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NEW YORK (AP) – The NFL is off to a strong start in its TV ratings after drawing big numbers last season.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson is on the NFL Players Association’s board of player representatives.



But he was caught off guard when the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints made a public display of union solidarity before Thursday night’s game in the Superdome.



“When I saw it,” Wilson said, “it sent chills down my body.”



Players from along both sidelines walked shoulder to shoulder about 10 yards onto the field, looked across the way and raised their index fingers in unison at their opponents.



The NFL is in the final year of its collective bargaining agreement. A lockout is on the horizon, and the players wanted to show management they’re united for the upcoming labor battle.



“That just goes to show the solidarity that our players have as we close in on a potential lockout,” Wilson said Friday at the Bills’ facility.



“It was a true acknowledgment from one team to an opponent ‘Yeah, we’re about to embark on 60 minutes of hell, of physical competition, aggression and passion, but before we do that, we’re one team, one locker room.’ It was gladiator-like, almost.”



Wilson wants to put on a similar display before the Bills open the season against the Miami Dolphins at 1 p.m. Sunday in Orchard Park.



Wilson said he would reach out to the Dolphins’ union representative, running back Ricky Williams, over the weekend to make arrangements.



“I guarantee without a shadow of a doubt every owner had a conversation about what they saw and what it means moving forward,” Wilson said. “Our players are together.



“Even though we’re playing football, we’re businessmen and family men. Even though we’re about to go into the heat of battle, we’re conscious of everything that’s going on around our game right now and the lockout that’s looming.”

Donovan McNabb (ankle) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s opener.

PFT 10-pack: We can’t help but wonder if the Jets QB is a right-handed version of the guy who also played for a high-end college program that enjoyed physical superiority at every position.

PFT 10-pack: We can’t help but wonder if the Jets QB is a right-handed version of the guy who also played for a high-end college program that enjoyed physical superiority at every position.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Miami Dolphins fans have been eager to see what kind of aerial fury their team will unleash.



The first chance to see how the Dolphins intend to conduct their offense will be Sunday against the Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium.



Bills outside linebacker Reggie Torbor chuckled when asked what to expect from the Dolphins. He has a little intel, having played every game for the Dolphins over the past two years.



“Everybody’s so caught up in Brandon Marshall and Chad Henne,” Torbor said, “but if you don’t stop their run game, you can put whoever you want on Marshall because Henne’s just going to turn around and hand the ball off. That’s the way they play football.



“They’ll pound you and pound you. And when they think you’ve had enough, they’ll pound you some more.”



There are various reasons to expect the Dolphins will emphasize the run Sunday. The Bills have an opportunistic secondary the Dolphins might not have to test. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams against the Bills’ front seven looks favorable enough.



The Bills have switched to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator George Edwards, a Dolphins assistant the past five years. Kyle Williams is an undersized nose tackle. The Bills have many linebackers who were drafted or previously signed to play a 4-3, meaning they’re smaller and sleeker than you’d see in a traditional 3-4.



And they’re a bit banged up. Torbor isn’t a wise bet to play. He missed practice Wednesday and Thursday with a chest injury. The Bills placed inside linebacker Kawika Mitchell on season-ending injured reserve Friday with a bad foot.



“The O-line is physical,” Torbor said of the Dolphins. “In this day and age, people go so much zone scheme. They believe in blowing people off the ball. I guess you can’t make a tackle if you’re lying on your back.



“Then you have the physical running backs that complement that. They don’t have 200-pound scatbacks back there. It’s not enough to beat the O-line and beat the fullback. You still got to bring down Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.”



Torbor, released by the Dolphins in May, didn’t get a chance to learn much from new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. But he can speak about the impact new inside linebacker Karlos Dansby can make for Miami. Torbor and Dansby were teammates at Auburn.



“He’s a game-changer,” Torbor said. “He’s the type of guy who will not make many plays, it seems like. But about middle of the second quarter, third quarter, all of a sudden — boom! He does that week in, week out. He’s just known for it.”

What’s the best attribute Jason Campbell brings to Oakland?



Very simple: He’s not JaMarcus Russell.



Campbell, after a fairly undistinguished career in Washington, has legions of believers in Oakland. The Raiders believe Campbell can lead them to places Russell couldn’t. Russell’s three-year tenure in Oakland was soiled by his reputation for being unprepared and apathetic. Meanwhile, Campbell has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches with his professionalism and his makeup.



Again, no one in Oakland seems to care that Campbell has never shown Pro Bowl ability. He has shown them he wants to be their leader and he wants to be the man behind a revival in Oakland. That goes a long way.



Even early in training camp, the book on Campbell by his teammates was that he was a dedicated worker. Again, it was a clear dichotomy from Russell, who was cut in May three years after he was the No.1 overall draft pick. Russell was 7-18 as Oakland’s quarterback and he was benched last year.



“He’s dependable,” said Oakland receiver Chaz Schilens of Campbell, in a loud-and-clear shot at Russell. “It’s really great to have a hard-working guy here every day. He has taken over this offense.”



The excitement over Russell starts at the top. Oakland owner Al Davis compared Campbell to Jim Plunkett, who after a so-so start to his NFL career elsewhere became the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 1980. He eventually led the Raiders to two Super Bowl titles.



Davis’ comparison might be pie-in-the-sky, but the point is Campbell has brought stability to the quarterback position in Oakland, which hasn’t been the case since Rich Gannon left after the 2004 season.



Oakland starts the Campbell era in Tennessee on Sunday. Oakland coach Tom Cable says this team has playoff potential. The team wears T-shirts that proclaim the Raiders as AFC West champions.  That’s bold talk for a team that has lost 11 or more games for seven straight seasons, which is an NFL record.



Last season, Cable made it clear that he thought Oakland would have made a playoff run if it weren’t for Russell’s terrible play. Campbell is the missing ingredient — at least, that’s how the Raiders feel. The Raiders will enter Tennessee knowing that their quarterback likely won’t make the mistakes to take them out of games.



The Raiders aren’t the only believers in Campbell.



Special ESPN.com contributing writer Roy S. Johnson believes Campbell’s addition in Oakland is perhaps the most intriguing storyline in the NFL. That might be a stretch considering Campbell led Washington to four wins last year and he was jettisoned by the new regime there. Still, in Oakland, Campbell’s addition is, indeed, big.



Campbell has the type of arm that can excel in Davis’ vertical passing game.  Campbell was Washington’s starter the past three seasons. He threw for a career-high 3,618 yards  with 20 touchdown passes and 15 interceptions last season. Again, those are not Pro Bowl numbers, but Oakland will take Campbell and his average stats.



“He’s a pro, he’s been there,” Oakland defensive lineman Richard Seymour said. “He’s a guy who can help us win.”



Oakland’s genuine welcome should provide a spark to Campbell’s career. He wasn’t wanted by new Washington coach Mike Shanahan, who opted for an aging Donovan McNabb to run his offense instead of Campbell.



Campbell, 28, didn’t have much stability in Washington or at college at Auburn. He’s had eight different offensive coordinators in the past eight seasons.



He’s fine making it a ninth season directed by a different coordinator, this time Oakland’s Hue Jackson. “One day I can be an (offensive coordinator) and draw from nine different playbooks,’’ Campbell quipped early in camp. He can now joke about his flux because he knows this might be the beginning of stability in his career.



“This is a good change for me,” Campbell said.”I look forward to playing in the Raider Nation and bringing a winner back to Oakland.”



The feeling is mutual. After the Russell failure, the Raiders fully believe Campbell is the man to bring life back to Oakland football.