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November 4, 2009 News Clippings

Pittsburgh Steelers

SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL

On the Steelers: Carter capable of filling in for ClarkWednesday, November 04, 2009 By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana

Steelers safety Tyrone Carter sacks Bears quarterback Jay Cutler during a 17-14 loss in Chicago Sept. 20.

Mike Tomlin has listed five possible Steelers to play free safety when they take the Mile High plunge Monday night in Denver, and if one of them is not named Ryan Clark the correct answer will be Tyrone Carter.

Somehow, the Steelers survived to an extent with Carter playing four games at strong safety for Troy Polamalu, so this assignment should not be quite as demanding. While Clark has been an important ingredient to a Steelers defense that dominated the NFL last season, he just is not Troy Polamalu.

Neither is Carter a Ryan Clark, but the fact is the Steelers' defense turns on its All-Pro strong safety, and Polamalu looked better in his second game than he did in his first back from a sprained knee ligament.

This ongoing story is intriguing more for the human interest part of it, the dilemma for Clark and the Steelers because of his health issues in Denver than it is over the effect his absence could have on the Steelers' defense. Clark has sickle-cell trait, and his blood reacted so poorly in the exertion of playing in the thin Denver air with the Steelers in 2007 that he became almost deathly ill after the game. He wound up having his spleen and gall bladder removed and missed the second half of the2007 season. Clark has received medical clearance to play Monday night, but has not made a decision.

As for the effect on Clark's possible absence, the Broncos are not a team that throws deep very often, as witnessed by quarterback Kyle Orton's yards-per-attempt of 7.00, which ranks 17th in the NFL. That compares with Ben Roethlisberger's 8.85, which ranks first. And for another, Polamalu will be on the field.

The way Dick LeBeau schemes defenses, the Broncos will have trouble even if they wanted to try to exploit the free safety because Polamalu could wind up there after the snap of the ball.

"I don't think they change too much because Troy will be out there," Carter said. "Still, it's predicated where Troy's at for the game plan on offense. That's the only thing I can think of. They still have to account for Troy."

Quarterbacks and their offenses have historically had trouble doing just that because Polamalu can move so quickly from onepart of the field to another at the snap of the ball. The Steelers' defense revolves around him.

"Ryan's a great safety who's a quarterback back there," Carter said. "He's usually the fail-safe guy, and they let Troy do his thing. Ryan makes sure they don't get behind us, and if they pop into holes he's there to make the tackle, and we line up and play again."

One thing that could take place is the communication between Clark and linebacker James Farrior.

"Yeah, it changes a little bit for me," Farrior explained. "He's the guy who's always making the calls with me. It seems like I have an extra voice out there. It will definitely affect how I'm going to be calling things. Being out there, I have to be more aware of situations and that he's not going to be back there echoing my call.

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"He knows it just like me, so he's calling it at the same time I'm calling it."

Two reasons Carter would start in Clark's place instead of Ryan Mundy, Deshea Townsend or Keiwan Ratliff -- all mentioned as possibilities by Tomlin -- are his experience playing safety and his ability against the run. Townsend has practiced and played safety the past two seasons, but at 5 feet 10 and 190 pounds is not the run-stopper that the 5-9, 195-pound Carter has been.

"If he doesn't play, that will be the challenge for me or Mundy," Carter said, "to make sure when we get an opportunity to bring him down we have to bring him down. I'm more strong safety than free safety, but I've been playing safety for years and I got accustomed to playing both."

Both Farrior and Carter believe the communication between them would be satisfactory.

"Yeah, I've been in this defense for six years and I know it in and out, which helps me a lot," Carter said. "So I don't have to be worried about what I'm doing. I know what they're doing around me.

"And playing with Troy, I know what Troy does and I have to make sure he gets the calls and line him up as well. That's the challenge for me and when the plays come, just make them."

For more on the Steelers, read the new blog, Ed Bouchette on the Steelers at www.post-gazette.com/plus. Ed Bouchette can be reached at [email protected].

Ed Bouchette's blog on the Steelers and Gerry Dulac's Steelers chats are featured exclusively on PG+, a members-only web site from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.

First published on November 4, 2009 at 12:00 am

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Bad NFL tackling stems from lack of practice

By The Associated Press Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Frank Gore runs right up the gut of the Indianapolis defense. Defensive back Jerraud Powers delivers a big body-blow, but Gore just bounces off and keeps on running, one of two broken tackles on the way to a 64-yard San Francisco touchdown.

Baltimore's Ray Rice catches a screen pass and is surrounded by four Cincinnati would-be tacklers — emphasis on "would-be." Rice's right hand touches the ground, but he keeps running right through the Bengals for a 48-yard score.

With the game on the line, Brandon Marshall outmaneuvers Ken Hamlin, Terence Newman and a few other Cowboys for a winning Denver touchdown in Dallas.

What's the deal? Don't these NFLers practice tackling anymore?

Uh, no. Not really. Go watch a professional football practice. You'll see passers passing, receivers receiving, punters punting and blockers blocking. Yet tackling, one of the game's essential skills and the punctuation mark to nearly every play, usually gets a miss.

"We teach tackling fundamentals," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said. "But there's no reason to tackle our own guys."

Instead, defensive players are taught not to tackle. They get right up to the ball carrier and hit the brakes, just missing him or giving him a little bump.

Make full contact, and coaches and teammates get upset. The Steelers' Hines Ward threw a fit last year when he felt safety Anthony Smith hit receiver Willie Reid during a drill. The Steelers have a tackling dummy named Big Bertha, but that's about as physical as it gets on most training camp days.

Sure, that keeps everybody healthy, but some Sundays can look pretty ragged. Many players get a chance to tackle at full speed only during exhibition games. It shows once the regular season begins.

"It shows a whole bunch," Redskins safeties coach Steve Jackson said. "That's one of the fundamental skills. A lot of people don't tackle now because of the salary cap. You lose a guy because of a tackling drill, you're the dumbest guy on the planet."

Page 1 of 3Bad NFL tackling stems from lack of practice - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

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Phillips says getting in position but not hitting is actually harder than tackling — and that it forces his Cowboys players to emphasize good technique. Jackson, after watching a poor Redskins tackling performance earlier this season, isn't fond of that theory.

"You train yourself to 'just miss,"' Jackson said. "And now (in a game) you have untrain yourself in a manner of split seconds."

There are some exceptions. Many teams have live tackling during specific short-yardage drills during camp, and, of course, there's usually at least one preseason scrimmage that gives the defenders a chance or two to bring someone down for real. Those moments, however, represent a small percentage of practice for most teams.

"Even if we are in full pads, you're not going to tackle a guy, you're going to 'thud him up,"' Miami defensive end Jason Taylor said. "You can never simulate what it's going to be like in a game because there's nothing else on the planet like an NFL football game. It's quick, fast, it's in a hurry, it's violent, and you can't simulate that during the week or else you'll have no one to play on Sunday."

Some coaches are more aggressive than others. Jets coach Rex Ryan had a handful of drills with live tackling this year, particularly late in camp. Josh McDaniels, unlike predecessor Mike Shanahan, also had a physical, tackle-heavy camp in Denver.

"If they're poor tacklers, then you end up with a lot of yards once the ball gets into the second level of the defense," McDaniels said. "You can eliminate a lot of big plays if you've got good tacklers."

It's noteworthy that Ryan and McDaniels are both first-year coaches and have yet to have a team decimated by injuries. San Diego coach Norv Turner used to have live tackling every day on running plays during his first camps as a young coach with the Redskins in the 1990s, but the line got so long in the trainers' room that he lightened up considerably as the years progressed.

Arizona defensive coordinator Bill Davis, an NFL assistant for nearly two decades, was asked why the Cardinals don't have regular live tackling in practice.

"You can't," Davis replied. "That would actually work against you, because the body can only take so many hits and the season's so long."

It hasn't always been this way. Training camp used to be about getting in shape and hitting hard. It was survival of the fittest.

"We had 130 guys, and you could practice for six weeks," Redskins coach Jim Zorn said, who spent much of his playing career with the Seattle Seahawks. "There were a lot of those kinds of scrimmages, we'd go live. But nowadays with 80 players and really the idea that you want to keep everybody as healthy



as you can, you have to limit that."

Then again, as Miami's Taylor pointed out, these aren't the old days.

"You just showed up for training camp, you smoked cigarettes at halftime, a lot of things were different back then," Taylor joked. "So, we don't do all that now. We don't tackle, but we don't smoke at halftime either."

Humor aside, there's no ready-made solution for the tackling woes. Practice it, and someone could get hurt. Don't practice it, and Sundays can be painful for a different reason. Defenders go for the big hit, but don't wrap up. They try to arm-tackle a big running back around the chest instead of the legs. They take bad angles — as if that "just miss" attitude from training camp was still in play.

Meanwhile, scoring is up in the offense-minded NFL, which to this day doesn't even count tackles as an official statistic. Offense remains the side of the ball that sells. Where would the wildcat be, for example, if the Dolphins were pounding their running backs into the turf on practice days?

That's not even a consideration for coach Tony Sparano, who has to answer to fans, an owner (Stephen Ross) and another demanding front office boss.

"You wouldn't feel too good about it if on Wednesday you took Ronnie Brown down in practice and he was out of the game," Sparano said. "I would have to do a lot of explaining to Mr. Ross and Bill Parcells at that point. I wouldn't want that conversation."

The Associated Press can be reached at or .

Images and text copyright © 2009 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from Trib Total Media



Timing is everything with Big Ben's sacks

By Mark Kaboly Daily News Sports Editor Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Maybe the offensive line isn't that bad after all.

For the past four years (including this season), the Steelers offensive line has come under heavy scrutiny for allowing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to be sacked time and time again.

The line gave up 49 sacks in 2006; 47 in 2007; 49 in 2009; and is on the pace to allow the franchise quarterback to hit the ground another 46 times this year.

Including the playoffs, Roethlisberger has been sacked 233 times since he came into the league in 2004. That's nearly three times a game over his 5 1/2-year career.

In that perspective, it is astonishing that Roethlisberger has missed only seven games in his career, including sitting out only one of the past 59 games. And that one wasn't due to injury; he sat out a meaningless Week 17 game in Baltimore in 2007.

At least for this season, Roethlisberger has nobody to blame about the sacks but himself.

As a rule, if a quarterback holds onto the ball for three seconds or less, he isn't likely to get sacked. Anything more than three seconds, and there is a good chance a quarterback will be taken to the ground.

Knowing that, very few of the 20 sacks against Roethlisberger have been the offensive line's fault.

Roethlisberger acknowledges that freely almost on a weekly basis.

"I tell them that those sacks are on me and don't worry about it," Roethlisberger said.

Based on when the ball is snapped until he is wrapped up but not necessarily on the ground, only four of Roethlisberger's 20 sacks this season have come in three seconds or less. Those sacks occurred in an average of 2.2 seconds.

The other 17 sacks have been Roethlisberger's fault almost exclusively as he had gotten 4.5 seconds to throw before being taken down.

Page 1 of 3Timing is everything with Big Ben's sacks - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Overall, Roethlisberger has had an average of 4.2 seconds to throw the ball before settling for a sack this season.

"Live by the sword, die by the sword," Roethlisberger always says.

That is the truth.

Roethlisberger's ability to buy himself time and make plays downfield attributes to most of the sacks. But when he doesn't make a play, it is likely a sack.

Roethlisberger held onto the ball for an astonishing 9.1 seconds in the first series of the year against Tennessee before getting sacked by Jason Jones. He tried to escape a couple of San Diego Chargers in Week 4 before getting sacked by Larry English 6.5 seconds after the snap.

Against Cleveland, Roethlisberger scrambled out of pressure and, instead of throwing the ball away, tried to make a play and was sacked by Jason Trusnick 6.1 seconds after the snap.

Holding the ball so long also may be a good thing. Roethlisberger had the ball for more than six seconds on a play against Cleveland and it resulted in a touchdown pass to Heath Miller.

The offensive line isn't totally blameless. They have allowed their share of jailbreaks that put Roethlisberger instantly in jeopardy.

Tennessee's Jevon Kearse was unblocked and hit Roethlisberger in 1.8 seconds; Chicago's Alex Brown came on a stunt and got to the quarterback in 1.9 seconds; Minnesota's Kevin Williams was credited with a sack on a broken play in which Roethlisberger faked a pass to the right then took off forward; and the Vikings' Ben Leber came untouched on a delayed blitz within 2.9 seconds of the ball being snapped.

SCOTT BROWN'S POWER POLL

TOP FIVE

Saints: Most complete team in the NFL should be 10-0 when it hosts the Patriots on Nov. 30.

Colts: Beat the 49ers last Sunday despite not getting a TD pass from Peyton Manning.

Vikings: Love him or loathe him, Brett Favre has been the MVP through the first half of the season.

Eagles: Might be the one team that can come close to matching the Saints' wealth at the skill positions.



Broncos: The Steelers will see how the Broncos respond to their first loss of the season Monday night in Denver.

BOTTOM FIVE

Raiders: It's hard to imagine embattled coach Tom Cable making it through the season.

Rams: When the coach gets a Gatorade shower for beating the Lions, it is time to administer last rites to that tired ritual.

Browns: The general manager, but not the coach, takes the fall for the sorry state of the Browns?

Lions: Larry Foote had to envision a different kind of homecoming when he signed with Detroit.

Buccaneers: The only winless team in the NFL is going with rookie Josh Freeman at QB.

Mark Kaboly can be reached at [email protected] or 412-664-9161.





Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's take

By The Tribune-Review Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin weighs in on a number of issues heading into his team's game this weekend.

Whether there is a drawback to using the no-huddle offense too much:

When you're in the no-huddle, you don't have your full arsenal in terms of ways that you can attack people. You have a sufficient amount of plays, but you have a limited number of formations, shifts, audibles and so forth. It's just a part of what we do, just like (the) Wildcat is a part of what some other people do. It's an element of our game, not something that we get overly enamored with. It's a toolbox. Every now and then, we pull it out.

The Denver Broncos losing to the Baltimore Ravens, 30-7, on Sunday:

Any team that would've come into Baltimore would've had a heck of a time winning that football game. Baltimore is a veteran-savvy football team that's well coached who had come off a streak of a couple games that they didn't believe was satisfactory and had a chance to fine-tune some things, get an edge. It was going to be tough sledding if the All-Madden team came into Baltimore last weekend.

Playing the Broncos on Monday night:

If you like challenges, this one has just about everything you're looking for. You've got a great team in their venue, "Monday Night Football," it's going to be awesome. All we need is Howard Cosell.

Whether the high altitude in Denver puts the Steelers at a disadvantage:

We acknowledge that it exists, but we're not going to acknowledge that it's significant enough to determine the outcome of the game. We're going to go play, and let that determine the outcome.

The Tribune-Review can be reached at or .



Page 1 of 1Steelers coach Mike Tomlin's take - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


No decision yet from Steelers on safety Clark

By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Coach Mike Tomlin said starting free safety Ryan Clark's status is still in question for the Steelers' game Monday night in Denver. Doctors have cleared Clark, whose sickle-cell trait and the low altitude in Denver resulted in life-threatening complications two seasons ago, to play against the Broncos.

Tomlin said Tuesday that the Steelers and Clark are still weighing the risks of the eight-year veteran playing in Denver. Tomlin said a final decision won't be made until later in the week.

"We're going to make the decision once, and then we're going to play football," Tomlin said.

· Santonio Holmes also has the sickle-cell trait, but the wide receiver is not susceptible to what Clark suffered in 2007 when the Steelers last played in Denver.

"The difference is, in less than one percent of the people that have it will have the reaction that I had," Clark said. "I just happened to be one of the lucky ones, to be in that one percent. God bless (Holmes) that he doesn't have to go through that and that he can play. It's just different for different people."

· In addition to defensive end Travis Kirschke (calf strain), outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons (sprained ankle) is questionable for Monday night's game, Tomlin said.

Offensive lineman Ramon Foster may be limited in practice this week because of back discomfort. Outside linebacker Andre Frazier, a key special-teams player, is expected to suit up in Denver after missing the past two games because of a thigh contusion.

Of the Steelers' overall health, Tomlin said, "We're doing pretty good."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



Page 1 of 1No decision yet from Steelers on safety Clark - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Starkey: NFL bottoms out

By Joe Starkey TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Why is the NFL so dreadfully bad at the bottom?

Check the top.

It always starts at the top.

Clueless, cockeyed ownership is the main reason so many franchises are mired in the muck. Look around, Steelers fans, and be grateful. There but for the Rooneys go you.

A lot of coaches wish they could say what Mike Tomlin was saying Monday, when asked about his bosses.

"The stability, the vision, the singular focus, it's easy to come to work here," Tomlin said. "A good place to be is Pittsburgh, P-A."

A bad place to be is Detroit, Mich., or Oakland, Calif., or Cleveland, Ohio. And it's not just bad down there, in the land of the Lions, Raiders and Browns. It's comically bad.

It's historically bad.

It has a chance to the worst year ever for bottom feeders.

I see eight teams — Washington, Cleveland, Detroit, Kansas City, Oakland, St. Louis, Tampa Bay and Tennessee — with a legitimate chance to finish 3-13 or worse. I wouldn't count out Buffalo, either.

If six teams manage three or fewer wins, it'll be a modern-day record; if five manage three or fewer, it'll be a record in the 16-game-schedule era.

Since the NFL went to 16 games in 1978, there has been only one season — excluding the strike year of 1982 — in which more than three teams finished 3-13 or worse. That was 1991, when four teams did.

Even dating to the 1970 merger, there never was a year in which more than five teams posted three or fewer wins.

This does not appear to be a one-year aberration, either.

Page 1 of 3Starkey: NFL bottoms out - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


Hopelessness abounds in places such as Washington, D.C., where Daniel Snyder's new play-caller (Sherman Smith) was calling bingo games at a senior center three weeks ago, and Kansas City, Mo., where the (ex-)starting running back ripped his head coach on Twitter.

William Clay Ford's Lions are 1-23 in their past 24 games.

Randy Lerner's Browns have scored five offensive touchdowns in their past 15 games.

Ralph Wilson's Bills haven't won a playoff game since 1995.

Malcolm Glazer's Buccaneers have a very real chance to go 0-16.

Al Davis' once-proud Raiders are a punch line, pun very much intended in regards to hot-headed coach Tom Cable.

Rush Limbaugh's Rams — OK, Rush won't get the team, but it is for sale — have been outscored by 144 points and have beaten only the lowly Lions.

Those seven teams (Tennessee doesn't deserve to be dragged into this portion of the discussion) have been through 40 head coaches since 2000.

The Steelers have had three since 1969.

Only the Vegas casinos are losing more than the Lions these days, because they can't make the lines lopsided enough to entice anyone to bet the dogs.

All of this has Major League Baseball apologists downright giddy, of course. They love that the ultimate parity league has no parity whatsoever at the moment. But they're missing the point.

No league can legislate equality, only equal opportunity. The NFL offers equal opportunity. MLB does not.

That's what makes the NFL's current state so amazing — the fact that the league is designed to pull teams from the muck as quickly as possible. The salary cap, the unbalanced schedule and the worst-to-first draft all make it hard to stay down for long.

But not too hard for the likes of your Cleve Brownies. They are the classic case of how incompetence, mixed with impatience, can keep a franchise floundering.

Apparently, Lerner hasn't learned much from sharing a division with the Steelers.

Two years ago, after the Browns went 10-6, GM Phil Savage and coach Romeo Crennel were given multi-year extensions. When the team toppled to 4-12 last season, both were canned.



Contrast that to what the Steelers did in the summer of 2001, after Bill Cowher went three consecutive years without making the playoffs.

They extended his contract.

"It's a very stable organization," Cowher said then, "and it starts at the top."

It always does, for better or worse.

Joe Starkey can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7810.





Steelers DE Hood making steady progress

By Scott Brown TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Late October is generally not an ideal time to go to a beach north of the Mason-Dixon line.

That didn't stop Ziggy Hood from using the break last week to trek to Atlantic City, N.J., and see the ocean for the first time.

"It's like taking a Deep South kid and taking him somewhere where it snows," said Hood, the Steelers' rookie defensive end who grew up in the panhandle of Texas. "They're intrigued by it. So, I was out there messing with the seashells and just walking along the sand."

Hood also went in the water while in Atlantic City, which is fitting since he may feel like he is swimming against the current at times during another unfamiliar experience.

Hood has had to make the transition from tackle in a 4-3 defense to end in a 3-4 alignment. Progress has come in increments rather than leaps — the next tackle Hood makes will be his first one in the NFL — but the Steelers have been encouraged by what they have seen from their 2009 first-round draft pick.

"He's a tough guy to block on Wednesdays and Thursdays," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Hood, "which means at some point he's going to be a tough guy to block on Sundays. We'll see when that happens."

Hood is part of the three-man rotation the Steelers use at left defensive end in place of Aaron Smith, who is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Hood has played sparingly in seven games. The Steelers, however, may have to depend on Hood more with the midway point of the season approaching.

Travis Kirschke, the new starter at left defensive end, is questionable for Monday night's game against the Denver Broncos because of a strained calf. If Kirschke, who also has been playing through chronic back pain, is unable to go in Denver, seventh-year veteran Nick Eason and Hood will get the majority of the snaps at left defensive end.

"He comes in every day with the mindset to get better," Tomlin said of Hood. "He's a very hard and diligent worker."

Page 1 of 2Steelers DE Hood making steady progress - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


The biggest adjustment Hood has had to make since joining the Steelers is as much mental as it is physical.

In the Steelers' scheme, defensive ends are required to stand their ground and occupy blockers.

That is a significant change for a player whose motto at the University of Missouri was "tackle the running back on the way to the quarterback."

"Here it's more get your hands on the guy, hold your gap," Hood said. "You've got to hold your point of attack and allow the linebackers to get there."

It may sound simple, but playing end in the Steelers' defense comes with as steep a learning curve as almost any other position. That is why the Steelers prefer to bring young defensive ends, like Hood, along slowly.

"Each game, I'm going to get better," Hood said. "I won't have a breakout game not until two, three years down the line. But I'm going to do what I can to make sure if I'm in (the game), nothing goes wrong."

Scott Brown can be reached at [email protected] or 412-481-5432.



Page 2 of 2Steelers DE Hood making steady progress - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review


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Broncos rookie Moreno learning on job The Broncos' rookie tailback seeking elusive big run By Mike Klis The Denver Post Posted: 11/04/2009 01:00:00 AM MST Updated: 11/04/2009 02:29:08 AM MST

Tailback Knowshon Moreno has had a solid start to his rookie season, but he still has a lot to learn and has yet to make any home-run plays. (Joe Amon, The Denver Post)

Had Knowshon Moreno been selected with the No. 12 pick in the third round, instead of No. 12 overall, he likely would be considered a rookie surprise.

Page 1 of 3Broncos rookie Moreno learning on job - The Denver Post

11/4/2009http://www.denverpost.com/premium/broncos/ci_13707476

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At 210 pounds, he runs between the tackles with the robustness of a back 15 to 20 pounds heavier. He blocks courageously against the blitz. He can catch the ball even when a 255- pound Dallas Cowboys linebacker darts in front. Moreno is a solid, versatile running back who celebrates a teammate's touchdown with such unbridled enthusiasm, it's obvious his greatest joy comes from team victory. But Moreno was the 12th player taken in the 2009 draft and, as such, more is expected from a back who, entering the Broncos' game Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers, has yet to break off a 20-yard run and has more fumbles (three) than quarterback Kyle Orton has interceptions (one). If it helps, no one is less satisfied with Moreno's performance than the kid himself. "No, I'm not pleased at all," he said. "I need a lot of improvement. I don't want to use the excuse that I'm a rookie. I feel like I should be doing more. I'm just going to keep trying to learn from meetings and keep working hard and keep running." Evaluate the careers of all the great NFL running backs, and rarely does one follow another. For every Chris Johnson or Adrian Peterson, who were among the league's top five backs in each of their first two seasons, there is a Cedric Benson or a Thomas Jones, who never rushed for more than 750 yards in any of their first four seasons.

LaDainian Tomlinson lost four fumbles as a rookie — only three in his eight seasons since. The top two running backs drafted in 2008, Oakland's Darren McFadden (No. 4 overall) and Carolina's Jon- athan Stewart (No. 13), rushed for 499 and 836 yards, respectively, in their rookie seasons.

Moreno is on pace for 960 yards.

"He's done a nice job, but as a young player, a rookie in a new system, you're going to make some mistakes," Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy said. "He makes a lot more good plays than he does bad plays, but he has made some mistakes in the past that he knows about, and we're trying to correct those as quickly as we can so they don't happen again."

What often happens to rookie tailbacks, especially conscientious types like Moreno, is they can allocate too much concentration on their assignments and coaches' instruction.

Backs need instincts, not thoughts. There can be greater freedom to move when the mind doesn't get in the way. This is why some running backs don't take off until after their rookie seasons.

Yet, lessons must be learned. Moreno's first two fumbles were on him, as there is an adjustment to the violence that comes with an NFL tackle. His fumble Sunday at Baltimore, though, was more to the credit of the ferocious hit Ravens safety Ed Reed laid on Moreno a split second after the running back caught a lob screen pass from Orton.



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"I wish we would have blocked the missile that hit him," said Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, before adding: "He has got to hang onto the ball, and he would be the first one to say that." Said Moreno, who like so many Broncos players, is judicious with his words when talking to the press: "It was kind of a slow-developing play, but (Reed) made a good play. It worked in their favor." What the Broncos have yet to get from Moreno is the home run — the big play, which

NFL statisticians officially define for running backs as 20-yard runs. Moreno has none in 109 carries. Johnson has 10 runs of at least 20 yards, and 73 other players

have at least one, including the Broncos' Correll Buckhalter, who has three.

Moreno does have nine runs of at least 10 yards, but his longest has been for 17.

"I didn't really have too many big runs at Georgia, either," Moreno said. "It's all about those hard yards."

Moreno was part-modest, part-guilty of selective memory. He had 23 runs of at least 20 yards in his two seasons and 498 carries for the Georgia Bulldogs. But it's also understandable if those 475 carries of 19 yards or less are more indelible in is memory.

He does run strong between the tackles — stronger than anyone should expect from a tailback of his size. He leads all NFL rookies with 420 yards rushing, and he leads all NFL backs, period, in fewest negative plays (5.5 percent of his carries). His next step as an elite NFL back, though, is to make a few highlight runs worthy of the 10 o'clock news.

"No. 1, you've got to get him out in space," McCoy said. "You get him out in space, I'm sure he's going to make the next guy miss more often that not."

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055 or mklis@denverpost. com



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Defense ready for no-huddle from Steelers By Jeff LegwoldThe Denver Post Posted: 11/04/2009 01:00:00 AM MST

There is a common rule in offensive game- planning around the league. If the quarterback has had some success and he likes a specific set of plays, the offense is going to run those plays on game day.

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So the Broncos can expect to see the Steelers in the no-huddle offense some Monday night. "Oh, yeah . . . I like when we do it," Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. "I just try to make the right choices." With the Broncos substituting liberally on defense, the Patriots, Cowboys and Ravens all have played some version of the no-huddle to try to make that more difficult. In the Steelers' version, the team often lets Roethlisberger call the plays instead of relaying them from the sideline. Sunday, the Ravens ran the offense without a huddle but weren't always in a hurry to do it, even waiting at times for the Broncos to put their defensive replacements on the field before calling their play. "Really didn't cause much, it wasn't in the hurry- up," Broncos defensive coordinator Mike Nolan said. "As a matter of fact, they waited on us . . . until we put our people on the field." "We kind of anticipate that," safety Brian Dawkins said. Do your job. The Broncos have lived by the mantra of doing what you're supposed to do on defense and not straying from the plan, but Dawkins said when the Ravens started to run the ball with some success in the second half Sunday, the Broncos may have forgotten that lesson.

"Sometimes when you try to do too much instead of just what we do, we try to do a little something extra and sometimes that causes things to happen," Dawkins said.

The Ravens rushed for 90 yards in the second half Sunday, which was more than the Broncos had surrendered in any game up to that point. Dawkins said players may have started to press some as Baltimore kept pounding away.

A year later.

In 2008, the Steelers finished at the top or near the top of virtually every major defensive category, including No. 2 in rushing defense.

This year, while teams have thrown the ball with a little more success, the Steelers are slightly ahead of their '08 counterparts in run defense, having allowed only 76.6 yards rushing per game, compared with 80.2 ypg in '08.

The Vikings' Adrian Peterson gained only 69 yards in Pittsburgh's last game before its bye.

"That's what we're about," Steelers safety Ryan Clark said.

Footnotes.

Quarterback Kyle Orton may show up on the Broncos' injury report this week because of a twisted left ankle he suffered in Sunday's loss in Baltimore. Orton was hit by Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs in the second quarter and played the rest of the way with the ankle



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wrapped. Orton received treatment on the ankle Monday and Tuesday. . . . The Steelers sent running back Willie Parker home earlier this week because he was ill, but he is expected to be available to play Monday. . . . The Steelers are one of just eight teams to have thrown for at least 2,000 yards this season and one of just five teams to have done it in seven games. . . . Because of the 30 points the Broncos surrendered in Baltimore — seven came on special teams — Denver is now second in the league in scoring defense at 13.7 points allowed per game, just behind Indianapolis at 13.0. The Broncos are No. 1 in fewest yards allowed per game. . . . The Broncos released running back Darius Walker from their practice squad and placed defensive lineman Everette Pedes- cleaux on the practice squad/injured list. The team signed running back Lance Ball and defensive tackle Carlton Powell, a 2008 Broncos draft pick, to the practice squad. Jeff Legwold, The Denver Post



NOVEMBER 3, 2009, 9:00 PM

Harry Carson on Concussions

By JOE BRESCIA

Harry Carson, the Hall of Fame middle linebacker for the Giants, said he had “about 10 concussions” when he played for the team in the 1970s and ’80s.

Carson said he was found to have postconcussion syndrome in 1990.

“I knew there was something going on with me from a neurological standpoint,” he said. “I was tested, so I’m not confused about what’s going on. But there are so many other players who are dealing with the effects of concussions, and they don’t know because they’ve never been tested.”

Carson, along with Ottis Anderson, another former Giant, and the actresses Lorraine Bracco and Penny Marshall were recently guests of honor at the Brain Injury Association of New York State’s Journey of Hope Gala at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square.

Carson and Anderson said they were hopeful that the recent House Judiciary Committee hearing to discuss the long-term effects of head injuries in the N.F.L. would make a difference.

“According to the N.F.L. and their physician, Dr. Ira Casson, they’ve been conducting studies for fifteen years,” Carson said. “How much longer do you have to extend your research to come up with any kind of definitive conclusion?” Carson has helped organize a series of meetings between Commissioner Roger Goodell and former players to address the health care of retirees.

“It’s that train that’s coming down the track and it’s coming full speed and more and more players are being affected by lingering effect of concussions,” he said. “You know there are so many guys who are having these neurological issues, whether it’s depression or becoming a bit more forgetful now or any number of things from a neurological standpoint. It’s creating a great bit of concern for these former players. I’ve had guys call me up and ask me to refer them to someone they can see. I also look at many of the older players and how they are already in full blown states of dementia and Alzheimer’s. And so when I look at some of these older guys, in essence I’m sort of looking at myself in a few years. Hopefully that won’t be the case. But the realization is that I’m sort of looking at myself.”

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Carson says he does not see quick or easy solutions for football.

“Unless you eliminate the game completely, you will have concussions. Concussions are going to happen. Everybody looks at it and thinks that something could be done. Whether it’s equipment or whatever. But if you stop and you think about the brain in the skull, and you’re running and you stop very abruptly, the brain is going to continue to move and it’s going to hit into the inside of the skull. And when that happens there is going to be a bruise of the brain and that is a concussion. That happens regardless of the equipment that is approved. Regardless of the rules changing, concussions are part of the game.

“It’s the same as with boxing. Unless you are going to have no hits to the head, you’re going to have concussions in boxing. It is a contact sport and when you make contact those things are going to happen.”

Carson says the N.F.L. can set an example for other leagues and school sports.

“As a parent you really should be concerned,” he said. “So if there is one thing that should come out of this thing, parents should have the information to determine whether they want their child to play a contact sport, football or not. Unfortunately for many of us who have played the game, there’s nothing really that can be done. The damage is already done. It’s going to be interesting to see what the recommendations are.”

Anderson says the N.F.L. has no excuses on the concussion issue now that there are studies and evidence that former players are suffering.

“Back in the 1970s and ’80s and early ’90s, the league minimized the head injuries tremendously,” Anderson said. “They tried to keep it all in-house. But nobody had any studies, so you really can’t fault the N.F.L. then. Now we have the studies. From this day forward, players have to get second opinions and the league has to be aware of the problem.”

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November 4, 2009

N.F.L. Seeks Congressional Help on Drug Policy

By KEN BELSON

WASHINGTON — Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the N.F.L., took the unusual step Tuesday of asking

Congress to change federal labor laws to prevent states from interfering with the league’s efforts to enforce its

banned substances policy.

Goodell’s appeal was prompted by a federal court decision in September that has prevented the N.F.L. from

suspending two Minnesota Vikings players for taking a diuretic, called StarCaps, that contained a substance

banned by the league. The court ruled that the N.F.L.’s policy was superseded by Minnesota state labor law

protecting workers.

The league is appealing the decision, but the two Vikings have been allowed to play. The N.F.L. has allowed

some New Orleans Saints players to play even though they were suspended for taking the same banned

substance.

But the decision in Minnesota — and the possibility that other athletes will seek relief under state statutes —

has raised questions about the ability of the N.F.L. and other professional sports leagues to enforce their

antidoping policies. That prompted Representative Henry A. Waxman, the chairman of the Energy and

Commerce Committee, to hold hearings Tuesday titled “The N.F.L. StarCaps Case: Are Sports’ Anti-Doping

Programs at a Legal Crossroads?”

Goodell told the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, “While we are

reluctant to seek action from Congress, we believe that this presents a rare case in which narrow and tailored

federal legislative action is warranted to confirm the primacy of federal labor law and respect agreements on

this important subject.”

But members of the subcommittee were reluctant to grant Goodell’s request. The N.F.L. is appealing the

judgment in Minnesota and could also ask the Minnesota Legislature to revise its statutes to exempt

professional athletes and performance-enhancing drugs.

The league and the players union could also come to an agreement.

Representative Bobby L. Rush, Democrat of Illinois and the chairman of the subcommittee, said Congress

was reluctant to resolve this issue through legislative action.

“You don’t want to have 435 members of Congress writing a law” to fix this problem because “you never

know what happens when you open this Pandora’s box,” Rush said, hinting that any legal changes would

come with strings attached.

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Representative Lee Terry, Republican of Nebraska and a member of the subcommittee, was more direct,

saying, “We will be much harsher on cleaning up the sport than the directors” of the leagues.

Congress has chastised the N.F.L. and other sports leagues for not doing enough to enforce their drug

policies, and it recently criticized the N.F.L. for the way it has dealt with players who have sustained

concussions.

The N.F.L. Players Association is opposed to any Congressional action. DeMaurice Smith, the executive

director of the association, told the subcommittee that he supported the players’ legal action only after he

learned that league officials did not tell the players that the diuretic they took contained a banned substance.

The league has criticized the union for backing the players in court. Under questioning from lawmakers

Tuesday, Goodell and Smith traded barbs several times in their responses. Several subcommittee members

also challenged Smith on the same point.

The N.F.L.’s appeal of the decision by a three-judge panel from the United States Court of Appeals for the

Eighth Circuit, in Minneapolis, will not be heard until March.

One of the questions the appeal will probably try to answer is whether state laws designed to penalize

workers for taking drugs like marijuana or cocaine are applicable to athletes taking diuretics and other

supplements.

Major League Baseball and other professional sports leagues, as well as the United States Anti-Doping

Agency, have stood behind the N.F.L.’s request that Congress amend federal labor laws to prevent challenges

in state courts.

Rob Manfred, M.L.B.’s executive vice president for labor relations, told the subcommittee that his league and

the baseball players union probably did not “have the legal power to waive in advance state law claims of

individual union members.”

As a result, Manfred said, “a narrowly drafted statute could solve the problem faced by professional sports

while avoiding undue interference with the prerogatives of the states.”

But Gabriel Feldman, the director of the Tulane Sports Law Program, warned that Congress should get

involved only after the league and the union had exhausted all other measures. That included appeals in

court, asking the Minnesota Legislature to create an exemption in its workplace rules to exempt professional

athletes, and reaching an agreement with the union.

“We have a long way to go before Congress should be concerned about this problem,” he said.

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The Huddle: The latest word on NFL news, notes and buzz

Chris Chambers lands in Kansas City

Michael Irvin: Miles Austin took his advice, Roy Williams didn't

Nov 03, 2009

Gus Johnson apologizes for saying Chris Johnson had 'getting-away-from-the-cops speed' 11:41 PM

Comment Recommend

CBS announcer Gus Johnson apologized on Tuesday after making a controversial remark describing Titans RB Chris Johnson on Sunday.

As Chris Johnson broke through the Jaguars' defense for a 52-yard TD run, Gus Johnson, in his excitable style, said of the Titans tailback, "He's got

getting-away-from-the-cops speed!"

MORE CHRIS JOHNSON: RB says 1-6 Titans still can make the playoffs

The comment drew criticism after the game, and came one week after ABC suspended analyst Bob Griese one week for saying of NASCAR driver Juan

Pablo Montoya, "He's out having a taco."

Gus Johnson gave this statement about the comment to USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand:

"If there is a perception of racism in this analogy, it is not coming from me. People of all races have run from the law. However, to those

who are offended, I apologize."

-- Sean Leahy

See video of Johnson's remark by clicking on the "read more" link.

Tags:NFL Tennessee Titans Chris Johnson Gus Johnson PreviousChris Chambers lands in Kansas City

NextMichael Irvin: Miles Austin took his advice, Roy Williams didn't

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The Huddle: The latest word on NFL news, notes and buzz

Vikings QB Brett Favre named NFC offensive player of the week

Nov 04, 2009

With another Super Bowl win, would Colts edge Patriots and Steelers as team of the decade? 12:54 AM

Comment Recommend

Would a Super Bowl XLIV victory make Indianapolis the team of the decade?

The Colts are 7-0 and riding a 16-game regular-season winning streak, a run that's only been matched seven other times in NFL history.

But with apologies to Dennis Green we can't, ahem, crown their hindquarters just yet. After all, only three of Indianapolis' final nine opponents currently

sit below .500 while only 4-3 Arizona sports a winning mark among the Colts' first seven victims.

Still, barring a catastrophic injury to Peyton Manning, an invite to the postseason dance seems all but assured.

What else could be in the offing?

Perhaps a second Lombardi Trophy that would match the Steelers in this decade, though it would leave the Colts one shy of their frequent nemesis, the Patriots. A sixth AFC South crown since the division's inception in 2002 and the ninth playoff berth since 2000. The Patriots are also poised to win the AFC East for the sixth time since realignment, but they have missed the postseason three times since 2000. A 5-4 finish would give the Colts their seventh consecutive season with at least 12 victories, an unprecedented achievement. Indianapolis also sandwiched its 6-10 team in 2001 with two 10-6 clubs. Since the dawn of the decade, the Colts are 108-43 (.715) in the regular season. The Patriots are one game back 107-44 (.709) while the Steelers check in at 99-51-1 (.659).

(It must be noted that the Colts lag behind both teams in the playoff department in the new millennium. Indianapolis is 7-7; New England is 14-3 and

Pittsburgh 10-4, ledgers that clearly bolster the "Team of the Decade" argument for both franchises.)

Clearly a lot has to happen to anoint the Colts the team of the 21st century -- and we can only assume Manning, a native New Orleanian, would vanquish

either his hometown Saints or bayou-bred Brett Favre to win Super Bowl XLIV -- but it's always more fun to ponder the outcome of 2009 with foresight

rather than hindsight. -- Nate Davis

Tags:NFL New England Patriots Indianapolis Colts Pittsburgh Steelers Peyton Manning PreviousVikings QB Brett Favre named NFC offensive player of the week

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to [email protected]. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more.

With another Super Bowl win, would the Colts leap past the Steelers and Patriots as NFL's team of the decade? Yes, Colts' triumphs will be tops.

No. No one can surpass Patriots' run of success.

No. Steelers will add third title, take the honor.

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Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Mangini won't discuss GM's ouster

ESPN.com news services BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini is not offering any details about the team's unexplained dismissal of his friend, general manager George Kokinis.

Kokinis was on the job for less than a year when he was relieved of his duties Monday. The Browns, who have a bye this week, went about their business Tuesday as rumors swirled about Kokinis, the events that led up to his departure and who -- or if -- anyone will replace him.

"Anytime a decision like this is made it is difficult personally and professionally," Mangini said. "George is a friend of mine and I respect him and I wish his family well. I can tell you that for a variety of reasons things didn't work out. You never go into a situation like this with the intention of it not working out.

"We felt that, organizationally, this was the best decision in order to move forward."

That was about as deep as Mangini would venture into the Kokinis matter. Mangini spent most of his news conference politely deflecting questions about why the decision was made.

He was asked if there were legal reasons why he couldn't address Kokinis' exit.

"There's really a variety of reasons," he said, "and I'll just leave it at that."

Mangini deflected several questions about Kokinis' stunning departure. The team has not said if he was fired or resigned. Kokinis was hired in January, two weeks after Mangini became Cleveland's coach. He previously worked with the coach under Bill Belichick in Cleveland in the 1990s.

Team and league sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter that Kokinis refused to resign when pressed by owner Randy Lerner, who then persisted in seeking a dismissal "for cause," citing Kokinis for failing to meet the specific standards as dictated by his contract. The team's security and legal department were reviewing phone records to build its case against Kokinis, a team source said.

Multiple media reports initially reported Kokinis had been fired.

Television station WKYC and the Cleveland Plain Dealer first reported Monday night that Kokinis was ushered out of the Berea facility by security around lunchtime Monday.

In a statement, the Browns said: "Cleveland Browns general manager George Kokinis is no longer actively involved with the organization. In response to rumors and reports that Kokinis was escorted out

ESPN.com: NFL [Print without images]

George Kokinis is no longer the general manager of the Cleveland Browns following a 1-7 start in his first season.

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of the building today, the Browns deny those reports. In the interest of protecting the parties involved we will withhold further comment."

Lerner told the media after Sunday's loss to Chicago that changes were coming. Lerner was not available for comment Tuesday. A team spokesman said there was no immediate plans for Lerner to address the media.

Lerner did spend two hours meeting with two disgruntled season-ticket holders, who have been urging Cleveland fans to stay out of their seats for the Nov. 16 kickoff against Baltimore in protest of the team's futility. "Dawg Pound Mike" Randall said Lerner was open to their ideas and gave them a few of his own.

"He's trying to get the Browns on the right track," Randall said. "He wants it to happen now. He cares deeply."

Ernie Accorsi, former general manager of the New York Giants, Baltimore Colts and Browns, is being sought by Lerner as a consultant, a league source said. Accorsi could not be reached for comment. Accorsi has served in a consulting capacity on numerous occasions for teams and has an alliance with former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was hired by Lerner as a consultant on Oct. 17.

Lerner told the Plain Dealer and Akron Beacon-Journal on Sunday he would like to bring in a "strong, credible, serious leader" to help run his team.

Lerner did not expand on who that person might be or if that person currently worked for the Browns.

"The highest priority that I have is a strong, credible, serious leader within the building to guide decisions in a far more conspicuous, open transparent way," Lerner said Sunday, according to the Plain Dealer. "I can maybe defend decisions by saying I've sought advice and I've brought people in, and we've gone to see people -- and I think my highest priority is to have a stable figure that represents the voice that explains the decisions."

Mangini said he would not be resistant to the Browns giving final personnel decisions to someone else in the future.

"My goal is to win and my goal is to improve," he said. "There's never opposition to someone that can help us achieve that goal. That's true here. It was true in New York with the Jets."

For now, Kokinis' parting is just more of the same for the Browns.

"It doesn't affect me," tight end Steve Heiden said. "I can speak for myself on this because I've been here a while and I've seen some changes. I can't control anything that goes on anywhere else besides at this locker. That's the truth and that's all I'm trying to do.

"I'm in my bubble and I'm staying there."

Information from The Associated Press, ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter was used in this report.

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Posted: Tuesday November 3, 2009 12:29PM; Updated: Tuesday November 3, 2009 12:54PM

Peter King>MONDAY MORNING QB - TUESDAY

MMQB Mailbag: Browns are total wreck; secret to Saints' success

Story Highlights Browns owe at least $20 million to former executives and coaches Saints study other teams' run games to get new ideas for themselves Mailbag questions on Brett Favre, St. Louis Rams, TV and more

The Browns are a certifiable train wreck now. That much we know, in the wake of the departure of general manager George Kokinis from the organization. I've heard the ESPN report that the Browns are investigating firing Kokinis "for cause,'' which means he may have done something untoward to get him canned. And let me say that in conversations with three front-office people in the league who know Kokinis well, I could hear their jaws drop when that nugget was relayed. I know Kokinis, but I'm not close to him. Those who are describe him the way you'd describe a trusted friend and honest to a fault. So we'll see where this leads.

The problem as I see it is this organization careens from one disaster to the next. If owner Randy Lerner trusts Eric Mangini, he's got to take the slings and arrows of a furious fandom and let Mangini try to fix this huge mess. If he doesn't, Lerner has to fire Mangini, issue a mea culpa, and hire the next franchise leader.

The one thing that's maddening is the Browns owe former GM Phil Savage and ex-coach Romeo Crennel their salaries through 2012 and 2011, respectively. There are other lingering contract payouts from the assistants on Crennel's staff. It's a pill of at least $20 million Lerner is swallowing, and if he cans Mangini -- in the first year of an estimated four-year, $12-million deal -- it just adds to the financial mayhem.

***

(Writer's Note: I'd planned to use this note about the success of the Saints' running game, ranked second in the league, on Monday, and I even Tweeted that the story would be in Monday Morning Quarterback. But other stories intruded, and rather than have it be buried in yesterday's column, I decided to use it today. Sorry for misleading those of you who took the time to write.)

The Saints have used a game within a game to start 7-0 and take a commanding three-game lead in the NFC South with nine to play. That game within a game is deep in the hard drive of Saints offensive line/run-game coach Aaron Kromer's computer at the Saints' practice facility in Metairie, La.

Near the season's midpoint, Drew Brees -- rightfully -- has become the coverboy for the resurgence of the Super Bowl-contending Saints. He's a legit MVP candidate, and one of the two or three best leaders at his position in football. The Saints are ranked sixth in the league in passing after eight weeks. But they're ranked fourth in rushing. Now that's something you probably wouldn't have figured, the Saints' running game being ahead of the pass in the NFL stats this far into the season.

It's happened because of four reasons.

1. Coach Sean Payton emphasized the run more in the offseason and in training camp than in any year since being named coach in 2006.

2. The Saints have built an interesting stable of backs, with the punishing Mike Bell, the elusive Pierre Thomas and the enigmatic but threatening Reggie Bush. Bell might get 12 carries one week, 24 the next. Same with Thomas, and Bush will get the ball on the edge four or five times a game, minimum, and the Saints hope he breaks a big play a week. Thomas and Bush both had rushing touchdowns in the 35-27 win over the Falcons Monday night.

3. The zone-blocking line has been precise and deep, adjusting to a couple of significant injuries and leading the way against several tough run-defense fronts.

4. "We've got a little bit of a library,'' offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael said.

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Posted: Tuesday November 3, 2009 12:29PM; Updated: Tuesday November 3, 2009 12:54PM

That library might be where the Saints' advantage lies. Kromer is a football man through and through, but he's also part video-geek. When he coached under Jon Gruden in Oakland and Tampa Bay for seven years, he learned not to waste time late in the week when the hay was in the barn for that week's game plan.

"I learned a lot from Jon Gruden,'' Kromer said. "He used to watch every NFL play every week because he knew he could learn something new every week. So I try to watch run games every week from around the league. I recognize from Jon that there are many intelligent coaches in the league who can advance your knowledge exponentially. That's how you grow as a coach, and I believe it's how you grow as a player too.''

Kromer said he has "hundreds'' of plays inside his digital video folders on his computer. During a game week, Carmichael and Kromer might assign tight ends coach Terry Malone to look at short-yardage and goal line runs of teams that runs similar plays to the Saints, to see if there's anything they can pick up. Sometimes, Kromer will take one of these filched plays and use it to teach his linemen or back a specific technique. "They might show me how many steps Alan Faneca takes before he gets onto a linebacker, showing me how he doesn't waste any time or motion in getting out there,'' guard Jahri Evans said. "I've learned from a lot of players.''

And sometimes, Kromer takes a play, copies it, drills his linemen on it, puts it in the running-game play-call list for a particular game ... and the Saints score a touchdown using it.

Kromer has his favorites -- Joe Bugel of the Redskins, Bill Callahan of the Jets, Mike Mularkey of the Falcons. Last year, he was watching a late season Atlanta-Carolina game, and he saw Atlanta run a play from the Panthers 16 that fit the personnel group New Orleans might use in the same situation. Two tight ends, two backs, one receiver. As Matt Ryan called signals, one tight end motioned left, and at the snap of the ball, the play flowed right and Ryan handed it to Michael Turner, with the fullback preceding him into the hole. Suddenly the fullback broke left, followed by Turner, and the Panthers were caught rushing toward the strong side of the play. Cutting against the grain and using blocks from the fullback and motioning tight end, Turner ran for a 16-yard touchdown.

So Kromer filed the video away in his library, and when it came time to install the 2009 running game, this play was in the Saints playbook. They practiced it a few times in the offseason, figuring Thomas would be strong enough to break a tackle if he had to, but quick enough to bust the play back to the weak side.

In Week 3 at Buffalo, Kromer put the play on his call sheet. The Saints practiced it again that week. Then, with 2:10 left in the game, on second-and-four from the Buffalo 19, Payton called it. The tight end went in motion, Brees handed to Thomas, fullback Heath Evans led Thomas into the hole, and Thomas cut against the grain, found daylight and scored.

"By the time we ran it,'' said Kromer, "our team was very comfortable with it. The Buffalo defense had a fast flow to the play side -- the side they assumed the play was going to -- and Pierre bent it back and scored.''

Pretty rewarding. When you have smart coaches, players with ability who can learn and adapt, and good backs, good things can happen in the run game. New Orleans is living, winning proof of that.

Give credit to Payton, the play-caller, for making sure all three backs get fed. The total touches for the three backs after seven games: Bell 90, Bush 81, Thomas 78. Most teams at this point of the season don't have two backs with 75 touches. The Saints have three.

Kromer made a good point about how digital video is changing the face of scouting, and coaching. "We can see any play in the league from the sideline view and all-22 [the wide end-zone angle] a couple of days after Sunday's games,'' he said. "That can give you a pretty good tool to use.''

A side note on that story: The Saints are most definitely not alone in doing this. Many teams do it. I spoke to an NFL head coach about a few topics on background Monday, and he asked me what I was working on. One of the things was the Saints' running game story. The coach told me his team has used the exact same play, with the running back cutting behind the lead-blocking fullback against the grain ... and that he and his staff look to borrow from other coaches weekly too.

****

Peter King>MONDAY MORNING QB - TUESDAY

MMQB Mail (cont.) Now onto your e-mail:

• AIKMAN MADE A GOOD POINT TO ME ABOUT THIS SUNDAY NIGHT. From T. Smith of St. Paul, Minn.: "I read your stats about Brett Favre playing well in these so-called pressure games, but I think it's a little flimsy. He's had a lot of bad games too -- the six-interception playoff game against the Rams, the end of the game against the Giants in the championship game a couple of years ago. I'm



happy he's here, but I want to see how well he plays in the playoffs before we judge him.''

Good point, and I'm sure Favre would say the same thing. My point was the three games in which Favre has the 11-to-0 TD-to-interception ratio were games with a different kind of pressure, with his father's death laying on him and the two games against the Packers this year.

When I spoke with Troy Aikman on Sunday night, I thought he made a great case for why he thought Favre would play well Sunday. He said this on the air too, about how he expected Favre to play well, because he'd won 76 percent of his games on this field, and because once the hoopla was over and it was a football game, Favre has played in a lot of pressure games in his life and it'd pretty quickly turn into a football game and not a circus. That's exactly what Favre said to me after the game. Smart call by Aikman.

• THE CASE OF THE THROBBING GROIN. From Fred in Houston, Texas: "Favre's a drama queen. It can't just be about the game -- it has to be about him and how he overcame this big injury to play.''

The Twitterverse -- at least those people who follow me and write me Monday -- were all over Favre for his admission to me that he hurt his groin in practice Wednesday, strained it Sunday, and told offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson he might not be able to make it through the game. I guess I'd ask you this question: Would you rather have an athlete who didn't tell you what was wrong with him, or would you rather have an athlete who leveled with you about how he felt? Now, Favre took a lot of heat for hiding his arm injury last year with the Jets. Now he tells me he had a sore groin that affected Packer play-calling in the game and you don't think he should talk about that? Can't have it both ways, I'd say.

• THANKS FOR READING IN SERBIA. From Oliver Zlatkovic of Belgrade, Serbia: "Regards from Serbia (yes, we're reading your column, although due to the time difference it's more of a 'Monday Afternoon Quarterback' over here.) I'm a Rams fan, and my question relates to your opinion of the future of the Rams: Can Marc Bulger reinvent himself and be the QB that management thought he would when they awarded him with long-term contract, or should we watch college games to see the new Rams starting QB next year? If the latter, does Steven Jackson have time to wait for the Rams rebuilding process, since he will be approaching 30 by the time the new QB fully establishes himself?''

So good of you to write, Oliver, and to read the column. Thanks. Tough call for the Rams because they have so many holes to fill. Let me take you back to last April, when I was in St. Louis reporting on the Rams before the draft. They were seriously considering taking USC quarterback Mark Sanchez with their first-round pick. But they decided to take the tackle, Jason Smith, and try to build up a bad offensive line before picking a quarterback.

The only way Bulger has a chance to be the quarterback long-term in St. Louis is to have a very good, very durable season, and he hasn't so far. It's up to him, really. In the second half of the season, if he can stay on the field and perform better than he has in the last couple of years -- and I understand it's not his fault -- the Rams will put off drafting a young quarterback. But I don't think that's going to happen.

• DISPUTING THE JARED ALLEN OPINION. From Ian of Overland Park, Kan.: "How in the same article can you make the claim that there is no better defensive player in football than Jared Allen and also say that Aaron Rodgers takes too many sacks? There is no doubt that he is an impact player, but when 7.5 of his 10.5 sacks came against Rodgers, he hasn't had that much of a game-changing impact in the other Vikings games.''

Good point, but in my job at NBC and in covering one of the Minnesota's game, I've seen at least 50 percent of the Vikings' defensive snaps this year, and he's the best defensive player I've seen. Even if Rodgers threw the ball away on two of those plays, or three, that's Allen-related impact resulting in incomplete passes. His impact is about more than sacks, too.

• HERO WORSHIP, HE ACCUSES ME OF. From Luke Fleeman of Tulare, Calif.: "Peter, you were one of the voices of reason in the Favre retirement saga, pointing out when he fibbed. But now it seems like you've joined the choir, falling down to help worship Favre with the rest of the media. I have to say I am disappointed, because I think most of us are just sick of hearing about him.''

My job is to report on what happens in the NFL. On Sunday, the story of the day in the NFL was the all-time passing leader's return to the place where he parted so bitterly in 2008. Favre played well for the second time this year against the Packers under pressurized circumstances. I wrote about it. I'm not kneeling at his feet. I'm reporting the story of the day in the NFL, interviewing the player, like him or not, who is a polarizing figure.

• DEFENDING FOX. From Eric Jesperson of Denver: "No Peter, Fox absolutely did the right thing switching to the Carolina-Arizona game. After three hours of the Brett Favre Show (complete with online Brett Favre Cam) and a week of listening to the media Favregasm, the last thing I needed was more Brett Favre.''

I respectfully disagree that rushing -- and I mean, Fox sprinted off the Favre game -- to the last two minutes of a game that was already decided (it was a 13-point game) that was being shown to about 6 percent of the country was the right idea. Find this article at: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/peter_king/11/03/mail/index.html



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