NFL ROUNDUP News and notes

Panthers: DeShaun Foster will be out six to 10 weeks with a broken collarbone. Receiver Steve Smith is out indefinitely with a broken leg, top running back Stephen Davis has missed three games following knee surgery and kick-return player Rod Smart, also the No. 3 running back on the roster, is out with a knee injury. Coach John Fox said Smart definitely won't play against the Eagles Sunday, and Davis is uncertain. That leaves him eyeing Joey Harris, a non-drafted rookie from Purdue currently on the team's practice squad, to possibly start in Philadelphia.
Dolphins: Injuries to Jay Fiedler and A.J. Feeley left an unsettled quarterback situation more muddled than ever. Fiedler was sore after aggravating a rib injury in Sunday's loss at New England, and he's unsure whether he'll to play at Buffalo Sunday. Feeley suffered a concussion on Miami's final offensive play against the Patriots, but he said he felt fine Monday. Coach Dave Wannstedt said that both would be re-evaluated Wednesday, and that Fiedler would start if healthy. If neither Fiedler nor Feeley is available, Sage Rosenfels will make his first NFL start.
Saints: Deuce McAllister didn't mind the soreness he felt Monday. What really hurt the New Orleans Saints running back was watching himself fumble. "I thought about them and looked at the film," McAllister said. "But there's not anything drastically I'd go change as far as my running style. I'll just hold on the ball better, be more conscious of it in traffic." McAllister, who was expected to miss up to six weeks with a sprained ankle, returned after a two-game absence. He ran for 102 yards on 21 carries, but one of his fumbles was returned for a touchdown by Ronde Barber.
Lions: Coach Steve Mariucci was encouraged that standout rookie receiver Roy Williams does not have a high ankle sprain. Williams leads the team in every receiving category. "It feels pretty good -- I was on crutches before, but just as a precaution," Williams said. "We'll just have to see what happens. Not a lot of guys can come back from a sprained ankle in one week, but I think I can do it."
Giants: Coach Tom Coughlin believes the team is building confidence, but is not overconfident. "I'm not worried about that. As a matter of fact, I'll be on very, very serious guard against that," he said.
Bengals: Peter Warrick left practice early Monday for more X-rays on his troublesome left shin. The receiver sat out most of the last two games because of the leg injury, originally described as a deep bruise. Warrick rested over the bye weekend and hoped to be back Sunday in Cleveland, but that now appears unlikely. Warrick left the field a few minutes before the end of practice, tossing a football from one hand to the other with his head down and a discouraged look on his face. "It's frustrating, man," he said, in a downcast voice. "It's getting better, just not as fast as I want it to. I'm ready to find out what it is. Not knowing is the hard part. I could handle it if we were winning."
Jaguars: After starting the season 3-0, winning close games against Buffalo, Denver and Tennessee in the waning seconds, the Jaguars have dropped two straight and haven't led in either. They trailed the Colts 17-6 in the fourth before tying the game, and were behind 21-0 against the Chargers on Sunday until scoring a touchdown just before halftime. The Jags haven't scored any points in the first quarter all season. "We haven't played with the lead yet," coach Jack Del Rio said. "We want to start fast. Statistically, it's proven that if you can do that, your probability of success goes way up. We're having to fight from behind or even, at best, after the first quarter. That's an area we will continue to address. In order to be the kind of football team that we want to be and will be here, we're going to have to be better in that phase of things."
Colts: Kicker Matt Bryant, who filled in for the injured Mike Vanderjagt on Sunday, was waived. Vanderjagt strained his right hamstring Oct. 3 at Jacksonville and said Monday he was held out of Sunday's game against Oakland as a precaution. He said he felt better and expected to kick Oct. 24 in the Colts' rematch with Jacksonville. Indianapolis (4-1) has a bye this week. Bryant replaced the Pro Bowler, the NFL's most accurate kicker, knowing it would only be for one game. Bryant previously kicked for the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. The Colts re-signed defensive lineman Keith Wright to the active roster and added defensive tackle Jason Stewart to the practice squad.
Redskins: Safety Matt Bowen is out for the season with a torn ligament in his right knee. The fifth-year player tore the anterior cruciate ligament when he planted his foot awkwardly while covering a punt in the first quarter of Sunday night's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. His injury further depletes a defense that played Sunday's game without linebacker LaVar Arrington, defensive end Phillip Daniels, safety Andre Lott and linebacker Mike Barrow. Ryan Clark and Todd Franz filled in for Bowen alongside rookie free safety Sean Taylor. Even with all the injuries, the Redskins' defense allowed only 232 yards against the Ravens. Bowen is in his second year with the Redskins. He started all 16 games at free safety in 2003 before moving to strong safety this season. The Redskins hope to get Arrington and possibly Lott back for next Sunday's game at Chicago. Arrington, who has missed three games after knee surgery, did some monitored running Monday for the first time since his operation. Cornerback Shawn Springs injured an ankle and defensive tackle Joe Salave'a strained a knee against the Ravens. Trainer Bubba Tyer said both players probably will be limited in practice this week but should be available for the Chicago game.
Associated Press
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