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FLASHUPDATE WEEK 10 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 5 November,
2014
Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris
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ARIZONA CARDINALS
The Arizona Cardinals sit atop the NFC West with a 7-1 record and part of the
reason has been the stellar play of quarterback Carson Palmer.
As NFL.com suggested, in a division with young stud quarterbacks Russell
Wilson and Colin Kaepernick, along with Austin Davis showing flashes in
spurts, the question popped up: Who is playing the best at the position in the
tough division?
NFL Media's Daniel Jeremiah said he would take Palmer.
"I make a strong case that Carson Palmer is playing better than any of them this
season," the former NFL scout said. "He's been consistent. He's been accurate.
He's been able to make plays down the field in clutch moments. He's simply
been outstanding. So I would actually give the edge to Carson Palmer in that
division."
Jeremiah pointed to the scheme mesh between Palmer's skills and the vertical
passing game deployed by head coach Bruce Arians.
Palmer threw three touchdowns after an early pick-six Sunday in a road victory
over the Cowboys. The Cardinals' quarterback made an array of throws
including a beautiful skinny post for a score to receiver Jaron Brown.
"I don't know anyone who throws that better than Carson Palmer," Jeremiah
said, speaking of the skinny post route.
Palmer leads the division with 277 passing yards per game (8th in the NFL) and
touchdown-to-interception ratio (11 to 2).
For further analysis, Pro Football Focus ranks Palmer as their 13th rated
quarterback, while the rest of the NFC West signal callers fall outside the top
22 (Wilson 23; Kaepernick 27; Davis 31).
As NFL.com's suggested, this is not to suggest you'd take Palmer over Wilson
or Kaepernick if you were starting a team from scratch -- that's an endless
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argument for another day. But right now Palmer has his team leading the
division with play that the other signal callers have yet to match consistently.
Arizona has won four in a row, the latest a 28-17 victory Sunday over the
Cowboys, snapping a string of 14 straight regular-season losses in Dallas. The
streak dated to 1989, when Troy Aikman was a rookie and Jimmy
Johnson was in his first season as Cowboys' coach.
The Cardinals are 5-0 this season with Palmer starting.
Andre Ellington outgained Dallas' DeMarco Murray, rushing for 95 yards in
21 carries. He also caught four passes for 39 yards.
Still, Arians said the offense was "hit and miss," as it has been all season.
The Cardinals' offense has played its best in the fourth quarter, when they have
outscored opponents 70-34. Against Dallas, they scored two fourth-quarter TDs
to go up 28-10 before Dallas got its late score.
Arizona completed a sweep of the NFC East and is 5-0 against conference foes.
"Our guys are finding ways to win, especially in the fourth quarter," Arians
said. "We may stink it up for three quarters offensively, but all of a sudden
when it's crunch time we score. That's learning how to win."
Their current record is the best in the NFL and it matches their best through
eight games in franchise history.
And their next two games, against St. Louis and Detroit, are at home, where the
Cardinals are 4-0 this year and 10-2 over the past two seasons.
Arians said this team is confident, but not overconfident.
"I don't see any cockiness in our football team," he said Monday. "I see a true
belief that we're going to win every week."
Since Week 8 of last season, Arizona is 14-3, the best record in the NFL in that
span.
But all that -- and their two-game lead in the NFC West -- means little if things
start to fall apart.
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Coaches have told the players that the only thing that's guaranteed now is a 7-9
final record. Look for the team to keep their collective foot on the pedal. ...
Other notes of interest. ... As PFF notes, in his first season as the real
workhorse of the Cardinals offense, Ellington hasn't quite shown the
elusiveness of his rookie year, while dealing with a foot injury dating back to
training camp. But Sunday in Dallas was a breakout performance. He managed
a season high 67 yards after contact running the ball, including 3.2 yards after
contact per attempt.
About midway through the second quarter Sunday, Ellington was seen on the
sideline getting attended to by the team's medical staff.
Arians said after the game that he feared Ellington was done for the game with
a head injury.
"He took a hit in the head but he was cleared by the independent neurologist so
he was able to keep on going," Arians said.
On the play that led to Arians' concerns, Ellington said his helmet slid down
over his eyes.
"My vision was a little blurry," Ellington said. "I kinda had to shake it off and I
was ready to go after that."
Ellington finished with 95 yards rushing and 30 yards receiving, giving him his
fourth game this year with more than 100 all-purpose yards. The Cardinals can't
afford to lose Ellington at this point with backup Stepfan Taylor out with a
calf injury.
The Cardinals elevated running back Kerwynn Williams from the practice
squad in advance of last Sunday's game.
On his weekly appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Arians said Taylor may not
return until next week.
"Stepf, he's getting better but it's probably going to be real tight for this week,"
Arians said.
The Cardinals may have found a suitable backup in Taylor's absence with
Arizona State product Marion Grice. He played nine snaps and had 12 yards,
including a touchdown on five carries.
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"He has grown now in the offense," Arians said. "He's getting all the
terminology down and he's been here over a month. It's time for him to step in.
We're really happy we have the depth now. I also like Kerwynn Williams,
another young guy who's on our practice squad who we elevated this week.
"Our depth at running back might not be big names but I really like all of them.
They can all run, block and catch."
And finally. ... Jaron Brown saw his second straight game of double-digit snaps
(he was on the field for 11 of 67 plays), one of which led to a touchdown. Same
for Ted Ginn (also 11), but without the touchdown. For the second straight
game, Larry Fitzgerald sat out five snaps. Michael Floyd played 56 of 67
and John Brown 36.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas
RB: Andre Ellington, Marion Grice, Kerwynn Williams, Stepfan Taylor
FB: Robert Hughes
WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown, Ted Ginn, Jaron Brown,
Walt Brown
TE: John Carlson, Darren Fells, Robert Housler, Troy Niklas
PK: Chandler Catanzaro
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=========================
ATLANTA FALCONS
As ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure noted this week, when Julio
Jones contorted his body on a breathtaking, over-the-shoulder catch for a 40yard touchdown against Tampa Bay in Week 3, we all figured there would be a
steady diet of deep shots to Jones from Matt Ryan.
That hasn't necessarily been the case.
Actually, that was Jones' only play of 30 or more yards this season. He had
three receptions of 40-plus yards last season in just five games, including an
81-yard, catch-and-run touchdown against St. Louis.
For his career, Jones has 16 catches of 40-plus yards, including seven in 13
games during his rookie season (2011).
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Ryan, of course, wants to re-establish the deep-ball chemistry with Jones.
Naturally, he has to have enough time to throw down the field. That's been a
tall task, with all the changes along the offensive line and Ryan admittedly off
target, at times.
During his weekly radio show on 680 The Fan, Ryan talked about throwing
deep to Jones, specifically in last week's loss against Detroit in London.
"Well, we had a couple of opportunities: one on a double move on third down,"
Ryan said. "He made a really good catch. The ball was thrown just a little too
far out to him. It's one of those chances that you've got to take.
"And then we had another opportunity where Julio was running down the left
side of the field, and we probably would have had a chance, but the protection
broke down. It's going to happen again against defenses. But we knew going
into it, with [the Lions'] pass rush, we were probably going to have three or
four chances to get the ball down the field, and we only ended up getting two.
So we would have liked to get another one or two."
According to McClure, Ryan has thrown more screens passes to Jones as of late
in an effort to get the ball out quicker and also give Jones a chance to be his
play-making self. Jones typically draws added defensive attention, and Ryan
usually doesn't force the issue. And although Jones has blazing speed and felt
stronger entering the season coming off a second foot surgery, Jones has been
hampered by a lingering ankle injury.
Still, Jones hasn't missed any game action and remains confident in his ability
as a deep threat. Ryan is right there with him.
"I think we've got a good mix of that," Ryan said of play calls going deep.
"And we have to keep protecting. We've got to keep working on our pass
protection. I actually thought our offensive line did a really good job against a
really good front four [vs. Detroit]."
But as McClure summed up, the line will have do even better if Ryan and Jones
hope to hit more home runs.
According to the Sports Xchange, Ryan is averaging 7.6 yards per completion
and has 20 dropped passes. ...
Given their brutal schedule, in which the Falcons have only one true home
game in a two-month stretch, Smith gave his players the rest of last week off
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after they returned from Britain. But the coaching staff and front office did an
assessment of the many areas that need improvement over the second half of
the season.
"It's not good," Smith said. "There are a lot of things we've got to get better at."
In particular, he mentioned a lack of offensive efficiency, which was especially
apparent when the Falcons squandered a chance to wrap up the game against
Detroit.
The good news? This week's trip is to Tampa Bay to face their division rival
Buccaneers (1-7), the last team to lose to Atlanta.
Week 3, the Bucs were thoroughly humiliated in a prime-time game at the
Georgia Dome, falling behind 56-0 through the first three quarters. They scored
a couple of meaningless touchdowns in the final period of the 56-14 blowout.
This offense could use another big game.
Remember, the Falcons are still a contender in the NFC South. If they can
somehow find a way to turn things around the next two weeks -- the Tampa
Bay game will be followed by another road trip within the NFC South, against
the Carolina Panthers (3-5-1) -- the schedule finally takes a favorable turn. Four
of the final six games are at home.
Other notes of interest. ... The Falcons are hopeful that receiver Drew Davis is
close to returning from a broken foot after spending the first half of the season
on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. He took part in Wednesday's
practice which started a 21-day countdown, after which the team must put him
on the active roster or declare him out for the rest of the year.
Injuries have been a huge problem for the Falcons, especially along the
offensive line. That unit has lost five players to season-ending injuries, leaving
undrafted rookie James Stone as the starting center.
"It's crazy," Stone said. "I can't sit here and tell you I expected this to happen at
the beginning of the year. ..."
Fantasy owners would agree. ...
And finally. ... Steven Jackson became the 19th player in NFL history to reach
11,000 rushing yards on a five-yard run in the second quarter against the
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Detroit Lions.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree
RB: Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Antone Smith, Devonta Freeman,
Patrick DiMarco
WR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Devin Hester, Freddy Martino, Eric Weems,
Harry Douglas
TE: Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe
PK: Matt Bryant
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=========================
BALTIMORE RAVENS
As Associated Press sports writer David Ginsburg suggested, the Ravens have
plenty of flaws, and they're running out of time to fix them.
Two weeks ago, the Ravens were in first place in the AFC North. Now, after an
embarrassing 43-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, they're in
the cellar.
Baltimore (5-4) yielded four sacks, gained only 63 yards rushing and -- worst
of all -- allowed Ben Roethlisberger to throw six touchdown passes.
With cornerback Jimmy Smith out with a sprained left foot, the Ravens
surrendered 340 yards passing to a team they held without a touchdown earlier
in the season.
Clearly, the secondary is a primary concern.
"I think guys have played OK at times, well other times and there have been a
few bad plays out there," head coach John Harbaugh said Monday.
Against the Steelers, it was mostly awful. The Ravens have already passed the
midpoint of the season, and they still haven't perfected their communication on
the back end of their defense.
"We had two plays which were coverage busts. We just were in the wrong spot,
we weren't on the same page, we misplayed the coverage," Harbaugh said.
"And there were three other times where we just got beat physically. So those
are bad things."
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Safety Terrence Brooks was a healthy inactive for the Ravens, who are still
looking for the right combination in pass coverage.
"You want to play in that secondary? Step up in practice and play well and step
in the game and make plays and be in the right spot," Harbaugh said. "That's
what we're looking for guys to do."
Baltimore led 7-0 before committing two straight turnovers that set up two
Pittsburgh touchdowns. Later, a 14-10 deficit became 29-10 when the Steelers
scored on touchdown passes of 47 and 54 yards.
"Too many big plays by them, too many turnovers by us," Harbaugh lamented.
The Ravens were 5-2 before falling at Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Now, they're
in danger of missing the playoffs for a second straight season.
"Everybody has tough weeks," Harbaugh said. "It's going to be a fight to the
end. We just got to make sure we're in the fight. That starts with moving
forward right now, this week, to the next game."
The Ravens face Tennessee at home on Sunday. If they win that one, they'll
head into their bye week with a 6-4 record.
"We just have to move forward and start winning football games again,"
quarterback Joe Flacco said. "It starts this week."
Baltimore must do a better job of protecting Flacco if it is going to make a run
at the postseason. In addition to the four sacks, Flacco was rushed on several
throws while operating behind an offensive front that had its hands full the
entire night.
"It really wasn't a common theme. It was a number of things," Harbaugh said.
"We got beat 1-on-1 a couple of times, once or twice we didn't get to the hot
receiver, once or twice we didn't make a throw or a catch or we were safe with
the ball. It's collective. The theme is that we've got to handle pressure. We've
got make people pay for it, run and pass. It's something that's going to be
important for us to do."
The good news for the Ravens is that they have already played all but one of
their games within the AFC North, where every team is currently over .500.
Four of Baltimore's final seven games are home, including matchups against
Tennessee (2-6), Jacksonville (1-8) and the slumping San Diego Chargers.
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There is still hope, regardless of the team's current shortcomings.
"We have a lot of plusses," Harbaugh insisted. "It's not like we're sitting here
without good players. Every team has weaknesses. Every team has things they
have to scheme around and play around. We'll figure out how to do that."
Other notes of interest. ... As ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley noted,
rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro made the game-changing mistake in the second
quarter, when he fumbled for the first time this season. The Steelers turned that
into their first touchdown, and the Ravens never regained the momentum.
Taliaferro ran hard, but it didn't lead to much results (21 yards on seven
carries).
Justin Forsett was more effective as a receiver (67 yards) than a runner (38
yards). He had some lapses in pass protection. The Ravens managed 23 yards
after contact, which was fourth-worst in the NFL in Week 9.
Torrey Smith caught a 35-yard touchdown, but no other wide receiver or tight
end had a catch longer than 18 yards after Smith's first-quarter score. Tight
end Owen Daniels worked the middle of the field, and wide receiver Steve
Smith caught some passes underneath. But they averaged eight yards on a
combined 11 catches. There were times when Flacco had to take a sack or had
to throw it away because no one was open.
Daniels was back in the starting lineup after missing the previous game with
minor knee surgery. Daniels responded with six receptions for 53 yards. For the
season, Daniels has caught 33 passes for 328 yards with three touchdowns and
has become a go-to playmaker for Flacco.
"For Owen to pop in there like that and play the way he did was encouraging.
He's a tough guy," Harbaugh said.
As the Sports Xchange notes, Jacoby Jones has made some crucial mistakes on
special teams with a couple of fumbles and misplayed balls.
However, Baltimore remained confident in him and he responded with a 108yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Pittsburgh.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor
RB: Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Bernard Pierce
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FB: Kyle Juszczyk
WR: Steve Smith, Torrey Smith, Jacoby Jones, Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken,
Michael Campanaro
TE: Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore, Ryan Taylor
PK: Justin Tucker
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BUFFALO BILLS
According to Associated Press sports writer John Wawrow, C.J. Spiller is
keeping his spirits high even though the Bills running back's short- and longterm future in Buffalo is up in the air.
Speaking on Monday for the first time since breaking his collarbone two weeks
earlier, Spiller said it was too early to determine whether he can be cleared to
play before the end of the season.
"I don't want to put a percentage on it," Spiller said. "I'm just taking it one day
at a time. If the doctors clear me and everything's well, obviously, I want to
play."
As for what happens once his contract expires after this season, the Bills 2010
first-round draft pick said he's not considered the possibility of having played
his final game in Buffalo.
"I'm not really worried about all that stuff," Spiller said. "That's going to take
care of itself. My biggest thing is just getting back healthy."
Spiller was hurt in a 17-16 win over Minnesota on Oct. 19, when he was
tripped up from behind and landed heavily on his left shoulder following a 53yard run.
Spiller had surgery the following day and was placed on the reserve
injured/designated to return list. That means he's eligible to begin practicing in
four more weeks, and available to resume playing in Week 16, when Buffalo
travels to play Oakland on Dec. 21.
He called it "one of those freak accidents," and is disappointed he can't
contribute to the Bills' bid to make a second-half playoff push.
At 5-3, the Bills returned to practice following a five-day bye weekend off, and
prepare to host Kansas City (5-3) on Sunday.
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Spiller's rehab is currently limited to lower-body work to keep his legs fresh
and cardio-therapy. He declined to provide a timetable as to when he can begin
lifting weights.
"I haven't really gotten down about the whole situation," he said. "I've just kept
them blinders on."
The 53-yard run was Spiller's longest of the season and came in a game the
Bills lost co-starting running back Fred Jackson to a groin injury.
Jackson is expected to miss two more weeks, but he doesn't seem to agree.
Jackson, who said doctors gave him a month-long timetable for recovery after
his Oct. 19 injury, was hoping to return to practice when the Bills hit the field
again Wednesday.
"It's a waiting game right now," Jackson said. "Hopefully we see what we feel
like in the morning and we can try and get out there and practice on
Wednesday."
For the record, Jackson was on the practice field Wednesday but his status
remains unclear (I'll have more via Late-Breaking Update early Thursday).
The Bills will play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs before traveling to
Miami for a Thursday night game, which could complicate Jackson's return to
the field.
"There's always a chance that I don't play this week and then play next week. I
think, like I said, it's gonna be what the doctors do or what they feel like after
they evaluate me," Jackson said. "They might say, 'We don't think you're ready
this week, but you can play next week.'
"Or they might say, 'We don't think you can play in either game. So hopefully
it's not the latter. But I'll do whatever I can to get back as soon as I can."
The injuries have forced the Bills to go with backups Anthony
Dixon and Bryce Brown, who combined for 59 yards on 29 carries in a 43-23
win over the New York Jets on Oct. 26.
The Bills running attack was struggling even when Spiller and Jackson were
healthy.
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Buffalo is averaging just under 100 yards rushing per game. That's a
considerable drop off from last year when the Bills finished second in the NFL
by averaging 144 yards rushing.
One issue is an unsettled offensive line that featured two rookie starters before
sixth-year player Kraig Urbik replaced rookie Cyril Richardson at left guard
against the Jets. Another issue has been adapting to the change at quarterback
since veteran journeyman Kyle Orton took over for EJ Manuel in Week 5.
Orton is less mobile and more of a pocket passer, unlike Manuel who posed a
threat to take off and run.
By comparison, Orton has improved the Bills passing attack. In going 3-1 since
taking over, Orton has gone a combined 95 of 141 for 1,128 yards passing with
nine years passing and three interceptions. He's also engineered two gamewinning drives in the final minute.
Last week, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said he remains
committed to running the ball even if it's getting stopped. He said the ground
attack keeps defense's honest, opens up the Bills play-action passing game and
becomes integral with the cold weather settling in Buffalo.
That said, Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay notes that Dixon worked 40 of a
possible 53 snaps in Week 8. He racked up 22 carries and ran 12 pass routes.
Brown carried the ball seven times and was targeted twice but played only 13
snaps.
Clay believes it's possible Brown's role increases, but he is too risky to start
until it does. He's talented enough to warrant a spot on your bench.
Other notes of interest. ... Receiver Mike Williams was excused from practice
on Monday due to a death in his family. Head coach Doug Marrone said
Williams should be back for practice Wednesday. ...
Fellow wideout Marquise Goodwin, who missed two games with a hamstring
injury returned to practice.
Receiver Marcus Easley, one of Buffalo's best special teams players, has
missed the last five games with a knee injury. He was close to returning for the
Jets game, and should be ready.
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And finally. ... Sammy Watkins is within 15 catches of setting a new team
record for receptions by a rookie. Running back Joe Cribbs caught 52 passes in
1980. The best rookie season for a wide receiver was 50 by Glenn Bass in
1950.
But Watkins wasn’t able to finish Wendesday's practice because of a groin
injury.
Marrone told ESPN.com's Mike Rodak that Watkins has “an injury.”
The coach added: "He could play or he could be out for 2 or 3 weeks. I don't
know. I don't have any information."
The next two days of practice should offer more of an idea about any impact on
Watkins’s availability for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Nobody should
panic until we know more.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Kyle Orton, E.J. Manuel
RB: Bryce Brown, Anthony Dixon, Philip Tanner, Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller
FB: Frank Summers
WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Chris Hogan, Mike Williams, Marquise
Goodwin, Marcus Easley
TE: Scott Chandler, Lee Smith, Chris Gragg
PK: Dan Carpenter
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CAROLINA PANTHERS
As ESPN.com's David Newton suggested this week, "Nine games into the
season the Panthers have lost their identity offensively.
"To salvage a season that is close to being lost, they must find a way to get it
back."
According to Newton, that begins with getting running backs DeAngelo
Williams and Jonathan Stewart more involved.
"We are going to have to continue to find more and more chances to use them,
more and more situations where we have to put the ball in their hands," head
coach Ron Rivera said after last Thursday night's 28-10 loss to New Orleans.
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He reiterated that on Friday after watching film and discussing the direction of
the team with his staff moving forward.
"We have to find ways to put it in their hands now," said Rivera, whose 3-5-1
team is 1-5-1 over the past seven games. "It's very obvious. It's very clear-cut."
Stewart rushed eight times for 46 yards, an average of 5.8 yards a carry, against
the Saints. Williams had only 20 yards on eight carries in his first game after
missing four with an ankle injury, but he had a 30-yard catch on a screen pass.
That those two touched the ball only 17 times is an issue for a team that can't
protect quarterback Cam Newton, whose 35.7 completion percentage and 39.4
passer rating against New Orleans were career lows.
The benefit of getting Williams and Stewart more involved is huge on several
levels. If the run game is working it keeps defenses from keying on Newton in
the passing game and makes it easier to protect him. It also takes pressure off
Newton to make things happen with his legs.
It also keeps the clock rolling, which keeps the ball out of the hands of
quarterbacks such as Drew Brees.
The Pro Bowl quarterback completed 24 of 34 passes for 297 yards and a
touchdown. He and the New Orleans offense were on the field way too long,
holding a 35:18 to 24:42 edge in time of possession.
"They played a hard game," Rivera said of his defense. "They came out and did
some really good things in the first half. You wish we could have sustained
that. At the same time, we have to control the ball a little bit better on the
offensive side to take some pressure off them."
The Panthers ranked fifth in the NFL in time of possession a year ago. Having a
running game that ranked 11th in yards per game was a major factor.
The running game ranks 27th this season and the Panthers are 18th in time of
possession.
That they have run 41 percent of the time and passed 59 percent plays into that.
They had more balance a year ago, rushing 48.3 percent of the time.
Injuries have played a major role in the trend. Williams missed four of the first
eight games with injuries. Stewart missed three games with a knee injury.
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Fullback Mike Tolbert, who played a big role in the blocking and running
scheme, has been on temporary injured reserve since suffering a fractured leg
in Week 3.
He's not set to return until Week 13.
Carolina also has to get the ball in the hands of tight end Greg Olsen more.
Olsen has only four catches for 46 yards in the past two games. He had 41
catches for 493 yards and five touchdowns in the first seven.
Getting left tackle Byron Bell (knee) and left guard Amini Silatolu (calf) -and possibly right guard Trai Turner (knee) -- back for the Nov. 10 Monday
night game against Philadelphia will help.
Olsen has had to stay in longer to block the past two week with inexperienced
players such as undrafted rookie left tackle David Foucault being forced into
duty.
"He's got to help with the protection," Rivera said. "So the different things we
do he's not in the route immediately. So that takes away from his visibility to
the quarterback. Instead of being downfield where he normally is, now he's
working off the chip.
"Sometimes coming off the chip you get caught up in it and are late coming
out."
Having Williams and Stewart back will help there as well because they can
handle some of the protections.
It all starts with them. ...
Other notes of interest. ... According to Pro Football Focus, Newton let himself
down as others failed to match his good start to the game. In between spotty
protection (14 of 36 dropbacks) and four dropped passes (including one that
would become a pick) the Panthers quarterback needs to take his share of
blame for some off-target throwing as the game wore on.
For example, early in the fourth quarter Kelvin Benjamin has enough
separation for Newton to hit him in stride for six. Instead he throws high and
the Panthers settle for a field goal.
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Meanwhile, the Sports Xchange notes that Benjamin has caught just 34 of his
70 targets since Week 1.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb
RB: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Chris Ogbonnaya, Fozzy
Whittaker
FB: Mike Tolbert (on short-term IR)
WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Brenton Bersin, Philly
Brown
TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams
PK: Graham Gano
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CHICAGO BEARS
With his team coming off a bye, head coach Marc Trestman continues to look
for answers to his team's struggles.
Trestman on Monday said he's seen little evidence of any locker room tension
within the team as practices began for Sunday night's game in Green Bay.
"The support in this building has been outstanding," Trestman said. "That's all I
can say. Everybody upstairs has been extremely supportive of the way we're
handling things.
"Our team has been unbelievably compliant in doing everything that we, as
coaches, and myself have asked them to do. That's evident on the field. It's
evident in the locker room."
Trestman said he sees no drop in effort during practices or meetings.
"What we haven't seen is the production on Sundays," he said.
Bears coaches spent a week self-scouting to pinpoint flaws after giving players
off Tuesday through Sunday during the bye.
"I think that it came down to a number of things," Trestman said. "It comes
down to play selection. It comes down mental errors. It comes down to
penalties. It comes down to those things that really are the result of things that
you can control.
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"That's what we have to assess in our assessment -- what are the things that we
can control to be more consistent. There's a litany of things. I gave you just a
few that every team has to do well for them to start faster."
In last place in the NFC North and three games behind the Detroit Lions, the
Bears have played only one division game and lost 38-17 to Green Bay.
"Everything that we want is still ahead of us," safety Ryan Mundy said.
"Coach Trestman pointed out two examples of teams who were at similar starts
as us.
"In 2012, the Redskins, I believe started out 3-6 and won their division. And
then last year, the Eagles started out 3-5 and ended up winning their division.
We have a lot of football left and every game is a critical game for us right
now. They're all NFC opponents and they're all division games, so they're all
must wins for us."
The Bears also have five of their final seven games at home, although that
hasn't been a positive this season as they're 0-3 in Soldier Field.
Getting players back healthy could benefit them.
Linebacker Lance Briggs is expected back from a rib injury after missing three
straight starts. Safety Chris Conte had a week off after suffering through
shoulder sprains and concussions in the first half. And rookie cornerback Kyle
Fuller had a week off to rest three injuries, including a broken hand.
The offense will go into the workweek trying to decide on a replacement for
injured left guard Matt Slauson, who went on injured reserve. Michael
Ola appears to be the candidate of choice at this point. They've also considered
moving right tackle Jared Mills to left guard, but Ola played the last game at
left guard after Slauson's season-ending pectoral injury.
The defense sees a need to become more physical, with Briggs and the entire
linebacker group expected back after the top four linebackers were out at one
point in the first half.
"We've got to outhit our opponents and we've got to do that for however long
that game goes," Young said.
Page 18 of 110
Trestman called Briggs a key to the defense recovering after giving up 51
points to New England in the previous game. Briggs normally calls defensive
signals and changes.
"We want him to bring his best," Trestman said. "Having him out there being
the vocal, the leader part of it is certainly a huge part of it, getting people lined
up, and then just
Despite Trestman's claims that all is well, Brandon Marshall believes small
pockets of malcontents could be forming in the locker room.
"I definitely think we're in a tough spot right now. It hurts to say this, but I'm
kind of an expert in this position because I've been on a few losing teams,"
Marshall said Monday during "The Brandon Marshall Show" on ESPN 1000.
"But what we can't [let] happen is let little small groups begin to form in our
locker room, because that's where our biggest battle is. When you're losing like
this, your biggest battle is within; not really the media or the fans or your
family members. It's really like in your heart and also your building. So if we
break that up, we may have a chance."
Marshall's gut feeling stems from his own eight-year career in which the
receiver has played eight seasons, making the Pro Bowl on five occasions, but
he's never played for a team that advanced into the postseason.
Does Marshall actually see groups forming in Chicago's locker room?
"Yeah," Marshall said. "But we have. ... Man, what Brian Urlacher and those
guys were able to create [in terms of a locker room climate], that stuff still
resonates in our locker room. So you're always going to see it. You're going to
see it when you're winning. Guys aren't going to be happy. A guy might not be
getting the ball. A guy may not be getting sacks. So that stuff begins to form.
But you've got to punch it out, and that's what we've been able to do.
"But now, we're really going to be tested. We're 3-5, dropped another one the
way we did. There may be some bigger groups that may try, but we have the
coaches and the players that are going to knock it out immediately."
Other notes of interest. ... As ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright suggested, it's
understandable if Chicago fans caught a case of Gronk envy when
watching Rob Gronkowski put on a pass-catching clinic during New
England's 51-23 stomping of the Bears.
Page 19 of 110
It's probably unavoidable since Chicago's roster features a player in Martellus
Bennett with similar physical attributes to Gronkowski, which is why
Trestman needs to find fresher ways to feature the tight end more prominently
when he breaks down the tape during the bye week to evaluate the first eight
games of the season, while devising a plan of attack for the team's final eight
outings.
Marshall would like to see more of Bennett as well as running back Matt
Forte.
"Martellus Bennett's a beast," Marshall said. "I don't know if you guys have
been noticing this kid, but this kid is maturing right before our eyes. This guy is
really a beast. I would give it to those two guys, man, and let those guys carry
the weight."
Would Marshall be happy with a Bears attack emphasizing more Bennett and
Forte?
"Absolutely not," Marshall joked. "But it's all about winning. You can have all
the catches you want, but if you're not winning, you're probably going to be a
sad guy if you really care about the game."
Bennett led the Bears with six catches for 95 yards and a touchdown in the
team's loss Sunday at New England. The game marked the first time Bennett
caught more than five balls in a game since the club's Sept. 28 loss to the Green
Bay Packers, a game in which the tight end hauled in a season-high nine passes
for 134 yards.
Bennett scored four touchdowns and caught 20 passes over the first three
games of the season, but has scored just one touchdown over the last five
weeks.
General manager Phil Emery on Monday discussed the need for the team to
put "our best players in better matchup situations." By not featuring Bennett
more, the club isn't doing that, as the tight end is a matchup nightmare for
linebackers and safeties.
"We've got to do a better job with our matchups," Trestman said, "finding the
right matchups, offensively, in terms of getting all of our players the
opportunity to get the football in the manner that we would want them to."
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As for Forte, his 562 yards look solid, but his 4.3 yards a carry was 25th in the
league heading into and the run blocking has been spotty, particularly
struggling on first downs as the offense hasn't been able to set up more
negotiable third-down situations. Forte also had the fumble that proved critical
in finishing the Bears' chances against Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Sports Xchange advised readers that Jay
Cutler's inconsistency is not apparent from his 95.8 passer rating and 17
touchdown passes to eight interceptions. He has managed to pile up yards and
completions while facing big deficits to improve his statistics.
Only DeMarco Murray (5) has lost more fumbles than Cutler (4), who has
fumbled a league-high nine times.
The pass blocking hasn't stood up to the pressure of trailing in the last two
games, and Cutler has been sacked 20 times, tied for ninth most in the league.
...
And finally. ... Receiver Marquess Wilson can officially return to the lineup,
but Wednesday was the first time the second-year veteran practiced since
fracturing his clavicle diving for a ball during training camp. ESPN.com's Jeff
Dickerson points out that Wilson has been eligible to rejoin the team at
practice since Week 7, but once a player on short-term injured reserve hits the
field, the club has 21 days to activate the player or shut him down for the rest of
the season.
The clock is ticking now.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen
RB: Matt Forte, Ka'Deem Carey, Senorise Perry
RB: Tony Fiammetta
WR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Josh Morgan, Santonio Holmes,
Micheal Spurlock, Marquess Wilson
TE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario
PK: Robbie Gould
=========================
=========================
CINCINNATI BENGALS
As Associated Press sports writer Joe Kay noted Monday, Jeremy Hill got
Page 21 of 110
through the line untouched and was off for the end zone 60 yards away.
Nobody was going to catch him.
The Bengals haven't seen this out of a rookie since the days of Corey Dillon.
Hill's 60-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter capped his big game on
Sunday and a 33-23 win over the Jaguars. In his first NFL start as the featured
running back, the second-round draft pick had 154 yards and two touchdowns.
It was the most yards by a Bengals running back in five years. Hill joined
Dillon as the only rookies in Bengals history to run for 150 yards and two
touchdowns in a game.
"It was awesome," receiver Mohamed Sanu said. "We know he's that kind of
player."
The Bengals will likely need him to start again on Thursday night against the
Browns at Paul Brown Stadium with first place on the line in the AFC
North. Giovani Bernard was inactive on Sunday with shoulder and hip injuries
that prevented him from practicing at all last week -- and which kept him off
the field in practice this week.
Bernard is officially listed as doubtful.
The Bengals (5-2-1) are alone atop the division, followed by Pittsburgh (6-3),
Cleveland (5-3) and Baltimore (5-4). A win by the Browns would move them
into a first-place tie with Pittsburgh and end Cleveland's streak of 17 straight
road losses against division opponents since 2008.
It's the first time the Browns and Bengals have played with first place at stake
so late in a season since 1986, according to STATS.
The AFC North is the only division in which all teams have a winning record.
It's only the fifth time since realignment in 2002 that a division has all four
teams with winning records.
"We have a tough division game on Thursday," Hill said. "We are definitely
looking forward to Thursday."
The Bengals have been trying to get a breakaway threat like Hill for years.
They made him the 55th overall pick out of LSU -- the second running back
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taken overall -- and immediately began working him into a backfield tandem
with Bernard.
Bernard leads the Bengals with 446 yards and five touchdowns. Hill has 349
yards -- third-most among NFL rookies -- with five touchdowns, the most by a
rookie.
"Gio is hurt right now and he wants to be out there, but Jeremy stepped up and
that's what the NFL is all about," guard Clint Boling said. "You aren't going to
have everybody for all 16 games. People are going to get hurt."
The Bengals got receiver A.J. Green back in a limited role on Sunday. He'd
missed the last three games with an injured big right toe. Green was in for 38 of
Cincinnati's 68 offensive plays and had three catches for 44 yards, including an
18-yard touchdown. He had another touchdown catch nullified because he lined
up beyond the line of scrimmage.
Green normally plays just about every offensive snap for the Bengals.
Green participated in a light practice on Monday evening and expects to play
against the Browns. It's unclear how much his role might expand.
"It felt good," Green said before the workout. "No setbacks, so I'll be ready."
In fact, he'll be ready for more.
"I'll play much more snaps Thursday, and we'll see how it goes," Green said
following Sunday's win.
Sanu became the Bengals' top receiver with Green sidelined. They're hoping to
get Green back to full speed quickly, forcing defenses to have to guard against
two deep threats.
"We hopefully will have all hands on deck because we need them," Sanu said.
Well. ... All hands except Bernard and linebacker Vontaze Burfict (knee), who
has been ruled out for Thursday's game. Jermaine Gresham missed Tuesday's
practice with a knee injury, but he is listed as probable.
Other notes of interest. ... According to Pro Football Focus, through Week 9,
the Bengals' offensive line pass blocking efficiency is 87.4, good enough for
second in the league.
Page 23 of 110
Also according to PFF, Andy Dalton has been OK with standard pressure this
season, but he didn't get many opportunities to show that Sunday. PFF said he
was pressured just four times on 33 dropbacks.
Dalton also had an apparent affinity for passing into the middle of the field. Of
his 29 aimed passes -- those that targeted a specific player -- 17 went into the
middle of the field. That's a 59 percent rating on throws in between the
numbers.
When the Jaguars blitzed Sunday, Dalton didn't look as good as he has for most
of the year. He was 3-for-7 for 56 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.
One last note from PFF: The majority of Hill's yards came while hitting the
edges. Of his 154 yards, 133 of them came outside the tackles. Yes, he can run
into the middle of the field, but clearly he's effective outside the numbers, too.
His 60-yard run went outside the right tackle. ...
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell
RB: Jeremy Hill, Cedric Peerman, Rex Burkhead, Giovani Bernard
WR: A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, Dane Sanzenbacher, Brandon Tate, James
Wright, Greg Little
TE: Jermaine Gresham, Ryan Hewitt, Tyler Eifert
PK: Mike Nugent
=========================
=========================
CLEVELAND BROWNS
As Associated Press sports writer Tom Withers noted, one of the NFL's
biggest surprise teams during this topsy-turvy season in which record and
reputation mean very little, the Browns (5-3), winners of four of their past five
games, travel to Cincinnati on Thursday night for a nationally televised game
against the AFC North-leading Bengals (5-2-1).
At the halfway point of their schedule, the Browns have already surpassed last
season's win total and pushed themselves into the early playoff conversation.
It's time to find out if they belong.
"This will be the best opponent we've played in a few games so it will certainly
be a good measuring stick because Cincinnati, this year, has been probably the
Page 24 of 110
best team in the AFC North," said perennial Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas. "So
if want to win the AFC North, we're going to have to beat Cincinnati and this is
our first opportunity."
Following Sunday's win over Tampa Bay, the Browns had minimal time to
celebrate after improving to 4-1 at home. They did just enough to squeak past
the Buccaneers (1-7), who helped Cleveland's cause with costly mistakes and
penalties.
It wasn't eye pleasing, and there were more than a few Cleveland fans annoyed
by the struggle, but it was a win and the Browns will take it.
It's only going to get tougher for Cleveland from here, and first-year head
coach Mike Pettine is anxious to see how his team stacks up against a quality
opponent such as the Bengals.
"They're at the top of the division right now. We know where we stand. We
split with the Steelers and lost a tough one at home to Baltimore," he said.
"This is our first chance at the last division rival for us."
The Browns did not practice Monday, but Pettine said his players came to the
facility to lift weights and get treatments. On Tuesday, the team practiced at
night in Berea to prepare for Thursday's 8:25 p.m. kickoff, when the nation will
get a chance to evaluate whether the Browns should be taken seriously.
Pettine called it a "critical" game, and the Browns are going to have to be at
their best to upend the Bengals, who are 13-0-1 at Paul Brown Stadium in the
regular season since 2012.
An equally sobering stat for the Browns is that they've lost their past 17 road
games inside the division, a dubious streak stretching back to 2008.
But there's an impressive resiliency about these Browns, who despite key
injuries -- they're missing three Pro Bowl starters on offense -- have positioned
themselves to make this a memorable season. To this point, their schedule has
cooperated but will get more challenging as Cleveland will play five road
games and face Houston, Cincinnati and Indianapolis at home in the second
half.
In order to make a playoff push, the Browns need to re-establish a running
game that has stalled the past three weeks without Pro Bowl center Alex Mack.
Cleveland gained just 50 yards on the ground against a stout Tampa Bay front
Page 25 of 110
seven, and the Browns have amassed only 158 yards rushing the past three
weeks.
On Sunday, center Nick McDonald had a rough afternoon going against Bucs
standout Gerald McCoy. Pettine believes the entire line needs to play better,
but he's been encouraged by the Browns ability to persevere.
"You go in with a plan that you think you'll be successful with and it's rare that
a game goes to plan," he said. "And when you get off script, you have to be
able to make adjustments and take what somebody else is giving you and we've
been able to do that and find a way to win."
"That's important to do but at the same time, we're not going to abandon our
approach. We feel over time we'll get better up front, but we took a step
backwards and we're trying to regain that ground."
They can start on Thursday, which will be here before the Browns know it.
"It's a short week," Pettine said. "These are circumstances that we're going to
have to learn to deal with and playing with different schedules and not playing
at 1 o'clock every Sunday. If you want to be a good football team, you have to
get used to it, so this will be a good test for our mental and physical toughness
this week."
Meanwhile, Pettine hinted Sunday that Cleveland's third-round pick, Terrance
West, would continue to see a bulk of the carries after toting the ball a teamhigh 15 times for 48 yards against the Bucs.
His numbers were modest, but West separated himself from veteran Ben Tate - held to three yards on 10 attempts -- and fellow rookie Isaiah Crowell, who
didn't see a single snap.
"When you looked at the tape and really compared the three, we feel he's really
coming on," Pettine said of West, per the Akron Beacon Journal. "He's earned
those touches, and when he gets out there, he does make the most of them."
West also caught a touchdown pass, converted a fourth-and-1 attempt inside
Tampa's 5-yard line and threw a devastating block that freed up Brian
Hoyer to toss a game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass.
Page 26 of 110
It was West's best outing since serving as a healthy scratch against the Steelers
in Week 6, a demotion that pushed the rookie to "take every practice serious
and just control what I can control."
We still have plenty of questions about Cleveland's once-promising ground
game. After ranking third in the NFL in rushing over their first five tilts, the
Browns are averaging just 1.9 yards per carry since Mack broke his leg against
Pittsburgh.
Whether it's West or the next guy, someone needs to step up in a hurry if the
Browns plan to turn their hot start into something more. ...
For what it's worth. ... Pettine insisted Monday that Crowell's failure to get a
snap on Sunday was "not disciplinary." Pettine insisted Crowell is in "good
standing with the team. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... As ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler put it, "The Brian
Hoyer Fun Train continues to roll, although it didn't leave the station without a
few second-half boos after a few stagnate drives and two interceptions."
But Hoyer orchestrated a 61-yard scoring drive in the fourth quarter, and Bucs
defensive tackle Gerald McCoy reaffirmed the respect for Hoyer he had
showed during the week.
According to Hoyer, McCoy told him between timeouts he "meant everything I
said." That meant a lot to Hoyer.
As for the boos? "Obviously we should play better," said Hoyer. "Our fans
expect more of us. We expect more than our fans do."
There were times the offense sputtered, and Hoyer did throw two interceptions.
But he also threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns. And he did it without
three Pro Bowl players -- tight end Jordan Cameron, receiver Josh
Gordon and Mack -- and without any kind of dependable run game. Hoyer is
5-3 this season, 4-1 in his last five starts and 7-3 in games he has finished as the
Browns' starter.
Pettine did not know if Cameron (concussion) will play against the Bengals.
The team's injury report included Hoyer (glute) and starting receiver Andrew
Hawkins (thigh/knee) and Taylor Gabriel (shoulder).
Page 27 of 110
Pettine said that Hawkins will be a game-time decision, NFL Media's Aditi
Kinkhabwala reported. Kinkhabwala added that, after seeing Hawkins earlier
Tuesday, she would expect him to play against his former team -- although
Hawkins did not practice Tuesday.
Hawkins was officially listed as questionable on Wednesday; Cameron was
officially ruled out.
I'll have more on Hawkins via Late-Breaking Update in advance of kickoff. ...
And finally. ... According to Cleveland Plain Dealer staffer Mary Kay Cabot,
Gordon has been working really hard and Cabot thinks he'll be ready to unload
on the Falcons Nov. 23 in his first game back from his 10-game suspension.
It usually takes a player a little time to get acclimated to game speed and
contact, but Cabot has a feeling the adrenaline will take over and fans will see
the All-Pro receiver Gordon was last season. If the Browns are still in the thick
of the playoff hunt, things could get really interesting when he returns.
With four of those final six games on the road, they'll definitely need him to be
on point.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel
RB: Terrance West, Ben Tate, Isaiah Crowell
FB: Kiero Small
WR: Andrew Hawkins, Miles Austin, Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin,
Rodney Smith, Marlon Moore
TE: Jim Dray, Gary Barnidge, Jordan Cameron
PK: Billy Cundiff
=========================
=========================
DALLAS COWBOYS
As Associated Press sports writer Schuyler Dixon noted, Tony Romo's back
was the top priority for the Cowboys on their long plane ride to London.
Even higher than the comfort of owner Jerry Jones' wife.
"Gene will sit up in the bulkhead," Jones joked a day before Monday's flight.
"Romo will lounge on the way over. You don't think it'd be me, do you?"
Page 28 of 110
The good news is Romo's third back injury in 18 months made it through the
nine-hour flight no worse for the wear. So the next question will be how much
preparation time he can handle.
Romo missed practice all last week and watched Sunday while
backup Brandon Weeden failed to get Dallas into the end zone until a 28-17
loss to Arizona was out of reach.
The Cowboys were scheduled to land in London on Tuesday morning, hoping
to get into their routine as much as possible ahead of Sunday's game against
Jacksonville.
Romo has skipped Wednesday workouts since the regular season started after
surgery for a herniated disk last December and this week was no different.
The latest injury is two fractures of small bones in the back, and others with the
same injury have missed one game.
"Absolutely," head coach Jason Garrett said Monday when asked if he
thought Romo could play. "Feel better today and get through the flight, feel
good when he gets over there and we'll take it day by day this week."
Garrett said Romo is on a normal timetable for people who have had the same
injury.
"It comes to the second game about whether or not they're able to play," Garrett
said, "so hopefully he makes progress in the next couple of days."
Garrett was asked if he and Jones are putting pressure on Romo to return when
they say the quarterback's ability to play comes down to pain tolerance. Romo
also said last week if it came down to pain tolerance he would play.
Without practicing last week, it was clearly about more than pain tolerance.
"I don't think there is any external pressure that is any greater than any pressure
that players put on themselves to play," Garrett said. "If you have the right
kinds of guys on your team, they want to play and they're doing everything they
can to play. And that's practicing, and certainly come game time. You only get
16 of these games a year, so there's a lot of time that goes into getting yourself
ready, so if a player is capable of playing, he's going to fight through the pain
to play. That's the big thing with Tony, just the functionality when he starts to
Page 29 of 110
move around. Is he able to function and do the things he needs to do as the
week goes on?"
Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty missed one game with a similar injury this
season. Romo has demonstrated the ability to play through pain in his career. In
2011 he played with a fractured rib and punctured lung. He played last year at
the Washington Redskins with a disk injury that required surgery five days
later. He returned to the Redskins game last week after X-rays proved to be
negative and he received a pain-killing injection.
"Hopefully Tony will get healthy and get back as quick as he can," tight
end Jason Witten said. "I know he's doing everything he can to get back out
there for next week."
There's a reason they're hopeful.
As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith put it: "Weeden is terrible. Not
that this is exactly breaking news, but Weeden just has no business playing
quarterback in the NFL. He was awful for the Browns after they wasted a firstround draft pick on him, and he was awful yesterday for the Cowboys in place
of Romo."
Pro Football Focus felt that Weeden's overall lack of practice time with the
first teamers was clearly an issue, as several times he seemed to be on a
different page to them. He was 0-4 on passes 20-plus yards downfield, and had
just 4 completions on 17 targets to Terrance Williams and Dez Bryant, all
four of which came in the final five minutes.
While Weeden deserves a lot of blame for the loss to the Cardinals, Smith
added that Garrett and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan deserve plenty of
blame for their play calling. It's absolutely crazy that Weeden dropped back to
pass 36 times and only handed off to DeMarco Murray 19 times.
"When you've got an MVP candidate at running back and a deadbeat like
Weeden at quarterback," Smith summed up, "You should be running at least
twice as often as you pass. Garrett got badly out-coached by Bruce Arians on
Sunday. ..."
Weeden and Bryant were on the same team at Oklahoma State, but didn't play
together much. Bryant had joined the Cowboys before Weeden became the
starter.
Page 30 of 110
Weeden sure was looking for Bryant, targeting him 10 times. And yet Bryant's
56-game streak with at least one catch was in jeopardy before two meaningless
grabs in the final 2 minutes, including a 3-yard touchdown.
"Without question I missed (Romo), but I believe in Weeden too," said Bryant,
who had a season-low 15 yards receiving. "We've got to go back to the drawing
board and try to fix what we need to fix. ..."
It's safe to assume I'll be following up on Romo's status throughout the week;
watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...
Meanwhile, Murray's 100-yard streak ended at nine games when he finished
with 79 yards rushing on those 19 carries.
Murray, the NFL's leading rusher, became the first NFL player to rush for 100
yards in eight consecutive games in the team's Week 8 overtime loss to the
Washington Redskins.
Murray reached the 1,000 yard mark last week too, becoming the fastest player
in franchise history to hit the mark and fifth-fastest in league history.
Murray didn't think much of the streak.
"Nothing," he said when asked what he thought about it. "I just worry about
winning and we didn't get that done today.
On getting 100 yards he did say, "we never take it for granted, it's a hard
league, running, passing, anything, it's hard to win in this league. It's hard to get
those wins we got six of them and we're going to continue to get as many of
them."
According to the Dallas Morning News, Murray injured his right pinky finger
against Arizona. But he practiced fully Wednesday and Garrett said Murray is
fine.
Other notes of interest. ... Two days after a heated verbal disagreement during
practice, Bryant said he had forgiven backup running back Joseph Randle.
The situation, which stemmed from video of Randle mentioning Bryant's past
legal issue while the running back was being booked for shoplifting on Oct. 13,
concerned coach Jason Garrett enough to meet with the two players later that
day.
Page 31 of 110
"It's OK," Bryant said after Sunday's loss. "I had my talk with him. There are
certain things you just don't do. We fixed it. We're good. That's my little
buddy."
Jones said Randle's job was not in jeopardy and downplayed concerns about
team chemistry.
"Over the last 25 years, I've seen some of the most intense situations with
chemistry that you could draw up and it usually works itself out," Jones said.
"These guys work it out among themselves as teammates."
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan
RB: DeMarco Murray, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar
FB: Tyler Clutts
WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Dwayne Harris, Devin
Street
TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna
PK: Dan Bailey
=========================
=========================
DENVER BRONCOS
Peyton Manning admittedly stunk up Gillette Stadium. If that's the case, he
wasn't alone.
Manning threw for 438 yards more than he amassed in all but five games in his
career averaged 7.7 yards per attempt and was the only one who kept the
Broncos from collapse in a three-phase, 43-21 loss at New England on Sunday.
He threw two interceptions, but only one was his fault.
"I think we all stunk," head coach John Fox said Monday. "There was some
good, there was some bad, not enough good. Really, at the end of the day, the
buck stops here. That's on me. We all got our signature on it."
As Associated Press sports writer Arnie Stapleton notes, the Broncos' 22-point
loss was their worst in the regular season since Manning came to Denver in
2012. So, this Monday was a little darker than usual and not just because of the
storm rolling through the Rocky Mountains.
It wasn't just that they lost, but how the lost and who defeated them.
Page 32 of 110
After meeting in the conference championship, which Denver won 26-16, the
Patriots and Broncos squared off in free agency.
New England added two cover cornerbacks and Denver signed three Pro Bowl
defenders and a speedy wide receiver, but they lost for a third straight year in
Foxboro.
Still, Fox said the Broncos didn't necessarily have to fight a bigger hangover.
"Shoot, there's half the season left," Fox said. "I mean, we're only halfway.
There's been a bunch of anointed teams already. That doesn't mean anything.
Truth be told, you're two weeks away from disaster, and that's the NFL. You've
got to show up every week and I think we're capable of better than what we did
yesterday."
About the only thing that went wrong for the Broncos in the first two months of
the season was Manning calling tails in overtime at Seattle. It was heads and
the Broncos never got the ball back, losing 26-20 in Week 3.
The Broncos bounced back and roared through October 4-0 behind Manning's
record-shattering touchdown throws and Von Miller's resurgence, once more
giving Denver that Super Bowl swag.
Then, came the debacle at New England where, despite 10 days to prepare, the
Broncos (6-2) unraveled on offense, defense, special teams and also the
sideline in yet another loss to Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
They also lost middle linebacker Nate Irving to a torn right medical collateral
ligament that's expected to sideline him until mid-December.
Manning's only real blunder was the pass he threw right at defensive end Rob
Ninkovich, whose game-turning interception ignited the rout. Afterward, the
five-time MVP lamented, "When the quarterback stinks usually you're not
going to win too many games."
As Stapleton suggested, if Manning stunk, he had plenty of accomplices:
The punt coverage unit was missing three regulars and Julian
Edelman returned a punt 84 yards for a touchdown after Britton
Colquitt barely got the ball off after a bobble.
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Wes Welker had another awful homecoming. His "volleyball set" of a
Manning pass ended up in the hands of cornerback Brandon Browner, whose
return set up a TD. Welker bruised his back on the play and he'll be considered
day-to-day heading into Sunday's game against the Raiders.
After Brandon McManus missed his third field goal in nine tries, Fox decided
to go for it on fourth-and-6 from midfield but the Patriots sacked Manning on a
simple stunt out of a three-man rush.
Asked Monday if McManus had job security, Fox said: "We're not here to pin it
on one person. It's definitely not the kicker."
With Virgil Green (calf) out, Julius Thomas had to stay in and block and was
targeted just twice, catching an 18-yard TD pass. His counterpart, Rob
Gronkowski, caught nine passes for 105 yards and a TD.
Miller's six-game sack streak ended as the Broncos failed to pressure Brady,
who threw four TD passes.
And Adam Gase's game plan was easily deciphered, at least according to
Patriots cornerback Darrelle Revis. He said the Patriots "understood what they
were trying to do and what they were trying to accomplish on offense."
Fox figures that was just braggadocio.
"I think there were some times WE didn't know what we were doing," Fox
cracked.
There were positives.
As ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold notes, on a night when the Broncos didn't look to
be up to the big game challenge, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders finished
with his fifth 100-yard game of the season. Early on, when the Broncos needed
somebody to step forward in a game with a playoff feel, it was Sanders who
fueled the offense.
He even made a tackle on the interception return by Ninkovich. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Ronnie Hillman caught a touchdown pass but
struggled to his worst game since replacing the injured Montee Ball, finishing
with 16 yards on 10 carries. The Broncos tried to run stretch plays for him, but
he did not get outside fast enough on a consistent basis.
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Ball, who missed a fourth consecutive game with the groin strain he suffered in
Week 5, returned to practice Wednesday although it remains to be seen how
close he is to returning to action. Welker was also practicing Wednesday. ...
Also according to Legwold, it's clear opponents don't think the Denver
offensive line can protect Manning in the middle of the field. The Patriots
sacked Manning with a three-man rush, much like the New York Jets did twice
on three-man rushes the past month. Defenses are increasingly coming after
center Manny Ramirez as well as guards Orlando Franklin and Louis
Vasquez. The Patriots sent linebacker Jamie Collins into the middle plenty
through the night.
One last note. ... Steven Johnson is expected to replace Irving in the base
defense. "Shoot, I've been here three years now, I know the system and I've
been chomping at the bit for a long time," Johnson said. Johnson played
alongside WLB Brandon Marshall on the scout team last year, "so I already
know how B-Marsh plays," he said.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler
RB: Ronnie Hillman, Juwan Thompson, C.J. Anderson, Kapri Bibbs, Montee
Ball
WR: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker, Andre Caldwell,
Cody Latimer, Isaiah Burse
TE: Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme, Virgil Green
PK: Brandon McManus
=========================
=========================
DETROIT LIONS
As MLive.com's Kyle Meinke reminded readers this week, Matthew
Stafford drew all kinds of criticism as a young quarterback for being a guy
who could stuff a stat sheet, but didn't know how to win.
He became the Lions' all-time passing leader at just 25 years old, and their alltime leader in touchdown passes at 26. He threw for more yards in his first 50
games than any quarterback in NFL history.
He was the quickest to hit 15,000.
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Stafford is one of just five quarterbacks ever to throw for 5,000 yards in a
single season. The others are Dan Marino, Drew Brees, Tom
Brady and Peyton Manning. That's pretty good company.
But of course, Stafford is not in the same class as those guys. He simply hasn't
had the same kind of team success.
The others, after all, have combined for 10 Super Bowl appearances. Stafford
hasn't even won a playoff game. Hell, he's made the postseason just once.
Stafford threw for 4,650 yards last year, more than every quarterback not
named Brady and Manning. Again, pretty good company. Except the Lions
went 7-9 and didn't even make the playoffs, which rightfully made Stafford a
magnet for criticism.
The Lions, in fact, are 29-51 since they made Stafford the first overall pick in
the 2009 draft.
"Matthew Stat-ford, right?" Meinke wrote. "A guy who could make a brilliant
pass in one breath, then a bone-headed mistake in the next? Who didn't know
how to win? A guy you want on your fantasy team, but not your real team?"
But that hasn't been the case in 2014. His numbers are down, but his wins are
up after going 6-2 in the first half of the season (and engineering 13- and 11point fourth-quarter comebacks the past two weeks).
And that's an earmark of his maturation as a quarterback.
Stafford is on pace to throw for 4,432 yards, which would be his worst
production outside of those injury shortened 2009-10 seasons.
He's on pace for 22 touchdowns, which would be second worst. (He threw for
20 in 2012.)
But Stafford also is on pace for 14 interceptions, which would be his best full
season ever. He's completing 61.2 percent of his passes, which would be
second best.
And he's done that without a healthy Calvin Johnson in five out of the eight
games.
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Stafford isn't stuffing the stat sheet. But he's protecting the football and making
fewer mistakes. ...
In a related note. ... The Lions entered their Week 9 bye having scored only 17
offensive touchdowns in eight games.
According to Pro Football Focus' Mike Clay, that 2.1 per game mark is
significantly lower than their marks of 2.8, 2.4 and 3.2 over the past three
seasons. Although that's certainly a concern, it's worth noting that almost all of
the team's offensive skill-position players have been injured. Joique
Bell, Reggie Bush, Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria and Eric
Ebron have each missed at least one game.
There's good reason to expect a much-improved offensive effort in the second
half.
Other notes of interest. ... The Lions used their off week to rest and try to heal
their many, many injured players, but there is not complete clarity as to
whether any of them we'll be back Sunday against Miami.
According to ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein, that includes Johnson, Bush,
Pettigrew, Fauria and Ebron.
"We'll have to wait and see, to be honest with you," head coach Jim
Caldwell said. "And it'll be just like every week, it'll be a day-to-day thing."
Johnson has not played since Week 5 against Buffalo, when he aggravated his
high right ankle sprain. Bush has dealt with an ankle sprain the past three
weeks. The Lions rested last week in the hopes of getting those players back for
the second half of the season.
Johnson, who has caught 22 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns this
season, initially injured the ankle in Week 3 against Green Bay and aggravated
it in Week 5 against Buffalo.
The Lions are 3-0 in his absence, with Golden Tate catching 24 passes for 349
yards and two touchdowns in those games.
Johnson told reporters on Wednesday that "it feels good to be back at almost
100 percent," according to the Detroit Free Press. Johnson added that based on
how he's felt during workouts, he doesn't expect to be rusty. ...
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One player who won't be back any time soon is defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
Caldwell said the team doesn't have any more clarity on Fairley's situation after
he injured his knee in the first half against Atlanta.
Caldwell indicated Fairley will continue to seek opinions on his knee and won't
set a timetable for his return or if he'll return this season.
"I'm not certain exactly where he is at this point in time," Caldwell said.
"Nobody does. There's anything that can happen. There can be an unbelievable
turnaround or it could be lengthy.
"So we'll have to wait and see. ..."
One last item here. ... According to the Sports Xchange, the Lions rank 31st in
rushing with 79.6 yards per game, ahead of only 0-8 Oakland, and are
averaging just 3.1 yards per carry. The offensive line has struggled to create
holes, but the backs haven't been able to take advantage even when
opportunities have been available. Joique Bell is averaging just 3.2 yards per
carry, Bush is averaging 3.5 and the Lions have combined for one run of more
than 20 yards.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore
RB: Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Theo Riddick, George Winn
FB: Jed Collins
WR: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Jeremy Ross, Corey Fuller, Ryan Broyles
TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria, Eric Ebron, Kllen Davis
PK: Matt Prater
=========================
=========================
GREEN BAY PACKERS
The Green Bay Packers locked up head coach Mike McCarthy to multi-year
extension, the team announced Monday.
McCarthy is in his ninth season as the Packers' head coach, racking up a Super
Bowl championship, four NFC North division titles and six playoff
appearances during his tenure.
"We are very happy to extend our relationship with Mike," general
manager Ted Thompson said in a statement. "Over the past nine years, he's
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provided great stability and consistency to the Packers organization and our
community as an excellent coach and leader. He's a good man and we look
forward to the future with Mike as our head coach."
McCarthy has recorded 93 wins (regular season and playoffs) as the Packers'
coach, third-most in franchise history -- behind Vince Lombardi (98)
and Curly Lambeau (212).
The extension for McCarthy has been in the works since the offseason. Prior to
locking down the coach, however, the team signed Thompson to a multi-year
deal in July.
One of the most successful general manager-coaching duos in the NFL has led
Green Bay to overflowing prosperity in recent years, as the Packers haven't
logged a losing season since 2008.
Green Bay sits at 5-3, second in the NFC North, with an offense primed to
propel them to their sixth straight playoff appearance.
As McCarthy and Thompson will continue to build along with
quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is signed through 2019. The trio gives Green
Bay power players in the three most vital positions for successful NFL
franchises. With the new contracts, they'll continue to win together for the
foreseeable future. ...
Meanwhile, as ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky notes, always one to take care of
the ball, Rodgers has taken that to extremes this season with just three
interceptions and 19 touchdowns. All three of his picks have been on balls that
have gone off the hands of his receivers. He has a comeback victory to his
credit with one of the most memorable drives of his career in the Week 6 win at
Miami.
Rodgers has relied heavily on his top two receivers, Jordy Nelson and Randall
Cobb, targeting them with 52 percent of his passes, according to ESPN Stats &
Information, and they have delivered.
Nelson is halfway to 100 catches, nearly 1,500 yards and a dozen touchdowns.
Cobb is one pace for 80 catches and 1,156 yards. With nine touchdown catches,
he leads all receivers in that category.
As for Eddie Lacy?
Page 39 of 110
As Demovsky suggests, it may have been unreasonable to expect the reigning
NFL offensive rookie of the year to duplicate his 1,178-yard season from last
year, considering it was unlikely he would take on the workload he did when
Rodgers was out with his collarbone injury last season. But he's on pace for just
856 yards. Early in the season, Lacy did not look like the hard-charging runner
he was in 2013. However, some of that has returned and was evident in three of
his last four games. Also, he has made major strides as a receiver.
At tight end, the loss of Jermichael Finley, who remains out of football
because of the neck injury he sustained last season, has impacted the offense
significantly. Tight ends have been targeted just 13.6 percent of the time. When
Finley last played a full season in 2012, the tight ends were targeted 22.4
percent of the time. Rookie third-round pick Richard Rodgers has not
acclimated himself into the passing game much yet.
Also worth noting, McCarthy's goal for this season was to average 75 offensive
plays per game. They haven't even come close. They're averaging just 59 plays
per game and rank 19th in the league in total offense snaps. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Rodgers was said by McCarthy to have participated
in all of the team's light workout on the field Monday as it returned from the
bye week. Rodgers had more than a week to recover from a pulled left
hamstring he sustained in the 44-23 loss at the New Orleans Saints on Oct. 26.
"Aaron did everything today," McCarthy said Monday. "He looked good. He
went through the workout today."
The session wasn't a full-fledged practice; McCarthy likened it to an offseason
workout in which the team did individual drills plus strength and conditioning
work.
The injury wasn't serious enough to keep Rodgers, who was working as usual
again Wednesday, from playing most of the second half after the injury
occurred on his scrambling run early in the third quarter. Rodgers should be
OK for Green Bay's game against the Bears on Sunday night.
And finally. ... According to the Sports Xchange, it's conceivable the Packers
won't have any more early kickoffs at home the rest of the season.
The NFL announced Sunday that Green Bay's Nov. 16 matchup with the NFC
East-leading Philadelphia Eagles was flexed from a noon to a 3:25 p.m. CST
start.
Page 40 of 110
The Packers close the second half of the regular season with five of their
remaining eight games at Lambeau Field.
Of those home games, only one remains a noon start on a Sunday, which is the
Dec. 28 finale against the Detroit Lions. With the Lions ahead of the Packers
by a game for the NFC North lead at the midway point of the season, it's
possible the division title could come down to that rematch between the teams,
which could prompt a switch to a kickoff time later in the day.
Besides the date with the Eagles, Green Bay's previously scheduled upcoming
home games in prime-time TV slots are Sunday night against the Bears, a
Sunday late-afternoon contest against the New England Patriots on Nov. 30 and
a Monday night matchup with the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 8.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Scott Tolzien
RB: Eddie Lacy, James Starks, DuJuan Harris
FB: John Kuhn
WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis, Jarrett Boykin
TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick
PK: Mason Crosby
=========================
=========================
HOUSTON TEXANS
Ryan Fitzpatrick has been the Texans' starting quarterback since mid-June.
For months, head coach Bill O'Brien has said "Fitzy" is the Texans' leader.
Following a 31-21 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at NRG
Stadium and another inconsistent showing from the Texans' unpredictable
offense, O'Brien didn't come close to benching Fitzpatrick. But the first-year
coach did say every position will be evaluated and he's looking for a "spark" to
ignite a stalled unit.
"I think we have to evaluate everything," said O'Brien, when asked if he'll
make a QB change. "I don't think you can always – and I've said this along – I
don't think you can look at one position and put all the blame on that.
"I think we have to look at, as far as what we're doing offensively, we have to
look at. ... Who's playing what, what positions they're playing, how we're
Page 41 of 110
getting the ball, how we're playing at every position, including quarterback -we have to look at all of that."
Apparently the film told O'Brien that quarterback was the issue.
Ryan Mallett is the new starter in Houston, O'Brien announced Wednesday.
Fitzpatrick, the veteran who has had a mediocre start to the season, moves to
the bench.
"I just felt like in the best interest of the team, this is the decision I needed to
make," O'Brien said.
As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith suggests, the move has been
talked about for weeks and comes as no surprise, as O'Brien has long been a
fan of Mallett's. The two of them worked together in New England, when
O'Brien was the Patriots' offensive coordinator.
The Texans sent a sixth-round draft pick to New England to acquire Mallett in
August, and now the Texans will find out what they got for their pick.
Despite Mallett's lack of an NFL resume, frustrated Texans fans have been
calling for him to play for the last seven weeks as the team has slumped to 4-5
after a 2-0 start. League-wide, Fitzpatrick ranks much closer to the bottom than
the top in virtually every significant statistical category.
Whatever the case, the Texans had fewer than 200 net yards passing against the
Eagles, marking the fifth time this season that has happened. The Texans have
won two such games, but only upon facing worse offenses belonging to the
Raiders and Titans.
As ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli notes, Fitzpatrick's completion percentage
peaked in Week 2 against the Raiders, and dropped to a season low 48.1 against
the Eagles. They've broken 400 yards offensively just twice, against the Giants
and the Titans.
Another big problem? Third-down conversion rate.
Against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Texans had 10 third downs with 6 or more
yards to go, including a third-and-18 and a third-and-14. The Texans converted
three of those 10, one with an 18-yard dash by running back Arian Foster,
another with a 45-yard pass to receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and another with a
21-yard reception by Hopkins.
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On both pass plays, Hopkins' yards after catch created the first-down
conversion.
Overall, Houston converted only five of 13 third-down attempts. It's been a
season-long problem. The Texans have found themselves in those third-andlong situations 75 times this season, more than every team except the
Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Avoiding negative plays on first and second downs can keep the Texans out of
those difficult third downs -- that's what caused most of the long third downs
for Houston against the Eagles. It's not just coachspeak when O'Brien harps on
being better on first and second downs.
But the bottom line is this: The Texans' offense isn't showing signs of
improvement, rather it has been stuck in this similar malaise week after week.
"Well, I mean, you think things will get better with time as the season goes on,"
receiver Andre Johnson said.
Now we'll see if Mallett can spark that improvement.
Houston is on its bye this week. Mallett will get the first start of his NFL career
next Sunday in Cleveland.
In a related note. ... Johnson's response to the initial two questions directed his
way Monday: No comment, Brian Smith of the Chronicle reports.
Was he wasted as an offensive asset against the Eagles? Was the veteran wide
receiver used as a decoy?
"No comment," Johnson said.
A four-and-a-half minute interview didn't get any brighter, except when the
soft-spoken Johnson joked where he planned to spend his off days during a bye
week.
"I just need to go to like an island or something," Johnson said.
Asked about Eagles cornerback Cary Williams' post-game comments that
Johnson appeared disengaged Sunday, the receiver said he was doing what he
normally does during a game.
Page 43 of 110
"I'm trying to help the team win," Johnson said. "But I only can do what I can
do. I can't control everything. I only can control what I can. That's it. I can't
block. I can't cover guys. I can't throw the ball. All I can do is run routes and try
to get open and catch the ball."
Has Johnson been open and not been receiving the ball?
"I don't know," he said. "You watched the game."
Johnson said he's frustrated because the Texans are losing and he's aware of his
talent at his position.
They're also aware of Hopkins' talent. The second-year man Hopkins had six
catches for 115 yards and a touchdown. It was his third 100-yard game this
season. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Foster left Sunday's game midway through the third
quarter after suffering a groin injury.
Foster's frustration was evident on the field, as he slammed his helmet onto the
ground before heading to the locker room shortly thereafter. A pending MRI
will offer more details as to how significant Foster's injury is.
"We'll see how that is, but obviously the bye week is coming at a good time for
things like that," O'Brien said. "Hopefully we'll be able to get him some rest.
He's had a heck of a year, and we certainly need him down the stretch."
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Foster is unlikely to miss
any time, per a source informed of his injury.
Rapoport was told that Foster -- the league's second-leading rusher -- bypassed
additional medical testing and simply needs rest above anything else. The
Texans don't play the Browns for another 13 days, which should help Foster get
back on the field for a Houston squad angling to improve upon its 4-5 record.
Foster said "that's the plan" when asked on Wednesday if he would be ready to
play in Week 11 against host Cleveland.
Foster, who entered the game as the AFC's leading rusher, rushed for only 56
yards, breaking a four-game streak of games with at least 100 yards rushing. He
also caught two passes for 63 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown catch on a
wheel route with 3:58 remaining in the second quarter.
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Upon Foster's departure, rookie Alfred Blue took over. If you're a Foster owner
looking to hedge your bets, check Blue's availability on your waiver wire
during the off week.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
The Texans are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
=========================
=========================
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
As ESPN.com's Mike Wells framed it, "His passes were short. One wasn't in
the vicinity of his intended target. He even just flicked the ball in the air one
time to avoid a sack as he was going down to the ground.
"You wondered: 'What's wrong with Andrew Luck?' as he continued to miss
his intended targets for more than a quarter Monday night against the New
York Giants. ..."
But Wells went on to explain you'd forgotten how erratic -- yes, he was erratic - Luck had been during that stretch by the time the game ended because he
shook off his early miscues the same way he shook off Giants' defenders to
continue making his mark in the NFL record books.
Luck left MetLife Stadium after going 25-for-46 for 354 yards and four
touchdowns in the Indianapolis Colts' 40-24 victory.
"I don't think I played very well," Luck said bluntly. "There were some plays
that I messed up. I missed some throws."
That's what you want to hear out of your franchise player's mouth. Luck easily
could have been satisfied with his seventh consecutive 300-yard passing game
and eighth in nine games this season.
Nope, he wasn't interested in that. He wants to be better. He knows he can be
better.
Just imagine how much better Luck will be when he doesn't have those
stretches when he misses throws or locks into a target like he did in the first
half with tight end Coby Fleener.
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That's a scary thought for opposing defenses and will be a welcome sight for
the Colts.
"As a player, you want to be your hardest critic on yourself," veteran
receiver Reggie Wayne said. "We all know it's tough to be flawless, but he
tries his best to go out and be perfect. If he's not hard on himself, then who will
be? But 350-something yards, seven games in a row 300 yards, that's
outstanding. You tip your hat to him because he comes in each week and he's
preparing to be great. I just want to do my best to help him out."
You know you're a talented player when you can be down on yourself while
continuing to put up the type of numbers many quarterbacks around the league
would pounce on at any given moment.
Luck is leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes, and it hasn't
mattered where the games have been played or what type of defense he has
faced. He's having success no matter the situation. According to Elias Sports
Bureau research, Luck is the first quarterback in league history to throw for at
least 350 yards in five straight road games. He completed passes to nine
different players Monday night for the third time this season.
"There are a lot of weapons on this team. I think it's tough for defenses to focus
on one guy," Luck said. "I think Pep's [offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton]
doing a good job of mixing stuff up and getting different guys involved in
different ways. And, again, it's not perfect by any means."
Giants defensive end Robert Ayers said Luck is about the same size as him -6--3 -- but faster. Ayers has Luck by about 35 pounds, but the quarterback was
able to withstand the constant pounding he took from the New York defense.
The Giants hit Luck 11 times and blitzed him 29 times.
That wasn't a problem, because Luck was 17-of-29 for 258 yards with two
touchdowns when the Giants blitzed, according to ESPN Stats &
Information tracking.
"He's playing outstanding," head coach Chuck Pagano said. "We know how
tough he is. He stands there and finds a way to get the ball in the playmakers'
hands and does a great job managing things at the line of scrimmage. ... That's
why we gave him the game ball. We just need to keep him playing the way he's
playing, keep him healthy ..."
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Meanwhile, Wayne reminded his teammates on Sunday night that heading into
the bye with a loss would not be a good thing. Not only would it be back-toback losses for the Colts, but they would have to wait 13 days to attempt to
avenge the loss against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
"It would stink," Wayne said. "Just wanted to let everybody know we have to
give it all out here and give everything we got so the bye week can be joyous ...
It was a great team victory and hopefully we get some guys healthy. We don't
have time to pat ourselves on the back just yet. We still have a lot of work do."
Now the Colts get to enjoy the bye, having a two-game lead over the Houston
Texans (4-6) in the AFC South.
Other notes of interest. ... The Colts left the game relatively injury free.
Defensive lineman Ricky Jean Francois left the game momentarily with a
finger injury, but later returned.
Fleener was targeted 11 times by Luck and finished with four catches for 77
yards. Wayne, who missed last week with an elbow injury, was targeted 10
times, making four catches for 70 yards.
Running back Ahmad Bradshaw and receiver Hakeem Nicks faced their
former team for the first time in the regular season. Bradshaw rushed for 50
yards on seven attempts and had three catches for 29 yards. Nicks, who was
booed after his first reception, finished with three catches for 44 yards.
Rookie phenom Donte Moncrief finished with 25 snaps and finished with just
one catch for two yards; Nicks saw much heavier usage. ...
Dwayne Allen caught his seventh touchdown pass of the season in the third
quarter. His touchdown reception puts him fourth among tight ends.
Denver's Julius Thomas has 10 touchdowns, San Diego's Antonio Gates has
nine and New England's Rob Gronkowski has eight.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
The Colts are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
=========================
=========================
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
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As Associated Press sports writer Mark Long notes, the Jaguars found a new
way to lose Sunday against Cincinnati.
It had nothing to do with rookie quarterback Blake Bortles' mistakes or any
defensive lapses.
Special teams doomed the Jaguars (1-8) in this one. Jacksonville's not-sospecial units made four glaring errors that contributed significantly in a 33-23
loss.
"The special teams units, we did not perform very well," head coach Gus
Bradley said. "That's not in our nature."
Aside from three blocked field goals, Jacksonville's punt and kick teams have
been mostly solid all season.
They were a debacle Sunday, essentially contributing to 19 points in a 10-point
loss.
Bryan Anger's first punt of the second quarter got tipped, traveled 27 yards
and gave Cincinnati its best field position of the game. The Bengals turned it
into a field goal.
Anger's next punt was blocked out of the end zone for a safety, putting Cincy
ahead 12-3 in the closing minutes of the first half.
Things continued to unravel after the break. Early in the fourth quarter, Adam
Jones returned a punt 31 yards to the Jacksonville 23. The Bengals scored a
touchdown two plays later for a 26-10 lead.
Jacksonville scored twice to make it 26-23 with 8:13 remaining, but Josh
Scobee's ensuing kickoff squirted out of bounds near the goal line and gave
Cincinnati the ball at the 40-yard line. Rookie Jeremy Hill scored on the next
play, a 60-yard run that left the Jaguars shaking their heads and looking for
answers.
"Obviously they scored on the next play so it looks bad," Scobee said. "It was
bad timing, obviously, and I wish I could have it back, but just got to deal with
it."
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Having started 10 rookies and nine second-year players through nine games
this season, Jacksonville doesn't have a lot of margin for error. They rank near
the bottom of the league on both sides of the ball.
The Jags have lost games because of turnovers, sacks, dropped passes, missed
tackles and blown assignments. Bradley won't use his team's inexperience as an
excuse, but it's reality when he's trying to get so many youngsters to compete
with veteran-laden teams like the Bengals.
Regardless, the Jaguars expect better.
"It's definitely frustrating because it's things that we can control," longsnapper Carson Tinker said.
Jacksonville had plenty of other issues in losing for the 34th time in its last 41
games. Bortles threw his league-leading 13th interception in the closing
minutes. The defense allowed 423 yards, including 191 on the ground. But the
main culprit, for a change, was special teams.
And with one punt blocked and another one tipped, the Jaguars can expect
Dallas to come after them in London on Sunday.
"They're going to want to come after it a little bit more after one does get
blocked," Anger said. "It gives them another excuse to bring it. If our
protection is flawed, they want to come attack it."
Bradley and the Jaguars had some positives to build on.
Denard Robinson ran for 94 yards and a touchdown, giving him 329 yard and
two scores on the ground in the last three weeks.
He had a 39-yard run early and almost broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run
but stumbled as he was trying to make a move on cornerback Terence
Newman and fell.
"I'm trying to make a move too early, not being under control," Robinson said.
"Things like that kind of hurt you. It hurt me. That's one of the plays that I can
say, ‘I want that back.'"
Others also rose to the occasion.
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As ESPN.com's Michael DiRocco noted Monday, Allen Hurns wasn't injured
or suspended the past seven weeks. He just wasn't as noticeable as he was in
the season opener, when he caught four passes for 110 yards and two
touchdowns.
He was pretty visible at Paul Brown Stadium. He caught seven passes for 112
yards and two touchdowns, both of which came on plays in which he outfought
defensive backs and adjusted to poorly thrown balls.
"We do a good job of playing for the ball," said Hurns, who had caught six
passes in the Jaguars' three previous games. "That's what we've been talking
about all week, just playing for the ball. If the ball's in our area, get the ball. We
wanted to eliminate the turnovers, so when the ball's in the air we needed to get
aggressive with it."
Hurns' first TD catch came on a ball that Bortles was trying to throw in front of
him so he could run under it. Instead, the ball was short and Hurns had to fight
off cornerback Leon Hall, who never saw the ball.
His second TD catch was a throw that Bortles probably shouldn't have made.
Hurns was bracketed by safety George Iloka in back and cornerback Terence
Newman in front, but he outwrestled Newman for the ball at the goal line.
Hurns also had another 28-yard catch in the middle of the field on the drive that
ended with Bortles' interception in the end zone. It was a tough catch between
Hall and linebacker Emmanuel Lamur.
"I threw him some bad balls and he fought for them," Bortles said. "He battled
his tail off.
"It was an unbelievable job. All of them were really good catches. He
understands really well and he has a really good feel for everything going on.
He was able to make some really good catches."
Hurns was pleased with his performance but said he wants to do a better job of
following this big day better than he did his first. After the four catches for 110
yards and two TDs against Philadelphia, Hurns caught three passes in the next
two games. He had 22 catches entering Sunday and had found the end zone just
once after the first week, a 63-yard catch and run on his only reception against
Indianapolis.
Page 50 of 110
"It's been ups and downs but each day I've been attacking, attacking [and]
trying to get better each day," Hurns said. "How I prepare hasn't changed at all.
I just come in each day and try to be consistent. That's the main thing, just be
consistent so I just want to use this to keep getting me better each week and
improve."
According to Pro Football Focus, Hurns finished the game averaging 3.61
receiving yards per route run, the highest for a Jacksonville wide receiver this
season.
Whatever the case, the Jaguars left Cincinnati feeling that they may have let
another potential victory get away. The Jaguars (1-8) have been able to put
together a somewhat complete game just once this season, and it resulted in the
team's lone victory.
The Jaguars flew to London on Sunday night and will play the Dallas Cowboys
in Wembley Stadium on Nov. 9.
This is the second year of a four-year contract for the Jaguars to play one home
game each season in London.
Other notes of interest. ... As Profootballtalk.com reported it, Tony
Romo won't be the only starting quarterback on injury reports sent our way
from London this week.
Bortles is also going to appear as a result of a sprained left wrist that he
suffered against the Bengals last weekend. There won't be nearly as much
suspense about his status for Sunday as there will be for the Cowboys
quarterback, however.
It's not his throwing arm and Bortles said on Wednesday that he felt fine as the
team opened up their week of practice in England.
In addition, Marqise Lee and Cecil Shorts are both limited in practice
Wednesday. Lee sustained an ankle injury during the session while Shorts is
dealing with a hamstring issue.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne
RB: Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart, Storm Johnson, Jordan Todman
FB: Will Ta'ufo'ou
Page 51 of 110
WR: Allen Robinson, Cecil Shorts, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, Ace Sanders,
Mike Brown
TE: Clay Harbor, Mickey Shuler, Marcedes Lewis
PK: Josh Scobee
=========================
=========================
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
According to Associated Press sports writer Dave Skretta, the way Jamaal
Charles figures it, he's picking up where Priest Holmes left off.
After all, Charles and Holmes were both star running backs at Texas. They both
wound up with the Kansas City Chiefs. And now that Holmes has been
inducted into the franchise's ring of honor, Charles plans to one day join him,
his name also added to those inside Arrowhead Stadium.
"Me and Priest are cool," Charles said after Sunday's 24-10 win over the Jets.
"We went to the same school. He gave me the torch. I'm just happy to be a part
of this organization. I came here knowing they had some great running backs
and I'm happy to be a part of it.
"At the end of my career, I hope to be in the Hall of Fame."
Hard to tell whether he was referring to the franchise Hall of Fame or the one in
Canton, Ohio. It might not matter, really. There's a good chance Charles could
end up in both.
He had another 78 yards rushing and a touchdown against the Jets and caught
two passes for 10 yards. That gives Charles 435 yards rushing and five scores
at the midway point of the season, numbers that would be even better had he
not missed time with a sprained ankle.
Still, the perfectionist in Charles wasn't thinking about the carries and the
catches that he had Sunday. He was still stuck on the one pass that he dropped
in the red zone.
"I could have easily walked in," he said with a shake of his head.
In the modern era of pass-happy offenses and running backs-by-committee,
Charles is a throw-back to, well, the days when Holmes was toting the ball for
the Chiefs.
Page 52 of 110
Charles had six carries on the opening drive Sunday and came out of the game
only when he appeared to be gassed. Charles finished with a season-high 20
carries, setting the tone for the Chiefs by gouging the Jets defense with huge
gains early on.
"He's so dynamic," said fullback Anthony Sherman. "Whenever you get the
ball in his hands, he's capable of breaking a long run. So get it to him as many
times as possible."
That's a lesson that head coach Andy Reid learned early in the season.
The Chiefs gave Charles only a handful of touches in a blowout loss to
Tennessee, and their offense languished. The following day, after a careful
review of the game film, Reid acknowledged that he was "negligent" in using
the biggest star on his team.
He hasn't made the same mistake. And while Charles has yet to go over 100
yards rushing in a game this season, his dependability has allowed Kansas City
to flourish.
Much to the delight of Holmes, whose franchise rushing record Charles broke
earlier this season. Holmes amassed 6,070 yards rushing for the Chiefs from
2001-07, while Charles now has 6,258 yards over the course of his seven-year
career.
"Hats off to him," Holmes said. "We pride ourselves in having something to
have to do with the running backs out of Texas. Not only that, but records are
meant to be broken. I've had a share of records that I've been able to break.
"It's always about setting that bar a little bit further up."
Meanwhile, as ESPN.com's Adam Teicher notes, the Chiefs fought their way
through a rash of injuries, a tough early-season schedule and a season-opening
home loss to the dismal Tennessee Titans to get to 5-3 at the season's halfway
point. In doing so, they served notice they should remain a factor in the race for
one of the AFC's wild-card spots. The Chiefs have won five of their last six
games since beginning the season at 0-2.
The Chiefs head to Buffalo to face the 5-3 Bills next Sunday in a game that
could have wild-card implications.
Page 53 of 110
Other notes of interest. ... Tight end Anthony Fasano caught a remarkable
touchdown pass late in the first quarter. With the Chiefs at the Jets' 2-yard line,
Fasano missed his attempted cut block and fell to the ground. Meanwhile,
quarterback Alex Smith's pass was deflected into the air and right to Fasano,
who caught it while still on the ground.
He then lunged into the end zone for the touchdown, which was upheld after a
video review. The play gave the Chiefs a 14-0 lead.
Smith completed 21 of 31 passes for 199 yards with two touchdowns and no
interceptions. The only interception he has thrown since the season-opening
loss to Tennessee came with the Chiefs in desperate catch-up mode in last
month's game against San Francisco.
As Pro Football Focus noted, the touchdown to Fasano was lucky, but Smith
calmly led the Chiefs on several long scoring drives to leave the Jets always
chasing the game.
Worth noting, Smith completed both pass attempts 20 or more yards downfield
for 46 yards with a touchdown.
Smith didn't like the suggestion that the Chiefs should have won bigger against
the Jets, now 1-8.
"I haven't known any of those [easy wins]," he said. "I feel like [the Jets] are a
talented team coming in here with nothing to lose. They were going to rally
around their new quarterback [Michael Vick]."
Worth noting. ... The Chiefs ran 55 offensive plays against the Jets before
Smith was sacked. It came on the last offensive play of the game for the K.C.
offense when Smith was taken down for a three-yard loss.
Smith said he took the sack on purpose.
"That's one where I was just going to keep the clock rolling rather than
throwing the ball away there and taking an incompletion (and stopping the
clock)," said Smith.
As the Sports Xchange notes, that's 32 passing plays and just one sack, a ratio
even a month ago would not have seemed possible for the Chiefs offense.
While the progress has not been fast enough, the front-five on the offensive line
have gotten better and it really showed against the Jets.
Page 54 of 110
"I don't know if it was our best game," said center Rodney Hudson, the most
consistent player all season among the starting five blockers. "But I do know
that it was necessary. We had to give our offense time to make things happen.
..."
Rookie De'Anthony Thomas had a big impact. He took a jet sweep 26 yards to
set up the Chiefs' first touchdown and in the second quarter returned a kickoff
78 yards to set up another score. Tight end Travis Kelce caught a 34-yard pass,
the Chiefs' longest reception of the season, and scored a second-quarter
touchdown on a 12-yard reception.
A.J. Jenkins had a chance to score the first touchdown of the season by a
Chiefs wide receiver but stumbled at the Jets' 1-yard line instead. ...
Donnie Avery is expected to return to the practice field this week after coming
off a sports hernia injury and surgery. ...
And finally. ... The Chiefs have announced a contract extension for Sherman
that will keep him off the free agent market after this season. The length of the
deal has yet to be revealed. As CBSSports.com notes, the 25-year-old Sherman
has participated in all 24 games since joining the team before the 2013 season,
but has served mostly as a blocker for Charles. He has just two carries and five
receptions this year.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray
RB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas, Cyrus Gray
RB: Anthony Sherman
WR: Dwayne Bowe, A.J. Jenkins, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond,
Albert Wilson, Donnie Avery
TE: Travis Kelce, Anthony Fasano, Demetrius Harris
PK: Cairo Santos
=========================
=========================
MIAMI DOLPHINS
Here's a list of Miami Dolphins coaches who never won a game by 37 points or
more: Jimmy Johnson. Nick Saban. Tony Sparano. Dave Wannstedt. Cam
Cameron. Todd Bowles. Jim Bates. George Wilson.
Page 55 of 110
Now Joe Philbin has done it. One day after a stunning 37-0 victory over San
Diego, Philbin offered this message: Don't get used to it.
"We can't anticipate we're going to shut out our next eight opponents," Philbin
said Monday. "That's not real life in the National Football League. And it's hard
to average 37 points a game in the NFL over an eight-game stretch. We're
going to have to find new ways to win, and just keep improving."
As Associated Press sports writer Steven Wine notes, the Dolphins improved
to 5-3 with their most lopsided victory since 1995, when Don Shula was still in
charge.
That was eight coaches ago.
After 2 1/2 years in Miami, Philbin is at .500 (20-20), his job future beyond this
season still uncertain. But with three consecutive victories, Philbin is on the
verge of a breakthrough, because he has never had a team win four in a row.
A lack of sustained success is one reason Miami hasn't been to the playoffs
since 2008.
The Dolphins won three in a row in 2012, Philbin's first season, then lost three
in a row. They enjoyed a 3-0 start in 2013, then lost the next four. They won
three in a row last December, then endured a late-season meltdown and lost
their final two games.
How will this team handle success?
"It's a good question," Philbin said. "It's one we've got to answer."
Wine went on to note the win over San Diego was an emotional one, with
Philbin receiving a game ball from owner Stephen Ross. The coach missed
two days of practice last week to be with his father, who died Friday, and
Philbin will be absent again Tuesday and Wednesday to attend the funeral.
When it comes to the more mundane matter of wins and losses, Philbin appears
to have things headed in the right direction.
"We're a better team today than we were Oct. 1, or than we were in
September," Philbin said. "The challenge every week is to find ways to
improve."
Page 56 of 110
Miami is an underdog Sunday at NFC North leader Detroit (6-2), and still off
the radar with many playoff prognosticators. Receiver Mike Wallace said he'd
prefer the rest of the league not take note of the latest win.
"Hopefully not, so we can do the same thing next week," Wallace said.
"Hopefully, nobody ever catches on. Hopefully, people just keep taking us
easy, so we come away with wins like this."
The Dolphins look like more than one-game wonders. For the first time since
1997, they've scored at least 24 points in five consecutive games, according
to STATS. They've outscored opponents during that span 153-68. The lone loss
during that stretch came in the final seconds against Green Bay, leaving them
one play from a five-game winning streak.
Midway through his third season, Ryan Tannehill is blossoming at
quarterback. He ranks only 28th in the league in yards per attempt, but over
past five games he has completed 68 percent of his attempts while averaging
8.2 yards per pass, with a rating of 104.1.
Meanwhile, the defense leads NFL in yards allowed per play, yards allowed per
pass and first downs. Miami ranks second in pass defense, third in total defense
and fourth in rushing.
Now's not the time to savor statistics, defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle said.
"We're only halfway through," he said. "You look down the road, we've got a
few dicey ones on the horizon."
The next three games are against teams who are a combined 17-7. The
Dolphins might just be built for the challenge. ...
For the record, Sunday was the Dolphins' first shutout win since December
2006 against the New England Patriots. According to ESPN Stats &
Information, this also ended San Diego's streak of 241 straight games without
being shut out. ...
Other notes of interest. ... The Dolphins received some good injury news with
starting running back Lamar Miller in practice Tuesday. Miller injured his
shoulder in the third quarter and didn't return to the game. Miller said after the
game that he will be ready for the Lions and took a good step in that direction
by practicing Tuesday.
Page 57 of 110
He followed that up by working fully Wednesday.
Miller is Miami's leading rusher with 518 yards and five touchdowns.
On the off chance Miller is limited or sidelined look for Daniel
Thomas and Damien Williams to share the load. LaMichael James, who is
on the practice squad, could be signed to the 53-man roster.
I'll follow up as needed via Late-Breaking Update this week, but consider
Miller day-to-day until you hear otherwise. ...
As ESPN.com's James Walker notes, rookie receiver Jarvis Landry continues
to impress. The second-year pick has taken hold of the kick-return role and
became AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October. Landry also took
over the slot receiver role from veteran Brandon Gibsonand continues to
produce.
Landry had five receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown against San Diego.
Landry's future in Miami looks bright. ...
Brian Hartline had five receptions for 50 yards against San Diego. According
to the Sports Xchange, it was his best game in a month, since recording six
receptions for 74 yards against Oakland.
Caleb Sturgis missed wide right on a 45-yard field-goal attempt against San
Diego. The second-year kicker is now 16-for-20 (.800) on FGs. He's tied for
23rd in FG percentage.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore
RB: Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Damien Williams
WR: Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews, Brandon
Gibson
TE: Charles Clay, Dion Sims, Gator Hoskins
PK: Caleb Sturgis
=========================
=========================
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
In a story we'll all obviously be hearing much more about in coming days (and
Page 58 of 110
I will be following up via Late-Breaking Update as needed despite the bye
week), Adrian Peterson has resolved his legal issues on Tuesday..
The star running back agreed to a deal in a Montgomery County (Texas)
courtroom that included pleading no contest to one count of misdemeanor
reckless assault and no jail time.
Peterson will be placed on probation. He will also pay a $4,000 fine and serve
80 hours of community service.
"I'm sorry for my actions," Peterson said outside the courthouse. "I love my son
more than any one of you can even imagine. I'm looking forward to and I'm
anxious to continue my relationship with my child. I'm just glad this is over, I
can put this behind me and me and my family can move forward."
The plea deal could clear Peterson for a return to the field, but the situation
remains fluid. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Peterson
won't be immediately reinstated and active after taking a plea deal, according to
two sources with direct knowledge of his situation.
The NFL released a statement Tuesday on Peterson's future status:
"We will review the matter and make a determination. We cannot provide a
timetable."
Peterson hasn't appeared in a game since Week 1. He was deactivated for the
team's Week 2 matchup against the New England Patriots, then placed on the
Exempt/Commissioner's Permission List on Sept. 17. The designation requires
Peterson to remain away from all team activities. The Vikings agreed to pay
Peterson's salary during this time.
Peterson could still face discipline under the league's personal conduct policy.
The former MVP has already missed eight games while his legal proceedings
have played out. There are also decisions to be made by the Vikings, who were
heavily criticized when they initially intended to play Peterson in Week 3. They
eventually reversed course and placed him on the exempt list.
This remains a sensitive issue for both league and team with no obvious
answers on how it will play out. Tuesday did provide clarity on the legal end of
the saga. ...
Page 59 of 110
And from a fantasy perspective, if Peterson is on your waiver wire, go grab him
just in case. ...
Meanwhile, as Associated Press sports writer Dave Campbell understated,
head coach Mike Zimmer has brought a demanding style to the Minnesota
Vikings.
The past two weeks, they've played with more of his personality. Even the
hard-driving Zimmer let on some satisfaction.
"I think we showed some resiliency there. I think our team grew up a little bit,"
he said Monday, reflecting on the 29-26 comeback victory over Washington.
He added: "I've always said I like how this team works and how they continue
to compete and practice, and I think it's starting to show up a little bit at the end
of games."
The end-of-game performance last season was bad enough to bring the end of
the previous coach's employment.
Campbell reminded readers that Leslie Frazier's last of three years running the
team was marked by a series of closing-seconds collapses.
Five times, the Vikings lost a lead in the final minute of regulation, for four
defeats and one tie.
That here-we-go-again feeling was palpable not only among the fan base, but in
the locker room after the Vikings lost 17-16 at Buffalo Oct. 19. They gave up a
touchdown pass with 1 second remaining, capping an 80-yard drive by the Bills
that took a little more than 3 minutes.
The next week, the Vikings bounced back. The game at Tampa Bay was ugly at
times, but Teddy Bridgewater confidently moved them into position for the
tying field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter. Then Anthony Barr beat
the Buccaneers in overtime with a touchdown return off a fumble he forced.
Against the Redskins, the Vikings rallied from deficits of 10-0, 20-14 and 2621 before emerging victorious. Matt Asiata's third touchdown run of the
afternoon gave them the last lead with 3:27 left.
Now they're 4-5 and still alive in an underwhelming NFC playoff race, entering
their bye week.
Page 60 of 110
"We gave away that Buffalo game. The last two games have come down to that
situation, and we've got it done," safety Harrison Smith said.
Zimmer was asked whether his vision for the team's development was
progressing any faster or slower than he expected.
"I'm not very patient," he said, smiling, "so we'll just leave it at that."
Gracious enough, though, to give the players Wednesday off. The original plan
called for practice that day, but they'll be free after gathering Tuesday at Winter
Park for workouts and meetings.
"He said to us, 'You take care of me and I'll take care of you,"' fullback Jerome
Felton said. "He's been consistent to that all the way back to training camp."
Minnesota's next game is Nov. 16 at Chicago. With better protection for
Bridgewater by the offensive line the past two games, the biggest issue for the
Vikings these days is the deep ball.
Bridgewater ranks 30th in the NFL in yards per attempt among qualifying
quarterbacks with 6.71, and he misfired several times Sunday, particularly with
wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.
Zimmer, though, faulted Patterson for a lack of precision with his routes and
said he doesn't believe Bridgewater has a deficiency throwing long.
"What I do believe is we probably need to throw it some more, and we'll hit it,"
Zimmer said, adding: "We're going to continue to do it and continue to practice
it. And I thought it was important this week that we took some shots down the
field. And even if you don't hit them, that's not necessarily a bad thing."
Worth noting, Bridgewater's biggest rookie moment came on a fourth-and-two
from the Redskins' 39 with 1:12 remaining in the half. With the Vikings trailing
10-0, Zimmer eschewed a long field goal attempt to go for the first down.
Bridgewater took the snap, escaped pressure to his right and appeared to have
an easy lane to run for the first down. Inexplicably, the rookie threw the ball
away out of bounds.
Very explicably, Zimmer was hot over the decision and, as Tom Powers of
the St. Paul Pioneer Press put it, "took a bite out of (Bridgewater's) behind."
Page 61 of 110
"Once I came over to the sideline, coach Zimmer was right there in my face
telling me to, 'Just run it! Just run it!' " Bridgewater said. "I told myself: 'What
am I doing?' I know that I have the ability to keep a play alive. I know that if
something isn't open down field I can take advantage of my legs and make a
play.
"Right there, I just have to have better judgment. I should have run it. It was
only two yards."
Thanks to a terrible throw by Robert Griffin III that was intercepted on the
very next play, Bridgewater got his chance to atone for the rookie mistake.
The Vikings scored a touchdown on the subsequent possession. Bridgewater
led Minnesota to touchdown drives on four of the five possessions after
Zimmer chewed him out on the sideline, leading the Vikes to a 29-26 victory.
As NFL.com's Kevin Patra pointed out, Teddy wasn't afraid to run the rest of
the game and escaped pressure within the pocket much more confidently.
The game was a microcosm of the rookie's season: he showed glaring
deficiencies but displayed poise, made plays and avoided the back-breaking
mistake. After just five starts in his NFL career, Bridgewater has a lot to get
better at -- but he also has the potential to be the Vikings' long-awaited
franchise quarterback. ...
Other notes of interest. ... The Vikings are winding down for the bye but tight
end Kyle Rudolph is ramping up his rehabilitation from hernia surgery and
targeting the team's next game, Nov. 16 at Chicago, for his return.
"That's my goal," Rudolph told St. Paul Pioneer Press staffer Brian
Murphy after Sunday's game. "I've got to get myself in football shape. In my
mind, I have two weeks to get ready so I'm going to do everything I can to get
out there then."
Regaining the former Pro Bowler can only help Minnesota's offense and
Bridgewater.
Surgeons on Sept. 25 re-attached Rudolph's abdominal muscles to his pelvic
bone after he aggravated a nagging core injury in a Week 3 loss at New
Orleans.
Page 62 of 110
The injury started bothering him the first week of training camp in early
August, just after he signed a five-year contract extension that could be worth
up to $40 million. Rudolph and the training staff tried managing the initial tear
to avoid surgery.
"I learned my lesson," Rudolph said. "I'm not going to go out there if I'm not
100 percent. It's not fair to the guys in this locker room and it's not fair to
myself."
A broken foot sidelined Rudolph for the final eight games of 2013. He shed 16
pounds during the off-season to increase his speed and route running and said
his priority was remaining healthy.
In three games he has seven catches for 69 yards and a touchdown, which he
scored Week 1 at St. Louis. ...
As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith noted this week, Matt
Asiata became the first player in NFL history to run for three touchdowns and
a two-point conversion in one game on Sunday.
Granted, two-point conversions have only existed since 1994, but it's still a
fairly impressive feat. ...
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
The Vikings are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
=========================
=========================
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
The New England Patriots were reeling from the second worst loss of the
Belichick-Brady era when the disappointed but determined quarterback took a
moment to look ahead.
"We need to make sure we never have this feeling again," Tom Brady said
after that 41-14 rout by the Kansas City Chiefs.
As Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman noted, "Sure enough,
they've made sure."
That blowout ended a mediocre month in which coach Bill Belichick's team
was 2-2 and armchair analysts were proclaiming its demise.
Page 63 of 110
Since then, the Patriots are 5-0, piling up points and heading into their bye
week with a 43-21 win over seemingly unstoppable Peyton Manning and the
Denver Broncos on Sunday.
Any doubters now?
"We never listened to it," said Brandon LaFell, who has emerged as a
dangerous wide receiver with 17 catches in the past two games. "We just kept
doing what we do -- make plays, continue to work our butt off and continue to
believe in each other. And, eventually, it started to click."
In every phase of the game.
In the first four games, the Patriots averaged 20 points and Brady threw for
197.8 yards per game with a total of four touchdown passes and two
interceptions.
In the past five, they've doubled their output with 40.2 points per game while
Brady has averaged 320.2 yards passing with 18 touchdown passes and just one
interception.
The defense has stiffened on third downs and kept the Broncos from converting
all four times when they went for it on fourth down.
Then there's elusive dual-threat wide receiver Julian Edelman who scored on
an 84-yard punt return and a 5-yard reception against the Broncos.
Massive tight end Rob Gronkowski is a force again after offseason knee
surgery -- making spectacular one-handed catches, overpowering would-be
tacklers and spiking the ball with gusto after his touchdowns. He has eight so
far, with four coming in the last two games.
And after scoring 94 points in their last two games -- a 51-23 win over the
Chicago Bears as a warmup to the big defeat of the Broncos -- the Patriots (7-2)
have the best record in the AFC.
"We're not measuring ourselves where we are," Gronkowski said. "We're just
measuring ourselves as a team."
A team that insists it has plenty of room for improvement.
Page 64 of 110
"Seven wins isn't going to get anything in this league," Belichick said. "We're
going to have to do a lot more than that."
Now the Patriots have an extra week to rest and prepare for another AFC
division leader, the Colts in Indianapolis.
"We could use a month if we had it," Belichick said Monday. "There are so
many things that we need to improve on fundamentally, scheme-wise, in our
different units, three, four guys working together on different things. There are
a lot of areas that we need to address and will address."
The first half of the schedule was the easy part. Only one of those eight
opponents is a division leader.
Starting with Denver, the Patriots have three straight first-place foes. After
visiting Indianapolis, they're home against Detroit then on the road against
Green Bay and San Diego.
So the Patriots better enjoy themselves before Belichick starts driving them
hard again.
"Bill is going to give us a little slack in practice this week," LaFell said. "If we
would've lost, it was going to be a real tough week for us."
But Belichick can't be distracted -- not by the hype of the 16th Brady-Manning
meeting (Brady is 11-5 in those), by consecutive romps or by sensational plays.
How much fun did he have watching Gronkowski's one-handed grab for a 20yard gain to the Denver 1?
"That was a great play," Belichick said, "but I was trying to do my job."
He and his players have done it so well that they have an inside track on
gaining homefield advantage for the postseason.
There might even be a good chance that the Broncos will visit Foxboro again,
but Belichick is focusing on only one opponent.
"Right now," he said, "I think there's a good chance we're going to see
Indianapolis. ..."
Page 65 of 110
Other notes of interest. ... On a windy day that mostly affected the kicking
game, the Patriots had the edge on special teams with Edelman's punt return for
a touchdown and Stephen Gostkowski field goals of 49, 29 and 45 yards.
Denver, meanwhile, had a missed 44-yard field goal. The end result, which also
included a 67-yard punt from Ryan Allen, naturally had special-teams
captain Matthew Slater smiling.
Slater praised newcomer Jonathan Casillas (team-high three special-teams
tackles) and Edelman, before noting the work of Gostkowski, Allen and
snapper Danny Aiken. "In those conditions, it's very difficult," Slater said.
"Those guys don't get a lot of credit but hat's off to them as well."
Edelman's 84-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter was the
fourth of his career and set a new Patriots record for most punt returns for
touchdown. The play was set up by a bobbled snap and low punt, and the
Patriots might have benefited from a non-call on a block in the back by tight
end Tim Wright.
The play, in and of itself, reflected how the Patriots generally had the edge in
the often overlooked third phase of the game: Special teams. ...
Worth noting: Edelman was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his
efforts. ...
Gronkowski caught a fourth-quarter touchdown one play after making a
remarkable one-handed catch to set the Patriots up at the 1-yard line.
Gronkowski now has 50 career receiving touchdowns, which has him among
the all-time leaders in NFL history through a player's first five seasons. With
seven games remaining this season, he's chasing Jerry Rice (66, 19851989), Randy Moss (60, 1998-2002), Lance Alworth (54, 1962-1966)
and Andre Rison (52, 1989-1993). This was Gronkowski's 15th career 100yard receiving game.
And finally. ... Aaron Dobson was a healthy scratch against the Broncos, the
2013 second-round pick inactive for the third straight week and the six time
total this season. James White was also a healthy scratch against Denver, the
seventh time the fourth-round rookie has been inactive this season.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
The Patriots are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
According to ESPN.com's Mike Triplett, as the Saints' players filed back into
the locker room Thursday following their second victory in five nights, head
coach Sean Payton was waiting to greet every one of them -- a sign of his
appreciation for the grueling stretch they had just endured.
Not only did the Saints handle the extra-short turnaround between their games
on Sunday night and Thursday night, they endured a brutal 2-4 start to the
season that included three losses in the final two minutes that could have
demoralized them.
"Well, it was certainly unplanned," Payton said of his personal greeting line
following the Saints' 28-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. "It was more
just, I was real proud of how they worked and how they handled a short week
and some of the challenges within that week. And same way with the coaches.
Shoot, by the end of three or four days I think half the staff had a cold or cough,
not a lot of sleep. So I was just excited by how we responded -- going on the
road and playing a division game.
"You know, a year ago we had a real tough loss there. It was just one of those
things that was real gratifying. It was more about being happy for the players
and happy for the coaches to get a win like that. You have to play this game
with emotion, and that can carry over after wins and losses."
Now the Saints are back to 4-4 and somehow sitting alone in first place in the
NFC South. And even at 4-4, they feel much better about their resilience after
having weathered the storm.
Guard Ben Grubbs said a start like that is going to "make you or break you."
Asked what he was feeling after the emotional Thursday night win, Grubbs
said, "I felt togetherness."
"When you go through something as tough as losing on walk-off field goals
and then losing on the last possession of the game in Detroit, that does
something to you," Grubbs said. "It can have a positive effect on you or a
negative effect on you. One thing that head coach Payton has done is a great
job with was just continuing to encourage us and tell us we're really close, we
are a good team, we just have to correct the mistakes that we have."
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The message now is to keep that same sense of urgency. Once again, Payton's
postgame message was clear, because several players were repeating it
throughout the locker room:
"I said this to them: Having been now where we've been and knowing how
difficult that is, you refuse to go back," Payton said. "Hopefully you're
becoming more resilient and a little bit more tougher, both mentally and
physically."
The Saints feel they will be better prepared to handle any more adversity that
comes their way this season. But they're also hoping that maybe they won't
have to face quite as much during the next eight-game stretch.
When defensive tackle Akiem Hicks was asked if the team feels like it's
already gone through a full season's worth of adversity, he said, "I completely
agree with that."
"I would say that if you lose a certain number of games on the last series, or the
last play or the last drive or a walk-off field goal, I gotta tell you that's more
than enough for me," Hicks said, "and I'm sure a lot of guys feel the same way.
"Now it's our turn."
Speaking of that abbreviated turnaround between their Sunday night game and
Thursday night road game, Payton had a great line Friday when asked if he
plans to address it with the league in the offseason.
"I'm sure they will look at it," Payton said. "But in regards to that suggestion
box, I think that's on the third floor of a two-story building. ..."
Last week's game wasn't clean, but the Saints managed to overcome two early
mistakes in the passing game against the Panthers.
Their first two possessions ended with giveaways on an interception of a tipped
ball and a fumble when Drew Brees was being sacked. But that only made the
offense more determined to get the job done, which Brees did especially in the
final three minutes of the first half and second half.
Brees completed 24 of 34 passes for 297 yards with a 1-yard touchdown
to Jimmy Graham. He threw one interception and was sacked four times, but
still had a 94.9 passer rating. Graham led the team in catches (7) and receiving
yards (83) with a long gain of 27 yards and his scoring grab with three seconds
Page 68 of 110
to play in the first half gave the Saints a 14-0 lead. As Pro Football Focus put
it: "Good to go and hard to stop."
Graham didn't have a ton of targets but made them count, walking away with a
touchdown and 83 receiving yards on his 33 routes run.
Kenny Stills caught five passes for 72 yards.
As a team, the Saints, who went into the game averaging 133.0 yards per game,
weren't great with 105 yards and a 2.8 average on 37 carries. Playing without
two of their top three halfbacks, the Saints had a little success early as Mark
Ingram gained 22 yards on the first two carries of the game.
But after that, the Panthers adjusted and limited the Saints to 83 yards on 35
attempts the rest of the night. Ingram finished with his second straight 100-yard
game, netting 100 yards on a career-high 30 carries with a pair of 3-yard TD
runs. He had a long gain of 19.
Other notes of interest. ... Brandin Cooks didn't do much against the Panthers
(three catches, 38 yards) but remains tied with Allen Robinson for most
catches among rookies. He has 43 catches for 410 yards and two touchdowns.
On the injury front. ... Stills left Thursday's game with a groin injury and it's not
known if he'll miss any practice or playing time. Pierre Thomas, who has
shoulder and rib injuries, missed his second consecutive game Thursday
night. Khiry Robinson was sidelined for the second game in a row because of
a forearm injury and it's not known when he'll return.
The placed fullback Austin Johnson on injured reserve with the knee injury he
suffered nine days earlier against the Green Bay Packers. They replaced him
with second-year offensive tackle Nick Becton, whom they signed off the New
York Giants' practice squad.
I'll be following up on all the walking wounded via Late-Breaking Update as
the week progresses.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown
RB: Mark Ingram, Travaris Cadet, Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson
FB: Erik Lorig
WR: Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks, Kenny Stills, Robert Meachem, Nick
Page 69 of 110
Toon
TE: Jimmy Graham, Ben Watson, Josh Hill, Tom Crabtree
PK: Shayne Graham
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=========================
NEW YORK GIANTS
Looking for a bright side to the New York Giants' lopsided, 40-24 loss to the
Indianapolis Colts on Monday night?
Rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had his first 100-yard game as a pro,
with eight receptions for 156 yards.
As ESPN.com's Keiran Darcy conceded, much of that came late in the game,
with the outcome really no longer in doubt, but Beckham looked good
nonetheless.
"To me, it means nothing without a win [though]," Beckham said. "I made a
few plays, but, like I said, at the end of the day it's still a loss."
Beckham had just one catch for 19 yards in the first half -- a half in which the
Giants had eight offensive possessions but managed to accumulate only seven
first downs. Seven of those eight possessions ended with a punt, as the Colts
took a 16-3 lead into the locker room.
His big play came in the third quarter -- a 59-yard catch and run that set the
Giants up for their only touchdown of the game. On a first-and-10 from the
Giants' own 16-yard line, Eli Manning connected with Beckham on the right
sideline, and Beckham then darted between two defenders to get downfield.
The only surprising thing was that Beckham -- known for his explosive speed
at LSU -- was caught before reaching the end zone. It actually looked like he
pulled up a little bit before being tackled at the Colts' 25.
"I got in the open field, and I kind of just felt my legs, just they weren't there
with me," Beckham said. "So I'm looking around making sure there was
nobody who was gonna come strip the ball. Just get as many yards as you can,
get down and move on to the next play."
The 12th overall pick, who missed the entire preseason and the first four games
of the regular season with a nagging hamstring injury, admitted he's not back at
full speed yet.
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"It's still kind of just getting there right now," Beckham said. "I'm doing the
best I can to maintain what I've gone through already, but I wouldn't say that
it's all the way there yet. It's still a work in progress."
Speaking of a work in progress, this Giants offense has plenty of work to do.
Manning ended up throwing for 359 yards on the night, but he barely
completed 50 percent of his passes (27-for-52). He overthrew receivers on a
few occasions, to be sure, but his receivers also let him down with several
drops.
Wideout Rueben Randle, who started opposite Beckham, was targeted 11
times -- the same amount as Beckham -- but finished with just four catches for
49 yards. On the Giants' lone scoring drive of the first half, they were forced to
settle for a field goal after Randle dropped a pass that hit him right in the hands
on a third-and-7 from the Colts' 20-yard line.
"I was just trying to run before I caught the ball," Randle said. "I was trying to
check and see where the DB [defensive back] was, and then my focus got away
when the ball came. I gotta do a better job with that."
Randle was far from the only guilty party, though. On this night, there was
plenty of blame to go around.
Indeed, Manning was 0-for-7 on throws at least 20 yards downfield. This
season, he has completed four of 26 attempts thrown at least 20 yards
downfield. Only Geno Smith has a lower completion percentage on those
throws.
Manning overthrew his intended receiver on 10 attempts, matching the most
overthrows he's had in a game since 2006. Four of Manning's overthrows came
on attempts thrown at least 20 yards downfield.
The Colts blitzed on 29 Manning dropbacks, the most by any team this season.
Manning was limited to 13-of-29 passing against the Colts blitz, including his
fumble while being sacked in the third quarter.
The Colts limited Manning to 2-of-8 passing when under duress.
It was the Giants' 24th straight game with a turnover, the longest active streak
in the NFL.
Page 71 of 110
Manning, who threw for a season-high 359 yards and two touchdowns, said the
Giants need to get off to faster starts, establish the running game and avoid
third-and-long situations.
"I think it's just a matter of we just have to play better," Manning said. "It's the
same team. I think we prepare well and we practice well. We do things
correctly in practice, but just don't perform well on game day as well as we
can."
Meanwhile, as ESPN.com's Dan Graziano suggested, maybe it was all of the
confusion last week stemming from GM Jerry Reese's comments that they
needed to be more aggressive, but the Giants' offense never looked in sync in
this game, which was close until the third quarter.
They can't get the run game going without Rashad Jennings, the receiving
corps is thin and young and drops too many passes, and for the first time in a
while they didn't look like they consistently knew what they wanted to do.
Whether it's working or not, the Giants need to stick to an offensive game plan.
Monday night's looked disjointed.
Remember, their coordinator/play caller, Ben McAdoo, is a rookie, too.
Now, on a short week, the Giants travel to Seattle to take on the defending
Super Bowl champion Seahawks, who are 20-2 at home since the start of the
2012 season.
Other notes of interest. ... The game was costly for the Giants with Prince
Amukamara, their top coverage cornerback, being lost for the season with a
torn biceps. He will need surgery and head coach Tom Coughlin said the
Giants will probably have to sign another cornerback. They signedMike
Harris off the Lions' practice squad last week.
Amukamara, whose three interceptions was tied for the team lead, is the third
cornerback the Giants have lost this season, joining Walter Thurmond III and
Trumaine McBride on the sideline.
Coughlin did not like being asked whether the Giants had enough talent to
overcome the injuries.
"I am going to respond the way I have always responded, OK," Coughlin said.
"We have enough talent. We do have to play at the top of our game."
Page 72 of 110
The Giants have not done that in recent weeks in losing to Philadelphia, Dallas
and now Indianapolis.
Coughlin did not have an update on left guard Weston Richburg. He was
undergoing tests to evaluate a sprained ankle. Receiver Preston Parker also
rolled an ankle in the game, but Coughlin did not think it was a serious injury.
Guard Geoff Schwartz, who has not played this season after a preseason foot
injury, might be an option if Richburg can't go, but Coughlin wants him to
practice more. He only returned to practice last week.
And finally. ... Graziano predicted Monday that Jennings won't return until
Week 11.
In fact, the veteran running back, who's missed three straight games with a knee
injury, is running straight ahead but not cutting yet, according to the New York
Daily News. Jennings won't practice Wednesday.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib
RB: Andre Williams, Peyton Hillis, Michael Cox, Rashad Jennings
RB: Henry Hynoski
WR: Rueben Randle, Odell Beckham, Preston Parker, Corey Washington,
Kevin Ogletree
TE: Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson
PK: Josh Brown
=========================
=========================
NEW YORK JETS
Michael Vick expects to be ready for his second start with the New York Jets.
According to Associated Press sports writer Dennis Waszak Jr., the veteran
quarterback insisted Monday he is fine after banging the back of his head and
briefly leaving the Jets' game at Kansas City on Sunday.
"I feel good," he said. "After playing my first full game in a year and a half, I
feel good."
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Vick was shaken up early in the fourth quarter of the Jets' 24-10 loss when he
was popped by Chiefs linebacker Josh Mauga after throwing an incomplete
pass.
Vick's head slammed into the turf and he was slow to get up. The 34-year-old
quarterback was replaced by Matt Simms, but passed the NFL's concussion
protocol before returning a few minutes later.
"No headaches, no nothing," Vick said.
He and head coach Rex Ryan said a lingering foot injury was more of an issue
-- but it shouldn't keep him from playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers on
Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
"He passed all those (concussion) tests to get back cleared," Ryan said. "If
anything, he's got a foot that keeps getting stepped on. I think that's the biggest
concern right now."
Vick was practicing fully on Wednesday.
Vick, starting in place of Geno Smith, was 21 of 28 for 196 yards and a
touchdown and committed no turnovers. It was his first regular-season start
since last Oct. 27 against the Giants while he was with the Philadelphia Eagles.
"You really don't need confirmation when you believe in yourself and you trust
your abilities, and you trust your preparation," he said.
"To be able to go out there and play efficiently is great for me. I still didn't play
up to my standards because we didn't score as much as I knew we could have
scored. We didn't put as many points on the board.
"But I believe in myself and I believe in what I can do, and I have been telling
you that from Day 1."
Smith, inactive with a sore right shoulder, is uncertain for Sunday against the
Steelers. He threw before the game, but wasn't completely comfortable so the
Jets sat him in favor of Simms.
"I hope he's fine, but we'll see as the week progresses," Ryan said. "He was
able to throw, all that type of stuff, for the most part. I know he feels better
right now, so hopefully that's a good sign."
Page 74 of 110
Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Rich Cimini suggests that Vick wasn't good enough
to win Sunday, but he was good enough to make you wonder what might have
been.
"What if Ryan had made the quarterback change a month ago and benched
Geno Smith after his missed meeting/no-show performance in San Diego?"
Cimini wondered.
The New York Jets were 1-4 then, and there was still time to salvage the
season.
"I'm not looking back," Ryan said after the Jets' eighth straight defeat. "It's the
old Satchel Paige [line]: 'Somebody might be gaining you.'"
They stuck with Smith too long, hoping and wishing he'd straighten out and
develop into a competent quarterback. Then came the three-interception
debacle last week, which left Ryan no choice but to bench him.
Vick, starting for the first time in a year, posted a 105.7 passer rating -- the Jets'
first 100 rating since Week 5 of the past season. He completed 21 of 28 passes
for 196 yards, threw a touchdown to Eric Decker and -- get this -- avoided any
turnovers.
He demonstrated toughness in returning to the lineup after the fourth-quarter
head injury. He steadied the Jets' train-wreck offense and earned another start.
"I'm a different breed," he said. "I'm not saying I'm still running the ball like I
used to as a 25-year-old, but my instincts are still there. I can move and escape,
and I can pretty much play the game how I want to. I choose to be disciplined
and let my instincts take over."
Vick got Percy Harvin involved and led the offense to 364 total yards, but it
wasn't flawless. He led the offense to only one touchdown, and he was poor in
the red zone. No, he wasn't the savior, but it wasn't realistic to expect that. But
unlike Smith last week, Vick wasn't the reason his team lost.
"I thought he did the best he could do," linebacker Calvin Pace said. "I'm
proud of him. Hopefully, we can keep it going next week."
As Pro Football Focus notes, 11 receptions for 129 yards were season highs for
Harvin, who added eight yards on the ground as the Jets looked to find ways to
get him in space.
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Harvin started and played almost every down as the Z receiver. He was targeted
13 times, including plays downfield. He showed his vertical ability with a 42yard reception. Harvin doesn't want to be known as a gadget receiver, and the
Jets are giving him a chance to expand his repertoire.
Harvin was a non-factor last week in his Jets debut, but he showed Sunday why
the Jets made the deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
"You have all sorts of things you can do with him," Ryan said. "Let's face it,
the guy is an outstanding talent."
Harvin compiled 225 all-purpose yards, including rushing, receiving and
returning.
The performance promoted Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith to
write, "The Jets are a mess, but Percy Harvin is good."
Smith continued: "The Vikings and Seahawks both decided that Harvin's
attitude made him more trouble than he's worth, and maybe he'll wear out his
welcome in New York, too. But right now he's just about the only guy on the
Jets' offense who looks like a competent professional football player. ..."
Harvin's playing time jumped from 52 percent to 84 percent in one week -- and
Cimini advised readers to expect it to remain in the 80s over the final seven
games.
Worth noting: Harvin got his heel stepped on during Wednesday's practice and
he was listed as limited -- although this sounds like a minor injury. I'll follow
up as needed. ...
Other notes of interest. ... After a three-carry, 7-yard outing last week, which
prompted him to publicly air some frustration, Chris Johnson responded with
a season-high 69 yards. He thought he had a 15-yard touchdown run, but he
stepped out at the 3-yard line. At least he showed some explosiveness with a
21-yard run and a 26-yard reception.
This marked the first time since Week 3 that Johnson got more snaps
than Chris Ivory (they were even in Week 6).
Ivory had just 22 yards on eight carries. Of course, it was tough to feed Ivory
the ball when the Jets fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter. Bilal Powell had 20
Page 76 of 110
yards on five carries, though he had three carries for no gain. Vick (18 yards on
four carries) showed he's still got the legs to go along with the arm. ...
Jace Amaro has no catches and no targets. Yes, they needed the tight ends to
help block the Chiefs' bookend pass rushers, Justin Houston and Tamba Hali,
but Amaro could have helped, especially in the red zone. Amaro entered the
game as the team's leading receiver (32 catches), but he was passed by Eric
Decker (40). ...
And finally. ... The Jets are sticking with Vick, but they like the way Smith is
going about his business after his demotion.
Ryan said his former starter was still doing the things he needed to do, even if
he's doing them as a backup.
"I think he has prepared well. I guess time will tell once he gets an opportunity
to play again," Ryan said, via Kimberley Martin of Newsday. "I don't think any
player likes it. They shouldn't like it. But, I think he approached it the right
way."
Ryan has defended Smith's future, saying he thinks he'll eventually be a good
quarterback -- though he doesn't want to find out right now.
"I am not really looking past this game," Ryan said. "So, if that happens, then it
happens. Right now we are going with Mike to play against Pittsburgh, and
that's as far as I have thought about it.
Smith raised some eyebrows when he was asked about his demotion, and said:
"I just went on with my day."
But as PFT suggested, it wasn't really his work and preparedness that hampered
him, it was the fact he wasn't very good at playing football that caused him to
lose his job to Vick.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Michael Vick, Matt Simms, Geno Smith
RB: Chris Ivory, Chris Johnson, Bilal Powell
RB: John Conner, Tommy Bohanon
WR: Eric Decker, Percy Harvin, Jeremy Kerley, Greg Salas, Saalim Hakim,
Walter Powell. T.J. Graham, Chris Owusu
TE: Jeff Cumberland, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld
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PK: Nick Folk
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OAKLAND RAIDERS
As the Sports Xchange noted this week, rookie quarterback Derek Carr has
told the media all season to put everything on his shoulders.
In a 30-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, it could be argued for the
first time that a defeat was indeed largely because of his mistakes.
Carr had a pass intercepted and returned 35 yards for a touchdown by
linebacker Bruce Irvin, then later forced a pass to Andre Holmes as he was
blanketed by Richard Sherman. That resulted in a 22-yard return and a field
goal by Steven Hauschka.
The two plays put the Raiders in 24-3 hole at halftime. When the Raiders
climbed back into the game, it was mostly because of a special-teams
touchdown and a short-field score set up by a punt return.
Carr got the Raiders into the red zone only twice on the 30-yard drive set up by
the punt return and on a late 64-yard drive with the Raiders already trailing 3017.
"I will do anything to win a game, and in the first half I was doing too much,"
Carr said. "In the second half, I said, 'You know what? I am just going to do my
job and I've got to trust everyone to do their job.'"
Yet when it came to the two interceptions, Carr didn't sound as if he would do
anything differently, giving Irvin and Sherman credit rather than conceding
perhaps he should have thrown the ball elsewhere.
Free safety Charles Woodson chalked it up as a learning experience for Carr
but wondered about the wisdom of forcing the ball Sherman's way.
"That's something Derek will have to learn from," Woodson said. "You have to
pick and choose when you go at a player like Richard. Maybe he should have
went somewhere else or thrown a different type of ball. Those are things he
will continue to get better at as he continues to grow as a player in this league."
Head coach Tony Sparano was hesitant to criticize Carr too much for the
interceptions. He wrote one off to poor location, the other to a poor decision.
Page 78 of 110
"I'm sure Derek would tell you he wishes he could have a couple of those plays
back," Sparano said. "I don't ever want him to lose his aggressiveness, so I
would never say never about making a throw."
Sparano liked the fact that after struggling in first half in a difficult
environment, Carr eventually helped put the Raiders back in the game.
"I've seen that go the other way, and badly, with young quarterbacks," Sparano
said. "That was a good sign.
Meanwhile, Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow believes the four
games since Sparano took over as interim coach might have been more
competitive than the first four under the fired Dennis Allen.
The Raiders (0-8) finished the first half of the season as the NFL's only winless
team and are assured of a 12th straight season without a winning record after
losing 30-24 at defending Super Bowl champion Seattle on Sunday. Oakland
has lost 14 straight dating to last season.
For the fourth time in four games under Sparano, the Raiders entered the fourth
quarter either tied or within one score only to fall short at the end. Oakland had
two lopsided losses in their first four games, which led to Allen's firing.
Sparano said the biggest differences have been players haven't let one bad play
mushroom into many more, which was evident when Oakland fell behind by 21
to Seattle only to get right back into the game with a pair of touchdowns in the
third quarter.
One facet that hasn't improved much is the running game. The Raiders are last
in the league in rushing at 65.5 yards per game -- a mark that would be lowest
in the NFL since 1946.
Oakland has averaged just 2.8 yards per carry the past three weeks and was
held to 37 yards on 18 rushes against the Seahawks.
"We have to block better at the point of attack," said Sparano, who is also the
team's offensive line coach. "Bottom line is yesterday that team just beat us at
the point of attack. You have to give them credit. They beat us at the point of
attack. That's a hard thing for me to say."
But despite that, Sparano still sees signs of encouragement.
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The biggest bright spot for the future is that Oakland is getting positive
contributions from many of its younger players, led by Carr and
linebacker Khalil Mack.
Oakland is also getting promising play from other first- and second-year
players such as tight end Mychal Rivera, guard Gabe Jackson, linebacker Sio
Moore, defensive tackle Justin Ellis and cornerback TJ Carrie. Even last
year's top pick, DJ Hayden, had one of his better games Sunday with two near
interceptions.
But none of that has led to a win.
"When you're 0-8, I get it, there's not a lot to be proud of if you're a fan sitting
out there looking at it, saying 'They're 0-8,"' Sparano said. "I understand that.
This business is about wins. When I look at the young players ... you're seeing a
lot of young players that are going to be the core of this football team for a long
time that are really getting involved and contributing an awful lot. ..."
It doesn't get easier. As ESPN.com's Bill Williamson notes, Oakland
hosts Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos on Sunday, with Manning
likely ornery, given that he's coming off a lopsided loss at New England.
Finally. ...The Raiders didn't report any significant injuries after Sunday's
game. Guard Gabe Jackson appeared to be banged up near the end of the game.
Perhaps more will be disclosed Wednesday, if there is an issue.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Derek Carr, Matt Schaub, Matt McGloin
RB: Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew, Latavius Murray
FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale
WR: James Jones, Andre Holmes, Brice Butler, Denarius Moore, Kenbrell
Thompkins, Vincent Brown
TE: Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry, Brian Leonhardt
PK: Sebastian Janikowski
=========================
=========================
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
As NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal noted on Monday, many Eagles fans have
wondered how the team would look with backup quarterback Mark
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Sanchez under center instead of Nick Foles. They will find out for at least the
next month, although Monday's test results could have been much worse.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday that Foles is out six to eight
weeks after suffering a broken collarbone during Sunday's win over the
Houston Texans. An MRI revealed that no surgery was necessary, according to
a source informed of his test results.
It was a brutal Week 9 for Philadelphia before they headed for their bye week.
The Eagles also lost middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans to a season-ending
Achilles tear.
Starting guard Todd Herremans left the game with an ankle injury that added
to an already torn biceps. Ryans' loss will be felt all season, but Foles' absence
will be fascinating to monitor.
As Rosenthal suggested, at times, it looks like head coach Chip Kelly has
created a quarterback-proof offense. Foles has not played particularly well this
year, missing open throws, taking too long to deliver the ball, throwing nine
interceptions and fumbling four times. Yet the Eagles rank in the top four of
NFL offenses in yards and points.
Sanchez looked terrific in the preseason, and his numbers against Houston in
relief during Sunday's win was typical of many of Foles' days this season.
Sanchez piloted an offense that hit on some big plays, but he was also picked
off twice. Kelly said Monday he believes Sanchez is a "hell of a quarterback."
At 6-2, the Eagles are in good shape to make a playoff appearance. If Sanchez
plays well over the next six to eight weeks, he could wind up keeping the job
over Foles and starting postseason games for the third time in his career.
Fortunes change fast in the NFL, and Sanchez knows that more than anyone.
"I feel great about Mark," Kelly said. "We felt great about him all along. I
always said we needed two quarterbacks. I thought he's done a great job in our
system. I thought he played outstanding in the preseason and showed no rust or
anything when he got in there against Houston yesterday. So we feel real
confident and feel obviously very bad for Nick that he's out, but I feel very
confident in Mark if we have to go in that direction."
Foles had been inconsistent this season. He has 13 touchdown passes, 10
interceptions and a passer rating of 81.5. Foles set an NFL record for best
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TD/interception ratio in 2013 with 27 TDs and only two picks while helping
the Eagles win the division after going 4-12 in 2012. His passer rating of 119.2
was the third-highest ever and he capped off the breakout year by being named
offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl.
Sanchez finished 15 of 22 for 202 yards, two TDs and two interceptions against
the Texans.
"Nothing changes," Sanchez said. "How do I prepare to play? How do I prepare
to watch a game? It's the same. I might get less reps as a backup but I am
watching the same amount of film, I am doing the same amount of drills, I am
taking advantage of my time that I can during the week and I can't cut corners
or l'll get caught off guard out there. This league will expose you and you got to
be ready."
Sanchez, a former No. 5 overall pick, once was the franchise quarterback for
the New York Jets. He led the Jets to the AFC championship game his first two
seasons but struggled the next two and lost his starting job to rookie Geno
Smith last year. Sanchez missed the 2013 season after tearing the labrum in his
right shoulder in a preseason game.
"He has played a lot of football in this league," wide receiver Jeremy
Maclin said. "He plays at a high level. I think he is one of the more game-ready
backup quarterbacks in this league."
Ryans was the team leader in the huddle and locker room. He's well-respected
by coaches, teammates and the entire organization. Casey Matthews replaces
him as the starter.
"DeMeco is a rock for us on defense," linebacker Conor Barwin said. "He is
just a great person, a great leader. That's why everyone has a lot of respect for
him. Obviously guys will have to step up. I think the guys behind him are more
than capable."
The Eagles were close to having their offensive line together for the first time
this season before Herremans got hurt. Center Jason Kelce returned after
missing four games following sports hernia surgery. Evan Mathis, an All-Pro
left guard last year, is set to return this week after injuring his knee in Week 1.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday that Herremans will undergo
surgery to repair the torn biceps in his left arm. The starting guard will be
placed on season-ending injured reserve.
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Herremans injured the arm in Week 8 against the Cardinals. He wore a brace
during Sunday's win over the Houston Texans but was clearly limited by the
injury. Herremans left the game prematurely with an ankle issue.
Andrew Gardner replaced Herremans against the Texans. Either Gardner
or Matt Tobin, who has been playing left guard, would start against the
Panthers if Herremans can't play. ...
Other notes of interest. ... As ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan framed it, "Maclin's
first touchdown of the day was a work of art. The second was just hard work."
The receiver is capable of both kinds of plays. It is why the offense has
remained productive despite the abrupt departure of DeSean Jackson and the
occasional inconsistency of Foles. It is why the Eagles never missed a beat
when Foles went down and Sanchez came off the bench to replace him.
Maclin caught a total of six passes for 158 yards and the two touchdowns. Last
week in Arizona, he caught 12 balls for 187 yards and two touchdowns, the
first player to have at least 150 yards and two receiving touchdowns in back-toback games since Dallas' Miles Austin in 2009.
Halfway through his first season back from ACL surgery, Maclin has 45
catches for 790 yards and eight touchdowns.
"He is having a heck of a year," Sanchez said. "He picked a great year to sign a
one-year deal. He's playing his butt off, man. He's in the right spot."
Maclin made it easy for Sanchez in his first regular-season action since 2012.
"When I went down last year," Maclin said, "the one thing I told myself was to
come back and give myself a chance to be better than what I was. This year, I
have had my number called quite a bit and all I can do is be reliable for my
team."
So far, so good. If Maclin wasn't filling his end of the bargain, the Eagles
wouldn't be 6-2 and Kelly would be getting criticized for releasing Jackson.
"That was the reason we re-signed Jeremy," Kelly said. "I think he's an
explosive player. I was really excited before he got injured in terms of how he
would fit, what he would do in the offense. He made a huge catch. I think he's
made some real good sideline catches and clutch catches for us during the year,
but I think that's what we're coming to expect from Jeremy. ..."
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Maclin was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in
Houston. ...
Kelly called four plays on the touchdown drive that gave the Eagles control of
the game. The man who called 62 pass plays in Arizona last week ordered up
four handoffs.
LeSean McCoy ran twice for 40 yards. Chris Polk came in, took a handoff
from Sanchez and rumbled 22 yards to the Houston 8-yard line. On the fourth
and final play of the drive, Polk sprinted up the middle for the touchdown.
The Eagles – the team that led the NFL in rushing last season – were back.
"If we play the way we know we can play," Polk said, "we are going to be able
to move the ball and the other team isn't going to be able to stop us."
"[The Texans] just got tired," McCoy said. "I mean, we wore them down. That
defense is a good defense. The special players that they have on that defense,
they kind of play off of just talent. We just played smashmouth. Just ran at
them. So yeah, I think that's probably the difference on that drive – just kept
going with it."
Kelly believes his no-huddle, up-tempo offense puts pressure on opposing
defenses. The Texans, like other opponents, say they practiced in anticipation
of facing the Eagles' frantic pace. But Kelly's conviction is that it's impossible
to get to the Eagles' level of fitness in a few days of practice.
When the Eagles are struggling in the run game, as they were earlier in the
season, the whole thing bogs down. It takes sustained drives to strain the
opponents' ability to keep up.
"I thought we wore them down a little bit," Kelly said, "I think with our tempo.
One drive, we had four runs for 70 and a touchdown. I think you could see the
cumulative effects of it."
McCoy finished with 117 yards on 23 carries. Polk carried the ball eight times
for 50 yards. Darren Sproles had three carries for 17 yards.
Worth noting: McCoy missed Wednesday's practice due to an illness, acording
to the Inquirer. McCoy is expected to return to work Thursday and play
Monday night against the Panthers.
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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, Nick Foles
RB: LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles, Chris Polk
WR: Jeremy Maclin, Riley Cooper, Jordan Matthews, Brad Smith, Jeff Maehl,
Josh Huff
TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, James Casey, Trey Burton
PK: Cody Parkey
=========================
=========================
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
As the Sports Xchange put it, "The Pittsburgh Steelers have risen from the
ashes to become a playoff contender again after missing them the past two
seasons with identical 8-8 records.
"And they are doing it in different manner than anyone has seen in quite some
time."
It's a very fantasy-friendly manner.
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for six touchdowns for the second
straight week the first quarterback in history to do that and the Steelers raised
their record to 6-3 by spanking Baltimore 43-23 for their third straight win.
They now go on the road for the next two games with a great chance to
improve to 8-3 before they head into their bye visiting the 1-8 New York Jets
and then at the 2-6 Tennessee Titans.
Roethlisberger has thrown 22 touchdown passes and just three interceptions 14
and 0 over the past three games. In the last two games he completed 65 of 86
passes for 862 yards, 12 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and a 146.4 passer rating.
With 2,720 yards, has more than Peyton Manning (2,572), Tom
Brady (2,392) or Drew Brees (2,524). Manning and Brees each played one
less game than Roethlisberger.
"He's one of the best in the game," offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert said. "He's
been doing it for a while. You just expect that from him."
Offensive coordinator Todd Haley, under fire earlier in the season as that
offense struggled, called virtually all the plays the past two weeks because the
Page 85 of 110
Steelers did not use the no-huddle offense. If this continues, Haley could be
setting himself up as a head coaching candidate again.
But there's more to it than the QB and the coach.
The Associated Press explained, "Cover all-everything wide receiver Antonio
Brown and rookie Martavis Bryant might be open. Or running back Le'Veon
Bell. Or Markus Wheaton. Or tight end Heath Miller.
"Even the lesser-known players are getting into the act."
Roethlisberger's sixth touchdown pass in Sunday night's 43-23 romp over
Baltimore might have been his favorite.
Up two scores with 2 minutes remaining, the Steelers didn't exactly run out the
clock.
Facing fourth-and-2 at the Baltimore 33, Roethlisberger bought time and found
little-used tight end Matt Spaeth lumbering toward the end zone. Spaeth
lunged across the goal line to give Roethlisberger his sixth scoring toss of the
game and 12 in two weeks, an NFL record.
"(Spaeth) has been around a long time and puts a lot of dirty work in, a lot of
blocking," Roethlisberger said. "For him to get that big touchdown, I was just
so excited for him."
It's becoming contagious.
Languishing through the first six weeks of the season, the Steelers used a threegame homestand against Houston, Indianapolis and Baltimore to redefine their
season. Pittsburgh scored 124 points in 180 minutes while going 3-0.
Though Roethlisberger isn't exactly ready to say the Steelers have arrived, they
have certainly closed the gap between themselves and AFC frontrunners
Denver and New England.
"I've said it before, as long as we win that's all that matters," Roethlisberger
said.
Maybe, though the Steelers have added more than a little style to go with their
substance.
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Brown joined former Dallas Cowboys star and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin as
the only players in league history to have five receptions for at least 80 yards in
each of his team's first nine games.
Bryant, who languished on the inactive list the first six weeks, has five
touchdowns in three games. Wheaton, whose role diminished through much of
September and October, has doubled his career touchdown total in the span of
two weeks.
The Steelers have scored touchdowns in eight of their past nine trips to the red
zone over their past two games, one more touchdown than they managed
during their first seven weeks of the season combined.
"I think everybody has a part in it," Bryant said. "Everybody looks at their
game. Everybody works hard in practice. And everybody takes more emphasis
in red zone. So it's just a whole team thing. Everybody is just working."
And scoring. Roethlisberger's dozen touchdowns over the past eight quarters
have gone to five different players, each of them emphasizing Pittsburgh's
growing versatility.
The 6-4 Bryant gives Roethlisberger the big body the Steelers have lacked
since Plaxico Burress was in town a decade ago.
Bell is one of the few backs in the league who looks just as comfortable lining
up at receiver as he does taking a handoff. Miller is the warm security blanket.
Wheaton is the blur quick enough to get behind the secondary.
Then there's Brown. The NFL's leading receiver is establishing himself as one
of the league's best. His 54-yard catch-and-scat touchdown in the fourth quarter
provided a splash of everything.
He ran a 15-yard out, with Roethlisberger so confident Brown would be open
the quarterback threw the ball before Brown was even out of his break. Brown
deftly pulled the ball to his chest, sidestepped a tackler then ran by a handful of
Ravens on his way to his eighth score of the season.
"Any time you get the ball into his hands he is something special,"
Roethlisberger said. "That's why I said earlier ... that the receivers that I play
with, he's at the top of it. He is something special and he's fun to watch."
At the moment, so are the rest of the Steelers. ...
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Other notes of interest. ... Roethlisberger was named AFC Offensive Player of
the Week for his performance against the Ravens. ...
According to Pro Football Focus, drops and a false start pushed Brown's grade
down a little but this was another productive display by the league's best
receiver to this point in 2014. Once again devastating after the catch Brown
racked up a season high 93 yards after the catch evading five tackles which is a
career high.
With his two touchdown catches against Baltimore, Bryant has five in three
games. He is the second player since 1980 to catch five touchdowns in the first
three games he has played, tying former Steelers tight end Eric Green. ...
Linebacker Ryan Shazier (ankle) and safety Troy Polamalu (knee) won't play
against the Jets.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones
RB: Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Dri Archer
FB: Will Johnson
WR: Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant, Lance Moore,
Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Brown
TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer
PK: Shaun Suisham
=========================
=========================
ST. LOUIS RAMS
As the Sports Xchange pointed out, there is no book or manual that educates
athletes on how to win. Mostly, it just happens, thanks to a combination of
excellent players, confidence and sometimes, the breaks going your way. Yet,
head coaches will often say solemnly, "Our guys have to learn how to win."
For the St. Louis Rams, head coach Jeff Fisher hopes his team is getting closer
to being able to win games consistently and can build off an improbable 13-10
road victory over the San Francisco 49ers Sunday.
Said Fisher, "I know I said this before, but teaching a young team how to win
close games is not an easy thing and it doesn't get any closer than that one
today. I'm just really happy for them."
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Happy because things looked so bleak for the Rams last week that they weren't
able to conduct a normal Wednesday practice because of the number of injuries
coming out of a loss to Kansas City the previous Sunday.
The Rams listed 13 players on their injury report all week, and on Wednesday,
had they been able to have a regular practice, eight players wouldn't have
practiced, and five would have been limited. That number didn't include tackle
Jake Long and wide receiver Brian Quick, who were placed on
reserve/injured.
Those two were part of an unprecedented total of 19 roster changes during the
week that included eight involving the 53-man roster.
As Fisher said after the win over the 49ers, and why he was happy for the
players, "Considering what happened last weekend with the injuries and the
uncertainty we had and the walk-through. The walk-through on Wednesday,
playing a team that had the week off and for them to hang in there and play the
way they did was just really a tribute to them.
"It's a big win for us given the circumstances. The fact that I don't think anyone
thought we'd come in here and pull it off, so that's just a tribute to the
personalities of the guys in the locker room."
The Rams had three offensive linemen injured against the Chiefs, including
Long, but left guard Rodger Saffold and center Scott Wells were both able to
start and go the distance against the 49ers. Wells played with a large brace on
his right snapping arm that protected an injured elbow. Rookie Greg
Robinson made his first start at left tackle. The five starting offensive linemen
played all of the 55 snaps in the game.
Said quarterback Austin Davis, "Wednesday we couldn't even practice. Our
offensive line was just beat up, and everybody worked and got back and we got
everybody back on the field and focused on Sunday. They did a great job of
coming out, playing hard and finding a way to win. It wasn't a pretty win, but
it's a great win."
After Wednesday's walk-through, Fisher said the goal was simply to get as
many players ready as possible for the game. It turned out that
cornerback Janoris Jenkins was the only one of the 13 unable to play because
of injury. Safety Cody Davis was inactive, but he had been cleared to play after
suffering a concussion against the Chiefs.
Page 89 of 110
Asked how he was able to get the team thinking positive with everything that
went on during the week, Fisher said, "This team listens very well and I spoke
with them on Wednesday. I actually talked to them on Monday and then
Wednesday and told them we'd be back by kickoff as long as they trust us and
we did the right things. They did. They came back and had a lot of energy."
Added Davis, who had two costly interceptions and ended the day with a passer
rating of 44.6 as part of an offense that gained only 193 yards, "It doesn't matter
how you do it or what it looks like, it just matters how the score is at the end. I
think guys did a great job of just staying focused on what we had to do and
getting more points than they did when the final whistle blew."
Now, the Rams go on the road again to play 7-1 division rival Arizona and then
come home to play Denver.
Fisher knows the task ahead. "We've got to take this and turn it into a positive
and move on and see if we can win two in a row now," he said. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Davis had two interceptions and nearly had one late
that would have potentially been a game-changer. His passer rating was 44.6
and he passed for only 105 yards.
Benny Cunningham was the leading received with three catches for 38 yards.
On 27 called pass plays, Austin was sacked just once and ran twice for yardage.
Still, there was one big play, a 21-yard catch-and-run by Kenny Britt that was
the Rams' only touchdown of the game and tied the score at 10 with 1:04
remaining in the second half.
By the way, Pro Football Focus notes that Britt played on a season-high 92.9
percent of the snaps at San Francisco. ...
The ground game did just enough to help the Rams control the ball somewhat
and have 27:34 time of possession. It appears that rookie Tre Mason is now
the team's main runner. He had 65 yards on 19 attempts, and had a 21-yard run.
Cunningham carried four times for 10 yards, while Zac Stacy was active but
didn't play in the game.
Two weeks prior to Sunday's game, he played just one snap against Seattle.
Fisher said, "Zac has handled things professionally. Unfortunately, he didn't get
to play. He will get to play. He will get his reps. We've not lost faith or
confidence in him, but it's hard to spread the ball around. ..."
Page 90 of 110
Even though Mason started in San Francisco, Fisher wouldn't commit to the
rookie running back as his full-time starter.
In other words, running back by committee continues.
"We're gonna continue with the same thing," Fisher said Monday. "I can't tell
you who's starting this week."
Fisher said the running back situation remains a week-to-week thing, based in
part on scheme and approach.
"Yeah, you guys come out to Arizona, watch the first play, figure out who's
gonna start," Fisher joked.
According to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner, it appears the Rams came out of
Sunday's game without anything pressing.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Austin Davis, Shaun Hill
RB: Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, Zac Stacy, Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts
WR: Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens
TE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Alex Bayer, Justice
Cunningham
PK: Greg Zuerlein
=========================
=========================
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
According to Associated Press sports writer Bernie Wilson, more than 24
hours later, Antonio Gates still couldn't believe it -- or explain it.
The Chargers' 37-0 loss at Miami on Sunday was their worst defeat in 18 years.
"I've never been a part of something of that magnitude at all in my sports life,
period," said the star tight end, who's been with the Chargers since 2003.
What had Gates shaking his head Monday afternoon was that a Philip Riversled team crossed the 50-yard line only once, on the opening drive. That drive
ended when rookie Branden Oliver was stuffed on fourth-and-1 from the
Miami 22.
Page 91 of 110
"In this league, you just don't lose like that. Guys are too talented, guys are too
good. It just wasn't our day," Gates said.
"I don't want to blame absolutely no one. I take the blame about what I could
have done to prevent that," he added. "That's the message that we as veteran
leaders send to the rest of the group: 'What can you do better to help us win.
What can you do better to help us prevent a situation like that.' That's real hard
to do. I mean, for a team to beat us like that, it just wasn't the San Diego
Chargers that I've been a part of that, that we've built. It wasn't our best
performance by far."
The Chargers (5-4) are in a freefall going into their bye, having lost three
straight games by increasingly larger margins.
After rallying to beat winless Oakland, the Chargers lost at home to Kansas
City, 23-20, and then on the road to Denver, 35-21. They've gone from being
tied for the NFL's best record at 5-1 to now needing to rally to get a playoff
berth.
Sunday's debacle was their worst loss since a 45-7 defeat to New England in
1996. It was their first shutout loss since a 34-0 defeat at Kansas City in 1999,
when Jim Harbaugh was their quarterback.
Rivers was intercepted three times and lost a fumble. It got so bad that Rivers
made way for backup Kellen Clemens. The line played so poorly that San
Diego had only 50 yards on 19 rushes.
Head coach Mike McCoy didn't have any answers on Monday.
"We flat out played poor, obviously. Look at the scoreboard. It's not going to
lie," McCoy said.
The coach said no one could blame the preparation.
"We had the right mindset going in, understanding the importance of the next
game, playing a good team, on the road, going to Miami, what it means playing
a conference opponent and what's at stake there, the importance of those
games. We played poor as a team. We did a poor job coaching."
"When you get beat 37-0 you obviously did something wrong," McCoy said.
"It's hard for me to think of a game that I've been involved in that's been like
that in a long time. It's part of the game and it's a perfect example of, you don't
Page 92 of 110
go out and play your best game, you're going to get exposed. We got exposed
in a lot of areas."
After their bye, the Chargers host the Raiders. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Three weeks ago, Branden Oliver was the darling of
San Diego. The undrafted rookie, catapulted from fourth string to first due to
his teammates' injuries, rushed for back-to-back 100-plus-yard games in his
first two starts.
As the San Diego Union-Tribune put it: "The Chargers' ground game, which
had dipped to the worst in the league, suddenly seemed cured. Three games
later, that Band-Aid has been ripped right off."
Oliver was held to 19 yards on 13 carries in Miami on Sunday. Ten days earlier
in Denver, he was limited to 36 yards on 13 carries.
Meanwhile, even with Donald Brown returning, San Diego managed just 50
yards on 19 carries against the Dolphins, and at 3.1 yards per carry, once
against has the lowest rushing average in the NFL.
The solution?
Ryan Mathews has been out with a knee injury since Week 2, and because of
Oliver's play, there might have been some question as to whether he would
resume his role -- which may come when the Chargers return against the
Raiders on November 16.
Mathews was practicing as the team went through a bye-week session
Wednesday.
Goven the Chargers' complete lack of production on the ground lately,
Mathews seems almost assured to take over as the team's top RB.
Whether that helps remains unknown. San Diego better hope it does, though.
Rivers injured his right throwing hand, but that wasn't the reason he was pulled
from the game in the third quarter. The score was. No long-term concern was
expressed over his ailment.
Page 93 of 110
Rivers had a franchise-record streak of seven straight games with multiple
touchdowns. He also had 28 straight games with at least one score. Both were
snapped Sunday.
Rivers was hit just before throwing in the third quarter, a sack that resulted in a
Dolphins fumble recovery. That ended a string a luck. The Chargers recovered
all seven of their previous fumbles this year, the only NFL team not to lose one.
According to ESPN.com's Eric Williams, Rivers' 31.0 passer rating is the
lowest he's posted since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Chargers
in 2006. The 128 yards passing was Rivers' lowest output since 2012.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Rivers finished 8-of-16 for 96 yards
with three interceptions against four or fewer pass-rushers.
Sunday marked the fourth game in the last five years Rivers did not complete
more than half of his passes against standard pressure.
"There's really no excuses," Rivers said. "I didn't play good at all, and that's
stating the obvious. I don't think anybody on our team thinks we played
anywhere close to what we're capable of. That's what happens when you get
beat like we did."
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
The Chargers are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
=========================
=========================
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Halfway through the regular season, the 49ers know there's a sense of urgency
in get things turned around.
"You could point fingers at anybody," 49ers safety Eric Reid said Tuesday.
"But that's not what we're going to do. We're going to keep our focus on
making the playoffs. We have to keep being persistent."
As Associated Press sports writer Rick Eymer noted, Sunday's 13-10 home
loss to the St. Louis Rams means the 49ers (4-4) have little margin for error in
the race for a playoff spot.
They missed a chance to pull into a tie with the Seattle Seahawks for second
place behind Arizona in the NFC West.
Page 94 of 110
San Francisco's faces Seattle twice and Arizona once in its final eight games.
The 49ers travel to New Orleans to face the Saints, who are also 4-4, on
Sunday.
"I think we'll respond," fullback Bruce Miller said. "We'll have a good week of
practice. We're ready to do whatever we need to do to win. I definitely think
we're at a point where games become more must-wins. We have to get
ourselves into a better spot."
Four of the next five games are against teams that are .500 or worse. The final
three games are against teams that have winning records.
"Right now it's still the same," cornerback Perrish Cox said. "We'll come in
this week and get into a winning mindset. We know what position we are in
and we need to stay on the same page and turn this thing around."
One of the frustrating things about Sunday's game for the 49ers was how well
the defense played and how close the team came to scoring the winning
touchdown late in the game.
Colin Kaepernick fumbled into the end zone in the final seconds.
"We got him across the line," Miller said. "It's just we got over without the ball.
We need to be more efficient. We need all 11 guys on the same page. We're not
always that way and it's always someone different."
Under head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers got off to strong starts and reached
the NFC championship game in each of the past three years.
"We've been in similar situations, where we felt we needed to do something
different," Miller said. "We've been able to come together when things got
tough and win some football games."
With an offensive line in flux -- Marcus Martin made his NFL debut at center
against the Rams -- the 49ers have not been able to establish their running game
behind Frank Gore, who has 472 yards on the season and has not scored a
touchdown since Sept. 28 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gore's pace would leave him shy of 1,000 yards and would be his lowest
rushing total since 2010, when he was only available for 11 games. He's
averaging 4.1 yards a carry.
Page 95 of 110
"We all have fingerprints on that game," Reid said of the loss. "We had a blown
coverage that led to a touchdown. We'll get it together and get rid of the
mistakes. We need some wins and we have to crank it up. It's all about getting
to the playoffs."
Whether it was play-calling, the team's new center, the offensive philosophy,
Kaepernick's weaknesses, the offensive line in general, the quality of the
coaching, the referees pretty much everything was fair game for criticism in the
wake of a defeat that dropped them three games behind the Cardinals in the
NFC West.
Even given nearly a full 24 hours to watch film and determine answers,
Harbaugh was unwilling to make any of them public Monday.
"It's a tough loss whether you characterize it as some guys are frustrated or
surprised or we didn't get the job done," Harbaugh assessed. "That's on the men
in the room. That's us."
According to Harbaugh, all the 49ers' would be in the room Tuesday,
discussing, as the coach put it, "where we're at, what we can learn from what
we did and where we're going."
Where the 49ers are going next is to New Orleans.
And unless attitudes change between now and when the plane leaves at the end
of the work week, they'll be taking with them a star running back who's
confused about the club's offensive identity and a standout offensive lineman
who pretty much sized up his unit's play Sunday in one word: Dumb.
"We've got to just, as a team, come in Tuesday and make our mind up where
we want to go," observed Gore, who didn't score a touchdown for a fourth
consecutive game. "We've just got to make our minds up, do what we feel we're
good at and go do it."
Offensive tackle Joe Staley was a little more pointed.
"We have all the talent in the world, We've been doing some dumb stuff," he
said. "Penalties, dumb blocks, dumb technique and dumb schemes."
Sounds like there's a lot to talk about. ...
In fact, Harbaugh himself is a topic again.
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Jerry Rice's media tour on Tuesday turned into a hard truth session on
Harbaugh. Earlier in the day, it was Rice saying that players told him
Harbaugh's college-style coaching wasn't working in San Francisco.
"I have heard some complaints from some players that he likes to try to coach
with the collegiate mentality, and that's just not going to work in the NFL,"
Rice said at a charity event on Tuesday, via Newsday.
Later on, Rice was more explicit. He thinks Harbaugh is gone at the end of the
season no matter what, according to Sports Illustrated.
"We don't really know if he wants to come back and be the head coach for the
San Francisco 49ers," he said. "Maybe that's starting to wear and tear on the
team and it's taking its toll."
Rice, the franchise's all-time leading receiver and arguably its most important
icon, added that the reported friction between general manager Trent
Baalke and Harbaugh absolutely has an impact on the locker room. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Anquan Boldin caught six passes in Sunday's loss,
including one that was the 900th of his career. He became the 17th player in
NFL history to reach the milestone, and did so in the third-fewest number of
games (164). Only Marvin Harrison (149) and Andre Johnson (150) did it
faster.
Boldin also topped 500 yards in receptions for the 12th consecutive season, a
feat previously accomplished only by Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy
Moss.
According to the Sports Xchange, Brandon Lloyd once again got more snaps
than Stevie Johnson as the club's No. 3 wideout in Sunday's loss to the St.
Louis Rams. Lloyd left the game with a hamstring injury, however, after being
in on 28 plays. His status for the 49ers' next game against the New Orleans
Saints is uncertain.
And finally. ... The 49ers have signed one of their potential unrestricted free
agents to a new contract. The club has extended tailback Kendall
Hunter's deal through 2015, the team said Monday.
The 26-year-old Hunter is on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending
ACL tear in his right knee in July. By re-signing with the Niners, he positions
himself to be part of the backfield in 2015 should he return to health.
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The 49ers have some decisions to make at running back in the offseason.
Stalwart Frank Gore is in the final year of his deal and will be 32 in May.
Rookie Carlos Hyde, the 49ers' top backup tailback, could be set to move into
the featured back's role next season.
The depth beyond Hyde and Hunter could undergo some changes, too. Secondyear pro Marcus Lattimore has informed the team he plans to retire because
of knee issues. It would not be surprising if San Francisco drafted a back next
year, even if only for depth purposes.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Josh Johnson
RB: Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde
FB: Bruce Miller
WR: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson,
Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington
TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Derek Carrier
PK: Phil Dawson
=========================
=========================
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
As the Sports Xchange suggested, it was a game that might have caused more
consternation than optimism in the Seahawks' fan base, as the team had to work
until the final minutes to finally subdue the Oakland Raiders at home, 30-24.
Perpetually sunny head coach Pete Carroll, though, viewed it a little
differently.
He saw the team get a win while playing through a series of injuries that had
Seattle able to dress just 45 healthy players while doing so in a style he
considered Seahawk-esque.
Seattle got the win largely on the strength of a running game that gained 149
yards in a driving rain and a defense that forced two turnovers that led to 10
points and held the Raiders to 226 yards.
That style of play, Carroll said, has him optimistic as Seattle heads into the
second half of the season.
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"I am really excited about the second half," he said Monday. "Really excited
about it because we have captured the real essence of what we are about, which
is playing really hard."
They'll need that to continue in the last eight games if they are to catch an
Arizona team that continues to show that it may really be the favorite in the
NFC West. The Cardinals improved to 7-1 Sunday with a win at Dallas,
dominating a Cowboys team that a few weeks ago beat the Seahawks in Seattle.
Seattle begins its second half Sunday with a game against the New York
Giants, who are coming off a Monday night loss to the Colts.
But that game is the last against a team that has a losing record until the final
contest of the season.
After that come games at Kansas City (5-3), home against Arizona, at San
Francisco (4-4), at Philadelphia (6-2), San Francisco and Arizona. Seattle likely
has to sweep Arizona to have a shot at winning the NFC West and avoiding
having to almost certainly be on the road for every playoff game it would have.
For now, though, Carroll is looking just to the Giants and to getting healthy.
Seattle was particularly makeshift on the offensive line Sunday, playing
without starting center Max Unger for the fourth straight game and left
tackle Russell Okung, who strained his calf in practice last week. Seattle also
was without back center Steve Schilling for most of the game, going instead
with third-teamer Patrick Lewis. And guard James Carpenter left in the
second half with a sprained ankle.
Carroll said offensive line coach Tom Cable called it the most challenging
game of his career to coach.
Given the state of the offensive line, Carroll said on Monday that "our
expectations were that we survive the game. And we got through it and the
quarterback didn't get killed, and we made it through it and we go on and we'll
be better this week."
In fact, Carroll said as many as six players who were not available Sunday
could return for the Giants: Unger, Okung, safeties Kam
Chancellor and Jeron Johnson, defensive tackle Jordan Hill and
cornerback Jeremy Lane. Lane is coming off the short-term injured reserve
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and the team will have to make a move at some point this week to get him back
on the 53-man roster.
Seattle had just 45 players in uniform for the Oakland game, including two
Unger and Schilling the team didn't really want to use (Schilling ended up
playing when there was another injury up front).
"That was an unusual situation," Carroll said. "But we should jump right back
out of that this week. ..."
Other notes of interest. ... Carroll said running back Marshawn
Lynch continues to play at a level that matches or exceeds any he has during
his Seattle career.
Lynch had 67 yards on 21 carries but often had little room to run due to the
issues with the offensive line. He also led Seattle with 76 yards receiving on
five catches. "I thought his runs in the open field were spectacular," Carroll
said. "I thought he just looked great."
Lynch took the time to briefly talk to reporters after the game: "It's a team
game," he said. "We played as a team."
Lynch on his bulldozer, 3-yard touchdown with guys hanging on him: "I think
maybe six of them was my own team, so it's all good."
Wilson had one of his poorer days against the Raiders, going just 17 of 35 for
179 yards and no touchdowns.
Coupled with an average outing the previous week at Carolina, he has seen his
quarterback rating for the season drop to 93.1 from 101.9 two weeks ago.
Carroll said the entire offense was a struggle Sunday due to the issues with the
line but that Wilson just had an off day.
"He just wasn't connecting like he normally does," Carroll said. "He was just a
little high with the ball, a little quick getting rid of it. Just his timing was not
normal."
Worth noting: There were at least four dropped passes, two by tight end Luke
Willson. But Wilson was also simply off on a handful of throws, admitting
after the game that he didn't play well and didn't have a great reason. The only
thing that really saved it was a five-catch day, on five targets, by Lynch. ...
Page 100 of 110
And finally. ... According to ESPN.com's Terry Blount, the Seahawks were
active Tuesday with several roster moves. They have signed tight end Tony
Moeaki and re-signed receiver/punt returner Bryan Walters. The team also
added safety Dion Bailey and wide receiver Jalen Saundersfrom the practice
squad.
Signing Moeaki (6-foot-3, 250 pounds) could be bad news about the status of
starting tight end Zach Miller, who had ankle surgery in late September and
has missed the past five games.
Moeaki was a third-round draft choice out of Iowa in 2010 by the Kansas City
Chiefs. He spent three seasons in Kansas City, but missed the 2011 season due
to injury. Moeaki played in 30 games with 29 starts, recording 80 receptions for
1,009 yards with four touchdowns. He signed with the Buffalo Bills on
December 4, 2013, and played in two games.
Saunders was a fourth-round pick of the New York Jets this year. He played in
three games and had six punt returns for 26 yards before being released on
Sept. 29. Saunders was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad on
October 1, but was released on October 25.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson
RB: Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, Christine Michael
FB: Robert Turbin
WR: Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, Ricardo Lockette,
Kevin Norwood, Bryan Walters
TE: Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet, Zach Miller
PK: Steven Hauschka
=========================
=========================
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
As Tampa Tribune staffer Ira Kaufman first reported it, five weeks after
rallying the Buccaneers to their only win of the season, second-year
quarterback Mike Glennon has been benched in favor of veteran Josh
McCown.
Glennon broke the news Tuesday night on his weekly radio show on the team's
flagship station, 620-WDAE.
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"I met with [interim offensive coordinator] Marcus Arroyo and Lovie [Smith]
this morning, and they decided that it would be best for Josh to go ahead this
week and get the start," Glennon told host T.J. Rives. "For me, things aren't
going to change in the way I prepare. I was in here all day watching film. I'll be
in here bright and early, taking care of my business as usual. We'll just keep
preparing the same way, and nothing's going to change with the way I work and
the way I support the team and everything that goes into it."
Glennon has been under center since McCown suffered a right thumb injury at
Atlanta Sept. 18 in a 56-14 setback. Now, McCown will open Sunday's rematch
against the Falcons at Raymond James Stadium, where the Bucs are 0-4.
Smith said Glennon didn't play well in Sunday's 22-17 loss at Cleveland,
despite throwing a pair of touchdown passes to rookie wide receiver Mike
Evans while McCown stood ready on the sidelines.
Glennon started the final 13 games of his rookie season, going 4-9 after Josh
Freeman was benched by former coach Greg Schiano. This year, the former
third-round pick out of North Carolina State has completed 57.6 percent of his
throws, with 10 touchdown passes and six interceptions.
McCown, signed as a free agent from Chicago in March, started the first three
games, throwing for 620 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions.
In Week 4, Glennon capped a stirring comeback at Pittsburgh by
finding Vincent Jackson for the winning score in the final minute as Tampa
Bay edged the Steelers 27-24 for Smith's only victory as Bucs coach.
At the season's mid-point the Bucs stand at 1-7 and they're running out of
opportunities to turn themselves around.
The team found yet another way to lose a close game in their latest outing,
squandering a fourth-quarter lead for the third time in five weeks before falling
to the improved Cleveland Browns.
The Bucs undermined themselves with two turnovers, several costly penalties
and a pair of blunders on special teams, including a blocked field goal that cost
them points early and a deflected punt that led to Cleveland's go-ahead
touchdown in the fourth quarter of a 22-17 setback.
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Nevertheless, Smith remains hopeful, reiterating Monday that there's still time
to salvage season, particularly in the NFC South, which doesn't feature a team
that currently has a winning record.
"We're at the halfway point, and we're still within range if we can get it fixed,"
Smith said.
Five of the team's seven defeats have been by six of fewer points, including
overtime losses to New Orleans and Minnesota.
They led in the fourth quarter of both those games, as they did Sunday. Now
they're hoping a change at quarterback will provide a spark. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Evans has come on strong in recent weeks. He had
his best game Sunday, catching seven passes for 124 yards with two
touchdowns and now has 32 receptions on the season for 460 yards and four
touchdowns.
Evans said he was having fun with Johnny Manziel when he mimicked
Manziel's money sign after one of his two touchdown catches. "It just came to
my mind," Evans said. "That's one of my best buds. I just wanted to give him a
hard time."
Evans and Manziel, Cleveland's backup quarterback, were college teammates.
They met on the field after the game, exchanged jerseys and talked about
getting together in the offseason.
Running back Bobby Rainey got the start in place of the injured Doug Martin.
Rainey may have done enough to secure the starting position even when the
slumping Martin comes back. Rainey gained 87 yards on 19 carries.
As ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas notes, the Bucs have been starting Martin for
most of the season. That's understandable because Martin rushed for more than
1,400 yards as a rookie in 2012. But the NFL is a league that's all about what
has happened lately. For Martin, not much has.
He missed much of 2013 with a shoulder injury. He's been dealing with knee
and ankle injuries this season and hasn't produced much. Martin has gained 166
yards on 28 carries, an average of 2.9 yards per carry.
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Rainey has been more productive than Martin, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Top that off with the fact that rookie Charles Sims is close to being active, and
things aren't looking really bright for Martin.
He was a first-round pick in 2012. But it's looking like Martin could be the
third man in a two-back rotation for the rest of this season.
Sims, who was inactive against the Browns, should be cleared to play against
the Falcons on Sunday.
For the record, Martin (ankle) and Jackson (ribs) were not practicing
Wednesday; Jackson should play as usual.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Mike Glennon, Josh McCown,
RB: Bobby Rainey, Charles Sims, Doug Martin, Mike James
RB: Jorvorskie Lane
WR: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Louis Murphy, Robert Herron, Russell
Shephard, Trindon Holliday
TE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Luke Stocker
PK: Patrick Murray
=========================
=========================
TENNESSEE TITANS
According to the Sports Xchange, now that the Titans have installed Zach
Mettenberger as their quarterback, it seems they have hit the reset button for
the 2014 season.
At 2-6 before the bye week, the Titans certainly needed a reboot.
Now, their task is to find out whether or not Mettenberger can be the
quarterback to lead the franchise after having given up on Jake Locker, who
can be a free agent at the end of the season.
Mettenberger had mixed results in his first start, losing a fumble and throwing
an interception, but he also had the first two touchdowns of his career among
his 27 completions in 41 attempts. He finished with 299 yards passing.
With the bye week, the Titans got the chance to not only get Mettenberger
more reps in practice and extra work to get a better grasp on the playbook and
Page 104 of 110
his reads, but also because he started the week before the bye, got a chance the
rookie some experience and some film to study going forward into Sunday's
big challenge at Baltimore.
"We got a lot of reps in last week. We had a couple of days where we ran a
bunch of plays, 60 plus plays in practice, and it's invaluable," head coach Ken
Whisenhunt said. "We got a chance to do some situational work, which is
what we needed, to work on third down, works on some red zone things. A lot
of times it was even a case of repeating plays, where you get two looks at it, so
you get a chance to really get a feel for the play. That's good."
Whisenhunt said Mettenberger having the chance to get a start before the bye
rather than coming in cold with little game experience also should help.
"I think certainly it makes him a lot more confident. Certainly we feel better as
an organization, as a team with that coming in. Getting the time during the bye
week was good, because like I said, we got a lot of plays, he got the majority of
those, which is invaluable, and hopefully that'll help us as we go forward,"
Whisenhunt said.
The challenge now for Mettenberger is to advance quickly, because the Ravens
pass rush, which sacked Ben Roethlisberger three straight times, will no doubt
pin its ears back and come after the rookie, especially if the Titans tepid
rushing attack hasn't improved from the first half of the season.
"I'm sure that's what a lot of teams will do. I'm sure that'll be part of his plan.
They're going to do that against us until we can prove we can handle those
things, until we make a play to hurt somebody," Whisenhunt said. "We've had
opportunities to do that, and we've had marginal success with that. Cleveland
came after us a few plays, and we had some success.
"That's the kind of thing you've got to do to keep teams from doing it to you.
..."
Other notes of interest. ... Bishop Sankey, who got the lion's share of the
carries, is now the starting running back. He essentially took the starter's job
once Shonn Greene went out with a hamstring injury, but when Greene
returned in Week 9, he played the first snap, but played little else, partially
because of an arrest on Friday night before the game.
That said, the Titans at times don't even seem committed to wanting to stick to
the run. The rotation of Sankey, Greene, Dexter McCluster and even Leon
Page 105 of 110
Washington has meant none of the four has had a chance to find a rhythm as it
almost seems the running back-by-committee has become too specialized for
their own good.
Between all the rushing, the Titans are averaging barely 100 yards per game.
As ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky reminded readers, brought to the Titans with a
three-year, $9 million with $4.5 million guaranteed, McCluster was supposed
to be an X factor for the offense.
Halfway through his first season, McCluster's role remains hazy.
The versatile running back has played just 28 percent of the offensive snaps,
has touched the ball a grand total of 40 times, and has accounted for only eight
percent of the team's yardage.
"A lot of it is because we haven't been very good on third down, sustaining
drives and giving us more opportunities," Whisenhunt said. "A lot of it's just
the way the games have gone. I'm hopeful that as we continue to go through the
season those things will have more frequent occurrences."
A few final items. ... The Titans placed tight end Taylor Thompson on injured
reserve with his injured PCL. He is out for the season. They claimed tight
end Brett Brackett off waivers from the Seahawks. Brackett played in two
games for Tennessee earlier this season, without making a catch.
The Titans have had such problems with penalties this season that referees will
attend Wednesday's practice to point out infractions so they can be corrected in
time for games.
Center Brian Schwenke indicated that for the offensive line, which has been
one of the focal points of those penalties, line coach Bob Bostad will also point
out penalties and remove players for a play or two in practice, even if it is not
called.
Drastic times apparently call for drastic measures along those lines, but the
Titans have had 515 yards in penalties on 56 accepted penalties through eight
games this year.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
QB: Zach Mettenberger, Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst
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RB: Bishop Sankey, Shonn Greene, Dexter McCluster, Leon Washington,
Antonio Andrews
FB: Jackie Battle
WR: Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, Nate Washington, Derek Hagan, Kris
Durham
TE: Delanie Walker, Chase Coffman, Richard Gordon, Brett Brackett
PK: Ryan Succop
=========================
=========================
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
As Associated Press sports writer Joseph White put it: "Jay Gruden got the
full Washington Redskins circus distraction experience all in one day."
This after a protest against the name, a bus wreck on the way to the
stadium, Robert Griffin III's return from an injury, a media report the coach
called "amateurish," and a defense that allowed a rookie quarterback to put up
29 points.
And perhaps the most Redskins indicator of them all: The record is 3-6 for the
fourth straight year.
White went on to suggest if ever a team needed a bye, it's this one. They could
use of the break to figure out how to tune out the outside noise. Sunday's 29-26
loss to the Minnesota Vikings had all the makings of an all-too-typical
Redskins day from the last decade or so.
"From a mental standpoint, you want your team to be thinking about the
Minnesota Vikings, period," Gruden said Monday. "I want Robert and I want
the offense to be thinking about Mike Zimmer's Double-A package and blitz
package and how we're going to attack. I want the defense to be thinking
about Teddy Bridgewater and their zone-checks and what they have to do,
instead of reading tweets about there's locker room separation, whatever, and
having bus wrecks and all that stuff.
"So there was a little bit of things that might've took our mind off the important
thing, which is the Minnesota Vikings."
The Redskins couldn't do much about the accident involving team buses on the
way to the game -- "We're four tire rotations from driving off a cliff," Gruden
said -- and the players were largely isolated from the thousands who marched
outside the stadium calling for the team to change its nickname.
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But a pair of media reports clearly raised some ire at the Redskins' facility.
One said that "several members" of the organization "believe" the order to start
Griffin on Sunday came from owner Dan Snyder and general manager Bruce
Allen. The other linked a group of players' boisterous behavior toward media
and a public relations staffer during a Griffin group interview to an allegation
that Griffin has "alienated himself" in the locker room.
Gruden launched a blistering retort to the second report, calling it "amateurish"
from "some small-time reporter reporting fiction."
But the first-year head coach is quickly learning that it's all part of the deal in
Washington.
"We've got a young team. We have some fragile egos here," he said. "The guys
are young guys, trying their best, and they read in the paper that nobody likes
'em and they're alienated and 'blasy, blasy.' It just doesn't seem right.
"But as a football player, as an NFL football player playing here, you have to
expect it. ... The big thing is we can't let anything tear the locker room apart."
All the distractions could have been neatly swept away if the same defense that
disrupted Tony Romo's life just six days earlier could've done the same to
Bridgewater, who led two long, answer-back drives in the fourth quarter.
Gruden said the staff will spend the upcoming bye week re-examining their
defensive schemes.
As for Griffin, he did OK after missing six games with a dislocated ankle but
made two poor throws at critical times -- an interception before halftime that
led to the Vikings' first touchdown, and a short-armed effort on fourth-and-6
that landed short of an open Pierre Garcon in the game's final two minutes.
He also was sacked five times, showing he's still yet to get a good feel for
pressure around him in the pocket.
According to ESPN.com's John Keim, the Redskins didn't really learn a whole
lot new about Griffin in his return from a dislocated left ankle. He makes plays
on the move; he helps teammates to a degree in the run game and he is not a
finished product. When he had a chance to drive the Redskins downfield -- as
Bridgewater had just done for the Minnesota Vikings -- Griffin failed.
Page 108 of 110
As Keim put it, "Growing pains. Work in progress. Pick your phrase, but both
work when it comes to Griffin."
"Just let me play football," he said.
And that means some good because of his ability to move -- and some bad.
In the end, he led an offense that put up 26 points against a solid defense. Keim
pointed out it wasn't Griffin who let the Vikings -- who had scored 48 points in
the last four games combined -- carve up Washington's defense.
But it was that costly interception at the end of the first half that allowed the
Vikings to find momentum when they had none, turning it into a touchdown
and 10-7 halftime deficit.
"We can't throw a pick there," Gruden said. "Can't throw an out-breaking route
on the inside. That can never happen. ... Overall, Robert competed. He gave us
a good chance to win."
As for the 3-6 record, there's no telling what it portends.
In 2011, the Redskins finished 5-11. In 2012, they never lost again in the
regular season, going 10-6 and winning in the NFC East. In 2013, they never
won again and ended up 3-13.
Asked to give his team a pre-bye grade, Gruden said "from a human being
standpoint, I'd give him an A."
"Bad thing is we don't get credit for being good guys," Gruden said. "We get
credit for wins and losses, and that's not good enough. The grade is 3-6. ...
That's probably a D or an F-plus. ..."
For what it's worth, Keim notes the reports that Griffin has alienated teammates
are nothing new.
"No, teammates do not view him as a savior anymore," Keim wrote. "He has to
prove he can lead them. Yes, some are tired of the circus and have been for a
while. Yes, the coaches wonder about aspects of his game and whether he'll
develop into the player they need him to be. They also know he's a unique
talent worth developing.
Page 109 of 110
"But with a lot of the locker room stuff, it evaporates if he plays well and they
win. Simple. Teammates don't have to like Griffin, they just have to catch his
passes and block for him -- in other words, do their jobs. If the defense holds
Minnesota after the Redskins went up 26-21, then the narrative is different on
Griffin's game.
"And if Griffin is doing his job, then those who don't like him won't care what
he tweets, what he says, how he acts. If he helps them win, life will be good for
all."
Keim went on to note a lot of players love Kirk Cousins and respect his
approach; he threw too many picks in the fourth quarter and they didn't win.
But if Griffin doesn't produce and there's a circus and the team is losing. ...
Well, that's not something the Redskins want to consider now.
For now, they'll look at what he does well and what he must correct. They'll
move forward into the bye week and then spend the next seven weeks
determining if he's their guy. It'll be determined on the field. ...
Other notes of interest. ... Running back Alfred Morris had one of his better
showings in a while.
Yes, the return of RG III helped as the threat of him running had a direct
impact on some runs. Regardless, Morris had the sort of game Washington
needed with 92 yards on 16 carries. And, as always, it seems, receiver DeSean
Jackson had 120 yards on four receptions and one touchdown. He remains the
big-play threat Washington needed.
Roy Helu sees time as the Redskins' primary third down back, and while he's a
superior receiver to Morris, Pro Football Focus advised readers that Helu's
pass protection (or lack thereof) has to factor into his performance at some
point. Routinely tossed aside by Minnesota's blitzing linebackers, Helu has now
allowed eight pressures on the year, third most among running backs.
The Redskins announced Tuesday that they have activated Leonard
Hankerson from the Physically Unable to Perform list. Hankerson tore his
ACL last November and wasn't able to get onto the practice field before the end
of training camp, which led to his placement on the PUP list.
Hankerson, a 2011 third-round pick, caught 30 passes for 375 yards and three
touchdowns before being injured last season. Hankerson started seven of the 10
games he played in 2013, but the additions of Jackson and Andre
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Roberts mean he'll be coming back to a very different depth chart than the one
he was on last year.
Ryan Grant has seen the fourth-most snaps among receivers this season, but
that hasn't amounted to much playing time.
Gruden embarked on his first bye week as an NFL head coach by taking a look
at 14 players via Tuesday tryouts.
The biggest name on the lis was quarterback Terrelle Pryor; others of interest
included running back Jeff Demps, running back Tim Hightower, tight end
Chase Dixon, tight end D.C. Jefferson and tight end Tyler George,
guard Maurice Hurt.
Hightower last played in the NFL for Washington in 2011, starting five games
and rushing for 321 yards. Demps, a former sprinter, has bounced around the
league since the London Olympics in 2012.
And finally, Silas Redd, who had back spasms from the bus accident and was
inactive for the game, underwent an MRI on Monday. Gruden said there was
no structural damage and that Redd will be fine. ... Gruden said tight
end Logan Paulsen "has a chance" of playing against the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers after the bye. Paulsen is battling plantar fasciitis in one of his feet.
DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT
The Redskins are idle this week due to the NFL bye.
=========================
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