Eric Reid making good impression on new teammates

Atlanta Falcons: Injuries on the defensive side continue to plague Atlanta and coach Dan Quinn revealed Wednesday that defensive tackle Grady Jarrett will miss Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jarrett injured an ankle in last Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals and is expected to miss multiple games. "When we get him back right, we'll get him back in there when we can," Quinn said. "He looks good right now and we're hopeful that as we get into next week we'll have a better feel for when he might return." On the other hand, running back Devonta Freeman (knee) feels he has a chance at playing this Sunday after missing the past three games.

Carolina Panthers: Recently signed safety Eric Reid is making a good impression on his new teammates and Panthers defensive coordinator Eric Washington is pleased with what he is seeing. "We're excited to have him. His resume speaks for itself," Washington said. "He's kind of been there, done that in terms of establishing himself as one of the top players at his position in the league. In a very short period of time that we've been interacting with him, you can see the experience, the character in terms of how he is communicating with his teammates. Everything is positive. We're very excited." Quarterback Cam Newton is also happy about the addition of Reid. "We welcome him with open arms," Newton said. "We need him to be him. Can't ask for nothing else."

New Orleans Saints: Running back Mark Ingram is eligible to play again after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's performance-enhancing drugs policy. Ingram was so happy to see his suspension end that he greeted his teammates at the airport on Sunday as they returned from a victory over the New York Giants. Saints coach Sean Payton feels Ingram, who rushed for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns last season, will be ready to roll on Monday night against the Washington Redskins. "He looks fine," Payton said. "I'm sure he stayed busy. He wasn't gone for a year-and-a-half or been a castaway on an island. He was (gone) four weeks. He's in good shape."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The bye week comes at a good time for a defense that was roasted for 48 points by the Chicago Bears on Sunday. The Buccaneers have allowed 30 points in three of their four games and rank last in the NFL in scoring defense at 34.8 points per game. That has put the spotlight on defensive coordinator Mike Smith and coach Dirk Koetter is quick to defend him. "I think, for those people who think that snapping your fingers and changing your coordinator a quarter of the way through the season -- OK, well what would you do after that? If we fire Mike Smith, then what would the next move be?" Koetter said. "We as coaches have to coach better and that starts with me. But Mike Smith didn't miss any tackles, did not rush the passer, he didn't blow any coverages, he didn't have any communication errors."