Philly "Egos"

Andy Reid is in the unaccustomed position of having to juggle some big-time offensive talent - and the egos that come with that talent. Reid and Donovan McNabb said after Sunday's win that the Bucs rolled their coverage to Jackson, a big part of why rookie Maclin always seemed open, to the tune of six catches for 142 yards and his first two NFL TDs. "It's definitely frustrating to go from a situation where you're getting all those catches, and then you have a game with one catch," Jackson said last night on ESPN 950's "DeSean Jackson Show." He has 13 catches for 260 yards in four games. "There's going to be times when the other team is going to try to take me out of the game. It was good to see Jeremy go over the top and make those catches ... Jeremy just came up huge ... As long as we're winning, everybody's happy." The other position, running back, Westbrook made it clear afterward that eight touches a game is not what he has in mind, now that he feels his ankle is healthy.Reid said the Eagles would rotate Westbrook and McCoy "as long as we need to, and as long as [Westbrook] feels comfortable with his foot. We can increase things, but right now, that's where we're at, and we'll see how it works this week."

Get Moss the Ball

Head coach Bill Belichick admitted on Monday that the Patriots need to get wide receiver Randy Moss more help. “They played a lot of the game in some type of coverage over the top to Randy and tried to squeeze off everyone else,” Belichick told the Boston Globe. “We got to do a better job of running the ball and we got to have a better job of having everybody contribute to the passing game. That’s the long and short of it.” Moss caught one pass from quarterback Tom Brady in Sunday’s loss to Denver, while also catching one pass from Kyle Orton on an interception at the end of the first half. The Patriots either have to take better advantage of the attention being paid to Moss or find a way to get him the ball. Moss has been getting the short of it this season, with teams refusing to let him beat them deep and quarterback Tom Brady self-admittedly misfiring when Moss has gotten behind defenses. Look for Moss to be more effective in the upcoming weeks.

Slowly Coming Back

Tomlinson ave a modest review of his performance Sunday night, his first action since suffering a high ankle sprain in the team’s opener. “I felt pretty good but I’m still working my way back,” Tomlinson said. “I wouldn’t say I was there. I’m a little rusty. I tripped and fell a couple times. I’ll play better.” The way Sunday night’s game in Pittsburgh played out didn’t allow many opportunities for Tomlinson. The Chargers fell two touchdowns behind in the first quarter and were forced to throw the ball 36 times. That left LT with just 15 yards on seven carries. “We got down so fast and we couldn’t run the ball,” Tomlinson said. “We weren’t able to stick to the game plan with what we wanted to do.” Here is an interview:

Q: Are you disappointed that you only got seven carries?

A: "We got down so fast, we couldn't run the ball and stick to our game plan."

Q: How did you feel physically?

A: I'm still working my way back, a little rusty. I tripped and fell a couple of times, lost my feet. Things I was seeing were there, but I was a little rusty. Just from not being in there.

Q: How did you feel about being beaten the way you guys were, especially early?

A: It was turning into something of an embarrassment starting out. I'm happy with the way we fought back. We made a run at the end. But at the same time, we'd like to stick to our game plan and not get behind like we did today.

Q: Is this bye week coming at a good time for the Chargers?

A: I think so. We've got quite a few guys who are banged up.

Q: You guys have a history of coming on late, but how concerning is it that Denver is 4-0?

A: Very concerned. They're playing great football offensively and defensively. They beat a very good team today in the Cowboys. That Monday night game (Oct. 19 vs. Denver) is going to be very important for us. But at the same time, Denver still has to play Pittsburgh, Baltimore, New England. They've still got a pretty tough schedule.

Q: Are you surprised to be 2-2 going into the bye?

A: We've had a tough first month, injuries, and we've lost to the two teams that were in the AFC championship game. We could very well see them again down the road.

Being the Best

Despite his popularity, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson doesn't act like a diva around Winter Park. But Peterson didn't mask his self-confidence in a conference call with St. Louis reporters. "Yeah, I play this game to be the best. Not only the best back, but the best player and that's how I look at it," said Peterson, who is second in rushing and third in yards from scrimmage. "If I looked at it any other way, I'd be cheating myself. Not only to narrow it down to running backs, but I feel like I'm the best player." Still, Peterson credited his offensive line for helping him on several occasions. "I am grateful and I know it comes along with my offensive line," he said. "Those guys really are the ones that open the holes for me and really pave my way. I've got the easy job - just run behind those guys."

Time for Change

Butch Davis is hopeful that a simple solution can be found this week that will solve North Carolina's growing offensive problems during a break from ACC play. UNC will scale down the details of its offensive game-planning before playing Georgia Southern. UNC is coming off consecutive losses in which it has scored a combined 10 points and rushed for a combined 56 yards. Davis will consider using Ryan Houston, the team's biggest and strongest tailback, more this week in place of struggling Shaun Draughn, who has rushed for 51 yards on 21 carries in the last two games, including a 24-7 loss at Georgia Tech. Draughn's longest run in those games was 9 yards. Davis said that Draughn will likely receive the most carries against Georgia Southern, and that the percentage of the split between Draughn and Houston would be about 60-40. Not only that, but there has been rumors about Freshman Bryn Renner's (who's considered North Carolina's quarterback of the future) possibility playing. Renner is considered one of the best quarterback prospects nationally in his class. Five games into the 2009 season, Renner, a 6-3, 195-pound freshman from West Springfield, Va., hasn't taken a snap. The plan had been to redshirt Renner. This would be the time since he will be playing lower Division I opponent this week, followed by a bye and 12 total days between games, is a window for Renner to get acclimated for a second half turnaround.

The Drama Finally Over!

And so it happened, as a months-long standoff turned into whirlwind negotiations. The sides broke their silence Sunday and quickly hammered out a six-year deal that includes $17 million in guaranteed money. Crabtree's contract was complete by about 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. By about 1 p.m., he was on the 49ers' practice field. The No. 10 pick in April's draft will not play in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. After the bye week, he could make his debut Oct. 25 against the Houston Texans. For now, Crabtree is just happy to put the prolonged negotiations behind him. "It's a humbling experience," he said. "I feel like going through that, it made me look at the world a different way, look at my teammates a different way. Hopefully, it works out for the best." Michael Crabtree may think he can jump right into the mix with the San Francisco 49ers, in which he is so wrong. The big thing will be how fast he can pick up the game in the NFL.

Cincy? Yes

The University of Cincinnati football team has risen in the Associated Press Top-25 football rankings to No. 8 from No. 10 in week 6. UC is the highest-ranked football team in Ohio; Ohio State is ranked at No. 9. In contrast, USA Today ranked Cincinnati at No. 10, while Ohio State came in at No. 8. The Bearcats stand at 5-0 this season and 1–0 in the Big East, while the Buckeyes are 4–1 overall and 2–0 in the Big Ten. They are def a BCS buster this year. Their "hardest" challenge is beating USF who is undefeated as well. It will be a good game and if they come out good and win the rest, the sky is the limit

Stepping Up Lately

The Trojans welcome a free Saturday this week, tailback Joe McKnight probably would like to just keep rolling. McKnight reached a milestone in the seventh-ranked Trojans' victory over California, carrying the ball a career-high 20 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. "I wasn't getting tired," McKnight said Monday after a team meeting. "I'll take it as long as they keep giving it to me." The junior had expected a heavier workload against Cal after senior Stafon Johnsonsuffered a serious throat injury in a weightlifting accident last Monday. McKnight's previous high for carries was 16 against Ohio State on Sept. 12.

Goals Not Out of Sight

Sam Bradford said Tuesday that he plans to play against Baylor on Saturday, provided he has no medical setbacks during practices this week. Oklahoma's 2-2 record is only part of Bradford's incentive to turn this week. Everyone in Sooner Nation knows what looms for OU on Oct. 17 in Dallas. "To get a game under my belt before Texas would definitely be beneficial for me and for our offense," said Bradford, speaking to reporters for the first time in nearly a month. But before Sooners fans rejoice at the prospect of Bradford riding in to salvage the season, some significant "ifs" remain. Bradford intended to play last Saturday at Miami but felt soreness and fatigue in his arm as the week progressed. No one can rule out a repeat this week. Bradford also said surgery remains a possibility. "From everything the doctors have said, it's all a matter of how my arm reacts," he said. "Until I get out there, until I practice, until I make all the throws, until I play in a game, then I'm not going to know. As a Sam Bradford-guy, I am hoping that this is not the case because then everybody like Skip Bayless will be saying how he should have left when 4 out of his 5 lineman left. Well I know he wanted to stay because he felt like they left some plays in the BCS game, but looks like he will not be returning this year. But there's still a possibility. To win another Big 12 championship and become the first team to win four straight Big 12 championships, I still think there's a lot in front of this team.

Are the 'Canes back

Although the passing game has drawn the most attention, the 'Canes remain content on establishing the run. Coach Shannon said they were so successful in last week's 21-20 victory against Oklahoma because of their ability to run. Running back Javarris James rushed for a season-high 150 yards on 15 carries. "If our running game is going, it makes the passing game a lot easier," Shannon said. "Javarris starts running the football, the linebacker, the safeties have to come up." The performance came just a week after the Hurricanes were shut down against VT, rushing for a season-low 59 yards. Shannon said UM's offense has been most dominant with the presence of a run game. He cited the OU and Georgia Tech wins, both games where the Hurricanes topped 100 yards rushing. "(Our offense) can be really scary if you run the football like we did the other night," Shannon said. I mean as bad as I was rooting for OU this year, I have to give props to the U for making a comeback and is starting to be a team to contend with. I was a temporary U fan during Coker years so I have seen the best. If this team continues to get better they will really be making noise next year.