NFL Feature Capsules: Ricky Williams a workhorse once again

DAVIE, Fla. — Ricky Williams is having his best season since retiring.

That was in 2004, when a marijuana habit drove Williams out of the NFL. The following year he began a comeback that proceeded fitfully because of Miami Dolphins coaching changes, a season-ending injury and an 18-month suspension.

The Dolphins stuck with Williams, and now he might just save their season. Picking up the slack for injured starter Ronnie Brown, the 32-year-old Williams totaled 221 yards rushing in two games over a five-day stretch, and Miami (5-5) won both to reach .500 for the first time this year.

"It puts us on the right track," Williams said. "We have been trying to get here all year, and we finally got here. It’s just the next step to where we want to go."

Williams is leading the way. Making his first start of the year in Thursday’s 24-17 victory at Carolina, he rushed for 119 yards and two scores and added a 14-yard touchdown catch. It was his second three-TD game this season, and the first time in his career he scored rushing and receiving in the same game.

"I was really impressed with Ricky," coach Tony Sparano said Friday. "He did a tremendous job. He ran the ball hard, really hard."

Williams scored once as Brown’s replacement taking the snap in the wildcat. He scored on a 46-yard dash to seal the win, outrunning the Panthers’ secondary to the end zone. He carried 22 times — not a lot for a back who once had 392 attempts in a season, but his highest total in four years.

The 100-yard game was Williams’ 22nd with Miami, extending his franchise record. He’s the oldest 100-yard rusher in team history.

"He’s not 32, I don’t care what he says," rookie receiver Brian Hartline said. "He definitely doesn’t look 32 out there, and he definitely has a lot of gas left in his wheels."

Williams never fit the mold of the typical NFL player, and that’s still the case. Last spring he agreed to a contract extension for 2010 without an agent or negotiations. Working toward a college degree, he wants to become an osteopath. He’s so particular about his diet that Sparano laughingly speaks of "Ricky food."

And Williams remains skittish with the media.

"I don’t like talking about myself," he said after Thursday’s game.

Instead, teammates gushed about him. Younger players seemed especially tickled to see him trample Panthers.

"He has been here for a long time, and he knows what he’s doing," receiver Ted Ginn Jr. said. "When he sees something, he was just trying to run through. That was what he was taught to do as a young ‘un."

Sparano said he’s confident Williams can handle a starter’s workload the rest of the season, and the Dolphins really have no choice but to rely heavily on their only thirtysomething offensive player.

Brown underwent season-ending surgery Friday on his broken right foot. Williams’ backup, second-year pro Lex Hilliard, had his first career rushing attempt Thursday night. And the passing attack ranks third-worst in the league.

That means Williams, seven years removed from his NFL rushing title, will try to carry Miami to the playoffs.

"It’s hard to replace Ronnie Brown," Hartline said. "But Ricky Williams is still Ricky Williams."

Even with limited playing time this season, Williams is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2003. He’s averaging a career-best 5.3 yards per carry. And he ranks among NFL leaders with 10 touchdowns.

At Charlotte, Williams thrived behind a patchwork front. Four Miami offensive linemen left the game with injuries, and the Dolphins used three centers, including one moved from tackle who had not practiced snaps.

"It’s tough," Williams said. "Guys are dropping like flies."

"We were down to me going in the game," said Sparano, a former center. "I’ve never seen anything like it."

Sparano provided no update Friday on the severity of the injuries. Players have the weekend off before beginning preparations to play the Buffalo Bills on Nov. 29.

"We’ll get a chance to heal up," Sparano said. "Right now the boys need a bit of rest."

Even Williams "got a little bit dinged" in the fourth quarter but was expected to be fine, Sparano said. The most serious injury appeared to be to nose tackle Jason Ferguson, who hurt his right knee and underwent an MRI.

Despite the heavy toll, Sparano was in a cheerful mood Friday. After winning three games in the first 63 days of the season, the Dolphins won twice in five days, and they’re only one victory behind AFC East leader New England.

"There’s a lot of football left," Sparano said.

Look for lots of handoffs to Williams in the weeks to come. Over the years the Dolphins are 19-3 when he rushes for 100 yards.

"Hopefully he can rest up these next 10 days," teammate Jason Taylor said, "and do it again next week."

Jets’ Revis up to task of shutting down Moss again

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Darrelle Revis has heard enough about his last matchup with Randy Moss. The New York Jets cornerback just wants to move on to the next one.

"No more Randy Moss and Bill Belichick questions," Revis said Friday, shaking his head. "This game is bigger than egos here. It's bigger than me, it's bigger than Randy Moss and it's bigger than Belichick. Our goal is we want to get this win Sunday."

The struggling Jets (4-5) sorely need it after losing five of six, and their chances at New England on Sunday might depend whether Revis can blanket Moss as he did in their Week 2 meeting. Moss had just four catches for 24 yards in New York's 16-9 victory.

"It's always great to compete against the best," Revis said. "It brings out the best in me and it brings out the best in those guys. I still give respect to all of the receivers that I go up against."

Even if it isn't always reciprocated. After the loss, Moss refused to give Revis total credit for keeping him quiet on the field.

"All week, he was talking about being a shutdown corner," he said, "but there are no shutdown corners in the league because they have help most of the game."

That's simply not the case, according to Revis and coach Rex Ryan.

"I'll just put it this way: Having Revis allows us to do things that most people don't do or have the courage to play against him," Ryan said. "That's man coverage, to man up and say, 'All right, here we are.'"

And, just for good measure, Ryan heaped the ultimate praise on Revis.

"All I can say is we've got the best corner in the league," he said, "and I don't think there's any dispute about that."

Moss has been quiet this week, and Revis has maintained his composure at the Jets' facility when constantly asked about the Patriots receiver. He did get a little testy during a conference call Wednesday with New England reporters, who kept pressing on the man-to-man coverage question.

"In this league, there's mixed opinions," Revis said Friday. "People have different opinions and if that's how he feels, that's how he feels. I still have to play and we've still got to play on Sunday. I just like to leave my talk on the field and go from there. Whatever he says, he says. That's it."

Bill Belichick acknowledged Revis' talent, but also said he benefited at times by having safety Kerry Rhodes backing him up against Moss.

"They played over the top of him quite a bit, not always, but quite a bit," the Patriots coach said. "Revis is a good player. He matches up against basically every team's best receiver. ... He's a good, solid all-around player. He doesn't have any weaknesses."

Ryan said one thing's for sure: Revis was in man coverage when he intercepted Tom Brady in the first matchup.

"We call it Cover One and some teams call it Cover Zero," Ryan said. "It's just man to man and you've got a center fielder. Kerry had great range on that play. If they think it's Cover Two, then hopefully they think it's Cover Two this week, too."

Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine couldn't put a number on the plays in which Revis was entirely man to man with Moss.

"What I do know is this, there were a lot of times where he covered him where it wouldn't have mattered if he had help or not," he said. "He was all over the route. He did a great job and our plan will be similar again. We'll mix what we do and have him matched up on him and know that will be a focal point. I'm sure it will be fun to watch."

It's easy to forget that Revis is in only his third season after being a first-round pick out of Pittsburgh in 2007. He has already made a Pro Bowl and has made for some long afternoons for some of the game's top receivers besides Moss, including Houston's Andre Johnson, New Orleans' Marques Colston and Buffalo's Terrell Owens.

And that's just this season.

"Honestly, I think he's the best corner in the league," said Patriots tight end Chris Baker, a former Jets teammate. "Each year, he's taken a big step forward and this year, he's obviously gone out and taken another big step."

Whether he gets credit from Moss or not.

"I've seen Moss, this will be my sixth game, so there's not anything new here," Revis said. "It's just competition. It's a big game for us to try to go up there and get this win."

-- Dennis Waszak Jr.

Orton misses 3rd practice with ankle injury

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Kyle Orton missed a third consecutive practice Friday because of a sprained left ankle and has only an outside chance of playing Sunday when the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers meet with first place in the AFC West on the line.

Broncos backup Chris Simms again took first-team practice repetitions, as he has all week in the absence of Orton, who was injured during last week’s 27-17 loss at Washington.

Simms is in line to make his first start since September 2006, when he suffered a life-threatening spleen injury while with Tampa Bay.

Listed as questionable, Orton will be put through a workout before Sunday’s game and how he performs will determine whether he plays, coach Josh McDaniels said Friday.

"If Kyle is completely able to do what we’re going to ask him to do in the game plan, and can do it at a level that allows us to be successful, then we could give him an opportunity to play," McDaniels said. "If he’s not capable of playing at that level, or doing some of the things that we need him to be able to do, then you go with the guy who practiced."

McDaniels said Orton "absolutely" still has a chance to play, though he conceded playing him without the benefit of any practice during the week was much less than ideal.

In a somewhat similar scenario a week ago, Simms was thrust into the lineup in relief of the injured Orton with little or no preparation. The backup had a rough go, completing 3 of 13 passes for 13 yards and an interception. In the case of Simms, though, it was his first significant action since undergoing emergency surgery more than three years ago to remove a ruptured spleen.

Simms said Friday he was approaching the game as if he was going to start and he felt better prepared to play at a high level after a week’s worth of practice.

"If needed, I’ll be ready," Simms said. "I know I haven’t had a great deal of playing time the last few years but I think a lot of guys saw what I did in training camp and the snaps I got in the preseason, and hopefully they are as confident in me as I am in myself."

McDaniels said he and the rest of the team have a great deal of faith in Simms, who worked through a long, difficult rehabilitation to restore his health to where he could play again.

"I think it’s hard not to have a great deal of respect and appreciation for what he’s been able to overcome," McDaniels said. "We have a lot of confidence in him and I know the coaching staff does and the players have practiced that way this week. We expect to play well if he’s playing. I think the team feels the same way about him, and we’ll embrace that situation if that’s what we’re doing."

Tight end Daniel Graham said it’s not like he and his teammates are starting from scratch with Simms because they got a chance to work with him extensively during training camp. That’s allowed them to quickly make adjustments to his style this week, including getting used to catching balls with the differing spin of a left-hander.

"We’ve had a good week of practice with Chris in there," Graham said. "He’s been doing a good job of leading this team and continuing where Kyle left off. We’ve all had the chance to catch balls from Chris this week, and if he gets to go on Sunday, we’ll all be ready."

For his part, Simms would like nothing better than to put an exclamation point on his comeback.

"I’ve been through a lot," he said. "I’ve always loved the game of football a great deal and to have it almost taken away from me, and then to be back kind of in the mix of things, it’s a special time for me and my whole family. I’m excited."

Rob Ryan understands why Rex is so emotional

BEREA, Ohio — Losing makes Rex Ryan cry. Sappy movies are Rob Ryan’s weakness.

Together, the Ryan brothers have had plenty to shed a tear about this season.

Jets coach Rex Ryan cried in front of his team Monday morning following New York’s 24-22 loss to Jacksonville on Sunday. He later poked fun at himself by showing up to a news conference with a box of tissues.

Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Rex’s brother, said Friday that emotion comes from growing up in the Ryan family.

"He’s a typical Ryan. He’s going to come out swinging," Rob Ryan said. "He’s like me. We’re having a pretty miserable year right here. We’re just going to keep working ‘til we get it right. That was one thing we were taught by our father."

New York has lost five of its last six games after starting 3-0. The Browns are 1-8.

Their father, Buddy Ryan, was a longtime defensive coordinator in the NFL and head coach at Philadelphia and Arizona in the 1980s and ‘90s.

"I think we come by that honestly. We’re emotional guys," Rob Ryan said. "We believe in our players, we love our players. When you’re around the guys all day long and all night, you either love ‘em or hate ‘em. You end up loving the guys. I’m sure he’s disappointed in how things are going, but he’s a typical Ryan."

The long haired, burly Rob Ryan said his children and players have made him cry. So, too, has the cable network Lifetime.

"Lifetime, when I’m watching it with my wife, it’s the truth," Rob Ryan said. "She’ll bawl and I’ll (sniffle). I don’t know what it is about those shows."

Fewell eager to prove himself as interim coach

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Sitting in a hot tub overlooking a postcard-perfect panoramic view of the sun setting behind the Smoky Mountains, Perry Fewell never had an inkling his long-imagined opportunity of a lifetime of being an NFL head coach hung on the misty horizon.

"No," the Buffalo Bills’ newly appointed interim coach recalled of that July day. "I never envisioned it. I never thought about it sitting in that hot tub at that particular time."

Not this season, not in Buffalo, and especially not with the way things unfolded Tuesday, when the Bills defensive coordinator was promoted after his good friend Dick Jauron was abruptly fired in what could be the start of a major shakeup by team owner Ralph Wilson.

The sudden turn of events came as a shock to Fewell, who’s never been a head coach at any level since serving as a graduate assistant at North Carolina in 1985.

That doesn’t mean the 47-year-old feels unprepared as he makes his debut Sunday, when the Bills (3-6) play at Jacksonville (5-4).

As relaxing as it was to spend part of his summer lounging at a friend’s cabin in rural North Carolina, football wasn’t far from his mind.

In what has become a customary vacation tradition since he first broke into the NFL in 1998 as a defensive assistant with the Jaguars, Fewell’s wife, Kathleen, was peppering him with questions and hypothetical scenarios of what he’d do if he was ever a head coach.

"We have a list of questions, ‘Hey, if this guy’s injured what happens?"’ Fewell explained. "Actually, she started drawing up coverages in ‘98."

The preparation has paid off.

In his three-plus seasons in Buffalo, Fewell earned praise for his ability to adapt in crisis, by keep focused what’s perennially been a young and injury-riddled defense. That’s especially been true this season.

Despite missing as many as six regulars to injuries and allowing a league-worst 173 yards rushing, the Bills defense has been credited for keeping the team competitive. Except for a 38-10 loss at Miami on Oct. 4, the Bills have had the lead, been tied or within one score of the lead entering the fourth quarter eight times this season.

Wilson took notice of Fewell’s abilities.

"He’s done a good job with the defense with the players we’ve got left," Wilson said with a laugh. "And we don’t have too many left."

The challenge for Fewell is to fix an offense that’s lacked identity and spark, despite Terrell Owens’ presence.

Fewell’s first move was to bench quarterback Trent Edwards and go with Ryan Fitzpatrick, saying he believes the backup gives the Bills the best opportunity to win.

Fewell has a fiery personality, which is a significant switch from the low-key Jauron. Fewell can also be funny at times, once referring to the prolific 2007 Tom Brady-led New England Patriots offense as one that could keep pace with the Kevin Garnett-led Boston Celtics.

He can be blunt, too. After allowing a combined 472 yards rushing in consecutive losses to New Orleans and Miami this season, Fewell called it "unacceptable" and added: "I don’t think 470 yards is an embarrassment as much as getting your butts kicked."

And he can be passionate. "Play like hell and win," was how Fewell explained his vision for turning around the Bills on Tuesday.

Safety Donte Whitner has long believed Fewell has what it takes to be a head coach.

"He’s got everybody’s respect in this locker room," Whitner said, noting Fewell went out of his way to talk to players on defense and offense as a coordinator. "He takes charge. He had our attention on Wednesday, he had our attention yesterday and today."

There’s no guarantee Fewell will shed the interim label in Buffalo. According to STATS LLC, only two of the NFL’s 14 interim coaches this decade — Gary Moeller in Detroit in 2000 and Mike Singletary in San Francisco in 2008 — had winning records. None of the 14 made the playoffs.

Wilson has also expressed an interest in going after a high-profile coach this offseason.

Fewell is unshaken.

"We’re week to week, year to year as football coaches anyway," he said.

A defensive back at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., it was Fewell’s intention to become a banker, of all things, once he graduated. Those plans changed when former North Carolina coach Dick Crum invited Fewell to be a graduate assistant.

"I fell in love with coaching," Fewell said. "And I’ve never looked back."

-- John Wawrow

NFC

Childress has endorsement from Vikings to continue

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Last month, a blurry photo featuring Minnesota coach Brad Childress dressed as a flight attendant with a black wig and a pink apron appeared on one of his player’s Twitter pages.

Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was the culprit, but he had more in mind than to embarrass the boss for his attempt to lighten the mood on the team plane.

"I wanted to do that so people could see he’s not that guy people see on the interviews, just so monotone and serious all the time," Shiancoe said. "He knows how to flip it on and off when appropriate."

The contract extension Childress signed this week was a sign of owner Zygi Wilf’s trust in his guidance, as well as evidence of the team’s connection with a coach who made an unpleasant first impression.

Aloof and rigid to many players in his first year while the Vikings finished 6-10, Childress has learned to loosen up and positioned himself somewhere between pushover and dictator.

"He’s more relaxed around the locker room, talking to guys more, trying to have an open relationship with everyone on the team," cornerback Cedric Griffin said Friday. "He’s been doing a great job of coaching and bringing in the players and putting the right staff around us. I commend him."

The Vikings have steadily improved since his first season in 2006, going 8-8 and then 10-6 to win the NFC North. They’re now 8-1 behind Brett Favre, whom Childress persistently courted to put retirement on hold again and be his quarterback, and on their way to a second straight division title.

Childress hasn’t won a playoff game, and he remains unpopular with a significant portion of the fan base still bothered by his conservative style and stake in the team’s earlier struggles on offense — and skeptical of his ability to win without Favre.

Even Shiancoe couldn’t help but smile when asked jokingly whether Favre should get a percentage of the contract. ESPN.com cited an unidentified source in reporting the deal is through 2013, for an annual average of between $4 million and $5 million.

While his drive for a new stadium has been hampered by the sluggish economy, Wilf has aggressively signed off on big money to keep top executives and key players in the fold. Even with all the negative public opinion toward the coach in his first few years, Wilf has consistently supported him.

Childress caught heat for failing to develop Tarvaris Jackson or find success with anyone else at quarterback, and then his seemingly desperate pursuit of Favre brought more criticism.

He once cut wide receiver Marcus Robinson on Christmas Eve and withheld wide receiver Troy Williamson’s check after he missed a game for an extended stay in his hometown following his grandmother’s death. He reconsidered and returned the money.

That, for many players, marked a change in Childress. He listened to his leadership council, a group of veteran players he assembled to voice opinions on logistics like practice times, and ultimately won some respect in a locker room that still wasn’t sure about him at that point in 2007.

"You could say that was the turning point," wide receiver Sidney Rice said. "It means a lot to us when he puts it in front of us and asks us. Not saying yes to us all the time, but just listening to our opinion is great."

Childress acknowledged he’s changed over these four years, but hasn’t strayed far from his principles.

"I just thought that it was important to do it my way. I can look myself in the mirror if they show me a door. It’s the way that I wanted to do it. It’s the way they bought into doing it," he said. "I didn’t feel like those things should get compromised."

Childress made clear how uncomfortable he was with the attention on him, trying hard to deflect the focus to his assistant coaches and players. He mentioned receiving congratulatory text messages from players like Donovan McNabb and Larry Fitzgerald and addressed the new contract in an appreciative talk with the team on Friday.

"I think he was kind of teary-eyed. I saw his eyes water up," Griffin said.

Childress, who has a psychology degree from Eastern Illinois, has often remarked about how much he enjoys working with this current group of players.

"It’s a business, but people are going to be people first," Shiancoe said.

-- Dave Campbell

Panthers face difficult road after Dolphins loss

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — From Jake Delhomme’s struggles to suspect tackling to key injuries and just plain bad luck, there are plenty of reasons for Carolina’s 4-6 record.

It shouldn’t, however, be a surprise. Following a playoff season with a dud is all the Panthers have known in their 15-year history.

Thursday’s 24-17 loss to Miami followed the familiar script. Coming off an impressive win over Atlanta, the Panthers fell flat as a home favorite against a team without its top running back and a banged-up offensive line.

It marked the fourth time this season the Panthers entered a game with a chance to reach .500. They’re now 0-4. And with a brutal closing schedule, they appear destined to again fail to accomplish consecutive winning seasons for the first time in team history.

"I’m sure outside of that (team meeting) room, there will be a lot people that don’t give us a chance," coach John Fox said Friday. "Until the math says it, we’ll feel like we have a chance."

They would be in a much better spot if they executed in the red zone. Carolina was plagued by miscues, from the four sacks to a key interception that turned touchdown opportunities into field goals or worse.

Delhomme tried to get star receiver Steve Smith involved — targeting him 15 times. He caught seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown, but Delhomme’s first pick in four games came near the goal line when he tried to force it to the four-time Pro Bowl selection.

That play also was an example of how Carolina isn’t getting the breaks. The Panthers were using their no-huddle offense and the Dolphins had too many players on the field. Delhomme wanted to snap the ball to get a penalty, but the official was standing over the ball. Fox said Friday the official had mistakenly thought the Panthers had substituted when they hadn’t.

"You’re supposed to give the defense an opportunity to sub (only) if you sub," Fox said.

Carolina also showed a drop-off after losing two key starters to season-ending injuries in two games. Left tackle Jordan Gross’ absence was noticeable with Delhomme’s lack of protection. And the Panthers struggled to tackle 32-year-old running back Ricky Williams without outside linebacker Thomas Davis.

Williams rushed for 119 yards and scored all three Miami touchdowns. The Panthers have allowed 330 yards rushing in the past two games, and now have more injury concerns.

Landon Johnson, who replaced Davis, was walking gingerly in the locker room Friday after suffering a knee injury. Fox said Johnson will not need surgery. Linebacker Na’il Diggs (rib) was also banged up.

Fullback Brad Hoover did some running Friday and is hoping he’ll be ready to return Nov. 29 against the New York Jets after missing three games with a high ankle sprain.

"I’m tired of being a spectator," Hoover said.

His replacement, rookie Tony Fiammetta, bumped into teammate Travelle Wharton Thursday, leading to a sack.

The Panthers also got little from defensive end Julius Peppers, who again was limited to mostly passing downs because of a right hand injury. The Panthers had no sacks despite a myriad of injuries to Miami’s offensive line.

"It does affect your play," Fox said of Peppers’ hand. "But he’ll work through it and we’ll work through it."

Fox denied that DeAngelo Williams’ sore left knee played a role in him getting only 13 carries. It was a curious move because Williams averaged 9.4 yards a carry and finished with 122 yards.

The Panthers threw the ball 42 times to only 27 runs, and Delhomme was far from sharp. Carolina converted only 3 of 13 third-down chances.

"You can’t just go out and say it’s going to take 25-50 carries to win the game, because that’s not necessarily true," Williams said. "I think then everybody would be running it 25-50 times a game."

The Panthers dominated on the ground last season en route to a 12-4 mark and NFC South title. But this year’s team looks a lot like the clubs from 1997 (7-9), 2004 (7-9) and 2006 (8-8). All stumbled after reaching the playoffs a year earlier.

Carolina faces two winnable games the next two weeks: at the Jets (4-5) and home to Tampa Bay (1-8). But then the Panthers close at New England (6-3), vs. Minnesota (8-1), at the New York Giants (5-4) and home to New Orleans (9-0).

"It’s going be a long weekend, but we’ve got another game coming up against the Jets here and no time to feel sorry for yourself," receiver Muhsin Muhammad said. "This is life in the NFL."

-- Mike Cranston

Eagles reshuffle LBs going into game with Bears

PHILADELPHIA — For the second consecutive week, the Eagles will go with a different look at linebacker because of a knee injury to weakside starter Akeem Jordan.

Coach Andy Reid ruled out Jordan for Sunday night’s game at Chicago.

Will Witherspoon will again start at weakside LB, and second-year man Joe Mays will start in the middle. Chris Gocong, who started in the middle in last week’s loss to San Diego, will move back to his customary spot on the strong side. Rookie Moise Fokou, who started the past two games on the strong side, appears to be the odd man out.

It’s the sixth different set of linebackers the Eagles will start in their 10th game of the season.

"A lot will depend on the personnel group (the Bears) put out there," Reid said. "We have some different combinations we can use."

Mays became the starting middle linebacker in training camp when Stewart Bradley went out for the season with a torn ACL. Mays did not play well enough to keep the job when the season opened and lost it to Omar Gaither, who eventually joined Bradley on injured reserve with a foot injury.

"He’s been working out there a little bit," Reid said of Mays. "He worked a little bit last week, too. Like I said, there are different combinations we can use."

Mays, a second-year linebacker from North Dakota State, was inactive for five of the team’s first six games. He played the past three games, primarily on special teams, and played well on kick teams last week in San Diego.

"It’s all come around," cornerback Sheldon Brown said. "I think it might be a good thing. You have Will playing will (weakside), which is his natural position. You have a guy in the middle who is a middle linebacker, and Chris is back on the strong side where he is used to playing."

Brown is used to starting at cornerback. Since he was drafted in 2002, he has played in all 121 regular-season games, plus another 12 playoff games. This week he is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury he suffered in San Diego.

"If I don’t play it won’t be my choice," Brown said. "I don’t know what the percentages are, but I feel like I’m going to play."

The veteran did limited work Thursday and Friday in practice. Reid said it will be a game-time decision.

"We’ll see how it goes there," Reid said. "We’ll just see how he does. He moved around pretty good today when he was in the team period. He took all the scout team reps yesterday and felt pretty good coming out of it. We’ll see how that works out."

NOTES: Reid also said wide receiver Kevin Curtis (knee), safety Quintin Demps (ankle) and running back Brian Westbrook (concussion) are out for Sunday’s game. Curtis will miss his eighth straight game, and Reid says he is still weeks away. ... Rookie Victor Harris will replace Demps on kickoff returns.

Falcons RB Norwood healthier, hopes to face Giants

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons running back Jerious Norwood practiced Friday for the second straight day after missing Atlanta’s last four games with a hip flexor.

The Falcons (5-4) hope Norwood, who is listed as questionable for Sunday, can help stabilize his position when they visit the New York Giants (5-4).

"I’ve been working pretty much every day this week trying to get the (hip) back to normal," Norwood said. "The main thing is it gets tight a lot. As long as I get it loose, it feels pretty good."

Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner is sidelined with a high ankle sprain and not expected to play. He did not practice this week and is listed as doubtful.

Though Norwood is unlikely to start, the four-year veteran has spent most of his career as a backup to Turner and the retired Warrick Dunn. Norwood, who ran the fastest 40-yard dash among all players at the 2005 NFL Combine, is considered one of the league’s fastest players when healthy.

Atlanta drafted him out of Mississippi State in the third round of ‘06. The following year, Norwood’s first three career touchdowns covered at least 60 yards.

Norwood began the season with a career average of 6.6 yards per play and nine touchdowns in a combined 373 rushing attempts and receptions. He ranks third in franchise history with 2,948 kickoff return yards, but the Falcons are using Eric Weems in that role this year.

Norwood’s injured hip during a Week 6 win over Chicago followed a concussion that caused him to miss a Week 3 loss at New England.

"It’s been hard, man," he said. "I see them guys on the field working hard every day. I just love the game of football and want to be out there with them and compete, man."

Atlanta, which has lost three of its last four games, needs Norwood’s speed to balance a power running game that will feature Jason Snelling in Turner’s place.

Snelling, a third-year reserve, has gained 222 total yards and scored one TD on 30 carries and receptions this season.

The Falcons are listing Pro Bowl wideout Roddy White, who has never missed a game in his five-year career, as questionable with a sprained knee. Left tackle Sam Baker, who was sidelined for last week’s loss at Carolina, is probable with an ankle injury.

 -- George Henry

Packers offensive line in flux

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The decision was made during the offseason by Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who’d grown tired of watching what he called "musical chairs" being played on his offensive line for the previous three seasons.

After starting five different line combinations in 2006, six in 2007 and five last season, McCarthy and his staff settled on their starting five after just two preseason games this summer. The idea was to generate some continuity on a line that had been in flux for far too long.

So much for that.

Through nine games, the Packers have started six different line combinations, and the only reason they won’t be using a seventh mix in Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field is because center Scott Wells has been cleared to play after a concussion suffered last weekend against Dallas.

"It’s a challenge. I have not — as a coordinator, and I can’t really remember as an assistant coach — had so much change as far as players missing practice time and the number of starting lineups that you have week-in and week-out," McCarthy said Friday. "You can’t control the injury list."

How bad have things been? With the Packers’ other starting-caliber center, Jason Spitz, on injured reserve following back surgery for a herniated disc, Wells’ replacement against the 49ers would have been undrafted rookie free agent Evan Dietrich-Smith.

On Friday, Dietrich-Smith sat out practice with a sprained ankle and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. If he can’t play and something were to happen to Wells against the 49ers, left guard Daryn Colledge would have to fill in at center.

"If I’m the backup center, we find a way to make it work, right?" said Colledge, who has started all nine games — seven at left guard, two at left tackle — this season. "We said from the very beginning that the success of this offensive line would be based on if we could stay healthy. And we’ve had, what (six) different lineups now? In 10 games, that’s hard. That’s hard for any offensive line. It obviously hasn’t worked as well as we wanted."

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been sacked an NFL-high 41 times, putting him on pace to break the franchise records for most sacks absorbed by one quarterback (Don Majkowski, 47 in 1989) and most sacks allowed in a season (62 in 1990).

McCarthy said veteran Mark Tauscher, who was re-signed by the team Oct. 12 after spending the offseason out of football following reconstructive left knee surgery in January, will start at right tackle. The plan was for him to rotate with Allen Barbre, who started the first seven games at right tackle.

But Tauscher sprained his left knee about a dozen plays into the game, then missed last week’s victory over Dallas. Rookie T.J. Lang, after starting two games at left tackle, started at right tackle in Tauscher’s place against the Cowboys and is expected to spell Tauscher during Sunday’s game against the 49ers.

Barbre, incidentally, is listed as doubtful for Sunday with a sprained ankle.

No one epitomizes how the Packers’ plans went south more than Wells. Despite starting 56 games over the previous four seasons, he was the odd man out when the coaches committed to their starting five in training camp and made Spitz the starting center.

"They told me, ‘You’re a starter, even though you may not start this Sunday, we still consider you a starter,"’ Wells said. "It’s a long season. Things happen. It’s a league of opportunity. You never know how it’s going to play out."

Sure enough, left tackle Chad Clifton sprained an ankle in Week 2 against Cincinnati, forcing the Packers’ line to be rejiggered with Wells at center, Colledge at left tackle and Spitz at left guard. And Wells has started every game since.