Week 13 Friday 10-pack

Developers of buildings with more than 13 floors develop triskaidekaphobia when it’s time to apply numbers.  The NFL has no such qualms when it comes to the football season.

So welcome, Week 13.  Unleash your bad-luck powers on as many teams as possible.

I’ll be back in a bit.  I’m trying to fit an open umbrella under the stepladder in my office.

1.  Is Big Ben the drama queen back?

Something strange happened on Thursday.  Not long after a report emerged that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has a broken bone in his foot, the Steelers issued a statement explaining that he doesn’t.

The disclosure from the team made no sense, especially since it wasn’t required by league rules.  The Steelers must say only whether Roethlisberger practiced on Thursday, and if so whether he fully participated or participated on a limited basis in the session.

So why would the Steelers feel compelled to contradict the published report?

Rewind to January 2005.  After an AFC title-game loss to the Patriots, Roethlisberger claimed that he played with broken toes.  Coach Bill Cowher contradicted him publicly.

And thus was born the legend of Big Ben, drama queen.

Roethlisberger has at times since then embellished an injury or two, and regardless of whether Roethlisberger was the source of the report, the Steelers felt compelled to contradict it.

Of course, there’s also a chance that the Steelers are simply trying to reduce the size of the bull’s-eye on Ben’s foot — regardless of whether he’s exaggerating his condition or not.

2.  It’s finger-pointin’ time again.

When the Chiefs host the Broncos on Sunday, all eyes will be focused on the two head coaches, who punctuated their Week 10 meeting with Kansas City coach Todd Haley sticking a finger in the face of Denver coach Josh McDaniels after a 20-point win by the Broncos.

Haley has tried to downplay the matter, but it’s obvious that he’s not a big McDaniels fan.  (Then again, who is?)  Though some have speculated in the wake of Spygate II that Haley was miffed with conduct that possibly falls within the realm of cheating, it’s generally accepted in league circles that Haley didn’t appreciate the perception that the Broncos were running up the score.

With Denver reeling and the Chiefs peaking, it’ll be interesting to see whether Haley calls off the dogs — and if not whether McDaniels will show an index finger, or possibly a different finger altogether, to Haley.

3.  Beware the Bills.

Vikings fans likely are thinking that their underachieving team will win their second straight game for the first time since November 2009.  Given that the Bills bring a 2-9 record to town makes it tempting to come to that conclusion.

But let’s look at this more closely.  The Bills have pushed three likely playoff teams (the Ravens, Chiefs, and Steelers) to overtime, and Buffalo lost to the Bears by only three points.  The Vikings, after back-to-back bombs against two NFC North rivals, barely beat the Redskins.

With running back Adrian Peterson hobbled and the Minnesota defense not quite as potent as it has been in past seasons, the Bills could give the Vikings fits, just like Buffalo did the last time they came to the Metrodome in 2002, winning 45-39 in overtime.

4.  Could Packers pull off the Trifecta?

After the Packers beat the Cowboys by 38, Dallas fired coach Wade Phillips.  Seven days later, the Packers beat the Vikings by 28, and Minnesota fired coach Brad Childress.

This week, the Packers host the 49ers.  With Green Bay coming off a disappointing loss to the Falcons, the Pack could be ready to smack around the 4-7 49ers.

If the Packers pummel San Fran, could Niners coach Mike Singletary be the next one to go?  It’s unlikely that it’ll happen on Monday, but Singletary likely won’t sleep very well if he’s on the wrong end of a blowout at Lambeau.

5.  Pats have perfect offense for the Jets.

When the Patriots sent Randy Moss packing in October, plenty of people wondered whether coach Bill Belichick had lost his mind.

Six wins in seven games later, we should all be so crazy.

And so instead of seeing Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis match up with and thus shut down singlehandedly the most potent threat in the Pats’ passing game, New England has diluted its receiving corps, scattering a smattering of players on any given snap who are capable of getting open and catching the ball.

What better way to neutralize a defender who is capable of handling on his own a wideout who commands double coverage than to have him cover a guy who doesn’t?

So with the Jets capable of sending pressure from anywhere and everywhere, while Revis shuts down the No. 1 wideout, the Pats have crafted a system that distributes the ball anywhere and everywhere while happily marooning one guy on each play on Revis Island.

6.  What a difference a year makes.

Last year, when the Cardinals hosted the Rams in December, Kurt Warner’s then-current team had nine wins — and his first-former team had one.

This year, the Rams have five and the Cards have three.  More importantly, the Rams finally have found the long-term heir to Warner, while the Cardinals bumble from first-round bust to unwanted veteran to undrafted rookie who has a long way to go to become worthy of washing Warner’s dancing shoes.

And it’s all happened in only one year.

On one hand, it shows that, no matter how dark things get in a given year for a given team, fortunes quickly can change.  On the other hand, it demonstrates how quickly a “good” team can disintegrate.

7.  Prime-time games have big-time implications.

On the surface, the Monday night game between the Jets and the Patriots looks to be the biggest game of the year.  But the Sunday night contest between the Steelers and Ravens has identical implications.

The winner of each game will be on track to earn a bye.  The losers will slide into the wild-card mix, potentially forcing them to go on the road in order to work their way to the Super Bowl.

The gap will be greater if the Jets and Ravens win, since the one-game leads over the Pats and Steelers, respectively, would essentially be two games, due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.  But even if the Patriots and Steelers win, they’ll each hold a one-game lead with four to play.

Though these playoff-atmosphere games won’t have the same win-or-else stakes, the outcomes will have a lot to do with the degree of difficulty that the teams will experience come January.

8.  Bucs can bunch up the NFC field.

Bucs apologists argue that Tampa’s football franchise hasn’t beaten a playoff-caliber team because they’ll played only four of them.  They get another chance this week, when the 9-2 Falcons come to town.

And the Bucs need to win the game not just to show that they can beat a playoff team.  With four losses and five games to play, the Bucs may not get to the playoffs without beating the Falcons now or the Saints in Week 17.

In past years, 9-7 often would be enough enough to earn a wild-card berth in the NFC.  This year, with a glut of good teams at the top of the conferences, six losses could be one too many.

And if the Buccaneers can deliver to the Falcons their first 2010 loss outside the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the door would swing open for the Saints to pull even with Atlanta at the top of the NFC South, setting the stage for a high-stakes chase in the final four weeks.

9.  Still time for losers?

Since 1990, 14 teams with a losing record after 11 games have made it to the playoffs.  Most recently, the 2009 Jets started 5-6, finished 9-7, and made it to the AFC title game.

Of the teams that pulled it off, all but two were 5-6; the others were 4-7.  This year, nine teams entered Week 13 at 5-6 or 4-7.  (The Texans already have fallen to 5-7.)  At least one of the nine definitely will make the playoffs, because 5-6 currently represents the best record in the NFC West.

But here’s the thing.  The top-heavy nature of each conference, with wild-card spots currently held by teams in the AFC with records of 9-2 and 8-3 and in the NFC with records of 8-3 and 7-4, will make it even harder for the 5-6 and 4-7 teams to climb out of their current holes.  They’ll need someone like the 8-3 Steelers or 7-4 Giants to collapse down the stretch to have a shot.  (Actually, in the NFC, the losing teams need two of the three 7-4 teams to fall apart in order to open up the No. 6 seed.)

Bottom line?  Though the NFL has mastered the art of manufacturing hope from January through December, there currently may not be much hope to go around for teams that have been unable to win at least six of their first 11 games.

10.  AFC West could send a pair to the postseason.

For most of the season, most have assumed that the AFC West will send only one team to the playoffs.

And while it’s still likely that only the champion of the division will get a seat at the playoff table, there’s a growing chance that both the Chiefs and the Chargers will qualify.

The 6-5 Chargers have three straight games at home, including a Week 14 showdown against the Chiefs.  They next hit the road for Cincinnati and Denver.

The 7-4 Chiefs host the Broncos, Titans, and Raiders, wrapped around trips to San Diego and St. Louis.  Though K.C.’s path isn’t as easy as it once appeared, both could end up 10-6 or 11-5.  And if the losers of this weekend’s prime-time games commence a free-fall (like the Jets did two years ago when 8-3 became 9-7), both of the top two teams in the West could win berths in the playoffs.

We recommend wagering nothing of value on the proposition, unless you are getting really, really good odds.

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I didn’t plan it this way, but what the hell.

On the same day that I’ve come to Cleveland for a cameo in the Kevin Costner film Draft Day, we’re concluding the Mt. Rushmore nomination process with the Cleveland Browns.

In the comments, nominate your favorite Browns players, coaches, owners, etc.  Chances are that most of the nominees will come from the pre-1996 era, before a certain former owner who has little chance of making it to the Browns’ Mt. Rushmore moved the team to Baltimore.  Since the team returned in 1999, there has been only one playoff appearance, and few players or other figures to overcome the likes of Jim Brown, Paul Brown, Otto Graham, and Lou Groza.

But we’ll consider any nominations as we put the list of 12 finalists together.  Drop the preferred names below.

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The NFL releases a list of transactions from around the league toward the end of every day that has transactions to report.

The biggest pieces of news on that list have normally been reported on as they happen, but sometimes something pops up on the release that hasn’t been discussed previously. Such was the case on Thursday when the league revealed that Saints safety Roman Harper has signed a renegotiated contract.

Larry Holder of the New Orleans Times-Picayune has gotten no word on the details of the restructured deal, but Harper’s long been seen as a candidate for such maneuvering. Harper was set to make $5.2 million in 2013 with half of the money already guaranteed. It wouldn’t be surprising if the rest of that salary has been affected by the renegotiation.

Harper also had another year on his deal with a $6 million base salary and a cap number of $7.9 million. Those numbers are very high for a team that just drafted Kenny Vaccaro in the first round and also has Malcolm Jenkins at safety. However the restructured contract winds up looking, there’s a good chance this is Harper’s last year in New Orleans.

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Washington linebacker London Fletcher turned 38 on Friday, but he says he hasn’t given serious thought to retiring.

Instead, Fletcher told the Washington Post that he is looking forward to a good season on a good team as he heads into his 16th NFL season.

“It’s just the desire to continue to play,” Fletcher said. “I’m still playing at a high level, the team still wanted me to play. So, a lot of those things come into play. I still love the game of football, so those were the decisions. Also, I like where this team is at, the makeup of it. Those were all factors.”

Fletcher’s coach, Mike Shanahan, said early in the offseason that when players Fletcher’s age start thinking about retirement, that probably means it’s time to retire. It’s good news for Washington that Fletcher isn’t thinking about it. He’s still playing well, past the age when most linebackers hang it up.

AP

When discussing proposed changes to the NFL calendar that would push the draft back to May, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he believed that such changes would be good for fans and good for the game.

General Manager David Caldwell doesn’t think that it would be good for the Jaguars, however. Don Banks of SI.com reported earlier this week that there was some grumbling from personnel men about the shift in the schedule and Caldwell gave voice to a few of them when asked about the proposal to delay the draft until the middle of May.

“You prefer to have them in our camp and us training them,” Caldwell said, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “We get them in the first weekend after the draft and then send them home with two weeks of our workouts so when they do come back for OTAs, they’re accustomed to what we do. You want your rookies in here as soon as you can and we’re a team that will always want production from our rookies.”

Caldwell’s surely not the only team exec to feel that way and you could probably find more than a few who would want the draft even earlier so they have more time to work with rookies before the start of their first professional seasons. Those complaints probably won’t wind up meaning much since owners appear to have their hearts set on moving the draft to May and the opinions of the guys who write the checks tend to outweigh the opinions of the guys cashing them.

AP

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden grew up in Oklahoma, went to college in Oklahoma and he’ll be returning to the state this week to do anything he can to help the community of Moore dig out from under the damage caused by a tornado earlier this week.

“I’ll do anything, whether it’s getting in the rubble and doing whatever, it doesn’t matter,” Weeden said, via the Associated Press. “I’ll be there to help.”

Weeden has been communicating with Oklahoma Lt. Governor Todd Lamb and will spend Memorial Day weekend in Moore, where his wife Melanie grew up. Melanie’s mother and brother still live there and suffered damage to their houses, but they escaped without any physical injury.

Browns wide receiver Josh Cooper is also an Oklahoma native and his father works in Moore. His father is fine and Cooper, who also plans to pay a visit to his home state in the near future, says that the whole community will recover in the long run.

“Everybody is kind of helping everybody,” Cooper said. “We’ll be fine. We get through things like this all the time. Oklahoma strong, you know?”

We’ll be rooting for just that.

AP

Earlier this week, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said that he and the Vikings “haven’t talked one iota” about a new contract, but you can’t say the same about his conversations with the media.

Allen told Dan Wiederer of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he has “absolutely no idea” where he will wind up playing in 2014 after his contract, which will pay him more than $14 million in 2013, with the Vikings expires. He’s seen veteran teammates like Matt Birk and Antoine Winfield wind up heading elsewhere and knows that this might be it for him in Minnesota, something that he admits would not be the case in his best-case scenario.

“Best-case scenario would have been that we would have never gotten to this point. Best-case scenario would have been the organization would have gotten something done a few years back,” Allen said. “Well ya know what? That’s not the case. And I understand it. … I’m just happy I’m in a spot where both sides are honoring the contract.”

As Wiederer points out, the Vikings and Allen could split up no matter how this year plays out. If Allen plays well, he’ll likely be too expensive for the Vikings to keep. If he doesn’t, they might feel like it is time to move on to a younger and cheaper player at defensive end. Allen isn’t overly concerned about either scenario.

“I kind of feel like I hold all the cards in that aspect,” Allen said. “And if it doesn’t work out with the Vikings, I’m not too worried that I won’t be able to find a job, ya know?”

The lack of dialogue on an extension, which would make Allen’s cap hit significantly lower, suggests that the Vikings are just as willing to let the chips fall where they may after the 2013 season. And that makes it a lot likelier that this is Allen’s final year in purple.

AP

The ligaments in his right knee will heal.

But apparently, the relationship between Robert Griffin III and his coaches was never a problem.

Griffin talked to reporters at Redskins OTAs yesterday, updating his physical condition.

But after the early part of his rehab was dominated by questions about whether he should have been in position to be injured in the playoffs, Griffin said Thursday that part was fine.

“There was an unfortunate situation there at the end of the season,” Griffin said, via Mark Maske of the Washington Post. “I don’t think there’s anything that needs to be repaired [in his relationship with the coaches and the team]. . . . The only thing that needed repair from last year was my knee.”

Griffin taking the high road will help keep the issue at bay, but there clearly were some questions about the way he was used last year. He said he “didn’t have a problem” with the way he was used, but others have voiced their concern on his behalf.

RG3 said he and coach Mike Shanahan had “hashed everything out,” making it appear there were some concerns at some point.

“Coach and them, they know exactly what they’re doing,” he said. “We’ve had talks about the offense.”

Of course, if there were never any issues, there wouldn’t have necessarily been a reason to talk about it.

AP

Bills TE Scott Chandler feels he can be ready for training camp after tearing his ACL last season.

Heath Evans isn’t a big fan of the Dolphins’ moves this offseason.

The Patriots hope DE Michael Buchanan is another late round find.

RB Chris Ivory is looking forward to an expanded role with the Jets.

Ravens QB Joe Flacco thinks the team’s younger receivers will step up this season.

The Bengals like the versatility of rookie OL Tanner Hawkinson.

Said Browns RB Brandon Jackson, “It’s a fresh start. New number, new coaches, new offense. It’s a great opportunity for me to come in and show the coaches why I should be on the field.”

The Steelers have high hopes for their new run blocking scheme.

Texans K Randy Bullock won’t have much competition this offseason.

Colts rookies have gotten a taste of the rest of the Indianapolis sports scene.

The Jaguars have a couple of defensive linemen looking for rebound seasons.

Titans coach Mike Munchak will be hosting a coaching clinic.

RB Ronnie Hillman is trying to impress coaches with his work with the starting Broncos offense.

The defense has been winning the battles at Chiefs camp.

Former Raiders WR Tim Brown is excited about entering the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, where he’ll join Willie Mays as an inductee.

T Max Starks is fired up to start competing for a starting job with the Chargers.

Cowboys S Matt Johnson thinks he’s figured out why his hamstring injury was so problematic last season.

Said Giants WR Ramses Barden, “This is where I wanted to be and now I’m here. I was out there listening to the calls, getting back into the rhythm of the cadence, enjoying the camaraderie and absorbing everything. I remember everything; I’ve had four years to soak it all up. I’m happy to be back on the field. I feel great. I expect the best.”

Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis talked about the process involved with installing a new defense.

Redskins T Trent Williams has put away thoughts of being attacked at a Hawaii nightclub early this year.

Bears coach Marc Trestman has high expectations for his quarterbacks.

According to Lions players, there’s a new attitude around the team after last year’s 4-12 record.

After an injury ended LB Nick Perry’s rookie year early, it’s unclear how he fits in the Packers defense.

Chris Kluwe may be gone, but the Vikings still have a punter who throws himself into causes.

Falcons players went fishing with military veterans this week.

Panthers DE Greg Hardy lost some weight this offseason.

The Saints waived DE Greg Romeus after two injury-ravaged seasons.

Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano joined other Tampa pro sports coaches for a discussion of their jobs on Thursday night.

Sam Acho and Alex Okafor were teammates in college and they are teammates again with the Cardinals.

The Rams see improvement in the way Rodger Saffold is handling right tackle.

WR Mario Manningham said it is up to him and the other receivers to step up in the wake of Michael Crabtree’s injury.

Former Seahawks WR Mike Williams has made his way to the CFL.

AP

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady says the loss of his favorite receiver, Wes Welker, didn’t come as a surprise. Because Brady has been around long enough to know that there are no safe jobs in the NFL.

“I don’t think anything surprises me any more in the NFL,” Brady said on WEEI. “I’ve been around long enough to see things happen at different times with the greatest players of all, whether that’s Wes, or Randy Moss being traded from the Raiders, or Brett Favre playing for the Jets and the Vikings. That’s what happens. Like I said, it’s a very tough, competitive business.

There were reports after Welker signed with the Broncos that Brady was upset, but Brady declined to get into any of that.

“Of course I have feelings. But those feelings are very personal to me,” he said. “I used to get caught up in anger and frustration and disappointment. But I don’t make the decisions. These things aren’t up to me. At some point you’ve got to realize the things that are out of your control. You’ve just got to let go and focus on my job and what I need to do. Because the game moves on, the team moves on. There’s only so long you can dwell on the past. At some point you’ve got to move forward. Like I said, my job for my team is to be the best quarterback, and not the general manager and not the coach and not the owner.”

If Brady were the general manager or the coach or the owner, he’d probably list Welker as the first guy he’d want on his team. But as a quarterback, he’s committed to making it work with whatever receivers he has.

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On Thursday, the VW bus made the relatively short trek over U.S. Route 50 and up Interstate 77 to the great city of Cleveland (yeah, that’s pretty obvious pandering).

The purpose is unprecedented, at least for me.  At some point between noon and midnight (and possibly later), a quartet of NFL media types will shoot a scene in Draft Day, the Kevin Costner/Browns flick currently being filmed on location.

The scene definitely will be shot; whether it makes its way into the final cut of the film remains to be seen.  (I’m hoping that, at a minimum, we’ll appear in the DVD saying in unison, “I think he just sh-t himself.”)

Speaking of we (and/or just sh-tting himself), the rest of the crew includes Alex Marvez of FOX Sports and SiriusXM NFL Radio, Jeff Darlington of NFL Network, and Seth Wickersham of ESPN.

I’ll be heading over there after the Friday morning radio routine in the great cities of Houston, Miami, Buffalo, and Dallas (more pandering) — and after taking the VW bus to the shop.

Apparently, a relatively short trek is more than it currently can handle.

AP

Anthony Hargrove signed with the Cowboys for the veteran minimum.

If not for his involvement in the Saints bounty investigation, and his subsequent suspension, he thinks that might not have been the case.

Hargrove said he’s trying to move forward, but said the stigma that followed his suspension (which was eventually reduced to two games) “took my earning power away.” He didn’t play last year after being cut in the preseason by the Packers.

“Sitting out for a year, you don’t know where life is heading,” Hargrove said, via Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I understand how this game works, and when you don’t have a year of film, people are less inclined to bring you in, because they don’t have enough film to evaluate you on.

“It put me at a disadvantage, but you know God is good and it always works out.”

Hargrove has been a serviceable part on a number of defensive lines during his career, but at 30, he knows this is likely his last chance. The Cowboys think his versatility will help as they change to a 4-3 defense, and they weren’t scared off by his past.

“You guys have got to make up your minds on really what took place there,” Hargrove said of the suspension. “I had to live with it. I had to deal with it. It’s a new day in my life. It’s 2013. I’m trying to continue my career and finish up in a strong way.”

He didn’t address his involvement in the concussion lawsuit against the league, saying: “Can’t comment on that. It is what it is. I’m here to play ball, and I’m going to try to do my best and not let anything outside of that hinder me getting on this field and playing.”

While he was out of the league for a year, Hargrove said he worked at a home for mentally challenged adults in Virginia.

“It puts life into perspective,” Hargrove said. “It’s easy to feel bad for yourself because so much stuff happens to you. But when you’re able to sit down with someone who’s much less fortunate than you are, life definitely comes in place. You understand, ‘Hey, my life isn’t that bad.’”

While some of Hargrove’s trouble has been self-inflicted (his 2008 substance abuse suspension), teams have been willing to give him a chance before. The Cowboys  are his seventh, and he hopes he can last the year to try to change people’s perception of him.

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Charles Sims, a running back from the University of Houston who considered entering this year’s regular NFL draft but ultimately decided to return to the Cougars, has now reconsidered and may enter the supplemental draft.

Sims released a statement saying he has decided to leave Houston but he isn’t sure yet if he is going to transfer to another school or enter the supplemental draft, which would allow him to play in the NFL this season.

“I don’t know what my next step will be. I have one more year of eligibility, therefore I may look to play (1) more year of college football or I may enter the NFL Supplemental Draft later this year,” Sims said in the statement.

There’s been no explanation for why Sims suddenly decided to leave Houston after saying in January that he would return for his senior year, but if he does enter the supplemental draft there’s a good chance he’ll be selected. If Sims had entered this year’s regular draft, he likely would have been a mid- to late-round pick, so if he enters the supplemental draft, some team in need of a running back is likely to spend a 2014 pick to acquire him.

Sims is a quick runner and good receiver out of the backfield who was a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2011 and managed 851 rushing yards despite struggling through injuries in 2012.

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For fans of Da Bears, there won’t be another Ditka.

And for the Bears, there won’t be another 89.

According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears will retire Mike Ditka’s number during a Dec. 9 Monday Night Football appearance against the Cowboys at Soldier Field.

Ditka coached the team to its only Super Bowl title 27 years ago, but was a tremendous player for them prior to that, playing for their 1963 NFL title team.

The 73-year-old ESPN analyst will be the 14th Bears player to have his number retired, the first since Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers. That’s the most retired numbers of any NFL team.

Ditka hasn’t always had the best relationship with Bears ownership, but his relationship with the fans of the team is undeniable, as is his place in history now.

AP

Though it took him a little longer than his self-proclaimed five minutes, Rob Ryan found a job this offseason.

And considering his personality, it might have been in the perfect spot.

Ryan talked to reporters in New Orleans for the first time Thursday, and said he was fortunate to land with a team that had the worst defense in league history last year, because they both have something to prove.

He referred back to his firing by the Cowboys, and the Super Bowl he won in New Orleans as a member of the Patriots staff, calling himself “lucky” to be where he was.

“These guys have been well-coached before. They’re smart. They’re just ready to win,” Ryan said, via Mike Triplett of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I think we all have a chip on our shoulder after last season. . . .

“I know everybody is on the same path. That big sign that used to be up there [in the Saints' indoor practice facility] — ‘Do Your Job’ — I’ve heard those words before. I plan on doing it. I’ve got two Super Bowl rings, one of them won out here in sweet, live ass New Orleans as part of a great organization.”

Yeah, he should fit right in.

The Saints could use a shot of confidence, after allowing a league-record 7,042 yards last year. Ryan can provide that.

He admitted he “got my feelings hurt” when he was fired, but said he was “very fortunate” to land with Sean Payton, and he clearly enjoys the challenge ahead of him.

“I like his passion,” Payton said. “You know, he’s someone that I spent a lot of time researching and arriving at that decision, guys that I know very well that have worked with him.

“I like the way players respond and I think he’s a perfect fit for what we’re looking for.”

Now all he has to do is find enough players to adapt to his scheme, and he might finally end up a coordinator for a team with a winning record.

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A mere five months have passed since Buffalo Bills tight end Scott Chandler suffered a torn ACL in a loss against the Miami Dolphins in December. Yet, Chandler is already back on the practice field running routes, making cuts and catching passes.

Chandler isn’t participating with the rest of the team during OTAs. He had an individual workout away from the team Thursday catching passes from undrafted rookie quarterback Jeff Tuel. But for being just over four months removed from reconstructive surgery on his knee, it was a strong showing of the progress he’s made in his rehab process.

“The knee feels really good,” Chandler said, via the team’s official website. “I feel great. Running routes you could probably tell it’s not 100 percent, but it’s better than most so I feel good.”

Chandler said he’s been running routes for the last three weeks. Despite his progress, the Bills will likely choose to be cautious and continue to hold him out of team activities through the team’s mini-camp in June. For Chandler, being ready for training camp was always the goal anyway.

“I feel it’s realistic,” Chandler said. “It’s kind of what I expected. Honestly I just wanted to be ready to go when training camp and the season came around. I’m not a guy who is going to sit there and hope that it gets better. I’m going to be proactive.”

Chandler appeared in 15 games last season for the Bills before the injury and made 13 starts. He caught 43 passes for 571 and six touchdowns.