• Although Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles had a breakout game in Week 10, we hear that it wouldn't be surprising if RB Kolby Smith begins to see his role grow very soon. Smith has worked himself back to full health after sitting out the first seven games while recovering from knee surgery, and while he hasn't done much in game action, he reportedly has impressed in practices. Considering how much the coaching staff praises him, it's only a matter of time before he takes on a larger workload.

• Although he's clearly not ready to be a reliable contributor, the Raiders continue to start WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, which has only led to more questions about the judgment and authority of head coach Tom Cable, according to sources. There is speculation that the front office wants the first-round pick to continue starting, even though his reps come at the expense of receivers who are outperforming him.

• Once seen as the heir apparent to Shawne Merriman, Chargers OLB Jyles Tucker never got his 2009 season off the ground. It started when San Diego spent its first-round pick on OLB Larry English this year, a good indication that Tucker was not the team's future at the position. As expected, English cut into Tucker's playing time; the third-year veteran had just four tackles in limited action. Finally, Tucker was dealt the death blow when he suffered an ankle injury in Week Nine, forcing him to go on injured reserve.

• Broncos RB Correll Buckhalter, a ninth-year veteran, told PFW he's been impressed with rookie Knowshon Moreno, and the two have already formed quite a bond. "I feel like I'm his big brother," Buckhalter said. "I like him because I feel like he listens and he doesn't act like he knows everything, like some rookies do coming into the league. He wants to be good."

• If the Jets have to be without S Jim Leonhard for a game or two as he recovers from surgery to repair a thumb injury, which is no certainty as he tries to make a quick return, it could lead to communication issues, because Leonhard serves as the "quarterback" of the defense and wears the helmet headset to receive calls from the sideline. ILB David Harris will wear the helmet with the radio if Leonhard has to sit out. Sources say the team likes backup Eric Smith's aggressive style of play and is confident that he will do a good job of filling in at safety if needed.

• In his first week as the Bills' interim head coach, Perry Fewell brought an intensity to practice that the team wasn't used to. He had his players work out in full pads for two consecutive days, something they hadn't done all season under Dick Jauron. Fewell said that he thought having padded practices was a way for the players to get more physical, a trait they've been lacking this year. The early response from the players has been positive.

• Sources say the Jets' decision to release special-teams contributor Ahmad Carroll on Nov. 16 was a move made to send the team a wake-up call. Word is Carroll didn't show he was serious about the game and wasn't setting the tone for the type of program head coach Rex Ryan would like to build.

• To mimic the speed of Jets LB Bart Scott, the Patriots used DB Bret Lockett as his clone in practice sessions this week. Expect the Patriots to try to get Scott out of position more than they did in the first matchup, in Week Two, when he made several stops at or behind the line of scrimmage.

• Even with DE Antwan Odom out for the season with an Achilles injury, the Bengals continue to get a strong pass rush off the right edge. Jonathan Fanene, known primarily for his strength at the point of attack, has also been a better-than-expected pass rusher, and he notched the first two-sack game of his career at Pittsburgh in Week 10.

• In Billy Cundiff, the Ravens get a kicker who's at least as good as Steven Hauschka on kickoffs and more reliable on field goals. Cundiff quietly fared well in a five-game stint with Cleveland earlier this season, hitting all six field goals and averaging 65.8 yards on kickoffs. Cundiff's kickoffs gave him an edge over former Jets and Buccaneers PK Mike Nugent, head coach John Harbaugh said. Of Hauschka, whose woes intensified late in his Ravens tenure, Harbaugh told Baltimore reporters: "We took it as long as we could. This season and these next couple of games are really important, and he's not just there yet for us."

• Browns NT Shaun Rogers continues to be a force for Cleveland on special teams. He has blocked three kicks this season and five in a little more than one-and-a-half seasons with the Browns. All told, he's blocked 13 field goals and three extra points in his career. Head coach Eric Mangini admires Rogers' work on the placement-block units. "It's easy for a big guy on PAT, field-goal block to go push," Mangini told Cleveland reporters. "You're doing your job and you're pushing, but you're not really getting anything done. Shaun gets something done there. There are a lot of plays like that. He pursues well to the football. Again, at 360 (pounds) that's not easy to do. It's a lot easier to do it at 190 (pounds). 

• The way we hear it, though Texans head coach Gary Kubiak wasn't tipping his hand before the Week 11 game vs. Tennessee, Steve Slaton seems likely to get the majority of the carries going forward — as long as he consistently holds on to the ball, of course. Slaton lost five fumbles in his first nine games this season. However, there look to be roles for RBs Ryan Moats and Chris Brown in the offense, too. The Texans also recently promoted rookie Arian Foster from the practice squad, so Kubiak has no shortage of options in the backfield. Of his fumbling, Slaton recently told Houston reporters, "You think about it all the time. ... I mean, we're doing things differently now, just watching and just hoping the next time you're in that same predicament that you can put two hands on it and just know what to do and know when to concede."

• There were more than a few close observers of the Colts who thought fourth-year pro Freddy Keiaho would quickly push second-year pro Philip Wheeler for the starting SLB job vacated recently by the injured Tyjuan Hagler. But after playing just OK against Houston, Wheeler had a strong performance vs. New England and appears to have a pretty firm grip on the starting job for now.

• If CB Rashean Mathis' groin injury forces him to miss more than a game or two, it will leave the Jaguars really thin in the secondary. With CB Scott Starks (hamstring) already on I.R., and S Gerald Alexander banged up, losing Mathis for an extended amount of time would force S Reggie Nelson back to cornerback, a role he struggled in earlier this season.

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