The seventh-round draft pick from Michigan, who never has taken a snap in an NFL regular-season game, will make his debut Sunday when the Cardinals visit Detroit.

Head coach Dennis Green announced the move Monday, benching Shaun King after two starts and going with Navarre over Josh McCown, who had the job for the first nine games.

"Isn't that the American dream?" Green said. "Isn't the American dream all about opportunity? If one guy hasn't worked out and another guy hasn't worked out, why shouldn't the other guy get a chance? And I've got a lot of confidence in him. I think he'll do fine."

Green said McCown would be the backup, with King demoted to third string after the Cardinals scored just 13 points in his two starts.

"Quick hook? Yeah," Green said. "Tough business, and you don't have to apologize for it being a tough business. ..."

That's just as true of embattled head coaches as it is struggling quarterbacks.

As Arizona Republic staffer Tim Tyers advised readers Tuesday, "Green gave the appearance of a man grasping at straws" during the heart of what the coach still believes is a playoff chase in Detroit on Sunday.

"We're not going to whine about 4-7, and we're not going to say that John Navarre being quarterback can't help us be 5-7, because he can," Green said. "If I didn't believe he could help us, I wouldn't do it."

The obvious question is: If Navarre is the better option, why wasn't he already playing?

For what it's worth, the 6-6, 250 pound Navarre was a three-year starter at Michigan who threw for more than 200 yards 28 times. He is the only Wolverines quarterback to pass for more than 9,000 yards, but was often booed by fans as he compiled a 33-4 career record.

In case you haven't been paying attention, it was just three weeks ago the Cardinals were 4-5 and on a two-game winning streak when Green shook up things by benching McCown and naming King as his starter for the rest of the year.

Green said the primary reason for this change is that the Cardinals aren't averaging the 225 passing yards per game he thinks is needed to win. Instead, they're averaging 165.2 yards per game and rank 13th in the NFC and 27th in the NFL in passing.

Green said his move is to win now and isn't designed to evaluate Navarre's potential.

"John has got some special qualities," he said. "He's big, strong and is an extremely smart quarterback, and he's had a chance to spend a lot of time in our system.

"One of the reasons I've always loved to coach the scout team, it gives me a chance to work with young players. He has not played but he has practiced. He has worked hard and gained my confidence."

McCown will serve as No. 2 with King acting as the third-string quarterback. Green said he wasn't worried about his players being distracted.

"The team wants whoever gives us the best chance to win," he said. "That's the only thing the team cares about."

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald said the prospect of another quarterback change doesn't have his head spinning.

"It's hard enough just trying to take care of myself, trying to run the right routes, trying to make the right decisions out there," he said. "I'm still making a lot of mistakes out there. I have to correct that. It will make his (Navarre's) job easier if we all minimize the mistakes we make."

McCown and King both said they would fully support Navarre. But McCown, the quarterback of the future at the season's onset, now faces an uncertain future.

"Obviously, they're looking for a spark, but it's hard to read anything positive into your future," he said. "So we'll just see. All I can do is stay ready and prepare myself."

In a related note. ...

Sports Illustrated insider Don Banks, who covered Green as a Vikings beat writer for both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press, advised readers: "Mark my words. One more loss by the Cardinals and Arizona head coach Dennis Green is going to be on the phone, luring Randall Cunningham out of retirement to start at quarterback.

"And that's only because Jeff George just signed with Chicago this week. ..."

I suspect Banks was only half-kidding. ...

Meanwhile, quarterback is not the only area of concern for the Cardinals. Running back Emmitt Smith suffered a sprained left toe and will likely be out two to three weeks. And instead of promoting backup Josh Scobey, Green named Larry Croom to start in Detroit on Sunday.

"It's the first time I've heard that," Croom said when informed of the promotion by reporters on Monday. "It's a great opportunity to have. I have to pay attention to detail in practice and give him even more confidence that I can get the job done."

Croom, an undrafted rookie from Nevada-Las Vegas, rushed for 25 yards on 10 carries in Sunday's 13-3 loss to the New York Jets. Scobey had 5 yards on five carries. ...

According to the Sporting News, Scobey has great speed but doesn't avoid many tacklers and has had trouble picking up the blitz. Croom showed some nifty moves against the Jets and might actually be the better alternative.

Other notes of interest. ...

TSN also suggested that Anquan Boldin still doesn't appear comfortable at split end. He played mostly in the slot last year, when he caught 101 passes in a Pro Bowl season and excelled on crossing routes.

Those patterns have not been used effectively this year. It would help if the quarterback had more protection to allow a route to develop.

"After signing a new six-year contract worth about $26 million, the Pro Bowl tight end caught the winning touchdown pass for the Atlanta Falcons in a victory over New Orleans. ..."

"I didn't want to be standing up here after a losing game," Crumpler said at a news conference Monday to formally announce the deal.

Crumpler and the Falcons actually signed the contract Saturday, after the final workout for the Saints game, but decided to keep it under wraps until the day after the game.

The Falcons rallied for a 24-21 victory when Michael Vick threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Crumpler with 1:22 remaining. At 9-2. the Falcons are on the verge of clinching just the third division title in the team's 39-year history.

Crumpler's new contract includes a $9 million signing bonus, one of the biggest in franchise history and on par with the deal signed two years ago by Kansas City tight end Tony Gonzalez, whose seven-year, $31.5 million contract included $10 million in guaranteed money.

After four months of negotiations, the two sides finally agreed on a deal that would keep Crumpler from becoming an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. Without a new contract, the Falcons might have been forced to use the franchise designation to keep him from leaving.

While Crumpler made the Pro Bowl last season, his value went up dramatically this season as he developed into Vick's favorite receiver. The 6-foot-2, 262-pound tight end leads the team with 43 receptions for 709 yards and six touchdowns.

Crumpler is averaging 16.5 yards per catch, far ahead of any other tight end with at least 30 receptions and remarkable numbers for a player his size.

Also, it's not as if the Atlanta receivers are drawing a lot of attention. As Newberry suggested, Peerless Price has been a major disappointment with only two touchdown catches, and Dez White has the only other TD reception by a receiver.

Clearly, Vick and Crumpler are the key players in the Falcons' offense.

"Guys like Alge and Gonzalez have shown that size along with speed and athleticism is a very tough matchup for any defense," head coach Jim Mora said. "If you try to cover them with a linebacker, they're going to have a speed and athleticism advantage. If you try to cover them with a defensive back, who would typically have better speed, then the size becomes a mismatch."

"I always said the best hands I ever saw belonged to Cris Carter," Mora said. "Well, those are the kind of hands that Alge has. He just swallows the ball. He engulfs it. You're not going to see a big man catch the ball like that very often."

Crumpler's blocking ability also plays a vital role in the Falcons' running game.

"I think he's the best football player in the NFL," said teammate T.J. Duckett -- high praise considering Vick shares the same locker room. "Just look at the difference he makes in the game. There's a lot of great tight ends, but he's the full package."

The 26-year-old Crumpler said his main goal is helping the Falcons win their first Super Bowl.

"I have accomplished a lot of things individually," he said. "But I've never been on a championship team. I want to be the type of guy that the other guys lean on."

In a couple of related notes. ...

Vick rushed for 69 yards, the 13th time in his career that he's run for at least 50. ... Crumpler had the second 100-yard receiving game of the season with four catches for 103 yards. He had a career-best 118 yards against Tampa Bay. ...

All four of Crumpler's catches were for 20 yards or more. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

According to Pro Football Weekly, Brian Finneran had his foot in a walking boot on Monday, one day after spraining his ankle in a win over the New Orleans Saints.

According to Mora, the injury is a high ankle sprain, but there is a chance the receiver could be available for this week's matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He will be evaluated later this week to determine his status.

As Morris News Service correspondent George Henry noted on Monday, Finneran continues to play well enough to hold off Michael Jenkins for the No. 3 spot.

Henry added: "Finneran runs excellent routes and does an excellent job of blocking downfield. Though he never had exceptional speed, Finneran is even slower now because of a sore Achilles' he sustained last month while playing special teams.

"That setback has hindered his ability to get separation from defenders."

A sprained ankle certainly won't help Finneran with that shortcoming. ...

In a related note. ...

Henry suggests that Price knows Vick often hurries through his reads, but the former Bill must adjust by extending his routes. He did a better job against New Orleans on Sunday, catching four passes for 59 yards. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, fullback Justin Griffith missed his first NFL game Sunday when a sprained right knee kept him out of the Falcons' 24-21 win over the Saints.

His strained posterior collateral ligament might improve this week, but if it's anything less than 100 percent, Falcons coaches seem likely to stick with backup Stanley Pritchett, the nine-year veteran who played well in Griffith's absence.

With a five-game lead in the NFC South, the Falcons don't have to push injured players.

For what it's worth, the Sporting News pointed out this week that Griffith and Pritchett often run deep pass routes that draw coverage, but more important, they provide downfield blocking when Vick breaks free on scrambles. When Vick's reads are covered on rollouts, they try to improvise and give him a target downfield.

And finally. ...

Jay Feely is in a mini-slump. The veteran place-kicker made his first nine field goal attempts this season, but he's now missed three of his last six.

On Sunday, Feely was wide right on a 37-yard attempt late in the first half -- the first time he's missed from inside 40 this season. He got a chance to atone when the Falcons intercepted a pass, setting up a 31-yarder on the final play of the half.

But New England, which was without its top three corners, held the Ravens to 1.2 yards per attempt. The Ravens failed to gain a first down on half of their 14 drives and managed more than one first down on just one possession.

It marked the third time this season that the offense failed to score a touchdown.

Under pressure most of the game, Kyle Boller finished 15-for-35 for 93 yards. And when he did have time, it seemed like his throws short-hopped a few yards before reaching the receivers.

"This is just a temporary setback," said Boller, with mud caked on his face after the game. "This isn't going to stop us. We're going to see them again. ..."

Playing in place of Lewis, Chester Taylor rushed for 61 yards on 16 carries. His longest run was only eight yards.

"I felt like we were going to get some yards on the ground due to the circumstances," Taylor said. "We knew we had to execute better than that."

Taylor will start again this week if Lewis isn't healthy enough to play.

The good news?

Lewis, who likely will be listed as questionable on the injury report, will return to practice this week and team officials are hopeful he'll be available for Sunday's game against the Bengals.

In eight games this season, Lewis has 651 yards and five touchdowns on 159 carries.

Also on the injury front. ...

After practicing all last week, Todd Heap was expected to have a chance at playing against the Patriots. However, the Ravens decided to give the tight end another week off to make sure his severely sprained ankle has had enough time to full recover.

The wet weather and atrocious field conditions in New England likely were another reason Heap was held out. Heap called it an extremely frustrating situation as he missed his ninth game in a row.

"We'll see who has been the same answer for nine weeks and we'll try to give it another go again this week," he said. "It's been pretty bad."

According to Pro Football Weekly, he should see some action this week, barring any setbacks.

Offensive tackle Orlando Brown was a late scratch last Sunday with tendinitis of the knee and was replaced by Ethan Brooks. "It's something we're going to have to address," Billick said. "It's likely Ethan will be starting for a while."

Other notes of interest. ...

Getting back to the field conditions. ... Place-kicker Matt Stover said the field was the second worst he has experienced, only slightly better, he said, than the one he played on in Miami in 2000, when the Ravens lost in hurricane-like conditions.

"The NFL should never let that happen," said Stover, who is also the Ravens' players union representative, "not with all that money. ..."

Boller lost his sixth fumble of the season on a hit by linebacker Tedy Bruschi, with the Patriots recovering for a touchdown. Boller leads the NFL in lost fumbles.

"We probably should have been under center than in shotgun," Boller said.

Another fumble was recovered by Boller after an errant shotgun snap by center Casey Rabach. ...

And finally. ...

In running back Jamel White's first game with the Ravens after signing earlier this week, he carried the football twice for six yards.

"A lot of runs they did were similar to the ones we did in Tampa and Cleveland," White said. "The running part is not the hard part. It's picking up the passing stuff."

There were only two people in front of the Buffalo Bills running back when he caught the ball - fullback Daimon Shelton and Seattle's Terreal Bierria.

Bierria never had a chance. Thirty yards later, McGahee dived into the end zone to put the exclamation point on the Bills' first road win of the year.

Just like the trick play -- called a "sneak pass" -- virtually the entire 38-9 victory by the Bills went exactly the way the coaches drew it up on the blackboard.

"This one feels great," Bledsoe said. "It's been too long since we've had the feeling of going on the road and beating someone at their place."

The Bills were on a mission to start fast for a change. They jumped out to a 10-0 lead.

The Bills' offense knew it had to hold off Seattle's blitzers. Bledsoe was sacked just once while throwing for a season-high 275 yards.

And as Gaughan suggested, "virtually every wrinkle head coach Mike Mularkey and his staff pulled out of the playbook worked to perfection. There were pretty reverses. There was a no-huddle offense. There was a successful onside kick to open the second half. There was the sneak pass, which put the Bills ahead, 31-3, with 10:38 remaining. ..."

Did Mularkey need to dip into his bag of tricks at that point?

According to Gaughan, probably not. But when your club has lost six straight and 14 of its previous 16 on the road, there's no sense taking chances.

"I said to them on the sideline, "We've got to finish games,'" Mularkey said. "We can't just go into a shell."

Meanwhile, all McGahee did was soundly outperform Seattle's Shaun Alexander -- the NFL's leading rusher -- on Alexander's home turf. McGahee carried 28 times for 116 yards and four touchdowns.

McGahee became the first Bill to rush for four TDs in a game since Roland Hooks in 1979.

McGahee has rushed for 100 yards in five of his six NFL starts and needs to average 55 yards in his last five games to reach 1,000 for the season. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Bledsoe's three interceptions could've contributed to another ugly road defeat, but unlike past efforts, he was able to summon the poise to overcome that adversity.

Receivers Eric Moulds and Lee Evans seemed to toy with Seattle's secondary, combining for 14 catches for 163 yards. Each caught a 24-yard pass and Evans made a pretty coffin-corner catch for a 3-yard TD. ...

Also of interest. ...

Travis Henry suffered what was initially believed to be a broken right leg in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. Henry had to be helped from the field, but upon further review, Mularkey announced the leg might not be broken.

Mularkey told the News that the team will get the MRI results on Henry's leg Wednesday. The Bills don't think the injury is as bad as they first feared.

Goings, who had 106 yards rushing against the Bucs after going for a career-high 121 one week earlier against Arizona, has 357 yards on 80 carries.

Goings has run for 227 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games as the team's starting back and it's not unreasonable to expect he'll play well against the Saints this weekend. ...

As noted by the to the Sporting News, despite playing behind a shaky line and without his full complement of offensive weapons, Jake Delhomme has thrown 12 touchdown passes over the past five weeks.

He has continued to play decently despite breaking his thumb two weeks ago, posting four TD passes to two interceptions.

Meanwhile, Keary Colbert set a team record for most receiving yards by a rookie with 600, surpassing the mark of the imprisoned Rae Carruth, who had 545 yards in 1997.

Muhsin Muhammad was held to 52 yards on two receptions by the Bucs. But as the Sports Xchange noted Tuesday, he helped open things up for Colbert. ...

Subbing for the second week in a row for the injured John Kasay, Jeff Chandler missed one 38-yard field-goal attempt wide left and had another 38-yarder blocked.

Chandler did make his three extra-point attempts.

The good news? Chandler was released Tuesday making it all but certain that Kasay's calf has healed enough for him to return to work. And finally. ...

Fullback Brad Hoover missed his second straight game on Sunday with a hip contusion. The team hopes he'll be back against New Orleans.

"What little spark Craig Krenzel provided as the starting quarterback during a three-game winning streak that seems like a distant memory is long gone. That's more than can be said for Jonathan Quinn, who has played about how you would expect someone lured with a $200,000 signing bonus to play.

"The unfortunate thing for Quinn is now that he has played -- or been exposed, depending on how you look at it -- his gig as an NFL backup is probably over soon unless offensive coordinator Terry Shea is hired somewhere as a general manager. ..."

As a result, the Bears are about to make their 26th change at starting quarterback in 87 games by going with Chad Hutchinson the starter when the Minnesota Vikings come to Soldier Field this week.

As Chicago Tribune staff writer David Haugh reported it: "Hutchinson will be the fourth starter this season, and the belief is like it was when Krenzel replaced Quinn -- it can't possibly be any worse.

"It's Hutchinson's job now to lead the worst offense in the league, possibly ever."

So how bad is it?

As Haugh suggested, bad enough to sign the quarterback no one else wanted, a quarterback who has been calling them since Grossman went down in Week 3, a quarterback who last played in 2001 -- but the newcomer, Jeff George, won't play this week.

In going to Hutchinson, the Bears have outdone themselves, as tradition dictates they use three starters a year, something they've been forced to do five of the last six seasons. Now head coach Lovie Smith has a feel for what the organization has come to know as routine. "I don't think I've learned a lot more from the depth at quarterback than what I thought going into the season," Smith said. "Look at any team in the league right now. Very few have two they feel like really have starting-type ability. If your starter goes down, you're in a little bit of trouble. I knew that before the season, and that is the case right now.

"If you get down to your third quarterback, you're in trouble and you have to make the best of that situation and you just have to regroup and go from there. That's what we've done as a team."

Hutchinson's role in practice the last two months has been minimal, so the Bears will only have four practices to prepare him. He's going to be more of a sitting target than Krenzel and Quinn in the pocket, which could be problematic for an offensive line that has allowed 43 sacks and is on pace to set a team record.

"I'm ready," Hutchinson said. "The NFL is a tough game. It's a team game, too. It's not just the quarterback, it's everybody, and granted we need to do some things better at our position. [Krenzel and Quinn] are preparing as well as they can, and I don't think you guys see exactly how late they stay and how hard they're working on this, but they're preparing the best they can and then it's just not falling in the right places right now."

"I think [Hutchinson] feels like he's ready to go," Smith said. "If we go in that direction, we'll feel the same way."

But as Biggs put it: "To think Hutchinson is going to be a vast improvement over what the team has seen since Grossman was injured in Week 3 is probably unrealistic."

"I would say his physical skills are good," Smith said. "You know he was a pitcher in baseball, a fastball thrower and all that good stuff. He can throw the ball. He's got good size, so I think physically he definitely has enough ability to do it, but you know there's some other things that come into play, too."

Those things are his immobility and inexperience in the system. No one has been particularly eager to reach this point because Hutchinson has only been drilled on the offense in meetings. That, more than anything, should tell you what the expectations are.

"I haven't run any plays out there, but I feel good with it on paper," he said. "I've had two months to look at it and to take mental reps, and now it's a matter of taking physical reps. Whatever role they give me, I'm going to do my best at."

Meanwhile, as Haugh suggested, depending on how Hutchinson plays, George could be in the mix as soon as he learns the playbook. In an interview with the Tribune last month, he said he could be ready for game action in two days given his vast experience running different offensive systems. He has been working out at a high school near his home in Carmel, Ind.

He immediately becomes the Bears' most experienced quarterback.

George, the No. 1 pick in the 1990 NFL draft out of Illinois, has started 124 games for five different teams. He has thrown for 27,602 yards with 154 TDs, 113 interceptions and a passer rating of 80.4. His quick release is the kind of thing that cannot be taught.

The 36-year-old veteran has not played since early in the 2001 season when he started two games for the Washington Redskins. Seattle signed him at the end of the 2002 season for insurance when injuries rocked their quarterback situation, but George never took a snap there.

George views the opportunity as a chance to help groom Grossman and hopes to turn his limited time in Chicago into a 2005 roster spot. He believes he still has what it takes to be a starter in the NFL but would accept a backup role.

As Associated Press national writer Nancy Armour put it Monday, "Talent was never Jeff George's problem. His personality, well, that's a different story.

"Cocky. Hardheaded. Selfish. Egotistical. Arrogant. He heard them all as he hopscotched around the league, a nomadic journey that had as much to do with his attitude as his ability."

The hope in Chicago is that George, who wasted little time reaching out to his new teammates, has changed.

As Armour pointed out, the Bears' offense is a complex one, with a playbook bigger than a Manhattan directory. But after spending the weekend studying the offense, he was already giving his younger teammates tips Monday.

"He's going out there with a mission to try and get something accomplished, which is trying to get the team better right now," receiver Bobby Wade said. "He was coming up to me, telling me little techniques, little things he was able to see that we need to improve on. It being his first day, I'm comfortable with him coming up and doing that."

Armour went on to note that David Terrell is positively giddy about the addition.

"We've got Wyatt Earp and we've got the gunslingers," Terrell crowed. "It's going to be a fun last five games for us, I'm telling you."

Maybe so. ... But as the Tribune framed it Monday, "It's pretty simple: If your offense can't score, there is no way you're going to win, despite how well your defense plays.

"This offense has scored 10 points in the last three games. It is incapable of getting first downs, converting on third downs, and has a real penchant for turning the ball over. That's one heck of a trifecta. ..."

Carson Palmer shook off the back spasms that limited him in practice last week and was under center for Sunday's win. The second-year signal caller completed 75.9 percent of his pass attempts for 251 yards and a career-high four touchdowns.

However, he also tossed three interceptions.

Getting back to Johnson. ... In the span of four quarters, he jumped from 11th in the league in rushing to fourth, with 1,049 yards.

His 202 yards were a career high and are the second most in the NFL this year in a single game. Johnson's 248 rushing attempts are second in the league to the Jets' Curtis Martin, who has 259.

According to Cincinnati Post staff reporter C. Trent Rosecrans, Willie Anderson has seen this before.

He's seen the young running back full of power who just wants to run over people. In Johnson, Anderson sees some similarities to former Bengal Corey Dillon.

"Corey wanted to punish everyone, and going into his contract year, people said he couldn't break the long runs," Anderson said. "In his first three or four years, (defensive backs) knew they had to plant their feet to get ready for Corey to run them over. Then he put that move on them and he took it to the house.

"That's what Rudi's doing now. People are waiting for Rudi to come downhill and punish them. Now the game he's got, he's putting a little wiggle on them and he'll be breaking the 35-40-yard runs."

Johnson had a 52-yard run in the first quarter and later added runs of 21 and 28 yards.

Johnson said the game plan was relatively simple, using just three or four different plays.

"We got in a rhythm, and once that happens, we're hard to stop," Johnson said. "I just wanted to do my part, make plays, make people miss and do what I could to keep drives going."

Much of that was his yards after contact. As always, Johnson punished those who tried to tackle him. But, what was different was how nimble he looked on several plays where he made Brown defenders miss him.

As the Sporting News suggested Monday, Johnson has a low center of gravity to push the pile between the tackles, but he also has quick feet and can get outside and punish defensive backs. Johnson is doing a good job of reading the blocks of his physical offensive line.

"Rudi can do a lot of things people don't know he do -- he can do a lot of things he doesn't even know he can do," fullback Jeremi Johnson said. "He's in a different world than other people, and it's a good world. He's got so much talent where he doesn't know what he's got.

"This is just the beginning."

So. ... Is anybody else wondering why team officials are busting their tail in an attempt to sign Johnson to a long-term deal?

"We've had discussions but have not talked in earnest," Peter Schaffer, Johnson's agent, said Monday night. "He has five games left until he becomes an unrestricted free agent. If the Bengals approach us with a number that's appropriate, Rudi will get his wish of being a Bengal for life."

Head coach Marvin Lewis declined comment when asked about possible efforts to re-sign Johnson. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

As reported by the Sports Xchange, receiver Chad Johnson did not suffer a concussion during Sunday's game.

Johnson said he had a concussion after being tackled on an end-around run in the first quarter, but Lewis said the team's medical staff will not let a player play with a concussion.

"Another one of our man's claims, OK," Lewis said of Johnson. "After the touchdown play, he didn't feel quite right, so [wide receivers coach Hue Jackson] took him out for a little bit, and then he cleared up and was fine.

"I think it's fun and cool to be injured like the other guys once in a while, one of those tough injuries. He didn't remember booting the ball up in the air or turning to look to see if the guy was going to hit him, which caused him to boot it up in the air."

Johnson leads the AFC with 910 receiving yards, one more than Jacksonville's Jimmy Smith. ...

The list of players heading into this week's game against the Ravens as questionable include receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh (bruised ribs), kickoff returner Cliff Russell (concussion) and tailback Chris Perry (abdomen), who didn't play last Sunday.

"Chris had a good workout before the game," Lewis said. "We're going to do some other tests on him just to see if there is anything else we can find that's hindering him. He still has some discomfort at times."

Davis becomes the second NFL coach to resign this month. Dave Wannstedt stepped down as coach of the Miami Dolphins on November 9.

"There has been enormous speculation in recent weeks regarding my current and future status as coach," Davis said in a statement. "This intense pressure and scrutiny has caused considerable turmoil and distractions within the team, coaching staff, and organization that had an adverse effect on the team."

Last summer, Davis signed an extension through 2007, but it became clear that he would be fired at the end of this season after Browns owner Randy Lerner admitted to being "disappointed and frustrated" with the team's progress after a 10-7 loss to the New York Jets on November 21.

The Browns followed with their fifth straight loss -- a 58-48 defeat at Cincinnati last Sunday -- to fall to 3-8. After that game, Davis decided to resign.

"Instead of the focus each week being specifically on my job, this will allow the team to focus on the games and the management to focus and create a new beginning in personnel as well as coaching," Davis said.

Browns president John Collins announced that offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie will serve as interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Prior to joining the Browns in 2001, Robiskie spent seven years with the Washington Redskins and concluded the 2000 season as their interim coach for three games, compiling a 1-2 record.

"I've been here before," Robiskie said of being an interim again. "But I think I'm three times the coach I was then. Butch Davis has made me a better coach."

Davis took over as Browns coach in 2001 and has a 24-36 career record, including a playoff loss.

"I accept responsibility for the mistakes that we have made, but it was my and my staff's intention to do everything we could to lay the foundation and build a team that could win a Super Bowl," Davis said. "I hope that some of the decisions we have made will be part of a brighter future for the Browns organization."

Davis also had full authority regarding personnel decisions. Lerner had indicated he plans to hire a general manager after the 2004 season. ...

The first issue Robiskie will have to deal with is the quarterback position.

In an article published Wednesday, Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Mary Kay Cabot, citing an unnamed team source, advised readers that Kelly Holcomb has three cracked ribs and is expected to miss up to three games, a source said. With Holcomb out and Jeff Garcia still suffering from a sprained right throwing shoulder, rookie Luke McCown is expected to make his first NFL start.

Robiskie cited McCown's "great game" against Kansas City in preseason. McCown said last week that he's ready to see what he can do. Because of the injuries, the Browns Tuesday re-signed Nate Hybl to the practice squad.

Given the tremendous offensive effort he led last Sunday, Holcomb's injury is a shame.

As Akron Beacon Journal staff writer Marla Ridenour put it: "Consider the amazing numbers witnessed by the sellout crowd. Total points: 106, second most in NFL history. Combined yards: 966. Performance by Kelly Holcomb, the losing quarterback: 413 yards and five touchdowns. Browns offense in the second half: 35 points, 348 passing yards. Defense played: Rarely. ..."

"I thought whoever had the ball last was going to win," tight end Aaron Shea said.

The two teams' scoring flurry was second only to the Washington Redskins' 72-41 victory over the New York Giants on Nov. 27, 1966. It marked the most points scored by the Browns in a loss, with the previous high 35 twice. It tied the most points given up by the Browns, matching the 58 on Dec. 9, 1990, against the Oilers at Houston.

Holcomb made his first start of the year for Garcia and looked like the same player who threw for 429 yards in a 2002 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He completed 30-of-39 for 413 yards with two interceptions and a 128.5 rating. His five touchdowns tied the Browns' single-game record held by Brian Sipe (1979 vs. the Steelers), Bill Nelsen (1969 vs. the Dallas Cowboys) and Frank Ryan (1964 at the New York Giants).

The passing attack found its rhythm when Holcomb found receiver Dennis Northcutt for 39 yards on the first play of the second half.

"The start of the third quarter we started throwing. Then we started getting some completions," Holcomb said. "I was seeing everything they were doing and knew what was going on. When I hit that long one to Dennis, 'Let's go,' that's kind of what I felt."

The Browns' 462 net yards was their most since Nov. 16, 2003, against the Arizona Cardinals when they compiled 481. But this total might have been more shocking because Holcomb was operating behind a makeshift offensive line that lost its best player, right tackle Ryan Tucker, last week with a knee injury. Right guard Damion Cook, who was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens 12 days ago, made his first career start.

"I was really proud of those guys," Holcomb said of the line. "I thought they did really well. They gave me time. When you get enough time, time can beat coverage, and that's what happened."

Among the Browns recording or tying career-highs were Holcomb (413 yards, five touchdowns), Antonio Bryant (eight catches, two touchdowns) and tight end Steve Heiden (three touchdowns).

Bryant had a day reminiscent of his rookie season finale against the Redskins (eight catches, 170 yards), when he played for Dallas. The following season (2002), Bryant's career began to go into reverse under Bill Parcells. Bryant was traded to the Browns for Quincy Morgan on Oct. 19.

"He's explosive," Holcomb said. "When he catches the ball, he can go. He gets north and south. I was glad we could get him into the rhythm. If we"ve got time, we"ve got some playmakers. ..."

Stay tuned. ... I'll have more details on Holcomb's status -- and McCown -- as the week progresses.

The same goes for running back Lee Suggs and receiver Andre Davis, who were held out against the Bengals with turf toe injuries. Their status this week is questionable and both will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.

Rookie Drew Henson, whose starting debut lasted only a half, is going back into watch-and-learn mode. And 41-year-old Vinny Testaverde is the starting quarterback again for the Cowboys.

"He gives us the best chance to win," Parcells said Tuesday. "That's what I'm interested in doing, if we can."

Henson got his long-awaited first start against Chicago last Thursday after a sore Testaverde was limited in practice. But Testaverde returned after halftime in a tie game, and the Cowboys won 21-7.

While Henson is the quarterback of the future, Parcells remains focused on winning now.

"My mind only works basically this week, this season," he said. "That is what my responsibility is, to try to get the most out of this team this year. You don't necessarily set things up in the future by altering that. You might do things that act as a deterrent for the future."

By beating the Bears, the Cowboys snapped a three-game losing streak and became one of seven 4-7 teams in the NFC.

Hawkins added that even while trying to avoid playoff talk, Parcells made it clear he's aware of his team's standing, even though the Cowboys have already lost more games than in his 10-6 debut last season.

Take out the four division leaders, and there are just three other teams with more wins than Dallas in the chase for two wild-card spots. The Cowboys play Monday night at NFC West leader Seattle.

"I've been around long enough to have seen teams recover," Parcells said. "I think someone in this NFC, and I could be wrong, could make a run at this that doesn't appear to have had a chance."

A .500 record may just be enough to get into the NFC playoffs this season. So Parcells figures why not the Cowboys?

"We have an opportunity," he said. "If we play well Monday, a lot of things will have changed probably in our favor."

Henson hadn't played quarterback, not even in three blowout losses before then, until the fourth quarter Nov. 21 at Baltimore when Testaverde took a hard hit that left him with a sore shoulder and back. That also limited Testaverde during the shortened week before the Bears.

With the Bears committed to pressuring Henson (4-of-12 for 31 yards and an interception returned for a touchdown) into bad plays and doing things the rookie didn't recognize, Parcells went to Testaverde.

Owner Jerry Jones expressed disappointment after the game that Henson didn't finish. He insisted, however, that he wasn't second-guessing Parcells and that he left in-game decisions to the coach.

"I just viewed it as him saying what his opinion was. That's fine. No problem," Parcells said. "I'm telling you we're not on opposite ends."

The players return to practice Wednesday after having four straight days off. The extra time should be beneficial for Testaverde. And Henson, finally with some game experience, will go back to getting limited snaps.

"Hey, I'm rooting for the guy. I really am," Parcells said. "He just needs more experience. You say, `How's he going to get that?' I can't forsake everything to do that. I couldn't do it in good conscience."

As Hawkins summed up: "Not as long as Parcells is playing for this season -- instead of 2005 and beyond."

Other notes of interest. ...

In case you weren't paying attention, rookie Julius Jones rushed 33 times for 150 yards last Thursday, marking the first 100-yard rushing game for the Cowboys this season. His totals were the most by a rookie in the NFL this year. His 33 carries were the most by a rookie in club history and tied for third most in club history.

His 150 yards rushing tied Calvin Hill for the second most by a rookie in club history while putting to rest any concerns about the Cowboys future at running back. ...

According to Fort Worth Star-Telegram staff writer Rick Herrin, receiver Terrance Copper is making an impression.

The rookie free agent has been released, re-signed to the practice squad and promoted to the 53-man roster since September and now is a valuable special teams asset and No. 3 receiver.

Because of a season-ending foot injury to Terry Glenn, Copper was elevated to the active roster and in the past two games, against Baltimore and Chicago, has been a solid performer.

"Now his opportunity came, and he's doing a little something," Parcells said last week. "He shows a lot of toughness. Hopefully that's a good start from him."

Herrin went on to note that Copper has shown speed and elusiveness on kickoff returns. He has flashed aggressiveness and toughness on coverage units, and soft hands as a receiver. He has five catches for 66 yards the past two games, and four of the receptions have been for first downs.

Because of his value on special teams, Copper has earned more chances in the offensive game plan. Copper made his first three NFL catches for a team-high 44 yards against Baltimore. He had two receptions for 22 yards against Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, including a diving 9-yard catch.

"He has all the potential in the world," fellow wideout Quincy Morgan said. "Sometimes potential, like they say, will get you beat or kicked out of the league. But he's shown what he has. He's showing it, even on special teams. He's making a big, big impact on special teams."

And finally. ...

As noted by the Sports Xchange, Billy Cundiff is 10-of-14 on field-goal attempts after a miss from 52 yards in the first half. Inside the 40, he is 6-for-6.

Droughns, who has six 100-plus running games in seven starts, had previous success against the Raiders during his breakout season. He gained 176 yards against them Oct. 17 in his second career start.

Droughns needed stitches on his left hand, but head coach Mike Shanahan said that injury wasn't serious and it shouldn't be a problem this week.

Shanahan also expressed disatisfaction with the Droughns' failure to properly secure the football.

Droughns lost a pair of fumbles, one with the Broncos driving deep in Oakland territory, the other that led directly to a Raiders touchdown. Shanahan refused to blame the snowy weather for the fumbles and Droughns wasn't making excuses, either.

"That's just an excuse, weather-related," Shanahan said.

"As a running back, you can't go out there and put your team in a position like that," Droughns conceded. ...

In a semi-related note. ...

Denver Post staffer Patrick Saunders advised readers on Monday that Tatum Bell likely won't contribute much to the offense this season. Even if Droughns goes down with an injury, Bell is not well-versed enough in the offense; veteran Garrison Hearst would likely be the go-to back.

But that doesn't mean Bell's rookie season has been a waste. According to Saunders, he's excelled on special teams and shown the coaches a toughness that they weren't sure he had.

Other notes of interest. ...

As the Sports Xchange suggested Tuesday, given the snowy and cold conditions, Jake Plummer played decently. He completed two long passes, but those two plays accounted for 142 of his 245 passing total.

Plummer made one very bad decision, trying to go to the end zone on first down after Denver took over on Oakland's 26-yard line after a fumble recovery, and his pass was picked off. ...

Also according to the Xchange, Darius Watts had a chance to win the game on Sunday when he got open in the end zone with less than a minute to go, but the rookie had the ball go through his hands.

Although it wasn't an easy catch, Watts said he should have come down with it.

And finally. ...

As noted by the Sporting News, Denver's first quarter point differential -- plus-48 through 11 games -- is the best in the NFL.

Why?

TSN believes the 15-play script that Shanahan and coordinator Gary Kubiak concoct for each game is a major factor. It's designed to jump-start the game plan and put the opponent on its heels.

Shanahan also is a master at using plays to uncover a defense's tendencies, then coming back to exploit those tendencies on the next possession.

At least, those are not head coach Steve Mariucci's goals going into the Lions' last five games of the season.

"First and foremost, we're trying to win games right now," Mariucci said last Friday. "Who gives us the best chance to win a game right now? So the last five games are the most important thing -- this Arizona game and the last five, obviously.

"We will have to determine what we're going to do for next year and going forward. Of course, we have to determine that. You've got one guy that's a free agent, you've got one guy that's been here for three years.

"That evaluation is taking place. Our aim is to develop these guys and improve these guys."

That might mean more relief appearances for McMahon or it might mean Harrington goes the distance, but for now -- to maintain a semblance of stability and order with an offense that has struggled for the past month -- Mariucci said he will stick with Harrington as the Lions' starting quarterback.

Mariucci opened the speculation season Thursday when he brought McMahon off the bench to play the final 17 minutes of the Lions' 41-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

He made the move, Mariucci said, not because Harrington was playing terribly but because the game had gotten away from the Lions and it was a good time to let McMahon get some work.

Harrington will be the quarterback Dec. 5 when the Lions line up against the Arizona Cardinals at Ford Field.

"Would we like him to be better?" Mariucci asked. "Of course, of course." And he shrugged off suggestions that the other players might be losing confidence in Harrington.

"The team's going to rally behind whoever's playing quarterback," Mariucci said. "It just will.

"I think playing Mike for however many snaps he got -- a bunch of throws and 20-some snaps -- was really good for him and really good for us.

"He's been practicing more. If he needs to be called upon again -- and I'm not ruling that out -- then he's more ready. So we'll just play it one game at a time here. We're not naming Joey the starter for the next 12 years. He's the quarterback now and if we choose to go to our backup and play, then we'll do that. It's not out of the question."

McMahon, a crowd favorite -- as most backup quarterbacks are in the NFL -- completed 11 of 15 passes for 77 yards, scrambled twice for 18 yards and put a spark of excitement back into the anti-Harrington crowd at Ford Field.

Although it was statistically one of McMahon's best games in four NFL seasons -- a completion mark of 73 percent -- he was no more successful getting the Lions into the end zone than Harrington had been. Harrington completed 14 of 23 passes for 156 yards in the first 43 minutes of the game.

"Joey didn't play poorly," Mariucci said. "That was not your typical hook with a guy that's playing bad. He was playing OK. There were some throws that would have been nice for him to make, where he would have had a pretty darned good performance."

In particular, Mariucci was thinking of two passes midway in the first quarter on the Lions' first possession. On the first -- a second-and-goal at the Colts' 2 -- Harrington overthrew wide-open tight end Stephen Alexander in the corner of the end zone.

On the next play, he threw the ball slightly behind wide receiver Roy Williams to avoid a defensive player closing in ahead of Williams, and Williams was unable to hold onto the ball on his back shoulder.

"If you look at the film and the breakdowns, a sack here and a penalty there, there's reasons other than the quarterback that drives are not ending up in the end zone," Mariucci said.

As Pro Football Weekly noted last week: "Until Harrington’s supporting cast is seasoned and the offensive line bolstered, he won’t be dumped. ..."

As noted by the Sports Xchange, Kevin Jones is gradually proving himself as the team's featured running back, although he still splits time with Shawn Bryson in many of the single-back offensive sets.

In his last three games, Jones has gained 280 yards on 50 carries, an average of 5.6 yards per carry. In the previous eight games, he averaged 3.3 yards on 69 carries, seldom getting more than 10-12 carries per game. ...

According to Booth Newspapers beat man Tom Kowalski, Williams, who started the season with a bang, has leveled off considerably after the fourth game when he suffered a sprained left ankle, an injury that continues to linger.

Williams has good speed and excellent hands and one of his strengths is precision route-running, which he can't do properly because the injury limits his ability to cut hard going into and coming out of route cuts.

Williams has already proven he can make the tough, acrobatic catch, but in recent weeks he's failed to secure some contested balls that he'd normally grab, mostly because he's hit "the wall" that most rookies do.

Davenport, who plowed through the St. Louis Rams for 178 yards in his first NFL start Monday night, can just see it: 200 yards easily, maybe 300.

"Yeah," Davenport said, narrowing his eyes into a you'd-better-believe-it stare. "I can run. I'm a fast dude. I'm like 80 percent. I've got two bad hamstrings and I was having trouble with my ribs."

After watching Davenport's dominance in Green Bay's 45-17 win Monday night, Brett Favre isn't about to doubt Davenport's hunch.

"If he was just 80-85 percent, that's scary," Favre said. "He's a load. He was pretty darn good."

Davenport, filling in for injured starter Ahman Green, never turned it loose, not even on his game-clinching 40-yard touchdown run, because he didn't want to risk re-injuring his hamstrings.

"I just kept it in third or fourth gear," he said.

Davenport still piled up the fifth-highest rushing total in franchise history while on cruise control. For his breakout performance, Davenport gets. ... To be the backup again. According to Stapleton, Sherman expects Green to return to the starting lineup at Philadelphia next week.

Nonetheless, Davenport had his day to shine. So, just how did Davenport gain so many yards on so few carries with so little burst and so much trepidation?

"I'm faster than a lot of guys anticipate," said Davenport, a 250-pounder who sports tailback speed and a fullback's frame. "I wanted to turn it on. A couple of times I could have run away, but I wanted to play longer. I didn't want to pull it and have a setback."

He's had enough of those for one season.

Davenport felt his right hamstring grab in the season opener, went to the sideline, put a rubber sleeve on his leg and returned to action only to feel the muscle rip, sending a searing jolt through his body.

He missed the next month -- coinciding with Green Bay's four-game losing streak -- before returning in Week 6 at Detroit, where he ran 10 times for 62 yards and a touchdown as the Packers began a six-game winning streak.

Davenport felt his left hamstring grab on him against Minnesota two weeks ago and immediately left the game, unwilling to risk another four-week layoff.

It hurt at practice when he tried to test it, so he sat out against Houston last week, when Green bruised his ribs on his first carry.

With Green still ailing, Davenport was pressed into duty despite being less than 100 percent.

"When you lose a back like Ahman, who is a difference-maker, you need someone to step up, and Najeh did," head coach Mike Sherman said. "I think he was sandbagging me a little bit on his hamstring. I didn't see a problem with his burst."

Davenport started slowly, running for no gain and 1 yard on his first two carries, both on toss-sweeps, before he bulled straight ahead for 15 yards.

"I don't particularly care for those tosses, I'm more of a downhill dude," Davenport said.

As Stapleton summed up: "A fast dude, a downhill dude. The Packers are just glad he's their dude. ..."

Other notes of interest. ...

Making his 200th consecutive regular-season start -- an NFL record for quarterbacks -- Favre completed 18 of his 27 pass attempts for 215 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Rams.Including playoffs, the Packers' signal caller has started 219 straight contests, a streak that started in 1992.

He has topped 20 passing touchdowns each of the last 11 seasons.

Tight end David Martin's fourth straight disappointing season ended Tuesday, when the Packers placed him on injured reserve with a strained left knee.

Martin, the primary backup to three-time Pro Bowl pick Bubba Franks, was hurt Nov. 14 after making a career-long 35-yard reception against Minnesota.

"I wanted to wait and give him a couple weeks and see if he was going to come around," Sherman said. "We worked him out this morning, visited with the doctor and the prognosis was not very good."

Martin, who finished with a career-low five catches for 88 yards and had three special-teams tackles, has flashed enormous potential but little production since his selection in the sixth round of the 2001 draft out of Tennessee, where he was a wide receiver.

In four seasons with the Packers, he's caught just 39 passes for 344 yards and four touchdowns. ...

The Packers promoted fullback Vonta Leach from the practice squad and placed running back Walter Williams on injured reserve Monday with a high ankle sprain.

Williams, promoted from the practice squad Nov. 20, was hurt in his NFL debut last week at Houston after carrying six times for 42 yards in place of Green.

Leach signed with the Packers on April 30 as an undrafted free agent and was waived Sept. 6. He was re-signed to the practice squad two days later.

Carr responded with one of the best 15-minute stretches in his NFL career.

The third-year quarterback had a nearly perfect third quarter, rallying the Texans from the largest deficit in any franchise win during a 31-21 victory Sunday over the Tennessee Titans at Reliant Stadium.

Carr was 9-of-9 for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the third-quarter turnaround as the Texans wiped out an 18-point deficit. He was sacked once.

"When you play well, you don't notice what's going on," said Carr, who had a 144.7 passer rating in the third quarter. "You're just trying to complete passes and move the team. It's just something that happens. When you're noticing your stats is when you're playing bad."

Carr's third-quarter showing was a reversal from the first half. He had an interception on his first pass attempt of the game, throwing right to Titans safety Scott McGarrahan, and was sacked twice by defensive tackle Randy Starks in the second quarter.

Carr finished the game 21-of-30 for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Unlike a week earlier, when he completed passes to only three players, he spread around the football with seven players catching at least one pass.

Carr said he benefited most from an improved running game led by Domanick Davis' career-high-tying 129 yards.

"It's easy to play football when you get the running game going," Carr said. "It started ugly.

"But we didn't get discouraged, and we just kept plugging away."

Davis tied a career-high with 129 yards, and the Texans rediscovered their running game to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The offense finished with 149 rushing yards and averaged 7.1 yards per carry, more than doubling its league-worst 3.4-yard average entering the game.

The 149 yards was the second-highest total for the Texans this season, trailing only their 162 against Oakland on Oct. 3, when Davis did not play.

Despite trailing 21-3 in the first half, the Texans did not abandon the running game in favor of the pass. Instead, they mixed in a balanced offense and caught Tennessee off guard by sending little-used backup Jonathan Wells on a seven-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

According to Duarte, Davis showed why he was a dual threat in the Texans' offense last year. He rushed for 100 yards for the first time this year and averaged an eye-popping 8.1 yards per carry. He also had seven receptions for 52 yards, and his 181 total yards was a season-high.

Before Sunday, Davis' best outing this year was 98 yards against the Colts. His 652 yards this year remains well short of his goal of 2,000 entering the season.

Still, Davis need average only 70 yards in the final five games for his second straight 1,000-yard season.

Other notes of interest. ...

Tight end Billy Miller caught a season-high four passes for 42 yards and his first touchdown in more than a year during the Texans' come-from-behind 31-21 victory over the Titans. As the Sports Xchange suggested Tuesday, to say Miller had been frustrated grabbing just seven receptions this season before Sunday would be an understatement.

"To be honest, early on (in the season) I might have said something," Miller said. "But it got to the point where whatever they asked me to do, I did. It kept going on and on and nothing was changing. I figured if the ball eventually comes to me, I'll make the plays."

Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer said the Texans never forgot about Miller, who led the team in receptions with 51 in 2002. Palmer's approach regarding his tight end had more to do with Derick Armstrong's development as a threat than a slip in Miller's abilities. The game plan: Using four wide receivers gives the Texans a better matchup with Armstrong's speed and catching ability.

"What we've done is tried to identify a role for each and every player," Palmer said. "As our team gets better, the role of each and every guy kind of changes."

According to the Sporting News, opponents have used a lot of cover 2 to try to take away the big play from the receivers, and they also have used their safeties to double-team Andre Johnson on the outside.

Miller is a threat because few linebackers can run with him, and if he's making catches over the middle, teams can't be so liberal in dispatching safeties to help with the outside receivers. ...

On the injury front. ...

Tony Hollings aggravated the hamstring injury that kept him out the previous two weeks against the Titans and the second-year halfback will not practice Wednesday. ... A sore hip is also expected to limit place-kicker Kris Brown in practice this week, too.

And finally. ...

The Texans are expected to place rookie quarterback B.J Symons and tight end Bennie Joppru on season-ending injured reserve this week. Joppru, a second-round selection in 2003, has yet to play a down for the Texans due to a chronic groin problem.

But the injuries haven't slowed the team down. In fact, since the injuries began in the 27-24 loss to Jacksonville on Oct. 24, there's been noticeable improvement.

Over the past five games, Peyton Manning has passed for 24 touchdowns and been sacked only twice, and the team has averaged 39.4 points. Over the past four games, running back Edgerrin James has averaged 129.5 yards rushing per game and 5.6 yards per attempt. ...

Meanwhile, the Sports Xchange advised readers on Tuesday that people are saying that Manning is making things look too easy. After the second six-touchdown game of his career and the third game this season with five or more TD passes, Manning is playing the game in a different stratosphere that most NFL quarterbacks. He has 41 touchdown passes this year, seven away from breaking Dan Marino's single-season record that was set 20 years ago. Manning, who is on pace to throw 60 touchdown passes, has 24 touchdown passes over his last five games. "Nobody has ever done the things that he's doing," said receiver Brandon Stokley. "Four touchdowns is an off-week for him. It's one of those things that you come in and expect that from him. It's kind of funny, expecting four or five touchdowns from a guy every game. He's making everything look easy -- very easy -- right now."

A few final items of interest here. ...

James (thigh) missed practice Monday. However, he is expected to play Sunday.

Troy Walters might make his first appearance of the season against the Titans in Week 13 after suffering a broken arm during the preseason.

According to Chappell, he'll have a difficult time getting on the field as a receiver, but should make an immediate impact as a punt returner.

Taylor made the most of his relatively limited opportunities, averaging 6.7 yards per carry on the way to a 147-yard day, but the Jaguars mustered just one touchdown in a 27-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Taylor gouged the Vikings for 18 yards on his first run and was averaging 7.2 yards per carry at halftime, but offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave barely looked Taylor's way until the Jaguars saw a 10-3 lead turn into a 20-13 deficit late in the third quarter.

But Taylor wasn't going to complain about Musgrave or the play selection after rushing for more than 100 yards for the fourth time in the past five games.

"Once again, I'm never going to question the play-calling," Taylor said. "However my workload comes, I've just got to be ready. Whether it's more or less, I've got to be ready."

Even though he almost never publicly criticizes his players or coaches, head coach Jack Del Rio, at Monday's new conference, said that Taylor needs more than the 22 he got against the Vikings

According to Times-Union beat man Vito Stellino, asked why the team didn't give Taylor 30 carries and run 50 times, Del Rio didn't disagree with that notion. He just smiled and said, "Yeah."

He then added, "I like the idea of getting Fred more and more touches. I think he's done a nice job. He continues to be physical. So I think we'll continue to run the ball and be good at it."

"Certainly Fred [gaining] almost seven yards a carry was extraordinary," he said. "The way he's running right now, he's a man on a mission. He's running extremely hard. The line is doing a nice job of blocking for him and he's really hitting the holes aggressively.

"We really sought to get him 25 carries in the game and we ended up with 22. We'd like to get him those three extra and then some," he said.

Del Rio, though, said it's not his style to interfere with the way the coordinators call the game.

"Certainly, I've got to allow my coordinators an opportunity to call their game. I'm not trying to play coordinator. Offensively, we go in with a plan, discuss it ahead of time and then go out and execute.

"I don't want to micromanage every particular play call, every particular situation. I think you have to hire your guys that you believe in and then let them do their jobs. That's what we've done and that's what I've done here. That's what I'll continue to do," he said.

Musgrave has come under fire from fans recently for abandoning Taylor and the running game too quickly or not going to Taylor when the Jaguars have tried to run out the clock on a second-half lead.

That appeared to be the case once again Sunday, especially when Taylor got just four carries (which he turned into 56 yards) in the third quarter.

But Musgrave started calling Taylor's number much more frequently in the final period, and Taylor wasn't up to the task. The Vikings loaded up against the run, and Taylor had just 10 yards on six carries.

In a stretch of five plays late in the game, Taylor ran for 6 yards. That's why Taylor wasn't going to second-guess Musgrave or the coaching staff.

"I always say, regardless of how the carries come about, the bottom line is making plays and winning the game," Taylor said. "We didn't do that."

Other notes of interest. ...

Sporting a bulky brace on his left knee, Byron Leftwich returned to the lineup for Sunday's game against the Vikings, as anticipated.

The quarterback, who had missed the team's previous two contests with a sprained ligament in the knee, finished the loss 19 of 34 for 235 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. He was sacked just two times, but lost a fumble that was returned 77 yards for a score. ...

Almost overlooked in last Sunday's loss was a display of force by rookie kicker Josh Scobee. Scobee took advantage of the wind-less Metrodome with field goals from 33, 32 and 42 yards and four kickoffs for touchbacks. The fifth-round pick from Louisiana Tech had just six touchbacks in the first 10 games combined.

"Domes have been good to me this year," said Scobee, who also had a standout day at Indianapolis' RCA Dome last month. "I just felt good today. The fact that there is no wind in a dome definitely helps. ..."

And finally. ...

Tight end Kyle Brady suffered a concussion in Minnesota and will be evaluated Wednesday.

Green went to the Pro Bowl last season and has directed one of the NFL's most prolific offenses for three years in a row. He extended his team record Sunday with his 59th consecutive start at quarterback but was "banged around pretty good" in the 34-31 loss to San Diego.

"He got hit a number of times. He got a helmet in the ribs one time," head coach Dick Vermeil said. "It's pretty sore in the back area. But knowing him, he'll get better quickly.

"But we're so spoiled by his consecutive starts, we just take it for granted he's going to be ready."

Vermeil also said Priest Holmes would miss another week. It will be the fourth straight game Holmes has missed since spraining medial collateral ligaments in his right knee on Nov. 7 at Tampa Bay.

Counting the Tampa Bay game, the Chiefs are 0-4 since he was injured.

"Priest continues to make progress, but I think he's at least two weeks away. He won't be ready for this week," Vermeil said.

Vermeil indicated the injury may not be healing as quickly as doctors thought it would.

"He's on consistent rehab each day," Vermeil said. "He goes through a rehab program and a treatment program. But there's not a lot of things you can put magic salve on. It's just normal routine that almost everybody in the country uses in regard to that. Tomorrow, I understand, he'll start in a limited running program."

Vermeil also responded sharply to criticism directed toward Holmes for not joining his teammates on the sideline during games. Television cameras showed him several times on Sunday sitting in a press-box suite eating snacks.

The NFL limits the number of people who can be in the bench area during games and discourages disabled players from being there, team spokesman Bob Moore said. He said the Chiefs have been fined several times for having too many people in the bench area.

Vermeil said most of the injured Chiefs players also watched the game from the suite.

"When you lose, there's criticism of everything," Vermeil said. "If they want to criticize Priest Holmes for sitting up in the box with the rest of the guys, they have a choice. The league prefers them not to be on the field. ..."

With Holmes at least another two weeks away from returning, Vermeil said Derrick Blaylock will get the starting nod against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. Blaylock, who has 451 yards and seven touchdowns on 92 carries in 10 games this season, likely will get the majority of the work, but occasionally will give way to backup Larry Johnson. As Topeka Capital-Journal staffer Rick Dean noted, Johnson had the best day of his short NFL career when he rushed for 43 yards on 10 carries with a second-quarter 6-yard touchdown run. Johnson split time with starter Blaylock. Vermeil said the Chiefs decided earlier in the week to give Johnson a series in the second quarter.

"If you don't have a defined time, then you don't get him in," Vermeil said. "You can't find a good enough reason in a tight game to watch someone who you haven't seen play much. I just made up my mind that Larry Johnson would play on the third series."

Added Johnson: "This at least shows people that I can do a little bit with the limited time I've had in the league. ..."

Tony Gonzalez registered his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season with 105 yards. It was his 13th career 100-yard receiving game, moving him into third place in Chiefs history.

Gonzalez's 64 receptions and 838 receiving yards on the season are already the fifth-highest single-season totals by a tight end in team history in both categories.

"It looked like a question mark," Feeley said with a bemused look.

Cole went on to point out that everything about Feeley is a question mark for the Dolphins, from his ailing body to his response under duress to his penchant for both brilliance and mistakes.

On Sunday, Feeley handled the pain of yet another injury, kept his calm and came out with more good than bad in a 24-17 victory against San Francisco. More important, he is giving people in and around the Dolphins a feeling that perhaps he is the guy for the job beyond just this season.

"I think he can be a very good starting player in this league," quarterbacks coach Marc Trestman said. "A lot of that goes to the intangibles. There's a toughness he has. He doesn't have a deer-in-the-headlights look. He is very focused. You can talk to him. You can make adjustments on the sideline. He sees the game pretty darn well."

Feeley completed 17 of 33 passes for 159 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The interception was disconcerting as he threw into traffic, and he was credited with a fumble on an exchange with running back Travis Minor on a turnover that was returned for a touchdown.

However, there was enough good that Feeley progressed a step after his performance in Seattle. His 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Randy McMichael in the fourth quarter was a stunning throw on third-and-goal after the Dolphins had gone backward.

Or as McMichael said: "He made an outstanding throw. I mean, not too many guys in the league can make that throw."

Said Trestman: "I think it's too early to say he's going to be a difference-maker. But I would say he makes throws that are difference-making. That throw [to McMichael] was a difference maker. We got in a bind on third-and-15 and he found a way to make a play on the linebacker to get the ball to Randy. He made a good throw. Randy made a good catch. He got his team out of trouble with a big play."

Feeley not only rallied the Dolphins from a 10-7 fourth-quarter deficit, but he also rallied himself from the continuing pain of his bruised backside and his latest injury. On the second play of the Dolphins' second series, Feeley was hit, and fell to the ground.

As Cole put it: "When he looked at his right hand, his middle finger was going more directions than Ricky Williams' travel itinerary. ..."

Feeley ran to the sideline and Sage Rosenfels took his spot. Trainer Kevin O'Neill pulled the finger back into place as other people held Feeley at bay because of the pain.

Feeley rushed back out to the field, where he proceeded to loft a pass to wide receiver Chris Chambers for a 25-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

Also according to Cole, interim head coach Jim Bates wanted to punt with the Dolphins clinging to a 14-10 lead and just more than seven minutes to play in Sunday's game.

One glance at kicker Olindo Mare convinced him otherwise.

Mare earlier had hooked a 21-yard field-goal attempt with Miami up 7-3. But Bates sent Mare on the field again in the crucial fourth-quarter situation, and Mare converted a 50-yard attempt that put the Dolphins up 17-10.

Mare entered the game 7 of 9 on field goals this season with a long of 47 yards. He was surprised as anyone that he missed the third-quarter chip shot.

"Unfortunately, those are things that happen," Mare said. "But those are the things that make you better. ..."

According to the Sports Xchange, Sammy Morris is having further medical testing done on his injured rib to determine his playing status for Sunday's game against Buffalo.

Morris missed last Sunday's 24-17 victory over San Francisco.

Also according to the Xchange, Rosenfels still hasn't officially received a snap at quarterback this season. He was on the field briefly, but Feeley permanently re-entered the game after the Dolphins committed a false start on Rosenfels' only snap.

And finally. ...

Pro Football Weekly reports that Bates is cracking down in practice on players who have concentration lapses, making them do extra running each time they commit a pre-snap penalty or drop a pass.

Nearly half of the Dolphins' penalties committed prior to Bates taking over were the result of pre-snap infractions.

Moss ran safe intermediate routes, helped the Vikings in the red zone with a 2-yard touchdown catch and, according to head trainer Chuck Barta, didn't aggravate his injury during the Vikings' 27-16 victory over Jacksonville.

"Randy did a really nice job of managing his injury today," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "He accepted his role this week, knowing it was important for his recovery for next week (at Chicago), when he'll be as close to 100 percent as he's been."

Moss had missed the previous three games entirely and had played only 11 snaps with no catches since being injured in the first half of the 38-31 victory over New Orleans on Oct. 17.

Craig added that an unofficial observation had Moss playing 54 of the Vikings' 61 offensive snaps Sunday. He caught four passes for 40 yards.

Moss clearly protected his hamstring by running at less than full speed most plays. But the old Randy Moss emerged when the Vikings reached the 2-yard line at the end of a 16-play, 80-yard drive that opened the second half.

Moss ran a hard slant from the right side on third-and-goal at the 2. Daunte Culpepper overthrew him, but the Vikings came right back to Moss on third-and-goal.

"We came back with another play, same concept," Moss said. "And we hit them over the top with it. That's about it."

Culpepper threaded the ball between the defenders, and Moss snared it in the back of the end zone and got both feet just in bounds.

That capped a scoring drive of 9 minutes, 26 seconds and gave the Vikings a 20-13 lead with 5:34 left in the third quarter.

"We call it the R-zone -- the red zone, Randy zone," fellow wideout Kelly Campbell said. "Once we're in that red zone, that's when Randy really takes it to another level. He reaches down and makes things happen."

The TD was the 86th of Moss' career and moved him into 10th place in NFL history. Andre Reed is ninth with 87 touchdown catches and Hall of Famer Don Maynard eighth with 88.

"That's a part of the field where Randy isn't going to have to run a 30- or 40-yard go route," Linehan said. "He's still going to be in a position to have an advantage down there. That was big in our plans this week."

As Craig suggested: "Next week could be a different story. ..."

Meanwhile, Onterrio Smith, not former Pro Bowler Michael Bennett, will be Minnesota's starting running back for the rest of the season, head coach Mike Tice said Monday.

"We'll try to define a role for Mike," Tice said, "but I think right now we'll try to ride Onterrio and see how he progresses down the stretch."

Smith racked up 421 combined yards in the Vikings' first three games before serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

He recorded a season-high 20 carries for 72 yards against Jacksonville. ...

Bennett, a starter in four of the Vikings' previous five games, played a handful of plays Sunday and didn't carry the ball. The former first-round draft pick has gained just 89 yards on 27 carries since returning from a sprained knee Oct. 24.

After an ankle sprain, rookie Mewelde Moore also could be back in uniform this week at Chicago, though he likely would be limited to kick returns. Moore could challenge Smith for the starting spot if he falters.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Vikings are frustrated with how slowly Moore is recovering from his ankle injury. He has missed the past four games.

Also of interest. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Culpepper has 3,180 yards passing in 11 games this season. That tied Warren Moon's 1994 team record for fewest games to reach 3,000 yards passing.

Culpepper's 28 touchdown passes also breaks the 11-game mark of 23 that he set in 2000.

Figure it this way. Dillon ran 30 times for 123 muddy yards in Sunday's 24-3 victory over Baltimore, giving him 1,121 yards for the season. He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in just his 10th game. No Patriot has ever gotten there faster.

The game he missed, of course, is the only game the Patriots lost.

Do you think New England would be better off with cornerback Madieu Williams (the player Cincinnati chose with its pick) instead of Dillon? Williams had four tackles in the Bengals' 58-48 win over the Browns.

Harber suggested, "The transaction ranks right up with the Brinks heist. It belongs alongside some other noted Boston thefts, including the ones that netted Cam Neely, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, and Jason Varitek and Derek Lowe."

Dillon, who was inactive because of a thigh injury at Pittsburgh on Halloween, is averaging 112.1 yards per game and is on pace for 1,682 yards, which would be a career-high and obliterate Curtis Martin's club record of 1,487.

But don't talk to Dillon about records, or for that matter, that yesterday was the 34th time in his career and sixth time this season he has rushed for more than 100 yards in a game.

He doesn't want to hear about those marks.

"As long as we are winning, I don't care about my stats or touchdowns. As long as we are winning as a team, I'm happy," said Dillon. "I do not care about the numbers. I didn't come here to get numbers. I came here to win games. I already have the numbers. I'm more satisfied winning football games."

Winning has changed his outlook. "Ten and one? You can't beat that. Never in my career have I been 10-1. I'm enjoying it. This is a great situation. I'm playing with a great bunch of guys. Great coaches, great owner," said Dillon.

He said all he wants to do is "play hard and do whatever it takes to help the team be successful," said Dillon. "We take it one game at a time. I just go out and play football. I don't expect too much. I don't go into a week thinking I'm going to get this many carries. It's just being prepared when you get called."

Dillon also scored on a 1-yard run to make it 17-3, giving him seven touchdowns this season, the most by a Patriot running back since Antowain Smith had 12 TDs in 2001. Dillon is three shy of his career high in TDs, accomplished in 1997 and 2001.

He scored the only offensive TD on a muddy field that wasn't conducive to a 100-yard performance. But he didn't complain about the dismal surface.

"The field condition was something else. Both teams had troubles," said Dillon. "But everybody got to play in it. Nobody's griping about it in here. We went out there and did all right in those conditions. It's tough in those conditions. Any yard you make is deserved in that situation. Everybody was having problems. I fell down a couple of times out there. I think it balances itself out."

"Corey did a good job," said head coach Bill Belichick. "He ran the ball there in the second half when we were ahead. He was able to grind out some yardage and pick up some first downs. It's great to see that."

Another reason to consider Sunday's accomplishment something special is that Dillon did it against the vaunted Raven defense.

"I've been playing them twice a year for seven years. I know what they got," said Dillon. "They have a heck of a defense. They play hard. Those boys just keep coming at you. It's not new. For us to go out there and be successful is difficult. You have to match their intensity. I prepared myself all week for that situation."

As well as he played, Dillon was not perfect. He ran out of bounds when the Patriots were trying to kill the clock near the end of the first half and cost New England because it allowed the Ravens to set up their only points of the game, a field goal with two seconds left.

"Hey man, I'm just running. I'm trying to make plays," said Dillon. "Yeah, I should have been looking at the clock and tried to stay in. It was a mistake. But you know what. What was the score? Twenty-[four] to 3. It really don't matter."

Also of interest. ...

As reported by the Sports Xchange, Tom Brady hit only five different receivers and completed only 50 percent of his passes (15-of-30) for 172 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. It was the first time Brady didn't throw a touchdown pass in 17 games, although he had one nullified when David Patten was called for pushing off on a 23-yard touchdown reception.

Brady was under heavy pressure throughout the first half even though he only was sacked once. He completed 6-of-10 passes for 61 yards in the second half and had time to throw, but often had no open receivers, particularly in the red zone.

According to the Sporting News, Deion Branch doesn't have outrageous speed, but he is extremely fluid and explosive in and out of breaks.

Branch's ability to find openings over the middle is equaled only by Troy Brown among the team's receivers, and Branch's hands are outstanding.

Despite his extended, injury-related absence, he remains one of Brady's favorite targets, particularly on third down. ...

Meanwhile, Adam Vinatieri's 28-yard field goal early in the second quarter put New England up 3-0 and gave them an NFL record with 16 consecutive regular-season games in which they've scored first.

The Miami Dolphins set the record of 15 straight in 1978.

The Patriots also scored first in all three of their playoff games last season en route to their second Super Bowl title in three years, making it 19 games in a row overall.

The Patriots had scored in 16 consecutive quarters before they missed Sunday and scored on the second play of the second quarter. ...

And finally. ...

The team re-signed wide receiver Kevin Kasper on Tuesday. Kasper had been released before Sunday's game. Kasper first signed with the Patriots as a free agent on Oct. 6 and played primarily on special teams.

Incensed by his team's performance during yet another lethargic first half, an intense and emotional Haslett on Sunday delivered what some players and team officials dubbed the best halftime speech of his career as his team faced a double-digit deficit on the road to the archrival Atlanta Falcons. He lit into the players about their lack of focus, challenged their professionalism and threatened to bench anyone he felt didn't give 100 percent in the second half.

The Saints responded with their best half of football of the season. And even then, it wasn't enough.

I thought they did a good job fighting," an emotionally spent Haslett said. "Again, it doesn't really make a difference when you lose a game, but our guys played hard. But they found a way to win the game. We didn't. Teams that are winning, that have great confidence like they do, they find a way to win the game -- again."

This loss, though, would be different than the non-competitive, blowout variety the Saints (4-7) had experienced in previous setbacks against top competition. This time, the Saints didn't wilt in the face of a big early deficit. This time, inspired by what center LeCharles Bentley called Haslett's "fire-and-brimstone" halftime speech, they battled and competed to the final whistle.

The Saints, a week after being compared to a high school team by owner Tom Benson, continued to make prep-school mistakes. They converted one of six third downs, had to settle for two field goals in three red-zone trips and recorded almost as many false-start penalties (four) as first downs (six).

Fittingly, they capped the first half with an interception by Aaron Brooks deep in Saints' territory in the closing seconds that gift-wrapped a Falcons field goal. ...

On a more positive note. ... Brooks surpassed the 15,000-yard mark in career passing on his team's second drive of Sunday's game with the Atlanta Falcons.

Brooks, who went into the game needing just 30 yards to reach the milestone, threw an 8-yard pass to Joe Horn to push his total at that point to 15,001 for his career. ...

Deuce McAllister had his third 100-yard game of the season against Atlanta's fourth-ranked run defense. He banged his way for 100 hard-earned yards and dragged tacklers for extra yards on several carries.

Moreover, he did most of his damage while working behind a makeshift line that featured backup guards Jamar Nesbit and Spencer Folau. ...

Horn, who had been nursing a sore elbow and sprained knee earlier in the week, did not appear to be limited by the ailments in Sunday's loss. The veteran receiver matched his season high with nine receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. He has topped the 100-yard mark in three of his last five games.

Horn's 40th scoring catch of his five-year career with the Saints made him only the third player in team history to reach the end zone that many times. Running back Dalton Hilliard is the club's all-time leader with 53 total TDs, and wide receiver Eric Martin had 48.

According to the Sporting News, Ernie Conwell is still a reliable player, but he's no longer the receiving threat he was earlier in his career. Conwell has developed into a solid blocker and can still make plays in short-yardage situations, but injuries have robbed the veteran tight end of the speed needed to beat linebackers on seam routes down the middle.

Also according to TSN, coaches are raving about rookie receiver Devery Henderson's progress during practice. Henderson, who has grown comfortable with the offense, has tremendous explosiveness out of his cuts.

Because of the team's depth at receiver, he has played in only one game. The team might like to find more playing time for him.

"I still feel we needed to make the change just to get a spark going," Coughlin said Monday of his decision two weeks ago to bench Kurt Warner. "So far we haven't seen the production, but I still think it is the right move."

As Canavan noted, Manning has shown flashes of promise in his first two starts. He rallied the Giants in the second half of a 14-10 loss to Atlanta and he moved the offense in the first half against the Eagles, completing two 50-plus yard passes to rookie receiver Jamaar Taylor.

However, Manning has put the ball in the end zone once in those games in seeing the Giants' losing streak reach four games.

Manning finished 6-of-21 for 148 yards, two interceptions and a 16.9 quarterback rating against the Eagles. Both interceptions were blatant rookie mistakes, the worst being an underthrown fade pattern to tight end Jeremy Shockey on a first-and-goal from the 3-yard line with the Giants down 7-6.

While he didn't read newspaper accounts of his performance on Monday, Manning watched game film and graded his own performance.

"Not a very good one," Manning said Monday, standing in front of his locker. "I didn't play well, and I know I didn't. I have to get better. I wish I had a reason why I didn't play well and why I missed certain throws. It's just a matter of getting a feel for everything and learning to play in this league."

With Manning struggling, Warner never felt Coughlin was going to make another switch back to him.

Warner said it is important for Manning to find ways to be successful and fight through the tough times. The two-time MVP added that Manning wasn't the only Giant to struggle against Philadelphia.

The line allowed five sacks. While the receivers didn't drop as many balls this week, they also didn't get open that much.

When those things are corrected, Warner said, Manning will be successful.

"He has everything a quarterback needs to win at this level," Warner said. "He is not a guy who goes out there and makes a lot of crazy, dumb decisions like some young quarterbacks who go in there and don't know how to play the game."

Manning has the physical and mental skills needed to win and the demeanor to adjust when things are going wrong, Warner said. What is missing is the experience.

"I am sure he will tell you the game hasn't slowed down to the degree that it will for him," Warner said. "But it's not going too fast for him to function right now. That's why I think he can win right now."

Tiki Barber, who had his eighth 100-yard rushing game Sunday, would not get involved in a discussion of whether Warner might be a better choice to lead the Giants now because of his experience.

The Giants were 5-4 when Warner was benched and Barber has put the ball in the end zone since.

"Kurt is not the quarterback, Eli is," Barber said. "We have to focus on how to make Eli a better player and how to help him and how to take the pressure off him and whatever it is that contributes to winning, we need to do for Eli." Barber said.

In an article published Monday, New York Newsday staff writer Bob Herzog advised readers that an hour and 15 minutes after a fourth straight defeat, Barber hobbled to his dressing cubicle in the corner of the Giants' locker room. His left knee was decorated with a white adhesive covering and his right calf was heavily iced and wrapped in an Ace bandage.

Those were the physical wounds of yet another futile 100-yard game against a punishing defense, But as Herzog suggested, Barber was carrying some psychological scars, too.

"It does give us solace that the NFC is weak or very open or whatever," Barber said. "But we've got to get a win. We've got to get that feeling back."

Though Barber was calm in the aftermath, he was anything but during a defining moment in the game. When Manning underthrew Shockey in the end zone, Barber let loose with an uncharacteristic display of emotions as he left the field. According to Herzog, hHe yelled at some of his offensive teammates. He angrily tossed a cup as he went to his seat on the bench. He pointed. He pounded his chest.

Was the latter gesture an indication that with the ball at the Eagles' 3, he would have rather carried it than seen a fade pattern?

"Not necessarily that, just the fact that we were screwing it up," he said. "That was a momentum-changer. We have opportunities in the red zone and we screw it up. We got down there earlier and had to kick the field goal. You can't squander those opportunities."

Barber made the most of his opportunities, rushing for 110 yards on 19 carries. However, what has historically been an indicator of victory has not worked out that way for Barber. The Giants are 4-4 in his 100-yard games in 2004 and 12-9 for his franchise-record career total of 21.

"You would think so," Barber said when asked if he associates 100-yard games with victories. "You're controlling the line of scrimmage. You're keeping the other team's offense off the field. But our mistakes are outweighing all that."

Which made Barber hurt even more. He said the cut on his knee -- which required six postgame stitches -- occurred on his first carry when he was nailed low and hard by cornerback Sheldon Brown. He also bruised his calf in the first half, which accounted for the ice pack. "Nothing serious" is how he described his ailments.

He couldn't say the same thing about his team. "One good half, one bad. That's been an MO for us all season, unfortunately," Barber said. "I wish I knew why. I'd fix the problem."

Shockey, meanwhile, wasn't much happier than Barber was with the play-calling on the end zone interception. He lined up wide and ran a fade route to the back corner of the end zone, but he said the Eagles' defense saw it coming a mile away.

"It seems like every time I line up out there they know what's coming," Shockey said. "As soon as he snapped the ball, the guy ran to the corner of the end zone."

He also wasn't happy that the Giants only got one field goal out of two trips to the red zone. "It seems like it's been happening my whole career," he said. ...

And finally. ...

As noted by the Sports Xchange, Amani Toomer, whose speed seems to be deserting him, caught just one pass on the day and now is two receptions behind Shockey (44-42) for team leadership.

"We work hard all week on different things and it just doesn't seem to click," Toomer said. "That's the story of our season so far."

Pennington, who has missed the last three weeks with a strained right rotator cuff, is questionable for the game Sunday against Houston. He will share snaps with Quincy Carter during practice this week before determining whether he can play.

"I always said I'm going to come back when I feel I can help my team and not hurt my team," Pennington said Monday. "I feel that way. I feel like I can play well."

Whether head coach Herman Edwards agrees could be the deciding factor. Pennington started throwing last week for the first time since getting hurt Nov. 7 at Buffalo at the end of a scramble. Before a 13-3 win over Arizona on Sunday, he threw 50 passes with full velocity, ranging from short ones to 40-45 yarders.

There has been no swelling in his shoulder and no setbacks, and Pennington does not know whether sitting out an additional week will be beneficial to what he is able to do.

"Does a week really make a difference?" Pennington said. "That's the question. Functional-wise and my shoulder, and the type of movement that it has to make, I don't think a week makes a difference. Obviously a week makes a difference if you don't get hit, but that's not where we are right now. This is football, and you do play hurt.

"I don't feel like I'm hurt. I feel like this is an obstacle that I have had to overcome. Now I have to deal with it like other minor injuries. You fight through them."

Waiting a week also could put the Jets in a tough position. If Pennington misses the Texans game at home, he would return at Pittsburgh on Dec. 12.

"It's always good, if a player is coming back, to try to get him to play at home because the environment of being at home, not having to travel, home fans -- that's always an ideal situation for a player," Edwards said. "You always like that, but sometimes it doesn't happen."

The Jets are in a much different spot than they were last season when Pennington broke his wrist in the preseason. The team struggled without him, starting 0-4 and never recovering. This time, Carter has gone 2-1 as a starter, with close wins over Cleveland and Arizona.

Though the offense has two total touchdowns in its last two games and a combined 23 points, the Jets are finding ways to win and relying on their aggressive defense. The wins might be ugly, but New York has the next-best record in the AFC behind Pittsburgh and New England, both 10-1, and is in good position to make the playoffs.

"You don't want to play that way every week," Edwards said. "But you got to win the game. That's how we won two games."

As Adelson suggested, getting Pennington back for the stretch run would help immensely.

The final five games on the schedule are the hardest of the year. After Houston and Pittsburgh, the Jets host Seattle and New England before closing the season at St. Louis. That is another reason Pennington might prefer to come back against the Texans.

"These next five games we have, this is the toughest stretch of the season," Pennington said. "You always want to come back as quickly as possible because each game you miss further removes you from the last time you played. It's all about feel and being in rhythm; coming back this week definitely is more attractive than coming back next week."

In a related note. ...

Carter, who was forced to leave last Sunday after taking a big hit on the Jets' third offensive play of the game, might be limited in practice early this week as a precaution, but he should not miss any game time -- if any is required of him. ...

Meanwhile, the anticipated matchup between Emmitt Smith and Curtis Martin -- the first- and sixth-leading rushers in history, respectively -- never got a chance to sizzle.

On his third carry, Smith sprained the big toe on his right foot. He limped off the field, barefoot, then tried to return later in the first half. He couldn't do it, finishing the game with 21 yards on three rushes.

Martin rushed for 99 yards on 24 carries. Afterward, Martin expressed concern about Smith, whom he has described as a "big brother."

"I want to make sure he's all right," Martin said. "We're good friends. We'll always have a good, mutual respect for one another. What he has done for this league, and what he has accomplished, I don't know if anyone will ever pass that."

The Smith-Martin duel marked the first time in NFL history that two backs with more than 30,000 combined rushing yards played in the same game. ...

And finally. ...

After a slow start this season, Santana Moss has re-emerged as one of the best young receivers in the NFL. In the past four games, he has 366 receiving yards. Moss' resurgence has coincided with Carter replacing Pennington.

As the Sporting News suggested, "Few people, if any, will say that Carter is a better quarterback. But he has a stronger arm, which works better with Moss' deep speed."

The Raiders receiver was being covered, for the most part, by Denver cornerback Champ Bailey, maybe the best cover man in the world.

It was at Invesco Field, where opponents almost never fly deep successfully and the Raiders almost always fall flat. It was snowing, quite prodigiously.

Porter's quarterback, Kerry Collins, hadn't exactly lit up the NFL recently. Porter, set to hit an uncertain free-agent market in the off-season, hadn't done much, either, catching only one TD pass through the first 10 games.

"Who'd have thought it?" Porter said after the Raiders' 25-24 upset victory over Denver. "It just turned out like that. They were sitting on our routes, 10 or 15 yards, daring us to throw deep, basically.

"We just took the dare."

Not only did Porter rack up his career-high three TDs from Collins (from 42, 12 and 5 yards), he also had six catches in all for 135 yards. And Ronald Curry caught six passes for 110 yards, including one spectacular fourth-quarter score.

Porter's first two TDs came when he was singled-up against Bailey, and his big 52-yard reception (which set up Curry's fourth-quarter score) came against a double-zone, with Bailey getting beat over the top.

"You guys are going to say it was against Champ Bailey," Porter said. "I mean, he drew my card all night. But a couple times it was zones and I got a chance to get behind him.

"I think it would be just as special if it was playing against whoever in the preseason. It's three touchdowns. I've never done it before. It's a special feeling."

Said head coach Norv Turner: "Champ is a heck of a player, but things came up where he got singled. You're not going to make a living against Champ Bailey."

Whatever the exact matchups, it was Porter who scored the TD that got the Raiders on the board in the second quarter; it was Porter who caught the TD that put them ahead in the third; and it was Porter who scored the winner.

"Jerry Porter is a heck of a receiver," Collins said. "We just needed to get him going. Because I was struggling, he wasn't getting the catches that maybe he is getting now."

While speaking to the media, Porter was serenaded by teammates who made sure to point out his pending free agency, and the phrases "cash register" and "ka-ching!" did seem to come up often.

It's a bit of a turnaround for a player who not too long ago suggested that, if the Raiders were thinking of trading him, he might as well just leave in the off-season.

"This isn't basketball, you don't have a no-trade clause and all that nonsense," Porter said. "If they decide to move me, they can move me. I was just looking out for my best interests."

And his teammates' commentary?

"I don't know what they're talking about. I have no clue," Porter said slyly. "I came out and just played a good game, we got a win against a very good team; that's it."

Also of interest. ...

According to Mercury News beat man Dennis Georgatos, coaches are holding out hope that running back Tyrone Wheatley's latest injury is not serious.

"It was his hamstring that was hurt," Turner said Monday. "It didn't look like that, so we probably were lucky there. How bad it is, we won't know till later in the week."

Cornerback Kelly Herndon slammed into Wheatley's right knee as Wheatley tried to haul in a pass during the third quarter on Sunday. Wheatley tumbled to the ground and left the field on a cart.

Wheatley, missed three games because of a separated left shoulder and recently was slowed by a sore left foot, heads into Week 13 as questionable at best.

Meanwhile, Justin Fargas played for the second straight game after missing three consecutive games with toe and leg injuries. The difference was, he touched the ball this time.

For a while, he likely wished he hadn't suited up. Fargas' first four touches resulted in: a 5-yard reception, a rush for minus-2 yards, a rush for minus-1, and a reception that he fumbled away and the Broncos recovered at the Raiders 26 late in the third quarter.

Oakland cornerback Phillip Buchanon bailed out Fargas one play later by intercepting Plummer at Oakland's goal line and returning it 37 yards.

Turner showed his confidence in Fargas by calling Fargas' number on Oakland's first two plays after the fumble.

According to the Sports Xchange, receiver Doug Gabriel hopes that the hip pointer he got in the Denver game won't be like the one fellow wideout Alvis Whitted has struggled with. Whitted has been inactive for four straight games. ...

And finally. ...

According to Contra Costa Times staffer Steve Corkran, Sebastian Janikowski missed wide right on a 48-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter. It marked only his third miss in 19 attempts this season. He also had an extra point attempt blocked. ...

The Eagles want to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs, earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, get to the Super Bowl after falling one win short the last three years and bring home the franchise's first championship since 1960. "There's a lot of season left," head coach Andy Reid said Monday. "It's important we stay focused and keep pushing along. We have a lot of things we want to get accomplished."

A fourth consecutive division championship was only the first step for Philadelphia, which became just the third team to clinch a title through 11 games since the 16-game schedule was implemented in 1978.

The Eagles realize it won't matter if they don't fulfill their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl.

"We have bigger goals," Donovan McNabb said. "This was one of our goals and we accomplished that. We just scratch that out and move forward."

The Eagles have a one-game lead over Atlanta for first place in the conference and a three-game lead over Minnesota. They will clinch a first-round bye with a victory over Green Bay on Sunday and one more win in their remaining four games.

A victory over the Packers would match the best start in team history. The Eagles started 11-1 in 1980, finished 12-4 and lost the Super Bowl to Oakland. They also were 11-1 in 1949 and went on to win a championship.

"We are just one step closer to where we need to get," receiver Terrell Owens said. "We are putting ourselves in position to grab home-field. Once the playoffs start, it's anybody's game. This is just the beginning."

The Eagles have dominated the NFC this season, going 8-0 and winning each game by a double-digit margin. Overall, they've won nine games by at least a 10-point margin, and they've won the last three games by more than 20 points for the first time since the first three games of the 1980 season.

"We are a team that still can get better," running back Brian Westbrook said.

The offense is fourth in the NFL in scoring with 293 points, an average of 26.6 per game. The defense has allowed the fewest points (164) in the league, an average of 14.9 per game.

Also of interest. ...

According to Philadelphia Inquirer staff writer Bob Brookover, more evidence surfaced Sunday that Westbrook is fully recovered from that cracked rib he suffered five weeks ago in Cleveland.

For the third consecutive week, Westbrook had more than 100 yards of total offense, and his 74 rushing yards on 18 carries were his highest number of carries and yards since he ran 23 times for 115 yards against the Chicago Bears in Week 4.

"I definitely felt good," Westbrook said. "I got a chance to get into the open field and do some things. I am definitely feeling better every week."

Though the Eagles need Westbrook to provide rushing yards, his most spectacular play Sunday came on a fourth-quarter screen pass that resulted in a game-sealing 34-yard touchdown play.

Westbrook handled a pass just behind the line of scrimmage from McNabb, dodged a blitzing linebacker, then picked up a huge block from offensive guard Alonzo Ephraim. With Giants defenders coming at him, Westbrook cut across the field and made it into the end zone even though cornerback Will Allen grabbed his face mask.

It was Westbrook's second touchdown of the game - he also scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter -- and his fifth in the last three games. He had just one touchdown through the first eight games of the season after leading the team with 13 last season.

"I think teams know we have weapons other than [Owens]," Westbrook said.

The Giants certainly know.

In the last two years, Westbrook has scored seven touchdowns in four games against the Giants, including the 84-yard punt return at Giants Stadium last year that triggered a nine-game winning streak for the Eagles and the end of the Jim Fassel era as New York's coach.

"I don't know what it is against them," Westbrook said. "It's definitely something different."

With Westbrook back at full strength and Dorsey Levens picking up tough yards, the Eagles have run the ball more than they have passed it in each of the last three games. That didn't happen at all in their first eight games.

Sunday, they ran 38 times and passed just 27, and Levens finished with 38 yards on nine carries.

And finally. ...

David Akers set a team record with his 42-yard field goal in the third quarter. That kick, along with his 47-yarder earlier in the quarter, gave him 14 field goals from beyond 40 yards this season, breaking the record of 13 set by Paul McFadden in 1984.

Akers is 12 of 13 from 40 to 49 yards this season and 2 of 3 from 50 yards or longer.

"I knew we had kicked a lot of long field goals this year," Akers said. "As long as it's a record about makes rather than misses, I'm happy."

"Duce was probably 90 percent," Cowher said. "He wasn't 100 percent and everybody else (among the running backs) was. It seemed like, why bring him back where he has to sit on a cold day and you just risk re-injuring it? He should be ready to go next week."

Cowher said the shaggy sod at Heinz Field had nothing to do with his decision.

"The field was fine," Cowher said.

Staley is eager to return, but he didn't have a problem with missing his fourth straight game.

"I respect that decision," he said, "and, hopefully, down the stretch, these last five weeks, I'll be able to stay healthy and finish strong."

Staley said he didn't know if the turf had anything to do with his day off, but he said, "It looked terrible. I didn't get a chance to go out there and run, but it looked bad. You saw a lot of guys slipping and falling."

Whatever the case, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette beat man Ed Bouchette advised readers on Wednesday, "This time, it looks as if Duce Staley really will return."

Cowher listed Staley as probable for Sunday night's game in Jacksonville and said he's likely to start at halfback for the first time since his hamstring was bruised in the fourth quarter of the Oct. 31 game against New England.

But Jerome Bettis won't take a seat for long.

Bettis, who replaced Staley and rushed for 481 yards on 122 carries the past four games, will also be used more than in goal-line situations, Cowher said.

"I think there is no question that because of Duce's inactivity over the last month it would be hard to sit there and say that he is going to be able to go a full game and he will be able to take 30-35 carries," Cowher said. "I think we have to be a little bit smarter than that. I think they both will be utilized."

Staley leads the team with 707 yards rushing on 151 carries. Bettis has 610 on 174 carries. It's worth noting that Cowher doesn't expect Staley to match backup Jerome Bettis' 30-carries-a-game pace of the last four weeks, if only because he now has both big backs.

"We've got to be a little smarter than that, so I think they both will be utilized," Cowher said. ...

Also on the injury front. ...

Pro Football Weekly reports that Plaxico Burress' strained hamstring has shown some improvement, but the receiver will be listed as questionable for Sunday night's game. Burress will continue to receive treatment on a daily basis, and his status will be updated later in the week.

According to the Sporting News, Verron Haynes (knee) will be listed as questionable this week.

Other notes of interest. ...

According to Associated Press sports writer Alan Robinson, despite Bettis' four consecutive 100-yard games, the Steelers' offense has been slumping, with a combined four touchdowns against the losing-record Browns, Bengals and Redskins.

Rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's numbers have dropped off -- 269 yards and only one touchdown pass while being sacked 11 times the last two games. He's not making a lot of mistakes, with only one fumble and one interception in those two games, but he's also not making as many big plays.

"We have to do a better job in terms of throwing the football," Cowher said.

That doesn't mean Cowher is hopping off the Big Ben bandwagon.

"I think it would be very, very unfair to put it on Ben," Cowher said. "It's really been a lot of things. A couple of times we had bad calls against what they blitzed us with. ... For the most part, he's done a pretty good job of eluding pressure and trying to make some plays."

Wide receiver Hines Ward extended his team record for consecutive games with at least one reception to 99, but he totaled only three for 42 yards. That's four games in a row in which he has had no more than three catches.

In fact, with just 11 catches over the last games, Ward has dropped to eighth in the AFC, which he led for a good portion of the season.

And finally. ...

Place-kicker Jeff Reed had a season-high three field goals, despite poor field conditions and winds that blew between 15 and 23 mph. "It picked up and at times, it was calm," Reed said. "Balls were drifting here and there. This is Pittsburgh weather in the winter. You can't really complain about it."

Reed said the field was "sturdy enough. It got a little choppy at the end. It was fine. It was playable. It was a matter of people changing into the right cleats. It's not really my position to comment on it because I don't take care of it."

But they weren't all good.

The Rams had no trouble piling up yardage on the Packers. But protecting the ball and finishing drives, that’s where they fell short.

They handed the Packers the game’s first touchdown on Isaac Bruce’s fumble. Then their first two first-half forays into the red zone netted just three points.

Gordon went on to note that head coach Mike Martz had an interesting offensive game plan, featuring both Steven Jackson and Marshall Faulk as runners and receivers. His play-calling also caught the Packers in their base defense early on with some four-receiver sets.

Too bad the offense didn’t do a better job in the red zone during the first half, when the game was still in question.

With the Rams desperately needing points late in the first half, Bulger completed four passes to young wide-outs Shaun McDonald (two) and Kevin Curtis (two). These youngsters can play.

Those completions set up Bulger’s last-minute touchdown pass to Bruce in the first half, which cut the Packers' halftime lead to 21-10. At that point, the Rams had 225 yards offense and the 11-point deficit to show for it.

Tight end Brandon Manumaleuna played big with his 26-yard reception over the middle in the third quarter, going up to catch the ball in traffic.

Down by 18, the Rams continued to pile up yardage on plays like Bulger’s 56-yard pass to Bruce. Then they caught the Packers short of defensive backs, again, and converted with an eight-yard TD pass to Marshall Faulk.

But the positives were clearly overshadowed by the negatives.

Bruce was stripped of the ball by Joey Thomas after his first catch, then watched helplessly as Ahman Carroll scooped up the loose ball and raced 40 yards for a Packers touchdown.

Another red-zone mishap killed the Rams early in the third quarter. Carroll blanketed Bruce on a route up the right sideline and picked off a Bulger pass in the end zone to keep the Green Bay lead at 21-10.

But the lowlight came when the Rams tried to trick the Packers with a fake field goal try, but the Packers were having none of it. Jeff Wilkins took a pitch from holder Dane Looker and was immediately gang-tackled.

Had Wilkins kicked the 42-yard field goal, the Rams could have cut the lead to 21-13. Instead, the Packers exploited the turn of events to score still another touchdown. ...

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Bruce could miss a day or two of practice to rest after taking a shot to the head late in Monday night's game. Bruce fumbled on the play, and the ball was returned for a touchdown.

Bruce also had a fumble in the first quarter that was returned for a score. Martz said Bruce has been battling an arm injury that affects his grip on the ball.

Manumaleuna suffered a minor knee injury Monday night in Green Bay. His status will be assessed as the week progresses.

The Chiefs were done in Sunday by the usual culprit: The big play.

Brees completed passes of 65, 55 and 27 yards (twice) while wide receiver Eric Parker rushed for gains of 38 and 20 yards on end-arounds — plays that could be considered surprises save for the fact that the Chiefs see just that play out of that formation on a regular basis in practice against their own offense. ...

LaDainian Tomlinson was held to just 46 yards on 21 carries, but he was able to find the end zone twice. In addition, the star running back had his best receiving performance of the 2004 campaign, hauling in 10 passes for 57 yards.

For what it's worth. ... Tomlinson's 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter made him the third player in NFL history to rush for 10 or more touchdowns in each of his first four seasons. He joined Eric Dickerson and Earl Campbell. No player has rushed for 10 or more scores in his first five seasons.

Tomlinson's TD gave the Chargers their first lead in their last eight games in Arrowhead Stadium, although it lasted only 2 minutes, 35 seconds.

Tomlinson, who has scored a touchdown in eight straight games, added a touchdown in the second quarter. He had not scored a TD in Arrowhead Stadium before Sunday. ...

Antonio Gates caught two more touchdown passes and had a better game than Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City's five-time Pro Bowl tight end and a former college hoops star himself, who had zero TD catches.

Gates has caught 11 of Brees' 21 touchdown passes and needs one more to tie the NFL record for tight ends, which is shared by four players, including Mike Ditka. He's already broken Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow's team record for touchdowns in a season by a tight end, 10 in 1981.

"For me, just being the kind of guy that I am, to hear all these special things -- it's kind of like mind-boggling," said Gates, who didn't play football in college. "I play to have fun regardless of the records and the comparisons. I'm trying to build an identity for Antonio Gates."

As Associated Press sports writer Bernie Wilson suggested, Gates continues to baffle defenses and make fans forget "Martyball," the plodding, run-oriented offense once favored by head coach Marty Schottenheimer. At times, offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has had Gates line up as a wide receiver and in the backfield.

Gates is second in the NFL with 69 catches (for 795 yards), one behind Tennessee's Derrick Mason. He's scored the same number of touchdowns as Tomlinson. Only three players have scored more TDs: Priest Holmes, Terrell Owens and Shaun Alexander.

The Chargers used to be brutal on third down, which is now when the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Gates makes some of his biggest plays. He leads the NFL with 24 third-down catches, including five for touchdowns.

"He's up there because of the matchups he creates," Brees said. "We've put him out there on corners and he's beat them on fades, beat them on slants, beat them on whatever we need to beat them on. He can do that. He's that kind of athlete."

Gates, who joined the Chargers as an undrafted rookie in May 2003, is still learning.

Schottenheimer talked to him last week about running better after making a catch. Then Gates took off for a 51-yard gain on a fourth-quarter pass play on Sunday, only to have it come back when the Chargers were whistled for an illegal formation.

"But I did make sure that I alerted him he did a terrific job in that regard," Schottenheimer said.

As for Gates' development, "It would be less than fair to him to say that it was anything less than remarkable," Schottenheimer said.

"You look at the fact that he's kind of swept on the scene. I think it's become very, very obvious that while people mention the basketball, he's certainly establishing his performance level to the point that really, that's what he is, a terrific National Football League receiver. And I didn't say 'tight end.' I said 'receiver.'"

Point taken coach.

One last note here. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Kassim Osgood could see the ball headed his way more after catching two passes for 92 yards. He had a long of 65.

"They're the worst team in the NFL.

"And the only question now is: What are they going to do about it?

"Play their youngsters? Fire the coach? Fire the general manager? Sell the team?"

Killion went on to suggest any or all of those things would be appropriate after the 49ers' appalling transformation under John York's watch. Sunday qualified as the nadir of the past five years. The 49ers lost to the inept Miami Dolphins 24-17, falling to 1-10.

"On offense we have no continuity, no rhythm, no anything," head coach Dennis Erickson, who was brought in for his offensive wizardry, explained after the loss. "I don't care who you have playing. You can't operate the way we're operating."

He conceded that he needed to be accountable.

"It's been a mess," he said. "I don't know any other way to put it."

Tim Rattay had another awful game, passing for 181 yards and no touchdowns and fumbling the ball three times, once resulting in a Dolphins touchdown and the rushing attack was no better. For what it's worth, Erickson claims he hasn't given up on running back Kevan Barlow and receiver Brandon Lloyd. Their limited playing time suggested otherwise.

Barlow carried the ball just once after halftime, finishing with nine rushes for 20 yards and three catches for no yards. That's not exactly what the 49ers expected when they gave him $8 million in guaranteed money in the offseason.

Meanwhile, Maurice Hicks had another strong game, and not just as a rusher.

Hicks caught two passes for 33 yards, and he returned four kickoffs for 107 yards. After spending the first half of the season on the practice squad, Hicks is becoming an indispensable part of the 49ers' game plan.

But afterward, Hicks was most concerned by his fumble, which led to the first of Miami's three fourth-quarter scores.

"I tried to spark my team, but that doesn't really matter when you turn the ball over," Hicks said. "There's no excuse for that."

Barlow wasn't sure whether he'd been benched or not, but running backs coach Tim Lappano kept sending Hicks back into the game in the second half.

"I don't know who to blame or where to blame," Barlow said. "We're not putting up points. We can't run the ball. We can't catch the ball. We can't do nothing, man."

Barlow said one reason he hasn't run as well this season is that coaches have curtailed his freedom to change directions on plays, noting: "I do what they tell me to do."

Hicks won't move into the starting lineup -- at least not yet. Instead, Erickson plans to simplify the 49ers' running game in an effort to spark Barlow.

Erickson and Barlow had a long conversation Monday afternoon, though Erickson claimed he wasn't aware of Barlow's postgame criticisms of the offense. After running for just 20 yards, Barlow said the 49ers' offense doesn't allow him enough freedom to improvise.

"That's absurd. I don't know what he meant by that," Erickson said when told of the comments. "He's playing hard. It's not about him not playing hard. There are times he goes down when we don't think he should go down, and there are times he doesn't break tackles when we think he should. ..."

Lloyd also barely played, making two catches for 15 yards in approximately 10 snaps. His second NFL season has been a disappointment, and the 49ers may move rookie Rashaun Woods into a more prominent role in upcoming games.

"It's not my position to voice anything, just to make plays," Lloyd said. "As receivers, we just try to get open. Everything else is out of our hands. ..."

Tight end Eric Johnson was Rattay's favorite target again, catching seven passes for 57 yards. Cedrick Wilson had a strong game, with a 22-yard gain among five receptions for 59 yards.

The steady, if not spectacular, Alexander saw more red and blue than green as he rushed for a season-low 39 yards.

"We just didn't perform in any aspect. It was just bad," Alexander said.

On the Seahawks' first offensive play from scrimmage, Buffalo's Pat Williams and Terrence McGee stuffed Alexander for a 1-yard loss.

By the end of the first quarter, Alexander had three carries, zero yards and a 7-0 deficit out of which the Seahawks could not climb.

"We have flaws in our running game. They took us right to them. I think it was just a matter of time before a team figured out what to do to slow us down," Alexander said.

The Buffalo defense stopped Alexander for a loss or no gain four times.

"They're just good," Alexander said of the Bills' defense. "Good teams can find ways to get out your weaknesses. They showed all our weaknesses. We got a lot (of weaknesses). I can't give you just one. This was bound to happen because we were barely beating teams."

Yanity went on to note that even though Alexander is considered a workhorse, he got just 13 touches with the Seahawks were forced to throw as they trailed the entire game.

Before Sunday, Alexander's season low was 45 yards, which he did on 17 carries Sept. 19 in Tampa Bay, the game after aggravating a knee injury.

Already with 1,190 yards this season, Alexander refused to specify the kinks in the rushing game, but said they are easy to fix and that the defeat could end up benefiting the Seahawks.

"It's one of those games where you circle the calendar. I think it's good for every team to have that one game where you're, 'Remember that game?' It tells the tale of how bad you can be and then we turned it around," he said.

After stringing together performances of 195, 160 and 176, Alexander has been held to less than 100 yards on back-to-back occasions. He has also been shut out of the end zone for six consecutive quarters.

"In all seriousness, you almost just have to laugh at how we played to keep from crying because it was the worst thing that I've seen since my rookie year when we were 6-10. This team is way past those days," Alexander said. ...

Meanwhile, Post-Intelligencer beat writer Clare Farnsworth reminded readers that dropped passes continue continue to be the most obvious example of what ails the Seahawks' offense. There were five more against the Bills.

The culprits were leading receiver Darrell Jackson, who dropped three balls and caught four for 45 yards. Tight end Itula Mili and fullback Mack Strong also had drops.

"I was trying to do too much out there with the first couple of drops," Jackson said. "I was running before I caught the ball, trying to make a big play. Something like that.

"I'm supposed to use the 'catch first and then run' skills," he added. "We were looking for a spark to get us back in the game and get us rolling again. I was trying to help us get back in rhythm. Or something like that."

"It always changes things, particularly if it's a long ball, or a pass that gets you a first down," head coach Mike Holmgren said of the muffs. "It changes everything."

The crowd let Jackson hear it after each of his drops, and responded with mock cheers when he caught a 12-yarder late in the first half. For his part, Jackson pumped his fist.

"You don't hear the crowd most of the time," he said.

Jackson paused, adding, "But, heck yeah, they're supposed to be with us. They aren't supposed to be against us. But that's how it goes. ..."

According to the Sports Xchange, the Seahawks are sticking with Matt Hasselbeck despite injuries and Sunday's whupping.

The thigh and rib injuries that bothered Hasselbeck against the Bills are not bad enough to precipitate a change, Holmgren said Monday. Veteran Trent Dilfer is ready should Holmgren call, but that seems unlikely anytime soon.

"There are all sorts of guys playing hurt and he has to play hurt too, if he's hurt," Holmgren said. "He's got to play through that and he's got to make the throws and make the plays. And he'd be the first one to tell you that, I would hope."

Hasselbeck completed 19 of 38 passes for 185 yards, with one touchdown and one interception against Buffalo. He was sacked twice and finished with a passer rating of 61.8.

However, he appeared decidedly more upbeat Monday and said he was feeling better than expected physically. ...

As noted by the Sporting News, with Koren Robinson in the middle of his four-game league suspension, Jerry Rice has filled in nicely as the starting split end, even though he has played flanker throughout his career.

Rice also is counseling Robinson on the need to take a more serious approach to the game.

Also according to TSN, Mili has regained the starting job from Jerramy Stevens, a former first-round pick who was all but handed the job in training camp. Mili is a more consistent receiver and a better blocker than Stevens.

The struggling kicker was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Tuesday, two days after he missed three field goals in a 21-14 loss at Carolina, extending a slump that began after the Bucs won the Super Bowl two seasons ago. ..."

"I didn't want to face the reality, but I felt it," the team's career scoring leader said. "They called me to have a meeting with (general manager) Bruce Allen. I go: 'He's not calling me to get me ready for tomorrow's practice.' On the way there, I felt it. That made it a little easier. It wasn't a shock."

Feeling they could no longer afford to wait for Gramatica to regain the form that earned him the nickname "Automatica," the Bucs signed Arena Football League kicker Jay Taylor, who will make his NFL debut against Atlanta on Sunday.

Gramatica missed seven of his last nine field goal attempts and was 11-for-19 overall this season. He had not made a field goal over 22 yards since Oct. 10, a puzzling statistic for a strong-legged kicker who's converted 15 of more than 50 yards in six NFL seasons.

"He's in a slump. It's well documented," Allen said. "The last couple of years he hasn't performed up to his level. It's a good level for some, but not up to the Gramatica perfection he had in prior years."

Gramatica hooked a 37-yard attempt that would have snapped a 14-14 tie with less than 2 minutes remaining against the Panthers. He also missed a 39-yarder and had a 26-yarder blocked by Julius Peppers.

Three weeks ago, the Bucs lost 24-14 at Atlanta after head coach Jon Gruden passed up an opportunity to attempt a 45-yard field goal that would have made it 17-17 in the fourth quarter. The Falcons stopped a run on fourth-and-1, then scored the decisive touchdown a few plays later.

Carolina drove 73 yards for the winning TD after Gramatica's third miss Sunday.

"He didn't cost us the game, but it was time to make a change," Allen said.

On Monday, Gruden described a string of close losses that have contributed to the team's disappointing 4-7 record as "maddening."

"I am not a mathematician, but the percentage of games that are decided by four, five points or less, is pretty revealing," the coach said. "If that's the phase of your game that is lacking or way behind, you're 32nd in accuracy, there's a good chance you are going to lose some tight games."

Taylor, who kicked for Gruden's younger brother Jay Gruden in the AFL last season, was signed to Tampa Bay's practice squad on Nov. 10, when Gramatica was limited in practice by a hip flexor injury.

The 28-year-old Taylor was released from the practice squad the following week. But Allen said he was the best of 10 kickers the Bucs auditioned since the start of the season, including MacKenzie Hoambrecker, who worked out Tuesday.

Although he's never kicked in a regular-season game, Taylor has spent time with four other NFL teams -- Cleveland, Seattle, Buffalo and Miami -- since 2000. He also played in NFL Europe and the XFL before winding up with the AFL's Orlando Predators earlier this year.

"Releasing Martin is an emotional move for this franchise," said Allen, who left the door open for Gramatica to possibly return in the future.

"The league (field goal conversion) average this year is 81 percent. That's a tough, tough, tough number to compete at. I think in sports, only a goalie in hockey has to perfect his art at a higher rate. He'll be able to do it (again) at some point."

Gramatica, an 80 percent kicker through his first four pro seasons, is counting on it. He's just not sure it'll be with the Bucs.

"They're going to do what they have to do. They can't just trust that I'll be back," Gramatica said.

The 29-year-old was 16-for-26 while battling injuries in 2003. He made nine of his first 10 attempts this season before slumping again.

"I gave it everything I had. I'll never look back and say I wish I had done this or done that. ... I appreciate the Bucs letting me stay a little longer than I should have probably, and I told them that," Gramatica said. "I'll bounce back. It hurts, but it doesn't mean I'm done."

The team also released veteran receiver Bill Schroeder on Tuesday.

Schroeder, 33, signed as a free agent with the Bucs last summer and started two of seven games. He had four catches for 126 yards in a September 26 game at Oakland, but just three receptions for 30 yards in his other six games. Schroeder also returned six punts for 21 yards and two kickoffs for 29 yards.

A 10-year veteran, Schroeder has 304 career catches for 4,583 yards and 28 touchdowns in 111 games.

Other notes of interest. ...

The Buccaneers don't post their first official injury report of the week until Wednesday, but Gruden indicated that several key players are likely to be question marks for Sunday's rematch against the Atlanta Falcons.

Among the players who are likely to miss a good portion of the week's practices are quarterback Brian Griese (right hip flexor) and wide receiver Joey Galloway (right ankle sprain). Griese is expected to be probable on that first injury report, but Galloway will likely be questionable.

Galloway suffered his ankle sprain late in Sunday's game, though he did return to the field after a short time on the sideline. He is also battling a groin injury from the season opener that promises to linger through the season.

Griese has started the last six games and was recently limited on the practice field due to a sore right (throwing) shoulder he incurred at Atlanta in Week 11. He has started the last two games despite that injury, however, and continued his extremely hot play. ...

Michael Pittman made up for his lack of production on the ground last Sunday by contributing significantly to the passing game. The running back picked up just 29 yards on 18 carries, but hauled in eight passes for a team-high 134 yards and two touchdowns.

However, the Sports Xchange reported on Tuesday that coaches are alarmed by Pittman's fumbling problem. He has fumbled four times in the last six games, including two inside the red zone in losses to the Rams and Panthers.

"It's alarming because he has not historically been a fumbler," Gruden said. "A couple of fumbles have been from the blind pursuit and out of vision the ball is dislodged. It's an area that he has to improve on. I'm also aware that he's carrying the load every down as a runner, as a receiver."

But as the Sporting News noted on Monday, the threat that Pittman presents is helping the team sell its play-action fakes. Opponents must respect fakes to Pittman because he can break free for a big gain.

Pittman is reading defenses better before the snap and is playing with more patience. He and the line are in better rhythm now, and Pittman's strength is allowing him to gain extra yards after contact ...

Also according to TSN, the team will use the rest of the season to decide whether Earnest Graham fits into its plans for the future.

Graham can play running back or fullback, and he's getting the chance to be a regular contributor on special teams as a kick returner.

TSN added: "Graham (5-9, 215) has the quickness to be an impact runner. He's a little small, but he hits the hole hard, sheds tackles well and tends to gain an extra yard or two by falling forward as he's going down. With more experience, Graham should excel."

"But the co-MVP of the 2003 season sent a clear message that he's hurting, and this time the physical pain mixed with a losing season has the Tennessee quarterback ready to think about quitting. ..."

"I feel like at this point in time you have to take a hard look at it," McNair said after a 31-21 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday that ended the Titans' playoff hopes and put them in the AFC South cellar.

"Back in the days, I used to play and play well when I was hurt, but at the same time it has taken a toll. I just have to look at it and evaluate myself, but I'm going to continue to work hard this season and do the best I can do to try and win five ballgames."

Head coach Jeff Fisher didn't hear of McNair's comments until the team was on the way to the airport in Houston. He spoke with his quarterback Sunday night and again Monday and feels McNair, who turns 32 on Feb. 14, was simply frustrated.

"I know how he feels. When you go from where he was last year to the situation that we are in as a team, there's frustration. And then you add the physical issues with him, I was not surprised whatsoever. He does not like losing football games," Fisher said.

McNair has become known for his ability to play through pain. As Walker noted, he has a full page in the Tennessee media guide that details his 24 separate injuries and six operations or procedures before this season.

He went 5-0 in December 2002 despite not practicing once with back spasms, turf toe and strained ribs. Six weeks after back surgery in 1999, he led the Titans to their only Super Bowl appearance.

This season hasn't come anywhere close to what McNair wanted as an MVP follow-up.

McNair has thrown two more interceptions (9) through seven games than he did all last season. A bruised sternum kept him out of two games and parts of two others, and his passer rating of 73.1 puts him behind 23 NFL quarterbacks.

McNair opened Sunday's game looking like the quarterback who led the NFL in passer rating in 2003. He hit his first seven passes and threw three touchdown passes in the first half. In the second half, he lost two fumbles and was intercepted once, and he publicly blamed himself after the loss.

"You get to wondering if things continue to be that way, you have to take a long look at it after the season to see what you're going to do," McNair said.

Asked if that meant not returning in 2005, McNair said he is just evaluating. Does that mean he will consider quitting?

"That's up to me," he said. "Like I said, I'll evaluate myself at the end of the season, and we'll see."

Walker went on to point out that McNair lost friend Eddie George a week before training camp when the running back asked to be released in a salary dispute. Injuries have decimated the offense, knocking out two linemen, a receiver, two of the three tight ends and most recently, Chris Brown, George's replacement.

The quarterback is under contract through 2009 and due a $50 million option bonus after the 2005 season when the Titans' salary cap woes only worsen.

But Fisher said he believes -- and thinks McNair shares his opinion -- that the quarterback has several years left in the NFL.

"His goal is to win a championship, and that's what he wants first and foremost," Fisher said.

Other notes of interest. ...

Antowain Smith had another solid day subbing for Brown, who was out for the second week in a row with turf toe. Smith carried 21 times for 90 yards and the team averaged 5.4 yards a game.

As the Sports Xchange suggested Tuesday, Brown has allowed durability questions to surface as he has sat out the last two weeks with turf toe. Smith isn't the home run threat Brown is, but otherwise he has filled in well.

Brown will once again be listed as questionable. I'll have more on his status as the week progresses. ...

And finally. ...

Erron Kinney matched his season high with six catches for 53 yards in Sunday's loss to the Texans. Two of the receptions went for touchdowns, giving the Titans' tight end three on the season. Kinney missed six weeks earlier this year with a torn calf muscle.

"The Washington Redskins running back, conspicuous by his absence in another feeble effort by the offense, has fallen one yard behind the Denver Broncos' latest running-back-from-nowhere in the unofficial race to shake down the teams' blockbuster offseason trade.

"Out in the Rockies, Reuben Droughns -- who? -- has come on strong in the tradition of Terrell Davis, Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson and Portis as the Broncos challenge for a playoff berth.

"Back east, Portis is getting marginalized in a struggling offense for a team going nowhere. ..."

According to Washington Times staffer David Elfin, "Portis came to Washington as the man around whom Joe Gibbs would build the Redskins offense.

"[Sunday], Portis nearly was invisible in that offense, delivering the least productive day of his career as a starting running back in the NFL. ..."

For the record, Portis was on pace at midseason to challenge the NFL record for carries. He carried just six times for 17 yards yesterday at Heinz Field, his lowest total in each category since he became a starter for the Denver Broncos in the fifth game of his rookie season in 2002.

"Clinton is a heck of a back. I felt like today [passing] was our best way to get downfield," said Gibbs, who called a what Elfin characterized as a "Spurrieresque" 40-14 pass-run ratio. "We were just trying to move the ball the best we could and wound up throwing it quite a bit. Therefore Clinton wound up not getting many carries.

"I'm sure he'll be upset about it. I expect him to be. He's very competitive."

Portis was coming off his worst game as a Redskin; he gained just 37 yards on 17 carries in the previous week's loss at Philadelphia.

According to Elfin, Portis, decked out in a brown fur coat and matching hat in the locker room, seemed more shocked than angry about his lack of work yesterday.

"I'm not upset about the carries," said Portis, who ran for more than 1,500 yards in each of his two seasons with the Broncos. "I'm upset we're not winning. There's no need for me to question the coaches. I'm not the offensive coordinator. I don't draw up things.

"I never had a day in Denver where I had 30 yards in a game, but I'm not in Denver anymore. I'm in Washington. I've got to find a way to be a key player in this system."

Asked how he felt about standing on the sideline watching his team lose for the eighth time in 11 games, Portis said, "If only you knew, man. I can't do nothing standing on the sidelines, can't be a threat to the other team. It's hard.

"But I adjusted to the situation. I adjusted to the cold standing on the sideline. I put a jacket on, and I sat on the warm bench."

Bench-warming is hardly what the Redskins expected when they traded four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey for the 23-year-old Portis in March — particularly not after rewarding Portis with an eight-year, $50.5 million contract that included $13 million in immediate bonus money.

Portis didn't touch the ball on the Redskins' first series and gained nine yards on his four runs in the first quarter. He gained a yard on the first play of the second half and ran once more, a 7-yard burst around left end late in the third quarter.

Backup Ladell Betts split time with Portis and was more productive, gaining 34 yards on eight carries and catching three passes for 35 yards.

"[Betts] went out and played great," Portis said. "They chose to go with L, and he responded. He took advantage of the opportunity. You can't blame them for sticking with him."

Portis said he didn't see his lack of work as a harbinger.

"I'm not worried about losing my job," Portis said. "I would think it's still is my job. If not, I'll be backing L up. ..."

Meanwhile, Washington Post staffer Nunyo Demasio advised readers that Betts had been prepared to get more carries late in the season since Portis was on a pace to break the NFL record for carries. But Betts had no inclination Sunday that he would suddenly become Washington's featured back.

Was Betts surprised at getting more carries than Portis?

"Yes and no," he said. "No, because they always tell me to prepare and get ready to go in, especially with Clinton having as many carries as he does already this season. I prepare and I get a lot of reps in practice so if they call my number, I'm ready."

Gibbs played down the playing time and indicated that Betts was used more because of Washington's passing approach. Patrick Ramsey said he didn't pay much attention to the switch, in part because Portis suffered a minor pinched nerve.

"During the game, you don't really evaluate who's in the game or not," Ramsey said. "You just go out there. If Ladell is in there as the back, you go with it. I didn't know if he [Portis] was hurt. I didn't know if he was banged up. I didn't know what the situation was. ..."

I'll continue to monitor news out of Washington closely this week in an attempt to try to help you get the best read possible on the situation before Sunday. ...

Other notes of interest. ...

Rookie H-back Chris Cooley led the Redskins in receiving Sunday with seven catches -- although just for 31 yards -- and a touchdown.

"Going in, I thought I would catch a few more balls than normal because our main package had two tight ends and I was more involved in the passing game, running a lot of the receivers' routes," said Cooley, who caught 13 passes in the previous 10 games.

The youngster has four of Washington's 13 offensive touchdowns this year.

According to the Times, leading receiver Laveranues Coles caught six passes, raising his team-high total to 58. However, he twice limped off the field with an injured hip that could limit him in practice this week. ...

And finally this week. ...

In a column published Monday, SI.com insider Don Banks offered the following observation: "Going for the only slice of history that's going to be available to them in Washington this season, the Redskins have yet to crack 18 points in any game, and are averaging a league-low 12.5 points per outing.

"After Sunday's 16-7 loss at Pittsburgh, the Redskins' second consecutive single-digit showing, Washington quarterback Patrick Ramsey actually said: "One of our goals is to score 21 points. We've got to do that."

"Somewhere, Steve Spurrier has to be smiling. ..."