NFL Nation reporters look ahead to what Thursday has in store for each team.
AFC EAST
Buffalo Bills: Buffalo made a change at kicker on Wednesday, signing veteran Billy Cundiff and releasing kickoff specialist Jordan Gay. The Bills' kickoffs aren't the issue; it's their field goals, as Dan Carpenter has missed both a 30-yard attempt and an extra point so far this season. Cundiff could push Carpenter for the starting role and even take his roster spot by Sunday's game against the Titans. -- Mike Rodak
Miami Dolphins: Dolphins players get a four-day break during the bye week. However, new interim head coach Dan Campbell still has a lot on his plate Thursday and the rest of this week. He has to make decisions on his defensive coaching staff -- including whether to keep defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle -- and figure what schematic changes will be made on both sides of the football. -- James Walker
New England Patriots: The Patriots have been focusing on playing physically against Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in practice, which is key to their game plan. Meanwhile, New England TE Rob Gronkowski is expected to address the media Thursday, as Sunday's Patriots-Cowboys matchup features two of the game's best tight ends. -- Mike Reiss
New York Jets: When the Jets return from their bye week, they will put an emphasis on cleaning up penalties. They had 14 in last week's win over the Dolphins, bringing their total to 32 -- 19th in the league. Few things upset coach Todd Bowles more than penalties. -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens: History says running back Justin Forsett is going to have a big game against the Browns. He gained 119 yards in his last game against Cleveland. The Ravens have averaged 144 yards rushing against the Browns since John Harbaugh became coach. And the Browns have given up the second-most rushing yards in the league over the past decade. Still, Harbaugh doesn't think the run game has hit its stride. "I don't think we're where we need to be with the run game yet," he said. "That's something we need to continue to work on really hard." -- Jamison Hensley
Cincinnati Bengals: Seahawks coach Pete Carroll may be making it sound as if running back Marshawn Lynch (hamstring) will be a game-time decision, but the Bengals aren't buying it. Several of Cincinnati's players who spoke with reporters Wednesday said they were expecting the running back to be in the backfield Sunday. Some of them, like Bengals rusher Jeremy Hill, are looking forward to sharing the field with Lynch. Others, like linebacker Rey Maualuga, are already conjuring ways they can best prevent a big day from Beast Mode. -- Coley Harvey
Cleveland Browns: The firestorm over Joe Haden's decision not to play in San Diego has subsided. Now the goal is to get Haden to a point where he is comfortable playing with a cast on his right ring finger. -- Pat McManamon
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers will get a more complete version of Martavis Bryant when the receiver suits up for the first time this season after serving a four-game suspension. Last year, Bryant ran mostly go routes because he hadn't mastered the offense. Now, he knows the scheme and can thrive on the short-to-intermediate routes, as well as the big play. Michael Vick would be smart to utilize Bryant early and often this week. -- Jeremy Fowler
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans: Both the Texans and their quarterback, Ryan Mallett, are looking for improvement from him in Thursday's game. "Any time I don't play well, I take it personally," Mallett said Tuesday. "Whatever the case might be, I always want to try and improve on that and get better." Mallett has completed 51.8 percent of his passes this season, throwing three touchdowns and three interceptions. -- Tania Ganguli
Indianapolis Colts: The questions surrounding quarterback Andrew Luck's status for Thursday's game against the Texans will finally be answered. The Colts have Luck listed as questionable on the injury report because of his right shoulder. The injury caused him to miss his first NFL game in Week 4. -- Mike Wells
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars are scoring just 15.5 points per game, which is actually worse than last season (15.6) when the offense had five rookie starters. Gus Bradley said there is an added emphasis this week on paying attention to every minute detail. That should lead to more precision on offense, he said. -- Mike DiRocco
Tennessee Titans: The Titans are averaging 15.2 yards per attempt on play-action passes, the second-best number in the league. They see it as a partial testament to their run game, which is averaging 126 yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. -- Paul Kuharsky
AFC WEST
Denver Broncos: The Broncos, with the league lead in sacks (18 in four games), will give Raiders quarterback Derek Carr a far different look than he's seen so far this season. Carr has been blitzed on just 13.4 percent of his dropbacks in four games -- only Eli Manning has been blitzed less. Count on the Broncos bringing far more heat. And even on their four-man rushes, they bring the guys from all over the formation, with 11 different players who have contributed to their sack total. -- Jeff Legwold
Kansas City Chiefs: Rookie inside linebacker Ramik Wilson could get the first start of his NFL career Sunday against the Bears. The usual starter, Josh Mauga, injured his groin in last week's loss to the Bengals. Wilson, a fourth-round pick, wound up playing most of the game. He showed good instincts and ball skills during training camp and the preseason. -- Adam Teicher
Oakland Raiders: It's clear that former starting receiver Rod Streater is currently not a part of the offense. Streater was a healthy scratch in Weeks 2 and 3. He was active in Week 4 at Chicago but did not play. Streater's inactivity is based on the Raiders having a much deeper receiving corps than in the past. -- Bill Williamson
San Diego Chargers: San Diego remained without three starting offensive linemen at Wednesday's practice. Center Chris Watt (groin) returned. But left tackle King Dunlap (concussion), left guard Orlando Franklin (ankle) and right guard D.J. Fluker (ankle) were not working with the rest of the unit at the beginning of practice. We'll find out more details Thursday, when the Chargers put out an official injury report. -- Eric D. Williams
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys: Rolando McClain admitted to feeling a little "exhausted" after his first regular-season practice Wednesday, but said he will be ready to play as many snaps as he's asked on Sunday against New England after missing the first four games due to a suspension. The Cowboys need McClain's presence in the run game and his playmaking ability. With the expected return of Sean Lee from a concussion, the Cowboys will have two instinctive linebackers playing together for the first time. Defensive end Jeremy Mincey said the returns of Greg Hardy and McClain will be good for the defense. "It's good to have some SOBs," Mincey said. -- Todd Archer
New York Giants: The Giants could be without another of their top defensive players Sunday, as linebacker Devon Kennard missed Wednesday's practice with a hamstring injury. With defensive end Robert Ayers also struggling with a hamstring injury, the Giants' pass rush would miss Kennard -- especially against a 49ers offensive line porous enough to offer them an opportunity to up their slender total of five sacks on the season. -- Dan Graziano
Philadelphia Eagles: Chip Kelly won't know what pieces will be available when he has to put together the puzzle of his offensive line for Sunday's game against New Orleans. Right tackle Lane Johnson says he will play -- with painkillers, if necessary -- but whether he's in his normal spot or at left tackle will depend on Jason Peters' availability. Kelly said he'll wait until Sunday to see who is healthy enough to play. -- Phil Sheridan
Washington Redskins: Washington needs CB Chris Culliver back in the lineup for Sunday's game at Atlanta. The Redskins are thin in the secondary and losing their top corner would be a major blow against a dangerous offense. Culliver missed practice with a sore knee and underwent an MRI on Wednesday (results were not yet known). The Redskins already have surrendered four pass plays of 40 yards or more, putting them on pace for 16 -- four more than last season. Some of that stemmed from Culliver playing hurt last week, but they also need better safety help downfield. -- John Keim
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears: Slowing down Kansas City tailback Jamaal Charles is a major point of emphasis in practice. Bears defensive end Jarvis Jenkins says the defense needs to watch Charles on every play he's in the game, given his ability to hurt teams both in the run and pass game. Jenkins and outside linebacker Pernell McPhee are two big reasons why Chicago's defense is improving. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio calls McPhee's enthusiasm "contagious" in the locker room. The Bears are hoping to get some injured players back Thursday. The club listed 13 names on Wednesday's official injury report. -- Jeff Dickerson
Detroit Lions: The Lions had a lengthy injury list Wednesday, with 10 starters listed as either limited or out. This is part of the deal during a short work week after playing Seattle, one of the most physical teams in the league, on Monday night. But if any players are limited again Thursday, that could be a bad sign for Sunday availability -- so pay particular attention to defensive end Ezekiel Ansah and cornerback Rashean Mathis. The better news for Detroit? Linebacker DeAndre Levy practiced fully, putting him on a good track to return against the Cardinals. -- Michael Rothstein
Green Bay Packers: How big of a boost could Bryan Bulaga be to the Packers if he's able to return Sunday against the Rams? His replacement, Don Barclay, allowed all three sacks of Aaron Rodgers last Sunday against the 49ers. Bulaga returned to practice Wednesday less than three weeks after he underwent surgery on his left knee. The original timeline for his return was four to six weeks, so an early return would be a lift to the offensive line. -- Rob Demovsky
Minnesota Vikings: While Vikings players are resting during the bye week, coach Mike Zimmer is doing a self-scout of the team's four games so far. Zimmer typically allows himself a little time to get away, but even then, he's never too far from work. He often says he spends his downtime watching film on his tablet in front of a fireplace with a glass of red wine. -- Ben Goessling
NFC SOUTH
Atlanta Falcons: Roddy White was excused from Wednesday's practice for personal reasons. It's unclear if he'll return Thursday, but if so, Falcons coach Dan Quinn plans to speak with him about his role in the offense. Quinn said White remains an integral part of the offense and that opportunities will come to him, eventually. White ranks fifth on the team in both catches (6) and yards (92). -- Vaughn McClure
Carolina Panthers: Players begin a five-day break from football during their bye week. Quarterback Cam Newton plans to spend it resting the aches and pains in his body, watching his little brother play football on Friday night in Atlanta, and perhaps even catch his next opponent (Seattle) on television Sunday while playing cards with a bunch of friends. -- David Newton
New Orleans Saints: Now that Drew Brees is back, the injured player to watch in New Orleans is the guy charged with protecting Brees -- Terron Armstead. The left tackle missed practice Wednesday with a knee injury, though he was able to play through it during last Sunday night's game against Dallas. Armstead has developed into one of the Saints' best and most irreplaceable players. If he can't play Sunday at Philadelphia, rookie first-round draft pick Andrus Peat will get thrown into the fire as his replacement. Peat has talent but remains a work in progress. -- Mike Triplett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Limiting turnovers is a big emphasis for the Bucs' offense this week. Quarterback Jameis Winston said he was eager to move past his four-interception nightmare against the Panthers in Week 4, and offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter said the rookie must be better. How Winston responds against a vulnerable Jaguars defense on Sunday will be telling. The Bucs need Winston to be more disciplined. -- Andrew Astleford
NFC WEST
Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals can't afford to lose another tight end, so they're looking forward to getting Darren Fells back on the field Thursday. He'll be limited along with wide receiver J.J. Nelson, who has been out since Week 2. -- Josh Weinfuss
St. Louis Rams: The Rams are taking drastic measures to keep Green Bay QB Rodgers from getting them to jump offside and then make a big play down the field. Coach Jeff Fisher is using an air horn around Rams Park this week in meeting rooms and on the practice field to try to force his defensive players to remain focused. Given the defense's aggressive nature, the group will have to be extra disciplined against Rodgers to ensure he doesn't steal any big plays on Sunday. -- Nick Wagoner
San Francisco 49ers: The left side of the Niners' offensive line has been a relative strength, so it was a bit disconcerting to see left tackle Joe Staley and left guard Alex Boone not practicing Wednesday. Coach Jim Tomsula, though, says his vets are fine. He just gave them a day off before Thursday's padded practice. -- Paul Gutierrez
Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks will be tested deep against the Bengals this week. Andy Dalton & Co. have produced a league-high 20 pass plays of 20-plus yards this season. The Seahawks allowed 11 big completions the first two games, but only three since with Kam Chancellor back on the field. Whichever team gains the edge on explosive plays Sunday will likely come out on top. -- Sheil Kapadia