Before Indianapolis and New England square off in the NFL's next huge regular-season game two weeks from Sunday, there is the little, but hardly insignificant, matter of two other games to play first.
Even after they do, there are issues surrounding each team.
The Redskins rank 25th overall in both total offense and passing offense. But just as interesting and disturbing is that Washington's wide receivers -- a group that includes Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El -- still have not scored a single touchdown this season.
Conversley, Patriots wide receivers have reeled in 19 touchdown catches this season. Randy Moss has 10 of them, Wes Welker five, Donte Stallworth three and Jabar Gaffney one.
It is up to the Redskins secondary to help slow this group of receivers, while hoping its own comes up with a touchdown or two that, so far, has eluded Washington's wideouts this season.
In Carolina, the Panthers are trying to figure out who will play quarterback Sunday. They would like it to be David Carr.
Panthers coach John Fox believes that if Carr is healthy and recovered from his back spasms, he will be the starter. As of this weekend, Carr was recovering and believed he would be ready to play the Colts. He will know more after he attempts to practice Wednesday, but all signs point to Carr starting on Sunday.
The only holdup would be if Carr still cannot crouch into position to take snaps from the center. Carr, however, thought he would be able to function well enough to take snaps from center and play against the Colts.
Jet streams
There are all kinds of ideas as to when the Jets will bench quarterback Chad Pennington in favor of second-year pro Kellen Clemens.
It could happen as early as this week, with Jets coach Eric Mangini declining to publicly support Pennington.
But one plan making its rounds amongst Jets players is that Pennington will be given at least Sunday's game against Buffalo to keep his starting job, and quite possibly the following week's home game against Washington as well, before surrendering it after the team's Nov. 11 bye.
This would mean that unless Pennington lights it up, he would have two more starts with the Jets before turning it over to Clemens for the season's final seven games.
Giving Clemens seven games would provide the Jets with enough evidence as to whether they have found a potential quarterback for the future. It's a plausible plan, but Mangini and general manager Mike Tannenbaum get the final votes. Their decision could be announced Wednesday.
Back in Boston
An NFL-sanctioned doctor has recommended to the league whether Ricky Williams is worthy of reinstatement, and the running back is hoping to hear the answer by the end of next week, according to his agent, Leigh Steinberg.
Steinberg said his client is "chomping at the bit" to return to football. While he waits, Williams is living in Boston, undergoing individual counseling and making changes to his life that Steinberg says are noticeable.
Williams watched Sunday's Dolphins-Patriots game on TV, and saw his former teammate, Ronnie Brown, tear his anterior cruciate ligament. Yet even with Brown's loss, there is no indication that the Dolphins have any interest in bringing back Williams.
There still doesn't seem to be a spot for Williams in Miami. But the Dolphins now are a bit more desperate than they were before Brown was lost for the season.
If Williams is reinstated, the Dolphins would have to find a spot on their roster for him or waive him. If Williams were waived, there would be interest in him around the league due to all of the running-back-needy teams.
