QB: David Garrard, Cleo Lemon RB

=========================

A person familiar with the situation told Associated Press sports writer Doug Tucker that Johnson would meet with league officials in New York on Tuesday. NFL Network insider Adam Schefter confirmed a meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell did indeed take place.

Johnson also faces a Dec. 4 court date for another incident that occurred last February when he allegedly pushed a woman's face in another Kansas City nightspot.

This most recent alleged incident at a Kansas City nightspot on Oct. 10, marks the fourth time in five years Johnson has been accused of assaulting a woman.

He was deactivated for the past two games for breaking team rules. And even though Johnson was on the practice field Wednesday, don't look for him to be there Sunday.

In a written statement Monday, Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson left little doubt the team's highest-paid player would be absent again this week regardless of what action the league might take.

"The case with Larry Johnson has been and continues to be in the hands of the NFL office in New York," Peterson said in statement. "We will defer further comment on the matter until that process has run its due course and the league has concluded its own independent investigation.

"As we have previously indicated, it is in the best interest of both Larry and the Chiefs that Larry focuses his attention on addressing his personal issues. At present, we do not believe Larry can contribute to our team on the field until those issues are resolved."

As Tucker noted, all the incidents involving the former Penn State star have had three things in common: Anger, alcohol and women. Johnson said last week he would be "seeking help to get better as far as getting my life on track …"

Johnson appeared briefly before the media last week and apologized for his behavior.

"This is the first time in my life I actually had to stand up, I mean actually woke up and kind of be disgusted with myself and disgusted as far as the way my life and my career is heading right now," he said.

He concluded by saying, "In times of darkness, you've got to look for the light and that's what I plan on doing, regardless of what suspensions and fines are being handed down. I will take them as sincerely as they give them out."

In 2005 and 2006, Johnson was one of the best running backs in the NFL. He went to the Pro Bowl after rushing for more than 1,750 yards in each season. After a training camp holdout in 2007, he was rewarded with a contract that guaranteed a team-record $19 million. But he was injured the last half of the 2007 season and has been inconsistent so far this year for the Chiefs (1-6).

In Kansas City's lone victory, he rushed for 198 yards against Denver on Sept. 28, the most in the AFC this season.

It should be noted that a growing number of observers are speculating that Johnson has played his last game this season.

Even if he draws a suspension similar to Denver receiver Brandon Marshall's (a three-game suspension that was cut back to two games based on Marshall's willingness to meet certain stipulations), ESPN.com's Michael Smith has suggested that team officials -- using their ability to reclaim bonus money as a carrot -- will try to convince Johnson to focus on getting help for his problems before returning. ...

And that's not necessarily a good thing.

Johnson's second consecutive deactivation had a noticeable impact against the Jets, especially when Kansas City tried to run out some clock and couldn't in the final five minutes.

Nor should they expect Kolby Smith to suddenly emerge as a realistic threat. ...

Other notes of interest. ... According to Kansas City Star staffer Adam Teicher, as Kansas City's attempts to lure Daunte Culpepper went by the wayside, the 1-6 Chiefs are at least feeling a little better about Tyler Thigpen.

Shifting into a quasi-spread offense with some occasional no-huddle that bore some resemblance to what Thigpen played at tiny Coastal Carolina, the Chiefs put their No. 3 quarterback in enough of a comfort zone that he statistically outdueled future Hall of Famer Brett Favre.

Thigpen entered the Jets game having completed 42 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and four interceptions. His passer rating of 44.3 was the lowest among the 34 NFL quarterbacks with enough pass attempts to be ranked.

Against the Jets, Thigpen was 25 of 36 (69 percent) with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating was 110.9, which is higher than that of the NFL's season leader, Philip Rivers of San Diego.

Favre got the only statistical edge that matters to a quarterback -- the W in the Jets 28-24 victory over the double-digit underdog Chiefs -- but Thigpen was productive enough.

In just his second NFL start, Thigpen hit his first 10 passes for 121 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown toss to Tony Gonzalez. He was 15 of 20 at halftime, with his last throw going for an 11-yard touchdown to Mark Bradley that tied the game at 14 just seconds before intermission.

Although they couldn't finish the Jets, Thigpen and the mini-spread were a ray of sunshine on the Chiefs' gloomy quarterback picture.

And though the Chiefs tried unsuccessfully to talk Culpepper out of retirement this week, there is now hope that Thigpen can be a suitable hand on the wheel until a more experienced replacement comes along. ...

Rookie tight end Brad Cottam, who hadn't caught a pass until Sunday, hauled in four against the Jets. Dwayne Bowe and Gonzalez each had six catches, and Bowe surpassed 100 yards for the first time this season.

Gonzalez had one of the Chiefs' two TD catches. Bradley, signed by the Chiefs earlier in the season after his release by the Bears, had the other.

The Chiefs were desperate for receiving options other than Bowe and Gonzalez to emerge. Devard Darling, who had been starting at wide receiver, entered the game with just five catches.

"We have some pieces now where we can spread the ball evenly, get Dwayne Bowe the ball when he's one-on-one and get Tony Gonzalez the ball when he's one-on-one," Bradley said.

That should leave a few passes for Bradley.

"It was fun today going up and down the field like we did," Bradley said. "I'm not a selfish guy."

Gonzalez started his 165th consecutive game, moving past former center Tim Grunhard for the third-highest total in Chiefs history. Gonzalez also extended his receptions streak to 122 consecutive games. Gonzalez needs nine receptions to enter the top 10 all time.

Bowe's 102-yard performance was a season high, and his 36-yard reception from Thigpen was his longest of the season. Bowe needs 23 catches to pass Andre Rison and Priest Holmes for the Chiefs player with the most receptions in his first two seasons.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  

=========================

He shed some of that "draft bust" stamp that has plagued his stay with the Dolphins, catching seven passes for a career-high 175 yards in Miami's 25-16 win against Buffalo on Sunday.

"It was different," Ginn said. "It was more of an enjoyment."

According to the Sports Xchange, head coach Tony Sparano said Ginn's breakout day had to do with "carpe diem," seizing the moment.

While the plan was to be aggressive on both sides of the ball, and the first play was a go route to Ginn that clicked for 46 yards, Sparano credited Ginn for fighting for every ball and for wanting to succeed.

Ginn finished with the most receiving yards in a single day since Chris Chambers had 238 yards against the Bills on Dec. 24, 2005. Chambers and Ginn were both coached by Ted Ginn Sr. in high school in Cleveland.

"You certainly can't get the ball if you're not handed the ball," Sparano said of Ginn not realizing his potential because he hasn't been given a lot of opportunities. "A back you can kind of force-feed the issue. ... A receiver it's a little bit different. The coverage dictates what could happen. Then I think he seized the moment (Sunday). All of a sudden when it hit right early in the game, it hit right coverage-wise. The call and the coverage matched. That could've very easily gone to the reverse side of the field; the first play of the game could've easily gone to [Greg] Camarillo.

"Once that happened, the cushion got a little softer out there. He ran by (the defender) once. He stuttered and made a comeback on him. He owned the cushion (Sunday) and seized the moment. Ted made the most of that situation."

The Xchange went on to note that Ginn has been criticized for not living up to his billing as the ninth overall selection in the 2007 draft, but many observers believe part of his problem was not being given enough opportunities downfield.

Also, his quarterbacks last year were aging Trent Green, ineffective Cleo Lemon and rattled rookie John Beck. Now, he's got the calm, cool, collected and accurate Chad Pennington slinging him the ball.

"Ted already has something that you can't coach, and I know that I don't have, and that's speed," Pennington said of his growing comfort level with Ginn. "When you can put toughness and speed together, you've got a really good combination. This was a step for him and a step for our passing game. Hopefully we can get better with it."

Ginn had 20 catches for 177 yards in the first six games before nearly doubling his reception yards Sunday. It helped that he was going against gimpy-kneed cornerback Terrence McGee.

Ginn still hasn't had a touchdown this season.

"I'm a football player, and this is what I need to do. Every time a ball comes my way, I told myself I was going to come down with it. I knew what I was going against. I just wanted to go out and execute," Ginn said. ...

No doubt Ginn had a great game. I'd like to see another before I get too excited, though. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Pennington threw for 314 yards, the sixth 300-yard passing game of his career and his first since Dec. 17, 2006, when he tossed for a career-high 339 yards in the Jets' 26-13 win at Minnesota. When he has thrown for 300 or more yards in a game, his teams are 5-1.

"Whatever it takes to win, that's my motto," Pennington said. "If it means that I need to make 10 good run checks and get us into 10 good running plays, that's what I'm up for. If it means that I've got to step up back in there and move around and make some plays, that's part of being a quarterback.

"It's not about touchdowns and stats, it's about getting your team in the end zone and winning the football game."

As Kelly suggested Monday, "There's nothing sexy about Chad Pennington's game."

His arm isn't the strongest and he doesn't have the most nimble feet. But the Dolphins' starting quarterback continues to find ways to move this offense.

But Pennington led the offense to scores on five of 10 drives (the 11th possession ended with a kneel-down as the clock hit zero) against the Bills. He was sacked just once despite facing plenty of pressure, and he didn't commit a turnover for the fourth game this season.

"He brings a calming presence to our team," said Camarillo, who contributed five receptions for 35 yards.

With a 117.9 passer rating, Pennington has put together a rating of 100.0 or better in four of the past five games. In addition, his 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano marked the fourth game in a row in which he has thrown a touchdown pass.

This was the sixth 300-yard passing game of Pennington's career. His team is now 5-1 when he has thrown for 300 or more yards.

Also worth noting: SI.com's Peter King points out that Miami has had 16 touchdown drives in its seven games this year. On those 16 drives, Pennington has completed 88.9 percent of his passes (56 of 63).

Despite his steady play, Pennington still isn't pleased with the way he's performing.

"I've got a lot I want to work on with being crisp with my reads," said Pennington, who is converting 69.3 percent of his passes. "It's one thing to be able to do it one game, or two games. But I'm looking for consistent performance every week. ..."

As Palm Beach Post staff writer Brian Biggane noted, the Dolphins all but ignored their Wildcat formation Sunday, using it just six times for 35 yards. But the scheme continued to evolve.

The new wrinkle this week was a direct snap to Ricky Williams, who ran around left end for 5 yards to the 3 late in the third quarter. On the following play, Williams took a handoff, started left and cut back for a touchdown.

Guard Justin Smiley sounded just as satisfied Miami didn't stick with it any more than it did. The Dolphins have been criticized for winning with a gimmick, and Sunday proved they could win by more conventional means.

"We'll put that one to bed," Smiley said. "Everybody's been talking about the Wildcat and what did we run it, three or four times? That isn't what won the game. We ran the ball good at times; we had some good screen plays, stuff like that. Just keep executing and we'll be fine. ..."

One last note. ... Receiver Brandon London, who had been restricted to special teams play, finally got in the base offense and had a 6-yard reception in the first quarter for the first catch of his career.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  

=========================

Frerotte's ability to remain patient and find open receivers has been key. He has developed a nice chemistry with receiver Bernard Berrian, who was signed as a free agent during the offseason. Berrian has 28 receptions, second on the team to Bobby Wade's 30, for a team-leading 517 yards and three touchdowns.

All have come in the past three games.

The fact that Frerotte can establish Berrian as a consistent deep threat is good news for an offense that is looking to loosen things up for Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson.

Frerotte also has shown confidence in tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who has had problems holding onto the football in the past. Shiancoe has caught 13 passes for three touchdowns with Frerotte as his quarterback.

Shiancoe is finally providing the kind of production the Vikings envisioned after signing him last offseason to a five-year, $18.2 million contract that includes $7 million in guarantees.

"I think he gets more and more comfortable," head coach Brad Childress said. "You see his opportunities around the ball increase. The more he does, the more you're looking to create things for him to do. I don't think that he's thinking anywhere near as much as he had to last year, and you can see some of his God-given ability."

Shiancoe's talent was overshadowed by ill-timed dropped passes last season, when he caught 27 passes for 323 yards and one touchdown. He dropped three potential touchdown passes, drawing the ire of a fans who expected more from a big-money free agent.

The criticism intensified after Shiancoe dropped three passes in the first three games this season. He's been reliable since. According to Pro Football Weekly, team official feel he's catching the ball better and not overthinking things.

He might not be an every-game weapon, but Shiancoe is starting to come along. ..

Meanwhile, the biggest weakness in the passing attack lies in the fact that at 37, Frerotte has little mobility and already has been sacked 13 times. This isn't all the fault of the offensive line.

Frerotte also has two more interceptions than touchdown passes (7-5) and threw four picks in his last game before the bye week at Chicago.

Other issues?

When Peterson is going to break a few more long runs? Why can't Peterson be more patient? Is Peterson's early-season hamstring injury still bothering him?

The Xchange notes there have been plenty of questions about the second-year star but the bottom line is that he continues to produce.

Peterson is among the NFL's leading rushers this season with 684 yards on 151 carries and also has five touchdowns. He has rushed for more than 100 yards in four of seven games this season, including the past two. He had a season-long 54-yard touchdown run to account for a good portion of his yardage in a 121-yard effort in the Vikings' loss to Chicago just before the bye week.

Veteran Chester Taylor continues to get opportunities on the field in third-down situations but this clearly is Peterson's job.

Peterson did suffer a hamstring injury in Week 2 against the Colts, he still rushed for a season-high 160 yards in that loss, but he has not missed any time this season. The coaching staff continues to work with him on being a patient runner and staying behind his blocks instead of free-lancing at times.

Nonetheless, it's hard to tell a runner as good as Peterson not to do what comes naturally. ...

On the injury front. ... Tight end Garrett Mills suffered a leg injury in the Vikings' loss at Chicago before the bye. His status should become clearer Wednesday when the team begins full preparations for Sunday's game against Houston.

Receiver Sidney Rice had a week off to rest the sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Rice was injured in Week 2 and had missed three of five games. He has only three receptions this season.

But the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Rice expects to play Sunday against the Houston Texans and said his knee feels close to 100 percent. Rice spent the bye week in the Twins Cities so he could get daily treatment at Winter Park, and he looked "live-legged" during a workout Monday, according to Childress.

"Two weeks of rest doesn't hurt something like that [injury]," Childress said. "I think he's six weeks post-injury right now. ... He has a little bit more energy than he is used to having."

Rice's presence is especially useful in the red zone, which has been a problem area for the Vikings this season. The Vikings rank 31st in the NFL in red-zone efficiency, scoring only six touchdowns in 20 chances. Rice's height (6-4) makes him an attractive target inside the 20 because he can use his size to go over defenders, especially on fade routes.

And finally. ... Frerotte and John David Booty were the only quarterbacks on the field Monday as the Vikings returned to work after their bye week.

Jackson received an excused absence so he could spend time with his son, Tarvaris II, who had a medical issue, according to Childress. Childress did not go into detail. Jackson has family ties in the Alabama and Mississippi areas and was in the South on Monday.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT  

=========================

"The placement was perfect. The touchdown capped a Patriots comeback. The quarterback did what his teammates knew he could do. ..."

"Matt's arm's always been great and he's extremely accurate," fullback Heath Evans said Monday, the day after a 23-16 win over the St. Louis Rams. "It's just been him getting more comfortable with everybody around him and more comfortable with the play calling."

Cassel's skills, hidden from public view for seven seasons as a backup who never started with Southern California or New England, are now on display. In seven games since Tom Brady sustained a season-ending knee injury in the opener, Cassel has gotten more consistent.

After compiling his lowest passer rating of the season in a 30-10 loss at San Diego, he had two solid games.

He was the AFC offensive player of the week for his performance in a 41-7 rout of the Denver Broncos -- three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 75 percent completion rate. Then he threw for a career-high 267 yards against St. Louis, the last 15 coming on his scoring pass to Faulk.

"He's just growing in front of our eyes," receiver Kelley Washington told Ulman.

Like Brady, Cassel was cool as the Patriots completed their comeback from a 16-13 deficit in the final nine minutes Sunday.

"I really wasn't worried about the situation other than the fact that I knew we had to score," he said. "I wasn't trying to press."

The Patriots are 5-2 and back in first place in the AFC East, tied with Buffalo. Ulman reminded readers that in Brady's first two seasons as a starter, the Pats were 3-4 after seven games.

Brady has 28 comeback victories in seven seasons in games in which the Patriots trailed or were tied in the fourth quarter. Sunday's was Cassel's first, but he did go 4-for-4 for 49 yards on the decisive drive.

"We work on those things every week," head coach Bill Belichick said. "It is great that Matt did that. I hope we are not in that situation every week though."

Cassel succeeded Sunday despite a rash of injuries to key offensive players.

Running backs Sammy Morris, LaMont Jordan and Laurence Maroney and starting right tackle Nick Kaczur were sidelined. Regular right guard Stephen Neal saw limited action in his second game after missing the first five following shoulder and knee injuries.

Cassel showed an ability to run when his protection broke down or he didn't spot open receivers.

"Matt saved us on a few of those," Belichick said. "He ran three or four times where he scrambled out and got positive yards. So those were plays that could have potentially been losses, balls that weren't thrown."

Cassel picked up 22 yards on seven carries and has rushed for 81 yards this season. Brady's best for a full season was 110 in 2002.

"Matt is really progressing in all areas," Belichick said, "his decision-making, his read in coverages, his pocket presence."

Indeed, Cassel completed 22 of 37 passes for one touchdown against the Rams. He threw two interceptions, but intended receiver Wes Welker fell down on one of them. And his sacks were down to three from a total of six against Denver.

He's also getting more comfortable with receivers Welker and Randy Moss.

"Being comfortable in this game is huge," Evans said. "The more you play the better understanding you have of everything around you, from what your receivers are doing to what the coaches are calling.

"Bill tells every player here, ‘You wouldn't be here if I didn't have sheer confidence in you.' Obviously, Bill's seen something in Matt for four years that maybe other people didn't. ..."

Imagine that. ...

Other notes of interest. ... With Maroney (who is on season-ending IR), Morris and Jordan sidelined by injuries, Faulk made the most of his opportunity as the featured back. He carried the ball 13 times for 60 yards and caught four passes for 47 yards, including the above-mentioned game-winning 15-yard touchdown, against the Rams.

"One-handed catches, blitz pickups, diving catches, great runs, some of the best balance and best feet you've ever seen," Evans said of Faulk. "He might be the most complete back in this league. His patience on the draw, you put me in there, you might get 2 yards, he gets 13 or 14 yards.

"There's not enough you can say about him -- he's done it at a high level."

Faulk, Evans and rookie free agent BenJarvus Green-Ellis were available for duty against the Rams. Green-Ellis had limited success, though his best run came on a 2-yard surge for a touchdown in which he fought through the initial hit.

But Faulk knew going in that he would be shouldering much of the load and was up to the task. One would have to go back to a 42-15 win in Cleveland on Dec. 5, 2004 to find the last time Faulk carried the ball 13 times.

"I think that's what you come in for," said Faulk, who entered the game with just 23 carries on the season. "You don't have a lot of opportunities sometimes, but the thing is, you always have to be ready because you don't know when the situation is going to come up. The situation came up (Sunday) where we were down to three running backs and we had to carry the load."

While some teams wouldn't have been able to withstand the season-ending injuries to Brady or Maroney, Faulk said the Pats' 5-2 record is a tribute to the entire organization.

"Well, that's why your team has backups," Faulk said. "The coaches have confidence in them to do the job and that's what we have to do no matter what happens. ..."

Let's hope so. ... Morris (knee) could be out for at least three weeks, according to various published reports. Jordan reportedly suffered a setback with his injured calf last Wednesday

According to Boston Globe staffer Mike Reiss, Morris expressed frustration Tuesday that he is sidelined after gaining a career-high 138 yards against the Broncos Oct. 20, but he indicated his knee injury will not threaten the rest of his season.

Morris declined to detail his injury or place a timetable on his return, instead using the words often spoken by Belichick regarding injured players.

"Bill describes it [as] day to day and that's how I describe it. I'll be back ASAP," he said. "It's dealing with the unfortunate part of the game and I'm working my way back."

Belichick did not reveal Tuesday whether Morris or Jordan would be ready for action Sunday at Indianapolis, but the Globe reported that Jordan was on the field for the start of Wednesday's practice -- a session held indoors with players in shells (light shoulder pads) and sweatpants.

But the pace of the drills was high during the time media members were present. ... Stay tuned. More on Jordan (and Morris) as the week progresses (those interested should watch for Late-Breaking Updates).

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT