Updated Dec. 26, 2009 @ 2:53 p.m. ET

• Dolphins QB Chad Henne has shown promise in his first season as a full-time starter. He has performed quite well despite working with a receiving corps that lacks a consistent downfield threat, but observers say the one major flaw in his game is inconsistent accuracy. He's throwing one interception per game this season and he was picked off three times, the last of which came in overtime and helped set up the Titans' game-winning field goal, in Miami's Week 15 loss.

• According to team observers, there's a general apathy on the part of the Bills' fan base regarding how the club finishes out the 2009 season. With so many changes likely to come in the offseason, the people of Buffalo are more concerned with who is going to be the next head coach and what the roster will look like in 2010. What's happening on the field now has taken a back seat to what's about to happen off of it.

• Patriots CB Jonathan Wilhite had an interception and a few nice plays against the Bills in Week 15, but we hear the team is still expecting more from him. Wilhite was at a similar level to Asante Samuel after each of their first seasons in New England, development-wise, but Wilhite hasn't taken the same steps that Samuels took in his second season. The Patriots still want to see more steps from Wilhite heading into next season.

• The Ravens signed Corey Ivy, not Chris McAlister, to replace rookie CB Lardarius Webb, who is out for the season with a knee injury. Head coach John Harbaugh cited Ivy's knowledge of the defense and his fitness as factors the Ravens liked about the veteran nickel back. Ivy can also contribute on special teams, something McAlister would be unlikely to do. McAlister played in two games for New Orleans (Weeks 12-13) before being released earlier in December and simply does not move as well as he once did, the way we hear it.

• Asked whether Brady Quinn could be the Browns' quarterback of the future, head coach Eric Mangini recently offered this assessment: "I think he's done a lot of good things, I really do. I think that a lot of things that I was hoping for at the beginning of the season we really started to see in the later part of the season. I think the no-huddle (offense) helped him quite a bit. His ability to do that as well as he did helped us. We've improved in quite a few categories. I'm not saying that's the only reason. I think that over the course of time we've gotten better as a group, but I think that's been positive for us. We'll just see where we are." Of course, the matter of whether Quinn will be the Browns' quarterback in 2010 and beyond might not be Mangini's to make, what with Mike Holmgren becoming club president and speculation circulating that Holmgren might want to hire his own head coach.

• Texans DE Antonio Smith, a disappointment earlier in the season, has played significantly better in the past two months, one of the many factors that have made the Houston defense much more formidable. Capable of lining up at end or tackle, Smith, the Texans' top free agent last offseason, offers the Texans valuable flexibility in the front four and can be quite disruptive at times.

• Texans head coach Gary Kubiak's decision to bench rookie Arian Foster after he fumbled early in the Week 15 win at St. Louis underscores how difficult it has been for Houston to get any sort of consistent play from its running backs. Kubiak wanted to give Foster more work, but after the rookie didn't practice well and committed his big mistake early, Kubiak turned to Chris Brown and Ryan Moats. Kubiak has used a committee approach at various points this season in an attempt to find a workable solution at this vital position.

• While Jaguars DE Derrick Harvey has shown some flashes the past month, he is still considered a huge disappointment after being drafted eighth overall in 2008. Jacksonville has turned to LB Daryl Smith to get more pressure from the edge, but he has only 1½ sacks on the season, one fewer than Harvey.

• Don't be surprised if the Colts go out of their way to give rookie RB Donald Brown, who missed three games with a chest injury, substantial playing time the rest of the season in the hopes of having him operating at peak efficiency for the playoffs. Such a move would also help preserve starting RB Joseph Addai for the fast-approaching postseason.

• While the first sellout of the season for the Jaguars in Week 15 against the Colts certainly provided plenty of excitement on the field and around the stadium, we hear the real test as to how much it means for the city of Jacksonville will come in mid-March when season ticket renewals are due.

• Although the timing of the Chiefs' release of WR Mark Bradley after Week 15's home loss to the Browns was a bit odd, the fact that Kansas City parted ways with him did not come as a surprise to team observers. Due to mental errors and dropped passes, Bradley was never able to get on the good side of head coach Todd Haley and ultimately wasn't needed once Dwayne Bowe returned from his suspension. Bradley has enough talent to likely catch on elsewhere, though.

• The Raiders' Langston Walker had never played guard before Week 13, when he stepped in to replace the injured Robert Gallery, but Walker did well transitioning from his usual position at tackle. He impressed head coach Tom Cable so much that Cable replaced Chris Morris with Walker as the starter at left guard in Week 15. Walker — who is listed at 6-8 and 366 pounds — is much bigger than the prototypical guard. The eighth-year veteran is not agile, but he packs a powerful punch and is an asset as a run blocker in Oakland's zone scheme.

• The Broncos have been able to get by with some defensive linemen who overachieved for prolonged stretches this season, but sources in Denver expect defensive end and nose tackle to be top priorities for the team in next year's draft. The Broncos will have the Bears' first-round pick, as it was part of the package sent to Denver in the Jay Cutler deal.

• After he experienced multiple setbacks in his attempt to return from ankle surgery, the Chargers might have continued to hold out C Nick Hardwick if it hadn't been for the season-ending right ankle injury to replacement Scott Mruczkowski in Week 15. Given the void at center, Hardwick returned to the field in Week 16 and came out of the contest feeling good, saying that he is at full strength. His presence should only help San Diego's postseason outlook.

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