Fantasy Football Diehards



FLASHUPDATE WEEK 1 TEAM NOTES/Wednesday, 3 September, 2014

Compiled By FlashUpdate Editor Bob Harris

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ARIZONA CARDINALS

As the Sports Xchange notes, in year two of the Bruce Arians' coaching era, the Cardinals could look much different than they did in year one.

A defense that ranked sixth overall in the league has suffered significant losses. But an offense that struggled to score throughout 2013 could be significantly better.

Indeed, the offense looked much improved throughout training camp. Quarterback Carson Palmer looked comfortable, and while the offensive line remains in flux, it protected Palmer well.

Overall, the unit looks more like a vintage Arians offense. The difference is speed. Receiver John Brown, the third round pick, looked great in preseason and has big-play capability. The addition of Ted Ginn, also gives the Cardinals a deep threat they lacked a year ago.

Combine those two with the big, physical receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, and Palmer has plenty of weapons at his disposal. The tight end spot also should be better, with the signing of John Carlson and the drafting of Troy Niklas.

While Brown was the team's brightest star in training camp, 's Josh Weinfuss suggests the newcomer might not make a huge impact his first season. His production dropped a little toward the end of camp and he still needs to be challenged more going across the middle. Indeed, in Insider piece, 's Mike Clay notes that having worked 63 percent of the team's 54 preseason first-team snaps, "as long Fitzgerald and Floyd are healthy, Brown should be viewed as a WR5. ..."

But the news on second-year running back Andre Ellington is very good from a fantasy perspective. The Cards have been lining him out wide a lot, and his overall production -- both as a runner and especially as a receiver -- is expected to significantly increase from a year ago.

He could very well secure double-digit touches, just not in the traditional sense.

"He can do it all," running backs coach Stump Mitchell said. "He's a great route runner. He's excellent in terms of vision and the ability to catch and the ability to cut. He's very serviceable as a pass blocker. He can stay in and be an every-down back, which a lot of teams don't do nowadays."

Ellington, who is 5-9, 200 pounds, hears the question about his ability to handle the load. He dismisses the concerns, pointing to his accomplishments at Clemson, his added strength and his understanding of how to prepare a body for a long season. And with an improved offense, from Palmer's greater understanding of Arians' system to a line that is practicing stronger and smarter, he could be even better than last season.

He also has a complementary group of running backs to help keep the defense guessing. Jonathan Dwyer likely will be the short-yardage and goal-line back. Dwyer has shown he can run inside, but he's also made smart decisions about when to bounce outside. Stepfan Taylor is a more versatile back who could spell Arrington at times.

Meanwhile, as Arizona Republic staffer Kent Somers reminded readers on Monday, no player in team history has made more plays than Fitzgerald. He is the franchise leader in receptions (846), receiving yards (11,367), touchdowns (87), 100-yard receiving games (36) and consecutive games with a reception (149).

Even though Fitzgerald is only 31, this is his 11th season, and he already has a strong resume for Pro Football Hall of Fame selectors to one day examine.

He's made eight Pro Bowls in 10 years and is one of just five players in NFL history to record at least 1,400 yards receiving four times.

In 10 years, Fitzgerald has missed four games. Luck has played a big role in his durability, but so has his work ethic and fastidious devotion to nutrition and fitness. Nothing about that has changed for the past several years.

"I just stick with the same routine," Fitzgerald said recently. "Acupuncture, massage and rest. That's the biggest thing. I keep my legs elevated when I sleep and I get 10 hours of sleep a day, at least. I'll go nap right now for 1 ½ hours. I sleep nine hours every night and then I lay down every once in a while and just let my body recover."

In training camp, there is a lot from which to recover. Fitzgerald and other receivers were among the players who wore GPS devices that tracked their movements. In a single practice, Fitzgerald might sprint 6,000 yards, or about 3.4 miles.

"We're getting good work in," Fitzgerald said. "You have to do everything you can to make sure you have high energy levels."

The only question for Fitzgerald this season is whether he can keep up with Floyd. Given the younger player's solid 2013 season, nobody should be surprised if there's a changing of the guard here. Nor should you be surprised if Fitzgerald is up to the challenge and the two men wind up providing high-end fantasy production that keeps owners of both more than satisfied. 

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

QB: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas 

RB: Andre Ellington, Jonathan Dwyer, Stepfan Taylor 

FB: Robert Hughes 

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

TE: John Carlson, Darren Fells, Robert Housler, Troy Niklas 

PK: Chandler Catanzaro 

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ATLANTA FALCONS

According to the Sports Xchange, the Falcons know that in order to rebound from a 4-12 season they will need a rushing attack to blend with the precision passing of quarterback Matt Ryan.

That's why they were elated to welcome Steven Jackson, who returned from a right hamstring injury, back to practice last week, but were also happy with the continued fine play of Antone Smith and Devonta Freeman. When they face the New Orleans Saints in the season opener, the Falcons will present running by committee that will include Jackson, Smith, Jacquizz Rodgers and Freeman.

"It will be a great way to kick off the season against a division opponent, a very good football team," head coach Mike Smith said. "I know our guys will be focused about starting the regular season. It's about to get real here, real quick."

Smith continued to shine with more playing time. He took a screen pass 66 yards for a touchdown against Jacksonville in the exhibition season finale.

"I think this goes back to December of last year and we talked about how we had to find a role for Antone because when he touches the ball he makes plays," Smith said. "When he gets into the open field, he's a guy who can make something happen."

He's earned some carries alongside Jackson.

Freeman, a rookie fourth-round pick, also played well. Pass protection concerns may limit his carries early on.

"The big thing for Devonta is going to be getting pass protection in the NFL," Smith said. "Running backs in the NFL have to be involved in protection. But in terms of when the ball is in his hands, he's been a very dynamic player in the preseason. He's been explosive. He runs well behind his pads and he's got very good vision."

Freeman rushed for a game-high 42 yards on 12 carries while adding 45 yards on five receptions, including a 21-yard gain against Jacksonville.

He finished the preseason as the team's leading rusher as he posted 134 yards on 32 carries (4.2 yards per carry) with one touchdown on the ground. Freeman was also the club's leading receiver, with 146 yards on 11 catches, including a 57-yard catch and run against Miami. ...

Meanwhile, Julio Jones, coming off last year's season-ending foot surgery, was cleared for training camp and made it through a regimented practice schedule before playing in the second exhibition game in Houston. In the third game against Tennessee at the Georgia Dome, he flashed his speed and play-making ability on a 52-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown.

Last season, he had 41 catches through five games, a pace for 131 catches. That total would have been second only to Marvin Harrison's 143 catches for the Indianapolis Colts in 2002.

As Atlanta Journal-Constitution staffer D. Orlando Ledbetter reminded readers, in October Jones underwent a cutting-edge surgery that was performed by renowned foot specialist Dr. Robert Anderson. He took bone marrow -- fluid and cells -- from Jones' hip and injected them into his foot to aid the healing process. In addition to the bone marrow procedure Jones had a second and bigger screw inserted into the fifth metatarsal. Also, Jones had some specially made shoes to aid his recovery.

Jones admitted that there was some apprehension before he played against the Texans on Aug. 23, 10 months after the surgery. He passed that first test.

"It felt good," Jones said. "No pain. I'm still getting treatment."

After Jones took his first big hit, he was happy. "Hitting is football," Jones said.

The Falcons were elated after the Tennessee game. Jones' touchdown was the type of play they envisioned him making when they traded five picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up 21 spots to select him sixth overall in 2011.

"He looks great to me," Ryan said. "He's done a great job for us during training camp."

Jones believes the Falcons offense can be lethal.

With Jones, Roddy White and Harry Douglas, the Falcons can throw three 1,000-yard receivers on the field. They also have Devin Hester for four-wide receiver formations. The Falcons plan to use three- and four-receivers formations in the passing game to help offset the retirement of tight end Tony Gonzalez.

"Devin Hester is a great weapon for us," Jones said. "When he's running those slants one-on-one, he's a smaller guy, but he's fast. He can make two or three guys miss and take it to the end zone. Can't nobody really stop us, but us," Jones said. "That's the attitude that we have to have. We know what we have to do."

According to 's Vaughn McClure, coaches have been pleasantly surprised with how Hester has performed as a receiver, which is why he'll be another weapon out of the slot with Jones and White outside. Hester scored two touchdowns in eight targets during the second and third preseason games, with both scores including runs after the catch. For teams in deeper leagues, he's worth keeping an eye on. ...

For the record, Jones said he "probably could give you 65 plays or so" right now. That's about a full game's worth. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Pro Football Focus graded last year's Falcons line as a bottom-10 run-blocking machine and the third-worst pass-protecting outfit in all of football. Atlanta was pushed around at the line of scrimmage from wire to wire, but the early returns on this year's overhauled group have assistant Mike Tice encouraged.

"I'd lose a lot of sleep if we were getting our ass kicked in pass protection, but we're not," Tice told McClure. "We're not going to be a run-first team, so we'll get the runs cleaned up. We've just got to keep protecting that quarterback."

As 's Marc Sessler notes, losing veteran bookend Sam Baker to a season-ending knee injury didn't help, but Atlanta held opponents to just two Ryan sacks over 79 pass attempts in August. That came after Falcons blockers allowed Ryan to suffer a career-high 44 takedowns last season.

Set to face New Orleans on Sunday, Tice already likes what he sees from first-round pick Jake Matthews at left tackle and free-agent addition Jon Asamoah at right guard.

Both are physical movers with a mean streak, giving the Falcons a better chance to hold off a Saints pass-rushing group led by Cameron Jordan and Junior Galette. Atlanta's run-blocking has been a work in progress all summer, but Tice is confident he'll see improvement after New Orleans dialed up eight sacks and 16 hits on Ryan in two meetings last season.

"The one thing they won't be, they won't be punked over by anybody," Tice said of his line. "That's encouraging. ..."

According to PFF's Mike Clay, tight end Levine Toilolo was on the field for 86 percent of the 80 snaps run by the first-team offense during the preseason. He lined up at wide receiver 55 percent of the time, which isn't too steep a drop from retired Tony Gonzalez's 67 percent last season. Clay summed up: "Toilolo is not just a blocker." 

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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, Antone Smith, Patrick DiMarco 

WR: Julio Jones, Roddy White, Harry Douglas, Devin Hester, Courtney Roby, Eric Weems 

TE: Levine Toilolo, Bear Pascoe 

PK: Matt Bryant 

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BALTIMORE RAVENS

As the Baltimore Ravens prepare for their season-opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the running back position is in focus -- at least for fantasy football owners.

Ray Rice is about to begin serving his two-game suspension for violating the NFL personal-conduct policy, a punishment stemming from his high-profile felony aggravated assault case.

Rice didn't play against the Saints in the exhibition closer, which didn't come as a surprise considering the Ravens didn't want to risk a potential injury to their three-time Pro Bowl running back. He's eligible for reinstatement for the Ravens' third regular-season game Sept. 21 against the Cleveland Browns.

Bernard Pierce is slated to replace Rice for the first two games, but there is some concern within the organization about his health. He suffered a mild concussion in the third preseason game, which only increased talk about his durability issues. Pierce didn't make the trip to New Orleans for the preseason finale. Although Pierce is back on the practice field this week -- and he has passed mandatory baseline neurological exams under the NFL concussion testing protocol, veteran journeyman Justin Forsett will move into the starting role if there are issues.

The Ravens didn't play Forsett in the preseason finale to make sure he didn't get hurt.

As for how Rice deals with the next few weeks?

"It's a challenge for any player on suspension," head coach John Harbaugh said. "We have two guys that will be going into that type of situation; different circumstances, but similar challenges. [He needs to get] to work and keep focusing on what's important, which is what's coming down the road.

"You try to take the situation and make the most of it, make the best of it and make it right in the end. From a football perspective, that's what both those guys need to do."

On a more positive note, 's Jamison Hensley reminds us that history suggests the Bengals are going to have a tough time beating Joe Flacco in Sunday's season opener.

Since Flacco entered the league in 2008, only one quarterback has won more Week 1 games than Flacco. That's Tom Brady and he's a perfect 6-0.

Flacco is 5-1 in season openers, and he's been unbeatable when he starts the year off at home. He's 4-0 at M&T Bank Stadium with a 100.8 passer rating. Flacco has completed 60.8 percent of his passes for 959 yards (an average of 239 yards), throwing eight touchdowns and one interception.

The Bengals know first-hand about Flacco's fast starts to a season. Flacco used a no-huddle attack to rout Cincinnati, 44-13, in the 2012 season opener. His first throw was a 52-yard strike to wide receiver Torrey Smith. Flacco finished 21-of-29 for 299 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.

Flacco's first start came against the Bengals. In 2008, he led the Ravens to a 17-10 win over Cincinnati, beating the Bengals more with his legs than his arm. His 38-yard touchdown run in the third quarter proved to be the difference in the Week 1 victory.

Flacco has brought more than just season-opening wins to the Ravens. He's given them stability.

This is Flacco's seventh consecutive season opener. Before Flacco, Kyle Boller had the most season-opening starts for the Ravens with three. The Ravens had eight quarterbacks start the first 12 openers in team history.

Turnover at quarterback is a frequent occurrence in the NFL. This year, a quarter of the teams will have a different quarterback starting this year's season opener than last year's one.

Flacco is in a select group of quarterbacks in terms of longevity. There are only nine quarterbacks scheduled to make their seventh straight season-opening start since 2008: Flacco, Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Eli Manning, Jay Cutler, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers and Tony Romo. ...

This week, the Ravens need to establish the run and offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak needs to keep receivers Torrey Smith and Steve Smith happy as well as tight end Dennis Pitta.

According to the Sports Xchange, Pitta has regained his old explosiveness after fully recovering from a fractured, dislocated hip that sidelined him for all but four games last season. He was signed to a five-year, $32 million contract in March and had an excellent training camp.

The addition of Steve Smith should give the Ravens an injection of toughness and experience the team have missed since trading Anquan Boldin. Smith looked great during the preseason. Torrey Smith should have more room to operate with Smith working underneath.

Other notes of interest. ... Marlon Brown is a red-zone threat who led the team in touchdown catches as a rookie while Jacoby Jones has speed and size working in his favor, but isn't the most well-rounded receiver. But according to 's Mike Clay, Brown was on the field for a mere 17 percent of the 82 preseason snaps run by the first-team offense. Jones was in on 50 percent, which means Brown is fourth in line at wide receiver in a run-first offense that will have a second tight end or fullback on the field often. Look elsewhere for a late-round flier.

The Ravens continued to rest tight end Owen Daniels, who just returned to practice on a limited basis last week. Daniels wasn't running particularly fast during warmups, but hasn't looked explosive throughout the preseason.

Signed to a one-year, $1 million contract this spring, Daniels missed the final three preseason games with unspecified leg swelling and soreness. 

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

QB: Joe Flacco, Tyrod Taylor, Keith Wenning 

RB: Bernard Pierce, Justin Forsett, Lorenzo Taliaferro, Ray Rice 

FB: Kyle Juszczyk 

WR: Torrey Smith, Steve Smith, Marlon Brown, Jacoby Jones, Kamar Aiken, Deonte Thompson, LaQuan Williams 

TE: Dennis Pitta, Owen Daniels, Crockett Gillmore 

PK: Justin Tucker 

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BUFFALO BILLS

As  suggested, "It hasn't been an easy summer for EJ Manuel. ..." The Bills starting quarterback struggled through five preseason games before watching Buffalo's front office lure in Kyle Orton with a lucrative two-year deal that will pay the veteran passer $5 million this season.

On Monday, Manuel wasn't among the six team captains voted in for the 2014 season, per the team's official website. Bills teammates picked cornerback Corey Graham, running back Fred Jackson, linebacker Brandon Spikes, defensive tackle Kyle Williams, pass rusher Mario Williams and center Eric Wood.

Without making too much of the vote, it's a potential indication that Buffalo's locker room doesn't view the quarterback position as a stable entity. The Bills made it clear this weekend that Manuel's job is anything but secure.

Still, plenty of young quarterbacks aren't immediately chosen as captains, an honor typically bestowed on trusted veterans and unquestioned locker-room leaders. It's worth noting that Cam Newton wasn't voted a captain until his third season.

Manuel's best chance for a similar fate is turning around his play and keeping Orton on the bench.

That said, Manuel did not show much in the way of progress through five preseason appearances. He couldn't move the ball, even when he was facing Detroit's backups in the preseason's final week. His accuracy issues are not going away.

As Buffalo News columnist Jerry Sullivan noted, the Bills now have a backup with the experience and skill to keep the offense afloat if Manuel gets hurt – and to push him for the starting job if he doesn't make tangible progress in Year Two.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle staffer Sal Maiorana took it a step further, writing, "Once the 31-year-old Orton is up to speed with the offense, and gets back into playing shape, the clock may begin to tick on Manuel. If he doesn't play well early in the season, it would not be a surprise to see coach Doug Marrone turn to Orton, a player who is 35-35 as an NFL starter with Chicago, Denver and Kansas City, and has completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 15,019 yards with 83 touchdowns and 59 interceptions. ..."

For what it's worth, Orton said all the right things upon arrival.

"Great [first impressions]. Good coaches. Good players. Good young talent. Good starting quarterback," Orton said. "Should have a chance to be a really good offense."

Orton was asked if he considers himself competition to Manuel to be the starter.

"My role is the backup and to be ready to play whenever I need to be," Orton said. "But probably job number one is to help EJ, and that's what I plan to do."

What can Orton do to help Manuel?

"Like him, I started as a rookie. I know how tough that it is. But I also know how great your second year can be, just learning-wise. I didn't get the chance to play my second year, I was back on the bench," Orton said. "But the growth curve from Year 1 to Year 2 is great. Your confidence grows.

"So I'm just here as a sounding board for him. I don't think I know everything. But I've seen a lot of looks, been in a lot of different offenses and played a lot of defenses. Any question he has, I hope I can help him with."

However, Orton feels he can learn the offense quickly after officially signing Saturday.

"This week and I think I'll be ready to go," Orton said. ...

That's probably a good thing. What we know for sure is the Bills have spent an inordinate amount of time worrying about their backup quarterbacks the past couple weeks, and there still is plenty to gripe about now that the regular season is about to begin in Chicago. Manuel's response will be something we'll all be watching closely. ...

The Bills added a pair of running backs in the offseason in Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon, but don't expect them to be major contributors to the offense. According to 's Mike Rodak, Marrone still intends to game plan with just two running backs, which is good news for bothC.J. Spiller and Jackson (and their fantasy owners).

That's especially true this week.

According to the Sports Xchange, there's no secret how the Bills will try to attack the Bears. They are going to use their ground game led by Spiller and Jackson to bang away at a Chicago defense that ranked dead last in the NFL last season against the run with an awful yield of more than 2,500 yards.

The Bears probably aren't as bad as that this year, but given the state of the Bills passing game, running the ball may be the only way to move against Chicago.

Remember: The Bills led the NFL in rushing attempts in 2013, and with this group, it's easy to think they could do it again.

One other note in this regard: According to 's Mike Clay, Jackson and Spiller were about even in snaps this preseason, but Jackson racked up 17 targets, compared to only four for Spiller. Clay went on to suggest, "Already unlikely to see many touches near the goal line, anything short of a major role on passing downs will all but destroy Spiller's chances of finishing in the top 10 at running back. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... Rookie receiver Sammy Watkins is still experiencing soreness after returning to practice for the first time since aggravating a rib injury last week. The first-round draft pick practiced fully Monday and again Wednesday, and says he is preparing to play Sunday.

Watkins declined to reveal the nature of the injury except to say follow-up tests showed it is something more than bruised ribs.

He was initially hurt in the first quarter of a 19-16 preseason loss at Pittsburgh on Aug. 16. After sitting out one game, Watkins was hit in the same spot in the first quarter of a 23-0 preseason-ending loss to Detroit on Thursday.

Tight end Lee Smith (toe) and linebacker Randell Johnson (ankle) did not practice Monday. ...

One last note here. ... The Bills released tight end Tony Moeaki Monday after reaching an injury settlement with the fourth-year player. Moeaki missed most of training camp due to an assortment of injuries and was been placed on the Bills reserve/injured list on Friday. The Bills were giving the oft-injured player a second chance after signing Moeaki late last season. 

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

QB: E.J. Manuel, Kyle Orton 

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

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

TE: Scott Chandler, Lee Smith 

PK: Dan Carpenter 

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CAROLINA PANTHERS

As Associated Press sports writer Steve Reed framed it: "Cam Newton is back in pads -- dramatically oversized pads. ..." This after the two-time Pro Bowl quarterback returned to practice Monday wearing a long, bulky flak jacket designed to provide added protection for his healing fractured ribs.

Newton went through drills as normal with the first team offense on Monday and didn't appear to have any problems throwing the ball during the 20 minutes practice was open to the media.

Head coach Ron Rivera reiterated that he expects Newton to play in the season opener Sunday at Tampa Bay.

It was the Newton's first practice since Aug. 22 when Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins stepped on his ribs during a preseason game.

Rivera said Newton worked out Saturday and the medical staff cleared him to practice Monday.

"He came out and pushed himself through another workout and did some good things and threw the ball well," Rivera said. "I'm very pleased with that."

Rivera said the equipment staff and trainers are still working on the best -- and most comfortable -- form of protection for Newton's ribs.

That is still a work in progress.

"He's wearing it to get used to it," Rivera said. "They're trying to find one that works best. He's tried several on and we'll see."

Along with suffering a hairline fracture in his ribs, Newton is also dealing with pain in his ankle from offseason surgery.

"He's sore, but he's not like he was when it first happened," Rivera said.

Tight end Greg Olsen said it was good to have Newton back at practice heading into what will be a busy week of preparation for the Buccaneers. The Panthers have lost their last three season openers under Rivera.

"He looked good throwing and I thought he moved around pretty well," Olsen said. "He had his pads on they have him outfitted pretty good. Cam is a tough guy and he's a big strong dude. The team knows if there is any way for him to get out there and play at a high level, he will."

Newton, who was held out of Wedneday's practice due to soreness, has never missed a start in his three seasons with the Panthers. Rivera remained confident he will play Sunday.

However, the rib injury could limit Newton's effectiveness as a runner -- which is one of the things that makes Newton so valuable. He's rushed for 2,032 yards and 28 touchdowns since coming into the league as the No. 1 overall pick in 2011.

Still, the Sports Xchange notes the Panthers have to protect their most-important player as much as possible, which is a problem considering the offensive line is the team's biggest question mark. Newton will likely also have to cut back on the amount of running he does, so DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and fullback Mike Tolbert need to pile up some yards themselves.

In the event Newton suffers a setback or has to leave Sunday's game, the Panthers should have backup quarterback Derek Anderson at their disposal.

Anderson practiced Monday, three days after injuring his right hand during Carolina's preseason finale against Pittsburgh.

The Panthers also kept Joe Webb as a third quarterback.

In a related note. ... Rivera told  he sees no reason Newton won't be ready to implement the entire offense this week. And while Newton's favorite target in training camp has been big-play rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, don't underestimate the value of Olsen. The Panthers plan to run more two-tight end sets this season, and with teams focused on Benjamin on the outside, that should open up the middle of the field for Olsen.

In yet another related note. ... Benjamin was on the field during 89 percent of the preseason snaps run by the Panthers' first-team offense. According to 's Mike Clay "[Benjamin is] easily a WR4 and certainly has top-25 upside. ..."

Also of interest. ... The Panthers continue to explore options at wide receiver, working out Stephen Hill and Kadron Boone on Monday. Rivera said neither were expected to be signed on Monday, but didn't rule out that happening in the future.

The Panthers kept five receivers -- Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Brenton Bersin and Philly Brown -- on their 53-man roster after losing their top four from last season.

Brown made the roster as a receiver/kick returner, but his tendency to drop the ball has to be concerning despite the confidence the staff has shown in him.

Rivera said Carolina will continue to look at all positions where the team might get an upgrade.

"You gotta look at guys and see how they fit you and see if there is potential there," he said. "We have a ready list, guys we want to sign in case we get into an emergency situation."

Along those lines, the team signed free agent wideout Stephen Hill to their practice squad on Tuesday, a day after they worked out the former second-round pick of the New York Jets.

One issue: Avant and Cotchery are possession receivers, and Charlotte Observer beat man Joseph Person reports there is concern among some in the organization that Benjamin will face a barrage of double coverage without another fast wideout to stretch the field.

The Panthers signed Tiquan Underwood with that in mind during the offseason. But Underwood was released during the first round of cuts after an inconsistent showing at OTAs and training camp. 

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

QB: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb 

RB: DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whittaker 

FB: Mike Tolbert, Richie Brockel 

WR: Kelvin Benjamin, Jerricho Cotchery, Jason Avant, Brenton Bersin, Philly Brown 

TE: Greg Olsen, Ed Dickson, Brandon Williams, Richie Brockel 

PK: Graham Gano 

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CHICAGO BEARS

The 2013 season had just ended in disaster for the Chicago Bears and general manager Phil Emery sat down to address the media about how he was going to solve their defensive collapse.

"I will just tell you we're going to be a younger defense," Emery said.

The 2014 training camp and preseason have ended, and the Bears' defense is apparently set for the opener with Buffalo. The Bears are 1.09 years older per man than they were last year at the starting positions and older at nine of the 11 positions, than on opening day last year.

The only spots where they're younger are strong side linebacker, with Shea McClellin five years younger than James Anderson was, and right defensive end with Jared Allen a year younger than Julius Peppers was.

It became apparent this would be the case when they opened training camp, but the consecutive flops in their second and third preseason games against mobile quarterbacks and the no-huddle, read-option running game has caused renewed questions over the ability of an aging, slower defense to handle high energy rushing attacks that have developed in the NFL.

Without better production stopping no-huddle, read-option and mobile quarterbacks, it's difficult to see how the Bears expect to overtake Green Bay in the NFC North. It may even make their opener with Buffalo uncomfortable.

"We certainly believe we can contain the quarterback and keep him in the pocket and prevent him from extending plays," head coach Marc Trestman said.

It isn't just a matter of containing the mobile quarterbacks although that is something they haven't done.

Buffalo will come into the opener at Soldier Field with quarterback EJ Manuel running no-huddle and read-option. The Bills had more rushing attempts than any NFL team last year.

Of course, fantasy owners might contend that a lame Chicago defense is the best news possible. It will force the offense to play catchup on a weekly basis.

As the Sports Xchange notes, Jay Cutler needs to come out passing short, off the quick drop and not holding the football long. The Bills can be beat by passes to the backs or to slanting receivers. They are vulnerable to the screen pass directed between the end and tackle, a particular strength of running back Matt Forte.

Holding the ball and looking downfield for his pet receiver, Brandon Marshall, will only lead to trouble for Cutler against Buffalo, a team that finished second in the league with 57 sacks last year.

The Bills were very stout against the run, as well, as they sold all out to plug gaps. But this year their defensive coordinator is former Lions coordinator Jim Schwartz, who employs the wide nine look with his ends. The Bears always found success running inside those ends or passing quickly with slants.

Cutler needs to show patience to beat a secondary that is very prone to giving up big plays. Buffalo allowed more yardage last year against the pass than all but three teams.

It's worth noting the new Cutler looked extremely like the old one in the preseason game with Seattle, as he tossed up an impossible ball to complete for an interception in the red zone. The good news is Cutler hasn't done much of that all preseason or in training camp. He's been very accurate, and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh thinks he's capable of 68 percent completions, although he's never been above 63.6 before.

Cutler completed 66 percent in preseason and seems far more comfortable in his second year within the offense. ...

Despite Marshall putting together seven consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, he claims 2014 will be his Michael Jackson "Thriller" year. According to 's Michael C. Wright, we shouldn't bet against Marshall, because in addition to being healthy (he didn't get to train last offseason because he was recovering from hip surgery) and entering Year 2 in Marc Trestman's offense, the team has tweaked its scheme to find creative ways to put Marshall in more advantageous matchups. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Forte got very little preseason work, but that was the case often for him. The Bears might want to think about ending that practice because Forte and the running game have been slow to start. Forte was over 80 yards in the opener only once his first game ever.

Still, there is little doubt he is among the top all-around backs in the league, a true breakaway threat both as a receiver and runner. The Bears seem to lack the classic short-yardage and goal line back they've had in the past, so Forte could get more work near the goal line.

Ka'Deem Carey hasn't put much on display in preseason. He does run hard and could be a short-yardage type, although it would be a new role. ...

Also according to the Xchange, Martellus Bennett may not challenge his 65-catch total of last year because Dante Rosario could figure into the passing game. Rosario didn't come to the team last year until the regular season was starting, so now he knows the offense and showed a knack for getting into seams. That said, Bennett's height and reach makes him a real red zone threat against any opponent.

Long those lines, 's Mike Clay noted this week that in the 10 games in which Cutler played a majority of the Bears' snaps last season, Bennett was No. 8 in fantasy points among tight ends. In the six games in which Josh McCown was under center, Bennett was No. 17.

One last note here. ... Wide receiver Marquess Wilson was placed on the team's IR-recall list as he recovers from a fractured clavicle he suffered on Aug. 4. 

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

QB: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, David Fales 

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

RB: Tony Fiammetta 

WR: Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Josh Morgan, Santonio Holmes, Micheal Spurlock, Marquess Wilson 

TE: Martellus Bennett, Dante Rosario, Matthew Mulligan 

PK: Robbie Gould 

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CINCINNATI BENGALS

According to the Sports Xchange, since training camp began five weeks ago, everything head coach Marvin Lewis has done -- from canceling the Oklahoma drill to giving veterans periodic days off to squeezing the reins on injured players even when they're medically cleared -- has been done with one thing in mind: Get to the opener in Baltimore as healthy as possible.

So intent on accomplishing that, Lewis rested 21 of his 22 starters in the preseason finale against Indianapolis, with rookie center Russell Bodine being the only one who saw action. And even that was limited to a few series.

It was the first time since 2009 that a Bengals starting quarterback didn't play at all in the final preseason game.

"You know, we've evolved a lot in my time here," Lewis said as he enters his 12th season with the team. "(The starters) have a lot of practice ahead to get ready. They've gone out and played good productive snaps and good series each and every week. That's where we are."

With a mostly uneventful preseason over, Lewis is expected to have 21 of his 22 projected starters in action at M&T Bank Stadium on Sept. 7.

Only Marvin Jones, who is out until October (the team hopes for a Week 5 return) with a broken foot, will be missing from the starting lineup. And replacing him with Mohamed Sanu can hardly be described as a drop-off.

"Obviously we've got some guys that injured and out, but I feel fortunate to be where we are," Lewis said.

Now the plunger is pushed to begin the next countdown, one that will span 119 days and has no promised payoff at the end.

Those 119 days add up to 17 weeks, which is how long the Bengals will have to wait before they can demonstrate whether they are actually ready to take the next step. Because anything this team does in the regular season -- even a 16-0 record with a top-ranked offense and defense -- is going to be negated if the team fails to win again in the playoffs.

Getting back to the postseason for a fourth consecutive year and fifth in the last six is hardly a foregone conclusion, and winning in Baltimore on kickoff weekend isn't going to assure anything, either.

But it would go a long way toward proving the team is capable of taking the next step before actually doing so.

Andy Dalton's struggles have not been limited to the postseason. He has had trouble delivering in a number of big games, and the season opener against a division rival certainly qualifies as "big."

He has had the vocal support from Lewis and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson since January, when the team was sifting through the smoldering wreckage of Dalton's three-interception performance in the 27-10 Wild Card loss to San Diego.

And during training camp he received the financial support he was looking for with a six-year, $120 million contract extension.

If Dalton can go into Baltimore and lead the Bengals to a win -- something he has yet to do, going 0-3 with three touchdown passes and seven interceptions at M&T Bank Stadium while throwing -- the support will continue to build from those inside and outside of the organization.

A loss is hardly going to derail the ultimate mission. Dalton and the Bengals have rebounded from season-opening losses to make the playoffs each of the past two years.

But fantasy owners are less interested in wins and losses than in production.

And as 's Coley Harvey reminded readers this week, Dalton finished sixth in the NFL in fantasy points last season. And Harvey is convinced the QB could rank even higher this year. He has impressed the coaching staff this preseason with his ability to deliver the deep ball when needed, and they will be going for the home run frequently.

Offensive coaches have said the goal is to use the running game to draw safeties closer to the line of scrimmage, opening up space over the top.

That might be especially important this week as the Bengals need to establish their running game early to limit how often and how creatively the Ravens blitz. Dalton struggles more than most quarterbacks against pressure, and he'll have a rookie center calling out the checks and protections. Jackson wants to establish an identity as a physical, running team, and there's no better time to start than in the opener.

Look for Jackson to get Giovani Bernard and rookie Jeremy Hill heavily involved early.

In addition to slowing down the Baltimore rush, an effective running game will help the Bengals construct some long drives, which will be key in keeping the Cincinnati defense rested on what is expected to be a hot afternoon. ...

In a related note. ... Bernard is as electric as they come and is coming off a rookie season in which he had 1,209 yards from scrimmage despite platoon with BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The Law Firm is gone, but Bernard will find himself a part of another tailback tandem in 2014 with the rookie Hill bringing a bigger, strong presence when he enters the game. The Bengals have worked hard at getting Hill involved in the passing game with 14 targets in the last three preseason games. If Hill can be a factor receiving the ball as well as running it, that will enable Jackson to have the use of his entire playbook regardless of who is in the game.

Other notes of interest. ... A.J. Green continues to put up bigger and bigger numbers every year without great production from the starting spot opposite him. The Bengals are hopeful the tandem of Jones and Sanu can emerge as stars and take some of the pressure off Green.

Sanu had one of the best camps of anyone on the team and appears poised for a breakout year. He lacks Jones' speed but he offers the kind of versatility Jackson can have a lot of fun with, lining him up wide, in the slot or even in the backfield in Wildcat formation.

The presence of Tyler Eifert, another first-round pick, last year led to Jermaine Gresham catching a career-low 46 passes, but as a tandem he and Eifert combined for 85 catches, 903 yards and six touchdowns, which is the kind of production any team outside of New England and New Orleans would love to have from its tight ends. The expectation this season is that Eifert picks up the pace. He'll need to stay healthy to do so.

Eifert, who has been nursing a sore shoulder all summer, is expected to be ready to go on Sunday. 

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

QB: Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell 

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

WR: A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, Dane Sanzenbacher, James Wright, Brandon Tate, Marvin Jones 

TE: Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert, Alex Smith, Ryan Hewitt 

PK: Mike Nugent 

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CLEVELAND BROWNS

For only the second time in 16 years, the Browns will begin the season on the road when they open their 2014 campaign in Pittsburgh on Sept. 7. For the first time in his six-year career, Brian Hoyer will begin a season as the starting quarterback.

Hoyer was a feel-good story in Cleveland last year. He grew up in the suburb of North Olmsted and attended Cleveland St. Ignatius High School. He came off the bench last year to start against the Vikings and Bengals and won both games. He started against the Bills and before the first quarter ended, his season was over because of a torn right ACL.

Hoyer rehabbed courageously, and is past the knee injury, but whether his fault or because the wide receivers collectively have been inconsistent, or because Kyle Shanahan's offense has been too difficult to learn, the cold fact is the first offense did not score one preseason touchdown against a first-team defense.

Hoyer started all four preseason games. He posted a touchdown in the third game, but that was against the Rams' second-team defense on a five-yard pass to Andrew Hawkins just before halftime. He was on the field for only one series against the Bears in the final preseason game and led an 85-yard, 13-play march that ended with Ben Tate scoring from the 1-yard line. Hoyer completed six of eight passes for 69 yards on the drive against the Bears' third-team cornerbacks.

"All week we talked about as an offensive unit just going out there and each player focusing on their individual job and coming collectively together as an offensive unit and taking it one play at a time," Hoyer said after the game. "So I told those guys in the huddle, I said, 'Let's just go out, regardless of who they're playing out there, regardless of what it is, it's all about us.' I think if we can have that mentality and do that we'll be just fine."

The Browns are encouraged and believe they are ready for the Steelers. They will be without star receiver Josh Gordon, who on Aug. 26 was suspended for the 2014 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

The suspension was not unexpected, but now it is a reality. It puts the burden on tight end Jordan Cameron, who last year caught 80 passes for 917 yards and seven touchdowns. Gordon led the entire NFL with 1,646 receiving yards on 87 catches.

"I try not to think about those things; that's so out of my control," Cameron said. "I don't want to think about life without him in our offense."

Nevertheless, Cameron is confident the offense will find a way -- eventually. The trouble is, it might not be in the opener. That is the price to be paid for switching offenses every year.

"We'll be fine," he said. "It's a work in progress. It's not going to be overnight. It's a new offense. Guys will get it. We have some good leaders in our locker room that will help us along the way. I don't think there is any reason to panic."

With Gordon suspended, the Browns' top fantasy options are Cameron and Tate. But according to 's Pat McManamon, the team is concerned at the amount of double coverage Cameron will see without Gordon. The coaching staff believes in Tate, and will give him the ball a lot. He and Terrance West should be the focal points of the offense, as the Browns will rely upon defense and the running game to win without Gordon.

The top five receivers on the roster had a combined 41 catches in the NFL last season. Miles Austin had 24 catches with the Cowboys, Hawkins had 12 with the Bengals and Travis Benjamin had five with the Browns. Taylor Gabriel is a rookie and Charles Johnson is a first-year player.

As the offense finds its legs, first-year head coach Mike Pettine will be relying on the defense to bear the burden of winning in Pittsburgh.

Other notes of interest. ... According to 's Marc Sessler, the Steelers still expect to see a dose of Johnny Manziel in Sunday's regular-season opener.

Despite Hoyer earning the start, Dick LeBeau's defensive charges are preparing for at least a few snaps from the rookie quarterback.

"I think so," defensive end Brett Keisel said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I think they've seen enough of him to know that he can do certain things maybe the other kid can't. I think there will be certain packages. We've had to deal with that before. We'll prepare to see him at one point or another."

Said Keisel: "We'll look at him, we'll look at some of the stuff they do differently with him in there. With a guy like that, you need to. He's got a lot of ability, a lot of hype."

Troy Polamalu told reporters that Manziel offers the Browns a "change of pace" under center, but the five-time All-Pro safety dismissed lazy comparisons to how the New York Jets attempted to employ Tim Tebow as a Wildcat operator during the passer's ill-fated swing with Gang Green in 2012.

"The thing about it, New York tried to do that with Tim Tebow a little bit," Polamalu said. "But Tebow's a guy you have to just play and play and grind out the entire game. I don't think Johnny is that type of guy. I think if Johnny came into the game, he would make some splashes, he doesn't need to get into a rhythm."

The Browns hinted at using Manziel situationally if Hoyer earned the start so it won't be a surprise if that happens.

All that said, the exhibition season didn't do much to offer optimism about the overall QB situation. As 's Gregg Rosenthal noted, Manziel looked inaccurate, indecisive and not as creative as hoped. It seems like he's a year away. Hoyer looked like a career backup coming off ACL surgery who is stuck with an uneven wide receiver group. Shanahan's attack is not an easy one to learn, and the Browns don't appear to be regular-season ready. ...

For what it's worth, Pettine told reporters on Wednesday that Hoyer "knows it's not going to be a quick hook," but also knows this is a production-based business. ...

As Cleveland Plain Dealer staffer Tom Reed noted Monday, West entered training camp intent on battling Tate for the starter's job. But the rookie's confidence and prolific small-college statistics have not yet translated to NFL success. The third-round pick from Towson University averaged just 2.7 yards per carry in four preseason games, showing little burst and losing a fumble in Thursday's finale against Chicago.

His sluggish start opened a hole for undrafted free agent Isaiah Crowell, who made the team thanks in large part to a 102-yard rushing performance against the Bears.

Pettine met with West on Sunday.

"There were some times where he made plays, and then he made rookie mistakes some other times," Pettine said. "He can catch the ball. He's shown that in camp. We're pleased with where Terrance is, but it's something...he just needs to continue to get better.

"Some guys kind of say, 'OK, I made it. I'm on the roster,' but to me, they need to accelerate, not decelerate. ..."

West rushed for 2,509 yards and 41 touchdowns a season ago playing at the Division I-AA college level. He's been slow adjusting to Kyle Shanahan's blocking scheme and appears tentative in his decisions. In their meeting, Pettine emphasized not every carry goes for big gainers in the pros. West registered 83 yards on 31 preseason carries.

"I think the biggest thing to learn, especially with the zone scheme, is don't look to hit the home run every play," Pettine said. ...

And finally. .. The Browns claimed wide receiver LaRon Byrd off waivers. At the very least, Byrd gives the Browns something they needed at the wide receiver position -- more size. He's listed at 6-4 inches and 220 pounds. Three of the five receivers the Browns have on their active roster are 5 feet, 10 inches or shorter.

The Arizona Cardinals signed Byrd, 25, as an undrafted free agent from the University of Miami in 2012. He appeared in four regular-season games as a rookie and had one catch for 8 yards. 

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

QB: Brian Hoyer, Johnny Manziel 

RB: Ben Tate, Terrance West, Isaiah Crowell 

WR: Miles Austin, Andrew Hawkins, Travis Benjamin, Taylor Gabriel, Charles Johnson, LaRon Byrd 

TE: Jordan Cameron, Gary Barnidge, Jim Dray 

PK: Billy Cundiff 

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DALLAS COWBOYS

Jerry Jones opened training camp with stories about how young his Dallas Cowboys were. According to Associated Press sports writer Schuyler Dixon, Jones told a few thousand fans at the kickoff luncheon that many of those players faced an "uphill battle."

Not exactly Super Bowl talk from an eternally optimistic owner who has made such preseason predictions a few times.

The Cowboys have 34-year-old quarterback Tony Romo coming off back surgery, and Rolando McClain possibly starting at middle linebacker just a few months after deciding to retire. Not to mention a defensive line lacking star -- and possibly pass-rushing -- power heading into Sunday's opener against San Francisco.

"I think there is a difference being optimistic and assessing the odds," Jones said after the Cowboys finished a winless preseason with a 27-3 loss to last week. "You've got guys out there, no-name guys. You've got guys out there who retired. You've got guys who are coming back from injury. Man, this is a 'to prove' group."

Jones still includes head coach Jason Garrett in that group. Even though a youthful roster is loaded with questions about a defense that gave up the most yards in the league last year, Jones isn't ready to commit to Garrett beyond this season.

"If I said that, I'd be giving him a contract and that's not how we're operating here," Jones said. "I in no way have shut that door. But I have already decided that we were going to operate this year with his contract status the way it is."

Garrett was at the center of reshaping a roster that has gone from one of the oldest in the league to one of the youngest in just a few seasons. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs in all three of Garrett's full seasons.

Those three years ended with losses to NFC East rivals with playoff berths on the line. If Dallas misses the playoffs again this season, it will match the franchise record of five straight years without a postseason trip.

"We started with a plan to make the team younger, to build the team the right way, to bring the cornerstone pieces in, and we feel like we've done that," Garrett said. "Now is that job complete? It's not even close to complete. We understand that."

The Cowboys have avoided flashy first-round draft picks that Jones likes -- he can't stop talking about how tempted he was to take Johnny Manziel this year. Instead, they've picked an offensive lineman first in three of the past four years.

But Garrett might not be around to finish the rebuilding of a defensive line trying to replace DeMarcus Ware after the franchise's career sacks leader was released this offseason in a salary cap move.

"The guys that are available to us, we're going to give them a chance to show what they can do," Garrett said. "Hopefully they've grown with that experience, and we'll get some of the veteran players back who haven't been with us, practicing and playing as much as we would have liked. But that's just the reality of it."

And those defenders are aware of the reality.

"There's very low expectations for this defense," said defensive tackle Henry Melton, the team's biggest free agent signing getting ready for his first game since tearing a knee ligament in Week 3 last year with Chicago. "They're going to see Sunday that it's going to be a different squad."

Jones is counting on that "to prove" mentality. ...

As for this week's game against the 49ers, the Cowboys will feature the run on offense with running back DeMarco Murray, taking pressure off on Romo and his surgically repaired back. But look for them to use the running game to set up play passes down the field for big plays.

In each of the last two seasons, Dez Bryant has posted more than 90 catches for more than 1,200 yards, and he has caught 25 touchdown passes the past two seasons. 's Todd Archer expects those totals to take a hit in 2014. The team's focus on the running game this season is real for the Cowboys, not just words.

That'll mean fewer opportunities for Bryant, just based on pure math. He will still be dominant, and could have a better season in every way as a player -- just not statistically.

This week, however, the 49ers are breaking out two new cornerbacks after letting starters Tarrell Brown and Carlos Rogers leave in free agency. Perrish Cox is good but he will have trouble keeping up with his former college teammate at Oklahoma State in Bryant. The Cowboys will try to get the ball to Bryant early and often and take advantage of this mismatch.

Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, the Cowboys see Murray as the lead dog in a running game by committee. Still look for Murray to get 20 more touches a game as a runner and receiver. The Cowboys started getting the ball to Murray late last season and it paid off. He rushed for the third-most yards in the NFL in the final eight games of last season and finished the year with 1,121 yards and his first Pro Bowl berth. Look for him to build on his late 2013 success with new offensive play caller Scott Linehan in charge this season.

Murray could get as many as 300 carries in 2014 as Linehan will scheme to get him the ball.

The Cowboys like Lance Dunbar and will create ways to get him the ball as a change of pace option to Murray. He will be featured in the screen game the Cowboys have been working hard to develop. According to 's Mike Clay, the team passed the ball on 68 percent of Dunbar's 28 preseason snaps, compared to just 48 percent of Murray's 29 snaps. ...

Terrance Williams takes over full time at receiver opposite Bryant with Miles Austin released in the offseason. But will not represent much of a change as Williams took over the job last season with Austin out with injury. Williams, a 2013 third round pick, caught 44 passes for 736 yards and five touchdowns. He didn't miss a beat at the full time starter in the off season or training camp and will take advantage of defensives looking to take away Bryant.

Cole Beasley is the third receiver as the Cowboys like his knack for getting open and converting first downs out of the slot. ...

Jason Witten remains one of the league's most reliable pass catchers. He delivered again in 2013 with 73 receptions for 851 yards and eight touchdowns. Look for his numbers to drop in little in 2014 as the Cowboys focus more on the run as well try to get little-used 2013 second-round pickGavin Escobar more involved this season, especially in the red zone. Escobar is bigger and stronger after hitting the weight room hard in the offseason to shore up his deficiencies as a blocker. But Witten remains Romo's most trusted option. ...

Brandon Weeden will be the backup quarterback to Romo this year. The Cowboys say they are comfortable with him starting if Romo goes down with an injury. But they also realize Weeden still needs a lot of work after an uninspiring preseason. Weeden finished the preseason completing 34 of 57 passes for 388 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 77. 2 passer rating. ...

And finally. ... The NFL conditionally reinstated Josh Brent as a member of the Cowboys on Tuesday, contingent on the defensive tackle serving a 10-game suspension for his January conviction of intoxication manslaughter.

Brent, who was responsible for the death of Cowboys practice squad member Jerry Brown in a 2012 accident, is eligible to visit the team facility after Week 6. He can begin practicing with the team provided he complies with a list of conditions, including evaluation, treatment and counseling.

If Brent exhibits any alcohol-related conduct or activity, he faces immediate suspension -- or perhaps even a banishment from the NFL. 

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

QB: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan 

RB: DeMarco Murray, Lance Dunbar, Joseph Randle 

FB: Tyler Clutts 

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

TE: Jason Witten, Gavin Escobar, James Hanna 

PK: Dan Bailey 

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DENVER BRONCOS

Wes Welker has been suspended four games for use of amphetamines. The NFL officially announced on Tuesday night that Welker will miss the first four games of the season after violating the league's performance enhancing drugs policy.

The four game suspension will actually be a five-week ban in total as the Broncos bye week falls in Week 4. Welker is eligible to return to the team's active roster on Monday, August 6. He will miss games against the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals. All four teams won at least 10 games last season.

"Tonight's news regarding Wes is very disappointing for our team, but we understand the league's authority in this area. While it's unfortunate to not have him to start the year, I have full confidence in our wide receivers and expect that group to continue playing at a high level," head coachJohn Fox said in a statement.

"I have no doubt that Wes will remain focused on his preparations for the season and stay in excellent shape during his time away from the team."

According to 's Mike Florio, the banishment under the PED policy happened because Welker took MDMA, a banned substance under the substance-abuse policy, that had been cut with amphetamines, a banned substance under the PED policy.

As happened with Cowboys cornerback Orlando Scandrick, pure MDMA wouldn't have triggered a violation under the PED policy. The presence of amphetamines resulted in a one-strike, four-game suspension.

Florio went on to explain that of the NFL and NFLPA had struck a deal on HGH testing, Welker likely wouldn't have been suspended. It's believed that the new drug-testing policies that will become effective if/when a final agreement is reached on HGH testing will result in amphetamines shifting to the substance-abuse policy during the offseason.

But Welker, who reportedly took the MDMA (also known as "Molly") while partying at the Kentucky Derby this year, won't get that pass.

Welker returned to the practice field Monday as he continues through the NFL's concussion protocol. He suffered his third concussion since Nov. 17 during the preseason against the Texans. The wide receiver had not been cleared for contact and was still a question mark for Sunday night's regular-season opener against the Colts. Monday's appearance on the practice field was his first since he suffered a concussion Aug. 23.

Welker's suspension is a huge blow to the Broncos' receiving game. Last season only four wide receivers caught passes for Denver and nearly 60 percent of those receptions will not be on the field in Week 1, as Eric Decker is now with the Jets and Welker is suspended, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Broncos signed free agent receiver Emmanuel Sanders during the offseason and drafted rookie receiver Cody Latimer.

Over the last two seasons, only five players in the NFL averaged more targets per game than Welker. Welker ranks tied for eighth in the league in total targets over that span, despite missing three games, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Broncos have a tough start to the season, as they open up with four straight games against teams that won 10-or-more games last season.

As 's Chris Wesseling notes, Welker is the best inside route runner of his generation, a safety blanket who reads defensive keys on the same wavelength as future Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have mastered the mental side of the game. Consistently beating single coverage, he's exactly where he's expected to be when Peyton Manning's internal clock strikes zero.

It's hard to place a value on that skill. No one needs to be reminded that trust is crucial to Manning's playing style. The Broncos can move Sanders, Andre Caldwell or even backup tight end Jacob Tamme to the slot, but they won't have the same mind meld as Manning and Welker in tight spaces such as key third downs and in the red zone.

Wesseling went on to remind readers that when Welker missed a Week 15 home game versus the Chargers last season, that security blanket was sorely missed by Manning. The Broncos failed to top 20 points for the first time all season, as just one player managed to reach 50 receiving yards.

Welker's absence isn't a death knell. Particularly against subpar defenses, Manning's aerial attack can still be lethal with Caldwell and Latimer in three-wide receiver sets.

Where Welker will be missed is in matchups with teams featuring physical defensive backs that rough up Denver's outside receivers at the line of scrimmage. It just so happens that two of those teams -- the Seahawks and Colts -- beat the Broncos last season and loom on the September portion of this year's schedule. ...

Meanwhile, several starters who skipped the Super Bowl while rehabbing from injuries are back, including Manning's blindside protector, Ryan Clady, and defenders Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr., Rahim Moore, Derek Wolfe, Quinton Carter and Quanterus Smith.

At the top of GM John Elway's to-do list following Denver's dud against Seattle was to toughen up his defense -- yes, sort of like the Seahawks. So, he added DeMarcus Ware, T.J. Ward and Aqib Talib in free agency and Bradley Roby in the draft.

Only three defenders who started in the Super Bowl are still starters seven months later: tackles Terrance Knighton and Sylvester Williams, and linebacker Nate Irving.

"It's a situation you want to be in, having to make a lot of tough decisions," Elway said. "This is by far the deepest team since I've been here and the toughest decisions we've had since I've been here."

This should also be the toughest team he's had in Denver. And not just on defense. The offense has an edge to it, too -- even without Welker. ...

It's worth noting that Indianapolis' cornerbacks had success last October with press coverage that disrupted the timing of the Broncos' passing game. Until Cassius Vaughn drew a pass interference penalty late in the third quarter, the Broncos averaged 5.1 yards per pass play and had been outscored 33-14; after that, they averaged 8.5 yards per pass play and had a 19-6 scoreboard advantage.

The sooner the Broncos get the Colts out of their aggressive mode in the secondary, the easier it will be for their offense.

Other notes of interest. ... Montee Ball will be a three-down back this season. While the Broncos will use others from time to time, Ball has consistently shown quality hands as a receiver. Most importantly, Manning trusts him and his instincts in pass protection, which means he's going to be on the field in all situations.

Juwan Thompson made the Broncos as their No. 4 running back after leading the team in rushing and yardage from scrimmage during the preseason. Thompson's contributions on special teams also played a role in his making the 53-man roster. ...

The Broncos signed receiver Nathan Palmer to their active roster on Wednesday in the wake of Welker's suspension.

And finally. ... After a whirlwind arrival, which saw Brandon McManus kicking field goals for the team just two days after being acquired from the Giants, the Broncos have decided to keep him around for a bit. McManus hit from 19 and 39 yards out and missed from 52 and 54 in his lone pre-season appearance.

The Broncos will face the Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals during Prater's suspension. Because of a Week 4 bye for the Broncos, Prater will not be eligible to return to practice until Oct. 6 and cannot be reinstated to play in a game until the Broncos' Week 6 game against the New York Jets on Oct. 12.

McManus will fill in until further notice. 

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

QB: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler 

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

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

TE: Julius Thomas, Jacob Tamme, Virgil Green 

PK: Brandon McManus, Matt Prater 

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DETROIT LIONS

As Associated Press sports writer Noah Trister notes, Jim Caldwell's first game as coach of the Lions will be on quite a stage -- at home on a Monday night against the New York Giants.

"It's a great platform for our team, for our city, for our organization," Caldwell said about next Monday's game. "It is a unique opportunity. It doesn't come around very often, and for us, obviously, it's the only night game we have."

The season opener would be big no matter the circumstances, especially with Caldwell now in charge after the Lions replaced head coach Jim Schwartz in the offseason. Now, the spotlight will be even brighter. Detroit has not opened the season on a Monday night since 1971.

The Lions have recently been included in Monday night games with more regularity. A 2011 home game against Chicago was their first regular-season appearance on Monday night in 10 years, but Detroit has played at least one Monday night game in every season since.

That's added a bit more buzz to a schedule that annually includes a marquee game on Thanksgiving. Detroit will also play a game in London this year, on Oct. 26 against Atlanta.

The Monday night opener will be part of a big day in Detroit. The Tigers start a crucial series with Kansas City at Comerica Park, and the Lions will kick off their season across the street three hours after the beginning of the baseball game.

"It seems like it's going to take forever to get here, but I'm excited, I'm looking forward to it, I'm excited for this city," said center Dominic Raiola, who began his NFL career with the Lions in 2001 and has been with the team ever since. "To come from a Tigers' game straight to our game -- it's compared to that game against the Bears on Monday night, the electricity in the building."

The prime-time opener underscores how far the Lions have come since their 0-16 season in 2008, but they've still had their share of exasperating moments. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Calvin Johnson and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh weren't able to push Detroit to the playoffs last season, and Schwartz was fired after the team collapsed down the stretch.

There's pressure on everyone in 2014. Suh is in the final year of his contract, and fellow defensive tackle Nick Fairley was demoted during the preseason, although he was listed with the first team on a depth chart Monday.

Detroit made a handful of additions this offseason, such as wide receiver Golden Tate, but overall, the core of talent won't look much different than last year. What has changed is the coaching staff -- and what better way for Caldwell to make his debut with his new team than in a nationally televised game?

"My first Monday night game was when I was (an assistant) with Tampa and we actually played against the St. Louis Rams, I believe," Caldwell said. "I just remember the buzz in the air. People had all day to get ready for the game. It didn't happen in the middle of the afternoon where they only had a few hours, maybe they went to church and then ran to the ballpark or whatever. You have literally all day to get ready for it, so there's a huge buildup. ..."

Defensively, the Giants have some playmakers, and their pass rush should be a good test for a Lions offensive line that is trying to prove it is as good as its performance last year when the team ranked second in the NFL with just 23 sacks allowed.

As the Sports Xchange notes, the Giants also still have a suspect secondary that Johnson, Tate and Eric Ebron can exploit as long as Stafford makes good decisions, something the coaching staff has preached all offseason.

Even though the matchup appears to favor the Lions, the Giants won at Ford Field in Week 16 last year, 23-20, in overtime to eliminate the Lions from playoff contention. Stafford threw two interceptions, Reggie Bush lost a fumble and the Giants offense moved the ball well.

There is always a chance last year's game will provide more motivation for the Lions, who need to start the season with a win as they play 2013 division winners in their next two games at Carolina and versus Green Bay.

Given all that, the Xchange suggests the Lions should approach this game as if they are trying to make a statement.

Other notes of interest. ... Tate is going from being a No. 1 receiver in a run-heavy offense to a No. 2 receiver in a pass-friendly scheme in Detroit. He has said his numbers can "be way better" with the Lions in 2014 than with the Seahawks in 2013, when he had 64 catches for 898 yards and five touchdowns. Reason to believe: He should be seeing a lot of single coverage opposite Johnson.

Jeremy Ross (backing up Johnson) and Kevin Ogletree (backing up Tate) are listed as the No. 2 receivers. Corey Fuller is behind Johnson and Ross and Ryan Broyles is behind Tate and Ogletree.

Bush will be listed as the starter, but Joique Bell, who signed an extension despite being a restricted free agent, will get the bulk of the carries. Bell will also be used in the screen game while Bush and Theo Riddick are versatile threats who could line up as receivers.

The Lions will often use two tight end sets with Brandon Pettigrew as a blocker and Ebron as a downfield weapon. Joseph Fauria is still the No. 3 option despite seven touchdowns last season. Ebron's impact will be felt starting in Week 1 as safeties and linebackers cannot contain his combination of size and speed. 

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

QB: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore 

RB: Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Theo Riddick 

FB: Montell Owens, Jed Collins 

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

TE: Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron, Joseph Fauria 

PK: Nate Freese 

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GREEN BAY PACKERS

As the three-time defending NFC North champions and armed with the talent to contend for the conference title and a spot in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, the Packers aren't preparing to navigate the upcoming season on a wing and a prayer. They lived that shaky scenario down the stretch of an injury-riddled 2013 season, getting leader Aaron Rodgers back in the nick of time to get back into the playoffs before bowing out right away.

When the football is kicked off for real again Thursday in prime time, Green Bay is aiming to be No. 1 again -- four seasons after its last Super Bowl victory. The Packers can make a big statement with their NFL brethren watching when they play the reigning league champions, the Seattle Seahawks, at CenturyLink Field.

"It should be interesting," said Ted Thompson, looking ahead to Green Bay's 10th season of football on his watch as general manager. "I like the makeup of the guys. I like the way they've been playing (in the preseason). It's a strange world, and you never know. This is one of my pat sayings, but I think if we play well I think we'll have a chance to win some games, and that's OK in the NFL."

A win-loss record in August for NFL teams is never taken seriously. Still, the Packers' 3-1 mark this preseason was indicative of a team poised to rack up the victories after its ragged 8-7-1 record last season, when Green Bay played without Rodgers for seven games because of a broken collarbone.

For what it's worth, the last time the Packers finished the preseason with a winning record -- 3-1 in 2011 -- they started the season with 13 straight victories and finished 15-1.

Three years ago also is when Rodgers, coming off his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance, set the league on fire with career-high passing numbers of 4,643 yards, 45 touchdowns and a completion percentage of 68.3.

Healthy again after last year's ordeal, Rodgers just may be the early front-runner for his second league MVP award. His precision and production in playing but eight series in only two of Green Bay's four preseason games this summer would suggest as much.

According to the Sports Xchange, the numbers probably won't be as lofty as they were for him in 2011, just because Rodgers has Eddie Lacy with him in the backfield.

Lacy plowed his way to more than 1,250 rushing yards (counting the playoffs) last season as he stood out as the league's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Talk of him attaining 2,000 yards from scrimmage this season isn't far-fetched, considering Lacy is a legitimate three-down back with enhanced receiving skills.

Rodgers, however, insists the offense has maintained its pass-first identity as head coach Mike McCarthy, the innovative play caller, is hell bent on ratcheting up the frequency of plays by going exclusively no-huddle.

"I think we're an up-tempo team," Rodgers said. "We might be able to be a little bit more balanced, but we're still going to attack people with our timing in the pass game and be able to do things in the run game that we haven't done maybe in the last four or five years. But, I've always felt like our short passing game is extended handoffs, and we're going to be slightly more pass than run."

A speed bump, though, could crop up at the outset of the season. The Packers had to abruptly turn to rookie Corey Linsley, a fifth-round draft pick, at center after new starter JC Tretter suffered a significant knee injury Aug. 22. Tretter is expected to miss at least the first month of play.

Rodgers, who didn't play the last preseason contest, will go into the season without having taken one snap from Linsley in a game.

"It's going to be a sped-up process obviously with Corey, getting him up to speed, but there's an expectation that when you're with the first team that you're going to play well and pick up where the other guy left off," Rodgers said. "The first start for Corey is going to be a tough environment (at Seattle's notoriously loud stadium). We expect him to play well."

The Packers' fortunes for repeating as division champions and making a deep run in January also will be dependent on how well their defense fares.

Longtime coordinator Dom Capers has the pieces in place for the tables to be turned after Green Bay struggled on the defensive side the past three seasons. Capers has a new pass-rushing combo of outside linebackers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers, the veteran all-star signed as a free agent in the offseason. The playmaking-challenged back end has been bolstered with converted cornerback Micah Hyde and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, this year's first-round draft pick, at safety to use in a variety of ways with holdover starter Morgan Burnett. ...

While the ultra-competitive Rodgers would love to find a way to zing completions downfield at the expense of Richard Sherman & Co., the Xchange is looking for Green Bay to try to string out controlled possessions in its no-huddle attack.

That means a lot of pounding the football with Lacy, and quick outs and screens from Rodgers.

"They play a physical-type defense. That's the way they are," receiver Jordy Nelson said. "We're going to try to go out and do what we do best -- and that's our no-huddle, speed the tempo up and try to be successful."

Remember, the Packers went in to the season with the hope of turning their running backs into three-down players in order to go at a faster pace overall. They have succeeded with two of them -- Lacy and DuJuan Harris -- but James Starks has struggled on third downs. As 's Rob Demovsky notes, the coaches trust Lacy and Harris in those situations, which should mean increased opportunities to catch the ball out of the backfield. That's just another reason to like Lacy as a top-five pick.

The new Rodgers on the roster, rookie tight end Richard Rodgers, looks and plays the part of being a suitable replacement for Jermichael Finley already as a rookie. The Packers invested a third-round draft pick on the hybrid receiver from Cal, and he didn't disappoint when plugged into the starting lineup at the outset of the preseason games. The 6-4, 257-pound Rodgers is a big target down the field and a load to bring down for defenders after the catch -- he averaged 16.8 yards in his four preseason catches.

Although second-year prospect Brandon Bostick may miss at least the first couple games because of a broken leg, the Packers stuck with keeping only two other players at the position with veteran holdovers Andrew Quarless and Ryan Taylor, the latter a key contributor on special teams. ...

One last note here. ... Special teams coach Shawn Slocum told reporters that Randall Cobb will handle some return duties this season. Slocum said both Cobb and safety Micah Hyde, who finished last season as the primary return man, will handle punt returns to start this season.

Harris is expected to return kickoffs with Hyde and rookie receiver Jeff Janis as possibilities.

As Demovsky notes, there's little doubt Cobb is the Packers' most dangerous return man; his three career special teams touchdowns support that. But given how big of a role he will play on offense, there was reason to think the Packers might be unwilling to use him on special teams even after McCarthy said earlier last month that he needed to "get away from that thinking."

McCarthy has been willing to use star players as returners in the past. Charles Woodson handled punt return duties in 2006 and 2007, his first two seasons with the Packers. Nelson was the primary returner in 2009 and 2010 before Cobb took over both kickoffs and punts as a rookie in 2011.

The Packers pulled Cobb off returns full time last season even before he fractured his leg and missed 10 games. In the playoff game last January against the 49ers, Cobb resumed special teams duties by returning kickoffs, while Hyde remained the punt returner. 

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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, Jarrett Boykin, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis 

TE: Richard Rodgers, Andrew Quarless, Ryan Taylor, Brandon Bostick 

PK: Mason Crosby 

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HOUSTON TEXANS

Based on his first nine seasons and what the coaches saw in his three preseason games, the Houston Texans are going to have consistency and production issues with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

If the Texans hope to get within breathing distance of a .500 record, Fitzpatrick must improve on his preseason performance. And that might be difficult considering the problems that have plagued him during his career.

Fitzpatrick's temperature runs hot and cold, and when the Texans begin the regular season against Washington at home, he won't have to win the game, but if he struggles the way he did in preseason, the team will be doomed.

The Texans are hoping to get off to a fast start against what looks like -- based on preseason, at least -- a relatively easy schedule.

After opening at home against Washington, they visit Oakland and the New York Giants before returning to NRG Stadium against Buffalo. None of those opponents made the playoffs last season.

But if Fitzpatrick doesn't get a better handle on head coach Bill O'Brien's offense, the Texans could get off to a bad start and then plunge into the kind of tailspin that caused them to lose their final 14 games last season.

Under O'Brien, who calls the plays, the quarterbacks were below average for much of the preseason, as was the offense overall. They combined for two touchdown passes -- one by Fitzpatrick and the other by rookie Tom Savage.

With running back Arian Foster sitting out a second consecutive preseason schedule but going full speed in practice, backups did the heavy-duty work in a running game that was mediocre. So the pressure on offense fell on the quarterbacks.

Fitzpatrick was wildly erratic during the first three preseason games in which the Texans were 2-1. He sat out the last loss against San Francisco. His preseason rating was 61.4.

Only once -- the 32-7 home victory over Atlanta -- did Fitzpatrick look like a legitimate starting quarterback. He engineered two touchdown drives and threw his only touchdown pass.

Savage, a fourth-round pick, showed he needs to watch and learn during his rookie year. He's not ready to be the backup.

Case Keenum was mediocre at best. So much more was expected of him after he started eight games last season. But O'Brien didn't need to see more. Former New England quarterback Ryan Mallett is a Texan. Keenum no longer plays in Houston. The Patriots conditionally possess the Texans' seventh-round pick in 2016.

Mallett, 26, won't challenge for the starting spot any time soon. But as Houston Chronicle staffer Brian T. Smith notes, what Mallett adds is New England familiarity. The QB has connections with O'Brien and quarterbacks coach George Godsey. They served as assistants with the Patriots.

Mallett also has a strong, potentially true NFL arm.

Still, beginning with the Washington game, what the Texans desperately need is for Foster to become the runner he was from 2010-12 when he was the second-best back in the NFL to Adrian Peterson. If Foster, a genuine three-down back who can catch and block, stays healthy after undergoing back surgery last season, he can help the offense control the ball, take some pressure off Fitzpatrick and keep the defense fresh.

Foster has done very little work in the preseason as the Texans managed his recovery from November back surgery, but 's Tania Ganguli reports that coaches have been delighted by how fluid and fresh he has looked when he has been out there.

Asked how he felt on Tuesday, Foster told reporters, "Wonderful, physically. I'm excited about that (Sunday's regular-season opener against Washington). I can't wait to play football."

Foster said he has something to prove to himself after missing half of last season.

"I've been like that since I've been in the NFL," he said. "I've had to prove to myself I could play in this league. That's part of the reason you keep that chip on your shoulder because you remember the days when you had your doubts."

Asked about the inactivity during preseason causing him to be rusty against the Redskins, Foster said, "There's are pros and cons, but life's about balance.

"I feel like it could go both ways. If you're a veteran player who understands how the game is played, it can work to your advantage. It can work to your advantage taking hits off in the preseason.

"On the flip side, it gets you used to the load you're going to carry in the season. You just have to play the cards you're dealt."

If Foster can stay healthy, O'Brien will have him catch passes out of the backfield quite a bit. As a bonus for potential Foster owners, the Texans' running game figures to be aided by a stout offensive line with great chemistry.

Because O'Brien is a first-year NFL head coach, those who follow the team aren't sure how he'll attack the regular season compared to the preseason. He said they'll game-plan for the first time on both sides of the ball. They'll try to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses and try to capitalize on the opponent's vulnerabilities.

Through four promising and frustrating preseason games, the Texans kept their new up-tempo, constantly shifting, dynamic offense under a protective curtain. O'Brien and Godsey will debut their attack this weekend and then spend the next 15 games training, developing and pushing two young QBs while trying to pry a career year from Fitzpatrick, 31, and return the Texans to respectability.

That's their wisest approach, of course, but it remains to be seen whether they can carry it out well enough to beat Washington, break a 14-game losing streak and get off to a good start. ...

Other notes of interest. ... While Andre Johnson is primed for a third consecutive 100-catch season, the Sports Xchange believes DeAndre Hopkins may have been the most improved receiver in camp and preseason. He has outstanding hands. DeVier Posey and Keshawn Martin ranked first and second in preseason catches. Martin, who plays in the slot, was one of the most improved players in preseason. Damaris Johnson was claimed on waivers from the Eagles.

Garrett Graham, who's a move tight end, started when they opened with two tight ends. They'll use two a lot under O'Brien. Graham is a smart route-runner with good hands. Rookie C.J. Fiedorowicz is a good blocker and a huge target with good hands. He's effective on the short routes. Watch for him on third down and in the red zone. The 6-6 Ryan Griffin has speed, soft hands and knows how to find the open spots. He can catch all over the field.

And finally. ... For the past three seasons, the Texans have gotten an incredible bargain on superstar defensive end J.J. Watt. They rectified that Monday night, agreeing to a six-year extension that means instead of $1.9 million this season, Watt got more than $30 million when he signed his contract on Tuesday. His total guaranteed money -- which, according to reports, fully kicks in if he's on the roster in 2016 -- is $51.8 million, the highest guarantee for any defensive player. 

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

QB: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tom Savage, Ryan Mallett 

RB: Arian Foster, Jonathan Grimes, Alfred Blue, Ronnie Brown 

FB: Jay Prosch 

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

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

PK: Randy Bullock 

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Andrew Luck and A.Q. Shipley started getting reacquainted at Monday's practice.

According to Associated Press sports writer Michael Marot, the cram sessions could take all week.

While this isn't how the Colts envisioned opening the season Sunday at Denver, plugging in yet another potential new starter at center, injuries have left them with no choice.

"Going through today, taking every snap with the first group out there, he was pretty much flawless," head coach Chuck Pagano said. "It's not easy, but we can help him on our end."

The Colts need all the help they can get.

Starting left guard Donald Thomas sustained a season-ending torn right quad during the first week of training camp. Starting center Khaled Holmes sprained his left ankle on the first possession of the preseason opener, hasn't practiced since, and Wednesday's long-anticipated return to practice is no sure thing, either

Seventh-round draft pick Ulrick John is expected to miss significant time with a lower right leg injury, though he has not been placed on injured reserve. Backup center Jonotthan Harrison has been out for about a week with a right thumb injury. Second-round pick Jack Mewhort, the projected replacement for Thomas at left guard, has been dealing with a sore right knee. And two of the Colts' most versatile backups, Xavier Nixon (knee) and Joe Reitz (ankle), also are out.

So when Shipley was waived by Baltimore on Saturday, general manager Ryan Grigson wasted no time putting in a claim.

Shipley, who made five starts with Indy in 2012, arrived in town Sunday evening, showed up at the complex early Monday morning and immediately was working with the starters.

"It's been an interesting weekend for sure. You go from a down, then you get an up. You find out you're coming here, then you're on a plane three hours later, and eight hours later you're back in here running reps," Shipley said. "It's definitely a whirlwind, but that's part of our business. It's what we do and I wouldn't have it any other way."

The good news is that Shipley has a relationship with Luck dating to Luck's rookie season. But if Shipley starts Sunday, it would be the fourth starting center the Colts have used in five games. That won't help with the continuity on an offensive line that has allowed 73 sacks and dozens more hits over the past two seasons.

Plus, the middle of the line might be one of the most untested in football.

Mewhort, a rookie who started at center in the Colts' preseason finale, will likely shift back to left guard Sunday. Second-year guard Hugh Thornton has moved from the left side to the right. Holmes took only 12 offensive snaps in his rookie season, Harrison is an undrafted rookie, and Shipley started nine games at guard last season in Baltimore.

None of that will make things easier against a Denver defense that spent more than $100 million to upgrade its pass rush and pass coverage

"It's a little different, especially when you're going through camp with other people and getting the chemistry down," Thornton said. "But as an offensive line, as an offensive unit, I believe in the guys we have and that we'll be cohesive as a unit."

All of the uncertainty surrounding the interior offensive line also has a direct connection to the problems associated with the Colts' inconsistent running attack. Running backs Ahmad Bradshaw, Daniel Herron and starter Trent Richardson haven't had much room to roam during the preseason.

In fact, as 's Mike Clay notes, the Colts and Steelers were the only teams that failed to record a rushing touchdown during the preseason.

"We've had some lineup changes obviously in the offensive line, which we went through a whole season last year with that," Pagano said. "We're still working at it and it's going to be a work in progress the whole season. All we want to do is be better tomorrow than we were today, and the next game, and the next game, and the next game."

And this game?

The plan is to control the football. Don't let Denver's power offensive attack on the field. That's one way the Indianapolis Colts can pull off a win Sunday night. ...

Other notes of interest. ...Dwayne Allen missed most of the 2013 season after undergoing hip surgery. He looked bigger and stronger this pre-season. According to 's Mike Wells, Allen went from feeling uncomfortable with his on-the-field mechanics to now saying his movements are fluid again. Allen has surpassed last season's starter Coby Fleener on the depth chart because his blocking and catching ability makes him an all-around tight end who will be tough to get off the field.

Allen should be a vital cog in the Colts offense due to his size, speed and ability to catch the football in a crowd.

That said, Fleener began to blossom last year as he filled in during Allen's absence. The combination of both players should give Indianapolis a different look on offense this season.

Meanwhile, the Colts are blessed with a deep receiving corps in 2014, thanks in large measure to the return of Reggie Wayne from knee surgery and the continued development of Donte Moncrief. The off-season addition of Hakeem Nicks from the Giants should only fortify the group and give Luck yet another weapon to use. T.Y. Hilton has become one of the best young receivers in the NFL over the last two seasons.

And that's good news given the rushing attack's recent history. ...

And finally. ... The NFL has suspended owner Jim Irsay for the first six games of the season and fined him $500,000 for violating its personal conduct policy.

Irsay subsequently apologized to Colts fans for driving while intoxicated, saying his March arrest opened his eyes "to issues in my life that needed addressing."

Irsay pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated. Afterward, he says he knows he made a mistake March 16 when he drove under the influence of prescription medications near his home in the Indianapolis suburb of Carmel.

He says his arrest helped put him on a path to regaining his health. Irsay says he vows "to turn this whole experience into a positive event for myself, my family, and the community." 

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

QB: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Chandler Harnish 

RB: Trent Richardson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Dan Herron 

FB: Mario Harvey 

WR: Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton, Hakeem Nicks, Donte Moncrief, Da'Rick Rogers, Griff Whalen 

TE: Dwayne Allen, Coby Fleener, Jack Doyle 

PK: Adam Vinatieri 

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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

A 1-3 record is about what most predicted for the Jacksonville Jaguars in their four preseason games. Now the Jaguars will try to prove naysayers wrong, those who are predicting five, maybe six wins for head coach Gus Bradley's second team in Jacksonville.

As the Sports Xchange suggests, few expect the Jaguars to approach a .500 record, a mark that those inside the office walls at EverBank Field would eagerly accept for what is deemed as the second of a three-year rebuilding process. There have been enough pleasant surprises in preseason for reason for optimism. There is also enough reality to know that there are still a number of holes that need to be plugged.

The Jaguars biggest concerns still fall with the offense. It's not just one unit either. A case can be made for concern with the running backs, certainly the line as well as the receivers.

The line has not played well in the preseason. Some of that can be attributed to injuries, some to the shuffling in and out of players, some to inexperience. As it stands now, the Jaguars will start two rookies (Luke Bowanko and Brandon Linder) in the middle of the line, a second-year player (Luke Joeckell) with no experience at his position, a third-year player (Austin Pasztor) who's currently out with a broken hand and a fifth year veteran (Zane Beadles) who was not the dominating guard in preseason that the Jaguars had hoped to see.

The defense has lived up to its pre-season billing. The much-improved line has not put the consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks that is needed, but the Jaguars blitz package has also been limited in the preseason games. LeRoy Reynolds has been a pleasant surprise filling in for the injured Dekoda Watson and rookie Telvin Smith, while under-sized at 218 pounds, has displayed enough quickness and solid tackling to compensate for his light weight. Once Watson is healthy and returns to the lineup, it will give the Jaguars even more options with this unit.

The secondary is young and talented with three of the four starters in either their second or third season.

While there are highs and lows with the starters, the same holds true with the schedule with tough games mixed in with easier contests. Unfortunately for the Suns, the tough part of the schedule starts early with three of the first four games on the road at Philadelphia, Washington and San Diego. And the only team coming to EverBank Field in the first four weeks is division favorite Indianapolis.

The opener with the Eagles could be the toughest among the first three road games. The Jaguars have had success in games against the Eagles, winning the first three meetings before the Eagles won the last contest in 2010. That's the only meeting between the two teams in the last seven years.

Jacksonville's defense will get a good opening-day test. The Eagles surpassed the 30-point mark in three of their preseason games and had 28 in the other. ...

Other notes of interest. ... The Jaguars will have five receivers available for the first four weeks of the regular season. A sixth receiver, Ace Sanders, will return for Game 5 after he serves his four-game suspension for violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Included in that five is rookie Allen Robinson who is questionable for Sunday's opener in Philadelphia. Robinson has been out with a hamstring injury since the first couple days of training camp but indications are he's ready to return to the team this week, albeit on a limited basis.

"We think he'll be ready on a limited basis," general manager Dave Caldwell said. "He's not going to go out there and run 70-80 plays, we don't think. We'll see how he practices this week but he should be ready for a good package, a good amount of playing time."

According to 's Mike DiRocco, Cecil Shorts is back to 100 percent after missing 23 days of camp with a hamstring injury, and will resume his spot as the Jaguars' No. 1 receiver. A person high up in the organization told DiRocco the expectation is Shorts will catch 80 passes in 2014 if he stays healthy.

He caught a career-high 66 balls last season but averaged a career-low 11.8 yards per catch. Shorts has missed 11 games in his three seasons and has finished each of the past two seasons on IR. ...

Receiver Allen Hurns was an undrafted free agent who came to Jacksonville in part because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch's offense (the two were together for two years at Miami). He took advantage of extra reps in the spring and in training camp because of injuries and worked his way into the top three spots. He led the team in receptions (14 for 232 yards) and averaged 16.6 yards per catch.

Receivers coach Jerry Sullivan said Mike Brown was the team's most dependable receiver in camp; the former college quarterback caught nine passes for 140 yards.

Rookie receiver Marqise Lee came on late after a slow start and ended up catching eight passes for 94 yards and two TDs, including a 57-yarder from Blake Bortles.

Tight end Marcedes Lewis averaged 16.7 yards per reception (six catches, 100 yards) and it appears he is going to be a big part of the passing game.

Newly signed TE Mickey Shuler has been busy away from the field trying to learn as much of the Jaguars offense as he can for Sunday's game in Philadelphia. With Clay Harbor still out the Jaguars have but two healthy tight ends in Marcedes Lewis and Shuler. The No. 3 TE, Marcel Jensen, was released when Shuler was signed from Atlanta.

Denard Robinson is proving that he can be a reliable part of the offense. In addition to rushing for a team-high 94 yards and a touchdown, he also caught two passes for 24 yards, and averaged a team-best 25.3 yards on three kickoff returns. He is listed as the No. 2 running back behind Toby Gerhart on the team's "unofficial" depth chart.

Fisch believes Robinson can give the backfield an extra dimension.

"I hope so," the coordinator told Florida Times-Union staffer Hays Carlyon. "My plan is for that to be the case. We're certainly expecting him to. His speed is outstanding. He's stronger and tougher, bigger and faster. All of that is really good. It's exciting to watch him improve from Year One to Year Two."

Robinson carried 20 times for 66 yards with two lost fumbles last season, as he battled nerve damage in his hand.

"I think Denard is getting more confident, more comfortable with the ball and holding onto the football," Fisch said. "His ball security has improved. He's catching the ball better. With that, I think he's playing at a confident, higher level."

Gerhart will be the workhorse against the Eagles, but how the Jaguars dish out the other work to Robinson and Jordan Todman will be an interesting element to the game.

And finally. ... With the Jaguars releasing kicker Kasey Redfern over the weekend, it gives indication that the team feels Josh Scobee will be ready to kick by Sunday. Scobee strained his quad in the team's second preseason game against Chicago, and then aggravated it further when he kicked a field goal the following week against Detroit. He's been held out ever since, including last week's game against Atlanta. The Jaguars will be scouring the waiver wire this week for possible replacements, with Redfern could be re-signed if it appears that Scobee won't be ready to go on Sunday.

"We'll be prepared. We'll bring in a couple guys during the week and have some workouts and have them ready to go if we need them on Sunday," Caldwell said. 

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

QB: Chad Henne, Blake Bortles 

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

FB: Will Ta'ufo'ou 

WR: Cecil Shorts, Marqise Lee, Allen Hurns, Mike Brown, Allen Robinson 

TE: Marcedes Lewis, Marcel Jensen, Mickey Shuler, Clay Harbor 

PK: Josh Scobee 

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

One day after signing a four-year extension that should solidify his future through the 2018 season, Alex Smith expressed relief at being able to focus solely on football -- rather than negotiations that had been going on for months, and that were threatening to bleed into the regular season.

"As much as you don't want to think about those types of things," Smith said, "you can't help but they sit in the back of your head: 'I'm playing for a contract, I'm playing for this and that.' Sometimes you can just be an added distraction. I was hoping and really happy that it got done."

Smith said he made it clear to his agent, Tom Condon, he wanted an agreement done before the start of the season. Chiefs general manager John Dorsey said that was also his goal.

"This has been a long process," Dorsey said. "You know, Tom Condon is very professional in his approach. We had ongoing discussions, consistent discussions, and I'm just glad we can concentrate on football. I'm happy for Alex, happy for the organization."

Smith is due $7.5 million this season, the final year of the contract he signed with the 49ers. His extension is worth $68 million, with $45 million guaranteed.

Asked whether the deal gave the Chiefs some flexibility moving forward, Dorsey replied: "I don't really like to talk the specifics of numbers in these venues, but it's a win for both sides."

As Associated Press sports writer Dave Skretta reminded readers, Smith was a target for Dorsey and head coach Andy Reid almost from the moment they arrived in Kansas City. They traded two second-round draft picks to the 49ers to acquire him. It wasn't long after his arrival, either, that Smith expressed his desire to sign a long-term deal to remain in Kansas City.

The 2005 No. 1 overall pick hardly hurt his bargaining power on the field.

Taking over a franchise that won two games the previous season, Smith threw for a career-best 3,313 yards with 23 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, even while skipping a meaningless regular-season finale. He led Kansas City to a 9-0 start, an 11-5 record and a playoff appearance, throwing for 378 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-44 loss to the Colts.

Once the season was over, the questions about his future began. They were finally answered Sunday night.

"It allows us to have a heck of a football player here in person, a good leader in the locker room," Reid said. "All the players were fired up for him. Sometimes you don't see that on teams, a guy does a big deal and you have jealousies here and there. That's now how this crew was. We're excited for him and he can just go out there and play football."

Of course, that doesn't mean there wasn't some good-natured ribbing when Smith showed up Monday, and the Chiefs began preparing for their season opener Sunday against Tennessee.

"That's part of the deal," Smith said. "You better be able to wear it when you walk in."

Smith said recent contracts signed by the Bengals' Andy Dalton and the 49ers' Colin Kaepernick didn't have much bearing on his own negotiations. But he also acknowledged that reaching a number commensurate with his accomplishments was important to him.

"The funny thing is, you can have five-year contracts in the NFL but you're ultimately always proving yourself," he said. "It's every year, every week. But it's nice. It's a two-way street. I wanted to be here and to have that reciprocated and put on paper, I'm really happy about it. It's nice.

"And that clutter is kind of gone from your head and you can focus on Week 1."

And they need to focus. ... The No. 1 offensive group led by Smith and running back Jamaal Charles had 16 possessions in the four August games and was unable to score a touchdown. Smith and the passing game averaged only 5.6 yards per attempt with two interceptions and zero touchdown passes. His 59.8 passer rating was ugly.

Charles was limited to five touches, but heads into the regular season rested and healthy, and not worried about his team's impotent offensive performance.

"That doesn't concern me," Charles said. "With coach Andy in control of this offense and what he can do, it doesn't worry me at all. We believe in each other and that's all that matters. I know we can't depend on what happened last year; that's last year.

"This is a new season and we've got to get past that. Every game we play is not going to be easy like last year. We are going to have to work for every win we get and I know that."

Last year a soft opening schedule allowed the Chiefs to jump out to a 9-0 start. In those opening weeks, Reid's offense had early troubles getting on track and the team relied on the defense to throttle a string of pedestrian and inexperienced quarterbacks. By the second half of the season, the offense came together and was productive, right through the first-round loss in the playoffs. Smith threw four touchdown passes in that game that saw the Kansas City defense collapse and blow a 28-point lead with 28 minutes to play.

There were important departures in free agency on the offensive line coming into the 2014 season, but the weapons available to Smith were all back, with the addition of a healthy Travis Kelce at tight end and the explosiveness of draft choice running back/receiver De'Anthony Thomas. Kelce was the team's leading receiver in the preseason with 11 catches for 193 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas was limited to seven touches in the offense, but showed his speed on an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown.

That rebuilt offensive line has been the problem area. With last year's NFL No. 1 draft choice Eric Fisher moving from right to left tackle, Reid and staff knew there would be some growing pains. They were right, as Fisher has been very inconsistent. With right tackle Donald Stephensonmissing the first four games due to an NFL suspension, Jeff Allen has been moved from left guard to right tackle. As of the opening weekend, the starters at guard were up in the air as Jeff Linkenbach, Ricky Henry, rookie Zach Fulton and Mike McGlynn are all in the mix.

How that mix shakes out will play a large part in the type of start the Chiefs can put together. The schedule is rugged, with games against Tennessee, Denver, Miami, New England and San Francisco in the first five weeks.

"I am not much on predictions," Reid said. "We are going to work hard and take it one day at a time and crank it. We look forward to getting the season started. ..."

Other notes of interest. ... For what it's worth, Charles has averaged over 100 yards in offensive production in three games against the Titans in his career. Charles has 202 rushing yards on 38 carries with a touchdown run. As a receiver, he caught 13 passes for 130 yards and two touchdown plays. That's 51 touches for 332 yards. ...

With No. 1 wide receiver Dwayne Bowe (one-game suspension) out of the opener against Tennessee, the Chiefs passing game is going to need to make up for his absence and the spot that's most likely to happen is at tight end. Anthony Fasano and Travis Kelce are both good catching the ball, and Kelce has shown the ability to get deep.

In fact, 's Adam Teicher advised readers the Chiefs intend to keep looking for Kelce, who caught two long touchdown passes in their first three preseason games, as a downfield threat. Teicher was told the big-play ability of Kelce is one reason the Chiefs weren't more aggressive in pursuing a veteran wide receiver in free agency this year.

Receiver A.J. Jenkins should be available to the Chiefs for the opener against Tennessee as he is making a quick recovery from a concussion suffered on August 28 at Green Bay. Jenkins did not practice on Monday, but head coach Andy Reid said he should be ready to play against the Titans.

Veteran linebacker Joe Mays was placed on the injured reserve-designated to return list on Tuesday as he recovers from wrist surgery, which he underwent a few weeks ago. The seventh-year man was expected to take the departed Akeem Jordan's starting spot in the Chiefs' lineup, but now he will be ineligible to return until Kansas City squares off with the New York Jets in Week 9. 

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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, Cyrus Gray, Joe McKnight 

RB: Anthony Sherman 

WR: Donnie Avery, Junior Hemingway, A.J. Jenkins, Albert Wilson, Frankie Hamming, Dwayne Bowe 

TE: Anthony Fasano, Travis Kelce, Demetrius Harris, Richard Gordon 

PK: Cairo Santos 

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MIAMI DOLPHINS

The Miami Dolphins began preparing for their regular-season opener against the New England Patriots while they were preparing for the preseason finale against the St. Louis Rams. According to the Sports Xchange, that's not abnormal in the NFL.

And considering Miami's opponent in this case is the Patriots, who come packed with coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, an early start is essential.

"We're already working on some stuff," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said. "We're getting ready to play St. Louis this week, but New England is in the back of our minds. So we've already started some preparation watching tape, getting ready to play.

"It's going to be a big game for us."

In more ways than one.

When Miami hosts New England on Sept. 7, no matter the outcome it will be used as a gauge of how far the Dolphins have progressed since last season's tumult and changes.

This isn't about the bullying scandal and its fallout.

This is about new general manager Dennis Hickey, it's about new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and his spread-the-field, up-tempo system, it's about the revamped offensive line that includes left tackle Branden Albert, arguably the biggest prize in this year's free-agent sweepstakes, and right tackle Ja'Wuan James, the first-round pick from Tennessee.

It's also about the linebackers shell game that has last year's starters in different positions. It's about winning without starting center Mike Pouncey (hip surgery), starting safety Reshad Jones (four-game suspension) and reserve defensive end Dion Jordan (four-game suspension). And it's about the growth of Tannehill and head coach Joe Philbin, who are both 15-17 entering their third seasons.

Teams do not want to make too much of the season opener of a 16-game schedule, but, yes, this is a big game.

The question is whether the Dolphins will be prepared.

"We're getting there," Philbin said. "I like the way the guys have prepared."

Ideally, the Dolphins' offense will get up to the line of scrimmage quickly, spread the field, create mismatches with its pre-snap motion, have the ball out of Tannehill's hand and into the hands of a playmaker in a matter of seconds. Or, running back Knowshon Moreno will use his downhill style to move the chains and set up play-action.

Defensively, ideally, the Dolphins will use their aggressive defensive line to set the tone by making plays and creating the opportunity for the linebackers and secondary to make plays. And they'll greatly assist what could be an offense that struggles to score touchdowns.

If the Dolphins can defeat the Patriots it'll be a testament to everything they've done in the offseason. If not, doubt will surface.

It's a big game. But win or lose, the feeling will only last for one week.

It's imperative that the Dolphins score touchdowns and force turnovers. Field goals won't beat the Patriots. Tannehill, who has had a good training camp, needs to be sharp. No mindless interceptions, which cropped up on a few occasions in the preseason. And the wide receivers -- Mike Wallace, Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson need to set the tone by catching the ball and moving the chains.

According to 's James Walker, Wallace looks improved under Lazor and is poised to put up better numbers in 2014. Wallace told Walker he's motivated to have a big season because "I owe it to my teammates." Wallace often is the last player to leave the practice field and is putting in extra time to try to regain the edge and production he once had in Pittsburgh.

Hartline is trying to become the Dolphins' first receiver to have three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. It's a good bet. Hartline is a favorite target of Tannehill.

Meanwhile, Moreno and tight end Charles Clay, who only made one preseason appearance, should be big parts of the offense.

Clay, sidelined most of the preseason with a knee injury, appears fit and ready for the opener. Clay played in the third preseason game (Dallas) and returned to practice with no issues. Moreno hasn't missed any practice since the third exhibition game. Moreno should be fully healthy for the opener against New England.

Speaking of Moreno, Miami Herald staffer Armando Salguero reported that Lazor stopped a fairly fast-paced press conference Monday to think for a moment before answering what seemed like a routine question: What have you seen from running back Lamar Miller and what areas would you like him to improve?

"I think, I think, I think we're expecting to have more production," Lazor said.

You don't say?

As Salguero reminded readers, the Dolphins wanted Miller to be their starter this season. They wanted him to be productive. As it stands now, he's not either.

Even if Miller is the player introduced with the starters -- which he might not be -- it is clear Moreno is Miami's lead running back. Miller, who was the starter and unchallenged all preseason, has lost his job as Miami's lead back.

Why?

"I've seen lots on the practice field that tells me where we're headed with Lamar and I feel very good about his ability to be productive," Lazor said, "but if you're talking about the preseason games his production needs to improve."

In other words, when Lazor calls for Miller to carry the football, it has to go further than the 3.4 yards per carry Miller averaged in the preseason. That, compared to Moreno's 6.4 yards per carry, is what earned Miller No. 2 back duties. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Rookie receiver Jarvis Landry could be the punt returner and/or kickoff returner in the opener with Marcus Thigpen being cut. Landry doesn't have blazing speed but he has good acceleration, is elusive and has good instincts.

Dion Sims is the No. 2 tight end behind starter Charles Clay and there's a certain amount of pressure on Sims to produce. Sims, a fourth-round pick last season, will be used largely as a blocker but he needs to develop as a receiver. The Dolphins could be scouring the waiver wire all season for a better No. 2 tight end if Sims doesn't meet expectations.

Kicker Caleb Sturgis, who missed much of the preseason with an injured groin, said he Tuesday he feels "great" and that he's "ready for Sunday."

"You have to stay confident that you're going to get healthy and when you are healthy, you're going to do your job well," Sturgis added.

Philbin, when asked about Sturgis, said he's the team's "kicker right now" and expressed confidence in his ability. 

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

QB: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore 

RB: Lamar Miller, Knowshon Moreno, Damien Williams, Orleans Darkwa 

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

As St. Paul Pioneer Press staffer Brian Murphy framed it, "Dress rehearsals are finished. Roles have been cast. The curtain is about to be raised. Showtime for the 2014 Minnesota Vikings. ..."

Game planning for their Week 1 visit to St. Louis started Monday when the Vikings reassemble for practice at Winter Park following a newsy three-day break.

Roster intrigue continues as the team figures to tweak the 53-man squad after backfilling its 10-man practice unit Sunday. But the core is intact and an identity has started to take shape under first-year coach Mike Zimmer, five weeks after the Vikings reported for training camp.

Minnesota posted a 4-0 preseason record without a single carry from running back Adrian Peterson. That bodes well but guarantees nothing in the regular season. Still, the collective performance established certain expectations, such as:

Ten-year veteran Matt Cassel earned the starting job and credibility in the huddle despite a strong push by rookie Teddy Bridgewater.

Bridgewater's team-high 111.2 passer rating included five touchdown passes and an 83-yard game-winning drive in the final minute Aug. 16 against Arizona. Cassel (103.3) was equally proficient, completing 66.7 percent of his passes in three starts.

Third-stringer Christian Ponder, devalued and facing an uncertain future elsewhere, remains a viable and experienced backup.

Cassel will have to maintain high efficiency, avoid interceptions and a losing streak or the "Teddy! Teddy!" chorus is sure to become deafening.

The Vikings allowed an NFL-worst 30 points per game in 2013. They often could not get off the field on third down. And they routinely wilted in the fourth quarter.

Their vanilla preseason schemes offered a taste of exotic blitzes, roving down linemen and more aggressive pass coverage. The defense forced six turnovers, held opposing quarterbacks to a milquetoast 66.4 passer rating and allowed just 286 total yards per game.

Minnesota should be able to score enough points to contend. Success, however, hinges on its ability to stop opponents who shredded the secondary and ran the ball at will in 2013.

Special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer starts his three-game suspension Monday for making a homophobic remark during a 2012 position meeting, a team punishment that can be reduced to two games if he completes sensitivity training.

Longtime special teams coach Joe Marciano replaces Priefer on an interim basis. The unit appears to be in good hands.

Kicker Blair Walsh, who raised eyebrows when he missed a pair of field goals and an extra point in the first two games, closed the preseason strong with four field goals against Tennessee. He was 11 for 11 inside 50 yards.

Wide receivers Adam Thielen and Rodney Smith played well during the preseason, both earning jobs while veteran Jerome Simpson serves a three-game suspension for a DUI arrest.

Not only did the Vikings retain veteran fullback Jerome Felton but second-year man Zach Line as well. And they added second-year fullback/tight end MarQueis Gray, the former Gophers quarterback who was cut by Cleveland. Gray is reunited with offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who was with the Browns last season. ...

As for the game plan this week?

According to the Sports Xchange it's pretty simple, but not easy to execute. Pound the daylights out of the Rams defense with Adrian Peterson early and then beat them deep with Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings and Kyle Rudolph when the eighth and ninth defenders start to camp out in the box.

Throw in a turnover-free effort from Cassel and it should be good enough to beat a Rams team missing Sam Bradford.

Other notes of interest. ... Peterson might not see quite as many carries this season as he has the last couple, but 's Ben Goessling believes the veteran superstar could be in line for more big plays, especially in the passing game. Coaches want to convert some of Peterson's carries between the tackles to catches outside of them, and while pass protection has been one of the shakiest parts of his game in recent years, they believe he's made significant improvement in that area -- to the point where he may see more action on third downs than he has in the past.

More explosive plays could help boost his fantasy numbers after an injury-filled 2013 season.

Speaking of explosive plays, while the Vikings waited for the NFL to make a decision on whether or not to uphold Simpson's three-game suspension, they quietly were diversifying his role in their offense as part of a three-receiver package with a trio of interchangeable pieces.

The Vikings planned to move Patterson around in their offense more this season, but it was actually Simpson for whom variety was going to be an adjustment. He caught just four of his 48 passes from the slot last year, according to ESPN Stats and Information, running only 58 of his 367 routes from there.

Otherwise, Simpson was split wide, and most of the time he was split to the left, running more than half his routes from a traditional split end position.

During the preseason, though, Goessling notes the Vikings showed a newfound flexibility with their top three-receiver set (Simpson, Patterson and Jennings). During their third preseason game in Kansas City, when the Vikings' starters played almost all of the first three quarters, they ran 18 plays out of three-receiver sets, displaying impressive variety in how they lined up their three wideouts. After a brief film review, here is how the night broke down for the three:

Patterson: 9 snaps split left, 6 split right, 2 slot left, 1 slot right; Jennings: 2 snaps split left, 3 split right, 6 slot left, 7 slot right; Simpson: 5 snaps split left, 3 split right, 3 slot left, 7 slot right.

Of the three, only Patterson spent 50 percent of the Vikings' three-receiver sets in the same spot. For the preseason as a whole, Turner avoided being pigeonholed with his personnel. Simpson ran 26.5 percent of his routes from the slot during the preseason, according to , and Patterson (at 26.0 percent) saw nearly the same percentage. Jennings got 58.7 percent of his routes in the slot, but the 30-year-old has done much of his work from there during his career. Now that Simpson has added slot receiver work to his game -- following the increased diversity Patterson saw late last season -- the Vikings have three players they can feel comfortable moving across the field.

Or they will when Simpson returns. ...

Of greater interest, according to PFF's Mike Clay, the Vikings' first-team offense worked 92 plays during the preseason. Patterson was in on 90. 

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

QB: Matt Cassel, Teddy Bridgewater, Christian Ponder 

RB: Adrian Peterson, Matt Asiata, Jerick McKinnon 

RB: Jerome Felton 

WR: Cordarrelle Patterson, Greg Jennings, Jarius Wright, Rodney Smith, Adam Thielen, Jerome Simpson 

TE: Kyle Rudolph, Rhett Ellison, MarQueis Gray 

PK: Blair Walsh 

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

One day after New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski pronounced himself ready to return, Bill Belichick reminded him it will be the coach's decision.

"With all due respect to Rob, I'm glad he feels the way he does," Belichick said during a conference call Tuesday. "But, in the end, we'll have to make the decision that we feel is best for the team and we'll do that as we go through the week."

As Associated Press sports writer Jimmy Golen understated, Belichick keeps a tight lid on information in Foxboro -- especially when it concerns injuries. So it was surprising when Gronkowski told reporters Monday he was "super excited" to be returning this week -- before Belichick said anything of the sort.

"It's going to be an honor to be back out there with my teammates. Super pumped, super excited and just preparing for the game," he said. "It just feels good in my mind to know that I'll be out there with my boys, working hard, grinding with them, being out there."

Gronkowski said he was just getting it out of the way because he figured he'd be asked about it all week.

Not so fast.

"Well, I'm glad that Rob's optimistic about his situation," Belichick said. "We'll go through the week of practice and take a look at everything, everybody and see where everybody is at and do what we feel like is best for the team."

A two-time Pro Bowl selection who has set receiving records for tight ends, Gronkowski was injured in the 11th game of the 2012 season when he broke his arm blocking for a late, meaningless extra point. He appeared in seven games last season, catching 39 passes, four for touchdowns, before tearing up his right knee, both the ACL and MCL, on Dec. 8 against the Cleveland Browns.

Asked if he feels ready, Gronkowski, who has 226 catches with 42 touchdowns in 50 regular-season games, told reporters: "Definitely. I feel mentally and physically ready, for sure, no doubt about it."

"Just the way we just worked throughout all camp and the last few weeks, everything's just been going well," Gronkowski added. "There's been no setbacks, just more and more (work) every single day.

"Now I just have to focus on the Miami Dolphins, just keep focusing on getting better and getting stronger."

Gronkowski conceded he doesn't expect to play "every single snap" Sunday, but is ready for "whatever the coaches have."

"It's been long and tiring for sure," he said. "But you just got to be patient and everything comes along well. That's the way I've been -- just keep working hard and it will all come."

"Rob has been practicing, and we've been doing some different things, building our offensive system and packages as we go throughout the course of the year. He's been a part of that," offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. "Whatever we can or are available to use him to do -- however big, small, whatever the decision is at the end of the week -- and he'll be ready to do it."

It might be worth noting the Patriots are 6-0 all-time when Gronkowski plays against the Dolphins, but Miami has kept him in some check of late. Gronkowski's last two games against Miami resulted in a total of only four catches.

Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said his team was "fully prepared" for a Gronkowski sighting.

"He's an excellent player," Philbin said Monday. "He's been a very, very productive player throughout his career. We'll have a good plan in place, but he's certainly an important part of their offense, and a productive part of it. We'll be ready for him, for sure."

For the record, Gronkowski was in attendance at Wednesday's practice and participating fully in the limited drills the media was there to observe.

Belichick's desire to keep a lid on things notwithstanding, fantasy owners should head into the weekend with the expectation Gronk will go. They should also have their backup plan in place. The Patriots have an early Sunday kickoff leaving most of us plenty of options.

I'll obviously be following the situation closely; those interested will want to watch the Late-Breaking Updates section for more. ...

The season opener is always a bit of an unknown in terms of game plans. New seasons, new players, new coaches and new ideas make planning for an opponent an immense uncertainty.

As the Sports Xchange notes, offensively, the Patriots dabbled with two-back sets throughout the summer. Although they used the scheme with a variety of personnel, a pairing of passing backs Shane Vereen and rookie James White could certainly put a strain on Miami's linebacker group, a team weakness a year ago.

But anything the Patriots do on offense will start with the new-look offensive line and how it deals with the Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon-led Dolphins defensive front. That could include some extra bodies in protection, even the use of an extra offensive lineman at tight end.

In a related note, 's Mike Reiss reports the Patriots are planning to use Vereen more this season than they have in the past (24.7 percent of the offensive snaps last season; 12.7 percent in 2012; 1.9 percent in 2011). The Patriots are a game-plan offense, and will vary their attack on a weekly basis, but the sense Reiss gets from those around the team is Vereen is going to be the type of player who will have a significant role in almost every plan. ...

Other notes of interest. ... TE Michael Hoomanawanui (knee) remained in Foxboro for the preseason finale, missing his fourth game of the preseason to the injury. The backup tight end has returned to practice on a limited basis, but his status for the opener remains uncertain.

Last week, the Patriots traded veteran guard Logan Mankins to Tampa Bay for tight end Tim Wright, who has been added to provide depth.

Wright made his New England debut in New York just two days after joining the Patriots via trade from the Bucs. Wright saw plenty of reps, catching four passes for 43 yards and showing solid athleticism.

"So far, he's been working hard. It's been great seeing him improving every single day, learning everything, and it's always fun with a new guy that wants to work hard," Gronkowski said.

Receiver Aaron Dobson made his preseason debut against the Giants as he works back from offseason foot surgery. The second-year second-round pick caught three passes in New York for 57 yards, including a nice 33-yard touchdown. He did show plenty of rust, though.

The Patriots seemed destined to jettison backup quarterback Ryan Mallett long before finishing the job Sunday in a deal that sent the fourth-year player to the Houston Texans for a conditional seventh-round pick.

And while it all was inspired by the arrival of Jimmy Garoppolo -- the largest takeaway from Sunday's move -- the trade also represents Mallett's low appeal in a quarterback starved league and how Belichick will go to whatever length possible to derive value from a player who no longer had a future with his team.

According to the Boston Herald, Mallett was dangled as bait to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills before eventually being dealt to the Texans. The Texans, who might have been anticipating the Patriots' release of Mallett in the cut down to 53 players Saturday, were forced to fork over a seventh round pick to acquire him.

Remember: Garoppolo obviously beat out Mallett in training camp to be the Patriots' top backup quarterback. Mallett finished 14 of 26 passing (53.8 percent) for 161 yards and one touchdown. He had an 85.6 quarterback rating. Meanwhile, Garoppolo was 46 of 79 passing (58.2 percent) for 618 yards, with five touchdowns and an interception. He had a 99.0 quarterback rating. And it was obvious despite being a rookie that Garoppolo had a comfort level that Mallett just didn't show on the field. He only improved over time, something Mallett did not do. 

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

QB: Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo 

RB: Shane Vereen, James White, Stevan Ridley, Brandon Bolden, James Develin 

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

TE: Rob Gronkowski, Tim Wright, Michael Hoomanawanui 

PK: Stephen Gostkowski 

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Even though his team failed in a bid to post the first undefeated preseason in franchise history, head coach Sean Payton is pleased about where they stand going into the regular season.

Dropping a 22-13 decision to the Baltimore Ravens in a preseason finale in which Drew Brees and many other starters didn't even get on the field, while the first-teamers who did played very little, is the least of Payton's worries.

About the only thing Payton is worried about is a handful of injuries that could linger into the regular season, which begins Sept. 7 against the archrival Atlanta Falcons in the Georgia Dome.

Brees probably will be 100 percent after missing two weeks of training camp practices and the first two preseason games because of a strained left oblique muscle.

Free safety Jairus Byrd and cornerback Champ Bailey both returned from injuries to get some playing time with their new teammates in the secondary.

That's the good news. The bad news is injuries to two projected starters on offense, fullback Erik Lorig and wide receiver Kenny Stills.

Lorig sustained an undisclosed injury in the Black and Gold Scrimmage on Aug. 2 and has not practiced since, while Stills re-injured a quadriceps muscle in the first training camp practice and aggravated it in his only preseason appearance on Aug. 23.

Payton said two weeks ago that Lorig probably won't be back until after the regular season begins and Stills, who was a hit as a rookie last season, could miss some time as well depending on the severity of his injury. I'll have more on both players via Late-Breaking Update as the week progresses.

On the field, the Saints go into the regular season with high hopes after accomplishing their biggest off-season goal increasing their takeaway total even if it was only in preseason.

Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan preached it from the first day of off-season workouts after they ranked 29th in the NFL with only 19 last season including only four in the last 11 games counting the playoffs.

In the four preseason games, they had at least one turnover in their last three games and a total of nine to tie for the league lead including five in a 31-24 win against the Tennessee Titans in their second outing.

That helped them lead the NFL in takeaway-giveaway ratio at plus-6.

Now, they have to see if they can do it in the regular season.

While the passing game is their stock in trade, the Saints may try to rely a little more on a ground game they hope is markedly better than the past two seasons with their backfield-by-committee approach. Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson and Pierre Thomas will all contribute with Ingram leading the way.

One of the keys is having Ingram healthy for a full season. He averaged 5.8 yards a carry in the final nine games of 2013 and will be complemented by Robinson, a find as an undrafted free agent last year, and Thomas, a steady vet who's been a tough runner and a superb receiver especially on screens.

According to 's Mike Clay, the Saints called a pass on 90 percent of Thomas' 28 preseason snaps. Clay added: "It's not inconceivable to think Thomas will improve on his position-high 77 receptions from a year ago. Just don't be surprised if his adjusted role leads to fewer than 100 carries. ..."

Indeed, as the Sports Xchange suggests, the Saints have to generate a more imposing running game if they want to get deeper into the playoffs. They ranked 25th in rushing the past two seasons, averaging 98.6 yards per game in 2012 and 92.1 a year ago, so getting more production especially if they can get off to a good start in the opener could provide the confidence they need to carry them throughout the season.

Other notes of interest. ... The Saints terminated the contract of wide receiver Robert Meachem last weekend but re-signed the veteran on Wednesday. Meachem, who caught 16 passes for 324 yards in his return to the Saints, had his finest season in 2009 when he had 45 receptions for 722 yards while helping the Saints win their first Super Bowl.

Meachem will reside at the bottom of the depth chart led by nine-year veteran Marques Colston and four youngsters second-year pro Stills, rookie Brandin Cooks, three-year veteran Nick Toon and Jose Morgan for Brees to throw to.

And while we've all heard plenty of hype about Cooks, and perhaps Stills, 's Mike Triplett advised readers not to expect a steep decline in fantasy production from Colston. He's talked all summer about feeling healthier than he has in two years, calling it a "totally different ballgame," and he's still a full-time starter who was targeted six times in the first quarter by Brees last week, including a touchdown catch.

Armed with a new four-year contract, Jimmy Graham ready to be the All-Pro he was last season when he had 86 receptions for 1,215 yards and an NFL-leading 16 TDs all despite playing the final 10 games with a plantar fascia injury.

Brees, by the way, has four 5,000-yard passing seasons. He's reached that threshold each of the last three seasons. Only four other quarterbacks (Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Matthew Stafford and Dan Marino) have reached that mark all just once.

And finally. ... The Saints wound up re-signing veteran kicker Shayne Graham on Tuesday after releasing him three days earlier. To make room, they waived second-year quarterback Ryan Griffin. It's unclear if that was a planned procedural move all along, but it would make sense if the Saints wanted to avoid having the promising young Griffin get snatched away by another quarterback-needy team.

Graham, 36, ultimately beat out younger challenger Derek Dimke for the Saints' kicking job this summer. Although both of them showed some inconsistency throughout training camp, Payton continued to express faith in both candidates. Graham made all four of his field-goal attempts in the preseason but missed one of the experimental 33-yard extra-point attempts in Week 1. 

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

QB: Drew Brees, Luke McCown 

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

FB: Erik Lorig, Austin Johnson 

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

TE: Jimmy Graham, Ben Watson, Josh Hill 

PK: Shayne Graham 

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NEW YORK GIANTS

As New York Daily News staffer Ebenezer Samuel framed it this week, "Eli Manning will enter the Giants' practice facility, and he'll sit down with offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo. For the first time in a relationship that began just a few months ago, the quarterback and his guru will begin preparing to face the Detroit Lions next week in a game that will actually count. ..."

Even Manning can't wait to see how things will go.

"I'm curious about the whole process with talking to him," Manning said recently. "Getting his thoughts on the week, on what we want to try to do. What plays we like and what we're thinking, what we're going to try to do and just seeing how the week goes from third downs to green zone."

Manning isn't the only one who wants to see how the Manning-McAdoo dynamic plays out in 2014. For nearly a month now, the Giants have been claiming that their offense is better than it looked during their well-chronicled preseason nightmare, and one of the key reasons players repeatedly noted was game-planning.

Sure, Manning completed zero passes in one preseason game and threw for zero yards in another. But all of that will change, said the Giants' preseason rhetoric, the moment the team's offensive minds begin tailoring their game plans to individual opponents.

Now is that time. Throughout the spring and summer, it's been a feeling-out process for a two-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback and an offensive coordinator who'd never called an NFL play. Manning was focused on learning another offense, and McAdoo had to concentrate on teaching an entire team.

Manning said he believes he'll spend portions of the next three days working closely with McAdoo, although he stressed the Giants attack is the coordinator's, not his own.

Manning and McAdoo's real relationship begins this week.

"It is (McAdoo's) offense in a sense," Manning told Samuel. "I think Coach McAdoo does a good job of asking me and asking all the quarterbacks what they like, the plays that we feel the most comfortable with or think is good."

Manning added that, while it didn't show on the stat sheet, he liked his in-game interactions with McAdoo in the preseason.

"He's been good getting the plays in quickly, getting it to the quarterback we can get in the huddle, get on the line of scrimmage and see everything," Manning said. "I think he's been decisive, has had a plan and stuck to it, and it's been good."

But as Samuel stressed, everyone knows that it must get better, and Manning -- and everyone in the organization -- believes things will begin to improve, and the game plan could be key. They haven't worked together on it yet, but Manning can't wait.

"I think I have a decent idea about it with training camp and everything going by," he said. "But it will be interesting to see how things will flow this week."

Everyone will await the results next Monday night.

In the meantime, Manning is focusing on the things the Giants' offense did well in the preseason, and choosing to build on those.

"I think we've been running the ball well," Manning said. "I think we need to get better in the passing attack, finding completions, hitting some big plays down the field. But we've been doing that in practice, so we've made some strides and made some plays, and we just have to keep protecting the ball and playing smart. We've gotten ourselves into some pretty good third-down situations as of late. We've just got to convert them."

Given that, 's Dan Graziano suggests it's not hard to imagine a plan in which the Giants get things started this season with a run-heavy offensive game plan whose emphasis is on limiting turnovers, then build a passing game off of that as the season goes along.

Not that they would admit to something like that, but it might make sense since they feel good about their defense and the ability of their offensive line to at least block the run.

"I have been practicing and I know exactly what we are capable of," wide receiver Victor Cruz said, when asked his reasons for optimism. "I know all of the things we've implemented that are beneficial to us and can benefit us on game day, and I'm excited to put that to the test come Monday Night."

For the record, the Giants' rushing game is showing marked improvement over last year by averaging 134.6 yards per game, but the passing game is not a pretty sight.

The Giants' passing offense finished the preseason ranked 28th at 179.6 yards per game. Manning, who is expected to complete 70 percent of his passes in this new offense, finished preseason with a dismal 48.8 completion percentage and a woeful 70 passer rating.

The problem, of course, is the Lions defense finished the preseason giving up the fourth-fewest average rushing yards per game to opponents, 81.5 yards per game. That doesn't bode well for an offensive attack that right now seems to be one-dimensional and which would appear to be vulnerable to being shut down.

The Lions will almost certainly try to key in on stopping the Giants' rushing tandem of Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams, and will challenge Manning and company to beat them in the air.

Other notes of interest. ... According to Graziano, fantasy owners shouldn't worry about Williams stealing carries from Jennings. Giants coaches have told Graziano that Williams is still a bit too raw for them to count on him extensively, at least at the beginning of the season, and that Jennings should factor significantly into the passing game and be their workhorse ball carrier when the regular season begins.

Rookie Odell Beckham's recovery from a hamstring injury continues to move slowly. With just three more practices before next Monday night's tilt with the Detroit Lions, Beckham likely would need to practice Thursday, Friday and Saturday to be cleared in time for Week 1. Head coachTom Coughlin doesn't sound hopeful:

"I doubt that very much," Coughlin said Monday, per Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. "He may be a couple, three weeks away."

In a draft class littered with intriguing talent at the wideout spot, Beckham has failed to make an impact this summer. At this point, the Giants are wise to take their time and get the first-rounder healthy before putting him into games that count. ...

The Giants placed starting guard Geoff Schwartz (toe) on injured reserve with a designation to return on Wednesday. He is out until after Week 8. The team added former 49ers lineman Adam Snyder to provide some depth up front. ...

One last note. ... Linebacker John Beason remains on schedule to be in the starting lineup on Sept. 8 after spending the entire summer on the PUP list while recovering from a broken foot. The eight-year veteran, who will wear special orthotics to protect his feet moving forward, told the NFL Network that he was able to do all the movements required in football without any issues. 

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

QB: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib 

RB: Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Peyton Hillis 

RB: Henry Hynoski 

WR: Victor Cruz, Rueben Randle, Jerrel Jernigan, Corey Washington, Preston Parker, Odell Beckham 

TE: Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Adrien Robinson 

PK: Josh Brown 

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NEW YORK JETS

As the Sports Xchange pointed out this week, head coach Rex Ryan is in an unfamiliar position as he heads into his sixth season as the head coach of the New York Jets.

With quarterback Geno Smith entrenching himself as the starter and a reliable ground-and-pound offense, Ryan finally has an offense he can rely upon and a defense filled with question marks.

Of course, the ever-optimistic Ryan doesn't see it that way. As far as he*s concerned, the gaping holes at cornerback are merely opportunities waiting to be seized by players who are going to step up their games once the regular season starts Sept. 7.

"We have given up our share this preseason for sure," Ryan said during a conference call on Friday.

As the Xchange suggested, that's putting it charitably.

The Jets were torched through the air throughout the exhibition season, during which they gave up 886 yards passing, eight touchdowns and surrendered an average of 6.4 yards per pass while intercepting only two passes.

The final totals were somewhat inflated by the Jets giving up 292 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday's 37-7 loss to Philadelphia.

Then again, the Jets used the exhibition finale as an audition of sorts as they search for depth at cornerback, which has been ravaged by injuries to projected starter Dee Milliner and promising rookie Dexter McDougle.

Not to mention the bizarre is-he-AWOL-or-is-he-not absence of veteran Dimitri Patterson.

In addition, the Jets gave up more passing yardage with each successive game, from 163 yards against Indianapolis on Aug 7 to 211 against Cincinnati on Aug. 22 and 220 against the Giants on Aug. 21.

And they were torched equally by starters (the Bengals' Andy Dalton was a perfect 8-for-8) and reserves (the Giants' Ryan Nassib went 8-for-12 for 103 yards) alike.

"I think when our guys get out there, I think we'll be fine," Ryan said.

Whomever is out there at cornerback against Oakland and veterans Kyle Wilson and Ellis Lankster seem to be the most likely choices by default will surely be challenged early and often by rookie Derek Carr.

"They throw the ball deep, as everybody knows," Ryan said of the Raiders. "That's been their M.O. for years, and they still keep to that tradition.

"So that's kind of their blueprint, so we are definitely going to be tested the first week."

And for 15 more weeks after that.

It is worth noting, however, that Smith began his resurgence against the Raiders last Dec. 8, when he threw for 219 yards and one touchdown. The Raiders still appear vulnerable to the pass, so expect offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to dial up plenty of opportunities for Smith and new No. 1 receiver Eric Decker.

Meanwhile, as 's Rich Cimini notes, Chris Johnson is the Jets running back with game-breaking potential -- but this isn't Tennessee, where Johnson averaged 21.2 touches per game for his career. In New York, Johnson will share the workload with Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell, with Ivory likely the primary option in the red zone. ...

Other notes of interest. ... The wide receiver corps looked a lot deeper in June than it does in September. Decker isn't a true No. 1 receiver, but the Jets' upgraded quarterback play gives him a legitimate chance to become the first Jets wideout with 1,000 yards since Jerricho Cotchery in 2007.Jeremy Kerley is a perfectly solid slot receiver. David Nelson, signed off the street last fall, is a terrific red-zone target and team leader.

But Decker, Kerley and Nelson better stay healthy, because there's not much behind them.

Greg Salas emerged from the back of the pack to win a job with an impressive training camp, but he has 35 catches in three NFL seasons spent between three different teams. Saalim Hakim, who doesn't have a regular-season catch, will likely serve only as a kick returner while Jalen Saunders, who was hospitalized after a bizarre "medical incident" while driving to the Jets' complex in August, is probably ticketed for punt return duties. The Jets picked up Walter Powell on waivers on Labor Day.

Also according to Cimini, there's a lot riding on rookie Jace Amaro, who will be asked at times to line up as a traditional tight end -- something he didn't do in college. Jeff Cumberland is way behind after missing three weeks with an Achilles' injury. They're missing a hard-nosed blocker at the point of attack. 

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

QB: Geno Smith, Michael Vick 

RB: Chris Johnson, Chris Ivory, Bilal Powell 

RB: Tommy Bohanon 

WR: Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley, David Nelson, Jalen Saunders, Greg Salas, Saalim Hakim, Jalen Saunders, Walter Powell 

TE: Jeff Cumberland, Jace Amaro, Zach Sudfeld 

PK: Nick Folk 

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OAKLAND RAIDERS

As Associated Press sports writer Josh Dubow noted, Derek Carr used an impressive preseason to put himself on the fast track to becoming an NFL starter, beating out Matt Schaub for the No. 1 quarterback role on the Oakland Raiders heading into the season opener Sunday against the New York Jets.

But having watched his brother, David Carr, go from No. 1 overall pick and rookie starter to being run out of Houston, Derek Carr knows well to heed the advice from offensive coordinator Greg Olson that getting the opening day start is just the beginning.

"As [Olson] says, 'Don't let this moment be your best moment as an NFL moment,"' Carr said. "Just being told you're a starting quarterback and then everything else is downhill after that. We want to make more great moments but it was definitely a great thing. It definitely was."

Carr joins his older brother, David, as rookies to start in the season opener. According to STATS, they are the only brothers to do that since at least 1950. David won his debut for the expansion Houston Texans against Dallas in 2002 but never developed into the quarterback the Texans were hoping for when they picked him first overall.

Derek Carr, a second-round pick out of Fresno State in May, looks to have more success as he becomes the 18th starting quarterback for the Raiders since the start of the 2003 season.

Carr played well in the preseason, completing 66.7 percent of his passes with four touchdowns, one interception and a 108.2 passer rating. He showed the strong arm needed to stretch the field, completing 11 of 18 passes more than 10 yards downfield for 234 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.

He sealed the starting job when he threw three TD passes in the exhibition finale against Seattle last week.

"I really wasn't thinking about being the starter, being the backup," Carr said. "I was really focused on learning the offense the best that I could so that way, when I got out on the field, whenever that time was, I could help this team win. Because that's all I care about, the Raiders winning."

In an odd bit of coincidence, it was Schaub who replaced David Carr as starter in Houston in 2007, ending a disappointing tenure with the Texans that began when David Carr was picked first overall in 2002 to be the cornerstone of the expansion franchise.

David Carr had a rough going in the NFL as he was hampered by an expansion team that struggled to protect him. Carr was sacked 249 times in five seasons, including an NFL-record 76 as a rookie in 2002.

David Carr has been a mentor for his younger brother throughout his career, teaching him how to be an NFL quarterback both on and off the field. David also could give some advice for how to deal with Rex Ryan's defense, having played against Ryan's teams several times as a pro.

"He's got a great blitz package," Derek Carr said. "He has obviously a lot of different looks that he'll show. Me being a rookie he'll probably want to show them all."

Carr also credits Schaub for helping his development the past few months. He said Schaub congratulated him after hearing the news and has been a helpful sounding board during preparation for the opener.

But this wasn't how Schaub envisioned his career in Oakland starting. He had been immediately anointed the starter after arriving in March and still had that role just a week ago.

But Carr eventually forced the hands of the coaching staff to make the change. Schaub said he was surprised by the move but would do his best to be a good teammate.

"I'm definitely disappointed but it wouldn't do me or the team any good if I just stood here and felt sorry for myself," he said. "I only know how to handle things one way. That's to move forward and stay productive and get myself ready each day so I'm prepared if called upon."

According to 's Chris Wesseling, this is a move the Raiders had to make. If the 2013 game film suggested that Schaub's days as an effective starting quarterback were behind him, the preseason tape slammed that idea home with authority.

Allen was forced to acknowledge what he outright denied less than 10 days ago: Schaub's arm strength is simply not NFL-caliber right now.

Whereas Schaub cannot throw convincingly beyond 10 yards, Carr was 11-of-18 for 234 yards and three touchdowns on preseason throws over 10 yards, per .

Worth noting. ... Carr connected with wide receiver Denarius Moore three times for 57 yards, including touchdown strikes of 36 and 11 yards and a third-down conversion over Seattle star cornerback Richard Sherman.

No lock to make the team in the early days of camp, Moore finished strongly and his connection with Carr could end up being the reason he ended up sticking on the 53-man roster.

"If he's not in with me, I'm like, 'Bro, when you're in, you help me look good. Can you get back in there?'" Carr said. "He's someone that I trust and I feel good going to."

Meanwhile, the Sports Xchange suggests the good news about making Carr the starting quarterback is the possibility of an escape from the Jets defense with the occasional first-down scramble.

With that in mind, expect Olson to get Carr to the perimeter when possible, limiting his options instead of having to survey the field and advising him to throw the ball away rather than force something and get a turnover. With a rookie quarterback, or even with Schaub, the Raiders were going to rely heavily on defense anyway. ...

Other notes of interest. ... While the coaching staff has praised Darren McFadden's explosiveness this camp, it appears that Raiders will go with Maurice Jones-Drew as the primary back. But 's Bill Williamson advises readers that McFadden could still be a factor, as coaches feel that if he can stay fresh and healthy, he can make an impact as he did when the Raiders had Michael Bush with him in the backfield.

In a related note. ... Running back Latavius Murray, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve with a foot injury, has become the answer to the question "What do the Raiders do if Jones-Drew and McFadden get hurt?"

Murray, 6-3, 225 pounds, has both breakaway speed and the power to break tackles. He had 41 yards in eight carries, most against the first-team Seattle defense, in the preseason finale and has been one of the pleasant surprises of training camp and the preseason.

He scored Oakland's first touchdown on a 5-yard run.

Head coach Dennis Allen, who conceded he wasn't sure what the Raiders had in Murray because he got hurt so early in camp as a rookie, said, "I really like what I saw out of Latavius Murray and I like what I've seen all of camp. I think with him, MJD and Darren McFadden, that's a pretty good backfield."

And finally. ... As expected, tight end David Ausberry is back to practice after being out for several weeks. He is the team's No. 2 tight end. Tight end might be the Raiders' thinnest spot, so Ausberry has a big role. 

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

QB: Derek Carr, Matt Schaub, Matt McGloin 

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

FB: Marcel Reece, Jamize Olawale 

WR: Rod Streater, James Jones, Andre Holmes, Denarius Moore, Brice Butler 

TE: Mychal Rivera, David Ausberry, Brian Leonhardt 

PK: Sebastian Janikowski 

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

LeSean McCoy holds eight Philadelphia Eagles team records, is a two-time All-Pro, and already declared to the world that he's the best running back in the NFL.

According to Associated Press sports writer Rob Maaddi, McCoy thinks he can do more.

"There's different things that I can get better at," McCoy told Maaddi. "A lot of players, they hide it because they get to a certain level where they feel they're so good. I don't hide it. If I have a bad game, I'll sit here and tell you I had a bad game. That's something I try to get better at. I want to be elite all the time. Not just Sundays, every day."

Anyone who paid attention to McCoy during training camp knows he wants to run for 2,000 yards this season. His obsession with that number is partly due to a promotional campaign for Bounce dryer sheets, but for McCoy the lofty goal isn't a gimmick.

"Who wouldn't like to do it?" McCoy said. "But I just like to have fun with it. I let the media and all the fans really react to it, and the fantasy people. But the biggest thing is winning. That's what I want to do. That's the main goal."

McCoy will start his quest for 2,000 against a run defense that was fourth worst in the NFL last year when the Eagles host the Jaguars in the season opener Sunday. You won't hear him complain if he doesn't get enough carries.

As Maaddi reminded readers, head coach Chip Kelly has zero tolerance for players who put individual goals ahead of the team. Just ask DeSean Jackson, the three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who was released after having the best season of his career. Jackson had a reputation for pouting if he wasn't happy with his receptions, even if the team won.

"All we care about is winning football games," Kelly said. "We've never been driven by individual statistics and [McCoy] understands that. But if you ask him if he'd rather win a football game and run for 50 yards, I think he would be the first to tell you that than run for 200 yards and lose a football game. He'll tell you he'd rather run for 50 and win a game."

Still, McCoy set a franchise record with 1,607 yards rushing last year, surpassing Wilbert Montgomery's 1,512 in 1979. His 2,146 yards from scrimmage also were a team record. He led the NFL in both categories, the first Eagles player to do so since Hall of Famer Steve Van Buren in 1947.

His most impressive feat came in a win over Detroit on Dec. 8 when he plowed through 8 inches of snow for a team-record 217 yards. He had four 150-yard games last season while no other back in the league had more than one.

But McCoy was held to 60 yards or less six times. So he's right about improving. He needs more consistency.

"Sometimes I get wrapped up in my God-gifted ability instead of actually doing the fundamental things," McCoy said. "Reading my keys, all the small things that you get away with because of your natural talent. But sometimes if you let the play develop and then use the other stuff, it makes me better."

Kelly is tough on his star player. He also says McCoy can take his game to a higher level.

"He can do everything better," Kelly said. "He can do a better job in pass protection, he can do a better job in short-yardage situations, he can do a better job in eliminating negative plays where maybe the hole is not exactly there, but second-and-9 is better than second-and-14."

McCoy isn't afraid to voice opinions that may offend others. He publicly trash-talked with Osi Umenyiora and dissed Knowshon Moreno on social media. He said he's better than Vikings star Adrian Peterson and wouldn't backtrack after the 2012 NFL MVP laughed at the comment.

Peterson has run for 4,333 yards and 34 touchdowns since 2011. McCoy has 3,756 yards rushing and 28 TDs. But McCoy has a big edge in receiving with 154 receptions for 1,227 yards and eight TDs. Peterson has 87 catches for 527 yards and two TDs.

"Check the numbers," McCoy said. "I do everything: running, catching, blocking, third-down guy, mixing in and out. There's nothing that if you ask me to do, I won't do or can't do. In the last three years, I don't think there's a back that's more productive."

Remember: McCoy has had a rough preseason. He has suffered injuries to a toe and a thumb. It's not clear whether either of these injuries will hinder him in the season-opener.

In a related note. ... The Eagles averaged a league-high 5.1 yards per carry last season. 's Mike Clay notes that this year, they averaged a preseason-best 5.3.

In another related note. ... Kelly's fertile mind has been working double time since the Eagles traded for Darren Sproles during the offseason. As 's Phil Sheridan notes, Sproles was a terrific fantasy player in New Orleans and, while Kelly keeps emphasizing that Sproles is a running back and not a receiver, the expectation is Sproles will be just as versatile and productive with the Eagles while playing a dual role.

In one last running-back-related note: Chris Polk did not play at all in the preseason after tearing his hamstring on the second day of training camp. He wasn't able to go last week in the final preseason tuneup against the Jets. But Kelly has indicated he will be ready to go for Sunday's game. Polk is the team's No. 3 RB behind McCoy and Sproles.

Polk and Riley Cooper (ankle) are both practicing fully this week.

Also of interest. ... Nick Foles threw 27 touchdown passes and only two interceptions last year, setting an NFL record for best TD/interception ratio. Foles completed 64 percent of his regular-season passes for 2,891 yards and his passer rating of 119.2 was the third-highest ever. He tied an NFL record with seven touchdown passes in his ninth career starts at Oakland on Nov. 3.

Now, everyone is wondering what he'll do for an encore.

Donovan McNabb, the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback who had his No. 5 retired by the Eagles last season, isn't convinced Foles is the real deal just yet. McNabb, currently an analyst for Fox, expressed that view in a radio interview in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

"I really can't answer that at this particular point, but if I had to give a take, I would say no," McNabb said when asked if he thinks Foles is a franchise QB. "I think what he will do, he won't do what he did last year, that just won't happen. I see him more being a 25 touchdown, maybe 8, maybe 10 interception guy."

Foles didn't flinch when he was asked about McNabb's comment.

"Everybody is entitled to their opinion. I haven't earned anything yet," Foles said after practice. "It's a week-to-week thing. My job is to go out there and play to the best of my ability."

Foles threw two interceptions in the preseason opener at Chicago and one more the following game at New England.

The critics and the skeptics raised their eyebrows when they saw that. Foles just shrugged it off.

"For me as player, I'm very critical," Foles said. "I think it's very important not to get complacent with your preparation and how you review yourself."

Kelly said everyone practiced Tuesday except receiver Josh Huff (shoulder) and OL Matt Tobin (ankle). Nolan Carroll, not Sproles, would return kickoffs if Huff can't play vs. Jacksonville. ...

One last note here. ... Cody Parkey will be the Eagles' new kicker. He beat out Alex Henery. Henery was a career 86 percent field goal kicker, but was inconsistent on kicks over 45 yards and had one of the league's poorest touchback percentages on kickoffs. Parkey led the NCAA in touchback percentage last year at Auburn. 

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

QB: Nick Foles, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley 

RB: LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles, Chris Polk 

WR: Riley Cooper, Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews, Josh Huff, Brad Smith, Jeff Maehl 

TE: Zach Ertz, Brent Celek, James Casey, Trey Burton 

PK: Cody Parkey 

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS

The Steelers showed little evidence in their four preseason games why they should be considered contenders in the AFC North this season.

They completed their practice schedule by getting shut out 10-0 by the Carolina Panthers Thursday, the first time in 22 years they could not score in an exhibition game. Coupled with last year's 0-4 preseason, it is only the second time they've strung together losing preseasons since they made it four in a row 1993-1996.

According to the Sports Xchange, no one is panicking over the record and it seemed it was head coach Mike Tomlin's intent not to show a whole lot in the preseason. They did so on offense for one game, their second, against Buffalo and little before or after. Their defense has not played very well at all.

It is the defense that raises some cause for concern because it has so many young players who have not yet done much or very much in the NFL. Rookie Ryan Shazier will become the first linebacker to start on opening day in 26 years. Last year's No. 1 pick, Jarvis Jones, had a poor rookie season but has at least shown some flashes in the preseason.

Even two of their better starters, defensive end Cam Heyward and linebacker Jason Worilds, have really only produced for half a season in the NFL last year. Other than Heyward, their line looks weak, one reason they re-signed end Brett Keisel, who turns 36 in September.

"There's a lot of work to be done," Keisel said after joining the defensive line for his 13th season. "There are technique things that need to be ironed out, there are mental assignments that need to be corrected."

Things should be different on offense, where quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will run plenty of no-huddle in the prime of his career and with a better line, better running game and, they hope, a good receiving corps. There is a sense in Pittsburgh that for the Steelers to win, their offense must carry the day, at least early in the season while the youngsters get their footing.

Meanwhile, despite hints of team-imposed punishments for Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount, their status for Week 1 is secure.

Tomlin confirmed as much Tuesday, telling reporters that his top two running backs will be in uniform against the Browns on Sunday.

Tomlin refused to say if the duo will be punished in another way, but don't hold your breath. Bell and Blount were pulled over by police last month and charged with marijuana possession, just hours before the team was scheduled to fly to play the Eagles.

"Everything's on the table," Tomlin said in August when asked how the runners might be dealt with.

Look for Bell to earn the majority of Sunday's snaps with Blount seeing short-yardage and goal-line work against Mike Pettine's defense.

But at his weekly news conference Tomlin said he does not necessarily see Bell having to accept a reduced role after averaging just over 20 touches per game last season.

When asked if he could see Bell getting 20 to 25 touches a game this season, Tomlin said, "I think we drafted him with that in mind."

Of course, as 's Scott Brown notes, the Steelers drafted Bell before they added Blount, who may be the most talented runner on the roster, and the ultra-fast Dri Archer this offseason.

The backfield is a little more crowded this season.

But Bell's versatility will help the Steelers keep him heavily involved with offense while also taking advantage of Blount and Archer, who they will try to get the ball in space.

Bell caught 45 passes in 13 games as a rookie, and his receptions should rise this season. If Bell also averages around the 17.2 carries he received per game in 2013 he could get well over 300 touches this season provided the former second-round pick stays healthy. ...

When the Steelers go to the air, Tomlin told reporters that he expects starting wideout Antonio Brown to be shadowed by Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden.

That's exactly what the Steelers saw last year when Haden allowed Brown to haul in five targets for 80 yards a touchdown in Week 12. Based on what we've seen from Cleveland's limited offense, allowing more than one score to Pittsburgh might be enough to short-circuit Pettine's coaching debut.

The overall situation at wideout is pretty simple: Brown, one of the lesser-appreciated elite NFL players, and a lot of question marks.

Can Markus Wheaton, who has only six career catches, provide enough of a threat to prevent two-man coverage on Brown? Can Lance Moore effectively replace slot receiver Jerricho Cotchery and his 10 touchdown catches? Can Darrius Heyward-Bey translate all that downhill speed into some downfield catches? Can rookie Martavis Bryant's red-zone success in practice translate into games?

Don't think Roethlisberger isn't wondering all of above -- although Wheaton seems to be on the rise.

After disappearing down the stretch of an injury-riddled first season in Pittsburgh, Wheaton's strong camp left longtime beat writer Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to call the team's new "X" wideout a "more accomplished route-runner" than former Steelers deep threat Mike Wallace.

Roethlisberger promised reporters last month that Wheaton "doesn't make the same mistake twice" and would "surprise a lot of people" this season, while the former Oregon State star told the Post-Gazette that he expects to capably assume Wallace's old spot.

"I don't see why not," Wheaton said. "I won't compare myself to Mike Wallace. I'm Markus Wheaton, he's Mike Wallace. He does what he does, I'm going to do what I'm going to do. I'm sure I can make plays down the field."

For Heyward-Bey, just making the roster was a comeback performance. The 6-2, 210-pound wide receiver suffered a concussion in a practice drill against defensive backs July 31, delaying his return to the field. On his third NFL team in as many seasons, Heyward-Bey needed to quickly make a lasting impression on the Steelers' coaching staff but couldn't get enough field time to do so. He sat out the preseason opener at the New York Giants and was targeted just once a week later in second-half action against the Bills.

Finally healthy against the Eagles on Aug. 21, Heyward-Bey maximized his late-game reps, catching a 22-yard touchdown pass from Bruce Gradkowski in the fourth quarter to finish with 54 receiving yards. They weren't the most glamorous reps, but they were reps, and Heyward-Bey took advantage.

He also caught Tomlin's eye for his ability to keep a high motor while embracing a new role on special teams, helping in punt coverage and blocking on punt returns.

"I'm a willing guy who will go out there and do anything," Heyward-Bey said of a third phase in which he rarely was involved in his early NFL career. "I just want to win. That's the thing about playing and having fun. You gotta win, man."

Bryant, a fourth-round draft pick, made the 53-man roster as one of six wide receivers but must wait to play. He has a right AC shoulder sprain from the final preseason game and did not practice Wednesday. Consider him questionable for this week.

One last note here. ... Tomlin said Tuesday that the team will use Brown as a punt returner this season as well. There was some thought that the addition of Archer in the draft would lead to a change in roles for Brown, but Tomlin said that Archer will only be an option for the team alongside Brown.

That announcement naturally leads to thoughts about the injury risk that Brown will take on by expanding his portfolio, but Tomlin said that the team won't live in fear of injury when it comes to deploying a player they believe can help them.

"He is a Pro Bowl caliber return man, so that's how you play him," Tomlin said of Brown, via the team. 

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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, LeGarrette Blount, Dri Archer 

FB: Will Johnson 

WR: Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton, Lance Moore, Justin Brown, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Martavis Bryant 

TE: Heath Miller, Matt Spaeth, Michael Palmer 

PK: Shaun Suisham 

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ST. LOUIS RAMS

As the St. Louis Rams prepare themselves for the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 7, there is a decidedly different perspective on what the team can accomplish.

Even before quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a torn ACL in the third preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, the difficult division and a challenging schedule had many wondering just how good this team can be.

Now, with Shaun Hill taking over for Bradford, there are even more questions for a team that's bread and butter is supposed to be its running game and defense.

As for the team moving on from the shock of losing Bradford, head coach Jeff Fisher said, "I'll use this analogy: you lose a tough regular-season game, you put it in perspective. You almost have a 24-hour rule; you come back and get ready for next week. That's how players are and that's what their mindset is today. They are ready to go, they are ready to do everything they possibly can to help Shaun be successful."

After the 14-13 loss to Miami in the preseason finale, in which Hill did not play, he was looking forward to the game against the Vikings.

He said, "Now you put more emphasis on game planning and things like that so we're going to have to hone in on the Vikings as soon as possible."

As for helping Hill be successful, the biggest component in that will be protecting him. The play that put Bradford out for the season might have been a freakish occurrence, but it wouldn't have happened had left tackle Jake Long kept pass rusher Armonty Bryant away.

As the Sports Xchange notes, Long had a rocky first game coming back from his own torn ACL, didn't play in the preseason finale, and will now be responsible for helping keep Hill healthy. Long hasn't been able to finish any of his last three seasons, so it's not unreasonable to wonder whether he can stay on the field. That's obviously the case with guard Rodger Saffold, who suffered a minor ankle injury against the Browns, and that followed two weeks of inactivity because of a stinger. He also didn't play against the Dolphins.

Saffold has often been unavailable over the last three seasons because of injuries and his offseason free-agent signing by Oakland was canceled when the Raiders said he failed his physical because of a shoulder problem.

Meanwhile, second overall pick Greg Robinson, who didn't start against Cleveland, has jockeyed back and forth all summer between left guard and left tackle and he didn't sound like a beacon of confidence this week when he told he doesn't have a "steady position," and added, "They (coaches) said I've been making too many mistakes and the real bullets are about to start flying. What I think about that is it's not how you start, it's about how you finish. You never know what happens, and when my opportunity presents itself I pray that I'm going to be ready."

Count Hill among those praying, too.

Robinson played left tackle against Miami, so it's reasonable to figure he won't start against the Vikings. A healthy Saffold will likely be the left guard with Davin Joseph at right guard.

Next up after Hill is untested Austin Davis (at least until new-arrival Case Keenum gets up to speed), so the line's performance will clearly be most important if the Rams are to run the ball the way they expect and keep Hill upright

On the other side of the ball, the word "great" is often used to describe the Rams' defense.

Other notes of interest. ... Zac Stacy enters the season as the starter, but will likely get a lot of help from Benny Cunningham and Tre Mason.

Stacy got nicked at the end of several games last season, and the Rams want him as fresh as possible for the fourth quarter. He also looked more comfortable as a receiver during training camp. Cunningham came to camp determined to hold off Mason, but they both will get their opportunities, provided Mason proves adept at pass protection.

According to 's Nick Waggoner, there are those in the Rams organization who believe that the light has finally come on for receiver Brian Quick. One coach said he believes having a fiery veteran with a similar build in Kenny Britt actually has helped Quick, rather than pushing him further down the depth chart.

Both Britt and Quick have the size and speed to get downfield, so defenses will have to respect them. Hill will probably go to Quick early and often to continue to build his confidence.

But it's unlikely any receiver will post huge numbers in the Rams' run-first offense -- especially now that Bradford is out for the year -- but instead of Britt or Tavon Austin, don't be surprised if Quick leads the pack.

According to 's Mike Clay, Austin was on the field for only 64 percent of the 70 preseason snaps run by the St. Louis Rams' first-team offense. That's not nearly enough for Austin -- an underneath target who won't see many looks near the goal line -- to make a major fantasy impact.

And finally. ... When the Rams are in their base offense, Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks will be on the field together. Cook has excellent pass-catching skills and the ability to stretch the field. Kendricks is the better blocker, but also has the knack for getting open in the passing game. 

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

QB: Shaun Hill, Austin Davis 

RB: Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Tre Mason, Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts 

WR: Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis, Stedman Bailey 

TE: Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Alex Bayer, Justice Cunningham 

PK: Greg Zuerlein 

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

As Ryan Mathews goes, so go the Chargers. ... According to San Diego Union-Tribune staffer Tom Krasovic noted this week, in 2013, that often was true.

This year, maybe less so.

The Chargers seem to have made themselves less dependent on the running back who was the offense's MVP last year.

And Krasovic believes that should bode well for both them and Mathews, 26.

In the months since a game but gimpy Mathews sat out most of the Division Playoff loss at Denver, general manager Tom Telesco and head coach Mike McCoy have added three running backs to the 53-man roster while also retaining third-down specialist Danny Woodhead and subtractingRonnie Brown. Giving the run game another dimension, Telesco signed David Johnson, a fullback-tight end noted for his blocking.

Throw in a key Telesco addition, Donald Brown, the ex-Colt who averaged 5.3 yards per carry last year, and rookie Branden Oliver.

At any rate, it made sense to give Mathews more cushion. As terrific as he was last year, overcoming a concussion and ankle sprain, powering the team's late run into the playoffs and never missing a start, it would've been unwise to be as dependent on him this year.

Only three others in the NFL had more rushes last year, and only six had more touches.

The 6-foot, 220-pound absorbed several nasty hits. He has learned to better prepare his body and read blocks, but why count on him weathering the brutality? He missed at least two games in his first three seasons, 10 in all.

Ride him if you must, on occasion, but it could be crucial to have him at or close to full speed when you really need him. The Chargers simply don't have another back with his combination of speed and power, though Brown may be close.

Mathews' abilities in the stretch game, notably, are crucial to the offense. When the high ankle sprain he suffered in Game 15 worsened in January, Mathews' reduced mobility loomed as a difference-maker going into Denver. And that's how it played out, the Chargers failing to score until the fourth quarter in their worst offensive performance of the year.

Lesson learned.

With Mathews entering the final year of his rookie contract, it's too early to know if this will be his final season in San Diego, but the team controls the rights of the other backs through 2016.

Mathews, for his part, said last week he's ready for the season opener Sept. 8. He said he was glad to appear in two exhibitions, working eight snaps against Dallas and 11 versus San Francisco, "because it was good for my timing." If Norv Turner used to hold out LaDainian Tomlinson for entire preseasons, Mathews wasn't expecting the same. "L.T.," he said, "is a Hall of Famer."

All that said, however, the Fresno State product is not being phased out of the offense. 's Eric Williams was told by offensive coordinator Frank Reich that Mathews remains the every-down back for the Chargers. ...

In a related note. ... Rookie running back Marion Grice, a sixth-round pick from Arizona State, was released by the Chargers on Monday in favor of defensive lineman Ricardo Mathews. ...

Meanwhile, the Chargers got to work on Monday after taking Saturday and Sunday off. The team started preparing in earnest for its season opener against the Cardinals on Sept. 8.

According to the Sports Xchange, the Chargers will attack with their up-tempo, short passing game. It worked last year so why not stay with it? If trying to move the ball against the Cardinals has proven easier to do through the air instead of on the ground. Of course, that was with Darnell Dockett clogging the middle of the Cardinals line.

Still, the Chargers must accept that their defense will likely give up a decent amount of points considering the Cardinals' offense. Look for Rivers to attack the Cardinals' secondary as the Chargers for the first game anyway figure to do what they do best. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Malcom Floyd hasn't played all 16 games in a regular season since 2009, but the longtime wideout hopes to snap that streak starting Monday night. Coming off last year's season-ending neck injury, Floyd -- who turns 33 on Monday -- was voted by scribes as the runaway MVP in spring sessions after serving as the "most-targeted" pass-catcher for Rivers.

"He's by far the most underrated player in the last 10 years," Chargers tight end Antonio Gates recently told the Union Tribune's Kevin Acee.

As 's Marc Sessler notes, Floyd is pegged for the team's No. 2 receiving role across from Keenan Allen after averaging a whopping 24.8 yards per catch over six grabs last season before the injury. A healthy Floyd "often" won matchups this summer with Brandon Flowers, prompting the veteran cornerback to acknowledge, "He's in Year 10 and he's moving like he's in Year 3."

The Chargers promise to go run-heavy from wire to wire, but Allen's increased speed combined with the field-stretching skills of tight end Ladarius Green puts McCoy's passing attack on the radar. ...

Wide receiver Vincent Brown was the biggest surprise among the Chargers' cuts as they got down to the 53-man roster. Brown injured his calf in the camp's second practice and didn't take another snap. Brown, after clearing waivers, is on reserve/injured.

With the Rams losing quarterback Sam Bradford to another knee injury, they might have regretted letting his backup, Kellen Clemens, go. Clemens landed in San Diego and couldn't be happier.

"It's a good group of guys," he said. "It's a veteran-led locker room, a lot of good players. You've got Pro Bowlers walking around all the time, future Hall of Famers, so it's awesome. It's a good place to be and excited to be here." 

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

QB: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens 

RB: Ryan Mathews, Danny Woodhead, Donald Brown, Branden Oliver 

WR: Keenan Allen, Malcom Floyd, Eddie Royal, Dontrelle Inman, Seyi Ajirotutu 

TE: Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green, David Johnson, John Phillips 

PK: Nick Novak 

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

After a good-news bad news weekend, the San Francisco 49ers can at least say that their highly-rated offensive line suddenly improved by about 40 percent, just in time for Sunday's season opener in Dallas.

Guard Alex Boone practiced with the team Tuesday for the first time this season after ending his holdout Sunday.

And tackle Anthony Davis announced he is fully healthy and ready for a good week of practicing leading into the Dallas game. After sitting out the entire preseason following shoulder surgery, Davis expects to start against Dallas.

On the down side, starting defensive end Ray McDonald was arrested on domestic-violence charges and spent part of Sunday in jail, just a couple of days after commissioner Roger Goodell was emphatic about taking a hard line against domestic violence. And last Friday, the 49ers learned that Pro Bowl outside linebacker Aldon Smith will be suspended for nine games following a series of off-field, off-season misadventures.

As part of his suspension, Smith will be allowed to use the 49ers' practice facilities.

"We will continue to support him," general manager Trent Baalke said. "But it is time to put this matter behind us. ... Our organization knew this decision would come and we have prepared for it as a team."

Tuesday, head coach Jim Harbaugh said the team has a zero tolerance policy on domestic abuse.

"I'll be very clear," Harbaugh said. "You ask me how I feel about domestic violence. I can be very clear about that. If someone physically abuses a woman and/or physically or mentally abuses or hurts a child, then there's no understanding, there's no tolerance for that."

A player found guilty of domestic violence would be removed from the roster, Harbaugh said.

"We can be very clear" about that, he emphasized. ...

As for this week's game, since they gave up 27, 35 and 34 points in the last four times against the Cowboys, and with as many as four key defensive players out of action, the 49ers have no choice in the opener but to try and outscore Dallas.

Fortunately, they will be facing what many consider to be the worst defense in the NFL. With everyone healthy in an upgraded offense, the 49ers appear fully prepared to go to a Texas shootout and survive.

No doubt the 49ers will try to run on the Cowboys, and now have a tag-team partner for Frank Gore in rookie Carlos Hyde, who had an eye-opening preseason.

According to the Sports Xchange, Colin Kaepernick worked on his change-up over the off-season to complement one of the best fastballs in the league. The 49ers are hoping that results in more check-down passes and fewer runs (92) and sacks (39).

The 49ers brought in veterans Stevie Johnson and Brandon Lloyd in the off-season to give them more of a threat in three-wideout alignments. Neither did much in the preseason, but they are veterans with decent track records. More likely, the 49ers will have to count upon the fact that Michael Crabtree enters this season healthy, giving Kaepernick two big-time targets (including Anquan Boldin) on the outside from Day 1. But 's Paul Gutierrez advised fantasy owners to be leery of tight end Vernon Davis. While Davis is a favorite of Kaepernick and is coming off of career high-tying marks in yards per catch (16.3) and TDs (13), word in the 49ers locker room is that Kaepernick will spread the targets around more this season. 

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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, LaMichael James 

FB: Bruce Miller 

WR: Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Brandon Lloyd, Steve Johnson, Quinton Patton, Bruce Ellington, Kassim Osgood 

TE: Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Derek Carrier 

PK: Phil Dawson 

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

As 's Mike Florio noted, with the first game of the 2014 regular season approaching, the notion that quarterback Russell Wilson will make a major step forward in his third NFL season seems to be catching plenty of momentum, especially in light of his performance in the preseason.

Two of his high-profile teammates definitely believe in Russell. As do Wilson's two most important coaches.

"I think he's being incredibly decisive this year," cornerback Richard Sherman told reporters on Monday. "He knows who he is, he knows what he wants to do and he's doing it. He's not wondering what he's going to do going into plays. I think he goes into plays anticipating what he's going to do, dictating what the defense does, and executing. I think that precision is going to take him a long way and take our offense very far. I think he's come into his own in that respect."

Sherman described Wilson in one word: "Dynamic."

"With our offense, it's unique in how many things they can do," Sherman said. "You can run the fly sweep with Percy [Harvin], run it down their throat with Marshawn [Lynch], you can take them deep with any number of our receivers. There's so many unique qualities about our offense. It's a combination of the West Coast, zone-read, the read option, but it also has the bubble screen. It's so many different things that it allows him to be dynamic. It's hard to put him in a cookie-cutter mode. So he's out of the pocket, he's a roll-out quarterback, but he also sits in there and throws it. He's doing a great job of doing that this year."

Harvin agrees.

"The sky is the limit for that guy," Harvin said of Wilson. "Anybody that has been watching the preseason, he's been lights out. He's been controlling the ball, he's had the offense at a great tempo making sure the linemen get to the ball, making sure the receivers get to the line, get the calls right so we can get up and go in a timely fashion. All the keys he wanted to work on this offseason, I think he's done a heck of a job."

Head coach Pete Carroll offered similar praise of his starting quarterback.

"He's in great control of what's going on," Carroll said. "He's very, very comfortable. He's playing faster than he has at any time. He understands better of what we want. He really can play on the expectations of getting the ball out of his hands quickly and making sure that he can control rushing that regard. He's in tune with that better than ever. We have a large package of stuff that we can bring into a game plan that we've feel like we have command of. We will see, and he's had a near perfect preseason. Preparation and the way he has worked, we almost scored every time."

Offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell explained that Wilson's drive to excel has been a key ingredient in his growth.

"Every time he comes out he tries to improve on the whole game," Bevell said. "There's little subtle things that he's working on himself, but just his overall understanding. Every time you run a play, you understand it a little bit deeper. There's some new things that we're asking him to do so he wants to be able to master those. Just the overall understanding of the offense, knowing where to go, when and why so that he's able to play fast and free."

In case you missed it, Wilson and the offense were the stars of the preseason, at one point driving for scores on 10 straight possessions and 11 of 13 for the preseason, and taking a 31-0 halftime lead on the Bears in the third preseason game when starters for each team played the first half and 24-7 in preseason Week 2 against the Chargers.

Wilson, who was 33-of-42 passing in the preseason with three touchdowns and no interceptions, and 437 yards, led a four-play touchdown drive to start the team's preseason finale against Oakland to cap a training camp that Carroll called "phenomenal."

But Wilson still has some improving to do to get to the top of the league. When talking about Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Sherman said, "He's arguably the best quarterback in this football league. I'd say it's between him and Peyton Manning."

As Florio suggested, that's hardly a hot take. It's reality. But if Wilson can do all year long the things that he's been doing in the preseason, Sherman and everyone else will be including Wilson in the short list of best quarterbacks in the league.

It's safe to assume he'll also be a better fantasy quarterback than people expect -- especially with Harvin back in the mix.

Seattle's newly recharged wide receiver was back zooming throughout the team's first practice of the regular season. That indicates Harvin will be fully ready for Thursday's NFL opener at home against Green Bay.

"That type of explosiveness on the field is great to have," fellow wide receiver Jermaine Kearse said. "We are excited to have him back."

Harvin had offseason hip surgery. He said a couple weeks ago that this is the fastest and healthiest he's felt since "before college" at Florida a decade ago.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy coached against both the relatively healthy Harvin and the relatively banged-up version while the wide receiver was starring for Minnesota in the NFC North through the 2012 season. Harvin's rookie season of 2009 was McCarthy's fourth season leading the Packers.

Harvin's only season in which he's been healthy enough to play in all 16 regular-season games was in 2011, when he set career highs of 87 catches and 967 yards and tied his single-season high with six touchdown catches. That year Harvin had eight catches for 67 yards -- with 50 of those yards after the catch -- in two games against McCarthy's Packers. But Harvin didn't score against Green Bay, which beat the Vikings 33-27 in Minneapolis and 45-7 in Wisconsin that season.

"Percy is one of those unique players that can score every time he touches the ball. So that in itself speaks volumes," McCarthy said. "He's a dynamic player, whether it's kickoff returns, (as receiver) from the slot, or moving him into the backfield or the speed sweeps and all the different combinations and things they do with him. He's definitely an impact player."

In a related note. ... 's Terry Blount suggested this week while it's no secret that Harvin could put up big fantasy numbers this season, seeing as how he's healthier than he has been in years, the guy who the players believe is going to surprise people this season is receiver Doug Baldwin. He has wowed teammates and coaches since moving from the slot to split end.

One of his fellow WRs told Blount that defenses will make a big mistake if they think Baldwin's lack of height (5-10) will keep him from making deep sideline catches or big plays on fade routes -- he's been doing it against Sherman in practice all camp.

Other notes of interest. ... According to the Sports Xchange, this game will be the first test of whether Lynch has really lost anything. He's 28 and held out for a week to begin training camp with many speculating it's his last year in Seattle.

Still, the offensive game plan will begin as it has during his four years here by using Lynch to establish the run and set up the play-action passes that have become especially deadly during the Wilson era.

Green Bay's 3-4 defense, now also without injured nose tackle B.J. Raji, could be particularly susceptible to runs up the middle, and that would play to the strengths of Seattle's offensive line guards J.R. Sweezy and James Carpenter were regarded as among the team's stars of the preseason. ...

Christine Michael (hamstring) remained out of Seahawks practice Tuesday and has been officially ruled out for Thursday's game. Robert Turbin had already secured No. 2 duties behind Lynch before Michael's injury, which gives Turbin a chance to tighten his grip on that job.

WR Kevin Norwood, out since the first week of camp with a foot injury, returned to practice and could play against Green Bay. ...

The club announced Monday it had brought back wide receiver Bryan Walters, a fifth-year pro from Cornell. With Walters coming back, the Seahawks waived third-year wide receiver Phil Bates.

The 26-year-old Walters appeared in four games for Seattle in 2013. He also played four games for San Diego in 2011. Walters hauled in four passes for 73 yards and one touchdown in the 2014 exhibition slate for the Seahawks. 

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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: Derrick Coleman 

WR: Percy Harvin, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, Paul Richardson, Ricardo Lockette, Kevin Norwood, Bryan Walters 

TE: Zach Miller, Luke Willson, Cooper Helfet 

PK: Steven Hauschka 

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

As Tampa Bay Times beat writer Rick Stroud noted this week, the Bucs' offensive scheme under new coordinator Jeff Tedford has been shrouded in mystery during the preseason, with players and game plans maintaining that concealment. Now there is secrecy as to whether Tedford will be available to call plays in Sunday's regular-season opener against Carolina.

Tedford, 52, was hospitalized after an undisclosed surgical procedure last week and missed Thursday's preseason finale against the Redskins. Though the Tedford stopped by the training facility over the weekend, the Bucs are preparing as if he won't be at the game Sunday.

"Obviously, Jeff's been leading our offense through the whole offseason, so any time you take a piece away, there can be some disruption," quarterback Josh McCown said. "But the coaches seem like they are, so far, doing a great job picking up the slack and doing what we need to do."

Head coach Lovie Smith indicated that Tedford has begun working part time from his home during his recovery and is involved in the game plan against Carolina. Smith would not commit to Tedford being at Sunday's game, but he also didn't rule it out.

"(Tedford is) getting better," Smith said. "He stopped through this weekend. We're taking our time with him. Again, he's getting better each day. When he'll be back here full time, I don't know. … Just know that he's getting better and we'll see how that all plays out. In the meantime, the rest of our offensive staff will pick up for Jeff, similar to how we did it last week with all of the guys really pitching in.

"With technology, you don't have to be here every second to get work done. Jeff is involved in what we're doing right now, having as much input, pretty much as he would have if he was here."

Against the Redskins, quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo, who at 34 is a year younger than McCown, called plays. Playing mostly backups and players who did not make the roster, the Bucs had 18 total yards in the first half.

Arroyo, who was the offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Southern Mississippi last season, spent 2011-12 under Tedford at Cal as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. Tedford's son, Quinn, is an offensive intern, and assistant offensive line coach Matt Wiegand worked at Cal for two seasons as an offensive assistant and tight ends coach.

"I got a whole lot of confidence," rookie receiver Robert Herron said of Arroyo, who recruited him to Wyoming. "The way he explains the offense, it's like he made it up, he knows it so well."

Though Arroyo might be most familiar with the offense, like Tedford he has never called a play in a regular-season NFL game. And the Bucs on Sunday face the league's No. 2-ranked defense in 2013.

If there's a silver lining, it's that the Bucs have been preparing to face Carolina since the schedule came out in April. "It does help quite a bit," Smith said. "It seems like every year, for me, we played them in my previous job. I respect what they do. ... Just starting to watch them and seeing how we're going to attack them, but we've been preparing for them for quite a while."

McCown said he and the offense will be ready no matter who is calling the plays.

"It's a credit to Lovie for having a plan, having a thought process to say, 'Hey, we're going to move forward with the plan we have in place,'" McCown said. "And I've been looking at Carolina. The nice thing about it, our eyes have been on them for an extended period of time, probably more than I'll look at any other team. I think we feel really good about that."

If McCown can perform the kind miracles he did in five starts with the Bears last season, then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be team turnaround in the NFL in 2014.

Of course, with the opener against the Panthers followed by another against the St. Louis Rams, the Bucs face a pair of outstanding defensive lines, which could attack a soft offensive line.

To that end, the Bucs traded for Patriots Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins, sending a fourth-round pick to New England and tight end Tim Wright to New England.

Mankins still is reeling from the deal and has little time to dive into the Bucs' playbook, but he will start at left guard against the Panthers.

McCown has some big targets in the passing game -- 6-5 receivers Vincent Jackson, rookie Mike Evans and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins -- and a dynamic running back in Doug Martin.

But McCown has taken too many hits, throwing two INTs and being sacked and stripped of the football three times this preseason. The revolving door of offensive linemen haven't help. Settling on Mankins will calm the guard position.

Meanwhile, 's Pat Yasinskas notes the new coaching staff came in believing Martin could not be effective as a pass-catcher. But that opinion changed in a big way after Martin used training camp and the preseason to show his versatility. The team drafted Charles Sims to be its pass-catching running back, but the Bucs placed him on injured reserve/designated for return on Wednesday. Sims can't return from his ankle surgery until some point after Week 8.

Sims suffered the injury in mid-August and it was projected as a 12- to 14-week rehab process, which would leave some hope for the end of the season, even if he's not ready at the start of his window to come back.

Whatever the case, Martin get the bulk of the Bucs' carries and plenty of chances as a receiver out of the backfield. ...

Other notes of interest. ... In the Buccaneers' dress rehearsal against the Buffalo Bills, Seferian-Jenkins was on the field during 92 percent of the first-team offense's 36 snaps. His chief competition Brandon Myers worked only 15 snaps and added three more with the second team. Rookie tight ends rarely make a big fantasy impact, but 's Mike Clay believes this usage suggests ASJ is absolutely worth a late-round flier. ...

And finally. ... The Buccaneers took a leap of faith when they released kicker Connor Barth and decided to go with Patrick Murray. Barth was a proven veteran. Murray is an unknown. But Murray had an excellent preseason to win the job. Barth didn't look quite as sharp and didn't seem to have as much distance as he did before missing all of last season with a torn Achilles tendon. Barth also was scheduled to make more than $3 million this season. Murray will only cost the team $420,000. 

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

QB: Josh McCown, Mike Glennon 

RB: Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey, Mike James, Charles Sims 

RB: Jorvorskie Lane 

WR: Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Louis Murphy, Chris Owusu, Robert Herron, Russell Shephard 

TE: Brandon Myers, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke Stocker 

PK: Patrick Murray 

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TENNESSEE TITANS

The Tennessee Titans head into the regular season -- their first under the guidance of Ken Whisenhunt -- with some questions still to be answered.

First and foremost on the list of questions is the Titans defense, which is switching from a 4-3 system that has been in place ever since the franchise arrived here in 1997, to a 3-4 under Ray Horton.

The transition, at least from the evidence shown in preseason, has not been altogether smooth. In each of Tennessee's four preseason games, the Titans surrendered a touchdown drive on the opening defensive series.

In fairness, the Titans second-team defense played in the preseason finale against Minnesota, and there is always the old fallback of not game-planning for a preseason opponent, but there was enough of a concern over a lack of a pass rush and an inability to get off the field on third down, combine with missed tackles, that led Whisenhunt to deliver a halftime tongue-lashing to his defense in the so-called dress rehearsal game against Atlanta in preseason week three.

"I've seen a lot of teams that don't have stats in preseason that end up being good teams that have good stats in-season," Whisenhunt said. "I'm not saying that's a predictor one way or another, but I think there are a lot of snaps that aren't in preseason games that you can help formulate an opinion about your defense, as far as what you're seeing from them in practice and competition against them, offensively and defensively.

"There are a lot of things that we did in practice that we didn't do in preseason games. Some of the things in preseason games are geared towards individual matchups, so you can see how your players stack up as opposed to a scheme where you're attacking a particular protection or you're attacking the way that an offense runs. From that standpoint, we feel like our guys have worked hard, and they're prepared. Hopefully that will be reflected in the way we play against Kansas City."

Perhaps, because the Titans still have plenty of other issues as well.

One issue that appears to be solved is the kicking position, where Tennessee wound up signing veteran Ryan Succop to a one-year deal on Labor Day, two days after his release by the Chiefs. The Titans were ready to roll with undrafted rookie Travis Coons, had they not been able to find a suitable veteran kicker. Succop probably solves that situation, as he made 22 of 28 field goals last year and had 47 touchbacks.

Amazingly, the offense, which may have been the biggest question mark coming into the season, given the health of Jake Locker and questions about whether he would fit Whisenhunt offense, has been the strongest unit on the team in preseason.

According to the Sports Xchange, Locker has looked solid in both his throws and decision-making, and if young wideouts Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter continue to develop, the offense could be the most improved part of the 2014 Titans.

As 's Paul Kuharsky notes all indications are that Shonn Greene will get the most carries in the Titans' backfield committee to start the season, but don't think that rules out rookie Bishop Sankey from having a fantasy impact this season.

The Titans are saying he is ready for first-team snaps based on how he has performed in practice.

Indeed, Sankey is now the No. 2 running back, still behind Greene but now ahead of Dexter McCluster. All three will be part of the rotation and game plans and matchups will do a lot to dictate their usage.

The Titans' base offense had been listed as two-back. It's now listed as two-tight, with Delanie Walker and Craig Stevens as starters and fullback Jackie Battle listed behind Walker with a "FB" designation.

The Titans juggled their wide receiving corps with two waiver additions. The team announced Sunday it claimed pass-catchers Kris Durham and T.J. Graham.

The duo should fight for playing time behind the Titans' top trio of Hunter, Wright and Nate Washington.

The Detroit Lions cut the 6-Durham on Saturday after he finished second on the team with 490 yards on 38 receptions in 2013. His size adds an intriguing element at the back end of the Titans' depth chart. While he provides a big red zone target, Durham's 46.3 percent catch rate and 8.2 percent drop rate were among the worst in the league.

The speedy Graham was the subject of trade rumors before being cut by the Buffalo Bills, who selected him in the third round of the 2012 draft. The 25-year-old caught just 54 passes for 683 yards and three touchdowns in 17 starts over two seasons with the Bills. Graham will add a speed element in Tennessee if he can crack the rotation. 

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

QB: Jake Locker, Charlie Whitehurst, Zach Mettenberger 

RB: Shonn Greene, Bishop Sankey, Dexter McCluster, Leon Washington 

FB: Jackie Battle 

WR: Kendall Wright, Nate Washington, Justin Hunter, Derek Hagan, Kris Durham, T.J. Graham 

TE: Delanie Walker, Craig Stevens, Taylor Thompson 

PK: Ryan Succop 

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WASHINGTON REDSKINS

With quarterback Robert Griffin III, receivers Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson, running back Alfred Morris, tight end Jordan Reed and left tackle Trent Williams all owning star status and with first-year head coach Jay Gruden having spent his career on offense, that side of the ball should be Washington's strength.

But as the Redskins concluded a 3-1 preseason with a 24-10, starter-less victory at Tampa Bay, the defense has clearly been their better half this summer.

As the Sports Xchange notes, Griffin and Co. head into the Sept. 7 opener at Houston without a touchdown while defensive coordinator Jim Haslett's crew much-maligned during Washington's 3-13 debacle of a season in 2013 was been stout against the run and solid against the pass all summer.

Controversy swirled in Washington after Griffin played so poorly and backup Kirk Cousins performed well in the preseason swansongs for both players at Baltimore last Saturday, the only questions about the defense surrounded strong safety Brandon Meriweather's sixth career suspension (two games) for an illegal hit.

Defensive end Chris Baker, who inherited a starting spot when the still-ailing Stephen Bowen went down last November, had a super summer and high-priced free agent Jason Hatcher sacked the Ravens' Joe Flacco not long into his Redskins debut after missing two months to recover from a knee scope.

Keenan Robinson, who missed the final month of his rookie year of 2012 and all of 2013 with torn pectoral muscles, fulfilled the Redskins' hopes that he would smoothly step into the inside linebacker role opened by the retirement of former captain London Fletcher. And second-year cornerback David Amerson, a backup in 2013, and free safety Ryan Clark, back after eight years in Pittsburgh, have helped stabilize the secondary that was the defense's weak link last season.

Playing first-year coach Bill O'Brien's Texans, 2-14 last year after consecutive AFC South titles, on the road might well be a good way for Griffin (46.0 passer rating this summer) to try to put his poor preseason behind him and begin reviving career that went off the rails in 2013 under former coach Mike Shanahan after a record-setting debut in 2012.

As 's John Keim noted, Griffin's not close to a finished product as a passer, but he's running well and feeling good. In fact, Griffin told reporters on Wednesday, "I'm the healthiest I've ever been in my career."

That's a good start. He can, and will, continue to make plays with his legs while growing as a passer.

Griffin also likes the coaching dynamic a whole lot more.

Washington has the skill position players to be a potent offense if Griffin can adapt to Gruden's wish to make him more of a pocket passer and if the line, which is shaky aside from Williams, can play its part.

Facing the Texans and then welcoming Jacksonville, 4-12 last season, for their home opener gives the Redskins a couple of weeks to keep working out the kinks against teams that were in similar shape in 2013 before they visit defending NFC East champion Philadelphia and then play consecutive games on national television against the long-time division rival New York Giants and Super Bowl champion Seattle.

This week, Gruden, the former Cincinnati offensive coordinator who will call the plays, also wants to keep receiver Garcon, who led the NFL with 113 catches last year, and Morris involved against a Houston defense that has a star in each position group in end J.J. Watt, inside linebackerBrian Cushing and cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

Gruden coordinated a pass-happy offense with the Bengals, but he didn't have a back like Morris, who powered for 2,888 yards the past two seasons. The new coach wisely retained Shanahan's zone-blocking running scheme which should keep Morris chugging away in his third season. ...

Also of interest. ... If Reed stays healthy, they have an athletic receiving target. When the Redskins worked against New England in practices, Reed was the dominant target for Griffin -- his ability to win quickly and his size provided a safety net. Also, Reed's ability to adjust on the ball bodes well for a quarterback sometimes off with his throws (or for any quarterback for that matter). Look for Reed to continue developing down-the-field as well. ...

Worth noting, Reed practiced fully Wednesday despite a sprained thumb. ...

With Leonard Hankerson still on the physically unable to perform list, the Redskins have short receivers. Garcon is their biggest guy at 6-foot, 216 pounds, but for the most part it's a short group. Griffin tends to miss high, so having a big target or two among this group would help. Not that Hankerson was the answer, and not that size alone is the answer, but eventually it would be good to have a bigger receiver. That's not just to help in the red zone but to withstand the punishment of 60-plus catches. ...

One last note here. ... There are stronger options in terms of fantasy points on the Redskins than receiver Andre Roberts. But as one Washington player told Keim, he's easy to trust because he runs great routes and focuses on the details, which makes him a consistent and attractive target. Besides, another player said, defenses can't double all the Redskins' WRs, and he predicts Roberts will benefit from attention paid to players such as Reed and Jackson. 

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

QB: Robert Griffin, Kirk Cousins, Colt McCoy 

RB: Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, Silas Redd 

FB: Darrell Young 

WR: Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts, Santana Moss, Aldrick Robinson, Ryan Grant 

TE: Jordan Reed, Logan Paulsen, Niles Paul 

PK: Kai Forbath 

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