Training Camp Update

Volume 2, Issue 5 – 8/30/06

Most teams are done with training camp, wrapping up the preseason and trimming their roster for the regular season this week. We want you to feel like you have attended every practice and seen every preseason game.

To keep all our Footballguys subscribers on top of everything, we've created our incredibly detailed Camp Updates. They're an exhaustive look each week covering every bit of news you need to know to stay completely on top of every team. Quite simply, they're the key to Dominating Your Draft.

This is the fifth (and final) training camp update from us this season.  We've broken down every team's skill positions and position battles throughout the last month. It's the stuff you'd see if you were there at every camp. This Camp Update was created by our own Bob Henry and reflects the most up-to-date info regarding each of these teams.

Happy reading and let's have a great 2006 season,

Joe Bryant and David Dodds

Owners, Footballguys.com

Arizona Cardinals

QB: Matt Leinart looked good in the Cardinals third preseason game against Chicago. Kurt Warner started and Leinart took over in the second quarter, as he completed 15-of-21 passes for 144 yards and a TD. Leinart completed twelve passes in a row including all six passes on his second drive. Warner played well, too, going 8-of-11 for 73 yards and a touchdown. Warner and Leinart look like a strong combo if you don’t mind burning two roster spots to secure both in your league draft. Warner can be had in the 6th or 7th round, but you’ll probably need to take Leinart earlier than you’d like (11th or 12th round) to secure the handcuff.

RB: Edgerrin James, as expected, played very little. He carried three times for -2 yards on the first drive of the game and that was it for Edge. J.J. Arrington got the bulk of the work in James’ place. He ran 10 times for 44 yards, catching two balls for one yard. Damien Anderson carried nine times for 43 yards. Marcel Shipp gained 18 yards on seven carries. Diamond Ferri, hoping for a roster spot, ran three times for 10 yards.

WR: Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Bryant Johnson appear to be ready for the regular season. Fitzgerald caught four balls for 45 yards (six targets) and Boldin four balls for 42 yards (nine targets). Johnson was targeted five times catching three balls for 49 yards including a 4-yard TD from Matt Leinart in the third quarter. Johnson’s first two catches went for 26 and 19 yards, respectively. Troy Walters caught four balls for 48 yards on five targets; he seems to be in good position to make the roster as the 4^th receiver and a special teams returner.

TE: Rookie Leonard Pope caught a 4-yard TD pass from Kurt Warner early in the second quarter as he finished with three catches for 20 yards on four targets. Eric Edwards and Adam Bergen were each targeted once; Bergen caught one ball for 2 yards. Pope clearly is the most talented of the three Cardinals TEs, but he’s just a rookie and that may hamper his ability to be immediately productive, especially competing for Balls with Fitz, Boldin, Johnson and Edge.

Defense: Gerald Hayes locked down the MLB spot producing seven solo tackles against the Bears. Orlando Huff and Antrel Rolle had five solo tackles each; Rolle also had an interception. Calvin Pace won the strongside LB job with Karlos Dansby sidelined. He had two tackles and a sack. Dansby will likely move to WLB when/if he’s back on the field.

Special Teams: Kicker Neil Rackers made a 49-yard field goal in the game at Chicago and added a PAT. He sent both his kickoffs 69 yards. Kicker Nick Novak played in the second half, making field goals from 19 and 50 yards, and added a PAT. With each passing week, it increasingly looks like RB J.J. Arrington will be the team’s primary kickoff returner this year. He had returns of 25 and 31 yards against the Bears. WR Bryant Johnson had a 23-yard kickoff return, and rookie WR Michael Spurlock had a 16-yarder. The punt returner competition is still between Johnson, Spurlock, and WR Troy Walters. Walters appears to have settled into the WR4 role, while Spurlock has to worry about making the final roster. In this week’s game, Walters had a four yard punt return and a fair catch, while Spurlock had a three yard return.

Cardinals Depth Chart
QB Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, John Navarre
RB Edgerrin James, J.J. Arrington, Marcel Shipp, Damien Anderson, Diamond Ferry
FB Obafemi Ayanbadejo, James Hodgins, John Bronson
WR Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, Bryant Johnson, LeRon McCoy (inj), Troy Walters, Todd Watkins, Carlyle Holiday, Michael Spurlock (QB), Greg Lee
TE Leonard Pope, Adam Bergen, Eric Edwards, Alex Shor
K Neil Rackers
DE Chike Okeafor, Bertrand Berry (inj), Antonio Smith, A.J. Schable, Anton Palepoi (IR)
DT Darnell Dockett, Kendrick Clancy, Tim Bulman, Langston Moore, Gabe Watson, Jon Lewis
MLB Gerald Hayes, James Darling (W), Lance Mitchell
OLB Karlos Dansby (S) (inj), Orlando Huff (W), Calvin Pace (S), Darryl Blackstock (W), Mark Brown, Isaac Keys, Brandon Johnson
CB David Macklin, Antrel Rolle, Eric Green (inj), Robert Tate, Dyshod Carter, Lamont Reid, Darrell Hunter, Jay McCareins, Damarius Bilbo, Justin Wyatt
S Adrian Wilson (SS), Robert Griffith (FS), Aaron Francisco, Ernest Shazor, Jack Brewer, Chris Harrell

Atlanta Falcons

QB: Michael Vick played most of the first half completing half of his 14 pass attempts for 48 yards with a 4-yard TD pass to Michael Jenkins. He also ran for 34 yards on three attempts. Matt Schaub took over and played through the end of the third quarter. D.J. Shockley finished off the fourth quarter. Schaub went 4-for-8 for 25 yards and lost a fumble. Shockley was 3-of-6 for 42 yards with 5 yards rushing.

RB: The Falcons traded T.J. Duckett to the Redskins last week, which was clearly a vote of confidence in rookie Jerious Norwood. Well, it didn’t take Norwood long to show everyone why on Saturday when he made a great cut, then ran away from the Titans defense for a 62-yard TD run. The rookie replaced starter Warrick Dunn on the third series and broke free on his second carry of the game. “He's got a little bit of speed, doesn't he?” HC Jim Mora said. “When he gets in the open field, he's hard to catch. What we need him to do is be a little more decisive up inside and hit it up in there on those plays that don't look so clean, but it's fun to watch him in the open field.” Norwood finished the night with 104 yards on nine carries. “I've got a long way to go,” Norwood said

Marlion Jackson ran for 95 yards on 18 carries in the second half. FB Justin Griffith is expected to take on a larger role with Duckett gone. He’s been practicing as the team’s single back when they go to three wides. Griffith could also get some goal line and third down duties making him a player who could have roster value in deeper leagues, certainly in those that require fullbacks. He carried the ball three times for 12 yards and caught one ball for no yardage. Dunn only ran for 11 yards on five carries before leaving after two series. As a team, the Falcons ran for 153 yards in the first half against the Titans starters.

WR: Michael Jenkins looks like he’ll have solid value in TD-heavy scoring systems. He scored another TD this week against the Titans. Jenkins was targeted five times in the first half finishing with 19 yards on three catches. Roddy White caught only one ball for eight yards. Jamin Elliott and Kevin Youngblood each caught a pass.

TE: Alge Crumpler was back in action against the Titans, but he suffered a laceration and a bruised knee. Crumpler was targeted five times and caught two balls for 21 yards. Fantasy owners were happy to see him on the field as he’s been sidelined for most of the preseason giving backup Dwayne Blakely more snaps. Daniel Fells produced a 22-yard catch against the Titans.

Defense: Patrick Kerney got his first two sacks of the preseason as the Falcons beat the Titans 20-6 in Nashville. The Falcons had three sacks and an interception. Keith Brooking led the team with nine combined tackles (5-4-0), Lawyer Milloy had five tackles (4-1-0) and Demorrio Williams notched four solos. Recently signed free agent DT Grady Jackson was a game day scratch, but the team expects Jackson to push for a starting job quickly.

Special Teams: Kicker/punter Michael Koenen continues to amaze. He remains perfect on field goals during the preseason after connecting from 21 and 38 yards at Tennessee. Two of his five kickoffs in the game went for touchbacks. He also averaged 48.2 yards on five punts. Kicker Tony Yelk and his injured quadriceps did not play in the game. The Falcons signed an additional camp leg in Miro Yesic, "They want me to learn how to punt good enough so that I can give the scout guys a decent look for now. Obviously to continue working on my kicking and field goals and give Michael Koenen a break." For the second week in a row, veteran return specialist CB Allen Rossum made a good case for retaining his job. He had a 57-yard kickoff return, averaged 3.0 yards on three punt returns, and had an interception on defense. Aside from his notable day on offense, rookie RB Jerious Norwood also had a 22-yard kickoff return. The two other potential returners, RB DeAndra Cobb and rookie WR Adam Jennings, did not play in the game.

Falcons Depth Chart
QB Michael Vick, Matt Schaub, D.J. Shockley
RB Warrick Dunn (3RB), Jerious Norwood, Marlion Jackson, Butchie Wallace (inj)
FB Justin Griffith, John Pannozzo
WR Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, Ashley Lelie, Jerome Pathon, Adam Jennings, Troy Bergeron, Jamin Elliot, Kevin Youngblood, Brian Finneran (inj)
TE Alge Crumpler, Dwayne Blakely, Eric Beverly, Daniel Fells, Jason Randall, Boone Stutz
K Michael Koenen, Tony Yelk (inj), Miro Kesic
DE Patrick Kerney, John Abraham, Chauncey Davis, Constantin Ritzmann, Paul Carrington
DT Rod Coleman, Grady Jackson, Darrell Shropshire (NT), Chad Lavalais (NT), Jonathan Babineaux, T.J. Jackson
MLB Edgerton Hartwell, Jordan Beck
OLB Keith Brooking (W), Michael Boley (S), Demorrio Williams (W), Ike Reese (S/W), Artie Ulmer, Travis Williams
CB DeAngelo Hall, Jimmy Williams, Jason Webster, Allen Rossum (KR), Leigh Torrence, Kevin Mathis
S Lawyer Milloy (SS), Chris Crocker (FS), Omare Lowe (FS), Nick Turnbull

Baltimore Ravens

QB: Steve McNair didn’t lead the Ravens to a victory yet, but he is becoming more efficient in running the Ravens offense. He completed 13-of-17 passes for 80 yards against the Vikings, but on the downside, he was sacked twice and intercepted by Fred Smoot for a TD the other way. Kyle Boller took over after McNair left; he threw for 105 yards while completing 9-of-15 passes, while also notching a 1-yard TD run. Brian St. Pierre completed 3-of-4 passes for 21 yards, but he was intercepted once, too. Rookie Drew Olson completed 1-of-2 passes for 18 yards.

RB: Musa Smith started and worked two series while Mike Anderson worked his way into the mix carrying the load during the team’s other four drives before rookies P.J. Daniels and Corey Ross took turns getting work in the second half. Ross led the team with 23 yards on six carries; Daniels gained 19 yards on five carries. Mike Anderson finished with only 11 yards (on seven carries) and Musa Smith mustered 7 yards on four carries. The team appears to have some depth at the RB position, particularly if Jamal Lewis is 100% to start the season.

WR: Clarence Moore returned to the field against the Vikings this weekend and gave the team a couple of big plays. Moore had receptions for 44 and 16 yards. Mark Clayton, the team’s starter in his second season opposite Derrick Mason, caught five balls for 32 yards. Mason had one catch for 6 yards. Rookie Demetrius Williams caught two balls for 27 yards but it’s Devard Darling who might have the lead in the competition for the team’s No. 3 WR job. He caught two balls for 13 yards. Williams, Moore and Darling are all in competition for that third spot. As for targets, Mason was targeted four times, Moore 6 times, Darling 2 times and Williams 3 times.

TE: Todd Heap caught three balls for 23 yards, Dan Wilcox three for 16 yards and rookie Quinn Sypniewski two for 13 yards. Heap was targeted three times, Sypniewski five times and Wilcox 3 times. Bobby Blizzard had two catches for 12 yards.

Defense: The Ravens registered four sacks against Minnesota and forced a fumble. Terrell Suggs led the resurgent Ravens defense with seven solo tackles and a sack. Mike Smith continues to have a strong preseason coming up big with a 5-2-1 box score. Rookie Dawan Landry had four solo tackles and Ray Lewis had five (4-1-0).

Special Teams: Matt Stover is one of the most accurate kickers in the league, but he missed a 46-yarder wide right at the end of the first half at Minnesota. Rookie Sam Koch has solidified his lead over veteran Leo Araguz for the punting job. He also had kickoffs of 62 and 64 yards, which is of interest to kickoff specialist Aaron Elling who did not play in the game. If Koch can prove to be solid on kickoffs, then Elling will very likely be released. Rookie RB Cory Ross averaged 24.3 yards on four kickoff returns and had a three yard punt return against the Vikings. He’s looked good in camp, however not good enough to beat out RB B.J. Sams for the return specialist role, which means Ross will soon be out of work. Sams averaged 20.7 yards on three kickoff returns and averaged 9.0 yards on two punt returns in the game.

Ravens Depth Chart
QB Steve McNair, Kyle Boller, Brian St. Pierre, Drew Olson
RB Jamal Lewis (inj), Mike Anderson (FB) (inj), Musa Smith (3RB), P.J. Daniels, B.J. Sams (KR/PR), Cory Ross
FB Justin Green, Ovie Mughelli
WR Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton, Clarence Moore, Devard Darling, Demetrius Williams, Travis LaTendresse, Ronald Bellamy, Romby Bryant, Matt Cherry (IR)
TE Todd Heap, Daniel Wilcox, Quinn Sypniewski
K Matt Stover, Aaron Elling
DE Terrell Suggs, Trevor Pryce, Jarrett Johnson, Roderick Green, Gary Stills
DT Kelly Gregg, Haloti Ngata, Dwan Edwards, Aubrayo Franklin, Justin Bannan, Cedric Hilliard, Remi Ayodele
MLB Ray Lewis, Mike Smith
OLB Adalius Thomas (S), Bart Scott (W), Dan Cody (S/DE), Dennis Haley, Ryan LaCasse, Tim Johnson
CB Chris McAlister, Samari Rolle, Corey Ivy, David Pittman, Evan Oglesby, Derrick Martin, Jamaine Winborne, Ronnie Prude
S Ed Reed (SS), Dawan Landry (FS), Gerome Sapp (FS), B.J. Ward (IR)

Buffalo Bills

QB: J.P. Losman started against Cleveland and played fairly well. He completed 15-of-22 passes for 184 yards and a TD. Losman also ran for a 7-yard TD that was nullified by an illegal formation penalty and the Bills settled for a 32-yard field goal before halftime. His lone mistake came on a poorly thrown ball that was intercepted by the Browns Ralph Brown in the third quarter. Early this week, the team officially named Losman the Week One starter. The battle for QB2 remains a difficult one to predict; as neither Nall nor Holcomb have been particularly impressive throughout camp. Against Cleveland, Kelly Holcomb didn’t play while Craig Nall completed 8-of-14 passes for 126 yards and an interception.

RB: Lionel Gates continues to put pressure on Anthony Thomas for the primary backup spot, but it’s unclear if any of the three competing for the spot has emerged as the clear winner. Anthony Thomas appears to be in the lead, considering his familiarity with Dick Jauron, with Gates and Shaud Williams in the mix, but it was Gates receiving all of the playing time behind McGahee this weekend. He ran eight times for 19 yards including a 2-yard TD run to cap the team’s drive in the fourth quarter and tie the game at 17-17. McGahee ran 11 times for 29 yards while catching three balls for five more yards.

WR: Lee Evans looks like he’s ready for the season. He caught five balls for 70 yards. The rest of the Bills receiving corps remain less clear, but Peerless Price finally caught his first pass of the preseason – a 56-yarder from Losman. “It's been a while, but it felt good,” Price said. “I congratulated J.P. for giving me a shot.” It was Price’s only catch of the game, but it was a relief for Price, who was fined earlier in the week when he misread the team’s practice schedule causing him to miss practice. Sam Aiken caught three passes for 33 yards and George Wilson had a 56-yard reception finishing with two catches for 70 yards. Josh Reed contributed 18 yards on a pair of catches while Roscoe Parrish also had two for 9 yards.

TE: Kevin Everett caught a 20-yard pass against the Browns while starter Robert Royal had an 8-yard reception and Brad Cieslak had a 12-yard catch.

Defense: The Bills were happy to have LB Takeo Spikes back on the field this weekend. Spikes saw his first game action in 11 months since tearing his right Achilles’ tendon. Spikes played in two series, had one tackle – including a tackle on Reuben Droughns on the Browns first play of the game. “I was very anxious, very nervous and I felt like a little kid in a candy store who got his first taste of sugar,” Spikes said. “I'm glad to be home.” LB London Fletcher led the team with 7 tackles (5-2-0) while Nate Clements had four tackles and Coy Wire, Terrence McGee and Chris Kelsay all finished with three each. DE Aaron Schobel and DT Kyle Williams had a sack each while Tim Anderson and Ryan Denney split a sack, as the Bills defensive line was active. The Bills claimed former Bears LB Joe Odom off waivers last Wednesday a few days after the Bills released LB Courtney Watson, DT LaWaylon Brown and DT Faafetai Tupa’i.

Special Teams: Kicker Rian Lindell was good from 32 yards on his only field goal attempt, and added a PAT against Cleveland. His two kickoffs went for 67 and 70 yards. Camp leg Nicholas Setta had a 67-yard kickoff late in the game. Starting kickoff returner CB Terrance McGee gained 46 yards on his only return of the game. One of his backups, WR Andre Davis averaged 23.5 yards on two returns. The likely starting punt returner, WR Roscoe Parrish, also occasionally fields kickoffs. He had a 15-yarder against the Browns. He also averaged 4.5 yards on his two punt returns. The Bills’ longest punt return of the game was a 19-yarder by S Jim Leonhard.

Bills Depth Chart
QB J.P. Losman, Kelly Holcomb, Craig Nall
RB Willis McGahee (inj), Anthony Thomas, Lionel Gates, Shaud Williams, Fred Jackson
FB Damien Shelton, Alan Ricard, Joe Burns
WR Lee Evans, Josh Reed, Peerless Price, Roscoe Parrish (PR), Andre Davis, Sam Aiken, Jonathan Smith, George Wilson
TE Robert Royal, Brad Cieslak, Kevin Everett, Ryan Neufeld
K Rian Lindell
DT Larry Tripplett, Tim Anderson (NT), Lauvale Sape (inj), John McCargo, Jason Jefferson, Kyle Williams
DE Aaron Schobel, Chris Kelsay, Ryan Denney, Ryan Neill, Jason Hall
MLB London Fletcher, Liam Ezekiel
OLB Takeo Spikes (S), Angelo Crowell (W), Josh Stamer (S/W), Mario Haggan (W), Joe Odom, Keith Ellison, John Digiorgio
CB Nate Clements (PR), Terrence McGee (KR), Eric King, Jabari Greer, Ashton Youboty, Kiwaukee Thomas, Eric Bassey
S Troy Vincent (FS), Donte Whitner (SS), Matt Bowen (SS), Coy Wire (SS), Ko Simpson (FS), Rashad Baker (FS), Jim Leonhard (SS)

Carolina Panthers

QB: Jake Delhomme didn’t turn in the most convincing performance against the Dolphins, but he completed 6-of-15 passes for 58 yards in the first half as the Panthers went to the locker room with a 13-3 lead. Chris Weinke completed 3-of-7 passes for 31 yards in the second half as the Panthers passing attack never really got on track against Miami.

RB: DeAngelo Williams gave the Panthers some glimpses of what lies ahead when he took a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against the Dolphins on Friday night. The 27th pick of the draft also carried the rock nine times for 41 yards, including one run when he used a stutter-step and quick cut to elude Travares Tillman of the Dolphins for a 15-yard run in the third quarter. “He's got good bursts, good acceleration, excellent vision and he's got a second gear as you saw when he popped through on that kickoff,” HC John Fox said. DeShaun Foster started the game and ran 9 times for 25 yards with one catch for another yard. Nick Goings carried the ball four times for 4 yards and caught a pass for another five yards. Jamal Robertson gained 6 yards on four carries.

WR: The Panthers still didn’t have Steve Smith on the field against the Dolphins, but Drew Carter performed well starting in his place. He caught three balls for 45 yards on five targets. Smith is recovered from the hamstring strain, but he had an ingrown toenail this week that further delayed his return to action. “Certainly we would love to have him back, and he'll be back shortly, but still we should have been sharper in every area,” Delhomme said. Aside from Carter’s 45 yards, Keyshawn Johnson had 12 yards on two catches and Taye Biddle 25 yards on two catches. Johnson was targeted four times, Keary Colbert twice and Biddle three times. The Panthers cut Lynzell Jackson, Terrance Metcalf and Daniel Smith on Saturday.

TE: Mike Seidman drew the start against Miami. Kris Mangum was inactive. Seidman had two targets, but the Panthers tight ends were otherwise not part of the action.

Defense: OLB Na’il Diggs was forced from the game with a knee injury while playing on the punt team in the first quarter. Diggs was penciled in as the starter at weakside linebacker. His status will be updated once the MRI results are available. Chris Gamble led the team with nine tackles (7-2-0) and Thomas Davis contributed six solo tackles. Adam Seward started at MLB and finished with 7 tackles (6-1-0), Mike Minter had five solos and rookie safety Nate Salley finished with three – including one textbook hit on a Dolphins receiver, who turned around to head up field only to be met squarely by Salley on the open field smackdown. Rookie James Anderson continues to perform well in game action as he had a sack and three tackles. On Saturday, the Panthers cut several players including CB DeShane Dennis, DE Kevin Carberry and LB Corey Jenkins.

Special Teams: Kicker John Kasay went 4-of-4 on field goals (26, 43, 45, and 53 yards) against Miami. He looks to be completely recovered from the sore leg that kept him out earlier in the preseason. Consequently, kicker MacKenzie Hoambrecker was released on Saturday. RB Jamal Robertson had a very respectable 30-yard kickoff return; however he needed a lot more to keep a roster spot. Rookie RB DeAngelo Williams probably sealed Robertson’s fate with his 98-yard kickoff return for a TD. Williams heeded the advice of his teammates, "I'm finally learning the logistics of our kickoff return team. The guys kinda got upset with me last week for bouncing it out, and I told them I'll hit the hole this week no matter what. And I hit the hole. Michael Gaines was telling me, 'Hit it up inside, hit it up inside,' and Hank was telling me the same thing. Gaines told me, 'This time I promise you it's going to be there.' So I'm going to listen to him." HC John Fox was pleased with all of them, "As we've said all along, he's got a good burst, good acceleration, excellent vision." WR Efram Hill has made rapid progress towards earning the punt returner role. After a poor first game and a modest second game, he averaged 20.0 yards on four punts (long of 44 yards) against the Dolphins. If he continues like that, CB Chris Gamble or WR Steve Smith won’t need to handle very many punt returns.

Panthers Depth Chart
QB Jake Delhomme, Chris Weinke, Stefan Lefors, Brett Basanez
RB DeShaun Foster, DeAngelo Williams, Eric Shelton, Jamal Robertson, Alex Haynes
FB Brad Hoover, Nick Goings, Casey Cramer
WR Steve Smith (PR), Keyshawn Johnson, Keary Colbert, Drew Carter, Karl Hankton, Jovon Bouknight, Taye Biddle, Justin McCullum, D.J. Smith
TE Kris Mangum (inj), Michael Gaines, Mike Seidman, Jeff King
K John Kasay
DE Julius Peppers, Mike Rucker, Al Wallace, Jovan Haye, Stanley McClover, Devan Long (IR)
DT Kris Jenkins (inj), Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Damione Lewis, Jordan Carstens, Atiyyah Ellison, Tony Brown
MLB Dan Morgan, Adam Seward, Vinny Ciurciu
OLB Thomas Davis (S), Na'il Diggs (W) (inj), Keith Adams (W), James Anderson (W), Chris Draft (S)
CB Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas, Reggie Howard, Richard Marshall, Jermaine Hardy, Jarrett Bush
S Mike Minter (SS), Shaun Williams (FS) (inj), Colin Branch (FS/SS), Kevin McAdam, Nate Salley (FS)

Chicago Bears

QB: Rex Grossman went 13-of-21 for 117 yards and an interception; which was better than he did in his first two outings this preseason, but it wasn’t enough to quell the brewing quarterback controversy in Chicago. Backup Brian Griese turned in another solid performance, completing 10-of-14 passes for 131 yards and a TD. The fans were chanting “Griese! Griese!” in the fourth quarter. Bears head coach Lovie Smith continues to say that Grossman is the starter, but obviously Griese is capable of running the offense, maybe even better than Grossman. If anything, Grossman is among the most likely in the league to be replaced early in the season.

RB: Thomas Jones started for the Bears in their third game, but did very little to settle the competition for the starting job. Jones ran for three yards on four carries and caught two balls for three yards. HC Lovie Smith seems to be one of the few who are in Benson’s camp; but he’s also the most important person to have in your camp. The players have sent several subtle messages that they prefer Jones. Benson missed most or all of practices during the last week, so Jones may still be able to assert himself as the team’s starter before the season opener. Adrian Peterson ran for 24 yards on seven carries – he’s locked in as the No. 3 back. P.J. Pope is trying to make the roster, or hang around on the practice squad. He ran for 10 yards on three carries and caught one pass for 16 yards. Bryan Johnson will miss the season leaving Jason McKie and J.D. Runnels vying for playing time at fullback. Runnels caught a 2-yard TD from Brian Griese in the fourth quarter.

WR: Muhsin Muhammad is primed for a solid season. He caught three passes for 51 yards. His stock improves just by having Griese on the roster. If Grossman goes down this year, the Bears have a better chance to continue producing good numbers in the passing game with Griese on the roster. That can only help Moose, who was also playing at less than 100% in 2005. Rashied Davis won’t go away this preseason. He’s emerging as a possible starter opposite Muhammad, but he’s still competing with Bernard Berrian and Mark Bradley. Davis caught a ball for 8 yards (on two targets) and he ran once for 14 yards. Bradley produced a 33-yard catch for the team’s biggest play of the game. He finished with two receptions for 44 yards. Berrian caught four balls for 31 yards. Muhammad was targeted four times on the team’s first drive (which led to a 49-yard FG) and seven times in the game. Berrian and Bradley were targeted eight and four times, respectively. Airese Curry, also hoping for a roster spot, caught two balls for 24 yards.

TE: Desmond Clark has barely been noticeable during the preseason. Clark was flagged twice and targeted three times, finishing with four yards on two catches. Bears fans have to be concerned as team officials had made it clear they needed a resurgent season out of Clark this year. Meanwhile Gabe Reid put together a strong game against the Cardinals catching three balls for 42 yards, including one reception that went for 20 yards. He caught all three of his targets. Tim Day was released last week leaving John Gilmore competing with undrafted rookie Cooper Wallace for the last roster spot.

Defense: Chris Harris led the team with seven tackles (6-1-0) with Brian Urlacher (6-0-0), Hunter Hillenmeyer (5-0-0), Charles Tillman (5-1-0) and Ricky Manning (5-0-0) also setting the tone for the Bears defense, who lost DE Alex Brown with a shoulder injury in the game. Rookie OLB Jamar Williams had a sack along with four tackles. DL Delbert Cowsette had five tackles and a sack (3-2-1). Adewale Ogunleye also had a sack for the Bears; and will need to be a dominant pass rushing force particularly if Alex Brown’s injury extends into the regular season.

Special Teams: Heading into this year, it was questionable whether Robbie Gould would remain as the kicker for the Bears. It is no longer a question. Rookie Josh Huston was waived and Gould has looked very good. Against Arizona he was 3-of-3 on field goals (27, 39, and 49 yards) and added a PAT. He sent his kickoffs for 71, 69, 72, and 66 yards. He and his teammates were unsuccessful on an onsides kickoff. Rookie CB Devin Hester should be the punt returner when the regular season arrives. He had a 19-yard punt return against the Cardinals. WR Bernard Berrian had a return for no gain. Hester could also handle kickoffs in the regular season, although there is a more competition at that position. A week after taking one the distance, WR Rashied Davis had a 24-yard kickoff return this week. Rookie DB Danieal Manning averaged 21.5 yards on two returns. Hester took his only kickoff return for 21 yards.

Bears Depth Chart
QB Rex Grossman, Brian Griese, Kyle Orton
RB Cedric Benson (inj), Thomas Jones, Adrian Peterson, P.J. Pope, Andre Hall
FB Jason McKie, J.D. Runnels, Bryan Johnson (IR)
WR Muhsin Muhammad, Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, Rashied Davis (PR), Justin Gage, Airese Curry (inj), Alex Bannister, Craig Bragg
TE Desmond Clark, Gabe Reid, John Gilmore, Cooper Wallace
K Robbie Gould
DE Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown (inj), Israel Idonije, Michael Haynes (DT), Jamaal Green, Mark Anderson, Khari Long (IR)
DT Tommie Harris, Ian Scott (inj), Terry Johnson (inj), Alfonso Boone, Delbert Cowsette. Dusty Dvoracek (IR)
MLB Brian Urlacher, Jeremy Cain
OLB Lance Briggs (W), Hunter Hillenmeyer (S/M),  Leon Joe (W), Brendon Ayanbadejo (S), Brandon Marshall, Jamar Williams
CB Charles Tillman, Nathan Vasher, Ricky Manning, Dante Wesley, Devin Hester (KR/PR), Abraham Elimimian, Carlos Hendricks
S Mike Brown (SS) (inj), Chris Harris (FS), Danieal Manning (FS), Todd Johnson (SS), Cameron Worrell (SS), Brandon McGowan (SS) (inj), Dion Byrum, Donnie McCleskey

Cincinnati Bengals

QB: Carson Palmer was the main story on Monday night. In his first live action on his surgically repaired knee, Palmer played almost flawlessly. "He hasn't lost a thing," right tackle Willie Anderson said. "He's our leader, and he's back. That's got to make any Bengals fan feel real happy." Palmer played instinctively making plays out of the pocket; he even scrambled for 11 yards on one play. "I felt good," Palmer said. "It feels like it's just football now." Palmer threw for three touchdowns on 9-of-14 passes for 140 yards. Backup Anthony Wright completed 7-of-12 passes for 65 yards with a touchdown. Doug Johnson completed 1-of-3 passes for 28 yards and a TD. Reportedly, the Bengals have shown interest in Drew Henson, who was released by the Cowboys on Thursday.

RB: Rudi Johnson carried 12 times for 35 yards before heading to the sidelines and giving Quincy Wilson his chance. Wilson ran for 35 yards on 10 carries. DeDe Dorsey had a 19-yard run finishing with 59 yards on eight carries. Kenny Watson will probably be the team’s third down back as long as Chris Perry is on the shelf. Watson caught three balls for 19 yards. He was targeted five times, including four third down targets throughout the first half. Injured backup RB Chris Perry did some agility drills with trainers on Thursday, a sign that his return may be closer than originally thought . Perry was upset the team’s medical staff may have not diagnosed his injuries correctly at first. Rookie RB Terrence Whitehead was waived, cleared waivers and was placed on the team’s injured reserve list last week.

WR: Four different Bengal receivers caught touchdowns against the Packers - T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry and rookies Reggie McNeal and Benny Brazell. Houshmandzadeh left the game early with a bruised heel, but he still caught five balls for 96 yards on eight targets. Chad Johnson didn’t make a catch and was targeted just once. Tab Perry was targeted three times, catching two balls for 29 yards. Kelley Washington caught 2 balls for 18 yards and Chris Henry had one catch for 9 yards.

TE: Reggie Kelly caught a 6-yard touchdown, his only catch. The Bengals don’t throw to their tight ends enough for any of them to hold any fantasy value. However, Kelly could catch 3 or 4 touchdowns.

Defense: Dexter Jackson kick-started the Bengals with a 45-yard fumble return for a touchdown on Monday night. He had two tackles and two fumbles recovered. Greg Brooks led the team with five tackles (4-1-0), Bryan Robinson and Robert Geathers collected a sack apiece and Madieu Williams had an interception. OLB Rashad Jeanty has been a pleasant surprise in the preseason for the Bengals. He had four tackles, as did rookie DT Marcus Lewis. Caleb Miller had seven tackles (3-4-0). It was also the first appearance by free agent pickup DT Sam Adams this preseason. Earlier in the week, safety Anthony Mitchell was placed on injured reserve ending his season prematurely. Mitchell led the team in special teams tackles last season. On Tuesday, the Bengals waived LB Hannibal Navies.

Special Teams: Kicker Shayne Graham scored in double digits for the second week in a row. He connected on field goals of 34 and 38 yards and added six PATs against Green Bay. The Bengals continued to look at several rookie long shots on kickoff returns. RB DeDe Dorsey averaged 20.5 yards on two returns, and WR Reggie McNeal had an 18 yard return. Starting kickoff returner WR Tab Perry did not return any kickoffs, but did return a punt for 14 yards. Starting punt returner WR Antonio Chatman returned to action against the Packers, after missing several weeks with a bruised hip. He had a five yard punt return along with a fair catch. Backup returners RB Kenny Watson and CB Keiwan Ratliff did not have any returns in the game

Bengals Depth Chart
QB Carson Palmer (inj), Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson, Erik Meyer
RB Rudi Johnson, Chris Perry (3RB) (inj), Kenny Watson (3RB), Quincy Wilson, DeDe Dorsey, Terrence Whitehead (IR)
FB Jeremi Johnson, Ronnie Ghent, Naufahu Tahi, Chris Manderino
WR Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Antonio Chatman (KR), Tab Perry (KR), Kelley Washington, Reggie McNeal (QB), Benny Brazell, Glenn Holt, P.K. Sam, Ethan Kilmer
TE Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart, Darnell Sanders, David Jones
K Shayne Graham
DE Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson (inj), Jonathan Fenene, Frostee Rucker, Eric Henderson
DT John Thornton, Sam Adams, Shaun Smith, Domata Peko, Marcus Lewis
MLB Odell Thurman (susp), Brian Simmons (M/W), Ahmad Brooks (S), A.J. Nicholson
OLB David Pollack (S/DE) (inj), Landon Johnson (W/M/S), Caleb Miller (W), Rashad Jeanty (S), Marcus Wilkins, Wyatt Gayer
CB Tory James, Deltha O'Neal (WR/PR), Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff (SS/PR), Greg Brooks, Patrick Body, Rashad Bauman (IR)
S Madieu Williams (FS/CB) (inj), Dexter Jackson (SS/FS), Kevin Kaesviharn (FS/SS), Ifeanyi Ohalete (SS), John Busing, Jereme Perry, Blake Ferris, Anthony Mitchell (IR)

Cleveland Browns

QB: Charlie Frye led the team to a touchdown on the opening drive against the Bills this weekend. Frye connected with TE Steve Heiden on a 2-yard TD and he went 12-of-16 for 76 yards in the first half. Derek Anderson completed 4-of-7 passes for 83 yards and a 28-yard TD to Josh Cribbs. Ken Dorsey completed 3-of-6 passes for 34 yards. There are reports that the Browns may be interested in free agent Drew Henson, who was released this weekend by the Cowboys; which was partially fueled by the release of backup QB Lang Campbell.

RB: Rookie Jerome Harrison continued his impressive play this preseason by rushing for 70 yards on nine carries and catching two balls for another 10 yards against the Bills. Reuben Droughns started the game, but split time with Harrison during the second quarter. Jason Wright entered the game on the second drive of the third quarter. William Green played for a stretch in the fourth quarter as Harrison saw more playing time during the second half as well. Droughns finished with 17 yards on 8 carries; Green had 19 yards on three carries. Wright ran five times for 16 yards. It remains to be seen if Harrison has officially passed William Green on the depth charts, but he should at the very least have earned a role as the team’s third down back considering Lee Suggs did not see any action.

WR: Braylon Edwards was originally supposed to be on the field for six plays to test his surgically repaired right knee for the first time in game action, but he caught a pass, took his first hit, sprung back to his feet and wanted more. So, HC Romeo Crennel obliged. “Going into this game, it wasn't a matter of, 'All right, what can you do?' with the knee the way it is,” said Edwards, who ended up staying on the field for 16 plays. “Going into this game, it was, 'What are you used to doing?'“ HC Romeo Crennel concurred. “That's the reason we wanted to get him in there and give him a chance to get hit,” Crennel said. “I think he took the hit well.” Edwards’ only catch came on third down when Frye found him over the middle. Edwards plucked the ball, turned up field and dragged two defenders to the Bills 2-yard line. “As soon as I caught that first pass, and almost ended up in the end zone, it was right back to where I left off,” Edwards said. Also of significance is the fact that Edwards and Kellen Winslow were on the field for the first time together. “It makes a big difference when you have No. 17 and 80 out there,” Frye said referring to Edwards and Winslow. “I think there's going to be a lot of plays made.”

Josh Cribbs continues to give the coaches something to think about as he caught a 28-yard TD pass from Derek Anderson and finished with 35 yards on two catches. Dennis Northcutt had three catches for 33 yards (on three targets) and Joe Jurevicius had one for 12 yards (two targets). Rookie Travis Wilson caught one ball for 12 yards (2 targets) and Kendrick Mosley had two long receptions of 21 and 24 yards. No. 3 receiver Frisman Jackson hauled in two balls for 26 yards, but led the team with 5 targets.

TE: Kellen Winslow caught only one pass for 8 yards on two targets and Steve Heiden produced a TD among two catches for eight yards.

Defense: Free agent pickup LB Willie McGinest made his preseason debut against the Bills. He played in the first quarter and had one tackle. Safety Brodney Pool paced the team with 5 solo tackles while CB Leigh Bodden, arguably the team’s best corner this preseason, had five tackles (4-1-0). LB Andra Davis also had five tackles and a sack (4-1-1). Rookie first-round pick Kamerion Wimbley displayed his pass rushing prowess as he garnered a sack, forced a fumbled and finished with three solo tackles. Ralph Brown and Justin Hamilton each had interceptions; Hamilton’s coming in the end zone to keep points off the board. Third-string safety Shawn Mayer was carted off the field with a knee injury late in the game. In other news last week, the Browns acquired DB Therrian Fontenot from the Packers in exchange for WR Carlton Brewster

Special Teams: Kicker Phil Dawson was wide right on a 56-yard field goal attempt at Buffalo. He also missed a 51-yarder, however that was negated by a penalty and he was good from 46 yards. Backup kicker Jeff Chandler added a 35-yard field goal, but was released as part of the team’s cut down. Starting punt returner WR Dennis Northcutt averaged 6.5 yards on two returns. HC Romeo Crennel discussed Northcutt during the week, "He's pretty good at it. He can catch the football. He has some running skills and is able to make people miss. 'You have to make at least one person miss.'' The Brow ns have also been giving starting kickoff returner WR Joshua Cribbs a look on punts. Crennel added, 'There's a lot of courage involved in that job. That ball is hanging up there 4.5 seconds. Guys are screaming down the field coming after you. I know he [Cribbs] has courage. It's whether he has enough talent to catch it.'' Cribbs lost a yard on his only punt return against the Bills. He fared better at his usual KR position, averaging 29.5 yard on two kickoff returns. Rookie RB Chris Barclay also added a 16-yard kickoff return.

Browns Depth Chart
QB Charlie Frye, Ken Dorsey, Derek Anderson, Darrell Hackney
RB Reuben Droughns, William Green, Jerome Harrison (3RB), Lee Suggs (3RB), Jason Wright
FB Terrelle Smith, Corey McIntyre, Lawrence Vickers
WR Braylon Edwards (inj), Joe Jurevicius, Dennis Northcutt (PR), Frisman Jackson, Travis Wilson, Josh Cribbs (WR/RB), Kendrick Mosley, Glenn Holt
TE Kellen Winslow Jr, Steve Heiden, Darnell Dinkins, John Owens
K Phil Dawson
DE Orpheus Roye, Alvin McKinley, Nick Eason, Simon Fraser, J'Vonne Parker
NT Ted Washington, Ethan Kelley, Babatunde Oshinowo
ILB Andra Davis (L), DQwell Jackson (R), Chaun Thompson (R), Leon Williams (L), Mason Unck
OLB Willie McGinest (S/DE), Kamerion Wimbley (S/DE), Matt Stewart (S), David McMillan (W), Nick Speegle (S), Charlton Keith
CB Daylon McCutcheon (inj), Gary Baxter (inj), Leigh Bodden, Antonio Perkins (inj), Pete Hunter, DeMario Minter (PUP), DeMarcus Rideaux, Ralph Brown
S Brian Russell (FS), Brodney Pool (FS), Sean Jones (SS), Antwaan Harris, Justin Hamilton (SS), Thierran Fontenot, Shawn Mayer (IR), Jeremy Lasueur (IR)

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Despite speculation that Tony Romo could supplant Drew Bledsoe as the Cowboys starting quarterback at some point this season, Bledsoe continued to perform well with another strong outing against the 49ers. Bledsoe threw for 200 yards on 12-of-17 passing connecting once again with Terry Glenn, this time for a 28-yard TD. Romo also played well as he completed 9-of-14 passes for 111 yards with an interception on a very catchable pass that bounced off the receiver. The Cowboys finally waived Drew Henson on Thursday leaving Matt Baker holding the clipboard for now.

RB: Bill Parcells continues to talk about using Julius Jones and Marion Barber as interchangeable pieces increasing the likelihood that the running game will be difficult to predict from game-to-game; particularly from a fantasy perspective. Parcells said he’ll likely start Jones and use Barber liberally – going with the hot hand if either of the two backs get off to a strong start. “I think we're going to do what we did last year as far as the reps,” Jones said. “I think whoever the hot back is or has the hot hand, then we're going to leave him in there. It's my job to produce, or I'm not going to be playing.” The Cowboys backs had 40 combined carries against the 49ers as Julius Jones had 15 for 56 yards. Barber ran 9 times for 49 yards including a 5-yard TD that capped the team’s drive in the 2nd quarter making it a 17-0 game before halftime. Barber also produced a 34-yard reception. Tyson Thompson looked good in the second half rushing for 65 yards on 11 carries with a long run of 24 yards. Keylon Kincade contributed 15 yards on five carries.

WR: Terry Glenn continues to shine, as he and Drew Bledsoe appear to be totally on the same page. Glenn had 98 yards on four catches including a 28-yard TD in the first quarter. HC Bill Parcells cracked a subtle joke when he talked about pulling Glenn midway in the second quarter to avoid injury. “Terry's playing very well. I hope he can maintain it,” said Parcells. “He's a very smart receiver, very smart. ... I just want to get him to the rodeos.” The team got a long look at Jamaica Rector, as he caught seven balls for 80 yards. Sam Hurd and Terrance Copper each caught two balls. Terrell Owens did not play and remains sidelined with a hamstring injury that has kept him on the sidelines for all of the preseason games and almost all of the practices. Patrick Crayton remains sidelined with a high ankle sprain, but is expected back at practice very soon. Despite efforts by Jerry Jones, Parcells and Owens to downplay the Owens drama, it was leaked that that he was fined $9,500 for several team violations including missing a rehab session and team meeting. Bill Parcells hasn’t committed to playing Owens in the opener if he doesn’t see him on the practice field this coming week.

TE: Ryan Hannam caught two balls for 24 yards against the 49ers while Tony Curtis, Sean Ryan and Anthony Fasano each caught a pass. The Cowboys again used a 2-TE set (Witten and Fasano) to start the game and as their base offensive set.

Defense: Ryan Fowler led the Cowboys with four tackles, but Jason Hatcher did the most damage collecting two sacks, forcing a fumble and finishing with four tackles. Safety Pat Watkins got the start with Keith Davis sidelined. Kevin Burnett had two tackles and a sack and Anthony Henry intercepted a pass from the 49ers Alex Smith. The Cowboys started Greg Ellis at SLB, Bradie James at MLB, Akin Ayodele at the “jack” and Demarcus Ware at WLB. Along the front line, Jason Ferguson started at NT, Chris Canty at RDE and Marcus Spears at LDE. The Cowboys traded backup LB Scott Shanle to the Saints this week.

Special Teams: Kicker Mike Vanderjagt missed another week of practice and another preseason game. HC Bill Parcells discussed the situation, "Actually, I haven't seen him kick much at all. Hopefully he can get in some kicks here in the preseason. I'd like to see him kick off, and I haven't seen him do that in a practice. But I have two guys who can kick off." One of those two, Tyler Fredrickson, did not play against San Francisco. The more likely kickoff specialist would be Shaun Suisham who handled all the kicking against the 49ers. He was successful on a 25-yard field goal, wide right from 35 yards, and added two PATs. His kickoffs went for 77 (touchback), 72, 73, and 56 yards. Regarding who’ll be handling returns in the regular season, Parcells indicated that RB Tyson Thompson will “be on kickoff returns, I'll tell you that right now." He’ll be joined to some degree by rookie WR Skyler Green, who had a 19-yard kickoff return in this week’s game. Green should be the primary punt returner. He had no gain on his one return against San Francisco. WR Jamaica Rector had a 10-yard punt return.

Cowboys Depth Chart
QB Drew Bledsoe, Tony Romo, Matt Baker
RB Julius Jones (inj), Marion Barber III (3RB), Tyson Thompson (KR), Keylon Kincade, Demetrius Summers
FB Lousaka Polite (HB/TE)
WR Terrell Owens (inj), Terry Glenn, Patrick Crayton (PR) (inj), Sam Hurd, Terrance Copper, Jamaica Rector, Skyler Green, Miles Austin, Damarius Bilbo
TE Jason Witten, Anthony Fasano, Ryan Hannam, Tony Curtis, Sean Ryan
K Mike Vanderjagt
DE Kenyon Coleman, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff, Jason Hatcher, Junior Glymph
NT Jason Ferguson, Montavious Stanley, Samuel Taulealea
ILB Bradie James (M), Akinola Ayodele (S), Ryan Fowler
OLB Demarcus Ware (W), Al Singleton, Bobby Carpenter, Kevin Burnett (S), Greg Ellis (DE), Rocky Boiman (inj)
CB Terance Newman, Anthony Henry, Aaron Glenn, Jacques Reeves
S Roy Williams (SS), Keith Davis (FS) (inj), Pat Watkins (FS), Willie Pile (FS), Marcus Coleman (FS/CB) (susp)

Denver Broncos

QB: Jake Plummer completed 10-of-22 passes for 96 yards in the first half of Sunday’s game while Jay Cutler took over in the second half completing 5-of-9 passes for 69 yards. Bradlee Van Pelt didn’t play and he appears to be on the roster bubble depending on whether HC Mike Shanahan keeps three quarterbacks.

RB: In Sunday’s game, Tatum Bell looked better than starter Mike Bell. The “Bell Brothers” alternated during the first half, as usual, with Tatum gaining 36 yards on 10 carries and Mike running nine times for 20 yards. Tatum Bell also scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter.

Cedric Cobbs may have played well enough to re-establish himself as the favorite to win the RB3 job; having waged a spirited battle in camp against Ron Dayne and Damien Nash. Cobbs finished the game with 54 yards on seven carries and he caught a pass for 12 yards. Most notably, he broke off a 26-yard TD run on a play where right tackle Adam Meadows opened a huge hole. Damien Nash sat out of Sunday night’s game with a sore knee. He had been mounting pressure on Cobbs for a roster spot. The team is expected to keep both fullbacks – Cecil Sapp and Kyle Johnson. Johnson, in particular, laid the wood on a few occasions to would-be tacklers on Sunday night and sufficiently opened up running lanes for the Broncos tailbacks.

WR: Javon Walker looks to be at or near 100% after returning to the field on Sunday night against the Houston Texans. Walker caught three balls, all on tough grabs over the middle of the field, for 41 yards. He took some hits and reaffirmed after the game that his knee is fine. Todd Devoe was not as lucky. He re-injured his shoulder in the game. It appears that Brandon Marshall is now in the driver’s seat for the No. 3 job pulling ahead of Darius Watts during the last two weeks. David Kircus, Devoe, Charlie Adams, David Terrell and undrafted rookie Brian Clark are competing for the team’s last three roster spots.

TE: Tony Scheffler caught one ball for 6 yards and Nate Jackson had two receptions for 32 yards. Stephen Alexander had one catch for 8 yards. Scheffler is the sleeper to watch from this group. He started for the Broncos on Sunday night. He’s a natural receiver, but as a rookie it could take some time for him to develop into the two-way threat the team needs before Shanahan turns him loose inside the 20-yard line, where Broncos tight ends tend to get a lot of looks during the season. Alexander could be one of those players who catch 10 to 15 balls all year, but a third to half of them go for touchdowns.

Defense: The Broncos defense didn’t yield too much to former coach Gary Kubiak and his new team – the Houston Texans. “Coming back (to Denver) doesn't feel real good right now,” Kubiak said. That’s probably because Kubiak took five members of the Broncos coaching staff with him to Houston and the Texans run essentially the same offense as the Broncos. “It was like practice,” LB Al Wilson said. “We saw so many things that were so similar to what we do, which was expected. But at the same time, Kub put a twist on a few things and had us guessing and thinking a little bit. But it was like practice all over again.”

Ray Wells and Darrent Williams led the team with six solo tackles and LB D.J. Williams had five tackles, an interception and forced fumble. Ebenezer Ekuban registered a sack amongst three tackles and Kenard Lang had a sack and forced a fumble.

Special Teams: Kicker Jason Elam has adjusted his kicking technique in recent years, "Most of your balls are going to be from 36, 37 yards. That is kind of the average kick. I have kind of tweaked my approach to be more accuracy-centered instead of distance. A 34-yard field goal doesn't have to go 55. It has to go 35 yards. I've kind of shortened up my approach and I just try to get it going straight. When I need the long field goal, it is still there. I've got plenty of distance on all of those." The accuracy thing didn’t work so well on a 41-yard field goal attempt that went wide left against Houston. Elam did connect on a 23-yarder and two PATs. Punter/kicker Paul Ernster had three kickoffs, each for 70 yards, and each for a touchback. Once again CB Darrent Williams did not have any returns in the game, and once again injured rookie WR Domenik Hixon did not play. CB Roc Alexander averaged 21.0 yards on two kickoff returns. Rookie WR Brian Clark returned one for 24 yards. WR David Kircus had a five yard punt return and a fair catch. He’s obviously hoping to make the final roster, “I love getting the chance on special teams. I didn’t really get a lot of shots in Detroit doing it, but I’m learning there in Denver. They are teaching me a lot and hopefully I’ll get a lot more chances at it and do it in the regular season.” WR Charlie Adams had a four yard punt return.

Broncos Depth Chart
QB Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler, Bradlee Van Pelt
RB Mike Bell, Tatum Bell, Cedric Cobbs, Ron Dayne (inj), Damien Nash (inj)
FB Cecil Sapp, Kyle Johnson
WR Rod Smith, Javon Walker, Brandon Marshall (inj), Darius Watts, David Kircus, David Terrell, Charlie Adams, Todd Devoe (inj), Brian Clark, Domenik Hixon (IR)
TE Tony Scheffler, Stephen Alexander, Nate Jackson, Chad Mustard, Landon Trusty (IR)
K Jason Elam
DE Courtney Brown (inj), Ebenezer Ekuban, John Engelberger, Kenard Lang, Elvis Dumervil, Randy Garner
DT Gerard Warren, Michael Myers, Demetrin Veal, D.J. Renteria, Amon Gordon, Antwon Burton
MLB Al Wilson, Nate Webster, Keith Burns
OLB Ian Gold (W), D.J. Williams (S), Raymond Wells, Louis Green (W), Patrick Chukwurah, Cameron Vaughn
CB Champ Bailey, Darrent Williams (PR), Dominique Foxworth, Karl Paymah, Roc Alexander (KR)
S John Lynch (FS), Nick Ferguson (SS), Sam Brandon (FS), Curome Cox, Hamza Abdullah, Tyler Everett

Detroit Lions

QB: The Lions came out flat against the Oakland Raiders on Friday night as the first team offense failed to generate a scoring drive. “It's no reason to panic and start doubting what we're doing,” quarterback Jon Kitna said. “There's no reason for that.” The Lions front office didn’t make it easy on the players either. The team flew to Oakland on the morning of the game rather than a day before. Kitna went 11-of-22 for 118 yards but had no touchdowns and an interception during the first half. “The first half wasn't what we want. We had two or three breakdowns, and those things just can't happen,” Marinelli said. “It's inexcusable. Those types of things can't happen. ... I would have been disappointed (even) if it was a scrimmage.” Second year QB Dan Orlovsky once again entered the game as the team’s no. 2 quarterback ahead of Josh McCown, who did not play. Orlovsky went 7-of-15 for 88 yards and threw a pick. The Lions released fourth stringer Joel Klatt on Sunday.

RB: Kevin Jones got more work against the Raiders than in previous games. He ran for 43 yards on 11 carries and he caught three balls for another 27 yards. Brian Calhoun got the bulk of the work behind Jones running for 14 yards on six carries and he caught one ball for 7 yards. The Lions cut FB Will Matthews on Sunday.

WR: The Lions leading receiver in Friday’s game was Eddie Drummond, who is beginning to emerge as the likely No. 3 receiver for the Lions. New offensive coordinator Mike Martz promised to give Drummond a shot at playing receiver and, so far, Drummond has taken advantage of his opportunity. Drummond led the Lions with 71 yards on four catches including one that went for 49 yards. Corey Bradford tuned up for the regular season with five catches for 58 yards and Mike Furrey caught three balls for 35 yards. Bradford will start opposite Roy Williams and Furrey will be the team’s No. 4 WR. Amidst the struggles of the Lions first team offense was the absence of Mike Williams, who did not play against Oakland. When asked if Williams would get on the field, HC Rod Marinelli replied: “No, guys earn their time in practice.” When asked to elaborate, Marinelli said: “I’ll just leave it at that.” After the game, Williams was not seen in the locker room. The Lions released Paris Hamilton and Brett Fischer on Sunday.

TE: The Lions tight ends haven’t been particularly productive in the preseason. Casey Fitzsimmons remains sidelined and Marcus Pollard got the start on Friday night. On Sunday, the Lions reduced their numbers by releasing two tight ends – Kori Dickerson and Jed Weaver.

Defense: Alex Lewis led all Lions with six tackles while second year DT Shaun Cody had two sacks among four tackles. Boss Bailey, finally back on the field at MLB, finished with four tackles (3-1-0). Bailey is expected to be the starting MLB, but Levar Woods has been filling in for him. Paris Lenon got the start at SLB with Ernie Sims at WLB. Rookie Daniel Bullocks started at FS on Friday night against the Raiders. Sims finished with four tackles (3-1-0) and Bullocks had two (2-0-0). The Lions released several players on Sunday including safety Vernon Fox, DT Marcus Parker and CB Harrison Smith.

Special Teams: Kicker Jason Hanson was good on a 38-yard field goal, the Lions’ only scoring in the game at Oakland. Camp leg Matt Prater did not play, and was released over the weekend. Return specialist WR Eddie Drummond had a 22-yard kickoff return, and averaged 1.0 yard on two punt returns. After a stellar 2004, his averages were down last year, and they have remained down this preseason. Drummond also continued to be more involved on offense than he has in past years. Two rookie WRs continued to battle for a shot at a roster spot and a backup role to Drummond. Devale Ellis had a 28-yard kickoff return and a 4-yard punt return along with a fair catch. Shaun Bodiford averaged 7.5 yards on two punt returns.

Lions Depth Chart
QB Jon Kitna, Dan Orlovsky, Josh McCown
RB Kevin Jones, Arlen Harris, Brian Calhoun (3RB/KR), Artose Pinner
FB Shawn Bryson (3RB), Cory Schlesinger
WR Roy Williams, Corey Bradford, Eddie Drummond (KR/PR), Mike Furrey, Glenn Martinez, Mike Williams, Charles Rogers (inj), Shaun Bodiford, DeVale Ellis, Scottie Vines (PUP)
TE Casey Fitzsimmons (inj), Marcus Pollard, Dan Campbell, Sean McHugh, Cole Downer
K Jason Hanson
DE James Hall, Kalimba