Chris Burke Posts

The Lions would love nothing more than to trot their new franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford, out for a national-television audience on Thanksgiving Day. But it looks like everyone will have to settle for Daunte Culpepper.

Stafford, who injured his left (non-throwing) shoulder one play prior to tossing a game-winning TD to beat Cleveland last Sunday, was listed as doubtful by the Lions for Thursday's game against Green Bay.

Detroit head coach Jim Schwartz did not sound optimistic about Stafford's playing status following the team's Tuesday practice, and apparently, nothing changed over 24 hours.

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Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds for Week 11.

Studs

Ricky Williams, RB, Miami (22 carries, 119 yards, three touchdowns): No, it's not 2002. Yes, Ricky Williams was on the top performers of the week. Williams, filling in as the starting running back for injured Ronnie Brown went nuts against Carolina last Thursday, topping the 100-yard mark and finding the end zone three times -- twice on the ground, one through the air -- in a 24-17 Miami win. Williams' 22 carries were the most he's had since a 28-carry day in Week 17 of 2005. He followed that up by violating the league's substance abuse policy and being suspended for all of 2006. Let's hope he's got healthier plans this time around.

Tampa Bay rookie head coach Raheem Morris has been unhappy with the performance of his team's defense, so he's decided to deal with the situation head-on. Morris removed Jim Bates from his role as defensive coordinator Monday, according to the St. Petersburg Times, and will take over the position himself. Bates will remain with the team as a consultant.

Tampa Bay, 1-9 on the season, ranks 31st in the NFL in average points allowed at 29.4 per game -- ahead of only Detroit. The Buccaneers are last in the league against the run.

Morris will reportedly return the Bucs to a Tampa-2 defense, a scheme that became prominent during Tony Dungy's days as the Bucs' head coach.

Chargers star cornerback Antonio Cromartie is being investigated by police for his role in an altercation at a San Diego bar, according to multiple reports.

TMZ.com first reported that Cromartie was under investigation for assault with a deadly weapon, citing law enforcement sources who stated that Cromartie was out celebrating the Chargers' win "when somebody threw a champage bottle which hit a bystander in the head." Apparently, no arrests were made and no charges have yet been filed.

Cromartie issued a statement on Twitter (@crimetime31): "I want to apologize to charger nation and my fans. There's sum stuff out abt me that's not true. It will come out. God Bless."

Bills rookie offensive lineman Eric Wood suffered an ugly injury in the third quarter of Buffalo's 18-15 loss to Jacksonville. The injury was so bad, in fact, that CBS opted not to show any replays of the play because it was too gruesome.

Wood was rolled up on during a Buffalo pass play, and his left leg bent at an extremely unnatural angle. According to the Bills, Wood fractured both his tibia and fibula, and stayed in Jacksonville to have immediate season-ending surgery. The injury was easily one of the worst in the NFL this season and could wind up keeping Wood out of the lineup for much longer than the final six weeks of 2009.

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Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 10 PM, Versus will begin airing "Sports Jobs With Junior Seau," a weekly program -- similar to the Discovery Channel's popular "Dirty Jobs" -- that will feature Seau, a 20-year NFL veteran, taking on some behind-the-scenes work at different sporting events. Versus will air a pair of episodes on Dec. 2. FanHouse secured a preview copy of one, where Seau played the role of batboy and equipment manager for the Dodgers.

This week, Seau spoke with FanHouse about his new show, as well as returning to the Patriots and, of course, Bill Belichick's fateful fourth-down call in Indianapolis.

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Fashionably late is better than unfashionably absent.

It's not a pretty motto (you might prefer "It's better late than never"), but it holds true for our NFL FanHouse podcast, which gets off the ground this week. In the inaugural run, Matt Snyder and Chris Burke tackle some pressing Week 10 topics -- like the game-changing spot of the ball on New England's fateful fourth-down play -- and look ahead to several important Week 11 matchups, including Atlanta at the Giants and San Diego at Denver.

Check out the first NFL Podcast after the jump.

The Dolphins announced Wednesday that leading running back Ronnie Brown had been placed on injured reserve with a right foot injury, ending his 2009 season. Brown had accumulated 648 yards rushing and eight touchdowns, plus a passing touchdown, and stepped in at the "quarterback" spot in Miami's Wildcat offense.

Miami may be as equipped as any team in the NFL to lose its No. 1 back and still run a consistent offense. Ricky Williams will take over as the team's starter, with guys like Ted Ginn, Jr., and rookie quarterback Pat White capable of picking up extra Wildcat duties. Still, Miami's offense puts a lot of pressure on the running back position -- behind Williams now is second-year guy Lex Hilliard, who has zero NFL carries.

But there are lots of recognizable free agents available, should Miami go that route. A look at some of the possibilities:

Calvin Johnson, now is his third professional season, has shown flashes of brilliance. His 1,200-plus yards receiving and 12 touchdowns in 2008 were incredible numbers considering Detroit finished 0-16. But "Megatron" has just one TD grab this season, and the Lions are a combined 8-33 since drafting him.

So while Johnson has been stellar at times and has a very, very bright future, it's hard to put him on the same level as guys like Randy Moss, Andre Johnson or Larry Fitzgerald. Unless you ask Minnesota cornerback Benny Sapp, that is.

Each week in the NFL, there are players that impress and players that distress. One week a certain quarterback might toss four touchdowns and run around pointing skyward, while the next he's laying on his back, holding his facemask as the other team returns one of his three interceptions for the game-winning score. With that in mind, here's Studs and Duds.

Studs

Maurice Jones-Drew, RB, Jacksonville (24 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD): Coaches always talk about wanting players who have "football smarts." MJD certainly fits the bill, and he proved it Sunday against the Jets. With less than two minutes left in the game and the Jags down one, Jones-Drew broke clear for what looked like an easy score -- but, instead, he took a knee at the Jets 1-yard line, allowing his team to run out the clock and kick a game-winning field goal on the final play.