Bucs coach Raheem Morris made nobones about it: His defensive gameplan for last week's game againstthe Falcons was to load up against the running game and pressurethe quarterback, forcing Matt Ryan to win with tough throws againstman-to-man coverage.Morris Jacoby Ford Authentic Jersey hasn't given any clues about tonight's matchup with theColts, but don't be surprised if the gameplan is very similar tolast week's successful scheme. The Bucs will be facing first-time Coltsstarter Curtis Painter. While he made a handful of impressivethrows against the Steelers last week in relief of injured KerryCollins, every defensive coach loves to see a newbie atquarterback.The fact is, the Bucs don't fear Painter, so they'dprobably rather take some chances in other areas working under theassumption that he won't beat them. That means the Bucs could opt to sellout againstthe run and tailback Joseph Addai, who is averaging a healthy 4.8yards per carry. If the Bucs can succeed in making Addai anonfactor, that would put more pressure on Painter to make throwsin second-and-long and third-and-long situations. Those scenarioswork in the Bucs' favor.Look for safety Sean Jones or, perhaps, whoever is playing theother safety position (Corey Lynch or Larry Asante) to frequentlycome up in run support. And the linebacker blitzes we've beenseeing the past couple of weeks could continue as well. QuincyBlack, Dekoda Watson and Mason Foster have shown ability to bedisruptive as pass rushers. Morris also has a new respect for hisdefensive line, which collapsed Ryan's pocket and took him to theground throughout the Falcons game.Morris, if he so chooses, can take these chances because hetrusts his secondary. The loss of free safety Cody Grimm is a bigfactor and would compromise this plan a bit, but Morris put a fullloads on the plates of cornerbacks Aqib Talib, Ronde Barber andE.J. Biggers last week against the Falcons. They were charged withcovering Roddy White, Julio Jones and sometimes tight end TonyGonzalez in man-to-man matchups much of the day and the planworked. The Bucs gave up their fair share ofpassing yards, but the Falcons' running game was nonexistent andAtlanta faced many third-and-long situations.Today's matchups in the secondary are challenging, thougharguably not as daunting as last week's. The Colts have receiversReggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon in addition to tight end DallasClark. Fortunately for the Bucs, Talib and Barber are playinga very high levels and seem up to the task.By the time the night's over, we'll know whether any of thisplayed out. But heading into the game, it seems very possible youcould see a repeat of what you saw last week. Posted by StephenHolder at 10:28:57 am on October 03, 2011RAVENS 34JETS 17BALTIMORE - What's Joe Namath going to say this week?Broadway Joe should have some words for red-faced Rex Ryan afterthe RAVENS dismantled the JETS 34-17 in front of 71,247 rabidfans at M&T Bank Stadium last night. It was the latesthumiliation handed to the JETS, who consider themselves SuperBowl contenders. At the moment they look more like a team that willbe watching the playoffs on TV.Instead of the JETS defense getting embarrassedthis week, it was the offense that made the RAVENS look like the'85 Bears in a bizarre game that featured just one offensivetouchdown.The RAVENS scored a franchise-record three defensivetouchdowns, all on turnovers from quarterback Mark Sanchez.Sanchez had four turnovers in all, three fumbles and aninterception. He had another fumble that the JETS recovered. It was not allSanchez's fault. The JETS offensive line was as sturdy asa wet piece of paper. The RAVENS were able to rush Sanchez withabandon and pounded the JETS' franchise QB."He struggled mightily," said Ryan. "There's no question aboutit." Last week, the Raiders ran all over the JETS, drawing Namath's criticism ofRyan. But even with how bad the offense was, the defense kept the JETS in the game. RAVENSquarterback Joe Flacco was completely ineffective and Ray Ricecould not find much running room.The JETS got a glimmer of hope in thethird quarter when, trailing by 10, Aaron Maybin sacked Joe Flaccoand caused a fumble that Marcus Dixon recovered wholesale jerseys at the RAVENS'27.Sanchez crushed that hope immediately.Under pressure from Terrell Suggs, Sanchez threw it out towardSantoino Holmes near the sideline. RAVENS cornerback Lardarius Webbjumped in front of Holmes and returned the interception 73 yardsfor the RAVENS' Authentic Darren McFadden Jersey Black third defensive touchdown in the game, giving theRAVENS a 34-17 lead.It was the first time in NFL history therewere five returns(kickoff, fumble, interception) for touchdowns in one game.The JETS should have been happy to onlybe down 27-17 at halftime after doing nothing offensively in awacky first half that featured three defensive touchdowns and oneon special teams between the two teams.You knew it was going to be a long night for the JETS' offense on their first playfrom scrimmage.Ed Reed blitzed and got to Sanchez untouched to knock the ballloose. A swarm of RAVENS surrounded the ball, with Jameel McClainpicking it up and running it six yards for a touchdown.The lead was shortlived.Joe McKnight took the kickoff 107 yards for a touchdown to tiethe game at 7-7. McKnight was returning kicks because the JETS' regular return man AntonioCromartie suffered a bruised lung and bruised ribs last Raiders Jacoby Ford Jersey week. Itwas the longest play in JETS history.Early, it looked Authentic Jacoby Ford Jersey like the JETS defense might be in for a badnight, too. Baltimore marched 70 yards on nine plays and BillyCundiff kicked a 38-yard field goal with 6:31 left in the firstquarter to make it 10-7. On their next drive, the RAVENS made it17-7 when RayRice scored fromthe 3.The JETS defense buckled down in thesecond quarter, allowing 21 yards in the quarter after giving up142 in the first.The offense still sputtered, though. Sanchez fumbled a shotgunsnap from backup center Colin Baxter that Paul Kruger recovered atthe JETS 23. Three plays later, Cundiffkicked another 38-yard field goal to push the RAVENS' lead to 20-7with 13:23 left in the half."There are some cracks," said Derrick Mason. "It's up tosomebody to fix it. There are some things that have to change."JETS BLITZ by Bart HubbuchHERO Ed Reed set the tone for the RAVENS' defensive suffocation,blitzing untouched on the game's first play to force a Mark Sanchezfumble that was recovered foraBaltimore touchdown. The RAVENS tooktheir cue from Reed, setting a franchise recordwith threedefensiveTDs overall.ZERO Is thereany question? Mark Sanchez was breathtakinglyhorrible from the very first snap, and all three of his turnovers(two fumbles, one interception) were returned for TDs by therelentless RAVENS defense.UNSUNG HERO Therewas nothing heroic about the JETS' loss, but backup RB JoeMcKnight was a star in defeat with a 107-yard kickoff return foraTDandablitz pressure from the cornerback spot Darren McFadden Jersey Womens on defense-yes, youread that right- led to David Harris' interception return for ascore.KEY MOMENT The JETS had just forced a Joe Flaccofumble and were poised to cut further into a Darren McFadden Jersey White 27-17 deficit whenSanchez's awful "timing" throw to Santonio Holmes along the rightsideline was picked off Official Jacoby Ford Jersey by Lardarius Webb and returned 73 yardsuntouched foraback-breaking TD.QUOTE OF THE DAY There are some cracks. It's up to somebody tofix it." - JETS WR Derrick MasonTHE UGLY NUMBERSA look at Mark Sanchezs night:3 Lost Fumbles, two of which were returned for touchdowns1 Interception, which was returned 73 yards for a touchdown31.4 Completion percentage on 11-for-35 passing, the worst ofhis career119 Yards passing, an average of 3.4 yards per attempt30.5 Passer rating

Cowboys (2-1)Cowboys Stadium, ArlingtonCowboys by 2 1/2, O/U 46Cowboys lead 13-10.Cowboys won 35-19 on Nov. 21,2000.Cowboys traded the Ohio State alumto St. Louis last year. After Carpenter was cut by the Rams andreleased by Miami, he found a home in Detroit.A special-teams ace for the Lions, Carpenter started the team'slast two games in 2010, recording 17 tackles."Bobby has done very Authentic Jared Allen Jersey well for us," Detroit coach Jim Schwartzsaid. "We are very fortunate to get him last year. He played somevery good football for us down the stretch. Every time we put himin the game, he had tackles."Schwartz called Carpenter "an excellent" pass defender."That's probably the strength of his game," Schwartz said. "He'salso extremely conscientious. He's just a very smart player. We'revery happy to have him."Another former Cowboys, Stephen Peterman, starts at right guardfor the Authentic Greg Jennings Jersey Lions. The LSU-ex was with Dallas from 2004-05 after theclub drafted him in the third round.Cowboys are off next week, andhistory says they usually play well going into their bye week.Since the NFL instituted the off week in 1990, Dallas is animpressive 18-4 in games preceding the bye, including 10-1 athome.In games after the bye week, the Cowboys are 16-6, including 9-4 onthe road. Dallas plays at New Authentic Adrian Peterson Jersey England on Oct. 16.Cowboys last week to an 18-16 winover Authentic Randall Cobb Jersey Washington, Tony Romo recorded his 11th fourth-quartercomeback victory.Among active NFL quarterbacks, Romo has the highestfourth-quarter passer rating (100.3). San Diego's Philip Rivers andGreen Bay's Aaron Rodgers are second and third with ratings of 99.8and 94.2, respectively.Cowboys have won five of their lastsix encounters with the Lions, including the last two. ... Dallasis 21-7 (.750 winning percentage) when Romo passes for 300 yards ormore.At University of Phoenix Stadium, Today, 4 p.m.TV: Ch. 5; Radio: WFAN-AM 660Line: Giants by 1 1/2What's at stakeGiants: A victory they need to have.The Giants have to ensure there's noletdown after slaying the division-rival Eagles. The upset will befor naught if they don't beat an inferior Cardinals team. The Giants have entered the "easy" partof the schedule, when they need to fatten up on lesser competitionbefore the hellish part of the schedule dawns in the second half.They also have to build momentum - and victories. Safety AntrelRolle has Authentic Nnamdi Asomugha Jersey downplayed the game all week against his formerteammates, but he wants to prove to them what they lost, importantto a man who is "not a punk under any means." It likely will be OsiUmenyiora's season debut after August knee surgery.Cardinals: Arizona has lost the past two games by a combinedfour points and had the ball late with a chance to win both.They're looking for some continuity and something to rally aroundafter change shook the team. They have a new quarterback in KevinKolb and a new defensive coordinator in Ray Horton. It's notsurprising that both offense and defense have beeninconsistent.Key matchupCardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald vs. Giants CBs Corey Webster and AaronRossFitzgerald (15 catches, 259 yards) is arguably the best receiverin the NFL, so good that Rolle said this week that he has "neverseen a defensive back shut him down." Aaron Ross called him "a bigplay receiver" and added "the play is never over with him." Even adouble team may not be enough given Fitzgerald's size (6 feet 3,218 pounds) and strength. But Ross might have had the best game ofhis career last week, Authentic Clay Matthews Jersey intercepting two passes and knocking awaythree others. Fitzgerald didn't catch a pass in the second half ofthe Cards' loss last week to Seattle, and the Arizona offensesputtered because of it.How they'll winGiants: Take Fitzgerald out of thegame. The Cardinals don't have any truly scary threats beyond him,especially with running back Beanie Wells (hamstring) a game-timedecision. Arizona's defense has been good in the red zone, butprone Authentic Eli Manning Jersey to the big play. Mario Manningham is back this week from aconcussion, and Hakeem Nicks seems healthy after missing practiceThursday. On defense, if Umenyiora and Justin Tuck see action -both of whom are listed as questionable but made the trip -- theyneed to pressure Kolb and keep Arizona struggling to find arhythm.Cardinals: Get the ball to Fitzgerald. If Wells plays, he'll beslowed. They'll need someone else to step up and take the pressureoff Fitzgerald. The Giants secondary was torched intheir first two games before it stepped up and largely shut downDeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin and the Authentic Hakeem Nicks Jersey Eagles. Which secondary willshow up today? The Cardinals also need big plays from rookiePatrick Peterson, who already has broken a punt return for atouchdown. That's a scary thought against the Giants' special teams coverage.-- Jeff Roberts

FLORHAM PARK - The Jets have a pair of defensiveblueprints Authentic DeSean Jackson Jersey off which they are building their game plan heading intoSunday's showdown in Baltimore.The first was from the 2010 season opener, the last time theysaw the Ravens, when the goal Authentic Michael Crabtree Jersey to stop former Rutgers star runningback Ray Rice was executed to perfection.The other is the freshest in the minds of Gang Green, thehumbling outing from six days ago when Darren McFadden and theRaiders rendered them helpless with a rushing performance like noother against a Rex Ryan-coached team -- as coordinator or headcoach."Everybody had to take a look at himself in the mirror [and] behonest that what we gave wasn't enough," said linebacker CalvinPace, referring to Oakland's 234 rushing Authentic Vernon Davis Jersey yards en route to handingthe Jets a 34-24 loss, their first of2011."Sometimes when you think you're good, you're not as good as youthink Authentic Frank Gore Jersey you are."And when it came to slowing down McFadden, the Jets were awful.Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was "disgusted [and]frustrated" with how his unit struggled to neutralize the oneplayer it had game planned to stop."We tell our guys, just because you have the decal on [thehelmet], there's nothing magical about it," Pettine said."It's how we practice and the mentality that we take."Rice Authentic Michael Vick Jersey is the primary target on Pettine's board this week, andit's not the first time.In the 10-9 defeat at the hands of the Ravens last year, Ricewas bottled up as part of a brilliant defensive showing in whichthe Jets managed to turn him into anon-factor.Rice carried 21 times for 43 yards, averaging 2.0 yards a carry,while seeing his touches limited in the passing game to tworeceptions for 19 yards."We know Rex and we know what they are preaching up there," Ricetold reporters in Baltimore this week. "Their first priority comingin here is to stop the run. I mean, you've got to stop the bleedingwhere it's at."You saw what Authentic Patrick Willis Jersey [the Raiders] did," Rice added. "And as a runningback, you sort of lick your chops when a guy goes for [171] yards.But at the same time we're playing the Jets, so we know they're going tocome in here amped up, ready to play."So which game provides more motivation to the Jets - the game in which they madesure Rice did not run wild Authentic Alex Smith Jersey or the one in which McFadden did?"You take it for what it's worth -- it's a year old," nose guardSione Pouha said. "And then you take last week's game for what it'sworth - it's most recent - so you take the value of it whether itbe last year or last week, make the improvements that you need tomake and execute that on Sunday."You still remember when stuff like that happens. It hurtsyou."The Jets are again chasing a Super Bowldream, just as Baltimore is now, as both did last season beforebeing eliminated in the playoffs by Pittsburgh in successiveweeks.They just hope to not be chasing Rice all over M&T BankStadium, the way they did McFadden, come Sunday night.BRIEFS: All-Pro Authentic LeSean McCoy Jersey center Nick Mangold (ankle) is listed asquestionable and will be a game-time decision Sunday. "I think if[Friday] was the game, I would say no," Ryan said. "We'll see howit is." ... Antonio Cromartie (ribs, lung) and Plaxico Burress(hamstring) both practiced Friday and are listed as probable.

Week 4Texans vs. SteelersNoon Sunday, Reliant.TV/radio: CBS; 610 AM, 100.3 FM, 1010 AM (Span.).The last time left tackle Duane Brown prepared for thePittsburgh Steelers was the first game of his career.The Texans selected Brown in the firstround of the 2008 draft and promptly inserted him as the starter.His first assignment: Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison atHeinz Field."Harrison abused me," Brown said Friday. "I gave up2½ sacks. Rolando McClain Jersey White I think he forced a fumble, too. It was like Iwas in the twilight zone."Brown left what became a 38-17 Pittsburgh victory."I was a rookie trying to focus on our scheme and not so muchindividual matchups," he said. "The crowd really got behindHarrison. I started cramping up and had to leave the game."At Reliant Stadium on Sunday, the Texans and Steelers will try toelevate their records to 3-1 and stay atop their divisions.Pittsburgh is ranked second in defense and brings its usualferocious pass rush.'He's come so far'Brown, 26, is in his fourth season and off to the best start ofhis career. Now he's going against Harrison for the second time.Harrison should see a much better player."I've made a huge Rolando McClain Jersey Black jump since then," Brown (6-4, 320) said. "Mypreparation is better. I've been watching a lot of film onHarrison. I'm pretty confident going into this game."I'm pleased with the way I've played, especially compared tolast year, but I've got a lot of room for improvement. My intensityhas picked up. I'm playing with a lot more confidence. I think thisis the best I've played."In that 2008 opener, the Steelers sacked Matt Schaub five times.Nobody knows better than Schaub how much Brown has improved."Night and day," Schaub said. "He's come so far."Last season, Brown was suspended for four games for violatingthe league's substance abuse policy. He was inconsistent after hereturned."Duane's an extremely hard worker," Schaub said. "It's not evenclose that day to this day. Our team's not even close that day tothis day."Personally, I'm a much better player and quarterback than I wasthat day. It's hard to even look back at that day, but Duane's madesuch a huge amount of progress that he's such a different player.He's excited to go out there and strap it on this week, and I'mexcited for him."'It's a big challenge'Brown has done a good job of protecting Schaub's blind side."Duane's become a much better player," coach Gary Kubiak said."He's got a lot of reps cheap nfl jerseys free shipping under his belt. He's stronger. He's bigger,but he's still playing one of the best in the game (Harrison). It'sa big challenge for Duane."How we play up front will probably have a lot to do with howsuccessful we are on offense because these guys (Steelers passrushers) can force you into a lot of bad plays."Devin Hester officially became the most prolific punt-returnerin NFL history, when he went 69 yards for a touchdown early in thesecond quarter.It was Hester's 11th punt-return touchdown, which gave him solepossession of the NFL record, breaking his tie with Eric Metcalf.Metcalf got his 10 touchdowns Authentic Rolando McClain Jersey Black on 351 returns; Hester's 11 scoreshave come on just 182 opportunities. It was Hester's 15thkick-return Rolando McClain Jersey Womens touchdown, including punt and kickoff returns, but healready held that record."To be labeled as the greatest person at a position is a greathonor," Hester said. "I have to give credit to my teammates."Hester is nothing Replica Rolando McClain Jersey if not efficient. Prior to the game's finalplay, when he scooped up a bouncing, pooched kickoff and eventuallyfell down in bounds so time would expire in the Bears' 34-29 victory, he touched theball twice.The first time, he fielded a kickoff 9 yards deep in the endzone and returned it 73 yards to set up the Bears' second touchdown. His secondtouch was the punt-return TD that came three minutes and fiveseconds later. That's how long it took Hester to whip into a frenzythe 59,546 fans who turned out at Soldier Field on a perfect dayfor football, and to turn the tide of the game by giving the Bears a 24-10 lead."He's fun to watch," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "The guy is soelectric. As soon as he touches the ball, you know something'sgoing to happen. I'm glad he's on our squad."With the new rule moving kickoffs up to the 35-yard line, mostopponents can avoid the Hester threat by kicking the ball out ofthe end zone, and it's almost a shock when they allow him to fielda punt."I'm just glad they continue to," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "He'sa weapon. Devin hadn't had a lot of big returns so far, so I cansee why teams have chosen to kick the ball to him. They may thinktwice now."On his record-setting return, Hester fielded a line drive, tooktwo hard steps to the right, cut back to the left, broke an armtackle by linebacker Thomas Williams, outran everyone else andsomersaulted three times in the end zone to celebrate."You could tell the punter (Jason Baker) had a bad hit on theball," Hester said. "He didn't get much air time on it. Whenever Iget a kick like that I've got an opportunity to pretty much freezethe defense. Guys, when they're being blocked, see the firstreaction of the returner and they go off the first move. I justwant to draw everybody to the right side and hopefully get it backto the left."This time it worked to perfection."It's amazing to watch him," said running back Matt Forte, whowas fairly amazing himself with 205 rushing yards. "He adds a wholeother dimension to our team. When you're in a tight game and youget a score from special teams, it gives Premier Rolando McClain Jersey you emotion."No return man in NFL history has ever supplied more emotion thanHester.

Coaches can teach offense, defense and special teams.They can help players improve individual blocking techniques,route running and footwork. They can predict what is coming, callplays few would see coming and design schemes Richard Seymour Jersey White that work more oftenthan not.But can they teach confidence? If they can, Gary Kubiak is stilltrying to figure out how.In recent years, there has been much discussion of the Texans' relative softness. Whilethey remain a finesse team, they have improved significantly fromthe Charmin-esque status they maintained on the toughness scalewhen Kubiak took over as head coach more than five seasons ago.Physically, they match up with just about any team in the NFL.Mental toughness, however, remains a problem.Houston wasn't beaten by New Orleans last week because itcouldn't stand toe-to-toe or tackle-to-tackle with the Saints.Fourth-quarter foldThe Texans went down with afourth-quarter collapse because, like Official Rolando McClain Jersey many of their non-believingfans, they looked up at the scoreboard and couldn't believe theyhad a nine-point lead with 10 minutes left.Instead of continuing to do what they did to build that lead,the Texans did what teams that aren'tgood enough to build such leads often do. They folded.They surrendered a team-record 23 points in the fourth periodand crawled out of the Superdome wondering if they were the teamthat was good enough to dominate the Saints for three quarters orthe one that wasn't good enough to do it for four.Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said the Texans softened up in coverage latein the game and it cost them the Richard Seymour Jersey Black victory. That wasn't in the gameplan."Well, I don't know if it's a matter of communication or justtrusting yourself," Kubiak said of his secondary's struggles. "Wedid it earlier in the game. We were more aggressive and theystarted spreading us out and throwing it a great deal. Then we hadthem backed up … and we just didn't play with thesame aggression."You may give up a big play, but get up there and challenge theslant, challenge the short route. That's confidence and believingno matter whether you're Rolando McClain Authentic Jersey up 16-10 or Raiders Rolando McClain Jersey 33-32; you've got to play withconfidence."It is difficult to beat teams like New Orleans, which won theSuper Bowl two seasons ago, and today's opponent Pittsburgh, theSuper Bowl runner-up last season, if you lack confidence.'Seen it all'The majority of NFL games come down to a few crucial plays. The Texans are a team that has areputation for not making those plays. And with good reason.In five of their 10 losses last season, opponents scored thegame-winning touchdown in the final 5:17 or in overtime. TheSaints' game-winner came with 2:42 remaining."I mean, it gets old, but I've been here pretty much since dayone. … I've seen it all," said Andre Johnson, whoin his ninth season is the senior Texans.Brian Cushing described last week's fourth-quarter crumple as"extremely frustrating," but he still chooses to look on the brightside."There's definitely no question about the frustration that comesaway with losing that ballgame, but at the same time, you look athow good of a team the Saints are and how you played them throughthree quarters," the third-year linebacker said. "You've just gotto finish out that fourth."Familiar storySo here we are again, with the Texans looking to prove that thisteam is different, better than before, capable of finishingballgames against the better teams in the league.Kubiak didn't see a "here we go again" hangover last week, andhe said his squad had its best Friday practice of the season. Hesees confidence that Authentic Richard Seymour Jersey Black he wasn't so sure about a year ago.Maybe you can't teach confidence, but a team can learn to bemore confident by winning games like the one the Texans blew last week. Games liketoday's against the Authentic Rolando McClain Jersey tough-minded Steelers."We got to find a way to make those plays, and we're cheap nfl jerseys free shipping going to doit," quarterback Matt Schaub said. "We're going to learn from whatwe didn't do last week, and we'll get it done this week."jerome

 Karlos Dansby admits the Miami Dolphins are playing to save coach Tony Sparano's job, which might mean he's doomed. Sparano began the season on borrowed time, and an 0-3 start has left his status even more shaky. With tough road assignments looming in the next two games against the San Diego Chargers and New York Jets, Sparano's players acknowledged the urgent need for a turnaround.    "We're putting him in a tough situation," Dansby said Monday. "We've got to play better. Right now, his job is on the line, and we've got to do a better job of defending it for him. We're the only ones who can." Though a Sunday report indicated that Sparano wouldn't be fired before the Dolphins' Week 4 game against the Chargers, the coach's future with the team has become a frequent topic Eli Manning Jersey Womens of speculation. One day after a 17-16 loss Sunday at Cleveland, Sparano talked with reporters for 20 minutes but only briefly addressed his job insecurity. "I don't know anything about that," he said. "I'm getting ready for the San Diego Chargers." Dolphins owner Stephen Ross hasn't commented on Sparano's status. Ross embarked on a public courtship with then-Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh after last season, and after talks fizzled, Sparano received a contract extension through 2013. Linebacker Kevin Burnett said the Dolphins have little time to right the ship. "At this point, it's going to be, which road are we going to take?" Burnett said Monday. "Are we going to take the road of pointing fingers and saying, 'You, you, you,' or, 'It's the coach'? Or are we going to take the road of saying, 'OK, we're going to stick together, get fixed the things we need to get fixed, and find some way to pull out a win.'"  The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Colts won't be a horrible football team all season. The Peyton Manning hangover is over. They came to play Sunday night for the first time this season and damn near pulled off a major upset of the Steelers. They'll still be lucky to win five games, but all the talk about one or two wins and getting Andrew Luck should be put to rest. Guys like Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis have too much pride. The Colts, led by their defense, brought a physical game to the Steelers. Indianapolis is going to get a victory soon and win some games in the AFC South. Will the quarterback play be horrid all year? Probably. And that will kill them in the end. But heck, by Curtis Painter's normal standards, Curtis Painter was a Hall of Famer on Sunday night. I fully expect the Colts to give him more first-team snaps, and he could exceed what little Kerry Collins has been able to muster thus far. The Colts will remain a flawed team jostling for draft position, but I don't expect to see the woefully uncompetitive spells we saw from them in the first two weeks in all aspects of play.     Old defense? What about the sloppy offense? All the preseason talk about the Steelers focused on how old the defense was. Everyone, myself included, seemed to think the offense would be a juggernaut. Well, through three weeks, there are plenty of problems on offense. The already shaky offensive line is in shambles due to injury and you wonder how long before an old friend like Flozell Adams or Max Starks gets a call. Pittsburgh's 10 giveaways are tied with the Chiefs for the most in the league, and their minus-nine differential is the worst. Ben Roethlisberger is getting bounced around again. It's showing up in pass protection and run blocking, too. The always-physical Steelers couldn't even run the ball with the lead against a reeling Colts team. Yes, Pittsburgh faced quality run defenses in the Ravens and Seahawks, but averaging 3.3 yards per carry ain't Steelers football. They rank seventh-worst in the league in first-down rushing and only three teams have more negative rushes than Pittsburgh. One would think the Steelers would crank up some points on the Seahawks and Colts, but they have scored just 47 points on offense in three games -- only Seattle, Jacksonville, Indianapolis and Kansas City have fewer offensive points. I believe the Steelers are an elite team and will be in contention in the end, but they aren't yet close to the team I thought they would be. Still plenty of time, but Roethlisberger has to protect the football more and the run attack must be more physical.  AP, ASAP: Speaking of running the football, things have gotten mind-boggling in Minnesota and you have to wonder if new offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave is going to become the focal point of fan angst there. Consider the Vikings' halftime leads this season: 17-7 at San Diego 17-0 vs. Tampa Bay 20-0 vs. Detroit Look at their first-half rushing this season: 53 carries for 386 yards (7.3 yards per carry) with three touchdowns and 13 carries of 10 yards or more. Pretty staggering. But they have just 29 total rushes in the second half of these games, and that's where things Eli Manning Jersey Blue get troubling.    Sure, the Vikings are averaging just 3.1 yards per carry in the second half, but with a limited, pop-gun aerial attack and Adrian Peterson longing for more work, it's hard to figure why they rushed the ball 24 more times in the first half than the second half. And then, with the game on the line, the Vikings call a play for Toby Gerhart on a crucial fourth-and-1 rather than put it in Peterson's hands, after he waved the field-goal unit off the field in the first Eli Manning Jersey Red place. Something is going to have to change there, quickly. You also can't help but wonder how soon Christian Ponder gets his shot under center.  Red-zone woes: To look at the standings, you wouldn't think the 2-1 Texans and 0-3 Dolphins have anything in common. The Texans are a play or two away from being undefeated and the Dolphins can't buy a win. Houston has a coach, Gary Kubiak, who is perennially on the hot seat and finally might be getting off it; Miami has a coach, Tony Sparano, who is going to start hearing an awful Authentic Eli Manning Jersey Blue lot about Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher and every other big name out there. But to watch the two teams play, you see a few similarities that became even more glaring following their losses Sunday. Both Houston and Miami expected to have quality defenses, and that remains to be seen. And on offense, both are dogged by red-zone inefficiency. It was ugly to watch in Week 3, for both teams.  The Texans had the Saints on the ropes, but had to settle for four field goals of 36 yards or fewer. Miami dictated the game to the Browns, and Chad Henne continues to show great strides of progress, but they could not get anything done in the red zone. The Dolphins ended up watching Colt McCoy complete a last-minute touchdown to hand them another crushing defeat.    NFL RedZoneWatching football on Sundays will Hakeem Nicks Authentic Jersey be a whole new experience with NFL Network's channel, NFL RedZone. Find out why.    Houston, for the season, is 1-for-11 on third downs in the red zone. Eli Manning Jersey White Yikes. Miami is slightly better, but 2-for-9 is not good enough. Henne has completed just 38 percent of his passes in the red zone, with a 66 passer rating (29th in the NFL). Matt Schaub is completing fewer than half of his red-zone attempts, with a 76 rating (26th). Houston has had 16 drives inside the red zone, tied with the Patriots for the NFL lead. The Texans have run a whopping 50 plays inside the opposing 20-yard line (nine more than any other club), and they have just five touchdowns to show for it. With the Titans finding ways to win, the Texans can't afford to be giving away any games, and their red-zone failures on Sunday could end up looming large come January. A few more quick-hitters ... » Few people saw Torrey Smith's monster game coming for the Ravens. He's struggled in practice, dropped a lot of balls and looked lost, to the point where some in the organization wondered when the second-round pick from Maryland would gain the confidence of quarterback Joe Flacco. But Sunday, with Lee Evans and Giants Hakeem Nicks Jersey David Reed out, the Ravens had to dress three rookie receivers and Smith was the only vertical threat they had, thrusting him into the starting lineup. Sometimes the best plans are born of desperation, because even when Evans comes back I dare say Flacco won't hesitate to fling it deep to Smith now.    » I know John Fox wants to run the heck out of the football, but the game is changing. Kyle Orton to Brandon Lloyd was pretty good a year ago, and when your top back rushes 22 times for 52 yards against the Bengals, it might be time to Authentic Hakeem Nicks Jersey rethink some things. » Somewhere around the holiday season last year, Dan Carpenter of the Dolphins went from being about as clutch as any kicker in the league to a guy who is a relative coin flip now on many attempts. Something is awry there. This dude was a special teams player of the week candidate every seven days and now he's shaky. One more thing for Tony Sparano to worry about. » Who here had Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan each with more picks than touchdowns through three weeks? » I'm not ready to call it The Year of The Resurgent QB just yet, but think about Matthew Stafford (injury), Tony Romo (injury), Eli Manning (turnovers; poor season), Ryan Fitzpatrick (four wins in 2010), Matt Hasselbeck (out in Seattle), Jason Campbell (lost job to Bruce Gradkowski at times last year) and Kevin Kolb (lost job to Michael Vick, traded) all ranked in the top 10 in passer rating. Plus, Alex Smith and Rex Grossman are playing winning football wholesale jerseys china thus far as well.  Follow Jason La Canfora on Twitter @JasonLaCanfora

 Minnesota coach Leslie Frazier knows the Vikings stand a better shot of holding onto late leads by giving Adrian Peterson the ball. Now they just have to do it. The franchise running back had just five carries in the second half of Sunday's 26-23 overtime loss to the Lions, Replica Eli Manning Jersey their third straight game in which they had a double-digit lead at halftime. Authentic Brandon Jacobs Jersey Blue The Vikings have held leads of 10, 17 and 20 points at the half, outscoring opponents 54-7.    2011 Vikings, by the half      First half     Second half     Points  54   6    Points allowed  7   76    Yards  658   248    Rush yards  386   91    Yards allowed  285   815     In the second half, Minnesota has been Permier Eli Manning Jersey outscored 67-6 and has an 0-3 record to show for it. The Vikings have achieved that without turning over the ball in the second half, and are a plus-1 in turnover margin overall. A perceived lack of Peterson in the game Official Eli Manning Jersey plan has been cited as a reason for the team's late-game struggles. "I think we've been pretty good about getting him his carries," Frazier said during his Monday press conference. "Although yesterday in the second half his numbers were down and Giants Eli Manning Jersey we got to take a look at that." As a whole, Peterson's 2011 statistics are excellent. He's sixth in the league in rushing with 296 yards and is averaging an impressive 5.1 yards per carry. He's also scored three touchdowns. Brandon Jacobs Jersey White But the bulk of his wholesale jerseys damage has been done in the first half. Going away from the All-Pro in crunch time has been a head-scratcher. "We don't want in a close ballgame for him to only carry the ball five times so we have to revisit that," Frazier said. "For the most part we've gotten the ball in his hands and he's gotten production, even in the first half of the ballgame yesterday he had great production. Second half he didn't get as much and production's down." So yes, clearly the problem is diagnosed. We assume the Vikings will pound the ball repeatedly against the Chiefs next Sunday, a decision that will silence critics, satiate their biggest star, and provide them with the competitive advantage having a player like Peterson affords. But even if that does happen, one huge, Mall of America-sized question will remain: What took so long?  NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans coach Mike Munchak announced Monday that star wide receiver Kenny Britt tore both the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his right knee and will need season-ending surgery once the swelling subsides. Munchak called it unfortunate news both for Britt and the Titans. "He was off to a great start this year as we all know, and he's a special player," Munchak said. "He's got a lot of work ahead of him. But he's young. We know that he'll be back next year."    The news couldn't come at a worse time for the Titans (2-1) who are tied with Houston atop the AFC South after a two-game winning streak. The injury leaves Tennessee with four receivers, and team officials already are looking for someone to fill Britt's spot on the roster. Munchak said they will be working out receivers Tuesday and should have a player added by practice Wednesday. Munchak wouldn't rule anything out, but said he doesn't see Terrell Owens, who remains unsigned as he recovers from his own torn ACL, or Randy Moss, who retired after finishing up last season in Tennessee, as options. Justin Gage, an eight-year veteran, spent the past four seasons with the Titans before he was released in the final roster cut Sept. 3. Replacing Britt will not be easy. The first-round pick out of Rutgers in 2009 was off to the best start of his career, entering Week 3 ranked fifth in the NFL with 289 yards receiving. He was injured when his knee buckled underneath him during the second quarter of Sunday's 17-14 win over Denver. "Personally from the day I got here, he was one of the guys that I really tried to invest a lot of my time and energy into," Matt Hasselbeck said. Authentic Eli Manning Jersey "He's probably the most talented player on this team at any position, and he could be really special. I think he's showed glimpses of that, and he was really on fire and off to a great start. So for me, all that work, all that investment is going to have to wait." Notes: LB Gerald McRath was sent for tests on his own knee Monday after he came in still feeling some soreness. He left the game late after falling on his knee awkwardly. But Munchak said they just want Eli Manning Authentic Jersey to make sure McRath is OK.  Copyright 2011 by The Associated Pre

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant, who has been sidelined with a thigh bruise, is expected to start Monday night against the WashingtonRedskins, according to a team source.        The Cowboys planned to work out Bryant before the game. But, barring a setback, he is scheduled to start. Along with Bryant, quarterback Tony Romo (ribs, lungs) and Permier Brandon Jacobs Jersey running back Felix Jones (shoulder) are active. Three other starters -- wide receiver Miles Austin (hamstring), cornerback Orlando Scandrick (ankle) and right guard Derrick Dockery (knee) -- were deactivated. Redskins safety LaRon Landry also is scheduled to start against the Cowboys in his season debut, Brandon Jacobs Jersey Red a team official confirmed. Landry, whom NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported would play against the Cowboys, injured his hamstring during training camp. He missed the end of the 2010 season with an Achilles injury, which he battled throughout the offseason. Redskins safety O.J. Atogwe, who also has been dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, is at about "90 percent," which is the healthiest he has been in awhile, according to defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Wide receiver Donte Stallworth was among the players ruled inactive for the Redskins.  The Associated Press contributed to this report. One day after he blasted game officials for not protecting him from pass rushers, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick slightly backtracked from his controversial comments. "Maybe I should not have approached that in that fashion," Vick told Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia on Monday. "Truth of the matter is the refs have to do their job, and I was out of character in that aspect. I respect the refs, and you won't hear me complain (about) it no more."    Instant Debate: Vick just in anger?   Michael Vick made it clear Sunday that he was upset over the lack of calls after shots he takes. Our experts weigh in on whether or not the QB has a legit gripe. More ...   » Vick's hand bruised, not broken  » Fantasy: It might be Authentic Brandon Jacobs Jersey time to deal Vick    Vick took a number of big hits during the Eagles' 29-16 loss to the NewYork Giants, and he exited the game in the third quarter with a right hand injury after he was hit by defensive tackle Chris Canty. On Monday, the Eagles announced that Vick had Brandon Jacobs Authentic Jersey a contusion on his non-throwing hand, Giants Brandon Jacobs Jersey not a fracture as originally feared. The Eagles have yet to rule out Vick for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers, and the quarterback said he's wholesale jerseys currently taking it one day at a time. "Still sore, still swollen," Vick said of his wrapped right hand. "We will see." This marks the second consecutive week that Vick has found himself in the midst Replica Brandon Jacobs Jersey of an injury-related melodrama. Last week, it was whether or not he could overcome a concussion he sustained against the Atlanta Falcons; now, it's a hand injury. Vick is well aware of the risks associated with an early return to Official Brandon Jacobs Jersey the field. "There is always a risk of having an injury and making it out," Vick said. "I try to to evaluate Brandon Jacobs Jersey Blue the situation as much as possible. ... "It's a cause for concern, but we have time to see how this goes."

Never one to shy from the spotlight, Joe Namath criticized New York Jets players and coaches for more than their performance in Sunday's 34-24 loss to the OaklandRaiders. Namath said Jets players were overconfident and had inflated egos, which he attributed to coach Rex Ryan's style.    "It's rather alarming," Namath said on WFAN-AM's "Michael Kay Show," according to ESPN. "It starts at the top. Coach Rex Ryan, he's been doing a great job, getting us to two conference championship games, but there's one thing about the athlete: You keep telling him how good he is, he's going to start believing it to the point that he Rolando McClain Authentic Jersey may not be preparing quite the way he should. He may be losing some respect for the other team." Namath, a Hall of Fame quarterback who helped the franchise win its only Super Bowl, said he believed there was a disconnect between Jets players' attitudes and their accomplishments. "I think these guys might be believing that they're better than they are," Namath said. "Rex has been the only coach that we know, in maybe the history of the game that I'm familiar with, that keeps continually telling his guys how good they are. And they have been pretty good Official Rolando McClain Jersey — pretty good — Authentic Rolando McClain Jersey Black but they haven't won a championship yet. I think they've got to remember that there's room Rolando McClain Jersey Black for improvement." Ryan bristled at Namath's comments during his Monday news conference. "He doesn't know our team," Ryan said. "He's on the outside ... he's not in these meetings, I think if Replica Rolando McClain Jersey he was, he'd be shocked at the preparation." Asked about Namath's accusations of being ill-prepared, Ryan said, "I'm not going to change who I am because Joe Namath said something." CINCINNATI -- Bengals union representative Andrew Whitworth is upset that running back Cedric Benson and other NFL players could face suspensions for offseason incidents. Benson and cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones are subject to league discipline for arrests that occurred during the NFL's lockout. Eight players overall are facing discipline under the league's conduct policy. Benson, who is pursuing action against the NFL Players Permier Rolando McClain Jersey Association, has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.    Whitworth said Monday he wouldn't have supported the new collective bargaining agreement if he knew players would be suspended for things that happened before the deal was reached. "I was very shocked," Whitworth said. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. "I feel like it's Rolando McClain Jersey White the wrong decision, and I also believe the union let those eight guys down. I don't cheap nfl jerseys free shipping feel like that was fair. To me, if I was told that was a make-or-break, I would have said that's a make-or-break deal, that we were going to sell out eight guys to have an agreement." When the deal was reached in July, it was unclear whether the league could fine or suspend players who got in trouble during the NFL's 4 1/2-month lockout, when there was no collective bargaining agreement. The NFL Players Association had decertified as part Rolando McClain Jersey Womens of the labor dispute. The league and the NFLPA eventually agreed that eight players could be disciplined for incidents in the offseason, while 25 others would not be. "I feel like it was the wrong decision to allow those guys to be punished," Whitworth said. Raiders Rolando McClain Jersey "They weren't employed (during the lockout) and they didn't have a job, so they shouldn't be able to be punished for it. "Now, I don't think that them doing stuff is OK. But if no one else can get punished, they shouldn't be able to, either."  Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

 Anyone searching for the secret to success in the NFL can find it simply by recognizing what not to do. Such as coaching not to lose. Or playing a prevent defense, particularly before Richard Seymour Jersey White the final minutes. Or going ultraconservative on offense when in the lead. Or failing to convert third downs. All are Authentic Richard Seymour Jersey Black formulas for failing to protect a lead in the NFL. All were perfected by the Vikings, Texans, Eagles and Patriots this weekend. The Vikings are the poster children for blowing leads. They have been ahead at the half by 10, 17 and 20 points, outscoring opponents 54-7. Then they go into the locker room and, basically, stay there. In the second half, Minnesota has been outscored 67-6 and has an 0-3 record to show for it. The Vikings have achieved that without turning over the ball in the second half, and are a plus-1 in turnover margin overall. They also are 1 for 15 trying to convert third downs in the second half, while their defense has allowed 13 conversions out of 22 chances. There are two words for such numbers in the NFL. Ugly is one. Winless is the other. "A lot of teams wouldn't have come out with the energy and effort that our team came out with today," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said after the Lions erased a 20-point deficit and won 26-23 in overtime. "We battled right until the end." That is the NFL equivalent of whistling past the graveyard. Less than a month into his first full season as Vikings coach, Frazier has a slew of issues to deal with, from damaging penalties to strange play-calling - Adrian Peterson ran five times after halftime against Detroit - to a sense of the inevitable. As in the inevitable defeat. "We are making some similar mistakes when it comes to penalties. Not really the same people making the mistakes, but the penalties have been costly," he said. "The games have come down to the last play sometimes, so they have been a factor, along with our being able to convert third downs, our being able to limit points allowed in the second Raiders Richard Seymour Jersey half. Those have been things that have crept up in the second half of games." Nobody crept up on the Patriots or Texans in Week 3. Anvils Replica Richard Seymour Jersey dropped on them in the form of prolific offenses in Buffalo and New Orleans. That doesn't excuse some of the ailments plaguing each team. Yes, the Patriots (2-1) can score with anyone and Tom Brady is off to the fastest passing start in NFL history. New England also can't cover anyone, isn't producing much of a pass rush and, shockingly, is making mistakes when it has a lead. The Pats were beating their patsies, the Bills, 21-0 in the first half Sunday, seemingly on their way to a 16th straight victory against Buffalo. Instead, Brady - whose streak of 358 regular-season passes without a pick ended in Week 1 - started hitting defenders in stride. Four picks later, the Bills were kicking the winning field goal to take the AFC East lead, and the Patriots were looking perturbed and puzzled. "There were a lot more (mistakes) than there should have been. We've got to learn from it and get better," Permier Richard Seymour Jersey safety Josh Barrett said. "We've just got to do more across the board. We've got to lock receivers down. We've got to do a better job on their big-play guys from making plays. It comes down to just getting off the field when we need to." For years, Houston has been plagued by having porous defenses that kept its potent offense off the field, a major reason it's never made the playoffs since joining the league in 2002. Against New Orleans, in a game with five lead changes, the Texans wasted a 26-17 fourth-quarter edge and fell 40-33. There is no shame in losing to Richard Seymour Jersey Black the Saints. There is much concern when a team stops pressing the issue, especially against a strong opponent. Houston's blown lead and ultimate demise can be pinned on its weakness in the red zone, settling for four field goals. "We had some great opportunities on the offensive side of the ball with a nine-point Official Richard Seymour Jersey lead to make some plays that we didn't make," coach Gary Kubiak said. "We just did not close the game." In a game that was a litmus test. "We came into the game wanting to know where we are as a football team," star receiver Andre Johnson said. "Everyone battled and left it all out there on the field, but we just didn't score seven points when we needed to. ... and playing against an offense like (the Saints'), you have to score seven instead of three." The Eagles have spent two straight weeks falling behind, surging ahead, then flopping. Against the Giants in a 29-16 defeat, cheap nfl jerseys free shipping they were frazzled by a hand injury to Michael Vick and by the Giants' ability to get unheralded receivers in favorable positions against their ballyhooed secondary. For Philadelphia, the 1-2 start and failure to hold onto a pair of leads might have as much to do with cohesiveness Authentic Rolando McClain Jersey as strategy. It's hard to put together a "Dream Team" so quickly. --- AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this story.