"I probably should have just run it," Boldin said. "I tried to squeeze it in there."

Boldin also got up slowly a couple of times after being banged on the knee, but he refused to come out.

"They tried to take me out of the game, but a game like that, you can’t come out," Boldin said.

According to the Arizona Republic, Boldin suffered a thigh contusion. Fellow rookie Bryant Johnson injured his left shoulder. No timetable was given for Boldin's return -- most likely an indication he won't miss any time, while Johnson is expected to miss two or three days.

In a related note. ...

In an article published Monday, Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei admitted he's been spectacular in the first half, exceeding all expectations -- and that Boldin is going to be an outstanding receiver for a long time.

But Pompei added: "There's this thing called the wall. And this rookie has to hit it some time soon. Boldin never played in more than 13 games in a season at Florida State. Counting the preseason, he already has played in 11. ..."

Also of interest. ...

Jeff Blake felt like a new man Sunday. With a productive running game to work with, Blake was able to play conservatively.

In past weeks, the Cardinals have fallen behind early, forcing Blake to try and make plays. That's one reason he's been intercepted nine times this year.

"You look at teams that are 5-1, and those teams are predominantly run-oriented," he said. "The quarterback doesn't have to make dumb mistakes but can play smart. I felt like Trent Green out there Sunday."

Blake completed 14 of 24 for 97 yards and wasn't intercepted. But he had good view of running back Marcel Shipp, who gained 165 yards on 35 carries.

"Marcel had some great runs, runs that should have been stopped in the backfield," Blake said. "He spins out of those and he's gone. I had the best seat in the house."

And according to FOXSports.com analyst David Moore, Shipp deserves to start over Emmitt Smith.

Head coach Dave McGinnis wants Smith to be the starting running back when he returns from a fractured shoulder blade, but that could be a hard sell in the locker room if Shipp has another good game.

That said, FOX insider John Czarnecki suggested Sunday there a chance Smith "might not play again this season."

And finally. ...

As reported by Republic beat man Kent Somers, Tim Duncan is just 24, only two years removed from kicking for the University of Oklahoma. But he aged considerably last Sunday.

Duncan had a month's worth of action in one game. He missed 3-of-6 field-goal attempts, but it's the last one he made that people will remember. It was a 39-yarder that gave the Cardinals the victory.

"I was upset," he said. "I put our team in the situation where we had a chance to lose that game."

Duncan was cut by the Cardinals in the past two training camps. Last year, he returned near the end of the season and was on the practice squad. He was re-signed a month ago when Bill Gramatica began experiencing back problems.

Sunday, he made his first attempt, a 53-yarder in the second quarter. He added a 20-yarder in the second half, but he also missed from 41, 37 and 50 yards in the second half.

He was able to block the misses out of his head in order to make the game winner, he said.

"I went to college, too," he said. "I have missed before. It was just nice to be able to go back in and get another one."

It was the first time he had made a winning kick in the final seconds, Duncan said.

After the game, McGinnis was asked if he had any doubts Duncan would make the last kick.

"Did you watch the rest of them?" McGinnis said, laughing. "Dang."

McGinnis never talked to Duncan after any of the misses.

"As the head coach in this league, you have to have complete confidence in your players," he explained. "I had every confidence in the world that he was going to make every one. He didn't make some of them. Their guy didn't make one of his, either."

Not that Duncan was offering "their guy," Owen Pochman, any sympathy.

"It's a tough business," he said. "I am not really worried about what happened on their sideline."

For the record, The Cardinals plan to keep both Duncan and Gramatica on the roster for now. Gramatica is still bothered by soreness in his back, and McGinnis did not yet have the results of Gramatica's recent magnetic resonance imaging test.

"It may come to a point where we need a roster spot, and if [Gramatica] is not ready yet, we'll have to make a decision there," McGinnis said.

I'll have further details on this story when Late-Breaking Updates officially commence shortly after midnight (pacific time) tonight.

As Associated Press sports writer Paul Newberry put it last Saturday: "Things looked so promising for the Atlanta Falcons: "The energetic owner. The sold-out stadium. The new uniforms. The coach closing in on 200 wins. And, of course, the most exciting player in the NFL.

"Then Michael Vick got hurt -- and it all fell apart."

And now? No one has a clue.

"It's the core of the same guys who went to Green Bay and won one of the biggest games in history," safety Keion Carpenter said, "so I have no idea what the problem is."

But Newberry had a number of ideas. ...

Lewis finished with 134 yards -- the sixth straight game in which he's gone over 100 yards -- and a touchdown on a career-high 32 carries as Baltimore earned a 26-6 win over the Broncos.

Lewis, the NFL's leading rusher with 977 yards on 166 carries, is on pace to shatter Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record (2,105 yards in 1984).

"It was long going, but I really don't count how many carries I get," Lewis said. "But if we're pounding the defense, then I'm happy."

Every Ravens opponent knows Lewis is going to get the ball, especially with rookie quarterback Kyle Boller still learning the offense. The Ravens, who sport the largest offensive line in the NFL (329.5-pound average), are content to wear down opponents with the running game.

"You can see it in their eyes, once you are getting the ball downhill and moving it, and the line is really dominating, and they just wore down over time," Lewis said.

It's the same formula the Ravens used to win the Super Bowl three seasons ago -- punishing running game, great defense and solid kicking from Matt Stover.

Stover kicked four field goals -- 25, 39, 22 and 29 yards -- against Denver.

Boller managed the game well -- he didn't commit a turnover and completed 15 of 27 passes for 137 yards including a 5-yard touchdown toss to backup tight end Terry Jones Jr. in the fourth quarter.

And as Baltimore Sun staffer Jeff Zrebiec noted, a week after venting frustration over what he perceived to be a rather insignificant role in the offense, Todd Heap seemed to play a role in every big play from the Ravens' offense yesterday, but when the game was over, his stat line read: three catches for 54 yards and no touchdowns.

"I felt like I had more catches than that, man," said Heap, who was coming off his best game of the season, a seven-catch, 129-yard performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. "I felt like I had a few taken away from me."

So did head coach Brian Billick, who blasted the league's instant-replay system after two apparent catches by Heap, one touchdown, were ruled incompletions on replay challenges.

"I give up," said an exasperated Billick. "I've tried to be an advocate for instant replay, but dump the whole [expletive deleted]ing thing. We've spend so much money on this and it doesn't work."

With the Ravens trailing 3-0 early in the second quarter, Boller hit Heap in the middle of the end zone. Heap got walloped by defenders but seemed to have possession of the ball until after he had hit the ground.

The play originally was called a touchdown but was overruled after Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan challenged the call.

"I don't know if the refs don't like me or I'm just unlucky," said Heap, who three plays after the six points had been taken away, caught a 7-yard reception right at the 1 that was nullified by an illegal shift call on wide receiver Frank Sanders. "I thought that was a touchdown. I didn't see the replay, but that's what I thought when I came down with it."

Heap, who was visibly shaken when he walked off the field, called the hit "the hardest hit I've taken in my career," and said his head was ringing afterward.

Heap's frustration reached its peak in the third quarter when he thought he had caught a 28-yard pass from Boller on a third-and-10 on the Ravens' 42.

Heap came down with the ball and appeared to have taken at least three steps before a defender hit him and jarred the ball out of Heap's hands and out of bounds. But the official called it an incompletion, and an irate Billick saw his challenge denied.

"I really need to start holding on to those and stop putting it in the refs' hands," Heap said.

It was one of those days for Heap, who was later asked if he was satisfied with the team's formula on offense yesterday.

"In my mind, I think we need to throw the ball every time," said Heap, starting to grin. "No, it's a good formula, and it's working for us. If we can keep it balanced like that and Jamal runs the way he runs, there's no reason why we should do anything else."

For the record, the Sports XChange reported on Tuesday that Heap complained of a sore neck after taking a hard hit in the end zone in the second quarter. He played the rest of the game but could be listed on the injury report this week.

And finally. ...

Also according to the XChange, veteran wideout Marcus Robinson has continued to struggle dropping passes and could be surpassed by Dedric Ward as the team's third receiver.

But not much more.

Bledsoe threw three interceptions and failed to get the Bills into the end zone, which is part of a disturbing trend. Buffalo has been outscored 85-15 in its last three road games and hasn't scored an offensive touchdown. Bledsoe has averaged just 151 yards through the air with six interceptions and no touchdowns in those games.

"I'm very disappointed, very frustrated right now," Bledsoe said after the loss to the Chiefs. "I anticipated us playing a better game than we did."

Here's another stat to chew on: Bledsoe is 2-15 on the road against teams that finished the season with a winning record since 1998. It may not be all his fault, but Bledsoe certainly doesn't lead his team to many big victories on the road. The Bills and Bledsoe have a bye week to let all this soak in before hitting the road to play Dallas on Nov. 9.

And Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei offered this tidbit: "Bledsoe is a first half quarterback. In the previous three years in which he was his team's starter, Bledsoe had a 92.5 passer rating in September and October. After that, his rating was 66.7."

None of which can possibly instill tremendous confidence in Fantasy owners counting on Bledsoe to get the job done when it counts the most. ...

Also of interest. ...

As reported by Buffalo News beat man Allen Wilson, Eric Moulds returned to the Buffalo Bills' lineup during Sunday night's game after missing the previous two games with a slightly torn groin. Although he practiced every day last week, there was still some doubt about his ability to play.

But according to Wilson: "It was obvious Moulds was far from 100 percent. He didn't seem to have his normal explosive burst off the line of scrimmage or the breakaway speed that made him a three-time Pro Bowl player."

Moulds managed to catch six passes for 53 yards before retiring to the sideline in the fourth quarter. He obviously thought he should have done more.

"I was about 75-80 percent, but that's no excuse," he said. "I made the decision to go play because I thought I could help the team. But it wasn't good enough tonight."

Meanwhile, backup running back Sammy Morris played for the first time in five games after recovering from hernia surgery. He got three carries for 9 yards and had one catch for 7 in limited time in the fourth quarter.

"It's a little sore, but that's to be expected," Morris said. "I didn't really feel like I lacked anything. It was good to get back out there and be competing again. I just wished we could have played better."

And finally. ...

Travis Henry ran 22 times for 124 yards against the Chiefs. According to the Sporting News, his play in the last two weeks should see to it that he continues to get 20-25 carries per game even after Willis McGahee returns.

No Carolina receiver had broken 100 yards receiving in the team's first four games, but Smith has done it three straight weeks. In Carolina's 23-20 overtime win Sunday at New Orleans, Smith had nine of Carolina's 12 receptions, including two that he tipped to himself.

So is there any coincidence that Smith's increased production came after he felt scorned by the Panthers?

"Hey, y'all print it. I'm just doing it," Smith said.

When a reporter suggested the blowup seemed to coincide with his three big games, Smith smiled and replied, "Doesn't it? It looks real close, huh?"

Now in his third and final year of his contract, Smith would become a restricted free agent after the season, meaning they would have the option to make him a tender offer and prevent opposing teams to surrender draft picks if they want to sign Smith. The Panthers would also have the option of matching another team's contract offer.

Since Smith's blowup, contract talks have been put on hold.

"I don't have to prove anything," Smith said. "All I have to prove is that we can beat 31 other teams. I'm just worried about playing and making plays every week."

And he's doing that.

With Muhsin Muhammad out of the lineup with a concussion, Smith was forced to carry the load on Sunday. The Panthers gave the Saints a heavy dose of Stephen Davis and balanced the attack with several tosses to Smith, some of them on wide receiver screens. They even gave him the ball on a reverse.

Even when Muhammad, who is scheduled to resume workouts Wednesday, returns to the lineup this week, Smith remains Jake Delhomme's favorite target. Smith has firmly established himself as the team's new No. 1 receiver. He has twice as many receptions (38) and receiving yards (485) as the elder Muhammad.

Other notes of interest. ...

In an article published Monday, Charlotte Observer staff writer Stan Olson suggested the numbers that continue to pile up beside Davis' name in Carolina's record book make you wonder if the Panthers ever had a real running back before him. This is his first for the Panthers and he's already the fourth-leading rusher in team history, with 839 yards in his seven games.

That total, by the way, is already the second-highest season mark for a Panther. And his 178-yard effort against the Saints break the team's singe-game rushing record rushing record previously held by Richard Huntley.

"All the credit goes to the offensive line, and guys that contribute to it," Davis said. "I'm just the guy back there just running the ball hard and doing what I can do."

It was his fifth 100-yard effort of the season, and that tied a team mark as well.

The 34-yard burst he came up with on the final drive wasn't the only time Davis broke into the secondary; he also had runs of 40, 21 and 17 yards. But the one they'll remember is that last one. "We had been running counters and the power plays the whole game," Davis said "That play, we had an extra guy come over in motion, and [tight end Jermaine] Wiggins did a great job of blocking his man, and we got a great double-team block."

When he finished that sprint, he lay on the artificial turf for an extra moment or two, and you began to wonder if he was hurt.

"Nah," he said later with a grin. "I was fine."

Not even all that tired, really.

"No," he said when asked if his 31 carries might have been too much work for one day. "I get paid to do what I do.

"It is what it is."

In a semi-related note. ...

In an article published Monday, FOXSports.com analyst David Moore advised reader to forget all that talk about how DeShaun Foster, who chipped in with three carries for 25 yards against New Orleans, can help Davis carry the load. As Moore put it: "Davis doesn't need anyone to help shoulder the load if he's healthy."

For what it's worth, the only injury of note was suffered by tight end Kris Mangum, who left the game briefly with a bruised chest.

And finally. ...

Kasay continues to be perfect through seven games. He kicked three more field goals including the game-winner Sunday, and has now made 17-of-17 field-goal attempts and 10-of-10 extra points through seven games.

"John has done a fantastic job for us, both on the field and off the field," Fox said. "He's a classy young man that is a very, very talented kicker. We're very blessed to have him."

"Any time the young guys make plays, it gives you a sense they're coming around," said Marty Booker, one of six starters who missed Sunday's win over Detroit.

Rookie receivers Justin Gage and Bobby Wade filled in for Booker. Gage had his first career TD reception and set up a field goal with another catch, while Wade made three catches. Both are fifth-round draft picks.

Rookie running back Brock Forsey, forced into duty because of injuries to both Anthony Thomas and Adrian Peterson, also scored his first NFL touchdown.

"It's great to get experience for all those young players when you can win doing it, because it will help you some time," head coach Dick Jauron said Monday.

And as Chicago Tribune staff reporter Fred Mitchell noted: "Forsey had no scripted routine to celebrate a touchdown. No jazzy dance step. No body-jiggling histrionics."

So the understated rookie simply spiked the football emphatically after his first NFL touchdown in the third quarter of Sunday's game.

"I'm not a flashy guy, but I thought, 'I'm definitely going to spike it,'" Forsey said of his reaction to an 8-yard run on an inside counter play.

With his father and brother in the Soldier Field stands and friends and former teammates alerted to watch him on television, Forsey bulled his way in workmanlike fashion for 56 yards on 19 carries. His longest run was just the 8-yard TD burst. But more important, the 5-foot-10-inch, 203-pounder did not fumble.

His only miscue came when he lost track of the football after he spiked it and saw it skip out of the north end zone.

"I'm hoping that one of the equipment guys grabbed it," said Forsey, the 206th player selected in the April draft. "If they do find it, that football might have to go in the trophy case."

"Brock is a pretty level-headed guy," offensive coordinator John Shoop said. "He was real excited for the opportunity. The biggest thing I kept telling him--and he must have heard it 7 billion times -- was, 'You keep [the football] high and tight.'

"The speed of the game is something you can't simulate in practice or in preseason. Those [Lions] were coming at him hard. I think Brock will get better and better as we go. I think he missed some cuts in the last four minutes of the game because he was so conscious of holding on to the ball. The more he plays, the better he'll get. And we're eager to get Adrian and A-Train back as well."

Forsey also caught a 10-yard pass and appeared to handle his blocking assignments adequately.

"I felt solid as far as knowing all of my assignments and picking up the blitzes and making all my blocks and all my reads," Forsey said.

Said Jauron: "Brock is a very tough-minded guy. He doesn't waste a lot of time. He goes north and south. I did not sense that he would think the game was too big for him. And it certainly didn't look like it was too big for him."

"My expectations were to just come in and keep our running game going the way it has been the last few weeks," Forsey said. "Our offensive line does a real good job getting off the ball. I thought we came out and ran the ball pretty well."

Also of interest. ...

As reported by Chicago Sun-Times staffer Mark Potash, the Chris Chandler-Kordell Stewart debate is almost over before it started. For now, anyway.

Regardless of how good or bad the Bears' offense is, players -- and coaches -- are becoming more and more comfortable with Chandler, who was errorless, though not flawless, against Detroit.

Chandler was 20-of-31 for 207 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. His passer rating was 94.4.

"Our offense is more open," said fourth-year wide receiver Dez White, who had three catches for 36 yards. "Chris spreads the ball around. It hasn't been at this level since I've been here."

"It's good to have a quarterback who does a lot of talking in the huddle and at the line of scrimmage," Shoop said. "If you ever watch Chris at practice or in the game, he's a constant chatterbox out there. He's very aware of what the 21 other guys should be doing. That's a warm feeling for our team."

Potash added that players are loath to prefer one teammate over another, but it's pretty clear the offense is feeling better about itself with Chandler.

"It's the mind-set of the offense," White said. "When Kordell was in there, we felt we could take deeper drops because he can always scramble and buy time. With [Chandler], now it's just get back there and get the ball out. That's the most important thing, especially when they're blitzing. We're not taking the deep drops. It's helped our production."

It remains to be seen whether the offense will continue to progress against better teams and whether Chandler can stay healthy. But for now, the Kordell Stewart experiment appears to be over. ...

With Booker's absence providing the opportunity to prove he deserves more playing time, David Terrell responded with five catches for 22 yards, a 4.4-yard average with a long gain of nine yards.

According to War Room analyst Gary Horton, coaches have tried a number of tactics to motivate Terrell, but they are pretty close to fed up. The fact that there has been serious talk of dropping him behind Ahmad Merritt on the depth chart says it all. ...

Paul Edinger's streak of consecutive field goals reached 14 with a 37-yarder before he had a 32-yard attempt blocked in the fourth quarter vs. the Lions. ...

And finally. ...

Booker told Chicago Daily Herald staffer Bob LeGere on Monday that his status was day-to-day, but the veteran receiver is far from a lock to return to action this week. Tight end Desmond Clark, sidelined by a sprained toe, hopes to return to practice by Friday.

According to Associated Press sports writer Joe Kay, Dillon was headed to Paul Brown Stadium with his family before the game when he was involved in an accident. No one was hurt, but the running back was emotionally shaken.

Head coach Marvin Lewis decided not to play Dillon, who was late getting to the stadium because of the accident. He was inactive for the game.

"He called me in a panic," said Lewis, who decided to let backup Rudi Johnson play instead.

Dillon eventually arrived at the stadium, then left. He wasn't on the sideline as Johnson ran for 101 yards and won over fans' hearts -- they chanted "Rudi! Rudi!" -- during the team's win over Seattle. Before the game, fans showed they were upset over Dillon's midweek outburst. Dillon told reporters Wednesday that he felt unappreciated in Cincinnati and wants to leave in the offseason.

Several fans wore Dillon jerseys to the game with tape blocking out his name above the No. 28. One fan covered "DILLON" with tape and wrote CRYBABY" over it.

Some fans taunted others in Dillon jerseys as they walked across the stadium plaza.

Dillon's teammates were surprised by his midweek outburst. They learned about an hour before kickoff that he wouldn't play because of the accident.

"I didn't find out until right before 12 o'clock," said Jon Kitna, who threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns. "Willie Anderson came up and told me that Corey was going to be down, that he wasn't going to play. I saw Willie was a little bit down about it."

Dillon is one of only four players in NFL history to run for 1,000 yards in each of his first six seasons. His seventh season has been sidetracked by injuries -- a hyperextended knee and a strained groin that have limited him for a month.

The Bengals have won three of their last four games despite getting little from Dillon, who has only 203 yards on 62 carries.

"We want our horse in there," said Anderson, who questioned the timing of Dillon's outburst last week. "He's been our horse for seven years, and we're still going to ride him when he's healthy."

Dillon didn't practice last week because of the groin, but expected to play Sunday before he was involved in the accident. Johnson worked out with the starting offense last week.

He became the first Bengal other than Dillon to run for 100 yards since Ki-Jana Carter in 1997.

"There was no pressure," said Johnson, who had not run for more than 69 yards in a game. "Corey didn't practice during the week, so it was a matter of going out and doing what we did during the week in practice."

The irony?

As bengals.com staff writer Geoff Hobson notes, Johnson got the ball 27 times and Dillon hasn’t got the ball 27 times for 364 days, or since he had 30 carries Oct. 27 against Tennessee. But to be fair, Dillon was headed to 30 in Oakland in the second game of this season, but ended up with just 19 thanks to the above-mentioned hyperextended knee.

And in an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli advised readers: "Given his run-amok self-esteem, it had to be killing Dillon to see someone else toting the rock in a big win. And it's got to stick in his craw, too, that explosive wide receiver Chad Johnson is slowing becoming an offensive centerpiece."

Pasquarelli added: "Winning without Dillon on Sunday figures to further convince Cincinnati management it might be able to do so on a fairly regular basis. And let's be honest: It's not like the Bengals have been to the playoffs at all with Dillon in the backfield."

For what it's worth, Lewis told ESPNews on Monday that Dillon would be welcome back with open arms this, and -- if healthy -- will return to the starting lineup this weekend.

Also of interest. ...

The end zone celebration that resulted in Johnson earning a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty apparently wasn't as bad as it looked.

According to Hobson, at some point in the past few weeks, Johnson told reporters he would throw his helmet into the stands after a touchdown. But he had his backup helmet in the locker room, and when he signaled to the crowd that he wasn’t going to do it, the official took that to mean the slash-the-throat gesture outlawed by the league.

"I pretended I was going to throw it," Johnson said. "That’s not fair. They took it the wrong way. I was saying, ‘I’m not going to do it.’"

Of course, keeping his promise to fans would have resulted in the same 15-yard setback his quasi-throat slash earned. And when Johnson came to the sideline, Lewis was in his face. The penalty forced the Bengals to kick off from the 15-yard line instead of the 30.

"We are beginning to learn that this is a team game," Lewis said. "It's not the Chad Johnson Show. He understands and is remorseful. It slaps you in the face when you are kicking off from your 15-yard line."

Johnson said he was gesturing to the fans that no, absolutely not, would he take off his helmet. Either way, Lewis wasn't happy and made sure Johnson knew it.

"He was not trying to do what it came across that he was doing," Lewis said. "But we don't need it either way. Play football."

By the way, Johnson now has eight 100-yard performances in his last 15 games.

Green's car was stopped Monday after police received a cell phone call from a motorist reporting a possible drunken driver.

According to the police report, Green was pulled over and given a field sobriety test. The officer also found a bag of marijuana weighing 3.2 grams in Green's car.

Green, in his second NFL season, missed Cleveland's game last Sunday against the New England Patriots with a separated right shoulder. It would have been a homecoming of sorts for Green, who starred at Boston College before turning pro after his junior season.

While at BC, Green was twice suspended from the team for marijuana use, but the Browns still made him the 16th overall pick in the 2002 NFL draft.

"We have been made aware of the legal proceedings that are pending against William Green," Browns president Carmen Policy said in a statement released by the team on Wednesday. "Our team policy dictates that we handle all incidents involving our players within the organization on an individual basis."

Although Cleveland has the week off, I'll continue to monitor this situation and keep you on top of any significant developments via Late-Breaking Update.

Getting back to on-field issues. ...

In an article published Monday, Akron Beacon Journal staff writer Patrick McManamon instructed readers to "grab a big old dictionary and drop it on the kitchen floor.

"That thud you hear sounds sort of like the way the first half of the Cleveland Browns' season ended Sunday in New England."

How does a 9-3 loss to the Patriots go "thud?"

The Browns had:

"Still about a quart low, I'd say."

"This was a pretty good beating," head coach Bill Parcells said, after viewing the telltale dipstick and the 16-0 final score.

The Buccaneers were coming off an embarrassing beating at the hands of San Francisco, a defeat that dropped their record to 3-3 and impugned their Super Bowl pedigree -- an indignation they successfully erased by shutting down the Dallas offense.

"We didn't make plays when we had to, and they did," said Quincy Carter, who struggled through his worst game of the season.

"We've got to show that when it counts, you've got to make those plays against a good football team. And today we didn't do that."

The Cowboys made only nine first downs and never got closer than the Tampa Bay 23. Five of their 11 possessions were three plays and out.

Ample credit should go to the nasty Buccaneers defense.

"We talked all week about playing with a frenzy," Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber said.

But on a day when the Cowboys truly needed him to rise to the occasion, for him to play with enough polish and poise to make his team better, Carter couldn't pull it off.

His first interception -- a long, underthrown pass to Joey Galloway -- set up Tampa Bay's first field goal. Carter's second interception, picked off by Barber and returned to the Cowboys' 21, set up another field goal that made it 13-0.

But as Lebreton noted, this is where and when Carter needs to bounce back. This is where he has to show his teammates that however poorly he played, he can accept responsibility and carry on.

"When you go out on that practice field on Wednesday, and all eyes are on you," Parcells said earlier this season, "when the coaches and your teammates are all looking at you and know that you're the reason they lost, that's when you have to show that you're still the guy in charge."

"The bottom line is," Carter continued, "you're trying to make a play and we [plural pronoun No. 8 in a six-minute interview] didn't make it today, and as a result we lost.

"We're going to be in some more scuffles like today, but we've got to learn from it. We've got to go on from this and get ready for Washington next week."

Parcells said that Carter's troubles were a combination of bad plays and Buccaneers heat.

"A little of both," the coach said. "He had quite a bit of pressure. But he wasn't on top, either.

"There isn't any doubt that this was a different game than he's been playing."

In the end Sunday, Carter couldn't overcome an offensive line that succumbed under siege -- or surrendered, in the case of guard Larry Allen. Carter couldn't make up for a punchless running game, no matter how many times Parcells went to it to stem the pass rush.

"I didn't feel that offensively we threatened very much," Parcells said.

So, it comes as a bit of surprise to learn that Troy Hambrick wasn't impressed with the Bucs defense, which ranked No. 1 last season. "You think they're a great defense? I think we made enough mistakes to make them look good," Hambrick said.

But Bucs defensive tackle Warren Sapp was not impressed with Hambrick, who had 25 yards on 11 carries. Told of Hambrick's comment about the Bucs defense, Sapp said: "Troy Hambrick ran the greatest running back in the history of the NFL [Emmitt Smith] out of Dallas. He don't know talent if it was poured on him. How many yards did Troy Hambrick have today? Oooh, Troy, you're a quarter of the way to a hundred. Awesome, baby, Awesome!"

For the record, 15 of his yards came on one carry. Asked about the one-yard per carry he averaged on the remaining 10 touches, Hambrick admitted: "Yeah. I've had better days."

And as FOXSports.com analyst Davis Moore noted Monday, the majority of big plays Dallas has made on offense this season have come on the play-action pass. When Hambrick is ineffective, there is no need to bite on the play-action and the Cowboys receivers don't have as much room to operate. Tampa Bay made that painfully clear last Sunday.

So do the team's receiving totals.

After one of the team's top three receivers -- Galloway, Terry Glenn or Antonio Bryant -- posted at least 100 receiving yards in each of the first six games, the three men combined for just over 50 yards last Sunday.

Place-kicker Billy Cundiff had his streak of 12 consecutive field goals broken with a 41-yard miss in the first quarter. He had not missed since a 53-yard try against the Giants in Week 2. Cundiff is 14-of-17 this season.

And finally. ...

The Cowboys on Wednesday placed center Gennaro DiNapoli on injured reserve with a severely sprained right ankle and signed running back Adrian Murrell to take his roster spot.

By Sunday afternoon, though, he was feeling about as bad as when the weekend started.

"Obviously, it wasn't the kind of comeback that I wanted," Kanell said of his first NFL start in nearly three years. "But the bottom line is it's a loss. I don't feel good about it now."

Kanell admitted he had lost a few pounds over the weekend while battling a stomach ailment and said his energy level wasn't as high as he wanted. But he refused to blame his performance on the illness.

"The flu did not affect my play at all," he said after Sunday's loss to Baltimore. "There are no excuses."

Through the first three quarters, despite failing to get Denver's offense into the end zone, he at least avoided the devastating turnover.

But with a little less than 10 minutes remaining, that changed as he threw late to Rod Smith and was intercepted by Ray Lewis.

"I didn't really see where he was," Kanell said of Lewis. "He made a pretty good break on the ball.

"You have to give him credit."

The Ravens scored four plays later to bump their lead to 16-6.

Kanell tossed his second pick about 5 minutes later, under-throwing the ball to Ashley Lelie under pressure.

The Ravens scored on the next play for the final margin of victory.

Despite Kanell's 33.5 passer rating (16-for-31, 114 yards), it was not all bad.

In fact, DeBruin suggested he showed some "Jake Plummer-like ability," rolling to his right and tiptoeing down the sideline to pick up 9 yards and a first down in the first half.

And he completed a few third- down passes in the second half.

But other times he looked like a guy who had been out of the NFL the past two years - toiling for the Newark Bears independent league baseball team and Arena Football League's New York Dragons.

He hurried some throws and missed on a few others. He also fumbled twice, the latter on a fourth-down sack late in the game.

Head coach Mike Shanahan, forced to go with his third-string quarterback because of injuries to Plummer and Steve Beuerlein, thought Kanell did OK under the circumstances.

"He hung in there. For a guy to come back and play the whole game like he did took courage," Shanahan said.

"He fought. He'd probably like to have a throw or two back, but I was pleased with his effort, just disappointed in our execution."

Whatever the case, Kanell will make his second start in a row when the Broncos take on the Patriots Monday night.

He'll have to play better. So will the entire offense, no matter what starters are missing.

"The season's only half over," Smith said. "This is where we have to make our move."

Other notes of interest. ...

When Smith caught a 6-yard pass from Kanell in the first quarter, he set a franchise record by catching a pass in his 69th consecutive game. Smith broke the record previously held by Ed McCaffrey. But Smith was hardly proud of the effort.

"I'd just like to apologize to our defense and our special teams," the veteran receiver said after the game. "Those guys played well enough for us to win. We didn't on offense, and somehow we've got to find a way to do it."

Clinton Portis remained the team's most consistent skill player. He caught six passes for 29 yards and rushed for 86 yards, despite the fact that Lewis always had an eye and a shoulder pad on him.

On the injury front. ...

McCaffrey was deactivated for the second straight week, and though coaches reported he was feeling better Monday, they really won't know for sure until he runs and practices on the knee.

Kanell sprained the index finger on his throwing hand, but X-rays were negative. He should be able to practice and start this week.

Reserve receiver Chris Cole was back running Monday but is still not able to cut on his sprained ankle. Until he does he will remain questionable. Backup fullback Reuben Droughns had an MRI on his neck Monday but it was negative so he will just receive treatment and probably won't miss any practice time.

Last Sunday against the Bears was no different.

On the Lions' second offensive series -- after they ran on every play before punting on their first possession -- four players dropped passes on consecutive passing plays.

The first drop was by running back Olandis Gary. Next came tight end Mikhael Ricks. He was followed by wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim. Finally, on a low throw by quarterback Joey Harrington, running back Shawn Bryson failed to come up with the ball.

What's a coach to do?

"You bench people and then where do you go?" Mariucci said. "The alternative is to get efficient and get it done better and get it done right.

"We had a very emotional week at practice after that last game. I can't bench everyone who makes a mistake, a dropped pass or a penalty, because there aren't a lot of alternatives. The players who are playing have to get it done and I believe they can and they will."

The frustration is growing among the players.

"Once again, penalties and dropped balls," said wide receiver Bill Schroeder, who wasn't guilty of any this week but was just as upset as his teammates. "We have to figure this out. It's getting really frustrating.

"You can see we're not quitting at the end, but we can't wait until the end of every game."

Scotty Anderson, who had one drop, along with four catches for 39 yards, said concentration is the key.

"You're going to drop balls," Anderson said. "You just can't drop them all the time.

"I believe a lot of it is just thinking about it. Worrying about it. But you can't do that. That's football."

Tight end Casey Fitzsimmons, who didn't have any drops -- one pass intended for him was underthrown -- said the receiving unit as a whole is guilty. He caught one pass for one yard.

"The balls just are not going our way sometimes," Fitzsimmons said. "We're going to try to get better and clean it up."

Anderson, who caught a two-point conversion to close Chicago's lead to 24-16 with 53 seconds left, agreed.

"We don't have the same fight," Anderson said, comparing the first half to the second. "At the end, we know we have to do something. In the beginning, it seems like we're just playing."

Anderson was at a loss to describe what the problem is early.

"We come out prepared to play," he said. "Things are just not going our way."

Not going their way?

Free Press columnist Drew Sharp might have been a bit closer to the truth when he suggested Monday: "The Lions already look like a team that can't wait for the season to end -- and we're not even halfway through."

The fact that rookie receiver Charles Rogers, who has missed the last two games with a broken collarbone, still leads the team in receiving yards (243) and touchdowns (3), and is tied with Bryson for the the team lead in receptions with 22, is a pretty good indication of just how bad things are.

There's still no firm timetable set for Rogers' return.

A few final notes here. ...

According to the Sporting News, Bryson was back as Detroit's primary ballcarrier and rushed 14 times for 67 yards. Gary had done most of the running in the previous two games, but he had just 18 yards on eight carries against the Bears.

And finally. ...

Harrington was 23-of-40 passing for 180 yards, 1 TD and 2 INTs in Chicago. His effort was probably sufficient to keep Mariucci from reconsidering his decision to leave him as the starter -- nor did it do much to solidify his hold on the job.

Favre's thumb remained in a split as the Packers returned from a bye week, and head coach Mike Sherman said he'll likely list Favre as probable on the injury report Wednesday.

Favre was able to grip the football and do some light tossing before practice.

"The swelling is down. He feels good and very optimistic, as is the doctor," Sherman said.

Favre played almost the entire game in the Packers' Oct. 19 loss at St. Louis with a hairline fracture under the thumbnail of his throwing hand.

The injury occurred on Favre's second pass, about five minutes into the first quarter. Favre initially feared his season was over when the bone break was diagnosed the day after the game.

Team physician Pat McKenzie gave the three-time league MVP assurances he would be able to continue, the recovery helped by the two-week break between games.

Favre, who has started a league record 181 straight regular-season games, watched backup Doug Pederson handle the first-team reps during practice.

At the end of practice, Favre joined teammates on the field for some running drills. He also didn't participate in two practices last week during the team's shortened work week.

Favre didn't speak to reporters after practice, but gave a thumb's up sign with his right thumb as he passed through the locker room.

Sherman plans to see how the thumb responds to a couple more days of rest before working Favre back into practice.

There's a chance Favre could be cleared to throw Wednesday, when preparations begin in earnest for the Vikings.

"We'll have to play that by ear," Sherman said. "I'm not going to jeopardize his ability to throw on Sunday by pushing him too early. We'll decide on that on Wednesday. ..."

In an article published last Saturday, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel staffer Lori Nickel noted that through the first seven games of the 2002 season, Donald Driver had 28 catches for 445 yards.

The bye week for the Packers last year fell on Week 8, just as it does this year.

Driver went on finish the second half of the season in a flurry, with 42 receptions and 619 yards in the final nine games.

This year, as the Packers' receiving corps had a multitude of injuries to start the season, Brett Favre has been passing slightly more to the running backs. Ahman Green is the team's leading receiver and Driver's numbers are lower compared with his debut as an NFL starter a year ago.

Though Driver has 26 catches (in six games played), he has just 273 yards and one touchdown. His average receiving yards per game has dropped from 64 at this time last year to 39.

That Driver is playing at all is somewhat incredible. After twisting awkwardly on a play in the season-opening loss to Minnesota, Driver was nearly motionless as he was hauled off the silenced Lambeau Field on a gurney. He was hospitalized for two days with a neck strain which caused him to wear a neck brace for eight days. He also had painful headaches for nine days due to his concussion.

Driver missed just one game, against Detroit, and was back at practice 10 days later. In his first game back, at Arizona, he caught two passes.

Offensive coordinator Tom Rossley said that Driver's comeback was tentative only for a short time. To get his hands back, Driver spent more time catching fast passes from the jug machine.

"It was a gradual comeback," Rossley said. "It just seemed like that first week of practice, he dropped more balls than he'd been dropping. I don't know whether it was just a focus, a concentration. I don't think it was a fear of (getting hit again). His concentration on the ball may have been distracted a little bit.

"As of late, now he's back, he's his old self. He's aggressive, attacking the ball again. He's catching and snagging the way he's always done. I think he's going to have a great second half."

If Driver has any aspirations of making the Pro Bowl again, he'll have to repeat his late production from a year ago. Last season, with 1,064 yards for a 12-4 team, the former seventh-round draft pick in 1999 became the lowest drafted Packer in 19 years to go to Hawaii. Driver was an injury replacement selection for the 2003 Pro Bowl.

Rossley said he's made an effort to throw longer passes downfield, which could benefit Driver -- if they work out.

"In the last game (against St. Louis), we called seven downfield throws, and sometimes you just don't get them when you call them," Rossley said. "The fact is, we threw for a high number (32 attempts) and other than the one interception on the screen, we weren't even close on an interception. Our No. 1 thing is to not turn it over."

In a couple of related notes. ...

Javon Walker hurt his right shoulder in practice last Tuesday, but X-rays revealed no damage and he returned to practice the following day. Walker damaged his right AC joint in a collision. "He had a collision with one of the defensive backs," receivers coach Ray Sherman said. "But he's going to be all right."

And as noted by the Sports XChange, Walker has made impressive catches in traffic of 25 and 26 yards in the last two games and still hasn't dropped any of the 36 passes thrown to him. He has 18 catches for 259 yards, a team-high 14.4-yard average and two touchdowns.

The Packers are shuffling Walker into the game on almost an equal basis with Driver and Robert Ferguson. Two weeks ago, Sherman estimated hat Driver played 40 to 50 snaps, Ferguson played about 40, Walker played about 30 and Antonio Freeman played eight to 10.

Sherman, who works from the sidelines, orchestrates the substitutions. Once Sherman hears the play called by Rossley, he determines if one of the players might be best suited to run a particular route. He also monitors the receivers' level of fatigue.

In the weeks ahead Sherman hopes to do a better job of equalizing playing time between Walker and Ferguson. Walker plays flanker, Ferguson plays split end and Driver plays both interchangeably.

"Any one of those guys can start," Sherman said. "They don't care who starts. They're all going to have to play because we've got to make this stretch run."

Also of interest. ...

In an article published Monday, Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei noted that after a slow start, Favre has come around. In his last few games, he's playing with his signature abandon and toughness.

Pompei added his history of overcoming obstacles makes it as likely as not his "broken thumb will only make him better." Favre always has been at his best late in the season. Eighteen of his 26 game-winning, fourth-quarter comebacks have come in November, December and January.

And finally. ...

Green was held out of practice last week in order to rest a sore ankle, but the former Husker is expected to start and play as usual this week. Reserve halfback Tony Fisher (groin) said he definitely would be available for the Vikings game.

"Fast forward to 2003, when Carr has been among the most well-protected quarterbacks in the NFL, and it's difficult to make rhyme or reason of the sight of him navigating the underbelly of Reliant Stadium on crutches."

Thompson went on to note that an MRI exam Monday turned out better than the original diagnosis of a high right ankle sprain, but Carr is still listed as doubtful for this weekend's game against Carolina, making it a near-certainty his string of 23 consecutive starts for the Texans will end.

"They believe it was just a regular ankle sprain instead of a high ankle sprain," said Carr, who was hurt last Sunday at Indianapolis. "On the MRI, you could see a lot of fluid, but they think that once the swelling goes down, they'll be able to tell more. The swelling is what is keeping me from doing anything as far as putting weight on it. The swelling should go down pretty soon."

Carr is not ruling out playing this Sunday, but a more realistic target date for a return to the starting lineup is Nov. 9 at Cincinnati.

"They're telling me it's day-to-day," Carr said. "But to me, day-to-day is as fast as humanly possible. The biggest things for me right now are prayer and ice. It feels better than it did (Sunday). A lot of people have called and told me they're praying for me to get back out there, and that's always a good thing.

"I'm trying to play this week. You know how I am. But if you ask [Texans head trainer] Kevin [Bastin] that, he'll probably just laugh at you. I definitely want to play this week, but I have to be smart about it. I want to be 100 percent when I come back. I'll be very, very surprised if I'm not back by the Cincinnati game."

Eight-year veteran Tony Banks will start against the Panthers, and rookie Dave Ragone will be the backup. The Texans will discuss the possibility of re-signing veteran Mike Quinn, their No. 3 quarterback in 2002 and the man Ragone beat out for a roster spot during training camp, but head coach Dom Capers said he was inclined to go into the game with two quarterbacks.

"Jabar Gaffney is our secret weapon," Capers said half-jokingly.

Gaffney, a receiver by trade, played quarterback in high school and has completed one of two passes for 39 yards and a touchdown on trick plays with the Texans. Obviously, Capers is hoping it doesn't come to that and putting his trust and his offense in the hands of Banks, who has started 75 career games, including eight with the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, a team that won the Super Bowl.

"Tony has played a lot of football, so he's been out there before," Capers said. "It helps if you get a full week of practice. We'll start out Wednesday with Tony taking most of the reps, and Dave Ragone will get the backup reps.

Banks, 30, has started games for three different teams during his career, but because Carr had been such an iron man, the Texans have called on the backup quarterback just three times in two years, all this season. Banks completed seven of 11 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown Sept. 21 against Kansas City, and he took two snaps Oct. 12 at Tennessee.

Sunday saw Banks get his most extensive action. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 88 yards against the Colts, and his only interception came on a desperation pass on the last play of the game. For the first time, Carr found himself watching on a television in the locker room.

"I can't remember the last time I missed a game because of an injury," Carr said. "It might have been elementary school or maybe high school. I don't know, but it's been awhile. I'm going to do everything I can to get back out there as soon as possible. ..."

For what it's worth, Sports Illustrated insider Peter King offered readers the following assessment Monday: "I think the more I see of David Carr, the more I like him. He plays valiantly, and he plays hurt, and he throws a beautiful spiral. Houston has a winner in Carr. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

In a column published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli cited an unnamed AFC personnel director as saying: "My scouts kept telling me last spring before the draft that tailback Domanick Davis could never hold up for a 16-game season. Maybe they'll be right, but that guy looks great right now. He's slashy, has some burst, makes things happen. The last two games he has a ton of yards and he and [Tony] Hollings give them something to build on."

Chronicle staffer Joseph Duarte reported on Monday that Davis packed away two souvenirs -- and one big regret -- as he left the visitors locker room last Sunday.

The rookie halfback scored his first two NFL touchdowns against the Colts and had his second straight 100-yard rushing performance.

But he'll remember a costly fumble near the end of the first half that sparked the Colts to a come-from-behind win.

"I got in the end zone twice, but to be honest with you I feel like I had a bad game because of the fumble," Davis said. "It was the turning point of the game. They told me to put it behind me, but it kind of hurt inside a little bit."

Despite the turnover, Davis has been remarkably effective since replacing Stacey Mack as the starter, rushing for 129 yards against the Jets and 109 yards on Sunday against the Colts.

Not bad for a fourth-round draft selection from LSU who missed most of training camp with a broken hand and entered the season as a third-down back behind Mack.

Davis had 136 total yards and a team-high seven receptions, marking the third straight game he has led the Texans in rushing and passes caught.

In his two starts, Davis has become the focus of the offense. He has accounted for 67 of the team's 115 offensive plays -- 58.2 percent -- during the last two weeks against the New York Jets and Indianapolis. His presence has boosted the Texans to 115.7 yards rushing per game through seven games.

Last year, the Texans averaged 84.2 yards per game, next-to-last in the NFL.

"I just have to try and make things happen," said Davis, who leads the team with 409 yards rushing. "If the offense keeps doing what they are doing, and the receivers do a heck of a job blocking. I give credit to them before I take credit for myself."

Center Steve McKinney is not yet ready to proclaim the running game fixed.

Both season-best rushing performances by the Texans have come against two of the league's worst run defenses. The Jets rank 30th in the league, allowing 153 yards on the ground per game. Indianapolis is 26th at 131 yards.

"As long as he keeps running like that, regardless of what kind of defenses we come across. ... The last two defenses we've played have not been the best in the league at stopping the run," McKinney said. "We're not tooting our own horn or thinking we're big stuff. We know we have to do it against some good run-stopping defenses."

One last note here. ...

War Room analyst Gary Horton noted last week that Houston's passing attack has plenty of sizzle, but it hasn't been harnessed yet.

Why?

Because the Texans' young receivers haven't yet figured out how to break down zone coverage. Horton went on to note: "Opponents are starting to realize this, so expect even the teams ahead on the schedule whose primary defense is man-to-man to throw some zone at Houston.

"That often will leave the middle open or expose a seam for [tight end Billy] Miller to exploit."

Edge ran for 104. And he was first to ask. Informed he had more than 100, the usual standard for success, he nodded his approval.

"Yeah, that's all that matters," James said, as Colts players took turns analyzing their victory over Houston at the RCA Dome.

"Any time you get over 100 yards, that's big. That means the offensive line is doing their job. Everybody is doing their job. We're pretty much balanced."

His last carry before Sunday was on Sept. 21, a 23-13 home victory over Jacksonville. Two fractured transverse process bones in the lower back sidelined the 1999 and 2000 NFL rushing champ for three games.

Finally, he was back, but the return was anything but routine. The yards didn't come until late.

James ran for 78 yards after halftime, 58 in the fourth quarter. That was after Peyton Manning had passed the Texans defense into disarray. At halftime, James had just 26 yards on 10 carries.

Perhaps that's why James wasn't the only one wondering about his final tally. Also asking were his blockers. Right guard Steve Sciullo and right tackle Adam Meadows expressed relief to learn that James got his 100. James averaged 4.5 yards on 23 carries.

"That's good," Sciullo said, as Meadows nodded.

Manning thought James didn't get 100, saying it was "too bad." It's one of the few times Manning was off all day. That's a good thing. A hot Manning means play-action passes. And that translates into holes for James.

By the fourth quarter, the Colts led 27-14. Manning had completed 19-of-25 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. When the Texans closed to 27-21, it was time for James to get busy.

"He was still in some pain, there is no question about it, but he's one of the toughest guys around," Manning said.

James ran the ball on six of seven plays for 47 yards, the exception a busted pass play that Manning salvaged for 3 yards. Dominic Rhodes spelled James and ripped off a 13-yard run on third-and-6 to get to the Texans 9. It was Rhodes' first action due to a sore knee since Sept. 28.

"Edge had that little bounce in his step," Rhodes said.

"I know a couple of times," Meadows said, "Edge hit those holes and he hit them as opposed to them hitting him."

James said his back "felt pretty good" after the game. The injury timetable was estimated at four-to-six weeks, and this was the fifth week, so he was more concerned with strength and stamina. A restless night didn't help. James couldn't eat or sleep and woke up feeling weak on Sunday morning.

"I probably slept one hour, my stomach was hurting and I stayed up all night," he said.

A steady intake of fluids pumped life into his body. Before the game, James pulled Rhodes aside and told his backup to stay ready. But Rhodes wasn't needed until nearly the end.

"I would have been disappointed if I didn't get 100," James said, "because there were opportunities."

In a related item. ...

James needed only three first-quarter carries to move past Eric Dickerson and become the third-leading rusher in Colts history.

James' third carry, a 7-yarder, pushed his career total to 5,195 yards. Dickerson rushed for 5,194 yards in his career with the Colts.

Still ahead of James are Lydell Mitchell (5,487) and Marshall Faulk (5,320).

James has 5,280 yards in his career.

Other notes of interest. ...

Place-kicker Mike Vanderjagt converted field goal attempts of 29 and 22 yards, the latter coming with 5:16 to play after James had rushed six times for 47 yards on the 67-yard drive.

Vanderjagt is 18-for-18 this season and without a miss in his past 22 field goal attempts dating to last season.

"Today was really the first time that I hit the ball like I'm supposed to," he said. "I've been banking them off the uprights and not hitting it real well, but it's a great start to the season, no question. ..."

As noted by Star-News reporter Phil Richards, another game, another 100-yard receiving day for Marvin Harrison.

The Colts' four-time Pro Bowl receiver led the team with eight receptions for 100 yards. It marked his fourth consecutive game with at least 100 yards and extended his club record to 44.

Prior to Sunday's outing, Harrison had six receptions for 158 yards and three touchdowns at New Orleans, 11 receptions for 176 yards and two TDs at Tampa Bay and eight receptions for 119 yards against Carolina.

Reggie Wayne came up with six catches for 96 yards and two touchdowns against the Texans. Although it was only the second time this season Wayne has pulled in more than four passes, his progress is certainly encouraging.

In a related note. ...

FOXSports.com analyst David Moore noted on Monday that Wayne is a better receiver at home than he is on the road. Wayne has caught 20 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns in his last three games at the RCA Dome.

On the injury front. ...

According to the Sports XChange, Ricky Williams is expected back at practice on Wednesday or Thursday after missing the Houston game with an ankle sprain. He suffered the injury two weeks earlier against Carolina.

Fellow halfback James Mungro's return to the practice field is still to be determined. Mungro underwent surgery two weeks ago to repair cartilage damage in his knee. He was injured at Tampa Bay three weeks ago.

And finally. ...

According to the Sporting News, head coach Tony Dungy said he expects Dallas Clark to play this week. The rookie tight end was held out against the Texans due to a sore hamstring.

Leftwich's fourth career start at quarterback for the Jaguars was one he would like to forget, thanks in large part to relentless pressure applied by the Titans' veteran defense.

Pushed by the Titans at every turn, Leftwich was intercepted three times -- giving him nine interceptions in four starts -- and threw for just 158 yards before being pulled for David Garrard in the fourth quarter of the a 30-17 loss.

Tennessee converted Leftwich's three turnovers into 17 points.

"They have some great players," Leftwich said after the Jaguars fell to 1-6, including 1-3 in his four starts. "When you play teams like that, they're not going to try to trick you. They just do what they do well and let their players make plays."

Leftwich was sacked just once but rarely had much time to throw. He also injured his left ankle on a sandwich hit by Tennessee defensive ends Jevon Kearse and Kevin Carter that resulted in an interception by Robaire Smith.

Leftwich's long day was no surprise to his teammates.

"You've got to understand that he's a rookie," Jimmy Smith said. "He hasn't seen a lot of this stuff. He's got to see it, and the next time it won't happen again. He's got to go through the growing pains."

Head coach Jack Del Rio wasn't as understanding, at least publicly, when asked about Leftwich.

"His performance wasn't enough to win," Del Rio said. "I'll evaluate and have more to say once I've looked at the tape."

The Jaguars' biggest concern about Leftwich is his penchant for turnovers. As well as the nine interceptions, he also has lost two fumbles in his four starts.

Leftwich said he shares the Jaguars' concern about his turnover total.

"Turnovers have been our problem all year," he said. "We've been giving opposing defenses a lot of chances. It's very disappointing. Things just are not going our way."

But Leftwich, the Jaguars' most recent No. 1 draft pick, isn't making enough mistakes to shake his teammates' faith in him.

"We're all going to go through it with [Leftwich], because he's our guy," Smith said. "I've got all the confidence in the world in No. 7."

For what it's worth, Leftwich suffered an ankle injury when he was sandwiched by two Titans in the third period, but didn't miss a snap until he was pulled at the end for Garrard. The Jaguars think he'll be ready for Sunday's game at Baltimore.

Also of interest. ...

Mark Brunell, who was inactive Sunday against Tennessee because he's recovering from elbow surgery, is supposed to be cleared to return to the facility Thursday but is still two to four weeks away from playing.

And finally. ...

The Jaguars put J.J. Stokes in uniform for the first time in three games. Stokes' spot on the inactive list was taken by fellow wideout Matthew Hatchette.

The Chiefs, the NFL's only remaining unbeaten team, joined that exclusive 8-0 club with Sunday night's one-sided drubbing the Bills at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs were sharp offensively in the first half when they rolled up 277 yards in building a 28-5 lead. Their defense was in a frenzy all night, forcing seven turnovers and sacking quarterback Drew Bledsoe three times.

They have some work to do before getting the Super Bowl bid, but the win was a major step toward a division title. They moved three full games ahead of their closest pursuers, the Denver Broncos.

Teicher went on to suggest the Chiefs' unbeaten record won't be challenged until Nov. 9, when they play Cleveland at Arrowhead Stadium. The 3-5 Browns also have a bye this weekend.

The next four games will be played against teams with losing records, meaning the Chiefs have a significant chance to start at least 12-0.

But despite the history of the Chiefs' 8-0 predecessors, Vermeil wasn't ready to call his team the AFC favorite.

"We've done a lot of things good football teams have to do," Vermeil said. "Chances are we're a playoff team. That doesn't mean we're going to be a Super Bowl team. We've got to be better than we were in the second half to be a Super Bowl team.

"It shows this is a solid organization and we're doing more things right than wrong and we're a little bit lucky. At least tonight's game wasn't a good-fortune win. We pretty much won the football game.

"I love the way we played. We played with real passion, a real level of fun and intensity and pressure."

Another factor working in the team's favor has been been injuries. There just haven't been any.

As Associated Press sports writer Doug Tucker noted on Monday, since their season opening win over the Chargers, not one starter has missed even one game. In addition, Priest Holmes seems almost 100 percent following offseason hip surgery that had him on crutches in the spring.

Scoring three touchdowns against the Bills, Holmes looked sharper and quicker than he had all year.

In appreciation of this bit of good luck, Vermeil surprised trainer Dave Kendall and his staff with a game ball on Sunday night.

"Those guys work hard, they're in here at 6 in the morning and leave at 7 at night, if not later," Vermeil said. "The least we can do is show our respect for what they do."

How healthy are the Chiefs?

Some players wished they could just skip the bye week and not take a chance on losing the momentum that seemed to crest with the dominating victory over Buffalo.

Vermeil also gave his unbeaten players an extra reward and canceled plans to have them come in for meetings all day on Wednesday. Instead, everybody is free until they report to work next Monday.

Giving a team an entire week off is something Vermeil's never done in his coaching career. But he's never been 8-0, either.

"They conned me out of the Wednesday work," he said with a grin. "But I trust them to do what they know they should do. It's the first time I've done it. But I'm enjoying doing some things for the first time."

Also of interest. ...

In naming him his Player of the Week, Sports Illustrated insider Peter King wrote: "Trent Green was impressive enough in leading the Chiefs to a 38-5 win over Buffalo, but it was his non-throwing skills that were just awesome. It was a block by Green, who leveled a Bills cornerback, that made Priest Holmes' final touchdown run of the game possible. There aren't five guys in this league I admire more than Trent Green, especially when I consider everything he's been through."

One last item heading into the bye week. ...

SportsLine.com senior writer Jay Glazer reports that nine current NFL players -- including Chiefs wide receiver Johnnie Morton -- have been subpoenaed to testify in the government's probe of Victor Conte, creator of the "designer steroid" THG.

Glazer added that some of the nine players were tested by the NFL for the designer steroid in question, THG (or tetrahydrogestrinone), marking the first wave of players to be tested for the previously untested product. It is unclear if the results have been returned, but the league says any positive test would result in a four-game suspension.

The league began testing the players for THG after they received word from the government that 10 (the above-mentioned nine current players and a former player ) of their players would be asked to participate in the government's probe.

"All I've done is get subpoenaed," Morton told Glazer when asked about the situation. "I'm not going in like I'm in trouble. I'm just a witness. All of us are going in are witnesses. I was called in for a witness for the IRS. That's it.

"I've done nothing wrong. Remember, he has a legitimate business, and I've used his supplements, but that's it."

The designer steroid flap burst open when Conte was accused by an anonymous track coach of supplying athletes with THG. Conte has denied he is the source of the previously undetectable drug.

I'll have further details on this story when Late-Breaking Updates officially commence shortly after midnight (pacific time) tonight.

According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel staff writer Michael Cunningham, head coach Dave Wannstedt is likely to spend considerable time this week trying to diffuse a quarterback controversy after the Dolphins had their best offensive performance of the season with Brian Griese under center.

Griese was 20-of-29 for 192 yards and had three touchdowns with no interceptions as the Dolphins beat the Chargers Monday night in Arizona.

Wannstedt said he would wait and see how Jay Fiedler recovers from a sprained left knee and then review the game tape before making a decision on the quarterback. Fiedler said the knee "jerked" on him when he tried to run full speed before the game, so he was available only as the emergency No. 3 quarterback.

"[Griese] made quick decisions and got the ball out there quick," Wannstedt said. "He was accurate."

Griese was working Monday against the Chargers, who have one of the worst defenses in the league, and also got plenty of help from his defense.

But Griese also was playing in his first game since Dec. 22, when he played for the Broncos against Oakland. And Griese participated in just one mini-camp for the Dolphins, then missed most of the exhibition season with a sprained left toe, which put him further behind.

With all of that in context, Griese was sharper than Fiedler has been this season as the Dolphins' offense was nearly flawless in the first half.

"I felt pretty comfortable out there," Griese said. "[Coordinator] Norv Turner did a good job calling some pass plays on first down to take advantage of some of the coverages they were playing."

Griese's biggest play of the night was on a 49-yard pass to Chris Chambers to the San Diego 16 in the second quarter. Chambers was wide open, apparently on a busted coverage, but it was the kind of opportunity that Fiedler has missed this season.

Griese hit Chambers in stride down the left hashmark, and then two plays later hit tight end Randy McMichael for a 7-yard touchdown.

Griese started fast and never really stopped as the Dolphins raced to a 24-3 lead then cruised to the victory.

On the Dolphins' second play, Griese threw a 5-yard touchdown to Chambers, a score that was set up by Patrick Surtain's interception return to the Chargers' 6. Griese is the first Dolphins player to throw a touchdown on his first attempt since running back Terry Kirby threw to Irving Fryar against New England in 1995.

"It might have been one of the easiest touchdowns of my career," Griese said.

Griese completed his first six passes, finally throwing an incomplete pass early in the second quarter. On that drive, which ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass to James McKnight, Griese completed 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards.

By the end of the first half, Griese had completed 13 of 14 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns for a 149.4 quarterback rating.

For what it's worth, Miami Herald staffer Armando Salguero reminded readers Tuesday morning there's no guarantee Fiedler will recover in time for Sunday's game.

"Oh, no, definitely not," said agent Brian Levy, who represents Fiedler. "It'll be based on his ability to heal. It's really a two-week injury, and next week would be two weeks. It just depends on how he heals day to day."

For the record, Wannstedt was expected to name a starter after Wednesday's practice, but a swollen thumb on Griese's throwing hand could delay that decision; check Late-Breaking Updates for more.

In a related note. ...

SportsLine.com insider Jay Glazer suggested on Sunday that if Griese came up big against the Chargers -- which he undeniably did, it could spell a difficult road ahead for Fiedler. Judging by the terms of his contract, a bonus coming this offseason could prevent the Dolphins from keeping him aboard under the current rate.

According to Glazer, the Dolphins must pick up a $2 million option bonus on Fiedler by April 15 or release him to prevent the hit. In addition, his salary for 2004 jumps to $3.7 million.

Miami protected itself with the structure. If Fiedler didn't play lights-out, they have sufficient cap reasons to release or redo him. If he suddenly turned into a Pro Bowl quarterback, they would have him at a rate Fiedler and the team would likely find quite acceptable.

Also of interest. ...

Return man Charlie Rogers has lost his job and might be fighting for his roster spot. The Dolphins replaced Rogers as both the punt and kickoff returner Monday night, a move prompted by weeks of frustration over the team's inability to make a game-changing play on special teams.

Travis Minor and Sam Simmons replaced Rogers, who was averaging 22.1 yards per kick return, as Miami's primary kick returner. Minor's first return was 25 yards. Simmons took over for Rogers as the punt returner.

"Of course I'm a little upset," Rogers said. "I'm competitive, too. I think what happens next is up in the air, and I hope I can get back in the mix. But that's not my call."

And finally. ...

Fullback Rob Konrad re-aggravated the right knee contusion he has had the past three weeks and No. 2 tight end Donald Lee had a left ankle injury. Both men finished the game despite their injuries.

That will change Sunday night against Green Bay. Kelly Campbell will return from a calf injury and D'Wayne Bates' tender hamstring should be closer to 100 percent.

Running back Michael Bennett also is expected to make his season debut. He'll probably get only two or three carries, but will add speed to an inconsistent running game.

"This will be the most healthy we've been offensively maybe since Bates' [foot] injury [in the second game]," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said Monday. "One week, you're concerned about your receiver depth. The next week, you have the potential of having five really healthy receivers."

The Vikings missed Campbell's speed. In six games, he has four receptions of 47 yards or more and touchdown catches of 72 and 47 yards.

Rookie Keenan Howry, who was drafted in the seventh round to return punts, replaced Campbell when the Vikings used three receivers. He had two catches for 15 yards.

"We miss all of our injured players, but Kelly's speed is something we count on," Linehan said. "He would have had some pretty good looks [Sunday], some deep balls. As soon as they figured out he wasn't in the game, they played us a little bit different than they probably would have."

Howry was partly responsible for a Daunte Culpepper interception that the Giants converted into a 12-point lead late in the fourth quarter.

Howry cut his route short. Defensive back Frank Walker didn't break from his backpedal, probably because Howry isn't a deep threat, and was able to step in front of the pass.

Bates, who missed the previous four games, played only the final series of the game. Linehan expects him to play more against the Packers, but said Bates will be brought back slowly as the fourth receiver behind Randy Moss, Nate Burleson and Campbell.

Also of interest. ...

The Vikings waived kickoff specialist Jose Cortez on Tuesday. Cortez was signed Oct. 17 to relieve Aaron Elling of his kickoff duties while the rookie recovered from back spasms. Elling continued to handle field goals and extra points, and he was healthy enough this week for the Vikings to let go of Cortez.

Now the team's tailbacks must adapt to the cold weather phase of the campaign, when an effective running game is a must. The Patriots have four home games left, including three in December. The second half of the season kicks off on Monday night against the Broncos in Denver.

Head coach Bill Belichick said on Monday that his opponent's strengths and game-day conditions dictate how he deploys his backs.

Since veteran free agent Mike Cloud came off his four-game suspension, Belichick has rotated his backs. Kevin Faulk was inactive for the Tennessee game when Antowain Smith (80 yards) and Cloud (73) combined for 153 yards. Faulk came back the next week and rushed for 87 yards against the Giants. Smith sat out consecutive games against the Giants and Dolphins and Cloud was inactive for the Browns game.

"All three backs have been productive for us this year and they will continue to be," Belichick said. "How they are used from game to game is situational and could vary and I'm sure it will.

"It changes from game to game. Sometimes we have players go in for certain downs and distances and other times with certain personnel groups. Sometimes it's just by series or to be in the flow of the game and not necessarily a set formula. It's based on what we think will be our best combinations for that particular week."

Faulk enjoyed career highs for carries and yards in Sunday's 9-3 victory over the Browns. Faulk rushed the ball 23 times for 96 yards (4.2-yard average) with a long of 14.

The Patriots haven't had a 100-yard rusher since Smith gained 111 at Buffalo on Nov. 3, 2002. Nobody had eclipsed 90 since that game until Faulk's performance against the Browns. The real significance of Faulk's effort was that it came against a Browns defense rated second in the NFL in the red zone and third overall in the AFC.

"They are a team that is real physical up front and they have some pretty good defensive ends up there that are playing well with Warren in the middle," left tackle Matt Light said. "That was a team that stunts a lot and sometimes you can stunt yourself out of plays. You win some and you lose some when you stunt like that. But they mixed it up, they threw a lot of things at us and one of them was obviously the line stunts.

"Bottom line is Kevin ran the ball well."

The Patriots' offensive line has found its continuity since the season-ending injury to veteran guard Mike Compton in Week 2 in Philadelphia. Damien Woody went from center to Compton's slot at left guard next to Light. Rookie center Dan Koppen has gotten better each week. Joe Andruzzi has been steady at right guard and Tom Ashworth appears to have beaten out Adrian Klemm at right tackle.

"I think our run blocking is better than it's been," Belichick said. "I don't think it's perfect by any stretch, but it's better than it's been and we are doing a better job on combination blocking and we are having more consistency in the running game overall."

Also of interest. ...

Tom Brady's current streak of 132 passes without an interception is the second longest of his career. During the Patriots' 4-0 October, Brady did not throw a single interception. It was the first time since 1978 that New England went undefeated in October and only a year after ending the month a winless 0-3.

Drew Bledsoe holds the franchise record for consecutive passes without an interception at 179. Brady's personal best was 163 in 2000-2001. ...

Place-kicker Adam Vinatieri booted three field goals against Cleveland, which gives him 52 points through eight games. That puts him on pace to score 100 points for the eighth straight season.

The only other player to accomplish that feat in his first eight seasons in the league is Denver's Jason Elam, who has actually done it in each of his 10 seasons. Vinatieri's 857 points puts him 273 behind Gino Cappelletti for the franchise record. Cappelletti was a kicker and wideout for the team from 1960-1970.

And finally. ...

As reported by the Sporting News, Daniel Graham had a breakthrough game today, catching seven passes for 110 yards. Graham received extra playing time because Christian Fauria was sidelined with a knee injury. If healthy, Fauria will remain the starter. However, based on his effort against the Browns, Graham could easily out-produce him over the rest of the year.

He completed 20 of 33 passes for 187 yards with two TDs. Brooks, however, threw an interception deep in Panthers territory and was sacked three times.

Deuce McAllister ran for 101 yards and tied the club record with his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game. But they were tough yards as he averaged just 3.9 yards a carry with a long run of 13 yards.

And as Baton Rouge Advocate correspondent Les East noted Tuesday, Jim Haslett said Sunday's overtime loss was his most heartbreaking defeat in four seasons as the team's head coach.

"It's because of the way it happened; that's a tough loss," Haslett said at his weekly news conference.

"I will deal with it. The team will deal with it. We will be all right. Our guys will fight through it.

"It is hard mentally. It was a physically hard-fought game. I know everybody was tired, beat up and sore. Mentally that is a draining game because you played well enough to win. You played hard. They did a lot of good things. They had a lot of big plays. Our guys have to be resilient."

Haslett said he had no regrets about two pivotal decisions made in overtime.

First he decided to go for fourth-and-1 at the Carolina 37 rather than punt or try a 54-yard field goal with John Carney.

Then he chose to run the ball inside with McAllister, who gained 101 yards but was stopped for a loss of one and fumbled when defensive end Julius Peppers avoided an attempted block by tight end Ernie Conwell and blasted McAllister in the backfield.

Moments later the Panthers won on John Kasay's 31-yard field goal.

"You always second-guess yourself," Haslett said. "When you look at it on film, it is a good call. If one more guy does his job, then you are probably sitting here even. There were really four options. One was to punt it. I thought at the time our defense was getting tired and we were on the field a long time. I didn't think that was a great option.

"The other was to kick a 54-yard field goal. John will tell you that his chances are 50-50. He is better on the left hash than he is on the right rash, so his chances go down a little bit.

"The other was to run a [bootleg] to [Brooks]. Again, that is 50-50. You run a [bootleg] and then all of a sudden you have someone staring at him. The best thing to do is to put it in your best player's hands."

Aside from the fourth-and-1 failure, there were several other crucial plays, any of which could have changed the outcome had it turned out differently.

Brooks lost a fumble and threw an interception, leading to 10 Carolina points.

Rookie receiver Talman Gardner dropped a third-down pass that would have kept alive a Saints drive when they were leading midway through the fourth quarter. After the subsequent punt, the Panthers drove for a go-ahead touchdown.

"It was a physical game," Haslett said. "The hitting was tremendous on all three phases. What it really boiled down to was a few crucial errors on either side, 10 guys doing something right and one guy doing something wrong. It was only about four or five plays on each side of the ball. ..."

Gardner made his first NFL start when the Saints opened in a three-wide receiver formation. Gardner was active because Donte' Stallworth was sidelined by a strained quadriceps and Michael Lewis was limited to kick returns because of a sore groin.

Haslett said reserve running back James Fenderson will miss a couple of weeks because of a sprained ligament in his foot. The coach won't know until later in the week whether Stallworth, who he says wasn't close to being ready to go last Sunday, will return to action this week.

Joe Horn fought through a sore knee to continue his climb up the team's statistical charts.

He caught six passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns against Carolina, tying Danny Abramowicz for second place in career catches (309).

Horn suffered a bruised left knee on his first touchdown, but continued to play. He also continued his week-long silence, refusing to talk to reporters as he has done ever since a 45-17 victory at Atlanta on Oct. 19.

"I know he definitely wants to win, but he sees this as a stat game, no doubt about it," the Jets strong safety said on Monday when asked about his former teammate. "I don't talk to him anymore, but anybody who's a great player would (think that way)."

The Jets can't stop the run. In their 24-17 loss to the Eagles, they surrendered 194 yards on the ground, an average of 6.1 per carry. They missed a season-high 12 tackles, according to the coaches' film review.

"Bad ball," Garnes said. "You're not going to beat anybody playing the run like that."

In the last two games, the Jets have missed an astounding 20 tackles, a recurrence of the problem that plagued them early last season.

The Jets have turned pedestrian running backs into stars for a day. In recent weeks, they've been burned by the Eagles' Correll Buckhalter (100 yards), the Texans' Domanick Davis (129) and the Cowboys' Troy Hambrick (127).

Despite a somewhat pedestrian 20-carry, 75-yard effort against the Vikings, Barber became the Giants' all-time all-purpose yardage leader, surpassing Hall of Famer Frank Gifford (1952-60, 1962-64). Barber now has 9,890 total all-purpose yards; Gifford had 9,868.

Other notes of interest. ...

According to the Sports XChange, New York's passing attack earned passing grades with their effort against the Vikings. Kerry Collins completed 23 of 39 passes for 375 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikes. He was intercepted only once, making it 10 for the season, but he did start throwing downfield again after a three-game hiatus.

Ike Hilliard had nine receptions for 100 yards and both of Collins' TD passes.

The line, makeshift and complete with rookies and free agents, gave Collins sufficient time to throw.

Jeremy Shockey made three spectacular catches, finishing the game with 81 yards; Amani Toomer had three as well for 96 yards.

Collins is now on pace to toss 670 passes in 2003. The league record is 691 attempts, set by Drew Bledsoe in 1994, while playing for New England. If head coach Fassel is to pull off another miracle, he might need every one of those 670 attempts.

Hilliard currently has 40 receptions for 417 yards and five TDs through seven games; his career highs are 72 receptions (1999) and eight TDs (2000), both clearly within striking distance.

And finally. ...

As FOXSports insider John Czarnecki noted Tuesday, Shockey doesn't practice because of a bruised foot, but on game days he still runs like a bull. He ran over three Vikings on one 46-yarder last Sunday.

While he led the Jets on one touchdown drive in his return to the field Sunday, he threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter that the Eagles turned into the game-winning touchdown drive. Overall, it was a mixed day for the quarterback.

"It's painful, because we had the momentum and it gave them a little bit of life, because they were just about ready to fold the tent," Pennington said Monday. "We could have stuck the dagger in their heart and we didn't."

Pennington missed nine weeks after breaking his left wrist Aug. 23 in a preseason game against the New York Giants. Last week, head coach Herman Edwards unveiled a unique but risky plan to play Pennington against the Eagles.

Vinny Testaverde started the game and led the Jets to 10 points on three possessions. Even though Testaverde was playing well, Edwards put Pennington in with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter, trailing 14-10.

On his first drive, he took the Jets from their 8-yard line down to the Eagles 20 before Santana Moss fumbled the ball away. But Pennington was on target, completing five of seven passes.

After an interception by Aaron Beasley, Pennington led a seven-play drive that ended when LaMont Jordan scored on a 4-yard run just before the end of the third quarter to put New York ahead 17-14. They had the momentum, but Pennington underthrew Moss and Michael Lewis came up with the interception.

"You can't blame Chad. Chad did not lose the game by any stretch of the imagination," Edwards said. "It's all of us. We didn't execute well enough in the fourth quarter."

A Szulszteyn pointed out, that's a bit of an an understatement. Edwards admitted after the game Pennington looked rusty, he cannot shoulder all the blame.

Pennington will start against the Giants and expects to play better. The Jets are desperate for a win after dropping to 2-5.

Last season, they had the same record before Pennington engineered a turnaround that led to an AFC East title.

"I always think I can play better whether we win or lose," Pennington said. "We had the Eagles right where we wanted them and we couldn't finish. That's something that we've got to do down the stretch if we expect to make the playoffs."

Also of interest. ...

After missing Week 7 with a back injury and migraine headaches, Wayne Chrebet was back in uniform last Sunday.

Chrebet didn't start against the Eagles -- Curtis Conway remained the starting split end -- but he was used in three-receiver formations. He made two key catches in the first quarter for 35 yards. The latter was a 17-yard grab on a third-and-11 play.

But according to New York Daily News beat man Rich Cimini, Moss has clearly emerged as the Jets' No. 1 wideout.

"All of a sudden, he's starting to gain a lot of confidence in himself," Edwards said.

I'll have further details on this story when Late-Breaking Updates officially commence shortly after midnight (pacific time) tonight.

According to ESPN, Rich Gannon has a torn labrum in his right shoulder and will be out two or three weeks. Gannon injured the shoulder on a hit by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Shawn Barber a week ago Monday.

And according to Associated Press sports writer Janie McCauley, Marques Tuiasosopo is taking snaps with Oakland's first-team offense, and Gannon hasn't thrown a pass since going down in last Monday night.

Still, the Raiders won't say how badly Gannon is hurt -- despite reports the quarterback has a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that could sideline him for several weeks.

"I'll wait until Wednesday to announce it," head coach Bill Callahan said Monday. "We got a lot of good work with Tuiasosopo today. I have a pretty good feel (about Gannon's health), but again I want to give Rich until Wednesday. He is a quick healer. We'll see at that point if he's capable of throwing, if his motion is functional or not."

A quarterback not named Gannon last started a game for the Raiders in 1998, when Wade Wilson opened against the Chiefs in the regular-season finale Dec. 26. Jeff George and Donald Hollas also played quarterback for the Raiders in that game.

Gannon arrived before the 1999 season and has started 78 straight regular-season and postseason games to this point. His consecutive-games streak is the third-longest active streak among NFL quarterbacks, behind only the Green Bay Packers' Brett Favre and the Indianapolis Colts' Peyton Manning.

I'll also advise you that in an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli quoted an unnamed NFL executive as saying: "Just a whisper, and you never know if guys in Oakland are being straight with you, but it could be that Gannon ends up having shoulder surgery, because he definitely has a tear in there."

And in a couple of related notes. ...

Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei suggested Monday that it looks like Tuiasosopo might give the team a nice lift as Gannon's replacement.

Pompei added that Tuiasosopo "wasn't as prepared [to come off the bench against the Chiefs] as he could have been, however. Gannon dominates Raiders practices by taking all the reps because he feels he needs them. Unfortunately, that leaves none for the backups."

And as Pasquarelli put it last Friday: "An excellent athlete, Tuiasosopo allowed his natural abilities to take over against the Chiefs, demonstrated poise in the huddle, and playmaker potential. But the current staff isn't nearly as sold on Tuiasosopo as was the previous one, and that's why the next couple weeks could serve as a key testing ground.

"Remember, coach Bill Callahan didn't draft Tuiasosopo, he inherited him. It was former coach Jon Gruden who really championed the selection of the former University of Washington star in the 2001 draft.

"So the youngster has something to prove to Raiders coaches and team officials when he gets his first start in place of the ailing Gannon. If he doesn't impress during his audition, Oakland probably will make some sort of change for 2004, and might consider acquiring Kurt Warner, Mark Brunell or Drew Henson. ..."

For what it's worth, War Room analyst Gary Horton offered the following take last week: "Tuiasosopo is a lot like a younger Gannon -- but with a stronger arm. If Gannon is out for any length of time after this week's bye, the Raiders seriously might consider sitting him even after he is healthy."

Also of interest. ...

According to Oakland Tribune staff writer Bill Soliday, Teyo Johnson will take over as the starting tight end when Oakland hits the field this weekend. Johnson got the word from tight ends coach Jay Norvell as he was leaving the field following a brief Monday morning workout.

"The hair kind of stood up on the back of my neck," Johnson said. "I figure it's a great landmark in my career so far. It's a big step."

However, he said, it comes with a qualifier.

"It's not set in stone that I am going to be the starter the rest of the season," he said. "I have to put a lot of productivity out there. I still think my mistakes will be magnified because I am inexperienced, so I have to go out there and play mature, play smart and do all the little things.

"I can't take the approach I've got to go out there and make big things happen. Instead, I need to go out and be solid, be penalty-free."

Johnson was drafted in the second round out of Stanford, where he played wide receiver.

"Playing college ball seems like years ago now," he said.

His transformation to tight end involves more blocking.

"Eighty percent of blocking is effort and aggressiveness," Johnson said. "I think I have that. My techniques aren't always the best, but I get things accomplished just because I am trying hard."

The move means Doug Jolley will come off the bench. Asked about his status, Jolley said, "I am just going out and practicing and letting the coaches make the decision. It's not mine to worry about."

And finally. ...

Two Oakland players confirmed Monday they were subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating a lab that supplies elite athletes with nutritional supplements.

Defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield said he was subpoenaed "a while ago," but doesn't know exactly when he will be in court. Running back Tyrone Wheatley also said he was subpoenaed in the case involving Victor Conte, creator of the "designer steroid" THG.

But in a column published Monday, Sports Illustrated insider Peter King wondered: "Could it be as simple as Donovan McNabb just taking some tape off his thumb? I don't think so, but the second-most accurate day of his career resulted in a clutch win over the Jets."

And of course, it was more than the tape.

As Brookover put it: "The running-back rotation was forced to make a change in the middle of the game when Brian Westbrook departed with a high ankle sprain, but Correll Buckhalter and Duce Staley kept churning out the yards.

"Wide receivers actually made big catches at critical times.

"Yes, the Eagles' offense did something yesterday that it really hadn't done all season.

"It worked."

The Eagles compiled 306 yards against the New York Jets and came through with a critical fourth-quarter touchdown that provided a victory at Lincoln Financial Field.

"This was right up there," head coach Andy Reid said when asked whether it was his team's best offensive performance of the season. "There are plenty of things to improve on. We have to be better than that, with some of those turnovers."

It was a huge step in the right direction for a team that went into Week 8 ranked last in the NFL in total yards and total passing yards as well as 30th (among 32 teams) in points.

"You hear that cliche that you don't want to peak too early, and we definitely didn't do that," said receiver Freddie Mitchell, who contributed two first-down catches on third-down plays. "We can only go to the top from here."

You could say it all started with the quarterback, but that's not entirely true.

It actually started with Buckhalter, the running back listed first on the Eagles' depth chart who had been third on the team's use chart through six games.

Buckhalter finished the afternoon with 15 carries and the second 100-yard rushing day of his career. He gained exactly 100 yards after entering the game with just 99 yards on 29 carries for the season.

"I don't expect anything," Buckhalter said. "I just take my opportunities. It's not a matter of expecting anything. It's just a matter of when you get the ball in your hands, you take advantage of it."

He did exactly that on the Eagles' first two drives.

After Vinny Testaverde led the Jets to a field goal on the first drive of the game, the Eagles countered with a 53-yard touchdown drive that included three McNabb completions for 27 yards and three Buckhalter runs for 13 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown.

For the game, Philadelphia converted six of 11 third-down plays.

"Converting third downs was huge," Mitchell said. "When you keep Donovan on the field, he's a beast."

By this season's standards, McNabb's performance was a beauty. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown and ran twice for 18 yards, including a 10-yard run for a first down on the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. His 85.6 passer rating was his best of the season.

"I've always said that. ... We knew what we were capable of doing," McNabb said. "Today was just a little bit of a sign of the kind of offense that we have. I know in the last couple of weeks we weren't able to display a lot of things that we're capable of doing. Hopefully, we can feed off this and improve as the weeks go on."

Sure they can. But they can't change the fact that McNabb heads into November without a touchdown pass to a wide receiver, prompting King to note: "That's like Kerry Wood entering June without a strikeout."

Also of interest. ...

According to the team's official web site, Westbrook has officially been ruled out this weekend. Buckhalter and Staley will share the workload in his absence.

The surprise was that Cowher said his coaches -- and he likely meant offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey and defensive coordinator Tim Lewis -- may be just as guilty of losing their aggressiveness because they fear making a mistake.

The Steelers, off to their worst start in Cowher's 12 seasons as coach, have been outscored 113-61 during their longest losing streak since a six-game run in 1999. They also have lost five of six, allowing 30 or more points in all but one loss.

Following Sunday's home loss St. Louis, a perplexed Plaxico Burress complained that the play-calling has become so predictable that opposing defenses realize almost immediately what the Steelers plan to do.

Cowher normally would dismiss such a suggestion, but didn't this time.

"You have to be careful that you are not trying to worry about making the perfect call," Cowher said. "You start to worry about things like that instead of attacking an offense or a defense. You have to be careful that you are not more concerned with what you are not able to do. (If you do), you start to get into a very tentative mode from a play-calling standpoint."

Coaches ask players to be loose, play aggressive and take chances, Cowher said, but sometimes aren't as aggressive in the way they approach their own jobs.

Burress' comments may have bothered some coaches, but Cowher pointed out to his staff that the players -- not the assistant coaches -- usually get most of the post-game blame for poor performances.

"With the players, after a game, there is frustration and a lot of disappointment," Cowher said. "Some of the questions being asked of them are very difficult to answer. The assistant coaches don't have to go through that. ... On an off day, we're in here in our own little world coaching. But they (the players) are out there dealing with the feelings of the public which, at this point, are a lot of the same frustration and disappointment."

Asked if the Steelers' season has reached the desperation stage, Cowher said, "I certainly believe desperate is not a bad word. We need to start playing that way."

Also of interest. ...

Tommy Maddox continues to decline, and it's not all the fault of a makeshift offensive line.

As noted by the Sports XChange, Maddox had his second-worst passer rating of the season, a 45.7, while throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions against St. Louis last Sunday. He has dropped to a 71.2 passer rating and has fallen under 60 percent completions for the first time.

Charlie Batch lingers behind him, but there's no evidence Cowher is about to change quarterbacks. Maddox leads the AFC with 11 interceptions and is just one from tying for the league lead.

The Steelers were 1-for-10 on third-down conversions and also missed their lone try on fourth down.

"Right now, it seems like every bounce that cannot go our way is not going our way," Maddox said. "That is the frustrating thing about it. Sometimes, you feel like you need one to fall our way and kind of get us going. But it just hasn't happened. ..."

Jerome Bettis rushed for 42 yards on 12 carries and lost a fumble last Sunday in his first start of the season. The return of Bettis to the starting lineup didn't provide much of a boost.

According to the Sporting News, unless they really want to become a rushing team, the Steelers would be better off with Amos Zereoue and his pass-catching ability at tailback.

On a more positive note. ...

Hines Ward ranks second in the AFC with 46 receptions and also is second with five touchdown catches. Despite the team's struggles recently in the passing game, Ward is on pace to catch 105 this season.

And one last item here. ...

Tight end Jay Riemersma is listed as doubtful once again and appears likely to miss a second straight game with a sprained knee. Jerame Tuman will continue to work as the starter in Riemersma's absence.

Not after winning convincingly at Pittsburgh. The Rams had lost nine of 10 on the road before Sunday's victory, which was all the more impressive because of the pomp surrounding the Steelers' 1,000th game.

Bulger struggled with his timing on long balls early in the season, perhaps because of anxiety. Against the Steelers' second-ranked defense he was right on the money as the Rams racked up 11 plays that went 20 or more yards.

In the first six games of the season, the Rams totaled 20 plays of 20 or more yards.

"That was just a question of time for Marc," head coach Mike Martz said. "He's been missing those by a yard or two. He's been practicing those throws for several weeks and he's so much more confident about making those throws now."

Bulger was confident from the start Sunday, with completions of 48 and 36 yards to Torry Holt on the Rams' second drive of the game. Holt ended up with seven receptions for 174 yards and a touchdown, a 24.9-yard average, but Bulger, who was 22-for-37 for 375 yards, hit others for big gains, too.

Tight ends Brandon Manumaleuna and Cameron Cleeland had gains of 30 and 28 yards. Isaac Bruce caught a 29-yarder and Dane Looker had a 22-yard reception.

Bulger was able to relax, even though it was only his 13th career start and he was playing in his hometown. He handled the situation about as well as he did taking over for struggling two-time MVP Kurt Warner, and now is 11-2 as the starter.

"It's not about me and where I'm from, it's about the team and being on the road," Bulger said. "We beat a pretty good team in a tough environment."

Bulger said it didn't take him long to deal with any anxiety.

"The worst part is the bus ride and the pregame," he said. "You get all worked up, and then the game starts and it's all gone."

The Rams had been 0-2 on the road this year before their convincing victory over the Steelers, losing by 10 points to the Giants in the opener and by a point in Game 3 to the Seahawks after squandering a 13-point lead. That start, combined with last year's 1-7 showing away from the Edward Jones Dome where they have won 10 straight, created plenty of doubt.

Martz said it's unfair to combine years, noting the Rams' 8-0 road showing in 2001 might also be mentioned in that case.

"It all has to do with this year and a young team that needs to win on the road and take charge of the situation instead of letting it dictate to them, or be overwhelmed by it," Martz said. "We talked to our players a great deal about that and I think they handled it very well."

Rookie Arlen Harris ran for three touchdowns to allow Marshall Faulk another week to recuperate from a broken hand and knee surgery. Faulk will get heavy reps in practice this week before Martz decides whether to start him against the 49ers.

"He'll take more of a load to see if there's swelling and pain and whatnot," Martz said. "He feels good at this point, but we've got to make sure that leg is as strong as the other one.

"It's our biggest concern."

But Sports Illustrated senior writer Peter King advised readers on Monday: "This is a resourceful, pass-protecting team that is going to be very dangerous when Marshall Faulk returns this week."

Needless to say, I'll be be tracking Faulk closely -- keeping you informed of his status via Late-Breaking Updates -- throughout the weekend.

Also of interest. ...

As ESPN.com insider Let Pasquarelli suggested on Monday, while he isn't generally mentioned in the same breath as Randy Moss or Terrell Owens, maybe it's time Holt starts getting a little more credit.

After all, the former North Carolina State star has six more receptions than does Moss, just as many touchdowns, and only 13 fewer yards. ...

And finally. ...

According to Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei, despite what you might have heard, Warner has handled his benching with utmost professionalism. Insiders say his demeanor hasn't changed a bit since Martz replaced him in the starting lineup with Bulger.

Pompei added: "In fact, Warner has been as supportive of Bulger behind the scenes as he has been on the sideline."

LaDainian Tomlinson spoke low enough that you almost needed an amplifier to decipher his words.

Two approaches, one common message: Chargers players better look long and deep inside or otherwise they won't be back next season.

Playing on the national stage that is "Monday Night Football," the Chargers wanted to show the country that they were not as bad as their 1-5 record.

Instead, they lived down to everyone's expectations by falling flat on their faces in a 26-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Sun Devil Stadium.

Admission was free and the atmosphere relatively sedate after the game was moved from Qualcomm Stadium because of the wildfires racing through San Diego County, but the Chargers didn't use the change of venue as an excuse for what might have been their most embarrassing performance yet.

Drew Brees matched his career high by throwing three interceptions, all in the first half. The turnovers led to 17 Miami points and helped the Dolphins to a comfortable 24-3 halftime lead.

"You can put this whole loss on my shoulders," said Brees, who has thrown 11 interceptions against seven touchdown passes. "The offensive line played well, the defense made some big stops, and guys were getting open downfield.

"Two of the three picks I threw behind the guy. One was a first down, one was a touchdown."

Brees was right on all accounts but one: The loss wasn't totally his fault.

Tomlinson, the Chargers' Pro Bowl running back, said he knew the team was in trouble when he looked in some players' eyes. He didn't see the sense of urgency that's necessary to win. Even after talking to these same players, he sensed that his words weren't getting through.

"I'm getting sick and tired of saying the same thing, and it's going to come to a point where I just stop saying it," said Tomlinson, who rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries and added 80 yards on 11 receptions. "I get tired of saying it, and there's no use sitting here saying the same things. Marty talks about the same things, and we go out and make the same mistakes. It gets pointless.

"I'll tell you one thing that's going to happen: All these people that are in the locker room right now, we ain't going to be together. People are going to start leaving here. That's what's going to start happening. If they don't want to play, it's going to be a new team."

Asked to give a percentage of the number of teammates who don't want to play, Tomlinson said: "I can't give you a percentage, but I'll tell you what, it's some guys I look in their eyes and it's just like they don't want to be here. It's pretty tough, but they're hurting themselves. You try to help them, but they're hurting themselves. I have actually said something to them just to try to get them to change, 'Let's go! Do you realize what's going on here!' But if you're not performing, these people are going to get you out of here."

Trotter went on to note the atmosphere in the stadium seemed to lack the electricity that normally accompanies "Monday Night Football," not that the players used it as an excuse for their poor play.

"I felt like when we hit the ground here we were pretty focused," said wideout Tim Dwight. "Obviously, it was not what you wanted it to be, back home with 'Monday Night Football' at your place. But that's just something you've got to overcome. You've got to have that kind of mind-set where you've got to flip that switch on and forget about what's happening back home and play a game.

"It just didn't seem like we had an edge tonight. We got behind and, when we had a chance to pull within seven, we didn't make plays when we needed them to happen."

The reason is that the Chargers could not match the Dolphins' speed on defense. Miami hurried and harassed Brees, sacking him a season-high six times. When Brees wasn't being hurt by the pressure, he was being failed by his accuracy.

Twice he stared down wideout David Boston on quick-post routes, then threw behind him. Both times, cornerback Patrick Surtain got the pick. In between, Brees had a ball bounce off the shoulder pads of Tomlinson for a pick by linebacker Zach Thomas.

And in an article published Tuesday, Union-Tribune columnist Nick Canepa -- suggesting it's time to consider benching him in favor of veteran backup Doug Flutie -- pointed out that Brees has now has won one of his last 11 starts, three of his last 16.

Schottenheimer doesn't share agree with Canepa's belief it's time to make a change. "I'm not a guy who changes quarterbacks," the coach insisted.

But unless Brees picks up the pace in a hurry, Schottenheimer will face a difficult choice: Changing quarterbacks or finding a new job. ...

One last note here. ...

With major wildfires still blanketing the area with acrid smoke, the San Diego Chargers will fly to Champaign, Ill., on Wednesday to prepare for this weekend's game at Chicago. "We don't want to deal with the health risks," Schottenheimer said Tuesday.

"If it's not one thing, it's another," he said while doing both in the wake of Sunday's overtime loss to the Cardinals.

Garcia was speaking specifically of his health. Sacked late in the second quarter, Garcia came up limping on a sprained left ankle. He was replaced by Tim Rattay for the final possession of the first half, which consisted of one play, and had the ankle injected with a painkiller at halftime.

He missed the first two series of the second half before the shot took effect and he began to feel nimble enough to re-enter the game. He's listed as questionable for next Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams.

"It actually loosened up through the latter part of the game, and got to the point where I got comfortable out there," he said. "I felt I could move around a little bit. [Monday] will be a more telling sign to see how it is."

That tale will be told in the trainer's room. "I was hoping to avoid that place," Garcia said.

Understandably so. Garcia's preseason got off to a flying stop when he was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back just before training camp. Since then he has been hampered by a bruised right forearm (which has led to soreness in his wrist and thumb) and a strained groin.

He said he has never experienced so many nagging injuries before. "But I've never been this old before," he said with a smile.

"It's one of those things where unfortunately I've just had some issues this year that I can't seem to escape. When I start to feel better and get healthy, something new comes along."

Another thing Garcia hasn't been used to the past couple years is dissecting agonizing losses. The 49ers opened the season by shellacking the Chicago Bears but have lost five of seven since.

Sunday's game, he said, was a "huge disappointment. We never really played very well as a team. Things that have been killing us all season long, this was just another example of that today."

As he has been throughout this season, Garcia was hounded by a strong rush and had difficulty finding open receivers. He capped the 49ers' first drive by running 21 yards for a touchdown. San Francisco didn't score again until 5:14 remained in regulation.

"We knew they would have a good scheme," he said of the Cardinals, who were coming off a bye week. "They had two weeks to prepare. They weren't going to let us run all over them the way we had the week before (against Tampa Bay). We thought at some point we could wear them down and get something going."

Eventually they did. The 49ers drove 73 yards for the touchdown that tied the game, 13-13. Garcia almost scored it but was hit by two defenders at the goal line and fumbled the ball. San Francisco tackle Kwame Harris plucked the loose ball out of the air and charged in for the touchdown.

Garcia led the 49ers to the Arizona 16-yard line on the next drive. Place-kicker Owen Pochman's attempt at a tie-breaking field goal was wide right from 35 yards. They never saw the ball again; the Cardinals missed a field goal as time ran out in the fourth quarter, then drove for the game-winner on the first possession of overtime.

Garcia finished 13-of-24 for 153 yards -- good numbers, but not great. Certainly not winning numbers on Sunday.

"We need to find ways to overcome the kinds of mistakes we made today," Garcia said.

And the search for answers started Monday -- inside the trainer's room.

Also of interest. ...

Associated Press sports writer Greg Beacham reported Monday that team officials are preparing to hire their fourth kicker in 15 games.

Pochman, the goat of Sunday's loss, was released Tuesday and nine-year veteran Todd Peterson, the former Pittsburgh kicker who played for head coach Dennis Erickson with the Seattle Seahawks, was signed to replace him.

Pochman survived just six weeks with the 49ers. He missed seven field goals in his last four games.

The 49ers just hope their kicking problem isn't an institutional epidemic. Pochman, Jeff Chandler and Jose Cortez all have failed at the pressure-packed position in the last two seasons -- and despite the team's attempt to exercise patience with Pochman, the 49ers couldn't wait any longer.

"They're coming into a situation where they're almost immediately looking over their shoulder, wondering when that hook is coming," Garcia said. "That's the last situation you want to put a kicker into. That's a tough position."

The 49ers nearly dropped Pochman after missing three field goals against Tampa Bay on Oct. 19. But mindful of their recent history at the position, Erickson and general manager Terry Donahue attempted to show faith that Pochman could succeed where Cortez and Chandler failed.

"We all felt last week that he was going to come out of it," Erickson said. "Obviously, he didn't. ... I think we need a guy that's been there, that can deal with the pressures of that job."

Peterson was dropped by the Steelers last February after struggling on the difficult turf at Heinz Field. He has converted 182 of 234 field goals and missed only two of 260 extra points. If the 49ers sign him, he will be their first kicker with significant NFL experience since Wade Richey, who left two years ago.

Seattle had plenty of scoring chances. The offense moved the ball better and more consistently than it had all season. The opposition, the Cincinnati Bengals, had been in position to win previous games but couldn't make the plays when they needed them.

Sunday, however, the Bengals changed the script on the Seahawks, creating big-play turnovers on defense and taking advantage of their speed at wide receiver. And when it was over, the Bengals had pulled off the upset.

The Seahawks came in as the big-play team, with their penchant for last-quarter heroics on offense and ball-hawking defense. But the Bengals made Seattle pay for its mistakes and sent the Seahawks into a first-place tie in the NFC West with St. Louis at 5-2.

The Seahawks committed five turnovers -- three intercepted passes and two lost fumbles -- and had a field-goal attempt blocked in the fourth quarter. Despite that misfortune, the Seahawks had three more possessions, but two ended in interceptions. The third was a last-ditch catch-and-lateral play as the clock expired, resulting in Alex Bannister's fumble.

"You just aren't going to win with five turnovers," an annoyed head coach Mike Holmgren said after the game, "and that's pretty easy to figure out."

The Seahawks started strong, moving the ball downfield with short passes. On third-and-11 from the Bengals 46, Matt Hasselbeck, with plenty of time, found tight end Itula Mili all by himself behind a linebacker near the goal line for an easy touchdown.

The Seahawks had another of several nice drives heading into the second quarter, but a disturbing pattern emerged, one that has been evident all season. Wide receiver Darrell Jackson had already dropped two passes -- a recurring issue with him this season -- when he committed a costly turnover.

Hasselbeck hit Jackson for a 12-yard gain to the Bengals 25 on the third play of the quarter. Cincinnati linebacker Brian Simmons knocked the ball out of Jackson's hands for a fumble, and the Bengals drove 75 yards for a touchdown and the lead.

"That was a fumble. I shouldn't have been in that position anyway," Jackson admitted. "Any time it comes out of my hands, it's a fumble, so I just have to go back to the drawing board and hold it a little tighter.

"The plain fact is that I think I was trying to do too much as soon as I got the ball. I just need to settle down sometimes and protect the ball first."

The Seahawks forged a tie thanks to running back Shaun Alexander, a Cincinnati-area native who was playing in front of 420 friends and family members. Alexander gained all 72 yards of a nine-play drive, capped by a 2-yard catch-and-roll into the end zone.

"You always want the ball on every play, and of course, I'm one of those people," Alexander said. "This town just loves to see their people succeed, so. ... People were like 'I want Shaun to do really well and lose.' They got it."

The Seahawks scored on their only possession of the third quarter when Hasselbeck threw to Mili on a trick play for a 6-yard touchdown.

Mili fell down near the goal line on purpose, then got back up and was wide open.

"He knew I was open. I give that to Matt for keying on me on that," Mili said. "You just trick people and it worked well."

"We call it that a 'hide' play," Holmgren said. "He falls down a lot, anyway."

For what it's worth, Mili had five catches for 80 yards -- including the above-mentioned pair of touchdowns. A career day for Mili, who has now equaled his career high with three touchdowns this season.

Getting back to Jackson. ...

The veteran receiver has by at least one count, nine drops this season, the most of any Seahawks receiver.

"We've just got to concentrate and catch the ball," Jackson said. "That's our job, no matter what. We've just got to buckle down and catch the ball. It doesn't matter if it's a bad ball or good ball."

Holmgren said: "For a receiver it is very much concentration. We have to do a better job of that."

Holmgren isn't considering changes to the receiver rotation.

In fact, FOXSports.com analyst David Moore noted on Monday that Johnson has caught just two passes for 11 yards in the last two games, which gives him fewer yards than backup tight end Todd Yoder in that stretch.

After only two of 41 passes were thrown in Johnson's direction in last week's loss to San Francisco, agent Jerome Stanley blasted head coach Jon Gruden for using his client strictly as a decoy. And of course, Johnson added fuel to the fire by telling reporters Dallas honcho Bill Parcells was the best coach he's played for.

But as the Sports XChange suggested, Gruden treats distractions like Johnson's rants and Warren Sapp's outbursts "like elevator music." But he addressed his team about being selfish and the team responded with a 16-0 shutout against the Cowboys.

According to Gruden, what the world champions have experienced during their 4-3 start is not a crisis.

"There's a lot of talk about all the crisis surrounding the organization here with some of the conversations with Warren Sapp and his comments and who Keyshawn Johnson's favorite coach is," Gruden said. "These are situations that we've dealt with for the last year and a half. ..."

Adding to Keyshawn's woes. ...

Joe Jurevicius may return to practice this Wednesday and has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday's game against the Saints. Jurevicius hasn't played since suffering a torn MCL in his right knee against Carolina in Week 2.

"He's a big-play receiver for us," Gruden said of Jurevicius. "He's an outstanding player who we've missed. We're looking forward to getting him back. ..."

One last note on the injury front. ...

Mike Pittman, who rushed for 113 yards against the Cowboys, has a right hamstring strain and will be probable against the Saints.

Other notes of interest. ...

In an article published Monday, ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli reminded readers that team officials are likely to re-sign tight end Ricky Dudley sometime in November. Dudley reached an injury settlement with the club at the end of the preseason. Under league rules, he is eligible to return to the Bucs after the ninth week of the campaign, and there is still a stall in the Bucs locker room with his nameplate and number hanging over it. ...

Also according to Pasquarelli, veteran Shaun King has retained his No. 2 spot on the team's depth chart, but rookie Chris Simms got a lot of snaps last week and is closing the gap.

And starter Brad Johnson was beat up enough last week that he had to cut back the number of practice snaps he got. The Bucs staff is keeping a close eye on Johnson because Tampa Bay can't win without him. If he has to reduce his work during the week, to ensure being healthy for Sunday, then the Bucs will do it.

Wycheck entered the game for the first time with 9 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the first quarter. He finished the game with one reception for 10 yards.

"I did the right thing, not coming back until I was 100 percent," Wycheck said. "It felt great just to be involved again. Sometimes when you take that much time off it's hard to get back into the swing of things.

"But I've still got a long way to go. Hopefully I can build and contribute the rest of the way in the season."

Wycheck suffered a severe concussion on Aug. 16 against the Bills. He tried to play in the season-opener against the Raiders, but left the game in the third quarter.

"It was very frustrating," Wycheck said. "It's like nothing I've ever been through."

Also of interest. ...

Head coach Jeff Fisher said he didn't think the Titans would be able to run against the Jaguars.

Turns out he was wrong.

The Titans ran for 133 yards, their second-best output of the season. Tennessee rushed for 134 yards last week at Carolina.

This time, however, some of their success was probably a result of Jacksonville injuries. The Jaguars had to juggle their secondary, starting safety Rashean Mathis at cornerback for the first time this season and Deke Cooper, a free agent signed last week, at safety.

"We ran the ball, to our surprise, early in the game more effectively than we thought because of the way we've seen them play," Fisher said. "Maybe they were trying to get Mathis some help and doing some things coverage-wise, so we able to take advantage of some things."

Eddie George rushed for 88 yards on 27 carries (3.3 average) and Robert Holcombe rushed for 45 yards on 11 carries. Twelve of George's carries and 40 of his yards came during Tennessee's final possession, a 17-play drive that chewed up 11:14 and ended with a field goal.

"That 11-minute drive, that just said it all right there," Wycheck said. "Eddie just continues to work, continues to pound."

On a less positive note. ...

Starting receiver Drew Bennett will miss up to a month with a right calf strain. According to the Sporting News, he'll definitely miss the Titans next game on Nov. 9. Justin McCareins will start and Tyrone Calico will get more playing time.

Bennett currently is tied with tight end Erron Kinney as the team's second-leading receiver with 23 catches, and he is second on the team with 372 yards receiving.

Also of interest. ...

The Titans scored 30 or more points for the fifth straight game last Sunday. The streak matched a mark the franchise set in 1961 in the freewheeling AFL days when they were the Houston Oilers. ...

According to War Room analyst Gary Horton, Fisher is clearly the most underrated coach in the league.

Horton explained: "A couple of years ago, the Titans' offense was a meat grinder, and it was Eddie George furiously turning the handle. This season, Steve McNair, a guy who not long ago was asked to just not screw things up, is cutting a swath through the league with his spirals. And that No. 2 receiver Tennessee supposedly lacked? "Well, the Titans seemingly have three of them. Credit Fisher for putting his people in positions to succeed. The running game will come around again when opponents start backing off, but it could be Robert Holcombe or Chris Brown leading the way instead of George." For what it's worth, Brown missed his second game in a row with an injured hamstring, but got in a good workout -- running the stadium steps -- a couple of hours before kickoff.

After a tumultuous bye week, the uncertainty at Redskins Park continued on many fronts Monday with the Wuerffel announcement; yet another minor roster move; the news that top running backs Trung Canidate and Ladell Betts probably will miss the Cowboys game; and the possibility troubled defensive lineman Darrell Russell, waived by Oakland, could be on the way to help strengthen the front four.

Adding to the day's confusion was Spurrier's description of what he plans with the offense. The coach, who visited owner Dan Snyder's house Saturday for a dinner-plus-strategy session, backed off somewhat from statements last week indicating he plans to return to the wide-open passing offense he used at Florida.

Whatever happens, it won't happen with Wuerffel. After releasing Rob Johnson last week, Spurrier wanted his former Heisman Trophy winner from Florida to return as the backup for Patrick Ramsey.

Wuerffel said no, preferring to remain with his expectant wife and continue ministry work in New Orleans.

"Danny sort of said, `Hey, I've had enough of that football,"' Spurrier said.

Spurrier was unhappy when Snyder cut Wuerffel before the start of the season, leaving the team with just Ramsey and Johnson. Johnson and Spurrier never hit it off, so now the only alternatives if Ramsey gets hurt are two players who have never thrown a pass in the NFL: Newly signed Tim Hasselbeck and practice squad rookie Gibran Hamdan.

"Yeah, we're in a bind," Spurrier said. "But we don't think it's much different than the bind we were in to start with, to tell you the truth. It just seemed like Rob struggled in our offense."

Spurrier said Hasselbeck is working hard to learn the offense, but he won't be ready by Sunday.

"If we had to play one of our backup guys, it'd be just to try to get through the ball game," Spurrier said.

That's a real possibility. Ramsey has been sacked 22 times and had to leave the last game early with a bruised hip and throwing hand.

The running back situation is just as dicey. Betts won't play Sunday because of a broken arm, and Spurrier said Canidate is doubtful. The coach suggested he might use a mix of return specialist Chad Morton and fullback Rock Cartwright as his running game. Morton got seven carries for 32 yards at Buffalo with Canidate and Betts injured. He was hoping for such activity when he jumped from the Jets to the Redskins this offseason.

"It felt really good," Morton said. "I thought I easily could have doubled that [number of carries], because it was just that one quarter [the third]. After awhile, I got a little tired. I was ready to go back in, but then they switched it up."

But Morton told the Sports XChange last week he really doesn't expect much more work in games even if Canidate and Betts miss more time.

"I wish they would, but I just have to be ready when they want me to be," Morton said.

Also of interest. ...

Laveranues Coles was held out of practice last week in order to rest a sore toe; Spurrier said Coles also took a shot to the ribs at Buffalo. ... It's also worth noting that despite contributing progressively less in recent weeks, Coles remains on track to catch 96 passes for 1,442 yards.

And finally. ...

As ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli noted last week, Johnson's release meant he's earned about $20 million-$22 million in bonuses and base salary over his nine-year career and posted just 12 victories. ...