Video: Mike Shanahan didn't know the Redskins game was over

When Dallas Cowboys tackle Alex Barron(notes) was called for a holding penalty with no time left on the clock in Sunday's game against Washington Redskins, everyone at FedEx Field seemed to know it meant the game was over. Except new 'Skins coach Mike Shanahan:

Though Shanahan realized the touchdown would be called back, he clearly didn't know the game had ended. Special teams coach Danny Smith had to alert the head coach, but even his explanation was faulty.

"There's a 10-second runoff," Smith said. "The game's over." The game was over, but not because of a 10-second runoff. Because there was no time left on the clock when the play was completed, the game ended on the offensive penalty.

We'll forgive Shanahan because it must have been dumbfounding to watch Alex Barron's stupidity up close. But at least the coach's mistake was fleeting. Donovan McNabb(notes) still doesn't understand why the game didn't go into double-overtime.

Related: Alex Barron, Donovan McNabb, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins

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Sensabaugh: ‘Too much hype’ around Cowboys

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Frank Tadych | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, Gerald Sensabaugh, Frank Tadych

Things in Dallas only get more interesting.

Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh, who was among the players pointing to practice habits as a reason for the team’s 0-2 start (actually drawing the comparison to a circus), actually had much more to say. It turns out Sensabaugh is tired of hearing about the hype surrounding the Cowboys as Super Bowl contenders.

“We need to be focused as a team, an organization, on winning football games, doing what we need to do to win,” Sensabaugh said, per The Dallas Morning News. “It’s real frustrating. I think there’s too much hype around here. The Super Bowl’s here, everybody’s talking about the Cowboys being in the Super Bowl. We haven’t even won a damn game yet.

“I don’t even want to hear anybody talk about the Super Bowl anymore, really. Can we just talk about the next game? There’s too much hype. It’s a sense that you can just show up and win and that’s not the case. That never happens, I don’t care who you have on your team. You don’t just show up and win. You have to go out there and fight and battle.”

Sensabaugh’s rant brings up some interesting points, namely the tendency to anoint paper champions before games have been played. During an interview with the Morning News, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he didn’t know whether the team had bought into the hype and become overconfident.

Clearly, Sensabaugh believes they have.

– Frank Tadych

Posted in: Around The Web  

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Dexter McCluster raps about the dangers of LOL'ing

Kansas City Chiefs rookie sensation Dexter McCluster(notes), in addition to being a second-round draft pick with tremendous potential, is a rap enthusiast. He'd like to use those skills to warn you about the dangers of texting and driving.

I couldn't agree more with the message. Texting, besides being a convenient means of communication, also seems to have been invented as the best possible way to kill yourself and a family of four on the highway. Don't do it, kids.

Also, good news for the Chiefs -- there appears to be no danger of McCluster cutting his NFL career short due to being offered a lucrative record deal.

Related: Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Oddness

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Gisele Bundchen won't allow Tom Brady to cut his hair

Tom Brady(notes) may earn more money than his supermodel wife, Gisele Bundchen, but that doesn't mean he wears the pants in their relationship.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP says he's not cutting his ridiculous-looking Justin Bieber Flock of Seagulls Dorothy Hamill David Cassidy-esque hair because his wife won't give the go-ahead.

[Photos: Tom Brady in action as New England's star quarterback]

"Is there anything I can do to make you cut your hair," New England radio host Greg Hill asked Brady during a phone call on Tuesday.

"Ah, you'll have to speak to my wife about that," Brady replied.

Brady's hair has received almost as much attention as his play on the field this year. The ladies don't like it (Twitter searches and a quick poll of all the women in my life reveal this), men are mocking it (Brady-worshipper Bill Simmons of ESPN wrote "all Patriots fans made a pact to pretend that Brady's 2010 hairdo isn't happening. We're going to ignore it completely, even if his hair catches fire during a game and a referee puts it out with a challenge flag") and even teammates are giggling about it.

"That's a grown man over there, he can do what he wants,'' receiver Brandon Tate(notes) told the Boston Herald. "That's on him."

Even Justin Bieber himself has weighed in on Brady's flowing mane. "Nice haircut, Brady," the tween singing sensation told the Herald in an email. "Dude's got golden locks. Haha!"

[Athletes and actresses: Gisele, Jessica Simpson and more stars who love players]

[List: Ten most attractive female athletes]

Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
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• The best athlete ever -- that you've probably never heard of

Related: Tom Brady

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NFL analyst Brian Baldinger says Ines Sainz was 'asking for it'

We thought we had covered every angle of the Ines Sainz controversy ... at least until former NFL player and current FOX/NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger decided to lose his mind and say what a lot of people are evidently thinking about the whole thing.

For those in need of the Cliff's Notes version: Sainz, an admittedly attractive reporter for the Mexican station TV Azteca, was allegedly harassed by several members of the New York Jets' roster and coaching staff in practice and in the team's locker room. The media frenzy that followed has taken several different paths. Some people see this as a referendum on not allowing women in NFL locker rooms at all (judging from the temperature of my Inbox, the thoughts on that concept are depressingly stuck in the Stone Age). Some see Sainz as a figure who takes feminism backward by providing eye candy. And there are those who believe that because Sainz doesn't dress in Amish fashion, she deserves whatever she gets. No public figure was actually dumb enough to say that in a public forum ... until now.

The winner of our booby prize (pun unfortunately very much intended) goes to Baldinger, who had a lot to say about the alleged incident on the Tony Bruno show on 97.5 the Fanatic in Philadelphia. First, on "scouting" Sainz at the Super Bowl four years ago:

"We know a blue-chipper when we see one. [...] This girl is in a category all for herself. I wish I was on the Jets practice field and they [were] throwing me pass patterns by her as well. You would have seen me stumbling to get to her."

Then, on the controversy now surrounding Sainz...

"Listen, I don't know what she covers for that station in Mexico. If you come into the NFL dressed the way that she is dressed you are just asking for it. I don't know how you can justify any of the actions. Boys will be boys I guess."

OK. Since Baldy had thrown away the shovel and was now burying himself with a backhoe, he was asked whether whether she dresses appropriately for the locker room:

"Listen, these are painted on jeans. She's got a shirt that is just glued to her body. There is nothing out of place. If you want her to walk up there and do an interview with Mark Sanchez(notes), put her in a room with Mark Sanchez. Don't take her through the locker room. I don't think the Jets are wrong in any of this. I don't think they have to apologize for any of this. And for her to make any claims on harassment or of any harassment issues, I think she is just inviting it all upon herself in this case."

You can hear the entire interview here. (H/T to our friends at Sports Radio Interviews)

It's hard to know where to begin after that. I asked Cindy Boren of the Washington Post to add her thoughts on this debacle. Cindy was the Post's NFL editor for seven years, and currently keeps busy as the Post's Social Media Editor and blogger at The Early Lead.

"I wish we had more information on exactly what happened in that locker room but, that said, no matter what Ines Sainz was wearing, she in no way deserved to be harassed for it," Cindy told me. "Does she have to wear a flour sack into the locker room? There's no justification for harassment, no matter what someone is wearing. That's a really abhorrent notion, and one that doesn't stand up in court.

"Again, it baffles me that we aren't beyond this and I suppose we're doomed to revisit the issue every few years. All women reporters ask is for equal access, and to be allowed to do our jobs on a level playing field."

I couldn't have said it better myself. Grow up, Baldy. We thought you were better than this.

Related: Mark Sanchez

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Alex Mack accuses Chiefs defender of grabbing his genitalia

I'm sorry, but any time I can put "genitalia" in a headline, I'm going to do it. I am who I am. Don't judge me.

Here's the opening paragraph from Mary Kay Cabot's article in Tuesday's Cleveland Plain Dealer, in which Alex Mack(notes) levels the junk-grabbing accusations.

Alex Mack accused former Browns defensive lineman Shaun Smith Monday of foul play during the Chiefs game, specifically grabbing his genitals during a play near the end of the first half.

Added Mack, in the most hilarious thing anyone will say all year: "I don't think he should be able to do that."

You're right, friend. He shouldn't. And do you know why? Because in a civilized society, we do not express our anger by grabbing, squeezing or twisting each other's genitals. It's simply not polite. There are rules, Smokey.

As for Smith, he denies the charges, telling AP:

"I don't have no comment. I don't recall doing anything like that. I'm not known for being a dirty player or anything like that, so I don't know what that was all about."

What it's all about, my good man, was what we call a "bad" touch. Unauthorized contact to a fellow competitor's bathing suit area. I hope you're as innocent as you say you are, because there aren't many infractions in the NFL that should be taken more seriously than genital grabbing.

There was no penalty called on the play, but only because this guy was not around to call it.

Gracias, With Leather.

Related: , Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Criminal Behavior, NFL Oddness, Poor Decisions

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Rams pass on pursuing Vincent Jackson

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Frank Tadych | Tags: St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Vincent Jackson, A.J. Smith, Frank Tadych

Take the St. Louis Rams off the list of teams who are in the running for Vincent Jackson.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday the Rams aren’t pursuing Jackson, citing league sources. According to Thomas, the Rams’ reasoning is that “expending lots of money, plus draft picks, for a player with past DUI issues didn’t make sense” for the team.

What will be interesting to find out is just how many teams don’t feel that way.

Dating back several weeks, it’s believed the Chargers are looking for a second-round draft pick, plus another selection, in return. Per a report Tuesday from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Jackson’s agents have the parameters of a deal done with at least one team, as well as outlined deals done “with other clubs.”

What’s left to find out is if somebody blinks first, and whether Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith will come down from his asking price. With Wednesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline that would likely kill any deal just hours away, time is running out.

– Frank Tadych

Posted in: Around The Web  

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Wells returns to practice, hopes to play Sunday

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Adam Rank | Tags: Arizona Cardinals, Ken Whisenhunt, Tim Hightower, Beanie Wells

Stop me if you have heard this one before — RB Beanie Wells expects to play on Sunday. Of course he does. Even coach Ken Whisenhunt is getting tired of repeating the same refrain over the past couple of weeks.

So it appears we are getting closer. Maybe. Darren Urban wrote on the team’s official site that Wells was not even close to playing last week. But Wells went through a rigorous workout on Wednesday, and the team will wait to see how his knee responds.

RB Tim Hightower is still a great start against the Raiders this week, no matter what Wells does because the Cardinals will be very guarded with the young runner when he returns.

– Adam Rank

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy Live.

Posted in: Fantasy  

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Brett Favre has prayed for Lil' Wayne; brightened his spirits

Due to a weapons possession charge, omnipresent rapper Lil' Wayne is spending his time now, and will be for the next 48 days, at the Rikers Island correctional facility.

How's he keeping his spirits up? With the prayers and affirmations of Brett Favre(notes), of course.

MTV reports that the Minnesota Vikings quarterback expressed to Bryant McKinnie, a teammate of Favre's and a friend of Wayne's, that Wayne was in Favre's prayers. Here's the quote from Young Money's Mack Maine:

"He's loving that," Maine said of Wayne's feelings about Favre's decision to play his 20th year in the league. "That gives [Wayne] more incentive to watch this year, because that's his favorite player. Shout-out to Brett too. Brett reached out, and he made sure I told Wayne that. That was the first thing [Brett] asked when he got back to camp, really. [Vikings tackle] Bryant McKinnie(notes) is one of our friends, B-Mac. [Favre] asked B-Mac, 'How you been?' B-Mac answered. And he was like, 'How's Wayne?' That was his second question to B-Mac. Those two are real good friends. He said, 'Let [Wayne] know I been praying for him and send him my love.' So I let Wayne know that. He said, 'You just brightened my spirits up for the rest of the month.' He was real excited."

Because of his stints on ESPN's "1st and 10," I knew Weezy was a Favre fan, but I did not know that Favre was a fan of Weezy F. Baby. This is one of the few things I've found that I have in common with Brett Favre. I guess the guy likes to put on the Wranglers, toss the ball around a muddy field, get in his pick-up truck and rock out to "Mrs. Officer." Who knew?

I bet this will end up earning Favre a mention on "The Carter IV."

Gracias, Sportress of Blogitude.

Related: Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, NFL Oddness

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Bears’ Garza proud of heritage… and first place

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Craig Ellenport | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Hispanic Heritage Month, Roberto Garza

Since he entered the NFL in 2001, Roberto Garza has always been involved in the league’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s just a little different this year. Because not only will his Chicago Bears be honoring Hispanic Heritage Month during next Monday night’s nationally-televised game against the Green Bay Packers, but it will be a battle of undefeated teams vying for first place in the NFC North.

Bears guard Roberto Garza with kids at Clearview Elementary in Waukegan, Ill. Click here to see what the NFL has planned for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at this week's Sunday and Monday night games.

“We’re the talk of the town right now,” said the 31-year-old Garza, the Bears’ starting left guard. “Obviously it’s early in the season and we’ve got a long way to go,” he said of the Bears’ surprising 2-0 record. “But it’s a good start.”

The Bears are coming off a big win in Dallas against the Cowboys, the team Garza rooted for as a kid growing up in southern Texas. His hometown of Rio Hondo is about eight hours south of Dallas –- but that was close enough for Garza to have 125 family and friends at the game.

“Growing up in the ‘90s, I definitely have a lot of memories watching Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin,” he said, adding the win over the Cowboys “absolutely” had special meaning to him.

Also having special meaning to Garza is the role he gets to play in the Latino community because of his status as a player in the NFL. On Tuesday, he visited Clearview Elementary School in Waukegan, Ill., and took part in a reading program, part of the United Way of Lake County’s Success by Six initiative.

“These kids are learning English and unfortunately struggling, so a big part of the program is reading,” said Garza, himself the son of Mexican immigrants. “I’m going in there to read some books to the kids, tell them a little about my story, how similar my story is to theirs … The message to the kids is to stay in school and take advantage of the opportunity they have to get their education and move forward in their lives. They’re young right now, but it’s important for them to take a real interest in their education.”

Each year, Garza meets more Latino players who have made it to the NFL, and while he knows Latino football players remain very much a minority on NFL rosters, he’s encouraged to see them at different positions. “(Hall of Fame offensive lineman) Anthony Munoz was one of the guys that paved the way for us,” Garza said. “And many years ago, he thought the only other Latino players would be kickers. Now there are players at all positions. Hopefully it continues to grow.”

As for Monday night’s showdown with the Packers, Garza said the Bears enter this game with more confidence than they’ve had in years. “We’ve known all along and Coach Lovie (Smith) has preached to us that we’re a good team. We didn’t show that in the preseason, going 0-4, but once the season starts the intensity comes up, and we were able to prove that the first two weeks. We celebrated the Dallas victory for a day; now it’s time to move on to the Green Bay Packers. It’s a good rivalry week for us, so everybody’s going to be ready to go.”

For more details on the NFL’s plans for Hispanic Heritage Month, click here.

– Craig Ellenport

Posted in: Sidelines  

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Texans WR Johnson says he felt pretty good today

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Adam Rank | Tags: Houston Texans, Andre Johnson, Shonn Greene, Louise Brooks

Texans WR Andre Johnson participated in the team’s walk-through before practice on Wednesday and should be doing a little bit more on Thursday, according to Nick Scurfield of the team’s official site (via Twitter). Johnson told Scurfeld that he “felt pretty good today.”

Johnson’s ankle is reportedly better than mine, which I injured jumping off the Shonn Greene bandwagon lately. In fact, I do not believe that this much attention has been paid to an ankle since 1920s film maiden Louise Brooks flashed some ankle during one of the many talkies she appeared in back in the day.

– Adam Rank

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy Live.

Posted in: Fantasy  

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Fun facts: Who is the only team without passing TD?

Want to impress your pals when you gather to watch the Week 3 action Sunday? As we pored through the voluminous stack of notes prepared this week by the crack NFL Network staff for the NFL GameDay Morning crew to use, we pulled out a few nuggets you can use as fun facts or tough trivia:

Browns at Ravens:

» The Ravens outscored the Browns 50-3 in their two meetings last season and the Ravens defense outscored the Browns offense, 7-3, in those two meetings.

Cowboys at Texans:

» The last time these teams met, the Cowboys’ starting QB was Drew Bledsoe (2006). Tony Romo came off the bench in that game and recorded his first career pass attempt, completion, and TD (3-yd pass TD to Terrell Owens).

» Cowboys have the lowest percentage of run plays in the NFL this season (29.6 percent) and their 100 pass plays this season is 13 more than any other team in the NFL.

49ers at Chiefs:

» The 49ers have not won at KC since 1982, a 26-13 victory in which Hall of Fame 49ers head coach Bill Walsh defeated Hall of Fame Chiefs head coach Marv Levy.

Lions at Vikings:

» The Lions have lost their last 21 road games and with a loss at Minnesota would tie for the third longest road losing streak in NFL history. But the Lions already own the record, having lost 24 straight road games from 2001-2003.

» In his previous 18 years as a starter, Brett Favre has only started the season 0-3 once (0-4 in 2005).

Bills at Patriots:

» The Patriots have won the last 13 meetings in this series dating back to Week 17 of 2003. That’s tied with Chargers over Raiders for the longest active win streak by one team vs. an opponent.

Falcons at Saints:

» Of QB Matt Ryan’s 76 pass attempts through two games this season, 35 have been targeted for WR Roddy White.

Steelers at Buccaneers:

» The Steelers are the only team that does not have a pass TD this season.

Eagles at Jaguars

» Michael Vick has a 100-plus passer rating in back-to-back games for just the second time in his career when having 10-plus pass attempts. in each game (has never had 3 straight games with a 100-plus rating).

Raiders at Cardinals:

» With a rushing TD this week, Tim Hightower would become the first Cardinals RB since Ottis Anderson in 1985 to rush for a TD in each of the first three games of the season.

Colts at Broncos:

» QB Peyton Manning leads the NFL with 688 pass yards — his most ever through the first two games of season.

Chargers at Seahawks:

» Chargers QB Philip Rivers has at least 1 pass TD in 15 straight games, longest active streak in NFL.

» TE Antonio Gates needs one receiving TD to pass Shannon Sharpe for second all-time by a TE. Gates and Sharpe have 62. Tony Gonzalez has the most, 82.

Jets at Dolphins:

» RB LaDainian Tomlinson has 6.3 yards per rush this season with 5 runs of 10-plus yards (14 runs of 10-plus yards in 14 games last season).

» QB Chad Henne has 0 INT in 49 pass attempts this season. Last year vs. the Jets, Henne was 2-0, with 3 TDs, 0 INT. The rest of NFL had 5 pass TDs, 17 INT vs Jets.

Packers at Bears:

» The last meeting between these teams marked the only game last season that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers did not throw a TD pass.

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Stafford improving, but has yet to throw

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | Frank Tadych | Tags: Detroit Lions, Frank Tadych, Jim Schwartz, Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill

Jim Schwartz might have us believe that there’s a chance Matthew Stafford could play against the Vikings in Week 3. Literally, he’s saying there really is a chance.

Meanwhile, Chris McCosky points out in The Detroit News that Stafford hasn’t tried to throw a football with his right arm (his injury is to his throwing shoulder), and noticed he couldn’t untie his shoes with his right hand. A glimmer of hope, though, for Lions fans, as it does sound like Stafford is improving.

“It’s going good,” Stafford said. “I am just trying to keep my shoulder as strong as possible. Whenever I am ready to go, I will play. It feels better.”

Sounds like it’s a done deal that Shaun Hill makes his second straight start for the Lions.

– Frank Tadych

Posted in: Around The Web  

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and exactly how any Mets are generally playing

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If Tolbert is a free agent, go get him!

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | Michael Fabiano | Tags: Darren Sproles, Michael Fabiano, Ryan Mathews, Mike Tolbert

Our Jason La Canfora is reporting that the Chargers are operating as if Mike Tolbert will start against the Seahawks. Rookie Ryan Mathews suffered an injured ankle last week and is unlikely to play.

If Tolbert is still a free agent in your fantasy league (he’s available in 85.1 percent of NFL.com leagues), you need to stop reading this and pick him up.

The bowling ball of a running back is coming off a huge game against the Jaguars, rushing for 82 yards and two touchdowns after Mathews went down. He has another great matchup ahead, facing a Seahawks defense that can be vulnerable to the run.

Tolbert will lose some work to Darren Sproles, who also has more value as a fantasy option, but he’ll see enough carries (and all of the goal-line work) to make an impact as a No. 2 runner or a high-end flex starter.

In fact, I’ve ranked Tolbert in the top 20 among running backs for Week 3.

– Michael Fabiano

Posted in: Fantasy  

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Mark Sanchez's unpaid endorsement of Taco Bell

Mark Sanchez's(notes) repeated runs for the border paid off handsomely for a Taco Bell general manager in upstate New York.

Dawn Kotowski runs a Taco Bell located near the SUNY-Cortland campus where the New York Jets hold training camp. After the team's quarterback made a few trips to the fast-food franchise -- ordering a chicken taco and chicken burrito without tomatoes each time -- Kotowski gave him a hat emblazoned with the Taco Bell logo and playfully asked Sanchez to wear it at practice.

The second-year player did even better, sporting the hat during several team meetings that were filmed by HBO's "Hard Knocks." The Sports Business Journal reports that Taco Bell received the equivalent of $68,000 in free advertising due to Sanchez's choice of headgear.

"The nice ladies at Taco Bell gave me a Taco Bell hat," Sanchez told reporters when camp broke. "I was really excited about that, and Bart [Scott] was really excited about that. This place is awesome. We love being here. We can't wait to be here next year."

"Territorial Taco Bell affinity is common amongst men in the early 20s," said NFL blogger Chris Chase. "The one that was near my apartment in college has always had a special place in my heart because they always hooked it up with extra fire sauce and cut my Mexican pizza in eight slices instead of the usual four."

A Taco Bell spokesman says Kotowski was rewarded by the company "in a number of ways." For her sake, we hope one of those ways wasn't in the form of free tickets to the Jets' season-opening game against the Ravens, because that would have been more like a punishment. Sanchez must have eaten at Chipotle before that one.

Related: Mark Sanchez, New York Jets

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Southern supremacy on line Sunday

US Presswire, Icon SMICoaches Sean Payton and Mike Smith lead their teams into an NFC South showdown Sunday, and whichever team is victorious will have the early lead for the division title.The man with perhaps the best vision in the NFL was asked the other day for his view of the Atlanta Falcons.

Drew Brees surveyed the field as he was asked if the Falcons appear to be “on the cusp’’ like the Saints were last year. He spotted something he liked in the question and he threw deep down the middle.

“Yes, because you have the offensive and defensive system that guys have been running for a while, so there’s a comfort level, and I know their personnel’s been very consistent,’’ the New Orleans Saints' quarterback said. “The young players they’ve added are talented guys, so I think they’re as good as they are from a personnel standpoint, defensively at least, as I’ve seen them.”

Welcome to the NFC South, where, at least on the surface, things are a little more laid back. Rivalries aren’t played out in the media and coaches and players go out of their way to kill each other with kindness.

“This is a tough division,’’ Brees said. “Anytime you play a divisional opponent there’s a lot of familiarity there and you just know that there are always close games. They’re always fighting . You both know each other’s personnel pretty well. I think a lot of it is about who can out-execute the other. It’s not about fooling them with trick plays or anything else. It’s just about lining up and being able to play better. They have a good football team and obviously they’ll be ready to play us. It’s a big challenge.”

Probably even bigger than the Saints and Falcons are willing to admit publicly. Let’s face it, the best rivalry in the NFC South these days is Atlanta and New Orleans. They were the top teams in the division last year and whatever happens Sunday when they play in the Louisiana Superdome will go a long way in deciding who wins the division.

Yes, Tampa Bay is 2-0, but let’s see that bandwagon roll a little bit more before including the Buccaneers in discussions about the division title. From the time predictions started rolling out this summer, the NFC South has been a two-team race.

In fact, the Falcons were a trendy pick to win the division, maybe even go to the Super Bowl. That may have ruffled some feathers in New Orleans, where fans can still feel the Lombardi Trophy. Even in the New Orleans locker room, there have been a few comments about how the Falcons were getting credit before they’d done anything.

Saints head coach Sean Payton stayed clear of any hint of that this week when asked if he cared that so many people had picked Atlanta to win the division.

“What do you think?” Payton said.

One reporter followed that up by saying he thought Payton did care and that he might use it as a motivational tactic.

“Honestly, I think that all of that is unimportant to all of us, myself included,’’ Payton said. "I really wouldn’t know how many people have picked them to win or us to win; it’s really unimportant. What’s important is what happens. To be honest with you, it’s not something that we’ve looked at and pointed at."

It’s only Week 3 of the NFL season, but this is shaping up as a huge game for both teams. The Saints (2-0) arre coming off a short week and a difficult Monday night win against San Francisco after opening the season with an emotional close victory over Minnesota.

Grant Halverson/Getty ImagesDrew Brees said the Falcons are "as talented on defense as I've ever seen them."You could look at New Orleans and say the Saints haven’t played particularly well in either game and that they’re banged up, especially at running back where Reggie Bush is out for about six weeks after suffering a broken right fibula against San Francisco. You could look at New Orleans and say the Saints are ripe for their first defeat since Week 17 last season.

But Atlanta head coach Mike Smith isn’t about to do that. He sees a division rival that the Falcons played tough twice last season but lost both times. And he sees Brees.

“He is definitely going to be the best quarterback that we’ve faced this season," Smith said."He may very well be the best quarterback we face all season -- two times. I think the biggest challenge is the surrounding cast that is around Drew Brees. They’re very, very talented at the wide receiver position. They’re very talented at the running back position and they’re very talented at the tight end position. It creates matchup issues, not only for our team but for any team that the New Orleans Saints play.”

The Falcons (1-1) had a dud game in Pittsburgh in their opener followed by a near-perfect game in routing Arizona in Week 2. If you’ve followed the Falcons at all, you know they limped to a 9-7 record last season with a bunch of injuries and some problems on defense.

If you followed the Falcons at all through the offseason, you know they spent their downtime working on ways to level the playing field with the Saints. They made one big move in free agency, signing Dunta Robinson. A team that hadn’t had a No. 1 cornerback in several years now does and that could help against Brees and his cast of receivers. The Falcons also drafted outside linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, a guy who has the speed to match up with New Orleans tight end Jeremy Shockey and the ability to surprise Brees with blitzes.

Let’s turn back to the guy who can see the whole field for a scouting report on Atlanta’s defense.

“I think they’re as talented on defense as I’ve ever seen them,’’ Brees said. “They’ve got very active and athletic front four as well as some linebackers that can fly around, make all of the plays and a lot of tackles, get involved in the pressure packages quite a bit. Everybody in their secondary is pretty athletic with pretty good ball skills, and I just think they work well as a group collectively.’’

The volleys of praise could continue going back and forth a lot longer. The Saints and Falcons may be genuine in their respect for each other. But, in the best rivalry in the NFC South, all the sweet talk will go out the window when the Saints and Falcons hit the field Sunday.

Southern hospitality is one thing. Supremacy in the NFC South is something else entirely, and that’s what the Falcons and Saints will be playing for Sunday.

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Key Chargers miss practice on Wednesday

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Adam Rank | Tags: San Diego Chargers, Vincent Jackson, Norv Turner, Ryan Mathews, Malcom Floyd

Chargers RB Ryan Mathews and WR Malcom Floyd missed practice on Wednesday, according to a team release.

Mathews said that he is suffering from a high ankle sprain. Which is the same type of injury that ruined Michael Turner’s 2009 season. Mathews insists that the injury is not that bad, but this is clearly not a good development. Is Mike Tolbert still available in your leagues right now? You may need the handcuff.

Floyd said that he was suffering from leg soreness, according to coach Norv Turner. When Floyd incurred the injury is a mystery, but does anybody know if Vincent Jackson practices Voodoo?

– Adam Rank

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy Live.

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Allen turns off-field passion into cookbook

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Tiffany Shine | Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Jared Allen, The Quarterback Killer

Jared Allen's new cookbook. (Special to NFL.com)

Besides hunting quarterbacks, Jared Allen fills his free time trying his hand at hunting large game. He has also turned his off-field passion into a cookbook titled “The Quarterback Killer,” which came out on Tuesday.

Within those pages you can find recipes to quiet your hankering for braised bear, spicy wild turkey frittata, elk osso bucco and wild boar ragu. While some of these items may sound outlandish, they come from a simple place: Allen’s hunting trips with his dad and grandfather.

The table of contents begins with titles like ”Badass Men, Better Meat” and “Frickin’ Great Fowl” and later on entries like “Yes, Deer.” Allen’s playful sense of humor isn’t what you would expect of one of the National Football League’s most relentless pass rushers. Comparatively speaking, his cookbook is a manly man’s endeavor covering hunting and wild game.

Allen and his wife share the kitchen duties too, only Jared’s kitchen is outside, where he mans the grill.

“I am a firm advocate of eating what you kill,” Allen says.

While he didn’t write the recipes for this cookbook, the stories are his. I asked him if he had any big fish stories.

“The elk hunt, that was pretty sweet,” Allen explained. “I was able to get an elk with a spear … it takes a lot of time, a lot of patience, and you have to make sure you get the right angle.

“Basically I am a fan of food. I have to be careful or I could be 300-plus pounds.”

– Tiffany Shine

Posted in: Sidelines  

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Cribbs’ fantasy? Hollywood stardom

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Tiffany Shine | Tags: Cleveland Browns, Josh Cribbs, Fantasy football, Chad Ochocinco

Josh Cribbs had 74 receiving yards and a touchdown last Sunday against the Chiefs. Fantasy owners might be taking notice of the Browns’ all-purpose threat, but not just because Cribbs has electrifying speed and could potentially fill a void at WR. They might be taking notice because Cribbs is scheduled next week to appear on the new FX fantasy football vehicle, “The League,” a ripe comedy about an eight-person fantasy football league and the way it ruins or improves each player’s life.

The season opener featured Chad Ochocinco and some draft-day hijinks as this middle-class group of fantasy-loving males (and one well-versed but uninvited female) navigates the waters of a true Vegas-style draft. Ochocinco’s performance was funny, but Cribbs believes his could possibly be better. “I haven’t seen my episode yet. I probably will critique myself,” said Cribbs, adding that, in the end, “I pulled it off.”

Cribbs is both nervous and excited to see his episode air next Thursday, Sept. 30. “I’m going to watch it with my wife and my kids,” he said. “I am going to have everybody watch it. I’m going to call so many people! I’m not just going to tweet it.”

Cribbs told me his first priority is to have a good season and to take care of his responsibilities on the field, but that this opportunity was really exciting for him and in many ways a dream come true. Since Cribbs was a communications major at Kent State and had a theater background in school, much of the acting and improvisation came naturally to him. It was still a big challenge, though.

“I was kind of intimidated that I was going to have to be going against these great actors. Their show is really successful, so it was like I had to approach it as though it was a game. You know, prepare and watch film.”

Cribbs told me one of the coolest parts of being on the show was having his own trailer. “I couldn’t get over the fact that I had my own trailer with a TV, a refrigerator and a couch. I’m like, ‘Look at me, I’m in Hollywood.’”

He credits football with giving him an express lane to this dream. “I’m just taking advantage of my opportunities. You know, thinking a little about my life after football, but I don’t want any of my off-the-field things to overshadow my on-the-field play.”

Football, after all, is still Act I.

– Tiffany Shine

Posted in: Sidelines  

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Favre, Vikings should employ ‘less is more’ logic

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Paul Burmeister

Through two weeks, both Brett Favre’s play and the reaction it has caused have been thought-provoking.

It’s easy to pin Favre’s struggles on the absence of WR Sidney Rice — and hey, maybe that’s as far as the analyzing needs to go. But another way to make sense of it is through a little exercise of compare and contrast.

The Vikings’ passing attack in 2010 doesn’t at all resemble its approach through two games in 2009. I was at Minnesota’s second game of the season last year in Detroit and witnessed firsthand how conservative the play-calling was. Check-downs, screens, quick flicks to the wide receivers, play-action rollouts to tight ends dragging across the field. Heck, a quick slant was an aggressive call that day. Favre’s numbers that day don’t mislead: 23 of 27 for just 155 yards.

In his first two games last season, Favre averaged less than 7.0 yards per completion. Going through his game logs over the next 14 games, he didn’t have a two-game stretch in which his yards-per-completion was less than 10. The 2009 version of Favre evolved into a deadly down-the-field passer, but he didn’t start that way.

So when Favre tried to force a pass 60 yards downfield to Bernard Berrian on Sunday, but it fell short and was intercepted, I thought back to the more conservative approach I witnessed at Ford Field last September and wondered why it wasn’t dusted off again this year. Considering the factors — Favre’s lack of practice time, the concerns at wide receiver, RB Adrian Peterson’s excellent play and the salty defense – it seems the dialed-back passing attack employed early in ’09 would have played quite well again this year.

Favre doesn’t have Rice, but the Vikings haven’t displayed the “jog-before-you-run” play-calling mentality that allowed him to ease into the season a year ago. Favre is averaging more than 10 yards per completion this season, but he has less than a 60 percent completion percentage for the first time in five seasons.

A good reminder in my line of work is that “less is usually more.” That logic applied to a still-shaking-the-rust-off 39-year-old quarterback a year ago at this time. I think it should fit the 40-year-old version, too.

– Paul Burmeister

Follow The NFL Network on Twitter @nflnetwork.

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Michael Vick at the crossroads

AP Photo/Paul SancyaMichael Vick's long journey back to being a starting NFL quarterback is finally over.PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick's road to redemption has hit another very important crossroads -- maybe the most profound one yet.

Ever since he was released from prison last summer, the Eagles’ quarterback has worked hard to reach this point. On Sunday, in Jacksonville, Vick begins Act II of his life as a starting quarterback again in the NFL.

A lot has happened to Vick since he was released from Leavenworth Prison. He has tried to rehabilitate his image -- from a dog-killing ex-convict to a contributing member of society and a good teammate.

Remember, when he came to Philadelphia, he was a social pariah. The Eagles -- particularly head coach Andy Reid -- saved Vick from the scrap heap of life. The commissioner of the NFL once described his actions as "heinous."

In the summer of 2009, no other NFL team was seriously interested. Only Reid and the Eagles. Now, Vick gets to return the favor. He was saved by Reid; now he gets to save Reid.

Vick told me he thinks about that a lot. He told me it’s all very humbling to him.

I’ve been around Vick since the day he got released from prison. And I remember him very well from his six years in Atlanta. He’s a much different person.

Gone is the sense of entitlement and arrogance. He is more sensitive to those around him and his surroundings -- and much more coachable. He has been scared straight. He has received great counseling from Tony Dungy and great coaching from Reid, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach James Urban.

He has better pocket awareness, improved mechanics and a better understanding of how to play quarterback.

He must learn to read defenses better and learn to recognize the blitz. In 44 drop-backs last Sunday in Detroit, he was hit 24 times. If that continues, he won’t last the season. (The Eagles are advised not to trade Kevin Kolb. They may need him.) Remember, Vick hasn’t played much in three years. In that time, defenses have completely changed -- it has become a blitz-heavy league, and he is adjusting to that.

And Vick will have to adjust to his new role as leader of this Eagles team. DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin remember Vick in a Falcons uniform when they were playing Madden when they were kids.

For them, it’s a surreal experience. "You just can’t believe it when you see him on the field, how much faster he is than everybody else," Maclin said.

The pressure is also on Vick off the field. He had that hiccup in June when his friend was shot outside his ill-advised birthday party. He nearly got kicked out of the league for good. He told me then this is his last chance. Since then, the Eagles have put in tougher monitoring measures to guide Vick -- measures strongly suggested by the league office.

This is the moment Vick has been waiting for, a chance to show that 15 months of hard work and re-making himself as a football player and a man were all worth it.

It begins Sunday at 4:15 p.m. ET in Jacksonville.

Sal Paolantonio covers the NFL for ESPN. His latest book is "How Football Explains America."

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This is why nobody likes the Raiders

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Adam Rank | Tags: Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, Matt Hasselbeck, Tom Cable, Andy Reid, Bruce Gradkowski, Adam Rank

Eagles coach Andy Reid showed the fantasy world some respect by announcing the Michael Vick switch on Tuesday night. Well before the deadline of waiver wire claims.

While Reid would not come out and admit it, he had a twinkle in his eye that said, ‘Hey, look fantasy enthusiasts, I totally get it. Us NFL coaches need to be more savvy and connect with your fantasy players. That is why I am making this announcement right now. You guys will always be cool with me.’

That was subtle, but that twinkle was there.

On Wednesday, Raiders coach Tom Cable announced the decision most knew was coming – Bruce Gradkowski is going to be the team’s starting quarterback. Gradkowski might not immediately jump out at you as a fantasy superstar as say, Vick. And he might not have been the most attractive name on the waiver wire this week. But with a solid matchup against the Cardinals looming, Gradkowski could get some looks from people who started the season with Kevin Kolb and Matthew Stafford as their quarterbacks, like one of the kids in the comment section.

Gradkowski seems like a better option than Matt Hasselbeck, for instance.

I understand that the Raiders have not been fantasy — or reality — relevant (seemingly) since the team was originally in Oakland, but how about a little consideration when making these moves?

– Adam Rank

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy Live.

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Beanie will be back, but do you start him?

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | Michael Fabiano | Tags: Ken Whisenhunt, Tim Hightower, Michael Fabiano, Beanie Wells

If you drafted Beanie Wells to be your No. 2 fantasy runner this season, chances are you’ve been scrambling to find alternative options. The Ohio State product has missed the first two games with a bum knee, leaving Tim Hightower to be the Cardinals’ featured back.

There is some light at the end of the tunnel, though, as coach Ken Whisenhunt has confirmed to the team’s official website that Wells will play in Week 3, barring setbacks. How much he actually plays against the Raiders is still up in the air.

With that said, it’s hard to trust as more than a low-end flex starter until we know he’s going to see enough touches to produce. Hightower remains the better fantasy option and should be active in most leagues against the Raiders, who field one of the NFL’s weaker run defenses.

– Michael Fabiano

Posted in: Fantasy  

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NFL Week 3 Announcing Schedule and Broadcast Maps

Thanks to Awful Announcing for the following:

Sunday September 26

Tennessee Titans @ New York Giants (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf –  Meadowlands Stadium, E. Rutherford, NJ
Cincinnati Bengals @ Carolina Panthers (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Bill Macatee, Rich Gannon – Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots – Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens (CBS, 1 p.m.) — Don Criqui, Steve Beuerlein – M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD

CBS early games coverage map via The 506

Dallas Cowboys @ Houston Texans (FOX, 1 p.m.) — Joe Buck, Troy Aikman [National] – Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
San Francisco 49ers @ Kansas City Chiefs (FOX, 1 p.m.) – Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan – Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (FOX, 1 p.m.) — Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa – Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Atlanta Falcons @ New Orleans Saints (FOX, 1 p.m.) — Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick – Superdome, New Orleans, LA

Washington Redskins @ St. Louis Rams (FOX, 4 p.m.) – Dick Stockton, Charles Davis, Jim Mora – Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO
Philadelphia Eagles @ Jacksonville Jaguars (FOX, 4 p.m.) – Ron Pitts, John Lynch – Everbank Field, Jacksonville, FL

FOX Coverage Map

Indianapolis Colts @ Denver Broncos (CBS, 4:15 p.m.)-– Jim Nantz, Phil Simms [National] – Invesco Field, Denver, CO
Oakland Raiders @ Arizona Cardinals (CBS, 4:15 p.m.)– Spero Dedes, Randy Cross – University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
San Diego Chargers @ Seattle Seahawks (CBS, 4:15 p.m.) -– Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts – Qwest Field, Seattle, WA

CBS late games coverage map

New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins (NBC, 8:20 p.m.) – Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth – Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL

Monday September 27

Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (ESPN, 8:30 p.m.) – Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, Jon Gruden – Soldier Field, Chicago, IL

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Key Chargers miss practice on Wednesday

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Adam Rank | Tags: San Diego Chargers, Vincent Jackson, Norv Turner, Ryan Mathews, Malcom Floyd

Chargers RB Ryan Mathews and WR Malcom Floyd missed practice on Wednesday, according to a team release.

Mathews said that he is suffering from a high ankle sprain. Which is the same type of injury that ruined Michael Turner’s 2009 season. Mathews insists that the injury is not that bad, but this is clearly not a good development. Is Mike Tolbert still available in your leagues right now? You may need the handcuff.

Floyd said that he was suffering from leg soreness, according to coach Norv Turner. When Floyd incurred the injury is a mystery, but does anybody know if Vincent Jackson practices Voodoo?

– Adam Rank

Tweet your fantasy questions to @nflfantasy. Your Tweet might end up on the air on NFL.com Fantasy Live.

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Monday Night Football Live Blog, Week 2: Saints @ 49ers

Tonight, the world champion Saints travel to face the 49ers, who couldn't have been any more disappointing in Week 1. If you're planning to watch, we'd be thrilled if you chose to do so right here with us.

We'll be here throughout the game with running commentary, observations, insights, polls, blatant lies and a high level of interactivity with you, our kind-hearted and appreciated reader.

We'll get it started a few minutes before kickoff. See you then.

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Cowboys' offense has an identity crisis

AP Photo/James D SmithJason Garrett's offense has relied heavily on the pass in Dallas' first two games this season.IRVING, Texas -- It's hard to believe that Princeton's Jason Garrett was once the next big thing in terms of head coaching candidates in the NFL. Though he might not admit it in polite company, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had hoped Wade Phillips would bridge the gap until Garrett was ready to take over the team.

Jones paid Garrett $3 million not to leave following the 2007 season, and we all know what happened after that. Jones lost so much confidence in his young offensive coordinator that he attempted to bring Dan Reeves out of retirement as a consultant, per Phillips' request, before that deal fell apart in embarrassing fashion. Garrett is no longer on the short list of future head coaches in the league.

That's why I was amused by a national report Sunday night indicating that Jones might fire Phillips during the season and replace him with Garrett if the Cowboys continued to lose games. I could think of three coaches on the current staff whom Jones would turn to before Garrett, who has been stripped of the "genius" title despite his Ivy League pedigree and clinical approach on the sideline.

It has been well-documented that the Cowboys haven't established a running game during their 0-2 start. We spent the offseason talking about how Marion Barber was going to return from a torn quadriceps and Felix Jones had added bulk while maintaining his speed. This was supposed to remind us off the Giants' "Earth, Wind and Fire" rotation from 2008, but so far, they've only conjured memories of the Troy Hambrick era.

As I observed Sunday's game against the Bears, I kept noticing the Cowboys running in second-and-long situations. This normally resulted in Bears linebacker Lance Briggs knifing through the line and tackling Jones for a loss. Extensive research by ESPNDallas.com revealed the Cowboys have run the ball 31.3 percent of the time on first down, which ranks 31st in the league.

In Week 1 against the Redskins, the Cowboys rushed for 103 yards on 22 carries, which seemed reasonable. But for whatever reason, Garrett has Andy Reid Syndrome in that he seems to run the ball more out of a sense of obligation than actual belief that it might lead to something. The so-called three-headed monster that presumably includes Tashard Choice has been much ado about nothing.

[+] Enlarge Larry French/Getty ImagesTony Romo's 98 pass attempts this season are the most in a two-game stretch since he took over as the Cowboys' starter.If I learned anything from my four years of news conferences with Bill Parcells, it's that that the number of carries can sometimes be nearly as important as the number of yards produced. Parcells believed that you could control the game by committing to the running game and not abandoning it at the first sign of trouble. As long as you could avoid negative plays, Parcells could live with 1- and 2-yard gains.

I'm sure some of you are wondering how the Indianapolis Colts seem to annually put up huge offensive numbers without the help of a consistent running game. Well, it helps to have one of the best quarterbacks of all time and a group of receivers who know exactly how to attack a defense. At this point, the Cowboys are fortunate to get a play off without a false start.

Dallas showed signs of having a balanced offense last season and Garrett gave the running game more than just a casual glance. Jones was brilliant in those playoff games against the Eagles, and most of us thought he'd touch the ball at least 15-20 times per game this season. That hasn't worked out, in part because the offensive line lost its identity during the preseason and the first two real games.

Center Andre Gurode and right guard Leonard Davis earned reputations as maulers in this league. They would impose their will on opposing defensive linemen, clearing the way for big gains from Barber and Jones. But some of that started to fade when offensive line coach Tony Sparano left for Miami after the 2007 season. This is an offensive line that appears to be much more comfortable when pass blocking. Folks who watch a lot more film than I do have said that Davis is no longer able to move his feet, which is allowing defenders to get too much penetration. There has even been speculation that Montrae Holland could replace Davis in the starting lineup, but I have not heard that from anyone on the coaching staff.

Through it all, Garrett has promised not to give up on the run. During his weekly visit with reporters Wednesday, he tried to explain his approach to play calling.

"Regarding any play-calling sequence and Game 1 and Game 2, what you’re trying to do is put the team in the best position they can be in," Garrett said. "Sometimes it means calling passes and sometimes it means calling runs."

But through two games, it has been mostly about the pass. I think what has happened is the Cowboys still want to be a power running team, but they now have a finesse offensive line. We spent part of the offseason wondering whether Doug Free would be the answer at left tackle, but he has been the least of the Cowboys' offensive worries. Right now, this is a left-leaning offense in the running game, which obviously makes them easier to defend. Remember the last time they loaded up and found some yardage behind the right side?

Yeah, I don't either. This is an offense without an identity. And if they want to have any chance at the playoffs, they better find one in a hurry.

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Harvin practices, but he’s still a risk

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | Michael Fabiano | Tags: Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Michael Fabiano, Percy Harvin, Visanthe Shiancoe

Percy Harvin has not had the kind of start that fantasy owners were hoping for this season. Between a hip ailment, migraine issues and the ineffectiveness of the Vikings offense, he’s become a major gamble.

On a positive note, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Harvin was able to practice on Thursday and should be able to play in Week 3.

Barring a setback, Harvin has to be considered a viable No. 3 fantasy wideout based on what is an extremely favorable matchup against the Lions. After all, their defense has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

But make no mistake, there isn’t a member of the Vikings offense not named Adrian Peterson or Visanthe Shiancoe who can be started with confidence right now. Not even Brett Favre against a team he’s dominated throughout his career.

Here’s to hoping Sidney Rice is back sooner than later.

– Michael Fabiano

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Gridiron Gab Week Three Preview: Cleveland at Baltimore

Match-up: Cleveland (0-2) @ Baltimore (1-1)

Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium

Home Sweet Home:

Finally the Ravens are back home for their season opener after two tough road games. Another divisional match-up as the Cleveland Browns come to town and they are hungry for a win.   After the Ravens last offensive performance the team should be motivated to get back on track and focused. The Ray Lewis and the defense are playing stellar, especially in the red-zone. The unit has yet to allow a touchdown.

Cleveland Browns:

The Browns despite being 0-2 are a much improved team and made some upgrades on both sides of the ball. The team signed veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme to take control of the offense. They also traded for QB Seneca Wallace who put up some decent numbers last week filling in for Delhomme (ankle injury). The team has high hopes for the young receiver Mohammed Massaquoi who has the potential to be a big playmaker. The dangerous kick returner Joshua Cribbs has been infused in the offense as a receiver and in the Wildcat formation.

Defensively, the team added a few veterans and improved the talent in the secondary. The team signed the veteran linebacker Scott Fujita and drafted Joe Haden, the top cornerback in the draft, along with rookie safety T.J. Ward (leads team with 18 solo tackles).

Chalk it Up:

Ravens Offense: After the offensive debacle in the last game, the unit may be looking for a more balanced approach. That means more carries for RB Ray Rice and more play action for Flacco.  A key for Flacco: taking control at the line of scrimmage and recognizing coverages.

Ravens O-Line: There is a possibility of RT Oniel Cousins returning. In the meantime, M. Yanda will remain art right tackle and Chris Chester as guard. The Browns have a good defensive front with DE Robaire Smith, NT Shaun Rogers and ILB D’Qwell Jackson. While the Ravens pass protection has not been bad, they do need to tighten it up a bit.

Ray Rice vs. Browns LB’s: The Browns will be keying in on Ray Rice. LB Scott Fuijta  and LB Chris Gocong were picked up by the Browns in the offseason to help contain the run.

Ravens Receivers vs. Browns Secondary: CB Sheldon Brown, rookie CB Joe Haden and rookie safety TJ Ward have been playing well.  It is critical for Mason, Houshmanzadeh, Boldin and Heap to get separation from defenders.

Ravens Run Defense: The team will be focused on stopping the running game of Jerome Harrison and the defense could see RB James Davis in this game. Because the Browns have had some success through the air, the Ravens can’t over play the run.

Ravens Pass Rush: The defense will continue to show different looks at the line of scrimmage to improve the pass rush.   This week means getting pressure on QB Seneca Wallace. Wallace threw for 229 yards with a TD and 1 INT in his first start for the Browns. On area of improvement for the unit will be increasing the number of take-aways and sacks.

Shaun Rogers, NT vs. C Matt Birk: The Browns strong nose tackle will be a challenge for veteran center Matt Birk.

OLB Suggs vs. LT Thomas: T-Sizzle will take on a solid left tackle in Joe Thomas.

ON THE RAVENS RADAR:

Joshua Cribbs, KR/WR: Joshua Cribbs is a threat whenever the ball is in his hands as a returner or receiver.

TE Benjamin Watson: QB Seneca Wallace became comfortable with TE Watson, connecting on 4 passes for 44 yards against the Chiefs.

Wild-Cat Formation: It wouldn’t be unusual for the Browns offense to bring in Joshua Cribbs or QB Seneca Wallace under center. The team used the Wildcat formation 4 times in their opener against Tampa.

“PLAYER TO MAKE HIGHLIGHT FILM:”

Jonathan Scruggs: Joe Flacco

“Reason: After two weeks of lackluster play, Joe has a lot to prove to his critics. This weekend against the Browns he can regain form by blowing out a weaker opponent in front of a raucous home crowd. “

Matt Jergensen: Ray Rice

“This guy is the offensive star of the team so when your offense sputters every fan will look to his stat line first. He was fairly productive against Cincinnati and he should have been even more involved. Look for his number to be called early and often for the home opener.”

Gene Winner: Derrick Mason

“Flacco has to get back to his bread and butter. Mason should provide some key receptions in the game.”

Last week’s ‘Highlight Player’ winner:Jonathan Scruggs picking Terrell Suggs.

BROWNS of Late:

Most likely QB Seneca Wallaceshould be the starter as Jake Delhomme is not yet recovered from a high ankle sprain.

RB Peyton Hillisis the teams goal-line and short yardage specialist. Hillis had eight carries and scored a TD against Kansas City.

The Browns steady punter Dave Zastudil (former Raven) is on IR and the team signed free agent Reggie Hodges.

RAVENS players returning:

CB Cary Williams returns from a two game suspension, we may see him in for a few plays.

DT Terrence Cody should be ready for this game after recovering from a minor knee procedure.

RT Oniel Cousins: There is a possibility he may be inserted in the line.

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Where to point fingers in Dallas

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Trent Green, NFL Total Access, Jay Glazer

Who is to blame for the 0-2 start in Dallas this season? Jay Glazer and Trent Green took a look at the issues facing the Cowboys heading into Week 3.

Posted in: NFL Network  

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Broncos RB Knowshon Moreno ruled out vs Colts Sunday

The Broncos have lost a big piece of their offense heading into Sunday’s game, as running back Knowshon Moreno will miss the game after suffering an arm injury.

Knowshon Moreno has sustained an injury in practice this week that will keep him out against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Denver Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels just announced. Moreno was previously unlisted on Wednesday or Thursday’s injury reports. McDaniels said he expects recently acquired running backs Laurence Maroney and Andre Brown to aid Correll Buckhalter and contribute in the running game.

With the Colts in town, and the Broncos needing to run the ball to keep Peyton Manning off the field, this is a big injury that could prove impossible for the team to overcome heading into Sunday.

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AFC West: Final Word

? NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South ? AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 3:

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Charlie RiedelThe Chiefs haven't started a season with a 2-0 record since 2005.Numbers favor Kansas City: There’s real meaning to Kansas City’s fast start. It extends beyond the fact that the Chiefs are 2-0 for the first time since 2005 and that they won a total of just 10 games in the past three seasons. A 2-0 start means a team is on the right track. According to ESPN Stats & Information, 167 teams have started 2-0 since 1990. Of those 167 teams, 107 (64 percent) have made the playoffs. Only 28 teams (17 percent) have finished with a losing record. These stats don’t necessarily mean Kansas City is on to something -- remember, Denver started 6-0 last season and ended up 8-8 -- but it is a meaningful start as the Chiefs prepare to host San Francisco.

San Diego’s secret weapon: The Chargers are excited about first-round pick Ryan Mathews as a primary back. And there’s the dynamic but tiny Darren Sproles, who is a fine change-of-pace back and a weapon as a receiver. But the Chargers’ running game doesn’t stop at Mathews and Sproles. Teams must account for Mike Tolbert, who will likely start Sunday because of an ankle injury to Mathews . At 5-9 and 243 pounds, Tolbert usually requires multiple defenders to bring him down. The Chargers plan on using him often near the goal line, but I also expect to see him play more snaps in general, starting Sunday at Seattle. Tolbert has 108 yards on 18 carries in two games. In Week 1 at Kansas City, the third-year player had a 29-yard run. He added a 23-yard run in San Diego’s win over Jacksonville last week. A combination of Mathews, Sproles and Tolbert will be a major headache for defenses.

The Asomugha-Fitzgerald show: The Raiders are committed to using star cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha more aggressively this season to use his immense ability. Asomugha has moved around and even has played safety. The Raiders will need Asomugha at his best Sunday at Arizona. He will face Larry Fitzgerald, by far the best receiver Oakland has faced this season. The Cardinals’ offense may be in disarray, but Fitzgerald is still a difference-maker.

Can Kansas City continue to make the key play? In their two wins, the Chiefs have come up big when it counts. Will they continue their streak against the 49ers on Sunday? In Week 1, Kansas City’s defense had a great goal-line stand against the Chargers. The Chargers’ threat ended at the Kansas City 6-yard line with 39 seconds to go. In Week 2 in Cleveland, the Chiefs’ offense closed the deal. On a gutsy call by coach Todd Haley, Kansas City converted a 4th-and-inches run play at the Browns’ 36-yard line at the two-minute warning with the Chiefs holding a a 16-14 lead. Good teams win close games.

Is Thomas ready to replace Marshall? When Denver drafted Demaryius Thomas, it did so hoping he’d be a replacement for Brandon Marshall, who was traded to Miami. Like Marshall, Thomas is a big receiver who possesses many skills. Thomas showed a glimpse of how good he can be when he had eight catches for 97 yards and a touchdown catch in his NFL debut during a Week 2 win over Seattle. The Colts certainly must account for Thomas on Sunday. Still, the Colts are probably relieved they won’t be facing Marshall. Last December, when Denver roasted Indianapolis, Marshall set an NFL record with 21 catches against the Colts. Thomas is very likely not ready for that type of show, but after a strong debut, expect Denver to continue to go to its new receiver.

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Whitner: Bills are getting laughed at

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | Frank Tadych | Tags: Buffalo Bills, Donte Whitner, Frank Tadych

It’s never fun being laughed at, unless, of course, you intend to be. Donte Whitner and the Bills don’t intend to be.

Whitner told Chris Brown of BuffaloBills.com that the offensive players of the Packers were laughing at the Bills during the fourth quarter in Week 2, and it’s not the first time it has happened.

“It happened last week,” Whitner said. ”The Packers were laughing at us. Aaron Rodgers and a lot of those guys were laughing at us toward the end of the football game and that never feels good.”

When asked about the keys for turning around the teams’ fortunes, Whitner says the Patriots are perennial laughers.

“We want to get things turned around, but at the same time it’s football teams with grown men laughing at other grown men on the football field,” he said. ”That happened to us in the ball game last week and it happens every time we play New England. So we’ve got to stop that and we look forward to stopping that. We’re ready to beat New England and I know coach wants to go up there and beat New England. So we have an opportunity and what we do with that opportunity is up to us.”

It leaves one to wonder what teams are saying to the Lions, who have lost 33 of their last 35 games.

– Frank Tadych

Posted in: Around The Web  

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Sensabaugh: ‘Too much hype’ around Cowboys

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Frank Tadych | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, Gerald Sensabaugh, Frank Tadych

Things in Dallas only get more interesting.

Cowboys safety Gerald Sensabaugh, who was among the players pointing to practice habits as a reason for the team’s 0-2 start (actually drawing the comparison to a circus), actually had much more to say. It turns out Sensabaugh is tired of hearing about the hype surrounding the Cowboys as Super Bowl contenders.

“We need to be focused as a team, an organization, on winning football games, doing what we need to do to win,” Sensabaugh said, per The Dallas Morning News. “It’s real frustrating. I think there’s too much hype around here. The Super Bowl’s here, everybody’s talking about the Cowboys being in the Super Bowl. We haven’t even won a damn game yet.

“I don’t even want to hear anybody talk about the Super Bowl anymore, really. Can we just talk about the next game? There’s too much hype. It’s a sense that you can just show up and win and that’s not the case. That never happens, I don’t care who you have on your team. You don’t just show up and win. You have to go out there and fight and battle.”

Sensabaugh’s rant brings up some interesting points, namely the tendency to anoint paper champions before games have been played. During an interview with the Morning News, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he didn’t know whether the team had bought into the hype and become overconfident.

Clearly, Sensabaugh believes they have.

– Frank Tadych

Posted in: Around The Web  

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Fisher confident V.Y. will bounce back

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Tennessee Titans, Vince Young, Jeff Fisher, Rich Eisen, NFL Total Access

Titans coach Jeff Fisher joins Rich Eisen to talk about his decision to pull Vince Young and the quarterback situation moving forward. Fisher says Young doesn’t need to look over his shoulder, and he doesn’t expect any lingering effects from the move.

Posted in: NFL Network  

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Favre, Vikings should employ ‘less is more’ logic

Posted: September 23rd, 2010 | NFL.com Staff | Tags: Minnesota Vikings, Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Bernard Berrian, Sidney Rice, Paul Burmeister

Through two weeks, both Brett Favre’s play and the reaction it has caused have been thought-provoking.

It’s easy to pin Favre’s struggles on the absence of WR Sidney Rice — and hey, maybe that’s as far as the analyzing needs to go. But another way to make sense of it is through a little exercise of compare and contrast.

The Vikings’ passing attack in 2010 doesn’t at all resemble its approach through two games in 2009. I was at Minnesota’s second game of the season last year in Detroit and witnessed firsthand how conservative the play-calling was. Check-downs, screens, quick flicks to the wide receivers, play-action rollouts to tight ends dragging across the field. Heck, a quick slant was an aggressive call that day. Favre’s numbers that day don’t mislead: 23 of 27 for just 155 yards.

In his first two games last season, Favre averaged less than 7.0 yards per completion. Going through his game logs over the next 14 games, he didn’t have a two-game stretch in which his yards-per-completion was less than 10. The 2009 version of Favre evolved into a deadly down-the-field passer, but he didn’t start that way.

So when Favre tried to force a pass 60 yards downfield to Bernard Berrian on Sunday, but it fell short and was intercepted, I thought back to the more conservative approach I witnessed at Ford Field last September and wondered why it wasn’t dusted off again this year. Considering the factors — Favre’s lack of practice time, the concerns at wide receiver, RB Adrian Peterson’s excellent play and the salty defense – it seems the dialed-back passing attack employed early in ’09 would have played quite well again this year.

Favre doesn’t have Rice, but the Vikings haven’t displayed the “jog-before-you-run” play-calling mentality that allowed him to ease into the season a year ago. Favre is averaging more than 10 yards per completion this season, but he has less than a 60 percent completion percentage for the first time in five seasons.

A good reminder in my line of work is that “less is usually more.” That logic applied to a still-shaking-the-rust-off 39-year-old quarterback a year ago at this time. I think it should fit the 40-year-old version, too.

– Paul Burmeister

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Bears’ Garza proud of heritage… and first place

Posted: September 22nd, 2010 | Craig Ellenport | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Hispanic Heritage Month, Roberto Garza

Since he entered the NFL in 2001, Roberto Garza has always been involved in the league’s celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. It’s just a little different this year. Because not only will his Chicago Bears be honoring Hispanic Heritage Month during next Monday night’s nationally-televised game against the Green Bay Packers, but it will be a battle of undefeated teams vying for first place in the NFC North.

Bears guard Roberto Garza with kids at Clearview Elementary in Waukegan, Ill. Click here to see what the NFL has planned for Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations at this week's Sunday and Monday night games.

“We’re the talk of the town right now,” said the 31-year-old Garza, the Bears’ starting left guard. “Obviously it’s early in the season and we’ve got a long way to go,” he said of the Bears’ surprising 2-0 record. “But it’s a good start.”

The Bears are coming off a big win in Dallas against the Cowboys, the team Garza rooted for as a kid growing up in southern Texas. His hometown of Rio Hondo is about eight hours south of Dallas –- but that was close enough for Garza to have 125 family and friends at the game.

“Growing up in the ‘90s, I definitely have a lot of memories watching Emmitt Smith and Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin,” he said, adding the win over the Cowboys “absolutely” had special meaning to him.

Also having special meaning to Garza is the role he gets to play in the Latino community because of his status as a player in the NFL. On Tuesday, he visited Clearview Elementary School in Waukegan, Ill., and took part in a reading program, part of the United Way of Lake County’s Success by Six initiative.

“These kids are learning English and unfortunately struggling, so a big part of the program is reading,” said Garza, himself the son of Mexican immigrants. “I’m going in there to read some books to the kids, tell them a little about my story, how similar my story is to theirs … The message to the kids is to stay in school and take advantage of the opportunity they have to get their education and move forward in their lives. They’re young right now, but it’s important for them to take a real interest in their education.”

Each year, Garza meets more Latino players who have made it to the NFL, and while he knows Latino football players remain very much a minority on NFL rosters, he’s encouraged to see them at different positions. “(Hall of Fame offensive lineman) Anthony Munoz was one of the guys that paved the way for us,” Garza said. “And many years ago, he thought the only other Latino players would be kickers. Now there are players at all positions. Hopefully it continues to grow.”

As for Monday night’s showdown with the Packers, Garza said the Bears enter this game with more confidence than they’ve had in years. “We’ve known all along and Coach Lovie (Smith) has preached to us that we’re a good team. We didn’t show that in the preseason, going 0-4, but once the season starts the intensity comes up, and we were able to prove that the first two weeks. We celebrated the Dallas victory for a day; now it’s time to move on to the Green Bay Packers. It’s a good rivalry week for us, so everybody’s going to be ready to go.”

For more details on the NFL’s plans for Hispanic Heritage Month, click here.

– Craig Ellenport

Posted in: Sidelines  

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