On the NFL: Run-stuffing reign might be at an end

The Vikings' two-year run of leading the NFL in run defense is being challenged by an Eagles team that's as good at stuffing ball-carriers as it is at sacking quarterbacks.

The Eagles are giving up an NFL-low 45.7 rushing yards per game and 2.4 yards per carry. And they're coming off back-to-back weeks against two good running teams, the Cowboys and Steelers. In last week's 15-6 victory against Pittsburgh, the Eagles had nine sacks while holding Willie Parker to 20 yards on 13 carries.

Defensive tackles Mike Patterson and Brodrick Bunkley lead the way, while linebackers Stewart Bradley, Omar Gaither and Chris Gocong are proving to be among the best young sideline-to-sideline playmakers in the NFL.

The Steelers rank second in run defense (64.3). The Vikings are third (70.3).

Ouch! The Arizona Republic interviewed actor Dennis Quaid for a story about his movie "The Express." One of the questions was whether Quaid thought he could coach for Raiders owner Al Davis.

"No, I definitely could not," Quaid said. "I don't know if I could be a high school coach."

Wycheck's worthy cause According to the Nashville Tennessean, former Titans tight end Frank Wycheck, who claims to have suffered about a "half-dozen" concussions from 1995 to 2003, is among the retired NFL players who will donate their brains after their deaths to a study on the effects of concussions.

"If I can do some good and can donate to research and help out athletes in the future, why not?" Wycheck told the Tennessean.

The nosy Hall of Famer Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown doesn't go to Cleveland games just to get his face on TV. He also holds the title of executive adviser, which means he's up to speed on innermost discussions within the organization.

Coach Romeo Crennel probably wishes that weren't the case -- especially with the team off to a surprisingly bad, 0-3 start and contemplating a quarterback change from Derek Anderson to Brady Quinn.

Crennel decided to stick with Anderson. Monday night, during an interview to Pro Football Central, Brown basically came out and said that Crennel is the only person in the organization who isn't in favor of yanking Anderson for Quinn.

"We all seem to be in one accord ... but it's up to the coach to make the final decision on his lineup this week," Brown said. "But if he makes the right decision on his lineup this week, I think we can be out of this terrible kind of depresssion we're in."

"Jim has an opinion just like everybody else has an opinion," Crennel said. "I sat with Jim and he told me the same thing before it came out in the paper. So that's no surprise that's the way he feels. I'm not saying he's right or wrong. My decision is my decision."

Stat of the week 8-50: The Lions' road record under former President and CEO Matt Millen, fired this week after going 31-84 since being hired in 2001.

Quote of the week "I'm pretty sure he's not going to kill me. Tell him I said, 'Hello.' "

-- Steelers receiver Hines Ward when asked by reporters in Baltimore about Ravens linebacker Bart Scott, who threatened to kill Ward during Baltimore's loss at Heinz Field last year. The teams return to the same field Monday night.