The Broncos had another major setback Thursday when they learned wide receiver Jevon Walker will be out another four weeks because of arthroscopic knee surgery. With Rod Smith not expected back from the physically unable to perform list anytime soon, Jay Cutler will have to get by with just Brandon Stokley and Brandon Marshall as his starting wide receivers. That's a big blow. Walker is a Pro Bowl caliber receiver and Cutler had a good relationship to him with his throwing early in the season. Losing him takes away a deep threat. He had a knee reconstruction in Green Bay. This was a procedure to fix up that area.

Adding offense: The Bears have been late in using one of the most exciting parts of their training camp. They made a step forward Sunday against the Vikings by using Devin Hester at wide receiver for 23 plays. They just didn't get him the ball much. Hester is a gifted wide receiver along with being one of the best return specialists in this era. They need to keep him on the field and use him more.

Pats hobbling for matchup: The Patriots indicated Wednesday and Thursday that tight end Ben Watson (ankle) and halfback Sammy Morris (chest) did not practice. They are expected to miss Sunday's game against the Dolphins. What's interesting is that a lot of people around the Boston area believe both players could miss as much as a month. If that's the case, Watson and Morris are doubtful for the Nov. 4 showdown against the Colts. It could also go down to the Nov. 4 wire to see if defensive end Richard Seymour is going to be healthy enough to come off the physically unable to perform list. A few more injuries before the Colts game could put the Patriots at a disadvantage.

Decimated by injuries: Marvin Lewis might not want to use this as an excuse, but injuries have played a major role in their 1-4 start. The Bengals lead the league with 15 players on the injured reserve, physically unable to perform and suspension list. They have two of their practice squad players on injured reserve. Their coach, Lewis, was on crutches because of leg surgery. The Bengals have a lot of bodies, but not a lot of bodies that are functioning at their best.

Tank cleared to practice: Roger Goodell's decision to not shorten the eight-game suspension of Tank Johnson from eight to six wasn't as surprise. It also wasn't a surprise he allowed Johnson to practice with the team starting Friday. Goodell cut Johnson a break by letting him come to the Cowboys facility two weeks ago and train in non-team activities. It was a fair compromise and it sets up a precedent. For players with lengthy suspensions, Goodell could give the players a two-week window to train and practice with the team as an incentive to "earn his way" back into the league. With four weeks with the team, including two on the practice field, Johnson should be ready to contribute when he's eligible for the Nov. 11 game against the Giants.

Starting over: Mike Nolan made it official Thursday after practice that Trent Dilfer will start over Alex Smith, who still can't do everything coming off his third-degree shoulder separation. Smith is healthy but he missed enough reps in practice that Nolan felt more comfortable with Dlifer. Vernon Davis will be back at tight end after missing two games with a knee injury. The plan would be to get Smith ready for next week's home game against the Saints.

Rattay set to take reins:Tim Rattay continues to work with the first team as the starting quarterback while Kurt Warner finds the comfortable brace on his damaged left elbow. There was less pain in the elbow for Warner on Thursday, but he's still going to have difficulty with handoffs. The thought is Warner might be available as a backup and shotgun series. Ken Whisenhunt would have to decide whether to keep three quarterbacks on the 45-man roster, including Tim Hasselbeck as an option.