Posted by ESPN.com’s Tim Graham



Chad Pennington is being realistic about his career outlook, but he’s not ready to say he has quarterbacked his last down.



“I’m certainly not going to close the book,” Pennington told reporters Wednesday. “People have tried to close the book on me before, and I have kept it open.”



Still, his career most certainly is in jeopardy. He’s facing the third surgery on his throwing shoulder, and his contract with the Miami Dolphins expires after this season. He will turn 34 before the start of next season.



Pennington injured his right shoulder in Sunday’s road loss to the San Diego Chargers. The initial diagnosis is that Pennington requires surgery. He will seek a second opinion from sports orthopedist Dr. James Andrews on Thursday.



“I think you guys know how competitive I am and how driven I am,” Pennington said. “So I am going to map out a plan and take it one step at a time. The plan will probably change throughout the time, and I will take different roads here and there, but I will definitely have a plan from here on out.”



Pennington sounded like he was contemplating the possibility his career might be over. If he doesn’t return to the field, he can look back on some fine achievements. Pennington was runner-up to Peyton Manning for league MVP last year and was named Comeback Player of the Year a second time.



“My wife and I have been through this before,” Pennington said. “We are trying to draw upon our previous experiences and understand that we have been truly blessed and have had some amazing opportunities to meet some amazing people and experienced some really neat things as a professional athlete.



“There are some worse things going on in this world than a bum shoulder; that’s for sure. Things will be fine, and we know that. In the meantime, in the short term, we have a lot of things to focus on and reevaluate and map out and make sure we are leading our family in the right direction.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s Tim Graham



We all know the New York Jets love to blitz.



But until you see a breakdown of the numbers, it’s hard to quantify how much the Jets get after it compared to every other team.

	Aristide Economopoulos/US PRESSWIRE
	The Jets are blitzing more than any other team in the league.

ESPN Stats & Information tracks every snap and has determined the Jets have sent added pressure a whopping 62.6 percent of the time through the first three weeks. They have recorded only four sacks, but anybody who has watched the Jets’ defense can’t deny how their disruptive ways have rattled quarterbacks and short-circuited opposing offenses.



That’s far and away the largest percentage in the league. The Chicago Bears are next when it comes to sending added pressure at 47.5 percent.



The NFL average is 35.6 percent.



The Oakland Raiders are the most conservative team at 11.0 percent.



Stats & Information defines “standard pressure” as four pass-rushers. But if, for example, only three advance and a fourth comes from the secondary, then that would be considered “added pressure.”



This might not jibe with how individual teams define extra pressure, but as long as it’s being applied uniformly, you get a good idea how active each defense is.



The rest of the AFC East is closer to the average.



The New England Patriots rank 12th in added pressure at 34.6 percent. The Buffalo Bills are 14th at 36.9 percent, while the Miami Dolphins are 19th at 40.6 percent.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson



The San Diego Union Tribune is reporting that star running back LaDainian Tomlinson is back on the practice field.



The newspaper reported that Tomlinson appeared to moving around the field well. He has missed past two games with an ankle injury. They are the only two regular-season games Tomlinson has missed in his nine-season career.



I will check back later Wednesday when the Chargers release their practice participation list, which will reveal how much Tomlinson practiced. Tomlinson’s availability would spark the Chargers in a pivotal game at Pittsburgh on Sunday.



The newspaper reported that rookie guard Louis Vasquez was practicing Wednesday. He missed the past two games with a knee injury. Linebacker Shawne Merriman was not on the practice field Wednesday. His has missed significant parts of the past two games with a groin injury. Merriman could be held out of the Pittsburgh game to rest. The Chargers have a bye the next week.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Tim Graham



Terrell Owens had a much more productive encounter with the media Wednesday certainly than he did Sunday.



Owens chose to parry with reporters who cover the Buffalo Bills after his no-catch, 27-7 home loss to the New Orleans Saints.



Speaking with them for the first time since that controversial news conference, Owens began the interview similar to Sunday’s news conference but loosened up and became more forthright. He shared some of his thoughts on the offense, his role on the team and his burgeoning feud with NBC Sports analyst Rodney Harrison.



Highlights from a transcript provided by the Bills:



On Sunday’s game:

“We had some opportunities there to win the game. It was 10-7, and we missed some connections there, where we could have gone up on them and then probably put them in a situation where they have to pass a lot.

“I really don’t think enough credit has been given to our defense because they played a hell of a ball game. When you think about what [the Saints] have done the last two weeks prior to playing us, they have put up big numbers. [Drew] Brees has put up some big numbers as far as yardage, and we eliminated the things that they did in getting into the end zone.

“So [the Bills defense] played a tremendous ballgame and, offensively, we didn’t help the defense out. We took some knocks all the way around with the game and with some injuries. So we just have to keep getting better, keep plugging away and I think the guys are doing that.”

On his tweets in response to Harrison calling him “a clown” on TV:

“I have already responded to that. It is what it is. Those guys are going to say what they want to say and I can only take so much of being the butt of someone’s jokes. They want to try to get on there and make a name for themselves, but I’m not going to allow someone to just call me a clown and just run all over me. I have been taking enough heat as it is with the media. When you have someone who as played this game, but I have responded the way I knew how, said what I had to say and left it at that.”

On claiming his comments get taken out of context:

“It is very frustrating because I think that some of the guys and the coaches want to me step up and be more vocal and say things as a leader. I feel like sometimes I try to do that, try to say things in a subtle way without being harsh, but other outlets are taking those quotes, making them headlines and making them more of an issue than they really are. I think that that is why the first couple of games I tended not to say anything after the games.”

On why subtlety is important:

“That is because I have always been vocal and always spoken honestly, and I think over the years that has gotten me in trouble and created some sort of division in the locker room with some of the guys on the team, and I just try to do the right thing now. Even when I try to do the right thing, it is not the right thing. I am in a situation where I am in a no-win situation. So I just try to be the best I can be without offending someone.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s Tim Graham



Drew Brees hasn’t encountered a defense he hasn’t been able to shred.



Buffalo Bills fans might want to point to Sunday’s game in Ralph Wilson Stadium, where Brees and the New Orleans Saints were limited to a respectable 172 passing yards. But with Pierre Thomas maintaining a 9.0-yard rushing average and two touchdowns in the second half, Brees didn’t need to cock his arm.



But Brees will meet his defensive match Sunday in the Superdome.



The New York Jets have give all three quarterbacks they’ve faced fits.

As the accompanying chart shows, Brees and the Jets’ passing defense rank either No. 1 or No. 2 in completion percentage, yards per attempt and passer rating.



“The thing about this kid — and we’ve played him before — if you run a traditional coverage against this guy, he’ll carve you up,” Jets head coach Rex Ryan said.



Traditional never has described Ryan’s defense.



The Jets are the NFL’s only team to keep opponents from completing less than half of their attempts. They’ve held Matt Schaub, Tom Brady and Kerry Collins to 47.9 percent, more than 21 points below Brees’ completion percentage.



The last defense to have allowed fewer than 50 percent of passes completed through three games is last year’s Baltimore Ravens, who were at 43.5 percent. Ryan was the Ravens’ defensive coordinator.



The Jets have kept opposing quarterbacks to 4.7 yards per attempt, nearly half of what Brees gains every time he throws.



“They have the best offense,” Jets linebacker David Harris said. “They’ve got a lot of weapons. They spread the ball out and they’re lead by Drew Brees who is kind of lights out right now. They put up points on everybody, so we’ve got a handful this week.”

Every week in The Rankings, we’ll keep you up to date on the constantly changing lists of the Overall Top 10 players at their respective positions as well as who we think will be Top 10 in the upcoming week.  The lists will be sorted based on individual player production/projection.  We’ll also throw in some Flops, players that have been playing poorly or may disappoint you in the coming weeks and some Raises, players who may have the opportunity to score big for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert



And on Wednesday, they rested — at least from their media obligations. Minnesota players had Wednesday off, and their counterparts in Green Bay are going through a half-day of meetings in preparation for the Oct. 5 showdown at the Metrodome.



The breather gives us a chance to consider some of the bigger issues and larger implications of Favre-Packers I. ESPN’s Jeffri Chadiha, for example, looked at what happens when longtime stars relocate to new cities. David Fleming of ESPN the Magazine broke down all 43 of Brett Favre’s fourth-quarter comebacks, finding a few holes in the statistical compilation.



As a grunt blogger, I started making a chart that I’ll invite you to complete. The major allure of this game is seeing Favre play against his former team. So before that takes place, let’s take a moment to remember Favre’s top performances against his current one. I’ll list three Favre versus the Vikings’ games that come to mind, and you’re welcome to add your thoughts to the comments below. I’ll complete the chart, with your help, by the end of the week.



Let’s get to it.



1. The Antonio Freeman play

Date: Nov. 6, 2000

What happened: Favre tossed a 43-yard touchdown to Freeman in overtime during a driving rain at Lambeau Field. The ball bounced off Vikings cornerback Cris Dishman and into the hands of Freeman, who had slipped and was lying on his stomach when the ball arrived. Freeman jumped up, dashed into the end zone for a 26-20 victory. This play is more about Freeman than Favre, but it’s the first play that popped in my head when I thought about Favre and the Vikings.



2. The Christmas (Eve) Miracle

Date: Dec. 24, 2004

What happened: In a Week 16 matchup to decide the NFC North, Favre brought the Packers back from a seven-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Included in that span was a fourth-down touchdown pass to receiver Donald Driver and a 2-minute drill that concluded with Ryan Longwell’s 29-yard field goal on the last play of a 34-31 victory. Favre completed 30 of 43 passes for 365 yards and three touchdowns in the game.



3. ”Yesterday’s news”

Date: Sept. 26, 1999

What happened: With 12 seconds remaining, Favre threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Corey Bradford to lift the Packers to a 23-20 victory. The play came on fourth down. After the game, then-Vikings coach Dennis Green ordered his players to move on quickly from the disappointment. Then, in a news conference minutes later, Green famously refused to discuss the play because he considered it “yesterday’s news.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s Mike Sando



Writing off the defending NFC champions after three games would be a mistake.



For all their struggles during a 1-2 start, the Arizona Cardinals have proven at least one thing under coach Ken Whisenhunt: Past performance isn’t a reliable indicator.

The team that went from 7-3 to 9-7 to the Super Bowl last season could turn its current 1-2 record into 3-2 simply by defeating Houston at home and Seattle on the road following its Week 4 bye.



The Cardinals still face St. Louis twice, Carolina at home and Detroit on the road.



Getting to 9-7 again seems doable even if Arizona fails to recapture the consistency it showed in the playoffs. That might be good enough to win the division, and if that happens, who knows?



It might not be that easy.



Like the AFC champion Steelers, who are also 1-2, this team faces significant challenges in trying to get things right. This isn’t some mystical Super Bowl losers’ curse. The reasons for Arizona’s struggles are clearer than that.

	AP Photo/Paul Connors
	Ken Whisenhunt cites a lack of execution as a big reason for his team’s 1-2 start.

“I don’t think it has anything to do with having played in the Super Bowl,” Whisenhunt said. “I think it has to do with us not executing the way we needed to execute. Our two losses have been against two pretty good football teams. San Francisco is playing well. We had opportunities to win that game and we didn’t get it done. That is difficult. We also played a team that is playing probably as well as anybody in the league right now in Indianapolis.”



Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. joined me to discuss some of the potential issues affecting Arizona. We settled on a few:



1. The offense could be suffering from an identity crisis



The gap between what Whisenhunt envisioned doing and what works best for the existing personnel might be tougher to navigate without former offensive coordinator Todd Haley calling the plays. Haley, a former receivers coach, might have been more comfortable gravitating toward more of a sandlot style.



“They are trying to build for the long term,” Williamson said, “They are saying, ‘Kurt Warner is not going to be there forever and we need to run the ball a lot. In the meantime, we are a contender and have to throw it all over the place again.’ But they do not protect very well. That killed them in the Super Bowl.”



The Cardinals’ inability to pass protect against the 49ers in Week 1 and the Colts in Week 3 stood out as the issue most pivotal to Arizona’s defeat. San Francisco’s Parys Haralson and Justin Smith always seem to give the Cardinals problems. The Colts’ Dwight Freeney was a nightmare for Arizona on Sunday night, preventing Warner from getting comfortable.



The Cardinals have drafted big, run-blocking offensive linemen in starter Levi Brown and backup Herman Johnson. They drafted a big running back in Beanie Wells. But Warner is most comfortable throwing the ball, and the team does not yet trust Wells in protection.



“That puts Tim Hightower on the field and he was very ordinary last season,” Williamson said. “I feel like they are trying to build for future and hedge their bets as well.”



2. Expectations might be unrealistic



Seasons exist independently of one another.



The Cardinals were not going to automatically pick up where they left off last season, in other words.



“I think the expectations are a little overblown with them in that you look at least year and they really weren’t that great,” Williamson said. “They got hot at the right time and got on really good three-game streak. They did play great when it mattered and I do not want to take too much away from them, but if it happened in Weeks 10-13, nobody would have cared.”



3. The defense lacks a top pass-rusher

	Fernando Medina/US Presswire
	Rookie Beanie Wells has yet to get into the flow of the offense.

The Cardinals tried to address that deficiency by drafting Cody Brown in the second round. A serious wrist injury landed Brown on injured reserve before the season started.



Arizona has good players on defense, but converted defensive tackle Darnell Dockett might be their best rusher.



“You are running a 3-4 and there is no James Harrison or DeMarcus Ware or Shawne Merriman types and that really cripples you,” Williamson said. “They have some good, versatile players in Karlos Dansby and Adrian Wilson, but there is no true Vince Wilfork type on the nose. The defensive ends are fine, I like the secondary and the inside linebackers are fine, but the edge rush just isn’t there.”



4. The running game is mediocre without Wells



I’ve charted the Cardinals’ offensive personnel for every snap since the 2008 opener, looking for trends.



When sizing up Arizona’s run game and adjusting for game situations, I figured first-down rushing plays in the first halves of games could be telling. Those plays would represent the Cardinals’ efforts to establish a running game early. The findings suggest Arizona is struggling to get much going on the ground.



The Cardinals averaged zero yards per carry on five such plays against the 49ers. Their average was 1.8 yards per carry on six such plays against the Colts.



In the playoffs last season, the averages grew from 4.8 to 5.4 to 6.6 before falling off to 1.8 in the Super Bowl.



“It’s not like Edgerrin James was great — far from it,” Williamson said. “But he was a hell of a protector and could catch balls out of the backfield.”



Wells, meanwhile, projects as a very good runner, but perhaps less of an all-around back. And he’s having a hard time getting onto the field.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Tim Graham



Rodney Harrison has responded to Terrell Owens — and not gently.



Harrison was a guest on “The Dan Patrick Show” and was asked about the angry tweets Owens has been firing off about him.



Harrison, a studio analyst for NBC’s Sunday night coverage, annoyed Owens by calling him “a clown” for the way he handled his postgame news conference after catching no passes in the Buffalo Bills‘ 27-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints.



Owens responded by ridiculing Harrison for the four-game suspension he served at the start of 2007 for violating the league’s performance-enhancing substances policy.



“He can say whatever he wants about my career,” Harrison said, his voice rising, “but when it comes down to it, I’m a champion. OK? And he’ll never have that on his résumé. He’ll never be a champion. He’ll look at his stats and say ‘I was a great football player,’ but he’ll never be a world champion.”



Harrison also said: “If you don’t want to hear it, go out and play better.”



The former New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers safety objected to Owens’ behavior because he said players have an obligation to the media after a game.



“I’ve been on the other side,” Harrison said. “You always have to stand up and be accountable for your actions — as a man. As a man, you have to be accountable. As a football player you have to accountable, regardless of whether you had 10 catches or no catches.



“You have to give the media that respect. I’ve always been fair with the media. If I sucked, I go out there and I say ‘I sucked. I need to get better.’ If I played well, a couple interceptions, 12 tackles, forced fumble, I stood up there and was humble about my situation because it was never about me. I don’t like me guys.”



Harrison repeatedly mentioned he found Owens’ behavior distasteful for being “caught up in his own stats.”



I have to disagree with Harrison here. As someone who asked questions during the postgame news conference, Owens never once harped on his streak of catching at least one pass ending at 185 games.



“I’ve always said I have a lot of respect for T.O. as a football player,” Harrison said. “The guy can play. I think he’s a first-ballot Hall of Fame. But if you look at T.O., he’s been on four teams. A guy with so much talent …



“First of all, I’m not jealous. I’m very content and happy in my life. I don’t need the attention. I don’t need people catering to my ego because I’m a simple guy. I just tell it like it is. It’s just my opinion.”

Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker



PITTSBURGH — Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin walked into his weekly news conference Tuesday with the same confidence and swagger he carried during last season’s championship run.

But the throng of media in Pittsburgh had a much different feel this week following the team’s surprising 1-2 start.



Tomlin was grilled about his play calling. He was asked why certain players aren’t performing, and whether some were in the doghouse. There also were questions about Tomlin’s decision-making, such as kicking a field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

	AP Photo/Don Wright
	Mike Tomlin and the Steelers have struggled in the early part of the season.

The media took part in the Tuesday morning quarterbacking to try to get answers why the defending champs are all of a sudden struggling on Sundays.



“I don’t think it’s a lack of focus or a lack of attention on any of the parties involved,” said Tomlin, defending his team. “I really just think it’s a lack of production on all of our parts as coaches as players.



“We got to fix it — and fix it in a hurry.”



What’s the problem?



It’s debatable whether the Steelers are having a Super Bowl hangover three games into the season. That was certainly the case the last time Pittsburgh attempted to defend a championship in 2006, when the Steelers began the year 2-6 on their way to an 8-8 finish.



Pittsburgh still has time to fix its problems, and perhaps the biggest issue right now is getting its star players on both sides of the ball to perform to their usual standards.



Wide receiver Santonio Holmes, coming off his Super Bowl MVP award in February, has had some issues with drops recently. Outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley are not getting nearly the same pressure this year and have combined for one sack. Usually reliable kicker Jeff Reed has missed three field goals in the past two games, including two that could have sealed a win in a 17-14 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 2.



The defense as a whole suffered a major blow with the knee injury to Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu. His absence has exposed the secondary, particularly late in games, and the unit doesn’t have the same aggressiveness.



Without Polamalu, Pittsburgh hasn’t forced a single turnover in the past two weeks. That has allowed opponents to stay in games, and no one has stepped up when a clutch play is needed. Pittsburgh has blown double-digit leads in the second half in back-to-back weeks.

	Jerry Lai/US Presswire
	The Pittsburgh defense has become more vulnerable with Troy Polamalu on the sideline.

“One time it’s a coincidence, now it’s becoming a habit,” safety Ryan Clark said. “And we need to break that habit. So for us this is a very important week.”



How to fix it?



The Steelers aren’t panicking, because they do not believe they are that far away from winning games. In the past two weeks, Pittsburgh lost by a total of six points.



Here are some areas in which the Steelers could improve:

• Getting short yards: The Steelers are losing the short down-and-distance situations this year, and it’s something that is costing them in close games. Running backs Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall and Mewelde Moore have all struggled to get those tough yards. The offensive line certainly isn’t without blame either, as it isn’t winning the line of scrimmage when it absolutely has to. Last week, Pittsburgh had the ball inside Cincinnati’s 10-yard line three times and came away with only one touchdown.

“That will eventually get you beat,” Tomlin said.

• Turn up the blitz: The Steelers are at their best when they’re bringing the heat and beating up the opposing quarterback. But the pressure hasn’t been nearly as effective this season. Pittsburgh has only five sacks. During Cincinnati’s 16-play, game-winning drive last week, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer picked apart Pittsburgh because he had plenty of time. Perhaps gun shy without Polamalu on the back end, the Steelers did not blitz on the crucial fourth-and-10 conversion by the Bengals that led to the game-winning touchdown moments later. It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh takes more chances moving forward.

“As a group I don’t think we’re ever satisfied with pressures instead of sacks,” linebacker James Farrior said. “We always want the sack. We always want to get the guy on the ground.”

• Make the clutch play: Whether it’s a late field goal attempt, a dropped touchdown pass or a key tackle on fourth down, the Steelers simply aren’t making the key plays late in games. There is no rhyme or reason to it other than better execution in the clutch. Pittsburgh was a clutch team all last season but has suddenly lost that magic this season.

“It takes more concentration,” wide receiver Hines Ward said. “When we get into situational football, we have to make sure that we pay closer attention to detail.”

Help on the way? The next three opponents for the Steelers (1-2) have a combined record of 3-6. Date Team W-L Oct. 4 San Diego 2-1 Oct. 11 at Detroit 1-2 Oct. 18 Cleveland 0-3

• Take advantage of schedule: Help may be on the way in terms of the schedule. The Steelers have a tough but winnable game Sunday night at home against the San Diego Chargers (2-1). The Steelers swept San Diego in two games last season, and this is the third meeting in 10 months between these teams. The next two weeks the Steelers will play two of the NFL’s worst in the Detroit Lions (1-2) and Cleveland Browns (0-3). Depending on what happens Sunday against the Chargers, Pittsburgh could be at or above .500 as they get closer to midseason.

Polamalu is making solid progress, according to the team, and will be available for the stretch run. But in the meantime, Pittsburgh needs to string together enough wins to keep pace in the always competitive AFC.



Tomlin is confident these issues are correctable.



“But at the same time, I’m not going to pretend that they’re going to fix themselves,” Tomlin said. “How you fix it is you go out and win football games. If we do that, this will become a distant, miserable moment. If we don’t, then we will continue. That’s the story of the NFL.”