• Tom Brady's season-ending knee injury in Week 1 caused an AFC East aftershock, leaving the division up for grabs at the midway point. Patriots, Bills, Jets or Dolphins -- who has the best chance to win the AFC East?
  
• Running backs Chris Johnson of the Titans and Matt Forte of the Bears talk about what it takes to break through the rookie wall.
  
• The EA Virtual Playbook has Tom Jackson previewing how the Eagles' defensive blitz packages could rattle Giants QB Eli Manning.
  
• Kenny Mayne was at Obama headquarters Tuesday for … a fantasy football free-agent draft? Tune into the "Mayne Event". Kenny will also be in-studio promoting "Mayne Street" -- his new ESPN.com show, which debuts Tuesday.

  
  

After breaking down film and critiquing the teams heading into Week 9, Scouts Inc.'s Gary Horton tells you what to watch for this weekend.

	Grossman

Good and bad Grossman

It looks like QB Rex Grossman will be taking over for QB Kyle Orton during the next few weeks, even though Orton is lobbying to play. When you look at last week's film, it is easy to see that Grossman is still not consistent. His best pass is still the seam route over the middle, and at times he looked really good versus the Lions. He threw a couple nice balls into tight holes and showed good arm strength, solid mechanics and calmness in the pocket. However, at other times he looked frantic under pressure, played with no awareness and tried to force the ball.

Coaches are saying that Grossman has become a student of the game and that his preparation and ability to read the field have improved. But it remains to be seen how he will handle being the starter from kickoff to the final whistle. It also doesn't help that he faces the Titans this week. Clearly, this is not an ideal situation. The Titans will bring pressure with just four, keep seven defenders in coverage and force Grossman to make hurried throws all game.

	Jenkins

Dominant DT

Kris Jenkins has been the most dominant defensive tackle in the league, with the exception of Titans DT Albert Haynesworth. Jenkins is virtually unblockable, and his quickness is underrated. He has a ton of size and power, with the ability to play any style of defense. Jenkins plays hard on every down and controls the line of scrimmage. He has thrived in the Jets' two-gap, read-and-react scheme. He uses his arm extension to keep blockers off him, and when the back hits the hole, he slides off and makes the play. Jenkins also has a tremendous arm-over move that allows him to split double-teams, and he is an excellent finisher. Jenkins should be able to disrupt the Rams' offensive line and make QB Marc Bulger move in the pocket to avoid the pressure.

Complete Horton column 

	Lewis

Kurt (Red Lake Falls, Minn.): Mort, what are the odds of Mike Brown firing Marvin Lewis? If they go 1-15, how could he bring him back? It just seems like Brown has taken the team away from Marvin (re-signing Henry and not trading Ocho Cinco). And who might they bring in?

Mort: Mike Brown is not inclined to fire coaches, but I would think he and Marvin would have a very serious conversation about whether it's wise to stay together. Who might they bring in? There will be plenty of candidates, but I really think it won't change unless they bring in a new front-office boss, a new GM. And in that case, maybe Marvin would want to stay on.

Dan (Chicago): Hey Mort, the Miami Dolphins look to me to be a team that has the ability to dominate games and possibly push themselves into playoff contention. What do you see as their biggest strength/biggest weakness that could keep them out?

Mort: They are physical and are fundamentally sound. They have a winning, experienced quarterback. Strong along both sides of the line. But they have to really work hard to get points. Dan Henning has done a phenomenal job as offensive coordinator -- and I'm not sure they have great cover people. But when you look at their schedule from here on out, it's easy to imagine a 9- or 10-win team.

	Flacco

Pete C (Newark, Del.): Mort, are you surprised with the performances from the two rookie head coaches with rookie signal-callers? Will we see more teams move in that direction instead of experienced counterparts?

Mort: You're speaking about Mike Smith and Matt Ryan in Atlanta and John Harbaugh and Joe Flacco in Baltimore. And yes, I'm surprised that they're having this much success early. I guess the Ravens, with their defense, had a chance to compete every week, but I didn't see it coming with the Falcons, even though I was a Mike Smith proponent. Both coaches have excellent staffs, really good coordinators (Mike Mularkey and Cam Cameron) to work with those young QBs. They had focused off-seasons and training camps. Oh, and they obviously didn't miss on those QBs.

Complete chat transcript

Based on matchups, who will deliver a big performance in Week 10?

	Tomlinson

Jeremy Green: Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson. It's so easy to pick on the Chiefs' run defense (last in the NFL, two 300-yard games allowed), so I'll pile on. The Chargers are coming off a bye and getting healthier on the offensive line, and Tomlinson appears ready to get back on track after turning in just his second 100-yard game of the season in Week 8. Expect a huge game from Tomlinson as the Chargers start their second-half march toward another AFC West title.

Keith Kidd: Cardinals QB Kurt Warner I could pick a matchup in the Panthers-Raiders game, but that's too easy. Instead, I'm going with Warner and the Cardinals' passing attack against the 49ers on Monday night. Warner has put up MVP numbers, and the emergence of rookie RB Tim Hightower and a real live running game will make Arizona's passing offense even more dangerous. You have to love the matchups WRs Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston will get against that San Francisco secondary.

Did the Browns make the right decision naming Brady Quinn the starter?

Green: I think the Browns are doing it for the wrong reasons, but it is hard to argue the move. I would feel better about it if they were doing it because they thought he was ready, but they are doing it more because they feel like they will lose the fan base if they take the field with Derek Anderson as the starter. The Browns need a spark, and going with Quinn will ignite the crowd and could light a fire under the offense. However, if the receivers don't stop dropping passes and the offensive linemen don't pass block better, then Quinn will suffer the same fate as his predecessor.

Gary Horton: Yes, even though it looks like a knee-jerk reaction from the organization to appease the fans. It is odd to insert a new quarterback into the lineup when you have such a short work week, but Quinn faces a bad Denver pass defense. Anderson seemed to lack confidence, looked nervous in the pocket and made poor decisions at times. Quinn has a lot of poise and physical skills, but we shouldn't expect miracles. However, this team needs a jump-start, and this young quarterback will have the entire city behind him.

Complete Scouts roundtable