Indianapolis Colts 30, Houston Texans 17

With a 30-17 win over the Texans, the Colts moved back into a familiar place in the AFC South standings...Colts back-ups Mike Hart and Jacob Tamme stepped up in larger roles in the offense.

The Texans defense was unable to create any takeaways last night...Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle takes issue with the play-calling and game-planning by the Texans offensive coaching staff.

NFL News and Notes

Unsigned restricted free agent guard Logan Mankins is set to return to the New England Patriots on Tuesday.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick feels like he let his teammates down on Sunday.

Missed opportunities on offense are beginning to add up for the New York Jets, writes Jenny Vrentas of The Star-Ledger.

Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano and his staff are focused on fixing the offense's red-zone woes.

Wide receiver Donte Stallworth hopes to made his Baltimore Ravens debut on Sunday against Miami.

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron Smith hopes to return from his partially torn triceps in late December, writes Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace expects to return to practice on Wednesday, and start on Sunday against New England.

Carson Palmer and the Cincinnati Bengals offense are struggling on third downs.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young should return to practice following the bye week, reports Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean.

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis is rewriting the team's record book.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley's attempt to develop a mind-set is behind some of the decisions he makes during games.

Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels' job is safe...for now, writes Woody Paige of the Denver Post.

An eager Steve Gregory returns to the San Diego Chargers, writes Scott Bair of the North County Times.

Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha's status for Sunday's game against the Chiefs won't be known until Wednesday.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck headlines a lengthy list of injury concerns for the Seattle Seahawks, writes Dave Boling of the Tacoma News Tribune.

ESPN's Mike Sando has a good example for how Troy Smith made a difference at quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt isn't ready to reveal who his starting quarterback will be this week against Minnesota.

The St. Louis Rams will use their bye week to allow some injuries to heal.

Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is trying to find a solution to his offense's consistency problem.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss will be placed on waivers.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks, writes Chris McCoskey of The Detroit News.

With the NFL's worst run defense on the schedule, this is a good week for the Chicago Bears to get its ground game going.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips is considering personnel and coaching assignment changes.

New York Giants center Shaun O'Hara has a Lisfranc sprain in his left foot.

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dimitri Patterson will replace Ellis Hobbs in the starting lineup.

Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said injuries were contributing factors to Donovan McNabb's benching on Sunday.

Running back DeAngelo Williams (foot) isn't sure when he'll return to the Carolina Panthers backfield.

After having last week off, the Atlanta Falcons return to face a crucial part of their schedule, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

An opportunistic Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense is playing a big role in the team's 5-2 start.

The New Orleans Saints hope to get some injured players back for this week's game against the Panthers.

Today's NFL birthdays: Cardinals punter Ben Graham (37), Falcons wide receiver Roddy White (29), Bills fourth-round wide receiver Marcus Easley (23), Panthers linebacker Dan Connor (25), Bengals offensive tackle Anthony Collins (25), Packers long-snapper Brett Goode (26), Jets guard Marlon Davis (24), Eagles linebacker Bradley Stewart (27), Rams wide receiver Danny Amendola (25), free agent fullbacks Jason Davis (27) and Brannan Southerland (25), long-snapper Clint Mower (26), Hall of Fame offensive lineman Larry Little (65) and former NFL guard/tackle and current ESPN college football analyst Mark May (51).