Head coach Dave McGinnis said Monday that Marcel Shipp, an undrafted free-agent signee last year from Massachusetts, will be given an opportunity in practice this week to wrest the job away.

"We're going to discuss that topic during the week," McGinnis said when asked whether Jones was still his starter. "Marcel will probably get some more shots, and we'll make that determination by the end of the week as far as who starts."

Shipp replaced Jones in the second half of Sunday's loss to Seattle and produced 85 yards on 16 carries but gave up two costly fumbles in the shadow of Seattle's goal posts, while Jones gained 24 yards in 11 carries.

Jones, who was given a $5.7 million signing bonus and a four-year contract for $7.4 million, started 14 games as a rookie but lost the job to Michael Pittman late in the season. Last year, he started the first two games before Pittman returned from an NFL suspension and took back the job.

Jones ran for 173 yards on 24 carries in the Cardinals' first meeting with Seattle, but has not topped 73 yards since. He has 68 more carries than Shipp this season, but just 190 more yards. He also has been slowed by a nagging ankle injury.

Shipp, who was given a $20,000 signing bonus and earns the $300,000 second-year minimum, has averaged 4.8 yards per carry to Jones' 3.7 and has run for three touchdowns, one more than Jones.

McGinnis was asked whether the criteria for determining a starter would be based on practice, or on a hunch about who will be more effective against Philadelphia.

"Maybe both," he said. "We'll lay it out there to both of them during the week. They are both going to get their carries."

Jones is the better blocker, especially at picking up blitzes, and is considered a better breakaway threat, but Shipp has displayed more elusiveness in the hole.

"I thought Marcel ran the ball very well, and that may precipitate him getting a chance to run it more," McGinnis said. "There are some things in (pass) protection that he can do better and, very distinctly, he has to stop the fumbles.

"The first fumble (on the one-yard line), where they shot the gap down there on him, he never really had the ball. The second one (at the 5-yard line), he has to hold on to. You can't fumble the football."

Other items of interest this week. ...

It's official: A knee injury will sideline David Boston, who led the NFL in yards receiving last season, for the rest of the year.

The Cardinals said Tuesday that orthopedist James Montgomery would repair a partial thickness tear of Boston's right patellar tendon Nov. 20 in Dallas.

Boston didn't play against Seattle after making just one catch the previous week against St. Louis. He has a team-high 32 catches for 512 yards and one touchdown this year.

Boston set franchise records for yards receiving (1,598) and receptions (98) last season, and became the second-youngest player to reach 1,500 yards at 23 years of age. He also led the NFL with 72 first-down receptions.

But he began experiencing periodic tendinitis during a mini-camp last spring and it came back during training camp. The problem surfaced again several weeks ago, causing him to sit out the contest with the Seahawks and have an MRI exam.

According to Republic beat writer Kent Somers, the losses of Boston (knee), MarTay Jenkins (shoulder) and Bryan Gilmore (leg) mean veteran Frank Sanders will assume a more important role, both on the field as the team's No. 1 receiver and off it as a mentor to youngsters Jason McAddley and Jake Soliday.

Soliday, now the third receiver, was promoted from the practice squad. Coaches are high on both players, but realistically, they should be a year or two away from making contributions.

Soliday is very fast and has good hands, but he didn¹t get much work in college at Northern Iowa. He needs experience.

McAddley didn¹t make an appearance this season until Week 8, but that¹s not because he lacks receiving skills. The club was deep at receiver, and McAddley was sixth on the depth chart. He has great speed, runs decent routes and has improved under the tutelage of receivers coach Jerry Sullivan. McAddley is intelligent, has good hands and is diligent in preparation. While he¹s not the threat that Boston is, McAddley is likely to surprise some people this year.

Back to Boston. ... In a column published Sunday, Somers wrote the former Ohio State star's foot injury will heal. His torn knee tendon will be repaired. The concern for the Cardinals -- and any other team interested in signing him -- is whether he can get his head in the right place.

Boston will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. No other player on the market will be more talented. No other player will have a bigger upside. No other player will carry more risk.

Boston carries immense talent and considerable baggage into free agency. He had a breakout season last year, catching 98 passes for 1,598 yards and making his first Pro Bowl.

But he faces two misdemeanor DUI charges stemming from an off-field incident. According to Phoenix police, Boston tested positive for cocaine and marijuana. His trial is scheduled for Dec. 4.

He struggled with injuries throughout this season and is now out for the year. Of greater concern, however, was his performance in the first eight games.

There's no question he was hurt, and nothing bothers a receiver more than foot and leg injuries. Boston deserves credit for trying to play and not using the injuries as an excuse.

But Somers contends Boston also appeared disinterested at times. He dropped passes and didn't chase defensive backs after interceptions.

The Cardinals would be foolish to let him enter the free-agent market unfettered.

They would be wise to place the franchise label on him, retaining the right to match any offer or to receive two first-round picks if they didn't.

Boston, in return, would receive a guaranteed salary equal to the average of the five highest-paid receivers. In 2002, that was $4.3 million.

The franchise tag also would give the team a chance to trade him.

Last week, Boston said he would like to remain with the Cardinals, that he couldn't imagine playing for a better coach than McGinnis.

If Boston's other problems were as easy to fix as his foot and knee, Somers believes that feeling might be reciprocated. ...

In a semi-related item, Sports Illustrated insider Peter King offered readers the following take on Monday: "I think I would like to say I'm surprised about Jake Plummer, but I'm not. "I am surprised he can't take the snap from center. I am not surprised he looks this bad. And now I think the Cardinals would be foolish to slap the franchise tag on him at season's end, when his contract runs out. "When your trusty veteran is completing 53 percent of his throws, it's time to move in the proverbial other direction." For the record, McGinnis said it's very unlikely that rookie quarterback Josh McCown will see action in place of Plummer, who has been bothered by deep muscle soreness behind his right shoulder and missed two and a half practices last week. ...

In four of his seven starts this year, Vick has put the Falcons in position to win or tie on their final drive. His latest comeback began Sunday at Pittsburgh with Atlanta trailing 34-27 with 1:55 left in regulation.

"I came in the huddle and I told the guys, 'Ride on my back, and hear what I'm about to do. I'm going to make it happen. Everybody do their assignments and everybody stay together, but it all starts with me,' " Vick said Monday. "If nobody stepped up, then we didn't have a chance of winning that football game."

The Falcons and Steelers wound up in a 34-34 tie.

The Falcons attempted six plays on the 50-yard drive. After completing two passes to Shawn Jefferson for 27 yards, Vick went for the end zone, but his pass to tight end Alge Crumpler was a little high. Two plays later, Vick scrambled right, then broke left to weave his way past cornerback Dewayne Washington to the end zone.

Atlanta scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter as Vick completed 7 of 13 passes for 120 yards and ran three times for 30.

Head coach Dan Reeves was unsure whether Vick would be able to finish the game after Joey Porter tackled him in the first quarter and forced a fumble. Vick, a left-hander, landed on his left shoulder and felt a sting.

"He was fine after getting his breath back and he was ready to go," Reeves said. "But that was the only time I remember us talking about it."

Vick has missed one game, a 17-10 victory over the Giants at New York, after spraining his right shoulder in a Week 5 loss to Tampa Bay. He never considered leaving after Porter's hit. The Steelers sacked him four times to raise his season total to 23.

The Falcons are allowing a sack every 11.1 passing plays, the NFL's second-worst average.

"The hits are not that hard," Vick said. "They don't hurt me. They may look hard to y'all, but to what I'm feeling they don't hurt me."

Vick was moving slowly and at times awkwardly Monday, but he plans to practice this week and play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.

"It's a little sore, but I think as the week goes on it'll progress," Vick said. "I think it'll get better. Each and every time I fall on it, it just stings and feels real weak. By the time the next play starts it's better."

He had his shoulder iced in the locker room after the Steelers game, but he was taking no protective measures Monday.

After becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to run for at least 90 yards in consecutive games, Vick hasn't had a run longer than 12 yards in two games since. He felt dizzy and sick in both a 30-0 win over Carolina and a 37-35 victory at New Orleans.

Vick expects the Falcons to play another close game against the Saints. Atlanta, which currently has sole possession of the conference's sixth and final playoff spot, missed two chances to score in its final overtime possession at Pittsburgh.

"I don't make each and every throw perfect," Vick said. "I've seen guys make tough catches for me. Alge made a tough catch for me earlier in the day, one-handed that was behind him. I don't say anything to guys when they drop a ball -- not unless you drop 10 in a row. Then something will have to change."

Other notes of interest. ...

Jay Feely had another shot to be the savior, which was as much as he could have asked, really.

But his 56-yard field goal attempt near the end of overtime Sunday was not to be. It never cleared the line, blocked by Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior.

It appeared to be a low kick. Feely, though, wasn't sure if it was too low, or if Farrior just made a play. "I'll have to see the tape," he said.

The miserable condition of the field might have been an excuse, but Feely wasn't using it. The city high school championship game was played at Heinz Field Thursday, and Temple played Pitt there Saturday.

"I don't think that was a factor," said Feely, whose streak of consecutive field goals made ended at 13. "Long kicks, they're lower because you're trying to drive the ball. I hit from 60 and 63 yards in pregame warmups going the same way. I thought I could make it."

After hitting field goals of 36 and 40 yards Sunday, Feely has hit 22 of 24 in road games in his career. ...

And finally. ... In addition to Vick, the Falcons list of walking wounded this week includes Jefferson, who sprained his left foot, and fullback Bob Christian, who strained his right quadriceps. Vick and Christian should start and play as usual; Jefferson was in a walking cast on Monday, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution indicated the veteran wideout will play this Sunday.

Also according to the Journal-Constitution, rookie halfback T.J. Duckett is expected to practice this week -- and if that is indeed the case -- he should play against New Orleans. Duckett missed last week's game because of a sprained ankle and foot.

There are no guarantees that the starting job will be waiting for him when he returns. Jeff Blake has played well in Redman's place, and could remain the starter for the rest of the season -- and then some.

"Last year, we weren't going to go into the future with a 38-year-old Randall Cunningham," head coach Brian Billick said. "But Jeff Blake is a very young 31 years old, young enough so that if you consider him your guy, you've got your guy for the next four or five years."

Some coaches believe a starter can't lose his job because of an injury. Redman has not been provided that kind of assurance.

"I've never been one to much believe in that. It's a case-by-case situation," Billick said.

Blake, an 11-year veteran, has 80 career NFL starts compared to six for Redman. Although Blake has lost two of three with Baltimore since taking over, he's played well enough to warrant consideration as the team's quarterback of the future.

At this point, however, Billick's focus is solely this Sunday.

"My world right now is about beating the Miami Dolphins, and Chris Redman is not available to us. Therefore, Jeff Blake is the starting quarterback," he said.

Blake signed with the Ravens with the understanding that he was to serve as the backup to Redman, a former third-round pick who was being groomed as Baltimore's quarterback for years to come. But when Redman developed back spasms the day before the Ravens' game against Pittsburgh on Oct. 27, Blake stepped in.

At the time, he was considered to be nothing more than an emergency replacement. But if the Ravens (4-5) keep winning with Blake, it's unlikely Billick will make the switch to a rusty Redman.

Blake had his best game with the Ravens on Sunday, going 16-for-24 for 182 yards and a touchdown in a 38-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Jeff Blake played magnificently yesterday," Billick said.

Redman, meanwhile, continues to work his way back from the frustrating injury.

"I'm going to try and practice Wednesday and go from there. I'm just going to do what I can do," he said Monday. "Before the game Sunday, I took a few drops and threw some. It's feeling a lot better. I took a [cortisone shot] and it's been pretty good since."

But he's still feeling shooting pain in his leg, which is why Billick is planning on using Blake well into December.

It's worth noting that Blake might not have wide receiver Brandon Stokley as a target this week. Stokley, who has 24 catches for 357 yards, hurt his foot against the Bengals and was on crutches Monday.

"I probably don't need them, but it hurts to walk," Stokley said. "It's been throbbing all night, and it was pretty sore."

Not that Blake has been looking his way much. As any Stokley owner will tell you, Travis Taylor has been the target of favor with the former Bengal under center.

In fact, Taylor scored a touchdown for the second straight game last Sunday. The former first-round draft pick led the Ravens with seven receptions, and his touchdown, in which he slightly pushed off, capped an 80-yard drive and put the Ravens up 31-17 with under three minutes left in the third quarter.

"It was no way the defensive back was going to make the play on it," Taylor said.

"He was playing the slant, waiting on the inside, and we were running the fade. It was a great throw by [Blake]. Any time the defensive back wants to get closer and the ball is behind me, I can always get a push in every now and then. But it's all legal. ..."

Williams declined to go for a first down on fourth-and-two at the Patriots' 32-yard line on the Bills' opening drive of the second half. Instead of showing confidence in one of the league's best offenses, Williams chose to punt. The Patriots got the ball at the 17 and drove 83 yards for a touchdown to build their lead to 24-7.

In fact, Boston Globe columnist Ron Borges wrote on Sunday that some observers have taken to calling the coach "Fourth-and-Stupid. ..."

Williams has made great strides with this team, but he sent the wrong message to his players on that fourth down call. Even owner Ralph Wilson questioned the decision saying, "That changed the momentum right there. I don't know why we didn't go for it."

Williams also left Bledsoe in the game for two series with the Patriots up by 31 points. According to Wilson, Williams' explanation that he's going to play his best guys doesn't wash. Even if Bledsoe wanted to take every snap, which he did, it's Williams' responsibility to be the voice of reason.

Exposing the franchise player to injury in a game badly out of reach was a needless risk that could have backfired if Bledsoe didn't get up from the shots he took late in the game.

Wilson went on to point out that Bledsoe's arrival has ignited an offense that can score from anywhere on the field. He's the primary reason receivers Eric Moulds and Peerless Price are having career years, but not the sole reason. Halfback Travis Henry has given the team a solid running game; offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has come up with great schemes to make the most of his talent and force opponents to defend the entire field.

The Bills come off the bye week averaging 27.5 points per game and are on pace for 440 points this season -- a total that would rank second in club history to the Jim Kelly-led No-Huddle attack rolled up 458 points in 1991. The current team is gaining 378 yards a game, which would place them second behind only the '91 squad.

Other notes of interest. ...

The Bills made unusual but productive use of their bye week. They ran their own scouting combine Tuesday. In what Borges described as one of the more remarkable things seen around the NFL in recent years, the Bills brought in 82 free agents for testing and workouts.

No one around the league could remember seeing anything like it, even in a bye week.

The Bills brought in 15 wide receivers, six quarterbacks, six running backs, two tight ends, nine offensive linemen, 12 defensive linemen, six linebackers, 13 defensive backs, seven kickers, and six punters.

As one unnamed NFL personnel man asked Borges, "What are they running up there, open tryouts?"

And finally, on the injury front. ... Tight end Jay Riemersma, who suffered a strained back against the Patriots, missed his fourth straight practice on Monday with a back strain. Riemersma said he hoped to be able to resume practicing later this week. He is the team's best receiver at the position, but Dave Moore -- an underrated receiver -- and Corey Geason are better blockers.

Peete, who had not played in almost a month following knee surgery, stepped back into the lineup against New Orleans. He took a team that had not scored a touchdown in 11 quarters and led it to three.

It wasn't enough, although the Panthers led by four in the final minute before losing 34-24. The late-game collapse that has become so annoyingly familiar, once again stole a Carolina victory, and obscured Peete's return.

It shouldn't have.

Peete completed 23-of-40 despite seven drops. He threw for 310 yards, tying his season's high. And he brought a confidence back to an offense that had sputtered almost to a stop.

Of Peete's performance, head coach John Fox said, "I thought he was definitely good enough to win."

Peete had played well when he had to, driving his team 79 yards to the go-ahead touchdown with 3 minutes, 31 seconds left. He was clobbered on the drive's final play, a 15-yard touchdown pass to Wesley Walls, by linebacker Charlie Clemons.

The shot left him lying on the turf with wind knocked out of him and a dislocated middle finger on his left hand.

"I couldn't talk at that time to let somebody know my finger was messed up," he said. "I'm fine -- they just pulled it back in place. It was on my left (non-passing) hand, thank God."

That kind of toughness helped Carolina score more than 14 for the first time since Sept. 22.

"The maturity that Rodney brings definitely helps this offense," said receiver Muhsin Muhammad. "It showed today, we really exploded offensively."

Peete's best quality might be his steadiness. Sunday, he led the Panthers to a season-high 396 total yards. His only interception shouldn't have been one, first slipping through Muhammad's hands.

"Rodney keeps everybody focused and aware of the situation; he's invaluable," said center Jeff Mitchell. "His intangibles are huge."

Peete, 36, had no problems with his repaired right knee, and said his timing was good; he didn't feel at all rusty.

Yet, the outcome was another loss, the team's sixth straight.

Peete was his usual calm and soft-spoken self after the game, but the frustration was evident in his words.

"It's amazing, amazing. It's getting tougher and tougher to take, losing games like this," he said. "I've been around a long time but I haven't been in a situation like this, where we've lost this many close games in the last two minutes.

"It's tough to take, boy. It really is."

Once he got his breath back from Clemons' hit, Peete stood on the sideline, exhorting his defense to stop New Orleans one last time.

It didn't happen, and Peete and his mates can only look to next week, and Tampa Bay.

"We are still right there," he said. "We are playing everybody tough other than one game. We've just got to make the ball bounce our way. We just can't sit back and hope it's going to happen; it's not going to happen that way."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

The first of Walls' two catches last Sunday gave him 423 in his career, moving him into 12th place on the NFL tight ends' receptions list. Walls passed Jay Novacek and Bob Tucker.

The rushing touchdown by Lamar Smith gave him seven for the season, tying him with Fred Lane (1997) for the franchise record. ... It's worth noting that at one point in the game, Smith had 10 carries for 63 yards -- one for 59 yards and nine more for four yards.

Chandler left Memorial Stadium dazed and wearing a brace on a severely sprained neck, sustained on a quarterback sneak in the second quarter. The hit caused weakness in his left shoulder and arm but not paralysis or loss of feeling. He was helped to the team's medical trailer and did not return to the field.

"I got my neck sprained," said Chandler, still sounding slightly dazed long after the hit. "It was just helmet to helmet. I saw [Patriots safety Lawyer] Milloy to my right and a linebacker to my left, so I went to my right side. I was going down and just got hit."

The status of Chandler, who was sacked six times and knocked out of last year's game against the Patriots while playing for Atlanta, won't be known until further evaluation and possible tests. Chandler completed 6-of-10 passes for 40 yards before being injured.

Miller, who did not start because of pain and swelling from elbow and shoulder tendinitis, came off the bench to guide the Bears to three touchdowns in six minutes of the third quarter. One score came on an 11-yard pass to fullback Stanley Pritchett over double coverage in the end zone.

But Miller's right hand was shaking visibly. Miller, who completed 8-of-18 passes for 72 yards and was intercepted once, took pain-killing medication before the game and indicated that taking a cortisone shot, which could keep him out for an extended time, is a possibility only if Chandler can play.

"It's probably just muscle spasms in my elbow," Miller said of his hand shaking. "It's just what happens.

"The last two weeks haven't been my best performances. I can play better. But just considering everything, I'm doing the best that I can. Hopefully I'll just rest it, get it right and come out and play with it."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

According to Tribune reporter Melissa Isaacson, The debris, including at least one bottle aimed at an official, had barely settled on the field when John Shoop jogged into the dressing room under his own assault from above.

"Shoop, you [stink]," his detractors yelled as the Bears' offensive coordinator purposefully stared at them.

To some extent, Shoop has become accustomed to the abuse that has come his way from dissatisfied Bears fans for most of this season and, for that matter, much of last year as well.

But this should have been a moment of triumph or at least some satisfaction for the young architect of the Bears' offense.

The Bears had scored more points (30) Sunday against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots than they have in a game all season. They produced 125 yards on the ground to tie their season high.

And Shoop, bucking the most common criticism against him, had seemingly loosened up with two gadget plays that actually worked -- a 26-yard halfback pass from Leon Johnson to Marty Booker leading to a second-quarter field goal and a 44-yard third-quarter touchdown pass from Booker to Marcus Robinson.

"You have to use the weapons you have," Robinson said, "and Shoop pulled those out of his hat."

Shoop said he was motivated in part because Miller was limited in how far he could throw the ball. Johnson's pass came on the first play after Miller replaced Chandler.

But Shoop's game plan obviously was constrained by Miller's injury. On the final series of the game, Shoop said he considered putting third quarterback Henry Burris into the game because Miller could heave the ball only so far.

Burris "had gotten loose," Shoop said. "We had two timeouts, so we could still use the middle of the field. Had we had no timeouts, we would've put Henry in to try to launch one."

Miller, as is his style, not only said he could have thrown the ball as far as necessary, but also bristled when asked if the Bears were reluctant to run a sneak on third-and-one in their second-to-last offensive series.

"I would've run it," he said. "I would've been more than happy to run it."

If Shoop has been left guessing about Miller's condition, he seemed Sunday to have handled it better than before.

"Jim's a pretty stoic person," Shoop said, "so anytime I asked him how it was, it was, 'I'm fine, just call it,' so you have to weigh all those things. He's as tough as they come.

"[But] did we make some adjustments? Yeah, we pulled out all the stops and I think you saw the downfield plays with [Johnson] and [Booker]. It's no secret [Miller] was dinged up and that was one way we were going to try to use anything we could to get the ball downfield. ..."

A few final items. ...

The Bears placed wide receiver David Terrell on injured reserve Tuesday and also waived veteran tight end Fred Baxter while signing three defensive players to their practice squad.

Terrell, the team's first-round draft pick in 2001, broke his right foot against Green Bay on Oct. 7, but hoped to return later in the season. He had nine receptions for 127 yards and was tied for the team lead with three touchdown receptions in five games.

"After re-evaluating David's foot after four weeks, our doctors believed it was best for him not to play the remainder of this season," general manager Jerry Angelo said. "His recovery is still on schedule and we expect him to be 100 percent for our offseason. There was a small chance the healing process would be accelerated and he could return this year. We waited a month in hopes that would happen, but it did not and we don't want to jeopardize his future."

Baxter started the first three games before injuring his left ankle against the Saints. He has been inactive for four games, returning against Detroit and Philadelphia. For the season he had five receptions for 51 yards.

"I'm going to say this: We're going to win, and we're going to win with good, productive offense, and that will take care of that question," LeBeau said the first time he was asked about Kitna on Monday.

Bengals president Mike Brown has said he wanted to see what Akili Smith or Joe Germaine might do at quarterback should the Bengals fall out of contention.

The Bengals are all but mathematically out of the AFC North race, trailing the first-place Pittsburgh Steelers by four games in the win column.

LeBeau was reminded that he turned to Smith for a start last season after the Bengals were eliminated from the postseason hunt.

"We haven't thought of anything beyond the upcoming opponent, which is Cleveland, and Jon Kitna will be our quarterback," LeBeau said. "That's where our focus will remain."

Kitna threw for 272 yards against Baltimore, but his three interceptions broke a streak of two consecutive games without one. He has nine touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, and is averaging 239 yards passing in his five starts. Kitna has said he expects to be benched if the Bengals continue to lose.

Asked about Kitna's interceptions, LeBeau said: "Here we go, blame-oriented. The first one was an overthrow. Quarterbacks get them a little high sometimes. ... He was made a little bit of a victim of his success, because his rating the last couple of weeks was as high as we've had around here."

In an article published Tuesday, Dayton Daily News reporter Chick Ludwig stated that Kitna's experience and knowledge of coordinator Bob Bratkowski's system makes him the right choice as the current starter. He doesn't have ideal arm strength and his ball security is often shaky because of his small hands. But he's a team leader and the primary reason for the offense's recent improvement.

A timing and rhythm passer, Kitna has nice touch and a good feel for his young, improving receivers. He's accurate on short and intermediate throws because he puts the ball in good spots for his receivers.

Kitna gets into trouble when the team falls behind and he tries to force the ball into tight spots. Kitna can lead a team, but he can't carry one. ...

By the way. ... Kitna's passer rating is 80.3, which would be the best mark for a Bengals quarterback since Neil O'Donnell's 90.2 in 1998. ...

Also of interest. ...

According to Cincinnati Enquirer staff writer Mark Curnutte, Chad Johnson continued his evolution as the Bengals' go-to receiver, collecting his first career 100-yard receiving game Sunday.

In the Bengals' 38-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the second-year receiver had 110 yards on seven catches, including a 39-yard TD pass from Kitna, Cincinnati's longest touchdown pass since Dec. 12, 1999.

Johnson has a team-leading 34 receptions for 548 yards this season. Johnson and Peter Warrick, each of whom had TD receptions against the Ravens, have three TD catches each.

Johnson beat Baltimore cornerback Gary Baxter on his touchdown.

"It was one-on-one coverage with no help," Johnson said. "It was a regular deep ball, and we finally hit one."

The touchdown capped an eight-play, 81-yard drive on which Johnson had four catches for 77 yards.

The Bengals' previous longest touchdown pass was Jeff Blake's 52-yarder to Darnay Scott against the Cleveland Browns in the team's last game at Cinergy Field. ...

Corey Dillon, who rushed for 102 yards on 21 carries, has two of the three 100-yard individual rushing games in the past 64 contests against the Ravens. Jacksonville's Fred Taylor has the other.

Dillon broke Baltimore's 51-game streak without allowing a 100-yard rusher on Dec. 23, 2001. His 100-yard game Sunday was the 26th of his career and gives him 7,005 career rushing yards.

Dillon has 796 rushing yards this season and another 192 receiving. He had five receptions for 48 yards against the Ravens.

And finally. ... Place-kicker Neil Rackers made field goals from 43 and 35 yards, making him 7 of 9 this season. He is 17 of 17 on extra-point kicks and leads the Bengals with 38 points.

One of the most prominent injuries is to running back Jamel White (mild separation of his shoulder). He has been the team's MVP through the first nine games because of his playmaking ability when running and when catching the ball. He probably will miss the Bengals game on Nov. 17 when the Browns return to play.

This means top draft pick William Green and James Jackson will be forced into action. Green needs to get out there. He really has struggled, and the only way he is going to get better is by playing. The more experienced Jackson, though, likely will be the starter in the next game as Green is eased into things.

White's injury might be a blessing in disguise in some respects because it puts Green in a position where he has to produce to help the team. He knows that.

I don't know.

I still don't think the Browns have the level of talent -- specifically up front -- necessary for Green to play at a higher level. ... And I know that's the case with Jackson. ...

Also according to King, Tim Couch has certainly played well enough in the first nine games to allow him to continue to be the starter at quarterback. What he has to do, though, is quit holding on to the ball too long. When there is nothing open, he has to throw the ball into the stands and avoid the sack.

At wide receiver, the Browns are getting some quality play out of Quincy Morgan, Andre Davis and Dennis Northcutt, but Kevin Johnson continues to struggle. He is having a hard time with physical, press coverage. He has to find a way to get open.

The Browns need Johnson, and they also need to throw more with multiple-receiver sets. The wideouts are the strength of this team, and coordinator Bruce Arians should use them.

One last note here. ... The Browns come off their bye facing a Bengals defense that has allowed at least 30 points six times in nine games so far this year.

And owner/general manager Jerry Jones went out of his way this week to say how upset and frustrated he was about the Cowboys' 3-6 record. That he didn't spend more than $40 million in signing bonuses before the season for this.

But Jones also couldn't hide his excitement. Jones has always believed the road to the Super Bowl starts with a franchise quarterback. And Jones thinks he may have found his in Chad Hutchinson, even after just two starts.

For the record, Brown offered readers the following disclaimer: "Jones' raves about Quincy Carter after last year's draft and his preseason speech about the unsurpassed talent on this season's team more than prove he is prone to hyperbole."

The upside of all this for Campo, however, is that he may be on firmer ground than the quicksand he appears to be in right now. Jones is the first to say Campo hasn't had the benefit of stability at quarterback for the last three seasons. Troy Aikman, Randall Cunningham and Anthony Wright all started games in 2000. In 2001, Tony Banks (in the preseason), Wright, Carter, Clint Stoerner and Ryan Leaf had starts. Carter and Hutchinson in 2002.

"Early in my career with the Cowboys, if I hadn't handicapped the situation as to the head coach relative to having a rookie quarterback, we would have knee-jerked and not had the great coaches we've had," Jones said. "I like the coaching job Dave Campo and this staff are doing. We need to see how the season plays out, but I'm not in the mood to make a coaching change."

At Valley Ranch, the Cowboys' front office lives for the future but is constantly reliving the past. And Jones sees the past and future in Hutchinson. He sees Aikman's toughness and grit. He hopes he's seeing hints of Aikman's accuracy and decision-making. Forget that they are both blond with blue eyes and look good on program covers, posters and tickets. We can never forget Jones is an owner-slash-GM-slash-marketing guru, always looking for a product he can sell to the fans.

"It's my plan to get comfortable with where we are at quarterback," Jones said, "and build a supporting cast around him without having to go into the draft looking for another quarterback."

Jones' search for a quarterback probably cost him the entire 2001 draft. Right or wrong, Jones can rationalize it by not having spent a fortune making the mistakes Cincinnati and San Diego did in drafting Akili Smith and Leaf, respectively. The combined total of Carter's $1.5 million signing bonus and the $4 million that is guaranteed to Hutchinson ($3.1 million signing bonus, plus base salary guarantees) equals less than a quarter of what Houston paid in bonuses to David Carr or what Detroit paid to Joey Harrington. And the Cowboys feel Hutchinson is equal to or superior to Carr and Harrington.

Hutchinson, meanwhile, feels he hasn't done enough to help the Cowboys win.

"I really feel it falls on the quarterback's shoulders," Hutchinson said. "When you lose, and the offense doesn't score points, who do they look at? Me. I feel like there are little things I could have done to help. But we've been out of one game this whole season – Philadelphia. When everyone's down and wondering how far away are we, you're really not that far away. It's going to take a couple big plays, and if I do my part, I think we'll get those big plays and win some ballgames."

Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson is confident the Cowboys will know by season's end whether they have their answer in Hutchinson -- if they don't already.

"I think you can see enough in practice, in meetings and in the next seven games," Wilson said. "Mechanics-wise, Chad's solid. We've seen David Carr and Joey Harrington, and Chad handled himself well in comparison to those guys. I think he outplayed Harrington. I think there's a reason for optimism."

Several things stand out to Wilson about Hutchinson: the toughness, the accuracy, the decision-making and his competitiveness, for starters. Hutchinson was knocked down 16 times against Detroit, including a couple crash-test-dummy-type collisions, and he didn't become spooked in the pocket or hurry passes as the game wore on, Wilson said.

"He's tough, and he's such a perfectionist," Wilson said. "He knows before you point it out if he's made a mistake. He's so aware and hard on himself, and that's a great quality as long as you keep it in perspective. He's not one to repeat a mistake."

So where does that leave Carter?

If Hutchinson is the answer, the Cowboys could trade or release Carter and sign a veteran backup. It can be poisonous to have two young quarterbacks on the roster who both believe they should be starting. Carter probably won't be happy as a backup, although coaches say he has shown a great attitude since being replaced by Hutchinson.

"Everyone is saying maybe Chad is the guy," Campo said. "I temper some of the enthusiasm. But after watching the last ballgame, if I'm rating quarterbacks, I'm feeling pretty good about the one on my side."

If Hutchinson's not the answer, the Cowboys' rebuilding goes on indefinitely. They will most likely have to spend huge money in the draft or in free agency to continue the search that teams such as Cincinnati, Seattle, Arizona and Detroit have been on for decades. If Hutchinson falters over the final seven games and the Cowboys can't show improvement, it could also mean Campo losing his job. Hutchinson knows Campo's survival may be tied to his success.

"Absolutely," Hutchinson said. "And I think the world of him as a coach and as a man. I really respect him a lot. I'm going to do everything in my power to help this team win because I think he's a great coach."

I'll also remind you of reports out of Pittsburgh last weekend, hinting at the notion Dallas might be interested in acquiring fallen star Kordell Stewart. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

According to Morning News staffer Jean-Jacques Taylor, instability along the offensive line has limited offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet to calling plays featuring three- and five-step drops because the line can't protect Hutchinson long enough to throw the deep ball. The Cowboys had four plays against Detroit that called for at least two receivers to go deep. Each play resulted in a sack.

The problem is magnified because Hutchinson has little pocket presence. He fumbled three times against Detroit, losing two.

Carter produced three touchdowns in his last two starts, as has Hutchinson. The difference: Carter threw five interceptions in his last two games, while Hutchinson has yet to throw one. The Cowboys' receivers also dropped five passes, including a crossing route that probably would have produced a touchdown of more than 50 yards by Darnay Scott.

Hutchinson is making good decisions in the pocket and making good reads, which the Cowboys hope eventually will lead to more points. ...

Taylor further noted the team's offense is challenging franchise records for offensive futility in a 16-game season in several categories. Dallas is on pace to score 204 points and 25 touchdowns, tying the 1989 team in both categories for the fewest in club history. Kicker Billy Cundiff is on pace to attempt just 16 field goals, the fewest in club history.

And finally. ... In the wake of reports suggesting that Coslet might be setting Campo up for a fall, SportsLine.com insider Pete Prisco advised readers that's not likely to happen.

Apparently Coslet hasn't not endeared himself to the Cowboys with the way his offense is playing or his attitude. The former Bengals and Jets honcho jumped down the throat of a local television reporter after last week's loss to the Lions. He also has pinned the offensive woes on the poor line play.

Coaches should know better than to call out units in public. Coslet has to take some of that blame, and according to Prisco, it's apparent the Cowboys brass is smart enough to know that.

Head coach Mike Shanahan said he expected Sharpe to miss two to four weeks.

"All season, we have been pretty lucky not to lose somebody," running back Clinton Portis said. "When you don't have injuries, look, you go 6-2. And [Monday] night, that might have hurt us. When you have injuries though, guys need to step up, and we need to win - no excuses."

Sharpe, however, will not be able to step up Sunday. Oakland took care of that. But then Sharpe is used to suffering significant injuries against the Raiders.

In 1999, Sharpe's last season in Denver before he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, the tight end fractured his left clavicle in the third quarter of Denver's 16-13 win at Oakland. He missed the final 11 games of the season, ending his first storied stint in Denver.

This season, Sharpe was off to a highly productive start. Entering Monday night's game, he was the Broncos' second leading receiver with 38 catches for 455 yards and three touchdowns.

But now Denver will have to do without one of its top pass-catching threats, the tight end who earlier this season set the franchise single-game receiving record with 214 yards against the Kansas City Chiefs.

As big a loss as his pass-catching skills will be the leadership Sharpe provided. He is one of the most respected Broncos, a player others turn to during practice and in game-time situations.

Without Sharpe, the Broncos will rely more on backup tight ends Dwayne Carswell, Patrick Hape and rookie 9, who was deactivated Monday night. ...

Other items of interest. ....

As reported by Denver Post staffer Patrick Saunders, Portis looked terrific against the Raiders, showing great moves inside and acceleration outside. But after the Broncos fell behind, coaches had to abandon the running game. Portis only had 50 yards on 14 carries, but actually played pretty well.

Saunders went on to say that during training camp, it was obvious Portis was a unique talent. His speed and explosiveness set him apart from every other back. But the second-round pick danced too much looking for holes and fumbled four times in preseason.

He looks like a different back now.

The fumbles are a forgotten issue, he has adjusted to Denver's downhill running system and he is showing great toughness and durability. The only thing lacking are big, game-breaking runs. Those kinds of runs are on the horizon.

In an article published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly noted that Shanahan believes Brian Griese’s poise and play have spoken volumes lately.

"Brian’s been scrutinized every day," Shanahan said. "He knows the pressure that comes with the position, and I think he’s handled it well. I think he’s handling it real well."

For what it's worth. ... Griese failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time in 24 games Monday night, snapping his NFL-leading streak of 23 straight games with a scoring pass.

And finally. ... After making a concerted effort to get more involved in special teams during the bye week, Olandis Gary, who was inactive against the Patriots two weeks ago, made it back onto the active roster for Monday night's game.

It went through his hands, falling incomplete.

It was one of what appeared to be at least eight dropped passes, including three by Schroeder, that harmed the Detroit's chances in last Sunday's loss Sunday to the Packers at Lambeau Field.

"We have to go back to Harry High School ball drills," head coach Marty Mornhinweg said. "We've got to catch some balls, no question about that."

Schroeder, a native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was one of the Packers' top four receivers in recent years, and all four of were free agents after last season.

Schroeder is the only one the Packers didn't negotiate with and one of three they didn't sign. Schroeder then signed a four-year, $6 million deal with Detroit, receiving a $2.5 million signing bonus.

He missed Detroit's first game this season against Green Bay due to injury, and probably wishes he missed the second one. He didn't make a catch.

A pass went through his hands late in the second quarter, and was intercepted and returned 14 yards for a touchdown by Marques Anderson.

Earlier he dropped a slant pass on a third-down play when the Lions, who had two first downs in the first half, needed to at least keep the ball for a while so the defense could catch its breath.

And on the final play, he missed the pass in the end zone.

Schroeder was unavailable for comment afterward, and it was noticeable that an empty locker was in the middle of those set aside for the Detroit receiving corps.

Mornhinweg, who pulled Schroeder from the game briefly, talked about the seven-year veteran out of Wisconsin-LaCrosse who has just 14 receptions for 176 yards in his injury-filled season.

"He expected to play well, I expected him to play well and his teammates expected him to play well," Mornhinweg said. "He's got to fight through that.

"There was a time where I was trying to get him a catch, get him going because we need him. Then I had to pull back. It just couldn't go on."

It did. Schroeder had his three drops, fellow wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim dropped three, tight end Mikhael Ricks dropped one and fullback Cory Schlesinger dropped one.

Quarterback Joey Harrington, who finished 20-of-44 passing for 236 yards, put the blame for the dropped passes on himself.

"It's a team effort," he said Sunday. "I should have thrown it in a better spot."

Harrington was asked if that means he takes the complete blame for the Lions' sub-par offensive output.

"Yes, I do," he said. "The quarterback is the orchestrator of the offense out there, and today we had some miscues, and I have to do a better job of leading the team."

After exceptional performances against New Orleans, Minnesota and Chicago in his second, third and fourth NFL starts, Harrington's numbers have declined noticeably for three consecutive games.

He completed just 20-of-42 at Buffalo but the Lions were still within striking distance; he was only 14-of-33 against Dallas but the Lions won; and he was just 20-for-44 in the lopsided loss to Green Bay.

"I think I had a lot of success early," Harrington said. "And I've been trying to talk people down all season. It was one game, two games in there that I played well.

"I'm a rookie. I feel very good with the way I'm playing now. I feel I'm on track, like I'm where I should be but I obviously want to be playing a lot better because I had some success. I know what it's like and I know the mistakes I'm making, but I've got to make them. I've got to make them so I can learn."

Also of interest. ...

Running back James Stewart,who had 122 yards on 15 carries, didn't need a loss to the Packers to be reminded how far the Lions have to go as a team.

"We know we have more work to do," Stewart said. "We're not the type of team that's been to the Super Bowl and has had winning years here. We're going to have to do certain things in order for us to win here and somehow turn it around. We're trying to fight and strive to win anything. We'll take it any way we can get it.

"Green Bay is one of the best teams in the league. Do I think we can play with them? Yes, I think we can play with them; we proved that at home. We just didn't come up with the victory. Today they just outplayed us."

The coach let Antonio Freeman, Bill Schroeder and Corey Bradford leave Green Bay, opening the way for unproven backup Donald Driver, one-time flameout Terry Glenn and rookie Javon Walker.

Those three had 16 receptions for 262 yards in last Sunday's rout of the Detroit Lions.

Schroeder is now with the Lions, and he returned to Lambeau Field with hopes of making the Packers regret their decision. But Schroeder dropped all three passes thrown his way Sunday, including one returned for a Green Bay touchdown.

Driver, his replacement at split end, caught a career-high 11 passes for 130 yards. His 11 catches were the fourth-most in the team's 83-year history and gave him 46 receptions for 717 yards and five touchdowns, compared with 14 receptions for 176 yards and one score for Schroeder.

Bradford has been a solid surprise in Houston and Freeman remains a terrific route runner in Philadelphia.

Brett Favre has thrown just four interceptions in 297 pass attempts this season after getting picked off six times by St. Louis in the playoffs last January. One reason: His receivers are getting open.

Last season, Favre had to throw into tighter spaces because Freeman and Schroeder couldn't separate from defenders and Bradford couldn't stay healthy or focused enough to make a big splash.

"A lot of people questioned letting guys go," Favre said. "I don't think they are questioning it now. Donald and Terry go get the ball. This group of receivers is as good as any in the league. I'm just glad I'm getting to throw to them before I pack it in."

Favre threw for 351 yards Sunday in his second straight spectacular performance on a sprained left knee.

Glenn had three receptions for 82 yards, Walker had two catches for 50 yards and tight end Bubba Franks had grabs of 19, 14 and 16 yards.

"If you look at some of the passes that were caught, they were difficult catches and then difficult yards after the catch," Favre said. "I don't know how defenses really stop that."

Glenn, whose career has been reborn in Green Bay following his dramatic descent in New England, would have had a 47-yard touchdown just before halftime if not for a review that spotted the ball at the 1.

Glenn blew by cornerback Chris Cash, ran a post and took the ball to the left sideline before diving the last five yards and slamming the ball just inside the pylon as he tumbled out of bounds.

It was the kind of play that will make opponents think twice about playing man coverage against the Packers.

And if teams double Glenn, there's Driver, who rejected a three-year, $3 million offer from Kansas City last winter to stay in Green Bay for $563,000.

Sherman said Driver is making him regret not playing him more last season. But being overlooked is nothing new to Driver, a seventh-round pick out of Alcorn State in 1999 who played primarily special teams before this season.

"They said Donald Driver is too small to play in the National Football League, or this and that," Driver said. "That just makes me hungrier."

Other notes of interest. ...

Team officials expect running backs Ahman Green and Najeh Davenport to play against Minnesota this weekend.

Green left Sunday's game against Detroit with a mild concussion after catching a short pass and getting drilled by linebacker Chris Claiborne.

Davenport replaced Green and churned out 73 yards on 10 carries before spraining his right ankle when he got stuck in a pile at the line of scrimmage and his whole body bent backward, his helmet slamming the turf.

The Packers initially thought Davenport could have a season-ending back or knee injury.

"It certainly didn't look this way after we saw it on tape and saw it on the field, but surprisingly he had a lack of swelling in his ankle this morning and moved around well and possibly could practice Wednesday," Sherman said.

Green won't miss any practice time, either, Sherman said.

"He could have returned to the football game," said Sherman, who opted to hold out his star running back with the Packers comfortably ahead 30-7 at halftime.

"He's going to be fine."

It's also worth noting that Favre is eager to ditch the bulky brace that is protecting his sprained left knee even though he's had two spectacular games with it on.

"We'll see what the doctors say," Sherman said. "He didn't seem like the brace affected him or the knee affected him very much."

His elbows against his knees and head down, Wells' dejected look accurately summed up the mood after a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at The Coliseum.

Never had being a rookie felt tougher for Wells. Never had a single yard felt like a mile.

"It's definitely frustrating," Wells said in a low tone. "I just have to put more pressure on myself to make a yard. I take full responsibility for not getting it. ... I had a couple of third- and fourth-and-one situations. ... I didn't get a yard that I needed to get. I take full responsibility."

Wells was hardly the only suspect as the Texans offense continued its season-long struggles.

The Texans were 4-for-15 (27 percent) on third down Sunday. They have converted only 25 percent of third-down attempts (32-of-128) all season.

But Wells was quick to point out a pair of failed short-yardage situations in the second half, including a deflating fourth down-and-one stop by the Titans in the third quarter.

Trailing 17-3, the Texans were faced with a third-and-24 from their own 22 yard line. Quarterback David Carr connected with receiver JaJuan Dawson for a 23-yard gain. The Texans opted to go for it on fourth down with 3:23 remaining in the quarter. Carr faked the handoff to fullback Jarrod Baxter and made a quick pitch outside to Wells, who was met by a swarm of defenders for a 4-yard loss, forcing the Texans to turn the ball over on downs.

"They were stemming down to try and get into an eight-man front," offensive coordinator Chris Palmer said. "We tried to guess and suck them inside, but we didn't. They made a good play."

Wells, who finished with 41 yards on 18 carries, was stopped for no gain on a third-down-and-1 situation early in the fourth quarter. On that drive, the Texans elected to punt.

Later in the fourth quarter, veteran James Allen was stopped for no gain by Titans linebacker Peter Sirmon on third-and-1. With 4:33 remaining in the game, the Texans tried again on fourth down. This time Carr got the first down with a two-yard keeper.

"You would like to think that you can make that play," Capers said, referring to the fourth-down attempt by Wells. "They were overloading inside and we felt that we could fake a run inside and get the ball outside. One of the things that they have on defense is good team speed. They reacted to it and got leverage and we didn't make the play. That's very disappointing when you have that much to go and you can't pick it up."

The Texans were held to a season-low 68 rushing yards on 24 attempts, an average of 2.8 yards per carry. It marked the seventh time in nine games the Texans have failed to produce at least 100 yards.

With the running game still in neutral, the Texans were forced to go to the air.

In the meantime, Wells hopes there won't be many more days like Sunday.

"We're waiting (on a breakout game), but it's just hard being patient," he said. "We're out there fighting. We're out there fighting and trying to get every yard we can and picking up blitzes. It's frustrating right now. I don't know when the big game is going to come. It will come one day."

Also of interest. ...

Carr was sacked four times Sunday, raising his league-high total to 49.

He's still on pace to shatter the single-season record for sacks. Former Eagles QB Randall Cunningham was sacked 72 times in 1986. The Eagles, who finished 5-10-1 that season, surrendered 104 sacks in all.

"He is a tough guy, he's proven he's a tough guy," Capers said of Carr. "We don't like to see him get hit that much. Hopefully in our last seven games that's an area we can improve in."

The title: The Quarterback Clinic, by Peyton Manning.

That's how good Manning was in leading the Colts to a shocking 35-13 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. There has not been a better quarterback performance this season in the NFL than what Manning did to help the Colts break a three-game losing streak.

He was perfect.

The passer rating says so. In the NFL's complex system, 158.3 is perfect. Manning's was just that after he completed 18 of 23 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

But this was about more than numbers. What makes it even more impressive is Manning did most of the damage at the line of scrimmage. He was coach, quarterback and, most of all, assassin.

In a league and an era where many quarterbacks are restricted in what they can do at the line, Manning has total freedom. He is an extension of innovative offensive coordinator Tom Moore.

Now we know why. Facing a blitz-happy Philadelphia defense, Manning seemed to have the right call at the right time nearly all of the time. They blitzed, he hit them with a big passing play. They played soft, he checked to the right run play.

"I needed one of these," Manning said.

Needed it because after three consecutive losses, there was actually heat on Manning in Indianapolis. Some were questioning whether he was trying to do too much. Was he being too smart for this young Colts offense, causing more harm than good?

"It's silly," tackle Adam Meadows said. "It's extremely silly."

Of course it is. Manning is at his best at the line, where the freedom to change out of plays makes him among the most dangerous passers in the league.

"I don't know what you can say about the quarterback," head coach Tony Dungy said. "We worked on their blitzes all week, and we tried to give him looks, but you can't simulate it. We just said, 'Hey, you'll be wrong sometime and they'll get you.' They never got him. He saw every single one, went to the right guy, set things up, called the running game the right way, just an unbelievable performance."

It helped that he had a running game. Because of injuries, the Colts were down to rookie James Mungro, a kid who grew up as an Eagles fan outside of Philadelphia but a guy who was cut this summer by the lowly Lions.

To expect Mungro to liven up the running game when others before him, including now-injured Edgerrin James, had not was asking a lot. But Mungro ripped off a 49-yard run on his first official carry to send a message to the Eagles defense.

The Colts were not going to be one-dimensional. Even though Mungro fumbled inside the 5 later on that drive, it was clear that he had the speed and power to make things happen.

"They came in playing us to stop the pass," Manning said. "If I was playing us, I'd play us to stop the pass, too."

When Mungro got the running game going, it forced the Eagles to change the way they played in the secondary. Unable to simply double the receivers, Philadelphia used more blitz and man coverage.

Manning ate it alive.

He threw touchdown passes of 57 and 43 yards to Marvin Harrison and 27 yards to Reggie Wayne. All three came on audibles.

The first one to Harrison, the 57-yarder, was vintage Manning. In the huddle, he had two plays called. One was a run if the Eagles were in zone coverage. The other was a pass if they showed blitz and man coverage.

When they showed blitz, Manning checked to the pass. He took the snap, pump faked the corner, and with two defenders ready to deliver a shot, he fired a strike to Harrison who had beaten Troy Vincent. Manning never saw the ball being caught, ending up on his back.

"I still got hit, so didn't know if I had enough on the ball," Manning said.

He did, all day long.

Mungro finished with 114 yards on 28 carries, making him a wonderful feel-good story of the day. Harrison had six catches for 137 yards, and Wayne had six for 121. It's only the third time in Colts history they've had a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers.

But the story Sunday was the quarterback play. While Manning was perfect, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was far from it. He finished 27-of-47 for 281 yards, but he seemed as inaccurate as he has been this year.

A Colts defense that is improving each week was able to shut down the Eagles' outside receivers, forcing a lot of throws underneath. That wasn't going to keep up with Manning.

Manning is a throwback to the days when quarterbacks were more than just messengers for their coaches, running the plays called. He is a master of understanding defenses, spending hours each week watching film and picking up tendencies.

When he wasn't checking to a new play Sunday -- which he said he did 50 percent of the time -- Manning was checking a run to a different side. If a run was called left, he'd switch it to the right if he felt that was the best way to run it.

"I'm busy at the line of scrimmage," Manning said.

It's like watching a maestro lead an orchestra, his hands flailing all over the place, his hand signals sometimes meaning a very important thing and other times meaning absolutely nothing.

It is truly an art, one that is becoming lost in the NFL.

They say quarterbacks are no longer what they used to be. They are now simply robots, programmed to perform the requests of the coach. Long gone are the days of the quarterback/play-callers, when a mind was every bit as important as an arm.

It's not for everyone, though. It takes special talent, a special feel for the game. Manning's field savvy is as good as any quarterback's in the league. There are a handful of guys who can handle that load at the line, but there are none who can do it any better than Manning did Sunday.

"It was a lot of the right calls at the right time," Manning said.

Also of interest. ...

The status of James and "Little" Ricky Williams, both of whom have missed the last two games because of injuries, should become more clear after the team resumes practice Wednesday. Dungy said if James is ready to practice and play he will be the starter this week. Dungy said James' rib injury is more troublesome than his partially torn hamstring.

If James can't go but Williams is ready, Williams will share carries with Mungro. ...

And speaking of Mungro. ... In naming him his offensive player of the week, Sports Illustrated NFL writer Peter King wrote: "Here he is, the 98th-string back on the team, and he puts up 114 yards on 28 carries and two rushing touchdowns at the stadium where running backs go to die, Veterans Stadium. Heck of a job, kid, even if you have to go back to carrying Edgerrin James' water bottle sometime in the next couple of weeks. ..."

Place-kicker Mike Vanderjagt's travails continued.

The most accurate kicker in NFL history now has missed three of his past four field-goal attempts, including a 48-yarder against the Eagles that bounced off the left upright.

Vanderjagt has been bothered by a groin injury, but said late last week he was fully recovered.

On the season, Vanderjagt is 11-of-16. For his career, he's 125-of-146 (85.6 percent).

And finally. ... Qadry Ismail has a sprained medial collateral ligament in his knee and could miss Sunday's game against Dallas. Ismail was injured during the third quarter of Sunday's win.

Keep an eye on this week's Late-Breaking Updates, I'll undoubtedly have more on all Indy's walking wounded throughout the weekend.

Smith got the best of his frequent one-on-one matchups with Washington cornerback Fred Smoot, who was whistled once for interfering with Smith in the second half. Smoot also complained much of the game about Smith pushing off, although the Jaguars' veteran was not penalized.

"Jimmy played hard and made one huge play," head coach Tom Coughlin said.

Smith is on pace for 84 catches this season, his fewest since 1998, and had been criticized nationally for failing to get open against man-to-man coverage. The Redskins showed Smith little respect, even matching 42-year-old cornerback Darrell Green against him at one point.

Other notes of interest. ...

In an article published Tuesday, Times-Union staff writer Bart Hubbuch noted that Bobby Shaw couldn't win a starting job with the Jaguars coming out of the preseason, but he is quickly changing the club's opinion of him.

Shaw asserted himself first as a punt returner, scoring a crucial touchdown in that role against the Eagles last month and briefly leading the NFL in return average.

Shaw remains an effective returner, but he has higher aspirations now that he's filling in for No. 2 wide receiver Patrick Johnson (abdominal strain).

Shaw continued his strong play with three catches for 69 yards in the victory over Washington. Included in that was a 48-yard reception that set up a touchdown.

Shaw doesn't have the flat-out sprinter's speed that Johnson has, but that shouldn't fool anyone. Shaw has proved he can turn on the jets when necessary.

And finally. ... Fred Taylor was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct for making a throat-slash gesture after his 12-yard touchdown run. Taylor said he thought the officials overreacted to the display, but Coughlin said: "Fred knows the rules."

They sorely miscalculated.

"They were playing me [man-to-man]," Kennison said. "I guess they thought their guy could stop me from running my routes and doing the things that I love to do. That is disrespectful. I had to step up my game in that aspect."

Kennison provided Rumph with a lesson by catching eight passes for 134 yards. It was the biggest game by a Chiefs wide receiver this season and only the third 100-yard receiving performance overall this year for Kansas City.

Kennison covered 120 yards on four receptions in the season-opening win over Cleveland and Tony Gonzalez racked up 140 yards on seven receptions in a victory over Miami in week four.

In the end, though, Kennison was answering for the one that he didn't come up with.

With 1 minute, 17 seconds remaining, the Chiefs trailed 17-13 and faced third down and 11 at the San Francisco 37. Trent Green took the snap from the shotgun formation and zipped a pass toward Kennison, who ran an out route at the 20-yard line.

Kennison beat Rumph and turned just in time to get his hands on the ball, but it skidded out of bounds -- as did the Chiefs' hopes for an upset after Green misfired on his fourth-down pass to Gonzalez on the next play.

"It got away," Kennison said. "No excuse. No excuse. I should have had that one. There's no question, I definitely saw the ball. I even got my hands on it. My drop."

Head coach Dick Vermeil added: "I wish he hadn't dropped that last one, but Eddie Kennison is a very good football player. He plays hard, works hard every day, and he makes plays. I just wish he would have been able to make that last one."

To say Kennison dropped it might be a little harsh. The fact is, it would have been a tough catch. Either way, Kennison did play one of his best games as a Chief.

Three of his receptions came on third downs and kept drives alive, and another three for first downs came on the ill-fated final drive, including one acrobatic catch when he stretched out and snagged a pass that appeared to be sailing out of bounds.

"They were still doing the same thing -- they were playing me man-to-man," Kennison said of the final drive. "It was my job to beat that coverage. Our quarterback has confidence I can win those battles, and that's what I was supposed to do."

It was key for Kennison to step up because the Chiefs were able to get little elsewhere in the passing game. Johnnie Morton was held without a reception for the second straight game and has just 16 catches this season. Gonzalez spent most of the afternoon wrestling with San Francisco linebacker Julian Peterson and finished with one reception for six yards.

Priest Holmes entered the game as the team's leading receiver but was limited to two catches covering five yards.

Add all of those factors together, and it's understandable that the Chiefs scored a season-low 13 points and walked out of Candlestick with their fifth loss.

It is also why Kennison was far from happy, despite his performance.

"It's always good when you can get a number of balls thrown to you, but that doesn't matter right now," Kennison said. "We have a 31/2-hour, four-hour flight home, and it doesn't matter. We have an 'L' in the column."

Also of interest. ...

A frustrated Gonzalez lashed out at officials after the game. Gonzalez was most upset at being called for holding on Peterson, wiping out Holmes' 44-yard run to the San Francisco three-yard line in the third period.

"That was a bad call," Gonzalez said. "I block like that every play. They want to call that holding, and then when I go out for a route and I've got hands on my neck and my jersey and they don't call that."

Gonzalez cited as evidence he didn't hold the fact that Peterson went on and made the tackle on Holmes.

"I didn't hold him," Gonzalez said. "I didn't even grab his jersey."

Gonzalez might have accepted the penalty call had Peterson been called for holding him on several other occasions.

"It's extremely frustrating," Gonzalez said. "I'm out there working hard, busting my butt to get open. Peterson is a good player, but at the same time you've got to play within the rules."

After thinking that one over, Gonzalez changed his mind.

"If the ref doesn't call it, I don't blame him," he said. "I would have done the same thing if I knew I could get away with it."

Gonzalez complained to the officials but received no satisfaction.

"I was telling them all day he was holding me," Gonzalez said. "He said, `Yeah, he's holding you, but [Green] is not throwing the ball to you. He's throwing to the other side of the field, so we can't call it.' Then I'd say the reason he's not throwing me the ball is because they're holding me and I'm not getting open.

"Most of the time, they put [Peterson]) over me and had him jam me, which is fine. But you have to let go after five yards.

The Chiefs lost a touchdown on tight end Jason Dunn's holding penalty in the first quarter. The penalty wiped out Priest Holmes' 11-yard scoring run, and the Chiefs had to settle for a field goal.

"That was a horrible call," Dunn said. "I was trying to block him. I pushed him, and he turned around. I don't know where they (find) the holding on that."

And finally. ... Holmes, who refused to speak to reporters, set the franchise record with his 14th rushing touchdown of the season. He has scored in seven straight games, tying Marcus Allen's franchise record. ...

Not even close to good enough.

Carter told a friend Sunday from his hospital bed that only one of his kidneys is functioning properly and only at 20 percent of normal function, a source said.

Dolphins vice president of football operations Rick Spielman said Carter's immediate future wasn't clear. However, many observers are predicting he won't play again this year.

Carter was suffering from kidney abnormalities as a result of gastroenteritis. Though Carter was vomiting nearly every day from Wednesday through Friday, he gained weight, an indication of kidney problems.

The Dolphins put Carter through a battery of tests, and the team doctors will examine the results today.

James McKnight started in Carter's place and had two receptions for 52 yards.

Still, it was a frustrating night for the Dolphins receiving corps as they had limited opportunities and didn't get much help from quarterback Ray Lucas. McKnight and Chris Chambers ended up with only one reception each in the first half.

Chambers had a 21-yard reception in the first quarter, but suffered great frustration when an apparent 9-yard touchdown catch he made with 11:41 remaining in the second quarter was overruled.

At first, Chambers was given a touchdown as he got both feet down before landing out of bounds. Chambers was in possession of the ball until he hit the ground and then juggled the ball slightly, but never lost possession. The catch would have tied the score at 7. The Jets challenged the play, and the referees overruled the call. The Dolphins failed to get into the end zone and had to settle for a 28-yard field goal by Olindo Mare to make the score 7-3.

For the record. ... Mike Pereira, the NFL's director of officiating, explained the reversal, recalling the so-called Bert Emanuel play from the Bucs-Rams NFC Championship Game in January 2000. In that game, Emanuel had a similar catch ruled incomplete on the Bucs' final drive. It was upheld by a replay review.

"Even though he had control, the ball touched the ground," Pereira said of Emanuel. "We then changed the rule to say you had to demonstrate complete control of the ball throughout the process of making the catch. ... Even though the feet come down first, if the ball comes loose, which it did [with Chambers]. ... It's an incomplete pass."

In the third quarter, the Dolphins won an appeal of their own, when Chambers made a catch along the right sideline for a 14-yard gain. The play was originally ruled incomplete before Chambers animatedly asked the Dolphins coaches to challenge the call. Chambers, who had another diving catch in the early part of the fourth quarter, was able to grab the ball and tuck it under while also getting his elbow down for a legal catch. Still, the plan coming into this game was for the wide receiver to get more chances to catch deep passes, but that plan never came to fruition.

However, that plan faded because of bad field position and a lack of execution. Chambers finished with three catches for 48 yards.

Lucas didn't help. In the first series, he threw a slant pass toward Chambers that Jets cornerback Donnie Abraham had go through his hands. Lucas later had another pass intercepted on a deep out, but the play was called off because of a penalty against the Jets.

One last note on Chambers. ... In an article published Monday, Sports Illustrated insider Peter King wrote: "I think, after watching Sunday night's Dolphins-Jets game, that I'm inclined to vote for Chris Chambers on my AP All-Pro ballot. What hands! What a tremendous ball-catcher on the sidelines! It's not often I use exclamation points about football players. But Chambers was just amazing against the Jets. ..."

Also of interest this week. ...

Ricky Williams beat down the Jets with 151 yards rushing in the first meeting this season, a 30-3 Dolphins victory at Pro Player. He punctuated that big day with a 53-yard touchdown run.

The Jets were obviously better prepared to deal with him this time around.

"They used a lot of different looks up front," Williams said. "We knew they were going to do that, but when they gave us a different look, we had problems."

Linebacker Marvin Jones ripped that ball loose from Williams down on the Jets' goal line. Safety Sam Garnes recovered it, but Williams said he thought his knee was down when the ball came loose. He also said he got the ball back in the scrum. He said it was taken from him until players were being peeled off him.

"It wasn't a fumble," Williams said. "I thought I was down, and even if I wasn't, I had the ball."

The Jets' game plan was obvious. Dare Lucas to beat them. The Jets were creeping up to the line, zeroing in on Williams.

In his first three games as a Dolphin, Williams rushed for 494 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry. In the last six, he has rushed for 417 and 3.2 yards per carry.

Williams managed a nice 17-yard run sweep around left end in the first half, but he totaled 13 yards the other 11 times he carried in the half. He totaled just 37 yards on 18 carries through three quarters.

And finally. ... Jay Fiedler had the cast removed from his broken right thumb and it was placed in a splint Tuesday, allowing him to begin rehabilitation.

Fiedler won't start throwing yet, and he'll likely miss at least two more games, coach Dave Wannstedt said. He said Fiedler might return for the Dec. 1 game at Buffalo.

Lucas is slated to start again Sunday against Baltimore.

Pulled for backup Todd Bouman late in the third quarter of the Vikings' loss to the New York Giants on Sunday, Culpepper will return as the starter this weekend against Green Bay.

Head coach Mike Tice made the decision, but it didn't come without a lot of input from his staff.

"I totally agree with the position we're taking," said offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. "He's our quarterback. He's our future. He's got to play better, but it's not all on him. We weren't moving the ball, so it falls on him. I think he understands that."

Tice didn't make the announcement at his afternoon news conference, which he later said was because he hadn't yet had a chance to inform Bouman. But Culpepper spilled the beans anyway a few minutes after in the locker room.

"It's the same as always," Culpepper said. "I'm starting, that's how I'm going to approach it."

Culpepper's NFL-high 14 interceptions and five lost fumbles are big reasons why the Vikings (2-7) are tied for last place in the NFC North. He wasn't picked off at all against the Giants, but fans at the Metrodome began to boo him and chant for Bouman, a native of Ruthton, Minn., who played at St. Cloud State.

Culpepper completed just 9 of 20 passes for 91 yards before Tice sent Bouman in with Minnesota trailing 19-6.

Bouman turned the ball over with a fumble on his first possession, but he led the Vikings to long touchdown drives on their next two possessions to take a 20-19 lead with 2:43 left. The Giants responded with a long scoring drive of their own and won 27-20.

Culpepper had never been benched before.

"It's extremely difficult, but I'm a competitor," he said. "I definitely have got to use it as motivation. I've got to come out and play better."

Linehan, taking some of the blame himself for plays that have been too conservative, predicted Culpepper would respond well against the Packers.

"I think he'll let it hang loose," Linehan said. "He knows he's got to play better."

If Culpepper struggles again Sunday, Bouman would almost certainly come in.

"Daunte's our future, but this is a now business," Linehan said. "We don't have years and years of time. But looking at the future, we believe, for us to get where we want to go, No. 11's our quarterback."

Bouman -- who sneaked out of Winter Park without talking to reporters -- zinged two passes downfield to Randy Moss for 80 yards on his first touchdown drive, a big-play spark that has been missing for most of the season. But the Vikings still feel like Culpepper's is the better all-around player.

"Todd was in a position where he had nothing to lose and everything to gain," Linehan said. "I just think Daunte brings that much more to the table."

Culpepper should be able to derive some confidence from the way running back Michael Bennett is playing, thanks to superb run-blocking at every position on the offense.

"We have to convert that confidence we have in blocking the running game over to pass protection," Tice said. "We have to continue to have faith in the plays that are called, so that we can execute those and complete passes."

Players, both after Sunday's game and Monday at Winter Park, didn't want to publicly weigh in on the quarterback situation.

"That's up to the coach," Bennett said. "It doesn't affect what I do."

Added center Matt Birk: "It really doesn't matter. Everybody's just got to worry about themselves."

In a related item. ... Bouman appears to be tiring of his backup status in Minnesota.

"I've been here a long time," Bouman told the Marshall Independent. "I have a role, as the backup. By the same token, my patience is wearing thin."

He also told the paper that he plans to re-examine his career at the end of the season.

"Being from Minnesota and close to my friends is important, but I'm 30 years old. I've proven to myself that I definitely deserve a shot."

Other notes of interest. ...

In an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli advised readers Bennett, who rides a streak of four straight 100-yard rushing games into Week 11, is a player to watch down the stretch. In the process the second-year halfback scored on an 85-yard run in Week 9 and a 78-yarder last Sunday. The former Wisconsin star has learned to be a more patient runner, is reading blocks better, and allowing the plays to develop for him instead of forcing the action.

And finally. ... Wide receiver and kick returner Cedric James is out two-to-four weeks with a sprained ankle. James ran back five kickoffs for 115 yards in Sunday's loss to the New York Giants and was hurt on his last return in the fourth quarter.

In fact, If Brady hadn't played as well as he did last Sunday, Faulk would have been the No. 1 star in this game.

The "situational" back had 21 yards on five carries and led both teams in receiving yards with 109 on seven catches, two of them going for touchdowns. He made a nice over-the-head grab on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Brady against a blitz after earlier muscling his way into the end zone on another completion.

He also had a 34-yard run on a draw nullified by a bogus "crackback block" penalty against Deion Branch that could have provided the Pats with early momentum.

Lead back Antowain Smith had 41 yards on 10 carries, but fumbled once and too often tried to Faulk opposing defenders by juking them rather than running them over.

Felger went on to note that Faulk isn't the most explosive player on the roster and he's fought fumbling problems at various points in his career, but he has soft hands and is elusive in the open field. He has developed a knack for finding open space. Faulk's emergence has reduced the role of running back J.R. Redmond. ...

Also according to Felger, Troy Brown, who continues to bounce back from a knee injury sustained in Week 3, is back to returning punts.Branch showed explosiveness while filling in for Brown. But when it comes to fielding the ball consistently, no one on the team compares with Brown.

Brown's abilities as a punt returner are crucial to the Patriots down the stretch. Branch remains the team's best kickoff returner.

David Patten's acrobatic catch on the winning touchdown was an amazing athletic feat. His gaining control of the ball and then managing to get both feet down in bounds made the victory possible. Brown had 11 more catches for 90 yards, but also had a drop, continually lost his footing and even broke off a route short of a first down, making a 7-yard catch on third-and-8. Now that's news.

Branch, who was shut out the previous two games, had only one 9-yard reception. The three tight ends -- Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham and Cam Cleeland -- combined for four catches that accounted for 10 yards. Graham gained one yard on his two catches. Rookie David Givens took a curiously passive approach to what could have been a touchdown catch and had the ball deflected at the last second.

Brady had some early problems against the Bears, but he offset them with some textbook all-around play down the stretch. Bill Parcels often says you judge quarterbacks by their ability to get their teams in the end zone. The Patriots had three touchdowns and two field goals on their final five possessions on Sunday.

This game was won in the final 23 minutes and over that period of time and Brady was chiefly responsible.

And finally. ... According to basic strategy, Patriots place-kicker Adam Vinatieri had no business attempting a 57-yard field goal with 10:15 to play in the first half of Sunday's game. Head coach Bill Belichick's unwavering confidence in Vinatieri allowed him to violate conventional NFL wisdom and risk giving the Bears a short field in a tight game. Vinatieri made it a moot point when he tied the game at 3 with the franchise-record field goal.

"The question in a situation like that is not whether he can get the ball there, it's whether he can get it through," Belichick said. "You try a 57- or 60-yard field goal and miss it, you give them the ball on a short field where wind and field position were important, especially early.

"That's the tough call. If it's the end of the half, you can try a 65-yarder and it won't make a difference as long as you don't allow a runback. In that situation, the real question was the risk reward of a shot at three points vs. a miss and they have the ball on their own 47-yard line."

Vinatieri was 4-for-4 against the Bears and he improved to 15-of-16 on the season. He's perfect in 22 point-after attempts.

"Adam is as dependable player as I have ever coached," Belichick said. "He doesn't have very many bad plays and a lot of good ones. I think we are a little spoiled."

The Saints' thrilling 34-24 victory against Carolina on Sunday was the eighth fourth-quarter comeback of Brooks' short career. It was the fifth time he has marched the Saints to a winning score on his team's final offensive series.

This season he has led the Saints to comeback wins in the fourth quarter against Chicago, San Francisco and Carolina. He also directed a fourth-quarter comeback that overcame a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to Atlanta two weeks ago, only to be trumped by cousin Mike Vick's 60-yard march for the winning field goal.

"He's done that ever since he's been in the league," head coach Jim Haslett said. "He doesn't get rattled."

Brooks is ranked second in the NFC and fifth in the NFL in fourth-quarter passing. In the final period, he has completed 29 of 56 passes for 396 yards, six touchdowns and one interception. His passer rating is 103.0.

On the winning drive Sunday, Brooks completed five of seven passes for 81 yards and scrambled twice for 11 yards.

"He's getting better," offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy said. "He took another step to being the quarterback that we need him to be to win games."

Brooks performed a similar comeback on the Panthers during a pair of last-minute winning drives last season. He directed a 13-play, 82-yard drive that Ricky Williams capped with a 1-yard touchdown run on the final play of a 27-25 win in Charlotte. He capped a four-play, 74-yard drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Joe Horn with 1:31 left to seal a 27-23 win at the Superdome.

"It's nothing new for us," Brooks said. "I had no question in my mind what we were going to do."

Saints coaches were particularly pleased with Brooks' maturity and leadership down the stretch. He made a point to boost the confidence of rookie receiver Donte' Stallworth, who, prior to his last-minute heroics, was suffering through a tough game. Brooks himself showed confidence, despite tossing an interception to Reggie Howard on the first play of the drive that was negated by a penalty.

"Aaron does a good job under pressure running the two-minute drive," Haslett said. "We tried to stay out of that two-minute mode early (in the drive). We just wanted to get the ball out to the 20-yard line. Once we cleared it, then we went into the two-minute drive.

"He executed. He handled the clock management well. He got them on the line of scrimmage, made some good throws, ran the ball when he was supposed to. He gets in a groove like that."

Brooks' magic made up for an otherwise sporadic day for the offense, compared to their normal standard. They converted only four of 15 third-down attempts (27 percent) and had only two first downs and 40 yards total offense on their first six series of the second half.

"I keep saying this, but we're a young offense that is growing," McCarthy said. "We need to continue to get better week in and week out. We need to keep rolling. We've been blessed. We haven't had a lot of injuries so far."

Also of interest. ...

In a column published Sunday, Ron Borges of the Boston Globe wrote: "When the Saints traded Ricky Williams to Miami in the offseason, the reason given was that coach Jim Haslett felt Williams should have had more breakaway runs and that Deuce McAllister is more explosive. McAllister is making Haslett look like Nostradamus. He has five runs of at least 46 yards or longer. No other back has more than one."

And in an article published Nov. 2, Pro Football Weekly cited an anonymous NFL insider as saying: "Deuce McAllister is proving to be a better back than people anticipated coming out of school. He’s explosive, and his runs of 12 yards or more is up there with Priest Holmes, who leads the league in making big runs. Plus, he’s also going to make some big plays out of the backfield catching the ball, because he has great hands and a great feel for the passing game."

Also according to PFW, insiders say the bye week the Saints enjoyed in Week Nine allowed Stallworth to get back to 100 percent physically, however, he isn't likely to challenge No. 2 man Jerome Pathon for his position because Haslett feels Pathon has done enough to earn the starting nod for the rest of the season.

Amani Toomer and Ike Hilliard were the starters. Ron Dixon and Jonathan Carter were intriguing but enigmatic up-and-comers. Tim Carter and Daryl Jones were fast rookies drafted in the second and seventh rounds, respectively.

It looked good on paper. But when the Giants host the Redskins on Sunday, only two of the six will be on the field.

Head coach Jim Fassel announced yesterday that besides losing Tim Carter for the season because of a torn right Achilles tendon Sunday, Dixon will miss at least two weeks -- and according to the latest reports out of New York, possibly the rest of the season -- with a sprained right knee he suffered later in the game against the Vikings.

Of course, Hilliard suffered season-ending shoulder and chest injuries Oct. 28. Jonathan Carter was waived Oct. 8 to make room for reserve cornerback Reggie Stephens, and the Jets claimed him. That leaves Toomer and Jones, the latter of whom has two catches for 11 yards as a pro. "I'm getting concerned about it, obviously," Fassel said.

The Giants planned to sign Derek Dorris, a 6-2, 206-pounder with speed who looked good in camp before being cut. He had six receptions for 82 yards in the preseason. They also have former running back Sean Bennett, who has spent the past two weeks practicing at receiver, and -- as of Tuesday -- veteran free agent Herman Moore. The agreement with Moore -- once one of the NFL's most feared receivers -- was confirmed by his agent Tuesday. Agent Bradley Blank said the 33-year-old player would be paid $308,824 to finish the season, based on a $750,000 salary.

Moore spent 11 seasons with Detroit and is the Lions' all-time leading receiver. He spent most of last season on injured reserve. Detroit waived him June 3 in a salary cap move.

"I began my professional career with the Detroit Lions and fully intended on completing my career with them," Moore said. "However, the decision was made that my services were no longer required. And so it goes in the business of the NFL, which I fully understand."

It's worth noting that coaches also took a look at Yancey Thigpen before deciding to go with Moore. ...

It remains to be seen what kind of role -- if any -- Moore will be able to play this week. Keep an eye on this week's Late-Breaking Updates for further details.

In the meantime, Toomer and Jones will line up as the starters.

Jones, a 5-9, 175-pounder out of Miami, was to be the team's primary punt returner, but he sprained a knee in the preseason opener and did not return until Week 2. He became the kickoff and punt returner, but he lost that job after three games and was inactive for two of the next three. "Right now, he has a lack of experience," Fassel said. "He's a tough guy. He's a smart guy."

Jones said he has benefited from practicing on the scout team and with the regular offense.

The more Fassel was asked about the challenge ahead, the more he seemed to relish it. "We'll show up," he said. "It's not like we're going to play a different style of football, I can tell you that."

One last note here. ... In an article published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly advised readers not to be surprised if Bennett makes an impact catching the ball. One team observer says Bennett has the best hands on the team, and he gained at at least a some of experience splitting wide in a number of formations during preseason play.

Not so, Herman Edwards admitted Monday. He said it was a coach's decision.

"[We were] just giving him a blow and putting LaMont in there for what we were trying to do," Edwards explained. "They were really stacking the line of scrimmage. LaMont is a low runner and strong. He can take the first hit. I'm not saying Curtis can't, but LaMont is that power kind of guy."

The move paid off when Jordan, on a second-and-6, broke a tackle and ran for seven yards around left end. Still, it was interesting that, with the game on the line, the Jets' $46 million back was on the sideline.

Martin, who finished with 74 yards on 19 carries, appeared to be limping. He wasn't available after the game. Edwards said Martin, who severely sprained his left ankle in the opener, still isn't 100%, adding, "There aren't a lot of running backs 100% well. They all have nicks and bruises."

Other notes of interest. ...

In an article published by The Sporting News on Tuesday, Cimini suggested that unlike many young quarterbacks who get confused and/or nervous in the first quarter, Chad Pennington is a fast starter. Offensive coordinator Paul Hackett, who scripts the first 15 to 20 plays, tries to choose the plays early in the week. That gives Pennington more repetitions in practice, enabling him to see the various coverages he could face. Opponents tend to start out in eight-man fronts, keying on running back Curtis Martin and daring Pennington to throw. So far, Pennington is capitalizing on man-to-man coverage. ...

Also according to Cimini, Santana Moss has emerged as one of the most dangerous punt returners in the league. He combines superb quickness, instant acceleration, toughness and excellent hands -- an often-overlooked quality in return men.

Teams will start to punt away from Moss, but special teams coach Mike Westhoff can counter with a two-deep formation or pressure schemes that force punters to kick in a certain direction.

And finally. ... In an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli told readers that even though there hasn't been any public animus, Vinny Testaverde isn't likely to return to New York in 2003.

Pasquarelli added: "Forget all the posturing and kissy-face rhetoric, since Testaverde feels that he was mistreated by the team when it benched him last month in favor of Chad Pennington. Even if he can't find a starting possibility elsewhere, Testaverde probably wouldn't return to New York as a backup. In fact, he might retire instead."

He came close.

The 36-year-old quarterback was back in form Monday night in helping the Raiders break a four-game losing streak. Their souring season could have easily continued spiraling downward, but Gannon wouldn't allow it.

He threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns in the 34-10 victory at Denver. He completed 21 straight passes during one stretch. He improvised all evening, thanks in large part to superb protection from his offensive line.

"We only had the one drive in the first quarter, and we knew it was going to be that type of game," Gannon said. "I told the guys on the sideline we had to make every drive count. Really, every play counted in this type of ballgame. We got on a roll offensively.

"We talked all week about changing the tempo and trying to be more aggressive in our approach, trying to get after them, and I think we did that."

The Raiders took Tuesday off. They face Super Bowl champion New England on Sunday night in a rematch of January's snowy playoff game, a controversial Patriots overtime victory.

Frustrated a week ago after an overtime loss to San Francisco, Oakland's fourth loss in a row and second in OT in three Sundays -- Gannon spoke of making the most of every offensive chance. Oakland had no other choice, he said, especially when facing ball-control teams that would limit offensive opportunities.

Now, the Raiders sit just a game back of the Broncos and San Diego Chargers in the tough AFC West.

"We can't really worry about who's losing," Gannon said. "We needed to take care of our own business. We knew that coming in. After the way we played the last month, we needed a game like this to kind of get us going. It doesn't get any easier."

Gannon broke a nearly 20-year-old single-game NFL record with his 21 consecutive completions, surpassing the mark of 20 by Cincinnati's Ken Anderson against the Houston Oilers on Jan. 2, 1983. The record for most consecutive completions in two games is 22 by San Francisco's Joe Montana in 1987.

Gannon's streak ended in the fourth quarter when a short pass to Jerry Rice appeared to slip out of his hand and bounced about halfway to Rice.

"I trust him explicitly with decision-making in the pocket," head coach Bill Callahan said Tuesday. "I'm very comfortable with where he's at."

Gannon has completed 266 of 380 passes (70 percent) for 2,898 yards and 19 touchdowns, being intercepted seven times and sacked 19. He has a quarterback rating of 101.2.

In the 43 times the Raiders snapped the ball with a pass play in mind Monday, Gannon was sacked just once -- especially phenomenal against a team like the Broncos.

"It wasn't like we threw it 50 times," Gannon said. "But I felt like our aggressiveness was there and we got back to playing our style of football. We've just got to continue to improve. We had answers, that was the big thing. Guys made plays and made some big runs after the catch."

Especially Rice.

In fact, Rice became the first player in NFL history to score 200 touchdowns and broke Walter Payton's record for all-purpose yards Monday night.

Rice reached 200 touchdowns on a 6-yard reception late in the second quarter. Rice was facing inside when Gannon threw the pass, then turned back to the outside to catch the ball over Denver's Tyrone Poole.

Rice added a 34-yard touchdown reception over Deltha O'Neal in the fourth quarter, giving him 21,817 all-purpose yards -- 13 more than Payton's record. It was also Rice's 190th career touchdown reception, extending his own record, and fifth this season.

At 40 and in his 18th season, Rice holds every major receiving record in the NFL and is Oakland's leading receiver this season.

Also of interest. ...

While both team's running games took a beating Monday night, at least the Broncos made a serious attempt at running the ball. The Raiders all but abandoned their running game after their opening series.

The Raiders ran five times on their first drive of the game but only seven times in the first half. Any semblance of a running game didn't resurface until late in the fourth quarter, with the Raiders leading 34-10 and Gannon's arm the victim of overexertion.

Oakland finished with 14 rushes for 27 yards. It passed 38 times. Denver rushed 22 times and passed 47, but only six of its rushes came in the second half. Gannon led the Raiders with 12 yards rushing.

And finally. ... According to ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli, team officials are excited again about the future of third-year receiver Jerry Porter, a second-round selection in the 2000 draft, but a player who had been a disappointment until recently.

Porter's numbers at the midway point of the season -- 34 catches, 463 yards and five touchdowns -- already surpassed his aggregate stats for his first two years in the league and some Oakland insiders feel that he has outplayed Tim Brown.

The former West Virginia University star has great size, explosiveness and athleticism. Since he played primarily at defensive back in college, he didn't get a lot of exposure at wide receiver, and was very raw when the Raiders chose him. That lack of experience certainly showed over his first two seasons.

Over the last several games, though, the light has gone on for Porter and coaches are thrilled with his production. He may be a No. 3 receiver now but, given the ages of Brown and Jerry Rice, it's not long until he'll become the No. 1 option in the Oakland passing attack.

Donovan McNabb completed 27-of-47 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown against the Colts. But he was 15-of-31 for 158 yards before garbage time. He also lost a fumble and dropped a crucial pass on a fourth-and-1 in the third quarter.

McNabb hasn't played well since signing a $115 million, 12-year contract extension after the third game. He was 68-of-111 (61.3 percent) for 791 yards, eight TDs, two interceptions and also ran for two TDs in the first three games. He is 123-of-225 (54.6 percent) for 1,243 yards, five TDs, three interceptions and has four rushing TDs since signing the richest contract in NFL history.

"I need to do a better job of putting him in position where he can have a higher percentage," head coach Andy Reid said of McNabb. "I can do a better job of calling the right plays against the right coverages."

McNabb isn't getting much help from his receivers, though.

No. 1 receiver James Thrash dropped a TD pass against the Colts and hasn't caught one in five straight. No. 2 receiver Todd Pinkston has just one TD in his last six games. Tight end Chad Lewis has just one TD catch in eight games and hasn't been a factor since he had six catches in a loss to Jacksonville.

The Eagles haven't been able to generate much offense inside the red zone, either. They scored just one TD in five tries inside the Colts 20, and have just three TDs in their last 17 trips inside the red zone.

"We've gotten big drives and we've gotten down to the red zone. We just didn't come out with touchdowns," McNabb said. "In this offense, we have to score touchdowns. We've done it early in the season, and there is no reason why we shouldn't do it now. Again, there are seven more games left. We just can't harp on this. Knowing what happened, we just can continue to learn from it and move on."

Reid's play-calling against the Colts was questionable. The Eagles faced three fourth-and-1 situations. They failed to convert twice and settled for a 20-yard field goal on the other.

Down 14-3 in the second quarter, the Eagles went for a fourth-and-1 from the Colts 6. McNabb rolled out, had no room to run and fired an incomplete pass.

Down 21-6 in the third quarter, McNabb threw incomplete on third-and-1 from the Colts 31, setting up another fourth down. This time, McNabb handed off to Dorsey Levens and went out for a pass. Levens' pass across the field bounced off McNabb's hands and to the turf.

Also, McNabb and other players on the offense left the field frustrated at halftime when Reid decided to run out the clock during their 2-minute drill.

Trenton Times staffer Mark Eckel explained the Eagles' inability to get the ball in the end zone as follows: "The problem is defenses are taking away tight end Chad Lewis, and the wide receivers are unable to get separation. ..."

"Don't be afraid to be great."

He aims high but not too high as he showed by setting a franchise record with 253 receiving yards in Pittsburgh's 34-34 tie Sunday with visiting Atlanta. In the process, the third-year pro, who is beginning to fulfill his vast potential, showed how seriously he takes the phrase that has become his mantra.

"That just pushes your body to the max," Burress says of his pregame reminder. "When you let it all hang out, you don't know how much you are going to get out of yourself."

The 6-5, 226-pound wideout got an enormous amount out of himself for four quarters and 15 minutes of overtime during the NFL's first tie since 1997. His receiving yardage broke a Steelers record that had endured since Oct. 22, 1961, when Buddy Dial produced 235 yards versus Cleveland.

Burress' nine catches included two touchdown receptions on passes of 33 and 62 yards from Tommy Maddox. The former insurance-agent-turned-quarterback enjoyed a record day of his own, setting a franchise mark for passing yards with 473. He clicked on 28 of 41 throws for four touchdowns.

As big as Burress' day was, it could have been bigger. He outran the Falcons' coverage in the opening quarter for what would have been a 50-yard score, only to have Maddox's pass down the right sideline land just beyond his reach.

"He could have had 300 yards receiving," fellow receiver Hines Ward said, marveling.

That would have put Burress in league-record territory, within striking distance of Willie Anderson (336 yards), Stephone Paige (309) and Jim Benton (303).

While the 253 yards ultimately might be Burress' way of declaring he is ready to be ranked among the elite at his position, he emphasizes the need for consistency.

"I just go out and try to solidify it week after week after week," he says. "That's the best way for me to handle it."

Burress did not always take care of business in the best way. He irked head coach Bill Cowher by missing a pre-draft meeting in 2000. The Steelers still selected him eighth overall based on the tools he displayed in two years at Michigan State.

He was a major disappointment as a rookie. He finished with 273 yards -- 20 more than he racked up Sunday. Of his 22 catches, none produced a score. Amid a flurry of dropped balls, questions about his work ethic, character and knowledge of the playbook abounded.

Burress came on last season, however, to make 66 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns. He combined with Ward to give the Steelers their first 1,000-yard receiving tandem.

Burress' progress is continuing this season, spurred, he says, by the loss of his mother, Vicki, who died seven months ago of complications stemming from surgery to amputate her left foot. She was 49.

"That's one of the things that changed my whole approach to life, period," he says. "You never know when your last day is going to be."

Burress reacted by bringing more urgency to every day, every practice, every game.

"When I go to practice, I say, 'What is my mind-set? Do I want to get through practice and go home, or do I want to get better at one particular thing?'

"To say I always had that, no, I can't say that. But I can say that now about myself. I go out and try to be the best player I can be."

In a related note. ... Falcons coach Dan Reeves tried to challenge after the Burress caught a 32-yard pass over the middle in the second quarter. He said, and replays backed him up, that Burress was not touched by a defender, yet got up casually and flipped the ball to the ground.

Atlanta linebacker Matt Stewart, perhaps mindful that Burress was guilty of turning the ball over on a similar play as a rookie in 2000, took possession.

Referee Terry McAulay, however, had other ideas. He told Reeves the play was over because Burress "gave himself up."

"The whistle never blew, and I've never heard of giving yourself up," Reeves said. "I learn a new rule every week."

Even Cowher felt his team caught a break there. Asked if he was confident Burress was down, he said, "No, I was not. He just has to get up and keep going."

Also of interest. ...

In an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli offered readers the following tidbit:

"Speaking of no-confidence votes, that was hardly a ringing endorsement that Steelers coach Bill Cowher gave kicker Todd Peterson after the "instant classic" tie with the Atlanta Falcons.

"Peterson is one of the game's classiest guys. A close personal friend. Maybe the blocked extra point, the field goal try he clanged off the right upright and the blocked field goal attempt in the overtime period weren't Peterson's fault. As coaches like to say: We haven't seen the film yet, so we don't know.

"This, though, we do know. Cowher and the Steelers lost the AFC championship last year because of poor special teams coverage units. Cowher isn't going to tolerate kicking-game lapses again. When your offensive play calling is affected by the belief your kicker can't convert a 40-yarder, well, you can figure out the rest.

"Peterson is a short timer in The 'Burgh."

Head coach Mike Martz said Monday he'll stick with Bulger, but Warner will be the backup for the Monday night game against the Chicago Bears and will definitely return as the starter the following week.

He said the decision was mostly based on doctors' opinions that Warner, the two-time NFL MVP, could possibly re-injure the finger. Martz also is concerned Warner is not yet back in football shape.

"After talking to the doctors, they were in agreement," Martz said. "It's just too risky to start him and not get that finger banged around. This will give him that extra week to heal."

Warner was apparently unaware of the decision about 10 minutes before Martz announced it during a news conference. Last week, Warner said several times that he planned to make his return against the Bears, but Monday he took a diplomatic approach.

"This is all about our team, it's not about two individuals," Warner said. "Everybody wants to make it, 'This is Marc, this is Kurt,' and so be it.

"But I think everybody that knows anything about football can see this is a team effort."

Bulger is the popular choice in St. Louis for the time being after leading the Rams to four straight victories, while Warner was 0-4. But the going has definitely been easier.

With Warner, the Rams lost to some of the better defenses in the NFL: the Broncos (2), Buccaneers (1), Giants (8) and Cowboys (5). During Bulger's run, the Rams have beaten the Raiders (23), Seahawks (26), Cardinals (25) and Chargers (21).

Martz said if Warner was healthy, he would start.

"If he's 100 percent, it's a real easy decision for me," Martz said. "Kurt's our quarterback, guys, I'll tell you that again."

The Rams might not have Marshall Faulk, either, for next week's game. Martz said the All-Pro running back would be listed as questionable with a strained tendon on the bottom of his right foot.

"Will he be ready this week? Probably not," Martz said. "We'll be very pessimistic."

Warner, who has missed five games, resumed throwing last Thursday and tossed several 40-yarders before the Rams' game against San Diego on Sunday. On Monday, he said he threw as long as 55 yards.

Warner said his finger is feeling better every day, and he's scheduled to start taking snaps again this week. Martz said Bulger would get the bulk of the practice reps, but said Warner would run some of the scout-team offense.

Bulger had a team-record 36 completions for 453 yards -- fourth-best in franchise history -- in Sunday's 28-24 come-from-behind victory over the Chargers. Warner's best is 441 yards in the 2000 opener against the Broncos.

Bulger threw two of his four touchdown passes in the final 3:06, both to Isaac Bruce. This is the first week he's thrown enough passes to qualify among the league leaders and he's first with a 107.4 passing rating, well ahead of runner-up Brett Favre's 101.7.

Faulk was held to 72 total yards -- 36 rushing and 36 receiving -- before leaving in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game. He was optimistic after the game, and Martz said Faulk would have input into whether he would play.

"If he's not ready, he'll tell me he's not ready," Martz said. "I have complete trust in his judgment."

It's worth noting that two weeks ago, Trung Canidate was the top backup behind Faulk. However, that job went to rookie Lamar Gordon last Sunday.

Gordon took over after Faulk left the game and had one carry for 9 yards and caught four passes for 27 yards.

"We're just trying to utilize them both," Martz said. "We think they're both very good players. Lamar, what he did [Sunday] was exceptional. He took off with a couple of those balls, where it looked like it would be a three- or four-yard gain, and he gets 13, 15 yards with it."

I'll keep a very close eye on Faulk's status as the weekend progresses and update you as needed. ...

Tomlinson, the NFL's leading rusher, declined to back down -- much -- from his pointed comments in the wake of last Sunday's loss to the Rams.

"I guess what I wanted to say was having a little bit of pride about ourselves and letting a team come back from 10 points down," Tomlinson said. "Heart, maybe, was a little bit too strong of a statement; I would prefer to say pride."

That's not much better.

"He might have been frustrated at that point and time, which is understandable because everyone is frustrated," Pro Bowl safety Rodney Harrison said. "But at the same time, this is a team. We win and lose as a team and you can't have that."

What Tomlinson said Sunday raised some eyebrows after the Chargers squandered a 10-point lead in the game's final four minutes to drop their second straight game.

"For us to give up like that at the end is just disappointing," said Tomlinson, who rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown. "It's very surprising to me because that shows what kind of heart we have.

"Obviously, we don't have the kind of heart that a lot of people think we have. We can't even finish the dang game off and put the team away."

Tomlinson won't shy from his right to comment when he believes it's necessary. Despite the fact that he's only in his second year on a Chargers squad with established leaders in Harrison and Junior Seau, Tomlinson won't wear a muzzle.

"Take it for what it's worth," Tomlinson said. "I'm always going to speak my mind; I told you that from the beginning. I'm not going to bite my tongue. I'm going to tell you how I feel, and that's how I feel."

He said that while paying respects to his elders.

"To me, this is Junior's team and Rodney Harrison's team," Tomlinson said. "[But] I think I'm the next in line to be [among] the leaders. I just feel sometimes I have to say what I feel and [Sunday] was just the perfect time to say what I feel, even though it's just my second year."

Head coach Marty Schottenheimer downplayed Tomlinson's criticism of his teammates.

"I know exactly where LaDainian is coming from," Schottenheimer said. "He's an outstanding player and he's an outstanding person. I feel quite confident it was said in the fever of the moment."

And Seau? "It's a moot point," he said.

Added quarterback Drew Brees: "I think that was probably blown out of proportion a little bit."

Tomlinson said he doesn't want the Chargers to blow their 6-1 start by letting down in the season's second half.

"I'm not questioning how good we are; we are a good ballclub," Tomlinson said. "But for us to step up to another level, where the St. Louis Rams are, we have to finish games when we got a team, like St. Louis, down. We got to finish them.

"All I'm saying is for us to take that next step and become a great team, to go deep in the playoffs and possibly the Super Bowl, we have to step it up a little. I hope it's a gut check, that is what I want to happen.

"I'm going to play my butt off every week for this team and I think [my teammates] will," he continued. "There's no doubt in my mind they will. I guarantee they are going to play their butt off the rest of these seven games that we have."

Harrison said there's no ifs, ands or buts about Tomlinson's attitude.

"L.T. is just a little frustrated because he is a very competitive guy and he's a well-respected guy around the locker room," he said. "We know where his heart is at, and we know he is not a selfish player."

Also of interest. ...

Tamarick Vanover, a flop as a punt returner in his comeback to the NFL, was cut Tuesday.

Vanover, a dangerous returner while with Kansas City in the mid-1990s, was averaging only 5.4 yards per punt return. He did better on kickoff returns, averaging 23.1 yards.

Vanover played in the first seven games this season but was benched for Sunday's game at St. Louis, in which the Chargers blew a 10-point lead with three minutes to play and lost 28-24.

Ronney Jenkins and rookie Reche Caldwell are expected to take over on kickoff returns. Receiver Tim Dwight will handle punt returns.

Dwight moved into the starting lineup this year and the Chargers had been hesitant to use him as a returner even though he's excelled at it during his career. Dwight has returned four punts this year, averaging 10.8 yards.

Vanover had been out of football for two seasons when he was signed in May, reuniting him with Schottenheimer, his coach at Kansas City.

Vanover was sentenced in November 2000 to two months in jail, two months of home detention and three years of supervision after pleading guilty to one federal count of aiding and abetting the sale of a stolen vehicle that crossed state lines.

The Chiefs cut Vanover in April 2000 after it was revealed he admitted to an FBI agent that he gave former Chiefs running back Byron "Bam" Morris $40,000 to buy marijuana.

The team struggled early this season when teams were swarming wide receiver Terrell Owens with two-deep zones. But since Week 3, the 49ers have established the running game.

They lead the NFL in yards per carry behind a strong offensive line and a terrific fullback in Fred Beasley. That makes it impossible for teams to commit the safeties to pass defense.

And when teams do stay stubborn against the pass -- as the Chiefs did -- the 49ers just continue to run effectively.

Clearly, the tandem of Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow is just as effective as any one-back team in the league. ...

Triplett went on to point out that Hearst is not surrendering his starting job. With Barlow breathing down his neck, Hearst looks even better than last year. He has a spring in his step, he's making cuts at the line of scrimmage and he is making tacklers miss.

Though Hearst and Barlow rotate series, Hearst is the trusted guy in two-minute drills. He is a great pass protector and a reliable ballcarrier. He should remain the starter all season. Why change the two-man game when it works so well?

And in all honesty, other than the fact I might be a Fantasy owner with Hearst or Barlow on my roster, I'd be hard pressed to come up with a good reason to change.

Other notes of interest. ...

According to those who follow the team closely, head coach Steve Mariucci made the kind of mistake that could have cost the 49ers the game last Sunday.

At the end of the first half, he was preoccupied trying to lobby referee Ron Blum to put time back on the clock. He neglected to communicate with quarterback Jeff Garcia and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp about what to do with :07 remaining and the 49ers holding the ball at the Kansas City 13-yard line. In the confusion, Garcia made an ill-advised throw that resulted in an interception.

The 49ers never scored again. Mariucci admitted to the mistake and said he learned a valuable lesson.

And finally. ... Running back Paul Smith agreed to a contract extension with the team on Monday.

A valuable special-teams player and a backup running back, Smith agreed to a two-year extension. After struggling with injuries in training camp, Smith's role has gradually increased. The third-year pro played a valuable role as a blocking back in San Francisco's win over the Chiefs on Sunday.

Last week, the 49ers locked up another talented young role player by signing running back Terry Jackson to a two-year extension.

That's because Shaun Alexander has been hampered by a bruised left forearm and several sprained fingers since the loss to the Redskins and has had a hard time catching the ball, head coach Mike Holmgren explained Monday.

Alexander is able to carry the ball in his right hand, but his two dropped passes against the Cardinals led to Morris' expanded role, Holmgren said.

Alexander "was not using his left arm very much in the game," he said. "When I saw that on the sideline, I said, 'Let's put Mo in and go.'"

The soft-spoken rookie from Oregon wasn't rejoicing in his accomplishment.

"The biggest thing for me is that we got the 'W.' I'm just glad we have the win," Morris said. ...

By the way. ... Alexander has 25 career rushing touchdowns, two shy of Sherman Smith for third on Seattle's career list.

Other notes of interest. ...

As Seattle Post-Intelligencer beat writer Claire Farnsworth noted on Tuesday, Matt Hasselbeck had his best game as a Seahawks against the Cards. He was most effective when rolling out and making plays on the move. He also did a masterful job of spreading the ball around, hitting nine different receivers. ...

Holmgren poked a little fun at Hasselbeck's excuse for missing a wide-open touchdown pass to Bobby Engram on a fade route deep in Cardinals territory.

After the play, Hasselbeck noted he had been given a slick ball normally used by kickers and that it slipped out of his hand. Holmgren acknowledged the ball was rubbed up differently than the balls normally used during play, but he wasn't buying the excuse.

"Well it was a kicker's ball and I said, 'So what?' It had laces and looked the same, so throw it to him," Holmgren said. "That guy is open by 20 yards. Throw it over there, my goodness."

Darrell Jackson was cleared to practice this week, but he will wear a red jersey and be kept out of contact until he fully recovers from the concussion he suffered against the Cowboys. Tests have shown the symptoms from the hit have abated. It's not official, but those who follow the team closely have said all along that Jackson would miss at least three games. This week's game would be that third game.

According to Farnsworth, Kevin Kasper was signed to provide immediate help on the outside in Jackson's absence.

Kasper has moved right into the four-receiver sets and is returning kickoffs as Morris gets more time on offense. Coaches like Kasper's quickness as a slot receiver and how quickly he has picked up the offense. It has helped that Kasper played in a Denver system that is similar to the Seahawks'. ...

The Hawks are finally back to full strength at the tight end position with the return of first-round draft pick Jerramy Stevens from his ankle sprain Sept. 29 against the Vikings. Stevens missed four games before returning to limited duty against the Cardinals. ...

In an article published last Monday, Pro Football Weekly reported that newly signed signal caller Jeff George looked excellent throwing the ball in practice last week and still has tremendous arm strength.

And finally. ... In an article published last Friday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli suggested that -- perhaps sensing he's in big trouble -- Holmgren, who has more titles than just about anyone in the league, is confiding to close friends that he might be willing to relinquish some power to retain his job.

Still one of the game's premier coaching talents, Holmgren may have finally convinced himself that he is best at coaching, and that the personnel decisions might be better left to someone else.

Pasquarelli further suggested that someone might be none other than former New Orleans general manager Randy Mueller, who once ran the Seahawks front office. Mueller's name has surfaced a lot of places in the past few days, as he sits out the 2002 campaign after being fired by the Saints, but not yet in Seattle.

Rest assured, though, that if other teams are considering Mueller, the Seahawks will be, too.

Fans are clamoring to see more of Stecker in games. He even has head coach Jon Gruden questioning why Stecker isn't carrying the ball more.

Stecker just might see more action when the Bucs return from their bye week and prepare for a Nov. 17 home game with Carolina. But so could starting running back Michael Pittman. And so could starting fullback Mike Alstott.

Even rookie Travis Stephens could make an appearance. Gruden is prepared to operate the running backs by committee.

It worked for the coach in Oakland, and he thinks it will work in Tampa Bay.

"I guess it can work," Alstott said. "Whatever he wants. Whatever he says we do, bottom line. I think it will be more of a situational type thing. Different situations, different opponents, I think it will be how each of us match up against a defense."

Pittman leads the team with 413 yards on 117 carries for a 3.5 average. Alstott, who got the bulk of the carries against Minnesota on Sunday (26 for 55 yards) is next with 86 carries for 281 yards and four touchdowns. Stecker has the highest per carry average (7.2), mostly due to his 59-yard run against Minnesota, easily the longest of the season for Tampa Bay.

Before the season began, Pittman was expected to be the featured back, but he hasn't exploded the way he had hoped.

"I've got high expectations for myself," Pittman said. "I had higher expectations of my yardage and how I'd be doing. I'm not there, and I want to get better. The only thing I can do is get better. Hopefully, I can have a couple of breakout games going down the stretch.

"I need a couple of big breakout games. I'm not down on myself, but I haven't had a breakout game in a long time. I'm just waiting for my turn. I need one, and I think it will be good for me if I have one soon."

If not, there are others, such as Stecker and possibly Stephens waiting in the wings. Stephens already has noticed a difference at practice.

"Whatever I do in practice has got to influence the coaches to put me in the games," Stephens said.

Apparently he has been doing something, because Gruden recently described Stephens as the team's "thickest and quickest" back.

"I've been hearing things about possibly playing," Stephens said. "So I just have to stay ready and hopefully I can show my talent, show my skills."

As much as running backs claim more carries per game helps them find a rhythm, all of them are prepared to share the wealth.

"It has to work because that's what he wants to do right now," Stecker said. "[Gruden's] the general of our army, and we're his soldiers. Whatever the general says, you just go out and do your best for him.

"If he says it's running back by committee, that's what we've got to do."

On the injury front. ... With the off week to recover from the fractured left rib he played with two weeks ago, Brad Johnson should be back to 100 percent by the time the team returns to action. The same goes for Rob Johnson, who was slowed by a strained gluteus muscle.

And the news at wideout is positive, too. ... Keenan McCardell, who suffered a fractured scapula on Oct. 20, should return to practice this week and resume his role as the starting flanker when Carolina comes to town. ... The same can't necessarily be said of Joe Jurevicius, however.

"Jurevicius still is a concern of mine," Gruden said Monday. " He's really not able to really let it go yet. I would say he's probably the most doubtful of the injured players." If Jurevicius isn't ready, Karl Williams will continue to handle an expanded role.

"It's pretty sore but hopefully the next couple of days I'll get a lot of rest and get this thing back down to where it was before the game," McNair said. "If we can do that we're looking positive for next week."

McNair did not practice last week in order to rest the toe, but threw two touchdown passes against the Texans. Head coach Jeff Fisher said he would like to see McNair practice this week because the Titans play Pittsburgh on Sunday.

McNair said missing practice this week didn't hinder him from "doing things I normally do" last Sunday.

"Something I've been doing well for the last three of four years is putting the pain in the back of my head and just living the effect after the game," he said. "That's really when it hurts."

Also of interest. ...

Tight end Frank Wycheck, who has been wearing a new helmet, the Ridell Revolution -- designed specifically to prevent concussions -- may sit out practice Wednesday and even Thursday after sustaining a concussion in the first quarter Sunday.

"No helmet is concussion proof," Wycheck said. "No matter what helmet you wear, or what style, you get popped in the chin or up in the ear hole, you're going to get it."

Wycheck was hit by Texans strong safety Eric Brown just as a McNair pass arrived. Brown's blow put Wycheck out of the game in the first quarter and he did not return.

"I don't know what the grade would be, but it just didn't feel right to come back and put myself at risk," Wycheck said. "I still have some symptoms — the lightheadedness, the headache, the sore neck and the sore jaw. I got hit pretty square in the chin."

It wasn't Wycheck's first concussion.

"The ones I have had diagnosed, I've probably had three or four," he said. "Earlier in your career and in college, the concussion thing wasn't as popular back then. So, they kind of just blew it off. ..."

For what it's worth, even had Wycheck been able to return from his concussion, Fisher said the Titans were planning to ask Shad Meier, who was limited by a shoulder injury in the early part of the season, to play a larger role in the offense.

"We wanted to get him in the rotation and we increased his practice time a little bit," Fisher said. "That was a great throw, a great catch, a big-time play by Shad. I think when we look at the film we'll see he did a pretty good job blocking as well."

Meier's first NFL touchdown came on a splendid catch of a 17-yard McNair pass early in the third quarter but was not followed by any celebration of note.

Why?

"I had the wind knocked out of me," Meier said. "I was trying to catch my breath. ..."

And finally. ... Swirling, gusting winds and a brief period of rain wreaked havoc with the players at times last Sunday.

Place-kicker Joe Nedney missed a 49-yard field goal try that the wind pushed wide left.

"That was the windiest day I have ever kicked in, bar none," Nedney said.

He and punter Craig Hentrich went to the Coliseum on Friday to acclimate themselves.

"Craig and I are going to become meteorologists after our NFL careers are over," Nedney said. "We keep track of the weather starting on Wednesdays. We knew it was going to be windy and stormy, so we were prepared for it.

"The wind was gusting unbelievably hard and then it would change direction on you the next minute. It was blowing a lot harder than it was on Friday."

McNair also had to battle the swirling winds.

"The crowd booed going into halftime with under a minute left to go and we had two timeouts," McNair said. "We just couldn't throw the ball, the wind was that strong."

Head coach Steve Spurrier said he also was hopeful that Davis would make his return after missing the team's past two games. The Redskins could use a boost on offense after throwing 51 passes in last Sunday's loss to the Jaguars in Jacksonville -- a game that ended a two-game winning streak and dropped them to 4-5. Spurrier reiterated yesterday that he had abandoned the running game too quickly against the Jaguars, and said it may be time for him to "temper my confidence" in the struggling passing game.

"If we're running successfully, heck, we can run more than we pass if that's what's necessary to win the game," Spurrier said. "But obviously maybe sometimes I have more confidence in our passing attack than I should have. I've seen our guys throw and catch in practice pretty well. We sort of see the coverages they're running and we think we've got some pretty good plays on, but we're just not quite hitting. We're not quite hitting the way I think we're capable. Maybe I need to temper my confidence in the way we can throw and catch at times, but it wasn't as if we were sort of romping up the field running it, either."

The Redskins rushed 16 times for 68 yards Sunday against the NFL's 26th-ranked defense against the run, with Kenny Watson filling in for Davis for a second game in a row. But yesterday, for the first time since he re-injured his knee Oct. 27, Davis seemed to be feeling good about his chances of playing.

"I'm pretty confident that I'll be playing Sunday," Davis said.

Davis did not participate in any practices the last two weeks but said he gradually could increase his workload in practice beginning Wednesday. A three-time 1,000-yard rusher, Davis has been playing with a sprained medial collateral ligament since hurting his knee Oct. 6 in a victory at Tennessee. During a 26-21 win over Indianapolis, he apparently damaged his hamstring where it attaches to the knee.

"I think it's better," Davis said. "I think it'll get a lot better during the week."

Spurrier said: "I think Stephen Davis is going to start jogging a little bit this week, and hopefully be ready. ... There's a good chance. He's got a chance to play this weekend. I think he's going to do everything he can to get back ready to play."

Watson rushed for 110 yards in a 14-3 victory over Seattle in his first NFL start but ran for only 52 on 14 carries against the Jaguars. Davis said it was "hard to say" whether the outcome would have been different Sunday if he had played.

"I think it was a game we should have won if we would have done this and that," Davis said. "But who's to say we would have run the ball as much if I was in there? Kenny has been doing a great job. The thing we have to do now is get everybody ready and get this loss behind us and get prepared for the New York Giants."

Spurrier said his homecoming had nothing to do with his play-calling Sunday. Spurrier's first regular season game in Florida as an NFL head coach came about 75 miles from Gainesville, where he had 122 victories in 12 seasons at the University of Florida. But he acknowledged that he had wanted to take advantage of the warm, windless day to get his team's passing game going.

Skaggsidn't work. Quarterback Shane Matthews completed 27 of 50 throws, ending a string of four straight games in which the Redskins had connected on fewer than 50 percent of their passes. But Matthews had a relatively modest 256 passing yards and threw two interceptions. Rookie quarterback Patrick Ramsey also was intercepted on a desperation heave downfield in the final moments of the first half.

Spurrier pointed out that the Redskins opened the second half with four straight running plays that totaled only five yards, but said: "Obviously we threw the ball too much. Every time you lose and you throw the ball more than you run, you threw too much. We didn't really plan on it going that way but for some reason, that's the way it worked out."

He reiterated that Matthews remains the club's starting quarterback, and declined to delve into the reasons why he thinks the passing game isn't working. Scouts and executives around the league say they believe Spurrier's offensive players simply aren't good enough, but Spurrier said: "Let's just say it's not working as well as we had hoped. That's all I can say at this point. ... Our players, I think, are capable of doing a little bit better than we've done."

Also of interest. ...

Jacquez Green was officially placed on waivers Tuesday making him subject to a waiver claim for 24 hours. If Green clears the waiver time, he is then free to join any team. The team planned to promote receiver Justin Scaggs from the practice squad to take Green's place.

Skaggs has been on the team's practice squad since the end of last summer. Team officials have reportedly been impressed by his speed and enthusiasm and believe he could thrive on kick returns.

Green didn't have a catch against the Jaguars and has only five receptions this season after signing a three-year contract worth about $4.3 million with the Redskins in March as a free agent. He passed over a better offer from the St. Louis Rams to be reunited with Spurrier, his former coach at the University of Florida, in hopes of reviving an NFL career that had stalled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The former second-round draft choice had a 90-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second game of the season but often has been frustrated by his lack of involvement in the offense. He left Sunday's game when he suffered a deep gash on his leg attempting to catch a pass from Matthews. That throw was intercepted by Jaguars cornerback Jason Craft in the end zone, and the Redskins missed an opportunity to add to a 7-0 lead.

Spurrier released one former Florida wide receiver, Reidel Anthony, near the end of training camp.