• The loss of LB Brendon Ayanbadejo to a season-ending injury is a blow to the Ravens' special-teams coverage units, but it could most seriously impact the Ravens' "sub" packages. Ayanbadejo's speed made him a major asset on defense, and Baltimore could struggle to replace him, the way we hear it. In just four games, the 33-year-old linebacker had 22 defensive tackles, ranking second on the team, plus six special-teams tackles.

• Bengals RB Bernard Scott could be in line for a bigger role on special teams as well as on offense in the weeks to come. Cincinnati would like to keep RB Cedric Benson, the primary tailback, fresh, and the same can be said for WR Andre Caldwell, an important cog in three- and four-WR sets who returned 14 kickoffs in Cincinnati's first four games.

• Browns WR Mike Furrey played offense and defense in Week Four, catching four passes at wide receiver and playing some at safety. In the week leading up to the Week Five game at Buffalo, head coach Eric Mangini indicated he could continue to get work on both sides of the ball in the weeks to come. "Mike has been working since OTAs at safety, a little bit at the slot corner spot," Mangini told Cleveland reporters. "With the experience he's had as a player and starter and the work he's done, it's less of a transition than, say, taking somebody who only has played offense."

• Though RS Stefan Logan lost two fumbles in Pittsburgh's first four games, his spot on the roster does not look to be in any imminent danger. He has largely been reliable returning kickoffs and punts, and he's flashed some big-play potential at times.

• The Texans like what they have seen from rookie CB Glover Quin, a fourth-round pick from New Mexico. Quin moved into the lineup ahead of Fred Bennett at left cornerback in Week Four and will continue to get playing time even as Jacques Reeves returns to action after missing time first with a broken leg, then a broken pinky finger. Head coach Gary Kubiak said this of Quin: "In the right spots, he has a nose for the football, loves to tackle."

• The Texans got a bit of a scare when TE Anthony Hill was diagnosed with a case of swine flu before the Week Four game vs. Oakland. Though several other players fell ill, none was a confirmed case of H1N1 flu. Texans team internist Dr. James Muntz told Houston reporters the team is taking all of the preventive measures it can to avoid the spread of illness. "(Head athletic trainer) Geoff (Kaplan), the coaches, I tell the players wash hands, don't use the same towels, there are signs up about covering mouth (and) nose if you cough (or) sneeze," Muntz said. "Any of these players that feel badly let the trainers know. They call us, they've got cell phone numbers, they've got the trainers' cell phone numbers. If we think they have the flu, the main thing that probably keys me in is fever, achiness, extreme body aches, headache, sore teeth, sore jaw."

• The Colts raised some eyebrows on Oct. 6 when they re-signed RB Chad Simpson, who has been a frequent presence on the team's transaction log the past two seasons, considering how Joseph Addai and Donald Brown have found a groove and Mike Hart is back healthy in the No. 3 role. The rationale for Simpson's return is rooted in the Colts' desire for more kick-returning punch, but Simpson has done little to suggest he's worthy of a roster spot in such a limited capacity.

• Playing opposite Rashean Mathis, Jaguars rookie CB Derek Cox has been picked on quite a bit by opposing quarterbacks. And while Cox has had his share of slip-ups, he mostly has acquitted himself nicely, snaring two interceptions and convincing team brass that it made a wise decision in trading up to draft him in the third round.

• Sources say there are already grumbles out of Oakland about first-year special-teams coach John Fassel. The Raiders' special-teams units were regarded among the league's best for the past few seasons. However, they have been sloppy in the early going, and Fassel was blamed for giving the Texans great field position on two different occasions in Week Four after calling for poorly executed onside-kick attempts.

• Raiders WR Javon Walker isn't going to be getting pulled off the scout team any time soon, we hear. While it's clear QB JaMarcus Russell's struggles are in part due to a lack of comfort throwing to rookie WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, the Raiders are adamant that Heyward-Bey work through the growing pains and stay on the field along with the team's other rookie starter at receiver, Louis Murphy, who has established more of a rapport with Russell. Walker is apparently healthy, but he's been activated for only one game.

• As the Chiefs try to find answers for their problems along the offensive line, the team took a somewhat peculiar step this week, trying out a former All-America wrestler who did not play football in high school or college. Jermail Porter, a 6-5, 310-pound product of Kent State, spent some time in the Patriots' camp this summer but ultimately didn't make the team. Kansas City is hoping that Porter's size, balance and athleticism translate to playing on the O-line somewhere down the line if it opts to sign him.

• Although lineup changes could be in store for the Chargers following their Week Five bye, no coaches' jobs look to be in jeopardy right now. GM A.J. Smith recently said in an interview that he is not happy with the inconsistency of many players through the first four games, but he is fine with what the coaching staff has done overall. Although a move could still be made at some point, it's more likely that San Diego's players will be the ones on the chopping block if the team's record doesn't improve.

• Joey Galloway's downtrodden debut season in New England is on the verge of coming to a premature and unceremonious conclusion. That's word we're getting out of Foxborough, where the 37-year-old must show signs of turning things around immediately or be a roster casualty if and when rookie WR Brandon Tate (knee) is ready for action in a couple weeks. What has particularly frustrated the Pats is that Galloway's limited production hasn't been attributed only to his physical shortcomings that come with age, but rather his inability to get on the same page as Tom Brady and the team's system as a whole.

• Two of the more touted newcomers to Miami find their seasons headed in opposite directions. On the positive side is OLB Cameron Wake, who has taken full advantage of a hamstrung Joey Porter to bring some serious pass-rushing heat off the edge. The club wanted him to fine-tune his special-teams work and run defense before turning him loose, and now that has he looks to be a defensive mainstay. On the downside is rookie WR Patrick Turner, whose dominance during individual drills in practice hasn't translated to live, 11-man action, even during practice scrimmages.

• While the interior OL trio continues to do a fine job, the inconsistencies of Jets OTs Damien Woody and D'Brickashaw Ferguson have been responsible for some of the offense's problems of late, especially during the Week Four collapse in New Orleans. What's especially disconcerting is that poor communication and recognition are among the line's pitfalls, a troubling reality for a unit that returned intact from 2008.

• The Bills' need for MLB Paul Posluszny to return from his broken arm suffered in Week One has been compounded by a leg injury Kawika Mitchell sustained in Week Five. The versatile Mitchell was shuffled into the MLB post after Marcus Buggs' uninspiring effort, and Buffalo has been forced into making some dubious personnel decisions to account for their problems at linebacker.

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