• The way we hear it, the Texans can't believe ex-Chiefs SS Bernard Pollard was available to be signed in September. Pollard, who quickly became a starter in the Houston secondary, appears poised to be a long-term fixture on the back end of the defense. The Texans have been thrilled with his play vs. the run and the pass.

• It has been somewhat lost in what's looking like a lost season for the Titans, but injuries and ineffectiveness have taken their toll on the special-teams units. The Titans cut P Reggie Hodges last week after he had struggled in place of Craig Hentrich, who's out for the season with a calf injury. And they have failed to find a consistent long-term solution on returns. Don't be surprised if the Titans keep tinkering with their special teams, we're told.

• We hear Colts WR Anthony Gonzalez is slowly but surely getting closer to being able to return to action from his left knee injury suffered in Week One. "He's been running and says he feels good," said one team insider, who thinks there's a chance Gonzalez could return to the mix in the team's Week Nine game against the Texans.

• Jaguars KR-CB Brian Witherspoon, despite being productive as an undrafted rookie in 2008, is not viewed as a long-term answer as a return man because his diminutive build is more susceptible to big hits. Rookie Mike Thomas has shared return responsibilities with Witherspoon this season and appears to be a better fit for the job.

• Although a concussion kept him sidelined in Weeks Seven and Eight, Bills QB Trent Edwards has been able to take part in some team workouts and says he is feeling better after the hard hit he took against the Jets. Lingering headaches are still plaguing Edwards, who has now suffered two concussions within one year's time, but he appears to be on track to return after Buffalo's bye for a Nov. 15 meeting with the Titans.

• It was not surprising to see the Patriots bring in two free-agent punters — Tim Masthay and Sam Paulescu — to perhaps challenge Chris Hanson, who is among the NFL's bottom dwellers in gross and net averages. But what was surprising was to see two kickers — Mike Nugent and Connor Barth — brought in for tryouts. Perhaps the team is trying to light a fire under PK Stephen Gostkowski, who has missed two of his past four kicks but has been excellent on kickoffs this season and otherwise has looked solid.

• While a misdemeanor assault charge was brought against Jets WR Braylon Edwards Oct. 26 for allegedly punching someone outside a Cleveland nightclub a few weeks ago, it doesn't appear that the league will take action to suspend Edwards this season. While his character has been called into question, Jets TE Dustin Keller said Edwards has made a good impression since being traded from the Browns on Oct. 7. "He's an excellent receiver and an extremely hard worker," Keller told PFW after learning of the charge against Edwards. "He's a great guy in the locker room. Everybody loves him."

• Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano opened both starting WR spots to competition leading up to Week Eight, but prior to that, WR Greg Camarillo told PFW, "Our rotation at receiver is really the starter is the person who's in for the first play. ... Our goal for the end of the game is to look at how many plays each person played and for it to almost be even, so there's no true starter, no true No. 1 receiver in our set, which is an advantage to us."

• One excellent sign for the Steelers as they entered the bye, according to a source close to the club: SS Troy Polamalu appears to be as fast as he was before the knee injury that knocked him out of the lineup for four games earlier in the season. Polamalu notched six tackles and knocked away two passes in Pittsburgh's Week Seven win vs. Minnesota.

• A not-to-be-overlooked factor in the Browns' myriad offensive woes, the way we hear it, is the wave of injuries at tight end. Robert Royal is battling finger and hamstring injuries, while Steve Heiden has a knee ailment. The injuries have forced the Browns to lean heavily on reserves Greg Estandia and the recently signed Michael Gaines, and the club has also played OL Hank Fraley at tight end, too. Moreover, one league source noted that the Browns appeared limited schematically in the Week Seven loss to Green Bay because of the lack of depth at tight end.

• Bengals DE Frostee Rucker gave the Cincinnati a nice boost in Week Seven, notching his first sack of the season. Rucker, who can line up inside and outside, has always flashed ability in practice. The question now, the way we hear it, is whether that will start to consistently translate to production on the field.

• As Ravens QB Joe Flacco's star has continued to rise, backup QB Troy Smith has become something of a forgotten man in the Baltimore offense. Smith, who saw a little bit of action in special packages last season, appeared in just two of Baltimore's first six games and didn't attempt one carry. Make no mistake: Flacco is going to get the vast majority of the snaps if healthy, but the way we hear it, it's a little surprising the Ravens haven't mixed in more "Wildcat"-type looks.

• Broncos OLB Robert Ayers continues to play a fairly limited role in Denver's defense, but sources say that's more of a reflection on how well the linebackers ahead of him on the depth chart have played rather than a signal that the first-round pick can't prove he belongs. The Broncos certainly aren't going to pull OLB Elvis Dumervil off the field to get Ayers snaps, and the other outside 'backer, Mario Haggan, is also playing at a high level.

• After Chargers C Nick Hardwick underwent surgery to repair torn ankle ligaments in late September, the team figured he'd be out a minimum of two months. However, just 35 days later, Hardwick was back participating in individual drills at practice. Although he's likely still a couple of weeks away from returning to game action, the centerpiece of the offensive line said he was feeling better and is excited to get back.

• Raiders head coach Tom Cable moved Khalif Barnes, who has played left tackle throughout his career, into the starting lineup at right tackle prior to Week Seven, as Erik Pears wasn't getting the job done while filling in for the injured Cornell Green. Barnes gave up two sacks in his first start, and it's been a difficult transition for him from the left to the right side, but we hear Barnes could get more than a few chances to get acquainted with the new position. Green is expected back soon from a calf injury, but his play has been underwhelming at best.

• Just one day after being promoted to the Chiefs' active roster, little-known WR Lance Long received a surprising amount of playing time in Week Seven, being targeted five times (and catching two passes) against the Chargers. From what we hear, the Chiefs thought they might've found their own version of Wes Welker in Long. However, the club quickly realized the tiny Long could be too small to make an impact in the pros — he ended up leaving the game with a concussion.

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