The Odd Man Out is Out

Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels also will be a focus of attention, as they are expected to split time in the second half. Jackson and Rosenfels have gone from competing for the starting job to vying for the No. 2 spot behind Favre -- or perhaps a spot on another NFL roster. Unless the Vikings go with the unusual step of keeping four quarterbacks, either Jackson, Rosenfels or John David Booty is going to be the odd man out. Favre is scheduled to play the entire first half tonight; Jackson is expected to play the third quarter and Rosenfels the fourth.The Vikings almost certainly would consider taking a late-round draft pick in exchange for Jackson. Rosenfels signed a three-year, $9 million deal upon his arrival with the Vikings last February, making him the most logical guy to stick behind Favre. Rosenfels' contract is very reasonable for a backup quarterback, and keeping Rosenfels on the roster means the Vikings would have a set backup plan for next season if Favre did not return for a 20th season.

Former App State WR Cut

Bucs confirmed they have released receiver Dexter Jackson, their second-round pick in 2008. By releasing Jackson, the Bucs reached the league-mandated 75-man roster limit before Tuesday's deadline. The Bucs reached for Jackson because Jon Gruden wanted a speedy kick return speciliast. Unfortunately, it's not a role that Jackson had even excelled at during his career at Appalachian State. Jackson played in just seven regular season games and averaged 23.4 yards per kickoff and only 4.9 yards per punt return. Jackson was replaced in that role by Clifton Smith, an undrafted free agent from Fresno State who parlayed the opportunity into a trip to the Pro Bowl after returning a punt and a kickoff for touchdowns. He averaged 27.6 yards per kickoff and 14.1 yards per punt return. Jackson had not played since suffering an ankle injury in the preseason opener at Tennessee.

Failed..Again

Every year, it seems, Jarrett talks about how he finally gets it, and this is the year he feels comfortable enough to contribute to the offense. Well, the way things are tracking now, he's not going to get a chance, because he's probably not going to be active for any games. Kenny Moore has effectively supplanted him as the third receiver, and looks like a guy who can make the few plays leftover after Delhomme throws to Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. Jarrett did make a nice play late to gain a first down, but hasn't made nearly enough of them. The fact he's a nonfactor on special teams makes him a game-day liability when they have to pick the active 45. That means we might be in for another year of Jarrett doing not much, then promising more in the future.

Stepping Up

The New York Giants finally may have found someone to replace Plaxico Burress as their deep threat - Hakeem Nicks. In a game where the Giants projected starting receivers dropped some big passes, the first-round draft pick from North Carolina caught six passes for 144 yards and touchdowns of 22 and 71 yards in the Giants' 27-25 loss to the Jets on Saturday night. Coughlin said he would have no problem playing a rookie. "The thing about it is, what you have to understand, it's what is earned," Coughlin said. "It is exactly what is earned and obviously last night he played well. He certainly has earned a right to be a factor." While Nicks excelled, the guys Eli Manning expects to count on this season came up small. Steve Smith, last year's leading receiver, dropped what could have been a 90-yard scoring pass that could have put the Giants ahead 14-0 in the first quarter. Seconds later, Domenik Hixon - the other expected starter - let a Manning pass go through his hands. It was intercepted by David Harris, setting up the Jets' first touchdown.

Injury a Concern

Though the Chiefs haven't commented on the injury suffered Saturday night by quarterback Matt Cassel, the initial prognosis is that he has both a sprained MCL and a sprained ankle. Cassel was sacked from behind by Seattle defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who clutched the lower portion of Cassel's leg and dragged him down. Cassel immediately grabbed for his knee, prompting initial fears that his ACL had popped. X-rays were negative, which meant nothing with respect to the condition of the ligaments in Cassel's knee. If it's a sprained MCL, Cassel's absence will depend on the severity of the damage to the rope-like ligament, which typically heals without surgery. A Grade I sprain would knock him out for a few days; a Grade II injury would sideline him for several weeks. As to the ankle, there's no specific information as to whether it's high or low or severe or moderate. Wow how ironic!

Still #2 QB

Vince Young will remain the Titans’ No. 2 quarterback behind starter Kerry Collins and ahead of Patrick Ramsey, according to Coach Jeff Fisher on Sunday. “He’s always been our No. 2 quarterback, and he’ll remain that,” Fisher said. “He’s done a nice job most of the time on the fields, and most of the time on Sundays or in the games and on the practice field. The stuff that we asked him to do in the ballgame, I thought he did a good job with.” Ramsey, who did not play Saturday night because of sore ribs, Fisher said he is an NFL-caliber quarterback, one the Titans would like to keep on their 53-man roster. “Pat’s done some real good things in ballgames and on the practice field as well,” Fisher said. “We’re fortunate we’ve got three real good quarterbacks. I think Pat can play in this league.” Young’s improved play this preseason can, perhaps in part at least, be traced to the fact that he spent the entire off-season with the team, rather than bouncing back and forth between Nashville and taking classes in Austin, Texas like last year.

Comeback Season

McGrady appears to have worked harder than ever. He hired Chicago trainer Tim Grover, the man who became famous for his work with Michael Jordan. When McGrady returns, he'll have to fit in, and he'll have plenty of relationships to mend because some of his teammates don't believe he gave his best effort last season. He's young enough to still be a good NBA player, and he could have the added motivation of being in the final year of his contract. He has been cleared to do whatever his left knee will allow him to do. The Rockets have been told he's not comfortable jumping off the knee, but with training camp a month away, there's plenty of time to get there. Wouldn't it be something if this turned out to be McGrady's finest hour, if he came back and played at a high level, and shared the ball and ran the floor and helped make everyone better? He's capable of doing all those things. We know this because we've seen it before.

Kiss the Baby! Child Plezz

Chad Ochocinco is not happy again. And he’s using his Twitter account to tell people about it. The Bengals wide receiver is saying that he’ll sue the NFL for being fined $5,000 for wearing an orange chinstrap in a preseason game. One tweet pointed out “Im sueing the NFL, I am color blind so this fine is discriminating because I’m disabled in a way, this is a sad day for me:(” Ochocinco also put a photo of the letter he received from the NFL outlining the uniform rules infraction: “Specifically, you wore an orange chinstrap.” His online rant began about 12:30 p.m. Saturday with: “WTF I got a damn fine already, it’s the damn preseason, this is some bull***!!!!” He continued later with a post on ESPN reporter Chris Mortenson’s Twitter feed: “mort this is … ridiculous, I am typing a letter back to the league office as we speak, I’m fining they a$$ back!!!! ”The rule that Chad broke is Rule 5, Section 4, Article 3(a) which specifies that all players must wear, among other things, a “Helmet with chin strap (white only) fastened and face mask attached.

In other news of OchoCinco,When Tom Brady went down in the second quarter of last night's game reporters wondered, how Brady was doing after slammed into the ground. The answer came from via Bengals wide receiver Chad OchoCinco who followed the game at home and called Brady to find out how he was doing. Ocho twittered that he called Brady and the quarterback responded that everything was fine. "Just got a call back from Tom Brady, says he's fine and there's nothing to worry about," Ochoccinco wrote.When pressed on the validity of the report by others including the Providence Journal and PatriotsInsider.com, Ochocinco replied directly to confirm the news.

"@patriotsinsider why would I make it up, duh, I heard he got hurt so I left a messgae, he called back and said he's okay,I'm the insider now," Ocho replied to PatriotsInsider.com

Ochocinco has been involved in ongoing twitter conversation with NFL Network's Rich Eisen. He clarified his earlier tweet to Eisen as well as other writers who inquired as to the validity of the information. .

"@Richeisen [I]t pays to have everyones phone number," Ochocinco wrote. "[S]eriously he said he's cool, he's homeless so he'll be okay, new saying right there Rich."

Well Chad said he was going to be better than ESPN and he showed that he can. He is really calling the actually person when something goes down.

Final Game til Week 6

Michael Vick will play in the Eagles' final preseason game, and might even take some snaps as a conventional quarterback. How much Vick plays Thursday night against the New York Jets at the Meadowlands has yet to be determined. This week will be his first road game with the Eagles. It could also mark his first time under center in the West Coast offense of Eagles head coach Andy Reid. Last week, it seemed to cause a disruption to the offensive rhythm and the plan was shelved midway through the second quarter. Reid rarely uses his starters in the fourth preseason game, which means McNabb in all likelihood will get the night off. That leaves backups Kevin Kolb, A.J. Feeley and Vick to split up the four quarters against the Jets. Reid did like what he saw of Vick against the Jaguars. “I thought he did well,” the coach said. “He threw the ball well when he threw it. When he ran, he outran the defensive end, which was good to see. I thought it was good to get him back out there just for the speed of the game. He came out healthy. You always worry about that the first game back. I thought he handled himself well. He seemed poised, made some good reads. That's a start.” Thursday could be the last time the Eagles see Vick in uniform for a while. Commissioner Roger Goodell can wait until Week Six to reinstate him to the team's roster.

Time to Make Plays

The Chiefs’ longest pass play of the preseason is 22 yards. That’s not all the fault of the receivers. Usually the quarterbacks haven’t had time to look down the field. But the Chiefs are still searching for someone to complement Dwayne Bowe. This would be a good week for Mark Bradley to have a big game. He might need one to secure a roster spot.

First "Game" Back

Donovan McNabb is already mad with the Wildcat and Michael Vick's role on the team. "Absolutely, Absolutely,” McNabb said. “I did. In that situation, it’s needed. I know what we were trying to do [with Vick] and we were able to get that done. And I thought it was time for us to kind of get our offense going. After the first play when I tried to go deep to DeSean [Jackson] and threw it out of bounds a little, we started to get positive plays. We got the drive going and I think that’s very important in a game, whether it’s in the regular season or the preseason, to get that rhythm going. If you’re going to show different looks make sure it’s the right time. That’s the what the preseason’s for to make sure you know when that time is, and we’ll get that time together. I thought it was important at that time to get out and run our offense.” McNabb was then asked if he motioned to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and the Eagles' coaches to stop running the plays with Vick (all told, Vick was inserted six times). Donovan, naturally, dodged the question with a joke. "Yeah, I sat all of them down and I told them, ‘That’s it,’” McNabb said. Reid was asked if he saw McNabb gesture. "That had nothing to do with Michael," Reid said. "You can ask McNabb. He was fine with it." Reid didn't think the Vick plays were much of a problem. But just last week McNabb was all for Vick being in Philly. I think he is jeolus of the attention because I mean Vick did not take many snaps like Reid wanted him to. McNabb, you are still the man in Philly plus Vick hasn't been fully reinstated yet so just chill bro. Here is some clips from the game:

Being Court by the Grizzs

When it seemed as though the Grizzlies' interest in the free-agent guard was nothing more than strong flirtation, Iverson used his Twitter account Wednesday morning to suggest that both sides are now seriously considering marriage.In his latest entry, Iverson wrote: "Well I am about to begin another workout session. Agent informed me that Memphis made us an offer on yesterday. Stay tuned." A source with knowledge of the situation confirmed that the Griz proposed a one-year deal loaded with incentives but starting at a salary less than their original offer. Memphis first offered Iverson a one-year, $5million contract earlier this summer. Other Iverson suitors, the Charlotte Bobcats and Miami Heat, can offer the midlevel exception. It appears the former All-Star is deciding between Memphis and Charlotte. There is a strong possibility Iverson could land with the Bobcats, who can offer the midlevel exception without entering luxury tax territory. Charlotte would reunite Iverson with coach Larry Brown and present an opportunity for the 13-year veteran to start. Memphis still views Iverson as a reserve guard behind O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley.

More Rubio Rumors

Spanish media outlet Marca reports Ricky Rubio is set to sign a 6-year deal with Regal Barcelona that will include a buyout clause that could bring him to the NBA and the Timberwolves in 2011. If it comes to pass, Rubio’s transfer from DKV Joventut to Barcelona will be the most expensive buyout ($5.3 million) in Europe basketball history. David Kahn said this in a statement, “Based on the information I have attained today, no team in any league has reached a deal with DKV Joventut concerning Ricky’s buyout, which must be accomplished before Ricky is released from his contract.” The X Factor is whether Rubio, for whatever reason, decides he’d rather stay at home in Spain rather than leave at age 18 for NBA. The big issue, though, remains that buyout with Joventut, of course. Any team wanting Rubio in its uniform come October needs to solve that first. Everybody knows that he does not want to play this year, especially not for the T-Wolves. So he will probably just take this year off and see how they do and for them to make more moves so he can go to a team that will win more than 29 games.

Important Year 2 Battle

So the only battle is not just between QBs Brennan and Daniel. There is an important battle happening out in the wideout position as Thomas and Kelly fight for the slot position. While Devin Thomas began training camp with a slight edge over Malcolm Kelly, the consensus around Redskins Park is that Kelly is now the top candidate to line up opposite Santana Moss in the flanker spot. With the first-team offense expected to play as much as a full half Friday night, fans should walk away with a decent idea of how the battle between Thomas, Kelly and incumbent, Antwaan Randle El is shaping up thus far. Zorn cautioned last week that he isn't expecting to anoint the No. 2 receiver at the conclusion of the Pats' game. In fact, he might not know who wins the job "until a couple games into the season," he said. "I think they really are even right now. I've seen them both working to try to set themselves apart and yet they're both climbing while they're doing that so I think it's very difficult to tell, " Zorn said. "They both have a real strong desire to be 'the guy,' and yet Antwaan Randle El is battling in there too. While it's easy to talk about the battle as a two-man competition, Zorn makes certain to remind everyone that Randle El could retain the job. He's also made clear, though, that he thinks Randle El would be perfect for the slot. It's dangerous to use preseason stats as a solitary judge, but Kelly leads the group with five catches and 47 yards through the first two games. Thomas has 19 yards on two receptions and Randle El has one catch for 15 yards.

More Potent?

Fitzgerald believes the Cards will be even more potent this year. They have a running attack that Fitzgerald predicts will keep defenses more off balance. The Cardinals were the NFL's worst rushing team last year, with just under 74 yards a game. "As the season goes on and we play deeper into the year, I think we'll be able to pound people with our big backs," he said.Fitzgerald says stop looking to figure out who'll get more carries between Tim Hightower and Chris Wells. The two will be sharing the ball throughout the year, Fitzgerald predicts. "Look around the NFL - everybody's doing the running back by committee," he said. "It keeps them fresher throughout the year as a team." Fitzgerald is quick to point out that doesn't mean a sudden shortage of passes to go around. "When you're running the ball you're able to get a lot more balls down the field," said Fitzgerald [who for every catch this year will give an autographed ball to an ESPN.com fantasy owner who has him on the roster.] "Look at Steve Smith, that whole running game they have. That is why he's open all the time." Fitzgerald's optimistic view indicates yet another big season for the guy who's had at least 96 catches, 1,400 yards and 10 scores in three of the past four seasons.

Starting to Look Form

For weeks, Heyward-Bey's track speed was hindered because he focused so hard on securing the ball or running the perfect route. He often waited a half-second after the catch before putting his speed to use. The sooner Heyward-Bey can catch-and-run in one fluid motion, the sooner he can be a legit downfield threat "He had a great day of catching the ball," coach Tom Cable said. "Right after he caught it, I said to him, 'Your mistake is you showed me you can do that and, so now, the expectation goes up. That's who you are. That's what you're capable of.' "That's why the Raiders drafted him with the No. 7 overall pick of April's draft, when most everyone thought they were nuts. Only now is Heyward-Bey starting to make common and difficult catches alike while limiting his daily drops to one, maybe two a day.

Review of Lions Rookies

Here's a look at Detroit's other rookie draft choices beside Stafford:

With Aaron Brown, he could be the steal of the draft because of his game-breaking speed. He has the tools to be either a third-down back or a slot receiver, but he's got to do a better job of focusing and eliminating assignment mistakes.

He'll contribute on special teams -- and could be the team's kickoff returner -- but he'll be a role player on offense. The more he learns the playbook, the more time he'll see on the field.

And Derrick Williams hasn't showed much flash, either as a returner or a receiver. He'll make the team and he'll get his opportunities to make a contribution on special teams but, overall, he's a been something of a disappointment so far. Which is sad because I was looking for him to compliment Johnson.

Sorting Through the Mess

Well this is pretty much the consenus that McCown and Johnson maybe in a new home soon if they can get something good out of it. Finally the Bucs are doing something about their QB situation. I hope Johnson stays or at least goes to a team he can be the number two guy at least.

From Rick Stroud [Tampa Bay Beat Writer] Twitter Page:

Unless Byron Leftwich has a poor outing and Luke McCown is great, McCown and/or Josh Johnson will be on the block. Prefer Freeman No. 2about 11 hours ago from web

NFLSTROUD

Rick Stroud

Named Starter

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan made it official Wednesday, saying that rookie Mark Sanchez has been named the starting quarterback.Ryan made it clear that his decision to go with Sanchez was his decision. “I think this is the appropriate time to make the decision,” Ryan said. “I feel very comfortable with my decision to go with Sanchez as a quarterback. I’ve relied on a lot of people, but more than anything, I’ve relied on myself. My instincts as a coach — I’ve been around the game a long time. I feel that the best move for our franchise and for our team is to go with Mark as our quarterback. I think we can win with Kellen also as a quarterback. But, right now, I think Mark gives us the best opportunity to win."

Stalemate

The 49ers' contract offer to Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker, is believed to be in the neighborhood of 5 yrs, $20 M and $16 M guaranteed. The 49ers first made what coach Mike Singletary has described as a "fair proposal" to Crabtree in late June, in hopes of getting him to report to training camp on time. And that contract will probably end up being very close to what he ends up signing [if he ends up signing] with the possibility the numbers could escalate accordingly if the sides agree to a six-year deal. Crabtree and his agent, Eugene Parker, know the 49ers offer, and the 49ers are not willing to move from this deal. 49ers have offered Crabtree a contract that fits in line with what the No. 10 overall pick would've normally expected to receive this year, if this were a normal No. 10 pick in a normal year. Ultimately, the player is responsible. The agent works for the player. If the player wanted to sign the contract and report to training camp, he would've done it long ago. It was also heard that Parker has privately told the 49ers that their offer is fair.

Sunday Convo w|LBJ

LeBron James ESPN Sunday Conversation With Rachel Nichols

Beasley Rehab

Michael Beasley has reportedly checked into a Houston area rehabilitation hospital. Sometime over the weekend (probably on Sunday), Beasley was admitted to an unidentified Houston rehab clinic.Sources said the Heat encouraged Beasley to check into the facility to address possible substance and psychological issues. He is expected to spend time with former NBA player and coach John Lucas who is renown for his success in working with troubled players. From

Michael Beasley's father's Twitter: @mikebeasleysr -What Michael jr.Is going thur is just a bump on the road we call life,please pray for him ,he needs it. Thank you

I really hope Beasley gets the help he needs.

It's Official!

On his Coach's Show Monday night (heard on 610 WIP), head coach Andy Reid said quarterback Michael Vick will play in Thursday night's preseason game against Jacksonville. You can hear more from Reid Tuesday on Eagles Live! at 12:30 p.m. following the team's final workout.

Plax Speaks

The former Giants wide receiver, who will soon be going to jail to serve a two-year sentence, sat down with ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap to talk about the night he shot himself in the leg and derailed the Giants’ 2008 season. The full interview will air on E:60 tomorrow night at 7 p.m. But the first excerpts aired tonight and were released by the network.Below are the quotes the network released:

“It wasn’t like I was trying to hide (the gun) or go into this place and go through security,” Burress said. “They knew I had it, they pat me down and they said OK. They let me in, with it.

“I’m there for maybe five minutes. It was getting so crowded, everybody coming over, so the VIPs, they said ‘I’ll take you upstairs so you can relax and no one will bother you.’ I’m walking up the stairs and I miss a step, and my gun slides down my pants. So, it’s getting ready to hit the ground. I don’t want it to hit the ground, when it slides down my jeans, and I go to stop it from hitting the ground.

“I don’t think you could do it a million times. Through your pants you can try to stop it from hitting the ground and my finger hit right on the trigger. What are the odds in that happening.

Edge A 'Hawk

According to a report on profootballtalk.com veteran running back Edgerrin James is going to be a Seahawk. James who is 31, played last season in Arizona but was released in the offseason. The Seahawks are mum for now on talk they are about to add running back Edgerrin James. A team spokesman said the team would not comment Monday about the subject of the free agent and former star with the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals. The spokesman said the Seahawks would address the “speculation” on Tuesday.

Starter Named

Coach Mike Singletary made the announcement this afternoon shortly before the team gathered for an afternoon practice. He said he came to a decision on Sunday and explained his reasoning to both quarterbacks individually. "We have decided Shaun Hill will be the quarterback," Singletary said. "They're both class guys. I talked to Shaun first and then I talked to Alex. This morning I brought them in together ... and had them understand why we made the decision, how important it is they continue to push each other." In the end, it was Hill's body of work, however slim, that earned him the job. He is 7-3 as a starter with the 49ers and crafted a 5-2 record in the second half of last season, including 5-0 at Candlestick Park. Singletary's decision to go with Hill represents a clear choice in style of play. Hill is steady and consistent, moves the chains and generally avoids damaging turnovers. He'll never wow anyone but he has a knack for remaining calm while leading the offense down field.

93 Million Dollars!

San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers signed a six-year contract extension worth- drum roll please-93 million. Of that, $38 million will be guaranteed for Rivers, who is smashing all of Dan Fouts’ old school Chargers records for the position. This contract puts Philip up there with the elite signal callers in the game, salary wise. He’s making Manning money, but the question remains can he bring the Lombardi Trophy to San Diego? The Chargers certainly think so, and now they’re banking on it big time. The deal goes through 2015. Rivers said he was “thankful to have many more opportunities to suit up and go out there and be the quarterback for the Chargers and short term, to be able to just do all I can to lead us to a championship.”

A BIG Problem

Owner Jerry Jones was quick to dismiss the notion that the giant video boards hanging from the roof of Cowboys Stadium are an issue after a Tennessee punter sent the ball clanking off them Friday. But Titans coach Jeff Fisher disagrees. Fisher threw a red challenge flag after A.J. Trapasso's punt hit the boards, and the down was eventually replayed. "It's an issue, yeah," said Fisher, who serves as co-chairmen of the NFL's competition committee. "I'm sure the Cowboys or the league will tell you, I shouldn't have to throw a flag out there because (the officiating crew) didn't see the ball hit the scoreboard. Now, it's not necessarily their responsibility. Once a fair catch signal is given, then there are no eyes on the ball anymore. So they don't see it. So something has to get worked out." Jones said he wasn't worried about it. "I'm very comfortable that our height on our scoreboard is OK," he said after the game. A league spokesman said Saturday the NFL is looking into the matter. "We are aware of it and will continue to monitor it," Greg Aiello told the Associated Press. Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said he didn't think Trapasso was trying to hit the video board on purpose, something Jones suggested happened.

Fined by the League

Panthers rookie running back Mike Goodson was fined $7,500 by the NFL for unsportsmanlike conduct for his throat-slashing gesture following a 14-yard touchdown run in Monday night's exhibition loss to the New York Giants. Goodson's debut was packed with thrills and chills. His touchdown run was a nifty cutback to the left after he found the right side of the line stuffed by the Giants defense. On the previous play, he ran 16 yards with a pitch down the left sidelines. However, he also fumbled twice after pass receptions, losing one, and was penalized 15 yards for the throat-slash, which is not allowed in the NFL.

Forget Crabtree

Glen Coffee ran for 129 yards on 16 carries and rookie quarterback Nate Davis led the 49ers to 18 fourth-quarter points, as San Francisco rallied late for a 21-20 win over Oakland. Coffee, a third-round pick in April's draft out of Alabama, and Davis, a Ball State product and fifth-round selection, were joined by fellow rookie Kory Sheets in making a case for playing time this season under head coach Mike Singletary. San Francisco pounded Sheets late with the rookie free agent out of Purdue eventually finding the end zone for a five-yard score with a little under nine minutes to play. The hosts then held on for the slim winning margin. The 49er running attack combined to rack up 275 yards with Sheets adding 51 yards on 12 carries, Michael Robinson chipping in 97 yards on 14 rushes and starter Frank Gore gaining seven yards on a pair of rushes in limited action. The Raiders had only 69 yards rushing with Darren McFadden picking up five of those yards on four carries. I do not know whether to be happy at the performance or just say that the Raiders are that bad defensively. Either way good game Coffee.The trend to have two backs share the load is beneficial to both. A power back paired with a speed back can be a lethal one-two punch. A seasoned veteran being helped by a young star will lenghthen both careers. Maurice Jones-Drew did wonders for Fred Taylor. IIn contrast, Larry Johnson carried the ball a whopping 752 times in his two full years as a starter, including the NFL record 416 times in 2006. It’s no surprise after that season Johnson has only played in 20 games and attempted 351 rushes. The two back system is necessary to survive in the NFL. Unlike Gore, Coffee has not proven himself to be a workhorse. Like most college teams, Alabama utilized multiple running backs. Coffee had 233 rushing attempts in his Junior year, the only time he ever went over 200 carries. His college days have given him experience in a time share. Who better to split a backfield with than a guy who does not demand to see 20 carries a game?

Skins QBs

Rookie Chase Daniel, fighting the odds to earn a roster spot, threw two touchdown passes long after the starters had left the game, overcoming another difficult night for Washington's first-team offense in Saturday's 17-13 win over Pittsburgh. Zorn said that puts Daniel "right in the mix" with second-year pro Colt Brennan for Washington's No. 3 quarterback spot."Whatever they say, I'm just going to go out there and try to work as hard as I can," said Daniel, who hit six of eight passes for 58 yards and added a 22-yard scramble in three series. Daniel did a nice job and Brennan needs to improve; he's achieved an undeserved status. But Daniel still has a ways to go. He does have intangibles. Brennan takes more chances but can Daniel unseat Brennan? I still have my doubts. However, Brennan needs to show more.

Out for 2 Months

The St. Louis Rams Official Website has reported via the Rams Twitter Page that rookie wide receiver Brooks Foster had foot surgery on Friday and will be out for 6 to 8 weeks. “Spags addresses media. Rookie WR Brooks Foster had foot surgery on Friday. He’s out six to eight weeks.”

A Boxer after the NFL

Chad Ochocinco has spent a few months of his off-season time training in boxing gyms, and now he's talking about launching a pro career. He's gone so far as to call out WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto. Chad had this to say

"So when I get in the ring and knock out (welterweight champ Andre) Berto, and people are like, 'I didn't know Chad could fight,'" he said to us, "I just told you."

Then Berto responded back by saying:

"I'm here to say that when his season is over, which should be before the playoffs start, I'll give him the beating of his life and show him the difference between kicking footballs and getting your ass kicked. By the time I'm done with him, he'll want to change his last name to No Mas!"

Ha! Chad really wants to be a boxer I can see that. But I do not know. Ocho said he started fighting because he was "looking for ways to challenge myself." And it's worked as a tool for football. "It's translating real well," he said. "Just being able to catch, and my hand-eye coordination is a lot quicker than it was before. I haven't really been challenged with bump-and-run -- but it's there. "And then, my cardio is stupid. I talk the whole game, and usually you don't talk to preserve your energy. I talked after every play. I'm running my mouth. I just keep on talking." He says he's getting back to being the old Chad. Talking's a part of it. Playing's a bigger deal, and all kidding aside, that's where the boxing has come into play. I know he is quick but check out Berto:

Injured at the Wrong Time

No. 3 Steelers quarterback Dennis Dixon, however, was not so lucky because he left in the fourth quarter with what Tomlin described as an AC joint injury to his right shoulder. In layman's terms, that is a separated shoulder, something Roethlisberger had last season but which caused him to miss no games. It depends on the degree of separation as to the time Dixon might miss. Dixon continued to look good in his role with the backup units before he was hurt. He led the Steelers on a late second-quarter drive that produced Jeff Reed's 34-yard field goal and a 10-3 lead. On consecutive plays, Dixon scrambled to his right and hit a sliding Limas Sweed for a 17-yard gain on third-and-nine,, Dixon dropped into the shotgun on first down and scrambled 16 yards up the middle. So with that it looks like Charlie Batch will once again be the 2nd string QB. I was hoping he could overtake Batch this year.

ND for Nat'l Championship?

I do not know if age is catching up with this guy or what but he is talking crazy!

Another Record

This guy is too Fast!!

At 46....Still Ballin

If you are a huge Favre fan and is cheering for him to do good, I say Jordan can still do the same.

Lebron Talks

Lebron talks about a few of the recent things in his life:

MMA

I don't know how many people are into this MMA stuff, but here's the vid of the Cyborg [who is a beast]

Vick on 60 Minutes

Vick on 60 Minutes [for those who haven't seen it]

World Record

Here is the vid of The Fastest Man runnin the 1

38 Win Season...Now A Complete Epic Fail!

It was reported earlier that Rose may have been the culprit of being ineligble while playing at Memphis. Well,the NCAA's Committee on Infractions announced Thursday that Memphis must vacate its 2007-08 NCAA runner-up finish and 38 wins because a star freshman player was ineligible. That player was Rose, the only player who fits the description in the NCAA's findings. The committee ruled Rose ineligible because the Educational Testing Service invalidated his SAT score. The score was canceled in May 2008, a year after Rose took the test and after he finished his freshman season. The report said Rose did not cooperate with the NCAA and twice did not reply to requests to meet with the ETS. The NCAA also found that Rose's brother, while traveling with the team, on several occasions was not charged for flights or lodging. Again, Rose was not named in that part of the report but is the only player who fits the findings.

Vacating a Final Four or tournament appearance because of NCAA violations is not that unusual:

• Memphis' 2008 team becomes the fifth in NCAA tournament history, and first since Michigan's Fab Five in 1992 and 1993, to vacate a runner-up finish.

• this is the 11th Final Four appearance vacated, the first since Ohio State's in 1999.

• one or more team appearances in 25 of past 30 tournaments have been vacated.

• Memphis has made a total of 22 NCAA tournament appearances, and vacated six of them.

Thief of Ideas?

Arizona Republic columnist Paola Boivin in her column about Shaq's new reality TV show -- Shaq Vs.

A peek at that story:

Shortly after O'Neal was traded to the Suns in February 2008, Nash mentioned to his new teammate a reality show he was pursuing. It would feature the Suns point guard taking on professional athletes in their own sport.The topic didn't come up again until early in the 2008-09 season, when O'Neal boarded the Suns bus and told the team he would be starring in a new reality show in which he would be taking on, you got it, professional athletes in their own sport."You mean the idea you stole from me?" one Suns representative said he heard Nash say. Nash eventually sought out an entertainment lawyer, according to sources, which is why he now has an executive-producer credit and the compensation that comes with it.

The only thing I can say is Wow! No wonder Nash does not care that Shaq is gone.

Still No Hope or Is there?

Bobcats coach Larry Brown weighed in on Allen Iverson's comments on Twitter.com that Charlotte was a possible destination for the free-agent guard. There are obstacles in the way of a reunion with the All-Star he coached in Philly.

"One is the money; we wouldn't want to make him an offer that would insult him. And with three small guards (Raja bell, D.J. Augustin and Raymond Felton) already on the roster, he wouldn't get to play the minutes he deserves. Until one or both of those things changes, I don't see it."

Iverson, who played for the Pistons last season, listed the Bobcats, Knicks and Heat as possible landing spots. He also has been linked with the Clippers and Grizzlies.

A Little Playing

Yes I know it has been a while since I have blogged and I would like to apologize. I have been very busy with football camp and now school is starting up. As things beginning to slow down, I will try to deliver the sports news for you. Again sorry about the past few weeks.

We all know by now that Vick is signed to play with the Eagles. With his agreement, he may play the final two preseason games [which are upcoming]. Eagles coach Andy Reid left open the possibility last night that Michael Vick would play in the team's third exhibition game next week, but he would not guarantee it. But Vick is being eased into this at a moderate pace. Having enough of a grasp of the offense to command the huddle and call signals is one obvious question. He gets only the final two exhibition games to prepare for the season. After the preseason, Vick will be allowed only to practice until Goodell makes his decision on full reinstatement, which could take as long as 6 weeks.