FLASHUPDATE WEEK 6 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 13 Oct. 2010
Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris
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ARIZONA CARDINALS
It could be worse. ... The Cardinals took two of the most one-sided beatings in
the league this season (41-7 at Atlanta, 41-10 at San Diego). Their defense was
No. 29 in the NFL, their offense No. 30 after four weeks.
Then they beat the New Orleans Saints 30-20 on Sunday, a victory as unusual
as it was unexpected, considering the offense, under the controls of rookie
quarterback Max Hall, did not have a rushing or passing touchdown and still beat
the Super Bowl champs by double digits.
Now, as Associated Press sports writer Bob Baum notes, Arizona goes into its
off week at 3-2, a half-game ahead of Seattle in a division the Cardinals have
won the past two seasons.
Hall, recipient of some brutal hits during the game, has a week for the bruises to
heal and to integrate himself even more into the offense. He is as confident in
himself as his players seem to be in him.
"Everybody trusts me and everybody knows I can do it," he said. "I did some
good things, but there is a lot I can learn from and get better. But it's a great start
and I will take it."
With a week off, the Cardinals could get injured receivers Steve Breaston and
Early Doucet back for their next game, Oct. 24 at Seattle.
Meanwhile, as Baum suggests, if the players didn't have respect for Hall before,
they certainly do after he took the punishment and kept bouncing up against New
Orleans. It was particularly noticeable late in the first half on a third-and-goal play
from the New Orleans 1.
It was a rollout play, but running back Tim Hightower went right when he was
supposed to go left.
That left Hall with little choice but to try to score and he was pummeled at the 2yard line by a hit so jarring it sent his helmet tumbling away. The ball rolled away,
too, but in the best example of the Cardinals' good fortune on Max's big day, left
tackle Levi Brown scooped up the ball and scored to tie it at 10-10.
Larry Fitzgerald helped his young quarterback off the field.
"He's just the ultimate competitor," Fitzgerald said. "I haven't seen a guy take a
hit like that, down on the goal line, in a while. He picked himself up and shook off
the cobwebs and helped us win this football game."
Fitzgerald, who caught seven passes for 93 yards, already has a chemistry with
Hall that the Pro Bowl receiver lacked with Derek Anderson.
"When you have a guy like that you have to just let him make plays for you," Hall
said. "He is such an easy target to throw to and he is so good with his body and
positioning that he makes it easy for the quarterback to get him the ball."
Not that Arizona was an offensive juggernaut. The Cardinals gained just 194
yards. Hall threw an interception with his second pass, trying to force the ball to
Fitzgerald in double-coverage.
"I thought his play from watching the tape seemed to improve as the game went
on," head coach Ken Whisenhunt said on Monday. "He got better in the second
half and I hope that's a sign of good things to come. Both other areas,
defensively and special teams, really stepped up. I think they were obviously
aware that we had a young quarterback."
Still, it was a promising start for a team in need of a spark.
As ESPN.com's Mike Sando noted, "Hall brings the fire that was never Matt
Leinart's style (teammate Clark Haggans calls the rookie Maximus, from the
Russell Crowe character in "Gladiator"). He showed more accuracy than Derek
Anderson, who finished the half following Hall's scramble and missed Stephen
Williams high, exposing the receiver to punishment (Williams leaped high and
landed hard on a defender's foot).
"Whisenhunt has hit on a familiar theme since training camp. He wanted a
quarterback his team could rally around. Hall was that quarterback Sunday. ..."
And it looks like he might be that guy going forward. ...
Also of interest. ... The Cardinals will practice only on Wednesday this week, a
reward for their victory.
Breaston and Doucet will begin working on the side then. The Cards will see if
they are ready to do work Monday, when the team reconvenes for work next
week.
Williams suffered a bruised back and ribs on the pass from Anderson. The
injuries are not expected to be serious.
Running back Beanie Wells gained just 35 yards on 20 carries. He complained
last week after getting only five rushing attempts. As the Sports Xchange notes,
the Saints loaded up to stop the run, but Wells needs to break some tackles. A
1.8-yard average was disappointing.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
The Cardinals are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
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ATLANTA FALCONS
As the Sports Xchange suggested Tuesday, Michael Turner is back.
After having his 2009 season cut short by a high right ankle sprain, Turner spent
the offseason making sure he was in the best shape of his career. He wanted to
be certain that he could be the top running back he was for the Falcons in 2008.
He turned in a 114-yard effort in Week 3 against New Orleans, but on Sunday
against Cleveland, he broke loose for 140 yards on 19 carries and had a 55-yard
run.
The Falcons have had trouble running the ball against 3-4 defenses dating back
to last season. They are starting to figure things out, as they have now gashed
Arizona and Cleveland's 3-4 units.
"It was just some great blocking up front," Turner said.
The 55-yarder was his longest run of the season.
"I saw a hole and exploded through there," he said. "The easy part was just to
run."
Cleveland's Abe Elam took a good angle and forced Turner out of bounds at the
Browns' 12-yard line.
"I was throwing guys off of me, so I didn't see him until the last second," Turner
said. "I was hoping that I was able to finish the run off."
Since signing with the Falcons in free agency in 2008, Turner has averaged 92.3
yards per game, which ranks third in the NFL over that span.
Turner hopes to keep the running game in high gear this week against
Philadelphia.
The Falcons have a four-game winning streak for the first time since 2004.
They've dropped three straight and seven of eight to the Eagles.
Other notes of interest. ... Head coach Mike Smith told reporters on Monday that
starting receiver Michael Jenkins has been medically cleared to play Sunday in
Philadelphia.
Jenkins returned to practice three weeks ago but missed all of preseason and the
first five games after injury his shoulder in an Aug. 6 team scrimmage.
The coach believes Matt Ryan will benefit from Jenkins' return.
"I think it's going to allow Matt and the offense to distribute the ball a little bit
differently," Smith said Monday. "I think now, when they try to take certain
segments of our offense away, we're going to have more options."
Jenkins has 3,007 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns in 92 career games and
55 starts. Of his 235 catches, 64 percent have converted first downs.
Harry Douglas and Eric Weems have started in Jenkins' spot. Brian Finneran
has also seen increased playing time.
Douglas has 11 catches for 147 yards and one touchdown. Finneran has seven
catches for 67 yards and one touchdown. Weems, who started against Arizona,
has four catches for 38 yards.
Roddy White's 45-yard touchdown catch against the Browns marked the eighth
time that he and Ryan have connected for a 40-plus yard completion and the
sixth time they have combined for a touchdown of 40 or more yards.
Ryan completed 16 of 28 pass attempts for 187 yards, one touchdown and no
interceptions. He finished the game with an 89.4 passer rating.
Atlanta, which is tied for No. 2 in NFL rushing, ranks 16th in passing with an
average of 221.4 yards per game.
The Falcons got bogged on three trips to the red zone and had to settle for three
field-goal attempts. Matt Bryant added two field goals. However, for the second
consecutive game, Atlanta had a kick blocked.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Matt Ryan, Chris Redman, John Parker Wilson
RB: Michael Turner, Jason Snelling, Gartrell Johnson, Antone Smith
FB: Ovie Mughelli
WR: Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, Harry Douglas, Eric Weems, Brian Finneran
TE: Tony Gonzalez, Justin Peelle
PK: Matt Bryant
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BALTIMORE RAVENS
As National Football Post staff writer Aaron Wilson framed it Tuesday: "The
Baltimore Ravens' personality and strategy on offense contains more than one
flavor, and it's not the strictly vanilla variety. ..."
Wilson went on to explain the AFC North leaders have proven that they have the
capability to win football games through the air behind quarterback Joe Flacco's
strong right arm, or on the ground with a stable of talented running backs
headlined by Pro Bowl runner Ray Rice.
With three consecutive victories, the Ravens now lead the division after piling up
415 yards of total offense during a 31-17 shellacking of the Denver Broncos.
The Ravens' balance was on full display Sunday.
The Ravens rushed for a season-high 233 yards as Rice gained a season-high
133 yards and scored two touchdowns, flexing some muscle in the second half.
And Flacco passed for 196 yards with the majority produced in the first half to
stake the Ravens to a 17-0 lead.
"I like to call in a well-balanced attack," Rice said. "Last year, we were a physical
running team. The thing about this season so far is that when we needed to pass
the pass, we passed it. When we needed to run the ball, we ran it."
As Wilson pointed out, the Ravens rank 19th overall in total offense, 14th in
rushing and 18th in passing.
They've run the football 159 times for 570 yards and six touchdowns.
And they've thrown it 171 times for 1,110 yards and five touchdowns.
So, are the Ravens a smash-mouth running outfit or a high-octane passing
attack?
"We do have an identity: We're rough, we're tough, we're disciplined, we play
hard," head coach John Harbaugh said Monday. "That's what we're building
toward. Run or pass? Who cares? The idea is to be able to do everything you do
from one week to the next.
"I' m not sure why everybody wants to say, ‘Hey, your identity is that you're a
running team.' That means you're one-dimensional. We don't want to be one-
dimensional. We want to have guys we can hand it to, guys that we can throw it
to. It gives us a chance to be tough to defend, and that's really the goal."
Wilson went on to note the Ravens have demonstrated that they can change
gears from half to half.
Leading 17-0 during the first half, the Ravens wound up running the ball 29 of 37
times after intermission. Rice gained 85 of his 133 yards on 17 carries in the
second half.
And Willis McGahee rushed for 67 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
At halftime, Flacco had completed 8 of 16 passes for 146 yards.
He completed six more throws after the half for a total of just 50 yards.
The Ravens managed to win with Rice leading the team with four receptions and
star wide receiver Anquan Boldin catching just one pass for eight yards.
"Stats don't mean anything," Rice said. "Our overall goal is to win. I'm just happy
to be part of a team that is all about one thing. One play leads to the next, and
we all need each other. If I have to take less stats and we're winning, so be it."
Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh acknowledged after the game that his
recent string of complaints were painting him in a bad light.
He caught two passes and surprised Flacco by not lobbying for more
opportunities.
"T.J., man, he's going to tell me he's open every time," Flacco said. "I was
surprised one time he came to me and said, 'I think I might have been covered. I
just wanted to let you know, good job in whatever you did.' I was like, 'Really?'"
For the season, Houshmandzadeh has caught just seven passes for 104 yards.
"I just want to play and win, I said a lot of stuff and I think it came out the wrong
way," Houshmandzadeh said. "I just say it the wrong way. It's just dumb. I want
to contribute to the win. It doesn't matter if you win. I haven't said that, but that's
how I feel."
According to Wilson, Boldin enjoyed watching the Ravens grind it out in the
second half with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron directing the offense to
step on the Broncos' throat.
"We did exactly what we wanted to do," Boldin said. "We were more physical
than them. To be a good team, you have to have a killer instinct to put teams
away. They knew exactly what we were going to do at the end of the game: line
up and run it down their throats. And they couldn't stop it."
Wilson went on to note the Ravens have a tough game this week, squaring off
with the New England Patriots (3-1) following a bye week with coach Bill
Belichick having two weeks to prepare.
They'll need their versatility and resolve on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
"I like to say we're a team that's growing," Rice said. "I'd like to say we're a team
that's destined, and we're going to control our own destiny. ..."
Also of interest. ... Rice could get more carries in the red zone, Harbaugh said.
McGahee has received most of the touches near the goal line for the past 1 1/2
years.
"Ray has proven he can run between the tackles," Harbaugh said. "He does
some flashy things when he gets in space, but he ran the ball between the
tackles, and we were grinding out yards in the third quarter."
Rice said he appreciated Cameron calling his number at the goal line.
"That's trust," Rice told the Baltimore Sun. "I couldn't say that he would do that
my rookie year. But he trusts that when he puts the ball in my hand, that not only
am I going to gain yards, but I'm going to carry the team. ... I just feel good to
know that the coaches trust me enough. ... Even on short-yardage situations, that
I can get the job done. ..."
Derrick Mason wanted to address the perception that the Ravens wide receivers
are selfish.
"I think there's a misconception out there that T.J. and I just want the ball for
ourselves," Mason told the Sun. "We just want to affect the game in a positive
way. That's all we want to do. Two or three catches, but you want those two or
three catches to be meaningful."
Against Denver, Mason was the most-targeted player on the Ravens, getting six
passes thrown his way. He made three catches for 47 yards.
Houshmandzadeh was targeted three times, pulling in two passes for 24 yards.
Boldin had three passes sent in his direction with just the one catch.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Joe Flacco, Marc Bulger
RB: Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, Jalen Parmele
FB: LeRon McClain
WR: Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, David Reed,
Marcus Smith, Donte' Stallworth
TE: Todd Heap, Ed Dickson, Dennis Pitta
PK: Billy Cundiff
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BUFFALO BILLS
Calling himself "a realist," Bills owner Ralph Wilson warned it might take as
many as three years to rebuild his team, and added drafting a quarterback next
year is the club's top priority.
Speaking by phone from his home in suburban Detroit on Monday, the Hall of
Fame owner seemed nearly lost for words in describing the Bills, who at 0-5 are
off to their worst start in 25 years.
"I hope you understand that there's really nothing I can say," Wilson told
Associated Press sports writer John Wawrow. "You've seen this thing. I'm not
going to try to explain it or make excuses. It's bad."
Wilson then expressed confidence in the plan that general manager Buddy Nix
and coach Chan Gailey -- both in their first years at the job -- have for turning the
team around. But he cautioned it won't happen overnight.
As for any message he had for the team's fans? Wilson said: "Two words. Pain
and patience."
"Well, it is what it is. Everybody can see it, it's very painful," Wilson said. "It's
going to take time. And I've said that from the beginning. It's going to take
another three years until we get to turn this thing around."
Wilson then added the turnaround could come sooner, but he didn't want to
sound too optimistic.
"Maybe one year, two years: But I don't want to throw out a lot of hope," Wilson
said. "I want to be a realist. I always have been. And we have to get some
talent."
That search for talent begins at quarterback. Wilson said Nix will be spending the
next two weeks on the road scouting the top crop of college quarterback
prospects. The Bills join Carolina and San Francisco as the NFL's three
remaining winless teams, giving them the early inside track for a top-5 pick in
next year's draft.
Wawrow reminded readers the Bills haven't had a franchise quarterback since
Hall of Famer Jim Kelly retired following the 1996 season. Since then, nine
players have started at least eight games, with Drew Bledsoe holding the job for
the longest tenure, from 2002-04.
Buffalo has already shuffled quarterbacks this year, with Ryan Fitzpatrick taking
over the starting job in Week 3, and Trent Edwards being released a week later.
Wilson spoke as the Bills enter their bye week, and a day after he watched his
team blow a 10-point first-half lead in a 36-26 loss to Jacksonville. Buffalo is off
to an 0-5 start for the fifth time in franchise history, and first since 1985.
Buffalo has allowed 30 points in four straight games for the first time in team
history. It's a stretch during which the Bills have been outscored 146-77. And the
team's already in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for an 11th straight year.
Meanwhile, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle staffer Sal Maiorana was asked if
this is the worst Bills team he has ever seen.
Maiorana replied: "I'm reserving judgment until the end of the year because
there's a long way to go. I'll say this: This team is certainly in contention. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Following the trade of Marshawn Lynch last week,
Pro Football Weekly notes it became clear Sunday that Fred Jackson would
take over as the team's primary ballcarrier.
Previously a terrible Fantasy scenario with three backs all getting touches,
Lynch's departure to Seattle greatly enhances the fantasy prospects of Jackson,
who led Buffalo Sunday with 12 carries for 73 yards vs. the Jaguars. Not only will
he be the starter going forward, PFW's Michael Blunda believes Jackson will
see about two-thirds of the carries.
As the Bills' starter for 11 games last season, Jackson was productive, finishing
the year with 237-1,062-2 rushing and 46-371-2 receiving. Gaining 4.5 yards per
carry, he proved he could he effective when handling a sizable workload. Likely
to get around 15 touches per contest, Jackson is worthy of flex status in most
leagues despite the team's dreadful offense.
The remaining one-third of the carries should go to 2010 first-round pick C.J.
Spiller, who has the most upside of anyone on the team's offense but has been
lackluster in the early going. He had five carries for 31 yards Sunday, and with
him being unlikely to get more than a handful of touches each week, Blunda
believes he'll be tough to trust in lineups.
That doesn't, however, mean it's time to bail on him. If you have the roster room - especially in leagues where return yardage counts -- Spiller could be useful as
a bye-week fill in. ...
Fitzpatrick had a solid day against Jacksonville, with 221 yards and three
touchdowns with no turnovers, but his 121.5 passer rating went for naught.
Lee Evans had his first reception of at least 40 yards since last year against
Carolina, and he finished with 87 yards against the Jaguars, his highest total
since Nov. 23, 2008. Fellow starter Steve Johnson caught five passes for 46
yards and scored two TDs, giving him four TDs in the last three games.
The Bills activated tight end Shawn Nelson on Monday. Nelson, who opened the
season serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse
policy, wasn't activated last week due to his ongoing recovery from groin surgery.
He could return to the lineup following the bye.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
The Bills are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
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CAROLINA PANTHERS
According to Charlotte Observer staffer Darren Gantt, the Panthers made a little
history last Sunday, but hardly the kind they'll want to remember.
For the first time since 1999, an NFL team started a rookie quarterback and two
rookie receivers, and the results were predictable.
The Panthers passed for a meager 96 yards (34 fewer if you deduct sack
yardage) and saw their kiddie corps of wideouts struggle from start to finish while
veteran Steve Smith watched from the sidelines with a high ankle sprain.
"It's real frustrating, and it's real frustrating for me to go out there and play the
way I did," third-round wideout Brandon LaFell said. "I had a couple of penalties,
I dropped two passes, that's real frustrating. Just as a team point and a personal
point, I know I'm better than that. I played really poor today and I feel like that had
a lot to do with us losing. ...
"We were thinking too much today."
As Gantt suggested, at times it was hard to tell.
Quarterback Jimmy Clausen and LaFell had several rough patches, including a
badly thrown deep ball which followed a Chicago interception -- a desperate grab
for any kind of momentum. But that wasn't the only one, as the two spent far too
much time talking to each other about mistakes and not enough connecting.
"Whether it's miscommunication or a mis-throw, I'm going to have to go back and
look at the tape," Clausen said when asked specifically about LaFell. "I really
don't remember except for one play where he was uncovered and we were just
trying to get the ball out to him as quickly as we could. He didn't hear me on that
one. Again, I need to do better and that is where it starts, with the quarterback. I
need to keep grinding it out, go to work tomorrow, look at the tape and keep
getting better each and every day."
The last time a team started three rookies in the passing game was Dec. 19,
1999, when Cleveland put quarterback Tim Couch out there with first-year
wideouts Kevin Johnson and Darren Chiaverini.
"We expect things to go smoothly," Clausen said of playing with rookies. "It's
tough to win football games in this league. With a rookie quarterback and two
rookie receivers, we just try to go out each and every day and get better. The
team expects us to go out there and make plays and we were trying to do that."
Meanwhile, Clausen's job may not be secure, but Jeff Davidson's is.
A day after a new low in Carolina's miserable, winless season, embattled head
coach John Fox said Monday that it's "too early to say" if the rookie Clausen will
remain the starting quarterback.
But Fox rejected talk of making changes to his staff, including his offensive
coordinator Davidson, to try to jump-start the NFL's worst offense.
"No," Fox said. "I think we just have to play better."
An offense that can't seem to hit bottom managed eight first downs and 147
yards in Sunday's 23-6 loss to Chicago that got Clausen benched. The
performance in front of booing home fans dropped the Panthers into last place
among the league's 32 teams in total offense.
Carolina (0-5) enters its bye week with five touchdowns, 16 turnovers and 52
points -- good for a league-worst average of 10.4 points a game.
"I think at this stage we've got nowhere to go but up," Fox said.
While Clausen was brutal -- 9 of 22 for 61 yards, an interception and three
fumbles -- Matt Moore wasn't any better when he replaced him late in the fourth
quarter.
Moore, benched for Clausen after Week 2, threw 10 passes. Five went to his
teammates and two to the Bears. Clausen has a 52.2 passer rating this season
and Moore a 33.3. It leaves Fox, in the final year of his contract, with an
unpleasant decision before Carolina faces the league's other 0-5 team, San
Francisco, on Oct. 24.
"I think it's too early to say," Fox said. "We'll evaluate that as we move forward
this week."
Maybe the Panthers could even decide to use more of the wildcat formation with
receiver Armanti Edwards. The converted college quarterback was on the
active roster for the first time against the Bears and ran two plays from direct
snaps with little success.
"We're looking at all means to move up from 32," Fox said.
As Associated Press sports writer Mike Cranston explained, the Panthers have
fallen behind so quickly -- they've been outscored 38-6 in the first quarter -Davidson has abandoned the run game early. Jonathan Stewart has just 36
carries for 119 yards after going over 1,100 yards last season. DeAngelo
Williams, who also went over 1,100 yards last year, has 317.
It's forced Clausen to air it out with an inexperienced and mistake-prone receiving
corps. And while the Panthers claimed receiver Devin Thomas off waivers from
Washington on Monday, there's still plenty of problems and little depth.
The 6-foot-2 Thomas was the Redskins' second-round pick in 2008 and has
caught 40 passes for 446 yards and three touchdowns. But he failed to impress
new coach Mike Shanahan and was dogged with questions about his work ethic.
Washington waived him on Saturday.
It marks the second straight week Carolina has claimed a receiver off waivers
after picking up David Clowney from the New York Jets.
Carolina's offensive woes have overshadowed a decent defensive effort this
season. The Panthers set a team record Sunday by allowing just 29 net yards
passing. Safety Charles Godfrey leads the NFL with four interceptions.
But it's hard to win when you've failed to reach double digits in all three home
games and have scored two points all year in the fourth quarter. ...
One last note here. ... Gantt believes that Smith will not be healthy enough to
play in Week 7, when the Panthers return from their off week.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
The Panthers are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
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CHICAGO BEARS
The Bears will try to restore order to their quarterback situation heading into
Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks.
Jay Cutler has been cleared to practice fully on Wednesday after suffering a
concussion and missing last week's game against the Panthers, the NFL
Network's Jason La Canfora reported on Tuesday. Barring a setback, he will
start against Seattle.
Cutler said doctors "wanted to make completely sure" he was ready before
clearing him Monday.
"It's tough," Cutler said. "This league is all about battling through injuries. But
obviously, concussions and your head is something you have to take pretty
seriously."
Cutler, who said the concussion was his first, wasn't sure when the injury
occurred. He had taken several big hits before the final sack of the day and
acknowledged, "There were some moments in the second quarter where I wasn't
completely aware."
Meanwhile, Caleb Hanie's brief appearance against the Panthers coupled with a
horrid outing by veteran Todd Collins provided sufficient evidence for another
change to be made on the Bears' quarterback depth chart.
ESPN.com, citing multiple sources, first reported on Tuesday that Collins will be
demoted after he threw four interceptions and finished with a 6.2 passer rating.
According to ESPN Stats and Information, Collins became just the fifth
quarterback since 1990 to throw four interceptions and no touchdowns in a game
with his team still managing to pull out a victory.
Hanie will be the No. 2 quarterback when the Bears return to the practice field
Wednesday.
The easy play for the Bears would be to simply re-order the depth chart and keep
Collins on the roster. But it's worth mentioning the club expressed a strong desire
during training camp to keep just two quarterbacks on the roster because of the
flexibility it provided at other positions.
If the organization still feels that way, it might be pondering whether to release
Collins, 38, to make room for depth elsewhere.
Then again, the team changed its stance on roster numbers at quarterback when
Hanie suffered an injury in the preseason opener at San Diego, which is what
originally prompted the Bears to bring in Collins. Cutler's concussion may have
reinforced that philosophy as well.
Cutler had never missed a game because of an injury in his five-year NFL career
prior to the Bears' 23-6 win Sunday at Carolina.
Should the team decide to release Collins, it will have essentially thrown away $1
million, because as a vested veteran who was on the roster at the start of the
season, he can collect the balance of his base salary as termination pay, even if
he later signs with another team. ...
Other notes of interest. ... As SI.com's Peter King noted on Monday, with 18and 68-yard touchdown runs in the first half of the first quarter, Matt Forte did
what the Bear running game hadn't been able to do in the first four games:
Dominate behind a shaky line.
And the team might have learned a little something. As Chicago Tribune staffer
David Haugh put it: "The more the Bears run, the more opponents might
consider hiding."
"When you put your mind to it, call running plays and the offensive line blocks like
they did, you can run the ball," Forte said after gaining a career-high 166 yards
on 22 carries with the two touchdowns. "It was about the same as it was passing
the ball last week (against the Giants), except the opposite."
Whether offensive coordinator Mike Martz simply realized he didn't have the
quarterback to get the job done or head coach Lovie Smith strong-armed his
coordinator into emphasizing the run, the Bears ground out 218 rushing yards.
"It's good to see we can still do that," Smith said. "I'm not saying we're going to
get off the bus running the ball. I'll stay away from those comments. But today we
needed to and we were able to."
Haugh went on to suggest if the Bears want to keep winning after Cutler's return,
they will hover close to the 65-35 run-pass ratio used against the Panthers.
The Bears arrived so committed to running the football that they rushed for 100
yards in the first quarter for the first time since Nov. 3, 1996. They finished with
the most yards gained on the ground in 20 years.
"I wouldn't say I was relieved, but I was excited knowing how much we decided
we wanted to run," Forte said.
"That was definitely old-school Bear ball," Smith said. "We know how to win
games that way. ..."
Chester Taylor is still averaging just 2.9 yards per carry, but he has assumed
the role of short-yardage ball carrier. He had a season-high 18 carries in Week 5,
although he produced just 43 yards.
Greg Olsen was blanked in Week 5, but his lack of production was more the
result of the struggles the QBs experienced and the Bears' desire to keep the ball
on the ground. ....
According to Tribune staffer Brad Biggs, it's not a good indicator of precisely what
lies ahead for Devin Hester because of the Bears' focus on the running game at
Carolina, but the wide receiver says the plan is for him to be scaled back a little
on offense.
Hester was on the field for only 19 of the 64 snaps Sunday as the 42 running
plays dictated that more tight ends be used. It was a dramatic change for Hester,
who had been on the field for 90.7 percent of the plays through the first four
games, the highest percentage among skill players.
"That's just the way we want to keep receivers' legs fresh, knowing I have to
return," Hester said in the locker room after the game.
Earl Bennett, meanwhile, got 38 snaps against the Panthers and is deployed in
the three-tight end packages the Bears used in piling up 218 yards rushing, the
most for the franchise in two decades. Devin Aromashodu also benefitted from
a run-first approach because he finally saw the field again, even if he was
targeted with just one pass.
While Biggs doesn't expect Hester's playing time to be dramatically reduced
when Cutler returns, he might not be out there at a 90 percent rate moving
forward. ...
And maybe fresh legs helped Hester. He found a small crease along the sideline
and returned one punt 50 yards.
In a related note. ... Danieal Manning nearly had two kickoff returns go the
distance. His first return was 62 yards and a potential touchdown was foiled
when he ran into his blockers.
On a day the offense totaled only 247 yards, the Bears got 201 yards from their
returners.
And finally. ... Kicker Robbie Gould nailed a career-long 53-yard field goal in the
fourth quarter.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Jay Cutler, Todd Collins, Caleb Hanie
RB: Matt Forte, Chester Taylor, Garrett Wolfe, Kahlil Bell
FB: Will Ta'ufo'ou
WR: Johnny Knox, Devin Hester, Earl Bennett, Devin Aromashodu, Rashied
Davis
TE: Greg Olsen, Brandon Manumaleuna, Desmond Clark, Kellen Davis
PK: Robbie Gould
=========================
=========================
CINCINNATI BENGALS
Carson Palmer is in trouble. Or as SI.com's Peter King put: "Palmer's season is
now officially a three-alarm fire. ..."
This after Palmer had his first three-interception game since 2007 against
Arizona in a 24-21 loss to the young-and-inexperienced Tampa Bay Buccaneers
on Sunday, one that may have signaled the beginning of the end of Cincinnati's
season.
The defending AFC North champions already trail Baltimore (4-1) by two games
and Pittsburgh (3-1) as well. The Bengals are only one game ahead of lowly
Cleveland (1-4), which beat them two weeks ago.
The implosion on Sunday suggested that the defending champs aren't nearly as
good as they think, from the top on down. And as Associated Press sports writer
Joe Kay suggested, they're only a few losses away from one of those toofamiliar seasons in Cincinnati, the ones that are over only halfway through the
schedule.
The schedule coming out of the bye this week: at Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh, at
Indianapolis, Buffalo, at the Jets, New Orleans and at Pittsburgh. And the
Bengals don't seem to be getting much better as they go along, making that next
stretch of the schedule daunting.
The latest loss gave no hint that they're capable of turning things around.
The day started with Terrell Owens tweeting in violation of the NFL's restrictions
on using social media less than 90 minutes before a game. He should have
known better -- Chad Ochocinco was fined $25,000 for tweeting before and
during a preseason game.
The Bengals then hit the field and melted down in a way reminiscent of their futile
years before head coach Marvin Lewis arrived.
Palmer threw two interceptions in the last three minutes, one of them after the
coaches decided to try to pass for a first down instead of running to take time off
the clock and set up a punt that could have pinned the Bucs with no timeouts left.
Tampa Bay managed to take the game to the closing minutes because the
Bengals repeatedly dropped passes and had penalties that short-circuited drives
-- a problem all season that's not getting any better.
"It's very frustrating," Ochocinco said. "We keep saying the same thing after the
three losses. I don't know what else to say. ..."
According to Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Shannon Russell, Cedric Benson was
disappointed in his inability to spark the running game in the Bengals' first four
outings. A "little embarrassed," even.
So, after vowing to infuse yardage into the team's anemic ground campaign, the
sixth-year pro delivered his first 100-yard rushing game of the season Sunday
against Tampa Bay.
Benson reached the century mark for the 10th time as a Bengal and provided a
bright spot in an otherwise morose locker room soured by the Buccaneers' 24-21
last-second defeat at Paul Brown Stadium.
"I knew (the running game) had to change soon and I was poised to turn it
around regardless of whatever the situation was or however many touches or
anything. I was going to turn it around today," Benson said.
The running back rushed 23 times for a season-high 144 yards and a long of 22.
He propelled the Bengals to 149 total yards on the ground, another season-high.
But why Sunday? Why against the Bucs?
Two reasons: One, the offensive line played their "A game," making it "easy
today" to blast through holes, Benson said. Two, Tampa Bay brought to town the
NFL's fifth-worst rushing defense.
The Bucs entered the game surrendering an average 141.3 yards on the ground.
Again, the Bengals will face tougher foes going forward. ... And even though
they've lost two straight and are 2-3 heading into the bye week, Lewis has no
plans on changing the practice schedule.
The Bengals practiced Tuesday and will have a two-hour session on Wednesday
before returning to Paul Brown Stadium on Monday to begin preparations for the
Oct. 24 game at Atlanta.
"We're going to get some of our young players a chance to go out and work,"
Lewis said. "These are guys that haven't gotten as much of a chance within our
own offense or defense so far."
As far as what they plan on to work on and assess this week, Lewis hinted at
possibly scaling back some things on offense.
In particular they might want to investigate what is causing a large number of
false starts on offense. The Bengals had four during the loss to Tampa Bay -- two
on offensive linemen, one on a wide receiver and one on a tight end.
"You look at some things we are not doing quite well enough and (we have to)
take hard looks at those and revise, cut out, so we eliminate some of the error
and lack of execution," he said. ...
A few final notes here. ... Per the Sports Xchange, Owens is fifth in the league
with 476 yards. At his current pace he would have 99 receptions for 1,523 yards
and 6 touchdowns. The yards would be a single-season Bengals record.
Ochocinco has 157 yards in the last four games. He had 159 in the opener at
New England.
Tight end Jermaine Gresham has two touchdowns this season, both on 1-yard
play action passes. His 22 receptions make him second in the league among
rookies, three behind Detroit's Jahvid Best.
PK Mike Nugent is third in the NFL in scoring among kickers with 44 points.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
The Bengals are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
=========================
=========================
CLEVELAND BROWNS
With quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace both nursing severe
ankle injuries, head coach Eric Mangini said Monday it's possible that Colt
McCoy, a rookie with no NFL playing experience, will make his regular-season
debut Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
At this point, the Browns have few other options.
"It's only the Steelers, right?" Mangini said with a perfect touch of sarcasm.
"Coming off a bye week? They don't blitz much."
Once again, the Browns' quarterback carousel is in overdrive. When isn't it?
According to Associated Press sports writer Tom Withers, the Browns have
used 15 different starters at quarterback since 1999. For comparison's sake, the
Indianapolis Colts have used one.
Mangini may have no other choice but to play McCoy after Wallace sustained
what Cleveland Plain Dealer staffer Mary Kay Cabot reports is a high ankle
sprain in Sunday's loss to Atlanta and Delhomme came in and appeared to reinjure the badly sprained right ankle that sidelined him for three games.
In fact, Cabot reports that Delhomme is now dealing with both high and low
sprains.
Following the game, Delhomme walked with a noticeable limp. Wallace was
much worse. He could barely make it to the shower, and family members who
had been waiting in the corridor outside Cleveland's locker room to see him, were
brought to his cubicle.
Mangini would not provide an update on either player. He refused to say if
Delhomme had suffered a setback. He said the team was awaiting test results on
both QBs and that he would have a more definitive answer on the team's
direction by practice on Wednesday.
Neither man practiced on Wednesday.
Shortly after Mangini met with the media on Monday, however, the agent for
quarterback Brett Ratliff confirmed the Browns re-signed his client off New
England's practice squad. The team released receiver Sam Aiken to clear a
roster spot for the newcomer.
Ratliff is familiar with the Browns' offense, which should shorten the time he'll
need to get prepared to play.
Although Ratliff is on the way, Mangini seems poised to give McCoy his first big
break as a pro. After Delhomme got hurt in the season opener, McCoy served as
Wallace's backup for three games and is now likely to be thrust into the starting
lineup against one of the league's toughest defenses.
"Look, I've played with a ton of rookies at different spots, and at some point,
everybody has to start their first game," Mangini said. "At some point, everybody
has to get their chance. To me, that's what all these guys are looking for, that
moment to show what they can do.
"They've played football their whole lives and a situation like Colt's, he has been
a very successful quarterback for a long time. I'm sure he's chomping at the bit to
get his first chance to do that."
Mangini said McCoy has taken "quite a few" snaps with Cleveland's first-string
offense since Delhomme got hurt.
McCoy struggled through much of the preseason but finished strong. In
Cleveland's final exhibition against Chicago, he completed 13 of 13 passes for
131 yards, but was sacked three times. ...
Other notes of interest. ... According to Cabot, the status of running back Peyton
Hillis for the Steelers game is unknown after he aggravated his pulled quad
muscle against the Falcons.
Hillis limped off the field after his spectacular one-handed 19-yard touchdown
catch and spent time down on the sidelines grimacing after chasing down a thirdquarter interception that was nullified by a penalty.
A number of players underwent MRIs, including Delhomme and Wallace, but it
was not announced whether Hillis did.
"There were a lot of guys that either came into the game with things that limited
them or had it during the game," said Mangini. "We'll see where they are on
Wednesday; I'm not going to get into the specifics of any of their injuries. We'll
see how it goes throughout the course of the week."
Hillis, however, told WKNR Radio on Tuesday, "More than likely I'll be ready by
this Sunday."
As the Sports Xchange suggested, Hillis had become so vital a part of the
Browns offense it's tough to wonder what they can get accomplished against a
top defense like Pittsburgh's if he does not play.
I'll undoubtedly be following Hillis (and the quarterback situation) closely in
coming days. Those interested will want to keep an eye out for Late-Breaking
Updates. ...
The Browns made a major change to at the position on Wednesday, when they
traded Jerome Harrison to the Eagles in exchange for another running back,
Mike Bell.
Harrison was the starting running back in Cleveland heading into the season
before losing the job to Hillis. On the year, he has 31 carries for 91 yards. Bell
was signed by the Eagles as a restricted free agent, and has 28 yards on 16
carries. ...
In other words, the two teams swapped backup running backs who seem illsuited to their former teams' needs.
I'll have more details on the trade and Cleveland's plans at the position going
forward when I update on Hillis later tonight.
James Davis, who has been limited by a sore thigh in recent weeks, is the other
running back on the roster.
Also according to the Xchange, Josh Cribbs continues to be miscast as a
receiver when his greatest benefit to the offense is as a Wildcat quarterback.
Cribbs runs well, and can complete a pass if asked to do so (he played QB in
college).
But the Xchange added: "As a receiver, he is an excellent kick returner. ..."
And finally. ... Phil Dawson made the 234th field goal of his career, tying him
with Lou Groza on the team's all-time list. Groza is a Hall of Famer, but by the
time his career ends Dawson could be the best kicker in Browns history.
His production and reliability have been obscured by the fact that the teams
Dawson has played on have struggled.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Colt McCoy, Brett Ratliff, Jake Delhomme, Seneca Wallace
RB: Peyton Hillis, James Davis, Mike Bell
FB: Lawrence Vickers
WR: Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie, Josh Cribbs, Chansi Stuckey, Carlton
Mitchell
TE: Ben Watson, Evan Moore, Robert Royal
PK: Phil Dawson
=========================
=========================
DALLAS COWBOYS
As Fort Worth Star-Telegram staffer Charean Williams pointed out on Monday,
the Cowboys had 511 yards, their biggest output in more than 10 years. Tony
Romo's 406 passing yards were a career high, and Felix Jones had his second
career 100-yard rushing day.
It was the first time in team history that the Cowboys had a 400-yard passer and
a 100-yard rusher in the same game.
And yet, the Cowboys were as disappointed in their offensive performance as
they have ever been.
Three interceptions, six sacks allowed, a missed field goal and six offensive
penalties for 60 yards later, the Cowboys were left at a loss.
"It's unfortunate; it's disappointing; it's very frustrating right now," Romo said. "It's
hard to take really. When the ball bounces like that a few times, it's very difficult.
...
"We just need to play better football. There are far too many mistakes and things
that hurt us. We just didn't play well enough to win today."
The Cowboys didn't have any trouble moving the ball against the Titans, who
entered the game ranked ninth in total defense. Dallas had 75 plays, punting only
twice.
Their 511 yards was the most since they had 541 in an overtime victory at
Washington on Sept. 12, 1999, and the most in a non-overtime game since the
Cowboys had 513 against Minnesota on Nov. 26, 1998.
It was not enough.
"A lot of good things happened in the passing game today," offensive coordinator
Jason Garrett said. "We completed a lot of balls and made a lot of plays. A
couple of them went the other way [for the Titans]. It was tough."
Romo had two tipped balls, both intended for tight end Martellus Bennett, that
were intercepted in the second half.
"This [loss] hurts because of the sense of the randomness of things in this game
that didn't go our way," Romo said. "If you are a good ballclub, you overcome
penalties; you overcome tipped balls. Right now, we have to scratch and claw
and figure out a way to win.
"Those things end up costing us. To have that many in one game. ... We have to
find a way to be perfect in other areas. We are not right now."
The final nail came after the Cowboys -- again -- tied the game. Offensive tackle
Marc Colombo was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for his posttouchdown celebration with Jason Witten.
After scoring on an 18-yard touchdown reception to tie the score 27-27, Witten
gave Colombo the ball. Colombo spiked it, and the two chest-bumped. But
Colombo lost his balance on the landing and fell to the ground. Officials
penalized the Cowboys 15 yards for Colombo going to the ground.
"Do your homework and watch the television," Colombo said when asked about
the penalty before refusing further comment.
If it wasn't so costly we'd still be laughing.
But Marc Mariani returned the ensuing kickoff 73 yards before kicker David
Buehler pulled him down by the facemask. It left the Titans at the Dallas 5-yard
line, which Tennessee converted into the winning score.
"We beat ourselves; we know that," head coach Wade Phillips said.
And as Charean summed up, "In the end, all those yards somehow felt empty."
They might have felt empty to the Cowboys, but Fantasy owners will take them
every time. ...
Other notes of interest. ... According to Star-Telegram beat writer Jan Hubbard,
"If running backs can be compared to royalty, then Marion Barber was moved to
a ceremonial position on Sunday. ..."
Garrett refused to anoint Jones as the king of the Cowboys running backs, but
Hubbard suggests even the most casual observer can see the obvious: Jones is
the most capable running back on the team.
If the Cowboys can turn around their 1-3 start, they will likely help their cause by
getting the ball to Jones as much as they did on Sunday.
Jones 109-yard effort included bursts of 34 and 20 yards and led the Cowboys to
their best rushing performance of the season with 141 yards.
Barber had only six carries for 19 yards and after the first series of downs, Jones
was getting carries on first and second down instead of Barber.
But Garrett was still maintaining a position of neutrality.
"Marion started the game and Felix got more opportunities as the game went on,"
Garrett said. "So we like both guys. Both guys are going to play for us."
Garrett has steadily maintained that position, but even owner Jerry Jones said
during the week that Garrett was simply being "coy."
According to Hubbard, there seems to be little doubt that Barber lacks the
explosiveness or power that he once had. He has 42 carries for 144 yards this
season, an average of 3.4 yards per carry.
Jones has passed Barber as the team's leading rusher with 197 yards on 37
carries for an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
The Cowboys had planned to get the ball to Jones more this season, especially
after the way he ended last season.
In the last three games of 2009 -- one regular season game and two playoff
games -- Jones had more carries than Barber. He was sensational in the first
playoff game, gaining 148 yards on 16 carries, including a 73-yard TD run. That
was his only 100-plus yard game before Sunday.
In those three games, Jones had 45 carries for 308 yards, an average of 6.6
yards per carry.
This season, however, the Cowboys had problems getting the ball to him. He had
only 22 carries in the first three games with four receptions. But Jerry Jones said
during the week that the organization was committed to getting the ball more to
Felix Jones, and that's what happened.
"He made some good runs," Phillips said. "Our running game was good with him.
We wanted to utilize him more and you could see the way he made some big
plays for us."
Bottom line? As Hubbard suggests, the Cowboys' running game now appears to
be all about Jones. It might not be official, but it is apparent that he is the major
threat the Cowboys have in the running game.
Look for Jones to continue getting the bulk of the work in coming weeks -- even
with Barber remaining as the starter. ...
Roy Williams is playing the best football since he's been with the Cowboys. He
caught six passes for 87 yards and a touchdown. He was efficient as he was
targeted eight times and came down with six receptions. It was only the second
time since he's been with the Cowboys that he has had six receptions.
Miles Austin's 69-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the longest
of his career.
Romo's 406 yards tied him with Don Meredith for the third most in franchise
history. Troy Aikman had 455 in a 1998 game against the Vikings and Meredith
had 450 in a 1963 game against the 49ers. ...
Witten caught five passes for 84 yards and a touchdown to give him 543 career
receptions. He passed Kellen Winslow (541) for the fourth-most receptions by a
tight end in league history. ...
Dez Bryant suffered an ankle sprain Sunday but Phillips said the rookie wideout
should practice on Wednesday. ... Bennett was in a walking boot on Monday. He
re-aggravated a sprained ankle he has been battling all season. He could miss
this week's game against the Vikings. ...
And finally. ... As the Sports Xchange notes, Buehler still can't be trusted on field
goals. He has missed one in three of the four games and missed a 44 yarder on
Sunday.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Tony Romo, Jon Kitna, Stephen McGee
RB: Marion Barber, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice
FB: Chris Gronkowski
WR: Miles Austin, Roy Williams, Dez Bryant, Sam Hurd, Kevin Ogletree
TE: Jason Witten, Martellus Bennett
PK: David Buehler
=========================
=========================
DENVER BRONCOS
As Denver Post staff writer Mike Klis framed it Monday: "Maybe one of these
years, the NFL will get a scouting report on Broncos receiver Brandon Lloyd.
"He's played for four teams in eight seasons, but nobody's figured him out yet.
"Note to opposing defenses: Lloyd can go deep. Note No. 2: If you think you
have him covered deep, wait a sec. The veteran has another gear that seems to
shift as he gets into the end zone. ..."
And Lloyd continues to prove it on a weekly basis.
"He's a long strider -- I think he's deceptively fast," said Kyle Orton, who has
scouted Lloyd well enough to make him his favorite target. "Certainly I have a lot
of confidence in him just to throw it up. He can make plays jumping up to get the
ball in the air."
Continuing what has been one of the league's best stories of the early season,
Lloyd caught two more touchdown passes Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
Not just two TD passes, but scoring receptions of 42 and 44 yards. Never mind
those big-play stats of 25 yards-plus. Lloyd has four receptions of at least 40
yards.
"I'm just a product of our system," Lloyd told Klis. "The one aspect of this offense
where my athletic ability comes in is when I'm running routes and catching the
football. Everything else is on coach [Josh] McDaniels."
Lloyd was referring to the passing system McDaniels brought with him from New
England. It's the same offense McDaniels coached for New England in 2007,
when Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady and receiver Randy Moss set singleseason touchdown records.
At the very least, Orton and Lloyd are on pace to break some of the Broncos'
records.
Orton has passed for an NFL-most 1,733 yards, or 346.6 yards per game. He is
on pace to throw for 5,545 yards, which would shatter Dan Marino's 26-year-old,
single-season record of 5,084 yards.
Indeed, Lloyd has a five-game, franchise-best 589 yards receiving on only 30
catches. Lionel Taylor had the old five-game mark with 574 yards receiving on
42 catches. Lloyd also currently ranks fourth in the NFL in yards per catch (19.6)
amongst players with at least 10 receptions.
San Diego's Malcom Floyd (22.6); Chicago's Johnny Knox (20.9) and
Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson (20.1) are the top three. ...
"As a receiver, I want my play and Kyle's play to be motivation to see what we
can do when we have time to deliver the ball," Lloyd said. "When we can play
pitch-and-catch, we can make a lot of plays."
And on a team that can't run the football to save its life, Orton, Lloyd and the rest
of the team's receiving corps are at least making things interesting. ...
In case you missed it, Ravens outrushed the Broncos 233-39 on Sunday.
According to Post columnist Dave Krieger, McDaniels' frustration with his
running game is more apparent in his actions than his words. His overhauled
offensive line is struggling to get any push at the point of attack. Stanley Daniels,
who started the first four games at left guard, was inactive Sunday, joining
D'Anthony Batiste and rookie Zane Beadles in the trial-and-error department.
Veteran Russ Hochstein started in Daniels' place.
On the bright side, Orton was sacked only once after being brought down six
times a week ago. This is outstanding considering the Broncos ran the ball
exactly three times for 1 yard in the second half.
The Broncos' rushing average fell to 51.8 yards per game after Sunday's 39-yard
effort, which was, incredibly, about twice the total of a week ago.
Meanwhile, the status of Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) won't be known until
late in the week. Moreno has been out since getting hurt Sept. 23 near the end of
practice. He returned to test his leg last Tuesday but wasn't ready. He didn't
practice on Wednesday this week.
Denver is trying to avoid the a setback that might cost him even more time.
According to the Sports Xchange, Laurence Maroney looked the best he has
with the Broncos in Sunday's loss to Baltimore, with the team trying to get him
running with a head of steam via some pitch plays. Maroney averaged 4.5 yards
on six carries but may have to do more to remain on the roster long term. He's in
the final year of his contract. ...
I'll suggest, however, that running against the Jets this week won't get any easier
no matter who lines up at halfback. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Receiver Jabar Gaffney still hasn't had a breakout
game was has been targeted 19 times the last two weeks, the second-highest
total on the team behind only Lloyd (32).
Eddie Royal assumed kickoff return duties after teammate Demaryius Thomas
was knocked out of Sunday's contest with head/neck injuries. Royal should
continue in that role if Thomas is unable to play against the Jets. McDaniels
wouldn't rule Thomas out on Monday but the rookie didn't practice Wednesday.
...
Tight end Daniel Graham's 28-yard reception Sunday was his longest since a
TD catch since Nov. 2, 2008 against Miami. Graham has been used almost
exclusively to help shore up pass blocking and try to add extra physicality to a
struggling run game.
Tight end Dan Gronkowski started his first NFL game at fullback against
Baltimore. He had one catch for 9 yards and was well covered downfield on
another incompletion. Starting fullback Spencer Larsen's last on-field
appearance came in the Sept. 26 game against. Indianapolis.
He hasn't practiced since and more on his status moving forward should be
gleaned Wednesday.
It's already known Denver will be missing five players, including three defensive
starters and two key reserves against the Jets. Outside linebacker Robert Ayers
reportedly will miss 2-3 months with a broken foot. Safety Brian Dawkins is out
2-3 weeks with a knee injury. Cornerback Andre Goodman (quad), safety
Darcel McBath (ankle) and linebacker Wesley Woodyard (hamstring) are all
out, too. ...
And finally. ... Tim Tebow was active as the No. 2 quarterback Sunday for the
fourth time this season over Brady Quinn but once again didn't play a snap. He
hasn't touched the ball since two carries for two yards at Jacksonville in the
opener.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow, Brady Quinn
RB: Knowshon Moreno, Laurence Maroney, Correll Buckhalter, Andre Brown
FB: Spencer Larsen, Dan Gronkowski
WR: Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Eddie Royal, Demaryius Thomas, Eric
Decker, Matthew Willis
TE: Daniel Graham, Dan Gronkowski, Richard Quinn
PK: Matt Prater
=========================
=========================
DETROIT LIONS
As Associated Press sports writer Noah Trister suggested on Monday, there's
no way the Lions looked ahead to the 2010 season and figured on veteran
quarterback Shaun Hill playing a major role.
The Lions acquired Hill in the offseason as a backup to Matthew Stafford, a
former No. 1 pick. But it was Hill who was the offensive star of Detroit's first win
of the season, a 44-6 thumping of St. Louis over the weekend.
The Lions had been 2-35 in their previous 37 games. How many times have you
seen Detroit in the victory formation on offense, which is how they ended
Sunday's win?
And as SI.com's Peter King noted, Hill was the biggest reason.
He was 21-of-32 for 227 yards, with three touchdowns and no picks. And as King
further noted, Hill played no favorites. He completed four passes apiece to five
receivers, and his three touchdown passes went to three receivers.
Hill was 20 of 30 to Nate Burleson, Calvin Johnson, Tony Scheffler, Brandon
Pettigrew and Jahvid Best. That's spreading it around.
"I wish so badly that it didn't take so long to get this feeling, but it does feel great
to get a win in the way that we did," Hill said. "Everybody scored: offense,
defense, special teams -- everybody. It was a fun one."
Fun for now, anyway.
The Lions get the Giants and their rugged defense this week. But for now,
beating the Rams feels great.
Detroit won just two games the previous two seasons, and the Lions could have
easily been headed for disaster after Stafford hurt his throwing shoulder in the
opener against Chicago. Instead, with Hill at quarterback, they've been
competitive in their losses and finally broke through against the Rams.
Hill hasn't been spectacular, but he's enabled Detroit to stay in games. The Lions
have lost games by five, three and two points this season.
On Sunday, Hill was nearly flawless, completing 21 of 32 passes without an
interception. His single-game passer rating of 117.6 was the second-highest of
his career.
"I thought Shaun was outstanding in this game -- number one in protecting the
football," head coach Jim Schwartz said. "He was moving the ball around to a lot
of different playmakers."
That's why the Lions traded for him in the offseason. Hill won three of his six
starts for San Francisco last season, while Stafford was fighting injury problems
as a rookie. Detroit lost all six games when Stafford was out with injuries,
struggling with Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton leading the offense.
This season, the Lions have scored 126 points, the most in the NFC. They broke
Sunday's game open in the second quarter, with Hill throwing touchdown passes
to Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew. The 3-yard touchdown pass to Pettigrew
came after Hill had nearly six seconds to drop back and find the tight end in the
middle of the end zone.
Despite Hill's solid play, the Lions are still eager to have Stafford taking snaps
again. Schwartz said Monday that Stafford is "making progress" but gave no
indication when he might play again. He said Hill's performance won't affect
Stafford's outlook.
"Matt's timetable has really nothing to do with Shaun," he said.
Detroit is still waiting for a chance to play at full strength on offense. Burleson
returned Sunday after missing two games with an ankle injury. He was one of
five players with four catches each against St. Louis.
Now, Schwartz is "very concerned" about Johnson, the team's best receiver, who
hurt his right shoulder late in the game. Schwartz said Monday the team was
"doing some tests" on Johnson, whose shoulder was wrapped in ice during the
fourth quarter.
Johnson left in the fourth quarter after he landed hard on his side on a diving
reception. Schwartz said on Monday "it's probably a little too early to make any
determinations" on whether Johnson will play this weekend at the New York
Giants.
"We're doing some tests today," Schwartz said. "He's no worse than he was
yesterday, but it'll probably be something that will develop through the week. He
wasn't able to finish yesterday; we'll see if we can get him on the practice field
this week."
Johnson, who was reportedly very limited during Wednesday's practice, told
reporters afterwards, "The range of motion just isn't all there yet. It's getting
better. ... Hopefully it just keeps on progressing like it is"
Best said he expects Johnson to play against the Giants. The Lions have lost 23
straight road games, one shy of their own NFL record.
"Everybody's going to have do a little bit more to fill up his void (if Johnson can't
play), but I don't think that's going to happen," Best said.
I'll obviously be following Johnson's progress closely this week. Those interested
will want to keep an eye out for Late-Breaking Updates. ...
Still, no matter who is in the lineup, the Lions can be dangerous. Hill's effort
Sunday was proof of that.
"We've been right there every week," Hill said. "You don't get discouraged by
that. ... We believe in the stuff we're doing. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, offensive
coordinator Scott Linehan will never discuss it, but he had to thoroughly enjoy
putting up 44 points on the Rams. Linehan was vilified in St. Louis after compiling
an 11-25 record and getting fired four games into his third season in 2008.
There were some raised eyebrows when Linehan called for halfback option pass
with 9:21 left and leading, 34-6. Best threw a wounded duck that a wide open
Scheffler couldn't flag down.
But Schwartz the play had nothing to do with any revenge or bad blood with the
Rams' staff.
"No matter what play we're running, other than when we are taking a knee, we
are trying to score," Schwartz said. "I didn't see any white flags being waived on
their sideline. We had gotten the ball on an interception (by Ndamukong Suh)
after they had thrown six straight passes. So we're still trying to score, trying to
finish what we started."
It would have hypocritical, Schwartz said, for him to pull back on the reins with
nine minutes still left to play. ...
According to MLive.com's Tom Kowalski, Burleson showed what the Lions
offense was missing in his three-week absence with an ankle injury. His four
catches for 56 yards and one touchdown posed enough of a threat to force the
Rams to alter their defensive game plan -- which was to bracket Johnson.
Burleson hasn't played since the first series of the second game when he
sprained his ankle. ...
Also according to the Xchange, Kevin Smith flashed some of his old, pre-knee
surgery form, breaking off a 15-yard run against the Rams. But he only gained
one yard in his other two carries.
Maurice Morris was inactive for the first time this season. Morris was the Lions
leading rusher last season, but he hasn't shown the same quickness and power
this season.
Scheffler showed no ill-effects from the concussion that kept him out of practice
last week. He and fellow Pettigrew each caught four passes for a combined 67
yards, as the Lions continue to supplement their weak running game with short
passes to the tight ends.
And finally. ... Jason Hanson, 40, keeps rolling along. He's booted 9 of 11 field
goals, with one of the misses being a 55-yarder. He has made seven straight.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Shaun Hill, Drew Stanton, Matthew Stafford
RB: Jahvid Best, Kevin Smith, Maurice Morris, Aaron Brown
FB: Jerome Felton
WR: Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Bryant Johnson, Derrick Williams, Stefan
Logan
TE: Tony Scheffler, Brandon Pettigrew, Will Heller, Spencer Havner
PK: Jason Hanson
=========================
=========================
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Talk about a team dealing with a rash of injuries. ... Aaron Rodgers has a
concussion and might have to sit out Sunday's game against Miami, the latest
blow in a wave of injuries that has hit the Green Bay Packers in a season they
hoped would end in the Super Bowl.
Head coach Mike McCarthy said Rodgers got the concussion during a helmetto-helmet hit late in Sunday's overtime loss at Washington and he could miss the
Dolphins game.
"It's definitely possible," McCarthy said Monday. "I know at a minimum he'll miss
some practice time."
The backup quarterback is Matt Flynn, a third-year player out of LSU who has
thrown 17 passes in his career. Flynn said he's ready to play if needed, but
hopes Rodgers is healthy.
"I saw him this morning," Flynn said. "He looked fine. We sat down, talked, just
waited around and everything was kind of normal."
The Packers likely will need much of the week to evaluate Rodgers, who hasn't
missed a game since taking over as the starter in 2008.
Under stricter return-to-play guidelines for head injuries the NFL adopted late last
year, Rodgers must be free of concussion symptoms, even after rigorous
exercise, and cleared by the team doctor and an approved independent
neurologist before he plays again.
"There's a protocol, and he'll go through it just like we've always done," McCarthy
said. "And we'll definitely take the proper time and make sure he's fully
recovered."
McCarthy advised reporters on Wednesday that the next update on Rodgers
won't come until Thursday.
But as Associated Press sports writer Chris Jenkins noted, that's just the
beginning of the bad news for the Packers.
Two players are scheduled for surgery this week: tight end Jermichael Finley on
his knee and linebacker Nick Barnett on his wrist.
McCarthy said he "would be surprised" if Finley's surgery ended his season but
was less definitive on Barnett, saying he was "holding out hope" that the
linebacker would be back.
"When you're dealing with his particular injury, they really won't know until they
get in there," McCarthy said.
As it turns out, McCarthy will be surprised.
While initial reports suggested a 3-6 week timetable for Finley to return after
surgery to repair his torn meniscus was performed Tuesday, it now appears
Finley is likely done for 2010.
According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel staffer Greg A. Bedard the Packers
doctors originally thought they would have to remove Finley's meniscus, which
would have actually meant a quicker return to the field for the tight end.
But during surgery, they discovered they could repair the meniscus, which in turn
means a longer recovery but a better long term prognosis for Finley in the long
run.
Finley's recovery is expected to now be 8-10 weeks and the Packers are
deciding whether or not to wait for his return.
Backup tight end Donald Lee also could miss at least two weeks with a sprained
chest.
Outside linebacker Clay Matthews has a left hamstring strain, defensive lineman
Ryan Pickett has an ankle sprain and safety Derrick Martin has a knee sprain.
Matthews' injury was not as severe as the one that caused him to miss most of
training camp and the preseason, the coach said, though there isn't a clear
timeline for his return.
Meanwhile, veteran right tackle Mark Tauscher has a shoulder injury and was
inactive against Washington. McCarthy did have one piece of good injury news:
linebacker Brandon Chillar, who has been out with a shoulder injury, will begin
"trial" practice this week.
Remember, Green Bay has already lost starting running back Ryan Grant to a
season-ending ankle injury, starting safety Morgan Burnett to a torn ACL and
backup defensive lineman Justin Harrell to a knee injury. And cornerback Al
Harris (knee) and safety Atari Bigby (ankle) might return to practice for the first
time next week, although it's not clear whether either will be able to play right
away.
Going into the Miami game, that's a lot of potential absences for a team that now
has lost two of its last three games -- and didn't look particularly good in its win
over Detroit.
Still, McCarthy said this week would be business as usual. And if Rodgers can't
go?
Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said Flynn does a good job running the
scout team in practice and is capable of taking over the offense.
"During the regular season with the opponent squad, he's going against our
defense," Clements said. "Now, obviously, playing in the regular season is
different and things go a little faster. But we're confident that Matt will do a good
job if needed."
Stay tuned. ... I'll obviously have more on Rodgers' progress when this week's
Late-Breaking Updates commence late tonight. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Rodgers completed 27 of 46 passes for 293 yards and
one touchdown against the Redskins. He was sacked four times and threw one
interception.
The result was 13 points. That's the fewest the Packers have scored since
Rodgers became the starter in 2008.
It's the fewest points the Packers have scored since Dec. 23, 2007, when they
lost, 35-7, to the Chicago Bears.
And the Redskins entered with the 31st-ranked unit in total and passing defense.
They were also tied for 30th in red-zone offense.
Rodgers didn't get a whole lot of help. His receivers dropped seven passes.
Veteran Donald Driver dropped four.
"Am I frustrated? Yes," Driver said. "Because that's not what I do. I don't drop
balls. I let a lot of them go today that I should have made."
Driver was the worst offender, but he wasn't alone. His receiver mates James
Jones (two) and Jordy Nelson (one) contributed as well.
The Packers weren't able to get much help from Greg Jennings again, as he
had his third-straight game with just two catches. According to Bedard, the
Packers again had trouble finding Jennings against a Cover-2 defense that took
away the deep pass for much of the game. ...
On a more positive note. ... Brandon Jackson rushed for a career-high 115
yards in only 10 carries Sunday, buoyed by a personal-best 71-yard run early in
the game. It was the longest run by a Packer since DeShawn Wynn had a 73yard touchdown in the 2008 season finale.
Jackson came into Sunday's game with all of 74 yards in 27 carries in the
previous three games as the starting replacement for Grant. Jackson also led the
Packers on Sunday with five catches, amounting to 25 yards.
Without Jackson's big carry, he and Kuhn had 12 carries for 56 yards (4.7
average). The Packers seemed to have a lot of success running a delay out of
the shotgun.
"All week just studying film and what the linebackers are going to do, they were
going to be playing off, so we gashed them," Jackson said. ...
One last note here. ... With Finley and Lee both out, Andrew Quarless caught
four passes for 51 yards against the Redskins and it appears he'll be given every
opportunity to fill in during the coming absences of the two veterans.
The fifth-round rookie has good pass-catching skills and he lined up out wide on
occasion. Fantasy owners in dire straits at the position might get something out
of Quarless in the short term.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn
RB: Brandon Jackson, John Kuhn, Dimitri Nance, James Starks
FB: Korey Hall, John Kuhn, Quinn Johnson
WR: Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Brett Swain
TE: Andrew Quarless, Jermichael Finley, Donald Lee
PK: Mason Crosby
=========================
=========================
HOUSTON TEXANS
As Associated Press sports writer Chris Duncan framed it Monday: "Arian
Foster went nowhere. Matt Schaub was off-target. Andre Johnson was bottled
up.
"The Houston Texans' high-powered offense sputtered in every area in a 34-10
loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, producing only 195 yards. ..."
Head coach Gary Kubiak took the blame for the performance, but there was
plenty to go around.
The offensive line was dominated by New York's defensive front. Foster, the
NFL's leading rusher through the four games, was held to 25 yards on 11 carries.
Schaub was sacked three times, lost a fumble and threw an interception.
Johnson caught five passes, but was targeted 13 times.
The Texans (3-2) were held to a franchise-low 24 yards rushing. Kubiak said late
Monday afternoon that he hadn't even looked ahead to Sunday's game against
Kansas City, because he was still pouring over what went wrong against the
Giants.
"They stopped pretty much everything we did," Kubiak said.
New York led 21-0 early in the second quarter, and the Texans had only run 13
plays for 28 yards by then. When Kubiak watched the replay, he picked out at
least eight missed assignments by offensive linemen during that stretch.
"That has not been us at all," Kubiak said. "We have been somewhat consistent
from that standpoint."
The Giants had 10 sacks in a 17-3 win over Chicago the previous week, but the
Texans' offensive linemen blamed the breakdowns against New York on their
own fundamental mistakes.
"When four guys are doing it right, and one guy doesn't, the play is not going to
work out," right guard Antoine Caldwell told Duncan. "Everybody took their turn
up front, not doing the right thing -- technique-wise, assignment-wise. That's why
it led to such a sloppy game."
The Texans came in leading the NFL in rushing (172 yards), but the Giants
penetrated the line and prevented Foster from cutting back every time he
touched the ball.
Kubiak virtually abandoned running plays after the Giants sprinted to the big
early lead.
Schaub didn't fare much better with the passing game. He had at least three
throws knocked down at the line of scrimmage and completed only 16 of 34
passes. He didn't throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 12 games.
"He didn't have a lot of help," Kubiak said. "He didn't have a lot of help up front,
we dropped some balls. We need to do a better job protecting him, we need to
run some better routes. He'd be the first one to tell you he wasn't good enough
for us to win, but there's a lot of people involved in that."
Johnson seemed a step slow as he played through a sprained right ankle that's
nagged him for three weeks. Tight end Owen Daniels had three catches, and no
other wide receiver had more than two.
"It was bad. We didn't play good at all," said Kevin Walter, who had two catches
for 24 yards. "We have a lot of weapons, but we have to execute our game plan.
It's always about execution."
The Texans showed efficient balance in their first two games. Foster rushed for
231 yards in the opening win over Indianapolis, and Schaub threw for 497 yards
in Houston's win over Washington the following week.
Dallas accomplished many of the same things that the Giants did on Sunday,
pressuring Schaub (four sacks) and shutting down Johnson (four catches, 64
yards).
The Texans rushed for 249 yards against Oakland before Sunday's dismal
outing.
"We've played some very good games and a couple poor ones in big spurts,"
Kubiak said. "Very good in spurts and very bad in spurts. So we're trying to find
some consistency there as a football team. That's the key to being a great
football team. That's the hardest thing in this league to find and we're searching
for that. Obviously, we've got a long way to go to get that done, but somehow
we've got to find some consistency in what we're doing."
Other notes of interest. ... Kubiak said Foster hurt his knee on Sunday, but ran on
Monday and should be ready for this week's game.
The three players who were questionable for Sunday's game -- defensive end
Mario Williams, Johnson and running back Derrick Ward -- all played.
Johnson had five catches for 95 yards, and Ward scored the Texans' only
touchdown on a 1-yard run.
Ward has two touchdown runs in his last two games. His two touchdowns are
one more than Johnson.
"Andre isn't 100 percent, but he was good enough to play; same with Mario,"
Kubiak said adding that Johnson's ankle "came out of the game fine."
Receiver Dorin Dickerson aggravated his knee in the second half Kubiak said.
...
Schaub has been sacked an alarming 14 times in five games. He's also thrown
an alarming five interceptions, including the one against New York.
As the Sports Xchange notes, Schaub hasn't been as sharp as he was last
season when he led the league with 4,770 yards passing. ...
One last note here. ... Though the Texans have three quarterbacks under
contract, they spent part of Tuesday eyeballing two more. According to the
National Football Post, Colt Brennan and Jarrett Brown tried out for the team
on Tuesday.
The Texans also checked out four receivers: Reggie Brown, Derek Hagan,
Dexter Jackson and Demetrius Williams.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Matt Schaub, Dan Orlovsky, Matt Leinart
RB: Arian Foster, Steve Slaton, Derrick Ward
FB: Vonta Leach
WR: Andre Johnson, Kevin Walter, Jacoby Jones, David Anderson, Dorin
Dickerson
TE: Owen Daniels, Joel Dreessen, Garrett Graham, James Casey
PK: Neil Rackers
=========================
=========================
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
According to Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot, Mike Hart doesn't
gauge progression simply by numbers.
He prefers to watch it on tape.
What Hart is seeing these days in the Indianapolis film room is better blocking,
harder runs and a distinct tilt toward a more balanced offense -- all promising
signs for the Colts (3-2).
"I think it is improving," Hart said Monday when asked about the ground game.
"Everybody knows how great Peyton [Manning] is, but we have to be able to run
the ball, especially when we get in the red zone."
Hart provided a perfect example Sunday of how it's supposed to work.
On his final carry of the game, Hart ran through three Chiefs defenders and
stretched his 5-9 body as far it could go to break the goal line and seal Indy's 199 victory.
Indeed, Hart played a bigger role in that than anybody expected.
In his first two-plus seasons with the Colts, Hart had just 32 carries for 79 yards
and six receptions for 72 yards. He had actually been cut more times (two) than
he had been in the end zone (one).
So when Joseph Addai went down with a right shoulder injury in the third
quarter and backup Donald Brown was out with a hamstring injury, the Big Ten's
career rushing leader trotted onto the field and took advantage of the biggest
opportunity of his pro career.
Hart ran for a key first down to help set up the tie-breaking field goal and later
scored the decisive touchdown against the NFL's last unbeaten team.
His final numbers -- 11 carries, 50 yards and a 4.5-yard average -- were all
career bests, and he may have to do it all over again this week if Addai and
Brown can't play at Washington.
The Colts are hopeful they will.
According to the Indianapolis Star, Brown and receiver Anthony Gonzalez
returned to practice on Monday.
Day-after-game workouts are light and brief but Gonzalez hadn't practiced or
played since suffering a high ankle sprain in the season opener and Brown has
been out two weeks with a sore hamstring.
Not practicing were Addai and receiver Austin Collie (foot).
Collie was back in a walking boot after starting and playing the entire game
against Kansas City. Collie was in a protective boot for most of last week and
was questionable for the Chiefs game.
The routine this week is expected to be pretty much the same heading into the
Redskins game.
Earlier in the day, head coach Jim Caldwell said he could provide no update on
Addai's status for the game at Washington on Sunday.
Addai told reporters after the Chiefs game that his right shoulder and neck area
were sore.
"I'm not going to lie," he said. "(Today), that's when you actually feel more of the
aches and pains. Right now, I can manage it. Turning (his head) to the left is kind
of sore."
"I think that will clear itself up as the week continues. From a skeletal standpoint,
everything's fine," Colts vice president and general manager Chris Polian said
Monday evening on a radio show. "I think Joe felt a little better today, but I think it
will probably clear itself up later in the week."
If not, it certainly sounds like Brown will return -- if you believe Hart, who told
reporters on Monday, "Donald will probably be back this week, which will be
great, and hopefully Joe's ready. I'm always ready. Hopefully I'll be called upon
soon."
Meanwhile, with Manning and his receivers uncharacteristically out of sync and
the Chiefs content to play exclusively with two or three down linemen, the backs
were repeatedly asked to do the heavy lifting.
Addai touched the ball on 18 of the Colts' first 32 plays, finishing with 17 carries
for 50 yards and five receptions for 39 yards. When he left, Hart gave the Colts a
new spark with his hard inside running.
Remember; during last Wednesday's practice, Hart suffered a knee injury that
kept him out of workouts the following two days. He was questionable for the
game.
"It was a crazy week," Hart said. "We went from me not thinking I'd be able to
play, to playing, then I was playing a lot. This week was kind of like my career,
just up and down, up and down."
Of course, the Colts' rushing attack has been mostly down. In fact, Indy spent the
entire offseason working on solutions for its rushing game, which was dead last a
year ago.
The Colts replaced both starting guards. They promoted Pete Metzelaars to
offensive line coach. They established a goal of adding 0.75 yards per carry to
last year's average of 3.5, and they expected more productivity from a
rejuvenated Addai and a healthier Brown.
Five weeks into the season, the Colts are ranked No. 28 in rushing at 60.4 yards
per game, and they're starting to produce when the Colts need them most.
Indy ran four times on third down Sunday, picking up three first downs including
Hart's powerful 6-yard run on third-and-4 late in the third quarter to help set up
Adam Vinatieri's 42-yard go-ahead field goal.
"I thought that was a bigger run than the touchdown run because that really got
us going and swung things our way a little bit," Hart said.
The running backs were tackled for losses four times, losing just eight yards and
keeping Manning out of long down-and-distance situations.
And when they needed a punch at the end, well, Hart delivered with the kind of
crushing, final blow that the Colts' have been looking for since they won the
Super Bowl after the 2006 season.
"He gave us a lift because of the fact that he was pretty tough in his runs,"
Caldwell said. "I mean he converted a number of second downs to first downs,
third downs to first downs and then, obviously, the run at the end of the game on
the last drive was significant. He did a lot of things really well for us. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Manning was held without a touchdown pass for the
first time this season and just the 25th time in his 197 regular-season career
starts during the win over Kansas City.
Dallas Clark has been seeing a lot of double-coverage in recent weeks as
defensive teams try to find a way to keep him out of the Colts' passing attack.
"We've seen teams using a safety and a linebacker to try and bracket him in,"
Manning said. "Teams don't want to cover him with just a linebacker anymore.
Dallas is out there trying to get open against double and sometimes triple
coverage."
According to the Sports Xchange, Reggie Wayne expects upcoming opponents
to take a page out of the Romeo Crennel book on defending the Colts' passing
attack.
The Chiefs' defensive coordinator has had some success in slowing down
Indianapolis in recent years, including this past Sunday.
"Crennel has been there before. He's seen us numerous times. Our offense
really hasn't changed much. They did a great job. You just have to take your hat
off to them," Wayne said. ...
When the offense was unable to finish drives against the Chiefs, Vinatieri made
certain the Colts didn't go away empty-handed.
The veteran place-kicker converted field goals of 20, 24, 47 and 42 yards.
Vinatieri, the oldest Colt at age 37, still is perfect on the season (8-for-8) and has
hit 13 straight dating to 2009.
"I've got a little lead left in this pencil," Vinatieri said.
And finally. ... With Pierre Garcon, Collie and Gonzalez all injured to various
degrees in recent weeks, the Colts tried to land wide receiver Devin Thomas off
waivers from the Washington Redskins.
According to the National Football Post, the Colts put in a waiver claim for
Thomas, who wound up being awarded to the Carolina Panthers.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Peyton Manning, Curtis Painter
RB: Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Mike Hart
FB: Jacob Tamme
WR: Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, Blair White, Kenny Moore,
Anthony Gonzalez
TE: Dallas Clark, Brody Eldridge, Jacob Tamme
PK: Adam Vinatieri
=========================
=========================
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
According to Florida Times-Union staff writer Tania Ganguli, Maurice JonesDrew had X-rays on his right wrist after Sunday's game in Buffalo and the results
showed no major injury, head coach Jack Del Rio said.
"He's pretty quiet usually out there. He's taken some shots and delivered some
shots and usually you don't hear a lot," Del Rio said. "He was making a little
noise, which made me be concerned, but he's fine. Checked out. They X-rayed it
and everything. He's fine. No issue."
Jones-Drew injured his wrist early in the fourth quarter against the Bills at the end
of a 17-yard run.
"He comes out and it looks like the season's over with his hand, the way he was
screaming on the ground there," quarterback David Garrard said. "But he comes
back in the game and is tough as all get out."
Jones-Drew said he put his hand on the ground to balance himself and
defenders piled on him to cause the injury. After taking a few plays off, JonesDrew returned to the game.
"When I got to the sideline, pretty much it calmed down a little bit," Jones-Drew
said. "They asked if I could squeeze my hand, I did the best job I could. I figured I
would go out and try it to see if it worked. It did, but Deji [Karim] was running the
ball well, so we decided to go with Deji and he did a great job.
"I don't know, just been such a tough season with injuries so far, man. Trying to
stay healthy."
Jones-Drew hasn't missed a game, but he has been beaten up quite a bit. He
missed some time in the preseason with issues with his knee, then missed one
practice with an ankle injury last week.
Garrard said the team would have to limit Jones-Drew's carries and spell him
with backups. Karim had 10 carries on Sunday, his role expanded because of a
shoulder injury to backup running back Rashad Jennings.
"I've taken a couple of shots on the run, like one or two, and I think to myself, 'I
don't know how Maurice and the rest of the running backs in this league do it,' "
Garrard said. "That one shot that I had was plenty. But I take my hat off to him
because he gets up and he keep battling out there."
Karim had 215 all-purpose yards at Buffalo. He returned four kickoffs for 145
yards, putting the offense in position for two field goals and two touchdowns. His
last return, a 41-yarder in the third quarter, helped set up the go-ahead score.
He also gained 70 yards on offense.
"Showed some juice in the return game and got some touches as a running back
and did a nice job," Del Rio said Monday.
Karim, a sixth-round draft pick in April, waited longer than expected for his
chance. He injured his left thumb in the preseason, had surgery to repair
ligament damage and spent the last two months trying to get back to 100
percent. He made the 53-man roster, but was inactive the first four games.
"He was practicing with this club," Del Rio said. "Until he got rid of that, until the
doctors cleared him out of that, we couldn't use him. The doctors finally paved
the way for us to get him up and active."
And he might have carved himself out a greater role going forward even when
Jennings returns. If nothing else, the Jaguars, who host Tennessee next Monday
night, expect Karim to continue returning kickoffs.
Garrard believes the team will use Karim and fellow backup Jennings more in
hopes of reducing Jones-Drew's workload and hits.
"He's been taking a little bit of a beating," Garrard said. "We need some more
guys to step up and be able to spell him a little bit, so that he can continue to stay
fresh. It's a long season. It's a marathon, not a sprint. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Del Rio had some strong words for a comment on
ESPN by Chris Mortensen that wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker was on the
trading block.
"That's garbage," Del Rio said. "False. Not credible. It's disappointing to see stuff
like that just go out be thrown out there haphazardly without anybody checking
any sources. So I'm disappointed that something like that would be out there for
us to discuss."
Mortensen did not actually say Sims-Walker was on the trading block. He was
asked by co-worker Adam Schefter about receivers who might be on the trading
block during ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown show. Mortensen speculated that
Sims-Walker is a player who might be "on the bubble."
TheRedZone.org created a headline that said "Jaguars WR Sims-Walker on the
trading block."
Sims-Walker didn't catch a pass in either of the Jaguars' two wins, and had just
12 receptions on the season heading into Sunday's game.
He was blanked in the first half by the Bills before catching all four of his passes
in the third quarter, including a seven-yard touchdown pass, which broke a 20-20
tie.
Though he seemed to suggest he was frustrated last week because he wasn't
getting the ball more, Sims-Walker said that wasn't the case.
"I'm not frustrated at all," he said. "I love Jacksonville. I love my coaches, my
teammates. I love the city, man. I just said I'd like to be more involved in the
offense. We're winning We're 3-2 right now. That's all that matters. I didn't say I
was upset. I want to be in Jacksonville making plays. ..."
Marcedes Lewis caught two touchdown passes against the Bills, tying a career
high for touchdowns in a game. They were his fourth and fifth touchdowns of the
season, setting a single-season franchise record for touchdowns by a tight end.
Lewis opened the 2010 season with a two-touchdown performance against
Denver.
He said his timing and on-field chemistry with Garrard has improved this season.
It was the second year in a row Lewis stayed in Jacksonville during the offseason
rather than going home to California.
"Everything is starting to be second nature," Lewis said. "When the ball is in the
air, it's my ball."
Garrard threw to Lewis five times and Lewis caught four. He had a game-high 54
yards receiving and averaged 13.5 yards per reception.
Reggie Williams holds the Jaguars record with 10 receiving touchdowns in a
season. Jimmy Smith never had more than eight. Lewis already has five after
only five games. ...
Receiver Mike Thomas caught four passes for 51 yards, including a 25-yarder,
and ran three reverses for 53 yards, including a 33-yarder. His two big gains
were on consecutive plays in a drive that enabled the Jaguars to tie the game at
13 just before halftime. ...
Garrard's first pass was tipped and intercepted, but he then hit on 16 of 19
passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns and a 122.5 passing rating. ...
And finally. ... Josh Scobee, who made five field goals in the first four games,
including the 59-yard game winner against Indianapolis last week, added five
more from 40, 49, 34, 40 and 46 yards.
Scobee has yet to miss this year, though his 40-yard kick barely sailed inside the
upright.
Scobee's five field goals tied a franchise record and his holder, punter Adam
Podlesh, didn't punt for the second time this season. He also didn't punt in San
Diego.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: David Garrard, Trent Edwards
RB: Maurice Jones-Drew, Rashad Jennings, Deji Karim
FB: Greg Jones, Montell Owens
WR: Mike Sims-Walker, Mike Thomas, Tiquan Underwood, Kassim Osgood
TE: Marcedes Lewis, Zach Miller
PK: Josh Scobee
=========================
=========================
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
As Associated Press sports writer Doug Tucker reported it: "The ball is spinning
through the air and heading straight to Dwayne Bowe, who has gotten open in
the end zone. Bowe goes up. The ball comes down.
"All he has to do is catch Matt Cassel's pass and the Kansas City Chiefs have a
13-9 lead in the third quarter at Indianapolis.
"But he drops it. Then he drops another ball on the very next play. ..."
The Chiefs (3-1) had to settle for a field goal after Jon McGraw's interception of
Peyton Manning set them up on the Indianapolis 30. And in the end, they lose to
the ragged, injury-weakened Colts 19-9 on Sunday, their first loss of the season.
Bowe's performance earned him "Goat of the Week" honors in SI.com insider
Peter King's popular MMQB column. According to King, "The Chiefs had no one
to blame more than Bowe for their unbeaten season going up in smoke."
Not surprisingly, back in Kansas City, fans were furious with the former LSU star,
just as they have been in the past when he dropped passes or onside kicks in a
career that's never taken flight since he was a first-round draft pick in 2007.
As Tucker pointed out, there's no way to know if the Chiefs would have beaten
the Colts had Bowe caught the TD pass.
But it would have given them their first lead of the game and possibly changed
the entire complexion of a game in which Manning and the favored Colts were
struggling to find a rhythm of their own.
But without doubt, it would have taken some heat off a quarterback who is also
sinking deeper and deeper into the fans' doghouse. Cassel will head into
Sunday's game at Houston tied for 27th among NFL quarterbacks in total
passing yards. His passer rating of 74.0 is 25th and in spite of the fact Kansas
City is 3-1 and leading the AFC West, people are calling for both the quarterback
and the inconsistent wide receiver to be replaced.
Their calls are not likely to be answered.
Head coach Todd Haley spent most of his Monday media session stoutly
defending both, insisting that Cassel and Bowe, just like the entire team, are on
the upswing and getting better.
"Our quarterback played a smart football game, led the team in the fashion he
will have to lead it," Haley said. "No. 1, we're 3-1 in the first quarter of the
season, which is exactly what we want, or what we will go into the next quarter
feeling good about.
"Can he be more efficient? Absolutely. But his arrow is without a doubt pointing
up. This guy is making progress."
And others had their moments, too.
Chris Chambers also dropped a pass in the fourth quarter that would have given
the Chiefs good field position. According to Kansas City Star beat man Adam
Teicher, Chambers held on long enough that the Chiefs may have won a video
challenge, but they didn't dispute the call of an incomplete pass.
"I thought I caught it," Chambers said. "I thought I was possibly down. I thought I
caught it clean and was down when the ball came out. We couldn't afford to lose
a timeout by challenging that play."
Perhaps Haley should have challenged. Maybe he should have thrown more.
After all, the Chiefs trailed 6-3 after a first half in which they tried 17 running plays
but only 10 passes.
"The game plan was to try to establish the run and try to eat up time on the clock
and try to handle those defensive ends because those are two great players with
[Dwight] Freeney and [Robert] Mathis, and we did that for most of the day,"
Cassel said.
Haley acknowledged they didn't believe they could hold off Freeney and Mathis
by dropping Cassel back to pass with great frequency. Cassel was sacked just
once, but neither Freeney nor Mathis was credited with the play.
Indeed, Cassel has been sacked only three times in four games, which indicates
improved play by the offensive line but also points toward his correcting a careerlong tendency to hold onto the ball too long. Plus, he's thrown only three
interceptions in four games.
Against the Rams, he missed some open receivers as well as had a couple of
passes dropped while completing 16 of 29 for 156 yards.
"No sacks. No interceptions," Haley said. "I think there's only two quarterbacks in
the league right now with less interceptions than Matt, and their names are
Manning and [Tom] Brady. So that's what I'm asking, first and foremost, to
protect the football and give us chances to win, this young transitioning team
chances to win, and that's what he's doing and that's how he's going about his
business.
"I thought he showed great composure yesterday. I thought he did a terrific job of
leading the team."
Bowe's drop did not cost the Chiefs the game, Haley insisted.
"Dwayne Bowe did so many good things in that game, so many good things," he
said. "He played smart, he understood the game plan, what he was supposed to
do throughout that game plan and he did it at a high level. It just so happens he
had an opportunity to make a big play, which is part of his job description, as he
did two weeks before. He didn't make it. But Dwayne's arrow is going up. There
is no doubt in my mind."
In two road games this year, a victory at Cleveland and the loss at Indianapolis,
the Chiefs have failed to score an offensive touchdown.
To make the TD breakthrough on the road will simply require better execution,
Haley said.
"We had some opportunities to do that yesterday and just didn't do it, for a
multiple of different reasons. One of them being we've got to catch the ball,"
Haley said. "That's fundamental football we will continue to work on. Then you've
just got to get it done. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Regardless of where you stand on the debate between
Charles and Thomas Jones, Star staffer Kent Babb believes it's clear that
Charles is the Chiefs' best option. Yes, he fumbles too often, but he has big-play
ability that Jones just doesn't have.
It appears the Chiefs are beginning to move toward Charles; he had more carries
than Jones for the first time Sunday and made the most of the increased
workload by averaging more than 5 yards per carry.
Jones was a non-factor and struggled against the quick Indy defensive front. This
was step down from previous performances by the running game. ...
Chambers suffered an injury to his right ring finger during the game against the
Colts, but he was able to get back on the field and catch a pair of passes with the
finger taped up inside his glove. On Monday, Chambers said his finger was sore
but would not hamper him from catching the ball. ...
For the record, rookie tight end Tony Moeaki continues to be the team's leading
receiver after adding four catches for 50 yards in Indy. ...
One last note here. ... After four games, the Chiefs are one of the NFL's top
defensive teams in fewest points allowed. They have given up just 57 points, and
no opponent has cracked the 20-point mark against them. That 14.2-point
average trails only Pittsburgh and Minnesota on a per-game basis. "The key is
keeping them out of the end zone," veteran linebacker Mike Vrabel said. "We've
been able to do that. Now we just need to clear up some other things."
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Matt Cassel, Brodie Croyle
RB: Thomas Jones, Jamaal Charles, Jackie Battle
FB: Tim Castille, Mike Cox
WR: Dwayne Bowe, Chris Chambers, Dexter McCluster, Terrance Copper,
Jeremy Horne
TE: Tony Moeaki, Leonard Pope
PK: Ryan Succop
=========================
=========================
MIAMI DOLPHINS
As the South-Florida Sun Sentinel suggested, a quarter of the way through their
2010 season, the Miami Dolphins have reached a bye-week crossroads.
If they are to move forward from consecutive home, prime-time losses to AFC
East rivals, they needed to use the off week to set things straight. Staying status
quo isn't an option, not after wasting a 2-0 start on the road with troublesome
breakdowns in a number of areas, not after allowing a combined 72 points to the
Jets and Patriots.
With a six-week gauntlet of playoff-caliber opponents set to begin Sunday at
Green Bay, the major issues included:
Special teams play: Four Brandon Fields punts have been blocked since the
preseason opener, including one apiece the past two weeks. The kickoff
coverage unit has slipped to last in the NFL at 35.8 yards allowed per return.
That's 5 yards worse than the team that ranks 31st (Titans). All of it led to the
firing of veteran special-teams coordinator John Bonamego, replaced Oct. 5 by
second-year NFL assistant Darren Rizzi.
According to Sun Sentinel staffer Mike Berardino, the fix is using starters more
frequently on special teams is something head coach Tony Sparano has
threatened to do at several points the past few weeks.
On offense, Wildcat production, a lackluster rushing attack and turnovers have
been issues.
Even with a healthy Ronnie Brown back at the controls, 16 Wildcat rushes have
produced just 27 yards (1.7-yard average) this season. That's a huge dropoff
from per-rush averages of 6.1 yards (2008) and 5.2 (2009).
Several untimely penalties have derailed the Wildcat in the red zone through four
games. Berardino believes cleaning up that area and getting Brandon Marshall
(and his strong arm) more involved as the motion man could be just the trick to
spruce up this stale part of the Dolphins' attack.
The Dolphins are minus-3 in turnover margin. Chad Henne has thrown four
interceptions in the team's losses to the Jets and Patriots. The Patriots scored 16
points off the miscues.
As Sun Sentinel beat man Omar Kelly notes, Sparano's team is best when it
takes a conservative approach and dominates time of possession. That formula
requires an early lead and a stout running game to keep pressure off Henne, a
second-year starter who might not be ready to throw 30-plus times a game.
Which brings us to the rushing offense.
Brown (4.7 yards per carry) and Ricky Williams (4.1) remain effective, but the
overall ground attack (4.0 average) has sagged from fourth in the NFL in 2009 to
15th due to the limited surge from a rebuilt offensive line.
Sparano's goal is for his team to average 4.6 yards per carry. To achieve that
type of production the Dolphins need more from the interior offensive linemen.
Getting rookie right guard John Jerry back from the illness that has sidelined
him the past two games should help.
More is needed from center Joe Berger, who replaced the departed Jake
Grove.
An improved rushing attack could open things up in the passing game.
As the Sports Xchange notes, Marshall has been a game-changer at receiver,
but he also tends to disappear for long periods of time as Henne plays it safe.
Five interceptions over the last 61 minutes -- four of them by Henne -- have hurt
the efficiency numbers and spread talk the handcuffs could go back on Henne as
Sparano seeks to limit mistakes.
The good news?
Henne has shown a strong tendency to bounce back after bad games in his
young career, a fact Sparano pointed out recently. The Oct. 4 loss to New
England was the fourth time in 17 NFL starts that Henne has thrown multiple
interceptions.
On each of the three previous occasions, he came back the next week with a
significantly higher passer rating. He is 2-1 in those follow-up performances. ...
Also worth noting: Marshall is on pace for 108 catches this season, which would
be the most in club history for a single season, surpassing O.J. McDuffie's
record of 90, set in 1998. It would also give Marshall four straight years of 100 or
more receptions, something only Marvin Harrison (1999-2002) has done
consecutively.
Davone Bess needs 14 more receptions to surpass Chris Chambers (2001-03)
for most receptions by a receiver in his first three seasons with the Dolphins.
Bess has 151 catches for 1,554 yards since signing as an undrafted free agent
out of Hawaii in 2008.
Tight end Anthony Fasano leads all Dolphins receivers with an average of 12.7
yards on his 10 receptions. David Martin was the last Dolphins tight end to finish
the year atop the team list in that category.
Martin managed 14.5 yards on his 31 receptions in 2008, tying him with Patrick
Cobbs among Dolphins targets with at least seven catches that year.
As for the running backs. ... Williams needs 61 rushing yards for 6,000 in his
Dolphins career. Only Larry Csonka (6,737) has more in a Miami uniform.
Williams needs seven more rushing touchdowns to tie Csonka for the franchise
lead, but he has yet to produce one this season.
Brown has failed to hit the 100-yard mark on the ground in his past nine games,
dating to Week 4 last season (115 yards against Buffalo). That's the secondlongest 100-yard rushing drought of his career, dating to a 13-game span in
2005-06, his first two years in the league. His last 100-yard game on the road
came in the famous Wildcat rollout game on Sept. 21, 2008, at New England,
when he carried 17 times for 113 yards and four rushing touchdowns.
In other words. ... All the pieces are in place. Let's hope the Dolphins were able
to use the bye week to get them all pointed in the right direction.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Chad Henne, Chad Pennington, Tyler Thigpen
RB: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Patrick Cobbs, Lex Hilliard
FB: Lousaka Polite
WR: Brandon Marshall, Brian Hartline, Davone Bess, Roberto Wallace, Marlon
Moore
TE: Anthony Fasano, Jeron Mastrud, Mickey Shuler
PK: Dan Carpenter
=========================
=========================
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
As Associated Press sports writer Dave Campbell aptly put it Tuesday night:
"Glitz and talent don't win games, as the Minnesota Vikings have been reminded.
For all their ability and all their high-profile players, the Vikings are having trouble
channeling that into victories. In a stark contrast from last season, Brett Favre
has been at the forefront of the struggles, throwing seven interceptions and
losing three fumbles through Minnesota's first four games.
He's 30th in the NFL with a passer rating of 67.
But head coach Brad Childress said Tuesday he believes Favre can fix the
problem.
"We've seen him hit the open guys before," Childress said.
The coach also said he doesn't see the missed throws as a product of Favre's
sore elbow, which the 41-year-old quarterback said bothered him more in
Monday's loss to the New York Jets than at any point this season. Favre's most
glaring misfire came shortly before the game-sealing interception returned by the
Jets for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Favre sailed a mid-range pass over the middle to a wide-open Percy Harvin high
over his head.
Childress indicated the Vikings will take steps to keep Favre from using his arm
too much in practice this week. As Campbell suggested, it's difficult to determine
whether he needs more work or more rest.
Favre did no throwing during individual drills on Wednesday. Childress said he
would "parcel" out Favre's throws at practice this week.
Favre told reporters on Wednesday he would consider sitting out a game or two if
the tendinitis gets worse. Favre has started an NFL record 288 straight games, a
streak he cherishes.
I'll be following up on this aspect of the Favre story when Late-Breaking Updates
commence late tonight.
Meanwhile, Favre has shown some flashes of his familiarly poised self, including
the three touchdown passes he threw during a furious rally against the Jets. In
the first half, though, he looked like a fresh-out-of-college rookie -- and that same
out-of-rhythm, less-than-certain quarterback has shown up in all four games.
"Somewhere during the course of the year -- it doesn't seem like it now -- the
offense is going to have to pull one out because the defense is struggling,"
Childress said, maintaining his optimism.
Favre has 10 of Minnesota's 11 turnovers. That's the kind of negative statistic
that keeps a team out of the playoffs. Even for a proud veteran group, the
momentum of a couple of victories is the only true way to build confidence.
So is this the week the Vikings break out? They host another 1-3 team falling well
short of expectations in the Dallas Cowboys.
"God willing," Childress said. "Yeah, that'd be a tremendous plan."
Favre, facing an NFL investigation into allegations he sent sexually charged
messages to a woman while he played with the Jets, claimed he was focused as
ever. His teammates vowed to support him.
"What goes on in peoples' personal lives, I try and stay out of it," wide receiver
Randy Moss said after Monday's game. "I just try to be a friend, be a teammate.
I know he has a lot on his plate and things do happen, but we're just going to
stick by him."
Getting the offense back on track would go a long way toward relieving a lot of
people wearing purple.
"The defense is playing outstanding right now," running back Adrian Peterson
told Campbell. "We've just got to do our part."
Even without a healthy and happy Favre, Moss, Peterson and Harvin ought to be
enough to make the Vikings dangerous. Their challenge is figuring out how to
take advantage of all that talent.
"There isn't going to be a defense that can match us up man-to-man," Harvin
said. "Hopefully we can get the big plays fixed at the end of the game. There are
a lot of things we need to work on. We can't expect our defense to go out there
and stop everyone."
Added Moss: "Collectively, if we put our hearts and souls into what we're trying to
do, I think that the sky is the limit for this team. I'm speaking on behalf of the
offense. Hard work does pay off. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday there
was no timetable for wrapping up an investigation on the allegations that Favre
sent racy text messages and lewd photos to a former Jets game hostess.
"We're just looking for facts now," Goodell said at the NFL owners meeting. "I am
going to deal with it as we get the facts."
He said he had no plans to meet with Favre, "but if it is something that would
help us get to a conclusion and it is warranted, I will do so."
The investigation, announced last week, centers on a report by the sports
website Deadspin.com that in 2008 Favre, then with the Jets, sent the photos
and messages to Jenn Sterger.
Sterger's manager, Phil Reese, declined to say if his client has talked with the
NFL.
"This is something that allegedly happened two years ago," Reese said in an email to the AP. "We don't want a quick resolution, but the proper resolution."
Favre could be fined or suspended under the NFL's personal conduct policy.
"One of the reasons we instituted the personal conduct policy. ... To make
everyone understand their responsibilities," Goodell said. "We're not going down
a line of speculation and hypothetical situations."
Favre has not responded to questions about the allegations. ...
Peterson rushed for 88 yards on 18 carries against the Jets but 30 of those came
on one play.
Peterson failed to get a handoff from Favre early in the third quarter but the
fumble was charged to the quarterback and clearly was his fault. Peterson never
had a chance.
The Vikings have very little behind Peterson. Rookie Toby Gerhart carried two
times for 7 yards.
Receiver Bernard Berrian had an extremely limited role Monday night as Moss
took many of the snaps that Berrian had gotten. Harvin and Greg Lewis seemed
to get most of the work as the Nos. 2-3 receivers, respectively.
Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that cornerback Cedric
Griffin suffered a torn ACL. He'll miss the rest of the season. Griffin started all 16
games in 2009 but tore his left ACL in the playoffs. This injury is to his right ACL.
Griffin returned in Week 3 of the season after rehabbing from a torn anterior
cruciate ligament suffered in his left knee in the NFC title game last January.
The Vikings did get some good news as wide receiver Sidney Rice is off
crutches. Rice had surgery on his hip in August in Vail, Colo., and was scheduled
to have a follow-up exam on Monday. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe put a
picture of Rice on Twitter Tuesday that showed him without crutches.
Rice remains on the physically unable to perform list and must stay there for the
first six weeks of the season.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Brett Favre, Tarvaris Jackson, Joe Webb
RB: Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart, Albert Young
FB: Naufahu Tahi
WR: Randy Moss, Percy Harvin, Bernard Berrian, Greg Lewis, Greg Camarillo,
Hank Baskett, Sidney Rice
TE: Visanthe Shiancoe, Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan
PK: Ryan Longwell
=========================
=========================
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Together again, Deion Branch and Tom Brady walked side-by-side to the
sunny practice field. According to Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman,
the Patriots new wide receiver was getting a crash course on plays installed
since he left in 2006 after they were part of two NFL championships.
"I still remember some plays," Branch said Tuesday. "They didn't call those plays
today."
The Patriots reacquired the player they drafted in the second round in 2002 -and the MVP of the 2005 Super Bowl -- from the Seattle Seahawks on Monday
for a fourth-round draft pick next year.
As Ulman noted, some things are the same since New England traded him to
Seattle. Brady, center Dan Koppen, tackle Matt Light, guard Stephen Neal and
running back Kevin Faulk are still around from the offense.
And much is different. The Patriots haven't won the Super Bowl since he left.
Randy Moss has come and gone. And Branch is wearing No. 84 because his old
83 belongs to Wes Welker.
"Wes came in, did a great job," Branch said. "I'm just going to get one (number)
higher than his because I'm taller than him."
At 5-9, Branch doesn't exactly tower over Welker. And with Julian Edelman,
listed at 5-10, three of the Patriots top four receivers are small.
Size isn't the only difference between Branch and the 6-4 Moss, whose trade to
the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday created the need for an experienced wide
receiver. Branch hopes to play Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens.
"That's the first thing I want to let you all know," Branch said. "I'm not here to
replace Randy. I'm not Randy Moss. I wasn't Randy Moss when I was here and
I'm not here to replace him. My job is to go out and do what the offense asks me
to do."
Moss was a deep threat who drew double teams. Branch is a possession
receiver. But both left the Patriots after having contract concerns and said they
felt as if they were home again after being traded to their original NFL teams.
Branch is signed through next season with base salaries of $5.45 million in 2010
and $5.95 million in 2011. But he said he'd be willing to adjust that. He also said
he thought it more likely he would be traded last year when he started just five of
his 14 games.
Brady isn't sure Branch's transition will be smooth.
"I'm sure there will be a pretty steep learning curve for him. Hopefully, he gets up
to speed as quickly as possible because we'll need him this week," Brady said on
his weekly appearance on WEEI Radio.
Branch, in his first stint with the Patriots, had 213 receptions for 14 touchdowns.
Moss was much more prolific with 259 catches and 50 touchdown receptions in
three full seasons plus four games this year. But Branch was outstanding in the
2004 and 2005 Super Bowls with a total of 21 catches.
"I'm excited," said Edelman, a seventh-round draft choice last year. "He's been
here when they won Super Bowls and I'm going to be able to get to learn from
another guy, another veteran."
And there is room for more production. Aside from Welker, second-year receiver
Brandon Tate is the only other Patriots receiver with more than 10 catches.
Branch started three of Seattle's four games this season, catching 13 passes for
112 yards and one touchdown. He's been healthy after missing parts of the past
three seasons with knee, hamstring and foot injuries.
He caught 190 passes, 15 for touchdowns, with the Seahawks.
While Tate, the starter opposite Moss in the first four games, could very well
switch sides and occupy Moss' position, don't dismiss the possibility of rookie
Aaron Hernandez taking on a greater role.
Although Tate has the speed to potentially serve as a deep threat, Hernandez
has the ability to do more damage. He's already shown he can line up in a variety
of spots -- outside, in the slot, tight to the formation, even in the backfield -- and
be effective.
He could very well wind up being the team's No. 2 target behind Welker as the
season unfolds. As ESPN.com's Mike Reiss noted this week, Hernandez has
been targeted 20 times and has 18 receptions.
Still, the guy most in that spotlight may be Welker. The game's ultimate slot
machine over the last three-plus seasons, stilling coming back from off-season
reconstructive knee surgery, bumps up to become the Patriots No. 1 option.
Contrary to popular opinion, Welker has faced a lot of double-coverage in the
past.
While Welker certainly has more experience dealing with extra attention based
on his incredible production playing with Brady, he's sure to see a whole lot more
for the remainder of the 2010 campaign
When asked if he believed his job would be more difficult without Moss, the
wideout did his best to alleviate any fears.
"It's difficult in the NFL on Sundays. Nothing's changed there. You just have to
keep working hard and getting better on a daily basis," Welker said.
Other notes of interest. ... Most teams prefer to have their bye week later in the
season, but as far as the Patriots are concerned, theirs couldn't have come at a
better time.
"The bye week is perfect right now," Tate said last week.
The Patriots got through the first four weeks of the season with a 3-1 record
despite all of the injuries and distractions. The week off gave them time to get
healthy and to work on a few things that will make them a better team
While the offense has been clicking on all cylinders (the Patriots are averaging a
league-high 32.8 points per game), the defense has struggled.
According to Providence Journal staffer Robert Lee, the bye week gave running
back Fred Taylor time to recover from the toe injury that kept him out of last
Monday's win over the Dolphins.
But BenJarvus Green-Ellis hit the bye with the two best performances of his
young career, totaling 16 carries each for 98 and 76 yards respectively in wins
over the Bills and Dolphins.
Green-Ellis leads New England with 215 yards on 47 attempts through four
games. It will be interesting to see how the carries are divided if Taylor is indeed
healthy. ...
With the bye week behind them, the Patriots now turn their attention to the
Baltimore Ravens, who visit Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The last time the
Ravens were in Foxboro they eliminated the Patriots from the playoffs. That was
last January. The Patriots will be looking to avenge that loss. They haven't lost a
game after a bye week since 2002.
And finally. ... Head coach Bill Belichick says a reported altercation involving
Brady and Moss is news to him.
Belichick was asked Monday if he could confirm the report on a CBS pre-game
show Sunday. Belichick was asked later in his conference call if he had asked
Brady whether the altercation had happened. His response was the same: "news
to me."
CBS analyst and former NFL general manager Charley Casserly had reported
that before Moss was traded last week to Minnesota, the receiver and the
quarterback had an altercation and had to be separated. The report said Brady
had problems with Moss' behavior as a Patriot.
It said Brady told Moss to cut his beard, and Moss told Brady to cut his hair.
Brady also denied the report during his Tuesday radio appearance.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer
RB: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Fred Taylor, Danny Woodhead, Sammy Morris
FB: Sammy Morris
WR: Wes Welker, Brandon Tate, Julian Edelman, Deion Branch, Taylor Price,
Matthew Slater
TE: Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Alge Crumpler
PK: Stephen Gostkowski
=========================
=========================
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
The New Orleans Saints decided they needed a new running back more than two
field goal kickers.
Hoping to boost a running game that ranks 31st in the NFL through five games,
the Saints on Tuesday signed former Seattle running back Julius Jones and
released 46-year-old kicker John Carney.
Carney signed with the Saints in late September to fill in for struggling kicker
Garrett Hartley -- who was inactive the past two weeks but now is poised to
reclaim the job with Carney's departure. Carney made five of six field goal
attempts in two games, missing the final one -- from 29 yards out -- late in the
third quarter of the Saints' 30-20 loss at Arizona on Sunday.
Jones was the Seahawks' leading rusher the past two seasons, gaining 663
yards last season and 698 yards in 2008.
The Saints are averaging only 75.6 yards rushing per game. They have played
the last three games without Reggie Bush, who is recovering from a broken
bone in his right leg, and the last two games without Pierre Thomas, who hurt
his left ankle.
Veteran Ladell Betts and undrafted rookie Chris Ivory have gotten all the work
at running back the last two games and head coach Sean Payton said as
recently as Monday that he had no plans to look for another option at the
position.
"These are guys that we have a lot of confidence in," Payton said Monday of
Betts and Ivory. "I felt a week ago that Ladell played very well. ... I thought Chris
ran hard (Sunday). We'll keep coaching them. These are our guys. There's no
one walking in here to save the day on the street right now."
The coach's stance apparently shifted on Tuesday, when the Saints also
announced Jones' arrival and waived reserve running back DeShawn Wynn.
Wynn has played in four games for the Saints this year and made two tackles on
special teams. ...
In a related item. ... Ivory is still facing a felony assault charge in the state of
Washington from July 2009 when he was a student at Washington State,
according to a report by WWLTV. No court date has been reported.
According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Ivory was charged with a class B
felony for allegedly intentionally assaulting another student with a bottle to the
head, which could carry between 3-9 months in prison if he's convicted,
according to the report, which credited both the Whitman County prosecutor's
office and Ivory's attorney.
Payton said the team and the NFL have been aware of the incident since before
the NFL Draft in April, when Ivory signed with the Saints as an undrafted free
agent. ...
It doesn't appear a court date is imminent. Nor does it appear the news had
anything to do with Jones' arrival this week -- at least not at this point. ...
Meanwhile, as Associated Press sports writer Brett Martel noted Monday, the
Saints' once-prolific offense is lacking its usual punch Payton sees a troubling
pattern of fundamental breakdowns as the main cause.
"We'll put a quick drive together, move the ball with efficiency, and the very next
sequence we'll have a penalty or a minus play, or a turnover," Payton said
Monday after reviewing video of his club's surprising 30-20 loss at Arizona on
Sunday. "You can't operate that way and expect to have real good results."
Everyone expected more from the defending Super Bowl champs, who've had
the NFL's leading offense for three of the past four seasons.
They have a couple of key injuries, but the system is the same and Drew Brees
is still the quarterback.
"There's an expectation level that we get accustomed to when we perform at a
high level," Payton said. "When you don't meet those expectations, certainly
there's disappointment."
Nearly a third of the way into their Super Bowl title defense, the Saints (3-2) have
yet to produce on offense at a pace remotely close to that of last season, when
they led the NFL in both yardage and scoring.
In winning all of their first five games in 2009, New Orleans piled up 22 offensive
touchdowns, or more than double the number of TDs (10) they have so far in
2010.
For all of last season, Brees averaged 8.5 yards per passing attempt, which
ranked third in the NFL. So far this season, he averages 7.1 yards, which ties
him for 13th with Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman and Tennessee's Vince Young.
The Saints won all of their first six games by double digits last season. Their
three victories this season have been by margins of five, three and two points.
The Saints also had a run of bad bounces at Arizona. When Betts fumbled, the
Cardinals scooped it up and returned it for a score. By contrast, Arizona had four
fumbles and recovered them all, including one that bounced right to an offensive
lineman as he lunged into the end zone for a touchdown.
That fortuitous bounce for Arizona came shortly after an interception in which
Brees' pass bounced off of Betts' hands deep in Saints territory.
Brees, who has been playing with a brace on his left knee, threw two other
interceptions in the game. The Saints now have nine turnovers in their past three
contests, during which they've gone 1-2.
Other mistakes such as penalties and missed assignments have stalled drives
close to opponents' end zones. The Saints have had to settle for six short field
goal tries -- one of which was missed -- in the past two games.
Receiver Devery Henderson said opposing defenses deserve some credit for
adjusting pass coverages to guard more against big plays. It's only natural,
Henderson said, that the rest of the league would spend more time studying the
Saints' offense -- and how to slow it down -- when it has led the NFL in three of
the past four seasons.
"We can't dwell on what we did in the past," Henderson said. "We have to worry
about this year and what we can control. Things haven't been going the way we
expected, but we've just got to keep going and get things corrected."
There have been times when Brees and the offense have looked as explosive as
ever, such as during their 80-yard scoring drive on Sunday that used took only
1:36 and ended with Robert Meachem's 35-yard TD catch.
Payton remained complimentary of the talent, work ethic and attitude of his
players.
He didn't see the need for a "chair-throwing" tirade to snap them out of their funk.
The coach said they just need to work on being more consistent, and eliminating
the mistakes that stall drives and lose games.
A few final notes here. ... Thomas' status for this week's game against the
Buccaneers remains unclear. Payton told reporters last week that Thomas was
improving noticeably but the coach wouldn't confirm if the veteran halfback's
injury was a high ankle sprain or not.
Thomas didn't practice Wednesday.
I'll obviously have more on his status in the Late-Breaking Updates section as the
week progresses. ...
Tight end Jeremy Shockey had three receptions for 30 yards with a long of 18
yards against the Cardinals. He scored the Saints' first touchdown on a 1-yard
grab from Brees.
Receiver Marques Colston had his most productive game of the season with 97
yards on seven catches with a long gain of 27 yards.
Henderson caught four passes for 61 yards and had a 39-yard reception just
before halftime that led to a field goal. Meachem, in addition to his first
touchdown of the season, wound with 57 yards on four receptions.
And finally. ... Bush told reporters on Wednesday that he is targeting Week 7 or
Week 8 to return from his broken fibula. I'll have more on that possibility as the
week progresses.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Drew Brees, Chase Daniel, Sean Canfield
RB: Pierre Thomas, Ladell Betts, Chris Ivory, Julius Jones, Reggie Bush
FB: Heath Evans
WR: Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem, Lance Moore,
Courtney Roby, Adrian Arrington
TE: Jeremy Shockey, Dave Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Tory Humphrey
PK: Garrett Hartley
=========================
=========================
NEW YORK GIANTS
Two weeks after being written off following a miserable 2009 and an early twogame losing streak, the New York Giants are rolling again.
According to Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan, the smiles are back
in the locker room. Players are working on days off. All three phases of the game
are playing well, and feeding off each other.
Running back Brandon Jacobs is even happy being a backup.
It's amazing what a couple of one-sided wins have done for Tom Coughlin's
team.
The Giants (3-2) fashioned their first winning streak since early last season when
they embarrassed Houston 34-10 on Sunday behind three touchdown passes by
Eli Manning and another superb defensive effort by defensive coordinator Perry
Fewell's unit.
A week after recording 10 sacks in a win over the Chicago Bears, the defense
limited the NFL's top rushing team -- the Texans had a 172-yard average -- to a
franchise-low 24 yards.
The two performances have the Giants ranked No. 1 in the league on defense,
not bad for a group that gave up 85 points in its last two games last season,
prompting the firing of then-coordinator Bill Sheridan.
Manning and the offense also made a big contribution for the first time.
It gained 414 yards, controlled the clock for almost 39 minutes and scored 34
points, with receiver Hakeem Nicks catching a career-high 12 passes for 130
yards and two touchdowns.
The win reminded tight end Kevin Boss a little of 2007 when the Giants won 11
straight on the road en route to their Super Bowl win over New England.
"It was like our backs were up against the wall," Boss said. "It was that type of
mentality and we thrive on that atmosphere."
Left tackle David Diehl said it was easy to see why the Giants opened 1-2. They
turned the ball over, were called for undisciplined penalties and made mental
mistakes in consecutive one-sided losses against Indianapolis and Tennessee
that had Giants' career leading rusher Tiki Barber speculating that Coughlin was
losing control of the team.
All that has changed after two near-perfect performances.
"We've played with an attitude and determination that we're going to do our best
job," Diehl said. "Two, I think you see a team coming together as a team,
offense, defense, special teams. We're all rallying off one another. You can see
the excitement and emotion the way we are playing."
Even Jacobs is buying into the system, mere weeks after voicing his displeasure
about losing his starting job to Ahmad Bradshaw.
He is averaging 4.8 yards per carry and had a solid game on Sunday, gaining 41
yards on 10 carries with a touchdown.
"It means a lot to me to know they still have confidence in me, that I can get it
done," Jacobs said Monday. "I know I can get it done. I don't mind watching
Ahmad running, him turning 4 yards out of something that was supposed to be
nothing. I can't do that. He is just so pin-ballish, he can do that. I can't. When I
get in there I just try to run over somebody and get some yards. That's what I
do."
Coughlin senses a difference in his team after the opening weeks.
"I think one of the things, and I'm hoping it continues, is that as a whole we have
learned to accept the ‘we' instead of ‘me,' and they've accepted that challenge,"
he said. "Adversity makes you stronger, and we have fought through that. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Nicks, who is coming off a career day in both
receptions and receiving yards thanks to his 12 catches for 130 yards and two
touchdowns, is off to a fast start this season despite missing most of the spring
practices as he recovered from toe surgery.
According to the Sports Xchange, that's because Nicks, in his second season,
has made it a point to spend extra time working with Manning on improving their
timing and communication.
The two teammates first began putting in extra time during the Manning Family's
Passing Academy, an annual event held in New Orleans every summer. They
also did some work at various other camps where their paths crossed as they
sought to get a jump-start on their preparation for the 2010 season.
"I think Eli is starting to get a feel for me as the season goes on," Nicks said. "He
knows I'm a hardworking and determined to get the job done."
Another reason for Nicks' success is that he hasn't pressed himself too hard to
do too much.
"I just like to contribute to the offense the best way possible," he said when asked
if his goal was to score every time he gets his hands on the ball. "That's my job.
..."
Nicks, who had 110 receiving yards the previous week against Chicago, is the
first Giant with more than 100 receiving yards in consecutive games since
Plaxico Burress. ...
Steve Smith's six receptions for 89 yards raised his career total receptions to
200. He is the 20th player in Giants history with at least 200 catches. ...
Second-year wideout Ramses Barden, who had been inactive since Week 2,
was given a uniform this week and had his first reception of the season, an eightyarder for Manning's first completion of the game. ...
Manning has thrown 42 passes without being sacked. That is the second-highest
number of passes he has thrown in his career without being sacked. His career
high of 43 passes without a sack came on Sept. 21, 2008 against Cincinnati.
Bradshaw leads the NFL with seven carries over 20 yards. He is also third in the
league and first in the NFC with 449 rushing yards this season, the highest total
through five games for a Giants running back since Tiki Barber had 577 yards on
the ground in 2004.
According to the New York Daily News, Bradshaw made it through the game
without aggravating the injured ankle that limited him in practice last week. ...
Jacobs' 41 yards increased his career total to 3,627 rushing yards, moving him
past Hall of Famer Frank Gifford (3,609) and into sixth place on the Giants'
career list. ...
Tight end Bear Pascoe made his first NFL start, but not at this traditional tight
end spot. Rather he lined up at fullback. In place of injured starter Madison
Hedgecock (hamstring).
Pascoe, who mostly performed in a lead-blocking role, was thrown at twice, but
failed to have a reception.
Until missing the Houston game, Hedgecock has been an iron man for New York.
He last missed a practice as a member of the Giants back in 2007 just before the
Super Bowl due to a viral infection.
PK Lawrence Tynes said he was surprised at how quickly things came together
with his new holder, QB Sage Rosenfels, with whom he had only practiced in
the days leading up to last week's game. However, he revealed that Rosenfels is
no stranger to holding for place kicks.
"We've actually worked on it a little bit since the very end of training camp, so I
guess you could say this didn't happen overnight," said Tynes. "He's also gotten
reps on Fridays when we do field goal blocks when he's been the holder."
Tynes, who was just 3-of-6 on the season, had admittedly grown "frustrated" with
his rookie holder, punter Max Dodge. So on Wednesday he endorsed the switch
to Rosenfels, who didn't have much experience as a holder, either. But he was
good enough that he was able to cleanly field a high snap on Tynes' 42-yarder
and get it down in position for Tynes to make the kick.
That snap, Tynes said, "would've been a lot higher on Matt. But Sage is a big
man, he's got big hands and he gets it down so fast. It's very beneficial."
Tynes also nailed a 45-yarder and added a 29-yarder in the fourth quarter that
was nullified by a Texans penalty that gave the Giants a first down. Meanwhile,
left to concentrate on his punting, Dodge had his finest game -- four kicks that
averaged 49.3 yards and a 42.8 yard average net. His best was an arcing, 51yarder in the third quarter with a hang time of 4.7 seconds.
And finally this week. ... According to the National Football Post, the Giants
auditioned veteran running back Justin Fargas Tuesday. The Giants also tried
out offensive guard Donald Thomas and fullback Deon Anderson.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Eli Manning, Sage Rosenfels
RB: Ahmad Bradshaw, Brandon Jacobs, Danny Ware, Darius Reynaud
FB: Madison Hedgecock
WR: Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Victor Cruz, Ramses
Barden
TE: Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum, Bear Pascoe
PK: Lawrence Tynes
=========================
=========================
NEW YORK JETS
As Newark Star-Ledger staffer Colin Stephenson suggested, the old saying is
that two heads are better than one. Applied to the NFL, the Jets may be proving
that two great running backs are better than one.
The general consensus is that either Tennessee's Chris Johnson or
Minnesota's Adrian Peterson is the best running back in the NFL.
But on a night when Peterson was mostly held in check because the Vikings
played from behind the entire game, it was the Jets' duo of LaDainian
Tomlinson and Shonn Greene who had the upper hand in the running game.
Tomlinson gained 94 yards on 20 carries, compared to Peterson, who had 88 on
18.
But the difference ended up being the fact the Jets had Greene in addition to
Tomlinson. Not only did Greene chip in 57 yards on 10 carries, but it was his 23yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter that ended up being the gamewinning score.
Greene's run -- where he burst through a big hole off right tackle on his way into
the end zone to put the Jets up, 22-13. For Greene, who began the season as
the Jets' starting running back before Tomlinson emerged as the No. 1 back, it
was his first TD of the season.
And make no mistake; Tomlinson is clearly No. 1.
The Jets had 78 offensive snaps against the Vikings. Tomlinson was on the field
for 56 of them; Greene got 21.
The overall plan worked to perfection, as Tomlinson softened up the Vikings for
the pounding of Greene, whose 23-yard fourth-quarter TD was the Jets' only sixpointer on offense.
Once again, the line did a superb job opening holes. ...
Meanwhile, Santonio Holmes, an explosive addition to the receiving corps, ran
routes at the New Meadowlands Stadium with Mark Sanchez as his quarterback
for the first time since coming off a four-game suspension.
"Santonio's one of those guys that can open it up downfield but can really take a
short pass and break it open," Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer
said.
Holmes told friends and family that he intends to have a 1,000-yard season
despite missing the first four games. He managed 1,248 yards last season, the
first time in his career, professional or collegiate at Ohio State, that he topped a
thousand milestone.
He ended up with three catches for 41 yards, including a key 11-yard grab for a
first down with 2:59 left.
"We were on the same page," Holmes said of Sanchez. "He read the field and
put it where he needed."
Pretty much as expected, Braylon Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery still
received their usual share of snaps (Edwards was on the field for 64 snaps,
Cotchery for 63), with Holmes coming in at just under 50 percent (36).
Presumably, Holmes' role will increase in the coming weeks, which could rob
Edwards and/or Cotchery of playing time.
Overall, however, the passing attack struggled.
Maybe it was the often-miserable and wet conditions, but Sanchez completed
only 21 of 44 attempts for 191 yards and finished with a 59.9 rating, his lowest
since a 56.4 mark in the Jets' opening-night loss to Baltimore.
Still, Sanchez didn't turn the ball over, and has no interceptions through five
games. After throwing 20 picks last season as a rookie, Sanchez is the only
starting quarterback with at least 100 attempts without an interception.
"Sometimes last year, it felt like I was giving it away like it was my job," Sanchez
said. "It was just poor decision-making. Now, I trust the backs to get out, I'm
hanging in the protection and giving our guys chances and they're really coming
up with big plays. ..."
"It speaks volumes of the type of team we have," head coach Rex Ryan said.
"There's going to be some times that Mark is the guy, sometimes it's going to be
Shonn Greene and sometimes it's going to be L.T."
One last note here. ... PK Nick Folk was 5-for-5 on field-goal attempts,
connecting from 25, 53, 22, 34 and 31 yards against Minnesota. The 53-yarder
tied a career long. He is 12-for-14 on field-goal attempts this season, with one of
the misses from 61 yards at Miami.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Mark Sanchez, Mark Brunell, Kellen Clemens
RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight
FB: Tony Richardson, John Connor
WR: Santonio Holmes, Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery, Brad Smith
TE: Dustin Keller, Ben Hartsock, Matthew Mulligan, Jeff Cumberland
PK: Nick Folk
=========================
=========================
OAKLAND RAIDERS
Bruce Gradkowski has an ailing right shoulder. Jason Campbell is playing the
way the Raiders envisioned when they traded for him in April.
So, who is the starting quarterback on Sunday when the Raiders visit the 49ers?
"Bruce would start if he's healthy," head coach Tom Cable said Monday.
As Contra Costa Times staffer Steve Corkran suggested, healthy being the key
word.
Gradkowski had an MRI on his shoulder Monday to determine the extent of the
injury to his A-C joint. Results won't be released until Wednesday.
For now, Cable is content focusing on the strong play of Campbell, who relieved
Gradkowski during a come-from-behind victory over the San Diego Chargers.
Campbell was benched by Cable midway through Oakland's second game of the
season for his inconsistent play. As Corkran further suggested, there were two
options for Campbell: Sulk or improve.
Campbell opted for the latter. He watched videos of his performance in the first
two games and discovered he wasn't playing the way he did during five seasons
with the Washington Redskins.
"I felt like I was putting too much pressure on myself to make plays," Campbell
said. "I wasn't playing the way I knew how to play and the way I feel I can play. I
said, 'Just be ready when your number is called again.' "
That came late in the first quarter when Gradkowski got tackled from behind by
Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips and reinjured his shoulder.
Gradkowski actually tried to come back into the game at the start of the third
quarter, but offensive coordinator Hue Jackson put an end to that after an
ineffective three plays.
Campbell completed 13 of 18 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown, without
an interception, in helping the Raiders defeat the Chargers 35-27. He had a
quarterback rating of 117.6, the second highest of his career dating back to a
125.3 rating against Detroit on Oct. 17, 2007.
It was methodical, but it must have been maddening to the Chargers. Campbell
said he took what the defense gave him, and felt like he did back in training camp
-- and not like those first two games.
"It's my first time with this team, so it's different in practice and in the game," he
said. "Playing with the guys, you've got to get a feel for the guys. Everything's
new to me. You sit back, you see guys' strengths, and then try and fit yourself in."
"He managed the game as well as we've seen him, obviously," Cable said. "He
played just like you would hoped he would."
Running back Michael Bush said he sensed Campbell's confidence grow as the
game progressed.
"He seemed confident in the huddle," Bush said. "He wasn't jittery or nervous.
Throughout the course of the game, the more reps he took, the more relaxed he
became."
Before Sunday, Campbell said he tried too hard to impress his teammates,
coaches and fans. Now he is intent on relying upon his instincts.
"You're on a new team and there are high hopes for you, high hopes for the team
to win," Campbell said. "You try to put all that on yourself, you try to make every
play and you try to pressure yourself to make every play. When you (don't) make
a play, you have to let it go.
"I just said, 'Forget it. I can't play this way.' I have to play the way I know how and
have fun. ..."
If Gradkowski's shoulder doesn't allow him to return this week -- and Campbell
has another good showing, who knows? We might end up with a good old
fashioned quarterback controversy. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Bush had 104 yards on 26 carries, his fourth 100-plus
yard game of his career and his third against an AFC West opponent (his 100yard games last year came against Kansas City and Denver).
It looks like he'll get another week as the featured back, too.
Although he was on the field for Wednesday's light practice, San Francisco
Chronicle beat writer Vittorio Tafur doesn't expect Darren McFadden
(hamstring) to play this week.
In a semi-related note. ... Wide receiver Chaz Schilens' 2010 debut remains
uncertain, Cable said. However, he said there is "a great chance" of getting back
left guard Robert Gallery, who has missed the past four games with a hamstring
injury he suffered against the Tennessee Titans.
Meanwhile, as the Sports Xchange noted, Darrius Heyward-Bey did not have a
reception against San Diego, the first time he's been shut out this season and the
fifth time in 16 games as a starter he didn't catch a pass.
Louis Murphy has receptions of 70 and 58 yards this season and did not score
a touchdown on either of them.
Tight end Zach Miller is six receptions shy of 200 for his career going into
Sunday's game against the 49ers.
And finally. ... Special teams coordinator John Fassel discovered the weakness
in San Diego's punt blocking that resulted in the two blocks. Rock Cartwright
and Brandon Myers blocked the first two Chargers punts by Mike Scifres, the
first out of the back of the end zone for a safety and the second for a 5-yard
touchdown return by Hiram Eugene.
The Chargers trailed 12-0 before they knew what hit them.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Jason Campbell, Bruce Gradkowski, Kyle Boller
RB: Michael Bush, Rock Cartwright, Darren McFadden, Michael Bennett
FB: Marcel Reece
WR: Louis Murphy, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Johnnie Lee Higgins, Jacoby Ford,
Chaz Schilens
TE: Zach Miller, Brandon Myers
PK: Sebastian Janikowski
=========================
=========================
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
By leading the Eagles to a 27-24 win over the still winless Niners, Kevin Kolb
proved to himself, his coaches, and his teammates that he can lead this team to
victory.
He overcame his own career adversity and won for the first time since Week 3
last year over Kansas City and just the second win of his career.
As Philadelphia Inquirer staffer Ashley Fox noted, when Andy Reid switched
from Kolb to Michael Vick after Week 2, Kolb had taken the high road. While
disappointed, Kolb supported Vick. He ran the scout team. He cheered Vick from
the sideline.
And Kolb didn't hang his head.
With a second chance after Vick injured two ribs last week against Washington,
Kolb was rewarded for his professionalism and attitude. He was sharp in the first
half, completing 12 of 14 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown, even though
left tackle Jason Peters went down with a knee injury and was replaced by King
Dunlap, who got manhandled the rest of the game.
Kolb finished with a 103.3 passer rating, and was greatly aided by five turnovers
forced by the Eagles' defense. He lost a fumble in the first half, and could accept
responsibility for two of the four sacks.
But Kolb avoided pressure other times and finished 21 of 31 for 253 yards, one
touchdown, and zero interceptions. He had a long scamper in the third quarter
that had the Eagles' defense cheering wildly on the sideline. He threw a beautiful
ball across his body to Brent Celek in the first quarter that went for a 32-yard
gain.
Kolb adjusted when it looked like offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg lost
the ability to relay plays through the speaker in Kolb's helmet, instead receiving
the plays via hand signals for a series.
Reid praised Kolb for how he managed the game, for his accuracy and for having
"no hesitation putting the ball in tight holes, and he did it with conviction."
"I thought he stepped up and played like we know Kevin can play," Reid said. "All
the guys have so much confidence in him."
Even so, Kolb knows that his road will lead back to the bench when Vick is
healthy enough to play again. Maybe that will be this week. You know Vick is
going to be highly motivated to get back on the field and play host to his former
team, the Atlanta Falcons.
But if Vick can't play -- and Kolb took all the first-team reps Wednesday with Vick
still said to be in considerable pain -- Kolb earned himself points and credibility in
the locker room. He showed he can orchestrate scoring drives and can keep the
offense moving.
Assuming Vick sits this week (and even the next against Tennessee), the Eagles
are going to need Kolb to be a playmaker and a contributor, which is what he
was Sunday.
But not everybody will be totally pleased.
As Fox further suggested, there is likely one person who wants Vick to return to
the Eagles' lineup even more than Vick does. That person is DeSean Jackson.
With Kolb under center for parts of two games and another full one, Jackson has
caught four of the 13 passes thrown his way, for an average of 9.25 yards per
catch. That's right: 9.25 yards per catch. And zero touchdowns.
With Vick under center for parts of two games and two other full ones, Jackson
has caught 14 of the 23 passes thrown his way, for an average of 23.1 yards per
catch. That's 324 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
With Vick throwing the ball, Jackson has six catches of 20 or more yards,
including four catches of 40 or more yards, the second most of any receiver in
the National Football League.
With Kolb, Jackson's longest reception is 20 yards.
According to Fox, the reason is simple.
Vick has the confidence and the experience to wait for Jackson, who routinely is
getting bumped at the line of scrimmage and double teamed, to put a sliver of
daylight between himself and his defender(s). Vick knows that if he can buy an
extra second or two with his legs, Jackson will reward him. The defense will
eventually break down.
Kolb simply doesn't have the experience or the patience to wait for Jackson to
create downfield.
So consequently, Jackson ranks 12th in the NFL with 361 receiving yards. But
his 18 catches are tied for 47th with seven other players, including teammate
Jeremy Maclin. Running back LeSean McCoy has 10 more catches than
Jackson, a reflection of Kolb's comfort dumping the ball to McCoy when his
receivers are covered.
Mornhinweg told Fox that the type of coverages Jackson is drawing this year
reminds him of what Jerry Rice used to see, which is quite the compliment to
Jackson. After following up a strong rookie year by catching 62 passes for 1,156
yards and nine touchdowns in 2009, there's no doubt the secret is out. Jackson
can play.
That's why it is more important than ever for Vick to come back. It's also why
after the San Francisco game Reid said that Vick is still the starting quarterback
and that "we won't get that controversy going there."
Looking at the numbers, there should be no controversy. It bears repeating:
Yards per catch with Kolb throwing are 9.25; yards per catch with Vick throwing
are 23.1.
As Fox summed up: "Vick puts the Eagles' biggest playmaker into a position to
make plays."
So far, Kolb has not, although with Vick still nursing his injury, Kolb should get
another chance this week, no matter how badly Jackson might want Vick to play.
...
Other notes of interest. ... McCoy cracked his rib in last week's loss to the
Redskins and missed practice Wednesday and Thursday before returning to the
field Friday. So was there any doubt he'd play?
"Nah," guard Max Jean-Gilles said. "LeSean's a soldier."
Whether soldier or mere football player, McCoy played as if he felt no pain,
charging through and stutter-stepping his way to the outside, regularly leaving a
trail of defenders in his wake.
In his first season as the starting back, McCoy has thus far matched the departed
Brian Westbrook's impact -- and then some. Before he even suited up Sunday,
McCoy had rushed in four games for 1 fewer yard than Westbrook gained last
season in eight.
And while the former Eagle and current 49er was relegated to spot carries again
Sunday, McCoy continued to flash the skills that made his predecessor
expendable.
Some runs were quickly cut while others were the product of patience and vision.
And when his blockers were beaten and his holes clogged, McCoy bullied his
way forward for yards, never looking like a man some expected to sit out.
"I'm in a little pain, but not too much," McCoy said after the game. "You've got to
throw that out. These guys fought hard, and you don't want to let them down."
McCoy entered the game with 362 rushing yards on 68 carries (5.3 yards per
carry) and was also the team's leading receiver with 219 yards on 28 catches.
He finished with 23 touches Sunday despite playing with his rib cage heavily
padded. In the end, he had 18 carries for 92 yards, complemented by 46
receiving yards on five catches.
And if there were any questions about McCoy's toughness, he obviously
answered them on Sunday night.
"I'm going to tell you, he's a tough nut. There was zero hesitation throughout the
week that he was going to play," said Reid. "He was safe to play, which was
most important, then it was a matter of him being able to endure it.
"He wanted the ball, he wanted the ball, he wanted the ball. Tough kid."
The Eagles announced on Wednesday that they have traded running back Mike
Bell to the Cleveland Browns for another running back, Jerome Harrison.
Harrison was the starting running back in Cleveland heading into the season
before losing the job to Peyton Hillis. On the year, he has 31 carries for 91
yards. Bell was signed by the Eagles as a restricted free agent, and has 28 yards
on 16 carries. ...
It sounds like the Eagles were looking for a back with abilities more similar to
McCoy's than Bell possessed. ...
A few final items. ... Maclin has had at least 80 receiving yards in two of the past
three games. He had 95 yards on six catches Sunday against San Francisco. ...
Celek was targeted a team-high nine times Sunday against the 49ers, but he had
just three receptions. One of them, though, was for a touchdown.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Kevin Kolb, Mike Kafka, Michael Vick
RB: LeSean McCoy, Eldra Buckley, Joique Bell, Jerome Harrison
FB: Owen Schmitt
WR: DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Jason Avant, Riley Cooper
TE: Brent Celek, Clay Harbor, Garrett Mills
PK: David Akers
=========================
=========================
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
According to Associated Press sports writer Alan Robinson, the Steelers have
every reason to be excited about Ben Roethlisberger's return on Sunday.
They're 3-1 despite playing without their starting quarterback or his backup.
They've rediscovered their running game. They've had a weekend off to relax
and get away from football for the first time since training camp started July 30.
And they're playing their rival -- the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns (1-4) have won only one of their last 13 games and two of their last
20 against Pittsburgh, but an upset victory 11 months ago eventually prevented
the Steelers from reaching the playoffs.
"I'm excited, but if you have to use me coming back as motivation against the
Cleveland Browns, we've got something wrong," Roethlisberger said Monday.
"It's a divisional game, an AFC North game, and that's all we should need."
Because of the Steelers' fortuitously scheduled bye, they had three days of
practice with Roethlisberger last week, so they won't have to rush into getting him
ready immediately after playing a game with another quarterback.
The Steelers ran effectively in their first four games -- Rashard Mendenhall is
No. 5 in rushing with 411 yards -- even without the threat of a quarterback who
could thrown downfield consistently. Without Roethlisberger or the injured Byron
Leftwich (knee), they averaged a league-low 136 yards per game passing with
Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch at quarterback.
All that is expected to change now that Roethlisberger is back.
"Ben's one of the best quarterbacks in the game, so I'm expecting him to get in
there and make some plays," wide receiver Mike Wallace told Robinson. "And I
want to be a big part of that by catching some more balls. I think we can make
some more plays together, and I'm looking forward to it."
Roethlisberger obliterated Terry Bradshaw's 30-year-old passing record (3,724
yards in 1979) when he threw for 4,328 yards last season. However, the Steelers
did not run well.
They not only ranked 19th, they had trouble in short yardage and near the goal
line.
And as productive as Mendenhall has been to date, there's reason to believe he'll
be even better with opposing defenses no longer being able to align more to stop
the run than the pass because of the absence of Roethlisberger.
They more than likely will loosen up with Roethlisberger's presence in the pocket,
and that could open things up more for Mendenhall.
"Yeah, I'm sure they're going to have to play things kind of differently,"
Mendenhall said. "With Ben coming back, it adds another dynamic to our
offense."
Said Wallace: "I think it just opens up longer runs for him and more for our team
as a whole. If Rashard can continue what he's been doing or even better, I think
he can shoot up to one or two [in the league] with the defenses sitting back in
coverage."
Meanwhile, as Pittsburgh Post-Gazette staffer Ed Bouchette notes, the team's
receivers, who flourished under Roethlisberger last season, are all off to slow
starts.
Wallace does have two touchdown receptions of 41 and 46 yards from Batch
against Tampa Bay, but he has only caught nine passes. Heath Miller, who set
the team's record for tight ends with 76 receptions in 2009, has just 10 or on a
pace for 40.
Ward, who led the Steelers with 95 receptions last season, leads them with 12
after four games, or on pace for half of what he caught in 2009.
That, though, should all change starting Sunday.
"He really understands the offense," Ward said. "He had a phenomenal camp.
He was going down to his second and third reads. He looks good."
As Bouchette summed up: "A primed Roethlisberger in the pocket should lift all
boats on the offense. ..."
Also of interest. ... Head coach Mike Tomlin declined to name a No. 2
quarterback on Tuesday.
Batch started the past two games and played the past 2 3/4 games after a
season-ending knee injury to Dixon, who started the first two games. Leftwich,
who was supposed to start the season in Roethlisberger's absence, has not yet
played since suffering an knee ligament sprain Sept. 2.
He has practiced the past three weeks and dressed the past two games as
Batch's backup. ...
Ward has led the Steelers in receptions for 11 straight seasons, starting with his
second in the league in 1999, and is off to a lead again for a possible 12th
straight. The longest previous streak on the team since the 1970 NFL merger
was four, both by Lynn Swann and Louis Lipps.
And finally. ... Emmanuel Sanders is competing for a game-day roster spot this
week to both play wide receiver and return kickoffs and possibly punts against
the Browns. If so, it would mean fellow rookie Antonio Brown would not dress.
Sanders dressed for just one game prior to last week's bye.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich
RB: Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer
FB: Isaac Redman
WR: Hines Ward, Mike Wallace, Antwaan Randle El, Arnaz Battle, Emmanuel
Sanders, Antonio Brown
TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, David Johnson
PK: Jeff Reed
=========================
=========================
ST. LOUIS RAMS
Mark Clayton, the leading receiver for the Rams and a reliable option for rookie
quarterback Sam Bradford, is done for the year.
Head coach Steve Spagnuolo said Monday that Clayton will have seasonending surgery on his right knee to repair a torn patellar tendon. Clayton was hurt
early in Sunday's 44-6 loss at Detroit.
"He's got a torn patella," Spagnuolo said. "So that's unfortunate for us."
Clayton is the third St. Louis wide receiver to suffer a season-ending injury in
2010. Donnie Avery and Dominique Curry both suffered torn ACLs.
"We certainly don't feel good about losing Mark because he's made a lot of plays
for us, but we have to find a way to overcome that somehow," Spagnuolo said.
Clayton, acquired in a trade with Baltimore on Sept. 6, caught 22 passes for 300
yards and two touchdowns in the first four games. The 28-year-old Clayton, who
was targeted 15 times in the Week 4 win over the Seattle Seahawks, was the
Rams' leading receiver in each of those categories.
In Clayton's six seasons, including five with Baltimore, the former first-round pick
had 257 receptions and 14 touchdowns in 81 career games. He had clearly
established a good rapport with Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick and a rising star
for the struggling franchise.
St. Louis (2-3) hosts San Diego (2-3) this weekend.
With Clayton out, the St. Louis receiving corps is reduced to four players on the
active roster -- Danny Amendola, Laurent Robinson, Brandon Gibson and
rookie Mardy Gilyard -- with a combined 183 receptions and six touchdowns in
64 career NFL games.
The Rams promoted wide receiver Danario Alexander from the practice squad
to the active roster to fill Clayton's roster spot.
Alexander, who had 113 receptions for 1,781 yards and 14 touchdowns during
his senior season in 2009 at Missouri, is working his way back after knee surgery
in the spring.
Multiple reports have indicated the Rams still have no interest in disgruntled San
Diego wideout Vincent Jackson. ...
The Rams are coming off a game in which they surrendered 44 points to the
previously winless Lions after giving up only 52 in their first four games.
"I'm disappointed in the loss and I'm really upset the fact that how we lost and by
how much and all of that," Spagnuolo said. "These guys feel the same way, so
we're in here trying to get it corrected."
Spagnuolo also said starting left guard Jacob Bell and tight end Darcy
Johnson, who started two games this season, both have symptoms of
concussions. The coach said Bell felt good Monday.
Rookie tight end Michael Hoomanawanui says his high ankle sprain is healed
and that he plans to play this week. Veteran tight end Billy Bajema is expected
to fully participate in practice Wednesday and be available to play Sunday
against San Diego.
Bajema has missed three games after injuring his knee in Week 2 against
Oakland. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Bradford now has 115 completions, which is third on
the team's all-time list for rookies. He passed Bill Munson, who had 108
completions in 1964. Tony Banks is second with 192 (1996) and Dieter Brock is
first with 218 (1985). ...
Steven Jackson rushed for 114 yards Sunday, his first 100-yard game this
season and 24th of his career. However, 36 of those yards came on four plays
on the Rams' final offensive possession of the game.
Jackson did run well in his second game after injuring his groin, but once the
Rams fell far behind, the ground game was an afterthought.
And with 7,105 yards in his career, Jackson is 140 behind Eric Dickerson for
first place on the club's all-time rushing list.
Amendola had 12 catches Sunday, the most in a game in his career. Three of the
receptions were on third down, giving him 11 third-down catches this season.
Look for him to continue being the Rams' busiest wideout -- in terms of reception
totals -- going forward.
That will be especially true if St. Louis Post-Dispatch staffer Jim Thomas is right
about Robinson's mid-foot sprain being a lingering issue in coming weeks.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Sam Bradford, A.J. Feeley
RB: Steven Jackson, Kenneth Darby, Keith Toston, Chauncey Washington
FB: Mike Karney
WR: Brandon Gibson, Laurent Robinson, Danny Amendola, Mardy Gilyard
TE: Daniel Fells, Billy Bajema, Michael Hoomanawanui, Darcy Johnson, Fendi
Onobun
PK: Josh Brown
=========================
=========================
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
As Associated Press sports writer Bernie Wilson suggested on Tuesday, at
least Norv Turner and the San Diego Chargers are consistent.
Despite having the NFL's top-ranked offense and second-ranked defense, the
Chargers are 2-3 under Turner for the fourth straight season. Their latest pratfall
was a 35-27 loss at Oakland on Sunday, ending the Chargers' 13-game winning
streak against their bitter rival.
Ongoing special teams blunders and turnovers are tarnishing a sensational start
by quarterback Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates, leaving the players
to get mad at themselves and Turner to deflect the blame away from his staff.
After giving up two kickoff returns and a punt return for touchdowns in their first
three games, the Chargers had two punts blocked by the Raiders, helping
Oakland to a quick 12-0 lead. One bounced through the end zone for a safety
and the other was returned for a touchdown by Hiram Eugene.
Turner bristled Sunday when asked if special teams coach Steve Crosby was in
danger of losing his job. "Don't be silly," the coach snapped.
Turner changed his choice of words on Monday, but still defended Crosby.
Asked why it would be silly for a reporter to ask about Crosby, Turner said:
"Maybe I misspoke when I said ‘silly.' When you're talking about Steve Crosby, I
would say it's inappropriate."
Why inappropriate?
"Because I have great respect for what he's done and what he does. Steve
Crosby's our special teams coach and will be," said Turner, whose overall record
in three NFL head coaching stints fell to 92-101.
Crosby is in his ninth season as San Diego's special teams coach.
Turner, who fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell midway through the 2008
season, continued to insist that the special teams struggles are due to a change
in personnel, and that the problem can be fixed. He discounts the notion that
maybe the Chargers got rid of too many veterans in the offseason.
Turner pointed out that the Chargers fixed their problems with kickoff coverage.
Now they have new problems to fix.
"We didn't handle it right," Turner said of the blocked punts.
Turnovers have also been damaging.
Fullback Mike Tolbert fumbled at the Oakland 1-yard line late in the first quarter
and Rivers fumbled when he was sacked at the Oakland 19 on San Diego's next
drive. Rivers fumbled again in the closing minutes. Michael Huff knocked the
ball out of Rivers' hand and Tyvon Branch returned it 64 yards for the final
score.
"It's a shame, because you look at this group and there are so many guys playing
the best football, really, of their careers, on both sides of the ball, and we're not
having the production we should have," Turner said.
The Chargers have lost nine of 11 fumbles this season, two more than they lost
all of last season.
"If we turn it over it doesn't mean we're going to lose, but it certainly is making it a
lot harder to win," Rivers said.
"We played really well in most of the game. Had we eliminated some of those
other things, again, it wouldn't have been close," Rivers said. "But it was. The
Raiders had something to do with those mishaps. We weren't out there just
playing against air. They obviously caused some of those things and made it the
game it was, and ultimately we lost the game."
Rivers threw for 431 yards, his second 400-yard game of the season, for a
season total of 1,759 yards, with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Gates
has seven touchdowns among his 29 catches, for 478 yards. Malcom Floyd had
a career-high 213 yards on eight catches, with one TD.
And still they're sub-.500.
"You ought to just go back through the archives and us not have to answer
anything about it," Rivers cracked. "It's not a struggling 2-3 like we can't find the
rhythm on offense and they're running up and down the field on defense. We can
say we're not that far off, and if we keep saying that and we don't start winning,
then it's not going to matter. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Left tackle Marcus McNeill agreed to a contract
extension even as he was added to the active roster after missing three games
while on the roster exempt list. The extension seems to be a direct shot at
Vincent Jackson, who continues his holdout.
The good news?
As SI.com's Peter King suggested Monday: "Yes, the Vincent Jackson holdout
should have been solved two months ago. No, it's not hurting the team very
much" thanks to Floyd.
Floyd's 213 yards against Oakland were fourth-most in team history and the most
since Wes Chandler had 13 catches for 243 yards in 1985. Floyd had a teamrecord 154 yards (on five catches) at halftime.
"I've been around him for six years," Gates said. "What you see him doing he's
been able to do it for six years … I think that's something the Chargers been
knowing for a long time about Malcom. People were like, ‘Wow! Malcom got the
same (restricted free agent contract) tender as Vincent.
"Malcom was utilized different when Vincent was here."
Also according to King. ... There isn't a position in football where the gap
between the best and second-best player is as big as it is at tight end. Gates is 1.
You could argue that two might this season be Vernon Davis, Dallas Clark,
Dustin Keller or Tony Gonzalez if you want to give credit to the classic old guy
who still plays very well.
But you can't make a good argument for one of them being number 1. ...
Despite being bracketed almost all game, Gates caught five passes and fell just
eight yards short of having a third consecutive 100-yard game for the first time in
his career. But he did catch another touchdown pass – his league-leading
seventh of the season – which extended his streak to a team-record-tying nine
games with at least one TD reception.
Ryan Mathews will be the Chargers' starting tailback soon, perhaps as soon as
this week in St. Louis. He just needs to get through a week of practice healthy,
able to absorb and implement the game plan and work on what will be required
of him.
"I think Ryan will be our lead guy," Turner said. "That's why he's here. I look
forward to being our lead guy. (But) when you can't do everything you need to in
practice and you're a month into your first year, there are lot of thing going on out
there. We're working for him to be the full-time guy, and I want him to be that
guy."
Mathews was limited in last Friday's practice due to residual soreness in his
ankle, which he sprained in the season's second game and which kept him out of
the third game.
On Sunday, Tolbert started and had more carries than Mathews for the second
straight week.
Mathews, while still leaving some yards on the field in part due to his trying to cut
back, led the Chargers this with 59 yards on his nine carries. It was the second
week in a row he averaged better than six yards a carry.
"He obviously gives us a burst," Turner said.
Working in Mathews' favor: Tolbert hit the wall and then some, gaining 11 yards
on 12 carries. His worst carry was when he fumbled away the ball at the Oakland
1. ...
Receiver Legedu Naanee left the game in the first half and did not return due to
a hamstring injury. Turner told reporters that Naanee would be evaluated as the
week progresses.
And finally. ... Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, once one of the mostfeared players in the NFL, was placed on the injured reserve list with a calf injury
and a "minor-injury designation" on Wednesday.
Merriman must be released when he becomes healthy, the team said.
Technically, the Chargers could re-sign the Merriman, but all indications are both
sides are ready to go their separate ways.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Philip Rivers, Billy Volek, J.T. O'Sullivan
RB: Ryan Mathews, Mike Tolbert, Darren Sproles
FB: Jacob Hester, Mike Tolbert
WR: Malcom Floyd, Legedu Naanee, Craig Davis, Patrick Crayton, Vincent
Jackson
TE: Antonio Gates, Randy McMichael, Kris Wilson
PK: Nate Kaeding
=========================
=========================
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Alex Smith has already watched offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye get fired
after San Francisco's awful start. So it's no surprise Smith still wasn't sure where
he stood in Mike Singletary's eyes when arriving at 49ers headquarters
Monday.
The quarterback is keeping his starting job for at least another week.
Singletary said he plans to evaluate Smith's status on a week-to-week basis from
now on considering the team's 0-5 start and inconsistent offense. The coach
contemplated a switch early in the fourth quarter of Sunday night's 27-24 loss to
the Eagles, but Smith talked him out of it after backup David Carr had already
taken a few steps onto the field.
"When I look at Alex, I'm convinced that there's something there that I feel that he
can be a good quarterback," Singletary said Monday. "But it's up to him. You're
always a work in progress, but at some point in time you have to grab hold of it
and really come to that point to where you know, and everybody else around you,
that this guy has arrived. … I do believe that Alex Smith has all of the tools, all of
the things that he needs to be that guy. I just need to see all of it."
As Associated Press sports writer Janie McCauley noted, Smith's response after
the coach lashed into him persuaded Singletary to stay with the 2005 No. 1
overall draft pick for this Sunday's game against the Oakland Raiders. Smith
threw two interceptions, one with the team driving in the final minute, and
fumbled against the Eagles -- accounting for three of the 49ers' five turnovers.
He also led two late touchdown drives, going 12 of 16 for 123 yards over the final
three series.
"It was something that needed to happen," Singletary said of calling out his
quarterback and seeing his reaction. "I think it was something that his teammates
needed to see."
Singletary and Smith met long after the game ended and Smith had a feeling he
was still the No. 1 -- but not totally convinced until he got to work Monday. Smith
leads the NFL with nine interceptions.
"I was kind of unsure," Smith said. "You don't know what's going to happen
overnight, if the thoughts were going to change or what. I was prepared for
anything this morning."
San Francisco will now need to make history to reach the playoffs. No 0-5 team
has bounced back to do so.
The Niners were the popular pick before the season to win the mediocre NFC
West, but have underachieved and repeatedly beaten themselves.
Nobody is pointing the blame at Smith. It's been problems on both sides of the
ball and special teams that has San Francisco in a serious hole.
Still, team president Jed York hasn't lost any faith. He told ESPN, "We're going
to win the division." Singletary and the players appreciate it.
The 49ers still have five games against the West, including two dates with the
first-place Arizona Cardinals. ...
Other notes of interest. ... If there were any doubts as to whether Singletary's
handling of Smith on Sunday night was a bit over the top, Profootballtalk.com
reports that Hall of Fame coach John Madden set the record straight.
"That's something that, a lot of things go on in a game that you're not proud of as
a coach," Madden said during an appearance on KCBS Radio.
"That's really not part of coaching, that's sometimes I worry about that. I see
youth football and I see high school football and coaches yelling at players and I
cringe when I see it. I think people get the picture that's what coaching is and
believe me, that's not what coaching is."
Still, with the 49ers at 0-5 and with Singletary potentially in trouble and York
proclaiming that the Niners will still win the division, pulling off that
unprecedented feat would save Singletary's job, right?
Nope.
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that Singletary must do "some
extraordinary things" in order to "have any hope" of coming back in 2011. In this
regard, Cole says that "extraordinary" likely means winning "a playoff contest or
two."
Cole also reports that York's decision to stick with Singletary for the rest of the
season arises from the absence of a suitable replacement on the current staff.
As PFT's Mike Florio understated, "Coupled with public criticism from Madden, it
has been a bad few days for Singletary. ..."
The 49ers came into Sunday's game ranking second-to-last in the NFL in kickoff
returns. Ted Ginn quickly showed that he is healthy enough to give San
Francisco reason to hope for more than a touchback. Ginn took the opening
kickoff, cut left and turned it upfield for a 44-yard return against the Eagles.
As San Francisco Chronicle staffer David White noted, his left knee finally
unsprained, Ginn gave the 49ers the ball at their 49-yard line. The offense used
the kick-start to drive 51 yards for the score, with Smith throwing a 7-yard
touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree.
Ginn's return was the team's longest of the season by 14 yards -- until the fourth
quarter, when he returned a kick 61 yards to set up the 49ers' final scoring drive.
Ginn also had kick returns of 23 and 18 yards in the first half, showing the team's
blocking has more work to do.
He also played seven snaps in three-receiver sets by halftime. White noted the
idea is for the speedy Ginn to stretch the field, and he tried on a go route early in
the second quarter.
Only Smith underthrew a 44-yard pass, which was intercepted at the Eagles' 3.
Ginn did have a 17-yard catch on a play-action call on 3rd-and-1 in the second
quarter, running a deep post before slamming the brakes and turning around for
his first catch since a Week 1 knee injury. ...
As the Sports Xchange notes, Frank Gore had a short bout of fumbleitis in 2006,
but he had long since cured it -- until Sunday, when he fumbled twice in the loss
to Philadelphia. Gore only lost two fumbles last season.
Brian Westbrook played six snaps -- his highest total all season -- but only
touched the ball once, on a run for 6 yards.
Vernon Davis had his first big game of the season, catching five passes for 104
yards. A good sign for the 49ers: The deep seam route, which Davis thrived on
last year but had been missing this year, was effective against Philadelphia.
Crabtree became a focal point of the offense early in the Philadelphia game, and
it paid off. He went over 100 yards for the first time in his career and caught his
first touchdown of the season.
Josh Morgan caught only three passes for 21 yards, but he had a nice block on
Gore's 1-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. The 49ers feel Morgan is
one of the best blocking receivers in the league.
Tight end Delanie Walker is expected to miss his second consecutive game with
a high ankle sprain.
And finally. ... Joe Nedney nailed a 50-yard field goal but missed from 40, a
misfire that loomed large at the end of a 27-24 game.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Alex Smith, David Carr, Troy Smith
RB: Frank Gore, Brian Westbrook, Anthony Dixon
FB: Moran Norris
WR: Michael Crabtree, Josh Morgan, Dominique Zeigler, Ted Ginn, Jason Hill,
Kyle Williams
TE: Vernon Davis, Nate Byham, Delanie Walker
PK: Joe Nedney
=========================
=========================
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Deion Branch was absent from Seattle's practice Monday afternoon. And as
Seattle Times staffer Danny O'Neil reported, Branch was on his way out of town
by the end of the day, traded to the New England Patriots, the team Seattle
acquired him from four years ago.
The Seahawks received a fourth-round pick, the terms of the trade first reported
by ESPN.
While that fourth-round pick is a long way from the first-rounder Seattle gave up
to sign him, it is a better-than-expected return for a 31-year-old receiver who was
making more than $5 million in base salary this season. Just last week, New
England got a third-round pick in exchange for Randy Moss, one of the most
productive receivers of all-time.
The trade allows Seattle to recoup the fourth-round pick it gave up to acquire
Marshawn Lynch from Buffalo last week. The Seahawks will receive the better
of New England's two fourth-round picks, as the Patriots also hold the fourthround pick belonging to Denver.
The Patriots reacquire a player who was named Super Bowl MVP in February
2005, and whom they originally picked in the second round out of Louisville in the
2002 draft.
Seattle gave up a first-round pick not just to acquire Branch in 2006, but for the
privilege of paying him a top-shelf contract. Over the first four years of that deal,
Branch made more than $13 million in base salary, according to the database of
the NFL Players Association. That was in addition to an upfront bonus believed
to be as high as $7 million.
It was money befitting a No. 1 receiver, but Branch suffered multiple injuries and
his number of receptions declined each of his first three seasons in Seattle. He
missed five games because of a foot injury in 2007, and in Seattle's playoff loss
in Green Bay in January 2008, he suffered a severe knee injury that resulted in
torn ligaments. That led to the first of three knee surgeries for Branch in a span of
little more than two years.
He missed the first three games of 2008 rehabbing from surgery, then suffered a
heel injury that sidelined him another five games.
He corrected the downward trend in receptions last year by catching 45 passes.
This season, Branch ranked second on the team with 13 receptions.
As O'Neil pointed out, Branch was heavily involved in Seattle's offense, but the
acquisition of Brandon Stokley gives the Seahawks a capable slot receiver;
Deon Butler and Golden Tate also will undoubtedly get more opportunities.
Mike Williams remains the starter at split end. He has caught 11 passes through
four games despite playing through a thigh bruise and later a shoulder injury.
Williams said Monday this is the first week since the season began that he really
feels good.
Butler likely will be a starting receiver along with Williams with Branch gone.
News of the Patriots' potential interest in reacquiring Branch first surfaced
Wednesday night after the Seahawks concluded their workouts during the bye
week. Branch went to Louisville this weekend for a ceremony to honor his No. 9.
Branch was absent when the Seahawks returned to practice Monday, given a
personal day by head coach Pete Carroll.
Carroll was asked after practice whether Branch's role with the team was a
question going forward.
"Not at this point," he said.
That was Monday afternoon. By the evening, Branch was heading back to the
Patriots. ...
Other notes of interest. ... After starting three different offensive line combinations
in the first four games, Carroll is looking forward to establishing some
consistency with the unit.
And according to the Sports Xchange, for the first time this season, Seattle
should be at full strength heading into Sunday's contest at Chicago.
Rookie offensive tackle Russell Okung and veteran guards Chester Pitts and
Ben Hamilton all fully participated in practice Monday. Okung played a little less
than half against St. Louis two weeks ago and is still nursing a high ankle sprain.
Pitts is trying to return from microfracture knee surgery, and Hamilton is dealing
with an ongoing knee issue. But if all three can go on Sunday, they should help
Seattle's sputtering offense.
Also struggling to get healthy is offensive tackle Sean Locklear, who is nursing a
sore knee. Locklear played against St. Louis two weeks ago, even though he did
not practice most of the week leading into the contest.
Locklear did not practice Monday, but Carroll expects him to play this week.
"He played very well with the situation last week," Carroll said. "We plan on him
practicing Wednesday. How much? I don't know that yet, but he should be ready
for the ballgame."
One area of focus for Seattle will be running the ball better on early downs, which
is where they hope the addition Lynch will help them.
Currently, Seattle is the second-worst team in the league running the ball on first
down.
"We're going out against a really good football team, particularly against the run,"
Carroll said. "Chicago has been just unbelievably difficult to run the football at.
This will be a great challenge for us, and we'll find out. But I'm excited about it,
and I'm anxious to see our guys come together."
Justin Forsett, who has started the first four games at tailback, is 26th in the
NFL in rushing at 53.8 yards per game and has yet to score a touchdown. In fact,
the only Seahawk to run for a TD so far is quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
According to Seattle Post-Intelligencer staffer Greg Johns, the Seahawks are
clearly hoping Lynch changes that dynamic. And while Carroll hasn't officially
pronounced him the starter, it seems clear he'll become the lead back in short
order with Forsett likely used more as a counter back in third-down type
situations.
Asked how Lynch seems to be picking things up, Carroll said: "He's doing alright.
It makes sense to him. He's a very bright football player. I see Justin looking over
his shoulder and helping him and Matt giving him a couple signals here and there
as they're going to the line of scrimmage.
"He's very much into it. I don't think there's going to be any problem of him
playing a lot in this game."
The Seahawks will have a big challenge in running the ball against a strong
Chicago defense, however, as the Bears rank third in the NFL in rush defense at
78.6 yards per game. ...
Carroll told the Xchange his team needs to figure out a way to consistently create
explosive plays. The Seahawks failed to get anything going offensively against
St. Louis two weeks ago, not crossing the 50-yard line in the second half, and the
defense or special teams units failed to bail them out.
"We've got to get to the explosive part of all aspects of our game," he said. "If you
compare it to the wins, that's what shows up. Without that, it's difficult to score.
So I'm hoping that we'll see production in special teams that makes a difference
in the game, production on defense that makes a difference and the same on
offense. ..."
And finally. ... John Carlson leads the team in receptions with 14, and he has
produced 160 yards and a score. The Seahawks would like to get him more
involved offensively, and he should do so now that the offensive line has
stabilized.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Charlie Whitehurst
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett, Leon Washington, Louis Rankin, Michael
Robinson
FB: Quinton Ganther
WR: Mike Williams, Deon Butler, Brandon Stokley, Ben Obomanu, Golden Tate
TE: John Carlson, Chris Baker, Anthony McCoy, Cameron Morrah
PK: Olindo Mare
=========================
=========================
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
According to Associated Press sports writer Fred Goodall, head coach Raheem
Morris is hesitant to heap too much praise on his surprising young Buccaneers.
At 3-1, the Bucs have already matched their victory total for last season and are
alone in second place in the NFC South -- ahead of defending Super Bowl
champion New Orleans.
Still, Morris said Monday that it's too early to assess where the team stands in
the second season of a rebuilding project he and general manager Mark
Dominik launched when Morris replaced Jon Gruden following a late-season
collapse that cost Tampa Bay a playoff berth in 2008.
The Bucs stumbled to an 0-7 start last season, but have shown steady
improvement with Morris serving as his own defensive coordinator and secondyear quarterback Josh Freeman growing in an offense that's making strides, too.
"I'm real excited about how the team is improving every day. But they're so
young, I don't want to really say where they are right now," Morris said, adding
that one of the keys to the fast start has been minimizing mental mistakes and
being more consistent on offense and defense.
"They're at a point where they're beginning to believe. ... We're playing one game
at a time, trying to remain humble and, really, it's bringing us closer together," the
34-year-old coach added. "It makes it easier to sell the message every week. It's
making it easier for these guys to be critical of themselves. It just makes
everything a little bit easier."
After starting the season with victories over Cleveland and Carolina, the Bucs
were beaten handily at home by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Morris used a bye week to prepare several young players for expanded roles in
Sunday's 24-21 victory over Cincinnati.
The Bengals appeared to have the game under control before the Bucs
intercepted two passes in the final 2:18, setting up Freeman's 20-yard touchdown
pass to rookie Mike Williams and Connor Barth's 32-yard field goal that won it
in the closing seconds.
"We're getting better. We've played smart enough to get three wins," Morris said.
"In the game we didn't play smart enough, we lost. That's where we are."
NFC South rival New Orleans visits Raymond James Stadium this week.
Morris scoffed at the notion that Tampa Bay, with the NFL's second-youngest
roster, can make a "statement" by beating the Saints.
"There's only one statement game in the National Football League, and that's the
last one," he said. "This is not a statement football game for them or for us. It's a
tough divisional opponent coming to our house that we've got to fend off. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... It was supposed to be a throwaway, but Freeman took
a blow under the facemask from Bengals defensive end Frostee Rucker as he
tossed the ball out of bounds in the first quarter Sunday. Freeman remained on
the ground for several seconds, struggled to his feet then dropped to a knee
before staying on the sideline for the rest of the series.
But as St. Petersburg Times staffer Rick Stroud noted, even when Freeman is
down, it's hard to count him out.
By passing for 280 yards and a touchdown in the 24-21 win, Freeman authored
his fourth fourth-quarter comeback in his six victories.
"I just want to win, you know?" Freeman said. "I mean, a lot of people go into a
two-minute drive and they're afraid to make the mistake to lose the game. I want
to make the play to win the game. I love winning a lot more than I'm scared of
losing."
Freeman paid a price for Sunday's win. He was sacked three times and hit on
nine other occasions by the blitz-happy Bengals.
But a halftime adjustment between him and Williams paid off.
"Whoever the corner was, he was sitting hard inside leverage, really daring him
to run a go (route) because most teams run a little quick slant," Freeman said.
"We went back and talked about it on the sideline. … 'Let's just give him a quick
nod and go.'" Freeman looked off the safety long enough to get Williams a oneon-one matchup with Johnathan Joseph, and Williams beat him to tie the game
with 1:26 remaining.
Williams, who lost a fumble at the end of the first half, had seven catches for 99
yards and a touchdown.
"It was really a one-on-one back side," Freeman said. "There was a little bit of
safety help, but I knew if I could hold the safety long enough, I'd have a true oneon-one.
"When you have a one-on-one with Mike Williams, I have all the confidence in
the world with the guy. I'm going to take that shot almost every time. I'm sure
sometimes it goes the defense's way. But (Sunday), at the end of the game, it
went our way."
Not only is Freeman gaining a reputation for fourth-quarter comebacks, he's
getting it done away from home. The win over the Bengals was the Bucs' fourth
straight road victory dating to last season. ....
For what it's worth, Freeman, who was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week
on Wednesday, is ranked fourth in the NFC in third-down passer rating at 100.2.
Williams leads all rookies in receiving yardage (238 yards) and touchdowns
(three). ...
Josh Johnson completed both of his passes for a total of 4 yards when
Freeman was forced to leave for a series. ...
One last note on Williams. ... The rookie wideout was limited by a sore foot on
Wednesday; I'll follow up as needed but initial reports suggest the problem isn't
serious. ...
As the Sports Xchange notes, the Bucs still can't run the football with Carnell
"Cadillac" Williams, who at least averaged more than 3 yards per carry against
the Bengals Sunday. Backups LeGarrette Blount and Kareem Huggins were
little help.
Without a 61 yard run by fullback Earnest Graham on a belly play, it could've
been worse.
Tight end Kellen Winslow is tied for first in the NFL with 11 third-down
receptions.
Receiver Micheal Spurlock had a 77-yard punt return at New Orleans last
season to spark a come-from-behind win for the Bucs. Tampa Bay plays host to
the Saints this week.
And finally. ... Barth has made 12 consecutive field-goal attempts, the fourth
longest streak among active kickers in the NFL.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Josh Freeman, Josh Johnson
RB: Carnell Williams, LeGarrette Blount, Kareem Huggins, Kregg Lumpkin
FB: Earnest Graham, Chris Pressley
WR: Mike Williams, Sammie Stroughter, Micheal Spurlock, Arrelious Benn,
Maurice Stovall, Preston Parker
TE: Kellen Winslow, Jerramy Stevens, John Gilmore
PK: Connor Barth
=========================
=========================
TENNESSEE TITANS
As Nashville Tennessean staffer David Climer suggested, it was as if the Titans
found some missing pages to the offensive playbook.
They had eight snaps in their first possession. Five pass plays were called.
Interestingly, quarterback Vince Young completed only one pass on that drive, a
24-yard touchdown to Nate Washington. But the other passes left a mark, with
Dallas getting flagged for pass-interference calls of 35 and 13 yards.
"It's a great lift," offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger told Climer. "You've
got to take your shots. You can't be afraid. Even if you don't complete it, if there's
a pass-interference call we've got something going."
Climer went on to suggest it was as if the coaching staff decided to trust that
Young would make the right decisions and throw on-time, on-target passes.
Climer conceded, however, that it wasn't exactly an overwhelming aerial assault
by NFL standards.
Young threw 25 passes, completing 12 for 173 yards and two touchdowns.
Compare that to Tony Romo's numbers for Dallas -- 31-of-46 for 406 yards and
three scores, with three interceptions.
But the Titans threw the ball downfield consistently, giving Kenny Britt and
Washington chances to make big plays.
"Our receivers are very talented, and they want the ball," Young said. "The
biggest thing is get the ball into their hands and they can make a lot of plays for
us, and they did that in that opening drive."
With Justin Gage inactive because of a hamstring injury, Britt stepped into the
breach. He was the target on Young's first deep ball, which resulted in a 35-yard
pass-interference penalty. In all, Britt caught four balls for 86 yards, including a
52-yarder in the third quarter.
"Games like this get me on track," said Britt. "It keeps me focused that if I keep
doing what I'm doing, great plays are going to happen. Vince will get more
confidence in me and the coaches will trust me, and they'll send me out on the
field more."
Young believes there are more big plays where those came from, if Britt
continues to improve.
"A lot of people fall asleep on the guy," Young said. "He's so explosive. He has
great speed. He can run like a horse out there."
Heimerdinger game-planned around the Cowboys' tendency to use their safeties
in run support to stop Chris Johnson. That left the middle of the field open at
times.
"With the coverages we thought we'd get, we had a chance to go deep,"
Heimerdinger said. "We thought Kenny would get some one-on-ones, so it was
just a matter of Kenny getting some separation.
"On the deep one to Kenny, both safeties were run-support guys. We got a pretty
good fake and C.J. was there, so both safeties came up."
Washington's early score was an indication of things to come. He knifed through
two defenders to make the catch in the end zone.
"Vince trusted me by putting the ball up in the air," Washington said. "The ball
just had to be mine -- nobody else's. Hats off to Vince for trusting me. We're
going to need these plays week in and week out."
Johnson warned that one game of effective downfield passing would not
necessarily change the way upcoming opponents play defense. He knows the
Titans need to prove they can make plays in the passing game consistently
before defenses back off.
"It's going to take a couple of games to do it," he said. "If we are consistent with
it, teams will have to come a different way. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Johnson tied for his fewest carries (19) of the year
Sunday, but he also had his second-highest rushing total of the year with 131
yards. As Examiner.com's Greg Arias pointed out on Monday, Johnson topped
the 100 yard mark for the 19th time in just 36 games through his first two plus
NFL seasons.
Johnson's two touchdowns also broke a tie with Mike Rozier for fifth place on the
Oilers/Titans all time touchdown list. Johnson was tied with Rozier with 27
entering Sunday's game.
After what proved to be the winning score, Johnson stomped on the Cowboys'
big blue star in the end zone.
According to Tennessean staffer Jim Wyatt, Johnson's move had a double
meaning. He said it was "all fun and games." But he also pointed out that he
holds a grudge against Dallas, which drafted Felix Jones ahead of him.
"Any time I play an offensive team that took another one of the running backs
over me, I play with a chip on my shoulder," he said. "I really wanted to play in
Dallas, but they took Felix."
Meanwhile, Young remained perfect as an starting NFL quarterback in his home
state of Texas. Young is now 3-0 against the Houston and Cowboys in the state
of Texas.
And finally. ... Receiver Damian Williams had the first two receptions of his
young NFL career Sunday, playing as the Titans' third receiver with Gage out.
However, Williams hurt his back after taking a hard hit and did not return.
His status will be evaluated as the week progresses. Same with Gage.
But it's now clear that Williams has moved ahead of Lavelle Hawkins on the
depth chart. The Titans threw three times for Williams, and he caught two for a
total of 30 yards. The Titans never threw to Hawkins, who was only on the field
for a few offensive plays.
"He's got a really good sense for all three positions," head coach Jeff Fisher said
of Williams. "He gets open. He's a natural at it. He played well. We need to try to
keep him on the field. Like we can count on Marc [Mariani] as a returner, we can
count on Damian to play the position."
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Vince Young, Kerry Collins, Rusty Smith
RB: Chris Johnson, Javon Ringer
FB: Ahmard Hall
WR: Nate Washington, Kenny Britt, Damian Williams, Lavelle Hawkins, Marc
Mariani, Justin Gage
TE: Bo Scaife, Craig Stevens, Jared Cook
PK: Rob Bironas
=========================
=========================
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
According to the Sports Xchange, Clinton Portis is convinced that he'll return to
the Redskins this season.
In his first interview since head coach Mike Shanahan announced last
Wednesday that the starting running back would miss four to six weeks with a
torn groin muscle, Portis was upbeat during his weekly Tuesday radio
appearance.
"I got no doubts that I'm going to be running the ball again this year," Portis said.
"I got no doubt that I'll recover from this injury and be back out there to help my
teammates."
Portis, who turned 29 last month, was averaging 4.0 yards per carry but just 49
yards per game when he was hurt in Week 4 at Philadelphia. He's just 109 yards
shy of 10,000 for his career and 680 behind Hall of Famer John Riggins'
Redskins record.
"There's a lot of motivation to get back in there to hit 10,000," Portis said. "You
don't come this close ... I'll be there, no ifs, ands or buts about it. There was a
time I didn't think about 10,000 yards. I wanted Emmitt Smith numbers (18,355),
but now, just being able to get 10,000 and join an elite company would be a great
tribute."
As for topping Riggins, who has criticized him publicly over the years, Portis said,
"That'd be even better (than 10,000 yards). To be the leading rusher of a storied
franchise, being that it's been held for so long, and just the love that (Riggins) still
gets. When you say John Riggins, you think of Super Bowls and toughness and
everything he instilled, and everything he lived for. So for me to be in that
company, however it pans out, for me to be in that company is a great tribute."
Still, CSNWashington.com's Ryan O'Halloran confirms that a league source said
last week Portis' return to the Redskins 2011 would only happen with a "steep"
pay cut. ...
Meanwhile, with Portis out, Ryan Torain was given just the second start of his
brief career and didn't make the most of it, gaining just 40 yards on 16 carries.
Torain ran just three times for six yards after the 7:00 mark of the third quarter. ...
Other notes of interest. ... A week after starting red hot and finishing ice cold,
Donovan McNabb did the reverse against the Packers. After posting a 49.6
passer rating in the first quarter, McNabb finished 26 of 49 for 357 yards and a
touchdown. His 52-yard strike to Santana Moss (seven catches, 118 yards)
jump-started the Redskins late in the second quarter.
Tight end Chris Cooley also had seven catches while receiver Anthony
Armstrong had a leaping 48-yard touchdown.
According to Washington Post staffer Rick Maese, Armstrong made a strong
case Sunday to be considered for the starting lineup, finishing with 84 yards on
three receptions, including the highlight-reel TD.
As a group, the Redskins receivers have struggled to contribute. Starter Joey
Galloway has only seven catches in five games. Roydell Williams has only two,
Brandon Banks one. Devin Thomas lined up for just a single offensive play this
season before the Redskins finally released the third-year wide receiver
Saturday.
With 188 yards on seven catches, Armstrong is carving out an important niche in
the offense, showing that he's a deep threat and a welcome target for McNabb.
"Armstrong is just kind of that big-play guy," McNabb said. "You never know
when he'll explode for that 40- or 50- yard catch."
With 408 yards on 29 catches, Moss is still unquestionably the team's top wide
receiver, which becomes more clear with each passing week. On Sunday, Moss
finished with 118 yards on seven catches.
"Santana, he's been consistent over the years," said McNabb. "There's a reason
why he's been doing what he's doing."
After Moss, Cooley has been McNabb's top option. Moss and Cooley were both
targeted 12 times on Sunday, and Cooley's 303 receiving yards on 23 catches
are second on the team.
For the offense to succeed and for defenses to play them honestly, someone
else has to step up. Armstrong has been showing since the offseason that he
might be the team's next-best option.
"He's an outstanding route-runner," Cooley said. "He's way faster than anyone
really sees. I think he's sneaky fast."
Fullback Mike Sellers was more succinct. "The man can flat-out run," he said.
As the Redskins prepare for the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday, Washington
coaches will try to refine an offense that's still searching for its identity. Getting
more players involved will be near the top of the to-do list.
"They keep sending balls my way," Armstrong said, "I just got to keep making
plays. ..."
One last note. ... PK Graham Gano is 10-for-11 under 50 yards, and the failure
was blocked.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT
QB: Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman, John Beck
RB: Ryan Torain, Keiland Williams, Chad Simpson, Javarris James, Clinton
Portis
FB: Mike Sellers, Daryl Young
WR: Santana Moss, Joey Galloway, Anthony Armstrong, Roydell Williams,
Brandon Banks
TE: Chris Cooley, Fred Davis
PK: Graham Gano
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