They'll need them to strike quickly and avoid a repeat of the ball-control game the Giants used in a 17-10 win over Arizona in Tempe on Nov. 11. New York gained a season-high 186 yards on 41 carries, a show of force that had Cardinals coach Dave McGinnis talking about jumping ahead early this time.

"We know what they're going to do," McGinnis said Wednesday. "They're going to run the football. They're going to play-action it and get after us."

David Boston, the key to spreading New York's defense, skipped practice for the second day on Wednesday to rest a thigh bruise, but believes there'll be no hitches after to a short layoff.

"If I miss a couple of days, it's not going to affect my timing," Boston said. "Me and Jake [Plummer] have a chemistry, and our timing is there."

MarTay Jenkins also was banged-up in last Sunday's loss to the Washington Redskins, missing two practices with bruised ribs and a sore knee. But Jenkins practiced Wednesday as the third receiver behind Boston and Frank Sanders.

"We made some plays, but we didn't make enough, and that's the thing that hurt us against the Redskins," Sanders said. "This week, yeah, our goal is definitely to go out and put some points on the board, and if they want to be a controlled offense they can do it."

Boston leads the NFL with 1,303 yards receiving on 78 catches, many against double coverage. If the Giants double up on him, they may have to leave rookie cornerback Will Allen in single coverage on Sanders or Jenkins.

But Allen, a first-round draft pick who has started nine games, had an interception against the Cardinals four weeks ago.

"He's in the back of our minds," Boston said. "If we want to attack somebody, it'll probably be Will Allen rather than Jason Sehorn, who's the top corner on their team, one of the best corners in the NFL."

Plummer, the NFL's lowest-rated passer in 1999 (50.8), is up to an 81.2 rating this year and is 25 yards from his second 3,000-yard passing season thanks in large part to Boston's career year.

Plummer wasn't so sure having his top target miss practices would be easy to overcome, but said if anyone could star in a game on short practice it was the third-year performer from Ohio State.

"Things will come up during the week that you'll correct or change or you can work a technique on, and he won't have the opportunity to do that this week, but that's where the mental side of his game comes in," Plummer said. "He knows what he's doing on all the routes, and that's where you hope that with his mental capacity and strength, on Saturday he'll pull that out and be able to play just like he'd practiced all week."

Allen certainly seems to have a fix on Boston's sudden emergence as a force this year. Asked about Boston last Friday, the youngster told ESPN's Len Pasquarelli: "He's a freak. A man that big is not supposed to move that fast."

Pasquarelli further noted that in a spot poll of a dozen players, coaches and general managers, Boston was the overwhelming choice as the NFL's best player no one knows.

The biggest improvement, besides his temperament, is great conditioning. One Arizona coach said Boston now weighs 236 pounds, as much as a few tight ends in the league, and is capable of just overpowering cornerbacks. At that weight, though, he hasn't sacrificed any speed.

The development of Boston almost certainly means that Rob Moore, on injured reserve for a second straight season, won't be back in 2002. And according to Pasquarelli, it puts Sanders' future with the club in question. ...

RB: M. Pittman, T. Jones, M. Shipp

FB: J. Makovicka, D. McKinley

WR: D. Boston (Prob; thigh), F. Sanders, M.T. Jenkins (Prob; back), A. Jackson, B. Gilmore

TE: T. Mitchell, S. Bush, L. Hart

PK: B. Gramatica

Reeves said Saturday that he wants to sign an extension.

"I definitely want to come back as the coach," Reeves said. "Without a doubt I want to come back."

Reeves said the sale of the Falcons this week to Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank has energized him and brought a new excitement to the ball club.

Amid speculation Blank would bring in Bill Parcells to run his team after the sale is finalized and accepted by the NFL in March, Reeves revealed the new owner has told him he'll be back.

"He told me he wants me to be a part of it and wants me to continue to coach," Reeves said. "We've talked about it in the past and then talked about it again after the sale. I'd say Arthur being as honest as he is; I think something will get done. He isn't the owner yet but I'm sure anything that gets done will have to be done with him through Taylor (Smith, current Falcons owner) until after he is approved by the league. He won't do anything the commissioner tells him he can't do. But he told me whenever he can do something he'd like to get this done."

Reeves has an option in his contract for next year that would have to be picked up and agreed upon by both sides. But Reeves now says he'd like to begin working on an extension with the new owner for himself and the members of his staff.

"I'd like for everyone to have some insurance," the coach said. "And without a doubt I want to come back next year."

Reeves, who said he never thought about becoming part of the ownership group, says he first met Blank when he arrived as Atlanta's coach a few years ago. Falcons board member John P. Imlay, who had right of first refusal for the sale, introduced him to Reeves and said the two should forge a relationship because when the sale arose, Blank was going to be a player in the talks. As a result, Reeves has gotten to know Blank the past few years.

"Taylor told me two or three weeks ago that he was not planning on selling it for a while unless the right thing came along," Reeves said. "He thought he'd sell but felt it would be within the next five years."

Did Reeves have any thoughts of joining the ownership fray with Blank?

"I'm sure if he had asked me, I could probably buy one tenth of one percent," he joked. "It's exciting for me to be a part of it now. Think how great it is for Arthur. Some guys want to buy a ball club but don't get to do it in the city they want. That makes it much more exciting for him."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

According to published reports, the Falcons will rest second-year running back Maurice Smith in practice this week. Smith, who is dealing with an assortment of leg and ankle injuries, could see less carries in Sunday's game against Indianapolis as a result of his ailments. ...

FB Bob Christian suffered a nasty gash on his left elbow, requiring eight stitches, but he'll be OK, if stiff, Sunday. ...

Veteran wide receiver Shawn Jefferson is dealing with a back injury that could keep him out of this weekend's game against Indianapolis. Jefferson opened the week listed as questionable. ...

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted this week that Brian Finneran replaced Jefferson as the No. 3 receiver in two-back sets on Sunday. Jefferson remained the No. 3 receiver in single-back sets. Finneran's added responsibilities in the passing game resulted in a career-best six catches for 92 yards. ...

RB: M. Smith (Prob; knee/ankle), R. Thomas, T. Jervey

FB: B. Christian (Prob; elbow), G. Layne

WR: T. Mathis, T. Martin, B. Finneran, S. Jefferson (Quest; back), Q. McCord

TE: R. Kelly, A. Crumpler, B. Kozlowski

PK: J. Feely

In an article published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly pointed out that Williams probably guaranteed himself at least a share of the starting job for the remainder of the season with his 111-yard effort against the Colts two weeks ago -- an effort that included an impressive 55-yard run.

PFW went on to note that Jason Brookins, who was performing effectively for the most part before breaking his foot late in the Ravens' Week 11 victory over Jacksonville, had yet to be placed on injured reserve at press time. ... But while the team appeared to be holding out hope Brookins might be able to make it back for the last game or two of the regular season, the PFW report hinted that the odds are strong that he's out the rest of the season. ...

WR Qadry Ismail, who surpassed Michael Jackson for the Ravens' all-time receiving yardage leadership last week, is close to two other milestones. With 179 receptions as a Raven, Qadry needs five catches to pass Michael Jackson as the Ravens' all-time reception leader, and two TD receptions to pass Jackson and Derrick Alexander as the all-time receiving TD leader.

Shannon Sharpe missed the team's first practice this week due to soreness in his knee, but the veteran tight end is almost certain to start and play as usual against the Steelers Sunday night. ...

The Ravens signed WR/PR Bobby Newcombe to their practice squad last week. Newcombe, a former Nebraska quarterback and a sixth round pick by the Arizona Cardinals last April, will wear number 17. ...

RB: M. Williams, T. Allen (Prob; hand), O. Ayanbadejo, J. Brookins (Out; foot)

FB: S. Gash, O. Ayanbadejo

WR: Q. Ismail, T. Taylor, B. Stokely, J. Lewis, P. Johnson

TE: S. Sharpe (Prob; leg), T. Heap, J. Jones

PK: M. Stover

Citing the most recent medical report on Johnson's broken collarbone, coach Gregg Williams held out hope on Wednesday that the quarterback could be ready to return to practice within two weeks.

Whether that means he'll be healthy enough to play in time for the Bills' season finale, Jan. 6 at Miami, Williams wasn't sure.

"Can't tell you that right now," he said. "There's still some significant time before that would ever come up."

Johnson was hurt when he was sacked in the fourth quarter of Buffalo's 21-11 loss at New England on Nov. 11. The initial prognosis is that he would miss at least a month.

The Bills are faced with a major off-season decision on their quarterback position.

Johnson, who began the season as a starter, has one year left on a contract that represents an $11.2 million salary cap hit -- one the Bills cannot afford. The team is left with the option of extending the quarterback's contract or cutting him.

Question is whether they've seen enough of Johnson before his injury to want him back.

In eight starts, Johnson was having difficulty grasping the newly introduced West Coast offensive scheme.

Although he completed 62 percent of his passes, Johnson threw seven interceptions and only five touchdowns. He also continued a tendency of being indecisive in the pocket, contributing to the 31 times he was sacked.

Johnson's chances of staying in Buffalo aren't helped with the strong play of veteran backup Alex Van Pelt.

In four starts and one extensive appearance filling in for Johnson in another game, Van Pelt has thrown for 1,425 yards -- only 40 fewer than Johnson -- and 10 touchdowns, along with nine interceptions.

Van Pelt has only been sacked 11 times, and his completed 60 percent of his passes.

Williams continues to maintain that the team hasn't lost faith in Johnson.

"He's obviously in the mix here. I just need to see him continue to improve," Williams said. "He's anxious to get back out there. And you want to see that. I want to see that.

"But I'm not going to jeopardize that also. I've got to make sure that he's 100 percent. ..."

Other notes of interest out of Buffalo this week. ...

In an article published Sunday, SportsLine.com senior writer Jay Glazer reported that Buffalo Bills wide receiver Peerless Price was hit with a $30,000 fine by the league office Friday for a cheap shot leveled on a 49er player. ... After the game!

Price was fined for a display of poor sportsmanship and unnecessary roughness shortly after the gun sounded in a 35-0 loss to the 49ers on Sunday night.

On the final play of the contest Van Pelt was intercepted by linebacker Jamie Winborn at the 1-yard line. Winborn returned it 11 yards to run out the clock before being tackled by fullback Larry Centers.

Standing still about three yards away from the play, San Francisco's Ron Heard was at the 10-yard line in a defenseless position. A frustrated Price leveled the unsuspecting safety, flooring him from behind with a blow to the back. Four flags were thrown at Price for the foul but the game was over.

Price's fine is one of the steepest of the season, including game checks being docked such as the $52,400 paycheck that Denver lineman Dan Neil was hit with three weeks ago, levied by Gene Washington, the NFL's fine police sergeant. In addition, Price was warned that one more unnecessary roughness penalty could lead to suspension.

In the letter sent from Washington to Price, he explains why he got hit with such an excessive financial shot.

"Your actions were in violation of league rules that state any act irrelevant to the game of football that appears intended to create an unnecessary risk of injury to an opposing player will result in a level of discipline substantially higher than normal fine levels.

"This is your third infraction for unnecessary roughness this season. You were previously fined for striking an opponent against the Saints on Sept. 9 and Sept. 23 against the Colts."

Tape of the play clearly shows Heard had no idea he was about to be leveled.

"For unnecessary roughness on a pass play after it was clearly over you unnecessarily struck your opponent. By hitting your opponent from behind after the game had ended you put your opponent in undo risk of injury. He (Heard) had no reason to believe he would counter contact from any other Bills players.

"For your actions the league is assessing a fine of $30,000 from your next paycheck. ..."

As noted by Buffalo News reporter Allen Wilson this week, rookie Travis Henry had a career-high 157 all-purpose yards -- including 101 yards rushing on 27 carries -- against the Panthers last week. He ran hard and made a couple of big plays catching the ball on screen passes. ... Normally sure-handed fullback Larry Centers had a rough day, dropping a TD pass in the end zone, and he had a pass bounce off his hands for an interception.

And finally. ... Jeremy McDaniel, who spent last Sunday on the inactive list, is listed as questionable for this week's game against the Patriots. Of course, Reggie Germany supplanted McDaniel as the No. 3 man behind Eric Moulds and Price last month. ...

RB: T. Henry, S. Morris, S. Bryson

FB: L. Centers, P. Crosby

WR: E. Moulds, P. Price, R. Germany, J. McDaniel (Quest; groin), A. Black

TE: J. Riemersma, S. Jackson, S. Osborne

PK: S. Graham

According to Charlotte Observer beat writer Pat Yasinskas, Weinke continues to learn from his mistakes and has shown steady improvement. Matt Lytle has made a decent case for the backup job next year and might compete with free-agent-to-be Dameyune Craig, who might return after suffering a season-ending foot injury.

Veteran Jim Harbaugh was signed after Craig went down, but he's only under contract for the rest of the season and it's not likely he'll be back. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

Wesley Walls started last Sunday's game in Buffalo, but had to leave when his ankle injury flared up in the first half. He finished with one catch for nine yards. ...

Richard Huntley rushed for 67 yards and a TD on 23 carries against the Bills, but you probably shouldn't expect him to make the end zone a regular stop over the final month of the season. ...

Muhsin Muhammad returned from injury and had more than 100 receiving yards, but he also had two fumbles and several drops. ... By the way. ... Only one other pass was caught by a wide receiver. ...

The Bears mustered only one touchdown for the third straight game and failed to score on three possessions that started in Green Bay territory at the 17, 45 and 41.

"I have input in every play, so what you see is my offense," Jauron said Monday at Halas Hall. "Any play that's called, if I don't want the play, then I can change it. Or I can call the play if I want to.

"I don't have a problem with our offense. We need to score more points with it. That's the problem."

Jim Miller's longest completion Sunday was a 14-yarder to tight end Fred Baxter. The Bears' quarterback threw seven long passes. Five were incomplete, one was intercepted and one resulted in a 24-yard interference penalty that set up Chicago's only touchdown.

Jauron refused to dismiss the lackluster offensive effort as simply a lack of execution.

"When you say that, you're pointing the finger at the players," he said. "We're all in this together. We just didn't get it done; we did not play well enough to win. That's the bottom line and that's me. That points directly to me. I wouldn't say it was lack of execution."

The Bears converted just two of 12 third down opportunities (17 percent) and possessed the ball for only 23:40. But Jauron expressed faith in Shoop and revealed that no significant changes are imminent on offense.

"I don't think it's a good time to change your philosophy," Jauron said. "The fact is that we are 9-3. I think we're 11-4 since John took over (with three games remaining last season), and I'll take that record. I'll live with that record. ..."

Also of interest this week. ...

While Baxter and Dez White topped the Bears with five catches apiece, leading receiver Marty Booker was only a rumor in the first half. Miller didn't throw in his direction until the third quarter, and the third-year pro finished with just two receptions for 14 yards.

Booker entered the game tied for second in the NFC with seven TD catches and third with 73 receptions. In five previous games against division opponents, he had 36 catches, 424 yards and 4 TDs.

"We need to get the ball to 'Book' and we have a number of those plays to get the ball to him," Jauron said. "On a number of those plays the ball went other places, because if you're covered, the ball's not going there.

"I thought they did a nice job. They doubled him at times -- not all the time - (but) took him away at times, so the ball had to go other places. ..."

And finally. ... Anthony Thomas returned to the starting lineup on Sunday after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury. The rookie tailback rushed for 54 yards and a score against the Packers. ...

RB: A. Thomas, J. Allen, A. Denson, L. Johnson

FB: D. Shelton, S. Pritchard

WR: M. Booker, D. White, D. Terrell, D. Bates

TE: F. Baxter (Prob; knee), J. Davis, D. Lyman

PK: P. Edinger

Jon Kitna said he won't try to throw those two days with the sprained middle finger on his throwing hand, but head coach Dick LeBeau wouldn't rule out playing Kitna even if he can't practice Friday.

"We'll see how Jon's finger is Friday," said LeBeau, who indicated there would be no clear-cut decision until game time in the Meadowlands Sunday against the Jets. At one point, LeBeau said, "Jon is hurt and Akili is probably going to play."

LeBeau said here has been no decision on whether Smith is the starter even if Kitna is healthy in response to the Bengals' five-game losing streak in which Kitna has thrown two touchdown passes and seven interceptions.

Smith, 3-12 as a starter, hasn't started since a 48-28 loss to Pittsburgh at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 26, 2000. He hit just 10 of 20 passes for 129 yards against the Steelers in giving him a final passer's rating of 52.8 (three touchdowns, six interceptions) with just 1,253 yards in 11 starts in which he completed 44 percent of his passes. In 12 starts, Kitna has thrown for 2,219 yards on 143 more pass attempts with a 54.6 passing percentage that includes 10 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

Smith did throw a touchdown pass that last start against Pittsburgh. But since he threw two TDs in his NFL debut on Oct. 10, 1999 in Cleveland, he has thrown three touchdown passes in his last 341 attempts.

"From a selfish standpoint, I would really like the opportunity to play in these last four games whether it's a quarter or a series or whenever Kitna decides to come back when his finger is finally healed."

For what it's worth. ... Smith's inexperience running the offense showed during practice Wednesday. On one play, he found his receiver covered, held the ball too long, then took off running. A few plays later, he overthrew an open receiver.

Even in practice, the offense has trouble getting yards.

The Bengals have lost five in a row because of an inept offense. They've scored only 43 points during the slump and have the fewest points overall in the NFL with 163.

Corey Dillon hasn't run for 100 yards in any of the last five games, and Kitna threw two touchdown passes and seven interceptions during that span.

For what it's worth, LeBeau thinks Smith can do all right as long as he's not nervous.

"There's no way to predict what Akili Smith will do," LeBeau said. "I think he'll play well. If he relaxes and lets his natural athletic ability carry him, he'll make the plays that made him a No. 1 draft choice."

Other notes of interest. ...

While general manager Mike Brown wants to see if Smith still fits in the team's future, the idea of watching from the sidelines doesn't sit well with Kitna, who signed as a free agent in the offseason and won the job in training camp.

Kitna said Wednesday he should play as much as his finger allows for the rest of the season, leaving Smith as the backup.

"If they think maybe that I'm not the answer and they are trying to find what the answer is, then maybe they go in a different direction," Kitna said. "If you think that I'm your guy, then there's no reason to take me out of the game.

"If you think that I'm your guy, then let me play the season out and hopefully we can build on some things and get better and get ready for next season. That's my line of thinking. ..."

Three straight field goals helped Neil Rackers keep his job as the Cincinnati Bengals' kicker.

The Bengals released kicker Jaret Holmes off their practice squad Monday, an indication that Rackers' job is safe for the rest of the season. The Bengals signed Holmes to the practice squad on Nov. 1 after Rackers went through a stretch of missing six of nine attempts.

Rackers made a 44-yard field goal Sunday in a 14-10 loss to Jacksonville, giving him a streak of three in a row. He is 12-for-21 overall this season.

The Bengals also waived tight end Marco Battaglia, who underwent an appendectomy Nov. 17 and was put on the reserve/non-football illness list the next day, leaving him ineligible to play for the Bengals the rest of the season.

The Washington Redskins picked Battaglia up off waivers on Wednesday.

RB: C. Dillon, B. Bennett, C. Keaton, R. Johnson

FB: L. Neal, N. Williams

WR: D. Scott, P. Warrick (Quest; hip), C. Johnson, R. Dugans, D. Farmer (Prob; ankle), T.J. Houshmandzadeh

TE: K. McMullen, N. Williams

PK: N. Rackers

A warrant had been issued for misdemeanor marijuana possession because police initially could not find an address for Santiago, Cmdr. William Valenta said.

The warrant was changed to a summons Monday after Santiago's lawyer offered to have the paperwork sent to him.

Santiago's Pittsburgh-based attorney, Mark Rush, did not return a phone message seeking comment.

Browns spokesman Todd Stewart said Rush told the Browns a warrant was issued, but that it has since been withdrawn.

Santiago got into legal trouble while he was in Pittsburgh for a party along with defensive end Gerard Warren, who was arrested outside a nightclub and faces a charge of carrying an unlicensed firearm in his car.

During a search, police found marijuana, which they now believe belonged to Santiago.

Pittsburgh police Lt. Kevin Kraus said a small amount of marijuana was found in the same bag that also contained Santiago's prescription pill bottle and some credit card receipts in Santiago's name.

Santiago played in Sunday's loss at New England and dropped a touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Davis said Santiago's status would remain the same barring any further developments. The Browns play their final home game Sunday against Jacksonville.

Davis suspended Warren, H-back Mike Sellers and cornerback Lamar Chapman for one game following their arrests in separate incidents.

Sellers was released from the team after the Browns said they learned of new information on his case. He and Chapman face felony drug abuse charges.

Other notes of interest. ...

Aaron Shea is listed as questionable this week after leaving last week's game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury. He was replaced mostly by Rod Monroe, who was cut in the preseason and simply is not talented enough, especially as a pass receiver, to help the offense much. Shea is a good pass catcher so that injury was huge. ...

Rookie wide out Quincy Morgan is also listed as questionable -- also with a shoulder injury. The youngster was injured in the first half last Sunday, but returned to play on a limited basis. ... Second-year man JuJuan Dawson played well in relief of Morgan.

RB: J. Jackson, J. White, B. Gay

FB: A. Shea (Quest; shoulder)

WR: K. Johnson, D. Northcutt, Q. Morgan (Quest; shoulder), J. Dawson, A. King

TE: O.J. Santiago, A. Shea, R. Monroe, J. Moreland

PK: P. Dawson

But when asked if he harbored any ill will toward the Seahawks or their head coach, Galloway chose the highroad, saying, "No, none whatsoever. I understand the business of the game, and most of that was business. I've moved on.

"Just another game on the schedule, and we're trying to win our third in a row."

As for Holmgren, who became locked in a contract dispute with Galloway, refusing to extend his contract in the final year, he too said NFL business was the reason he parted company with Galloway.

"I was excited about Joey being on my team," said Holmgren, who traded Galloway to the Cowboys for two first-round picks after his first year in Seattle. "There was the big contract, two sides and both thought they were right. I wanted to keep him. I wanted him to be here.

"But our last conversation was, I don't want this to be a prison for anyone."

Galloway played only three quarters in his first season in Dallas, suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. In his first full season, Galloway, for a number of reasons, has been limited to 33 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns - not exactly what you'd expect from someone signing a seven-year, $42 million deal.

When asked what kind of reception he expected from the Seahawk fans who watched him play the first five years of his NFL career, Galloway said, "I expect to be booed like I am everywhere on the road. As long as they stay in the stands, I won't have a problem."

But when asked if he expected to be crucified by boos as former Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez was when he returned there with the Texas Rangers, Galloway said, "I can't imagine it being that bad. ..."

Also of interest this week. ...

In an article published last Monday, the editors at Pro Football Weekly wrote, "As the Cowboys try to determine whether [Quincy Carter is] worthy of being their starter for the future, look for him to be encouraged to run more and use more rollouts. Basically, he'll be allowed to do the things he did at Georgia -- the things that made the Cowboys interested in him in the first place.

"Also, Carter used some of his downtime to change his grip on the ball. Instead of gripping the ball in the middle, with his palm on the laces, he's backed down on it a bit, with only his pinky and ring finger now touching the laces. The hope is it will lead to tighter spirals and better accuracy. In practices, at least, it has worked, as he's thrown more consistently. ..."

And finally. ... Raghib "Rocket" Ismail continued to provide the team with its most dangerous offensive weapon by pulling in 10 catches for 118 yards against the N.Y. Giants. ...

RB: E. Smith, T. Hambrick, M. Wiley

FB: T. Hambrick, J.J. Huggins (Prob; quad)

WR: J. Galloway, R. Ismail, R. Swinton, D. Chiaverini, K. Rambo, R. Williams

TE: J. Harris, M. Lucky, J.J. Huggins (Prob; quad), M. Solwold

PK: J. Hilbert

"It is your brain. You only have one of them," he said. "Football is great and all that, but you have to look at the rest of your life."

Griese worked out Wednesday so team doctors could assess his status.

"I need to go out there and strain myself a little bit, get a sweat going and try and see how my head feels after that," he said.

Griese was hurt in Sunday night's 20-7 victory over Seattle, when Seahawks linebacker Levon Kirkland landed on top of him after a quarterback keeper.

"I saw the tape and it looks like it wasn't necessarily the hit from the defensive guy, but more my head hitting the ground," Griese said.

He said he doesn't want his career cut short by a series of concussions.

"I think that if you're going to play this game for a number of years, not just quarterbacks, but everybody on the field is going to have one of these at one point in time. That's just the nature of the business," he said.

"But you have to be smart about how you come back from it. And I think the guys that had recurring problems haven't been -- or didn't have -- the knowledge they have now about this injury, and came back too fast and had a recurring problem. So I hope to avoid that."

Head coach Mike Shanahan won't make a decision on a starting quarterback until he meets with the doctors and Griese.

"We're going to do the right thing," the coach said. "But to tell you what that right thing is right now would be premature."

If Griese can't play, Gus Frerotte will start Sunday. Frerotte engineered two scoring drives after he replaced Griese against Seattle. ...

Also of interest. ...

The Broncos are entering their 14th week of the season, but Terrell Davis feels like he's just finishing the preseason.

Davis is preparing to play in his third straight game of the year when the Broncos visit Kansas City. He hasn't started more than two straight since the 1999 season, when he started the first four before tearing the ACL in his right knee.

"I feel like I'm not quite in shape. I don't have the stamina that I should have at this point in the season," Davis said Wednesday.

"You look at the last two games, it's definitely like I'm coming out of the preseason," he said.

Davis, the NFL's MVP in 1998 with 2,008 yards, rushed for 109 yards on 19 carries last week against Seattle. He also had a 57-yard run, his longest since a 70-yarder against the Seahawks in 1998.

"The bottom line is, when you break runs like that, you have to have your legs underneath you, and I didn't have them," Davis said. "As far as my quickness, it's back. But as far as my stamina, in breaking long runs, it's not quite there yet."

His teammates ribbed him because Seattle safety Reggie Tongue chased him down on the play.

"Oh yeah, they let me have it in this locker room," Davis said. "But that's fine. I can handle it."

Davis is also eager to score his first touchdown since crossing the goal line against Oakland in the 10th week of the 2000 season.

"I thought I was going to get it (last) week. It's first-and-goal on the one-yard line, and they call a pass play," Davis said, referring to Frerotte's third-quarter TD pass to Patrick Hape. "That's fine. I'd much rather it come on a longer run anyway. ..."

Rod Smith did not practice Wednesday. The Broncos leading receiver is still nursing two sore ankles and is questionable for the game Sunday.

"Rod is probably no different than he was a week ago," Shanahan said Wednesday. "There's still a big question mark."

Smith, who has 90 receptions for 1,095 yards and nine touchdowns, played last week against Seattle after sitting out the previous week.

Despite being hobbled, Smith caught eight passes for 66 yards.

After the game, Smith said he probably won't be 100 percent the rest of the season.

Wide receiver Keith Poole (ribs) practiced Wednesday. Shanahan said Poole was doing better and was listed as probable this week.

RB: T. Davis (Prob; knee), M. Anderson, K. Coleman

FB: T. Carter, P. Hape, D. Smith

WR: R. Smith (Quest; ankles), K. Poole (Prob; ribs), K. Kasper, C. Cole, S. Montgomery, P. McGeoghan

TE: D. Carswell, D. Clark (Prob; groin), M. Dominguez

PK: J. Elam

For the ninth straight time, the Lions have gone into the two-minute warning with a chance to win the game, and they've come up short every time. Head coach Marty Mornhinweg is no longer walking the fine line between trying to get a win -- and avoid football infamy -- and getting the younger players prepared for next season.

The focus has clearly turned to the future, and Mornhinweg wants to see if some of those younger players are good enough to pull out a victory. Either way, Mornhinweg won't be deterred from his plan.

Other notes of interest. ...

As Kowalski noted following last Sunday's game, rookie QB Mike McMahon couldn't get the Lions into the end zone, but he didn't turn the ball over and put the defense on a short field. He has also shown some zip with his accuracy on the run and his out-of-pocket creativity. ...

James Stewart averaged 5.2 yards per carry and did a good job of keeping the pressure off McMahon. ... Johnnie Morton had four catches for 56 yards, including a brilliant one-handed catch. Rookie Scotty Anderson had a decent game with two catches, but needs to work his way open more consistently. Tight end David Sloan overcame a knee injury to play at Tampa Bay, but was limited to one catch for nine yards. Sloan has always been injury-prone, and his health is likely to be an ongoing issue down the stretch run. ...

One last note this week. ... According to Pro Football Weekly, the Lions have worked hard to develop fullback Cory Schlesinger, who pulled in a 32-yard reception against the Bucs last Sunday, into a West Coast offense fullback, and the former Cornhusker is proving to be a versatile weapon. ...

Schlesinger runs hard, can block and has fairly good hands.

RB: J. Stewart, R. Droughns, L. Warren, A. Cason,

FB: C. Schlesinger, B. Olivo, S. Trejo

WR: J. Morton, S. Anderson, L. Foster, D. Howard, B. Emanuel (Out; knee)

TE: D. Sloan, S. Trejo, J. Waerig, B. Banta

PK: J. Hanson

Moreover, Longwell's kickoffs keep getting worse. On Sunday, he averaged 54.3 yards and 3.6 seconds of hang time on three kickoffs. On the fourth, the Packers just told him to squib it.

The Packers signed free agent James Tuthill in mid-November and were so impressed with him during his first three days of practice that they fully intended to let him kick off Nov. 18 against Atlanta. But when Tuthill choked in a workout the day before the game the coaches got cold feet, went back to Longwell and cut Tuthill the next day.

"Yes, it is very much a concern," coach Mike Sherman said. "Because of our injury situation, there's not a whole lot of spots I can afford to give away to a specialist. Ryan Longwell can do it. He'll get it done this week."

Other notes of interest. ...

Brett Favre was solid but not spectacular against the Bears. His one big mistake -- an interception late in the first half -- wasn't costly because Chicago missed a field goal. Favre took his shots downfield, but he hardly set the world on fire. ...

However, even with the deep passing attack sputtering a bit, Ahman Green continues to run and catch well. ... It's also worth noting that Dorsey Levens made more of a contribution than usual last Sunday and might see his role expanded in the coming weeks. ...

In an article published last Thursday, SportsLine.com insider Pete Prisco offered the following note on Sherman:

"Packers coach Mike Sherman is one of the better players coaches in the League. When the Packers went to Jacksonville on Monday night, injured safety LeRoy Butler came along on the trip. But since Butler makes his home in Jacksonville, Sherman allowed the veteran safety to sleep at home with his wife and three daughters instead of staying at the team hotel. Players notice things like that. Sherman is a class coach on and off the field, and that might be a big reason why Green Bay is 8-3 heading into Sunday's showdown with the 9-2 Bears. ..."

One last note out of Green Bay tonight. ... The Packers placed running back Rondell Mealey on injured reserve with a stress fracture in his left fibula. Mealey suffered the injury during the team's Dec. 3 win over the Jaguars. ... Herbert Goodman will move up a rung to No. 3 on the depth chart in Mealey's absence.

RB: A. Green, D. Levens, H. Goodman

FB: W. Henderson

WR: B. Schroeder, A. Freeman, C. Bradford, D. Driver, C. Lee, R. Ferguson (Prob; hamstring)

TE: B. Franks, D. Martin, T. Davis

PK: R. Longwell

As Peyton Manning told reporters this week, "There aren't many teams that want to cover Marcus for 60 minutes with a linebacker. It's no secret that we look for Marvin [Harrison], trying to find ways to get him the ball. But Marcus is a guy we have tried to create some matchups. He gives you some flexibility with his speed. ..."

Pollard told reporters, "It's going to take more consistent years of what I'm doing this year. But I think that I've been on a steady incline. I've still got a lot of football left. Two or three years from now I'd like to say that I'm in a class with (Kansas City's Tony) Gonzalez. ..."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

Asked about the 20 interceptions he's thrown this season, Manning said: "This is just one of those years where tipped passes are landing in someone's hands on the defense instead of hitting the ground. That's sort of how this year as been for us. ..."

According to Pro Football Weekly, Manning's turnovers are a product of the no-huddle offense and Manning forcing the issue without having RB Edgerrin James to turn to. ...

PFW also noted that despite the four touchdowns rookie RB Dominic Rhodes has scored, the Colts would like to see more from him in the passing game. ... The opportunities will exist in an increased number of screen and swing passes and flat patterns.

WR Terrence Wilkins was sidelined midway through Monday night's game in Miami with a strained hamstring. He did not return. Wilkins, who is listed as doubtful this week, was replaced as a kickoff returner by second-year running back Kevin McDougal and as a punt returner by second-year wide receiver Trevor Insley. ... Rookie WR Reggie Wayne hit the field against the Dolphins and pulled in one catch for 11 yards.

Place-kicker Mike Vanderjagt shook off a back injury and connected on both of his field goal attempts in Miami. ... The former CFL star is listed as probable this week. ...

RB: D. Rhodes (Prob; back/wrist), K. McDougal, S. Stith

FB: J. Finn, W. Ours

WR: M. Harrison, R. Wayne, T. Insley, T. Simmons, T. Wilkins (Doubt; hamstring)

TE: K. Dilger, M. Pollard, J.D. Davenport, J. Snow

PK: M. Vanderjagt (Prob; back)

Head coach Tom Coughlin said the Jaguars were checking with the league and the NFL Players Association to determine how long the team could suspend Soward.

The collective-bargaining agreement says teams may suspend a player for up to four weeks for conduct detrimental to the league. Union spokesman Carl Francis did not immediately return telephone messages left at his office.

Soward, a second-year receiver, hasn't suited up yet for the Jaguars this season. He was suspended the first 10 games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Coughlin made Soward inactive for last Monday's game against Green Bay, and then announced a one-game suspension before Sunday's game against the Bengals. On Monday, the coach made the suspension indefinite.

"I said it would be up to R. Jay," Coughlin said. "The questions were how he was going to do it. He had to prove it over the long term and gain everyone's trust, and that's where we are."

Asked if he had ever dealt with a player as frustrating as Soward, Coughlin replied, "Not in recent memory."

Still, the option of cutting Soward right now doesn't make sense for the Jaguars, because they wouldn't have room under the salary cap to take the hit for the final three years of his amortized signing bonus.

Soward, a first-round draft pick in 2000, signed a five-year deal worth $5.45 million, including a $2 million signing bonus. If the Jaguars waive him, which is becoming more and more likely, they'll do it in the summer, when they can spread the salary-cap hit for the remaining $1.2 million of the bonus to 2002 and 2003.

If they part ways, Soward will go down as one of the NFL's big-time first-round busts.

He had 14 catches for 154 yards last season. The Jaguars suspended him one game, then he missed the final game when he was put on the reserve list for non-football-related illness. Soon after, word of his pending substance-abuse suspension became public.

Last month, the Jaguars cut tight end Damon Jones, a fifth-round draft pick in 1997 who the team picked despite his history of off-field troubles in college. The Jaguars have also had to suspend defensive lineman Larry Smith this season. Smith was their second-round pick in 1999, and he also had a history of off-the-field troubles at Florida State. ...

Other notes of interest this week. ...

As noted by the Pro Sports XChange this week, if there was ever a question about Mark Brunell's ability to deal with pain and compete effectively, the Jaguars' quarterback has settled that issue in the past month. And his signature moment came with his team trailing 10-7 late in the third quarter of last Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Brunell was already playing with a sore quadriceps muscle for the fourth time and added to his injury woes when the index finger on his throwing hand got caught in the face mask of Bengals cornerback Mark Roman.

With his finger swollen and bloodied, he was forced to leave the game, but came back on the next series and directed the Jaguars' game-winning touchdown drive in a 14-10 victory. That march included a 29-yard pass to Keenan McCardell on third-and-19, just one play after the ball fell out of Brunell's hands because he couldn't properly grip it. The drive ended with Brunell again connecting with McCardell for an 11-yard touchdown.

"The injury made it tough to grip the ball as the game went on," said Brunell. "It got a little swollen and I didn't have the hold on the ball that I wanted, but I wasn't going to let that stop me. I wouldn't have heard the end of it from the offensive line if I didn't go in because of a cut."

On top of dealing with two different injuries, Brunell also endured eight sacks by the Bengals, a franchise record by a Jaguars' opponent. Coughlin and his teammates marveled at the quarterback's resiliency.

"I don't know how he did it," said tight end Kyle Brady. "It looked pretty bad. Blood was coming out everywhere, but he jumped back in there."

Wide receiver Jimmy Smith, who caught nine passes for 119 yards and became only the sixth player in NFL history to have six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, was skeptical about Brunell going back in the game.

"I didn't think he was going to come back," said Smith. "He definitely surprised me. When he did, it inspired the guys."

In a season where little has gone right for the Jaguars (4-8), who have been without Pro Bowl tackle Tony Boselli and franchise running back Fred Taylor for most of the year, Brunell has kept them in position to win nearly every game. Given the circumstances, he may be having his best season ever with 2,418 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes and seven interceptions in 11 games.

With Pro Bowl voting in just two weeks, Coughlin thinks his quarterback should get strong consideration as the AFC representative behind the Oakland Raiders' Rich Gannon. Brunell has been a Pro Bowl selection on two previous occasions and been an alternate another time. Brunell is the AFC's third-leading quarterback with a rating of 88.3, putting him behind Gannon and New England's Tom Brady.

"I know it doesn't necessarily work that way [given the Jaguars' won-loss record], but I certainly believe he could be a candidate for anything," said Coughlin.

By the way. ... Brunell is listed as probable for this week's game and all indications are he'll start and play as usual.

RB: S. Mack, E. Joseph, R. White, F. Taylor (Quest; groin)

FB: P. Washington

WR: J. Smith, K. McCardell, S. Dawkins, D. Gibson, M. Ross

TE: K. Brady, R. Prince, J. Zelenka

PK: M. Hollis, J. Holmes

Priest Holmes, in going over the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the second time in his five-year career, had the second-most productive regular-season game in Chiefs history when he totaled 277 total yards in the 28-26 loss to Oakland. Holmes rushed for 168 and a TD on 28 carries, then added 109 yards and a second score -- a 67-yard screen pass -- on five receptions. He became the Chiefs first 1,000-yard runner since Christian Okoye (1991), and recorded the first double-double (100 yards in rushing and receiving) since Joe Delaney in 1981. Holmes now leads the league in both rushing yards (1,146) and yards from scrimmage (1,635). ...

TE Tony Gonzalez scored for only the fourth time this year on a 24-yard pass from Trent Green with 1:38 left in the Chiefs' 28-26 loss to Oakland. But Gonzalez, who was 4-51 against the Raiders, wasn't able to get open for the two-point conversion that could have tied the game. ...

WR Derrick Alexander had a nice start in going 2-74 with a long of 46 in the first half of Kansas City's loss to Oakland, but he didn't catch a pass the rest of the way. Alexander also failed to make a big play on fourth-and-goal at the five with 3:03 remaining in a 28-20 game. Green's fade pass to the end zone might have been caught by a more aggressive receiver, but Alexander saw Charles Woodson ride him and knock away the pass. Alexander could only complain afterward that he'd been interfered with. ...

Green ran hot and cold in hitting 15-32-1 for 253 yards and two TDs. His long gainer was the screen pass Holmes took 67 yards for a score. ... Give Green credit for the 24-yard TD pass to Gonzalez, but dock him for holding the ball and not scrambling on the two-point conversion that resulted in a game-deciding sack. Green was victimized by four dropped balls, and his one interception went off the pads of new addition Eddie Kennison.

Speaking of Kennison. ...

Head coach Dick Vermeil insists he is not worried about any "cheap shots" being thrown at Kennison this week.

"I think [Denver head coach] Mike Shanahan runs too classy an organization to get into that stuff," Vermeil said Tuesday. "I'd never believe that's a reflection of Mike Shanahan."

Kennison, who signed with the Chiefs two weeks ago, left some bitter feelings behind in Denver. The veteran wide receiver retired from the NFL just 16 hours before a Broncos game on Nov. 11.

Then he rescinded his announcement, but got cut by the Broncos, who come to Kansas City this Sunday. Denver beat the Chiefs 20-6 on Oct. 7 in Denver.

Broncos linebacker John Mobley said in Denver on Monday "it'll be interesting" if Kennison plays against his old team.

"I don't think he'll suit up against us, because I know him," Mobley said. "He'll find an excuse now or later in the week."

Kennison, who played for Vermeil for two years in St. Louis, left the Broncos amid a turbulent time for his family, including his father's illness. In his first game with the Chiefs last week, he played only briefly.

"Knowing the way our defense felt about that situation, I think there could be a lot of cheap shots if he gets out on that field, "Mobley said.

Vermeil said Kennison could see limited action regardless of what Mobley says. He was added to the roster to help shore up what has been an undependable wide receiver corps.

"Eddie Kennison is the least of my concerns in regard to Sunday and how we play," Vermeil said. "Maybe some time you ought to sit down and talk to Eddie about the whole thing. I don't know how you'd react if your father had a heart attack. I'm confident we've been helping him become the player he can be."

The Chiefs are Kennison's fifth team in six seasons in the NFL.

"I'm not saying Eddie hasn't had some problems," Vermeil said. "But they've had some other guys on that roster who've had some problems -- some guys suspended from the league and all that kind of stuff. Now, what does that make them? I think they'd show more class in evaluating their own people. I really do. ..."

RB: P. Holmes, M. Cloud, D. Blaylock

FB: T. Richardson

WR: D. Alexander, M. Minnis (Prob; ankle), L. Parker (Prob; shoudler), E. Kennison, D. Hall

TE: T. Gonzalez, J. Dunn, M. Ricks

PK: T. Peterson

The former track star from Wisconsin has seven touchdowns on the season (breaking Miami's rookie record of five), all of them coming in the Dolphins' last five games. With 640 yards receiving and four games remaining, Chambers has an outside shot to reach 1,000 yards for the season. He's also leading the NFL with an average of 18.8 yards per reception/

But in an article published Monday, Palm Beach Post reporter Todd Archer pointed out that all three of the team's receivers -- Chambers, Oronde Gadsden and James McKnight -- present all sorts of problems for defenders. All three can get by defenders and all three are big.

Archer went on to point out that Jay Fiedler's confidence is at an all-time high. He's making the right reads and not forcing passes. And when he does take a chance, he does so knowing his wide receivers are capable of bailing him out.

According to Pro Football Weekly, head coach Dave Wannstedt and Fiedler deserves a great deal of the credit for Chambers' emergence. ... Both said Chambers needed to be more aggressive after two Fiedler passes were intercepted by Seattle in late October. Since then, Chambers has been much more aggressive and has been dominating defensive backs with his 4.4 speed and 44-inch vertical jump. When he is isolated as a third receiver, he has become a formidable tandem with Fiedler.

Chambers' play has certainly silenced the critics who said the Dolphins made a mistake by not trading up to select ex-University of Miami wide receiver Santana Moss in the first round of the draft. Moss, who was chosen by the New York Jets with the No. 16 selection, has been injured for almost the entire season. ...

In an article published last Friday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli noted that Fiedler has reached enough predetermined performance benchmarks to void the 2002 season of his original contract with the team and become a free agent.

But there is a catch: The Dolphins retain a right of first refusal, can match any offer to Fiedler, and are skeptical any team is going to pay him something that would make Miami really have to think hard.

There will be a couple of mid-level quarterbacks like Gus Frerotte and Trent Dilfer in the free agent market next spring, and the Dolphins coaches are still intrigued by Ray Lucas' athleticism -- and offensive coordinator Chan Gailey loves quarterbacks who have at least a little mobility.

The upshot seems to be that Fiedler probably will be back in Miami in 2002, but no one is in a hurry to get anything done right now, and the Dolphins are so pushed against the cap they wouldn't be able to make a proposal anyway. ...

Some trivia of interest. ... Oronde Gadsden, who wears size triple-X gloves, may have the biggest hands of any wide receiver in the league. In fact, the former Arena League star told reporters last week, "There's been a few situations where I got the ball without having to bend all the way down and stretch out as far as most people have to."

Gadsden originally was unable to find gloves that fit, so he would borrow them from defensive tackles Daryl Gardener and Tim Bowens.

"You go into the store and tell them you wear triple-X and they usually don't carry them," Gadsden said. "I just asked for whatever gloves they had. They might not be the kind you want, but you're just happy to find some three-X gloves. ..."

And finally. ...Lamar Smith broke the 100-yard mark for only the second time this season. According to Archer, "It wasn't how many yards Smith had, but how he got them. He looked like the Smith of old, breaking tackles and hitting the hole hard. ..." Rob Konrad scored his first rushing touchdown, but he had a drop in an otherwise solid game. ...

RB: L. Smith, T. Minor, J.J. Johnson (Quest; quad)

FB: R. Konrad, D. Dyer

WR: O. Gadsden, J. McKnight (Prob; ribs), C. Chambers (Prob; ribs), J. Ogden, D. Ward

TE: H. Goodwin, J. Weaver, E. Perry

PK: O. Mare

Culpepper and backup quarterback Todd Bouman have split the snaps in practice this week. Bouman threw four touchdown passes in his first NFL start, leading the Vikings to a 42-24 victory over the Titans last Sunday.

Bouman took most of the snaps with the first team offense last week in practice, but the Vikings didn't reveal their starter until they got the ball in the first quarter against the Titans.

Culpepper probably will be taking the snaps at Detroit.

"The chances are a lot better," Culpepper said. "But I'm not going to rush it or anything. We're going to see how it looks this week and see how I feel."

Bouman is OK with that.

"As an athlete, you always want to play, but I'm just doing my role," Bouman said. "My role right now is to be the backup."

In addition to Bouman's outstanding performance against last Sunday rookie running back Michael Bennett had his best game, running for 113 yards on 16 carries and two touchdowns -- the youngster's first two rushing TDs all season.

Without a consistent ground attack for most of the year, the Vikings' offense has sputtered. On Sunday, with the offensive line in front of him finally healthy, Bennett shined.

"A back can only go as far as the line will take him," head coach Dennis Green said. "I think that we have been so focused on just getting our guys in the right situation that we haven't been able to get the running game timing down.

"We've also been a team that relies a great deal on the pass. But our ability to spread people out and make plays with people out, forcing people to play certain coverages, and then being able to counter them with draws and traps, is what we did with Robert Smith."

On Sunday, Bennett reminded everyone of Smith, the franchise's all-time rushing leader -- who's now retired. Last season, Minnesota jumped to an 11-2 start as Culpepper, Moss and wide receiver Cris Carter put up impressive passing statistics. But Smith's success running the ball -- and its positive effect on the passing game -- was often overlooked.

It might not have been clear to many until this season, when Bennett began his pro career behind a line that was missing two Pro Bowlers from the previous year. The inexperience in the backfield and on the line showed: it took 12 games for the Vikings to get a 100-yard game from their running back.

Of course, Bennett's ankle injury, which caused him to miss three games, didn't help.

"If he had played all of the games, I think he would be showing some real good things," Green said. "But I think he will in the last four games of the season. He's a very good player -- strong runner, good balance and obviously very explosive. ..."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

In an article published Monday, Minneapolis Star-Tribune reporter Kent Youngblood wrote that Randy Moss, who pulled in seven catches for 153 yards last Sunday, showed something new against the Titans. Call it a transition game. Moss proved capable of turning boos into the Minnesota version of boo-yahs in one scintillating 73-yard touchdown play.

After the game, in which he became the first player in NFL history to have 1,000-yard receiving seasons in each of his first four seasons, Moss didn't talk. But many of his teammates did.

"That's what he does," receiver Cris Carter said. "He had opportunity; we got the ball to him. The game plan, for the most part every week, it's going to be geared around trying to get him the football. When you get the matchups, you mix the run with the pass, it's going to help him out, get him some creases."

But when Carter was talking about what Moss does, or is, he was talking more than about football.

"As far as it being a tough week, that's part of it," Carter continued. "That's part of being who he is, that's part of the image he's going to have. It's part of being young. You're going to get the applause, but you're also going to get the heat. ..."

Team owner Red McCombs, who was thrilled with Minnesota's dominating performance against the Titans, said this week, Green "absolutely" will be the team's head coach in 2002, regardless of how the rest of this season plays out.

Green has finished .500 or better in each of his previous nine seasons with the Vikings, and publicly McCombs has remained supportive of Green's performance throughout the season.

McCombs said Monday that he was frustrated by continued public speculation about Green's coaching future. Green is under contract with the Vikings through 2003 and the team holds an option for the 2004 season.

"Dennis has done an outstanding job and we're very fortunate that he's here," McCombs said. "I don't know what else to tell you."

Asked then if he could say Green will be the Vikings' coach next season, McCombs said: "Yeah. Absolutely."

One last note out of Minnesota this week. ... After missing his third straight game with a sprained ankle last Sunday, fullback Jim Kleinsasser might be ready to play Sunday.

RB: M. Bennett, D. Chapman, T. Prentice

FB: H. Morrow, J. Kleinsasser (Quest; ankle)

WR: R. Moss, C. Carter, J. Reed, C. Walsh, T. Walters, N. Jacquet

TE: B. Chamberlain, A. Jordan

PK: G. Anderson

"Belichick met with Terry Glenn for more than an hour on Wednesday evening, had the reluctant and wacky wide out practicing by Thursday, and now Glenn could be the team's No. 3 receiver for Sundays' game against the Cleveland Browns.

"No, the hatchet was not buried in the Wednesday confab, and Glenn still has no fewer than five grievances pending against the team. Those aren't likely to be settled, given the ponderous rate at which the NFL's grievance system proceeds, for months. Translation: Glenn, who was forced to move into an apartment because he is so shy of cash flow, will continue to sulk over the $8.5 million in signing bonus funds the Patriots continue to withhold.

"But sources indicated that, once Glenn showed even a little bit of a conciliatory bent, Belichick worked it to his advantage. Good move, too, since people in the New England clubhouse tell us that Glenn has swung the opinions of many of the players on the team. That includes a few veterans who had previously told ESPN.com they had no more use for him and didn't care if he ever returned.

"Glenn regularly golfs with some of the key leadership players on the Patriots roster and, at least seemingly, has convinced several of them that he has gotten a raw deal from the club. None of the players went to Belichick and asked him to bring Glenn back, but the coach is pretty good at reading the tea leaves, and he understood the way sentiments were heading.

"That is not to suggest Belichick would have rolled out the red carpet had Glenn not approached the Wednesday confab with some degree of remorse. There is also this pragmatic element: The Patriots remain in a tightly-contested chase for the three AFC wild card spots and, despite Glenn's idiocy off the field, he is still a playmaker on it. Having him in the game on third down only enhances the skills of Troy Brown and David Patten. ..."

For the record. ... Glenn caught four passes for 67 yards against Cleveland. ...

As Boston Herald beat writer Mike Felger noted this week, the Pats' tight ends simply won't be a factor in the offense. Quarterback Tom did not complete one pass to a tight end against the Browns, and Jermaine Wiggins and Rod Rutledge have combined for only 14 catches on the year.

And finally. ... Felger also pointed out that while Antowain Smith (76 yards on 21 carries) didn't do much in the open field, he continued to be a huge factor near the goal line. Both his touchdowns last Sunday were physical, second-effort runs.

RB: A. Smith, K. Faulk, J.R. Redmond

FB: M. Edwards, P. Pass

WR: D. Patten, T. Brown, T. Glenn, C. Johnson, F. Coleman

TE: R. Rutledge, J. Wiggins, A. Love

PK: A. Vinatieri

With Cleeland healthy, the Saints dressed three tight ends. The club opted to sit Connell and dress only four wide receivers. Connell was a free agent in the off-season and signed a five-year, $14 million deal with the Saints after leaving the Washington Redskins.

Which basically means Connell was demoted to the No. 5 spot behind Robert Wilson and Wane McGarity on the Saints' depth chart.

"It was just a coaching decision I made off what I saw in practice this week," head coach Jim Haslett said.

However, Connell's situation apparently worsened after a run in with Haslett on Monday.

According to the Times-Picayune, Connell's locker was cleaned out and team officials were reportedly considering several options that could end Connell's stay in New Orleans. ...

Also of interest. ...

Aaron Brooks is playing as well as any quarterback in the NFL. He has posted 100-plus passer ratings in four of his last five games and has improved his overall ranking to No. 5 in the NFC.

Brooks is playing with confidence and poise. He has command of the huddle and is not forcing throws or trying to make plays that aren't there. The hesitancy and poor decision-making that plagued him earlier in the season have all but disappeared.

His emergence as a consistent playmaker has provided balance to the strong running of Ricky Williams. The Saints now are capable of beating teams through the air as well as on the ground. Not coincidentally, they rank No. 5 in the NFL in total offense.

Williams was held to only 41 yards rushing on Sunday, but he did score his seventh touchdown of the year. ... Joe Horn had another solid outing against Atlanta, catching seven passes for 138 yards.

RB: R. Williams, D. McAllister, F. McAfee

FB: T. Smith, M. Norris, K. Houser

WR: J. Horn, W. Jackson, R. Wilson, W. McGarity, A. Connell, O. Ojo

TE: C. Cleeland, E. Williams, L. Hall,

PK: J. Carney

However, players now say Fassel put the Giants in full pads this week and had them go through additional unscripted 11-on-11 drills -- first team offense vs. first team defense.

Basically, they had a mini full-pads scrimmage Wednesday and Thursday.

Glazer summed up his piece with the following advice: "Memo to Jim: Don't just lighten up on their mental workload, lighten up on the physical part too. Is it any wonder why three receivers went down during practice this week? The Giants are coming out of the bye week with more people on their injury report than they had going into it. ..."

As noted by the Pro Sports XChange this week, Kerry Collins continues to deteriorate in his mechanics and decisions. He completed only 13 of 26 passes for 122 yards but more crucial was his over-throwing and under-throwing at critical times. He did not get much blocking, as well, and the running game was mysteriously taken out of his repertoire of weapons in the second half. Playing without WR Joe Jurevicius (pulled hamstring) put another burden on the offense, as WR Amani Toomer and RB Tiki Barber each had four receptions.

By the way. ... It's still not clear whether Jurevicius, who is listed as questionable for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, will be ready to hit the field this weekend.

RB: T. Barber, R. Dayne, D. Washington (Doubt; knee)

FB: G. Comella, A. Green

WR: A. Toomer, I. Hilliard, J. Jurevicius (Quest; hamstring), R. Dixon, T. Davis

TE: H. Cross, D. Campbell, M. Rivers

PK: M. Andersen, O. Pochman

Mainly, they plan on making things a lot simpler. With just seven touchdowns in their last six games -- and an offense averaging 16.3 points a game -- the Jets are going to limit their offensive playbook, especially on third downs. The Jets are a terrible 35.6 percent on third downs and were just 3-of-10 in their 18-7 loss at Pittsburgh Sunday.

The one change not planned is at quarterback, although Vinny Testaverde's performance over the next four regular-season games and any possible playoff games will likely determine whether he returns to the Jets next season. There is some sentiment around the team that if the Jets don't win at least one playoff game that they will go with Chad Pennington at quarterback next year instead of Testaverde.

It's a possible move that Testaverde knows might be coming.

"If they decide to go that route and if they decide to go with somebody else, then I don't want to stand in the way of the team winning football games. If I'm not doing my job then please believe me, I'll be the first one to tell you," said Testaverde, who has just 10 touchdowns this year and is averaging just six yards a pass with a 59 percent completion rate.

Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett has taken as much heat as Testaverde for the inconsistent offense and Monday said that as the point men, they should receive much of the criticism.

"We need to be making more progress than we're making. We're sputtering out asses off," Hackett said.

ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli offered the following tidbit regarding Testaverde's performance heading into last week's game:

"In his first 30 starts with the New York Jets, quarterback Vinny Testaverde was held under 200 passing yards on 10 occasions, and three of those occurred in games he was forced to leave early because of injuries. Testaverde will enter Sunday's game at Pittsburgh with just one 200-yard performance in 11 games. The Steelers defense has allowed starting quarterbacks an average of just 193.4 yards this season and only two have thrown for more than 200 yards. Testaverde's top performance in 2001 was 202 yards against San Francisco on Sept. 23. In last week's loss to the New England Patriots, he had 164 yards at halftime and finished with just 184 yards. ..."

Of course, Testaverde didn't turn things around in Pittsburgh, where he hit 15-of-26 attempts for a less-than-impressive 141 yards. ...

WR Santana Moss sat out last week's game with a sore quadriceps after missing two days of practice and Saturday's walk-through, although he had been listed as probable. Head coach Herman Edwards insisted the injury was minor throughout the week but held Moss out -- against the player's wishes -- as a precaution.

Moss is listed as questionable for this week's game against the Bengals. ...

Kevin Swayne and Matthew Hatchette dressed against the Steelers Sunday. Swayne caught three passes for 44 yards and showed his strength of making catches on the sideline. However, he also dropped a pass on third down in the opening quarter. ... Hatchette, who was signed as a free agent but has been unable to fit in the Jets offense, didn't catch a pass.

Laveranues Coles was clearly frustrated over his performance Sunday (three catches for 20 yards) but he isn't mad at himself, more at the Jets' offensive game plan and possibly Testaverde, who overthrew him several times. ...

And finally. ... Wayne Chrebet seems to be the favorite son in the Jets passing game again after some complaints about the Jets' conservative offense. He led the team with five catches for 63 yards, including the team's only touchdown. Chrebet caught five passes for 48 yards last week against the Patriots.

RB: C. Martin, L. Jordan, C. Morton

FB: R. Anderson (Prob; wrist), J. Sowell

WR: W. Chrebet, L. Coles, K. Swayne, S. Moss (Quest; quad), M. Hatchette, C. Yeast

TE: A. Becht, J. Dearth, D. Wilcox

PK: J. Hall

Against the Eagles, the Chiefs played man coverage 75 percent of the time. Against the Raiders it was a variety of zone blitzes. The result was that although Rich Gannon completed 75 percent of his passes, they were not for gains of much consequence.

Taking away a 49-yard pass to tight end Roland Williams on a blown K.C. coverage that was the longest Raider pass play of the year, the Raiders average pass gain was 8.6 yards. They had averaged 12 yards a catch over the past month. The Jerry Rice/Tim Brown tandem failed to account for 100 yards combined for the first time in six games.

On a more positive note. ... The Raiders found out that tight ends Williams and Jeremy Brigham are dependable options as receivers after the two men combined for four receptions and averaged 19.8 yards per against the Chiefs. ...

Other notes of interest this week. ...

After the Raiders waived punt returner Dave Dunn when he cost them the Arizona game by losing a fumble in overtime, head coach Jon Gruden was criticized by many observers for replacing him with Brown -- the contention being that Gruden is foolishly exposing his star wide out to injury.

"I don't swallow any harder (for a punt return) than when we call a slant pattern or a shallow cross and he's zipping through the middle of the defense," Gruden said in response to the criticism. "He has a great ability in the open field judging where people are. ..."

Brown wound up returning two punts for 99 yards last Sunday, including one for 88 yards and a touchdown. ...

It was originally thought that FB Jon Ritchie (high ankle sprain) would miss the remainder of the regular season but doctors have given him a tentative go-ahead to return Saturday against San Diego.

RB: C. Garner, T. Wheatley, R. Jordan, T. Kirby

FB: Z. Crockett, J. Ritchie (Quest; ankle)

WR: T. Brown, J. Rice, J. Porter, M. Knight, J. Jett

TE: R. Williams (Prob; ankle/knee), J. Brigham, M. Fulcher

PK: S. Janikowski

The Eagles did not run the ball well enough and are going to have to be better than 2.6 yards per carry over the final month.

Donovan McNabb wasn't great, but he was efficient and survived four dropped passes. He threw for 221 yards and ran for a team-high 39. ...

In an update published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly noted that the Eagles are looking to get TE Chad Lewis a little more involved in the offense. Following his first Pro Bowl berth, Lewis hasn't posted the same type of stats he did last year. There are several theories about Lewis, one of which is that opponents are simply more aware of him as a potential weapon.

Also, now that RB Duce Staley is back on the field, he is serving as a reliable target in the passing game, something the Eagles missed last year when Staley missed most of the season.

Lewis suffered a slight knee injury during Sunday's win over San Diego. He might miss some practice time early this week, but he's expected to play in this weekend's game at Washington.

RB: D. Staley, C. Buckhalter, B. Mitchell, R. Smart

FB: C. Martin, J. Reader

WR: J. Thrash (Prob; ribs), T. Pinkston, F. Mitchell, N. Brown, G. Scott, D. Douglas

TE: C. Lewis (Prob; knee), T. Stewart, J. Thomason (Quest; knee), M. Bartrum

PK: D. Akers

Bettis, who missed an 18-7 victory Sunday against the New York Jets with hip and groin injuries, is listed as questionable. A week ago, when he never got off the bench, he was listed as doubtful.

But unlike last week, when the running back publicly pleaded with Cowher for several days to be allowed to play, Bettis said Wednesday his status is entirely up to the coach.

"You've got to take it up with him," Bettis said. "I was informed not to talk about the injury. I can talk about the Ravens, but I can't talk to you about the injury."

There has been some speculation Bettis might sit out a second consecutive game to make sure he is healthy for the postseason. The Steelers (10-2) are on the verge of clinching their first playoff appearance in four years.

However, Bettis hinted the only way he won't play is if, by doing so, he would risk making the injury much worse.

"I still want to play. Last week was me being a little bit aggressive. I said I wanted to play, but after running around out there I realized that wasn't the case," Bettis said. "I just have to take it day by day."

Cowher said it will be a game day decision whether Bettis plays in the Steelers-Ravens rematch. Baltimore won 13-10 on Nov. 4 in Pittsburgh -- the Steelers' only loss in 11 games -- but the Ravens have lost at home to them the last two seasons.

"As we get more information, we will do it day by day," Cowher said. "I don't want to go through any hypotheticals. If he can play, he will play. We will sit down and see where he is on game day and what the risk is with him playing and re-injuring his groin and go from there."

Bettis missed only his fourth game in nine seasons Sunday, watching from the sideline as his replacement, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala, was held to 50 yards on 21 carries by the Jets.

Sitting out a second consecutive game would lessen Bettis' chances of winning the NFL rushing title. He's the NFL's top rusher since being traded to Pittsburgh in 1996, but has never won a rushing title despite six consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

By sitting out Sunday, Bettis, who has 1,072 yards, fell behind Priest Holmes, Kansas City, 1,146 yards; Curtis Martin, Jets, 1,140; and Ahman Green, Green Bay, 1,094 yards.

"It was tough," Bettis said. "I really wanted to be out there, especially once the game started."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

Usually reliable place-kicker Kris Brown is having an inexplicably up-and-down season even as the Steelers streak through their best season in 23 years.

What worries coach Cowher is that Brown's bouts of erraticism always seem to come right when the Steelers are playing the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

Brown missed four-of-five attempts Nov. 4 against the Ravens, including a potential game-tying kick in the closing seconds of a 13-10 defeat -- the Steelers' only loss in 11 games.

Then, leading into Sunday's Steelers-Ravens rematch in Baltimore, Brown missed two field goals and an extra point against the Jets. The misses turned what otherwise was a not-so-tight game into an uncomfortably close one for the Steelers, who eventually won 18-7 Sunday.

"I'm not going to sugar coat it," Cowher said. "It's a concern."

It's not that Brown is having a horrifically bad season; his 25 field goals lead the NFL and his 55-yard field goal at Kansas City is tied for the longest this season.

What troubles Cowher is Brown's bad streaks seem to occur without warning. As Cowher said, "It is not so much as he is in a total funk, kicking every ball bad."

"For me, it was tough because it was so all of a sudden," Brown said Wednesday. "For the most part I was kicking well and then one game, bam, it was just kind of a shock and a jolt."

Many excuses are being offered for Brown's uneven season, most of them dealing with the spongy, sand-based grass field at Heinz Field. Brown is 13-of-16 on the road but only 12-of-20 at Heinz. His 11 misses are the most in the league, and are two more than his first two seasons (50-of-59) combined.

Still, Brown isn't the only kicker struggling at Heinz, where the wind blowing off Pittsburgh's three rivers through an open end zone may be creating uneven conditions not just from game-to-game, but quarter-to-quarter.

Pitt kicker Nick Lotz, for example, is 7-of-8 on the road but only 4-of-9 at Heinz. Among the missed attempts by Lotz and Pitt's opponents were those from 21, 23 and 34 yards -- almost chip shots for skilled college kickers.

"I think it (the grass field) is a factor, I really do," Cowher said. "There's no question that it's uneven, and the (kicker's) plant foot slips at times. It is not as firm. It's a lot easier to kick on a turf field."

Brown won't use the new surroundings as an excuse, saying the rest of his teammates -- the Steelers are 5-1 at home -- aren't having any problems moving from Three Rivers Stadium into Heinz.

"I know that the kicks I've had have just been bad kicks," Brown said. "A couple I hit, I thought they were good coming off my foot but they just didn't come through. I don't know if it's a coincidence and or if it's the stadium.

"But I don't care what the stadium does, I've still got to do my job. ..."

One last note out of Pittsburgh this week. ... Wide receiver Hines Ward has two thigh bruises and a sprained ankle but he stayed in the game and will play this week.

RB: J. Bettis (Quest; groin), C. Fuamatu Ma'afala, A. Zereoue

FB: J. Witman, D. Kreider

WR: H. Ward (Prob; quad), P. Burress, T. Edwards, B. Shaw, L. Jackson

TE: J. Tuman, M. Cushing, C. Geason

PK: K. Brown

"He needs to," Martz said. "There's some coverage stuff where (defenses) have started to go so deep, and if he has to hold (the ball) for a certain length of time I'd like to see him take off and go with it and just go down."

Warner is known for his arm and passing accuracy, not for his speed. But in Sunday's 27-14 win over San Francisco, Warner scrambled for a 23-yard gain that was a key part of a drive late in the second quarter that put the Rams up 21-7. He even took on a tackler rather than dive to avoid contact.

Warner would have been wise to run again in the third quarter when he avoided the rush and seemingly had five yards of open space in front of him. Instead, he forced a pass into coverage and was intercepted.

That's what Martz was talking about. He wants Warner to run if there's room to spare.

Warner's second-quarter scramble "was a great example of how big (running) can be," Martz said. "That was a difference maker, really, in the game. He needs to be able to do that. He has done that in the past and in some coverages I've encouraged it."

As for Warner's speed, Martz ducked the matter when asked, lightheartedly, how Warner would do against the clock. "That's a no win deal for me," Martz said.

Your time in the 40-yard dash, Kurt?

"Oh, I don't know, 4.3 or 4.4" seconds, Warner said. "Right up there with the rest of the group."

No, seriously.

"Just fast enough to get down before they hit me," he said. ...

Also of interest. ...

Warner completed passes to eight different receivers, and his final numbers indicate how high the bar has been raised when assessing his play. Warner completed 26 of 42 passes (61.9 percent) for 294 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, and it is considered an average game. Warner called the offense's performance "workmanlike," which is accurate. The longest pass play was for 26 yards and RB Marshall Faulk totaled just 19 yards on five receptions. ...

Despite his impressive, six-catch, 109-yard, one-TD performance against the Niners last week, Ricky Proehl shouldn't be counted on for similar production down the stretch run. ...

RB: M. Faulk, T. Canidate, R. Holcombe

FB: J. Hodgins, J. Watson

WR: T. Holt, I. Bruce, A. Hakim, R. Proehl, Y. Murphy

TE: E. Conwell, J. Robinson, B. Manumaleuna

PK: J. Wilkins

So, will they reconsider their quarterback situation and take a look at rookie Drew Brees?

Head coach Mike Riley said Monday that the Chargers would at least think about it.

"The quarterbacking deal is an obvious question," Riley said a day after the Chargers (5-8) lost 24-14 at Philadelphia, their sixth straight loss and eighth in 10 games.

"My initial reaction to that is, Doug is our quarterback and gives us our best chance to win. Will in the next three weeks we try to play Drew? We haven't really crossed that bridge as a staff."

While leaving the door open to the idea of playing Brees some, Riley said Flutie will be the quarterback for Saturday's home game against Oakland, which leads the AFC West at 9-3.

The Chargers, who'll miss the playoffs for the sixth straight year, will finish with games at Kansas City and against Seattle.

Three weeks ago, after Flutie threw for 98 yards and no touchdowns in a 34-24 loss at Oakland, some fans and media called for Brees to play. Riley defused a possible QB controversy, saying the 39-year-old Flutie would remain the starter the rest of the season.

Although he threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns, Flutie had two more interceptions and lost a fumble at Philadelphia. During the losing streak, he's thrown 10 interceptions and lost two fumbles, while throwing just five touchdown passes.

Brees, the former Purdue star who was taken with the first pick in the second round of April's draft, has played just once this year, a spectacular performance (15 of 27 passes for 221 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions) in relief of Flutie in a 25-20 home loss to Kansas City on Nov. 4, the first game of the losing streak. ...

Also of interest this week. ...

The Chargers got bad news on Wednesday when it was learned that wide receiver-punt returner Tim Dwight will miss Saturday's game against the Raiders after re-aggravating a lung injury in last Sunday's game at Philadelphia.

Dwight was officially listed as "out" on the team's injury report on Wednesday, the first day the team is required to do an injury report.

Dwight initially suffered a collapsed lung against Kansas City on Nov. 4. He missed the Chargers' next three contests before returning two games ago at Seattle on Dec. 2. Against the Seahawks, Dwight led the Chargers with five catches for 59 yards.

Dwight caught four passes for 51 yards last Sunday at Philadelphia. He also handled the Chargers' punt return duties against the Eagles, gaining 48 yards on four returns (12.0 avg.).

Before last week's game, Glyn Milburn had been filling in for Dwight at punt returner for the Chargers. With Dwight out for Saturday's game against the Raiders, Milburn is expected to resume his role as the team's punt returner.

Dwight is the second key contributor to be listed as "out" by the Chargers for Saturday's game. On Monday, running back Terrell Fletcher was ruled out by Riley. ... Fletcher suffered a torn hamstring last Sunday at Philadelphia.

RB: L. Tomlinson, R. Jenkins, T. Fletcher (Out; hamstring)

FB: F. McCrary, D. Harris

WR: C. Conway, J. Graham, T. Gaylor, G. Milburn, T. Dwight (Out; lung)

TE: F. Jones, S. Heiden, J. Whitman, A. Young

PK: S. Christie, W. Richey

In what he described beforehand as the biggest game of his three-season NFL career, Garcia flopped as San Francisco lost 27-14 to St. Louis, abruptly slowing the young 49ers' hopes of catching the Rams in the division race.

Garcia, who has followed last season's Pro Bowl appearance with an even stronger campaign during the 49ers' resurgence, seemed transported back to his rookie season in San Francisco as a struggling CFL refugee.

He was 13-of-36 for 146 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. But even the dismal statistics don't reflect the missed opportunities and poor decisions made by the entire offense.

"It was a huge learning experience," Garcia said. "Nothing was happening the way we expected it. We dug ourselves a deeper and deeper hole."

In the previous two seasons, when the 49ers won just 10 games while Garcia learned about the NFL with a roster of equally inexperienced teammates, such a game would have lingered in Garcia's psyche. The nasty calls to talk-radio shows might have angered his father, Bob, who called in to defend his son last season.

But these days, armed with a $36 million contract and the knowledge that one bad game certainly won't mean losing his job, Garcia can live with and learn from every experience -- even the ugly ones. There's always another game, starting with Sunday's visit from Miami.

"I'm going to come out knowing that I've got to re-prove myself, not only to everybody out there, but to myself," Garcia said. "I can't hang my head and worry about what everybody thinks about me. I've got to get ready for the next game."

While watching game film Monday after a fairly sleepless night, Garcia began taking dozens of increasingly depressing notes on his footwork, his progression reads and his communication with teammates.

When the 49ers fell behind and were forced to abandon the running game, things didn't improve. For the first time in 15 games, Garcia didn't throw a touchdown pass.

"It was just a tough day at the office," head coach Steve Mariucci said. "Every quarterback is going to have one of those. This team has done a great job of not pointing fingers at any one play or any one person or any one thing. Jeff has always been a standup guy, and he wants to play better than that."

Garcia didn't even think it was the worst game he's played with the Niners. He pointed to a loss to Pittsburgh in the 1999 season in which he completed just seven passes for 39 yards, then was benched for two of the next three games.

Garcia persevered through all of the 49ers' rocky times in the past two seasons, so he doesn't plan on letting a one-game slump -- or even a longer one -- detract from the current season.

During the Dolphins' blowout win over Indianapolis on Monday night, Garcia was "in school. It's a class session, basically." He made more notes to himself, trying to avoid another afternoon like last Sunday.

"It was center stage, but it won't be his last big game," Mariucci said. "The next time, he'll be able to better deal with the bigness of it. ..."

Other notes of interest. ...

In an update published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly noted that even though it might take some carries away from Garrison Hearst, San Francisco coaches were thrilled to have rookie tailback Kevan Barlow returning from a shoulder injury last Sunday.

Hearst posted a 124-yard outing two weeks ago with Barlow sitting out against the Bills, but coaches feel he is beginning to take a pounding, and want to spell him at times. Before last week, Hearst's top four games came when he averaged 16.7 rushes per contest. Although his stamina continues to improve, and now starting to get much closer to being the back he was before breaking his ankle in a '98 playoff game, Hearst is still a player who has missed two full seasons.

The 49ers feel Hearst's production could drop off some if he logs too many 25-carry games and they want to guard against it. Their concern should result in an increased role for Barlow down the stretch. ...

Terrell Owens, who was already dealing with both foot and ankle injuries, suffered a slight hip pointer against the Rams last Sunday. ... However, early reports indicate he'll start and play as usual against the Dolphins this weekend. ...

RB: G. Hearst, K. Barlow, P. Smith, J. Lewis (Out; groin)

FB: F. Beasley, T. Jackson

WR: T. Owens (Prob; hip), J.J. Stokes, T. Streets, C. Wilson, V. Sutherland

TE: E. Johnson, J. Swift, B. Jennings, G. Clark (Out; hamstring)

PK: J. Cortez

Head coach Mike Holmgren said Wednesday that Watters, who returned last week after missing eight games with a shoulder injury, will start on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys at Husky Stadium and in the team's three remaining regular-season games.

Holmgren said Watters proved he was healthy last Sunday night in Denver. He said he didn't want to divide the running back duties between Watters and Alexander as he did in the loss to the Broncos. Thus, he is benching Alexander, who has rushed for 1,009 yards and scored a dozen touchdowns this season.

"They'll both play, but it's pretty hard to juggle both of them and split it up," Holmgren told his weekly news conference.

The Seahawks (6-6) probably need to win all four of their remaining games to make the playoffs. Holmgren said Watters, an 11-year veteran, gives his team a better chance.

Watters has 141 career starts, while Alexander, the team's top draft choice last season, has 10, including nine as Watters' replacement this season.

"I think right now, down the stretch, Ricky's experience, enthusiasm and fire, and his versatility just made me go this way," Holmgren said.

Watters is considered a better blocker and pass receiver than Alexander.

Alexander said he didn't know what else he could do to keep his starting job. He noted the Seahawks went 5-4 in games in which he started in Watters' absence.

"You don't have to talk about the stuff I've done," said Alexander, the fourth running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. "But it's not good enough I guess. Coach Holmgren's got a different idea of what it takes to win."

Alexander said he let Holmgren know how he felt.

"If he's right, then he's smart and we're in the playoffs," he said. "If he's wrong, then he made a mistake."

Watters has rushed for 10,539 career yards to rank 13th on the all-time list and has 77 touchdowns to tie Tony Dorsett for 11th place on that all-time list. He could be headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, after his career ends. He said Holmgren's decision was a good one.

"I'm real excited that it went this way," Watters said. "I'm not surprised. You're talking about a guy who has been in the playoffs and who has had great success in the playoffs. I think that that's the way Mike is looking at it -- a guy who is a leader on this team, a big-time leader actually."

Watters said his presence on the field motivates Seattle's younger players.

"How the young guys look at me, the way they get fired up when I'm out there, when I'm talking to them, whatever," he said. "It's easy for me to see and it's easy for the coaches to see."

In the Denver game, Alexander rushed for 28 yards on 12 carries, while Watters gained 23 yards on six carries. The Seahawks lost 19-7.

Alexander flourished after replacing Watters, rushing for a franchise-record 266 yards and three touchdowns in a victory over the Oakland Raiders in Seattle Nov. 11. The 266-yard effort was the fourth best in NFL history and included a franchise-best 88-yard touchdown run.

He has rushed for 11 touchdowns.

Watters is in the final year of his contract in Seattle and the Seahawks aren't expected to re-sign him.

"Shaun certainly is our back for the future," Holmgren said. "Shaun is bright enough to know he's going to be around for a long time. But any decision that we make now is for this next game. ..."

So. ... Why Watters?

According to ESPN.com insider John Clayton it's like this: "First of all, the Seahawks only have the potential Hall of Fame back for four more regular-season games. His three-year, $10 million contract expires after the season. Watters brings a fire and leadership to the huddle, which may be a boost to a young Seahawks offense. ..."

One last note out of Seattle this week. ... The Seahawks will face former WR Joey Galloway for the first time in the Dallas game. Holmgren, also the team's general manager, and Galloway were involved in a bitter contract dispute during the 1999 season and Galloway held out for eight games.

The Seahawks traded Galloway to the Cowboys for first-round draft choices in 2000 and 2001. The Seahawks used the two picks to draft Alexander in 2000 and WR Koren Robinson in 2001.

Galloway signed a $42 million, seven-year contract with the Cowboys. He missed all of last season because of a knee injury and has 33 catches for 385 yards and two touchdowns this season.

RB: R. Watters, S. Alexander, J. Graham, C. Rogers

FB: M. Strong, H. Evans

WR: D. Jackson, K. Robinson, B. Engram, A. Bannister, J. Williams, F. Bownes

TE: C. Fauria, I. Mili, R. Stewart

PK: R. Lindell

"I had to dig deep," said Johnson. "I had to make the play. I knew I was going to get hit as soon as I caught the ball. I'm not trying to save a season, I was trying to save a football game. This was my first time to make a huge impact."

Johnson played big the entire game, but saved his most impressive work until the final drive -- when he accounted for 59 of the 80 yards on four catches. Besides his game-winner in the end zone, Johnson added a 16-yard reception on a third-and-10 play for a first down, a 15-yard grab on a third-and-20 situation and a huge 15-yard catch to convert a fourth-and-8 with 1:20 left on the clock.

Despite Johnson's success this season, the Buccaneers don't like being known as a passing team. But that's exactly what they've become because of an inconsistent running attack in their first 12 games.

Quarterback Brad Johnson, who signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent during the offseason, threw 54 passes in Sunday's win over the Lions.

Although Mike Alstott scored one of the team's two touchdowns on a 24-yard run in the second quarter, the Bucs never really established a ground game against the NFL's 25th-ranked defense.

Alstott averaged 5.5 yards, gaining 66 yards on 12 attempts. Johnson was the second-leading rusher with 12 yards on four carries, while featured back Warrick Dunn was limited to 3 yards on just six attempts.

"We haven't altered our philosophy," head coach Tony Dungy said Monday, explaining that part of the problem has been that the Bucs have trailed in the second half of most of their games.

"Unfortunately, we haven't been ahead as much as we'd like to be, and a lot of our games have turned out like this one, where we had 30 passes in two two-minute drills. ... But no, we still have the same philosophy. For us to be good and move the ball, we've got to be well-balanced and really feature our running game."

The Bucs signed Johnson to a five-year, $28 million contract in hopes that he could provide stability the offense lacked with Shaun King at quarterback last year.

As a result of having to throw so much in an effort to catch up or win games in the fourth quarter, the Bucs are 12th in the league in passing. They're next-to-last in rushing, averaging just under 80 yards.

The offensive line has struggled to open holes for Dunn and Alstott, as well as protect Johnson when he's throwing. But Dungy said the solution is not making lineup changes.

"We evaluate all the time and we think we're playing the best players. If we thought that it would help to make some changes, we would do that," Dungy said.

"We've made changes in other situations, other places that we think could help us. That's part of the evaluation process and what we're trying to do. But we're not going to just change because change might help or change might be good or change might shake things up."

Johnson completed 31 passes for 305 yards and two interceptions against the Lions. He was 8-of-12 for 85 yards, including a pair of fourth-down completions; on the drive that produced Keyshawn Johnson's 13-yard touchdown catch with 45 seconds left.

The victory was Tampa Bay's third straight heading into a season-ending stretch against Chicago, New Orleans, Baltimore and Philadelphia.

The Bucs are tied with New Orleans for the NFC's final wild card spot, and Dungy said the team likely will have to run the ball more effectively if they want to stay in the race.

"I think we're going to need it down the stretch in all four of these games. We did some things on the ground in the first half, then didn't get that many opportunities and didn't get the job done in the second half," the coach said.

"What we've got to do is be a little bit more efficient coming out of the locker room in the second half and keep the lead so we can run the ball in the fourth quarter. ..."

Also of interest. ...

In an update published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly noted that Dungy didn't have a big problem with the heated sideline exchange between Keyshawn Johnson and Jacquez Green during the team's Nov. 26 win over the Rams.

Green drew Johnson's ire after dropping a third-down pass that would have gone for a first down.

Said Dungy: "You want to have that high level of accountability. You want it done in a constructive way. You want it done in a positive way. But some of that is good."

Johnson and Green have since cleared the air, but there's no question Green was offended by the insinuation that he drops passes. ... Said Green: "The unfair thing is for people to think that I drop the football. I had five drops last season for the whole season. That makes me mad. I catch the football; that's why I'm starting. ..."

RB: W. Dunn, A. Stecker, R. Abdullah

FB: M. Alstott, J. Cook

WR: K. Johnson (Prob; foot/ankle), J. Green, R. Anthony, F. Murphy, K. Williams, M. Wynn

TE: D. Moore, T. Yoder, S. McDermott

PK: M. Gramatica

QB Steve McNair continued his torrid play of late, connecting on 25 of 33 attempts for 302 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. WR Kevin Dyson lost one costly big play with a drop, but the Titans continue to do good things in this department. ...

It's also worth noting that Eddie George was as effective as he's been all year, with a 4.6 yards-per-carry average from his 21 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown. But George's lost fumble really hurt. Backup Skip Hicks also made the most of his chances.

But in an article published last Friday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli wrote: "It seems that Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger have finally decided tailback Eddie George will never be the same this year after his offseason toe surgery. The team is throwing the ball upfield more, allowing Steve McNair to go deep with noticeably more frequency, and the results have been promising. The wide receiver tandem of Derrick Mason and Kevin Dyson has totaled 458 yards the past two weeks. In the first nine games of the season, the two had an aggregate 466 receiving yards. ..."

By the way. ... George is expected to start and play as usual this week after he was forced to leave last week's game briefly by his sore ankle. ... Mason suffered a hip injury in Minnesota and his current status is day to day. ...

RB: E. George (Quest; ankle), M. Green, S. Hicks

HB: E. Kinney (Quest; calf), D. Alexander

WR: D. Mason (Quest; hip), K. Dyson, D. Bennett, E. Berlin, C. Coleman, J. McCareins (Out; ankle), C. Sanders (Out; back)

TE: F. Wycheck, E. Kinney (Quest; calf), S. Meier

PK: J. Nedney

"Attack."

Attack?

"Attack by our standards," Schottenheimer explained after the game, "is not like St. Louis."

That's a much-needed clarification, because a wide-open offense from the close-to-the-vest Schottenheimer might just be too much for the football universe to take.

Instead, the Washington Redskins' 20-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday was "Marty Ball" all over: a strong running game, short passes and a solid defense. Twelve games into the Schottenheimer era, the players are finally getting the hang of it.

The Redskins, who seemingly play do-or-die every week because of their 0-5 start, can grind it all the way to the playoffs with a strong finish. They play three of their final four at home, but it's still a tough schedule: division-leading Philadelphia at home is next, followed by Chicago at home and New Orleans on the road before the season finale against Arizona.

"Taking them one week at a time has probably served us well," Schottenheimer said. "Having said that, I think we all recognize the importance of the one this week. Let's deal in the reality of it."

"Marty Ball" was honed during Schottenheimer's 14 years in Cleveland and Kansas City, but its early use in Washington isn't quite the way the coach originally pictured it. The plan for a West Coast, timing-based attack has evolved into a traditional run-first strategy that uses play-action to get the ball downfield. The complex zone defenses used during the bad start have given way to old-fashioned man-to-man, not a bad idea when the cornerbacks are Champ Bailey, Fred Smoot and Darrell Green.

Schottenheimer was criticized by his own players for not using Stephen Davis enough during the losing streak and in the relapse against Dallas last week. But Davis had 110 yards on 26 attempts Sunday, and his 251 carries is tied for third in the league. His 1,005 yards rank eighth, and he is the first Redskins back to amass 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons.

"In our situation, running the football helps everything else that we do," Schottenheimer said. "For us, right now, that's the way we'd like to be. But if we were set up to be able to throw it all over the place, fine with me -- throw it all over the place. Do what you do best. That's where you grow in this business. I always wondered what it would be like to throw it 35 times a game."

As for the order to "attack," that appeared to lead to Michael Westbrook's revival. Disgruntled and little-used much of the season, Westbrook caught four passes in the opening drive and finished with seven catches for 82 yards. In the end, however, the Redskins had more plays running (35) than passing (26).

Schottenheimer was wary before the game. Friday's practice was not a good one, and he didn't sense much energy from his team before the game. They committed too many penalties -- 13 -- and wasted some scoring chances, but the final score is what counts.

"The nicest thing is we didn't play at our best," Schottenheimer said. "And we still found a way to win. ..."

Also of interest this week. ...

According to ESPN.com insider John Clayton, former Bengals tight end Marco Battaglia drew an amazing amount of interest for a player who was released from the injured reserve list. The Bengals placed Battaglia on the non-football injury list after he underwent an emergency appendectomy.

Doctors cleared him to be healthy enough to play last Friday and the team released him on Saturday. The Redskins, Steelers and Patriots claimed him. Because the Redskins had the worst record of those three teams, Battaglia went to the Redskins. He was considered valuable because he has starting experience. Plus, he caught 13 passes this year, one short of his career best.

RB: S. Davis, K.J. Carter (Prob; shoulder), M. Bates (Prob; shoulder)

FB: D. Bennett (Quest; ankle), B. Johnson

WR: R. Gardner, M. Westbrook, K. Lockett (Prob; knee), D. Thompson, D. McCants, E. Metcalf

TE: W. Rasby (Prob; ankle), Z. Flemister, S. Alexander (Doubt; ankle), M. Battaglia

PK: B. Conway