Philadelphia is 9-4 and in control of the NFC East in spite of an offense that has no running game beyond quarterback Donovan McNabb or a productive wide receiver.

        Duce Staley, who suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 5, hasn't played in two months and still is the club's leading rusher whose name isn't McNabb.

        McNabb leads the team in rushing with 558 yards. The current running backs, Darnell Autry and converted fullback Stanley Pritchett, have 272 and 203 yards.

        In the past six games, Eagles backs have rushed for 367 yards on 110 carries. That's just 3.3 yards per carry.

        In those same six games, McNabb has rushed for 306 on just 34 attempts. McNabb has accounted for 45 percent of the Eagles' rushing yards, and they've won 5-of-6 games.

        McNabb singlehandedly beat the Redskins last week when he rushed for 125 yards, most by a quarterback since Bobby Douglass had 127 in 1972. It was the sixth best QB rushing performance since 1940.

        McNabb's 558 rushing yards is the seventh highest for a quarterback, and though he has four games left, he indicated after the Washington game that he's going to stop taking so many chances.

        MERRY CHRISTMAS: Ricky Williams' recovery from a broken left ankle is ahead of schedule, and the Saints believe their star running back could return as soon as the season finale Dec. 24 against the Rams.

        SACK HAPPY: The Saints are back on pace for the NFL season sack record. Their 55 sacks have them on pace for 73.5 this season. The NFL record is 72 set by the 1984 Chicago Bears.

        HELLO, TEXAS: University of Miami coach Butch Davis spent most of Tuesday interviewing with Houston Texans owner Bob McNair and general manager Charley Casserly.

        Davis is the first of many they'll interview, including Denver offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, Tennessee defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, Baltimore defensive coordinator Marvin Lewis, Carolina defensive coordinator Dom Capers and Pitt coach Walt Harris.

        McNair prefers to hire the coach after the 2001 season but says if Casserly has the ideal guy, they'll do it after this season.

        JUST WIN, BABY: The Raiders are 10-2 and tied with Minnesota for the best record in the league. They are 10-2 for the first time in 23 years.

        SWISS CHEESE: The most points a Super Bowl champion ever allowed was 338 by the Los Angeles Raiders in 1983. The defending Super Bowl champion St. Louis Rams have already allowed 367 points this season and are on a pace to allow 489.

        RB FACTORY: This is the time of year the Denver Broncos newest rookie running back makes opposing defenses and draft gurus look equally silly.

        It happened in 1995 with Terrell Davis, it happened in 1999 with Olandis Gary and it is happens again this season with Mike Anderson.

        With 29 yards today at New Orleans, Anderson will become the third Broncos running back the past three seasons to gain 1,000 yards.

        The only other team in NFL history ever to have three different backs in three straight seasons rush for 1,000 yards was the Los Angeles Rams from 1986-'88; that's when Eric Dickerson, Charles White and Greg Bell set the mark.

        BIG FOOT: Writers who cover the Cleveland Browns are pushing punter Chris Gardocki for All Pro/Pro Bowl honors.

        This guy is the team's MVP. His numbers: 86 punts (12 more than anyone else), 46.6 gross average (second AFC), 37.9 net (second AFC), 21 inside the 20 (sixth AFC). And all of his kicks have come outdoors.

        NOT SO SPECIAL: The Bills are in the running for the grand slam of of bad special teams.

        They rank 31st in punt return average, kickoff return average, opponent's average drive start after kickoffs and net punting average.

        Ronnie Jones, the guy who replaced Bruce DeHaven as Bills special teams coach after the Music City Miracle, has not worked any magic.

        BULLY: The Ravens are 9-4 at the bye week but are only 1-3 against teams with winning records. Half of their eight wins against teams with losing records came against Cincinnati and Cleveland.

        In two seasons, Baltimore coach Brian Billick is 4-0 against Cincinnati and 4-0 against Cleveland coach Chris Palmer, outscoring the Browns 114-26.

LeBeau's job rides on today's game Saints' offer still haunts Bengals Last chance for a W Who's got the edge? Bengals-Cardinals by the numbers Players to watch NFL Insider

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