RUMOR MILL ARCHIVE

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

POSTED 7:02 a.m. EST, November 15, 2004

ELI ALOOF?

A league source tells us that Giants quarterback of the impending future Eli Manning isn't spending enough time interacting with his teammates, and it's causing some concern as to whether he'll be in position to lead the team whenever the reins are passed to him.

On paper, whether and to what extent a quarterback spends time rubbing elbows with the other players shouldn't be an issue.  As a practical matter, however, whether the other guys feel a connection with the signal-caller goes a long way toward determining whether the players will rally around him between the white lines.

Then again, maybe Eli's plan is to keep his teammates at arm's length so that he'll have less friendships to damage when he tries to hijack the team in a few years for a cap-busting contract like the one big brother Peyton commanded earlier this year.

CANDIDATES LINING UP FOR SAINTS GIG

Though the Saints pulled out a come-from-behind win over the Chiefs on Sunday, conventional wisdom around the league is that big changes are coming in New Orleans once the season ends, if not earlier.

The leading candidates for the G.M. gig currently occupied by bean counter Mickey Loomis are Tom Modrak and Ron Hill.  Former Saints assistant G.M. Charles Bailey, now with the Jags, is also a potential candidate for the gig.  

The goal is for a football guy to take over the operation.  Loomis, who clearly isn't and will never be anything more than a cap-and-contracts guy, could try to end up with a gig in the new regime.  Our guess, however, is that the new G.M. (whoever it might be) won't want to have to worry about Loomis running to owner Tom Benson whenever an issue comes up.

JAGS LOOKING TO LOCK UP CORE OF PLAYERS

Although the deadline for using 2003 cap dollars for contract extensions has passed, we're told that the Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to lock up a nucleus of key young players, in the hopes that they'll be able to continue to build on their success.

The Jags unexpectedly stand at 6-3 through nine games, although they blew a 17-point second-half lead against the Lions on Sunday.  It's an impressive turnaround in only the second season of the Shack-and-Jack show, and once they have a core of quality youngsters under contract for the long term, they'll be in position to contend for postseason success over the foreseeable future.

The overriding challenge, of course, is for the team to put asses back in the seats on a consistent basis.  The Jags have had three local blackouts already this season, and wethinks they need to spend some time (and money) cultivating some of the personalities on the team in the hopes that more of the locals will feel compelled to come out and watch them play.  From an outsider's perspective, the Jags have no players with the kind of charisma that connects with fans.  Given the number of empty seats in AllTel Stadium, our guess is that the Jacksonvillians feel the same way. 

POSTED 8:15 a.m. EST, November 13, 2004

SATURDAY ONE-LINERS

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger says he's not concerned about the threats made by Browns DT Gerard "Colossal First-Round Bust" Warren, who backpedaled after the NFL said they'll go "across his wallet" if he makes good on his promise to cold-cock the rookie signal-caller.

Though neither practiced on Friday, Bucs DT Anthony "Booger" McFarland and K Martin "Booger Eater" Gramatica will be game-time decisions on Sunday.

The Redskins face a fine after their apparently brazen decision to carry an extra player on their practice squad this week; Friday's Washington Times reported that the 'Skins had taken advantage of what they thought was a loophole in the rules several times this season.

Who said his $6.5 million arbitration claim would be a distraction this year?  Redskins LB LaVar Arrington will miss his seventh straight game with a knee injury, and is expected to miss at least two more.

Steelers RB Duce Staley likely will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury; Jerome Bettis -- who carried the ball 33 times a week ago -- will get the start.

The Packers are giving the Vikings some bulletin board material for Sunday's showdown at "Lambert" Field; unfortunately, the Vikes will need more than motivation to overcome the absence of Randy Moss, the annually crappy play of their defense, and the inherent stoopidity of their head coach.

Pats LB Mike Vrabel suffered a leg injury in practice this week; his status for Sunday's game against the Bills is in doubt.

Dolphins LB Junior Seau says that he plans to return from a "shredded" pectoral muscle in 2005.

Vikings RB Michael Bennett will start on Sunday, but he'll split carries with RB Onterrio Smith.

Panthers RB Stephen Davis might not return this season from a knee injury.

The Fox affiliate in St. Louis is now a "dedicated market" for Giants games, given Kurt Warner's strong local following.

The Jags face their third local blackout of the season despite their 5-3 record (hey, NFL, that's what you get for dropping a 73,000-seat stadium in a city that isn't big enough to fill it).

POSTED 9:38 a.m. EST, November 12, 2004

WARREN SAYS BROWNS WILL GO AFTER BEN

Browns defensive tackle Gerrard Warren, a fourth-year draft-day bust who can't get attention for his performance on the field, is now trying to get a little of the spotlight by promising to go after Steelers rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Warren says he's "go across [Roethlisberger's] head,'' and Warren also says he doesn't care if it costs him a $50,000 fine from the NFL.

"Hey, it'll be well worth it,'' Warren said. "They're protected in this league."

Warren implied that he won't be the only guy in an orange helmet on Sunday who'll be looking to knock out Roethlisberger with an illegal hit.  "Yeah, we're going across his head, regardless of cost. That's what we get paychecks for.  You have to pay the cost to be the boss.  You want to be the boss man on the field Sunday.''

Warren also spoke proudly of the illegal blow to the chin he put on Jags quarterback Mark Brunell in 2001 after an interception.  Warren was slapped with a $35,000 fine for the manuever.

Asked whether Warren was being a bit malicious, he said, "This game is all about being malicious and violent. . . .  One rule they used to tell me, 'Kill the head and the body's dead.'"'

Warren was shouting that phrase as reporters left the locker room.

In our view, the NFL needs to step in right now, with a hefty fine ($50,000?) for making the remarks -- and with a stern warning to Warren and to coach Butch Davis that any dirty play will be dealt with harshly.  

If the league doesn't act swiftly and decisively, Warren's remarks will be another smudge in the all-too-blurry line between pro football and pro wrestling.

POSTED 8:35 a.m. EST, November 12, 2004

HUIZENGA HAS SHORT-TERM GOALS FOR FINS?

Word around the league is that Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, who has held the pink slip on the aqua fish for nearly a decade, hopes to get the team back into the postseason within the next few years -- and then sell it.

If that's indeed the case, look for Huizenga to avoid committing lots of money over too many years when he hires the team's next coach.

The rumor also explains Huizenga's apparent willingness to keep Rick Spielman around (for now), since hiring a new G.M. would entail another big-money, several-year deal that could make it harder to find a buyer.

Of course, Spielman might not be as safe as he recently proclaimed.  On Thursday, team president Eddie Jones said that Spielman could get thrown under the bus, depending on the needs and desires of the new head coach.

This isn't good news for Spielman or for the organization, since human nature suggests that Spielman will now be sifting through coaching candidates with one threshold factor in mind -- "Will this guy try to screw me?"

It's the Rich McKay effect.

Nearly three years ago, after Bill Parcells bailed on the Bucs, McKay offered up guys for the gig whom McKay thought would be happy to have the job (Marvin Lewis) -- and who wouldn't have aspirations to bump McKay out of his.  In the end, the Glazer donut-brains hired Jon Gruden without McKay's input, and Gruden proceeded to engineer the departure of McKay.

In our view, there's a first-class clusterfudge looming in Miami.  With everyone in the front office now on pins and needles, expect them all to be making recommendations and decisions aimed not at improving the team, but protecting their own asses.  

And our guess is that Huizenga isn't willing to dump Spielman until he knows he can get someone better.  The problem is that most of the quality candidates are with teams that will be playing football in January, and Huizenga probably doesn't want to spend the next 2-3 months without a G.M., especially if, when the music stops, he isn't able to land any of the other potential candidates.

So, in hindsight, Huizenga should have just let coach Dave Wannstedt finish the year.  Wannstedt and Spielman were perceived to be joined at the hip, and dumping one and keeping the other with eight weeks of regular-season football remaining is going to throw the entire organization into a dangerous state of confusion and uncertainty.

Hell, it's already there.

MORE ON GIBBS AND COYER

As a follow-up to Thursday's report regarding the real reason for the abrupt termination of Denver defensive backs coach David Gibbs, we're hearing that defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was feeling specifically threatened by the fact that players on the Broncos defense were going to Gibbs, not Coyer, when they had questions about the scheme. 

Gibbs, we're told, was perplexed by the fact that Coyer got his nose out of joint because of this dynamic.  Coaches are there to answer player questions.  If players think one coach is more approachable and/or helpful than another guy, so be it.

As we said on Thursday, we have a feeling that there's even more to the story.  Shanahan, in the end, had to think that he was doing the right thing by firing Gibbs, and we doubt that Shanny didn't merely accept Coyer at his word.

Still, even if Gibbs had said or done something that justified the firing, it looks like Coyer instigated the move.

KEYSHAWN PISSED ABOUT POSITION MOVE

A league source tells us that the Cowboys have moved receiver Keyshawn Johnson into the "Z" receiver position, and that the Keyshawn isn't happy about it.

Throughout his career, Johnson has been the "X" receiver.  In Tampa, one of his primary complaints was that, in the West Coast offense, the "X" receiver is at a disadvantage.  The "Z" receiver, in the WCO and its progeny, has a better chance at creating mismatches.

In other offenses, it's better to be the "X."  So by being moved from "X" to "Z" in the Cowboys' offense, Keyshawn perceives the change to be a slap in the face.

It probably is, since coach Bill Parcells rarely makes a move without have a reason to do so.  And our guess is that Parcells is well aware of Key's past frustration based on the specific position.

Stay tuned.  

POSTED 8:46 a.m. EST, November 11, 2004

COYER MAKES A POWER PLAY?

Word around the league is that the Broncos fired defensive backs coach David Gibbs in the middle of the season because defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was feeling threatened by the fast-rising assistant.

We're hearing that head coach Mike Shanahan was grooming Gibbs to take over the defense at some point in the future.  But Coyer and Gibbs weren't seeing eye to eye this season, and the thinking is that Coyer actively and aggressively lobbied Shanahan to make the move.

A league source tells us that Shanny's explanation to Gibbs was that there has been a complaint from Coyer that there had been interpersonal problems between them.  But, rather than giving Gibbs a warning or some other lesser disciplinary action, Shanahan opted to run Gibbs out the door.

Some league insiders also believe that Gibbs' termination was influenced in part by the departure of his father, Alex, from the Denver coaching staff.

The Denver Post suggests that one of the reasons for the abrupt decision was the younger Gibbs' failure to follow a direct instruction from Shanahan to assign Champ Bailey exclusively to receiver Peerless Price during the Broncos' 41-28 loss to the Falcons on October 31.  Price beat Kelly Herndon twice for touchdowns.

The termination notwithstanding, Gibbs is regarded as a coach who is on the fast track, and a league source predicts that he will be an NFL head coach within the next three years.

SPIELMAN BACK IN 2005

Rick Spielman said on Wednesday that Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga has "personally assured" him that the first-year G.M. will return in 2005.

"I know that I will be the general manager here," Spielman said, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

"When you're 1-8, everybody should go.  To me, that's just part of it.  When I was a fan when I grew up and the team wasn't doing good, hell, I'd be mad, too.  But that's part of the business.

"You have your high cycles and you have your low cycles.  Right now, we just happen to be in a low cycle."

Spielman is trying to lift the team out of its low cycle by planning for the search for a head coach.  Though Spielman wouldn't comment on the potential candidates, he acknowledged that interim coach Jim Bates has a chance to secure the long-term job.

"The one thing I told Jim is, 'You have a chance. You're a head coach in the NFL right now, whether it's on an interim basis or what.

"Do what you think is right.  You have nothing to lose,'" Spielman said. "That's the way I think it should be approached."

WANNY WANTS PITT JOB

An NFL source tells us that former Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt stepped down early so that he'd be in a position to take over as the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh, if the job is offered to him.

And even though most assume that current Pitt coach Walt Harris will be fired at the end of the season, some observers believe Harris can save himself by beating Notre Dame and West Virginia.  (We don't agree.)

Per the source, Wannstedt is ready for a change.  In the NFL, he's been fired twice from head coaching jobs.  Since it's unlikely that he'd be hired in that capacity by another pro team for the 2005 season, the timing could be right for Wannstedt to head back to his alma mater.

Another source tells us that Wannstedt initially wanted to stick it out in Miami, but that once it was clear that he'd be let go at the end of the season he decided to make the move now.

There's also growing talk in league circles that the root of the team's problems in 2004 wasn't the Dan Marino debacle or the A.J. Feely fiasco or the Ricky Williams ganja party but the ill-fated decision to name Joel Collier as offensive coordinator after the departure of Norv Turner.  Collier quit several months later due to exhaustion; word is, however, that Collier was stressed out by the gig from the outset, but that he didn't say anything to Wannstedt or G.M. Rick Spielman until it was, as a practical matter, too late to make a meaningful difference for the 2004 season via a change in coordinators. 

STEELERS MAKE UNIFORM CHANGE, SORT OF

The 7-1 Pittsburgh Steelers will be doing something for the first time this season on Sunday -- wearing their white jerseys.

Through the first half of the season, the opponents in each of the Steelers' three road games opted to wear white at home.  

Surprisingly, Chairman Dan Rooney would like all home teams to be required to wear white jerseys.  "I always felt we should pass a bill and I would be for it that the home team wears white and the visiting team wears colors," Rooney said.

Rooney also said that the team won't be making any uniform changes in the foreseeable future, even though receiver Hines Ward would like the team to don black pants and black shirts at home, a la the Ravens last Sunday night.

"Tell him," Rooney said, "I thought they looked like they were in their underwear."

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Panthers RB Stephen Davis will lose up to $3 million in incentives due to his knee injury.

The Vikings say that WR Randy Moss won't play this weekend against the Packers, but the Packers don't buy it.

DE Chidi Ahanotu is back in Tampa after a four-year hiatus.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan says that there's no truth to reports that he might end up as the next coach in Miami.

Vikings coach Mike "Meathead" Tice is fending off deserved criticism for his poor clock management at the end of the first half of Monday night's loss to the Colts.

Dan Marino rips the Dolphins on this week's edition of HBO's Inside the NFL.

Chiefs LT Willie Roaf says he's still a big Saints fan (does that also apply to Joe Horn?).

Chiefs LB Shawn Barber has been placed on IR after suffering a knee injury last Sunday in Tampa.

Packers QB Brett Favre took all the snaps in practice on Wednesday despite multiple injuries to his throwing hand.

POSTED 9:42 p.m. EST, November 10, 2004

FINS SNIFFING AROUND SABAN?

We're hearing that contact has been made with LSU coach Nick Saban regarding his potential interest to take the Dolphins job after the season.

A call was placed to Saban within the past day or so, and Saban was non-committal, we're told.

A separate league source tells us that Saban is unlikely to bolt from a cushy gig in Baton Rouge.  

Indeed, the Bears job was Saban's a year ago if he wanted it.  He didn't.  Why would he have changed his mind in such a short period of time?

Regardless, the Fins are interested -- and look for Saban to see how much money they put on the table before he makes a final decision. 

MARTZ GETTING A PASS THIS YEAR?

Word out of St. Louis is that, despite preseason rumors that coach Mike Martz could get the boot if the Rams don't make it to the playoffs, ownership will bring the Mad Scientist back for another season.

Why?  Because Martz is under contract through 2006, with a yearly salary between $3 million and $4 million.

With that said, look for changes to be made in the front office, and possibly among the coaching staff.  General Manager Charley Armey could be the fall guy, even though Martz is the guy who makes the final call on personnel issues.

FOX IN THE DOGHOUSE NEXT YEAR?

In a year where the cliche "what have you done for me lately?" has been replaced with "what are you doing for me right now?", a league source tells us that Panthers coach John Fox could be on the hot seat in 2005, if the team doesn't turn it around quickly.

Fox has followed his team's improbable Super Bowl run of a year ago with a one-win campaign that's conjuring bad memories of the team's 1-15 season of 2001.

In fairness to Fox, a rash of injuries has destroyed the team's chances this season.  Still, that Super Bowl appearance is a memory that is fading faster and faster with each passing loss.  

TUNA SETTING UP A HANDOFF?

Word out of Dallas is that, if coach Bill Parcells calls it quits after this season or next, Parcells will try to hand the head coaching gig off to offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon or to assistant head coach Sean Payton.

Our guess, however, is that owner/G.M. Jerry Jones won't be inclined to take Tuna's recommendation if the team continues to fall apart. 

Instead, our guess is that Jones will clean house and start from scratch unless when Tuna walks the team is in much better shape than it currently is.

POSTED 7:30 a.m. EST, November 10, 2004

STRAHAN INJURY CAREER THREATENING?

On the same day that Giants defensive end Michael Strahan used one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's most tired lines, a league source told us that Strahan's torn pectoral muscle could result in the termination of his 12-year career.

"I'll be back," Strahan said in a statement released by the team.  "Hopefully, better than ever."

But will he?  Rumors are swirling that it could be the end of the line for Strahan, who never has suffered a major injury.

The obvious question is how a torn pec could knock him out permanently.  We're digging for a more complete explanation, so stay tuned. 

WANNSTEDT WAS GIVEN ULTIMATUM

Despite scattered reports and suggestions that Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga would not have made an in-season coaching change by firing Dave Wannstedt, a league source tells us that Wannstedt's resignation came in direct response to a quit-or-be-poop-canned mandate.

The clincher for Huizenga, we're told, wasn't the loss on Sunday to the lowly Cardinals, but the number of fans disguised as empty seats at The Stadium That Is Still Named For A Company That No Longer Exists.  The thinking was that something/anything was needed to appease the fans.  Since it's hard to get 53 new players in November (not to mention what cutting them all would do to the salary cap), the path of least resistance was to make a coaching change.

We hear that the players weren't happy about the move.  Nor should they be.  Apart from the fact that Wannstedt is a class act and a great guy, the players are smart enough to know that the move was necessitated by the piss-poor performance of the guys who wear a helmet -- not a headset -- on Sundays.

SPURRIER SAYS HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN GIG

Both the Washington Post and ESPN's Chris "Jimmy Sexton's Mouthpiece" Mortensen report that former Redskins coach Steve Spurrier isn't interested in the Dolphins job.

Let's clarify that one.  

Spurrier isn't interested in the job . . . now that he knows that the job isn't interested in him.

And this meshes with what we heard on Monday.  Spurrier was lobbying for the gig, but the Fins made it clear they weren't interested.

So what better way to save face than to say, "I never wanted it in the first place?"  Never mind the rumors that Sexton, Spurrier's agent, planted through Mortensen and others in an effort to generate faux buzz about Spurrier in the NFL -- with an eye toward driving up his price tag on any interested college campi.  

As Spurrier told the Post, "If I get back in [coaching], it would most likely be at the college level.  It just seems like I'm more suited for college ball."

In other words, Spurrier apparently has realized he doesn't have the intensity and drive necessary to succeed in the NFL.  For the same reasons that the obsessive-compulsive Mike Shanahan would never be able to take his foot off the gas for an NCAA gig, Spurrier would rather recruit a flock of bigger, stronger, faster guys and put them out on the field against teams composed of lesser athletes.

As Steve found out in the NFL, they're all big, fast, and strong.  To make your O's run circles around their X's at the highest level of the game, it takes a lot more than raw talent.

And that "a lot more" isn't something Spurrier wanted to come up with in D.C.  Why would he be expected to do it anywhere else?

POSTED 8:31 a.m. EST, November 9, 2004

NFL CASHES IN, AGAIN

The National Football League, with one year left on a $19.6 billion collection of contracts with Fox, CBS, ABC, ESPN, and DirecTV, has reached agreements with Fox, CBS, and DirecTV on $11.5 billion in new contract that will commence in 2006.

The prior network deal was worth $17.6 billion over eight seasons, and DirecTV was paying $2 billion over five years.

According to Larry Stewart of the L.A. Times (whose copy editor apparently is Dr. Evil), the deals with CBS and Fox represent a 25-percent annual increase over the prior contract.  The DirecTV contract will generate a whopping 75-percent jump, which surely means that the price of the package will go up (even as fans continue to get screwed out of games supposedly available on the networks in their local areas).

But even as the NFL cashes in on its Sunday afternoon package, the league has positioned itself well to nail down a jaw-dropping prime time package with ABC and ESPN (or NBC?) by finagling the ability to tweak the prime-time lineup.

Specifically, the league can take as many as seven late-season games from CBS and Fox to provide more attractive Monday night matchups.  Also, the NFL has the right to take eight games (four from Fox, four from CBS) for a late-season Thursday night and/or Saturday night cable or satellite (i.e., NFL Network) package.

Due to the complexities of the antitrust laws, the NFL likely would air the games on Thursday nights until early December, when the issue of broadcasting pro football on Saturday nights will not jeopardize the league's antitrust exemption.  By holding this package back for the NFL Network, the league virtually would guarantee the placement of its year-old channel on every cable system in the country.

In our view, it's a stunningly impressive move for the NFL, which has expanded once again its ginormous television revenue stream on Sunday afternoons, set the stage to jack up the price tag for its Sunday night and Monday night package, and created an avenue for making its in-house television venture into a mainstream cable alternative to ESPN and the fading FSN. 

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Jets QB Chad Pennington could miss up to a month with a strained rotator cuff in his shoulder.

Falcons QB Matt Schaub says that he is innocent of assault charges resulting from a weekend trip to Charlottesville (Va.); it's very difficult for us to believe that anyone who attended the university founded by a guy who diddled his slaves would be involved in antisocial conduct.

Denver owner Pat Bowlen plans to pay $6 million to QB Jake Plummer in March 2005 in order to trigger the last three years of his contract.

The Pats were unable to get a deal done with K Adam Vinatieri before the deadline for using 2004 cap dollars; he'll be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

Giants QB Kurt Warner is trying to ignore the suddenly deafening calls for his benching.

Cowboys coach Bill Parcells bristled at questions regarding the possible promotion of QB Drew Henson and whether Parcells is making the personnel decisions.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan isn't likely to give up the NFL for the NCAA; hell, if we could finagle a big-money gig with no accountability in the greatest sports league on earth, we'd hang on to it, too.

Jags QB Byron Leftwich won't need surgery for a knee injury that the team tried to conceal last week; he'll miss two weeks, and the No. 3 quarterback during his absence will be S Nick Sorensen.

The Jaguars will be "reassessing" their in-game injury reports to the media after getting caught in two bald-faced lies during their October 31 loss to the Texans.

The Giants lost both starting defensive ends -- Michael Strahan (torn pectoral) and Keith Washington (ACL tear) -- for the season in Sunday's loss to the Bears. 

Seahawks CB Ken Lucas was released from the hospital after spending the night there with a bruised lung.

Ravens coach Brian Billick agrees with RB Jamal Lewis -- 22 carries isn't enough work for the All Pro.

Bucs coach Jon Gruden got pissed off at Ken Suguira of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for asking about Gruden's relationship with former Tampa G.M. Rich McKay.

Vikings K Aaron Elling, who had been handling kickoffs and long field goals, will miss the rest of the season after breaking an ankle while trying to make a tackle.

The Cardinals signed four players to extensions, including DE Peppi Zellner and RB Troy Hambrick, who were picked up right before the start of the season in a bargain-basement trade with the Raiders.

POSTED 11:28 p.m. EST, November 8, 2004; LAST UPDATED 12:15 a.m. EST, November 9, 2004

WANNSTEDT STEPS DOWN

A league source tells us that Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt has resigned.

That's the official word.  Not a termination -- a resignation.

Word broke minutes ago that the team has been informed of the move.  Throughout the day, there had been rumors that Wannstedt would be fired as the Dolphins, 1-8, entered their bye week.

In the end, Wannstedt opted to walk, likely under the threat of termination.

Left unresolved for now is the status of G.M. Rick Spielman.  Many league observers assumed that the fates of Wannstedt and Spielman were intertwined.  Arguably, however, Wannstedt has greater responsibility for the team's current predicament, since prior to the present season Wannstedt essentially had the final say on personnel matters.  Still, we expect that Spielman eventually will be moving on.

The Miami Herald reports the move in a story posted nearly 30 minutes after we broke this one that defensive coordinator Jim Bates will take over the team for the remainder of the season. 

We heard earlier on Monday that former Redskins coach Steve Spurrier is lobbying heavily for the job, but that he's not a likely candidate.

With that said, we don't rule out completely the possibility that owner Wayne Huizenga might have an interest in Spurrier.  Remember those recent rumors that Spurrier was under consideration for a gig as a consultant?  If he'd entered the organization in that capacity, with an agreement to eventually become the head coach, Huizenga could have installed Spurrier without engaging in the song-and-dance required by the minority hiring guidelines.  (It's a loophole in the process that surely will be closed as soon as someone takes unfair advantage of it.)

As it now stands, Huizenga must go through the motions of hiring a coach while interviewing one or more minority candidates.  He'd be wise to first determine who the G.M. will be, and to allow the G.M. to hire the coach.

And if, as the rumors suggest, Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli could be headed to South Florida after the season, our guess is that the hard-working Pioli will want someone/anyone other than the nonchalant Spurrier running the team.

PITT NEXT FOR WANNY?

On the same day that Dave Wannstedt resigned as the head coach of the Dolphins, we're also hearing that the departure of coach Walt Harris from Wanny's alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, is a done deal.

Pitt's A.D., per an NFL source, "hates" Harris.

We're hearing that the Panthers want to hire a guy who played for Pitt.  The list of coaches with mustard-and-blue roots who likewise are qualified to take over the program is, in our view, limited.  Apart from Wannstedt, potential candidates with NFL ties include Ravens offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh, Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, Raiders defensive line coach Sam Clancy, Panthers defensive line coach Sal Sunseri, Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm, Seahawks defensive backs coach Teryl Austin, and boner pill salesman Mike Ditka, there aren't many/any candidates.

As to Grimm, who's responsible for the incredibly impressive performance of the Steelers offensive line, word is that the Panthers are very interested.  A potential problem, we're told, is that Grimm might not have secured a degree, which would prevent the Panthers from hiring him. 

POSTED 4:28 p.m. EST, November 8, 2004

"PISSED" PARCELLS SENDS PLAYERS HOME

A league source tells us that Cowboys coach Bill Parcells unexpectedly pulled the plug on Monday's day-after activities in Big D, sending the players home a day after an embarrassing 26-3 loss to the Bengals in Cincy.

Parcells was "pissed," said the source.

Though our initial reaction to the news is that Parcells might be thinking about resigning his gig with the Cowboys, the source said that Parcells has not indicated, through words or deeds, a desire to walk away.

With that said, wethinks more than a few guys wearing the silver helmet with the blue star will be wishing that Parcells had quit, since it's our guess that Tuna will be kicking some boo-tay in practice this week -- and every week -- until the Cowboys turn it around.

The more interesting question is whether the Tuna will be back in 2005.  On one hand, he's likely had enough.  On the other, we can't see him walking away from a train wreck.  Our guess is that he'd give it another year.

POSTED 11:24 a.m. EST, November 8, 2004

WARNER CLOSE TO GETTING BENCHED

A league source tells us that, as the media begins to call for the Giants to yank quarterback Kurt Warner from the starting lineup, coach Tom Coughlin is indeed preparing for the launch of the Eli Manning era.

Warner is holding the ball too long in the pocket, as he did during his final two years in St. Louis.  As a result, he is taking too many sacks and putting the ball on the ground too many times.

Our guess is that, if/when Coughlin yanks Warner, the coach will do it gently, lest Eli gets injured and Coughlin needs to rely on the former Ram.  Look for Coughlin to make a terse statement that Manning is ready, or words to that effect.  Coughlin will go out of his way to avoid the appearance that he's dissing the two-time MVP, even though, in reality, Coughlin is.  

POSTED 7:56 a.m. EST, November 8, 2004

STEELERS CONJURE SUPER MEMORIES

On the same day that the franchise honored members of the last group of players to bring a Lombardi back to the 'Burgh -- way back in 1979 -- the Steelers completed a stunning two-game home stand in which they knocked off the previously 6-0 Patriots and previously 7-0 Eagles.

Halfway through the season, the Steelers currently are in the best position to get back to the Super Bowl again -- and win it.

League insiders are taking notice; indeed, several of our regular sources are convinced that this team is legitimate.

The locals definitely believe that the team is ready for another run at greatness.  "I go back to 2001.  I could feel the buzz in the air," linebacker Joey Porter said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  "It's back.  The buzz is definitely back.  The whole city is just ecstatic right now. 

"Every time you walk outside, anywhere you go and they recognize that you're a ball player -- or just here in the stands -- you know [the excitement] is there," Porter added.  "This town, they love the football.  They have hockey and baseball and all that stuff, but the Steel City is all about football, and they take it seriously."

But, as we see it, there's still a lot of football to be played, and the key for the Steelers will be to force any/all playoff games to come through Heinz Field.  With only three more home games and five on the road, the Steelers face a tall order when it comes to forcing the Pats to come back to Pittsburgh for a rematch in January.

Anyone who follows the Steelers knows that the next two games -- at Cleveland and at Cincinnati -- are hardly gimmes.  Thereafter, the Steelers also have to play at Jacksonville, at the Giants, and at Buffalo.

Even then, coach Cowher and company will be forced to exorcise demons of past home-field postseason losses, which resulted in three AFC title-game defeats in Pittsburgh ('94, '97, '01) -- and a narrow, come-from-behind win against the Colts in the 1995 AFC championship game.

Still, the Steelers are in far better position than anyone dreamed, and that Week Two injury to former starter Tommy Maddox is, in hindsight, the most fortuitous loss since then-Pats quarterback Drew Bledsoe suffered internal bleeding along the sidelines against the Jets in 2001, paving the way for a little-known sixth-rounder named Tom Brady to take over the team.

GIANTS MIGHT AVOID CHARGERS MESS

Their records are virtually the same.  The Giants are 5-3, the Chargers stand at  6-3.  And both are going with short-term solutions at starting quarterback as they wait for their 2004 draft-day golden boys to get ready to play. 

And before this past weekend, it looked like both of them would be in the unenviable situation of:  (1) putting together playoff appearances with their lame-duck starters; (2) losing those lame-ducks to the open market come March; and (3) taking a chance in 2005 with unproven commodities at quarterback.

Looking historically at quarterbacks drafted in the first round, chances are that, of the three first-rounder signal-callers picked in April 2004 who are not already playing, two of them will be busts.

At some point, we'll do a season-by-season breakdown of the quarterback classes of the past generation.  For now, though, take our word for it -- for every Peyton Manning there's a Ryan Leaf; for every Donovan McNabb there's an Akili Smith; for every Dan Marino there's a Todd Blackledge.

So for every Ben Roethlisberger there's a Philip Rivers?  A J.P. Losman?  

An Eli Manning?

In San Diego, the looming possibility of disaster is causing few to enjoy the team's good fortune.  After all, the franchise gave up on Drew Brees when it drafted Rivers, and now Brees is playing his way right out of San Diego.  If the team finishes at 10-6 or better and makes the playoffs, how can it expect to build on the momentum with a new quarterback, especially when there's a better-than-average chance that he's one of the busts of the class of 2004?

Suddenly, the Giants have a great opportunity to avoid the same fate as the Chargers.  With the G-men losing two of their last three and quarterback Kurt Warner looking and playing more like the 2002 and 2003 version of himself, New York scribes are calling for Manning to get on the field now.    

We agree -- but not just because Warner is fading back to reality.  Tom Coughlin is just getting started with the organization, and he needs to think about 2005 and beyond.  If the Giants should make the playoffs and win a game or two in January (after all, they might play in Minnesota again), the expectations will artificially be inflated for next season, possibly making it harder for Eli to get it going.  

So why not take advantage of the fact that, after eight games, the table is set unexpectedly well for Manning?  Warner will be gone anyway after the season -- let's see if Manning can push the team toward the playoffs on his own.

If he does, the franchise will be better off for the experience come 2005.  If he doesn't, no harm done.  The team was supposed to stink this year, anyway.

And, in the event Manning's play over the next two months suggests that he might be one of the busts of the class of 2004, at least the Giants will have an inkling of it now, so that they can make plans to have an accomplished backup available in 2005.

NFC IS WIDE OPEN, AND THAT'S NOT GOOD

Last week, we said that ten AFC teams are legitimately in the hunt to make it to the Super Bowl.  In the "other" conference, 14 teams are still very much alive . . . for the right to get blown off the field in Jacksonville on February 5.

So it goes for the NFC, which at one point won 16 straight Super Bowls and which now is doing its best impersonation of the Democratic party.

On Sunday, the pack got tighter in the blue conference, with the Eagles, Giants, Lions, and Rams losing -- and the Moss-less Vikings destined to get a horseshoe in the ass on Monday night in Indianapolis.

So beyond the 7-1 Eagles and the 6-2 Falcons, there will be three 5-3 teams (Giants, Vikings, Seahawks), three 4-4 squads (Lions, Packers, Rams), and six 3-5 franchises (Redskins, Cowboys, Bears, Saints, Bucs, Cardinals).

Though the 'Boys and the Saints are fading, the 'Skins, Bears, and Bucs are showing promise, and the Cards still could catch fire after pulling off a last-second win at Miami on Sunday.

The Eagles are still the class of the conference, notwithstanding Sunday's 27-3 loss to the Steelers, but the remaining teams on Philly's schedule will be picking apart the coaching films of Sunday's game in the hopes of finding a way to duplicate the Steelers' success.  And any of the other 13 teams who are still in the hunt after nine weeks of football could, in theory, get hot over the last two months of the season and knock off Philly, Atlanta, or anyone else whom they meet in the playoffs.

It should be an exciting playoff season.  

Until they kick the ball off in the Super Bowl.  

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Giants DE Michael Strahan could be out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Ravens RB Jamal Lewis openly questioned the team's failure to give him only 22 carries in Sunday's 27-13 win over the Browns.

The Eagles are saying all the right things in the wake of the sideline "discussion" between QB Donovan McNabb and WR Terrell Owens, during which Owens was doing the talking and McNabb was doing the ignoring.

Vikings owner Red McCombs says that the team will have "a few surprises" for the Colts on Monday night (and unless those "surprises" include brass knuckles, nunchaku, or other foreign objects, the final score will be Colts 42, Vikings 13).

Pats WR Troy Brown served as the third receiver and fifth defensive back in Sunday's 40-22 win over the Rams (so much for all those guys who criticized coach Bill Belichick for giving Brown reps at D-back in training camp).

Jets QB Chad Pennington wasn't benched on Sunday; he exited in favor of Quincy Carter due to a bruised shoulder.

Kevin Seifert of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune 'splains that WR Randy Moss played in the Vikings' last two games despite having a hamstring injury because Moss (not the team) was in denial about the fact that the laws of science and medicine apply to him.

Rams S Adam Archuleta offers this explanation for his team's .500 record:  "I don't know why we continue not to play up to our capabilities."  (Psst, Adam, maybe you are.)

The Boston Globe breaks down the chicanery that resulted in K Adam Vinatieri's addition to the 158.3 career passer rating club.

POSTED 8:40 a.m. EST, November 6, 2004

BEARS COULD SEEK REFUND FROM BRIAN

Our official Chitown mole has informed us that the Bears plan to ask middle linebacker Brian Urlacher to restructure his contract after the 2004 season.

Urlacher has been a disappointment for the Bears since signing a nine-year, $58.5 million deal in the summer of 2003.

The problem is that the Bears don't have much leverage on this one, since cutting Urlacher would result in most of his $13 million signing bonus accelerating into 2005 and (if they'd bring the issue to a head after June 1) 2006.

Another problem for the Bears is that Urlacher is slated to receive a $3 million roster bonus in 2005.  

Stay tuned on this one.  Things could get ugly after the season.  And we think G.M. Jerry Angelo needs to proceed with extreme caution on this one, since in the end it's his own fault for giving so much coin to a guy who is unable to perform without big fat guys occupying blockers in front of him.

Other Bears tidbits from the official mole are as follows:

1.  Defensive end Alex Brown could get a new deal soon.

2.  Quarterback Jonathan Quinn will be gone after the season, with Brad Johnson possibly being signed as the No. 2 for 2005.

3.  With receiver David Terrell on the outs, the Bears are intrigued by Mike Williams, and they could make a run at Jerry Porter.

4.  Running back Anthony Thomas will not be back, since the team assumes he'll be offered more on the open market than the Bears can afford.

MORE ON T.O., RAY

We received a huge response to our break-down of the Terrell Owens/Ray Lewis comparison -- and to our surprise most of the readers who sent in e-mails agreed with us, and only a few told us to perform an act on ourselves that is physically impossible for 99.9 percent of the male population.

As one reader pointed out to us, the league is smitten with Lewis because of his appeal to urban youths.  Being accused of murder gave Lewis a huge amount of "street cred," causing his jersey to fly off the shelves in cities all across the country.

We'll call it the "Snoop Dogg" effect, which happens when a guy becomes so big in urban circles that he crosses over into the mainstream -- and by the time it happens folks in the mainstream either have forgotten or never knew about the things that otherwise would have made him an unsavory character.

And, with all that said, Owens is still a jerk.  As several other readers explained, Lewis is a team leader and Owens is all about himself.  

Then again, several other readers reminded us that Lewis tried to diss Steelers linebacker Joey Porter a year ago, mimicking Porter's "give 'em the boot" routine while Porter was on the sidelines recovering from having a bullet shot into his ass.

But Lewis doesn't pull stuff like that every week.  Owens does.  And that's the real difference between. 

SATURDAY ONE-LINERS

The cats in Canton have put the jerseys of Browns QB Jeff Garcia and WR Andra Davis on display for their 99-yard touchdown pass play earlier this season; the shirts are in the same case that used to house the jersey of Ravens RB Jamal Lewis in honor of his single-game rushing record performance in 2003 against the Browns.

49ers coach Dennis Erickson is trying to stop his players from criticizing each other in the media by, you guessed it, criticizing them in the media for doing it.

No progress has been made in contract talks between the Jags and DT Marcus Stroud; the deadline for extending contracts and using 2004 cap dollars is Monday.

Rams DT Jimmy "Plays Like Teddy" Kennedy will suit up for the first time this season after missing three months with a broken foot; he says he has a "new love for the game" (which might have resulted from getting paid for nearly two years while doing absolutely nothing to earn it).

Jets WR Wayne Chrebet was downgraded to questionable with a bad back.

The Ravens will wear all black uniforms in Sunday night's game against the Browns.

Undrafted rookie CB Lance Frazier, a former star at West Virginia, is turning heads in Big D. 

Seahawks QB Trent Dilfer took some snaps with the first-string offense, but coach Mike Holmgren says it was intended merely to get him some extra work.

Bears RB Thomas Jones has been downgraded from questionable to doubtful with a toe injury suffered last weekend against the 49ers.

The Bengals have placed WR Peter Warrick on injured reserve for a shin bruise suffered in Week One.

The Eagles have signed CB Lito Sheppard to a five-year extension worth as much as $25 million, with a $9 million signing bonus.

Bears DE Adewale Ogunleye might play against the Giants as he recovers from an ankle injury.

Broncos DT Trevor Pryce could miss another month with a back injury that has allowed him to play in only one game this year.

An injury to S Mike Doss means that Colts rookie S Bob Sanders will make his first NFL start.

The Ravens have downgraded TE Todd Heap and LT Jonathan Ogden from questionable to doubtful.

RB Ricky Williams tells Esquire that an awkward phone call to coach Dave Wannstedt after Ricky learned he'd be suspended for the first four games of the season prompted his abrupt retirement.

POSTED 3:40 p.m. EST, November 5, 2004

VIKES MISHANDLED MOSS HAMSTRING

Every time we begin to think that the Vikings head coach has done enough to shed the "Meathead" label we affixed to him a couple of years ago, he proves that there's not much of a difference between Mike Tice and Mike Stivic.

And now that it has been revealed that receiver Randy Moss has a slight tear in his hamstring following an MRI conducted 18 days after the injury occurred, Tice shouldn't be surprised to find himself out of a job after the season.

Rather than sitting Moss down until the injury healed, Tice screwed around for two weeks, allowing Moss to dress against the Titans and the Giants.  And for what?  A handful of snaps and no receptions.

Now, the Vikings won't have Moss at full speed for a stretch of tough games -- and by the time he's healthy the team could be on the wrong side of .500.

Without Moss, the Minnesota offense is conspicuously ordinary.  The running game couldn't get going against the Giants because four-to-six eyes weren't constantly fixed on No. 84.  In passing situations, the other receivers are okay -- but not nearly as solid as they are when they face single coverage on every snap.

If Tice wants to save his job, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan needs to get creative.  With a three-headed monster of potential All Pros at tailback, the Vikes need to put two of them on the field at all times, and turn them loose in the passing game.

In a straight line, tailback Michael Bennett is faster than Moss.  Line him up on the outside and let him run under a couple of moon shots per half.  If he catches one, maybe the rest of the offense will open up again.

The bottom line for the Vikes is that with their best athlete on the shelf, they need to get the best of their remaining athletes on the field as much as possible.  Now that they've finally realized Moss needs to sit, they also need to understand that the same old playbook won't work without him.

VANDERJAGT LIQUORED UP AGAIN?

We love Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt, primarily because he doesn't seem to realize that he's, you know, a kicker.

Vanderjagt has lost his kickoff duties to punter Hunter Smith, and he's not happy about it.  Of course, most kickers wouldn't welcome such a development.  The thing we like about Vanderjagt is that he's not inclined to keep his mouth shut.

"I think it's a bunch of bulls---," Vanderjagt said Thursday. "I love Hunter immensely, but there's no way he's a better kickoff guy than me.

"I just suck as a kicker, apparently.  That is the conclusion everybody seems to have come to."

Vanderjagt refuses to accept blame for the Colts' ranking as 31st among 32 teams for kick coverage.  "It's me?" Vanderjagt said.  "I don't understand how that works.  I guess you can't replace 10, so you can replace one. Fine, put the goat horns on me."

FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook (ribs) participated in a full practice on Thursday, but is still listed as questionable for Sunday's showdown with the Steeler.

Cowboys WR Keyshawn Johnson wants Fox to produce footage corroborating Pam Oliver's report that he got into a verbal altercation with offensive coordinator Sean Payton on October 24, or to retract the report.

Steelers WR/KR Antwaan Randle El is appealing a $5,000 fine imposed upon him for tossing a ball at a Patriots player following a kick return.

The Jaguars are considering the possibility of trading QB David Garrard after the season.

POSTED 9:18 a.m. EST, November 5, 2004

T.O. IS RIGHT, SORT OF

We previously haven't commented on Terrell Owens' recent comparison of himself to Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis because we weren't completely sure how we felt about it.

Our initial reaction is that T.O. is right on the money.  He's never killed anyone (allegedly or otherwise), yet he's the NFL's pariah for his weekly post-touchdown antics and occasional politically incorrect comments.

Lewis, on the other hand, is the NFL's poster boy despite his 2000 trial on double-murder charges, which ended in a guilty plea for providing false information to authorities.

So what gives?  Why is T.O. the villian and Lewis the golden child?

As T.O. said on Wednesday:  

"I'm obviously not one of those who are a face of the NFL that they're going to have on commercials. . . .  It's discouraging at times that I get labeled and put in that same mold and that I'm the worst guy that ever put on a uniform in the NFL.  It's funny, it really is.  I listen to all the comments and at times, it baffles me.

"I've never had any off-field problems.  I've wanted to say it for a long time . . .  you have a guy like Ray Lewis, who I thought was pretty much my friend.  This is a guy, double-murder case, and he could have been in jail, but it seems like the league embraces a guy like that.  I'm going out scoring touchdowns and having fun, but I'm the bad guy.  So I don't understand it, I really don't."

On the surface, we agree with T.O.  It's not fair.  Unlike Owens, however, we understand what's going on.

Terrell Owens is a jerk.  Period.  It's how he carries himself, how he chooses and uses his words and actions.  Lewis, on the other hand, doesn't come off as a jerk, regardless of whether he's a killer.

And in a world where perception is reality, the presence (or absence) of charisma in those fleeting moments before a camera and/or a microphone will shape the media's -- and, in turn, the nation's -- opinions of a player, coach, actor, politician, etc.

When T.O. does a post-touchdown routine, it just doesn't seem fun or funny.  It comes off as self-glorification combined with a diss to his opponent, rolled into an act that simply does not resonate well with the media -- and, in turn, the nation.

Lewis is different.  His pre-game antics have charm, appeal.  Hell, any time my kid asks, "What time is it, Dad?," my standard response is "Game time!" (regardless of whether he's more interested in knowing the numbers on my watch).

So is Lewis a murderer and/or an accessory to murder?  Perhaps.  But he's objectively likeable.

Is T.O. a murderer, a deviant, a miscreant, etc?  No.  But he acts like a turd on the field and he runs his mouth off of it.

If Owens ever figures that out and adjusts his behavior accordingly, then maybe he'll rehabilitate his own image.  After all, if an accused murderer can do it, anyone can. 

SEAU WANTS ONE MORE YEAR

A league source tells us that, despite reports that linebacker Junior Seau's torn pectoral muscle could bring an end to his career, Seau hopes to play at least one more season.

Seau joined the Dolphins last season under a restructured four-year deal worth a total of $15.1 million.  Whether the Dolphins want him back next year remains to be seen, especially since the Fins might be operating with a new coaching staff and a new front office come 2005.

The question then becomes whether Seau will find a willing taker for his services elsewhere.  In the end, he might be required to sign a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, if he hopes to give it another go.

NO BLUE GRAY GAME THIS YEAR

Word around the league is that the Blue Gray Game, a Christmas day tradition that gives football fans throughout America something to watch while trying to figure out how to put together little Billy's bicycle that Santa bought on the cheap at Wal-Mart, will not be played this year.

We're trying to confirm whether the rumors are true of the demise of the All-Star game for guys not on bowl-eligible teams and, if so, whether the thing will return in 2005.

The official Blue Gray web site contains a wrap-up of the 2003 game and information regarding the 2003 schedule of events -- but nothing regarding a game that will be played, if at all, in about seven weeks.

Stay tuned for more.

POSTED 8:26 a.m. EST, November 4, 2004

'HAWKS WON'T FRANCHISE JONES AGAIN

Word around the league is that the Seahawks will not place the franchise tag on left tackle Walter Jones for a fourth straight year.

Since 2002, Jones has pocketed well over $20 million through a series of one-year tenders.  His agent justified the refusal to accept Seattle's best long-term offer by explaining that, as the franchise player, Jones would make over a three-year period as much or more than he would have made under the first three years of a long-term deal.  And then instead of being in the fourth season of that long-term deal, Jones can sign a long-term deal and pocket an eight-figure signing bonus.

But if Jones signs a long-term deal, it apparently won't be with the Seahawks.

The most obvious reason for Seattle's coming decision not to keep Jones is that, under the franchise system, his one-year cap number will inflate from $7.1 million to $8.5 million, which reflects a 20-percent increase over his current salary.  With several key players set to become unrestricted free agents, the Seahawks simply can't afford to tie up that much money in one guy.

But we're also hearing that the Seahawks have grown weary of Walter's ways.  They don't like the fact that he has skipped camp in each of the last three seasons while wearing the tag, and Jones has a reputation for being a turd off the field.  Plus, the team assumes that Jones and his agent will continue to make inflated demands on a long-term deal after the season.

So, in the end, look for Jones to be one of the guys that the Seahawks allow to leave, as they scramble to determine who they'll be able to keep while at the same time staying on the right side of the salary cap.

LEFTWICH NOT SURE HOW LONG HE'LL BE OUT

Even though coach Jack Del Rio has suggested that Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich could be ready for the team's next game on November 14, a league source tells us that Leftwich privately is saying that he's not sure how long he'll be out.

In fact, Del Rio revealed on Wednesday that there's still a chance (as we first reported on Monday night) that Leftwich will need surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Apparently, there are two separate injuries to Leftwich's knee, and it apparently might be more than a mere strain.  If there's a tear that won't heal with mere rest, the only option would be surgery.

And if Leftwich can't go, backup David Garrard will step into the starting lineup.  As Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union observes, Garrard is talking not like a guy who's providing a Band-Aid through Thanksgiving, but a player who's prepared to take the reins for the rest of the season.

"I'm praying for Byron that everything will work out for him," Garrard said.  "I have to step in now and finish where he left and have the season work out the way we wanted to around here.  It's family.  It's my turn now to do the job.''

Also, coach Jack Del Rio offered an insultingly implausible explanation for his failure to disclose Leftwich's condition.  Del Rio said that he didn't mention the fact that Leftwich was due to have an MRI on Monday because Del Rio was so focused on examining Sunday's loss to the Texans.

But, Jack, that doesn't explain why you and others flat-out lied on Tuesday when media types started calling about our report that Leftwich was hurt.

And on that point, we still can't figure out what the Jags were up to, and the only conclusion we can draw at this point is that they hoped to conceal the injury, in the event that Leftwich would have been able to play with it.

"TANK" BLACK DOING BIDNESS BEHIND BARS

We've all heard the tales of mob bosses who won't let an unfortunate incarceration stand in the way of getting things done on the outside.  Apparently, my paisans aren't the only ones who spend all that free time in prison doing something other than lifting weights and having sex with dudes. 

A league source tells us that agent William "Tank" Black is recruiting players from his cell.

Black currently is serving time on charges of money laundering, and he eventually will spend another five years behind bars for swindling clients out of millions of dollars.  Barring an early release on either charge, Black will be locked up until 2013.

And given his current "niche," Black, we hear, is targeting kids who have had run-ins with the law, as well as parents of players who are or who have been in the hoosegow.

But with Black holed up for the foreseeable future and his ability to represent NFL or NBA clients undoubtedly expunged, Black must be working through someone else.

That could be the real story here, because if there's any agent out there who's serving as Black's front man in this endeavor, that agent is also jeopardizing his own livelihood.

Earlier this week, Black won a $4.7 million verdict against one of his former clients whom he apparently didn't defraud -- Vince Carter of the NBA's Toronto Raptors.  But, as our research has revealed, the payment (if upheld on appeal) surely will be applied to Black's duty to make $12 million in restitution to the victims of his misdeeds.

This raises another interesting point.  If there's an agent who is fronting for Black, and if that agent is funneling money to him under the table (and circumventing the restitution order), that agent soon could be sharing a falafel with Black in the shower room.

GREEN INJURY NOT AS BAD AS FEARED

Hurt on the first play of Sunday's butt-whupping of the Vikings, Giants linebacker Barrett Green's injury isn't as bad as the team first feared, according to a league source.

Green injured a knee and an ankle as the "starter" in the Giants' base defense.  He was slated to come off of the field in the nickel package, as he continued to work his way out of coach Tom Coughlin's dog house.  

Green officially is listed as questionable for Sunday, but there's a good chance he'll be available.  And for Green's sake, the sooner he comes back from the injury, the quicker he'll win the approval of Coughlin. 

POSTED 8:05 a.m. EST, November 3, 2004

LAW DONE FOR THE YEAR?

Pats cornerback Ty Law suffered a broken bone in his foot against the Steelers on Sunday.  The Hartford Courant suggests that the injury could knock Law out for the rest of the season.  

Law's agent, Carl Poston, tells the Boston Globe that the veteran Pro Bowler will miss 4-6 weeks.

Asked Monday whether Law will be back before December, coach Bill Belichick said, "I don't know."

To their credit, the team isn't sulking over their misfortune.  "Other guys have to step up, and guys do," linebacker Tedy Bruschi said Monday. "The history we have here is guys go down, and we win."

But there's a difference between losing an interior lineman or a fullback or a linebacker and losing one of the best defensive backs in the NFL.  As several league insiders have explained to us over the past few weeks, injuries are a fact of life in the NFL -- but injuries at key positions are hard to overcome.

Just ask the Bears, who went from Rex Grossman to a revolving door of turds at quarterback when Grossman planted his right leg into the Metrodome turf and his ACL blew apart.

So how much does this hurt the Pats?  A lot.  Coming off of their first loss in more than 13 months and facing a challenging slate of road games over the balance of the season, it could be a tall order for the Pats to keep pace with the Jets at the top of the AFC East.

And if the Patriots are required to go on the road in January without Law, the chances of a repeat become decidedly less than fifty percent.

Law's value to the team becomes even more clear when taking into account the fact that the Pats happily picked up his $5.65 million salary for 2004 despite a belief in some circles that he'd get the Lawyer Milloy treatment.

The simple difference?  Safeties like Milloy are fungible.  Shut-down corners like Law aren't.

And there are subtle indications that the offseason stare-down between the Pats, who hoped for cap relief, and Law's agents, who wanted a big-money extension, could have an effect on how this one is handled.

"Ty doesn't feel it's that bad," Poston told the Globe.  "He'd like to be able to get back out there and play as soon as possible, but we've got to make sure he's 100 percent before he gets back on the field."

We've got to make sure he's 100 percent?  

Perhaps we're reaching (as usual), but we wouldn't put it past the Postons to try to use their considerable sway over Law as leverage to get the Pats to come back to the table as Ty heals.  If, as we suspect, Law will be at 100 percent when Carl and/or Kevin tell him he's at 100 percent, it gives the Postons plenty of control over the situation.

From the Pats' perspective, it might not be a bad idea to kick-start contract talks as the deadline for using 2004 cap room approaches.  After all, the Postons have a proven record of not reading those December deals that land on their desk (see Arrington, LaVar). 

Regardless of whether and to what extent the Postons try to play games, the Law injury definitely hurts the Pats, and it throws the AFC into a stew of uncertainty from which any one of ten teams  -- the Jets, Pats, Steelers, Ravens, Texans, Colts, Jaguars, Broncos, Chargers, or Chiefs -- could get hot as it turns cold, and make it to Jacksonville in early February.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Steelers coach Bill Cowher announced on Tuesday that Ben Roethlisberger will remain the starting quarterback, regardless of whether Tommy Maddox is healthy (Cowher also announced that:  (1) the sky is blue; (2) the earth is round; and (3) he often spits when he talks.) 

Our buddy Mike Freeman of the Florida Times-Union rips the Jags for lying about the Leftwich injury, and gives up props for exposing the truth.

Giants C Shaun O'Hara is out of the hospital after a five-day stay for a leg infection.

POSTED 7:50 p.m. EST, November 2, 2004; LAST UPDATED 12:10 a.m. EST, November 3, 2004

JAGS LIED ABOUT LEFTWICH

On Monday night, we reported that Jags quarterback Byron Leftwich has an undisclosed knee injury that could jeopardize his availability for the remainder of the season.  At the time, our search of the usual Internet news sources revealed nothing about Leftwich's condition. 

By Tuesday morning, there still was nothing about Leftwich's injury in cyberspace, or elsewhere.  In fact, Bart Hubbuch of the Florida Times-Union went out of his way to tell us that we were "WAY off the mark."  (Scroll down for more.)

But after returning the office on Tuesday afternoon after a full day of pretending to be a lawyer, Hubbuch and other industry sources told yours truly that Leftwich is in fact injured.  As one source told us, the Jags intentionally have spread misinformation to the media about Leftwich's injury.  In fact, word is that the Jags were even lying to folks within the organization about Leftwich's leg.

The truth is that Leftwich was dinged up on Sunday in the first half of Sunday's game against the Texans.  He returned after missing two plays, and he finished the game.

But, per the Associated Press, Leftwich's agent, Tom Condon, sent him to Dr. James Andrews after Leftwich developed leg pain late Monday afternoon.

Officially, Leftwich has a sprain of the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee.  The AP says that the injury typically requires 4-to-6 weeks of rest.  Surgery will not be required.

The Jaguars are off this weekend.  Their next game will be on November 14, when they host the Lions.

Coach Jack Del Rio said on Tuesday that no timetable for Leftwich's return will be announced until Monday, November 8.  On Tuesday night, Del Rio suggested that Leftwich might not miss any action at all.

We've also sent an e-mail to Greg Aiello of the league office regarding the question of whether the Jags (or any team, for that matter) are permitted to affirmatively lie about a player's condition before the weekly deadline for filing an injury report -- especially where, as in this case, the team's next game is two weekends away.

With that said, the purpose of the injury reports is to prevent gamblers from having access to inside information.  Somewhere, somehow, we could've placed an early bet on the Jags-Lions game last night (and, officially, we didn't) with the line that was made based upon the assumption that Leftwich will play.  

LEAGUE'S SECRECY WORKS AGAINST IT

In theory, the NFL's obsession with keeping the machinations of its substance abuse policy under wraps makes sense.  Short of conduct that results in a suspension, no one needs to know whether and to what extent a guy has run afoul of the mandatory pee-testing protocol that entails various levels of punishment.

But the problem is that the process is far from secret, since nothing stops the player or his agent from talking about the situation.  As a result, there often will be reports that, for example, a player has tested positive, is subject to a suspension, and is appealing it.

And with the NFL playing Sgt. Schulz as to the status of the appeal and the timing of the hearing, some fans and league observers can't help but speculate that some players/teams are getting preferential treatment from the league.

For example, when work broke before the regular season that Vikings running back Onterrio Smith was appealing his four-game sit, most folks expected the issue to be settled before the September 12 opener.  But as one game, then two games, then three games passed while the Vikings otherwise were thin at the position due to Michael Bennett's knee injury, folks started to think that perhaps the NFL was delaying the process in order to keep Smith on the field while Bennett recovered.

Now, with Seattle receiver Koren Robinson likewise waiting week after week for his appeal to be resolved, some folks believe that the league is trying to help the 'Hawks keep Koren in the lineup until Bobby Engram gets healthy -- and as Jerry Rice gets up to speed. 

The truth, undoubtedly, is that there's nothing untoward going on.  Still, this doesn't stop folks who know part of the story from making conclusions as to the rest of the story based on the incomplete information available.

So, in our view, the league either needs to create a system that ensures complete secrecy -- or the league needs to drop the phony notion that complete secrecy exists, when everyone knows that it clearly doesn't.

It's a matter that both the NFL and the NFLPA need to take seriously in the next round of contract negotiations.  Sure, it's not an issue of dollars and cents, but it's the kind of thing that makes some folks question whether the NFL isn't all that much different that the WWE.

And those thoughts, crazy as they might seem on the surface, aren't good for anyone.

FORD BUSTED FOR SIEGRIED-ROY SHOOTING

The Associated Press reports that former NFL kicker Cole Ford is in the custody of Las Vegas police on charges that he fired shots at the home of entertainers Siegfried and Roy on September 21.

The obvious question is -- what the hell took so long?  It's not like Ford was hiding in a cave in Afghanistan.  He was in Las Vegas, for Pete's sake.

Ford, 31, kicked for several teams in the 1990s, most notably for the Raiders.

RAVENS DIDN'T REALIZE RULES WERE RELAXED

We'd heard scattered reports regarding relaxation of the rules that prohibit players from interacting with their team while on suspension for violation of the league's substance-abuse policy.  Several of our regular sources, however, knew nothing about it.

But, as the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports, the rules indeed have been relaxed this year, permitting guys like Onterrio Smith to work with players and coaches while on suspension, as long as they do not participate in practice.

In Smith's case, he and assistant strength and conditioning coach Mark Ellis concocted "simulated games," during which Smith ran four series of twelve plays, with 35-second intervals.

Coupled with workouts in the team's weight room, Smith was a "chiseled" 216 pounds when he returned to practice after a four-week absence.

"He doesn't look good," said coach Mike Tice.  "He looks fantastic."

Our guess is that some teams will be surprised to learn of this new twist in the rules, since so many people around the league simply weren't aware of it.  Indeed, we asked point-blank a few people who should have known about this change, and it was news to them.  (We won't rat them out in this space.)

In fact, we've learned that the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff didn't know about this new rule when running back Jamal Lewis received his two-game suspension after pleading guilty to the illegal use of a cell phone.

As coach Brian Billick told David Ginsburg of the AP last month: "We can talk to him, but he's not allowed to be in the building, which I really think has to be revisited during the offseason.  When you have an athlete in this position, this is when he needs the organization most.  He needs to be around the counseling and the mentoring we have here.

"To totally isolate a guy from the team, I don't think is in the best interest of the team, it's not in the best interest of the athlete, it's not in the best interest of the league."

But, as it turns out, the Ravens missed out on a golden opportunity to keep Lewis under their wing during his two-week absence.

"Coach Billick.  Mr. Bisciotti is on hold.  And he's pissed."

Seriously, this is a major screw-up by the Ravens, if they coulda/woulda/shoulda had Lewis in the building during his suspension -- and someone within the organization needs to be answering some tough questions about how it came to be that they didn't know that the changes Billick is advocating already have been implemented.

Who's to blame?  Good question.  Our guess is that there's an in-house lawyer or some other non-football guy (or gal) who is responsible for keeping track of these kinds of developments.

And that guy (or gal) should be updating the ol' resume, soon.

So pay attention out there, folks.  When a guy gets suspended, he doesn't need a one-month pass at the local "Y".  He can still stick around, which is a huge advantage that shouldn't be squandered.

TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Dolphins LB Juionr Seau might have suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Monday night's loss to the Jets; if it's a tear, he'll be out for the season.

The Vikings released DE Chuck Wiley, who started the first two games of the season while DE Kenny Mixon was suspended.

Country singer Tim McGraw now owns a piece of the Arena League's Nashville Kats.

Vikings coach Mike Tice has made a decision as to whether WR Randy Moss will play on Monday night at Indianapolis, but he's not revealing it.

Former NFL agent William "In The Tank" Black won a $4.7 million verdict against NBA has-been Vince Carter on Tuesday (not bad for a guy who does the limbo when he drops in the soap in the shower . . . we assume).

TE Jeremy Shockey is still frustrated by his role in the Giants offense under coach Tom Coughlin.

Packers QB Brett Favre doubts that he'll ever play another game  . . . with a completely healed hand.

POSTED 6:51 a.m. EST; UPDATED 7:57 a.m. EST, November 2, 2004

RAIDERS GOING URBAN?

Amid a growing wave of rancor that's conjuring bad memories of the failed Bill Callahan experiment (not the Super Bowl year, but last season), we're hearing indications that coach Norv Turner might get the one-and-done treatment in Oakland.

Word is that the Raiders have their eyes on Urban Meyer of Utah.  We're picking up unconfirmed reports that the Raiders had an informal meeting with Meyer following the Utes' 51-28 win at San Diego State on Saturday.  The Raiders, coincidentally, played the Chargers in the same venue the next day.

And the 42-14 thumping the Raiders took at the hands of San Diego's pro team surely did little to dampen Al Davis' interest in the guy who'd bested the day before San Diego's college team.

Apparently, there is interest on both sides.  Meyer, we're told, fits Davis' formula for hiring head coaches:  he's young, he can put together a vertical passing game, he's innovative, and he's not yet to big for his britches (so Al can control him).

Stay tuned.

MORA DRAWS DENVER IRE

In response to complaints regarding a hit by receiver Brian Finneran on Broncos safety John Lynch, Atlanta coach Jim Mora had this to say on Monday:

"That's good.  That's fine.  They had one last week that a lot of people in the league thought was cheap, so I guess what goes around comes around."  

Mora, of course, was referring to George Foster's unnecessary cut block on Bengals defensive tackle Tony Williams, which knocked Williams out for the season.

The Broncos didn't respond well to Mora's remark.

Said cornerback Champ Bailey:  "That's brutal.  A coach shouldn't say those things."

Added safety Nick Ferguson:  "That's unexpected from a coach. That's all I'll say."

Finally, linebacker Al Wilson said:  "OK, if what goes around comes around, be ready then. I just hope it doesn't happen to any of his guys."

As a result of the hit, Lynch will miss two-to-four weeks with a stress fracture in his sacrum (we looked it up -- it's not what we thought it was on first glance).

Meanwhile, coach Mike Shanahan didn't criticize the hit.  "It wasn't below the waist or anything --- it was a legal shot.  He came after [Lynch], and it was one of those blind-side shots that kind of catches you off guard.  It was a legal shot."

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Two weeks late, the Vikings are starting to realize that WR Randy Moss won't get healthy if they don't let him rest.

RB Ricky Williams has made an official request to return to the NFL, and the plan is for him to come back in the offseason (if he can stay away from a girl named Mary Jane).

After WR Keyshawn Johnson's criticism of sideline reporter Pam Oliver, Meshawn has one less network at which he can run his mouth after he retires. 

Speaking of Oliver, she stands by the story that Johnson had a sideline confrontation with offensive coordinator Sean Payton on October 24, and she promised that she'll retaliate if he tries to "spank" her:  "I will punch him in the face," she said.

The Chargers' only option for QB Drew Brees might be to let him walk away as an unrestricted free agent after the season.

49ers DE Brandon Whiting is out for the year after tearing his ACL on Sunday night at Chicago.

Bucs WR Joey Galloway says it will be six months before his injured groin is back to normal.

Seahawks WR Koren Robinson is still appealing a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

With a win at home against the Eagles on Sunday, the Steelers would be the first team to beat undefeated foes on back-to-back weekends at least six weeks into the season.

Redskins LB LaVar Arrington, who has missed five games with a knee injury, will miss at least another four.

Agent Mitch Frankel says he's looking into client David Boston's second knee surgery, which apparently was necessary to correct an infection.

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs has filed a formal complaint with the league regarding the illegal motion penalty that wiped out a potential game-winning touchdown against the Packers.

Bears LB Brian Urlacher won't comment on whether he injured his left hamstring while rehabbing the right one.

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook likely will miss Sunday's cross-state showdown with the Steelers with a cracked rib.

The Dolphins waived C Jason Ball after he failed his physical.

DE Robert Porcher has "retired" from the Lions; as a vested veteran, he gets the full amount of his one-year, $1.375 million contract.

S Rodney Harrison registered a career-high 18 tackles in Sunday's loss to the Steelers.

Eagles WR Terrell Owens had this to say in response to LB Ray Lewis dubbing T.O. a "coward" for his post-touchdown dance routines:  "It's no different than him making a 2-yard tackle and he gets up as if he sacked the quarterback or something. . . .  I had a good time.  I hope he had a happy Halloween."

Packers QB Brett Favre has multiple injuries to his throwing hand, but he plans to play on November 14 against Minnesota.

POSTED 9:54 p.m. EST, November 1, 2004; UPDATED 9:51 a.m. EST, November 2, 2004

LEFTWICH DONE FOR THE YEAR?

A league source says Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich could be done for the year after suffering an injury in Sunday's loss to the Texans.

The source didn't specify the injury, but another league insider tells us that Leftwich was limping on Monday.

The Tuesday edition of the Florida Times-Union reports that Leftwich suffered a left leg injury on Sunday shortly before halftime, and that he went back into the game on his own after missing only a couple of plays.

"I was scared in the beginning, but it was something I got over quickly,'' Leftwich said.  "I'll be healthy by the next game."

The Jaguars are off this weekend.  They next play the Lions, on November 14.

If the 5-3 Jags lose Leftwich, the starter will be David Garrard, a player whom some in the organization think has greater potential than Leftwich, since the second-year pro from Marshall has limited mobility.  Garrard is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the season.

In a prior edition of this here story, we said that Garrard will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.  As Bart Hubbuch of the Florida Times-Union told us in a Tuesday morning e-mail, however, Garrard has one more year before he can walk.  With that said, Hubbuch anticipates that the Jags will trade Garrard after the 2004 season.

But we don't see eye-to-eye on everything with Bart.  He tells us that the story that Leftwich is hurt is "WAY off the mark."  We'll stand by our report for now, but we'll keep digging for more info.

POSTED 8:51 a.m. EST, November 1, 2004

PLAX'S MATURITY MEANS MORE MONEY

The offseason escapades of Steelers receiver Plaxico Burress prompted many potential 2005 suitors to revise their plans and his current team to start counting the days until they were free of his inconsistent performances and increasingly boorish behavior.

But now, he's a model citizen and he's playing better than ever.

Sounding anything but selfish, Burress talked like a mature, team-leader type after catching two touchdown passes as the Steelers pasted the Pats, 34-20.  "That's not a statement game for me, but it was a statement game for our team," Burress said, per Gerry DuLac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette..  "We feel like we can go out and compete with anybody on any Sunday."

And Burress is, surprisingly, giving the credit for his improved play to the team's coaching staff.  "I've got an offensive coordinator who has a lot of faith in my ability to play the game," Burress said.  "And [wide receivers] coach [Bruce] Arians, he's teaching me the finer points of the game.  No disrespect to coach [Kenny] Jackson last year; he was teaching more from a wide receivers standpoint for the past three years.  Now that I have coach Arians, he teaches me from a quarterback standpoint and what they're seeing.  I've been so lucky to have a coach who teaches me things to enhance my game.  Sometimes, he thinks I don't listen to him when he's talking, but I do."

Articulate, magnanimous, politically correct. . . .

Hey, Gerry DuLac, are you sure that you got these quotes from the guy who wore No. 80?  For the Steelers?

We're amazed, frankly, by the transformation.  And the upshot for the Steelers is that they'll now have to dig deep -- very deep -- if they hope to re-sign Burress in the offseason and, at the same time, placate receiver Hines Ward, who has one more year to go on a deal that he outplayed more than a year ago.

Indeed, with each touchdown catch from rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Burress's stature will continue to rise, prompting someone to prepare to drop big money on him come March 2005.  Potentially interested team at this point include, in our view, Denver, Cleveland, Oakland, Tennessee, Chicago, the Giants, San Francisco, Washington, and Tampa.

And, of course, the Steelers.  

They might even have to start thinking about the "F" word in the 'Burgh, since using the franchise tag on Burress might be the only way to buy enough time to work out long-term deals with both Ward and Burress.  Along the way, the Steelers would be required to dump salary in order to get under the 2005 cap, which likely means the end of the line for guys like Jerome Bettis, Charlie Batch, Chad Scott, and others.

Of course, the higher the team climbs this season, the greater Burress's visibility, and desiribility will rise.  If the team that knocked off the Pats can continue its winning ways -- and secure home-field advantage through the playoffs -- Burress could end up winning a free Escalade on February 5, which he'd use to drive his price tag even higher.

For the Steelers, it would be worth it, since they'd have that long-elusive fifth Lombardi in the case.  Either way, the team that might have considered parting ways with Burress earlier this year now might be realizing that this indispensable component of the franchise's unlikely run of success in 2004 could end up becoming a luxury that simply cannot be afforded. 

CHIEFS EXPLODE BACK INTO CONTENTION

Scoring 101 points and gaining 1,130 yards in the past two weekends, the Kansas City Chiefs have turned their 1-4 start into a 3-4 record that has them in position to challenge the Broncos (5-3) and the Chargers (5-3) for the AFC West.

It's an improbable turn of events for a team that everyone (including us) had written off.

More than the two wins -- back-to-back home victories over the Falcons and the Colts -- the manner in which the Chiefs' offense has regained its rhythm makes us think that maybe, just maybe, they'll keep it going and steamroll over the rest of the division.

The balance of the schedule is manageable, with November games at Tampa (win), at New Orleans (win), Monday night at home against the Pats (good chance at a win), and at home against the Chargers (another good chance at a win).  Going 4-0 this month would vault the Chiefs to 7-4, which likely would pull them into at least a tie for the division crown with five games to play.

We never would've imagined it, but the Chiefs should be making everyone take them seriously right about now.

League sources previously have told us that the Chiefs have the best offensive line in the NFL, but the ability of offensive coordinator Al Saunders to tweak the attack week-in, week-out will be the key to keeping the train rolling.

"Every game is different," Saunders said.  "The 11 people you're playing against are different from the week before, and the matchups are different.  That's why it's generally hard to duplicate what you do from one week to the next.  As to what we're doing now, our players have done a tremendous job of adapting on a weekly basis."

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Vikings coach Mike Tice says that the hamstring injury suffered by WR Randy Moss two weeks ago did not get any worse on Sunday, but Tice acknowledged that the offense must be better prepared to play without him (which could be a hint that he won't play much if at all next Monday night at Indy).

Redskins coach Joe Gibbs continues to stand behind QB Mark Brunell; as it turned out, the zebras sealed Dubya's fate by calling an illegal motion penalty that nullified a touchdown pass that would have given the 'Skins the lead with less than three minutes left.

Eagles WR Terrell Owens did a Deion Sanders-Ray Lewis dance medley when he scored on Sunday against the Ravens.

Supposed defensive guru Tony Dungy's ball-stopping unit is getting worse instead of better in Indy, and QB Peyton Manning is getting frustrated about it.

Seattle DT Rashad "Booger" Moore's eyes puffed up in the second half due to an allergic reaction to an orange he ate during the break.  (It's really not all that newsworthy; we just wanted to type the word "Booger.")

A replay review wiped out a touchdown scored by Texans WR Jabar Gaffney on a 15-yard reverse; Gaffney's gaffe came as he began preparations to spike the ball and lost control of it before crossing the goal line.

Pats CB Ty Law suffered an undisclosed foot injury earlier in Sunday's game at Pittsburgh.

Bears RB Anthony Thomas had 144 total yards in Sunday night's win over the 49ers; Thomas replaced starter Thomas Jones, who suffered an early injury.

A sore quad and a hip pointer limited RB Fred Taylor to three carries in Sunday's loss to the Texans.

Packers DT Grady Jackson is "close to 95 percent" after suffering a dislocated kneecap in Week One.

The NFL is investigating the Bengals because WR Peter Warrick played last Monday night after being listed as "out" on Friday's injury report.

Seahawks WR Jerry Rice had one catch for 6 yards before spraining his ankle.

Maybe we need to this prognostication thing more often; on Sunday (scroll down), we picked the Steelers over the Pats by fourteen.

Redskins KR Chad Morton injured a knee ligament on Sunday; further tests will be taken on Monday, but the fear is that he tore an ACL.

Giants RB Ron Dayne was a healthy scratch on Sunday, putting yet another nail into his Big Blue coffin.

After a 41-28 home loss to the Falcons, Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post wonders whether Jake Plummer is any better than Brian Griese.

Bears G Rex Tucker made his first start in two years due to an elbow injury, and he was hurt again in his return.

Andrew Bagnato of the Arizona Republic says that the Cardinals haven't changed.

Two fans in Philly were 'cuffed together in orange jumpsuits that bore the names "R. Lewis" and "J. Lewis" (hell, they could've made it a quintet, with a "C. McAlister," "C. Fuller," and a "K. Stewart," who hasn't broken any laws but who might not be averse to the, ahem, atmosphere).

QUOTE OF THE DAY

From Vikings coach Mike Tice, following a 34-13 pasting at home to the Giants, who have beaten Minnesota in the Metrodome each of the past three seasons:  "I've just been given the good news from today:  The Giants are not on our schedule next year, thank God."  (Actually, Mike, the G-men will pop up on the schedule again in 2005, if you both finish in the same spot in your respective divisions.)