Most of that production came late in the game on a couple of impressive runs through traffic.

But the solid effort couldn't overcome a tough loss to the Niners and after the game, Smith -- one of head coach Dennis Green's biggest supporters all year -- suggested Sunday that some of the team's problems are coaching related.

"I think we have enough experience and played in enough games to know how to overcome certain things," he said. "Sometimes you have to overcome coaching. Sometimes you just have to do that."

As Arizona Republic staff writer Kent Somers noted, in the first half, Smith was getting hit in the backfield. In the second, he was finding creases in the defense.

"When you have guys taking shots in the backfield, untouched, that's an execution problem," he said. "I don't think guys actually got physically beat that bad, that's a mistake somewhere along the line."

Some of the mistakes the Cardinals are making are "elementary," he said.

Players need to evaluate their effort, study habits and communication with each other, Smith said.

That Smith was even playing was amazing to Green. Smith missed last week's game against Detroit and his sore toe bothered him throughout this week leading up to Sunday's win.

Smith was "pretty amazed," he said. But there are questions about how much he has left. He's in the last year of his contract, but sounded Sunday as if he wants to continue playing.

"I still think I can be a 1,000-yard back for the Cardinals or for anybody," he said. "You've seen me perform this year."

But he came to Arizona with the desire to help the Cardinals make the playoffs. That hasn't happened.

"The only thing I could say is that my mission has failed," he said. "I feel like I've failed my position and feel like I have not done enough. ..."

Asked about Smith's comments on Monday, Green said: "You know. ... Everybody has their own opinion. I will reserve mine."

In a couple of related items. ...

Larry Croom originally was slated to start Sunday's game against the 49ers, but with Smith returning, the rookie did not see any action. ...

Obafemi Ayanbadejo is not considered a forceful blocker, which can limit the club in short-yardage situations, but his versatility is valuable.

As TSN suggested last week, the veteran fullback is an an effective runner and has great hands, so he's a threat in goal line situations when the defense is keyed on the tailback or receivers -- something he clearly proved against the Niners. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Josh McCown remains the team's starting quarterback, but it's questionable if he'll have that job after the final three games of the season.

McCown was impressive in Sunday's loss, but he couldn't make the play that would have given them the victory. His touch pass to Freddie Jones in the end zone late in regulation was batted away, and the club lost in overtime.

McCown passed for 307 yards, a career high, and completed 26 of 44 with one interception.

It was an impressive performance for someone who hadn't played in three games after being benched.

When McCown was demoted, the Cardinals had won three straight, four of six and was within a game of .500. They've now lost four straight to drop to 4-9.

McCown has refrained from criticizing Green's decision (a task it would appear Smith is ready to take up for him), but he's confident that he can successfully play quarterback in the NFL.

"I feel certain that I have a place in this league," he said. "And I really hope it's here, but that's not for me to decide."

In the end, Green will make that decision and it's unknown how he's leaning. But John Navarre, a rookie who threw four interceptions at Detroit, would have started this game had he not suffered a fractured finger on his throwing hand.

As the Xchange summed up: "That provides a clue about McCown's future with the club. ..."

In an article published Monday, East Valley Tribune staffer Darren Urban noted that Anquan Boldin had the Cards' first 100-yard receiving game of the season, catching nine balls for 109 yards despite not seeing a pass thrown to him in the first quarter.

Boldin also made the reception of the game, catching a jump-ball pass intended for Larry Fitzgerald on a deflection, trapping it between his knees before it hit the ground.

And finally. ...

The team released wide receiver Reggie Newhouse and tight end Lorenzo Diamond on Wednesday and signed three players from their practice squad.

The third vacancy came when offensive tackle L.J. Shelton was placed on the injured list on Tuesday.

Wide receiver Lawrence Hamilton was among those signed from the practice squad.

Head coach Jim Mora said the surgery to repair the meniscus cartilage in Duckett's left knee "went very well."

"We don't expect him to miss more than just this game," Mora said.

That is a change from initial reports -- by ESPN.com insider Len Pasquarelli -- indicating Duckett would miss at least two weeks.

Bothered by persistent swelling in his left knee, Duckett had hoped to put off the arthroscopic surgery until after the season. Since the Falcons clinched a playoff berth Sunday with three games left in the regular season and could qualify for a first-round bye in the playoffs, the team decided to proceed with the surgery.

"I think it was clicking or just bothering him," Mora said. "So they did an MRI and it needed to be scoped. It's nothing serious. A lot of guys play without a meniscus. I've coached players before -- not at the running back position -- who have had it done on Monday and played on Sunday. So its not a big deal."

Duckett's surgery comes one day after Mora announced that starting fullback Justin Griffith would miss the rest of the season due to a broken ankle.

Stanley Pritchett will move up as the starting fullback. On Tuesday the team placed Griffith on the injured reserve list and signed Fred McCrary, cut by the New England Patriots before the season, to be Pritchett's backup.

The Falcons signed running back Jason Wright (5-10, 210) from the practice squad Tuesday, but starter Warrick Dunn will receive the majority of the carries in Saturday night's game against Carolina.

Wright, a rookie from Northwestern, has been on the practice squad since signing with the Falcons on Sept. 7.

The 5-9, 180-pound Dunn said Tuesday he has to fight the perception that he is too small to handle a heavy workload.

"A lot of guys around the league get 20-plus carries, and they rack up yards," Dunn said. "I think maybe because I'm not the biggest or the heaviest guy, that sometimes is weighed a little bit.

"I've always told people that if I get an opportunity to carry the ball enough I'll pick up yards."

In back-to-back games late last season, Dunn had 25 carries for 178 yards against the New York Giants and 23 carries for 162 yards against New Orleans. He averaged 93.5 yards per game in six games with 20 or more carries in 2002, but he has averaged about 15 carries this year.

"You look back on the numbers and you can say it means a lot, but I just go out and play," Dunn said. "The more carries you get, it helps. ... You have to be patient."

Dunn had 25 carries for 103 yards in the Falcons' 35-10 win over Oakland Sunday. Duckett added 12 carries for 65 yards, including his four touchdown runs.

"I feel bad for T.J.," Mora said. "Obviously, you want to see him play. I think our fans love seeing him play. So, not having him, well miss him. ... Well just keep going. Injuries are part of the game. You've got to play through them."

Running backs coach Ollie Wilson says Dunn responds well when asked to handle the bulk of the carries.

"Sometimes when Warrick knows he's the guy, then he becomes the guy," Wilson said.

Wilson said Duckett "didn't know anything was wrong until he woke up (Monday) morning and saw that it was swollen."

Dunn has 194 carries for 788 yards and seven touchdowns. Quarterback Michael Vick leads the team with 821 yards rushing, and Duckett is third with 457 yards.

The team worked out free agent running backs Olandis Gary and James Fenderson Tuesday. Gary, from the University of Georgia, has played in the NFL with Denver, Buffalo and Detroit, but he is still recovering from shoulder surgery. Fenderson was with the Falcons in training camp.

Other notes of interest. ...

For those wondering why Peerless Price hasn't been more productive this year, Sporting News columnist Dan Pompei suggested Monday that part of it might be the team's new offense.

Part of it is the emergence of tight end Alge Crumpler.

And part of it might be that Price, a speed receiver, is beginning to lose some speed. As Pompei put it: "Price is 28 years old, which usually is the cusp of when a speed player might begin to drop off if he isn't a fanatical workout guy. ..."

As noted by the Sports Xchange, Crumpler has caught just one pass in each of Atlanta's last two games after catching a team-high 43 in the first 11.

"If you ask [offensive coordinator] Greg [Knapp], Alge was the first read on ... seven of our first 10 passes. I'm generalizing the number, but all that is predicated on the defense they are playing, obviously," said Mora. "When you're having the production Alge's having, teams are going to do things to take him away."

Lewis didn't return after having his ankle re-taped at halftime, but apparently didn't injure himself again. Chester Taylor rushed for 104 yards on 25 carries, his second consecutive 100-yard outing.

"No setbacks, I accomplished what I wanted to accomplish," Lewis said. "It felt a little funny starting off, but it ended up pretty good."

According to the Sports Xchange, coaches plan to increase Lewis' workload to 40 to 50 snaps Sunday against Indianapolis, hopeful that a smashmouth approach will help keep Peyton Manning off the field.

There is some question how effective Lewis will be on Indianapolis' hard turf. But the Ravens, who need this win to stay in the playoff hunt, would push the limit with Lewis in certain situations.

"If he has to go 60 snaps, he will," head coach Brian Billick said. "I think he's ready for 40 to 45 snaps."

With Lewis taking back his starting job, the Ravens will reduce the playing time of Taylor. The backup has put together consecutive 100-yard games, the same amount Lewis has totaled this season.

The Xchange added that Taylor likely will only play 15 to 20 snaps Sunday. ...

Also of interest. ...

Kyle Boller had his first four-touchdown game of his career. The second-year starter had only seven touchdowns in his previous 12 starts this season.

"When you get to four touchdowns, after the game, yeah, you can say, 'I got to four touchdowns.' But the main thing about it is that it's 28 points, and when you get 28 points, you are going to get the win," Boller said. "And that's what it's all about."

Boller, who was 18-for-34 for 219 yards, had never thrown more than two touchdowns in one pro game, but he can boast of leading the league in that category for one week at least, doubling up Manning, who likely will set the record for touchdown passes in a season this year.

For Boller, it was as if he went back to his senior season at California, where he had five-touchdown games twice.

"I don't think I've had that since college," Boller said. "Four touchdowns and no interceptions. That is a good ratio."

But as Baltimore Sun staffer Brent Jones suggested Monday: "It was, in all fairness, just as much his receivers as it was Boller. ..."

Clarence Moore and tight end Todd Heap, the recipients of two apiece, worked over the Giants' smaller cornerbacks.

"With Clarence on the same side on me, I'm looking at him saying, who are you going to double? I was excited to see him make a big play, too," Heap said.

Heap is also pleased with Boller's progress.

"He's definitely got a good grasp of the offense," Heap said. "This is huge for him, especially showing you guys that he can do it. It's huge for his confidence going in these last few games. We needed a game like this to really put us over the edge and let us know what we can do."

Said Boller: "They just added up today. We had a couple of chances to be able to put the ball in the end zone. Those guys did a great job of coming down with it.

"I look at it like, we threw four touchdowns. It was awesome. Let's build on it next week."

Meanwhile, Wilson advised readers that for Heap, his ankle is no longer an issue.

His vertical leap and agility are clearly back at full capacity, and he was able to cut adeptly without pain after being limited to 25 plays for three catches a week ago.

"I produced a lot more," Heap said. "Confidence-wise and my ankle, last week was the week that I needed. That came back, so now it's just about going out and playing football. I have confidence in my abilities and now it's time to start building our offense and doing it together collectively."

Wilson added that Moore was just happy to be out of the doghouse after one of his worst games since being drafted in the sixth round this spring.

The rookie dropped two passes in a Week 13 loss to the Bengals, one over the middle when he appeared to flinch in heavy traffic, and another in the end zone.

Moore had a rough week filled with criticism, much of it self-imposed, after mistakes such as not getting up after a reception short of a first down against the Bengals.

Against the Giants' cornerbacks, Moore was much more physical and put distance between last week's troubling performance.

"I put it behind me and I definitely looked forward to this game to prove that everybody was wrong that was thinking whatever they were thinking," Moore said. "I definitely needed to have this game. They can count on me."

Boller stressed the height advantage his receivers were able to exploit.

"He continues to impress me," Boller said of Moore. "He told me from Day One that if I throw it up there, he's going to come down with it. We've been working on that timing, just putting it in spots where only he can catch it and he's done a great job of making those great catches. Clarence is 6-6, and 7-3 with his hands up in the air."

And finally. ...

Kordell Stewart made his first appearance under center in a regular-season game for Baltimore. He relieved Boller with 3:49 remaining.

"It was good to get those reps," Stewart said. "You never know when you might be called upon, and you need to be ready. It was good to get that out of the way."

But as Wilson went on to ask: "What does it say about an offense when it struggles that much and still puts up 37 points?"

"It says we can win when we're not at our best," receiver Eric Moulds said. "When you score that many points the way we played offensively, you know things are going real good for you."

The Bills' offense wasn't at its best, but it was more than good enough to trounce the Cleveland Browns, 37-7.

It was the Bills' fourth consecutive game with at least 37 points. They have 154 points in the last four games.

"I think that the reason that there is no panic and the reason that we have confidence in spite of those situations is we know that we can correct it," Drew Bledsoe said of the early miscues. "There's never been a situation of our team that we felt like, "Man, we're getting beat. We can't handle this guy. We can't block this guy. This play's not going to work.'

"It's just when we get out of our own way, then things start to happen for us. And that was the case again."

The passing game had the most difficulty. Bledsoe completed just 12 of 27 throws for 100 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He and running back Willis McGahee also botched a handoff, which led to another turnover in the first quarter.

It was extremely cold and the wet conditions made the ball slick and prevented Bledsoe from getting a tight enough grip to deliver some passes accurately.

But it didn't matter that the passing attack wasn't clicking because the running game kept on ticking. McGahee had his sixth 100-yard game (105 on 27 carries) and ran for two touchdowns.

The Bills finished with 215 yards on the ground, averaging a robust 5.1 yards per carry.

"We've got the ability to do whatever we want to on offense, whether it's run or pass," McGahee said. "We didn't execute as well as we wanted early, but we found a way to put points on the board. That's what good teams do."

Other notes of interest. ...

Also according to Wilson, rookie quarterback J.P. Losman got another taste of NFL action, replacing Bledsoe early in the fourth quarter.

He completed 1 of 2 passes for 10 yards, but his best - and most dangerous - play came on a 10-yard scramble. At the end of the run, Losman lowered his head and plowed into two Browns defenders.

"I always feel like you haven't been in the game until you've taken a hit," Losman said.

Losman played just one series but engineered a drive that ended in a touchdown. He called his appearance a tease because it makes him hungry for more playing time. But he understands that won't happen as long as the Bills are in the thick of the playoff race.

"The more defenses I get to look at, the more times I'm out there, only positives can come out of it," Losman said. ...

Rookie running back Shaud Williams played in his first NFL game and didn't waste the opportunity. He ran for 42 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and added a 10-yard reception.

Williams' 4-yard touchdown was an impressive run in which he broke a tackle and lunged over the goal line.

"When you get down that close to the goal line, you've got to have the mentality that nobody is going to keep you out," he said. "The guy hit me at about the 2-yard line, and I just didn't want to go down. I said, "I'm this close to the end zone, I'm getting in. ...'"

On the injury front. ...

The team placed rookie Tim Euhus on injured reserve with a right knee injury Tuesday, the second tight end the team has lost this season.

Euhus had been out since hurting his right knee in Buffalo's 42-32 win at Miami on Dec. 5. The Bills didn't provide any details on the injury, but head coach Mike Mularkey said Monday that Euhus may need surgery.

A fourth-round pick out of Oregon State, Euhus had 11 catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns in 12 games backing up Mark Campbell.

Campbell also hurt his right knee against Miami and was placed on injured reserve last week. He underwent Surgery Monday.

Buffalo signed long snapper/tight end Bradford Banta to replace Euhus. An 11-year veteran, Banta's been out of football since being released by Detroit before the start of the season.

Banta, who has two career catches for 13 yards, spent his first six seasons with Indianapolis, and played with the New York Jets.

Ryan Neufeld will continue to work as the starter. ...

And finally. ...

Offensive coordinator Tom Clements said he was happy to be considered for the Notre Dame head coaching job but didn't express regret or disappointment about being passed over.

Notre Dame interviewed Clements but instead agreed to a six-year contract with New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis.

"Going into it, I'm in a no-lose situation," said Clements, who quarterbacked Notre Dame to a national championship in 1973 and was an Irish assistant coach under Lou Holtz from 1992 to '95. "If I get the job, it's a great job. If not, I'm in a great situation here. Had I been offered the job, I would have taken it."

The Bills are glad Clements is sticking around.

"Tom Clements is a great offensive coordinator and a smart guy," Moulds said. "He gives everybody the opportunity to make plays. I would have been happy for him if he got the job, but I'm excited about the fact that he'll be here for a while."

Goings tied a team record by registering his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing day, piling up 108 yards on 31 carries in Sunday's 20-7 victory against the St. Louis Rams.

Goings joined Stephen Davis as the only back to rush for more than 100 yards in four straight games. Davis, on injured reserve this year, performed the feat early last season.

"This is a strange time for me, but it's really exciting," Goings said. "I just want to keep working hard and trying to play well for this team."

Goings' saved his best run for last Sunday. With the Panthers facing a third-and-5 at the St. Louis 25-yard line at the two-minute warning, Goings was hit in the backfield for what looked like a sure loss - yet he bounced off a would-be tackler and churned out a 12-yard gain that permitted the Panthers to run out the clock.

"It was a pitchout to the left and the defensive end read it and was just right there. I knew that if we could get a first down we would be pretty close to being able to kneel it out, so I just tried to break the tackle," Goings said.

Jake Delhomme added: "He just kept moving forward. That was the epitome of Nick. He doesn't ever give up. The guy thought he had him, but he just kept moving his feet. Certainly that was a big play. It was nice to be able to run out the clock."

Other notes of interest. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Delhomme was not on the top of his game Sunday, completing just 16 of 30 passes for 206 yards with one touchdown and one interception. It could have been worse; Delhomme got away with two other bad passes that should have been intercepted.

Muhsin Muhammad continued his outstanding play with six grabs for 98 yards and a score. Over the last seven games, Muhammad has posted remarkable numbers -- 46 receptions for 770 yards and nine touchdowns.

With 11 touchdowns on the season, Muhammad is two shy of breaking the team record shared by Patrick Jeffers and Wesley Walls. ...

Meanwhile, Charlotte Observer staffer Pat Yasinskas advised readers that even though coaches have started using Julius Peppers as a wide receiver in some red zone situations, it won't be a common tactic.

That said, the staff does believe Peppers' size and athleticism can cause matchup problems and the tremendous height advantage he holds over the league's defensive backs could lead to some scoring opportunities.

And finally. ...

Also according to the Xchange, tight end Mike Seidman seems to be gradually getting more involved in the offense. He caught two passes for 7 yards on Sunday after catching only one pass in the previous seven games.

He saw a few drops and often scrambled for cover behind an injury-depleted line.

"Just another learning experience," he said.

Hutchinson finished with 17 completions in 33 attempts for 212 yards. But his production was better than that. His first three passes fell incomplete. And late in the fourth quarter with the Jaguars safely ahead, his last five were incomplete.

In between, he went 17-for-25 with one interception and continued to win over his teammates.

"He's always believing he can make a play," center Olin Kreutz said. "He's never pointed a finger at anybody. He's always ready to play. He's a good quarterback now, and he's on the way to being a great quarterback. He has what it takes. He can throw the ball, move around, make plays, and he's a leader."

After throwing three touchdown passes against the Vikings last week, Hutchinson got the Bears inside Jacksonville's 24 only once before their final possession.

There was one similarity to the Minnesota game: He was sacked five times again.

"They were blitzing and getting there," Hutchinson said.

The sacks included a fourth-quarter safety.

"It was a play-action fake," Hutchinson said. "I looked up, and before I had a chance to throw I was hit."

Bannon added that Hutchinson could have used more help, but it was a poor day for the receiving corps.

Running backs Thomas Jones, Anthony Thomas and Jason McKie, playing for injured fullback Bryan Johnson, led the Bears with three catches each. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

According to DailySouthtown.com staff writer Gene Chamberlain, the Bears had just 14 rushing attempts Sunday, but it wasn't a season low.

Jones managed just 26 yards on 13 carries, both season lows for games in which he wasn't injured. He rushed for just one yard before leaving with a sprained toe in the first quarter against San Francisco on Oct. 31.

The Bears' offensive line struggled throughout Sunday's game with run blocking against Jacksonville defensive tackles Marcus Stroud and John Henderson.

The offense also was plagued by penalties. Bears offensive linemen committed four penalties, costing them 40 yards.

Jones thought the penalties were the biggest reason the Bears' running game was ineffective.

"It's hard. It's really hard," Jones said. "As a running back, during the game you have to get a feel for the game. When a play is called back (by penalty), the defense plays a different game when it's first down and 15 or it's first down and 20. The defense has a different mindset.

"They're expecting certain plays. So the defensive guys are expecting them to run a draw or something like that. When you have penalties like that it just hurts the confidence of everyone on the offense. That makes it hard to call plays for the offensive coordinator or for the coaches."

As noted by the Sports Xchange, Thomas didn't get a single carry against the Jags after sharing 30 attempts with Jones a week earlier.

A free agent after this season, the Xchange added that Thomas "already has plans to list his house with a real estate agent next week. ..."

Also according to Chamberlain, Bears and Jaguars receivers fought a low sun angle all day, causing several dropped passes.

None of the drops was more devastating for the Bears, according to head coach Lovie Smith, than a third-down ball tight end Dustin Lyman, who was starting with regular Desmond Clark sidelined by rib and shoulder injuries, failed to haul in on the Bears' first possession.

Although the sun was directly in his eyes on the play, Lyman held himself accountable.

"I took my eye off the ball and I started turning up the field a split second too early," Lyman said. "There's a million different reasons why I dropped the ball, but the main reason was I just took my eye off it and it was early in the game.

"I was hoping we could come back and overcome it and win the game and it would just be no big deal."

In a semi-related note. ... The Sporting News remind readers this week that Houston's defense tends to have trouble on the road, and it has given up 56 yards per game and eight TDs to the opposition's tight ends this season.

And finally. ...

According to Chicago Sun-Times beat writer Mike Mulligan, Rex Grossman has been advancing well in rehabilitation work and is still projected to be the Bears' starter in 2005.

If team officials sees enough from Hutchinson and Jeff George in the final weeks, they won't make quarterback an offseason priority.

Head coach Marvin Lewis didn't rule out the possibility of Palmer playing Sunday against Buffalo. He put off the decision until midweek, listing Palmer as questionable for now.

"Let's wait and see what happens," Lewis said.

If Palmer's sprained knee isn't better, Jon Kitna will make his first start of the season. Jon Kitna took over for Palmer during the third quarter of a 35-28 loss in New England and looked rusty on his first series of the season.

Kitna threw an end zone interception that scuttled the first drive, but got the Bengals within seven points on a 27-yard touchdown pass to Kelley Washington with 3:50 left. The Patriots then ran out the clock.

Palmer twisted the knee when he was tackled by New England's Richard Seymour. He left the game for an examination and left Foxboro on crutches.

He had medical tests back in Cincinnati that found no tear to his anterior cruciate ligament, Lewis said.

Last season as a rookie, Palmer watched from the sideline while Kitna took every snap, led the Bengals to an 8-8 finish and won the league's Comeback Player of the Year award.

Palmer had taken every snap this season until Sunday, and was starting to come into his own. He was honored as the AFC's offensive player of the week for leading a second-half comeback in a 27-26 victory over Baltimore a week ago.

Kitna hasn't taken a lot of snaps in practice because the Bengals have been trying to accelerate Palmer's growth. Kitna thinks a week of practice would get him up to speed.

The Bengals slipped out of contention for a wild-card playoff berth with the loss on Sunday, now trailing five teams for the two spots. They need to win their final three games to finish with their first winning season since 1990.

Also of interest. ...

As Dayton Daily News staffer Mark Gokavi noted Monday, the Bengals recent offensive outburst has coincided with T.J. Houshmandzadeh's increased production.

Cincinnati scored 28 points Sunday against New England and has 113 in the past three. After his career-high 12 catches for 145 yards against the Patriots, Houshmandzadeh has 26 catches for 395 yards and three scores in that span.

"If they throw me the ball," he said. "I'll catch the ball."

Not surprisingly, he had confidence the Bengals would be victorious.

"I felt like we were going to beat them; We just didn't get it done," Houshmandzadeh said. "Man, they know we're better than them. I don't want you all to write that, though. So, if you all write that, you all put 'I don't want you to write that.'"

Most impressively, he hung on to an 18-yard catch while being drilled by Eugene Wilson.

"He said, 'Way to hold on to the ball because I thought you were going to drop it,'" Houshmandzadeh said. "It wasn't too much. I'll take that hit all day for a catch."

And finally. ...

According to Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Mark Curnutte, rookie first-round running back Chris Perry dressed for the game Sunday for the fifth time this year. He did not play for the third time and has been inactive eight times.

"He has got to have a good week of practice. He has to have confidence in himself physically, and then gain confidence in everything we are doing in order to have an opportunity," Lewis said of Perry.

"I was hopeful he would have a chance (Sunday), but it didn't happen that way with the flow of the game."

The veteran quarterback appeared in just three plays in the 37-7 loss Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. But on the first snap of the fourth quarter, he was hit by Bills defensive end Aaron Schobel after a pump fake and dropped the ball.

It cost the Browns more than a turnover that set up a touchdown. Garcia suffered a torn medial collateral ligament and medial capsule in his left knee and appears headed to injured reserve, interim coach Terry Robiskie said Monday.

Surgery is not expected, but Robiskie said Garcia faces a two-month rehabilitation.

According to the Sports Xchange, Kelly Holcomb said his cracked ribs remain sore. He will attempt to do some individual drills this week in practice, but it's unlikely he would be a realistic alternative to McCown to start against San Diego.

Nate Hybl was released on Tuesday, opening a spot on the roster for fellow quarterback Josh Harris, who was signed off Baltimore's practice squad on Tuesday. Hybl has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game.

Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Mary Kay Cabot noted that Robiskie was asked if the team might consider re-signing former starter Tim Couch, who is out of football while recovering from tendinitis in his right shoulder and elbow.

"I don't know," Robiskie said. "Tim Couch coming in with three weeks left? I don't know where Tim is as far as his injury. I don't know where Tim Couch is as far as the Browns. Nate has been here. I don't know if Timmy has thrown a ball in the last month. That would be a tough question to answer."

He said the personnel department will research Couch and other available quarterbacks.

"If they know that Tim has been throwing and is in shape and wouldn't mind, it'll come up in discussions," Robiskie said. ...

Asked if he thought Garcia would be back next season -- he's due to make $4.5 million in 2005 -- Robiskie said the Browns would have to sit down and talk to Garcia about it. "We want to look at Luke and continue to play him and see how he's doing."

But he did indicate Garcia would make a good mentor for the rookie.

"Jeff has been outstanding for Luke on the sidelines," Robiskie said. "[Sunday] when he threw that first interception, before I could go over there and yell at him, Jeff was already over there yelling at him."

McCown struggled so much against the Bills, in fact, that Robiskie would probably consider playing Holcomb if he could.

"[But] I don't know where Kelly is [health-wise]," he said. "He'll practice on Wednesday. He said he's feeling a lot better. We'll get more in-depth into that Wednesday or Thursday."

McCown was raring to go again Monday after getting sacked seven times and knocked down a half dozen others by the Bills.

"I went to bed [Sunday] night just hoping I'd wake up [Monday] morning," he said.

Robiskie was almost as hard on McCown on Monday as the Bills were the day before.

"We all see the pressure he was under, but I told him if he makes his proper reads and gets the ball out of his hand, there won't be any pressure," Robiskie said.

He said his "pet peeve" with McCown is interceptions. He had two against the Bills and a third was wiped out by a penalty.

"If Luke goes out there and throws three picks, I'm going to take him out of the game," Robiskie said. "That's the nature of the business with me. The first day someone handed him a football, he should have learned what it means to have it and to protect it."

Despite the beating, McCown wants to start the final three games.

"Just the experience I've had from playing the Super Bowl champs and then the No. 4 ranked defense in the league back-to-back is going to make me a better player," he said. ...

Also of interest. ...

In case you weren't paying attention, Cleveland set a team record for offensive futility against the Bills with 17 net yards, fittingly surpassing the previous mark of 40 yards set in the expansion Browns' 1999 debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coming up with 19 yards on the final two possessions saved Cleveland from flirting with the NFL record of minus-7 yards set by Seattle against the Los Angeles Rams in 1979. But it did rank as the fifth-worst offensive total in league history. ...

Robiskie said he's talked to William Green about his past two outings, in which he lost two fumbles and carried the ball 23 times for 20 yards. Against New England, he was benched after a third-quarter fumble.

"I don't know if what happened in New England didn't shake him a little bit," he said. "I don't know if that's still got him. I sensed [Sunday] that after he fumbled it, it was bothering him. But we'll keep pressing on and try and fix whatever may be wrong."

According to Canton Repository sports writer Steve Doerschuk. Green's future is cloudy after a stretch of games in which his numbers were weak and his style was too passive.

Doerschuk went on to suggest: "Green's psyche seems all right, but he doesn't look like a first-round talent. Whomever becomes general manager will be allowed to disregard Butch Davis' opinion of Green, which led to spending a No. 16 overall pick in 2002. ..."

The good news?

Doerschuk reported Tuesday that rookie running back Adimchinobe Echemandu said his trial run might be curtailed because it appears Lee Suggs will be back from turf toe to face San Diego.

Of course, I'll have more on Suggs and the team's situation at halfback as the week progresses. ...

According to the Plain Dealer, Steve Heiden won't have any trouble gearing up for the Chargers, who traded him to the Browns in 2002. "As a player, you look at it and think 'those guys didn't believe in me. They didn't believe in my ability. ...' It's just how I was treated, with no respect."

He said San Diego coach Marty Schottenheimer demoted him from a starter to the fourth-string tight end. "I felt that's not where I belonged," he said.

And finally. ...

Fellow tight end Aaron Shea is day-to-day after suffering a sprained ankle against the Bills.

Parcells said he would likely stick with Testaverde Sunday at Philadelphia because of the problems the Eagles' blitz-happy defense can present a young quarterback like Drew Henson, who would be making only his second start.

"I don't think it would be a real good place to send a rookie quarterback -- Philadelphia -- under the circumstances," Parcells said.

Parcells also said the Cowboys have not played to their potential as he sees it this season. While the Cowboys are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, Parcells is not thinking about the postseason.

The Cowboys are a game behind St. Louis and Carolina, both 6-7, for the final playoff spot in the NFC and would likely need to win their remaining games against Philadelphia, Washington and the New York Giants. But as Archer pointed out, the Cowboys have not won three games in a row all season because they have been plagued by inconsistency on offense and poor play on defense.

"I think I will definitely have a little different outlook on things," Parcells said. "It's nothing dramatic here. I'm just saying on my own personal outlook on the way things are, and my own personal outlook on some players, I definitely think I'm going to have a changed opinion and outlook, a changed attitude toward some things."

Archer went on to note that Parcells did not name names, but he was irked at the performance of the offensive line in Sunday's 27-13 loss to New Orleans. He did not absolve Testaverde from blame for his poor showing, but he also said the wide receivers could not get open and the line could not protect.

The coach's tone was much more conciliatory than the players.

"I've been trying for 20 weeks so I don't know that things are going to change appreciably right now," Parcells said. "But as I've said to you many weeks, there's always next Sunday in this league and you always hope that things will take turn for better or you will kind make a little comeback from what's happened.

That's one of the things that's good about the business. You do have the prospect of next week and even though we have a very difficult opportunity, you still look forward to having a chance to rectify some things. ..."

Other notes of interest. ...

According to Fort Worth Star-Telegram staffers Jennifer Floyd Engel and Carlos Mendez, Eddie George had a feeling he might be a healthy scratch against New Orleans.

But knowing did nothing to soften the blow for the Cowboys running back when Sunday, for the first time in his nine-year NFL career, he found himself inactive for a game.

"It is disappointing, not being able to compete, perform, dress," said George, who had not been inactive in 149 previous games. "But this is [Parcells'] team, and he just put together the best team on the field, and unfortunately I wasn't part of it."

A lot of streaks have ended for George since signing with the Cowboys in the off-season.

His NFL-best consecutive regular-season starts streak was snapped at 130 in Washington in Week 3. His streak of 148 consecutive games played (including playoffs) was snapped last week in Seattle when George was active but did not play. Then came Sunday.

George has 128 carries for 424 yards this season, but has only 13 yards on six carries since rookie running back Julius Jones returned to the lineup against Baltimore. And while George is not likely to be back in Dallas, he is not planning on retiring.

"Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to play, being in the right situation, given the opportunities," George said. "The good thing of this is I'm not banged up and not sore, no major injuries. I was put in a situation where I wasn't able to show what I am really good at, and that's wearing a defense down, and unfortunately I didn't make the right fit. ..."

Meanwhile, Jones appeared ready to close in on another 100-yard game, finishing the first half with 16 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown. But Jones had only seven carries for 29 yards in the second half, and none in the game's final 10 minutes.

"One of our goals on defense was to make sure that their running game didn't get an early kick-start," Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie said.

The Cowboys did not use Jones in their 2-minute offense, opting for Richie Anderson. Jones had rushed for 150 or more yards in his previous two games, against Chicago and Seattle.

Anderson, who missed the past two games with a concussion, caught three passes for 17 yards and ran twice for 7 yards. ...

For what it's worth, Testaverde says Jones reminds him of one of his former teammates, Curtis Martin. Testaverde and Martin played together with the Jets. Martin has rushed for a league-best 1,305 yards and is on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"He's got the physical skills," Testaverde said. "He's got that burst through the hole. He's got that vision. To watch him get up, hit after hit, he's just tough. He's like Curtis. I've seen Curtis hit his head on the ground so hard that his nose started bleeding, and he just walked back in the huddle like nothing happened. ..."

Receivers Quincy Morgan and Keyshawn Johnson combined for five catches 71 yards -- a total the Sports Xchange suggests could also be attributed to the conservative game plan and the hesitance to force the ball into coverage rather than just a lack of separation.

Johnson's 29-yard catch late in the fourth quarter came in a crowd of three defenders. But as the Xchange pointed out, it was desperation time then. He didn't get many opportunities early in the game.

Also according to Floyd Engel and Mendez, the Saints used two players in coverage on tight end Jason Witten, who finished with four catches for 59 yards. Witten, who came in needing six receptions to set the club record for catches by a tight end in a season, said he was hit so hard in the stomach on one play that he threw up.

He returned and caught another pass, but was disappointed he couldn't do more to help Testaverde.

"It wasn't all Vinny's fault," Witten said. "I'm behind him 100 percent. I don't know about everybody else, but I'm there every day. I know what the guy does every day."

And finally. ...

Billy Cundiff kicked field goals of 34 and 41 yards, and missed from 42 yards. For the season, Cundiff has made 15 of 20 field goals but is 6-for-11 from 40 yards or more.

Asked Monday if Droughns' head was down after two more fumbles against the Miami Dolphins, head coach Mike Shanahan didn't blink before shooting back, "He better worry about me losing confidence."

Droughns' response Sunday to those difficulties was nearly as immediate as the man dishing out his playing time.

Following Droughns' fourth and fifth fumbles this season in the first quarter, the running back was relegated to the bench, then called upon to carry the ball at a critical juncture of the fourth quarter after Tatum Bell suffered a third-degree left shoulder separation.

Droughns finished with 48 of his 62 yards down the stretch in a 20-17 Denver victory.

Still, his recent struggles, not only against the Dolphins but the previous week against the San Diego Chargers, and a positive medical report on Bell, who could suit up against Kansas City on Sunday based on his tolerance to pain, at least created the possibility Bell might take Droughns' starting job.

Shanahan backed Droughns on that front, with one key factor being the player's experience over the rookie while heading into a critical stretch against Kansas City, Tennessee and Indianapolis.

But as Rasizer suggested, Bell's performance in his most extensive playing time this season -- 17 carries, 123 yards, two touchdowns -- has increased his chances of sticking longer in the lineup if he is able to consistently gain yardage.

"Tatum has big-play capabilities," Shanahan said. "Every time he touches the ball, he has the chance to go the distance. Reuben is an excellent running back. He is a downhill running back that will splatter people. He has the chance to go the distance as well. He's just not going to get as many big plays. I think it is a great balance to have."

First, though, Bell has to get back on the field in terms of his health, and right now, that's not a given.

The good news?

Shanahan asked head trainer Steve Antonopulos to research how many players have been able to rebound from a similar-type shoulder injury as Bell's and play the next week, and Antonopulos came up with about 15-20 examples, including Terrell Davis.

If Bell does play, he will wear a protective pad and might receive an injection to alleviate some pain.

"We'll get a chance to see how tough he is because it is tough to play with that type of injury," Shanahan said.

Bell received a follow-up X-ray Monday and was receiving treatment to improve the movement in the shoulder, which he hurt when a lineman landed on him midway through the third quarter.

Doctors assured him it wasn't a two- to three-week type of injury, Bell said. The shoulder popped out of the joint and back in without intervention by the Broncos training staff.

"I want to play this week, especially after coming off a good game," Bell said. "I don't want to be no one-game wonder. I want to keep it going."

Droughns, on the other hand, wants to recapture the form that allowed him to gain at least 102 yards in six of seven games from Oct. 10 to Nov. 28.

Besides his troubles with ball security, Droughns has been swarmed by opposing defenses running between the tackles the past several weeks and appears to have lost some of the burst to break runs outside.

Droughns described it as "that little oomph" when the subject came up.

Opposing defenses the past several weeks are "scheming a lot better," Droughns acknowledged, adding that after busting several tackles earlier in the season, "they're wrapping up a lot tighter," too.

He also is more banged up now than earlier this season, a function of a 192-carry workload during his big seven-game stretch. According to the team's official web site, Droughns had an MRI after pinching a nerve in his neck, but the results were not known.

Droughns actually carried the ball three times on the game's final possession after suffering the injury late in the final period. ...

Meanwhile, Droughns insists the the speed to break big runs still exists.

"You've just got to stick with it," said Droughns, who Rasizer advised readers that he's been battling the above-mentioned problem with his neck for several weeks. "Obviously, I'm going through a tough time these last two weeks. It's about how you bounce back and finishing strong."

As for the fumbles, coaches and teammates have stressed to him the importance of knowing when to go down on contact or fight for extra yardage and the fact "sometimes, you can't run over everyone" or be "trying to find too many holes" instead of making one cut and heading up field.

Droughns also will attempt to be more cognizant of putting two hands over the ball when heading into defensive traffic.

At the same time, Bell isn't immune to problems, either.

He had his first career triple-digit rushing game but also tripped over his own feet on one potential touchdown run, then dropped a sure scoring catch moments later, drawing Shanahan's ire as the Broncos settled for a field goal in a tight game.

"When he dropped that pass, I said, 'Oh, I'm not sure what I did the last couple of weeks, but I've got to change whatever my karma is,'" Shanahan said. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Garrison Hearst will have a role in the offense against Kansas City if Bell can't play. Shanahan said Hearst could get 5-10 carries if he is the No. 2 back on Sunday. ...

According to Associated Press sports writer Eddie Pells, Jake Plummer probably lost more than just his cool when he made an obscene gesture toward the stands.

The NFL is reviewing Plummer's actions under its long-standing policy that prohibits public displays of profanity, a review that will likely lead to a fine.

Plummer didn't do himself many favors in a city that is already a little fed up with his performance this season.

He apologized Sunday, saying "One guy got into my head a little bit. It shouldn't be that way."

On Monday, his coach and teammates chimed in.

"I think Jake understands that this game is very tough on the quarterback," Shanahan said. "You work your way through it. If you're mentally tough enough, you survive. If not, you acquiesce and you're gone."

Plummer, who has thrown six interceptions without a touchdown in the last two games, came under withering criticism last week from former teammate Shannon Sharpe, who said Plummer would never be more than an average quarterback despite Shanahan's attempts to help him get better.

Plummer downplayed those comments, saying he never heard them. On Sunday, though, he had trouble ignoring the criticism from the stands.

His obscene gesture was front-page material in Denver and was played over and over on national highlight shows.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said the NFL's stance on profanity has not changed and the case would be reviewed under the league's long-standing policy that prohibits public displays of profanity.

Harrington has struggled as the Lions have lost six of their last seven games and he might be coming off the worst outing in his three-season career.

He was 5-of-22 for 47 yards in a 16-13 loss at Green Bay, which overcame a 13-0 deficit in the second half.

"We haven't made any decisions, but we are evaluating our passing game," Mariucci said.

Harrington said Mariucci did not talk to him about a possible change on Monday, but is well aware that his coach was peppered with questions about it.

"If there's anything it's going to do, it's going to make me work harder," he said. "I'm not going to go home and cry about it."

McMahon said he would be surprised if Mariucci made a move to make him the starter Sunday at home against the Vikings.

"When there's been opportunities to make a change, he hasn't," McMahon said.

Not long ago, Harrington was credited for helping the Lions turn it around after winning an NFL-low 10 games over the previous three seasons.

When the Lions were 4-2, Harrington had thrown 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. In the last seven games, he's thrown as many TDs (five) as interceptions.

"I'm not worried about making plays to keep the job," Harrington said. "I'm worried about making plays to win a football game."

Mariucci didn't praise Harrington in many ways, but did compliment his work ethic.

"He's bound and determined to be as good as he possibly can be," Mariucci said. "He's here late, he's here on days off, he's studying film. He really works at it. I'll give him that.

"I have confidence in Joey. I have faith in Joey. Would I like him to play better? You bet. ..."

It's safe to assume at least half of that statement is correct.

Booth Newspapers beat man Tom Kowalski advised readers on Wednesday that discussions are getting a little heated between the front office and Mariucci and his staff.

The situation hasn't gotten out of hand and there is still strong communication, but there is also some strong disagreement.

President Matt Millen has been unhappy with the offensive strategy and playcalling and also believes the Lions should be playing some of the younger players who they'll have to rely on in the future.

Despite the authority to order some changes, Millen refuses to do so because he believes -- and rightly so -- that it would completely undermine the head coach's authority.

But one area where Millen does offer resistance is in Mariucci's desire to play McMahon over Harrington.

According to Kowalski: "Mariucci's lack of faith in Harrington -- and his eagerness to see what McMahon can do -- is the worst-kept secret in the organization."

Nothing like adding a little front office tension to an ongoing quarterback controversy, eh? I'll undoubtedly have more on this as the week progresses. ...

In a related note. ... According to Detroit News staff writer Mike O'Hara, Harrington said he thought the wind played a part in his performance. He completed 5 of 22 passes for 47 yards.

"It affected everybody out there," Harrington said. "Just look at that last ball to Roy [Williams]."

On second down at the Lions' 40 in the fourth quarter, Harrington threw a sideline pass to Williams, who was open. But the ball tailed off and fell short of Williams' grasp. The ball was thrown into the wind.

"It was definitely the most difficult wind conditions I've played in," Harrington said, "but we were all out there. ..."

Stay tuned. ... I'll have more on Detroit's quarterbacks as the week progresses. ...

Now, on a more positive note. ...

In an article published Tuesday, Associated Press sports writer Larry Lage reminded readers the Lions have been looking for a running back since Barry Sanders suddenly retired five years ago.

Lage added: "Their search may have ended when they drafted Kevin Jones. ..."

The rookie running back has been the lone bright spot on offense for the reeling Lions.

Jones has run for an NFL-best 551 yards over the past four games, including 156 and 196 yards rushing and two touchdowns the past two weeks -- even against defenses with eight-man fronts.

"That's a testament to his running and the offensive line blocking," guard Damien Woody said. "The encouraging thing is we're still running the ball effectively against eight in the box."

Despite being slowed by a sprained right ankle and limited playing time early in the season, Jones ranks fifth among NFC running backs -- first among all rookies -- with 859 yards rushing.

He won't match Sanders' rookie total of 1,470 yards rushing. But he has surpassed Sanders' best single-game performance in 1989 and has become the first Lions rookie with back-to-back 150-yard rushing games. Still, he doesn't even think about comparing himself to Sanders.

"I take pride in that, but I don't know that for sure until they say it and they haven't said it," Jones said of any comparisons to the Hall of Famer. "I'm not sure if they're confident in me or not. All I can do is run."

If he runs for 150 yards Sunday at home against Minnesota, he will be just the ninth player in NFL history, and the first rookie, to do it at least three games in a row.

He has produced since Mariucci decided to get Jones the ball more after he shared time with Artose Pinner and Shawn Bryson early in the season. In the last five games, Jones has averaged about 22 carries after getting no more than 15 carries or 65 yards in any of the first eight games.

"We've been stubborn with it," Mariucci said. "I was telling you all along that we were going to make the run game go one way or another even when we were rushing for 35 yards a game.

"We seem to have made some real good progress in that area. Now I want to make the same kind of progress in the passing game."

That's a phase of the game clearly in need of work. Though teams are using schemes to stop the run, the Lions still can't pass effectively. In the last five games, Harrington has 611 yards passing and Jones has 632 yards rushing.

"I can't explain that," Jones said.

Lage went on to suggest it's also difficult to describe Jones' running style because he has a rare blend of speed, power and juke moves.

"It's hard to tag me because I try to be a versatile runner," he said. "You can't be only a power guy because sometimes you have to outrun somebody. Sometimes, you have to make people miss."

It looks like some teams might have missed out on the running back they needed in April.

Detroit traded up into the first round to draft him after St. Louis took Steven Jackson 24th overall. Cincinnati picked Chris Perry at No. 26, and Dallas traded out of the first round and landed Julius Jones.

Some scouts didn't think Kevin Jones was fast enough for the NFL, but he's proven those skeptics wrong. He has nine runs of 20-plus yards -- a total that trails only Seattle's Shaun Alexander -- including a 74-yard gain.

"I thought I was the best running back coming out, but obviously some teams didn't think so," Jones said. "I was upset before, but not anymore. I'm in a good situation because I'm on a team that needed me to play right away."

Though it won't go down as one of his finest performances, Favre finally figured out the brutal winds that made his counterpart, Lions quarterback Joey Harrington, look foolish and delivered another fourth-quarter comeback.

After a miserable first half in which he completed only 3 of 15 passes for 28 yards, Favre had only three incompletions after the opening drive of the third quarter (and one was a bad drop in the end zone by tight end Bubba Franks).

"It was the wind," receiver Javon Walker said. "It doesn't matter how strong your (quarterback's) arm is. The wind will make the ball do all sorts of things. It was a matter of adjusting. At the end, that's what we started to do."

At halftime, Favre suggested to the coaching staff that he might be better off throwing deep because those would be hard throws that would be less likely to be affected by the wind than the shorter, touch passes.

He then completed 16 of 21 passes for 160 yards in the second half, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Donald Driver into the wind in the third quarter.

"If you don't even put a defense out there, it was difficult to complete passes," Favre said. "They had to play in the same stuff. That catch that Donald made -- not only was it a difficult catch because of the conditions, there were two guys right there, too. ..."

According to the Sports Xchange, Driver had a tough week. On Friday (Dec. 10), he was forced to leave his teammates because his father-in-law died. On Sunday, he came back and made two crucial catches.

On the 23-yard touchdown pass from Favre in the third quarter, Driver split a seam between dime back Keith Smith and safety Bracy Walker.

"I had good concentration on the ball and ignored the defenders," Driver said.

According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Najeh Davenport was an afterthought on a day when the Packers had difficulty getting their running game going. He had three carries for 12 yards and one reception for 5 yards.

Ahman Green got the majority of work, carrying 23 times for 76 yards. His longest run was 8 yards. Green said after the game that he felt better than he has all season long, which might be why he got most of the work.

Davenport, however, has been a key contributor and was clearly left out on a day when the running game needed a lift. If his injured ribs were hurting, no one was saying. He was used with Robert Ferguson on kickoff returns.

And finally. ...

Ryan Longwell hit all three of his field-goal attempts in brutal weather conditions, including a 23-yarder that decided the game with 2 seconds left. It was the third winner of the season for Longwell, who also was clutch at the end against Houston and Minnesota.

The 25- to 35-mph winds were gusting across the stadium and Longwell was able to put enough foot into his kicks to drive them through the goalposts.

"What can I say? I look down at him, he gives me a thumbs up," head coach Mike Sherman said. "I can't say that I don't say a few prayers when he's lining up to kick it. I do. But they're always answered to somebody."

"There's also no denying the fact that all too often the Texans produce touchdowns the way the NBA keeps score -- by twos. ..."

After ranking among the best teams in the NFL in yards per game for most of the season, the Texans are now in the middle of pack in that category with a No. 16 ranking. More disturbing is the fact they rank 21st in scoring and have had more than two offensive touchdowns in just two of their 13 games this season.

Thompson went on to point out that Houston is currently tied with five teams for sixth in the league with 13 rushing touchdowns, but in an era when teams throw the ball to score big points, their 13 passing touchdowns rank 26th.

David Carr has thrown for just four touchdowns in the last six games. He's been shut out five times this season and on five other occasions has thrown just one TD pass.

The Texans' three lowest yardage outputs have come in the last three games, including last Sunday's rather predictable 273-yard effort against the Colts. When Houston plays Indianapolis, touchdowns and big plays are typically few and far between for the Texans.

In the Texans' nearly three full years in the league, the worst thing that has happened to their offense has been the Colts' defense, which has held Houston to 170 or fewer passing yards in each game of a 6-0 Indy run.

Colts coach Tony Dungy perfected a Cover 2 scheme while he was the head coach at Tampa Bay, and Dungy's version has become known as the Tampa 2, which requires both safeties to play a deep zone on the outside and a linebacker to drop deep in the middle of the field. It has given the Texans fits.

"You aren't going to get many downfield throws unless you get them in situations where they're trying to stop the run, and we were certainly hoping to get some of those," said head coach Dom Capers, whose team had no completions topping 19 yards. "We think if we can run the ball and get big plays, that's a winning combination.

"What changes that a little bit is what people are doing against you. Everybody is going to try to take Andre [Johnson] away up the field, but this team, their scheme does that a lot because they drop so deep and they get pressure out of a four-man rush."

But as Thompson noted, they're likely to see more of the same this Sunday in Chicago when the Texans play the Bears, whose coach, Lovie Smith, is a Dungy disciple. The Bears are a bit more aggressive than the Colts, but the Texans can expect to see some form of the Cover 2. So it's back to the drawing board and tight end Billy Miller said the Texans can start by not beating themselves.

"You kind of feel one thing during the game, and then you watch the film, and there are plays to be made, but we just have breakdowns," he said. "We're not good enough yet to overcome silly mistakes. If we have five sacks and five offsides (penalties), we're not good enough to overcome that."

On a more positive note. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, second-year running back Domanick Davis made the unusual gesture of bringing some company to the post-game interview podium Sunday.

By Davis' side was fullback Moran Norris.

"The line did a great job, and my boy Moran Norris is doing a hell of a job opening up holes for me," Davis said. "I've got to give him credit. I didn't want to come up here (to the interview podium) by myself. The other guys were the ones that made it happen."

Davis' 128 rushing yards on 23 carries were a yard short of his career high, set last year against the Jets and tied Nov. 28 against the Titans. His 73 receiving yards on six carries were second to his 95 yards against the Lions earlier this season.

His 201 total yards were a career best, surpassing his 199 (129 rushing, 70 receiving) against the Jets in 2003.

Manning's 12-yard TD to Reggie Wayne in the first quarter at Houston was his second of the game and 46th of the season, two shy of tying Dan Marino's 20-year-old record for TD passes in a season.

Johnny Unitas, Don Meredith, Brett Favre and Marino also had 12 straight multi-TD passing games. Unitas was the only other to do it at the start of a season, for the Colts 45 years ago.

Unitas had at least two TDs in each of the first 12 games of 1959. That was part of his NFL-record streak of 47 straight games with a touchdown pass.

Of course, there is still that matter of Manning remaining on pace to break the NFL's single-season record for touchdown passes in a season.

Manning had two touchdown passes in the Texans game, giving him 46 for the year. He needs two to tie and three to break the mark that was set by Marino in 1984. ...

Meanwhile, despite undergoing reconstructive surgery on his left knee three years ago, Edgerrin James is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career. He's on pace to eclipse 2,200 total yards.

He had 104 yards rushing against the Texans, most of those yards coming in the second half when the Colts were trying to grind it out and take time off the clock. As he's been throughout his career, James continues to play his best in the fourth quarter.

Other notes of interest. ...

As the Sports Xchange suggested Tuesday, Wayne was the receiver of the week, catching seven passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and coming up with two big third-down receptions to keep second-half drives alive. ...

Tight end Dallas Clark has a strained biceps, but head coach Tony Dungy didn't say whether the injury would keep Clark out of this week's game against Baltimore.

Clark has been bothered by injuries throughout his two-year career. He missed the Tennessee game on Dec. 5 with a calf injury, was limited in practice last week and had to convince the medical staff and coaches of his fitness during warm-ups prior to Sunday's game.

"That's a first for me," Clark said. "I've never tried to pull that card. I've either been out or been in."

Last year, Clark missed the final four regular-season games and all three playoff games after breaking his right leg. ...

According to Indianapolis Star News staff writer Mike Chappell, Mike Vanderjagt made noise Sunday at Reliant Stadium, but with his right leg, not his mouth.

The veteran place-kicker sealed the win over Houston with three second-half field goals. Then, he declined to talk about it. "I've got nothing to say," Vanderjagt said in the locker room.

Vanderjagt has been miffed all season as the team has bounced from one player to the next to handle kickoffs. Martin Gramatica kicked off against the Texans, following Vanderjagt, Matt Bryant, punter Hunter Smith and Jason Baker.

Gramatica had a solid debut, reaching at least the goal line with four of his six kickoffs and producing one touchback.

Vanderjagt went about the business of converting field goals. He had a 30-yarder in the third quarter and 43- and 44-yarders in the fourth quarter. He's 6-for-6 the past two games after hitting only eight in the Colts' first 11 games. ...

And finally. ...

Also according to the Xchange, with their 23 points Sunday, the Colts broke their single-season record for points, which they set a year ago. Indianapolis has scored 454 points, passing the 447 points from 2003.

The team is averaging 34.9 points per game and are on pace to score 559 points. Minnesota has the league mark with 556 points set in 1998.

The Chicago Bears began the day as the NFC's third-best defense inside their own 20-yard line, but they didn't live up to that billing, allowing the Jaguars to score two touchdowns in four red-zone possessions during a 22-3 victory.

The Jaguars came into the game last in the league in red-zone touchdown efficiency, converting just 14 of their 35 opportunities (40 percent) and putting offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave under the microscope.

But Musgrave and Byron Leftwich had the answers Sunday as the Jaguars scored touchdowns on their first and last trips inside the 20 on passes to Reggie Williams and Jimmy Smith.

"It's overdue," Smith said of the Jaguars' red-zone production Sunday. "We've got to have an attitude in the red zone. Once we get inside that 20, we've got to punch the ball in."

Smith, who fought through a sprained ankle on his scoring play, said getting touchdowns in the red zone is the key for the Jaguars.

"We've got to start rewarding our defense and our special teams, because they have been playing awesome," Smith said. "We have to start scoring more points."

Meanwhile, Smith and running back Fred Taylor enjoyed milestone games on Sunday.

Not long after Taylor went over 1,000 yards rushing for the fifth time in his seven pro seasons, Smith eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for eight time in the past nine years.

Both of the Jaguars' offensive veterans also turned in big plays to help the Jaguars snap a three-game losing skid. Taylor (21 carries, 79 yards) had a 20-yard run, while Smith (six catches, 85 yards) hauled in a 31-yard touchdown.

For what it's worth, head coach Jack Del Rio said Smith was not seriously injured and is expected to play this weekend at Green Bay.

Also of interest. ...

Williams caught his first career touchdown and finished as the team's second-leading receiver, with four catches for 62 yards.

"He did a heck of a job," Leftwich said. "Reggie hasn't caught a lot of touchdowns or passes this season, but right now he's helping us win games."

As Orlando Sentinel staff writer Emily Badger noted Monday, Williams was drafted with the ninth pick in the first round out of Washington but had yet to find the end zone 12 games into the season. Entering Sunday, nine Jags had caught touchdown passes, and Williams was one of the few still waiting.

His 6-yard reception in the first quarter Sunday opened the scoring.

"I'm sure it will be the first of many to come," Del Rio said.

Williams was just as excited after the game about the final score as his first TD.

"It definitely felt good to take a knee at the end of the game instead of everybody holding their breaths, trying to make some miracle happen," he told Badger. ...

Also according to Hubbuch, the Jaguars signed backup tight end Todd Yoder away from Tampa Bay in the offseason mainly for use on special teams, but Yoder has become a weapon in the passing game.

Yoder has a catch in each of the past two games, including a career-long of 56 yards against Pittsburgh, and had a 33-yard touchdown called back against Chicago because of a holding penalty.

"If they're going to leave him open, we're going to take advantage of it," Del Rio said of Yoder, who had just 14 receptions combined in four years before grabbing 11 for 139 yards this season.

Kyle Brady used to be a weapon in the offense, but he has disappeared the second half of the season. In fact, Hubbuch advised readers that Leftwich doesn't even look Brady's way anymore, preferring instead to throw to Brian Jones. ...

And finally. ...

The Jaguars dropped at least seven passes against the Bears and Del Rio couldn't help but notice.

Smith and fellow wideout Troy Edwards each had two drops, and Taylor also bobbled away a Leftwich throw.

"[Dropped passes are] an area we will get better in," Del Rio said. "We will continue to improve in the way we throw and catch the ball."

"Maybe now Vermeil and Saunders will showcase Larry Johnson, the second-year running back formerly known as SloJo.

"Now that Johnson has staged a national coming-out party, now that Vermeil's and Saunders' collective stubbornness and pettiness almost cost the Chiefs one more game, maybe now they'll give Johnson a legitimate shot."

By golly, it's the holiday season -- ask and ye shall receive. ...

As Star staff writer Randy Covitz reported Wednesday morning, "Johnson will take the next step in his suddenly blossoming career when he makes his first start on Sunday against Denver."

Johnson, who came off the bench and produced his second consecutive 100-yard game -- including touchdown runs of 46 and 41 yards in Monday night's 49-38 victory at Tennessee -- will start in place of Derrick Blaylock. Blaylock underwent an MRI on Tuesday for a mild medial collateral strain in his left knee.

But Covitz added that even if Blaylock had not been hurt in his fifth start since taking over for the injured Priest Holmes, it's likely that Johnson still would have started against Denver in the noon game at Arrowhead Stadium.

"Based on that performance, you'd really have to evaluate it. … Yes," Vermeil said Tuesday.

Blaylock carried 14 times for 51 yards Monday night, including eight carries for 29 yards and a 1-yard touchdown during a nine-play drive opening the third quarter.

Johnson finished with 104 yards in seven carries, a week after leading the Chiefs with 118 yards and a touchdown, plus three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in a 34-27 victory at Oakland.

"He's gaining confidence and a better understanding in what's happening within the running game," Vermeil said. "How to read the blocks, a little more patience getting to the line of scrimmage and more explosive when he gets there … pulling through tackles with powerful legs and speed around the corner."

Vermeil was hopeful that Blaylock would be available as a backup to Johnson, saying, "Many times, a mild strain means you're ready to play on Sunday." Otherwise, with Holmes on injured reserve, the club has no other halfback on the active roster.

Also of interest. ...

Trent Green struggled early Monday night with only 131 yards at halftime and 199 until the final drive for the game-winning touchdown. His one-big play in the first half was a gift when the Titans just flat failed to cover Eddie Kennison running free for a 58-yard TD bomb.

Green finished 18-32-244 with three TDs and one pick for a 99 passer rating.

With his seven receptions for 76 yards against Tennessee, Tony Gonzalez moved ahead of NFL Hall of Fame tight end Kellen Winslow into third place among career receptions by a tight end. Gonzalez now has 542 catches in eight NFL seasons. Winslow had 541 in nine.

And finally. ...

According to the Star, Johnnie Morton will be listed as probable on this week's injury report with a mild knee strain.

"But that's a good thing.

"As the Denver defense did everything it could to send the neurons in Feeley's head firing to the point of more terrible decisions and ugly interceptions, there was a unique calm about him.

"It was the point where experience took over for Feeley, and all the frenzy that had plagued him before began to dissipate. ..."

Or, as Feeley put it, "The game started to slow down."

Feeley's performance (17 of 35, 170 yards, 1 TD) was still hardly overwhelming, but the important element was what it lacked.

Interceptions.

Feeley threw one pick Sunday, an errant throw over the middle that Denver linebacker Al Wilson snared. Otherwise, the worst criticism of him was a missed connection with wide-open Donald Lee in the second half.

"He did a good job of managing the game," tight end Randy McMichael said. "He's growing up. He was really poised today, especially considering all of the blitzes."

In fact, McMichael and the other receivers betrayed Feeley more than Feeley betrayed himself. McMichael and wide receiver Marty Booker had two drops each, and the Dolphins had five overall. That accounted McMichael's bad mood after the game.

"We left some plays on the field and we have to clean that up," he said.

Feeley was calm in the face of constant pressure. The Broncos blitzed more than they had in most games, borrowing a page from just about every opponent the Dolphins have faced.

"They threw everything at us and then some," Dolphins offensive tackle Damion McIntosh said. "They had guys coming from everywhere and there were a lot of times they had more guys than we could pick up."

In such situations, Feeley is the one in charge of getting rid of the ball and preventing a bad play. On Sunday, Feeley handled that in the best manner he has shown so far this season. He either got rid of the ball or took sacks instead of forcing plays.

"I didn't see any fear, no frustration," said Wilson, who admitted to the Broncos blitz-happy tactics. "I saw him stay in the game, keep congratulating his players, keep them in the game."

But can Feeley be a productive NFL starter?

"Yeah, and that's a lot to say in this league," said Wilson, one of the league's top defenders. "A lot of guys don't know how to prepare when times are tough and now is a time when you show what kind of character you have, when things aren't going the way you expect. That should say a lot about a guy's future.

"What I saw was a guy with a big arm who can make some big throws. That's something you work with."

Other notes of interest. ...

According to South Florida Sun-Sentinel staffers Harvey Fialkov and Alex Marvez, a week McMichael complained about being left out of the offense, receiver Chris Chambers expressed his displeasure in the lack of long-ball opportunities, particularly when he draws man-to-man coverage as he did against Broncos Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey.

"I wish we could have gone deep and thrown a couple vertical balls earlier in the game," said Chambers, who had five catches for 47 yards, but none longer than 14 yards. "It's just tremendously hard to run routes against a good corner like Champ when we don't throw the ball up the field. It puts no pressure on [Bailey] and it puts no pressure on the safety.

"For whatever reason, it didn't happen. ..."

In addition to his two drops, McMichael had five catches for 62 yards, giving him 698 reception yards this season to surpass Keith Jackson's single season, team-record 673 yards gained in 1994.

"It was a big play in the game," McMichael said of the dropped passes. "Who knows what would've happened if I caught it. All those coulda, woulda, shouldas. ..."

According to Herald staffer David J. Neal, fullback Rob Konrad will miss the final three games with a slipped disk in his back, said his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

Konrad left Sunday's game in the first quarter. He was diagnosed by Dolphins chief team physician Dr. George Caldwell. Surgery isn't planned, but Konrad will seek a second opinion.

Injuries have dogged Konrad throughout his six-season NFL career with the Dolphins. He has played all 16 games only once, 2002, and averages 2.3 missed games per season. Konrad missed the first three games of this season with a bursal infection in his thigh.

Since returning, he has rushed twice for 18 yards and caught eight passes for 69 yards and a touchdown. ...

Also according to Cole, Olindo Mare once ranked among the most accurate kickers in the game, but has steadily declined. He also has been bothered by a nagging calf injury. The calf injury has significantly affected Mare's normally strong kickoffs. ...

Receiver David Boston was suspended by the NFL for four games for testing positive for steroids, but he will not miss any games because he is out for the season with a knee injury.

Boston, however, will lose $1.34 million, one-fourth of his $5.35 million salary.

The suspension also means Boston can be subject to more stringent testing for steroids under the NFL program. The league has random testing, but this means he can be tested without notice at any time.

The Dolphins may pursue the recoupment of $2.8 million from Boston because of his suspension and those who follow the team closely say there's a good chance Miami will cut him in the offseason. And finally. ...

According to ESPNews, LSU coach Nick Saban has talked to the Miami Dolphins about their vacant head coaching position.

In a statement issued by LSU on Wednesday, Saban described the talks as "a preliminary conversation with the Dolphins to exchange ideas about their head coaching position."

"No decisions were made in this meeting and they will continue their search for a coach," Saban said. "I will continue to be committed to LSU, our football program and totally focused on our bowl game versus Iowa."

But even moments after the game officially ended Sunday, Culpepper still believed the Vikings had become the latest team to score a last-second miracle victory over the Seahawks.

"I thought we stole one," he said. "I absolutely thought we stole one."

With four seconds left and the Vikings on the Seahawks' 23-yard line, Culpepper scrambled and was hit by defensive end Antonio Cochran. As Cochran brought him down, Culpepper rolled over Cochran, popped up and launched a pass toward tight end Jermaine Wiggins. But cornerback Marcus Trufant tipped the pass and redirected it. Wiggins, expecting to catch the pass high, couldn't haul in the deflection at his feet.

"Daunte threw a nice ball," Wiggins said. "But the guy came in at the last second and tipped it. It's like trying to catch a knuckleball."

Replays showed Culpepper's knee was down, but he said that didn't take away from the resilience the team showed.

"The ref told me I was up. He told me the play wasn't over," Culpepper said. "I didn't feel my knee touch. I know my hand touched the ground. I got up and just tried to make a desperation thrown in the back of the end zone, and they got a hand on it and we didn't make the play."

Now, as Jensen put it: "The offense must endure another hard-to-swallow reality: A week after turning the ball over four times in Chicago, the Vikings turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter and managed just three second-half points."

"It baffles me," head coach Mike Tice said of his offense's second-half futility.

A week after throwing three interceptions, Culpepper completed 21 of 31 passes for 270 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions. But the official gamebook charged Culpepper with a fourth-quarter fumble on a botched handoff to running back Onterrio Smith. Smith said he was to blame.

Regardless, the Vikings' offense didn't produce against a struggling and injured Seahawks defense. The past two games, the Seahawks gave up an average of 40.5 points and 419.5 yards to the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills, two offenses not ranked in the top 10 heading into the game. Seattle blew a 10-point lead in the final two minutes of last Monday's 43-39 loss to Dallas. In addition, the Seahawks had given up seven rushing touchdowns. The Vikings, whose offense was ranked third overall, managed 374 total yards, with 113 coming on the ground.

Culpepper said the Vikings' problem was on third down.

The Vikings converted just three of 10 opportunities on third down, well below their season average of 53.4 percent.

"We just can't seem to get it together," running back Moe Williams said. "It's like when the defense is playing well, we're not, and vice versa. But we (the offense) just didn't hold up our end of the bargain."

Williams' view was rather understated compared to others. According to Associated Press sports writer Dave Campbell, the team looked "very unsettled."

The best, most blatant example came when offensive coordinator Scott Linehan resorted to a trick play on first-and-10 at the Seahawks' 20 just before the 2-minute warning, with Minnesota trailing by four.

A pass of a reverse to wide receiver Randy Moss was intercepted in the end zone and, predictably, provided plenty of second-guessing fodder. ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury, a teammate of Tice with the Vikings in the early 1990s, even declared it "the worst play call of the 2004 season."

After fielding a sixth question on the subject Monday, Campbell noted that Tice smiled and quietly counted down from 10 in his deep Long Island baritone -- as if to avoid saying something that wasn't so nice.

"I think I could join the list of guys that wish that we'd probably called a different call," Tice said a few minutes earlier. "Were there safer calls? There probably were safer calls, but we were trying to win a football game."

Linehan, distraught about his ill-fated decision Sunday night, told Tice the second-half stagnancy was part of the reason for his choice. They simply needed a spark.

"You look like a hero if it works," said Linehan, in his third season running the Minnesota's offense. "That's how much confidence I have in Randy to make a play. ... I wish I could have it back. That's life."

Moss, for his part, made a mistake by throwing into double coverage. And Tice, though preferring not to meddle in the play-calling, could have exercised his right to veto.

Owner Red McCombs, in town for the organization's annual Christmas party, reiterated Monday that he won't make a decision on Tice's future until after the season.

However, a clause in Tice's contract requires McCombs to accept or decline a $1 million option by Jan. 1.

It is possible the Vikings will not know whether they have made the playoffs -- widely believed to be a stipulation for Tice's return -- until after the deadline. If the day passes with no action, Tice's contract will expire Jan. 31 by default -- in essence making him a coaching free agent regardless of the team's potential performance in the playoffs.

A few final notes here. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Moss looked nearly 100 percent, catching four passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, by far his best game since straining his right hamstring Oct. 17 at New Orleans.

Fellow wideout Nate Burleson fractured a finger in practice last week, then broke his nose in Sunday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Although he might be limited in practice, Burleson does not expect to miss any game time with either injury.

Weis will finish the NFL season -- at least six more games if the Patriots reach the Super Bowl -- and Belichick doesn't expect his impending move will be a distraction.

"Charlie and I have talked about it," New England's head coach said. "We've had good communication, good thoughts on it. I've been through it before, so we'll work through it."

Belichick was Cleveland's head coach in 1994 when defensive coordinator Nick Saban accepted a job as Michigan State's head coach. In the playoffs, the Browns beat the Patriots then lost to Pittsburgh before Saban took over the Spartans on a full-time basis.

Weis handled his Patriots job in Sunday's 35-28 win over Cincinnati in Foxboro, then left for South Bend, Ind., where he was introduced as Notre Dame's coach Monday morning.

"He's done a great job for us. He's been here five years and has had a lot to do with our success," said Belichick, who spoke with Weis on Monday. "We all at the Patriots wish him well. But, at the same time, we still have a lot of football left. We have a job to do.

"I can't worry about Notre Dame."

Weis will spend time on his new job while coaching the Patriots offense, requiring an adjustment in duties among New England's assistants.

"Everybody has a job to do," Belichick said. "We may have to do a little bit more, divide things up a little bit differently."

Belichick wouldn't give details or discuss who might succeed Weis next season. First, the Patriots must finish their season starting with Monday night's game at Miami.

"Right now, Charlie's the offensive coordinator, and we're getting ready for Miami," Belichick said. "That's where the focus is. There's nothing beyond that."

Belichick has experience juggling coaching duties. After quarterbacks coach Dick Rehbein died in August 2001, Belichick and Weis shared Rehbein's duties, and the Patriots went on to beat St. Louis in the Super Bowl.

With a core of veteran leaders and coaches who focus on the next game, the players don't seem distracted by Weis' impending departure.

"I don't think it's a distraction," safety Rodney Harrison said. "I think people outside the organization probably make it more of a big deal than what it is. ... One key of this team is our ability to stay focused and keep our eye on the prize."

And Weis will be around the rest of the season before leaving for college.

"Charlie's a good football coach. He's well organized, he has good knowledge of the game, does a good job teaching and motivating players," Belichick said. "All those carry over into whatever level you're at. ..."

Meanwhile, as Providence Journal sports writer Tom E. Curran noted, Tom Brady has thrown for 21 touchdowns and only 9 interceptions this season. He has a completion percentage of 59.3 while throwing for 3,031 yards and leading the Patriots to a 12-1 record.

Brady posted his highest passer rating (127.1) of the season against the Bengals. His 18-of-26, 260-yard, two-touchdown effort came after a week in which his play of late was called in question.

Belichick aired his feelings on that subject after the game. "He looked pretty good to me. I know a lot of people don't think he is very good lately, but I thought he looked all right. It was pretty good," he said with the Sports Xchange characterized as "more than a hint of sarcasm."

His longest completion last Sunday was a 48-yard touchdown to David Patten in the second quarter. The most talked-about will be the one he threw from his behind -- as in literally from a sitting position.

"I just had a little 6-yard hitch," explained the receiver on that play, Patrick Pass. "I read the safety and the corner and I turned around and I was like, 'Where's Tommy?' Then I just saw a ball coming out like he was throwing out of a well. I figured he must have fallen, but I honestly feel like he wouldn't have thrown it if he had no chance of completing it."

Said Brady: "I think I got tripped up by the running back who was coming up in blitz protection. It happened so fast I realized I had a little time and I tried to get my eyes over there and see where Patrick was. He was standing there all by himself so. ... The percentages are against you on plays like that. ..."

Also as noted by Curran, receiver David Givens didn't play Sunday because he showed up at the stadium with an injured leg.

"David practiced all week and unexpectedly this morning I got the word that he was kind of tight," said Belichick. He "went out and tried to run on it and couldn't do much so he was inactive."

Asked his reaction to losing the services of Givens so late, Brady said, "As much as you would love to have him, you've just got to go out there and play anyway. Having Troy [Brown] in there instead of David, they play different positions, but other guys just kind of bump over and we have the flexibility on offense to do that."

Also inactive Sunday was tight end Daniel Graham (ribs).

I'll have more on Graham and Givens as the week progresses, but initial reports out of New England indicated that Givens' injury is not serious and the receiver should be available for Monday night's matchup with the Dolphins, barring any setbacks..

From his knees, McAllister spiked the ball so hard that it bounced as high as the crossbar in the Cowboys' end zone, some 10 feet.

"It was emotional," said McAllister, who hadn't scored a touchdown since Game 9 on Nov. 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Superdome. "It was nice to get in the end zone. It had been awhile since I've been there. I was excited."

McAllister figured heavily in Sunday's victory, rushing a season-high 30 times for 83 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite trailing 10-0 after one quarter, offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy stayed with his game plan and continued to run McAllister, who needs to average 94.3 yards rushing per game in the last three games to post his third consecutive 1,000-yard season.

McAllister rushed four times in the first quarter, nine times in the second quarter, six times in the third quarter and 11 times in the fourth quarter.

This comes one week after the two-time Pro Bowler had rushed seven times for 22 yards in a 32-21 loss to the Panthers at the Superdome. McAllister surprisingly pulled himself from that game in the first quarter after dropping two passes and losing a fumble that led to a Panthers' touchdown.

"We want to be able to pound the ball for four quarters, and you can see the effects that Deuce McAllister has on a team," McCarthy said. "That's his game.

"He's a big back and has the ability if he does get in the open field to finish a run. He breaks tackles, and he's pretty to watch when he gets that forward lean and you're able to run downhill with him. People may get tired of seeing him banging in the line, but it's a common thread that is vital to the success of our offense."

In recent weeks, opponents had been able to take McAllister out of the game by gaining an early lead and controlling time of possession.

The Cowboys led 10-0, but the Saints rallied to tie the score at halftime on McAllister's scoring run and John Carney's 39-yard field goal in the second quarter.

The Saints won time of possession -- 31:35 to 28:25 -- for the third time this season.

"Any time you get a win and you can get the ball in Deuce's hands, that's a good thing," tight end Ernie Conwell said. "As a team, we haven't put ourselves in position to be able to maintain Saints' style of football. We put ourselves in bad situations when we have to play catch up. We have the capability and the tools to play that style of football, but we're at our best when we play this type of football today."

McAllister put the Saints on top for good with his second touchdown, a 4-yard run with 5:21 remaining for a 20-13 lead. He also scored two rushing touchdowns against the Minnesota Vikings and Oakland Raiders in Games 6 and 7.

"It feels good just to get the rock and to be involved in the game and to be able to go out there and make some things happen," McAllister said. "Last week was last week. It was a one-week happening, and I've moved on from it. I'm just proud that everybody came out and we continued to fight."

Also of interest. ...

According to Times-Picayune beat man Jeff Duncan, Donte' Stallworth has become a bigger factor on the field in recent weeks.

Stallworth had five catches for a game-high 113 yards against the Cowboys. It was his third 100-yard receiving game of the season and his second in the past four weeks. More importantly, the big-play ability that spurred the Saints to select him with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft returned.

Stallworth was responsible for three of the Saints' four biggest gainers against Dallas: receptions of 35, 33 and 25 yards. Each contributed to an eventual score.

In all, Stallworth gained more than half of his 113 yards after the catch, an attribute Saints receivers have lacked in recent years.

"Donte' has great speed," head coach Jim Haslett said. "Donte' has the ability to get big yards after the catch every time he catches it."

Stallworth's 51 receptions for 654 yards this season both are career highs. He's scored three touchdowns, down significantly from previous seasons, but the Saints are pleased with the progress he's made.

"He's got pretty good numbers," McCarthy said. "When the 16-game season is over, everybody is going to be happy we have him. I know I'm happy we have him. And remember, he was a junior coming out. He's only going to get better. ..."

As noted by the Sports Xchange, Aaron Brooks became the first player in franchise history to throw for 3,000 yards in four consecutive seasons during Sunday's win.

Brooks, who had thrown for 2,946 yards going into the game, went over the 3,000-yard mark in the second quarter on the above-mentioned 35-yarder Stallworth. Brooks finished the game with 252 yards and now has 3,198 yards for the season -- extending his streak that began in 2001.

Archie Manning (1978-80) and Jim Everett (1994-96) were the only other quarterbacks in club history to throw for 3,000 yards three straight years.

And finally. ...

Also according to the Xchange, Conwell sustained a back injury in Sunday's game and will likely be listed as questionable this week.

Coughlin reiterated Monday that the No. 1 pick in the draft will start against the Pittsburgh Steelers, adding that giving Manning a week off to clear his head wasn't an option.

"The rookie player that has this type of opportunity, and this type of experience, it is a priceless experience that does not come without pain," Coughlin said in a conference call as he reviewed a 37-14 loss to Baltimore.

Not only is Manning winless in four starts since taking over from Kurt Warner, his statistics are dreadful. He has completed 42-of-110 passes for 516 yards, one touchdown and six interceptions. His quarterback rating is a 33.8 percent -- the lowest in the NFL for anyone with 100 pass attempts.

And the Giants have lost their last three games by at least 21 points, the first time that has happened since 1980.

Manning has had two good halves, one against Atlanta and another versus Philadelphia. His last two games have been horrible.

Against the Ravens on Sunday, Manning was 4-for-18 for 27 yards, two interceptions, a lost fumble and a zero rating.

The Giants, who have lost six in a row, didn't do anything on offense until Warner took over in the fourth quarter and led a touchdown drive. The other TD was provided by the New York defense.

"Yesterday was a setback," Coughlin said of Manning. "I thought the second half Atlanta and the first half Philadelphia were outstanding, and in the right direction. The last two weeks have not been as such, but I am not changing my opinion one iota. I think you have to play through these things."

There are valid excuses for Manning's woes.

The offensive line has struggled since Week 6. Center Shaun O'Hara has missed three games and rookie guard Chris Snee has missed the last two with a baffling glandular infection.

In the last three games, Manning has faced three of the NFL's top defenses -- Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore. All three have put in wrinkles that confused the young quarterback.

The Steelers fit in the same category, which doesn't bode well for Manning this weekend.

"It is causing him to pause at the line of scrimmage, which is really affecting the offense," Coughlin said. "We seem to be over the ball too long. We have to make a determination and go."

The Giants' receivers haven't helped much.

Canavan went on to remind readers that Amani Toomer has been battling a hamstring injury. Ike Hilliard has had a sub-par year and tight end Jeremy Shockey, who might be the most potent weapon, has not been used well by the coaching staff. The team's two speed receivers, Tim Carter and Jamaar Taylor, have been injured much of the season.

"I just feel if something good would happen for Eli and the offensive team they would feel a lot better about themselves," Coughlin said.

Coughlin said Manning had Toomer open deep in the first quarter and underthrew the ball. Shockey fell on another pattern and Hilliard was deliberately tripped by a fallen defender on a play where Coughlin said the officials missed the call.

Manning, who was not available Monday, was concerned his play had caused teammates to lose trust in him.

"I do know I haven't proved anything to them," Manning said Sunday. "I have to show them I know what I am doing."

While he knew the jump from Mississippi to the NFL would be tough, Manning has been surprised by his own play.

"You never expect it to go like this," he admitted. "I'm struggling now, but I have to find a way to get out of this. ..."

So, where do teammates stand?

According to the Sports Xchange, Tiki Barber said: "It is getting very frustrating, but if Eli Manning is worried about the guys losing confidence in him, it won't happen. We understand what's going on here. We understand the plan. He is going to be just fine."

Shockey, who reportedly slammed his helmet against a moving truck on his way into the locker room after the game, said: "Eli is going to be our quarterback. He's going to be a great quarterback. I'm going to start making plays for him, and everybody has to do that, too.

"We have all the confidence in the world in him. He is the quarterback for this team and for the future."

Also of interest. ...

As New York Daily News beat man Ralph Vacchiano suggested Monday, had this been last season, Barber fumbling twice wouldn't have been much of a surprise. But he had been so good and so careful for so long this season, it was a shock when that happened yesterday.

"I got a little bit of a tongue-lashing from [running backs coach] Jerald [Ingram] because he knows how hard I worked this offseason," Barber said Sunday's loss. "I'm disappointed in myself. I know I have to find a way to get myself back on track."

Barber's two fumbles -- one in the first quarter and one in the fourth -- were his third and fourth of the season, and the first two he's lost. That's still an impressive number considering he fumbled nine times (and lost six) last season. The only worry is he's now fumbled three times in the last two games.

"Mentally right now I'm trying to keep myself from entering a rut," Barber admitted. "What happens when you start struggling on offense, you catch yourself falling into mediocrity. It's hard to fight yourself out of it. That's my biggest challenge right now."

It doesn't help that he's totaled only 93 rushing yards the last two games. Barber attributed both of yesterday's fumbles to "trying to do too much," to pick up extra yards after a play was stopped -- something he tried hard to guard against in the first 12 games.

"It's a lack of focus on my part," Barber said on Tuesday. "It's my job to adjust my attitude, to have belief in what I do and find the focus I had early in the season for us to finish strong. That's all I can control to improve." "He hasn't had any problems all year long," said Coughlin. "Now is not the time to start having trouble."

Despite his recent problems, Barber is having a Pro Bowl season.

He has rushed for 1,238 yards, gained 505 receiving and scored 11 touchdowns, including 10 rushing. His 1,743 all-purpose yards lead the NFC.

And finally. ...

A recent report out of New York that Warner would rather retire than be a backup quarterback was taken out of context, Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, told Pro Football Weekly.

"What he (essentially) said was, ‘I am going to be a starter (somewhere) next year.' He doesn't just want to collect a paycheck. All he was saying was, ‘I am not ready at this stage to be a backup and just collect a check. I want to be a guy to help a team to a Super Bowl.'"

Bartelstein said Warner is eager to play but that they would "look at everything" in the offseason when Warner is due to be a free agent.

The agent would not rule out a return to New York; one Giants source thinks coming back to the Giants as Manning's backup might be the best plan for Warner, but it might not be the most likely.

Reserve running back LaMont Jordan was quick with an answer.

"Against good teams we don't do anything," Jordan said Monday, one day after the Jets lost 17-6 to Pittsburgh. "People around here might not like me saying that, but that's just the truth. Against good teams, against winning teams, against good defenses we haven't done a thing."

Jordan has a point. Of their nine victories this season, two have come against winning teams. All four losses have come to teams with winning records. In defeats to AFC leaders Pittsburgh and New England, the offense has scored a combined 13 points.

And as Adelson noted, it only gets harder in the final three games.

The Jets play Seattle on Sunday, followed by the Patriots and St. Louis. Though they have a one-game lead over Baltimore and Denver in the wild-card race, it is conceivable the Jets could stumble down the stretch and miss the playoffs, especially the way the offense has played.

"Every game is a must-win situation from here on out," Jordan said. "For us to start out 5-0 -- if we don't make the playoffs that's just embarrassing. If we don't make the playoffs, we'll probably be the most underachieving team in the NFL.

"We have too many good players, we've come too far, we've worked entirely too hard not to get to the playoffs. Offensively for us to play the way we've been playing, that's unacceptable."

Jordan added: "Defensively we get the job done, but offensively we don't get the job done. It's that simple. It's not pointing the finger at [offensive coordinator] Paul Hackett, that's not pointing the finger at anybody but the whole offensive unit, that includes us as players also."

The offense certainly had its struggles against Pittsburgh.

Chad Pennington was awful, throwing three interceptions while short-hopping, overthrowing or underthrowing receivers. Of the 12 first-half penalties, eight came on offense. A holding call on Anthony Becht wiped out a 30-yard run by Jordan that would have given the Jets the ball at the Pittsburgh 20 early in the second quarter.

The Jets had two more penalties on the drive, giving them a third-and-29 from their own 31. Later in the half, the Jets were driving for the tying field goal, but a pass interference penalty on Santana Moss knocked them out of field goal range.

On the next play, Pennington threw his second interception of the game. Pennington had two delay of game penalties of his own. He finished with a quarterback rating of 33.6, the second-worst of his career. It also was only the second time in his career that he threw more than two interceptions.

"We know that we're not scoring enough points," Pennington said. "As an offense we have to step up to the plate and make things happen. If we are going to be a playoff-caliber team, if we are going to be a championship team, we have to score. If you expect to win a championship scoring under 20 points a game, it's just not going to happen."

The Jets have not reached the 20-point mark in any of their four losses. They are not a high-scoring team to begin with, but playing against good defenses seems to compound the problem.

Head coach Herman Edwards knows the Jets need to start beating winning teams to prove they belong in the upper echelon of the league, though last week he dismissed the notion that the Pittsburgh game was a measuring stick for his club.

"We got to beat a team like this if we're going to be one of those teams because, if not, what happens to you is if you do get in the playoffs, you're going to lose in the first game," Edwards said. "That's not a lot of fun. Why even go? I mean, that's like going to Disneyland and saying you can't ride any rides."

Curtis Martin knows the Jets have to be better than average to have a chance in the final three games.

"You can talk about potential as much as you want, and I believe we have all the potential in the world, but it has to come out at the right time in the right game," Martin said. "[Sunday] was an opportunity for us to show that and we didn't."

Also of interest. ...

According to New York Daily News staff writer Rich Cimini, the Jets, who entered the game averaging only 5.5 penalties per game, finished Sunday's loss with 12 penalties for 84 yards in the first half. Remarkably, they had no penalties after that.

"We can't self-destruct with fouls, especially on the road," Edwards said.

Since 2001, the Jets have been the least penalized team in the NFL. Last Sunday, they resembled the Raiders.

Eight penalties were committed by the offense, including two delays on Pennington and two flags on Moss.

"We probably made more mistakes in this game than we have all year," Martin said.

For what it's worth. ... Martin passed Steeler Jerome Bettis on the all-time rushing list, moving into fifth place. Martin rushed for 72 yards, giving him 13,046. Bettis improved to 13,037 after his 57-yard performance.

And a few final notes. ...

A Jets official says told the Newark Star-Ledger that Pennington's shoulder is still bothering him, though he is well enough to play.

According to the Sports Xchange, Moss suffered a bruised elbow against the Steelers and could be questionable this week.

The Falcons were supposed to be the team that committed to the run and piled up the yards. After all, they entered the game with the league's top rushing offense and more than twice as many yards rushing as Oakland had through 12 games.

So much for trends. The Raiders ran for 117 yards in the first half alone, or 45 yards more than they averaged per game before Sunday. The Falcons managed only 97.

Trends only last so long. Then came the second half, when the Falcons extended their 21-3 halftime lead to 28-3 before the Raiders offense touched the ball. So much for building on a good thing.

"We've known we could run from the start," right offensive tackle Robert Gallery said. "Sometimes, other circumstances get involved; the score, turnovers, and it's hard to stick to the game plan. We know we can run, but three turnovers? Nobody's going to win in this league."

The Falcons kept running in the second half. But the Raiders gravitated toward a pass-heavy attack in an attempt to get back in the game. The Falcons finished with 219 yards rushing, and the Raiders had 131.

Still, the Raiders showed they have the running backs and offensive linemen needed to sustain a rushing attack. Their 131-yard total wasn't bolstered by one long run, either. It was built on 17 carries in the first half, six in the second and dedication.

"We knew going in that we could run on these guys," Amos Zereoue said. "They gave us some lanes, and the guys up front did a great job. ..."

Zereoue had his most productive game (10 carries for 50 yards) in six weeks and his third best game of the year. ... J.R. Redmond had the best game of his NFL career and the worst, all at the same time. He averaged 8.3 yards a carry (8 for 50 yards) but also fumbled leading to an Atlanta score.

Kerry Collins had three passes tipped at the line, one deflection going for a touchdown. It was the second time in three games he has had such a pass taken back for a score.

Although the team is out of playoff contention, Turner says he has no plans of replacing Collins with backup Marques Tuiasosopo in the final three games. ...

Also according to Corkran, second-year wide receiver John Stone isn't being counted upon to make people forget about Ronald Curry.

He didn't, either, in his first significant action in place of the injured Curry, but he did catch two passes for 62 yards. Stone was one of five Raiders with two receptions. His yardage total was a game-high.

He said getting to practice with the first-team offense all week and playing a little bit in previous games helped his development. "The game slowed down tremendously for me," Stone said.

And finally. ...

Sebastian Janikowski is close to a contract extension with the Raiders. The deal reportedly is for five years and worth nearly $10.5 million, including $2.8 million in guaranteed money.

In five NFL seasons, the kicker has hit 112 of his 140 field-goal attempts and is 189 of 191 on point-after tries.

"We're trying to finalize some loose ends," player personnel chief Michael Lombardi said Tuesday.

The deal should be completed by the end of the week, Lombardi said, but did not wish to elaborate on the extension.

"That was the reason Todd Pinkston gave for pulling up short on a long pass over the middle from Donovan McNabb on the Eagles' first play from scrimmage in Sunday night's 17-14 win over the Redskins. ..."

Ryan went on to note that replays showed Pinkston breaking away from safety Ryan Clark and running downfield to where McNabb was lofting a long ball on target. Pinkston was not there to catch it, though, after appearing to quit on the play as Clark closed in on him. "I lost the ball in the lights," he said. "I didn't see it until the last minute."

At his news conference yesterday, head coach Andy Reid defended Pinkston, who finished with three catches for 99 yards, including an 80-yarder.

"I don't question Todd because Todd is a pretty tough guy," Reid said. "I don't worry about it at all. He sure came back strong and made some nice plays. He's been hit harder than anybody. It's not a matter of him being afraid of defensive players or a situation."

Pinkston has 34 catches for 642 yards this season and is beginning to see more coverage on the field, Reid said.

"They started doubling him [Sunday]," he said. "He was able to split a couple of those double teams and had opportunities. He had a big play and had opportunities for a couple of others. He's doing a nice job right now."

Pinkston said he did not let himself worry about the lost opportunity early in the game.

"I knew there was going to be opportunities through the course of the game, and I had to take advantage of them," he said.

Pinkston's 80-yard reception at the end of the first quarter helped make up for the earlier play and a drop. He fought for balance until falling at the Washington 4-yard line. If he hadn't fallen, and if Terrell Owens did not fumble on the next play, the Eagles may not have played such a close game.

"I thought about that," Pinkston said of getting into the end zone. "You never know. That's something you can't control. ..."

Other notes of interest. ...

David Akers' attempt to break an NFL record fell short. Just short, by maybe a yard. Akers missed a 48-yard field-goal try into the wind in the second quarter. It could have broken a 7-7 tie. If Akers had made it, he would have become the first kicker to make 17 field goals of 40 yards or longer in an NFL season.

Akers is tied at 16 with Indianapolis' Cary Blanchard (1996) and Green Bay's Ryan Longwell (2000). He did make a 38-yarder just inside the right upright at 10 minutes, 43 seconds of the third quarter to give the Eagles their first lead of the game at 10-7. ...

As noted by the Sports Xchange, a week after the finest offensive performance of his career, McNabb was terribly erratic against the Redskins. Many of his throws were off-target.

He also made several poor decisions and completed just 11 of 22 passes in the second half.

Owens, who was held to 46 receiving yards on six catches Sunday by the Redskins, suffered a low back contusion in the game. Reid said it is "pretty sore." His status for Sunday will be determined on Wednesday.

"Jerome is running well. You can't dismiss that," head coach Bill Cowher said. "But we'll continue with the way we're going. Again, if you feel any kind of need at all, we'll put Jerome in there. I think Duce ran well when he was in there, made some good cuts, some good runs.

"But you can't dismiss, Jerome Bettis is running very, very well right now. It's good to have him healthy, have him the way he is right now going down the stretch."

Bettis ran 10 times for 57 yards against the Jets, including a 12-yard touchdown and he also threw a touchdown pass. Staley ran 16 times for 51 yards. Staley missed four games with his hamstring injury before returning to start Dec. 5 in Jacksonville.

"I think it's not as strong as it once was," Cowher said of Staley's injured leg. "I think there's a degree of weakness. I think it's good for a while, and then probably the strength isn't there endurance-wise through the course of a game.

"So I would think it's going to get stronger again as each week goes along. I think it's going to come back. But he's getting there."

Other notes of interest. ...

According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer Jerry DiPaola, quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple said Ben Roethlisberger did not feel any ill effects from the leg injury that kept him out of practice last Wednesday.

"He was good before the game, threw the ball well," Whipple said.

Roethlisberger completed only 9 of 19 attempts for 144 yards and two interceptions, the most picks he has thrown as a starter. He had a passer rating of only 33.6, dropping him below 100 for the season (97.6).

But he hit Hines Ward for 26 yards on the first play of the drive that broke the 3-3 tie and Lee Mays for a 46 to set up the second touchdown in the fourth quarter. Roethlisberger completed 3 of his first 11 passes, but was 6 of 8 at the end.

"It's not how you start," Whipple said. "It's how you finish. ..."

As Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat man Gerry Dulac noted this week, Mays had caught just two passes in his previous two seasons with the Steelers, but he has been elevated to the No. 3 receiver with the injury to Plaxico Burress.

Mays has never been a good route runner and he drops too many passes. Nonetheless, the coaches have used him in three-receiver formations because, without Burress, Mays is the only receiver with deep speed.

It finally paid off against the Jets when Mays ran a double move and was open for a 46-yard catch. ...

As for Burress, Pro Football Weekly, reports he'll return to the lineup for Saturday's game against the New York Giants -- barring setback.

The receiver, who has missed more than a month with a hamstring injury, reportedly will be listed as probable on the team's injury report this week. He took part in portions of Tuesday's workouts and experienced no major problems.

One day after missing a 20-7 loss to the Panthers with a sprained shoulder, Bulger resumed light throwing on Monday.

The Rams are aiming for him to return for the team's Week 16 game against the Eagles.

"He's a little sore, but who knows?" head coach Mike Martz said Monday. "We may have him, but I'm not going to count on it."

That means another week with 39-year-old backup Chris Chandler, whose first start of the season was forgettable and included a career-worst six interceptions. Chandler has played for seven teams, and Martz said at times it appeared his quarterback was running another offense.

At one point in the second half against Carolina, the frustrated Martz showed his lack of trust in Chandler by calling nine straight runs for third-string running back Arlen Harris.

"He got a little rattled," Martz said. "He's a guy that's been in a lot of systems and had a lot of different coaching, and when you get under pressure like that sometimes you revert back to another system or how you were doing things in the past.

"He's just devastated."

Fallstrom went on to point out the alternatives are not very enticing. The backups are rookie Jeff Smoker, who's still learning the offense, and Jamie Martin, who's not physically ready after being out of the NFL since October 2003 before signing last week.

So, Martz knows better than to beat down Chandler. He blamed himself for not preparing Chandler better, and he blamed poor pass protection for getting Chandler off to a shaky start that became the shakiest of games -- he was only one shy of the franchise record for interceptions.

"Chris is our starter," Martz said. "I can help him a lot more and we need to help him up front."

Marshall Faulk, who has missed two games, told Martz he'd like to be available on a limited basis this Sunday at Arizona. But Martz said he'd prefer to hold him out another week.

Steven Jackson felt better Monday after having fluid drained from his right knee Sunday.

"He was on the treadmill today running full speed, and that's encouraging to me," Martz said. "I think he's still pretty sore. Who knows?"

Meanwhile, as St. Louis Post-Dispatch staffer Bill Coats noted, Harris turned in a workmanlike performance, rushing 19 times for 62 yards and catching four passes for 41 yards. His production represented 102 of the Rams' 289 total yards.

"It felt good to get back in the swing of things," Harris said. "In the second half, we ran the ball a lot better. But playing from behind, it's a lot harder."

Harris started twice last season because of injuries to other backs, contributing 85 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay, then adding 81 yards and three TDs vs. Pittsburgh. The Rams won both those games.

"He's going to give his maximum effort, and he did that again," said tackle Orlando Pace. "It makes us want to do our job that much more." Added guard Adam Timmerman: "He ran hard. Offensive line-wise, I wish we could've got more for him and got the run game going earlier."

Harris piled up 43 yards in the second half, 40 on one possession in which he carried nine times in a row. But that drive ended when the Rams (6-7) failed to convert on fourth and 2 at the Carolina 28-yard line. "I think we were wearing them down," Harris said. "We just couldn't get the ball in the end zone."

As for this week? Harris told Coats he'd be content to return to his reserve role. Or, if needed, to carry the full load again.

"Whenever a situation opens up, I've got to be ready; that's the way it is," he said.

One last note here. ...

According to Post-Dispatch beat man Jim Thomas, Brandon Manumaleuna has yet to live up to the five-year, $8.3 million contract he signed last offseason.

He is an above-average blocker, but he has yet to develop into much of a receiver even though he has soft hands. He caught 11 passes in his first 13 games in 2004.

So when receiver Keenan McCardell hobbled off the field with a hamstring injury late in the first half, the 6-foot-5 San Diego State graduate was ready to take advantage.

Three plays later, Osgood was flanked left on a third-down play that began at the Tampa Bay 19-yard line. He floated toward the end zone and there wasn't much separation between him and Buccaneers corner Brian Kelly.

A quick nudge with the left elbow, combined with a 6-inch height advantage, gave Osgood the edge in the one-on-one battle. Osgood cradled the pass from Drew Brees for his second touchdown of the season.

"He just threw it up," Osgood said of Brees' aerial.

"Drew's always telling me, 'If you have one-on-one coverage, I'm just going to throw the ball up to you and hopefully you can use your size advantage and come down with a touchdown.'"

Osgood had two receptions for 27 yards in the Chargers' 31-24 victory. It marks the third time in the last four games that Osgood has caught two passes.

He has 11 catches for 210 yards this year. In 19 career NFL games, Osgood has 24 receptions for 488 yards, an average of 20.3 yards per catch.

As Sullivan suggested: "Not bad for an undrafted free agent that played just one season of major-college football. Osgood began his college career at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo before transferring to San Diego State. ..."

"It has been this way my whole career -- fighting to come from the bottom to the top and trying to make a name for myself," said Osgood, who caught 108 passes for 1,552 yards in his only season with the Aztecs.

"You never like to come in because somebody got injured. For me, it's just a matter of whenever you get in, make a play and hopefully it will contribute towards a win."

Other notes of interest this week. ...

LaDainian Tomlinson has scored a touchdown in a team record 10 straight games. He's just three off the NFL mark, held by John Riggins and George Rogers. According to the Sports Xchange, Tomlinson gives much of the credit to his offensive line. "Those guys don't say much, but they have a lot of pride in what they do," he said. "It's amazing that this is their first year playing together."

Tomlinson has also rushed for 100 yards in three of the past four games. ...

As San Diego Union-Tribune staff writer Jim Trotter noted on Tuesday, Antonio Gates has just three catches the last two games.

Defenses are doing a better job of banging him around and bracketing him in coverage. Denver and Tampa Bay had one defender jamming him at the line and another providing help over the top.

Gates, a second-year pro, is showing great maturity by not getting frustrated. According to Trotter, he understands that if two defenders are focused on him, it creates opportunities for other players. ...

On the injury front. ... McCardell is expected to be listed as questionable. ... Tim Dwight (toe) wasn't able to go Sunday, and head coach Marty Schottenheimer said his status is unchanged. It's likely he will try to practice later in the week.

And finally. ...

Also according to Trotter, general manager A.J. Smith said Phillip Rivers will not be traded next year regardless of how impressive Brees is this season. The Chargers owe Rivers a $6.6 million option bonus payment on March 10, and the only way to get from under it is by trading Rivers before that date.

No such trade will happen because the Chargers want to see Brees perform at an elite level for more than one season before discussing a multi-year deal.

They also believe Rivers will be a special player down the line, and they know they will take a cap hit of nearly $6.5 million if they move him before March 10.

Barlow is upset with head coach Dennis Erickson's decision to start Maurice Hicks against the Washington Redskins on Saturday, even though Hicks had the best performance by a San Francisco runner this season in last week's win at Arizona.

Hicks rushed for 139 yards in his first NFL start while Barlow was sidelined by a concussion. Barlow is ready to return this week, and Hicks is hampered by a rib injury -- but Hicks will start if he's healthy enough.

"I was very disappointed. I didn't agree with that," Barlow said Tuesday. "I think I deserve to be the starter, but I've said from day one I support coach Erickson, and do whatever he wants to do."

Barlow repeatedly cited the organization's commitment to him -- in the form of a $20 million contract with $8 million in guaranteed money -- as one reason he should keep the job.

"They invested in me," Barlow said. "They want me to be the guy out there ... and I want to do the job. I'm 25. I ain't going nowhere no time soon. I'm happy to be here."

But as Beacham pointed out, his numbers on the field haven't supported the digits on his paycheck: Barlow averages just 3.2 yards per carry this season, with 629 yards and six touchdowns. He's unlikely even to match the 1,024 yards he gained last season while splitting playing time with Garrison Hearst.

Erickson said both Barlow and Hicks will get a chance to show what they can do against the Redskins' impressive defense.

"They are both going to play," Erickson said. "And then when [Barlow] gets an opportunity to play, go out and earn the position back. In my book, that's just how I look at it right now at this part of the season."

Barlow's frustration has grown during San Francisco's 2-11 season. He has defended his play and indirectly criticized his offensive line -- but after he jokingly suggested last week that the 49ers should use all their upcoming draft picks on linemen, he apologized to his blockers.

"I've grown with this offensive line from day one, and they're starting to block, and I think I should be out there with them," Barlow said.

Not everybody understood Barlow's stance.

"You don't want to throw alcohol on the wound," fullback Fred Beasley said. "Maybe he meant it in another way, but the way it sounds is the way everybody took it. ... It did hurt them. It hurt me. That's something you don't do."

According to Contra Costa Times beat man Cam Inman, Beasley confirmed on Sunday that he "brought the team up" to praise the offensive line and Hicks. He later told reporters that Barlow acted "cowardly" for telling reporters on Dec. 2 that the 49ers should draft offensive linemen with their first seven picks in April.

Beasley said "it's obvious" that Hicks plays with more heart than Barlow and that they have a different running style. "When you come back in with cracked ribs, it's all about heart. If we were in a foxhole, I'd want [Hicks] with me," Beasley, who has feuded with Barlow in the past, said. "Kevan is still our guy and Maurice is a backup, but it's obvious they have a different running style that benefits our offense. ..."

Also of interest. ...

Ken Dorsey overcame a stomach illness to have his finest day as a pro, completing 18 of 34 passes for 191 yards with three touchdown passes, the first of his two-year career. He also didn't throw an interception or lose a fumble for the first time in four starts this season in place of Tim Rattay, who missed Sunday's game with an injured right foot. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Rattay will miss at least another game with a torn right plantar fascia, the tight band of muscle under his arch. "He might be back in two weeks and he could miss the rest of the year," Erickson said. ...

Receiver Cedrick Wilson had the first two-touchdown game of his career, making scoring catches of 19 and 27 yards. He also came through with a big 19-yard reception on a third-and-17 that set up the winning field goal in overtime.

"[Dorsey] fired it in there between three or four defenders," Wilson said. "He threw the football well. ..."

Needing only two catches to surpass Brent Jones' single-season franchise record for receptions by a tight end, Eric Johnson accomplished that feat in the fourth quarter on his second 4-yard reception of the game.

He didn't have another catch and dropped a second-down pass later in the fourth quarter.

He has 69 receptions for 707 yards, leaving him 40 yards shy of Jones' single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end.

And finally. ...

ESPNews is reporting that Erickson has turned down Ole Miss after the school received permission to interview him for its vacant head coaching position. General manager Terry Donahue confirmed Tuesday night that permission had been given.

Donahue has said he won't fire Erickson, and Erickson has said he won't quit. However, team officials are expected to attempt to fire some of Erickson's assistants in a shakeup that might force the coach to leave.

Taking oxygen in giant gulps, he felt and looked like a host of synonyms for tired -- exhausted, drained, pooped, beat.

This is how this season has gone for Hasselbeck, who's finally winning the battle against his body. He played for weeks with the charley horse to end all charley horses. He played with ribs so tender they required a flak jacket for protection.

And in the Seahawks' 27-23 win over Minnesota, he played through fatigue and two interceptions, completing 23 of 34 attempts for 334 yards and three first-half touchdown passes.

"I told everybody, it don't matter if he has one leg, one rib, it's December," Shaun Alexander said. "And we all know what Matt's going to do in December. He's going to catch fire. All everybody has to do is play their game. Because when Matt gets hot, everything else starts to work."

For the Seahawks, Hasselbeck's holiday resurgence couldn't come at a better time.

The Vikings schemed specifically to stop Alexander, who gained 112 tough yards, one broken tackle at a time. Hasselbeck, on the other hand, serves as the Seahawks' barometer of success. He played poorly in losses to Arizona and Buffalo and St. Louis. He played well in wins over San Francisco and Minnesota.

They have resigned themselves to this much: This offense and this team will go as far as his right arm -- and banged-up body -- takes them.

"We don't talk about injuries a lot, but they are a factor," said receiver Bobby Engram, the recipient of four Hasselbeck passes yesterday for 79 yards. "If you're playing hurt, you're not the same person. If guys are injured on the field, you're not the same team."

The signs are everywhere that Hasselbeck is improving. You could see that last week when he completed 28 of 40 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

You could see it again yesterday as Hasselbeck scrambled; you could hear it in his voice.

"I was banged up about a month ago," Hasselbeck admitted. "It finally feels like my leg's working again. It's nice to come out on the winning end of one of these."

It's also nice to suffer from fatigue instead of injury. Funny enough, one nearly led to the other in a repeat performance of Hasselbeck bumping into Alexander on a handoff.

The last time that happened, Hasselbeck suffered the charley horse that kept him out against Miami. On Sunday, when Hasselbeck said he could "barely breathe," they bumped again, only this time all the Seahawks suffered was Alexander being dropped for a loss in the backfield.

"I was dying," Hasselbeck said. "I need to get in shape."

He laughed when he said this, then hopped off the podium from which he spoke. Landing awkwardly, he grimaced in pain. Less pain, it turns out, than he felt a month ago.

And with that, Hasselbeck limped into the locker room, looking forward to some rest on the plane ride home.

Will the Seahawks make the playoffs this season? According to Bishop, that depends on Hasselbeck -- and his health.

"The last two weeks, he's played great," offensive coordinator Gil Haskell said. "He's still a little bummed up, but everybody is this time of year. The major bruises are subsiding. He's getting plays from [Darrell] Jackson and Jerry [Rice]. That's us. When we're doing that, we're good."

Jackson played his second consecutive outstanding game, catching 10 passes for 135 yards only hours after learning of his father's death. "His game speaks for itself," head coach Mike Holmgren said.

Holmgren said he's not sure yet about Jackson's availability this week. Jackson flew to Florida from Minnesota to tend to his family. He was supposed to talk to Holmgren by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, tight end Itula Mili escaped Sunday's game without serious injury after colliding with the goal post.

But the coach reiterated Monday that now is not the time, even though the Bucs, Super Bowl champions two years ago, are 5-8 and assured of finishing with a non-winning record for the second straight season.

"The focus doesn't change. You've got to practice and prepare for every game with the same intent, and that's to win," Gruden said, shrugging off questions about whether he will use the team's remaining three games to evaluate young players with an eye toward next season.

One reason is that despite being three games under .500 with three to go, Tampa Bay has not been eliminated from playoff contention in the weak NFC. That's why Sunday's 31-24 loss at San Diego was especially tough to swallow.

Had the Bucs won, they would have climbed into a tie with St. Louis and Carolina for the second NFC wild-card spot. Instead, they turned the ball over twice within a minute and allowed the Chargers to pull away from a 21-21 tie.

After facing New Orleans at home this week, Tampa Bay finishes up with Carolina at home and Arizona on the road.

"It is, like I said a couple of weeks ago. ... Maddening," Gruden said. "I love the game. I love our players. We are going to do everything we can to win this game. It will be, hopefully, our fifth game in a row that we win at home. It won't be easy."

The coach said he will not make wholesale changes to take a look at young players and determine how they might fit into plans for the future, noting that a number of them already have been getting significant playing time because of injuries.

The Bucs have placed eight players on injured reserve, including three defensive tackles. Three others, including receiver Joey Galloway and Joe Jurevicius, missed large chunks of the season with injuries.

"We've been evaluating from the very beginning. There's not a team in football that's probably played more people than we have," Gruden said.

"You might see a couple new faces, who knows? But we're going to continue to try to win ... because that's the right thing to do. We've got a lot of pride in our locker room. At the same, there are some younger players getting increased playing time, and hopefully they can take advantage of it."

Don't look for a change at quarterback, though.

Chris Simms replaced Brad Johnson after the Bucs lost their first four games. However, the second-year pro injured his throwing shoulder in the opening half of his first pro start.

Brian Griese took over, finishing a victory at New Orleans on Oct. 10, and has played well enough the past two months to help Tampa Bay get back into the playoff race.

Although Griese had four turnovers against San Diego, including an interception Donnie Edwards returned 30 yards for the go-ahead touchdown, he has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes and is 4-4 as the starter.

"He is doing a phenomenal job," Gruden said. "Chris Simms will get an opportunity at some point again. And when opportunity knocks, he has got to be ready. ... If Brian keeps going like he is going, I don't foresee him coming out of the lineup anytime soon."

Griese completed passes to nine different receivers Sunday. Actually, 10 if you include the deflected pass he caught himself.

Even Tim Brown got in on the action. Brown snapped a five-game streak without a reception with two catches.

But it was rookie Michael Clayton and Galloway who benefited the most from Griese's most productive day as a Buc (36 of 50 for 392 yards and three touchdowns).

Clayton caught a career- high nine passes for 145 yards and one touchdown. Galloway had five receptions for 78 yards.

The former Cowboy also picked up two first downs and added two touchdowns to his Tampa Bay total (three). He scored his first Bucs touchdown last week against Atlanta.

"Joey made some great plays today," Griese said. "On the first touchdown, it was just pure speed, speed over the top. I laid it out there for him and let him go get it. ... He did a great job. He's got quick feet."

As Orlando Sentinel staffer Chris Harry pointed out, Clayton ran his season totals to 70 receptions for 988 yards and four touchdowns.

Clayton passed Mike Alstott (60 catches in 1996) for most receptions by a rookie. He already had passed Lawrence Dawsey (818 yards in '91) for yardage in his first season. Now, he needs one touchdown to tie the mark for touchdowns (Kevin House had five in '80).

"It's nice to get the catches and all," Clayton said. "But I'd trade it all for win."

On the injury front. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Ken Dilger is nursing sore right ribs and will be limited in practice this week. But Dilger is expected to play Sunday against the Saints.

Galloway left the game in the fourth quarter with leg cramps. He is also expected to play against the Saints.

And finally. ...

The team placed tight end Will Heller on injured reserve Tuesday with a sprained hip and activated rookie tight end Nate Lawrie from the practice squad.

Heller had 12 receptions for 98 yards and one touchdown in 10 games this season. Lawrie was the Buccaneers' sixth-round pick in April's draft.

With the Titans officially eliminated from playoff contention, head coach Jeff Fisher said Tuesday that he will talk with McNair in the next few days to decide the immediate future.

Fisher has said McNair will need up to eight weeks of inactivity for his chest to heal. Sitting McNair for the rest of the season would give the quarterback a five-week head start on deciding whether he wants to return for 2005.

Tennessee doesn't have a healthy starter on the offensive line, and faces even more shuffling. Center Justin Hartwig tore open the ring finger on his right hand and needed surgery following Monday night's 49-38 loss to Kansas City.

McNair, the NFL's co-MVP last season, bruised his sternum on Sept. 26, an injury that put him in the hospital for two nights. He has aggravated the injury twice, causing him to miss five games and parts of two others this season.

After hurting his chest again in a 31-21 loss at Houston on Nov. 28, McNair said he was tired of the toll playing hurt has taken on his body. Asked three days later if he still felt that way, the 32-year-old 10-year veteran didn't back off his comments that he will decide whether it's time to stop playing football this offseason.

Not even a healthy McNair can help the Titans now. The roster is filled with walking wounded, and the Titans are mired at the bottom of the AFC South for the first time since realignment.

Fisher has to wait to see how many players will be available before he can decide how much they practice this week. Promoting a healthy player from the practice squad isn't an option.

"If we make a move, we will have to release a player. We can't put a player on injured reserve and put somebody up. We don't have any cap space," Fisher said.

Backup quarterback Billy Volek sprained his left wrist. An MRI showed only a sprained left ankle for receiver Derrick Mason who was hurt returning a punt in the first quarter.

Mason was upset that he was hurt on special teams, but Fisher said he will use the man who went to the Pro Bowl in 2000 as a returner because his only other option is rookie Michael Waddell.

"I know he's frustrated with it," Fisher said of Mason. "But everybody on this team is doing what they can to help, and it makes sense when I say everybody that everybody will do that."

Meanwhile, Chris Brown (turf toe) hasn't lasted more than a half in his past two starts -- but that hasn't kept him from putting up respectable totals.

Brown had an MRI on the big toe on his left foot after Monday night's game and it showed it's no better or worse than it has been. He won't practice and the Titans will take what they can get out of him in Oakland.

And as the Sporting News put it: "As long as he's active in Week 15, he won't need more than one half to hang some points on a Raiders defense that has allowed a league-high 20 touchdowns to running backs. ..."

According to the Sports Xchange, tight end Erron Kinney (ankle) had a very difficult time moving around in the locker room and after the game as did Mason. Kinney's MRI also revealed a sprain.

Receiver Drew Bennett has a thigh contusion and tight end Shad Meier suffered a hip pointer.

"Shad Meier had a hip pointer really early and every time he went down it got a little worse, you could see it in his face," Bennett said. "There was nobody else. It was get up and finish. ..."

For what it's worth, Volek took advantage of the struggling Chiefs' defense, passing for a career-high 426 yards in a loss Monday night. The Titans' quarterback finished the game 29 of 43 with four touchdowns and no interceptions.

Bennett also turned in the best performance of his NFL career, hauling in 12 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. He didn't miss any time despite needing intravenous fluids at halftime.

"It's something we put a lot into at practice," Gibbs said Monday. "We have referees out here every day. We try and stress it. You've got to play error-free up here. If you don't, it's going to cost you."

The Redskins committed 12 penalties -- including four false starts -- for 137 yards Sunday night in a 17-14 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In less than a minute, the offense had three flags -- two false starts and a holding call -- that stifled a drive and forced a long field goal attempt that missed just before halftime.

There have been three double-figures penalty games this season. The total for the season is 93 penalties for 872 yards, a 1,073-yard pace that would exceed last year's 1,038 by coach Steve Spurrier's undisciplined team. The team record is 1,110, set in 1948.

When the Redskins committed a dozen penalties in a 28-6 loss at Philadelphia three weeks ago, Gibbs blamed crowd noise for the false starts. He can't make that complaint after a home game.

"The four movement penalties are kind of hard for me to figure," he said. "I don't know if it's lack of concentration or some kind of uneasiness there. I don't quite understand it."

A bigger culprit Sunday was Mike Sellers, who committed three personal fouls that cost the team valuable yardage on special teams plays. According to White, Sellers arrived at team headquarters early Monday to get an earful from special teams coach Danny Smith and was to have a separate meeting later with Gibbs.

"That's something we really talk over seriously," Gibbs said. "Let me say this: He makes great plays, and you've got somebody there that's very aggressive. What happens sometimes is guys are playing great and they pretty much get earmarked by the other team.

"You've got to understand you cannot put yourself before the team. You've got to have a lot of poise there. ..."

Other notes of interest. ...

Patrick Ramsey didn't duplicate his masterful (19-for-22) performance against the Giants. He hit just 29 of 45 throws for 251 yards, missing a few short targets and making a bad decision on the game-sealing interception in the end zone.

However, the Sports Xchange suggests there remained distinct signs of promise, particularly the way he roped a few throws to emerging H-back Chris Cooley (five catches, 75 yards).

Cooley and Laveranues Coles absorbed some wicked shots from the Eagles and held on.

Coles, who took a cortisone injection in his injured toe, missed practice most of last week. However, the injury did not prevent him from playing well against the Eagles. He finished the contest with a team-high 12 catches for 100 yards.

For the season, the Redskins' receiver has hauled in 76 passes for 821 yards, but has reached the end zone just once.

For the record, Coles is expected to continue playing, despite the injured toe; surgery remains a last resort. ...

Clinton Portis rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries against the Eagles, giving him four total TDs in his last two games. Going into Week 13, the Redskins' running back had failed to reach the end zone in his previous seven contests.

And finally. ...

Place-kicker John Hall, who missed five games recently with a groin injury, still isn't kicking it as long as he should be. He also missed his only field goal, a 43-yarder, against Philadelphia.