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FLASHUPDATE WEEK 14 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 3 December, 2014

Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris

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ARIZONA CARDINALS

As 's Josh Weinfuss put it, "The Arizona Cardinals better not be claustrophobic. It's getting a bit crowded atop the NFC West.

"And it might get jam-packed before long. ..."

Weinfuss went on to explain that whatever breathing room the Cardinals gave themselves with a 9-1 start all but evaporated with Sunday's 29-18 loss to the Falcons. It was their second straight defeat, and it dropped the Cardinals to 9-3. Yes, they are still in first place in the West, but Arizona can see the Seattle Seahawks in its rearview mirror.

All that said, it could be worse -- at least from an NFL perspective.

Despite an inept offense and an injury report that reads like a roll call, the Cardinals are still in first place in the NFC -- barely. Sunday's loss dropped them into a three-way tie atop the conference, alongside Green Bay and Philadelphia. All three are 9-3, but because of tiebreakers, the Cards still own home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

That's just this week, however.

With the way Arizona's been playing, it could easily change, and injuries aren't helping. Three more Cardinals starters left Sunday's game with injuries. When Kansas City visits in Week 14, Arizona might be down another running back, right guard and safety.

On Sunday, Andre Ellington suffered a hip pointer, Paul Fanaika a high left ankle sprain and Tyrann Mathieu a fractured left thumb.

Those looking for positives will want to note that with four games remaining, the Seahawks have the tougher schedule of the two and face teams who are a combined 30-18, whereas the Cardinals' next four opponents are 27-20, excluding Kansas City's game Sunday night against Denver.

The Chiefs are the latest team to beat Seattle. Then the Cardinals travel to St. Louis to face the Rams, who've embraced their reputation as this year's NFC West spoiler. Awaiting Arizona in Week 16, however, is Seattle in a game that might just determine the division -- and could possibly keep the Cardinals from missing the playoffs.

Then the Cards close the regular season in San Francisco.

But that Week 16 showdown with Seattle is of primary interest to fantasy owners.

If Arizona keeps losing and Seattle keeps winning, the Cardinals could be out of the playoffs if they fall to the Seahawks in Week 16.

As for the injuries?

General manager Steve Keim said Monday that the team can't afford to sulk about the state of affairs.

"We have two options. We can feel sorry for ourselves and make excuses about being decimated by injuries, or we can come out swinging," Keim said on Arizona Sports 98.7, via the team's website.

While there's no doubt the Cardinals will come out swinging, a depleted roster is going to make things tougher. ...

For the record. ... Fitzgerald returned to practice Wednesday (and he told ESPN's Pedro Gomez before practice that he fully expects to play this week). Ellington's status remains unclear. During a Tuesday appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Arians said Ellington isn't expected to practice this week because of what the coach characterized as a "severe" hip pointer

Ellington's status will be determined on Sunday, with Arians hopeful he can play.

Marion Grice replaced him and likely will start against the Chiefs if Ellington can't play. Arians also noted Stepfan Taylor and Robert Hughes will be in the mix and newcomer Michael Bush might fit into the equation.

I'll have more on both injured skill players via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...

Meanwhile, Mathieu will miss at least three weeks after having surgery to repair his thumb.

Other notes of interest. ... The Cardinals have gone 11 consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown.

As Weinfuss suggested, there were bright spots Sunday, but any momentum gained was derailed by either a penalty late in the second quarter, an interception in the first or a fumble in the second. Some of the issues Arizona had Sunday definitely were a product of not having Fitzgerald for a second straight game. Drew Stanton's interception, which was a bit high but went off the hands of Jaron Brown, might have been brought down by Fitzgerald.

Ted Ginn entered Sunday without a catch in his past two games and had four catches for 61 yards Sunday. He came in as the Cards' fifth receiver, but he was one of very few bright spots for the Cardinals' offense and might have played himself above Jaron Brown on the depth chart. ...

One last note here. ... Linebacker Matt Shaughnessy has spent the last seven weeks on injured reserve/designated-to-return while healing from surgery to repair the meniscus in his left knee. He was eligible to return to practice after six weeks and can play Sunday against Kansas City.

Arians said Shaughnessy will be eased back into the outside linebacker rotation, which includes Alex Okafor, who is tied for the team lead with six sacks, Sam Acho, Marcus Benard and Lorenzo Alexander. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas, Ryan Lindley 

RB: Marion Grice, Stepfan Taylor, Michael Bush, Andre Ellington 

FB: Robert Hughes 

WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd, John Brown, Jaron Brown, Ted Ginn, Walt Brown 

TE: John Carlson, Robert Housler, Darren Fells, Matthew Mulligan 

PK: Chandler Catanzaro 

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ATLANTA FALCONS

According to 's Vaughn McClure, when Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson jumped on a conference call with the Atlanta media last week and professed he got the better of Julio Jones during their SEC days at Alabama and LSU, Jones took it to heart. Jones didn't say much about it publicly, but he voiced his feeling to Falcons teammate Devin Hester during the third quarter of Sunday's 29-18 win over Peterson and the Cardinals.

Jones admitted he told Hester he couldn't sleep all week after Peterson's words.

"People call you out, man. ... It's part of the game," Jones said. "People talk trash all the time. But I'm not a guy to talk and down-talk and say I got the better of someone because you're going to have to face a person again, and there's always ups and downs. You're not going to win them all."

Jones won Sunday, over and over again.

"He won the matchup today," Peterson admitted. "Cy Young winners give up home runs. At the end of the day, you have to bounce back."

Jones also surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the season, though his 189 yards fell 11 shy of what teammate Roddy White, who was sidelined by an ankle injury, demanded of him.

"Roddy told me before the game, 'I need 200. I need 200,'" Jones said with a laugh. "I mean, I tried."

It looked rather effortless.

Just one week after the timing between Jones and quarterback Matt Ryan was drastically off against the Browns, the two rediscovered their rhythm. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Ryan was 5-of-6 for 130 yards when targeting Jones with passes of 15-plus yards downfield, including a 32-yard touchdown reception for Jones with one-on-one coverage from Peterson. Those five deep receptions tied a career high for Jones.

The touchdown reception was his second straight game with a touchdown after he had a seven-game drought.

"Every day after practice [last] week, me and Matt got together and threw deep balls, scrambled a little bit -- you know, just him throwing the ball moving," Jones said. "And it helped out in the game today, as you can tell. We came out today, and we hit plays."

A 41-yard pass play from Ryan to Jones -- which drew a Peterson holding penalty that was declined -- set up one of Matt Bryant's career-high five field goals. A 25-yard reception for Jones set up another Bryant field goal.

About the only time Ryan and Jones weren't on the same page was at the start of the second quarter, when miscommunication led to Ryan throwing the ball right into the hands of Cardinals safety Rashad Johnson, who returned it 88 yards for a touchdown. That play was all but forgotten with the way the Falcons were able to move the ball down the field with ease for most of the game. Credit the offensive line for helping give Ryan time to throw.

"In order to be an explosive football team, in order to make plays when you need them, you've got to hit them when you get the one-on-one," Ryan said. "I thought Julio did a great job at making some great plays -- in traffic, too. Patrick Peterson had some good coverage, but Julio showcased what he can do."

Jones being his dynamic self will be crucial as the Falcons try to sustain momentum and make a serious playoff push. They sit 5-7 and atop the NFC South going into a tough road game at Green Bay on Dec. 8.

"I think he's a step above the rest," Steven Jackson said of Jones. "I don't believe one guy can actually guard him for four quarters. And the thing that's really impressive with Julio is he still can get better.

"You have to be mentally tough to play this game for a long time. You've got to understand guys are going to win some battles. When you can consistently do it, year in and year out, that's what separates you. All the physical attributes -- he has those things. As he becomes mentally tougher -- and that just comes from being seasoned -- he's only going to get better."

Injured Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald is one of those seasoned veterans recognized throughout the league. Even Fitzgerald had to express his appreciation for the display Jones put on Sunday.

"He's a beast," Fitzgerald said. "He's just a special talent."

Now we'll see if Jones can keep the roll going when it matters most to fantasy owners. ...

As noted above, White, who suffered an ankle injury last week against Cleveland, did not play.

White, who also sat out the third game of the season against Tampa Bay with a hamstring injury, didn't practice at all last week. He was replaced in the lineup by Harry Douglas.

Head coach Mike Smith told reporters on Monday that he anticipates White to return for Monday's game against the Packers. In addition, White told 680 The Fan in Atlanta on Tuesday he expects to play at Green Bay and the rest of the season. "Yeah, I'll be good to go down the stretch," he said.

White has 56 catches for 662 yards and five touchdowns. His status is something I'll be watching in coming days. ...

As for this week's game? No one expects the Falcons in Green Bay on Monday Night Football. Then again, no one expected them to beat the 9-2 Cardinals, either. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Jackson, who eclipsed the 11,000-yard career mark earlier this season, rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time since coming to the franchise.

Jackson rushed 18 times for 101 yards to help the Falcons spring a major upset of the Cardinals on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

Jackson has struggled to get moving with the Falcons behind revamped offensive lines.

According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer D. Orlando Ledbetter, Jackson was elated that he was able to break a 55-yard run on the fourth snap of the game.

"All week we talked about getting off to a fast start and closing the game out in the fourth quarter," Jackson said. "It was imperative because the Arizona Cardinals presented a difficult challenge. They have a very good defense."

The Cardinals entered the game with the league's third-best rushing defense in league, giving up 84.5 yards per game.

Led by Jackson, the Falcons rushed for a season-high 142 yards on 34 carries. The Falcons had rushed for more than 100 yards in just four other games this season (New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Minnesota and at Tampa Bay).

"Our offensive line did a really good job of creating some holes for not only myself, but for the other running backs," Jackson said. "Whenever you can be effective running the ball, it allows the offense to be balanced and it allows for the play-calling to be creative and it keeps them honest."

It was 35 games ago that the Falcons had their last 100-yard rusher. Michael Turner ran for 102 yards on 20 carries against Dallas on Nov. 4, 2012.

"We're glad to get that out of the way," Jackson said. "Now, we want to start our own streak being effective runners, not only myself but the other guys in the room with me. ..."

Hester appeared to score on a 70-yard punt return in the first quarter. Instead, the play was called back.

Ryan tossed two touchdowns in the first quarter for the sixth time in his career. He has thrown two touchdowns in a single quarter 18 times. Ryan has thrown multiple touchdowns in six games this season and 54 times in his career.

Douglas had his best game of the season, catching nine passes for 116 yards (12.9 per reception). It was Douglas' second straight 100-yard game against the Cardinals and the fifth 100-yard game of his career. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Matt Ryan, T.J. Yates, Sean Renfree 

RB: Steven Jackson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Devonta Freeman 

WR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Devin Hester, Freddy Martino, Eric Weems 

TE: Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe 

PK: Matt Bryant 

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BALTIMORE RAVENS

When kicker Justin Tucker connected on a 31-yard field goal to briefly boost the lead to six points, it repeated a costly pattern for the Ravens during their eventual 34-33 loss to the San Diego Chargers at M&T Bank Stadium.

The Ravens settled for field goals instead of the touchdowns they needed to keep pace with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers, who answered the field goal by manufacturing a game-winning touchdown drive. On Sunday, the Ravens went 3-for-7 in the red zone -- the area between the 20-yard line and the end zone.

According to Baltimore Sun staffer Aaron Wilson, whether it was their inability to pound the football into the end zone, Joe Flacco holding it too long in the pocket and receivers not getting open or the blockers not creating enough push, the Ravens' red-zone failures were a major reason why they lost a crucial AFC game that held major playoff implications.

"That was huge," wide receiver Torrey Smith said. "It was the difference in the game. We wouldn't have had to worry about them scoring at the end of the game. The defense wouldn't have been under pressure like they were, and we have to take responsibility for that."

The setback left the Ravens shaking their heads afterward and taking inventory of what happened. Entering Sunday, the Ravens ranked 15th in red-zone offense with 22 touchdowns on 41 red-zone scoring opportunities.

Despite facing a team that entered Sunday ranked 26th in red-zone defense, having allowed 20 touchdowns to opponents in 31 red-zone possessions, the Ravens' offense was stonewalled throughout the game.

The Chargers didn't run anything particularly exotic. They just played hard-nosed defense, and the Ravens failed to execute the play calls of offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.

"It was a mixture of things, it wasn't anything complicated," Steve Smith said. "They didn't do anything to trick us. You just have to go out and make plays."

As Wilson notes, that was precisely what the Ravens were incapable of doing, though.

They couldn't shove their way into the end zone. They didn't convert short passes. With the exception of Torrey Smith scoring on a pair of short touchdown passes and Flacco scoring on a quarterback sneak, the Ravens' red-zone offense was ineffective.

Steve Smith was especially disgusted with his performance.

Smith caught only one pass for 2 yards. He failed to haul in a potential touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone and also was penalized for an illegal shift penalty.

Although targeted four times, Smith wasn't a factor one week removed from catching a touchdown in a victory over the New Orleans Saints.

"I pretty much played terrible," Smith said. "When I got an opportunity, I didn't do anything to help us offensively. In a situation like that, they're playing with 10 men. That falls directly on me.

"I can attribute it to a lot of stuff, but, at the end of the day, I have to stay focused. The game is a roller-coaster. Each individual guy has expectations, but, at the end of the day, you get paid to be focused and focused throughout the whole game."

This was a game where the Ravens needed much more from Smith, especially with Torrey Smith and Marlon Brown leaving with injuries and not returning.

Brown suffered a concussion during the first half after landing hard on his head and back while making his third catch of the game. Brown was on the ground motionless before he responded after trainers and team doctor Leigh Ann Curl attended to him.

Brown then walked off the field under his own power and immediately went inside the locker room for testing under the NFL concussion protocol. He was in the middle of one of his better games, having caught three passes for 25 yards when he got hurt.

"It's tough," Steve Smith said. "You're concerned about them, but you've still got to play and you've still got a game going on. You never want to see a guy get hurt."

Late in the game, Torrey Smith limped off the field and was favoring his right knee.

's Clifton Brown believes the Ravens will need Steve Smith to have a bigger impact during their final four games.

"At the end of the day I have to stay focused," Smith said. "The game is a roller coaster. Each individual guy has expectations, but at the end of the day you get paid to be focused.

"You've got to be open-minded and you've got to have tough skin. You have to be able to handle the corrections and not receive it as criticism, but just plain corrections and try to move forward."

But for now, Torrey Smith has replaced Steve Smith as the Ravens' go-to receiver.

Playing with what 's Jamison Hensley believes is "more emotion," Torrey Smith now has scored seven touchdowns in his past seven games.

For the record, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Monday that Smith is day-to-day.

"Torrey didn't really have anything too serious. I don't even know how to describe it right now," Harbaugh said. "(Ravens lead trainer) Mark (Smith) hasn't explained to me what it was. But he will be just getting ready for Miami."

While it's no real surprise to learn that Smith was not on the practice field for the start of Wednesday's practice, it is worth noting that Justin Forsett (ankle) was also absent. Forsett described the issue as "general soreness" and the Ravens often give veterans additional rest in instances like this.

That said, I'll be following up on Forsett, Smith and Brown via Late Breaking Update in coming days. ...

Worth noting: The Ravens dropped 1.5 games back of the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals (8-3-1) with four games remaining. It means they'll need to scrap throughout December to remain relevant. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Forsett continues to add to his career season. He ran for 106 yards -- his third straight 100-yard game -- and eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing for the first time in his seven-year career. The last Ravens running back to run for 100 yards in three straight games was Jamal Lewis in 2003.

Forsett also broke his 13th run of 20 yards or longer, which tops the NFL. But Hensley added, "it wasn't his best effort of the season."

Forsett averaged less than 1 yard per carry after contact, which ranked worst among backs with at least 70 yards rushing in Week 13. Bernard Pierce was limited to 2.7 yards per carry. Can rookie Lorenzo Taliaferro finally get out of Harbaugh's doghouse?

Harbaugh says the rookie isn't there.

"If you look at it, no one has many carries besides [Forsett]," Harbaugh told the Baltimore Sun. "You'll see Lorenzo, without question. There's no punishment going on there. I just think it's been Justin has been playing so well, but Lorenzo has to be there for us, especially down the stretch here. ..."

According to the Sports Xchange, Owen Daniels became the 35th tight end in NFL history to record 5,000 receiving yards. Daniels has stepped in for the injured Dennis Pitta. Daniels has 39 catches for 385 yards and three touchdowns. ...

Jacoby Jones recorded the seventh 70-yard kickoff return in his career. Jones had his best game of the season against San Diego, returning four kicks for 133 yards. ...

When the Ravens failed to convert in the red zone, they relied on the foot of Tucker. He connected on four field goals: 33, 21, 29 and 31 yards. Tucker has converted on 13 straight field goals.

Tucker has made 59 of his past 60 field goal attempts from under 55 yards, ranking as the game's most reliable kicker. He also has made 13 straight field goal attempts this season. His only three misses this year have been from 55, 57 and 64 yards. ...

And finally. ... Harbaugh told reporters wide receiver Michael Campanaro's recovery from a thigh injury has been slow. Campanaro has missed the previous four games with the issue. Harbaugh told reporters he's not going to count on him until he returns to the lineup.

"It was supposed to be two weeks ago. I'm just not going to count on him until he's back," Harbaugh said. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor 

RB: Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Bernard Pierce 

FB: Kyle Juszczyk 

WR: Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Jacoby Jones, Kamar Aiken, Michael Campanaro 

TE: Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore, Ryan Taylor 

PK: Justin Tucker 

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BUFFALO BILLS

Don't look now, but the Buffalo Bills are one win away from something they haven't accomplished in a decade: an eight-win season.

At 7-5, the Bills have already ensured their first seven-win season since 2008. They're currently part of a five-way tie for sixth place in the AFC and would be one of six teams with a 7-5 record if the Miami Dolphins win Monday night.

According to 's Mike Rodak, that makes for a complicated tiebreaker, one that the Bills -- who only own a head-to-head win over the Browns -- will be hard-pressed to win to earn a playoff berth.

But there are still four games remaining, and plenty of time for the Bills to earn their first eight-win season since 2004, when that squad finished with a 9-7 record, the franchise's best mark since 1999.

With a 54-90 record from 2005-2013, the Bills were the NFL's fifth-worst team over that span. But an eight-win season in 2014, even without a nod for the postseason, would be a sign of progress for the team.

It's worth noting the Bills looked anything but poised to win at halftime of Sunday's game. With an ugly offensive effort through the first half -- the Bills gained just 91 yards, were 0-for-6 on third downs and trailed 3-0 -- the Browns had a chance to send the Bills into a nosedive with a second-half knockout punch.

Instead, the Bills fought back, scoring two touchdowns in a span of 10 seconds early in the third quarter to kick-start a runaway win.

The turning point came on fourth-and-3, when the Bills had stalled at the Browns' 37-yard line. Head coach Doug Marrone, who has faced questions over recent weeks about being too quick to turn to his punt team, kept his offense on the field. The gamble paid off, with Kyle Ortonconnecting with Robert Woods on a 34-yard completion.

That conversion led to a 3-yard touchdown catch by Chris Hogan. After the kickoff, the Bills defense returned a Terrance West fumble for a touchdown.

In the blink of an eye, the Bills went from staring down a 6-6 record and virtual irrelevancy in December to having a 14-3 lead, command of the game and a chance to make noise down the home stretch of the season.

The task of making the postseason remains a significant challenge for the Bills. They begin a brutal schedule by traveling to play the Denver Broncos next week. After flying back for their home finale against the Green Bay Packers, the Bills will make a cross-country trip to play the Oakland Raiders before wrapping up their regular season at the New England Patriots.

Make no mistake about it: The odds are still stacked against the Bills playing in January. But the fact they're still in the hunt should provide the requisite motivation fantasy owners are hoping for down the stretch. And that Week 16 matchup against Oakland will be mighty appealing to fantasy owners. ...

Other notes of interest. ... As  notes, Sunday's win didn't come without a cost, however. They saw defensive tackle Marcell Dareus miss time during the game with a hip injury and the team revealed Monday that wide receiver Sammy Watkins also hurt his hip during the contest.

Marrone said on Monday that he had "no idea" whether Watkins would miss any practice time this week. Wednesday will bring the first update on that front, but Watkins didn't miss any snaps on offense during Sunday's victory and that would seem to bode well for his status.

Watkins has been bothered by various aches and pains as a rookie and hasn't been too productive of late, 13 catches for 105 yards in the last four games, although it has hardly been a robust time for anyone involved in the Buffalo passing game.

Meanwhile, it was another big game from Woods. After setting career highs Monday night in a 38-3 victory over the New York Jets, the second-year receiver led the Bills with four catches for 71 yards, including a 34-yard gain on a fourth-and-3 play that led to the Bills' first touchdown.

Woods again stole some thunder from Watkins, who caught 3 of 9 targets for 11 yards.

Hogan was targeted just four times, but as noted above, one of his two catches produced Buffalo's only offensive touchdown.

Watkins, Woods (ankle) and Hogan (hip) were all limited in Wednesday's practice; I'll follow up via Late-Breaking Update as needed in coming days. ...

As the Sports Xchange noted, tight end MarQueis Gray made his Bills debut and caught two short passes in the flat off nice play-fakes and rumbled a total of 71 yards.

Orton completed 17 of 31 passes for 190 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. With a 57.2 passer rating, he became just the fifth quarterback this season to win with a passer rating under 58. ...

According to Rodak, Fred Jackson played on 48 of 65 offensive snaps, his heaviest workload since Week 6 against New England, when he played in 75 percent of the snaps. Jackson received five carries in the first half and gained just 14 yards but got more traction in the second half, finishing with 70 yards on 21 runs.

While the Bills are getting more even production from their three backs -- Jackson, Anthony Dixon (6 snaps) and Bryce Brown (11 snaps) averaged between 3.3 yards per carry and 4.2 yards per carry -- they didn't get much in the way of big plays, with the longest run of the afternoon being just eight yards. ...

Dan Carpenter kicked four field goals in the fourth quarter, the first time in Bills history the Bills made four field goals in one quarter.

And finally. ... According to 's Chris Brown, C.J. Spiller, who was placed on IR – designated to return after suffering a shoulder injury in the win over Minnesota, has been making good progress in his efforts to return before the end of the regular season. Marrone provided an update.

"We're hoping to see C.J. to start coming back," said Marrone. "That designation is coming up."

Under the rules of I-R designated to return Spiller was eligible to return to practice on Wednesday and he did, starting a practice window in which he can work with coaches and teammates and not be counted toward the active roster.

He still cannot be activated until Dec. 16 and would be eligible for the two remaining games on the Bills regular season schedule against the Raiders and Patriots.

Spiller, who is averaging 4.2 yards per carry, injured his shoulder Week 7 against the Vikings. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Kyle Orton, EJ Manuel 

RB: Fred Jackson, Anthony Dixon, Bryce Brown, C.J. Spiller 

FB: Frank Summers 

WR: Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Chris Hogan, Mike Williams, Marquise Goodwin, Marcus Easley 

TE: Scott Chandler, MarQueis Gray, Lee Smith, Chris Gragg 

PK: Dan Carpenter 

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CAROLINA PANTHERS

According to 's David Newton, Cam Newton slouched as he sat at the podium for his news conference following Sunday's 31-13 loss to Minnesota.

If you're into reading body language, you'd swear the quarterback was frustrated after losing for the sixth straight game and going winless for the seventh game in a row.

"I'm not frustrated," Newton said. "I just want to win."

Newton has won at every stop of his career. He won a national championship as a backup quarterback at Florida in 2008. He won a junior college national championship as the starter at Binn College in 2009. He led Auburn to an undefeated season and BCS national championship in 2010.

But since coming to the Panthers (3-8-1) as the first pick of the 2011 draft, he is guaranteed his third losing season in four years. His overall record is 27-31-1.

"No need to be going back and forth in my career," Newton said.

Staying in the present, Newton is 2-8-1 this season. He hasn't won a game in two months, since an Oct. 5 victory against Chicago. He says the losing is "not hard at all; it's just a matter of time until we get the ship going."

The ship appears to be sinking – fast. Newton as a captain is going down with it.

He has thrown an interception in eight straight games, one more than the team record previously held by Jake Delhomme and Steve Beuerlein. Newton has a career-low passer rating of 78.9.

Sunday was a microcosm of his season. He missed passes early, throwing behind receivers and short. It's been six games since he threw a first-half touchdown pass.

For the season, Newton has only three first-half touchdowns to six interceptions for a passer rating of 68.4.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Newton was only 6-of-18 for 120 yards on throws longer than five yards against Minnesota. That total tied for the fewest number of completions on such throws this season.

He entered Sunday with a 50.2 completion percentage on those throws to rank 29th among qualified quarterbacks. Only New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith, Chicago's Jay Cutler, Washington's Kirk Cousins and Oakland's Derek Carr had a worse percentage.

Smith and Cousins have been benched this season.

The Panthers might have a better chance of winning now with backup quarterback Derek Anderson. They won't make that move because to bench Newton would mean jeopardizing his long-term future with the team.

Head coach Ron Rivera continues to deflect blame from Newton.

"I thought he did some really good things when he had time, when we saw the protection really stout," Newton said. "I thought he threw the ball well."

Well? Newton had a passer rating of 65.7 and completed only 54.2 percent of his throws. He struggled despite having more time to throw than he's had in recent weeks, even as the Vikings had four sacks. He also had a running game as the Panthers rushed for 178 yards on 33 carries.

That typically is enough to win.

The game plan changed dramatically after the Vikings blocked two first-half punts and returned them for touchdowns for a 21-6 lead, and that was not Newton's fault. But it left him and the offense little room for error.

They couldn't deliver.

"We have the guys who can get the job done," Newton said. "The worry now is trying to get our swagger back, so to speak, moving forward."

The Panthers definitely need Newton to get his swagger back. His body language suggests it's missing.

Up next, the Panthers face the New Orleans Saints (5-7) in a last-hope NFC South matchup. The Saints beat Carolina 28-10 on Oct. 30 in Charlotte. A loss in New Orleans basically would end Carolina's playoff hopes. ...

Worth noting: Carolina came into the game ranked 27th in the NFL in red zone efficiency with 14 touchdowns on 30 trips inside the 20-yard line (46.7 percent). The Panthers didn't help that average with two field goals on two first-half trips into the red zone.

The return of fullback Mike Tolbert was supposed to help because he offered more options in terms of running, blocking and catching close to the goal line. Not so much.

Other notes of interest. ... DeAngelo Williams suffered what Rivera said is a fractured bone in his hand during Sunday's loss to Minnesota.

Rivera said on Monday that Williams could play in Week 14 at New Orleans if the swelling subsides. Williams was not on the practice field Wednesday.

Jonathan Stewart, who had 85 yards on 12 carries against Minnesota, likely will move into the starting lineup.

Stewart rushed 12 times for 75 yards against the Vikings, good for a 7.1-yards-per-carry clip that was Carolina's best all season.

A team source told the Charlotte Observer's Jonathan Jones recently that when Stewart was named the starter in 2012, he didn't take ownership of the role. The coaching staff saw that Stewart runs better when he feeds off Williams, the source said, and believed Williams is more suited for the starting role.

Williams is Carolina's all-time leading rusher with 6,846 yards and 46 touchdowns. He has been limited to 219 yards this season, playing in only six of the 12 games because of hamstring and ankle injuries. He had seven carries for 21 yards against Minnesota, all in the first half.

Williams, 31, has one year left on an original five-year, $43 million deal that was restructured last season to reduce his salary-cap hits to $5 million in 2013 and $6 million this season.

Greg Olsen missed Wednesday's practice with a knee injury. Rivera told reporters the veteran tight end has a little fluid in the knee but no structural issues, according to the Observer. "He'll be fine," Rivera said.

I'll follow up on Williams and Olsen via Late-Breaking Update as the week pogresses. ...

A few final notes. ... Receiver DeAndre Presley had his first career NFL touch. He lost two yards on a reverse. ...

The Panthers announced on Tuesday they have waived starting cornerback Antoine Cason and reserve linebacker Jason Williams and signed cornerback Carrington Byndom and linebacker Horace Miller from the practice squad. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb 

RB: Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker, DeAngelo Williams 

FB: Mike Tolbert 

WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Brenton Bersin, Philly Brown, DeAndre Presley 

TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams 

PK: Graham Gano 

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CHICAGO BEARS

Matt Forte finished last Thursday's loss in Detroit with five carries, which tied a career low, for six yards. He also caught six passes for 52 yards.

Was it too tough to run the ball against the Lions' front four?

"I don't know," Forte said. "Because we didn't run it."

As 's Jon Greenberg notes, the Lions came in with the No. 1 rushing defense, allowing 70.7 yards per game, so the Bears knew it wasn't going to be a ground-and-pound game. But five carries for Forte puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback, Jay Cutler, who now has 20 turnovers for the season.

"It's hard," Cutler said. "You know, I think we went into the game thinking some of these shorter passes would be an extension of our run game, some longer handoffs. It worked early on, and then we had to try and push the ball down the field a little bit."

He's right, though it seemed like the screen passes stopped working before the Bears got behind by double digits.

"That's what defenses do, they adjust," Forte said.

As it often happens, head coach Marc Trestman sent in run-pass options, but the Bears scuttled run calls at the line. According to Greenberg, that's normal.

"Forte only had five runs, but we probably called 15 for him," left tackle Jermon Bushrod said. "When we got up there to run these plays, it wasn't a correct look or we had too many people in the box or they dropped a safety or they did this. It's a lot that goes into these plays that we run. If it doesn't look good to the quarterback, we've got to go out to the edge."

Forte said he didn't know exactly how many runs were called, but said they shifted some to "smoke throws," screens to Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.

"Brandon and Alshon did a good job on that, scored on one of them," he said.

That would be Jeffery's first of two touchdowns in the first quarter, a screen he took 10 yards for the score.

After 12 games, Forte leads the Bears in rushing attempts and yards (201 for 828), and catches (78 for 650). His eight total touchdowns ties him with Marshall for the team lead.

In addition, Forte broke Walter Payton's single-season record for receiving yards among backs (607, 1983). With six catches, Forte broke his own franchise single-season record for catches by a running back and has 78 now (he had 74 in 2013). ...

Though running backs always lose carries when a team is behind, when your best player becomes a forgotten man in a must-win game, it's a sure sign of fundamental problems on a fundamentally poor football team.

"The talent we have on the team, we're definitely underachieving right now," Forte said. "Some guys got to do some soul-searching for the rest of the season to plan on how they're going to play the rest of these games."

As for the offense, which continues to disappoint, Forte said he didn't have the time to explain.

"I could stand here all day and talk about it," he said. "I'm not going to point the finger or nothing like that. There's a thousand things you can talk about, penalties, all kind of stuff, shooting ourselves in the foot a lot of times."

With four games remaining, it's obvious all the talk about the potential of the Bears' high-powered offense was just that, talk. The Bears are averaging just 21 points per game.

"We've talked about it all year long," Forte said. "We got a lot of talent, but talent only gets you so far. You can look at it like that, you can have the most talent in the world, but if you don't put it to work out there, you ain't going to do anything with it."

Looking ahead. ... This is not a playoff team. As 's Jeff Dickerson suggested, the organization's eye must be toward the future, but the present is equally important.

"Think about it," Dickerson wrote, 'The new regime has watched the whole operation slide from 10-6 (Lovie Smith's final season), to 8-8, to whatever record the team manages to salvage over the next month. Trestman needs to win games. General manager Phil Emery needs to win games. Cutler needs to win games. This is worst-case-scenario stuff.

"The Bears need to build for 2015, but they remain stuck in 2014. They're trapped. I used to call it 'the march to 8-8.' Will they even get to eight wins? Can it get worse?"

Other notes of interest. ... Cutler completed 31 of 48 pass attempts for 280 yards. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 34 of 45 throws for 390 yards.

Dickerson conceded that Forte is a great receiver out of the backfield -- probably the best in the NFL -- but went on to make an excellent point: Why can't the Bears, with Marshall and Jeffery, stretch the field in the vertical passing game?

Marshall and Jeffery aren't blessed with blazing speed. However, they are big targets with long arms. Dickerson added: "Find me a 6-foot-5 defensive back. They barely exist."

It's true. The Bears should win that matchup down the field almost every time.

Marshall caught six passes for 42 yards. He's on pace for 77 receptions.

According to Dickerson: "Marshall is talented enough to catch 100 balls in his sleep. What are the Bears going to do here? They just awarded Marshall a contract extension. He is supposed to be a cornerstone of the franchise. Instead, he appears almost disinterested at times. Marshall is clearly frustrated. He is having a bad year, by his lofty standards. How will he react when Jeffery receives a lucrative extension in the offseason?

"This is another major issue the Bears will need to address. Marshall is a star. Why is he not playing like one? Is his ankle that badly injured?"

For the record, Jeffery (hamstring) and tight end Martellus Bennett (foot) were limited in Monday's practice ahead of Thursday's game against the Cowboys. Both are fully expected to play -- although Jeffery was held out Tuesday (while Bennett worked fully).

Trestman called Jeffery's absence on Tuesday "precautionary."

Nonetheless, Jeffery is officially listed as questionable. Bennett is probable.

Bennett, who posted his second career 100-yard game against the Lions, will face his original team and Marshall told Dallas reporters on a conference call that Bennett is the NFL's best tight end, and the Cowboys were foolish to let him leave.

"I don't know why you guys let this boy go," Marshall said. "He's the best tight end in the league. Y'all been watching him? Freaking maniac. Nobody can tackle him."

And finally. ... Robbie Gould, after not making a field goal for six games, made a 35-yarder in the third quarter that tied him with Kevin Butler for most career field goals made (243).

But Gould was added to the list of injured players as he missed practice Tuesday due to injured groin. The injury is serious enough for Gould to be listed as doubtful.

Veteran Jay Feely signed with the team on Wednesday. Assuming Gould can’t go against the Cowboys, Feely will.

The 38-year-old Feely has had a few tryouts this season but has been out of the league since losing the kicking competition in Arizona. He kicked the last four seasons for the Cardinals and has had prior stints with the Jets, Dolphins, Giants and Falcons.

To make room for Feely on the 53-player roster, the Bears waived/injured receiver Chris Williams. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen 

RB: Matt Forte, Ka'Deem Carey, Senorise Perry 

RB: Tony Fiammetta 

WR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Marquess Wilson , Josh Morgan, Marc Mariani 

TE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario 

PK: Jay Feely, Robbie Gould 

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CINCINNATI BENGALS

The Bengals waited to take the field inside their locker room minutes before kickoff with a seemingly standard routine. Players tightened up their pads. Some secured the final pieces of tape on their shoes. Others made last-second adjustments to their uniform.

But according to Cincinnati Enquirer staffer Paul Dehner Jr., "Andy Dalton stood over a garbage can and puked his guts out."

"I tried to get everything out as much as I could," he said.

So, he let it out, as Dalton had been since after the team meeting Saturday night when this flu bug turned quality sleep into a nightmare. All the standard symptoms were there, most of them graphic, and each running his body down into submission.

According to Dehner, he took IVs in the morning to replenish fluids, but this 24-hour bug picked poor timing as kickoff drew nearer and symptoms refused to relent.

"He threw up at least 20 times I saw," receiver Mohamed Sanu said. "He threw up so many times."

Teammates suggested after the adventurous 14-13 victory many players would have tapped out. Nobody would have blamed Dalton for understanding the reality that playing a football game isn't possible under such physical duress. Those thoughts never entered the quarterback's mind.

"I was going to play through it regardless," he said.

His attitude resonated throughout the locker room.

"To be able to play this game at the level you have to play it at and be in the state that he was in, that's tough," left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "Hats off to him just gutting it out."

As Dehner suggested (and fantasy owners would have quickly co-signed on), one half in, Dalton probably wished he stayed over the garbage can. Maybe even one play in. That's when Dalton took the first snap of the day couldn't connect on the timing of a deep comeback to A.J. Green. Instead, the pass floated to cornerback Johnthan Banks, who weaved through traffic to set Tampa Bay up at the 9-yard line.

After Tampa Bay took a 10-0 lead, the spirit of "Bad Andy" struck again with a brutal decision to throw to Green, double covered in the end zone. The ball fell into the arms of Brandon Dixon for another interception.

The worst was yet to come. Following an interception by Terence Newman setting the Bengals up at the Bucs 43, Dalton dropped back and was under pressure in his face around right tackle. He faded back off one foot and attempted to throw the ball away. Only, the pass never reached the white stripe. It reached Alterraun Verner for three interceptions in one half.

"That was just a bad play," Dalton said. "I was trying to throw the ball away. Obviously, that one sucks."

He returned to the locker room 7 of 11 for 62 yards and the three interceptions, while running for a touchdown. Dalton wouldn't specifically blame his illness for the first half miscues and said he started to feel slightly better as the game wore on, but without doubt symptoms contributed to his poor play.

"I'm not going to make any excuses for the way things started out," said Dalton, who never threw up again once the game began. "It obviously isn't something you want to deal with, but I'm not saying that's the reason the way things came out the way they did."

A major reason things came out the way they did on the scoreboard was his ability to bounce back in the second half. He wasn't helped much by a running game that only mustered 21 yards on 13 second-half carries. Sanu made a critical drop on a long third-down conversion Dalton put right on the money, but the quarterback was still 12 of 16 for for 114 yards, one touchdown and, most importantly, zero interceptions.

On the touchdown drive he twice converted third-and-longs then zipped a 13-yard dart over the head of Leonard Johnson to Green for the score. His 30-yard pass to James Wright in the final minutes on third-and-long allowed the Bengals to kill enough clock and flip field position to force Tampa to go a few yards too many.

The sickness wasn't an excuse. Dalton took blame on himself for his worst non-Cleveland half of the season. But somehow, he found a way to make just enough plays and overcome the worst physical condition he's ever been in entering a game.

For the Bengals who witnessed his struggle, that attitude and resiliency mattered more than any of his three interceptions. Fantasy owners, however, probably won't say the same. The problem with Dalton from our perspective remains unchanged: You don't know from week to week (or half to half for that matter) whether the "Red Rifle" or "Red-Headed Step Child" is going to show up. ...

Meanwhile, as 's Coley Harvey suggested, vacation time is over for the Bengals, who end their three-week stretch away from Paul Brown Stadium with one of the biggest games on their home slate. They return to Cincinnati next Sunday as they play their first of three division games to close out the regular season's final four weeks. Up first, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Other notes of interest. ... As the Sports Xchange notes, the production from Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill was decent as the two combined for 89 yards on 23 carries. But when your quarterback has been throwing up all night and the opponent ranks 20th against the run, it would be helpful to have more production than that.

One of the most glaring deficiencies was something that has been a strength of late, closing things out in the fourth quarter.

When the Bengals had a chance to do that Sunday, taking over at their own 20 with 4:01 to go, they stumbled. Hill had two of his carries on the drive go for negative yards before the drive stalled and the Bengals gave the ball back to the Buccaneers with 2:01 left and a chance to drive for a winning field goal. ...

Wright had the highlight of the game when with just less than three minutes remaining, he helped extend the Bengals' final drive with a difficult leaping catch along his team's sideline. On third-and-11, with Cincinnati appearing poised to enter the two-minute warning with a punt to the Buccaneers, Wright beat his cornerback deep down the far sideline as Dalton tossed up a pass he made him jump for.

As noted above, it didn't lead to points, but that play still gave the Bengals just enough yards and time to keep the timeout-less Buccaneers from driving to win the game. Wright finished with three catches for 59 yards. ...

Sanu's time in the spotlight has apparently passed. The wide receiver had four catches for 95 yards in Green's first game back in the lineup Week 9 against Jacksonville but has averaged 3.0 catches for 27.5 yards since.

As 's Scott White suggested, throwing for just 215.8 yards per game with an equal number of touchdown passes to interceptions (13), Dalton has shown he just isn't good enough to sustain both. Sanu clearly has ability and will have more standout games in his future, but with Green in the lineup, they won't be regular enough for you to bother with him in 12-team leagues. ...

The Bengals have signed veteran offensive tackle Eric Winston to a one-year deal.

An eight-year veteran who started every game between 2007-2013, Winston gives the Bengals insurance at tackle with Andre Smith done for the season with a torn triceps. Winston last played with the Cardinals in 2013 but was with the Seahawks during training camp this summer. It appears likely that he will be inactive for Week 14 but will then see some snaps behind current starter Marshall Newhouse for the remainder of the season and hopefully into the layoffs.

And finally. ... Linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who has missed the last five games with a knee injury, is still day-to-day, according to head coach Marvin Lewis. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell 

RB: Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, Cedric Peerman, Rex Burkhead 

WR: A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, James Wright, Brandon Tate, Dane Sanzenbacher, Greg Little 

TE: Jermaine Gresham, Ryan Hewitt, Tyler Eifert 

PK: Mike Nugent 

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CLEVELAND BROWNS

Brian Hoyer has held off Johnny Manziel and will start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts, a league source confirmed to Cleveland Plain Dealer Mary Kay Cabot.

Hoyer has been informed by head coach Mike Pettine that he will take the field against the 8-4 Colts on Sunday.

With four games remaining, the Browns (7-5) are in a three-way tie for second place in the AFC North with Baltimore and Pittsburgh. They are all 1 1/2 games behind the 8-3-1 Bengals, who come to town next week.

According to Cabot, Pettine huddled up with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains and general manager Ray Farmer to make the decision, which he acknowledged was a very difficult one. Pettine has appreciated Hoyer's work ethic, dedication, passion and other "play like a Brown" attributes. However, his performance had tailed off in recent weeks to the point where Pettine had to consider a change.

"As I said (Sunday), I just felt we needed to make a change," he said Monday of benching Hoyer in favor of Manziel with 12:01 left in the Buffalo game. "We needed a spark. We had been listless for a good amount of time. Really two of the past three games on offense (we've) had those issues. I think the defenses had a lot to do with it.

"Atlanta, I do think that we were very confident. It was our highest yardage production output of the year, but interceptions were obviously a concern. I don't want to say that he was taken out because we lost confidence. It was a decision in-game to spark our team."

In the past three games, Hoyer (11 TDs, 10 INTs, 79.9 rating) has thrown one touchdown pass and six interceptions, three of which were on passes intended for Josh Gordon. He earned ratings of 61.2, 52.3 and 51.0 in those games to tumble to 27th in the league. He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in nine quarters and only one in the last 15.

His completion percentage is lowest in the NFL and he managed to convert only three of the defense's league-leading 17 takeaways over the past seven games into touchdowns.

But Hoyer, who has four fourth-quarter come-from-behind victories this season, defended his performance in the locker room Monday, reminding folks of what he's accomplished this season.

"We're 7-5," he said. "This just doesn't happen by luck. It was hard-earned, and we've worked to get where we're at. We're still in it. With those other teams losing yesterday, we have four more games. Two of them are division games.

"You don't get to 7-5 in the NFL just lucking into it. It's been a lot of hard work, and I think I've proven that I've gotten us to this point. I feel like I can carry us through the next four games. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be ready to go."

He said Monday he fully expected to keep his his starting job despite Pettine contemplating a switch beginning Sunday night.

"Yeah, I don't have any doubt in myself," Hoyer said. "I never have throughout this entire process, going back to last year. I feel like we're 7-5. We still have a chance to attain all of our goals. It's still there in front of us. That decision's not up to me though, and I'll be ready. I'm going to go about it as business as usual and see where it goes."

Manziel engineered an 80-yard scoring drive in Buffalo capped by his dive into the end zone -- followed by the money sign. He vowed after the Bills game that he'd "definitely be ready" if his number was called.

"Maybe get a chance to start at home, Cleveland fans are nuts," he said. "It's obviously a game that going down the stretch every single one of them is important to us, so we need to go out and get a win."

That won't be the case, even though there was ample reason to believe the change was coming. And it still might come. Just not in time for the start of this week's game. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to Elyria Chronicle staffer Brian Dulik, Pettine didn't hesitate to throw Terrance West under the bus Sunday afternoon.

The rookie running back fumbled midway through the third quarter, and Jerry Hughes returned it for an 18-yard touchdown as the Bills beat Cleveland 26-10.

West's fumble occurred one play -- exactly 10 seconds -- after the Bills took a 7-3 lead, giving them all the momentum they needed to pull away for the victory.

"You can't be that loose with the football, it's inexcusable," Pettine said. "West really changed the whole flow of the game. It would have been a one-score game, and that's the frustrating thing.

"Close games are going to come down to turnovers. Like I said, the West fumble changed everything. It's inexcusable."

The miscue was West's second in 139 touches this season, not counting his first-quarter fumble at the Buffalo 7-yard line that was overturned by the replay official. The Bills also recovered that football before it was negated.

West finished with a team-high 32 yards on seven carries, but 18 of them took place on the meaningless final snap of the game.

"I blame this game on me," the third-round pick from Towson said. "When I fumbled the ball and lost the ball, they scored. That changed the game. It changed the momentum of the game, so I blame this one on me."

Fellow Browns rookie Isaiah Crowell also had a poor day, with 29 yards on 17 attempts while making his third straight start.

Even with West's garbage-time gain and the late 10-yard touchdown run Manziel, Cleveland's moribund rushing attack only managed 74 yards and averaged 2.8 yards per carry.

"The Bills have got a great defense, one of the best we've played all year," West said. "They're good up front. Shout out to their defense. ..."

Pettine said that No. 3 running back Glenn Winston, a 6-2, 220-pounder, could get reps with the regular offense.

"That's something we'll look at," Pettine said. "Because we need to pride ourselves on not turning the ball over."

The team also signed veteran free agent Shaun Draughn to a contract on Wednesday.

Crowell will continue to start -- if he's healthy enough.

Pettine announced on Wednesday that Crowell has a hip injury. The coach added he was hopeful the rookie running back will be able to go Sunday -- though he wasn't a lock to practice Wednesday. I'll follow up via Late-Breaking Update throughout the week. ...

Receiver Miles Austin remained hospitalized after sustaining a kidney injury during Sunday's loss to Buffalo.

Pettine said Monday that Austin is expected to be kept for a second night in Erie County Medical Center. Pettine does not know when Austin was injured during Cleveland's 26-10 loss. Pettine did not say when Austin is expected to be released.

Austin, who is in his first season with the Browns, made seven catches for 86 yards. He initially complained of stomach discomfort following the game before he was taken by ambulance from Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The team placed him on season-ending IR Wednesday.

Pettine said tight end Gary Barnidge could miss some time with a rib injury. He was hurt after making a catch in the first quarter and did not return. ESPN's Adam Caplan is reporting the ribs are broken.

Barnidge's injury, coupled with Jordan Cameron missing his fifth-straight game with a concussion, left Jim Dray as the primary tight end. Cameron's return seemed to be imminent last weekend, but he was scratched on Saturday. Cameron was cleared to practice Wednesday; I'll be following up on his status (along with Crowell's) in coming days. ...

A few final notes here. ... Pro Bowl wide receiver Josh Gordon was targeted 13 times, making seven catches for 75 yards. He also cut off several routes early, one of which turned into an interception by Bills safety Da'Norris Searcy off Hoyer.

Kicker Billy Cundiff was wide right on a 37-yard field-goal attempt. It was the fourth consecutive game that he's missed at least one attempt. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel 

RB: Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West, Glenn Winston, Shaun Draughn 

FB: Ray Agnew 

WR: Josh Gordon, Andrew Hawkins, Taylor Gabriel, Travis Benjamin, Rodney Smith, Marlon Moore 

TE: Jim Dray, Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge 

PK: Billy Cundiff 

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DALLAS COWBOYS

According to Associated Press sports writer Schuyler Dixon, Dez Bryant was ready to play Philadelphia again as soon as the Eagles finished blowing out the Cowboys in a Thanksgiving battle for the NFC East lead.

At least the star Dallas receiver mentioned that a trip to Chicago comes first.

"I'm really not mad at all," Bryant said after Thursday's 33-10 loss, the third straight at home for Dallas. "They beat us. I'm going to accept that. But I cannot wait to go up there and play them again."

Head coach Jason Garrett has a unique challenge to his mantra of next practice, next day, next game. The Cowboys (8-4) were a bust in the first of two games against Philadelphia in 18 days, all the more reason to be anxious for a do-over.

The Bears (5-7) also were flattened on Thanksgiving, losing 34-17 at Detroit. Instead of the usual extra time off, both teams are playing the rare Thursday-to-Thursday set.

"We'd be saying the same thing if the outcome would've been the reverse," Garrett said. "We got to get focused on beating Chicago. We have to learn from this game, build on the good stuff, correct the bad. It wasn't perfect. Let's get back to work."

Tony Romo will get a normal week of rest for his surgically repaired back, which didn't appear to respond very well to the first quick turnaround since the December procedure to fix a herniated disk. He sustained a separate injury to the back a month ago on a sack against Washington.

Romo went down early on one third-down play with nobody in position to sack him, and didn't try to escape trouble a few other times on his way to four sacks, one shy of his season high.

"I thought there was a guy coming and I was probably wrong," said Romo, who had his worst passer rating of the season while the Cowboys were outgained by almost 200 yards. "That was a concession, but that was also because the way their defense guarded the play, more so than anything else."

Garrett said he didn't think Romo's back was the reason he threw two interceptions while a 38-game streak with at least one touchdown pass ended.

"Maybe bothered by a pass rush," Garrett said. "He's a human being. He's dealing with stuff. Everybody's dealing with stuff. He certainly missed some throws and just the overall environment, there were some tight throws he had to make."

If the Cowboys are tempted to look past the Bears, a quick history lesson will solve it. One of their two worst games from last season came in Chicago, a 45-28 loss after they trailed 42-14 early in the fourth quarter.

If Dallas finds a way to answer a sluggish showing in a game that started about 90 hours after a win at the New York Giants ended, the Cowboys will finally get the longer break to prepare for the rematch with the Eagles.

"We have the team that when we do it right, we can basically take where our personnel, where our assets are, where the talent is, and we have a team that can win games like this against Philadelphia," owner Jerry Jones said. "But certainly we didn't do it today and when we didn't, well, we got in trouble, and got in trouble good."

The Cowboys get another shot this time, unlike last year's season-ending loss to the Eagles with a playoff berth on the line.

"It's a minor setback," center Travis Frederick said after the game. "You feel it now and you'll probably feel it tonight and then tomorrow we move on."

Other notes of interest. ... DeMarco Murray rushed for 73 yards on 20 carries against the Eagles. It was the second time this season he was held to fewer than 100 yards. Lance Dunbar had two carries for 15 yards but his poor decision to cut inside rather than stay outside on a third-and-three run killed a potential scoring drive. ...

As 's Michael Hurcomb noted, Terrance Williams has seen a rapid decline in production following a quick start to the season. After totaling 18 catches for 320 yards and five touchdowns in his first five games, Williams has just 12 catches for 162 yards and one touchdown in his last six games.

"I think some of that has to do with opportunity," Garrett said. "Other guys have stepped up. Cole Beasley has made a number of the plays the last couple of weeks. We have seen Dunbar and [Gavin] Escobar and some of those other guys make plays. Obviously, we're getting the ball to [Jason Witten] and to Dez as much as we can. We're trying to run the football, so sometimes a certain player doesn't get as many opportunities. But the biggest thing for those guys is to stay ready and take advantage of the opportunities when you get them."

Williams admits he is staying ready for any opportunities that might come his way in the passing game.

"(Romo) goes through a lot of stuff that he's got to call and see, and so it's kind of like one of those things where I can't fault him," Williams said. "I just got to be ready whenever he decides to look my way. I have to be ready. I can't wait till stuff getting bad for him to start throwing me the ball. I need to be ready whenever he looks at me all of the quarters."

For the record, Williams (finger) is listed as probable for tomorrow night's game. Romo is also probable. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan 

RB: DeMarco Murray, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar 

FB: Tyler Clutts 

WR: Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Dwayne Harris, Devin Street 

TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna 

PK: Dan Bailey 

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DENVER BRONCOS

As 's David DeChant noted, "It sure seems like Peyton Manning is getting used to handing the ball off. ..."

"I like it," he said after Sunday's 29-16 win over the Chiefs. "I like it. I like winning games. I think we kept their defense kind of on their heels tonight.

"We wanted to come out and establish the run. We thought it was important and we definitely did that and ran it really well the entire night."

Message received.

Facing windy and wintry conditions for the second week in a row, Denver's offense hammered away on the ground and made the running game the backbone of the offense. After the Broncos' season highs in rushing attempts (35) and yards (201) against the Dolphins in Week 12, Adam Gaseramped it up to 45 carries and 214 yards in Arrowhead Stadium.

The former total tied the second-highest rush attempts in a game since Manning became a Bronco, exceeded only by last year's overtime game against the Patriots (48 attempts, 10 of which came in overtime).

The emphasis on the run game Sunday was apparent from the start, with C.J. Anderson carrying the ball on eight of the first 10 plays. On the two plays Manning threw, he was deadly: He hit Emmanuel Sanders for 20 yards on third-and-6, and then capped the opening drive on a third-and-5 by dropping a deep ball perfectly in Demaryius Thomas' grasp down the left sideline for a touchdown.

The result was a 14-0 lead before the end of the first quarter, a powerful early impression from a team that has started sluggish on the road several times this season. That the hot start came against a division foe in primetime in one of the tougher road venues in the league couldn't have hurt.

"I thought it was critical to get off to that good start here in a hostile environment, maybe take the crowd out of it a little bit," Manning said.

Unlike last week, when Gase showed commitment to the run game despite an 11-point deficit in the third quarter, the Broncos were able to let the run game to dictate the pace throughout after firing out to the early lead. In the first three quarters, Denver's offense converted 10-of-18 third- and fourth-down attempts, facing an average of 5.7 yards on those attempts thanks to positive runs on early downs. The result was an extremely lopsided time of possession, with the Broncos holding the ball for 31:49 of the first 45 minutes.

With swirling winds and Manning completing 50 percent of his throws – his lowest rate in a game since his third game with the Broncos – the routine chunks that came on the ground were vital in keeping the offense on the field. No. 18 was again effusive with praise for those who cleared the way up front.

"The offensive line was awesome tonight," Manning said of a unit that played its fourth game in its current configuration, with Louis Vasquez at right tackle, Manny Ramirez at right guard and Will Montgomery at center. "All of them: Will, Manny, Orlando [Franklin], Lou, [Ryan] Clady,Paul [Cornick]'s playing the majority of the time. Virgil [Green] once again blocked great and C.J. was just a workhorse tonight."

When asked if the running game is beginning to click better than it has in recent years, Manning was quick to answer: "I mean C.J., what'd he have 160 yards two weeks in a row? I'd say that's up a notch.

"He's been special, and the offensive line has really created some holes, Virgil, Paul, Jacob [Tamme] at the tight end spots. And it's been huge for us."

If there was one piece missing, it was precision inside the Chiefs 20, where the Broncos settled for five field goals in six ventures (excluding a kneel down to end the game after a KC turnover on downs).

"The red zone obviously was disappointing," Manning said. "We had some chances probably to put the game away earlier."

But the 13-point victory despite a lack of touchdowns bodes well for the future, especially for a team that had come away with seven points on 74.4 percent of trips inside the opposing 20 for the season entering Sunday's game. And it also gave the newest Bronco plenty an opportunity to prove himself. Manning described Connor Barth – who equaled the franchise record for field goals in a game with five – as "rock solid."

"How about that?" Manning said with a smile. "I just had a chance to visit with him and he said he was laying out by the pool this time last week, and then he came in here in zero degree weather and went 5-for-5 on field goals. So that was huge."

Now with consecutive wins since a 22-7 loss in St. Louis and back to .500 on the road for the season, the 9-3 Broncos head to the three-quarter pole in a rhythm that reflects their recently emphasized rushing attack.

"We've certainly kind of answered the challenge the last two weeks against two really good opponents," Manning said. "…We haven't played particularly well on the road and so it was good to get this road victory tonight. Hopefully we can keep that going the rest of the way."

As for those worried about Anderson holding onto his job when Ronnie Hillman and Montee Ball return from their respective injuries?

Anderson's career-high 168 yards against the Chiefs included 90 after contact; according to 's Adam Schefter, 90 after contact are most by Broncos running back in the past nine seasons. In addition, Anderson posted the team's first back-to-back 100-yard rushing games sinceKnowshon Moreno had 119 yards and 115 yards in back-to-back December games in 2012. Anderson had 167 yards in the Broncos' win over the Dolphins last week.

Hillman has missed three consecutive games with a mid-foot sprain suffered early in the Nov. 9 win over the Raiders. The Broncos are being cautious with his recovery. Ball missed a second consecutive game after aggravating a groin strain against the Rams on Nov. 16. He has missed seven of the last eight weeks.

Neither seem to be close to making their return. ...

Meanwhile, as 's Jeff Legwold noted, while the Broncos' offensive line has played with more consistency and forcefulness with run-heavy game plans in the past two week, the focus will have to shift with the league's sack leader, the Buffalo Bills, next on the docket.

The Bills, who moved to 7-5 with a win over Cleveland on Sunday, had two sacks against the Browns and lead the NFL with 48 after Sunday's win.

Other notes of interest. ... The Broncos did not have cornerback Aqib Talib (hamstring) or tight end Julius Thomas (left ankle) in the lineup -- both were game-day inactives.

Both players did some work with the strength coaches before the game, but when asked after the game how close they were to playing, head coach John Fox said, "not close enough."

Thomas said on Monday, however, that he believes he'll return this week.

"I'm encouraged with how it's going, we'll see how it's going this week. I hate having to watch our team go out there and play without me … Got to be cautious, go to make sure everything happens in the right time and come back when I'm fully ready to go."

According to Legwold, Thomas was taking part in Wednesday's practice and appeared to be doing more than he did last week. Hillman and Ball spent Wednesday working on the side with the strength coach (much like Thomas did last week).

Otherwise, the Broncos reported no major injuries following the game, but Vasquez left the game for one play after having his leg rolled up on from behind and Tamme left the game briefly in the first half, but played in the second half. Tamme had a wrap on his ribs/lower back after the game and he did practice Wednesday.

I'll obviously be following Thomas' progress closely in coming days; watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...

And finally. ... The Broncos made the switch at kicker earlier in the week, waiving Brandon McManus and signing Barth, who showed the kind of accuracy the Broncos want on makeable field goals, with kicks of 22, 24, 30, 33 and 37 yards in the game.

Manning said Barth told him that "he was laying out by the pool this time last week." 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler 

RB: C.J. Anderson, Juwan Thompson, Jeremy Stewart, Ronnie Hillman, Montee Ball 

WR: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Wes Welker, Andre Caldwell, Cody Latimer, Isaiah Burse 

TE: Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme, Virgil Green 

PK: Connor Barth 

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DETROIT LIONS

For weeks, Detroit fans could only wonder how tough the Lions might be if they had a chance to play the fourth quarter with a comfortable lead.

In a Thanksgiving victory over Chicago, the Lions finally enjoyed that feeling.

With Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and the rest of the offense showing some long-overdue signs of life, Detroit beat the Bears 34-17 on Thursday, and sure enough, once the Lions took the lead in the second quarter, their defense never looked all that likely to give it up.

Detroit's top-ranked run defense held Chicago to 13 yards on the ground, and the Lions sacked Jay Cutler three times.

'Detroit's previous three victories all came in the final minutes, with the offense needing to come from behind. The defense was crucial in those games too, preventing deficits from becoming insurmountable.

Last Thursday was different. The Lions led by double digits for almost the entire final quarter, putting the pressure squarely on Chicago.

Detroit's ability to stop the run does not guarantee anything. With passing numbers becoming more prolific seemingly every year in the NFL, opponents don't necessarily need to run the ball to win. That said, the team's schedule is favorable.

The Lions host Tampa Bay and Minnesota before a trip to Chicago for a rematch against the Bears.

"Next week's a new week. We know that trap, we've fallen into it," center Dominic Raiola said. "It's a work in progress. We're gonna keep the pressure on ourselves and keep the pedal down. Enjoy this one but come back Monday, it's a brand new week and a brand new challenge."

It was Stafford -- and to some degree, Johnson -- who dealt with criticism as Detroit's offense struggled to meet expectations, but both players were very good Thursday against Chicago. In a way, it was exactly what the rest of the league should fear: Detroit's offense finally gave its defense a sizeable lead to protect.

"It's something to build off of," Stafford said. "Just being consistent with it, not having a bad quarter -- maybe a bad series here, one or two, but making sure that we were playing well in every quarter."

Worth noting: For the first time this season, Detroit stuck with mainly one running back -- Joique Bell -- and let him handle all of the carries.

It was a strategy perhaps forced by Reggie Bush's third straight missed game due to an ankle injury, but it also was one that worked.

"We certainly feel that we have guys that can play when [Bush's] not there, that can come in and give us a lift," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. "So you have to say the offensive line has done a nice job in that area.

"But overall, we have guys that step in and do it and that's key. The next man steps up and performs decently."

That man has been Bell running the ball and Theo Riddick, who had six receptions for 54 yards, catching it.

Part of the Lions' success running was due to them sticking with it -- and with one back -- throughout the game. Bell was the only Detroit player to have a carry Thursday and he had 23 of them for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

More important, the Lions hit Caldwell's desired four yards per carry average for only the second time this season.

"You keep pounding and pounding and pounding and eventually, something's going to open up," Bell said. "And we were able to make some big runs toward the end."

Bell has taken advantage, mostly, because of Bush's ankle injury. It is an ankle that has kept him from being healthy the past two months. His last fully-healthy game came in Week 4 against the Jets. Since then, he's been in and out of the lineup.

Bush continues to say he expects to play and then by game day, he is inactive. He has missed the past three games, but Bush has been practicing and is expected to play this week.

Still, Bell seems to be the Lions' best, most consistent rushing option. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore 

RB: Joique Bell, Reggie Bush, Theo Riddick, George Winn 

FB: Jed Collins 

WR: Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Jeremy Ross, Corey Fuller, Ryan Broyles 

TE: Eric Ebron, Joseph Fauria, Brandon Pettigrew 

PK: Matt Prater 

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GREEN BAY PACKERS

How relieved was rookie receiver Davante Adams that the Green Bay Packers' defense came up with one final stop in Sunday's 26-21 win over the New England Patriots?

"That I didn't lose the game for us, is that what you're trying to say, in other words?" Adams said.

As 's Rob Demovsky suggested, "If Adams is going to put it that way, then, sure."

Demovsky went on to explain that Adams put together the best game of his young career with six catches and 121 yards, but he was almost the goat for dropping what would have been a 10-yard touchdown pass on third-and-5 with 8:45 remaining.

The extra point would have given the Packers a 30-21 lead. Instead, the ball bounced off his hands, and the Packers had to settle for a field goal and just a five-point lead.

"I feel like as a player in this league you can't let things like that get to you, especially this early on in your career," said Adams, the second-round pick from Fresno State. "You've got to make sure you do what you can to move past it, and we've got great teammates that keep me up. Things are going to happen -- hopefully it doesn't happen again -- but things do happen, so you've just got to come back and catch that next one."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he didn't say anything to Adams after the drop.

Asked if he said anything to himself after the play, Rodgers said: "No, not that I want to share."

But Adams caught just about everything early on, when the Packers needed him.

The Patriots opened the game defensively with Brandon Browner on Jordy Nelson, Darrelle Revis on Randall Cobb and Kyle Arrington on Adams, who caught passes of 33 and 45 yards in the first quarter.

Shortly after that, they moved Browner on Adams and put Revis on Nelson, who then beat the All-Pro cornerback for a 45-yard touchdown on a catch-and-run play in the second quarter.

"They're a matchup defense so if they want to try to take away Jordy and Randall – it was basically Revis one-on-one with Randall and Browner with a little bit of help on Jordy -- so we tried to get Davante involved," Rodgers said. "And he made some big plays for us."

Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy seemingly had a counter for whatever Patriots coach Bill Belichick tried. McCarthy used Cobb out of the backfield at times and on one such play, Cobb caught a 33-yard pass on a wheel route in which he was matched up against linebacker Rob Ninkovich.

Although the Packers went 0-for-4 on touchdowns in the red zone, Rodgers still threw two touchdown passes -- the 45-yarder to Nelson and a 32-yarder to tight end Richard Rodgers -- and piled up 368 yards against what might be the game's best secondary. Rodgers completed passes to eight players. Cobb had seven catches for 85 yards, while Nelson was limited to just two for 53 yards.

Still, it was Adams who started things off, even if he couldn't finish it.

"It didn't surprise me," Nelson said. "They're going to make adjustments throughout the game. They just can't continue to let things happen, especially when you have a great coach like coach Belichick. He's going to work his magic to try to slow us down, and Davante and Aaron were on the [same] page and making big plays. It was huge for us."

Meanwhile, I'll go ahead and point out the Packers are really good at home.

Indeed, they have won four in a row, eight of nine overall, are 6-0 at home, and are 3-0 against the AFC East this season.

Rodgers had two touchdown throws and no interceptions, giving him 20 touchdown passes and no interceptions at Lambeau Field this season.

Rodgers has thrown multiple touchdown passes without an interception in six straight home games. The only quarterback who can match that is Peyton Manning, who had a six-game streak spanning the 2010 and 2012 seasons.

Rodgers aired it out early and often against the Patriots' defense, throwing 14 passes that traveled at least 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage in the first half alone. That matched the most such attempts for Rodgers in a game this season. Rodgers, who sustained a cut on his left hand in the first half, threw for 282 yards, the third most in any half of his career.

Rodgers was given strong pass protection Sunday, as he was pressured (sack or duress) on only six of his 43 dropbacks overall (14 percent) and on just two of his 25 first-half dropbacks (8 percent). On average, Rodgers has been pressured on 23 percent of his dropbacks this season.

Rodgers also adapted well. He was off target on four of his first eight pass attempts, with all four being overthrows. He was off-target on only two of his final 30 pass attempts.

Nelson joined Cobb as the only Packers teammates to have at least 10 touchdown receptions in the same season with his 45-yard score (his NFL-best sixth touchdown catch of at least 40 yards this season). In addition, Nelson has six touchdown catches of at least 40 yards this season, most in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

This week, the Packers make their lone appearance on "Monday Night Football" against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field.

Did I mention the fact they're pretty good at home?

Other notes of interest. ... The Packers continued their recent trend of providing balance to their pass-first attack by running the football with regularity. Even with Rodgers' three straight kneel-downs to close the game, Green Bay had at least 25 rushing attempts for the fourth consecutive game, and its final total of 130 yards is its fourth highest this season.

A good chunk of the output came on just five explosive runs.

Eddie Lacy had gains of 13 and 24 yards on his first two carries in the game-opening series, and Rodgers scrambled up a vacated middle of the field in a second-and-18 passing situation for 17 yards in the next drive. Yet, after those early big-hitters by Lacy, the Packers had 12 of 13 run plays go for no more than three yards, including two for losses, until he ripped off a 14-yarder late in the third quarter. Lacy added a 17-yard burst in the final quarter and finished with 98 yards in 21 carries (4.7 average).

Cobb had two touches out of the backfield but for all of eight yards.

Tight end Brandon Bostick was back in uniform and playing Sunday after the young backup missed the previous two games with a hip injury.

Mason Crosby made a season-high four field goals in five attempts Sunday. According to the Sports Xchange, Crosby's 14 points, including two extra points, vaulted him into a tie with Ryan Longwell for the team record of eight 100-point seasons. Crosby also joined Longwell as the only players in club history to have 1,000 career points. Crosby, who ranks seventh in the league with 102 points this season, has 1,005 points in his eight years as a pro, leaving him only 49 points behind Longwell's franchise record. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Aaron Rodgers, Matt Flynn, Scott Tolzien 

RB: Eddie Lacy, James Starks, DuJuan Harris 

FB: John Kuhn 

WR: Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jarrett Boykin, Jeff Janis 

TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Brandon Bostick, Justin Perillo 

PK: Mason Crosby 

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HOUSTON TEXANS

According to 's Tania Ganguli, as the week of practice progressed, head coach Bill O'Brien and quarterbacks coach George Godsey liked what they were seeing from their second-chance quarterback.

Ryan Fitzpatrick seemed ready for that second chance.

"I meet with these guys on Saturday mornings, the quarterbacks, when we have quarterback tape, and his were all plusses," O'Brien said. "Everything down the line, every play that he had on there, was a really good example of how to play quarterback."

What followed was the best statistical day Fitzpatrick has ever had, the cleanest game he's ever played and one that helped keep the Texans alive for an improbable postseason berth, against the team that released him after last season.

"It's all about self-confidence," Fitzpatrick said. "Never losing belief in yourself, and that's something I will never lose. You know, it is something that I have dealt with in my life -- people doubting me and all those things."

It all showed in Sunday's 45-21 win over the Titans.

Fitzpatrick set a franchise record for touchdown passes in a game with six -- two to DeAndre Hopkins, one to Andre Johnson, one to tight end Ryan Griffin, one to Arian Foster and one to J.J. Watt. The NFL record is seven touchdown passes in a game, but the Texans removed Fitzpatrick before he could get his shot, giving Tom Savage his first regular-season snaps.

Hopkins helped the Texans separate from the Titans early on, catching nine passes for a career-high 238 yards. He caught two touchdown passes, proving he's earned the trust of his quarterback in a big way.

The Texans opened up the deep ball for Fitzpatrick in a way they hadn't before. Fitzpatrick threw five passes to Hopkins that traveled 10 or more yards in the air and Hopkins caught all of them for 157 yards. To all other receivers, Fitzpatrick completed only 1 of 8 passes that traveled 10 or more yards downfield. That one pass went for 15 yards.

Both of Fitzpatrick's touchdown passes to Hopkins traveled at least 30 yards in the air. He is just the third quarterback this season to throw such multiple touchdowns in one game.

Fitzpatrick's 147.5 passer rating topped the league on Week 13. He completed 72.7 percent of his passes and threw no interceptions. This was the third of his 10 starts this season in which Fitzpatrick has not turned over the ball through either an interception or fumble.

Fitzpatrick completed 10 of 13 passes against blitzes for 113 yards and three touchdowns. Those three touchdowns went to tight end Griffin, Watt and Foster. When the Titans were not blitzing, Fitzpatrick completed 14 of 20 passes for 245 yards.

Most of Fitzpatrick's passes and all of his touchdowns were thrown outside the left hash. There, he completed 13 of 18 passes for 209 yards and five touchdowns. The only touchdown pass thrown right was the one to Watt that Watt grabbed with the fingers he has taped up to suit his normal position of defensive end. ...

In their victory over the Titans, the Texans scored touchdowns on their first two drives for the second time this season. The first was in their September victory at Oakland.

Fitzpatrick threw two of his six touchdown passes in the first quarter.

"It was (a) great, great outing by him," said Johnson. "He did a great job, the way he commanded the offense. It was an awesome thing to watch."

Indeed, it was great enough to earn Fitzpatrick AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors on Wednesday. ..

So what does it all mean?

As Ganguli suggested, there's nothing like facing the floundering Titans to help a team feel good again. The Texans produced utter domination of the 2-10 Titans, manhandling their division rivals for a season sweep. Next up, the Texans travel to Jacksonville Sunday for their first game against the plucky Jaguars.

Other notes of interest. ... Foster returned to the lineup after a two-game absence and ran for 79 yards on 19 carries. He was productive in the first half with 10 for 56, but the blocking collapsed in the second half. He also caught five passes, on for his 11th touchdown.

Alfred Blue came off the bench and carried seven times for only six yards. He gained five yards on one run.

The Titans made adjustments up front and stuffed the running game over the last two quarters. The Texans finished with a 2.8-yard average per carry.

Tight end Garrett Graham left in the first quarter of the Tennessee game with a sprained ankle. Griffin was elevated and scored the first touchdown on an 8-yard catch.

And finally. ... Watt caught his third touchdown pass on a fingertip reception in the end zone.

With talk of Watt as a possible NFL MVP candidate, some have wondered if the touchdown feeding of the defensive end in offensive packages was an effort by the Texans to beef up his resume.

O'Brien would like all the doubters to know that's hogwash.

"He's got great ball skills, so that's why we move him around and use him a little bit on offense," O'Brien said Monday, per the Houston Chronicle. "Because it's not a circus show. It's what is best for our team. And we feel one of the things that is best for our team is when we get down in there close, we've got a guy over here that's a 6-foot-7 frame, physical player, he's got really good hands, he's instinctive, he's smart, he's got tight-end experience ... so why not use him?"

Watt was a tight end at Central Michigan before transferring to Wisconsin and becoming a defensive lineman. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Savage, Thad Lewis 

RB: Arian Foster, Alfred Blue, Jonathan Grimes 

FB: Jay Prosch 

WR: DeAndre Hopkins, Andre Johnson, Damaris Johnson, Keshawn Martin, DeVier Posey 

TE: Garrett Graham, Ryan Griffin, C.J. Fiedorowicz 

PK: Randy Bullock 

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

As Indianapolis Star staffer Curt Cavin noted Monday, Daniel "Boom" Herron had footballs to protect Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, and he let one get away.

Which explains why for all the public adoration showered upon him in a 49-27 victory, the Indianapolis Colts' backup running back understood that NFL longevity can be tied to fumbles.

Herron has had two in as many weeks, a fact his coaches heartily reminded him of upon reaching the sidelines late in the second quarter.

"It's unacceptable; you can't do that," he recalled the coaches shouting. "You stop drives when you fumble the ball."

Herron vowed to spend this week working to prevent a reoccurrence in Cleveland as the Colts meet the Browns. For good reason. Herron just might be his team's starting running back there.

For the second consecutive week, Herron led the Colts in rushing, totaling 88 yards on eight carries, including a 49-yard touchdown run that became his first score in three seasons as a professional.

Last week, he had 65 yards on 12 carries, although with that red-zone fumble.

In both games, Trent Richardson struggled. Sunday, he managed only 12 yards in eight attempts, a paltry 1.5-yard average.

Frustration over Richardson's futility led to vocal dissatisfaction from the home crowd, and while the chanting of Herron's nickname elicits a similar sound, everyone could distinguish the difference.

Herron heard the cheer, especially as he celebrated in the end zone early in the second quarter.

On the second-and-1 call, Herron followed pulling guard Joe Reitz through a hole created by left tackle Anthony Castonzo and tight end Jack Doyle to spring free. Then, following a slight assist from T.Y. Hilton, Herron outran two defensive backs to the score.

"The safety came downhill and T.Y. picked him up," Herron said. "There was a lane there, and I took it. Took the seam and it was off to the races."

"Booooom!"

Herron couldn't remember the last time he had a regular-season touchdown. Somewhere at Ohio State, he said.

"You have to have patience in this game," he said. "When the time comes you have to be ready for it."

At this rate, Sunday's touchdown won't be Herron's last. After averaging 3.4 yards per carry in his first 18 games for the Bengals and Colts, he has averaged 7.7 yards over the past two weeks. That's 153 yards on 20 carries as Richardson settled for 54 yards on 21 attempts.

Herron has contributed in the passing game, too, although Sunday's fumble came after a 7-yard catch and run. Andrew Luck has targeted Herron seven times in wins over Jacksonville and Washington, and he has caught all seven. As a Colts receiver overall, he's caught all 12.

"He's a talented, talented guy, and I think we've seen that out of him," head coach Chuck Pagano said. "He's quick, he's fast to hit the hole and once he gets outside, he's got some long speed; I think we all found that out."

Reitz said Herron's 49-yard run "was all Boom," although that's not giving the blocking the credit it deserves. But, Reitz had a point.

"Boom runs hard," he said.

Herron described himself the same way.

"I'm a downhill, north-south runner," he said. "I love contact. (I'm) physical."

Just not big. Officially, 5-10, 212 pounds, but certainly strong enough to give the Colts, who have lost running backs Vick Ballard and Ahmad Bradshaw to injury, a lift as the season draws late.

Herron just has to hang onto the ball.

"Keep it high and tight," he said of the preferred carrying method. "It's terrible that it happened again. I hate it, but you have to learn from it and keep moving forward."

For what it's worth, Pagano claims he's not down on Richardson -- and the coach made it clear he still considers T-Rich his lead back.

"Some days it's going to go like that," Pagano said. "[He] comes in and works his butt off. [He's] got to keep chopping wood. If you put the axe down, that tree will never come down."

Richardson is averaging 3.3 yards per carry with three touchdowns in 12 games this season. ...

In a semi-related note. ... 's Mike Wells advised readers Sunday night that it's time to officially put the Ray Rice and Colts talk to bed. ESPN's Ed Werder reported almost two weeks ago that the Colts have no interest in the former Ravens running back and then ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that the Colts expressed interested in him, but they're not expected to pursue him.

It's only natural that the Colts and Rice, who was reinstated to the NFL on Friday, are linked together. The Colts need running back help with Bradshaw out for the season.

Rice and Pagano and defensive linemen Art Jones and Cory Redding have history going back to their time together in Baltimore.

But that's not enough for the Colts to sign him.

They'll only have four games left in the season after Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins and that's probably not enough time for Rice to get into game shape and learn the system. Rice had a disappointing 2013 season, rushing for only 660 yards. ...

And for now, Herron (with minimal help from T-Rich) seems to plenty capable of getting the job done.

Next up, the Colts head to Cleveland to take on the Browns Sunday.

It'll be the first time Richardson faces his former team since being traded to Indianapolis for a first-round draft pick in September 2013. Does that mean he'll actually show up for this one? I wouldn't want to bet on that. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Luck had every right to pass to somebody else after witnessing what had happened to tight end Coby Fleener.

A blown coverage by the Washington Redskins' defense left Fleener wide open. It was the type of wide open you usually only experience on video games.

An easy, 52-yard touchdown was right there for Fleener. All he had to do was catch the ball.

But Fleener dropped it, causing lots of moans from the crowd of more than 65,000 and lots of embarrassment for the Indianapolis Colts' third-year tight end.

Luck didn't care about the drop.

"Give him a slap on the head or what have you," he said. "But I know I'm in no position to yell at him or break him. He's trying his butt off."

Luck showed the type of trust you expect out of a franchise player when he went right back to Fleener on the next two possessions for completions of 8 and 16 yards, respectively.

"You just kick yourself in the butt, go back to the huddle and forget about it," Fleener said. "It's something that's difficult to do. I think the best quarterbacks in the world are famous for forgetting about bad plays, and that's what you try to do."

Fleener, starting in place of the injured Dwayne Allen (ankle), did an excellent job forgetting about the drop to finish with four catches for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, rookie receiver Donte Moncrief is cementing his spot as the Colts' No. 3 receiver behind T.Y. Hilton and Reggie Wayne. Moncrief had three catches -- two for touchdowns -- for 134 yards. Moncrief got behind the Redskins' defense and had at least five yards between him and the closest defender on both of his touchdowns.

Moncrief finished with three catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. Sunday was Moncrief's best game since he had seven catches for 113 yards against Pittsburgh on Oct. 26.

Luck became the third fastest player to reach 12,000 yards passing in NFL history. Only Kurt Warner and Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford has reached it quicker. Sunday was the 10th 300-yard passing game for Luck, which set the single-season team record. ...

As the Sports Xchange notes, Josh Cribbs has been with Indianapolis for two games but has quickly become a fan favorite. On Sunday, he nearly broke a couple of long punt returns, which were hindered by penalties. Cribbs also averaged 31.2 yards on five kickoff returns.

One last note here. ... The Colts' waiving of tight end Weslye Saunders is an indication tight end Allen will play Sunday at Cleveland, according to the Star. Allen, who has seven touchdown catches, has missed two straight games with an ankle injury. Allen was back on the practice field for the start of Wednesday's practice.

I'll have more on his status via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck 

RB: Trent Richardson, Dan Herron, Zurlon Tipton 

FB: Mario Harvey 

WR: T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne, Donte Moncrief, Hakeem Nicks, Josh Cribbs 

TE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle 

PK: Adam Vinatieri 

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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Blake Bortles wasn't very good Sunday.

He overthrew several receivers, short-armed a few others and wasn't able to move the offense. At one point the Jacksonville Jaguars were being outgained 230-4 in the second quarter.

But as 's Michael DiRocco notes, the rookie quarterback from Central Florida played pretty well when the Jaguars needed him most and it was enough to help lift them to a 25-24 victory over the New York Giants.

Bortles led the Jaguars on an 11-play drive that culminated with Josh Scobee's game-winning 43-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining. He completed 4 of 5 passes for 39 yards and ran twice for 31 yards. The result was just the Jaguars' second victory in their past 13 games.

"You've to be able to overcome personal miscues at the quarterback position at times to be able to win games," Bortles said. "You're not always going to play good or as good as you want to, but you've got to be able to play well enough to put your team in a winning position."

Look at the list of the all-time great quarterbacks, and their ability to play their best when the game is on the line is a common trait. One game doesn't prove that Bortles also has it, but he did Sunday and that's certainly encouraging for an organization that has been searching for a franchise quarterback since the days of Mark Brunell (1995-2003), who coincidentally was at the stadium as part of the team's alumni weekend.

Bortles did his part to put the Jaguars in a 21-0 hole, though some of the miscues were because he was under heavy pressure all afternoon. He was sacked seven times, including twice by linebacker Devon Kennard, and end Jason Pierre-Paul was all over left tackle Luke Joeckel.

The Jaguars went three-and-out in their first three possessions and Bortles completed just 1 of 5 passes for 9 yards and was sacked once. The offense generated just 4 yards.

Bortles drove the Jaguars to a field goal late in the first half but couldn't get anything going in the third or fourth quarter -- until the game was on the line and the Jaguars took over on their own 22-yard line trailing 24-22 with 3:26 remaining.

"We talk about it all the time, let's go out there and actually execute it and put ourselves in position to kick the field goal and win the game," Bortles said. "It's awesome to be a part of this team and how much fight they have. We missed some stuff. I missed some throws. We weren't sharp in situations and we were sharp when we needed to be, which was good."

The drive didn't start out well. Bortles missed on his first pass to Jordan Todman and right tackle Josh Wells -- in the game because of an injury to Austin Pasztor -- was called for a false start. That's when Bortles got going.

He completed his next four passes and had runs of 11 and 20 yards, the longer of the two coming on second-and-15 that was set up by Joeckel's second holding penalty. That put the Jaguars at the New York 25. Three Toby Gerhart runs later, Scobee hit the game-winner.

"He's clutch man," Shorts said of Bortles, who didn't commit a turnover for the first time in his career. "He's clutch. We needed big plays on the zone read and he came through with them. That's something we expect him to do and we've seen [him do] so that was huge on his part to make those big plays like that. He'll continue to make big plays like that and even more as he grows."

Bortles' performance won him points with the defense, too. It appeared the Jaguars were headed for another loss despite two touchdowns on fumble recoveries -- one by linebacker J.T. Thomas and another by cornerback Aaron Colvin -- until the final drive.

"Sometimes you have to find ways to win," defensive end Red Bryant said. "You might not be at your best but being at your best when it matters the most [is the most important] and that's what he did."

Indeed, as 's Conor Orr put it, "Bortles is a bit enigmatic, but as soon as Jacksonville gets its offensive line sorted out, we think he'll be a fantastic player."

In other words, Dynasty owners who invested in Bortles over the summer can take heart. ...

In the more immediate future, the Jaguars play host to the Texans Sunday.

Other notes of interest. ... The Jaguars rushed for 118 yards, which looks good, but 68 of them came on five rushes by Bortles. Denard Robinson rushed for only 44 yards on 11 rushes, including two Wildcat runs for 21 yards. Robinson also missed the blocks on two sacks.

The Jaguars hadn't used it all season, but they ran out of the Wildcat formation with Robinson taking the snap in the second half. They had tried to use it during the first half, but the play was negated by a false start penalty. The Giants seemed surprised to see it and the Jaguars were able to break a couple of solid gains. ...

It's not going to get any easier for Robinson after starting right tackle Austin Pasztor ruptured his hamstring. He was placed on season-ending IR Wednesday.

Also on the injury front. ... Bortles, sacked seven times, has shoulder inflammation but had an MRI and the results were good. He also has a left ankle sprain and is likely to play.

Gerhart has a left shoulder contusion and will be evaluated later in the week. ...

Receiver Marqise Lee caught the first touchdown pass of his career and he's sending gifts back home. Lee said the ball is going to his step-mother Sheila Nero and his jersey is going to his mother Toy Williams. He also had another ball sitting in his locker, but it was given to him before the game by teammate Tommie Campbell along with some words of encouragement.

One week after playing just six snaps, Harbor was on the field for three times that many. One of those came on the unbalanced formation on the Bortles-to-Lee TD pass. ... Marcedes Lewis was targeted three times for the second week in a row. He has three catches for 3 yards in the two games since his return. ...

And finally. ... Scobee was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his work against the Giants. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne 

RB: Denard Robinson, Toby Gerhart, Storm Johnson, Jordan Todman 

FB: Will Ta'ufo'ou 

WR: Cecil Shorts, Allen Hurns, Marqise Lee, Ace Sanders 

TE: Marcedes Lewis, Clay Harbor, Mickey Shuler 

PK: Josh Scobee 

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

As Kansas City Star beat writer Terez A. Paylor noted on Monday, for the better part of three months, head coach Andy Reid has used creativity to cobble together a productive offense despite some serious personnel limitations.

Namely, a banged-up receiving corps -- which has still failed to record a touchdown -- and an offensive line that tends to struggle in pass protection.

But on Sunday, in primetime against their division rival Broncos, there was no scheming around either. By the start of the fourth quarter of what turned out to be a 29-16 loss, the Chiefs found themselves in 16-point hole, largely due to the offense's struggles.

"They had a good plan for us," quarterback Alex Smith said.

The stats told the story. The Chiefs had gained only 66 yards in a mere 24 offensive plays. Smith, who entered the game with a 13-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio, was harassed at times from the start, though he was just sacked once through the first three quarters.

It marked the second straight week the Chiefs have gotten off to a slow start offensively. They trailed previously-winless Oakland 14-3 in a loss last week, as well.

"It's a little bit of a check for all of us," said Smith, who was sacked six times and hit 12 times. "The last few weeks are uncharacteristic of who we are as a team."

Denver's ability to collapse the pocket, however, resulted in Smith's first interception in 179 attempts. The Broncos, who allowed Reid and the Chiefs to dominate time of possession 36 minutes to 24 in their Week 2 matchup, made it clear from the start that this time, things would be different.

On the Chiefs' first play from scrimmage, Smith tried to hit receiver Donnie Avery, who was making his first appearance in nearly two months due to a groin injury, deep over the top. The pass fell incomplete, however, as Denver was all over it.

On the Chiefs' second play, they attempted a "packaged" play, which Reid has been sprinkling in with great success this year, and gained 5 yards on a quick throw to De'Anthony Thomas. But Smith's third-down pass for Dwayne Bowe fell incomplete, and the Chiefs were forced to punt.

After a Broncos touchdown -- they scored the first time they touched the ball -- the Chiefs' sputtering offense proceeded to follow with two consecutive three-and-outs, both of which led to Denver points.

"The big thing is third down," Smith said. "We were much better on third down against these guys early on in the year. ... Early on in this game, we couldn't sustain any drives and the defense was out on the field the majority of this first half. To start the game with those three and outs, you're just not helping the team."

Things, obviously, did not get much better for the Chiefs.

The offense put together a scoring drive to open the fourth quarter, courtesy of a 12-yard touchdown pass from Smith to running back Jamaal Charles. But that was all the offense could muster on this night.

Smith finished the game with a line of 15 of 23 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, while Charles finished with 59 yards in 14 carries.

As Paylor noted, the much-maligned receiver group combined for 97 yards on 10 catches, but capped off the game on a fittingly sour note, as Avery -- on the tail end of a 20-yard completion -- logged the Chiefs' third turnover of the day, a fumble with 3:44 left that helped the Broncos churn more time off the clock and essentially drive a nail into the Chiefs' coffin on a night in which they were playing for safety Eric Berry, who is feared to have lymphoma.

"I don't think it was a lack of energy at all," Smith said. "It was a lot of things. Execution and focus, for sure, a couple of tough breaks. Some of the turnovers. It hurt us."

Indeed it does. ... As 's Adam Teicher pointed out, their current two-game losing streak has ended any realistic chance the Chiefs might have had of winning the AFC West, but it hasn't ruined their hopes of reaching the postseason.

In fact, if the season ended today, the Chiefs would be in the playoffs. The 7-5 Chiefs currently hold the sixth and final seed in the AFC playoffs. The Chiefs are ahead of four other AFC teams with 7-5 records. The Miami Dolphins also can get to 7-5 by beating the New York Jets tonight.

The Chiefs' wild-card round playoff game would be against the Bengals in Cincinnati. The 8-3-1 Bengals lead the AFC North.

The other wild-card round playoff game would match the San Diego Chargers, currently 8-4 and in second place in the AFC West, against the Colts in Indianapolis. The 8-4 Colts lead the AFC South.

The Chiefs play against the Cardinals this Sunday in Arizona. The NFC West-leading Cardinals (9-3) have lost two straight games.

Other notes of interest. ... Charles has a bruised knee, Reid said Monday at his press conference. Charles didn't miss any of Sunday's game against the Broncos because of it.

Reid said he thinks Charles will be available for Arizona this week despite some swelling in the knee.

Charles has rushed for 807 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Charles' 12-yard scoring catch against the Broncos gave him 12 scores on the season. It also gives Charles 31 offensive scores over the last two seasons, more than any other player in the league. It's five more than Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch (26) and six more than New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham (25). ...

I'll obviously be following up on Charles in coming days; watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...

The Chiefs found plenty of work for new wide receiver Jason Avant, who was in for 31 of their 45 snaps. But because the Chiefs had a relatively small number of plays, time for others was diminished. De'Anthony Thomas was in for just five plays and Knile Davis two.

Cairo Santos ran his streak of consecutive field goals to 14 with a 39-yarder Sunday against Denver.

Reid said he had heard about -- but not seen -- tight end Travis Kelce's obscene gesture during Sunday night's game against the Denver Broncos.

"It sounds like it was a bit of an immature act," Reid said. "I normally don't let those things go by. I'll address that. I've got to see it first and then make sure."

Kelce made the gesture in the fourth quarter of the 29-16 loss to the Broncos, after Denver's Von Miller was penalized for roughing the passer against quarterback Alex Smith. As referee Walt Coleman announced the penalty, Kelce made the gesture.

After the game, Kelce explained on Twitter that the gesture was aimed at Miller for the late hit and not at Coleman.

Kelce then deleted that tweet and replaced it with another.

Reid said Kelce's response was inappropriate.

"Is it an emotional game, and do things happen and do guys' emotions get involved in that when one of their guys gets hit? Yes," Reid said. "You see that week in and week out. It is an emotional game. How you handle that is important. If it's throwing you out of your game or you're doing something that is going to cost you one way or the other, that's not the right thing to do."

One last note here. ... The Chiefs announced they waived tight end Phillip Supernaw and signed tight end Richard Gordon.

Gordon was with the Chiefs in training camp and initially made the team's 53-man roster. However, Gordon was released after the team claimed defensive lineman Damion Square off waivers.

Gordon appeared in two games with Kansas City last season and caught one pass for three yards. For his career, he has four catches for 14 yards and a touchdown, which came in 2012 with the Oakland Raiders. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Alex Smith, Chase Daniel, Aaron Murray 

RB: Jamaal Charles, Knile Davis, De'Anthony Thomas, Charcandrick West 

RB: Anthony Sherman 

WR: Dwayne Bowe, Donnie Avery, Jason Avant, Junior Hemingway, Frankie Hammond, Albert Wilson 

TE: Travis Kelce, Anthony Fasano, Richard Gordon 

PK: Cairo Santos 

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MIAMI DOLPHINS

As the Associated Press suggested, "It's all in the mindset."

"Scratch, claw, bite, kick, whatever you have to do make a play and win," Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake explained after Monday night's dull but effective slugfest with the New York Jets ended in a 16-13 Miami victory.

"It's December," added rookie receiver Jarvis Landry. "The only thing that matters is winning, no matter how you get it done."

The Dolphins found the right formula to stay in the AFC playoff race: Simply let the Jets run the ball all night, and wait for New York to make mistakes -- something the Jets have done quite well all season.

Caleb Sturgis' third field goal, from 26 yards with 1:57 remaining, gave Miami (7-5) the comeback victory over its archrival.

The Dolphins remained a factor in the wild-card race thanks to special teams; Landry's eight receptions; Lamar Miller's 4-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter; and plenty of defense when the Jets needed to pass.

After trailing most of the way, Miami tied it on Miller's run with 10:24 remaining. That brought the loudest cheers of the night; thousands of Dolphins fans at MetLife Stadium braved the wet, windy conditions.

On the winning possession, backup tight end Dion Sims had catches of 18 and 17 yards.

Ryan Tannehill threw for 235 yards on 25-of-35 passing. He has completed at least 70 percent of his pass attempts in each of the past five games (tied for the third-longest streak in the last 10 seasons).

Among those who have never had as long of a streak: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Steve Young and Dan Marino. Each of them had streaks of four straight games.

Tannehill converted on two key third-and-7 plays to extend the Dolphins' final drive.

Tannehill was able to stretch the field in the quarter thanks to the Jets not sending pressure. Tannehill was 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter when New York sent a standard pass rush, but 0-of-2 when the Jets blitzed.

According to 's James Walker, Tannehill's performance was parallel to the rest of the Dolphins' team: "It was not pretty, but it was just enough to get a win."

This was not one of Tannehill's better games, and against a quality team, it probably would have resulted in a loss. But here is the biggest stat in Tannehill's favor: He's 5-2 in his past seven starts. Still, Tannehill must play better in the next two weeks against the Baltimore Ravens (7-5) and New England Patriots (9-3) if the Dolphins (7-5) aim to remain in playoff contention.

Indeed, the Dolphins won't celebrate this win for very long. Head coach Joe Philbin said there won't be much time to study the game tape, because the Dolphins have to quickly turn the page to prepare for the Ravens on Sunday. Miami players will take Tuesday off while the coaches put together the game plan for Baltimore.

Other notes of interest. ... The Dolphins lost starting receiver Brian Hartline in the second quarter to a knee injury and he didn't return to the game. Backup receiver Brandon Gibson filled in for Hartline in the second half. Hartline finished the game with one reception for 9 yards.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Hartline's injury isn't serious. Still, it's something that will require watching this week, along with the status of tight end Charles Clay, who missed a second-straight game with hamstring and knee issues. ...

In a related item. ... 's Chris Towers notes the Dolphins have thrown the ball the 12th most times in the league this season, but haven't really focused on any one receiver enough for Fantasy owners to rely on them, and that looks like it will remain true down the stretch.

Against the Jets Monday, Landry once again led the team in receptions, with eight; however, he had just 68 yards to show for it. That was one fewer yard than Mike Wallace had on six catches, as both were targeted 11 times in the game. Gibson and Hartline had just 17 and 9 yards respectively, in the win.

The Dolphins like the spread the ball around, and don't really have a traditional No. 1 receiver as a result.

Entering the Monday night game, Wallace had played just 74.3 percent of the team's offense snaps, while Hartline led the way with 80.3 percent and Landry and Gibson came in at 58.7 and 41.4 percent.

On any given week, any one of these four receivers can find the end zone or rack up decent yardage totals, but it's awfully hard to rely on any of them with the fantasy playoffs looming. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore 

RB: Lamar Miller, Daniel Thomas, Damien Williams 

WR: Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline, Brandon Gibson, Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews 

TE: Charles Clay, Dion Sims, Gator Hoskins 

PK: Caleb Sturgis 

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS

According to Minneapolis Star-Tribune staffer Matt Vensel, Teddy Bridgewater's voice was a little deeper and nasally than normal after Sunday's game.

The rookie quarterback has been battling an illness over the past couple of days, and being in the cold probably didn't help matters.

But between the white lines, he looked to be just fine. And for maybe the first time in his rookie season, so did Bridgewater's deep ball. Bridgewater's 35-yard completion to wide receiver Jarius Wright in the third quarter didn't directly result in points.

But the accurate throw flipped field position for the Vikings, who would later make it a three-score game with a field goal before cruising to a 31-13 victory over the Panthers.

"I think his confidence really showed on that third-and-[3] play," head coach Mike Zimmer said. "It's third-and-[3] and he's throwing the ball 40 yards down the field and puts the ball on the money."

The completion came after he just missed wide receiver Charles Johnson down the right sideline earlier in the drive, a play that Zimmer felt could have been completed if Johnson made a play on it.

"Each week we practice on deep balls and we just continue to make progress and make strides in completing them," Bridgewater said. "You're going to have some opportunities. You're not going to hit them all. But when the opportunities present themselves, you have to take advantage of them."

The 35-yard completion to Wright was the highlight of an efficient afternoon for Bridgewater, who completed 15 of his 21 attempts for 138 yards with two first-half touchdown passes and no interceptions.

His 120.7 passer rating was the highest of his career by more than 20 points. Bridgewater now has more touchdown passes (eight) than interceptions (seven) this season.

"It's a growing process. Every week you want to see guys get better," said wide receiver Greg Jennings, who caught one of Bridgewater's two touchdown passes. "Obviously he is going to get the brunt of everything because he is in the high-profile position. The way he bounces back, the way he performs, the way he leads without audibly saying anything, he's a special kid to be around."

Next question?

A week after he injured his knee and foot on a kickoff return against the Packers, Cordarrelle Patterson didn't play a snap on offense in the first half and saw only a few snaps in the second half on a day when he was targeted with just one pass. Afterward, he didn't seem to know why he wasn't playing and said coaches gave him no explanation for his limited role.

"[I] feel like I'm 100 percent," Patterson said. "I feel like the coaches didn't feel I was 100 percent, so they decided to hold me out. I respect them for that."

Zimmer said Patterson missed some time for a family member's funeral this week and said his limited practice time factored into his role this week, but added the second-year receiver didn't sit for disciplinary reasons. Still, when asked about Patterson, Zimmer said, "I really like the kid. ... I think he's going to be a good player. But he continues to deal with things."

According to 's Ben Goessling, Zimmer's comments suggested that Patterson still needs to show more consistent work habits, and Patterson said he planned to talk to coaches in the coming weeks about his role, but given what the Vikings gave up to get him -- second, third, fourth and seventh-round picks -- it's a valid concern when he's dropped to the level of a fourth wide receiver.

There should be plenty of opportunities available to him in this offense, and if he's not putting in the work to take advantage of them, it's a problem. ... Johnson continued to be the wideout the Vikings used the most, gaining 24 yards on a screen pass in the Vikings' first series. He has taken over Patterson's split end spot, and the screen pass looked like a play the Vikings had run with Patterson in the past.

Wright caught a well-placed 35-yard deep ball from Bridgewater and gained 5 yards on a jet sweep. Jennings had one of his better games of the season, showing his vaunted run-after-catch skills on his 17-yard TD pass from Bridgewater. ...

Also worth noting. ...Sunday's game was the seventh-coldest home game in Vikings history, with a game-time kickoff temperature of 12 degrees and winds out of the northwest at 17 miles per hour. But a team that had played all but one of its home games indoors since 1981 looked at home in the cold on Sunday.

"I told the guys it's always a lot warmer when you win," said Jennings, who's no stranger to the cold from his days in Green Bay. "You're excited, your adrenaline is rolling and you're jumping around. If you're losing a game like this, that temperature kind of stings you and you almost want to quit."

The Vikings wrap up a three-week homestand this Sunday, when they face the New York Jets.

Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, with rookie starter Jerick McKinnon out because of a lower back injury, the running game was there just to keep Carolina's pass rush at bay. There was no explosion whatsoever as the Vikings averaged just 3.8 yards with a long of nine yards on 24 carries.

Matt Asiata, who originally stepped in as the starter when Adrian Peterson was placed on the commissioner's exempt list, is an admirable worker but basically a plow horse who slams into the line for a few yards here and there. He averaged 3.7 yards on 14 carries.

Ben Tate had his first carries since being claimed off waivers two weeks ago. He ran for 15 yards. He had the nine-yarder, but added just six yards on his other four carries.

Of some concern, McKinnon was not on the practice field Wednesday. I'll have more when Late-Breaking Updates crank up early Thursday. ...

The Vikings had tight end Chase Ford active on Sunday with a foot injury but didn't use him on offense.

And finally. ... The appeal hearing for Peterson ended Tuesday after more than three hours, but will resume Thursday. ...

Adam Thielen was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after blocking a Brad Nortman punt and scooped it and returned it for a touchdown, the first of two blocked punt touchdowns for the Vikings last week.

Thielen, originally an undrafted rookie from Minnesota State, spent last year on the Vikings practice squad. He made the 53-man roster this year, and made the Panthers pay for it Sunday. ...

Peterson did not testify, but Harold Henderson, who heard the appeal, allowed the suspended running back to make a statement, sources told ESPN. The content of Peterson's statement is unknown. Henderson has ordered NFL executive Troy Vincent to testify on Thursday, over the objections of the NFL, ESPN's Andrew Brandt reports.

Vincent was not at Tuesday's hearing since he was in Washington, D.C. to testify at a Congressional hearing on domestic violence.

As part of the hearing, the NFLPA submitted to the league a tape of a conversation between Vincent and Peterson in which Vincent allegedly tells Peterson he will be disciplined with time served and a two-game suspension if he attended a disciplinary hearing Nov. 14 with NFL CommissionerRoger Goodell.

George Atallah, executive director of external affairs for the NFLPA, talked about the recording Tuesday on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike" program.

"We believe [Vincent] told him [Peterson] something to the effect of his time on the commissioner's list would be contributed to time served. We'll find out," he said.

Peterson is looking for immediate reinstatement -- meaning in time for next week's game. I'll have more on this situation via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Ponder 

RB: Jerick McKinnon, Matt Asiata, Ben Tate, Joe Banyard, Adrian Peterson 

RB: Jerome Felton 

WR: Greg Jennings, Charles Johnson, Jarius Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson, Adam Thielen 

TE: Kyle Rudolph, Chase Ford, Rhett Ellison, MarQueis Gray 

PK: Blair Walsh 

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

As Providence Journal staffer Mark Daniels noted, the Patriots' defense bent plenty of times, and broke a few times. But it was the offense that failed to live up to its billing against the NFC's hottest team in Sunday's 26-21 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field.

After four straight games with at least 30 points, the Patriots managed only three scoring drives on Sunday.

"We had our chances," Tom Brady said. "Wish we would have done something there on offense in the end, but 21 points isn't going to be enough against a good team like that."

Defensively, the Patriots struggled to get off the field on third down (the Packers went 10-for-16) and to get pressure on Aaron Rodgers (24 of 28 for 368 yards and two touchdowns). In the first half, the Packers scored on every drive to take a 23-14 lead into halftime.

The Patriots' defense started to pick it up in the third quarter, getting two stops in a row as Mason Crosby missed a 40-yard field goal and then finally forcing a Packers punt.

But in the second half, the Patriots would muster only one touchdown, on Brady pass to Brandon LaFell early in the fourth quarter to make it 23-21.

While acknowledging that it was a nitpick from a game that could have swayed in either direction based on a play or two, one question asked following the loss was if the New England offense strayed too far from the power running game.

Bill Belichick didn't think so after the game, but didn't elaborate at the time. He shared some expanded thoughts Monday in his day-after-game news conference following a more detailed film review.

In the end, Belichick highlighted the low number of snaps as a primary factor, as the 57 (including penalties but not kneeldowns) were the team's second fewest this season (50, versus Kansas City, Sept. 29).

"I think we had a lot of opportunities to move the ball in the game [but] we missed a third-and-1 early [on the first drive], we came up on a fourth-and-1 just short of the first down [late in the first quarter], we had a penalty to start the third quarter. So we ended up with some short drives, which limited the number of plays we ran offensively," Belichick explained.

"And defensively, we weren't able to convert on third down as effectively as we needed to (Packers were 10-of-17), which gave them extra plays. So you can probably say there were a lot of things offensively that we didn't do as much of as we wanted to do because we didn't have the ball as much as we would have liked to have it. That's a combination of our fault and their good play.

"That was one of the main areas of the game that we didn't control well enough. They did a good job of that. So you can look at every group and everything we do, and say, ‘Could we have done more of it?' If we had the ball more, and had more plays, we probably would have done more of it. But we didn't."

Meanwhile, after going on a seven-game win streak following the Patriots' embarrassing loss to the Chiefs in Week 4, Brady knows this loss won't hurt as much as that one.

"I think we are playing a little better," Brady said. "We have our whole season ahead of us. We are in decent position. I think we really have to turn it up. You just realize every possession, every play is an opportunity and if you don't take advantage of it, you never know which play it's going to be that in close games like this lead to losses.

"We have to win games. We have to win tough games. We have to find ways to make the important plays when we have them. This team has always found a way to do that. We just didn't do that today."

Brady gave all the credit to the Packers, who played a great game across the board.

But he is walking away with the knowledge that his team was right there with the Packers in a tough road game. Brady talked about how football comes down to which team can make that one important play to separate itself from the opponent.

"I think it's just more consistent across the board," Brady said. "We fought hard, we hung in there. Just couldn't make enough plays. They made a lot of plays and they made some pretty important ones. We didn't make enough important ones. We certainly had our chances and certainly there at the end, first down on the 20, wish we could have done better than that."

As the Patriots' offense left the field after its final possession, Brady let out some yells of frustration. Brady isn't used to falling short.

"I like to win and I like to go out there and compete and couldn't ask for anything more than this opportunity," Brady said. "You live your life for moments like this and you just came up short."

Up next, the Patriots visit the Chargers Sunday and will practice in San Diego all week leading into the game. The Chargers, coming off an impressive road win against the Ravens, are 5-1 at home.

Other notes of interest. ... As the Sports Xchange noted this week, heading into a battle with the NFL's 30th-ranked run defense the expectation was that the Patriots could and would be able to run the ball in Green Bay. LeGarrette Blount picked up 6 yards on his first carry and that plan seemed to be hitting stride. But two runs later the Patriots had to punt and the expected dominant rushing attack never got going.

By halftime, with the visitors trailing 24-14, New England had just 36 yards on nine attempts, 12 yards coming on one Brandon Bolden run.

By the time the final whistle had blown New England had 84 yards on 18 attempts, 50 yards below the Packers' per-game average allowed coming in.

Blount led the way with 58 yards on his 10 attempts, as both he and Bolden each averaged better than 5.7 yards per carry. But like the passing game, the rushing attack never hit its stride for an offense that never got into rhythm in any real fashion.

On a more positive note, Gronkowski continues to deliver, with a catch-and-run late in the second quarter in which Packers defenders were bouncing off him. The same goes for LaFell, who had two touchdown catches while playing with an injured shoulder.

Aaron Dobson was active and saw reserve action in Green Bay after having been a healthy scratch for the five weeks and eight times overall this season. Dobson ended up leaving the game with a hamstring injury suffered trying to extend for a deep ball in the second half of the loss to the Packers. He did not return.

Julian Edelman, who had been listed on the injury report with a thigh issue, missed a handful of snaps to the injury in Green Bay. He finished the game but was clearly limping.

One last note here. ... Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' name is swirling on the job circuit again.

The University of Florida is vetting McDaniels and views him as a viable candidate for its vacant head coaching position, according to , which has a respected reputation when reporting news about college coaching searches.

McDaniels, who interviewed for the Browns head coaching job last offseason, has been with the Patriots since the 2011 playoffs. McDaniels' first stint with the Patriots began in 2001, and he worked his way up to offensive coordinator from 2006-08 before taking over as the Broncos head coach in 2009. He was fired in 2010 and became the Rams offensive coordinator in 2011. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo 

RB: Shane Vereen, LeGarrette Blount, Jonas Gray, Brandon Bolden, James Develin, James White 

WR: Brandon LaFell, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Bryan Tims, Matthew Slater, Aaron Dobson 

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Michael Hoomanawanui 

PK: Stephen Gostkowski 

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Drew Brees threw five touchdowns in the New Orleans Saints' 35-32 victory over the Steelers on Sunday.

Jimmy Graham didn't have any of them.

The Saints' star tight end also caught zero of Brees' 19 completions, and was not the intended target on any of Brees' 27 attempts.

According to New Orleans Times-Picayune staffer Evan Woodbery, the Steelers effectively kept Graham from impacting the game, but Graham implied they might have won the battle, but lost the war, freeing up other receivers for opportunities. Nine of his teammates caught at least one pass.

"For me it's all about the W's," said Graham, who also was held without a catch vs. Detroit earlier this season. "I don't care if it's zero catches, 10 catches or 20, as long as you win."

Graham praised Steelers safeties Troy Polamalu and Will Allen for having done their homework.

When the safeties guessed -- sometimes making risky gambles -- they usually guessed right.

When there wasn't help over the top, the safeties would "break" on Graham's crossing routes. In other words, they would jump ahead of him to cut him off rather than waiting for Graham to reveal his intentions.

"Usually (defenders) wait until I break," said Graham. "(Polamalu and Allen) are smart players. I can tell that they're watching a lot of film and looking at tendencies and formations and splits."

Graham said he would have to watch film to see if the Steelers were keying on any of his tendencies or if the Saints could exploit future opponents who try to do the same.

"Literally they would just undercut all of my routes," Graham said. "We'll watch film and we'll look at ways we can expose that. That's just how it is."

Although Graham can sometimes be just as valuable as a "decoy" as an actual weapon (last year's playoff win at Philadelphia comes to mind), the Saints would obviously prefer to have him more involved in both capacities.

"We didn't come into the game with the idea that we weren't going to target Jimmy Graham," said head coach Sean Payton, who insisted that Graham was a heavy part of the game plan Sunday and pointed out that Graham did draw one pass interference call.

"Somebody said after the game that Jimmy didn't have a catch, and I had to think because it sounded crazy to me," Brees said. "Because he is such a big part of the plan and is always targeted.

"Listen, though, we're never going to complain when we score 35 points and have no turnovers. I think we operated at a very efficient rate out there in both the run game and the pass game. The ball just happened to go other places today."

Indeed, with Graham drawing heavy attention, Brees found plenty of other guys open, throwing scores to five receivers (including a 69-yarder to Kenny Stills on third-and-10 and the first touchdown catches of the season for Benjamin Watson, Erik Lorig and Nick Toon).

That said, it's safe to assume Graham will reload for this week's game against Carolina. He had seven catches for 81 yards and a touchdown in their last matchup in Week 9.

The Saints are in a rare home slump, having lost three straight in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. But if they can win their next two home games against the Panthers and Atlanta (in Week 16), they can take control of the NFC South.

Other notes of interest. ... Payton revealed that running back Khiry Robinson is expected to return from an arm injury this week against the Panthers while denouncing a report that the Saints had shown any interest in reinstated running back Ray Rice.

"We like our running back depth," Payton said. "And if you do a little research, Khiry's coming back next week."

Robinson has missed the past six games with an unspecified arm injury. He hasn't returned to the practice field yet but hinted on Twitter that he was close to a return. And he was seen in the locker room without a brace on the arm.

According to 's Mike Triplett, chances are, the Saints will ease Robinson back into the mix -- especially since Mark Ingram has done so well in a leading role and since Pierre Thomas returned from his own shoulder and rib injuries last week.

Ingram ran the ball 23 times for 122 yards in Sunday's 35-32 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers -- his fourth 100-yard game during Robinson's absence. Thomas, meanwhile, had three carries for 21 yards and two catches for 16 yards in the victory.

But it will be interesting to see how the Saints divvy up the touches once Robinson is back to full speed.

Robinson was running extremely well before he was hurt. Robinson gained a total of 245 rushing yards in a three-game span from Weeks 3-5 while Ingram was out with his own hand injury -- including a game-winning 18-yard touchdown run in overtime against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5.

Robinson's 5.2 yards per carry would rank second among all NFL running backs if he had enough carries to be eligible. Ingram's 4.5 yards per carry are tied for 10th among qualifying NFL running backs.

In other words, Robinson's return will be a "good problem" for the Saints but a possible headache for fantasy owners.

Robert Meachem was inactive for a fourth consecutive game with an ankle injury even though he practiced last week on a limited basis.

Toon made his first start of the season Sunday and as mentioned above, he scored his first NFL touchdown on an 11-yard pass from Brees.

By the way, Brees was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his five-TD game.

According to , it's the 20th time in Brees's career that he's been honored as his conference's top offensive player and the 18th time that he's been tabbed since joining the Saints in 2006. That's the most of any player over that span, which further illustrates how different things have been for Brees for much of this season.

One last note here. ... NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported before Sunday's the Saints are "preparing for life after Brees" and plan to draft a quarterback "high this draft."

Rapoport says the Saints have "seen [Brees'] arm strength wane" and because "he's not big like" Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, there are concerns about the way Brees, 35, will age.

Was this was a concern when Brees was 33 and signed a five-year, $100 million contract?

As 's Will Brinson suggested, "It probably was. Not the arm strength part, but, you know, the natural process of aging."

Brinson went on to note the Saints have been fortunate. Since signing Brees as a free agent he's never missed a game and he's never had a season less than 4,300 passing yards. He's not playing his best football this season, but he's completing 70 percent of his passes and averaging 7.6 yards per attempt. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown 

RB: Mark Ingram, Pierre Thomas, Khiry Robinson, Travaris Cadet 

FB: Erik Lorig 

WR: Marques Colston, Kenny Stills, Nick Toon, Joe Morgan, Robert Meachem 

TE: Jimmy Graham, Ben Watson, Josh Hill 

PK: Shayne Graham 

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NEW YORK GIANTS

According to Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan, Tom Coughlin is refusing to discuss his future as the coach of the New York Giants after a seventh straight loss that he acknowledges has made him feel miserable.

The 68-year-old said the skid has not in the least taken away his belief that he can lead the team, although he refused to say whether he would return if the Giants told him they wanted him to return for the final year of his contract.

"Don't start that stuff," said Coughlin, who led the Giants to Super Bowls victories after the 2007 and '11 seasons.

"I am not interested. ... This thing is not about me. I am not interested in discussing my circumstances whatsoever. I am not worried or concerned. I am worried about my team as I said."

The season may have hit rock bottom on Sunday when the Giants (3-9) blew a 21-point lead against the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) and dropped a 25-24 decision.

New York had two fumbles returned for second-half touchdowns and saw the defense give up a late score for the second week in a row.

With four games left in the regular season, the Giants are assured of their second straight losing season and third year in a row out of the playoffs.

Coughlin said he has never experienced a run like this in his career. The past three games have been very frustrating. The Giants have been in position to beat San Francisco, Dallas and Jacksonville and failed to make the plays with the game on the line. It's been a common thread in this season marked by injuries.

In meeting with his players Monday, Coughlin told them to worry more about themselves than him.

As far as his critics, the long-time coach is ignoring them.

"I try to pay attention and do the job to best of my ability and my concern is with my coaches and my team," Coughlin said. "Our organization, everybody in the Giants' organization, lives and dies with how this football team does. I understand that completely and the responsibility that I have my coaches and players and to our owners, we are going to work our every-loving (butts) off to try to find a way to win a game. That's all at this point in time that we can do."

Quarterback Eli Manning, who lost one of the fumbles Sunday that was either recovered or returned for a touchdown, said Coughlin is not to blame for the Giants' woes. He said the team is still playing hard and has been close to winning.

"It's not his fault that we don't finish games," Manning said.

The Giants will try to end their misery on Sunday when they travel to Tennessee to play the Titans (2-10), the losers of six in a row.

Coughlin said the team needs to stick together.

"We are being tested, perhaps, like we have never been tested before," Coughlin said. "I have some young guys in the room that have never been through anything like I am sure. I referred to them and I referred to the old guy standing in the front of the room talking who has never been through anything like this."

Coughlin's advice was to stand tall, to be positive talking about teammates and to approach everything with character and integrity.

When asked how the losing made him feel, Coughlin was blunt about the skid that is the Giants' longest since losing eight straight in 2004, Coughlin's first year as coach of the team.

"Miserable," he said. "What else can I say, but I am not going to let it get me down."

The 3-9 record is the Giants' worst after 12 games since 1995, when they had the same mark.

Other notes of interest. ...The Giants' injury woes keep getting worse.

The team announced Monday that five players are being placed on injured reserve: offensive linemen Geoff Schwartz (ankle) and Adam Snyder (knee), defensive ends Mathias Kiwanuka (knee) and Robert Ayers (pectoral), and linebacker Terrell Manning (ankle) are all finished for the season.

The Giants now have a grand total of 20 players on injured reserve.

To fill those holes on their active roster, the Giants have signed running back Chris Ogbonnaya and called up three players from the practice squad: guard Eric Herman, defensive tackle Dominique Hamilton and linebacker James Davidson. The Giants can only add four players to their active roster, rather than five, because Manning was just signed last week off the Bengals' practice squad, and under NFL rules he can't be replaced on the 53-man roster for three weeks after being signed from another team's practice squad.

The addition of Ogbonnaya adds depth with Rashad Jennings' status uncertain due to an ankle injury.

Jennings said he tried to push off on his injured right ankle and couldn't, which is why he couldn't go back in the game in the fourth quarter, but he's not worried about the injury costing him more time. We'll see. Jennings did not practice Wednesday. I'll have more on his status via Late-Breaking Update in coming days. ...

Rueben Randle finished with three catches for 52 yards at Jacksonville. However, Randle's stat line was not the story of the game for the third-year receiver.

Randle was notably absent from the team's lineup as the game began Sunday. Speculation arose whether or not Randle was on the sidelines due to injury or disciplinary reasons. He finally entered the game early in the second quarter, but it wasn't revealed until after the game why Randle missed the first quarter.

Coughlin wouldn't reveal why Randle sat out the opening period Sunday, stating: "That's between Rueben and I." According to 's Michael Hurcomb, Randle was more forthcoming with information, revealing he was late for a team meeting Friday because he forgot about a schedule change. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib 

RB: Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Chris Ogbonnaya, Orleans Darkwa 

RB: Henry Hynoski 

WR: Odell Beckham, Rueben Randle, Preston Parker, Corey Washington, Kevin Ogletree 

TE: Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson 

PK: Josh Brown 

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NEW YORK JETS

In a span of 18 hours, head coach Rex Ryan went from "sick" to ashamed. As 's Rich Cimini suggested, "A 2-10 record will do that to you."

"I'm embarrassed for myself, absolutely," Ryan said Tuesday, describing his emotions after the latest letdown in a season filled with them. "It's definitely embarrassing to me. I feel like I've let my owner down. I've let our fan base down. Yeah, of course, there's no doubt."

On Monday night, the Jets became only the fifth team in the last 30 years to rush for at least 277 yards and lose a game, a 16-13 heartbreaker to the Miami Dolphins.

They reached double-digit losses for the second time in three years, and this will be their fourth straight year out of the playoffs. Ryan appeared to have the franchise in the right direction after last season's unexpected 8-8 finish, but now he likely will be fired at the end of the season.

His current record is 44-48. He reached the AFC Championship Game in his first two seasons, 2009 and 2010, but his record over the last three years is 16-28.

Ryan declined to comment on his job security or a report that said he could land a multi-million dollar deal with a TV network if he's out of coaching in 2015. He said his only focus is the next opponent, the Minnesota Vikings.

Not that there was much suspense, but Geno Smith will remain the starting quarterback, according to Ryan. After a three-game benching, he returned to the lineup in what could be termed a highly unusual outing.

Handcuffed by a conservative game plan, Smith completed only seven of 13 passes for 65 yards, including a last-minute interception that ruined a chance for a game-tying field goal. It was the fewest number of attempts in a complete-game performance in the Ryan era, and also the fewest net passing yards (49).

Ryan came under heavy criticism for the game plan, which showed little faith in Smith's ability to throw the ball. Until the final drive, Smith had only eight attempts.

"I've seen everyone questioning what we did offensively, but we never went into the game thinking we were going to throw it only 13 times," Ryan said.

He cited a few reasons for the imbalance, but the primary factor was he wanted to establish the running game to neutralize the Dolphins' formidable pass rush. The Jets rushed for 210 yards in the first half, the most by a team since 2009, and they decided to keep hammering it on the ground even though they weren't nearly as productive after halftime.

None of the players publicly questioned the strategy.

"We were running the ball great and we stuck to it -- and the goal is to win the game no matter how you do it," Smith said.

Ryan felt they controlled the game from the outset, blaming the loss on two missed field goals, a partially blocked punt and two dropped interceptions.

"Quite honestly, if we make the two field goals and we don't get sacked out of another one, we probably aren't having the conversation," he said.

But it has been that kind of year for the Jets. In a Week 7 loss to the New England Patriots, they became the first team in history to lose with 200 rushing yards, 40 minutes of possession time and no giveaways.

Now there's concern about perhaps their most consistent player, placekicker Nick Folk, who complained after the game of a hip-flexor injury -- a possible explanation for his two misses.

Folk will be monitored throughout the week. Preparing a contingency plan, the Jets worked out free agent Andrew Furney on Tuesday. He kicked for them in the preseason.

Tight end Jace Amaro remains in the NFL's concussion protocol; he did not practice Wednesday. Wide receiver Greg Salas suffered a significant hamstring injury on his 20-yard touchdown run; it could be a tear, according to Ryan. Either way, Salas could be done for the season. ...

In addition, Jeremy Kerley was not participating in practice Wednesday due to an injury that's yet to be disclosed. I'll be following up as details warrant. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Chris Johnson rushed for a season-high 105 yards on 17 carries, showing the burst and elusiveness that have been conspicuously absent from his game. He showed a nice change of direction and side-cutting ability.

As  notes, Chris Ivory had been the better runner over the first half of the season, but he has fallen off the pace of late, which has allowed Johnson to cut into his playing time a bit. Ivory is averaging 4.4 yards per carry for the season, while Johnson is now up to 4.6, and the gap is mostly from the last five games.

Johnson is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, while Ivory is at 3.6 yards per carry in that span.

The continued split workload makes it hard to rely on either player, however. ...

And finally. ... The most peculiar moment of the night occurred before the game, when Smith decided he didn't want his name announced to the crowd during the pre-game introductions.

The New York Jets decided to introduce their offensive starters, but the embattled quarterback wasn't part of the roll call. He came out of the tunnel moments earlier in a group of non-offensive starters.

Logical conclusion: Smith didn't want to be booed by the home crowd. Remember, this was his first home appearance since the three-interception debacle in Week 8.

He insisted that wasn't the reason.

"No, not at all," Smith said later. "I wanted to run out with my guys. I just wanted to go out there with them. I wanted to watch my offensive line come out and watch the rest of the guys come out and shake their hands and be a part of the team and do those things. There was no direct reasoning for it. It was just my decision."

Still, it was curious. His decision could be interpreted so many different ways. At the very least, as Cimini suggested, the mere fact the starting quarterback was thinking about something as trivial as the pre-game introductions certainly has to raise some eyebrows. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Geno Smith, Michael Vick, Matt Simms 

RB: Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell 

RB: John Conner, Tommy Bohanon 

WR: Eric Decker, Percy Harvin, Jeremy Kerley, T.J. Graham, Walter Powell, Saalim Hakim, Chris Owusu, Greg Salas 

TE: Jeff Cumberland, Zach Sudfeld, Jace Amaro 

PK: Nick Folk 

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OAKLAND RAIDERS

As Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow suggested, the Raiders found the perfect tonic for the team's most lopsided loss in more than a half-century: The schedule.

Instead of spending Monday dwelling on a 52-0 loss to the St. Louis Rams, the Raiders have already turned their attention to this week's game against the Bay Area rival San Francisco 49ers in a contest defensive end Justin Tuck believes will be a "bloodbath."

"Everybody in this area has been waiting for this game for a long time," Tuck said. "I think that's the best thing that could have happened after a loss like that, is to have this type of game where all of your attention has to be focused on the 49ers going forward."

It's quite understandable that the Raiders don't want to look back at Sunday's game for too long. They did watch the film and make the necessary corrections. There were quite a few after the team's worst loss since falling 55-0 to Houston in the opener of the 1961 season -- two years before Al Davis first joined the franchise.

The defense allowed Shaun Hill to lead St. Louis to five touchdowns on the opening five drives of the game as Oakland (1-11) had no answer for the Rams' speed on the outside with Tre Mason, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.

The offense didn't generate a first down until the deficit was 21-0, turned the ball over a season-high five times and converted just 4 of 18 third-down attempts.

That led to rookie Derek Carr getting pulled in the fourth quarter after going 24 for 39 for 173 yards and two interceptions for a season-low 50.5 quarterback rating.

"There was just no need to keep Derek out there at that point any longer," interim coach Tony Sparano said.

Matt Schaub took over and committed two turnovers, including an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Trumaine Johnson. Schaub lost his starting job in Houston last year after setting an NFL record by having an interception returned for a TD in four straight games.

It all added up to quite a step back after the Raiders finally broke through with their first win of the season 10 days earlier in a 24-20 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

"It is unacceptable," receiver James Jones said. "We're all pros in there. Everybody has to hold themselves accountable, and that was unacceptable to go out there and put that type of game on film after a big win."

Tuck said some players might have basked in the first win a bit too long but expects they have learned their lesson about turning over a new page each week.

Sparano doesn't expect that to be an issue when the team begins practicing for San Francisco on Wednesday.

"This team's always been great about bouncing back and they're really good about being resilient and they're really willing," he said. "That's one of the things I love the most about this group, is their will to kind of fight back. I don't anticipate that being a problem this week, but we will get work in."

For the record, even though Sunday's loss was as bad a game as Carr has had all season, t Sparano says that the team merely conceded the obvious about the result against the Rams and decided to give Carr a rest.

"There hasn't been really any thought about [a change]," Sparano told . "I didn't get a lot of those questions [when the Raiders won], so there really hasn't been a lot of that kind of thought. There was a thought about that in the fourth quarter of the game when I decided to do that and that was purely my decision to do that at that point. There was just no need to keep Derek out there at that point any longer.

"Give Matt an opportunity to go out there and let Matt play a little bit and that was that."

On the injury front. ... Sparano said he was hopeful Latavius Murray would be back this week after missing Sunday's game with a concussion. The coach also expressed some concern over the health of Brian Leonhardt after the backup tight end suffered a concussion for the second consecutive week.

Leonhardt was hurt sometime early in the first half of Sunday's loss. He played only five snaps on offense and seven on special teams before heading to the sidelines for good.

"That's a concern," Sparano said Monday. "We'll have to see. It'll be a long week that way because we don't have the extra days. We had extra days last week with both he and Latavius (Murray). In this situation here, we really don't have that kind of time and it's two weeks in a row so it's a concern for us."

Oakland is already thin at tight end. Last week the team placed David Ausberry -- the projected starter heading into training camp -- on injured reserve. With Leonhardt also hurting, second-year player Mychal Rivera is the only healthy tight end on the Raiders' roster.

Murray, who sat out the loss to the Rams a week after having a breakout game running the ball, still has yet to pass the NFL-mandated testing for concussions.

"We're still not there yet," Sparano said. "We're close, but we're not there yet, so I'm hopeful."

I'll be following up on Murray in coming days; watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...

Other notes of interest. ... With Murray sidelined against the Rams, fullback Marcel Reece was the most productive member of the Raiders' backfield. Reece ran four times for 12 yards and caught six of eight targets for 48 yards.

Darren McFadden carried 11 times for 27 yards and caught both his targets for 18 yards. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew rushed five times for 21 yards and secured three of four targets for 23 yards.

And finally. ... No matter how tenuous the San Francisco 49ers' situation currently is, the fate of coach Jim Harbaugh won't be resolved until after this season.

When the time comes, however, ESPN's Adam Schefter has reported the Raiders and New York Jets both are expected to, at the very least, inquire about Harbaugh's availability in a trade, a source said.

One NFL source told Schefter they are convinced the Raiders are the favorite to land Harbaugh, but the Jets also are known to be keeping a close eye on Harbaugh's situation. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Derek Carr, Matt Schaub, Matt McGloin 

RB: Latavius Murray, Darren McFadden, Maurice Jones-Drew 

FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale 

WR: James Jones, Andre Holmes, Vincent Brown, Brice Butler, Kenbrell Thompkins, Denarius Moore 

TE: Mychal Rivera, Brian Leonhardt 

PK: Sebastian Janikowski 

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

As 's Phil Sheridan pointed out, Mark Sanchez seemed to be fully in control of the Eagles offense last Thursday against the Dallas Cowboys, even when his control was called into question.

Sanchez got into an on-field shouting match with wide receiver Riley Cooper in the fourth quarter of the Philadelphia Eagles' 33-10 victory. Cooper had lined up in the wrong spot on a third-down play, and Sanchez had to call a timeout to correct the mistake.

The two were seen on television shouting at each other after the incident.

"We're a family and families get heated and get upset and that's the way it goes," Sanchez said after the game. "Both of us had something to say. We said it and that was it."

Cooper was not seen in the Eagles' locker room after the game.

On the field, Sanchez completed 20 of 29 passes for 217 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball seven times for 28 yards as the zone-read reappeared in the Eagles' offense after going missing in last week's win over Tennessee.

"(The Cowboys) were trying to bend the (defensive) end and tried to take away the back," head coach Chip Kelly said. "Obviously, when they try to outnumber us, the quarterback can be a weapon at certain points of time during the game. We saw something from the sidelines and just knew that if they presented the same look, there's an opportunity for us to pick up some yards."

The Tennessee game was the first in Kelly's tenure that saw the Eagles fail to run a single zone-read play. In his previous starts, according to ESPN Stats & Info, Sanchez ran a total of six zone-read plays for 34 yards. Against Dallas, the Eagles ran a total of 21 zone-read plays for 135 yards and two touchdowns -- one by Sanchez, one by LeSean McCoy.

The strong running game also made Sanchez's use of play-action effective. Sanchez completed 6 of 9 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown off play-action fakes.

Earlier last week, McCoy conceded that Murray would win this season's rushing title. But he also takes pride in outperforming elite running backs.

"I just try to play my game," McCoy said. "I can't take anything from him, because he's a heck of a player. I've always thought that and always said that. I talked to him at the Pro Bowl. I said, 'Man, if they feed you more, there's some things you could do.' He's always been a good player. I know where I stand. In the big picture, we're trying to win games. Obviously I want to outrush him. It's a pride thing."

McCoy wanted to outshine Murray when the two shared a field. He did just that, breaking a 36-yard run on the Eagles' opening drive and running 38 yards for the touchdown that made it 30-10. McCoy ran for 156 yards. McCoy became the first Eagles back ever to top 1,000 rushing yards in four seasons. He also is closing in on Wilbert Montgomery's franchise record for career rushing yards.

But it's the Eagles' record that matters most. It's their chance to build on their earlier wins, finish strong and go into the playoffs on a hot streak. That is what became possible by beating Dallas so decisively here.

"I think we have the ability to be a great football team," wide receiver Jeremy Maclin said. "I think there's some things that we've got to get better at. We're hitting our stride. A couple weeks ago, we got our butts beat up in Lambeau. I'm excited about what we can do going forward."

For all the positives, and despite scoring 33 points, the Eagles walked off the field knowing they hadn't played their best game. They moved the ball well but bogged down when they reached the red zone. Kicker Cody Parkey made four field goals, all 31 yards or shorter.

"I'm really proud of this effort on such a short week," Sanchez said. "We left a ton of meat on the bone. We threw it in the red zone so many times."

Sanchez outdueled Romo. McCoy topped Murray. The Eagles' offensive line was the better unit when compared to Dallas' line. The Eagles had the better defense.

Will that be the case going up against a Seattle defense that appears to be hitting it's post-season stride? You might want to lower the expectations a bit in this one. ...

Other notes of interest. ... In Sanchez's first three starts this season, the Eagles ran six zone-read rushes for 34 yards, including none in Week 12.

But last Thursday, the Eagles had 21 zone-read rushes for 135 yards and two touchdowns.

The strong running attack helped Sanchez on play-action plays. Sanchez was 6-of-9 for 61 yards and threw his only touchdown off play-action fakes, and he didn't even attempt a non-play-action pass in the second half.

Play action has been vital for Sanchez. The only quarterback this season with a worse touchdown-interception differential on non-play-action passes than Sanchez (-3) is Blake Bortles (-6). ...

On the injury front. ... Kelly said a groin injury might have bothered Parkey on kickoffs Week 13, but Kelly doesn't think it will be an issue Sunday against the Seahawks. As  notes, Parkey has hit 27 of 29 field goals and is on pace for 164 points, which would be the second-most ever by a kicker. ...

And finally. ... Kelly confirmed that quarterback Nick Foles underwent a CT scan last Friday. He told reporters Monday that Foles' collarbone is healing, but not completely healed, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. He will be examined again before receiving clearance to play. A recent report from the Philadelphia Daily News has Foles sidelined for two-to-four weeks. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, Nick Foles 

RB: LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles, Chris Polk 

WR: Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews, Riley Cooper, Brad Smith, Jeff Maehl, Josh Huff 

TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, James Casey, Trey Burton 

PK: Cody Parkey 

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=========================

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

As the Associated Press noted, the Steelers call it "December football," a time when the missteps of the previous three months can either be washed away or amplified.

Long one of the NFL's best when the calendar flips to Dec. 1, the Steelers (7-5) find themselves still searching for an identity. Are they the team that turned the team record book into confetti while crushing Indianapolis and Baltimore around Halloween or the hot mess that was basically blown out by underachieving New Orleans last Sunday?

The next four Sundays will provide the answer starting at first-place Cincinnati this weekend.

"We've got to take care of business," running back Le'Veon Bell said. "We can't look forward to four or five weeks ahead."

Probably not a good idea.

Pittsburgh can't seem to figure out who or what it is from play to play let alone week to week. And whatever swagger the Steelers have boasted after Thanksgiving is shrinking.

Pittsburgh is 20-13 in regular season games played after Dec. 1 under Mike Tomlin, but just 5-4 in the last two years. The fact the Steelers missed the postseason both times is not a coincidence. With a logjam of teams at 7-5, whatever wiggle room Pittsburgh had before last Sunday is long gone.

'Or any game, for that matter. Four wins would likely secure a playoff spot and the AFC North title. One problem: Pittsburgh has won four straight just twice in the last five years, the last time in 2012. Going 3-1 or worse would make for a significantly tougher road.

Tomlin isn't panicking, perhaps because it's too early. Still, he chastised his team for its uneven play against the Saints despite having a week off and a handful of starters back in the lineup following injury.

"We didn't complement ourselves well enough to secure victory," Tomlin said. "There are many examples of it, in all three areas of the game."

Not even quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was immune. Roethlisberger found himself thrust into the MVP conversation after throwing six touchdowns in consecutive games against the Colts and Ravens. He has just four touchdowns and five interceptions over the last three games and completed just 55 percent (32 of 58) of his passes, his second-worst mark of the season.

Tomlin placed some of Roethlisberger's issues on the lack of a comfortable pocket. The Saints were able to generate consistent pressure and tipped a handful of balls at the line of scrimmage. Roethlisberger's numbers might have been even worse if New Orleans defensive back Patrick Robinson didn't drop a pair of easy interceptions.

Roethlisberger stressed "the line played great" while stressing he needed to improve. Considering the Steelers are just 1-2 since his hot streak, Pittsburgh's postseason chances likely rely on how well its unquestioned leader responds.

"We have a four-game schedule," Roethlisberger said. "We have to take care of our business ... we'll stick together and get this thing going."

They'll do it without defensive end Brett Keisel, who is out for the rest of the season after tearing his right triceps in the third quarter on Sunday. Keisel underwent surgery to repair the injury and now faces the decision on whether to try a comeback at age 36 or retire. The 13-year veteran was a vital part of a defense that hardly looked like it was ready to make a run.

Drew Brees lit up the Steelers for five touchdowns, the most the franchise has surrendered in a single game since 1991. And that was with Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu back from injury. Taylor shouldered much of the blame, particularly on the 69-yard catch-and-run by Kenny Stills that broke it open.

Tomlin gave his beleaguered secondary a vote of confidence on Tuesday, saying he's fine with the rotation at safety, where free agent signee Mike Mitchell has failed to make an impact. Still, Tomlin is also aware the big plays from the guys in the other jerseys that have come with regularity in recent weeks need to stop or a long December awaits.

"We've got to keep a lid on the coverage," he said.

This week the Steelers visit the Cincinnati Bengals. It is the first of two December meetings between the AFC North rivals (the two play again on Dec. 28 in the regular-season finale).

Other notes of interest. ... The Steelers cut running back LeGarrette Blount two weeks ago, a day after giving 33 carries in a Monday night victory over the Titans.

Bell played on all but three snaps in that game and all but seven against the Jets the prior week, an upward trend that continued against the Saints. Bell had 21 more carries last Sunday and added eight catches while playing on 88 of the team's 90 offensive snaps in a 35-32 loss.

On Tuesday, Tomlin told Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he wasn't worried about over working Bell because Bell has the "pedigree" for the job.

According to 's Josh Alper, Roethlisberger didn't disagree with Bell's ability to handle the job, but admitted to more concern than Tomlin

"I don't know of a running back since I've been here that has been able to basically play every single snap," Roethlisberger said on 93.7 The Fan. "I think that speaks volumes for his conditioning and the work that he has put in. But you do have to be careful. I hope we don't run him into the ground, if you will. It's that stretch of the year where everyone is going to give it everything they have and I know he probably wants to be in there every single play because that's the kind of player he is."

As Roethlisberger noted, it's that stretch of the year when teams fighting for playoff spots are going to lean on their best players. The Steelers are in such a fight and Bell's usage and production make it clear he's one of their biggest threats, so we'll find out how he holds up under a heavy workload in the next four weeks.

I'll go ahead and suggest that fantasy owners can't wait. ...

For the record, Bell became the first Steelers player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Rashard Mendenhall in 2010, and the second-year running back had another huge game from a statistical standpoint. In his first game since rushing for a career-high 204 yards, Bell established career bests in yards from scrimmage (254) and receiving yards (159).

His running and especially his running after the catch were only enough for the Steelers to make the final score close.

"We made a lot of mistakes. Turnovers were huge for us," Bell said. "We've got to work on not hurting ourselves."

According to Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staffer Mark Kaboly, even though Roethlisberger did not come out of the game, he was flexing his hand and indicated to the sidelines immediately after to run the ball.

The injury happened when Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown on a 21-yard pass on third-and-8 in the first quarter. On the next five plays, Roethlisberger handed off. Before throwing the final play of the quarter, Roethlisberger ran over to the sidelines and tossed a pass to backupBruce Gradkowski.

"I am sure every quarterback has that happen every game," Roethlisberger said. "Does it hurt? Yeah. Did it affect my throwing? No."

Roethlisberger threw for 435 yards, fourth-most in team history, but it was an ugly performance.

With the chance to run up a good lead in the first half, Roethlisberger missed open receivers and threw a bad interception into double coverage in the end zone. He was intercepted twice -- and New Orleans converted both for touchdowns eventually. He was 8 of 22 for 115 yards in the first half and finished by going 32 of 58 with 166 yards in the final two meaningless touchdown drives.

As  noted, Brown once again extended his streak of at least five catches and 50 yards to 28 games Sunday with an eight catch, 97 yard and two touchdown performance.

Despite being held in check for a large portion of Sunday's game, Brown found his way in the end zone twice in the fourth quarter.

Brown now has 110 catches for 1,499 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

Tight end Heath Miller led the team in targets Sunday with 14, catching eight of them for 82 yards. It's the most targets Miller has seen in a game all season and the most he has had since Week 4 against the Bucs when he had 11.

Martavis Bryant was targeted just four times Sunday, and had just one reception for 23 yards, which is actually an improvement on his showing in the team's previous game. Bryant had just 11 receptions in Week 11 before the bye, after averaging 77.5 yards per game in the first four.

And finally. ... The Steelers look likely to have at least two starters back in the lineup Sunday at Cincinnati.

Left inside linebacker Ryan Shazier and right tackle Marcus Gilbert are both expected to be available in Week 14, Tomlin indicated at his Tuesday press conference. Shazier and Gilbert were both inactive with ankle injuries in Sunday's loss to New Orleans. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Ben Roethlisberger, Bruce Gradkowski, Landry Jones 

RB: Le'Veon Bell, Dri Archer, Josh Harris 

FB: Will Johnson 

WR: Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Martavis Bryant, Lance Moore, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Justin Brown 

TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer 

PK: Shaun Suisham 

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ST. LOUIS RAMS

As 's Nick Wagoner pointed out, on the Rams' unofficial depth chart, Zac Stacy is still listed as the starting running back. It's a spot he has occupied all season but in name only for the better part of the past six weeks.

But before Sunday's 52-0 thrashing of the Oakland Raiders, the Rams finally conceded what everyone else already knew when they announced Tre Mason as the starting running back in a pregame lineup change. But the real takeaway from this win wasn't so much Mason's designation as the current starter so much as it was a performance that should cement him in that role for the long haul.

For 60 minutes, Mason ran through, around, over and past Raiders on his way to the best performance of his young career. By the time he was through, Mason had 117 yards on 14 carries, 47 more receiving yards on three catches and three touchdowns.

Before the game, Mason told his teammates he was going to have a big day and the team could go out and score 50-plus points. Both predictions came true.

But, as Wagoner suggested, "before you ask Mason for the Powerball numbers. ..."

"That's not the first time he's said it, so," head coach Jeff Fisher said, laughing. "He's very confident. He loves to play."

"Tre says everything during the week," receiver Tavon Austin said. "He says so much you never know what he's saying."

None of Mason's touches offered a better glimpse of Mason's burgeoning combination of ability to produce now and serve as an offensive mainstay for the foreseeable future than his 89-yard second quarter touchdown run. The score was the second longest run in Rams history and the longest since an 85-yard scamper by Eric Dickerson against the New York Jets on Sept. 25, 1983.

"I saw my man big [tight end/fullback] Cory Harkey, he came through the hole with me and when I see both of us through the hole, that's a pretty big hole," Mason said. "It was two on one then Tavon used his 4.25, eighth overall [draft pick] speed and cut off the last guy."

It was the type of play that put six on the board immediately but also teased a bright future beyond the man toting the ball. Austin is in his second year and added a touchdown run of his own before escorting Mason to the end zone. Harkey is in his third season and threw a perfect block downfield to spring Mason before later catching a 4-yard touchdown.

According to the Sports Xchange, Mason became the fourth player in NFL history with an 85-yard or more TD run and a 35-yard or more TD catch in the same game. The other three to accomplish the feat are Jim Spavital (November 5, 1950), Joey Galloway (November 12, 1995) and Chris Johnson (September 20, 2009).

And it wasn't just Mason who provided the offensive fireworks as the Rams surged to five touchdowns on their first five possessions and a 52-point win that was the second largest in franchise history.

Second-year receiver Stedman Bailey provided veteran quarterback Shaun Hill with a reliable target, catching five passes for 100 yards, all in the first half. It was the second week in a row in which Bailey set a career high in receiving yards after he posted seven catches for 89 yards and a touchdown against San Diego last week.

"Week in and week out, I'm just preparing hard and working my butt off throughout the week, doing all the little things to make sure I can come out and make the most of every opportunity that comes my way," Bailey said. "I definitely expect greatness. Sometimes opportunities are limited but when my number is called, I want to be there to make the catch."

Naturally, the easy assumption is the Rams just beat up on a poor Oakland team. And while there's a bit of truth to that, the Raiders defense had been a mostly middling group -- ranked 18th in total defense, 12th in pass defense and ninth in red zone defense. So while there are certainly opportunities to score against them, it's not like Oakland had been hemorrhaging yards and points. The real problem for the Raiders is on the other side of the ball where constant turnovers continue to lead to points.

Even if the assumption is the Raiders' defense is that poor, it's not like the Rams' offense had been much better. Since a Week 8 trip to Kansas City, the Rams' offense ranked last in the league in yards per game at 258.2.

So while there's an appropriate amount of salt to be taken with the team's offensive outburst, there's certainly some confidence to be found looking ahead. By the looks of things, the Rams have young offensive talent to work with beyond this season even if quarterback remains the team's most pressing question.

But for whoever lines up under center in 2015, there is solace to be found in the idea that the cupboard isn't bare. For proof, look no further than the Rams' unofficially official starting running back.

"I told myself coming in the league to be the best, to be the greatest," Mason said. "And I'm trying to do it."

As for the immediate future?

The Rams head back out on the road for some Robert Griffin III-related fun as they take on the Washington Redskins. As Wagoner suggested, safe to assume the big 2012 trade the teams made will be discussed at length as the Rams again seek consecutive wins for the first time this season.

Other notes of interest. ... Hill's disappointing finish in San Diego last week left him answering questions all week about how he would bounce back. As it turned out, the 13-year veteran appeared entirely unfazed.

He passed on the first nine plays of the game, and completed 10-of-12 for 167 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 146.5 in the first quarter. By the end of the half, he was 12-for-15 for 178 yards, two touchdowns and a rating of 155.7. In the second half, with the game essentially over, he was just 1-for-7 for five yards.

Oakland's record is clearly awful, but the Raiders' defense entered the game 17th in the league in yards allowed per game. ...

As noted above. ... Austin scored for the second game in a row. It was his second rushing touchdown in as many games. However, as  notes, he still finished the game with fewer than 40 all-purpose yards for the seventh game in a row, as he had just 11 yards on two receptions and 24 yards on two carries.

CBS' Chris Towers wrote: ""Austin's skills are clear, but the team has had trouble finding a way to consistently put them to use. Despite his little two-game scoring streak, Austin is still only worth owning in the deepest of fantasy formats at this time. ..."

One last note here. ... Defensive end Chris Long returned from the injured reserve list after the Rams activated him Saturday, and he played for the first time since the season opener against Minnesota. Long played quite a bit and delivered his first sack of the season in the third quarter and recovered a fumble in the fourth after a Robert Quinn sack. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Shaun Hill, Austin Davis 

RB: Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, Zac Stacy, Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts 

WR: Kenny Britt, Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Chris Givens 

TE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Alex Bayer, Justice Cunningham 

PK: Greg Zuerlein 

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

As the Sports Xchange noted, "The start of the final five ended on a thrilling and upbeat note. ..."

"Any time you go into Baltimore and get a win, it is big," head coach Mike McCoy said. "It was a big win for us."

San Diego erased a 10-point deficit in the final seven minutes and won on its last possession. The Chargers (8-4) are a game off the AFC West pace, behind the Denver Broncos (9-3).

"There was no panic," McCoy said in reconstructing Sunday's comeback. "Everyone just kept on playing through the good and bad, the ups and downs. Whatever it was everyone just stuck together as football team and we gave ourselves an opportunity at the end to win it."

Behind quarterback Philip Rivers' sensational performance, they did just that.

Down by 10 points with just more than six minutes to go, the Chargers (8-4) rallied behind Rivers to beat the Ravens 34-33 on Sunday and extend their winning streak to three games.

Rivers threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns, including the winning 1-yarder to Eddie Royal with 38 seconds left.

Says wide receiver Malcom Floyd: "It was a crazy game, as usual. I'm just thankful we have Philip as our quarterback."

"We just kept on fighting," McCoy said.

McCoy and his players know the tussle has really just begun.

Next up are the visiting New England Patriots and Broncos, and then tricky road trips to San Francisco and Kansas City.

It's a stretch of games not for the faint of heart although the rousing victory Sunday would make anyone's knees wobble.

"I think our approach here is: As long as there is time left on the clock, we've got a chance," McCoy said.

Their playoff chances certainly got a boost going into a challenging stretch run.

But the Chargers, under McCoy, love this time of the year. Last season, they sat at 5-7 before winning their last four to make the playoffs. This team could be primed for a similar run, but it won't be easy

San Diego currently holds the AFC's No. 5 playoff spot.

Other notes of interest. ... Keenan Allen is coming off a monster game, catching 11 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

"It was a great team win for us," he said. "It was much needed. I think we have a lot of confidence rolling into the next one. It is definitely a must-win concept. Our preparation last week and the week before that was great. Just try to be 1-0 every week."

San Diego's receivers have totaled 1,479 yards after the catch through 12 games, which is No. 13 in the NFL. ... The Chargers have run 511 plays out of three-receiver sets, by far the most-used personnel grouping for San Diego's offense. The Chargers have run one play this season out of base personnel (2 RB, 1 TE, 2 WR).

Those three receiver sets are working out well for Royal, who caught nine passes for 81 yards with a touchdown at Baltimore.

Antonio Gates broke out of his slump in Week 13, with his best performance in four weeks in a 34-33 win over the Ravens.

As 's Chris Towers notes, Gates, who had been targeted just 10 times in the team's previous three games, had eight passes thrown his way Saturday. He hauled in seven of those passes for 83 yards, his best yardage total since Week 2 and second best of the season.

After two solid games running the football, Ryan Mathews had a tough time finding yards against a stout Baltimore run defense. He had a 14-yard scoring run, but the ground game was a tough go. The Chargers didn't crack 65 yards rushing as Mathews had but 26 yards on his 11 other carries.

The Chargers also had Trevor Robinson, their fifth center of the season, calling blocking assignments.

Mathews finished with just 38 yards on 13 carries.

According to , Branden Oliver's six plays were the least amount he's appeared in a game since a Week 3 contest at Buffalo. ...

Nick Novak has been one of the most consistent kickers in the NFL this season. Heading into Sunday's contest, Novak was No. 4 in the NFL in field goal percentage at 95 percent, including 5-of-6 from beyond 40 yards. Novak finished with field goals from 52 and 26 yards, and needs one more to reach 100 field goals made for his career. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens 

RB: Ryan Mathews, Branden Oliver, Donald Brown, Ronnie Brown 

WR: Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Eddie Royal, Seyi Ajirotutu, Dontrelle Inman 

TE: Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, John Phillips, David Johnson 

PK: Nick Novak 

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

As if there weren't already enough humiliating elements to San Francisco's lopsided loss to its biggest rival on Thanksgiving night, owner Jed York weighed in on an effort he said "wasn't acceptable."

Cassie Baalke, daughter of general manager Trent Baalke, called for offensive coordinator Greg Roman's ouster before quickly deleting her Twitter post and later closing the account altogether.

Trent Baalke issued a statement Friday saying he and Cassie had apologized to Roman.

"My daughter and I both regret that her feelings got the best of her after last night's game and that she chose social media as an avenue to express her feelings. We have apologized to Greg for this unfortunate matter," Baalke said. "While disappointed, as a father I will use this as a teachable moment to help my daughter grow."

All in all, it wasn't a great holiday weekend.

"Any time you lose, it's a low point," wide receiver Anquan Boldin said. "But we'll bounce back."

As Associated Press sports writer Janie McCauley suggested, "The offense was awful."

Colin Kaepernick went 16 for 29 for 121 yards with two interceptions and four sacks in one of his worst outings as a pro and the 49ers were outgained 379-164. Kaepernick's 36.7 passer rating was the second lowest of his career.

What's next for these downtrodden Niners? Head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke about a "reboot."

The speculation is running rampant again that he might get the boot following season four of his $25 million, five-year contract he signed in January 2011.

York posted on Twitter in the waning moments: "Thank you #49ersfaithful for coming out strong tonight. This performance wasn't acceptable. I apologize for that."

The post from Cassie Baalke's Twitter account read: "Greg Roman can take a hike..the 49ers don't want you no more." After her words, were a pair of icons of hands clapping.

York's post had about 5,200 retweets by early Friday afternoon, with replies from fans calling for Roman's job.

"I try and stay out of that. Whatever is going on upstairs or in the next room, I leave it up to them," tight end Vernon Davis said. "I just stay in my corner and do what I am supposed to do and control the things I can control."

Harbaugh is not immune to the constant chatter about his future, though he has been steadfast in staying the course of winning each week -- a "one-game season" mantra recently started by Boldin -- though this could get ugly in a hurry if the 49ers can't clean things up.

For the record, Harbaugh wouldn't say on Tuesday whether he had spoken to York since the owner took to Twitter on Thursday night or if they have even recently discussed his coaching future with the franchise.

He would say they hadn't talked about his employment status during the weekend.

"Nobody that's for us was happy about losing the game, losing a big game," Harbaugh said. "We're still not happy about it. Our job is, my job, let's talk about my job. My job is to get it right. That's what we're attacking today, without excuse. Onward to the Raiders."

Harbaugh also said Monday that Roman will remain the play-caller and said he has "unwavering support for all our coaches and our players."

Harbaugh said neither management nor ownership has asked him to make any changes on the staff.

Baalke watched the beginning of Monday afternoon's practice, even leaning over with hands on knees as the linebackers went through their individual drills.

When pushed about whether he and York have at least addressed the public comments or concerns about the game, Harbaugh responded: "To me, that's not significant. What's significant is we move on without excuse and get it right, make it right. That's our jobs."

Harbaugh declined to acknowledge whether he even wants to return in 2015 for the final year of his $25 million, five-year contract, instead turning to what became his regular response Monday: "What I want is to attack this week and get it right."

At least a few players said Monday they agreed with York's assessment.

"We felt that way before he tweeted that," fullback Bruce Miller said. "A very prideful group here, as a team, as an offense we want to perform better, whatever that takes."

'Next up is a short road game against the one-win Raiders in Oakland on Sunday. Harbaugh was so curt he wasn't even in the mood to reflect on what he learned during his early coaching days with the Raiders under late owner Al Davis, noting that time is already "well-documented."

In terms of adding any new wrinkles to the offense, Harbaugh said that could happen but "not going to explain."

He is trying to remain focused on getting through each week with the playoffs still within reach. San Francisco goes to Seattle next week before playing its final two games at home, against San Diego and Arizona.

"I don't worry about my future," Harbaugh said. "Haven't participated in any of that speculation. I think I have a recessive gene for worrying about my own future."

It's hard to see this 49ers team reaching the playoffs the way things are spiraling. This group began the season thinking Super Bowl championship or bust following three straight trips to the NFC title game and a runner-up Super Bowl ending after the 2012 season.

Other notes of interest. ... Getting back to Kaepernick, the QB was at his worst when it came to throwing downfield.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, Kaepernick was just 4-of-15 passing when throwing the ball deeper than five yards downfield, for 37 yards and two Richard Sherman interceptions. As such, his eight off-target throws at that distance are tied for the most in a game in his career.

"We keep working," Kaepernick said after the game. "Worrying about it, complaining about it, being frustrated with it, isn't going to help us get better. We keep working. That's the only way it's going to get right."

When it comes to passing deeper than five yards, Kaepernick completed 9.8 such passes through the Niners' first 11 games and completed 54.5 percent of those throws, with 167.7 of his passing yards per game coming on those passes, with 11 TDs with six interceptions.

The Seahawks limited Kaepernick to a career-low 26.7 completion percentage on such passes.

And the deeper he threw it on Thanksgiving, the worse the result. According to Pro Football Focus, Kaepernick was 0-of-10 on throws of at least 10 yards. And yes, both picks came on such throws.

"We had zero big plays," said left tackle Joe Staley, who had a costly penalty to stall a 49ers drive. "Zero."

Said receiver Michael Crabtree, when asked if he was surprised the Niners could not get anything going offensively: "Am I surprised? We got 70 yards [of offense in the first half]. It's not supposed to happen like that. We've got to do better. It is what it is."

There are only four games remaining and Kaepernick said the 49ers have to win out to have a shot at returning to the playoffs.

"Everything we need is in the building," Kaepernick said. "We have great players across our offense. We have to go out and play like it."

Encounters with the Seahawks have been painful for the 49ers from an injury standpoint in recent seasons, and that trend continued on the second play last Thursday when Crabtree caught a short pass over the middle and was crunched by hard-hitting safety Kam Chancellor.

Crabtree was on the ground for a short period, then jogged to the sideline with knee and rib injuries – his rib cage was later wrapped by trainers. After sitting out a number of snaps in the first half, Crabtree returned to the action in the second but, as with every 49ers receiver, made little impact in finishing with three catches for 10 yards.

Crabtree was at the center of the most pivotal play of the NFC Championship Game in January when Kaepernick's pass to him at game's end was tipped away by Sherman and intercepted by Seattle. Sherman reacted by taunting both Crabtree – whom he repeatedly called "mediocre" after the game – and Kaepernick.

Brandon Lloyd took most of the snaps when Crabtree was on the sideline in the first half but caught only one of the six passes thrown in his direction.

Crabtree said his modest outing had nothing to do with his nemesis, Sherman.

"I'm not worried about that dude," he said. "It's more scheme. It's not one-on-one. It's scheme."

The 49ers received another meager output from their tight end group, a team strength in recent years. Davis, San Francisco's second-leading receiver last season and its most dangerous playmaker, gained 13 yards on two catches.

Hours before kickoff, the 49ers reshuffled the position by activating Garrett Celek from the physically-unable-to-perform list and elevating rookie Asante Cleveland from the practice squad.

To make room, the 49ers placed tight end Derek Carrier on injured reserve because of a foot injury and released outside linebacker Chase Thomas.

Celek had been the team's blocking tight end since the 49ers acquired him as an undrafted rookie in 2012. A pinched nerve in his back slowed him during the offseason, but he said this week that surgery alleviated the issue almost instantly and that he has felt healthy for some time. He began practicing with the team last week and started Thursday's game.

Cleveland, who went undrafted in May, was active for one other game, Week 3 against Arizona. The 49ers were without Davis and fellow tight end Vance McDonald for that game. McDonald also missed Thursday's contest with a back injury.

Carrier injured his foot early in Sunday's win over Washington. He returned briefly in the second half but was seen in a walking boot this week.

After imparting their ground game at will against the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants earlier this month, the Niners' power-running game fizzled last week against Washington and finished with just 64 yards against Seattle. The Seahawks limited the Niners to 23 first-half rushing yards, at an average of 2.3 yards per carry.

One last note here. ... Rookie kick/punt returner Bruce Ellington practiced fully Monday for the first time since hurting his ankle Week 10 at New Orleans. Ellington told  he expects to play Sunday against the Raiders. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Colin Kaepernick, Blaine Gabbert, Josh Johnson 

RB: Frank Gore, Carlos Hyde, Alfonso Smith 

FB: Bruce Miller 

WR: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington 

TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Derek Carrier 

PK: Phil Dawson 

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

During a long weekend of rest, the Seattle Seahawks got the help they needed to take control of their own fate in the NFC West race.

And to top it off, head coach Pete Carroll added a lighthearted quip at the expense of the rival 49ers.

Following the Seahawks' dominating 19-3 win over San Francisco on Thanksgiving that improved Seattle to 8-4, 49ers CEO Jed York tweeted an apology to fans saying, "This performance wasn't acceptable."

When asked what his reaction would be if Seattle owner Paul Allen ever tweeted a similar message after a game, Carroll grinned.

"Our owner would never do that," Carroll said tongue-in-cheek.

And once the chuckling subsided, Carroll added, "I would never comment on that."

As Associated Press sports writer Tim Booth reported, the atmosphere around the Seahawks has changed in a short time. When Seattle returned from its 24-20 loss at Kansas City in Week 11, the Seahawks were 6-4, three games out of first place in the NFC West and about to begin a rugged five-day stretch facing division foes Arizona and San Francisco. They were on the cusp of falling out of the division race and potentially the playoff picture.

Two weeks later, the Seahawks are in playoff position and, more importantly, control their own destiny in the division thanks to Arizona's loss on Sunday at Atlanta. If Seattle wins its final four games -- beginning Sunday at Philadelphia -- it wins the division.

The remaining three opponents after the 9-3 Eagles are the 49ers (7-5), the Cardinals (9-2) and the St. Louis Rams (4-7).

"One of the things that you love in competition is that you control your own future," Carroll said. "We have an opportunity to do that and we have to do that one day at a time."

Seattle has improved as its defense has gotten back to the 2013 form that made the Seahawks the best in the NFL. Seattle limited Arizona to 204 yards of offense and was even more impressive against the 49ers. Colin Kaepernick threw two interceptions to Richard Sherman and San Francisco was limited to 164 total yards -- the ninth time since Carroll's arrival in 2010 that the Seahawks have held an opponent under 200 yards.

Seattle is 18-1 in regular-season and playoff games under Carroll when holding its opponent to less than 250 total yards. The Seahawks have allowed one touchdown in the past 10 quarters.

"The players have just rallied to find their best. I think the ascending health, we've been getting stronger, and they feel better," Carroll said. "The corners have come back to play, Bobby (Wagner) has come back to play, Kam (Chancellor) has come back, it just seems like that's all added to it. But I think they've really rallied and (defensive coordinator) Dan (Quinn) has done a great job and the coaches have done a great job on the defensive side to keep guys growing and not get to the point where you get frustrated and where it starts to work against you."

The Seahawks will still likely be without center Max Unger when they travel to Philadelphia. Unger missed the past two games with ankle and knee injuries, but Carroll said the target was for him to start practicing next week prior to Seattle hosting San Francisco. The Seahawks are also unsure if backup tight end Cooper Helfet will be able to go after spraining his ankle against Arizona.

Other notes of interest. ... The numbers, once again, weren't overwhelming 236 yards passing for Russell Wilson and 222 net. But Wilson's yards were the most he'd had in six games and he was efficient, hitting on 15-of-22 and not throwing an interception for a rating of 118.8.

Once again, Wilson did most of his damage throwing to running backs and tight ends. Wilson had better time to throw than the week before, when he was sacked seven times by Arizona. And Wilson has gone three games without an interception, always a key in a Carroll offense.

With Helfet out, Luke Willson and recently-signed Tony Moeaki got all the action at tight end. Moeaki turned in one of the key plays of the game with a 63-yard catch and run while Willson led the team with four receptions.

Robert Turbin caught Wilson's only touchdown on a 13-yard grab in the first quarter.

Marshawn Lynch had 104 yards for his third 100-yard game in the last four. He took a hard hit near the end of the game but Carroll said he was fine. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Russell Wilson, Tarvaris Jackson 

RB: Marshawn Lynch, Robert Turbin, Christine Michael 

FB: Robert Turbin 

WR: Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, Ricardo Lockette, Kevin Norwood, Bryan Walters 

TE: Luke Willson, Tony Moeaki, Cooper Helfet, ReShaun Allen 

PK: Steven Hauschka 

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

According to Associated Press sports writer Fred Goodall, the Buccaneers feel they're better than their record suggests, yet what they continue to prove during yet another disappointing season is they're nowhere close to being good enough to overcome critical mistakes.

A penalty for having too many men on the field cost the Bucs (2-10) an opportunity to attempt a potential game-winning field goal in a 14-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and it's getting increasingly more difficult for head coach Lovie Smith to explain the team's propensity for undermining themselves in key situations.

"We didn't handle the end of the game the way winning teams handle the end of games," Smith reiterated Monday. "During the course of the game, there were some things that happened. ... We didn't finish strong."

The Bucs have lost the past two weeks after leading at halftime. They've let fourth-quarter leads slip away in five other losses.

"Everyone has been different," Smith said, "but the result has been the same."

First-place Cincinnati overcame three interceptions, 10 penalties and an ill-advised onside kick that kept Tampa Bay in the game to extend its lead in the AFC North on Sunday.

The Bucs won the turnover battle -- forcing three to the Bengals' one -- but the last of 13 penalties crushed their hopes for an upset.

"It's tough. I'm at a loss for words. That's been killing us all year -- penalties," cornerback Johnthan Banks said after the game. "We have to be more disciplined as a team. That's been our biggest problem. Today showed exactly why we need to be more disciplined. If we don't make penalties, we can win a game."

Reserve tackle O'Niel Cousins, who was being used as a tight end because Tampa Bay had three tight ends inactive because of injuries, was the extra man on the field. When he ran onto the field, fourth receiver Robert Herron was supposed to run off but didn't, which the Bucs attributed to a "miscommunication."

Josh McCown threw to Louis Murphy for a 21-yard gain to the Cincinnati 20 in the closing seconds, but the play was overturned when a replay challenge confirmed the Bucs had 12 men on the field.

"It's a sin, kind of simple as that. You can't do it," Smith said, adding that the team has numerous safeguards in place designed to prevent such penalties.

"They all fell through," Smith continued, "starting with me not seeing it."

Undisciplined play has dogged the team all season. Sunday marked fifth time the Bucs have been flagged for double-digit penalties, including three of the past four games.

They've been flagged nine times twice and tied with Seattle for being the most penalized team in the league.

"Normally I preach turnover ratio, and if you win that, you're going to win the football game. What I've found out this year is that that many penalties can offset anything you do with the turnovers," Smith said.

The coach, in his first season of trying to turn around a franchise that hasn't made the playoffs since 2007, remains confident he can fix the problems. Their next opportunity will be Sunday when they take on the Lions in Detroit.

"Growing pains, learning situations, normally it doesn't take this many games to get the point across," Smith said.

"I think you correct it the same way you do any mistake that's happened: you keep working on it; you keep bringing it to their attention. We start in the video session," the coach added. "You see it there, you keep preaching it throughout the week and just keep hammering it home. Eventually, it gets through."

In a semi-related note. ... As the losses continue to pile up, 's Pat Yasinskas believes it's fair to wonder if Smith could follow the path of Rob Chudzinski and Mike Mularkey.

Chudzinski lasted only one season in Cleveland and Mularkey was ousted after one year in Jacksonville. Could Smith, whose team is 2-10, face the same fate?

Nothing is out of the question, but Yasinskas thinks Smith is safe. Smith was ownership's hand-picked coach to follow Greg Schiano and was given a five-year contract.

Ownership obviously can't be delighted with the early results. But I think they are smart enough to look at the big picture, due largely to trial and error in the past. Since firing Jon Gruden after the 2008 season, the Bucs have gone through constant change.

From Raheem Morris to Schiano and now to Smith, the Bucs have kept overhauling their roster but never gave it a chance to stabilize. The Bucs have some good individual talent (Gerald McCoy, Mike Evans and Lavonte David to name a few) to build around. Some complementary players are needed, and that's what the upcoming offseason is for.

But what the Bucs need more than anything right now is continuity. Smith isn't like Morris or Schiano, who were unproven in the NFL. Smith won in Chicago, and history is the best indicator of what is to come. Smith needs another offseason to get the roster to where he needs it to be.

Smith hasn't panicked this season. He's stayed the course and stuck with his philosophies. That won't change. Smith is a creature of habit.

And that's a good thing. The last thing the Bucs need right now is another dramatic change. There's no question some personnel moves need to be made, but the Bucs need stability.

They need to stick with Smith and let him finish what he has started.

Other notes of interest. ... After suffering through a series of injuries earlier in the season, Doug Martin looked sharper than he had all season. Martin gained 58 yards on 18 carries and scored Tampa Bay's only touchdown. It was Martin's second rushing touchdown of the season.

The Bucs entered the fourth quarter having only attempted 13 passes. Josh McCown was under duress, even though he was only sacked once. Mike Evans was targeted nine times, catching four for 49 yards. Vincent Jackson was only targeted four times and caught 2 for 24 yards.

David, who said Friday he was confident he would play despite a hamstring injury, was among the team's inactives Sunday. Center Evan Dietrich-Smith (illness) all three of the team's top tight ends, Austin Seferian-Jenkins (back), Brandon Myers and tight end Luke Stocker also sat out.

It's not clear how many of them (if any) will be ready to return this week -- although Stocker has passed through the league's concussion protocol and was expected to practice Wednesday. Seferian Jenkins and Bobby Rainey (foot) did not practice; I'll have more on their status when Late-Breaking Updates begin. ...

The Bucs signed KR Solomon Patton from the Cardinals practice squad. It's the third stint with the team this season

To make room for Patton, the team waived tight end D.J. Williams. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Mike Glennon, Josh McCown, 

RB: Doug Martin, Charles Sims, Bobby Rainey, Mike James 

WR: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Louis Murphy, Robert Herron, Russell Shephard, Trindon Holliday 

TE: Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Brandon Myers, Luke Stocker, Cameron Brate 

PK: Patrick Murray 

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TENNESSEE TITANS

According to Associated Press sports writer Teresa M. Walker, Tennessee's ever-increasing list of injuries now puts the Titans into position to evaluate rookie quarterback Zach Mettenberger in an area they hoped to avoid.

The rookie sprained his right, throwing shoulder Sunday when sacked by J.J. Watt, knocking him out of the Titans' 45-21 loss to the Houston Texans. Mettenberger couldn't return in that game, and his status for Sunday hosting the New York Giants is in question.

But head coach Ken Whisenhunt said Monday the sprain isn't as bad as the Titans feared with Mettenberger moving pretty well. They have to see how the rookie recovers during the week, and how Mettenberger handles his first NFL injury will give the Titans another glimpse into whether he can be their quarterback past December.

"That's what the NFL as a player is all about," Whisenhunt said. "It's a tough game. You've got to be able to do that. You've got to be able to rally and come back and play. ... You certainly don't want put players at risk. That's not what it's about. But you don't feel great this time of year in the NFL no matter what you've done so you have to work through those things."

Mettenberger already was playing behind a patchwork offensive line when hurt. The Titans played without three starters -- left tackle Taylor Lewan, center Brian Schwenke and right tackle Michael Oher -- because of injuries. Oher heard a pop during warmups and didn't play, leaving only six linemen available. Right guard Chance Warmack hurt an ankle later in the third quarter.

Watt landed on Mettenberger after the rookie threw a pass to Kendall Wright in the third quarter, and the rookie couldn't return. Mettenberger was 13 of 19 for 184 yards with a touchdown and an interception with a passer rating of 95.1.

The one interception was a pass that led to receiver Justin Hunter being hit and lacerating his spleen. Hunter went to a Houston hospital and remained there Monday, though Whisenhunt said Hunter has stabilized and should be released within the next couple days. Hunter was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday, officially ending his season.

On the throw Hunter was hurt, Whisenhunt said Mettenberger should have thrown the ball to the other side of the field.

The sixth-round draft pick out of LSU said after the game he's a tough guy and expects to play Sunday. Whisenhunt said the soreness will be a factor in how well Mettenberger can throw.

The Titans now have lost six straight and 10 of their last 11 overall. Whisenhunt said they haven't seen Mettenberger yet in a tight game late or with the Titans protecting a late lead.

"We're getting some evaluation of Zach in as tough a situation as you can possibly be in," Whisenhunt said. "There's no question what we're seeing him do is invaluable as far as evaluating him."

For the record, Mettenberger worked on a limited basis Wednesday and Whisenhunt told reporters the shoulder is improving. If the rookie quarterback plays, whether he has his starting tackles back remains to be seen. Lewan is out of the walking boot trying to strengthen his sprained left ankle. Oher missed the first game of his six-year career.

The Titans are in the easiest stretch of their schedule with a combined seven wins among the next three opponents among the Giants, Jets and Jaguars.

"It would be nice to certainly get a win, and I hope we recognize that as a team. ... We got to play better football," Whisenhunt said.

From a fantasy perspective we should assume that playing better football, as far as the Titans are concerned, will be a process that goes beyond this season. ...

Other notes of interest. ... With Hunter's season over, 30-yard old Derek Hagan is likely to join Kendall Wright and Nate Washington as one of the team's three top receivers starting Sunday against the Giants at LP Field.

As 's Paul Kuharsky notes, Hagan is a hard worker, who has been playing special teams and working as the team's fourth receiver. In Houston, he played 32 snaps on offense and pulled in two passes for 39 yards.

They also have Kris Durham on the roster. He's been inactive for 10 games and in the two games for which he dressed, they couldn't find him a snap.

Washington's contract is up, and after 10 years in the NFL and six in Tennessee, Kuharsky believes the Titans will look to go younger. It's hard to picture Hagan or Durham in a top-three role in Whisenhunt's offense next season unless one of them gains traction the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, Wright's been due, and Kuharsky believes the wide receiver has not done a lot this year because of the offense and the play calling than his skill set or abilities. He finally broke out against the Texans with seven catches for 132 yards and a touchdown, after which he pretended to take a selfie near the wall behind the end zone. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Jake Locker struggled in replacing Mettenberger. Locker's first pass was intercepted and he had another interception and fumbled on a sack before finishing the game with a touchdown pass in mop-up duty.

And finally. ... The Titans don't even seem to be attempting to run the football anymore. Granted, they are often playing from behind, but they haven't run for 100 yards as a team now since Oct. 5. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Zach Mettenberger, Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst 

RB: Bishop Sankey, Leon Washington, Shonn Greene, Dexter McCluster, Antonio Andrews 

FB: Jackie Battle 

WR: Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Derek Hagan, Kris Durham 

TE: Delanie Walker, Chase Coffman, Brett Brackett 

PK: Ryan Succop 

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WASHINGTON REDSKINS

As Associated Press sports writer Joseph White pointed out, Robert Griffin III doesn't coach, select the roster or play defense, and he can't instantly cure the injuries. If nothing else, his removal from the equation reinforces how much is wrong with the Washington Redskins.

When added: "There were times in Sunday's 49-27 loss to the Indianapolis Colts when the Redskins looked like a group thrown together for the first day of camp."

Pass-rushers went unblocked. Receivers went uncovered. In too many cases, talent didn't matter because the talent didn't know where it was supposed to be or what it was supposed to do. As the game went on, players lacked what first-year coach Jay Gruden called a "go get 'em" attitude.

"It just goes to show," fullback Darrel Young said, "that all the blame is not on Robert."

On Monday, Gruden and his players looked worn down, drained from the sobering realization that there's an overwhelming amount of work to do before the Redskins (3-9) can be a good team. They repeated familiar and tired answers about the need to play with more discipline and focus.

"I am concerned," Gruden said, "because we're in Week 12, and we're still having some of these breakdowns with some key players who we're going to count on for the future."

With Griffin benched because of poor play, Colt McCoy piled up the numbers and finished with 392 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, although nearly 300 yards came in the second half when the Redskins were playing catch-up.

It was enough for Gruden to say McCoy will start against St. Louis on Sunday. Gruden said he liked that McCoy "competed."

But McCoy was sacked six times, making a case that Griffin's multitude of sacks weren't necessarily Griffin-specific. McCoy did play well enough to earn another start next week against the St. Louis Rams.

But that's just one game, and it's just one position. The Redskins are on pace for a sixth last-place finish in seven years, and a bit of tinkering here or there won't be enough to reverse that trend.

General manager Bruce Allen, who already didn't have much of a track record as a talent-evaluator, made several questionable moves this year, leaving multiple holes that will be difficult to address in one offseason.

It's also fair to question the performance of Gruden and his staff. If players are consistently blowing assignments, then the message isn't always getting through.

"It starts with me," Gruden said, "and then it trickles down to the coordinators and then obviously the players have got to be accountable. ... You know as coaches, our work is done usually after the Saturday night meetings. Come Sunday afternoon, it's time. They have got to go out and play. You know, they roll the ball out there, they kick it off and it's those guys on the field.

"They've got to go out and make some plays. ... We need leaders to stand up defensively and take them by the throat, make sure they are playing fast -- and the same thing with offense."

In particular, defensive coordinator Jim Haslett would appear to be coaching for his job over the final four games. Haslett this year is free from the strict oversight of former coach Mike Shanahan, but the results are similar: The Redskins are 26th in the NFL in points allowed, and on Sunday they became the first team since the 1960s to allow six touchdowns of 30 yards or more in a game.

At least Haslett can legitimately cite injuries as a mitigating factor. Cornerback DeAngelo Hall and linebacker Brian Orakpo are gone for the year, and nose tackle Barry Cofield missed a large chunk of the season. The 22 projected starters on offense and defense going into training camp have missed 37 man-games due to injury.

But the ones who are on the field don't all seem to have enough oomph.

"I just want to see us with a more of an upbeat tempo and more 'go get 'em' type attitude, hunger attitude, run around, fly around to the football," Gruden said. "Defensively, same thing. A lot of times we are looking around, trying to get everybody lined up instead of getting set and ready to kick some tail. Just looks like we're tentative in what we are doing."

Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, it can't be a coincidence that Alfred Morris' production sank with the change in quarterbacks.

The 2013 Pro Bowl running back has always been more effective when the threat of Griffin's running ability is in the lineup. A week after averaging 6.0 yards per carry while racking up a season-high 125 yards, Morris gained just 67 yards on 16 carries, a 33 percent drop in yards per carry. Morris did have a 21-yard touchdown called back just before Roy Helu's touchdown because of a holding penalty on Jackson.

Receiver DeSean Jackson suffered a fibula contusion in his right leg, but Gruden told reporters on Monday that it "looks like he'll be okay with time."

Even sitting out the entire fourth quarter, Jackson caught five passes for 84 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter.

Those numbers can't be any more coincidental than Morris' -- and for the same reason.

As  notes, in McCoy's only other start Week 8 at Dallas, Jackson had six catches for 136 yards. Most of his struggles have come with Griffin under center. In the five games started by Griffin, Jackson has averaged just 55.0 yards.

Worth noting: Jackson did not practice Wednesday and was still limping a bit as he watched, according to . I'll be following Jackson's status closely in coming days; watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...

Meanwhile, tight end Jordan Reed tied a career high with nine receptions for 123 yards. In the second half, Reed was the Redskins' main offensive weapon, winning one-on-one battles. According to 's John Keim, Reed still needs to do a better job creating separation on fade routes in the end zone, but overall he did a good job in the passing game.

And finally.... Pierre Garcon has not caught more than three passes in a game since Week 8. McCoy wants to change that Sunday against the Rams.

"We need to get Pierre the ball as much as we can," McCoy said, per the team's website (via ).

Garcon has 49 catches for 507 yards and three touchdowns. 

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DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 CT  [pic]

QB: Colt McCoy, Robert Griffin, Kirk Cousins 

RB: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, Silas Redd 

FB: Darrell Young 

WR: DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts, Aldrick Robinson, Ryan Grant, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson 

TE: Jordan Reed, Niles Paul, Logan Paulsen 

PK: Kai Forbath 

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