FLASHUPDATE WEEK 7 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 15 October, 2014
Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris

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ARIZONA CARDINALS
As the Associated Press reported, teammates didn't know Carson Palmer would be their quarterback until after the team suited up for Sunday's game against Washington.
Fantasy owners found out a little while later; Palmer wasn't officially announced as the starter until pregame introductions. .
Palmer hadn't played since the season opener, relegated to the sidelines while the troublesome "dead" nerve in his throwing shoulder refused to respond to treatment.
That finally changed late last week, and Palmer -- with only a part of a practice on Friday -- helped the Cardinals (4-1) beat the reeling Redskins 30-20.
With the victory and Seattle's loss to Dallas, Arizona is alone atop the NFC West.
Palmer downplayed that fact.
"I don't think we're going to put a huge emphasis on that," he said. "We are where we are and the rest of our division is where they are. ... We're a long ways away from thinking about postseason and all the things that can happen, the records and what's happening in Seattle, St. Louis and San Francisco. That's not our focus. Our focus needs to go right now."
Teammates were impressed with his effort.
"He's a tough guy," running back Andre Ellington said. "He's our leader and he wasn't going to let us down."
Head coach Bruce Arians didn't ease up on the game plan.
Palmer threw 44 times, completing 28 for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He was not intercepted.
"Forty-four attempts is probably right on par with what Bruce wants to do," Palmer said. "I wasn't expecting to go out and throw 18, that's for sure. It felt good and I'm very pleased to be where I am."
Palmer threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Michael Floyd and a 24-yarder to Larry Fitzgerald.
Now Palmer hopes to be able to practice normally.
"I just need reps," he said. "I need work. I need to throw a bunch, a bunch, a bunch just to get my arm strong because it's definitely weak."
Palmer also told reporters Sunday he was "praying" the nerve issue in his shoulder wouldn't regress overnight following his return to action.
That was the problem he faced the morning after the Cardinals' Week 1 win over the San Diego Chargers, and Palmer disappeared from the lineup for a month as a result.
The team got good news on Monday.
"I was concerned until I saw him today," Arians said, according to ESPN.com. "And now he feels great, so we should just get better and better and just get stronger."
Palmer threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns against the Redskins in a game plan that leaned heavily on the passing game. In fact, Palmer had 44 passing attempts -- his third-highest total in 18 games with the Cardinals.
This week could represent a return to normalcy for Palmer, who should get to go through a full week of practice ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Raiders, his former team.
Palmer said he won't throw until Wednesday, but Arians said the plan is for the 34-year-old to do "hopefully everything" in practice. Palmer doesn't know how long it'll take to regain the full strength in his arm, which he called "weak" after Sunday's win over Washington.
"I hope to get as many reps in as possible because I need them," he said.
"It's going to take a while. It's going to take at least a week of throwing, I would think. It's kind of what I'm expecting to really get it back. It just needs to get back in shape. It's just out of shape. It's like sitting on the couch after training camp -- you have a knee issue or high ankle sprain, you just get out of shape, you get out of the football shape. My arm's out of throwing shape, and that'll come back."
In a couple of related notes. ... Palmer first suffered the shoulder injury when he ran the ball in the first game. So it was odd that he talked Arians into letting him run a keeper on a key third down late against Washington. It didn't work.
"I was talking him into a lot of stuff," Palmer said. "I was just excited to be out there."
The Cardinals went through the entire week of practice not knowing which of the three quarterbacks would start. No big deal, said Fitzgerald.
"I've played with like 30 quarterbacks," he said. "I'm always optimistic, though. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... The Cardinals have yet to throw an interception this season. Palmer almost did when he threw directly into the hands of linebacker Brian Orakpo, but he dropped it.
Arizona did not commit a turnover and is plus-nine in takeaways this season. ...
Fitzgerald often has found himself a bit player statistically this season. He entered the game with just 13 catches and no touchdowns, but he was a big part of the game plan on Sunday.
Fitzgerald caught six passes for a season-high 98 yards and his 88th career TD. That ties him with Don Maynard for 12th in NFL history. His six receptions give him 865, moving him from 22nd to 20th in league history.
Asked how it felt to have a major impact in the game, he said, "I've had major impacts on many games."
"Mentally, I've always prepared myself for a big day," Fitzgerald said. "If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't I take the same approach every single week, every single day in my preparation."
As Pro Football Focus noted, Fitz racked up his highest yardage total of the year, scored for the first time this season and in combination with Palmer, the two produced a perfect 158.3 passer rating on throws his way (Fitzgerald caught all six of his targets). ...
Is this the new normal for Fitzgerald?
That seems unlikely; expecting more than hit or miss production from Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd seems like a reach based on what we've seen over the course of the season.
The running game wasn't all that impressive. Ellington broke some runs outside, but the power game inside produced little. The Cardinals gained 74 yards on 23 attempts. ...
Despite Arians saying a return by Calais Campbell this weekend against Oakland is "very slim," the star defensive end is holding out hope. His goal is to practice by the end of week, which, in his eyes, would mean he could play Sunday.
As Profootballtalk.com notes, a few people raised some eyebrows when the Cardinals got rid of long-time kicker Jay Feely this offseason.
But like his team as a whole, new kicker Chandler Catanzaro has exceeded expectations.
Catanzaro was named NFC special teams player of the week, after his 12-point performance against Washington. He hit all three of his extra point attempts and field goals.
That extended him to a perfect 14-of-14 on field goals for the season, part of the reason the Cardinals lead the NFC West. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas 
RB: Andre Ellington, Stepfan Taylor, Marion Grice 
FB: Robert Hughes 
WR: Michael Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald, John Brown, Ted Ginn, Jaron Brown, Walt Brown 
TE: John Carlson, Darren Fells, Robert Housler, Troy Niklas 
PK: Chandler Catanzaro 
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ATLANTA FALCONS
As the Sports Xchange pointed out, the Falcons, a team built to be an offensive juggernaut, have sputtered out to a 2-4 record and appear headed for another disappointing season.
For the second straight game, running back Antone Smith was pretty much the only Falcons player making plays.
Smith's 41-yard catch-and-run score was the only Falcons touchdown after halftime in the 27-13 loss to the Bears. His 74-yard touchdown catch against the Giants a week earlier was the only Falcons score in the second half of the 30-20 defeat.
Smith now has scored a touchdown in five of six Falcons games, and each score has gone for at least 38 yards. He has averaged 51 yards per scoring play this season. He has scored two of the three touchdowns the Falcons have scored in the past nine quarters.
Smith's five touchdowns this season have come on just 23 touches; last season he scored two touchdowns on seven touches. It's no wonder Falcons fans call for Smith to get more chances, though Smith has refused to be drawn into that debate.
"I don't think just one guy can do it," Smith said. "There's no way in the world I'm the one guy making plays. It seems that way, but I'm not. A lot of guys are out there blocking, Matt is throwing the ball and Steven [Jackson] is doing a good job. Without them, I don't have any success at all."
Against the Bears, Smith trailed Jackson (20 snaps) and Jacquizz Rodgers (17) in playing time. He had 11 snaps and rookie running back Devonta Freeman had 10 snaps. Smith had just two rushing attempts and four receptions, with four of those touches after halftime.
Smith's latest long scoring play came with the Falcons trailing the Bears 13-3 in the third quarter.
While Smith is rolling, the Falcons need the rest of their playmakers to get in gear.
The Falcons are built to score points, especially through the air.
And yet there was Julio Jones, their star wide receiver, dropping two key passes against the Bears. Roddy White, the franchise's career leader in nearly every wide receiver category, also had two drops. Matt Ryan, the franchise quarterback, floundered behind an offensive line that still can't protect him consistently.
The Falcons' big-name offense has managed just three touchdowns in its past nine quarters.
"We feel like we've got the guys to do it but the key to success is doing it, not just feeling like you can do it," Ryan said. "Our preparation has been solid. Our performance hasn't been where it needs to be."
It's become a trend for the Falcons.
For the second straight week, the offensive line's pass protection wilted when the opponent cranked up its pass rush after halftime. The running game has become so ineffective that coordinator Dirk Koetter essentially abandoned it against the Bears.
According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer D. Orlando Ledbetter, Jones and White had dodged interview requests.
Tight end Levine Toilolo, a first-year starter, took responsibility for his three drops.
"Those are huge plays," Toilolo said. "They are plays I expect to make and they are plays my team expects me to make. When it comes down to it, I've got to make them. ..."
Meanwhile, the Falcons have put themselves in quite a bind. But even though head coach Mike Smith says nothing is off the table, don't look for a bunch of major changes.
As Associated Press sports writer Paul Newberry noted, the Falcons are pretty much stuck with the guys they've got -- and they're not getting the job done as the team heads into what could be its toughest stretch of the season.
Smith talked about a wide array of problems Monday after setback to the Bears. A defense that gave up huge chunks of yardage. An offense that persistently faced third-and-long, dropped too many passes, didn't run the ball effectively, and struggled to protect Ryan.
"I'm frustrated, discouraged, disappointed," Smith said. "I know we can play a whole lot better than we've played."
For now, the changes are likely to be more subtle than dramatic.
The Falcons next travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens (4-2), who are coming off an impressive 48-17 victory over Tampa Bay. Atlanta better get used to life on the road, because that game is followed by a weeklong trip to London for a contest against Detroit (4-2).
After a bye week, the Falcons play two more road games, against NFC South foes Carolina (3-2-1) and Tampa Bay (1-5). They don't play another game at the Georgia Dome until Nov. 23 against Cleveland -- four days before Thanksgiving. It's the longest stretch without a true home game in franchise history.
Perhaps the biggest concern for the Falcons is the way they've closed out games. Over the last four weeks, they've been outscored 49-0 in the fourth quarter.
In a related note. ... Last week, owner Arthur Blank said that he was screaming on the inside after two straight double-digit losses but said that he wasn't going to discuss any possible changes involving Smith or general manager Thomas Dimitroff until after the season.
There were no audible screams from Blank as the game came to a close, but Smith seems to know that things have to change quickly if he wants to assure himself another season on Atlanta's sidelines. Smith said after the game that the team has to "look at everything" to fix a team that's gone off the rails the last three weeks.
"We've played very inconsistently on defense throughout the entire season," Smith said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. "And we haven't played nearly up to our potential on the offensive side of the football, either. And I don't think anything is off the table in terms of what we've got to get done. These are the guys that we have on our football team. We have to coach them better; they have to play better. We're all in this together."
McClure suggests that Smith could take defensive play calling responsibilities away from coordinator Mike Nolan, who he gave a vote of confidence a couple of weeks ago.
As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith added: "Change is needed, though, or Smith will be spending a lot of time down the stretch answering questions about whether he thinks he'll be able to hold onto his job for another year. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Ryan threw his 12th touchdown pass of the season when he connected with Antone Smith. Ryan has thrown at least one touchdown in 11 straight games dating back to 2013.
According to Pro Football Focus, "This is what it looks like when excellent quarterbacking is given as little support as possible." When Toilolo dropped his third pass just after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, it looked as though the Falcons were actively working against Ryan.
Take away drops, throw aways, and batted passes and the Falcons' quarterback was accurate on 26 of 32 targets on Sunday.
The seven drops from Falcon receivers were a combined 99 yards downfield. That was the highest lost yardage total of any quarterback in Week 6.
In addition to his two drops, Jones caught four passes for 68 yards against the Bears. His 44 receptions this season are the second-most in the NFL while his 620 yards rank third. He has caught 44 of 66 passes (66.7 percent) and has four drops this season.
White has been struggling this season. He's caught 19 of his 37 targeted passes (57.4 percent) and has four drops. ...
According to McCLure, several players continue to gut through injuries in preparation for Sunday's game at Baltimore. The most notable are Jones and rookie left tackle Jake Matthews.
Jones was spotted slowly dragging his left foot as he exited the locker room on Monday afternoon. His left ankle has given him issues ever since the Minnesota game, and it is typically rather painful for him to deal with early in the week. Jones has shown up on the injury report as "limited" in practice the past few weeks due to his ankle, but is hasn't kept him out of any game action.
In fact, he played 51 of 56 offensive snaps against the Bears. And Jones continues to display his speed and explosion despite the ankle.
Fortunately for Jones, it is not the same right foot he had surgically repaired twice. He simply continues to get treatment on the ankle. And he actually moved around better Monday night as he attended teammate Harry Douglas' charity bowling event for The Douglas Brothers Foundation.
Matthews suffered a left high ankle sprain in the season opener against New Orleans and missed just one game. Matthews said he tweaked the ankle again during a Week 5 loss to the New York Giants. It obviously has affected his play.
Besides Jones, Douglas remains sidelined with a deep bruise in his left foot with no timetable given for his return. He didn't practice Wednesday. Drew Davis, who had preseason foot surgery, was back on the field catching passes last week and is eligible to return to practice this week off the physically unable to perform list. But Smith wouldn't reveal Davis' status just yet.
And Devin Hester had been dealing with a hamstring issue, although he played 29 of 56 offensive snaps and 11 special teams snaps against the Bears. He was practicing Wednesday. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree 
RB: Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Antone Smith, Devonta Freeman, Patrick DiMarco 
WR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Devin Hester, Freddy Martino, Eric Weems 
TE: Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe 
PK: Matt Bryant 
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BALTIMORE RAVENS
As Associated Press sports writer David Ginsburg understated, "It's very rare that an NFL team builds a 38-point halftime lead, gets five touchdown passes from its quarterback and coasts to a 31-point victory."
You don't say. ...
Joe Flacco was all business, carving up Tampa Bay's secondary and helping the Ravens get their season back on track with a dominating performance.
The Super Bowl-winning quarterback threw five touchdown passes in the first 16:03 of Sunday's 48-17 victory over the Buccaneers, shrugging off a disappointing road loss that left Flacco and his teammates with a bad taste in their mouths from the previous week.
Even though the Ravens (4-2) still had a winning record, mistakes that undermined them against the Colts were difficult to accept.
"I know we played well. It was nice to bounce back after a tough game," Flacco said, shrugging off how gratifying it was to score on six consecutive possessions to build a 38-0 lead against the Bucs (1-5).
Flacco became the first NFL quarterback to throw five TD passes in the opening half since Tom Brady did it in 2009 on the way to New England beating Tennessee 59-0. The Ravens said he also did it quicker than any player in league history, accomplishing it just over a minute into the second quarter.
"All that stuff really doesn't matter. Anything we did after the first three touchdowns didn't really mean too much at the end of the day. It's all just statistics," Flacco said. "That stuff feels good and looks good, and it's great and all that, but it really doesn't matter. It's all about winning the football game."
Torrey Smith caught the first two TD passes, and Kamar Aiken, Michael Campanaro and Steve Smith followed for a 35-0 lead.
Head coach John Harbaugh sensed during practice that the team was sharp, but no one could have predicted exactly how well the Ravens would perform.
Flacco was sacked four times and Baltimore was just 1 of 11 on third-down conversions a week ago in a disappointing 20-13 loss at Indianapolis, however the offense was in synch from the very start against the Bucs' porous Tampa 2 defense.
With help from Justin Forsett's 52-yard run on the second play from scrimmage, the Ravens moved 80 yards in four plays to take a quick lead on Flacco's 15-yard scoring pass to Torrey Smith. His next three TD throws -- 9 yards to Torrey Smith, 17 yards to Aiken and 19 yards to Campanaro -- came on third-down throws.
Steve Smith is Baltimore's leading receiver, but was hardly involved until he beat cornerback Alterraun Verner deep down the left sideline for a 56-yard score that made it 35-0 just over a minute into the second quarter. It was the 14th-year pro seventh career TD against the Bucs.
"It was really surreal, and a lot of fun at that point," Flacco said. "At that point, shoot, we were on pace for almost 16 touchdowns."
Flacco finished 21 of 29 for 306 yards with no interceptions and no sacks. Even more impressive, Tampa Bay did not have any quarterback hits.
Flacco was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. ...
Steve Smith finished with five catches for 110 yards, his eighth 100-yard day against Tampa Bay, a team he faced for 13 seasons as a member of the Carolina Panthers.
Forsett, who leads the NFL in average yards per carry, gained 111 yards on 14 carries, his first 100-day outing since 2009. ...
Next up. ... The Ravens return home for their only game at M&T Bank Stadium in October when they face the Falcons on Sunday.
Other notes of interest. ... According to Pro Football Focus, Flacco completed all four of his deep balls for 122 yards and three of his scores including the one to Steve Smith down the left sideline with a rusher in his face. Although he wasn't pressured a lot (7-of-29 dropbacks), he was more productive when the Bucs got heat, completing 5-of-7 for 114 yards and a score.
That gave him a yards per attempts of 16.3, almost double the 8.7 he managed with a clean pocket.
Forsett produced the third 100-yard rushing game of his seven-year career. It was his first in five seasons. His 52-yard run on the opening drive was the Ravens' longest one of the season.
The Ravens finished with 169 total yards on the ground.
"We've been chomping at the bit to get to that mark this season and it's just a blessing," Forsett said. "I thank God for the opportunity to just come out here play and actually run the ball. The offensive line did a heck of a job, and we got it today. ..."
Campanaro got his first action of the regular season and caught a touchdown pass on his first career reception. "You know you have that for the rest of your career," Harbaugh said. "That never goes away. He's one for one. He's another guy who's been practicing very well."
Aiken also got first career touchdown reception. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor 
RB: Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Bernard Pierce 
FB: Kyle Juszczyk 
WR: Steve Smith, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Marlon Brown, Michael Campanaro, Kamar Aiken 
TE: Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore, Ryan Taylor 
PK: Justin Tucker 
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BUFFALO BILLS
As ESPN.com's Mike Rodak noted, momentum seemed to be on the Bills' side.
They were returning home after a come-from-behind win over the Detroit Lions. Welcomed by a raucous crowd for the first time, newly-minted owners Terry and Kim Pegula led a pregame huddle with players at midfield. And after all, the New England Patriots' stranglehold on the division was beginning to slip, right?
Not so fast.
As much as the Bills have closed the gap in their division by assembling a talented roster with pieces worth building around, they committed far too many mistakes in Sunday's 37-22 loss to the Patriots to signal a changing of the guard in the AFC East.
From safety Duke Williams' what-were-you-thinking pass interference penalty in the end zone, to Kyle Orton's telegraphed interception to Jamie Collins, to an all-too-easy 56-yard touchdown catch by New England's Brandon LaFell, the Bills weren't ready to topple the team that has tormented them for more than a decade.
"You have to play a very good football game to beat them," head coach Doug Marrone said. "They did, today, a very good job of not doing anything to beat themselves and [they] made plays. We did things to beat ourselves."
Beating themselves is exactly what the Bills did at the end of the first half, when they gift-wrapped three points and left them on the Patriots' doorstep. With 14 seconds remaining in the first half, the Bills just needed to run out the clock and get to halftime. Instead, C.J. Spiller fumbled, the Patriots made one quick pass to move into field goal position and Stephen Gostkowski converted a 53-yard kick with ease to give New England a 13-7 lead.
As Rodak suggested, you can't rely on former Detroit kicker Alex Henery, who missed three field goals at the end of last week's win, to give you a chance. Whether Tom Brady is 37 or still in his prime at 27, it doesn't matter; he and the Patriots will make you pay for turnovers, and the Bills had three of them Sunday.
"If you turn the ball over three times and have over 100 yards in penalties it's going to be hard to beat anybody, especially a good team," running back Fred Jackson said. "They took advantage of it."
Still, it's hard to explain away the Bills allowing 37 points. This defense just didn't look as stout as we had seen it through the first five games.
Buffalo has now lost 26 of their last 29 games to Brady and New England. That sort of dominance will one day come to an end, but that time has yet to arrive.
The Bills just aren't there yet.
"It was an opportunity to move into sole possession of the AFC East, so yeah there was definitely a missed opportunity there," Jackson said. "We didn't get the job done."
The good news?
The Bills, who had the NFL's easiest remaining schedule entering this weekend, next host the Minnesota Vikings (2-4), who lost Sunday at the Detroit Lions.
Other notes of interest. ... Also according to Rodak, the switch to Orton has been kind to Scott Chandler.
The tight end has fared better in two games with Orton under center (10 catches for 126 yards) than he did in four games with EJ Manuel at the helm (nine catches for 116 yards).
In Sunday's loss to the Patriots, Chandler was one of the Bills' bright spots, snagging a season-high six passes for a career-high 105 yards.
It was the first time since Pete Metzelaars' 113-yard performance against the San Francisco 49ers in 1992 that a Bills tight end had surpassed 100 yards receiving.
"I thought he played very well. He made some really good catches. Big catches," Marrone said. "He was able to win on the matchups and did a nice job. I just wish we could have done some other things better, for everyone to win the game -- which we didn't as a team."
Chandler shared the sentiment.
"We have so many guys out there who can make plays. It's just when your number gets called, you're going to have to be the guy to make the play," he said. "We obviously need to make a couple more. We need to get our running game going a little more, and that's going to open it up even more for us out there."
Of the Bills' 15 passing first downs, five came from Chandler. The tight end's only catch that didn't move the chains was an 18-yard grab on a second-and-20 in the fourth quarter. ...
Rookie receiver Sammy Watkins expected Darrelle Revis to shadow him for most of the game, and he was right. Revis kept Watkins quiet for much of the contest. Orton targeted Watkins three times; the rookie had two catches for 27 yards.
The agent for receiver Mike Williams has been granted permission to seek a trade, general manager Doug Whaley said Monday.
Whaley said Williams' agent, Hadley Englehard, asked to gauge interest from other teams in a possible trade. But Whaley says the Bills aren't actively pursuing a trade.
"We like Mike Williams, we expect him back and we expect big things from him," Whaley said. "But like anybody, if he gets me compensation worthy of a No. 1 wide receiver, which he claimed he is, then we would entertain it."
According to Associated Press reporter John Wawrow, Williams was not present in the locker room Monday when reporters were allowed access.
Williams was surprisingly inactive for Sunday's game. Williams started the Bills' first four games.
Marrone said the decision was made to deactivate Williams when the team learned late last week that defensive tackle Kyle Williams would be healthy enough to play after missing the previous game with an ankle injury.
"By that time, we had put so much in game plan-wise for a three tight end package that we practice quite a bit," Marrone said.
"I brought Mike in on Saturday and I told him I needed him to do this for the team. I said, 'It's not a great situation, but it's due to the special teams and everything that we needed to cover.' We talked to him and he handled it like a pro and he'll be ready to go next week."
The Bills acquired Williams in April for a sixth-round draft choice in a trade with Tampa Bay. He has eight catches for 142 yards and a touchdown in five games this season.
Williams, a Buffalo native, said at the time it was "a dream come true" to be traded to his hometown team.
Marrone was the coach at Syracuse when Williams abruptly quit the team in November 2009 during his junior season.
Whaley said there have been no conflicts between Williams and Marrone this season.
"He's been a great addition to our program," Whaley said. "Have not had one ounce of problems with him."
Williams signed a six-year, $40 million contract in 2013. He has a fully guaranteed salary of $5.2 million for 2015. ...
As the Sports Xchange suggested this week, Spiller's season continues to circle the drain. He was held to 19 yards on six carries, did not catch a pass, and had the above-mentioned lost fumble late in the first half that resulted in a New England field goal.
Worse yet, Spiller's 12 snaps were his smallest workload of the season. According to Rodak, it's hard to blame the Bills from straying away from him. He was stopped for a 3-yard loss on the first play of the game, an avoidable play where Spiller ran away from the line of scrimmage at one point trying to elude a defender. Spiller ran only twice after his late first-half fumble, although part of that was the scoreboard; the Bills were trailing more as the game progressed.
For Jackson, who was dealing with an ankle injury, his snap count was high -- he was on the field for 52 of 69 snaps, but it's easy to understand why the Bills were leaning more on him.
Jackson scored the 36th TD of his career, moving into a tie for sixth place on the Bills' all-time list with Joe Cribbs. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Kyle Orton, E.J. Manuel 
RB: Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, Anthony Dixon, Bryce Brown 
FB: Frank Summers 
WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Chris Hogan, Marquise Goodwin, Marcus Easley, Mike Williams 
TE: Scott Chandler, Lee Smith, Chris Gragg 
PK: Dan Carpenter 
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CAROLINA PANTHERS
According to Charlotte Observer beat writer Jonathan Jones, offensive coordinator Mike Shula had himself in a mental pickle after Sunday's tie in Cincinnati.
Quarterback Cam Newton rushed for 107 yards on a career-high 17 carries after having just 14 carries in his previous four games combined. Did the Panthers run him too much?
"I feel like I ran him too much, and yet I didn't run him enough," Shula said.
The Panthers have been cautious with Newton, who had offseason ankle surgery and whose recovery from that was delayed by cracked ribs in the preseason.
Carolina had not been ready to "unleash" Newton, as Rivera called it. And Shula questioned if Newton would have been healthy enough the previous week to rush the ball 17 times.
"If you asked him he'd say yes," Shula said. "(But) on a conservative side probably not.
"He's talented and he's still not 100 percent. I think he made it through OK so I hopefully he'll keep getting better."
Head coach Ron Rivera agrees.
"I'm not going to say he was a 100 percent healthy, but he's a lot healthier than he was at the beginning of the year," Rivera said. "He's feeling more comfortable and confident in himself -- and because of that it allowed us to open up our game plan."
Newton had two rushes for 6 yards at halftime. That was in part because of Carolina getting just three possessions in the first half, including one three-and-out. Shula and the Panthers coaching staff talked at halftime about allowing Newton to run the ball more after installing more run plays for the quarterback that week in practice.
Newton rushed 11 times for 70 yards in the fourth quarter and overtime period. Darrin Reaves was Carolina's only other ball carrier, and he had four rushes for 7 yards in that same time frame.
And as Associated Press sports writer Steve Reed suggested, Shula and Newton have given Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers a little more to think about this week when drawing up his game plan.
Newton was unavailable for comment Monday, but said after the game he never expected to be that big of a factor in the run game.
The Bengals basically dared Newton to run and the fourth-year quarterback took advantage on designed read options -- a play where he fakes the ball to a running back and keeps it.
Newton proved he was feeling better when he kept the ball on a read option and ran through two Bengals for a 12-yard touchdown run.
"When you keep getting numerous yards, you have to keep calling it," Newton said. "That's just the simplicity of football. Coming into this game, I didn't think I was going to run the ball as much. But like I said, that's my attitude -- anything it takes to win, I'm willing to do."
The Panthers need Newton close to full strength with a tough stretch of games coming up against Green Bay, Seattle, New Orleans and Philadelphia, especially given their injuries in the backfield.
The Panthers have been playing without running backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and fullback Mike Tolbert. Rivera said Williams will miss "a couple of more weeks" with a sprained ankle and Tolbert is out until late November with a hairline fracture in his leg.
Stewart returned to practice on Wednesday and is expected to return to game action on Sunday. (I'll be following up on his status via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses).
While it's unlikely Newton carries the ball 17 times every week, Rivera said just the mere threat of having him as an option in the running game will change how other teams defend the Panthers.
"There is now always the threat of him pulling the ball down," Rivera said. "Now all of a sudden those defensive ends can't go crashing down and the linebackers can't start driving at the runner. They have to sit there and read. Now they aren't getting good jumps to the ball carrier because they aren't sure who is getting the ball."
Said running back Fozzy Whittaker: "He's the leader of the team, the leader of the offense. Whenever he goes, it makes everybody else go. When he's out there making plays and getting everybody involved, we're a hard team to stop."
Rivera said the team noticed last week in practice Newton was moving a little better and figured he could help out more in the running game.
"Everything pointed to his health," Rivera said. "I said from the beginning we weren't going to do anything to jeopardize his health. We took our time and did everything the doctors and trainers told us to do. He did everything he was asked to do. It came down to watching him throughout the week."
Newton pointed to "getting back to the basics" in rehab last week and focusing on movement and range of motion helped.
He said that worked.
Newton's numbers were dramatically down this year after rushing for 2,032 yards and 28 TDs in his first three seasons.
"It's kind of weird," Newton said. "Now everybody is questioning how much am I going to run, or if I'm going to run, or why I'm not running. When I was running, people were saying, 'Don't you think you're running too much?"
Also on the injury front. ... Rookie receiver Kelvin Benjamin was not at practice Wednesday, according to the Observer. He is in the league's concussion protocoal after taking several hard hits in Sunday's tie against the Bengals. Greg Olsen (ankle) was also not practicing. ...
Again, I'll have more on their progress via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Newton continues to spread the wealth. A week after he completed passes to eight different receivers, nine guys caught passes against the Bengals.
Newton tossed touchdowns to receiver Benjamin and Olsen, but there were missed opportunities in the passing game as well. On a drive that ended the third quarter and started the fourth, Benjamin had a score brought back when he was called for pushing off, and two players later, Newton overthrew Olsen in the end zone.
In overtime, receiver Jerricho Cotchery didn't haul in what would have been a game-winning touchdown.
As the Sports Xchange noted, Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict seemed to be very familiar with the Panthers' injury report.
Newton and Olsen have each had ankle issues this season, and when they both scored touchdowns on Sunday, Burfict appeared to twist their ankles.
Burfict has been fined multiple times by the league for past transgressions, and on Monday, Olsen called for a stiffer punishment.
"I think instances like that, that are so clearly premeditated that he had in his mind if those opportunities, that he was going to try to attack not only guys' legs, but guys who were coming off ankle problems specifically, there's no room for it. I think the punishment needs to go beyond a fine," Olsen said.
"The league says they care about player safety. We'll find out what they really think. ..."
Rivera indicated he would send the league copies of the plays involving Newton and Olsen as coaches are allowed to following games.
"There is no place in the game for players doing extra stuff," Rivera said. "If that's what the league sees when I send in the tapes, then so be it. If not, then we'll go on from there. ..."
A few final notes. ... Whittaker scored the first rushing touchdown of his career, but after nine carries and 25 yards, he was held out after his troublesome quad acted up again. Undrafted rookie Darrin Reaves replaced Whittaker and gained just 15 yards on eight carries.
The Panthers did not allow a sack against Newton for just the fifth time in his three-year career.
And finally. ... The Panthers have allowed opponents to score at least 24 points in their last four games. The most points they gave up last year was 31 to the Saints and 24 to the Bills.
The Panthers have given up an average of 473.6 yards and 37.3 points to AFC North teams this year. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb 
RB: Jonathan Stewart, Darrin Reaves, Fozzy Whittaker, Chris Ogbonnaya, DeAngelo Williams 
FB: Mike Tolbert (on short-term IR) 
WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Philly Brown, Brenton Bersin 
TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams 
PK: Graham Gano 
=========================

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CHICAGO BEARS
According to the Sports Xchange, the Bears seemed to restore order offensively by finding their vertical passing game in Sunday's 27-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Whether quarterback Jay Cutler can continue attacking this way against the Miami Dolphins and a much better defense Sunday at Soldier Field remains a question.
"I think it helped out our whole football team," head coach Marc Trestman said of the ability to get the ball down the field.
Cutler had his best yardage game as a Bear (381) and the Bears had a season-high in yards per pass attempted (9.0). Cutler did this without an interception.
"We hit a few things vs. man, hit a few things vs. zone down the field," Cutler said. "If we can keep mixing it up like that and running the ball effectively, we should be good."
Trestman put part of the credit for the return of the deep ball on healthier receivers, with Brandon Marshall now over his ankle sprain and Alshon Jeffery several weeks removed from a hamstring problem.
"It's difficult to have one (vertical game) when the players you're practicing with aren't able to practice those types of things," Trestman said.
Marshall didn't practice for several weeks.
"We said it during the week, last week was really the first week we had everybody at full speed," Trestman added.
As ESPN.com's Jeff Dickerson, put it, "When Marshall is right, he plays like a man possessed."
Dickerson added, "Sixteen combined targets between Marshall and Jeffery (five catches, 136 yards) is the perfect balance. There isn't a secondary in the NFL capable of controlling Marshall and Jeffery when each are fed the ball on a consistent basis."
Jeffery had catches of 74 and 26 yards, Marshall 47 and 20 and Bennett 25. In the first five games the Bears had only nine total plays of 25 yards or more and 11 of 20 yards or longer.
"I think part of it was the health issue, but the other part is, I think, that there is a residual effect of these "shot" plays that's why everybody does them," Trestman said.
Just by taking shots downfield, the Bears feel they loosened up the defense and made the underneath gains easier to get.
"The percentage, completion percentages aren't going to be as high as your intermediate or short game, but they do have a residual affect overall on how the defenses play when they know you're going to stretch you out a little bit," Trestman said. "Then it helps you out with the underneath stuff or the intermediate game. It just balances out when you're attacking every area of the field, not just horizontally, sideline to sideline, but certainly vertically.
"And that's why you try to do it, knowing that it may be second-and-10, knowing that you could lose a down or get out of sequence, bus they do have a residual effect on the overall productivity of your passing game."
When the Bears were relying on the shorter pass against Green Bay and Carolina in losses, Cutler said they were playing into the hands of the defense.
"It wasn't frustrating," he said. "It's just hard to go 80 or 90 going dink, dink, dink, dink, dink because sooner or later you're going to miss one and you're going to be third-and-eight, third-and-nine.
"Just to keep the flow of our offense, we kind of have to (throw deep) and anyone has to. It's just so hard in the NFL to go 80 or 90 each and every time in six or seven possessions. It's hard to do that."
Marshall thought the passing attack picking up could also be traced back to Cutler, as he went without an interception for the third time this season.
"Jay was really just dropping those balls in places that him and only a few guys can do," Marshall said.
The Bears had to be concerned they could pull off this type of approach with deeper drops and longer routes while Cutler's backside protector, left tackle Jermon Bushrod, missed the game due to knee and ankle injuries. Still, Michael Ola did a reasonably solid job of protecting at left tackle.
Now the Bears are hopeful they'll have Bushrod back against Miami.
"I am optimistic," Trestman said. "Again, he'll work out (Monday). He probably has already. And he'll work out tomorrow. And we're hopeful that we can get him back into the mix. We'll see where he is on Wednesday at practice."
With Miami's pass rushing ranking much higher (9th, 221.6 yards a game) and the Dolphins 13th in sacks with 14, the Bears' attempt to gain their first home win this season should be far more difficult from an offensive standpoint.
Other notes of interest. ... According to Pro Football Focus, if you were looking for the risky decision making Cutler, you weren't going to find him on Sunday. Cutler hit open receiver after open receiver and with only one pass touched by a Falcons player all day. The Bears quarterback was accurate on 28-34 targeted passes including 3-5 over 20 yards downfield.
It was one of the most efficient performances of Cutler's career. ...
Matt Forte's 80 yards rushing served to keep pressure off the passing game, and the offensive line executed perfectly on his two TD runs including one on a trap block out of the spread formation as the Bears found a way finally to get into the end zone from within the red zone. ...
No. 3 receiver Josh Morgan made his first TD catch as a member of the Bears with a 3-yarder. It was the 12th touchdown catch of Morgan's career and first since Week 16 of the 2012 season when he was with Washington.
In a related note. ... Marquess Wilson is eligible to return to practice Wednesday after suffering a broken collarbone in early August and going on the IR/designated for return list. The Bears can wait until after their bye week (Nov. 2) before activating him. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen 
RB: Matt Forte, Ka'Deem Carey, Senorise Perry 
RB: Tony Fiammetta 
WR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Josh Morgan, Santonio Holmes, Micheal Spurlock, Marquess Wilson 
TE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario 
PK: Robbie Gould 
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CINCINNATI BENGALS
Receiver A.J. Green told ESPN's Bob Holtzman on Sunday that he expects to miss this Sunday's game against the Colts due to the toe injury that held him out of this week's 37-37 tie with the Panthers.
Green added he will see a foot doctor again Friday. At that time, he thinks the Bengals ought to have a clearer idea whether he really will be unable to go next Sunday. It will be his second visit to an area foot specialist, following a doctor's visit this past Thursday. It was also after that visit that Green was told he likely would miss two games. The next day, he showed up at the Bengals walkthrough wearing a black walking boot.
He was wearing the same boot while observing pregame warm-ups Sunday. Green was one of the Bengals' seven inactives for the tie.
This week, the Bengals take their 3-1-1 record on the road to Indianapolis. The Colts outlasted Houston on Thursday.
As ESPN.com's Coley Harvey reminded readers, Green aggravated the injury to his right big toe while the team stretched at the start of Wednesday's practice. The issue dates all the way back to the first quarter of the season opener at Baltimore. He played through the pain that afternoon and remained in the game all the way through. He even caught the go-ahead, 77-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that helped give the Bengals a 23-16 win.
A week later, he was run from Cincinnati's game against the Falcons after just six plays because of the injury. He returned the next week and also played in the Bengals' game at New England the past Sunday. He has 17 catches for 314 yards and two touchdowns this season. This was the first game Green has missed in its entirety since his rookie season.
Green's injury is one head coach Marvin Lewis called "a little more than" turf toe during a radio interview the day Green saw the foot specialist. Despite the sight of Green in the boot the next day, Lewis said his Pro Bowl wideout was "day to day."
"He's feeling good," Lewis added. "Which is a good thing, a positive thing."
He might be feeling good, but Green didn't practice Wednesday and we should take him at his word about missing this week's game until further notice. ...
Without Green, the Bengals still got good production in the passing game against Carolina. After an early drop, his replacement, Mohamed Sanu came on strong for the rest of the game, finishing with 10 catches on 15 targets for 120 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Jermaine Gresham also caught six passes for 68 yards. It was the first time since last December that Gresham had been targeted at least five times and caught every one of those passes.
He also had two penalties, but Gresham gave the offense a bigger assist moving the ball than he had at any other point this season.
Brandon Tate, getting the start for Green, tied his career high with four catches and caught his first touchdown pass in more than two years. ...
In a couple of related notes. ... Besides Green, the Bengals also have been without receiver Marvin Jones, who has participated in only five practices since the start of training camp, thanks to a series of injuries. Now they'll have to do without him the remainder of the season.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that the Bengals placed Jones on season-ending IR.
Jones was heading to North Carolina on Tuesday to get his right ankle examined by a foot specialist, according to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey. A source told Harvey the belief is that Jones broke his other foot trying to overcompensate for the injury to his right ankle. NFL.com reported late Sunday night that surgery was being discussed internally as a possible course of action.
With Jones now done for the year and Green out at least another, the Bengals signed former Cleveland receiver Greg Little, who most recently was released by the Raiders. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Kicker Mike Nugent continues to have the support of his teammates and coaches following his 36-yard field goal miss at the end overtime Sunday, which cost the Bengals a win.
"We love Nugent around here," left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "He's a class act and a great guy. I'm sure I've ended games with my worst play before, too. It happens. It's the nature of this game.
"But honestly, it's why we play it, for the chance to succeed and the opportunity to fail," Whitworth continued. "That rush is the reason true athletes and guys who want to compete play the game."
Nugent was 3 of 3 earlier in the game and had been 4 of 4 on overtime kicks during his 10-year career, but his game-winning attempt wasn't even close.
Lewis said the team will not be looking at other kickers.
"In that position you have probably been through that before, and you've got to just bounce back," Lewis said. "Hopefully we'll get him a lot of opportunities. That's a kick Mike knows good and well he should make. He knew he might have to kick from farther away and make it to win the game. We just didn't get it done, and it's the same thing, it does us no good to continue to talk about it. We missed the kick (Sunday). He'll make it the next time he gets an opportunity. Mike will make the kick. I'm very confident about that."
Nugent is 11 of 17 this season. He's never had more than seven misses in a season. He was 29 of 36 for the New York Jets in 2007.
To Nugent's credit, he stood at his locker Sunday after the game and answered every question.
"Right now it's just a lot of disappointment, and it's just really tough to see my coaches and see my teammates after a game like that," Nugent said. "It was probably the worst ball I've ever hit in a game in my career. ...
Giovani Bernard had a career-high 137 rushing yards Sunday, including an 87-yard touchdown that was the second longest run in team history (Corey Dillon had a 96-yard touchdown in 2001).
Aside from Bernard's long scoring run, it wasn't that great of a day. Bernard and Jeremy Hill had 70 yards on their other 25 carries (2.8 per rush).
Adam Jones' 97-yard kickoff return was the longest in Bengals history that did not produce a touchdown and tied for the fifth longest overall.
As the Sports Xchange notes, a top-three unit a year ago, the Bengals defense has dropped into the bottom five of the league following Sunday's 37-37 tie against Carolina.
The Bengals are averaging 398.8 yards per game after surrendering 431 to the Panthers on the heels of giving up 505 the week before in a 43-17 loss at New England.
It's the most yards allowed in back-to-back games since 2006, and the 80 points are the most surrendered in back-to-back games in Marvin Lewis' 12 years as coach.
"We really have to go back and just do our jobs on defense," Lewis said Monday. "We're trying to do too much, and guys need to relax and do their thing. Keep doing your job consistently play after play after play."
While the yardage and points allowed numbers soar, there is one key stat that remains low.
The Bengals have sacked opposing quarterbacks only eight times this season, which ranks 24th in the league. The team had 13 sacks through five games last year and 18 through the first five in 2012. ...
And finally. ... Linebacker Vontaze Burfict will be fined $25,000 for twisting the ankles of Panthers quarterback Cam Newton and tight end Greg Olsen following video review of Sunday's game. Burfict will be summoned to the league office for his next infraction, according to ESPN.
Burfict was not penalized during Sunday's game for his actions, which came after Newton and Olsen recorded touchdowns in the second half. Though on Monday, Olsen called for league action against Burfict. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell 
RB: Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill, Cedric Peerman, Rex Burkhead 
WR: Mohamed Sanu, Brandon Tate, Dane Sanzenbacher, James Wright, Greg Little, A.J. Green, Marvin Jones 
TE: Jermaine Gresham, Ryan Hewitt, Tyler Eifert 
PK: Mike Nugent 
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CLEVELAND BROWNS
As ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler noted this week, for all the conversation about Brian Hoyer emerging as more than a backup -- and he has -- he's not the only offensive catalyst to the Cleveland Browns' season right now.
Ben Tate and Jordan Cameron need touches in bulk over the next few weeks, with some Isaiah Crowell explosions and wide receiver help sprinkled in.
Until Josh Gordon returns, Tate and Cameron have proven to be the Browns' two steadiest playmakers. Good things are happening when they touch the ball. The two combined for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a that-really-happened 31-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The receiving corps has overachieved in Gordon's absence, but the fact no receiver caught more than two passes or gained more than 31 yards Sunday amplifies Cameron's importance.
The Browns ran play-action to perfection on two long Cameron gains, including his 51-yard touchdown in the second quarter. The Browns ran the ball out of three-tight-end formations on first and second downs. When they lined up the same way on third-and-1 ,the Steelers overcommitted to a shift to the right. Hoyer faked the handoff and connected with Cameron, who torched Cortez Allen on his way to the end zone.
Cameron called the play a "gutsy call" by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. He liked it.
After 56 receiving yards and no touchdowns the last two games, Cameron has shrugged off ankle and shoulder injuries and knows what he can do when healthy.
"I feel like I can't be stopped man-to-man," Cameron said. "You have to have that confidence."
Hoyer tried to get Cameron the ball last week at Tennessee with seven targets but the timing wasn't right. It is now.
"It's huge -- confidence wise, I'm in a system where I know I can put up numbers like that and we can continue to win," Cameron said.
Tate has been steady since returning from injury, compiling 202 yards on 47 carries with two scores. Undrafted rookie Crowell seems a bit quicker than Tate, while Tate is built for 20-plus carries, which makes life easier on everyone.
Tate's presence grew late, rushing for 55 second-half yards after 23 in the first.
"I feel I should have performed better today," Tate said.
If a two-touchdown day is a bad one, that's good news for the Browns.
Meanwhile, Hoyer passed for 217 yards and for once didn't have to sweat out the final minutes.
Cleveland's win was tempered by the loss of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who broke his left leg in the first half. Mack will have surgery on his broken left leg and will likely miss the rest of the season.
Mack's surgery is being scheduled and a timetable for his recovery will be determined after the operation.
Browns tackle Joe Thomas blinked back tears as Mack, his close friend and fellow offensive lineman, was carted off.
"We have played every snap together for six years and you are finally getting the best of Pittsburgh, he deserved to be out there with us," Thomas said. "It was hard to go on. It's so difficult to lose such a tremendous player like that."
The win further legitimized the Browns' season and Hoyer's standing with his teammates and the Cleveland fans who were skeptical when he was named the starter over rookie Johnny Manziel.
Hoyer finished 8 of 17 and still has just one interception in 149 attempts.
"He made some big throws," head coach Mike Pettine said.
The Browns just may be for real, and here are five other things we learned as they bounced the Steelers into the division's basement:
Better still, Cleveland's next three opponents -- Jacksonville, Oakland and Tampa Bay -- are a combined 1-16.
Other notes of interest. ... According to Pro Football Focus noted, though he rushed for 77 yards on just 11 carries Isaiah Crowell's day was blighted by fumbles and poor ball security. He looked a dangerous player with the ball in his hands, but would be tough to trust in key situations on this evidence.
Terrance West was the Browns leading rusher through four games, but he was made inactive for the Pittsburgh game despite being healthy because Pettine was unhappy with West's practice habits.
"There wasn't anything infraction-wise there," Pettine said. "It was purely a coaching decision. We have a lot of confidence in Terrence, but at the same time, he needs to get some things cleaned up. He's real good when he has the ball, but just in some of the other areas of the game, he needs to improve. It also comes back, when we have the type of depth and competition, it comes down to practice. We'll be men of our words when we say whoever practices best will be up for the game. ..."
Overall, the Browns' 59 snaps was their lowest total of the season. According to ESPN.com's Pat McManamon, this was the first time the snaps were below 60, yet the offense had its best day, scoring 31 points. ...
It's interesting that as a group the receivers had fewer total snaps (108) than in any other game this season. Previously the group had 173, 128, 188 and 140 total snaps, respectively.
As McManamon suggested, one could say that is simply because there were fewer snaps, but it's more than that. The Browns averaged 1.8 receivers per play, the first time this season they've had fewer than 2 per play. Clearly the coaching staff saw something they wanted to exploit with the Steelers. This could have been a function of Cameron finally being healthy, as he was on the field for 93 percent of the plays. ...
Andrew Hawkins was on the field 54 percent of the time compared to 74 percent against Tennessee. ... Miles Austin had less than half the snaps. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel 
RB: Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West 
WR: Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin, Rodney Smith, Marlon Moore 
TE: Jordan Cameron, Jim Dray, Gary Barnidge 
PK: Billy Cundiff 
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DALLAS COWBOYS
As Associated Press sports writer Schuyler Dixon reminded readers, Tony Romo and the Cowboys crumbled two years ago in Seattle after an early special teams blunder. This time he led another fourth-quarter comeback in the strongest sign yet that a four-year playoff drought could end.
A 30-23 Dallas win Sunday that reverberated around the NFL came after the Cowboys fell behind 10-0 when the Seahawks returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. They faced the same deficit in 2012 after fumbling the opening kickoff in a 27-7 loss.
Those Cowboys didn't have the league's leading rusher and an unwavering will to keep running, even against a Super Bowl champion that was the league's best at stopping the run. And the Dallas defense wasn't geared to match that physical style of play.
"I think we are a little better ballclub," Romo said after throwing for two touchdowns and keeping the winning drive alive with a scrambling 23-yard completion to Terrance Williams on third-and-20. "Our team understands we do a lot of things pretty well and I think we have the ability to impose ourselves on the other team."
There's even a lesson for eternally optimistic owner Jerry Jones in a 5-1 start that has Dallas tied with Philadelphia and San Diego for the NFL's best record. Maybe a little pessimism isn't a bad thing.
Jones said during the offseason he thought the defense would be better only because it couldn't get any worse than in 2013, when Dallas gave up the third-most yards in league history. Then he tamped down expectations by telling thousands of fans at the kickoff luncheon that his team faced an "uphill battle."
If so, the Cowboys are winning it heading into their first NFC East game Sunday against the New York Giants (3-3). It's the first of three straight at home -- and four overall -- in which Dallas figures to be favored.
"We actually said before we came up here, I just really couldn't imagine us playing and competing" the way they did, Jones said. "I really do think it's the kind of win under adverse circumstances, which this is, that you really build from."
DeMarco Murray, who leads the league with 785 yards rushing, has a chance against the Giants to become the first back to start the season with seven straight 100-yard games.
He was sitting at 64 yards and a 2.9-yard average late in the fourth quarter. He broke loose for 46 yards on three carries, capped by a 15-yarder that gave Romo his NFL-leading 25th winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime since he became the starter during the 2006 season, according to STATS.
Murray's late surge to finish with 115 yards was just another sign Dallas is sticking with the running game after years of being quick to abandon it under a variety of circumstances. Going into the game, Seattle hadn't allowed any running back more than 38, and was giving up an average of 62 per game.
The Cowboys had 162 yards on 37 carries -- after getting 49 yards on just 16 tries when they fell behind by the same score in Seattle two years earlier.
And it wasn't just Murray. Joseph Randle produced 52 yards on five carries and kept the Seahawks off balance with his cut back ability in the first half.
"There are a lot of things that we can build on from this game and we can learn from it," head coach Jason Garrett said. "When you play teams like this, you can't do what we did with the football. You can't have a blocked punt, you can't turn the ball over twice."
Dallas essentially handed the Seahawks 17 points at home, where they had lost just once since the start of 2012. The Cowboys won because the defense held Russell Wilson and company to season lows in all three yardage categories and in first downs.
But nothing changes in the mind of 12-year veteran Jason Witten, originator of the "same old story" line before the second of the current run of three straight 8-8 seasons that ended with losses to keep Dallas home for the playoffs.
"We're not going to make it bigger than it is," said Witten, who scored a touchdown on the same catch that made him the second tight end in NFL history with 900 for his career. "It's a huge win, we are going to enjoy it, but we are going to move forward. There is a lot of football to be played."
But this is a different Dallas team playing it. ...
Worth noting: As Profootballtalk.com noted Wednesday, offensive linemen are almost always overlooked when the NFL hands out its Player of the Week awards. But Cowboys left tackle Tyron Smith was too good to ignore on Sunday.
The NFL has named Smith the NFC Offensive Player of the Week after a great game against the Seahawks in Seattle on Sunday. Smith had a great game individually (a highlight was the block that sprung Dallas's longest run of the game, a 38-yard scamper by Randle off the left tackle) and the Cowboys' offensive line had a great game collectively, as Romo was sacked only once.
Smith is the first lineman to win an Offensive Player of the Week award since Chiefs guard
got the award in 2004.
Other notes of interest. ... Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that Randle was arrested in Frisco, Texas for shoplifting. Per Hill, Randle was caught in the act by video cameras and police were notified. A spokesman for the Frisco police department confirmed that Randle was arrested on a Class B misdemeanor charge of a theft between $50-$500. He was booked at the city jail and released after posting bond.
Randle took a bottle of cologne and some underwear.
As Garrett said numerous times, until a player is arrested or charged with a crime, the spot on the roster does not change. So now what do the Cowboys do with Randle now that he's been arrested and charged?
According to ESPN.com, Garrett was clear with his players that off-field issues are not acceptable. Given the black eye surrounding the NFL from how it handled several high-profile domestic violence cases, should the severity of the crime matter?
Attempting to pilfer a department store of cologne and underwear while making $495,000 this year is foolish, and Randle will have to live with that stigma.
For the record, Garrett told reporters on Wednesday that Randle apologized to the team and will be fined significantly for the incident. Randle will play Sunday against the Giants, Garrett added.
Starting tackle Doug Free could miss three to four weeks due to a sprained right foot. Free hurt the middle of his foot with 3:23 left in Sunday's victory over the Seahawks on a 6-yard run by Murray. Jeremy Parnell replaced Free and helped pave the way for Murray's 15-yard touchdown run on the next play.
Parnell played five snaps before Free returned for the victory formation kneel-down to end the game.
"Jeremy did a really nice job," Garrett said. "He didn't play many plays in the game, but he played some important ones.
"I thought he responded well emotionally to that situation and mentally to that situation, and those were big plays that he played."
Free has started 77 consecutive games, but that streak is in jeopardy. The Cowboys have four games remaining before their bye week, including a Nov. 9 game against Jacksonville in London. ...
Romo limped out of CenturyLink Field with a sprained ankle and his ribs were a little sore from a Bobby Wagner hit in the first quarter, but he did not think any of it was bad. "A little rib thing and the ankle," Romo said. "We'll see. Got to go through all of the junk tomorrow and figure that out. It has nothing to do with the back, though. All of this is gravy."
Romo didn't miss any snaps, but it was a big hit.
"My back is fine. My rib cartilage might have something to say about it, but we'll see," he said afterward. Romo has played through rib issues before and seems likely to again after finishing this game. ...
Romo won't practice Wednesday for the fifth consecutive week. It's possible he could be held out Thursday too. Garrett said Romo "seemed a little sore" during Wednesday morning's walkthrough but added, "I think he's going to be OK."
Murray missed Wednesday's practice this week due to an illness. ...
Rookie wideout Devin Street has run 49 pass routes on 70 snaps this season, but has been targeted just four times, according to the Dallas Morning News. Street has two catches for 16 yards. CBSSports.com notes that receiver Cole Beasley and running back Lance Dunbar have proven to be reliable third-down options, minimizing Street's opportunities.
As ESPN.com's Todd Archer suggested this week, if not for Dan Bailey there would not be anything special about the Cowboys' special teams. Bailey became the NFL's most accurate kicker with his 42-yard field goal in the second quarter and added a career-long 56 yarder in the third, but it was a bad day for the entire unit.
Chris Jones had a punt blocked for a touchdown on the Cowboys' first possession, just like in 2012, that was returned for a touchdown. Dwayne Harris muffed a punt that was turned into a touchdown. Garrett talks about the need for all three phases to play well to win. That didn't happen Sunday but they got away with it. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan 
RB: DeMarco Murray, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar 
FB: Tyler Clutts 
WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Dwayne Harris, Devin Street 
TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna 
PK: Dan Bailey 
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DENVER BRONCOS
As ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold explained, the New York Jets had made a clear choice on defense against the Denver Broncos.
The Jets made sure if the Broncos were going to win, quarterback Peyton Manning wasn't going to throw for 300 yards doing it. And history, as in the NFL's record for career touchdown passes, was going to be made on somebody else's watch.
Instead, the Broncos would have to grind it out on the ground for the 31-17 victory Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
"The way the Jets played us, my guess it they didn't think much of the running game coming into the game," said Manning, who threw for three touchdowns. "Take your two linebackers and walk them both out on your two receivers [and] they're basically kind of laughing at your run game. And based on what we've been doing, it's probably a valid philosophy. So, it's tough to throw the ball when they've got eight guys in coverage every single play."
Even for a defensive risk-taker like Jets coach Rex Ryan, it was an easy decision. Broncos running back Montee Ball was out of the lineup with a groin injury and the Jets have a good enough defensive front to make life difficult without blitzing. The Broncos had not shown they could win a game by running the ball, averaging 3.2 yards per rush and 79.5 rushing yards per game -- 29th in the league.
So, the Jets distributed their defensive resources away from the line of scrimmage and did it well enough that Broncos were sluggish at times, mistake-prone in others. The Broncos had five penalties on offense accepted to go with two more that were declined.
"It just felt like a run day," Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman said. "It was like the [Jets] defense said: ‘You're not going to pass on us for 300 yard or anything like that, so we are going to have y'all run and see how that goes.' So, we ran."
When they needed Hillman to be the guy they believed he would be when they picked him in the third-round of the 2012 draft, Hillman stepped forward with 24 carries for 100 yards.
And no, it wasn't always suitable for framing. The Broncos had three runs go for no gain, and one for negative yardage Sunday. It brings their season total to 28 rushing attempts in those two categories combined -- or 21.2 percent of their carries this season.
"A game like this comes, you've got to just take your punches and roll with them," Hillman said. "[Sunday] I just took them and rolled with it. [The Jets] have a very, very physical front seven and they played their asses off, but our offensive line did a great job in there and we got the run game going."
The Broncos went with three-wide receiver sets in their first 12 snaps of the game -- with less than favorable results. There was yet another bad snap in MetLife Stadium to go with a Manning sack on back-to-back plays. In the Broncos second series of the game, the Broncos muscled up.
They used more two tight end sets the rest of the way, including all 10 snaps in a third-quarter touchdown drive, often with reserve tackle Paul Cornick in the lineup as the second tight end. And when they wanted to give a little more a of pass look, they paired Jacob Tamme with Julius Thomas.
The result? In addition to Hillman's career-best 100 yards, the Broncos rushed for a season-best 138 yards overall. Nobody is going to accuse them of grounding the Space Shuttle and dialing Manning into a grind-it-out look, but Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase adjusted and the Broncos adapted. And they did it with Hillman being asked, not to be a guy, but for an afternoon, to be the guy.
"I think that's why the run game ended up opening up," Manning said. "When we could stay in phase and have the threat to run the ball, the advantage was to us."
"I'm just glad it worked out," Hillman said. "Now I want to carry it into next weekend too."
Meanwhile, Julius Thomas is on a touchdown roll like no other tight end has ever experienced.
With two scores against the Jets, Thomas has a league-leading nine touchdowns through five games this season. No tight end in league history has ever posted that many scores so fast.
Thomas scored on passes of 22 and 4 yards from Manning in the second and third quarters, and after his second touchdown Sunday, was caught by the CBS microphones yelling, "It's too easy!" after waltzing into the end zone. On that 4-yard catch, Manning made a check with Thomas before the snap, and the Jets defense still did not react.
As the Sports Xchange notes, teams try to cover him with a safety, a cornerback, a linebacker, based on where he lines up, which could be almost anywhere: split wide, in the slot, alongside Manning in the backfield and at a traditional tight-end spot.
Nothing has worked.
And for that fantasy owners with Thomas on their rosters are quite grateful.
For the record, Thomas has nine touchdown catches through five games, tying Calvin Johnson in 2011 for the most touchdown catches through his team's first five games in NFL history. Thomas is now on pace to catch 29 touchdown passes this season.
The all-time NFL record is 23, set by Randy Moss in 2007. With an average of 1.8 touchdown catches a game, Thomas is catching touchdown passes at a rate surpassed only once before, by Jerry Rice, who caught 22 touchdown passes in 12 games in the strike-shortened 1987 season. ...
Other notes of interest. ... As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith put it, "Manning makes the extraordinary seem ordinary. I hardly heard anyone talking about Manning on Sunday, and yet all he did was complete 22 of 33 passes for 237 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions. ... That's just become what we expect of Manning at this point."
It's true. The spectacular is now the norm for Manning.
Worth noting: Those three touchdowns gave Manning 506 for his career. So this Sunday against San Francisco, or perhaps the following Thursday against San Diego, Manning will surpass Brett Favre's 508 regular-season TD throws.
"I don't know if any of them are big for me, necessarily, especially in the middle of the season," Manning said. "We're trying to win football games. It's tough. It's a tough schedule. That's all I'm thinking about, trying to find a way to win the game.
"If Ronnie (Hillman) wants to run for four touchdowns next week, I'm in favor of that."
Hillman started and Juwan Thompson worked as the No. 2. C.J. Anderson was a non-factor in the backfield. ...
And finally. ... Linebacker Danny Trevathan suffered a crack just above his left knee on the second play, and could miss multiple weeks with the injury. He suffered a tibial impaction fracture to his left knee on Aug. 12 and did not return until Week 5. The two injuries are not related. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler 
RB: Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson, C.J. Anderson, Montee Ball 
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker, Andre Caldwell, Cody Latimer, Isaiah Burse 
TE: Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme, Virgil Green 
PK: Brandon McManus 
=========================

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DETROIT LIONS
Calvin Johnson missed his first game of the season Sunday against Minnesota, and head coach Jim Caldwell did not rule out the possibility of sitting the star wide receiver the next two weeks, either.
When asked whether he would consider sitting Johnson until the team's bye week in Week 9, he didn't rule out the idea of not playing him against New Orleans and Atlanta.
"I do not hold a medical degree. It may appear I do from time to time to you, maybe, but I don't," Caldwell said. "The fact of the matter is I leave it up to the doctors. Those are the professionals. They know exactly what it takes.
"Them in conjunction with Calvin and how he feels, they treat not only symptoms of the situation but also the patient as well, in terms of how he feels. So they'll let us know what's the best path to take."
As ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein reminded readers, Johnson suffered a high right ankle sprain in the second half against Green Bay in Week 3 and was limited the following week against the New York Jets. In Week 5 against Buffalo, he had one catch for 7 yards, but aggravated the sprain on his one catch.
Last week, on Wednesday, Johnson said rest and treatment would be the way to heal the ankle. He has missed 9 of the last 11 full practices for Detroit as he tries to get healthy.
Without Johnson on Sunday, quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 19 of 33 passes for a season-low 185 yards. It is only the seventh time in Stafford's career that he has thrown for less than 200 yards in a game, the last coming in a blizzard against Philadelphia on Dec. 8, 2013.
Sunday was the first time Stafford won a game in his career when he threw for less than 200 yards as the Lions beat the Vikings 17-3.
Caldwell said he is taking a "wait and see" approach on Johnson and running backs Reggie Bush and Theo Riddick. Bush sat out the win over the Vikings with an ankle sprain, but said after the game he is "for sure" going to play against New Orleans on Sunday.
Riddick, who has been dealing with hamstring injuries throughout the season, aggravated the injury again Sunday against Minnesota and did not return.
"All three guys, I think, are coming along and improving rapidly," Caldwell said. "So we'll see."
It should be noted that Bush already has plans on returning to the lineup against his old team, New Orleans, on Sunday.
"Next week, for sure," Bush said as he left the locker room at TCF Bank Stadium.
Bush has 45 carries for 161 yards this season and a touchdown along with 20 catches for 142 yards.
Joique Bell and Riddick made up for Bush's absence. Bell had 74 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries along with two catches for 23 yards. Riddick had three carries for six yards and five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown for the Lions. ...
Needless to say I'll be following up on all the walking wounded in Detroit in coming days via Late-Breaking Update, but for now I'll note that Megatron told the team's official website he still has "lingering pain" in the ankle and that he'll return "when he feels he can do everything he has to to play at a high level."
Johnson added he's "not there yet."
Bush seems to be; he practiced Wednesday. Riddick was absent. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Moments after Sunday's win, wide receiver Ryan Broyles began venting on Twitter about his playing time, Kyle Meinke of MLive.com reported.
"It's tough to keep a smile on your face when you feel like u are being held back but remember you are where u are for a reason!" the receiver tweeted. "Your plan may not be his plan! The light will shine sooner than later on you! Keep pushing someone sees ur worth!"
Public criticisms over playing time, especially in the afterglow of a win, typically aren't received well. Broyles says he embraces the varying opinions over his sentiments.
"I'm glad my tweets motivate some while rubbing some the wrong way," he said. "We are all different for a reason and that's why I love people!"
Broyles has barely been used this season after making the team in a tight receiver competition during training camp. He was inactive to start the season, but has appeared in the past three games. In those games, he's played 12 snaps, run six routes, been targeted twice and caught one pass for 21 yards.
This even though the Lions were missing tight end Joseph Fauria with an injured ankle, one of their top two running backs the past two games, and were without Johnson. Through all the injuries, Broyles has remained on the bench.
The Lions have mostly relied on Corey Fuller and Jeremy Ross as their receivers behind Johnson and Golden Tate.
Broyles made the team after having a strong preseason to beat out Kris Durham, who was cut and then claimed on waivers by Tennessee. Broyles has had his past three seasons end because of injury -- two ACL injuries and an Achilles injury last season. ...
Rookie tight end Eric Ebron played a career-high 47 snaps, largely due to the absence of Johnson. It is also the first time he played more snaps than starting tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who played 46. Ebron was targeted four times -- fourth-most on the team -- and caught two passes for 23 yards. It is the third straight game he has been targeted four times. ...
The Lions have taken less than six games to do something no team in the NFL did last season: The Lions missed their ninth and 10th field goals of the season Sunday against Minnesota, leaving them at 4 of 14 this season (as of this posting). With 10 misses, that's more misses than any NFL team had during the 2013 season.
This comes after Detroit this week signed its most experienced kicker to date, Matt Prater, in hopes of stabilizing the position. Prater made 1 of 3 kicks through the first two-and-a-half quarters against the Vikings, including a 44-yarder that banged off the upright.
In a glimmer of hope for Detroit, Prater made a 52-yarder, but he also missed from 50 yards.
He is the Lions' third kicker this season. They started the season with Nate Freese, who made 3 of 7 field goals, then went to Alex Henery after Week 3, and he went 1 of 5 in two weeks, leading the way for Prater.
As a team, the Lions are now 2-for-12 on field goals longer than 30 yards this season. As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith suggested, there are high school teams that kick better than the Lions. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore 
RB: Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Theo Riddick, George Winn 
FB: Jed Collins, Montell Owens 
WR: Golden Tate, Jeremy Ross, Corey Fuller, Ryan Broyles, Calvin Johnson, 
TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron, Joseph Fauria 
PK: Matt Prater 
=========================

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GREEN BAY PACKERS
As the Sports Xchange noted, once the Dolphins had to punt late in the game Sunday, their veteran receiver Mike Wallace could have predicted right then how the game would end.
"They have possibly the best quarterback in the game," Wallace said a short time later. "So, any time you have the chance, you have to kill the game (by running out the clock). You can't give him a chance to score or things like that are going to happen."
That being a flair for the final-seconds dramatics initiated by Aaron Rodgers. In a celebrated career that had been short of late comeback wins until last winter, the quarterback struck again in lifting the Packers to a stunning 27-24 road win over the Dolphins.
"I need to work on my vocabulary, I mean, that guy's remarkable," said Mike McCarthy, the Green Bay head coach who is running out of superlatives for his superstar. "(He's) a remarkable football player."
Rodgers completed the Packers' seemingly improbable 10-point rally in the final four minutes by directing an 11-play, 60-yard drive in two minutes that ended with his four-yard touchdown toss to tight end Andrew Quarless with only three seconds left.
"That's how you want it," Rodgers said. "You want to opportunity to make a play there at the end. (Packers offensive coordinator) Tom Clements used to always talk about time and downs. If you have time and downs, you have an opportunity. We had time on the clock, and we had a good opportunity there to win the game. We just needed guys to make plays."
Much to the chagrin of Wallace and others on the home side, the Dolphins gave Rodgers the golden opportunity in a two-minute, down-by-four-points drill rehearsed often on the practice field. They failed to retain the football after Green Bay had cut its deficit to 24-20 on a Mason Crosbyfield goal.
The Packers defense had given up three straight touchdowns to a previously anemic Miami offense before forcing the critical punt just prior to the two-minute warning with Green Bay out of timeouts.
"We didn't do what we wanted to do on defense, but at the end we got a big stop," safety Micah Hyde said. "We got the offense the ball (back), and we know what they are capable of doing. We knew they were going to go out there and score, and that is exactly what they did."
Not before a fortuitous fumble recovery by right guard T.J. Lang after Rodgers was stripped of the football on a sack. That allowed Rodgers to hook up with Jordy Nelson, the league's top pass catcher this season, on an 18-yard pass on fourth-and-10 to the Miami 30-yard line with a minute left.
Five plays and another first down later, another fluky turn of events in Green Bay's favor set up the decisive TD throw on the next play. Rodgers yelled out to teammates and certainly heard by Miami defenders as though he was going to spike the football with the clock running under 20 seconds. Rodgers instead had center Corey Linsley snap him the football with everyone on the offensive side set and then threw a pass down the line to rookie receiver Davante Adams on the far right side.
"That was kind of some freestyling right there," Rodgers said afterward.
Adams had some room to run with the initially startled Dolphins cover guys playing off the line of scrimmage, and he gained 12 yards before running out of bounds at the 4 to stop the clock with six seconds to play.
"I was glad Davante was looking at him because I've known Aaron when he does the fake spike at practice and they don't look at him it's not a good thing," McCarthy said Monday. "It was two guys on the same page. Obviously, a huge play getting us down as close as he did because it definitely factors on the (ensuing) touchdown throw."
Rightfully, McCarthy called Sunday's scintillating finish one of Rodgers' "best performances." It extended the Packers' winning streak to three games and kept them tied with the Detroit Lions atop the NFC North at 4-2.
This heroic effort amid stifling temperatures of 85-plus degrees with high humidity in South Florida came 9 1/2 months after Rodgers secured a third straight division title for Green Bay with final-minute theatrics at chilly Chicago. His 48-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb on a fourth-and-8 play with 38 seconds left lifted the Packers to a 33-28 win over the rival Bears and a postseason berth.
"A-Rod, I think that last drive (Sunday), it's just what type of leader he is," Quarless said. "He's just decisive, and he makes plays. I'm thankful he came to me with it.
In a related note. ... Just last week, Rodgers spoke admiringly on his radio show about Eagles quarterback Nick Foles' 27-touchdown, two-interception season of a year ago and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's 36-touchdown, four-interception season of 2010.
For a guy who despises interceptions, Rodgers said he considered those to be "phenomenal" seasons.
Six games into the Packers' season, Rodgers is on pace for something perhaps even better.
With three touchdown passes and no interceptions in Miami, Rodgers ran his season totals to 15 touchdowns against just one interception.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that's the most touchdown passes among any player with either zero or one interception through the first six games of a season.
Rodgers is on pace to throw 40 touchdowns and 2.7 interceptions.
Sunday was Rodgers' 100th career game and his three touchdown passes put him at 203 for his career. Only Dan Marino, who threw 217 touchdown passes in his first 100 games, had more touchdown passes than Rodgers at that point in his career. Rodgers' 25,616 passing yards ranks fourth among players in their first 100 games. ...
Other notes of interest. ... As Pro Football Focus noted, he didn't have the raw yardage total of Nelson, but facing his largest snap count of the season (62-of-80) Adams looked perfectly at home in the Packers' offense. Making the most of the opportunities presented, Adams caught six of the seven passes sent his way, picking up five first downs and forcing two missed tackles.
A week after Adams caught his first touchdown pass, Rodgers went to the rookie receiver on the first two plays from scrimmage for completions of 5 and 18 yards to help ignite the Packers' only touchdown drive of the first half. Adams also had two catches for third-down conversions in the first half and finished with six catches for 77 yards.
Jarrett Boykin, who missed a third straight game Sunday because of a groin injury, returned to practice Wednesday. But it seems safe to assume that Adams has supplanted him as Green Bay's No. 3 receiver. ...
The Packers reached the century mark in rushing yards for the second straight game after being shut out their first four contests. Yet, the manner in which they did so Sunday with 121 yards was far from pretty. For a while, Rodgers threatened to be the team leader. He had seven rushing attempts for 34 yards, thanks mostly to darting scrambles out of the pocket from a swarm of pass rushers. Rodgers also had a nifty eight-yard run up a vacated middle of the field on a quarterback draw in shotgun with an empty backfield to convert third-and-8 in the game-opening series, which ended with a touchdown two plays later.
The halfback duo of Eddie Lacy and Starks were mostly ineffective through three-plus quarters as McCarthy made liberal use of rotating them amid the oppressive conditions. Lacy had 40 yards (long of 10) in 14 carries, averaging just 2.9 yards per touch.
For the second straight game, Lacy (14 carries, 40 yards) and Starks (eight carries, 31 yards plus two catches for 11 yards) played almost the same amount, but Starks played the final two series. Lacy played 39 snaps; Starks 38. ...
And finally. ... Nelson was targeted 16 times, matching his career high from Week 2 against the Jets, and caught nine passes for 107 yards (his third 100-plus yardage game of the season). 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Scott Tolzien 
RB: Eddie Lacy, James Starks, DuJuan Harris 
FB: John Kuhn 
WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis, Jarrett Boykin 
TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick 
PK: Mason Crosby 
=========================

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HOUSTON TEXANS
After the loss to Indianapolis, receiver Andre Johnson took the blame for the defeat for losing a fumble at the Colts' 41-yard line with 4:39 remaining.
A day later, receiver DeAndre Hopkins took the blame for failing to recover quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's fumble at the Texans' 22 with 1:48 remaining.
Hopkins was blasted by fans and media for what appeared to be a half-hearted effort as linebacker D'Qwell Jackson outran him to the ball.
"I'll take the blame," Hopkins said. "I think I made the biggest mistake by hesitating. If I didn't think it was an incomplete pass, I probably could have got it. I thought it was incomplete, and I hesitated. By the time I got to it, their guy got on it.
"The game doesn't come down to one play (but), I'll take the blame."
The Texans wasted another extraordinary performance by defensive end J.J. Watt and another exceptional performance by running back Arian Foster, neither of whom got cranking until after the first quarter.
Watt scored his third touchdown when he recovered a fumble. He fell on the ball, got up, took off and scored on a 45-yard return. He's the first defensive player to score three touchdowns in a season since Chicago defensive tackle William Perry scored three in 1985, the Bears' Super Bowl-winning season.
That statistic is misleading because, in truth, Perry never scored as a defensive player. As a rookie in 1985 he was used as a blocking back in short yardage and goal line situations and scored twice rushing and once receiving.
Watt's achievement is far more impressive because he scored two on defense returning an interception and a fumble and only one on offense as a receiver. And the season isn't half over.
Watt also had two sacks, three pass deflections, four hits on quarterback Andrew Luck and three tackles for loss.
"It's frustrating, but it's definitely not time to panic," Watt said.
Foster, who complained last week about teams being forced to play on Thursdays, carried 20 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns. It was his second game in five days with two touchdowns.
Foster has feasted on the Colts. In seven games against them, he averages 122.3 yards and 6.4 per carry. He's also rushed for eight touchdowns.
Since the start of the 2010 season, Foster has scored 54 touchdowns, more than any player in the league. He has 47 rushing touchdowns, almost more than any team in the league during that period.
With his fourth 100-yard game this season, Foster reached triple digits for the 28th time since the start of the 2010 season another league-best figure. ...
Johnson had seven catches for 99 yards and a touchdown. He's lost two fumbles in six games. It's the first time in his career he's lost more than one fumble.
This is his 12th season with the Texans and he's only caught 62 touchdown passes, ranking 64th all-time among receivers. By contrast, Johnson's 13,080 yards ranks 15th all time among receivers. On Thursday, he became the second fastest player to reach 13,000 yards, and only Jerry Rice, the player in whose honor Johnson wears No. 80, did it faster.
Thirty-six of Johnson's 62 touchdown catches have been at home, giving him an average of three per year. Thursday's was his first touchdown of the season.
Coming up next for the Texans, a Monday night matchup with the Steelers.
One other note of interest here. ... O'Brien said on Wednesday that linebacker Jadeveon Clowney (knee) has a 50-50 chance of returning to the lineup this week.
. Clowney has been sidelined since going down with a torn meniscus in the season opener. Watt is carrying the Texans' defense and Clowney would be some much-needed help off the edge. Whitney Mercilus has been filling in for Clowney. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Savage, Ryan Mallett 
RB: Arian Foster, Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes 
FB: Jay Prosch 
WR: Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Damaris Johnson, Keshawn Martin, DeVier Posey 
TE: Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin 
PK: Randy Bullock 
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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
As ESPN.com's Mike Wells noted this week, T.Y. Hilton showed what he could do as the No. 1 receiver after Reggie Wayne went down with a torn ACL last season.
But the cupboard at receiver and tight end was restocked during the offseason for the Colts. Wayne returned. Hakeem Nicks came on board. Dwayne Allen returned to join Coby Fleener at tight end.
So you were left wondering: What would Hilton's role be in the Colts' offense this season?
As Wells put it, "Wayne will remain quarterback Andrew Luck's go-to receiver until he decides to call it quits on what should be a Hall of Fame career. But Hilton is the Colts' playmaker."
That's why Hilton leads the Colts in receptions (40), yards (604), average yards per reception (15.1) and plays of at least 20 yards (8). He's fourth in the league in receiving yards and tied for fourth in plays of at least 20 yards.
"He's obviously a big, big playmaker and I think if you focus too much on Reg, you focus too much on the tight ends, Hakeem, T.Y.'s going to bite you," Luck said. "... T.Y.'s showing you he's a big playmaker that I think has also shown that he's a wide receiver. He's not just a guy that runs deep and catches balls. He's a true wide receiver and I know Reg has helped him along that path, everybody is helping each other along that path. He's a heck of a football player."
Hilton, in his eyes, got off to a slow start, as he had only one 100-yard game through the first five weeks of the season. He knew his breakout game would be against the Houston Texans last week. He had every reason to be confident when you take into account that he had seven catches for 121 yards and three touchdowns against the Texans last season in Houston.
Turns out those 121 yards were nothing because Hilton went out and had nine catches for 223 yards -- just two yards shy of the franchise regular-season record -- and a touchdown.
"They can't see him, that's why he's getting behind everybody," head coach Chuck Pagano joked. "I don't know. Maybe he looks invisible out there just because he's so small and he's moving so damn fast.
"They're probably looking around going, 'God dang, he got behind us again. It's like a ghost,'" he said with a laugh. "I don't know. I'm just glad we got him."
Hilton -- all 5-9 of him -- is a feisty player on the field. But he's a mild, soft-spoken person off the field.
"I think it was a good performance," he said. "I did some good things and I did some bad things. I've just got to work on my overall game."
Since Pagano is a defensive-minded coach, the question to him was how could opposing defenses slow Hilton down?
"It's tough," Pagano said. "Anytime you face somebody with that skill set, it's extremely tough. It makes it even tougher when you have a bunch of other guys around him that you've got to take care of it. You've got to make a decision on how you're going to handle it.
"If you want to play a light box and put two guys in the back end on him and hopefully stop the run with seven or you've got to pick and choose and try to do the best you can. Load the box and stop the run then you've got him one-on-one. You've got a bunch of other guys. You've got tight ends. You've got other wideouts. You've got runners. We've got a lot of options, so it makes it difficult as a coordinator to make a decision."
According to Pro Football Focus, last Thursday was some effort from Hilton who caught every ball thrown his way as the Texans secondary struggled to contend with his speed. 223 yards is always an impressive feat but it was the ease of which Hilton beat the coverage that really stood out.
The performance led to an increase of 2.63 yards per route run on the year, eighth most of any receiver. ...
Now 4-2 for the season, and 2-0 in the division, Indianapolis had some much-needed extra time off before this week's home game with Cincinnati, whose defense hasn't been nearly as formidable as expected in recent weeks. ...
Other notes of interest. ... The Colts were without their two starting guards against Houston, but they came out of the game injury-free. With nine days until this week's game, the Colts are hoping to have guards Hugh Thornton and Jack Mewhort back in the lineup.
In a semi-related note, Wells pointed out the quarterback-center relationship between Luck and undrafted free agent rookie Jonotthan Harrison continues to be a work in progress. Harrison snapped the ball right off Luck's chest. The ball fell to the ground, and Texans defensive end J.J. Wattscooped it up and went in for a 45-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
"It was really loud; it was deafening," Pagano said. "Play clock was running down, and I think Andrew was looking at that and when the ball was snapped, from a communication standpoint, you can't pin it on the quarterback, you can't pin it on the center."
Luck added, "Yeah, it was miscommunication on my part. Thankful we survived that and got the win, but yeah, my fault there."
Harrison and Luck had issues in the Oct. 5 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Trent Richardson ran for a team-high 41 yards in 17 carries in Houston. He ran for a TD as well. Ahmad Bradshaw added 34 yards in 11 carries, but he scored again on pass reception. ...
According to the Indianapolis Star, now that we're six games in, it's fair to say we have a good handle on how the ball distribution is going to work. Barring injuries among the receivers and tight ends, Star staffer Stephen Holder is beginning to think it's going to be very difficult to get Hakeem Nicks, in particular, significant touches.
Holder added it's not a matter of the Colts not wanting to. The question is where Nicks' targets would come from. Would you throw fewer balls to Hilton? Wayne? Don't you need to exploit the mismatches created by the tight ends? Nicks is currently the No. 3 receiver, but the truth is, he's farther down the list of actual passing targets because of the involvement of the tight ends and even the running backs (Bradshaw leads the team with five touchdown receptions).
The other question, according to Holder, is whether Nicks can bite his tongue and continue to live with this. He's frustrated. But he's been a pro so far. If this trend continues, hopefully he's smart enough to know that nothing good can come of making a big issue of it.
Meanwhile, expect Donte Moncrief to continue getting experience in limited doses while not overburdening him as a rookie with some very, very big games looming later in the season. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck 
RB: Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Dan Herron, Dion Lewis 
FB: Mario Harvey 
WR: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Griff Whalen 
TE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle 
PK: Adam Vinatieri 
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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
As the Sports Xchange notes, Blake Bortles has started just three games for the Jaguars, but he's already solidifying his position as the team's quarterback of the future.
Bortles had his best passing day yet against the Tennessee Titans as he completed 32 of 46 passes for 336 yards and a touchdown. He had one interception, but it came on a play when receiver Allen Hurns fell down.
In the fourth quarter, he drove them 83 yards in nine plays for the touchdown that cut the deficit to 16-14.
After the Jaguars recovered an onside kick, he completed passes of 13 and 8 yards to put them at the Tennessee 37 with 12 seconds left.
Since that is considered in Josh Scobee's range, they decided not to run another play and sent him out for a chance at the game winner, but it was blocked and the Jaguars lost 16-14. They are the fourth team to start 0-6 two years in a row. The other three were expansion Tampa Bay in 1976-77, Houston Oilers 1983-84 and Cincinnati 1993-94.
Still, Bortles gives them hope for a better future.
The problem is the Jaguars still have to give him a lot more help. Their running game is the worst in the league and their defense is ranked 30th. Their overall offense is still ranked last in the league but part of that is the poor numbers put up by Chad Henne, who quarterbacked the first 10 quarters.
But the Jaguars need a better running game, better receivers and better blocking by the offensive line. Bortles was sacked six times and only one of them came when he held the ball too long.
Meanwhile, three running backs combined for 43 yards on 18 carries.
"Out of those 18 attempts, four or five of them were prefect and really good execution," head coach Gus Bradley said. "We're not hitting it enough at a higher percentage. We need to for it to be efficient. The good news is there is a lot of room that we can get right."
Toby Gerhart, who was signed as a free agent to spearhead the running game, has been ineffective and bothered by an ankle injury that sidelined him Sunday.
And the Jaguars don't have much behind Gerhart. Bortles was actually the leading rusher against Tennessee with 38 yards on five scrambles. Rookie Storm Johnson got the start and gained just 21 yards on 10 carries. Denard Robinson had 22 yards on five carries.
According to the Florida Times-Union, Bradley said the plan all along was to give Storm Johnson just 10 carries.
"Our whole intent was to get Storm 10 carries and he got 10 carries," said Bradley. It makes you wonder just how much confidence the team has in Johnson -- and the rushing attack in general.
Meanwhile, the receivers made too many mistakes that caused both turnovers. Hurns' slip caused the interception and Cecil Shorts fumbled after catching a pass.
Even the coaching needs to be better. And that comes from Bradley.
"I could have led them better Sunday. I don't think I did a really good job with the team after the game. I think I could have done better with game management, with the challenge flags. We all challenge ourselves in areas we can get better, and I challenged the team and I pointed out the things that I can get better at, too," he said.
Bradley lost both of his challenges but said he shouldn't have challenged a call that Charlie Whitehurst had fumbled when the replays showed he got the throw off.
When even the coach is questioning himself, it shows the team has big problems.
And they play Cleveland and Miami at home, go to Cincinnati and then to London to play Dallas before their bye.
At this point, it looks as if they could be 0-10 at the bye unless they pull off an upset.
Last year, they were 0-8 at the bye and then went to Tennessee and posted a 29-27 victory. They couldn't duplicate that feat Sunday. ...
On the positive side, the Jaguars held an opponent to less than 300 yards of offense for the first time this season and held their opponent under 20 points for a second straight game. Jacksonville's first four opponents all gained over 400 yards and scored at least 33 points. Last week, Pittsburgh had 372 yards and 17 points. The Titans finished with 290 yards and the 16 points.
Jacksonville had a season-high 27 first downs. Bortles completed 70 percent of his passes for a career-high 336 yards and a touchdown. And the Jaguars converted 53 percent ( 8 of 15) on third down while holding the Titans to just 27 percent.
"Obviously there are a lot of positives as we go through it on offense, defense and special teams," Bradley said. "But the bottom line is we didn't come away with what we had hoped for. We addressed it, we talked about it as a team and I challenged them. I know we have courage. We're going to have to put that courage to work starting today and address these things and continue to get better."
The Jaguars host Cleveland on Sunday. ...
On the injury front. ... Gerhart did not practice Wednesday. However, he told reporters he could still play this Sunday; those interested can watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more in coming days. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Allen Robinson was the second receiver the Jaguars selected on the second round in the draft. They took Marqise Lee first.
But Robinson is on pace to have a much better rookie season. He had eight catches for 68 yards against the Titans and leads the team with 30 receptions and 311 receiving yards and he's yet to drop a pass. He has caught at least five passes in the last four games and is on pace to break the rookie record of 64 set by Justin Blackmon in 2012. ...
According to ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco, Shorts gets credit for catching a career-high 10 passes for 103 yards, but his fumble inside the red zone late in the fourth quarter was a killer. ...
Ace Sanders is struggling to have an impact after coming back from his suspension. He has two punt returns for 10 yards against the Titans and is averaging just 4.8 yards a return on five returns. He replaced Mike Brown as the punt returner.
Brown was inactive Sunday but he averaged 7.8 yards on five punt returns in the first four games. They need Sanders to be more productive. He has just two catches for 12 yards in the first two games. ...
Tight end Clay Harbor caught three passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, which came on a 20-yard pass from Bortles in which he took a big hit but stayed on his feet and ran into the end zone. The 59-yard reception in the first quarter, which set up the Jaguars' other touchdown, was a career long. Had he not stumbled coming out of his break on another pass the Jaguars would have avoided an interception on the next play. He needs some work on his pass protection but that's not his forte.
And once Marcedes Lewis returns, he'll be able to resume his role as the move tight end. According to Associated Press sports writer Mark Long, Lewis will run Wednesday for the first time since hurting his ankle Week 2. Lewis is on short-term injured reserve and isn't eligible to return until Week 12. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne 
RB: Storm Johnson, Denard Robinson, Jordan Todman, Toby Gerhart 
FB: Will Ta'ufo'ou 
WR: Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Cecil Shorts, Marqise Lee, Ace Sanders, Mike Brown, Tavarres Kings 
TE: Clay Harbor, Mickey Shuler, Marcedes Lewis 
PK: Josh Scobee 
=========================

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
According to the Sports Xchange, the Chiefs returned to practice on Monday after enjoying all of last week in a bye-week vacation from head coach Andy Reid.
"What I do is the players get a week off and coaches get a few days off and they were able to go back and do some self-scout work without any distractions where they have to worry about meetings," said Reid. "With the players, I thought it could kind of rejuvenate guys and get them back healthy."
Coming off a loss on October 6 to San Francisco and facing a game this Sunday against the Chargers in San Diego, might it have been more useful to have the players together and on the practice field for at least one or two sessions?
"Listen, I've done it this way for a long time and it's been fairly successful," said Reid, in his 16th season as an NFL head coach. "I think it's good to step away whether you're doing well or not doing well. Coming off a win or a loss I think sometimes it's good to get away and get recharged."
Reid's teams are 13-2 in the game after the bye week. The Eagles won 13 in a row, before losing in 2012. Last year, the Chiefs came out of the bye week at 9-0 but then lost to the Broncos in a Monday night game in Denver.
No question get-well time was important for a team that has been fighting the injury bug over the season's first month. Already, the Chiefs have lost 27 starts to injury and suspensions, with three starters and three major contributors already on the injured-reserve list and done for the season. That's a minimum of 44 more starts that will be missed by the end of the season.
As for the self-scout done by Chiefs coaches, with all the technology available and all the bodies on Reid's staff with the Chiefs (one of the NFL's largest), is there really anything the head coach can learn that he didn't already know?
"What you're able to do is put it all together and go back and look at it on tape instead of just evaluating on paper," Reid said. "You go back and look at every inch of it on tape and you come out with some things. I mean you come out and you say 'Hey, we can do better right here, maybe we need to run this a little bit more,' whether it's offensively or defensively.
"That's that type of evaluation that you go through."
The Chiefs time for rest is over, starting this Sunday against the Chargers. ...
Worth noting. ... ESPN.com reports the team's schedule flattens considerably after Sunday's game in San Diego.
So far they've played five games against opponents with a cumulative record of 16-12, for a winning percentage of .571. That's seventh highest in the NFL. Their opponents for the final 11 games have a current winning percentage of 470. That's 24th highest in the NFL, 11th highest in the AFC and, maybe most importantly, fourth highest in the AFC West.
After Sunday's game against the 5-1 Chargers, the winning percentage for the 10 remaining Chiefs opponents dips to .444, which would be 29th highest in the league.
Other notes of interest. ... According to ESPN.com's Adam Teicher, one of the interesting statistical notes for the Chiefs this season is that a different receiver has been the recipient of the most targets in each of their five games.
Donnie Avery was the intended target of quarterback Alex Smith 13 times in the season opener against Tennessee. Smith tried getting the ball to Knile Davis nine times against Denver, seven times to Joe McKnight against Miami, nine times to Travis Kelce against New England and seven times to Anthony Fasano against San Francisco. A wide receiver, two running backs and two tight ends.
"I think it's a great thing," coordinator Doug Pederson said. "At the end of the game when you look at the (statistic sheet) and you see eight or nine guys with targets and catches in a football game and if those top two or three or four guys are rotating each week, it means Alex is spreading the ball around and we're putting our guys in position to be successful."
Because of injuries and other factors, the Chiefs have needed to operate this way. Their best wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe, missed one game because of a suspension. The other starting wide receiver, Avery, didn't play in last week's game after having surgery for a sports hernia.
Their featured back, Jamaal Charles, missed all of one game and most of another because of an injury. One of his replacements, McKnight, was one of the Chiefs' best pass receivers but is now out for the season after rupturing an Achilles tendon. Another, De'Anthony Thomas, played in just his first game last week after missing the previous four with a strained hamstring.
By necessity, Smith had to move the ball around. But as Teicher explained, if the Chiefs are going to grow their passing game, they'll have to begin targeting their best receivers more often. That means Kelce, who leads the Chiefs with 20 catches, 274 receiving yards and three touchdown receptions, but also Bowe and Charles and, to a lesser extent, Thomas.
Smith threw two touchdown passes to Charles from inside the 10 against New England. Otherwise, the Chiefs have yet to involve any of the three as a receiver in any meaningful way. Injuries and Bowe's suspension are a factor here, but those issues have cleared up now and there are no more excuses for the Chiefs not to get the ball more to any of them.
Teicher summed up: "Consider it a victory for the Chiefs' passing game if, at the end of the season, Kelce, Bowe and Charles are their leading receivers and Thomas has made a significant number of big plays. ..."
On the injury front, Associated Press sports writer Dave Skretta reports the Chiefs hope to have Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry back for Sunday's game after a bye week allowed him to rest his sprained right ankle.
Reid said that Berry would participate in Monday's workout. He's been out since Sept. 14, when he hurt his ankle in a loss at Denver.
Ron Parker has filled in admirably for Berry in his absence.
Defensive back Chris Owens was expected to miss the practice with a knee injury, and Avery remains sidelined after surgery for a sports hernia. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray 
RB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas, Cyrus Gray 
RB: Anthony Sherman 
WR: Dwayne Bowe, A.J. Jenkins, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond, Albert Wilson, Donnie Avery 
TE: Travis Kelce, Anthony Fasano, Demetrius Harris 
PK: Cairo Santos 
=========================

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MIAMI DOLPHINS
Knowshon Moreno is sidelined again, this time for the rest of the season, which has left the Miami Dolphins digging deep into their depth chart at running back.
Moreno went on injured reserve with a knee injury Tuesday, two days after he hurt his anterior cruciate ligament in the Dolphins' loss to Green Bay. It was his third injury since signing a $3.275 million, one-year contract in March after five seasons with the Denver Broncos.
According to Associated Press sports writer Steven Wine, starting running back Lamar Miller jogged on the side at the beginning of Tuesday's practice with an unspecified injury, which left undrafted rookie Damien Williams working with the first team. Veteran Daniel Thomas is listed third on the depth chart.
"We've got some good running backs here, and we can get the job done," Miller said.
Moreno led the NFL with 134 yards rushing in Week 1. He missed two subsequent games with an elbow injury, and sat out the start of training camp after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in June.
He can become a free agent again in March.
The Dolphins filled Moreno's roster spot by reinstating reserve defensive lineman Derrick Shelby from his suspension, which came after he was arrested on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and trespassing at a nightclub.
The running game has been strength for the Dolphins (2-3), who play Sunday at Chicago. They rank third in the NFL in yards per play and sixth in yards per game.
Miller, a third-year pro, ranks third among all running backs at 5.2 yards per carry, even though his longest game has been only 24 yards. He has started all five games and leads the Dolphins with 330 yards rushing. He also has 15 catches for 93 yards and has scored four times, double his total for all of 2013.
The injury that sidelined him Tuesday isn't believed to be serious.
"He can do some things both running the ball and receiving," head coach Joe Philbin said. "We look forward to him contributing a lot moving forward."
Miller (63 carries, 330 yards, three touchdowns) had a career-best 108 yards against Kansas City and has helped the Dolphins rank sixth in the NFL in rushing yards per game at 136.2.
But as the South Florida Sun-Sentinel suggests, the element his game is missing, however, is breaking tackles and eluding tacklers, something that has improved this season but still hasn't been a constant.
Williams, who was undrafted out of Oklahoma, has played mostly on special teams this year. He has rushed for 39 yards in 12 carries and is confident he can take up the slack for Moreno.
"I feel I can continue doing whatever he has been doing, whatever the coaches want me to do," Williams said.
Moreno carried six times for only 10 yards against Green Bay -- his first game in a month. His injury wasn't disclosed until Tuesday, and teammates were surprised to learn the news.
"It was kind of weird coming in today and finding this out, like, 'Oh man, when did this happen?"' Williams said.
Philbin said neither he nor the team trainer were told about any injury Sunday. ...
Meanwhile, Wine reports that criticism of Philbin filled the South Florida airwaves Monday, with fans complaining he passed when he should have run, ran when he should have passed, called timeouts that helped the opposition, and used the wrong defense on the touchdown that beat the Dolphins with three seconds left.
Philbin accepted a share of responsibility for the defeat.
"I have to do a better job, first and foremost," he said. "I'm the head coach. There are things we could have done better in all three phases, coaching as well."
The defeat did nothing to help the shaky job security of the third-year coach, who is 2-3 this season and 17-20 overall. The Dolphins will try to bounce back Sunday at Chicago (3-3).
Other notes of interest. ... According to Pro Football Focus, it would be foolish to discredit Ryan Tannehill's rushing ability, but throwing the ball is the quarterback's number one priority, and against Green Bay, Tannehill did not impress. Both of his interceptions came from ill-advised passes to covered receivers, and the third-year signal caller was spared two more thanks to the stone hands of Davon House and poor spatial awareness of Brad Jones.
He made his share of impressive throws (including a beautiful lob under pressure for his first touchdown to Jarvis Landry), but in the end they were drowned out by a litany of risky passes.
Tannehill (20-for-31, 231 yards, two TDs, two INTs) had a good second half, going 12-for-15, 147 yards, two TDs, no INTs.
As the Sports Xchange notes, Landry had an outstanding day. The rookie had six receptions for 75 yards and his first NFL TD. And he had two kickoff returns for 91 yards, including a 54-yard return. He also recorded a tackle on special teams. The second-round pick was all over the field.
Brandon Gibson (hamstring) was inactive Sunday. It's tough to say his absence made a big difference because Landry did well. But Gibson surely would have helped.
Brian Hartline didn't have a reception, ending a stretch of 30 consecutive games with a reception.
Mike Wallace had his 41st TD reception, the most of an AFC WR since he entered the league in 2009. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore 
RB: Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Damien Williams 
WR: Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews 
TE: Charles Clay, Dion Sims, Gator Hoskins 
PK: Caleb Sturgis 
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MINNESOTA VIKINGS
As Associated Press sports writer Dave Campbell kindly put it, Teddy Bridgewater's second NFL start was a sharp drop-off from his first, as the Vikings were overwhelmed by Detroit's league-leading defense in a 17-3 defeat by the Lions.
"You're not just going to go out there and be perfect. There's some throws that you're not going to be able to control and there will be things that happen throughout the course of a game that you won't be able to control," Bridgewater said.
"But at the same time, for me, it was an eye-opener. After my performance against Atlanta, I believe the expectation level is high. But I have a high expectation level for myself also."
Bridgewater passed for 317 yards in three quarters on Sept. 28 when the Vikings beat the Falcons 41-28. His sprained left ankle forced him out of the end of that game and kept him out last week at Green Bay while the Vikings were blown out 42-10.
The natural assumption was that, with Bridgewater back, the offense would again be productive despite the difficult opponent. But it never got going.
"We're all pointing fingers at ourselves. We've just got to do better, man, as a unit. The fans don't like seeing that. That's just poor effort from us. Hopefully next week we just get better," wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson said.
Bridgewater completed better than 62 percent of his passes, but he threw three interceptions, albeit two that came from tipped balls.
"I believe, with all my heart, that Teddy Bridgewater is going to be the franchise quarterback here for a long, long time. I believe that the team believes that, too," head coach Mike Zimmer said.
"Guys in the organization, the players, everybody believes this guy will be the future and a bright future for this organization. We have to make sure we continue to help him to be successful: playing, coaching, whatever it is."
The Vikings (2-4) play at Buffalo this week. Much of the time until then will be figuring out how to give Bridgewater more time to throw. Sacked eight times by the Lions, he simply had nowhere to go.
Zimmer said he's "not opposed" to changes on the offensive line, a group he said he anticipated would be a team strength entering the season.
Left tackle Matt Kalil has allowed the most of the 22 sacks surrendered by the Vikings, second-most in the NFL, but on Sunday the pressure came from everywhere.
"The guys overall are not bad football players. They're just not playing real good right now," Zimmer said.
None of the front five were in the locker room on Monday while it was open to reporters, but wide receivers Greg Jennings and Jarius Wright and fullback Jerome Felton were among the players who refused to blame the problems on the line. Bridgewater said after the game he could run through his reads and get rid of the ball faster.
"I don't expect for the offensive line to point the finger at us. I'm not going to point the finger at them. Because protection is across the board. Run blocking is across the board. Making things happen, making plays, is across the board," Jennings said.
Zimmer was angry after the game about trends of a lack of discipline and threatened to fine players "to the max" if more guys arrived late to meetings or appointments, as had happened a few times last week. He softened on Monday: "That was probably Zimmer being Zimmer. I was not in the best frame of mind."
Still, the message was clear. Felton, who acknowledged he was "a little nervous" entering the team meeting on Monday, said Zimmer promised to cut playing time for continued mistakes on the field.
"I want them to understand that it's not OK to lose, that we have to change the mentality and the mindset of this," Zimmer said. ...
Meanwhile, Jerick McKinnon started Sunday and got 46 snaps while Asiata got 16.
Zimmer indicated Monday that the team will stick with McKinnon as the starter. McKinnon had 11 carries for 40 yards (3.6) while catching a team-high six passes for a team-high 42 yards against the Lions.
"I think Jerick did a good job this week, so we'll just see how that goes," Zimmer said. "Some of the things you saw him do Sunday, he made some explosive plays."
Asiata, meanwhile, got just two carries for minus-5 yards as a change of pace to McKinnon.
"It's not up to me. It's up to the coaches," Asiata said. "I'm a team player and I do whatever the coaches tell me to do. Seeing Jerick step up is a big thing. A rookie catching the ball out of the backfield and doing all that he can do is a positive for this team. ..."
Zimmer did say on Wednesday that he'd like to get Asiata more touches this week, but who knows if that will be an amount sufficient to please fantasy owners.
According to Pro Football Focus, McKinnon played nearly 70 percent of the Vikings' offensive snaps -- a season-high. He was average on the ground but seems to have a higher ceiling than Asiata. Where McKinnon has separated himself from Asiata is as a receiver.
On six receptions, McKinnon picked up four first downs and forced four missed tackles. His pass protection clearly needs shoring up though after allowing five pressures.
McKinnon's new role as starter and his upside will continue to make him a better play than Asiata. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Through six games, Patterson has just 17 catches for 204 yards and zero touchdowns. He had three rushes for 102 yards and a touchdown in the season opener, but has carried the ball just two times -- total -- in the five games that followed.
As NFL.com suggested, on the surface, Patterson's disappearing act seems like a deep and unforgivable failure of offensive coordinator Norv Turner. But Zimmer offered another explanation when asked Monday why his team has had such a difficult time getting Patterson involved.
"He needs to get open," Zimmer told The SiriusXM Blitz with Bruce Murray and Rich Gannon. "Pretty simple."
As a follow, Zimmer was asked if Patterson's inability to get open can be attributed to coverage, route running or other challenges understanding the game. Patterson also is battling a hip injury, though Zimmer wasn't asked about that. "It's all of those. It's all of those," Zimmer said. "Sometimes it's coverage based. Sometimes it's his acceleration after the top of the route. Sometimes it's the beginning of the route. It's just a combination of all of them. ..."
"I don't feel like I'm 100 percent. I should be next week," Patterson said. "Just keep getting treatment, just keep grinding in treatment and do what it takes."
Patterson added he didn't think he needed to take any time off with the injury. "[Last] Thursday [against the Packers], I sat out the whole second half, but I don't feel I need to let that happen again."
As ESPN.com's Ben Goessling notes, the Vikings started to find ways to get Patterson involved as a runner again, motioning him into the backfield on a toss play in the first quarter and lining him up in a two-back shotgun set in the second quarter, with Bridgewater between Patterson and Matt Asiata.
But the Lions' 'man-2' scheme, which put cornerbacks in man coverage with safety help over the top, gave the Vikings trouble all day. Patterson didn't seem to have his typical explosiveness, and Jarius Wright said the Lions' coverage made it difficult for the Vikings to get separation.
While a more concerted effort to get Patterson the ball still seems like a good idea, it's quickly becoming a case of too little, too late for fantasy owners who had very high expectations. ...
Wright had the longest run of the game for either team Sunday. He took a reverse around end for a career-long 21-yard run. Wright played 44 of 68 snaps, third among receivers, but had four catches, tops among receivers. They went for only 17 yards, however. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Ponder 
RB: Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Joe Banyard, Adrian Peterson 
RB: Jerome Felton 
WR: Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Jarius Wright, Adam Thielen 
TE: Rhett Ellison, MarQueis Gray, Chase Ford, Kyle Rudolph 
PK: Blair Walsh 
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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
As ESPN.com's Lee Schechter framed it this week: "Look out, NFL. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says tight end Rob Gronkowski is back and in full force. ..."
"Oh yeah, [Gronkowski] is back," Brady confidently told reporters in Buffalo after a 37-22 win over the Bills. "Absolutely."
After playing a limited number of snaps in the first four weeks of the season as he was recovering from a torn ACL, Gronkowski has emerged as the Gronk of years past.
Against Cincinnati in Week 5, Gronkowski had six catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. On Sunday, Gronkowski recorded seven catches for 94 yards including a go-route down the right sideline where Brady delivered a perfect lob pass to him over the top. Gronkowski would have added a touchdown if not for a holding call on reserve offensive lineman Jordan Devey.
"He's a great player and he's playing great. So it's great for a quarterback," Brady said. "I have a lot of confidence in him, I love playing with that guy. Great to be out there with him."
Gronkowski was charted on the field for 57 of 74 snaps (including penalties) as he's now a full-fledged go in the team's offense. He might not ever return to playing every snap, as he used to, but his usage is now trending up. Gronkowski's snap counts through the first five games: 38, 28, 42, 31 and 64.
Against the Bills, Gronkowski endured some big hits and displayed a level of strength we had not seen from him this season. He may have been banged up a bit after the game and took a big blow that had him slow to get up, but that's the type of player Gronkowski is. His intensity showed.
"They were giving me some lickings," Gronkowski said. "All you can do is get right back up and get right back in the huddle and go on to the next play. It's part of the game and sometimes I like getting lit up."
Gronkowski saying he likes getting lit up sometimes is a big indicator of him being back.
Gronkowski was asked if the hits he took empowered him.
"Yes, definitely," Gronkowski said. "It's the game of football. I'm not stepping out on that field thinking that I'm just going to be able to get out there and not get hit. No way."
With Gronkowski taking hits and returning to form, Brady couldn't be happier to have him back.
"He's a great option out there," Brady said. "So if they don't cover him, he usually gets it. If they put extra guys on him then it frees everybody else up. He's tough to stop. You put a safety on him, he's got size. You put a linebacker on him, he's got speed. He's been that way since he got into the NFL.
"He has had a lot of touchdowns and he's playing with confidence. And the kind of enthusiasm and energy he brings is awesome. Just adds to what Julian [Edelman] does and Shane [Vereen] does and Brandon LaFell and Danny [Amendola] and the rest of the crew. It gives everybody a lot of confidence."
Including Brady, apparently.
As Pro Football Focus notes, Brady's season-best overall grade against the Bills was even more impressive given the Patriots' complete inability to run the ball. He finished 7-of-11 for 201 yards on passes thrown 10-plus yards, and had a QB Rating of 151.3 when not pressured.
Better still, after starting the season 2-of-19 on deep passes (20-plus yards in the air), Brady went 3-of-4 for 132 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. His perfectly thrown strike to Brian Tyms at 12:30 of the 2nd quarter beat triple coverage for a 43 yard touchdown. ...
But the news wasn't all good.
Running back Stevan Ridley has been the Patriots' lead back for the past three-plus seasons. He had 1,200 yards in 2012. He shared the load with LeGarrette Blount last season. But with Ridley going down with a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee last Sunday against the Bills, New England doesn't really have a proven, veteran option to turn to in the backfield this fall.
The running back depth chart includes passing back Vereen, versatile veteran Brandon Bolden and rookie fourth-round pick James White, who has been inactive for five of the first six game. Big back Jonas Gray is on the team's practice squad.
While it's clear that both Ridley and linebacker Jerod Mayo are out for the season after suffering major knee injuries in Buffalo last Sunday afternoon, the team has yet to put either player on injured reserve. Both are officially listed as Out for Thursday night's game with the Jets. The team certainly could promote players from the practice squad, such as Gray or linebacker Darius Fleming.
Also, OL Dan Connolly has not practiced this week due to the concussion suffered against the Bills. The offensive line captain has a history of concussions.
Belichick said the team would decide on potential roster changes by the game against New York, but the late nature of the moves would seem to indicate it more likely to be in-house promotions rather than outsiders. ...
For the record, on Monday, the Patriots said that Brady would have been limited at practice because of an ankle injury if the team had held a practice.
They actually practiced on Tuesday and the result was the same as during Monday's virtual workout. A report earlier this week termed the ankle injury, which left Brady questionable for last week's game against the Bills, "significant" although there's been no indication either direction from Brady or the team about how much the injury might be bothering him.
Other notes of interest. ... As usual, Edelman was the focal point of the Patriots' receivers, but Sunday was a little different as two other receivers made their mark. The brilliant 43-yard touchdown catch by the newly-activated Tyms in triple coverage was the highlight from the receivers.
"Brian found a way to kind of slither his way through there and get behind him, and I threw it up and gave him a chance to make the play," Brady recalled. "Like he has continued to do, he goes up and makes them. That was a big play for our team."
Tyms was matched up against cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
"Gilmore is really good. I knew regardless if I ran past him, he had make-up speed so I have to attack the ball," he said. "That's just my M.O. I always try to attack the ball. I don't like to let the ball come to me. There are a lot of good players in this league that can make a play. I wanted the ball more."
According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, Tyms made his mark in the preseason, showing a knack for coming down with the deep ball while playing mostly with backup Jimmy Garoppolo.
"I've seen him do that several times this year in the preseason and it was good to see it today," Belichick said. "Nice job by Tom creating the coverage -- low safety there -- and put it up there and give Tyms the chance for the ball and he made the play."
In addition, LaFell added in two big touchdown catches, including one late in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Tim Wright didn't have another breakout performance, but he was wide open on his 1-yard touchdown catch. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo 
RB: Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, Brandon Bolden, James Develin, James White 
WR: Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, Bryan Tims, Aaron Dobson, Matthew Slater 
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Michael Hoomanawanui 
PK: Stephen Gostkowski 
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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
It's highly questionable that Jimmy Graham will be able to play Sunday when the New Orleans Saints return from their bye week to play the Detroit Lions, a source told ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Had the Saints played this Sunday, the tight end, who suffered a sprained shoulder against the Buccaneers, would not have played, the source said.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has taken that a step further, reporting that Graham could miss another two games.
According to ESPN.com's Mike Triplett, New Orleans, realizing they must prepare in the event Graham misses any time, signed former Packers tight end Tom Crabtree last week. Crabtree edged out veteran Kellen Davis during Tuesday's workout.
Graham is the Saints' leading receiver this year with 34 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns. No one else on the roster presents the same type of unique matchup problems, meaning Graham will leave a significant void in New Orleans' offense.
But the Saints do have enough depth and versatility to adjust.
Despite their 2-3 start, the Saints lead the NFL in yards per game this season (442.8). Some of that is because they've been playing catch-up, but some is because their run game has been off to a great start. They rallied to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 37-31 in overtime last week after Graham left in the first half, leaning heavily on their running backs and rookie receiver Brandin Cooks, who's become a big part of the offense as both a runner and short-yardage receiver.
However, the Saints will need to get the rest of their receiving corps more involved in the offense than it has been so far this year -- especially veteran Marques Colston, who can play a similar role to Graham in the middle of the field, on third downs and in the red zone.
Veteran tight end Benjamin Watson and second-year pro Josh Hill are also capable of playing bigger roles in the offense, though neither will directly replace everything that Graham does as a receiver.
Watson has nine receptions for 64 yards. Hill, a second-year pro who made the roster as an undrafted free agent in 2013, has seven catches for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
Need a positive?
Mark Ingram plans to be back for Sunday's game. The running back broke his hand in Week 2, but there was always optimism he would be back after the bye, and head coach Sean Payton also sounded optimistic this week.
"My plan is to be back for the Detroit game," Ingram said last Friday. "Obviously, I'm going to go through practice and make sure everything feels good and everything's feeling good. But my plan is to be out there vs. Detroit next week."
Ingram was off to the best start of his four-year career, running for a total of 143 yards with three touchdowns and 6.0 yards per carry in his first two games. Even after he broke his hand in the first half at Cleveland he stayed in the game and finished with 104 total yards from scrimmage.
Ingram insisted he is prepared to return to a timeshare in New Orleans with fellow running backs Khiry Robinson, Pierre Thomas and Travaris Cadet, all of whom have continued to thrive during his absence.
As Ingram said of the timeshare, "That's the system. We use a running back-by-committee approach. That's how it's been since I got here, and I don't really see it changing. We have three, four great backs, and we're all just going to be ready when our name is called."
The good news is all of them have been thriving dating to last season, when the Saints' running game really started to click during the first year of a new emphasis on outside zone-blocking under new line coach Bret Ingalls. And this season, after trading Darren Sproles, backs like Ingram and Robinson have thrived while being used in multiple roles, running out of three- and four-receiver sets and even catching some passes out of the backfield -- much like Thomas has always done.
"I think just everybody being on the same page learning this new scheme, exactly what the coaches want, us knowing what the linemen are doing, them knowing what we're doing -- and just coaches having the faith to call runs consistently even when they're not successful -- I think all of that is helping our run game," Ingram said.
"I think we'll just keep getting better. ..."
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, with Graham expected to miss Sunday's game, the Saints could go with more four-receiver looks and line up Cadet outside. He has 10 catches for 83 yards and a touchdown this season.
Also of interest. ... As the Sports Xchange notes, there were a few more hiccups than usual in the team's 2-3 start, but Drew Brees is enjoying another nice season to accompany a vastly improved running game.
Brees, who has been sacked just four times, has connected on 68.8 percent of his attempts for 1,574 yards with nine touchdowns and a 91.8 passer rating. The problem is six interceptions. Another issue is the Saints' defense has come up with just two takeaways in five games, which means Brees hasn't had as many chances to make something happen.
Cooks has been a valuable asset with 32 catches for 255 yards and one touchdown. As usual, the Saints are using an array of pass-catching weapons, and Thomas has been solid out of the backfield with 187 yards and a touchdown on 22 receptions. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown 
RB: Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson, Travaris Cadet 
FB: Austin Johnson, Erik Lorig 
WR: Marques Colston, Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks, Joe Morgan, Robert Meachem, Nick Toon 
TE: Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Tom Crabtree, Jimmy Graham 
PK: Shayne Graham 
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NEW YORK GIANTS
Overcome with emotion, his hands in front of his eyes as the tears flowed, Victor Cruz couldn't hide his pain. If anything showed the extent of the knee injury that Cruz sustained against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was those tears.
NFL players get hurt every week. They lay on the field, clutch or grab the injured part of their body and groan when helped off the field. The patellar tendon the New York Giants wide receiver tore in his right knee in the third quarter of Sunday night's 27-0 loss left him crying as he was carted off the field next to trainer Byron Hansen.
The best his teammates and Eagles players could do was tap him on the shoulder in support as he left the field. It's the second straight year the 27-year-old Cruz had his season ended early by a knee injury. He had surgery on his left knee in December after being hurt against Seattle.
This one seemed far more serious for the fan favorite who entertains Giants faithful with salsa dances after catching touchdowns.
"Certainly there was a lot of pain and he is going to have to go through a lot to get back to where he was," head coach Tom Coughlin said of the former free agent who emerged as the Giants' big playmaker. "He has been challenged his whole life and I don't see him backing down from any challenge whatsoever. He is an outstanding contributor to our team in a lot of ways, one of which was on the field and the other was what he meant in the locker room. We will miss all those things."
The team placed Cruz on injured reserve Tuesday. Cornerback Trumaine McBride also landed on injured reserve, and the Giants filled the roster spots by signing wide receiver Kevin Ogletree and cornerback Chandler Fenner.
Cruz and McBride both underwent season-ending surgery Monday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.
Cruz was injured on a non-contact play. The fifth-year veteran, a captain this season, tried to make a leaping catch of a fourth-down pass in the end zone with the Giants trailing 20-0. He jumped and almost immediately grabbed his knee and fell to the turf, where he lay for about five minutes.
Rookie receiver Odell Beckham is listed with the first team for the first time all season, per the team's website. Beckham actually started Week 6 when the Giants opened with three wideouts at Philadelphia. But now Beckham will start in two-receiver sets, opposite Rueben Randle, with Cruz out.
According to Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan, Eli Manning had sent Cruz a text message after the game, but he had not back from the teammate, who was a Pro Bowl pick in 2012. He said Beckham, Rueben Randle and Preston Parker have to step up and fill the void.
"You just hate it happened to Victor because he loves playing this game," Manning said. "He loves the practices. He loves competing, making plays, he is such a team player and leader in the locker room. He has a great attitude toward the game of football, and so to see him get injured and be out for the season, I feel for him."
The real question here is not about Cruz missing the season; it's whether he can make it back next season. It's not a lock. ...
Other notes of interest. ... New York wasn't able to get much doing on the ground against Philadelphia, this due to a combination of the poor run blocking by the offensive line and the Eagles constantly loading the box.
It also didn't help that rookie Andre Williams, whose limitations as a pass receiver are well known, which in a way helped telegraph what was coming.
But with Rashad Jennings (sprained MCL) already ruled out for this week, Williams will get to gain more experience.
The Giants have a Week 8 bye before taking on the Colts in Week 9. Coughlin told NFL Network's Kimberly Jones the "hope" is that Jennings is back from his sprained MCL for the Indy game. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib 
RB: Andre Williams, Peyton Hillis, Michael Cox, Rashad Jennings 
RB: Henry Hynoski 
WR: Rueben Randle, Odell Beckham, Preston Parker, Corey Washington, Kevin Ogletree 
TE: Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson 
PK: Josh Brown 
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NEW YORK JETS
As the Sports Xchange suggested, "For a guy who says he doesn't like to create distractions, Jets quarterback Geno Smith sure has a knack for creating distractions. ..."
Smith generated another mini-firestorm Monday night, when he appeared on a conference call with New England Patriots beat writers and responded to a question about the topsy-turvy nature of the season by criticizing the media coverage the Jets have received.
"For me it hasn't been (topsy-turvy)," Smith said. "I think, obviously with everything that goes on with the media, a lot of things are, I would say, miscommunicated, and then it just gets misprinted and then misunderstood."
But of course, Smith was the one who was captured on camera cursing at a Jets fan following a 24-17 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sept. 28. And he was the one who messed up his time zones and missed a meeting at the Jets hotel on Oct. 4, one night before he was benched at halftime of a 31-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers.
"When you are going through the types of issues that we are going through, it is probably not the most pleasant thing to come up here and talk about it," head coach Rex Ryan said Tuesday. "Like anything else, you don't expect everything to be a bed of roses. We are 1-5, so it is tough."
Fussing about the media is the least of Smith's foibles this year indeed, complaining about the media might even win over some fans but the Jets don't need any distractions as they try to snap a five-game losing streak with a game against the first-place Patriots on a short week.
"I don't have any quarrels with anything," Smith said, "The main thing is that we just have to find a way to get a win."
The Jets do that and Smith will probably have no problem with the way he and the Jets are covered.
Ryan continued to gush over general manager John Idzik's first draft class on Monday, when he said he still believed it was an "A-plus" effort.
Such over-the-top praise is to be expected from a man doing anything he can to hang on to his job. But Ryan's sliver-sized chances of remaining the Jets' head coach in 2015 might improve a bit if one of Idzik's many questionable picks from 2013 performs well on Thursday night.
In addition, the Jets will go up against Darrelle Revis on Thursday for the second time since Idzik traded him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April 2013. Of course, this meeting is going to be a lot different than the September 2013 clash with Tampa Bay at MetLife Stadium.
Revis, of course, was released by the Buccaneers on March 12 and signed with the rival Patriots a day later.
Seeing Revis donning the uniform of the Jets' most hated rival is going to be a lot different and tougher to take for Ryan than seeing him play for harmless Tampa Bay.
"A little sick to my stomach," Ryan said of his reaction to Revis with the Patriots. "I thought it was really weird when you saw him opening day last year, but I don't know how I will react when I see him over there."
There were reports last March that Ryan would have welcomed a reunion with Revis, but the Jets' upper management, which was burned and embittered by Revis' annual griping about his contract, never pursued him.
The Jets' battered cornerback corps would certainly look a lot better with Revis in it, but Ryan wasn't going to take the what-if bait on Tuesday.
"Oh man I'm not going to go there," Ryan said. "Let's focus on the team right in front of us and recognize that the guy is an excellent player and plays on someone else's team and that's just the way it is. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... In their last 49 possessions with Smith at quarterback, the Jets have produced only five touchdowns.
After the previous week's 31-0 debacle, the Jets' plan was to re-establish the running game, but it quickly became apparent the plan wasn't going to work. On their first eight first-down runs, they gained only eight yards. The line generated no push whatsoever. The Broncos loaded the box, daring Smith to throw. He completed 23-of-43 for 190 yards, mostly quick throws.
They made no attempt to stretch the field, allowing the Broncos to swarm the line of scrimmage. In fact, nine of Smith's 11 attempts in the final quarter were thrown five yards or less in the air, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg had him on a tight leash.
With no playmakers on the perimeter, the Jets are an easy team to defend. As ESPN.com's Rich Cimini notes, Eric Decker is a solid, complementary receiver, and rookie tight end Jace Amaro (10 catches for 68 yards and one touchdown) is an emerging player, but there's a shortage of explosiveness at the skill positions.
In fact, if you remove Amaro's production, Denver's Demaryius Thomas would've outgained all the Jets' pass-catchers by himself, 124 yards to 122.
Decker said he was confident he'd play against the Patriots Thursday night despite a hamstring injury that has limited him on and off for weeks.
"It's something that obviously you need to stay on top of, because at any time it can come back, and I guess (you can) aggravate it (again) or (it can) just swell up a little bit," Decker said. "Obviously I am doing all the right things and working with the training staff to make sure that my strength is good and flexibility, all those things are good."
It's good news for the Jets, who have done statistically better with Decker on the field. The Jets will also have wide receiver David Nelson back after he missed the Broncos game following a setback to his ankle injury.
The one likely absence? Wide receiver Greg Salas came into the locker room at the tail end of media availability and was seen with a cast on his wrist. He is unlikely to play against the Patriots. Salas has eight receptions for 167 yards this season.
Meanwhile, back to the rushing attack. ... If the Jets hope to upset the Patriots -- if they hope to win another game this season -- they have to produce more than 31 yards on the ground. Their output Sunday against the Denver Broncos was the team's lowest since 2006. To make it worse, the leading rusher was Smith, with 11 yards.
Statistically, they're 12th in the league at 122 yards per game, so it's not all bad, but there has been serious slippage. The reason, according to players and coaches, is that opponents are defending the run with an eight-man box, suffocating Chris Ivory, Chris Johnson and Bilal Powell. But that is a myth, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Jets have run the ball only five times against an eight-man box, tied for 30th.
According to Cimini, the bigger problem is the offensive line, which isn't sustaining blocks and is suffering too many communication breakdowns. The Jets' runners are averaging only 2.39 yards before contact per rush, 22nd in the league -- a statistic that shows they're getting hit way too early. If it weren't for Ivory's ability to break tackles, their overall rushing numbers would be considerably less.
Want more bad news? The line will be breaking in a new member this week, Oday Aboushi, who replaces Brian Winters (season-ending knee injury) at left guard. Aboushi has only 33 regular-season snaps on his NFL résumé, so this will be on-the-job training. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Geno Smith, Michael Vick 
RB: Chris Ivory, Chris Johnson, Bilal Powell 
RB: John Conner, Tommy Bohanon 
WR: Eric Decker, David Nelson, Jeremy Kerley, Greg Salas, Saalim Hakim, Walter Powell. T.J. Graham, Chris Owusu 
TE: Jeff Cumberland, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld 
PK: Nick Folk 
=========================

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OAKLAND RAIDERS
Soon after taking over as interim coach of the Oakland Raiders, Tony Sparano had a simple message to deliver to quarterback Derek Carr: This is your team.
With the team winless and dealing with the aftermath of coach Dennis Allen's firing, Carr no longer had the adjustment time normally afforded to a rookie quarterback.
As Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow, in his first game under his new coach, Carr heeded the command and delivered his best performance yet in his first NFL season. Carr threw four touchdown passes in Oakland's 31-28 loss to San Diego on Sunday. But even the late interception that sealed the defeat couldn't completely overshadow the excitement Carr has generated as the Raiders' best hope to end a decade of losing.
"I'm the same person," Carr said. "I didn't change who I was. But instead of sitting back and not stepping on toes, he said, 'It's your team. It's your team, take it over. That means you can demand more now. We're past the rookie step. There's no more rookie. You're the leader of this football team. The franchise, here, now go.' Now I can demand things from guys."
It helps that Carr is also delivering himself, showing improvement each week as he grows more comfortable in the NFL. Despite playing on a bum left ankle and knee that limited him all week in practice, Carr got off to a fast start against the Chargers.
On the third play from scrimmage, he recognized a disguised blitz and was able to wait in the pocket long enough for Andre Holmes to break free on a double move. Carr then hit Holmes in stride with a perfectly placed deep ball that led to a 77-yard TD, Oakland's longest scoring throw in five seasons.
As Pro Football Focus put it, "Tough to throw it better than Carr did. ... As he hit Holmes in stride."
Carr found James Jones in a tight window for a 6-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He then went to his third option on a 47-yard score to Brice Butler in the third quarter.
Carr gave Oakland the lead in the fourth quarter when he patiently waited for Holmes to break open in the back of the end zone on a rollout.
Sparano said Carr came to the sideline a few times asking for a certain player to be put into the game so he could run a specific play for him, a sign for growth for the rookie.
"It will be different guys, but in his mind he had a vision for the play," Sparano said. "He knew what he wanted to do and where the matchup could be. I think it's really important when a quarterback starts to feel comfortable with his people."
The game ended on a downer when Carr threw an interception on a deep ball in the closing minutes with Oakland driving for a possible tying field goal or go-ahead touchdown.
With the Raiders just a few yards from field goal range, the coaching staff had enough confidence in Carr to let him take a shot downfield. Carr found a one-on-one matchup with Butler against rookie Jason Verrett down the left side. But Verrett ripped the ball away from Butler for an acrobatic interception that sealed the game.
That could not damper the optimism that the Raiders might have a quarterback to build around for the first time since Rich Gannon's career ended a decade ago.
"If he sees a matchup that he likes he's going to throw it, especially if we win on that matchup," Holmes said. "If we had made a play early on then he's going to definitely try to look to make another big play by throwing it out there."
Carr has deep knowledge of the travails for a rookie quarterback on a struggling team. He watched big brother David get battered around 12 years ago as the No. 1 overall draft pick for the expansion Houston Texans.
The beating David Carr took behind a patchwork offensive line stunted his growth and he never developed into a top-flight NFL starter. Derek has gotten significantly better protection, getting sacked just three times on his first 167 pass attempts, compared to 41 on David's first 167.
"I watched a certain rookie quarterback with the same last name about 12 years ago and I'm glad it's a little different now because those guys played their tails off," Derek Carr said of his offensive line. "These guys they do a great job. They really do. They really care about keeping me clean."
According to ESPN.com's Bill Williamson, the biggest development of the game was that the offense came alive.
The Raiders' offense was putrid for the entire first quarter of the season. It scored 51 points in the first four games, a league low. Sunday, Carr threw downfield with success. The Raiders were averaging 5.7 yards per pass before.
Also, the run game shined for the first time. The Raiders welcomed back Darren McFadden, who had 14 carries for 80 yards. He showed a good burst, the ability to break tackles and a slashing finish to his runs. Maurice Jones-Drew had his most productive game as a Raider, chipping in with 30 yards on four carries.
The Raiders had a season-high 114 yards rushing, but most impressive was their 5.7-yard average.
Williamson added, "This could be a recipe for success. ..."
This week, however, the Raiders have a tough task when Arizona visits.
Other notes of interest. ... Holmes caught four passes for 121 yards, including two touchdowns -- a six yarder to go with the above-mentioned 77-yard effort. According to the Sports Xchange, Holmes also had a couple of first-half drops, as the Raiders had at least five.
"The coaches didn't say anything about other than tuck the ball before you run and things like that," Holmes said. "Even if someone dropped it, they came back and made a play, so it wasn't something that was lingering in people's minds."
The 77-yard touchdown pass from Carr to Holmes was the longest scoring play for the Raiders since JaMarcus Russell hit Zach Miller for an 86-yard score on Oct. 10, 2009, against the Philadelphia Eagles and the longest completion since Carson Palmer hit Denarius Moore for a 78-yard gain on Jan. 1, 2012
Receiver Kenbrell Thompkins, claimed off waivers during the week from New England, was active and played two snaps on offense.
Matt Schaub, after missing the previous two games due to a personal matter, was the backup quarterback ahead of Matt McGloin. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Derek Carr, Matt Schaub, Matt McGloin 
RB: Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew, Latavius Murray 
FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale 
WR: James Jones, Andre Holmes, Vincent Brown, Brice Butler, Denarius Moore, Kenbrell Thompkins 
TE: Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry, Brian Leonhardt 
PK: Sebastian Janikowski 
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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
According to Associated Press sports writer Rob Maaddi, a convincing, 27-0 win over the New York Giants sent a message that the Philadelphia Eagles are still the team to beat in the NFC East.
"You are what you are," head coach Chip Kelly said Monday. "Look at the standings. We're 5-1. There's noise out there and if you pay attention to it, you are wasting time."
Despite the record, critics questioned the way Philadelphia was winning and wondered if the team could continue having success.
Nick Foles and the rest of the offense were inconsistent. LeSean McCoy hardly looked like an All-Pro running back who set a franchise-record for yards rushing in 2013. The defense gave up too many big plays and nearly wasted a 27-point lead against St. Louis last week.
If it weren't for the special teams scoring four touchdowns and Cody Parkey's clutch kicking, the Eagles would've started 1-4.
"Praise and blame is all the same," Kelly said. "If you let outside noise affect you, then you're saying you value their opinion more than your own opinion."
So after Dallas (5-1) made a statement with a 30-23 win at Seattle on Sunday afternoon, the Eagles followed with a dominant performance under the prime-time lights against the Giants. They head into a bye week on a positive note following their first shutout in 18 years.
Kelly gave the players time off until next Tuesday. The Eagles play next at Arizona (4-1) on Oct. 26.
"It's a great position to be in," Foles said. "We still have a lot of season left to go and I still have a lot of things to improve on, which excites me. It will be great to have the bye this week to get healthy, get some rest, recoup and get ready to go."
Foles threw two more interceptions against the Giants, bringing his total to seven. He also has three fumbles and his 10 turnovers lead the NFL. Last year, Foles set an NFL record for best TD/interception ratio when he threw 27 TD passes and only two picks.
"If we keep winning, it doesn't matter," Kelly said. "But we still have to do a better job from that standpoint. We were a lot cleaner last year from a turnover standpoint, and he'll be the first to tell you that. You can't continue to do it at that rate and end up on the right side of the ledger. The turnover differential is really big in this league in terms of being an indicator of wins and losses."
Perhaps the most encouraging sign was McCoy's breakout effort. He ran for a season-high 149 yards, his first time over 100 this season. McCoy entered the game averaging just 2.9 yards per carry, but he had plenty of running lanes against New York.
As Pro Football Focus noted, a large part of producing as a running back is the platform that you are given by your blockers.
Given that space to work with for just about the first time this season McCoy shredded the Giants' defense. In the end he broke off five runs of 15 yards or more on 22 attempt while breaking five tackles en route to his first 100 yard game since the regular season finale in Dallas last season.
McCoy's five carries of 15 yards or more last night were more than he had through five games (four) and immediately thrusts him into second place in the league behind only DeMarco Murray (13).
Injuries on the offensive line contributed to McCoy's poor start. The Eagles are missing All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis and center Jason Kelce. Right tackle was suspended the first four games. Since he returned, McCoy has 233 yards rushing in two games.
"It was obvious that there was a lot of room," McCoy said. "Happy to get Lane back in there. I think every player in their second year, it is always the biggest jump that you really recognize and I can see it in Lane. It's the guys up front just totally dominating and they made the right calls and played well. So definitely a lot more running lanes. And definitely myself, I felt I made a lot more better decisions, like just going and hitting it."
The bye should help the Eagles get some key players back. Linebacker Mychal Kendricks hasn't played since injuring his calf in Week 2. Running back Darren Sproles sprained his knee against the Giants. According to Kelly, Sproles' sprain wasn't nearly as severe as Mathis' MCL sprain, but was vague about how long he thinks Sproles might be out.
"We'll see how long it's going to be," he said. "It could be a week or two. He could be back after (the bye). We have a week off. He'll get treatment and we'll assess him when we get back next Tuesday."
Mathis sprained his right MCL in the season-opener. He was placed on short-term injured reserve and will be eligible to be activated in Week 10.
It's not as serious as Mathis' injury "from what I understand," Kelly said. "Evan's out for eight weeks. It doesn't sound like it will be that long (with Sproles). I talked to Darren after the game and he didn't think it was anything big. It doesn't sound like it will be that long."
At the moment, the Eagles only have one healthy running. That's McCoy. Their third running back, Chris Polk, is out indefinitely after reinjuring his hamstring.
The Eagles have their bye this week and then travel to Arizona to play the Cardinals on October 26. If Sproles can't play against the Cardinals, the Eagles will need to add a running back.
The most likely candidate is Matthew Tucker, who is on the team's practice squad.
Sproles is averaging 6.6 yards per carry. He had a 15-yard touchdown run in Sunday's win over the Giants.
He's also second in the league in punt returns with a 15.6-yard average. He had a 43-yard return Sunday before getting hurt.
If Sproles can't play against the Cardinals, the Eagles have several potential punt return candidates, including rookie wide receiver Josh Huff. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
The Eagles are idle this week due to the NFL bye. 
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PITTSBURGH STEELERS
As Associated Press sports writer Dale Grdnic noted, the Steelers didn't do much in a blowout loss to Cleveland. But players say they believe they have the talent to turn things around if they execute better and with more consistency.
"We have been too inconsistent, and when you're inconsistent you play good halves and good quarters," cornerback Ike Taylor said Monday. "But you're up and down, and that's what you don't want to be in the NFL. When we get our consistency back, we'll start stacking wins."
The Steelers (3-3) haven't stacked wins too often lately. They missed the playoffs the last two years, going 8-8 both years. This season, they've alternated wins and losses.
Defensively, the Steelers allow opponents to convert more than 35 percent of third downs. The Steelers are fourth in the NFL in total offense (396.5 yards per game) but just 23rd in scoring (20.7 points per game) largely because they have the second-worst red-zone offense in the league.
And penalties are hampering all three phases of the game.
"Right now it's not sweeping or drastic changes as far as who and what we are schematically," head coach Mike Tomlin said. "I will look at who we utilize and where in all three phases."
Tight end Heath Miller said the offense is looking to improve its results when it gets close to the goal line.
"We're searching for answers about ways to execute better down there, and we'll be looking at it again this week," Miller said. "(And) all we can do is try to execute the plays that we're given the best that we can."
Now the Steelers are asking themselves if they can turn it around. Franchise history is filled with mixed results in reacting to similar situations.
"The talent is there," outside linebacker Jason Worilds said. "That's not the question. It's more about everybody being accountable and being consistent. I think, for one reason or another, we'll have a lapse. And those lapses can get you beat."
Pittsburgh's next make-or-break stretch includes home games against Houston, Indianapolis and Baltimore.
Come Monday night, the Texans will have been off since losing 33-28 to the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night. The Texans are 3-3 under first-year coach Bill O'Brien after winning just two games all of last season.
They won't be mistaken for one of the league's best, but neither will the Steelers -- and there's a major reason why.
As ESPN.com's Scott Brown reminded readers, Ben Roethlisberger beat the Browns in 18 of his first 19 starts against them, including once while playing on only one good leg. He has so gleefully tormented the team that passed on drafting him in 2004 that what transpired Sunday is proof something is very wrong with Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger completed just 21 of 42 passes in a 31-10 loss to the Browns and he led the Steelers to one touchdown -- a late, meaningless one at that. The 11th-year veteran struggled with his accuracy so much, and in weather that was ideal for football, that Brown suggested Roethlisberger may have had trouble hitting Lake Erie even if he had been standing on its shores.
"I hold myself to a higher standard and I've got to be better," Roethlisberger said.
That is two games in a row Roethlisberger has not played well. That and the continued disconnect between the yards the Steelers are piling up and the meager numbers they are posting on scoreboards are sure to renew questions about the union between Roethlisberger and third-year offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Something is amiss with an offense that has managed just 20 points in the past two weeks, and the Roethlisberger-Haley dynamic is usually where disgruntled fans point first when the Steelers struggle.
The play calling has been curious with the Steelers becoming pass-happy when they were inside the Jaguars' 20-yard line the previous Sunday and then going to the other extreme against the Browns.
Haley has to take his share of blame for the offense's struggles but certainly not all of it.
For example, Roethlisberger threw 11 passes Markus Wheaton's way and he caught only four of them.
"I think we had a good plan," Roethlisberger said. "We came in with the right attitude and mindset. I didn't play well enough. It's very frustrating. We're all frustrated but we'll stay together."
Such solidarity following a bitter loss was the one place where all of the Steelers' offensive players were actually in the same place -- at least publicly.
Roethlisberger took the blame for the loss. Wheaton said Roethlisberger covered for him in regard to the communication issues the two had against the Browns. Running back Le'Veon Bell said to point the finger at him for the offense's struggles.
"I think I'm frustrated like we all are because we are capable of moving the ball and possessing the ball, but the points aren't reflective of that," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
When asked if the Steelers are going about playing offense the right way -- a thinly veiled reference to whether Haley is the right coach to lead it -- Tomlin said, "I am sure of it but we are not executing. We've got to look at all areas."
They have to start by looking at how to get Roethlisberger to play better.
The Steelers' plan of remaining competitive while they rebuild a once fearsome defense hinges on Roethlisberger keeping them in games because he is a top-tier quarterback.
As Brown summed up, "He has looked like anything but a franchise quarterback the past two weeks."
That has to change. ...
Other notes of interest. ... The Steelers were in something of a funk on offense, but as Pro Football Focus notes, Antonio Brown was his consistent best, catching seven of the 10 passes thrown his way for 118 yards including a couple of very nice adjustments.
The Steelers ran the ball early and often Sunday and targeted Brown just three times in the first half. Asked if he should have been more of a focal point in the game plan because of his past success against Cleveland cornerback Joe Haden, Brown said, "We're just trying to find a way to win. It's not about individual matchups."
Brown extended his streak to 22 games with at least five catches for at least 50. He became the third player in franchise history to have 600 yards receiving after the first six games.
The Steelers ran well for the most part with 138 yards on 32 carries and a 4.3-yard average per carry. Bell led the way with 82 yards on 18 carries. But with a first down at Cleveland's 7-yard line on their second drive in a scoreless game, they ran three straight times for five yards and kicked a field goal. ...
One last note here. ... Bell waived his right to a preliminary hearing on marijuana possession and driving under the influence charges, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He also paid a parking ticket at a brief court appearance Wednesday.
Judge Richard Opiela ordered Bell to undergo an on-the-spot drug and alcohol evaluation.
"It has nothing to do with Mr. Bell and everything to do with the charges he's facing," Opiela said.
Bell and teammate LeGarrette Blount were arrested after a traffic stop in late August. The police officer smelled marijuana coming from a vehicle the men were in with a female friend. Police charged Bell with prohibited acts and driving under the influence. Prosecutors added an additional charge of general impairment at the hearing. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones 
RB: Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Dri Archer 
FB: Will Johnson 
WR: Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore, Justin Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Martavis Bryant 
TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer 
PK: Shaun Suisham 
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ST. LOUIS RAMS
With the defending champion Seattle Seahawks coming to St. Louis Sunday, the St. Louis Rams are trying to maintain a positive attitude.
However, it's difficult after the Rams fell to 1-4 with a 31-17 loss to the 49ers Monday night, the second time this season they built an early lead only to watch it fritter away.
Previously, the Rams lost to Dallas after taking a 21-0 lead. The loss to the 49ers was also the team's sixth consecutive in the division following a season-opening win over Arizona last year.
Said quarterback Austin Davis, "We've got a short week and we've got the world champions coming to play, so we can't really focus on the record. We've got to get back to work and keep building on the positive things we're doing. That's all we can do."
As the Sports Xchange notes, there were positives in another game that was a tale of two halves. In the first half, Davis completed 11-of-14 passes for 137 yards, one touchdown and a 131.2 passer rating. The second half was the opposite. On their first four possessions, the Rams ran 19 plays for 20 yards and at one point Davis had eight consecutive incompletions.
Asked about the second-half stagnancy, Davis said, "I thought they had us covered pretty tightly at times, but there were throws to be made and I know there were check-downs, probably. I probably flushed the pocket a little too soon at times. I'm looking forward to seeing that and seeing what I can learn from it."
The tide of the game appeared to turn late in the first half when tight end Jared Cook was called for a dubious offensive pass interference call. On third-and-9 from the 49ers 46-yard line and leading 14-3, Davis hit Cook for a 21-yard gain, but Cook was inexplicably penalized.
Asked what he was told by the official, head coach Jeff Fisher said, "I didn't get much of an explanation. I was a little confused as to what he was trying to say, so I just let it go. I saw it on the tape and a receiver has the right to run his route, disappointed in that. ... If anything it was a defensive foul."
The Rams subsequently punted and on third-and-6 from their own 20 with 27 seconds remaining and the clock running, cornerback Janoris Jenkins played press coverage on wide receiver Brandon Lloyd on a zone call. Jenkins then guessed wrong and Lloyd got behind him on a double move, catching quarterback Colin Kaepernick's pass in stride for an 80-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, instead of the Rams possibly leading 17-3 or 21-3 had the Cook penalty not been called, the lead was cut to 14-10 at halftime.
Fisher said of Jenkins, "It was a double move and he should stay on top. In retrospect we should probably not put him in that position. They were stalling a little bit, letting the clock run down. We have to get better than that as coaches and as players. ..."
They'll certainly have to do better against what's bound to be an angry Seahawks club coming off a home loss to the Cowboys. ...
Other notes of interest. ... After being inactive for the first four games of the season, rookie third-round running back Tre Mason made his debut Monday night largely because Chase Reynolds was inactive because of a hip injury.
On the Rams' first possession, he had a 12-yard reception, and on his first rush of the season, gained 24 yards. For the game, he was the team's leading rusher with 40 yards on eight attempts.
A third-round pick, Mason said afterward, "It was good to be out there and get my feet wet. I really think that having to wait my turn, having to sit and watch, really made me that much hungrier."
He added, "I'm happy with the way I played, but at the same time, I know there are things I need to do better. And honestly, when you don't win the game, it's hard to feel too good about your individual performance. Again tonight, we showed at times that we're a good football team, a team that can compete. But we just need to come together as a team and learn how to finish off games."
Added Fisher, "He did a nice job. As you can see, he was very explosive."
In the first half, the Rams' running backs and Tavon Austin had 17 attempts for 76 yards. But, as they fell behind and couldn't make first downs, they only ran seven times for 18 yards in the final two quarters. Mason might have earned more playing time. With Zac Stacy already losing snaps (and the occasional touchdown) to Benny Cunningham, the second-year starter is quickly losing fantasy relevance. ...
For what it's worth, Fisher confirmed on Tuesday there were "no physical issues" with Stacy. The coach said the team simply wanted to use three running backs, and has "no problem" using a committee going forward. ...
One last note here. ... Chris Givens was a healthy inactive against San Francisco. It was the second consecutive game Givens has been inactive. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Case Keenum 
RB: Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Tre Mason, Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts 
WR: Brian Quick, Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Austin Pettis, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens 
TE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Alex Bayer, Justice Cunningham 
PK: Greg Zuerlein 
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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
As Associated Press sports writer Bernie Wilson noted, for the last five minutes, Philip Rivers and rookies Branden Oliver and Jason Verrett were brilliant for the streaking San Diego Chargers.
Not so much the first 55 minutes on Sunday, when the Chargers stumbled around before coming up with big plays in the fourth quarter to turn back the surprisingly pesky Oakland Raiders 31-28.
The Chargers improved to 5-1, tied with Philadelphia and Dallas for the NFL's best record.
The Chargers have won five straight. The past three were against teams with a combined 1-16 record and starting either rookie or second-year quarterbacks.
The competition gets tougher Sunday when the Chargers host the Kansas City Chiefs, who are coming off their bye.
Pretty much everybody underestimated the Raiders, who were playing their first game under interim coach Tony Sparano.
The Raiders led three times, including with 10 minutes left after rookie Derek Carr threw his fourth touchdown pass of the day, a 6-yarder to Andre Holmes to make it 28-21.
"It was tough. We were down. Kicking, scratching and clawing away," wide receiver Malcom Floyd said Monday. "At one point it didn't seem like we were going to pull it off, but we've got a lot of guys that stepped up."
Floyd said it was tough because "they threw some things we weren't expecting, some schemes we weren't expecting. They started off fast. I don't know if it was them getting off a bye week or not. They seemed like they were out there flying around."
It's clear that Rivers is playing at an MVP level. But he could even be better with the running game beginning to showing up, Floyd said. "Opening up the running game and the run game opening us off, with the play action, we have been working together mutually.
Oliver is starting to be noticed by the rest of the NFL after two straight solid games as he's helped resurrect the Chargers' running game.
Oliver has taken more on more of a load with Ryan Mathews being out with a sprained knee and Danny Woodhead out for the season with a broken leg. Oliver, a Darren Sproles look-alike who is an undrafted rookie, hearing the chatter for his teammates, the older ones appreciative of his work.
"It feels great to hear the veterans talk like that but I still have a lot of work to do," Oliver said. "You got to keep your body right because it's like two football seasons. I'm a little sore but nothing outrageous."
The Chargers avoided an upset loss thanks to Oliver, who scored on a 1-yard run to put the Chargers ahead by three with 1:56 left, and Verrett, who made a leaping interception with 1:13 left. Verrett grew up in Northern California and his brother works for the Raiders.
Rivers continued his torrid play, completing 22 of 34 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns. His rating was 123.8, giving him a 120 or higher rating for an NFL-record fifth straight game. Rivers also finished with multiple passing touchdowns in a contest for a fifth straight game, a career record. Rivers also threw a touchdown in a team-record 26th straight game.
The Chargers meet the Chiefs for the first time since Dec. 29, when San Diego won in overtime to clinch the AFC's final playoff berth. Having already clinched a wild-card berth, the Chiefs rested 20 of 22 starters. It still wasn't easy for the Bolts, who allowed 332 yards and watched Ryan Succop push a 41-yard field goal attempt wide right with 4 seconds left in regulation.
The league later said the officials missed a penalty against San Diego that would have given Succop another shot from 5 yards closer. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Floyd had a big day, finishing with five catches for 103 yards, including a 5-yard reception for a score. Floyd made several big catches down the field that kept the chains moving for a San Diego offense that struggled to find a rhythm at times against the Raiders.
As Pro Football Focus notes, Floyd was a consistent target as usual, more or less allowing Rivers to throw it up and let his receiver make a play in contested situations.
Although he has not scored a touchdown, Keenan Allen still leads the team in targets (42) and receptions (28).
Head coach Mike McCoy declined to give updates on two key players who were injured Sunday, wide receiver Eddie Royal (ribs) and cornerback Brandon Flowers (groin), but reports out of San Diego indicate that Royal's injury won't cost him any game time. Royal was practicing Wednesday.
Seyi Ajirotutu could have his snaps increase on the off chance Royal can't go; he replaced him in the slot of Sunday. Allen could see his role increase as punt-returner.
And finally. ... Mathews was not practicing Wednesday and he isn't expected back until Week 8 at the soonest. Fellow halfback Donald Brown, who missed last week's game with a concussion, was also not practicing Wednesday. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens 
RB: Branden Oliver, Ronnie Brown, Shaun Draughn, Donald Brown, Ryan Mathews 
WR: Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Eddie Royal, Seyi Ajirotutu, Dontrelle Inman 
TE: Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, David Johnson, John Phillips 
PK: Nick Novak 
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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
As ESPN.com's Paul Gutierrez noted, you could say that Michael Crabtree is Colin Kaepernick's favorite receiver. You could make a strong case that Vernon Davis is Kaepernick's security blanket and Brandon Lloyd has become his most explosive playmaker down the sideline.
But Kaepernick's Mr. Dependable? The guy who has a knack for getting open whenever the San Francisco 49ers absolutely, positively need a clutch catch in traffic or simply to move the chains?
That would be Anquan Boldin.
Or did you miss Boldin again coming through in the clutch during the 49ers' 31-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams after the Rams built a 14-0 lead?
The play that epitomized the relationship was the highlight-reel, 11-yard TD pass Kaepernick lofted to the left back of the end zone and into Boldin's waiting arms.
"It was a broken play," Boldin said, matter-of-factly, of his first TD of the season. "Kap made a play with his legs."
The third-and-1, third-quarter pass play was actually drawn up to go to left tackle Joe Staley, who had reported as an eligible receiver. But defensive end Robert Quinn sniffed it out and essentially tackled Staley, which drew a defensive holding flag.
So, with a free play, Kaepernick rolled to his left and seemed to float for an eternity before uncorking a rainbow just over the outstretched arms of Rams cornerback Janoris Jenkins.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh was stunned.
"What is he doing with the ball?" Harbaugh admitted thinking as it was in flight.
Kaepernick was simply finding his most trusted target, who was simply doing his thing against a familiar opponent. In 16 career games against the Rams, Boldin has 104 catches for 1,420 yards and eight touchdowns after catching seven balls for 94 yards Monday night. His teams have gone 12-4 in those matchups, and he has six 100-yard receiving games against the Rams.
Kaepernick's TD pass to Boldin was his league-leading sixth thrown from outside the pocket, per ESPN Stats & Information, one more than the Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck.
Boldin said working on "scramble drills" helped his scoring play, which gave the 49ers their first lead of the game at 17-14.
"Because with a mobile quarterback," Boldin told Gutierrez, "things like that are going to happen. … I've seen him do it over and over."
Kaepernick gave the credit to Boldin.
"He came back and made a great play," Kaepernick said. "He was supposed to be running the other way, saw me scramble. … I'll give Anquan a shot any day of the week."
Boldin praised his quarterback's development.
"His decision-making has improved a lot," Boldin said. "He's always been a good leader. He's always been able to make plays with his legs. But his decision-making has really grown in the last two years, the two years I've been here.
"You see him going through his reads -- if it's not there, checking it down. Things like that."
Meanwhile, Kaepernick's entire body of work doesn't put him yet in the franchise quarterback category, but the signal-caller responds incredibly well when Monday night games come around.
As Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio noted, Kaepernick is now 4-0 on Monday nights, dating back to his 2012 debut as a starter against the Bears. On Kaepernick's most recent Monday night outing against the Rams (the team that opened the door to the Kaepernick era by concussing Alex Smith), the fourth-year quarterback completed 22 of 36 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns.
"I always think Colin plays well. He just keeps doing it and doing it," Harbaugh said when asked if Monday night was Kaepernick's best performance yet.
Kaepernick definitely "keeps doing it and doing it" on Monday nights. While not undefeated generally in prime time -- he lost a Sunday night game against the Bears this year and to the Seahawks in 2013 -- Kaepernick has a history of rising to the occasion, especially when the stakes are high.
And as Florio suggested, they don't get much higher in October than they'll be this coming Sunday night, when Kaepernick and the 49ers head to Denver. With 4-1 Arizona playing at 0-5 Oakland, another prime-time win becomes critical for 4-2 Kaepernick and company.
Other notes of interest. ... Another 49ers game, another NFL Network reporter citing unnamed sources. This time, it was Ian Rapoport disclosing that the 49ers informed running back Frank Gore before training camp that his roster spot and $6 million contract were in jeopardy.
49ers general manager Trent Baalke responded after the game that the report was baseless.
Gore, the franchise's all-time leading rusher, has started all six 49ers games this season, his 10th with the club. He is 31 years old.
Gore was limited to 38 yards on 16 carries in Monday's win over the St. Louis Rams. The only other time this season Gore was held under 60 yards, he responded with a 119-yard performance the next week against the Philadelphia Eagles. ...
Davis appeared rusty Monday night in his first start since missing a game with back spasms. Davis contributed three catches for 30 yards to the win, but also dropped two passes and committed a false-start penalty. Fellow tight end Vance McDonald had a 21-yard catch Monday night, but he was involved in two mishaps that helped keep the Rams within striking distance. McDonald fumbled at the end of his reception, and also collided with Davis when both were open in the end zone, a pass that fell incomplete. ...
Stevie Johnson suffered a bruised right hip while recovering an onside kick in the final seconds of the win. Johnson was the 49ers' second-leading receiver in the game with five catches for 53 yards. He expects to be fine for Sunday night's matchup with the Broncos.
The 49ers fear standout linebacker Patrick Willis might have suffered a turf-toe injury in the second quarter of Monday's win over the St. Louis Rams.
If so, he not only would be unlikely to play Sunday night at Denver, but also could miss further action as well. Willis had X-rays on his left big toe at the stadium Monday night. The 49ers did not announce the results, but they prompted Willis to seek a second opinion Tuesday.
Harbaugh said on Wednesday that the injury shouldn't be a long-term issue. ...
In a minor roster move, the San Francisco 49ers released special teams player Bubba Ventrone on Tuesday and re-signed third-string quarterback Josh Johnson.
Ventrone was in on 23 special teams plays, 74 percent, in the 49ers' 31-17 defeat of the St. Louis Rams on Monday Night Football.
Johnson has been released and re-signed by the 49ers twice since Sept. 20.
"He's, like I said, he's a 49ers quarterback," Harbaugh said last week after the team parted ways with him to make room for special teamer Kassim Osgood. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Josh Johnson 
RB: Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde 
FB: Bruce Miller 
WR: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington 
TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Derek Carrier 
PK: Phil Dawson 
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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
As the Sports Xchange suggested, the Seahawks' season just got a lot more interesting, though not in the way anyone with the team really intended.
A squad that was on a good track to make a run at a Super Bowl repeat was thrown off course Sunday with a 30-23 home loss to the Cowboys.
The Xchange went on to suggest that more disconcerting than the loss itself was the manner in which it happened. Seattle was dominated throughout, with the Cowboys outgaining the Seahawks 401 yards to 206, including 162-80 on the ground.
"They played really well and they did a lot of cool stuff for their football team in all phases, and we were not right, really, in any phase of our game today," head coach Pete Carroll said. "We didn't run the ball the way we want to, we didn't protect as well as we like, we didn't throw the ball very well, and on defense we didn't stop the run, and they were 10 out of 17 on third down."
That pretty much sums it up.
Seattle enjoyed some success running but got away from the ground game after falling behind at halftime. Running back Marshawn Lynch finished with just 10 carries for 61 yards.
Russell Wilson, meanwhile, had one of his poorest days as a Seahawk, going 14-for-28 for 126 yards. His 47.6 passer rating was the third lowest of his career and his worst since midway through his rookie season in 2012.
"I could have played a lot better," Wilson said. "I didn't play my best game. I was a little off on some throws that I'm normally not. I felt just a little bit off, here and there, maybe an inch or two to the right or the left. Other than that, I think that's what it comes down to. I know I can complete those balls, I know that I will, and I know that I'll get it fixed."
Defensively, Seattle kept Dallas running back DeMarco Murray in check for much of the game until he ripped off runs of 25 and 15 on a drive that put the Cowboys ahead for good in the final minutes. Those caries followed a miraculous third-and-20 completion from quarterback Tony Romoto wide receiver Terrance Williams that was the turning point of the game.
Seattle lost at home for the second time since 2011. The Seahawks (3-2) suddenly are looking up at the Arizona Cardinals (4-1) and the San Francisco 49ers (4-2) in the NFC West.
The loss also left Seattle feeling uncommon frustration for a team that had a pretty smooth path to a Super Bowl title in 2013.
Wilson, though, said it was just a bump in the road.
"I think everybody was a little frustrated," he said. "It's not just one guy or two guys or three guys or whatever. We're so competitive and we all want to win. When things aren't going the way that you practice them all the time, or the way that you're used to or the way that you expect, sometimes you get a little frustrated.
"I felt like I let some people down, or whatever, so you just have to keep moving, keep moving forward. I think that as a team, the collective effort, in terms of leadership, that's when leadership shows up, when there's some adversity. I think that's what we'll have to do for this week coming up, and get excited about that rather than shy away from it."
Seattle will try to get back on the winning track Sunday at St. Louis against the Rams. ...
On top of questions about what they're trying to accomplish on offense, the Seahawks were left dealing with a list of injuries after losing to Dallas.
Cornerback Byron Maxwell suffered a calf strain, while middle linebacker Bobby Wagner is dealing with turf toe that knocked him out for most of the second quarter. Head coach Pete Carroll said the status of both for Sunday's game at St. Louis is unknown.
Carroll said there is no timetable for Maxwell yet, while Wagner's injury will be assessed later in the week.
Center Max Unger is also in the same category after missing Sunday's game with a strained foot and tight end Zach Miller will not be back after having ankle surgery during the bye week. ...
Other notes of interest. ... According to ESPN.com's Terry Blount, the wide receiver known as "Angry" Doug Baldwin lived up to his reputation after Sunday's game.
"We have to quit BS-ing ourselves," Baldwin said. "We've got to be real with ourselves. When we get in the meeting room, we've got to actually pay attention to things and not blow smoke up our tails that everything's going to be all right."
"Things aren't going right. Pay attention to things that we're not doing right and correct them."
Seattle only had the ball for 22 minutes, 21 seconds in the game, compared to 37:39 for the Cowboys.
Baldwin was asked if that was that a factor: "No, f--- that," he said. "We had plenty of time to make plays. We've got too much talent not to be moving the f------ ball."
Baldwin had two receptions for 32 yards, but was only targeted three times.
"I'm not mad at Russ," Baldwin said. "It's a collaborative thing."
The Cowboys completely shut down Percy Harvin. He had three receptions for zero yards and three carries for minus-1 yard. The Dallas defense was ready for anything the Seahawks tried at the line of scrimmage with Harvin, whether it was the jet sweep or the hitch pass. What the Seahawks needed to do was throw the ball to Harvin downfield a few times to keep the defense honest. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson 
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, Christine Michael 
FB: Derrick Coleman 
WR: Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Ricardo Lockette, Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, Kevin Norwood, Bryan Walters 
TE: Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet, Zach Miller 
PK: Steven Hauschka 
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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Head coach Lovie Smith said a 1-5 start was not part of the master plan, but he doesn't want fans to judge his team with 10 games remaining.
Smith said Monday it was 'disheartening,' to watch the Bucs trail the Atlanta Falcons 56-0 and the Baltimore Ravens 38-0 in a span of three weeks. But he insists while those performances didn't show it, the Bucs are getting better and asked for more time to get it right.
The Bucs are tied with the Washington Redskins for the worst record in the NFC, and are last in the league in scoring defense.
"I would say first off, I'm disappointed, too," Smith said when asked to address the fans. "I agree with the numbers you threw out. That is disheartening. It's like I would say also, it's like when you're in a game, you don't crown anyone the winner of that game during the game. We're disappointed right now, is what I would say. But let's let it all play out. And yeah, I've said that before but the game isn't over yet. That would be my statement. Give us time. We'll continue to get guys back."
The Bucs were missing two starters in the secondary Sunday cornerback Johnthan Banks (neck) and safety Dashon Goldson (ankle). The Ravens exploited their absence as quarterback Joe Flacco threw five touchdown passes in the first 16 minutes, an NFL record, in a 48-17 loss.
Both Banks and Goldson are expected back following the bye week when the Bucs play host to the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 26.
"There's a lot of football left to go," Smith said. "If we were 6-0 right now, would you start buying your Super Bowl ticket? You have to just hold on a little bit is what I would say.
"And I don't listen to talk radio but I don't have to. I know what's out there, we're all disappointed right now. But I'm going to keep going. We're all disappointed what? Right now. That will change."
Smith was part of coaching staffs as an assistant in Tampa Bay in 1996 and with the Chicago Bears when he took over as head coach in 2004. As a linebackers coach on Tony Dungy's staff in '96, the Bucs lost their first five games and were 1-8 until winning five of their final seven games. The Bears started 1-5 in Smith's first season as head coach and finished 5-11. The next season, the Bears went 11-5 and won the NFC North division.
"I think experience helps you a lot," Smith said. "I have been in this situation before a few different times and I just believe in what we're going to do. But when you start off, there's a reason why there is something new starting off with that. You do have to crawl before you walk. We didn't want to do it as much and part of the master plan wasn't to be in this situation right now. But that's normally what you do when you start something new. It's not this ready right away. You have to build that foundation and that's what we're doing right now.
"I said last week we are a better football team. That game (Sunday) didn't say that. But we're doing some good things, some better things, behind the scenes and hopefully we're going to put it together and we're going to see that in the games."
Maybe. ... As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith suggested Monday, Smith's players aren't playing for him.
As the head coach of the Bears, Smith was known for being beloved by his players, but in Tampa he looks like he doesn't have the attention of his team. The Bucs just come out looking too flat, too often.
ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas wrote, "This was as bad as it gets."
The Bucs appeared to be coming home from a three-game road swing with a little momentum. They had won at Pittsburgh and were close at New Orleans. All week long, Smith and his players talked about how they wanted to put on a good show for the fans. Instead, Tampa Bay's 38-0 halftime deficit was the largest by any home team since before World War II, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Smith is considering changing something in an effort to improve the Bucs' slow starts on offense he may not defer until the second half if Tampa wins the coin toss.
Tampa Bay has scored a total of 27 points in the first half of six games this season, an average of 4.5 points per game. Smith has elected to start games on defense when the Bucs win the coin toss.
"It's another area that we need to look to do something differently, too," Smith said. "I've deferred quite a bit to put our defense out there and especially at home. That's kind of the game plan we like. Again, everything we've done so far, we're looking to possibly change things.
"But as far as starting the game out, you practice the situations and try to prepare the team the best you can. ... Again, we realize the problem as far as starting fast."
The Bucs won't get any help from offensive Jeff Tedford, who remains in an indefinite medical leave of absence after undergoing a heart procedure in August. Smith said he has been pleased with the progress of the offense in games against the Steelers and Saints under quarterbacks coachMarcus Arroyo.
"We talked about it and told you the plan with Jeff and we're moving on like he won't be with us anymore and that will be the case," Smith said. "Our offensive production wasn't good (Sunday). Before that, the previous two games, it's been pretty good. We're looking at all areas but that probably won't be one of them."
The Bucs will return following the off week with a home game against Minnesota. ...
Also of interest. ... Mike Glennon had decent numbers against the Ravens, throwing for 314 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. But it all came after that 38-0 lead. Glennon paid an awful price. He was hit 15 times and sacked five times.
Doug Martin had 45 yards on 11 carries and Bobby Rainey added 42 yards on seven carries. But when it mattered, the Bucs couldn't run the football. They had 10 straight plays of zero or negative yards on offense in the first half.
Rookie wide receiver Mike Evans, who had been listed as questionable with a groin injury, scored Tampa Bay's first touchdown of the game and had four catches for 55 yards.
The NFL suspended fullback Jorvorskie Lane two games for violating league policy on performance-enhancing substances. He has played in every game this season, serving as a lead blocker and rushing twice for 56 yards. ...
And finally. ... Josh McCown isn't sure when he'll return from the thumb injury he suffered in Atlanta.
"It's getting there," McCown said Tuesday. "We'll see. ... We'll take it kind of day by day, week by week." 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
The Buccaneers are idle this week due to the NFL bye. 
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TENNESSEE TITANS
According to the Sports Xchange, as the Titans stand two weeks from their bye week, they know their season can go one of two ways.
If they could somehow win on the road against the Redskins this week and then return home to defeat the Houston Texans, a season that had flown off the rails with a four-game losing streak might actually be able to be removed from life support.
Two wins, despite coming against less-than-top echelon competition, would somehow put the Titans at 4-4 at the halfway point of the season.
Of course, the Titans can't afford to take any team for granted after blowing a 25-point lead against Cleveland two weeks ago and needing a blocked field against winless Jacksonville to avoid a second straight collapse at home this past Sunday.
But wins are wins, and any thought of returning to .500 would have been considered farfetched for the shell-shocked Titans in the aftermath of the loss to the Browns.
"It felt like a long time," tight end Delanie Walker said Monday of the Titans' 16-14 victory over the winless Jaguars.
Sammie Hill blocked a field goal to preserve the win, and the Titans snapped a four-game skid with their first win since the opener. It also marked first-year coach Ken Whisenhunt's first victory at home, though he didn't celebrate with a game ball but more with a sigh of relief.
"That was a tough stretch," Whisenhunt said. "It's nice to get a win, even though I would've preferred it not have been as close as it was. We're still happy to get it."
Now the Titans can work on making corrections, and they still have plenty of areas needing improvement. Left tackle Taylor Lewan and running back Bishop Sankey got their first career starts, and backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst started his second game in three weeks.
After failing to protect a 28-3 lead in losing to Cleveland on Oct. 5 in the worst blown lead at home ever in the regular season, the Titans came perilously close to doing it again by managing to hold the ball only 5 minutes, 23 seconds in the fourth quarter. That was after allowing the Jaguars only one possession in the third quarter.
Locker sat out because of his second injury to his passing hand in three weeks. Walker said the issue is simply making plays and protecting the quarterback. The Titans gave up three sacks, and Whitehurst was hit five other times.
"We've got to be able to stay on the field, control the clock," Walker said. "We put our defense out there a lot. ... It's our turn to help them out."
The Titans visit Washington (1-5) on Sunday before hosting Houston (3-3) before their bye. Now that the skid is over, the goal now is getting back to .500 before the second half of the season. Locker still is trying to recover from a swollen right thumb, and Whisenhunt said they are trying to get the quarterback healthy. Locker was able to practice Wednesday, a pretty good sign he's on track to return. ...
In the meantime, Whisenhunt will talk about the chance to reach 4-4 before the bye and give the Titans a chance at some type of reward to provide an incentive.
"I don't think there's anything wrong with that," Whisenhunt said. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Tennessee crossed the 20-yard line and threatened to get into the end zone three times against the Jaguars, but only got the seven points once. A fourth time, the Titans advanced to the Jaguars' 24-yard line.
"If you convert a few more, then it's a different game," Whitehurst said.
On this day, Jackie Battle's 1-yard scoring run and field goals of 25, 21 and 42 yards from Ryan Succop were enough. It's not the sort of production, however, that will suffice against a team better than Jacksonville.
Whisenhunt said he was disappointed in the red-zone production.
"We were so good in the red zone last week and we felt like we had a good plan going in this week," Whisenhunt said. ...
Sankey, making his first start for an injured Shonn Greene, had 61 yards on 18 rushes for the Titans. It remains to be seen if Greene (hamstring) can return this week; he was not practicing Wednesday. ...
As Pro Football Focus noted, Walker is one of the few all around threats at tight end. Against the Jaguars he was able to attack smaller defensive backs, all five of his targets came against Jonathan Cyprien and Will Blackmon, two players who are unable to match the physical ability of Walker.
While Walker is a threat in the passing game, where he stands out is how well he was able to block in the running game. When he is able to get to the second level, most linebackers are at a disadvantage against the strength and athletic ability of Walker.
While we have seen him perform well in limited snaps when he was with the 49ers, this is the first prolonged success he has had as a starter.
A few final notes here. ... The Titans waived tight end Brett Brackett on Monday. He was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday. But he might be back.
According to TitanInsider.com's Terry McCormick, tight end Craig Stevens had season ending surgery on a quad tendon. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, Zach Mettenberger 
RB: Bishop Sankey, Dexter McCluster, Leon Washington, Shonn Greene 
FB: Jackie Battle 
WR: Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, Nate Washington, Derek Hagan, Kris Durham 
TE: Delanie Walker, Taylor Thompson, Chase Coffman 
PK: Ryan Succop 
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WASHINGTON REDSKINS
As Associated Press sports writer Joseph White framed it, "Now it's all about waiting for RG3. ..."
The Redskins are on a familiar path, on pace for their eighth last-place NFC East finish in 11 years, and head coach Jay Gruden sees failures system-wide as he goes about "trying to get these guys out of a rut" of losing.
"Staying status quo is not good enough, obviously," the first-year coach said Monday. "So there's some things we're going to have to address, whether it's changing the way we're practicing, the way we're meeting, the plays that we're calling, the defenses that were calling, something."
An adjustment or two might produce some wins, but, at 1-5 -- including three consecutive double-digit losses -- the playoffs are probably no longer realistic. Gruden, looking tired after a late-night flight home from a 30-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, mistakenly said the team was 1-6 and corrected himself by saying he "losing track" of the won-loss record.
"If I had one area, where I could say, 'Well, we need to improve right here,' I think we'd have a great understanding of what we need to do," Gruden said. "But right now it's a little bit of everything, It's a little smorgasbord of things that we have to work on and improve on. It's the quarterback, it's the running game, it's the pass protection, it's the wideouts and their blocking, it's the defensive line pass rush, it's the coverage, it's the linebackers, it's the special teams."
With so far to go, the Redskins' best path to relevance in this season's NFL world will be the return of Robert Griffin III. Once he recovers from a dislocated left ankle, Griffin essentially will get a handful of games to prove that he truly is a franchise quarterback worthy of a long-term commitment. If he struggles -- or gets hurt again -- Washington might decide not to pick up the fifth-year option on his contract and could be faced with starting over again at the game's most important position.
Griffin's return could have been an afterthought if Kirk Cousins were playing well. Given his best chance yet to prove he should have a starting job in the NFL, Cousins had a big game in relief after Griffin was hurt in Week 2 but has since has been a turnover machine who doesn't come through in the clutch.
Cousins led the NFL in interceptions with eight after Sunday's games -- even though he didn't play in Week 1. He had three in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals, and Gruden said Cousins could have avoided all three. Cousins' fourth-quarter passer rating for the season is a substandard 67.3.
Even more glaring is Cousins' rating on third downs. It's 39.8. No other quarterback in the league with enough attempts to qualify was below 60.
Nevertheless, Gruden said Monday said Cousins will continue to start, ruling out a switch to backup Colt McCoy for Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans.
For what it's worth, Brian Mitchell, who played in Washington for 10 seasons and is now a commentator, said on Comcast SportsNet's post-game show that benching Cousins would make a lot of sense right now.
"I think we have to hold Kirk to the same standard we held Robert to. And if Kirk Cousins can't get the job done, then there's another quarterback sitting there," Mitchell said, via Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post. "Colt McCoy is the next guy out there. I don't see what the problem would be.
As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith pointed out, the problem would be that McCoy, who was the Browns' starter in 2010 and 2011, has done nothing to make anyone think he's a competent NFL quarterback. Unfortunately, neither has Cousins: Washington has lost four straight games, and Cousins' three-interception fourth quarter on Sunday doomed any chance the team had of beating the Cardinals.
Cousins now has two different three-interception quarters this season; Griffin has never thrown three interceptions in a game.
As White suggested, it's a change that might be more logical to make if quarterback were the only position with issues. The Redskins, for instance, finished Sunday's game without their top three cornerbacks from the start of the season because of injuries.
The running game continues to struggle. Alfred Morris on Sunday had two dubious firsts in his career: No first downs rushing, and no rushes of 10-plus yards.
Most of the time, Morris is responsible for making his own hole to run through. The NFL's second-leading rusher in 2012-13 managed just 70 yards on 26 carries in the losses to the Cardinals and the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks who were shocked at home Sunday by Dallas over the last week.
"We need more from everybody," Gruden said. "We're not getting enough from anybody. ..."
No doubt; the Redskins have scored 20 or fewer points in four of their six games and have produced just 58 points in 180 minutes after halftime.
Worth noting. ... Griffin, who suffered a dislocated ankle in the first quarter of the team's September 14 game against the Jaguars, is slated to start some limited practice activities when the team returns to work on Wednesday.
"I think he's going to start individual drills this week," said Gruden. "As far as actually taking practice reps I think that will be at least another week. We'll get him out there, do some individual drills, throw some balls to balls to the wideouts. That will be the first step. Then next week we'll try to get him maybe in some practice situations and see where he is."
Last week Griffin started doing some agility drills and before Sunday's game in Arizona he was doing what appeared to be full-speed sprints form sideline to sideline.
According to some recent reports, Gruden and the Redskins would want Griffin to get in a full week or two of practice before playing in a game. The timetable leaves open the possibility that Griffin could start the team's Monday night game in Dallas on October 27, but the situation seems to be quite fluid.
Also. ... Gruden said the two players on the Physically Unable to Perform List -- DE Stephen Bowen and receiver Leonard Hankerson -- will return to practice Wednesday, the first day they are eligible.
Other notes of interest. ... According to Smith, DeSean Jackson is something special. Whatever issues were going on with Jackson and Chip Kelly in Philadelphia, the result was that Washington got itself an outstanding football player. Jackson is dynamite with the ball in his hands, as he showed Sunday against Arizona when he scored a 64-yard touchdown and also caught a 42-yard pass.
Jackson has a league-high five catches of 40 or more yards. Just think what he could do if he were in a better passing game than Washington's.
Jackson also he drew two penalties in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Reed did not play every snap in his first game back from a hamstring injury suffered in Week 1, but he made an impact as well with his ability to run after the catch. He was a matchup problem for Arizona. 

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  
QB: Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin 
RB: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, Silas Redd 
FB: Darrell Young 
WR: DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts, Aldrick Robinson, Ryan Grant, Santana Moss 
TE: Jordan Reed, Niles Paul, Logan Paulsen 
PK: Kai Forbath 
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