Irsay: Caldwell would take over Colts if Dungy steps down
Irsay: Caldwell would take over Colts if Dungy steps downIrsay said he might be able to make accommodations for Dungy such as allowing him to attend his son's high school football games in Florida on Friday nights. But he has no doubt that Dungy's commitment will be "100 percent" if he continues coaching.
"That's the type of guy he is," Irsay said.
Otherwise, he said, "Jim Caldwell would be the guy."
The Colts, the Super Bowl champions last year, were 13-3 in the regular season before falling 28-24 to San Diego last week in their playoff opener.
Caldwell has been an assistant to Dungy the last seven years -- one in Tampa Bay and the last six with the Colts, where he has coached quarterback Peyton Manning. Caldwell filled in for Dungy for one game in 2005 following the death of Dungy's 18-year-old son, James.
Caldwell spent more than 20 years in college football, and his only head coaching experience came at Wake Forest. He spent eight seasons with the Demon Deacons and led them to a bowl game in 1999.
Caldwell turned 52 on Wednesday and has interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals for head coaching jobs over the past year.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Terrell Owens back at practice, appears on track for playoff game
IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Terrell Owens ran routes and caught passes in his return to practice Thursday, showing only a slight limp at times. The All-Pro receiver seems on track to play in the Dallas Cowboys' playoff game against the New York Giants.
Owens, recovering from a sprained left ankle, didn't go against any defenders during the short period of practice open to the media. But he took part in some team drills after that.
While he was taking full strides running routes and making some cuts without any apparent problems, Owens had a slight limp at times when he jogged or walked.
"I thought that he moved well, and ran at the level that we were practicing, and those weren't half-speed," owner Jerry Jones said. "He's in very good spirits, very competitive spirits, very focused on our success here Sunday."
T.O. stopped and spoke with receivers coach Ray Sherman after completing one route. Owens then took off his helmet and could be seen smiling while talking to backup quarterback Brad Johnson.
Seen in the perimeter around the locker room during lunch before practice, Owens appeared to be walking fine, though he said little.
"You're not getting anything out of me," Owens said.
Owens hurt his ankle Dec. 22 in the game at Carolina, and sat out the regular-season finale at Washington. He took part in the team's light walkthrough Monday, but didn't practice Wednesday while doing rehabilitation.
"Obviously, he was better today because he practice some. It was limited," coach Wade Phillips.
Phillips insisted that the receiver is still a game-time decision.
"You think he's going to play, you don't think he's going to play, that's where I am. We'll see," Phillips said. "No, I don't think it would be a surprise (if Owens plays), but it would be a nice present."
Jones said it is a "very legitimate game-time decision" and that one consideration would be if playing could threaten Owens' availability for future playoff games if the Cowboys beat New York.
But Jones then made it clear that, "Sunday is the major point of emphasis, and any decision will be made risking most anything to have success Sunday."
Plus, Jones knows it would be hard to keep Owens out if the receiver wants to play.
"I haven't said `no' to Terrell Owens since I gave him the check," Jones said. "There's no question that he's going to say that he wants to play. ... Terrell knows his situation better than any trainer, or any doctor or certainly than Wade or anybody else. He knows his situation very well, and you're going to have to count on him to use a little bit of judgment."
Fellow receiver Sam Hurd said Owens has spent "like 19 hours out of his day" trying to get back on the field and expects T.O. will play.
"He tells me all the time, opportunities like this don't come around every season, so he wants to take advantage of them," Hurd said. "He believes in this team so much that he wants to get out there and help this team get to the Super Bowl."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Jets' Revis, Chiefs' Law share special bond that goes beyond covering NFL receivers
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Ty Law knew Darrelle Revis could play in the NFL when he saw his moves -- on the basketball court.
Law, a longtime family friend of the New York Jets' rookie cornerback, was already a Pro Bowl defensive back when Revis was becoming a star athlete in his own right in football and basketball at Aliquippa High School in Pennsylvania.
"I didn't get to see him as much on the football field until I got home and saw some of the tape, heard about him or watched him in college because I was playing on the field," said Law, in his 13th NFL season and second with the Kansas City Chiefs. "During the offseason, his work ethic was phenomenal and you knew the guy had a chance because he wasn't a knucklehead."
Law grew up in Aliquippa, along with Revis' uncle, former NFL defensive lineman Sean Gilbert, and remembers Revis as a talented and athletic youngster. In high school, Revis averaged 22.8 points per game as a senior on the court and played quarterback, wide receiver, defensive back and was a kick returner on the football field.
"I've known Darrelle all of his life," Law said. "I knew him when he was a little pup."
Revis is all grown up now and having a solid season for the Jets, who host Law's Chiefs on Sunday.
"It's going to be fun on Sunday," said Revis, who bought 12 game tickets for family and friends, including Gilbert. "I've always watched him and seen him and now I'm going to be on the field with him. I'll be watching him when he goes against our offense."
Revis, who wears No. 24 like Law, has 86 tackles, three interceptions and a team-high 12 passes defensed while taking on some of the league's best wide receivers each week.
"He's aggressive and he's not going to back down from anybody," said Law, who has 40 tackles and two interceptions. "That's what I like about him. That's something that you can't teach. It was probably bred into us from our hometown, how we approach the game. He's an all-around corner."
The Jets and coach Eric Mangini certainly thought so, when they traded up last April to draft him with the 14th overall pick. Mangini also had no qualms about starting him right away.
"A lot of situations that I've been put in are probably kind of tough for a rookie, but I came out, I think, on top," Revis said. "Mangini wanted it that way, so when I get into those situations against great receivers, I know what to do and what to expect."
He's had a few assists from Law along the way. The veteran has left voicemails for Revis throughout the season, offering tips on how to defend some of the game's best receivers.
"I won't give up my secrets, I'm still playing," Law said with a chuckle. "When I'm out of the game, I can tell you that. They were little pointers, being that I played a lot of guys that he was playing. If I could have given him a mental edge going into the game, what to look out for, I would do that for him."
Revis has taken on his share of receiving superstars this season, including New England's Randy Moss twice, Dallas' Terrell Owens, Cincinnati's Chad Johnson and Cleveland's Braylon Edwards.
"As he gets more mature in the game and as he learns to pick up on some little nuances throughout," Law said, "you're looking at an All-Pro."
Revis planned to speak to Law at some point this week, but didn't think the conversation would include tips on covering Kansas City's Dwayne Bowe, who leads NFL rookies with 69 catches for 982 yards.
"No, I don't think so," Revis said, laughing. "But if he wants to, that would be great, but I would think not."
Law, known to speak his mind throughout his career, hasn't talked any trash -- yet -- with Revis in the week leading up to their matchup.
"Ty, he says what he has to say, but our relationship is not like that," Revis said. "It's a family-friend type. If he wanted to, he could be in our family. It's just something like that. That's just how the town of Aliquippa is. It's small, everybody knows everybody, my grandma knows his mother real well. It's a family relationship."
Revis and Law are just two of the prominent athletes the town in western Pennsylvania has produced in recent years, including a few Hall of Famers. So who's the most successful NFL player to come from there?
"You would have to say (Tony) Dorsett, being a Heisman Trophy winner and a Hall of Famer with a Super Bowl ring," Law said. "He definitely had to be the most popular along with Mike Ditka, but it's a different position, as offensive and defensive guys. Hopefully, we can have that debate because I plan on playing a little longer and Darrelle has a whole career ahead of him. We'll see."
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
Bruce passes Lofton for third on yardage list; Bulger No. 4 on Rams TD pass chart
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce passed James Lofton for third place on the career yards receiving list in the second quarter of Thursday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Bruce was 1 yard behind Lofton after catching a 12-yard touchdown pass from Marc Bulger earlier in the quarter to put the Rams ahead 14-10. He passed him on an 8-yard reception to the St. Louis 26 with 9:27 to go in the half and St. Louis trailing 17-14.
Bruce knew he had a milestone, lugging the ball as he ran off the field to cheers. Bruce had three receptions for 29 yards to give him 14,012 yards, 8 more than Lofton.
Bruce passed Marvin Harrison to move into fourth place last week.
Bulger had two touchdown passes, giving him 104 and moving past Kurt Warner for fourth on the franchise career list. Warner, a two-time NFL MVP who led the Rams to two Super Bowls in three seasons, had 102 touchdown passes.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Saints hold off on placing Reggie Bush on IR
METAIRIE, La. (AP) -- Reggie Bush isn't ready to give up hope of returning this season.
With New Orleans still in the running for an NFC wild-card playoff berth, Bush said Wednesday that his injured left knee might be healthy enough for him to play again before the Saints pack up for the offseason.
It's really frustrating because obviously I want to be out there with my teammates and help them get to the playoffs," Bush said after Wednesday's practice, which he sat out. "Every game from here on out is (like) a playoff game. So I'm looking forward to getting back as soon as possible and hopefully before the season is over."
The Saints (6-7), who trail Minnesota by one game for the final NFC wild-card spot with three games to go, could have put Bush on injured reserve, meaning Bush would miss the rest of the season. Such a move also would open up a spot on the 53-player active roster.
The team discovered last week that Bush has a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament, which does not require surgery but likely will require about a month of rehabilitation.
The Saints will play home games against Arizona and Philadelphia before finishing the regular season at Chicago. If they win all of those games and Minnesota loses once, the Saints could find themselves playing a postseason game about a month from now.
"Obviously you don't want to rush or risk anything," Bush said, but added, "I plan on coming back as soon as possible, hopefully by Chicago."
Coach Sean Payton said the Saints haven't made a final decision about Bush. "The decisions we made today were based on our current players and our injury status today," Payton said.
Payton rarely releases information on injuries before league rules require it because he doesn't want to offer future opponents any advantages as they prepare for the Saints.
Bush became New Orleans' featured running back after Deuce McAllister went out with a season-ending knee injury in Week 3, but his production was as inconsistent as his team's performance.
Bush has scored six touchdowns with 581 yards rushing and 417 yards receiving. His longest run was 22 yards and his longest reception 25. He also had 10 dropped passes and fumbled eight times, losing three.
With Bush out of the lineup during New Orleans' 34-14 victory at Atlanta on Monday night, the Saints rushed for a season-high 145 yards.
Bush said his knee has been bothering him since New Orleans' victory over Jacksonville on Nov. 4, but that there was no sign of a ligament tear until he had an MRI last Thursday night, only hours after he had participated fully in practice.
"I told them that I want to play. I don't want to be on IR," Bush said. "It's not about the pain because I've been playing through it. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain. ... It's about the high-risk factor and risking further injury."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Redskins TE Cooley injured
LANDOVER, MARYLAND (TICKER) -- Washington Redskins tight end Chris Cooley suffered an apparent right ankle injury during the second quarter of Thursday's game against the Chicago Bears.
He left the field under his own power, but went to the locker room midway through the quarter. His return is questionable.
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
Blanda, Stenerud still inspire Falcons kicker Andersen
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) -- For all of his accomplishments, Morten Andersen will always think fondly of that car ride he took with George Blanda and Jan Stenerud.
Andersen, the 47-year-old Atlanta kicker who last year became the NFL's career-leading scorer, had been invited to play in a golf tournament Stenerud hosted a few years ago in Bozeman, Mont.
When his plane and Blanda's plane landed a few minutes apart, Andersen took the opportunity to share a car with his two favorite former players.
"It was just the three of us, and all I did was listen," Andersen said Wednesday. "I just sat there in awe of those two guys that I look up to, my heroes."
Suffice it to say that Andersen is probably the only current NFL player who looks to Blanda and Stenerud for inspiration. But make no mistake about Andersen's reasoning.
Stenerud is the only full-time kicker enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A 1991 inductee, Stenerud joined football's elite 10 years after Blanda, a former quarterback-kicker, was honored. The Hall's other inductee with a kicking career, Lou Groza ('74), also built his legend as an offensive tackle.
Make no mistake that Andersen would love one day to get a congratulatory phone call from the Hall, but the topic makes him uncomfortable despite holding NFL records for most games played and most consecutive games scored in.
"I'm not thinking about what can happen or what will happen or what might not happen," Andersen said. "What's important right now is helping the team that's employing me by working hard and being successful."
After all, even though one year short of tying Blanda as the league's all-time oldest player, Andersen isn't ready to look at his career as something of the past. He plans to kick another three years and become the NFL's first 50-year-old player.
As far as Atlanta coach Bobby Petrino is concerned, Andersen would be welcomed back in 2008. In 21 attempts since signing with the Falcons for the third time in September, Andersen has 18 field goals for 54 of his 67 points.
"No question about it," Petrino said. "Once we get to his range, everyone on the team knows we are going to get three points. He amazes me every day."
At 3-8, Atlanta has little reason to look glowingly on the season as the team prepares to visit St. Louis (2-9) on Sunday. For Andersen, though, being a teammate of guys young enough to be his grown children offers energy he can't get outside of football.
"This is what I love to do," he said. "You have a passion for something and you're allowed back in and you've earned the right to be here. It's so much fun."
Andersen, a native of Copenhagen, Denmark, can't imagine anything that was more difficult as a football player than sitting out the entire 2005 season without even one phone call from an interested team.
Becoming the league's career scoring leader was atop his list of priorities, so he never lost contact with the Falcons. No franchise owed him more than Atlanta, which advanced to its only Super Bowl when Andersen's 38-yard field goal beat Minnesota in the 1998 NFC title game.
Finally, after watching Michael Koenen miss six of eight field-goal attempts in the first two games this season, Andersen's persistent calls to the Falcons paid off.
The scoring record fell last December on an extra point in a loss to Dallas that pushed Andersen past Gary Anderson and into first place.
The dynamics were less joyful, but arguably just as satisfying, a few years later when Andersen heard Blanda and Stenerud share stories.
"It was the best 30-minute car ride I've ever had," Andersen said. "They talked about life, told jokes, but they didn't really talk all that much about football. I was really humbled. I knew it was going to be one of those special moments."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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