02 January 2011

Ray Lewis catch phrase music video

Props to Kevin Richardson of The Baltimore Sun for putting together a pretty clever video that remixes Ray Lewis' press conference catch phrases -- a la DJ Steve Porter. My favorite Lewis buzz phrase is "the bottom line," and the bottom line is that I counted 16 instances of him saying "the bottom line" in the clip, which I'm pretty sure is still less than your typical Lewis press conference. Anyway, check out Richardson's video:

 

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(baltimoresun.com)
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Jimmy Graham misses practice, Shockey Back at Practice

Jimmy Graham (ankle) did not participate in Saints practice on Thursday, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune's Jeff Duncan.

Our View: He's beginning to look pretty doubtful for the Saints' Saturday Wild Card tilt with the Seahawks. Official word should come tomorrow, but don't consider him likely to give it a go this weekend. Hopefully for New Orleans, Jeremy Shockey can get over his own injury, though it looks like he has as Shockey did practice yesterday.

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(rototimes.com)
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Skins expected to let go of Rocky McIntosh



The UM Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2011 was introduced at the Miami-Maryland game on Saturday...L to R  HOF president Tod Roy, diver Daphne Jongejans-Bousquet, football's Dan Morgan, diver Tyce Routson and current Washington Redskins player Santana Moss....unable to attend were baseball's Bobby Hill, former women's tennis coach Ian Duvenhage, NCAA track champion Yolanda McCray and current Indianapolis Colts star Reggie Wayne ! The 43rd annual UM Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will take place in the Spring.  Go to  UMSportsHallofFame.com  for details. (photo courtesy UM Sports Hall of Fame)


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Reggie Wayne practices on limited basis

Indianapolis Colts star wide receiver Reggie Wayne returned to practice on a limited basis today after not practicing Wednesday due to a knee injury.

Wayne was limited as well as defensive tackle Antonio Johnson (chest).

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(nationalfootballpost.com)
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Ed Reed captures AFC monthly honors

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed and New York Jets return specialist Brad Smith have been named the AFC's top players for the month of December/January.

Reed registered 22 tackles and an NFL-best four interceptions during the month as he helped the Ravens to a 4-1 record. In weeks 16 and 17 Reed registered back-to-back games with two interceptions to extend the Ravens win streak to 11-0 in games when Reed records at least two picks. Reed is the second Ravens player to win the defensive player of the month award this season, with the other being Terrell Suggs, who won the award in November.

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(miamiherald.com)
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Greg Olsen at 'Dilemma' premiere, Mastro's Steakhouse



The Bears' Matt Forte and Greg Olsen and former "Apprentice" winner Bill Rancic attended the premiere of "The Dilemma" at AMC River East movie theater on Thursday. Forte and Olsen were also spotted at Mastro's Steakhouse that night.

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(chicagotribune.com)
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More on Antrel Rolle's wandering mind

New York Giants safety Antrel Rolle played well enough to earn a Pro Bowl bid this season, but he still has room for improvement. He provided an interesting explanation Monday for how he gave up so many big plays.

"I’m proud of myself. I took on a lot of responsibilities,” the Giants safety said. “But my grade sheet a lot of times would come back with five negative plays, six negative plays just because my mind was just wandering.

"But through it all, I was always hustling, just trying to get around the ball somehow. And when you hustle to the ball, great things happen sometimes."

I'm not sure Tom Coughlin enjoyed reading that quote. Rolle went on to explain that he may have been trying to grasp too many facets of the game plan during games. He played closer to the line of scrimmage than he was used to in Arizona. Overall, you'd have to say he had a solid season. But there were too many moments when he couldn't transition quickly enough to being a pass defender.

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(espn.com)
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Kenny Phillips' thorough season not as productive

In some ways, 2010 was a remarkable season for Kenny Phillips, one of the biggest question marks heading into the year. Coming off major knee surgery that many figured would be career-altering if not career-threatening, Phillips made it all the way through, playing 16 games at safety for the Giants.

"It's a blessing to get through the season healthy, especially when there were people saying I wasn't going to play football again," Phillips said on Monday while he was cleaning out his locker. "I thought it was a big achievement."

But the player who earned the nickname Superman for his sideline-to-sideline plays and showing up in the nick of time had very few red-cape moments this season. He had a career-high 77 tackles - which is to be expected since this was his first full year as a starter - but he had only one interception, which is half the number he had in two games in 2009. He also had just five passes defensed.

Phillips said that downturn in production had less to do with his knee - which he said gave him little to no trouble during the season - than his head. After a year away from football, Phillips found he was unable to rely on instinct and intuition as much as he had in the past.

"Just seeing the big picture, that takes time," Phillips said. "As far as seeing things and certain things that you're used to seeing, it was almost kind of new to me in the beginning. I was locked in on one side instead of being able to see the whole field. Just small things like that, that was the difference.

"I'm used to seeing routes and that was slow to come along for the most part," he added.

Still, many will remember Phillips' season not for missed opportunities but for strength and perseverance. He was named the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner, as voted by teammates.

"I know what it took for him and I'm extremely impressed," fellow safety Antrel Rolle said of Phillips' comeback. "It was a lot of hard work, more than any one of us can really put our hands on. That's a very serious surgery to overcome and to play the amount of plays he played and be in the game as much as he was in, it took a lot of effort. It took a lot of heart."

And now, for the first time since his rehab began following surgery last September, Phillips can rest. He said he plans on giving his knee some time off before focusing on 2011. Conventional wisdom is that it's the second season after knee surgery when a player regains his form, and Phillips wants that to be the case.

Did he even get back to feeling like Superman in 2010? "I thought I was something, I don't know," he said. "Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn't."
Will Superman return in 2011? "I hope so."

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(newsday.com)
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What makes Ed Reed so successful?

His offseason started last winter with a hint of retirement. By summer, he was diplomatically campaigning on radio for a pay raise. In the spring, he underwent invasive hip surgery.

Staying ahead of Ed Reed is a difficult proposition at any time, but over the past year, it's been impossible to predict what the Ravens' Pro Bowl safety would do next. Or in Sunday's AFC wild-card game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

In his first game back after missing six weeks on the NFL's physically-unable-to-perform list because of the surgery, he had two interceptions and caused a fumble. In the last two games, he picked off four passes and knocked down five.

Ready for the playoffs? Get the new Baltimore Football iPhone app for complete Ravens coverage from The Baltimore Sun.

The fact he led the league with eight interceptions while playing only 10 games is just another line in his Hall of Fame resume. That he also led the team with 16 passes defensed this season is no less impressive.

For nine seasons, Reed, 32, has been one of the NFL's biggest play-makers and game-changers, a player with the exquisite ability to turn a game completely around and make it his with one acrobatic interception or one thunderous hit.

In the mind of Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, that pantheon of game-changers includes Ronnie Lott, Reggie White, Michael Haynes, Deion Sanders, Rod Woodson and, from today's game, Charles Woodson. What, Newsome was asked, is the common denominator between those players?

"Instinct which is above the norm of NFL players," Newsome said. "They just have a sense of getting themselves in a position to make the play – and then making the play."

Two weeks ago in Cleveland, Reed did what he always does. When the Browns lined up for one play, he alerted cornerback Lardarius Webb that the formation indicated a quick out to Mohamed Massaquoi and told Webb to jump the route. When Massaquoi ran a double-move to get by Webb, Reed was in the right position to intercept the pass.

He always is, it seems.

Last week against Cincinnati, Reed snuffed a Bengals' red-zone opportunity when he intercepted Carson Palmer on a tipped pass over the middle for Jordan Shipley. Reed was covering another receiver, recognized the play and reacted quickly to the tip. A shoe-string catch 6 yards deep in the end zone became a 44-yard return to the Ravens' 38.

"He just does a great job where he feels what's going on around him," said secondary coach Chuck Pagano, who helped recruit Reed out of Destrehan High in St. Rose, La., to the University of Miami. "And he gets great jumps on the ball. And then his athleticism and his range and all those other things take over from there."

Reed has a franchise-high 54 career interceptions for the Ravens and 13 career touchdowns. He is the only player in NFL history to score return touchdowns off a punt, blocked punt, interception and fumble recovery. He had an NFL-record 107-yard interception return for a touchdown against Philadelphia in 2008, and a 106-yard TD return against the Browns – and Pagano – in 2004.

His penchant for big plays started in Miami, where Reed had 21 interceptions and four blocked punts.

"What Ed is doing now is what he did at Miami," Newsome said. "You had to watch a lot of tape, but anytime there was a game-changing play that needed to be made, Ed Reed made it. That's what attracted us to him. Because you could watch two or three games, and he's just Ed Reed in the middle of the field, doing his job.

"But when you could see, probably in his senior year, four or five times that 'Ed Reed just made another play.' So what he's doing didn't start here in Baltimore. It happened at Miami, and it probably happened while he was at high school, too."

Apparently not everyone got the message. Reed fell like a shooting star to the Ravens with the 24th in the 2002 draft. While his explosive plays no longer surprise Pagano, they are still a treat for defensive coordinator Greg Mattison.

"Every time I watch him on the game tapes afterward, you just say, 'Wow, you're fortunate to be around a guy like this.' Some of the plays he makes and where he is when big plays happen, that's a special person. That's something that will probably come around once in a lifetime – guys like that."

The ability to anticipate and react to mere formations comes from endless hours studying countless tapes. Reed, like fellow Hurricane alum Ray Lewis, devotes "a couple hours" nightly to watching tape of the opposing team.

"He's always had the athletic ability and the play-making ability," Pagano said. "He's always been very, very passionate about whatever sport he was playing. He's a great competitor. And I think the thing that separates him now is his wisdom and knowledge and what he's gained through playing all these years in the NFL. He's a diligent guy when it comes to film study and preparation. I say I don't get surprised over the plays he makes because of the time he puts in, so he's always one step ahead."

To his teammates, Reed is down-to-earth and approachable. Third-year safety Haruki Nakamura worried when he was drafted in 2008 whether he would be able to communicate with Reed or Lewis, the Ravens' two future Hall of Fame players.

Both players were receptive, though, and because of his position, Nakamura got a lot of help from Reed. What particularly impressed Nakamura was Reed's love for the game.

The funny thing is, he said last year he said thinking about retiring," Nakamura said. "I'm at home and I see the interview on TV and I start laughing. I was like, 'I'll put my bottom dollar that he's going to end up at the [team's] facility next year.' That was one of those emotional [statements] after a game. … He's a very passionate guy. He loves the game and he'll be playing football."

Reed was stung by the playoff loss in Indianapolis to the Colts last year when he hinted at retirement. His request for a pay hike went nowhere, and it wasn't until April that he finally had surgery on his hip.

This season, as well as he has played, it's been obvious that Reed also is playing in pain. His latest injury was to his ribs after one of his interceptions Sunday.

"I'm trying not to let it stop me, but it's painful just dealing with it," Reed said this week. "We'll rehab up until this Sunday."

There are no doubts Reed will play against the Chiefs, such is his commitment to his teammates.

"He has a mental toughness about him to go along with who he is," Newsome said. "He has a high pain threshold. I can say this: Ed has an acute awareness of what's around him. I don't think anyone can ever sneak up on Ed Reed – in any circumstances.

"That's a rare gift when people have that. Ray has that sense of awareness, and that provides for longevity, too, because it helps you avoid that unexpected injury of that unexpected hit."

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(baltimoresun.com)
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Two things with Vikings tackle Bryant McKinnie

On his offseason workout plans: "Normally, I take a little bit (of time off). This year, I'm not going to take that long. I'm going to take a day. I want to drop some pounds and get back to my college size, and come back and get back even better. In the past, I had injuries I kept to myself. I had to chill for, like, three weeks. How much do I want (to drop) to get to my college size? About 20 pounds. (It's for) quickness, endurance, just a lot of stuff. I'm getting older, too. When you get older, you have to make sure you handle those things. I just hired a personal trainer to travel with me in the offseason, even if I'm on vacation. I'll get up and get these workouts in."

On the 2010 season: "I'm glad it's over. It was just a rollercoaster ride. I feel like everybody was able to hang in there and fight, but this just was a long journey. The stadium collapsing, that definitely stands out to me. And then having to play at the University of Minnesota's facility, that stands out the most right now."

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(twincities.com)
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Andre Johnson To Have Ankle Scoped Next Week

Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson disclosed today that he will have arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle next week. Johnson will miss Sunday's regular-season finale against Jacksonville with what has been described as a high ankle sprain he suffered in the second game of the season in Washington. Johnson, who was just named to his fifth Pro Bowl, finishes the season with 86 catches for 1,216 yards and eight touchdowns. Dr. Kevin Varner the director of Director of Orthopedic Services at The Methodist Hospital, will perform the surgery. Varner is recognized as one of the foremost foot specialists in the country.

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(gridironfans.com)
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Antrel Rolle's mind was 'just wandering'

Giants FS Antrel Rolle admits his "mind was just wandering" often during his first year in New York.

"I think he thinks he could have played better for us," remarked GM Jerry Reese. An undeserving Pro Bowl selection, Rolle finished with one interception and four pass breakups (a low since his rookie year) after signing a five-year, $37M deal last offseason. Pro Football Focus graded Rolle as the 80th best safety in football. Teammate Kenny Phillips was No. 8.

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(rotoworld.com)
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Ed Reed's hot streak should continue into playoffs

Ravens safety Ed Reed only needed 10 games this season to pick off eight passes and become the NFL's interception leader for 2010.

History says his tremendous run will continue this month. One of the best ballhawks in league history, Reed has been extremely dangerous in the playoffs.

He has made seven interceptions in seven career postseason games, returning one for a 64-yard touchdown.

Reed had one of his best games in last season's divisional playoff game at Indianapolis, where he almost single-handedly carried the Ravens back into that game. But his first interception ended with him fumbling and his second one was negated by Corey Ivy’s pass interference penalty.

That's why Kansas City quarterback Matt Cassel will be trying to locate Reed before every snap.

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(baltimoresun.com)
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Javarris James' lack of playing time in recent weeks explained by Bill Polian

It's just been a matter of getting the 45-man roster set. I believe we're carrying five backs right now. Javarris is healthy. Mike (Hart) has been healthy. Mike practiced full last week. He's healthy. We have to select 45 players who can be active on Sunday. Javarris played well on (special) teams and in goal-line situations. He's a really tough guy, but we've opted in the last few weeks to go with Joseph (Addai), since he's back healthy; Donald (Brown) and Dominic (Rhodes). We can only dress three in balancing out the roster. Those are some of those decisions that Coach and the staff struggle with during the week in terms of who you want your backups to be and who's going to contribute on the most special teams. But now that we're back at full health, we're kind of going with the guys who started the season for us.

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(colts.com)
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Santana Moss Named Quarterback Club Redskins Player Of The Year

For 45 years now the Quarterback Club has been naming a Redskins Player Of The Year. The first one was Sam Huff; as of today the most recent is Santana Moss.

The winner of the award is determined by a vote from the media covering the team, and TBD.com writer Sam Chamberlain -- in keeping with his publication's much-talked-about love of transparency -- wrote about filling out his ballot. He also, it so happens, gave his first-place vote to Moss. Here's his reasoning (keeping in mind that the votes were due before Moss's season was complete):

Santana Moss has averaged more receiving yards per reception (12.4 to 11.1) and per game (69.4 to 53.1) than his counterpart Cooley, scored twice as many touchdowns (six to three), and broken the 1,000-receiving yard mark for the fourth time in his career and third time as a Redskin. He's done all this, by the way, in an offense whose performance has generally fluctuated between "barely competent" and "utterly poor." Such toil should be rewarded, and that's why I cast my vote for Santana Moss as the Redskins Player of the Year.

I don't quite agree with Chamberlain's brutal assessment of the offense, but his analysis of Moss's performance is dead on. In addition to tallying his fourth 1,000-yard season, Moss also set his career high for catches with 93 -- which is also the second-most ever for a Redskins receiver, behind Art Monk's 106 in 1984.

Moss talked about his award -- and his successful season -- to Larry Michael for an interview that will air on tonight's Redskins Nation. "When I heard that this offense was coming to us from Houston, I was talking [to] Andre Johnson and he said, 'I guarantee you get ninety catches this year,'" Moss said. "And you hear that and I'm always the guy that, you know, I hear things but I don't try to dwell on 'em." Turns out that Johnson was absolutely correct.

As far as the award, Moss was characteristically humble and grateful. "Means a lot," he said. "It means somebody's seen the hard work and the dedication that I took on the field each week, and pretty much respected what I did and said 'You deserve' what I was honored with today."

And Michael also asked Moss about his future as he becomes a free agent. About that, Moss was completely clear: "I just really wish that I'm gonna be a Redskin," he said. "I don't really have nothing else in mind of me going anywhere or being anywhere but here. So hopefully everything works itself out."

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(redskins.com)
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Reed expects to play Sunday despite pain

OWINGS MILLS - Ed Reed has endured a lot of pain this year, overcoming a variety of injuries to lead the league with eight interceptions.
Despite a nerve injury in his neck, a surgically repaired hip and his latest injury, bruised ribs, the Baltimore Ravens' star free safety expressed confidence that he'll be ready for Sunday's playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. He didn't practice Wednesday.

Reed suffered the rib injury against the Cincinnati Bengals and expressed relief that he didn't break anything.

He's also grateful that the Ravens are playing the Chiefs rather than the Indianapolis Colts, which likely would have meant a Saturday game instead of granting him an extra day to heal up.

"I'm just trying to get myself together right now," Reed said Wednesday at the Ravens' training complex. "I'm trying not to let it stop me, but it's painful. I'm just dealing with it. We'll rehab up until this Sunday and that was another good reason not to be playing Indy because we'd probably be playing Saturday. That's the only thing honestly I was praying for."

Reed has become accustomed to playing through serious ailments.

He hurt his ribs during his second interception of a Carson Palmer pass Sunday. Then, he refused to come out of the game until coach John Harbaugh ordered him to the sidelines in the second half.

Reed indicated that he suffered a bruise and damaged the muscle by his ribs.

"It's probably both," Reed said. "I didn't see any fracture, so that was a good thing, but it's definitely both."

Reed had another reason not to want to play the Colts in the first round, the Ravens' rough track record against quarterback Peyton Manning. Manning orchestrated the Ravens' exit from the playoffs in the AFC divisional round last season.

"Me, personally, I didn't want to go play against Peyton in this first round," Reed said. "It's not so much it's Peyton because I take to my brother, Reggie Wayne, over there. Me and him are texting back and forth all season.

"He told me it's got to go through them. So, you've got to respect that. They're a great team."

Meanwhile, Harbaugh expressed optimism about Reed and offensive tackle Michael Oher who has a sprained right knee.

"They seem good," Harbaugh said. "They were out here. Seem like they're moving around OK. I'm always optimistic. I'm an optimistic person."

Reed missed the first six games of the regular season on the physically unable to perform list following offseason hip surgery.

"It's been tough, but I've been focused on it," Reed said. "After having surgery, that was something I had never been through. That was a whole different pain. It's been tough, but trainers have been doing a great job, my doctors have been doing a great job, and me personally, just trying to stay up on it. There's a lot of things I had to cut out and I couldn't do and just didn't do because I would much rather get the rest and get off my feet."

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(carrollcountytimes.com)
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Ravens LB Lewis stoked for another Super Bowl run

Ray Lewis knows there won't be many more chances to win another Super Bowl, so he's attached a sense of urgency to this year's playoffs.
Baltimore opens the postseason Sunday in Kansas City, but the Ravens linebacker began talking championship with his teammates when New Orleans came to town last month.

The night before the Ravens faced the defending Super Bowl champion Saints, he gave an impassioned speech to his teammates, stressing the importance of dedication and sacrifice.

"When New Orleans was coming here, they are still defending champs until somebody else touches that confetti," Lewis said Wednesday. "That's what I tried to get my young guys to clue in on. We watched them win a Super Bowl against the Colts last year. Do you want to feel that? Because I do — again."

For Lewis, that's the only one reason to play the game.

His 12 Pro Bowl invitations and two Defensive Player of the Year awards are meaningless next to the Super Bowl ring he earned a decade ago with Baltimore.

Now in his 15th season, the 35-year-old Lewis wants to make each play, each down count.

"I've watched some of the greatest warriors come in this business and leave this business without a ring," Lewis said. "When you get that, the thing that waters you mouth is to feel that again. So when you find yourself back here, the message starts to become simple: What will you sacrifice for your team? What will you give up for that ultimate prize?"

Sounds like another speech brewing. And if Lewis does decide to address the Ravens before they face the Chiefs, there is no doubt that his teammates will heed every word.

"It's huge to have a guy like him on the team, someone who knows what it takes to do something that's darn near impossible," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "There's only going to be one champion at the end of the year, and he's done it before. A couple of years in the past we've had chances to win it but we've come up short. He can pinpoint exactly why we came up short."

Lewis knows only one team emerges as champion each season, and he understands how difficult a task it is to win a Super Bowl title. This will be the sixth time since their lone Super Bowl appearance that the Ravens have been in the playoffs, and each of the previous five ended in disappointment.

Lewis intends to rectify that shortcoming in the weeks ahead.

"We're back in the dance a third (consecutive) year. I say finish. Finish now. Because we've done everything else," he said. "We've been to the AFC championship, we've been to the divisional round, we've done everything we're supposed to do. What's next for us? What's next is finish."
If he can't go to the Super Bowl as a player, Lewis won't go as a fan. The only way he intends to be there in person is wearing a helmet, shoulder pads and a No. 52 jersey.

"I would never attend one without playing in it. But I do watch it," Lewis said. "You sit there and you're like, 'Wow, somebody will experience what I experienced.' I want that. That's the only reason you play the game. And right now, my job as a leader of this team is to tell them, 'Look, we've got three weeks. Make up your mind. We've got Kansas City this week, whoever the next week and whoever the next week. Whatever you've got to do, let's see if we can make that trip to Dallas.'"

Lewis has been the leader of this team for 15 years, but his dozen Pro Bowl invitations are proof that he's more than just a voice in the huddle and locker room. He leads the Ravens with 145 tackles, has two interceptions, two sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered three.

That, and his experience, should prove instrumental in Baltimore's bid to go deep into the playoffs.

"When you have a Ray Lewis and (Pro Bowl safety) Ed Reed, you have confidence they're going to be leaders and play great," Ravens cornerback Chris Carr said. "They always show up in big games. When you're playing with great players like that who have experience, you go into the playoffs it doesn't seem like as big a deal. Ray has high expectations every single week, so we're going to feel comfortable out there having him with us."

After going through training camp and a 17-week regular season to get to this point, Lewis can't wait to get started.

"Here we go again," he said. "You had your peaks and valleys, your ups and downs, your wrongs and rights, your dos, your don'ts. You had all these different things. And now you find yourself with the only reason you play the game, and that's the opportunity to be in the dance."
And, more importantly, to be the last one standing.

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(sfexaminer.com)
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Clinton Portis Explains How He Sees The Media Coverage

Clinton Portis has talked a lot in recent years about "haters" and "doubters" and people in the media who are against him -- here's a perfectly sound example -- but to the best of my recollection he's never given a calm, reflective explanation of what he perceived as "hating" and what he didn't.

But "reflective" would be a good word to describe Portis' radio appearance today on the Mike Wise Show With Holden Kushner, as would "elegiac" and "nostalgic". The hosts focused many of their questions on the possibility that Portis' time in D.C. has come to an end -- although that's far from certain at this point -- and that sentiment infused just about everything Portis said.

So when Wise challenged Portis' claim that he had "never seen a feel-good story about anyone in this organization," Portis explained what he meant.

"For myself, there was good stories, there was bad stories," Portis said. "But that's the NFL. That goes with winning and losing.

"I just think that the focus was geared toward all the stuff that really didn't matter inside of that organization. When you put 53 men together, there's gonna be some men that don't get along. There's gonna be some men that's not friends. There's gonna be some coaches and players that clash. I think that's life.

"I think that happens in the studio; I think it happens with you and your co-workers. I think it happens in every business that you got. There's gonna be competition. There's gonna be somebody -- if you get a lead story, somebody else wanted it. Somebody else feel like they could've wrote it better. Somebody's gonna have an opinion of what you said that they don't feel your facts was totally correct. But therefore you have the opportunity to write your story the way you wanted to write it.

"So with myself, I just think that there was so much negativity, so much negative attention placed on the negativity in the organization, besides all the good stuff .... You were saying, Lorenzo Alexander's a great man. Lorenzo Alexander's a dedicated person to God, a dedicated person to the community. The upbringing of Lorenzo Alexander from Oakland, California to where he is now, you know, being undrafted and comin' in playing all the positions ... I love Lorenzo's story. I don't how many people in this area know Lorenzo's story."

I think this long excerpt does a couple of things, both of them coincidentally having to do with perspective.

First, I think it does an excellent job putting the idea of conflict in the locker room into a more commonplace perspective. From what I've seen here, the actual experience of, say, the players dealing with The Neverending Albert Haynesworth Saga is much less stressful than the media coverage of the same saga. As Portis suggests, I think disagreements between the beat writers covering the team could probably be elevated to the same near-operatic levels if they were covered as exhaustively as the disagreements between people on the team.

Second, and conversely, I think Portis does show how skewed his perspective of the media is. Somewhat earlier in the show, he acknowledges that "I don't read the paper every Sunday," and that's made clear in his example; Lorenzo Alexander's story has most definitely been told. But people in general remember the negative much more than the positive -- in writing workshops we used to hear that you would remember three negative comments for every positive -- and that's just magnified by the way coverage of a football team works. Because Portis is right about one thing: there's unlikely to be a crawl on the bottom of ESPN that reads "Lorenzo Alexander is a pretty good dude," and if you're not reading articles every day you're much more likely to stumble across ESPN's continuing coverage of The Albert Haynesworth Saga than you are a random Outside The Lines about a Lorenzo Alexander. So if you're more likely to remember the negative, AND you're more likely to stumble across the negative ... well, I think that explains a lot about why Portis sees so many "haters" and "doubters" out there.

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(redskins.com)
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Superman Returns: Kenny Phillips hoping to rebound in 2011

In the song “Land of Confusion,” Phil Collins sings this line:

Superman, where are you now?

For most of this season, Giants fans were singing the same tune. Only they weren’t looking for Clark Kent to turn into a superhero. They wanted Kenny Phillips to.

Phillips’ season coming off major knee surgery that many – including me – figured would be career-altering if not career-threatening, was remarkable in that he made it all the way through it. Didn’t miss but a handful of snaps, was hardly on the injury report at all, and played 16 games at safety.

“The season didn’t go exactly how I wanted it to, but it’s still a blessing to get through the season healthy, especially when there were people saying I wasn’t going to play football again,” Phillips said on Monday while he was cleaning out his locker. “I thought it was a big achievement.”
That’s where the remarkable stuff ends, though, because Phillips’ performance on the field was not deserving of his nickname: Superman. He had a career-high 77 tackles – which is to be expected since this was his first full year as a starter – but he had only one interception, which is half the number he had in two games in 2009. He also had only five passes defensed.

He was also involved on the play that really started the Giants’ slide out of the playoffs. While many people groused about having defensive end Justin Tuck dropping into coverage against Brent Celek in the fourth quarter of the Eagles game, it was Phillips who came up and whiffed on the tackle or the interception try or whatever he was trying to do. Even if he puts a glancing blow on Celek there and slows him down enough for someone else to tackle him, well, those are the kinds of thoughts that can haunt an offseason.

Phillips said that physically he was fine throughout the season, but it took him some time to get mentally adjusted to playing again.

“Just seeing the big picture, that takes time,” Phillips said. “As far as seeing things and certain things that you’re used to seeing, it was almost kind of new to me in the beginning. I was locked in on one side instead of being able to see the whole field. Just small things like that, that was the difference.”

“I’m used to seeing routes and that was slow to come along for the most part,” he added.

Phillips said he is looking forward to resting his knee, something he hasn’t been able to do since he began his rehab last fall. And he expects to be back next year without any limitations. There’s also the football axiom that says the second year is the one when a player really returns to form after knee surgery.

Will Superman be back in 2011?

“I hope so,” he said.

Did he think he was Superman in 2010?

“I thought I was something, I don’t know,” he said. “Sometimes I did, sometimes I didn’t.”

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(newsday.com)
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Rewind'10: Devin Hester's multiple roles

The end of the regular season closes the door on season statistics and milestones. So as time permits over the next few weeks, we'll be drawing conclusions on our preseason themes and touching on some of the more interesting trends that developed during the season.

We'll start with Chicago Bears receiver/returner Devin Hester, whose 2010 crossroads we first discussed in August. At the time, we examined Hester's intention to have a "breakout year" as a receiver and all but wrote off the possibility that the could resurrect himself as a returner.
August 8, 2010: "To this point, Hester has been a productive but hardly spectacular receiver. In truth, there are only a handful of receivers around the league who change the way opposing defenses play. To me, that's the level Hester would need to ascend to make this a win-win proposition for the Bears."

What ultimately took place was a perfect marriage of Hester's goals and skills. He played a complementary role on offense, finishing fourth on the team with 40 receptions, but reclaimed his throne as the most dangerous special-teams player in the game.

Hester's average of 17.09 yards per punt return set a new single-season NFL record. He also averaged 35.6 yards on 12 kickoff returns while rotating with Danieal Manning. As the season concluded, opponents were once again punting out of bounds or squibbing their kickoffs to avoid giving him legitimate opportunities.

In fact, Hester's returns -- which also included three touchdowns -- were the biggest factor in the Bears finishing atop Football Outsiders' 2010 rankings of special teams.

Last summer, it seemed the Bears were prepared to sacrifice Hester's threat as a returner in order to get a bigger payoff on offense. As it turned out, the opposite was true. They were content to grant him a contributing role in the offense so they could reap maximum rewards on special teams.

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(espn.com)
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Strict regimen helps Santana Moss get better with age

In any given week, Santana Moss will leave the football stadium on Sunday and begin prepping for a week of non-stop bodywork.

He'll see his masseuse twice and will make two visits to a chiropractor. He'll spend nights resting in a hyperbaric chamber in his home, receiving oxygen treatments, and he flies in a personal trainer from Atlanta each week - "a specialist when it comes to muscles," Moss said.

"When you was younger, you didn't have to have massages, you didn't have to see chiropractors," said Moss, 31. "Now you just throw that in your regimen, and say, 'Well, this is what keeps me going.' So you pay a little more just to play."

It's paid off. Moss enters today's season finale against the New York Giants with 84 catches, one shy of a career-high for a season. Last week at Jacksonville, he topped the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth time in his 10-year career.

"I had a lot of respect before I came here for Santana," said quarterback Rex Grossman, "but now getting the chance to play with him, he's an amazing player, the way he can separate from defenders. He's got great hands. He runs great routes. He's everything I thought he was and more."

No one questions Moss's ability or his role in the Redskins' offense. But his future isn't as clear. After six seasons in Washington, Moss is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. While he's been given no assurances, Moss said he hopes to return to the Redskins.

"I don't feel like leaving is going to help me win games somewhere else. I feel that when somewhere that you are comfortable with, that you feel like you can play, and your family can live and, you know, you can raise your family and live comfortably, and play a great game, and play at a high level," Moss said, "you know, why leave?"

The Redskins have found a way to make Moss as effective as ever. Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan knew long before he arrived in Washington that Moss was a superb receiver. But after reviewing film of Moss' previous seasons, Shanahan also thought he could take better advantage of Moss' skills.

Moss, who at 5-foot-9 is short and quick, made his name as a college receiver at the University of Miami lining up in the slot. But since entering the NFL in 2001, he's lined up almost exclusively on the outside. This season, Shanahan moved Moss back to the slot and gave him a variety of inside passing routes.

"When you got guys who are not the tall, lanky guys, their legs are always under them, so they can cut a little better than most people," Shanahan said. "They can get to the top of the routes, stick out both feet, go both directions. You give guys like that a two-way go. It's tough to cover them. When you got a guy who's got that quickness, that talent, has the hands he does, has got football awareness - he's not scared. He can be a special player in there."

What isn't clear is how long Moss' body will last. He hopes to sign a free agent contract and plans on playing somewhere in 2011. He doesn't know where he'll end up, though, or how long he'll be there.

"I never put a number on anything. I just go," he said. "It'll come a day. Until that day comes, you'll see me out here running routes, doing what I do."

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(hamptonroads.com)
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Santana Moss a Low-Maintenance Receiver

Santana Moss had a nice year, sure, but enough with this silliness about him being “snubbed” in the Pro Bowl voting. Let’s face it, he’s not as explosive a player as he used to be. Of his career-high 93 catches this season, only nine went for 20 yards or more. The four receivers who made the NFC squad had 15 (Roddy White), 16 (Calvin Johnson), 21 (DeSean Jackson) and 21 (Greg Jennings) grabs of 20-plus yards.

Of course, Shanahan used Moss differently than other coaches have. He lined him up in the slot more and had him run scores of underneath routes and screens. Santana saw the ball as much as he ever has, but it was harder for him to generate big plays. Consider: In 2005, the only time he went to the Pro Bowl as a Redskin, he had 24 catches of 20 yards or more – and 10 of 40 yards or more.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Redskins re-sign Moss now that his contract is up. He’ll be 32 next season, and Shanny might want to get younger at the position. (The coach SAYS he wants to get younger in lots of places, but we’ll see about that.)

If it were up to me, I’d hang onto Santana for as long as he was even remotely functional. Why? Because not only is he great in the locker room, he’s that rarest of pro football creatures: the Low-Maintenance Receiver. Have you ever heard him complain about not getting enough passes thrown his way – or about anything, for that matter? You need players like him around to show the kids How It’s Done.

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(tbd.com)
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Skins work out Sinorice Moss

The Redskins worked out free agent WR Sinorice Moss late last week.

Moss is the younger brother of Skins top receiver Santana Moss. Santana is an impending free agent, so this might've been an act of good will on the Redskins' part. It's still surprising that Moss never caught on after being released by the Giants last November. He failed to meet expectations in New York, but didn't embarrass himself during his rare times on the field.

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(nbcsports.com)
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Clinton Portis Will Need To Take Pay Cut To Return?

Clinton Portis told media members this week that he's not done, but you have to wonder what, if any, his role would be in Washington in 2011. Portis has played in only 13 games the past two seasons and is owed more than $8 million next season. With the relative emergence of Ryan Torain, Portis will not return to D.C. as a featured back. Portis could come back if he's willing to accept a steep pay cut and a third-down type of role, where his fine pass blocking could be valuable, but it's not clear whether he would swallow his pride and do that. If not, add running back to the list of positions the Redskins must address in the offseason.

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(gridironfans.com)
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D.J. Williams could be trade bait?

The Denver Post speculates that Broncos ILB D.J. Williams "could be trade bait" this offseason.

The Post points out that Williams has been "a poor leader," getting arrested for two DUIs in five years, refusing to speak to the media, and skipping offseason workouts. Of course, all of these factors make him less attractive on the trade market, too. The Broncos won't find a better inside linebacker, so we'd bet on Williams returning at his $4.9 million base salary.

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(rotoworld.com)
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Shawnbrey McNeal: Redskins sign up futures players

Redskins signed RB Shawnbrey McNeal, WRs Taurus Johnson and Maurice Price, OTs Selvish Capers and Xavier Fulton, and DT Rashaad Duncan to reserve/future contracts.

Coach Mike Shanahan has done plenty with far inferior talents to McNeal, so he'll be a player to monitor this offseason. Capers was Washington's seventh-round pick last April. Duncan is a needed big body at 6'2/315.


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(rotoworld.com)
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Saints LB Vilma added to NFC Pro Bowl roster

Saints LB Jonathan Vilma has been selected to the NFC’s Pro Bowl squad, the Saints and NFL announced Tuesday. Vilma, who last week was chosen the Saints’ “Man of the Year” for his contributions on and off the field, has been selected to two previous Pro Bowls, in 2005 (Jets) and 2009 (Saints).

“It’s always an honor to be elected to the Pro Bowl,” Vilma said. “I thank the fans, the players of the NFL and the people around the league that thought highly enough of our efforts. There are a lot of guys not only on our team that are deserving of being in the Pro Bowl. I am grateful for the recognition and just want to express my gratitude.”

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(nfl.com)
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Vince Wilfork graces latest SI cover

That's Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork, and tomorrow this issue of Sports Illustrated will hit the stands and mailboxes as it serves as the magazine's NFL playoff preview.

It is the 23d time the Patriots have been on the cover, which is the sixth most among NFL teams. In this issue, NFL writer Peter King says the Patriots look "like a better team than the 2007 team that entered the Super Bowl 18–0.” He goes on to predict the Patriots will beat the Green Bay Packers 30-24 in the Super Bowl.

This is either good news or bad news, depending on how much you believe in the SI cover jinx, which holds that teams or athletes featured on Sports Illustrated's cover are destined to fail. It gets refuted more often than not, but it'll be a conversation starter nonetheless.

Wilfork is the first defensive tackle to be on the cover by himself since 2008. Wilfork's presence on the cover may be fitting, considering the challenges facing the Patriots defensive line.

There was plenty of news involving the Patriots last night, including rookie defensive lineman Brandon Deaderick being placed on the reserve/suspended list by the team.

Any detailed reaction to the news will have to wait as the Patriots are off today and coach Bill Belichick is not scheduled to address the media. The team will return to Gillette Stadium tomorrow.

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(boston.com)
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Sayers: Bears' Hester belongs in Hall of Fame

Former Bears Hall of Fame halfback and kick returner Gale Sayers feels Devin Hester already is worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Hester, in his fifth season with the Bears, already owns the NFL record for combined punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns with 14 (10 punts and four kickoffs).

"Devin Hester deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, no question about it. He has a chance to get there. And more than likely, he probably will," Sayers told the Tribune on Tuesday via phone from Lawrence, Kan., where he starred in the early '60s at the University of Kansas.

Sayers, whose NFL career was cut short after six seasons because of knee injuries, was an elusive running back from scrimmage, and also returned kickoffs and punts with abandon. Sayers averaged 30.56 yards on 91 kick returns during his career (1965-71) for 6 TDs and an all-time best touchdown-per-return ratio of .0659 percent. Hester has returned 262 kicks for his 14 TDs (.0534).

"I think I was probably the first (Hall of Fame) running back to return punts and kickoffs and run from the line of scrimmage," said Sayers, who was the Hall's youngest-ever inductee at the age of 34 in 1977. "I had a good career rushing with the football, too, and scoring touchdowns (22 as a rookie). (Hester) is only doing kick returns (although he is also a wide receiver) and he is having a hell of a career. No doubt, he will probably go into the Hall of Fame."

Sayers feels the Pro Football Hall of Fame should expand its scope to include more specialists who have been at the top of their profession. Currently, Jan Stenerud is the only pure kicker in the Hall of Fame. And previous kick return stars such as Brian Mitchell and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson are not included.

"To me, Ray Guy should be in the Hall of Fame," Sayers said. "I mean, he killed the ball. He was unbelievable. And he played for a number of years (1973-86 as a seven-time Pro Bowler) and it seemed like every year (with a career average of 42.4) he led the league in punting."

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(chicagobreakingsports.com)
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Rolle wants to reinvent himself at safety

Antrel Rolle was asked to do something foreign for the Giants this season. And he did it well. But it might have taken away from the qualities that made him the big free-agent safety the team landed last offseason.

Unlike when he played for the Cardinals and was a ball-hawking hitter in the secondary, the Giants had Rolle playing near the line of scrimmage for most of the season as part of their three-safety sets. He excelled there, especially in games against the Eagles when he was targeting Michael Vick. The problem was that when Rolle went back deep, he often felt out of sync. He had only one interception and just five passes defensed, and in the last two weeks in particular, he found himself in the middle of bad coverage on deep scoring passes.

"I have to get in the mind-set of being able to transform myself from being up as opposed to playing back deep," Rolle said while cleaning out his locker Monday. "I caught myself a couple of times when I was playing deep, things not being as clear as I'm used to them being back there just because I'm playing up so much that I lose focus of the primary things I'm used to targeting."

It would be like learning French as a second language, but losing the ability to speak effective English in the process.

"I took on a lot of responsibilities," Rolle said. "My grade sheet a lot of times would come back with five negative plays, six negative plays, just because my mind was just wandering. But through it all, I always hustled and tried to get around the ball somehow."

General manager Jerry Reese, who signed Rolle last offseason, said he was pleased with how Rolle played in his new position, which was more linebacker than safety. But he also pointed to the "too many explosive plays" as one of the problems on defense. And more than a few of those were because of Rolle.

"That's one of the things that was the most disappointing for me is that we gave up too many plays on the back end of the defense and in this league, you just can't give up explosive plays," Reese said. "A couple of games that gets you beat."

Rolle said he is confident he will rebound in 2011. "I've always been an incliner, I've never been a person to decline," he said. And he added that he will spend time this offseason studying the Giants' defense without the distractions of game plans and opponents to get a more firm grip on the system.

"He did good in that role for us," Reese said of Rolle's play near the line of scrimmage. "But . . . I think he thinks he could have played better for us. I do think he can play better and he thinks he can play better."

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(newsday.com)
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17 proCanes Will Play in the NFL Playoffs

17 proCanes will participate in the 2010 NFL playoffs. 8 from the AFC and 9 from the NFC. Below is a list of the players.

AFC: Reggie Wayne (Colts), Javarris James (Colts), Ed Reed (Ravens), Ray Lewis (Ravens), Tavares Gooden (Ravens), Willis McGahee (Ravens), Brandon Meriweather (Patriots), Vince Wilfork (Patriots).

NFC: Kelly Jennings (Seahawks), Jon Vilma (Saints), Jimmy Graham (Saints), Jeremy Shockey (Saints), Antonio Dixon (Eagles), Spencer Adkins (Falcons), Devin Hester (Bears), Greg Olsen (Bears), Sam Shields (Packers).


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Bryant McKinnie Looking To Slim Down

Left tackle Bryant McKinnie said he plans to take off less time than usual before resuming training and hopes to lose about 20 pounds to get back to his college playing weight -- the same goal he set and apparently failed to reach in training camp.

"In the past, I've been having like injuries I just kept to myself and then had to like chill for three weeks," McKinnie said, "and then it ended up turning into like a month-and-a-half. So, this year, I'm not going to do that."

To prove he's serious, McKinnie -- 31 years old and listed at 335 pounds -- said he has hired a personal trainer to travel with him "even if I'm on vacation. Get up and get these workouts in. So, we can do like 'celebrity fit club' if y'all want."

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(espn.com)
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Jimmy Graham catches TD, ankle injury Week 17

Saints TE Jimmy Graham caught both of his targets for 15 yards and a four-yard touchdown in the Saints' Week 17 loss to Tampa Bay. He also left the game in the second quarter with an ankle injury, and did not return.

Graham's status for the opening round of the playoffs at Seattle is unknown at this point, but he had become a reliable red zone option for Drew Brees after catching four touchdowns in the last three weeks, including a game-winner against Atlanta in Week 16. Given the injury issues to fellow TEs Jeremy Shockey and Dave Thomas, Graham will be sorely needed if the Saints are to return to the Super Bowl.

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(rotoworld.com)
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Ravens expect Ed Reed to be fine

Ravens safety Ed Reed injured his ribs while returning an interception on Sunday.  As explained by Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun, it happened after Reed made the pick, ran with it, and considered trying to lateral the ball.

He didn’t make the pitch, but while Reed paused to ponder the possibility he was hit by Bengals running back Cedric Peerman.

With 1,438 career interception return yards, Reed is only 45 yards behind all-time leader Rod Woodson, who retired with 1,483.

Though Reed was sketchy about his status after Sunday’s game (including whether it was a rib or a muscle injury), we’re told that the team expects him to be fine for Sunday’s playoff game against the Chiefs.

“Yeah, I think that’s when I got hurt,” Reed said. “I was saying to myself coming into the game, ‘No more lateraling.’ But it happens sometimes.”
Meanwhile, we’ve recently discovered that Reed currently has no agent.  Greg Genske negotiated Reed’s contract, which runs through the 2012 season.  But by all appearances the veteran Pro Bowler presently is handling his business with the team on his own.

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(profootballtalk.com)
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Devin Hester adds another record

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Add this to the list of NFL records for Chicago's Devin Hester -- highest punt return average in a season.

The Bears' speedy return specialist averaged 17.1 yards, the highest in league history among players with at least 30 returns. He also set the career record for combined kick return touchdowns last month with his 14th, returning to form after struggling the past few years while trying to adapt to a bigger role at wide receiver.

Hester has returned 33 punts for 564 yards and three TDs. His average topped the previous mark of 16.1 set by Jermaine Lewis of Baltimore in 2000.

Hester's resurgence is a big reason the Bears (11-5) won the NFC North and made the playoffs for the first time in four years.

He had gone two seasons without returning a punt or kickoff for a touchdown after running back 11 to the end zone in his first two seasons. That drought ended when he took a punt 62 yards against Green Bay in late September.

Hester broke Brian Mitchell's record for combined kick return TDs with a 64-yard punt return against Minnesota on Dec. 20. That gave him 10 punt return touchdowns in his career, tying Eric Metcalf's record.

Not included in Hester's 14 kick return TDs are a missed field goal that he ran back 108 yards, and the touchdown on the opening kickoff of the Super Bowl four years ago.

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(espn.com)
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Andre Johnson: "I don’t think I’ll play" in Pro Bowl

HOUSTON – Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson said after Sunday’s season finale he doesn’t think he’ll play in the upcoming Pro Bowl.

"I don’t think I’ll be able to play," said Johnson. "I’ll be getting my scope done next Wednesday and I don’t think I’ll be ready to go."

Johnson has missed the last two games because of an ankle injury he sustained during Week 2 against the Washington Redskins.

"Even if I was ready to go, I don’t think I would risk it," said the now 6-time Pro Bowler. "Just having that procedure done you wouldn’t want to go out there and do anything crazy on it."

Johnson had 86 receptions for 1,216 yards and 8 touchdowns in 2010.

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(khou.com)
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Vince Wilfork finally puts down a QB in finale

FOXBORO — Vince Wilfork [stats] wasn’t about to be shut out again.

After being held without a sack last year, Wilfork entered yesterday’s regular-season finale in jeopardy of a repeat. But the Patriots [team stats] defensive lineman ended his drought with a pair of third-quarter sacks in a 38-7 win over the Miami Dolphins [team stats] at Gillette Stadium.
“I joke with (defensive line coach Pepper Johnson) all the time that I can’t go 0-for again this year,” Wilfork said. “And you know what, God answered my prayers and I made a couple of plays today.”

Wilfork broke through Miami’s line on a first down early in the third quarter and drilled quarterback Chad Henne. Wilfork’s first sack in 33 games was marred by a 15-yard personal foul for a helmet-to-helmet hit.

Wilfork seemed surprised his hit drew a flag, and three plays later he took out his displeasure on Henne, dropping the quarterback for a 7-yard loss on third down.

“All year we’ve been working our tails off rushing the passer, and every time I come free either he’s getting rid of the ball or someone’s picking me up or (there is) a scramble — whatever it may be,” said Wilfork, who earned his third Pro Bowl selection this season. “I was pretty excited to come in and be able to get a sack.”

Wilfork highlighted another strong day by the Pats defense. The unit, which was maligned early in the season, allowed an average of 9.4 points in the final five games.

“We fought all year,” Wilfork said. “When things weren’t going well, everybody just pulled together and we fought. And the last couple of weeks or months — I want to say after the Cleveland game — there’s something different about this ballclub. We’re clicking. We just trust one another out there on the field. We put the team first. Everyone is unselfish and we’ve been just having fun.”

For Wilfork, things took a sharp turn after the 34-14 blowout loss to Cleveland on Nov. 7. The Pats have won eight straight games since that wakeup call.

“The road wasn’t smooth all the way and I think the Cleveland game really was a gut check,” Wilfork said. “They beat us down pretty bad — physically, mentally, you name it. They did whatever they wanted to do. I think from that point on guys really buckled down . . . I think from that point on, guys just really hated that taste of losing.”

Wilfork has no desire to experience that taste again, as the Patriots head to the postseason as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

“Any little slippage and your season will be done,” Wilfork said. “We worked hard for a bye, so we deserve it, but at the same time we’re going to make sure we’re taking care of what we need to take care of.”

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(bostonherald.com)
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Repulsed Santana Moss may not roll on

ASHBURN -- A man can endure only so much frustration, disappointment and failure before he breaks. Santana Moss was pushed to that point three Sundays ago.

His Washington Redskins had just devised a new way to lose--a missed extra point after he caught a touchdown pass with 9 seconds remaining in regulation. The team's best offensive player for the last six seasons had experienced several different nadirs during that forgettable span, but this blunder introduced foreign depths.

Emotion filled Moss' voice as he spoke to reporters at his locker inside FedEx Field.

"It's just [expletive] years of losing," he seethed. "Excuse my French, but I'm just hurt."

Moss' spirit at that moment was broken. His words and tone gave the impression that he'd do anything to escape this woebegone franchise.
Yesterday, however, Moss said that he is not compelled to depart via free agency this offseason and spend the twilight of his career chasing a championship with another club in another city. He is willing to stick it out and try to see the Redskins' building process through under head coach Mike Shanahan.

"I don't feel like leaving is going to help me win games somewhere else," he said. "When you're somewhere that you're comfortable with, and you feel like you can play, and your family can live, and you can raise your family and live comfortably and play a great game at a high level, why leave?"

Moss, 31, will have the chance this offseason to back up those words with action. His contract expires after this season, and he could choose to test the free-agent market for the first time in his 10-year career.

That would be the quickest way to join a Super Bowl contender, but the Redskins have an advantage in the competition for Moss' services in the form of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.

When Shanahan took over as the Redskins' play-caller this season, he and head coach Mike Shanahan decided Moss' talents could be exploited as a slot receiver in three-receiver sets. Moss is a quality route runner who can play all three receiver spots. He normally is sure-handed, and he still is fast and shifty enough to separate from defenders on a variety of routes.

So instead of always lining up wide, Moss begins some plays positioned closer to the offensive line.

Moss hadn't done that since his collegiate career at the University of Miami, but his production this year validates the move. His 84 receptions equal his career high. He has 1,041 yards, marking the fourth time in his career he has surpassed 1,000. And he has six touchdowns.

"When you got guys who are not the tall, lanky guys, their legs are always under them, so they can cut a little better than most people," Kyle Shanahan said. "They can get to the top of their routes, stick out both feet and go both directions. You give guys like that a two-way go, it's tough to cover them."

Moss likes playing there because he more easily avoids being double-covered by a high safety.

"Now you have a chance to get inside where they can't put a Cover-2 over you all the time," he said. "The slot routes are routes inside where you can get open a little faster by putting a couple of moves on that guy getting him out of his break."

In that role, Moss has made a strong impression on the first-year coaching staff and his teammates.

"He's everything I thought he was and more," said quarterback Rex Grossman, who just recently began throwing to Moss in game situations. "He makes it easy for a quarterback because he can separate. And defenders know that and they get kind of back on their heels waiting for him to make his move.

"He just runs such good routes. And with coach Shanahan putting him position to get open, it's a good combination."

Sunday's game against the New York Giants could be Moss' last in a Redskins uniform, but at this point it's almost impossible to envision the Redskins offense without him.

Washington traded for him in 2005, so he experienced the up-and-down tenure of coach Joe Gibbs and the ill-fated Jim Zorn era. You couldn't blame him, then, if he wanted to get as far away from here as possible. He has experienced only two winning seasons out of his six with the club, and his two playoff appearances were fleeting.

On the other hand, perhaps that difficult journey would make reaching the final destination sweeter.

"I would love to be a part of that," Moss said. "I can't tell you if it would be more satisfying. I just feel like once I become a Redskin, I feel like it was meant for me to be here."

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(fredricksburg.com)
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Antrel Rolle says Giants players need more fight, accountability

The season began with Antrel Rolle saying some unspecified things need to change.

It ended the same way.

“There are a couple of other things that maybe need to be stirred up a little bit,” the Giants’ safety said after Sunday’s victory over the Redskins in his weekly interview with The Star-Ledger and SNY. “But that’s something we need to fix within the organization, which we can fix, which is very fixable. As players, we need to hold ourselves accountable a little bit more, have a little more fight, especially when opportunities present themselves, those big games come up, we get our opportunities to close it out and put yourself in a position to go into the playoffs. But we didn’t capture those.

“It is what it is at this point. But we will be a better team next year.”

Rolle will take an active part in that. Just how active remains to be seen.

Asked if he’ll be the one to “stir things up,” he replied with a laugh, “I don’t know. I don’t want to stir things up too much. But I definitely will hang a responsibility on my part as a teammate and be the best player I can be for the team. And hopefully, it’ll be a domino effect.”

Rolle has just completed the first of five seasons in the contract he signed last May. If he wants things to change so much, perhaps he should figure out this offseason how he could be a team leader.

In fact, he’s already considered it.

“That’s something I’ve thought about on several occasions. I just have to find the right way to approach it and the right way to go about things,” he said. “We’ll see what happens come next season. But my goals are big. My goals are extremely big. And my expectations for this team are even bigger than that.

“We’re the fighting Giants. That’s what we are. We’re going to continue to fight and we’re only going to get better.”

Click here to order Antrel Rolle’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(nj.com)
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Jeremy Shockey's a leader on the football field... he’s also a Cult Energy Activator spokesperson

NEW ORLEANS, La. January 3, 2011 — Jeremy Shockey is a leader on the football field, but he’s also a Cult spokesperson.

Tight end Jeremy Shockey, a Super Bowl champion, is the new spokesperson for Cult Energy Activator, an all-natural energy beverage. The campaign, featuring Shockey, will launch on January 4, 2011 with a contest to meet Jeremy in person.

The contest guidelines established by Cult feature taking a photo of the entrant with one of the many life-sized Shockey cutouts with a Cult, visiting the energy drink’s fan page on Facebook at Facebook.com/cultenergy, “liking” the page and submitting their picture for viewing.

The contest winner will receive dinner, an autographed jersey and football and a year’s supply of Cult Energy Activator, all delivered by Shockey.

The winner of the first-ever Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year Award in 2002, Shockey has earned four Pro Bowl selections in his career and received a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in Super Bowl XLII and with the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV.

He was a good fit for Cult Energy Activator, the energy drink uniquely based on natural ingredients. The drink, which can be used to combat exhaustion and mental or physical weariness, lacks Taurine and is instead powered with all-natural Guarana caffeine. It is also available in an All Natural Stevia sweetened version.

“Cult helps me keep my focus and physical edge without Taurine, and it’s all natural,” Shockey said.

Due to the drink being made from natural ingredients, it’s found to be safer on the body. Of course, like all energy drinks, Shockey’s motivation isn’t completely steeped in the healthiness of the product.

“It keeps me going hard as I can, on and off the field.”

Click here to order Jeremy Shockey’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(prlog.org)
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proCanes Extend TD Streak to 139 Regular Season Weeks

Did you know that a former Miami Hurricane/current proCane has scored at least one touchdown in 139 consecutive regular season NFL weeks? Dating back to Week 15 of the 2002 season where Clinton Portis scored 4 TDs, at least one proCane has scored a TD in each regular season week since then. We have chronicled every touchdown since 2002. See below:

Week 17 2010:
Jimmy Graham - 1 TD - New Orleans Saints
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts

Week 16 2010:
Kellen Winslow - 2 TDs - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Devin Hester - 1 TD - Chicago Bears

Week 15 2010:
Santana Moss - 2 TDs - Washington Redskins
Andre Johnson - 1 TD - Houston Texans
Jimmy Graham - 2 TDs - New Orleans Saints
Devin Hester - 2 TDs - Chicago Bears

Week 14 2010:
Javarris James - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts
Kellen Winslow - 1 TD - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Santana Moss - 1 TD - Washington Redskins
Andre Johnson - 2 TDs - Houston Texans
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens

Week 13 2010:
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts
Javarris James - 2 TDs - Indianapolis Colts

Week 12 2010:
Andre Johnson - 1 TD - Houston Texans
Greg Olsen - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Kellen Winslow - 1 TD - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 11 2010:
Santana Moss - 1 TD - Washington Redskins
Ray Lewis - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts

Week 10 2010:
Javarris James - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts
Greg Olsen - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Devin Hester - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Andre Johnson - 1 TD - Houston Texans
Frank Gore - 1 TD - San Francisco 49ers
Kellen Winslow - 1 TD - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (first TD of the season)

Week 9 2010:
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens
Jeremy Shockey - 1 TD - New Orleans Saints
Javarris James - 2 TDs - Indianapolis Colts (first career TD)
Jimmy Graham - 1 TD - New Orleans Saints (first career TD)
Greg Olsen - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Roscoe Parrish - 1 TD - Buffalo Bills

Week 8 2010:
Frank Gore - 1 TD - San Francisco 49ers
Andre Johnson - 1 TD - Houston Texans
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts

Week 7 2010:
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens
Santana Moss - 1 TD - Washington Redskins

Week 6 2010:
Devin Hester - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Andre Johnson - 1 TD - Houston Texans

Week 5 2010:
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens
Jeremy Shockey - 1 TD - New Orleans Saints
Frank Gore - 1 TD - San Francisco 49ers

Week 4 2010:
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens

Week 3 2010:
Jeremy Shockey - 1 TD - New Orleans Saints
Santana Moss - 1 TD - Washington Redskins
Greg Olsen - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Devin Hester - 1 TD - Chicago Bears

Week 2 2010:
Greg Olsen - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Devin Hester - 1 TD - Chicago Bears
Clinton Portis - 2 TDs - Washingon Redskins
Andre Johnson - 1 TD - Houston Texans
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts
Frank Gore - 1 TD - San Francisco 49ers

Week 1 2010:
Reggie Wayne - 1 TD - Indianapolis Colts
Roscoe Parrish - 1 TD - Buffalo Bills
Willis McGahee - 1 TD - Baltimore Ravens

Click below to see the rest of the list:


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Oh my: Hester rewards his teammates with planes, trains and automobiles

Because he couldn't do it alone, Bears receiver Devin Hester thanked all of his blockers who helped him break the kick return touchdown record by buying them remote cars and helicopters and airplanes.

"The big ones," Hester said, noting he purchased 14 or 15 in all.

It's been a nice run for Hester. In addition to breaking the record, Hester also was named to his third Pro Bowl team.

"It's an honor and pleasure to be selected to the Pro Bowl," he said. "I thank God first, all the way down to my teammates. It's a great opportunity, to put the return game back on the map. It's something y'all been looking forward to for about two or three years now.
We finally getting it going. And the credit goes out to the coaches, as well."

Hester said he hopes linebacker Brian Urlacher goes, since he's never attended an all-star game with him.

Here are some other thoughts from Hester:

* On being a few games from the Super Bowl: "It means a lot. It's a long journey for this team. This year, we've been doing pretty good. The record is looking pretty good right now. The bye, and everything is starting to show up. Our team is starting to do some great things, as far as offense, defense and special teams. We got a good shot."

Click here to order Devin Hester’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(suntimes.com)
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Ray Lewis, Ed Reed Lead Ravens Past Bengals 13-7

Thanks to the Baltimore Ravens' perennial All-Pros, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, the Ravens held off the Cincinnati Bengals 13-7 Sunday afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium. Reed had two interceptions and Lewis two fumble recoveries to thwart the Bengals each time they seemed poised to drive for a score in the game. The game ended inside the Ravens five yard line when Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw incomplete on a fourth and one.

Reed's two picks were the third time this season that he had two interceptions in a game and his eight for the year lead the NFL, despite the amazing fact that Reed missed the first six games of the 2010 regular season due to being on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List. Lewis had his typical great game, with nine tackles to go along with the two fumble recoveries.

Click here to order Ray Lewis’s and Ed Reed’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(baltimoreravensbeatdown.com)
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Packers coach labels Hester Bears best player

Devin Hester promised he wouldn't let up after his record-setting 14th career kick return touchdown against the Vikings. He could pad his mark Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The Pro Bowl return man already has two career touchdown returns against the Packers, including a 62-yard punt return for a score in September.

"I think Devin Hester is the best player on their football team,'' Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "He is having an incredible season. He has impacted pretty much every game they have won.''

Click here to order Devin Hester’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(chicagotribune.com)
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Kellen Winslow catches all three targets Week 17

Kellen Winslow caught all three of his targets for 28 yards in a Week 17 victory over New Orleans.

Winslow's numbers are a bit down from his first year in Tampa Bay in 2009, but his decreased production can be attributed to the emergence of WR Mike Williams as well as QB Josh Freeman's increased comfort with throwing the ball downfield. The former Brown and Hurricane finished the 2010 season injury-free, and remains a low-end TE1 in fantasy leagues headed into 2011.

Click here to order Kellen Winslow’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(rotoworld.com)
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Cowboys place LB Leon Williams on I.R.

Cowboys placed LB Leon Williams (hamstring) on injured reserve, ending his season.

Williams sustained the injury last week after playing 11 games primarily as a special teamer. He totaled six tackles on defense and nine on special teams.


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(nbcsports.com)
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Ed Reed's powers of anticipation product of study

Chuck Pagano coached the young Ed Reed at Miami (Fla.) and works with him now as Reed patrols center field for the Ravens. Pagano is past the point of being surprised at Reed's capabilities, but he still marvels at the free safety's powers of anticipation.

"Right now, from a mental standpoint, he's so far ahead of the game," said Pagano, the Ravens' secondary coach for the last three seasons.
Reed, 32, was named an AFC Pro Bowl starter this week after intercepting six passes in just nine games after missing the first six games of the season with a neck injury. Two of those interceptions came in Week 16 at Cleveland, which he has tormented throughout his career. The first of those picks highlights what makes Reed special and his value to the Baltimore secondary. 

As the Browns faced a 3rd-and-5 at their 49-yard line early in the second quarter, Reed recognized the Browns' formation, Pagano said, and told LCB Lardarius Webb a short pass to WR Mohamed Massaquoi could be coming. Reed urged Webb to jump the route and told him he would have help over the top.

As it turned out, Massaquoi ran an up-and-out, leaving Webb behind, but Reed had his back, intercepting the pass.

After the play, Pagano sought out Webb, who told him that Reed had instructed him to be extra aggressive.

"I said, 'OK, I'm good,' " Pagano said, satisfied with his explanation.

Reed's preparation sets him apart, Pagano said, noting that because Reed knows the defense inside-out, he can focus on learning an opponent's tendencies. His presence, as the interception vs. Cleveland shows, helps the cornerbacks tremendously, but the Ravens' corner play has also been a strength recently, which has helped Reed and SS Dawan Landry play more "instinctively," as head coach John Harbaugh pointed out leading up to Week 17.

Webb doesn't start but plays frequently, and Pagano believes the second-year corner, a little more than a year removed from a knee injury, is coming into his own. "You can just see his game getting back and surpassing where he was last year," the coach said. Pagano also praised starting LCB Chris Carr and RCB Josh Wilson, mentioning Carr's steadiness and study habits as strengths and noting that Wilson has played very well in the last four or five weeks.

Overall, Pagano likes what he's seen from his secondary, which played surprisingly well early in the season with Reed out, slumped somewhat thereafter but has played better recently. Pagano credited the improvement to improved communication among the group.

"You can see the progress they've made," he said.

Click here to order Ed Reed’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(profootballweekly.com)
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Jason Fox gets first snap of the season filling in for injured Corey Hilliard

DETROIT — It took until the final game of the season, but Jason Fox finally saw some action on the field.

When backup tackle Corey Hilliard – who was in for injured starter Gosder Cherilus – went down with an injured knee against Minnesota, Detroit's fourth-round pick finally got to play.

On Fox's first snap, Chad Greenway shot the gap between the right guard and tackle. Still, he was able to get just enough of the Vikings linebacker to push him away from running back Jahvid Best, who took the handoff up the left side of the line for three yards.

Overall, the Lions ran toward the right side four times for 5 yards after Hilliard left the game with 12:40 left in the third quarter. It hardly qualifies as a dominant showing, but the rookie didn't give up a sack either.

"I didn't play perfect," Fox said after the game. "I kind of had to knock the cobwebs off (on) the first series or so. After that, I feel like I played decent. Something to build on at the end of the season, going into next year."

The 6-7, 303-pounder out of Miami spent much of the season on the inactive list. Despite being active for the Lions' previous three games, Fox didn't actually play.

After whetting his appetite in the Lions' final game of the season, the 22-year-old wants to make plenty of improvements to his overall game – strength, footwork, technique.

He'll have to in order to achieve his fairly lofty goals for next season.

"(I have) to work hard this offseason to put myself in the best situation possible so I can be a starter next year," Fox said.


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(mlive.com)
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Andre Johnson to have ankle surgery

HOUSTON -- Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson will undergo surgery on his ailing right ankle some time next week.

The Chronicle reported on Friday that Johnson will have the arthroscopic procedure done at the Methodist Hospital by Dr. Keith Varner -- one of the foremost foot and ankle specialists in the country.

Johnson suffered what was termed a high ankle sprain back in Week 2 against Washington but played through the pain for most of the year. However, he will sit out Sunday's season-finale against Jacksonville.

The eighth-year pro out of Miami-Florida racked up 86 catches for 1,216 yards and eight touchdowns over 13 games in 2010, and earned his fifth career Pro Bowl selection with the effort.

Click here to order Andre Johnson’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(slam.canoe.com)
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Clinton Portis says he can still be a top-flight back

Injured Redskins running back Clinton Portis said Wednesday that not only would he like to return to the team for the 2011 season - which would be his 10th in the NFL and eighth in Washington - but that he still has the skills to be a top-flight back in the league, and he didn't sound terribly anxious to take a pay cut if it helped him remained in Washington.

"I know I got good football left in me," Portis said. "I think being fresh, having been really in the last two years not having a lot of contact, I think the two injuries -- going out with a concussion, and then the torn groin -- was really fluke injuries. I don't think that's a wear and tear, like, 'Oh his body broke down.' I think that was just fluke injuries."

Portis has played in only 13 games the past two seasons, succumbing to a concussion in 2009 and a groin injury this season. During that time, he has carried the ball 178 times for 721 yards, a 4.1-yard average per carry. He reiterated that while he believes he can overcome the injuries, the time away from football has given him some perspective.

"I think there's a time you take stuff for granted, and there's a time you come to the realization that every game is precious," Portis said. "You don't have forever, and the last few years show you that."

He said the decision about whether he remains a Redskin is up to Coach Mike Shanahan, General Manager Bruce Allen and owner Daniel Snyder - not Portis himself. Portis is due to make $8.3 million under his current contract in 2011.

"I think that's out of my control," Portis said. "That's up to the front office. If they want to keep me, of course they got first option. If they want to let me go, then I'm okay with it. I understand the business side of this, and you know, if it's it, I think it'll be a bittersweet moment. But I think life got to go on."

Portis was asked if he would restructure his contract to remain a Redskin.

"If they asked me what would I want to do, let's see," he said. "I played for pennies in Denver, and I guess would be considered awesome [during his tenure there]. And I gave everything I had in Washington, D.C., and was supposedly overpaid. And the last two years when I've been injured and went on IR, it's like, 'He overpaid and he don't deserve it.' There's plenty of people around the NFL whose stats and whose numbers don't come close who's making the same kind of money as I'm making. So that's up to them. I can't sit here and say, 'Ooh, I want to take a pay cut.' I really want a pay raise, to be honest," and he chuckled.

Portis, who played under Shanahan during his first two seasons in the NFL with Denver, said he believes the coach has the franchise pointed in the right direction despite the team's 6-9 record heading into Sunday's season finale against the New York Giants. He also said he was committed to the program Shanahan has put in place.

"I would love to be" back, he said. "I think going out on a limb, I did everything they asked. I think I showed all the requirements. I think I showed that I continued to play. I showed that I was actually dedicated to this program and turning this team around. I kind of flew under the radar and moved from the forefront and let everybody else do their thing, and I did my work quiet. It was tough early on just not getting the ball and being healthy, and then all of a sudden, once we established a running game, I was done. So who knows, man? That's up to them."

In Portis's place, second-year back Ryan Torain leads the Redskins with 681 yards on 146 carries, a 4.7-yard average, with four touchdowns. Rookie Keiland Williams has added 257 yards on 64 attempts (a 4.0 average) with three scores. Williams also has 35 receptions for 262 yards and a pair of scores.

Portis was asked, given the fact that he'll be 30 next year, if he sees himself as a role player next year.

"I don't think I'd be just a contributor on any team," Portis said. "No matter where I'm playing at, I think the defensive coordinator going to game plan [for me]. I don't think he going to look and say, 'Well , that's Portis. Don't worry about him.' If he do, I would love that. I really would.

"But I think when you build and put so much time into an organization -- I helped with the rise and the fall, so to speak, because when it was good, it was like, 'Portis is awesome.' When it got bad, it was like, 'Portis is horrible.' Just being a part of this organization, and knowing this organization [is] going to turn around, and it's going to change and things will get better, you would love to see the good side of it."

Click here to order Clinton Portis’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(washingtonpost.com)
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Santana Moss: 'Meant For Me To Be' A Redskin

Today's sign that we've really reached the winding-down portion of the season: players who are facing free agency being asked about their futures with the team. Nearly everyone in the locker room said that they still had plenty of football left and that they hoped to play that football here. It's what you'd hope to hear, what you'd expect to hear, and it often doesn't actually mean all that much.

But Santana Moss's declaration -- he's currently slated to be a free agent after this season -- was particularly heartfelt.

"I don't feel like leaving is going to help me win games somewhere else," Moss said, frankly. "I feel that, you know, somewhere that you are comfortable with, that you feel like you can play, and your family can live and, you know, you can raise your family and live comfortably, and play a great game, and play at a high level. You know, why leave? So that's why I feel the way I feel."

Moss actually expressed a sense of belonging here that I don't think I had every heard him mention before. "I just feel like once I became a Redskin, I felt like it was meant for me to be here," Moss said. "Once I got that opportunity to come here, you know-coming into the league in 2001, I heard that's where I was going anyway. The whole week leading up to it, they had me under Washington, Washington, Washington. For whatever reason, the Jets got me. And when I got a chance to come anyway, I was like, hey, maybe it was meant. And when the career has went the way it went here, when it comes to just having the success I've had here, you know, you kind of say, well this must be the team for me."

Moss's play this year certainly backs up the idea that he can still play, and even flourish in Kyle Shanahan's offense. With one catch on Sunday, Moss will set a new career high for receptions with 85. He's currently at 1,041 yards, which is his fourth highest yardage total in his ten NFL seasons, and he has six touchdowns -- there's no sign whatsoever that his game is declining. For me, I'd love to see Moss in a Redskins uniform again next season, but I'm mostly just shocked that it's already time to start talking about the offseason again.

Click here to order Santana Moss’s proCane Rookie Card.


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(redskins.com)
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John Salmons scores 21 points with full line

John Salmons scored 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting (including two threes) with six rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the Bucks' 99-87 win over the Mavs on Saturday.

When the Bucks have been healthy, we've fielded questions about whether or not he should be dropped, which should tell you all you need to know about his future. The correct play is to sell high (and to sell for 75 cents on the dollar), even though many of you are tired of hearing that.


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(rotoworld.com)
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Tamara James' Honored Jersey Ceremony

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Former University of Miami standout Tamara James had her No. 2 jersey honored prior to Miami's game against Morgan State Thursday night.

The honored jersey was just the third women's jersey to hang from the rafters at the BankUnited Center - joining UM greats Maria Rivera (1984-88) and Frances Savage (1988-92).

The selection of honored jersey recipients is determined by the Director of Athletics and the head basketball coach, in conjunction with an anonymous advisory committee. Criteria used in the selection process include athletic achievements at UM, commitment and loyalty to the continued success of the University and its athletic department and a personal commitment to courage and integrity.

James, the No. 8 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in 2006, was a 2005 and 2006 First Team All-ACC selection. She finished her UM playing career as the school's all-time leader in points (2,406), free throws made (520) and free throws attempted (664). She ranks among the top three all-time in nine different categories and is listed among the top five all-time in 13 different categories.


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(hurricanesports.com)
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