So much for the Daunte Culpepper experiment. Lane Kiffin said after practice Thursday that Josh McCown will regain the starting quarterback job of the Raiders. The offense has scored only two offensive touchdowns in the past three games, but he's had seven fumbles that have held back the offense. Though accurate, Culpepper is a deep thrower who is working with an offense that lacks speed. He's completing only 56 percent of his passes and has been sacked 14 times despite having only 125 attempts. A 15-for-32 showing dropped his completion percentage. Kiffin is working a run-oriented offense and is hoping McCown can operate it with less turnovers or mistakes.

Injuries mount: It was yet another bad day for Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. His first-round pick Jarvis Moss fractured his right fibula in a drill during Thursday's practice and was lost for the season. He also suffered damaged ligaments of the ankle. Moss was raw but he showed some pass-rush ability along with some versatility. He played as a standup defensive lineman in the loss to the Colts a couple of weeks ago. His recovery period is three to four months. To make matters worse, Shanahan announced wide receiver Rod Smith won't be able to play this season. He will stay on the physical unable to perform list. Eight months after hip surgery, Smith is still suffering from a sore hip. He practiced for a week, but the pain didn't go away. It's not out of the question for this to be the end for one of the greatest receivers in Broncos history. He could be one of the few undrafted wide receivers who might garner a few votes for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Short reprieve: The NFL isn't ready to make a determination this week whether defensive tackle Marcus Stroud will receive a four-game suspension for a tainted supplement. Stroud will be able to play in Sunday's game against the Saints, but he's more than likely going to miss the next four games. He is not expected to appeal because he wants the chance to play in the final couple of games if the Jaguars can stay in the playoff race. The Jaguars signed Grady Jackson with the idea Stroud will be suspended and they just lost backup defensive tackle Tony McDaniel for the season.

Skeleton crew: The Falcons could pay a price for the release of Grady Jackson. They brought in Montavious Stanley from Dallas to be a fourth defensive tackle if Jackson was let go, but he suffered a knee injury during Wednesday's practice. The team doesn't know when he will return. That leaves them with only three defensive tackles -- Rod Coleman, Trey Lewis and Jonathan Babineaux.

Stuck in holding pattern: Ricky Williams will have to wait until next week to see if the commissioner Roger Goodell will end his one-year suspension. He applied for reinstatement at the beginning of October. The commissioner has 60 days to decide based on the advice of the league's drug counselor. Williams hopes to hear of his fate soon.

Jones' slim chances: Pacman Jones has his day before Goodell Friday, but it's unlikely his one-year suspension will be shortened. Goodell was going to review his situation midway through the season, but Jones hasn't cleaned up any of his trails. Goodell told him he would consider reinstating him after 10 weeks if his legal cases were concluded. The fact that they hadn't started should make this a non-newsy meeting.

Bulky cast: Seahawks halfback Shaun Alexander will continue to play with a cast to protect the broken bone in his left wrist. He's going to get X-rays Monday, but the cast may need to stay on a couple of weeks. It has affected his running. "The cast is too big," Alexander told reporters Thursday. "It's definitely different and definitely difficult, but we just have to go out there and play."