A scoring change has given the Vikings an additional sack of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Pittsburgh won Sunday's game 27-17. A play in which Roethlisberger was initially given a 1-yard loss on a run has been changed to a sack by Minnesota's Kevin Williams.

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher will evaluate coaching opportunities are they present themselves. "You never know. Like I said, I never say never," Cowher told the Greenwich Time. "I'm taking it a year at a time right now. I have no regrets about walking away. I've been able to spend some very, very good quality time with my family and I got a good job. So I'll reassess what opportunities might be out there and sit down and make a decision."

The Steelers handed the Vikings their first loss of the season on Sunday, but the Saints remained unbeaten with a tough win over the Dolphins to highlight Week 7?s NFL action. We will calculate each team?s Trench Counter*. New England 35, Tampa Bay 7 Team Trench Counter: Patriots +15.4, Buccaneers -15.4 The New England Patriots (5-2) remained red hot with an emphatic win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-7) at Wembley Stadium in London. Tom Brady threw for 308 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions during the league?s annual game overseas. Laurence Maroney rushed for 43 yards and added a touchdown in the victory. Wes Welker led the Patriots in receiving with ten receptions for 107 yards and a score. Safety Brandon Meriweather added to the tally, returning an interception 39 yards in the first quarter. The Buccaneers continued to struggle offensively. Josh Johnson had just 156 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris inserted rookie Josh Freeman in at quarterback late in the loss. Antonio Bryant was the only member of the team to find the end zone. He caught a 33-yard pass from Johnson in the third quarter. Indianapolis 42, St. Louis 6 Team Trench Counter: Colts +18.6, Rams -18.6 The Indianapolis Colts (6-0) and St. Louis Rams (0-7) faced off on Sunday in a game featuring teams on opposite ends of the spectrum. Peyton Manning went 23-for-34 with 235 yards and three touchdowns, while Joseph Addai and rookie Donald Brown controlled the game on the ground. Addai had 64 yards and one touchdown and Brown added 58 yards on just two carries at Edward Jones Stadium. Reggie Wayne (83 yards), Dallas Clark (44 yards) and Austin Collie (36 yards) were on the receiving end of Manning?s touchdown passes. Marc Bulger struggled against the improving defense of the Colts. He posted just 140 yards and tossed two interceptions in the defeat. Steven Jackson was the lone offensive star for St. Louis, rushing for 134 yards on 23 carries. Josh Brown was responsible for all of the team?s scoring; he connected on both field goals he attempted. Pittsburgh 27, Minnesota 17 Team Trench Counter: Steelers +8.3, Vikings -8.3 The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) handed the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) their first loss of the season at Heinz Field on Sunday. Ben Roethlisberger had 175 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers relied on both their defense and running game. Rashard Mendenhall carried the ball ten times for 69 yards as the club rushed for more than 100 yards overall. Mike Wallace led the defending-champions in receiving with three catches for 72 yards and a score. Brett Favre looked mortal for the first time in purple, throwing for 334 yards and an interception. Adrian Peterson wasn?t his usual explosive self against the Steelers? tough defense. He had 69 yards and a score, but didn?t break a run longer than 19 yards on the road. Sidney Rice had good chemistry with Favre, catching 11 passes for 136 yards, but Minnesota scored just one offensive touchdown. In the fourth quarter, rookie receiver Percy Harvin returned a kick 88 yards for a score that momentarily brought the Vikings to within three points of the Steelers San Diego 37, Kansas City 7 Team Trench Counter: Chargers +20.4, Chiefs -20.4 Philip Rivers excelled through the air early and often, tossing three touchdowns on 18-for-30 passing for 268 yards. The San Diego Chargers (3-3) led 20-0 at halftime and the Kansas City Chiefs (1-6) never threatened. LaDainian Tomlinson couldn?t find the end zone, but did rush for 71 yards on 23 carries. Darren Sproles was far more efficient, tallying 41 yards on five carries. Vincent Jackson exploded in the win, grabbing five catches for 142 yards and a score. Matt Cassel was pestered by San Diego?s defense all afternoon. He was sacked four times, threw three interceptions and managed just 97 yards and a touchdown. Larry Johnson was ineffective as well, contributing 49 yards at Arrowhead Stadium. Bobby Wade was Kansas City?s leading receiver; he caught four passes from Cassel for 66 yards in the loss. Houston 24, San Francisco 21 Team Trench Counter: Texans +4.2, 49ers -4.2 After making a change at quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers (3-3) nearly completed a huge comeback against the Houston Texans (4-3). After Shaun Hill struggled to move the ball in the first half, coach Mike Singletary put former first overall pick Alex Smith in to begin the third quarter. Smith finished the game with 206 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in just one half of work. Tight end Vernon Davis caught all three of Smith?s touchdown strikes, while Frank Gore managed 32 yards on 13 carries in the loss. Matt Schaub had 264 yards and two touchdowns, but the Texans lost receiver Andre Johnson to a chest injury in the fourth quarter. Steve Slaton and Owen Daniels were Houston?s offensive stars. Slaton rushed for 67 yards and a score, while also catching four passes for 22 yards and another touchdown. Daniels, who is emerging as one of the NFL?s best pass-catching tight ends, had seven receptions for 123 yards and a second-quarter touchdown. Green Bay 31, Cleveland 3 Team Trench Counter: Packers +30.5, Browns -30.5 After the flu ravaged the Cleveland Browns (1-6) during the week, the Green Bay Packers (4-2) stomped all over them in Ohio. Aaron Rodgers sliced Cleveland?s secondary, going 15-for-20 with 246 yards and three touchdowns. Ryan Grant, whose name was mentioned in trade rumors last week, broke out as well. He rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, separating himself from the rest of Green Bay?s running rotation. Derek Anderson looked pretty bad once again. He went 12-for-29 with 99 yards and an interception against the Packers. Cleveland managed just 139 total yards, as Jamal Lewis led the club in rushing with 47 yards on 15 attempts. The Browns held a 3-0 lead at the 14:58 mark of the second quarter, but the Packers went on to score 31 straight points. N.Y. Jets 31, Oakland 0 Team Trench Counter: Jets +25.1, Raiders -25.1 The New York Jets (4-3) shut out the Oakland Raiders (2-5) as coach Tom Cable finally pulled the plug on JaMarcus Russell in the second quarter. After a five-interception affair last week, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was steady for the Jets. He went 9-for-15 with 143 yards and a touchdown, while Shone Greene and Thomas Jones absolutely dominated Oakland on the ground. Greene, New York?s rookie running back, tallied 144 yards and two scores and Jones added 121 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. The Raiders went to Bruce Gradkowski at quarterback in the second quarter after Russell tossed two early interceptions. Oakland still failed to score after the change, but Gradkowski did take better care of the football (both Russell and Gradkowski lost one fumble). Justin Fargas and Michael Bush each carried the ball eight times, with Fargas (67 yards) outproducing Bush (25 yards). Buffalo 20, Carolina 9 Team Trench Counter: Bills -0.2, Panthers +0.2 Ryan Fitzpatrick said prior to the game that he felt as though he could be a starting quarterback in the NFL and he backed up that claim on Sunday. The Buffalo Bulls (3-4) outlasted the Carolina Panthers (2-4) in a game that featured 20 points in the final quarter. Fitzpatrick had 123 yards and a touchdown on 11-for-22 passing, while Marshawn Lynch (40 yards and a touchdown) helped Buffalo control a game that was dominated by defense for more than 45 minutes. Jake Delhomme struggled once again, going 27-for-44 with 325 yards and three interceptions. DeAngelo Williams, who had 89 yards on 16 carries, scored Carolina?s only touchdown on a 15-yard run in the fourth quarter. The Panthers? first two points came on a safety in the second quarter. Delhomme, who has never thrown more than 16 interceptions in a season, is on pace to throw more than 30 in 2009. New Orleans 46, Miami 34 Team Trench Counter: Saints +8, Dolphins -8 The New Orleans Saints (6-0) remained perfect with a very close win over the Miami Dolphins (2-4) on Sunday afternoon. The Saints outscored the Dolphins 22-0 in the fourth quarter, making them the third team to remain undefeated through the season?s first seven weeks. Drew Brees struggled, going 22-for-38 with 298 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Mike Bell (80 yards on 12 carries), Pierre Thomas (30 yards on 8 touches) and Reggie Bush (10 yards and a touchdown) led New Orleans on the ground. Jeremy Shockey continued his strong season, catching four passes for 105 yards in the win. Miami jumped out to an early lead thanks to a career day from Ricky Williams. He rushed nine times for 80 yards and three touchdowns at Land Shark Stadium, while Ronnie Brown added 48 yards and a score in the loss. If Chad Henne had played better, he went 18-for-36 with 211 yards and two interceptions, the Dolphins might have had a chance to hold off the Saints in the final 15 minutes. Dallas 37, Atlanta 21 Team Trench Counter: Cowboys +10.7, Falcons -10.7 The Dallas Cowboys (4-2) inserted Miles Austin into the starting lineup and proceeded to easily handle the Atlanta Falcons (4-2). Tony Romo went 21-for-29 with 311 yards and three touchdowns, with Austin posting six catches for 171 yards and two scores. As great as their aerial attack was, the Cowboys got good production from Marion Barber (47 yards), Felix Jones (37 yards) and Romo (31 yards) on the ground. The Dallas defense came to play as well. They sacked Matt Ryan four times, forced four fumbles and grabbed a pair of interceptions. Ryan struggled, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns to go along with the aforementioned miscues. Michael Turner was slowed once again, tallying 50 yards and a score on 18 attempts. Jason Snelling led Atlanta in rushing with seven runs for 68 yards at Cowboys Stadium. Roddy White, who had 210 yards and two touchdowns last week against San Francisco, continued his hot streak with six catches for 50 yards and a score. Cincinnati 45, Chicago 10 Team Trench Counter: Bengals +30.5, Bears -30.5 The Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) are imploring people to take them seriously after a drubbing of the Chicago Bears (3-3) at Paul Brown Stadium. Carson Palmer lit up the scoreboard with 233 yards and five touchdowns on 20-for-24 passing, while former Bears running back Cedric Benson gained 189 yards and a score on the ground in the victory. Chad Ochocinco (118 yards), Laveranues Coles (37 yards), Chris Henry (26 yards) and J.P. Foschi (3 yards) were all on the receiving end of Palmer?s scoring strikes. Jay Cutler struggled against Cincinnati?s swarming defense, going 26-for-37 with 251 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. His only touchdown came on a connection with receiver Devin Hester in the fourth quarter when the game had long been decided. The Bengals limited Matt Forte as well, holding him to 24 yards on six carries. Chicago was forced to throw the ball often as Cincinnati jumped out to an early lead. *Explaining The Trench Counter

The Steelers are replacing some of Heinz Field's grass only three games into the season. Workers tore up the areas between the hash marks and put down new grass this week. The transformation has been completed in time for the South Florida-Pitt game on Saturday and the Vikings-Steelers game on Sunday

Last week: 9-5, pushing the season forecast to 66-24. Unless you are a Titans fan, or perhaps a Patriots hater, you had to love seeing the first snowy game of the season last Sunday. It?s always an unpredictable experience how younger players respond to the unfamiliar elements. I believe that?s a hidden factor into why the Patriots, and to a similar extent the Giants and Steelers, can sustain their success. Their veteran players have played in the wind, cold, rain, snow, ice, and they know how to adjust. Contrast that with Titans rookie CB Ryan Mouton, a Houston native who played collegiately at Hawaii. At least part of his problem was his inability to adjust his footing to the snow and his body to the cold. Same with Mark Sanchez in cold, windy Buffalo; the SoCal lifer hadn?t ever played in elements like that before, and it showed. It?s not a major factor in games most of the time, but keep an eye on youngsters from the SEC and southern Pac-10 schools making their first trips to the cold, windy, wet conditions that constitute fall in the North and East. That means Percy Harvin, Clay Matthews Jr., Rey Maualuga, and Mohammad Massaquoi could all be in for disappointing weeks this week. Game of the Week Minnesota (3) at Pittsburgh (13): Points are going to be critical in this game, and that turns my attention to the red zone capabilities of both teams. Want to know a good reason (besides Favre, Peterson, and Jared Allen) that the Vikings are undefeated? Check out their red zone play; first in offense, 2nd in defense. Perhaps just as impressive is that they rank 4th (tied) in the league in red zone opportunities on offense and a respectable 14th (tied) on defensive chances. Pittsburgh ranks #2 on offense (thanks Heath Miller!), but their defense ranks just 24th. That means the Vikings are more apt to cash in for touchdowns where the Steelers might have to settle for a FG or two. Still, it?s Pittsburgh in late October, which means temps in the 40s, wind, and perhaps some light rain, not to mention the incredible confidence and energy the Steelers draw from their faithful Terrible Towel wavers. I think the Minnesota luck runs out here. Pittsburgh 24, Minnesota 21. Best of the Rest Arizona (10) at NY Giants (5): The Giants have one real weakness: pass defense. The Cardinals have one major strength: pass offense. The Giants feature a great rushing offense, while the strength of the Cardinals is run defense. In short, one team is well-positioned to exploit the other?s weakness, and they simultaneously are also well-positioned to stop the other team?s strength. Normally I don?t put much faith in matchup comparisons, especially when the Cardinals are playing in the east. But there is a tendency to over-correct for past week?s sins, and the Giants cannot afford to do that even though the Cardinals sport the league?s most anemic rushing attack. The Meadowlands has been a house of horrors for Kurt Warner, but I think he gets a little redemption here. Cardinals 30, Giants 24. Atlanta (7) at Dallas (17): Atlanta really impressed me with the toughness of their defense in the win over Chicago, something that was largely missing last year. They roughed up a Bears OL that is both immobile and fractious, i.e. similar to the Cowboys. Dallas has struggled with the pass rush despite stellar play from NT Jay Ratliff, a uniquely skilled difference-maker. I would like to think that being pushed to overtime by the inferior Chiefs would spark the Cowboys, but that has not been the case in the past for Tony Romo and friends. I always beware the dreaded 3-point favorite at home, which the Cowboys are here, because that essentially means the game is a push (handicappers invariably give three points to the home team). What that says to me is, Dallas is probably better but we don?t really trust them. When you consider the Cowboys usually give an extra point or two on the line anyways due to their popularity, it can be read that Atlanta is probably more apt to win, and certainly to cover. Falcons win 28-27. Chicago (14) at Cincinnati (12): Losing Antwan Odom really hurts the Bengals in games like this one, where the opposing QB is good at avoiding sacks even under heavy pressure. Odom was finishing those types of sacks as well as anyone, and the Bengals don?t have anyone who can fill that hole. The woeful left side of the Bears OL lends hope to the Bengals, but that is predicated upon Matt Forte running with more vision and authority. His legs look tired, which will happen when you get 900+ touches in a little over 2 years. I like the concept of Ced Benson putting it to the team that (rightfully) gave up on him, but the Chicago front has been playing real well in terms of gap integrity. I sense a tight field position battle, and that favors the Bears despite their propensity for idiotic gaffes and bad penalties. The cloud formations read Chicago, and I?m not about to argue with Gilgus Thunderhead. Bears 26, Bengals 24. San Francisco (15) at Houston (18): All the attention here will focus on 49ers rookie WR Michael Crabtree making his debut. But there is another rookie who is quietly putting up monster numbers at a position of dire need, and that is Texans LB Brian Cushing. Houston hasn?t had a worthy starting SLB since their inception, but the USC product has changed that. He already has 48 tackles and five passes defended, both of which represent a year?s worth of production from that spot. That sort of impact is critical to Houston, and it?s precisely matchups such as this one where the fruits of that investment should really pay off. The Niners struggle to sustain drives--they rank 31st in 1st downs per game and dead last in percentage of 3-and-out drives, and players like Cushing help guard against the big play that the Niners rely upon so heavily. Texans string two wins in a row together, something they have rarely done. Houston 27, San Francisco 17. Upset Special New Orleans (1) at Miami (16): The Saints are clearly the best team in the league after their demolition of the Giants. But strange things happen to undefeated teams in Miami, and all those bitter old 72 Dolphins still refuse to let their perfect season rest in peace. I suppose it?s pretty cool if you?re a Dolphins fan to see Mercury Morris, Nick Buoniconti, et al pop champagne on the sidelines when the last undefeated team falls in Miami, but to the rest of us it?s akin to seeing a fading starlet get naked on camera to try and keep the spotlight just a little longer. Enough of Meg Ryan?s nudity and enough of sponging off a feat that took place before any players on either team were born. That doesn?t mean that the upset magic is gone, however. Miami somehow shocks the Saints 27-24. The Rest San Diego (19) at Kansas City (27): What appeared to be a mismatch before last weekend suddenly becomes a very compelling game. No team does less with more than the Chargers, and the Chiefs have played pretty well against underachievers. One of my favorite NFL axiomatic clich?s is that good teams don?t just beat bad ones, they rout them. San Diego is just not a very good football team, and this game should provide the final spike in that coffin. The Chiefs pull the upset 24-20. New England (6) at Tampa Bay (30) in London: Anyone else find great irony that the New England Patriots are heading to Wembley Stadium to play a game? This battle should go a lot better for the Patriots, as the British were a much more game opponent than the hapless Buccaneers. Not even an army of Frenchmen can help Tampa win this game, and the NFL ?treats? the good people of England to a lopsided whipping that could be over as fast as last weekend?s Patriots pummeling of Tennessee. New England rolls in Old England, 38-13. Green Bay (9) at Cleveland (29): When watching the Packers-Lions game last week, the entire packed bar I was at all came to the same conclusion: if the Packers had even Detroit?s mediocre OL, they might not need to keep a punter on the active roster. But that Green Bay OL is full of holes that Swiss cheese-makers can only dream about; it?s easily the worst in the league. That leaves them vulnerable and puts more pressure on a defense that is still finding its way in the new scheme. The moribund Browns provide a good chance to build more confidence in both areas, though Shaun Rogers has an alarmingly productive history against the Packers: 7.5 sacks, eight other tackles for loss and a blocked FG in his last six games against them. Alas, his teams have lost every one of them. Green Bay 36, Cleveland 17. NY Jets (23) at Oakland (24): For all the talk about the ?Heidi? game, you?d think these two teams play infrequently, thus not letting that game some 36 years ago fade away. In fact, they?ve played every year but two in the last 10, including twice in both 2001 and 2002. How about some memories of the 2001 Week 17 matchup, which the Jets pulled off on a late TD to qualify for the playoffs (against Oakland) and keep the defending champion Ravens out? Or the following season, where the Raiders ended the Jets? playoff run (after the Jets shocked the Colts) by sitting on short routes and forcing Chad Pennington to beat them deep--a strategy that other teams copied and led to a downer season for the Jets the following year? I know it?s fun to reminisce about a strange historic event, but enough is enough already! Enough of another thing too: The New York Jets rank dead last in sacks, so can we shut up already about the awesome pressure of the Rex Ryan defense!?! Oh yeah, the game...the Jets threw six INTs in eight possessions and still darn near beat the Bills. The Raiders team that showed up against Philly will win here too, but you simply cannot trust that passion and warfare to pervade. Mark Sanchez gets comfortable in his return to California, and the Jets win 20-17. Indianapolis (2) at St. Louis (31): Just what the winless Rams need: a high-powered Colts team coming off a bye week to get healthy. That near-miss in Jacksonville could prove the nadir of the St. Louis season. A glimmer of hope: the Colts tend to show rust in the first half of games after byes; they?ve trailed at the half in four of their last six. Of course they only wound up losing one of those...Colts 31, Rams 10. Buffalo (25) at Carolina (22): Bad news for Buffalo: Carolina finally got the run game cooking. Last year it also took a few games before DeAngelo Williams found his groove, and then he ran for 18 TDs in their last 11 games. He finally got the wake-up call in 2009, and with the Jets coming off a dismal effort in trying to stop Thomas Jones, he is the running free (shameless Coheed & Cambria reference) this week. The Bills barely won despite getting six INTs and losing starting QB Trent Edwards to another concussion. Those sorts of fortuitous wins happen about once every three years, not two weeks in a row. Caroline quietly evens their record and re-enters the playoff race with a commanding 30-13 win in my survivor fantasy pick of the week. Philadelphia (11) at Washington (28): The Eagles have played one game against a team that currently has a winning record, and the Saints blew their doors off 48-22. The Redskins, meanwhile, face a team that enters the game with even one win for the first time all season. That?s pretty much the only way they have garnered any wins, because the Washington offense has been pathetic. It won?t improve with LT Chris Samuels shelved, certainly not against an attacking defense like Philly uses. The Eagles continue to get fat on the easiest 6-game opening schedule ever concocted. Philadelphia 20, Washington 6. Byes: Detroit (26), Seattle (21), Denver (4), Baltimore (8), Tennessee (32), Jacksonville (20) Drinking in the Dorm Room Games: 4-1 last week, 23-12 on the year. Kansas 26, Oklahoma 24 Miami FL 32, Clemson 20 TCU 20, BYU 17 Notre Dame 36, Boston College 31 Penn State 33, Michigan 24 Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says that Jeff Reed will kick on Sunday despite his recent arrest. Reed has been charged with simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness for allegedly scuffling with police outside a bar near Heinz Field in the hours after Sunday's win over the Browns.

Steelers kicker Jeff Reed was cited for public intoxication outside of a bar in Pittsburgh on Sunday. The incident occurred just a few hours after the Steelers beat the Browns. This is Reed's second brush with the law this year and he could face a suspension from the NFL.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will return to the field on Sunday against the Browns. He practiced all week with the team after missing four games with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Daunte Culpepper will start at quarterback for the Lions against the Steelers. He is taking the place of injured rookie Matthew Stafford, who injured his knee in last weekend's lopsided loss to Chicago.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Lions. Polamalu tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Sept. 10 against Tennessee. He was on the field with his teammates this week, but didn't take part in a full practice.