Arizona Cardinals

QB: Kurt Warner had another solid outing against Oakland Friday night. In three quarters of work, Warner completed 11-of-18 for 118 yards with a TD and an interception. True to form, Warner also fumbled once, but recovered it himself. John Navarre saw brief action completing 2-of-3 for 25 yards. "We're continuing to work on our pass protection," said Warner, who was sacked three times. "We took some shots, but got some things done down the field. It was more miscommunication than anything. We've got to all be on the same page." This might be a harbinger of things to come for Warner. The Raiders applied constant pressure and hurried Warner throughout the game. If the Cardinals line doesn’t get on the same page then Warner will be in big trouble as he was last year in New York. Warner needs good protection to be effective. Keep Josh McCown’s name on your short list of backup QBs who are likely to see the field a lot this year.

RB: J.J. Arrington is the team’s starting tailback with Marcel Shipp firmly entrenched as the primary backup entering the season. J.R. Redmond, who won the team’s No. 3 job with a solid camp, dislocated his left shoulder against the Raiders on Friday night. He was thought to be out for four weeks, but on Monday, Dennis Green placed him placed on IR. His injury opens the door for James Jackson or Damien Anderson to fill that role. Shipp is looking great considering that he’s coming off a season-ending injury a year ago. He’s shined in each of the last two-preseason games, but Arrington’s starting job is secure as Denny Green reaffirmed that fact last Monday. Against the Raiders on Friday, Shipp ran three times for 26 yards. Arrington carried the ball ten times for 31 yards. James Jackson didn’t do much, carrying five times for 7 yards. Damien Anderson ran once for 5 yards but did produce a 14-yard reception. The Cardinals cut Troy Hambrick and Josh Scobey during the past week along with fullback Casey Moore.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald strained his knee against Oakland in the first half. He left the game and did not return. Anquan Boldin caught four passes for 41 yards and Bryant Johnson had two catches for 29 yards. Charles Lee caught one pass for 14 yards.  Lawrence Hamilton and Fabian Davis received a visit from the turk this week as the Cardinals began trimming their roster on Wednesday.

TE: Aaron Golliday made the biggest splash on Friday night and finally gave the Cardinals tight ends something noteworthy this preseason. Golliday caught a 21-yard TD from Warner. Adam Bergen also caught a 4-yard pass. Bobby Blizzard was sidelined throughout last week with a back injury.

Defense: The Cardinals defense played reasonably well against the Raiders Friday night. They were beaten once deep by Randy Moss and Kerry Collins, but otherwise did a good job of containing the Raiders talented group of skilled players. They sacked Collins four times and linebacker Eric Johnson intercepted a pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown to put the Cardinals ahead with nine minutes to play. The Cardinals also scored a safety when DE Chike Okeafor batted the ball away from Collins causing a fumble. The ball went off Raiders tackle Robert Gallery’s leg out of bounds for two points. Second year strong-side linebacker Karlos Dansby turned in a big game with 6 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Cardinals corners David Macklin and Antrel Rolle led the team in tackles with seven and eight, respectively. Macklin also forced a fumble. The other three sacks came from Robert Tate, Chike Okeafor and Bertrand Berry. There were a couple injuries from Friday’s game against Oakland. DT Darnell Dockett left the game with an injury to his ribs. Safety Robert Griffith injured his groin. LB Gerald Hayes remains sidelined with a knee injury. DE Kenny King is out with a wrist injury. The Cardinals signed veteran free agent Lester Towns to bolster the team’s depth at linebacker and released DT Devone Claybrooks with an injury settlement. Towns did not play in the NFL last year.

The Cardinals are pleased with what they’ve seen from former 1st round pick DE Calvin Pace in the preseason. Pace has heard the critics for the past couple seasons as he’s been dangerously close to being dubbed a “bust”. "There's only so long that you can hear so much negative," Pace said. "Why'd you take this guy? He's not getting it done." As the 18th choice overall in 2003, Pace is out to change that perception. Pace’s four sacks through the first two preseason games puts him in a tie for the most in the NFL. If some of this carries over to the regular season the Cardinals will have a solid group of defensive linemen who can get after the quarterback.

Special Teams: PK Neil Rackers had a minor ankle sprain last week but not enough to sideline him. He wasn’t needed very much in the game at Oakland, kicking a 21 yard FG. RB J.R. Redmond was on the verge of securing both the punt and kickoff return jobs; however that is now on hold. He dislocated his left shoulder and is expected to miss four weeks. The person most likely to benefit short term is rookie WR Dan Sheldon, although he gained only 8 yards on his one kickoff return in the game. Two RBs were more productive on kickoffs: Damien Anderson had two returns with a 27.0 yard average and James Jackson had two averaging 23.5 yards.

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Atlanta Falcons

QB: The Falcons first team offense looked sharp in Thursday night’s game against the Jaguars. Michael Vick played well completing 5-of-10 passing for 44 yards with a TD. He also had several nice runs avoiding the pass rush and gaining positive yards. He ran 4 times for 30 yards. After a long run by Warrick Dunn in the first quarter, Vick threw a laser to Michael Jenkins on a slant pattern for an 18-yard touchdown. After Vick left, Matt Schaub completed 8-of-14 passes for just 34 yards with a TD (also to Jenkins) and an interception.

RB: Dunn ran eight times for 65 yards on Thursday. He broke loose on one run when he set up the block up perfectly and broke into the open field for a 42-yard gain. Dunn gave way to T.J. Duckett after his long run (which also happened to be inside the 20) and had a good day, too, gaining 18 yards on four attempts. If there are any concerns about what role Duckett will play this year or if Dunn will continue to be the primary ball carrier, Michael Vick tried to dissuade them. "There is talk about that every year, the situation with him and T.J. Warrick is going to be the guy. T.J. is going to be his backup and when both of them get the opportunity to play, they will make it happen. Both of those guys are game breakers and both of those guys know what it takes to win. This is Warrick's seventh or eighth year. He knows what it takes to get the extra yard and to get 20 carries a game and make the offensive line go. We're looking to Warrick for his leadership and the same with T.J." That kind of quote speaks volumes about Dunn’s role. He’s the starter and barring injury, he’s going nowhere. Dunn’s a lot like Tiki Barber. Every year they are undervalued, but almost every year they produce – especially in leagues that reward point for receptions.

WR: Peerless Price, Roddy White and Dez White were all sidelined on Thursday night giving Michael Jenkins the center stage. Jenkins took advantage catching a pair of touchdowns in the Falcons win. Jenkins finished with four catches for 35 yards. "Nothing special for me tonight," said Jenkins, the team’s first-round draft pick a year ago. "It just happened that I got open and was able to catch the ball when it came to me. I just wanted to make plays when the opportunities came to me." Roddy White has been sidelined with a high ankle sprain since the preseason opener. Dez White suffered what coach Mora called “a little knee sprain” and didn’t return to the game. Price sat out of the game because of a concussion suffered a week ago against Tennessee.

TE: Alge Crumpler caught two passes on Thursday night for 13 yards. With the Falcons receivers and Vick passing the ball better in the early going this year Crumpler should see less defensive attention, but also potentially fewer targets.

Defense: Rookies DT Jonathan Babineaux and OLB Michael Boley each had a sack in Thursday night’s game. Boley also forced a fumble and had 4 tackles. Jordan Beck intercepted David Garrard, but suffered a high ankle sprain on the return, and could be sidelined for a lengthy period of time. CBs Jason Webster (hamstring) and Kevin Mathis (hamstring) did not play, so Allen Rossum made a start at right corner in their absence. Safety Bryan Scott left the game with a hip injury. LB Keith Brooking, DE Erik Flowers, DL Brandon Mitchell and DE Brady Smith didn’t player either.

Special Teams: PK Todd Peterson had a very productive game at Jacksonville.  He kicked FGs of 38, 40, and 40 yards and added two extra points. He also kicked off once, but it appears that during the regular season the punter - undrafted Michael Koenen from Western Washington University, will handle that job. Rookie WR Cole Magner didn’t help his chances of making the team when he fumbled away a punt return. CB Allen Rossum returned one for no gain but remains the starting PR. The question is whether he will also remain the top KR. He returned a kickoff for 28 yards in the game. The team would prefer to let him focus on punt returns and defense; however, the competition is questionable. Rookie WR Roddy White missed the game with an ankle injury, and rookie RB DeAndra Cobb was intentionally not used for an unspecified reason (despite his 101 yard return for a TD last week).

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Baltimore Ravens

QB: Kyle Boller continues to look dreadful. Against the Saints, Boller completed five out of ten passes for 53 yards. He threw a 31-yard TD strike to Clarence Moore but was also intercepted by Saints DE Will Smith. Anthony Wright completed 12-of-17 for 87 yards with no TDs or turnovers. Boller has been rushing his mechanics, resulting in bad throws, but to be fair he was under consistent pressure against the Saints and took several hits during the game.

RB: Jamal Lewis did not play against New Orleans, but that doesn’t mean the Ravens running game faltered any.  Chester Taylor took his first carry off right tackle for 43 yards and a touchdown on Friday night. One his second carry, Chester went left guard for 50 yards. On his fourth carry, he went right tackle for 23 yards. Chester was in the zone. He finished with 151 yards rushing on 13 carries. Tellis Redmon carried nine times for 20 yards and caught a few passes. If Lewis misses any significant time this year the team’s running game appears to be in good hands. Taylor will play on third downs and spell Lewis anyway, but if he is featured for any length of time he’ll be a solid fantasy starter those weeks.

WR: Mark Clayton had one catch for 9 yards. Clayton appears to have the team’s No. 3 receiver job secured. He also got some action with the first team starters opposite Derrick Mason. He split time there with Clarence Moore, who caught a 31-yard TD in the second quarter despite being interfered by the Saints Mike McKenzie, who was flagged on the play. Patrick Johnson caught two passes for 27 yards. Devard Darling caught one pass for two yards.

TE: Todd Heap's shoulder remains his biggest obstacle, but Heap’s not worried about it holding up against full contact. "I feel like the strength is back. It's the mobility. It takes some time because there's a lot of scar tissue built up in here, and it's something that needs to be worked out," Heap said. He did not play in Friday’s game against New Orleans. The other tight ends tried to take advantage of the extra playing time as Trent Smith caught four passes for 24 yards. Daniel Wilcox had a reception for eight yards and Rob Abiamiri caught one pass for 15 yards.

Defense: It wouldn’t be a Ravens game if the defense didn’t score a touchdown. This week, it was rookie DB Jarvis Johnson, who picked off a pass and returned it 78 yards the other way for a score. DT Dwan Edwards and rookie LB Mike Smith both sacked the QB. The Ravens did a solid job against the run limiting the Saints backs to 21 carries for 63 yards while keeping the Saints out of the end zone throughout the game. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed each had four tackles to help set the tone early.  OLB/DE Peter Boulware and DB Deion Sanders did not play. CB Dale Carter started in place of Samari Rolle, who also didn’t play, but played sparingly because of tightness in his back. The Ravens are happy with newcomer LB Tommy Polley, who was signed as a free agent to help fill the void created by Marques Douglas and Ed Hartwell’s departures. "He's fantastic," defensive coordinator Rex Ryan said. "I don't think Tommy has had a mental mistake. In games, I don't believe he's had one physically. He's done an outstanding job for us, so we're really happy with the way Tommy is playing." Polley joined the Ravens after playing for the Rams, where he developed a reputation for being soft and so far he’s working hard to show Baltimore that he plays with intensity and is capable of making big plays.

Special Teams: The Ravens did not attempt any FGs in the game at New Orleans. PK Matt Stover hit two extra points, and rookie Rhys Lloyd added one. Owen Pochman got all the kickoff opportunities - hitting them 57, 64, 65, and 66 yards. That’s not great, but it is marginally adequate on three of the four and could be enough to give him a slight edge over Lloyd (who has struggled). RB and PR/KR specialist B.J. Sams tuned up in this week’s game. He returned four punts for an 8.0 average and three kickoffs for a 28.7 average. RB Tellis Redmon once again served as the primary backup, returning three punts for a 6.7 yard average.

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Buffalo Bills

QB: J.P. Losman played the first half and the first series of the third quarter Friday night. He completed 9-of-18 passes for 82 yards before giving way to Shane Matthews. "It wasn't a good performance. I felt like everything was there," Losman said. "They called the right plays, the blocking was there. ... I was hesitating a little to pull the trigger." Matthews was sharp in his brief stint going 4-for-4 for 23 yards. Kelly Holcomb then finished the game going 8-of-12 for 96 yards.

RB: Willis McGahee used Friday’s game as a tune up for the regular season getting a preseason high 21 carries for just 61 yards including a fumble as the Bears run defense proved to be a worthy opponent. Lionel Gates didn’t get much going either with 10 yards on eight carries though he did catch four passes for 24 yards. Shaud Williams didn’t get any carries, but did catch a pair of balls for 21 yards. Joe Burns remains in the mix for the primary backup job, but it could be a two-man race between Gates and Williams, especially now that ReShard Lee was waived. Given McGahee’s injury history the Bills backup running back warrants some attention for fantasy purposes.

WR: Eric Moulds and Lee Evans each had an uneventful game Friday night. The spotlight was more on the backups who are competing for roster spots. Josh Reed, Sam Aikens, Drew Haddad, Jonathan Smith and George Wilson are all competing for roles and roster spots. Reed and Haddad are dueling for the No. 3 receiver job with Roscoe Parrish out for the next month or two. Haddad says he’s confident he can contribute if given the opportunity. "If they put me in a position to be successful, I can go out there and I can prove myself," Haddad said. "The more opportunities I get the more confident I am of what I can do." Haddad only caught one pass Friday night. Reed caught two balls for 13 yards while Sam Aikens reeled in four balls for 37 yards.

TE: Tim Euhus and rookie Kevin Everett, who is sidelined for most of the season with a torn ACL, sat out Friday night’s game. Euhus missed practice all week with a strained pectoral muscle. The Bills tight ends didn’t get much action in Friday’s game. Rod Trafford, a backup looking to keep his roster spot, caught a pass for 11 yards. No other Bills tight end made a reception.

Defense: CB Nate Clements produced the play of the night for the Bills stepping in front of an ill-advised Chad Hutchinson pass taking it 31 yards for a Bills touchdown. Clements also forced a fumble while Angelo Crowell and Ryan Denney each recovered a fumble. LB Takeo Spikes intercepted a pass and the Bills recorded four sacks by Chris Kelsay, Josh Stamer, London Fletcher and Lawyer Milloy. CB Kevin Thomas remained out for Friday’s game against Chicago as Jabari Greer continues to distance himself from Thomas for the team’s nickel corner job. Earlier last week the Bills waived DT LaWaylon Brown, DB Daniel Leger and DB Marvin Ward.

Special Teams: Just after critics finally started noticing that PK Rian Lindell looks much improved this preseason, he missed an extra point in the game at Chicago. However, it wasn’t his fault but rather due to a bad snap by rookie Duke Preston. Lindell made FGs of 38 and 44 yards but was wide left from 46 yards. Rookie WR Roscoe Parrish is now expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks after his wrist surgery, so CB Nate Clements will get to keep his PR job. He returned four punts for a 4.0-yard average in the game. WR Drew Haddad had a long punt return for 44 yards. CB Terrence McGee (the starting KR) had two returns with a 24.0-yard average. Rookie RB Lionel Gates, who should serve as a backup KR, had two returns for a 20.0-yard average.

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Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme had a good outing on Friday night completing 9-of-13 for 122 yards with a 30-yard touchdown to Steve Smith that came just seconds before the first half ended. Delhomme led the Panthers to 16 points in the first half on four different scoring drives. "We did some good things," Delhomme said. "I'm disappointed that we got three field goals, but it was great to end the half the way we did." Chris Weinke took over midway through the third quarter and finished 9-of-19 for 94 yards with a game-winning TD throw to Efrem Hill for 21 yards with 45 seconds left on the clock. Stefan Lefors didn’t play.

RB: The Panthers running back picture just got a little bit more crowded. Former Pro Bowl RB Stephen Davis returned to practice last Tuesday for the first time in 10 months. Davis went through a full-padded practice as the team’s first string running back. He’s trying to make it back from microfracture surgery on his right knee at 31 years of age. DeShaun Foster had been working with the starters all through camp – until Tuesday. With Davis back and practicing, Eric Shelton will now see fewer touches, but he’s not worried about it. Shelton is remaining patient and knows his time will come. “It doesn't really worry me," Shelton said. "All I have to do is worry about myself. We had a lot of backs at Louisville. I wasn't first when I got there, either. I just worked my way up. When you get in there, you just have to make a statement. We have a lot of guys who can contribute in different ways. We have power backs, scat backs, everybody is good in one particular way. I feel that (head coach John) Fox and (running backs coach Jim) Skipper brought me here for a reason." To that end, Fox and the Panthers coaching staff have been impressed thus far by Shelton in camp. "He's a guy that obviously we think well of," said Fox. "We're just continuing to try to get him accustomed to what we're doing." Jamal Robertson carried the ball eight times for 47 yards against the Browns. Robertson adds a nice combination of speed and shiftiness to the stable. He was the third running back to enter the game for the Panthers and is in a battle to earn a roster spot, but helped his cause with a strong game. DeShaun Foster ran nine times for 56 yards including one run that went for 23 yards (and true to form he also lost a fumble). Nick Goings carried three times for 11 yards while Shelton didn’t get much going with 7 yards on four carries. Fullback Brad Hoover was busy catching passes as he finished with five receptions for 60 yards. Stephen Davis didn’t play Friday night.

WR: Steve Smith has showed he’s back at 100% during the preseason displaying his trademark quickness and burst. Keary Colbert and Rod Gardner give Smith a solid 2-3 combo to keep defenses from paying too much attention to him. Colbert was praised during the last week by head coach John Fox for his route running. "He accomplished a whole lot there (University of Southern California), and a big reason was the type of route runner he is," Fox said. Colbert figures to be the team’s starter opposite Smith while Gardner will likely be the team’s slot receiver. Drew Carter is in the hunt for the No. 4 job. He’s competing with Ricky Proehl. Carter caught one pass on Friday night for 17 yards. Efrem Hill and Aaron Boone are among those in competition for the team’s last roster spot(s). Hill caught the game-winning TD from Chris Weinke on Friday night.

TE: Kris Mangum will probably be the team’s starting tight end on opening day, but don’t be surprised if Mike Seidman and Michael Gaines make strides during the season and press him for playing time at some point. Gaines had a solid outing Friday night catching four passes for 31 yards.

Defense: The Panthers appear to be back to the drawing board with Thomas Davis, their first round pick in this year’s draft. A season-ending injury to safety Colin Branch forced the team to move him back to safety where he began camp. Davis was moved to linebacker to help fill the void when Brandon Short was hurt. Branch then tore his ACL and MCL last week and will miss the entire season. This prompted the team to move Davis back to safety, and in turn, Mike Minter back to free safety. Minter played the last five seasons as strong safety. In Friday’s game DT Kris Jenkins flexed his muscles showing he’s fully back after missing much of last season with a shoulder injury. Jenkins had a sack and four tackles on the night. The Panthers also got sacks from DT Jordan Castens, Dante Wesley and Kemp Rasmussen. DE Julius Peppers didn’t make the trip for Friday’s game against Cleveland. He was held out with a foot injury. LB Dan Morgan, fresh off a contract extension, had an interception.

Special Teams: PK John Kasay was busy in the game at Cleveland. He kicked FGs of 22, 34, and 45 yards and added 2 extra points. He was wide right from 53 yards, and had a 47 yarder blocked. WR Efrem Hill had the only punt return, going for 7 yards. He still sits near the bottom of the depth chart and will probably be cut. The incumbent kickoff returner RB Rod Smart had two returns for a 26.5-yard average. Challenger RB Jamal Robertson had two returns for a 33.0-yard average. Only one will probably make the final roster and should serve as the KR and the final RB. WRs Ricky Proehl and Keary Colbert saw some game action with the second string KR unit.

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Chicago Bears

QB: The Bears overcame a rough outing by Chad Hutchinson Friday night to beat the Bills 16-12. Hutchinson threw two interceptions and fumbled while being sacked three times a week ago against the Colts. This time he was even worse, if that’s possible. Hutchinson was intercepted twice, sacked three times and completed only 3-of-14 passes for 33 yards. One of his interceptions was returned for a TD by Bills corner Nate Clements on a play that Hutchinson advertised from the second he dropped back. Hutchinson threw three incompletions in his first three attempts under heavy pressure, then tried to complete a sideline pass to Bernard Berrian. That’s when Clements read the ball seemingly before Hutchinson even let go of it. Clements cut in front of the pass and easily ran it in for a 31-yard score late in the first quarter. Hutchinson returned to the huddle for the next series, but was booed loudly. Thomas Jones put the Bears in scoring position with a 40-yard jaunt only to have Hutchinson throw an incompletion in the end zone on third down – and the Bears settled for a field goal. By contrast, rookie Kyle Orton gave the team a much needed spark when he took the field to start the second half. Playing with the Bears first team offense, Orton directed a scoring drive. He completed seven passes and got the team into the end zone scrambling to his left and throwing a touchdown in the back of the end zone to TE Desmond Clark. "We're pleased with how Kyle Orton stepped in and gave the offense a boost," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. Orton finished his brief night 7-for-11 for 74 yards. Now the Bears could have another QB controversy on their hands. As a result, the Bears have officially named Orton their opening day starter, and Hutchinson now sits 4^th on the depth chart (behind Jeff Blake and Kurt Kittner), which likely precedes his release. Orton had this to say after the announcement. "I'm not scared at all about being a rookie quarterback. I think I'm where I need to be. ... I have a lot of improvement I can make. Now I've got to quicken that process.”

RB: Cedric Benson has finally signed ending a prolonged 36-day holdout, but has he already lost too many reps to be considered an option in the early part of the season? With the way Thomas Jones has played in OC Ron Turner’s system, they aren’t going to turn away from him quickly. Jones does all the little things well that Benson doesn’t have any experience doing – like blocking, catching the football, picking up an NFL blitz. Jones is firmly entrenched as the team’s starting RB at this point, but that’s not to say Benson won’t make his impact this season. Benson is the player the coaching staff targeted – like Jones last year with the previous regime – to spearhead the team’s power running game that fuels Ron Turner’s offensive scheme. When Jones was asked this week whether Benson’s holdout would end after he made a surprise visit to Bears camp, Jones responded, “It has nothing to do with me, honestly. That’s just the situation. I come here every day and do my job. I get paid good money to run the football and do some other things on offense, (like) being a leader, and I just try to take pride in those things. So Cedric’s situation, that’s on him.” In the meantime, Jones remains one of the best draft day values potentially. Jones put together some big plays on Friday night against the tough Bill run defense. He rushed for 94 yards on 14 carries setting up the Bears first scoring drive with a 40-yard run. Jones handled the running duties into the third quarter before giving way to Adrian Peterson. Peterson also produced a good day at the office with 10 carries for 49 yards. He scored on a 3-yard run with 1:32 left lifting the Bears to a win. Peterson setup the game-winning score with a previous run that went for 21 yards.

WR: The competition for the starting job opposite Muhsin Muhammad remains an ongoing battle. Mark Bradley is turning it into a three horse race with Bernard Berrian and Justin Gage. The Bears gave Bradley some first team reps on Friday against Buffalo after he tore it up in practice during the week. Bradley was reportedly beating the Bears’ second and third string defenses regularly. In the game, Bradley caught two passes for 27 yards. Berrian caught one pass for 9 yards and Gage caught two passes 23 yards. Bobby Wade looks like he’ll be the team’s slot receiver and primary punt returner. He caught two passes for 33 yards. If the team keeps a sixth receiver it will come down to Eddie Berlin and Carl Ford.

TE: Desmond Clark caught the 2-yard TD from Kyle Orton to kick start the Bears offense in the second half Friday. He had two catches on the day for 13 yards. Gabe Reid and Darnell Sanders also got some game action. Each caught one ball – Sanders for 11 yards, Reid for 16 yards. Ron Johnson had a reception for 12 yards. The team has some decisions to make at this position. They will probably cut as many as three tight ends in the next week when they cut down the roster. On Monday, the Bears dealt John Owens to the Miami Dolphins for special teams ace Brendon Ayanbedejo.

Defense: Last week the Bears waived safety Bobby Gray on Tuesday and claimed DB Marvin Ward. Gray injured his knee against the Colts the week before and was going to miss the season anyway.  Todd Johnson got the start on Friday at strong safety. Mike Brown was excused from the game for personal reasons. DT Tommie Harris (strained chest) was injured in the game. Lance Briggs led all Bears tacklers with 6 solos and he also forced a fumble. Hunter Hillenmeyer and Charles Tillman each recovered fumbles. Hillenmeyer also had a sack, as did Adewale Ogunleye, who continued his excellent preseason with another sack. The Bears made another roster move last week, waiving CB Talib Wise.

Special Teams: PK Doug Brien hit a 28 yard field goal and an extra point against Buffalo. Rookie Nick Novak did not play and has since been waived. He had a decent preseason, so he could resurface with another team at some point. A week after stepping up a punt return for TD, WR Bobby Wade had two returns for no gain and a fair catch. WR Bernard Berrian had three punt returns for a 5.3 yard average, and CB Rashied Davis had two with a 14.5 yard average. Wade is probably still the lead candidate. Rookie WR Mark Bradley returned two kickoffs for a 9.5 yard average. He will probably be the primary KR for another week until CB Jerry Azumah returns from his hip surgery. Former Texans returned specialist J.J. Moses (signed just last week) was released this week.

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Cleveland Browns

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Nearly everyone expects Carson Palmer to take a big step forward in his development this year. Some even expect Palmer to ascend into the starting echelon of fantasy quarterbacks given the tremendously talented skill players that surround him. Yet in the preseason, Palmer’s performance has been somewhat lackluster. Both head coach Marvin Lewis and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski agree. Palmer must play better. For his part, Palmer says he’s not sore and feels great physically. “I’ve missed a lot of balls I shouldn’t have,” he said. “I just need to keep getting better.” Palmer entered Friday night 16-of-35 in the preseason. Against the Eagles, he completed 13-of-25 for 136 yards with no TDs or interceptions playing into the third quarter. "We weren't sharp," Palmer said. "There's no way around that. We got outplayed. It's tough and frustrating." The Bengals were kept out of the end zone until the backups took the field in the 4th quarter. Casey Bramlet threw a 36-yard TD pass to Chris Henry to make it 27-10 midway through the fourth quarter and Craig Krenzel tossed a 41-yard TD pass to Kevin Walter in the final minute. "We didn't play very well on offense, defense and special teams," Marvin Lewis said. "We didn't tackle, we didn't block, we didn't cover, we didn't punt. The fortunate thing is it doesn't count.”

RB: Pro Bowl RB Rudi Johnson carried the ball 17 times against the Eagles gaining 72 yards. Backup Chris Perry saw extensive action but only carried the rock four times for -5 yards. Perry made his impact as a receiver catching five passes for 29 yards. Quincy Wilson saw brief action at the end of the game carrying once for 4 yards and catching one ball for 9 yards. Johnson and Perry give the team a talented and versatile pair of backs that compliment each other’s style well. Johnson is the team’s bell cow. He will once again get the lion’s share of carries, but look for Perry to spell him more frequently this year. The team will utilize Perry predominantly on third downs where he’s a dangerous weapon as a receiver out of the backfield.

WR: Most of the Bengals receivers got into the action Friday night. Chad Johnson took it relatively easy catching three balls for 25 yards and T.J. Houshmandzadeh caught three balls for 57 yards. The reserves, however, were the ones who made the biggest plays – even if they came against the Eagles reserves in mop up duty. Kevin Walter caught a 41-yard TD pass and had three catches for 71 yards on the night. Chris Henry, competing for the No. 3 job with Kelley Washington and Peter Warrick, caught three balls for 64 yards including a 36-yd TD in the 4th quarter. Rookie Tab Perry did not play on Friday night and neither did Peter Warrick. Both players are nursing hamstring injuries and the team didn’t want either to risk further injury. On Tuesday morning, the Bengals released Warrick making the team’s battle for the No. 3 WR a two-horse race between Henry and Washington. If the preseason games are any indication, then look for Henry to emerge ahead of Washington.

TE: Matt Schobel caught a pair of passes for 10 yards. Reggie Kelly did not play in Friday’s game. Lyonel Anderson caught one pass for five yards. Nothing dramatic here, as usual. The Bengals simply don’t feature their tight ends enough in the passing game to warrant much, if any, fantasy consideration.

Defense: David Pollack had a solid debut Friday night against the Eagles finishing with 4 tackles and a sack. He narrowly missed sacking Donovan McNabb in the second quarter, but McNabb pulled away from Pollack avoiding the tackle. Justin Smith collected a sack among two tackles. Craig Powell and Bryan Robinson also split a sack. The coaches are pleased with their new defensive tackle pairing of John Thornton and newcomer Bryan Robinson so far. “Those are two pros who are working like pros," defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said, "You build a relationship between the two of them that's like a marriage.” Safety Kim Herring left the game in the second quarter after injuring his right shoulder. LBs Caleb Miller and Nate Webster did not play Friday night, and neither did corners Greg Brooks, Reggie Myles or Terrell Roberts. Kevin Kaesviharn started as free safety in place of Madieu Williams (back) for the third consecutive game.

Special Teams: PK Shayne Graham missed the game at Philadelphia, so he could again rest his sore groin. The early word is that he is “probable” for the final preseason game. PK Carter Warley handled all the kicking duties, including a 46 yard FG and two extra points. Starting PR CB Keiwan Ratliff (2 returns, 3.5 yard average) was outgained by WR Jamall Broussard (2,11.5) for the second consecutive week. WR Peter Warrick’s return to practices didn’t last very long. At this rate, he won’t be a factor on punt returns. Starting kickoff returner WR Cliff Russell had three returns averaging 20.3 yards. Dual threat Broussard had two for an average of 19.5 yards. WR Freddie Milons also returned both punts and kickoffs during preseason, but he was waived this week.

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Dallas Cowboys

QB: Drew Bledsoe went longer in Saturday’s game against Houston then he originally anticipated. He went 11-of-18 for 113 yards, but did not get the Cowboys into the end zone as the team had just two first downs in its first four possessions. "We couldn't get out of our way the first quarter," Bledsoe said. "It was very frustrating, but it was good to see the way our offense responded." On the next drive, Bledsoe went 5-for-5 as the team went 80 yards and scored on a Julius Jones 21-yard touchdown run. Backup Tony Romo took over after Bledsoe and led the team on two TD drives – one was a 2-yard TD toss to Quincy Morgan. Drew Henson didn’t get into the game; which could be telling in terms of the battle between he and Romo for backup duties. Romo finished 5-of-8 for 63 yards with the one touchdown.

RB: Julius Jones had a nice outing rushing 10 times for 50 yards while scoring from 21 yards in the first quarter. The Cowboys got a longer look at backup Tyson Thompson Saturday night. Anthony Thomas carried eight times for 46 yards, but Thompson toted the pill 13 times in the second half for 52 yards including a 1-yard TD. Thompson’s speed makes him an intriguing option as a reserve and he might possibly have earned the team’s last roster spot among the backs along with Jones, Thomas and rookie Marion Barber III, who sat out the game due to injury. Keylon Kincade had three carries for five yards.  Earlier in the week, the Cowboys released fullback Darian Barnes with an injury settlement. The competition at fullback appears to be won by Lousaka Polite though Erik Bickerstaff is also in the mix.

WR: Terry Glenn had a busy evening catching five passes for 51 yards in his most extensive action of the preseason. Keyshawn Johnson didn’t catch a pass, but was targeted once by Bledsoe. The competition for the team’s No. 3 receiver job appears to be won by Patrick Crayton. Crayton has been the team’s standout performer in each of the last two games. A week ago on Monday night, Crayton caught five balls for 82 yards. On Saturday night, Crayton followed up with three catches for 63 yards – including a nice 36-yard reception. Crayton's rise has coincided with WR Quincy Morgan's fall from No. 3 to No. 4 on the depth chart, and potentially off the team. Morgan did manage to catch a 2-yard TD with 3:10 remaining in the game, but the biggest reason the two players are heading in opposite directions has been their hands. Cowboys receivers coach Todd Haley said that Morgan drops too many passes, while Crayton catches everything. Terrance Copper caught one pass for 8 yards. Ahmad Merritt was waived on Wednesday.

TE: Jason Witten had two catches for 13 yards against Houston and Dan Campbell had two catches for 15 yards. Both Sean Ryan and Tony Curtis sat out of the game Saturday night with injuries.

Defense: It didn’t take much to get Cowboys star safety Roy Williams fired up on Saturday night against the cross-state Houston Texans. Early in the game, Williams locked horns with tight end Mark Bruener on a running play with each player throwing the other to the ground and each drawing a personal foul. Bruener apparently said some things that Williams took exception with… "I told them they messed up," Williams said. "I told them I was going to knock them out." Williams went on to deliver several big blows to the Texans as the Cowboys beat Houston 21-9. Williams finished with a combined six tackles on the night, but the tone he set spoke louder than his stat line in the box score. "That's what Roy does," corner Anthony Henry said admiringly after playing alongside Williams for the third time. "I think those guys were hearing footsteps." Rookie Kevin Burnett had a strong outing with a sack, forced fumble and four combined tackles.  DeMarcus Ware had another sack and three tackles, but also showed a certain amount of restraint pulling up before laying a pop on Texans QB Tony Banks. Ware couldn’t make the play and Banks ultimately threw an incomplete pass, but he likely would’ve been flagged for a late hit had he not pulled up. DE Greg Ellis and LB Al Singleton split a sack. CB Terrence Newman and LB Dat Nguyen each intercepted David Carr once. The Cowboys signed safety Rich Coady during the week to a one year, $540,000 contract to provide more competition and insurance at free safety. Keith Davis is currently running with the first team, but Coady could push him for a starting job. Izell Reese was waived to make room on the roster.

Special Teams: A recap of the Cowboys kicker soap opera… incumbent Billy Cundiff was back, but didn’t really have Bill Parcell’s confidence. Rookie challenger Brett Visintainer hurt his back and was released. Jose Cortez was signed to press Cundiff. Cundiff tore his quad, was released, and received an injury settlement. Cortez inherited the job. The Cowboys traded for Jacksonville’s Seth Marler to press Cortez. Marler failed a physical, and the deal was voided. Cortez look good in last week’s game at Seattle, hitting FGs of 37, 44, and 46 yards. He didn’t look quite as good this against Houston, missing wide right from 31 yards… to be continued. Potential return guys WR Ahmad Merritt and CB Lance Frazier were waived this week. CB Terence Newman returned punts this week, and rookie RB Tyson Thompson and CB Aaron Glenn returned kickoffs.

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Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer continued tuning up for the regular season with his second straight solid performance on Saturday night against the Colts. Plummer completed 10-of-16 for 150 yards and one score in a little over two quarters of work.  Bradlee Van Pelt, the team’s backup QB after three preseason games, finished the game going 3-of-6 for 43 yards and a TD.  He also ran twice for 9 yards. Van Pelt is good scrambler who seems to have the innate knack for making plays. With Danny Kanell’s release, Van Pelt seems secure in the #2 role while Matt Mauck will be the team’s emergency quarterback.

RB: A year ago Saturday, Mike Anderson was taken to the Broncos locker room on a cart with two torn groin muscles that prematurely ended his season and – as a 31-year old running back – potentially his career. This past Saturday night, Anderson celebrated last year by taking the ball straight up the gut of the Colts defense 93 yards to the house. "My biggest concern was being caught from behind," Anderson said. "When you have a run like that, you don't want to be caught." Anderson grazed the Colts non-existent run defense for 159 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns when it was all over. Anderson was asked after the game if he had thought about last year’s injury in retrospect. “I've thought about it," Anderson said. "It puts it all in perspective. I knew I was going to come back, even when I was carried off the field. But for this to happen tonight, it's a nice feeling. It really is. It all could have been over, but it's not." Any notion that Tatum Bell would begin the season as the Broncos starting running back is definitely out of the window now. As if fantasy owners need an endorsement from Mike Shanahan. "It was real nice to see Mike make a big play like that," Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "It's very seldom you see a back in the National Football League break for 93 yards, and to see Mike do that was pretty impressive." Anderson also caught a pair of passes for another 22 yards. Bell carried the ball just once for two yards, but Quentin Griffin got some action. He carried nine times for 33 yards. The Broncos RB competition is boiling down to what appears to be just four roster spots. Anderson, Bell, Ron Dayne and Griffin all appear to be safe. Maurice Clarett, on the other hand, was released ending a bizarre few months that saw him drafted in the third round (surprisingly) but then opt for no signing bonus in an incentive-laden deal, which made the Broncos decision to cut him a financial no-brainer.  Fullback Kris Briggs was also among the roster cuts.

One thing the Broncos are doing differently this year that is paying dividends in the preseason is their approach to the red zone. Last year the Broncos struggled to punch the ball in at the goal line. This year they are using DT Gerard Warren as the lead blocking back. He checked into the game Saturday night and led the way with a block at the goal line on Anderson’s 2-yard TD early in the third quarter. Look for that to continue into the regular season.

WR: The player who really stood out Saturday night was Ashley Lelie. The former Rainbow Warrior caught five passes for 104 yards including a nice 40-yard haul from Jake Plummer for a touchdown. Rod Smith caught one pass for 15 yards. Charlie Adams, Darius Watts and Jerry Rice are battling for the team’s No. 3 and No. 4 receiver spots. Rice has been working at No. 3 during the last week displacing Watts, and Adams even moved ahead of Watts temporarily. Watts has six drops in two preseason games on passes that hit his hands directly. "I just have to work at what I've been doing wrong," said Watts. He caught one pass Saturday night for 3 yards. Charlie Adams had one reception for 12 yards. Jerry Rice didn’t catch a ball. In other words, after Saturday night, the questions about the team’s No. 3 receiver remain unanswered. Just going by Shanahan’s depth chart Rice appears to have the inside track with Watts and Adams dueling for the No. 4 job now.

TE: Jeb Putzier caught a 28-yard TD pass from backup QB Bradlee Van Pelt Saturday night to seal the victory against Indianapolis. It was Putzier’s only catch of the game. Stephen Alexander also caught one ball for just one yard. Alexander remains listed as the team’s starter, but given the frequency that the team utilizes two tight ends and Alexander’s propensity for injury – Putzier promises to see a lot of playing time regardless of where he’s officially listed on paper. Patrick Hape was released this week.

Defense: Former 49ers DE John Engelberger made his impact felt Saturday night blowing the Colts offensive line off the ball for three sacks. Engelberger finished with six tackles on the night. CB Darrent Williams had a nice game, too, for a rookie. Williams looks like a quick study. He filled in for Champ Bailey who continues to nurse a hamstring injury. Williams got his taste of Peyton Manning when he was burned by Pro Bowler Marvin Harrison for an 18-yard score, but he also sacked Manning on a corner blitz showcasing his speed and surprising Manning. Lenny Walls made an excellent play despite being burned deep by Reggie Wayne on Friday night. Walls was beaten deep when Wayne hesitated then took off down the right sideline in what appeared to be an impending touchdown. But Walls never gave up on the play; instead he took off after Wayne and caught him from behind poking the ball free around the 5-yard line. The ball went into the end zone and out of bounds for a touchback and an official “save” for Walls - as in what a way to save face. DLs Ebenezer Ekuban and Anton Palepoi also registered sacks. DBs Roc Alexander and Jeremy LaSeuer recovered a fumble each. Sam Brandon intercepted a Jim Sorgi pass. Overall, it was a decent effort defensively considering it was against the high-powered Colts. The Broncos signed safety Marques Anderson and extended his contract by one year after he was cut by division rival Oakland. Anderson practiced with the team on Wednesday

Special Teams: PK Jason Elam racked up double digit points against Indianapolis, with FGs of 28, 31, and 38 yards, plus four extra points. Punter Todd Sauerbrun got an opportunity (actually nine of them) to handle the kickoffs. His distances ranged from 69 to 75 yards (which included two touchbacks). The only downside was they tended to be line drives with limited hang times. That’s probably good enough however to make K Paul Ernster expendable as a kickoff specialist.  Rookie CB Darrent Williams is still the top PR/KR heading towards the regular season. WR Charlie Adams has emerged in the latter part of preseason as a capable backup.

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Detroit Lions

QB: On Monday night, the Lions were simply dreadful. No wonder it’s been so long since Monday Night Football featured the Motor City Kitties. Lions head coach Steve Mariucci summed up the team’s Monday night performance in one word, "Alarming." Lions center Dominic Raiola, consistently beaten off the ball by the Rams defensive like offered some encouragement, "I guarantee that won't happen against Green Bay.” For once, the Lions fans can’t blame this loss on Joey Harrington, who was running for his life nearly every time the ball was snapped. Harrington went 9-of-18 for 106 yards. After three games the Lions first team offense still hasn’t crossed the goal line. "It was just one of those nights where things kind of piled on top of each other," Harrington said. "We missed blitz pickups, we missed throws and we missed routes. When you get into a funk like that, it's tough to break out." The so-called competition between Joey Harrington and Jeff Garcia has turned into much ado about nothing. The job is clearly Harrington’s after outplaying Garcia clearly in the team’s first two preseason games. Harrington has played efficiently and made better decisions with the football, despite not throwing a TD yet. Garcia, meanwhile, has been more erratic and he seems to be playing with more aggressiveness. With nothing to lose, perhaps Garcia is simply letting it all hang out. Unfortunately, his play has been underscored by interceptions and an inability to get receivers the ball at times. Garcia was 2-of-9 for just 34 yards under the lights.

Rookie Dan Orlovsky played as well as one might expect. He completed 6-of-9 for 51 yards and found rookie tight end Jason Randall for a 6 yard TD. On Thursday, the Lions announced they signed former Hawaii QB Timmy Chang, who was recently cut by the Cardinals. "We want to take a good look at him and see how he learns our offense, or if he is a guy that is a candidate to bring back at another time, that sort of thing," said head coach Steve Mariucci. "We have seen him play on film in a very exciting offense, but since he is available — he was in the Arizona camp — we may want to take a little bit closer look."

RB: Kevin Jones somehow managed 38 yards on 9 carries against the Rams, despite not having any running lanes nor much push from the Lions offensive line. As previously said, there were very few positives to take from the Lions’ performance on MNF. Jones scored a touchdown on a run to the right side, but it was quickly called back due to holding. Jones also caught one pass for 9 yards. Backup Artose Pinner saw brief action running twice for 8 yards. Late in the game, Jamel “Erkel” White got a few carries and gained 13 yards.

WR: On the first play of the game, Charles Rogers slipped and fell on what likely would’ve been a touchdown pass from Joey Harrington. Rogers only had one catch for 8 yards. Roy Williams made a nice grab down the left sidelines on a 21-yard reception from Harrington. Williams finished with three catches for 44 yards. Mike Williams, operating out of the slot primarily, caught 2 passes for 42 yards, but was open on a number of plays where the ball either wasn’t thrown to him or the Lions QB couldn’t get the ball to him due to the pressure being applied by the Rams front four. Steve Savoy and Glenn Martinez are among the backups competing for the last roster spot – along with Scottie Vines, David Kircus and Paris Hamilton. Savoy caught two passes for 18 yards. Martinez had one catch for 7 yards. Kircus had one catch for 12 yards.

TE: Marcus Pollard came up with two big catches in the first half and finished with 16 yards on the game. Casey Fitzsimmons caught one ball for 10 yards and rookie Jason Randall had two receptions for 14 yards – including the team’s only TD coming with just under a minute remaining.

Defense: Pro Bowl DT Shaun Rogers did not practice throughout the week after being kicked in the shin against the Browns last weekend. DE James Hall was also not able to practice for much of the week because of a shoulder injury. Neither played suited up for MNF. Cory Redding was one of the lone bright spots for the Lions. He had one and a half sacks and 3 tackles on the night. Kenoy Kennedy had an interception and Dre Bly forced a fumble. Otherwise, the Lions defense was run over, around and completely dismantled by the Rams first team offense. They scored seemingly at will as if the Lions were merely going through a walk through – and not an actual game. After the game the Rams QB Marc Bulger said, "We treated this like a regular-season game. Whether they did or not, who knows?” "There are no excuses for a game like this," Detroit coach Steve Mariucci said. "I thought we were very fired up and ready to go, but it just didn't happen on the field.”

Special Teams: This update was written prior to the Lions Monday night game against St. Louis, so there isn’t any significant news on PK Jason Hanson. He did however win the team’s one-hole golf “course” challenge in camp. The team plans to give WR Eddie Drummond his first game action on returns this week but probably only on punts. The most capable backup returner is probably R.W. McQuarters, who is competing for a CB roster spot. Another potential backup is Scottie Vines, who is battling for the final WR roster spot.

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Green Bay Packers

QB: Until Friday night, Brett Favre was having a strong training camp – even by Favre’s standards. However, Friday night was not a strong night at all for him or the Packers offense as a group. Favre completed only 9-of-21 for 69 yards with two interceptions (and had a third wiped out by a penalty) and no TDs. The Packers were held to a field goal on the night. Favre had a nice run for 13 yards showing a little “burst” that hasn’t been seen in recent years. Favre gave way to rookie Aaron Rodgers in the third quarter. Rodgers remained unimpressive going 5-of-9 for 52 yards with an interception. It was a combination of penalties and turnovers all night for the Packers offense. "It was like a circus because we kept shooting ourselves in the foot," Packers offensive lineman Mark Tauscher said. "But at least our wounds were self-inflicted and we can clean those things up." Favre wasn’t thrilled either. "Penalties killed us there," Favre said. "Throwing the ball to the other team isn't going to get it done either." First round pick Aaron Rodgers is in serious danger of falling to No. 3 behind Craig Nall. "Obviously, there's a question," Rodgers said on Thursday. "I haven't done anything to separate myself from Craig in the games, obviously."

RB: Ahman Green didn’t have a good game either on Friday. Green added to the team’s misery by fumbling the ball on the Packers first play of the second half. It’s Green third fumble of the preseason. This, of course, is no surprise to anyone. Green ran 11 times for 23 yards with a long run of seven yards on the evening. Tony Fisher and Najeh Davenport had about the same level of success against the Patriots. Davenport ran five times for 15 yards. Fisher carried the rock six times for 22 yards. Walter Williams ran for 12 yards on three carries. Curiously, his long run was 13 yards, which also happens to be the longest of the night by any Packer. Davenport acknowledged rumors that the Eagles were interested in obtaining him, but the Packers weren’t interested in trading him to another team in the NFC.

WR: Javon Walker dislocated a finger on his right hand while trying to catch a bullet from Favre. X-Rays were taken and confirmed a dislocation of the finger, and not a break. Walker said he has some swelling, but that overall the finger is “fine”. Antonio Chatman sprained his neck in the first half and was taken from the field on a stretcher after being speared by Rodney Harrison. Chatman had some movement and experienced tingling in his arms while being wheeled away, the team reported. X-rays were negative and he showed no signs of a concussion. Chatman said he expects to return to practice this week, despite some lingering stiffness. Robert Ferguson caught three passes for 22 yards. Donald Driver caught two for 16 yards. Walker had one catch for eight yards before leaving.

TE: Bubba Franks ended his training camp holdout signing a seven-year, $28 million deal. It’s the largest contract signed by a Packers TE in team history. Franks is eager to play and has a lot to prove. "Before it's all said and done I want to be known as the best tight end in Packer history, hands down," Franks said Wednesday night after signing the contract. "Actually, I want to be known as the best tight end in the NFL." Franks ran full speed at practice Thursday, but did not play Friday night. "I kind of took this as a mini-practice," Franks said after Thursday’s practice. "Everyone else is kind of walking through, and I'm out there running routes.”

Defense: DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila injured his neck in Friday’s game. DB Nick Collins injured his thigh and LB Paris Lenon sprained his wrist, but was able to return to the game. LBs Brady Poppinga and Raynoch Thompson each recovered a fumble. “KGB” sacked Tom Brady and forced him to fumble. LB Nick Barnett led the team with five tackles. Otherwise, the Packers secondary made a lot of tackles and the defense overall looks very beatable this year. It may take some time for all their young players to develop, and this looks to be one of DC Jim Bates’ greatest challenges. In other news, Hannibal Navies was released, somewhat surprising given his experience and the team’s injury situation at linebacker. Navies’ release means Paris Lenon could start at strong-side linebacker on opening day because Na’il Diggs (knee) may not be ready.

Special Teams: The Packers offense continued to struggle against New England this week, so PK Ryan Longwell had only a 26 yard FG and no extra points. Punter B.J. Sander appears to have secured the holder job, and Longwell appears to be content with that. Incumbent top punt returner WR Antonio Chatman left the game on a stretcher with a neck injury. Subsequent x-rays were negative and he might play in this week’s game. After he left, rookie WR Craig Bragg stepped in and returned two punts for a 2.5 yard average. Co-kickoff-returners RB Najeh Davenport and WR Robert Ferguson each had one return for 19 yards. WR Andrae Thurman once again saw the most work at KR, with three returns and a 22.7 yard average. He could be a factor this year, if he survives the final roster cuts.

Packers Depth Chart
QB Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Craig Nall, J.T. O'Sullivan
 RB Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, Tony Fisher, Walter Williams, Joey Harris, Chaz Williams (IR)
 FB William Henderson, Nick Luchey, Vonta Leach
 WR Javon Walker, Donald Driver, Robert Ferguson, Antonio Chatman (KR/PR), Terrence Murphy (KR), Craig Bragg, Andrae Thurman, Jamal Jones, Sam Breeden
 TE Bubba Franks, David Martin, Ben Steele, Sean McHugh, Garrett Cross
 K Ryan Longwell
 DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, Aaron Kampman, R-Kal Truluck, Corey Williams, Kenny Peterson, Seante Williams
 DT Grady Jackson (NT), Cletidus Hunt, James Lee (NT), Cullen Jenkins, Donnell Washington, Colin Cole (NT), Mike Montgomery, Doug Sims (NT)
 MLB Nick Barnett, Roy Manning, John Garrett
 OLB Na'il Diggs (S) (inj), Raynoch Thompson (W), Paris Lenon (S), Brady Poppinga, Ike Emodi (W), Shawn Morgan (W), Nick McNeil (S)
 CB Al Harris, Ahmad Carroll, Joey Thomas, Michael Hawkins, Jason Horton, Chris Johnson (inj), Kurt Campbell, Art Smith, Chris Day
 S Mark Roman (SS), Nick Collins (FS), Todd Franz (FS), Michael Underwood (FS), Julius Curry (FS), Wendell Williams (FS), Chonn Lacey (SS)

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Houston Texans

QB: The Texans offense didn’t generate much against the Cowboys on Saturday night. Starting QB David Carr had a forgettable performance throwing two interceptions and completing just 7-of-19 for 52 yards. Backup QB Tony Banks didn’t fare much better throwing eight completions in 18 attempts for 92 yards with a lost fumble that led to a Cowboys touchdown. "We can't be a sloppy team and expect to play winning football," coach Dom Capers said. "We have to be an efficient team with an eye to detail to win games."

RB: Starting RB Domanick Davis played Saturday night, but left early with a combination of injuries. He bruised his right elbow and twisted his right ankle. Davis finished with 39 yards on eight carries and one catch for 2 yards. Vernand Morency took over and ran well. Morency ran 11 times for 55 yards including a 23-yarder. Morency seems to have won the backup job to Davis outplaying Tony Hollings in the preseason. Hollings carried six times for 7 yards against Dallas. As for Davis, neither of his injuries appeared to be serious, but keep Morency’s name fresh on your mind. He’s older than your typical rookie after spending a few years pursuing a baseball career. He’s looked good in camp and has the prototypical size to be a featured back if Davis misses any extensive playing time this year. As talented as Davis is, he’s also missed playing time in each season he’s been in the league. Morency is bound to get a start or two at some point this year. In last week’s game against the Raiders, Morency had runs of 31 and 23 yards on his first series (finishing with 90 yards on 19 carries). "He did a real nice job," coach Dom Capers said after his game a week ago. "He ran tough. He broke some tackles. And he had a couple of long runs. We're pleased with what he was able to do."

WR: Andre Johnson got a lot of action on Saturday night, but more often than not was well covered and ended up with just 4 catches for 35 yards despite being targeted 10 times. Jerome Mathis and Sloan Thomas had decent games. Mathis caught two passes for 25 yards while Thomas had three catches for 45 yards. Corey Bradford, holding down the starting job opposite Johnson, had two catches for 15 yards. Jabar Gaffney remained on the sidelines for the third straight preseason game. He’s making progress on his shoulder and he’s no longer wearing a red jersey in practice, but he’s still not seeing any game action either. Derick Armstrong also sat out of Saturday’s game. Kevin Kasper, trying to earn a roster spot against the odds, caught two passes for 14 yards. Reggie Swinton didn’t catch a pass but scored the team’s only TD on a 102-yard kickoff return highlighted by his hurdle over a defender as he galloped the distance of the field for a score.

TE: Marcellus Rivers caught a pass for 9 yards and was the lone entry in the Texans box score among their tight ends. That shouldn’t be much of a surprise, as the Texans just don’t target the tight end position frequently in the passing game. On Monday, Dom Capers had to make one of his toughest personnel moves of his coaching career when he released veteran Billy Miller. “Billy has been with us since the very beginning,” Capers said. “He’s represented everything that we’ve talked about from the standpoint of work ethic and attitude. I don’t know that he’s ever missed a workout. He caught the first touchdown pass in the history of the Texans. Those are always tough, tough moves.”

Defense: Corner Phillip Buchanon left Saturday’s game early with bruised ribs. Antwaan Peek is readying himself for a starting OLB job this year. He collected a sack in Saturday’s game, while he, CB Dunta Robinson and LB Kailee Wong had four tackles each. Backup safety Ramon Walker led the team with six tackles. Rookie safety C.C. Brown has been impressive in camp. He joined the team just hoping to make the roster, but after three weeks of camp, he’s now pushing Glenn Earl for the starting strong safety job. Earl has been injured and Brown is taking advantage of the extra reps in practice and games. Coach Dom Capers said he is comfortable with Brown possibly starting the season opener, but has yet to make a decision either way.

Special Teams: The special teams handled all the scoring for the Texans in their game at Dallas. The big one was a 102 yard kickoff return for a TD by WR Reggie Swinton. Less impressive was his punt return - which he muffed. He’s competing with rookie WR Jerome Mathis for the PR/KR specialist position. Mathis had a nice and speedy 51 yard punt return, which setup PK Kris Brown’s only score - a 50 yard FG. CB Phillip Buchanon got his first chance to return punts, taking three of them for a 10.7 yard average. He would probably start at PR for many teams, but he’ll likely backup either Swinton or Mathis.

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Indianapolis Colts

QB: Peyton Manning saw his most extensive action of the preseason Saturday night against Denver playing well into the third quarter and finishing with 206 yards and two touchdowns on 18-of-25 passing. Jim Sorgi finished the game going 10-of-18 for 99 yards with a TD and an interception. Sorgi also added 11 yards on one run. The Colts starting offense looks in midseason form. Manning connected with Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison regularly and found Edgerrin James and his tight ends for several other completions. Manning suffered a bruised shoulder in the game and had X-rays taken afterward in the locker room. “We did an X-Ray at the stadium after the game. Doctors were satisfied with it. I just knew that he had been examined and was fine. I assumed it was an MRI and said that. It was not an MRI, but he has been examined. He's fine,” said head coach Tony Dungy.

RB: Edgerrin James carried the ball eight times for 33 yards while catching three passes for 13 yards playing into the second quarter. James Mungro took over after James left running seven times for 14 yards and catching one pass for 6 yards. Backup RB Dominic Rhodes will be out for several weeks after suffering a turf toe injury a week ago. He’ll miss the team’s season opener against Baltimore. Ran Carthon, Anthony Davis and Vashon Pearson are competing for what appears to be one roster spot. Carthon strengthened his cause running seven times for 39 yards while Davis had three carries for 9 yards. Pearson had two rushes for 5 yards.

WR: Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne both had strong games against Denver. Both starters caught touchdowns from Manning. Wayne almost had two TDs but lost one after he failed to protect the football as he was about to score. The play resulted in a touchback. Wayne had three catches for 80 yards while Harrison had four catches for 37 yards. With Brandon Stokley sidelined, Troy Walters and Aaron Moorehead are competing for some additional playing time in the Colts three receiver sets. Walters had just one catch for 8 yards. Moorehead had two catches for 14 yards. Undrafted rookie John Standeford caught three balls for 39 yards. Brad Pyatt had one catch for 12 yards.

TE: The Colts are giving their backup tight ends a lot of looks in the preseason. That’s because they have a heated competition between Ben Utecht, Ben Hartsock and Bryan Fletcher for the backup job behind starter Dallas Clark. Remember, Clark has missed games in each of his NFL seasons due to injuries. Utecht and Fletcher both played well Saturday night. Utecht caught four passes for 50 yards while Fletcher had five catches for 47 yards. Utecht longest play went for 25 yards while Fletcher’s was 15 yards.

Defense: Corner Marlin Jackson, the Colts' first-round pick, missed Saturday's game at Denver with an injured hip. He missed practice throughout the week, and coach Tony Dungy did not say how much more time Jackson might miss, but said before the game. "He needs some rest," Dungy said. "If it was a regular-season game, he'd probably play." The Colts had several defenders on the sidelines of Saturday night’s game. DE Robert Mathis, CB Donald Strickland, LB Kendyll Pope, S Bob Sanders, S Gerome Sapp, S Mike Doss, DE Jonathan Welsh and DT Vincent “Sweat Pea” Burns were all out for various reasons. Among the few Colts defenders who had big game was DT Larry Tripplett, who registered two sacks and four tackles. Triplett entered training camp at 285 pounds, down 35 pounds from his highest playing weight of 320, and the results have been favorable. He appears quicker and it showed on Saturday night when he chased down Jake Plummer for two sacks. Josh Mallard and Jason Stewart also had a sack apiece. Otherwise, the Broncos were barely slowed down by the Colts defense as they marched down the field seemingly able to run, pass and score at will against the Colts first team defense.

Special Teams: PK Mike Vanderjagt hit a 28 yard FG and three extra points in the game at Denver. PK Dave Rayner looked better than previously in his quest to remain with the team as a kickoff specialist. His kickoffs went for 66, 70, 70, and 70 yards (the latter three all for touchbacks), although he may have been aided by the mile high atmosphere. After missing the last two games with a hip injury, WR Troy Walters was back and had three punt returns for 7.0 yard average. CB Jason David returned two for a 4.5 yard average. WR Brad Pyatt did not return any punts this week but had two kickoff returns with a 26.0 yard average. Rookie DB Jerome Dennis had the remaining four kickoff returns for a 26.8 yard (although he fumbled one of them and isn’t likely to make the team).

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Jacksonville Jaguars

QB: Not everything went the Jaguars way on Thursday against the Falcons, but Byron Leftwich looked solid overall. Leftwich completed 11-of-20 passes for 179 yards – even though 47 yards came on a desperation pass that Ernest Wilford hauled in at the 2-yard line before the half.

RB: Fred Taylor returned to game action on Thursday night against Atlanta. He gained 13 yards on his first carry. "It felt good," said Taylor, who injured his left knee Dec. 19 against Green Bay and missed the final two games of last season. "It was a good start. It was a confidence builder. Physically, I felt OK and I didn't have any setbacks. It is a good sign, so far." Taylor finished the game with 18 yards on four carries with two receptions for 8 yards. The battle for the backup job behind Taylor continues between LaBrandon Toefield and rookie Alvin Pearman. At this point, however, Pearman looks like he could have a potentially significant role in the offense. The Jags will be spreading the field frequently and Pearman appears to be the team’s best receiver out of the backfield. Pearman is an all-purpose back who would have a huge opportunity if the oft-injured Taylor has any setbacks. Pearman ran six times for 27 yards and caught an 11-yard pass. Toefield had a 4-yard scoring run and finished with 12 yards on six carries. Chris Fuamatu Ma’afala missed Thursday’s game to attend to a family matter.

WR: Even though Jimmy Smith and Reggie Williams are the team’s starting receivers, rookie Matt Jones once again had the highlight of the game for Jags Thursday night – a 48-yard one-handed reception while falling/tripping on a defender. "He's got a gift for catching the ball," Coach Jack Del Rio said. "That's just a phenomenal catch. You're going to see a lot of that. He's the kind of guy that's going to have plays on ESPN. He's that kind of player." Del Rio didn’t stop there either, "…the guy has unbelievable hands. He had me smiling. I couldn't contain myself." Throughout camp and other pre-season games, Jones has consistently made big plays. Jones appears to be gaining ground, if not winning, the battle in camp to be the team’s No. 3 receiver after getting extensive action in the slot against Atlanta. Chad Owens and Jones have taken turns with the first team offense operating out of the slot. Owens against Tampa, and Jones this week. Troy Edwards filled the role last season. On Sunday, the Jaguars cut Edwards, the team’s 2nd leading receiver a year ago. Edwards was unhappy with his reduced role this year. He voiced his frustration after Thursday’s game, saying, "you can see what's going on. It's obvious.” Owens, on the other hand, is having a strong preseason. He caught four passes for 50 yards, but lost a fumble on a punt return. "I think one thing is clear: he is a guy who has to be considered for a position and not just as a return specialist," Del Rio said. "I think he's earned that." The emergence of the two rookies led to the release of veteran Troy Edwards (2 catches for 23 yards) this week. Ernest Wilford had two catches for 59 yards (see Leftwich above). Wilford looks like he’ll be the team’s No. 4 receiver.

TE: Kyle Brady remains the starter with George Wrighster and Brian Jones backing him up along with Todd Yoder, who is utilized more as a blocking specialist. Yoder (knee) did not play Thursday, but Wrighster and Jones each saw action. Wrighster caught two passes for 23 yards; Jones caught one pass for 12 yards. Both are capable players who warrant some attention in dynasty leagues, but with Brady hanging on forever it’s difficult to gauge how often they’ll play unless Brady gets hurt.

Defense: The Jags defensive highlights on Thursday night amounted to S Deke Cooper’s interception of Matt Schaub and DT Marcus Stroud recovering a fumble. Otherwise, the Jags defense wasn’t really in attack mode and never mounted much of a pass rush all night. Coach Jack Del Rio wasn’t happy with the team’s defensive performance either. "Sloppy field and I thought sloppy play with the number of yellow flags," Del Rio said. "The coach is not going to be pleased and I'm not. We would've liked to have had a better showing for the nation." Jacksonville allowed 176 rushing yards and they failed to generate a sack and the Falcons first team offense had no problems moving the football. The Jaguars got a scare in the first half when Pro Bowl DT Marcus Stroud left the game with a strained hamstring and did not return. He pulled up while chasing Falcons quarterback Michael Vick on a first-quarter scramble.

Special Teams: The Jags kickers didn’t get very much work in the game against Atlanta on Thursday. Josh Scobee missed a 38 yard FG attempt wide left and hit one extra point in the first half. He displayed his leg on kickoffs of 71 and 79 (touchback) yards. The offense did even less in the second half, and there was no kicking needed. The fact that Seth Marler didn’t get any opportunities in the game became a moot point on Friday, when he was traded to Dallas (the deal was later voided after Marler failed the Cowboys’ physical). The return guys saw more action. Rookie WR Chad Owens had more success on his one punt return of 7 yards than RB David Allen did on his two returns averaging 0.5 yards. Owens led the way on kickoffs with three returns averaging 15.3 yards. RB LaBrandon Toefield returned one for 18 yards and David Allen returned one for 17 yards.

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Kansas City Chiefs

QB: Trent Green was pulled from Saturday night’s game earlier than the Chiefs were planning. Green went 6-of-7 for 85 yard with a 4-yard TD pass to Tony Gonzalez and one interception. Green left early after having his toe stepped on and having some numbness. “Early in the week (Green) had numbness develop in his calf that went down into his toe," said Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil. "He could play, but after the second series, because it was bothering him, we just took him out. It comes and goes." The Chiefs were without their regular No. 2 and No. 3 quarterbacks, so they signed Jonathan Quinn. Quinn went the rest of the way for the Chiefs going 11-of-23 for 126 yards. Green completed his first five passes, and then on the team’s 2nd possession he hit Eddie Kennison for a 9-yard gain. He was intercepted by Andre Dyson on the next pass and didn’t get back into the game. "With the quarterback situation like it is right now, we don't know what it's going to be from a backup standpoint," Green said. "Then we scored on the first drive and were moving the ball and the one bad play. So we said, 'You know what? Everything's moving pretty good. Why take any chances?' I understand where coach is coming from."

RB: Larry Johnson still feels the exact same way he felt last year. He wants to start. “I’ve still got an attitude problem,” Johnson said. “I still feel the same I’ve always felt. I see the draft, I see guys like Cedric Benson, Carnell Williams, all those guys who have a chance to be starters on their teams. I’m just looking for my chance. I don’t want to waste three or four years of my prime running behind somebody, period. I don’t care who it is. I feel like I should start somewhere in this league.” Who is going to argue with him after the performance he had Saturday night against Seattle? Johnson shot through a huge hole and ran 97 yards untouched for a touchdown in the second quarter. He finished the game with nine carries for 147 yards. Priest Holmes carried five times for 10 yards. After Johnson’s dominant performance, Dick Vermeil once again stressed that there will be no RB controversy, “It ain’t going to happen here,” Vermeil said Sunday. “I won’t allow it. Not today, not tomorrow, not next week.” Dee Brown and McKenzi Smith are dueling for the No. 3 job. Brown had 16 yards on five carries. Smith had 27 yards on three carries with two catches for 32 yards. Ronnie Cruz, also competing for a spot, had two catches for 13 yards.

WR: The Chiefs receivers did not get much attention in this week’s game. Eddie Kennison had four receptions for 66 yards in his tune-up for the regular season. Richard Smith had a very nice catch that went for 49 yards. Otherwise, the rest of the receivers were a no show in the box score. Dante Hall didn’t play.

TE: Tony Gonzalez caught a 4-yard TD in Saturday’s game. Kris Wilson caught a 15-yard pass. Rookie Edwin Thompson had two catches for 12 yards. Look for Kris Wilson to emerge as a potentially solid fantasy tight end this year. Gonzalez believes he’s capable if given the opportunity. "If he ever had the chance, he'd catch 70 to 80 balls a year … easy," said Gonzalez of the man who will line up with him in some two-TE sets. "The guy catches everything. You can't cover him." Wilson is a deep sleeper at this point, but if Gonzo gets hurt, he could be a guy worthy of starting in most leagues that require tight ends.

Defense: Safety Sammy Knight led the Chiefs with seven solo tackles against Seattle. Cory Hall and Jimmy Wilkerson split a sack. CB Ashley Ambrose forced a fumble that was recovered by Greg Wesley. The Chiefs didn’t come up with any big plays defensively and they are still waiting to field their projected starting lineup. LB Kendrell Bell didn’t play against Seattle. Once Bell is healthy the Chiefs front seven will receive a big boost. He resumed contract drills in practice this week and Dick Vermeil expects him to be ready for the season opener. On Tursday, GM Carl Peterson announced that the club released LB Mike Maslowski. Among the roster cuts on Monday were veteran LB Quinton Caver, who has been one of the team’s better special teams performers.

Special Teams: After his disastrous last week, PK Lawrence Tynes has been pouring over video footage of all his kicks from the last two years. HC Dick Vermeil has stated he’s sticking with Tynes at this time. Vermeil, the original NFL special team coach, has been working directly with Tynes this week on his plant foot issue. It’s also been suggested the rookie punter and holder Dustin Colquitt may be partially to blame. Tynes looked better in practice this week and made a 23 yarder in the game against Seattle. PR/KR specialist WR Dante Hall missed practice and was held out of the game while nursing a knee sprain. His replacements didn’t fair very well. WR Chris Horn averaged only 1.0 yards on three punt returns, and rookie RB McKenzi Smith averaged 15.0 yards on two kickoff returns.

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Miami Dolphins

QB: Gus Frerotte struggled on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Frerotte completed only nine passes in 25 attempts for 103 yards. He was also intercepted by Ronde Barber. A.J. Feeley took over and went 8-of-14 for 90 yards with a 36-yard TD pass to Danny Farmer. Head coach Nick Saban still has not named his starting quarterback for the season opener, but at this point, it’s widely assumed that Gus Frerotte is the leading candidate. In Tuesday's practice, as the team began preparing for the Bucs, Frerotte took all of the snaps with the starting unit, while Feeley ran with the backups. Frerotte has started all three of the team’s preseason games. Saban talked about the Dolphins quarterback situation following the game. "It's something that we need to continue to evaluate," Saban said. "It has seemed the entire preseason, whichever quarterback played second has played best."

RB: Ricky Williams started Saturday night’s game and capped the team’s opening drive with a 4-yard TD run. Rookie Ronnie Brown played in his first game with the Dolphins following his three-game holdout. Brown joined Williams on the field for one play in the first quarter, then again briefly in the second quarter. Brown lined up in the slot and Williams caught a 7-yard pass on one play. "It gives the defense a problem covering both of us," Williams said. "I like it." The game also marked Ricky’s first back in Miami. He was greeted with a mix of boos and cheering. "I was surprised," Williams said. "I thought there would be more boos." Williams turned in a nice performance running 10 times for 59 yards while Brown carried 6 times for 20 yards. Williams also caught two passes for 11 yards, while Brown lost a fumble. Travis Minor carried four times for 16 yards. Sammy Morris caught three passes for 15 yards.

WR: Chris Chambers had two catches for 36 yards and David Boston three catches for 29 yards. Marty Booker managed one catch for 5 yards. Danny Farmer caught a 36-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Gilmore and Thompson each had a catch as well. Boston appears to be the team’s No. 3 receiver, at worst, as long as he stays healthy. Wesley Welker’s roster spot is secure which means the battle for the last roster spot(s) is coming down to Brian Gilmore, Derrius Thompson, Kendall Newson, Maurice Mann and Danny Farmer.

TE: Randy McMichael had a big 31-yard catch against Tampa. Donald Lee caught one ball for 8 yards. Lorenzo Diamond surpassed Lee on the depth chart last week and Alex Holmes is trying to make the roster, too.

Defense: Saturday night’s game was all about DE/OLB Jason Taylor. The Pro Bowler was all over the field and played like a man among boys with two sacks and forced fumble. LB Channing Crowder started in place of the injured Zach Thomas (ankle) on Saturday night. Reggie Howard and Vonnie Holliday split a sack, while Kevin Vickerson and Derrick Pope also had a sack each. Matt Roth intercepted a Luke McCown pass. Overall, the Dolphins put adequate pressure on the Bucs QBs, but look weaker against the run. DT Larry Chester (knee) thinks he’s got a “great” chance of playing in the season opener, but for the time being he’s still working on his conditioning.

Special Teams: In the game against Tampa Bay, PK Olindo Mare made a 41 yard FG and added two extra points. Media discussion this week regarding Mare’s struggles in recent years focused on the baseball infield dirt at Pro Player Stadium. PR/KR specialist WR Wes Welker was in good form with two punt returns for a 14.5 yard average, and two kickoff returns for a 27.5 yard average. WR Danny Farmer returned a punt 2 yards, and RB Travis Minor returned a kickoff for 28 yards. The team is considering WR Marty Booker as a potential backup PR.

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Minnesota Vikings

QB: Daunte Culpepper is having a stellar preseason. He continued that trend Friday night with a 12-of-14 performance for 197 yards. He’s now 28-of-33 on the preseason. He also ran twice for 12 yards. Brad Johnson completed 8-of-14 for 76 yards while Shaun Hill mopped up going 2-of-4 for 36 yards. Culpepper doesn’t seem to be phased much by the loss of Randy Moss. As rookie Troy Williamson develops the Vikings deep passing game should remain a strong suit.

RB: As the Vikings running backs turn… Mike Tice said that Michael Bennett will not play in the season opener against Tampa because of a sore neck; meanwhile, Bennett thinks he’ll be good to go by the team’s last preseason game next week. "Right now, Mike's out, so I'm moving forward, even for Tampa without Mike," Tice said after Tuesday morning's practice. "I don't see Mike being anything but an outside shot for Tampa." After a meeting on Wednesday morning between Tice and Bennett, Tice confirmed that Bennett will remain the starting running back when he’s able to return to action. "We are absolutely on the same page," Tice said. "Mike Bennett is a proven player and he is our starter, and the injury won't stop him from being the starter. I'm not playing any mind games or anything. But I have to have another plan if he can't play." Mewelde Moore started in Bennett’s place Friday night, but he mildly sprained his left ankle in the second quarter. He left the game but later said the injury is not serious. "I don't have any pain, so I think I'll be all right," Moore said. Moore’s ankle sprain is not considered serious but he could miss a few days of practice. Moore carried the ball six times for 21 yards and one catch for 11 yards before leaving the game. Meanwhile, Ciatrick Fason is expected to resume practicing at some point during this upcoming week. He’s been sidelined for the past couple weeks because of a mild high ankle sprain.  Adimchinobe Echemandu scored the Vikings' only touchdown of the game, a 1-yard plunge at the end of the second quarter. Echemandu also caught two balls for 28 yards. Butchie Wallace had four carries for 15 yards.

WR: Nate Burleson is also having a stellar preseason. He caught five passes for 97 yards and looks every bit the same breakout player he was a year ago. Burleson is set to expand on that role as the team’s new No. 1 receiver. The player most likely to start opposite Burleson might be veteran Travis Taylor. Marcus Robinson was running with the first team until recently when Taylor supplanted him. Regardless of who starts, both players will see a lot of action. Troy Williams is also making plays. He had a 36-yard reception Friday night. Taylor caught four passes for 51 yards. Keenan Howry, vying for a role, had three receptions for 33 yards. Marcus Robinson had two catches for 19 yards and was targeted in the end zone twice.

TE: Jermaine Wiggins and Jimmy Kleinsasser are both going to play a lot, but they play different roles, too. Kleinsasser can play just about everything from fullback to tight end to h-back. Wiggins is more of a pure pass-catching tight end. He’s not known for his tenacious blocking, while Kleinsasser is a bulldozer. Wiggins caught one ball for 6 yards on Friday. Richard Owens and Richard Angulo each caught a ball.

Defense: The Vikings sacked the Chargers QB twice – DE Erasmus James and LB Napoleon Harris did the honors. LB Dontarrious Thomas led the team with five tackles while LB E.J. Henderson had four solos. CB Fred Smoot made his first start as a Viking after missing the first two games with a strained neck. Rookie safety Dustin Fox did not play in Friday’s game. The Vikings didn’t force any turnovers and even with all the talent they’ve collected – it will take time for them to come together as a unit. The defensive line is very promising and the secondary is vastly improved in the past two years by adding Fred Smoot and Antoine Winfield.

Special Teams: Circumstances appear to have given the kicking competition “win” to Paul Edinger. Aaron Elling injured his hip in warm-ups prior to the San Diego game, and did not play. Edinger proceeded to make FGs of 20, 25, 30, and 50 yards, and was effective on kickoffs. There is talk that the team is withholding MRI results from Elling’s agent. RB Mewelde Moore has a minor ankle sprain and did not have any returns this week. WR Keenan Howry retuned a punt for 5 yards, and two kickoffs for a 19.5 yard average. WR Ryan Hoag’s opportunity to display his talents was inconclusive with a fair catch on a punt and a 20.0 yard average on two kickoff returns.

Other:  Center Matt Birk will undergo his fifth surgery in just over a year and could miss the next three months. He may return in mid-November. Cory Withrow will start in Birk’s place.

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New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady is ready for the season after leading the Patriots on five scoring drives. The Patriots were told to treat this game like one in November by HC Bill Belicheck. Brady made him happy going 12-of-21 for 127 yards with a 12-yard TD pass to David Givens and no turnovers. Doug Flutie took over and went 4-of-7 for 23 yards. Matt Cassel completed his only pass for 7 yards and Rohan Davey got a little action, too but not enough to hold onto his roster spot, as the Patriots released the former NFLE MVP this week. .

RB: Like Brady, Corey Dillon is in midseason form. Dillon seems to get better and better with age. He looked great running 14 times for 70 yards scoring touchdowns from 12 yards and 3 yards. Kyle Eckel is making a strong bid for a roster spot, especially after Friday night’s performance. Eckel, 5’11” and 244 lbs, was a productive back at Navy rushing for 1,147 yards on 235 carries with 11 TDs in 2004. He averaged 4.9 yds/carry and had a long run of 78 yards. Against the Packers, Eckel ran four times for 33 yards. The surprising play of Eckel likely played a role in the Patriots decision to release Cedric Cobbs this week. Backup Kevin Faulk was his usual self – two rushes for 13 yards, two catches for 19 yards. Patrick Pass ran eight times for 21 yards.

WR: Andre Davis made a good first impression on his new Patriots teammates. Davis joined the team last Tuesday after being traded by the Browns for a conditional draft pick. There’s speculation that Davis was acquired due to Belichick’s frustration with the lack of progress made in camp by the Patriots receivers, many of whom are injured. One of those injured receivers is David Terrell, who is now under pressure to produce or face being cut. The Patriots gave him a $200,000 signing bonus, but that wouldn’t stop them from cutting Terrell if he’s doesn’t earn the spot. For what it’s worth, Terrell didn’t seem too concerned, "The coaches brought him (Davis) in, and whatever they do is what they do. I’m just a player. I’m one of the players that’s trying to stay here." Terrell played Friday but didn’t have a catch. Tim Dwight caught two balls for 23 yards. P.K. Sam caught two balls for 22 yards. Troy Brown had a catch for 10 yards. Meanwhile, Deion Branch did not play despite being healthy and dressed. Branch said it was a coach’s decision and that he’s not injured. Davis got in the game. He didn’t have a catch, but was whistled for a penalty.

TE: Ben Watson led the Patriots in receiving on Friday night with six catches for 49 yards. Daniel Graham had two catches for 10 yards and Christian Fauria had a catch for 7 yards. Watson is an outright steal in most leagues. Considering his fantasy potential as a game-breaking pass-catching tight end, Watson is an ideal pick in the waning rounds of the draft. Daniel Graham is probably being drafted much earlier, but might not equal Watson’s production at the end of the year.

Defense: One of the Patriots key strengths defensively is their safety tandem. Rodney Harrison and Eugene Wilson have played together for three years now. "They understand the concept," Coach Bill Belichick said. "We've had game experience and that kind of accelerates the process a little bit. There's definitely an advantage to that." Maybe they can help compensate for the Patriots turnover at linebacker. The Pats are working Monty Beisel and Chad Brown into the lineup, but it will take time for them to pick up the scheme and get up to speed. Vince Wilfork looks solid at nose tackle. He had two tackles and a sack Friday night. Rookie DE Mike Wright had a pair of sacks and the Patriots forced four turnovers. Asante Samuel, Randall Gay and James Sanders all had interceptions. The Patriots released veteran safety Antuan Edwards on Thursday.

Special Teams: PK Adam Vinatieri continued his successful streak in the game at Green Bay, with FGs of 38 and 44 yards plus three extra points. WR Tim Dwight continued his revival with two punt returns for a 10.5 yard average. WR Brandon Childress returned a punt for 4 yards, and CB Tyrone Poole went for no gain on his return. CB Ellis Hobbs averaged 29.5 yards on his two kickoff returns. Once again, RB Chad Morton and WR Bethel Johnson did not play as they recover from injuries. RB Kevin Faulk and WR Troy Brown will probably handle some returns once the regular season arrives.

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New Orleans Saints

QB: Aaron Brooks didn’t lead the Saints to any touchdowns on Friday, but he didn’t play particularly badly either. He had one pass dropped by Devery Henderson but still completed 10-of-20 for 139 yards while avoiding any turnovers. All three of the Saints backup QBs saw action. Todd Bouman was 4-of-10 for 31 yards. Kliff Kingsbury completed 6-of-14 but threw an interception. Rookie Adrian McPherson – rumored to be on the roster bubble – completed 1-of-3 for 9 yards but scrambled for 33 yards on three carries. On Monday, the Saints cut Kingsbury giving McPherson some relief as it appears that he will make the roster.

RB: Deuce McAllister carried the ball nine times for 29 yards against Baltimore and he caught two passes for 10 yards. Aaron Stecker and Antowain Smith split the running duties after McAllister was done. Stecker carried seven times for 19 yards. Smith ran 5 times for 15 yards.

WR: Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth were both productive in Friday’s game. Stallworth caught four balls for 71 yards including a nice 47-yard catch and run. Horn caught five passes for 63 yards. Talman Gardner was sidelined all week and did not play due to a sprained ankle. Az-Zahir Hakim also sat out of the game.  Devery Henderson dropped a pass and finished without a catch.

TE: Boo Williams won’t be the starting tight end for the Saints this year. Not after Friday night’s game, in which Williams tore both the ACL and MCL in his right knee. Williams is expected to miss the 2005 season. Shad Meier (knee) did not play. Ernie Conwell had one catch for 10 yards. Zach Hilton caught three passes for 23 yards. Hilton should be on everyone’s sleeper list now with Williams out of the picture. Conwell is not the receiver he once was after a few knee surgeries and Shad Meier hasn’t been practicing. That means Hilton has an opportunity to earn significant playing time. Hilton’s a big target at 6’ 8”. Keep him in mind as a waiver wire pickup if your tight ends fall on hard times.

Defense: The Saints run defense looked horrible against Chester Taylor and the Ravens on Friday night. Taylor broke into the open several times and the Saints back seven defensively missed a number of tackles. "I was disappointed in the way we tackled," Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "All in all, I thought we took a step backward." Perhaps the only bright spot from the game was the solid play turned in by former 6th pick overall DT Johnathan Sullivan, who was not on the field when Taylor was running free. Sullivan had four tackles and a sack. "He was very active. His weight's way down to 310 (pounds) and he has been moving well," Haslett said. Other players on the Saints front line made some plays. Rookie DT Jason Jefferson and second-year DE Will Smith also had a sack each and DE Charles Grant intercepted a pass. Unfortunately, Jefferson was waived by the team on Monday. WLB Colby Bockwoldt led the Saints defense with 4 tackles in the game. As for injuries, rookie linebacker Alfred Fincher broke his right wrist while trying to make a tackle. LBs Cie Grant and James Allen did not play and neither did DT Brian Young. The Saints waived LB Roger Knight on Thursday.

Special Teams: PK John Carney did not play against Baltimore, so that he can keep his aging body fresh for the regular season. Nate Fikse kicked FGs of 28 and 48 yards. The team has essentially ignored Carney in preseason discussions and focus because it is one of the few areas of the team which they feel is in good shape. PR/KR specialist WR Michael Lewis returned three punts for an 8.0 yard average and two kickoffs for a 21.0 yard average. Backup returner DB Jimmy Williams had two fair catches on punts and two kickoff returns with a 21.5 yard average.

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New York Giants

QB: Eli Manning’s elbow should be fine according to three different doctors. It’s officially being called a sprained elbow. Tim Hasselbeck started in place of Manning against the Jets on Friday night and struggled turning the ball over three times. He scrambled for 25 yards on five carries, but only threw for 85 yards on 9-of-17 passing with two lost fumbles and an interception. Jesse “The Bachelor” Palmer finished the game and completed 7-of-12 for 84 yards. Palmer also fumbled trying to pitch the ball to Derrick Ward – only the ball never got to Ward and the result was a defensive TD for the Jets. Last Tuesday, Hasselbeck was able to practice with the team’s first string because of Manning’s elbow. In the passing drill, the football never touched the ground and Hasselbeck completed every pass. He sprayed the ball around well and drew praise from his teammates and coaches. Tom Coughlin remains confident that Manning will be ready for the season opener saying the soreness is subsiding each day, but he doesn’t know when he’ll begin throwing either. On Hasselbeck’s play in Manning’s absence, Coughlin said, “It was a good game for him to get out there and play with the first team and it gave the first team a chance to gain some respect for him.”

RB: Tiki Barber looks ready for another big year. Every year there’s another guy who threatens to steal Tiki’s thunder. Brandon Jacobs is supposed to be that guy - this year. Friday night Barber appeared in mid-season form running 13 times for 47 yards. Barber also caught a pass for 15 yards. Brandon Jacobs ran six times for 12 yards – 11 of which came on one run. Jacobs is sporting #27 and looking good in camp, but he’s no guarantee that he will take any or all of Tiki’s opportunities at the goal line. The writing always seems to be on the wall, but Jacobs wasn’t drafted to sit idle either. And Barber acknowledges that Jacobs can help him, too. "The way I look at it, he could extend my career," Barber said. "I won't take such a beating." Jacobs will probably play a sizeable role as a change of pace runner to Barber. If he falters then Derrick Ward or Mike Cloud would be next in line. Ward had a productive game Friday night, running nine times for 41 yards and catching a pass for 26 yards. Cloud had three carries for 8 yards.

WR: Sleeper alert: David Tyree is the front-runner to be the team’s No. 3 receiver. Tyree has big play potential and a strong work ethic. He’s looking good in the preseason and is one of those players who really have the desire to be great. Tyree was voted to the Pro Bowl as an NFC alternate for his special teams play last season. Now he wants to make his mark as a receiver. "I just say I'm a football player," said Tyree, in his third season out of Syracuse. "You put me at a specific position, I'm going to find a way to learn it, play it and be good at it. I look at myself as an old-school type of guy. I like being beat down at the end of the game and getting myself back in shape and going at it again." He’s on his way towards achieving his goals putting together a heck-of-a preseason. "That is something that you look for in a receiver," coach Tom Coughlin said, "and you know that a guy that goes 90 yards for a touchdown and then lines up and covers the next kickoff, he's made out of the right stuff. He's good at his job and he has done it the right way." Tyree caught four passes for 37 yards against the Jets on Friday night. Plaxico Burress caught three balls for 30 yards. Tim Carter had two receptions for 22 yards and Ataveus Cash one for 15 yards. Amani Toomer played but didn’t have a catch. He was targeted twice though. Second year Mark Jones still isn’t 100% with a foot injury and didn’t play.

TE: Jeremy Shockey caught three balls for 18 yards. He’s set for the season opener.

Defense: Michael Strahan played in Friday night’s game despite having strained rib cartilage. Strahan had a sack, forced a fumble and added an interception to go with 2 solo tackles and 3 assists. Not bad for playing hurt. Antonio Pierce led the team with five tackles and rookie DB James Butler had two sacks. Rookie DE Justin Tuck also had a pair of sacks. Rookie corner Corey Webster is proving to be quite a playmaker in the preseason. He intercepted another pass this week. He’s cemented his status and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s pushing for a starting job soon. Another young player in the secondary that has caught Coughlin’s eye is Curtis DeLoatch. Coughlin said, "You could see that Curtis always had the ability to track the ball and he likes to be in one-on-one situations with a receiver. He's made a lot of progress. Let's hope it continues." The Giants hope to expand DeLoatch’s role this year and he’s competing with Webster and Frank Walker to play in the nickel and dime packages. Starter Will Peterson did not play. Others who didn’t play Friday include LB Barrett Green, S Jack Brewer, LB T.J. Hollowell, CB Lamont Brightful and DE Eric Moore.

Special Teams: It’s only preseason, but PK Jay Feely won the game against the Jets. He outscored the opponents with his FGs of 21, 33, 35, 52, and 54 yards. Starting punt returner WR Mark Jones continues to miss practice and games with his foot injury. WR Michael Jennings failed to secure the interim job with his two bobbles and a miniscule 0.7 yard average on three punt returns. WR Ataveus Cash retuned three punts for a 6.3 yard average. WR Willie Ponder continued to get the most work at KR, where he had two returns for a 20.5 yard average. RB Michael Cloud returned a kickoff for 22 yards and remains a viable backup.

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New York Jets

QB: Chad Pennington was simply dreadful against the Giants on Friday night. Not all is right in J-E-T-S land. Pennington was intercepted twice, lost a fumble and completed just 5-of-11 for 36 yards. Both interceptions came in the end zone killing great scoring opportunities. It’s only a preseason game, but this was the one where Pennington was supposed to look good. For crying out loud, it was against the Giants. Pennington fell painfully short. The Jets have some kinks to work out over the next couple of weeks or Pennington’s going to be on the Big Apple hot seat – and fast. Jay Fiedler took over after Pennington left and didn’t fare much better going 3-of-5 for 27 yards. Brooks Bollinger ended the game throwing four passes without a completion.

RB: While Pennington was anything but Mr. Reliable, Curtis Martin was there to pick up the slack. Martin ran 13 times for 59 yards with two catches for 10 yards. Derrick Blaylock ran five times for 10 yards and caught one pass for 4 yards. Little John Flowers had one carry for a one-yard loss. Blaylock will be the team’s primary backup, but keep an eye on rookie Cedric Houston. Martin looks like he’s in for another solid, undervalued season. If he continues to defy the law of averages (and stays healthy), then Martin will be a draft day steal for the second season in a row. If you’re worried about the team’s new offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, then maybe we can help put that fear to rest. "I'm not dumb enough to take the leading rusher in the NFL and not give him the ball," Heimerdinger said. "Our head coach still believes you win by running the ball. That's not going to change."

WR: Laveranues Coles didn’t catch a pass but ran the ball once for a yard. Justin McCareins caught two passes for 20 yards. Jerricho Cotchery caught one pass for 24 yards. The Jets receivers had a quiet game against the Giants Friday night. In a roster move the Jets released Jonathan Carter last Monday.

TE: The Jets tight ends didn’t get much love in Friday’s game either. Doug Jolley had one reception for six yards. Rookie Joel Dreessen had one catch, but lost a yard in the process.

Defense: Rookie safety Kerry Rhodes has been one of the more pleasant surprises in camp. He continued his impressive play with a strong week making three interceptions in the span of two Jets’ practice sessions. Rhodes played the strong side with the first team defense with Oliver Celestin at free safety. Erik Coleman, who started all 16 games a year ago as a rookie, took snaps with the second team. Coach Herman Edwards had praise for DT James Reed for reporting to camp in better shape than in the past. Reed has started two games in four years, but he’s in line to start at defensive tackle now with a strong camp after Jason Ferguson left via free agency. His partner in crime, Dewayne Robertson, broke bones in his right hand in the 2nd quarter Friday night. Robertson plans to play through the injury, saying, "It's not anything that's going to slow me down because I'm going to play." Rookie safety Andre Maddox tore ligaments in his right knee against the Giants and was placed on IR. LB Eric Barton produced the best stats on Friday with 6 tackles and an interception. Oliver Celestin and LB Mark Brown each had 5 tackles. Rhodes had a sack and 5 total tackles. Shaun Ellis and Robertson also had sacks. John Abraham, the team’s franchise player and pass rusher extraordinaire, finally signed his tender and will be in the starting lineup on opening day.

Special Teams: For the second straight week, the Jets did not provide PK Mike Nugent with any FG opportunities. He was average on kickoffs of 62, 63, and 65 yards in the game “at” the NY Giants. Punter Micah Knorr was waived which means Australian Ben Graham has won the job. He also serves the holder for Nugent. Rookie CB Justin Miller is still the leading candidate for both the PR and KR jobs. The PR one is more tenuous after he went through a stretch of drops. He had one punt return for 6 yards this week. Next in line is WR Justin McCareins who had a one-yard return and a fair catch. Miller had two kickoff returns for a 21.5-yard average. Rookie RB DeCori Birmingham and WR Jonathan Carter both had returns in preseason but have been waived.

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Oakland Raiders

QB: Kerry Collins finally hooked up with Randy Moss for a touchdown in the Raiders third preseason game Friday night against Arizona. Collins produced good numbers despite being sacked four times and losing a fumble for a safety. The Cardinals forced three fumbles from Collins though he lost only one of them. On the game, he completed 17-of-25 for 189 yards with the 40-yard strike to a wide open Randy Moss for the touchdown. Rookie Andrew Walter did not play Friday because of a groin injury. Marques Tuiasosopo finished the game completing 10-of-16 for 86 yards. He threw two interceptions, but scrambled for a 15-yard gain on another play. On Monday, the Raiders waived David Rivers.

RB: If Lamont Jordan is used in the regular season similar to how he’s been used in the preseason then he’s going to be a busy cat. Jordan is a versatile, powerful back who is finally getting his opportunity to shine in Oakland. Friday night Jordan looked good again showcasing his receiving and running skills with a combined 46 yards on ten carries and five receptions. Jordan had a 16-yard run and a 12-yard reception. The main question with Jordan’s value is pertaining to the goal line carries and how many of those Zack Crockett will vulture. Crockett carried eight times for 29 yards against the Cardinals. Leonard Henry got some game action, too. Henry had four carries for 9 yards with an 8-yard reception, but it was for naught as he was released by the team on Monday.

WR: Randy Moss made quick work of the Arizona Cardinals Friday night. Moss caught a 40-yard TD pass from Kerry Collins in the second quarter then promptly left the game. "He's a beast. We're expecting a lot of big things from him," teammate Warren Sapp said. "He's just getting a little warm." Collins added, "It was good to get him deep. We're going to do that a lot this year." Ronald Curry played for the first time since tearing his right Achilles' tendon last December. Curry caught three passes for 24 yards. "It feels real good to be back," Curry said. "The offense got going a little bit in the first half. I'm trying to pick up where I left off. Doug Gabriel did not play Friday after having surgery on his left middle finger. The third-year receiver could be sidelined for up to a month. Alvis Whitted led all Raiders receivers in the game with five receptions for 77 yards. Johnnie Morant had three receptions for 37 yards. John Stone left Friday’s game with a right shoulder injury.  Carlos Francis was held out because of his knee injury. Jerry Porter was sidelined with a hamstring even though he did manage to practice a bit last week.

TE: In Friday night’s game against Arizona, Courtney Anderson had two catches for 18 yards and was the only Raider tight end with a reception.  Norv Turner may have named Courtney Anderson his starting tight end in the first week of camp, but he’s taken notice of the work turned in by Zeron Flemister, too. "We're sorting through the tight end position and trying to come up with a balance," Turner said. "You'd like to have a blocker, and a guy who does both, and a pure receiver. One thing Flemister does is bring some attitude." Flemister is battling for a roster spot and the team’s No. 3 TE spot with Rickey Dudley and John Paul Foschi. Flemister is known mostly for his blocking, but he’s quick to point out that he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the team. "I am here to do whatever they need me to do," Flemister said. "If that requires blocking, if that requires me to catch passes, or play special teams, that's what I'm here for." Norv Turner added his thoughts about the ongoing battle. "We've got good competition,” said Turner. “I think, based on a game or a half, some people start jumping to conclusions, but I think that is one of our most competitive positions." Not to be overlooked, Teyo Johnson remains in the mix, but didn’t do himself any favors by making a bone-headed mistake in last week’s game against Houston. Johnson caught a ball for a first-down only to lose yardage trying to make a bigger play. Turner was livid following the game. "A single play can really change a game,'' Turner said. “Those are the kinds of plays that keep you from going down and getting a touchdown or a field goal. You got to change. Hey, you got the first down, and you go backward.” The Raiders cut Josh Norman during the week.

Defense: The Raiders defense applied constant pressure on Kurt Warner Friday night sacking him three times and hurrying him countless others. DT Warren Sapp, who was a bust last season, sacked Warner for a 6-yard loss on the Cardinals first series and batted down a pass on another play. "That's one of the things we tried to emphasize in the offseason -- getting guys in there who can get to the passer," said Charles Woodson. "We've got a couple guys who can do that." Grant Irons, who replaced the injured SLB Sam Williams, intercepted a pass and recorded three tackles while DeLawrence Grant and Ed Jasper had the Raiders other sacks. The Raiders made safety Derrick Gibson’s starting job official last week when they cut Marques Anderson. Rookie Stanford Routt has moved ahead of first-round pick Fabian Washington as the team’s nickel corner. Washington has looked lost at times during the preseason but Turner is pleased with his development thus far and liked what he saw in joint practices and the preseason game against Houston. "He got a lot of work against their good receivers, their upper-tier receivers in the practices," Turner said. "He's getting good playing time. He's coming along. He's got some things that rookies are going to have. It's tough out there."

Special Teams: In the game against Arizona, PK Sebastian Janikowski made 24, 35, and 38 yard field goals but was wide right from 41 yards. Rookie CB Chris Carr appears to have won the punt return job, although he had one return for no gain and a fair catch this week. CB Charles Woodson will be used as the up-man to field short punts. He also had a fair catch this week. CB Fabian Washington was an early contender for PR but has faded from view. The top kickoff returner WR Doug Gabriel will miss several weeks following finger surgery. Until he returns, Carr could also fill that role. He had one kickoff return for 28 yards in the game.

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Philadelphia Eagles

QB: On the first play of the game, Donovan McNabb connected with Terrell Owens on a deep pass down the right side of the field for a 64-yard touchdown. Owens caught the ball in full stride near the 20-yard line and sailed into the end zone from there. "I saw the mismatch with T.O. to the outside and I decided to take it," McNabb said. "I tried to put it in a decent spot. He did an excellent job accelerating to the ball and scoring the touchdown." Not surprisingly, while everyone was congratulating Owens and McNabb after the play, the two didn’t talk to each other or celebrate together in any way. Owens walked past McNabb twice without looking at him and then sat down at a different bench a few feet away. "We were both excited whether we celebrated together or with other teammates," McNabb said. "Let's not blow this out of proportion. It's still early." McNabb had sick numbers in the first half – 14-for-23 for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Koy Detmer and Andy Hall played in the second half but neither produced anything stat-worthy.

RB: Last week Correll Buckhalter received the bad news. He’ll miss another season with a knee injury that will require surgery. You have to feel bad for the guy. After Buckhalter visited Dr. James Andrews a second time the team the team announced he’ll be out another year. Buckhalter’s absence means that either rookie Ryan Moats will play a much more meaningful role, or the team will add a veteran off the waiver wire. Moats, the team’s third-round pick has been quite impressive in preseason action. He played well Friday night against Cincinnati. He ran eight times for 44 yards and caught two passes for 10 yards. Buckhalter’s injury also means that Brian Westbrook will continue to have a large workload. Westbrook averaged 19.4 touches per game last year and that number will probably remain about the same. Westbrook and Moats have similar builds and skills, but coaches could also form a strong running tandem, and likely will. Westbrook and the Eagles are reportedly working on a long-term contract. Both sides are confident something will get done either before the season or at the end of it. Westbrook ran six times for 20 yards and caught two passes for 7 yards. Bruce Perry continues to make a case for a roster spot and contributed six carries for 18 yards in Friday’s game.

WR: It didn’t take Terrell Owens long to make his impact Friday night against the Bengals. On the first play of the game, Owens caught a bomb from McNabb down the right sidelines and went untouched 64 yards for the touchdown. Owens finished with five catches for 131 yards, but re-aggravated his groin in the process. "He just kind of re-aggravated it a little bit," Reid said. Greg Lewis had a standout performance as well. Lewis is settling into the Eagles No.2 receiver spot quite nicely. Playing opposite T.O., Lewis will probably never see a double team. He caught 4 balls for 72 yards including a 27-yard TD from McNabb just before half time. Reggie Brown also caught a TD – an 8-yarder from McNabb earlier in the 2nd quarter. Brown is having an excellent camp for a rookie and Lewis looks comfortable. Who needs Todd Pinkston? As long as T.O. doesn’t self-implode both Lewis and Brown are intriguing sleepers who should benefit from single coverage every game. Lewis is a great player to add to the back end of your receiving corps.

TE: The Eagles released James Whalen on Sunday leaving the backup job to either Steven Spach or Andy Thorn – both unproven, inexperienced players. L.J. Smith is having a strong preseason, though a quiet one next to all the T.O. antics. He caught two balls for 38 yards. Spach had one reception for 3 yards.

Defense: The Eagles finally cut bait on Corey Simon. The Eagles former first round pick, Simon, had his franchise tag removed by the team on Sunday thereby making him an unrestricted free agent. The Eagles cited their depth and young talent at the position as a mitigating factor – not that Simon’s extended holdout wasn’t on their minds – and wished him good luck. The Eagles’ rookie first-round pick DT Mike Patterson had an excellent game against Baltimore a week ago. His development along with the veteran play of Hollis Thomas helped them bid farewell. The Eagle boast great talent at DT with Darwin Walker and Sam Rayburn both young and capable contributors. Against the Bengals, the Eagles defense did a solid, if not spectacular job. Michael Lewis led the effort with five tackles and a sack. DE N.D. Kalu and LB Matt McCoy each had a sack.

Special Teams: PK David Akers suffered a minor knee contusion in last week’s game but returned this week with 39 and 47 yard FGs plus three extra points against Cincinnati. His agent is trying to work a new deal with the Eagles. As expected, camp leg PK Jimmy Kibble has been released. Top punt returner CB Dexter Wynn will miss the next few weeks with a high ankle sprain. RB Reno Mahe will step into that role until Wynn returns. Mahe had three punt returns and a 13.3 yard average this week. Top kickoff returner CB Roderick Hood had a 19.5 yard average on two returns. He can also fill in on punt returns if needed. Backups rookie Ryan Moats and Bruce Perry each had one kickoff return and are also battling for a RB roster spot.

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Pittsburgh Steelers

QB: The Steelers offense continues to struggle during the preseason. Their passing game is struggling and their top running backs are injured. It also doesn’t help that Hines Ward still hasn’t received a long-term contract from the team as was expected. Cowher didn’t have a positive assessment of the offense following a 17-10 loss to the Washington Redskins on Friday night. "I'm disappointed in the effort tonight and I thought certainly, offensively, our passing game has not been in sync this entire preseason,” said Cowher. Ben Roethlisberger didn’t necessarily agree saying, “I have a lot of things to be optimistic and confident about. I'm confident in this offense; our offensive line did a great job tonight. I really think we have great potential and we're real close ... I'm not going to contradict coach. If he doesn't think guys did [give a good effort], then obviously they didn't, but I'm going to give our line a lot of credit. I think they did a great job tonight.” Maybe Hines Ward’s take was in the middle, but just as honest, “I don't know, we're not being consistent, we're not converting on third downs. We're just out of sync right now, for whatever reason. I can't put a finger on it, we're just not in sync right now. Am I worried? No, because we still have two weeks before the regular season. We have plenty of time to go out on the practice field and get better, but we have to carry it over to game-time situations and learn how to get on the same page with everybody."

Roethlisberger completed 6-of-15 passes for 57 yards while throwing an interception. He’s 14-of-20 for 121 yards, no TDs and 2 interceptions in three preseason games so far. Maybe Big Ben needs a reality check, or he just sees the glass as half full. "I think tonight was good," he said of the game Friday. "We got a little more playing time, we went the whole first half. It felt good out there. I felt more comfortable. Every week, I feel more comfortable and I feel good out there and I know the receivers are starting to feel good with me and the line's getting comfortable with me. Like I said, we're one or two plays away from really making something happen." Brian St. Pierre and Tommy Maddox also got some action as the two are competing for a backup job. St. Pierre completed 6-of-12 for 58 yards while Maddox was 4-of-7 for 41 yards.

RB: Jerome Bettis limped off the field in the first quarter of Friday's game against Washington with a right calf injury. Bettis is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season. Bettis moved up to the No. 1 spot after RB Duce Staley had knee surgery a week after training camp started. Staley has not practiced since and he’s also not going to be available for the season opener. That means “fast” Willie Parker will likely start for the Steelers in Week One. The team has not officially announced when Staley will return, but he is not expected back until sometime after the Tennessee game. Some reports have Staley returning in late September or even in early October. Parker has beaten out Verron Haynes in their camp battle, but Haynes will likely see an increase in carries as well while Bettis and Staley are sidelined. Parker is the Steelers' leading rusher in preseason action with 112 yards on 11 carries. Parker ran for 51 yards on one carry against the Redskin. Cowher took him out after the play to keep him healthy. For the preseason, Verron Haynes has 51 yards on 17 attempts, and rookie Noah Herron 82 yards on 29 carries. On Friday night, Verron Haynes carried six times for 12 yards and caught one pass for 9 yards in doing "a pretty solid job," according to Whisenhunt.

WR: The Steelers receiving corps is taking shape now that Hines Ward has been with the team a couple weeks. Antwaan Randle-El is leading Cedrick Wilson in the competition to start opposite Ward, although both receivers are likely to play a lot in the team’s three receiver formations. Rookie Fred Gibson caught two balls for 11 yards on Friday night. He’s competing for a roster spot at this point after being slowed in camp by injuries. He and Lee Mays are competing for the teams’ No. 4 spot.

TE: On Friday night Heath Miller caught one pass for four yards, while 2nd year TE Matt Kranchick produced a couple of big plays finishing with two catches for 41 yards. The Steelers haven’t made frequent use of their tight ends in the past few years, but with Miller on board, that’s bound to change this season. Miller will catch passes in the Steelers' offense. Even though it seems like he’s not being targeted frequently, he isn’t being overlooked in camp according to Whisenhunt. "We've had a couple situations in a game where we wanted to get him the ball," Whisenhunt said. "But, for whatever reason, the coverage hasn't worked out right and we've had to throw the check-down or we got blitzed on the play."

Defense: FS Chris Hope paced the Steelers with seven tackles against the Redskins Friday night. Safety Troy Polamalu got the team off to a good start intercepting a pass and returning it 34 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. The Steelers didn’t generate any sacks, but they did a decent job of limiting the Redskins offense overall. LB James Farrior had six tackles. LBs Larry Foote and Rian Wallace had four tackles each. Joey Porter (knee) did not play and neither did three other Steelers defenders – DL Travis Kirschke (back), CB Chidi Iwouma (shoulder) and Vontez Duff (shoulder).

Special teams: PK Jeff Reed made a 24 yard FG at Washington, but missed wide left from 43 yards. It was his second consecutive week with a miss, and Bill Cowher wasn’t particularly happy about it. After drawing Cowher’s ire last week, CB Ricardo Colclough got plenty of chances at redemption this week. He returned four punts for a 7.0 yard average, had two fair catches, and returned two kickoffs for a 17.5 yard average. WR Antwaan Randle El made at token appearance at PR with a fair catch. RB “Fast” Willie Parker’s coming out party this week included two kickoff returns for an impressive 30.0 yard average.

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St. Louis Rams

QB: Marc Bulger and the Rams had no problems on Monday night. Bulger cut through the Lions defense as if their players were transparent on the field. Bulger capped the Rams opening drive running the ball up the middle untouched for a 7-yard TD. Bulger was sharp throwing the ball, too. He went 11-of-14 for 167 yards with a 31-yard TD strike to Isaac Bruce. His lone mistake was an interception on a deep throw by the Lions SS Kenoy Kennedy. Jamie Martin also threw a TD in the third quarter finding fullback Madison Hedgecock for 11 yards. Martin was also efficient going 6-of-8 for 94 yards. Ryan Fitzpatrick finished game going two-of-three for 25 yards.

RB: Steven Jackson looks more than ready for the upcoming season after running over, around and straight through the Detroit Lions defense on Monday night. Jackson opened the game with a 64 yard run down the right sidelines and went on to cover 108 yards on 14 carries with a 3 yard TD in the second quarter. Jackson also displayed his ability as a receiver with a 12 yard catch. Marshall Faulk had three carries for 22 yards and almost scored on the team’s opening drive when he was tackled at the three-yard line. Rookie fullback Madison Hedgecock caught a TD pass on Monday night. Hedgecock is pushing Joey Goodspeed for the starting fullback job. With a strong MNF performance and a strong game the week before, Mike Martz has taken notice.  "Madison Hedgecock, I thought was outstanding, very shocked, very surprised by his play," Martz said. "He made a couple of really nice adjustments in blocking that actually surprised me. He had more poise for a rookie back there because it was a real weird front. The way he reacted (was surprising because) a veteran would do it and a rookie would screw up. ..." In addition to his blocking, Hedgecock is making an impact on special teams, too.

WR: Isaac Bruce had a solid game catching five balls for 85 yards with a 31-yard touchdown and Torry Holt had two catches for 26 yards. Shaun McDonald had a nice game, too. He caught four passes for 46 yards and also had a nice 44-yard punt return. Kevin Curtis is having a great camp this year and is poised to improve on his numbers from a season ago. He’s playing so well that Mike Martz recently said he’s playing at a level consistent with the Rams starting receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. "I think he's on a par with (them); I really do," Martz said. "I think those three are very comparable receivers. I think right now, he's at that level."

TE: The Rams beat up the Lions so badly that even Brandon Manumaleuna got into the act. The Rams tight end caught two passes for 55 yards. Not exactly known for his “big play ability”, Manumaleuna came up with a pair of big plays against the Lions.

Defense: The Rams pass rush is either much better than anticipated, or the Lions offensive line is much worse than expected. The Rams applied constant pressure to Joey Harrington almost every time the Lions dropped back to pass. They sacked  him three times and had one forced fumble called back after instant replay officials deemed Harrington’s arm as “moving forward”. Chris Claiborne, a former Lions first round pick, sacked Harrington as did Brandon Green and Tyoka Jackson. Damione Lewis and Anthony Hargrove also split a sack. On one scary play Monday night, Terry Fair (another former first round pick of the Lions playing for the Rams) was injured while attempting to tackle Kevin Jones. Fair remained on the ground and several minutes later was taken off the field and to the Ford Hospital in Detroit. He was diagnosed with a sprained neck.

Special Teams: PK Remy Hamilton handled all the kicking duties last week; however he’s just awaiting his eventual pink slip. As usual, Jeff Wilkins will be the kicker during the regular season. CB Terry Fair appears to have secured the starting PR spot (although CB DeJuan Groce is still a possibility). The KR picture is still cloudy. Fair might also handle that role to become a coveted PR/KR specialist. It could also be RB Aveion Cason; however first he has to worry about making the team. He currently sits behind Arlen Harris on the RB depth chart. Cason will either have to overtake Harris for the RB3 spot or play well enough to convince Mike Martz and company to keep him as a RB4.

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San Diego Chargers

QB: Friday night turned out to be Cleo Lemon’s night, almost. Lemon completed 14-of-19 for 136 yards with a 13-yard TD pass to WR Carl Morris in the fourth quarter to pull the Chargers within three points. Drew Brees only threw six passes, completing four of them for 68 yards with a 16-yard TD to Keenan McCardell. Philip Rivers went 4-of-11 for just 15 yards as he continues to struggle through the preseason.

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson did not play against the Vikings. The Chargers gave the ball to a variety of backs as they try to sort out who will make the roster with the last few spots. Michael Turner has the backup job locked down. He had three carries for 21 yards Friday. Then, there is Darren Sproles, who just keeps on making plays for the Chargers. Sproles had two flashy returns Friday against Minnesota prompting Marty Schottenheimer to say, "I fully expect that we'll find a way to get him the ball, and not only in the kicking game.” Sproles carried the ball four times for 6 yards and he caught two passes for a loss of two yards. Ray Perkins ran five times for 17 yards. Derek Farmer had a 27-yard run (2 carries for 31 yards for the game) and caught a pass for 7 yards. Ahmad Galloway caught one pass for 16 yards.

WR: Keenan McCardell looks like he’s in prime shape, at least, as prime as a 35-year old receiver can possibly be. McCardell caught a 16-yard TD in the opening quarter from Brees. McCardell caught three passes for 42 yards. Carl Morris had a good fourth quarter catching two passes for 28 yards, one of which was a 13-yard TD from Lemon. Kassim Osgood caught one pass for 8 yards. Willie Quinnie had one catch for five yards. Rookie Vincent Jackson returned to practice on Wednesday after missing more than a week with a sore Achilles. “It’s been really frustrating to sit there and watch,” Jackson said. “I got some good work in today, and hopefully this thing is behind me.” The coaches want to see Jackson next week against San Francisco in the team’s last preseason game.

TE: Antonio Gates did not play Friday. Duncan Reid did and caught three passes for 51 yards including one reception that went for 32 yards. Justin Peelle caught one pass for 26 yards. Landon Trusty had one catch for 9 yards. Gates signed his one year, $380,000 contract last week, but will still be forced to sit out Week One because of the suspension imposed by the paperwork the Chargers filed last week.

Defense: Shaun Phillips had another sack Friday night. Rookie LB Marques Harris had a sack of his own. The Chargers held their collective breath when Shawne Merriman, the 12th overall pick in the draft, went down with a knee injury. Merriman sprained his left knee, but said after the game he didn’t believe the injury was serious. Merriman left the game in the first quarter. He said, "I got tripped up and got my knee driven straight into the ground. I'm feeling pretty good now. They just didn't want to risk it. I actually asked to go out in the second half and play." Merriman is expected to miss about two weeks, but it is possible he could be ready for the team’s season opener. An MRI taken Saturday did not reveal enough damage to warrant surgery. Elsewhere, Jamar Fletcher is close to unseating Sammy Davis as the team’s nickel corner. Fletcher is having a strong camp while Davis seems to keep sliding on the depth chart.

Special Teams: PK Nate Kaeding is slowly putting his poor start behind him. He hit a 46 yard FG and an extra point at Minnesota this week. PR/KR specialist RB Darren Sproles had only a fair catch on a punt return but did return three kickoffs for a 31.3 yard average. Several players battling for roster spots handled backup return duties this week: rookie DB Markus Curry returned two punts (4.5 yard average), rookie RB Ray Perkins returned two kickoffs (21.0 yard average), and FB Andrew Pinnock had a 6 yard kickoff return.

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San Francisco 49ers

QB: Last Tuesday, Head coach Mike Nolan announced that his starting quarterback for the season opener would be Tim Rattay. No. 1 pick Alex Smith isn’t ready and Rattay outplayed him at every turn through the preseason. Coach Mike Nolan made the announcement after the team’s first practice since the death of Thomas Herrion. "I've been working hard, (and) I'd like to say I was excited to hear it," Rattay said. On Friday night, Rattay played into the late third quarter completing 13-of-25 passes for 132 yards. Alex Smith played the rest of the way going 6-of-13 for 67 yards. Smith fumbled on his first drive as Bo Schobel dropped him.

RB: Maurice Hicks had the “big day” on Friday although Kevan Barlow got the team out to a good start capping a drive in the first quarter with a 10-yard TD run. Barlow finished with nine carries for 30 yards, but he did lose a fumble, as did Hicks. Hicks made up for it by rushing for 92 yards on 13 carries while catching three passes for 28 yards. Frank Gore got an extended look, but failed to generate much rushing 11 times for just 7 yards. Gore did contribute nicely as a receiver though with three catches for 22 yards. Bobby Purify, trying to make the roster, had one carry for 9 yards. On Sunday, the team reached an injury settlement and released fullback Brian Johnson.

WR: Arnaz Battle and Brandon Lloyd enter the season as the team’s starting receivers. Battle caught three balls for 39 yards Friday night. He appears to be the team’s No. 1 receiver and could be the team’s most targeted receiver. Lloyd caught two passes for 38 yards. Johnnie Morton figures to be the team’s No. 3 receiver and he caught two passes for 21 yards. Undrafted rookie Fred Amey caught one pass for 12 yards in his bid for the team’s final roster spot at WR. Jason McAddley caught one ball for 8 yards. Javin Hunter was waived on Sunday. P.J. Fleck was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Battle is emerging as a strong sleeper candidate as the team’s potential go-to receiver. He went to Notre Dame to play quarterback but made the switch to receiver after three years. "When I went to Notre Dame, I was so excited about following great quarterbacks like Joe Montana and Rick Mirer," Battle said Wednesday at the 49ers' camp in Santa Clara. “Plus, I felt proud to be the first African American quarterback at Notre Dame." Apparently, Battle forgot about Tony Rice.

TE: Starter Eric Johnson did not play on Friday. Aaron Walker started in his place catching three balls for 30 yards. Mike Nolan said Johnson will miss the rest of the preseason with a foot injury. He isn't sure whether Johnson, the teams' leading receiver last season, will be ready for the season opener against St. Louis on Sept. 11.

Defense: The 49ers pass rush was non-existent on Friday night against Tennessee. The 49ers failed to sack the QB, but did force three turnovers. Mike Rumph, making the switch to free safety, intercepted Steve McNair. Newly acquired DB Willie Middlebrooks paced the 49ers defenders with five tackles. Saleem Rasheed did not play in Friday’s game. On Sunday, the team released CB Joselio Hanson, DE Josh Cooper, LB Andrew Williams and S Arnold Parker. Defensive end Chris Cooper was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week with a season-ending shoulder injury.

Special Teams: PK Joe Nedney made the requisite statement against his former team (Tennessee) by hitting FGs of 23, 24, and 39 yards. PK Kirk Yliniemi has been waived. Heading into the regular season, RB Maurice Hicks will be the top KR. He had two returns for a 27.5 yard average this week. Rookies WR Fred Amey and CB Derek Johnson are the main backups (although they have to survive the roster cuts first). Other available backups include WR Jason McAddley and rookie WR Rasheed Marshall. For the moment, WR Arnaz Battle remains the top PR. If/when Rasheed Marshall adequately learns the position, the team would like him to take over the role.

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Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck played extensively on Saturday night for the first time of the preseason. He went 22-of-33 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Seneca Wallace is settling into his new role as the team’s primary backup. He took over and completed 8-of-12 for 104 yards while rushing three times for 8 yards.

RB: Shaun Alexander played about half of the game on Saturday night, but never got much going. He managed to score a TD on an 8-yard reception in the third quarter, but did little on the ground rushing 12 times for 23 yards. Kerry Carter ran five times for 22 yards while Maurice Morris was held out of action. Head coach Mike Holmgren said on Wednesday that running back Maurice Morris would sit the remainder of the preseason in order to give his lingering hamstring problem added time to heal. Reserve fullback Leonard Weaver had three carries for 8 yards and Marquis Weeks rushed four times for 8 yards. On Tuesday (last week), the team released undrafted rookie and Canadian legend Jesse Lumsden. To take Lumsden's spot, Seattle claimed RB Josh Scobey off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals.

WR: Darrell Jackson also saw extensive action this week. He caught seven passes for 99 yards with a 36-yard TD pass from Matt Hasselbeck at the end of the first quarter working against the Chiefs top corner Patrick Surtain. Jackson had a quiet preseason up through this game, but looks like he’s ready for the season opener after beating Surtain for three catches on the scoring drive. Jerheme Urban is battling with several other receivers for playing time. He dropped several passes in the team’s last game, but tried making up for it with four catches for 66 yards against the Chiefs – including one reception that was good for 27 yards. D.J. Hackett has performed well through the preseason. He caught two passes for 25 yards, but suffered a sprained ligament in his left knee in the game. It’s not believed to be serious. Both receivers appear to be on the roster bubble so every play they make – or don’t make – could have an impact. Joe Jurevicius and Jerome Pathon should both make the roster, but what role they play remains to be seen. Jurevicius had three receptions for 40 yards. Pathon did not have a catch. Jason Willis had a 24-yard reception and Taco Wallace caught a pair of balls for 18 yards. Both players face increasingly long odds of surviving the Turk this week – along with recently signed Bobby Shaw, who had one catch for 8 yards.

TE: Jerramy Stevens and Itula Mili appear to be set as the team’s primary tight ends. Ryan Hannam is the No. 3 TE. Mili caught one ball for two yards on Saturday night, while Stevens had a 17-yard reception. Stevens has been far more productive than Mili in the preseason. He appears to have the inside track on the starting job – unseating Mili, who was the team’s incumbent starter.

Defense: The training camp battle that has everyone’s attention is at middle linebacker where 2nd year Niko Koutouvides is trying to fend off rookie second round pick Lofa Tatupu. Koutouvides worked his way into the rotation at the end of last year and has the edge in terms of experience in the team’s defense, but the coaches believe that Tatupu has the instincts and mind-set to start immediately – and they are giving him every chance to do just that. Against the Chiefs Saturday night, Tatupu got the start, but failed to impress. He was consistently lost in a sea of blockers failing to get to the ball quickly and he finished with just two tackles. The team hopes their run defense is better than Saturday night’s performance when Larry Johnson took one to the house right through the heart of their defense for a 97-yard touchdown – untouched. On Tuesday, the Seahawks released DT Cedric Woodard after Woodard missed most of training camp with a knee injury. That decision was made easier due to the emergence of second year DT Marcus Tubbs and the solid play from DT Chuck Darby in the preseason. Tubbs and Craig Terrill had the team’s only sacks against KC while CB Andre Dyson intercepted a Trent Green pass. Tubbs had an outstanding game and finished with 6 tackles. On Sunday, the team acquired DE Alain Kashama from the Chicago Bears for an undisclosed draft pick.

Special Teams: PK Josh Brown made FGs of 21, 22, and 26 yards in the game at Kansas City but was wide left from 54 yards. Starting punt returner WR Bobby Engram fielded three punts this week and all fair catches. WR Bobby Shaw has seen the most work at backup PR the last two weeks, including a 12 yard return and three fair catches. Starting kickoff returner RB Maurice Morris had a token return for 22 yards in the Monday night game against Dallas. The Seahawks claimed former Arizona RB Josh Scobey off waivers, and he quickly was added to the backup KR mix. He had three returns for a 23.3 yard average against KC. RB Marquis Weeks and WR Jerome Pathon will also serve as backups.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

QB: The Bucs first team offense never really got going on Saturday against the Dolphins. They failed to get into the end zone and settled for a 47-yard field goal by Todd France for their only score. "You can't start games like that," Coach Jon Gruden said. "It has been a real problem.” Brian Griese completed 7-of-11 for 48 yards, but lost a fumble when he was dropped by Dolphins DE Jason Taylor for a sack. Chris Simms completed 5-of-10 for 85 yards and Luke McCown was 4-of-7 for 38 yards, but was intercepted once.

RB: The Bucs had to settle for small victories in Saturday’s game against Miami. There were few highlights to be taken from the Bucs first team offense, but one of them was a 12-yard run by rookie Cadillac Williams. "I am definitely comfortable with the offense," the rookie said. "I feel like I'm coming along well." Williams played well rushing five times for 28 yards before leaving the game. Williams ran strong between the tackles lowering his head, getting the tough yards while also making nice cuts, and running with quickness to the outside. Earnest Graham and Derek Watson split carries the rest of the way. Graham is doing everything he can in training camp to make the Bucs final roster. He leads all Bucs running backs with 31 carries for 142 yards, a 4.6-yard average. Graham did most of his damage against Miami on Friday night in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. He ran 14 times for 60 yards with a long run of 19 yards for a touchdown. It was Graham’s third score of the preseason. Watson carried five times for 18 yards. As for Charlie Garner, he’s still not any closer to returning to the field. He is likely to start the season on the team’s PUP list or possibly even get released.

WR: Rookie J.R. Russell provided one of the game’s highlights with a nice 38-yard catch down the right sidelines. Russell finished with four catches for 74 yards. He’s competing with several other young receivers for the last couple roster spots. Veteran Ike Hilliard had two catches for 22 yards – he appears to be set as the team’s slot receiver. Edell Shepherd caught one pass for 4 yards. The last couple roster spots could boil down to Russell, Shepherd and rookies Larry Brackins and Parris Warren. However, the team likely won’t keep seven receivers meaning one of those guys could be cut with the hopes of stashing them on the practice squad.

TE: Not known for his receiving prowess, veteran TE Anthony Becht was involved in the action Saturday night hauling in four catches for 40 yards – including a healthy 29-yard gain on one catch. Becht is primarily known for his blocking, but thinks he can contribute more if given the opportunity. “I had a couple of opportunities to make some catches Saturday, and I liked that," Becht said. "But I have some things to work on. Every guy has an equal opportunity to make a play in this offense, and I'm going to try and do that." Becht is the team’s starter, but Gruden has been high on rookie Alex Smith, too. Dave Moore is only a long-snapper these days, so Smith should get many opportunities to produce immediately as a rookie.

Defense: The Bucs made a slight change to their starting lineup on Saturday starting 2nd year safety Will Allen in place of Dexter Jackson, who started the two previous games at free safety. Jackson has been slowed by an Achilles tendon injury that kept him out of Saturday’s game. "Will has done some good things," Gruden said. "That's a real competitive call for us as far as who is going to be the starter. It was a valuable opportunity for Will Allen to get to the start and play extensively. He's another young guy we're counting on." Starting strong-side LB Jeff Gooch limped off the field in the 2nd quarter and was taken to the locker room with a calf strain. Gooch will miss this week's upcoming game and possibly more with what is being called a "severe" calf injury. The injury might expedite a change in the Bucs defense, something that the coaches have been contemplating already. The Bucs eventually planned to move rookie Barrett Ruud to middle linebacker to be the team’s starter. The injury to Gooch means that change might come sooner rather than later. That would mean current starting MLB Shelton Quarles would move to the strong-side, where he started from 1999 to 2001. For now, the Bucs are holding fast and have Ryan Nece filling in for Gooch. "Sometime in the future Barrett Ruud will get his chance to play, and we always feel like we have a contingency plan to move a guy like Shelton if we need to,” Jon Gruden said. "But we like Ryan Nece. Jeff Gooch and Ryan have had a real competitive battle this spring and summer, so Ryan will be the starter. He's earned that in Jeff's absence." Starting DT Anthony McFarland did not dress for Saturday’s game as Ellis Wyms started in his place. Sadly, McFarland missed the last two preseason games while dealing with his mother’s sudden death. McFarland returned to Tampa late in the week, but did not make the trip to Miami with the team.

Special Teams: The kicker competition is heading down to the wire, and the Bucs plan to make a decision in the next few days. It appeared last week that they preferred Matt Bryant when they gave him the opportunity to send the game into overtime even though it was Todd France’s turn in the alternating kicks scenario. Bryant missed the 53 yarder. This week France was put under the spotlight in Miami. He responded by hitting 27 and 46 yard FGs. CB Torrie Cox should retain his role of lead KR from last year. He had one return for 24 yards this week. Rookie WR DeAndrew Rubin also had a 24 yard return, but he is still battling for a roster spot. He didn’t help his cause with his punt returns in the game. His two returns averaged only 4.0 yards, and more damaging was a fumble on another one. WR Joey Galloway may remain the PR by default.

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Tennessee Titans

QB: Steve McNair didn’t look bad on paper, but the Titans offense was sporadic against the 49ers with McNair at the helm. He completed 10-of-16 for 62 yards with no TDs, an interception and a lost fumble. Chris Redman finished off the game throwing five times and completing three passes for 34 yards. Billy Volek had a nice game completing 13-of-17 for 140 yards with a 45-yard TD to rookie Courtney Roby at the end of the 3rd quarter.

RB: Chris Brown looked ready for prime time with 11 carries for 72 yards and two catches for 20 yards. He didn’t practice on Saturday though and was said to be day-to-day with a twisted ankle. Jarrett Payton got a long look with ten carries but he gained only 23 yards. Larry Croom had seven carries for 13 yards. Depending on how many backs Jeff Fisher keeps on the roster, Walter Reyes, Jarrett Payton and Damien Nash could be fighting it out with Croom for a roster spot. Travis Henry is expected back at practice this week to do some work. He is recovering from a turf toe injury, and didn’t play on Friday night. Payton had a mild neck sprain and concussion following the game.

WR: Tyrone Calico returned to game action Friday night catching one pass for 7 yards. Calico said the mental recovery of his knee injury has been almost harder than the physical part of it. "You're making your cuts, your knee can handle it, but then your mind is like, 'I don't want to push off this hard.' You think about it a lot because you don't want to injure it again and go through that same process." Seeing Calico on the field is reassuring but he’s not 100% yet and a quote like that isn’t exactly a confidence builder. Pushing for playing time behind Calico and Drew Bennett are the team’s rookies. Brandon Jones, Courtney Roby and Roydell Williams are the front-runners. On Friday night, it was Roby’s turn to explode. He caught a 45-yard TD pass from Billy Volek and finished with two catches for 60 yards. All three rookie receivers are making plays in the preseason. "This is probably the best group of receivers since I've been here that's come in as free agents and drafted guys," Bennett said. "They all run good routes, always keep it very polished. All catch the ball, and all are very fast. All have a pretty mental grasp on the game.”

At press time, Troy Edwards, recently cut by the Jaguars, agreed to terms with the Titans and will join the competition among the three rookies and help provide some veteran leadership and depth to the Titans receiving corps.

TE: Greg Guenther caught seven passes on Friday night for 40 yards. Guenther is making it difficult on the team. His strong preseason play might force them to re-think their roster and keep a fourth tight end. Bo Scaife caught three balls for 25 yards. Erron Kinney caught one ball for -4 yards and was targeted three times overall. Ben Troupe remains sidelined but is on target for a return in early to mid September. Kinney suffered a chest contusion in Friday’s game, but X-rays were negative and he’ll be fine according to Jeff Fisher.

Defense: The Titans are hoping for big things out of DE Antwan Odom this year. Odom had a solid game Friday night with four tackles and a sack. Another 2nd year DE Bo Schobel, who was hurt all last year, had two sacks and a forced fumble. LB Peter Sirmon led the team with six tackles while Rocky Calmus and Robert Reynolds each had five tackles. Safety Tank Williams returned to action for the first time this preseason. LB Cody Spencer has an abdominal strain.

Special Teams: PK Rob Bironas rebounded from last week by hitting 24 and 44 yard FGs in the game at San Francisco. He was strong as usual on kickoffs. The Titans released Ola Kimrin as expected and then signed former Buccaneer Jay Taylor. He looked good in the first few days of practice but missed a 41 yarder wide right in the game. CB Adam "Pacman" Jones finally made his debut on punt returns. It was not good. He averaged 4.0 yards on returns, fumbled and recovered one return, and had another punt bounce off him and recovered by the 49ers. Rookie WR Courtney Roby has emerged as the top KR. He had three kickoff returns for a 19.7 yard average.

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Washington Redskins

QB: Patrick Ramsey had perhaps his best outing of the preseason against the Steelers on Friday. Ramsey went 12-of-19 for 141 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Mark Brunell had an efficient outing completing 6-of-7 for 60 yards in relief of Ramsey. Jason Campbell played only briefly and didn’t complete a pass in his two attempts. Ramsey’s lone mistake was an interception by Troy Polamalu, who returned it for a 34-yard TD. Ramsey rebounded nicely and later connected with his trusted go-to receiver TE Chris Cooley for a 4-yard TD pass in the 2nd quarter. "I was proud of Patrick," said OT Chris Samuels said. "He took us down on a great drive. A lot of people tried to get down on him early, with the interception, but he showed a lot of poise and a lot of confidence and stepped up and led the offense." Clinton Portis was happy with Ramsey, too. "The confidence of Patrick is sky-high right now," Portis said. "To come back from that interception and drive down and respond and put points on the board -- we didn't do that last year. This year, there's a different swagger. He came in the huddle: 'Let's go guys. Let's put some points up.’ Last year, after a turnover, we probably went backward."

RB: The Redskins running game got off on the right foot Friday night when Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts combined for 89 yards in the first half against the Steelers. Portis carried the ball on five of the team’s first six plays finishing with eight carries for 48 yards in the game while Betts carried nine times for 41 yards. Nehemiah Broughton continues to have a solid preseason. He ran well against Pittsburgh carrying the rock 12 times for 46 yards. With a strong camp, it looks like he might have won a roster spot. He’s been in competition with Rock Cartwright, who also has played well. Cartwright carried eight times for 24 yards including a 10-yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter. The team has four strong runners, but maybe Gibbs will decide to keep all four on the roster.

WR: Santana Moss and David Patten got into the groove against the Steelers. Both made some key plays as Moss caught only two balls, but they went for 68 yards. Patten caught four balls for 37 yards. James Thrash also had a catch for 12 yards, while Taylor Jacobs did not play due to a toe injury.

TE: Chris Cooley has become a definite "go-to" guy for Patrick Ramsey and the Redskins passing game. "He has a great rapport with Patrick and gets plenty of passes thrown his way. It just hasn't worked out in the game where we've thrown to him." Heading into Friday night’s game Cooley had only 1 catch for 16 yards in the preseason after leading the Redskins with 6 TDs last year. He wants to accomplish even more in his second year. "As the year went along, he became a 'go-to' guy," Joe Gibbs said. "And when you see that a guy makes plays, you start designing more things to get the ball to him in critical situations. The quarterbacks, too, are looking. They kind of like him, want to go to him." Cooley caught a 4-yard TD pass from Ramsey in the 2nd quarter Friday night and Billy Baber got some action, too, with two receptions for 13 yards. Look for Cooley to emerge as a solid fantasy TE this year – potentially a consistent week in, week out starter.

Defense: Safety Matt Bowen left Friday evening's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with bruised ribs. Bowen was also taken to the hospital as a result of the injury where he stayed for a second straight night for observation. Joe Gibbs said Bowen should be fine. "(Bowen's was) the only injury that scared me," Gibbs said, but quickly added: "It looks like he's OK." The team feared he may have internal bleeding, but those fears were alleviated after an MRI came back negative. "He's very sore, so they're going to be cautious about it,” said Gibbs. Lavar Arrington was pumped up in his return to game action against Pittsburgh. Arrington has two tackles in the team’s first six defensive plays and he didn’t leave the field until the 2nd-to-last possession of the Steelers. The team released corner Artrell Hawkins on Sunday after reaching an injury settlement with him. Strong safety Pierson Prioleau strengthened his bid for a roster spot by defending two passes and intercepting another in the first half against the Steelers. He finished with three tackles. Safety Ryan Clark and CB Walt Harris were held out of the game. Last week the Skins made a couple roster moves releasing LB Joe Tuipala and S Tony Dixon.

Special Teams: PK John Hall hit a 28-yard FG and two extra points in the game against Pittsburgh. Jeff Chandler has been cut. The Steelers did a very effective job of containing WR Antonio Brown on returns. He had four punt returns for a 1.3 yard average and three kickoffs for a 13.3 yard average. The only other return in the game was a 1 yard punt return by rookie WR Rich Parson. WR Santana Moss, RB Ladell Betts, and WR James Thrash are still the backups.

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