Friday, October 13, 2006

Terrell Owens Upset About Not Getting Passes From Drew Bledsoe - Ft. Worth Star Telegram

Sources: Owens, Haley had shouting match

By CLARENCE E. HILL JR.
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

IRVING -- Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens said numerous times that he has learned from his past problems and wants to be a better player and better teammate in Dallas.

In that regard, Owens is having a slow start on and off the field.

Owens was late to practice on Wednesday and got into a shouting match with passing game coordinator Todd Haley, several sources said.

According to a source, Owens sent Haley a text message about the Cowboys not getting him the ball enough, which was a continuation of the his sideline rant Sunday when he caught three passes for 45 yards in a 38-24 loss at Philadelphia.

On Sunday, Owens repeatedly asked Haley: “Why did y’all bring me here?”

Owens didn’t back down while talking to the media on Wednesday when he questioned why the Cowboys weren’t doing enough to get him involved. It was that same day that he was late to practice and had the verbal confrontation with Haley, who, according to a source, pointed out his poor route running in the game and the number of passes the Cowboys threw his way.

Haley, known for his temper and who has tried to be patient with Owens, didn’t back down as both men asked the other not to disrespect them, a source said.

Assistant coaches are not allowed to talk to the media. Owens was unavailable for comment on Friday.

Curiously, a day after the Haley-Owens confrontation, Cowboys coach Bill Parcells declined to discuss Owens to the media. He continued the moratorium on Owens talk Friday.

In an interview with the Star-Telegram on Thursday, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones didn’t appear bothered by Owens’ complaints about being more involved.

“I think Terrell is looking for ways to helps us win and to get better,” Jones said. “Most competitors want the ball. That’s not a negative. I think that’s what the situation is going to be.”

Jones was most responsible for recruiting and signing Owens to a three-year, $25 million contract in March, despite his troubles with players and management in previous stops with the Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.

He said he had no problems with Owens’ openly questioning, “Why did y’all bring me here?”

“I just look at that as a heat of the battle after you had a disappointment type of situation,” Jones said.

Owens’ recent action won’t affect his status for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans. He practiced with the first team on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Owens has made the wrong kind of headlines with the Cowboys since training camp when he missed 21 practices with a strained hamstring. On Aug. 25, he missed a team meeting, a rehab session and was late for offensive meeting. He was subsequently fined $9,500.

He suffered a fractured hand in a Sept. 17 game against Washington. Ten days later, Owens was hospitalized after suffering an accidental overdose.

On the field, Owens has caught 17 passes for 232 yards and one touchdown. It’s his slowest start since 1999.

Arizona Cardinals Cornerback Antrel Rolle Fined 12,500 - ESPN.com

Rolle fined $12,500 for face-mask tackle of Johnson
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle has been fined $12,500 by the league for a face mask infraction during his tackle of Larry Johnson in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The fine, first reported by Fox Sports, was confirmed on Friday by NFL officials.

It marks the second time this season that Rolle, the Cardinals' first-round choice in the 2005 draft, has been sanctioned for a hit deemed excessive by league officials.

Rolle was fined $5,000 for a so-called "horse-collar" tackle of Seattle Seahawks star running back Shaun Alexander in the teams' Sept. 17 meeting. Rolle was not penalized for that incident and was only fined after the league's officiating department reviewed the play for more than a week.

The incident last Sunday occurred with 2:31 remaining in the contest and the gamed tied 20-20. On a first-and-10 play from the Kansas City 13-yard line, Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard dumped a short pass to Johnson on the left side. The Chiefs' tailback rambled 78 yards, to the Arizona nine-yard line, before Rolle pulled him down from behind.

On the play, Rolle clearly grabbed Johnson's face mask, and failed to release it, even as the two players fell out of bounds.

Officials flagged Rolle for a major face mask foul. Because the play concluded at the Arizona nine-yard line, the infraction was half the distance to the goal line, making the penalty five yards instead of 15, and moving the ball to the Cardinals' four-yard line. Four plays later, Kansas City kicker Lawrence Tynes made a 19-yard field goal to win the game.

Johnson suffered a neck injury on the play and underwent a battery of tests earlier this week. The tests revealed no significant damage and, despite missing the first few days of practice this week, Johnson is now listed as "probable" for Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.

It is not yet known if Rolle, the eighth overall pick in the 2005 draft, will appeal the fine.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on WBBM (Bears Radio) - NFL Media.com



Unlike Commissioner Tagliabue, Commissioner Goodell has made a large number of press interviews on the local radio of NFL teams, at lease every other week this season. This is the latest one. Goodell notes tha the Saints wil stay in New Orleans for the forceable future and the NFL will play internationally in the near future.

Commissioner Goodell on WBBM (Bears Radio)
Ron Gleason (Host), Jay Hilgenberg & Jim Schwantz (Former Bears)
Sunday, October 1, 2006

Gleason: We're joined now by the brand new commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell. First of all, congratulations on the job. What have you been doing the last month?

RG: Thanks, Ron. I've been going to a lot of football games, which is fun. It's great to be here in Chicago, particularly for a great game between two undefeated teams.

Gleason: You have kind of a tough act to follow. You've only had a couple commissioners over the past few decades. Pete Rozelle made things happen and Paul Tagliabue had tremendous success. Now where do you take it from here? Do we see the league expand some more? Do we see a team in LA? Do we see it going international? What should we expect over
the next few years?

RG: That's the great thing about my experience. I had the good fortune of working for the two greatest commissioners in sports: Pete Rozelle and Paul Tagliabue. That's the great thing about the NFL -- we've always found new and
innovative ways to bring more football to our fans. That's our mission: how do we get more football to our fans? I don't see expansion on the front burner right now, but I do see us playing more international games. I do see us finding new,
creative and innovative ways get more football through technology into our fans'hands.

Gleason: I understand there is a proposal that may come up in the next month or so about maybe playing two regular-season games internationally on a regular basis?

RG: We played in Mexico last year in the regular season and it was a great success. We did it successfully in the sense that not only was it well received by our fans in Mexico, but the teams felt it was a great experience for them and it
preserved the competitive quality of the two teams. That's something we are going to look to do more often.

Schwantz: Is that something you are going look to do early in the season before teams start to get into the stretch run of their season? Is that something that would be taken into consideration when selecting teams to play in these games?

RG: Absolutely. It would be high on our list. It's the competitive issues that are involved when you are taking teams internationally. We played in October last year. My guess is that you wouldn't play (international games) beyond October.
Schwantz: Is China an area in which you want to expand in future years? Playing more games in different venues over there?

RG: Yes it is. We have never played a game in China, so this is our first experience playing in Beijing. We think it's a great market for us. There is a tremendous amount of interest in American sports in general, but we think that the NFL is the greatest game in the world. We look forward to bringing our game over there. We expect it will be a great success.

Hilgenberg: When you were a kid in the backyard throwing around "The Duke" with your brothers, did you ever dream that one day your name would be on that ball?

RG: No, I didn't. It's funny you say that, Jay. I've been in the league for 25 years and they handed me a football a couple days after I was selected. It was reallyan incredible moment. I hadn't thought about that much, but it's a neat thing.

Gleason: You were talking about the NFL being the greatest game. Certainly in Chicago, this has always been the franchise. When this team wins, it galvanizes the entire city. What does it mean to the NFL if the Bears are successful?

RG: It is great for the league. As for the effect we can have on a community, we saw that last week in New Orleans with the Saints coming back and playing in the Superdome. It was just an unbelievable moment for the NFL and, frankly, for
our country to be able to see them celebrate in New Orleans. You get the same feeling here in Chicago. My wife's family is from the area. I know how important the Bears are to this community, b ut they're important to the NFL primarily because of their success and their tradition. When the Bears are good, it's a great thing for the NFL. So we're glad to see them back and playing well.

Gleason: You bring up the Saints. Of course, that is one of teams people are speculating may move to Los Angeles. How do you see that working out?

RG: The success we had last Monday night, the people just supported the Saints so well down there. They are going through so much. Certainly there are more questions than answers down there, but our commitment is to do what's right for
that community right now and make sure that we doing everything to ensure the Saints are successful down there.

Gleason: Injuries are always a big story in the league. (Tampa Bay QB) Chris Simms goes down last week with an injury and winds up having an operation to have his spleen removed. There are so many rules that come up every single year, especially to protect the quarterback and other players as well. What more can the league actually do to protect these
guys?

RG: Injuries, as Jim and Jay know, are part of every sport, much less football where you have a great deal of contact. Every year we look at what we can do from a rules perspective to make the game safer for our players, but also from an
equipment standpoint. Equipment has gotten better and better. We'll continue to try to find new ways to promote player safety because that's what people want to see. They want to see our great players on the field and we want to make sure
we do that as safely as possible.

Schwantz: Do you see the NFL Europe League as part of NFL's future
plans?

RG: I do, Jim. We've had NFL Europe for 15 years. It's been a great success because it's given players a greater opportunity to play. Anytime you can get guys a chance to play, it benefits the players and the game itself. We're seeing that tonight, because you've got a great player on the Bears who came from the Arena League to make a big impact (WR Rashied Davis).

Hilgenberg: I have a question about last year's Super Bowl. I know it's an all-star crew that works the Super Bowl. Has there been any discussion about having the top-rated crew work that game to help the communication between officials? I think there were a few plays in last year's game that could have been cleared up by some better communication between
officials.

RG: Jay, that's an ongoing issue that we've been looking at. We've actually started to move back to a crew-based system over the past couple of years in the playoffs. But you have to balance it. Do you really want to put a rookie, a firstyear
official, out on field who hasn't been part of that experience? So we make a modification to the crew to allow some of our more senior officials to get in there.

Gleason: I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up some of the off-the-field things that are going on in the league in terms of players. (Cincinnati LB) Odell Thurman was been suspended for the year. There have been a number of arrests recently. Ricky Manning Jr. of the Bears was involved with something here recently. What kind of expectations do you have for the
players? I know you met with one of the teams in recent weeks to talk about what is expected.

RG: Ron, I met with your Bears yesterday and I have met with three teams now. The NFL is held to a higher standard and we should be. We are the NFL. The players have to understand that it's not only a privilege to play in this league, but
it's also a great responsibility to behave and be positive role models in the community. For the most part, most our players do that. They are terrific athletes and terrific people. But obviously when you have 2,000 young men, you are
going to have some people that find themselves on the wrong side of the law. We're going to deal with that harshly. We have strong programs and policies against that and we'll continue to enforce those very aggressively.
Gleason: Congratulations on the new position.

RG: Thank you, Ron.
###

NFL Has Sixth Straight Week of Sellout Games



NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
WWW.NFLMedia.com

Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-87 10/12/06

IT’S UP TO SIX!

ALL GAMES SOLD OUT FOR SIXTH CONSECUTIVE WEEK

All games of the NFL schedule for this Sunday and Monday (Week 6) have sold out in
advance of the local TV blackout deadline, enabling every game to be televised in the hometeam
market for an unprecedented sixth week in one season.
Every game this season has been sold out at least 72 hours in advance and televised locally.
It will be the 19th time since the NFL blackout policy took effect in 1973 that blackouts have
been lifted for all games on a single weekend. The 19 times have been once in 1998; three
times in 2000; once in 2001; four times in 2002 and 2005; and six times this season.
The NFL blackout policy states that games sold out 72 hours prior to kickoff can be televised
in the home city.
# # #

NFL WEEK 6 INJURY REPORT -- THURSDAY -- NFLMedia.com

FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-PER-6A 10/11/06

WEEK 6 INJURY REPORT -- THURSDAY

Following is a list of quarterback injuries for Week 6 Games (October 15- 16):
Kansas City Chiefs Out Trent Green (Head)
Oakland Raiders Out Aaron Brooks (Right Shoulder)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Out Chris Simms (Splenectomy)
Miami Dolphins Doubtful Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
New York Jets Probable Chad Pennington gton (Calf)

Following is a list of injured players for Week 6 Games:

HOUSTON TEXANS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
Houston Texans
OUT CB Demarcus Faggins (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE DE Antwan Peek (Hamstring)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
THURS Antwan Peek
Dallas Cowboys
OUT TE Ryan Hannam (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
THURS Ryan Hannam

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Philadelphia Eagles
DOUBTFUL CB Roderick Hood (Heel); WR Donte' Stallworth (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE RB Brian Westbrook (Knee)
PROBABLE WR Jason Avant (Ankle); LB Shawn Barber (Hip); S Sean
Considine (Shoulder); S Brian Dawkins (Quadricep); G Todd
Herremans (Knee); RB Reno Mahe (Ankle); LB Matt McCoy
(Hip); CB Lito Sheppard (Ankle); CB Dexter Wynn (Shin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Roderick Hood; Donte' Stallworth
THURS Roderick Hood; Donte' Stallworth
New Orleans Saints
PROBABLE CB Curtis Deloatch (Thigh); S Bryan Scott (Thigh); WR Devery
Henderson (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
THURS All Players Practiced

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS
Seattle Seahawks
OUT RB Shaun Alexander (Foot); DE Joe Tafoya (Knee); G Floyd
Womack (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE WR Bobby Engram (Illness)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shaun Alexander; Floyd Womack; Joe Tafoya; Bobby Engram
THURS Practice Not Complete
St. Louis Rams
OUT RB Paul Smith (Eye)
QUESTIONABLE CB Travis Fisher (Thigh); CB Fakhir Brown (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Paul Smith; Travis Fisher; Fakhir Brown
THURS Paul Smith; Fakhir Brown

NEW YORK GIANTS AT ATLANTA FALCONS
New York Giants
OUT RB Derrick Ward (Foot)
DOUBTFUL LB Carlos Emmons (Pectoral); WR Sinorice Moss (Quadricep)
QUESTIONABLE S James Butler (Knee)
PROBABLE TE Jeremy Shockey (Foot); LB Brandon Short (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Derrick Ward; Carlos Emmons; Sinorice Moss
THURS Derrick Ward; Carlos Emmons; Sinorice Moss; Brandon Short
Atlanta Falcons
QUESTIONABLE DE John Abraham (Groin); G Kynan Forney (Shoulder); T
Wayne Gandy (Shoulder); LB Edgerton Hartwell (Knee); CB
Omare Lowe (Hamstring); RB Jerious Norwood (Shoulder); CB
Allen Rossum (Hamstring)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Allen Rossum; Omare Lowe
THURS All Players Practiced

CAROLINA PANTHERS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
Carolina Panthers
OUT LB Dan Morgan (Concussion); RB DeAngelo Williams (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE C Justin Hartwig (Groin); S Shaun Williams (Foot)
PROBABLE LB Thomas Davis (Illness); RB Nick Goings (Thigh); S Kevin
McCadam (Knee); RB Brad Hoover (Thigh)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dan Morgan; DeAngelo Williams; Brad Hoover
THURS Dan Morgan; DeAngelo Williams; Thomas Davis
Baltimore Ravens
OUT CB Corey Ivy (Abdomen)
QUESTIONABLE RB Justin Green (Thigh); TE Todd Heap (Ankle); DT Haloti
Ngata (Knee); LB Mike Smith (Head); LB Terrell Suggs (Thigh);
DE Gary Stills (Abdomen)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Corey Ivy; Justin Green; Todd Heap; Haloti Ngata; Mike Smith;
Terrell Suggs
THURS Corey Ivy; Justin Green; Todd Heap; Haloti Ngata; Mike Smith;
Terrell Suggs; Gary Stills

BUFFALO BILLS AT DETROIT LIONS
Buffalo Bills
OUT DT John McCargo (Foot)
DOUBTFUL S Matt Bowen (Shin)
QUESTIONABLE CB Nate Clements (Quadricep); LB Takeo Spikes (Hamstring);
G Chris Villarrial (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED John McCargo; Matt Bowen; Nate Clements
THURS John McCargo; Matt Bowen; Nate Clements
Detroit Lions
OUT S Kenoy Kennedy (Foot); DT Shaun Cody (Toe); LB Alex Lewis
(Knee); G Damien Woody (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE T Rex Tucker (Knee); G Ross Verba (Hamstring)
PROBABLE RB Shawn Bryson (Knee); T Barry Stokes (Ankle); WR Roy
Williams (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kenoy Kennedy; Shaun Cody; Alex Lewis; Damien Woody; Rex
Tucker; Ross Verba; Barry Stokes; Shawn Bryson; Roy Williams
THURS Kenoy Kennedy; Shaun Cody; Alex Lewis; Damien Woody; Rex
Tucker; Ross Verba; Roy Williams

CINCINNATI BENGALS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Cincinnati Bengals
OUT WR Tab Perry (Hip); C Rich Braham (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE CB Greg Brooks (Knee); S Dexter Jackson (Ankle); LB Rashad
Jeanty (Foot)
PROBABLE DT Sam Adams (Knee); T Levi Jones (Ankle); DE Robert
Geathers (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Rich Braham; Tab Perry; Dexter Jackson; Rashad Jeanty; Sam
Adams; Levi Jones
THURS Tab Perry; Rich Braham; Dexter Jackson; Rashad Jeanty; Sam
Adams
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OUT QB Chris Simms (Splenectomy)
QUESTIONABLE CB Juran Bolden (Hip); WR Mark Jones (Hamstring); CB Brian
Kelly (Foot); TE Dave Moore (Rib); DE Simeon Rice (Shoulder);
WR Maurice Stovall (Back)
PROBABLE G Davin Joseph (Knee); LB Ryan Nece (Knee); C John Wade
(Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Chris Simms; Brian Kelly; Juran Bolden; Maurice Stovall; Simeon
Rice; Mark Jones
THURS Chris Simms; Mark Jones; Brian Kelly; Simeon Rice; Maurice
Stovall; John Wade

TENNESSEE TITANS AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Tennessee Titans
OUT WR David Givens (Hand); TE Erron Kinney (Knee); G Zach
Piller (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE LB Ken Amato (Quadricep); WR Drew Bennett (Ankle); G Benji
Olson (Ankle); LB Robert Reynolds (Thigh); DE Travis LaBoy
(Back); RB LenDale White (Stomach)
PROBABLE K Rob Bironas (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED David Givens; Erron Kinney; Zach Piller; Ken Amato; Drew
Bennett; Travis LaBoy; Benji Olson; Robert Reynolds; LenDale
White
THURS David Givens; Erron Kinney; Zach Piller; Ken Amato; Drew
Bennett; Benji Olson; Travis LaBoy; LenDale White; Rob Bironas
Washington Redskins
QUESTIONABLE CB Shawn Springs (Groin); DT Joe Salave'a (Calf)
PROBABLE DT Cornelius Griffin (Hip); WR David Patten (Thigh); P Derrick
Frost (Calf); LB Marcus Washington (Hip); DE Phillip Daniels
(Back); G Derrick Dockery (Hip)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shawn Springs; Joe Salave'a; Cornelius Griffin; Marcus
Washington; Phillip Daniels; David Patten
THURS Shawn Springs; Joe Salave'a; Cornelius Griffin; David Patten;
Marcus Washington; Phillip Daniels; Derrick Dockery

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
San Diego Chargers
QUESTIONABLE S Bhawoh Jue (Knee)
PROBABLE TE Ryan Krause (Hamstring); T Marcus McNeill (Hand)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Bhawoh Jue
THURS Practice Not Complete
San Francisco 49ers
OUT TE Vernon Davis (Fibula)
DOUBTFUL G Larry Allen (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE T Jonas Jennings (Hand)
PROBABLE LB Derek Smith (Hip)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Vernon Davis; Jonas Jennings; Derek Smith
THURS Vernon Davis; Jonas Jennings

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Kansas City Chiefs
OUT T Will Svitek (Knee); LB Rich Scanlon (Knee); RB Michael
Bennett (Hamstring); QB Trent Green (Head); CB Benny Sapp
(Knee)
QUESTIONABLE WR Dante' Hall (Hip)
PROBABLE RB Larry Johnson (Neck); TE Kris Wilson (Ankle); T Kyle Turley
(Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Rich Scanlon; Michael Bennett; Trent Green; Will Svitek; Benny
Sapp; Dante' Hall; Larry Johnson
THURS Will Svitek; Rich Scanlon; Michael Bennett; Trent Green; Benny
Sapp; Dante' Hall; Kris Wilson
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT LB James Harrison (Ankle); WR Willie Reid (Foot); LB Joey
Porter (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE CB Deshea Townsend (Hamstring)
PROBABLE RB Dan Kreider (Knee); G Kendall Simmons (Foot); DE Brett
Keisel (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED James Harrison; Willie Reid; Brett Keisel; Joey Porter; Deshea
Townsend; Kendall Simmons; Dan Kreider
THURS James Harrison; Willie Reid; Joey Porter; Deshea Townsend;
Kendall Simmons

MIAMI DOLPHINS AT NEW YORK JETS
Miami Dolphins
DOUBTFUL WR Marty Booker (Chest); QB Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE LB Derrick Pope (Hamstring); CB Travis Daniels (Knee); TE
Justin Peelle (Knee)
PROBABLE TE Randy McMichael (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Daunte Culpepper; Marty Booker; Travis Daniels; Justin Peelle;
Derrick Pope
THURS Marty Booker; Daunte Culpepper; Derrick Pope; Travis Daniels;
Justin Peelle
New York Jets
QUESTIONABLE RB B.J. Askew (Foot); CB David Barrett (Hip); WR Laveranues
Coles (Calf); WR Tim Dwight (Thigh); RB Cedric Houston
(Knee); G Pete Kendall (Thigh); C Trey Teague (Ankle)
PROBABLE DE Dave Ball (Hand); RB Kevan Barlow (Calf); DE Bobby
Hamilton (Knee); RB James Hodgins (Knee); T Adrian Jones
(Thigh); CB Justin Miller (Hip); QB Chad Pennington (Calf); S
Kerry Rhodes (Thigh); TE Sean Ryan (Chest); WR Brad Smith
(Thigh); S Eric Smith (Knee); DT Kimo Von Oelhoffen (Knee);
RB Leon Washington (Hip); T Anthony Clement (Shin); LB Matt
Chatham (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED B.J. Askew; David Barrett; Laveranues Coles; Tim Dwight; Cedric
Houston; Pete Kendall; Trey Teague; Rashad Moore
THURS B.J. Askew; David Barrett; Laveranues Coles; Tim Dwight; Cedric
Houston; Pete Kendall; Trey Teague

OAKLAND RAIDERS AT DENVER BRONCOS
Oakland Raiders
OUT QB Aaron Brooks (Right Shoulder)
DOUBTFUL CB Fabian Washington (Hamstring); LB Grant Irons (Back)
QUESTIONABLE TE James Adkisson (Groin); DE Lance Johnstone (Knee); RB
Reshard Lee (Neck); G Kevin Boothe (Nose); TE Randal
Williams (Quadricep); TE John Madsen (Quadricep)
PROBABLE RB Zack Crockett (Knee); LB Isaiah Ekejiuba (Shoulder); T
Robert Gallery (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Aaron Brooks; Fabian Washington; Grant Irons; Randal Williams
THURS Practice Not Complete
Denver Broncos
OUT RB Cedric Cobbs (Ankle)
PROBABLE S John Lynch (Neck); RB Cecil Sapp (Toe)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Cedric Cobbs
THURS Practice Not Complete

CHICAGO BEARS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS on Monday
Chicago Bears
OUT S Chris Harris (Quadricep)
QUESTIONABLE WR Mark Bradley (Ankle); LB Leon Joe (Hamstring); DE
Adewale Ogunleye (Hamstring)
PROBABLE TE Desmond Clark (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Conducted
THURS Chris Harris; Mark Bradley; Leon Joe; Adewale Ogunleye;
Desmond Clark
Arizona Cardinals
DOUBTFUL LB James Darling (Calf); G Milford Brown (Ankle); DT Kendrick
Clancy (Ankle); WR Larry Fitzgerald (Hamstring)
PROBABLE S Robert Griffith (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Larry Fitzgerald; Kendrick Clancy; Milford Brown; James Darling;
Robert Griffith
THURS James Darling; Milford Brown; Kendrick Clancy; Larry Fitzgerald

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Cleveland Browns Offensive Coordinator Maurice Carthon's In Hot Water -- Why Not Raiders Tom Walsh? - News From Profootballtalk.com



This article's from Profootballtalk.com. It says they've been pestering a league source about Browns Offensive Coordinator Maurice Carthon's job. My question is why pick on Carthon? Why not pick on Tom Walsh of the Raiders? Their own article states that the Browns' offense is ranked ahead of only that of the Oakland Raiders in NFL statistics.

Is it because Carthon's black and Tom Walsh is white? In my view, although I like ProFootballtalk.com, there's an annoying tendancy to be "Anti-Black" in their coverage, from the racist image of Art Shell as "Chef" from South Park, to the questions around the hiring of Broncos GM Rick Smith, to charges of "reverse racism" in the NFL (silly), to this. It's almost knee-jerk with these guys.

More on this soon.



CARTHON IN HOT WATER

Over the past several weeks, we've been pestering a league source with knowledge of the current dynamics in Cleveland regarding scattered rumors we've heard that Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon is in danger of getting poop-canned.

Previously, the source told us that the rumors were unfounded. The source now tells us that there is a "big push" within the organization to dump Carthon if the unit performs badly when the Browns return from the bye week with an October 22 home game against the Broncos.

One of the real-world factors working against a termination of Carthon is that, because he was hired by head coach Romeo Crennel after Crennel got the gig in early 2005, a relatively quick decision that Carthon can't cut it would be an admission that Crennel made a bad decision.

Sooner or later, however, the chronic ineptitude of the team requires some action to be taken, or Crennel (and other, such as G.M. Phil Savage) could find themselves in jeopardy, too.

The Browns are 31st in the league in total offense, leading only the Raiders. Cleveland is averaging 261.2 yards per game.

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."