Ex-Dog Moreno is likely to start

Former Georgia star running back Knowshon Moreno is expected to make his first start when Denver plays host to New England on Sunday.

Moreno, a rookie, would start in place of Correll Buckhalter , who missed a third consecutive practice Friday because of an ankle injury.

Buckhalter, who sprained his left ankle last Sunday, leads the NFL with 7.2 yards per carry and leads the team with 267 yards rushing.

Moreno, the first running back drafted when the Broncos selected him 12th overall out of Georgia, has rushed 60 times for 249 yards, both tops among rookies. He has produced a team-high 17 first downs: 14 on rushes and three as a receiver.

LIONS: Coach Jim Schwartz maintained his silence on quarterback and former Georgia star Matthew Stafford 's injured right knee and his status for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh.

"I'll announce a starting quarterback on Sunday," Schwartz said after practice.

Stafford injured his knee in last weekend's lopsided loss to Chicago, but neither he nor the team will confirm reports he sustained a dislocated kneecap that quickly returned into place.

PATRIOTS: Coach Bill Belichick is hopeful Fred Taylor 's ankle surgery Thursday isn't season ending.

"I think obviously if he wasn't going to come back this season, then we would place him on injured reserve at some point," Belichick said Friday. "He's not there now, so that wouldn't be the expectation."

SEAHAWKS: Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has gone from excruciating pain to probable in four days.

Seahawks coach Jim Mora said after Hasselbeck completed his third consecutive practice Friday that he expects his three-time Pro Bowl passer to start Sunday against Jacksonville.

It will be his first game since he broke a rib on a dive for the goal line Sept. 20 at San Francisco.

REDSKINS: In a week full of distractions, here's another one: The starting backfield of Clinton Portis and Mike Sellers had a bit of a spat.

WRC-TV said that Portis and Sellers had a heated exchange, with Portis venting frustration over Sellers' blocking.

BROWNS: Cleveland defensive coordinator Rob Ryan says Cincinnati kicker Shayne Graham missed his winning 31-yard field goal in overtime last week.

Without being prompted, Ryan referred to Graham's kick with 4 seconds left that gave the Bengals a 23-20 win.

"You can watch the tape," Ryan said Friday. "I'm not saying anything, but man, maybe the posts were crooked. Look at it."

A video replay from an end zone camera appears to show Graham's kick sail wide of the right upright.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league feels the correct ruling was made.

FINED: Six defensive players have been fined by the NFL, including four for hits on quarterbacks.

Tennessee defensive lineman Tony Brown drew the biggest fine Friday, $10,000 for roughing the passer. He made helmet-to-helmet contact with Jaguars quarterback David Garrard .

Fined $7,500 for the same offense was Dallas defensive tackle Jay Ratliff for hitting Denver's Kyle Orton .

The Patriots' Mike Wright was fined $5,000 for hitting Ravens QB Joe Flacco in the head. In the same game, Baltimore DT Haloti Ngata was fined $5,000 for the same offense on Tom Brady .

Also fined $7,500 were Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye , $7,500 for a horse-collar tackle against Detroit, and Lions cornerback Anthony Henry for the same violation in that game.