— Part of the reason for the Chargers' recent turnaround and winning streak has been their ability to keep QB Philip Rivers from being hit. After he was abused early on, taking 15 sacks in the first five games, Rivers has been kept much cleaner during the club's last three contests, getting sacked only three times. We hear that better blocking from the running backs and improved play from C Scott Mruczkowski are largely responsible.

— With ORG Mike Goff out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, the Chiefs will undergo yet another change along the offensive line. Andy Alleman, acquired from the Dolphins in an August trade, will step in as the starting right guard. With new linemen shuffling in and out of the lineup on almost a weekly basis, the Chiefs have not been able to establish much continuity up front, which has hurt them in both the running and passing attacks.

— The Broncos cut second-year P Brett Kern prior to their Week Eight loss and replaced him with 15th-year veteran Mitch Berger, but Berger has done a poor job since taking over. Sources are a bit surprised Denver has yet to cut ties with Berger, but it appears head coach Josh McDaniels wants to give him an extended look before he turns the position into a revolving door.

— The Raiders appeared to have a much-needed playmaker on their hands as Johnnie Lee Higgins showed home-run potential as a punt returner last season — he also had more receptions than any other Raiders wide receiver — but the third-year veteran has regressed this year. A shoulder injury bothered him early in the season, and he hasn't been the same since.

— It has become clear in New England that the Patriots are not guaranteeing OLT Matt Light's job back as a starter because of the nice play by rookie Sebastian Vollmer. But we hear the Patriots want to see more from Vollmer, especially against top pass rushers Dwight Freeney, Will Smith and Julius Peppers the next few weeks, if Light is out that long. This is an interesting position to watch right now.

— Many young quarterbacks look to their tight end as a safety valve, but that hasn't been the case for the Dolphins' Chad Henne in his first year as a starter. TE Anthony Fasano has been a major disappointment this year after a seven-TD campaign in 2008. Part of the reason Fasano has been such a nonfactor on offense is that the middle of the field is too crowded with defenders who are playing to stop Miami's potent ground game, according to head coach Tony Sparano.

— Browns RB Jamal Lewis' criticism of head coach Eric Mangini's long practices came as a surprise, the way we hear it, particularly since Lewis levied his complaints publicly and not to Mangini privately. Lewis, one of the team's captains, indicated he didn't feel as though he had to tell Mangini that he believed the team was being overworked. Mangini later defended the club's practice routine and noted he had talked with Lewis, who has said he will retire at the end of this season. Moreover, the Browns' head coach, as he has said before, noted that he is always available to meet with players.

— TE David Johnson, the last of the Steelers' nine draft picks in April, has quietly carved a niche for himself as a blocker, the way we hear it. Johnson played in seven of Pittsburgh's first eight games and figures to have a bigger role in the offense if FB Carey Davis is out or slowed with a hamstring injury. Davis suffered the injury in the Week Nine win at Denver.

— The way we hear it, Ravens CB Fabian Washington's struggles are increasing the likelihood he won't be back in a starting role in Baltimore in 2010. Washington is slated to be an unrestricted free agent if the next league year is played under a salary cap; in an uncapped year, he will be a restricted free agent. As the Ravens continue to struggle defending against the pass, the clamoring for rookie Lardarius Webb to get more playing time grows, but Washington and Domonique Foxworth's starting jobs appear safe, we're told.

— One of the unsung contributors to the Texans' recent improvement on defense has been FS Eugene Wilson, who's been a steady influence on the back end of the secondary, the way we hear it. Wilson and ex-Chief Bernard Pollard, who notched 12 tackles and intercepted two passes in Week Nine at Indianapolis, have been a productive tandem at safety.

— After a mysterious case of the drops in training camp, paired with the signing of Torry Holt and the emergence of Mike Sims-Walker and Mike Thomas, Jaguars fifth round pick Jarett Dillard's opportunities have been limited as a rookie. The way we hear it, the team is very high on Dillard, and his acrobatic 33-yard reception on 3rd-and-long in Week Nine and his 19.8 yards per catch are reminders of Dillard's playmaking ability.

— We hear that the Colts' target date for the returns of both PK Adam Vinatieri and CB Kelvin Hayden from knee injuries is Thanksgiving.

— Texans owner Bob McNair offered the following assessment of his team entering the Week 10 bye: "I'm pleased with the way we're playing. I just think we're a very good team. As I've commented, we're not an elite team. There are few elite teams in the league, and we've got to eliminate some mental errors before we become an elite team. Clearly, once we do that, we will be not just a good team; we'll be an elite team. I'm pleased with that. We just have to keep making progress."

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