Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Vince Young's First NFL Touchdown

In the game they lost by one point and leading to Young not talking to the media afterward, Vince Young score his first NFL touchdown:

Vince Young Hates Losing - Didn't Talk To Media After Colts Game; Appology Given Today

Texas' Vince Young, the third pick in the first round of the NFL Draft and to the Tennessee Titans, hates being 0 and 5. He was so upset about losing to the Colts that he didn't talk to the media.

It's understandable that he was as upset as he expressed with his silence. Several Titans receivers missed catchable passes Young threw that were difference makers in a contest they lost only by one point, 13 to 14.

Today, on the NFL Network, he appologized for not talking on Sunday and explained that he wasn't used to losing. He and Lendel White are having a hard time with the team's current position.

I think Vince did the right thing by not shooting off his mouth after the contest on Sunday. Today he spoke with a cool head and in a tone that garnered sympathy from the press in the lockerroom.

Vince may be young -- excuse the pun -- but he's well-trained by his parents and associates and wants to do well and be nice to people.

He may just be the tonic the Titans need to turn things around.

Brett Farve Sits Out Bye Week Practice - Green Bay Post

It will be interesting to see what next week brings with his recovery.

Favre sits out practice
By Rob Demovsky
rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com

The Packers’ first bye-week practice Tuesday did not include quarterback Brett Favre and a handful of other veteran and injured players.


Backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers took most of the reps in practice in place of Favre.

Other players held out of practice were: running back Ahman Green, fullback Brandon Miree, linebacker Abdul Hodge, linebacker Ben Taylor, left tackle Chad Clifton, defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins, receiver Donald Driver and receiver Robert Ferguson.

Favre had been bothered by a sore neck and shoulder before last week’s loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Rookie cornerback Will Blackmon returned to practice but still wasn’t able to fully participate due to the foot injury that has kept him out since May.

Blackmon said he’s hopeful he’ll be ready to return in time for the Packers’ next game, at Miami on Oct. 22.

The Packers are scheduled to practice through Thursday before taking a three-day weekend.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

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Reggie Bush Scores! Saints Beat Bucs 24 - 21

Bush's heroics give Saints a 24-21 victory

NFL.com wire reports

NEW ORLEANS (Oct. 8, 2006) -- With a few waves, Reggie Bush beckoned the crowd to its feet as he awaited a critical punt. Soon, he would have all of them in ecstasy.

Shut out of the end zone in his first four games as a pro, Bush took the punt 65 yards with under five minutes to lift the New Orleans Saints to a 24-21 victory over Tampa Bay.

Bush escaped the Buccaneers' initial pursuit by scampering across the field to his right, then accelerating quickly as he cut upfield, leaving several defenders grasping for air as bedlam erupted in the Louisiana Superdome. He pointed at the fans in the end-zone seats as he scored.

"When you see Reggie take those high steps, you know he's bound to make something happen," Saints defensive end Charles Grant said. "I knew he was gone."

The celebration was interrupted briefly while referees sorted out a flag thrown against the Buccaneers, then fans jubilantly chanted "Reg-gie! Reg-gie!" as the score was made official. Bush was hugged by numerous teammates as he made his way back to the sideline.

While it was only his fifth game as a pro, his first touchdown seemed a long time coming for a player drafted with immense fanfare after winning the Heisman Trophy at USC. After all, rookie receiver Marques Colston, drafted in the seventh round and making millions of dollars less, already had three scores.

"Once I turned that corner I was just trying to turn on the jets," Bush said. "It was so wide open the slowest guy in the world probably could have scored that touchdown. The monkey's off my back now."

Peppered with questions recently about whether he was frustrated or pressing, Bush responded he did not care about scoring as long as the surprising Saints, now 4-1 and atop the NFC South, kept winning. They may not have beaten Tampa Bay if not for him.

"He's a guy who can change games -- and today he changed one," Saints coach Sean Payton said.

The runback spoiled a valiant effort by winless Tampa Bay (0-4), which rallied from a 10-point deficit to take the lead in the second half.

"I tip my hat to Reggie Bush," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said. "He lived up to his expectations today. Shame on him."

Tampa Bay might have regained the lead if not for an untimely penalty that often goes uncalled.


Deuce McAllister was the Saints' workhorse with 123 yards on 14 carries and a TD.
Joey Galloway, the Bucs' top receiver on the day, was flagged for setting a pick on defensive back Jason Craft, wiping out a long pass to Ike Hilliard that would have set up a first-and-goal. The drive stalled and the Saints ran the clock down to under 30 seconds before giving the ball back to the Buccaneers.

Craft had seen the Bucs get away with a similar pick earlier in the game and specifically asked the referees to look for it. As soon as he ran into Galloway and lost track of Hilliard, Craft turned to the referee with his hand out.

"Before I knew it I just got cracked and I'm looking for a flag," Craft said. "Luckily, the ref was watching out for it ... because I couldn't do anything about it. It was over with for me."

Gruden was seething with a scrunched face and spittle-spewing shouts of anger immediately after the call. He was more diplomatic after the game.

"I couldn't see it from where I was," Gruden said. "It's a play we've used a lot in certain situations. We'll see the tape. All I can say is that it's unfortunate."

Bucs quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, pressed into service because of Chris Simms ' ruptured spleen, made only one costly mistake, fumbling while being sacked near his 20-yard line -- a turnover that led to a New Orleans touchdown.

Otherwise, he hardly looked like a rookie making his first NFL start on hostile ground.

He completed 20 of 31 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns. He hooked up with Galloway four times for 110 yards, once for an 18-yard TD and once on a 52-yard pass that set up Mike Alstott 's 1-yard touchdown run.

"There is a lot of promise in that young guy. He played his brains out," Gruden said. "I like everything about him."

Gradkowski's 3-yard touchdown pass to Alex Smith on third-down gave Tampa Bay a 21-17 lead.

"It's a tough one to swallow," Gradkowski said. "There's a lot of good that came out of this game. Guys made great plays, the receivers, tight ends, offensive linemen were blocking their butts off ... running the ball well."

Deuce McAllister helped the Saints take a 10-7 lead into the half with a tackler-shedding, 57-yard carry that set up a field goal. He added a 24-yard touchdown run, had 117 yards rushing in the first half and finished with 123.

Drew Brees was 21 of 33 for 171 yards and one touchdown, to tight end Ernie Conwell from 9 yards that gave the Saints a 17-7 lead in the third quarter.

But Tampa Bay roared back behind big plays from Gradkowski and the running game. Cadillac Williams had 111 yards rushing on 20 carries. His 34-yard carry to the New Orleans 6 set up the Buccaneers' final touchdown.

SF 34 - Oakland 20 - Raiders 0 and Five - NFL.com

SAN FRANCISCO (Oct. 8, 2006) -- For the last three miserable seasons, the Bay Area has been home to two bad NFL teams.

At least the San Francisco 49ers can prove they're getting better.

Arnaz Battle caught two touchdown passes from Alex Smith, and the 49ers overcame Randy Moss ' 100th career TD reception with a strong second half in a 34-20 victory over the winless Oakland Raiders.

Frank Gore rushed for a career-high 134 yards and third-string running back Maurice Hicks scored on a 33-yard screen pass for the rebuilding 49ers (2-3) as they rebounded emphatically from last week's 41-0 loss at Kansas City. They also overcame a halftime deficit against the Raiders (0-4), who added another discouraging loss to their streak of 10 straight.

"It's big to win the Battle of the Bay, but it's bigger to get our season back on track," said Battle, who had just three TDs in his previous 36 NFL games.

Walt Harris made three of San Francisco's four interceptions, and the Niners scored 24 straight points after halftime to roll past their cross-water rivals in just the iconic franchises' 11th regular-season meeting.

Such a rare occasion should be cause for excitement in Northern California, where pro football is the most popular sport. But these bragging rights aren't worth much.

The teams are at perhaps the lowest collective point in their histories, with three straight losing seasons apiece and slow starts to this campaign -- including the longest losing skid in Al Davis' decades with the club.

But this meeting was entertaining even while Smith, Gore and the 49ers' defense took charge in the second half.

"We're improving almost every week, and I think this is just the start," Harris said. "You can see us learning and getting better. We've had a lot of adversity, and we continue to work."

The 49ers also won for offensive coordinator Norv Turner, who spent the last two years as Oakland's head coach. Turner's game plan worked well against his former Raiders, wearing down the defensive front with steady rushing before hitting a handful of big passes.


Melvin Oliver scored a defensive touchdown as the 49ers rolled.
"I'm human, and I really (know) that the team always comes first, but there are personal things that come in, and it feels good," said Turner, who got the game ball from coach Mike Nolan.

The Raiders added another awful week to their streak, struggling on offense and getting beaten physically on defense. They were finished off by another of the boneheaded mistakes that have occurred constantly during their second 0-4 start since 1964.

With 10 1/2 minutes to play, LaMont Jordan dropped a lateral pass from Andrew Walter and then stood watching as rookie lineman Melvin Oliver returned the free ball 12 yards for the score, putting San Francisco up 31-13.

"Yes, I'm disappointed. No, I did not expect to be at this particular point in the season," said Raiders coach Art Shell. "I expected that we'd be much better and competing within our division. We're not doing that right now."

Walter threw two interceptions in his second career start and backup Marques Tuiasosopo added two more. Moss had five catches for 52 yards despite rarely running hard.

"I don't see any improvement with what we're doing," defensive tackle Warren Sapp said. "We don't make a play. We don't make an adjustment to get momentum back on our side."

Smith went 15 of 19 for 165 yards in the 2005 No. 1 pick's fourth victory as a starter in the Niners' last seven games. Gore had another outstanding game, also picking up 38 yards on three catches -- and for the first time this season, he didn't fumble.

Moss dropped a pass in the end zone after Stanford Routt intercepted Smith's first throw of the second quarter. The Raiders had to settle for Sebastian Janikowski 's second field goal.

Oakland went ahead 13-7 late in the second quarter, with Walter coolly directing an 81-yard drive ending in Moss' 22-yard TD catch between two defenders 51 seconds before halftime. Moss, who has ripped the Raiders' desire and speculated about being traded this season, is the seventh receiver in NFL history with 100 TD catches.

But rookie linebacker Manny Lawson blocked Shane Lechler's punt on Oakland's first possession of the second half, and the Niners went ahead for good on Battle's second TD catch.

"There's too many missed tackles," said Oakland safety Stuart Schweigert, who made nine tackles. "The running back is going down the field, and I have to make the tackle 8 yards downfield. You can't have that. ... You can't have your free safety leading the team in tackles."

Eagles' Beat Cowboys 38-24; T.O. Not Effective - NFL.com

McNabb shines as Eagles foil T.O.'s return

NFL.com wire reports

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 8, 2006) -- With Terrell Owens watching from the sideline, Donovan McNabb turned ordinary receivers into big-time playmakers.

As for T.O., the most overhyped homecoming in recent memory was totally ordinary: three catches, 45 yards, 0 drama.

McNabb threw touchdown passes of 40 yards to Reggie Brown and 87 yards to Hank Baskett, and Lito Sheppard returned an interception 102 yards in the final minute to seal the Eagles' 38-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Owens' return to Philadelphia dominated the headlines this week, with Philly fans planning a hostile welcome. But Owens was merely a decoy for most of the game, and those fans were too dazzled by McNabb to fixate much on the erstwhile Eagles receiver who helped them reach the Super Bowl in 2004 before last year's bitter departure.

"It's frustrating," Owens said. "Opportunities were there and we didn't make them. I'm a competitor. I do not like to lose. Maybe I need to work harder."

Not only did Owens not score, he didn't catch a pass until the third quarter -- then dropped the next one thrown to him, much to the delight of a frenzied crowd that showered Owens with derisive chants, insults and boos.

"I was surprised Terrell didn't have more catches. That was not our plan," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after chatting with Owens in the locker room.

The Eagles (4-1) took the lead for good when McNabb connected with Brown on a flea-flicker pass with 9:13 left that made it 31-24. Brown, a second-year pro who replaced a suspended Owens in the starting lineup last year, beat rookie safety Pat Watkins and caught the ball deep in the end zone.


Donovan McNabb insisted the win over the Cowboys wasn't personal.
The Cowboys (2-2) drove to the Eagles 33 on the ensuing drive. But Sheppard intercepted Drew Bledsoe's badly underthrown pass -- intended for an open Owens.

Owens angrily snapped at his chin strap, walked off the field and took his usual spot at the end of the bench.

The Cowboys had one more chance after a pass interference penalty on Michael Lewis allowed them to convert a fourth-and-18 from their 37.

But from the Eagles 6, Sheppard stepped in front of Bledsoe's pass and raced the other way to put the game away. Bledsoe threw three interceptions and was sacked seven times.

For a while, the Cowboys were doing just fine without getting Owens involved. DeMarcus Ware scored on a 69-yard fumble return and Bledsoe ran in from the 7 to give Dallas a 21-17 halftime lead.

But Philadelphia's struggling offense turned it around with one big play.

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McNabb took a deep drop, eluded a sack, stepped up and heaved a pass downfield. Baskett ran past Watkins, caught the ball in stride, broke a tackle near the 30 and streaked into the end zone for his first career touchdown.

Baskett, acquired in a trade after he was signed by Minnesota as a rookie free agent, was starting for the injured Donte' Stallworth. He finished with three catches for 112 yards.

Dallas tied it at 24 on a 39-yard field goal by Mike Vanderjagt early in the fourth quarter. Then McNabb took over.

"This is a total team game," said McNabb, who was 18-of-33 for 354 yards and two TDs. "It's not T.O. vs. Donovan. All of us play together."

Owens was a non-factor in the first half as the Cowboys relied on their running game. Bledsoe finally looked Owens' way on the Cowboys' 17th offensive play, but he was hit on the throw and Brian Dawkins intercepted.

Owens' first catch -- on Dallas' 41st play -- was a short pass that he turned into a 9-yard gain. He then looked toward the Eagles' sideline and spun the ball on the ground in their direction while gesturing.

Perhaps distracted by the Owens' hoopla, both teams were sloppy at the start.

Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, who didn't practice all week because of a knee injury, looked fine on a 24-yard screen pass on the first play from scrimmage. But he fumbled on the next play, giving Dallas the ball at its 38.

Cowboys punter Mat McBriar later fumbled a snap and Shawn Barber recovered at the 12. Westbrook ran in from the 5.

Darwin Walker sacked Bledsoe on Dallas' first play on the ensuing possession, forcing a fumble Trent Cole recovered at the Cowboys 14. But the Eagles settled for David Akers' 27-yard field goal that made it 10-0.

Marion Barber's 2-yard TD run made it 10-7.

In the second quarter, Greg Ellis hit McNabb and the ball popped. Ware caught it and, with no one in front of him, raced 69 yards for a touchdown.

The Eagles answered quickly, taking a 17-14 lead on McNabb's sneak from the 1. McNabb connected with L.J. Smith on a 60-yard pass to set up the score.

Bledsoe, not known for his scrambling, scored on a 7-yard run to give the Cowboys a 21-17 lead.

"We came out in the second half, showed a lot of character," said linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. "I think we really took a great step forward."