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FLASHUPDATE WEEK 4 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 24 September, 2014Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris

=========================ARIZONA CARDINALSAs Associated Press sports writer Bob Baum noted, three times already this season, the Cardinals have fallen behind only to rally to victory in the second half.

The latest comeback came in Sunday's 23-14 win over San Francisco, a team Arizona had beaten once in its last 10 tries.

Heading into a bye week, head coach Bruce Arians said that show of resiliency stands out above everything else.

"The biggest thing is they respect the process," he said Monday. "They come to work every day. They focus on that day and we get better each day and we don't look to the future. We have to guard against that as we get better and people start patting you on the back."

The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 30-0 in the fourth quarter.

Arizona really isn't sneaking up on anybody. Dating to last season, the Cardinals have won 10 of their last 12, tied with Carolina and Philadelphia for the NFL's best record in that span. They are the only team in the past two seasons to win at Seattle.

But a series of misfortunes seemed to make a fast start this year unlikely.

First, they lost defensive tackle Darnell Dockett to a season-ending knee injury in training camp, then outside linebacker John Abraham showed up late for camp after attending alcohol rehab. Abraham went down with a concussion in the season opener, one so severe that he is out for the season.

Backup running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested on domestic violence charges and is on a non-football illness list, meaning he's out for the season.

And quarterback Carson Palmer damaged a nerve in his throwing shoulder in the opener and has not been able to throw a pass since. Enter Drew Stanton,

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Palmer's backup who had not taken a snap in a regular-season game since 2010 or, as he put it, "a well-documented 1,100 days."

All Stanton did was direct Arizona to a road win over the New York Giants, then throw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes to rookie John Brown on Sunday against San Francisco. In that third quarter, he was 5-for-7 for 102 yards. Stanton has yet to be intercepted.

"He does more than manage the game," Arians said. "He gave us a chance to win the game, especially with those throws in the red zone."

Just how much longer Stanton will be the No. 1 quarterback is an open question.

Palmer said he didn't stumble across a miracle cure, but he told Arizona Republic staffer Kent Somers on Tuesday that the shoulder was finally responding to all the treatment he's been getting and he's close to being back to 100 percent.

"It's better. It's much, much better," Palmer said of his right shoulder.

Asked whether any one form of treatment seemed to help awaken the nerve and get it firing again, Palmer shook his head.

"It wasn't any one thing, just tons of treatment multiple times per day and it's really helped," he said. "It's way better now. It's feeling really good."

According to Somers, Palmer was seen throwing only one pass during the portion of practice that was open to reporters on Tuesday. He was asked if he's now able to throw the football with authority like he did before the nerve problem occurred.

"Not yet, but I'll get there shortly," he said.

If Palmer's not ready, Stanton will be back at the controls when the Cardinals venture to Denver to face the Broncos on Oct. 5.

Whoever is the quarterback has an array of targets. Veteran Larry Fitzgerald, who didn't catch a pass until the fourth quarter but still extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to 152, is no longer the only option, often not even the second or third one.

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Michael Floyd has taken Fitzgerald's spot as the most dangerous wide receiver. He caught five for 114 yards on Sunday, his second 100-yard receiving game this year. Tight end John Carlson had a big catch in a first-and-long situation. And then there's Brown, the diminutive speedster from little Pittsburgh State who has been a sensation since the day he stepped on the training camp field.

"He's very mature, very mature," Arians said. "And he came in with a quick understanding of what we're trying to get done. Very few rookies can adapt that fast, not only to the speed of the game but to the volume of information getting thrown at you."

The defense, despite significant personnel changes, has shown its trademark ability to stop the run and make halftime adjustments under coordinator Todd Bowles.

And Stanton impressed Cardinals fans and players with his toughness after taking a series of fierce hits.

But the biggest takeaway? The Cardinals are 3-0 for only the third time in the past 41 years (2012, 1974), and they beat the 49ers after a tumultuous week.

Backup running back Jonathan Dwyer was arrested at the team facility on Wednesday on domestic abuse charges. On Friday, outside linebacker John Abraham was placed on injured reserve due to a severe concussion.

"They are just bumps in the road," Arians said. "Everything is not going to come easy. The harder they get, the easier they are for us now. There are no excuses. Nobody wants to hear them.

Other notes of interest. ... As the Sports Xchange pointed out, all 23 of the team's points against the 49ers were scored by rookies: two touchdowns by Brown and three field goals and two extra points by Chandler Catanzaro.

Brown has been sensational and given the Cardinals speed at a position where it was badly needed.

"He's so smooth, in and out of stuff," Stanton said. "You almost want to tell him to slow down at times because he runs through zones. You're like, 'if it's man, run away from that guy; if it's zone, then find that zone and stay here.' He's getting it and he understands it. ..."

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According to ESPN.com's Josh Weinfuss, Fitzgerald has been targeted more in the last two weeks after a firestorm erupted in Week 1, but it hasn't been enough, especially early in games. Weinfuss contends that Arizona can spend the off week working on getting Fitzgerald involved in the game plan earlier. If there was a game to get Fitzgerald involved again, Denver would be it.

When Fitzgerald is involved in the first-half offense, the Cardinals can move the ball more efficiently and score at a higher clip -- as was evident again in Week 3, when Arizona scored just six points in the first two quarters, when Fitzgerald was targeted just twice. It's easy to say Fitzgerald is involved in the offense, but when you compare Weeks 2 and 3, the lack of his presence is obvious. Against New York in Week 2, the Cardinals scored 10 points in the first half after targeting Fitzgerald seven times. ...

Also according to Weinfuss, Ted Ginn's ability in the return game and as a receiver were well known, which is why Arizona signed him during free agency. But what he's added in other facets has been a bonus. He threw a pass Sunday -- 10 yards to Floyd for a first down -- and he was used on a jet sweep that he cut inside. ...

Tight end Rob Housler, who missed last week's game with a hip injury, should be able to practice this week. ...

And finally. ... Arizona swooped in Monday and plucked rookie running back Marion Grice off the San Diego Chargers' practice squad, according to U-T San Diego's Michael Gehlken. The move was of interest because with injuries to Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead -- out for the season -- Grice was a likely candidate to be elevated to the Chargers' own 53-man roster.

Instead the sixth-round pick out of Arizona State reportedly took a physical and is signing a two-year contract with the Cardinals -- a practice-squad player may sign on any team's active roster. Arizona targeted Grice after placing Dwyer on the NFI list following his arrest. Grice ran for 79 yards on 17 carries against the Cards in the two teams' final preseason game. Clearly Cardinals brass liked what it saw.

Knowing San Diego's injury situation, the Cardinals flew after the rookie running back before the Chargers could make the move.

The team released running back Jalen Parmalee on Tuesday.

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT The Cardinals are idle this week due to the NFL bye. =========================

=========================ATLANTA FALCONSAs the Sports Xchange suggested, Matt Ryan is once again making a statement that he should be a part of the conversation as one of the NFL's best quarterbacks.

After looking less than pedestrian while throwing three interceptions against Cincinnati, Ryan missed on only three of his pass 24 attempts while leading the Falcons to a 56-14 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday night.

Ryan was not pleased with how things went in Cincinnati.

"We talked about all week that we wanted to start fast and rebound from last week," Ryan said. "I thought we did a great job of that collectively, all three phases. With that being said, even as good as tonight was, I think there are areas where we can improve and get better. All in all, there was really good effort. I loved the energy from all three phases. We got the job done."

After playing three games in the first twelve days of the season, the Falcons will have had ample time to face the Adrian Peterson-less Minnesota Vikings.

Ryan passed for a career-high 448 yards in leading the Falcons to a 37-34 overtime win over the Saints. Against the Bengals, he threw three interceptions and had a sub-50 passer rating for just the fourth time over his first 96 regular season game.

Against Tampa Bay, Ryan had a record-breaking night. He passed for 286 yards with three touchdowns and a career high 155.9 passer rating.

Ryan's 87.5 completion percentage and his 155.9 quarterback rating set new single-game franchise records.

Ryan previously shared the club record for completion percentage with quarterback Steve Bartkowski at 85.7. He broke quarterback Wade Wilson's single game passer rating mark of 154.5.

"Absolutely, I think in this league there are going to be weeks where it's tough, especially on the road," Ryan said. "Sometimes you don't play as well as you

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like. Good teams respond and good teams come back and play better the following week."

The Falcons' 21 first-quarter points against Tampa Bay was tied for most in the first quarter in team history. It was the fifth time the Falcons have scored 21 points in the first quarter. The last time was Jan. 1, 2012 against the Buccaneers at the Georgia Dome.

The game also marked the 21st time that Ryan has thrown three touchdowns. He is 20-1 when that happens. The Falcons also improved to 36-2 when he records a passer rating of 100-or-higher.

Bottom line? Ryan made another case for himself to be considered with the elite quarterbacks in the league.

Since 2012, Ryan has thrown 65 touchdown passes, which ranks third in the NFL during that span. Ryan trails Peyton Manning (98) and Drew Brees (85). He has thrown 160 career touchdown passes and ranks 12th among active players and sixth since 2008.

Also worth noting, Ryan was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season in the wake of this one. ...

The team is getting more out of Devin Hester than most people expected. He broke the touchdowns returned record of Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Atlanta Falcon cornerback Deion Sanders.

Hester has returned 14 punts, five kickoffs, and one blocked field goal for touchdowns. His 14 punt returns are also an NFL record.

His effort against the Bucs earned Hester NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Meanwhile, Hester has played into a role on offense that will only be growing thanks to his contributions in the first two games. As Profootballtalk.com notes, Hester has 126 receiving yards, 20 rushing yards and a touchdown to go with a punt return touchdown and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said Tuesday that his initial reticence about using Hester on offense has gone away.

"The thinking is simple: All players usually get what they deserve. Devin has played his way into more plays. I've told you before, when Devin signed here, I was thinking, ‘Chicago didn't use him. Why are we going to use him?' And

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[coach Mike Smith] was talking to [wide receivers coach]Terry [Robiskie] and I saying, ‘Hey, we've got to find some stuff for Devin,'" Koetter said. "Devin has totally earned everything he's got by how he plays in practice.

"It's true of any player, it just happens that Devin [is] the greatest kick returner in league history. ..."

Wide receiver Julio Jones caught nine passes for 161 yards with two touchdowns the sixth multi-touchdown game of his career, and his yards receiving were the second highest single-game yardage total of his career. (regular season). Jones posted 182 yards against the St. Louis Rams last season and notched 182 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in the 2012 NFC Championship Game. ...

Looking for negatives?

ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure believes the offensive line's run blocking has to continue to evolve. Head coach Mike Smith wasn't happy with the run blocking against the Buccaneers when the Falcons went into their four-minute mode to milk the clock. Rookie Devonta Freeman had nine carries for seven yards in the fourth quarter. Throw out Antone Smith's 38-yard touchdown in the third, and the Falcons gained just 21 second-half rushing yards.

Still, Steven Jackson punched in a one-yard touchdown for his first score of the season and the 63rd rushing touchdown of his career. Jackson has scored seven rushing touchdowns as a Falcon. He has 72 total touchdowns which ranks tied for the seventh most among active players. ...

Other notes of interest. ... As the Falcons returned to practice Monday, the wide receiver trio of Roddy White, Harry Douglas, and Hester were without helmets coming off injuries.

White missed last Thursday night's game with a hamstring injury, while both Douglas and Hester both exited the game early. Douglas injured his left foot, but tests on the foot came up negative. Hester was pulled from the game due to cramps.

Smith indicated White was close to playing against the Buccaneers, and White expects to play in Sunday's road game at Minnesota. He appeared to have added protection supporting his right left on Monday. White wears a compression sock sleeve on his left leg to protect his banged up knee. White also spent Wednesday working on the side with trainers.

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Douglas' was back on the practice field Wednesday. Hester's situation seems to be more about rest than anything since cramps appeared to be his only issue.

Also, Antone Smith was without a helmet at the start of Monday's practice. The initial word is he suffered a right hamstring injury, the extent of which is unknown.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree RB: Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Devonta Freeman, Antone Smith, Patrick DiMarco WR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Devin Hester, Courtney Roby, Eric Weems TE: Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe PK: Matt Bryant =========================

=========================BALTIMORE RAVENSAs ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley pointed out Sunday night, no one expected the running back position to be one of the deepest on the Ravens after the team parted ways with Ray Rice. But you could make that argument right now.

Three games into the season, the Ravens have watched three running backs not only lead the team in rushing but gain at least 70 yards in a game. The latest surprise came in Sunday's 23-21 win over the Cleveland Browns, where rookie fourth-round pick Lorenzo Taliaferro ran for 91 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.

The Ravens' situation at running back will become more complicated if Bernard Pierce can return this week after sitting out Sunday with a thigh injury. But this is really a good problem to have from the Ravens' standpoint.

Pierce was on the practice field Wednesday.

Sure, trying to figure out the Ravens' featured back each week is a nightmare for fantasy owners. As far as the Ravens' needs, this has been the best-case scenario because all three running backs have been so productive.

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Now, according to Hensley, the Ravens now have confidence that Pierce, Taliaferro or Justin Forsett can carry the load when called upon. They've seen it against the Bengals, Steelers and Browns.

In all likelihood, Hensley believes, Pierce remains the Ravens' starter when he returns. But that doesn't mean he finishes the game for the Ravens.

Head coach John Harbaugh previously said he will go with the hotter back. And the hottest back on the field Sunday was Taliaferro. It makes you wonder why he didn't get a touch in the first two games.

"I think the results speak for themselves with Lorenzo," Harbaugh said. "He was running downhill, physical and was hard to tackle. That is an element that is a big plus for an offense."

The odds of the Ravens starting Taliaferro next week are not strong. The Ravens' history is not to put too much pressure on rookie running backs, although it's tempting to go with Taliaferro based on his decisiveness and ability to finish off runs.

A major reason why the Ravens will probably keep Pierce as the starter is he's bigger than Forsett and has more experience than Taliaferro. The downside is Pierce's injury-filled track record.

Harbaugh said he hopes Pierce's thigh injury is a short-term one.

"We thought we'd get him into the game, but it didn't work out," Harbaugh said. "We should have a good chance of getting him back next week."

Perhaps an indication of Pierce's return can be found in the team reversing Saturday's release of receiver Deonte Thompson and promotion of practice squad running back Fitzgerald Toussaint. Thompson returned and Toussaint was waived on Monday. ...

In a related note. ... Running the ball against a tough Carolina defense might seem slightly less daunting this week after Steelers running backs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount gashed the Panthers for a combined 224 rushing yards. ...

Meanwhile, tight end Dennis Pitta has undergone surgery to repair a dislocated right hip and is done for the year.

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The operation was performed on Monday and was officially placed on injured reserve Tuesday. To take his spot on the roster, tight end Phillip Supernaw was elevated from the practice squad.

The injury occurred in Sunday's game, when Pitta went down without being touched and had to be removed from the field on a cart.

It's the same injury that sidelined Pitta for much of last season.

Harbaugh is unsure if it's a career-ending injury. He says, "We have to be really hopeful for Dennis' return. I'm sure we'll learn about that in the coming weeks."

Owen Daniels takes over as the top tight end, and H-back Kyle Juszczyk could get added playing time.

Juszczyk is becoming more involved in the offense each week. As the Sports Xchange notes, his burly frame (6-1, 248 pounds) makes him a handful when he runs downhill. Juszczyk caught three passes for 58 yards and a touchdown against the Browns.

Pitta signed a five-year, $32.5 million contract seven months ago -- a deal that included $16 million guaranteed. In three games this season, Pitta had 16 catches for 125 yards. ...

Other notes of interest. ... As Hensley framed it: "It's Steve Smith week."

The Ravens wide receiver gets his much-anticipated reunion with the Panthers on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.

Against the Browns, Smith led the Ravens in receiving yards for the third time in three games, and his long gain of 32 yards set up the winning field goal. As Hensley suggested, it's this type of clutch play that the Ravens missed when they traded Anquan Boldin and what they envisioned when they signed Smith to a three-year, $10.5 million deal this offseason.

"It was for moments like that that we brought Steve Smith in here, and for everything else that he brings," Harbaugh said. "I have been a big admirer of Steve for many years."

Smith has been more than a clutch receiver. He's clearly been the Ravens' No. 1 target.

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Smith's 18 catches represent a quarter of Joe Flacco's completions, and his 290 yards account for 40 percent of Flacco's passing yards. When throwing to Smith, Flacco has averaged 9.1 yards per attempt and the drop rate has been 3 percent. When targeting everyone else, Flacco has averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and the drop rate has been 6 percent.

Much of the attention this week will focus on Smith because of his anticipated reunion with the Panthers, who cut him on March 13 after 13 seasons together. It sounded like Smith is already looking forward to the matchup with his former team.

"Not bad for a washed-up, old man," Smith told the NFL Network immediately after making five catches for 101 yards Sunday. ...

Justin Tucker converted all three field goals -- including the game-winner -- and both PATs against the Cleveland Browns to earn AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

One last note here. ... Flacco delivered his 20th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor RB: Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro FB: Kyle Juszczyk WR: Steve Smith, Torrey Smith, Marlon Brown, Jacoby Jones, Kamar Aiken, Deonte Thompson, LaQuan Williams TE: Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore, Phillip Supernaw PK: Justin Tucker =========================

=========================BUFFALO BILLSAs Associated Press sports writer John Wawrow put it, "After a feel-good 2-0 start, the Bills are facing their first test of adversity in preparing to open a two-game road swing at Houston this Sunday. ..."

This after Buffalo was outplayed by the Chargers on both sides of the ball in a 22-10 loss Sunday.

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"We're not where we want to be," running back C.J. Spiller said. "Obviously, you're disappointed in the loss. But we can't sit around all day and mope on it. We'll look at the film today, and look at the mistakes we made."

According to Wawrow, it might be a lengthy film session.

Buffalo's offense had difficulty mounting much of a threat in being limited to 113 yards and five first downs through the first half. And the Bills were already trailing 20-3 before finally orchestrating a touchdown drive late in the third quarter.

The defense had its issues, too. The Chargers had two scoring drives that lasted 15 or more plays and ate up more than 7 minutes each. The Bills also allowed five completions of 20 yards or more against San Diego after giving up just one in their first two games.

Discipline was an issue, too. Buffalo was flagged 11 times for 101 yards, with three of those penalties negating a combined 60 yards offense.

"I don't think (the Chargers) made too many mistakes. And that's what playoff teams do," Spiller said. "And we have to do that to take that leap. But I think we'll be fine."

Now it's up to the Bills to show they're capable of rebounding, something they struggled with during a 14-season playoff drought -- the NFL's longest active streak.

They'll need the offense to pick up their pace if that's going to happen.

Quarterback EJ Manuel went 23 of 39 for 238 yards and a touchdown, but completed just 7 of 21 attempts for 49 yards to his wide receivers. That included first-round pick Sammy Watkins, who was limited to two catches for 19 yards despite being targeted eight times.

One incompletion came on a critical fourth-and-3 in which Watkins was late looking for the ball, which sailed by him over the middle.

"I'm supposed to catch that ball," Watkins said.

The one big issue the Bills have yet to address is how capable they are of overcoming deficits.

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Since the start of last season, Buffalo is 0-10 in games in which it has trailed by 10 or more points.

"That's something, obviously, we have to be able to do to be a good football team," head coach Doug Marrone said. "Is that the next step? It's one of the steps. ..."

Worth noting: Manuel was listed on the practice report Wednesday due to an abdominal injury. However, he was a full participant in practice.

Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, the numbers can be finagled anyway you want, but the bottom line is that while Manuel has a 63.2 completion percentage and a 90.8 passer rating, the Bills need more from their second-year quarterback if they're ever going to make a push for the playoffs.

Manuel was fairly efficient in wins over Chicago and Miami, but he was a non-factor against San Diego. His continued problems with inaccuracy and failing to make quick reads and get through his progressions remain a major stumbling block in his development.

"I think my accuracy is fine," said Manuel. "I noticed a few throws that I could stick on guys, but at the same time we just have to go out there and make plays. That's the biggest thing, making plays when they're there and just trying to hit those home runs, you can't miss those."

Manuel has thrown for just 613 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. ...

Watkins was held to two catches for 19 yards despite being targeted eight times. The Chargers did a nice job of taking away the crossing routes that Buffalo used so well against Miami.

Positives?

Fred Jackson caught eight passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, and gained 34 yards on six rushing attempts, the lone offensive player who had a good game.

Speaking of the running backs, ESPN.com's Mike Rodak notes that through two games, Spiller (27 carries) had the edge over Jackson (19 carries), but Spiller proved ineffective early in Sunday's game. Jackson was used on third downs as a receiver. This is one game where the steady veteran was a better option than the hot-and-cold Spiller. ...

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Scott Chandler had five catches for 74 yards including a 37-yarder on a busted play down the middle when Manuel made a great escape in the pocket.

And finally. ... The Bills' leading special teams performer last year, Marcus Easley, could miss between four and six weeks after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee against the Chargers. Easley was hit from the side while blocking for Leodis McKelvin on a kickoff return. Last season Easley led the NFL in special teams tackles with 23, and he led the Bills this year with four before getting hurt.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: E.J. Manuel, Kyle Orton RB: Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller, Anthony Dixon, Bryce Brown WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Mike Williams, Marquise Goodwin, Marcus Easley, Chris Hogan TE: Scott Chandler, Lee Smith, Chris Gragg PK: Dan Carpenter =========================

=========================CAROLINA PANTHERSThe Panthers' already hurting rushing attack took two more hits Sunday night.

Fullback Mike Tolbert and running back Jonathan Stewart are both sidelined with leg injuries sustained in the second half of the Panthers' 37-19 loss to Pittsburgh.

Tolbert has a hairline fracture/bone bruise in his left leg below his knee and was placed on short-term IR on Tuesday. He can return Week 13. Stewart has a severely sprained right knee.

Head coach Ron Rivera said the team would reassess Stewart on Friday. But considering Stewart was out five weeks last year with a torn ligament in the same knee, he could end up missing significant time, as well.

For what it's worth, Stewart told reporters on Wednesday that his status is "week to week."

Whatever the case, as Charlotte Observer staffer Joseph Person notes, that means the Panthers' could be without their top three running backs for this

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week's game at Baltimore, although DeAngelo Williams returned to practice on Wednesday after missing the past two games with a hamstring issue.

The Panthers have invested heavily in their running backs, particularly Williams and Stewart.

Williams signed a five-year, $43 million contract extension in 2011, with $21 million guaranteed. A year later, Stewart was re-signed for six years at $37.8 million, with $23 million guaranteed.

And although Williams took a big pay cut last year, the backfield trio of Williams, Stewart and Tolbert has a combined salary cap figure of $14 million this year.

As Person suggested, that's a lot of money for the Panthers to have the league's 29th-ranked rushing offense.

Associated Press sports writer Steve Reed pointed out that Carolina's running game ranks 29th in the league, averaging just 72.3 yards per game on the ground. That's a huge drop off from 2013 when the NFC South champions averaged 126.6 yards on the ground and ran for at least 100 yards in 15 of 16 games.

In the loss to Pittsburgh, the Panthers had a franchise-low 10 carries as offensive coordinator Mike Shula abandoned the running attack after a couple of three-and-outs in the first half.

"We can't expect to win many games running the ball 10 times. I want to say that for sure," Shula said Monday. "We're going to have to run the ball and have real good balance, better than we had (Sunday) night."

To be fair, the run game woes are not just a running back problem.

The Panthers have a rebuilt offensive line featuring three starters at new positions, including the entire right side.

But arguably the biggest difference in the run game has been the health of quarterback Cam Newton, who has not been a running threat following offseason ankle surgery.

Directing the read-option offense, Newton was the epitome of a dual-threat quarterback until his ankle surgery. Newton posted 13,331 combined rushing

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and passing yards from 2011-13, the most in NFL history over a player's first three seasons.

But Newton had a career-low two carries in the loss to the Steelers, a week after matching his previous career low with four rushes in a win against Detroit.

The Panthers did not call one zone-read run against Pittsburgh, although Shula says he plans to gradually work Newton back into the running attack.

"We're going to keep watching and monitoring him and keep working to where we can work him into more of the running game, and pick and choose our spots," Shula said. "It's one of the best things he does. He's really good at it. Just because he's a little bit beat-up doesn't necessarily mean we're going to eliminate him running the football. But we also have to be smart about it."

In the meantime, Rivera said the offensive staff has to figure out a way to move the ball on the ground.

"A little bit has to do obviously with our quarterback's situation. We know that he's a big part of what we do, and the thing this shows us is we just can't rely on him all the time," Rivera said. "So now we've got to find other answers and other ways to do that."

The Panthers are trying to keep Newton healthy behind an offensive line that lost three veterans when left tackle Jordan Gross and guards Travelle Wharton and Geoff Hangartner retired during the offseason.

They may have some new running backs, too. In addition to Tolbert and Stewart, fourth-string back Fozzy Whittaker (strained quadriceps) is also hurt.

That leaves Darrin Reaves, who was activated from the practice squad last week, and Lache Seastrunk, who was signed to the practice squad last week, as the only healthy options behind Williams on the roster. Rivera indicated the Panthers would evaluate free agent options.

Despite the spate of injuries, Shula said he's committed to establishing the run.

"If there's a guy back there that's a running back, we're going to run the ball," he said.

The Panthers were looking for their first 3-0 start since 2003, the year they went to the Super Bowl.

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Instead, they'll head into Sunday looking to stay above .500 against another tough, physical AFC North defensive opponent in the Ravens -- a team that beat the Steelers 26-6 just two weeks ago.

I will, of course, be following up on Williams via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Rivera said he pulled a hobbling Newton for his own good late in Sunday night's game.

The Panthers allowed three sacks, but many more pressures. Some of that was on the Steelers who were getting there on three-man pressures throughout the game.

Part of it was on Newton, forced to hold the ball too long because receivers weren't getting open. ...

Kelvin Benjamin set career highs with eight receptions and 115 yards. His 35-yard touchdown was also the longest catch of his career. Greg Olsen had a 37-yard touchdown, his longest reception since he had a 47-yarder during a loss to the Chiefs on in December of 2012.

Jason Avant played through an injured thigh while Jerricho Cotchery missed the game due to his thigh injury. Both men were practicing on Wednesday. ...

Undrafted rookie Philly Brown played a handful of snaps on offense during the first two weeks, but he did not have a reception. Sunday night he not only caught his first career pass, but he finished with seven catches for 66 yards.

But early in the fourth quarter, with the Panthers down 23-13 and about to get the ball back, Brown muffed a punt. He tried to jump on it, but it slipped away. Then cornerback Josh Norman failed to corral it, allowing the Steelers to fall on the ball in the end zone for a touchdown, which effectively put the game away.

Once Brown picked himself off the turf, he was met immediately on the sideline by Newton.

"My thing to him was, he had too much of a good game to dwell on something that bad," Newton said. "That's just the moral of the game. One play was this player; the next play was that player. People just took turns making mistakes."

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb RB: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker FB: Mike Tolbert, Richie Brockel WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Brenton Bersin, Philly Brown TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams, Richie Brockel PK: Graham Gano =========================

=========================CHICAGO BEARSAs the Associated Press pointed out, Jay Cutler and the Bears needed to claw back from a big deficit last week.

On Monday night, they had to hang on against the New York Jets.

"It was quite a game," head coach Marc Trestman said after a 27-19 victory that wasn't sealed until the final moments.

Even after spotting the Bears a 14-0 lead with early mistakes, the Jets had one last opportunity to tie, getting into Bears territory on Geno Smith's 51-yard pass to Greg Salas. But Jeremy Kerley came down out of bounds in the back of the end zone after making a leaping grab of Smith's desperation fourth-down heave from the Bears 9.

Cutler then took a knee three times to seal the victory for the Bears (2-1).

"We just have to ride this momentum," Cutler said.

Last weekend, the Bears rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat the 49ers in San Francisco. They never trailed in this one, but they had a hard time putting away the Jets (1-2).

Cutler threw two touchdown passes to Martellus Bennett and Ryan Mundy returned an interception 45 yards for a score. Cutler finished 23 of 38 for 225 yards and Alshon Jeffery caught eight passes for 105 yards for the Bears, who got a 45-yard field goal from Robbie Gould to make it an eight-point game with 3:10 remaining.

The Bears wasted no time getting on the scoreboard.

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On New York's second play from scrimmage, Smith didn't see Mundy lurking in the flat as he floated a screen pass to Chris Johnson. Mundy stepped in front of the toss and ran it back for a touchdown.

After the Jets stopped the Bears on three plays on their first offensive series, rookie Jalen Saunders dropped Patrick O'Donnell's punt at his 40 and it was recovered by the Bears' Ahmad Dixon. Cutler threw deep down the right sideline to Jeffery one play later, and cornerback Darrin Wallswas called for pass interference to put the ball at the Jets 7.

Three plays later, Cutler rolled right and found Bennett in the back of the end zone to make it 14-0. ...

Now, the Bears will take the day off on Tuesday. Some of the injured players will come in for treatment, but the team won't convene at Halas Hall again until Wednesday to begin preparations for Sunday's game against NFC North rival Green Bay. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to ESPN.com's Michael C. Wright, Cutler never seemed to lose his composure even when the Jets managed to hit him, something New York did several times in the course of the game.

Cutler has thrown six touchdowns and zero interceptions the past two weeks. It's no wonder the Bears have won two straight. When Cutler protects the football, the Bears usually win. End of story. Cutler experienced an issue with accuracy every so often, but he still had a 94.7 quarterback rating.

The Bears will take numbers like those every week. Cutler looked relaxed on Monday. When he is in control and finds a rhythm, he's dangerous in the pocket. New York found that out the hard way.

Brandon Marshall was all over the news last week because of his three-touchdown performance against the San Francisco 49ers, plus the memorable news conference last Thursday at Halas Hall. Marshall injured his ankle in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium, and while he later returned to action, the wide receiver finished with just one catch for 6 yards on six targets.

If the Bears had practiced Wednesday, Marshall would have been held out, according to the Chicago Tribune.

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Since Marshall joined the Bears in 2012, this is the first time they have won when he has had fewer than four receptions, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

According to Wright, Marshall needs to lay low before the Green Bay game on Sunday. No practice. No press conferences. Just treatment on the ankle and rest. The Bears need to nip this sore ankle in the bud. It's hard to envision the Bears knocking off the reeling Packers without Marshall playing a serious role.

While most of the attention is on Chicago's big wide receivers in Jeffery and Marshall, Bennett has also become a major factor in the Bears' offense.

He leads the team with 20 catches and is tied with Marshall with four TDs -- and came in with a little extra motivation.

"I felt a little disrespected," Bennett said, adding that he watched a video in which Jets head coach Rex Ryan praised the Bears receivers and referred to him simply as "a big dude. ..."

Worth noting: Since the start of the 2012 season, Bennett has 10 touchdowns in Weeks 1-3. In Weeks 4-17, he has four touchdowns over the past two seasons. ...

Matt Forte struggled for the second consecutive week with 33 yards on 13 carries (2.5 yards average per rush). Forte didn't have much room to run against a powerful New York Jets front seven. The highlight of the rushing attack occurred when Cutler scrambled for a 16-yard gain. The ground game amounted to an afterthought on Monday night. ..

Fullback Tony Fiammetta injured a hamstring and safety Chris Conte hurt his left shoulder. Neither returned. Mundy suffered a severe stinger.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen RB: Matt Forte, Ka'Deem Carey, Senorise Perry RB: Tony Fiammetta WR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Santonio Holmes, Josh Morgan, Micheal Spurlock, Marquess Wilson TE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario PK: Robbie Gould =========================

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=========================CINCINNATI BENGALSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Joe Kay, when the schedule came out, the Bengals saw what was happening in the fourth week and bristled.

Teams prefer to get their week off later in the season, when they're worn down a bit.

But Kay notes the Bengals' thinking has dramatically changed since. They're off this week, and the timing now seems perfect.

Cincinnati (3-0) could use a break to get healthy after injuries sapped the roster. The AFC's only undefeated team could emerge rested and even better.

A 33-7 win over the Titans on Sunday got Cincinnati off to its best start in eight years. The Bengals are one of only three unbeaten teams left in the league, along with Philadelphia and Arizona in the NFC. And they've stayed perfect despite missing a lot of important players.

After a week off, they'll be getting some of them back.

Pro Bowl linebacker Vontaze Burfict sat out the win Sunday with his second concussion in two weeks. Receiver Marvin Jones missed his third game with a broken bone in his left foot.

"Obviously I can't wait to get out there and share that same intensity," Jones said Monday.

The Bengals will return to action with a high-profile game at New England on a Sunday night.

Right guard Kevin Zeitler is recovering from an injured right calf that has sidelined him indefinitely. Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Green gets a week to rest the injured big toe on his right foot that forced him to miss most of the Week 2 game. He returned Sunday and had six catches for 102 yards.

"It will be a good uplift for us to gain these guys back in practice, and for the opportunity for them to play in the next football game," head coach Marvin Lewis said.

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Kay went on to point out the Bengals have displayed their depth by winning despite the injuries. The offense has been hit particularly hard. Tight end Tyler Eifert will miss at least half the season with an elbow injury. Backup tight end Alex Smith is out for the season with a biceps injury. Jones broke a bone in his left foot during training camp but is expected to rejoin practice soon.

"Knowing me, I can get ready pretty fast," Jones said. "It takes a couple of practices. That first practice is always, 'Oh, my gosh.' It doesn't matter how much conditioning you do on the side, nothing can replicate you actually going in there and consistently running routes and stuff like that."

The Bengals also are expecting to get more out of defensive tackle Geno Atkins with each game. Atkins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee last Oct. 31 at Miami. He led the team with six sacks when he got hurt. The Bengals worked him in slowly during training camp.

Atkins has played between 41 and 49 snaps in each of the three games. He has no sacks and only three tackles but is holding his own in his limited role as he works his way back to full form.

"You just see his ability to play with power ... all the way through," Lewis said. "I think there at the end of the football game, he's still in there being an effective rusher.

"He's Geno. He's doing what he's asked to do."

Lewis also said running back Rex Burkhead also could return to practice as he recovers from a preseason knee injury. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Andy Dalton made Bengals history Sunday afternoon when he did something no other quarterback had previously done in franchise history.

He caught a touchdown pass.

With six seconds left in the first quarter of the Bengals' Week 3 game against the Tennessee Titans, Dalton caught an 18-yard pass from receiver Mohamed Sanu to put Cincinnati up 10-0 early. By halftime, the Bengals led 19-0.

On the play, Dalton rolled right before pitching to Sanu as if the receiver was going to run the ball. As Sanu ran toward the numbers on the right side of the field, Dalton reversed course and ran left. He was wide open when Sanu turned

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and threw across field. As the ball glided toward Dalton, Titans cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson approached from deep downfield. It looked like Wreh-Wilson had a chance to either tackle Dalton right away or jump the route and intercept the ball.

Neither happened. Dalton contorted his body to avoid contact with Wreh-Wilson and caught the ball as the defender ran by him. Dalton then sprinted toward the pylon before diving for it and scoring.

In addition to it being the first touchdown reception by a quarterback in Bengals history, Dalton's grab also made him the fifth quarterback in team history to have a reception of any kind. Sam Wyche (1968), David Klinger (1994), Akili Smith (1998) and Ryan Fitzpatrick (2008) also caught passes. ...

Sanu, who completed a 50-yard pass to fellow receiver Brandon Tate last week, is now 4-for-4 with 166 yards and two touchdowns as a passer in his career. ...

Green caught six passes for 102 yards one week after being forced from the game after just five plays with a toe injury. It was the 17th 100-yard game of his career, leaving him one shy of tying Cris Collinsworth for fourth place on the team's all-time list. ...

According to ESPN.com's Coley Harvey, when rookie running back Jeremy Hill spoke to reporters last week in Cincinnati, he said the goal for the running backs was to hit 100 yards rushing each game. It would be ideal to get to 150, he said. This past week, they at least hit the minimum threshold when they gained 116 yards on the ground. It's the second straight week they've gone beyond 100. ...

And finally. ... Also according to Harvey, offensive coordinator Hue Jackson gets last week's game ball for the way he called another creative game. Each week it seems he has some new trick up his sleeve that he's willing to show in order to confound defenses that have to face him later this year. In Week 1, he trotted out various formations, including a set that put offensive tackles Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith out in the slot as receivers. Last week, he called the successful receiver pass from Sanu to fellow receiver Brandon Tate.

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This week, it was Sanu's touchdown pass to Dalton that caught attention. Jackson has two weeks to come up with a new wrinkle.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT The Bengals are idle this week due to the NFL bye. =========================

=========================CLEVELAND BROWNSAs the Sports Xchange noted, the Browns head into their bye week feeling low and disappointed after losing to the Ravens on a field goal by Justin Tucker on the final play Sunday.

They will practice Wednesday and Thursday and then head to their mini-vacation before returning next week to begin preparing for their game against the Tennessee Titans on Oct. 5. They have plenty to work on between now and then to get back on the winning track.

"At the end of the day, it's only one game," quarterback Brian Hoyer said. "While we wanted to win this one, we have the bye week coming up and we're going to come in and study this film because we have a long season ahead of us. It's only the third game of the season. We're not going to be in panic mode."

The Browns were penalized 12 times in the loss to the Ravens. They were penalized a total of 12 times in the first two games. Two of the penalties were on the defense for having 12 men on the field. Veteran linebacker Karlos Dansby said the errors were the result of a communication problem the Browns should be able to clean up without much trouble.

"Anytime you get a bye week, it's good for the mind, body and soul," Dansby said. "We can take our time, make some adjustments and get ready for the long haul.

"We have to do better. We have to play technically sound and make better plays. That's the nuts and bolts of it right there."

The Browns are hopeful starting running back Ben Tate will be back from a knee injury by the time the Browns begin practice for the Titans. The injury kept him out of the games against the Saints and Ravens.

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Rookie running backs Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell put up good numbers in Tate's absence, totaling 345 yards and five touchdowns, but West in particular has been guilty of rookie mistakes. He was called for an illegal shift in the second quarter against the Ravens on a penalty that erased a 39-yard pass from Hoyer to Johnny Manziel on a trick play. ...

Still, head coach Mike Pettine would not reveal if Tate will regain his starting spot from West immediately upon return. ...

Meanwhile, the Browns were on the verge of entering their bye week with back-to-back wins, having upset New Orleans 26-24 on a Cundiff 29-yard field goal with three seconds left on Sept. 14.

Cleveland's opener in Pittsburgh also came down to the wire as it scored 24 unanswered points to tie the game, only to have Shaun Suisham make a 41-yard field goal at the gun for a 30-27 Steelers victory.

Despite those fantastic finishes, the Browns find themselves in a familiar position, looking up at Cincinnati, Baltimore and Pittsburgh in the AFC North Division.

Pettine indicated that changes will be made in hopes of eradicating the self-inflicted wounds.

"We talked about a lot of things and aired it out this morning as a staff," Pettine said. "It's our own dirty laundry, but we need to do a better job on the practice field. This is a bottom-line business and we need to clean up a lot of the procedural stuff."

Cleveland also is waiting on like a ruling from the NFL on the trick play

"It was our understanding, outside of Terrance not being set, that we were OK to run it given where we were on the field," Pettine said of the intentional deception. ...

Worth noting: The Browns had 305 yards of offense the first three quarters of Sunday's loss to the Ravens.

In the fourth quarter they had 70 -- and 70 came on one pass from Hoyer to rookie Taylor Gabriel. According to ESPN.com's Pat McManamon, the other 13 plays in the fourth quarter netted zero yards. Even the one positive play the

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Browns had was fraught with what could have been, because Gabriel was so wide open on the play he could have easily scored.

The Browns had that pass in their back pocket, Hoyer said, for the coverage Baltimore used. Gabriel called it "a perfect play."

"I saw he was wide open," Hoyer said, "just threw it and let him run underneath it."

Except Gabriel stutter-stepped as the ball was in the air, which forced him to lunge for the ball, which took him to the ground. He was able to get up and scamper to the nine, but had he caught the ball in stride he would have scored easily.

"I'm a little upset," Gabriel said of not scoring. "But at the same time it just felt good getting my hands on the ball."

It was emblematic of the Browns' fourth quarter, which was filled with mistakes. ...

Pettine said three games into a new system is not time to push any panic buttons. He said offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan is doing a good job calling plays and he sees no need to change the system that has him and Jim O'Neil collaborating on the defensive calls.

"There are times where you could make a cut-up of us and say, ‘This team's unbeatable,'" he said. "Then you could make a cut-up and say, ‘This looks like a bad college team.‘ That needs to even out."

Now they'll spend the off week trying to do just that. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Tight end Jordan Cameron returned from a shoulder injury to play against the Ravens, but he was targeted only three times and caught one pass. The off week will do him some good. ...

Josh Gordon, who had his indefinite suspension for a drug test failure reduced to 10 games by the NFL, returned to the Browns training facility Friday.

He is eligible to play on Nov. 23 in Atlanta, but cannot practice with the team or attend games in the interim.

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"Having a chance to get him back, it's a big positive for us," Pettine said. ...

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT The Browns are idle this week due to the NFL bye. =========================

=========================DALLAS COWBOYSIn an item published Monday, ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon asked: "Convinced yet about the Dallas Cowboys' commitment to the run?"

MacMahon went on to explain that if there was ever a time for the Cowboys to go back to their pass-happy ways, it was Sunday, when they trailed the St. Louis Rams by three touchdowns with a little more than six minutes remaining before halftime. At that point, DeMarco Murray had a grand total of 3 yards on five carries, plus he lost a fumble on a reception.

Murray finished the game with 24 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown, playing a key role in the Cowboys matching the franchise's biggest comeback. Dallas doesn't pull off the 34-31 victory at the Edward Jones Dome without imposing its will against a Rams defense geared up to stop Murray.

So the answer to the question is pretty obvious: The commitment to the run is real.

"It's trust," said Murray, who has at least 100 yards and a touchdown in each game this season. "They trust the offensive line, they trust myself to give us a few yards and get stuff going. That's what it's all about."

MacMahon went on to note you can't call the Cowboys' offense soft anymore. Not with three first-round picks on the offensive line paving the way for the NFL's leading rusher. And not with a coaching staff committed to punishing opponents on the ground, regardless of the circumstances.

"I think everybody's waiting for that to break and it's not," tight end Jason Witten said. "There's a complete commitment to run the football and continue to run the football and everything we do is off of that. That's just our football team. It's a little different than what we've been in the past."

Remember; the Cowboys had the second fewest rushing attempts in the league in each of the last two seasons. It didn't used to take much to get head

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coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Tony Romo to give up on the run and ride Romo's right arm.

"But," MacMahon explained, "this is the way Garrett, who won Super Bowl rings while standing on the sideline and watching Emmitt Smith and a big, nasty offensive line beat up opponents, has always wanted to play. He finally feels like he has the horses to do it after Dallas invested first-round picks in offensive linemen in three of the last four drafts."

"We're never going to be a team that hands it to him every frickin' time," Garrett said. "That's not how you play offensive football in this league. Teams can take the run away. They can commit people to the line of scrimmage. If they play eight-, nine-, 10-man fronts, you're not going run the ball. I don't care who you are. And similarly you don't want to get into a deal where you're throwing it all the time.

"You want to be balanced. You want to attack different ways. Keep finding different ways to run the ball."

That was the challenge for the Cowboys in St. Louis with the Rams consistently bringing an extra defender in the box and playing man coverage on the receivers.

Dallas did indeed find ways to get Murray going. Down 21-0, he was stuffed for a loss of a 2 yards on the first play of the next drive. But Romo handed him the ball four more times on the series for a 14-yard gain behind left tackle Tyron Smith, a 20-yard gain behind Smith again, a 4-yard gain behind center Travis Frederick and right guard Zack Martin and a 1-yard touchdown up the middle again.

Want creativity? Look at Murray's biggest run of the day, a 44-yard gain on a counter pitch after a fake end-around to Dez Bryant, with Smith leading the way around the left end and Frederick sprinting 40 yards downfield.

These Cowboys make you respect the run. And that puts defenses in position to get burned for a 68-yard touchdown by Bryant off a play-action fake.

"The approach to games is regardless of the front, regardless of the score, that's the way we're going to attack and everything else we do comes off of that," Witten said. "We're seeing that that's our identity."

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Added Bryant: "The identity that we're creating, we want it. We want it to be strong. We want the world to know who we are."

As MacMahon summed up: "The pass-happy Cowboys are a thing of the past. This is a smash-mouth team. That's their story, and they really are sticking to it. ..."

Seems like something fantasy owners can bank on for the foreseeable future. Further evidence of the team's confidence in Murray?

He has lost a fumble in all three games this season. As Profootballtalk.com's Michael David Smith pointed out, some running backs get benched when they keep fumbling, but Murray is at no risk of losing playing time. Murray is leading the league in carries (75) and rushing yards (385) and is tied for the league lead in rushing touchdowns (three), rushing first downs (22) and runs of 20-plus yards (three).

Garrett says he'll keep feeding the rock to his workhorse, and trust Murray to stop fumbling.

"We're going to continue to give him the ball and he's got to get it right," Garrett said. "He's going to get it right."

Murray acknowledged that he needs to do a better job of holding onto the ball.

"It's very disappointing," Murray said. "I'm very disappointed in letting that one go. I've got to get it fixed and I will get it fixed."

One concern?

Murray has 22, 29 and 24 carries in his three games so far this season, which puts him on pace for 400 carries for the season -- a total that only five running backs in NFL history have reached. A 400-carry season is an all but impossible workload, especially for a running back like Murray, how has had problems with durability in the past.

One other related note: Murray joined Tony Dorsett and Smith as the only Cowboys runners to open with three straight 100-yard games. Dorsett did it in 1981. Smith did it in 1995, when he had four straight games.

Other notes of interest. ... According to ESPN.com's Todd Archer, the clearest evidence that Romo felt better against the St. Louis Rams was not just his 16-

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yard scramble in the fourth quarter. It was how Romo moved from the beginning of the game until the end.

Romo, who completed 18 of 23 passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, noticed a difference.

"I felt stronger, felt as if everything was firing, activation sequence, blah, blah, blah, stuff like that," Romo said. "That wasn't necessarily as well as I wanted to probably the first couple of weeks. But I've played through injury and stuff before. You just kind of manage it and play to the best of your ability. It was good to feel better this week than previous. That helped."

Romo sat out of last Wednesday's practice, spending time in the weight room as his teammates went through the game plan. He did not miss a practice the first two weeks of the regular season, but he did not feel his best in either game as he works his way back from back surgery.

Romo said he wasn't sure if he will continue to sit on Wednesdays going forward -- and then he sat out this Wednesday. I'll suggest it's not something fantasy owners should panic over. ...

Romo completed passes to six different receivers with Bryant leading the way with six receptions for 89 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown reception. ...

Dan Bailey set a franchise record with a 40-yard field goal against the Rams. It extended his streak of consecutive field goals to 28, breaking Chris Boniol's franchise record set in 1996. ...

Cornerback Morris Claiborne skipped the walk-through practice and angrily left the club's Valley Ranch training facility Tuesday after being informed that Orlando Scandrick was replacing him in the starting lineup. Claiborne has started two of the Cowboys' three games amid Scandrick's 2-game suspension to start the season.

Claiborne's demotion came a few hours after Jerry Jones said on his weekly radio show that the third-year cornerback had not been worth the sixth pick of the 2012 draft, which Dallas moved up to acquire.

Claiborne returned to the team's facility on Wednesday and will play Sunday night against the Saints. "He obviously knew he didn't react the right way," Garrett said. "He came by last night and we addressed it."

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan RB: DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle FB: Tyler Clutts WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Dwayne Harris, Devin Street TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna PK: Dan Bailey =========================

=========================DENVER BRONCOSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Arnie Stapleton, head coach John Fox doesn't want to hear about moral victories.

Sure, there were plenty of positives to take from Denver's 26-20 overtime loss at Seattle on Sunday that was such a far cry from the shellacking the Broncos endured in the Super Bowl.

Emmanuel Sanders' career day. Wes Welker's return. Peyton Manning's poise. Demaryius Thomas' toe tap. A swarming defense that played lights out before getting gassed in overtime.

"Do you mean is there a moral victory? The answer to that would be no," Fox said Monday. "But like all games, you have things you do well and things you don't do well. We call it the good, the bad and the ugly. We ended up on the short end."

All those good things could prove ample tinder for another Super Bowl run, however.

"As I told the team, it was good," Fox said. "But we're looking for great. And we're not there yet."

The bulk of the blame this week went to an offense that's struggled to resemble the record-breaking unit that piled up points last year, when Manning set NFL records with 55 TD passes and 5,447 yards passing.

"You don't do that two years in a row," Fox said. "That formula doesn't necessarily work. So, we're not trying to mimic statistics. ... Everybody's looking at statistics. The only statistic that matters is winning."

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And the Broncos are 2-1 heading into their bye week.

Although it comes early, the Broncos welcome the break because they have plenty of corrections to make and changes to ponder, as the inconsistency and miscommunication in Seattle showed.

Denver's ground game has struggled without Knowshon Moreno. Thomas had two more drops, giving him five so far. Montee Ball fumbled the ball away on his first carry and gained just 29 yards on his final 13 runs.

C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman weren't any better, leading fans to clamor for changes to the O-line and for the Broncos to take the bubble wrap off rookie running back Juwan Thompson.

Asked about his offensive line, Fox didn't dismiss the possibility of changes.

"We evaluate everybody every day," Fox said. "So, those are all options at any position."

There was a notion this offseason that the Broncos made wholesale changes on defense but only tweaked their offense.

That's simply not true, Fox said.

"There's five new starters," he said. "You've got Emmanuel Sanders, he's a new link. You've got Orlando Franklin at guard, you've got (right tackle) Chris Clark on a wholly different side. You've got (left tackle) Ryan Clady coming off of injury.

"I mean, it's not a well-oiled machine," Fox said. "We've played three games. And one of those was against a pretty good defense in a pretty hostile environment, particularly on offense."

As for Denver's 75-yard rushing average, Fox said it's not unexpected given the small sample size, the tough opponents -- the Colts, Chiefs and Seahawks averaged a dozen wins last year -- and all the changes.

"We're all new. All those moving parts haven't played together yet," Fox said. "We have a completely different offensive line. We have a completely different running back as a starter."

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Ball insisted Monday that Manning's not going to have to carry this team by himself again.

"It's still early in a long season and we're going to get things going," Ball said. "Some people may disagree, but I believe we are tough. We do fight. I think we proved that yesterday.

"I just think we went up against three really good opponents in the first three games. Nobody's panicked. We've played the Colts, Chiefs, the Seahawks. Those aren't really cupcake teams. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... As noted above, Sanders established career highs in receptions (11) and receiving yards (149). Through three games, he is the Broncos' leader in receptions (25) and yardage (334), but has not scored a touchdown.

Welker caught six passes for 60 yards and played 47 of 70 snaps in his return from a two-game suspension that was shortened from four after a change in the NFL's drug-testing policy. The action was Welker's first since a concussion Aug. 23. He was on the receiving end of a shot from Kam Chancellor late in regulation, but he returned for the final series.

According to the Sports Xchange, Demaryius Thomas looks slow and hesitant, and caught just four passes for 31 yards, and Julius Thomas was a non-factor for most of the game, although he did score the Broncos' first touchdown.

Tight end Virgil Green will go through the league's post-concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's game with a concussion suffered in the second quarter.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT The Broncos are idle this week due to the NFL bye. =========================

=========================DETROIT LIONSAs ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein suggested, Reggie Bush figured to be a bigger part of the Detroit Lions' game plan Sunday.

Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi had stressed during the week he wanted to have more patience with the Lions' running game after two weeks of

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ineffectiveness. He also wanted to find a way for Bush, who has game-breaking speed, to be more involved.

Bush had 12 carries and 61 yards, more yards than he gained in the first two weeks of the season combined on almost as many carries. He had 15 total carries the first two weeks combined.

In fact, Bush played 37 snaps, or 49 percent of the offensive plays, as the Lions set season-highs for rushing yards (115) and attempts (38) in Sunday's 19-7 ball-control victory over the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field.

That marked the first time in three games this year that Bush played more than his co-starter at running back, Joique Bell, who was on the field for 36 snaps (48 percent) of the Lions' 75 offensive plays.

"He did a great job," Matthew Stafford said of Bush. "He was great in the passing game, really good in the running game. He was ball-secure, it was awesome. He's a guy that creates matchup issues, and when we get him space, he's electric and he showed that tonight. I'm just happy for him. Didn't get as many touches as he's probably accustomed to in the first two games, but he came out tonight with some fire and made every one of those touches count."

Bush was also targeted eight times by Stafford, the most Bush has been targeted this season as a receiver. He caught six of those passes for 38 yards.

"I think we just trusted the run game," Bush said. "We were patient in the run game. Coach continued to call run plays for us and trusted it was eventually going to break open and it did at a crucial situation.

"We were able to take advantage. We felt like we could run the ball against them and it was up to our offensive line to get the job done."

The Lions' rushing game is still struggling -- a 3.0 yards per carry average is not going to please Lombardi or head coach Jim Caldwell -- but Bush showed signs of life late Sunday, when he ran 26 yards around the left side of the offensive line for the game-clinching touchdown.

It was Detroit's only offensive touchdown against Green Bay and saved an otherwise rough offensive game for the Lions.

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"We knew he had it in him," Lions center Dominic Raiola said. "The more opportunities he got, the more he took advantage of it. He just got more opportunities this week and we know how explosive Reggie Bush is."

Bush, whom the Lions signed to a four-year, $16-million deal last off-season, had just 15 carries and 23 offensive touches in the first two weeks. The Lions failed to rush for more than 76 yards in either game.

As the Detroit Free Press notes, Bush and Bell have distinct roles on offense. Bush is best in space on the perimeter of the field and often lines up as a slot receiver. Bell is a better between-the-tackles runner, and six of his game-high 15 carries came on the final series Sunday, with the Lions trying to kill the last 6:54 off the clock.

Though Bell gained more than 3 yards on just two of those fourth-quarter carries, his 4-yard run on third-and-4 just before the 2-minute warning allowed the Lions to end the game by kneeling on the ball.

With one of the best run defenses in the NFL on tap this week in the New York Jets, it will be interesting to see how the Lions divvy up their running back snaps going forward. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Stafford threw two more interceptions and lost a fumble in the game, though one pick was effectively a punt that gave the Packers the ball at their 1. He finished 22 of 34 for 246, but made some poor decisions on passes despite the high completion percentage.

According to the Free Press, Eric Ebron (23) played fewer snaps than both Brandon Pettigrew (49) and Joseph Fauria (25) against Green Bay. Free Press staffer Dave Birkett described Ebron as a "bit player" in the offense. ...

The Lions cut rookie kicker Nate Freese on Monday and signed former Philadelphia Eagles kicker Alex Henery.

Caldwell said that during a tryout last week, Henery was accurate with his right leg. In 2013, Henery went 28 of 31 on field goals with a long of 51 yards, but he lost a training camp competition to Cody Parkey in August.

"He's going to be able to do the things that we require him to do," Caldwell said.

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Freese was 3-for-7 in the Lions' first three games and missed a 41-yarder at the end of the second quarter in Sunday's 19-7 win over the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. The kick was wide left and never had a chance. ...

Calvin Johnson wasn't on the field for the start of Wednesday's practice due to an injured ankle. It isn't expected to be an issue on Sunday.

And finally. ... Middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament Sunday.

Tulloch, the team's defensive captain and play-caller, suffered the injury celebrating a third-down sack of quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first quarter Sunday. He jumped in the air, mocking Rodgers' championship belt gesture and landed awkwardly on his left leg. Tulloch returned for the next defensive series, but was on the ground in pain after the first play.

Caldwell said Tulloch will undergo surgery. The Lions placed him on injured reserve.

DeAndre Levy, who started his career as a middle linebacker, filled Tulloch's role doling out defensive calls Sunday, and he or Tahir Whitehead will replace Tulloch long term in the middle. Ashlee Palmer can fill Whitehead's role on the strong side if Whitehead moves, but the Lions play the majority of their defensive snaps in nickel, which likely won't change.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore RB: Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Theo Riddick FB: Jed Collins, Montell Owens WR: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Jeremy Ross, Corey Fuller, Kevin Ogletree, Ryan Broyles TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Joseph Fauria, Eric Ebron PK: Alex Henery =========================

=========================GREEN BAY PACKERSAccording to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, teams have gone back to daring the Green Bay Packers to run the ball and even with Eddie Lacy in their backfield, they still can't do it.

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Like so many teams did after quarterback Aaron Rodgers' MVP season of 2011, the Detroit Lions spent most of Sunday's game at Ford Field sitting back in a two-deep safety look in an effort to prevent the Packers' passing game from heating up.

It worked just how the Lions drew it up.

The result was a 79-yard rushing performance that included just 36 yards on 11 carries from Lacy, who fumbled on his second carry and was stuffed for a safety 2 yards into his own end zone in the second quarter of the 19-7 loss at Ford Field.

"We've got to be able to run the ball when teams play us like that." Rodgers said. "It happened [after] 2011, we saw two-high all the time. We didn't run it great that year, but we ran it a little bit more effectively than we did today."

The lack of a running game made it easy to defend the Packers' passing game. Their longest play from scrimmage was just 18 yards – a pair of passes to Jordy Nelson and Andrew Quarless. It was the first time since Nov. 9, 2008 that they failed to have at least one 20-yard gain (passing or rushing). It also was the Packers' shortest long gain in a game since Oct. 5, 1998.

Through three games, Lacy has 113 yards on 36 carries, putting him on pace for 603 yards -- or 575 fewer than he had last season when he was the NFL's offensive rookie of the year. His start has left him puzzled and, perhaps more troubling, unsure of what has gone wrong.

"I don't know if I have to be more patient or speed things up," Lacy said. "But one way or another I'm responsible for the run game."

Lacy's fumble was his first since the fifth carry of his pro career, and it put the Packers in a hole for the second straight game. A week after the Jets turned a fumbled exchange between Rodgers and center Corey Linsley on the first play into a touchdown, the Lions returned Lacy's fumble for a score of their own.

"There's no excuse for that," head coach Mike McCarthy said. "That's two weeks in a row we've had a fumble on the first play and we fumbled the second play. That's unacceptable. And on top of it, it turns into seven points. We gave up nine points on offense."

On the safety, rookie tight end Richard Rodgers got blown off the line of scrimmage by defensive end Jason Jones. That prevented right guard T.J.

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Lang from pulling, which was his assignment, and by the time he saw linebacker DeAndre Levy shoot through his gap, it was too late.

But the problems in the running game are greater than just a fumble here and a safety there. Through three games, they have averaged 78.7 rushing yards per game after putting up 133.5 (the seventh-best average in the league) last season.

What's most alarming is that five of Lacy's 11 carries went for zero or negative yardage.

Multiple times, McCarthy tried to get Lacy stretched horizontally on pitch-outs rather than take it to Detroit north and south, something that could be considered odd for a 240-pound bruiser. Lacy indicated these pitches aren't anything new to the offense. Either way, he never got rolling downhill.

Of course, as Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel staffer Tyler Dunne suggested, the easy, cop-out answer is that the Packers have faced three of the best run defenses in the NFL.

But nobody in Green Bay is making excuses.

"We have to change our mind-set," Lacy said. "We had a few opportunities as backs that we didn't take advantage of, whether we made the wrong read or tried to press too much. It's a long season and we're going to get it to where we need it to be."

Nor do they have specific answers, however.

Over a short-winded, four-minute span, Lacy referenced the "film room" five times. Somehow, he needs to rediscover his 2013 magic.

Regardless, the Lions laid out the blueprint again. Count on more defenses dropping both safeties deep until Lacy, or James Starks, or someone else, makes them pay.

That will start Sunday as the Packers play the second of three straight NFC North games at the Chicago Bears. ...

In a few related notes. ... This was supposed to be Randall Cobb's big year, but most of the attention the receiver is getting these days is for not playing up to expectations.

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After being held to three catches for 29 yards in the loss to the Detroit, Cobb called out the offense and himself for a lackluster effort.

The Packers managed just 223 yards against a Detroit defense that came in decimated by injury and lost two more starters during the game. The Lions took away leading receiver Jordy Nelson and neither Cobb nor anyone else picked up the slack.

"Our defense played their butts off tonight," Cobb said. "We did nothing for them. It was kind of embarrassing as an offense, embarrassing myself the way I played.

"I have to do more, I have to give this team more. I have to look in the mirror first and see where it is that I can do more to help this team out."

Through three games, Cobb has 14 catches for 126 yards (9.0 average) and three touchdowns. His scores have come from 3, 1 and 6 yards and he only has one catch for 20 or more yards.

He was a non-factor from the beginning Sunday, dropping one of Rodgers' few perfectly thrown balls on the second series of the game.

Cobb said that the Lions played their safeties wide and covered man-to-man underneath, devoting just six players to stop the run. The coverage often rolled toward Nelson in a Cover-3 look once the ball was snapped, which should have allowed for Cobb or someone else to find a seam.

But Jarrett Boykin and Davante Adams were non-factors. The only pass catcher who offered Nelson (five catches for 59 yards) any assistance was Quarless (four catches for 43 yards, one touchdown).

Cobb said it wasn't too late for the offense to find itself.

"It's three games," he said. "It's a long season. We know it's a long season. We know how important every game is. We have to get better. ..."

The seven-point output is the lowest ever for Green Bay in games started and completed by Rodgers. What's more, his 162 passing yards is Rodgers' lowest total in a game he's played from start to finish. ...

For what it's worth, on his weekly radio show on ESPN Milwaukee, Rodgers copped to some poor throws and said that running 51 plays means the offense

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didn't play fast enough in the loss to Detroit. He also said that it wasn't time to panic or look for deeper reasons for the slow start to the season.

"Five letters. R-E-L-A-X. Relax. We're going to be fine," Rodgers said.

Rodgers called the Packers a "resilient bunch" and the fact they went from 1-2 to NFC North champs the last two years suggests that there's something to be said for the patient approach after three weeks of the season.

They better be. Fantasy owners are banking on it.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Scott Tolzien RB: Eddie Lacy, James Starks, DuJuan Harris FB: John Kuhn WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Ryan Taylor, Brandon Bostick PK: Mason Crosby =========================

=========================HOUSTON TEXANSAccording to ESPN.com's Tania Ganguli, he made the declaration surely and steadily, though it was one with which his head coach and several teammates disagreed. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick took the blame for the Houston Texans' first loss of the season.

"We're not going to win any games when I play like that," Fitzpatrick said after his worst game as a Houston Texan.

The Texans lost 30-17 despite being outgained by only eight yards, having a better average gain per offensive play than their opponent and a better average gain per pass play.

What once went the Texans' way went in the opposite direction Sunday. Turnovers turned their backs on Houston as the Texans looked to their passing game more with starting running back Arian Foster out with a hamstring injury. They shifted away from their ground game, and when they did, Fitzpatrick's old demons returned to haunt him.

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"Some interceptions happen, but that was just poor play by me," Fitzpatrick said. "You saw the first two games, the formula of not turning the ball over and forcing turnovers on defense and what that led to, which was two wins. Today, with three turnovers -- as a quarterback you really just hate losing, but you especially hate losing when it's kind of on you."

Through two games this season, Fitzpatrick was one of just two quarterbacks to have avoided both interceptions and sacks. Both of those streaks ended for Fitzpatrick, whose offensive line gave up two sacks against the Giants.

Fitzpatrick threw 34 passes and completed 20 of them for 289 yards. He threw one touchdown pass but three interceptions that resulted in a 59.6 passer rating. All three picks were on passes that traveled at least 15 yards through the air. His interception total could have been higher than that, were it not for fortunate bounces. One tipped pass hit Giants corner Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Another pass floated in the air, precariously around various Giants, as Fitzpatrick tried to get rid of it and salvage yardage.

This is not a new problem for Fitzpatrick, and it's something the Texans sought to curb during the offseason. Since he was drafted, Fitzpatrick ranks fifth among active starting quarterbacks for most interceptions per game with 1.07. He has thrown 93 in his career. The team's coaching staff has focused on helping him make smart decisions, and until now Fitzpatrick had.

On Sunday, Fitzpatrick's 34 passes were almost double what he'd thrown in the previous week's win over the Oakland Raiders. Part of that was due to missing Foster, who was sidelined again with a hamstring injury. Foster's absence likely contributed to the high number of long third-down situations in which the Texans found themselves. Foster averages 6.5 yards per rush on first downs.

"It's not just him, it's everybody," receiver Andre Johnson said. "I always tell people, my thing about football, you can't have one guy hit three home runs or have one guy go out and score 80 points. All 11 guys have to be on the same page. When we're all not on the same page, we don't go out and play the way we want to play."

Those long third downs required passing plays and twice ended in interceptions. Once, on a third-and-19 in the second quarter, Fitzpatrick tried to make something happen and instead threw his second interception.

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"There's plenty of shorter options there where I could just get us out of Dodge, check it down, not trying to be a hero at the end of the half," Fitzpatrick said. "That one really hurt because I know I'm a better and smarter player than that."

He showed as much in the Texans' first two games. Sunday's just proved too much. Now we'll see what he can do against one of his former teams, the Buffalo Bills, when Houston returns home this weekend. ...

Meanwhile, on Monday Foster couldn't say he'd definitely be ready to return against Buffalo Sunday, admitting the nature of hamstring injuries leaves him no choice but to take it "day by day" when the team returns to practice Wednesday.

"As soon as I feel 100 percent, I'll be out there," said Foster, who sat out the loss to the Giants after having back-to-back 100-plus-yard games to open the season. "It's my hamstring's call."

According to Houston Chronicle staffer Dale Robertson, Foster worked out before the game and admitted his leg felt "really good" but "obviously" not good enough for him to take the chance of making what already seems to be a chronic injury worse.

"I've played through a lot in this league – knees, shoulders, broken bones – but hamstrings are the hardest thing to gauge," Foster said, "because you don't know how it's going to fatigue or react to a certain cut.

After sitting out the entire preseason because of the strain, Foster carried a combined 55 times for 241 yards in victories over Washington and Oakland.

"It's frustrating watching your team play without you," he said. "I've put a lot into (getting ready for) this season. It's hard to stomach when all your people aren't out there, but it's part of the game."

Foster, who turned 28 in August, missed eight games last season with a back injury. He had previously struggled with hamstring and calf injuries before the 2013 season began. Foster had back surgery in November.

Foster was replaced by rookie Alfred Blue, whose 13 rushes for 78 yards included a 46-yard scamper that set up one of the Texans' two touchdowns.

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"I thought he played well," Foster said. "It was his first start, on the road, and he made some big plays. He has a good future in this league. I was proud of him."

Stay tuned. I'll have more on Foster's status via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to Ganguli, second-year receiver DeAndre Hopkins made one of the most incredible catches we'll probably see all year late in the second quarter. Between two defenders, Hopkins reached up to grab Fitzpatrick's deep pass with his left hand. He came down with the ball safely in his arms, but the play was called back due to an illegal formation called on Tyson Clabo, who had checked in as an eligible receiver.

Hopkins was excellent all day despite his offense's problems.

Johnson was limited to four catches for 24 yards against the Giants. Fellow wideout Damaris Johnson, who plays in the slot, caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Fitzpatrick.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Savage, Ryan Mallett RB: Arian Foster, Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes, Ronnie Brown FB: Jay Prosch WR: Andre Johnson, DeAndre Hopkins, Damaris Johnson, Keshawn Martin, DeVier Posey TE: Garrett Graham, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Ryan Griffin PK: Randy Bullock =========================

=========================INDIANAPOLIS COLTSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot, players were cracking jokes and cranking up the music Monday and the somber attitude that was around the past two weeks is gone.

All it took was one win to put everything in perspective.

"We're too young into the season to have a 'victory Monday,"' tight end Dwayne Allen said, referring to head coach Chuck Pagano's traditional

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reward -- an extra day off. "But it (the win) definitely energized us on the plane ride home. It was a lot of fun, and there was a lot of energy in the building today."

The next challenge is to keep that momentum rolling this weekend when the Colts host division rival Tennessee (1-2).

But in Indianapolis, this was a brand new experience.

Never before in the Andrew Luck-Pagano era had the Colts lost back-to-back games. Since 1999, the Colts had only opened 0-2 one other time. And after hearing all the talk about the low percentage of teams that make the playoffs after an 0-2 start and the even worse percentage for teams that go 0-3, the Colts were determined to remove themselves from that discussion.

They succeeded with an impressive 44-17 rout at winless Jacksonville on Sunday.

"It makes everything feel better," Luck said. "It's good to have a win, but you realize it's just one and we've got to get our home record back on track now."

Indianapolis (1-2) certainly appeared to take a major step forward.

Luck finished 31 of 39 for 370 yards with four touchdowns, a 140.4 quarterback rating and no turnovers for the first time this season -- a showing that earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He benefited again from a strong ground game. Indy has rushed for 313 yards in the last two weeks.

The Colts' 44 points at Jacksonville were the most scored in a game by a team dating back to Dec. 9, 2007 when Indianapolis defeated Baltimore 44-20.

Indianapolis finished the Jacksonville game with 529 net yards (385 passing and 144 rushing). That's the 10th highest total for a single game in franchise history. It's also the most since Dec. 5, 2007 at Tennessee (567 net yards)

Indy's defense, which was gashed by Peyton Manning early in the season opener and wore down late against Philadelphia's fast-break offense, proved almost impenetrable against the Jaguars in the first half, held tight in the second half and finished with four sacks -- three more than they had in their first two games combined.

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The result: Indy pulled within one game of division-leading Houston and put the fun back in the locker room.

But there's plenty to fix, too.

While Luck has reduced his interception total each week and had nine different receivers with at least two catches Sunday, he is still getting sacked and hit too often. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw is emerging as a dual threat with three TD receptions in the past two games, but the Colts still need Trent Richardson to become a bigger presence in a budding ground game.

The defense needs to cut down its penalties, one of which negated a safety Sunday, and is still looking for a more consistent pass rush.

"Sometimes it's hard to keep them from becoming complacent after a victory," Pagano said. "We've got to do a great job of making sure we don't take our foot off the gas and keep trying to get better."

After opening the season with back-to-back games against defending division champs, the Colts won't face another 2013 playoff team on the road all season. Plus, they'll play three of their next four -- Tennessee, Baltimore and Cincinnati -- at home.

The way the Colts see things, they got their postseason aspirations righted Sunday. What they must do now is stay there by keeping things in sync inside and outside the locker room.

"We didn't have to go out and reinvent the wheel," Allen said. "We just had to go out and play our game. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Pagano continues to be impressed by the play of Bradshaw, who has scored three receiving touchdowns over the last two games. Bradshaw missed most of last season with a neck issue and had surgery to correct the problem.

"He's a football junkie, a man's man. He loves to play the game," Pagano said. "And (he) plays the game the way you are supposed to play the game. Our guys feed off that."

As ESPN.com's Mike Wells notes, Coby Fleener had four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown, but it took only one play for his stock to drop. Luck threw a perfect pass to a wide-open Fleener in the end zone, but the ball went through

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his hands. To make matters worse, Luck was sacked on the next play, forcing the Colts to settle for a field goal.

Three of Luck's eight incompletion were considered drops, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. Fleener had two of the three drops. Still, Luck didn't shy away from Fleener after his two first-half drops. He continued to throw the ball to Fleener, and the two hooked up for a touchdown later in the game. ...

Receiver T.Y. Hilton's afternoon ended early because of an ankle injury, which happened in the first half when he caught a pass from Luck across the middle of the field deep in Jacksonville territory. Hilton finished with five catches for 80 yards.

Hilton was limited in Wednesday's practice with an injured ankle but it's not expected to be an issue this weekend. "He's going to be fine," Pagano said of Hilton. ... Linebacker Andy Studebaker will be day-to-day, Pagano said, after hurting his hamstring during Sunday's game.

I'll be following up on Hilton via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses. ...

Worth noting. ... Reggie Wayne, rookie Donte Moncrief, Hakeem Nicks, Fleener and Allen all had four receptions.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Chandler Harnish RB: Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Dan Herron, Dion Lewis FB: Mario Harvey WR: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Griff Whalen, Da'Rick Rogers TE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle PK: Adam Vinatieri =========================

=========================JACKSONVILLE JAGUARSESPN.com's Michael DiRocco reminded readers on Monday that the Jaguars' plan for rookie quarterback Blake Bortles was for him to sit the bench and develop and then step onto the field as the team's starting quarterback in 2015.

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DiRocco went on to suggest it was a smart approach, especially with the struggles that emerged along the offensive line and the three rookie receivers that made double-digit mental mistakes -- including running into each other on one play in Week 2.

Unfortunately, that strategy imploded after just 10 quarters.

After a lackluster first half in which the offense gained only 55 yards, generated two first downs, and scored zero points, head coach Gus Bradley benched veteran Chad Henne and handed the job to Bortles -- and not only for the second half of what turned out to be a 44-17 loss to Indianapolis at EverBank Field.

The Jaguars are Bortles' team now, and there is no going back. They have committed themselves to riding it out with the talented rookie for the rest of the season, no matter how ugly things become.

"He's going to go through some learning on the field," Bradley said. "Hopefully for us that learning curve means more good than bad. The challenge for us with him is just keep getting better. I think Blake really understands that's what it's all about."

DiRocco stressed it will be ugly at times. It was on Sunday.

Bortles, running to his right, threw a pass across his body toward the middle of the field that was so far behind receiver Allen Hurns that cornerback Greg Toler had an easy interception that he returned 47 yards for a touchdown. Bortles also lost the ball in his own end zone, tried to recover it, and had it bounce out of bounds for what would have been a safety -- except the Colts bailed him out by committing an illegal contact penalty to negate the play.

Bortles threw another interception on a deep ball to Allen Robinson and misfired on several other throws, including some that weren't even close. He went 1-for-5 on his first possession.

"There's going to be mistakes and that's part of the game," running back Toby Gerhart said. "Especially for him. Defenses are complex, run checks, whatever it may be, there's going to be times where he may not check it the right way. But we'll live with it and make the most out of it."

They will live with it because Bortles also can make plays: Evading defensive end Bjoern Werner on a bootleg, scrambling to his right, and lofting a pass

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down the sideline to fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou for a 26-yard gain. That is the kind of play Henne hasn't been able to make -- he was in a similar situation against Washington several times last week and was sacked -- but Bortles can make those plays over and over again.

"He kept plays alive," Bradley said. "He's got really good instincts. Made some really good decisions and some good throws, and then some of throws that you saw I'm sure he wished he had back. But we'll learn through those. I just love his mindset. I love the strength that he has. He is tough, hard-nosed, competitor and he will attack.

"And the team felt that part of it. I think it's no coincidence that all of a sudden we blocked a little bit better; the receivers played a little bit better. He has a way to uplift people and uplift a team."

It certainly won't be easy for Bortles, especially next week in San Diego. It's likely he's going to struggle in his first start now that teams will be game-planning to stop him. He's going to see more exotic coverages and defenses are going to blitz him mercilessly, especially if the Jaguars' run game continues to be anemic and the defense continues to play poorly.

He might, at times, look even worse than Henne did in the first two-and-a-half games. In fact, it's a virtual guarantee.

The Jaguars can't go back to Henne, though. They have jumped on the Bortles train and it's going to be a rough ride in 2014, with the hope that the lumps they take now will make things much smoother next season.

First up for Bortles, a tough task ahead as the Jaguars travel cross-country to play in San Diego. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Cecil Shorts missed the first two games of the season with tightness in his left hamstring, but he played all 60 offensive snaps against Indianapolis on Sunday. Bradley said before Week 2 that if Shorts did play against Washington they would monitor his reps. That apparently wasn't the case on Sunday.

Shorts was targeted 10 times and caught five passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. After the game he said he had no issues with his hamstring.

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"I felt good," Shorts said. "I tell you what, our training staff and our strength staff does a great job. They got me back real fast. It felt good to be back out there with the guys."

Now the question for Shorts is whether he can stay healthy for the rest of the season. He has missed 13 games with various injuries since being drafted in 2011, and he finished the last two years on IR. He has had hamstring problems, two concussions, a shoulder sprain (which he played through last season), and a sports hernia during the regular season.

He missed parts of organized team activities and minicamp this past spring with a calf injury, and sat out 23 days of the most recent training camp with tightness in his right hamstring.

Allen Robinson, in his most extensive game action thus far, is starting to show some of the promise that he displayed in the team's offseason program. Robinson was targeted 10 times in the Indianapolis game and came up with seven catches for 79 yards.

Meanwhile, Mike Brown continues to fall short when given his limited opportunities. In the only pass targeted his way on Sunday, he caught it but then fumbled it away after a 14-yard gain.

Marqise Lee (hamstring) isn't a lock to return this week, but I'll be watching for more in coming days. ...

Tight end Clay Harbor, who has been out since the second preseason game with a calf injury, could return to practice and see some action in Sunday's game in San Diego.

Mickey Shuler made his first start for the Jaguars, but was ineffective. He had one ball thrown his way and he failed to make the catch. His backup, Marcel Jensen had one catch for eight yards.

Four players combined to gain over 100 rushing yards for the Jags. But as the Sports Xchange notes, based on individual output for the starters it was a miserable game.

Denard Robinson came in to gain 33 yards on eight carries, Jordan Todman contributed a 10-yard run and Bortles showed his value as a runner with 10- and 20-yard gains on two quarterback keepers. Still, there is concern

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that Gerhart failed to gain 50 yards for the third consecutive game.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Chad Henne, Blake Bortles RB: Toby Gerhart, Denard Robinson, Jordan Todman, Storm Johnson FB: Will Ta'ufo'ou WR: Cecil Shorts, Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns, Mike Brown, Marqise Lee TE: Mickey Shuler, Clay Harbor, Marcedes Lewis PK: Josh Scobee =========================

=========================KANSAS CITY CHIEFSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Dave Skretta, "The sense of relief at One Arrowhead Drive was palpable. ..."

The first nine games last season were followed by what head coach Andy Reid calls "Victory Monday." With the exception of some meetings and treatments, players were mostly given the day off as a reward for a winning performance the previous day.

It took three weeks before the Chiefs' first "Victory Monday" this season.

Faced with the prospect of a 0-3 start, the injury-plagued team rallied for a 34-15 win in Miami on Sunday. Not only did it enhance the Chiefs' postseason prospects, at least when put in historical context, it also gave them a boost of confidence heading into what could be the toughest stretch of games they will play this season.

Next up? Monday night at home against New England. After that are road games against playoff contenders San Francisco and San Diego, separated by a get-healthy bye week.

"Just a great feeling," said Knile Davis, who ran for 132 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Jamaal Charles. "You know, wins don't come often. They are hard to get in the NFL. You get one, it's just a great feeling."

As Skretta suggested, it was a comprehensive win, too. No fluke.

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Despite playing without seven starters due to injuries and suspensions, the Chiefs dominated the Dolphins in just about every facet. Their defense held Miami to 332 yards of offense, and just a lone field goal in the first half, while an offense that has been unable to get on track through the first two weeks suddenly hit its stride without several of its biggest weapons.

Davis carried a surprising 32 times. Backup running back Joe McKnight, who wasn't even in the NFL a year ago, caught six passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Travis Kelce, who was hurt all of last season, caught his first career touchdown pass.

"Coach Reid put me in the best situation possible to make plays," McKnight said. "I just wanted to come out and help the teammates and just keep things going while Jamaal is out."

Charles was the biggest name missing Sunday, and Reid sounded hopeful that the Pro Bowl running back would be available against the Patriots. Along with a light day Monday, he was giving players Tuesday and Wednesday off, too, with the game scheduled for Monday night.

For Charles, that means extra time off his sprained right ankle.

Wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas, who electrified Chiefs fans in the preseason, still hasn't gotten on the field because of a hamstring injury that is throwing a curveball in his rookie season. Thomas tried practicing last week but was shut down, and his status is still uncertain.

Then there's right tackle Donald Stephenson, who will sit out Monday night to finish off his four-game suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

His return can't come soon enough for a beleaguered offensive line that allowed five sacks Sunday, and is on pace to allow nearly 60 sacks by the end of the season.

"Some of that, especially early, that was my responsibility," Reid said. "We're in long-yardage situations, taking seven-step drops. I have to be a little smarter with the play call. And then the other ones, we have to make sure we block the right guys and do the right things."

Those are quibbles, though. When the offense piles up nearly 200 yards rushing, scores more points than it did the first two games combined and

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overcomes a pair of turnovers and a safety with a series of long second-half drives, there is plenty positive to talk about.

"They're developing certain character there," Reid said. "You have to go through some tough times to develop that. They're playing hard, they're eliminating the clutter and that's a good foundation to start with. ..."

Charles should be back to full work in practice on Thursday when the Chiefs return to the field for preparations to face New England in next week's Monday night game.

Safety Eric Berry is also scheduled to return to practice on Thursday as is Thomas. Thomas has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since September 3 when he went down during a practice before the regular-season opener. He practiced for the first time last Wednesday, but did not get back on the field because of muscle fatigue.

It's safe to assume I'll be keeping a close eye on Charles' progress in coming days. Watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...

In a related note. ... It was all positive production out of Davis with the exception of one thing -- ball security. He fumbled twice, once in one of the worst spots for a back to ever give up the ball -- in the fourth quarter trying to protect a lead. Davis recovered his own fumble on the other lost ball.

As the Sports Xchange notes, they were the only blemishes on a performance that established Davis as the Chiefs best other running back in many years.

"You know, you get comfortable, you don't see what's around you and things happen," Davis said of the fumbles. "You've got to keep two hands on the ball at all times. It's that simple."

Reid wanted to focus on the positives of Davis' performance, knowing he'll be able to drum home the ball security-issue in the coming practice week. "He does need to keep it high and tight," Reid said. "He's always trying to get that extra yard and sometimes that's where the ball gets loose on running backs. There's a time when you just got to keep it in there tucked, get what you can and then get down.

"He was running very hard and he can learn from that. He's a young guy. He didn't play a ton last year because of Jamaal. You've got to give him credit for what he did today."

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It'll be interesting to see how much work Davis continues to get upon Charles' return. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to ESPN.com's Adam Teicher, the Chiefs did a nice job playing to the strengths of their receivers. Smith completed at least one pass to seven receivers. Most were short passes designed to take advantage of a receiver's ability to run after the catch.

That's what Dwayne Bowe does well, and Smith got him the ball in the open field more than once. McKnight wasn't used just on flares and wheel routes but also as a down-field receiver. Travis Kelce's first NFL touchdown came on an underneath route. He then outran the Miami defenders to the end zone.

Although the passing attack was productive, they allowed five sacks or one every six times that Smith dropped back to pass. As the Xchange suggested, the fact that Smith walked off the field under his own power was impressive alone and speaks to his toughness, but he won't last getting banged around like he was in Miami.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray RB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, Joe McKnight, De'Anthony Thomas, Cyrus Gray RB: Anthony Sherman WR: Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond, A.J. Jenkins, Albert Wilson TE: Anthony Fasano, Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, Richard Gordon PK: Cairo Santos =========================

=========================MIAMI DOLPHINSFor the second consecutive day, head coach Joe Philbin chose not to address his quarterback plans ahead of Miami's Week 4 matchup against the Oakland Raiders.

"At the end of the week, we're going to pick the 46 guys that give us the best chance to win the game in London," Philbin said Tuesday.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Monday there is legitimate talk the Dolphins might bench Ryan Tannehill for Matt Moore. Tannehill has

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struggled through three weeks and was unable to move the offense in Sunday's home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Philbin said Monday he wanted to have a QB in place by the time the team leaves for London.

Philbin was asked if he felt it necessary to sit down with Tannehill after the coach was publicly noncommittal about his plans.

"I talk to him all the time. So we have multiple conversations," he said. "So again, I communicate with him frequently. And yeah, any kind of -- I don't usually get into personal conversations that we have."

Tannehill's struggles have given Philbin pause, but consider it a surprise if the coach gives up on the former first-round pick now. Moore is a serviceable backup option, but he's not going to save the season. The Dolphins' offense -- and Philbin's coaching career in Miami -- rides on Tannehill reaching expectations.

He can't do that on the bench.

Tannehill has started all 35 games since being drafted in 2012. Moore has made 25 starts in seven NFL seasons.

Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor didn't hesitate when asked if he had doubts whether Tannehill would start against Oakland.

"No. Is there any doubt that I'll be the coordinator next weekend?" Lazor said. He added, "We all rent these seats, right? It's a production business, and that's what we're here to do -- produce."

As Associated Press sports writer Steven Wine notes, Tannehill ranks 32nd and last in the NFL at 5.0 yards per pass attempt, compared with the league average of 7.1. He has averaged less than 6 yards per attempt in each of his past five games dating to last season.

With a bye next week, it's likely Tannehill will get at least one more start before Philbin seriously considers a switch. Tannehill was hardly the lone culprit the past two weeks against Buffalo and Kansas City when Miami lost each game by 19 points.

"We have to become a more consistent team in all three phases of the game," Philbin said. "I have to do a better job, there's no question about that. ... We have to play better, and we have to get better quick."

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Many of the issues carry over from last season. Tackling has been a problem on defense, while Tannehill has been hampered by shaky protection and dropped passes. Slow starts are a recurring factor, too, with the Dolphins trailing at halftime by nine, 10 and 11 points.

The back-to-back defeats have made a season-opening win over New England seem like a distant achievement, while stirring memories of 2013's late-season collapse. Oddly, in the Dolphins' past six games they've beaten the reigning AFC East champion Patriots twice, while losing the four other games by a combined score of 102-32.

The most pressing problems are on offense. The Dolphins have managed only a single touchdown each of the past two weeks, even though they're averaging 5.2 yards per rush, second-best in the league.

Lazor cited the poor yards-per-pass average as his biggest concern, reflecting of an inability to stretch the field even with receiver Mike Wallace, one of the NFL's fastest players. Tannehill is 7 for 21 on passes traveling more than 10 yards, and he has only one completion of at least 25 yards, worst among the league's starters.

In the past, Tannehill and his coaches have agreed he needs to improve his accuracy and decision-making. Philbin and Lazor said they saw signs improvement Sunday.

"There were some examples in the first half when he played just like you'd want an NFL quarterback to play, sliding the pocket, throwing some accurate throws," Lazor said. "I thought he threw the ball more accurately than he did last week.

"I think he's going to watch the video and see some plays he'd like back. I have a pretty clear picture of the way that we coach him to help him get there."

According to Miami Herald staffer Barry Jackson, with Tannehill taking all the first team snaps Tuesday, Joe s refusal to name him the starter elicited chuckles and puzzled looks from players, who aren't sure why the coach is doing that. Indeed, NFL.com's Jeff Darlington reports that multiple players in the locker room have been told that Tannehill is scheduled to start Sunday against the Raiders. ...

Worth noting. ... With Tannehill struggling, ESPN.com's James Walker notes that Miami's receivers and tight ends haven't done their part to help.

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The Dolphins are second in the NFL with 11 drops in three games, according to Pro Football Focus. Only the Baltimore Ravens (12) have more drops this season. Miami's pass-catchers must be more consistent and do extra to help the offense at a time when its quarterback is in need of playmakers.

Wallace (five receptions, 74 yards) has 17 receptions for 211 yards receiving. No other player has more than 87 yards receiving.

Other notes of interest. ... Lost in Miami's 19-point loss was the fact Lamar Miller showed well in place of the injured Knowshon Moreno. Miller rushed for 108 yards on 15 carries and kept Miami's seventh-ranked running game going.

Miller is averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Prior to Sunday, Miller hadn't had a 100-yard rushing performance since Oct. 31, 2013. Lazor's offense has suited Miler well.

According to Jackson, the Dolphins and former Oregon star running back LaMichael James, who requested his release from the 49ers earlier this month, tabled discussions for now because Miller had a big game and they believe Knowshon Moreno's return isn't too far off.

Moreno is targeting the Oct. 12 Green Bay game, after the bye. ...

As the Sports Xchange notes, tight end Charles Clay (12 receptions, 79 yards, no touchdowns) continues to be a non-factor this season. Lazor said he would make sure he's calling the right plays to utilize Clay's talents. ...

Receiver Jarvis Landry continues to be up and down as a rookie. He had a dropped pass and fielded a punt at the 3-yard line. But he also returned a kickoff 74 yards and another 40 yards.

Kicker Caleb Sturgis missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt wide left against Kansas City. He's now 7-for-8 on field-goal attempts this season.

And finally. ... Not all the problems are on offense.

After the Sunday's loss, the grumblings inside the team's locker room about defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle grew so loud, they could be heard outside, Adam Beasley of the Herald reports. One source said Dolphins players are "beyond furious, irate" at Coyle's defensive adjustments and game plan.

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Players are privately questioning a host of decisions, including Coyle's call to have Cameron Wake and Jason Trusnik cover speedy Chiefs running back Joe McKnight in space, said another. McKnight exploited the matchups and had two touchdown catches in the second half Sunday.

"I mean, it's tough," linebacker Jelani Jenkins, who recorded a team-high 14 tackles, said when asked about the Dolphins' ugly performance Sunday. "We just have to make the adjustments."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore RB: Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Damien Williams, Orleans Darkwa, Knowshon Moreno WR: Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews TE: Charles Clay, Dion Sims, Gator Hoskins PK: Caleb Sturgis =========================

=========================MINNESOTA VIKINGSAs the Sports Xchange noted this week, a season that was going nowhere fast suddenly had a renewed sense of purpose when Matt Cassel was carted off the field in the second quarter of a 20-9 loss to the Saints at the Superdome.

In an unexpected blink and 13 games before it ideally was scheduled to start, "Teddy Time" officially began at the 12:15 mark of the second quarter. Three quarters later, the Vikings still had lost their second straight game by double digits, but the poise shown by rookie first-round draft pickTeddy Bridgewater could grow into a ray of light in a dark season that probably will be forever remembered as the year Adrian Peterson played his final snap for the Vikings.

No, Bridgewater didn't lead the Vikings back to victory from a 13-3 deficit upon replacing Cassel, who has multiple fractures in his left foot (he was placed on IR on Tuesday).

He didn't direct a touchdown drive, either.

But he didn't turn the ball over and showed veteran awareness in the red zone, which allowed the Vikings to close the gap to 13-9 on a pair of field goals.

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And he did this behind an underachieving offensive line against a Rob Ryan defense playing in the deafening Superdome during the Saints home opener.

"I wasn't nervous at all," Bridgewater said. "I mean, this is where I wanted to be. Unfortunately, the way it happened wasn't the way I expected it to. I was able to go out there and relax and look at my teammates and have them trust me and they all told me not to change. Don't change the game plan, just go out there and play football."

Cassel will be out for an extended amount of time and probably won't regain the starting job even after he's healthy. With Peterson on a special exempt list as he faces charges of child abuse in Texas, Bridgewater is now the face of the franchise.

Sunday, with limited reps in the week leading up to the game, Bridgewater posted an 83.3 passer rating, completing 12 of 20 passes for 150 yards. He also showed better-than-expected running ability, running six times for 27 yards, including an alert dart for a first down on a third-down red zone play.

"He will be ready (for the Falcons game on Sunday)," head coach Mike Zimmer said. "It will help to go back home. It will help to get all of the reps next week."

Zimmer was then asked how good he thinks Bridgewater will be. Without hesitation, the coach voiced what the Vikings have been saying ever since they began their intensive pre-draft search to identify the franchise quarterback that has alluded them for years.

"I think he'll be real good," Zimmer said.

In a season that doesn't appear headed toward the playoffs, at least the Vikings can begin working on the Bridgewater Era.

But there will be issues to work through.

Five key players had to leave the game because they were hurt:

Tight end Kyle Rudolph aggravated an abdominal injury he came into the game with. Zimmer said he will visit Tuesday with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia, the same specialist who performed surgeries on Peterson the last

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two years. Asked if Rudolph will need a procedure, Zimmer said no decision has been made but it's been widely reported the tight end will miss six weeks.

Zimmer did say that Rudolph might be back on the field soon enough to avoid injured reserve with a designation to return.

Right guard Brandon Fusco hurt his pectoral muscle, in the chest area, and was placed on season-ending injured reserve Tuesday.

Nickel cornerback Josh Robinson hurt his right hamstring, the muscle that limited him for much of training camp.

Linebacker Chad Greenway, who also played against the Saints with a broken left hand, aggravated a rib injury he was already dealing with last week. Asked whether Greenway could play through that against the Falcons, Zimmer said, "Not like he did this week."

Elaborating, Zimmer second-guessed himself for allowing Greenway to play after being in too much pain to practice during the week.

"He had a hard game yesterday. It's my fault," Zimmer said.

On offense, the Peterson-less ground game has been punchless. Protection by the offensive line, particularly left tackle Matt Kalil, has become an increasing concern.

"He allows one play to affect the second play sometimes," Zimmer said, adding: "It's like a golfer when he misses a putt and then he goes up on the tee box and has a bad drive. We're all going to have bad plays. He has enough athletic ability and physical skills and mental toughness. He has all those things. Now, he can't compound it by making another mistake."

Meanwhile, the Vikings have run for just 113 yards in two games without Peterson. In Sunday's loss to the Saints, Bridgewater and Cassel accounted for 32 of the team's 59 rushing yards. They opened their first drive with two running backs and two tight ends on the field, and showed a heavy run look with three tight ends on their second offensive play.

The team made greater use of fullback Jerome Felton as a lead blocker, returning him to the role that got Felton to the Pro Bowl in 2013. But there was still no room to be found against the Saints.

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"We need to work on a lot of things and get better," said running back Matt Asiata, who carried 12 times for 35 yards. "We can't look at [Peterson's] situation and make excuses. We lost the game. I mean, we got into the red zones a few times and just didn't capitalize. You put yourself in a great situation to score and we didn't do it."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported Sunday the Vikings do not foresee Peterson in their future plans, since he'd likely face NFL discipline even if he is able to enter a guilty plea and resolve his case in court quickly. Without him, the Vikings will have to figure out another solution, especially when they now count a rookie quarterback among the stakeholders in an effective ground game. ...

Other item of interest. ... Greg Jennings, who was taken out of the Patriots game when he was blanketed by Darrelle Revis, had team highs for catches (five) and yards receiving (70). Jennings also caught three passes from Bridgewater that traveled beyond 10 yards from the line of scrimmage.

That's a key stat for a Vikings offense that hasn't performed well in that area. One of the passes went for a 30-yard gain.

According to ESPN.com's Ben Goessling, once Rudolph left with a groin injury, MarQueis Gray was the Vikings' primary tight end in passing situations. He is familiar with Norv Turner's offense after playing under the coordinator in Cleveland last year.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Ponder RB: Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon, Joe Banyard, Adrian Peterson RB: Jerome Felton WR: Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Jarius Wright, Rodney Smith, Adam Thielen TE: MarQueis Gray, Rhett Ellison, Kyle Rudolph PK: Blair Walsh =========================

=========================NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTSAs Associated Press sports writer Howard Ulman framed it, "The New England Patriots have plenty of time to get their offense rolling.

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"The question is: Do they have the players?"

The offensive line is struggling to protect quarterback Tom Brady and open holes for running backs. The wide receivers, other than Julian Edelman, have contributed little. The tight end production will be limited until Rob Gronkowski regains his form after offseason knee surgery.

"We can do just really pretty much everything better offensively," head coach Bill Belichick said. "Everything. Blocking, throwing, catching, running, run reads, routes, distribution, you name it."

That became obvious Sunday when they needed a last-minute interception deep inside their territory to hold off the winless Raiders for a 16-9 win.

Oakland came in with the NFL's worst run defense, allowing 200 yards per game. New England managed just 76.

The Patriots gained only 297 yards, their second straight game with fewer than 300.

And wide receivers other than Edelman caught just five passes.

Kenbrell Thompkins, who had one of those catches, said Monday he's concerned that an offense that has worked together through organized team activities in May, mini-camp in June and training camp in July and August, still is struggling to get into a rhythm.

"Mistakes will be made and we're not perfect," Thompkins said. "The game's going fast, everybody's playing fast, things are flying around, so we're just going out there and react to certain situations."

In the last seven seasons, the worst the Patriots finished in offensive yardage was eighth. They were first in 2007 (411.3 yard per game) and 2012 (427.9), second in 2011 (428) and third in 2009 (397.3).

Now their 27th with 301.3 and have just three offensive touchdowns in the last 10 quarters.

"Starting 0-1, it's good to be 2-1," Brady said, "but, obviously, there is a lot of room for improvement."

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While the offensive line is probably first in line in that regard, the wide receivers are an issue as well.

Edelman has been sure-handed and elusive with 22 catches. The others have a total of 14, led by Thompkins with six.

Brandon LaFell has four after a career-high 49 last season with Carolina. Danny Amendola, a disappointment since signing a five-year, $31 million contract before last season, has three. Aaron Dobson, inactive despite being healthy Sunday, has one after making 37 catches as second-round draft pick last year.

With poor protection forcing Brady to throw quickly, that mediocre group has little time to get open.

"We've got some new players. We've got different things that are happening," Brady said. "We're all trying to get used to one another and used to the things we're doing.

"At the end of the year, you're in a position to, hopefully, make the playoffs."

It will be easier if Gronkowski keeps progressing.

"I definitely think that Rob has made some plays for us. I certainly think that will continue and hope that will continue," McDaniels said. "We are trying to work him back into the game plan to an overall level where he can contribute the most.

"And I think each week we have done a little bit more, and hopefully we can continue to do that. I think that any time you are talking about a player who is coming off a situation like Gronk was, you have to be smart and you do what you can do. I'm happy with the things that he has done so far, and we will continue to add more as we go through the year."

As ESPN.com's Lee Schechter notes, Gronkowski played 38 of 86 snaps against Miami, 28 of 67 against Minnesota (a drop likely due to the use of extra offensive lineman Cameron Fleming at tight end) and 42 of 73 snaps against Oakland. The increased workload against the Raiders is a good sign that Gronkowski is inching closer toward being a steady contributor to the offense.

A moment that stood out in Gronkowski's progression was a 16-yard catch in the second quarter Sunday to set up the team in the red zone. Gronkowski

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lowered the pads and dragged four Raiders defenders -- basically, Gronk being Gronk.

The Patriots will need more of that because they need versatility in the passing game. McDaniels said the increase is coming.

"Rob has done the things we have asked him to do. He has been fine in terms of his assignments and his conditioning," McDaniels said. "But we just have to try to add to it as we go throughout the course of the year."

The Patriots have an extra day to prepare for their next game on Monday at the Kansas City Chiefs. They stress that they tend to improve as the season goes on. There's plenty of room for that as Belichick tries to find the best combination of offensive linemen and figure out a way to get more wide receivers involved in the attack.

"We're trying to build something," Brady said, "but we have to improve everything. ..."

In a related note. ... Edelman's 22 catches through three games easily lead the Patriots. What stood out to Raiders safety Charles Woodson was how the Patriots, with little else going for them, maximized Edelman on Sunday. A 17-year veteran, Woodson reflected to his early years in the NFL when coming up with a comparable match for the 5-foot-10, 200-pound Edelman.

"He reminds me of Wayne Chrebet a little bit," he said of the former Jets slot receiver who played from 1995-2005. "A guy they keep on the move, a smaller guy who has a knack for getting open and making big catches, especially third-down situations. They put him in position to be successful and keep him moving him around and you're not going to be able to get your hands on him as much if you are in a man-to-man situation with him."

For his part, Edelman knows that at his size, he has to protect himself whenever possible. He was upset with himself for attempting to hurdle a defender in the second half and absorbing a big hit.

"I've got to play a little smarter," he said. "I've got to protect myself a little better with the ball in my hands if I'm going to be there for 16 games."

That's a must for a Patriots offense, of course.

Because without Edelman, it wouldn't be much of an offense at all.

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In another related note. ... Dobson, a 2013 second-round draft pick who is the team's best deep threat, was a healthy scratch in favor of LaFell, Thompkins and Amendola. Dobson played in his first regular-season game last week in Minnesota (Thompkins was scratched) as the Patriots are playing some musical chairs at receiver, trying to find the right combinations.

According to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss, that Dobson wasn't part of the mix Sunday is a surprise.

Thompkins, who had been a healthy scratch a week earlier, replaced Dobson on the active roster against Oakland, catching one pass for 16 yards a week after Dobson caught one pass for 13 yards.

"We just try to take everything into consideration when we go with our final 46-man active roster -- the game plan, the matchups, the different roles in the kicking game and sometimes how that affects other positions," Belichick said Monday.

One last thought on this. ... After talking to multiple reporters who cover the team on a daily basis, the bottom line is this: Until Brady gains a level of trust in any receiver's ability to be where they're supposed to be when they're supposed to be there (in terms of route-running), they aren't going to get the football. Period. ...

A few final items. ... As the Sports Xchange notes, the Raiders came in having allowed 400 yards on the ground and a 5-yard average through two games. The Patriots mustered just 76 yards and a 2.4-yard average on 32 attempts. Stevan Ridley "led" the way with 19 attempts for just 54 yards and a 2.8-yard average. The offensive line isn't protecting Brady and it isn't opening up much room to work on the ground.

James White, a fourth-round rookie, was a healthy scratch for the third straight week to open his career.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo RB: Shane Vereen, Stevan Ridley, Brandon Bolden, James Develin, James White WR: Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Kenbrell Thompkins, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson, Bryan Tims, Matthew Slater TE: Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Michael Hoomanawanui

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PK: Stephen Gostkowski =========================

=========================NEW ORLEANS SAINTSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Brett Martel, the Saints are taking a critical look at their first victory of the season.

While they're relieved they've finally won after a pair of close loses to open the season, they're not entirely happy with how they played in their home opener against Minnesota.

"Obviously a ton of stuff to keep working on and I don't think anyone is satisfied with how the game ultimately unfolded, and yet we're happy with the win," right tackle Zach Strief said. "Nobody is celebrating. Nobody's patting themselves on the back."

New Orleans' next test comes back on the road this Sunday night at Dallas. When the Cowboys, who've won two straight, review the Saints' latest performance this week, they'll see the Vikings keeping Drew Brees and Co. from scoring throughout the entire second and third quarters.

Indeed, Minnesota was in position to retake possession, down only four points, at the end of the third quarter on Captain Munnerlyn's third-down sack of Brees, but an unnecessary roughness penalty gave the Saints a first down.

The drive continued until Brees found Marques Colston for a touchdown.

"You're looking to see where we're deficient, what do we need to improve on," head coach Sean Payton said Monday, after reviewing video of the game. "There's a lot of room for us to get better. I say that in a positive way."

New Orleans' defense was far more effective against Minnesota than it had been against Atlanta or Cleveland, allowing just 247 yards and three field goals. Yet Minnesota was missing star running back Adrian Peterson, while quarterback Matt Cassel left the game with a broken foot early in the second quarter.

Defensively, the Saints also have been looking to produce more turnovers, but have not created on since their lone forced fumble in Week 1.

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"We've got to come together as a unit and figure out how we're going to get takeaways," safety Jairus Byrd said.

Byrd, who had 22 interceptions in his first five NFL seasons, noted that opponents have seemed reluctant to throw deep, reducing chances for him to make plays on balls in the air.

"I've got to figure out how teams are attacking us and how I can affect that and create turnovers, whether it's interceptions, forced fumbles, whatever," Byrd said. "If teams aren't taking shots, you've got to kind of adjust your game and figure out opportunities when they present themselves."

Payton said increased turnovers usually results from doing other things well, such as pressuring quarterbacks and getting multiple tacklers to ball carriers.

"I don't think you can just hand out a tip sheet and say we need more takeaways," Payton said. "The better question is: All right, how do we create more takeaways? And there are a lot of things that go into that."

Still, Payton seemed pleased by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's effort to simplify his scheme, recognizing that some of his more complex calls weren't getting the desired results because of players botching assignments.

"It needs to be clear, it needs to be simplified. With that, you reduce variation and you reduce the variables that go into execution," Payton said. "I thought Rob and the staff did a good job."

Offensively, Payton wants to see the Saints maintain the type of third-down and red zone efficiency they had against Minnesota. The Saints converted nine of 13 third downs and might have scored touchdowns on all three trips inside the Minnesota 20 had they not chosen to run out the clock in the final instance.

And while the Saints' 108 yards rushing and 3.4 yards per carry were not spectacular, Payton liked that the Saints were able to run well while running out the clock.

"I was happy we were able to finish the game running the football (and then) taking a knee, because that's often times challenging in our league," Payton said.

The Saints may be without starting center Jonathan Goodwin for an extended period of time after the 13-year veteran went down with a lower leg injury in

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the third quarter of Sunday's win. The NFL Network reported Monday that Goodwin, who was seen in the locker room after the game on crutches and wearing a walking boot on his left foot, suffered a high-ankle sprain.

In the meantime, the Saints will turn to second-year pro Tim Lelito, who spent much of the summer with the first-string offense while competing with Goodwin for the starting job. ...

Other notes of interest. ... One week after having his 86-game streak with at least one reception snapped in a loss to the Cleveland Browns, Colston had two big catches in the win over the Vikings. Colston, the Saints' all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, was not targeted on 41 snaps against the Browns.

That came after he had five receptions for 110 yards in the season opener against Atlanta, but had a drop in overtime that was followed by a fumble that set up the game-winning field goal for the Falcons

On Sunday, Colston dropped the first pass thrown his way in the first half, but later caught two balls on the drive including the above-mentioned 18-yard TD.

"That was huge for all of us because he's our leader," wide receiver Kenny Stills said. "We really feed off him and for him to go out there and make a play like that between two defenders who are going to crunch him like that and get into the end zone excites us as a receiving corps and as an offense."

The touchdown pass Colston caught from Brees was their 64th scoring play since they both joined the Saints in 2006.

Colston, a seventh-round draft pick that season, and Brees moved into seventh on the NFL's all-time list for most touchdowns for a quarterback-wide receiver combo. They had been tied for eighth place with the Baltimore Colts' Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry. ...

After picking up 38 yards on six attempts in their 80-yard drive to Pierre Thomas' 1-yard TD run on the first possession, the Saints were slowed down a bit on the ground by the Vikings. The Saints added just 70 yards on 26 carries the rest of the afternoon and finished with 108 yards and a 3.4 average on 32 attempts. They had long runs of 13 and 11 yards by Khiry Robinson and Thomas, respectively, with both coming on their opening drive.

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Robinson started in place of an injured Mark Ingram and had a game-high 69 yards on 18 attempts, while Thomas netted 30 yards on eight tries.

Ingram did not play against the Vikings because of a fractured hand that he suffered on Sept. 14 and could miss three more games.

Fullback Erik Lorig missed his third consecutive game Sunday because of an ankle injury that he suffered early in training camp and his return is unknown.

And finally. ... With the win against the Vikings in their home opener, Payton has now won 18 consecutive games in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Payton was 8-0 in the Superdome in 2011 and 2013 and also had a wild-card playoff win against the Detroit Lions in 2011. Payton, who served a season-long bounty suspension in 2012, has won 21 of his last 22 games at home dating to the 2010 campaign.

His last loss came at the hands of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-13, in the 2010 regular-season finale.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown RB: Khiry Robinson, Pierre Thomas, Travaris Cadet, Mark Ingram FB: Austin Johnson, Erik Lorig WR: Marques Colston, Kenny Stills, Brandin Cooks, Joe Morgan, Robert Meachem, Nick Toon TE: Jimmy Graham, Ben Watson, Josh Hill PK: Shayne Graham =========================

=========================NEW YORK GIANTSEli Manning is finding his comfort zone in the New York Giants' new West Coast offense.

As Profootballtalk.com's Josh Alper reminded readers, before the season, the Giants talked about Manning completing 70 percent of his passes during the 2014 season.

The claim was met by plenty of scoffing and the laughing didn't die down in the first week of the season, but it seems less outlandish after Week 3.

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After a couple off iffy performances, the 11-year veteran hit 75 percent of his passes (21 of 28), threw two touchdowns and did not turn the ball over in a 30-17 win over Houston on Sunday. His quarterback rating was a whopping 123.2.

As Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan noted, Manning had help. His line protected him and opened holes for Rashad Jennings to rush for a career-high 176 yards. His receivers also made big plays.

Manning knew it would just be a matter of time before he got on the same page with the rest of the offense.

"It's coming around," Manning said Tuesday after the Giants (1-2) practiced for Thursday night's game against the Redskins (1-2). "You need some live games. Practice is one thing. Live games are different. It's a different speed, a different pace. It's seeing things. That's where you get your best reps and a better feel for things."

Offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo felt the offense made progress Sunday, gaining 419 yards while holding the ball for more than 32 minutes.

The most noticeable changes are the quickness in which the Giants are getting to the line of scrimmage and Manning's comfort in calling the plays and having the time to make the right read.

In the opening two losses, he seemed frustrated. He didn't have enough time to throw, and he and his receivers were just a tad off on their timing or their location.

A sprained ankle in the season finale against Washington forced Manning to miss some workouts in the offseason, but he been making progress since training camp opened.

"I think he's grown each week. He's done the types of things he has to do," head coach Tom Coughlin said. "He controls the no-huddle very, very well. He's communicated well with receivers and with the offensive line in terms of changing protections when necessary. He's thrown the ball well. He's throwing it in good rhythm. His feet have been good."

Manning still has his moments that make people shake their heads. In the second quarter Sunday after New York got a first down at its own 39 on an 18-yard run by Jennings, the Giants went play action, and Manning looked deep down the middle for Rueben Randle. The Texans weren't fooled and had

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double coverage. Manning threw the pass anyway and was lucky it was not intercepted.

It was a mistake that showed Manning, who had a career-high 27 interceptions last season, and the Giants still have a ways to go in making the new offense work.

Tight end Larry Donnell, who leads the team with 18 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown, said he sees Manning making the throws every day in practice.

"He's got it," he said. "It was just getting everyone on the same page and everybody being where he expected us to be -- on time."

Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka smiled when told that about two dozen quarterbacks have played for NFC East teams since Manning became the Giants' starter midway through his rookie season in 2004.

"That's a testament to his preparation and skill level," Kiwanuka said. "He gets beat down a lot when we lose, but he should get praised equally as much when we win. He had a tremendous game. He came out, prepared in the face of everybody talking bad about him. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... For the first time since the middle of August, the rookie receiver Odell Beckham ran routes at full speed and caught passes during the individual portion of practice Tuesday, per Newark Star-Ledger's Jordan Raanan. The wideout was limited in practice.

"Odell looked good. He definitely showed some burst," Manning said, per Raanan.

The quarterback noted that the Giants will sprinkle in Beckham moving forward.

Beckham has battled a nagging hamstring injury that caused him to miss all five preseason games and the first three weeks of the season.

The first-round pick has been ruled out for Thursday's divisional game against the Washington Redskins and has targeted Week 5 as his NFL debut.

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As NFL.com noted, the 21-year-old entered the NFL labeled as a polished route runner with big-play ability. Beckham's injury has been one cause of frustration for Coughlin.

Tuesday was a step toward easing that irritation. ...

Jennings' two best games running the ball have been against Houston. He ran for 150 last year as a member of the Raiders and, as noted above, went for 176 on 34 carries.

The 34 carries were the most by a Giant since Dec. 5, 1999, when Joe Montgomery had 38. His 176 yards were the highest total by a Giants back since Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 200 yards on 30 carries vs. Cleveland on Oct. 7, 2012.

"I had no idea what the stats were," said Jennings, who atoned for a key fourth-quarter fumble last week. "I wear a pacifier. The reason why I wear a pacifier -- I just shut up and work."

In a related note. ... Rookie running back Andre Williams might be more involved in the game plan at Washington, according to ESPN.com's Dan Graziano. That's because Jennings is coming off a career-high 34 carries Week 3 against Houston.

With the short turnaround for Jennings, the team is monitoring him closely. Williams has received 19 carries in three games, producing just 39 yards. ...

It didn't' take Victor Cruz long to get back in the good graces of Giants fans. The veteran wide receiver and newly minted team captain had a rough week hearing about all of last week's drops. He made up for it with his first big game of the year -- and his first touchdown catch and end zone salsa dance since Week 4 of 2013.

Cruz had five catches for 107 yards, including a 61-yarder and his 26-yard touchdown catch that started the scoring.

"It's been a long time since I got in that end zone," said Cruz. "It felt good to dance again, but my hips hurt from dancing."

Coughlin confirmed that starting safety Stevie Brown, was benched late in the third quarter of Sunday's game. Brown, who gave up a 44-yard touchdown reception by Damaris Johnson, was removed in favor of rookie Nat Berhe,

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one of the Giants' two fifth-round draft picks this year. Berhe finished out the game.

Last week, Coughlin opined that Brown, the team's 2012 leader in interceptions with eight, didn't look like he was all the way back to his pre-injury self.

Coughlin wouldn't confirm if Brown, who is continuing to work his way back from ACL surgery, will be back in the starting lineup on Thursday when the Giants travel to Washington for a nationally televised game, but multiple reports indicate the team will go with Quinton Demps as the starter this week. ...

Middle linebacker Jon Beason was able to practice some, and it's possible he could play Thursday in spite of his foot injury. "We look at him every morning and see how he feels and so on and so forth," Coughlin said. "He did okay today and we'll see what it's like tomorrow."

Linebacker Devon Kennard (hamstring) was the only Giants player who did not practice Tuesday. He said he did some running and is feeling better.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib RB: Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Peyton Hillis RB: Henry Hynoski WR: Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, Preston Parker, Corey Washington, Odell Beckham TE: Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson PK: Josh Brown =========================

=========================NEW YORK JETSAs Associated Press sports writer Dennis Waszak Jr. noted on Tuesday, head coach Rex Ryan and the New York Jets have plenty of questions they need answered.

The status of their starting quarterback is not one of them. At least as far as the coach is concerned.

"I think everybody's behind Geno," Ryan said Tuesday. "He's our quarterback and our football team believes in him, so that's it."

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The vote of confidence comes as the Jets are off to a 1-2 start following a 27-19 loss on Monday night to the Chicago Bears.

Smith had a rough game, with one of his two interceptions -- on his first throw of the game -- returned for a touchdown.

The second-year quarterback had a few other throws nearly picked off, and some of the suspect decision-making that marked his rookie season showed up again at times. That all had some fans calling for the Jets to consider replacing Smith with backup Michael Vick.

"We're happy that we have Mike Vick on this team," Ryan said. "But, we believe in Geno. We understand that it wasn't great and he made some mistakes, but we've just got to get better and we've got to learn from these and then move on."

The Jets signed Vick in the offseason to give them insurance in case Smith stumbled this season after he went through an up-and-down rookie year. They gave Smith the majority of snaps with the first-team offense throughout the offseason and training camp, hoping he would continue to progress.

While three games might be premature to make a quarterback switch, the calls for Vick could start increasing -- especially if Smith struggles again Sunday at home against Detroit.

In three games, Smith has three touchdown passes, four interceptions and five turnovers overall. And that comes after the Jets stressed with Smith all offseason about the importance of protecting the football.

"Here's why I believe so much that Geno will improve: I've seen him improve," the coach said. "I've seen him make huge improvements, from where he was last year and from how he progressed through the season, where he's at. But I'll say this: I think he's going to continue to improve. I truly believe that."

Smith isn't the sole source of the Jets' troubles early on. They scored one touchdown in six trips into the red zone against the Bears, and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg had some questionable play calls at times.

Despite Chris Ivory having success running the ball throughout -- he had 44 yards on 10 carries -- he was used sparingly late in the game. Chris Johnson ran 10 times for 34 yards and hasn't looked like the explosive runner he was for so many years in Tennessee.

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"Maybe Chris Ivory will get more time because he's certainly running hard, he's doing a great job out of the backfield and there's not a whole lot of guys that want to tackle him," Ryan said. "I mean, he's done a great job. I think with Chris Johnson, it's a matter of time before we get him going."

Ivory generated 96 yards from scrimmage. In his post-game analysis, NFL.com's Dan Hanzus noted that Ivory is the better back -- "and it's not close."

Whereas Johnson refreshingly ran north and south and lowered his shoulder throughout the preseason and in Week 1, he reverted to backing through the hole against the Bears on Monday night.

Although Ivory's smashmouth style conjures up images of Marshawn Lynch's "beast mode," that physicality has prevented him from staying healthy for more than a month or two at a time.

Ivory's effectiveness will likely lead to a heavier workload -- until the wear and tear forces Ryan to turn back to Johnson as the primary ball carrier. ...

The wide receiver spot is a bit uncertain because of the status of Eric Decker, who left the game with tightness in his right hamstring. He played only 12 snaps against the Bears after being questionable with the hamstring already ailing.

Ryan said Decker thought he was healthy enough to play, so they took a chance on him being able to perform. He caught one pass for 19 yards before pulling himself out of the game. Ryan said he's hopeful Decker will be able to play against the Lions.

According to ESPN.com's Rich Cimini, the Jets are a different team without Decker, especially in the red zone. In three games, they're 4-for-12 inside the opponents' 20 -- three of the four touchdowns coming with Decker on the field.

"We're not saying he's Calvin Johnson," Cimini wrote, "but he has the size and skill set you need from a receiver in tight quarters. He was a productive red zone target the last two seasons in Denver. ..."

For the record, Decker was back on a stationary bike during practice Wednesday, which doesn't bode well for his status this week. ...

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Top cornerback Dee Milliner sat out for the second time in three games, sidelined by a quadriceps injury after he dealt with a high ankle sprain that caused him to miss most of training camp.

His absence has caused the Jets to shuffle their secondary, converting safety Antonio Allen to cornerback and starting career backup Darrin Walls.

While some doubts grow outside the facility, Ryan remains steadfast in his assertion that the Jets will turn things around.

"Nobody's going to feel sorry for us, and we don't expect them to, and we certainly don't feel sorry for ourselves," he said. "But we're excited about the opportunity in front of us. And I believe this team, this is a close team. And we're going to keep working our tails off and find a way to get it done. ..."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Geno Smith, Michael Vick RB: Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell RB: Tommy Bohanon WR: Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson, Jalen Saunders, Greg Salas, Saalim Hakim, Jalen Saunders, Walter Powell TE: Jeff Cumberland, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld PK: Nick Folk =========================

=========================OAKLAND RAIDERSThe Oakland Raiders departed for London on Sunday night with an 0-3 record and the knowledge that two players considered among their most reliable starters would be lost for a considerable amount of time and perhaps the season.

In a 16-9 road loss to the New England Patriots, wide receiver Rod Streater and strong safety Tyvon Branch departed and did not return. After the game, head coach Dennis Allen delivered the grim news.

"It looks like both of those guys have a fractured foot," Allen said.

Streater, who had three receptions for 32 yards, left with 11:57 remaining in the first half. He went down away from the ball on a 3-yard pass from quarterback Derek Carr to tight end Mychal Rivera.

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Helped to the sideline by the training staff, Streater left on a cart and ended up on the sidelines with crutches for the second half. According to his agent, Streater needs minor surgery. They are hopeful Streater will miss just 4-5 weeks.

Oakland's third-leading receiver this season with nine receptions for 84 yards, Streater, a former undrafted free agent out of Temple, had a breakout season of sorts in his second season in 2013 by leading the Raiders with 60 receptions for 888 yards and four touchdowns.

Branch is expected to land on IR.

It's the second straight season Branch has had his season interrupted by a leg fracture. A broken ankle in Week 2 last season caused him to miss the final 14 games of the season. He left in the third-quarter with a team-high 10 tackles against New England and leads the Raiders with 29 stops on the season.

Depending on which injury is considered less severe, the Raiders could consider putting one of the players on "injured reserve, designated for return" and get him back before the end of the regular season.

Using Allen's next-man-up philosophy, newly signed Vincent Brown will have his development expedited after signing with the team last week to help the receiving corps.

James Jones is the Raiders' leading receiver with 15 receptions, with Denarius Moore, Andre Holmes and Bruce Butler also on the roster. Moore, who tends to shine in some games and either vanish or play inconsistently in others, struggled against New England -- with a bobble turning into a game-clinching interception by Vince Wilfork of the New England Patriots with 59 seconds to play.

As for Branch, Usama Young, who is a primarily a free safety, went to the back end along with Charles Woodson, and rookie seventh-round draft pick Jonathan Dowling has also gotten some work at strong safety. ...

Meanwhile, Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow suggested the Raiders left New England with a moral victory, having taken the Patriots down to the closing minute a week after being completely uncompetitive against Houston. The close loss to the Patriots on Sunday gave Oakland some needed confidence after getting thoroughly outplayed in losing to the Jets and Texans the first two weeks.

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The Raiders fixed some of their issues this week, most notably on defense, where they held the Patriots to 76 yards rushing after giving up a total of 400 the first two weeks and put heavy pressure on Tom Brady.

But Oakland still is waiting for its running game to get going after gaining just 193 yards the first three games and developing an offense that can get into the end zone. Discounting the fourth quarter against Houston when the Raiders scored two touchdowns after falling behind 27-0, the team has two TDs in its other 26 full drives this season.

"I think we took a step forward, but we've still got a ways to go," Allen said. "We've got to continue to go. ..."

First and foremost, the Raiders need to score.

Oakland had to settle for three Sebastian Janikowski field goals in New England and has had just one touchdown in non-garbage time this season; it came on a short field in the first half against the New York Jets during Week 1. As ESPN.com's Bill Williamson pointed out, the Raiders, who have not led a game in the second half since playing at Dallas on Thanksgiving last year, have produced a league-low 37 points.

According to Williamson, the key is the receivers finding a way to make plays. After a Darren McFadden potential game-tying touchdown was nullified by a penalty in the final moments, Moore had the above-mentioned pass deflect off him that was intercepted to end the game.

If Moore and Jones can make plays in the passing game and perhaps McFadden, whose longest run this season is 10 yards, can pop free, perhaps the Raiders will find the end zone when it matters. If not, the losing will continue.

Other notes of interest. ... McFadden ran hard enough (18 carries, 59 yards), but the Raiders continued to languish in the 3-yards per carry realm and had only five rushing first downs. Latavius Murray had three rushes, gained one yard and was stuffed on a crucial third-and-1 from the 29-yard line late in the game.

Maurice Jones-Drew was inactive for the second straight game after undergoing minor surgery on his hand, but MJD said on Wednesday that he'll be in the lineup Sunday.

"Yeah, definitely," Jones-Drew said on NFL Network. "It's not up to me but I feel like I'll be able to play."

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Don't bank on him starting or getting the bulk of the carries.

"Just trying to get on the field and help my man (McFadden) out," Jones-Drew said. "I feel we both do better if we both out there. So obviously he's been taking the brunt of the carries and the brunt of the reps, so I want to get out there and try and give him a blow here and there and let him get his legs back underneath him so he can run."

His return can't hurt (even if you argue it won't help much). Only the Chicago Bears are averaging fewer yards on the ground than Oakland's 64.3. ...

Fullback Marcel Reece, used sparingly and playing only 35 percent of the snaps through two games, had one run for seven yards and was targeted seven times on pass plays, catching three for 19 yards.

A team official confirmed to CSNBayArea.com that Matt Schaub is in the United States, while his teammates spend the week preparing in London for their Wembley Stadium tilt with the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Schaub left the team before Oakland's road game with the Patriots to be with his wife, who underwent emergency surgery related to her pregnancy.

Until the veteran passer returns, Matt McGloin rests in place as Carr's backup.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Derek Carr, Matt McGloin, Matt Schaub RB: Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew, Latavius Murray FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale WR: Rod Streater, James Jones, Andre Holmes, Denarius Moore, Brice Butler, Vincent Brown TE: Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry, Brian Leonhardt PK: Sebastian Janikowski =========================

=========================PHILADELPHIA EAGLESAs ESPN.com's Phil Sheridan understated, "If LeSean McCoy was on Chip Kelly's fantasy team, the coach might be a little bit more concerned about McCoy's rushing numbers."

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No doubt. ... McCoy, who ran away with the league rushing title last season, is struggling this year. He's rushed for just 175 yards in the first three games and is averaging a puny 2.9 yards per carry. That's good for 16th in the league. Against the Redskins, he had just 22 yards on 20 carries. The 22 yards equaled the lowest total of his career in a game in which he had at least 10 carries.

On the other hand, the Philadelphia Eagles are 3-0 and second in the NFL with an average of 33.7 points per game. So Kelly isn't exactly in a panic.

"I think it's different how they're playing us this year," Kelly said Monday. "We've seen different looks in terms of the three games we've played this year compared to last year. I think LeSean's doing everything possible. Again, if that's how you're going to do it, and we're going to end up with 30 whatever points a game and continue to be productive on the offensive side of the ball, it's ultimately that."

McCoy gained just 1.2 yards per carry (22 yards on 19 rushes) Sunday against Washington. One reason for that was the spate of injuries along the Eagles' offensive line. They lost center Jason Kelce to a sports hernia, while left tackle Jason Peters was ejected for striking Washington nose tackle Chris Baker.

"When we got down there at the end, the only starting lineman we had left was Todd Herremans, who was actually playing another position," Kelly said. "Todd ended up out at tackle at the end of the game. You talk about always getting the same guys on the same page and continuity and all those other things, and there are a lot of different people thrown in there. But give Washington credit. They did a really nice job up front."

But in loading up the box to neutralize McCoy, Washington also created opportunities in the passing game. Quarterback Nick Foles, who leads the NFL in passing yards, completed 27 of 41 passes for 325 yards and three touchdowns.

"They stayed in base front even though we were usually trying to get nickel personnel in there and 11 (one back, one tight end), they stayed in base front," Kelly said. "A lot of people play us more nickel, they decided to play us in base. So if you're going to play us in base, it's difficult to cover the pass. So it's picking what they want to do."

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Sheridan summed up, "The important thing for the Eagles is being able to respond to what defenses do. So far, that's happened. The Eagles are 3-0, even if that doesn't help those with McCoy on their fantasy teams. ..."

Meanwhile, Foles continues to lead by example.

And his teammates are right behind him.

That much was evident after Baker flattened Foles and was ultimately ejected from Sunday's victory.

But this much was clear: The players are following Foles' lead.

"I saw Nick on the ground and that's really all you need to see," Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins told Phillymag.com. "Whenever your quarterback is on the ground, you have to defend him. That's what we hang our hat on. That's our pride and joy. We can't let cheap shots or anything happen to him."

"He did a great job of getting back up and showing his heart, showing his resilience," cornerback Cary Williams said. "He was showing his leadership, and that is all you can ask for."

Foles finished 28-of-42 for 325 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and an impressive quarterback rating of 113.7.

Lost in the statistics were his leadership qualities.

"Nick was fired up. Good to see. Good to see your quarterback get fired up," Herremans said. "(He said): Let's go make them pay for this."

Foles grabbed his shoulder after being hit in the second quarter. Backup Mark Sanchez had his helmet on and appeared poised to come in. But Foles stayed in. After getting "obliterated" (Foles' word) by Baker, Foles was attended to by trainers. But he remained in the game.

Foles completed four of his next six passes, the last a rainbow that landed in Jeremy Maclin's arms in the end zone.

The Eagles remain undefeated and in first place in the NFC East, but all is not totally well.

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With left guard Evan Mathis and right tackles Lane Johnson and Allen Barbre out, the offensive line was already at less than full strength. One reason the Eagles were able to remain competent without them was Kelce. David Molk replaced him. He wasn't bad, but the attrition started taking a toll in both pass protection and the running game.

Kelce will miss at least six weeks.

Up next, the Eagles travel across the country and across divisions for a game against the San Francisco 49ers.

That will be the last game of Johnson's four-game suspension. This game loomed as a chance for the Eagles to prove themselves among the NFC's best. It still does, but they will have to get by with a patchwork offensive line. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Jordan Matthews wowed observers during practices all summer. The rookie wide receiver from Vanderbilt caught everything thrown his way throughout OTAs and training camp. Last Monday night, in Indianapolis, Matthews dropped a couple of passes. Two weeks into his NFL career, Matthews had three catches for a total of 54 yards.

On Sunday afternoon, in his first game against an NFC opponent, Matthews caught eight passes for 59 yards, including a pair of touchdowns.

Matthews' touchdowns both came in the red zone. On both, he lined up in the slot and got open behind the defender.

Matthews became the eighth Eagles rookie to catch two touchdown passes in one game. His eight catches were the most by an Eagles rookie since tight end Keith Jackson caught eight in 1988. ...

And finally. ... As the Sports Xchange reported it, Kelly has brought some very different approaches to training and conditioning with him from the University of Oregon to the Eagles. And for the most part, his players have bought into The Chip Kelly Way, which has included everything from fast-paced practices with blaring music to Tuesday in-season practices to stretching before bed to wearing sleep monitors to having their hydration levels constantly checked.

But after Sunday's game, there were sounds of discord from Williams. Williams contends Kelly works his team too hard, and that's the reason the defense has struggled in the first half this season.

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"A lot of guys had no legs," he said. "A lot of guys, coming in here, were in a dogfight before the game even started. We've got to start taking care of our guys during the week in order for us to be productive and have more energy on Sunday. We've got to be smart as a coaching staff and as players."

Kelly talked with Williams on Monday. He said he thought the cornerback's comments were spoken out of frustration over both his injury and the way he played in Sunday's win. Williams was burned by former Eagle DeSean Jackson for an 81-yard touchdown.

Kelly said he had no issues with Williams.

"I know we ask our guys to run a lot during practice," Kelly said. "I met with Cary a little while ago. I think he was frustrated, and I understand that. Cary's a competitor, and I have no issues with that."

Kelly said he and his training and sports science staff monitor and assess each player individually.

"We assess everybody daily," he said. "So they all tell us (how they're feeling), and we monitor every player daily. You'll see some guys that aren't going full on some days, and other guys that are going full. We take care of everybody from that standpoint."

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley RB: LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles, Chris Polk WR: Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews, Brad Smith, Jeff Maehl, Josh Huff TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, James Casey, Trey Burton PK: Cody Parkey =========================

=========================PITTSBURGH STEELERSAccording to the Sports Xchange, not only did the Steelers rise from their previous week's Baltimore burial, they might optimistically believe they can be 6-1 or 5-2 over the next month a somewhat surprising 37-19 victory in Carolina.

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Here are the Steelers' next four opponents: Tampa Bay, which apparently will change quarterbacks, at home next Sunday, followed by games at Jacksonville, at Cleveland and back home versus Houston.

This is how they envisioned things, especially on offense that had exploded for 27 points in the first half of the opener against Cleveland and had been mostly silent until the second half at Carolina. During the eight quarters in-between those scoring outputs, they had managed only six Shaun Suisham field goals over eight quarters.

"This is a big win for us," said Ben Roethlisberger, who bounced back from a poor outing in Baltimore. "This is a good Steelers football game -- physical, offense, defense and special teams."

The Steelers had no sacks in Baltimore, no turnovers for the season and ranked 29th in the running game entering their contest against the Panthers. They produced two 100-yard rushers, three sacks of Cam Newton and two fumble recoveries, one setting up a touchdown the other scoring on a recovered fumbled punt return in the end zone.

There was a bit of a dark cloud over the whole thing because the Steelers lost three starting defenders -- Ike Taylor with a broken forearm and linebackers Jarvis Jones (wrist) and Ryan Shazier (knee) with "significant" injuries, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.

"I ain't trying to crown them tonight," Tomlin proclaimed after the big win.

No, but with the schedule they have over the next month, they are poised to get off to a much better start than their 2-6 record halfway through 2013.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown became only the second back since 1960 to have a streak of 19 consecutive games in which he caught at least five passes for 50 yards since 1960. Laveranues Coles did it in 19 straight over the course of the 2002 and 2003 seasons.

The Steelers produced two 100-yard backs for the first time in 28 years. Le'Veon Bell had 147 yards on 21 carries and LeGarrette Blount had 118 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown.

Suisham set the franchise record by kicking 23 field goals without a miss with his 3-for-3 night at Carolina. Jeff Reed held the old mark of 22 in 2005. ...

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Meanwhile, ESPN.com's Scott Brown pointed out that Bell has been the breakout star three weeks into the NFL season.

The second-year man leads the AFC with 315 rushing yards and his 5.9 yards per carry is the highest among all players with more than 30 carries.

The dynamic running that has powered the NFL's best rushing attack has its roots in a talk Bell had with Tomlin in March 2013.

The two met at Michigan State the night before Spartans' pro day and Tomlin told Bell he would probably have to play at a lower weight to succeed at the next level.

"He bought into that," Tomlin said.

Indeed, Bell, who played at close to 250 pounds in college, showed up at Steelers' rookie minicamp a week after they drafted him and weighed in at 244 pounds.

Bell dropped about 20 more pounds over the course of his rookie season and is currently at the weight that, to paraphrase Tomlin, obviously agrees with him.

"He ended last year in the mid-220s. He reported back this year in the mid-220s," Tomlin said. "He has shown he is committed to maintaining a level of conditioning over the course of a 12-month calendar and he has taken off from there. I think his play is reflecting that."

Is it ever.

Bell, who uses patience to set up his blocks, has also shown the kind of quickness and burst that was not evident until the end of last season when the 2013 second-round pick was finally healthy after missing the first three games because of a sprained foot.

He is second in the NFL in rushing, and with the offense running through Bell the Steelers lead the league in rushing with 163.3 yards per game.

Bell is not the only reason why the Steelers have dramatically improved in running the ball after averaging 86.4 rushing yards per game last season.

Blount is averaging 7.8 yards per carry, and he ripped off a 51-yard run against the Panthers. Bell had broken free for an 81-yard run earlier in that game.

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Last season the Steelers' longest run was 43 yards, and the big runs turned in by Bell and Blount against the Panthers are part of the mounting evidence that Pittsburgh has the best running back tandem in the NFL.

"He's really another starting running back," Bell said of Blount. "He could go anywhere and start."

And, Bell said, don't forget about Dri Archer.

The rookie running back has been out since spraining his ankle in the Steelers' season opener. But his speed and versatility allow the Steelers to use a bunch of different formations and force teams to account for Archer, who may play Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"You've got to respect him because he's arguably the fastest player in the league," Bell said. "We all know what (Archer) can do. He gets the ball in open space, he's going to be gone. He and (Steelers wide receiver) Darrius Heyward-Bey are the fastest two players I've ever seen live. We've got plenty of weapons. This offense is only going to get better. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Lance Moore, who missed the first two games with a groin injury, played in his first game for the Steelers, who signed him as a free agent from New Orleans. He played only one snap, however.

Roethlisberger completed 22 of 30 passes for 196 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He was not sacked. He had a passer rating of 112.6, more than double his previous game in Baltimore. He threw some pinpoint passes, especially a 7-yard touchdown in the right corner of the end zone to Brown, who caught another TD for 7 yards.

His line gave him good protection after some shaky early moments.

James Harrison officially rejoined the Steelers on Tuesday morning, signing a contract in the same building where he announced his retirement less than three weeks ago. The Steelers brought back Harrison, 36, for a second stint after placing Jones on the injured reserve/designated for return list Monday. ...

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones RB: Le'Veon Bell, LeGarrette Blount, Dri Archer FB: Will Johnson

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WR: Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Brown, Martavis Bryant TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer PK: Shaun Suisham =========================

=========================ST. LOUIS RAMSAs ESPN.com's Nick Waggoner noted, the question is not going to go away anytime soon and with the St. Louis Rams on bye week, it will almost certainly persist for at least the next two weeks.

But head coach Jeff Fisher was asked once again Monday whether Austin Davis had done enough to supplant Shaun Hill as the starting quarterback. His response was familiar.

"We'll see how things go this week," Fisher said. "We'll see how Shaun is, but as I've maintained Shaun is our starter and Austin is our backup."

Hill, of course, is still recovering from a thigh injury. But it's interesting to note that Hill's thigh was healthy enough for the Rams to keep him active as the No. 2 quarterback against the Dallas Cowboys last week. What's more, the Rams named third quarterback Case Keenum a pregame inactive, meaning had something happened to Davis, Hill would've been the only option.

Fisher offered an explanation for that Monday also. Well, sort of.

"We kept him up as the two because I felt like he could finish a game out of the shotgun," Fisher said. "But he's not ready to go under center yet."

With Hill as the backup, Davis again made a strong statement that he should continue to start so long as he keeps performing at a high level. He was 30-of-42 for 327 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. One of the touchdowns was a perfectly thrown strike to Brian Quick for 51 yards. Davis was also just off on two long passes to Kenny Britt, who had five catches for 69 yards.

That performance impressed Fisher.

"I thought he had a pretty good day," Fisher said. "Threw the ball around, moved around, avoided sacks in the pocket. I thought he played, like I said last night, good enough to win, but you got to see where you're cutting that ball

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loose and he didn't. He cut that ball loose, he got some pressure and cut it loose. Interception for a touchdown is not a good thing. It happens, but overall I thought he played a little bit better than he did last week."

Fisher also indicated Monday that Hill is nearing a return to full health. But whether he wants to speak publicly about it or not, there is a decision that will have to be made at some point before the Rams next game against Philadelphia on Oct. 5.

Despite his insistence to the contrary, Waggoner believes Fisher will indeed take this bye week to see how Hill has progressed and consider who his starter will be moving forward. But don't be surprised if Davis comes out of this one on top. ...

Worth noting: The Rams will come off their bye to start an eight-game stretch that includes nothing but 2013 playoff opponents and the Cardinals.

Other notes of interest. ... The big negative was the fourth-down stuff at the end of the first half, but three Rams runners totaled 120 yards on 26 carries. Zac Stacy led the way with 12-for-67, followed by Bennie Cunningham (9-for-29) and rookie Trey Watts (5-for-24).

The Rams, though, continue to use strange players on end-arounds. With Tavon Austin out, Britt had one for two yards, and Cook one for no gain.

Fisher said Monday there was a decent chance Austin (knee) would be back for the Oct. 5 game against Philadelphia after the bye.

Tre Mason, the Rams' third-round pick, was a healthy scratch for the third consecutive game Sunday.

Tight end Cory Harkey, who injured his knee against Tampa Bay the week before, was active against the Cowboys.

And finally. ... Tight end Jared Cook had what should have been an easy 10-yard touchdown slip through his hands early in the fourth quarter, leaving the Rams to settle for a field goal. Instead of a 28-20 lead, the Rams took a 24-20 advantage. Cook's frustration with himself boiled over on the sideline when he shoved Davis, who had come over to help him settle down after the drop. Defensive end William Hayes stepped in and yelled at Cook in an attempt to defuse the situation.

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After the game, a despondent Cook said he cleared the air with Davis and took the blame for the drop and the shove.

"I was heated, like anybody else," Cook said. "I feel like I let this game slip through my hands, and that's my fault as a man."

Despite the crucial drop in the end zone, Cook had a team-leading seven receptions for 75 yards.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT The Rams are idle this week due to the NFL bye. =========================

=========================SAN DIEGO CHARGERSAs Associated Press sports writer Danny Woodhead was many things to the San Diego Chargers -- running back, receiver, leader, hard worker and popular teammate.

Now he's out for the season, having broken his lower right leg in a 22-10 victory at Buffalo on Sunday.

"He means a lot to the organization," head coach Mike McCoy said Monday. "His love for the game, the way he plays, his love for his teammates, the way he practices, great to be around. He's one of the first guys in the building. He only knows how to do it one way. He's a true professional. We're going to miss him but we've got to move on."

Woodhead was hurt on the first drive Sunday. He was stopped after a 1-yard gain by diving defensive tackle Kyle Williams. Williams hit Woodhead directly in the right ankle, which appeared to twist underneath the player.

"It's a brutal business and it's tough and injuries are a part of the game, unfortunately," McCoy said. "But it means so much to him. That's the toughest thing. The first thing he said to me after the game was, 'Coach, don't worry. I'll be back and I'll be back stronger than ever. I promise that.' I can't wait to get him back out here."

Woodhead was lost one week after Ryan Mathews sprained his right knee in a victory against the Seattle Seahawks. Mathews will be out for several weeks.

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McCoy said he and general manager Tom Telesco would decide on Monday what to do for depth. One option they didn't have was promoting rookie Marion Grice from the practice squad. This after the Cardinals swooped in and signed Grice to a two-year deal realizing the Chargers might need to make a move.

Instead the club announced the signing of ex-Bears tailback Shaun Draughn on Tuesday. Draughn, 26, played in the first two games of the season for Chicago, which waived him one week ago.

Not that he'll be asked to make an immediate contribution.

The 31 carries Brown handled in Buffalo were the most he carried the ball in a football game since Dec. 6, 2008, when he rushed 34 times for 189 yards in UConn's loss to Pittsburgh.

Brown also finished with a team-high five receptions for 27 yards. He touched the ball on 36 of San Diego's 63 plays.

"He stepped up big," receiver Eddie Royal said. "Donald was huge for us, just the way he runs the ball. I mean, he's a physical runner. He can get those tough yards, and you need a running back like that.

"We kind of missed that with [Mathews]; he's our physical back, but Donald stepped in there and got those tough yards."

Some NFL observers questioned Telesco's thinking for signing Brown to a three-year, $10.4 million deal as the team's top free-agent acquisition during the offseason. But fast forward to September, and the move appears prophetic for Telesco, with Brown ready to step in as the team's every-down back until others can get healthy.

"You look at the offseason and I didn't wonder -- but some people wondered -- why we went out and got another back," Philip Rivers said. "They got a couple backs, and thank goodness we did. That's already shown to be a good move here early in the season."

Along with Brown, the Chargers have undrafted rookie free agent Branden Oliver on the active roster.

However, the next step for San Diego's offense will be creating wider rushing lanes for the hard-running Brown and the rest of the running back group. The

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Chargers are still averaging a league-worst 2.43 yards per carry. San Diego needs to get back to the way they consistently ran the football last season.

"We have a lot of confidence in Donald," offensive coordinator Frank Reich said. "Obviously, we didn't run the ball as well as we wanted to today. The goal was to be patient with it, and you feel like we're going to break through. We'll just keep working at it, and try and get better."

Added offensive lineman Chad Rinehart: "Obviously, bringing him in as a free agent was a great call. You don't expect to use your third running back that much. And to see that he can carry the load and we can keep carrying on with the run game is great to see. But it's frustrating that the running game is not where it needs to be, or even close to that. Fortunately we got the win, but it definitely needs to improve."

Their chances of improving this week seem good. The Chargers (2-1) host the Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3), who have been outscored 119-44 and will be giving rookie Blake Bortles his first start.

Other notes of interest. ... As ESPN.com's Eric D. Williams noted, the Chargers had six passing plays of 20-plus yards and no passing plays of 40-plus yards heading into the Buffalo game. But that changed on Sunday. Malcom Floyd finished with two 49-yard catches. Royal had a catch for 23 yards and tight end Ladarius Green finished with catches for 26 and 20 yards.

Royal scored both touchdowns for the Chargers in the red zone on 3- and 5-yard receptions. San Diego has struggled in the red zone offensively this year. Royal's polished route running and toughness proved the difference on both plays. He finished with four receptions for 42 yards.

Floyd's two catches were good for a game-high 98 yards. It's easy, in Floyd's eye, why he was so successful. "We're just really fortunate to have the greatest quarterback in the league," Floyd said of Rivers. "He just keeps us going. We just have to surround him with the talent and that's what we're trying to do. ..."

Rivers had some pressure, but for the most part to the protection was fine, and when it wasn't, the savvy Rivers would climb up into the pocket to extend the play. ...

Manti Te'o's struggles with foot injuries continue. The linebacker reportedly suffered a right foot fracture during Sunday's victory over the Buffalo Bills, according to U-T San Diego's Michael Gehlken.

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Te'o is expected to miss multiple weeks, but he will avoid going on injured reserve, according to the report.

It's the third foot injury of the second-year linebacker's career. Te'o missed the first three games last season with an injured right foot that required offseason surgery -- Sunday's injury was on that same foot.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens RB: Donald Brown, Branden Oliver, Shaun Draughn, Ryan Mathews WR: Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Eddie Royal, Dontrelle Inman, Seyi Ajirotutu TE: Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, David Johnson, John Phillips PK: Nick Novak =========================

=========================SAN FRANCISCO 49ERSAs Sacramento Bee staffer Matthew Barrows noted Monday, the 49ers, who have been as run-oriented, old-school and stodgy as any team in the league in the Jim Harbaugh era, rolled out a slick new look against Arizona on Sunday.

The 49ers rarely had used even three-receiver sets in the previous three seasons. But without starting tight end Vernon Davis, out nursing his injured left ankle and knee, and sans backup Vance McDonald, recovering from a right knee injury, the 49ers decided to mix things up.

They used five wide receivers multiple times, including on five straight plays on their opening possession. The receiver-heavy look did not feature a running back, and the 49ers ran it without a huddle.

It was successful.

On their initial drive, the 49ers ran 12 plays, the last a 2-yard pass from Colin Kaepernick to Michael Crabtree to make the score 7-3. They mounted a 14-play drive on their second possession capped by Carlos Hyde's stretch run to the left side for a 6-yard touchdown.

Kaepernick's 78.4 completion percentage (29 for 37) was his best as a starter.

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"We hadn't shown that before," Kaepernick said "It was something new. In the second half, we ran it here and there."

Does he wish the 49ers had been more consistent with the package?

"I'd like to do anything that's going to help us win," he said.

Not everyone seemed pleased with the approach.

Running back Frank Gore went to the sideline whenever the 49ers were in their five-receiver sets. He carried just once in the second half and finished with six rushes for 10 yards. Hyde had three carries for 13 yards.

Gore was too upset to speak afterward.

"I can't talk right now," he said after a minute of questions. "I'm sorry. I can't talk."

Per ESPN Stats & Info, the 49ers only ran the ball by design 18 times, and just five times in 27 plays after halftime. Gore's last touch came at 14:23 of the third quarter.

It was the third-lowest designed-rush percentage (28.6 percent) by the Niners with Kaepernick at quarterback. The others -- 25 percent against the New York Giants and 25 percent against the Seattle Seahawks -- came in 2012.

The 49ers lost all three of those games by a combined 91-30.

"I was a little surprised they didn't use the running game more when the game was close," Cardinals linebacker Larry Foote said.

On Sunday, the 49ers threw the ball 37 times, the second most of Kaepernick's career, behind the 39 passes he attempted in the 2013 season opener against the Green Bay Packers.

"I thought it worked very well," Harbaugh said of the Niners' passing attack against the Cardinals. "We did some good things in the personnel group. Overall, though, not enough."

Meanwhile, Kaepernick's 29 completions were a career high, eclipsing the 27 he had against the Green Bay Packers in the 2013 season opener, and his 78.4

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completion percentage was also a career high, bettering his 78.3 percent (18 of 23) against the Miami Dolphins on Dec. 9, 2012.

Plus, in completing his first nine passes, he set an individual record after completing his first seven passes at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Dec. 15. His 14 first-half completions tied his career high set against the Packers last year.

"I thought we moved the ball well whenever we got in 5 wides," said receiver Anquan Boldin. "I don't think there's a defense in this league that has five defensive backs that can cover us outside like that. If we put five receivers on the field, teams are going to have a tough time stopping us."

Thirty of Kaepernick's 37 passes were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, the most such attempts in his career. ...

For what it's worth. ... Late last week, the 49ers promoted tight end Asante Cleveland from the practice squad to give them a healthy body in the event that Davis and McDonald weren't able to play against the Cardinals because of injury.

Neither player could go, but things are looking up for Davis this week. Harbaugh said on Monday that he was "optimistic" that Davis would return to the lineup against the Eagles this week and Davis provided more reason for optimism on Tuesday.

"I'm feeling great," Davis told the Bee. "This is going to be a good week for me."

If Davis is back in action, there's not much need for Cleveland on the roster and the 49ers made a move Tuesday that showed their confidence in Davis's condition. They waived Cleveland and re-signed quarterback Josh Johnson, who was dropped to make room for Cleveland on the roster.

Other notes of interest. ... Stevie Johnson, the 49ers' No. 3 receiver, had a team-high 103 receiving yards. It was the first time a 49ers wide receiver other than Crabtree or Boldin had more than 100 yards since Josh Morgan had 106 yards against San Diego in 2010. ...

Crabtree now has seven career touchdowns against the Cardinals, the most he's accumulated against any team.

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Hyde got only three carries Sunday, but that didn't stop him from scoring his second touchdown of the season. ...

Harbaugh refused to blame the officials after his team was nailed with nine penalties for 107 yards against the Cardinals. "We never point any finger of blame or make excuses in terms of the officiating," he said Monday. "Something the football gods can be unforgiving. You work to fix it, and I'm confident we'll do that.

While the club has been hit hard by flags in the first three games, the 49ers are by no means the team with the most to complain about.

While the 49ers lead the league with 36 infractions, the Sports Xchange notes they are only third with 305 yards in penalties. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball, the 49ers have benefitted from 25 opponents penalties, also the third-most in the league.

In terms of difference, the 49ers have 11 more penalties than their opponents for 132 more yards. Those numbers rank just sixth in both categories.

And finally. ... FOXSports reported Sunday that Kaepernick was penalized and fined more than $11,000 last week because he used a racial slur, an accusation the quarterback denied. "I didn't say anything racially derogatory to" Chicago defensive end Lamarr Houston, Kaepernick said.

Kaepernick insisted last week he didn't say anything to Houston. But footage by San Francisco TV station KPIX clearly shows Kaepernick saying something to Houston after throwing a fourth-quarter interception. He does not appear to use a slur, although it is difficult to say exactly what was uttered.

"I talk on the football field," Kaepernick said when pressed on the issue. "Yes, I do."

Kaepernick was penalized for "inappropriate language" at the time. Harbaugh has said he didn't hear anything from his spot on the sideline and that he believes Kaepernick.

"Colin's always been truthful 100 percent of the time," he said.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Josh Johnson

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RB: Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde FB: Bruce Miller WR: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Steve Johnson, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington, Kassim Osgood, Brandon Lloyd TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Derek Carrier PK: Phil Dawson =========================

=========================SEATTLE SEAHAWKSAccording to the Sports Xchange, the Seahawks may not like having a bye in Week 4 the earliest a team can get one in the NFL.

But they do like the way they are entering their week off, with a 2-1 record in a season-opening three-game stretch against three teams that all made the playoffs a year ago.

Seattle concluded that gauntlet Sunday with a 26-20 overtime win against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

Seattle led 17-3 heading into the fourth quarter before a turnover led to a 19-yard drive, and then allowing a surprising 80-yard drive in 41 seconds to tie the game with just 18 seconds left.

But Seattle won the coin toss to start overtime and drove 80 yards for a touchdown to win it before Manning and the Broncos could get the ball back.

Seattle also easily dispatched Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay in Week 1, stumbling only in the sweltering heat of San Diego against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.

"Just about the best three you could throw at us quarterback-wise," head coach Pete Carroll said Monday. "And I think we learned that when we don't fly around the field like we normally do that we can have a bad day, like happened in San Diego. We just couldn't get our game going the way we wanted to play it didn't look anything at all like what you saw against the Packers or Denver.

"We have to maintain that tempo. Our guys tried really hard but they just didn't have it against San Diego. So we have a real style that we play to, a real mentality that we play to, and when we do it we can control football games and

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I think we felt that throughout the Denver game. We really felt very much in control of that game."

Indeed, Seattle allowed Denver just 36 rushing yards on 20 carries and only one drive of more than 35 yards until midway through the fourth quarter.

"I was anxious to see if we would play and look like we played back in the Super Bowl against these guys as far as breaking on the ball and running and hitting, and I thought we did better," Carroll said. "I really thought that we played routes better and some things that they threw at us, the perimeter screen game which is phenomenal for them, we really eliminated it. Our guys did a fantastic job and allowed us to play a dominant day of defensive football."

Carroll said the team simply had some breakdowns in coverage responsibility on two plays on Denver's final drive that led to completions of 42 and 26 yards, the latter tying the game on a Manning pass to tight end Jacob Tamme.

But Russell Wilson then expertly led an 80-yard drive to start overtime to win it, making Wilson now 7-0 against Manning, Drew Brees, Tom Brady and Rodgers in his career.

Seattle doesn't have any injury issues heading into the bye. But Carroll said he wants his players to take the week off to rest up as much as possible; the Seahawks won't practice again until next Monday when it will begin preparations for a game at Washington on Oct. 6. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to ESPN Stats & Information, five of Wilson's six pass attempts during the game-winning drive came from outside the pocket. He completed three of them for first downs. Wilson also rushed four times for 21 yards on the drive, earning two first downs via scrambles.

The Elias Sports Bureau also noted that Wilson joined Daryle Lamonica, Danny White and Matt Ryan as the only quarterbacks to win at least 17 of their first 18 home starts. ...

Overtime touchdowns are not common, so perhaps it's not surprising that this was the first overtime touchdown of Marshawn Lynch's NFL career.

Lynch has now scored a touchdown in seven straight games.

And finally. ... As ESPN.com's Terry Blount pointed out, wide receiver Ricardo Lockette prevented a Denver score at the start of a drive and

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caught a touchdown pass to end the same drive in the second quarter. Lockette was well covered by Denver cornerback Aqib Talib on a short out route when Wilson's throw was headed into the arms of Talib, who would have had clear sailing for a possible pick-six.

But Lockette grabbed him before the ball arrived to prevent him from catching it, the best offensive interference decision you'll ever see.

Lockette then got by Talib for a 39-yard touchdown catch from Wilson. Lockette also made a great one-armed tackle on a punt to stop Isaiah Burse in his tracks at the Denver 17 in the third quarter.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT The Seahawks are idle this week due to the NFL bye. =========================

=========================TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERSAccording to Associated Press sports writer Fred Goodall, head coach Lovie Smith wasn't in a mood to say much of anything about his struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of three NFL teams that remain winless.

Injuries were off limits for discussion Monday, as were potential changes the coach may be considering in the aftermath of a 42-point loss to NFC South rival Atlanta.

Quarterback Josh McCown sprained the thumb on his throwing hand during last Thursday night's debacle, however Smith isn't ready to answer questions about the severity of the injury, whether second-year pro Mike Glennon will make his first start of the season this week at Pittsburgh, or if there could be other lineup changes unrelated to injuries.

"He's getting better," Smith said of McCown, who's thrown twice as many interceptions (four) as touchdown passes (two) in losses to Carolina, St. Louis and the Falcons, adding that he'll have more to say about a lengthy injury list that includes defensive linemen Gerald McCoy and Michael Johnson, linebacker Mason Foster, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and running back Doug Martin on Wednesday.

"Gerald, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Michael Johnson -- all those guys will eventually help us," Smith said. "That's why we're optimistic things are going

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to change, because we don't have those players out for the season. They'll all be coming back, so reinforcements are on the way."

Smith didn't reveal much beyond that. "I'm not going to talk about injuries when no other team in the league is on Monday. ... We are getting guys back, which we need," the coach said. "We're optimistic. Sometimes things are not quite as bad as they're portrayed."

According to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune, the Bucs are optimistic they'll get McCoy (broken left hand), Martin (knee) and Johnson (ankle) back in time for the Steelers game. Martin "showed no limitations" during practice Monday, according to the Tampa Bay Times and he continued to work fully on Wednesday.

Seferian-Jenkins was also back to work Wednesday.

But nobody should expect McCown to play this week.

McCown will be re-evaluated by a hand specialist in a week or two to determine if he needs surgery to fix his thumb ligament, the Times reported. Even if he does not require surgery, McCown could be sidelined several weeks, the paper said.

Mike Glennon is expected to start Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Glennon started 13 games a rookie after being drafted by former coach Greg Schiano in the third round in 2013, completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The Bucs went 4-9 in those games, but the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Glennon never really had an opportunity to earn the No. 1 job after Schiano and former general manager Mark Dominik were fired last December and replaced by Smith and new GM Jason Licht.

Signing McCown to a two-year, $10 million was one of Tampa Bay's top priorities in free agency, and Smith immediately declared the 35-year-old career backup who's played for six teams in 11 seasons the starter.

McCown was injured when he banged his thumb on an Atlanta player's helmet while throwing an incompletion. Before leaving the game late in the second quarter, he completed 5 of 12 passes for 58 yards, no touchdowns and an interception that was returned for a Falcons TD.

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Glennon relieved him and went 17 of 24 for 121 yards, no interceptions, and a late touchdown that cut into a 56-0 deficit.

The following day, Smith reiterated that McCown, who threw 13 TD passes and just one interception while filling in eight games for an injured Jay Cutler in Chicago, is still his quarterback.

"Josh is our starter. We're looking at one game right now. It would be simple if Josh was the only guy to play bad," Smith said. "It seems like that's the only guy I'm asked about: 'Is Josh your starter?' You could ask that about quite a few people, starting with me. Am I still the head coach based off of that effort (in Atlanta)? But a little bit more goes into it than that."

Vincent Jackson sustained a small fracture in his wrist against the Falcons, according to FOXSports.com.

The injury will not cause Jackson to miss any time, though, and the 10th-year wide receiver plans to play Sunday against the Steelers.

Jackson, who was targeted nine times, finished with two receptions for 15 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile, Smith also was tight-lipped about potential changes that may be planned. The team practiced Monday after having the weekend off, getting a headstart on preparing for the Steelers (2-1).

"When you get beat that bad, you need to make changes," the coach said. "Maybe that's personnel, maybe it's not. You're looking at all areas when you feel like you need to go another direction."

Other notes of interest. ... The Jeff Tedford era in Tampa Bay will remain on hiatus. The Buccaneers' offensive coordinator is taking a leave from the team because his medical condition has not improved, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported.

Tedford has missed time early this season due to a heart procedure. He has only been a partial participant in leading the Bucs' offense through three games and hasn't been able to call plays.

Tedford underwent a coronary angioplasty prior to the season and had two stents placed in an artery near his heart. He tried coming back too soon, per Rapoport. The team wants to afford Tedford time to rest and get completely

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healthy. Tampa's quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo has been heavily involved in game-planning and in the quarterback's ear during the games. His role will grow with Tedford out, according to Rapoport.

Billed as an innovator who tutored several NFL quarterbacks while at Cal, Tedford's effect on an offense that has crumbled early in the season remains unknown.

The Bucs' troubles were on display in last Thursday's debacle in Atlanta, where a porous offensive line and shoddy quarterback play short-circuited any offensive hope.

In a semi-related note. ... There have been many things missing from Tampa Bay's offense in the first three games of the season.

But the most noticeable, according to ESPN Stats & Information, is the lack of play-action passes. They've run six. That's the lowest total in the NFL. For comparison, Philadelphia leads with 44 play-action passes.

So why are the Bucs making such infrequent use of play action?

According to ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas, a lot of it has to do with the fact Tampa Bay has been playing from behind. In obvious passing situations, defenses aren't going to bite on fakes.

But that total still is amazingly low. It averages out to two play-action passes a game. The Bucs haven't even been using play action early in games when defenses are playing honestly. Martin and Bobby Rainey are threats as runners.

Tampa Bay's receivers have had trouble getting separation from defenders. It might be time to start using more play-action passes. ...

And finally. ... The Buccaneers signed wide receiver Louis Murphy and released wide receiver Chris Owusu Tuesday.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Mike Glennon, Josh McCown, RB: Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey, Mike James, Charles Sims RB: Jorvorskie Lane WR: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Robert Herron, Russell Shephard, Louis Murphy

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TE: Brandon Myers, Luke Stocker, Austin Seferian-Jenkins PK: Patrick Murray =========================

=========================TENNESSEE TITANSFirst-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt has talked about how adversity helps bring a team together.

Well, his Titans need to unite quickly because they have plenty of issues they need to work their way through.

The Titans have been outscored 59-17 in consecutive losses, and they are among the NFL's most penalized teams. Worse, Jake Locker, who has struggled in this skid, now has an injured wrist on his throwing arm putting his status for Sunday's game at Indianapolis (1-2) in question.

According to Nashville Tennessean staff writer Jim Wyatt, the result of Locker's MRI didn't show any structural damage, but his status for Sunday's game against the Colts won't be determined until later in the week.

Locker was not on the field for the start of Wednesday's practice.

Locker has been diagnosed with a wrist strain. He suffered the injury during Sunday's 33-7 loss to the Bengals.

Locker remains sore, and his progress will be monitored during the course of the week. The Titans want to see how he responds to treatment, and whether or not the soreness subsides.

Back-up Charlie Whitehurst would start if Locker's condition doesn't improve. Whisenhunt was unclear on Monday when Locker suffered the injury, but said he was sore in the locker room afterward and said he'd have trouble gripping a football.

Locker was 17-of-34 passing for 185 yards, with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a 41.9 passer rating against the Bengals. He has slumped mightily in the last two games after a fast start to the season in Week 1.

Also, the Titans are expected to be without third-string quarterback Zach Mettenberger for some practice time earlier in the week as he deals with a

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death in the family. The Titans are expected to add a quarterback to the practice squad for the week.

Locker appeared to injure his hand after making a throw during the first series of the game, and was seen talking with trainers on the sideline. But Locker said he was OK, according to Whisenhunt, and didn't miss a snap.

At some point later in the game, Locker "did something where he strained a part of his wrist," Whisenhunt said Monday. "He got it bent up under him at some point. He did hit his hand a couple of times, but that happens during the course of the game."

Shoulder, knee, hip and foot injuries have plagued Locker, who made only 18 of a possible 32 starts the past two seasons.

Whisenhunt has expressed confidence in Whitehurst, who hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game since 2011, if Locker is unable to play. Whitehurst was 10-of-15 passing in the preseason opener, but suffered a hand injury in the second game.

Mettenberger was deactivated for the first three regular-season games, but the sixth-round pick had a good preseason, going 47-of-68 for 659 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 97.6 passer rating.

Despite Locker's injury and a less-than-hoped for start to the season, Whisenhunt said Monday there's no sense of panic yet as the Titans (1-2) work with 13 games remaining. The coach said he's been 1-2 before with other teams and reached the playoffs, including last year when he was offensive coordinator in San Diego.

"We all need to understand what happened the last two weeks is not acceptable, and we're looking at ways to change it," Whisenhunt said.

Locker's play and health are the biggest issues right now.

As Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker reminded readers, the quarterback missed nine games due to injuries last year, and Locker is in the final year of his contract. Whisenhunt says he'll be patient with Locker, something he wasn't known for in Arizona where he cycled through quarterbacks after Kurt Warner retired.

Is that patience warranted?

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Locker now ranks ahead of only Josh McCown of Tampa Bay and Minnesota's Matt Cassel among the NFL's top 32 quarterbacks for passer rating, and he's ahead of only Chad Henne (53.8 percent) and Drew Stanton of Arizona (51.6 percent) completing 56.4 percent of his passes.

Whisenhunt said the issues weren't all Locker's fault.

"We didn't communicate very well up front with our protections," Whisenhunt said. "We didn't snap the ball correctly a couple times. We got out of synch. Those are all things we're learning about every facet of us going forward. We handled it better in Kansas City."

Only Oakland has scored fewer points through three games than the Titans who have yet to score a point in the first quarter this season. ...

Other notes of interest. ... The Titans' rushing numbers for the game actually look quite good with a 149 yards on the ground. But 50 of that came on Locker scrambles and there were a couple of times where Shonn Greene, Tennessee's slowest back, was strung out trying to turn the corner on a stretch play. ...

According to ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky, tight end Delanie Walker seems to be getting away from defenders. But the Titans' wide receivers -- Kendall Wright, Nate Washington and Justin Hunter -- aren't doing a very good job at putting space between themselves and defensive backs.

That needs to change when the Titans get to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Colts on Sunday.

The trio of wideouts were expected to be a major bright spot for the Titans this season. So far they've not lived up to those expectations. They've combined for 27 catches for 307 yards with an 11.4-yard average.

In the loss in Cincinnati Sunday, Washington was shut out and Wright and Hunter combined for 10.1 yards per catch on eight receptions. Wright slipped multiple times. Hunter had one ball go off his hands and failed to go up and get the sort of jump ball he should be dominant on. They all need to do better getting off the line and running better routes.

But one way to help receivers get some room is to create hesitation in the coverage. Under the previous regime, the Titans ran a lot of play-action with Locker. It makes defensive backs look at two things instead of simply locking in on their man.

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In Cincinnati, the Titans ran one snap of play-action, according to ESPN Stats & Information. In three games they've run eight snaps -- fewer than every team but Tampa Bay. The league average is 21.

Whisenhunt said the Titans have had good play-action plans, they just haven't gotten to them. But history suggests he's simply not a big play-action guy. In his six seasons as the Cardinals head coach, they used the second-fewest play-action plays in the NFL, an average of 4.6 plays a game. ...

In a semi-related note, Whisenhunt said Walker, the team's leading receiver, hurt a shoulder. His status for this week is also uncertain. Walker was not on the field for the start of Wednesday's practice.

The Titans announced that they have waived recently-signed WR T.J. Graham and signed tight end Chase Coffman. Coffman has four catches in 22 career games with the Bengals and Falcons and spent training camp with Tennessee before being dropped as the team set its initial 53-man roster.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, Zach Mettenberger RB: Shonn Greene, Bishop Sankey, Leon Washington, Dexter McCluster FB: Jackie Battle WR: Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Justin Hunter, Derek Hagan, Kris Durham TE: Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens, Taylor Thompson, Chase Coffman PK: Ryan Succop =========================

=========================WASHINGTON REDSKINSAs the Sports Xchange notes, there were plenty of positives for the Redskins to take away from Sunday's 37-34 loss at the Philadelphia Eagles. But the question remains, how to clean up the inconsistency that led to another key setback?

They did a superb job of keeping the ball from the potent Eagles offense in the first half while taking an early 10-point lead.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins passed for 427 yards and three touchdowns while not being sacked in 48 drop-backs. The defense bottled up reigning NFL rushing champion LeSean McCoy to the tune of 22 yards on 20 carries.

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Receiver DeSean Jackson overcame an ailing shoulder to celebrate his return to Philly with an 81-yard touchdown. Kai Forbath nailed two long field goals.

But, as has regularly been the case this millennium no matter who's coaching the team or wearing the burgundy and gold jerseys, the Redskins still found a way to lose, falling into a tie for last place in the NFC East at 1-2 with the New York Giants, who visit on Thursday.

Washington's bumbling special teams surrendered a 102-yard kickoff return and saw Forbath smack a critical 33-yard field-attempt off the right upright, ending his streak of 18 straight conversions. Cousins threw a late pick and couldn't generate a first down when the Redskins started their final possession at the Philadelphia 41-yard line.

The defense, which tied a franchise record last week with 10 sacks, didn't take down Foles once on his 42 drop-backs. Stalwart running back Alfred Morris managed just 77 yards on 23 carries. Washington committed 10 penalties for 131 yards including the personal foul for which nose tackleChris Baker was ejected for a cheap shot on Foles. And top cornerback DeAngelo Hall is done for the season with a torn Achilles.

"We all had our hand in this so I'm not going to point fingers at special teams," first-year coach Jay Gruden said when asked to do just that.

Despite his strong day, Cousins blamed himself for the defeat. That was beyond falling his sword, but he was accurate in saying after the Redskins turned an early 17-7 lead with the Eagles' score coming on the kickoff return into a 37-27 fourth-quarter deficit.

"We always want to start fast and finish strong," said Cousins, whose team has outscored its foes 21-7 in the first quarter but just 60-57 afterward. "We started fast but didn't finish as strong as we wanted."

Nonetheless, Cousins is generating plenty of buzz. And while he reiterated his understanding Tuesday that the Redskins remain Robert Griffin III's team, Gruden is backpedaling from his August declaration that Griffin holds "the keys to the franchise" in his hands.

Asked if Cousins might permanently replace Griffin in Washington, Gruden told the New York Daily News, "Crazy things have happened in NFL. I'm not going to discount anything."

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As NFL.com's Chris Wesseling pointed out, Gruden could have remained noncommittal. He could have changed the subject. He could have brushed aside a long-simmering quarterback controversy and stood firmly behind the charismatic star for whom the franchise mortgaged three consecutive drafts.

Instead, he conceded the reality that the NFL is a week-to-week operation. Plans aren't written in stone; they flow like a river.

As much as the Redskins have invested in Griffin via draft picks and marketing, the episodic nature of the NFL's schedule creates storylines that send seasons careening in directions never imagined. Events can unfold to thicken plots and change plans.

The truth is, it appears Cousins is better suited to Gruden's offense. He will follow the script to a tee whereas the beauty of RGIII's game is in the freelancing.

Even if a more dynamic Griffin was truly progressing prior to his ankle injury, Gruden realizes that winning games is the NFL trump card. ...

Whatever the case, Cousins started off on fire for the second straight week, connecting on 16 of his first 18 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn't sacked, which is a credit to the offensive line and his own quick release.

Pierre Garcon led the targets with 11 catches for 138 yards and a score while Jackson had five catches for 117 yards, including the above-mentioned 81-yard touchdown.

Niles Paul continued to shine in place of injured tight end Jordan Reed with six catches for 68 yards. Reserve running back Roy Helu added a career-long 55-yard catch on a screen pass. Fullback Darrel Young caught a touchdown from Cousins for the second straight game.

For what it's worth, Reed said Monday he won't play on Thursday and still has no timetable for a return more than three weeks after suffering a strained hamstring in the season opener.

A return could still be far off. Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweeted that Reed "sounded sketchy" about playing in Week 5 against the Seattle Seahawks. Reed's lingering absence means more playing time for Paul. The fourth-year pro has made the most of his opportunity, registering 18 catches for 253 yards and a touchdown in three games.

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Also worth noting. ... Morris moved into 10th place on Washington's career rushing list in just his 35th game, but Gruden called on Helu, not the more powerful Morris, for the 1-yard touchdown run that followed the former's long catch.

Morris left the game briefly with a knee injury but he did return. He is listed as probable for Thursday night. Jackson is listed as questionable. ...

Also on the injury front. ... Linebacker Brian Orakpo will play with a cast on his left finger. He saw a hand specialist this week and learned that he tore ligaments in the finger. "I don't know how it will affect me because I haven't been in that situation yet," Orakpo told reporters. "We'll see. I should be fine. I'm on the edge. I can hold the edge. I only need to grab [when I] tackle."

Guard Shawn Lauvao was downgraded Tuesday. He was listed on the injury report as did not practice – because the Redskins are only doing walk-throughs, they're putting down the players' status as to what they could do if it had been a regular practice. If he can't play, then third-year guardJosh LeRibeus would take his place.

Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said corner Tracy Porter should be available Thursday, good news for a secondary that just lost its captain Hall. It's uncertain how much Porter will be able to play and in what role. Rookie Bashaud Breeland likely will start for Hall with E.J. Biggersremaining as the No. 3. Porter has missed quite a bit of time, first while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery and now with the hamstring.

And finally. ... According to ESPN.com's John Keim, Griffin had the cast on his left foot removed and told reporters that doctors will look at his ankle next week and start to come up with a plan for his rehab.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT QB: Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin RB: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, Silas Redd FB: Darrell Young WR: Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts, Aldrick Robinson, Ryan Grant, Santana Moss TE: Logan Paulsen, Niles Paul, Jordan Reed PK: Kai Forbath =========================Copyright© 2014 Fantasy Sports Publications, Inc.

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