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Here's what the folks at Pro Football Weekly have been hearing from around the NFL:
|  | | Charlie Batch is expected to return to Detroit's lineup for this week's game with Washington. |
Despite Gus Frerotte's success in relief of Charlie Batch, there is no quarterback controversy in Detroit. Lions coach Bobby Ross has made no bones about his commitment to Batch, who is expected to return to action this week against the Redskins. However, if Batch struggles, Ross won't mind going to Frerotte, who has done very well relieving Batch during games.
The recent play of 49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young has been encouraging for the coaching staff in San Francisco. Young is back to demanding constant double-teams, which opens up lanes for teammates to make tackles.
Bills quarterback Doug Flutie has had a lot of passes batted down at the line of scrimmage this season, but he insists it is not a product of his height. (Flutie is listed at 5-foot-10.) In Week 11, the Jets forced Flutie to look extra hard for passing lanes by having their rushers stop and put their hands up once they got tied up by blockers. The Jets also blitzed Flutie every time he lined up with an empty backfield.
Some are calling defensive end Rich Owens the Dolphins' most valuable defensive lineman. Owens, signed as a free agent from Washington, has replaced Kenny Mixon as the starting left end and has been an effective player on run and pass downs.
The Jets have been impressed with rookie right tackle Ryan Young, who has played well when healthy. Young, a seventh-round pick from Kansas State, is smart and strong and has been a more effective player since losing about 25 pounds. Assuming Young continues to improve and tackle Jason Fabini can come back from a major knee injury, the Jets' offensive line will be in very good shape next season with several promising young players.
Cardinals running back Adrian Murrell will likely leave Arizona after the season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He was demoted in favor of second-year pro Michael Pittman, who suffered a toe injury in his first start, allowing Murrell back onto the field. Murrell, who handled the demotion well, says that his confidence is not shaken and that he knows he can still be a starting running back in the NFL.
Eagles coach Andy Reid is disappointed in the play of his defensive front four. While the defense has been lousy against the run, Reid is more discouraged by the unit's lack of a consistent pass rush. This is even more troubling because opponents have figured out defensive coordinator Jim Johnson's blitzing schemes.
Expect to see more of Giants wide receiver David Patten. Coach Jim Fassel said that he is fed up with Joe Jurevicius dropping passes, so Patten will be on the field more.
Bears personnel director Mark Hatley is considering a three-year contract extension. While Hatley has yet to accept the deal, he appears to have no disagreement over the scope of his power.
At first, Buccaneers rookie kicker Martin Gramatica's celebrations after successful field goals rubbed some teammates the wrong way. But the players have grown accustomed to them because they realize that Gramatica's excitement is genuine. Gramatica is grateful to those who block for him, and his gratitude is part of his exuberance.
Though his blocking has picked up a bit, tight end Tyrone Davis is still a liability in the Packers' running game. The team rarely runs to his side of the field and entered Week 12 ranked 27th in the league in rushing offense. Green Bay lost starting tight end Mark Chmura to a neck injury earlier this season and has missed his stout run blocking.
One of the problems with the Chiefs' struggling defense is linebacker Derrick Thomas. The team's strong-side 'backer often goes unnoticed during games and is stuck playing over the tight end, which isn't one of his strong suits. Thomas never had it better than when he played on the weak side of a 3-4 defense, but the Chiefs prefer play-maker Donnie Edwards on the weak side of their 4-3 scheme.
Chiefs head coach Gunther Cunningham believes defensive tackle Chester McGlockton is having a Pro Bowl year. Though McGlockton doesn't have the stats to support Cunningham's claim, the eighth-year veteran has done a very good job blowing plays up and steering ballcarriers to others to make the tackle.
We hear Titans tight end Frank Wycheck's knee injury is worse than the team is letting on.
Despite being second on the team in tackles and performing better than he did a year ago, Falcons free safety Eugene Robinson has hinted that this could be his last season but said he won't make a final decision until he and his wife have a chance to discuss everything following the season.
The Rams are very pleased with the play of Devin Bush, who has stepped in and switched to free safety to replace the injured Keith Lyle. Bush was forced to make the switch from his more natural position of strong safety in one week and has made his presence felt in coverages.
Material from Pro Football Weekly.
Visit PFW's web site at http://www.profootballweekly.com
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