David Kohl / AP

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has watched his team struggle to a 1-4 start this season.

Q: Which player is most likely to break a big play? I always think Maurice Jones-Drew doesn’t get enough credit for this.
— Barry, Los Angeles

A: I absolutely love Jones-Drew and would like to see him get more touches Jacksonville. But I don't think he's more likely to break a big play right now than Devin Hester.

There is no player in the league who is more explosive or more difficult to bring down once the ball is in his hands. The only problem has been not getting the ball in his hands enough.

And if you want me to pick the running back most likely to break a big play, I'm going with Vikings rookie Adrian Peterson. I'm not sure I've ever seen a runner quite like him, with his combination of speed, power and instincts.

Q: Looks like Edgerrin James is gonna pass 11,000 rushing yards soon. Is there a benchmark for running back or has it been raised? Seems like tons of guys pile up yards like never before.
— Zed, Amarillo, Texas

A: Offenses in general produce more yards than ever before, so we have to be careful when comparing the statistical achievements of modern players to players from other eras.

I don't know that there is a benchmark for running backs. But 11,000 rushing yards is impressive in any era. James is 29 years old and should be productive for at least another three seasons. That means it's very possible his career yardage will surpass the career yardage of say, Barry Sanders, who had 15,269 yards. He even has an outside shot of passing Walter Payton, who rushed for 16,726.

That does not mean, however, that his career has been more impressive than the careers of Sanders and Payton.

Special feature

Q: Is the Ravens’ defense as good as ever?
— Vicki, Annapolis, Md.

A: No, it's not, because the Ravens have not had all hands on deck.

When they get Trevor Pryce back and Samari Rolle gets back in a groove, they have the potential to be a special defense. So far the Ravens have been outstanding against the run, but have had too many breakdowns in the secondary for them to be considered as good as their defense of 2000.

And they have had a few breaks. In four of their six games, the Ravens have faced backup quarterbacks. They'll face another this week as Trent Edwards is expected to start in place of J.P. Losman for Buffalo. Still, even with the Ravens' flaws, they have been one of the NFL's very best defenses.

Q: How did the Browns’ offense all of a sudden get so good?
— Mick, Milwaukee

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Obviously, the stunning play of quarterback Derek Anderson has been the biggest factor. It has surprised even the Browns, who thought Anderson was their second best quarterback behind Charlie Frye going into the season. The thing about Anderson is most scouts agreed he always had the talent—it's just that he was an inconsistent decision maker. He's been much more consistent this season.

The next biggest factor has been the improvement of the made-over offensive line. Offenses can't do anything without solid blocking, and the Browns did not have it in the past. They do now.

You also have to give credit to the development of receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Kellen Winslow. They finally are starting to play like the high draft picks they were. And the final area to recognize is the game planning and play calling of new offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. He obviously has found ways to use his players to the best of their abilities.

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