Monday than he was on Sunday, but Kiffin would not commit to McCown or Daunte Culpepper as the starter against the Minnesota Vikings. ... 
According to a pair of scouts who spoke with Pro Football Weekly recently, Culpepper has done little in his time with the Raiders this season to give other teams much confidence in his value on the free-agent market next spring. 
"Culpepper was never the most mobile guy," said one AFC scout. "But to me, he looks more stiff and robotic and mechanical moving around the pocket. He just looks tight moving around, and I don't think he's all the way back from that knee yet. 
"He was never Michael Vick, but at least he could move around a little more. He can't even make the subtle shifts in the pocket. You just don't see it." 
Meanwhile, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli notes that rookie JaMarcus Russell, the top overall pick in the draft, has gotten more snaps in recent weeks. The former LSU standout is getting closer, it appears, to his first NFL start. ... 
Dwight took over punt returns on the third punt of the game after Higgins fumbled. .... 
And finally. ... The Raiders have until the end of Wednesday to decide whether to activate rookie running back Michael Bush or put him on injured reserve. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter 
RB: Justin Fargas, LaMont Jordan, Dominic Rhodes 
FB: Justin Griffith, Oren O'Neal 
WR: Ronald Curry, Jerry Porter, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Tim Dwight 
TE: Zach Miller, John Madsen, Tony Stewart 
PK: Sebastian Janikowski 
=========================

=========================
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
As Associated Press sports writer Rob Maaddi noted on Tuesday, Brian Westbrook can turn a simple screen pass into a touchdown or a short gain into a long run. More than once, he's turned a loss into a win for the Eagles. 
When nothing else seems to work for an inconsistent offense, Maaddi pointed out, putting the ball in Westbrook's hands often creates positive results. 
"You're talking about one of the best players in his position in this league," head coach Andy Reid said. "He proves it over and over. He's got a knack for making big plays at the end of the game. I don't know why that is, other than he's a good football player." 
The Eagles trailed Washington 25-20 late in the fourth quarter Sunday when Westbrook caught a screen pass from Donovan McNabb. Aided by excellent downfield blocking, turned it into a 57-yard touchdown for a one-point lead with just over 3 minutes left. 
It was a perfectly executed play that helped Philadelphia win a game it couldn't afford to lose. Westbrook finished with 100 yards rushing and had 83 more receiving, scoring three times. 
With Correll Buckhalter out sick, Westbrook handled the entire rushing load (except for one Tony Hunt carry for 2 yards) and led the Eagles with five catches. 
"If you give a guy like Westbrook space, he's going to take it and do something great with it," said guard Shawn Andrews, who threw a nasty block to help spring Westbrook. 
In his typical, unassuming way, Westbrook gave credit to the linemen and wideout Reggie Brown for paving his way into the end zone with their blocks. 
"That screen was really a play that shows how much a team game this really is, and how much the team really wanted it," he said. "Our offensive line did a great job of getting down the field, throwing blocks across the board, all of them. Reggie making a big block at the end. That was a real team play and our team did a great job on that play." 
Maaddi went on to note the 28-year-old Westbrook is on pace for the best season of his six-year career. Despite missing one game with an abdominal injury, Westbrook is eighth in the NFL with 701 yards rushing. He's second among running backs and ninth overall with 54 catches for 518 yards, and he has nine TDs combined. 
At this rate, Westbrook would finish with 1,314 yards rushing, 101 receptions for 971 yards and 17 total TDs; each would be career highs. He has a chance to become the third halfback in NFL history to have 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season, joining Roger Craig (1985) and Marshall Faulk (1999). 
"I have a hard time believing anybody right now is doing it better than Brian is doing at his position," Reid said. ... 
For the record, Westbrook has accounted for 48.6 percent of the Eagles' net offensive yards in the last two games. ... 
Meanwhile, as Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Phil Sheridan noted, McNabb has always been at his best with doubters beating down his door, and the Eagles' quarterback responded again Sunday. McNabb completed 20 of 28 passes for four touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Redskins. 
His last two completions gave him 2,090 for his career and pushed him past Ron Jaworski at the top of the Eagles' all-time list. 
He also rushed seven times for 37 yards, leading Philadelphia to its first comeback victory of the season. 
"Donovan's been under the microscope here a little bit, and he comes out with a gutty performance," Reid understated. "He didn't hesitate at all throwing the football, and he had a couple nice runs that were huge for us, and he just keeps getting better. 
"My hat's off to him just for persevering though some of the things that have gone on. ..." 
Smith, who finally is healthy, had his best game of the season Sunday, catching four passes for 49 yards and his first TD reception of the year. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Donovan McNabb, A.J. Feeley, Kevin Kolb 
RB: Brian Westbrook, Correll Buckhalter, Tony Hunt, Reno Mahe 
FB: Thomas Tapeh 
WR: Reggie Brown, Kevin Curtis, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Greg Lewis 
TE: L.J. Smith, Matt Schobel, Brent Celek 
PK: David Akers 
=========================

=========================
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
As Sports Ticker staff writer Jim Ralagbate noted, during an NFL season in which several quarterbacks have received ridiculous amounts of league-wide attention, it's hard to believe that a signal-caller with 22 touchdown passes through nine games has gone largely unnoticed. 
But that has been the story this year for Ben Roethlisberger, who continues to fly under the radar in 2007 -- the Year of the Quarterback. 
Roethlisberger delivered another brilliant performance this past Sunday, throwing a pair of second-half touchdowns and running for a score in the fourth quarter to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a gutsy 31-28 victory over the Cleveland Browns. 
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are on pace to shatter virtually every NFL record this season, and Tony Romo seems to throw three TDs every week for the Dallas Cowboys. 
Add the ageless Brett Favre and the omnipresent Peyton Manning to the equation, and it is easy to see why Roethlisberger's exploits have gone overlooked outside of the Steel City. 
"All I ever hear about is how good Tom Brady is and how good Peyton Manning is," Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel said "Well, we've got a guy here in Pittsburgh who knows how to play the game. He just keeps making plays and winning games for us. He's a big-time player who deserves big-time respect." 
But Ralagbate notes that even the personable Roethlisberger admitted that he would rather talk about Brady, Romo, Favre and Manning. 
"I talk about them too," he joked. "Maybe someday I'd like it if I feel I'm up there with them. But for now, let people talk about them. I'd rather talk about the Steelers." 
If Roethlisberger continues his current pace, he and the Steelers may ultimately enter the conversation. 
Coming off a forgettable 2006 campaign which was prematurely sidetracked by his offseason motorcycle accident, Roethlisberger has put up numbers that can stand up to anyone else -- besides Brady, of course. 
Through nine games, Roethlisberger has the second-best passer rating (110.2) in the NFL behind Brady (131.8) and has thrown more TDs than anyone other than Brady (33) and Romo (23). 
Roethlisberger also has been efficient this season, completing just over 66 percent of his passes while throwing just seven interceptions. Those numbers are a far cry from last year, when he had a completion percentage of 59.7 and was intercepted 23 times. 
Part of Roethlisberger's problem in 2006 was his overall lack of protection; he was sacked 46 times, the second-highest total in the AFC. 
Although the Steelers' pass protection has been spotty at times this season, Roethlisberger was quick to praise his offensive line following Sunday's win. 
"(The credit) goes back to my offensive line," he said. "They did a great job of picking up blitzes, solidifying the pocket for me." 
Aside from making better decisions this season, Roethlisberger also has shown a willingness to tuck the ball and run -- a quality which served the Steelers well against the Browns. 
Pittsburgh took its first lead of the game with 11:32 remaining when the 6-5, 241-pound Roethlisberger rumbled for a 30-yard score on 3rd-and-10. 
"What's better than seeing Ben running around huffing and puffing and diving in the end zone to get a touchdown," said wide receiver Hines Ward, who caught a TD and a two-point conversion in the contest. "That's just classic right there. I'm never going to forget the facial expression he had diving into that end zone." 
If Roethlisberger keeps on conjuring up performances like Sunday's, he likely will produce a few more unforgettable moments. ... 
Roethlisberger and halfback Willie Parker, among the NFL leaders in passing and rushing, respectively, are likely to miss practice Wednesday because of injuries. 
However, head coach Mike Tomlin said both will play against the New York Jets Sunday at the Meadowlands, and that his team, for the most part, is healthy. 
Roethlisberger has a hip and shoulder injury and Parker a slight knee injury. 
The Steelers placed free safety tight end Jerame Tuman on injured reserve Wednesday, ending his season. 
Tuman, suffering from a back injury, had one reception for nine yards in six games. 
Other notes of interest. ... Parker went over the 100-yard mark for the sixth time in eight games this season, but the Steelers running back said he could have had more than the 105 rushing yards he netted Sunday on 25 carries. 
"It was tough sledding," Parker said after the Steelers' 31-28 win over the Cleveland Browns. Parker admittedly had trouble with his footing, but he said that could be attributed to his "trying to make too much happen." 
Parker, who's well on his way to a third consecutive 1,000-yard season, said that neither his cleats nor the Heinz Field playing surface had anything to do with the number of times he slipped while trying to make a cut. 
"I take full responsibility," said Parker, who has rushed for 873 yards on 212 carries this season. ... 
Najeh Davenport failed to score from the 2-yard line Sunday, picking up no yards just before Ben Roethlisberger threw the winning TD pass on second down to Heath Miller. The Steelers have only five rushing TDs from their backs this season. 
Ward's fourth TD catch of the season leaves him one short of tying John Stallworth for the team's career record of 63. 
According to the Sports Xchange, Cedrick Wilson has disappeared in the Steelers offense. He had no receptions Sunday and has just seven this season. He started at split end for them last season. 
Also according to the Xchange, Matt Spaeth has cooled off since a quick start to his rookie season. He dropped the only pass thrown to him Sunday and has four catches this season, three for TDs. 
And finally. ... Jeff Reed made all three of his field-goal attempts Sunday and is now 14 of 15, his lone miss coming from 65 yards in Denver. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Brian St. Pierre 
RB: Willie Parker, Najeh Davenport, Gary Russell 
FB: Dan Kreider, Carey Davis 
WR: Santonio Holmes, Hines Ward, Nate Washington, Cedrick Wilson, Willie Reid 
TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth 
PK: Jeff Reed 
=========================

=========================
ST. LOUIS RAMS
The Rams had been waiting all season for their offense to break out. It finally happened in the ninth game of the season, as they surprised the New Orleans Saints, 37-29, on Sunday for their first victory of the season. 
St. Louis' win left the Miami Dolphins as the league's only winless team. 
As Sports Ticker staff writer Bob Birge noted, Marc Bulger, who has battled through an assortment of injuries all year, enjoyed his best game of the season, completing 27-of-33 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. 
During the Rams' nightmare season, Bulger has suffered broken ribs, a bruised knee and a bruised thumb. But after a bye week, he looked as healthy as he has been all season against the Saints and displayed the form that earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl in 2004. 
"This is an amazing game," said Bulger, who entered the game with a 64.3 passer rating that ranked 31st in the league. "For some reason it all came together today." 
While it came much too late to save the season, for one afternoon the Rams provided a glimpse of what they might have been able to accomplish had they avoided a staggering amount of injuries. 
"It's not about the rah-rah or pre-game speeches," head coach Scott Linehan said. "It's about going out and playing the way the game is supposed to be played. 
"The Saints are a scary team. We knew this game was going to require points for us." 
Bulger was playing behind the Rams' seventh different combination of offensive linemen in nine games game. 
But running back Steven Jackson, who missed four games earlier in the year with a groin injury, provided his best production of the season, rushing for 76 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. 
Bulger credited Jackson for sparking an offense that has scored just 136 points -- the third-fewest in the league. 
"I don't want to say [Jackson] is our whole offense, but he's the engine of our car," Bulger said. "He's the one who gets it going." 
Wide receiver Torry Holt also had his best game of the season Sunday with eight receptions for 124 yards. 
After the game, the Rams felt happiest for their beleaguered coach, whose job reportedly is in jeopardy. 
Bulger presented the game ball to Linehan, a nice gesture, considering the veteran quarterback exchanged words with his coach after a 33-6 loss in Seattle on October 21. 
"I asked a couple of guys and they all agreed," Bulger said. "It was for sticking with us. It's not like he's been punishing us (for the losses). He gave us our time off and treated us like men. ..." 
Other notes of interest. ... Jackson's back felt good. Apparently, so did his throwing arm. Jackson caught the New Orleans defense totally off guard in the second quarter with a halfback pass that was cradled by tight end Randy McMichael for a touchdown. 
As SI.com insider Don Banks wrote after Sunday's game: "Raise your hand if you predicted Jackson would have half as many passing touchdowns as rushing touchdowns in mid-November." 
Jackson was only too happy to talk about his passing exploits after the Rams' upset victory. 
"It's something I work hard at," he said, tongue in cheek. "Watch film. I anticipated the pressure of the defense, so I was going to have to pop it over the top." 
Actually, the toss looked more like a shot put than a forward pass. 
Or as Bulger put it: "He throws about as well as I run." 
On second and goal from the New Orleans 2, Jackson took a handoff from Bulger and ran right as if running a sweep. The Saints' defense took the bait and came hard at Jackson, who pulled up and lobbed the ball to a wide open McMichael. The score gave the Rams the lead for good at 14-7. 
"It was in the air for a while," Bulger said. "But it was a great call. It was a gutsy call. You don't want to take anything away from our other backs, but if it's them, I don't know if it works as well. 
"When Steven runs down to the goal line and wants to finish a play, he runs hard. Defenders know they have to bring everything to bring him down. ..." 
According to St. Louis Post-Dispatch beat writer Jim Thomas, a good day for wide receiver Isaac Bruce ended early Sunday. The four-time Pro Bowler suffered what Linehan described as a strained hamstring late in the third quarter. Bruce missed the Arizona and Baltimore games in October with a hamstring injury. 
"I believe it was the same hamstring," Linehan said. "I don't know how serious it is." 
The injury occurred on an incomplete pass from Bulger to Bruce with 3 minutes 22 seconds left in the third quarter. Bruce did not return to the game. He finished with four catches for 62 yards, including his first TD catch of the season, a 9-yard pass from Bulger that gave the Rams a 27-7 lead with 4:43 to play in the third quarter. 
According to the Sports Xchange, nothing will be known about his availability for the next game until at least Wednesday or Thursday, but Thomas suggested on Wednesday that Bruce could miss "another game or two." 
The good news? Drew Bennett is running as well as he has since training camp, and the bye week seemed to help Holt's sore knee. ... 
Also on the injury front. ... Tight end Aaron Walker will undergo surgery Tuesday (Nov. 13) to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. Walker will be placed on injured reserve and miss the rest of the season. ... Dante Hall, who was inactive Sunday because of an ankle injury, is expected to play in next Sunday's game at San Francisco. ... 
According to Pro Football Weekly, team officials continue to be disappointed in the play of their 2006 second-round pick, tight end Joe Klopfenstein, who looks more and more like a major bust. ... 
And finally. ... Antonio Pittman was a fourth-round pick of the Saints, but the training-camp performance of undrafted free agent Pierre Thomas resulted in Pittman being waived. The Rams picked him up, and Sunday against his former team, Pittman rushed for 53 yards, including a 43-yard run to the 2-yard line that led to the Rams' final touchdown. 
Pittman claimed he had no revenge on his mind. "It's not really about that," he said. "It's just good to get a victory and have an opportunity to play." 
Said Linehan, "It was a big play, a really crucial drive. It was really nice to see Pittman in there against his old team." 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Marc Bulger, Gus Frerotte, Brock Berlin 
RB: Steven Jackson, Brian Leonard, Travis Minor, Antonio Pittman 
FB: Brian Leonard, Richard Owens 
WR: Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Drew Bennett, Marques Hagans, Brandon Williams, Travis Taylor, Dante Hall, Dane Looker 
TE: Randy McMichael, Joe Klopfenstein, Dominique Byrd, Aaron Walker 
PK: Jeff Wilkins 
=========================

=========================
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
According to North County Times staff writer Mike Sullivan, all you need to know about Philip Rivers' individual performance against Indianapolis is that Peyton Manning threw six interceptions and still had a better quarterback rating than the Chargers' signal-caller. 
Of course, Rivers' team won Sunday's game, and that always rates as more important than statistical comparisons. But it can't be ignored that the offense in general was uninspiring with just 177 total yards -- and that Rivers' play in the 23-21 victory was far from appealing. 
"You'd feel way, way worse having lost that game, but that's as bad as I've felt after a win," Rivers said Monday. "Obviously, you feel sick individually with some of the plays you made that could've cost you very easily. But you're obviously thankful you won. The win doesn't count more if we had done it prettier. The bottom line is we've won four out of five and we're a game up." 
The Chargers did indeed move into first place in the AFC West with Sunday's win, but the primary reasons for the victory weren't supplied by the offense. 
It was stellar special teams -- led by Darren Sproles' two return touchdowns -- and an opportunistic defense led by Antonio Cromartie's three interceptions. 
The offense tallied just 10 points, both coming on short fields -- a 45-yard touchdown drive and a field goal after Shaun Phillips returned an interception to the Colts 32-yard line. 
Most of the focus for the unit's difficulties fell on the shoulders of Rivers, who was 13-of-24 passing for 104 yards and two interceptions. 
Rivers also lost a fumble that Indianapolis linebacker Gary Brackett recovered for a touchdown -- the fourth defensive return touchdown scored off a Rivers miscue this season. Rivers has committed 15 turnovers -- 10 interceptions and five lost fumbles. 
"You can win games with inconsistent play, but ultimately I understand that I have to play better for us to get where we want to go," Rivers said. "I by no means have lost any confidence whatsoever, because I feel like I'm doing some positive things. I'm not consistent enough, and our team is not consistent enough offensively." 
Sullivan went on to remind readers the Chargers were a high-powered offense last season when Cam Cameron served as offensive coordinator, but have struggled this season while using a similar system and employing most of the same personnel. 
Part of the team's reasoning for hiring Norv Turner as coach last February was keeping high offensive production, since it was Turner who originally installed the offense when he was a Chargers assistant in 2001. 
Yet Sunday's anemic output dropped the Chargers to 25th in the NFL in total offense at 294.4 yards per game. Players are mystified over the decline -- and at a loss to explain it. 
"I have no idea," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "I just think right now we're struggling with finding our identity. And really just being consistent at anything -- running the football, passing the football. We're inconsistent with everything that we're doing right now." 
According to Yahoo! Sports columnist Michael Silver, most -- if not all the blame -- should be laid at the feet of Tuner, who thus far has done everything to show that his 59-82-1 career record as a head coach with the Redskins and Raiders was no fluke. 
In an article published Monday, Silver wrote: "The players don't respond to [Turner's] leadership or motivational tactics, if you can call them that. They view his sideline demeanor as frazzled and indecisive. And, perhaps worst of all, they're not embracing the strategic vision put forth on offense (by Turner, regarded as one of the NFL's best play-callers) or defense (by coordinator Ted Cottrell). ...." 
"We have the best running back in football, and yet we don't sense a commitment to the running game," one veteran told Silver Sunday night. "Last year, teams put eight in the box against us, and we ran anyway -- and found a way to be successful. That set up the play action, which fueled our passing game. 
"This year, it seems like we run because we're supposed to; it balances out our passing attack. But it's not like being physical at the point of attack and running the ball is our personality. ..." 
Meanwhile, Turner points to things like penalties and sacks when he cites what's holding back the offense. 
"It's hard to get any rhythm when you're doing that," Turner said. "We get back-to-back first downs -- then bang, it's a sack. It's hard to get into a rhythm as a playcaller and it's hard to get a rhythm as a player when you're having negative plays." 
The Chargers rank 10th in the NFL in points per game (23.6), but it's a very misleading figure. The team has scored six touchdowns when it hasn't been on offense, including an amazing five on special teams. They have also failed to score in a half on five different occasions, including Sunday night's second half. 
"I don't like going a quarter without scoring, so yeah, it's frustrating," Turner said. "When you go and look at the tape and you evaluate why you have or haven't, there's usually pretty good reasons. Those things you have to improve on." 
Time to start showing that improvement -- which has to start with feeding LT. 
According to San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee, Tomlinson's 155 carries before Sunday night comprised the fewest rushing attempts through the first eight games of a season in his seven-year career. 
Against the Colts, he carried 21 times for 76 yards and now has 743 yards on 176 carries. That's the second-fewest carries and third-fewest yards through nine games. ... 
Also of interest. ... Nate Kaeding's first-quarter field goal was just his 10th attempt of the season. The Chargers' 10 attempts are fewest in the league. ... 
According to the Sports Xchange, Malcom Floyd continues to fall out of the passing game mix as he was a healthy inactive once again. Rookie receiver Legedu Naanee, on the other hand, is gaining the confidence of the coaches as they called his number on fourth-down and third-down passes and he delivered first-down receptions on both occasions. 
And finally. ... According to Acee, two nights before what turned out to be one of the team's worst performances in recent years, some Chargers players stayed out past curfew the Friday before their Week 9 loss to the Vikings. 
At least partially due to that breach, director of security Mike Cash, only on the job since May, was fired. 
One source told Acee the offending players "tried to get one over on the new guy," referring to Cash. The Chargers' security force guards the players' floor at the team's hotel and is partially responsible for making sure players are in on time. There is also a bed check. 
It is not known how many players defied curfew. "It wasn't many," one source said. The offending players -- "a few" in number -- were fined, according to sources. 
Acee went on to note that some on the outside will insist this is a reflection of a lack of discipline under Turner. But several sources said players missing curfew has been an issue on multiple occasions in recent years. And Turner reinstated the team staying at a hotel the night before home games in part to keep a tight control on players. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, Charlie Whitehurst 
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Darren Sproles 
FB: Lorenzo Neal, Andrew Pinnock 
WR: Chris Chambers, Vincent Jackson, Craig Davis, Legedu Naanee, Kassim Osgood, Malcom Floyd 
TE: Antonio Gates, Brandon Manumaleuna, Scott Chandler 
PK: Nate Kaeding 
=========================

=========================
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
For nine weeks now, head coach Mike Nolan has been confronted by alarmingly low numbers after every outing by his struggling offense. One week it might be Alex Smith's shrinking completion percentage, another week Frank Gore's meager rushing totals. 
But as Associated Press sports writer Greg Beacham suggested Tuesday, at least the Niners' latest, lousiest statistic -- the number on the scoreboard -- can't go lower than zero. 
The 49ers' progressively awful season reached another nadir in Monday night's 24-0 loss at Seattle, San Francisco's seventh straight defeat. While the defense forced two turnovers and stuck with the Seahawks, the 49ers' offense had another day of dysfunctional ineptitude in its burgeoning disaster of a season. 
With Smith's 12-for-28 performance and just 79 yards from the rushing game, San Francisco was shut out for the first time this season while managing just 173 total yards. The 49ers ran only 47 offensive plays, 30 fewer than the Seahawks, while getting just six first downs and going 1-for-15 on third and fourth downs. 
"Despite our struggles, we had opportunities to make plays in the game," Nolan said Tuesday. "We're not very efficient on the offensive side of the ball." 
As Beacham suggested, Nolan is becoming a master of understatement as he deals with his offense's profound woes. He's also showing a stubborn loyalty, standing firmly by offensive coordinator Jim Hostler and Smith while offering no hints of personnel changes or coaching reassignments. 
Instead, the team that redefined offensive football in the 1980s seems determined to stay the course with an offense that has no definition. 
The 49ers have gained a league-low 1,967 yards -- 448 fewer than 31st-place Buffalo. San Francisco's 128 yards passing per game also are the NFL's fewest, and the Niners average a league-worst 11.6 points. 
In Seattle, the 49ers managed just six first downs for the second time this season, something that hadn't happened since 1963. 
Seattle had 17 first downs before San Francisco got its first with a desperate 45-yard heave to Arnaz Battle on the final play before halftime. When the Seahawks went ahead 17-0 late in the first half, they had outgained San Francisco 220-37. 
San Francisco's day really seemed doomed from the first play, when Smith underthrew Jackson after the former Seahawks receiver broke well free of Marcus Trufant's coverage for a near-certain touchdown. 
"I was by my man about 4, 5 yards," Jackson said. "I wanted to come back and jump over the top of (Trufant), but we never should have been in that position. Like I said, I was 5 yards past my man." 
Smith played his third lousy game since returning from a grade III separation of his throwing shoulder. Interestingly, Seahawks linebacker Julian Peterson said his former teammate shouldn't even be on the field. 
"I think he's still hurt," Peterson said. "A lot of the time he tries to throw the ball overhand and like he's kind of grimacing all the time to me. To me, it's like he shouldn't be out there. But desperate times call for desperate measures, I guess. 
"It's kind of hard for them to pass the ball if he's not completely healthy. He can't really get the ball down when he wants to. You see the receiver jumping way high or the ball is too low. It's unfortunate for them." 
Nolan said he did not want to blame Smith's problems on the injury. 
When asked if he could explain Smith's ineffective play since returning from the injury, Nolan said. "I can't. I wish I could. I don't want to go to the sore-shoulder thing because I don't believe it's it." 
But for the first time, Smith admitted his shoulder is still bothering him. 
"I feel good," Smith said. "The shoulder is getting better. (But) I still don't feel like I felt before it (the injury). ..." 
Meanwhile, Gore rushed for just 72 yards, and the 49ers failed to gain 200 total yards for the fifth time in nine games. Though Hostler has been less cautious in recent weeks, Smith's inaccuracy has ruined several opportunities to get things started. 
Gore wondered aloud whether his teammates believe in Hostler's play-calling abilities, and their body language in Seattle seemed to validate those concerns. 
"I ain't the play-caller," Jackson said. "All I can do is keep fighting, make targets for the quarterback, make it easy for him to throw it. ... I can't put my finger on it. I don't want to be politically incorrect." 
Perhaps most confounding, the 49ers again stopped making use of tight end Vernon Davis, who had 13 catches for 148 yards in the previous two games. 
"I'm disappointed we didn't use him more," Nolan said after learning Davis had just one catch for 4 yards. 
After spending most of the first three quarters pass-blocking against Seattle, Davis asked Nolan why he wasn't getting more chances to touch the ball. When Nolan asked the same question to Hostler, he didn't have a good answer. 
"We had a good game plan," Davis insisted. "We just didn't get a chance to get around to every play we had a plan for." 
As Santa Rosa Press Democrat staffer Matt Maiocco noted, Davis had 13 catches for 148 yards the past two weeks, yet it wasn't until the fourth quarter that he saw a pass come his way. For the evening, Davis was the target of two passes. He caught one for just 4 yards. 
"We didn't attack the way we should've," Davis said. "I was on the back side protecting a lot. They didn't put me down the field, for some reason." 
As Beacham summed up, that's what happens when a team only gets 47 offensive snaps, just 18 in the first half, and 15 more after San Francisco was down by 24 points. ... 
Running back Michael Robinson did not play one snap from scrimmage. He is very good on third downs because he knows all of the team's protections and he's very good in that area. Yet, the 49ers went with Maurice Hicks when Gore came off the field. It looked as if Hicks missed an assignment on a third-down sack in the first quarter. 
Asked why he didn't play, Robinson diplomatically replied: "That's the way it works when you have three good backs." 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Alex Smith, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill 
RB: Frank Gore, Michael Robinson, Maurice Hicks 
FB: Moran Norris 
WR: Darrell Jackson, Arnaz Battle, Ashley Lelie, Bryan Gilmore, Jason Hill, Michael Lewis 
TE: Vernon Davis, Delanie Walker, Billy Bajema 
PK: Joe Nedney 
=========================

=========================
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
According to Seattle Times staff reporter Jose' Miguel Romero, mediocre and inconsistent are words that could be applied to the first half of the Seahawks' season. 
But on Monday nights, they are anything but, and this week's win was proof positive. 
Seattle rode the energy and electricity from its final prime-time appearance of the regular season and thumped the San Francisco 49ers 24-0, improving to 5-4 this season and 16-8 all-time on Monday nights. The Seahawks shut out an opponent on "Monday Night Football" for the third time in their past four appearances, all wins. 
Armed with a directive from head coach Mike Holmgren that the team would pass more, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck came up with another solid effort. He completed 27 of 40 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, and this time got some much-needed help from others. 
Hasselbeck and the offense didn't start the game well, with a nearly disastrous botched snap from center. But things clicked after that, as Hasselbeck threw 11 passes on the first drive, which ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller. 
"We had made a commitment. ... A little shift of emphasis, if you will, and the guys were excited about it and they executed well," Holmgren said. 
Hasselbeck made the throws, including a touch pass to D.J. Hackett that gained 46 yards and set up a touchdown. The Seattle receivers made the tough catches -- a one-hander by fullback Leonard Weaver, a diving stab by Nate Burleson, and Ben Obomanu taking a near interception away from the 49ers' Nate Clements. 
The Seattle offensive line protected Hasselbeck well. And perhaps the best part for the Seahawks -- they found some success with the running game, with Maurice Morris subbing for the injured Shaun Alexander and drawing cheers for his slashing, cutback style. 
Morris ran for 87 yards and scored on a 6-yard touchdown run, the first scoring run for the Seahawks in seven games. But he averaged just 3.1 yards per carry. 
Still, Morris did his part in helping a pass-first offense have some balance Monday night, and at the end of the game, the Seahawks had such a comfortable lead that they could pound the ball and improve Morris' stat line. 
"We got something going," he said. "The main thing is to keep it up." 
If nothing else, Morris provided some energy to a previously listless running attack. 
"He did OK," Holmgren said. 
"We take pride in that, being at the end of the game having a chance to keep the defense off the field," Seahawks right tackle Sean Locklear said. "We want to run the ball and get some yards, get Mo some yards." 
The Seahawks passed the ball well, which helped Morris. So did the Seahawks' ability to spread the ball around the field. 
Hackett caught a season-high eight passes, tying a career high, for 101 yards in just his second game back from a sprained ankle. 
"This week we knew that they'd be keying on Bobby [Engram] after the week that he had last week, so we knew that a lot of other people would be open," Hackett said. "Their main focus was stopping him, so that left us a lot of the time with some one-on-ones and some good matchups." 
Engram had 14 catches at Cleveland. 
The Seahawks' 17-0 halftime lead could have been even bigger. Two field goals by Josh Brown were nullified by Seahawks penalties -- a hold on Heller and a false start on center Chris Spencer. 
When Brown tried a 54-yard field goal after the Spencer penalty he missed wide left, just his second miss of the season in 19 tries. ... 
Tight end Marcus Pollard didn't start, but he was glad to be back after missing two games and three weeks to recover from minor knee surgery. Pollard had two catches for 19 yards. 
"It felt good to get back out there and make a few plays," Pollard said. 
Alexander never practiced last week because of a sprained left knee, and missed his first game of the season. Receiver Deion Branch also was inactive, his sprained foot deemed not well enough to risk further injury and forcing him out of his fourth consecutive game. Engram started in Branch's place. 
The Seahawks signed fullback David Kirtman from the practice squad and waived cornerback Kevin Hobbs. Kirtman saw action on the punt team and on offense in the fourth quarter Monday. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, Charlie Frye 
RB: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris 
FB: Leonard Weaver, Fred McCrary, David Kirtman 
WR: Deion Branch, D.J. Hackett, Bobby Engram, Nate Burleson, Ben Obomanu, Courtney Taylor 
TE: Marcus Pollard, Will Heller, Ben Joppru 
PK: Josh Brown 
=========================

=========================
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
According to Orlando Sentinel staff writer Chris Harry, some very important ankles were back at work Monday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 
Michael Pittman, Michael Clayton and Alex Smith, a trio of offensive starters that have missed a combined nine games since Oct. 14 because of sprained ankles, took part in a light practice as the team returned for its bye weekend. 
"I'm ready to go," Pittman proclaimed. 
Head coach Jon Gruden was a little more cautious. 
"We'll see where they are Wednesday," he said. ... 
According to Tampa Tribune staffer Roy Cummings, Clayton said one of the reasons he opted to sit out the Arizona game is because he believes the Bucs have a good chance at reaching the playoffs this year, but only if they have a strong second half. 
"We have a chance at this thing," he said. "I mean, this is the year. We've got a great quarterback here making plays; Joey Galloway is playing good; Ike Hilliard is playing his best ball in a long time. 
"So it's very important to be healthy the second half of the season, and to get explosive offensive guys like Pittman and myself back is very important. We're much more of a powerhouse with the guys that have been out. ..." 
Meanwhile, St. Petersburg Times beat writer Rick Stroud suggested nobody benefited from the Bucs' bye week more than Jeff Garcia, who had been battling a sore right throwing arm. 
Garcia, 37, has not started all 16 games in a season since 2002 with the San Francisco 49ers. Gruden said Garcia's tired arm is similar to what Brad Johnson experienced in 2002. 
"I think so. Brad Johnson went through it. All the veteran quarterbacks go through it," Gruden said. "We're one of the few teams right now that have had a guy go all the way at quarterback this season. We're going to do the best we can. If we have to be creative with the practice schedule, we'll be creative with the practice schedule as we have been in the last couple weeks. That's just something you have to respond to." 
Bucs quarterback coach Paul Hackett said some arm fatigue near midseason is common. 
"Particularly with as much as he throws here, we probably throw more than most people do," Hackett said. "I think they all -- about Game 9 or 10 -- they're sore. This was the perfect time to have the whole week where you didn't have to raise your arm. Coupled with the fact that he's a very, very serious weightlifter. He always has been. 
"A lot of quarterbacks at the end -- when [Joe] Montana was at the end -- he became more in tune to weightlifting, the high repetitions, low weights, knowing you've got another 10 to go. ... 
"Coach has been great about giving people time off, not having him throw quite as much. I think we're very conscious of that because we've got to be at our best in two months. That seems like a long way off." 
While enjoying their annual open date, Tampa Bay's players and coaches watched Carolina and New Orleans lose Sunday, leaving the Bucs (5-4) alone atop the NFC South standings heading into this weekend's divisional road date against the Atlanta Falcons (3-6). 
A win at the Georgia Dome would move the Bucs to 3-0 against South Division foes. They were 0-6 against the South last year. 
"I like where we're going and I'm pleased with the fact we have the train back on the track," Gruden said. "But at the same time, we realize we have a tough opponent waiting for us." 
The Falcons defeated the Panthers 20-13 on the road Sunday. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... The Bucs have expressed some interest in possibly signing free agent receiver Mike Williams, who was recently released by the Raiders. 
Williams, however, wasn't among a group of free-agent receivers worked out by the Bucs on Tuesday, when Williams was working out for the Tennessee Titans. 
That group included David Ball, Cortez Hankton, Julius McClellan and Jerard Rabb. Former Boise State QB Jared Zabransky threw to the group. 
Williams' agent, Sean Kiernan, said the Bucs have contacted him about Williams, but Kiernan said he cannot judge how serious the team is about signing Williams or even bringing him in for a workout. 
According to Bucs GM Bruce Allen, there's no interest. 
"Not right now," Allen said. 
One last note. ... Receiver Chas Gessner was released by the Bucs after appearing in one game against the Cardinals. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Jeff Garcia, Luke McCown, Bruce Gradkowski 
RB: Earnest Graham, Michael Pittman, Michael Bennett, Michael Pittman 
FB: B.J. Askew 
WR: Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard, Michael Clayton, Maurice Stovall 
TE: Alex Smith, Anthony Becht, Jerramy Stevens 
PK: Matt Bryant 
=========================

=========================
TENNESSEE TITANS
As LenDale White headed to the parking lot after Sunday's game, he stopped to sign autographs for members of the 101st Airborne. 
According to Nashville Tennessean staff writer Jim Wyatt, White signed 26 in all, which was more than twice as many rushing yards as he had in a 28-13 loss to the Jaguars. 
"Give them credit," White said of Jacksonville's defense. "They get paid to play football just like we do, so naturally they weren't going to come in here and let us get 300. We fell behind, and after that we couldn't run it." 
The Titans fell behind in part because they couldn't run. They finished with 62 rushing yards -- 52 gained on scrambles by quarterback Vince Young. White had 12 yards on eight carries and rookie Chris Henry had minus-2 on three carries. 
It was a far cry from the season opener at Jacksonville, when the Titans rushed for 282 yards in a 13-10 victory. 
"They played a little harder than we did," Titans tackle Michael Roos said. 
"It felt like we thought it was going happen again without really having to work for it. We got 282 the first time and I don't know if people thought it was going to happen just because we lined up again or what, but we got outworked." 
The Jaguars were without Pro Bowl defensive tackle Marcus Stroud, who is serving an NFL suspension. Stroud was on the field in Week 1 when the Titans averaged 5.8 yards per carry. 
"We were much better at the line of scrimmage, we were much better tackling and we were much better swarming the ball," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. "All the fundamentals that we believe in, we were better at today, so that helped to slow them down." 
Henry played his fourth straight game in place of the injured Chris Brown, who gained a career-high 175 yards in Week 1. 
"They had an attitude about them and it was obvious they were focused on stopping the run after what happened the first time," Henry said "We were running to the best of our abilities. ... We just fell behind and had to pass." 
White, who had 337 yards over the previous three weeks, left the game in the second half with a knee injury but returned. 
"This is the NFL. Every week you have to come and play," he said. "They made some adjustments and we had to play from behind. We have to step up and play better than we did. ..." 
For the record, White suffered a knee injury in the loss to Jacksonville but head coach Jeff Fisher indicated he expects White to practice this week. 
A Denver native, White will be determined to get his full share of the load on Monday night in his hometown. 
Chris Brown missed his fourth consecutive game with a high left ankle sprain. Fisher said Brown will practice this week and indications are he will return to action Monday night in Denver, when Henry may already have begun serving a four-game league suspension. ... 
Other notes of interest. ... Young threw for a career-best 257 yards against the Jaguars, set a career-high with 41 attempts and tied a career-high with 24 completions. He also ran for 52 yards, his best total since Week 2. 
But he threw two interceptions and now has 10, two shy of his total from last season when he started 13 games. He has four touchdown passes. 
"I thought he played a pretty good ball game, considering the defense he was up against and the way he ran the football," Fisher said. "The decisions he made were very good decisions." 
On Sunday, Young said he knows the offense can do a lot better and he hopes he can continue to earn the trust of those around him. 
"I don't sense any frustration at all," Fisher said. "He understands that each week is different. He is doing what we are asking him to do. Again, I was pleased with a lot of his work on Sunday. I thought he made some real nice throws." 
The Titans may face a slightly easier offensive test on Monday night against the Broncos. 
Denver has the NFL's 24th-ranked defense -- eighth against the pass but next to last against the run. 
"We have got to continue to keep working and continue to keep finishing. We have got a couple of games left. Who knows what can happen?" Young said. "Now we. ... Have to get ready for a big showdown in Denver. ..." 
As Tennessean staffer Paul Kuharsky reminded readers, receiver Justin Gage was not especially impressive during offseason workouts, but came on at the end. 
He was mediocre early in training camp, but made a late charge to seal his roster spot. Maybe he's following a similar pattern in the regular season. 
Gage became the first Titan to catch seven passes in a game this season. The receptions produced the team's second-best individual yardage total of the season (90) and an impressive, bobbling 20-yard touchdown catch. 
It was the first touchdown reception for the Titans since Sept. 24. 
"I was happy that he brought it down," Young said. "I was happy that I made the right read." 
Receiver Roydell Williams caught a 9-yard touchdown pass with less than two minutes remaining in the game, but the play was undone by a holding call against an unidentified Titan. 
The scoreboard operator put up the points, indicating it was a 28-19 game. 
Another play was run before referee Ed Hochuli turned on his microphone and asked the timekeeper to fix the errant clock. 
"Also please correct the score," he added. ... 
And finally. ... Receiver Brandon Jones suffered a mild concussion. ... His status will be re-evaluated as the week progresses. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Vince Young, Kerry Collins 
RB: LenDale White, Chris Brown, Chris Henry 
FB: Casey Cramer, Jeremy Cain, Ahmard Hall 
WR: Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Eric Moulds, Justin Gage, Chris Davis, Paul Williams, Biren Ealy 
TE: Bo Scaife, Ben Troupe, Ben Hartsock 
PK: Rob Bironas 
=========================

=========================
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
The Redskins opened up the offense in the second half against the Eagles. They used four-receiver sets, providing opportunities for wide receivers eager to do more. Head coach Joe Gibbs and Al Saunders, associate head coach-offense, floored the accelerator at times, operating in a no-huddle scheme that seemed to surprise the Eagles. 
And Gibbs and Saunders put more on the shoulders of quarterback Jason Campbell, who remembered how to take shots downfield once the handcuffs came off. 
As Washington Post staffer Jason Reid noted, it was a new wrinkle for the Redskins, and it worked well for a while, helping Campbell get into a rhythm while teaming with wide receivers on touchdown receptions for the first time since last season. Just as in the game overall, however, the Redskins failed to sustain their momentum on offense. 
They stalled late and the Eagles kept charging, rallying for a 33-25 victory. 
"We did a lot of good things as an offense today, we did a lot of things we can feel good about, but we didn't close 'em out," said wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, who had five catches for 44 yards. "Jason played great and we [the wide receivers] were really involved today. ... We opened it up. 
"We opened up to four wides and it helps a lot. Coach [Gibbs] always talks about he wants to have balance, and I think that's what we got, having that balance today. We had some big plays." 
Campbell completed 23 of 34 passes for 215 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Special teams standout James Thrash starred in a rare starting role, filling in for the injured Santana Moss. 
Thrash caught two touchdown passes (his first in the second quarter was the first by a Washington wide receiver in 2007) among five receptions for a team-high 85 yards. Thrash, who also made another strong contribution on special teams, suffered a high ankle sprain in the fourth quarter and was on crutches after the game. 
Thrash will likely miss at least a week. Moss didn't play because of the heel he bruised the previous week. His status this week is unclear. Moss didn't practice Wednesday. 
Meanwhile, Keenan McCardell showed he still can make plays at 37, catching his first touchdown pass since 2005. 
It was another day of mixed emotions for an offense that's still trying to smooth many rough edges with only seven games left and yesterday's performance was uneven again despite a temporary groove. 
"We understood we were going to get a little chance to open it up a little, and we [the wide receivers] accepted the challenge," said McCardell, who caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Campbell early in the fourth quarter. "We saw some things in Philly and we tried to take advantage of it." 
Washington was the league's only team whose wide receivers were without a touchdown reception this season, and Campbell had gone more than 43 quarters without teaming with a wide receiver on a scoring pass. Moss, who had the unit's last two touchdown catches last season, was inactive after missing practice last week because of a heel injury, and Randle El was playing despite missing two days of practice because of a hamstring injury. 
The Redskins turned to Thrash, who was up to the challenge. 
Early in the second quarter, Thrash got behind Philadelphia's defense and caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Campbell in the right corner of the end zone. Campbell connected with Thrash on a 12-yard touchdown later in the quarter, and Thrash also had two 31-yard receptions on the drive. 
"It just felt good being part of the offense," Thrash said. "Whenever they [coaches] call my name, I'm going to go out there, whether it be special teams or offense. Tonight it was more offense." 
Losing Thrash hurt the Redskins, players said. 
"He was big," Randle El said. "He wasn't just big to the offense, he was big for the whole team with what he did on special teams, too. We talk about making a play when you get your chance to play, about one guy stepping up when another guy goes down, and James certainly did that today." 
The Redskins face the Cowboys on Sunday at Dallas, and the receivers are eager to see if Gibbs and Saunders continue their wide-open approach against another NFC East rival. 
"We got a chance to do it," Randle El said. "We've shown that we can do it and that's the biggest thing. We've always known that. It's just a matter of continuing to do it now. ..." 
Other notes of interest. ... The Redskins entered the weekend having won seven straight games when Clinton Portis rushed for at least 100 yards. Against the Eagles and their seventh-ranked rushing defense, Portis finished with 137, giving him his best back-to-back showing in nearly four years. 
"Usually when you run the ball like that," guard Todd Wade said, "you win the game." 
That the Redskins didn't win could be blamed on several shortcomings on both sides of the ball. But again and again, key members of the offense lamented one fact: A rushing game that had proved effective the length of the field twice stalled just short of the Philadelphia end zone. 
In fact, the Redskins made five trips inside the Eagles 20-yard line and came away with points each time: three Campbell touchdown passes, and two short Shaun Suisham field goals. ... 
According to Washington Times staffer Ryan O'Halloran, the Redskins unveiled a no-huddle/hurry-up offense for the first time this season in a non-two-minute situation. It was a rare chance for Campbell to call his own plays. 
Campbell ran the no-huddle for the final few plays of the Redskins' second touchdown drive, a 92-yard march that was the team's longest of the season. In the third quarter, the Redskins went no-huddle on eight plays of a 13-play scoring drive that ended with the touchdown pass to McCardell. 
"Jason seemed to take right to the no-huddle," Gibbs said. "He's one of those guys that has a lot of confidence in that. Some quarterbacks have a real feel for it, and he does. He stepped up and played well. We could have helped him more than we did." 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  
QB: Jason Campbell, Todd Collins, Mark Brunell 
RB: Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright 
FB: Mike Sellers 
WR: Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Brandon Lloyd, Keenan McCardell, Reche Caldwell, James Thrash 
TE: Chris Cooley, Todd Yoder, Cody Boyd 
PK: Shaun Suisham 
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