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Since the Denver Broncos left Cincinnati with a 30-10 victory, quarterback Jake Plummer has been close to perfect.

Plummer, since the opener, is 48-for-68 passing for 568 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Tight end Shannon Sharpe thinks the best is yet to come.

"When he gets comfortable, totally comfortable in this offense, if we don't score 30 points a game, I'm going to donate my paycheck to charity," Sharpe said.

At one point to end last Sunday's first half against Detroit, Plummer completed 16 consecutive passes.

CHOP-CHOP: Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio had a tree stump with an ax brought into the locker room a week ago to stress to his team that the Jaguars have to "keep chopping wood."

As if the last-play loss to the Texans weren't enough, there are now wood chips all around the locker room from players chopping at the stump. A few players complained about the smell from the freshly cut stump.

DANTE'S INFERNO: The Chiefs might be 2-2 instead of 4-0 without return specialist Dante Hall.

Hall last week became the first player in history to return kicks for touchdowns in three straight games, and two of them proved to be turning points in Kansas City wins. The Chiefs trailed Pittsburgh 10-0 in the first quarter when Hall answered a Steelers field goal with a 100-yard return. And when the Chiefs were locked in a 10-10, fourth-quarter tie at Baltimore, Hall answered a Ravens touchdown with a 97-yard return - the difference in Kansas City's 17-10 victory.

Hall has returned six kicks for touchdowns in the past nine games (three punts, three kickoffs), and the Chiefs have won all six games.

IRON MIKE: Former Bears coach Mike Ditka is making the rounds as the national spokesman for Tackling Men's Health, an educational campaign backed by the NFL. He told The Detroit Free Press recently why he isn't afraid to talk about erectile dysfunction.

"Because it's silly ... I want my life to be complete until I die," he said. "Why would I want to take that out of my life? The only way to correct it is to talk about it. I went and saw my doctor. He gave me some recommendations."

AFTER EMMITT: In their first season without Emmitt Smith since 1989, the Cowboys are 2-1 and rank first in offense (388.7 yards), including fourth in rushing (152.7). With Smith in the lineup last season, the Cowboys ranked 30th in offense (273.4), including 19th in rushing (109.6).

GOOD NIGHT: The Colts' Peyton Manning threw more touchdown passes (6) than incomplete passes (5) against the Saints.

THANK YOU, TONY: When asked about Jon Gruden giving Tony Dungy credit for building Tampa Bay into a contender, Dungy said: "I certainly appreciate that. But it's not necessary and it's not really true. But I think as coaches, we all appreciate that and respect it. That's what I mean about being a football guy. Jon is all football. He's done a good job."

AFC NORTH: The Ravens' Jamal Lewis had his third straight 100-yard rushing game and leads the league with 611 yards. He is the third player to rush for at least 600 yards in his first four games of a season, joining Jim Brown and O.J. Simpson. ... Defensive end Terrell Suggs joined Santana Dotson as the only players to collect one sack in each of their first four NFL games. Dotson did it with Tampa Bay in 1992.

Steelers coach Bill Cowher is 14-4 against the Browns overall (7-2 vs. the old Browns and 7-2 vs. the new ones). He has blanked Butch Davis 5-0 over the past two seasons.

Asked for his secret, Cowher said: "Good fortune, I think. We've had last-second field goals, overtime wins, comebacks. I don't know if there's anything that lingers from game to game. It seems like every game, this game has always come down to two teams that are very prideful."

The Browns visit Pittsburgh tonight.

Wide receivers Hines Ward (31 receptions, 361 yards) and Plaxico Burress (22-351) are the top receiving pair in the NFL in catches and yards. ... No Steelers quarterback has led the AFC in passing yards since Terry Bradshaw threw for 2,915 yards in 1978. Tommy Maddox leads the NFL with 1,168 yards passing. ... The Steelers are 27-5 at home against the Browns since the NFL merger in 1970.

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Compiled from notes submitted by NFL beat writers.

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