Sample NFL Game Scout IN SEASON Report:
Sport Code: NFL
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--- Friday --- Jan. 1, 2010 --- Vol. XVI --- No. 1 ---
-- PRO FOOTBALL GAME SCOUT --
-- A PUBLICATION OF THE SPORTS XCHANGE --
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Games:
Sunday
Chicago Bears (6-9) at Detroit Lions (2-13)
New England Patriots (10-5) at Houston Texans (8-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8) at Cleveland Browns (4-11)
Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-12)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7) at Miami Dolphins (7-8)
San Francisco 49ers (7-8) at St. Louis Rams (1-14)
Indianapolis Colts (14-1) at Buffalo Bills (5-10)
New Orleans Saints (13-2) at Carolina Panthers (7-8)
New York Giants (8-7) at Minnesota Vikings (11-4)
Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) at Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
Green Bay Packers (10-5) at Arizona Cardinals (10-5)
Kansas City Chiefs (3-12) at Denver Broncos (8-7)
Tennessee Titans (7-8) at Seattle Seahawks (5-10)
Washington Redskins (4-11) at San Diego Chargers (12-3)
Baltimore Ravens (8-7) at Oakland Raiders (5-10)
Cincinnati Bengals (10-5) at New York Jets (8-7)
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Chicago Bears (6-9) at Detroit Lions (2-13)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Artificial turf
TV: FOX (Chris Rose, Trent Green)
PREDICTION: Bears 27-16
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Bears have a clear advantage on both sides of the ball - if they can reprise their intensity from Monday night against Minnesota. QB Jay Cutler continues to force too many balls into coverage, but the Lions have the league's worst secondary - which gets very little pass rush support. The Lions have to find a way to control this game on the ground because QBs Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton have failed to lead the offense since Matthew Stafford went down. Chicago is depleted in the secondary, but can the Lions take advantage?
FAST FACTS: Lions starting WR Bryant Johnson hasn't had more than two receptions in a game since Week 5. ... Cutler's 3,390 passing yards is second in Bears history (Erik Kramer, 3,838, 1995).
PERSONNEL NEWS
Bears:
--WR Devin Hester (calf) went through a full practice for the first time since suffering a strained calf against the Rams on Dec. 6, and he is expected to play Sunday.
--SS Craig Steltz (foot), who started last week in place of injured Kevin Payne, was limited Thursday after missing Wednesday's practice. He's doubtful for Sunday.
--WR Johnny Knox (sprained ankle) did not practice and will not play Sunday.
--S Danieal Manning (calf) did not practice for a second straight day and appears doubtful at best for Sunday.
--FS Al Afalava (knee) did not practice for the second consecutive day and is expected to miss a second consecutive game.
--SS Kevin Payne, who missed last week's game with a sprained ankle, was a full participant in Thursday's practice and is expected to return to the starting lineup.
--FS Josh Bullocks should get his second consecutive start and fifth of the season with Danieal Manning (calf), Al Afalava (knee) and Craig Steltz (foot) all injured to some degree.
Lions:
--S Louis Delmas did not practice Wednesday or Thursday because of an ankle injury, but he is expected to play Sunday against Chicago.
--LB Larry Foote did not practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a foot injury. He has missed one game, but coach Jim Schwartz said he still has a chance to play against the Bears.
--CB Phillip Buchanon returned to practice Wednesday after missing a game because of a shoulder injury, but he was listed as limited Wednesday and Thursday.
--DT Joe Cohen was listed as limited with a knee injury Wednesday and Thursday.
--LB Jordon Dizon was listed as limited with a neck injury Wednesday, but he practiced fully Thursday.
--QB Drew Stanton was listed as limited with an ankle injury Wednesday and Thursday.
--WR Brian Witherspoon was listed as limited with an ankle injury Wednesday and Thursday.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Bears:
Lance Briggs wasn't burdened by great expectations when he came into the NFL in 2003.
Instead, he was motivated by low expectations.
A dozen other linebackers were drafted before the Bears took Briggs in the third round with the 68th overall pick, and in the beginning even they didn't think that highly of him.
"One of the first things that was said to me was, 'We want you to be a hell of a special-teams player and then, maybe sometime down the line, you could become a starter in a couple of years,' " Briggs said. "That always kind of stuck in my head. (I thought) 'I'm not a special-teams player, and I want to play now.' But just like any rookie, you don't say a whole lot. You just go out and you speak with your pads and you play."
Briggs and his pads have been sounding off for seven years, and the message has come through loud and clear. He's not a special-teams player. He's a special player.
"Lance has been an outstanding player for us in every year he's played here," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "Even having the type of (6-9) season we've had, Lance shined most of the time."
Tuesday, Briggs was voted to his fifth straight Pro Bowl. He joins Hall of Famers Bill George, Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary as the only Bears linebackers to make it five in a row. Injured teammate Brian Urlacher has gone six times, but there was a one-year gap between his first four selections and his last two.
Urlacher arrived in Chicago three years before Briggs and played in three Pro Bowls before Briggs was even drafted, becoming the face of the franchise. For most of his career, Briggs has played in the shadow of Urlacher, and he wasn't named a team captain until this year. But he has few complaints.
"I've never felt like I don't get the recognition that I deserve," Briggs said. "I'm real comfortable with the recognition I get. I really always have been. The only problem I ever had was when we were going through free agency."
During contentious contract negotiations that resulted in Briggs dipping a toe into the free agency pool, he threatened never to play for the Bears again before signing a six-year, $36 million contract on March 7, 2008.
"All that stuff got resolved," he said. "Outside of that, as far as my play, the right people have always evaluated me right, and those were my peers and the coaches."
Briggs moved into the starting lineup in the fourth game of 2003 of his rookie season in 2003, a year before Smith took over the Bears. Since then, Briggs has never had fewer than 135 tackles. Monday night, he notched his 1,000th tackle in the NFL. So much for special teams.
"When I got drafted, I thought just like anybody else, that I should've been drafted higher," Briggs said. "But I just wanted to prove that I belong, that I deserve to be on the field."
For the last five years, Briggs has proved he deserves to be on the field with the best players in the NFL. The validation he received there was a bonus on top of the free trip to Hawaii.
"Having other coaches come up after the game and say, 'You're a hell of a player,' or 'You played well,' and even other linebackers saying, 'I like to watch you, Briggs,' or 'It's fun watching you,' is nice to hear," Briggs said.
"The first time I went to the Pro Bowl, coaches who had told me on my Pro Day in college, 'You could never play for me, I'll take Nick Barnett,' or, 'I'll take somebody else over you,' those same coaches come up to me now and say, 'You earned it, you're a hell of a player.' To me it's nice to change some of the minds of these guys who didn't think I was capable."
Lions:
Coach Jim Schwartz still has not announced his starting quarterback for the season finale Sunday against Chicago. It appears to be Daunte Culpepper, who took the No. 1 reps in practice for the second consecutive day, at least in the part of practice open to reporters. But Drew Stanton could make an appearance.
"The way we're going right now, everybody that's suited up better be ready to play," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "That's the way I look at it."
The Lions have benched their starter each of their last two games -- Stanton on Sunday at San Francisco, Culpepper on Dec. 20 against Arizona. The game before that was a 48-3 loss Dec. 13 at Baltimore, and Schwartz said he didn't bench Culpepper then because the Lions "had enough other issues without having to worry about quarterback."
Stanton's health has been a factor this week. He popped up on the injury report Wednesday as limited by an ankle problem. He was listed the same way Thursday. Linehan said Stanton suffered the injury early in Sunday's game and was "real sore" afterward but has improved since.
"He's made progress toward being closer to 100 percent now than he was, what we thought coming out of the game," Linehan said. "It ends up not being a real serious thing."
Stanton struggled in his first NFL start, an apparent audition for the backup job next season with Matthew Stafford as the solid No. 1 and Culpepper unlikely to return as the No. 2. Stanton failed to generate any points after a field goal on the opening drive. He finished 11-for-21 for 130 yards, with three interceptions and a fumble.
"Anytime you turn the ball over four times at my position, you're not going to win," Stanton wrote in his blog at drewstanton.com. "Our defense was playing extremely well and we did not respond on offense, and that falls completely on my shoulders.
"That ... sat the worst with me on Sunday's flight home. I felt as if I had let my teammates down. And that is about as bad of a feeling as you can have."
Linehan gave a positive spin.
"There were some good things," Linehan said. "Some of the turnovers overshadow that -- always happens if you don't win. But I liked the fact that he had a 15-play drive for points in the first start of his career on the road against a pretty good defense.
"So that's a start, and I told Drew that. I said I look at that as moving forward, progress. We've got to eliminate some of the things that are catastrophic for our team from the quarterback position, and he's not the only one. We just can't have the turnovers."
Stanton has pleased Linehan in a backup role, both in the preseason and regular season.
"As a relief pitcher, he's been kind of what you're looking for, if you use a baseball analogy," Linehan said.
Linehan said "that's not what he would want to hear," but "what you want in your developmental (QB), your guy that you're maybe looking at as a possible No. 2. He doesn't want to be a 3 for the rest of his career.
"Those are all things that he's shown me that I like in him. He's been able to come off the sideline if that's his role and feel good about him doing the job."
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New England Patriots (10-5) at Houston Texans (8-7)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS (Kevin Harlan, Solomon Wilcots)
PREDICTION: Texans 30-21
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Patriots can still earn the No. 3 seed, but with no shot at a first-round bye several starters are expected to be rested at some point. Look for the Patriots to work on their ground game and limit slow-developing pass plays - in other words, we'll see a lot of the underneath routes WR Wes Welker is dissecting teams on. The Texans received a boost from undrafted rookie RB Arian Foster last Sunday, rare ground support from QB Matt Schaub. Regardless, Schaub has to do damage against a Patriots secondary that has had assignment breakdowns in several losses.
FAST FACTS: Welker has set a career record with 122 receptions, and has at least 10 in seven of 13 games he has played in. ... The Texans are seeking their first winning season.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Patriots:
--QB Tom Brady has not participated in practice all week as he continues to nurse a series of lingering ailments. There's a good chance he either won't play at all Sunday or only take a handful of snaps.
--WR Randy Moss has been out of practice, though it's not injury related according to the Patriots. Moss is one of several veterans whose playing time will likely be limited Sunday.
--OL Nick Kaczur is back in practice despite a shoulder injury and will likely be in the lineup for Sunday's season finale. Kaczur will be part of the rotation with rookie Sebastian Vollmer.
--WR Wes Welker has participated in limited portions of practice this week, though his absence is not injury related. This is more than likely a precautionary move to give Welker some rest with the playoffs beginning next weekend.
--DE Jarvis Green is still nursing a knee injury and has only participated in limited portions of practice this week. Ideally, the Patriots would like to work him back into the rotation Sunday, but it remains to be seen whether or not he'll be healthy enough to suit up.
Texans:
--WR Andre Johnson needs five catches to reach 100 for the second season in a row. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will try to get the ball to Johnson early and often. If the Patriots have him covered down the field, Matt Schaub will throw quick screens to get him the ball at the line of scrimmage and allow Johnson to work against a defender one-on-one.
--QB Matt Schaub has 27 touchdown passes. He'd like to finish with three, but the Patriots don't give up a lot of touchdown passes. Schaub also leads the NFL in yards and finished as the second alternate for the Pro Bowl.
--WR Jacoby Jones has 22 catches and five touchdowns. His touchdown-to-catch ratio is the best on the team. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown, giving him a career-high six. He also is a second alternate for the Pro Bowl as a return man.
--LB Kevin Bentley continues to lead the Texans with 19 special teams tackles. He's been outstanding on what are two of the league's best kick-coverage teams. He also doubles the next-best tackle total, 10 by Andre Davis and John Busing.
--OLB Brian Cushing has four interceptions, more than any linebacker in the league. His four sacks are third most among rookies.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Patriots:
Conventional wisdom -- and recent history, too -- suggests the Patriots will use Sunday's meaningless season finale to rest some of their key players in anticipation of next week's playoff opener.
While there's no troubling divisiveness in the locker room, not everyone will be on board with that philosophy.
"Personally, I hate losing. I want to win everything," running back Fred Taylor said. "I guess that's the most I can say about that."
You'll find others who agree with Taylor's philosophy, but the man who calls all the shots will likely think otherwise on Sunday.
Head coach Bill Belichick has been in this position before; in fact, he's been on the other side of the fence, too, when he's had a first-round bye. Judging by his approach in the past, don't expect to see too many starters playing on Sunday.
Belichick apparently believes one week of rest is enough, which is why he's let his starters play in the season finale when his team has had a first-round bye in the playoffs. This year, the Patriots don't have that luxury, so Sunday's finale at Reliant Stadium will be the closest thing they get to a bye week.
To some degree, they want to be competitive because they could still get the No. 3 seed as opposed to 4, with the only difference being who they play in the opening round. However, they don't want to risk injury, and there are some key veterans (namely Tom Brady) who could use the rest to recover from various minor ailments.
No matter what happens, motivation won't be an issue. The players on the field are playing to win; it just might not be the full complement of stars we're accustomed to seeing.
"Anytime the lights come on and you're in uniform, you're going to want to play," linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said. "You want to play your best. You don't want to embarrass yourself. We have a challenge that we have to address and we're trying to improve and get better going into the postseason, so this is a big building block for us to get to the postseason."
Texans:
The Texans have been preparing for the most important game in franchise history. They must defeat New England at Reliant Stadium to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
"Everybody's focused," coach Gary Kubiak said. "We've had a good week of practice."
The Texans are trying to close the season with a four-game winning streak. If they do, they'll finish 9-7, giving the franchise its first winning record. They were 8-8 the last two seasons.
Kubiak's job isn't in jeopardy. There have been reports around the country that he needed to make the playoffs to return for the fifth year of his contract, but that was never true. Owner Bob McNair wasn't going to make a change.
Patriots' coach Bill Belichick, the embodiment of secrecy, hasn't disclosed if he'll play his starters, and if he does, how long they'll stay in the game. The Texans have been preparing as if Tom Brady and the other regulars will be in the lineup.
"Even they aren't, they don't change their schemes or their plays or their game plan," middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans said.
If the Texans win, they'll finish second in the AFC South behind Indianapolis, despite having a 1-5 division record and five consecutive defeats. It would be their highest finish. They could close 8-8 for a third year in a row and still finish second depending on what Tennessee and Jacksonville do in their last game.
The bottom line is that there's a buzz in Houston about the Texans for the first time this late in the season.
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Jacksonville Jaguars (7-8) at Cleveland Browns (4-11)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS (Gus Johnson, Steve Tasker)
PREDICTION: Jaguars 24-13
KEYS TO THE GAME: With QB Derek Anderson still showing no signs of being able to lead an effective passing attack, the Browns will again lean on RB Jerome Harrison. He has 434 rushing yards the past two games, but will have to do his work against constant eight-man fronts. Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew is all too familiar with that scenario. QB David Garrard continues to be inconsistent when defenses effectively slow down "MJD," and will likely be minus a trusted target in TE Marcedes Lewis (cracked bone in face)
FAST FACTS: The Browns are seeking their first four-game winning streak since 1994. ... Garrard has a 74.7 passer rating on the road compared to 90.9 at home.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Jaguars:
--TE Marcedes Lewis declared himself out of the Cleveland game, saying it will take 3 1/2 weeks for the cracked bones under his eye to heal.
--CB Rashean Mathis missed practice for the second consecutive day with a groin injury. His condition will be evaluated Friday.
--WR Torry Holt missed practice for the second consecutive day with a hand injury. His condition will be evaluated Friday.
--DT John Henderson, who wasn't on the injury report Wednesday, missed Thursday's practice with a shoulder injury.
--DL Attiyah Ellison missed practice for the second consecutive day with a knee injury and is unlikely to play in Cleveland.
--S Anthony Smith, who missed practice Wednesday with an ankle injury, wasn't on the injury report Thursday.
--LB Daryl Smith, who wasn't on the injury report Wednesday, was limited Thursday with a neck injury.
--CB Derek Cox, who wasn't on the injury report Wednesday, was listed as limited Thursday with a foot injury.
Browns:
--WR Brian Robiskie will not play against the Jaguars, Coach Eric Mangini said. Robiskie's rookie season ends with seven catches.
--FB Lawrence Vickers did not practice Thursday because of a groin injury.
--RT John St. Clair did not practice because the ankle injury that prevented him from playing against the Raiders still bothers him.
--LB David Bowens was limited by a knee injury.
--DE Kenyon Coleman missed practice because of lingering elbow and ankle injuries.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Jaguars:
What is David Garrard's future with the Jaguars?
That will be a major question the team will have to deal with in the offseason.
Garrard knows the quarterback gets a lot of scrutiny when a team loses three in a row the way the Jaguars have.
"A quarterback is always valued on how successful the team is, and that's understandable," he said.
Garrard, though, figures to still be the team's quarterback next year even if the Jaguars draft one to be their quarterback of the future.
"Hopefully they understand all of the different circumstances that are going on and evaluate from there," Garrard said. "I'm not worried about that. They're going to make their decisions and I have to live with it. Hopefully they can see through all the weeds and understand all of the different things that are going on."
Complicating the situation is the fact that Garrard is down for a $7.975 million salary next year. Since there won't be a salary cap next year, the Jaguars can pay it if they want to, but there's always a chance they'd ask him to take a pay cut.
Garrard said "no comment" when he was asked how he'd react if the Jaguars made that request.
If Garrard turned down the pay cut, there's no guarantee he would get another starting job with another team.
By contrast, he figures to start for the Jaguars at the start of next year because only a handful of rookie quarterbacks are ready to start from the first game.
But because Garrard is 12-19 since getting a $60 million contract extension after the 2007 season, the Jaguars are likely to be looking at alternatives next year.
Browns:
After starting the season with Jamal Lewis as their featured back, the Browns have switched to Jerome Harrison and the season has been transformed.
The game Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium between the Browns and Jaguars will be a battle of small but successful backs -- Harrison of the Browns and Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jaguars.
Jones-Drew, 5-foot-7, 208 pounds, is fifth in the NFL in rushing with 1,324 yards. He has scored 15 touchdowns on the ground. Eighteen teams have fewer rushing touchdowns.
Harrison is 5-foot-9, 205 pounds. He isn't in Jones-Drew's class, at least not yet, but he set a Browns single-game franchise record by rushing for 286 yards against the Chiefs and followed that up by rushing for 148 yards against the Raiders. After such a late start -- he had 257 yards rushing through 11 games -- Harrison leads the Browns with 735 yards on 161 carries and has a team-high six touchdowns. Harrison was limited in practice Thursday because of a hip injury.
The Browns will be gunning for their fourth straight victory on Sunday. The Jaguars, 7-8, are still alive in the AFC wildcard playoff chase.
"My favorite running backs are guys like Jones-Drew, (Darren) Sproles, LaDainian (Tomlinson) -- guys people say are too small," Harrison said Thursday before practice. "Then they go and perform at the level they perform at in the NFL -- I really appreciate and respect what they're doing.
"There are some advantages to being smaller. It's hard to see me when I'm running behind Joe Thomas. He's 6-4 and huge. I'm a little guy. It has its advantages."
The Browns are a different team with Harrison than they were with Lewis as the primary running back. Lewis, 5-foot-11, 245 pounds, was a plodder the last two years of his career. He carried 143 times and averaged 3.5 yards a carry this season before landing on injured reserve with five games to play. His longest run was 18 yards.
Lewis could muscle his way through tackles. Harrison doesn't do that as well. He breaks open and when he does he is difficult to catch. He scored on runs of 71 and 28 yards against the Chiefs.
"J.C.'s been running hard," said quarterback Derek Anderson, referring to Harrison's nickname. "I don't know what exactly the number is we've run for, but we've become very effective in the running game.
"We've been doing well offensively, controlling the ball and making good decisions. Let the little dog run. Those guys are so small, they kind of get lost behind the 6-8, 6-7 guys. Their center of gravity is so low, you really got to get on their legs. If you hit Jones-Drew high, he just bounces off you because he has such good balance. Jerome is the same way. You kind of lose him for a second, and the next thing you know he's past you."
Until 2009, Harrison's season high for carries was 34 and his season high for rushing yardage was 246, both last season. He had two career touchdowns during his first three seasons.
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Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-12)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX (Dick Stockton, Charles Davis)
PREDICTION: Falcons 20-12
KEYS TO THE GAME: While the Bucs have vastly improved their pass defense since coach Raheem Morris took over play-calling duties for the first meeting (a 20-17 Falcons victory Nov. 29), they're still allowing 156.5 yards per game on the ground. The Falcons will pound RBs Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood and try to set up play-action for QB Matt Ryan, who could be without TE Tony Gonzalez (calf). The Bucs' ground game is equally important as Tampa Bay attempts to protect rookie QB Josh Freeman. The Falcons have clamped down on their run defense of late, limiting Buffalo to 2.2 yards per carry last Sunday.
FAST FACTS: Falcons WR Roddy White has joined Andre Rison as the only Falcons with three consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. ... The Bucs have allowed 17.4 points per game since Morris took over the defense, compared to 29 under Jim Bates.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Falcons:
--QB Matt Ryan (turf toe) participated in his first practice of the week on a limited basis. He was off on Wednesday in order to manage his turf toe injury.
--RB Michael Turner (right high ankle sprain) did not practice and is unlikely to play this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
--CB Christopher Owens has played in all 15 games, while starting the last five. He has 23 tackles and had his first career interception last week against Buffalo.
--OL Todd McClure is set to make his 128th consecutive starter.
--TE Tony Gonzalez needs four catches in order to achieve 1,000 career catches. He'd become the seventh player in league history to reach the plateau.
Bucs:
--DT Chris Hovan (illness) did not practice Thursday. He is expected to play in Sunday's game against the Falcons.
--C Jeff Faine (back) did not practice Thursday. Faine missed several practices last week with an elbow injury and still managed to start at New Orleans.
--RB Derrick Ward (knee/thigh) was limited in practice on Thursday. Ward did not finish the game in the Bucs' 20-17 overtime win at New Orleans last week.
--G Jeremy Zuttah (toe) was limited in practice on Thursday but is expected to start against the Falcons Sunday.
--DT Roy Miller (ankle) was limited in practice Thursday but is expected to play against Atlanta.
--TE Kellen Winslow (knee) had full participation in practice Thursday.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Falcons:
The Falcons are within one game of ending the franchise curse.
The Falcons have defied logic since coming into the league in 1966.
Despite shorts periods of success in each decade, the Falcons have never posted back-to-back winning seasons.
A win or a tie against Tampa Bay and that little "record" is history. The Falcons could finish 9-7 or 8-7-1, with a win or tie.
"These guys know that we have to go out and play well this week," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "I talk to them all the time about going out and playing their best."
The new regime seems a bit miffed that they have to deal with "the record."
But it's a part of what they bought into when the elected to work for a franchise with such a dubious track record.
"The other thing that we talk about is that we want to become a team that sustains good play and also be a team that is relevant every year," Smith said. "To be relevant in this league, Thomas (Dimitroff) and I talked about it, when we first got here, when you are a relevant team you are having winning seasons. So I think it's very important for us as a football team to reach some of the goals that we set."
The Falcons know beating Tampa Bay, despite their 3-12 records, won't be easy.
"I think the last four weeks they've played as well as anybody in the league," Smith said. "They've won two in a row, both on the road. They went to Seattle and had a big when. Then last week they won in overtime against New Orleans. I think they are playing very inspired football on defense. They're running the football, attacking the line of scrimmage, and doing some really good things."
The Falcons have noted the re-emergence of running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.
"Cadillac I thought ran the ball extremely well last week against the really good Saints defense," Smith said. "I think they'll want to come in and try to run the football against us. They're going to play the play-action stuff and try to get the ball into the hands of number 82 (Kellen Winslow) and 89 (Antonio Bryant)."
Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman's continued development has been impressive.
"He's a big guy that's got the skills set to throw the football, and I think he's learning from week to week," Smith said. "He put up a bunch of yards in a couple of those ball games. He had a couple of throws that he'd like to have back and he shows that he learns from it the next week."
Bucs:
Postseason football is becoming a stranger to Bucs fans.
For the second straight year and the fifth time in seven seasons, the Bucs will not reach the playoffs.
At 3-12, the Bucs are hoping to finish on a three-game winning streak with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.
But it's an empty feeling for NFL teams that don't make the playoffs. In fact, Tampa Bay has not won a playoff game since Super Bowl XXXVII.
"That's what you play for. If you're not playing to go to the tournament, I don't know what you're doing it for," coach Raheem Morris said. "The only thing we play for and the only thing we coach for is for an opportunity to win that ring. You've got one as an assistant, now you want one as a head coach and all these players want one. I don't know how many of these players have that ring or how many of them still know what it looks like, for that matter.
"You've got to try to get back every year and that's the whole goal. The Pittsburgh Steelers won one last year and I bet they don't feel like they won it because they want to go back and have an opportunity to compete for it again. It's that type of drive that makes the NFL special every year."
Sunday's game will not be blacked out, although tickets are available. But this season, it's been hard not to notice 15,000 empty seats at Raymond James Stadium.
"Winning brings all that (back)," Morris said. "I don't think that's an issue around here, especially in Tampa. People love football. They can't wait to get back. When you're down in the fourth quarter and they're gone, you know why. Then you're looking at Giants fans and Jets fans and all those people. I'll tell you what though, those New Orleans Saints stood in there the whole game. That was an eerie silence leaving there but it seemed like there were still 70,000 of them looking at me when I walked out. They were angry and quiet.
"We'll get to that day one day and our fans will understand. They're starting to come and they'll show up. Right now, they're rushing to the tailgate. We've got to get them to stand in there and we will. That's our job."
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Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7) at Miami Dolphins (7-8)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS (Greg Gumbel, Dan Dierdorf)
PREDICTION: Steelers 30-23
KEYS TO THE GAME: As has been the case down the stretch, the Dolphins are going to face a stiff run defense that will likely force the game onto the arm of QB Chad Henne. He has shown the ability to stretch the field, but also runs into rough patches in which he tends to miss receivers high. The Steelers will come out attacking the Dolphins' young cornerbacks. RB Rashard Mendenhall hasn't rushed for more than 53 yards in the past three weeks and QB Ben Roethlisberger is racking up yards in three and four-receiver formations - as long as his protection holds.
FAST FACTS: Dolphins CB Sean Smith (four) is attempting to become the first rookie to lead Miami in interceptions since Lloyd Mumphord in 1969. ... Steelers cornerbacks have not recorded an interception all season.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Steelers:
--RB Mewelde Moore has become the forgotten man in the Steelers' offense. Moore, who lost his third-down job to Rashard Mendenhall, has 35 carries this season but only two in the past four games.
--WR Hines Ward, who has injuries to both hamstrings, did not practice again on Thursday and might not play Sunday in Miami. Ward has not missed a game in two seasons.
--DE Brett Keisel did not practice Thursday and he too might not play Sunday. Keisel has a stinger that has bothered him the past two weeks, although he played both games.
--SS Troy Polamalu went through another limited practice but it is highly unlikely he will play Sunday. He has missed the past six games with a sprained PCL.
--G Chris Kemoeatu (wrist) did practice on Thursday but undrafted rookie Ramon Foster likely will start his third straight game for him at left guard.
Dolphins:
--RB Ricky Williams was the only status change to the Dolphins' injury report. After practicing fully on Wednesday with a shoulder injury suffered Sunday, Williams was downgraded to limited practice on Thursday.
--If Williams can't go full bore, look for more chances for second-year man Lex Hilliard. Hilliard enjoyed a coming out party of sorts against Houston with two touchdowns, one by rush and one as a receiver. "What I like in a receiver is when he catches the ball he turns and becomes a runner immediately," Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning said. "That's what Lex does. We're seeing some very positive things from Lex here in the last few weeks."
--RB Kory Sheets could be active if Williams can't play in the Steelers game. Sheets, signed off San Francisco's practice squad early in the year after Patrick Cobbs suffered a season-ending knee injury, has been active just once this year (at Carolina). However Tony Sparano praised his "slashing" running style.
--LB Akin Ayodele will be the one who steps into the inside linebacker void left by the loss of Channing Crowder. Ayodele will wear the headset helmet so he can communicate with coaches and call the sets for the defense. Ayodele had to do this earlier in the season, when Crowder missed a pair of games with a shoulder injury, as well as last week against Houston after Crowder went down two plays into the game.
--OL Nate Garner worked some at left tackle during Thursday's practice. That could be an indicator Pro Bowl LT Jake Long is hurting, or it could just be a sign the Dolphins want Garner to go for the cycle, having played everywhere else on the line this season, including tight end as the tackle eligible.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Steelers:
Teammates voted Ben Roethlisberger team MVP for the 2009 season, the first time the quarterback has earned that honor in six years.
Some have said that is because Roethlisberger is not popular in the locker room, but Pittsburgh has a history of ignoring their quarterback when it comes time to selecting its MVP -- even past Hall of Famers.
Terry Bradshaw won the award twice, or equal to his number of Super Bowl MVPs. Neil O'Donnell won it once and Kordell Stewart once in the 41 years they've been naming MVPs in Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger missed one game this season with a concussion and has one game left in Miami Sunday. He has already set team records for yards passing in a season (4,108), game (503) and with five 300-yard games. He is 67-28 as a starter, including postseason (8-2).
Roethlisberger is the first alternate for the AFC Pro Bowl and with three quarterbacks in prime contention for the Super Bowl on that all-star roster, he likely will be named to play in the game.
"It's the first time in six years I've never missed a practice because of injury or whatever, so I think that has translated onto the football field and my play has been better," Roethlisberger said of his 2009 season. "Whether it's the no-huddle or understanding offenses better, I think you can say it's been one of my better years."
Charlie Batch, his longtime backup who arrived in Pittsburgh in 2002, believes Roethlisberger's rookie season caused changes in how others think about using their young quarterbacks. Roethlisberger returns Sunday to the scene of his first start, in Miami in the fourth game of the 2004 season. The Steelers won that game and went 13-0 under Roethlisberger. He did not lose a start until the AFC championship game against New England.
"With him doing that I think it set the bar for other rookie quarterbacks coming in," Batch said. "That allowed other organizations to say 'Pittsburgh did it, let's go out and throw our guy in there.'"
Dolphins:
Chad Henne has thrown nine interceptions the past five weeks -- and at least one in each game -- after throwing just three his first seven weeks as a starter.
So it's no surprise when he admits one of the primary areas in which he must improve this offseason is throwing touch passes.
"A guy like me who likes to shoot the ball in there all the time," he says, "you realize you have to step back and understand that instead of 'windows,' you've really got to get it over. Because there are more throws over linebackers and safeties, and that is what I'm learning and that's where my game needs to improve."
No one would expect him to have mastered everything a dozen games into his career as an NFL starter. Yet, it's still jarring whenever Henne sails a pass three feet over the head of a running back in the flat or rifles one a bit too hard on a short crossing route.
Even the second New England game, Henne's signature win to this point, included several such moments, including a pair of miscues on swing passes to fullback Lousaka Polite. Another time Henne blasted Davone Bess's fingers with a bullet from close range.
At least Henne recognizes he has a little bit of an issue in this department. So does the coaching staff, which is why Henne spends extra time each practice working with quarterbacks coach David Lee on the mechanics of the touch pass.
"Like anybody in the league, when you get back there, there's a sense of urgency to get the ball out and you want to throw it hard," Dolphins offensive coordinator Dan Henning says. "You've got to learn how to throw it hard but with a little arc and a little pace."
Henning compares it to the second serve in tennis.
"You want to hit the first one hard because you want to get the guy to miss, but the second one you want to make sure you get it in the service court," Henning says. "That's what he needs to do."
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San Francisco 49ers (7-8) at St. Louis Rams (1-14)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Artificial turf
TV: FOX (Chris Myers, Ross Tucker)
PREDICTION: 49ers 31-19
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Rams hope to get RB Steven Jackson (back) back in the lineup, but they just don't have the passing game to compete. QB Keith Null is cutting his chops behind a poor offensive line and little experience at the wideout spots. The 49ers want to see QB Alex Smith end his resurgent season on a good note, and he's been far more efficient with RB Frank Gore more involved again. If the Rams can't stuff Gore and exploit Smith in third-and-long situations, they'll struggle to keep pace.
FAST FACTS: The Rams have lost 24 of their past 25 games. ... Gore is the first player in franchise history with four consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
PERSONNEL NEWS
49ers:
--K Ricky Schmitt "tweaked" his left groin in warmups before Thursday's practice. The team medical staff was scheduled to evaluate him Friday morning to determine whether the 49ers needed to sign a new kicker for Sunday's game. Schmitt was signed last week to take over for Joe Nedney, who is out with a hamstring strain.
--QB Nate Davis ran the scout team for the first times Wednesday and Thursday as second-string quarterback Shaun Hill was rested with a sore back. Davis, a rookie, has not played a snap in the regular season.
--RB Glen Coffee returned to practice this week and will likely be available to be Frank Gore's primary backup Sunday in the 49ers' season finale against the St. Louis Rams.
--WR Jason Hill does not figure to have a diminished role in Sunday's game against the St. Louis Rams with Isaac Bruce likely to be in uniform. Bruce has not practiced and is not likely to have any significant role in the game.
--LT Joe Staley did not practice with a knee injury and might not be able to play Sunday's game. Veteran Barry Sims would start for the seventh time this season if Staley is unable to play Sunday against the Rams.
Rams:
--QB Keith Null again took most of the snaps in practice Thursday, but no decision has been made on who will start Sunday against San Francisco.
--DE Leonard Little missed another practice because of the open wound in his knee from an infection that hasn't totally healed.
--RB Steven Jackson did not practice Thursday, but might get some snaps Friday. Jackson has said he expected to play against the 49ers Sunday.
--LB Paris Lenon did not practice again because of a toe injury and might be questionable for Sunday's game.
--LB Chris Chamberlain has been working with the first unit for Paris Lenon, who isn't practicing because of a toe injury.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
49ers:
San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary has reconsidered the possibility of having wide receiver Isaac Bruce suit up for the 49ers' season finale Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.
But whether he will actually play is another issue entirely.
After all, Bruce is simply not ready to play. He has not practiced since before the Nov. 22 game against the Green Bay Packers. He did not practice Wednesday or Thursday in leading up to the 49ers' finale Sunday against the St. Louis Rams, either.
Offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye said Bruce it would be irresponsible to give much playing time to Bruce, who has gone five games without suiting up. Bruce played 13 of his 16 NFL seasons in St. Louis, so it will give the fans there one final opportunity to cheer him before he retires.
Raye said he will speak to Bruce to determine how -- or if -- he will be used once the game begins. Raye said he wants to be careful not to tarnish Bruce's reputation.
"I'm not going to disrespect what he's done over the course of his career with some token gesture," Raye said. "In terms what he's done over the past eight weeks, football-wise, it has been minimal on the field. That will enter into the decision."
Bruce, 37, understood his services were no longer needed in the second half of this season because of the emergence of young receivers Josh Morgan, Michael Crabtree and Jason Hill.
"I'm a football player, and I believe in players earning the right to play," Bruce said. "That's just the way I believe. I believe if one player is better than the other, the best player should play at the time."
Bruce is among the most productive receivers in NFL history. He ranks second in league history behind Jerry Rice with 15,208 receiving yards. He is fifth all-time with 1,024 receptions, and ranks ninth with 91 touchdown catches.
Rams:
There isn't much at stake Sunday when the Rams play host to the 49ers in the regular-season finale.
Yes, the 49ers would like to accomplish an 8-8 record, and the Rams hope for a home win despite some fans hoping they lose to assure the first overall pick in the draft.
However, two stellar careers could be ending Sunday. Those players will play sparingly if at all. Rams defensive end Leonard Little has an open wound due to a knee infection and hopes to play. He hasn't practiced this week.
He said, "I started running to see how it feels. I'll get as much treatment as I can and hope to give it a go. It's still open and that's the biggest thing because so many things can happen to it during the course of the game. You have to be careful, but I will try my best to go out and give it a go if I can."
Little hasn't made a decision on whether to play another season, but appears willing if the Rams want him back.
Meanwhile, 49ers' wide receiver Isaac Bruce, who played 14 of his 16 seasons with the Rams, will apparently play despite coach Mike Singletary saying last week he wouldn't.
However, a group of receivers led by Josh Morgan went to Singletary's office earlier this week, urging the coach to play Bruce in what is expected to be his final game. While Bruce told reporters he is 75 percent sure about retiring, those close to him say it's a lot closer to 100 percent.
Bruce will likely play, and may be on the field for the first play so he is considered a starter. However, he has been inactive for six of the last seven games and hasn't practiced for as month. Like Little, he also hasn't practiced this week.
Said Morgan, "He can start in front of me. I just want to see him play one last time."
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Indianapolis Colts (14-1) at Buffalo Bills (5-10)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Artificial turf
TV: CBS (Bill Macatee, Steve Beuerlein)
PREDICTION: Bills 16-14
KEYS TO THE GAME: With home-field advantage locked up and their run at a perfect record over, Colts coach Jim Caldwell is expected to pull many of his key players even earlier than last week. QB Peyton Manning & Co. will play just long enough to keep sharp, then rookie Curtis Painter will take over. The Bills hope QB Ryan Fitzpatrick's ankle is healed enough to let him play, but none of Buffalo's quarterbacks has produced enough to keep opponents from stacking eight men against RBs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch.
FAST FACTS: The Bills have placed 18 players on injured reserve this season, the most in franchise history. ... Manning needs 153 passing yards to break his career-high of 4,557 set in 2004.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Colts:
--WR Pierre Garcon (hand) has seen limited work in practice this week. He will probably be a game-time decision against the Bills.
--OT Ryan Diem (elbow) did not practice Wednesday. He might be a game-time decision Sunday against Buffalo.
--OT Charlie Johnson (foot) will probably miss Sunday's game with the Bills.
--DT Keyunta Dawson (knee) isn't expected to play Sunday at Buffalo.
--DE Robert Mathis (quad) is most likely sidelined for Sunday's game at Buffalo.
--DE Dwight Freeney (rest/abdomen) will probably see limited work in the Bills game on Sunday.
--LB Clint Session (knee) isn't expected to see much, if any, playing time against the Bills on Sunday.
Bills:
--QB Ryan Fitzpatrick took the majority of first-team reps for a second day and will start Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts barring any setbacks. Fitzpatrick missed last Sunday's loss in Atlanta with an ankle injury. He was able to run and cut on Thursday and appears close to 100 percent.
--QB Brian Brohm, who started last Sunday's loss at Atlanta, will play the role of backup Sunday against Indianapolis. Ryan Fitzpatrick took the majority of first-team reps again is expected to start barring any setbacks.
--WR Josh Reed did not practice for a second day due to a bad ankle injury. A free agent, he's doubtful for Sunday's game against the Colts.
--DT Marcus Stroud missed another day of practice with an illness. He's a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Colts. His absence would further deplete a defense that is 32nd against the run.
--SS Donte Whitner did not practice due to an illness. A bug is running through the locker room. He's hopeful for Sunday's game vs. the Colts.
--OT Andre Ramsey injured his calf in practice and was added to the injury report. The severity of his injury isn't known. The Bills are hurting for depth at left tackle with Jonathan Scott not practicing this week with an ankle injury. The state of the left tackle spot won't be known until Sunday.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Colts:
Curtis Painter has a good head on his shoulders.
So it's not a surprise that the rookie quarterback from Purdue isn't having that tough a time putting his performance against the New York Jets on Sunday out of his mind. At least publicly.
Painter relieved starter Peyton Manning late in the third quarter of the Jets game with Indianapolis clinging to a 15-10 lead. He promptly fumbled while dropping back to pass on his first offensive series, resulting in a touchdown for New York.
For the game, Painter completed just 4 of 11 passes and threw one interception. The Colts wound up losing 29-15, snapping a 14-game regular-season winning streak as well as a 23-game regular-season winning streak that stretched back to last year.
Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell, though, has no qualms about putting the first-year quarterback back into a game that counts. That includes Sunday's regular-season finale at Buffalo.
"A lot of circumstances you can't control. You have to be able to take some tough times, adjust, learn from them and move on," Caldwell said this week.
He fully expects Painter to do just that.
"It's a tough situation, and you can't blame everything on him in that situation, but it was difficult," Caldwell said. "We tried to make certain that we assured him and talked to him a little bit and told him some of the displeasure (booing during the game) was expressed more so at me than him in some situations. We made certain that he understood that. I think overall it was a great learning experience for him. I think he did some good things within the grand scheme of things.
"Oftentimes, you will find a young guy that does not have an opportunity to play an extensive amount of time, that he has problems getting in the huddle, calling plays, (getting) delay of games and things of that nature. But I thought he managed that aspect pretty well. He had some nice throws as well. I think it was a learning experience, and hopefully he'll get a little bit more."
Bills:
The Bills reached back into their past again to find their new general manager.
Buddy Nix, who worked as an SEC scout for the team from 1993 to 2000, was named general manager of football operations on Thursday by team owner Ralph Wilson. Unlike GMs of the recent past, Nix's GM title was re-defined as strictly a football only role.
The Bills, who have missed the playoffs a franchise-record 10 consecutive seasons, have drawn criticism for neglecting their football operations while concentrating on marketing to sell out their stadium. The Bills have a 5-10 record heading into Sunday's finale against Indianapolis before yet another sellout crowd.
"It has nothing to do with marketing, advertising, tickets -- just football," Wilson said when describing Nix' role. "He will hire a new football coach and oversee him and the whole operation connected with football."
Nix, 70, rejoined the Bills last January as a national scout, ending a brief eight-month retirement after leaving the San Diego Chargers.
He left the Bills after the 2000 season with the late John Butler and A.J. Smith, Buffalo's two lead decision makers, to become the Chargers head of player and pro personnel. He later became assistant GM after Butler died of cancer. From 2001-2007, Nix oversaw drafts that brought in 20 Pro Bowl players to San Diego.
The Bills are hoping his keen eye can help them rebound from a dismal decade of football.
"I'm excited to be here at a time we are. We have a great opportunity. I think it's perfect timing," Nix said. "You always talk about getting 'a football guy.' I don't know what that is exactly but the only way I could be more of a football guy is live longer because it's all I've ever done. I've had all the titles but this one."
After the Bills spoke with Mike Shanahan and rumors swirled this week that Bill Cowher was back on the radar, the Bills settled on Nix, keeping with Wilson's track record of hiring from within. The deal came together in the last week, Nix said, and it was a surprise to him that he was offered the job.
But being a GM of an NFL team was a career goal, he said.
His first order of business is hiring a head coach. He said interim coach Perry Fewell is a candidate and will be interviewed but would not elaborate.
"It's important who we hire, obviously, to be the head coach. This is a crucial time for us. We're going to set about that and make sure we get the right guy," he said.
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New Orleans Saints (13-2) at Carolina Panthers (7-8)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX (Thom Brennaman, Brian Billick)
PREDICTION: Saints 23-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Saints will toe the line between working on regaining their momentum and staying healthy with home-field advantage secured. QB Drew Brees continues to be efficient, but the vertical passing game is lacking - he completed just one pass longer than 16 yards last Sunday. At the same time, coach Sean Payton has continued to get away from the more balanced approach New Orleans featured the first three quarters of the season. Panthers RB Jonathan Stewart has 315 rushing yards the past two weeks, and DeAngelo Williams (ankle) could return. Carolina's ground game must lead the charge because emerging young QB Matt Moore is without WR Steve Smith (broken forearm).
FAST FACTS: Stewart has three 100-yard rushing games the past four weeks. They have come in the three games in which he has had more than 17 carries this season. ... Saints S Darren Sharper has set an NFL record with 376 return yards off his nine interceptions.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Saints:
--RB Pierre Thomas did not practice for the second straight day Thursday. He left Sunday's game with bruised ribs and his availability for this week's game against the Carolina Panthers was unknown.
--FS Darren Sharper did not practice again Thursday because of knee soreness and his availability for Sunday's game was unknown especially with the Saints having clinched home-field advantage in the playoffs.
--FS Usama Young, who recently had surgery for a sports hernia, did not work Wednesday or Thursday and will miss Sunday's game with the Panthers.
--WR Lance Moore has not practiced this week with a right ankle injury and his status for this week's game was unknown.
--DE Bobby McCray, who has battled a back problem for most of the season, did not work Wednesday or Thursday and his status for Sunday was unknown.
--MLB Jonathan Vilma did not practice again Thursday. He's battling a sore knee, but will likely play against the Panthers.
--TE David Thomas was held out of practice Wednesday and Thursday with a right calf injury and his availability for Sunday was unknown.
--TE Jeremy Shockey was limited Wednesday and Thursday because of toe injury that has kept him out of the last two games and his status for the Panthers is not known.
--DT Sedrick Ellis, who played last week after missing one game with a left knee injury, has been limited in practice this week and his availability for Sunday was unknown.
--WLB Scott Shanle was not cleared medically to play last week after suffering a concussion the previous week, but could be available for Sunday's game after working on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday.
--CB Randall Gay also did limited work both days as he tries to come back from a concussion and he also could play Sunday.
--LCB Jabari Greer, who had sports hernia surgery on Dec. 8, has been targeting Sunday's game for his return and could go against the Panthers after working limited Wednesday and Thursday.
--RG Jahri Evans participated in Wednesday and Thursday's practice on a limited basis with a toe injury, but should start for the 64th straight game Sunday.
--OT Jermon Bushrod worked on a limited basis again Thursday with a thumb injury and should play Sunday.
--TE Darnell Dinkins remains limited because of a foot injury, but will likely play against the Panthers.
--RB Lynell Hamilton worked on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday with a shoulder injury, but could play against the Panthers.
--LS Jason Kyle was limited with a back injury in workouts Wednesday and Thursday, but will likely be available for Sunday's game.
Panthers:
--RB DeAngelo Williams missed practice for the second straight day with an ankle injury. He probably won't play this week.
--RB Jonathan Stewart (heel) did not practice Thursday.
--WR Kenny Moore is expected to start Sunday in place of WR Steve Smith, who is out with a broken arm.
--WR Steve Smith hasn't been placed on injured reserve, but he's expected to be officially moved to IR soon.
--QB Matt Moore will start Sunday and has thrown six TD passes in the last two weeks.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Saints:
With the Saints having clinched home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs, coach Sean Payton will have some options on how to play the regular-season finale with the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
On Monday, Payton thought he would have to prepare his team to win -- like every other week, of course -- but it seemed like the Saints would have to play with more urgency until the Minnesota Vikings lost that night and bowed out of the race for the NFC's top seed.
That might have changed their outlook on how they approach Sunday's game, but it didn't change the fact that they want to win it to avoid a three-game losing streak going into postseason play.
It was anybody's guess how Payton will handle the situation after his news conference Wednesday. He indicated that he may rest some starters to avoid injuries before the playoffs, but gave few clues to how he may do that.
"There may be a guy or two that we elect not to play, but what's most important is the process here this week as we get ready," he said, making sure that his team's focus is on the task at hand and not on the playoffs yet. "Today, we had the pads on and had a good practice with energy.
"I think our players understand there's really only one way to play a game. You can't go in half-in," he said. "It may vary who goes in, but there's only one way to approach this game. It's physical and the team we're playing is physical. The challenge we're facing this week is to prepare with the best plan and go on the road and play Carolina -- who's playing well."
One change that is likely is at quarterback where Drew Brees may be relieved by backup Mark Brunell early. In a similar situation three years ago, Brees led his team to a touchdown on its opening possession, then turned the game over to then-backup Jamie Martin.
"I'm going to do whatever I'm told," Brees said Wednesday, giving none of Payton's secrets away. "We're all planning to play. Obviously, the mindset is to try to put our best game together and win this game."
Meanwhile, Brunell said he hadn't received any specific playing plan yet.
"But I'll be in there a little bit," he said as reporters surrounded him at his locker. "I think it's the plan (to play) to some degree. But how much, I don't know."
Panthers:
The Panthers made only one change to their starting lineup this past offseason and that came at the No. 2 cornerback position.
It's a testament to Richard Marshall that there has been almost nothing mentioned about the move since.
Marshall has taken over and filled in admirably for Ken Lucas, who was let go in a salary cap move. Marshall is third on the team in tackles with 75 and tied for the team lead in interceptions with four entering Sunday's season finale against New Orleans.
But while those numbers are solid, Marshall is not content.
"I feel like I'm playing OK, but you can always get better," Marshall said. "I've always said you never want to get content where you are because you can always get better and try to become a better player. I feel like I can get better on the technique stuff and learning the game better than I know it now."
Although Marshall came into the league in 2006 by saying he planned to start right away, it took three years before the team gave him the full-time gig.
The transition from Lucas to Marshall has been seamless.
Marshall has been remarkably consistent outside of a rough outing earlier this month against Tampa Bay. But as much as Marshall wants to blame himself for allowing some big completions to Antonio Bryant, the fact is Bryant made a couple of circus catches that day on throws from Josh Freeman.
"He (Bryant) caught some passes on me," Marshall said. "I was right there but he still had some one-handed catches on me. But he still had some big catches on me. I hate when people catch passes on me whether it's practice or in the game, so I just have to get that right and see the mistakes I made. The last two weeks I corrected my mistakes and I've been playing better."
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New York Giants (8-7) at Minnesota Vikings (11-4)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Artificial turf
TV: FOX (Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa)
PREDICTION: Vikings 31-24
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Vikings are working on getting RB Adrian Peterson more touches, but he hasn't reached 100 rushing yards for six consecutive games as the run blocking has deteriorated. The Giants could provide the solution after getting run over for 247 yards by Carolina. Without the consistent threat of Peterson popping big runs, opponents have successfully alternated between pressuring QB Brett Favre and dropping more defenders into coverage. Defensively, Minnesota's once-impenetrable run defense has taken a hit since losing MLB E.J. Henderson for the season. With RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) out, Ahmad Bradshaw will lead the charge on the ground, while QB Eli Manning will also target rookie replacement Jasper Brinkley in coverage.
FAST FACTS: Manning is 0-3 with two touchdowns and eight interceptions in three career games against Minnesota. ... Peterson is averaging 4.3 yards per carry at home.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Giants:
--RB Brandon Jacobs (knee) was placed on the injured reserve list. Jacobs, who had been declared out of the game on Wednesday by head coach Tom Coughlin, will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery next week for a partially torn meniscus. His spot was filled by QB Rhett Bomar, a 2009 Giants draft pick (fifth round), who has spent this season on the Giants' practice squad.
--CB Aaron Ross (hamstring) was placed on the injured reserve list. Ross missed the first nine games of the season with multiple hamstring injuries, returned to play four games, including one in which he started at safety, and missed the last two games with the same injury. His spot was filled by S Sha'reff Rashad, also activated from the Giants' practice squad.
--DT Chris Canty (knee) has been declared out for Sunday's season finale against Minnesota. Canty was injured toward the end of the Wednesday practice when a teammate rolled into his knee. Despite Canty's struggles with the injury bug this season and with learning a new scheme, head coach Tom Coughlin sees a bright future for him at defensive tackle. "He is a force inside, and we are continuing to try to develop him to the point where he is even more of a force," Coughlin said.
--DE Justin Tuck needs one sack to reach 30 for his career. If he managed to get at least a half sack this weekend against Minnesota, it will be his third straight game with at least a half sack. Tuck did not practice on Thursday because of a swollen knee but said he was optimistic he will be able to play on Sunday.
--RB D.J. Ware will have an opportunity to be active in this week's game after spending the last two weeks inactive. Head coach Tom Coughlin indicated that Ware's demotion the last two weeks was because of a drop-off in his performance on special teams. "We are trying to make him understand a lot of things about consistency and about what our expectation levels are, no matter what spot we are in," Coughlin said of Ware. "Hopefully he is going to learn that."
--WR Ramses Barden, who hasn't been active since Week 3, is probably not going to be active again this week when the Giants wrap up their regular season against Minnesota. However despite his lack of activity, that doesn't mean that Barden doesn't have a future role with the Giants.
"We are looking forward, believe me, to spending a lot of time with Barden," said head coach Tom Coughlin. "I think he has shown us, in the scout squad, as much as Mario (Manningham) did a year ago, that there is a lot to work with there. Whether or not he has to play in the game to show us more -- yes, it would be nice. But we have seen plenty on the practice field."
--The Giants filled their two vacant practice squad spots with OL Rueben Riley and WR Bruce Francis.
Riley, a 6-4, 326-pounder from the University of Michigan, spent the 2007 season on the Carolina Panthers' practice squad. He was briefly with the Miami Dolphins in the summer of 2008, was re-signed and then cut by the Panthers and was on the Washington Redskins' practice squad for the final month of the 2008 season. Riley was waived by the Redskins last Sept. 5. He had a tryout with the Giants a couple of weeks ago.
Francis, 5-11, 170 pounds, is a product of Temple University. He was with the Giants for a few practices during their rookie mini-camp last May.
Vikings:
--DT Jimmy Kennedy did not practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a thumb injury suffered Monday night against Chicago. Kennedy started in place of the injured Pat Williams against the Bears.
--TE Visanthe Shiancoe returned to practice Thursday on a limited basis after sitting out Wednesday because of a thigh injury.
--S Eric Frampton was limited for a second consecutive day of practice because of an ankle injury.
--LG Steve Hutchinson was limited for a second consecutive day of practice because of a shoulder injury. Hutchinson has been playing through the issue.
--C John Sullivan was limited Wednesday and Thursday because of a knee injury.
--DT Pat Williams continued to be limited because of an elbow injury that held him out of Monday's game in Chicago.
--CB Antoine Winfield continues to be limited in practice because of a foot injury that kept him out for six games earlier this season. It is reported to be a Lisfranc injury, which involves a sprain or dislocation-fracture to one the small joints of the mid-foot. Winfield has struggled in the past two games because of it.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Giants:
When Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan was interviewing for his job last year with head coach Tom Coughlin, his key selling points were his competence and his ability to put the players in the best positions for success.
Unfortunately, the results from his first year on the job don't reflect either of those ideas. The Giants defense has been gouged for 40-plus points four times this season. They are the league's fifth worst in terms of points allowed. They also have surrendered 4,711 yards this season, an average of 314.1 per game. Finally, they have just 32 sacks, 10 fewer than their 2008 regular-season total.
When asked what was missing from the defense, Sheridan said, "We really don't want to talk about injuries, but you're talking about some voids that were left by guys who were in leadership like Antonio Pierce. That's a big void that we never filled just from a leadership-on-the-field perspective. That's an obvious one to point out."
However, there also have been reports of Sheridan not fully connecting with his players the way his predecessor, Steve Spagnuolo, did. Several times during the season, members of the defense suggested that there were some communication problems that resulted in poor showings.
"Anytime you have a new guy like Bill come in, I think given the success of the previous guy, obviously the expectations are going to be high," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "I'm not making any excuses about anything, but we haven't had a full roster that we thought we were going to have all year based on injury and so forth. So I think that's a tough role to blame one guy."
Still, when asked if he thought Sheridan might be made the scapegoat for the Giants' defensive woes, Tuck deferred a bit: "Somebody's going to be a scapegoat. That could be a lot of people. I don't think it's necessarily going to be all on Bill because we all are accountable."
If Sheridan does somehow avoid the axe at the end of the year, he said he's determined to figure out what went wrong and get it fixed.
"We'll spend the majority of our energy analyzing whether it's scheme," said Sheridan. "Personnel is a whole separate issue. Yes, we've had a bit of an injury bug this year, but in the offseason we evaluate what people are doing against us and how we defended it."
Vikings:
The Vikings have lost three of their past four games and the momentum of a 10-1 start now seems like a distant memory. But quarterback Brett Favre said this is not the time for anyone to panic.
"It would be easy to push the panic button and point fingers and all those things," he said. "The fact is we're in (the playoffs). We need to play better or we'll be out rather quickly. We know we can do it. We have done it. There's not a lot that needs to be said. It's just either you do it or you're going to be out."
The Vikings, who lost Monday night in Chicago, have clinched the NFC North and could still get the second seed in the conference if they can beat the New York Giants on Sunday and Philadelphia loses at Dallas. That would give the Vikings a first-round bye in the playoffs and a home game in the divisional round.
The issue is that the Vikings clearly are no longer playing with the confidence that they carried when December began. Worst case, the Vikings are assured of a home playoff game as the division champion but if they go on the road in the second round they could be in trouble.
The Vikings will take a 7-0 home record into Sunday's game at the Metrodome but are now 4-4 on the road. Favre said the Vikings must put their recent struggles behind them.
"It's over, it's done with," he said. "There is a lot riding on this game as there was this past week (when they lost in Chicago). Everyone feels sorry for themselves, but we have to find a way to dig deep and go do it. That's the way I've always done it."
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Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) at Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Pam Oliver)
PREDICTION: Eagles 20-19
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Eagles head into Sunday's showdown for the NFC East title breaking in new starting C Nick Cole, a guard sliding over to replace injured Jamaal Jackson. Cole has had a week of practice after struggling a bit after Jackson went down last Sunday. The Eagles are also working RB Brian Westbrook back into the mix more. But Dallas' defensive weakness is in deep coverage, and that's where the Eagles will attack with big-play WRs DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin - if Cole & Co. can give QB Donovan McNabb time. The Cowboys are a physical offense up front that typically comes out looking to use RBs Marion Barber and Felix Jones to set up the pass. But QB Tony Romo led the way in the first meeting, passing for 307 yards with completions to seven different receivers. A concern for Dallas is short-yardage after failing to convert two fourth-and-1s last Sunday following a loss to the Chargers in which Barber was stuffed three straight times at the goal line.
FAST FACTS: Eagles CB Asante Samuels' nine interceptions are the most by an Eagle since Bill Bradley had nine in 1972. ... Romo has nine touchdown passes and one interception over the past five games.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Eagles:
--QB Michael Vick practiced Thursday for the first time since suffering a quadriceps contusion two weeks ago against San Francisco, giving hope that he might play Sunday against Dallas. Last week, unable to run, Vick was the team's emergency quarterback behind Donovan McNabb and Kevin Kolb.
--S/KR Quintin Demps practiced Thursday and said he expected to return kickoffs Sunday against Dallas. But special teams coach Ted Daisher wasn't ready to commit to him yet.
--QB Donovan McNabb, who tweaked his hamstring last week in the Denver game, has practiced all week and hasn't been hampered by the injury at all. He insists it will not hinder his mobility.
--RB Brian Westbrook has had a good week of practice and seems to be over his most recent concussion. He got 11 touches in last week's game and will get about the same type of workload this week as he rotates with LeSean McCoy and fullback Leonard Weaver.
--CB Sheldon Brown, who already had played through a hamstring injury, suffered an ankle injury in last week's game, but returned to the game and played well. He has been a full practice participant all week.
Cowboys:
--TE Jason Witten acknowledges being motivated by last year's 44-6 loss to the Eagles in the season finale. But he said this team is different and he hopes the outcome will be different Sunday.
"We still felt we could win that game," Witten said. "But the focus this team has had, the preparation, is a totally different feel.
"I think that has shown over the last few weeks, not just the off-the-field stuff, but on the field, the way we're playing, the way Tony (Romo) is playing and all that goes into that. I think we're all just feeding off one another.
"We've earned the right to get to this spot. Yeah, that was good making the playoffs. We're one of 12 teams. But we're still playing for a lot more than that. We were talking about that earlier. If we can win this game, it gives us a huge platform to win in the playoffs.
"We know win or lose, we've got to move forward. That's what good teams do."
--K Shaun Suisham was the beneficiary of the team moving Thursday's practice to Cowboys Stadium. Sunday will be in his first game kicking there as a member of the Cowboys. He missed two kicks there earlier this season when he was with the Redskins.
Suisham made a 54-yarder during the early stages of practice.
"He kicked the ball very, very well today," coach Wade Phillips said. "He didn't miss a kick. That was good."
--LB DeMarcus Ware is back in the Pro Bowl. He leads the Cowboys with 11 sacks, but he acknowledges it has been a tough season. He has battled foot, hand and neck injuries and went sackless for the first four games.
"I think it's a hard-work thing, and you try to be consistent every year," Ware said. "If you play well, they vote you in. It was four games where I went without a sack, but I was getting pressure.
"That's just part of the game. I feel good. I don't feel any lag, and it's the 16th game but a lot of guys have stepped up (despite injuries). My neck is not stiff at all. It's good."
--G Kyle Kosier was named the winner of the Ed Block Courage award, voted on by teammates. Kosier was honored for his ability to battle back from a foot fracture that sidelined him last season. "With the list of the guys that have won it, it's an honor to have my peers think of me that way," Kosier said.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Eagles:
Special teams coach Ted Daisher still wasn't ready to commit to Quintin Demps as his kickoff returner for Sunday's big game against the Dallas Cowboys, but Demps was.
"Oh yeah, I'll be back there," said Demps, who injured his ankle two weeks ago and missed last week's game against Denver. "A little (anti-inflammatory) shot, man. I'll be full-speed ready to go."
Since Ellis Hobbs went down with a season-ending spine injury in early-November, Demps and Macho Harris both have returned kickoffs. Demps has been more effective, averaging 25.8 yards per attempt. Harris has averaged just 20.7 and fumbled two returns last week, including one that set up a Denver touchdown.
In addition, Harris also is splitting time at free safety with Sean Jones. So the Eagles would prefer to have Demps handle the kickoffs.
"His ankle is day-to-day," Daisher said. "We're still not sure what he is going to be able to do or what he is not going to be able to do. Victor Harris would still be in the mix. We have to get some things corrected with him, but he would be the next guy."
Another option is wide receiver Jeremy Maclin. But he is playing almost every snap on offense.
"He'd be in the mix also," Daisher said. "We're working both guys and just going to wait and see how the health of Demps is and just work and see how it works out the next couple of days."
Cowboys:
Receiver Roy Williams said last week's game was a wakeup call for him -- he had two drops in the first half and didn't see the ball again.
He believes his disappointing season has gotten to the point where quarterback Tony Romo and offensive coordinator Jason Garrett have lost trust in him.
Some snaps are being given to rookie Kevin Ogletree, and Williams said if he doesn't play better, he could very well lose his job.
"You know I have to get the confidence of my quarterback, because I didn't get a look after the first half," Williams said. "I didn't get a look in the second half. That's telling me that my quarterback has lost confidence in me, and so has the coordinator as far as calling plays for me.
"That's not on them. I don't blame them. I blame myself. I've got to get my crap together and try to help this team win some games in the playoffs."
The Cowboys remain supported of Williams publicly, however.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones said he does not believe that Romo and Garrett have lost confidence in Williams.
"I don't believe that is the case at all," Jones said. "On a personal basis and on a professional basis, I have not (lost confidence in Williams). I know the kinds of plays he is capable of making and can make. I think we will see those as we go into Philadelphia and the playoffs. So I feel very good that he is on our team and out there with a chance to make plays."
Romo agreed:
"No one has lost any confidence in Roy," said Romo, who added that he appreciated that Williams wanted to improve. "Roy is going to be a huge part of this going forward. He knows that. Hopefully we're all going to have some good football ahead of us."
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Green Bay Packers (10-5) at Arizona Cardinals (10-5)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX (Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan)
PREDICTION: Cardinals 24-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Cardinals' gameplan could be determined by the Vikings' result earlier in the day. If Arizona still has a chance to earn a first-round bye, QB Kurt Warner and his receivers will likely play deeper into the game. If not, both teams will have a vanilla approach with a potential rematch right back in Arizona next weekend. The Packers will be especially wary of pass protection for QB Aaron Rodgers, which should lead to a heavy workload for RBs Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson.
FAST FACTS: Rodgers is the first quarterback in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards in each of the first two years in which he started a game. ... Warner has joined Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton as the only players in NFL history to throw at least 100 touchdown passes for two different teams.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Packers:
--NT Ryan Pickett has yet to practice this week, and it's looking as if he'll be held out for the third time in the last four games because of a hamstring injury. Rookie B.J. Raji would remain the starter in Pickett's absence.
--ILB Nick Barnett went through the full practice Thursday after being sent home the previous day because of an illness. Barnett should be ready to make the start in Sunday's regular-season finale at Arizona.
--FB Korey Hall did next to nothing in practice for the second consecutive day and probably won't play Sunday. He suffered an elbow injury in the last game. The Packers are covered at the position with rookie Quinn Johnson and John Kuhn, who is expected to play after missing two games to rest a broken hand.
--S Derrick Martin is the only player on the team's injury report who has been ruled out for Sunday. The special-teams ace is on the mend with an ankle sprain he sustained in the last game, and the team wants to try to get him ready for the start of the playoffs next week.
--K Mason Crosby's two field goals in the Sunday rout of the Seattle Seahawks came in handy, not only for restoring the team's confidence in him after he had missed a field-goal try in each of the previous four games but also for etching his name in the league record book. Crosby has 390 career points, topping the 388 by the New England Patriots' Stephen Gostkowski from 2006 to '08 for most points scored by a player in his first three seasons.
Cardinals:
--WR Larry Fitzgerald doesn't seem to be limited by a sore knee or a badly bruised elbow. Fitzgerald is playing through the pain and needs six receptions to get to 100 this season.
--WR Anquan Boldin needs 14 yards to reach 1,000 yards receiving for the fifth time in his seven NFL seasons.
--FS Antrel Rolle has a badly bruised right thigh and might miss his first game since his rookie season in 2005. Rookie Rashad Johnson could get the first start of his career.
--TE Ben Patrick has been cleared to play after missing a week because of a concussion.
--WR Sean Morey, a key special teams player, has been cleared to play after missing a game because of a concussion.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Packers:
The Packers might have good reason to keep their offensive starters in as long as possible for their essentially meaningless game to end the regular season Sunday at Arizona.
The highly productive, rarely mistake-laden starting unit hasn't been bad enough to commit four turnovers in a game. As long as the Packers stick to the frugal script for a 16th time this season, they'll transition to the playoffs next week with a franchise record in hand.
Green Bay has only 15 giveaways, giving it some cushion to better the 1972 team's 19 turnovers for fewest in a season.
"Our offense has done a very good job taking care of the football -- really our whole football team with the turnover ratio," head coach Mike McCarthy said.
Thanks in part to 37 takeaways by the defense, the Packers lead the league with a plus-22 TO ratio.
The utter lack of generosity by the offense to its opponents is impressive. Green Bay is No. 1 in the league with the 15 giveaways and is tied for the lead in interceptions thrown (seven) with the rival Minnesota Vikings.
McCarthy credits offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and his other assistants on that side of the football for staying on the players about the importance of hanging onto the football.
"Joe does not have a presentation in the offensive meeting that doesn't refer at some point to ball security, and our players have totally bought into it," McCarthy said.
The Packers have turned the ball over three times only twice this season and had two giveaways four times. They have been mistake-free in eight games, including the last two after an uncharacteristic run of committing seven turnovers in three games.
McCarthy said quarterback Aaron Rodgers' disciplined ability to keep miscues to a minimum -- he has only seven interceptions in 515 pass attempts with 29 touchdowns -- manifests itself throughout the offense.
"It starts with Aaron," McCarthy said. "He handles the ball every play. He is very, very decisive as far as his decision-making in the passing game, and I think that is a big part of the low interceptions. Our perimeter players do a good job of holding the thing high and tight and taking care of the ball.
"So that will be a key statistic in the playoffs because I think you establish your style of play, you establish who you are as a football team, and what we have established so far in the first 15 games is the ability to take care of the football and take the football away."
As a frame of reference, the team-record 19 giveaways by the 1972 squad came in a 14-game season. The fewest giveaways for a Packers team in a 16-game schedule are 21, in 1995 and 2008.
Cardinals:
The Cardinals have a more diverse offense this season now that they are able to run the efficiently. What they haven't been able to do, however, is get the ball deep to Larry Fitzgerald or any other receiver.
Running backs Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells have found room to run in the second half of the season, partly because teams are choosing to keep safeties over the top to help on Fitzgerald.
That has opened things for the run game, but the Cardinals still need to get more explosive plays out of their passing attack.
Fitzgerald is averaging 11.4 yards a reception, about 4.5 yards less than last year. His longest reception this year is 34 yards. Last season, Fitzgerald had seven receptions in the regular season that were longer than that.
In the playoffs, he had five receptions of more than 40 yards, four of them for touchdowns.
The Cardinals have compensated for the lack of the long ball by being efficient in the red zone. They have scored touchdowns on a league-leading 69.8 percent of possessions inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
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Kansas City Chiefs (3-12) at Denver Broncos (8-7)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS (Dick Enberg, Dan Fouts)
PREDICTION: Broncos 23-9
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Broncos have too much experience in the secondary and Chiefs QB Matt Cassel has been far too inconsistent for Kansas City to expect to compete with a pass-first offense. RB Jamaal Charles has three consecutive 100-yard rushing games and will take aim at a Broncos run defense allowing 116.1 yards per game. Denver is without starting LG Russ Hochstein, and will look to control the game by attacking the Chiefs' 31st-ranked run defense. QB Kyle Orton thrives in the short to intermediate passing game, so Kansas City needs to create constant third-and-longs to keep it close.
FAST FACTS: Chiefs PK Ryan Succop has set a franchise rookie record with 22 field goals made. ... Broncos OLB Elvis Dumervil has a franchise record 17 sacks.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Chiefs:
-- G Andy Alleman did not take part in the Chiefs practice on Thursday, as he's dealing with a back problem. Alleman had been limited on Wednesday in his practice work, but he was not even on the field 24 hours later.
-- CB Brandon Flowers was back on the practice field on Thursday, after missing the Wednesday session because of his sore right shoulder. Flowers has dealt with the injury since right before the start of the regular season and has missed just one game. Chiefs coach Todd Haley said he thinks Flowers will be good to go on Sunday in Denver.
-- DE Alex Magee has been practicing all week on his sore right hamstring that he injured on Nov. 20. Magee missed last Sunday's game, but he's bounced back this week and his practice work indicates he should be active for Sunday's game against Denver.
-- S Reshard Langford may get a chance to play in the Chiefs' season finale. Langford was signed last week off the Eagles practice squad and he did not make it to Kansas City until Christmas Day. With a week of practice under his belt, the Chiefs would like to get him on the field in some fashion.
-- P Dustin Colquitt hopes to establish a new net punting average record for the season as the Chiefs head to Denver. Colquitt has punted 93 times this season or 6.2 times per game. No punter in the league has kicked as many times this season. He's sporting a 45.2-yard average on his kicks; his career high was 45.5 yards a punt in 2007. And his net average is 40.5 yards; his career best was 39.3 yards in 2006.
Broncos:
--CB Ty Law practiced in full for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury against Indianapolis on Dec. 13. He has missed two straight games but should return this week.
--TE Daniel Graham was limited in practice Thursday after missing Wednesday's session. Graham has a knee injury, but he will probably play against the Chiefs.
--WR Eddie Royal had a limited practice Thursday. He missed Sunday's game but if he continues to improve he could play on Sunday.
--LB Spencer Larsen, who missed last week's game with a hamstring injury, practiced in full Thursday. He will play this week if there is no setback.
--LB Darrell Reid practiced in full on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday. He will play this week despite a knee injury.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Chiefs:
For the Chiefs, the 2009 season comes to an end after Sunday's game against Denver.
That's why the encounter with their AFC West rival has taken on a special meaning for quarterback Matt Cassel and his teammates.
"Everybody is treating this like a game in the playoffs for us," said Cassel. "Everybody is super focused."
At 3-12, the only satisfaction the Chiefs can enjoy from beating the Broncos is getting victory No. 4 and knocking Denver out of the picture for a potential spot in the AFC playoffs.
"We don't have anything to lose," running back Jamaal Charles said of facing the Broncos. "We have to go up there and feel like we want to knock people out of the playoffs. Our goal last week was to knock Cincinnati out of the playoffs and our goal this week is to knock Denver out of the playoffs."
The Chiefs did not get the victory in Cincinnati, although they pushed the Bengals into late in the fourth quarter before losing 17-10. Ending the season with a victory over the Broncos would be sweet according to Charles.
"It wouldn't just be sweet for this week, but it would be sweet for 2010 and then we could just build off that when we come back next year for OTAs and for training camp," said Charles.
Broncos:
The Denver Broncos didn't need a key injury in practice this week, but Brandon Marshall - perhaps their most indispensable player - is now nursing a hamstring injury.
Marshall hurt his hamstring early in practice on Wednesday, and didn't practice Thursday. Marshall could play on Sunday against Kansas City, in a game that the Broncos probably will have to win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but Broncos coach Josh McDaniels wouldn't say what his status is.
"I don't know," McDaniels said. "We'll see."
Marshall has been a huge part of the Broncos' offense lately. He has 68 catches over the past eight weeks, and Jabar Gaffney is second on the team during that stretch with 19.
Gaffney is coming off a nice game, with two touchdowns against the Eagles. If Marshall is limited at all, or his hamstring doesn't improve enough by Sunday to play, the Broncos will be relying on players who have done very little over the second half of the season.
The Broncos are confident they will get increased contributions if the team can't rely on Marshall as heavily as it has.
"We have great confidence in the guys that will play," McDaniels said. "I have great faith we'll play well at that spot."
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Tennessee Titans (7-8) at Seattle Seahawks (5-10)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Artificial turf
TV: CBS (Ian Eagle, Rich Gannon)
PREDICTION: Titans 28-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: With RB Chris Johnson 128 rushing yards away from 2,000 and 74 shy of Marshall Faulk's single-season combined yardage record of 2,429, the Titans will be motivated to help him reach a few personal milestones. Seattle gave up five rushing touchdowns last Sunday as the overworked defense has worn down. Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck has thrown eight interceptions the past two games. He's forcing too many balls into coverage when Seattle falls behind and appears to lack velocity from a shoulder injury suffered midseason.
FAST FACTS: Johnson has 10 consecutive 100-yard rushing games. ... The Seahawks have been outscored 106-24 the past three weeks.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Titans:
--CB Nick Harper's season is over after he was placed on injured reserve after reinjuring the forearm he broke against Indianapolis on Oct. 11.
--RB LenDale White is the forgotten man in Tennessee. Since Chris Johnson's pursuit of 2,000 yards cranked up down the stretch, White does not have a carry in the past three games and has just 11 rushes for 26 yards since Nov. 8.
--C Kevin Mawae sat out Wednesday with a forearm injury but will play on Sunday.
--DT Tony Brown rested his knee and quadriceps for a second straight day on Thursday, but should play Sunday in Seattle.
--T Troy Kropog, who injured his calf last week in practice, did not practice on Thursday.
--C/G Fernando Velasco will move up to the 53-man roster this week as LB Keith Bulluck (knee) was placed on injured reserve.
--CB Ryan Mouton missed a second straight practice with an ankle injury.
Seahawks:
--WR Nate Burleson (ankle) will not practice for a third straight week, and likely will not play on Sunday, finishing the season with 63 receptions for 812 yards and three touchdowns.
--LB Aaron Curry (shoulder) is doubtful for Sunday, and likely will miss his second straight game.
--WR Ben Obomanu (hamstring) returned to practice this week after missing most of last week with a strained hamstring, and should be ready to go on Sunday.
--RB Julius Jones (rib) did not practice for a second straight day and is questionable for Sunday.
--LB Leroy Hill (knee) practiced on Thursday and should be ready to go for Sunday's game against Tennessee.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Titans:
Life in the NFL can take a player back and forth to many destinations, especially if players send any sizable amount of time in the league and change cities and teams.
But for Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae, Sunday's regular-season finale in Seattle will be a homecoming of sorts. That is where Mawae began his NFL career, as a second-round pick of the Seahawks way back in 1994.
Mawae spent four years with the Seahawks, but after leaving for the New York Jets after the 1997 season, his travels and visits to various cities had never taken him back to Seattle before this Sunday.
He will get to see Qwest Field, which he actually had a small part in building, even while he played his four seasons there in the long-since-demolished Kingdome.
"I became registered voter in Washington so I could vote on the referendum for the new stadium, which I've never played in before," he said.
Mawae, who turns 39 on Jan. 23, admits it will be special for him to be back where his professional career started, but that it will be even more special if the Titans can get Chris Johnson into the 2,000-yard club. The running back needs 128 yards to get to two grand, and if he could somehow run for a career-high 234 yards, he could eclipse Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105.
"Chris' career day so far is 228. It's possible," Mawae said. "The Seahawks aren't gonna make it easy for us by any stretch of the imagination. The fun thing is we have something to play for. A lot of teams going into this week, they have no chance to make the playoffs. They've been out of it for several weeks. They've got really nothing other than pride to play for.
"Us, we've got multiple records for Chris to play for - 78 yards to break the franchise record, 75 yards to break Marshall Faulk's yards from the line of scrimmage, and it goes on, 128 to break 2,000 and 234 to break the 2,105 mark."
Mawae knows how special any of those accomplishments would be. But Sunday will also mark another special accomplishment for him. Barring injury, it will mark the first time since 2006 that he has made it through an entire season without an injury. His 2007 season was cut short by a calf injury in December, and his 2008 campaign was short-circuited by a torn triceps tendon also in December. Both years, the Titans made the playoffs and Mawae was unable to go. There are no playoffs this time around, but with Johnson going for milestones, Mawae said he won't let the nagging forearm strain he has keep him from taking the field, despite not practicing.
"It's kind of like a strained hamstring with my forearm more than anything else. It's not a structural thing. I just tweaked my forearm in the game a little bit last week, and they're letting me rest it. No doubt, I'll be playing this week," Mawae said.
Seahawks:
Even though he's struggling through one of his worst seasons statistically in his 11-year career, Seahawks' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck won the Steve Largent award this week, an award voted on by his teammates, and given to a player or coach who most exemplifies the spirit, dedication, and integrity of former Seahawk wide receiver Steve Largent.
It's the first time Hasselbeck earned the honor. Departing head coach Mike Holmgren won the award last year
"I thought there were more deserving this year," Hasselbeck said. "But it's a very cool trophy and I'll find a place for it.
"It's a special honor. And they opened it up to coaches as well, so it's more competition. And it's voted on by your teammates, so that's very important."
Even though Hasselbeck has thrown as many touchdowns (16) as interceptions this season, including nine in his past three games, offensive guard Rob Sims says that Hasselbeck still is the unquestioned leader of this team.
"Matt has always been the backbone of this team," Sims said. "We still support him. I hope he trusts in us the way we trust in him. He deserved to win it."
Now Hasselbeck would like to get back to the way he usually plays on Sundays, which includes making quick, good decisions with the ball, leading his team into the end zone and ultimately wins. Seattle has scored just 24 points in the last three games, all losses.
"You always want to play your best, especially at home," Hasselbeck said. "But just given how things have gone this year, and how the season has gone, I think it's just more important to just go out and play your best and get a win."
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Washington Redskins (4-11) at San Diego Chargers (12-3)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FOX (Ron Pitts, John Lynch)
PREDICTION: Redskins 17-14
KEYS TO THE GAME: Chargers coach Norv Turner hasn't tipped his hand, but is expected to at least begin the game with his regular starters to keep the team sharp heading into next week's bye. The Chargers could rest several banged up starters on defense, including OLBs Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips. That would be welcome news to Redskins QB Jason Campbell, who is taking a weekly pounding behind an injury-ravage offensive line. With no established running backs, Campbell will again seek to mount an offense based on a short passing attack.
FAST FACTS: Turner has a 34-18 record in three seasons with the Chargers, including playoffs; he was 50-60-1 in seven seasons coaching the Redskins. ... San Diego has won its past 18 games in December.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Redskins:
--FS LaRon Landry missed practice for a second straight day because of a concussion suffered against the Cowboys. He's unlikely to play in Sunday's season finale at San Diego. Lendy Holmes will likely start in his place.
--DT Albert Haynesworth missed practice again because of a hip injury. Kedric Golston would start in his place on Sunday.
--WR Devin Thomas, inactive against Dallas after spraining his right ankle on Dec. 21 against the Giants, missed practice again on Thursday. Malcolm Kelly will likely make a second straight start in his place.
--LB Rocky McIntosh was limited again on Thursday with back spasms. If he can't play against the Chargers, H.B. Blades would likely get the start.
--WR Santana Moss took full practice on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday because of an ailing knee. He's expected to start against the Chargers.
Chargers:
-- FS Eric Weddle (knee) didn't practice again Thursday and he could be rested Sunday. Weddle missed two games down the stretch with the knee and it became aggravated in last week's win.
-- OLB Shawne Merriman (foot) will likely skip playing Sunday. The Chargers have been reluctant to play him for many snaps even when he was playing - because of his sore foot.
-- RB Jacob Hester (shoulder) didn't practice for the second straight day Thursday. He could be a game-time decision for a game he was expected to play quite a bit.
-- WR Legedu Naanee (foot) didn't practice again Thursday. He likely needs to go on Friday to have a chance to play Sunday.
-- WR Vincent Jackson (foot) was a limited participant Thursday and will likely get a few series in on Sunday.
-- ILB Kevin Burnett (neck) continues to work and appears to be a go for Sunday.
--DL Travis Johnson (groin) worked and will play Sunday.
-- P Mike Scifres (groin) took all his kicks Thursdayand is fine.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Redskins:
Owner Dan Snyder and now deposed front office boss Vinny Cerrato thought so little of Jason Campbell that they tried to replace the quarterback twice before this season.
Jim Zorn, who almost certainly will coach the Redskins for the last time Sunday at San Diego, balked when asked if Campbell could be a franchise quarterback.
"A lot of people want to label every quarterback -- 'He has to be a franchise player,'" Zorn said. "I don't know if that's where he's at. I don't think it is. But he just continues to improve as a starting quarterback in this league."
But Campbell, whose five-year contract expires after the game against the Chargers, could still wind up back with the Redskins in 2010, largely because if the NFL and Players Association don't extend the collective bargaining agreement, he'll be a restricted free agent. That means suitors would have to give the Redskins a first-round pick for a 29-year-old quarterback with a 21-30 record, no playoff experience and a solid, but not spectacular, 81.8 career passer rating.
"Whatever happens is going to happen, and I'll be ready for any situation, whether it's here or someplace else," he said Wednesday. "My first and foremost thing is using the offseason to get healthy."
Campbell is one of just five players on Washington's offense to start every game, but he has taken a pounding: 41 sacks and 83 hits.
"I'm just pretty much sore all over," he said. "It's a lot of hits lately, but at the same time, I'm just trying to keep pushing forward and get through this last week."
And then move on to an uncertain future after starting 52 consecutive games, the longest streak by a Redskins quarterback since Mark Rypien's 1990-93 heyday, which included three straight playoff berths and a Super Bowl title.
Chargers:
The accolades for Mr. December keep rolling in for Philip Rivers.
Now, can he keep it going into January and beyond?
Rivers, fresh off being named to the Pro Bowl squad, was named the Chargers' most valuable player this week by his teammates.
Rivers is having a career year and finished another December - his fourth - undefeated.
Come Sunday against the Redskins, two things will change: the month and how long Rivers is likely to play.
With the Chargers having the AFC's No. 2 seed tucked away, there is no reason to subject Rivers to much hard work on Sunday against the Redskins.
That said, Rivers is punching the clock like it is any other week.
"I'm preparing to play four quarters," said Rivers, the AFC's top-rated passer. "I think any time you suit up, you want to go win the game."
But Rivers realizes Sunday will be as much about backup Billy Volek and other second-line players as the Chargers try and stay healthy for the playoffs.
"Whoever's in there, how long, and whoever it is in a Charger uniform, we're trying to go win the game and get to 13-3," Rivers said. "(We're trying to) get a week better and keep the rhythm and flow going as we head into the postseason."
Few are playing as well as Rivers, who has now won four AFC West titles in each of his seasons as a starter.
For starters, Rivers wants to continue his and the team's amazing run which always shows in the year's final month.
"Yeah, we take a great deal of pride in the fact that we have won 18 in a row in December," Rivers said. "We did it again this year, we went unblemished in December. I think that's had a lot to do - finishing strong in December - you give yourself a chance in the postseason, which we've done.
"Certainly now that we've done that we want to play even better ball in January. The goal is obvious. It'll be there for 12 teams. It starts this week. However long we're in there and whoever is playing for four quarters, we're trying to win a football game and get a week better.
"Then we get a little time to not only rest but to prepare for what we hope is going to be a great postseason."
Coach Norv Turner said he is meeting with his staff after Friday's practice to determine the starters' playing time.
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Baltimore Ravens (8-7) at Oakland Raiders (5-10)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS (Jim Nantz, Phil Simms)
PREDICTION: Ravens 27-16
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Ravens' increased reliance on their ground game has led to far better efficiency from QB Joe Flacco. That approach shouldn't change with the Raiders allowing 149.9 rushing yards per game. Baltimore does hope to get LT Jared Gaither (ankle) back so Michael Oher can slide back to the right side, which suffered with Oniel Cousins starting against Pittsburgh. No matter who starts at quarterback for the Raiders, they will struggle to move the ball unless RBs Michael Bush and Darren McFadden have some sustained success against the league's sixth-ranked run defense.
FAST FACTS: Flacco has thrown seven touchdowns and one interception in his past three games. ... Raiders P Shane Lechler is averaging 51.1 yards per punt. The single-season NFL record is Sammy Baugh's 51.4 mark in 1940.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Ravens:
--WR Derrick Mason (knee) hasn't practiced all week but it's precautionary. He hasn't missed a game since 2002. Mason will start.
--FS Ed Reed (groin) was limited Thursday after not practicing Wednesday, which is an encouraging sign. He has missed the past four games. Tom Zbikowski would replace Reed, who said he is a game-day decision.
--LB Terrell Suggs (thigh) was limited Thursday after not practicing Wednesday. Suggs said he would start at Oakland.
--DE Trevor Pryce (illness) was limited Thursday after not practicing Wednesday. He is expected to play. Pryce leads the Ravens with 6 1/2 sacks.
--LB Tavares Gooden (groin) has been limited all week in practice. He would be replaced by Dannell Ellerbe.
Raiders:
-- CB Chris Johnson missed practice Thursday with a hamstring strain and may not play. Stanford Routt would start.
-- LG Langston Walker missed practice Thursday with an ankle injury and may not play. Chris Morris would start
-- WR Darrius Heyward-Bey was limited in practice and should be available in a reserve role.
-- RB Justin Fargas missed practice with a knee injury Thursday and will be behind Michael Bush and Darren McFadden in the rotation even if he's well enough to be active.
-- S Tyvon Branch left practice Thursday with a hip flexor strain which is not believed to be serious.
-- P Shane Lechler needs 343 yards worth of punts to become the first player in NFL history to have 5,000 yards punting in one season.
-- S Jerome Boyd, a practice squad addition, could be active for the game because of injuries to Johnson and Branch in the secondary.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Ravens:
The Ravens' playoff fate could be determined by their offensive line.
The Ravens usually win when they protect quarterback Joe Flacco. That means the Baltimore offensive line has to play stout against the Oakland Raiders' defensive front.
Oakland's front four has accounted for 26 of the team's 33 sacks this season. The sack total ranks fifth among the NFL's defensive lines, behind the Philadelphia Eagles (36 sacks), the Minnesota Vikings (35.5), the Indianapolis Colts (30.5) and the New Orleans Saints (27.5).
The total number of sacks is surprising considering that the Raiders' defense ranks in the bottom third of the league in categories such as average yards per game (27th), average rushing yards per game (29th) and points per game (tied for 23rd).
If the Ravens beat the Raiders, they advance to the playoffs for the second straight season.
"We've just got to block them. That's as simple as it is," right guard Marshal Yanda said. "You try to watch them on film and stuff like that and find out as much as you can about the guy and what he does and what he likes to do and stuff. But when it comes down to it on Sunday, you've got to block them up and protect Joe at all costs."
The Raiders have done some work to rebuild that front.
The organization added former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Ellis (a team-leading seven sacks this season) and selected end Matt Shaughnessy (four sacks) in the third round of this year's draft.
Defensive end Trevor Scott, a sixth-round choice in the 2008 draft, ranks second on the team with six sacks, and the acquisition of former New England Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour (four sacks) has given the defense another weapon.
"They throw some stuff at you to try to confuse you and get you to I.D. the wrong guy," Yanda said. "So yeah, they try to do that to create some confusion, and all defenses have a little wrinkle in there like that to do that. We'll watch them on film and we'll be ready to go."
The challenge for the Ravens' offensive line is filling the holes created by the unit's play in last Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley victimized right tackle Oniel Cousins. Cousins and rookie tackle Michael Oher struggled at times with Pittsburgh's speed rush from the edges.
In the Ravens' eight wins, quarterback Joe Flacco has been sacked 14 times. In the seven losses, he has been taken down 18 times.
"We just have to execute better," left guard Ben Grubbs said. "When you watch the film, there's no special remedy to our problems. Literally, it's sometimes about taking the right step or using our hands better. It could've been a different game. So we just have to focus on the little things, which could lead to big things."
The line could get a boost if Jared Gaither (lower back stiffness/foot /toe), who has had full practices all week after missing the past three games.
Raiders:
Kirk Morrison has led the Raiders in tackles four years running and holds a slim lead over teammate Tyvon Branch heading into the regular-season finale against the Ravens.
He's also been the middle linebacker for one of the NFL's most porous run defenses, is in the final year of his contract and there is nothing secure about his future with his hometown team.
"My main focus is just finishing the season strong," Morrison said. "All that other stuff is for me to think about in the offseason. You don't let that get in your mind."
Through infrequent good times and a lot of losses, Morrison has always been one to look at the bright side. His commitment to the organization has been total -- he went to school locally at Bishop O'Dowd High and his dream was to play for the Raiders after being drafted out of San Diego State.
So Morrison never uttered a discouraging word as his middle linebacker position was put up for competition between himself and Ricky Brown, who has been both a starting strong-side linebacker as well as special teams player.
Morrison held on to his starting job despite opening the season with a broken forearm, and his production remained remarkably similar. He has 123 tackles to lead the team, as have his totals of 135 in 2008, 120 in 2007 and 127 in 2006 -- all as a middle linebacker.
As a rookie starter on the weak side behind Danny Clark, Morrison had 116 stops, second on the team.
Critics contend most of those stops come too far downfield. The Raiders are ranked 29th in run defense this season, with the previous three seasons bringing rankings of 31st, 31st and 25th.
In 73 games with Morrison in the middle, the Raiders have given up an NFL high 80 rushing touchdowns.
Yet Morrison is one of the better pass defending middle linebackers in the league and is considered a team leader and positive influence in the locker room.
In the event of an uncapped season, Morrison, instead of becoming an unrestricted free agent, would become a restricted free agent, meaning the Raiders could match any offer for him and retain his services.
It's an issue Morrison will address following the season. For the time being, he is looking forward to playing against Baltimore's Ray Lewis, a star he sought out for counsel and advice long ago.
"I am looking forward to playing against someone that I have admired in this league for a long time," Morrison said. "So, for me, it's a big stage and a big game. You want to go out there and prove you belong."
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Cincinnati Bengals (10-5) at New York Jets (8-7)
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GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET
GAMEDATE: 1/03/10
SURFACE: Artificial turf
TV: NBC (Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Andrea Kremer)
PREDICTION: Jets 20-10
KEYS TO THE GAME: Which team can force the other's hand? The Bengals and Jets thrive on physical, low-scoring contests dominated by their ground games. Cincinnati enters with the league's No. 2 run defense, but that won't scare New York from pounding away with RBs Thomas Jones and Shonn Greene and trying to set up QB Mark Sanchez in safer passing situations. Meanwhile, the Bengals use a lot of unbalanced lines and run right at eight-man fronts - usually with success. And with QB Carson Palmer a candidate to be pulled early to protect his health, moving the ball against the league's top pass defense isn't a winning proposition.
FAST FACTS: Bengals RB Cedric Benson (1,251) needs 208 yards to set a single-season franchise record for most rushing yards. ... The Jets need 148 rushing yards to break the single-season franchise record of 2,646 set in 1979.
PERSONNEL NEWS
Bengals:
--WR Andre Caldwell did not practice because of illness, but he is expected to play this week.
--DE Robert Geathers did not practice because of a lingering knee injury, but he is expected to play this week.
--DT Tank Johnson did not practice because of a lingering foot injury, but he is expected to play this week.
--S Chris Crocker did not practice because of an ankle injury. He is not expected to play this week.
--TE J.P. Foschi was limited in practice because of a neck injury, but he is expected to play this week.
Jets:
--RB Thomas Jones, fourth in the NFL in rushing with 1,324 yards, figures to have a heavy workload Sunday against a Cincinnati defense that is banged up along the front line.
--WR Braylon Edwards hasn't gotten many chances to make big plays in recent weeks as the Jets have asked QB Mark Sanchez to be a game manager, but he did have a 65-yard TD catch versus Atlanta.
--FB Tony Richardson returned to practice Thursday after being held out Wednesday.
--Backup OL Robert Turner (knee) missed the last three games before returning to action in the win over Indianapolis. Turner often lines up as an extra tight end in short-yardage and running situations, and the Jets figure to run the ball often against Cincinnati.
INSIDE THE CAMPS
Bengals:
Even though he lost his starting spot at SAM (outside) linebacker, Rashad Jeanty has been preparing for each game as if he was still out there. With last week's season-ending injury to Rey Maualuga, Jeanty will return to the lineup on Sunday against the Jets.
"First of all, it's unfortunate. Rey is a hell of a guy who has worked his tail off all year," Jeanty said. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity. I've been preparing myself all year as if I was the starter."
After Maualuga was injured early in training camp, it looked as if Jeanty would hang on to his starting spot. But Maualuga came on during the last two preseason games and edged out Jeanty for the spot.
Jeanty started 15 games last season and helped Maualuga adjust to playing the outside spot. They sit next to each other in meetings, and Jeanty would coach up Maualuga.
"At first it was kind of tough mentally because you're used to starting and going out first, but I have special teams duties and the team is counting on me," Jeanty said. "The thing now is, I'm prepared and I'm glad I was prepared all year."
Not starting was a minor setback for a player who has suffered some pretty gruesome injuries. During a preseason game at New England he took a shot in the arch of his foot because of plantar fasciitis. Against Cleveland in Week 4, he suffered a compound fracture on a finger on his right hand where the bone stuck out.
"It's football, but I guess all my injuries have been abnormal," Jeanty said. "It's hard to let your teammates down. We're accountable to each other so much that you do not want to let them down."
Jets:
Wide receiver Braylon Edwards isn't apologizing for the Jets' victory last Sunday over an Indianapolis team that chose to pull its starters.
But unlike the rest of his teammates and coach Rex Ryan, he has one very good reason to feel that way. He knows all too well what the flip side of a Colts' submission is like. And that's why he intends to seize the moment when the Jets host Cincinnati on Sunday with a playoff berth at stake.
Two years ago, at the end of his third season in Cleveland, Edwards and the Browns were poised to make the AFC playoffs as a wild-card, but lost control of their playoff destiny with a loss to AFC North cellar-dweller Cincinnati on the next-to-last Sunday.
The Browns then beat visiting San Francisco in a 1 o'clock game the next Sunday that included a 45-yard touchdown catch by Edwards, but then had to endure a long day of waiting and worrying. The night game that day featured Tennessee visiting an Indianapolis team with nothing to play for.
And yeah, you guessed it, the Colts pulled their starters. In fact, then-coach Tony Dungy removed them much earlier than first-year coach Jim Caldwell did against the Jets, when he pulled Peyton Manning and other stars with 5:36 to go in the third quarter.
In that game, Manning, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark were relieved after two series with 7:58 left in the second quarter and the Colts trailing 7-3. Tennessee won, 16-10, and got a wild-card berth.
Edwards' memory was correct, as he said Wednesday the Colts left Manning and Wayne in just long enough to get some statistical milestones. Although he said, "it was our fault" for losing to Cincinnati, he also said the Colts "screwed" the Browns, who finished out of the playoff picture with a 10-6 record.
"This is payback for me," said Edwards, referring to the fact he now can benefit from the Colts' generosity.
"We won't lose this game," said Edwards, who has yet to make a playoff appearance in his NFL career. "We won't lose this game. We want it too bad. Just talk to the guys and you get a feel. You can hear Rex's conviction when he talks to us. Guys are serious about winning this game.
"Guys aren't talking about New Year's Eve," he added. "Guys aren't talking about family. All guys are talking about is the playoffs. All guys are talking about is beating Cincinnati. I'm convinced this team is 100% in. I don't think we can lose this game, just from the mind-set we have, from the attitude we have. I just don't see it."
Of course, the Jets must go through the Bengals to get to the playoffs, something the Browns failed to do two years ago. So maybe it truly is coming full circle for Edwards. Also consider that the Jets again could benefit from an opponent taking it easy, as the Bengals are expected to relieve their key starters at some point Sunday night.
"We could care less," Edwards said when that fact was mentioned to him. "They can play their starters or they can bring back their Hall of Famers. We have to win this game. It doesn't matter what they do. We're going to play our hardest and we're going to beat them, get to the playoffs and turn around and play them again."
Cincinnati would be their first-round opponent if the Jets win Sunday.
Not surprisingly, Ryan wasn't bothered by Edwards' comments.
"We go into every game with that mentality," Ryan said Thursday. "I'm not surprised by his comments. I think we all expect to win."
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