Arizona cardinals

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Just don't expect the interim coach's next post-game news conference to be as entertaining as his animated debut.

"Maybe I'll drink a little more water," Singletary said Monday. "Maybe I'll breathe a little bit."

After a day to cool down from the 49ers' 34-13 loss to Seattle, Singletary was ready to have a calm discussion with Davis, whose reaction to a personal-foul penalty drove Singletary to banish the tight end from the field.

"Vernon is not a problem guy," Singletary said. "Vernon just forgets sometimes that the team is more important."

Singletary also made a bold move late Monday, naming Shaun Hill his starting quarterback for the Niners' next game at Arizona on Nov. 10. The new coach benched struggling starter J.T. O'Sullivan shortly before halftime Sunday in favor of Hill, who will have two full weeks to prepare for his third career start.

But Singletary won't attack San Francisco's myriad problems by changing his style, which got wide public attention Sunday for the first time since the Hall of Fame linebacker retired after the 1992 season.

According to Beacham, that's good news for 49ers fans who thought Singletary's frank, creative assessments of the 49ers' shortcomings were a welcome change for a franchise that's been among the NFL's dullest outposts for the last half-decade under Dennis Erickson and Mike Nolan.

"I don't talk a whole lot, but when I am talking, I do know what I feel, and I do know what I want to say," Singletary said. "I don't ever want to come in there and be a philosopher, an analytical (person). That's not who I am. What you see now is what I am, and that's not going to change any time soon."

It certainly doesn't look like Singletary will lose the fervor that made him a well-paid motivational speaker before he got into coaching, but he hopes his team will give him much less reason to be furious when they return from their bye week.

He got an early jump on fixing those problems by yanking O'Sullivan, who has thrown 11 interceptions and fumbled 11 times in his 7 1/2 games as the 49ers' starter. His familiarity with Mike Martz' offense didn't trump Hill's steady ball security and game management any longer.

"When you look at J.T.'s capabilities and the arm strength and all of those things, you'd say, ‘Hey, maybe that guy gives us the best chance to win,"' Singletary said. "But if you look around the league, there are guys that are very talented, very smart. ... But they can't play quarterback. J.T. has done a good job. He's just been inconsistent."

Singletary hasn't decided whether Davis will be back in his starting lineup after their sideline blowup. Davis got a questionable personal-foul penalty for tapping Seattle's Brian Russell on the facemask after a third-quarter catch, but Singletary got really steamed after Davis feigned indifference at Singletary when he was yanked off the field.

"He's not the kind of guy that is a distraction on the team," Singletary added. "(Sunday) was somewhat of a distraction, but everybody knows Vernon. They know full well who Vernon is, and I did what I had to do so that he wouldn't be so much of a distraction."

Davis is a well-known hothead who frequently gets into scraps with teammates during practice, yet he's usually calm and repentant the moment he removes his helmet.

Singletary didn't care, ordering Davis to sit on the bench and then sending him to the showers at the next timeout.

"I didn't expect him to come at me the way he did," Davis said Monday. "I guess that's his way of coaching."

Davis and Singletary finally had a talk Monday afternoon, although Davis said he mostly listened. Davis said he also didn't talk back on the field to Singletary, who suggested Davis wasn't a team player during his news conference.

"I know that I'm a team guy," Davis said. "I asked him about the comment he made. He basically said he didn't mean that. ... I'd never do anything to hurt my teammates or put them in trouble. It's about the team, and when you're playing this game, we've really got to lean on each other."

Singletary knows Davis possesses a measure of passion the Niners coach showed during his playing days with the Chicago Bears, but without the mental awareness that made Singletary among the best to ever play his position.

"Vernon is not a guy who doesn't come to practice," Singletary said. "You have to tell Vernon, ‘That's enough. Don't hurt the guy. That's your teammate.' He works his tail off. You don't have a problem with Vernon that way. What you have a problem with is with some of the decisions he makes at crucial times."

It'll be interesting to see if Singletary's approach helps Davis cut down on the bad decisions. ...

Meanwhile, if the 49ers were not heading into their bye week, the injuries they sustained in Sunday's loss to Seattle might be more troublesome. As it is, this reeling team does not play again until two weeks from tonight in Arizona.

Tight end Delanie Walker left the game with an injured elbow in the second quarter. With him went San Francisco's best receiving option at tight end; Walker had a 53-yard catch-and-run in the first quarter, the longest reception of his career.

Return man Allen Rossum injured his hamstring in the third quarter, and wide receiver Arnaz Battle hurt his right foot in the fourth period. Neither player returned. There was no immediate word on the conditions of any injured players. ...

Other notes of interest. ... Where the 49ers would be without running back Frank Gore is not something the team would care to ponder. Against the Seahawks, Gore had the ball in his hands 25 times and produced 159 yards. He rushed 18 times for 94 yards for a 5.2-yard average and caught seven passes for 65, with a long gainer of 24.

For the season, Gore has 940 yards from scrimmage on 629 yards rushing and 311 receiving.

His play -- and Singeltary's hard-nosed approach and willingness to let Martz know who is in charge (see the O'Sullivan demotion) -- are something Fantasy owners look forward too come Week 10.

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Hasselbeck told KIRO Radio he does not need surgery. He said he failed tests in Los Angeles and was unable to walk on his heels. He says there's no pain in his back or right leg, just a "dead leg" feeling.

"Just got a weakness in my leg," he said. "Because of the disk issue in my back that nerve is shutting off the muscles that are supposed to work in your leg."

He plans to keep working on strength and conditioning and is confident he'll get better.

"Most of it is just frustration, mental and trying to stay positive, and just realizing, hey, it's going to be all right," he told KIRO. "There are far worse things."

It appears Hasselbeck will miss his fourth consecutive game when the Seahawks play the Eagles Sunday in Seattle.

Backup Seneca Wallace is preparing for another start. He completed 15 of 25 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown and did not turn the ball over in a 34-13 win over the 49ers Sunday. A week earlier, he went 12-for-23 for just 73 yards with an interception in a loss at Tampa Bay.

Hasselbeck has been out since hyperextending his knee Oct. 5 and continuing to play two more quarters in the 44-6 loss at the New York Giants. ...

Meanwhile, wide receiver Deion Branch is likely to be out again after some confusion over what the team thought was a bruised heel. The former Super Bowl MVP has played in just one half of a game since reconstructive knee surgery last February.

Koren Robinson and Bobby Engram will continue to serve as the starting wideouts in Branch's absence -- but who knows? Maybe fullback Leonard Weaver should split wide on occasion. ...

After all, Weaver was responsible for a pair of touchdown catches, one of 43 yards and one of 62, in San Francisco.

According to Seattle Times reporter Jose' Miguel Romero, Weaver, a fourth-year fullback, is a humble guy. He's an ordained minister who is fond of singing gospel and Christian rhythm and blues. And he happens to pack a vicious stiff-arm once known as The Baptism.

No need for that stiff-arm Sunday.

Weaver used his speed -- pretty good for a 242-pound fullback -- to outrun 49ers defenders on his touchdowns. He also made sure to acknowledge -- in true Weaver fashion -- the blocking from Robinson that helped him score.

Lest Weaver think that he'll be moved to his college position, tight end, or somewhere else where he can get the ball on a more regular basis, he was quick to point out that blocking is still his No. 1 job.

"Coach [Mike] Holmgren lets me know that every day," Weaver said.

"He does the dirty work," Holmgren said. "When those guys that are unselfish get a chance to touch the ball and have some fun, I feel that much better. When he does get a chance, it doesn't surprise me, really. ..."

Still, as Seattle Post-Intelligencer beat writer Clare Farnsworth noted, since 1970, only four running backs had had two TD receptions of 43-plus yards in one game -- San Diego's Don Woods (1974), Buffalo's Joe Cribbs (1981), Cleveland's Eric Metcalf (1992) and Miami's Patrick Cobbs (this season).

Weaver became the fifth, and the first fullback. ...

Engram had eight catches in his first game back from injury three games ago. He had just one over the next two games.

Engram caught three balls for 40 yards Sunday as the Seahawks looked to get him going early. The first two passes of the game from Wallace were to Engram, the first one going for 21 yards.

"Bobby's a veteran, been around a long time and he knows the offense, and that's one of the guys we kind of lean on when things are going good," Wallace said. "That's one of things that we tried to do, is get him the ball and for him to make plays for us, and he did that."

Engram said the offense wanted to come out more aggressive. He dropped a first-quarter pass that he dived for on third down, and the Seahawks had to kick a field goal.

"Did well," Engram said. "Left some plays on the field but I was pleased that we kind of went at the defense a little bit more. ..."

The Seahawks gained only 39 rushing yards on 28 carries, their lowest game total of the season. Weaver said the 49ers were stacking the box, or committing eight men to stopping the run, and that had an effect.

"They just had us off balance a little bit," Wallace reasoned. "Different looks and us missing a couple of things, but it's nothing that we can't fix."

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Unfortunately, six points are earned only by reaching the end zone, and the Bucs' shortcomings in scoring position were frustrating and frequent for them.

Three times the Bucs marched past the Cowboys 20-yard line, and Tampa Bay came away with six points -- and nothing on their final, frantic possession that ended at the Dallas 18.

"We focus on the red zone more than any time," head coach Jon Gruden said. "It's not (about) focusing on the red zone. It's about getting it done down there and we have had chances to make some plays. ... Third down and 1, you are at the (18-) yard line, it is our No. 1 short yardage play and we got stuffed."

Gruden was referring to a situation with 11:44 left in the first quarter where Earnest Graham was dropped for no gain, forcing the Bucs to kick a 36-yard field goal.

On their next possession, Jeff Garcia was penalized for an illegal forward pass, putting the Bucs in a third-and-14 dilemma at the Dallas 18. That set up a 36-yard field goal.

The failures had players searching and had Gruden looking in the mirror Monday.

"There are also some instances where we've got to do a better job," Gruden said. "Third down and 1 on the opening possession, we've got to convert that play. There are a couple other situations throughout the year that we just haven't cashed in on. We haven't done it, we haven't gotten it done. As a play-caller and an offensive coach, at times you've got take responsibility for it. ..."

In a semi-related note. ... The Tampa Tribune notes that Joey Galloway was finally back, commanding everyone's attention. Almost.

Garcia certainly didn't see him streaking toward the end zone when it counted the most.

Galloway, returning to the lineup after missing five games with a sprained foot, said he broke free and Cowboys defender Alan Ball fell down. The Bucs had a fourth-and-5 from the Dallas 18-yard line. Had Garcia noticed Galloway -- and simply shot-putted the ball in his direction -- the Bucs would have had a dramatic victory.

Wide receiver Ike Hilliard and Graham also appeared to be open on the fourth-down play.

"I thought my better option was to find one of my hook routes, get the first down and move the chains," said Garcia, who threw incomplete to tight end Jerramy Stevens, ending the drive with 19 seconds remaining. "It was pretty tight. If I missed that opportunity to Galloway, it's unfortunate for us. Those are things we can't afford to do."

Galloway, who had three receptions for 38 yards, also broke open on a deep first-half route, but Garcia overthrew him.

"It felt good playing again," Galloway said. "The itch has always been there, but sometimes, injuries get in the way of that. I didn't play very much today, but I feel healthy. Hopefully, I'll get some more playing time."

It may be in a different role. Antonio Bryant (seven catches for 46 yards) has emerged as Garcia's go-to receiver. Galloway found himself lining up in the slot position occasionally.

"Joey is a threat every time he steps on the field," Bucs receiver Michael Clayton said. "Defenses have to respect him. When he was in there, we could see some things opening up underneath. He really stretches the defense. Just his presence changes everything."

"We definitely have weapons on this team," Garcia said. "It's a matter of giving them those opportunities."

Other notes of interest. ... Running back Clifton Smith made his NFL debut as the primary kick and punt returner. He showed there are signs of hope for the return game, even though coaches have moved on from rookie Dexter Jackson.

But Smith committed a big no-no by fumbling the opening kickoff of the second half. Still, Gruden seemed willing to take an objective look.

"I thought he was decisive," Gruden said. "I thought he caught the ball well. I thought he was north and south."

Jackson has averaged 23.4 yards on kickoff returns and 4.9 on punt returns this season. Smith had five punt returns for 82 yards (16.4 average) along with three kickoff returns for 62 yards (20.7 average). Smith returned his first punt for 20 yards, Tampa Bay's longest this season.

He also had one reception for 13 yards. ...

Tight end Alex Smith's 34-yard reception in the second half was a career-long. Smith leads Bucs tight ends with 17 receptions for 216 yards and two touchdowns. ...

According to the Sports Xchange, Matt Bryant is now 2-of-9 in career field goal attempts over 50 yards. ...

On the injury front. ... Warrick Dunn, who has a pinched nerve in his neck, had just one rushing attempt in the game. Hilliard played one week after sustaining a concussion against Seattle. He finished with three catches for 23 yards. ...

"(Dunn) played, but clearly wasn't himself," Gruden said. "I love that guy. What he and Ike Hilliard did yesterday for our team, our fans and this organization speaks volumes. Their presence means a lot. Their performance means a lot. Hopefully they have a good week of practice and hopefully they feel much better and can perform to the standard that they're capable of performing from a health standpoint. They will.

"Those are two good players. We need them down the stretch."

Fullback B.J. Askew has a hamstring strain and will be questionable for Sunday's game at Kansas City.

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Their low profile, one that came even with a 6-0 start, is completely gone after their 31-21 shellacking of the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.

The victory not only put the Titans in the national conscious as they continue as the NFL's lone unbeaten team, but also all but handed Tennessee its first AFC South crown since 2002.

Barring a complete collapse, the Titans should clinch the division title with ease as they now own a four-game lead, plus a victory over each of their division rivals. Houston, Jacksonville and now Indianapolis all stand 3-4, and watching the Titans disappear over the horizon.

The changing of the guard in the AFC South became all but complete during a stretch of just under 15 minutes in the second half Monday night, as Tennessee quickly turned a 14-6 deficit into a decisive victory by scoring 25 consecutive points.

The Titans did it unconventional ways both on offense and defense.

Defensively, the Titans did not record a single sack, but came up big at the right time, stopping Indy twice on fourth downs in the final quarter and picking off Peyton Manning twice, both times by safety Chris Hope.

On the other side of the ball. ... The Colts were determined to bottle up Tennessee's running game, holding the Titans to just 88 yards and keeping Chris Johnson to just 77 yards on the ground, even using an extra linebacker set inviting Kerry Collins to try and beat them through the air.

And beat them he did, completing 24 of 37 passes for 193 yards. Collins had neither an interception nor a sack in the game, as Tennessee methodically moved downfield utilizing a short passing game that had a long gain of just 23 yards on the night.

Collins did have a number of dropped passes but he never got flustered.

"We knew coming in it would be a battle," Collins said. "These two teams know each other so well and we were trading punches in the first half. But we made some adjustments and were able to come out and make some plays in the second half."

According to the Nashville Tennessean, Alge Crumpler didn't like what he saw and heard in the locker room at halftime. Tennessee was trailing 7-6.

"I don't want to say it was somber in there, but it was calm," Crumpler said. "Monday Night Football is not about that. It's about going all out and being excited. We played on a national stage."

Crumpler finished with four catches for 35 yards. He had nine catches through the first six games.

"I was just focusing on keeping our energy level up," he said. "The word [head coach Jeff] Fisher used all week was 'confidence. ..."'

As the Sports Xchange noted, LenDale White continues to have a nose for the end zone. Despite having just 13 yards on 10 carries, White managed two touchdowns Monday night and now has an NFL-leading 10 scores in seven games.

The Titans have scored 30 or more points in four of their last five games. They remain the NFL's best scoring defense with 87 points allowed, 23 fewer than both Pittsburgh and Baltimore (110), and lead the league in turnover differential.

And finally. ... For the second consecutive season, kicker Rob Bironas missed out on setting a franchise record for consecutive field goals.

His 43-yard attempt sailed wide left with 11:19 remaining in the second quarter, forcing him to settle for tying Al Del Greco's record of 20 consecutive field goals, set during the 1998-99 seasons.

Bironas tied the record with field goals of 34 and 44 yards during the first half.

Last season, Bironas made 19 consecutive field goals before missing a 53-yard attempt Dec. 2 against Houston.

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In between, Portis jawed with his coach and averaged fewer than 3 yards a carry.

But the NFL's leading rusher still hit midseason with monstrous totals after he helped spur the Redskins to a come-from-behind 25-17 victory over the winless Detroit Lions.

"It was a grind-it-out day," Portis said. "Things started great and finished great. Anytime you can get that and wind up with a win, it's a good day."

It didn't appear that way in the second quarter. The Redskins coaches had inserted backup Shaun Alexander on first-and-10 at the Washington 11 because Portis had an equipment problem. With that fixed and the second quarter starting, Portis expected to go back in, but when that didn't happen, he snapped at head coach Jim Zorn. The coach responded in turn. Portis did go in on third-and-10 and gained 8 yards on a draw.

"I take it personally, and I shouldn't have," Portis said of the "miscommunication" with Zorn. "I've got to be accountable to my teammates. It was blown out of proportion. [Zorn] was excited, and I was excited."

Said Zorn: "In my mind, Shaun is in there until Clinton goes to [running backs coach Stump Mitchell] or Stump comes to me and says Clinton's ready to play. I'm calling the game based on who's in there, so he misunderstood the situation. We had a sweet exchange of words. It was the heat of the game. He explained what happened. I explained what my deal was. We talked about it at halftime. I talked about it in front of the team at halftime."

Portis hurt his ankle on his final carry, which left him with 126 yards and set up Shaun Suisham's game-sealing field goal.

"I thought my knee went, so I kind of jumped and rolled my ankle," Portis said. "My ankle was already tweaked, so there was a sharp pain for a second, and I had to let it calm down. It's going to hurt, but I'll be ready for the game Monday [against Pittsburgh]."

Portis' second career run of five straight games with at least 120 yards -- he did so in his final four games with Denver in 2003 and his Washington debut in 2004 -- equaled a mark held by Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson, who accomplished the feat in 1973 and 1975. Portis has 696 yards on 122 carries (5.7-yard average) during this streak and a league-leading 944 yards on 187 carries this season.

Thanks in large part to Portis, Washington is 6-2. The Redskins last had six victories at this point through their schedule in the 2000 season. But Portis isn't the only one getting it done.

The consistency of quarterback Jason Campbell has been key in the first six victories. On Sunday, Campbell was outstanding against the Lions, whose pass defense ranks among the worst in the league.

He completed 23 of 28 passes for 328 yards and a touchdown. He established a personal-best 127.4 passer rating, benefiting from Zorn's approach of "just taking what the defense gives us," Campbell said. "If it's the passing game, we go with it. If it's the running game, we go with that. We just have to be prepared for all scenarios and every situation."

In addition to scoring on an 80-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, Santana Moss had a season-high nine receptions (with another touchdown) in his third game this season with at least 140 yards receiving. "Santana is the type of guy that can spark our team, spark our offense," said tight end Chris Cooley, who had six receptions for 74 yards. "We need that, we need that every week, from him. He's a great team guy, he knows what he brings to us, and what he does is huge. Both of those plays were so big. That's why we won this game."

Moss improved to second in the league in touchdown catches (five), fifth in receiving yards (658) and eighth in catches (42).

With primary punt returner Antwaan Randle El continuing to struggle against Detroit (he averaged 4.8 yards on four returns), the Redskins turned to Moss on special teams. The touchdown was Moss' third on a punt return in his career. He last accomplished the feat against the San Diego Chargers in the 2002 season while he was a member of the New York Jets.

"I'll be honest with you, and this is nothing against Randle El, but when I see Santana back to return a punt, I feel like there's a chance he's gone," Cooley said. "He's just a major threat, and you see what he meant to us today.

"This is my fifth year here, and I haven't [previously] been part of a 6-2 team. But now, we have to look at it like we're starting all over again. ..."

Despite playing without injured Pro Bowl left tackle Chris Samuels, Washington's top offensive lineman, the Redskins had 439 total yards on offense. Suisham made four field goals, including three of at least 42 yards. His 42-yarder with 1 minute 56 seconds remaining in the game capped the scoring.

It was Moss, however, whose performance had the biggest impact on the Redskins' ability to avoid the Week 6 letdown they experienced in a two-point loss to the then-winless St. Louis Rams.

The bad news? The Skins are beat up.

As noted above, Portis has a sprained ankle and was already nursing a sore hip, but Zorn said he is likely to play against the Steelers.

The two most pressing injuries might be those to Moss and Samuels. Zorn said Monday that Moss has a "tight" hamstring that he strained slightly late Sunday.

"He's got to wait," Zorn said. "Fortunately, we have an extra day, and we'll see at the end of this week how he feels."

I'll be watching closely; those interested will want to follow along in the Late-Breaking Updates section.

DEPTH CHART AS OF WEDNESDAY AT 14:00 PT