Quick Kicks

Jauron sticks with McNown

If there was any question whether the Bears are playing for next year, at least at one position, there is none now.

Coach Dick Jauron, asked if he had considered replacing Cade McNown with Jim Miller at quarterback in Sunday’s 31-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints, ended his defense of the non-move by explaining: “I don’t know how (replacing McNown) would help him, watching a football game, in terms of development.”

Jauron has insisted that the players giving the team its best chance to win will play. He explained staying with McNown more by pointing to mistakes by other areas of the offense - failure to run, dropped passes - than by citing good plays made by his quarterback.

“If I could look out there and I thought that offensively the quarterback spot was the issue and replacing him would do something, you’d do that at any position,” Jauron said.

Killer D

Trace Armstrong felt as if some people might have forgotten how good Miami’s defense was, especially given last year’s late-season slump that ended with a 62-7 playoff loss at Jacksonville.

He wanted to remind everyone.

The Dolphins had six sacks against Buffalo - including 3-1/2 by Armstrong - forced two turnovers and held another opponent to just one touchdown Sunday. The defense also scored nine points in the 22-13 win.

“We always felt like we had a good defense,” said Armstrong, 35, who already has 10 sacks this season, two shy of his career high set in 1996. “With the Jacksonville game, people just forget how good we were. We were one of the best defenses in the league the last few years.”

Miami has given up three TDs and just 51 points this season.

Moore celebrates less

After his first touchdown of the season - and his only reception of the day - Herman Moore didn’t spike the football as he might have two or three years ago.

He placed it on the turf in the end zone deliberately and gently, and then climbed into the front row of the stands to celebrate with fans after his third-quarter contribution to the Lions’ 31-24 victory against Green Bay.

“It was actually just to thank the fans,” Moore said. “I was just going to set the ball down and jog back to the sidelines, but when they kept applauding I decided to go over and attack that wall there.

Matthews’ streak could end

Bruce Matthews’ endurance streak is endangered by a knee injury.

The offensive lineman sprained a ligament in his right knee during the second quarter of the Tennessee Titans’ victory over the winless Cincinnati Bengals.

He left the field and didn’t return - only the second time in his 18-year career that he’s had to watch from the sideline because of an injury. He has never missed a game because of injury.

Matthews, 39, has started 202 consecutive games since Nov. 29, 1987, the longest active streak in the NFL. He has played in 264 games, the most ever by an offensive lineman.

They said it …

“I have people calling me on the phone every week from all over the country, asking me, `When are they going to start getting you the ball?’ And all I can tell them now is I’m wondering the same thing.” - Cincinnati wide receiver Peter Warrick, who was the Bengals top pick and fourth overall in the 2000 draft.