FLASHUPDATE WEEK 11 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 16 November 2005Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris

=========================ARIZONA CARDINALSAccording to Arizona Republic staffer Bob McManaman, receiver Anquan Boldin plans to test his injured knee in practice on Wednesday and if swelling and soreness are minimal, he said he expects to be available for Sunday's game in St. Louis against the Rams.

"I'm going to test it out this week and see how it responds and we'll go from there," said Boldin, who suffered a contusion Oct. 30 against the Cowboys. "If fit doesn't swell, which I don't think it will, I'll take the next step.

"Right now, it's just a matter of getting back on the field and I knew there was going to be a time when I'd get back out there. ... Your body tells you when you're ready to go, and I think I'm at that point right now."

Head coach Dennis Green said fellow wideout Bryant Johnson (shoulder) probably won't be ready to play, but that he liked what he saw from rookie wideout LeRon McCoy in Sunday's loss to the Lions. ...

Meanwhile, in attempting to lead the team to a comeback victory over the Lions, Kurt Warner completed 29 of 45 passes for a season-high 359 yards, along with one touchdown and no interceptions in Detroit.

In addition, the 34-year-old quarterback avoided being sacked for the first time in five games this season.

With Boldin and Johnson out, Larry Fitzgerald again was forced to step up his game and serve as Warner's primary target in the Cardinals' passing attack. The second-year receiver did not disappoint, hauling in nine passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

It was his fifth 100-yard outing of the season and second in a row.

While Boldin's return would undoubtedly provide a boost for Warner, Fitzgerald and the entire passing attack, the Cardinals still can't run the ball.

As Republic beat man Kent Somers suggested Monday, the first goal of any running game should be to avoid negative plays, and the Cardinals season has been full of them.

Detroit's defensive tackles dominated Arizona's offensive line last Sunday, sometimes overpowering Nick Leckey and Alex Stepanovich.

Somers went on to warn readers the run game could get worse now that left guard Reggie Wells is out for the year after suffering a dislocated and fractured left ankle. He'll be replaced by Adam Haayer. That means the team's three interior line positions have changed in each of the past three weeks.

In a related note. ... Marcel Shipp had more on his mind Sunday than one of the worst performance's in his NFL career.

His father died of cancer a week ago, and Shipp attended the funeral Friday, missing Thursday's practice. He met the team in Detroit.

The stress of last week probably was responsible for Shipp not playing up to par Sunday, Green said.

"I think it was tough on him," said Green.

Shipp had four carries for 3 yards in the first half and didn't have a carry in the second half. J.J. Arrington took over, but Shipp will remain the starter for this week's game in St. Louis, Green said.

"You don't know how hard it is to prepare for a game and go through things like that," Shipp said.

Oh. ... By the way, the Cardinals got their first rushing touchdown of the season on Sunday when Arrington scored from a yard out. ... In Week 10.

And finally. ... As Somers correctly pointed out on Monday, Neil Rackers is more than just a kicker, he's an athlete, too. Rackers made two key tackles on kickoffs Sunday, showing surprising speed.

He's pretty good at his main job, too.

He made both of his field goals, a 51-yarder and 28-yarder, to give him 28 consecutive successful attempts this season.

Rackers has now kicked at least two field goals in a game for the 10th consecutive time, dating to the final game of the 2004 season. It's the first time a kicker has accomplished the feat in nine years (Cary Blanchard, Colts, 1996).

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Kurt Warner, Josh McCown, John Navarre RB: Marcel Shipp, J.J. Arrington, James Jackson FB: Obafemi Ayanbadejo, Jarrod Baxter, Harold Morrow WR: Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald, LeRon McCoy, Reggie Newhouse, J.J. Moses, Reggie Swinton, Bryant Johnson

TE: Eric Edwards, Adam Bergen, Teyo Johnson PK: Neil Rackers =========================

=========================ATLANTA FALCONSIn an article published Monday, Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer Steve Hummer reminded readers that a week ago, Michael Vick issued his "Miami Manifesto," essentially telling his critics to put a cork in it. In accordance with these new regulations, we'll let the Falcons themselves handle the critiquing of Sunday's offense.

Tight end Alge Crumpler, as usual, was more vivid than most. "You can't turn the ball over like that. You don't do that to a wounded dog. A wounded dog bites worse than anything else."

In this case, the "wounded dog" referred to were the now 2-7 Packers.

Yes, Vick was a major contributor to the dropsies, having a hand in half of the Falcons' six fumbles (three of them lost). No, the offense could not make enough sustaining plays in the second half to keep pace with the heretofore-woeful Packers, putting together only one late fourth-quarter drive in the 33-25 loss.

And according to Hummer, "Sure enough, when it was done, it was the new-school quarterback tipping his do-rag to old-school Brett Favre, saying, 'That's why he's going to the Hall of Fame.'"

Completing 20 of 30 passes for 209 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, Vick actually finished with a considerably higher quarterback rating (108.9-82.4) than Favre. Yet, it was the offense under Vick's command that insisted upon handing the ball back to Favre.

"We didn't take care of the football, that was the bottom line," Vick said.

"Whether we came out flat, too pumped up, too excited, whatever, it doesn't matter. You got to put points up on the board, and you can't turn the ball over."

Vick was his own harshest critic: "That should never have happened. It happened at a crucial situation in the game. I take the blame for that. It changed the momentum and changed the game; we didn't capitalize on another opportunity."

He wasn't in this alone. Two other fumbles -- Warrick Dunn early and Roddy White late -- were exchanged for Green Bay touchdowns.

No one had to beat Vick up after this one. He preemptively handled those duties. What a difference a week makes in tone.

"We turned the ball over three times and you just can't do that in this league. If you're going to do that, then you might as well shut it down early because you're not going to win the game."

The Packers also did a surprisingly good job of harassing the quarterback. They pressured him from all angles, accounting for three sacks and numerous knockdowns. Contained, he rushed for only 24 yards on seven runs, his long gain only 7 yards.

"They brought the heat, they brought the pressure. But that's a part of football," Vick said. "Internally, we know we can pick up blitzes and different types of schemes that they may bring."

"They did an excellent job of pressuring Mike," head coach Jim Mora said. "We've got to give him a chance to get the ball off, and we didn't do that at times today."

As Hummer summed up: "The critics can take the day off. The Falcons handled that in-house Sunday."

Other notes of interest. ... Crumpler caught five passes for 40 yards but hasn't called for more passes to come his way.

"I know I'm a playmaker," he said. "Every time I get the ball in my hands, I make plays. I'm not ever going to complain about the opportunities that I get. I'm just always going to make sure that when I do get opportunities that I'm taking advantage of them. ..."

T.J. Duckett, who hadn't played since injuring an ankle against the Saints on Oct. 16, rushed four times for 31 yards and caught two passes for 27 yards, including a 19-yarder.

"Not only did he run the ball well, but he was an outlet for [Vick] on a couple of check-downs," Mora said. ...

As expected, starting receiver Michael Jenkins (sprained ankle) was deactivated, allowing Roddy White to make his second-straight start. Jenkins status for this week's game will be determined by his ability to practice.

Roddy White missed Wednesday's practice following an auto accident. According to Mora, White wasn't seriously injured. ... I'll obviously have more on this story when Late-Breaking Updates commence shortly after midnight tonight.

Fullback Fred McCrary was deactivated for the game and rookie free agent Kevin Dudley was signed from the practice squad and served as starter Justin

Griffith's backup and played special teams.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Michael Vick, Matt Schaub, Ty Detmer RB: Warrick Dunn, T.J. Duckett FB: Justin Griffith, Fred McCrary WR: Brian Finneran, Roddy White, Jerome Pathon, Dez White, Michael Jenkins TE: Alge Crumpler, Eric Beverly, Dwayne Blakley PK: Todd Peterson =========================

=========================BALTIMORE RAVENSIn an article published Monday, Associated Press sports writer David Ginsburg reminded readers that the last time the Ravens went through a touchdown drought similar to the one they're currently enduring, they ended up in the Super Bowl.

But of course, the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl, are virtually out of the question for this year' team, which has a much better chance of finishing last in the AFC North.

The Ravens haven't scored a touchdown in 11 straight quarters and have reached the end zone only once in the last 292 minutes -- a stretch that started in the first quarter of Baltimore's last win, 16-3 over Cleveland on Oct. 16.

Baltimore has since lost four straight while being outscored 81-37. The return of Kyle Boller on Sunday did little to change the Ravens' offensive misery; the rusty quarterback threw three interceptions and was sacked four times in a 30-3 loss to Jacksonville.

Next up: a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have won four in a row to gain of share of first place in the AFC North.

But as Baltimore Sun staffer Jamison Hensley advised us Tuesday, those seeking answers to the Ravens' scoring-challenged offense, prepare to be turned away disappointed, much like head coach Brian Billick's team in the red zone.

Billick said there isn't a need to be more aggressive with the play-calling, indicating he's satisfied with the chances given to throw deep downfield. He said there isn't an easy solution to the running game's problems, explaining the Ravens have exhausted every play a team can run.

And he said there aren't going to be sweeping lineup changes, other than Chester Taylor returning as the third-down back.

The only way to break out of the latest dry spell, Billick suggests, is to simply work harder in practice and execute better in games.

"We're not a good football team right now, but we've got seven opportunities, beginning this week, to change that," a somber Billick said in a postmortem following Sunday's game.

Critics point out that the Ravens have become too predictable in their game plan and too attached to Boller. In his first start since hyperextending his toe in the season opener, Boller threw three interceptions and was sacked four times.

"I'm convinced that Kyle Boller can't play," Shannon Sharpe, a member of the Ravens' 2000 Super Bowl team, said on his Sirius radio show Monday. "I have seen nothing in his mechanics. I've seen nothing in his ability. I've seen nothing that would indicate to me that you can build a franchise around this guy.

"Here's the thing: Kyle Boller plays just good enough to get him cut and you fired -- which is a lose-lose situation."

And as Carroll County Times beat man Aaron Wilson pointed out Monday, Boller appeared to stare down his reads, hearkening back to an alarming preseason. He finished 19 of 33 for 142 yards with no touchdowns and a 30.1 rating.

Billick was candid in his assessment of Boller but was optimistic his three-year starter would improve with more playing time.

"Kyle did not play particularly well," Billick said. "He played like a guy that has been on the bench for seven weeks. He was under a great deal of pressure, and he took a heck of a beating. He forced the ball in a couple places trying to make some plays that didn't turn out [well]. [But] he tends not to come back and make the same mistakes."

Jaguars cornerback Terry Cousin, who intercepted Boller twice, said the problem wasn't necessarily Boller as much as the Ravens' tendencies. He said it was easy to scout the Ravens because they constantly throw to tight end Todd Heap or receiver Derrick Mason, who have accounted for 48.5 percent of the team's catches.

"We watched it on film and coaches and everyone were saying it is the Todd Heap-Derrick Mason show," Cousin said.

The frustrating part for the Ravens is that they envisioned their offense being more than a two-man show. They invested in five first-round picks (Boller, Heap, running back Jamal Lewis and receiver Mark Clayton) and added significant free agents (led by Mason) this offseason.

The result has been seven touchdowns in nine games. Eight players in the NFL have scored more touchdowns than the Ravens.

In fact, taking away three meaningless fourth-quarter scores, the Ravens' offense has managed four legitimate touchdowns while giving up three touchdowns off interception returns.

"It comes to a point where you know you have the talent, but talent without results doesn't mean anything," Mason said. "That's where we're at right now: talent without progress. You could have all the talent in the world, but if you don't make any progress, it's nothing."

One of the biggest questions after the Ravens' season-worst offensive effort Sunday was the absence of Taylor in the offense. Billick said the Ravens couldn't risk playing Taylor after he missed all of last week's practices for personal reasons.

"We thought it would be a lot to put on Chester to be thrown in there with no practice and no preparation," Billick said. "He'll be back into a steady rotation and be a big part of the game plan this week."

Instead of Taylor, was is averaging 5.7 yards every time he touches the ball, Musa Smith, returning 51 weeks after gruesomely breaking his leg, got the snaps behind Lewis against the Jags.

Meanwhile, Clayton, his development delayed by a sprained ankle that cost him two games, also got more looks than he has before. It didn't amount to much (one carry on an end-around for no gain, two catches for 3 yards, one fourth-quarter pass sent his way that was underthrown and picked off).

And finally. ... Tight end Terry Jones was quietly released last Saturday. Jones, who was in his fourth season with the Ravens, had started 29 games, including 10 last season in the team's two tight-end formation.

But Jones has fallen behind Heap, Daniel Wilcox and Darnell Dinkins on the depth chart.

"Terry has been so great for us," Billick said. "He's a great young man. All he does is come to work every day. He does his job. We're obviously deep at tight end. Terry has only been up two or three times on the [game-day] active 45."

Jones has 50 catches for 417 yards and five touchdowns in his career.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Kyle Boller, Anthony Wright

RB: Jamal Lewis, Chester Taylor, Musa Smith FB: Ovie Mughelli, Justin Green WR: Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Randy Hymes, Patrick Johnson, Clarence Moore, Devard Darling TE: Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox, Darnell Dinkins PK: Matt Stover, Aaron Elling =========================

=========================BUFFALO BILLSAccording to the Associated Press, Kelly Holcomb was still having headaches Monday, the day after suffering a concussion in Buffalo's 14-3 win over Kansas City. Making his fifth consecutive start since replacing Losman at quarterback, Holcomb did not return after he was hurt in the second quarter when he was sacked by the Chiefs' Jared Allen.

J.P. Losman took over, making his first appearance since losing his job, and threw two touchdown passes as Buffalo stayed a game behind the AFC East-leading New England Patriots.

Head coach Mike Mularkey said he hasn't determined whether Holcomb or Losman will start in San Diego on Sunday. Mularkey said that Holcomb's health and how much he can practice this week will factor into his decision.

"He had a headache this morning, which doesn't surprise any of us," Mularkey said of the 32-year-old Holcomb. "Any injury to the head, neck, back, you have to be very cautious, and that's what we're going to do with Kelly.

"I think he's better today, but not totally clear. We'll see for Wednesday."

Losman would obviously get the start if Holcomb is not sufficiently recovered. However, Mularkey did not say what he might do if Holcomb comes back with a clear head and no concussion symptoms and is ready to go.

"I think it's going to come down to a couple things," the coach said. "First of all, Kelly's health; let's see how he is. And we all are in the process of studying San Diego, seeing how extensive they are and what they do defensively. ..."

Stay tuned. ... I'll have more on this situation as the week progresses. ...

Meanwhile, Losman certainly came on strong once allowed back on the field. On his first series, Losman hit Josh Reed with a key 28-yard pass, then fired a 33-yard touchdown strike to Lee Evans to give the Bills a lead they never relinquished.

In the third quarter, Losman hit Evans again, this time on a beautifully thrown 29-yard pass in the back of the end zone as Evans made a terrific catch and then managed to stay in bounds.

"I thought he made some plays, scrambled around, got rid of the ball in some situations that were good," said Mularkey. "Obviously on the two throws to Lee, J.P. gave him a chance and Lee took advantage and made some big catches for us. I thought he played pretty well."

However, before anyone gets too excited, it wasn't exactly a breakout game for the offense.

As Rochester Democrat & Chronicle staffer Sal Maiorana, an offensive line shuffle proved to be a disaster as Mike Williams flamed out in his debut at left guard and was benched in the second quarter after a series of mishaps, the most glaring being a whiff on a Chiefs' line stunt that allowed Allen to flatten Holcomb and force a fumble at the Chiefs 15 that killed a scoring opportunity.

Even with Williams on the sideline, the line still struggled as the Chiefs' front seven generated relentless pressure and Losman found himself running for his life on a few dropbacks.

Further, the Bills converted only 3 of 13 third downs, made just nine first downs, and they never got their running game going as Willis McGahee was held to 66 yards on 20 carries.

Other than his two touchdown passes to Evans, Losman spent the rest of the game protecting the lead. That was all the offense the Bills needed.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Kelly Holcomb, J.P. Losman, Shane Matthews RB: Willis McGahee, Shaud Williams, Lionel Gates FB: Daimon Shelton, Joe Burns WR: Lee Evans, Eric Moulds, Josh Reed, Roscoe Parrish, Jonathan Smith, Sam Aiken, George Wilson TE: Mark Campbell, Tim Euhus, Ryan Neufeld PK: Rian Lindell =========================

=========================CAROLINA PANTHERSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Jenna Fryer, in many respects, this year's edition of the Panthers is the same team that went to the Super Bowl two years ago.

Only better -- if duller.

Since the bye week (Oct. 23), Carolina has beaten its last three opponents by a combined 102-30. The Panthers have a legitimate MVP contender in Steve Smith, who leads every major receiving category, and the vaunted defense is finally playing like one of the best in the league.

During their dramatic run to the NFC championship in 2003, Jake Delhomme led the Panthers on seven game-winning drives in the final two minutes or overtime. It was Delhomme's first season as an NFL starter, his first season in Carolina and his late-game dramatics earned the Panthers the name "the Cardiac Cats."

Now in his third season as starter, Delhomme was expected to allow Panthers fans to breathe a little easier. He didn't through their first four victories, needing last-minute efforts to pull out the wins.

Part of that could be because the Panthers were still adjusting -- not to new faces, but to getting old faces back in familiar places. Remember, Carolina lost more than a dozen players to season-ending injuries during last year's 7-9 Super Bowl follow-up.

That included Smith, who had to slide into the role of No. 1 receiver opened when Muhsin Muhammad signed with the Chicago Bears, and Stephen Davis, who at 31 is considered ancient in running back years and is coming off major knee surgery.

So as Fryer suggested, it took some time for Delhomme to adjust. He needed to find another receiver besides Smith that he was comfortable throwing to, and the Panthers needed to see how much Davis has left in his tank.

Fryer added that head coach John Fox will always try to run the ball first, and despite Davis' poor yardage totals this season (only 487 yards through nine games), he isn't giving up on that.

Davis can still bulldoze his way into the end zone; of his 12 TDs rushing nine are 1-yard plunges. But for the Panthers to continue rolling they'll need more yards on the ground.

"I don't think we have arrived yet," Fox said. "But I don't think there are too many head coaches sitting around today thinking they have."

It's critical Carolina improves in that area, if for no other reason than to have more than one offensive weapon. Three teams have shut down Smith this season by moving a safety up to double-cover him, including the Jets, who held him to three catches for 34 yards.

So until Delhomme feels he can throw to Keary Colbert or Rod Gardner as often as he does to Smith, the Panthers need Davis and backup DeShaun Foster to get the ball moving. ...

For what it's worth, Smith had his streak of 100-yard receiving games ended at four thanks to tight coverage from a cornerback, usually Ty Law or Justin Miller, with help from a safety watching him out of zone coverage.

"They knew what they wanted to do," Smith said. "They knew exactly that they wanted to take me out and they did a good job."

It was his lowest output of the season since a two-catch, 12-yard outing against Green Bay. That was the game that started the six-game win streak, and it's no coincidence that the win kept Smith from being too grouchy about his lack of stats.

He shrugged off questions about his lack of numbers, and cracked a broad smile when asked what he told the Jets defenders about their tactics.

"I asked [safety Eric] Coleman was he going keep breast-feeding 22 (Miller)," Smith said. "[Coleman] just laughed."

And finally. ... Davis had his best game since the season opener, pounding out 81 hard-earned yards on 27 carries. His 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter helped break open what had been a tight game.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Jake Delhomme, Chris Weinke, Stefan Lefors RB: Stephen Davis, DeShaun Foster, Nick Goings, Jamal Robertson, Rod Smart

FB: Brad Hoover WR: Steve Smith, Keary Colbert, Ricky Proehl, Rod Gardner, Karl Hankton, Drew Carter TE: Kris Mangum, Michael Gaines, Mike Seidman PK: John Kasay =========================

=========================CHICAGO BEARSAs Chicago Tribune staff writer K.C. Johnson put it Tuesday: "Rare are the instances when a three- to six-week absence is considered good news.

"But anyone who witnessed the grotesque angle at which Cedric Benson's right knee bent during Sunday's victory over San Francisco understands. ..."

However, Benson has been in good spirits and reminding anyone who would listen about his impressive flexibility ever since he left Soldier Field's turf on a cart. And a magnetic resonance imaging test performed Monday morning confirmed his optimism.

Instead of announcing a torn ligament and a stint on injured reserve, the Bears said Benson has a sprained medial collateral ligament and that the rookie running back should return this season.

No other ligaments were affected and there was no structural damage to Benson's cartilage or meniscus. How Benson's body reacts to rehabilitation ultimately will determine the length of his absence.

"We know that we'll get him back sometime this year," head coach Lovie Smith said. "When you see an injury like that, you're expecting the worst. You find out it's not that bad.

"We have a stretch run that we're coming upon and we need all of our guns, really, for that. Cedric was a big part of what we're trying to do running the football. The other guys will have to pick up some slack until he gets back."

Those other guys include Thomas Jones, the team's leading rusher, and Adrian Peterson, who gained a career-high 120 yards against the 49ers. Smith said Jones, who sat out Sunday with bruised ribs, could practice Wednesday and that the team expects him to play against Carolina.

That wasn't the case last Sunday.

"We didn't sit Thomas because we were playing San Francisco and felt we didn't need him," offensive coordinator Ron Turner said. "We sat him because he's been hurt, and it showed in the way he ran last week. He needed to rest -- his knee, his ribs, everything."

If Jones can't go this Sunday, Peterson will start. The fourth-year back has scored in two straight games and is averaging a team-high 5.7 yards per carry.

"You have to be prepared, study your playbook," Peterson said. "I'm third on the depth chart, but you go to meetings and get mental reps and just continue to study."

As Johnson noted, the Bears rank fifth league-wide in rushing offense, averaging 135.3 yards per game. They'll face a stiff test Sunday against Carolina's second-ranked run defense, which has allowed just 81 yards per game.

Getting back Jones, who has rushed for 753 yards and six touchdowns, would be a big boost. But the Bears also are comfortable with Peterson, whose pass-

protection skills had earned him reps ahead of the highly touted Benson even before Benson's injury.

"We have three good running backs," Turner said. "That's what you need."

Peterson realizes his playing time will be determined by Jones. "If Thomas comes back, I'm going to be back on special teams trying to make plays," he said.

According to Pro Football Weekly, Jones could practice as early as Wednesday, but likely will be limited to non-contact drills as a precautionary measure, at least early in the week.

Keep an eye out for Late-Breaking Updates. I'll obviously have more on Jones' status as the week progresses. ...

Also of interest. ... Muhsin Muhammad caught just one pass for 3 yards, but Smith credited his blocking as the Bears ran the ball 40 times. …

How bad was the wind Sunday? "We ran the ball a lot and the receivers didn't even complain," Turner said, smiling. "So that tells you how bad it was."

According to DailySouthtown.com staff writer Gene Chamberlain, Turner was well prepared with an alternative game plan once wind gusts up to 47 mph forced the Bears to scrap plans to throw more than the 13 times they did.

A game under less-than-ideal conditions during Turner's first tenure as Bears offensive coordinator (1993-96) taught him to stick with the run.

On Oct. 31, 1994, Turner saw firsthand how the conditions can wreak havoc. On that night, the Bears suffered a 33-6 loss to Green Bay amid cold, high winds and rain.

"I don't remember what year that was, I just know it was so bad that (guard) Mark Bortz, who was the toughest guy on the offensive line, he got in front of the heater and said that was the only time in his career he ever did that," Turner recalled.

"(Quarterback) Erik Kramer came in after warmups and he said, 'Don't call a pass. I can't throw anything.'"

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Kyle Orton, Jeff Blake, Kurt Kittner, Rex Grossman RB: Thomas Jones, Adrian Peterson, Cedric Benson FB: Bryan Johnson, Jason McKie

WR: Muhsin Muhammad, Justin Gage, Bobby Wade, Carl Ford, Bernard Berrian TE: Desmond Clark, John Gilmore, Gabe Reid PK: Robbie Gould=========================

=========================CINCINNATI BENGALSAs Cincinnati Post beat writer Kevin Goheen noted last week, the last time the Bengals were 7-2 after nine games the NFL hadn't yet instituted the concept of the bye week, which the players have enjoyed this week. More often than not, the numbers associated with their record have been flip-flopped; eight times since 1988 the Bengals have been 2-7 or worse after nine games.

Back in 1988, the last time Cincinnati won seven of its first nine games in a season, the Bengals were on their way to the championship of the AFC Central Division. The Bengals beat Seattle and Buffalo in the playoffs to win the conference title and earn a trip to Super Bowl XXIII.

As those Bengals were, this year's version is in first place of its division, this time the AFC North, and they are in a tight battle for first place -- this time tied with Pittsburgh.

This year, however, seven games still remain in this regular season before the Bengals of 2005 can think about duplicating or bettering the postseason accomplishments of the 1988 team.

Goheen went on to note that if there has been one constant through nine games it is that the Bengals have been able to put the cliche of "one game at a time" to practical use.

Each of their losses, at Jacksonville and at home against Pittsburgh, has been followed with wins. They've won coming from behind, they've won playing from ahead, on the road and at home, they've won by creating lots of turnovers and even when the opposition held on to the ball.

"That's what they're taught to do every time," said head coach Marvin Lewis. "It really doesn't matter about last week. You don't get any points for it. You don't get to start there. And you don't have to end up there. You do prepare one week at a time and you play one game at a time, just like you play one play at a time.

"I can't sit here and preach one play at a time and look ahead or look behind."

Lewis gave his players the majority of their bye week off to rest any bumps and bruises; overall the Bengals are healthy.

The Bengals have home games with Indianapolis, Baltimore, Cleveland and Buffalo remaining, while they still have to play at Pittsburgh, Detroit and Kansas City. Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and Kansas City all have winning records halfway through the season, with the Colts being the league's last remaining unbeaten team at 9-0.

The Bengals play the Colts at home this week and close out the regular season against the Chiefs in Kansas City on Jan. 1.

In each of Lewis' first two seasons, the Bengals were 4-5 after nine games and ended up the season 8-8 by winning four of their last seven games. A similar finish this season would leave them 11-5 and in good position for a playoff spot, be it a division title or wild card.

"Our challenge now is November and December in order to put us into January," said right tackle Willie Anderson. "So forget about these last nine games, because now the big boys start playing. We can't come back after the bye and go in the tank. It's real important for us down this stretch run that we realize we've got some more football to play."

Said tight end Matt Schobel: "We've learned in the last couple of years with Marvin when we've finished 8-8 is that both years were different in how we achieved that. Two years ago we were in (the playoff hunt) at 8-6 and lost those last two. Last year we had to win the last two to finish 8-8, so it really doesn't matter when you win the games as long as you win them.

"If you get the opportunity to win, you need to take advantage of it every week and go get it so that at the end of the year we're playing for home field or to win the division."

The Bengals are at or near the top of the league stats in several categories.

The offense is ranked fifth in total yardage and is the 11th in the league in scoring at 23.3 points per game. The defense has a pedestrian ranking of No. 15 when it comes to allowing yards but only Indianapolis and Chicago have given up fewer points on average than the Bengals at 14.9 per game. Cincinnati has more takeaways than any other team with 29 and with just nine giveaways themselves the Bengals lead the league with a plus-20 turnover margin.

"I just think we're a good team and if you look back on some of the teams we've beaten we've executed better," said Carson Palmer. "It all comes down to execution. You can have great players but if you don't execute the offense and defense it doesn't matter how good your players are. We've done a good job of executing our assignments and we need to keep striving to do better at execution.

"That's the difference between winning and losing."

Also of interest. ... Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Mark Curnutte reminded readers last week that Lewis and his assistants enjoy increased success, the staff could be raided for promotions. Keep an eye on quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese (again) and defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle as potential NFL coordinators. ...

Meanwhile, Palmer is having a Pro Bowl season, and as Curnutte suggested, his most impressive statistic is his interceptions, five. The numbers all across the pass game are impressive: 18 touchdowns, just 15 sacks, 70 percent completion rate, 120 first downs passing.

Receiver Chad Johnson seems headed for his third Pro Bowl and Palmer his first.

A key addition to the pass game is running back Chris Perry, who has 14 third-down catches among his 40 receptions. ...

The Bengals have been relatively consistent on the ground. Only twice in nine games have they been held to fewer than 95 rushing yards, and four times they've gone for more than 119. There is good balance in the offense: 308 pass plays (including the 15 sacks) and 264 run plays.

Running back Rudi Johnson is better the more work he gets, especially late. ...

And finally. ... Chad Johnson declined comment Monday, advising reporters to come by his locker for his regular Wednesday feeding frenzy.

"I can't guarantee until Wednesday," said Johnson, referring to his guaranteed victory two years ago against the then 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs. The Bengals won 24-19.

Curnutte noted that Johnson's original list of defensive backs is up in his locker. His opponent this week, according to the list, is Colts rookie Marlin Jackson.

Johnson will share the spotlight Sunday with Indianapolis' Marvin Harrison, and they are among the league's elite receivers.

Asked Monday if he wished Johnson weren't so talkative, compared to Harrison, who doesn't speak to the media, Lewis said, "I can't control Marvin Harrison, nor can I tell Chad what to do.

"This is part of the NFL. It's an obligation for the guys to spend time and speak to the media."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Carson Palmer, Jon Kitna, Craig Krenzel RB: Rudi Johnson, Chris Perry FB: Jeremi Johnson, Nick Luchey WR: Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Kevin Walter, Tab Perry, Kelley Washington TE: Reginald Kelly, Matt Schobel, Tony Stewart PK: Shayne Graham =========================

=========================CLEVELAND BROWNSAs Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Mary Kay Cabot noted on Tuesday, this time, head coach Romeo Crennel left no room for speculation. He named Trent Dilfer his starting quarterback for Sunday's game against Miami and said he's not ready to turn the reins over to rookie Charlie Frye.

Asked if it's because Frye isn't ready, Crennel said: "It's just because I'm not ready. Because my years of experience tell me to stay the line for a little while longer."

He said it's not tempting to try Frye yet.

"Let's look at [Sunday night in Pittsburgh]," Crennel said. "You want to throw the kid in there in that situation? I don't either. I'd rather try to pick and choose my time when I can give this young kid who has some talent, who has some ability, an opportunity to go play and have a chance for some success."

Crennel reiterated that he'd like to get Frye some playing time this season.

"We have to take a look at Charlie at some point to see what he can do," Crennel said. "Now, whether that's saying 'Charlie, you're going to be the starter,' or maybe I can give him a series here or there, that will be a decision I'll have to make going for- ward."

Crennel said he doesn't think he'll lose the locker room by staying the course.

"If there were a large group of players who felt that maybe there should be a different quarterback, then you could lose the locker room," he said. "But I don't think that's the case. I think this locker room has a lot of confidence in Trent and is united with the quarterback."

Crennel stressed that he won't succumb to outside pressure to play Frye.

"It'll be my time," he said.

He added that he and general manager Phil Savage are on the same page on the matter.

"We've been on the same page ever since we've been here, and hopefully we'll stay on the same page," Crennel said. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Also according to Cabot, Braylon Edwards didn't praise the Steelers after they beat the Browns, 34-21.

"I can't sit here and give them much credit," Edwards said. "They did some good things, but we stopped ourselves. Sure, they're the Steelers. But they're not invincible. They definitely can be beaten. We definitely can beat them. The [Steel] Curtain is dead. That was '79. That's over."

Receiver Antonio Bryant also said after the game, "They don't have a cornerback who can cover me one-on-one. They know that. Their coaches know that. And when they wake up tomorrow morning, they'll still know it."

Crennel was asked to respond to Bryant's remarks.

"If he can produce in the next game, then that statement will be OK," Crennel said. "If he can't, then he probably shouldn't have made it."

But Edwards didn't stop there. ... According to the Associated Press, Edwards believes the primary obstacle standing between himself and greatness is Crennel's failure to get him the ball.

"It's time for me to make plays," the rookie wide receiver said. "That's what it's time for."

Edwards has split playing time with Dennis Northcutt. But Edwards, feels the team should be utilizing his playmaking skills more.

"That's what I do. That's what I was drafted for," said Edwards, the third overall pick last April. "I was drafted to make plays, and it gets to a point where you have to give it to the guy who is here to make plays."

The Browns have brought Edwards along slowly in his first season.

After coming to training camp late following a holdout, Edwards began his pro career at the bottom of Cleveland's depth chart. An 80-yard TD catch in Week 2 at Green Bay hinted at his speed and game-breaking ability, and he followed that with a season-high four catches on Sept. 25 against Indianapolis.

But Edwards then missed two games after surgery to clean out an infection in his right arm. For the season he has 17 catches for 294 yards with just that one TD. ...

And finally. ... The Browns opted not to activate Lee Suggs, who is recovering from a broken hand. William Green (sprained ankle) was also out. That meant Rueben Droughns got almost all of the carries.

Droughns was clearly fired up early on but trailed off and became irrelevant as the Browns played catch-up. He finished with 56 yards on 17 carries and now has 702 yards on the season.

But Droughns, who carried tacklers on his back all night in Pittsburgh, was frustrated Monday.

"We've got to understand what it takes and when that happens, things will start clicking for us," he said. "Right now, it doesn't seem like we understand."

What would it take?

"Make the plays that are coming toward you," he said.

Droughns cited a few players who are leaving it all on the field.

"You've got [linebacker] Andra Davis, he goes out there and does his job," Droughns said. "There's [defensive end] Orpheus Roye. There's a lot of individual guys. [Fullback] Terrelle Smith, he goes out and hits a person in the throat.

"He gets me fired up the way he plays and talks on the sideline."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Trent Dilfer, Charles Frye, Josh Harris RB: Reuben Droughns, Lee Suggs, William Green FB: Terrelle Smith WR: Antonio Bryant, Dennis Northcutt, Braylon Edwards, Frisman Jackson TE: Steve Heiden, Aaron Shea PK: Phil Dawson =========================

=========================DALLAS COWBOYSAccording to Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff writer Mac Engel, head coach Bill Parcells was adamant that who started at running back didn't matter as much as who did something at running back.

In their first game as a 1-2 combination, this much was established: Neither Julius Jones nor Marion Barber did much.

The return of Jones from his high ankle sprain offered great hope, and visions of a 1-2 combination with rookie Marion Barber.

But as Engel suggested, the immediate results didn't net much in the way of big plays or yardage. In the Cowboys' 21-20 win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the pair combined for 62 yards on 21 carries and one touchdown.

And those stats were a bit skewed thanks to Barber's 26-yard run with a little more than 3 minutes remaining.

The Cowboys finished with 58 yards and averaged 2.4 yards per carry. For an offense that hoped to control the clock using fresh legs, the plan was a bust. The running game was reflective of an offense that generated 241 total yards.

Jones had not played since suffering a high ankle sprain against the Eagles on Oct. 9. Save for one run, he looked like it. Barber started, but looked like a rookie playing against a much tougher defense.

Jones didn't enter the game until the first play of the second quarter, and on his first carry he ripped off an 8-yard run, which was Jones' longest carry of the game. He carried the ball three times for nine yards in the first half and finished with eight carries for 16 yards.

And although he more than doubled Jones' first-half workload, Barber didn't fare much better. He carried the ball seven times for 5 yards and had three receptions for no yards in the first half.

Barber did have the Cowboys' first touchdown on a 1-yard run late in the first quarter. Overall, Barber finished with 46 yards on 13 carries.

Monday's performance comes one game after Barber gained 127 yards on 27 carries with two touchdowns against Arizona two weeks ago.

But as Barber learned, rushing against the Cardinals at home is one thing. Rushing against a pumped up Eagles defense on Monday night is a bit different. As a result, I'm looking for Jones to return to the starting lineup this week.

Whatever the case, I'll continue to follow this position closely as the week progresses in an attempt to get you the best feel possible for the team's plan heading into Sunday's matchup with the Lions. ...

Also of interest. ... Peerless Price has been a lightly-used option in the Cowboys offense since replacing Patrick Crayton as the third receiver.

Price made his first impact of the season on a 58-yard reception from Drew Bledsoe. The catch set up the Cowboys' opening touchdown in the first quarter to tie the game at 7-7.

Crayton suffered an ankle injury Oct. 16 against the New York Giants and is expected to return later this month or early next month. ...

And finally. ... Big-play receiver Terry Glenn was shutout through three quarters against the Eagles, but finished with two catches for 31 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Glenn entered the game with 36 catches for a team-high 682 yards and three touchdowns.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Drew Henson RB: Julius Jones, Marion Barber, Tyson Thompson FB: Lousaka Polite WR: Terry Glenn, Keyshawn Johnson, Peerless Price, Terrance Copper, Patrick Crayton TE: Jason Witten, Dan Campbell PK: Shaun Suisham =========================

=========================DENVER BRONCOSAs Denver Post staffers Mike Klis and Bill Williamson suggested Monday, the best play of this Broncos' season has not been the Jake Plummer slant to Rod Smith or pitch to Tatum Bell or a Champ Bailey interception.

It's been the rotation.

Everybody knows about the Broncos' rotating tailbacks. Mike Anderson and Bell had relatively modest games Sunday in a 31-17 defeat of the Oakland Raiders, and for the first time since the second week of the season, the Broncos did not have one or the other rush for at least 98 yards.

But they did combine for 109 yards rushing against the Raiders, and each remains on pace for a 1,000-yard season -- Anderson for 1,189 yards and Bell for 1,077 yards.

As Klis pointed out on Tuesday, head coach Mike Shanahan has confounded stat hounds this season because he gives more carries to Anderson (16.7 per game) than Bell (10.7 per game) even though Bell averages 6.3 yards per rush attempt while Anderson is at 4.5 yards.

But Shanahan reasons Bell is able to pop the big run when it becomes available because his legs are kept fresh. A deeper look into Bell's stats supports his limited use: In carries one through 10, Bell is averaging an astounding 7.6 yards. But in carries 11 through 16, he averages a mere 2.2 yards.

Anderson's greatest productivity, meanwhile, comes in carries 16 through 20, where he's averaging 5.5 yards.

To wit: There is a time to grind (Anderson) and a time to sprint (Bell). Together, Anderson and Bell are on pace for a 2,266 yards entering Game 10 on Sunday against the New York Jets at Invesco Field at Mile High. That's enough yards to keep everybody happy.

"It's in the back of my mind, me and Mike, of both getting over 1,000 apiece," Bell said. ...

Meanwhile, Smith is the Broncos' all-time touchdown leader. His 27-yard catch for the game's first score on the first play of the second quarter was his 66th career touchdown, one more than running back Terrell Davis. Smith wouldn't comment after the game.

Following Smith's touchdown, Jason Elam kicked the extra point for the 1,500th point of his career. Elam holds the NFL record for fastest to 1,300 points (170 games), to 1,400 points (184 games) and now 1,500 points (197 games). ...

"I've been a part of some great teams and some great offenses that really moved the ball well and allowed me to score some points," Elam said. "So that's a tribute to them, not just me."

In a semi-related note. ... While leading the Broncos to a 7-2 record, their best start after nine games since the Super Bowl championship season of 1998, Plummer completed his seventh consecutive game without throwing an interception and has attempted 193 passes without a pick -- a franchise record.

His last interception was on Sept. 18 in the third quarter against San Diego. His streak surpassed John Elway's previous franchise mark of 190 consecutive passes without an interception, set in 1997. The NFL record for consecutive passes without an interception is 308, set by Bernie Kosar of Cleveland.

While Oakland's offense played a desperation game, Denver was its usual efficient self.

Plummer threw 22 times and the Broncos ran the ball 38 times, including seven of their first eight plays and on nine of their 13 plays in the first quarter. Plummer threw more after Denver took a 7-0 lead, but as he has all season, he threw judiciously and effectively. He completed 16 of his 22 attempts for 205 yards.

Plummer isn't going to win any yardage awards this season, but he has been on target.

"He's a joy to watch," Broncos safety John Lynch said. "He's really in a comfort zone and has command of this offense."

Of course, with command comes the occasional dose of fortune, and Plummer was the recipient of some late in the game. With Oakland down 23-10, rookie linebacker Kirk Morrison dropped a potential interception inside the Broncos' 25 that he could have returned to bring the Raiders within a touchdown.

"I got lucky," said Plummer, hesitant to talk about his streak. "It was right in his hands. ..."

In examining the team's improved play in the red zone this year, the Post cited a number of factors, including the addition of tight end Stephen Alexander, return to health of Anderson and better stream-of-consciousness decisions by Plummer.

But perhaps the No. 1 reason for the improved red-zone play is the play calling. Conservative last year, Shanahan and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak have devised seven combined touchdowns for fullback Kyle Johnson and guard Dwayne Carswell.

"The coaches have come up with, I wouldn't call them trick plays, but just some unconventional ways of getting guys open," general manager Ted Sundquist said. ...

As Post columnist Jim Armstrong noted Monday, it took awhile, but Ashley Lelie has regained his home run stroke.

Lelie, who didn't snag a pass longer than 16 yards in the Broncos' first five games, had catches of 37 and 41 yards in Sunday's victory over the Raiders. In his previous three games, he had catches of 55 and 37.

"I knew they were going to come," Lelie said. "I don't think our confidence is any different. It's just that now we're making those plays we didn't make before."

As Armstrong summed up: "Imagine that. The Raiders, the team that made the vertical passing game famous, getting beat by allowing the deep ball. When is the last time that happened? 'I was probably in the womb,' said Lelie. ..."

According to the Rocky Mountain News, Lelie's left knee was examined by the training staff. After the game, Lelie said the knee didn't "feel right" after someone had fallen on his leg. Shanahan said Lelie was just "sore" and the speedy receiver is expected to practice this week. ...

And finally. ... The Broncos brought rookie tight end Wesley Duke back onto their active roster Tuesday and waived veteran safety Marques Anderson.

Duke, a four-year starter in basketball at Mercer, surprisingly made the 53-man roster to start the season largely because he was considered too good a prospect to risk losing on waivers.

But when injuries in the Denver secondary hit in October, the Broncos were forced to put Duke on waivers. He cleared and was re-signed to the team's practice squad.

Now, he's active again, still in search of his first career reception.

At Mercer, he averaged 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. After his college coach urged him to try pro football, he garnered interest from several clubs and the Broncos took a chance.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Jake Plummer, Bradlee Van Pelt RB: Mike Anderson, Tatum Bell, Ron Dayne FB: Kyle Johnson, Cecil Sapp WR: Rod Smith, Ashley Lelie, Todd Devoe, Charles Adams, Darius Watts, David Terrell TE: Stephen Alexander, Jeb Putzier, Nate Jackson, Wesley Duke PK: Jason Elam =========================

=========================DETROIT LIONSAs Detroit News beat man Mike O'Hara framed it Tuesday, "Joey Harrington could remain the Lions' starting quarterback by default instead of for his best performance of the season."

Jeff Garcia has not lost his status as the No. 1 quarterback and will start Sunday's game at Dallas if his injured left leg is healthy enough, head coach Steve Mariucci said.

Harrington's three-touchdown effort and passer rating of 120.7 in Sunday's 29-21 win over Arizona didn't vault him over Garcia on the depth chart, but as O'Hara added, "any decision by Mariucci could be academic. ..."

Garcia did not sound hopeful Monday about being healthy enough to play Sunday.

However, Mariucci's comments at his weekly news conference were another example of his lack of faith in Harrington.

"We named Jeff the starter a few weeks ago -- the week of the Cleveland game," Mariucci said.

"Since then, I haven't changed my statement. Joey has played when Jeff got hurt.

"Joey, by the way, played a good game, his most productive game and efficient game of the year. He's been practicing pretty darn well since we made that announcement that Jeff was our starter for the Cleveland game.

"We haven't had Jeff healthy since the Chicago Bears game. Had things stayed healthy with Jeff. ... That (Garcia starting) was going to continue. What changed it is his ill health.

"If we have to name a starter today, I can't tell you who it's going to be. I need to go through this week again."

Harrington completed 22 of 32 passes for 231 yards without an interception Sunday. His three TD passes were to Roy Williams.

That earned faint praise from Mariucci.

"Yeah, he played a good game," Mariucci said. "I give him that. No question about it. I'm happy to see him play like that."

Garcia practiced sparingly last week while Harrington took most of the snaps with the No. 1 offense. Garcia was designated the backup for the Arizona game, a role filled the previous week by rookie Dan Orlovsky.

He asked Garcia two hours before the game if he was able to be the backup for Arizona, Mariucci said.

Garcia started two games in place of Harrington -- a win over Cleveland and an overtime loss to Chicago. Chicago scored the winning touchdown on an interception return.

After that game, Garcia admitted that he felt the effects of a broken left fibula and sprained left ankle sustained in the last exhibition game.

"I'm about 70 percent, it feels like right now," Garcia said. "It's gotten a little bit better -- a little bit. Not where I feel it needs to be.

"I really haven't seen myself make the progress that I'd like to see. I'll just feel it out, day by day."

Harrington didn't feel slighted by Mariucci's statement concerning his status and concedes that Garcia ranks as the starter.

"My status hasn't changed, and my position hasn't changed," Harrington said. "If coach tells me Jeff's going to start, I'm prepared to back him up. If Coach tells me I'm going to start, then I'm going to be prepared to play. It doesn't change anything I do during my week of prep.

"My job is to fill in for Jeff, who's the starting quarterback right now."The quarterback drama hasn't made an impact on the rest of the team.

"We've been through this before here, just my short time being here," said tight end Marcus Pollard. "I'm of the mindset, whoever's in at quarterback, I've got a job to do. Go out and execute. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Also according to O'Hara, Mariucci's use of his tailbacks has been questioned.

Starter Kevin Jones had 14 carries for 81 yards Sunday. Jones carried only twice in the fourth quarter as Shawn Bryson and Artose Pinner divided time. Jones was not in the game on the Lions' last possession -- two runs by Pinner and one by Bryson that netted one yard.

Bryson plays in the nickel offense, which uses one back. He gained 44 yards on seven carries and caught two passes for 17 yards Sunday. Pinner had seven carries for 19 yards.

Mariucci is committed to using multiple tailbacks.

"Kevin will get his carries," Mariucci said. "He's certainly a good back. He'd love the ball 30 times a game, like any good back would.

"Shawn Bryson is worth his weight in gold. ..."

As Detroit Free Press sports writer Nicholas J. Cotsonika reported it Monday, Williams played a joke on Mariucci before Sunday's game.

In case you missed it, during warm-ups the previous week, the second-year receiver met with the team brass on the field, and they decided he would try to play 20-30 snaps. When rookie Mike Williams suffered a foot injury, Mariucci asked Roy Williams if he could play the rest of the game.

He said no, that he could abide by the original plan. He played only three snaps.

So, during warm-ups this time, Mariucci came up to Roy Williams, and their conversation went something like this:

"How you doing?"

"Not good," Williams said.

"What?"

"I can't go."

Then Williams laughed.

"I'm just playing," Williams said.

Williams smiled about it afterward.

"That was a good one," Williams said.

Mariucci smiled, too.

"He got me," Mariucci said. "Now he's a comic. ..."

Of course, Williams went on to catch three touchdown passes. After one TD, Williams struck a pose in the end zone, lying on his side like a bikini model at the beach.

"Just having fun out there, and I think that's what we haven't been doing," Williams said. "I think we've been trying too hard. Let's just relax and play ball and have fun."

And even though they're heading into tougher games at Dallas next week and against Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day, there were reasons to smile. It was a great afternoon for the offense by many measures.

The Lions had 383 total yards, a season high.

Williams became the first Lion to catch three touchdown passes in a game since Herman Moore did it against Green Bay on Oct. 29, 1995. This, after Lions wide receivers had caught only two TDs all season -- none since the second game.

On his first touchdown, Williams bobbled the ball before securing it. He blamed Ford Field.

"This is the toughest place to catch a football, because when the ball gets up in those lights, you can't see a thing," he said. "I just put my hands up where I thought it might be, and I didn't expect it to hit them, and it hit them. ..."

According to Booth Newspapers staffer Tom Kowalski, Charles Rogers finally played after being out five games, but he caught only one pass for 4 yards. What's going on here?

While Rogers practiced with more intensity last week, the word is that he still has a long way to go before he earns the confidence of the coaching staff and the quarterbacks. Rogers needs to be more focused, both mentally and physically, at all times.

As Kowalski summed up: "He has to understand that the coaches are sending him a message when they'd rather play a couple of free agents like Scottie Vines and Troy Edwards. Don't expect Rogers to get back into the starting lineup until he becomes a consistent presence in practice. ..."

Meanwhile, on the injury front, Return man Eddie Drummond, Vines, Mike Williams and Roy Williams could all be limited in practice again this week. I'll have more on all the team's walking wounded -- and their decision at quarterback -- as the week progresses.

Those interested will want to keep a close eye on this week's Late-Breaking Updates.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Jeff Garcia, Joey Harrington, Dan Orlovsky, Todd Mortensen RB: Kevin Jones, Artose Pinner, Shawn Bryson FB: Corey Schlesinger, Paul Smith WR: Roy Williams, Mike Williams, Scottie Vines, Charles Rogers, Troy Edwards, Eddie Drummond TE: Marcus Pollard, Casey Fitzsimmons PK: Jason Hanson =========================

=========================GREEN BAY PACKERSAccording to PackersNews.com staffer Pete Dougherty, Samkon Gado might have won himself a starting job for the rest of the season.

Dougherty went on to point out that the undrafted rookie halfback is raw, but in gaining 165 yards in 51 carries against Pittsburgh and Atlanta in the past two games, he looks like the fastest and most powerful back left on the roster.

Even if veteran Tony Fisher returns from a rib injury for Monday night's game against Minnesota, Gado still might be the Packers' primary running back on early downs. Fisher had been the starter after Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport were lost for the season because of injuries.

"Fish hasn't had a lot of early-down back experience," offensive coordinator Tom Rossley told Dougherty. "He may be better than we all give him credit. But Sam showed that he can do a pretty good job on first down."

Gado has become the feel-good story of the Packers' disappointing 2-7 season because of his humble football background, polite manner and seemingly genuine appreciation for playing in the NFL.

He played in college at Division I-AA Liberty University, where he never was a full-time starter; went undrafted last April; then signed with the Packers last month, after the Kansas City Chiefs released him from their practice squad.

Gado played a major role in the Packers' 33-25 win over Atlanta on Sunday, rushing for 103 yards on 25 carries -- a 4.1-yard average -- and scoring three touchdowns.

Amazingly, he did so despite misreading the blocking on several players. Head coach Mike Sherman said he counted at least three plays in which Gado either cut back too quickly or missed a running lane.

The question is whether the missed cuts and premature cut backs were more the result of Gado's inexperience against NFL defenders or that he lacks running instincts that can't be taught.

Sherman estimated Gado would have gained about 135 yards against the Falcons if he'd hit all the correct holes. The coaching staff will go over the game videotape with him, then will run the same plays on the practice field to get him another look at the blocking.

But as Dougherty suggested, ultimately a running back must make those decisions and has only a split-second to pick a hole or running lane. Too much thinking is stifling.

"He made some pretty tough yardage as well," Sherman said. "He made some good reads. He made some good plays on his own. He's physical. Some guys cut it back or bounce it (outside) because they don't like contact. This guy's not afraid of contact. He just needs repetition. We're talking about a very inexperienced -- it's not like this guy is coming out from the starting tailback at the University of Nebraska the last three years."

Gado had a much better performance against Atlanta than Pittsburgh. He gained only 62 yards averaged 2.4 yards a carry against the Steelers. That isn't surprising because Atlanta has one of the NFL's lowest-ranked run defenses -- it's 27th of 32 teams in fewest yards allowed per carry -- whereas the Steelers lead the league in that category. This week, the Packers face a Minnesota Vikings defense that's No. 23.

Gado just as easily could have been one of Sunday's goats with two fumbles against the Falcons. However, teammates Vonta Leach and Andrae Thurman recovered. Gado's first fumble came on the fourth play of the game, and Sherman said that if the Falcons had recovered, he probably would have benched the rookie.

The Packers haven't seen any fundamental problems with the way Gado carries the ball -- high and tight to his body, as instructed.

But Rossley said Gado will have to run lower than he did in college, where defenders were more worried about getting him to the ground than knocking the ball loose.

"He has to carry his pads over it, kind of protect the ball with his pads as well," Rossley said.

Even if Gado continues to run as he did against Atlanta, the Packers' offense has a major shortcoming that doesn't appear likely to go away. Without Green and receiver Javon Walker, who's also out for the season, the Packers don't have the big-play talent to set up quick and relatively easy scores.

The Packers' longest run from scrimmage this season is 24 yards, and they have only four pass plays of 40 yards or more. Last year, Green had a 90-yard touchdown run and Walker had six catches of 40 yards or more.

So, the Packers might have to continue grinding out long drives, which increases the chances for making a crucial error such as a penalty or turnover. Against the Falcons, they had four scoring drives of eight plays or more.

"We can still be a very good offense," Rossley said, "but somebody's going to have to jump up and give us those explosive plays, those 30-, 40-, 50-yard gains."

Fortunately, some help might be on the way. ...

According to Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel beat man Tom Silverstein, the Packers could be getting starting receiver Robert Ferguson (knee) and backup tight end David Martin (groin) back from injury this week.

Neither has been cleared to practice Wednesday, but heading into a Monday night showdown with the Minnesota Vikings there were signs the two would be available to give the offense a shot in the arm.

"If they come back -- when they come back -- it will be an added boost," Rossley said. "(It will be) another shot of adrenaline to get those playmakers back. And I consider Robert Ferguson and David Martin guys who can make plays."

Together, Ferguson and Martin have accounted for 28 catches for 385 yards and five touchdowns, which is only slightly less than the overall production of starting receiver Donald Driver.

"Those are good players," general manager Ted Thompson said.

Ferguson's loss came just when he seemed to have finally settled into the responsibility of being a starter. He had rebounded from a slow start and appeared to be headed for a big game against the Vikings Oct. 23 when he sprained the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee while hauling in a 44-yard reception.

He has since been replaced in the lineup by Antonio Chatman, whose lack of size and strength limits the way he can be used.

Brett Favre has to rely heavily on Driver and every defense the Packers face knows it, so their connections have been limited. On Sunday, with the running game posing a threat to the Falcons, Driver caught 10 passes for 114 yards.

With Ferguson running routes opposite him, it should only open things up more.

Martin's return isn't as critical because Bubba Franks and Donald Lee have been solid at the tight end position, but after Ferguson got hurt, the Packers wanted to run more three-tight end sets to take advantage of the pass-blocking and run-blocking skills of the trio. No sooner had they settled into that strategy than Martin pulled his groin the Thursday after the Vikings game, forcing the Packers to scrap that alignment.

"David Martin makes plays that a lot of people don't see sometimes because he's a good blocker in our gap schemes (pulling plays) when he comes back inside," Rossley said. "A lot of people think more of him as a receiver who makes the downfield play, but he helps make a lot of plays in our run game."

Provided both Ferguson and Martin return this week, the Packers will have the capability of using both four-receiver sets and three-tight end formations, something they haven't been able to do the last three games. ...

And finally. ... Dorsey Levens wants to resume his dormant football career with the Packers and the club is considering adding him to bolster their depleted corps of running backs, "We're discussing it," Thompson said Sunday.

Levens indicated that his situation depended partially on the status of Fisher, who had to sit out the last two games with a rib injury that threatens to cause lung damage.

The team's medical staff hasn't given Fisher clearance to play and there's no indication if or when that will happen. ...

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Brett Favre, Craig Nall, Aaron Rodgers RB: Samkon Gado, ReShard Lee, Tony Fisher FB: William Henderson, Vonta Leach WR: Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson, Antonio Chatman, Taco Wallace, Andre Thurman TE: Bubba Franks, Donald Lee, David Martin PK: Ryan Longwell =========================

=========================HOUSTON TEXANSAccording to Houston Chronicle beat man John McClain, nine games into the season, the Texans finally have reached the part of the schedule that, based on team records, should be much easier to navigate.

Beginning with Kansas City on Sunday night in a nationally televised game at Reliant Stadium, the Texans play only two teams that currently have winning records.

After the Chiefs (5-4), the Texans don't play another team that's above .500 until Christmas Eve, when they host Jacksonville (6-3).

The Texans have four games remaining with teams that are 2-7 -- Baltimore, Tennessee, Arizona and San Francisco. The only problem is that the Cardinals are the only one they play at home.

"Our goal at the midway point was to be the most improved team in the league over the second half of the season," head coach Dom Capers said Monday, one day after the Texans lost 31-17 to unbeaten Indianapolis. "We've improved over the last month. The challenge is how much can we improve over the next seven games?"

There is no disputing the fact that the Texans have improved over the last three. They defeated Cleveland, lost by a touchdown at Jacksonville after leading at halftime and lost at Indianapolis after recovering from a 21-0 deficit to pull within 21-14.

The improvement came despite injuries in the offensive line, at wide receiver and at running back, where leading rusher Domanick Davis has missed the last two games.

"That's what happens when you hang together and fight your way through some rough spots," Capers said. "We played some good teams, and we weren't a good team in the first half of the season."

The Texans have lost eight games to seven opponents with a combined record of 42-20. The next seven opponents are a combined 23-39.

"One thing we'll never do around here is accept defeat," Capers said. "Our job as professionals is to accept full responsibility for how we play and then find a way to fight back.

"I think we've faced our share of adversity, and I think our players have done a good job of not making excuses and accepting responsibility for where we are right now. I think they've hung together and continued to fight.

"I always think if you handle things the right way it makes you stronger. And you hope that your arrow is always pointing up."

The arrow was pointing south the last time the Texans were on national television. They embarrassed themselves at Seattle, where they allowed 320 yards rushing and lost 42-10 on Oct. 16.

Naturally, the players and coaches are going to be reminded of that humiliating performance quite often this week.

"I think these guys know, even if I don't say a word about it," Capers said about how bad the Texans played against the Seahawks. "When you play on national TV, all your peers are watching, and you want to play well."

Then the Texans have a lot of making up to do before they play before their peers again.

"We didn't play well; that's just a fact," Capers said. "The challenge is what do we do now? I think our guys will be excited about it, and I expect us to play much better than we played up there."

Other notes of interest. ... In an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli cited an unnamed personnel man as saying: "Houston still has to figure out how to develop a complementary wide receiver. When [Andre Johnson] was out, it looked like Jabar Gaffney might be the guy. He had 19 catches in the three games when Johnson sat. But now Johnson's back and Gaffney disappeared again.

"He had one catch (albeit a touchdown) on Sunday because David Carr has tunnel vision for Johnson. ..."

On the injury front. ... Davis (knee) and receiver Jerome Mathis (hamstring) are expected to return to practice on a limited basis this week. Guard Zach Wiegert, who hopes to return against Kansas City on Sunday night, plans to return to practice, too.

Center Todd Washington (neck) and tight end Marcellus Rivers (knee) are all expected to practice on a limited basis.

Because of an injury to right tackle Todd Wade, the Texans will be making more changes in the offensive line for the Kansas City game.

If Wiegert returns to play the right side, Victor Riley can play right tackle, his natural position. If Wiegert can't play, Riley may play right guard for the second game in a row. In that case, Seth Wand could start at right tackle.

"Injuries are part of the game, but it's hard to develop the continuity and consistency you want when you're forced to move players around," Capers said. "Fortunately, we've had a lot of young guys gain some valuable experience, and that's paying off right now when they're being forced to play."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: David Carr, Tony Banks, Dave Ragone RB: Domanick Davis, Jonathan Wells, Vernand Morency, Tony Hollings FB: Jonathan Wells, Moran Norris WR: Andre Johnson, Corey Bradford, Jabar Gaffney, Jerome Mathis, Derick Armstrong TE: Mark Bruener, Marcellus Rivers, Matt Murphy PK: Kris Brown =========================

=========================INDIANAPOLIS COLTSAs Indianapolis Star News staff writer Mike Chappell framed it Monday: "The Houston Texans refused to go meekly. They demanded an answer from the best

team in the NFL early in the third quarter Sunday afternoon at a rocking RCA Dome.

"Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and the Indianapolis Colts obliged.

"The response to the one-win Texans cranking up the anxiety level of the sellout crowd of 57,209 with a touchdown drive to open the second half came in the form of a 'Back at ya' from the Colts.

"Zip, zip, zip. Five plays, 75 yards, a 30-yard Manning-to-Harrison touchdown pass that produced a 14-point lead and, just as important, restored order. Consider it the pivotal moment as the Colts brushed aside the Texans 31-17 and continued their methodical, unbeaten march through the season. ..."

"We talked about it on the sideline," said Manning, who passed for 297 yards and touchdowns to Dallas Clark, Brandon Stokley and Harrison. "It was a case where we needed to answer."

Added head coach Tony Dungy: "We stepped up and made the plays when we needed to, and that's what good teams do."

Responding to the moment Sunday resulted in the Colts (9-0) completing their fourth home-and-home sweep of Houston (1-8) since the Texans joined the NFL in 2002 and maintaining a three-game lead over Jacksonville (6-3) in the AFC South.

On a larger scale, it enabled them to become the 21st team in the 86-year history of the NFL, and 11th since the AFL/NFL merger in 1970, to open a season with nine victories. They'll look for a 10-0 start Sunday with a trip to Cincinnati (7-2).

The Colts resisted any urge to coast Sunday after they beat New England only six days earlier.

"Two games in six days takes something out of you no matter how it goes," Dungy said. "All in all, a good win for us. ..."

Of course, the wins come a bit more easily when defenses are forced to decide whether to focus on the passing game and absorb whatever damage Edgerrin James does on the ground, or concentrate on James and take their chances with Manning and a passing game that features Harrison.

And as Chappell put it: "Houston gagged on a double dose of poison."

James rushed 26 times for 122 yards and one touchdown and Harrison caught seven passes for 108 yards and one TD.

It marked the 21st time in 89 games together they've eclipsed the 100-yard mark in the same game, an NFL record. Dallas' Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin needed 124 games to post 20 100-100 games.

The Colts are 18-3 when James and Harrison each eclipse 100 yards.

"We're just playing our game," James said. "Everybody knows when you get that ball, you've got to make the most of it. The opportunities aren't going to be there all the time."

By eclipsing the 100-yard mark for the seventh time in nine games -- the fifth straight game, tying his own club record -- James pushed his season total to 1,027 rushing yards. That's his fifth 1,000-yard season, a club record. He had shared the mark with Marshall Faulk.

James was one of the few players who didn't mind that Houston put up a struggle Sunday. It beat the alternative.

"For me, I hate the blowouts," he said. "In the blowouts, you've got to sit on the bench."

With 108 yards Sunday, the Manning-to-Harrison connection surpassed 10,000 yards, extending their NFL record. ... Harrison now has 50 100-yard receiving games. That matches Don Maynard for second most in NFL history. Jerry Rice is No. 1 with 76. ...

Stokley's 21-yard touchdown was his first of the season. He had a career-high 10 in 2004. "I got the monkey off my back," Stokley said.

And finally. ... While Houston managed an early sack of Manning, it was just the sixth time he's been dropped in 282 pass attempts (including the sacks) this season. That equates to Manning going down once every 47 dropbacks.

On the flip side, the Colts have sacked their opponents 31 times in 306 pass attempts, or once every 9.9 dropbacks.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Peyton Manning, Jim Sorgi RB: Edgerrin James, Dominic Rhodes, James Mungro, Ran Carthon FB: James Mungro WR: Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Brandon Stokley, Troy Walters, Aaron Moorehead TE: Dallas Clark, Bryan Fletcher, Ben Hartsock, Ben Utecht PK: Mike Vanderjagt =========================

=========================JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSAs Associated Press sports writer Mark Long noted Monday, Greg Jones and Matt Jones are getting comfortable in their new roles with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Greg Jones, a fullback most of the time, ran 25 times for 106 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 30-3 victory over the Ravens. Rookie Matt Jones, a college quarterback, caught five passes for 117 yards and a score.

The Joneses had career days -- and they did it at somewhat unfamiliar positions.

"We feel like we have invested a lot of time and energy in developing those guys and their best football is ahead of them," head coach Jack Del Rio said. "We think this is the start of something. We really think we can build on what these guys are bringing."

Greg Jones, a former star tailback at Florida State, moved to fullback this year and became the team's best backfield blocker. But when Fred Taylor re-injured his right foot last week against Houston, Jones returned to tailback.

He scored the game-winning touchdown against the Texans with 2:53 to play on a 12-yard run in which he broke several tackles.

The 6-foot-1, 250-pound back started against the Ravens and had several key runs, most notably a 1-yard TD in the third quarter that capped a 92-yard drive. Jones ran 16 times for 67 yards in the second half.

Long reports that after the game, he walked through the locker room flipping the football from his TD run, then placed it on the top shelf of his locker.

"I'm just going to keep that to remember it," Jones told Long.

He became the first Jacksonville running back other than Taylor to run for 100 yards since Dec. 20, 2001, when Stacey Mack did it against Kansas City.

It also was Jones' first 100-yard game since his junior season at Florida State. He ran for 189 yards against rival Miami on Oct. 12, 2002, then tore a ligament and damaged another in his right knee three weeks later.

He spent much of his senior season recovering, fell to the second round of the 2004 draft and was moved to fullback this year -- even though Taylor was recovering from offseason knee surgery. But Jones has been more productive at tailback than fourth-round pick Alvin Pearman and third-year backup LaBrandon Toefield.

Jones ran 18 times for 77 yards and a touchdown at Pittsburgh, the first game Taylor missed with a bruised bone in his foot.

Jones said it took him about two years to fully recover from the knee injury, and the soft-spoken back said he hardly thinks about it now -- unless he looks down at the two long scars on his knee.

"It's been a long time coming," Jones said. "I remember during rehab, I wondered if I would ever get back to my usual self. It took time, but I'm ready to go now. I feel good out there and I'm not hesitating."

Long added that Matt Jones also looked more confident than ever Sunday.

The first-round pick was a standout quarterback at Arkansas, but moved to receiver before the draft and has emerged into one of Byron Leftwich's favorite targets. Jones has three TD catches in the last four games.

He had a 32-yard scoring catch in the second quarter against Baltimore, a 36-yard reception that set up Greg Jones' 1-yard TD run in the third quarter, and a 42-yard catch in the closing minutes of the fourth that helped the Jaguars end a dubious NFL-record scoring streak.

"It was just my day," said Jones, often criticized for his laid-back approach on and off the field. "I got some balls thrown my way, and when that happens, you definitely want to catch them to keep them coming."

Jacksonville (6-3) had gone 58 games without scoring at least 30 points, tying Cleveland's NFL record last week.

With Taylor's status uncertain and starting receiver Ernest Wilford nursing a shoulder injury, the Joneses could stay in the spotlight for a while.

"Some young, talented players that we have selected in the draft are growing up and blossoming right now for us and they are producing," Del Rio said. "We're going to need that."

Along those lines. ... Florida Times-Union staffer Bart Hubbuch advised readers that the Jaguars got good news on the injury front Monday when further exams of Wilford's right shoulder showed nothing more than a mild sprain.

Wilford went down hard on his shoulder in the second half against Baltimore and left the game for good, but Del Rio said he is optimistic Wilford will start again this Sunday when the Jaguars begin a three-game road trip at Tennessee.

"We anticipate having him this week," Del Rio said.

But Del Rio said he isn't as certain about Taylor, who sat out against the Ravens for the second time in the Jaguars' past three games because of a bone bruise in his right ankle.

"We'll take a look at Fred on Wednesday to see where he is," Del Rio said. "He'll get treatment in the next couple of days. I know he's feeling better."

Needless to say, I'll have more on both Taylor and Wilford as the week progresses. ...

One last item here. .. According to Times-Union beat man Vito Stellino, Jimmy Smith no longer appears to be an every-down player for the Jaguars, but Del Rio said Monday that he's still the team's No.1 receiver.

"Jimmy is our No.1 wideout," Del Rio said. "He's very talented. He continues to play well for us. Nothing has changed there. We just happen to have guys making plays around him. I think that's a positive. Jimmy is very prominent in our plans. I think he's one of the stars in the league. He's one of the stars on this team and we'll continue to utilize him."

After the Sunday's win, Del Rio said he was pleased with the development of several young players on the team's roster.

"I have spoken in the past that we need to go beyond [Taylor] and [Smith] which is what this offense has been about for so long," he said after the game.

Del Rio said Monday that the statement wasn't meant to downgrade Smith or Taylor, but to indicate the team has become more versatile.

Smith told Times-Union columnist Mike Freeman on Sunday that he's not a selfish player and is happy as long as the team wins.

He added, "All I know is when I touch the ball, big things happen. I make plays. I'm not going to say much more than that. You have to talk to the coaches."

Del Rio responded: "It just depends on your perspective. ... The more the merrier. How many times have you asked me, 'Are we ever going to find a receiver opposite Jimmy to step up and be the No.2 [receiver]?' We feel like we've got several guys who can be the No.2.

"Reggie [Williams], [Wilford] and [Jones] have all shown they have the ability to play in this league and help us have a threat opposite Jimmy. Jimmy is the one guy in that group that's proven. He's done it over time and he's done it at a high level for a long time. To me, that's a positive."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Byron Leftwich, David Garrard RB: Greg Jones, Alvin Pearman, LaBrandon Toefield, Fred Taylor FB: Derrick Wimbush, Greg Jones WR: Jimmy Smith, Ernest Wilford, Matt Jones, Reggie Williams, Cortez Hankton TE: Kyle Brady, George Wrighster PK: Josh Scobee =========================

=========================KANSAS CITY CHIEFSIn an article published Tuesday, Kansas City Star beat writer Adam Teicher noted the Chiefs mashed the Buffalo Bills for 150 rushing yards Sunday by using Larry Johnson as a bludgeon against a soft run defense.

At the same time, they committed four turnovers in the passing game in large part because of continuing problems in protecting quarterback Trent Green.

In light of this -- and the fact that left tackle Willie Roaf is unlikely to play in Sunday night's game in Houston -- the sensible thing would seem to be to load up Johnson again and watch him work against another porous rushing defense.

To the Chiefs, the prudent thing is to stay the course.

"The thing you don't do is panic," head coach Dick Vermeil said. "Even as bad as we are, we're the ninth-ranked offense in the NFL. The trouble is, you keep looking at what we were. We're not that. We'll get some of that back.

"You don't panic, but you'd better adjust. Can we do a better job of adjusting to our problem? Yes we can. The other thing is, the people who have had some problems will continue to get better. There are a lot of snaps in there where things are done awfully well. We know we can run the ball. We've got to be able to throw the ball."

The Chiefs scored only three points in the loss in Buffalo, the first time they failed to reach double-digits since a shutout loss in Oakland to finish the 2002 season. Green was sacked six times, which combined with the turnovers rendered the passing game useless.

While the game was an extreme for the Chiefs' offense, they've struggled most of the season in the passing game. Green was sacked 13 times in the last three weeks.

He's on pace to go down 41 times, highest total for the Chiefs since 1992.

According to Teicher, that's just counting the sacks, and not the hurries that force bad throws and turnovers. Tackles Jordan Black and John Welbourn are failing in pass blocking and may be playing out of position. Each may be better suited to play guard.

But Teicher added the Chiefs are determined to keep trying.

"You're going to have bad days," tight end Jason Dunn said. "That's how it comes. You just have to put it behind you. The same if you have a great day. Things happen and everyone wants to blow it up, expose it like maybe it's not the same type of deal we've had before. I don't think it's that extreme. It was a bad day at the office. We've had a couple of them this year.

"Even though we've had some days on offense, it's nothing to really be concerned about because we do have good players. Let's get the ball in the players' hands and let them make plays. Tony Gonzalez, Trent Green, Larry Johnson, Eddie Kennison, Dante Hall. You stick with what works. You can't jump ship just because something bad happens."

The good news? The 1-8 Texans are last in the league in run defense, allowing 153 yards per game. Their average of 4.8 yards allowed per carry is worse than every team except Buffalo.

And as Teicher pointed out, five players have topped 100 yards against Houston, meaning Johnson should have another big game. ...

In a related note. ... As he has all week since he became the Chiefs featured running back following the season-ending injury to Priest Holmes, Johnson wasn't talking to reporters Sunday after he topped the 100-yard mark for the third time this season and sixth of his career, which essentially began at the midpoint of his second year last season.

Johnson, who was one of KC's team captains for the game, had 100 of his 132 rushing yards at halftime after breaking off a long run of 24 in the 45-yard drive for Lawrence Tynes' 35-yard field goal.

But a dominating running game alone isn't enough to carry an offense, Vermeil said.

"You've got to get big plays from other phases of your game or it's hard to score points," he said.

Johnson's best run of the game came on defense. Linebacker Jeff Posey's recovery and return of a Trent Green fumble from the Bills' 27 was headed toward the end zone when Johnson made a cross-country trek and caught Posey from behind at the Chiefs 12.

Johnson's effort proved even more pivotal when Jared Allen forced a Kelly Holcomb fumble at the 7, killing the Bills threat. ...

Also of interest. ... As Topeka Capital-Journal staffer Rick Dean noted Monday, Green isn't solely responsible for his inability to gain any momentum this season.

The Chiefs' wide-receiver problem suddenly looks glaring. It's true that the Chiefs' high-scoring offense has not counted much on wide receivers -- they have not had a wide receiver catch more than 62 passes in the Vermeil era.

But this year, it's clear that defenses flood the middle, go after the quarterback and dare the Chiefs to throw deep.

The Chiefs have failed. Kennison has had his moments, but no No. 2 receiver has emerged. Green has thrown four touchdown passes to wide receivers, and three of those came late, when the game had already been decided. ...

For what it's worth, despite optimistic reports earlier last week, Samie Parker remained inactive last weekend. It remains to be seen whether he'll be ready to return from his sprained knee this week. ...

Star staffer Elizabeth Merrill suggested Monday that the scenery up north is swell, but don't expect Lawrence Tynes to be visiting Buffalo again anytime soon.

When Tynes warmed up Sunday, a stiff wind blew one direction. Tynes said it changed 50 times. The gusts reached 26 mph at game time, and the result for the Chiefs' near-automatic kicker was two missed field goals and the end of a streak that went back to September.

"I'll just take it for what it is and go back and try to get better," Tynes said, "and be thankful I don't have to kick up here every week."

Tynes kicked a 35-yard field goal in the first quarter Sunday, extending his streak to 14 made kicks. A quarter later, Tynes lined up for a 44-yarder with the Chiefs leading 3-0. His kick sailed wide right, and Tynes missed another field goal early in the fourth when his 43-yard attempt hooked left.

Tynes, who struggled in training camp and at the start of the season, nearly had his job taken away when Vermeil said his kicker was "in the tank." But after a couple of misses Sunday, Vermeil was a little more understanding.

"He's human," Vermeil said. "He's going to miss some. ..."

And finally. ... In an article published Sunday, FOXSports insider Jay Glazer advised readers several Chiefs have told him that they are convinced that Holmes has seen his last days as a member of the team.

One player went as far as admitting that Holmes has told him out right that he would retire after this season. That declaration, however, came about a month before his season-ending neck injury.

"We have pretty much no doubt that he will never be back," said another player. "With Priest, he's a different guy your are dealing with now so you never know what he might do, but we all pretty much believe we've seen him for the last time."

According to Glazer, that poses a problem. Holmes would be responsible for returning to the Chiefs an awful lot of cash he received in bonus money. That may be enough to make him either stay or find a way to use his latest injury as career-ending injury.

The wild card, according to another player, is if Holmes hears all the talk about his retirement and wants to prove the world wrong.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Trent Green, Todd Collins, Damon Huard RB: Larry Johnson, Dee Brown FB: Tony Richardson, Ronnie Cruz WR: Eddie Kennison, Dante Hall, Marc Boerigter, Chris Horn, Samie Parker TE: Tony Gonzalez, Jason Dunn, Kris Wilson PK: Lawrence Tynes =========================

=========================MIAMI DOLPHINSAccording to Miami Herald staff writer Armando Salguero, Gus Frerotte's status is uncertain for Sunday's game at Cleveland following an injury to the index finger on his throwing hand.

"Gus hit his finger on a helmet at the end of the game," head coach Nick Saban said. "It didn't affect him in the game. But he has a significant amount of swelling in it, and any time you get that kind of situation, we'll have to assess it day to day. We'll see where he is on Wednesday."

The injury occurred in the second quarter, when Frerotte's finger hit the helmet of New England linebacker Monty Beisel. He continued playing without missing a snap and afterward had an X-ray.

Herald staffer Jason Cole reported that Frerotte spent most of Tuesday getting treatment on the finger, which he hit on another player's helmet. It's the same finger that bothered him during training camp and earlier in the season. However, he said most of that discomfort had subsided from the earlier injuries until this injury.

Guard Rex Hadnot said he didn't know Frerotte was hurt.

"The way he was throwing, I couldn't tell," Hadnot explained.

Salguero added that reserve quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who spent time with Frerotte in meetings Monday, confirmed he had seen and talked to his teammate but declined to comment on the injury.

Saban said during his news conference Monday that he did not expect lineup changes for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns, suggesting that Frerotte could be healed enough to start the game.

However, South Florida Sun-Sentinel beat man Alex Marvez advised readers Wednesday morning that a source told him Frerotte has privately conceded he doesn't expect to start and the veteran was limited in Wednesday's practice.

If Frerotte can't play, that likely would open the door for backup Rosenfels, who started the final game of the 2004 season, to get his first start of the season and second of his career.

I'll watch the situation closely in coming days and bring you more -- including further details from Wednesday's practice -- via Late-Breaking Update. ...

Also of interest. ... Chris Chambers showed signs Sunday that he is more than just a "decent" wide receiver.

He caught six passes for 69 yards and scored the only two touchdowns in their loss to New England.

Chambers was unhappy with Saban's comments about the team having "decent" wide receivers compared to the "two outstanding runners" in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams and "a very good tight end" in Randy McMichael.

Saban and Chambers talked about the incident and claimed it was a misunderstanding. Still, Chambers pressured himself to impress his coach.

"Yes, I did," Chambers said. "I knew I was going to get the opportunity. I might have tried a little too hard and put a little bit too much on me. I tried to keep my head in the game and tried to make plays."

Despite his two touchdowns, Chambers struggled and didn't make some of the receptions he needed to, including a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 36 seconds remaining on the Dolphins' final drive.

Chambers, in his fifth year, admitted he needs improvement in catching low passes but is confident he can play as well as any other receiver.

"I know I can do a lot of things they can do," he said. "I've been building my game. I know I've come a long way coming from a school that doesn't pass the ball. I'm still learning stuff and still learning the offense."

Although he feels somewhat frustrated with his performance, his teammates are confident in his playmaking abilities.

"Chris is a great receiver," said McMichael, who led the Dolphins with seven receptions. "He'll be the first one to tell you that he left a couple of plays out there on the football field. He's our No. 1 guy, and we're going to continue to go to him."

"He just comes out and makes plays," Frerotte added. "We know he can do it. He does in practice all the time. I'm not going to stop throwing to him."

While the Dolphins' offense is structured around the running game with Williams and Brown, Chambers is optimistic that the 360-yard passing game Sunday bodes well for Frerotte and the rest of the receivers.

"He gave us opportunities and that's what we've been asking him," Chambers said. "We told him to trust us to make plays for him and he gave us a chance."

Meanwhile, as Sun-Sentinel staffer Harvey Fialkov reported Monday, an NFL spokesman said this week that the league's decision to punish McMichael for his role in an altercation with his wife in July is "pending in two to three weeks."

McMichael pled guilty to criminal trespass on Sept. 8 and was sentenced to three months' probation, a $500 fine and open restitution for damages. Two other charges of battery and public drunkenness were not pursued by the Columbia County district attorney.

The league conduct policy states that a player is subject to a fine or suspension whenever he is "convicted or admitting to a criminal violation."

McMichael had seven catches for a season-high 81 yards Sunday, however, his frustrations also stemmed from a costly turnover on the Patriots' 9-yard line with 1:48 left in the second quarter.

After sliding for a 27-yard pass, McMichael attempted to get up and run before he was touched. Patriots linebacker Rosevelt Colvin knocked the ball from his hands, and teammate Ellis Hobbs recovered.

Instead of taking a potential 14-0 lead into halftime, the Dolphins led 7-3.

"It's frustrating," McMichael said. "It's really hard to pinpoint what we can do to get over the hump, but we're going to have to find out because we're leaving too many plays and too many wins on the field."

According to the Palm Beach Post, McMichael had a brace on his left foot Monday, but it was not expected to hinder his work schedule. ...

Also according to Fialkov, usually reliable kicker Olindo Mare said he shocked himself when he inexplicably missed a 31-yard field-goal attempt that would've given the Dolphins a 3-0 lead in the second quarter.

"That goes to show you it's not [automatic] and it's something I've got to continue to work on," said Mare, who is 14 of 17 this season and now 63 of 73 from 30 to 39 yards over his career.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Gus Frerotte, Sage Rosenfels, Cleo Lemon RB: Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, Sammy Morris, Travis Minor FB: , Sammy Morris, Darian Barnes WR: Chris Chambers, Marty Booker, Wes Welker, Bryan Gilmore, Cliff Russell TE: Randy McMichael, Lorenzo Diamond, Alex Holmes PK: Olindo Mare =========================

=========================MINNESOTA VIKINGSAs the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday, Mewelde Moore did not take an offensive snap even as the Vikings neared historic rushing futility Sunday in a 24-21 victory over the New York Giants, a decision head coach Mike Tice attributed to him trying to protect Moore's sprained right wrist.

Moore returned three punts for 87 yards, including one for a 71-yard touchdown in the third quarter. But Michael Bennett started and played all but one offensive snap, carrying 19 times for 16 yards. Overall, the Vikings netted 12 rushing yards -- one more than the team record for fewest rushing yards in a game, set against Chicago in 1996.

Tice said Moore was an option on offense but later added, "He was worrying about [the injury] too much."

Moore, who had started five of the past six games, suffered the injury in last week's victory over Detroit. Bennett replaced him, rushing for 106 yards, and Moore prepared to play the Giants with a brace around the wrist. Tice said as late as Friday that Moore was "fine" but indicated Bennett might start.

Moore said he was ready to play but acknowledged he would have had to carry the ball exclusively in his left hand.

"I'm carrying the ball with one hand," Moore said. "The way I am with yards after contact, the way I play, I'll be able to adjust my game. ... Mike did a good job today. I don't care how you look at the stats. There's just a lot of things that were going on in the game, and Mike did a good job of taking care of the football and running the ball today.'

Bennett caught six passes for 11 yards -- giving him 27 total yards on 25 touches. Bennett had nine plays that went for negative yards, and subtracting his long run of 8 yards and his long reception of 11 yards, he was credited with 8 yards on his other 23 touches.

"You just go by the game plan," Bennett said. "And whatever is called in the huddle, you just go out and execute it. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Offensive coordinator Steve Loney wasn't pleased that the offense didn't get into the end zone Sunday and managed to accumulate a season-low 137 yards, but he was happy about one thing.

"Everybody does their job when you score one more point than the opposing team," he said. "It was a tough day, and there was a lot of times when we didn't get something done. But when the game was on the line we made plays, and I think you have to be confident or you get into those situations and you don't perform."

Loney was referring to the fact the Vikings were able to drive 42 yards on eight plays to set up Paul Edinger's 48-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

Loney called the leaping 21-yard reception by tight end Jermaine Wiggins the key to the drive. That put the ball on the Vikings 45. ...

Edinger is developing an intriguing pattern. He has missed four of five field-goal attempts this season from 30 to 39 yards away, yet has made two long, game-winning field goals in the past four weeks -- a 56-yarder to beat Green Bay, and a 48-yarder to beat the Giants on Sunday.

He missed from 40 yards and had a low kick blocked on a 32-yard attempt in the first quarter, when it seemed the Vikings were squandering every scoring opportunity.

"I struggled early in the game, but I was able to come through with the big kick when we really needed it," he said. "The first one, I just kicked it straight, and it stayed straight and the wind didn't mess with it like I thought it would. The second one, I guess I kicked it low, and it got blocked."

According to Associated Press sports writer Jon Krawczynski, Tice has given plenty of injury reports this season. Monday was the first time his name had to be included.

The Minnesota coach sprained a ligament in his left knee in the first quarter when Vikings cornerback Laroni Gallishaw blocked Jamaar Taylor into him on a punt return.

Taylor plowed into Tice, toppling the 6-foot-8 coach who was looking the other way at the time. Tice said Monday he would not miss any games because of the injury and would wait until after the season to have surgery if it is warranted.

"Mike will have an MRI performed today at 2:30 and will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis," Tice read from an imaginary injury report by trainer Chuck Barta. "Going by past history he will be ready to perform."

Tice said that if the MRI exam shows he needs surgery on the knee, he will wait until after the season to have it done.

"I don't know what it's going to tell me. My knee hurts? Yeah, it hurts," Tice deadpanned. "There's nothing we're going to do right now. If we have to do it, we're going to wait, anyway. I will not have surgery. I don't know why we're having the MRI. I can tell you that it hurts."

At halftime, Tice joked to a television reporter that he tore all three ligaments in his knee, just like quarterback Daunte Culpepper did against Carolina three weeks ago.

The injury didn't turn out that serious and Tice said he will definitely be on the sideline at Green Bay on Monday night.

"This is an insignificant injury," Tice said. "You can't keep me off the sideline. MCL, PCL, ACL, cartilage, I don't really care. I don't have to tackle or block or do any of those things. I just walk up and down, talk in the headphones."

Speaking of knee injuries. ... Moe Williams is expected to miss the remainder of the season because of damage in his right knee, a team official said.

Williams has been dealing with pain in the knee for much of the season and hasn't played since the Vikings' Oct. 30 game at Carolina. Because the pain hadn't subsided, the team scheduled exploratory surgery for this week and Williams apparently had it Tuesday.

According to the Star Tribune, Williams, 31, likely will be placed on injured reserve Wednesday.

Rookie Ciatrick Fason has taken his place as the Vikings' short-yardage runner. In six games this season, Williams has rushed 13 times for 20 yards while catching eight passes for 25 yards.

And finally. ... According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Culpepper traveled Monday to Birmingham, Ala., to prepare for surgery on his right knee, Tice said.

Dr. James Andrews was performed the surgery Tuesday, according to Vikings vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski.

The team said the surgery went as expected, and the three-time Pro Bowl pick is expected to be ready to participate in training camp next season -- which means a recovery time of about nine months. Rehabilitation will begin immediately for Culpepper, who injured the anterior cruciate, medial collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments in the knee.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Brad Johnson, Shaun Hill, J.T. O'Sullivan RB: Mewelde Moore, Michael Bennett, Ciatrick Fason, Moe Williams HB: Jim Kleinsasser, Jeff Dugan WR: Travis Taylor, Nate Burleson, Marcus Robinson, Troy Williamson, Koren Robinson TE: Jermaine Wiggins, Richard Owens PK: Paul Edinger =========================

=========================NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSThe Patriots are getting healthier on defense. Now offensive players are hobbling off the field with a leg injury, walking off with an arm injury or not even suiting up for a game that decides first place.

As Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman noted Monday, all head coach Bill Belichick can do is prepare the substitutes and plug them into the lineup.

"We just deal with it on a week-to-week basis," he said Monday. "I don't think there's any real formula."

We'll start with Corey Dillon, who was in for one play against the Dolphins, didn't touch the ball and wound up not stepping on the field again the rest of the day.

It ended a trying week for the Patriots running back. Not only did he suffer another injury in Sunday's game, but afterwards, he revealed his father had passed away. Dillon left the team earlier in the week to attend the funeral.

"It's been a tough week," said Dillon, who said he injured his right calf while making a cut on a pass route during the Pats' 23-16 win over the Dolphins. "I've been dealing with a lot of stuff. I'm just happy we won."

According to the Boston Herald, Dillon didn't wish to elaborate on the death of his father but had plenty to say about his injury woes. He'd already been playing with a badly sprained left ankle, which he says has improved, but now has a second injury to deal with.

"I'm disappointed I'm not able to do what I should be doing. I'm more frustrated with that than anything," he said. "One injury leads to another. I might need to be airlifted everywhere I go."

All joking aside, this situation seems to be taking a very serious turn, because Dillon is now convinced he needs to be 100 percent healthy on all fronts before he steps on the field again.

"I'm trying to get over this ankle. That's coming along pretty good, but now I'm set back with something else. So (expletive). I've got to get healthy," Dillon said. "The extent of the injury, I don't know. I can't tell at this time. I'm just going to try my best to come back.

"But when I come back, I'm going to be 100 percent. I can't be 80 (percent). When I come back, I'm going to be ready. So, that's all I can look forward to."

Dillon's primary backup, Kevin Faulk, has missed the last six games with a foot injury. Patrick Pass missed his second game Sunday with a hamstring injury. That left the Patriots with just two healthy running backs -- Heath Evans and Michael Cloud, who joined the team Nov. 4.

Belichick said he wouldn't make drastic changes in the running game. Fortunately for the Patriots, next Sunday's opponent is New Orleans, which has the second worst run defense in the NFL.

"We're going to pretty much run whatever we're going to run against the opponent," he said. "based on what we think's best. Whoever's carrying it is carrying it, whether it's Corey or somebody else."

In his 4-plus pro seasons before joining the Patriots, Evans ran 34 times for 108 yards. He nearly matched that yardage total (with 84) on just 17 carries Sunday.

"Man, under the situation, he did a great job," Dillon said of the former Dolphin. "He came in and ran hard. That's what he's paid to do. That's what he's supposed to do. But he was great."

With Dillon unlikely to be at full strength for a while, Evans should keep getting opportunities. Belichick said he's comfortable with either Evans or Cloud carrying the ball.

"That's where we were yesterday, so any player that's out there we have confidence in," Belichick said. ...

Adding to the difficulties, center Dan Koppen, who left Sunday's game in the third quarter with an injured left arm, was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, ending his season.

Koppen, who calls signals for the offensive line, was replaced by Russ Hochstein, part of the Patriots teams that won the last two Super Bowls.

"Russ has good experience in our system," Belichick said.

Wide receiver David Givens and tight end Daniel Graham, both starters, were sidelined for the first time on Sunday. Left tackle Matt Light has missed the last six games.

Graham's absence gave second-year tight end Benjamin Watson more opportunities and he caught two touchdown passes. With Givens out, Tim Dwight had three receptions, after grabbing eight in the first eight games, including a 59-yarder that set up the Patriots' last touchdown.

As Herald staffer John Tomase noted Monday, big things have been predicted of Watson since the Patriots made him their first-round pick in 2004 and the second-year man was pleased that he helped compensate for Graham's absence.

"I did what I could," he said. "Obviously, when you've got a guy like Daniel Graham missing, it's hard. Everybody else has to pick their games up, and we were blessed to get the win."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Tom Brady, Doug Flutie, Matt Cassel RB: Corey Dillon, Heath Evans, Mike Cloud, Patrick Pass, Kevin Faulk FB: Heath Evans, Patrick Pass WR: Deion Branch, David Givens, Troy Brown, Tim Dwight, Bethel Johnson, Andre' Davis TE: Daniel Graham, Ben Watson, Christian Fauria PK: Adam Vinatieri =========================

=========================NEW ORLEANS SAINTSAccording to New Orleans Times-Picayune staffer Mike Triplett, the Saints returned to practice Monday morning after a much-needed bye week.

For a few days at least, the players and coaches had a chance to step away from their five-game losing streak.

"I think it came at a good time. It's like a basketball coach calling a timeout when the other team's on a run," said offensive tackle Wayne Gandy, who stayed in San Antonio the whole time and happily did "absolutely nothing, man."

Most players scattered over the weekend, heading to their homes and families.

Some players returned to New Orleans for the first time. Others went on vacation -- like receiver Donte' Stallworth, who celebrated his 25th birthday along with some teammates at a blowout bash in Miami.

Whatever they did with their time off, all the players said it was nice to get their minds off the on-field struggles. But nothing will accomplish that better than a victory Sunday at New England.

"Yeah, one win. Get that feeling. Then the next thing you know, you might win three in a row just from that one win. Especially against a team like this," Gandy said. "Hopefully this bye kind of broke the chain, gives you that little energy."

Fred McAfee agreed, pointing to two upset victories Sunday for inspiration.

"There's always that game. You seen Minnesota, you seen Green Bay. There's always that game," McAfee said of the Vikings' win over the New York Giants and the Packers' victory over the Atlanta Falcons. "We've been very close the last few weeks. I'm talking about close. We had opportunities to win some games, and we let them slip through our hands.

"We still want to have that resolve, that hey, you're going to turn it around, you're going to change whatever was going wrong. ..."

Also of interest. ... Newly-signed tailback Anthony Thomas turned 28 last week, but he felt like a grizzled old veteran with the Cowboys, who released him to make room for younger backs Julius Jones and Marion Barber.

"I think I was there as an insurance policy just until the young guys picked it up," said Thomas, who didn't believe it would turn out that way when he signed with the Cowboys in free agency after four years with the Chicago Bears, including 1,000-yard seasons in 2001 and 2003.

According to San Antonio Express-News beat man Mike Finger, with the Saints, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound Thomas joins a backfield that includes Aaron Stecker and Antowain Smith. During the offseason, the Saints decided to sign Smith instead of Thomas, a Louisiana native who said he wanted to play in New Orleans.

Thomas said he isn't sure how the Saints expect him to share the load with Stecker and Smith.

"They haven't given me any ideas (about a role) yet," Thomas said. "Right now, they just want me to learn the offense. ..."

Also according to Finger, Tight end Ernie Conwell, who missed the Saints' last game with a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, said he probably would not be ready to play Sunday at New England. He's targeting the Saints' Nov.27 game against the New York Jets for his return.

"It's one of those deals where you're ready when you're ready," Conwell said. "It's an injury that you have to let take its course. ..."

Zach Hilton is lining up as the starter in Conwell's absence.

And finally. ... According to Triplett, the most frustrating season of Deuce McAllister's career has only gotten tougher since his season was ended by a knee injury five weeks ago in Green Bay.

The Saints have not won a game since.

And, although this month-long losing streak has been hard on everybody in the Saints' organization, it's been especially difficult for the man around whom they planned to build their season.

"That's the toughest part. Knowing you can only give encouragement and some insight on things you see, but not to be able to help out on the field," said McAllister, relegated to the sideline with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. "Obviously they're frustrated. We're frustrated as a group. And I want to be out there trying to help them be successful."

This is the first major injury of McAllister's football career. He said his knee operation was the first surgery of his life.

McAllister's procedure was performed by specialist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., where McAllister will return monthly for checkups. But McAllister has spent most of his time with the team in San Antonio. He watches tape on Mondays, offering insight to teammates and coaches. Sometimes players will hang out at his house.

Although he said most people believe a torn ACL is a two-year injury, McAllister claims it all depends on how hard the player works, and he plans to be back at full speed next season.

McAllister said he was not alone in Birmingham, because, "unfortunately it's been a tough year in the NFL." He said he is inspired by some of his fellow rehabbers, including Jacksonville Jaguars safety Donovin Darius.

He said he is also inspired by the return to glory of other star tailbacks who tore ACLs, such as Edgerrin James and Jamal Lewis.

"I'm slowly progressing. Some things still are not 100 percent," said McAllister, who is mostly doing strengthening and flexing exercises at this stage. "I'm off crutches. I'm trying to walk without a limp, trying to bend my leg.

"Like I said, every day is a new day. That's how I approach my days. My attitude is always going to be positive. Some days you're not going to be able to do a workout, you'll be frustrated. But you erase it. You wake up the next day proud of what you are doing."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Aaron Brooks, Todd Bouman, Adrian McPherson RB: Antowain Smith, Aaron Stecker, Anthony Thomas, Fred McAfee FB: Mike Karney WR: Joe Horn, Donte' Stallworth, Az-Zahir Hakim, Devery Henderson TE: Zach Hilton, Shad Meier, Ernie Conwell PK: John Carney =========================

=========================NEW YORK GIANTSAccording to New York Newsday staffer Arthur Staple, it had been a month of Mondays since the Giants were required to be at work the day after a game. Head coach Tom Coughlin gave his players the day off after their previous three victories.

But there was plenty to digest on video following Sunday's ugly 24-21 loss to the Vikings, and most of that didn't go down easily.

Staple added, "The one Giant who viewed the video yesterday like a teenager watching 'Halloween' was Eli Manning," who had to review his four-interception performance.

"It's hard sitting there knowing a bad play's coming up, or an interception," Manning said. "But you've just got to take it, to see it and learn from it, learn why you're doing it. And then make sure it doesn't happen again."

The loss to the Vikings marked Manning's 16th NFL start, a full season of work. His record is 7-9, but the way he performed the first eight games of this season didn't fully prepare the Giants for the lousiness of game nine. Manning was 23-for-48, lowering his season completion percentage to an NFL-worst 51.0, and despite the 291 passing yards, there were too many poor throws to catalogue fully.

With the Eagles looming on Sunday, now is not the time for the quarterback to be questioning his mechanics and his ability. Manning's teammates have little doubt he'll be able to shake off his worst performance of the season.

"He'll be just fine. I guarantee you he's going to be sharp this week," Plaxico Burress said. "If he could have a down week, I'd rather it be [Sunday] than this week. I guarantee he's going to be prepared to play and he'll go out and play well."

"He's our quarterback and we have the utmost faith in him," Tiki Barber said. "We trust him to get better every week. And we know how self-critical he is. He's never one to rest on his laurels and say, 'I've made it.'"

One of Manning's recurring problems is a seeming inability to opt for a dump-off pass to Barber or whomever operates as the "check-down" receiver on a play. In the fourth quarter Sunday, Manning did do that, with the Vikings overly committed to stopping downfield completions to Burress or Jeremy Shockey, who totaled eight catches.

"A covered route can turn from an incompletion or an interception into a five- or six-yard completion [to the check-down receiver]," Barber said. He was also open on both Manning passes to Amani Toomer in traffic that bounced off Toomer right to the Vikings' Darren Sharper. "It's something we're working on."

Coughlin thought Manning made more poor throws than poor decisions, despite trying to force a few balls to Burress and Shockey in double coverage. Manning did miss Burress twice on first-down throws, one over Burress' head, one too low.

Burress, like Toomer, Tim Carter and Jamaar Taylor, also dropped a couple of catchable balls.

"We made mistakes all the way across the board on offense," Burress said.

Coughlin took the blame for the loss, a day after fuming at his players following the game and about his players to the media. He was calmer yesterday, wanting his team to learn and move on.

"You have to go forward, [even though] that was an excruciating, punch-in-the-stomach loss," Coughlin said. "We have to go forward because of the nature of who we play this week."

For the record, Barber was the majority of the Giants' offense in Sunday's loss to the Vikings, as he led the team in both rushing and receiving. The veteran halfback picked up 95 yards and scored a touchdown on 23 carries, while adding a season-high eight catches for 111 yards. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Before games, Coughlin implores the special teams to "deliver the proper message." But Willie Ponder fumbled the kickoff to start the game and the Giants allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half. "Not the message I'm thinking we needed to send," Coughlin deadpanned.

According to the New York Post, the Giants' sudden special teams problems might be solved if David Tyree -- who has missed the last three games with a sprained elbow -- is able to return. He feels he's nearly ready.

"Obviously I provide a little more leadership and a little more speed," Tyree said.

And finally. ... Burress made a vow for Sunday's game against the Eagles: "I can promise you we're going to be a lot better on offense next week."

Burress also added this unusual take on the loss to the Vikings: "It probably was a good time for us to have a downer if we were gonna have one. Kind of opened our eyes a little bit, getting back to getting crisp and sharp on offense."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Eli Manning, Tim Hasselbeck, Jared Lorenzen RB: Tiki Barber, Derrick Ward, Brandon Jacobs FB: Jim Finn WR: Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Tim Carter, David Tyree, Jamaar Taylor, Willie Ponder TE: Jeremy Shockey, Visanthe Shiancoe PK: Jay Feely =========================

=========================NEW YORK JETSHead coach Herman Edwards on Tuesday confirmed a reports first made by Newark Star-Ledger staffer Dave Hutchinson that quarterback Brooks Bollinger would start the next game against the Broncos despite throwing four interceptions Sunday, all in the second half.

Also, he angrily defended his decision to essentially run out the clock with 7:35 to play against the Panthers and trailing 23-3, following four straight turnovers.

Edwards named Bollinger the starter after refusing to do so immediately after the Jets' 30-3 shellacking by the Panthers. He played well against Carolina before a second- half meltdown. It'll be Bollinger's third career start. "If he can manage the game like he did the first three quarters, we'll be fine," Edwards said. "You can't self-destruct at the end. That's what we did. We all were part of it."

With a chance to tie the score on the second possession of the third quarter, Bollinger threw the first of his interceptions on an underthrow to wide receiver Laveranues Coles in the end zone and became unglued.

Bollinger threw three more interceptions and the Jets fumbled a kickoff in five consecutive second- half possessions.

Panthers cornerback Ken Lucas appeared to accuse the Jets of quitting after Bollinger's first interception. But Panthers coach John Fox called Edwards yesterday to clarify Lucas' comments.

"We quit throwing the ball, and that's what he meant," Edwards said. "[Lucas] said it the wrong way. I believe [Fox] and I believe the kid."

Edwards said he didn't go into a hurry-up, pass-happy mode with 7:35 remaining and elected to run because he felt the game was over. He said Bollinger's confidence was shot, he wanted to see rookie back Cedric Houston run the ball, and he didn't want to put his weary defense back on the field.

Edwards stood behind his decision to take the ball out of Bollinger's hands at the end of the game. The Jets ran the ball on nine of their final 10 plays.

"Turned the ball over five times in a row, that's one, OK?" Edwards said. "I wasn't going to put that quarterback in harm's way any longer. I wasn't going to send our defense out there again by turning the ball over, OK? That's my decision. That's what you do for your team.

"Not going to put the quarterback in harm's way, go back there, line up in shotgun, try to throw passes and get him killed. Kidding me? For what?

Ridiculous," Edwards said defensively. "I know the situation in that game. I'm going, I'll get this young kid (Houston) in there and find out if he can run. I'll let the quarterback leave the game with dignity.

"You want to say that's a bad decision on my part, then that's fine. Write it. Go right ahead. Knock yourself out, partner."

Bollinger said he had no problem with the call.

"It's the head coach and he's right. Period," Bollinger said. "Who am I to say what we need to do? Things had in a quick period of time gotten pretty bad."

Also of interest. ... Jay Fiedler (dislocated shoulder) said he threw four days last week and plans to throw four days this week. Edwards said Fiedler should be ready in a few weeks, but Fiedler refused to put a timetable on his return.

"Each week we're going to do a little more," he said.

Fiedler, a 10th-year pro, said he won't rush back in an effort to show the organization what he can do. He said that'll take care of itself. He added that he has to be completely healed before he can play because it's his throwing shoulder.

"It's frustrating," he said. "It's hard to see your team go through struggles. When you're not out there, personally, I feel like I'm letting guys down. I know it's not my doing to get injured, but you still have those feelings. ..."

Curtis Martin's second-quarter fumble was his first since a 2003 fumble against the Giants. He had touched the ball 863 times without putting it on the ground.

"I just got hit (by Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan) when I didn't expect it," Martin said. "I was getting ready to reach for the first down and the guy reached in and hit it. ... It was a mistake and a lack of concentration. To me, that (fumbling) is a pet peeve. It bothers me."

Meanwhile, Houston had a career-high 10 carries for 53 yards. ...

Justin McCareins, who failed to make a big play twice in the closing minutes against the Chargers last week, had a ball deflect off him for an interception. He finished with just two catches for 21 yards.

"For whatever reason, it's just not happening for me," McCareins said.

And finally. ... Veteran tackle Jason Fabini suffered a torn left pectoral muscle in the first series of the game and is out for the season. He'll likely undergo surgery this week.Veteran Scott Gragg, a former Giant and 49er, subbed for him and will

start the rest of the season.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Brooks Bollinger, Vinny Testaverde, Kliff Kingsbury, Jay Fiedler RB: Curtis Martin, Cedric Houston, Derrick Blaylock FB: Jerald Sowell, B.J. Askew WR: Laveranues Coles, Justin McCareins, Jerricho Cotchery, Harry Williams Jr., Dante Ridgeway TE: Doug Jolley, Joel Dreessen, James Dearth PK: Mike Nugent =========================

=========================OAKLAND RAIDERSIn an article published Monday, Contra Costa Times staffer Cam Inman wrote: "Randy Moss is doing too much. That's right, too much.

"He should be catching passes, not consulting on where they should be thrown.

"He should be resting on the bench after proving his worth, not plotting with quarterback Kerry Collins and coach Norv Turner on how to fix the Raiders' underachieving offense.

"This is not Moss' fault. He's doing all he can to get himself involved more. How has it come to this, where arguably the NFL's best wide receiver is moonlighting as an offensive coordinator?

"He has a good understanding of what people are trying to do to us," Turner said after Sunday's loss to the Broncos. "People assume it's always, 'You can throw me this.' A lot of times, he'll say, 'They're doubling me in this formation, and we can get the ball to [Jerry Porter], and so on and so on.'"

Moss shouldn't have to be the one saying that. It's admirable he's trying to help, but inexcusable that he has a better idea than his coaches on how to get himself or others the ball.

Moss had only two catches for 25 yards as the Raiders entered the fourth quarter with a 23-0 deficit. Cries to get Moss more involved have been heard from the day he arrived in a March trade with the Minnesota Vikings.

"That's the one thing that surprised me watching film on them," Broncos safety John Lynch said of the Raiders and their Randy-less Ratio. "I mean, they've been productive and have been scoring points. But I'm used to playing against Randy when he was in Minnesota, and they were constantly throwing at him. They were going to take 10 shots a game deep. [The Raiders] haven't done that."

Inman went on to note the Raiders went three-and-out to start the second half, and Moss calmly chatted with Turner upon reaching the sideline. Moss then stood next to Collins and feverishly flipped through a binder containing aerial photos of the Raiders' plays.

"Randy and I have a good line of communication," Collins said. "He's got good football smarts. The things he comes up with are always positive. He's always trying to come up with a way to help and be effective for us.

"It's a good line of dialogue, it's helpful for us. Throughout the course of the game, we did some things we had to adjust to, and we made plays because of it."

After the Broncos went ahead 20-0 midway through the third quarter, a sideline summit broke out among Moss, Collins and Turner. Moss then huddled the offense together for a pep talk before taking the field again.

Less than two minutes later, Moss, Collins and Turner again were talking on the sideline, Collins having overthrown Moss and safety Nick Ferguson intercepting the pass at the Broncos 20.

Collins' predecessor, Rich Gannon, said from the CBS broadcast booth just before Ferguson's interception: "They've got to find ways to get [Moss] involved, to get him in this game to jump-start this offense."

Moss eventually found the end zone, but it took until the second play of the fourth quarter. Collins dropped a 29-yard touchdown pass into Moss' hands despite double coverage, pulling the Raiders within 23-7 with 14 minutes, 16 seconds remaining. It was Moss' third reception on a day he'd finish with six catches for 87 yards.

CBS flashed a telling graphic midway through the second quarter, noting how Moss' production has plummeted from the first four games (19 catches, 466 yards, two touchdowns, 118 yards after the catch) to the previous four games (seven catches, 76 yards, two touchdowns, 4 yards after the catch).

Injuries have limited Moss' availability the past month. But as Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey said: "He looked fast to me. He looked good."

Bailey looked confused when asked why Moss hasn't been a more featured target.

"I don't know why. I can't really comment on that," Bailey said. "I don't know what their coach is thinking. He's definitely one of the great ones in the game."

We presume he's talking of Moss, who surely must be frustrated. Right?

"I don't know," Bailey responded. "He doesn't really show emotion on the field, so you can't tell. ... He didn't talk out there."

In an interesting side note. ... During an interview with ESPN, excerpts of which were televised Tuesday, Moss not only dismissed the possibility of ever playing on the same team as Terrell Owens, he issued a surprisingly tepid endorsement of Turner's coaching style -- but only after remaining silent and not answering at all when asked about his relationship with Turner.

"His approach, being an offensive-minded coach, is something that I can accept, I like," Moss said, when asked about Turner's coaching style. "He's the man. I'll leave it at that."

According to the Times, It's unclear what prompted Moss' silence on his relationship with Turner -- especially given his willingness to listen to his star receiver on game days. In addition, the coach has had nothing but positive things to say about Moss since Moss' arrival in March. ...

It's safe to assume we haven't heard the last on this one. ...

For what it's worth, Turner said Moss is showing progress but still hasn't fully recovered from the groin, ribs and pelvis injuries he sustained Oct. 16 against San Diego.

"Looking at the tape, I thought he moved pretty well most of the time," said Turner of Moss after reviewing the Denver game. "I know he's not 100 percent, but he ran good routes. He did a lot of good things in the second half."

Turner said a first-quarter deep pass to Moss that fell incomplete in front of him was virtually the same throw the former Viking effortlessly pulled in for a touchdown in a win over Dallas the week before he was hurt.

And finally. ... Collins completed 26 of his season-high 50 pass attempts for 310 yards and two touchdowns against the Broncos, but he was picked off three times and sacked four times.

Going into the contest, the veteran quarterback had thrown just three interceptions in his previous eight games.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Kerry Collins, Marques Tuiasosopo, Andrew Walter RB: LaMont Jordan, Zack Crockett, Justin Fargas FB: Zack Crockett, John Paul Foschi, Omar Easy WR: Randy Moss, Jerry Porter, Doug Gabriel, Alvis Whitted, Randal Williams, Johnnie Morant, Carlos Francis

TE: Courtney Anderson, Zeron Flemister PK: Sebastian Janikowski =========================

=========================PHILADELPHIA EAGLESWith Donovan McNabb sidelined after suffering a groin/abdominal injury against Dallas, the Eagles are going with Mike McMahon at quarterback for Sunday's critical NFC East battle against the New York Giants.

"It's a little more pressure. It's the real thing," said McMahon. "You have to be ready. It's the situation I've been waiting for."

Head coach Andy Reid made the announcement on Wednesday at his morning press conference.

"I feel like I have two good quarterbacks that I trust," said Reid referring to McMahon and Koy Detmer. The Eagles also signed quarterback Jeff Smoker, a standout at Michigan State, to the practice squad.

The reason for Reid going with McMahon over Detmer was mobility.

"He has a little more mobility," Reid said.

Another factor was McMahon's experience. He was the starter for seven games during his first four seasons with the Detroit Lions.

"I'm going to do whatever it takes to win," McMahon said. "I haven't started in a while, but it's not about starting. It's about going out and being productive with the offense."

As for McNabb, Reid said that "he's sore. He's not moving around real good today."

McNabb will see a specialist on Thursday, who will examine the MRI he had taken on Tuesday. Even though he hasn't seen the specialist, Reid said that the amount of pain McNabb is in was enough to make the decision to rest him for Sunday.

But don't count out McNabb for after the Giants game. Until McNabb sees the specialist, no decision will be made on the rest of his season.

Meanwhile, as Associated Press sports writer Rob Maaddi suggested, while McNabb is hurting physically, he and the team are dealing with the agony of a tough loss that dealt a severe blow to their playoff hopes. The reigning

conference champions have lost three straight and are last in the NFC East. They're 0-3 in the division and 1-4 in conference games.

"I take the blame for every loss," McNabb said. "I don't point the finger at any time. I take the blame for all losses."

As Reid suggested, there is hope the more mobile McMahon could spark the offense. He nearly led Philadelphia to the winning score after coming in for the last series against Dallas. McMahon drove the Eagles to the Cowboys 42 before David Akers missed a 60-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.

"He handled that situation nice. That's about as tough a situation you can be put in," Reid said.

In four seasons with Detroit, McMahon started seven games. He had a 43.8 completion percentage with 10 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions, but he ran for 273 yards on 46 carries.

Detmer has been McNabb's backup the last six seasons. He is the No. 2 quarterback this year only because he holds the ball on extra points and field goals.

As for McNabb, this setback is the latest in a series of obstacles that started off the field with the turmoil between him and Terrell Owens. The All-Pro wideout was suspended before the loss to Washington, and was told not to return to the team last week.

McNabb, who feuded with Owens throughout the summer, put himself on the spot by saying the team was "better off" without its top playmaker. He refused to answer questions about Owens after the loss to Dallas.

"We need to stop talking about this," McNabb said. "No. 86, No. 83, and No. 80 are the receivers right now. Those guys did a good job these last two weeks. And, they're going to continue to get better. That's what we need to focus on."

Brown, Greg Lewis and Billy McMullen combined for seven catches for 62 yards against Dallas. Owens had 47 catches for 763 yards and six TDs in seven games. ...

Meanwhile, Trenton Times staffer Mark Eckel reports that -- despite pleas from former losing presidential candidates Ralph Nader and Jesse Jackson -- sources close to the situation say there is little, if any, chance Owens will be granted his release from the Eagles.

Owens, with the backing of Nader and Jackson, will have his grievance heard Friday by an arbitrator. He wants the Eagles, who plan to make him an inactive

for at least the final five games of the season, to release him so he can sign with another team.

That will not happen at Friday's hearing and, according to the source who is very familiar with the situation, will never happen.

"You cannot tell a team to release a player," the source said. "As long as they plan to pay him, I don't think there is anything they can do. ..."

Also of interest. ... As PhiladelphiaEagles.com insider Dave Spadaro suggested Tuesday, for anyone who thought there was no way the Eagles could move the ball in the running game against a quality defense, think again.

Thirty-six rushing attempts for 181 yards. Impressive stuff for an Eagles offense that had averaged just 58.6 yards on the ground through eight games. Working against a Dallas defense that ranked sixth in the NFL against the run, the Eagles lined up and played smash-mouth football.

Brian Westbrook carried 16 times for 86 yards. Lamar Gordon had 57 yards on 13 carries.

Not that it mattered in the big picture of a devastating defeat.

"The name of the game is to win and we didn't do that," said Westbrook, who also had 5 catches for 32 yards. "We know we can run the football. We have to win these games, though. ..."

Despite missing the majority of the team's workouts during the week while recovering from a concussion, L.J. Smith was in the Eagles' starting lineup for Monday night's game.

The tight end hauled in six passes for 56 yards before leaving in the fourth quarter with what's been characterized as a slightly sprained knee. Smith didn't finish the game for the second consecutive week. He suffered a concussion during the 17-10 loss at Washington.

He will be re-evaluated throughout the week to determine the extent of the injury and his availability for this Sunday.

It's worth noting that Smith played with McMahon at Rutgers. He said it won't be much of a "drop off" catching passes from him.

"I know him. He knows my routes," Smith said on Wednesday. "He's mobile like [McNabb]. He has a strong arm like [McNabb]. He's not afraid to make the long throws and he's tough, too."

With rookie tight end Stephen Spach sidelined by a foot injury, veteran Chad Lewis, who has not played since last year's NFC Championship Game, Jan. 23, and practiced just three times last week, was in uniform as the Eagles' No. 2 tight end against the Cowboys.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Mike McMahon, Koy Detmer, Donovan McNabb RB: Brian Westbrook, Lamar Gordon, Reno Mahe, Ryan Moats FB: Josh Parry WR: Greg Lewis, Reggie Brown, Billy McMullen, Darnerien McCants, Terrell Owens TE: L.J. Smith, Stephen Spach, Chad Lewis, Mike Bartrum PK: David Akers, Jose Cortez =========================

=========================PITTSBURGH STEELERSAs Associated Press sports writer Alan Robinson framed it Tuesday night: "What doesn't look questionable about the Pittsburgh Steelers' injury-complicated quarterback situation is coach Bill Cowher's decision to keep not one, but two proven backups behind Ben Roethlisberger. ..."

Cowher said Tuesday he won't know until later in the week whether Roethlisberger can play in Sunday's game at Baltimore. Roethlisberger, who is listed as questionable, has missed two games since having knee surgery Nov. 3.

If he can't play -- and the Steelers are hopeful he can -- then Tommy Maddox will be their third starting QB in four games.

"There is no defined starter right now," Cowher said.

Charlie Batch started and won the last two games in his first extended playing time in four years, but will sit out at least one game after breaking a bone in his right hand during a 34-21 victory over Cleveland on Sunday night. Batch played about as well as a backup can during the first half, completing 13 of 19 passes for 150 yards and breaking off a 15-yard run.

The Steelers want Roethlisberger to play against the Ravens not only because he gives them the best chance of winning, but so he can get back to game speed before pivotal games against the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 28 and division rival Cincinnati on Dec. 4. Roethlisberger hasn't played since a 20-19 victory over Baltimore on Oct. 31, undergoing arthroscopic surgery to clean up damaged cartilage in his right knee three days later.

The Steelers won't rush him back and possibly jeopardize his status for the final six weeks of the season.

Roethlisberger underwent therapy and threw some passes Tuesday, normally the players' day off. But Cowher wants to see if he can throw passes without being in pain and has full range of motion in his right knee. The team starts practicing for the Ravens on Wednesday.

"I can't give a long term diagnosis," Cowher said. "We'll assess it day to day."

Running back Willie Parker (ankle) also is questionable. With Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis healthy and available, the Steelers decided to give Parker some extra time to rest his sprained ankle, holding him out of Sunday night's game.

The running back was able to return to practice late in the week, but the ankle wasn't quite ready for game action. He will be re-evaluated over the next couple of days to get an update on his status. For now, look for Parker to open the week listed as questionable with Staley (knee) and Bettis (quad) both probable.

I will, of course, have more on Roethlisberger and Parker as the week progresses. Those interested should keep an eye out for Late-Breaking Updates. ...

Meanwhile, Cowher isn't second guessing his training camp decision to keep Batch, a former Lions starter who had thrown only eight passes in four years going into the season. Roethlisberger, at 23, figured to start every game, and former starter Maddox was set as his backup, so keeping Batch looked to be a luxury.

Not now. When Roethlisberger sat out with an injury to his other knee, Maddox played terribly in a 23-17 loss to Jacksonville on Oct. 16, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble -- causing him to lose his backup job to Batch.

After Batch was hurt Sunday, Maddox played the second half and went 4-of-7 for 22 yards. The Steelers threw little after wide receiver Antwaan Randle El's 51-yard scoring pass to Hines Ward on a reverse put them up 24-7 in the opening two minutes of the second half.

"I think Tommy will be fine," Cowher said. "I wanted him to get some confidence -- some of it is him pressing. He sees the field so well, he might be his own worst enemy when he tries to get ball in there with four (defenders around). ... So I think it's good he had half of the game Sunday."

Maddox, then the starter, injured his right elbow at Baltimore last season, allowing Roethlisberger to move into the lineup as a rookie. Roethlisberger has since won 18 of 19 regular-season starts. The Steelers haven't lost on the road

since that 30-13 defeat at Baltimore on Sept. 19, 2004, winning their last 11 road games.

The Steelers also have former Pitt quarterback Rod Rutherford on their practice squad, and Randle El was a rollout quarterback at Indiana before moving to wide receiver in the NFL. ...

Also of interest. ... Ward broke the Pittsburgh Steelers' record for career receptions Sunday night by making the 538th catch of his eight-year career.

Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, caught a 15-yard sideline throw from Charlie Batch late in the second quarter to break Hall of Famer John Stallworth's mark of 537 catches from 1974-87. Stallworth played on all four of Pittsburgh's Super Bowl championship teams from the 1974 through 1979 seasons.

No other receiver in club history has more than 358 catches.

Heading into the Browns-Steelers game, Ward needed three catches to break the record. He was held to one catch the previous week at Green Bay.

According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers ran for 159 yards against the Browns, and no one was happier to get a crack at some playing time than running back Verron Haynes.

Haynes, who is the team's third-down back, played most of the fourth quarter and scored the Steelers' final touchdown with 1:53 remaining on a 10-yard run around right end. He was the third running back the Steelers used in the game, following Staley and Bettis.

"I was licking my chops like a pit bull in a cage, ready to go," said Haynes, who had 41 yards on nine carries. "I was telling [Cowher] before the game that we've got a four-headed monster at running back."

Haynes has seen Parker go from No. 4 on the depth chart at the end of last season to starting. Because of injuries to Bettis and Staley, Haynes has received his playing time on third down and has played a bit late in games this season to spell the other backs. And while he would like more playing time, he's OK with his role.

"I'm a big competitor, and I want to get out there more," he said. "But for me, I'm ready to roll whenever the team needs me."

Also according to the Post-Gazette, Bettis knew that when Parker was declared out that he would have to test his tender quadriceps muscle and play. The Steelers used him sparingly, calling his number nine times against the Browns.

He finished with 28 yards and a touchdown, scoring on a 1-yard run in the second quarter to tie the score, 7-7.

"With Willie down, I drew the short straw and had to play hurt," Bettis said. "I didn't have to play too much, and I was rested some, so it was an opportunity to get healthy."

Bettis said the Steelers' ability to run the ball successfully is the team's key, no matter who is playing quarterback for the team.

"It's the running game that makes it possible for the quarterbacks here to manage a game," he said. "The running game is how we control things. Even when Ben is in there, it's how we control the game."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Tommy Maddox, Charlie Batch RB: Duce Staley, Jerome Bettis, Willie Parker, Verron Haynes FB: Dan Krieder WR: Hines Ward, Antwaan Randle El, Cedrick Wilson, Quincy Morgan TE: Heath Miller, Jerame Tuman PK: Jeff Reed =========================

=========================ST. LOUIS RAMSAs Associated Press sports writer R.B. Fallstrom noted Monday, the Rams got three of their offensive stars back, but it was far from the bonanza the team was expecting.

The return of Marc Bulger, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce from injuries added up to one touchdown in a 31-16 loss to Seattle that put the Seahawks in commanding position in the NFC West. In five trips inside the 20, the Rams scored one touchdown.

As the Belleville News-Democrat framed it: "The red zone was the stop zone for the Rams' offense on Sunday."

"That was the difference in the game right there," left tackle Orlando Pace said. "When we're down there, we have to put points on the board, and not just field goals. We have to score some touchdowns."

The Rams' first four ventures into the red zone against the Seahawks ended with a 31-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins, a fake field goal that resulted in a 4-yard loss, a 36-yard field goal by Wilkins and a 39-yard field goal by Wilkins.

There also was a play that started at the Seattle 20 (one yard shy of officially being in the red zone), and ended with a fumble by tight end Brandon Manumaleuna.

The Rams finally converted a red-zone opportunity on Bulger's 14-yard touchdown pass to Holt in the fourth quarter.

The Rams entered the game ranked No. 2 in overall offense in the NFL, but 15th in red zone offense. ...

Although Bulger threw for 304 yards after missing two games with a shoulder injury, his timing seemed a bit off.

"I thought he had good pocket presence and good zip on the ball and was fairly accurate," interim coach Joe Vitt said. "I think those things do take time to get back in sync, and it's something we'll continue to work on."

It's worth noting that Bulger's passer rating (90.7) is second in the NFC, behind Dallas' Drew Bledsoe (97.4). ...

It's also worth noting that the team's top three wide receivers -- Holt, Bruce and Kevin Curtis -- combined for only 11 catches for 112 yards against the Seahawks.

Holt, who missed the previous two games with a knee injury, had four catches for 45 yards and lost one sure touchdown pass when he couldn't locate the ball. He redeemed himself with a 17-yard scoring catch on a fourth-down fade pattern in the fourth quarter that gave the Rams hope for a comeback.

Bruce, who had missed five games with turf toe, had only one catch for 16 yards.

Curtis led the Rams in receiving for the second straight game with six catches for 61 yards.

Vitt said it appeared Holt, who wore a protective brace, dragged the leg early in the game, but "got better as the game went on." He didn't question the decision to bring either Holt or Bruce back after the team's bye week.

"I think they're both professionals, they thought they could go and they worked hard in practice and showed in practice they could go, and they went," Vitt said. "They'll be better for it."

The return of defensive end Leonard Little didn't help the Rams much, either. Little missed the previous two games while mourning the shooting death of a younger brother.

Vitt had other deficiencies to worry about. The Rams have used referees in practice the last two weeks, yet still were whistled eight times for 49 yards.

"Very disappointing," Vitt said. "Very, very disappointing."

Three of the penalties were false starts on rookie tackle Alex Barron, who has seven penalties the last two weeks. Vitt said Barron's youth and the fact he missed much of training camp in a holdout have conspired against him.

"He's going to be held accountable," Vitt said. "I believe this in my heart: To holler, scream and demean and all those things does anybody no good. He knows he was wrong, he doesn't want to be wrong and he'll work hard to get better."

And finally. ... According to Pro Football Weekly, Vitt has quickly become a very viable candidate to remain in his current capacity should current coach Mike Martz split the scene after this season, which remains likely.

Vitt has drawn rave reviews from his players and people close to the scene, displaying surprisingly effective skills as a motivator and in terms of dealing with the media in a no-nonsense, direct manner that has been quite well accepted.

He has also done a great job getting valuable input from his assistant coaches, which has brought a pretty tight staff under Martz seemingly even closer together.

In fact, Vitt has made such a positive impression that PFW suggests he's also popped up on the radar screens of a handful of other teams that might be looking for new head coaches at season's end.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Marc Bulger, Jamie Martin, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Smoker RB: Steven Jackson, Marshall Faulk, Arlen Harris, Aveion Cason FB: Madison Hedgecock WR: Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Kevin Curtis, Shaun McDonald, Dane Looker, Dominique Thompson TE: Brandon Manumaleuna, Cam Cleeland PK: Jeff Wilkins =========================

=========================SAN DIEGO CHARGERSA week off provided the Chargers with a chance to assess what has been and what remains. According to San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Kevin Acee, "they

returned to work Monday like so many folks just back from vacation, gung-ho about the work that awaits them. ..."

Winners of their past two games, the Chargers are 5-4. Winning out would make them 12-4 and mean they beat the Denver Broncos in the season finale, which might very well mean they would win the AFC West.

And, fact is, winning the West is what the Chargers need to do to take away any postseason suspense.

Denver leads the Chargers by two games. While the Broncos in no way appear to be slowing down, there are perils ahead, with games at Dallas and Kansas City.

"I don't want to get to the point where we're watching everything they do and chase them," LaDainian Tomlinson cautioned. "You've got to continue to focus on yourself. You don't want to worry about them. We'll see how it plays out. You never know. They still have some tough games left just like we do."

Sure, at this point, it is all what-ifs.

"It's a long season," quarterback Drew Brees said. "A lot of things can happen."

Look no further than the Chargers of 2002, who started 7-3 and finished 8-8.

But as the Chargers' schedule appears to give a bit, allowing reason to believe that 10 victories are not only possible but perhaps probable, now is a good time to assess what it might take for the Chargers to make the playoffs.

The optimist can see a 10-6 record being good enough for a postseason berth. And since 1992, only one 10-6 team (the 2003 Miami Dolphins) has not made the playoffs.

But a look at the rest of the AFC reveals that Cincinnati (7-2) and Jacksonville (6-3) have a head start in the race for the conference's two wild-card spots.

The Bengals have a two-game lead on the Chargers. Jacksonville has a one-game edge. Both have kind schedules.

The Jaguars play three road games in a row beginning Sunday, but all against bad teams (at Tennessee, Arizona and Cleveland), and then return home to face undefeated Indianapolis. And three potential pitfalls can be seen on Cincinnati's schedule – Indianapolis on Sunday and road games Dec. 4 at Pittsburgh and Jan. 1 at Kansas City.

The other possible wild-card team is current AFC North leader Pittsburgh (7-2). The Steelers are the favorites to win their division because they beat Cincinnati last month and host the Bengals next month. And their final four games are against Chicago, Minnesota, Cleveland and Detroit.

The Chargers would prefer not to think of such things.

"You want to win the division," Brees said. "It's really step one. ... When you're a wild card, you're second place in your division. You don't strive to be second place. You strive to win your division. If you just think about that you don't have too many things to think about. You have one focus: Win your division."

And the need to do so could work out quite well for Fantasy owners -- especially if that's still the objective the final two weeks of the season. ...

Also of interest. ... Head coach Marty Schottenheimer hopes there will not be more games like the Chargers' most recent one, in which they lost the ball twice and did not force a turnover.

In three of the Chargers' four losses this season, they lost the turnover battle. In the other loss, each team turned the ball over twice.

"Our ball security. ... Is not acceptable," Schottenheimer said.

It is not just the offense. The defense has just six interceptions, tied for seventh-fewest in the NFL, and five forced fumbles, tied for fifth-fewest.

The Chargers' minus-3 turnover ratio (11 takeaways, 14 giveaways) ranks 19th in the league.

To that end, the coaches are making the prevention and creation of turnovers a point of emphasis.

"A year ago at this time we were plus-8," Schottenheimer said. "That is the No. 1 thing. If we can win the giveaway/takeaway, we'll win games."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, A.J. Feeley RB: LaDainian Tomlinson, Michael Turner, Darren Sproles FB: Lorenzo Neal WR: Keenan McCardell, Eric Parker, Reche Caldwell, Kassim Osgood, Vincent Jackson TE: Antonio Gates, Justin Peelle PK: Nate Kaeding =========================

=========================SAN FRANCISCO 49ERSIn an article published Tuesday, Sacramento Bee staff writer Matthew Barrows suggested, if as head coach Mike Nolan has said many times, Cody Pickett will remain the 49ers' starting quarterback as long as he has a hot hand, then now seems like the perfect time to give him the hook.

If it wasn't for a 28-yard completion to Brandon Lloyd in the third quarter of Sunday's 17-9 loss to Chicago, Pickett would have become the first NFL quarterback since 1974 to go through an entire game without a completion. Of course, the 49ers' receivers -- there were several drops -- and a ferocious Chicago wind -- it gusted to 47 mph -- had a big hand in cooling off the second-year passer.

"He just played OK -- didn't play any better than that," Nolan said Monday. "He didn't play as well as maybe a week ago, and there's always a lot of things that contribute to that."

Pickett wasn't making excuses.

"I'm not concerned about that," he said when asked whether he thought such a bizarre game should cost him the starting role.

"Obviously, I want to play like everyone else," he continued. "You can't make excuses as far as how bad the weather was. It might be bad this weekend."

Not that it will matter to Pickett.

ESPNews reported Ken Dorsey as the starter Team Notes deadline hit. I'll have full details when Late-Breaking Updates commence shortly after midnight.

In the meantime, I'll note that Dorsey, the No. 2 quarterback, said his sprained ankle was "way ahead of schedule" and that he could have played against the Bears if he had been healthy enough to practice earlier in the week. ...

For what it's worth, Smith made about 60 throws Monday while wearing a brace on his bothersome right knee. It was the first time he has dropped back and thrown the ball since getting injured Oct. 23. He won't go this week, but is clearly getting closer. ...

Meanwhile, San Jose Mercury News staffer Daniel Brown reports that Nolan gave a vote of confidence to coordinator Mike McCarthy and the rest of the offensive coaching staff Monday, a day after the 49ers went without a touchdown for the third consecutive week.

The 49ers' best chance for a touchdown against Chicago -- a first-and-goal at the 2 -- unraveled thanks in part to two penalties that Nolan acknowledged stemmed from coaching problems.

But in opening remarks at his news conference Monday, Nolan went out of his way to salute McCarthy and the other position coaches, saying, "I have a lot of trust in our offensive staff. We have a tremendous amount of experience in our offensive staff, and we have some outstanding coaches."

The 49ers rank 32nd out of 32 teams in several offensive categories, including total yards per game (199.4), passing yards per game (101.3), time of possession per game (26:20) and first downs per game (10.6).

They have gone six consecutive games without a touchdown pass -- and the quarterback responsible for that score, Tim Rattay, has since been traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Against the Bears, McCarthy kept much of the game on the ground because of swirling 40 mph winds. The 49ers, though, risked predictability by running on 16 of their first 17 first-down plays (one first down was a false start). ...

Nolan elaborated on his decision to have Joe Nedney try a 52-yard field goal at the end of the first half, a failed attempt that the Bears' Nathan Vashar returned 108 yards for a pivotal touchdown.

Nolan noted that Nedney nailed his first two attempts with ease (a 31-yarder was nullified by a penalty). He also saw Nedney boot a 51-yard attempt during warm-ups.

Nolan considered the possibility of a return but said the field-goal unit includes five members from the return team, and that each was capable of making a tackle. "It was a high-percentage decision from my standpoint," Nolan said. ...

The 49ers picked up tight end Terry Jones off waivers from Baltimore on Tuesday and waived tight end Trent Smith.

Jones has been used mostly as a blocker in Baltimore's three tight end sets and has yet to make a catch this season. He has 50 receptions for 417 yards with five touchdowns during his four-year career.

Smith, who was claimed off waivers earlier this season from Baltimore, had three catches for 7 yards for San Francisco. A seventh-round pick -- also by the Ravens -- out of Oklahoma in 2003, Smith missed his first two seasons after breaking his leg during his first preseason game as a rookie.

Rookie Billy Bajema, a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma State, became the Niners' starting tight end after Eric Johnson suffered a torn muscle in his left foot during practice in September.

And finally. ... According to Pro Football Weekly, the long-standing feud between Kevan Barlow and Fred Beasley is history.

"Fred's cool, man," Barlow told PFW. "We had some ups and downs. My first year, he gave me the rookie treatment, and I wasn't too fond of that. I didn't know what it meant, and one thing led to another.

"But I've gotten to know Fred better as a person the last four years, and our relationship has improved."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Ken Dorsey, Cody Pickett, Jesse Palmer, Alex Smith RB: Kevan Barlow, Frank Gore, Terry Jackson, Maurice Hicks FB: Fred Beasley, Steve Bush, Chris Hetherington WR: Brandon Lloyd, Johnnie Morton, Arnaz Battle, Otis Amey, Rasheed Marshall, Jason McAddley TE: Billy Bajema, Steve Bush, Terry Jones PK: Joe Nedney =========================

=========================SEATTLE SEAHAWKSAccording to Tacoma News Tribune staffer Jon Naito, Shaun Alexander, who entered Sunday as the league's top rusher, fortified his standing by rushing for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

It was his 17-yard jaunt with 1 minute, 18 seconds remaining that put the game on ice. But more than that, Alexander added a few more milestones to his resume:

Alexander, who has 17 touchdowns this season, became the first player to rush for at least 15 touchdowns in a season for five consecutive years.

He passed Tony Dorsett and Ricky Watters to sit at 15th on the league's career rushing touchdowns list and now has 79 in his six-year career.

He also went over 1,000 yards for the season, the fifth such season for Alexander.

Against the Rams, a team that allowed him an average of 113.3 yards per game in his career, he came up big, time and again. The Seahawks put the game in his hands on the clinching drive in the fourth quarter.

"You might be talking to the wrong guy," Rams defensive tackle Tyoka Jackson said. "Because he broke one of my (tackles) and went for about 50 yards. That guy's a great football player."

Naito went on to suggest that Alexander's elite status might approach some serious historical heights. Not only is Alexander on pace for an 1,800-yard season and 30 touchdowns (which would break Priest Holmes' single-season league record), but he's also set to surpass Paul Hornung's single-season scoring record.

Hornung scored 176 points during the 1960 season. Alexander, who has 102, is on pace for 180.

"I'm a better running back every time I step on the field than I was before," Alexander said. "And if I'm not, then I'm not doing our line any justice. From. ... The first game I started, I put up 170 (yards) against -- I think -- the Broncos or Jacksonville and I've tried to get better ever since them."

Actually, it was 176 against the Jaguars. Alexander had two touchdowns in his first career start on Oct. 7, 2001, and hasn't slowed down since.

This season, Alexander leads the NFL in rushing, touchdowns and scoring. He has scored the most touchdowns in the league, 87, since 2001.

Alexander is so confident in his abilities right now and the Seahawks in turn are so confident in him that head coach Mike Holmgren even gave him some play-calling duty Sunday.

"He came over to me and he had a ‘guaranteed touchdown' play for me," Holmgren said. "He said, ‘Listen, I know you don't like me to do this, but if we do this and you hand me the ball here, I know it's going to work.'"

It was about the only thing that didn't go right for him Sunday -- he lost a yard. ...

Other notes of interest. ... It always feels better the next week, Bobby Engram said.

According to the Seattle Times, the veteran receiver was talking about his cracked ribs, which had healed enough for him to play at Arizona last week and make three catches for 28 yards. On Sunday, Engram looked completely healthy, leading the Seahawks with six catches for 70 yards.

More important, Engram went over the middle to make most of his catches, with no fear of getting hit in those same ribs. His best catch went for 27 yards during a second-quarter scoring drive, on which he leaped over Rams cornerback Corey Ivy to bring down the ball.

"The second week you feel a little more comfortable in terms of getting your legs under you and it's tough when you're out three or four weeks to come back and play 60, 65 plays," Engram said. "When I'm out there playing, I don't think about it [taking hits over the middle]. If something's going to happen, it's going to happen.

"No need to worry about it. Just trying to protect myself as best I can. ..."

Matt Hasselbeck hasn't been putting up eye-popping passing numbers lately. He even was intercepted twice Sunday and suffered through his worst game (passer rating: 68.6) in a while.

But Hasselbeck has been efficient this season, especially given injuries to Darrell Jackson (still out) and Engram (returned two weeks ago), his two leading receivers. Proof, teammates say, of his maturity.

"He's a leader," receiver Joe Jurevicius said. "He's a student of the game, and his vocalization in that huddle is very instrumental in why we're successful."

Added Holmgren: "He's really matured very, very nicely. You've seen him from the beginning. He is a smart quarterback, and we need him to play well for us to do well. And he's doing that right now."

Hasselbeck completed 17 of 29 passes for 243 yards. He also threw a touchdown pass.

"Obviously, it's a long season," Hasselbeck said. "We had two interceptions that weren't good, but you try to minimize that stuff. ..."

According to Pro Football Weekly, Jackson plans to resume running over the next several days, and if no problems are reported, he should be cleared to return to practice as early as next week.

Holmgren spoke with Jackson over the weekend and said Jackson was walking well and felt good. He hopes to have Jackson back in action by Nov. 27, when Seattle hosts the New York Giants.

The receiver has been sidelined since undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee in early October.

One last note here. ... Veteran tight end Itula Mili has been available to play for the past few weeks but was left inactive again Sunday.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Matt Hasselbeck, Seneca Wallace, David Greene RB: Shaun Alexander, Maurice Morris FB: Mack Strong WR: Joe Jurevicius, Bobby Engram, D.J. Hackett, Peter Warrick, Darrell Jackson

TE: Jerramy Stevens, Ryan Hannam, Itula Mili PK: Josh Brown =========================

=========================TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERSAccording to the Tampa Tribune, Chris Simms would not declare that he had finally arrived Sunday night, even after the heart-pounding exhilaration of the Bucs' 36-35 victory against the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium.

It was a step forward.

Make that a giant step.

Statistics tell the tale -- 15 of 29 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns, including the superbly thrown 30-yard slant-and-go to Edell Shepherd with 58 seconds remaining, the second time Simms had resolutely brought Tampa Bay back from a seven-point deficit.

Then there's the back story.

Simms wasn't sacked. He stood tall in the pocket, making great decisions, finding the openings instead of forcing his hand. He was unruffled. In his fifth NFL start, he looked the part.

"When all else fails, they expect the quarterback to make the play to put them over the top," Simms said. "It's something I've always wanted to do.

"I'm not going to say I've arrived. Last week [after a 34-14 loss to Carolina], I was the worst player in town. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. And I'm completely aware of that. ..."

Meanwhile, Mike Alstott said he wasn't watching when the Bucs lined up to try an extra-point attempt to tie the game because of what happened against

Carolina in 2003. Head coach Jon Gruden admitted that game also flashed through his mind.

Tampa Bay lost 12-9 in overtime to the Panthers on Sept. 14, 2003. The game went into overtime after Carolina blocked an extra-point attempt that would have won the game.

That's why the Bucs' coach chose to go for the game-winning two points after the Redskins blocked the extra-point attempt but were penalized for offside.

"I would have walked down to Madeira Beach and jumped in the water if we would have lost the game on a blocked extra point," Gruden said. "Really, that [game] kind of entered my mind on that play. I just couldn't believe it. The drama and it's going to end the night like this?"

With Carnell Williams and Michael Pittman at less than 100 percent, Alstott got in his most extensive work all season. The veteran fullback finished with 21 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. ...

Williams has fumbled in back-to-back games, but Gruden said he isn't concerned.

Williams fumbled on the first offensive play of the third quarter Sunday, which set up a Washington touchdown that tied the game at 21. Against Carolina the previous week, Williams fumbled on the Bucs' first offensive series. That turnover led to a Carolina touchdown.

"I think [Sunday], anybody would have fumbled in that situation. The handoff was almost intercepted," Gruden said. "It was very similar to his fumble against Carolina. I'm not concerned at all and I'll continue to give him the ball and hopefully he'll regain the form he had earlier in the season."

Michael Clayton's consecutive-game streak ended Sunday at 24 when he was listed as inactive with a knee injury. Clayton did not practice all week after bruising his right knee in the Bucs' 34-14 loss to Carolina.

According to ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli, Gruden is really starting to lose patience with Clayton, who reported to camp out of shape and as a result, has battled injuries for much of the season. ...

Ike Hilliard started in Clayton's place and finished with three receptions for 37 yards. Shepherd also got more playing time.

In addition to the above-mentioned touchdown, Shepherd, who finished with three catches for 87 yards, also converted a critical third down late in the third

quarter with a 46-yard reception. Hilliard scored on a 4-yard pass from Simms two plays later to tie the game at 28.

It was Hilliard's first touchdown catch as a Buccaneer and the first time Simms has thrown TDs on back-to-back series in his three-year career.

Joey Galloway hauled in seven passes for 131 yards and a touchdown Sunday. The veteran receiver has found the end zone seven times in his last seven games, including four consecutive contests.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Chris Simms, Luke McCown, Tim Rattay RB: Carnell Williams, Michael Pittman, Earnest Graham FB: Mike Alstott, Jameel Cook WR: Joey Galloway, Michael Clayton, Ike Hilliard, Edell Shepherd, Mark Jones, J.R. Russell TE: Anthony Becht, Alex Smith PK: Matt Bryant =========================

=========================TENNESSEE TITANSIn an article published Tuesday, Nashville City Paper staffer Terry McCormick reminded readers that early in the season when the offense was struggling, head coach Jeff Fisher said the team had a need to make more "explosive" plays.

Those, in Fisher's assessment, are plays of 20 or more yards from scrimmage that can help change the complexion of a game, either by leading to a score or in the very least flipping field position.

Nine games into the 2005 season, the Titans offense, under new coordinator Norm Chow, is still looking for those explosive plays.

Thus far this season, Tennessee has but 22 plays of 20 yards or more through its first nine games. Last year, even in the trainwreck that was their 5-11 finish, the Titans were much more lethal offensively, rolling up 55 plays that covered at least 20 yards.

It is something that has to be a point of emphasis and targeted for improvement, according to Fisher.

"We're definitely looking to improve those," Fisher said. "Every year, you try to improve explosive plays. For example, if you look at explosive plays against us, when we've given up a play of 20 yards or more, the percentage of giving up

points is very, very high. But when we have not in a drive, the percentage is very low. And that carries over into offense, when you get an explosive play.

"For example, Pittsburgh last year, I think scored 100 percent of the time when they had a run or a pass of at least 18 yards in a drive. That's what this game is all about is the big play. It's hard to just put together 12, 14 and 16-play drives and score time after time after time. You need a big play to change field position."

Fisher refused to blame the lack of big plays on injuries at the receiver position, which has forced the Titans to look more to the tight ends for big plays in the passing game. Instead, Fisher says mistakes are more to blame for the lack of explosiveness.

"It's just a matter of us not being in position to make the plays at a given time due to breakdowns," he said. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to the Nashville Tennessean, the Titans are looking forward to getting receiver Drew Bennett back on the field on Sundays. First he must prove during the practice week he can be effective wearing a protective device on his surgically repaired left thumb. "He has to be able to catch first. If he can't catch it would make no sense to put him on the field," Fisher said. "So I really don't know at this point."

Bennett had two pins removed from his dislocated left thumb Friday. Monday he was at team headquarter doing some conditioning drills, but Fisher said the veteran remains sore.

Bennett is expected to be involved in practices this week, but his status for Sunday's game against Jacksonville is unclear.

"It will be day-to-day," Fisher said.

Bennett has missed the last three games since dislocating the thumb Oct. 16.

Still, he leads the team's wide receivers in catches with 26 for 407 yards and a TD.

"We'll have to create some sort of support device for him to be able to play," Fisher said. "How he is able to catch with the device will be the deciding factor."

Fisher said all the Titans returned to town without incident after the bye weekend.

The team had a short practice Monday and the players were off again Tuesday.

"Those that did not stay behind for (injury) treatment I hope didn't do anything," Fisher said. "That was a point of emphasis for them: Get off your feet and don't do anything. ..."

Getting back to the tight ends. ... Pro Football Weekly characterized the numbers as "staggering:" The Titans lead the NFL -- by a long shot -- in receptions by tight ends with 95.

That means that 46 percent of the team's receptions have been by Erron Kinney (44 receptions), Ben Troupe (28), Bo Scaife (22) and Gregg Guenther (one).

Meanwhile, the wide receivers have accounted for only 42 percent of the team's receptions -- a shockingly low total. If you factor in the backs' 24 receptions, that's a lot of short passing. It has been clear in recent weeks that Steve McNair doesn't trust his wideouts with Bennett and Brandon Jones hurt (Jones played in Week 9 but was nowhere near full speed) and Chow's play-calling has looked away from young wideouts Courtney Roby and Roydell Williams. ...

And finally. ... Also according to PFW, the Titans are down on Travis Henry, not only for his four-game suspension but also for his play before that. He has been guilty of running in the wrong holes and fumbling at critical times. Don't expect him to take any carries away from Chris Brown unless Brown gets hurt.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Steve McNair, Billy Volek, Matt Mauck RB: Chris Brown, Travis Henry, Jarrett Payton, Damien Nash FB: Troy Fleming WR: Roydell Williams, Courtney Roby, Tyrone Calico, Sloan Thomas, Brandon Jones, Drew Bennett TE: Erron Kinney, Ben Troupe, Bo Scaife PK: Rob Bironas =========================

=========================WASHINGTON REDSKINSAccording to Washington Post staff writer Jason La Canfora, after reviewing replays of several controversial calls from Sunday's 36-35 loss to Tampa Bay, head coach Joe Gibbs said Monday that officials erred in several instances, including on the Buccaneers' game-winning, two-point conversion in the final minute of play. Gibbs said he planned to submit video from the play that indicates Tampa Bay fullback Mike Alstott had not crossed the goal line, as well as several other clips, to NFL officials.

Gibbs said he believes that an offside penalty against the Redskins that negated a blocked extra point and caused the ball to be moved from the 2-yard line to the

1 and preceded Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden's decision to go for the two-point conversion also was incorrect. And he said that there should have been a defensive penalty on a first-half play in which Redskins quarterback Mark Brunell threw an interception.

There is no recourse for Gibbs, but he has routinely interacted with NFL officials on such matters and will eventually be informed if the league agrees with his assessment. "It's going to come back that we either missed it or we didn't," Gibbs said. "That's what they're going to say." Gibbs did not share the images he sent to the league with members of the media.

Gibbs, who was fined $10,000 by the league for comments he made about the officiating after the team's loss last month at Denver, raised the issue of the replay decision in comments immediately after the game. Monday, he examined tapes of the play from various angles, finding one he said meets the league's standard of "indisputable visual evidence," to prompt a reversal of the on-field call.

"We have a very clear film shot of the ballcarrier on the ground about six inches short," Gibbs said. "It's the same thing as everybody else saw. So we'll turn it in. I don't know what else you can do."

Moments before that conversion, the Redskins blocked Matt Bryant's extra-point attempt, which appeared to clinch a 35-34 win for Washington. But officials ruled the Redskins were offside on the play, and they were penalized half the distance to the goal line. Gibbs said he is unsure if cornerback Shawn Springs or cornerback Walt Harris got his hand on the ball, but maintains that no players were across the line before the ball was snapped.

Special teams coach Danny Smith worked with players on blocking kicks in practice last week after studying film of Tampa Bay, finding a tendency he thought would work in Washington's favor. Gibbs agreed with that aggressive mentality, even in a critical situation, and said that Tampa Bay long snapper Dave Moore lifted the ball before snapping it.

"The center picked the ball up a little bit and we felt like we got it off right when he picked it up," Gibbs said. "We probably looked at it 30 times in there with Danny and I'd say we kind of got right off on it. That could have won it for us."

As for the decision to go for a block when the extra point would have tied the game with 58 seconds left, giving Washington's offense another shot in regulation in a game in which it was moving the ball well, Gibbs said, "If you have a chance to win the game, you're going to try to go for the game."

Gibbs said he planned to submit a copy of Tampa Bay wide receiver Joey Galloway's 34-yard reception, which went to the 3 and set up the Buccaneers'

first touchdown, to the NFL as well. Galloway had just one foot in bounds on the play, but officials ruled that safety Pierson Prioleau had pushed Galloway out, making it a completion. Gibbs said film indicates Prioleau never made contact. That play is not subject to a coach's challenge during the game.

Gibbs also said Tampa Bay cornerback Juran Bolden pulled wide receiver Santana Moss's jersey before making an interception, which would be an illegal contact penalty.

For what it's worth, the Hall of Fame coach said he supports the replay system. Coaches did not have the option to challenge plays during Gibbs' initial tenure with the team -- the replay review system began in 1999 -- and he feels it is a beneficial tool.

"Certainly if we didn't have it, I'd really be concerned because at least this way if there's something that's obvious, anyway, we're going to get an overturn on it," Gibbs said. "So I feel pretty good about the fact we can do those things."

Also of interest. ... Clinton Portis rushed for a season-high 144 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries against the Buccaneers. The former Bronco, who also had nine yards on two receptions, has topped the century mark four times this season. ...

Fellow running back Ladell Betts said he knew he was flirting with the sideline on his 94-yard touchdown kickoff return -- the first of his career -- and said he still wasn't exactly sure if he stepped out of bounds. The Bucs challenged the play, but it was not overturned by replay because referee Bill Vinovich said there was no "indisputable visual evidence" to change the call on the field.

"The only time I saw the replay was on the big screen in the stadium," Betts said yesterday. "I was hoping it would [stand up]. It looked to me like they saw I was on my toes, and my heel never came down [out of bounds].

"To be honest, at the time I knew I was on the edge. I was surprised when I looked at the screen to see how close it was."

Betts suffered a mild knee sprain against the Bucs, and his status for this week likely will be day-to-day.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  QB: Mark Brunell, Patrick Ramsey, Jason Campbell RB: Clinton Portis, Ladell Betts, Rock Cartwright, Nehemiah Broughton HB: Chris Cooley, Mike Sellers WR: Santana Moss, David Patten, James Thrash, Taylor Jacobs TE: Robert Royal, Brian Kozlowski

PK: John Hall =========================Copyright© 2005 Fantasy Sports Publications, Inc.