FOX: All you need to know about Week 5

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All you need to know about Week 5

John Czarnecki / FOXSports.com

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/4975440?CMP=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=5

Champ Bailey, a former Redskin now with the Denver Broncos, asked why the most gifted athlete on Washington's defense was mired on the bench. Bailey couldn't believe that LaVar Arrington played two defensive snaps in the first half last Sunday and took a seat for the second half win over Seattle. Seems that Arrington doesn't like to practice what defensive coordinator Gregg Williams teaches.

There are all kinds of theories about Arrington's virtually non-existent playing time this season, but the bottom line is that Williams is the boss — not the star player who out-earns him by $5 million — and LaVar always thought that he was.

Williams likes to run a complicated scheme and for some reason Arrington has preferred to do his own thing, whether that is rushing the quarterback (he still needs work in that area) or floating into zone coverage.

"You've got to do it in practice if you're going to do it in the game," Williams said this week, virtually admitting that Arrington hasn't been doing it in practice and that's why he's not "getting a chance to do it in the game."

In the past, Washington owner Daniel Snyder seemed to take the side of his star players over his head coaches. But all that has changed with the arrival of Joe Gibbs and his coordinator. Gibbs is in full support of Williams and has told Arrington exactly that.

It seems unlikely that the Redskins can swing a trade for Arrington prior to the Oct. 18 league-wide deadline. But if his play doesn't increase, his career in Washington appears over after this season ends. Believe me, there are teams who need the athletic skills of Arrington. The Packers come to mind. But you can also bet that a team like Green Bay won't invest in a problem child like Arrington, either.

The good thing is that Snyder will see his most expensive player at least play on special teams today against the Denver Broncos. The bottom line is that Williams has received respect around the league for his stance against a player who won't play within the system. Plus, if Gibbs retires at the end of the season, Williams is in a solid position to assume the head-coaching spot in Washington.

NFL on FOX

Game: Chicago at Cleveland, 1 PM EST

What to watch for: This figures to be a close, defensive-minded game, and the Bears will be counting on a new kicker, Robby Gould, who was in the Patriots' training camp this summer. Regular PK Doug Brien has been awful and now he's hurt, too. The Bears used the bye week to get first-round pick Cedric Benson acclimated to the offense and hope to give him 15 carries. They are confident that Benson can now handle pass-blocking responsibilities, too. The Browns plan to blitz rookie QB Kyle Orton as much as possible, believing they can rattle him.

Czar's scoop: Bears LB Brian Urlacher might have been kidding, but he actually said this week that a 5-11 record could win the NFC North. Browns GM Phil Savage and owner Randy Lerner are working on their relationship — well, Savage is trying to please his boss. He's communicating more with Lerner, keeping him in the loop, while sitting with him on game days. The Browns have been ripped league-wide for over-paying their rookies and they probably will have a new contract negotiator next season. Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon has been receiving some praise, so look for his name when head-coaching vacancies start.

Game: New Orleans at Green Bay, 1 PM EST

What to watch for: There is a good chance that RT Mark Tauscher and guard Adrian Klemm will be the only healthy starting linemen for the Packers, and it should mean that Ahman Green will be replaced by Najeh Davenport. There is a chance that Tauscher will move to left tackle to replace Chad Clifton (ankle) and protect Favre's blindside. Will Smith starts for DE Charles Grant while the Saints lose WR Joe Horn (hamstring) on offense. Devery Henderson will start while Az Hakim will be the third receiver and also return kicks. The Packers will start rookie Roy Manning for Robert Thomas and Paris Lenon replaces the injured Na'il Diggs.

Czar's scoop: This could be a long season for Brett Favre, who simply knows that he must play superbly every game in order to give the Packers a chance. The injuries along the offensive line, plus the loss of his favorite receiver, Javon Walker, has limited his options and put more pressure on him. He's also unhappy that new GM Ted Thompson didn't spend more money in the off-season on upgrading the talent. However, Thompson doesn't like giving free-agents money. He'd rather draft his talent. His players have praised Saints coach Jim Haslett for bending the rules and allowing players more time to take care of hardship areas associated with Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans owner Tom Benson could escape from his lease because of the damage to the Superdome. Eight Saints' players lost their homes due to the hurricane.

Game: Tampa Bay at N.Y. Jets, 1 PM EST

What to watch for: Both teams have beat-up running backs. Cadillac Williams will test his left foot and hamstring, but it looks like Michael Pittman should be the main man for the Bucs. Curtis Martin, the defending NFL rushing champion, is playing with a bad right knee, so New York could actually come out throwing, hoping to loosen up the Bucs' defense. Vinny Testeverde, 41, has looked strong in drills. The only downside is how will he physically react in the second half? He's not in football shape and wasn't working out that strenuously in the off-season. The last time the Bucs were 5-0 was in 1997. Bucs CB Ronde Barber needs one more sack to be the league's first-ever cornerback with 20 sacks and 20 interceptions.

Czar's scoop: Chad Pennington had minor rotator-cuff surgery last week and the Jets actually believe their quarterback will be ready for training camp. Some in the organization believe, though, that Pennington should be willing to re-work his contract, considering his shoulder didn't last two games this season. The Bucs asked New York for a first-round pick when they inquired about Chris Simms. Testeverde initiated his return to the Jets. He telephoned asking for work, that's why he's playing for the veteran minimum of $750,000. Vinny believes he has enough in the tank (and his arm has looked strong) to put the Jets back in contention.

Game: Seattle at St. Louis, 1 PM EST

What to watch for: Seattle is without both starting receivers, Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram, meaning that QB Matt Hasselbeck will have to build some immediate confidence with Joe Jurevicius and Peter Warrick. It sounds like, though, Hasselbeck plans to lean on TE Jerramy Stevens, who has had an uneven career to this point. The Rams will see a lot of Shaun Alexander, but they dominated the Seahawks last season and believe they will do it again. The Rams will be minus WR Ike Bruce again, but they feel confident with Kevin Curtis. Seattle needs this game if they are going to be a serious factor in the NFC West.

Czar's scoop: Rams coach Mike Martz, who has a blood infection in one of his heart valves, will be on the sidelines today. Martz is being treated, however, doctors still haven't been able to ascertain the cause of the infection and what specifically can be done to eradicate it. He is receiving antibiotics. With Martz spending two days in the hospital, the Rams put a plan in place that would have offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild making the offensive calls with linebackers coach Joe Vitt technically acting as an interim head coach. That is what would happen should Martz miss any games this season. Rams WR Ike Bruce will be inactive.

Game: Carolina at Arizona, 4:15 PM EST

What to watch for: The Panthers have only four sacks all season, plus the revamped secondary was burned by Brett Favre for 185 yards and 16 points in the final 13 minutes last Monday night. Cornerbacks Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble, who is usually targeted, must contend with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, who both had 100-yard receiving games vs. San Francisco in Mexico City. Panthers got Keary Colbert involved Monday night, hoping to take some of the defensive heat off WR Steve Smith. Carolina's pass rush is hoping to get well against a below-average Arizona offensive line.

The Panthers aren't too worried over the fact that Julius Peppers has yet to record a sack this season. (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)

Czar's scoop: Arizona coach Denny Green could have a quarterback controversy on his hands whenever Kurt Warner (groin) returns. The players seem to want to keep Josh McCown in there. Meanwhile, Green would also like to see if ex-Patriot Rohan Davey can play in his system. The Panthers don't seem concerned about Julius Peppers failing to register a sack this season. The late Sam Mills was honored and remembered by his college alma mater, Montclair (N.J.) State yesterday. Mike Rucker has a club-record 42 sacks now, eclipsing Kevin Greene. The Cardinals didn't collect more money from playing in Mexico City. They simply received the average amount of what they would have gotten had they played in Phoenix. The NFL lost money on the first-time experience.

Game: Philadelphia at Dallas, 4:15 PM EST

What to watch for: Since he has been coaching the Eagles, Andy Reid has won of 10 of 12 games against the Cowboys, including four of his last five in Texas Stadium. The way to beat the Eagles is by pounding the ball, but Dallas sounds like it plans to come out throwing. If that's the case, look for Philadelphia to generate an inside pass rush on Drew Bledsoe. Eagles' defensive coordinator Jim Johnson believes he dialed up the wrong blitzes last week and sounds determined to make amends at Bledsoe's expense. Injury or no injury, Reid has been calling 74 percent of pass plays for Donovan McNabb and doesn't seem concerned about this. McNabb tells Terry Bradshaw on FOX NFL Sunday that he knows he will need surgery after the season for his sports hernia, but wants to keep playing while he still can.

Czar's scoop: There is a good chance that RB Brian Westbrook won't receive a contract extension unless he's willing to play for an average of $4 million a season. Part of Philadelphia's thinking is that rookie Ryan Moats could be the next Westbrook, so there's no need to pay anything more to this very valuable Eagle. WR Peerless Price, who's making $1.8 million sitting the pine, could be active today and play a role for the Cowboys. At the moment, he has one catch for minus-1 yard. As long as Terrell Owens doesn't become a total distraction, there's a very good chance that the Eagles will pay him his bonus in the off-season and work out a long-term contract with him.

Game: Washington at Denver, 4:15 PM EST

What to watch for: The Broncos may have the quickest, best group of linebackers in the NFL. They shut down LaDainian Tomlinson and held the Jaguars to a club-low 12 rushing yards last Sunday. Washington's Clinton Portis figures to have his hands full with ex-teammate Al Wilson. After sitting last week with a sore hamstring, Champ Bailey will start for Denver. Redskins CB Shawn Springs will be facing old nemesis Rod Smith. Washington allowed Seattle two scoring drives of more than 80 yards last week after allowing only five such drives all last season.

Czar's scoop: Washington's little big man, Santana Moss, is off to a great start. Fourteen of his 15 receptions have gone for first downs, 11 of those on either third down or fourth down. RT Jon Jansen continues to play well with two broken thumbs. Safety Sean Taylor left the Seattle game with a bruised shoulder. Denver QB Jake Plummer wasn't fined this week for failing to put a "Futbol Americano" decal on his helmet last week. Remember, Plummer wanted to wear the Pat Tillman No. 40 decal all last season until the league warned him of a heavy fine. Instead, he taped a public service announcement in honor of his former Arizona teammate who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Other games:

New England at Atlanta: WR Bethel Johnson, not Doug Flutie, was the Patriots' scout team quarterback this week, imitating Michael Vick. Johnson's orders were to not get tackled as he ran around. There's a good chance that DT Richard Seymour won't play, and all indications are that Vick's left knee sprain won't be a hindrance. New England LB Tedy Bruschi continues to workout and lift weights, and it's about 60-40 that he will return this season.

Miami at Buffalo: The big news is that QB Kelly Holcomb replaces first-year starter J.P. Losman, who apparently if pretty upset with the demotion. Bills coach Mike Mularkey had little choice because he expects Miami to blitz as much as they did (70 percent of the time) in upsetting Carolina. Besides, Losman was only completing 48 percent of his attempts, a total waste of Eric Moulds. Nick Saban has a chance to win his first big road game and take over control the AFC East.

Baltimore at Detroit: Are the Lions still reeling from their controversial loss to the Bucs? GM Matt Millen thought so this week when he stopped practice and ripped into the offense. With WR Charles Rogers suspended for four games, the Lions need Roy Williams and Mike Williams to step up. Both have been very disappointing this season. The Ravens are fighting for Brian Billick's future; he needs a win here to keep from being mentioned in the same breath with Mike Tice.

Tennessee at Houston: Texans coach Dom Capers is probably a dead-man walking unless his team can start winning. Owner Bob McNair, who hasn't won many league friends with his adamant approach to revenue sharing, is coming off a rough week, losing a bitter Super Bowl vote at the Detroit league meetings. Word is McNair will keep GM Charley Casserly in place (his contract is up), but will look for a new coach. David Carr should fair well against a Titans defense that is allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 70 percent of their attempts.

Indianapolis at San Francisco: This should be a tough debut for No. 1 pick Alex Smith, considering the sack total of Dwight Freeney and Co. Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison are clicking again and have a chance to break the touchdown-combo record of Steve Young and Jerry Rice with one score today. The 49ers did try to trade QB Tim Rattay to the Jets and were also shopping CB Ahmed Plummer. They ended up dealing Jamie Winborn to Jacksonville. Former SF coach Dennis Erickson has shown some interest in San Diego State.

Cincinnati at Jacksonville: After all these failed No. 1 picks at quarterback, the Bengals seem to have found their man in Carson Palmer. The key to this game is whether or not Palmer and Chad Johnson can keep it going, and can Byron Leftwich match them point for point? The Jags haven't been able to score 30 points since late in the 2001 season. Leftwich will have his third different starting left tackle with rookie Khalif Barnes protecting his blindside.

Pittsburgh at San Diego: No secret here, the Steelers want to pound the Chargers and then have Ben Roethlisberger use play-action and go deep. Pittsburgh believes the deep throws will be there. The Chargers have joined the Ravens, Texans, Vikings, Colts and Bengals as forcing Steeler fans to purchase tickets to another game in order to see their favorite bunch — except the Chargers are asking them to buy two games. After catching 100 passes two seasons ago, LaDainian Tomlinson is on pace for only 36 this season. But who cares? He's averaging 5.4 yards a carry. Jerome Bettis could be a healthy scratch.