NFL Capsules - AFC: Tight end playing key role for Titans' offense
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Try naming the one player on offense the Tennessee Titans may not be able to live without.
Quarterback Vince Young? All Pro running back Chris Johnson?
The answer is Craig "Cat" Stevens — the two-year veteran with only one NFL catch.
"If Cat got hurt, we'd be in big trouble," Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said Tuesday. "Right now he is the one guy that can block at the point of attack, and he gives us a guy who can stretch the field. He's always been able to run well. That's one of the things we liked coming out (of college). You can't always get that guy that can block and run."
The Titans drafted the 6-foot-3, 268-pound Stevens in 2008, taking him in the third round out of California. He had impressed the Titans by running a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the combine, and he was considered a top blocker for both the run game and protecting quarterbacks.
But they already had veteran Alge Crumpler and Bo Scaife, so Stevens stayed busy on special teams playing in 28 games. His lone reception came in Dec. 28, 2008, when he started at tight end and had a 9-yard reception at Indianapolis. Heimerdinger said Stevens was a bull in a china closet as a rookie.
But Stevens spent the past two seasons listening and watching Crumpler on the angles he used and how to set up defenders when blocking. He studied the offense, stayed busy in the weight room and waited for his time.
"I learned a lot from him," Stevens said of Crumpler. "Also, I had time to get comfortable with the system. I wasn't just thrown into it so it was good."
Heimerdinger credits Crumpler, who signed with New England this offseason, of a great job helping develop Stevens.
"He's doing everything right. The most important thing for us was to get someone that could block at the point of attack when we lost Alge. Cat's done it. He's gained weight over the offseason, got much stronger, worked with (Steve) Watterson from Day One. He made every day in the offseason. He carries the extra weight well. He's still running well," Heimerdinger said.
Stevens has shown off his passing skills this preseason with four catches. Young found him for a 30-yard reception Aug. 23 against Arizona, and they connected again on a 23-yard catch.
Young said he thinks people are sleeping on Stevens, thinking he's mostly a blocker. The quarterback expects Stevens to be a big target for him in the offense.
"He's a blocking threat, but he can catch the ball as well. That's a weapon that we have. ... I feel like Craig is going to do a lot of things for us this year," Young said.
That gives the Titans a potentially potent group of tight ends. Scaife goes into his sixth season with 215 career catches for 2,065 yards, and he's been a favorite target of Young's since both played together in college at Texas. Jared Cook is the 6-5, 248-pound tight end the Titans traded away a second-round pick in 2010 to draft in the third round last year.
Cook was timed at 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine, first among all tight ends. He also posted a vertical jump of 41 inches and jumped 10 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump to earn 100 pairs of cleats for his high school in North Gwinnett Georgia from a combine sponsor.
But it's Stevens who is being counted on to help fill the void left by Crumpler's departure. Fullback Ahmard Hall doesn't think there'll be any drop-off in production.
"Being a veteran, you can sneak in things. You know the little tricks of the trade. Craig will get that as he goes along. Craig, he'll figure it out. He's a smart guy. He'll figure it out. He went to Cal you know. I think he'll do really, really well," Hall said.
Titans' DT Brown off PUP list, will play vs Saints
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee defensive tackle Tony Brown is feeling the payoff in his right knee for the Titans being cautious with his return from offseason surgery.
The Titans removed him from the physically unable to perform list Tuesday, and he practiced with his teammates for the first time this year. His knee had kept him out of the season finale, and Brown had been saying he felt ready to be activated the past couple weeks.
"It felt good to get out here. I been telling y'all I been waiting on the boss to tell me what to do so I'm good. It felt good to get out there with just my teammates and share a few jokes," Brown said.
The Titans signed the five-year veteran to a three-year extension worth $17 million in April but kept him on the PUP list throughout training camp to ensure he was recovered fully. Brown said he was told a week ago when he'd be activated, which he kept to himself while trying to be patient.
"I'm just excited to be back out there running around pain-free, stress-free. All that stuff's in the past. I'm ready to roll," Brown said.
The tackle said he can't wait to play Thursday in the preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints. Coach Jeff Fisher said they will play Brown approximately 15 snaps, similar to how they eased in their top draft pick, defensive end Derrick Morgan, into his preseason debut after only one practice.
That leaves only veteran linebacker David Thornton on the PUP list. He is recovering from surgery on his left shoulder, and time is running out with the final roster cuts due Saturday and the veteran due $4.3 million in salary this year.
Fisher said Thornton took a big step Monday and is improving. Whether Thornton is activated before Thursday's game depends on how Thornton is feeling, according to Fisher. Asked if that means Thornton could be ready for the season opener Sept. 12 against Oakland, Fisher said Thornton is "making strides."
"We just have to wait and see what happens," Fisher said.
NOTES: The Titans trimmed the roster from 80 to 75 by releasing five players. They waived punter Ricky Schmitt, cornerback Pete Ittersagen and receiver Bobby Sewall and waived as injured linebacker Mike Rivera and defensive tackle Kareem Brown (left shoulder). ... Fisher ruled out OL Mike Otto (right knee) and DE William Hayes (right knee) for the preseason finale. ... DE Jacob Ford (hamstring), LG Leroy Harris (ankle) and rookie LB Rennie Curran (hamstring) did not practice.
-- Teresa M. Walker
Browns have a new Man(gini)
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — On one of the recovery days he built into his team's training camp schedule, Eric Mangini leans back in a plush chair inside his apartment-sized office overlooking the Browns' lush practice fields, spits tobacco juice into an empty cup and lets out a hearty laugh.
It's been a wonderful second summer back in Ohio for Cleveland's complicated coach. Last year, the laughter was limited. He's a changed Mangini. Some say a better Mangini.
The family's great. He's dropped a few pounds. His team is downstairs working hard, lifting weights as they prepare for their Sept. 4 opener at Tampa Bay riding an improbable four-game winning streak that ended last season and saved Mangini's job.
Life is good for the man tagged both genius and idiot during his NFL career.
Relaxed and tanned in a golf shirt, shorts and sandals, Mangini is confident and upbeat during a one-hour-plus visit on a late August afternoon with a whisper of autumn's chill in the air. As a grounds crew relines the hash marks outside, the 39-year-old Mangini candidly discussed everything from LeBron's departure to the benefits of biofeedback to his off-season TV viewing habits.
No, he hasn't been watching HBO's popular football reality series, "Hard Knocks," an R-rated insider's look at the New York Jets, his former team. For Mangini, seeing the Jets trudge through the paces of camp only triggers thoughts of a year he'd like to forget.
"I lived Hard Knocks last season," he says, cracking himself up. "Except that the soundtrack was all boos. It can't get any harder than that."
Hard doesn't come close to describing Mangini's first season in Cleveland. It was, by all accounts, a nightmare. Players and fans revolted against him. The media punished him. His hand-picked general manager quit. The Browns stunk.
He served as Cleveland's coach, president, GM and franchise frontman for much of it, and came within an eyelash of being fired from his second team in two seasons. But just when all seemed lost, Mangini was spared by new team president Mike Holmgren, who perhaps understood Mangini's predicament better than anyone.
"I've been there," said Holmgren, hired in December to make over an inept franchise that hasn't sniffed glory in decades. "I know what it's like to be a coach, and I know how tough it to turn things around quickly. I felt Eric needed and deserved more time."
Mangini got it, and given the surprising reprieve, he's making the most of a second chance — one that's coming with a Super Bowl-championship coach peering over his shoulder while driving a golf cart during practice that has a COACH HOLMGREN sticker on the front bumper.
Holmgren, though, swears he's not preparing to push Mangini aside and return to the sideline. Not unless he has to.
"I am aware of his position and what that means," Holmgren said. "I had that position a long time. Eric's got a tough job. This is his team. I'm just here to help him."
Mangini is safe. As long as the Browns get better — a lot better.
_ "Want something to drink?" he asks.
Mangini ducks into the kitchen area inside his tastefully decorated office and returns with a bottle of water like the $3 one he charged Braylon Edwards $1,701 for last season, when the brash wide receiver refused to pay his hotel incidental during a road trip.
Mangini hardly allowed anyone inside his inner sanctum last season to explain what he was trying to accomplish on and off the field. He was guarded, even secretive.
Well, he's loosened up. He can still be a hard you-know-what if called for, but at the urging of Holmgren, his wife, Julie, and others who know Mangini as caring, loyal and quick-witted, he's learned that he doesn't have to put on the head coaching face 24/7.
He needed to be himself. Last year, Mangini tried to too hard to emulate Bill Belichick or Bill Parcells — his coaching mentors.
When he spoke to the Browns in meetings, their voices filled his head. What came out, came across as insincere, and he paid for it.
"The thing I find with my kids is I'll talk to them in my father's voice sometimes," said Mangini, whose dad suffered a fatal heart attack when he was 16. "I can hear his voice as I say something or as something is said to me. I have to say, 'OK, now I need to put this in my voice.'
"The same thing happens in football. When you are raised by two very strong figures like Bill and Bill, you tend to hear their voice a lot. I'm learning more need to put lessons in my voice and I need to deliver it in my style."
That's what he's doing now, and it seems to be working.
"I think the players get me a heck of a lot more than they did last year," he said. "I think I've worked a lot harder to show who I am. It's easy to get so caught up in what you're doing that you forget about just being a part of the group and letting them see the things you believe in and the person you are outside of being the head coach."
_ His desk is clutter free. There are scouting reports and evaluations stacked neatly across from a flat-screen TV paused on a play from the Browns' home game against St. Louis a few nights earlier. To his left, a copy of "Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence," rests on its open pages.
The wooden bookshelves contain family photos, and there's a Darth Vader mask — a Halloween costume — strangely occupying one of the cubby holes. Hmm, the dark side.
Mangini's reputation preceded him to Cleveland. Once his honeymoon ended after only one playoff appearance in New York, he was cast as a villain. Control freak. Arrogant. Ruthless. And those were some of the nicer things said about Mangini.
Still, Browns owner Randy Lerner hired him hoping Mangini would be humbled by his failure with the Jets. But Mangini only seemed more empowered to do things his way, and with no football executive to manage him, it didn't take long for things to unravel.
He was condemned for forcing rookies to take a 10-hour bus trip — to his football camp in Connecticut. Players complained about the length of practices and filed union grievances. He fined players for parking in the wrong stall. He was trying to instill discipline.
But it came across as petty, and he was lambasted by the national media. One magazine described him as Augustus Gloop, the fictional fat boy from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory."
When the Browns started 1-11, his fate seemed sealed. Holmgren, it was assumed, would begin his tenure with a new coach. But a funny thing happened on the way to Mangini's firing. Cleveland won and won and won and won again.
"I still don't know how they did it," said Holmgren, marveling that the Browns completed just 31 passes combined in the four victories.
Mangini views the late surge as proof that his system was taking hold.
"When guys finally got it, we played a certain way, which is the way I envisioned us playing each week," he said. "We won and we were rewarded for that effort. I think part of that was the growth of the relationship I had with the players and they had with me and the staff. It wasn't just player-coach, it was person to person. Everybody understood we were all working toward the same thing."
He has lightened up. Mangini's daily news briefings last season were often painful. He didn't duck questions, he just rarely answered them. This year, he's offering more insight into the team's direction. He gave players time off during camp. He's smiling more.
New man?
"Oh, no," Pro Bowl return specialist Josh Cribbs said, grinning. "Same guy, same coach. He's more experienced with the guys. He has a year under his belt. You know that we just got to do what he says, and that's it. You can't argue about it. He's the coach and what he says goes."
Holmgren has no regrets about keeping Mangini, and believes their relationship is growing deeper each day. Their bond hasn't been tested but will be if the Browns, who have a difficult schedule with six games in the nasty AFC North, start slowly.
Mangini loves the help he's getting from his boss.
"Feedback allows you to adjust your path," he said. "If you're just going to do what you without caring what anybody says or caring what anybody thinks or the values they can add, you lose the chance to get better."
Or change.
-- Tom Withers
Unsettled Steelers preseason lurching to a close
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger may start his third consecutive preseason game Thursday for the Steelers, though he can't be the starter when the season begins.
Byron Leftwich may get relegated to playing with the backups for the second game in a row, yet he's almost certain to be the opening day quarterback.
Charlie Batch clearly believes he's the most qualified to play while Roethlisberger is suspended, yet there is no guarantee he will be on the team next week.
The Steelers' unsettled preseason lurches to a conclusion Thursday night against Carolina, with the starters not expected to play much and coach Mike Tomlin still not saying who will start Sept. 12 against Atlanta. The Steelers traded for Leftwich in April to steer them through Roethlisberger's suspension, yet Tomlin is refusing to officially name him the starter.
Some Steelers are growing impatient with the lack of a formal declaration, including their most tenured offensive player.
"Right now, Ben's our quarterback, but he's not going to be around," wide receiver Hines Ward said Tuesday. "That's about all we know. Nobody knows who the starter is, the backup or even (who's) making the team. Hopefully by Monday, we'll have a starting quarterback."
Although the choice seems obvious — Dennis Dixon's two-interception performance Sunday against Denver suggested he's not ready to start — Ward said it would put the players' minds at ease to know.
"It's tough; there's no question it's tough," Ward said. "It's the first time in my 13 years here we haven't had a legitimate starter named, especially by the fourth (preseason) game. We're still going at it."
In reality, the Steelers experienced similar confusion 10 years ago, when coach Bill Cowher didn't name Kent Graham as the starter until after the fifth and final preseason game. Graham lasted for only three games, and three losses, before Kordell Stewart took over. The Steelers went 9-4 after that, but still missed the playoffs.
The Steelers reacquired Leftwich with the obvious intent of avoiding a bad start; he was the backup when they won the Super Bowl two seasons ago, and he knows their playbook and personnel. But he's not seeing many of those players in the preseason.
Leftwich started Aug. 14 against Detroit and played into the second quarter. A week later, Roethlisberger started against the Giants, which meant Leftwich got minimal work with the regulars. In Denver, Leftwich followed both Roethlisberger and Dixon, which meant he was on the field with second-line players, rookies and free agents. Not surprisingly, he didn't complete any of his four passes.
It seemed to be a curious way to get a quarterback ready to start a season, but Leftwich didn't complain.
"I don't think anybody understood how the situation would be handled (during camp)," Leftwich said. "It's so unique, there was nothing we could go off, to follow somebody in the past, because it hasn't really happened this way before. I think we all handled it well, and we all have been handling it well."
If Roethlisberger starts against Carolina — he wants to take some snaps in the no-huddle offense — Leftwich might play with the backups again since the starters rarely play more than a few series in the final preseason game.
It will Roethlisberger's last work with the Steelers until his suspension ends in October; he drew a six-game suspension in April, but commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to trim it to four games after the two meet Friday in New York.
The quarterback who's been left out is Batch, a former Lions starter and the Steelers' primary backup since 2002. Batch took nearly no snaps with the starters during camp, and his only preseason work has been mopping up late in games.
Batch has looked sharper than any quarterback except for Roethlisberger during his brief playing time, but he understands the Steelers won't keep four quarterbacks once Roethlisberger is cleared to play.
Batch isn't expected to have trouble landing a backup job somewhere should the Steelers let him go.
"All I know is there weren't many reps to go around, and I was the one who was shorted," Batch said. "Realistically, there weren't many reps to go around. Yeah, it bothered you. ... If you don't get any reps, that's not good, the chances of making the team are very slim."
-- Alan Robinson
Jets' Holmes to get catches in before 4-game ban
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Santonio Holmes wants four weeks' worth of catches in one game.
After all, the New York Jets wide receiver won't be on the field again until Week 5 while serving a four-game suspension.
"That's the hard part," fellow wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery said Tuesday. "He won't be with us out there. It'll be hard on him, and it's going to be hard on us, as well."
While the rest of the Jets' starters watch from the sideline Thursday night, Holmes will get plenty of action against the Eagles in Philadelphia.
"It's going to be fun," Holmes said. "I hope I can get about 20 catches out there and just have some fun, knowing that I'm about to exit and be gone for four games. My face won't even be around. My presence and my leadership won't be here, but it'll definitely be here come Week 5."
That's the price Holmes is paying for violating the league's substance-abuse policy while he was still with Pittsburgh. Still, the Jets traded for him in April and were enticed by the prospect of what Holmes could do even in 12 regular-season games.
"He's already told his teammates, 'Just hang in there. Hang in there for four weeks, and then help's on the way,'" coach Rex Ryan said.
Holmes has quickly established a good rapport with quarterback Mark Sanchez, especially since the two roomed together during training camp in Cortland, N.Y.
"I think the best part is that hopefully we're sitting at 4-0 and he comes back and he's here and we get a little boost from that (receivers) room," Sanchez said. "He's definitely going to help us when he comes back."
When Holmes returns, it'll be in prime time as the Jets play the Minnesota Vikings and former teammate Brett Favre on Monday Night Football on Oct. 11.
"You're probably going to have to put me in a cold tub to cool me off a little bit," Holmes said. "I think I'll stay down and keep myself calm, but I'll definitely be excited about the game and playing that Monday night."
The 2009 Super Bowl MVP came to the Jets with some off-field issues other than the suspension. He was arrested in 2008 for possession of marijuana and involved in a domestic violence incident in 2006; the misdemeanor charges were later dismissed. None of that was good for his image.
"Some people painted that perception that he's just a jerk," Cotchery said. "The way people talk about him, you would think his teammates don't like him. From guys I know who've played with him, they liked him and loved to have him as a teammate. It's the same way here."
Cotchery said Holmes fit in immediately with the rest of the receivers.
"He's just one of the fellas," Cotchery said. "It feels like he's been here since he's been in the league."
The Jets would be thrilled if he came anywhere close to producing the numbers he put up last season, when he set career highs with 79 catches and 1,248 yards receiving. But with the four-game suspension Holmes is tempering expectations.
"From a receiver's perspective, learning a new offense, it's very difficult coming in and having everything changed," Holmes said. "Routes might be the same, but terminology, coaches, quarterback, the way the words are being presented to you, everything sounds different. If I could be here for the next month to continue picking up on stuff, I think that would be the biggest aspect that I'm going to miss."
Ryan said the Jets have put a plan in place to help Holmes continue his conditioning while he's away. He also said Holmes and Sanchez talked about using Skype to go over the offense.
Before all that, though, Holmes will have a chance to run wild against the Eagles' backup defense.
"This game here, I'm definitely going to take full advantage of it," he said. "You're going to see me flying around, having fun. You know, not trying to kill anybody, but show the coaches that this is what I've been working on, what I've learned. That's why I'm here and this is the way I'm going to play, and I'm going to bring it to the table."
Notes: LB Calvin Pace had surgery on his broken right foot Monday and will miss Week 1. "We'll see about the second week," Ryan said. ... Ryan said Sanchez, who won't play at Philadelphia, will call some offensive plays against the Eagles to "give him a different dynamic." Ryan also did that in preseason finales with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis when he was the defensive coordinator at Baltimore.
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Dolphins want fast start for a change
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins know exactly how long they have until the opening game, thanks to coach Tony Sparano's new countdown clock hanging in the locker room.
This year, when the season starts, Sparano wants his team ready for a change.
"It has been a point of emphasis," safety Yeremiah Bell said. "It's in the locker room for everybody to see."
The Dolphins started 0-3 last year and 0-2 in 2008. Otherwise, their record the past two seasons is 18-11.
Miami has lost four openers in a row and will try to end that streak Sept. 12 at Buffalo.
"You can't just stand in front of the players and say, 'Look, we're going to have a fast start against the Buffalo Bills,'" Sparano said. "There's more to it than that. It's about how we practice, it's about being prepared and feeling like your team is fresh enough and efficient enough as you approach that first game."
After last season, Sparano looked at every aspect of the offseason and training camp routine, and the third-year coach made changes he thought would improve the chances of playing well early. Among the issues deliberated: how much time to give players off during the winter, how often to wear pads in training camp, when to hold practice inside or out, and how to divvy up snaps.
With the regimen tweaked, Sparano believes his team is fresher as the season approaches, yet also in better condition.
"My first year here we could barely get through some of these practices," Sparano said. "They're starting to finish them at a much better pace."
One challenge during two-a-days was to strike a balance between practicing in sweltering summer sunshine or in the team's air-conditioned indoor bubble, where the artificial surface can take a toll.
"When I take the players inside, they don't really love being inside all the time because of that surface on their body," Sparano said. "But when you take them outside, they don't really love being outside because of heat."
For years, South Florida's steamy weather gave the Dolphins a substantial early-season home-field advantage, but that hasn't been the case in recent years. Since 2006 they're 2-10 in September.
Being acclimated to the subtropical heat won't be a big factor this year, because the Dolphins' first two home games are at night. Their first daytime game at home isn't until Oct. 24.
So to start fast, the Dolphins must focus on simply playing well. One goal will be limiting typical early-season mistakes.
"When you have lax communications and mental errors early in the season, it causes a lot of problems," Bell said. "You put in a knucklehead play here and there, and it sets you back."
The Dolphins know that from recent experience. They dug a hole last year by losing their first three games and never recovered, finishing 7-9.
Quarterback Chad Pennington started those first three games before a shoulder injury ended his season. He remembers the mood around the team then and said winning early is much better.
"It builds confidence, a little bit of synergy and a sense of accomplishment to where you can go forward and not live in a world of negativity," Pennington said.
Hence, the clock. Sparano came up with the idea last spring to create a sense of urgency.
"It kind of reminds me of college," said quarterback Chad Henne, a former Michigan star. "I know Ohio State has a clock counting down to Michigan every year.
"It's great. It just reminds us that it's not getting further away, it's getting closer."
-- Steven Wine
Hoyer more secure as Pats backup QB in 2nd season
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Brian Hoyer stood on the field moments before last year's season opener, an unlikely Patriot in an unlikely situation.
Undrafted out of Michigan State, he had made New England's roster as a free agent. More than that, he was the only backup all year to Tom Brady, who had missed all but the first game of the previous season with a knee injury.
"The one thing that I'll never forget is that first game, that Monday night game when those jets flew over" Gillette Stadium, Hoyer said Tuesday. "It just kind of hit me. This is the NFL. This is where you're meant to be."
Now, nearly a year after that memorable flyover, Hoyer is expected to see significant playing time Thursday night when the Patriots end their exhibition schedule at the New York Giants. He's more comfortable and confident, a second-year pro much better prepared to step in if necessary.
The butterflies remain, but they're different now.
"This year, it's butterflies about getting ready to play the Giants, trying to figure out who's going to be out there when I'm playing against them, what defensive backs are going to be out there," he said, "things like that. Last year I'm just worried if I'm going to be here."
But he made a positive impression quickly on coach Bill Belichick.
In the first exhibition game last year, he completed 11 of 19 passes for 112 yards in a 7-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. In the last one, a 38-27 win over the Giants, he was the only quarterback to play for the Patriots and finished 18 for 25 for 242 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
"I think Brian was a fast starter and I think he caught everybody's eye pretty quickly," Belichick said.
The third quarterback in camp this year is rookie Zac Robinson, a seventh-round draft pick from Oklahoma State. He hasn't had as much opportunity to play as Hoyer did a year ago. With Brady expected to play very little, if at all, on Thursday, Robinson could enhance his chances of sticking with the team.
But he knows the Patriots kept only two quarterbacks last season.
"It's really just out of my control," Robinson said. "We'll see what happens. I'm really thankful for the opportunity, obviously, to be out here."
The Patriots needed a second-stringer last year after Matt Cassel, also a seventh-round pick, was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2008, after three years as the backup, he took over after Brady was hurt in the first quarter of the opener and had a strong season.
Even when he wasn't playing, Cassel impressed Belichick.
Robinson still has a way to go.
"I don't know that Zac has had the opportunity that Brian has had," Belichick said. "I think that Brian (and) Matt Cassel, those guys set the bars at pretty good level. I think it's hard to compare players' development. Players don't always develop at the same rate."
Hoyer was surprised when he didn't get drafted but felt confident he would sign as a free agent. And once he joined the Patriots, he wasn't surprised to get the word from quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien that he had made the team.
"It happened so quickly," Hoyer said. "Deep down inside I felt a sense of accomplishment, but then you've just got to move on and keep going and being prepared to be the backup."
Hoyer has continued his growth since last season, when he played in five games without a start. But he played in the second and fourth quarters of the regular-season finale at Houston, completing 8 of 12 passes for 71 yards.
"That was crunch time. That was a real game," he said. "It wasn't a preseason game. It wasn't a mopup duty game. (The Texans) are trying to make the playoffs and I got an opportunity to play against a good defense there, so that was invaluable."
-- Howard Ulman
Bills' RB Lynch cleared for preseason finale
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo's running back corps is getting healthier with Marshawn Lynch set to play in the Bills' preseason finale against the Detroit Lions on Thursday.
Coach Chan Gailey said Lynch looked good in returning to practice Tuesday for the first time since hurting his ankle in a loss to Washington.
"It didn't look like there was any residual effect, so we're looking forward to watching him Thursday night," Gailey said.
Lynch's return means the Bills will have two-thirds of their running back rotation healthy. First-round draft pick C.J. Spiller has carried most of the running load the past two preseason games, and Fred Jackson has been out since breaking a bone in his left hand against the Redskins.
Wearing a brace around his hand, Jackson practiced Tuesday on a limited basis. Jackson took part in individual drills and also tested his injured hand by catching a few soft passes.
"I felt like I was able to go full-go, but I still can't hold the ball in my left hand like I wanted to with this brace that I have on," Jackson said. "Hopefully, next week, I could come out and do some more stuff."
Jackson is a long shot to be ready for Buffalo's season opener against Miami on Sept. 12.
Coming off his first career 1,000-yard season, Jackson opened training camp as the Bills starter and was expected to get a fair share of carries despite the addition of Spiller.
Spiller has proven to be the Bills offensive star this preseason. In the past two games, he has 22 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns, and three catches for 35 yards.
Gailey said veteran linebacker Kawika Mitchell was absent from practice due to an injury. Gailey would only describe the injury as "a little issue" which the player was having checked.
Cornell Green, who's projected to start at right tackle, did not practice after hurting his knee in a win over Cincinnati on Saturday. Gailey said Green would be game-time decision.
Rookie offensive tackle Ed Wang practiced on a limited basis for the first time since hurting his left hand Aug. 2. Wang had his hand extensively wrapped and there's still no timetable on when the fifth-round pick out of Virginia Tech could play.
-- John Wawrow
Raiders still trying to shore up run defense
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Fixing a porous run defense has been one of the top priorities for the Oakland Raiders leading up to this season.
An 89-yard touchdown run by Chicago's Matt Forte and a 49-yard run by San Francisco's Frank Gore in the past two exhibition games show the Raiders still have plenty of work to do.
"Definitely took a step back last two weeks," safety Michael Huff said Tuesday. "We stop them for 2 or 3 yards and then they break one for 60 or 70. Some of that comes down to me. Once it gets to me, it's one-on-one and I have to make the tackle and get him on the ground any way possible. That's what I am striving to. ... We definitely have the pieces to the puzzle to stop the run."
Huff was unable to catch up to Forte on his long run two weeks ago and was bowled over by Gore in last week's game. But as the deep safety in Oakland's defense, Huff is supposed to be the last line of defense so there are others at fault as well.
Coach Tom Cable said the problem against the Bears was a linebacker out of position, while against the Niners it was just a matter of wrapping up and tackling. Shoring up the tackling is one of the biggest things Cable is looking for Thursday night in the exhibition finale against the Seattle Seahawks.
"We'll make sure every day in practice that we're fundamentally addressing that issue," Cable said. "You've got to do it. I'm a little disappointed in it because it has not been an issue for us, but it showed up the other night. When you're hitting properly, taking things on the right shoulder and you're square, now it's a matter of squeezing the guy and putting him on the ground."
The Raiders have had trouble doing just that the last seven years as the poor run defense is one of the biggest reasons the team has lost at least 11 games each season since winning the 2002 AFC championship.
Oakland has allowed an NFL-worst 143.7 yards rushing per game since then and 146 touchdowns on the ground — 15 more than the second-worst team, St. Louis. The Raiders were 29th in run defense last year but made big changes in the offseason.
They drafted middle linebacker Rolando McClain eighth overall and defensive end Lamarr Houston in the second round. They also added two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle John Henderson as a backup, traded for outside linebacker Kamerion Wimbley and moved Richard Seymour from defensive end to tackle to shore up the middle.
One encouraging sign for the Raiders is that they played their best defensive game in the exhibition opener against Dallas when Seymour started. He has sat out the past two games while nursing a triceps injury.
"We still have to work out the rough patches," safety Tyvon Branch said. "We changed a lot of stuff up coming into this year as opposed to last year. And then Seymour not playing I think is the biggest difference. He gets those guys fired up up front. Once we get him back it's a tremendous change in the defense, tremendous."
The Raiders hope the change is immediate. They open the season against last year's rushing champion, Chris Johnson of Tennessee, and follow that up with a game against Steven Jackson and the St. Louis Rams.
Seymour and many of the starters are unlikely to see much or any playing time in the final exhibition game so it might take until the season opener to see the results.
"We've gotten better, but we're still working," linebacker Thomas Howard said. "We don't play Tennessee until Sept. 12 so we have plenty of time."
Notes: The Raiders cut TE Eric Butler to get down to the 75-player limit by Tuesday's deadline. They will have to reduce the roster to 53 by Saturday. ...QB Jason Campbell did not practice as he recovers from a sore right wrist and a stinger. ... RB Michael Bush had surgery Monday on his broken left thumb and there is no word yet on how quickly he can return.
-- Josh Dubow
Moreno returns to Broncos practice
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos' injured backfield is beginning to get healthy.
Knowshon Moreno was back at practice Tuesday, one month after the starting running back hurt his right hamstring on the opening live drill of training camp.
Moreno said he was "80-some percent" healed.
"I think I'll be over it," said Moreno, who couldn't guarantee his availability for the Sept. 12 regular-season opener in Jacksonville. "At the same time, you never know with a hamstring."
Moreno likely won't play in the Broncos' preseason finale at Minnesota on Thursday night, a game in which Denver's starters are expected to play some, if not most, of the first quarter.
Still, it's significant that the Broncos' projected top three tailbacks — Moreno, Correll Buckhalter and LenDale White — are practicing together for the first time.
"In order to have a good season it all starts in practice," Buckhalter said. "So we're all happy to be out here."
Buckhalter returned to practice Aug. 24 and, at the time, was far away from the point where he could confidently say he was ready to initiate and take contact. But that week of work has done him good, and his anticipated role in the preseason finale now is welcomed.
"I'm definitely excited about the opportunity to go out there and play and establish that relationship with my linemen and get all of us on one accord so we can have a successful season," Buckhalter said.
White won't be around when the regular season starts because he's suspended four games by the NFL under its substance-abuse policy. So the Vikings game will be his last chance to play until October.
Less definitive is Moreno's status.
It's the second straight season he's missed most of August with a significant injury. He sprained his left medial collateral ligament in the 2009 preseason opener then carried the ball eight times in Week 1.
Moreno wasn't getting into specifics about his injury Tuesday and would only say he "feels good" and that his priority is regaining his stamina.
"I don't want to call it a setback. It was just an adversity he's got to push through and he's had to push through," coach Josh McDaniels said. "He's handled it the best he could and he's eager to get out there. I think that's where he is mentally."
Moreno was wearing an orange jersey at practice, alerting players to lay off on contact. He's been studying his playbook and attending meetings in addition to receiving treatment.
"He missed the same period of time last year in training camp so he's gone through this before. He started the season off and really hadn't played much in the preseason. We're kind of in the same boat," McDaniels said. "Hopefully we can start faster with him this year once we start playing the regular season, as soon as he's healthy."
In addition to Buckhalter's debut, the key to watch in the Vikings game is the continuing competition between rookie Tim Tebow and Brady Quinn for the backup quarterback job.
Quinn, acquired in the offseason, hasn't pulled away for the job and McDaniels called it a "competitive situation."
"Both players have done some good things. Both players have turned it over," McDaniels said. "Both players have been able to function in the 2-minute offense. And both players have plenty of room to improve. From that standpoint, I think this game will probably help us determine kind of where we see everything.
"But certainly I don't think either one of them has done so much that either guy has removed himself from the competition at all."
Quinn remains listed as the backup on the team's depth chart. But he's completed only 51.4 percent of his passes and has yet to throw a TD pass. His 55.1 rating is the worst on the team.
Tebow has been marginally better at 56.5 percent with a scoring toss to Eric Decker against Pittsburgh on Sunday night, along with an interception that led to a Steelers touchdown.
Quinn was asked afterward whether he felt he'd done enough to clinch the No. 2 job.
"It's honestly something I'm not focusing on, I think, until that situation presents itself," he said.
Broncos-Vikings game means homecoming for Decker
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eric Decker is eager for his return to Minnesota, even if the stadium he'll be playing in doesn't excite him.
Decker and the Denver Broncos play the Vikings in the final preseason game Thursday at the Metrodome, where Decker played three seasons in college and also a little baseball for the Gophers.
"It's going to be fun to get back home, see family and friends," said Decker, a third-round draft pick by Denver who hails from the Minnesota town of Cold Spring, northwest of the Twin Cities.
He's expecting a big turnout from his old community.
"It's always fun to have that kind of support," Decker said, adding: "I love those people there. They've been very good to me."
The Dome was good to him, too, even if it wasn't his favorite place to play. The Gophers called it home until moving into a new open-air, on-campus stadium in 2009, Decker's injury-shortened senior season.
"The Metrodome, I could do without," he said. "But ... I've got three seasons in there. I'm very comfortable with the surroundings, I guess, and how the field plays."
Decker caught a touchdown pass in Sunday's game and has six receptions for 69 yards in the preseason. He's still working his way up the depth chart, particularly after missing most of the offseason while recovering from foot surgery that ended his college career and experiencing a setback during a scrimmage on Aug. 7.
"It's a process. I'm on my way through the process. I'm taking a step forward every time, trying to get better at the little things: blocking well in the running game, running good routes, lining up correctly, doing well on special teams," Decker said. "And I think every game I'm focused on certain things and I see myself getting better at it, but I'm still not there yet."
Gophers coach Tim Brewster beamed Tuesday when asked about Decker's career.
"Eric Decker is a guy that I know is going to be an outstanding NFL player. Can you imagine how hard his heart's going to be beating playing against the Vikings? That's good stuff," said Brewster, who then proudly pointed out four former Minnesota players who will also appear in Thursday's game.
Kicker Rhys Lloyd, wide receiver Logan Payne, cornerback Marcus Sherels and linebacker Nate Triplett are on the Vikings roster, trying to make their last impression before the final cuts are made Saturday.
Another native Minnesotan on the Broncos, right tackle Ryan Harris, is eager to come home too. He played at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul before going to Notre Dame.
Harris, drafted in the third round three years ago, is coming off an injury. He hurt his toe midway through last season.
"Every time I go out on the field, I'm happy to be there," Harris said.
As a starter, his playing time will probably be limited Thursday. He would love a lot more.
"Going back to the place where I watched football, I'll take every snap I can get," Harris said.
He played at the Metrodome only a handful of times, but after rooting for John Randle, Randy Moss and the rest as a child growing up in the '90s he's excited — despite the expense of buying so many tickets for family and friends.
"It's going to be cool just to be back there and be back home," Harris said.
-- Dave Campbell
Merriman taking it slow in return from injury
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chargers outside linebacker Shawne Merriman won't play in Thursday night's exhibition finale at San Francisco due to an Achilles' tendon injury, and there's no guarantee he'll play in the regular-season opener Sept. 13 at Kansas City.
Merriman knows the team is better served with him getting back to full health than playing with a hindrance, so he and the team are proceeding slowly.
"There's no way you can just jump back in and go," Merriman said Tuesday. "I've been in this situation before and you have to take each day as its own. If each day goes as planned, you'll eventually get back to playing again."
Coach Norv Turner doesn't want Merriman's ailment to nag during the season, as foot and groin problems did in 2009, when he was limited to four sacks.
"His recovery is a process," Turner said. "We've planned for it. We know it's a long season and we're approaching his injury with that in mind. We'll see how he comes along and hope he doesn't have a setback. The next step is to be able to get out and practice. We'll try to speed the process up once he's able to do that."
Merriman missed more than two weeks of training camp in protest of his status as a restricted free agent, and now the nagging injury has cost him roughly the same amount of practice time.
The injury demands rest over all else, a patience-testing rehabilitation for a passionate player like Merriman.
"It's less than ideal, but it's more important to be ready when everybody needs you," Merriman said. "My focus has to be on that, not on practicing when I shouldn't or putting unnecessary stress on the Achilles. It's definitely tough to go through, but taking time off is best in the long run."
The Chargers claimed cornerback Fred Bennett off waivers from the Houston Texans and released defensive lineman Ryon Bingham to make room on the roster. The Chargers also signed punter Glenn Pakulak, who played in 10 games with the New Orleans Saints and Washington Redskins during the 2008 and '09 seasons.
To reach the 75-man roster limit, the Chargers waived running back Marcus Mason, wide receiver Gary Banks, guard Lee Grimes and linebacker Darry Beckwith. Linebacker Donald Butler, a third-round draft pick, was placed on injured reserve with an Achilles' tendon injury.
