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EARTH CITY, Mo. -- After a two-game-in-five-days sprint last week, we fell a bit behind on our study sessions, but we’re back despite some troubles with the all-22 film on the San Francisco game.

Considering we’re dealing with two Rams games -- at Dallas and home against San Francisco -- this week’s version of study session will be condensed with a bit more overarching thoughts buoyed by examples from those games.

Let’s start with the offense.

• The offensive line has struggled mightily in the past two games, especially on the interior. Running lanes have been few and far between and quarterback Sam Bradford has had few opportunities to step up in the pocket when pressure comes from the edge.
• What’s most damaging is the amount of pressure the Cowboys and Niners got without blitzing. Bradford was blitzed just 17 times in those games and actually did quite well against the added pressure, completing 13 of those passes for 128 yards while being sacked just once. That means on 83 other drop-backs, Bradford faced normal pressure and was sacked 10 times. In San Francisco’s case, all five sacks came from rushing four or fewer. None of the Rams' running backs have showed much in pass protection, either.
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  Dilip Vishwanat/Getty ImagesDaryl Richardson has had little room to run.
  The Niners also brought out another on-going issue the Rams have in the passing game: batted passes. I had them down for three more against Bradford and that number continues to grow. Those amount to lost plays, too.
• Obviously things aren’t much better in the run game. The rushing totals speak for themselves and there’s really not any one person to point the finger at. Center Scott Wells and the two guards, Chris Williams and Harvey Dahl really struggled to create openings.
• Maybe more disappointing are the struggles of the Rams' tight ends blocking. Nobody expected Jared Cook to contribute much in that area and he’s lived up to that reputation so far (including a number of whiffs against the Niners) but even Lance Kendricks has had some struggles. Niners linebacker Ahmad Brooks manhandled Kendricks on an early Daryl Richardson run that went for no gain.
• To be sure, the blame doesn’t fall totally on the line for the Rams’ offensive struggles. None of the Rams' running backs had any success finding ways to get yards after contact on the rare occasions they weren’t swallowed up immediately. Any yards Richardson gained after contact were simply a function of falling forward when tackled.
• As for Bradford, the protection wasn’t good but he also looked as uncomfortable against San Francisco as he has in a long time. In the early part of the game, Bradford stood in the pocket despite pressure and delivered some strikes, but when the pressure piled up, that confidence seemed to vanish.
• The two most glaring missed chances were, of course, the misfire intended for Austin Pettis that Bradford had too much heat on under pressure. A little air under it and it’s a touchdown. Should have been a layup regardless of circumstance. Also, it’s perhaps a bit overlooked but Bradford’s interception to San Francisco safety Donte Whitner was another bad miss. Whitner made a heck of a play on it but there was an open window in which to drop the pass to Brian Quick that would have resulted in a big play or even a touchdown. On the play, Bradford underthrew the pass, it got deflected by Niners corner Tramaine Brock and Whitner intercepted it. You’d like Quick to be more physical to at least get it knocked away but this one was on Bradford. There was space over Quick’s outside shoulder to put that ball and he wasn’t able to do it in that spot. The result was a third-and-1 interception and the Rams got no points out of it.
• Bradford was also lucky that the Niners missed a few opportunities for easy interceptions.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More than a few people noticed when Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart ran at close to full speed down the sideline during Monday's practice.

It was the first time the former first-round pick out of Oregon tested his ankles like that since undergoing offseason surgery.

"And that was exciting,'' coach Ron Rivera said.

Said Stewart, who has struggled in particular with rehabbing the right ankle, "As good as it's felt in a while.''

So could Stewart be ready to come off the physically unable to perform list in two weeks and be ready for the Oct. 20 home game against the St. Louis Rams? Neither Stewart nor Rivera wanted to get too far ahead of themselves, but Monday's workout was encouraging.

"I'm on the coaching side,'' Rivera said. "We get excited about things. [Head trainer] Ryan Vermillion and his people, they've got to be realistic about it.

"But it was really nice to see him go full ... I shouldn't say full speed, but really open up.''

A healthy Stewart would open up a Carolina offense that already ranks third in the NFL in rushing with DeAngelo Williams carrying the bulk of the load (291 yards).

A healthy Stewart could mean a return to the days when Williams and Stewart were nicknamed "Double Trouble.''

Rivera said there have been times already this season where Williams could have used a break on long drives. He also reminded that "everything is eyeing to the postseason,'' so the Panthers (1-2) don't necessarily have to rush Stewart back. A more realistic chance of seeing Stewart might be in Week 8 or 9.

On target to return this week against Arizona is another former Oregon running back, Kenjon Barner, who has been out since suffering an ankle injury in the preseason finale.

Barner definitely will be used to spell Williams and give Carolina a different look with his breakaway speed.

"He's a very diverse football player,'' Rivera said of this year's sixth-round pick. "He has the ability to run the football and catch it, and he's learned how to pass protect. A lot of [how he's used] has to do with play calling and the flow.''

Not good enough: Much of the attention before a 38-0 victory over the New York Giants was on how well Carolina practiced after an 0-2 start.

Monday's first workout after the bye weekend wasn't that good.

"Practice was good, but it wasn't good enough, and I let them know that at the end,'' Rivera said. "They did some really good things, but as we talked about, to win football games we've got to practice the whole way.''

That may be especially true coming into a game against a 2-2 Arizona team that had to rally to beat winless Tampa Bay on Sunday.

"We've just got to make sure everybody is on the same page, everybody is pushing, because we have a chance to build momentum coming off a win,'' Rivera said.

Injury updates: Starting left cornerback Josh Thomas (concussion) has been cleared to play this week after being held out against New York. Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards (thigh) and safety Quintin Mikell (ankle), who also missed the Giants game, were not in pads on Monday and did not practice in full. They will be evaluated again on Wednesday.

Tough season for the New York Jets' wide receivers.

Stephen Hill, who left the game Sunday after suffering a head injury on the second play, was diagnosed with a concussion, Rex Ryan announced Monday. The second-year receiver was evaluated again as part of the league's protocol on concussions. It means he probably won't play next Monday night when they face the Atlanta Falcons (1-3) on the road.

Fellow receiver Jeremy Kerley suffered a concussion in the opener and missed the next game.

Hill was drilled by Titans safety Michael Griffin on the second play of the game, an underthrown ball that was intercepted by cornerback Alterraun Verner. Surprisingly, there was no flag thrown on the play. Hill walked slowly off the field and was taken to the locker room for testing.

Ryan didn't comment on the legality of the hit, saying only that there was no penalty.

The Jets could be without their starting receivers in Atlanta, as Santonio Holmes pulled a hamstring in the fourth quarter. He, too, didn't return. Ryan provided no update on Holmes, who missed the preseason as he recovered from last season's foot surgery.

Hill is the second-leading receiver on the team, with 13 catches for 233 yards and one touchdown. He's only 19 yards shy of his rookie total. Holmes has 10 receptions for 243 yards and a touchdown.

If they can't play, the likely starters would be Kerley and Ben Obomanu or Clyde Gates, with rookie Ryan Spadola also available in reserve. They could try to sign veteran free agent David Nelson, whom they worked out last week.

There will be one returning player on offense -- RB Mike Goodson, who became eligible Monday to rejoin the team for practice. His four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy is over.

A review of four hot issues after the Philadelphia Eagles' 52-20 loss to the Denver Broncos:

This game was never going to be a pleasant afternoon in the Rockies for these Eagles. After Philip Rivers dissected their patchwork secondary in Week 2, we immediately wondered how bad things would get when the Eagles faced the elite quarterbacks, with no one being more elite than Peyton Manning. Now we know.

“We ran into a buzzsaw,” Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis said after the game. Davis had left the locker room, possibly after turning in his belt and shoelaces. He spoke to reporters via the iPhone of a member of the media relations staff.

The Eagles became a part of the history that Manning is making, the same way Michael Spinks was part of the history Mike Tyson made or the rest of the field was part of the history Usain Bolt made in the Olympics. They have no choice but to accept that and find a way to move on.

The next three weeks are huge for Chip Kelly. After losing three games to the AFC West, by larger margins every week, Kelly’s Eagles play the New York Giants (0-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4) and Dallas Cowboys (2-2).

The Eagles have an opportunity to win all three of those games, which would get them to 4-3, restore their respectability and give the second half of the season meaning. All three games are against NFC teams and two are within the division, where the Eagles are 1-0. Since 1990, teams that start 1-3 have just a 14 percent chance to go to the playoffs, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But somebody is going to win the NFC East. It says so right in the rulebook. Until they lose games and ground to Dallas, the Eagles have a chance to be that team.

The offensive line is becoming an issue. Kelly laid the blame for the offensive struggles squarely on the pressure quarterback Michael Vick is experiencing. “We’ve got times where he is at the top of his drop and he’s sticking his foot into the ground and there’s pressure on him,” Kelly said. “That’s not on Mike.”

A quick history lesson: Two years ago, Andy Reid brought in longtime Indianapolis Colts assistant Howard Mudd to coach the offensive line. Mudd has a unique approach suited to slimmer, more athletic linemen. The result was a purge of players who just didn't fit. Could it be that some of the linemen here just don't fit Kelly’s own unique approach? Could it simply be that the players returning from injuries -- Jason Peters, Todd Herremans, Jason Kelce -- aren't at full health? Is it just a natural transition period?

“Someone who’s been playing fantastic for 52 plays, on the 53rd play makes a mistake up front,” Kelly said. “Somebody you expected to be picked up is creating penetration.”

Time will provide the answers, but there is enough of a body of work to start asking the questions.

There are no playmakers on this defense. Davis has been trying to scheme around the personnel he has while shifting the team from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base. The results were not very good through three weeks, and they were disastrous Sunday against the Broncos. No matter the scheme, though, a great player will find ways to make an impact: a sack on a crucial third down, a ball stripped from a running back or receiver, something. The Eagles just aren't getting those plays.

“We only have one way to go,” Davis said. “We have to get better. Everything about the defense has to improve. We have enough talent.”

Davis may or may not believe those words. The rest of us have to believe our eyes.

A review of four hot issues following the New England Patriots' 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons:

Life without Big Vince: With news that defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has a torn right Achilles, the Patriots now face life without one of their top players. How will they proceed? Wilfork’s value to the team, and the Patriots’ options to replace him, have been dissected and analyzed. Patriots coach Bill Belichick also shared some thoughts on rookies Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, who bump up the depth chart behind starter Tommy Kelly. The Patriots have had experience dealing with big injuries in the past, and this is one of the more significant ones based on Wilfork’s on-field and leadership contributions.

Other injuries to monitor: Alfonzo Dennard, elevated to the starting cornerback spot opposite Aqib Talib in the base defense, hobbled off late in the game and didn’t finish. Also, rookie receiver Aaron Dobson sustained a neck injury in the second half and never returned. Dobson has been working as the No. 3 receiver.

Gronkowski and Amendola close to returns? Tight end Rob Gronkowski and receiver Danny Amendola didn’t make the trip to Atlanta and now the focus turns to their availability for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. Gronkowski’s murky status was detailed within the context of those in his inner “circle” having some reservations about him playing. Meanwhile, Amendola, we believe, has a good chance of making his return Sunday.

Defense answers the challenge: One of the big questions facing the Patriots was if the performance of the defense through the first three weeks was more a result of playing weak competition. Few, if any, would put quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ explosive attack in that category. Thus, the general perception of the Patriots’ defense seems to be shifting a bit. This is a solid unit, sparked by the standout play of Talib.

An examination of four hot issues from the Falcons’ 30-23 loss to the Patriots:

Matty Ice-Cold? Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan threw for a career-high 421 yards, including 201 yards in the fourth quarter alone. But on the Falcons’ final desperation drive, Ryan threw three bad passes in the red zone following a 49-yard connection with Julio Jones. Ryan admitted he should have given Roddy White a better opportunity to make a play on fourth-and-7 from the Patriots’ 10-yard line, when cornerback Aqib Talib batted the ball to seal the win. Ryan also missed a wide-open White on another fourth-down play from the Patriots' 7. It’s hard to criticize a guy who has engineered 22 game-winning drives, but even Ryan knows he has to play better and possibly improvise more -- particularly in the red zone.

Defensive breakdowns: The Falcons' defense had its share of issues throughout the game. Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan will be asked exactly what happened on that third-and-19 play in the fourth quarter when Tom Brady found Kenbrell Thompkins for a 26-yard gain from his own 12-yard line. The Falcons faked an all-out blitz, went with a three-man rush and managed to let Thompkins get behind them in coverage. William Moore added to the misery with a hit-to-the-head penalty. Giving up that play is inexcusable, based on the down and distance, and it has to be addressed immediately.

On the line: The offensive line remains a question mark, although Ryan was sacked just twice. One of those sacks -- allowed by Lamar Holmes -- came in the red zone and forced the Falcons to settle for a field goal. Center Peter Konz whiffed on the other sack allowed. Left tackle Sam Baker went down with a knee injury but picked up two successive penalties before exiting. If Baker is out a significant amount of time, the Falcons might want to consider looking around for more offensive-line help based on the struggles Holmes has had at tackle.

Fountain of youth: If there was a positive to come out of Sunday’s game, it was the play of veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez. He ran smooth routes and dominated his one-on-one matchups against linebackers en route to a career-high 149 receiving yards on 12 catches. Gonzalez was targeted a team-high 14 times after subtly bringing up his touches last week. More than anything, Gonzalez showed just how valuable he'll be to Ryan for the rest of the season. We’ll see if Ryan tries to talk him out of retirement once again.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs won’t be the team without their starting quarterback on Sunday when they meet the Titans in Nashville, Tenn., but they should have an extensive injury list during preparations this week.

The most pressing issue is the sore knee that caused starting cornerback Brandon Flowers to miss the Chiefs’ 31-7 win over the New York Giants. Coach Andy Reid said Flowers still has inflammation of the knee, so his practice week, at the least, could again be disrupted.

Veteran Dunta Robinson started the game as Flowers’ replacement but he yielded a 69-yard touchdown pass from Eli Manning to Victor Cruz. Rookie Marcus Cooper then replaced Robinson and played well, but over the long haul Flowers is one of the Chiefs’ best defensive players.

Rookie offensive tackle Eric Fisher left the Giants game late in the first half after receiving a concussion. He was replaced by Donald Stephenson. The Chiefs will similarly monitor Fisher’s progress throughout the week.

“When you look at it, he got hit more in the shoulder area than he did the head,’’ Reid said. “He didn’t take that direct blow to the head, which is a good thing. I think that will end up being a plus for him going forward.’’

Among other injured players, running back Jamaal Charles has what Reid called “very extensive” blisters on his feet and punter Dustin Colquitt has a sprained knee. Both players were able to finish the game and should be ready to play in Nashville.

Two other starters, tight end Anthony Fasano (ankle) and guard Jeff Allen (groin), did not play against the Giants and it may be at least another week until either player is ready for a game.

The 3-1 Titans will be without quarterback Jake Locker, who injured his hip in a win over the New York Jets. He will be replaced by veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick.

A review of four hot issues from the Washington Redskins' 24-14 win against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

Sudden change: After three weeks of Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford, the Redskins weren't about to complain. Oakland's Matt Flynn was not going to threaten them downfield as much as those quarterbacks, nor did he have the mobility to give them fits as Terrelle Pryor would have. So the Redskins caught a break. However, the defense deserves credit for how it played, holding the Raiders’ offense to one touchdown. Also, the defense handled the sudden-change situations well. The Redskins allowed a fake punt to be converted, giving the Raiders a first down at their own 47-yard line. The defense forced a punt three plays later. In the third quarter, the Redskins turned it over at their own 42. But the defense again held, forcing a missed 52-yard field goal attempt. How big was that? Washington’s offense then drove for the go-ahead touchdown.

Healthy Helu: During the summer, it was clear that running back Roy Helu, finally healthy, could become a weapon on offense. But, because of the lopsided nature of games -- and the inability to keep defenses guessing -- it has been tough to showcase Helu at all. But the Redskins saw what he could do Sunday, particularly in the open field. If running back Alfred Morris (ribs) has to miss any time -- the bye week comes at a good time for him -- the Redskins can still be effective running the ball with Helu. He’s not as patient as Morris and doesn't set up blocks as well, which leads to a lot more 1- and 2-yard gains, but he’ll hit some big ones because of his quick feet and speed. He’s more dangerous in the passing game and his pass protection was solid Sunday, too.

Turnaround game: The big question will be whether or not Sunday’s win signaled the start of something or was a fluke. Both sides of the ball continued to have some issues: third-down passing for the offense and consistency on defense (can they handle a good offense?) They’re fortunate the NFC East is struggling, which buys them some time. Still, they were tested Sunday and passed. Now they just need to win in Dallas after the bye.

Play-action success: Because the Redskins stuck with the ground game and eventually gained control of the game, they were able to use more play-action passes. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Redskins used play-action on 24 percent of their throws in the first three games compared to 42 percent Sunday. Quarterback Robert Griffin III completed 10-of-13 play-action passes for 119 yards. Their offense works best this way.

An examination of four hot issues from the Oakland Raiders' 24-14 loss to the Washington Redskins:

Why no FG?: There was still more than 3 minutes left to play and the Raiders, down 10 points, were at Washington’s 17-yard line facing fourth-and-1. Surely it was time to trot out Sebastian Janikowski for the chippy 35-yard field goal and get within a touchdown, no? Well, um, no. Coach Dennis Allen decided to go for it, with a quarterback sneak by Matt Flynn. “It was fourth-and-inches and we have to be able to make inches,” Allen said. Flynn instead fumbled and the Raiders turned it over on downs, still needing two scores. “We hadn’t been moving the ball up and down the field, and to get a chance to be down there when you’re in scoring position,” Allen said, “you can possibly get a touchdown, we have to make inches.” Except, even if Flynn had been successful in getting a few inches, more time would have burned off the clock, and Oakland still would have had 16 yards to go with two timeouts.

Blocked punt reincarnate: It only looked like a repeat of Derrick Jensen blocking Jeff Hayes' punt and recovering it in the end zone for the Raiders’ first points of Super Bowl XVIII. But Rashad Jennings blocking Sav Rocca's punt did the same for Oakland on this day, as Jeremy Stewart recovered the ball in the end zone for the 7-0 advantage. It was Jennings’ second career block -- he almost had another in the fourth quarter -- and Stewart’s first career touchdown.

Hurry-up on the way? Washington prepared a blueprint for future Raiders opponents. Robert Griffin III running the no-huddle in the second quarter helped turn the momentum after the Raiders had taken a 14-0 lead. “When nothing is going your way,” Griffin said, “you’ve got to try something … it kind of tired their defense out a little bit. We were able to move the ball more consistently and convert third downs.”

Of explosive plays IV: And now for our weekly tracking of “explosive” plays. As deemed by Allen, such a play is one that gains at least 16 yards through the air, 12 yards on the ground. The Raiders had eight such plays against Washington, two runs and six passes. Washington also had eight explosive plays, two runs and six passes. In three games, the Raiders have 34 explosive plays (12 runs, 22 passes), with three passes for touchdowns. Oakland’s opponents have 31 explosive plays, eight runs and 23 passes with a touchdown each way.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- An examination for four hot issues from the Denver Broncos' 52-20 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

Spread it thick: It is what some defensive coordinators envisioned when the Broncos reeled in Wes Welker in free agency: With a quarterback as accomplished -- and as patient at this point in his career -- as Peyton Manning is, defending the Broncos' three-wide look would be a chore. And it has been just that as Manning has targeted Demaryius Thomas, Welker and Eric Decker 38, 37 and 35 times, respectively, and the three have 29, 26 and 24 catches, respectively

Screen it in: When Sunday’s game was still somewhat in the balance, the Eagles did have some success in the screen game against the Broncos' aggressive front seven, including a short toss to running back Bryce Brown that turned into a 34-yard gain early, along with a 21-yarder to running back LeSean McCoy. Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has used running back DeMarco Murray plenty in the passing game -- 21 catches, tied for second on the team -- so it will be something for the Broncos to consider this week.

Finish it: Whenever Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is asked about some tweak in the scheme, he will often get the conversation back to “leverage and tackling" at some point. “It’s basic, as old as football," he said. And when things don’t go right for the Broncos' defense, it’s often because they did not fulfill that maxim. They have been steady in that department for much of the early going, but when the Eagles did move the ball Sunday, there was often a missed tackle to blame. That included a Robert Ayers miss on Michael Vick in the first quarter to go with missed tackles from linebackers Wesley Woodyard and Nate Irving later in the quarter on back-to-back plays, both on McCoy.

Go big: When kick returner Trindon Holliday scores a touchdown, it is almost always an enormous, momentum-swinging play, including his 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Eagles. In 16 games with the Broncos, last season's playoff loss included, Holliday now has six touchdown returns, with the shortest one being a 76-yard punt return last season. His three kickoff returns for scores have been for 105, 104 and 105 yards.

A review of four hot issues from the Dallas Cowboys' 30-21 loss to the San Diego Chargers on Sunday.

Don’t lament the running game: The easy thing to do after a game is look at the final stats and say something like, "The Cowboys should have run it more."

DeMarco Murray had 70 yards on 14 carries, and, as a team, the Cowboys had 92 yards on 16 carries. However, the Cowboys did not have the ball enough in the second half to continue to make a dent with the running game. They were down two scores by the time they had their third possession of the second half, and running it made no sense.

The line rotation appears over: The right guard job now belongs to Brian Waters. After playing two series in each half of the Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and then alternating series with Mackenzy Bernadeau in the Week 3 win against the St. Louis Rams, Waters played the entire game Sunday against the Chargers. The Cowboys like Waters' strength and savvy, but left guard Ronald Leary will have to remain on his toes. As much as the Cowboys like him, they will not hesitate to make a move. So far this season, the Cowboys have benched Will Allen and Bruce Carter. They’re not afraid to make a decision.

Quick-strike defense: With Sean Lee's 52-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter, the Cowboys have three defensive scores in four games. They had three all of last season, and the last time they had four in a season came in 2010 after Jason Garrett took over as head coach.

Brandon Carr returned an interception of Eli Manning for a touchdown in the season-opening win against the New York Giants and Barry Church added a 27-yard fumble return for a score. Perhaps it could be an omen for this week’s game against the Denver Broncos. The last time the Cowboys saw Peyton Manning, Lee and Orlando Scandrick returned interceptions for touchdowns on Dec. 5, 2010, when Manning was with the Indianapolis Colts.

Need field-position work: Chris Jones has a big leg, but he needs to do a better job of pinning opponents deep in their territory. And when he has a punt land on the 15, as happened Sunday, the coverage team has to down the ball before it gets to the end zone. Lance Dunbar was unable to track a Jones punt in the fourth quarter, which went for a touchback and gave the Chargers the ball at the 20.

Six plays later, Antonio Gates had a 56-yard touchdown catch. Had Dunbar made the play, then the Chargers could have had to go a longer distance to score. Of course, with the way the defense played Sunday, it might not have mattered.

 

Less than 12 hours after news broke that Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork had suffered an Achilles tear that will likely shelve him for the remainder of this season, his teammates spoke about his impact -- one that transcends what the box score says.

"Obviously Vince is a huge asset to our team not only on the field, but off the field," fellow defensive captain Jerod Mayo said. "And he's a great leader, he demands double teams in the run game and he also coordinates some of the rushes in the passing game as well."

For Mayo, losing Wilfork doesn't just mean having to play without the team's best defensive lineman and one that clears space for him and his fellow linebackers to run around, but it also affects him personally, as he and Wilfork are close friends.

"Obviously Vince has been a staple for a long time and he rarely goes down with an injury, so it's very shocking and surprising to see my friend go down like that," he said.

Guard Logan Mankins, another team captain that has worked opposite of Wilfork during innumerable practices, understands the value of what the burly nose tackle brings to the defense.

"Vince is a big-time challenge," he said. "Not only [is he] strong and powerful, but he's quick for a man his size and he's a smart player."

While Wilfork is often thought about in regards to his run defense contributions -- he's the foundation for the Patriots in that sense -- he is a productive member of the team's pass rush, too.

"He just pushes the pocket, he's always collapsing the inside and helps the edge rush," Mankins said of Wilfork as a rusher. "He just does so many things for us."

While head coach Bill Belichick noted on Monday morning that the team is still gathering information about Wilfork's status, signs point to him landing on injured reserve.

As was the case last night when Wilfork departed the game in the first quarter, the Patriots will fall back on their tried-and-true remedy when there's an injury.

"We always talk about next man up, and we have a lot of talented guys on our team," Mayo said. "I think Vince got hurt in the first quarter yesterday and guys stepped up and played well for him. We ended up getting the victory, which is always a good thing, but that's our mentality, next man up."

On Sunday night, it was a pair of rookies, Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, who wound up earning more playing time than they've been accustomed to (it was Jones' Patriots debut), and they held their own, helping to limit Atlanta to just 58 yards rushing.

"Those guys, they play hard, they're always in the film room," Mayo said of Vellano and Jones. "The coaches always have them ready to go and I think football is all about preparation during the week, and those guys prepare well and came in the game and did some good things."

TAMPA, Fla. -- Safety Dashon Goldson will not be suspended for his hit on Jaron Brown in Tampa Bay’s 13-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

An NFL spokesperson said Monday that NFL vice president of football operations Merton Hanks already has determined the hit doesn’t warrant a suspension. But the league said Goldson could be fined for the hit, which came in the fourth quarter and drew a personal foul.

Goldson initially was supposed to be suspended for Week 3 for a hit on New Orleans’ Darren Sproles. But Goldson appealed that and got his penalty reduced to a $100,000 fine. Goldson also was fined $30,000 for a hit in the season opener. Since 2009, Goldson has been flagged with a league-high 16 personal fouls.

SAN DIEGO -- In just his second career start, San Diego Chargers rookie receiver Keenan Allen made the most of his opportunities against the Dallas Cowboys.

Allen finished with five receptions for 80 yards on Sunday. But even more important, Allen earned the trust of veteran quarterback Philip Rivers.

San Diego’s signal caller pointed to an acrobatic, 31-yard reception Allen made on third-and-8 from San Diego’s 37-yard line that provided enough evidence for Rivers that the receiver out of Cal was the real deal.

“I certainly have trust for him, but you have more trust when you make plays on Sundays during games,” Rivers said. “And he was awesome today (Sunday). When he went up and caught that ball on the go route there on third-and-8 ... that does a lot for me.

“It’s kind of like, ‘All right, I'll throw that again now.’ If that doesn’t go for a completion, you say, ‘Okay, I’m going to work it front side.’ But him going and getting that ball and making some of the other plays he did in the game was huge.”

A third-round selection in this year’s draft by San Diego, Allen had been projected as a first- or second-round prospect, but fell down the draft board because of a knee injury suffered during the final portion of his junior year at Cal.

The Chargers eased him into the offense. But with big receiver Malcom Floyd out the past two games with a knee issue, San Diego looked to get the 6-2, 211-pound Allen more involved the past two games.

“I just treat it like practice, even though it’s not practice,” Allen said with a laugh. “But I definitely treat it like practice, try to make everything smooth, and try to keep your confidence up.”

Allen now has eight receptions for 110 yards this season, and is averaging 13.8 yards per reception. San Diego coach Mike McCoy expects Allen to get more chances to make plays like he did on Sunday down the road.

“He’s a young player who’s getting better every week,” McCoy said. “The more reps he gets, the better he’s going to be. It’s a learning curve for him. It’s different. We throw a lot of things at him. And when you play a game like we played today (Sunday) -- up-tempo, no-huddle, doing a lot of things -- you don’t have a lot of time to think. He made the most of every opportunity.”

An examination of five topics from the Indianapolis Colts’ 37-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Feeling at home: Colts nickelback Darius Butler is making Jacksonville a second home. Butler intercepted a Blaine Gabbert pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown on Sunday. The touchdown was the second in as many games in Jacksonville for Butler. He had two interceptions, a touchdown, a fumble recovery and two passes defended in the Colts' win at Jacksonville on Nov. 8, 2012. Butler was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in that game. “I’m originally from Ft. Lauderdale, so I guess it’s the Florida ties I have here,” Butler said, laughing.

A lot of carries, not a lot of yards: Running back Trent Richardson got his first start in place of the injured Ahmad Bradshaw. Richardson got a lot of carries (20), but he had a difficult time finding running room. He finished with only 60 yards rushing, with 12 yards being his longest run. Donald Brown rushed for more yards (65) than Richardson on 17 fewer carries. Richardson is averaging only 2.9 yards a carry. Bradshaw’s status for next week’s showdown against Seattle is uncertain. It’ll be interesting to see who coach Chuck Pagano starts if Bradshaw is ready to play. “I feel real good,” Richardson said. “I know the big run is going to come. I know I have to contribute more to the offense, but when it comes to the time where it’s play-action and they’re not touching [quarterback Andrew] Luck and our receivers are catching the ball, that’s also a good day for me.”

Continuing the winning ways: The Colts ended September with a 3-1 record and tied with Tennessee for first place in the AFC South. The Colts have a league-best 26-10 record in September games since 2003 -- one more victory in that span than New England and Seattle.

Pounding it on the ground: Richardson has gotten off to a slow start in his two games with Indianapolis, but that hasn’t stopped the Colts from continuing to be a balanced team. The Colts have rushed for at least 100 yards in all four games this season. The team record for consecutive 100-yard games to open the season is five. They can tie the record when they face a Seattle defense that is giving up 109 yards a game on the ground this season. The Colts are fourth in the league in rushing at 149.5 yards a game. The Colts have run the ball 121 times compared to 131 pass attempts. That's pretty balanced.

Reed finally makes his debut: Do you remember receiver/kick returner David Reed? It’s OK if his name doesn’t ring a bell. Reed was acquired for running back Delone Carter from Baltimore in training camp, but he spent the first three weeks of the season dealing with a concussion and quad injury. Reed finally made his debut Sunday. He returned two kickoffs for 45 yards. The goal is for Reed to be the team’s kick returner if he can remain healthy.