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P.M. UPDATE
Lucky to be alive: Scott Eklund at our Seahawks site shares some
perspectives from quarterback Matt Hasselbeck as he reflected on last weekends
game and the current state of the team. “I think we all realize how lucky we
are to still be alive right now. That game very easily could have gone the other
way," Hasselbeck said, referencing last weekend's one-point win over
Dallas. "We know there are some things that we have to tighten up if we are
going to continue to play." Check
out what else he had to as the Seahawks prepare to play the Bears this weekend.
Quotable: "We know what we are going out there to face. They've
been the best team in the NFL from start to finish this year. It's going to be
tough, first of all playing away from home and secondly playing against such an
explosive offense and a good defense. We have our work cut out for us." --
New England safety Artrell Hawkins, talking this week about the San Diego
Chargers. Read more about the matchup from New England's perspective in
this Scout.com subscribers feature at our Patriots site.
Medic! Think your favorite team had injury problems this past
season? The Lions finished with 15 players on injured reserve and a 16th
-- rookie OT Jonathan Scott -- who may need hip surgery. Five starters hit the
list, including OG Damien Woody (foot), DT Shaun Rogers (knee), DE James Hall
(shoulder), RB Kevin Jones (foot) and DT Shaun Cody (toe) . Jones'
Lisfranc foot surgery is the biggest concern as recovery time can be very
lengthy, especially for a running back.
No quick fix: Denis Savage at our Raiders site takes a look at the
team's quarterback situation heading into 2007 and says that, "Odds are
good Oakland's starting quarterback is not on the roster. Aaron Brooks was 0-8
as a starter and has one year remaining on a two-year deal he signed last
offseason. The contract contains a $5 million roster bonus." Scout.com
subscribers can read his analysis of the situation here.
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| Wisconsin OT Joe Thomas (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay) |
Shoring up the lines: Our Browns site is reporting that Cleveland
would love it if Wisconsin left tackle Joe Thomas is available when they pick in
the draft this April. But they also need help at running back and defensive
tackle. So if they're able to find offensive line help through free agency, they
could use their first pick on Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson or Michigan
defensive tackle Alan Branch instead. Get
the complete update on the Browns' personnel and coaching situation here.
Quotable: "It's been 10 years now for me leaving here
disappointed. I'll never get used to it, and I never want to. But after 10
years, you start to say to yourself, 'This is something that's got to change.'
That's what they pay us for, to win games, to go to the Super Bowl. If we can't
get it done, something's got to change. I'm looking forward to change this
offseason." -- Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez, who could be a good match for
Minnesota when he hits free agency this year. Take a look at what Tim Yotter
from our Vikings site has to say about how realistic that scenario might be this
offseason in this Scout.com
subscribers feature.
By the numbers: Our
Chargers site reports that if you look at the trends, San Diego has a tall
task ahead of them this weekend when they host the Patriots. "Yes, the
Chargers are gunning for their first playoff win since 1994 on Sunday. Yes,
Marty Schottenheimer will try to break his five-game postseason losing streak on
Sunday. And yes, they must do both against the New England Patriots, a team
which has won three of the past five Super Bowls," they point out.
Shaping up: Harry Sydney at our Packers site evaluates the job that GM Ted
Thompson has done, pointing out the players he's added that make the future for
Green Bay look much brighter. And he'll be able to add some more punch to that
lineup since the team is roughly $30 million under the cap. But Sydney
points out that Thompson's real strength to date is how he's building the team
for the long haul through the draft. "If you look at the 2006 draft class,
anyone that knows football can see how bright the future is for this team,"
he says. "They went from a 4-12 record to 8-8 with a bunch of first- and
second-year players that only will get better next season." Scout.com
subscribers can check out his analysis here.
Just two: Since replacing injured starter Donovan McNabb, Jeff
Garcia has thrown just two interceptions in seven starts. Last weekend against
the Giants, despite sloppy playing conditions, he didn't throw any
interceptions.
Quotable: "I never got to see Johnny Unitas play, but I kind of knew
how good of a player he was and how special he was because people always would
ask my dad, ‘Who were your favorite players growing up?’ He always said, ‘Mickey
Mantle and Johnny Unitas.’ That kind of shed the light of what an impact
Unitas had on people, young people, and certainly this game. I realize we play
in different cities, but I am proud to wear the same uniform that he wore.
Anytime you get into some of these records that he had, I still just look at it
like he’s still way, way up." -- Colts quarterback Peyton Manning
during his Tuesday press conference. Scout.com
subscribers can read the transcript at our Colts site.
EARLY EDITION
No Hawaii for Holt?: Reports out of St.
Louis indicate that wide receiver Torry Holt could skip the Pro Bowl because of
a minor knee injury that nagged at him in the closing weeks of the season. He
may have surgery to correct the problem after he gets an MRI and talks to
doctors. "By having an injury like this before, I would say it's
cartilage," he said. " I think it's going to take some minor things to
punch a couple of holes in there and straighten some things out and let me get
back to playing football. I'm looking forward to making a decision, whatever it
may be, and relaxing and enjoying '07 with some drinks and few cigars and just
hanging out."
Slick in Seattle: Following Dallas
quarterback Tony Romo's miscue that cost the Cowboys the opportunity to kick the
go-ahead field goal in last weekend's playoff game, rumblings have surfaced that the ball may have been too
slick. At his press conference on Monday, Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren
talked at length about the rule changes regarding what footballs can be used in
a game and the "K ball" used for kicking. "Balls would go to
whichever stadium and then teams would do it with the kicking-balls, would do
all sorts of weird stuff with them. Put them in microwave ovens. Put them in
dryers. Deflate them. Mess around with the kicking-balls. It was common
knowledge, it was bad," he said. Scout.com
subscribers can read highlights from his press conference here.
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| Retired Baltimore Colts DT Art Donovan at a ceremony to retire his jersey in 1962. (AP Photo/stf) |
Historic return: On December 24th, 1977, the Colts hosted their final
playoff game in Baltimore against the Oakland Raiders before moving to
Indianapolis in 1984. Although this weekend marks the third time the team has
returned to Baltimore since the move, it's the first time they'll be the
visiting team in a playoff game there. For some, fans and former players, such
as Bruce Laird, who grabbed two interceptions as a safety for the Colts in that
1977 playoff game, emotions still run deep. "We got
cheated out of our heritage," Laird said. "The Indianapolis Colts
should have started their own history. What happened in Baltimore belongs in
Baltimore, but the NFL is a huge business. It’s a shame." Aaron Wilson at
our Ravens site provides this
unique perspective on Saturday's game here.
Quotable: "They’re a little different
and we’re a little different. They weren’t quite sure what kind of football
team they were at that time and I think they know what kind of team they are
now. And we’re a little bit different just with the quarterback
situation." -- Eagles head coach Andy Reid on this weekend's
Philadelphia-New Orleans matchup. Scout.com
subscribers can read his entire press conference at our Eagles site.
Odds are... Dale Lolley at our Steelers
site gives you the odds-on
favorites and longshots as he evaluates the different head coach candidates
that could take over in Pittsburgh.
No idea: After suffering their sixth consecutive playoff defeat,
the Chiefs were still struggling to come to grips with what transpired with
their offense at the RCA Dome against the Colts last Saturday. "I have no
idea. I'm puzzled too," Edwards said after the game. But one player,
running back Larry Johnson says he wasn't surprised. "I knew what was going
to happen," he said. Read
more about it in this report at our Chiefs site.
Hits and misses: Craig Massei at our 49ers
site gets fans ready for a big free agency splash in 2007 by taking a look at
the 24 free agents the team has signed over the last two seasons and how they've
fared so far. Scout.com
subscribers can check it out here.
The wrong message: Rich Passan at our Cleveland site believes that the
team has sent the wrong message
to the fans by retaining head coach Romeo Crennel. "By retaining
Crennel, they are telling you they are headed in the right direction. They are
telling you the 6-10 and 4-12 seasons Crennel put up are the right direction.
They are telling you that the lousy football you’ve endured the past two
seasons are aberrations," he says. "It has become abundantly clear
that Randy Lerner, Phil Savage & Co. have lowered the bar."
 |
| Jets RB Curtis Martin (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) |
Hanging up his cleats: Our Jets site is
reporting that running back Curtis Martin knows that his bone-on-bone condition
in his right knee is going to end his career. "I’ve come to grips
with the fact that my career is probably over," said Martin on Monday.
"As I said, I’m grateful that I put in my all and I put my heart out on
the field. I’ve done everything I can to help my team win games and at the end
of the day, that’s something I can leave the game with; no regrets." Get
the full story about Martin and his plans here.
Lazy Ben? Jim Wexell provides Scout.com
subscribers with a position-by-position look at the state of the team as
they look towards free agency and the draft with some interesting insider
insight. "Ben Roethlisberger ended his worst pro season by promising to
work harder with his receivers this off-season and to have a better
understanding of the offense," Wexell says. "That statement, following
the last home game, was the first acknowledgement by Roethlisberger that rumors
of his lazy work habits might be true."
The true cost of T.O. : Jerry Jones faces an interesting decision this
offseason about the future of wide receiver Terrell Owens, who would be due a $3
million roster bonus in March. Jones becomes the latest owner who has now
experienced the disruption that Owens can cause a team and must balance that
against the the 88 catches and 13 touchdowns he contributed in 2006. After the
Cowboys lost to the Seahawks last weekend, linebacker Bradie James shared his
perspective, "It definitely took a toll on the team after a while ...
Coming into training camp, it was like a zoo. You got some high-profile people
on the team. All that went on. So much goes into that. It's been a long, long
season. A long season."
Chargers - Patriots Preview: Michael
Lombardo at our Chargers site provides some preliminary analysis of this
weekend's big matchup in San Diego. "A quick look back at the
last couple of meetings between these squads gives Chargers fans reason to be
optimistic," he says. "In 2005, the Chargers won in New England 41-17,
ending the Patriots 21-game home winning streak. The teams also met in 2002,
when the Chargers beat the then-defending Super Bowl Champions 21-14 in San
Diego. In those two games, Tomlinson ran for over 350 yards and scored four
touchdowns." Scout.com
subscribers can read his entire report here.
Jax looking to air it out: In a move that clearly indicates that
they will try to balance their offense with a more effective passing game in
2007, the Jaguars named Dirk Koetter the team's offensive coordinator. Koetter
has spent the last nine seasons as a head coach in the collegiate ranks,
including six with Arizona State where his team just made its third consecutive
bowl appearance in 2006. But most importantly for the Jaguars, Koetter's Sun
Devils averaged nearly 30 points per game over the last six seasons and was
ranked in the top 20 in the nation in passing offense during five of his six
seasons. The team also announced the hiring of Joe DeCamillis as special teams
coordinator, who directed the Falcons' special teams from 1997-2006 and 19 years
of experience coaching in the NFL.
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