Vikes survive wacky game with much-needed victory
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- For the Minnesota Vikings, victory was still satisfying -- no matter how wacky or lucky it was.
Escape from devastating defeat on a night when the Saints did everything they could to give the game away showed, in a strange way, a certain resiliency that could serve the Vikings well the rest of the season.
"You have to hang in there," center Matt Birk said Tuesday, reflecting on the 30-27 win over New Orleans. "It's good to beat a good team on the road to get the win and bounce back like that. There's plenty of adversity. They made some fantastic plays, obviously, but to be able to have that resolve and win it in the end? That's huge. Hopefully we'll continue to do that."
For the glass-half-empty crowd, the section of the Super-Bowl-starved fan base that seems to be the majority these days, the Vikings still have a startling amount of flaws after committing $62 million in guaranteed money to four players they brought in to help their run at a championship.
The combination of play calling, passing accuracy and reliable receiving has yet to yield a potency under coach Brad Childress that opposing defenses must respect. Though Gus Frerotte didn't turn the ball over and threw for the tying touchdown among his 222 yards, the Saints predictably stacked up against the run and held Adrian Peterson to 32 yards on 21 carries.
"We have to be able to throw," Frerotte said. "We had some bigger plays down the field, and we just have to still work on the coverages they're giving us when they're trying to commit to the run."
Minnesota (2-3) remains last in the NFL with a 25 percent success rate (three out of 12) at putting the ball in the end zone during possessions inside the 20-yard line.
Third down efficiency is lacking, too: The Vikings have moved the chains 35.2 percent of the time in those situations, 25 out of 71 and tied for 24th in the league.
"You put yourself in obvious downs. You put yourself in passing downs where everybody in the place knows you're going to pass it. That makes it a little bit tougher to operate," Childress said.
Giving up the deep passes is still a concern as well, though New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees has been playing superbly this season and has as sharp a touch as there is in the sport.
Save for kicker Ryan Longwell, who made all three of his field goal attempts and is 13-for-15 this year, the special teams are struggling. Reggie Bush gave the Saints two touchdowns on punt returns of 64 and 71 yards, and kick coverages have been spotty all season. Childress directed much of his anger at punter Chris Kluwe for failing to put the ball out of bounds and safely away from Bush.
"You have to be able to kick the ball where you want to kick the ball," Childress said, adding: "We've got a ton of stuff that we can correct, and I expect us to correct it, because the punt returners are pretty good in this league."
The Vikings, though, have reasons to feel good about where they're at. They host winless Detroit on Sunday and visit division-leading Chicago on Oct. 19 before their bye, two prime opportunities to position themselves for the second half in this up-for-grabs NFC North.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Al Davis' mixed legacy
Two decades ago, Al Davis and Bill Parcells were chatting during an NFL owners meeting when Davis' new coach strolled by.
"I want you to meet Mike Shanahan," Davis told Parcells. "He's going to be a great head coach."
Shanahan, 35 at the time, has indeed distinguished himself, but not with Davis' Raiders. Twenty games into his tenure, he was fired, the same point that Davis fired Lane Kiffin this week.
So what happened to Kiffin isn't new. But it's sad.
Because given recent history, it's easy to overlook the many contributions Al Davis has made to the NFL.
They include moves the led to the AFL-NFL merger, making the league into the multibillion dollar corporation it is today. They include significant contributions toward solving labor disputes, in part because of his closeness to the late Gene Upshaw, an ex-Raider who ran the union for 25 years.
They also include the hiring of the first black coach of the modern era -- Shanahan's successor, Art Shell -- and the first female CEO, Amy Trask, who, unfortunately seems to have been left out of the decision-making process in the latest fiasco. She's one of the few levelheaded people currently in Oakland's front office.
And the legacy also includes winning: three Super Bowls and a record from the late 1960s to the early 1980s that was as good as any team in pro sports.
That's why it's simplistic to characterize the 79-year-old Davis as an out-of-touch old man, the way he's been described for most of this decade as his once-proud organization has descended to the bottom of the NFL.
Davis always has been able to spot young coaching talent, including Parcells, whom he coached in a college all-star game in 1963 and later mentored.
But aside from John Madden, promoted from the assistant ranks in 1969 at age 32, Davis' overbearing manner and his penchant for coaching from the owner's box drove them away -- from Shanahan to Jon Gruden to Kiffin, the only one whose bona fides are not yet established.
Davis also alienated them. Just as he's refusing to pay the remainder of Kiffin's contract, he and Shanahan have been locked in a dispute for two decades over $300,000 that the Denver coach claims he's owed.
The normally humor-deprived Shanahan can now joke about it in a manner that demonstrates what many people around the NFL think of the chaos in Oakland.
"I'll be honest with you, I was a little disappointed," he said the day after Kiffin was fired. "When you take a look at it, I was there 582 days. Lane Kiffin was there 616 days. So what it really means is that Al Davis liked Lane more than he liked me. I really don't think it's fair. I won three more games and he got 34 more days of work. It just doesn't seem right."
Other than those youngsters, Davis' head coaching hires have either been ex-Raiders -- Shell and Tom Flores, who was the NFL's first Latino coach -- or coaches in little or no demand elsewhere. Tom Cable, the offensive line coach who became the interim head coach when Kiffin was fired, fits into the latter category.
This approach allows Davis to continue to "coach" because guys who are happy just to have one of 32 NFL jobs will take what goes with it. The youngsters with aspirations for long coaching careers (Shanahan, Gruden and Kiffin) bristle at it.
But it's been 43 years since Davis was a coach; he stepped down in 1965 to become part owner after turning around what was one of the worst teams in the old AFL.
The problem is Davis still wants to do it. During Tuesday's news conference, that was clear as he critiqued moves that Kiffin made in losses to Buffalo and San Diego. And he defended his pick of JaMarcus Russell with the first pick of the 2007 draft, a move he said Kiffin was against.
Russell could end up as a franchise QB -- he certainly has the physical tools. But it's also clear why Davis had fewer questions about him than Kiffin and other football people: Russell is a classic Al Davis quarterback, a recreation of Daryle Lamonica from the AFL days or Jim Plunkett from the early 1980s who can throw 40 or 50 or even 60 yards downfield. Think of another Davis mistake: Jay Schroeder, a mediocre QB with a huge arm who Davis thought could carry the team in the late '80s.
Still, Davis can adjust when he has to.
During the 1970s, the quarterback was Ken Stabler, who probably couldn't throw more than 30 yards but led a franchise that was 112-39-7 during the Madden years. The Raiders succeeded again in the early part of this decade with Rich Gannon, another quarterback with less than a power arm who took the team to an AFC title game after the 2000 season and a Super Bowl two years later.
That was in Gruden's version of the shorter-passing West Coast offense. But Davis was never really happy with that and his interference finally alienated Gruden, who left after the 2001 season for Tampa, taking with him Bruce Allen, the only GM the team has had.
So the Raiders are 20-64 since the start of the 2003 season, a laughingstock in a class with the Detroit Lions, who fired team president Matt Millen a week ago.
Madden thinks the problems reflect the way the game has changed.
"When I was there we just had five or six coaches and Ron Wolf was in the personnel department and Al Davis," he told Sirius Satellite radio this week. "So there were really less than 10 of us and there were no barriers. I mean, everyone was right there together and we kind of did everything so we didn't have any of these problems.
"And then as the game grew and the organization grew and you have more and more people and more and more assistants, I think instead of being closer and being part of each other, it looks to me like they just grew apart."
One name stands out: Wolf, one of the best personnel men of the last 40 years.
He not only helped put together Raiders teams that won Super Bowls after the 1976, 1980 and 1983 seasons, but also obtained Brett Favre for Green Bay and built a Packers team that won the title in 1996 and the NFC championship the following season.
There is no Ron Wolf on the current Raiders nor anyone close to him. The personnel decisions seem to be made either by Davis or by lackeys whose goal is simply approval from the boss.
That's why it sounded so ludicrous when Davis whined about dealing Randy Moss to New England for a fourth-round pick. "A fourth round pick!" he repeated, suggesting it was Kiffin's decision to make the deal on a team where everything -- important and otherwise -- goes through the top.
Davis acknowledged in a briefing with local reporters after the news conference that no one but New England really wanted Moss, who played in Oakland by the motto that got him traded by the Vikings: "I play when I feel like it." Only the Patriots, with Bill Belichick coaching and Tom Brady as the QB, could have gotten him to play to his form of last year, when he caught a record 23 TD passes.
Talk to ex-Raiders of recent vintage and you hear a common theme: "I'm just glad to be out of here."
"I've seen the circus of the NFL," said the Colts' Dominic Rhodes, who spent one year in Oakland after helping Indy win the Super Bowl two years ago and returned this year to the Colts after being released by the Raiders.
"I watched it and I actually sent Lane a text message and told him 'Thank you for letting me get out of there like you said you would.' I'm just happy they let me get out because I would not want to be a part of that right now."
In a lot of ways, that's sad. Because Al Davis is one of the most important figures in NFL history. This isn't the legacy he wants to leave.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Browns cleared by league after Ravens' inquiry
BEREA, Ohio -- The NFL found no evidence that Cleveland Browns defensive players intentionally gouged the eyes of Baltimore running back Willis McGahee during the Ravens' 28-10 win last Sunday.
Ravens coach John Harbaugh sent tapes to the league's office in New York earlier this week asking for a review of two separate incidents.
McGahee was cut on his right eyelid and was poked in the left eye. He was forced to leave the game twice.
League spokesman Greg Aiello said there was no evidence to support the Ravens' claims that the Browns tried to injure McGahee.
Harbaugh declined to name the names of the Cleveland players in question.
"I don't think we should say," he said. "I wouldn't want to comment on it, but you can see it on the tape."
On a 7-yard carry to Cleveland's 1-yard line in the third quarter, McGahee came up bleeding after a tackle by Browns linebacker Andra Davis, who appeared to get his hand caught inside McGahee's visored helmet while being blocked to the ground by Baltimore tackle Jared Gaither.
McGahee got up and immediately headed to the sideline with blood dripping down his face. His right eye is still swollen and he has been limited in practice this week as the Ravens prepare for a Monday night game against Pittsburgh.
"It still looks pretty bad to me," Harbaugh said. "That thing is swollen up badly. As long as he can see, he'll play. But if he can't see, he's not going to be able to play. So, we'll have to try to get that swelling down."
The Browns were caught off-guard by the Ravens' inquiry.
"I have no knowledge of that," coach Romeo Crennel said. "I hadn't heard anything."
Crennel was asked if there are teams who go over the line with dirty play.
"I don't think there are teams, but players that will push the limit," he said. "You try to deal with those guys as best you can, point it out to the officials and talk to your team about keeping its composure."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Hester's rib injury remains unclear
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Devin Hester's status remained a mystery and so did the extent of his rib injury.
After telling a few reporters earlier Thursday he had torn cartilage, the Chicago Bears' record-setting return specialist backtracked and said his ribs are simply bruised. Either way, he hopes to play against Tampa Bay on Sunday.
He remains a game-time decision after missing his second straight practice Thursday, but he seemed relieved that tests earlier in the week did not reveal a more serious problem.
"It's a lot better," Hester said after practice. "It's improved a lot, and I'm feeling a lot better."
Hester was taken from the sideline on a cart during the third quarter of last week's 20-17 loss at Carolina.
Hester said he first felt some pain earlier in the game when he landed on another player while being tackled and aggravated it on a kickoff return following a 45-yard field goal by Carolina's John Kasay. The Bears were leading 17-6 when Hester caught the ball a yard into the end zone and sprinted to the 15, where he felt a "real sharp pain" as he twisted to his left before heading out of bounds at the 23.
Hester was still in motion when Julius Peppers, trying to slow him down, extended his right arm and was seen about a second later clutching the left side of his rib cage. He walked over to the Chicago sideline and was carted away with what he thought was a more serious injury.
Instead, he was "very relieved" by the results of an MRI on Tuesday.
"It wasn't what I expected," he said. "I was expecting something (worse) than what it was. But it came out pretty good."
If he can't play, Danieal Manning will have a bigger role on kickoff returns, with Nathan Vasher returning punts.
"(Vasher) is a solid catcher," special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. "He's not a blazer. He's not going to break a 110-yard return for you like Devin will. But he's going to get you the first down. He's someone who's going to catch the ball ... and get you that first down."
Coach Lovie Smith has said Hester does not need to practice this week in order to play, and the Bears could use him on a limited basis, possibly as a decoy.
"It never hurts to have him lined up in there," Toub said. "It just plays on the mind of the other team. Are you going to play him? Is he going to return it, is he going to fair catch it, is he going let it drop? You never know. Those are all things we're thinking about, and that's why it's a game-time decision."
The two-time Pro Bowler is off to a relatively quiet start and averaged just 21.7 yards on three kickoffs against Carolina while returning two punts for 9 yards before the injury. He has six kickoff returns for just 120 yards and is averaging 11.3 yards on 25 punt returns this season.
Even so, losing him would be a big blow.
Last season, he broke his own NFL record by running back four punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns. The third-year pro is fourth on the NFL's career list with 11 kick return scores and needs just two to tie Brian Mitchell's mark.
He also returned a missed field goal 108 yards in 2006 and ran back the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl against Indianapolis that season for a touchdown.
"It's very sore, that's the main thing," Hester said. "But it's getting better. There are more things I'm starting to be able to do."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Ravens' Flacco prepares for Texans and Williams
HOUSTON -- Joe Flacco's first NFL start ended with the Baltimore crowd chanting 'Let's Go Flacco.'
The Houston Texans hope this week's game against the Ravens will give their fans reason to continue the chants of 'Ma-ri-o' perfected last year when Mario Williams had his breakout 14 sack season.
Flacco was solid in his NFL debut last week, throwing for 129 yards and finishing with no turnovers in Baltimore's run-heavy 17-10 win over Cincinnati. Now the former Delaware standout will try to continue his success on the road against a Houston defense looking to make up for last week's embarrassment at Pittsburgh.
The game was moved to Monday night because of the threat of Hurricane Ike hitting the Houston area on the weekend.
"It will be a new challenge, no doubt," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "There will be the crowd noise issue. They won't be chanting, 'Let's go Flacco,' I don't think. It will be interesting to see how he manages it, and we'll have to help prepare him to do that."
The Ravens must improve on the road this season after winning just one of eight games away from Baltimore last year.
Flacco, who led Delaware to the NCAA Championship Subdivision title game in 2007, said he's confident. If he's overly concerned about Williams, he's not letting on.
"We're going to do things to take care of him," Flacco said. "We realize he's a good player. Their defense plays hard and they'll try to get after us. But we're going to have things to answer that and I'm going to stand back there like normal and get the ball out of my hands when it needs to be."
Williams, who had two sacks in the opener, wants to take advantage of the young quarterback, and said the Texans will try and "knock him off his mark."
Houston will have more to worry about than Flacco. The Texans are concerned with Baltimore's running game after the unheralded duo of Le'Ron McClain and rookie Ray Rice led a 229-yard rushing performance last week.
This week, the Ravens add Willis McGahee, who ran for 1,207 yards in his first year in Baltimore. He missed last week's opener while recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. McGahee said he wants a full workload, but it's unclear how many carries he'll get this week.
The Texans allowed 183 yards rushing against the Steelers.
"Stopping the run is definitely a big thing for us, especially after what happened with us last week," Texans linebacker DeMeco Ryans said. "If any team watches the film, we know they're going to come in and they're going to run the ball at us."
While the Ravens are almost overstocked at running back, the Texans are dangerously thin at the position. Starter Ahman Green sprained his ankle in the opener and likely won't play this week. That leaves Houston with rookie Steve Slaton as the starter and Chris Taylor and Darius Walker as backups. Walker was signed from the practice squad Thursday and Taylor missed all of last season after reconstructive knee surgery.
Coach Gary Kubiak thinks Slaton is ready for the challenge -- or at least he hopes he is.
"We're asking him to grow up very, very quick," Kubiak said. "He brings some big-play capability to the football team, but for us to be successful and continue to improve rapidly, young players like that are going to have to step up for us."
The Texans want to get their running game going this week after finishing with 75 yards rushing against Pittsburgh. Matt Schaub will try to rebound after committing three turnovers and being sacked five times last week.
The Ravens, who have the NFL's top-ranked defense after limiting Cincinnati to 154 yards, know they can't underestimate an offense with outstanding wide receiver Andre Johnson, no matter what happened last week.
"Don't let one (loss) fool you," Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce said. "They're deserving of all the press they've gotten and things said about them. You watch the film, you see an ultra-talented football team. Once they get everything fine and all settled, they'll be tough to beat."
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Jaguars' Williams misses practice
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars receiver Reggie Williams missed practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury and might not be ready for the season opener.
Williams, who sat out much of training camp and part of the preseason after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, was expected to be in the starting lineup Sunday at Tennessee. But he spent Wednesday's practice riding a stationary bike and working with team trainers.
His latest injury could mean Jacksonville will try to speed up Jerry Porter's return. Porter, who had offseason surgery to repair a torn hamstring, practiced Monday for the first time in nearly three months. Coach Jack Del Rio initially said Porter needed to practice two weeks before he would be ready to play, but he has seemingly softened his stance since.
If Williams and Porter both sit out the opener, the Jaguars would have Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt, Troy Williamson and Mike Walker at the position.
Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press
Heimerdinger back with Titans
DENVER (Ticker) - The Tennessee Titans are going back to a familiar formula.
The Titans on Thursday named Mike Heimerdinger as offensive coordinator - the second time he will serve with the team in that capacity.
Heimerdinger, the assistant head coach for the Denver Broncos, had been Tennessee's offensive coordinator from 2000-04.
Mike was at the top of my list and we are fortunate he was available to come back," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "We know each other very well and he is without a doubt the right person to help the offense take the next step."
Heimerdinger replaces Norm Chow, who was fired by Fisher on Tuesday.
Tennessee's offense flourished in five seasons under Heimerdinger. Former Titans quarterback Steve McNair had three of the top four passing seasons of his career, including in 2003 when he finished with a career-best 24 touchdowns and shared the league's Most Valuable Player award with Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning.
During that 2003 season, Tennessee had the second-highest point total (435) in franchise history while scoring at least 30 points in six consecutive games.
Heimerdinger left the Titans to serve in the same capacity with the New York Jets in 2005 before moving on to Denver for the past two seasons.
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