Raiders davis super in al davis oakland raiders

Raiders managing general partner Al Davis turned 79 on July 4. It’s no
secret that he doesn’t move around as well as he once did, but he
still approaches each season as if it is yet another opportunity for
his beloved Raiders to win the Super Bowl. This season is no different
from any of his previous 45 since he joined the Raiders in 1963.

To that end, Davis tapped into the resources made more plentiful by
the recent sale of a percentage of the franchise and made his annual
push to bring back greatness to a Raiders team that has lost 61 of 80
games the past five seasons.

“The old man is tired of losing,” a person in the front office said
early in training camp. “If the Raiders lose, it won’t be because of
money. He wants that old feeling back.”

Davis was 54 the last time the Raiders won a Super Bowl and he
experienced the euphoria that fuels his desire to push on year after
year. The Raiders are 185-198 in the 24 seasons since the Raiders last
hoisted the Lombardi Trophy.

So it was that Davis authorized huge contracts for defensive tackle
Tommy Kelly, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, running back Justin Fargas,
wide receiver Javon Walker, offensive tackle Kwame Harris, strong
safety Gibril Wilson, cornerback DeAngelo Hall and running back Darren
McFadden within the past eight months.

You can’t turn back time, but you can turn around a team’s fortunes in
today’s NFL in short order. The precedent is there.

went from 7-9 in 1997 to 14-2 and a Super Bowl berth in one season.
The St. Louis Rams jumped from 4-12 in ’98 to 13-3 and Super Bowl
champions the next season. The New England Patriots went from 5-11 in
2000 to 11-5 and winners of the Super Bowl the ensuing campaign.

In other words, the Raiders see hope where others might see the
makings of a sixth straight disastrous season.

Davis’ thirst for a return to glory is palpable. It spews forth in
get-to-know-you meetings with players such as Wilson.

“Oh, yeah, I know he would love that,” Wilson said, when asked how
much it means to Davis for the Raiders to win a fourth Super Bowl. “He
would love to get one more.

“I know I’m trying my hardest to get him one, and I know the defense
is. I know that everybody in this organization is trying to win one
for him. “… He’s tired of losing, the city is tired of losing, and
we have to get back on that winning track.”

However, the Raiders likely are going to get only as far as
quarterback JaMarcus Russell, 23, and McFadden, 21, take them —
neither player was yet born the last time the Raiders won a Super
Bowl.

“The way it is set up right now with how much that you pay the rookies
and you invest so much in them, they have to be such a big focus,”
Kiffin said of his wunderkind.

To that end, Kiffin will rely upon Russell, a second-year player, and
McFadden, a rookie, a great deal, with running back Justin Fargas and
tight end Zach Miller being the other key offensive players.

Defensively, the Raiders moved Kelly from right end to fill the void
created by the retirement of tackle Warren Sapp, traded for Hall,
signed Wilson from the Super Bowl champion New York Giants and
increased the responsibilities of pass-rushing end Derrick Burgess.

Another reason for optimism is a schedule that features only one game
within the first 12 — vs. the San Diego Chargers on Sept. 28
— against a team that posted a winning record last season.

In the end, the Raiders might be right back where they were at the end
of the past five seasons, wondering where things went wrong, thinking
how things can’t get any worse, and waiting for Davis’ next move.

“We really can with the guys that we have on offense and defense,”
Russell said. “Things are looking pretty good for us. I hope it turns
around.”

Notes: The Raiders confirmed the signing of wide receiver Ashley Lelie
on Tuesday. They released veteran defensive tackle William Joseph to
make room for Lelie on the 53-man roster. … The agent for free-agent
receiver Chad Jackson said his client was scheduled to visit the
Raiders on Tuesday. Jackson was released by the Patriots on Sunday. A
Raiders official said he was unaware of Jackson’s presence at the
Raiders’ facility in Alameda. … Davis chartered a jet so that 11
people with past or present Raiders ties could attend the memorial
service for NFL players union chief and former Raiders guard Gene
Upshaw in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. The following people
represented the Raiders: Davis’ wife, Carole, Clem Daniels, Otis
Sistrunk, Morris Bradshaw, Tom Flores, Rod Martin, Willie Brown,
George Atkinson, Raymond Chester, Art Thoms and Jack Tatum.

The al davis raiders walker offseason kiffin

(09-06) 16:13 PDT — Call Javon Walker overweight during the
offseason, and the Raiders’ wide receiver won’t mutter a word. Say he
tried to quit in the middle of training camp, and he won’t dispute the
point. Wonder out loud what really happened when he got robbed and
beaten in Las Vegas, and he turns a deaf ear.

Tell Walker he has something to prove this season, and those are
fighting words. The way he sees it, criticism coming from fans, media
and coaches – former and current alike – is unwarranted and unfounded
on every level.

“They don’t look at stuff realistically,” Walker said. “I say it so
ya’ll can write about it and they can read it.

“If Lane (Kiffin) wants to be hard on me, that’s fine because I’ve
always had coaches be hard on me. I know what I can do. Shoot, he seen
me on tape. He seen me in full effect last year.”

Walker is referring to when he ripped the Raiders with eight catches
for 101 yards in a Week 2 game at Denver. That gave Walker 220
receiving yards in two weeks.

The performance caught the attention of Raiders owner Al Davis. It
served as a genesis to Davis personally negotiating the deal – six
years, $55 million, $16 million guaranteed – that brought Walker to
Oakland.

That’s also the last time Walker played a game with healthy knees. He
underwent surgery two weeks later and rushed back to catch seven
passes in the final five games.

Ever since then, Walker believes people have wrongfully questioned his
knees, his talent and his mind. Never mind that he admits to trying to
retire last month, only for Davis to talk him into staying. Forget two
knee surgeries in three years, and how Broncos coach Mike Shanahan
suggested microfracture surgery was in his future.

Walker said he is misunderstood. When the lights are on, everyone will
see that the old No. 84 is back, even if he doesn’t think he has to
show anyone anything after seven NFL seasons with two 1,000-yard
seasons and one Pro Bowl appearance.

“It’s funny when you’re listening and you’re reading … last year
wasn’t a down year,” Walker said. “I was third in the league in
receptions and yards but I got hurt. I think people forget that. It’s
not like a decreased talent or your plays have dropped.

“Maybe it wasn’t productive in other people’s eyes as far as catching
the ball, but it was productive in getting other people open, being
there as a decoy.”

Kiffin demands more than a decoy, especially at these prices. Walker
was signed to be the No. 1 receiver for quarterback JaMarcus Russell,
who needs a downfield threat to match his strong right arm.

Kiffin has been brutally honest about Walker, and sometimes just plain
brutal, going back to the start of organized team activities.

“Javon has had a tough offseason,” Kiffin said. “He was heavy during
the offseason. His altercation in Las Vegas and then coming back. And
then he has missed some practices due to injury. So it has not been a
very good offseason.”

Walker said he wasn’t overweight, that he has been 220 pounds in
offseason training his entire career. He wonders why that’s such a
problem now, and why no one talked to him about if before going public
with any concerns.

He remains just as put-off at how the Broncos treated him. He doesn’t
think the team diagnosed his knee injury correctly and that the
Broncos didn’t appreciate the way he returned from surgery last year
and played hurt – all to help the team win games.

Shanahan refused to talk about Walker in a phone interview, saying,
“Well, I’m not going to go getting into those types of details. I just
wish Javon the best and, uh, leave it at that.”

“I think he felt like he was kind of pushed out,” Broncos quarterback
Jay Cutler said. “He feels like he has something to show this team, so
I’m sure we’ll get his best shot.”

Walker hopes so. He has been limited in practice all week with a
slight hamstring pull but practiced at full speed Saturday and is
expected to start Monday night.

Briefly:Darren McFadden practiced as a kick returner last week.
Johnnie Lee Higgins is the starting kick returner but Kiffin said
McFadden remains an option. … Defensive end Kalimba Edwards, who
plays on passing downs, practiced Saturday for the first time all week
after injuring his groin. He is expected to play Monday night.

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Al davis raiders’s millen ford team

Detroit Lions owner William Clay Ford Sr., the grandson of automobile
tycoon Henry Ford, likes to stay in the background.

That’s why it wasn’t surprising that when Ford finally fired Lions
general manager Matt Millenlast week, he didn’t hold a news
conference. Ford simply issued a statement saying, “I believe that
this decision is in the best interest of this organization.”

Nobody would argue with that statement, which came two days after
Ford’s son, William Clay Ford Jr., said he’d fire Millen if he had the
authority to do it.

The problem was hiring Millen in 2001 and sticking with him all these
years as the Lions posted a 31-84 record.

In this age of parity – or maybe it should be called mediocrity – it’s
not easy to lose that many games. But Millen, a former player and
broadcaster, was totally unqualified for the job.

Former coach Steve Mariucci said on the NFL Network: “Keep in mind, he
had never been a coach, never been a scout, and never had any
management experience at all. He didn’t have the background or
qualifications to jump into personnel nor take the time and interest.”

One of many Millen’s mistakes was hiring Mariucci to be his head coach
in 2003. Mariucci was fired 11 games into the 2005 season after
posting a 15-28 record.

The unanswered question is why Mariucci decided to work for Millen in
the first place, but coaches have trouble passing up jobs.

Millen replaced Mariucci, an offensive coach, withRod Marinelli, a
defensive coach. That was an example that Millen never seemed to have
a philosophy for what kind of team he wanted.

And then there were all the bad draft picks, notably quarterback Joey
Harrington and wide receiver Charles Rogers at No. 2 and No. 3 in 2002
and 2003, respectively.

Millen was so unpopular in Detroit that fans honked their horns as
they drove by the Lions’ facility to celebrate when the firing was
announced.

The problem, though, is that while Millen is gone, Ford remains.
Unless he sells the team, the situation might remain almost hopeless
because Ford shows no sign of knowing how to pick the right people.

Instead of hiring Millen, Ford could have promoted Kevin Colbert, who
was on the Lions’ staff in 2000 when the Pittsburgh Steelers hired
him. All Colbert did was build the Steelers’ 2005 Super Bowl
championship team.

In the interim, Tom Lewand, chief operating officer, will run the
business side, and Martin Mayhew, the team’s assistant general
manager, will run the football side.

Lewand and Mayhew tried to put a positive spin on the situation and
said they weren’t giving up on this season. But the odds are that the
Fords will clean house at the end of the year and bring in a big name
like Bill Cowher to give the team some credibility.

Ford bought the team in 1964. The Lions have yet to win a title during
his tenure. They won three championships in the 1950s before he bought
them.

Lane Kiffin, who’s the Oakland Raiders’ coach on a week-to-week basis,
survived last week’s loss in Buffalo, but it’s only a matter of time
before ownerAl Davis fires him. Meanwhile, the Raiders continue to be
a soap opera.

In the latest episode, team official John Herrera got into a
confrontation with San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami during
a Kiffin news conference.

When Kawakami mentioned at the news conference that the Raiders were
distributing an anti-Kiffin column to reporters, Herrara started
screaming that the columnist was a liar and interrupted the news
conference. Cameras were rolling, and a clip of the incident is all
over the Internet.

Kawakami is no stranger to the madness surrounding the Raiders. When
Kiffin was hired, Kawakami questioned the coach’s lack of experience.
So Davis asked Kawakami who Deng Xiaoping was. Kawakami was puzzled
about how that was relevant. But when Davis pressed the matter,
Kawakami said he was the General Secretary of the Chinese government
during the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Davis replied: “But what can you tell me about him other than that?
See? You don’t even know anything about your own culture.”

When a team makes a mistake signing a free agent, officials don’t tend
to blame themselves for a bad signing. They blame the player for not
performing up to expectations.

The latest example is Miami Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland, who publicly
knocked former Jaguars wide receiver Ernest Wilford last week.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Ireland said, “We
actually need him [Wilford] to step up more. Yeah, I’m disappointed,
to be honest with you.”

The Dolphins believed Wilford would be a starter and gave him $6
million in guaranteed money, but he was demoted after dropping passes
during the preseason and has one catch for 15 yards.

Although Wilford wasn’t noted for dropping passes with the Jaguars, he
doesn’t have the speed to be a big-play receiver, and the Jaguars
weren’t willing to pay him what the Dolphins did. Since Jacksonville
had plenty of salary-cap room, that should have been a red flag for
Miami.

Since the St. Louis Rams are 0-3 this season and 3-16 over the last
two years, it’s not surprising that coach Scott Linehanbenched Marc
Bulgerfor Trent Green. It’s a panic move, but Linehan is in danger of
losing his job.

Running backSteven Jackson said on his radio show, “He’s [Bulger] our
general,” and the team shouldn’t bench him after giving him a $65
million contract extension before the 2007 season.

Another player who does is wide receiver Torry Holt, who said he was
“shocked” by the move and said he apologized to Bulger because the
receivers didn’t do more for him.

Bulger declined to comment, but he doesn’t have to say anything.
Things can’t get much worse for the Rams.

“I can’t think of a worse night I had after a ballgame since the loss
in Foxborough in ’03.” – Indianapolis Colts GM Bill Polian complaining
about the officials’ calls during a loss to the Jaguars last Sunday.

Follow Times-Union sports editor Chet Fussman through a typical day in
the craziness of the sports department.

The Florida Times-Union and Ultimate Jaguars are our trademarks.
Ultimate Jaguars is an online publication of The Florida Times-Union
and is neither affiliated with nor endorsed by the Jacksonville
Jaguars or the National Football League.

Al davis raiders’s season rams coach

UPDATED (10:10 a.m.)… The St. Louis Rams have fired Scott Linehan as
their coach. The team has confirmed the move and a news conference is
scheduled for today at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Linehan will be replaced
on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, formerly the
head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

“I have enormous respect for Scott Linehan as a person and believe
under the right circumstances he will be regarded one day as a fine
head coach,” Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom said in a written statement.
“Unfortunately, the situation with the Rams as they exist today is no
longer acceptable and we have to make a change. “We do this with a
heavy heart, and we thank Scott for his efforts and dedication on
behalf of the Rams. “By appointing the well-respected Jim Haslett as
our head coach, we are making an interim move that we hope will make
the Rams winners again.” The move was expected after Sunday’s loss to
the Buffalo Bills dropped the Rams’ record to 0-4 this season and 3-17
since the beginning of last season. Rosenbloom recently had promised
to make changes if the team’s play didn’t improve, and Linehan
appeared to lose the support of his players. He benched quarterback
Marc Bulger last week in favor of Trent Green, and running back Steven
Jackson criticized the move on a radio show. There also was talk that
Linehan was at odds with wide receiver Torry Holt, producing
speculation that he might be trying to trade Holt. Linehan had a
record of 11-25 with the Rams. He went 8-8 in 2006 in his rookie
season as an NFL head coach. But the Rams now have surrendered 30 or
more points in seven straight games dating back to last season and
have been outscored, 147-43, in four games this season. It was the
second straight season with a slow start for the Rams. They began 0-8
last season. The Rams’ losing streak dating to last season is eight
games. They rarely have been even competitive in games: They’ve been
outscored by 26 points per game this season and by 14 points per game
since the start of last season. This season, they rank 30th in the
league in total offense and next to last in total defense. The Rams
are beginning their bye week. Haslett gets a promotion despite
overseeing the NFL’s 31st-ranked defense. He was chosen by the club’s
decision-makers after they reportedly also gave consideration to
offensive coordinator Al Saunders. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch
reported that there was consideration given to keeping Linehan for the
rest of the season and hiring former Rams coach Dick Vermeil as a
consultant, but those ideas were rejected. The decision reportedly was
made overnight in a meeting involving Rosenbloom and other high-
ranking team officials. An online poll by the Post-Dispatch conducted
Sunday night found that 92 percent of respondents thought Linehan
should be fired. The newspaper also reported that there will be
changes made to the team’s front office after the season. One of
Haslett’s first decisions will be whether to reinstate Bulger as the
starter at quarterback. Bulger signed a six-year, $65 million contract
extension last year, and his play apparently was not regarded as the
team’s main problem within the locker room. Holt recently said
publicly that the club’s offensive line had to improve its play or
Bulger would not last the season. Jackson said on the radio late last
week that Bulger was the team’s leader and it made no sense to sit
down a quarterback after giving him such a hefty contract. Linehan’s
switch to Green failed to provide a spark. Haslett was the Saints’
head coach between the 2000 and 2005 seasons and had a record of
45-51. He led the Saints to the playoffs in the 2000 season. He was
fired after the team went 3-13 in 2005, the season in which it was
displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. The question is
whether it will be a two-firing Monday. The Oakland Raiders also could
dismiss their coach, Lane Kiffin. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan might
replace him. There have been reports for weeks that Raiders owner Al
Davis was about to fire Kiffin. The two have been at odds since the
offseason, when Davis reportedly tried to get Kiffin to resign but
Kiffin refused. The only thing keeping Kiffin in his job then, it
seemed, was that he didn’t want to resign and forfeit future salaries,
while Davis didn’t want to fire him and pay future salaries. Now it’s
possible that Davis will oust Kiffin and maintain that Kiffin violated
his contract and isn’t owed those salaries. The Raiders are 1-3 and
firing a coach after four games wouldn’t be completely new to Davis.
In 1989, he fired Mike Shanahan as his coach four games into the
season and replaced him with Art Shell. The Raiders went 4-12 last
season in Kiffin’s rookie season as a head coach. In the offseason,
Kiffin reportedly wanted to fire Ryan but Davis blocked the move.
There were reports that wide receivers coach James Lofton was hired
without Kiffin’s input, although the Raiders denied that. The Raiders
made a series of expensive player moves, raising expectations for this
season despite the fact that they’re starting young quarterback
JaMarcus Russell. The troubles of the offseason intensified when
Kiffin said after a poor defensive performance in a season-opening
loss to the Denver Broncos that Ryan and Davis collaborate on the
defensive game plans. Ryan came to Davis’s defense, saying publicly
that he–not the owner–is in charge of the defense. That seemed to
reinforce Ryan’s loyalty to Davis and underscore the point that he’s
in line to succeed Kiffin. If Davis doesn’t give the job to Ryan, it
could go to Lofton, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp or running backs
coach Tom Rathman. The Raiders also employ former coach Paul Hackett
as a scout. The Raiders, like the Rams, have a bye next weekend.

Why dont the Rams package Stephan Jackson and Marc Bulger and trade
for a good QB. If they did that they should be able to get an elite QB
like Peyton Manning or Donavon McNabb.

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The al davis picture kiffin season davis

Take this offseason for example. The defensive coordinator was fired
until the owner said he wasn’t. The head coach wanted to be fired and
the owner wanted him to resign, so Lane Kiffin ended up back for a
second season. Former players criticized the franchise as soon as they
landed with other teams. And the $55 million wide receiver got beat up
and robbed in Las Vegas, then wanted to retire in training camp before
being talked out of it by the owner.

This type of dizzying string of events has become so familiar around
owner Al Davis’ once-proud franchise that players have learned to tune
it all out.

“I tried to stay off the Internet and just in my experience here, with
all the things that have gone on, I really don’t listen to the talk or
what people expect or anything like that,” said running back Justin
Fargas, entering his sixth year in Oakland. “I just try to concentrate
on what I can do to improve as a player. That’s not going to change,
this is my approach.”

That approach might not be easy this season as the feud between Kiffin
and Davis that became public in January has simmered all offseason and
into training camp.

It began almost as soon as last season ended, with reports that
defensive coordinator Rob Ryan had been fired over a philosophical
difference with Kiffin. That was followed by a statement from the team
that Ryan in fact would be staying, as Davis made it clear that he did
not want to let his defensive coordinator go.

A few weeks later, came the reports that Kiffin asked to be fired if
he couldn’t pick his coaching staff and Davis responded by sending his
coach a letter of resignation to sign.

The game of chicken ended with both sides blinking and Kiffin coming
back for a second season despite a strained relationship with his
owner.

“We have a working relationship, and I think we have the same goal,
and that’s to get this team to win,” Kiffin said.

Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, left, is back for a second season despite a
strained relationship with owner Al Davis.

But if the team’s poor record the past five seasons and the comments
from former Raiders this offseason are any indication, nothing is
working in Oakland.

Warren Sapp told the St. Petersburg Times his time with the Raiders
was as “dark as a black hole.” Chris Carr said it was difficult to win
in Oakland because there was “so much other stuff going on there.”
Stuart Schweigert talked about “a thousand-pound bear” being lifted
off him when he was released by the team, and Jerry Porter said being
a Raider had become a “burden.”

“What they’re discussing, I can’t change, so that subject is what it
is,” Kiffin said. “I control what I can control and get us as good as
we can get with what I can control. I don’t have control of that.”

That’s been Kiffin’s mantra all summer as he has questioned the team’s
personnel decisions, which have always been under Davis’ purview.

Kiffin has been especially critical of receiver Javon Walker, calling
him out of shape during offseason workouts and singling him out for
much of camp. The $55 million contract given to Walker this offseason
was part of a big spending spree by Davis as he hopes to win his first
Super Bowl in a quarter century.

But Walker’s tenure has been marred by the robbery in Las Vegas in
June and then his desire to retire early in training camp. Davis
talked him out of it, but Kiffin has remained critical of his
receiver’s performance.

Davis has not spoken to reporters this summer, leaving Kiffin as the
public voice of the franchise. But it’s clear Kiffin has been trying
to distance himself from some of the moves the team made. It remains
to be seen if all this talk will cost Kiffin his job before the season
even ends.

Davis has only fired a coach during the season once before, getting
rid of Mike Shanahan in 1989, four games into his second season. With
a bye after Week 4 this season, Kiffin could be in danger of following
Shanahan if Oakland doesn’t get off to a quick start.

“When you take this job you realize who the owner is and you realize
most guys don’t last really long so that is what it is,” Kiffin said.
“If you sit there and worry about that and you think about that you’re
not doing the best that you can for your team.”

Coaching longevity has been rare around the Raiders. Since the team
returned from Los Angeles in 1995, Jon Gruden is the only coach to
last more than two seasons.

Joe Bugel and Art Shell each were fired after only one season, while
Mike White, Bill Callahan and Norv Turner each got two years on the
job.

That revolving door has helped keep the Raiders in a downward spiral
since they lost the Super Bowl to Gruden and Tampa Bay 48-21 in
January 2003.

Oakland has a 19-61 record since that game, the fewest wins in the NFL
in that span. It’s even a worse record than the first five seasons of
any of the past four expansion teams, which is remarkable considering
the slide started with a Super Bowl roster.

It took until midway through Davis’ 17th season with the Raiders for
the team to lose as many games as it has lost in the past five.

There was Callahan calling his players “the dumbest team in America”
in 2003, linebacker Bill Romanowski smashing teammate Marcus Williams’
face with a punch in practice earlier that season, Randy Moss quitting
on his team during his two-year stint in Oakland, and Shell benching
and then suspending Porter for insubordination.

“A lot of my friends and family are Oakland fans, so I don’t want to
have to listen to the negative talk,” said safety Gibril Wilson, who
left the Super Bowl champion Giants to sign with Oakland in the
offseason. “It’s just very important to just get back to winning, to
get back to the Oakland mystique, the silver and black. … That’s
what we need to get back to.”

The tim brown nfl holt going season

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Rams wide receiver Torry Holt embraces the
challenge of going against one of the NFL’s best secondaries in the
opening game of the season.

Holt and the rest of the Rams’ receivers will be put to the test on
Sunday by a Philadelphia Eagles secondary that includes a trio of big-
time cornerbacks and perennial Pro Bowl free safety Brian Dawkins.

“Big challenge,” Holt said. “You know I was talking to (Rams
cornerback) Ron Bartell throughout the course of practice, and we got
on the subject of Philly’s defensive backs. They are a good secondary.
A group that has been together for a while, so they are going to
challenge you. They are going to get in your face and they are going
to hit you.

“At the same time, they are going to pressure you and see how you are
going to handle the pressure out there in Philly with that loud crowd.
We definitely have to have our head up, ears pointed and eyes focused
in on what is going on.”

The Eagles also brought in cornerback Asante Samuel, signing the
former New England Patriot and one of the prize free agents of 2008 to
a six-year, $57 million deal, during the offseason. They also have
cornerback Sheldon Brown and cornerback Lito Sheppard, a Pro Bowl
selection in 2005 and 2007 who is unhappy after losing his starting
job to Brown and failing to receive a new contract.

“Samuel was a Pro Bowl guy,” Holt said. “Brown is a press guy who
likes to get in your face and can run and will challenge you at the
line of scrimmage.

“Sheppard has his little contract dispute, so he’s going to be a
little angry. We have to be leery of that. He’s going to come out and
probably take a shot at a couple of guys. That’s cool, but it will be
a challenge all the way around.”

Holt said Dawkins, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, anchors the
secondary from his spot at free safety.

“Dawkins, I think, is the spearhead of that defense, point blank,”
Holt said. “We have our hands full.”

After enduring the disappointing 2007 season and a long offseason,
Holt is ready to get the 2008 season started.

“I hate to go back to last year, but it was a long year,” Holt said.
“The offseason was pretty long, a new coaching staff, getting things
changed, like Al (Saunders) was saying, changing the culture of how we
do things.

“It is a process, but guys worked hard through OTAs and they worked
hard through training camp and here we are. Hopefully, things will pay
off for us.”

Asked what he was expecting from the Rams this season, Holt said he
was going to reserve comment until after the team’s season opener.

“We’ll see on Sunday,” Holt said. “I’m not saying I don’t have a feel
for the team, that’s not it. This is a new team, new guys, new
coaching system, new feel, new confidence. We still don’t know.

“Preseason kind of gives you a little bit of a gauge of who you are,
but it’s still not the real thing. When the bullets start flying, you
start to see everybody’s true colors.”

Holt, who was nagged by a balky knee last season, said he felt healthy
going into the season opener.

“I feel cool, I feel good,” Holt said. “I feel a lot better than what
I did last year at this time. Last year, Week 1, I got myself ready,
but there was still a little bit of uncertainty. I didn’t know quite
how I was going to hold up.

“This year I feel a little more confident … way more confident than
I felt last year.”

Holt has eight consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. If he gets
1,000 yards this season, he’ll tie Tim Brown for the second most in
NFL history, and he’ll be only two 1,000-yard seasons behind record
holder Jerry Rice.

Asked if he had thought about changing his name like Cincinnati’s Chad
Johnson, who will be officially called ” Chad Ocho Cinco,” which
stands for his uniform No. 85 in Spanish,

“My name is Torry Jabar Holt,” Holt said. “I’ll let Chad handle that
department, and I’ll play and try to help my football team win some
games.”

Season rick gosselin in tim brown career stats

Dallas Morning News pro football columnist Rick Gosselin answered
questions in a live chat on dallasnews.com on Sept. 4.

From e-mail: What team has the best chance to challenge the Cowboys
for the NFC East crown?

Rick Gosselin: As I was making my way through NFL training camps the
first part of August, I was of the belief the three best teams in the
NFC may be in the East: Dallas, Philadelphia and New York. The Giants
have since lost their best defensive player, DE Osi Umenyiora. That
gives the Eagles a leg up in the challenge of the Cowboys in the East.
Four teams ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense last
season: Dallas, Indianapolis, New England and Philadelphia. Only the
Eagles failed to make the playoffs. The Eagles have been on a good/bad
cycle for the last three to four years. This year they are scheduled
to be good again. The Eagles whipped the Cowboys in Dallas last
December. Donovan McNabb enters the season healthy – something
he didn’t do last year. The Eagles are a very good football team.

From e-mail: Is this a make-or-break year for Vince Young? How much
help did he get in the off-season?

Rick Gosselin: On the positive side, Young is entering just his third
NFL season and he has a 17-11 record. So he’s been winning as he’s
been learning. His intangibles have kicked in from the start. On the
negative side, he’s only completing 57 percent of his passes in a
league that deamnds its quarterbacks be at plus-60 percent. He also
has thrown more interceptions (30) than touchdown passes (21). That
would scare me if I was relying on my offense – and my
quarterback – to win games. But Jeff Fisher has built a team to
win with defense. Young has played two seasons now without an elite
wide receiver and won’t have one again this year. But the Titans did
sign a veteran Pro Bowl TE in Alge Crumpler and he’ll make Young a
better quarterback. Young is not an accurate passer, but Crumpler is a
big target. He can catch bad throws. The speed of Chris Johnson out of
the backfield also will take some of the heat off Young. Make or break
year? Too early yet. As long as he’s winning, he’s fine.

Rick Gosselin: Not likely. Brett turns 39 this season. This is not the
same Brett Favre who won three consecutive MVP awards in the mid-
1990s. Favre found himself in a John Elway-type situation last season.
Elway had a superb defense and running back in 1997 when he won his
first Super Bowl. Elway didn’t have to carry the Broncos like he had
in the past. Favre also had a superb defense and running back in 2007.
He didn’t to make all the plays to win games like he had in the past.
The more you ask Favre to do, the more he tends to make mistakes. The
Jets, coming off a 4-12 season, are going to ask Favre to do a lot in
2008. He also leaves behind a blocking front in Green Bay that allowed
only 19 sacks last season for one that allowed 53 in New York. This
may take a couple of years and I’m not sure Favre is in it for the
long haul.

Packer Backer: How do you think Aaron Rodgers will do as the No. 1
quarterback in Green Bay?

Rick Gosselin: Continuing along with the answer above, Rodgers will
benefit playing on a team that can run the ball and play defense. The
Packers aren’t going to ask him to win games in this his first season
as an NFL starter. They’re going to ask him not to lose games. If the
Packers play defense like they did in 2007 and Ryan Grant takes the
next step as a running back, the Packers could again win the division.
But there are two to three games each season Favre could will the
Packers to victory. That may be the difference between a 13-3 finish
with Favre in 2007 and a 10-6 finish with Rodgers in 2008.

From e-mail: Is Zach Thomas a Hall of Famer? How much would playing on
a Super Bowl champion increase his chances?

Rick Gosselin: There are only nine middle linebackers in the Pro
Football Hall of Fame and eight of them won championships. Dick Butkus
is the only MLB without a ring. Is Zach Thomas one of the 10 best
middle linebackers in NFL history? Not in my book. Not yet anyway. If
he tacks on a couple more seasons in Dallas and wins a couple Super
Bowls, his case starts to glow. No question, championships enhance a
candidacy. But I can’t say that Thomas is better than Randy Gradishar,
Tommy Nobis and Mike Curtis – and none of them is in the Hall of
Fame.

Haz: What is your take on the Raiders? Will JaMarcus Russell be able
to step up and be an FL quarterback, even though his WR corp is thin?

Rick Gosselin: What I like about the Raiders is that they have built a
stable of running backs to keep the pressure off Russell as he learns
to play the position. Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas and Mike Bush
have the talent to give the Raiders a top five rushing attack. That
makes any quarterback better. Ask Troy Aikman and Terry Bradshaw. I
would not be surprised if the Raiders push for a wild-card spot this
season. A couple of teams come out of the blue each season. Why not
Oakland? I agree that Russell needs an elite WR to take the next step
as a quarterback. Too bad Randy Moss never bought into the program.
Put him on the roster right now and this is a playoff contender.

Rick Gosselin: I thought Bob Hayes should have made the Hall in 2004
the last time he was a senior candidate. The guy averaged 20 yards per
catch and a touchdown every 5.2 receptions. Productivity-wise, that
puts him in the upper 1 percent of all WRs who have ever lined up in
the NFL. He belongs in Canton before Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre
Reed – who all rank among the top five receivers in NFL history.
When I look at a player’s Hall of Fame credentials, I look at impact,
not statistics. Hayes changed the way the game is played with his
speed. To a man, the cornerbacks and defensive coaches I have spoken
with from the 1960s and 1970s said Hayes was the one receiver who
could give you a sleepless night. I was surprised he didn’t make it in
2004. I’d be shocked if he didn’t make it in 2009. The senior
committee of the Hall doesn’t bring many guys back around for a second
chance, but it felt Bob Hayes deserved it.

sam23105: What do you think of Shawn Merriman’s decision to play this
season? Do you think he is a good teammate or just plain dumb? Can he
make a serioius impact on the Chargers’ defense?

Rick Gosselin: Playing football is Merriman’s livelihood. The better a
player, the more he wants to play. I don’t think he wants to give up a
full season in the prime of his career. Few of the great ones do. I’m
not a doctor and I haven’t discussed his injury at length with anyone
out there. But I know this is a league that’s paranoid about injuries
and lawsuits. If the Chargers believed it was career-threatening, I’m
sure they would decree that Merriman not play. They haven’t done that
yet. The Chargers are a much better team and defense with Merriman on
the field than with him off the field. The Chargers also believe they
are a Super Bowl team this season. Not only does Merriman want to
play, he wants to be around for the potential party at the end of the
season. There’s a difference between playing through pain and playing
through an injury. I think both Merriman and the Chargers are smart
enough to know the difference.

Jeff: Do you think the Cleveland Browns will be as good this year as
they were last year? Could they make the playoffs?

Rick Gosselin: The Browns could be better than a year ago but finish
with a worse record. The Browns went 10-6 last season and didn’t make
the playoffs. They added two quality defensive tackles in Shaun
Rodgers and Corey Williams to improve the one deficient area of their
football team – run defense. But the schedule is markedly
tougher. The Browns must play the NFC East and the AFC South –
the two best divisions in the NFL. The AFC North winner might finish
with a 9-7 record. The Browns have the ability to be that team.

dallas08: Which player is most likely to make the best comback this
year: Larry Johnson or Marvin Harrison?

Rick Gosselin: Marvin Harrison is 36 years old. Larry Johnson is 28.
Harrison’s best seasons are behind him. The window of Johnson’s prime
is still open for two to three more years. Harrison also has an elite
receiver on the other side of the field in Reggie Wayne with whom he
must share the workload. I’d say Johnson. But he’ll need Brodie Croyle
to prove he can be an NFL quarterback or Johnson will be seeing 10-
and 11-man fronts.

joesambito: I am a big Patriots fan. I’m concerned about the
secondary, although I would not have given Asante Samuel the kind of
money the Eagles did. Do you think Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker,
etc. are dynamic enough for any issues the Pats have on the defensive
side of the ball?

Rick Gosselin: The best pass defense is a great pass rush. The
Patriots have a great pass rush. The addition of LB Jerod Mayo will
make the Patriots even more formidable up front. Can anyone name the
two starting cornerbacks on the 1985 Bears or the 1986 Giants? Those
team won with what’s up front. The Patriots can, too, in 2008. As long
as Brady and Co. are scoring 30 points a game, teams are going to have
to throw to catch up – which means Belichick can unleash the
pass rush. The Patriots were the most talented team in the NFL last
season and they remain so today.

Rick Gosselin: Win and they won’t be a problem. I was amused reading
all the stories last season about how Randy Moss and Terrell Owens had
become such good team players. When you win all your games, catch all
the passes and score all the touchdowns, it’s not hard to be a good
team player. Adversity on the field historically triggers the issues
off the field. As long as the Cowboys are winning, I wouldn’t expect
to hear a peep out of Johnson and Jones … or Owens, for that matter.

mbslax: What’s the deal with Cowboys WR Isaiah Stanback? Do you think
he can be the real deal?

Rick Gosselin: I’d feel better if the Cowboys had a more seasoned
receiver in the No. 3 hole on the depth chart. The Cowboys drafted
Stanback with the hope that he could become the next Antwaan Randle
El. But Stanback hasn’t been able to stay healthy long enough for us
to get a feel for his talent on the flank. Randle El was productive
right away.

Hamp: Do you think the Houston Texans will finally compete in the AFC
this year or are they looking at another losing season?

Rick Gosselin: The Texans are a good football team, a playoff
contender in any other division except the one they are in. You can’t
overtake Indianapolis in the AFC South until you overtake Tennessee,
then Jacksonville. I think the gap is closing on Tennessee. The Texans
have to turn last year’s 8-8 into this year’s 9-7, then go 10-6 in
2009. That’s a monumnetal task in that division.

StanF: What is the RB situation in Miami? Is Ronnie Brown going to be
the man or will it be Ricky Williams?

Rick Gosselin: Ricky Williams was the best player — at any position
– in the Miami camp this summer. Right now it’s his job to lose.
I liked Brown coming out of college, but he can’t stay healthy in the
NFL. Eventually, he’ll take the job back. But probably not this
season. He’s going to have to string 16 healthy games together to do
that. You know Parcells – he wants to see you on the field
producing before he’ll commit to a player.

DallasDomination: Are your surprised the Cowboys haven’t made a move
to get a WR? Who do you think is the best available?

Rick Gosselin: The receiver they should have taken was Dwayne Bowe
with the 22nd overall pick in the 2007 draft. But that’s the pick they
traded to Cleveland allowing the Browns to take Brady Quinn. If the
Cowboys had Bowe, they wouldn’t be in the predicament they are now.
Maybe they can get a troubled receiver into the season like the
Packers did in 1996 when they signed Andre Rison. But you’re not going
to find an impact player in the opening weekend of September who will
make you a markedly better team. Wade Phillips and Jerry Jones are
knocking on all the wood they can find that they can stay healthy on
the flank this season.

gyhs: Do you think Roy Williams will play like he did a few seasons
ago, at least well enough to ensure a spot with the Cowboys next
season?

Rick Gosselin: The closer Roy Williams plays to the line, the better
player he is. Every step he takes away from the line, a lesser player
he becomes. I was surprised Bill Parcells didn’t bulk him up and make
him a linebacker when he was implementing his 3-4 defense. We all know
what Roy Williams can – and cannot – do on the football
field. This is what makes great coaching – find a way to
maximize each player’s strengths and minimize weaknesses. We’ll see
how goods a coach Brian Stewart is this season.

casper: How do you see Redskins QB Jason Campbell performing this
year? Is he someone Cowboys fans should be worried about?

Rick Gosselin: Campbell is a young quarterback with the arm and brain
to be a good one, especially with the weapons the Redskins have given
him – two 1,000-yard rushers plus WRs Santana Moss, Antwaan
Randle El, Devin Thomas, Malcolm Kelly and TE Chris Cooley. The
Cowboys didn’t punt on Troy Aikman when he opened his career 0-11.
They surrounded him with better players and he quickly became a better
quarterback. That’s what the Redskins are doing with Campbell.

I’m going to wrap it up here, folks. I’ve got to get home and get
packed for Philadelphia this weekend. I enjoyed visiting with you and
look forward to another chat a few weeks down the road as we get into
the season. Enjoy the games this weekend.

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and be respectful of others.

The tim brown football mansfield cornell yards

Review Photo/BRIAN FEES Canton graduate Lucas Bailey runs toward the
endzone after recovering a fumble during a Sprint Football game
against Cornell on Saturday afternoon. The ball was ruled down where
Bailey recovered the fumble and Cornell went on to win the game 35-0.

MANSFIELD — Football is back at Mansfield University. The
Mountaineers kicked off their inaugural sprint football season with a
35-0 loss to Cornell University on Saturday.

While the outcome wasn’t what Mansfield fans wanted, that
didn’t dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm, which was 3,100
strong. The Mansfield University band was out in full force and
students were out in painted faces shouting chants of “DE-FENSE.”

In the game, Cornell used a strong offensive attack to score their
first touchdown on a one-yard run with 10:55 left in the first quarter
by quarterback Zak Dentes. After the extra point the Big Red took a
7-0 lead. On Mansfield’s first possession they direct snapped
the ball to running back and Canton graduate Lucas Bailey for no gain.
The Mounties would be forced to punt, though, after a three and out on
their first possession.

Cornell took their next possession in for a score with 4:18 left in
the opening quarter off a 25-yard touchdown pass for Dentes to wide
receiver Joshua Friedman, to give the Big Red a 14-0 lead after the
extra point.

Mansfield continued to struggle on offense as they couldn’t run
the ball and was forced to give up the ball again. Cornell took
advantage, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run by Elliot Corey with
13:12 on the clock in the second quarter to make it 21-0 Big Red.

While Mansfield’s offense struggled in the first half, the
Mounties still made some plays on special teams. One memorable one was
off a Mansfield punt that hit a Cornell play on the top of the helmet
and bounced straight. The Mounties recovered the fumble in Big Red
territory but couldn’t top off the big play with a score. Also,
starting Mansfield quarterback Danny Moss left the game in the first
half with a cut on his chin. He wouldn’t return to the game.

In the second half, Cornell took the energy out of the Mansfield crowd
with long drives for touchdown scores. D.J. Schiavetta scored a one-
yard rushing touchdown for the Big Red with 8:46 left in the third
quarter and Ryan Smith scored another rushing touchdown, this one five
yards, for Cornell with 1:55 left in the third to make it 35-0.

However, Paul Frederick got the crowd back in it for Mansfield with a
big hit on the Cornell punt returner late in the third quarter. That
hit spurred the Mountaineer defense that recovered two forced fumbles
in the fourth quarter, one on their own goal line, to keep Cornell off
the scoreboard. The Big Red defense, though, was too much for the
Mountie offense and kept them off the scoreboard for the entire game.

Mountie Coach Dan Davis said the outcome is what happens when juniors
and seniors face freshmen and sophomores, eluding to Cornell’s
heavy upperclassmen roster. “They dominated our lines” he stated, “I
could tell you technical reasons but their just bigger and stronger.”
Brown said that the Cornell coach has coached his linemen for two
years before they got on the football field while Mansfield has
players playing on the line for the first time.

Davis also said that their strong showing in the scrimmage against
Princeton may have given them a false sense of security against a
strong Cornell team. “Practices were not that crisp on Monday and
Tuesday,” Davis said, “and it showed on Saturday.”

Davis mentioned that the expectations coming in were low but said, “We
know were can play a lot better.” He stated, “We got a lot of good
little players.”

For next week against Pennsylvania University, which will be
Mansfield’s homecoming, Davis said that goal is to “try to get
better.”

In the game Mansfield had only 14 total yards on offense due to -58
yards rushing. They did post 72 yards passing on 11 completions with
28 attempts.

Starting Mounties quarterback Moss was six of 13 for 47 yards before
he went out with an injury. Back-up Sean Kenny was five of 14 for 25
yards and one interception. Mansfield’s leading rusher was Tyler
Ford with six yards on two carries. The leading Mansfield receiver was
Tyler Ford with four catches for 25 yards.

Cornell’s leading passer was Corey Elliot, who as five of eight
for 105 yards. Timothy Bruhn was the Big Red leading rusher with 50
yards on seven carries and Mike Brennan was their leading receiver
with five catches and 61 yards.

Bailey had three catches for 23 yard for the Mounties and returned
three punts for 45 yards with a long of 19 yards. He also had one
carry for no yards. Adam Breon, Mansfield High School graduate, had
one tackle for the Mounties,

Also on the Mansfield roster is Wyalusing graduate Ralph Dooley,
Mansfield graduate, Elijah Morgan, North Penn graduate Ryan Elder, and
Wellsboro graduate Jerred Keltz.

The football used on Mansfield’s first possession was the ball
used in Mansfield’s last game again Millersville in 2006.

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by our Web staff before appearing on the Web site.

Tim brown football’s quarterback uconn lorenzen

STORRS – — The Big East’s version of reigning Heisman Trophy
winner is … Tyler Lorenzen? Who believes that? “I do,” Louisville
coach Steve Kragthorpe said on a conference call Tuesday. Seriously,
Kragthorpe may be on to something in terms of how is using Lorenzen
lately.

“I really feel that way because he’s a big, strong, physical runner,”
said Kragthorpe, whose Cardinals host UConn Friday. “I saw him at the
media day and he looks like a daggone linebacker. He’s a big, strong,
physical player. They do a lot of things like Florida does to put the
ball in his hands and run the ball with him, some designed quarterback
runs that you normally don’t see outside of just the quarterback read
zone or quarterback draw. They’re running quarterback power …
quarterback counters. There’s definitely a designed run package for
Tyler, and they should because he’s a very, very good runner.”
Lorenzen scored the second and third rushing touchdowns of his career
against Baylor, a 7-yarder and 34-yard burst. He has 222 yards on 36
carries and figures to be an option for UConn coach to ease the burden
on Donald Brown in the running game. “Tim Tebow,” Lorenzen said
smiling. “Yeah, he’s pretty good, a little bigger than me, but if
running it is what I need to do, then I’ll do it, run it, whatever.
I’m just trying to be successful, lay it on the line every game for
the guys, knowing that there’s only a few snaps left. … It’s a
finite number. Just having fun and enjoying my senior year and busting
my tail for the guys.”
Tall Order

The UConn defense will see something unusual Friday — a 6-foot-8
wide receiver in Josh Chichester, a redshirt freshman who had four
catches for 55 yards and a touchdown last Wednesday against Kansas
State. UConn won’t start a defensive back taller than 6 feet. At
cornerback, Darius Butler is 5-10 and Jasper Howard is 5-9. The
safeties are 6-0. So how will the Huskies defend Chichester? “You have
to play good technique and help yourself so he doesn’t get over top of
you, and then … punch up through his hands as he tries to go and
catch the ball,” Edsall said.

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Going packers you’re in art

Published: Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 1:00 a.m. Last Modified:
Saturday, September 27, 2008 at 9:58 p.m.

TAMPA –
Any coach worth his Super Bowl trophy naturally plays to the strengths
of his team. So it is that Jon Gruden will have to incorporate the no-
huddle into the game plan now that Brian Griese has proven himself to
be the maestro of Tampa Bay’s hurry-up offense.

The flow of the game will dictate whether, or when, the Buccaneers
offense goes into the no-huddle today against the Green Bay Packers
(2-1), who will be well aware of the style against the Buccaneers
(2-1) at Raymond James Stadium.

The hurry-up, two-minute drill was a key component in Tampa Bay’s
10-point, fourth-quarter comeback and 27-24 victory over the Bears.

Today, touchdowns for the Buccaneers offense will be at a premium,
because the Packers defense is ranked No. 1 in red zone defense in the
NFL and Tampa Bay will once again be without its deep threat, injured
wide receiver Joey Galloway.

The no-huddle might work though, if the Buccaneers happen to fall
behind, because the Packers are sure to get tired in the second half,
in the humidity and mid- to high 80s temperature.

Gruden thrives on creating mismatches and certainly the no-huddle,
which does not allow any time for alignment adjustments, can confuse a
defense.

“That’s where you’re going to get some of those mismatches,” said Bucs
tight end John Gilmore. “Somebody is going to end up with a linebacker
on him.”

“First and foremost, you have to believe that you’re going to get the
job done — that you’re going to get your team in the end zone,”
Griese said. “The other thing is you have to be patient, to a certain
degree. A lot of guys will get into a situation and try to push the
ball down the field when it’s not really necessary.

“You have four downs to make 10 yards. I’ve always believed in my
career, that you just kind of get the first couple completions, get
going into a little bit of a rhythm. Then allow the defense to become
impatient, rather than the offense becoming impatient.”

“I don’t think you just come into the National Football League being
comfortable in (the two-minute drill). It’s something that you learn,
I think, over the years,” Griese said.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went into more detail of how a
quarterback has to run the no-huddle, which he did at the end of last
Sunday night’s Packers loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

“You want to get a play off every 15 seconds or so, to be effective
and not waste a lot of time,” Rodgers said. “You’re going to be tired,
you have to think clearly and still be able to make some plays.

“Communication is the first (requirement). Making sure we’re all on
the same page as far as what routes to run, the snap count and
possible adjustments at the line of scrimmage.”

“In some situations it makes it a little easier, you’re keeping the
defense out on the field, not letting them sub in and out,” said Bucs
center Jeff Faine. “You kind of get into a little bit of a rhythm. In
some instances, it can hurt, too. Defenders get in a rhythm, too. They
get the rhythm of the cadence, they get the rhythm of how you’re
calling the calls. It’s a double-edged sword.”

“It’s situational football,” said Packers coach Mike McCarthy. “That’s
something we definitely have to be prepared for.”

K Matt Bryant, who buried his infant son, Tryson, on Saturday, may not
kick for the Buccaneers.

Gruden is giving Bryant until today to decide whether he will be up to
returning so soon after such a personal tragedy.

Matthew Tryson Bryant, three months old, died on Wednesday morning
from a cause that has not been revealed. He did not respond to his
parents’ attempts to wake him.

If Bryant doesn’t play, backup S Sabby Piscitelli, who has kicking
experience, will serve as Tampa Bay’s placekicker.

WR Joey Galloway will miss his second straight game. He was unable to
return to practice this week from the foot injury he sustained in the
Falcons game two weeks ago.

CB Ronde Barber will find out how much he’ll be tested after getting
exposed and beaten for some big completions and a touchdown last week
against the Bears.

“We look at it the other way,” said Bucs defensive backs coach Raheem
Morris. “People are going to give him opportunities to make plays now.
Ronde can’t wait because somebody else is going to try an out-and-up
(route), (and) a fade ball and he’ll be there to make the play. If he
doesn’t, he’ll make the next one.”

The Packers (plus 4) are tied for second in the NFL in turnover
margin. The Bucs (-1) are tied for 19th, with the Saints, Chiefs,
49ers and Bengals.

Green Bay’s defense has allowed just 29 points and only two touchdowns
in nine red zone possessions.

This will be the first meeting between these teams in three years,
since then-rookie RB Carnell Williams ran for 158 yards in a 17-16
Bucs win in Green Bay.