Trenches Talk: Merriman Gets His Swagger Back

Chargers OLB Shawne Merriman(notes) finally broke through with two sacks last week—his first two of the season—as he rebounds from knee surgery that cost him 15 games in 2008. In the wake of that performance, Merriman says he has regained the form that made him a dominant player.

"I'm that player right now," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "But to me it's about getting the timing back down, getting the coordination back down. You've got to remember, my body is still adjusting to a whole new anatomy I didn't have before. My playing ability is back, but it might take me a little longer to get my timing back down. All that is still coming."

<bullet>Even in the wake of Ted Ginn's electrifying effort against the Jets-he scored two TDs on kick returns-coach Tony Sparano hinted the Dolphins have given up on Ginn as an every-down wideout-at least for now. "You have to understand what the player can do, and let him only do what he can do well," Sparano said.

The team benched him in favor of rookie Brian Hartline(notes) last week. Ginn appeared on the verge of a breakthrough in the third game this season, when he had a career-high 11 catches for 108 yards against Indianapolis. But he has only five receptions in the past five games.

• Patriots QB Tom Brady(notes) doesn't accept the notion he uses his influence to get preferential treatment from officials-something Dolphins OLB Joey Porter(notes) contended this week.

"No, I don't think so," Brady told the Boston Globe. "You may get more calls (for roughing the passer this year than in the past). I don't know. I don't think I've ever influenced a call. I think the ref calls what he sees. The refs we have are very good. If they make a call on that, great. If they don't, that's fine."

• Houston's defense has been on the climb, rising from 32nd after three games to 16th through Week 8. The Texans will get to see how much they've improved Sunday when they meet the undefeated Colts and their NFL-best passing game. Peyton Manning(notes) threw for 567 yards and four scores in two meetings with Houston last season. The Texans have never won in Indianapolis.

"This is the game we'll be judged on as a defense," CB Dunta Robinson(notes) said. "So many times you see the Colts go out there and play a team that's been playing well and score 30 or 40 points. If we want to be the type of defense that we think we are and that we know we can be, we've got to go out and make a statement."
More from Sporting News: Remote Access: A Viewer's Guide to Week 9