Deion Branch Will Start Week 3
Deion Branch is ready to make his debut for the Seahawks, and Gil Brandt thinks the receiver is in for a big day in his fantasy analysis of Week 3. Full Story
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
NFL Injury Update
Podcast: ESPNs NFL Fantasy Fix: 9/20
NFL Network Lineup
If you don't have NFL network then you are behind on the game! Check out all the programming you get by ordering your NFL network channel today. Click here for more dtails or to order NOW!
NFL Total Access
7 p.m. ET/PT Monday-Saturday
NFL Total Access is the NFL's show of record, providing daily news and information in a uniquely structured way -- through the participants' eyes. NFLTA is by far the definitive and deepest show on television dedicated to the NFL. More...
NFL Replay
8 & 10:30 p.m. ET Tuesdays and Wednesday
Watch the four best games of the week re-aired with the original announcers and cameras on NFL Replay.
NFL games will be re-aired with the original announcers and cameras on NFL Replay. Week 2's games are:
NYG at PHI, Sept. 19, 8 ET
NE at NYJ, Sept. 19, 10:30 ET
NO at GB, Sept. 20, 8 ET
CAR at MIN, Sept. 20, 10:30 ET
More...
NFL GameDay
11:30 p.m. ET Sundays
When the final game of the night comes to a close on Sundays, tune to NFL Network at 11:30 p.m. ET to get the only live 90-minute show dedicated to putting the exclamation point on all the day's action. More...
Begin Thanksgiving Night
NFL Network will broadcast primetime regular-season NFL games in 2006 as part of the new NFL "Run Up to the Playoffs" package beginning with the Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving night. More...
3 p.m. ET Mon., Tues., Thu., Fri.
2:30 p.m. ET Wednesdays
Point After is a live whip-around show featuring press conferences from head coaches and star players around the NFL and college football. More...
College Scoreboard
4 p.m. ET Saturdays
During the 2006 season, College Scoreboard will feature college football news, highlights, statistics and analysis on Saturday afternoons and evenings throughout the college football season. More...
Video: Rex Grossman Highlights
Cowher: We Won't Dwell On Loss
FOXSports.com
Posted: 19 hours ago
Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher is not ready to panic after his team's listless performance in a 9-0 loss to Jacksonville. Despite losing a meaningful game for the first time in 10 outings, Cowher said it was too early to get alarmed about the defending Super Bowl champions or any player. Full story...
Chargers Trade For Volek
FOXSports.com
The Chargers agreed in principle to acquire quarterback Billy Volek from Tennessee on Tuesday, giving San Diego a veteran to back up first-year starter Philip Rivers. The Chargers are believed to be giving up a sixth-round draft pick that could escalate to a fifth-rounder, depending on Volek's playing time. Full story...
Terry Bradshaw Reflects On Week 2
We witnessed a damn good game today in Philadelphia. I was blown away by how the Eagles built up a 24-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. They were running the football, Donovan McNabb was involving everybody in the passing game, and their defense was all over the Giants.
But it never fails in this league. One thing you never forget is that coaches work on what you did and try to make adjustments at halftime. Well, the Giants did a better job on the Eagles in the second half. Eli Manning was very impressive in the fourth quarter and overtime after being sacked eight times.
When you play like that, the team then knows it has a very good player. I mean, it takes something to overcome adversity on the road against a very big division rival. Is this a breakout game for Eli? I don't know yet. He could go in the tank next week in Seattle. But I was impressed. I was totally impressed.
I was surprised that the Eagles tried to sit on the lead. But I think we all knew that Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was going to blitz them on what became the final play of the game. The ball was right at being a 40-yard field goal. They get to Manning, maybe the Eagles put the Giants out of range.
Philadelphia had bump and run on the outside and nine people on the inside. I saw the blitz; Manning saw the blitz. The only adjustment that the Eagles made was that they took their cornerbacks and backed them off, making the receivers run to catch up with them. The play was really impressive.
At 6-foot-5, Plaxico Burress had size on his side. Manning called a play that they knew would work against what Jim Johnson would do. Now, it was a good decision to get them out of field-goal range — I agree with Johnson's strategy — it's just that Plaxico Burress out-hustled Sheldon Brown to the football. Plaxico took advantage of his height and cut inside to get the ball.
The Saints go marching in
This Green Bay loss was not about Brett Favre. This is about Sean Payton, the Saints' new head coach, and the way the Saints and the defense are playing. Payton is a young coach who took over a horrific football team. For him to win two games on the road anytime that's big. Heck, this is the first time the Saints have ever won their first two games on the road.
For Favre, I know we had a lot to say about his career on our show. But whenever you stay in the league as long as he has, eventually you're team is going to be rebuilding; you're not going to play your best football. When that happens, you're going to leave yourself wide open for people like us and others to have opinions on your performance. I think we all agree that the team surrounding him is no good. It's not a playoff-caliber team. We know that he's going to try to make things happen and he'll hurt the team more than it helps him. I know it galls him but that's the price you pay for coming back. He should have retired.
Down and out Panthers
I don't care who you are. When you have three new starters on the offensive line and don't have Steve Smith and your best linebacker, well, things aren't going to go well. We could be seeing a team that could explode on us before they get all together and get everybody healthy again. I mean, they could be out of the playoff picture. They've lost two in a row. Who would have thought that? Where is that defense that's supposed to be so awesome? Are you really afraid of Minnesota fully loaded? I mean Jake Delhomme isn't making enough things happen. The big playmaker is out, but they still aren't doing enough to win. I'm really shocked.
These teams look to be for real
The Vikings win the way I like to see teams win. I'm old school. They run the ball. They are playing physical football. They don't panic. They didn't panic on the road in Washington and they didn't panic against a supposedly superior team in Carolina. They act like they're going to win. I think new head coach Brad Childress has brought a tough mentality to that team. Who would have thought that? Who would have thought that the Vikings would be 2-0 and the Panthers 0-2?
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| Ray Lewis and the Ravens are looking good at 2-0. (Matthew Gunby / Associated Press) |
The Ravens sure look like they are back. Their defense has been awesome two weeks in a row. Steve McNair has brought so much stability to that team, just like Brad Johnson has done in Minnesota. They both have a calming effect on their team. It's like what I said on the pr-game show when I was talking about Tequila Sunrise, my old lead dog.
Tequila Sunrise is a good lead dog and everybody follows her. She's a dog with great character which means you can trust her. So, you follow her. Of course, Howie had a great line when I said that. He said they are all male dogs and that's why they followed her. But the key with guys like Johnson and McNair is that you just turn these old dogs loose and let them do their thing.
Tequila Sunrise will take care of everybody. She won't make mistakes. She will throw the ball away. She won't cross the wrong creek. She won't bark up the wrong tree. You know, you can just depend on her. That's what these guys do. McNair and Johnson, when given the chance, they will make plays.
It was all about money, man. That's why Tennessee got rid of McNair. In another week or so, the Titans should simply put the young kid, Vince Young, in there, and let it go. Where the Titans screwed up was playing Billy Volek as long as they did in training camp and the preseason. I mean, whose decision was that? Whoever pulled the call on that, wasting practice time and games with Volek while really getting ready to sign and play Kerry Collins was really stupid.
One final word on Branch
There are some players in the New England locker room who thought Deion Branch should have reported to camp and taken the deal. Obviously, Branch won out in this deal because he got a lot more than the $6 million annual salary New England had on the table. He's in Seattle for the ton of money.
But you're also are messing with your quarterback, Tom Brady, and taking away his big weapon. Branch is a big-gamer, always has been. Sometimes, these coaches get to thinking it's about them, that they can get this done. If they don't get to the playoffs and they end up looking for a wide receiver in next year's draft, wouldn't you rather pay Branch his money than hope that kid you draft is going to be the answer?
I disagree with Bill Belichick. I think he made a big mistake by unloading this kid, especially a good kid, a high-character guy. Branch has always been known as a good work-ethic guy who produces in big games. I hate to say this, but receivers like Branch aren't out there. They are not easy to find. Then again, Belichick has won three Super Bowls, so obviously he has all the answers.
Once you paint yourself into a corner as an organization — this player gave a little money back, another player took a little less to stay, we are the New England Patriots and it's an honor to play for us — you paint yourself into thinking that you end up living by the sword and dying by the sword. I think this sword will pierce them. This was a mistake. That's what I think. If I'm Tom Brady, I'm real upset because they took away one of my weapons.
NFL Teams Searching For Answers
The Buccaneers are off to a miserable 0-2 start. And as Boomer Esiason writes, things could get even
NFL Power Rankings
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Tuesday, September 19, 2006
A Real Power Jolt
Thanks to a suffocating defense, the Chargers have outscored their opponents 67-7, but they are still looking up at eight teams in Vic Carucci's power poll . Full Story
Jacked Up: Chad Johnson
Giants Monday Injury Update, TE Shockey Needs More Tests
Written by: Michael Eisen
Source: www.giants.com
Amani Toomer said he felt better today after stretching the limits of his endurance in the game. After his 12-catch gem, Toomer needed four bags of fluid of from an IV to stave off cramping. His walk from the trainers room to his locker was completed at the same approximate speed of a baby's crawl, and he needed help removing his equipment.
"I feel all right," Toomer said. "I'm a little sore from the cramps, that's about it."
Toomer was in such discomfort on the field, Manning suggested to his favorite target that he take a temporary leave of absence.
"I told him at one point to get out of the game, but he said, �No, I'm staying in' and he made some big plays for us," Manning said.
"I definitely didn't want to go out of the game," Toomer said. "I went out for a play and I came back in. It's the type of game where you have to dig down into whatever to stay on the field."
Coughlin said Jeremy Shockey's ankle is sore and swollen. "I think he was going for further tests, but he's had these tests before," Coughlin said.
If Shockey plays in Seattle, he will have the bye week to rest his ankle.
"I hope we get him," Coughlin said. "It's been a process where we've gotten him toward the end of the week. We thought he was better the second week than he was the first week. I'm holding out that perhaps he'll be at least equal to where he's been the last couple of weeks. We'll have to see."
Safety James Butler sprained his knee and is day-to-day.
NFL Truth & Rumors - Week 3
Perhaps concerned with their depth at safety after Artrell Hawkins (thigh) missed Sunday's game and James Sanders was injured on the opening kickoff and didn't return, the Patriots worked out three defensive backs yesterday: Brent Alexander, Keion Carpenter, and Lance Schulters.
Vikings coach Brad Childress did not say how he planned to replace Erasmus James. His options include moving Darrion Scott or rookie Ray Edwards into a starting role. Scott started 15 games at end last season, after Kenechi Udeze hurt his knee in the third game and had season-ending surgery in October. The Vikings also could look at free agents. Among those available is Michael Haynes, Chicago's first-round pick in 2003. He was let go by New Orleans last week after a brief stint with the team. His agent, Brian Mackler, said Monday that the Vikings had not called about his client.
There appears more of a likelihood that Tennessee QB Billy Volek will be dealt away to San Diego, Kansas City or Oakland than there is of him ever throwing another pass as a Titan again.The injury to QB Aaron Brooks means Andrew Walter is the Raiders starting quarterback against Cleveland. He has not started a game in his two-year NFL career. Shell said he won't rule out the possibility of re-signing veteran Jeff George or some other proven quarterback between now and the Browns game. George signed late in training camp but was released four days later. Marques Tuiasosopo is the only other healthy quarterback on Oakland's 53-man roster. ... Shell made it clear that Brooks isn't in jeopardy of losing his job. Brooks will return to the starting lineup whenever he is cleared to play again, Shell said.
The biggest target for Miami's 0-2 start continues to be the quarterback, the highest-paid player on the team, the one whose acquisition this offseason drove ticket sales. Daunte Culpepper. ''I'm just going to continue working,'' Culpepper said Monday, ``and do everything I can to get better.'' There is obviously room for improvement, and though Nick Saban isn't thinking about benching Culpepper now, the debate isn't utterly ridiculous to the coach. ''No,'' Saban said about a change now. ``We need to give our quarterback a chance to make plays and when he has an opportunity to make plays, there are things he needs to do a little better. I think you can say that about every position. ``I also think there's a certain level of performance we need to get from every position and if we're not going to get it at certain positions, we would consider making changes.''Asked Monday if he considered replacing the struggling Jake Plummer at quarterback with rookie Jay Cutler - not as a permanent move but as a temporary spark - Broncos coach Mike Shanahan slightly paused but never flinched. "Uh, no," he said. "It's going to be constant. It happened last year. It happened when John Elway was here. It happened in San Francisco with Joe Montana and Steve Young. This is football and it is great. It's great for talk radio, it's great for TV, but Jake has won a lot of games. Just because we started off a little slow, just like we did last year, doesn't mean it's the end of the world."
The Bucs are moving forward with Chris Simms though it seems his development as a quarterback has taken several steps backward. A week after piling on his 26-year-old passer, Jon Gruden indicated coaches and players need to rally around him. “I worry about everyone’s confidence when things don’t go good,” Gruden said Monday. “We’ve got to do a great job of rallying around (Simms) as a staff. I know our football team will do that. He’s got to take responsibility to get better and I know he will. “I have a lot of respect for him and his resolve. I expect him to come back raring and ready to go this week.” ... Gruden acknowledged the Bucs might have misjudged how far Simms had progressed.
There is no new timetable for Terrell Owens' return. As of Sunday night, it was two to four weeks, and Parcells wasn't guessing when Owens would come back. With the Cowboys in the start of their bye week, there is no need to push it. If Owens can function with the plate, he may not miss a game. Parcells said he could not recall having a receiver play with that injury. Right now, the early thought is Owens will miss the Cowboys' next game, Oct. 1 in Tennessee against the 0-2 Titans. And that he will return in time to play the following week's game: Oct. 8, in Philadelphia. "No, that wouldn't shock me," one Cowboy official said with a smile. Owens has made no secret of his desire to play against the Eagles, and in Philadelphia. It's a nationally televised game on FOX, and it will be his first game in Philly since he became persona non grata there.The best bet is for the team to sign a veteran cornerback, since the Eagles are perilously thin at the position. Donald Strickland, who was among the team's final cuts, is a possibility. Other veteran cornerbacks still on the market include Ahmed Plummer (San Francisco), Dwayne Washington (Kansas City), Willie Middlebrooks (Denver), Eric Warfield (Kansas City), and Tony Beckham (Tennessee).
Falcons coach Jim Mora said Monday that the team is still reviewing options at the field goal kicker position. Michael Koenen, who won the job by making 8 of 8 attempts in the exhibition season, has missed 6 of 8 in the two regular-season games. Todd Peterson, who made 23 of 25 field goal attempts last season for the Falcons, is available. Also, Paul Edinger, who's kicked for the Vikings and Bears, is a free agent. Peterson's agent, Michael Moye, tried to reach the team. "I left a phone message [Sunday] evening and have not heard back," Moye said. "Todd is game-ready and kicking great."Houston, coached by former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak, could pursue WR Charlie Adams. Mike Shanahan also said Adams could be brought back to the Broncos in the future.
Lions coach Rod Marinelli and offensive coordinator Mike Martz said last week WR Mike Williams had improved during practice. There is no plan to teach Williams a lesson, Marinelli said. "This is what we want," Marinelli said. "There's a certain standard we want in how we're doing business." Whatever the standards are, the Lions need more production from their wide receivers.
Going into the third game of the season, Texans QB David Carr finds himself in unfamiliar territory. His 123.7 passer rating ranks third in the NFL, but he knows it's tainted because of the fourth-quarter competition at Indianapolis. "I didn't even know that, but I'd trade it for two wins in a heartbeat," Carr said about his rating. Gary Kubiak defended Carr from critics who are singling out the quarterback as the reason for the 0-2 start. "We're all to blame," Kubiak said. "In the past two weeks his numbers are very good, but we're not after numbers.
Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said the plan for now is to activate wide receiver Deion Branch for this week's game, and that Branch will share time at split end with Nate Burleson, while Darrell Jackson remains the flanker and Bobby Engram maintains his role as slot receiver. "Their roles won't change a great deal," Holmgren said of Jackson and Engram. Branch was picked up in a trade last week and not active for Sunday's game against Arizona to give him more time to learn the Seahawks' offense.
Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis said he would play Sunday at Houston. After playing in the opener against Minnesota, Portis was inactive against Dallas and said in an interview during the game that he had injured his rotator cuff against the Vikings. "It wasn't that I did something to my rotator cuff. It just wasn't firing the way it was supposed to," Portis said. "Like the doctors said, it was natural after coming back from the injury I came from, playing in the game after not getting hit for four weeks, and that I was going to have soreness."Chargers LB Shawne Merriman was not at the Chargers' light practice yesterday. A club spokesman said Merriman suffered a broken nose during an exhibition game and it was decided to re-set it yesterday. Merriman is expected to practice tomorrow.
Despite his breakout game against the Minnesota Vikings, rookie running back DeAngelo Williams will remain in a backup role for Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. “DeShaun Foster is still our starting tailback,” coach John Fox said Monday. “We feel good about all our running backs, in particular DeShaun and DeAngelo. Really, each game takes on its own personality and (DeAngelo) was making some plays, but so was DeShaun. “We ran the ball a little more effectively this past game than we did the week before. I think they had the same number of carries. That may not always be true, either. We try to spread the wealth in running the ball and I don’t look for that to change.”
Steelers coach Bill Cowher decided to activate newly acquired halfback Najeh Davenport and make Duce Staley inactive for the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers signed Davenport Sept. 8, the day after their opening victory against Miami and six days after he was released by the Green Bay Packers. Staley had knee surgery in August 2005 and was inactive for 11 regular-season games and did not play in the postseason. He missed six games with a hamstring injury in the second half of the 2004 season after he rushed for 707 yards in the first seven games. Staley, 31, agreed to a $1 million pay cut in March, and will receive a $1.5 million salary this season.
Bill Belichick was asked for his reaction to the intense scrutiny of his fleeting postgame handshake with New York Jets coach Eric Mangini following the Pats’ 24-17 victory. “I don’t care,” Belichick said. “Scrutinize it all you want. Knock yourself out.” The Pats coach went on to say he was more concerned with preparing his team for the game than anything that happened after. “Preparing the team to win, that’s what I care about,” he said. Belichick paused a beat before finishing with a good line. “Let me know the next time you see two coaches kiss out there on the field,” he said.Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said he wasn't sure what he was going to do at defensive end other than to incorporate Jerome McDougle into the four-man rotation. McDougle, the Eagles' first-round pick in 2003, did not dress in the team's first two games. Johnson said he was not sure who he would start at defensive end. Darren Howard will likely remain at right defensive end, but Johnson said he was not sure if Trent Cole would be comfortable moving over to left defensive end.
Packers WR Koren Robinson will start to see more work in practice this week with the offense and get into the receiver rotation, coach Mike McCarthy said.
Although the Chiefs have yet to win in two games under Herman Edwards, they are making the transition to becoming a team in his image faster than anyone believed — Edwards included. Their once-forlorn defense has carried them in both games. Their once-mighty offense has floundered. The Chiefs are eighth in the league in total defense, 21st in total offense. They are 29th in points scored, 11th in points allowed. ... For the first time in years, going back to the days when the Chiefs were coached by Gunther Cunningham, their defenders have a reason to feel good about themselves. “This defense is going to be good,” linebacker Derrick Johnson said. “You started to see that (in Denver). The tables are turning around here.”
If the Ravens' defense is beginning to show shades of the unit that propelled the franchise to the Super Bowl title in the 2000 season, Brian Billick isn't prepared to make comparisons. "I can understand people doing that, but we're not going to do it," Billick said of the defense, which is ranked first in the NFL in yards allowed (152 per game) and take-aways (nine). "This is a different group of people, a different scheme, a different idea. You always pull back on your heritage a little bit, but there's no upside for us drawing too much into that, other than being very proud of the group that did what they did."The Seahawks' center of the future has become the left guard of the present. Chris Spencer, who was drafted in the first round last year to eventually play center, will move into the starting lineup for Sunday's story line-laden matchup with the New York Giants because left guard Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack could be sidelined six weeks after spraining his right knee in the Seahawks' home opener against the Arizona Cardinals.
Edgerrin James has never entered Week 3 of an NFL season still searching for his first 100-yard performance. In seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, James averaged 114 yards through two games. This season, his first with the Cardinals, he is averaging 68.5. Arizona coach Dennis Green explained James' lack of production during Monday's weekly news conference. In short, he said it's not the running back's fault. Too many sacks and penalties pushed the Cardinals into long-yardage situations in Sunday's 21-10 loss to the Seahawks in Seattle.Falcons DE John Abraham, who missed Sunday's game after suffering a groin injury in the opener, is angling to return for the game at New Orleans on Monday night. "Abraham's already chomping at the bit to get in on Monday night," cornerback DeAngelo Hall said. "He's saying that he's going to be there. That's definitely going to be a game changer."
A picture hung in the Giants' locker room clearly showing the foot of Eagles LB Trent Cole in RT Kareem McKenzie's groin -- proof of the critical personal foul at the end of regulation. McKenzie, though, still insisted Cole's kick missed its target. "To the best of my knowledge," McKenzie said. "Unless I'm delirious."
Did You Know? According to Elias Sports Bureau, the Chargers were the first team since the 1977 Raiders to start a season with seven scoreless quarters on defense. And San Diego's streak of 60 unanswered points to start a season was the best since Detroit scored 78 straight to start
Erasmus James is the third Vikings player to be lost this season because of a knee injury. Linebacker Chad Greenway (torn ACL in left knee) and safety Tank Williams (fractured left kneecap) were both placed on IR last month. Both were operated on by noted surgeon James Andrews.
Patriots personnel blocked CBS cameras from filming running back Corey Dillon after he appeared to hurt his shoulder in the waning minutes Sunday. Dillon looked fine at his locker after the game and didn’t appear to be favoring any injuries yesterday. “A lot of guys had some bumps and bruises after the game,” Belichick said. “We’ll go out there (tomorrow) and see how everyone is, do the injury report (tomorrow). That’s how we always do it.”
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker and former Georgia standout David Pollack, who suffered a neck injury Sunday against Cleveland, was "up, running around and being David" at University Hospital, coach Marvin Lewis said Monday. Lewis said the second-year linebacker will be put on injured reserve this week and will miss the remainder of the season, but emphasized the injury was not career-threatening and that there was no damage to the spinal cord. The team was calling it a "significant neck injury." Lewis didn't say whether Pollack's neck was broken or severely sprained — "Broken is a big word," he said — but indicated surgery wouldn't be needed.Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said defensive end Courtney Brown is not expected to play against the Patriots. Shanahan said he hopes Brown will be able to play after the bye week, against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 9. Brown has missed the first two games and the preseason after having knee surgery Aug. 9. Backup running back Cedric Cobbs has a sprained ankle that may keep him out against the Patriots, but Cobbs said Monday he was optimistic.
Lions tailback Kevin Jones has 79 yards in two games and a 3-yard per-carry average. At times, it has looked like Jones hasn't been able to find a hole. "The guy runs extremely hard," coach Rod Marinelli said. "I admire how hard this guy goes in everything he does."Who Knew? The Ravens have 11 rookies, which is the third-highest number in the league behind the Jacksonville Jaguars (14) and Green Bay Packers (13).
Dolphins DT Dan Wilkinson isn't upset with Nick Saban's decision to sideline him for Sunday's game after missing a week of practice. Instead, he is simply irritated he had to miss any time at all. Wilkinson spent last week sorting through legal issues in a courtroom, where he was ordered to pay $184,446.81 by defaulting on a 2003 lease agreement to build a restaurant in Maryland. Wilkinson said he would not appeal the court's decision. He isn't expected to miss anymore practice time, either.Saints coach Sean Payton said he plans to have his team practice Friday night at the Superdome to get the "lay of the land." For quarterback Drew Brees and several others it will be their first trip inside the stadium that drew worldwide attention during Katrina. "I'll be wide-eyed a little bit just looking around and seeing what it's going to feel like for the next 10 years hopefully, the rest of my career," Brees said. "I've only seen it on television. "If anything, the Superdome was a saving grace for a lot of people; it housed a lot of people and probably saved a lot of people. For that to have happened -- I think several people were killed and there was a suicide, that was horrible. But to think of all the people who were saved, you look at that arena as more than just a football stadium."
Two key Browns players had MRI exams, raising more injury concerns. Cornerback Gary Baxter had an MRI on his injured pectoral muscle, and running back Reuben Droughns had an MRI on his shoulder.Charley Casserly has moved back to the Washington area. He pursued a job in the NFL office but the league hired former Atlanta Falcons executive Ray Anderson instead as its senior vice president of football operations. He's back to being out of the league as he was briefly in 1999 after his exit from the Redskins, a time he spent working for ESPN before McNair came calling. Then, it was only a matter of months before Casserly returned to football. Now, he's not speculating on anything more than his immediate future. The man who broke into the league as an unpaid intern for late Redskins coach George Allen said he'll spend Sunday pulling for his more recent former franchise.
There's been no word on the tampering charges filed by the Patriots against the Jets in the Deion Branch incident but little is expected to come of it.Who Knew? The Steelers previously were shut out Dec. 14, 2003 by the New York Jets, 6-0, in a snowstorm. The previous time a defending Super Bowl champ was shut out was in 1981 when the Raiders were blanked.
Did You Know? Their are four NFL head coaches who are undefeated at home on "Monday Night Football" (Bill Cowher, 11-0; Tom Flores, 8-0; Tony Dungy, 6-0 and John Madden, 5-0).Who Knew? Of the almost 400 overtime games played in the NFL, nine times a team won the toss and elected to kick off. Those teams won four of those games (44 percent).
Eli Manning has completed 66.2 percent of his passes. His passer rating (101.5) is eighth in the N.F.L., one slot behind Peyton, a two-time league most valuable player. Last season, when the Giants were 11-5 and won their division, Manning completed 52.8 percent of his passes, one of the lowest percentages in the league. His passer rating was 75.9, which ranked him 23rd.The heat is already on Miami QB Daunte Culpepper, Chris Simms of Tampa Bay and Mark Brunell of Washington, who harbored significant playoff aspirations but have watched their uninspired play drag their teams to winless records. All three are expected to start next week, all against 0-2 teams.
Simply put, Tony Dungy’s team is a work in progress at the present time. The fact that the Colts have been able to win its first two games despite making physical and mental mistakes can be considered good in some respects. But, according to Dungy, continued improvement is the key. “I thought we were pretty sharp for the first three quarters [in a 43-24 win over the Houston Texans], other than the penalties and losing a fumble at the one-yard line. In a tight game, those things can hurt you, so that was a little disappointing. In the fourth quarter, when it was 30-3, we substitute on defense and really lost everything,” the Colts coach said. “We gave them three scores and 11 first downs in about 10 minutes. That doesn’t let you come away with a good feeling. But, all in all, we did win the ballgame. We played pretty well to start it and we’ll go from there.”Texans coach Gary Kubiak's offense had scored only one touchdown in the first seven quarters of the season. Kubiak's defense has allowed more points (average of 33.5) and yards (478) than any team in the NFL. The Texans are 2-17 over their last 19 games. "It's not fun, by any means," Kubiak said Monday about losing. "It's hard. It's a grind. I've been through some tough times in this league, and I think that's why I'm here, to see this team through these tough times. I'm not going to stop until we get better."
Who Knew? The Chargers equaled a club “record” by winning consecutive games by 60 combined points. They have never won back-to-back games by more points. Twice previously they hit the 60 mark, in 1978 (40-7 over Chicago and 37-10 over Seattle) and in 1961 (26-10 over Dallas and 44-0 over Oakland).Even though he made it through his first National Football League start without any catastrophic errors, Green Bay Packers rookie guard Daryn Colledge probably didn't do enough to take the job away from fellow rookie Jason Spitz. Asked to describe Colledge's performance, coach Mike McCarthy said, "Just OK."
Did You Know? San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers has not been sacked, and the Chargers are the only team with fewer sacks allowed than the Bears (one).Averaging 2.8 yards per rush, as the Bears have in two games, will not scare anybody. But the Bears' running game has been effective in providing balance—70 runs compared with 56 passes—that has gone a long way toward opening up holes in secondaries still geared to stop the run.
Among the changes Brad Childress made when he became coach of the Vikings was to eliminate the childlike hazing among players, who don't miss it. "We're all grown men here, and we didn't need to have eyebrows shaved and that kind of stupid stuff," tight end Jim Kleinsasser said Monday. Asked to compare Childress with his predecessor, Mike Tice, Kleinsasser said Childress is "pretty straightforward and a little more reserved on the sidelines."
NFL Hall of Fame head coach Don Shula, appearing as a guest on Fox Sports Radio, was asked if he felt Dolphins QB Daunte Culpepper has totally recovered from the surgery? "I thought he moved around pretty well. Everyone that has watched him in training camp, says he doesn't seem to favor (his knee) at all. He scrambled a couple times and ran around. He made some good plays but he missed some throws he's got to make."
Eagles cornerback Sheldon Brown said he would not do anything differently in covering 6-foot-5 Plaxico Burress, who beat him for the game-winning, 31-yard touchdown. "The ball was thrown inside and I was playing him outside," the 5-10 Brown said. "It's a tough play, and I just wish the ball was thrown to his outside shoulder, where I was playing him."
Panthers coach John Fox was pressed for information on when WR Steve Smith will return from a hamstring injury. “When those guys are deemed able to play, we’ll play them,” Fox said. “The concussion (for Morgan) and hamstring (for Smith) are two injuries that are harder to gauge. We’ll wait and see.”Millions in tax dollars that Hillsborough officials had offered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a new training facility must be taken off the table unless the team gives ownership of the facility to the public. That was the legal opinion offered Monday by the attorney for the Tampa Sports Authority as part of a debate over $12-million in incentive money once offered to the Bucs as part of a deal to build Raymond James Stadium. The team's gleaming new $30-million facility opened in August, built entirely with private money. The Bucs now say they want to use the public's $12-million to spruce up Raymond James, perhaps with new locker rooms. But the Sports Authority's attorney, John I. Van Voris, said the money was offered for the training facility and can't be used elsewhere.
In Elite Companny
Several big-name QBs had big games on Sunday, but Rex Grossman? Michael Fabiano looks at Grossman's
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Cadillac Williams: Time For Tuneup?
Week 1 was not a great week for first-round picks; four of the first 12 players selected on average in ESPN drafts failed to crack double-digit fantasy points, most notably the Seahawks' Shaun Alexander, who managed only three. While we preach patience, especially with your top draft picks, one first-rounder stands out as a mild worry taking into account his Week 1 performance and health: The Buccaneers' Carnell Williams.
It's not that Cadillac is someone you should be cutting, certainly not because he managed only four fantasy points. Remember, it's only one week, and no matter what happens with Williams looking forward, he's going to do better, beginning in Week 2 against the Falcons. But taking into account all the factors that went into his Week 1 disappointment, there's reason to worry that Williams will be hard-pressed to challenge for top-10 overall status.