The Packers have released Cecil Newton from their practice squad. Newton is the older brother of Cam Newton. Newton, a guard/center, was signed earlier this month when Green Bay was hit with a rash of injuries along its offensive line. After a successful career at Tennessee State, Newton went undrafted in 2009 before logging preseason work that year with the Jaguars and then with the Saints this year.

Troy Polamalu's slapping of the ball into the end zone at the end of the team's victory over New England on Sunday was against an NFL rule. The league rule states that you may not bat or punch a loose ball in the field of play toward the opponent's goal line; a loose ball that has touched the ground in any direction, if it is in either end zone; or a backward pass in flight, which can't be batted forward by an offensive player. Polamalu slid after Tom Brady's fumble in the final moments of the game and slapped it into the end zone. The ball slid through the end zone for a safety, making the final score 25-17 for the Steelers.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has taken the blame for the team's loss to the Eagles on Sunday night. Ryan mockingly referred to the Eagles as the "all-hype team" during training camp and vowed that the Cowboys would "kick their ass" when the NFC East rivals met. Philadelphia scored on their first six possessions at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, leading to a 34-7 romp. "The whole thing is I got outcoached by [Andy] Reid and their staff," Ryan said. "I mean, it's ridiculous. I never gave our guys a chance. The whole [expletive] thing was on me. If I gave them any extra motivation, hell, I certainly never backed it up. I gave our guys a lousy plan. We had no chance, and it's all on me."

John Fox said Tim Tebow will start at quarterback for the Broncos in Week 9. "For this week, yes," Fox said. Fox made it clear, however, that Tebow needs to quickly improve as a pocket passer to remain the starter beyond Week 9's game against the Raiders. "I think at the end of the day, we've got to see if he can improve and get better in the passing game," Fox said. Tebow has completed less than 50 percent of his passes and been sacked 13 times in his two starts, including a win at Miami in which he played poorly for 55 minutes.

Tim Tebow has always been surrounded by critics and after Sunday's loss to the Lions it sounded as though he may be losing the confidence of John Fox. At least one of his teammates has come out in support of the young quarterback. "Natural born leader. He's already proven that," rookie linebacker Von Miller said. "He's a great guy with great character. "I feel like he can get it done. I'm a believer until the end."

The Jets are expected to sign former Bills tight end Shawn Nelson on Monday. Nelson worked out for New York last Tuesday. A 2009 fourth-round pick of the Bills had 20 receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown in 17 games with Buffalo. Nelson was suspended for the first four games of 2010 for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan admitted following the team's 34-7 loss to the Eagles on Sunday night that he was outcoached. Ryan's comments referring to Philadelphia as the "all-hype team" prior to the season made headlines leading up to Sunday's game. "It's not the first time I've said something and gotten my butt kicked," Ryan said afterwards. "I got out-coached, out-everything. "It's all on me." Michael Vick said those comments were in the back of everyone's minds but termed it a "non-issue" in Sunday's victory.

After two straight wins, the Eagles are in a three-way tie with Dallas and Washington for second place in the NFC East behind the Giants. Philadelphia dismantled the Cowboys 34-7 on Sunday night, moving to 13-0 under Andy Reid after their bye week. "They've been very willing to work," Reid said. "It's important you have the right attitude to correct mistakes. We'll continue to do that. We've got plenty of room to improve."

The Broncos struggled offensively on Sunday against the Lions and after the game John Fox left the door open to make a change at quarterback. Tim Tebow, making just his second start of the season, went 18-for-39 with 172 yards, a touchdown and an interception. "We'll bounce back and have a great week of practice and get ready to go try and get a win next week," Tebow said. Tebow sounded like he'd be under center in Week 9, but Fox didn't seem as certain. "It's too early to say. I haven't even taken a shower yet, let alone look at the tape," Fox said when asked who would be his quarterback next weekend. "But we'll look at it and make changes where we see are needed. We've definitely got to get better."

Stanford's first win of the season against a ranked team helped Andrew Luck and the Cardinal move up in the BCS standings. While LSU (8-0), Alabama (8-0) and Oklahoma State (8-0) remained locked into the top three spots in the standings released Sunday, Stanford moved up two places to fourth after beating USC 56-48 in triple overtime. Boise State (7-0) slipped a spot to fifth, while Clemson (7-1) fell from fifth to 11th after its first loss.