Breaking the Huddle: Former youth counselor now Buffalo's go-to running back

The NFL's leader in yards from scrimmage is former first-round draft pick Chris Johnson of the Titans.

The No. 2 guy in yards from scrimmage is anything but a former first-round draft pick.

He's Fred Jackson, who might be the best free-agent rags-to-riches story since Kurt Warner went from stock boy to NFL MVP with the St. Louis Rams.

Jackson, who once made $100 a game playing for the Sioux City (Iowa) Bandits of the United Indoor Football League, now has 328 yards from scrimmage filling in for starter Marshawn Lynch, who is under suspension for the first three games. Johnson has 352.

Jackson, who has 220 rushing yards and a 5.1-yard average per catch, played at Division III Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. That's the alma mater of Bills Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy.

As a senior, Jackson ran for 1,702 yards and 29 touchdowns in 2002. But the NFL wasn't interested.

He was working 9 to 5 as a counselor for mentally disabled kids when he got the side job with the Bandits. In one year, he set league record for rushing yards (1,770) and touchdowns (53).

Tiger and Peyton buddy up Few people knew ahead of time that Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had arranged to have Tiger Woods on the sideline for Monday night's game against the Dolphins in Miami.

After Manning threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dallas Clark on the opening play, the ESPN cameras showed Woods giving Manning a high-five as the quarterback came off the field.

"I didn't get to see him at all during the game, but people I talked to said he was into the game," Manning told reporters.

Manning said the 6-1, 185-pound Woods could make a good NFL player. But ...

"He said he wouldn't have much interest in playing football," Manning said. "He kind of likes what he's doing. There's always that debate, are golfers and NASCAR drivers athletes or whatever. He's an athlete."

Pitts underwent knee surgery this week and was put on season-ending injured reserve. His streak of 114 consecutive starts ends Sunday.

Woeful are the Browns There's no offense in the league more dysfunctional than Cleveland's.