9-on-9: Willie Parker has magic shoes!

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October 16, 2009

Rashard Mendenhall (notes) (flu) did not participate in practice on Thursday, but there’s been no indication from the Steelers that he’s at risk of missing the game on Sunday. Willie Parker (notes) (turf toe) has returned to practice with special footwear: "Parker said he has grown more comfortable with the shoes Nike has made to protect his left big toe. ‘I’m loving the shoes,’ Parker said after practice yesterday. ‘I felt better today, most definitely. I feel it’s going to be even better tomorrow.’"

Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Bruce Arians declined to say which of his backs would get a majority of carries on Sunday. The AP calls it a game time decision. Parker’s toe injury is one that often lingers, limits acceleration and cutting ability, wrecks seasons, and causes significant pain. Thus, Mendenhall is much higher in my Week 6 RB ranks. He’s rushed for 242 yards and three TDs in Parker’s two-game absence. With the Browns on the schedule, there’s no obvious reason to force Parker back to full-time duty. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Terrell Owens (notes) trade chatter won’t go away, but Brad Biggs offers no hope whatsoever: "There isn’t a chance the Bears will engage in trade talks if the Buffalo Bills decide to shop Owens, the future Hall of Famer receiver, before Tuesday’s trade deadline." That statement doesn’t really seem to leave much wiggle room. This from Jay Cutler (notes): "I don’t think they’re going to [ask me about Owens]. They’ll keep that upstairs.” [The Chicago Sun-Times]

Washington will be without the services of star LT Chris Samuels (notes) in Week 6, and possibly much longer. Not that you were expecting much from Jason Campbell (notes) and Co. anyway, but this is nonetheless a huge loss. [D.C. Sports Bog]

While we’re talking left tackles, Chad Clifton (notes) was a full participant at practice for the Packers on Thursday, and it appears that he’ll return on Sunday versus Detroit. This is obviously a big lift for Aaron Rodgers (notes), who’s been sacked 20 times in just four games. [Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel]

Correll Buckhalter (notes) is back at practice for the Broncos, but LaMont Jordan (notes) is not. The Monday night match-up at San Diego is fantastic, so this is a backfield worth monitoring. "The Chargers are 27th in the league in run defense and have surrendered at least 130 yards rushing to all four of their opponents this season." Knowshon Moreno (notes) is, of course, the guy to own. The rookie has 81 touches over the past four weeks. [The Denver Post]

Joshua Cribbs (notes) is apparently on the trade block and, understandably, teams are lining up: "Kansas City and Oakland have inquired about Cribbs’ availability, while Miami and Indianapolis also have been rumored as possible trading partners, according to the source." So maybe the Browns are willing to deal with franchises other than the Jets. According to NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora, the Jaguars and Niners are also in on Cribbs. [The Daily Dolphin]

The Bucs signed WR Yamon Figurs (notes) this week, shortly after holding a tryout that also included veterans Matt Jones (notes) and David Tyree (notes). You’ll note that Figurs is a former teammate of Josh Freeman’s (notes) at Kansas State. He was signed following the drop clinic that was staged by Tampa receivers in Week 5. Figurs is no immediate threat to anyone, but his signing probably says something about Freeman’s timeline. [Buc 'Em]

Houston head coach Gary Kubiak clearly needs to win…and win now. According to Jerome Solomon, "If Kubiak isn’t perceived to be a top-10 coach by season’s end, Bob McNair couldn’t justify bringing him back for a fifth year." One request: No more Chris Brown at the goal line, please. [The Houston Chronicle]

If you’re involved in a confidence pool of some kind, you should perhaps review Advanced NFL Stats’ win probabilities. If nothing else, you have to appreciate the logic behind the system: "Predictive models are based on factors that tend to be consistent and repeatable. In football, the most consistent predictors of success
are running and passing efficiency, on both offense and defense. Turnover rates are very important, but are not consistent, meaning high or low turnover rates don’t necessarily indicate future turnover rates." And, in the end, Cleveland has only a nine percent chance to win at Pittsburgh. [The Fifth Down]