According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, Ferguson is expected to undergo an MRI later today to determine the severity of his injury, and depending on the results, the Dolphins may be without their best run stopper in the middle of their defense for the time being. Given their woeful inability to control opposing rushers with Ferguson on the field, having him miss a large chunk of games down the stretch could pose major problems for Miami and their playoff dreams.

San Diego’s ownership group strongly believes that their current home in Qualcomm Stadium is not a financially feasible option for the future, regardless of any upgrades or improvements the city is willing to undertake, given the lack of premium space to sell in the form of luxury suites. The location of Qualcomm, which is situated due east of downtown in the Mission Valley area, is also a major sticking point for the team, as they would prefer to play closer to the revitalized downtown area, near Petco Park.

So understandably, the news of a city funded study, commissioned to look at the the feasibility of building a football based stadium next to Petco, is being received fairly well by the Chargers. The city itself cautioned that this was simply a preliminary review of the property surrounding the popular downtown ballpark that houses MLB’s Padres franchise, but given the overwhelming business driven to the downtown area in the years since Petco was built, there is no doubt that a stadium for the Chargers would do as much if not more.

The Chargers have previously studied multiple sites on their own, including northern San Diego County near Oceanside  and another along the waterfront in the city of Chula Vista, which is south of San Diego proper. They have also publicly stated that if they were unable to find a usable site in the San Diego area, they would be open to moving the team elsewhere, possibly north to Orange County, to take advantage of their fans in that location.

Obviously, cautious optimism is the route to stay with here, as this study most certainly will not lead to construction in the near term, but given the level of distrust between the two sides in recent years, any softening of their stances should be seen in a positive light.

As always, we’ll keep you up to date on this as more information becomes available.

Miller adds that former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher is also on the team’s short list, and speculates that former Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren and Ravens head coach Brian Billick will be considered as well.

Wed 7:06 pm - When Buffalo fired head coach Dick Jauron this week, the odds of them getting involved in a search to find his replacement this soon seemed a bit short, given the fact that they still have a little less than a half a season to play.

But it wouldn’t be the NFL, if rumors didn’t abound, which is why I’m here after all…

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bills have reached out to former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan about their vacancy at the head coaching spot, and while the position in Buffalo definitely leaves a lot to be desired in terms of location, Shanahan seems to be intrigued by the opportunity.

There would have to be some sort of power sharing agreement in place between Shanahan and General Manager Marv Levy before any deal could take place, but the addition of Shanahan to the Bills organization would lend tremendous credibility to the club, within its fan base and around the league as a whole.

This isn’t to say that Shanahan is Buffalo’s only target, but rather that he is their preferred choice at this point. The Bills have temporarily given the reins of the team over to defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who is highly regarded and well liked by everyone involved in the team, and he will have an extended tryout of sorts through the remainder of the season to determine his ability to be an effective head coach.

Several other potential candidates surfaced in Schefter’s report as well, including former Saints and Rams head coach Jim Haslett, Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, and Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman. Given the length of time available to make a final decision, the Bills are not likely to do much of anything until the season is finished, which also will allow for a few more names to circulate once other teams make a change.

But just as things seemed to be headed in the wrong direction, Atlanta’s other multi-talented running back, Jerious Norwood, has returned to the practice field, and depending on his health, he should be available to play next week against the Giants, in a crucial game for both teams.

Norwood presents opposing defenses with a variety of challenges, as he is capable of inflicting damage on the ground and through the air as well. He also provides a solid blocker for QB Matt Ryan on passing downs. His status for Sunday’s contest should be determined by the end of the week, but could go right up to gametime if necessary.

Brown suffered an undisclosed injury to his foot during last Sunday’s win against Tampa Bay, and while the Dolphins were hopeful he could recover fairly soon, word came down from the team’s medical staff that ran counter to what they initially believed. Miami will now turn to 32 year old RB Ricky Williams, who by all accounts seems to be rejuvenated and healthy enough to carry the load on his own from here on out.

Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano was fairly non-committal when asked about the continued use of the Wildcat formation, in which Brown was the featured player, saying the team may scrap it all together at this point. Sparano also indicated that Brown will seek a specialist’s opinion before deciding on any course of action to remedy the injury.

But all of that is likely running in the background in Quinn’s mind this morning, as numerous players and coaches on the Ravens and other teams have lined up to take their shots at him through the media, for what they feel was a cheap shot on Ravens LB Terrell Suggs.

Quinn’s hit on Suggs came after he threw one of his costly interceptions, launching his body at Suggs’ knees even though the ball was elsewhere. Suggs was injured on the play, and it has since been announced that he has a torn MCL (medial collateral ligament) that will likely keep him off the field for the next four to six weeks.

“Heck yeah, it was a cheap shot, when you’re running down and you’re looking at the quarterback going at somebody’s knees who doesn’t even have the ball. I want to see if he gets the same fine I got or even higher. Now this man [Suggs] is out four or five weeks because of some baloney like that.”

- Baltimore LB Ray Lewis

For his part, Quinn has denied he purposefully was trying to injure Suggs on the play, claiming he was simply going after the ball and missed. But that explanation isn’t holding much credence around the league, and it will be a surprise if the NFL chooses to ignore the incident. The league has already handed down punishment of this sort this season, with Vikings QB Brett Favre receiving a $10,000 fine for his block below the knees in a pre-season game against Houston.

“That cat should be fined as much as anybody is fined that hits the quarterback. That’s ridiculous. I don’t understand what he was trying to do. It was blatant. It’s absolutely criminal. It’s about as nasty as it gets. The guy had total control and went right for his knee. You can’t call that an accident. It was premeditated. The quarterback zeroed in on Terrell’s knee. That’s absurd. The ball carrier was right in front of him.”

- Gary Wichard, agent for Baltimore LB Terrell Suggs

At any rate, Quinn’s days as a Brown are likely growing shorter by the minute, and while he’ll draw interest from a number of teams, it’s safe to say that the Ravens won’t be one of them.

The actual name of the substance is not yet known, but it’s believed to have been a banned diuretic, which can mask the presence of other chemicals in the body. Diuretics are also known for their weight loss capabilities, so given the time table in which the positive test took place, it’s likely to have been a case of Bowe not paying attention to what he was putting in his body while trying to cut weight at training camp.

Here’s what ESPN’s Adam Schefter had to say about the suspension:

Obviously, Kansas City’s front office and coaching staff have known about this for some time now, but the release of Bowe’s punishment only came to light after the third year player from LSU chose not to appeal the league’s decision. Bowe will now sit out the next four games for the Chiefs, pushing newly acquired WR Chris Chambers to the top of the scrap heap in Kansas City, and opening the door for several other young players to put forward a good showing.

The loss of Bowe will hurt the team significantly, as it seemed as though he and QB Matt Cassel had finally gotten to be on the same page, so to speak, and opposing defenses were unable to stack eight or nine men in the box, daring the Chiefs to throw the ball. That said, this season has been a lost one since opening day for Kansas City, so the suspension certainly could have come at a worse time for the team.

It will be interesting to see how this suspension affects Bowe upon his return in four weeks, as he’ll likely be relegated to playing off the bench until he gets himself back in head coach Todd Haley’s good graces. As always, we’ll keep you posted when more info becomes available.

Jauron is a stand up coach, well liked by his peers and players in general. He certainly isn’t lacking in intelligence, as he’s been successful enough as an assistant to obtain two seperate head coaching gigs. But the time for him to leave the Bills came and went at the end of last season, after Buffalo started the 2008 campaign with tremendous promise, only to fail miserably down the stretch and miss the playoffs once again. Not now.

There’s a reason why most teams choose to fire a head coach at the end of a poor season, rather than waiting until the mid point of the next campaign to say goodbye. It can be traumatic to the entire organization to fire a head coach, and when it’s done in the off-season, it at least gives the team an opportunity to develop a strong bond with the new guy before they go to war with him in the regular season.

That’s why I don’t understand the timing of this move. The overall motive, yes. Why it took this long, no. The Bills could have easily found a quality head coach last off-season, when guys like Steve Spagnuolo (Rams), Jim Schwartz (Lions), Todd Haley (Chiefs), and Josh McDaniels (Broncos) were all available and looking for work. Instead, they’ve been relegated to yet another lost season and another rebuilding project that will likely begin at the end of the year when the team cleans house under their new coaching staff.

From a fan’s point of view, this has to be a bittersweet moment, as Jauron’s continued existence as head coach was a slap in their face, but his dismissal at this point leaves the team with no real direction. The Bills have been spinning in circles for most of this decade, and given the effort it’s going to take to bring in a new coach, a new scheme, and the players needed to run it, you can bet that never ending death cycle will still be going for some time into the future.

It’s a shame that such a storied franchise has come to this end, but with a little luck and the right coaching staff in place, there may be light at the end of the tunnel sooner or later. The only question is how long it will take to get there.

Top Shelf Contenders

1. Indianapolis (9-0)

After a thrilling win at home against the Patriots, a huge road game in Baltimore could cause some trouble for the Colts.

2. New Orleans (9-0)

They’re not winning pretty, but undefeated is undefeated, no matter how you slice it.

3. Minnesota (8-1)

If Sidney Rice can stay consistent from week to week, the Vikings offense might be unstoppable.

4. Cincinnati (7-2)

Beating the Ravens and the Steelers twice in one season is no easy task, which makes this Bengals team a special one for sure.

5. New England (6-3)

One play can spell disaster in the NFL, and the Patriots proved that point in a big way in losing to the Colts.

6. Arizona (6-3)

After a slow start, the Cardinals have solidified their hold on the division and should be a lock to return to the playoffs.

7. San Diego (6-3)

Who would have thought that the Chargers could be tied for first place after losing to the Broncos at home in week six?

8. Pittsburgh (6-3)

Losing at home to the Bengals hurts,  but the Steelers cannot allow it to affect them in negatively as the season moves on.

9. Dallas (6-3)

No offense on the road always spells trouble, and the Cowboys were no different last Sunday in Green Bay.

10. Denver (6-3)

Three straight losses have brought the Broncos back to earth, but a fourth this week against the Chargers would be deadly.

On the outside looking in

11. Green Bay (5-4)

12. Houston (5-4)

13. Atlanta (5-4)

14. Philadelphia (5-4)

15. Baltimore (5-4)

16. Jacksonville (5-4)

17. Miami (4-5)

18. New York Giants (5-4)

19. San Francisco (4-5)

20. Carolina (4-5)

Bottom of the barrel

21. Tennessee (3-6)

22. New York Jets (4-5)

23. Chicago (4-5)

24. Seattle (3-6)

25. Washington (3-6)

26. Buffalo (3-6)

27. Kansas City (2-7)

28. Oakland (2-7)

29. St. Louis (1-8)

30. Tampa Bay (1-8)

31. Detroit (1-8)

32. Cleveland (1-8)

Top Free Agent Wide Receivers

1. Brandon Marshall – Denver (UFA)

I find it highly unlikely that the Broncos would let their best receiver walk away from the team without any sort of compensation, especially one that’s entering his prime like Marshall, but stranger things have happened in recent years. Marshall’s run ins with the law and his very public feud with the team after the Jay Cutler trade could also play a major role in Denver’s decision on whether to keep him around or not. Oh and don’t forget the kind of cash he’ll be looking for either… let’s just say it won’t be chump change.

Likely destinations: Denver, Kansas City, Washington, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, New York Jets, Baltimore

2. Vincent Jackson – San Diego (UFA)

Like Marshall before him, the odds of Jackson hitting the open market next spring are slim to none at this point, given his tremendous production thus far this season, and his increasing rapport with QB Philip Rivers. That said, the Chargers are going to have to make quite a few decisions financially during the off-season, and depending on where they choose to spend their money, Jackson could price himself out of the equation, which would definitely lead to a bidding war of sorts when free agency kicks off.

Likely destinations: San Diego, Kansas City, Washington, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, St. Louis, New England, Baltimore

3. Miles Austin – Dallas (UFA)

With Austin torching numerous defenses around the league this season, his departure from Big D is growing less and less likely with each passing day. But if the Cowboys are unable to achieve post-season success this year, you can bet that wholesale changes will be on the way, and that includes the players. If Austin does hit the open market, I’d expect his services to be in high demand, with his youth and talent being exactly in line with what teams are looking for in a premier receiver.

Likely destinations: Dallas, Kansas City, Miami, Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, New York Jets

4. Steve Breaston – Arizona (RFA)

Luckily for the Cardinals, they have the right cards (no pun intended) to keep Breaston in place for at least another season, and if they choose not to do so, they’ll almost assuredly get several quality draft picks back as compensation. That may scare off a few teams that place a high premium on their draft selections, but for the league’s bona fide contenders that are in need of one solid upgrade, there’s no doubt that Breaston would be a highly enticing option to look at next spring.

Likely destinations: Arizona, Dallas, Miami, New England, Cleveland, Washington, New York Jets, Baltimore

5. Braylon Edwards – New York Jets (UFA)

When teams give up players and picks to obtain another player they like, they typically do so with the feeling that they’ll do their best to keep that player around long term. Edwards is no exception here for the Jets, as they’ll almost certainly try to sign him to an extension prior to the free agency period, albeit a deal that is heavily loaded with incentives and other performance based clauses. On the open market, Edwards may find his value diminished somewhat, especially in light of his poor behavior prior to his departure from Cleveland, but he should still command a high dollar contract when multiple teams compete to get him into the fold.

Likely destinations: New York Jets, Miami, Dallas, Oakland, Baltimore, Jacksonville, Carolina

Other Notable UFA Wide Receivers

• Antonio Bryant – Tampa Bay
• Kevin Walter – Houston
• Malcom Floyd – San Diego
• Lance Moore – New Orleans
• Chris Chambers – Kansas City
• Josh Reed – Buffalo
• Bobby Wade – Kansas City
• Mark Bradley – Kansas City
• Dominik Hixon – New York Giants
• Brad Smith – New York Jets
• Chris Henry – Cincinnati
• Mark Clayton – Baltimore
• Jason Avant – Philadelphia
• Demetrius Williams – Baltimore
• Jerheme Urban – Arizona