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So much to watch for this Sunday: Patrick Peterson tussling with Andre Johnson, Rob Ryan settling a score with the Cowboys, Broncos interim coach Jack Del Rio pulling double duty, a backup QB taking the reigns in Green Bay ... but first we start with a man who wants no part of the NFL


If you were to draw up the perfect NFL head coaching candidate, it would be Stanford’s David Shaw.

His father, Willie, was a legendary NFL assistant and defensive coordinator for the Rams, Raiders and Vikings. David played receiver for Bill Walsh and Denny Green at Stanford, and later worked with and for some of football’s brightest minds—Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, Rex Ryan and Jim Harbaugh—as an NFL assistant from 1997 to 2005.

Now in the middle of his third season as head coach of the Cardinal, Shaw has posted a 31-5 record and beaten Oregon in convincing fashion for two straight seasons, including a 26-20 victory on Nov. 7. Last season he led Stanford to its first Pac 12 conference in 13 years and to its first Rose Bowl victory in 41 years. Beyond his record, he’s a genuine person and a trusted leader who would win out in an NFL interview competition.

And yet there’s virtually no chance that Shaw, a Stanford alum who married his wife on the university’s campus, will seek any NFL offers. “I have no desire to get back into the NFL,” Shaw told The MMQB in June. “You can’t buy it from me. It’s not money; I’m making good money. I love where I am now, the kids that we’re coaching. We’re producing some of the finest young people on the planet. Every year we’re turning those guys loose on society, and I feel really, really good about that. I think I’m a pretty smart guy, but I’m not the smartest guy in the room. That’s exciting to me. I’m around some guys who are brilliant, who will do great things in this world and I love to be surrounded by that.”

But what about an NFL itch that has lured some of college football’s best, like Nick Saban and Chip Kelly? Shaw said he’s already scratched it, first from moving so many times as a child when his father switched coaching jobs, and then later in his own career.

“I understand the desire to coach the best players in the world, and if you’ve never done it, there’s that desire to prove yourself,” Shaw said. “You say, ‘I wonder if I can coach at the highest level? I believe I can,’ but you don’t know until you do it. I completely get that. I’ve done it. I’ve worked with Hall of Fame guys, All-Pro guys, great players, a couple championship games. For me, I don’t have that ‘what if.’ I know what it feels like. And I’ve got my Jerry Rice and Tim Brown pictures; coaching Rich Gannon was one of the high points of my career. I just don’t have that ‘what if.’ Been there, enjoyed it, loved it—love where I am now.”

The truth is, there aren’t many places in all of football like Stanford.

One of the iconic structures at Stanford is the soaring Herbert Hoover Tower, named after the 31st President, who was part of Stanford’s first class in 1891. It houses part of the Hoover Institution, a public policy think tank that boasts former high-profile government officials such as Condoleezza Rice, George Shultz, Edwin Meese and retired Army general John Abizaid as fellows.

If Shaw has his way, the Arrillaga Family Sports Center will host the football equivalent. How many other places have 70-year-old Ron Lynn, who was a defensive coordinator for four different pro teams and an assistant for another three, providing assistance as the director of player development? Or Willie Shaw occasionally giving a chalk talk? Or former Stanford and Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham—among others—dropping by to speak to the team? How many college programs have 15 players with NFL bloodlines? That’s the ultimate stamp of approval, when former NFL players such as Barry Sanders, Tom Carter, Todd Peat, Ed Reynolds, Sam Seal, Jeff Davison and Bob Whitfield send their sons to mature into players and men under your watch.

Players are attracted to Stanford because it’s one of very few schools with both a pro-style offense (West Coast) and defense (3-4 zone blitz)—and it doesn’t skimp on the volume. Offensive coordinator and O-line coach Mike Bloomgren came to the Cardinal after four years in the NFL as a Jets assistant. He was blown away by the depth of Stanford’s playbooks and concepts.

“We thought we carried a lot of volume in New York,” Bloomgren said. “And then you come here and it’s at least as much. I didn’t know you could do this at the college level.”

The Cardinal doesn’t take a shortcut on the verbiage either. They use the same long playcalls that continue to be a staple of Walsh’s time-honored offense.

“Do we ever, holy cow,” Bloomgren said, reaching back into his cubicle. “Let me grab a game plan here … just have to look for a call that’s really small font. This one isn’t that long: zebra personnel; snug right switch shift to gun gold right 22 jet stay double knight u whip kill 33 jet alert 800 jet buzzer.

“I think it takes great teachers, which obviously the staff is full of, and it takes kids that are intelligent and can retain the information. Because you have half the meeting time you do in the NFL. It’s a big deal.” David Shaw wants to continue to attract NFL-related people, especially coaches. He can do that despite being in one of the most expensive housing markets in the country because Stanford has built and purchased homes to house coaches in all sports, and because the football coaches are paid well and work reasonable, non-NFL hours. In the often cruel world of football, Stanford is an oasis.

“If I could freeze things exactly how they are right now, with everybody here,” said Bloomgren, “I would do it in a second. I love it here.”

That’s not likely to happen; NFL front offices know what’s going on at Stanford. While nearly all college coordinators who go on to the NFL do so as position coaches, the Cardinal’s previous two offensive coordinat

Mark Duper is the latest ex-NFL star to test positive for signs of CTE -- chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- the former Miami Dolphin confirmed to CBS Sports Friday night.

The 54-year-old former wideout, a three-time Pro Bowler, underwent a battery of tests for two days at UCLA two weeks ago, which revealed he has some mild cognitive impairment. Duper said he learned of the diagnosis Friday afternoon. "It is what it is," said Duper, who less than two years ago beat kidney cancer.

"I'm thinking back on my life and where I am going with this. I have to deal with it and make the best of it. It does make me think of the future and how things are gonna change."

Duper is the fourth former NFL star this week to be diagnosed with signs of CTE . On Wednesday, doctors revealed that Pro Football Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Joe DeLamielleure, along with former All-Pro defensive lineman Leonard Marshall, have been diagnosed as having signs of CTE, according to an ESPN report. CTE is a condition caused by head trauma, and is linked to dementia and depression.

These tests for CTE on living former players called PET scans are potential game-changers in the world of neuroscience, according to neurosurgeon Dr. Julian Bailes, a former team physician for West Virginia University and for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"Make a diagnosis while they're living--we hope this kind of testing can be a game-changer," said Dr. Bailes. "I'm the Chairman for Pop Warner's Medical Advisory Board and we feel a big responsibility at the youth level to do everything we can. We hope there will be interest in this sort of testing to make progress on the effects of brain injury in sports.

"The biggest thing is, if we can diagnose CTE, I think they're better off knowing they have it. Most of them don't die from CTE. Many die from suicide. If you can find out you have it, you can manage the symptoms. Getting a good psychiatrist and good professional care can give you insight and help you in how to treat depression."

In his NFL career, Duper caught 511 passes for 8,869 yards and 59 touchdowns in 11 seasons. A former college track star, he only played one season of college football. He says he has no regrets on playing the sport.

"I don't have any regrets about playing," Duper said. "I made a good living off football and I'm still making a living off it. You can't regret something you enjoyed, something you love and I loved football."

Duper said he had noticed some warning signs in recent years with some anger issues. He also said there are times when he'd go to a store and forget why he went there. He said he plans on beginning oxygen therapy treatment in the next few weeks. The former NFL star hopes he can help raise awareness about the issue.

"Hopefully, this can put things into perspective for younger players," Duper added. "The rules are changing--the rules have changed. Players should get themselves tested."



Duper latest ex-NFL star to test positive for signs of CTE - CBSSports-com

The Saints' 49-17 win over Dallas on Sunday night might have actually been worse than the score makes it sound. How that's possible? New Orleans totaled a franchise-record 625 yards and tallied an NFL record 40 first downs.

The 40 first downs came in almost every way possible: The Saints got 20 of their first downs through the air, 15 came on the ground and five came courtesy of Dallas penalties.

The 40th first down may have been the most interesting one. Late in the fourth quarter and facing fourth-and-5 at the Dallas 42-yard line, Saints coach Sean Payton decided to go for it. Running back Pierre Thomas squirted through an open hole to pick up exactly 5 yards and give New Orleans its record-breaking 40th first down.

To put that in perspective: The Cowboys only ran 43 plays in the entire game.

The Saints broke a first down record that had stood since 1988 when the Jets picked up 39 in a game against the Dolphins. The Redskins tied the first down record in a 1990 game against the Lions.

New Orleans' 625 total yards broke the franchise-record of 617 yards that stood for less than two years. The Saints totaled 617 yards in their 2011 season finale, a 45-17 win over Carolina. The game against the Panthers and Sunday's game against the Cowboys are the only two times in franchise-history the Saints have crossed the 600-yard mark.

Drew Brees wasn't the Saints' entire offense either. New Orleans totaled 242 yards on the ground, which is the most rushing yards by the Saints since they put up 249 yards in a 21-7 win over the Bengals in November 1990.

New Orleans' 625 total yards is the third-highest output in the NFL since 2000. The Texans put up 653 yards against the Jaguars in a November 2012 win and the Falcons put up 645 yards in a November 2002 win over the Steelers. However, both of those games came in overtime.

The Saints' yardage total is the highest in a non-overtime game since the Chargers put up 661 yards on the Bengals in a 50-34 win in December 1982. The good news for the Cowboys? The Chargers and Bengals ended up meeting again in 1982 -- in the AFC championship where Cincinnati got revenge on San Diego.



Saints set NFL record for most first downs in a game - CBSSports-com

The Miami Dolphins scandal exposes allegations of bullying, hazing, and racial slurs.

Suspended NFL player Richie Incognito said his alleged bullying of Miami Dolphin teammate Jonathan Martin is misunderstood because "people don't know how Jon and I communicate to one another."

Martin quit the team because of "harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing," his lawyer says.

Was a line crossed? Does the NFL need an anti-hazing policy?

In the Crossfire, sports columnist Christine Brennan and former NFL player Jamal Anderson join hosts S.E. Cupp and Van Jones to debate.

Would you want your child to play in the NFL? Here's what S.E. Cupp and Van Jones have to say about it: In the Crossfire: NFL bullying scandal – Crossfire - CNN-com Blogs

As usual, the entire NFL seems to be melting into this great mishmash of parity where things like Rams 38, Colts 8 can happen.

Not at the very top. The Chiefs and Broncos still rule the Daily News power rankings and Sunday night in Denver, they will settle which team in the West is best. Meanwhile, the Seahawks seem to have created a little separation in the NFC with another big win after two squeakers. We've moved them up to third with Colts dropping six spots to ninth.

There were also two big movers upward in this week's table. By beating the 49ers, the Panthers proved their 6-3 record is no joke. They're up six spots to sixth and awaiting the No. 5 Patriots Monday night. Then there are the Jets, whose credibility continues to gain stature even during their bye. We bumped them five spots to No. 11.

The Giants, who keep taking advantage of opponent injuries at the QB spot, are now 22nd, up three spots from last week on the strength of their three-game winning streak. Their arrow is definitely up right now.

Feel free to disagree:

1. (Last week, 1) Chiefs (9-0): And now for the ultimate test.

2. (2) Broncos (8-1): Peyton's ankles becoming a concern.

3. (4) Seahawks (8-1):That's more like it.

4. (7) Saints (7-2): Amazing how much better they are at home.

5. (6) Patriots (7-2): Panthers will test them physically Monday.

6. (12) Panthers (6-3): Statement win. They can play a little defense.

7. (5) 49ers (6-3): Can't beat the better teams.

8. (10) Lions (6-3): In control of the division, haven't won it in 20 years.

9. (3) Colts (6-3): This time, they dug themselves a hole they couldn't escape. Bad everywhere.

10. (8) Bengals (6-4): Where is the team that blew out the Jets?

11. (16) Jets (5-4): Sitting with the sixth seed in hand right now.

12. (11) Bears (5-4): McCown back in. Maybe that's a good thing.

13. (9) Packers (5-4): They are beat up everywhere. Need to call up the JV.

14. (17) Cardinals (5-4): If they played in the NFC East, they'd be a shoo-in.

15. (13) Chargers (4-5): Can't be that sloppy against the Broncos.

16. (14) Cowboys (5-5): Can they survive Sean Lee's loss?

17. (19) Browns (4-5): Thinking playoffs behind Jason Campbell.

18. (20) Ravens (4-5): The champs saved their season vs. Cincy.

19. (23) Rams (4-5): So that was the Tavon Austin we've been waiting for.

20. (24) Eagles (5-5): Nick Foles looks like the man.

21. (22) Redskins (3-6): Bad loss in Minny. They had some momemtum.

22. (25) Giants (3-6): Three more flawed QBs down, one more on deck.

23. (21) Bills (3-6): Just can't get over the hump.

24. (18) Dolphins (4-5): That 3-0 team has gone incognito.

25. (15) Titans (4-5): Locker injury dooms season.

26. (26) Texans (2-7): Someone pointed out the Astros had a better win percentage.

27. (27) Raiders (3-6): They need Terrelle Pryor healthy to do anything.

28. (28) Steelers (3-6): The defense finally shows up.

29. (30) Vikings (2-7): Adrian Peterson keeps them competitive.

30. (29) Falcons (2-7): Not competitive.

31. (31) Bucs (1-8): As Ray Handley once said, they bowed their necks and took umbrage.

32. (32) Jaguars (1-8): Not the worst team ever now.



Read more: NFL Power Rankings: Carolina Panthers get a statement win; Andrew Luck, Colts take a big drop  - NY Daily News

Former NFL wide receiver Sam Hurd was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for his role in starting a drug-distribution scheme while playing for the Chicago Bears, completing a steep downfall that ended his football career and left his future in tatters.

Hurd, 28, received the punishment in a federal courtroom in Dallas after pleading guilty in April to one count of trying to buy and distribute large amounts of cocaine and marijuana. The charge carried a minimum 10-year sentence and a maximum of life.

Authorities say that while NFL teammates and friends knew him as a hardworking wide receiver and married father, Hurd was fashioning a separate identity as a wannabe drug kingpin with a focus on "high-end deals" and a need for large amounts of drugs.

U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis gave Hurd a much shorter sentence than the 27 to 34 years recommended by federal sentencing guidelines. Solis noted that the case against Hurd centered on a "lot of agreements" to buy and sell marijuana and cocaine, rather than physical transactions of drugs.

But, the judge said, "You didn't just start nickel and diming it."

Hurd stood before him in orange jail scrubs after a rambling, emotional 30-minute plea for mercy. Behind him in the gallery were more than a dozen family members and friends.

"You had everything going for you," Solis told Hurd, adding that he thought the case was a "tragedy."

Hurd's December 2011 arrest outside a suburban Chicago steakhouse came after he tried to buy a kilogram of cocaine in what turned out to be a sting. According to a federal complaint, Hurd told an undercover agent that he wanted 5 to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana per week to distribute in the Chicago area. He claimed he was already distributing 4 kilograms a week, according to the complaint. A kilogram is about 2.2 pounds.

At the time, Hurd was a wide receiver with stints for the Bears and Dallas Cowboys who had played most of his five seasons on special teams. He was in the first year of a three-year contract reportedly worth more than $5 million.

The Bears soon cut him. Hurd was released on bail and returned to Texas, where he grew up, but soon fell into trouble again, according to court documents. He allegedly tried to buy more cocaine and marijuana through a cousin, Jesse Tyrone Chavful, and failed two drug tests. That led a magistrate judge in August 2012 to revoke his bail and order him returned to jail.

Hurd spoke near the end of a four-hour hearing, sometimes reading from handwritten notes and sometimes looking directly at Solis to plead for mercy.

While he denied leading a major conspiracy or dealing with Chavful, Hurd admitted to having a marijuana addiction and a weakness for friends who needed his help. He admitted giving $88,000 to another co-defendant, Toby Lujan, knowing that the money might go to buy drugs. And he admitted the fateful meeting at a steakhouse that ended in his arrest.

"I regret not thinking about the consequences," Hurd said, adding: "I made some dumb, very bad decisions."

His attorneys tried to explain his claims of having high-value customers and massive demand for drugs as mere boasting, saying he had a penchant for exaggeration. One of his lawyers, Michael McCrum, called his client "a guy showing up at a restaurant, talking stupid."

"I think he should be punished, but for the crime that he committed," McCrum said.

But Hurd's failed drug tests and alleged dealings with Chavful appeared to factor heavily against him Wednesday. Prosecutors repeatedly brought up Chavful — rejecting claims by Hurd and his attorneys that the two men were talking about Hurd's attempts to start a T-shirt printing business.

"Normally, when you dig a hole, you quit digging," said prosecutor John Kull. "But he keeps digging."

Chavful and Lujan have both pleaded guilty to being involved in the conspiracy. Solis gave Chavful eight years in prison for his smaller role in the scheme. Lujan will be sentenced in January.

While no other NFL players are known to have been charged in connection with the case, Hurd claimed in an interview published Tuesday by Sports Illustrated that he shared marijuana with Cowboys teammates and smoked during the last three to four years of his career "all day, every day."

But while he gained extra notoriety due to his now-finished football career, prosecutors said Hurd's case was simple.

"He's not being prosecuted because he's an NFL player," Kull said. "He's being prosecuted because he's a drug dealer."



Former NFL receiver Sam Hurd sentenced to 15 years in prison

Thanks to a broken collarbone on a run-of-the-mill sack, the Green Bay Packers are without Aaron Rodgers. Their rivals in the NFC North, the Chicago Bears, are without Jay Cutler thanks to a bum leg, which also wasn't the result of some sort of illegal hit.

Game after game, NFL quarterbacks get sacked, get hurt, and miss starts. Of the 15 games on this week's schedule, nine feature at least one team that has been forced to change its quarterback because of injury.

One of the two teams with a bye, St. Louis, lost its No. 1 guy, Sam Bradford, for the season. Bradford, who tore a ligament in his left knee last month, is one of nine quarterbacks on injured reserve in 2013, the second most through 10 weeks in any of the past 15 seasons, according to STATS.

Amid those regular reminders of the dangers facing signal callers, the league's competition committee will take a look this offseason at whether to expand rules that protect the QB, NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino said Thursday.

"Should he always get protection from low hits or head hits, regardless of the posture he's presenting?" Blandino said in a telephone interview. "Part of the conversation will be: Should that protection be expanded to all times when the quarterback has the ball in the pocket?"

The committee will review position-by-position injury data and go over video from games, a regular process between seasons.

"Currently the quarterback is as protected now as he's ever been," Blandino said, "but I think that's been the case for eight or nine years."

A year ago, only one QB had gone on IR by this point in the season. Indeed, 2012 was about as healthy as it gets for quarterbacks: 20 of 32 NFL teams started the same one in every game, the highest percentage for a full, non-strike season since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

"If you don't have someone who can be productive at that position, you're not going to win many games. You need to keep your quarterback healthy, because on most teams, there's a huge drop-off from the starter to the backup. It's a watered-down position, because there's not a lot of great guys after the top 15 or so," Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon said. "When you get a good guy, you want to keep him healthy."

Moon sees quite a difference in the way the position is safeguarded nowadays, compared with when he was in the NFL from 1984-2000. "No question, I wish we were protected better. ... It's a lot safer, because some of the hits we took back in the day -- they could still drive us into the turf when they hit us. Those really were painful. Didn't always cause an injury, but made you a little more antsy about taking hits. The guys these days don't really have to put up with it," Moon said. "I don't think there's much more you can do. It's as good as it's going to get, unless you put flags on them."

He pointed to today's spread offenses, with empty backfields and fewer players hanging back to help in pass protection, as a major reason games are averaging 2.65 sacks, a half-sack more per game than in 2010, for example. That's on pace for the highest rate since the 2.67 in 1986.

It probably is not a coincidence that the seven teams with sole possession of first place in their division entering Thursday started the same guy behind center every week: New England (Tom Brady), Indianapolis (Andrew Luck), Cincinnati (Andy Dalton), Kansas City (Alex Smith), New Orleans (Drew Brees), Detroit (Matthew Stafford) and Seattle (Russell Wilson). So has Denver (Peyton Manning), which at 8-1 has the league's second-best record but is in second place in the AFC West behind unbeaten Kansas City entering their showdown Sunday night.

Already using three QBs are Buffalo, Cleveland and Green Bay, which put Rodgers' backup, Seneca Wallace, on IR, after he oh-so-briefly took over the job. The Packers now have Scott Tolzien, until recently a practice squad member, calling signals against the Giants on Sunday.

The Broncos got a scare last weekend, when Manning limped around after a low hit late in a victory against San Diego. After he skipped practice Wednesday while getting treatment on his sore right ankle, Manning was asked about the slew of QB health issues around the league.

"I don't like talking about it. I don't know what the trends are at other places, but I never like to see a quarterback get injured, I will say that," said the four-time NFL MVP, who was at practice Thursday. "Quarterbacks are a unique fraternity. We kind of pull for one another. Maybe not when you're playing against them that day. Cutler's been injured. I know Rodgers was out. As a quarterback, you don't like to see those guys get injured. I hope they'll be back out there as soon as they can."



NFL to look at expanding protection for quarterbacks - NFL-com

Embattled Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Jonathan Martin stopped briefly in front of a group of reporters Friday evening after meeting with an investigator to make his first public comments since leaving his team amid allegations of bullying late last month.

But Martin's statement was merely a polite version of "no comment."

"I do not intend to discuss this matter publicly at this time," Martin said. "This is the right way to handle this matter."

Martin spent Friday with Ted Wells, the independent attorney hired by the NFL to conduct an investigation into the workplace conditions at the Miami Dolphins, including the actions of Richie Incognito. The Dolphins suspended Incognito nearly two weeks ago after Martin's camp turned over a voicemail in which Incognito used a racial epithet and vulgar language toward Martin.

The findings of Wells' report will be made public.

Martin also released a statement through his attorney, David Cornwell, that read:

"Today's meeting is consistent with my commitment to cooperate with the NFL's investigation into my experience as a player on the Miami Dolphins.

"Although I went into great detail with Mr. Ted Wells and his team, I do not intend to discuss this matter publicly at this time. I do, however, look forward to speaking directly with Stephen Ross, Tom Garfinkel, and the Dolphins organization at the appropriate time. This is the right way to handle the matter.

"Beyond that, I look forward to working through the process and resuming my career in the National Football League."



Jonathan Martin declines to discuss meeting with NFL

Who is the NFL? Not yet. Not by a longshot. Last Sunday night, while the Saints were destroying the Cowboys in a numbingly one-sided contest, NBC drew a week-leading 21 million viewers to the broadcast. The game attracted almost 60% more viewers among the coveted 18-49 age group than the second-place finisher, the “Big Bang Theory,” a show that has nothing to do with late hits on the quarterback.

“NCIS”? the CMA Awards? “Dancing with the Stars”? They were as outclassed as the Cowboys, according to the Neilsen ratings, which are at their highest for the league in seven seasons.

So this is not about the NFL going through tough times on television or on the ledger sheets, where the $9 billion industry continues to print money as fast as it manufactures throwback jerseys. This is about more subtle things — like image-making, kids’ participation, no-shows in the stands and, yes, the unforeseeable future of a very American game in a global athletic stadium.

All in all, it must be said, those things are not going so well for commissioner Roger Goodell. When the games are done and the NFL cedes control of content, the reports flashing across the screen recently are far from family-friendly.

An accused bully named Richie Incognito, whose sheer size and social indifference are enough to scare any parent, stands defiant. A superstar, Brett Favre, speaks out about his own brain damage. There is the news of two more high school football deaths, one in Arizona the other in Missouri. A male fan punches a female fan in the face outside MetLife Stadium, replayed over and over. More than 25 players are suspended in 2013 for substance abuse violations — even before proposed HGH testing takes hold. Tony Dorsett talks openly about his dire problems with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the same brain disease that led Junior Seau to suicide, according to findings this year by the National Institutes of Health.

On it goes, this recent parade of symptoms and consequences born from our country’s most popular, most macho league and sport. And while outsized television ratings remain utterly unaffected by this ugly stuff for now, the NFL must stop to wonder: What happens if the fans stop paying to attend games and if America’s kids stop playing this very American sport? What happens if tackle football becomes boxing, and only the poorest, most desperate minorities risk their bodies and minds to participate? What happens if they all play soccer and basketball instead? Will families keep coming to the stadium if too many players are carted off the field, and too many fans get punched in the face?

“It’s death by a thousand cuts,” said David Johnson, CEO of the Georgia-based Strategic Vision, a public relations and branding agency. “Right now, it’s still a family-friendly sport that escaped a lot of the scandals we’ve seen in baseball. But with the bullying and hearing more about concussions, with all this stuff coming, it creates a narrative. People have more means to find out about it with 24/7 news cycles. Parents wonder who’s running the show. That can hurt the whole dynamic.”

There is evidence of such erosion at the very foundation of the league.

Ten NFL teams are playing to stadiums that are less than 95% filled, double the number from seven years ago. Despite the Jets’ surprisingly successful season, nearly 7% of their ticket-holders are not showing up for games. The NFL last year reduced its TV blackout threshold to 85% of prime tickets sold, an indication of the downward drift. Again, this is all relative. Other leagues would kill for these attendance numbers. But the arrow is pointing in the wrong direction, and arrows are important.

An HBO “Real Sports”/Marist Poll reported that 13% of parents now say they will not allow their kids to play tackle football, while about a third are “less likely” to permit such participation than they were before news of all the head injuries came to light. ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” found that Pop Warner participation dropped nearly 10%, by 23,612 players nationwide, from 2010 to 2012. USA Football reported a 7% drop in participation for 2011.

Whether this exodus represents an unjustified panic reaction or a reasoned response, NFL officials are well-aware of the problem and have taken their soapbox on the road. Last month, Goodell and his wife, Jane Skinner, a former Fox News anchor, took part in a league-sponsored education and spin campaign, Heads Up Football, to convince 200 mothers at the Chicago Bears’ training site that their sons should play the sport.

The pitch that day, and all days, is that football is no riskier than many other contact sports, when kids keep their heads up and don’t clash helmets.

“The fact that 85% of their parents say, ‘Yes we would let our kids play football,’ is an indication that they want the right information and they’re seeing the things that we’re doing in our programs,” Skinner told the moms about that Marist poll. “You may feel alone, but there are other people that agree with you.”

If football participation continues to slacken, the NFL may yet survive on a purely spectator level. Gourmands don’t always want to know how that steak reached their plate. Most fans feel likewise. They are enthralled with the touchdown passes, and wish to know as little as possible about the bandages in the locker rooms. But with the flood of news sources and reports, blissful ignorance is becoming harder to attain. There may come a tipping point when women bail from the stadiums and competitive participation becomes more regional.

“There’s no evidence of that, but we don’t take anything for granted,” said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. “There are still millions playing tag and flag football. We have great numbers in California and Texas. We closely monitor the numbers.”

Aiello talks about progress made by the league in terms of tighter helmet-to-helmet rules and a change in attitudes about cheap shots. After set

If you're a fan of flex scheduling, the NFL has some good news for you: the league plans to add more flex games in 2014, according to ESPN-com.

Starting next season, the league will be able to 'cross-flex' games, which means a game on CBS could end up on Fox or vice versa. If an attractive game is stuck in the early time slot, the NFL could simply move it. For instance, a game could be moved from the 1 p.m. regional slot on Fox to the 4:25 p.m. ET national slot on CBS so that more of the country would be able to see it.

Conference-affiliation wouldn't be taken into account, so an AFC team could be flexed to Fox or an NFC could be flexed to CBS, according to the report.

If a network loses a game, it would get another game to replace it, but it's not clear how that will work yet because the details of the plan have yet to be finalized.

Under current flexing rules, the NFL can move games beginning in Week 11. The league took advantage of that this week, moving the Kansas City-Denver game to primetime.

The Chiefs and Broncos were originally supposed to kick off at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, but the NFL moved the game to 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC to maximize the television audience.

The Chiefs and Broncos have also been flexed in Week 13. That game has been moved from a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on CBS to a 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS. Next season, the Chiefs-Broncos Week 13 game would be a game that could theoretically be cross-flexed to Fox if CBS had already had a high profile game scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET.



Report: NFL to add more flex games in 2014 - CBSSports-com

Former NFL linebacker Thomas Howard, cut last week by the Atlanta Falcons, was killed early Monday in a high-speed traffic collision near his home in Alameda, Calif.

The Alameda County Coroner's Bureau and spokesperson Dan Hill of the California Highway Patrol, confirmed to USA TODAY Sports that Howard was one of the victims after notification was made to the family.

Howard, 30, who was drafted out of Texas-El Paso by the Oakland Raiders in 2006, played five years for the Raiders.

Hill said the incident began with a BMW traveling 100-110 miles per hour, according to witnesses.

The witnesses said the driver of the BMW lost control and collided with the rear of a semi-truck, Hill said. The force of the impact caused the BMW to catapult into the opposing lanes, where it struck a Chevrolet Monte Carlo and then crashed onto a Honda CRV, Hill said.

Both Howard and the driver of the Honda, Zeng Long Liu, 64, of Hayward, Calif., were killed at the scene, Hill said.

Howard, a 6-3, 230-pound linebacker from Lubbock, Texas, was taken in the second round of the 2006 draft by the Raiders. He played with them through 2010, then was with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011 and 2012.

He signed last month with the Atlanta Falcons and was active for two games, but was released last Tuesday.

"It is shocking and very sad," Texas-El Paso athletics director Bob Stull said about Howard on the school's sports department web site.

"His story was inspiring. He came here as a walk-on defensive back and through hard work and dedication developed into one of the greatest linebackers in school history. He was enjoying a tremendous NFL career.

"More than anything, though, Thomas was a fine young man, personable and engaging. He always had a smile on his face. He returned to El Paso frequently and was always eager to give back to UTEP. He was a superb alum and friend of the university. It's just hard to believe that he's gone. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Friends were remembering Howard on Twitter:

* Retired NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman @shawnemerriman38m -- "RIP Thomas Howard and those involved in the tragedy #NFL #GodBless"

*Former NFL defensive back Stanford Routt @SRoutt2620m -- "@ThomasHoward Was a pleasure playing with you. You were a great teammate,even better person and father! U will be missed, much love bro #RIP"

*Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski @bgradkowski5 "very sad day a good buddy&teammate thomas howard passed away today! Please keep his family in ur prayers what a great guy words can explain!"



Former NFL linebacker Thomas Howard dies in car crash

The NFL rule book is written in black and white. The same colors adorn the officials’ uniforms. But there is and always will be a healthy dose of gray attached to the rules. It was into that gray that the Patriots’ chances of pulling out a last-second victory over the Carolina Panthers on Monday night disappeared — along with a yellow flag signifying pass interference.

There is nothing special about the Patriots. The league isn’t out to get them. There is no need for a persecution complex or conspiracy theories connecting the Carolina chaos to the obscure pushing penalty on a field goal attempt that sent the Patriots to defeat against the Jets Oct. 20.

No rule book is human-proof. The rules, and thus, the games always will be subject to human interpretation, application, and error. There is no rule book that is going to rule out human error or misjudgment in rules interpretation and enforcement.

The gray, like the Patriots’ loss, is in permanent ink.
Related

Controversial end to Patriots’ loss still a hot topic

As long as there are officials, umpires, and referees, there will be blown calls, bad calls, and judgment calls. What happened — or didn’t happen — in New England’s 24-20 loss Monday night — falls into all three call categories.

The officials blew it. They relied on the sophistry provided by the dense language in the NFL rule book to convince themselves out of a common-sense penalty against Carolina linebacker Luke Kuechly that would have given the Patriots’ one more shot at victory.

The play has been run ad nauseam by now, debated and dissected around workplaces, dining tables, barber shops, and the Twitterverse.

The Patriots trailed the Panthers, 24-20, with the ball at the Carolina 18 and three seconds left. Tom Brady lofted a last-ditch throw into the end zone, where former Boston College star Kuechly was wrapped around Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski like a giddy groupie with too many Gronktinis in his/her system.

The ball was intercepted by Panthers safety Robert Lester, but back judge Terrence Miles threw a flag for pass interference, which would have given the Patriots one more play from the Carolina 1.

Instead, the officials, led by referee Clete Blakeman, convened, and Miles’s flag was willed invisible the way Major League Baseball umpires said Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks should have willed himself invisible to avoid the obstruction call that ended Game 3 of the World Series.

In that case, the rule book was missing common sense. In this case, the men applying it misplaced theirs.

That’s why NFL vice president of officiating Dean Blandino could offer only lukewarm support for the call Tuesday, never saying Blakeman and his crew got it right.

“It’s a judgment call,” Blandino told the NFL Network. “There was contact, but there is contact on a lot of passing plays downfield. The issue isn’t the contact. The issue is the restriction. Does it occur prior to the ball being touched? And at full speed, the officials made a tight judgment call, and they determined that the restriction occurred just as the ball was being touched. And again, at full speed, you could see why they made that call.”

And why it was wrong, Dean.

You certainly can write rules simpler than they’re written in the “Official Playing Rules of the NFL.” But you still need human beings to apply them and interpret them. What sealed the Patriots’ third loss of the season was a matter of gray matter and gray area that always will exist.

C’est la vie.

Before we start comparing Blakeman with Ben Dreith, the referee who oversaw the greatest travesty in the history of Patriots football — Ray Hamilton’s phantom roughing-the-passer penalty in the 1976 AFC divisional playoffs — it must be acknowledged that the Patriots didn’t lose to Carolina because of the disappearing penalty flag.

The decision didn’t cost them the game. It cost them a chance to atone for allowing Cam Newton to run through and around them as if they were a helmeted obstacle course, for allowing the Panthers to convert on 8 of 11 third downs, and for a head-scratching play call on third and 1 from the Carolina 8 that subsequently required them to settle for a field goal earlier in the fourth quarter.

With that, what Kuechly did had to be called something. It violated both the rules and the spirit of the rules.

The hesitation of the officials to award the Patriots the ball at the 1-yard line in that situation is understandable.

That’s why the common sense solution would have been to downgrade the penalty to illegal contact, which would have moved the ball up 5 yards to the 13 and given the Patriots one more play.

The illegal contact rule reads in part: “If the receiver attempts to evade the defender, the defender cannot initiate contact that redirects, restricts, or impedes the receiver in any way.”

That holds as long as the player who received the snap remains in the pocket. Brady moved to his left, but he never got outside of where left tackle Nate Solder lined up.

But Patriots fans need to remember they’ve been on the other side of questionable NFL rulings. The Tuck Rule Game lit a candle for the Patriots that is still burning.

The NFL rewrote the rules this year to eliminate the Tuck Rule, a mind-numbingly nonsensical rule. Perhaps the death of the Tuck Rule and the Patriots’ season of frustrating officiating decisions are mere coincidence, perhaps not.

Also, there is no 16-0 season in 2007 without a fourth-down defensive holding call against the Ravens on a blustery December night in Baltimore.

The rules never will be perfect, and neither will the men and women asked to act as arbiters of them.

Rule books always will be 50 shades of gray that have someone seeing red.

That’s one rule that’s never going to change.



[url=www-bostonglobe-com/sports/2013/11/20/plenty-gray-area-black-and-white-nfl-rule-book/9w2MeEahOoyIrzQiH2MlpM/story-html

Chicago Bears finally put away the Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in overtime Sunday.

On NFL Network
NFL Replay
will re-air the Chicago Bears' 23-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens from Week 11 on Tuesday, Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. ET.

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The Bears withstood a weather delay that lasted nearly two hours, with a 10-0 deficit after a little more than 10 minutes of play. They withstood driving rain, wind, awful field conditions and a typically leaky run defense. They withstood three plays from the Ravens inside the 5-yard line with regulation winding down.

This Bears team is far from perfect, but they are resourceful. They also are tied for first place in the NFC North with a 6-4 record. Here's what we learned from this one:

1. The Ravens will be sick about this loss. Running back Ray Rice rushed for 131 yards, but the Bears stopped him twice near the goal line late in regulation. A promising overtime drive stopped on a fourth-down throw to wide receiver Tandon Doss. The Ravens mostly controlled the line of scrimmage, but they couldn't finish.

2. The wind was a huge factor. To coach Marc Trestman's credit, he tailored his game plan to the conditions. There were just three passes overall in the third quarter. Trestman was biding his time running the ball until the Bears had the wind at their backs for the fourth quarter.

Josh McCown
3. This was Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco's season in a nutshell. He played well for the most part, but his two interceptions led to 10 points. One quick throw was returned for a touchdown by Bears defensive lineman David Bass, largely because Rice did a terrible job blocking Bass.

4. The Bears won in large part because they are the best team in the league at catching contested passes. Martellus Bennett's 43-yard grab in overtime was almost an unstoppable play.

5. The Ravens are 4-6, but they are only one game out of the AFC wild-card race. They have to win against the Jets next week or the defending champs could be done.

In November 1963, as a shocked nation mourned its assassinated president, the NFL proceeded with its full Sunday schedule. One result of this controversial decision was a brutal off-the-field fight that came close to taking a player’s life.


There was a fight, though not a fight in the strictest sense. It was a beating. One member of the Eagles knocked out another and then leaned over him and pummeled his face and skull so fiercely that his own hands were reduced to bloody mitts. The man beneath him, the bigger man, drifted in and out of consciousness, and the Philadelphia teammates who saw him that evening would never forget the damage. His head, one man would say, was swollen “like a pumpkin on a little baby’s body.” His nose and mouth were battered to a pulp; at least two of his teeth were knocked out; and his blood was spilled in such volume that the floor of a stately old Philadelphia landmark looked like the floor of a slaughterhouse.

It was 50 years ago this weekend, on the eve of a game between the Eagles and the Redskins, two teams with four wins between them, buried at the bottom of the Eastern Conference of the old 14-team NFL. The Redskins had taken a train north from Washington on Saturday afternoon, while the Eagles had checked into the Sheraton Motor Inn at 39th and Chestnut, where they always bedded down the night before home games, at Franklin Field. The skeletal details of the weekend were like those of so many teams’ weekends before and after: meals, meetings and fitful sleep in preparation for the violent spectacle on Sunday afternoon.

But everything else about that weekend was . . . different. The course of U.S. history had been altered; a collective innocence had been shattered; and a nation was left staring at its televisions in disbelief.

what happened between Ben Scotti and John Mellekas was due in some part to the emotion of the moment,” says Pete Retzlaff, a tight end and wide receiver for the Eagles from 1956 to ’66. “To the emotions of that whole weekend.”

Scotti, who likens himself to Rocky Marciano, hit Mellekas so hard that he sliced a tendon in his right ring finger on one of Mellekas’s teeth. Mellekas doesn’t remember being hit by any punch—only waking up in a hospital room with his wife at his side and Scotti in the room next door. Their fight would follow the two men into old age, boilerplate inserted into every story that tried to encapsulate the nationwide pain and confusion of that singular weekend. Scotti would say he regretted the incident, but he would retell it with a pugnacious zeal. Mellekas so disliked the notorious role he was assigned in history that he wouldn’t talk about it with anybody, even his five children. He and Scotti would go on to do much with their lives, in very different ways. But they would never escape that night.

And none of it would have happened if President John F. Kennedy hadn’t been shot to death while riding in the back of a limousine that Friday afternoon in Dallas, and if NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle hadn’t decided to forge ahead with a full schedule of regular-season games two days later—plunging the NFL into the strangest, darkest weekend in its history. Early on the afternoon of the fourth Friday of November 1963, Philadelphia and Washington were practicing for their game that Sunday, each team’s 11th game of a lost season. Three years earlier the Eagles of quarterback Norm Van Brocklin and linebacker Chuck (Concrete Charlie) Bednarik had won the NFL championship, and they had followed that up with a contending 10-4 season. But the heart of that team was gone, and these Eagles had won just five of their past 23 games. The Redskins hadn’t won a league title since 1942 and hadn’t had a winning season since ’55. They would go to Philadelphia with only three wins in their previous 18 games.

The Redskins held their practice on a field by the Anacostia River, a few hundred yards from two-year-old D.C. Stadium, where they played home games. The team had just begun position drills at various spots on the field when coach Bill McPeak blew his whistle and called the players together. Everybody up, everybody up! Pat Richter, a 22-year-old rookie wide receiver and punter—and the team’s first-round draft choice, from Wisconsin—walked toward the gathering with a sense of foreboding that sticks with him five decades later. “It was eerie,” he says. “You looked around at the roadways and it was quiet, and you sensed that something had happened, but you didn’t know what it was.”

The players who encircled McPeak that afternoon are old now, from their early 70s into their mid-80s. Some of their memories have been lost to age or repeated concussions or both. Yet during interviews with 21 players from both teams, the sharpest recollections were of those first moments on Friday afternoon, in the minutes and hours after Kennedy was shot in Dallas while riding in a motorcade at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. McPeak, who was 37 and six years removed from his last game as a defensive end for the Steelers, said something to the effect of “the President’s been shot and killed.” The players recall the silence that descended as they processed the unfathomable. “I remember thinking, How could this happen?” says Lonnie Sanders, then a rookie defensive back. “How could that happen in this country?” Yet everyone remembers that the practice continued.

Back in the stadium defensive tackle Ed Khayat and cornerback Johnny Sample sat in whirlpools, nursing injuries. A groundskeeper ambled in, a cheerful guy who was always busting chops. He said, “The President’s just been shot.” At first Khayat and Sample didn’t believe him.

Eagles players recall practicing slightly earlier in the day on a rutted, unlined plot of land called River Field, near a set of railroad tracks adjacent to the Penn campus. They took a bus there every day from Franklin Field. “I remember getting back into the locker room at the stadium,” says for

While the name Tia Texada is unlikely to ring a bell among pro football fans, you’d recognize her voice if you are a regular watcher of The NFL Today. She is the lone woman to appear regularly on the CBS pregame show, and you first encounter her voice around the 10-minute mark. Last Sunday, for example, after The NFL Today host James Brown asked viewers to stay with the group through commercial, here is what viewers heard from Texada:

“Still ahead, in Mile High, Peyton Manning and the Broncos welcome in the undefeated Chiefs. Will KC be up to the test? Or will there be a changing of the guard atop the AFC West? (Pause). And who survives the battle of Ohio? The Browns are looking to close the gap in the AFC North but can the Bengals snap their slide and regain control? Plus, the NFC East picture is far from clear. Whose going to step up and take charge? We’ll tell you … when The NFL Today continues.”

Texada is one of the many voice-over artists used by the football-airing networks, an important though never-seen part of the Sunday television production. During the 44 minutes that the NFL Today runs without commercials, Texada informs viewers prior to three breaks which segments are coming up next on the pregame show. CBS producers refer to those spots as “bumps to the break” or the “outbreak.”

“I never want to lose viewers,” said Drew Kaliski, the producer of The NFL Today. “When we go to commercial break, everyone channel surfs, but you never want to throw away any part of your show, and your bumps are part of what is selling your show.”

Last July, Kaliski went to a number of talent agencies that employ voice-over actors and came away with tapes from 20 candidates to be the new voice of The NFL Today. He narrowed his list to four finalists and sent scripts to each voice-over actor from 2012 editions of the show. He ultimately came away favoring the voice of Texada, whose acting credits include being part of the cast of Third Watch from 2002 to 2005. “When women around the country are watching The NFL Today, I really do think that when they hear a woman’s voice, they turn to their husbands or boyfriends or kids and say, ‘That’s a really interesting voice,’ ” said Kaliski. “It’s creating a conversation in living rooms amongst families, people and fans of the game. … Tia can do different levels with her voice, go serious or fun, and she has range. I just thought she was a unique voice. Also, when you have all male voices on a show, a dynamic female voice would not be a bad thing.”

Texada’s work is all done remotely. Kaliski’s production group sends a script to her home in Los Angeles every Saturday evening before The NFL Today airs, and the actress then goes about researching names on the script and familiarizes herself with the pace and inflection of the read. Texada has a soundproof home studio with an office, and at about 8:30 p.m. ET she connects with The NFL Today producers and an engineer through an ISDN line (basically a high-quality audio phone line). She’ll tape her read with the music the show uses during the promos, though she does not see the NFL footage that viewers will see airing over her words on Sunday. The whole process takes usually between 45 minutes and an hour. (CBS uses another voice-over actor to do sponsored elements and in-game billboards.)

“It’s a woman working in the NFL, which I think is pretty cool,” Texada said. “I think people get excited when they hear my voice. I love it. It is such a fun job, and I could not be more honored and happy to work with great people at CBS. I fully appreciate their hard work and level of excitement for what they do.”

While Texada is in her first year at The NFL Today, voice-over artist Mike McColl has performed a more expanded role for Fox’s NFL coverage since 2001. His voice is the one you hear on promos for the network’s NFL coverage no matter what market you live in. (You can hear McColl here.) He’s also the voice that introduces FOX NFL Sunday as well as the in-game voice you hear when you see a billboard promoting the game (“Today’s game on FOX is brought to you by…”).

McColl said FOX Sports producers email him scripts multiple times during the week for in-game billboard spots, sponsored elements and promos for regional games and national doubleheaders. Like Texada, he records from a home studio, with a FOX Sports producer and engineer on the line. McColl said he approaches his scripts as if he is one of two characters—the hardcore, tough football guy or a fun-loving fan talking to another fan.

“When David Hill [the former Fox Sports chairman] first hired me, he told me he wanted me to be part of this brand experience and that includes being a football guy with the mentality of toughness. I try to deliver a gritty read for them. [The role] is something I hope to do it as long as my voice stays solid and I can deliver year-over-year consistency. I also want be able to adjust if there is a new producer who wants to try something different such as higher energy. It’s been an amazing gig, and I consider myself a very lucky guy to be part of that family and to be part of something that is so special to the people of our country. I take great pride in it.”

Kaliski, who previously worked at the NFL Network and is in is first year as the producer of The NFL Today, said when hard news breaks, Texada is often bumped. For instance, two weeks ago, when The NFL Today was in a thoughtful discussion on the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin story, he killed Texada’s out bump and had Brown bring the show to break. Kaliski said the advantage of using a voice-over artist is that the segments will be professionally delivered, the audio will usually match the video, and the lead host (in this case, Brown) does not have to worry about the responsibility of bringing the show to break. This gives the host more time to focus on the stories of the week.

“The bumps can be done by someone with a great voice like Tia,” s

The NFL suspended umpire Roy Ellison without pay for one game for allegedly making a profane and derogatory statement to offensive lineman Trent Williams during the Washington Redskins' game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles, the league announced Friday.

The NFL issued a statement on its code of conduct for officials.

"NFL game officials are expected to avoid personal confrontations with players and be respectful of players and coaches at all times. The NFL-NFLRA collective bargaining agreement states that 'at no time will a game official engage in any conduct which adversely affects or reflects on the NFL or which results in the impairment of public confidence in the honest and orderly conduct of league games or the integrity or good character of its game officials.'"

Michael Arnold, the National Football League Referees Association's legal counsel, said in a statement that the NFLRA would fight the decision.

"Roy Ellison is an accomplished 11-year veteran who is highly respected," Arnold said in a statement. "The NFL imposed its judgment upon him without consideration of all the facts. The decision was arbitrary and unjustified and will be challenged with an immediate grievance."

Williams said Ellison cussed him out during a Redskins drive late in the first half, an accusation teammates backed. Williams said Ellison walked by him after a play and called him a "garbage-ass, disrespectful m-----f-----."

Williams said he wasn't sure why Ellison made the comment. When asked if he had been complaining about calls, Williams said, "I never disrespected him like he disrespected me."

According to sources, Williams was accused of using the N-word toward Ellison in last week's game. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, an influential group that promotes diversity and job equality in the NFL, came to the defense of Ellison after he'd been questioned and criticized for allegedly using racially tinged profanity toward Williams.

But the Alliance said Williams told Ellison "f--- you" and called him the N-word after Ellison warned him about using such profanities during the course of the game. "The NFL's decision to suspend Mr. Ellison creates a double standard for what is acceptable on field conduct," NFLRA executive director Jim Quirk said in a statement. "The league insists that officials are held to a 'high standard' but others involved in the game are held to no standard."

Williams denied making any offensive comments to Ellison.

"I didn't say any derogatory statements to him," Williams said. "That still doesn't account for anything he said. No ref could ever say I used any language toward them. You've got to watch what you say to them. ... If I said it, why wait until I'm at the line to come back and say [what he did]?"

Williams also denied accusations of directing the N-word at Ellison, saying, "I laugh at that statement."

Ellison will be eligible to return in Week 13.


NFL suspends umpire Roy Ellison 1 game for incident with Trent Williams of Washington Redskins - ESPN

Mass. -- The final error in a game filled with mistakes helped the New England Patriots to a stunning comeback.

Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal in overtime after a misplayed punt return by Denver, lifting the Patriots to a 34-31 victory against the Broncos on Sunday night. "We had some plays in the first half that didn't go our way so it was nice to get a good bounce and we needed it," said Tom Brady, who helped the Patriots put together a terrific comeback in the second half.

Denver's Tony Carter ran into Ryan Allen's punt after it landed and Nate Ebner recovered for New England at the Broncos 13-yard line. After Brady ran twice to line up the kick, Gostkowski connected for his 21st successful field goal attempt.

The Patriots lost fumbles on their first three possessions, but Brady threw for three touchdowns to lead the Patriots (8-3) from a 24-0 halftime deficit to a 31-24 lead as New England scored on its first five possessions of the second half. Then Peyton Manning threw an 11-yard scoring pass to Demaryius Thomas for the Broncos (9-2), tying it at 31.

"You can't move the ball when you're losing it," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "You've got to hang onto it."

But Carter's gaffe was the third lost fumble for the Broncos in the second half.

"It was really a tale of two halves," Denver interim coach Jack Del Rio said. "We just had a fluke play at the end."

The early turnovers helped Denver to a big halftime advantage, but the Patriots took the lead when Brady hit Julian Edelman for a TD early in the fourth. Gostkowski's 31-yard field goal made it 31-24 midway through the fourth.

"We calmed down. We played each play one play at time," Edelman said of the difference in the second part of the game. "We didn't turn the ball over in the second half."

But Manning, who had thrown for only 73 yards in the first 3 1/2 quarters, led the Broncos on an 80-yard drive. Twice the Broncos were rescued by penalties: First when a defensive holding penalty negated an interception, and again when a pass interference on third-and-7 from the Patriots 17 gave Denver a first down.

On the next play, Manning lobbed one to Thomas in the left corner of the end zone to tie it.

Brady led the Patriots to three straight touchdowns in the third quarter to cut Denver's lead to 24-21 heading into the fourth. He was 21 for 26 for 228 yards and three TDs in the second half of the much-heralded matchup with Manning.

Brady led New England 80 yards for a touchdown to open the second half, thanks to a 33-yard completion to Rob Gronkowski and a 5-yard scoring pass to Edelman. Montee Ball coughed it up on Denver's next possession, and six plays later Brandon Bolden ran it in from the 1 to make it a 10-point game.

A 6-yard touchdown pass to Gronkowski with 19 seconds left in the third quarter cut the Broncos' lead to 24-21.

Von Miller returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown and then strip-sacked Brady to force another turnover in the first quarter, setting up Knowshon Moreno's 2-yard TD run. Moreno finished with a career-high 224 yards on 37 carries.

When New England got the ball back, it held onto it for just two plays before LeGarrette Blount had the ball knocked loose by safety Duke Ihenacho. Linebacker Danny Trevathan fell on it and was ruled down by contact, negating a return that would have had the Broncos at the Patriots 11.

Instead, Denver settled for Matt Prater's 27-yard field goal that made it 17-0. The Broncos added another touchdown when Manning hit Jacob Tamme from 10 yards out for the only score of the second quarter.

On a night with a kickoff temperature of 20 degrees and a wind chill of 6, Manning completed 11 of 17 passes for 73 yards in the first three quarters while Moreno ran 25 times for 139 yards.

New England had lost five fumbles all season coming into the game and was sixth in the NFL in net turnovers. But Stevan Ridley, who coughed it up on the opening drive, has fumbled in three consecutive games, losing two.

Denver had a turnover of its own after forcing New England to punt right before the half. Trindon Holliday let the ball bounce off his leg, giving the Patriots the ball at the Broncos 42 with 5 seconds left.

Brady's Hail Mary was far short of the end zone and incomplete.

The temperature made it difficult on the players on each side and also could have been the reason that first the play clocks and then the game clocks went out, forcing the referees to keep the official time on the field. The clocks came back early in the second quarter.

Brady and Manning have six regular-season MVP awards between them and three more in the Super Bowl, where they've combined to win four NFL championships. It's the 14th time they've met, with Brady holding a 9-4 edge.

This time, though, Manning had former Patriots receiver Wes Welker on his side. Brady's longtime favorite target went to Denver as a free agent and he entered the game as the Broncos' leading receiver with 61 catches.

Welker was a non-factor with four catches for 31 yards.

Both teams had players knocked out of the game: Patriots offensive lineman Marcus Cannon had an ankle injury and Denver receiver Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie injured his shoulder.


NFL Recap - Denver Broncos at New England Patriots - Nov 24, 2013 - CBSSports-com Game Recap

The San Francisco 49ers knew they couldn't afford to lose. The Washington Redskins knew they had little to gain. It was a bad combination for competitive football.

The Niners beat up on the Redskins on both sides of the ball, cruising to an easy 27-6 win at a frozen FedEx Field on Monday night. The win moves the 49ers to 7-4 and bumps them into a tie with the Arizona Cardinals for the sixth and final playoff spot in the NFC. It was a game that couldn't have played out any better for the Niners. Colin Kaepernick and the offense got back on track after a shaky performance in the Superdome last week. The defense provided high-grade nightmare fuel for Robert Griffin III, who never looked more helpless in an NFL uniform. The Niners didn't suffer any major injuries, another major plus.

The Niners defense kept Griffin locked in the pocket, daring the quarterback to beat them with his arm. He never came close, not even in garbage time -- previously a bastion of 2013 statistical production for the quarterback. According to NFL Media research, Monday marked the first time in Griffin's career -- college or pro -- in which his team's offense didn't score a touchdown.

The Niners almost seemed to toy with the Redskins before taking out the claws in the second half. These are two franchises stepping into opposite elevators.

Here's what else we learned in Monday's game:

1. This was an encouraging performance by Kaepernick, who threw three touchdown passes and connected on five throws of 20 yards or more after not managing that feat once last week in New Orleans. Kaepernick made smart decisions and picked apart a weak Washington secondary. A good sign going forward.

2. Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan drew up about as bland a game plan as could be imagined. The nadir came on a fourth-and-2 early in the third quarter, when Shanahan called for a backup running back to head behind right guard and directly into the sights of NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis. You can guess how that turned out.

3. Aldon Smith looked an awful lot like Aldon Smith. Playing in his third game since returning from rehab, Smith finished with two sacks and one crushing hit on RGIII that led to an interception. Smith put the clown suit on left tackle Trent Williams on his first sack, getting off the ball so quickly that ESPN's Jon Gruden initially believed the linebacker had been totally unblocked. He kind of was.

4. Hate to say it, but it's only a matter of time before Griffin doesn't get back up. He took another beating here and still seems unable (or unwilling) to play a safer brand of football. Shanahan should lock his quarterback in a room with food, water, a treadmill and a hard drive of Russell Wilson game tape.

5. The missed opportunity to the right is Robert Griffin III's lost second season in a nutshell. Griffin steps up in the pocket, edges up to the line of scrimmage and hurls a deep ball ... seven yards beyond the reach of an open receiver. Last season, Griffin either a) takes off for a 30-yard gain or b) drops it in the bucket for six points. It's been that kind of year.

6. Anquan Boldin delivered his best performance since his 13-catch Week 1, finishing with five receptions for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Harbaugh said after the game he expects Michael Crabtree back next week. That's even better news for Boldin, who is ideally suited for the No. 2 WR role.

7. Speaking of Niners offensive weapons: Vernon Davis is fast. Crazy fast. Davis blew past Redskins defenders all night, beating linebackers, cornerbacks, safeties, you name it. This man has the potential to take games over in December and beyond.

8. The Niners and Cardinals each are 7-4. Just a reminder these two teams will meet in Week 17. That right there is a tasty "flex" option, Al and Cris!




What we learned Monday: Niners keep pace in NFC - NFL-com

The Tennessee Titans won't have Michael Griffin on the field Sunday. The starting safety's one-game suspension for an illegal hit was upheld Tuesday by appeals officer Matt Birk, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported, citing a league source.

Griffin was docked one game for a hit on Oakland Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera during Sunday's win. The hit knocked Rivera's helmet off, and he missed the rest of the matchup with a concussion. This was Griffin's second violation this season, and his fourth since 2011. All four violations were for striking defenseless players in the head and neck area.

Griffin will be eligible to return for the Titans following Sunday's game against the AFC South rival Colts. Sunday will mark the second missed game of his seven-year NFL career, all with the Titans. Veteran George Wilson is listed as Griffin's backup on the Titans' official depth chart.



Michael Griffin's one-game suspension for Titans upheld - NFL-com

Packers offense vs. Lions defense

The Hollywood narrative would suggest Matt Flynn is primed for an Earth-moving performance. The former-Packer-turned-journeyman-turned-Packer is on the Thanksgiving stage and facing a Lions team that he torched for 480 yards and six touchdowns in a meaningless Week 17 contest two years ago. That performance helped bring Flynn a not-so-meaningless eight-figure contract in free agency, but it has also turned out to be the former seventh-round pick’s last taste of NFL success.

Since that game, Flynn has endured a tacit but public rejection from his former offensive coordinator (and current Dolphins head coach) Joe Philbin; lost quarterback competitions in Seattle and Oakland (after opening both as the heavy favorite); been released after short stays in Oakland and Buffalo; and, most recently, been written off as damaged goods by a litany of NFL clubs.

Now Flynn is starting again—presumably with, as the narrative goes, “a chip on his shoulder.” Too bad Aaron Rodgers can’t start with a chip on his shoulder. In real life, quarterbacks can’t ride motivation to victory. Motivation doesn’t amplify arm strength. Or size. Or mobility. Or sense of passing lane anticipation. All are significant attributes Flynn lacks.

A quarterback’s physical limitations are most exposed when he’s under pressure. We saw several examples of this late in overtime last Sunday, when Minnesota’s front four took it to Green Bay’s offensive line. On multiple dropbacks, Flynn couldn’t come close to getting the ball downfield.

Like Minnesota, Detroit’s defense is built around a dynamic front four. When the Packers and Lions met in Week 5, the Packers frequently kept in extra blockers to help unpolished offensive tackles David Bakhtiari and Don Barclay. Though both young linemen have since flickered signs of improvement, they remain ill-equipped to combat the explosive Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh, or the just-plain-fast Willie Young and Ziggy Ansah. (Ditto for Marshall Newhouse, who will make a third straight start at right tackle Thursday if Barclay remains sidelined with a bum knee.)

The Lions essentially refrained from all blitzing in the Week 5 meeting, which is not atypical of a Jim Schwartz team. They did, however, diversify their coverages, straying from their usual two-deep zones to incorporate more man-to-man. We probably won’t see that this time around. For one, teams playing on a shorter week are more likely to stick with what’s familiar. For Detroit, that means Cover 2 and Cover 3 zones. For two, with Flynn unlikely to conjure big plays on his own, and with Randall Cobb and Jermichael Finley out of action, Schwartz should have confidence that his defense can simply line up and out-execute Green Bay.

Lions offense vs. Packers defense

The Packers last faced Calvin Johnson in 2012. They defended him with Tramon Williams’ man coverage and, usually, a safety over the top. Johnson finished with 143 yards on five catches in the first meeting. In the second, he faced more one-on-one scenarios and caught 10 balls, but for only 118 yards.

This season, Sam Shields has emerged as Green Bay’s best cover man, though lately he’s been dealing with a bad hamstring. If Shields, who did a spectacular job against A.J. Green in Week 3, can’t handle Johnson, Williams will once again get the nod.

Regardless of who stalks Johnson, Detroit’s offense won’t click until Matthew Stafford recalibrates. He threw four interceptions against Tampa Bay—two on inaccurate throws underneath and two on forced balls to a double-teamed Megatron. The prior week, Stafford missed several open targets in a loss at Pittsburgh.

Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan must recommit to the quick-strike passing that worked early in the season. That will force Stafford to play with more discipline. Plus, for this matchup, it’s a good way to nullify the corner blitzes that Green Bay loves to bring.




NFL Thanksgiving: Packers-Lions, Raiders-Cowboys, Steelers-Ravens | The MMQB with Peter King