NFL Capsules - AFC North and West: Steelers run game off to slow start
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The horn sounded to end practice Wednesday and as most of their Pittsburgh Steelers teammates trudged back to the locker room, running backs Isaac Redman, Mewelde Moore and Rashard Mendenhall jogged to an adjacent field.
For the next 15 minutes the trio pushed each other in a series of sprints designed to test their endurance, a routine they did regularly during training camp but abandoned once the season started.
After a pair of so-so weeks, they decided it was time to get back to basics.
"We'd gotten away from it a little bit," Redman said.
Kind of like the Steelers and the running game.
Pittsburgh (1-1) is just 20th in the league in rushing through two weeks. Hardly time to panic heading into Sunday's game against reeling Indianapolis (0-2), certainly, but Redman knows there's room for improvement.
"We feel like we're still trying to get it going a little bit," he said.
The Steelers are quick to point out circumstances and a jumbled offensive line have forced them to adjust on the fly. They fell behind by three touchdowns 21 seconds into the third quarter against Baltimore, forcing them to go to the pass almost exclusively.
A season-ending injury to right tackle Willie Colon forced rookie Marcus Gilbert into the lineup against the Seahawks and Chris Kemoeatu took the week off to rest his sore right knee, pushing Ramon Foster into his spot at left guard.
Pittsburgh had success in the first half as Mendenhall and Redman both ran for scores, but struggled getting the tough yards at times. Mendenhall was stuffed at the goal line on fourth down on Pittsburgh's first series and the team had to settle for a field goal at the end of the half after having first down at the Seattle 2.
Things didn't get any better from there. The Steelers had 16 carries for 30 yards in the second half, numbers skewed only slightly by the three Roethlisberger kneel downs in the final minute.
The lack of production forced Roethlisberger to pass to ice the game. Not an issue normally, yet Roethlisberger had to do it on Sunday while walking on a gimpy right knee after taking a low shot from Seattle's Raheem Brock.
Roethlisberger came out of it intact, though coach Mike Tomlin would have preferred Roethlisberger spend the second half handing off instead of dropping back to pass.
"I thought we won the line of scrimmage in the first half, not so much in the second," Tomlin said. "Maybe that is a function of conditioning. We've had some guys who's roles have been backups in the past playing in the line of scrimmage for us."
Running the ball helps shorten the game and allows Pittsburgh's formidable but aging defense catch a breather. Mendenhall had a breakout season a year ago, rushing for 1,273 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He's at 111 yards through two weeks with a middling 3.6 yards per carry average and found the going tough at the goal line. He had five yards on six carries inside the Seattle 5. Redman has been more productive while spelling his backfield mate and ran for 49 yards on 10 carries against the Seahawks, including a 20-yard touchdown run in which he juked by a Seattle defender and walked into the end zone.
It was the kind of move that drew praise from Tomlin, who called his backup running back "Red Zone Redman" during a film session on Monday. Tomlin isn't complaining about the flashy moves but would like to see his team grind it out too.
"The reality is that we have to be able to play 60 minutes of football in the manner of which we desire," Tomlin said. "I didn't think we ran the ball as effectively as you would like to in the second half. Our run game efficiency wasn't acceptable and we will just simply work."
The Colts can still bring it against opposing quarterbacks with ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis but have shown little grit stopping the run. Indianapolis is 29th in yards allowed and 30th in the league against the run. The Steelers know there's room to move in between the tackles.
Redman hopes the backs will be given a chance to find it. For all the talk about the weapons at Roethlisberger's disposal, this is the Steelers after all. They're supposed to line it up and run it down your throat, right?
"As a running back, we always want to be a run-first team even if it sounds kind of selfish," Redman said. "As running backs, we just want the ball in our hands but we know we have great receivers, a great tight end ... so it's kind of hard to get into a rhythm and try to even it out, run and pass at the same time. "By the time we get to midseason, we should have a good run/pass ratio."
When it happens, Redman expects the backs to be ready. They're not out there doing extra wind sprints because it's fun.
"We want to make sure we're not huffing and puffing and breathing too heavy," Redman said.
They'd rather leave that up to the Colts.
Ngata, Ravens teammates grateful for new contract
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Haloti Ngata was a popular man at the Baltimore Ravens' training complex Wednesday.
Less than 24 hours after receiving a five-year, $61 million contract, Ngata was the target of some good-natured barbs from his teammates.
"Nobody asked me for a loan," the standout defensive tackle said. "They just asked me to give them money."
Truth is, the players don't want Ngata's cash — but they're glad he got it.
"It's money well spent," linebacker Jarret Johnson said. "He's a once-in-a-decade player."
The Ravens didn't have to sign Ngata to a long-term deal before Tuesday's deadline. They could have continued to apply the franchise tag to the two-time Pro Bowl star. But now both Ngata and the team have the security they wanted.
"I don't have to worry about it throughout the season," Ngata said. "I don't have to worry about getting injured and worry about my performance. I can just go out there and play the game I want to play."
The Ravens, in turn, are assured the services of a durable, quick-footed tackle who serves as a road block in the front of a perennial outstanding unit.
"It sets the personality of the defense," coach John Harbaugh said. "The impact he has on our defense — the personality, the tone he sets — we can be a dominant defense in a lot of ways because he's that presence in the middle. They always say you want to be strong up the middle, and we're pretty strong up the middle."
Middle linebacker Ray Lewis was a strong proponent of the deal, so much that he jokingly said Wednesday that Ngata should give him a portion of it.
"Just a small piece," Lewis said with a grin, adding that he's "overexcited" about the contract.
So is Ngata, who didn't publicly grouse about being the franchise player but didn't deny his desire for a long-term contract. His teammates were 100 percent on his side.
"As the process went on we kept up with it, asking how things are going," Johnson said. "And it was weird because while we usually have no interest in another guy's contract, we're all there fighting for him. Then, when we got the news, everyone was all fired up. It's an individual contract between you and your agent, but it was kind of like a team thing because that's how big he is to the organization."
Big, as in 6-foot-4, 330 pounds. Big, as in the key component of a defense known for its ability to stop the run.
"He's the best defensive tackle in the NFL, so that means the world," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "His play last year helped me a lot. The kid's dedication is just amazing. You got to tip your hat to him. He's worth every penny."
Drafted with the 12th overall pick in the 2006 draft, the 27-year-old Ngata might get even better over the next few years.
"I don't think he's bumped to his greatest side of playing yet," Lewis said.
Unless, as Johnson said kiddingly, Ngata takes the money and runs.
"Anytime you sign a big contract you're going to take some heat about shutting it down, but Haloti's not going to do that," Johnson said. "He's too good of a person, too good of a player."
Barring injury — and Ngata has only missed two games in five-plus seasons — the Ravens are set on defense through the 2015 season.
"You see guys like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, and to be in that type of company is really humbling," Ngata said.
Those players seem to feel the same way about him.
"There are very few players in the NFL that can be considered Ravens. The ones (the organization) think are Ravens, they tend to keep here," Suggs said. "Haloti is one, myself, Ed Reed, Ray. All those guys. They do a good job keeping guys with that Ravens identity."
Next on the list: Running back Ray Rice and quarterback Joe Flacco. Rice's contract ends after this year and Flacco's expires after the 2012 season. Both can only hope to get the same treatment as Ngata.
"I firmly believe that I am going to be here for a while," Rice said.
Flacco said, "It's great for Haloti to get a great deal, and I think, hopefully in the future, all of us are going to get a new deal. I'm just glad for Haloti right now. I am not really thinking about myself."
-- David Ginsburg
Browns rookies making impact
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — They are rookies, subject to the same ribbing and ridicule Cleveland's veterans give all the newbies. Defensive linemen Phil Taylor and Jabaal Sheard don't get any preferential treatment. They're no different from the Browns other first-year players.
Except on Sunday. After the season's first two games, Taylor and Sheard, Cleveland's top two draft picks this year, are showing potential and signs they could become quality core players for the Browns (1-1). They're making big plays and performing beyond their years. These kids look like seasoned veterans.
"It sure feels that way so far," linebacker Scott Fujita said as the Browns prepared to host Miami on Sunday. "They're young, but they're familiar with a system like this. They play fast. They play aggressive. That's all you can ask for at this point. Now it's just about improving every week."
That's the trick for NFL rookies, but Taylor and Sheard appear to be catching on quickly.
Both had a major impact in Cleveland's 27-19 win on Sunday over the Indianapolis Colts, whose offensive line had a tough time dealing with the Browns' front our of Taylor, Sheard, Ahtyba Rubin and Jayme Mitchell.
The 335-pound Taylor, the No. 21 overall pick, had five tackles, batted down a pass and created pressure on quarterback Kerry Collins by powering his way through the interior of Indy's front. Sheard, a second-round pick (No. 37 overall) from Pittsburgh, had five tackles and stripped Collins on a fourth-quarter sack that he nearly negated with an ill-advised lateral. He won't make that mistake again.
"We got him right," Fujita joked. "Don't worry about that."
Sheard played on the left side against Indianapolis after playing right end against Cincinnati in the season opener. He flip-flopped with Mitchell, and Browns coach Pat Shurmur said he will likely stick with that alignment going forward because Sheard is more comfortable on the left side. Why's that, coach?
"He just is," Shurmur said. "Certain guys just tend to be better on doing certain things. That's part of the evaluation process as you get to know guys."
As the Browns learn more about Taylor and Sheard, the young linemen are doing their part to grasp the complexities of playing on the line as pros. It's not like college, where their talent, strength and speed helped them overwhelm opponents. At this level, everyone's big, fast and stout, and offensive coaches can devise schemes to expose players — especially eager rookies trying to make a name for themselves. Taylor and Sheard are getting a crash course in Defense 101.
"It's very easy to get out of a gap," Shurmur said. "There's gap control, there's defeating blocks and feeling schemes. A lot of guys will come into this league having played just, 'Go get the quarterback.' Now, there's so much happening there that I think there's a lot to learn, not to mention you're amongst 300 pound-plus men hitting you from all different angles.
"There's a lot going on there."
Sheard, who benefited from facing Browns Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas during training camp, said there are times when his brain is in information overload. And, there's a big difference between battling a well-traveled 30-year-old and a 19-year-old sophomore.
Asked about the major difference between college ball and the pros, Sheard shook his head.
"Whew," Sheard said, exhaling. "Offensive linemen are a lot smarter and a little bit bigger. Their arms are a lot longer and it's the smaller things they do to you. They know how to use their bodies. I used to be able to flip my body in there, and in college it would work. Now it doesn't."
Taylor, too, has had to adjust his game. The days of throwing around 270-pound centers are over. He's had to develop new ways of beating linemen by getting off the ball quicker or using his hands to gain leverage. Against Indianapolis, he faced complex blocking schemes — the Colts like to double-team and use zones — and Taylor more than held his own.
He gave himself a "B to B-plus" for his performance.
"I grade myself hard," Taylor said. "Coach might think I did something well and I might say I did something OK. I'm just trying to get better every week."
Dolphins coach Tony Sparano has noticed Taylor's improvement.
"Phil has been really physical," Sparano said. "I started to notice him during preseason games, getting better and better. In the first two games, he did an outstanding job. He's a physical, tough player that really runs well for a big guy. He's pretty active in there."
Browns safety T.J. Ward praised Sheard and Taylor. He believes the pair can have the type of impact he and second-year cornerback Joe Haden had last season.
"They're going to have good careers," he said. "They're focused and work really hard. They'll be two future Hall of Famers and All-Pros."
For now, they're just rookies — maybe special ones.
Notes: RT Tony Pashos, who has missed Cleveland's first two games with an injured left ankle, practiced and hopes to play Sunday. "There's always a chance, but we're still gonna do it day-by-day," he said. "There is no 'yes' or 'no' right now. It's not a switch. It's flesh, and anybody who's ever had an injury knows that." ... KR Josh Cribbs was named AFC special teams player of the week after returning two kicks for 80 yards and two punts for 52 vs. the Colts. ... WR Mohamed Massaquoi was limited in practice because of an ankle injury.
-- Tom Withers
Bengals' WR Caldwell gets his chance to emerge
CINCINNATI (AP) — Andre Caldwell was delighted when he checked into the Cincinnati Bengals training camp in July and discovered he'd been assigned Chad Ochocinco's old room: No. 113.
The receiver took it as a sign that he was finally going to get a chance to start.
"I feel like this is the start of the Caldwell Era for me," he said, that sunny July day in Georgetown, Ky.
It's taken three games and one injury for that era to arrive.
The fourth-year receiver will get a lot more time now that Jordan Shipley is out for the season with a knee injury. Shipley had been the primary slot receiver, splitting time with Caldwell.
"I've been looking for a chance," Caldwell said Wednesday. "I've got my shot right now. I can't let it get away from me.
"People always put me on the backburner, but I always keep fighting, keep going. I've got my chance, and now have to make the most of it."
Caldwell was a third-round pick out of Florida in 2008, expected to contribute quickly with his ability to turn short catches into long gains. He was a backup his first two seasons.
When Antonio Bryant couldn't play in training camp last year because of a bad knee, Caldwell thought he'd finally get his chance to line up across from Ochocinco. Instead, the Bengals signed Terrell Owens, the TOcho Show was formed, and Caldwell became a backup again.
It was tough to handle.
"I get a little discouraged, but don't let it show," Caldwell said. "I let my game talk for me, and that's what I'm going to do the next couple Sundays."
Shipley tore his left anterior cruciate ligament during a 24-22 loss in Denver on Sunday. Caldwell took over in the slot and caught three passes for 27 yards, including a touchdown that gave the Bengals a chance in the fourth quarter.
"You saw that once Jordan was out of the game, he stepped in and caught a couple of passes, caught a touchdown," quarterback Andy Dalton said. "So the play didn't really drop off. He came in and played well.
"They do a lot of the same things. There's not a whole lot of difference in there. They're both reliable guys, always going to do the right thing, be in the right spot."
Caldwell is the most experienced receiver in the young group, and it shows.
"In my experience, I don't think he's real vocal," coach Marvin Lewis said. "I think that everybody knows how Andre leads by the example that he sets and his preparation that way, to be able to go in and play all four receiver spots for us."
The Bengals switched offensive schemes this season, moving to a West Coast offense under coordinator Jay Gruden that emphasizes quick passes. Caldwell thinks the new approach suits him better, providing more of a chance to break a big play.
"I think it gets the ball in the playmaker's hands, lets him make plays," Caldwell said. "I'm good at running after the catch and can stretch the field. They're going to send me down the field a lot, so I think it's a good fit."
-- Joe Kay
Turnover troubles among Chiefs' many problems
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jon McGraw cradled the pass from Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in his arms, turned up field and set his sights on a game-changing interception return that might serve to lift the Kansas City Chiefs out of their early season funk.
Then the ball was on the turf at Ford Field, and moments later, it was the Detroit offense rather than the Kansas City offense that was huddling up for the next play.
The fumble in the first quarter of a 48-3 loss to the Lions last Sunday was one of six turnovers on the day for the Chiefs. They also had three turnovers in a 41-7 season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, putting them on pace for 72 this season, which would easily set an NFL record.
In a season that has already had so much go so wrong, turnovers are near the top of the list.
"That's fundamental football since I was playing flag football," Chiefs wide receiver Jerheme Urban said. "You can't win games when you turn the ball over. Unfortunately, we haven't done a very good job of protecting it. But you can't do that and expect to win games. The stats show that."
Indeed, as last season demonstrated.
Kansas City was among the best teams in the league at protecting the football, losing only six of 15 fumbles, tied for second-fewest behind the New England Patriots. Quarterback Matt Cassel threw 27 touchdown passes against seven interceptions, easily the best ratio of his blossoming career, and the team's 14 total turnovers were the fewest in franchise history in a non-strike season.
The result was a surprising 10-6 finish and an AFC West title.
Now, the law of averages is beginning to catch up.
Cassel has already thrown four interceptions through two games, and was responsible for a fumble against Detroit as well. The rest of the team has coughed the ball up four more times, two of them by running back Dexter McCluster, for an unsightly minus-7 turnover ratio.
The fact that Kansas City's offense, missing Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles and tight end Tony Moeaki after season-ending knee injuries, has been so adept at giving the ball away is a big reason it has struggled so much in nearly every other facet of the game.
The Chiefs have had the ball nearly 10 fewer minutes per game and gained 300 fewer yards total against a pair of teams that won a combined 10 games last season. They've allowed 11 TDs and scored just one, have converted only 5 of 24 third-down attempts, made 25 first downs compared to 46 for the opposition, and average nearly a yard-and-a-half less per offensive play.
"If you're turning the ball over in this league, you're going to end up paying for it," said San Diego coach Norv Turner, whose team faces Kansas City on Sunday. "And they're turning the ball over an awful lot and giving teams short fields."
Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has thrown four interceptions, too, so Turner is experiencing a bit of the same thing. Kansas City is tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the worst turnover margin in the NFL this season; San Diego is close behind in third.
"It comes back to technique," Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. "If you're carrying the ball the proper way, you should not turn it over in most cases, and why that technique suffers sometimes? Just lack of doing it the right way."
Haley said part of the problem comes from players trying to do too much. Rather than getting a key interception like McGraw did against the Lions, which would have given the Chiefs good field position, the veteran gave it right back to Detroit because he was trying to make a play.
That's an easy issue to have when your team is off to one of the worst starts through two games in NFL history, has lost some of its best players to injury and has a difficult stretch still ahead.
"That's part of being a smart player," Haley said, "knowing when to say when, knowing what your role is, and knowing you can't take on everybody on every play.
"You hear me say it all the time, just do your job first," he said. "The plays then have a tendency to come to you a little more and then good things happen. It's not pandemonium or panic. We just need to do things better, and if we do things better, we can be a good football team."
-- Dave Skretta
Chiefs put RB Charles on IR, promote WR Horne
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs placed running back Jamaal Charles on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday, taking one of the most dynamic playmakers in the NFL off the active roster of a division champion spiraling out of control.
Charles tore the ACL in his left knee in the first quarter of Sunday's blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. He is the third Chiefs player to sustain the same injury in recent weeks: Tight end Tony Moeaki went down in their preseason finale and safety Eric Berry in a season-opening loss to Buffalo.
The Chiefs lost all three games, the two that count by a combined 89-10.
Kansas City promoted wide receiver Jeremy Horne from the practice squad, and will lean on Thomas Jones and Dexter McCluster to replace Charles' production at running back.
"Everybody loves Jamaal. I've never seen someone more torn up over feeling like they let their teammates down by getting hurt," coach Todd Haley said. "But as down as they are about that, they're excited about the opportunity and are raring to go, starting with Thomas Jones."
The 11-year pro has plenty of experience carrying the load.
Jones spent three seasons as a starter in Chicago before three more years with the Jets, gaining at least 1,000 yards in five straight seasons. His production dipped last season, but that was largely because he was splitting time with Charles. Jones carried 245 times for 896 yards and six TDs.
Jones has been off to a slow start this season, with just 43 yards rushing through two games, but just about everybody on the Kansas City roster has gotten off to a similarly slow start.
"The thing about it is, this league is about big-play players. Those are guys that change games," said Chargers coach Norv Turner, whose team will face the banged-up Chiefs on Sunday. "Guys like Jamaal, they break off a 60-yard run like he did in our game last year and it's an instant score.
"But we have high regard for Thomas Jones," Turner said. "We've seen Dexter McCluster first-hand do some damage to us. They'll have a plan and know how to utilize those guys."
McCluster has provided a spark since shifting over from slot receiver during training camp, but it's come at a cost. The 165-pound jitterbug has touched the ball 21 times between designed runs and receptions, and has already coughed the ball up twice. He also fumbled twice last season.
Le'Ron McClain should also figure more prominently in the Chiefs' ground game. The fullback was initially brought in to pave the way for Charles but has plenty of experience running the ball.
"You know, I'm excited about these guys, and they're excited," Haley said. "We were carrying slightly heavy anyway at running back, and we do have some versatility there."
To fill Charles' spot on the roster, the Chiefs promoted Horne from the practice squad. Horne played in three games last season as a rookie without making a catch.
Kansas City also signed offensive lineman Lucas Patterson to the practice squad.
-- Dave Skretta
Raiders WR Moore shows he's not just practice star
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Almost from the moment he arrived at training camp, Oakland Raiders rookie receiver Denarius Moore dazzled his new teammates with frequent highlight reel catches.
He backed that performance up with a strong preseason and then really got noticed nationally with a breakout game in a losing effort against the Buffalo Bills last week.
Moore caught five passes for 146 yards, including a 50-yard leaping touchdown grab over a pair of defenders that gave the Raiders a lead late in the fourth quarter that the defense was unable to hold.
"I feel pretty good with what I've been able to do coming out here in practice and transfer it to the game," Moore said Wednesday. "Coach says practice like you play, so that's basically what I've been doing."
That's exactly what Moore did last week in Buffalo, making the same kind of catches he did all summer in training camp in Napa, just on a bigger stage with a bigger audience.
His big day started when he took away a ball from cornerback Leodis McKelvin for a 20-yard catch on the first play of the second quarter to set up Oakland's first touchdown.
He beat McKelvin again late in the first half for a 42-yard gain down the sideline to set up the touchdown that gave the Raiders a 21-3 lead.
He added a 10-yard catch and 25-yard reverse early in the fourth quarter to help the Raiders move back on top 28-24 before coming up with his biggest play in the closing minutes.
With the Raiders at midfield trailing 31-28 with less than 4 minutes to go, Moore went deep and was covered by McKelvin and safety George Wilson. But Jason Campbell threw the ball up anyway and Moore made sure it worked out. He outleaped both defenders for the ball, coming away with what is for now his signature catch.
"It was one of those trust issues," Campbell said. "You see him getting behind the safety and you know he's going to be pretty much one on one with the corner. Guy went up and got the ball at its highest point and made a play for you. Around the league, you always see guys making plays and that's exactly what he did — he made plays. ... As a quarterback, you learn to trust a guy."
The Raiders learned quickly to trust Moore, a fifth-round pick out of Tennessee. He put on a highlight show almost every day at camp, announcing his presence in one of the first practices when he beat starting cornerback Stanford Routt a few times.
That type of performance became an almost daily routine in Napa that hasn't slowed down much since then.
"He's done it in training camp, he's done it in practice, he's done it in preseason games and he's done it in regular season games," coach Hue Jackson said. "He is as advertised. He made some plays. I mean, it's going to be hard to keep that young man off the field, and he hasn't been. He's been one of the active guys, and we'll continue to fire that."
Jackson said one of Moore's biggest strengths is his lack of fear. Jackson, who has coached star receivers like Chad Ochocinco in the past, said now Moore needs to show consistency to reach that next level.
His teammates expect that to happen because of the work Moore puts in every day and his drive to succeed.
"That's what it comes down to. You've got to work hard in practice," teammate Derek Hagan said. "He's definitely steadily trying to improve each and every day. Even if he's out there making a mistake, we're out there trying to help him. But he knows what he's doing, and he's getting the job done so far and hopefully we can keep it going for the next 14 games."
Moore has gotten an opportunity for significant playing time early because of injuries that have forced Louis Murphy to miss the first two games and Darrius Heyward-Bey and Jacoby Ford to sit out last week in Buffalo.
With Murphy out again this week against the New York Jets, Ford's status in doubt and Moore's performance last week, it figures that he will see plenty of time against Jets corners Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie.
"I'm putting myself on the map where I'm part of the team and can actually make plays to help the team," Moore said.
That's quite different from his draft-day experience when he slipped all the way to the fifth round despite a strong career at Tennessee.
Moore said he has a "chip on my shoulder" that the Raiders are now benefiting from and has led other teams to regret passing on him in April.
"We really liked him and I'm sure the young man can tell you that," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "We had him in for a visit. We really did like him. It never worked out for us. He had a huge game this past week. ... He really did a nice job. That catch he made in double coverage against Buffalo was big time."
-- Josh Dubow
Broncos' Decker healthy once again and it shows
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — At long last, Eric Decker's left foot is fine and his mind clear.
He's taking passes and punts into the end zone with regularity and showing all 31 other teams what they could have had if they had bet on him like the Denver Broncos did.
Decker scared teams away when he missed the last half of his senior season at the University of Minnesota after tearing the ligament that holds the first two toes together in a game against Ohio State in October 2009.
Called a Lisfranc injury, it requires a long and arduous rehab with no guarantee of success.
Nearly two years later, Decker said the injury no longer bothers him physically or mentally.
"It's been night and day for me," Decker said. "It's so true that last year my foot was always on my mind and making me think a lot and making me be very cautious. This year, I had a great offseason, didn't have any pain, didn't have any pain through the preseason. It helps my confidence, lets me go play football again."
On Sunday, Decker ignited a win over Cincinnati when he overcame an early fumble to become the first wide receiver in team history to score twice and top 100 yards receiving in his first career start.
That followed his 90-yard punt return for a touchdown against Oakland in the opener.
His three TDs so far are one more than he had in spot duty his rookie season.
Now, it's easy to see why so many scouts considered him a surefire first-rounder before he got hurt.
"Eric is one of those guys that you can tell is just ready to take off and take it to that next level," quarterback Kyle Orton said. "He's a young guy, but (you can see) just how smart he is, the way he can make plays, the way he bounced back after a tough fumble."
Decker was having an outstanding senior season for the Golden Gophers when he got hurt but he never got down and leaned on former Broncos teammate Brandon Stokley, who overcame a similar injury.
"Eric's always been very, very strong, and I think he's always been very optimistic when it comes to everything and I think he just looked at the injury as a setback," said Adam Weber, who was his quarterback in college and is now on Denver's practice squad.
"It couldn't have happened at a worse time, he was having a great senior year and I know a lot of question marks came up when it happened. But he's remained positive, kept on doing his rehab and I think now he's reaping the benefits."
Although this year's lockout kept him out of OTAs and minicamps for the second straight season, Decker worked out with Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald in Phoenix and in Minneapolis and also participated in Brian Dawkins' organized workouts in Denver, catching plenty of passes from Orton over the summer.
"I see a clear mind," wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. "I don't see any lingering effects at all. He goes out and practices hard every day and he looks faster in the game than he does in practice.
"I actually had kind of forgotten about his foot injury until you brought it up just now."
Decker won the slot receiver job in camp and also earned punt return duties even though at 6-feet-3, he's tall for that role and represents a bigger target for coverage units.
He was pressed into an expanded role against the Bengals last week when Denver's starting wide receivers were both hobbled by groin injuries. Pro Bowler Brandon Lloyd was unable to suit up and Eddie Royal pulled up lame before halftime.
Pushed into a starring role in Denver's makeshift offense, Decker ran with it — straight to the end zone in Denver's 24-22 win, coach John Fox's first in Denver.
Decker scored on a 25-yard slant and a 52-yard deep throw.
"He's just more comfortable," Weber said, "and it takes time to adjust to this level. And obviously coming off of an injury, there were a lot of things working against him last year. But this year, you can tell that he's much calmer, much more relaxed and he's just playing football.
"This is the type of player that he was in Minnesota. It's actually a lot of fun just seeing him play football again."
Decker was considered among the top receivers in the country before his injury and many scouts were projecting him as a first-rounder. He showed his smarts at the NFL combine by scoring a 43 on the 12-minute, 50-question Wonderlic test that's used to gauge aptitude.
But his foot worried teams and the Broncos grabbed him in the third round, 97th overall.
"Well, you can play the what-if game," Weber said. "But just like when he was in high school, he was not highly recruited at all and he came in and developed and I think that's his same mentality here. He could have been a first-rounder, but I think he's used that as a chip against him, he's pushed himself and now he's performing like he's a top-notch guy."
Decker, who grew up in Cold Spring, Minn., also played center field for the Golden Gophers and was drafted by Milwaukee following his sophomore season and by Minnesota after his junior season.
Although he's absorbing the hits now instead of collecting them, Decker said he never wanted a career in baseball.
"I grew up with baseball but then football became my first love," he said. "And it fits my lifestyle better. Football's so much more structured. In baseball, you can be stuck in the minor league system, you're in buses, you don't know if you're going to be up or down, you're playing 162 games a year.
"I want to be able to play a sport where I can have a family one day and see my kids because I know a lot of baseball players that have a tough time seeing their kids through the season."
These are the kinds of things one can contemplate when the body is sound and the mind at ease.
Notes: Lloyd, DE Elvis Dumervil (shoulder), MLB D.J. Williams (elbow) and RB Knowshon Moreno (hamstring) returned to practice Wednesday after missing last week's game. Still sidelined are the three Thomases — WR Demaryius (finger, Achilles), DT Marcus (groin) and TE Julius (ankle), plus RCB Champ Bailey (hamstring) and Royal.
-- Arnie Stapleton
News & Notes
Bolts LB Mouton goes on IR; Oliver signed
SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Diego Chargers have placed rookie linebacker Jonas Mouton on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, meaning he's out for the season.
Mouton, a second-round draft pick from Michigan, was hurt in the exhibition finale and was inactive the past two weeks. To take his roster spot, the Chargers signed safety Paul Oliver to a one-year contract. Oliver was with the Chargers from 2007 through last season before leaving as an unrestricted free agent. He signed with the New Orleans Saints before being released following training camp.
Also Wednesday, wide receiver Malcom Floyd, who hurt his groin in Sunday's 35-20 loss at New England, was one of five players who didn't practice. Coach Norv Turner says tight end Antonio Gates (foot), defensive end Corey Liuget (ankle), safety Bob Sanders (knee) and running back Mike Tolbert (calf) were sorer than expected and might be able to practice Thursday.
