STAR-TELEGRAM/RALPH LAUER Terrell Owens wore a Discovery Channel cycling jersey and bike helmet as he watched practice Thursday. OXNARD, Calif. -- The offensive line is what Jerry Jones calls a "challenge."
The Cowboys owner/general manager is excited about the prospects of seeing backup quarterback Tony Romo start, which is all but a certainty when the Cowboys start their preseason Saturday night in Seattle.
Jones isn't worried about Terrell Owens, or the circus that follows him.
But he is concerned about his O-line.
"That is our biggest challenge," Jones said. "[Flozell Adams] has got to improve, and will, coming off his knee surgery.
"I look across there [and] we have a lot of ifs there, got a lot of promises there. But that doesn't surprise me because we haven't competed that much against a situation to really evaluate it. But we haven't found out a lot at right tackle, either. That's the challenge."
Jones sounds cautiously optimistic that the Cowboys may have a quarterback of the future on their team. And they have one despite not going to the top of the draft and making the financial risk of acquiring a quarterback.
Whether that quarterback of the future is Romo or Drew Henson, he's not sure. But at least there is the chance.
"I can't help, at any position, to like to see a young player," Jones said. "It's something about knowing it's not just this game, but there is a lot in the future there.
"But I don't want my enthusiasm for the future to really, in any way, color the fact that with my expectations for this year it's going to be hard to get there with a rookie quarterback. In my mind, having never taken a snap in the NFL, that's a rookie quarterback."
Jones also said the team continues to discuss a contract extension with linebacker Bradie James. James' agent, Jimmy Sexton, has been at Cowboys camp the past few days.
But a Cowboys source said no deal is imminent and might not happen at all.
Spears close
Defensive tackle Marcus Spears, who has been out since the second day of camp with a cartilage tear in his knee, said he's close to returning. And unlike last season, when he missed a great deal of training camp as a rookie because of a sprained knee, this time is different.
"Physically, I'm there. I know the playbook now," Spears said. "Last year, I got so far behind; I didn't know what defense we were in."
Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he expects fellow second-year lineman Jay Ratliff to push Spears for the job. Spears welcomes the challenge.
"It's all competition. At the end of the day you are teammates, but everybody wants to play, and I respect a guy that comes in and plays well," Spears said. "Nothing bad to say; Jay is playing great. When I come back I'll put my résumé on the table, and we'll see what happens."
My long time friend Mike Silver of Sports Illustrated recently ranked all 32 NFL Owners, placing New England Patriots Owner Bob Kraft first and New Orleans Saints Owner Tom Bentson last, and he did that for Bentson's initally heartless plan to move the team in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
But I know Sil wanted to place Al Davis lower than 25th ranking just for banning him from Raiders practices years ago. Still the 25th ranking means Sil's over it, and has been treated better by the Raiders, due in no small part to the behind the scenes work of Raiders PR guy -- and former Fox Sports announcer -- Artie Gigantino.
Clash of Titans is spit for spat White-Nickey fight draws ire of Fisher
By JIM WYATT Staff Writer
CLARKSVILLE — On the final day of a stay at Austin Peay intended to help forge character, the Titans experienced an ugly incident Coach Jeff Fisher hopes is out of character.
Rookie running back LenDale White spit in the face of veteran safety Donnie Nickey during the morning practice, leading to a fight involving several players.
"There's a code of ethics on the field and it was violated,'' Fisher said. "We've addressed it, it is over and it is done with.
When it gets hot and you get at the end of camp and get going, things happen. You don't want to see that. But it has all been addressed and taken care of.
"LenDale understands he crossed the line and you just don't do that. It will not happen again. I assure you, it will not happen again.''
White, one of the nation's top running backs last season at Southern California, came to the Titans as a result of some controversy.
Most NFL Draft experts believe he slid all the way to the second round, where the Titans selected him 45th overall, because of questions about his attitude as much as his injured hamstring.
Thursday's developments probably didn't endear White to his new teammates, who were instructed by Fisher not to speak to the media about the spitting incident. Coming off the field, White wasn't talking much either.
"It's competition at its finest, that's all,'' he said of the fight.
Asked whether he spit on Nickey, White shook his head and said, "No comment.''
In the middle of a crowd of teammates following afternoon practice, White denied it.
"What are you talking about?" he said. "It didn't happen.''
Nickey, a fourth-year pro, declined comment.
It began when White, who was carrying the ball, collided with Nickey. At the end of the play, Nickey immediately accused White of spitting on him. Other defensive players immediately backed him up to nearby coaches. At one point, Nickey took his helmet off and took a swing at White with it.
Minutes later, Nickey ran across the field and knocked down White, who had failed to haul in a pass near the sideline. White got up and elbowed safety Vincent Fuller. Several other defenders jumped in, including rookie cornerback Cortland Finnegan, and Nickey began throwing punches.
When the players were separated, Fisher then sounded off, loud enough that everyone could hear him. He accused Nickey of a "cheap shot" and threatened to suspend him for a month if he removed his helmet again.
White is expected to be fined by the Titans. When Fisher spoke about the incident with reporters later in the day, a fine for Nickey seemed less likely.
"There are times when the head coach doesn't know everything that happens and this is one of those examples, and I apologized to Donnie,'' Fisher said. "But there is stuff that goes on out there that shouldn't have been out there. Donnie understands. LenDale understands he crossed the line and you just don't do that.
"You don't want to see that happen, but there will be no lasting, lingering effect. It has all been addressed and taken care of.'' The Titans left Austin Peay on Thursday night and open their preseason schedule on Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints at LP Field. Training camp resumes Monday at MetroCenter.
"It's hot out, the last day out here, we're just getting after it,'' linebacker Keith Bulluck said. "We haven't had a dress rehearsal yet. Maybe that's a prelude to Saturday night, minus all the extracurriculars. Hey, it's football. Tempers are going to flare in football.''
This video captures Arizona Cardinals rookie QB Matt Leinart throwing footballs at Arizona Cardinals Training Camp. Leinart -- tied up in contract negotiations -- is out of training camp as of this writing.
PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 10, 2006) -- Kellen Winslow made some blocks, caught a couple passes and took a few hits.
The highlight-reel catches and touchdown celebrations can wait. For now, this was progress.
Playing his first game in nearly two years, the Browns tight end made two catches in Cleveland's 20-7 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
"It was really good to get back out there," said Winslow, whose career was stalled by an in-game leg injury and a motorcycle accident. "I just wanted to get tackled to get some confidence back."
Donovan McNabb looked sharp for the second straight game, and Jeff Garcia connected with Darnerien McCants on a 32-yard touchdown pass for the Eagles (1-1).
McNabb completed his first five passes and finished 7 for 9 for 78 yards. He led the Eagles to a score on the opening drive and went to the sideline after the second series.
"We were able to execute when we needed to," McNabb said. "We've still got some work to do, but it's a great beginning."
Eager to get the season started, Winslow walked out to midfield in full uniform about two hours before kickoff while everyone else was still in warmups.
After blocking on the first two plays, Winslow caught a pass that was nullified by a defensive penalty on third down. He had a 6-yard reception on the following play, and added a 1-yard catch later.
"He made some plays and looked good making them," Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. "He looked like a pretty decent guy running around out there and that was encouraging to see."
The Browns didn't get much from anyone else. Both the starters and backups on offense were equally inept in their preseason opener, putting up 99 total yards through 3 1/2 quarters.
Starting quarterback Charlie Frye was 4 of 7 for 23 yards, before taking a seat. Backup quarterback Ken Dorsey completed 5 of 10 passes for 48 yards. Reuben Droughns rushed four times for 21 yards.
Winslow, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 draft, hadn't played since he broke his right fibula at Dallas on Sept. 19, 2004. He sat out all of last year after a motorcycle accident on May 1, 2005 injured his knee so badly that it required several surgeries and was complicated by a staph infection.
"I thought I did OK," Winslow said. "I wanted to get my feet underneath me and take a hit on my knee."
Philadelphia rookie wideout Hank Baskett made an outstanding diving catch on a 33-yard pass from McNabb to Cleveland's 2, but Philadelphia's opening drive stalled and the Eagles settled for a 22-yard field goal by David Akers.
Garcia hit McCants perfectly in stride on a go-route for a touchdown pass that put Philadelphia ahead 10-0 in the third quarter. He led the Eagles on another scoring drive capped by Thomas Tapeh 's 4-yard touchdown run that made it 17-0 late in the third.
Garcia finished 8 for 11 for 125 yards and one touchdown. Timmy Chang, competing for the No. 3 spot with Koy Detmer, completed his only pass. Detmer didn't play.
The Eagles used a makeshift backfield featuring fourth-string running back Reno Mahe because Brian Westbrook, Ryan Moats (knee), Correll Buckhalter (knee) and Bruce Perry (concussion) were sidelined. Mahe ran seven times for 10 yards on the first drive, but left with a concussion. Newly signed Marty Johnson had 47 yards on 12 carries.
Notes: Eagles coach Andy Reid angrily denied an apparent report that Pro Bowl long snapper Mike Bartrum had suffered a heart attack. The team said Bartrum didn't play because of an undisclosed illness. Reid said Bartrum will see a doctor on Aug. 11. ... Browns WR Braylon Edwards didn't make the trip. He's returning from a torn ACL and hopes to play in the season opener on Sept. 10. ... Eagles rookie DT Brodrick Bunkley almost recorded a sack on his third play. Bunkley, the 14th-overall pick in this year's draft, sat out Philadelphia's preseason opener after a two-week holdout. ... Browns CB Gary Baxter (pec) and DL J'Vonne Parker (foot) left with injuries.
Well, at least it's just the first preseason game...
Arrington to miss preseason opener NFL.com wire reports ALBANY, N.Y. (Aug. 9, 2006) -- The New York Giants will have to wait at least another week to see linebacker LaVar Arrington playing for them in a game.
Arrington, signed in the offseason and touted as a key addition as the Giants seek to elevate themselves into a Super Bowl contender, will miss New York's preseason opener against Baltimore Aug. 11 with soreness in his right knee.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin confirmed after practice that the three-time Pro Bowler would miss the game.
"We're in the process of developing a way in which we can manage this thing with him," Coughlin said. "As we go forward, we'll be under those guidelines. If we get him back next week, that will be fine. I'll be OK with that."
The soreness is affecting the same knee Arrington underwent two surgeries on in 2004 and 2005 when he was with the Washington Redskins. At Giants camp this month, he participated in team drills for the first week but has worked only briefly in one practice since Aug. 4. He watched from the sidelines again Aug. 9 at the University at Albany.
Arrington seemed unconcerned about the missed time.
"Whenever you have surgical procedures there's always things you have to pay attention to," he said. "I'm not in any danger zone, healthwise or anything like that. This is just the course the training staff has chosen to take. They're approaching it the right way. All I can do is pay attention and be a student of the game and pay attention and be ready."
Arrington suffered the original injury early in the 2004 season and had surgery to repair torn cartilage. He reinjured the knee in practice a month later, missed several more games and played a limited role in two more, then was put on injured reserve that December.
He underwent a second surgery in January 2005, at which time he publicly lashed out at the Redskins, claiming they didn't support him during the time he was injured and implying that he was rushed back too soon.
So far, he has given rave reviews to the Giants training staff.
"I'm not even in a situation where they would need to do what they're doing, but instead they're making 100 percent sure I'm OK and I think that's awesome," he said. "I think they saw how hard and how much I was doing when I was out there and they're forcing me to pace myself. It's a long season. You have to be mindful of that."
Arrington's history and his publicized disputes with the Redskins have focused extra attention on him at Giants camp. Arrington himself is keenly aware that his every move is being dissected and analyzed.
"I know at the end of the day when I get back on the field people will say, 'Oh, he really was telling the truth,"' he said. "The minute I knew they were going to slow me down, I knew this was going to be a media issue due to my having the injury in Washington. I'm telling you guys the total, 100 percent truth. I'm not holding anything back. We're staying the course, we're troubleshooting and making sure I'm as healthy as I possibly can be."
The Giants added Arrington for his pass-rushing abilities and to strengthen a linebacking corps that was wrecked by injuries last season. Starters Antonio Pierce, Reggie Torbor and Carlos Emmons finished the season on the sidelines, and four linebackers wound up on injured reserve.
Here are two views of the Rams / Colts preseason game -- the Colts' view, followed by the Rams view
Colts View:
OPENING UP
By John Oehser - Colts.com
Colts Lose to St. Louis Rams in Preseason Opener
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Colts’ preseason ideal is to win. That doesn’t necessarily mean winning on the scoreboard, Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy said this past week. Sometimes, it means winning segments of the game, in particular key phases when starters and prominent reserves play.
The Colts didn’t win their preseason opener.
Still, they had their share of solid moments – particularly early, before the reserves and rookies entered in the second quarter. The result was mixed emotions from Dungy following the preseason opener – a 19-17 loss to the St. Louis Rams Thursday night in front of an announced 60,620 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.
Yes, the Colts very much wanted to win, which they haven’t done in the preseason since 2004.
But no, the scene afterward wasn’t all disappointment.
“We’re kind of in the same mode we were in ’05,” Dungy said, referring to last season, when the Colts went 0-5 during the preseason before winning their first 13 regular-season games.
“We did some good things, but not enough to win. We’re disappointed not to get the win. We’d like to give ourselves a chance at the end, but there were some positive things.”
The Colts had a chance late despite playing without five defensive starters, including safeties Mike Doss and Bob Sanders, defensive tackle Montae Reagor, cornerback Jason David and three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney.
Middle linebacker Gary Brackett left the game with a knee injury, but Dungy said it isn’t expected to be serious.
“We didn’t have a lot of defensive players, and we kind of wore down with the guys that did finish, but there were some positive things,” Dungy said.
The Colts not only started well against the Rams, moving 59 yards in seven efficient plays on the game’s first series, reserve quarterback Shaun King continued to show a knack for making key plays, rallying the Colts from a nine-point second-half deficit.
King, who last Saturday rallied the offense to victory in the team’s annual Blue-and-White game with a last-play touchdown pass, on Thursday played the entire second half. Late in the half, he nearly led the Colts to victory.
The Colts, who struggled offensively in the second, third and early fourth quarters, cut the nine-point second-half deficit to two when King threw deep to wide Levon Thomas.
Thomas, a first-year veteran from Georgia Tech, outwrestled a Rams defender for the ball, then dived into the end zone for the touchdown with 10:50 remaining.
Indianapolis regained possession, but after a punt, the Rams ran out the clock.
The Colts began in the fashion they hoped – with an efficient drive from the first-team offense.
The Colts surprised the Rams with an onside kick on the opening kickoff, and after cornerback Von Hutchins recovered, Indianapolis had possession on its 41.
With quarterback Peyton Manning, the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2003 and 2004, throwing accurately, the Colts moved 59 yards in seven plays, with Manning capping the drive with an 8-yard touchdown
pass to tight end Ben Utecht.
Manning completed three of five passes on the drive for 50 yards, including a 31-yard stop-and-go completion to six-year veteran Reggie Wayne. Dominic Rhodes, who started at running back, had 10 yards on four carries, playing only the first quarter.
Joseph Addai, the Colts’ first-round selection in this past April’s NFL Draft, played much of the second quarter, and finished with three yards on three carries.
Manning said he expects the duo to share carries – and for each to work extensively with the first team – throughout the preseason.
“It’s only fair if you give both of those guys equal reps with the first unit,” Manning said. “It’s really the best way to get a good evaluation and to be fair to those guys. I think we’ll give Joseph more opportunities to get in there with the first unit and get in the normal flow of the offense.”
Addai said no matter when he played, the experience of his first NFL game was valuable.
“It was cool, though,” Addai said. “It was a good learning experience, I think. Now, it’s going out and watching the plays, learning from it and trying to get better next week.”
Addai said he wasn’t disappointed with his carries.
“I understand how the preseason goes,” he said. “You’re trying to get everybody in the game and understand what’s going on. I understand it. I just try to make much of what I get.
“I’m more comfortable and relaxed now. Now, I understand what it takes in a real game.”
Defensively, the Rams played seven and eight defenders near the line of scrimmage. That helped keep the Colts’ running opportunities to a minimum, Dungy said.
“They’ll be fine,” Dungy said of Rhodes and Addai. “I don’t think people will want to play us like that all the time. We’ll take our chances if they do.”
Said Manning, “The Rams threw a lot at us early on.”
After the opening series, the Colts’ offense managed just 65 yards offensively in the half, with a 53-yard field goal by newly-signed kicker Adam Vinatieri later in the quarter giving Indianapolis a 10-5 lead.
The Rams, who pulled to within 7-5 on a safety and a 33-yard field goal by Remy Hamilton, took a 12-10 lead with 19 seconds remaining in the first quarter. The lead came on a 7-yard touchdown run by Travis Fisher.
With backup quarterback Jim Sorgi playing the second quarter with the Colts’ reserves, the Rams extended their lead to 19-10 on a 1-yard run by veteran running back Mo Williams.
Dungy had said this week it was tricky preparing for the Rams because St. Louis had a new coaching staff under first-year Head Coach Scott Linehan. That meant there was no game tape available, which made game-planning difficult.
“They blitzed us a lot, and if you can’t make them pay in the passing game, it’s going to be a tough day,” Dungy said. “Our first drive we did, and Shaun hit one, but overall, we didn’t make enough plays against the blitz.
“It was tough for us, not knowing exactly what type of defense they were going to choose. We couldn’t get a lot of tape on them.
“But all in all, some things we can build on.”
Rams View
Rams Edge Colts in Linehan Debut Thursday, August 10, 2006 By Nick Wagoner Senior Writer
An inauspicious beginning to the Scott Linehan era turned into the type of power running/dominant defensive performance that Linehan hopes to instill in the new era of Rams football.
Tony Dungy wasted no time welcoming Linehan to the NFL. After the Rams won the coin toss and elected to receive, kicker Adam Vinatieri booted an onside kick that the Colts recovered and subsequently scored on.
“You expect anything during the preseason,” Linehan said. “Maybe it was a little indoctrination into the head coaching ranks by Coach Dungy, but I understand it. It worked. Hats off to them.”
By the time the Rams had settled down, their starters were off the field, but the second and third units came through with a powerful rushing attack complemented by a suffocating defense.
Ultimately, it was Linehan who got the last laugh as the Rams overcame the special teams blunder and hung on to beat Indianapolis 19-17 Thursday night at the Edward Jones Dome.
Soon after his hire, Linehan made it clear that the running game would be a big part of the team’s offense, something that hadn’t been the case in the previous regime. If his first go at being a head coach in any indication, Linehan is a man of his word.
St. Louis finished with 40 rushes for 202 yards and two touchdowns divided among a group of five running backs. The defense chipped in with four sacks, an interception, a safety and held the Colts to 249 yards, 38 of which were rushing yards.
“A couple of things I was very happy about was our ability to run the ball and stop the run,” Linehan said. “It’s an easier game when you are able to do those two things. We have obviously got players that can do a lot of things not only in the running game, but in the passing game. It certainly makes you feel in a rhythm and a lot better about what you are doing on a consistent basis when you feel like you can go to the run game.”
And, though the Rams blitzed fairly often, Linehan said that is a product of the way the system is going to be. It didn’t hurt that it came in response to an onside kick to start the game.
“You didn’t see 85 percent of Jim Haslett’s blitzes tonight,” Linehan said. “That’s how we play. Some teams are vanilla type of team. We are going to be multiple. We have things we have to work and things we have to prepare for. We have to get better at it. Multiple blitzes and onside kicks, I don’t know how you be too critical of either one.”
The Rams used a balanced attack in the first two series with the starters on the field, but soon after, it became predominantly a rushing attack that ran over the Colts.
Backup Tony Fisher proved his worth as the No. 2 to Steven Jackson, showing elusiveness previously unseen on his way to five carries for 33 yards and what would prove the touchdown that put the Rams ahead for good with 19 seconds left in the first quarter.
That 7-yard run and the ensuing extra point gave the Rams a 12-10 lead they would not relinquish. On their next possession, the Rams added to their lead as Ryan Fitzpatrick took over at quarterback.
Fitzpatrick, involved in a battle for the third signal caller job with Dave Ragone, promptly made his case for the job by marching the Rams 80 yards on the way to Moe Williams’ 1-yard touchdown run.
Fitzpatrick’s evening came to an end in the third quarter as he ended the evening eight-of-11 for 51 yards.
Williams, signed last week to compete with Fisher for the No. 2 running back job, made a strong case for himself as well. He finished with seven carries for 17 yards with a touchdown and had three catches for 19 yards. His touchdown plunge made it 19-10 Rams.
Those touchdowns helped erase the memory of the first quarter in which the Indianapolis starters outplayed the Rams’ first-unit. After the onside kick recovery, Peyton Manning took the Colts down the field quickly before hitting tight end Ben Utecht for an 8-yard touchdown to give Indianapolis a 7-0 lead.
“We have to be a little bit tighter in coverage, put a little bit more pressure on him,” Linehan said. “I was very happy with the way the defense came back out and never let it affect them. I know our defense is growing and becoming a tight unit and I’m really satisfied with where we are at right now.”
The Rams’ defense responded with its first points of the Jim Haslett era after Matt Turk’s punt pinned the Colts at their 2. On second down, cornerback Fakhir Brown made his first impression as a Ram, blindsiding Jim Sorgi and forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Colts in the end zone for a safety. That score made it 7-2.
On the ensuing possession, the Rams marched to the Indianapolis 15 before settling for Remy Hamilton’s 33-yard field goal to make it 7-5 Indianapolis. That drive was highlighted by Jackson’s 23-yard run and brought the first-team offense’s night to an end.
Jackson finished with 41 yards on five carries for an average of 8.2 per attempt. Quarterback Marc Bulger was three-of-six for 51 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. More important, though, is the fact that Bulger made it out of the game healthy after taking some shots from the Indianapolis defense.
The Colts made a late run at the win as Shaun King hit Levon Thomas for a 40-yard touchdown to make it 19-17 Rams. The St. Louis defense held serve, though, and the Rams escaped with the first preseason win of Linehan’s young career.
