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