What Taylor's impact will be on the field will have to be determined.

As AZCardinals.com staffer Darren Urban suggested, it doesn't hurt to have a running back in the locker room who has been around, however, given that the most experience otherwise at the position is that Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling are entering their third NFL season.

"I don't think we have to," Wells said, "but it's always a good thing to bring someone in who knows."

That's the idea for now. Taylor knows how to be a reserve, since he has been one practically his entire decade in the NFL for Baltimore, Minnesota and Chicago. He knows how to run, how to catch, how to pass block.

He also knows the makeup within his new meeting room.

"You try to being veteran leadership and try to help them through the season," Taylor told Urban. "I just want to bring what I can."

Taylor did not practice Monday, missing while he signed his contract and got his physical. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt called Taylor "a good fit." Some move at the position was expected from the time rookie Ryan Williams ruptured his patella tendon in the second preseason game.

Wells is still expected to be the workhorse carrying the ball, which is what he has been hoping for since he arrived in the league.

Even before Williams was hurt, Wells said he felt he would have that role. It isn't going to change with Taylor's arrival.

"I can't wait until Sunday," Wells said. "I wanted to be in this position, I'm blessed to be in this position, and I have been working to be in this position. I am ready."

How Taylor fits into the Cards' offense will be story going forward. Whisenhunt said he can do pretty much anything needed -- his versatility was one of his attractive traits, especially an ability to pass protect. Stephens-Howling has shown playmaking ability in preseason and even before, however, and there will be an effort to get him chances with the football.

Whisenhunt said the Cards will "integrate him in and figure that out."

Smith could still be active on game days, although his primary role for now will likely be on special teams. Smith would have liked the idea of being the third back, but considering he wasn't in the league at this time last year and has mostly been on the practice squad, "as long as I am going forward" Smith said he is OK.

Tight end Todd Heap played with Taylor with the Ravens, endorsing Taylor's ability to catch the ball and, more importantly, set a good example as a hard worker in practice.

"Obviously they will be helping him out early, getting him up to speed, but there are always things a veteran like Chester can bring," Heap said. ...

Worth noting: The Carolina Panthers were 23rd in run defense (124 yards a game) and allowed the second-most rushing scores (20) in 2010 and they weren't very effective this summer either. As USA Today's Roger Rotter notes, if Arizona passes successfully, Wells will find more room to run against the Panthers and start his comeback campaign with a solid effort. ...

Other notes of interest. ... As the Sports Xchange notes, Kevin Kolb has looked sharp in the preseason, despite learning a new offense. He gives the team mobility at the position, something it hasn't had in years. He needs to stay healthy, however, because John Skelton and Rich Bartel don't have much experience. They are in a tight battle for the backup job. Coaches love Bartel's intelligence and he's a bit older than Skelton.

Meanwhile, Larry Fitzgerald is still as good as anyone else in the league. Andre Roberts replaces Steve Breaston at the No. 2 spot. Coaches thought Breaston wasn't as explosive as he once was, and Roberts' speed and quickness is underrated. He's yet to prove he can fill this role, however. That said, Roberts caught nearly everything thrown his way this summer and he also displayed great ability to run after the catch.

Chansi Stuckey is a solid veteran. Stephen Williams and rookie DeMarco Sampson have great upside and give the team two long, rangy receivers coming off the bench.

The team is deeper at tight end than at any time in its Arizona history. Jeff King is a great blocker, while Heap is the receiving threat the team has been lack for years. A rookie, Rob Housler is fast and sure-handed. There is a role for him in this offense. Jim Dray, a seventh-round pick a year ago, is a solid blocker and he's smart. It's hard to keep four tight ends but Dray was too valuable to cut.

Starting at quarterback, where Matt Ryan appears to be on the verge of very big things.

As the Sports Xchange notes, in three seasons, Ryan has thrown for 10,061 yards, which ranks fifth in franchise history. Last season, he established single-game career highs in attempts/completions (50/32 vs. Baltimore in Week 10) and completion percentage (85.7 vs. Green Bay in Week 12).

He has posted a 33-13 record as a starter and has led the Falcons to the playoffs twice. However, the team is 0-2 in the playoffs. He is becoming a master at operating the no-huddle attack and the team could eventually turn the reigns over to him.

Chris Redman is still a solid backup and will be ready for any emergencies.

Running back is similarly stocked.

In 102 career games (43 starts), Michael Turner has totaled 1,116 carries for 5,198 yards (4.6 average), 45 touchdowns and a career long rush of 83 yards, which went for a touchdown. He first broke the 1,000-yard mark in his career in 2008 while earning his first Pro Bowl selection. Last season, Turner managed to churn out 1,371 yards after suffering a groin injury in the second game of the season. He had offseason surgery and appears ready to carry the load again.

Fullback Ovie Mughelli is one of the game's top lead blockers and will surprise some teams with his hands in the passing game.

The versatile Jason Snelling can play running back and fullback. He's a threat in the passing game. Jacquizz Rodgers was hurt by the lockout and is still learning the system. He's run the ball well in the preseason, but has to learn his pass protections.

The team elected to go young at wide receiver. They were able to get rookie Julio Jones a playbook when the lockout was temporarily lifted and had Ryan teach it to him. He should be able to hit the ground running and help keep teams from doubling Roddy White, who led the league with 115 catches last season.

While Jones needs to polish up his route-running ability, he's fast enough with his sub-4.4 speed to play through his mistakes.

Harry Douglas had an electric preseason and could develop into a force from the slot. Kerry Meier will have to contribute on special teams and serve as the main backup at all spots.

At tight end, Tony Gonzalez is still one of the best route-running tight ends in the game and must be accounted for by defensive coordinators.

In 14 NFL seasons, he has made 11 Pro Bowl appearances. He holds NFL records for career receptions (1,069), receiving yards (12,463), touchdown catches (88), 100-yard receiving games (27), Pro Bowl appearances (11) and 1,000-yard seasons (four) among all tight ends. While he has lost some of his speed, he is still a force.

Reggie Kelly, who was originally drafted by the Falcons in 1999, was signed after Justin Peelle suffered a knee injury and received an injury settlement. Michael Palmer is a promising second-year player with good hands.

Matt Bryant rounds out the scoring power.

All in all, the Falcons have solid Fantasy potential at every position and considerable depth at running back and receiver. I'm looking for a big season from all involved.

Now, the challenge is magnified because the first time the Ravens' projected starting offensive line will take a snap together in a game is the season opener against the high-pressure Steelers defense.

"We're going to make sure it's not a problem," HC John Harbaugh said after Monday's practice. "That's our jobs, all of us together, to make sure it's not a problem. We're playing on Sunday at 1 o'clock. We're not making any excuses. We know what they're going to do. They know what we're going to do. There'll be a few wrinkles here and there and we'll go play. I'm very confident in how we're going to play."

This offensive line -- left tackle Bryant McKinnie, left guard Ben Grubbs, center Matt Birk, right guard Marshal Yanda and right tackle Michael Oher -- has a combined 32 years of NFL experience. But this group hasn't lined up together in the preseason because of injuries and the timing of the signings.

Birk missed the entire preseason after having knee surgery Aug. 3. Yanda was sidelined for the last three preseason games because of back spasms. And McKinnie was signed by the Ravens on Aug. 24, which moved Oher from left to right tackle.

So, the only lineman who played at his season-opening starting spot for more than one game in the preseason was Grubbs.

Keeping the Steelers off Flacco hasn't been easy for the Ravens, even when no one was questioning the chemistry of the offensive line.

In the past eight meetings with the Steelers, the Ravens have allowed 28 sacks. Outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley have combined for 12 of them, but Pittsburgh has had 10 players record at least one, which shows that this defense comes from all angles.

To make matters worse, the Ravens aren't sure whether Birk will be ready to start Sunday. Birk, who hasn't missed a start since 2005, described himself as questionable.

Birk's status is a major reason why the Ravens signed Andre Gurode to a one-year deal Monday. Gurode, who went to the Pro Bowl the past five seasons, was recently released by the Dallas Cowboys. The Ravens didn't have to make a corresponding roster move because they get a one-game exemption with the suspension of wide receiver David Reed.

Gurode practiced with the team Monday before leaving early to return home to pick up his belongings. ...

Meanwhile, Flacco is coming off a career year in which he set personal highs in passing yards (3,622) and touchdowns (25) while setting the team mark for quarterback rating (93.6). But Flacco has a tendency to hold onto the ball too long and not go through his reads quick enough.

He also has a tendency to turn the ball over in critical times (six interceptions and three fumbles in five losses in 2010).

Tyrod Taylor has been the Ravens' No. 2 quarterback the entire preseason, but the Ravens probably will look to add a veteran who is cut before giving the backup job to a rookie sixth-round pick. Tayor is working with a bruised shoulder this week.

As the Sports Xchange notes, Ray Rice is primed to have a career season with Vonta Leach leading the way. Leach, who is the highest-paid fullback playing in the NFL, was the lead blocker for last year's NFL rushing champion Arian Foster.

Rice is a versatile playmaker who had nine games where he produced 100 total yards from scrimmage. But Rice didn't have as many long runs (only four over 20 yards) and his average dropped from 5.3 yards per carry in 2009 to 4.0 this year because he didn't get many big holes up front.

This week, Rice will be going up against the Steelers perennial top rush defense which ranked first by allowing the least rushing yards (63 a game) and permitting the fewest rushing scores (five) last season.

Rice averaged 26 rushing yards and 40 total yards without scoring in either meeting last season.

Ricky Williams takes over for Willis McGahee as the Ravens' big back who can complement Rice. He is a year removed from a 1,000-yard season.

At wideout, the Ravens replaced Derrick Mason, the franchise's all-time leading receiver, with Lee Evans, the best deep threat on the team in recent memory. Evans' downfield presence is a better compliment to Anquan Boldin's style as a physical possession receiver.

In his first season with the Ravens, Boldin didn't live up to expectations of being a No. 1 wide receiver. He led the Ravens with 64 catches, but those were his fewest for a 16-game season. Boldin had nine games in which he had fewer than 50 yards receiving. Mason picked up the slack in the second half of the season when he got open more than Boldin.

Worth noting, Evans returned to practice Monday and said that his injured left ankle is much improved. "I was able to run and move and cut, made a few plays," he said. "So it was good to just get out there and run around."

Since the Ravens acquired him on Aug. 13, Evans led the team in the preseason with 128 receiving yards on six catches, and he caught a touchdown in a 34-31 win against the Washington Redskins on Aug. 25. But Evans wore a protective boot on his left foot in the team's first practice after that contest and did not participate in the remaining sessions in the preseason.

"We were doing a lot of precautionary things," he said. "But you've got to stay on top of things. So it's just a matter of working back, and it was good to be out there today."

Evans said he understood that it was necessary for him to miss practice to rehab his ankle.

"Any rest you can get during the season is well-welcomed," he said. "So it feels good. Like I said, it was good to rest for a little bit, but it's better to be out there now."

The Ravens have to be hoping Evans will be at full speed. As Sun staffer Mike Preston pointed out, the best way to attack the Steelers is to use multiple receiver sets and spread them out, putting their linebackers in space. Green Bay did an excellent job of doing that to Pittsburgh in the Super Bowl.

But to spread them out, a team has to have several good receivers. Right now, the Ravens have just two proven ones in Boldin and Evans. There is no No. 3 -- not one who has proven himself, anyway. If Evans can't go, they can't attack downfield. If Evans can't play, Pittsburgh just has to shut down the run and double up on Boldin.

David Reed, Torrey Smith, Tandon Doss and LaQuan Williams round out the receiving corps.

At tight end, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta, who were both 2010 draft picks, are going to try to combine to fill the void left by Todd Heap, a salary-cap cut who later signed with the Cardinals. Dickson is an athletic tight end who will stretch defenses down the seam. Pitta has better hands than Dickson but he doesn't have the same speed. Wilson is the best run blocker in this group.

PK Billy Cundiff is trying to repeat his first Pro Bowl season. Last year, he tied an NFL record with 40 touchbacks and converted 26 of 29 field goals.

"It's a great honor to be a starter in the NFL now. It took a lot of work to get here and there's still a lot of work to be done," Jones said Monday. "It's hard to get here and even harder to keep it."

Replacing Evans -- who was traded to Baltimore during training camp -- is one of the offense's biggest tasks heading into the season opener. It's a job quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick feels Jones can handle.

"We really see him as a legitimate receiver. He is a guy we can get the ball to down the field," Fitzpatrick said earlier this preseason. "He is a guy we want to get the ball into his hands so he can make plays. We've really liked what Donald has done so far. He is going to be a very big part of our offense this year."

Jones' ascension to a starting role happened quicker than anyone -- himself included -- thought would happen after he made the team as an undrafted free agent out of Youngstown State last year.

"If you keep working hard you never know what's going to happen in the front office and things with the coaches. If you keep working hard you'll get there at some point. I didn't think it would happen this quickly," he said. "Obviously I'd hoped it would happen one day, but not this quickly. ..."

Meanwhile, as the Toronto Globe and Mail suggested, Fitzpatrick's accuracy is always a concern, but the main worry is the strength of the offensive line, a continuing trend in Buffalo. There are two new starters (RT Erik Pears, RG Kraig Urbik) and Eric Wood has moved from tight guard to center. Plus, Demetrius Bell is weak at left tackle.

Still, after assuming the starting job full-time in Week 3 a year ago, Fitzpatrick proceeded to post career numbers for yards (3,000) and touchdowns (23) and also showed some mobility, rushing for 269 yards, fifth among NFL quarterbacks.

But as the Sports Xchange stressed: At the end of the day and Fitzpatrick is a streaky player with limitations. When he's off, he's really off.

Tyler Thigpen was a very good free agent signing and gives the Bills much better insurance than they had. He knows head coach Chan Gailey's offense; they were together in Kansas City. Brad Smith is listed as Buffalo's third QB, but he'll dress game days as a receiver and enter the game to run the "Wildcat."

The Bills used him extensively in that role in the preseason and aren't hiding any secrets. Smith is a fun player to watch but he'd be more fun on a better team.

Fred Jackson is the team s No. 1 back, even though he s not very flashy. Jackson does the little things that a running back must do, particularly in pass protection and catching passes out of the backfield, but he s not a breakaway threat or big-play runner, just a grinder.

Former first-round pick C.J. Spiller certainly has the ability to be a big-play performer, but he continues to develop slowly and hasn't grasped how to run between the tackles in the NFL. It was apparent in the summer that Gailey wants to give Spiller more opportunities, and Jackson was none too happy about it, so that situation bears watching.

Corey McIntyre is a worthy fullback, but his playing time will be sparse.

Fitzpatrick no longer has Evans to throw to, but the wide receiving corps is potentially exciting with Stevie Johnson, Marcus Easley, Roscoe Parrish, David Nelson and Jones.

There are plenty of options going three- and four-wide, which Gailey loves to do frequently, in the veteran Parrish and young talents like Nelson and Easley. Gailey became the first Bills coach to actually utilize Parrish's dart-like presence, as he caught 33 passes for 400 yards. But injuries always seem to catch him even if defenders can't.

At tight end, Scott Chandler was the hands-down winner of the competition, and veteran David Martin will be used in short-yardage situations. Former fourth-round pick Shawn Nelson, a colossal disappointment, was waived.

The Bills also claimed tight end Lee Smith off waivers from the New England Patriots and released tight end Zack Pianalto. The 6-6, 269-pound Smith started 24 of 48 games at Marshall and recorded 75 catches for 791 yards and three touchdowns.

Rian Lindell ranks second in career field goals for the Bills with 191.

With a potential franchise quarterback in Cam Newton and a few new faces in the receiving corps join proven veteran Steve Smith in a fresh offensive system that hopes to add more downfield passing to compliment a very capable group of running backs.

The biggest question on the offense is the offensive line, particularly the right guard position, where the Panthers have lost Geoff Schwartz and Garry Williams.

In Newton, the Panthers have a potential franchise quarterback for the next decade. He's still facing a sharp learning curve, but he's shown flashes of what he can be, both with his arm strength and running ability. But Newton's a rookie and he'll struggle at times. He needs to become a more accurate passer and learn to read NFL defenses.

As the Charlotte Observer noted, it won't happen overnight.

Meanwhile, Derek Anderson knows the system and went to the Pro Bowl in 2007 in Cleveland with Rob Chudzinski as his coordinator. Anderson provides a stable backup and Clausen is a year older without the pressure to do it all himself.

With a new offense designed for more downfield passing, the receivers should play a bigger role this season. Smith is 32, but he's still dangerous and a headache for opposing teams, especially if they're forced to pay more attention to the other receivers.

But the Panthers don't have a dynamic No. 2 receiver. Legedu Naanee is solid, and Armanti Edwards needs to show he can catch passes in traffic. Bandon LaFell has had good moments but needs to show consistency.

The late addition of Seyi Ajirotutu, like Naanee a former Charger, gives the team another promising youngster familiar with the scheme. ...

Given all that, tight end might be the strongest part of the passing attack should factor heavily into what the Panthers do this season. Greg Olsen could have a huge season and be the team leader in receptions. Jeremy Shockey, who's never had fewer than 41 receptions in a season, brings a toughness that the Panthers were lacking last season and Ben Hartsock is an excellent blocker and all-around contributor.

One concern? Shockey has dealt with injury issues, missing 10 regular-season games the last three years.

With Newton learning on the job, running back will be a position of great importance this season.

If both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart stay healthy, they're among the most dynamic backfield duos in the league. By investing in Williams as they did, the Panthers showed they believe he can be as explosive as ever. Stewart, meanwhile, is a more physical runner, while Mike Goodson is a nice asset as a third running back.

Also, as the Sports Xchange notes, Carolina's running backs will be asked to do more as receivers in Chudzinski's offense this year. ...

Against the Cardinals this week? Expect the Panthers to run heavily. The Cardinals rated as one of the NFL's worst run defenses last year, allowing the third-most yards (145 a game) and touchdowns (19). ...

Remember, however; Williams missed 10 games last season and three in 2009, which is a concern. Goodson has also had a problem with fumbling and spent part of the preseason carrying a football everywhere he went as a reminder to hold it tight. ...

Another strength? The Panthers felt strongly enough about Olindo Mare that they said goodbye to John Kasay. Mare has made 81 percent of his field goal attempts over 14 seasons, so he's definitely reliable. The worst that can be said about Mare is his career-long field goal is 54 yards.

Forte was looking for an extension as he headed into the fourth and final year on his rookie contract, but general manager Jerry Angelo said talks are most likely off until after the season.

"We've spent a lot of time trying to work out an extension with Matt, and his agent did as much work as he could do. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to come to an agreement at this point, so we've decided that we're just going to focus on the season," Angelo told WBBM-AM on Monday night. "That's something we talked about when we went into the negotiations."

Fifth in the NFL with 4,731 yards from scrimmage since he entered the league, Forte had considered holding out at the start of training camp but decided against it. The Bears were willing to negotiate, but the talks are being tabled for now.

The season opens this week against the Atlanta Falcons, and that's where Angelo said the focus lies. He's not completely ruling out a new deal by the end of the year, though.

"Not saying the door is shut," he said on the radio. "But right now our focus is going to be on the season."

He said the decision to break off the talks was mutual and added, "We visited a few times in our last meeting. We felt like with the season upon us, that right now we want to focus -- Matt wants to focus -- on the season and having a great year that we all expect and know that we will."

If they don't agree to a deal before the end of the season, Forte could test the market. The Bears could also slap him with the franchise-player tag.

Forte wasn't the only high-profile player looking for a new deal.

Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs said he wants to be traded if the Bears won't rework his six-year, $36 million deal, and with three seasons left on it, Angelo said the Bears won't address his situation until the offseason.

But from a Fantasy perspective, Forte's issue is of more interest.

Several other starting running backs have received new contracts since the lockout ended, including the Carolina Panthers' DeAngelo Williams (five years, $43 million, $21 million guaranteed), the Tennessee Titans' Chris Johnson (six years, $55.26 million, $30 million guaranteed) and the San Francisco 49ers' Frank Gore (three years, $21 million). ...

It will be interesting to see how Forte handles his business on the field going forward. The hope here is he gets supremely motivated in an effort to maximize his value and leverage following the season.

Remember: Forte is the Marshall Faulk in the current edition of coordinator Mike Martz's offense, although no one is putting him in the same category yet as the Hall of Famer. Still, Forte has the versatility to run inside and outside, and he tied for the team lead last season with 51 receptions while establishing a career-best 4.5 yards per carry. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Marion Barber looks fresher, quicker and stronger than he did in Dallas last year. He should be the short-yardage specialist and provide Forte down time when needed. Kalil Bell has become a versatile backup by improving his pass-catching ability. He has enough size to run inside and enough speed to have ripped off a 72-yard run the first time he touched the ball as a pro in 2009.

Bell's sprained ankle Thursday night in the preseason finale could have thrown a twist into the decision to release Chester Taylor, but Bell downplayed the injury, and the Bears parted ways with Taylor on Saturday. ...

As for the passing attack. .... Jay Cutler made significant strides last season, despite operating behind a porous offensive line, which he could have blamed for some of his struggles but did not. Last year's No. 3, Caleb Hanie, has moved up to the No. 2 spot with. It remains to be seen if his solid performance in last season's NFC title game won over Martz, who was not one of Hanie's biggest fans last season.

Nathan Enderle was not drafted to be a No. 3 forever; Martz seems to like him more than Hanie but Enderle is still considered a project.

At wideout, there is plenty of big-play ability with speedsters Devin Hester and Johnny Knox, and veteran Roy Williams was added to give the unit a bigger target besides Earl Bennett, who was the only proven member of the cast with any size.

Bennett is a solid and reliable possession guy and might wind up being the leading pass catcher even though he's technically only a starter in three-WR sets. He is unafraid to work the middle of the field and Cutler has confidence in him and his steady hands.

Williams as one time was a dominant wideout in Martz's offenses in Detroit, but he was unimpressive in three years with the Cowboys and his play was "underwhelming" during training camp and the preseason leaving many scratching their heads over his promotion ahead of Knox.

Don't be surprised if Knox moves ahead of Williams in short order.

Also, as SI.com's Peter King noted this week, Martz likes Ohio State product Dane Sanzenbacher, who could end up being the kind of valuable slot receiver Az Hakim or Mike Furrey were for Martz.

King also suggests the departures of Greg Olsen (trade) and Desmond Clark (waived) is further proof that Martz prefers his offense to come from anyone but a tight end.

Matt Spaeth and Kellen Davis are both 6-foot-7 and considered more blockers than pass catchers, although the Sports Xhange suggests both could pass for NBA players with their long, lean body types. Both are capable of figuring in the pass game, but that won't be their primary responsibilities. Spaeth and Davis are both considered to have some upside. ...

PK Robbie Gould is the fifth-most accurate FG kickers in NFL history, and his distance on kickoffs has improved every year. He struggled with timing a bit in the preseason as he adjusted to the holds of Adam Podlesh but nobody in Chicago seems too concerned.

After the Bengals won the AFC North and Lewis was named NFL Coach of the Year in 2009, there was a big dropoff last year. The team finished 4-12, which included a 10-game losing streak, and Carson Palmer declared that he wanted out.

With the selection of A.J. Green and Andy Dalton in the first two rounds, the trade of Chad Ochocinco and some retooling on defense, Lewis enters his ninth season with plenty of optimism.

"This team is rested, ready to go and will have the energy and enthusiasm we'll need as we start the season," he said. ...

We shall see. ...

One person who's definitely happy to be back in Cincinnati is Cedric Benson, who returned to Paul Brown Stadium on Monday after serving five days in an Austin, Texas, jail for a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a 2010 incident.

The sentence was 20 days but with good behavior and doing some work in jail, Benson served five. When Benson was sentenced last Monday, his attorney said it would be served during the bye week but after discussions between his attorney and the Bengals, Benson decided to serve it immediately.

"I didn't want to spend my bye week sitting in jail and wanted to get it behind me and focus on football," Benson told Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Joe Reedy. "I'm not fit for jail. No one is. When you experience that you realize how much you don't want to experience it again. It was a nice little wakeup call so to speak and it was nice to taste that and hopefully never have to do it again."

While in jail, Benson helped mop floors and assisting the paint crews, which helped reduce the time. It is also the same policy for purposes of calculating jail time credit for every inmate under the same circumstance.

Going into Sunday's game at Cleveland, Benson has had good success against the Browns. In four games as a Bengal, Benson has rushed for 150 yards or more twice including last year's Week 15 win in Cincinnati, where he had 150 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown. It was also in that game where he went over 1,000 yards for the second straight season. In the four games, Benson has 455 yards on 102 carries.

Said Benson of the Browns: "They have always been tough in the trenches and we have to try to be mistake free and move the ball on the ground. ..."

Benson, who averaged 3.5 yards per carry, had a career-high 321 carries last season. He is well suited to Gruden's power running attack and is a between-the-tackles back who has a little bit of a burst in the open field.

Bernard Scott provides a nice change of pace as an outside the numbers type runner and has tremendous quickness. The coaching staff hopes to get him 10-12 touches a game this year. Brian Leonard is more of a third-down back who can catch the ball out of the backfield along with being one of the team's best blocking backs in passing situations. Cedric Peerman is a short-yardage back used more for special teams.

The running game started to thrive last year when the Bengals went back to a conventional fullback. Chris Pressley is a physical blocker and has helped open running room to the outside. ...

In a related note. ... With a rookie quarterback and wanting to utilize a power running game, the last thing the Bengals needed coming into the season was something to happen to their offensive line. Yet that is exactly what happened on last Saturday when Bobbie Williams was placed on the suspended list for a violation of the league's policy on performance enhancing substances.

Williams' suspension, which was the result of an offseason test which took place before the lockout, starts immediately. He is not eligible to return until Oct. 10, which is the day after the Buffalo game.

The right side of the line, with Williams at guard and Andre Smith coming into his own at tackle, looked pretty good during the preseason, especially in run blocking. The early favorite to take over for Williams is fourth-round pick Clint Boling, who saw action at right and left during the preseason along with some snaps with the first team. ...

And what of the passing attack?

As the Sports Xchange notes, Dalton led the Bengals to five scoring drives during the preseason but he started off slow in each game with four first-quarter turnovers. He also has started off each game with high throws but has progressed as the game has gone along. Bruce Gradkowski has had an erratic preseason but has experience in the West Coast system and has been a spot starter in the past.

On the other end of the passes, Green and Jerome Simpson give the Bengals a pair of deep threats that can stretch the field. The biggest problem right now is inexperience. Green is a first-round pick while the most extensive action of Simpson's career came in the final three games last season.

Andre Caldwell is the most experienced receiver on the team and can play a variety of spots. Jordan Shipley has found a home as the slot receiver and should be a good underneath option for Dalton.

Cincinnati got fortunate Sunday, being awarded Brandon Tate on waivers from the Patriots.

As SI.com's Peter King suggests, Tate, at his best, is a top-five kick returner, which the Bengals needed. Tate and Ryan Whalen could see action in four-receiver sets but are more likely to make contributions on special teams.

At tight end, Jermaine Gresham tied AFC rookies in receptions and was second in yards last year. He provides a good underneath valve as Dalton has often made him second when going through his progressions. Colin Cochart, an undrafted free agent, has the inside track on the second tight end spot because Mickey Shuler was claimed off waivers Sunday. ...

And finally, even coming off a knee injury that ended his 2010 season early, Mike Nugent has one of the better ranges in the league when it comes to field goals. The knee hasn't been an issue this summer.

For last year's season opener against Tampa Bay, the Browns had a league-high 18 players who were 30 or older. This year, they have nine. In 2010, Cleveland's average age on Week 1 was an AFC-high 27.49 and the Browns had six rookie or first-year players. Their current average age is 26.01 with 15 rookie or first-year players.

"We got young in a hurry," Shurmur said. "That's no excuse for failure."

But their youth is probably why so little is expected from the Browns this season. They are rebuilding with youngsters, ones who will have to grow up in a hurry for Cleveland to escape this 12-year cycle of losing. Youth has been served. It remains to be seen if it will survive.

"I look at it positively, we're going to find out pretty quick who can play and who can't," said Dawson, 36. "I still believe there are enough veteran guys around here to steer the way. We're certainly young, there's no way around it, but ignorance is bliss some times. We'll embrace it and go with it."

When the Browns take the field for their opener Sunday against Cincinnati, they'll do so with inexperienced players dotting their starting lineup and at vital positions.

Quarterback Colt McCoy, who turned 25 on Monday, made eight starts as a rookie last season, which he began as the team's No. 3 QB. McCoy will be protected up front by rookie left guard Jason Pinkston, pressed into duty sooner than expected after Eric Steinbach underwent season-ending back surgery. One of McCoy's top targets will be rookie wide receiver Greg Little and McCoy will likely hand the ball to running backs Montario Hardesty and Armond Smith, who have yet to play one snap as pros.

Following a 5-11 season, general manager Tom Heckert entered the offseason with a goal to make the Browns younger. Heckert cut the veterans brought in by former coach Eric Mangini, whose ex-Jets did little to turn around the Browns. Heckert also signed free agents in their 20s and kept all eight 2011 draft picks.

"We knew we were an older team last year and it wasn't necessarily just the age, we wanted to improve at certain positions," Heckert said. "We just wanted to get younger from a team perspective. We want guys that are going to be out there all the time and it's tough when you get older. That's just the way it is.

"It wasn't really a statement where we are going to get younger, but we know building through the draft that you're going to get younger anyway. That's kind of been our plan."

The good news?

McCoy is playing confidently and he showed in preseason he can stand up to a heavy pass rush. He has an accurate arm and it is strong enough to operate in the West Coast offense. Backup Seneca Wallace is schooled in the West Coast and can play for McCoy in a short span.

Peyton Hillis is the workhorse in the backfield. He carried the ball 270 times last year and might have a similar workload despite the switch to a West Coast offense. Running back gets shaky after that because there are concerns how Hardesty will hold up after missing all of 2010 recovering from knee surgery. Brandon Jackson is already sidelined for the season with a turf toe injury and Smith had trouble holding onto the ball in preseason.

Owen Marecic has a lot to live up to replacing Lawrence Vickers at fullback. His main job will be as a blocker and occasional receiver.

Tight end is the deepest position on the roster. Ben Watson caught 68 passes last year. That number might diminish, but this is a tight-end friendly offense and Watson will be active again. He is the best blocker/receiver among the tight ends. Evan Moore splits out wide more than he lines up tight to the tackle. He is a perfect downfield target for McCoy.

Rookie Jordan Cameron will play in some formations, but for the most part will play on special teams. Alex Smith can line up as a fullback. He is a solid blocker.

Worth noting: Watson is dealing with a sore hip this week. Shurmur hopes the veteran will return to practice soon.

As for the wideouts. ... As the Sports Xchange noted, preseason was supposed to be the time for McCoy to get his timing down with his receivers, but Mohamed Massaquoi missed the first four weeks with a chipped bone in his left foot, Josh Cribbs was sidelined with a hamstring injury, Jordan Norwood had a knee injury and Carlton Mitchell broke a finger causing him to miss two games.

The coaches are confident they can get by without a star wide receiver in the West Coast offense. Cribbs was catching the ball consistently before the hamstring injury sidelined him. Little is raw, but has a huge upside. He and McCoy have developed a strong chemistry. Massaquoi and Robiskie are steady, but not spectacular.

Massaquoi should be ready for the season opener, Shurmur said.

"I think based on what I saw, he'll be available and we'll play him," Shurmur said. "Everybody that is suited up needs to be ready to play every snap. ..."

Robiskie and Massaquoi are listed as the starting receivers on the team's official depth chart. Cribbs and Little are listed as the top backups; Norwood has worked primarily out of the slot all summer and has been first man off the bench. ...

PK Phil Dawson is back for a 13th season, this time as the Browns' franchise player. He has a stronger leg than he is given credit for nationally. The Browns had two kickers in camp -- Dawson was by himself the last two years -- and that kept him fresh.

Also on the injury front: RT Tony Pashos was in a walking boot on his left leg while the Browns stretched after practice. Pashos missed 10 games last season after undergoing right ankle surgery. Shurmur said not to "read into" the injury, but it's notable the club signed 10-year vet Artis Hicks, who has made 68 career starts.

Yet those guys are three-fifths of the Cowboys' offensive line that will protect Tony Romo in the opener Sunday night, a game that also marks his first real action since breaking a collarbone last October.

As much pressure as that might seem, it's not even the full story.

As Associated Press sports writer Jaime Aron notes, the Cowboys will be trying to slow a Jets defense that could be more aggressive than usual because their head coach, Rex Ryan, will be looking to show off with his twin brother, Rob Ryan, across the field coordinating the Dallas defense. They also have to deal with the setting: a nationally broadcast, prime-time game from New York on a night when the city will pay tribute to the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

Can these blockers handle all of that?

"I think we're banking on it," Romo said Monday. "These guys have done a good job coming together. They're starting to jell. They just have to go out and play, do what they've been coached to do. I think we've got a good group of guys. Guys are going to work hard and give it their all out there, and that's all that you can ask."

Smith was the Cowboys' top draft pick and has been at right tackle since he arrived near the start of training camp. Nagy, a seventh-round pick, moved into the lineup at left guard midway through camp.

Costa played center on the first team early in camp when Andre Gurode was hurt. Once Gurode returned, Costa mostly played with the second team. He was injured around the same time the Cowboys decided to cut Gurode and hand him the job. So he hasn't even snapped the ball since earning his promotion.

He did some work Monday and is expected to go practice fully on Wednesday.

"I'm glad they put the confidence in me," Costa said. "I'm just happy to have this opportunity."

The Cowboys decided to get younger and more athletic on the line during training camp, shedding the age, size and contracts of Gurode, Leonard Davis and Marc Colombo. The holdovers are left tackle Doug Free and Kyle Kosier, who has moved from left guard to right guard.

The overall crew remains in flux. Dallas kept veteran guard Montrae Holland and second-year tackle Sam Young when the roster was whittled to 53 players on Saturday, but already has dropped both, replacing them with guard Derrick Dockery, who'd been without a job the entire preseason, and fullback Tony Fiammetta. The Cowboys didn't have a single fullback on the roster.

Per Aron, head coach Jason Garrett's confidence in the linemen is typical of his outlook for the whole club. After all, they've yet to miss a block or lose a game so far this season.

"When you're zero wins and zero losses with the whole season in front of you," Garrett said, "I think you are hopeful. ..."

But Romo will need more than hope to succeed this week.

The Jets' defense dominated at home last season, yielding 12.5 points a game. It allowed a passing average of only 188 yards and one TD and forced 10 interceptions. Only two quarterbacks managed to pass for at least 250 yards on the road against the Jets, and just two signal callers had multiple passing scores.

Also of interest. ... Pro Bowl wide receiver Miles Austin missed the final three preseason games with a hamstring injury and didn't catch a pass in the preseason opener against the Broncos. But he should practice Wednesday and be ready to go for the season opener against the Jets.

Romo says he has no worries about being on the same page with Austin because the two are so close and have good chemistry. Romo considers himself lucky to have Austin and Dez Bryant as his receivers.

He says he is starting develop a good relationship with Bryant, and predicts a breakout season for the second-year player.

According to the Sporting News, the Cowboys worked out receiver Laurent Robinson on Tuesday but will wait until Wednesday before making a final decision on signing him for this week or ever. Receiver is an issue because the Cowboys have little experience behind Bryant and Austin. Kevin Ogletree, Jesse Holley and rookie sixth-round pick Dwayne Harris have a combined 10 career catches, all by Ogletree. ...

At tight end, Jason Witten is a trusted and reliable weapon. He is still in the prime of his career, putting up numbers that could make him a future Hall of Famer. He remains Romo's favorite target on short-to-intermediate routes and became reliable in the red zone last season. Look for him to again put up big numbers. The bonus for Witten is the Cowboys finally finding ways to use him in the goal line package; he scored a career-high nine touchdowns last season. His catches may go down as the Cowboys incorporate Bryant into the offense but look for his touchdowns to remain high.

Martellus Bennett is still a conundrum for the Cowboys. He has yet to live up to his enormous athletic potential because of mental lapses that cause him to drop passes. He is a good blocker. But the Cowboys can't trust him in the passing game. He is sidelined into possibly the first game of the regular season with a sprained ankle.

John Phillips doesn't have Bennett's size or athleticism. But he is reliable as a blocker, receiver and special teams player. ...

Felix Jones has been of the Cowboys' most impressive players in the preseason. He has always been good in space with his speed and quickness. But as the Sports Xchange notes, Jones has shown surprising power and he's trying develop into a complete back capable of running between the tackles.

The only question about him as he takes on the role of featured back in the Cowboys' offense is can he carry the load for a full season.

He has shared the ball as the change-of-pace runner in the past -- covering his entire career dating back to high school. If he can hold up, look out for a special season from Jones.

Meanwhile, Tashard Choice heard the speculative whispers throughout preseason: rookies DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner could push him off the Cowboys' roster. Murray and Tanner made the team behind Jones. So did Choice, despite calf and knee injuries that sidelined him for three of four preseason games.

"I couldn't practice, so my best thing to do was do the best I could to get back on the field," Choice said. "I don't worry about how well Felix does, Tanner does, DeMarco does, because that's what they're supposed to do. They're in the NFL. All I'm worried about is me getting back on the field. I know what I can do.

"I love getting back out there, but I love those guys when they do well. They deserve it."

Admittedly, the whispers bothered Choice. Competition is fine, but he didn't like the perception that the backs were pitted against each other.

They're all here. Now, finding a role for all four is quite a task for Garrett.

According to the team's official web site, it's quite possible the Cowboys can keep only three active on game days, particularly if Fiammetta becomes a fixture on offense. Jones is a certainty, and probably Murray, too, as long as he continues to make progress following his hamstring injury.

The No. 3 back since 2008, Choice knows carries will be scarce. He, Murray and Tanner likely will have to contribute on special teams.

"Only really two guys play," Choice said. "That's just the NFL. That's how it is."

Having missed the preseason finale with a swollen knee, Choice said his top priority is getting back into game shape. Where he fits on Sunday and beyond remains to be seen. ...

One worry this week? The Jets' defense ranked third for rushing yards (91 a game) overall and allowed zero 100-yard rushing games at home last season. As USA Today's Roger Rotter noted, only one running back scored on the Jets' home turf, and just two running backs exceeded 72 total yards on the road against New York in 2010.

Rotter believes Jones will find it difficult to create big plays after the Jets rated in the NFL's top quarter of yielding the fewest runs of 20 or more yards (eight) in 2010. ...

The Cowboys kept two PKs, rookie Dan Bailey and inconsistent incumbent David Buehler.

Buehler will handle kickoffs and Bailey will do field goals and extra points. He was the Lou Groza Award winner in college last season but he was up and down throughout training camp. Unlike when Nick Folk won the kicking job as a rookie four years ago with a perfect showing in camp and the preseason, Bailey wasn't a slam dunk choice. But he did make both of his attempts during the preseason, from 37 and 41 yards.

While the 2010 first-round pick can practice, he's not yet in game shape, so his return to the game day lineup is not imminent.

He acknowledged there is no timetable for his return to the field, although the decision to remove him from the physically-unable-to-perform list implies that the Broncos expect him to play within the next six weeks.

"There's going to be a window of time to get him in football shape and that's what we're doing now except that we're doing it earlier," head coach John Fox said.

Thomas has been running in recent weeks, and saw his progress accelerate when he rejoined the team for training camp following the lockout.

"Basically, beating a defender and getting my cardio back is the first thing, because I feel like my leg is strong, but beating a defender, cardio, reading defenses, it's just the mental things," Thomas said. "Once I get that down, I feel like I'll be fine."

The Broncos plan to ease him back to game shape.

"He's going to be running scout team eventually in full pads, and we'll see how he is," general manager Brian Xanders said on Saturday. "We've got to get him in shape leg-wise, quadriceps, hamstrings and all of that has to be working well.

"We'll see how he does. Hopefully it's sooner than later."

The swiftness of his return -- to practice, at least -- surprised the second-year wide receiver.

"I actually thought I was going to be on PUP when the lockout was over with, because I never ran," Thomas said. "Then once I came in (to training camp), I started doing different things and I did stuff that I wasn't doing in the offseason and it got better, and I just kept progressing, and every week it got better, so, it comes from there. ..."

Moving on to the guys who'll be asked to get the job done right away -- meaning this coming Monday night against Oakland, there are no surprises.

At quarterback, the Broncos took their shot to trade Kyle Orton early in camp, convinced they needed to give the popular Tim Tebow a shot, but might realize they are fortunate it didn't work out.

Orton's superior play in camp and in preseason games quickly distanced himself from Tebow and actually created a two-man battle between Brady Quinn and Tebow for the No. 2 job that isn't completely settled.

The fact teams don't have to declare a No. 3 QB this season will mean Tebow could be available for short-yardage packages and Quinn for more passing-heavy situations should Orton go down.

At running back, Knowshon Moreno is in the best shape of his career and averted a camp injury for the first time, so he'll get the first snaps. But this is a no-doubt committee with Willis McGahee, who actually could emerge as the team's short-yardage and red-zone scoring option. Lance Ball stuck over Jeremiah Johnson.

As USA Today's Roger Rotter pointed out, the Raiders allowed the NFL's fourth-most rushing yards (134 a game) and were the 10th worst for yielding scores on the ground (14). After scoring 20 touchdowns in a part-time role for the Baltimore Ravens during the past two years, McGahee had three TDs for the Broncos during the preseason.

Spenser Larsen could be joined by a second fullback, rookie Austin Sylvester, who's had his moments taking on defenders one-on-one in the hole.

According to the Sports Xchange, the Broncos will go heavy in two-tight formations with Daniel Fells and rookie Julius Thomas, whose body control and hands underscore his basketball background but whose quick development 15 months into his football career is shocking.

Thomas will align split out often and stretch the seam in the passing game.

Fellow rookie Virgil Green went from the roster bubble to beating out the likes of Richard Quinn, Dan Gronkowski and Dante Rosario for the third spot at his position. Xanders said Green became one of the team's best run-blocking TEs watching nine-on-seven drills and game tape, and that physicality transferred to special teams, where he played on all four phases. ...

At wideout, Brandon Lloyd has looked every bit the Pro Bowl talent he flashed consistently last year. His confidence is soaring and his rapport with Orton is unmatched among any pass catcher on the team.

Remember: Oakland lost one of the league's top cornerbacks, Nnamdi Asomugha, in free agency after allowing the third-most passing scores (29) last season. Lloyd had 79 yards and a score during last year's second meeting.

As Denver's top receiver, Lloyd will have chances to put up a strong fantasy game against the Raiders' weakened secondary.

Eddie Royal appears healthy after trudging through a hip injury for most of 2010. And Eric Decker has improved greatly now that his foot injuries are in his rear view and he's found his niche within the offense.

He's a sleeper from production standpoint and Matt Willis is the only other receiver who has shown the route running and hands to earn a role. But I'll go ahead and note that Thomas had caught 22 balls for 283 yards and two touchdowns last season. Compare that to Willis and Decker, who have a combined eight career receptions, and it's not hard to imagine that Thomas will rejoin the rotation once he's healthy.

Matt Prater's big leg may mean there may never be a returned kick in mile-high altitude under new rules and can boom 50-yard-plus FGs with the best in the league.

Sure, four of those games were exhibitions, and the other four were at the end of last season after Detroit dropped well out of contention, but for a team hoping to rebound from a decade of futility, every sign of progress is important.

"All that means is that we can win, which is significant for the Detroit Lions," receiver Nate Burleson said. "The regular season, for us, is everything. We're great on paper, we've been great in the preseason. Right now, we're everybody's Cinderella pick, but until we actually go out there and win some games, it's all for naught."

After an unblemished preseason, the Lions play their regular-season opener Sunday at Tampa Bay, the site of perhaps their most significant victory of 2010. Detroit snapped a record 26-game road losing streak with an overtime win over the Buccaneers last December.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford was particularly sharp during the preseason. The high point was probably a 34-10 rout of the New England Patriots in the third exhibition game.

Of course, the Lions had a perfect preseason in 2008, too. Then they went 0-16 in the real games. They've made strides since then, going 6-10 last season, but head coach Jim Schwartz realizes they've proven nothing.

"I'll reserve warm, fuzzy feelings and things like that until we play some games," Schwartz told Trister. "I just really don't want to go there and talk too much about what we've built, because it doesn't matter what you build, it's how many games you win."

When the Lions beat the Buccaneers last year, they had Drew Stanton at quarterback, and Dave Rayner kicked the winning field goal. Tampa Bay ended up missing the playoffs, losing out on a tiebreaker despite a 10-6 record.

Both teams enter this season with understandable playoff aspirations, although Schwartz doesn't want his team looking too far ahead. Now that there's a regular-season game to prepare for, the Lions figure to have an easier time ignoring the big picture.

"Have we taken some big steps in personnel on this team? Yeah, we sure have. None of that means a thing if we don't do it on the field," Schwartz said. "Tampa Bay—that's the only goal we have right now, is to go have a good week of preparation for Tampa Bay. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... According to MLive.com's Philip Zaroo, when Detroit claimed big running back Keiland Williams off waivers Sunday, and may have found someone to fill the offensive role the Lions expected rookie Mikel Leshoure to play before he tore his Achilles' tendon and ended his season prematurely.

Williams appeared in 15 games and started five last season for the Redskins. He rushed for 261 yards and three touchdowns on 65 carries and gained 309 yards and two touchdowns on 39 receptions.

Physically, the 5-11, 230-pounder is almost identical to Leshoure -- one of Detroit's second-round picks in this year's draft -- who was lost for the season when he tore his Achilles' tendon at the start of training camp.

Williams brings a similar bruising style to Leshoure, and Detroit hopes to utilize him in the same manner.

"We like his skill set," said Schwartz.

Of course, starter Jahvid Best showed big-play capability in his rookie year, but turf toe injuries on both feet curtailed his production. His durability came into question again this preseason after he suffered a concussion against the Browns. The Lions can ill-afford to be without Best for any length of time.

The Lions were hoping Jerome Harrison might be able to regain the bounce he showed in Cleveland in 2009, but he was not productive in the preseason. Maurice Morris, in his 11th year, remains the best inside runner on the roster -- or was before Williams' arrival.

Stefan Logan is the team's kick return specialist, but as he did last season, he will play some at running back and receiver. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan likes to use him on reverses or as a decoy on fake reverses.

The Lions have opted to play mostly one-back sets. Jerome Felton, the one true fullback last season, was released. When the Lions do use two backs, they will deploy tight end Will Heller as the blocking back. The run game remains a concern entering 2011. ...

The good news this week?

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers yielded the fifth-most rushing yards (132 a game) last season. According to USA Today's Roger Rotter, it's a great chance for Best to prove he can handle the featured-back role and be productive. ...

As for the passing attack? It seems to be working well.

The Lions scored at least 30 points in the first three exhibition games and Stafford was 24 for 31, 356 yards, five touchdowns and no turnovers. His rating -- 154.0.

"You judge a quarterback by his ability to get you in a good play, make good decisions, throw accurate passes and lead you to scores," Schwartz said. "He's done that

As the Sports Xchange suggests, there is only one knock against Stafford, and that's his durability. He has missed 19 games the last two seasons, playing in three and finishing only one last season. But the Lions won the only game he finished and were leading the other two when he went down. He has a strong, accurate arm and a firm grasp of the offense.

In Shaun Hill, the Lions feel they have one of the best backups in the business. He and Stanton engineered the Lions four-game season-ending win streak last season.

The Lions will either lineup with two tight ends or three wide receivers.

As Titus Young matures, they will use three wides more often. Young has big-play potential but there have been concerns about his toughness and durability. But make no mistake, Calvin Johnson, coming off an All-Pro season, is one of the centerpieces of the offense. He's no longer merely a straight-line threat. He showed the capacity last season to catch balls over the middle and also make plays after the catch.

Burleson is invaluable as Johnson's wing man. Not only does he do all the dirty work (playing the slot or the second-receiver spot), he also fills in at flanker when Johnson is out.

Maurice Stovall and Rashied Davis, veterans, provide much needed depth. Stovall, at 6-5, provides another big, steady target. Davis will make his mark mostly on special teams, as will Stovall, but he will back up Burleson in the slot.

It will be interesting to see how Stafford uses Brandon Pettigrew. With Hill getting most of the snaps last year, Pettigrew set a Lions record with 71 catches and 722 yards. Stafford, though, likes to throw down field more than Hill did. Pettigrew is too big a talent to completely ignore, as is Tony Scheffler.

The Lions used Scheffler as a slot receiver at times last season. He is hoping for a bounce back year after catching 45 passes last season. Heller is a valuable piece of this offense. He is the best blocking tight end on the team and has the versatility to play the H-back role when needed.

PK Jason Hanson, healthy after battling knee injuries the last two seasons, had proved adept at placing kicks into the corners and forcing teams to return them. The Lions don't want to concede the 20-yard line.

The way Greg Jennings sees it, though, reintegrating Finley into the Packers' offense while keeping everybody else happy might not be as easy as it sounds—especially for Aaron Rodgers.

"Let me say this: Aaron has a tough job. A very, very tough job," Jennings said. "You look out there and you see all these options. And it's like, `Yes, I have so many options.' But then, on the other end of that, you look out there and see all these eyes and hands wanting the ball, and now it's like, `Uh, I've got to make sure I get everybody into the game."'

While the playmaking tight end's return from a season-ending right knee injury could be a huge boost for the Packers going into Thursday night's opener against New Orleans, it also carries some challenges for Rodgers, head coach Mike McCarthy and the rest of the coaches.

Finley took relatively few snaps in the preseason and was limited in practice Monday with a lingering ankle injury—although he said he feels fine, and McCarthy said he participated in most of the drills.

Finley can't wait to get back, and doesn't really see how his return might make things tougher on Rodgers.

"It makes it that much easier, to tell you the truth," Finley said. "We've got playmakers all over the field."

Rodgers typically sidesteps questions about spreading the ball around by saying he'll throw to whoever is open. And with Finley back, Rodgers is looking forward to seeing what happens with Jennings—and how receivers Jordy Nelson, James Jones, Donald Driver and rookie Randall Cobb might benefit, too.

"With J-Mike back, it will be interesting to see how defenses play us," Rodgers said. "If they try to double him or double Greg and play some sort of special coverage to take one of those two guys away, then Jordy, James, Donald and Randall need to win one-on-one battles."

Finley certainly has the Saints' attention.

"He's an athletic guy, big, a match-up problem at times," Saints strong safety Roman Harper said. "And you've got to be trying to limit this guy, try to limit the things he can do and try and make them go away from him and things like that. They're definitely going to try and find him though, early, like they have."

And while Packers fans dream of Finley catching touchdowns over helpless linebackers, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin wants to see Finley become a more complete player.

"There's a lot of potential," Philbin said. "He's made some significant contributions since he's been here. And at the same point in time, he's still got a long way to go in certain areas. To be a complete tight end, you've got to be able to pass block, you've got to be able to run block—not only catch the ball down the field and out jump somebody for the ball. And he's worked hard in all three areas and he's made improvements in all three areas. So now we'll see."

The real issue is exploiting Finley's matchups while keeping the Packers' talented wide receivers happy. Coaches like to say it's a nice problem to have. And it is. But it still has to be dealt with.

As Finley featured prominently in the offense early last season, Jennings grew frustrated. It came to a boil during the Packers' Oct. 10 overtime loss at Washington. After catching only two passes for 22 yards, Jennings admitted that he had to apologize to then-wide receivers coach Jimmy Robinson after venting on the sideline.

That was Finley's last game, and Jennings' productivity took off in the aftermath of Finley's injury. Will the Packers go through the same growing pains this season?

"No disrespect to any linebacker out there, but he's probably more athletic and more talented than any linebacker that you could ever put on him," Jennings said of Finley. "So he's going to create that mismatch opportunity. I think as a quarterback you see that and you start to zoom in and you make that a focal point and you kind of lose sight of everything and everybody else. But I think there comes a time when you're going to have to balance that out, and I think Aaron's going to do a good job of that."

Jennings told Jenkins that all the receivers "totally understand" that not everybody is going to be happy every week. And Finley says chemistry will come with winning.

"‘A-Rod' might throw Greg 10 balls a game, and me and Driver might have two or three," Finley said. "As long as that `W' comes with it, just be happy. We're on the road to a championship, man. And being selfish right now is not the goal."

For what it's worth, Finley, who has been slowed by an ankle injury, is listed as probable this week. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staffer Lori Nickel, the goal is for running backs Ryan Grant and James Starks to get an equal amount of rushing attempts Thursday night against New Orleans.

That's the plan for now, anyway.

"We know what they can do," running backs coach Jerry Fontenot said. "It's just a matter of getting them comfortable and making sure they've gotten enough reps to do it. The only way I see them doing that is getting them as equal of work as I possibly can."

Grant ran for 83 yards in 18 carries (4.6-yard average) in the preseason, his first football action after suffering a season-ending ankle injury in the opener a year ago.

"We'll bring Ryan back in and see how he handles the game and the contact," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "He looks fine. He looks like he did before he ever got injured."

Starks had just 17 yards in four carries this summer, but his production from the postseason -- 315 yards in 81 carries (3.9 average) -- is still fresh on everyone's mind.

Starks began 2010 on the physically unable to perform list, so this is the first time the Packers have had the two backs together.

"They're both going to take pretty much all situations in the game," Fontenot said. "Evenly dispersed? I can't guarantee it. But I'm certainly going try to get each one of those guys an equal amount of opportunities to carry the football, to hold onto the football and to control the clock for us."

In an offense that probably will rely mostly on the passing game anyway, let's hold off on calling this anything like a two-back system or running back by committee just yet. Fontenot is simply looking for a working combination between Grant and Starks, not unlike the one he had in Chicago when he was the center and blocked for Neal Anderson and Brad Muster.

Fontenot said the balanced attack featured the speedy Anderson and powerful Muster.

"It's nice to have different options at tailback," Fontenot said. "We have Ryan who is as physical as anyone, playing behind his pads -- a bruising-style runner. James is more elusive in the hole, but he's still a big back and he's strong, so tacklers bounce off him.

"So, what course is better? I don't know. We'll find out. ..."

Worth noting: Alex Green, a third-round draft pick this year, is a load and has big-play ability but hasn't fully grasped the offense with the offseason wiped away by the lockout. That leaves the Packers in a quandary for having a reliable third-down back, which Brandon Jackson filled well before leaving in free agency. The versatile and hard-nosed John Kuhn, the only fullback retained this season, could see time in that third-down role. ...

Meanwhile, there's a chance the Green Bay Packers won't play any no-huddle offense against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night. And there's a chance that they will.

The Packers had their best success during the preseason running it, scoring touchdowns on three of the seven series and driving more than 55 yards on two others for a field-goal try, one of which was missed. The touchdowns came on drives of 73, 78 and 81 yards. ...

Rodgers looks to have a clean bill of health for the start of the season. He participated in the full practice Sunday, the team's first workout in preparation for the Thursday night opener against New Orleans. Rodgers missed a day of practice in the final week of training camp with a foot strain but made the start in last Thursday's preseason finale. He made the most of his only series of action by completing an eight-play, 56-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tom Crabtree in the Packers' 20-19 win over Kansas City.

Jennings, Jones, Nelson and Cobb are expected to be ready for the opener after missing some time late in the preseason, including the final exhibition, because of knee bruises. All of them practiced Sunday.

Driver also should be OK for the first game. Driver, the team's oldest player at 36, didn't play last week after receiving an injection in the left ankle that he severely injured during Super Bowl XLV in February. ...

And finally. ... The Packers are banking on Mason Crosby, who received a five-year contract extension, to deliver on the lucrative investment with better consistency than his career field-goal percentage of 78.1 in four years.

The MRI image, posted online, suggested otherwise.

"This is an MRI of my hamstring, The white stuff surrounding the muscle is known in the medical world as anti-awesomeness," Foster wrote.

Foster later tweeted that he would be "fine."

Foster was rankled by an ESPN report in which a medical analyst who viewed the image of the MRI predicted he could miss a month.

"If I had a 'significant injury' why post it? I'll be fine, it was jus meant to make fun of the whole situation," he wrote. "Humor is lost nowadays."

After re-aggravating the injury in last weekend's preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, Foster stirred controversy by appearing to take a shot at fantasy football fans.

"4 those sincerely concerned, I'm doing OK & plan to B back by opening day," he wrote on Twitter. "4 those worried abt your fantasy team, u ppl are sick."

Foster attempted to clarify his original message after Monday's practice, in which he jogged with his Texans teammates.

"That's a part of the game," Foster said, referring to fantasy football. "My tweet -- the fact that we're talking about Twitter is amazing to me –- but my tweet got taken out of context. What I was saying that people who value a digital game over a human being's health is just kind of weird to me. And that's all that I meant by that, and people took it as, oh, I don't care about fantasy football. I think it's good for the game. It gets people that don't really watch into it. I'm on my mother's fantasy football team, so I've got to do good.

"It got taken out of context. I love all my fans, and if you've been following me on Twitter, you know what kind of person and human being I am, and if you know me, you know what kind of human being I am. I try to promote peace, man, because that's what I'm all about."

As for the tweet? Here was the Texans' response, from general manager Rick Smith: "We are aware that Arian tweeted a picture of his MRI. It's a violation of team policy to disclose medical information via social media and he is aware of that. We will handle this situation internally."

And of course, what about the real issue? Will Foster play against the Colts this week?

According to the Houston Chronicle, the injury was merely a re-aggravation of last season's hamstring issue and Foster should be ready to go.

As of Wednesday mornging, the Texans were classifying Foster as "day to day."

"The progress has been very good, and I know that there was more progress today," said head coach Gary Kubiak.

Kubiak also revealed that Foster "went a little harder today in his rehab" -- which sounds like he wasn't taking part in practice. We'll know more about that when the official injury report is released later this afternoon.

And if Foster can't go?

The Texans have a stable of talented running backs behind him in Derrick Ward, Ben Tate and Steve Slaton.

Ward, 30, averaged 6.3 yards per carry and scored a career-high four touchdowns in 2010. Tate, a second-round pick out of Auburn in 2010, is back after missing his entire rookie season with an ankle injury. He averaged 7.4 yards per carry on 20 attempts this preseason. Slaton led all rookies with 1,282 rushing yards in 2008.

None of them, however, has demonstrated the ability to produce like Foster, who set a new single-season rushing record for undrafted players last season with 1,616 yards. He also led the league in yards from scrimmage (2,220), rushing touchdowns (16) and total touchdowns (18).

Foster was a weapon in the passing game in 2010, catching 66 passes for 604 yards. He was only the third player in NFL history with 1,600 rushing yards and 600 receiving yards in the same season.

Those interested will obviously want to watch the Late-Breaking Updates section of the site in coming days. I will undoubtedly have more on Foster's progress as the week rolls on. ...

In a semi-related note. ... Vonta Leach, the All-Pro fullback who signed with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. He's being replaced by James Casey, who was drafted as a tight end in 2009 but also backed up Leach for the past two seasons. Casey gives the Texans a versatile pass-catching threat out of the backfield with his ability to play multiple positions.

Lawrence Vickers, who signed as a free agent from the Cleveland Browns, will compete with Casey for playing time. A 28-year-old Houston native, Vickers is a more traditional blocking fullback in the mold of Leach.

Other notes of interest. ... Matt Schaub hasn't missed a start since the 2008 season. He's the offensive leader who's in his fifth year running Kubiak's system. He's trying to become the seventh quarterback in history to throw for at least 4,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.

Andre Johnson is 100 percent from ankle surgery. He averaged 19.6 yards a catch in preseason. Worth noting: He caught seven passes for 106 yards and a score in his second meeting with Indianapolis Colts last season. Indy's defense regressed in 2010, allowing 26 percent more points compared to 2009. The Colts also struggled in the preseason, ranking in the bottom 10 for points allowed and total yards.

Meanwhile, Kevin Walter is dependable but usually the fourth option for Schaub. He's a ferocious blocker who'll run any route and has outstanding hands. Jacoby Jones lacks outstanding hands, but he's got speed to go with big-play talent when he gets the ball.

The coaches consider Walter 1a and Jones 1b. Veteran Bryant Johnson will be the fourth wideout.

At tight end, Owen Daniels regained his Pro Bowl form over the second half of last season and should be Schaub's second-favorite target. He's got good hands, runs routes well and turns it up the field in a hurry when he gets the ball. Joel Dreessen catches and blocks well. He's the team's most underrated player. He also excels on special teams. Barring injury, Garrett Graham's primary contributions will be on special teams.

And finally. ... PK Neil Rackers continues as one of the most consistent kickers in the league.

He never imagined he would get the call in Week 1.

With Peyton Manning already ruled out Sunday's season opener at Houston, Collins insists he is ready to face the next daunting task in his 17th NFL season—replacing Manning as Colts quarterback.

"I know what it takes to prepare and be successful in this league, so I'm going to do all those things, rely on all the experience that I have," Collins told Marot. "I have a good idea of what I need to do to get ready to play and give a winning performance."

Collins has the kind of resume most teams want in a backup quarterback.

He has made 177 career starts and been to two Pro Bowls. He took the Carolina Panthers to the 1996 NFC Championship game and the New York Giants to the Super Bowl after the 2000 season. He helped Tennessee post the AFC's best record (13-3) in 2008.

But now Collins finds himself in the toughest predicament of his career.

He has had less than two weeks to learn Indy's pass-first offense, which has traditionally called plays at the line of scrimmage. He didn't even play with Pro Bowlers Reggie Wayne or Dallas Clark in a preseason game, and the Colts haven't had more than 4.0 yards rushing per carry since their 2006 Super Bowl season. Plus, the Colts will open the season with three new starters on the offensive line and a fourth, former right tackle Ryan Diem, moving inside to guard.

And Collins must overcome all of that with a whole city ready to pounce on his mistakes if he fails.

Fortunately for the Colts, he seems to be a quick learner.

"It's not as if we're dealing with someone who hasn't been in a lot of games. He's played, he understands concepts and systems, and he'll be able to function, I think, very, very well," head coach Jim Caldwell told Marot. "I don't expect him to be perfect. We have to have some other guys step up and give him some assistance here and there.

"We have a lot of guys who can do that, and I think he'll be fine."

The toughest part will be trying to match Manning's high standards.

During his streak of 227 consecutive starts, Manning has led the Colts to 11 playoff appearances, 11 double-digit win seasons, eight division crowns, two AFC titles and the first world championship in the franchise's Indianapolis era.

The Streak, second-longest among NFL quarterbacks behind only Brett Favre, has gone so long that no player in the Colts locker room has started a game in blue-and-white without No. 18 calling the signals.

Without Manning, most observers think the Colts will fall short of making the playoffs for a record-breaking 10th consecutive year. Some suggest the Colts will be lucky to finish with more than six wins if Manning is out for an extended period.

Don't tell that to the 38-year-old Collins or his new teammates.

"I can't imagine trying to learn something as complicated as (our offense), as quickly as he has," Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday said. "He did a great job and put the ball where it needed to be (against Cincinnati). There are little things that we need to clean up, but other than that, I've got full confidence that if he's the guy, we'll be ready."

After signing on Aug. 24, Collins called himself the "just-in-case" guy.

And now that the unthinkable seems likely, a game without Manning behind center, Collins must prove he will be more than an answer to a trivia question. His job is to keep the Colts competitive enough to make that Super Bowl run.

"I feel comfortable with the offense," he said. "I feel like I've come a long way in the short time since I've been here. I've really buckled down and grinded on it. Certainly I've got a lot to learn, but as far as my comfort level, it's pretty high. ..."

And what about Manning?

"He is going to be back at some point," Colts vice chairman Bill Polian said on Monday. "What we don't know right now is what the results of the diagnostic tests are, what is the prognosis going forward. This is uncharted territory, but we do know that the nerve regeneration takes time and it just hasn't healed yet. It will."

On a somewhat positive note, sources told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora there has been no additional surgical procedure scheduled.

Manning had surgery to repair a nerve May 23, but the recovery has taken longer than the expected six to eight weeks that would have put him back on the field for the start of training camp. Instead, Manning started camp on the physically unable to perform list and wasn't activated till last Monday.

He did limited work at practice last week, which led to complaints about back pain. The team issued a statement Monday saying that team doctors re-evaluated Manning over the weekend and instructed him to stop practicing while he undergoes more tests.

After looking into the situation, SI.com's Peter King guessed that Manning has been rehabbing to excess, which may have caused the flare-up in his back. ...

Manning released a statement on Wednesday, shortly after being ruled out.

"To say I am disappointed in not being able to play is an understatement. The best part about football is being out there on the field playing with my teammates, Manning said. "It will be tough not to be out there playing for the organization and our fans.

"I simply am not healthy enough to play, and I am doing everything I can to get my health back. The team will do fine without me, and I know for sure that I will miss them much more than they will miss me. ..."

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Collins will have his full complement of weapons when he makes his first start in Houston. Questions surround the availability of WRs Austin Collie (foot), Anthony Gonzalez (hamstring) and Blair White (back).

According to Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Chappell, Collie and went through the team's light Monday workout, but Gonzalez did not. The offense should be fine as long as one of them is able to play. He would serve as the No. 4 option after starters Wayne and Pierre Garcon.

Clark essentially is the No. 3 receiver.

Collie told told reporters Wednesday that he'll play. "I'm ready, ready as I'll ever be," he said.

Let's hope so. With Collins making his debut, the supporting cast must ease his workload.

According to ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky, it's easy to say the team will need to scale things back with Collins at the helm. But the Colts can't snap their fingers and become a running team that will milk the clock. The personnel and scheme are not suited for it, and there was nothing in the preseason to indicate the team would try a major alteration.

The offensive line is still very much a work in progress. Collins will have to do very smart work in terms of sensing pressure, getting rid of the ball fast, giving up on plays when things break down. Joseph Addai, Donald Brown and Delone Carter might have more chances to show what they can do, but the blocking for them was a question even when Manning was expected to play.

As Kuharsky summed: "Without him, things can be messy.

"Without him, we're going to learn a lot about a lot of people, from the game-planners, to the graybeard quarterback, to the people working to help him succeed.

"Without him, the Colts become something they rarely are: a major underdog. ..."

All that said, King offered an interesting note on Collins via Twitter this week: "I Mean, I'm Just Saying Dept.: In his last five starts against Houston, Kerry Collins led Tennessee to 31, 31, 12, 31 and 38 points. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Carter is listed as the No. 2 running back on the Colts' Week 1 depth chart.

Addai remains as the most complete running back on the team's roster. He's dependable as a runner, can catch the ball out of the backfield and may be one of the best pass blocking backs in the league while Brown remains inconsistent. He has the talent to become a full-time starter but Carter has been impressive as a rookie in training camp and the preseason.

Adding to the backfield mix -- and perhaps foreshadowing a potential adjustment to their scheme, the Colts claimed FB Chris Gronkowski off waivers from the Cowboys. The team has rolled without a fullback in recent seasons. ...

Adam Vinatieri has recovered from knee and leg issues that he suffered two seasons ago. He has been booming kicks in training camp and the preseason while showing no signs of slowing down. ...

And finally. ... One last Manning-related item.

According to Profootballtalk.com's Mike Florio, the uncertainty regarding Manning's ability to play football in 2011 doesn't appear in the five-year, $90 million contract that Manning signed last month. A source with knowledge of the deal tells Florio that Manning received a $20 million signing bonus.

As long as he doesn't leave the Colts via a voluntary retirement, none of that money can be recovered.

If he's not placed on injured reserve by then end of the week, another $7.4 million will become guaranteed, via a $3.4 million base salary and a $3 million roster bonus earned if Manning is on the 53-man roster for any one game in 2011.

Even if Manning is placed on season-ending IR, the fact that he passed a physical means that he'll be owed the full $3.4 million, unless the Colts would work out an injury settlement for something less than that and relinquish his rights, an outcome which is highly unlikely.

And so Manning will make at least $23.4 million in 2011. If he's not placed on injured reserve by the weekend, he'll make $26.4 million -- even if he never takes another snap in an NFL game.

In the event that the lingering uncertainties with Manning's neck and nerves linger into 2012, the team will have a tough decision to make by the fourth day of the 2012 League Year. At that point, a staggering $28 million option bonus comes due, along with a non-exercise fee in the same amount. The Colts' only way to avoid the payment will be to cut him or to trade him.

Bottom line?

Per Florio, if Manning's health remains up in the air come March, which is only seven months from now, the Colts will have to decide whether to give Manning his freedom -- and $27.4 million in money he never actually earned -- or to give him another $28 million in the hopes that he eventually will be able to play.

Thus, Manning eventually could end up with what amounts to a severance package of nearly $55 million.

The Jaguars released Garrard on Tuesday, making a "pure football decision" that will save the franchise $9 million in 2011.

Whether it saves head coach Jack Del Rio's job remains to be seen. Team owner Wayne Weaver has said Jacksonville needs to make the playoffs for Del Rio to stick around for a 10th season.

Del Rio made it clear late last season that he had grown tired of Garrard's inconsistent ways, but the coach remained steadfast through training camp and the preseason that Garrard was his starter. That changed Tuesday, when the Jaguars parted ways with Garrard after nine up-and-down seasons.

"He just couldn't get it going," said Del Rio, who added that the team didn't try to trade Garrard. "I had met with him a couple of weeks ago and brought him in and said, ‘Hey, listen, you're my guy. I need you to get it going.' He was given every opportunity. He was somewhat apologetic that he wasn't able to deliver."

Del Rio turned the starting job over to Luke McCown, who outplayed Garrard and rookie Blaine Gabbert in the preseason. Playing mostly with and against second- and third-teamers, McCown completed 12 of 18 passes for 133 yards, with two touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks.

"I was shocked by the decision," tight end Marcedes Lewis said. "They obviously felt it was time to go in a different direction. Luke had a great camp, everyone knows that, and now he's the guy. There's no drop-off. We believe in Luke and we're going to rally around him."

Long went on to remind readers that Garrard missed the preseason opener because of a sore back, but started the final three games. He completed 50 percent of his passes for 216 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. He was sacked three times.

Garrard thanked fans on his Twitter feed.

"Thank you jaguar fans for an awesome ride! You are the best fans ever," he wrote. "You'll always have a special place in my heart and my family's heart!"

The move was similar to what Del Rio did in 2007, when he released Byron Leftwich in favor of Garrard after the preseason finale. Garrard played well that season, throwing 18 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.

He's been average since, with 53 TDs and 38 INTs over the last three seasons. He also has been sacked 117 times in that span.

His performance late last season was one of the final straws.

With running back Maurice Jones-Drew sitting out against Washington, the Jaguars put the game on Garrard's shoulders and he struggled to handle the load. He failed to read Washington's cloaked defensive schemes and nearly ended the day with five turnovers.

The Jaguars responded by drafting Gabbert with the 10th pick in April's draft. Gabbert would have been given a chance to win the starting job in camp, but the NFL lockout denied him a summer filled with meetings, film work and organized team activities.

Gabbert dropped to third on the depth chart last week. McCown moved up to second, although no one knew he was actually auditioning for the starting job.

"Our starter is our starter until he's not our starter," Del Rio said. "That's the way it works. To do it any other way creates a circus atmosphere. We have not had that. We've had a very purposeful camp, we've had a very workmanlike, businesslike training camp. A decision was made in the best interest of the football team, and now we go forward. ..."

For what it's worth, it became clear Monday how teammates felt about Garrard. They declined to vote Garrard a team captain, instead choosing Jones-Drew and Lewis as offensive captains.

Garrard was released the next day.

"I think he's handled it like a man, like he's handled everything else," general manager Gene Smith said. "I think he's been a tremendous example how to handle adversity since he's been here. … At some point, you have to go through this as an NFL player. ..."

Meanwhile, the change at quarterback shouldn't change the offense all that much. The Jaguars pride themselves on running the football. It's the one thing they've done consistently well the last dozen years.

They want to beat teams up and wear them down, and they're not afraid to let everyone know it's their weekly game plan, their offensive philosophy, their overall identity.

But with Jones-Drew coming off knee surgery, backup Rashad Jennings out for the season and right tackle Eben Britton still recovering from a herniated disk in his lower back, it's unclear whether the Jaguars are ready to run.

They certainly will find out Sunday against rival Tennessee.

Lewis says the team isn't "going to talk ourselves into" running the ball. He says, "We've just got to do it."

The loss of Jennings means they're thin behind Jones-Drew, with Deji Karim and two players noted for their special-teams work, Montell Owens and Brock Bolen, as the backups. ...

Worth noting: Jones-Drew revealed Wednesday that he will open the season at 205 pounds, down from 220 last year. It will be interesting to see if the lighter weight leads to increased quickness. It should certinly reduce wear and tear on the surgically-repaired knee. ...

So how much will the change at QB hurt the receivers?

The Jaguars haven't had a true No. 1 receiver since Jimmy Smith retired after the 2005 season, but they think they've got good depth with this unit. Jason Hill flopped in San Francisco but the Jaguars think he can jumpstart his career with them. Mike Thomas is only 5-8 but can get deep and led the team with 66 catches and is a threat to run the end around.

Cecil Shorts is a rookie with lots of potential and Jarrett Dillard is a possession receiver who has to stay healthy. Kassim Osgood is a good special teams player with the size to be a threat in the red zone -- if he can break the rotation.

Lewis, of course, made the Pro Bowl last year and got a $34 million deal. His blocking helps make the running game go and he can go downfield and catch the deep pass. Last year, he caught 58 passes, 10 for touchdowns. Zach Miller is a promising young tight end but has trouble staying healthy and has a knee injury. He was able to practice Monday.

PK Josh Scobee was outstanding the first half of last season when he made his first 14 field-goal attempts. He then slumped and missed six of 14 in the second half of last year. He needs to bounce back.

"Yet the Kansas City Chiefs somehow believe their offense is even better than last year, when it featured the most potent rushing attack in the NFL. Go figure. ..."

"We looked sharp in practice, coming off a couple days off, and I thought we got better as a team," said fullback Le'Ron McClain. "We have a lot of confidence going into this week. We didn't win the game like we wanted to last week, but as a team we got better."

As Skretta suggested, the improvement hasn't been easy to notice.

The offense was shut out by Tampa Bay at Arrowhead Stadium in their preseason opener, when the starters played only a handful of snaps. It managed single touchdowns against the Baltimore Ravens and St. Louis Rams, struggling to get into any kind of rhythm.

Then came the Chiefs' preseason finale against the Green Bay Packers, when head coach Todd Haley finally gave his starters carte blanche to work out the kinks. Cassel hurt his ribs getting sacked in the second quarter, Moeaki went down with a season-ending knee injury before halftime and the offense again found it difficult to move the ball against the Packers' second-team defense.

The result was a 20-19 defeat that gave Haley a glimmer of hope.

"I feel like we were able to move through training camp and the preseason in a very productive manner for our team as it relates to the 2011 season," he said, "which is really what training camp and the preseason is all about, getting ready for the start of the season and the entire season."

It begins in earnest Sunday against Buffalo.

Cassel is expected to be under center despite hurting his ribs when he was sacked by 340-pouned Packers defensive tackle Howard Green. Cassel was a full participant in practice Monday, even though he appeared to skip some of the more aggressive stretching, and players had Tuesday off to give him even more time to rest whatever aches and pains he may have.

As SI.com's Peter King put it: "I think I'd be very surprised if Cassel doesn't start Sunday despite his bruised or broken ribs. That's a pain tolerance thing, and I'm sure Cassel will fight the doctors to let him play."

If, however, Cassel is limited in any way, the Chiefs will turn to journeyman Tyler Palko or fifth-round draft pick Ricky Stanzi. Neither has much NFL experience, but the Chiefs declined to sign a veteran backup. And this is a team that lost 31-0 at San Diego last season behind Brodie Croyle when Cassel was out following an appendectomy.

"We've taken baby steps forward and we've continued to get better every day and every week and we've had some progress being made," Palko said, "and now it's time to game plan and get ready to go, and as an offense we're moving in the right direction."

Whoever lines up behind center will be missing some help.

Moeaki emerged as one of the Chiefs' top pass-catching threats last season, but he was placed on injured reserve after he hurt his knee in the second quarter against Green Bay. According to King, Moeaki's injury made for the worst player loss of the preseason. King had previously advised readers that Haley planned to use Moeaki in much the same way the Colts use Dallas Clark.

Without Moeaki, there is a domino effect on the Chiefs' passing offense. Without a comparable tight end receiver to step in to his shoes, defenses will be able to zero in on the wide receivers with their coverage. Plus, second-year man Dexter McCluster was moved from wide receiver to his college position of running back this year, and the Chiefs view him as a major threat catching passes out of the backfield.

Again, without Moeaki's capable hands, that allows defenses to zero in coverage to take care of the quick McCluster.

Plus, Moeaki was a better than average blocker and made that transition to the NFL without a problem. He was one of the reasons the offense led the league in rushing yards last season.

Meanwhile, Baldwin has been out for several weeks after hurting his right thumb during a locker room altercation with running back Thomas Jones.

Offensive linemen Ryan Lilja and Barry Richardson have been banged up during training camp, while 38-year-old center Casey Wiegmann is beginning his 15th season in the league.

None of it seems to bother Jones, though. He's back for another season to form a potent backfield combination with Jamaal Charles. Together they ran for more than 2,000 yards last season, their big-play ability helping the Chiefs win the AFC West two years after winning just two games.

"We're just focused on the next game," Jones said. "We did some things we can learn from, we did some good things (against Green Bay). That's what the preseason is for. We're excited about the game. We're not even focusing on the preseason."

Good thing, too, because it wasn't very good. The Chiefs finished 25th in total offense, 28th in rushing offense, averaged only 4.3 yards per play and accounted for four total touchdowns, second-fewest in the league and only one better than the Oakland Raiders.

Despite all the injuries, the age of some of the players and the inexperience of others, Haley has confidence in the Chiefs' offense. Many of the questions surrounding it existed last season, and everything came together once the games started to count.

"I'm happy with the guys we have here and the work we've done to this point, but we have a lot of work to do," Haley said. "The fact that we're at home, the fact that it's an AFC opponent, that all adds into the sense of urgency that we have this week as we get ready for Sunday. ..."

Reasons for optimism?

USA Today's Roger Rotter pointed out this week that the Bills allowed the most rushing yards a game (170) and yielded the highest rushing average (4.8) last season. That has to be good news for Charles, who ran for the second-most yards, and his per-carry average of 6.4 was at least 1.5 yards better than any other top-10 back in 2010. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Jerheme Urban missed the 2010 season because of an injury to a finger ligament suffered in the final preseason game. A year later, Urban survived the exhibition schedule without injury and will step into the starting lineup, opposite leading receiver Dwayne Bowe.

How long he can hold that starting gig will depend on the continued rehab of Steve Breaston (knee) and Baldwin.

With Moeaki on injured reserve with a knee injury, Leonard Pope is likely to start. While a good blocker and red-zone threat, he's not a threat to hit the seams.

And finally. ... PK Ryan Succop is reliable and consistent -- but not what you'd consider a front-line Fantasy producer.

For starters, quarterbacks Chad Henne and Matt Moore both finished the preseason with quarterback ratings greater than 90. Henne, who passed for 446 yards in the preseason, finished with a 93.4 rating. Moore passed for 428 yards and had a rating of 96.6.

But Henne and the quarterback position in general remain a question mark.

According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel staffer Omar Kelly, one of the biggest issues would be the fact that Miami only has two QBs on the roster.

That's right. In the year where the NFL alters its rules, expanding the game day roster from 44 to 47 and allowing the third quarterback to be active at any point, the Dolphins decide not to carry a third quarterback on the 53-man roster.

There have been two instances in the past two seasons where the Dolphins needed three quarterbacks to make it through a regular season game. So if that happens again, the Dolphins will be in a bind.

All of which prompted Kelly to suggest that Daniel Thomas, who played quarterback in junior college, better spend some time each week throwing some passes and learning the passing game until the Dolphins find a No. 3 quarterback they really want to invest in.

"To be honest with you, I felt best with two quarterbacks right now," head coach Tony Sparano said. "There's a lot of teams that don't do it but there's a lot of teams that do it. Right now we are one of the teams that are going to play with two quarterbacks."

But many of those teams have better -- or at least more proven -- options as their starter.

Kelly projects that Henne will have until the Oct. 23 home game against Denver to prove his past issues are in his past. He could do so by producing a QB rating higher than 80, and by leading the Dolphins to a .500 or better record in the season's first six games.

While there's still work to be done, Henne's finally earned the respect of the Dolphins locker room, and it's clear Sparano has his back.

"He's had a really good training camp. I think he's way ahead of where he was a year ago," Sparano said. "I think anybody that's been watching us play can see that. I would expect that he's going to have a really good season."

Will it be good enough to produce a winning season, saving Sparano's job? According to Kelly, that's the biggest question of the 2011 season. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Reggie Bush wants to be the every-down, featured back but the jury is out on whether he can excel in that role. Thomas is a hard-charging, between-the-tackles runner who has had an up-and-down rookie camp.

According to Kelly, Lex Hilliard -- a one-cut power back -- probably presents the most value as a backup because he can fill two roles (scatback and power rusher) and is a strong special teams contributor.

At fullback, the rookie Charles Clay starts, if healthy, but the Dolphins will use him all over -- at tight end and even receiver, too.

At wideout, Brandon Marshall has found a rhythm with Henne, which bodes well for this offense. Brian Hartline also caught a nice deep TD pass in the preseason.

Marshall, Hartline and Davone Bess -- the slot receiver and No. 2 target -- all stand to have more productive seasons in the Dolphins new-look, aggressive scheme. Clyde Gates is the deep threat this team has lacked and Roberto Wallace, a second-year player, is a valuable special teams contributor.

For what it's worth, Sparano said the Dolphins kept six receivers because of the emphasis that is being placed on the passing game.

Anthony Fasano is locked in as the starter at tight end, but the addition of Dante Rosario provides the Dolphins another flex player who can fill many roles.

At PK, Dan Carpenter has emerged as a solid and consistent weapon.

After a sunny practice Monday, the optimism of a fresh start seemed to reflect the weather. When the Vikings visit the Chargers on Sunday, they'll be formally free of all the distractions, disappointments and dysfunction that followed them last fall and winter.

"The past was a little hectic, but for us we're all about this year," running back Toby Gerhart said. "We're looking forward. It is a fresh start, and hopefully we'll make the most out of it."

As Campbell suggested, most NFL teams are predictably relaxed in early September before the games actually count. Confidence comes from the parity and competitiveness that surrounds the league, and to speak hopefully is human nature, even if it's a classic preseason pro sports cliche.

But after enduring the ugly, painful end to Brett Favre's two-year stint in purple, working with the tension and uncertainty that preceded the firing of head coach Brad Childress and playing their last two home games at stadiums other than their snowstorm-damaged dome, the positive vibes around the 2011 Vikings have been palpable.

New head coach Leslie Frazier's calm, straightforward approach has helped. The departure of several established veterans created more room for eager-to-prove-themselves rookies.

Campbell added the national skepticism—in the form of last-place predictions— about the talent level left on a team that missed the Super Bowl two years ago by less than two points is an easy motivator.

"We're feeling like a team, and we're ready to play ball," wide receiver Percy Harvin said. "We kind of like that we're under the radar right now."

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was back to his talkative self with reporters after returning to practice. He hasn't been at full strength since he hurt his hamstring four weeks ago. Reminded how offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave has teased Shiancoe about rookie tight end Kyle Rudolph and the potential he has to take Shiancoe's playing time, Shiancoe laughed.

"It's all fun and games around here," Shiancoe said. "It's a relaxed environment."

Inside the locker room, rookie quarterback Christian Ponder learned of Frazier's acknowledgement he will probably be the primary backup to Donovan McNabb, ahead of Joe Webb.

"It's big. It's definitely what I was shooting for once I realized Donovan was coming in. It was important for me to secure that spot," Ponder said. "Now I've got to keep it."

Across the room, Harvin smiled wide as he mentioned the camaraderie that Frazier and his staff have been focused on fostering.

"We didn't have a long time to prepare," Harvin said, referring to the lockout, "so if you've got a tight, close-knit team, it might will you to a couple of wins."

In some ways, this year for the Vikings will be about healing some of the wounds created in 2010. ...

Other notes of interest. ... McNabb, who will turn 35 in November, is going to be the starter this season unless he gets injured. That will give Ponder, the 12th pick overall in the April draft, time to learn the offense and take it slowly after not being able to be around the coaching staff during the offseason because of the NFL lockout.

Even though Ponder will backup McNabb, with teams now allowed to dress and play 46 men on game day Webb could be used in a variety of packages.

Of course, Adrian Peterson remains the most important piece of this offense and is sure to be featured by Musgrave. Peterson had 283 carries in 15 games last season and rushed for 1,298 yards and 12 touchdowns. That was enough to earn him his fourth trip to the Pro Bowl in as many seasons but Peterson figures to put together a bigger season in 2011.

As the Sports Xchange notes, part of the reason is because it's expected Peterson will be a bigger part of the passing game. His career-high reception total is 43 (set in 2009) and he should approach or surpass that number.

For what it's worth, Peterson set the NFL single-game record for most rushing yards (296) against the San Diego Chargers in 2007. But the Chargers ranked as the fourth-best run defense (94 yards a game) last season. It will be interesting to see who wins this battle. ...

Gerhart seemed to get more confident as his rookie season progressed last year and he should be the first guy off the bench when Peterson needs a breather. Gerhart seems far more confident in himself and his abilities entering this season. Lorenzo Booker could contribute on offense but might end up mainly returning kickoffs.

Bernard Berrian is coming off a disappointing season in which he did not catch a touchdown pass and then was asked to restructure his contract. But he figures to have a chance to turn things around with McNabb now throwing him the ball. Favre just never seemed to look Berrian's way and that has changed so far in the preseason. Berrian still has speed and it's very important that he can present a down-field threat because that loosens up things for Peterson.

Harvin is one of the game's best slot receivers but also can play outside and Michael Jenkins is very familiar with this system. Jenkins was released by Atlanta after the lockout and quickly signed with the Vikings. He is expected to catch plenty of passes on intermediate routes.

Devin Aromashodu was signed as a free agent from the Bears, two years after having a career-high 24 receptions. Greg Camarillo provides depth as a slot receiver and is a steady veteran. He also can return punts.

Musgrave brings with him a system that relied on tight end Tony Gonzalez to catch plenty of passes. Gonzalez was second on the Falcons last season with 70 receptions and six touchdowns. Rudolph was taken in the second round out of Notre Dame and, like Shiancoe, has very good hands. He should be used in two and three tight end sets.

Jim Kleinsasser hasn't had more than 20 catches in a season since 2005 but that could change. The 13-year veteran also is an outstanding blocker and can lineup as an H-back.

PK Ryan Longwell, entering his 15th NFL season, remains an extremely reliable kicker. Last season, Longwell made 17 of 18 field-goal attempts 30 of 31 extra-point tries.

What was different about the Patriots' playbook was the detail. The formations and concepts were intricate. Tom Brady had the power to shake up the play at the line of scrimmage and Holt quickly discovered he had to know more than just his responsibility.

Holt joined the Patriots in April 2010 as a free agent hoping to extend his career after a touchdown-less season with the Jaguars. He got his playbook and benefited from offseason workouts, arriving to training camp with a head start.

What Holt was able to study in a few months, veteran receiver Chad Ochocinco crammed into a couple of weeks before the first preseason games this season. Now the Patriots are a week away from their season opener against the Dolphins and the time to learn is disappearing.

Ochocinco is preaching patience along with his teammates and the organization, but there are reasons why many describe this as a complicated offense that will take time to comprehend. In 2009, veteran receiver Joey Galloway didn't make it through October before he was cut.

"New England's system not only challenges you physically, it challenges you mentally, because they have so many concepts and so many things going on within that offense," Holt, now an NFL Network analyst, told Walker. "Tom runs that offense to a T and he has the flexibility to change things at the line of scrimmage at any given time.

"You have to know a number of things all the time. That's just the plays. I'm not even talking about the snap counts that he has the ability to change if he wants to. There's a lot within that offense that you have to know and be able to do quickly. And not only know it, but now you have to go out and execute it -- and for a lot of young guys and even veterans, that can be intimidating."

Ochocinco played 10 seasons with the Bengals, settling into an offense that allowed him to gain more than 10,000 yards and haul in 66 touchdowns.

Since he joined the Patriots in late July, Ochocinco has maintained his biggest challenge will be reacting without thinking. On a scale of 1 to 10, the receiver gave himself a 7 in that department. He played in three preseason games and caught three passes for 23 yards.

The routes aren't the issue, Ochocinco told Walker. The challenge is learning the verbiage and being able to apply it.

Walker went on to not that hen a player grasps the offense, the results have been proven.

Wes Welker joined the Patriots via trade with the Dolphins in 2007 and turned the season into the best of his career to that point. He caught 112 passes for 1,175 yards and eight touchdowns. Meanwhile, Randy Moss, also in his first season with the Patriots, rejuvenated his career with a season (98 receptions for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns) that helped Brady and the Patriots set records.

However, record-setting performances weren't on their minds when they first learned what it would take to operate in the Patriots offense.

"I think everybody is a little bit surprised at first, but I think you just roll with it and you learn it and you keep on going over things over and over until it becomes a habit almost," Welker said.

How players pick up the offense varies. Some rely on memorization, like learning multiplication tables with flashcards. Others quiz each other. Some just resort to old-fashioned studying.

It's all necessary because knowing the offense helps them develop trust with Brady.

"There's a big amount of information within one call and we can have three different calls, but it's almost like the same play," Welker said. "It's different things like that. There's a method to the madness, but you have to learn it all."

They all have to catch up to Brady, who has been in this offense from the beginning when Charlie Weis implemented it in 2000 as offensive coordinator. Josh McDaniels eventually was given the reins, and now they have been handed over to Bill O'Brien, who is in his in his fifth season with the Patriots and his first as offensive coordinator.

The progression of the offense made receiver Deion Branch feel like a new student when he rejoined the Patriots last year. From 2002 to 2005, Branch established his career in New England. After four-plus seasons with the Seahawks, Branch returned to the Patriots last season only to find many things had changed.

But he at least had a base to draw from.

This season, the Patriots' offense is looking evolve with the addition of Ochocinco. He may not be a factor early on as he continues to adjust, but he can be a contributor, Holt said.

"It'll be a challenge for him and I'm sure it's a challenge for him now," Holt said. "You're going to have mistakes. He's probably going to run some routes wrong. They're probably going to have to stop and wait to make sure he gets lined up properly, but that just happens. That's football. But if it means something to you, and it does to Chad, you'll get it right. And when he gets it right, he's going to be a problem [for defenses]."

Even without the typical offseason preparation because of the lockout, Brady said excuses can't be made once the season begins.

"I just know that when we go out there for the games, we're going to be prepared," Brady said. "We're going to feel good about every play on that call sheet. We're going to feel good about every player on that team. If guys were good players and didn't know what they were doing, coach would never put them out there.

"When I'm out there playing quarterback and I look around, I feel good about every guy that we have, I feel good about every play that we're going to call. I don't think about it any differently than I always have. ..."

Apparently not.

Coming off the first unanimous MVP season in NFL history, Brady heads into 2011 with a nice four-year, $78 million extension in his pocket. A year ago he had a ridiculous 36 touchdowns to just four interceptions, despite a receiving corps that was reworked midseason. Brady has had a solid training camp at age 34 and shows little sign of slowing down, save for some increased limitations in his pocket mobility that bear watching.

The former undrafted player Brian Hoyer remains Brady's primary backup, as was the case the last two seasons. But New England will carry a third quarterback in 2011 as it invested a third-round pick in the physically gifted Ryan Mallett, who some ponder could be the heir apparent in New England. Mallett had an inconsistent camp, doing little to challenge the more experienced, steady but physically inferior Hoyer for the backup job.

Meanwhile, as the Sports Xchange notes, Welker is a year removed from his ACL injury and playing out the final year of his contract, leading many to believe he'll be back to his 100-catch ways after hauling in "just" 86 balls in 2010 while seeing his average drop to 9.9 per catch while he led the league in drops. Branch is also in a contract year and despite a very quite preseason is seen as a proven constant for Brady to look for given his history with the quarterback.

The real question at the receiver position is with the young players.

Julian Edelman is in the mold of Welker, so his reps are limited but he's done a solid job when asked to fill in over his first two seasons as a converted college quarterback. Taylor Price had essentially a red shirt rookie season when he played in just the finale as he was slow to learn the offense. He's looked much better and more comfortable this summer, including an impressive 100-yard effort in the preseason opener in which he showed great hands on many of his catches.

He as the speed to get deep, but the versatility and hands to run any route on the tree if he can stay healthy.

The biggest question at tight end is how to fully utilize all the talent on hand.

Worth noting: Welker had great success in Miami against his former team, the Dolphins. In fact, during the past four road meetings, Welker has totaled 35 receptions for 495 yards and two scores, had at least eight receptions, and recorded three 100-yard contests. This includes 10 catches for 167 yards in Week 13 of 2009. ...

The Patriots hit the jackpot with last year's draft class of tight ends, landing Rob Gronkowski in the second round and Aaron Hernandez in the fourth.

Gronkowski set a rookie record with 10 touchdowns among his 42 catches. Hernandez, who's more a slot receiver in New England's spread passing scheme, added six scores on his 45 catches. The duo that combined for more than 1,100 yards receiving has looked very good this summer as well and could be developing into the young core of the passing attack. Gronkowski is also a very good blocker.

So is Rob's brother, Dan Gronkowski, formerly of the Broncos, who joined his brother on the Patriots this week. But Dan is known more for his blocking than his receiving. ...

Moving on to the annual Fantasy conundrum that is the Patriots' backfield. ...

As the Xchange reminded readers, New England has essentially used a backfield committee since Corey Dillon left and former first-round pick Laurence Maroney failed to take over the lead back role. BenJarvus Green-Ellis took advantage of his opportunities last fall to the tune of 13 touchdowns and just more than 1,000 yards.

The former undrafted player has never fumbled in his three seasons, and is sure if unspectacular ball carrier. He won't cause opponents to game plan for him, but riding the momentum of the passing attack can be a productive presence.

Danny Woodhead joined the team to replace an injured Kevin Faulk (who'll begin 2011 on PUP) last fall and was an immediate impact playmaker. His change of pace skills gave opponents fits, and based on the preseason looks ready to pick up where he left off a year earlier. The rookies, Stevan Ridley and Shane Vereen will begin the year as rotational options and their impacts could be limited given both missed significant time in the preseason due to injury.

PK Stephen Gostkowski returns from a torn quad that cost him the second half of last season. The former All-Pro has looked good in camp, with seemingly no lingering accuracy or leg strength issues from the surgery to repair the muscle. Given his past proficiency on kickoffs, he should also take full advantage of the new rules on kickoffs.

One last note here. ... As SI.com's Peter King noted this week, last season, including playoff games, Belichick started the year 14th on the NFL's all-time wins list for coaches, with 163. He passed Bud Grant (168), Paul Brown (170), Joe Gibbs (171) and Mike Holmgren (174), and finished the year 10th, with 177 wins.

This year, if the Patriots get off to a hot start and begin 6-1, Belichick will have 183 wins, tied for ninth on the all-time list. Belichick will go for win number 184 at home on Nov. 6. Against the New York Giants. To break a tie with Bill Parcells.

If anything will separate them at season's end, it could be whether halfback Mark Ingram is the player many NFL scouts projected before the Saints traded into the bottom of the first round to select him in this year's draft.

As Green Bay Press-Gazette staffer Pete Dougherty suggested, if Ingram is a difference-maker as a rookie, the Saints probably would have the most diverse offense in the league.

"I think [Ingram] has the ability to have a pretty significant role on our team as the season progresses," Drew Brees said Sunday in a teleconference with reporters in Green Bay. "He's a really talented back and he's got great instincts and he's a pure runner. You watch him run and you say, ‘This guy's born to be a running back' with his body type and the way he approaches the game. He's obviously a great addition to our backfield."

With or without Ingram, the Saints figured to be an excellent offense because they have the same key players who in Sean Payton's five previous seasons as coach have led the league in yards three times, points twice, and finished outside the top five in each category only once. And those players remain in their primes.

For starters, it's no stretch to say Brees has ranked among the top four or five quarterbacks in the NFL the past three years, and at 32, isn't yet at an age when quarterbacks generally decline.

Next, the Saints' top four receivers are under 30: Marques Colston (28), Devery Henderson (29), Lance Moore (28) and Robert Meachem (26).

At running back, the Saints traded the dynamic Reggie Bush to Miami, but only because they'd drafted Ingram. On the same day they sent Bush to the Dolphins, the Saints signed a slightly lesser version of Bush in former San Diego Chargers scat-back Darren Sproles, who is 28.

Also, starting halfback Pierre Thomas, a hero of the Saints' Super Bowl champion team in the 2009 season who is 26, is back from a chronic ankle injury last season that limited him to only six games.

"I think we all know the potential here," Brees said. "The thought is we're never going to take anything for a granted or assume that we can walk out there with the talent that we have and just scare people away with our talent. That's not the way it works. You've got to make plays and prove it every time out. I like what we have."

The running game has been a huge topic around the Saints after they followed their win in Super Bowl XLIV with an 11-5 record last season and abrupt playoff exit in a wild-card loss at Seattle, 41-36.

The Saints have been one of the league's most pass-oriented teams under Payton, but in their best season also ran the ball efficiently. That wasn't the case last year, when they were obliterated by injuries at running back, most notably with the injury-prone Bush missing eight games because of a fractured leg and Thomas playing in only six games and missing the playoffs because of the recurring ankle problem.

The Saints' injuries at running back accrued to the point that at the end of the playoff loss at Seattle, they were down to their seventh and eighth options at running back, and one of them was Heath Evans, a blocking fullback.

As evidence of the value of a viable running game even for an explosive offense, Dougherty notes the Saints led the league in scoring and yards in 2008 and 2009 but had a running-game disparity that contributed to substantially different results in the standings. In 2008, they were No. 28 in rushing yards and No. 23 in yards per carry and finished 8-8; in 2009, they were No. 6 in rushing yards and No. 7 in yards per carry, with Thomas emerging as their primary back, and finished 13-3 and won the Super Bowl.

Last year, with their backfield wiped out most of the season, they weren't the same team. Their offense finished No. 11 in points, and their run game was No. 28 in yards and No. 19 in yards per carry. They made the playoffs as a wild-card team and were knocked out by a Seattle team that was 7-9 in the regular season.

Defense plays a major role in a season's outcome as well, but those numbers suggest that a good running game, among other things, also allows a team to control the ball and keep its defense off the field.

Going into Thursday, the Saints list Thomas as their starting halfback, and Sproles has a defined role as a passing-down back. But Ingram could be the key.

When he was still on the draft board near the end of the first round, the Saints traded their second-round pick (No. 56 overall) and a first-round pick in 2012 to take him at No. 28 overall in the first round.

Ingram didn't go higher mainly because of concerns about his straight-line speed. But leading up to the draft several scouts interviewed by the Press-Gazette likened him to Emmitt Smith, the Pro Football Hall of Fame halfback who wasn't selected until No. 17 overall in the 1990 draft because of similar concerns.

Packers defensive end Ryan Pickett, an 11th-year pro, played against Smith.

"I see (the Smith comparison), but I think [Ingram] is a little quicker as far as cutting," Pickett said.

Regardless of what kind of player Ingram is early in the season, the Packers' defense opens 2011 with as difficult an assignment as there is in the NFL. ...

Worth noting. ... The Saints have ruled Moore (groin) out for Thursday night's game. Although he returned to practice on Sunday, Moore hasn't practiced since. Colston, Meachem and Henderson will be the team's top three wideouts this week.

Kicker Garrett Hartley (hip) has also been ruled out.

Following last Thursday night's preseason finale with the San Francisco 49ers, Payton shot down a report that Hartley will be sidelined for up to 10 weeks because of a hip flexor injury. Still, the Saints signed former Carolina Panthers kicker John Kasay last week to make sure they were covered early in the season.

Per the Sports Xchange, the Saints hope to have Hartley back in early October.

A few final notes here. ... Despite throwing for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdown passes last season, Brees is looking for some improvement this time around -- mainly in taking care of the football. He tossed a career-high 22 interceptions a year ago and would be the first to tell you that's unacceptable.

The Saints signed veteran tight end John Gilmore, who was recently released by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but spent the past three seasons with Tampa Bay. Prior to that, he spent six seasons with Chicago.

It's a logical fit because New Orleans was carrying only two tight ends. Jimmy Graham is expected to be used mostly as a pass catcher and David Thomas has good versatility. But Gilmore is a blocking specialist who could be used when the Saints use two-tight-end formations.

Gilmore isn't much of a threat as a receiver. He never has caught more than 15 passes in a season and has five career touchdowns.

Graham, a former basketball player for Miami, played so well last year he made Jeremy Shockey expendable. The 6-6, 260-pounder possesses a rare combination of size, speed and leaping ability and is an inviting target for Brees -- particularly in the red zone. Expect a huge season from Graham. ...

And last but not least. ... Payton signed a contract extension this week that will keep him with the team through the 2015 season.

The concerns were always from outside, though. Inside, the Giants looked around and wondered what all the angst was about.

"We've got a lot of talent on our offense," running back Brandon Jacobs told Vacchiano on Monday. "People could be down on us, I guess, because of a little two-week free-agency thing. But I think we're ready to play. I think the team that we're going to put on the field every Sunday is going to be one of the best in the league."

Now that their mess of a summer is over, the Giants were ready to prove that as they began practicing Monday for their opener against the Redskins in Washington on Sunday. They know the starters looked shaky in three preseason games, especially on offense with just 16 points in 18 possessions. They know it looked as if Eli Manning and the offense never really clicked.

They're also keenly aware they cut two key offensive linemen (Shaun O'Hara, Rich Seubert), and lost a Pro Bowl receiver (Steve Smith) and a talented tight end (Kevin Boss) to free agency before they even held their first practice of the summer.

They just think everyone is overlooking how many talented players are still on the team.

"Yeah, you could say that," said receiver Hakeem Nicks. "But I think we just look at it like we know what we've got in this locker room and we know what we're capable of doing. And I know when it's time guys are going to step up to the challenge."

Maybe the most important pieces the Giants still have are two talented and healthy running backs in Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw, who combined for 2,058 yards last season (Bradshaw had 1,235, Jacobs had 823 and they combined for 4.9 yards per carry). And that wasn't even what either considered to be a good season.

"I think the running game definitely could be better than what it was last year," Jacobs said. "I don't think we ran the ball with conviction last year like we're going to this year."

Although he lost the starting job last season due to his fumbling problems, Bradshaw is expected to be listed atop the depth chart when the Giants open the season against Washington on Sept. 11. Jacobs, meanwhile, can expect to see a significant increase in his carries as the coaches hope to better balance the workload to keep Bradshaw fresh down the stretch.

According to Vacchiano, the running game figures to be more of a focus than it was last year, when the Giants ran on 46.3 percent of their plays. That seems logical since Manning is coming off a 25-interception season and lost two of his favorite targets in Smith and Boss.

Then again, it's not like they won't be able to throw the ball without those two. Nicks put up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers last year (79 catches, 1,052 yards, 11 touchdowns) despite playing in only 14 games. And Mario Manningham caught 60 passes for 944 yards and nine touchdowns despite making only nine starts.

Yes, the offense looked out of sync. But the Giants say it would be dangerous to underestimate how explosive they can be.

"I think especially in New York when you get comfortable with something and it goes away or fades away, people are just shocked," said tight end Travis Beckum. "I mean, it's natural. It happens. I think the guys are definitely going to have to step up.

"But I think (fans) are so used to seeing Steve make a great play or Kevin making a great play that they possibly don't think that someone can fill those roles. But I think there are guys on this team that can make plays as well. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Jake Ballard will be the first-team tight end Sunday when they open the season in Washington, a source told Bergen County Record staffer Jeff Roberts. The speedy but undersized Beckum – a 2009 third-round draft pick -- was expected to get the nod as the starter, but he had a rocky training camp plagued by hamstring and ankle injuries.

His most noteworthy moment came when offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride chewed him out in front of reporters for cutting the wrong way in practice.

"It was one play, and people really blew it up too as if I'm really messing up and stuff like that," Beckum said.

But Beckum thinks he can match Boss' 35 receptions.

So does the 6-6, 275-pound Ballard, who previously had been thought of merely as a blocking tight end.

"I think it's not crazy to expect 60 to 70 balls from the combination of the tight ends this year," he said.

But Ballard, 23, has no career receptions. And with Bear Pascoe, the team's trio of tight ends combined for six catches in four preseason games. And Pascoe will continue to split time at fullback, even though head coach Tom Coughlin said he will get more snaps at tight end.

Wide receiver Ramses Barden, who will begin the 2011 season on PUP as he recovers from an ankle ailment, said he's glad things worked out the way they did. "Thinking about it, it might have been the best decision as far as giving me enough time to not only get healthy, but have that time to get conditioned," he said. "I would hate to come back and have some sort of injury from concentrating on another muscle or joint. That's the last thing that I would want, to come back and think that everything is good and not be conditioned enough to take the rigors of the game."

Barden, who underwent a cleanout procedure in March, expressed confidence that the time off would help him get to where he needs to be physically. And when that day comes, he opined that he'll be ready to step right in and contribute.

"I know what goes on in practice. I watch every practice. From a mental standpoint, there won't be any drop off," he said when asked how much time he thought he might need to get ready to contribute. "There will come a time while the rest of the receivers are doing their receiver drills, I'll be doing the same thing -- I'll just have to be on another field."

PK Kicker Lawrence Tynes is hoping that whoever gets the holding job this season can be just as efficient as Sage Rosenfels was. Rosenfels was placed on injured reserve. Last season, Tynes converted on 17 of 18 attempts once Rosenfels was given the holding responsibilities. This year, either quarterback David Carr or punter Steve Weatherford will serve as the holder on place kicks.

"It is going to be interesting -- I don't know what is going to happen," Tynes said. "I would like to think that I can do well with anyone."

Tynes, missed the preseason finale against New England with a thigh injury, is optimistic that he'll ready for the season opener at Washington.

It would be natural for Burress to get emotional after missing the last two seasons while serving prison time on a felony gun charge, but he said Monday he's just trying to keep everything low key.

"I kind of go over in my mind what it's going to feel like but I don't need to know," he said. "When I get out there, whatever happens, if I shed a few tears. ... I'm excited. I want to start fresh and let it come to me.

"Just enjoy it. There's no pressure," he added.

Burress said he's getting more comfortable in the Jet offense as he has shaken off the rust in an abbreviated offseason. "I just (have to) focus on the game, seeing the whole game as I'm playing as opposed to when I first got here when the game was in pieces I was just so focused on myself," he said. "I'm really starting to understand the concept of the offense to where I'm running full speed."

His return comes against the team he played against twice a year while with the Giants.

"No doubt about it," he said when asked if the familiarity will help. "They have great players over there who I've played against but at the same time, they have a whole new scheme. Until we watch film, I can't be quite sure what it is. ..."

Of course, Burress won't have the pressure of being the team's primary receiver. Santonio Holmes has earned that distinction.

Holmes made an immediate impact in 2010 once he finished serving a four-game NFL-imposed suspension, scoring or setting up the winning score in four consecutive victories. And his chemistry with Mark Sanchez seems as strong as ever, as the two hooked up for touchdowns in consecutive preseason games this year.

Head coach Rex Ryan has made Holmes a team captain, and the often-mercurial Holmes seems to have bought in totally to Ryan's program.

Burress showed flashes of his old self in the preseason, despite missing time with a sprained left ankle. It's unclear if he can recover his pre-prison form, but that's what the Jets are banking on. Derrick Mason is expected to fill the role former Jet Jerricho Cotchery did, as a slot receiver and handy third-down target for Sanchez.

But at 37, he is eight years older than Cotchery.

Tight end Dustin Keller led the Jets in receptions with 55 last season, despite his opportunities dwindling after Holmes returned. Keller's size and speed create matchup problems and the Jets need to find a way to use him more consistently in 2011.

Meanwhile, Sanchez repeatedly has said he will concentrate on improving his mediocre 54.4 percent career completion rate this season. At least he recognizes that is a problem. As the Sports Xchange notes, Sanchez still sometimes struggles reading defenses, especially early in games before he settles in.

But he is at his best when the game is on the line, as there are fewer reads for him to make.

He also has shown he has the innate ability to step up to avoid the rush and make plays outside the pocket, something that is almost essential for quarterbacks in the current NFL. He had a spotty preseason as he seemed to have a bit of trouble immediately getting on the same page with some of his new receivers.

Of course, the passing attack will continue to take a backseat to the ground game if all goes according to plan.

The Jets hope that Shonn Greene, a power back, will benefit from more carries in 2011 to give him a chance to wear down opposing defenses. That's one reason they anointed him the starter. Greene has the potential to be an upper-tier NFL running back, but must not be as injury-prone as he has been, and must get over his habit of fumbling at inopportune times. He also must improve as a receiver.

LaDainian Tomlinson had a fast start in 2010 and then wore down as the season went on, which is why the Jets want to use him in a reduced role this season. He will mostly be the third-down back. He was used sparingly in the preseason, as the Jets want to keep him fresh for the real games.

Joe McKnight rushed for 158 yards against Buffalo in the regular-season finale last year as Tomlinson and Greene sat out to rest for the playoffs, but he did little else as a rookie. However, he bounced back with a much better 2011 training camp than 2010, and held off rookie Bilal Powell's challenge for the third RB slot.

Ryan said FB John Conner would be ready after spraining his left ankle in the Giants' final preseason game.

"There's no doubt," he said. "I think he will play. I really feel strongly he will play. We'll probably keep him out tomorrow and get him back on a regular schedule Wednesday.

"I'm confident I'm playing on Sunday," said Conner.

While Conner didn't practice, he was back on the field working with the trainers. "They had me doing a little jogging. ... Some cuts and stuff to see how it felt."

Backup QB Mark Brunell was limited in practice, Ryan said. He was wearing on a sleeve over his injured calf.

According to SI.com's Peter King, the Jets made an interesting move by giving Mardy Gilyard a shot after he was released by the Rams. When a fourth-round pick gets released 17 months after he was drafted, that's a pretty major indictment of his ability. The Jets clearly are interested in upgrading their return capability and have questions about TCU rookie Jeremy Kerley's ability to handle the returns.

We'll see what special teams coach Mike Westhoff sees in Gilyard in practice this week, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Gilyard returning in the Sunday night season opener against Dallas.

PK Nick Folk started fast in 2010 but struggled a bit in November and early December before rebounding to connect on 10 of his last 11 field-goal attempts, including playoffs. Still, he had to hold off a strong challenge from journeyman Nick Novak in training camp.

An 0-4 exhibition season, concluded last Friday night with a 20-3 loss to Seattle, was ancient history.

Players were off Saturday when the Raiders pared 26 names from the roster.

"I welcomed 'em," Jackson said after practice. "Congratulations. But now it's time to do what we do. Obviously a smaller group, less guys. Now the focus is on winning. Everything we do now is about winning football games."

After practice Monday and a day off Tuesday, the Raiders should pick up their intensity considerably Wednesday, when they have the first of three practices at 7:15 p.m. The idea is to get their body clocks used to a 7:15 kickoff (8:15 in Denver) in the season opener on Sept. 12.

Portable lights will be brought to the practice facility.

"I don't know if it's going to light up like Christmas, but I know we'll be able to see each other," Jackson said. "Our organization is willing to do whatever I think we need to do to help us win a football game."

It should be noted, of course, that the bright lights and national television audience that comes from a prime-time game seems to bring out the worst in the Raiders.

As Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow reminded readers, one constant during a long stretch of losing for the Raiders has been a failure to win on the prime-time stage. There have been a few heartbreakers and more than their share of blowouts, but no prime-time wins for Oakland since 2004.

The Raiders once won 14 straight Monday night games back when the series was at the height of its popularity starting in the mid-1970s. But Oakland has lost its last 11 appearances in prime time, dating to the start of the 2005 season, being outscored 175-53 over the last six games.

"This is what I know. This is 2011," Jackson said. "The Raiders and the Denver Broncos on Monday night in their stadium. That's all I know. What's gone on here in the past, I can't speak about it, worry about. I'm just worried about this upcoming Monday night."

Their last prime-time win came on Nov. 28, 2004, when they beat the Broncos 25-24 on a snowy Sunday night in Denver that featured a spectacular one-handed touchdown catch by Ronald Curry. Their last Monday night win came in their Super Bowl season in 2002, when they beat the Jets 26-20 on Dec. 2.

The Raiders have often been at their worst in season openers under the bright lights of a nationally televised game. They lost a Thursday night opener in New England 30-20 in 2005 against the defending-champion Patriots.

The following year, the Art Shell coaching era got started with a 27-0 loss to the Chargers that was indicative of what was to come in a 2-14 season. The Raiders allowed nine sacks and gained just 129 yards as they were completely overmatched by San Diego's pressure.

The problems came on the other side of the ball in the opener two years later in a 41-14 home loss to Denver. Jay Cutler threw for 300 yards and the Broncos gained 441 in all. Coach Lane Kiffin washed his hands of that performance, saying coordinator Rob Ryan and owner Al Davis run the defense, contributing to his firing a few weeks later.

Oakland fared a little better the following year before losing a 24-20 heartbreaker at home to San Diego. JaMarcus Russell had given the Raiders a 20-17 lead with a 57-yard touchdown pass to rookie Louis Murphy with 2:34 left, before Philip Rivers drove the Chargers down for the winning score with 18 seconds left.

The Raiders haven't played a prime-time game since then, being denied the showcase last year based on a run of seven straight seasons with at least 11 losses. ...

Other notes of interest. ... As Tribune staffer Steve Corkran notes, running back Darren McFadden certainly is in the discussion when it comes to which Raiders player has the most speed.

McFadden says he is the fastest player. Rookie running back Taiwan Jones makes a similar claim.

Regardless, it's all about how the Raiders use that speed, McFadden said. "It's like we can have a track meet on the field with the guys we have out there," he explained. "It's not just about having speed. Guys have to be able to go out there and make plays. One thing we want to do is focus on making plays."

According to Corkran, Jackson gets particularly giddy when talking about the likes of McFadden, Jones, Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

"You see me smiling, right?" Jackson said. "I'm very happy, very excited, about our football team. This is the team I envisioned we had the capability of being when this thing all started. The fun part is, now they're all healthy, almost all. You get to play with them a little bit and find out they are what I know they are. They're starting to showcase that."

For an objective take on who is the fastest Raider, we turn to free safety Michael Huff, never one short on opinion.

"I'd say Taiwan," Huff said. "He's probably the fastest man I've ever seen. The special things he's done in practice, catching sweeps and catching screens, and I don't know, he hits a gear. Doesn't look like he's running that fast, though, and you try and run him down and he just glides. ... "

McFadden is the centerpiece of a corps of running backs that may be the best in the NFL. He can run it with breakaway speed and finish with power, catch the ball short and deep. He's even an aggressive pass blocker. Fullback Marcel Reece is a matchup nightmare in that he has the skills of a deep receiver at 245 pounds. Michael Bush has looked terrific in the preseason, running with power and a good forward lean. He twice gained 100-plus yards last season when McFadden was out, and together they spearheaded the NFL's No. 2 rushing attack.

Jones looks like a bargain in the fourth round. He would play regularly anywhere else provided a thick history of injuries doesn't trail him into the NFL. Rock Cartwright is a mainstay on special teams.

Remember: Denver had one of the worst run defenses last season, allowing the second-most yards (155 a game) and the most scores (26). The Raiders scored 98 points in dominating both contests against the Broncos. McFadden accounted for four touchdowns in the first meeting last year. He also averaged 177 total yards in two games vs. Denver in 2010. ...

Jackson still isn't prepared to announce who his starting wide receivers are going to be Monday night.

Based on performance in practice and exhibition games, it's clear cut that rookie Denarius Moore and Derek Hagan deserve to start against the Broncos. Hagan said he and the other receivers have not been told what their roles are going to be just yet. That should come Thursday, at the latest.

As for Moore, Jackson said it's imperative to find ways to get him the ball so that the Raiders can take advantage of his play-making ability.

"Let him catch balls," Jackson said. "That's what he does. He catches footballs. Put him in position to make plays. That's what you do. You take all this talent that we have. You got to take all these guys and give them opportunities to make plays in games. And he's done it, and he's one of the guys that knows how, so we'll give him opportunities to do so.?"

Hagan said he's prepared for anything.

"I really have no clue," Hagan said. "It's just, whatever they want me to do, I'm definitely there to do it, whether it's starting at receiver, coming in as the second, third, fourth receiver or playing on special teams. I'm just here to do it all for this team and, hopefully, I can help the team win."

Hagan missed practice with what he called a minor injury but said he will be back Wednesday.

Heyward-Bey seemed to make some strides during training camp when the offense called on more quick slants and hitch routes that enable him to use his size to his advantage and then run after catch, rather than struggle under long passes. Ford missed most of camp with broken hand but will be put in positions to isolate his speed one-on-one as well as run the occasional reverse.

Murphy, Oakland's most productive receiver over the past two years, won't play to start the season after surgery for an undisclosed injury. Chaz Schilens continues to have injury issues. This time it's a knee injury.

One position where there are no questions is QB. It's Jason Campbell's team, as Jackson made clear from the outset. Whatever rocky start the two had last year when Campbell was benched after six quarters has dissipated. Campbell knows the offense, having worked with Jackson last year and new offensive coordinator Al Saunders in Washington.

He's had a very good training camp and looked good in the preseason. At age 30, it's time for Campbell to step up beyond average. ...

Tight end Kevin Boss worked out with a trainer for part of practice and afterward, though he's still wearing a protective sleeve on his left knee. Jackson said he isn't sure if Boss will be at practice Thursday or whether Boss will be able to play Monday night. Boss said he remains hopeful. ...

Also according to the Xchange, Sebastian Janikowski should set the record for touchbacks with kickoffs coming from the 35. He hit 57-yard field goals off the dirt in both the north and south end zones during the preseason and looks primed for a big year.

A few final notes. ... The Raiders released RB Michael Bennett earlier this week. ... Suspended QB Terrelle Pryor threw passes on the field after the rest of the team had practiced. Pryor can't practice with his teammates until after the fifth game of the season.

A reporter learned the hard way Monday.

That characterization infuriated Vick, the NFL comeback player of the year who guided the Eagles to a playoff berth.

"Popped around?" Vick said rhetorically. "I didn't play reckless last year as I did in the past. I refuse to do that. I think I didn't take as many hits last year as I took in the past. But that's not my concern. I'm not here to talk about that. My style of play, it is what it is and it's going to happen the way it's going to happen. That's the way I've been successful the last eight years of my career and nothing is going to change."

As Grotz suggested, don't believe for a second that the $100 million contract Vick received from the Eagles is going to make him any less fearless on the field.

The incentive in the pact Vick would most like to reach is the $3 million bonus for winning a Super Bowl.

Asked what his goals were, the 31-year-old Vick said flatly "Mine is to win a championship."

"Other than that I have no personal goals."

Focused as Vick is these days, there is something to be said about his vulnerability. He missed three starts and most of four games last season with a rib cartilage injury after getting savagely sandwiched between DeAngelo Hall and Kareem Moore of the Washington Redskins.

The Eagles went 2-2 in those games with backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, since traded to the Arizona Cardinals.

Though the Eagles added a proven winner this season in backup quarterback Vince Young, he's nursing a strained hamstring that kept him out of work Monday and could limit him the first month of the season.

The Eagles really don't want to see how much third-string quarterback Mike Kafka has improved. And he's banged-up, having taken a shot to the ribs in the preseason finale.

Vick might have to check his fearlessness just a tad while the offensive line gets to know each other.

Todd Herremans was switched from left guard to right tackle. Rookies Jason Kelce and Danny Watkins are starting at center and right guard, respectively. Veteran Evan Mathis is the starter at left guard for now, but the Eagles recently added guard Kyle DeVan, who played for offensive line coach Howard Mudd when both were in Indianapolis.

The lack of a real offseason has turned the week of the regular-season opener into a critical minicamp.

"I think you've just got to keep it simple for the guys," Vick said. "Keep them upbeat and confident. Experience is the best teacher and that's what they're going to get right now. I'm just going to bear with them and keep them confident. We'll be able to make it happen."

Vick is aware of what he means to his team. As he goes, so go the Eagles. It's just that he's never led his teams by flopping like so many less mobile quarterbacks. And he's used to playing the game hard, whether it's sprinting toward the end zone or making a hard hit on the guy who intercepts him, much like he did against Troy Polamalu in the preseason.

"I play the exact same way," Vick said. "I play a tad bit more intelligent. The thing is I can control what goes on, on the field. If I want to take a shot, I take a shot. If I want to fall to the ground and get down, I can. So it's all about feeling and what I'm doing. ..."

And it's hard to argue with that.

Which brings up another point. ... As USA Today's Roger Rotter notes, Vick's big-play ability led to nine contests of at least two scores and five games of three or more touchdowns during his 10 full games played last season. The Rams were susceptible to big-play passes of 20 or more yards in 2010, allowing the 11th-most in the NFL.

Other notes of interest. ... According to SI.com's Peter King, Philadelphia could well have an unexpected surprise in Week 1 -- wideout Steve Smith being active for the opener at St. Louis.

Indeed, Jeremy Maclin missed all of training camp and most of the preseason with a viral infection and wasn't cleared to practice until late August. Same with Smith, who is coming off microfracture surgery on his knee. If both can make full recoveries, the Eagles will have one of the league's very best receiving corps.

DeSean Jackson is a dangerous vertical threat who averaged a league-best 22.5 yards per catch last season. Maclin has 126 catches in his first two NFL seasons and had a team-high 10 TD receptions last year. Jason Avant is one of the league's best slot receivers. He had 51 catches last season.

Now, they also have Smith, who caught 107 passes two years ago, including a league-best 38 on third down.

According to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News, Smith will have a "very limited" package of plays to enter the season.

Meanwhile, LeSean McCoy is a versatile back who finished fourth in the league in yards from scrimmage last season. He averaged 5.2 yards a carry, mostly out of spread formations, and had a team-high 78 catches.

The addition of Ronnie Brown gives the Eagles much-needed depth at the position. Brown, who is bigger than McCoy, likely will see much of his action in short-yardage situations. The Eagles also are expected to pair Brown and McCoy in the backfield on occasion.

Brent Celek is an excellent pass-catcher and yards-after-the-catch guy who had a team-high 76 receptions two years ago. Last year, with the Eagles' pass-protection problems forcing Celek to do more blocking and less route-running, he had just 42 catches.

As the Sports Xchange notes, Vick prefers to go outside or deep with his passes, but Celek has the speed to split the seam of a defense. Clay Harbor, who has 4.5 speed, had a solid rookie year as Celek's backup, and progressively got more playing time as his blocking improved. Eagles used him on an end-around in the preseason.

And finally. ... Rookie PK Alex Henery, the most accurate field goal kicker in NCAA history at Nebraska, replaces David Akers.

Arians believes that putting up points in the red zone, scoring touchdowns around the goal line and being efficient on short-yardage plays makes his team tough to beat.

"Situational football," he said, "is the major focus of everything we do. You have to be good at it in this league."

It all hinges on third down, though.

"Converting on third down is just as big a play as throwing the ball deep and scoring 60-yard touchdowns," receiver Hines Ward said.

No team over the final seven games last year did a better job of converting than the Steelers, who were successful about 53 percent of the time. For the season, the Steelers ranked sixth-best at 43 percent -- up nearly 4 percent from the previous year.

It doesn't come without an investment. The Steelers devote practice time daily to third-down situations.

"When you invest time, you want to see the results in that investment," head coach Mike Tomlin said.

"Our mentality on third down is always execution," tight end Heath Miller said. "If you win those situations, you are going to likely win the ball games."

That was proved last year.

When the Steelers won the third-down conversion battle, they were 10-2. When the opposition converted better on third downs, the Steelers were 4-4.

"B.A. hammers third downs to us," Ben Roethlisberger said. "It is such a big down for us. I try to emphasize it with the guys when we come out on third down. I call it the money down. It was just a focus. Guys need to focus on third down, and that's what we did."

It doesn't hurt having Roethlisberger under center.

Last year, Roethlisberger converted 48.3 percent of third downs in 15 games, including the playoffs. The four games he missed at the beginning of the season, the Steelers converted only 28.5 percent.

"Yeah, No. 7 was playing quarterback. That's the reason we were good at the end of the year," Arians said. "The month of September we were struggling with it a little bit, but as soon as he got back in there, the percentages were really high."

Roethlisberger completed 65 percent of his third-down passes a year ago, with eight going for touchdowns.

Roethlisberger picked up where he left off by converting 57.1 percent of his third downs this preseason in nine series over three games and leading the offense to 38 points in about three quarters of playing time.

"Our goal is to score a point a minute," Ward said. "If we possess it 30 minutes, we should score 30 points."

To possess the ball for 30 minutes, they have to convert third downs.

"You can lose on first and second down, but if you win on third down, it doesn't matter," Ward said. "For us to be where we want to be, we have to be a good third-down team. ..."

In a related note. ... According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the number of plays on offense were closely divided between passes and runs last season (of 993 plays, 471 were runs). In the four preseason games, the trend continued (233 plays, 115 runs). So with emerging young runners and receivers, the split this season will be. ...

"Sixty percent," Antonio Brown predicted, the "passing" part understood.

"Definitely, man, we got all the guys who can go do some good things. With the running game going, it should help the passes. As much as the running game gets going, it'll give us more opportunities."

There are only so many opportunities, though, for all those receivers, especially if Emmanuel Sanders is as healthy as he showed last Thursday night. How do you get Sanders and Brown their catches, not to mention Mike Wallace and Ward, who needs 46 to hit 1,000?

Then, too, give Rashard Mendenhall his carries and maybe Isaac Redman, too?

"There's definitely enough food out there on the table," Sanders said. "We have a deep wide receiver corps and Bruce Arians is going to make a great game plan to get the ball in everyone's hands. There's definitely going to be some advantages, matchup-wise, vs. teams when we go to four, five wide receiver sets. So it's to our advantage."

Said Redman, "One hand washes the other. We run the ball well it opens it up for them, we pass the ball well it opens it up for us. We'll see. [Arians] does a good job of mixing up the run and pass."

Worth noting, Redman started at halfback in the preseason closer and carried four times for 29 yards, caught one pass for 11 yards and bowed out after two series. Jonathan Dwyer replaced him and carried 13 times for 88 yards.

And now a backfield that looked to be somewhat shaky behind Mendenhall before training camp began has some length and depth to it. Redman is a brute, a big, tough runner who can block, catch, shed tackles and take punishment. He is the clear No. 2 entering this season and could handle the job if Mendenhall were injured.

Dwyer, who reported to camp just over a month ago looking more like a rolly-polly nose tackle, has lost more than 20 pounds and worked himself back into shape. He now looks like the runner who rang up all those numbers at Georgia Tech.

Veteran Mewelde Moore, who re-signed as a free agent just before camp began, has the versatility to do every job including that of punt returner. ...

Other items of interest. ... Roethlisberger finished the preseason with a near-perfect passer rating of 146.6. He completed 67.7 percent (21 of 31) with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

According to the Sports Xchange, the wide receiving corps is well-rounded and explosive as any five Roethlisberger has had. Wallace and Brown are the home-run hitters but Sanders can take a short pass a long way and Jerricho Cotchery is a younger version of Ward, who looked spry in the preseason in practices and in games.

Miller excels as a receiver and a blocker, the Steelers consider him the most well-rounded tight end in the league. Fellow TE David Johnson's role evolves from mostly blocking from fullback spot; he will move into No. 2 spot on the line, appear in the backfield as well and might be used more as a receiver than he has in the past.

PK Shaun Suisham was excellent after he joined the team last November, when Jeff Reed was released. There's no reason to believe he won't continue to fare well.

"We did attempt to create a lot of competition with the new roster for battles during training camp. And I think that within the 53 there's still a tremendous amount of competition. I think that should happen," he said. "They should come out here and compete against each other to make each other better every day. I think this group will do that. That's one of the things I like about" the roster.

On Friday, Spagnuolo said getting the team's roster down to the 53-man limit was like a "jigsaw puzzle that we are trying to put together."

One of the positions frequently debated was wide receiver, where the first 53-man roster had seven players, plus recently signed Mark Clayton, who was placed on reserve/physically unable to perform.

The Rams waived Donnie Avery, their second-round pick in 2008, and Mardy Gilyard, a fourth-round choice in 2010. On the current roster are rookies Austin Pettis (third round) and Greg Salas (fourth), as well as Danario Alexander and Dominique Curry, an outstanding special teams player.

The top three receivers are Mike Sims-Walker, Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola.

Gilyard was claimed on waivers by Jets, while the Rams owe the unclaimed Avery his guaranteed salary of $638,750 for 2011.

According to the Sports Xchange, the Rams tried to trade Avery Saturday, but found no takers. With Avery entering the final year of his contract and not among the team's top three receivers, he was waived.

The signing of Clayton came one day before the preseason finale. He has been rehabbing a knee injury suffered in the fifth game of the 2010 season, but he still isn't considered ready for the rigors of an NFL game.

While on the physically unable to perform list, he can't practice for the first six weeks of the season, but can attend meetings and condition under the supervision of the team and trainer Reggie Scott.

Said Spagnuolo, "The thing you worry most about as I listen to Reggie and they talk about these injuries; that even though that particular injury might feel good, until you get out and do the real football competitive body movements, you don't really know exactly where they are. So we're not sure where we are going to be with that with Mark. It's hard to simulate that when he is in his own rehab.

"So we'll find out with Reggie putting his hands on him and then we'll get through this whole PUP thing."

Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui appears to be a longshot to be available for the season opener against the Eagles because of a strained calf.

Asked if he might be available this week, Spagnuolo said, "That's an interesting one. If you ask him he'll say yes. Reggie thinks because it's a calf injury, if you go too early with a calf injury and a pull, all of the sudden we could set him back. Then it's not worrying about the Philadelphia game, it's worrying about the next one.

"This is going to be a down-to-the-wire thing I believe. We're going to try and get him out there but this is a legitimate day-to-day deal. I don't think you'll see him practice Monday, Wednesday, I don't know about Thursday, I don't know about Friday; we'll see."

In what could be a telling development, Stephen Spach was on the field Tuesday for the team's first practice since Thursday night's win at Jacksonville. Spach is a 6-4, 260-pound tight end who was released Sunday by Arizona. Spach began his career in Philadelphia when Spagnuolo was on the coaching staff there. ...

Meanwhile, the Rams head into the 2011 season with high hopes. And with good reason.

Sam Bradford is the unquestioned leader of the offense as he enters his second season. Bradford has asserted himself and, most important, been a quick study in new coordinator Josh McDaniels' offense.

Even with Bradford's presence, Steven Jackson is still an important leader on the field and in the locker room. He worked hard in the offseason, reducing his body fat from six percent to four percent, and is at the stage of his career where he wants to win.

Cadillac Williams has shown good quickness and pass-catching ability in training camp and is the clear backup to Jackson. He will likely be used in certain packages, especially as a receiver. Jerious Norwood, a year removed from major knee surgery, isn't all the way back, but still has tremendous speed. It's possible he could return kickoffs to give Amendola a breather.

Brit Miller has developed into a solid blocker and can also carry the ball in a pinch. The Rams won't used the fullback a lot, but Miller is the man when they. He is also very good on special teams.

And few rookies are generating the buzz that Lance Kendricks is. According to the Xchange, Kendricks has the chance to make a real impact on the offense, especially as a red-zone receiver. He caught two touchdown passes in the red zone in the first three preseason games.

Overall, Kendricks had the most receiving touchdowns (three). He also had the second-most receptions (11) and third-most receiving yards (155) among tight ends.

Adding to the intrigue, USA Today's Roger Rotter notes the Eagles struggled against tight ends last season, allowing 82 receptions for 919 yards and 11 scores at the position. ...

PK Josh Brown will continue to provide the Rams with consistent, solid production.

The remaining group includes 27 players on defense, 23 on offense and three specialists.

One undrafted rookie, outside linebacker Darryl Gamble, remains on the roster. Seyi Ajirotutu, Ogemdi Nwagbuo and Quinton Teal were among the notable cuts. The Chargers also signed veteran linebacker Na'il Diggs.

"Probably the best thing we've done is add to our team speed," head coach Norv Turner said. "I think that'll be significant in the kicking game and I think it'll help us defensively trying to create big plays and turnovers."

The Chargers kept 11 linebackers, including Gamble, Jonas Mouton and Andrew Gachkar, all rookies; free agent acquisitions Takeo Spikes, Travis LaBoy and Diggs; and first-year player Donald Butler. Turner said his biggest concern is the youth at linebacker, one of the reasons the Chargers signed Diggs and kept Stephen Cooper.

The team kept six receivers, including first-year players Richard Goodman, Bryan Walters and draft pick Vincent Brown.

Walters, who was cut last preseason, was coaching receivers and returners at Juanita High School when the Chargers called to offer him a practice squad spot Dec. 1. He returned to training camp this season and had a 103-yard kickoff return against Seattle as well as the game-winning touchdown catch against Arizona.

"All day I was looking over my shoulder. Finally at practice, my receivers coach (Charlie Joiner) was like, ‘Hey, did you call your parents yet?' and I was like, ‘What does that mean, coach?' But that's when I knew," Walters said. "It's nice just to move on and worry about Minnesota.

The rest of the roster by position includes two quarterbacks, four backs, three tight ends, eight offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, five cornerbacks and five safeties.

Eight rookies made the roster, including seven of eight draft picks.

But of course, the depth isn't of as much interest to Fantasy owners as the front-line stars here. And the Chargers are loaded in that department.

With his quick release and uncanny accuracy, Philip Rivers takes a back seat to few players at his position. Nurtured by Turner, Rivers has developed into one of the game's top quarterbacks.

According to the Sports Xchange, Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews are 1 and 1A in the Chargers' RB pecking order. Mathews was supposed to be the guy to replace the iconic LaDainian Tomlinson, but pass-protection and ball-security issues restricted his playing time. Tolbert took advantage with a breakout season that saw him score 11 touchdowns.

Worth noting this week? Vikings run-stuffer Kevin Williams is suspended for the first two contests. The Vikings' rush defense also declined last season after rating as one of the league's best in 2009. USA Today's Roger Rotter believes this is a real opportunity for Mathews to start the season strong after disappointing as a rookie.

Vincent Jackson and Malcom Floyd give the Chargers one of the best tandems in the league. Both can stretch the field; few are better than the athletic Jackson of making the reception on jump-ball situations. He's a Pro Bowler and the Chargers are looking for a full season of his talents after a contract dispute wrecked 2010.

Patrick Crayton is a reliable No. 3; Walters, Brown and Goodman will be made to look good with Rivers on the other end of the passes.

Antonio Gates sets the league-wide standard at his position; he has at least eight touchdown receptions in each of the past seven seasons. But after not playing last season's final month, his plantar fasciitis issues must be kept in mind; so far, he has survived camp and the preseason games.

Randy McMichael has proved to be a worthy backup; Korry Sperry's hands might be even better than McMichael's.

But again, the front-line guys are of most interest.

Indeed, teaming the 6-5, 225-pound Floyd with Jackson (6-5, 230) gives the Chargers one of the most physically-imposing receiving tandems in the league. Throw in 6-4, 260-pound Gates and opposing defense will have some serious matchup issues.

Nate Kaeding returns from last year's groin issues to continue to assault the NFL kicking marks for accuracy.

Players, especially quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick, have marveled at Harbaugh's active involvement on the field and in the meeting rooms.

Free agents, one by one, have cited Harbaugh as a driving reason they joined a franchise that hasn't had a winning season or playoff berth since 2002.

Forty-Niners legends, Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana and Steve Young among them, have endorsed Harbaugh and his capability to resuscitate what was once the NFL's model offense.

"Jim Harbaugh has been there. He's done it at Stanford," Montana said. "But he knows it takes some time. It would have helped them tremendously to have the lockout not happen. Putting in a new offense is a lot harder than putting in a new defense. There's a lot of adjustments made in that system, so it's hard."

Installing the West Coast offense is one thing, but Harbaugh also has had to teach his quarterbacks simple fundamentals in terms of footwork and visual keys.

"When you have a coach who's played quarterback in the NFL for a number of years, you're going to get a lot of details from them on a lot of different things. .... And a lot of it quickly," Kaepernick said.

According to Inman, Harbaugh constantly is seen emphasizing footwork drills with his quarterbacks.

Kaepernick gave this example of what he learned: "Dropping back from center, don't turn your foot like this because it's going to slow you down, you're not going to get away as quick. Little things like that come through on every play, and he's going to tell you about it so you're fine-tuned when you get in the game."

How does Harbaugh convey that advice?

"It depends I guess on his demeanor at the moment," Smith said. "Sometimes, we're in a meeting room. ... And he's very laid-back. Sometimes we're on the field and he's getting fired up."

In case you missed it, Harbaugh named Smith the starting quarterback, Kaepernick the backup and signed Scott Tolzien to the practice squad. The latter is the undrafted kid who was popular with the draftniks before the draft, who couldn't make the Chargers.

And according to SI.com's Peter King, Harbaugh did the smart thing at running back, moving rookie Kendall Hunter behind Frank Gore. King wouldn't be surprised to see Hunter gain 800 yards this year, even if Gore stays healthy.

Meanwhile, Braylon Edwards regularly lures Smith back onto the field for some extra work, a few more throws to make sure they're clicking and on cue. Same goes for study sessions in the film room.

They do it after practice, even on days off.

In the short time since Edwards joined the San Francisco 49ers, he has shown a commitment to his new team and a much-needed second chance out West with a fellow Michigan man -- Harbaugh -- calling the shots: Edwards hopes to develop the best possible chemistry with Smith so he can return to the dynamic play-making receiver he has been in the past.

He plans to stay out of trouble in the process.

"I'm trying just to be a team guy, fit in, do the things necessary to help this team succeed," Edwards said Tuesday. "I feel like I've done that behind the scenes and I will continue doing so."

While Edwards might not start Sunday's season opener against defending NFC West champion Seattle, he should take on a big role as he begins his seventh NFL season.

The Niners love his size.

Edwards is 6-3 and 214 pounds. He demonstrated his athleticism with a pretty one-handed catch along the sideline in a 17-3 exhibition win over the Oakland Raiders on Aug. 20.

"He brings a lot to us," tight end Vernon Davis said. "He's a big-time playmaker. He has that ability to really do that, especially in one-on-one battles."

Harbaugh made it clear when Edwards arrived that it was time for him to finally grow up and take responsibility for his behavior and his play.

The 49ers said Tuesday they had been informed by the league that there would be no suspension for Edwards, who was fined $50,000 by the NFL for his DWI. Edwards later tweeted about it.

Edwards could emerge as a big-play threat and carry the load early considering Michael Crabtree remains behind after missing training camp with a broken left foot that required surgery.

Crabtree, sidelined for the third straight preseason after sustaining the broken foot in a Smith-led June workout, said he hadn't been told if he would play Sunday.

Is he ready?

"Yeah, I should be," he said.

Those interested will want to watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more on Crabtree as the week progresses. ...

Williams and the rest of his teammates have heard the constant criticism streaming from columns, blogs and sports talk radio aimed at quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. And Williams defended his quarterback as the Seahawks begin preparation for their season opener Sunday at San Francisco.

"It's kind of unbelievable," Williams said. "If it's overwhelming for a teammate, then it has to be enough for him. I just kind of want to tell everybody, ‘Back the hell up.' Let him play. Let him have his shot to work and go out here and do his thing."

Jackson's play hasn't exactly inspired confidence in the Seahawks' fan base during exhibition play.

The starting offense managed to score 13 points with Jackson at quarterback during the preseason in a little over a game's worth of plays, with the lone touchdown coming against Denver's second-team defense.

In exhibitions, Jackson completed 32 of 55 passes (58.2 percent) for 269 yards (58.2 percent), with one touchdown and two interceptions. He finished with a 61.9 passer rating and was sacked seven times.

But playing behind a young, inexperienced line, Jackson never had a clean pocket to step into and push the ball downfield.

"Up until the last preseason game, we all agree that the offensive line and the backs, we didn't really do a good enough job of protecting him and giving him enough time to go out there and show what he can do," running back Leon Washington said. "So you see what happened in the Oakland game. We really placed an emphasis on protecting him and keeping him upright, and he was able to drive us down the field and make plays.

"So we don't pay any attention to that at all. Football is a team sport."

Added Williams: "Rule No. 1 is to protect the team – so you always do that. It is what it is. Everyone has an opinion. But the only ones that count are in this locker room. He's been voted a captain by this team, so that obviously lets you know how the team feels about him. ..."

Despite having Williams' backing, the Sports Xchange predicts that if Jackson does not play well during the team's first five regular-season games, Charlie Whitehurst could get the nod after Seattle's bye week in October.

Head coach Pete Carroll's not looking for an explosive playmaker from the quarterback position, but just someone who can manage the game and not turn the ball over. ...

Meanwhile, two of Seattle's major free agent acquisitions may not be ready for Sunday's opener against San Francisco.

Offensive guard Robert Gallery and receiver Sidney Rice did not practice on Monday and Carroll said he'll wait until later in the week to see if both are ready.

Gallery is nursing a sprained right knee he suffered in the first half against Oakland on Friday.

"He's had a couple good days here," Carroll said about Gallery. "He's got a sprained knee and we're just going to have to see how it goes day to day. We'll watch him carefully and he's hopeful that he can make it back by the weekend. We'll have to wait and see."

Rice sat out the Seahawks first preseason game against San Diego, but played against Minnesota and Denver. He was pulled from practice last Tuesday with a sore shoulder and hasn't participated since.

"Sidney is a bit slower than that. We'll wait until later in the week to know what's going on with him," Carroll said.

Ben Obomanu worked with the first unit in place of Rice during Monday's practice.

With Gallery out, veteran Paul McQuistan, who backed up Gallery in Oakland, worked at left guard along with rookie James Carpenter. The rookie from Alabama may play there out of necessity with the Seahawks likely suiting up seven or eight offensive linemen for the 45-man roster.

Carpenter also got work with the first unit at right tackle, splitting time with Breno Giacomini.

According to Associated Press sports writer Tim Booth, running back Marshawn Lynch (ankle) is expected to return to practice on Wednesday.

Other notes of interest. ... Lynch is expected to get the majority of the carries with Justin Forsett and Washington getting the nod on third down.

And while former Raider Zach Miller will be the primary receiving threat at tight end, the team will ask Anthony McCoy needs to step up and provide some support in the run game as a blocker and also serve as a red-zone threat in the passing game. Dominique Byrd has been impressive catching the ball down the middle of the defense. Both men could play roles with John Carlson's season ending before it started due to shoulder surgery.

Golden Tate's strong effort in the preseason closer was sufficient to secure his roster spot; it might have also been enough to give him a legitimate shot at a contributing role. ...

And finally. ... PK Steven Hauschka was added on waivers Sunday, but could be on a short leash.

By improving from 3-13 in 2009 to 10-6 last year, the Bucs seemed to succeed in the "Race to 10" that head coach Raheem Morris adopted as a rallying cry before the season.

And while those 10 wins were definitely a massive achievement – particularly for the youngest roster in the NFL – they didn't quite satisfy Morris' vision. As the Bucs' coach has clarified several times, it was a race to 10; he wanted his team to be the first one to 10 wins in the NFC, because that would have put them in position to win 11, 12 or more and almost certainly make the playoffs.

Given the talent on hand, it would appear the Bucs have the means necessary to achieve their objective. But that doesn't mean they'll rely on all of the talent equally. As the team's official web site noted this week, history suggests that, in any given game, having a dominant rusher is more likely to lead to victory than having a dominant passer or a dominant receiver.

The Buccaneers are not likely to argue.

Despite having a constantly-improving 23-year-old franchise quarterback in Josh Freeman and a rising-star receiver in Mike Williams, Tampa Bay's coaching staff is eager to build a power rushing attack around LeGarrette Blount. Freeman and Williams will certainly be key to many Buccaneer victories in the coming years, but getting Blount into triple-digits is the Bucs' best chance for success.

Over the last 15 years, Tampa Bay has seen a 100-yard rusher have a much stronger correlation to victory than a 100-yard receiver or a 300-yard passer.

Another point of emphasis?

When asked what he would like to see the Bucs offense improve upon most heading into Week 1 and beyond, offensive coordinator Greg Olson singled out his desire to put up points earlier in games.

"Obviously our starts in the first half and second half," Olson said. "We were good on third downs, we need to maintain that. We were good with explosive plays. We were a top 10 in explosive plays. We need to maintain that level of play, but certainly we need to start faster in both halves."

Tampa Bay has been notorious slow-starters in recent years, scoring only 43 points in the first quarter of games in 2010. The statistic of 54 straight games elapsing since the Bucs last surpassed seven first-quarter points has circulated around team headquarters since training camp.

Olson was also asked if, despite the lack of statistical success, he gleaned any positives from the preseason rushing performance.

"It's difficult," he said. "We went into the preseason with one of the goals to make sure LeGarrette Blount got to the regular season and we accomplished that goal. I still think it's a work in progress and we'll see, but we got a pretty good idea because we were able to bring back the entire offensive line and the running backs, with the exception of Cadillac. We were able to bring that group back. It's a very familiar scheme that they're running right now. It's just a matter of getting up to game speed quickly in Week 1."

Olson again confirmed what Morris disclosed last week, that Earnest Graham will start the season as the third-down back.

"[Graham] and Kregg Lumpkin have rotated, but Earnest has won the starting third-down spot. It will change on how Earnest feels and how much he's carrying the ball as a tailback, but we're real comfortable with Earnest. Again, it's not a knock on Kregg Lumpkin or LeGarrette Blount at this point. It's just that he's someone who is familiar with our system, someone we trust and that has stepped up and taken on that role and proven himself on a daily basis in practice and in the preseason."

Blount hasn't yet honed his pass-catching and pass-blocking skills at the moment, but Olson said he continues to improve.

"He's getting better. He's still a young player and there are still mistakes along the way, but he's working at it. And he is getting better."

Meanwhile, the Bucs have a very talented duo on the outside in Williams and the overlooked Arrelious Benn, whose rookie season ended early due to a torn ACL.

A second-round draft pick from Illinois who got lost for a while last year in the shadow cast by Williams, Benn's determination to keep his skills sharp has paid off. Though the Bucs brought him along slowly, limiting his work in contact drills and keeping him out of the first two preseason games.

"He's been looking great," Morris said. "He's looked powerful, looked strong."

Although Dezmon Briscoe was impressive early this summer, Benn is expected to start opposite Williams during the regular season. His downfield speed and ability to propel himself out of a break after a catch are nearly back to the form Benn displayed at Illinois and late last season with the Bucs.

Tampa Bay receivers coach Eric Yarber often refers to Benn as a "medical miracle."

The 6-2, 220-pound Benn is thicker through the chest and shoulders than a year ago, and he is running so well that Yarber often can't tell which knee was injured. For the record, it was the left. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Kellen Winslow looks faster after avoiding surgery on his chronically injured right knee for the first time in years. He's still a matchup nightmare for most teams. Rookie Luke Stocker will work slowly back from a hip injury but is the Bucs' best hope for a run blocker.

The Bucs appear to have put the finishing touches on their roster Monday by claiming TE Zack Pianalto off waivers, a day after he was cut by the Bills.

Tampa Bay had sought a third tight end since releasing three of the five on the training camp roster Saturday. Pianalto, a rookie free agent from North Carolina, will be No. 3 behind Winslow and Stocker.

The Bucs failed in two attempts to claim tight ends off waivers Sunday, when New England castoffs Lee Smith and Will Yeatman were awarded to the Bills and Dolphins, respectively. ...

And finally. ... Punter Michael Koenen is a very big addition who can change field position with punts and kickoffs. Connor Barth has been solid the past 11/2 seasons and should be fresher with Koenen kicking off.

Then the Titans will spend a good bit of time at LP Field, as the next two games -- and five of their next seven -- are at home.

A potential bit of good news for Titans fans this year is that the team's strength of schedule is tied for the eighth-easiest in the league, as the 2011 opponents posted a combined record of 125-131-0 (.488) last season.

Only six of the opponents -- Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Tampa Bay and New Orleans -- had winning records last season. Three of the first four opponents -- Jacksonville, Denver and Cleveland -- finished with losing marks.

The toughest stretch for the Titans may come in the back half, when they face Atlanta, Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Indianapolis over a five-week period.

Even better than the favorable early scheduled, it sounds like Chris Johnson picked up the new playbook about as fast as he runs on the field.

"I took the playbook home Friday and I pretty much know the whole thing," Johnson told Tennessean beat writer Jim Wyatt on Monday. "The offense really is not too different. There are a couple of different wrinkles in it, but I pretty much know the whole thing."

Johnson began practicing with the Titans on Saturday after signing his four-year, $53.5 million extension on Friday. They practiced again on Monday. He said he's also spent time with new Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer.

Johnson had been working out in Orlando with a personal trainer, but knows that's not the same as participating in a real practice with real NFL players.

"It is different," he said. "You can be in shape and run all day, but it is nothing like coming out and putting on pads and putting on a helmet and stopping and starting and cuts and taking hits and things like that. You can't do anything to simulate taking hits."

Head coach Mike Munchak said he would have to be smart about how Johnson is used against the Jaguars on Sunday. Javon Ringer and Jamie Harper are expected to get reps along with Johnson.

"I am not worried about Chris at all," receiver Nate Washington said. "He has been doing a good job these last couple of days to make sure he is doing something extra so he can be on point.

"But the first game Jacksonville C.J. is not going to be nearly as good as the middle of the season C.J. He has to get in the swing of things but we are expecting big things from Day 1. We all look at him as a playmaker and we know he is going to bring that to the table."

Meanwhile, the Titans have been saying for months they might like to add a veteran wide receiver, but it doesn't sound like there's much urgency to the search at present.

Munchak said on Monday he plans on suiting up the five receivers currently on the roster -- Kenny Britt, Lavelle Hawkins, Marc Mariani, Washington and Damian Williams -- against the Jaguars unless there are big surprises during the week.

"Right now for this game, we'll pretty much stick with what we have unless something would change between now and then as far as injury, or someone would get cut that we didn't anticipate getting let go," Munchak said. "But we're not out actively trying to find a sixth guy like we're in dire need. But like other positions, we'll continue to look to upgrade if opportunities come in that direction."

The Titans looked as if they might have a fit in veteran Kevin Curtis, but he broke a bone in his hand during his first preseason game and was placed on injured reserve.

In a related note: As USA Today's Roger Rotter pointed out this week, the Jaguars had one of the league's worst pass defenses last season, allowing the fifth-most yards (250 a game) and fourth-most scores (28). The Jaguars are also susceptible to the big play, yielding the third-most receiving plays of 20 or more yards (58) last season.

As Tennessee's most talented wideout, Rotter suggests that Britt could be poised for his second 100-yard game in four meetings.

For what it's worth, Matt Hasselbeck was brought on board to be the mentor and forerunner for rookie Jake Locker, but the first-round draft pick could move into the starting lineup earlier than expected -- especially if the Titans struggle.

The Titans are looking for big things from athletic tight end Jared Cook in his third season. Craig Stevens often starts as well because of two-tight end sets. Daniel Graham, a free-agent pickup, will back up in both spots.

Tennessee had only one surprise: The suspension of fullback Ahmard Hall for four weeks for violating the league's performance-enhancing drug rules. So GM Mike Reinfeldt picked up the phone and called one of his best friends, GM Ted Thompson of the Packers, and got a fullback -- Quinn Johnson -- for an undisclosed future pick.

And finally. ... Consistent veteran Rob Bironas returns for another season as the team's place-kicker.

"I've got a lot of faith in both of them. It was very competitive all the way through," Shanahan said. "I thought Rex won by an edge."

As Associated Press sports writer Joseph White notes, Grossman becomes the latest player to be given the chance to hold a position that has lacked stability essentially since the end of the glory days of the 1980s and early 1990s. The Redskins have used 20 starting quarterbacks over 18 seasons, with this year's competition a fallout from last year's Donovan McNabb debacle, when Shanahan traded two draft picks for a former Pro Bowl player who eventually got benched and then traded.

Shanahan decided to go with Beck vs. Grossman in 2011, even though Beck hasn't played in a regular- season game since 2007 and Grossman hasn't done much since losing his starting job with the Chicago Bears in 2007, the year after he led them to a Super Bowl. Grossman is a 40-40 player, but that's not a compliment: He's thrown 4o touchdowns and 40 interceptions in his NFL career.

Shanahan said he was staking his reputation on his belief both can play, and he maintained that confidence Monday.

"Any time you've got confidence in two quarterbacks, it's pretty good in the National Football League, and that's what I have right now," the coach said. "I'm very pleased with it."

One would assume that Grossman is pleased as well, but he'll wait to fully express it to the world. After initially saying both quarterbacks would be made available to reporters, the team recanted and said they would instead speak on Wednesday.

"He came in here like he wanted to fight for a job, like he expected to win a job, and he did just that," running back Tim Hightower said of Grossman. "But it's preseason. Now the real work begins, so we'll see what happens now."

As White noted, the race was genuinely a close one. There was little separating the two at practice or through the first three preseason games. Grossman ran the offense more efficiently, while Beck was more mobile. But Beck failed to seize an opportunity in last week's game, when he got the start against Tampa Bay and played a so-so half against a second-string defense.

Grossman completed 64 percent of his passes during preseason with two touchdowns, one interception and a 92.3 rating. Beck completed 62 percent with one touchdown, two interceptions and a 74.7 rating.

"When you're evaluating everything on a day-to-day basis, you kind of get a gut (feeling)," Shanahan said. "And someone makes a little jump, you go in that direction."

Grossman also had the advantage of studying the Redskins' current offense for one season as a backup with Houston under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who now holds the same position in Washington. Grossman came to the Redskins last year and started the final three games after McNabb was benched.

"He's familiar with the system," Mike Shanahan said. "I thought he was pretty automatic with a lot of his reads, and hopefully he plays accordingly."

Shanahan said Grossman will be evaluated every week—as is every player— but the job is now Grossman's to lose.

"Obviously you make a decision based for the season," Shanahan said. "When you pick a guy out, you're not going to say, `Hey, you think that guy's going to fail.' Obviously you hoping he's going to be very successful. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Chris Cooley, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after last season, is a particularly important piece of an offense that has plenty of questions. There are seven receivers on the roster, but beyond the duo of Santana Moss and Anthony Armstrong, the Redskins lack for game-changers on the outside.

Having to respect Cooley's presence at tight end could open space for those receivers as well as the likes of Jabar Gaffney (career high 65 catches last season) and Terrence Austin.

Cooley, whose status for Week 1 seemed to be in question a couple of weeks ago, is practicing on a limited basis. ...

Fred Davis filled in admirably for Cooley in 2009. Davis and Logan Paulsen combined for just seven catches for 75 yards during the first three preseason games, but having shed 15 pounds, Davis is noticeably quicker and has also been blocking better.

If the 25-year-old steps up in his contract year, Washington could have a dynamic duo at tight end. ...

Tim Hightower was acquired in an Aug. 1 trade for aging backup defensive lineman Vonnie Holliday after averaging 4.5 yards per carry the past two seasons for Arizona, which decided his fumbling issues made him expendable. However, Hightower had a fine preseason for Washington, ripping off two long touchdown runs during the first three preseason games which 2010 starter Ryan Torain missed with a broken left hand as his injury woes cost him his starting job.

Fourth-round draft pick Roy Helu's breakway speed -- he had a 51-yard touchdown at Indianapolis -- won him a roster spot over 2010 rookie free agent surprise Keiland Williams and 2011 sixth-rounder Evan Royster.

"Torain beat Evan out in the last game and that's why he's the third running back. We were hoping he could come back and play well and we thought he played well against Tampa to earn himself a position."

Royster cleared waivers and was signed to the eight-man practice squad. ...

At wideout, 32-year old Moss isn't the gamebreaker he was while making the Pro Bowl in his Washington debut in 2005, but he had a career-high 93 catches last year. Gaffney, acquired from Denver in July for little-used defensive end Jeremy Jarmon, caught a personal-best 65 balls for Denver in 2010 and has supplanted Armstrong, who came out of nowhere to average 19.8 yards on his 40 catches last year.

The 31-year-old Gaffney -- who might be the productive big receiver that Washington has lacked for years -- Moss and the 28-year-old Armstrong combined for just nine touchdowns in 2010.

Unlike 2010 seventh-rounder Austin, neither 2011 third-rounder Leonard Hankerson or fifth-rounder Niles Paul did much in preseason but both have good size while the latter could be kept as a return specialist ahead of oft-injured 2010 undrafted rookie surprise Brandon Banks.

PK Graham Gano's job was in jeopardy when the Redskins signed veteran Shayne Graham on Aug. 2. After all, Gano was the NFL's least accurate kicker and Graham its most accurate in 2010, but when Graham missed twice in the preseason opener against Pittsburgh (once from 29) and Gano went 3-for-3, the competition ended. Gano was 7-for-7 through three preseason games and was booming his kickoffs, too.