Ben Maller's NFL rumors
by FOXSports.com
Coach Marvin Lewis appears safe in Cincinnati
Anyone who thinks Cincinnati head coach Marvin Lewis could be next to be fired is off base. Very quietly, Bengals management has informed head coach Marvin Lewis that he is welcome to coach in Cincinnati as long as wants, according to a high-level Bengals source. It is as strong an indication to date that ownership has absolutely no plans to fire its head coach, certainly not now. As it is, Lewis has two years remaining on his contract after this season. The Bengals are not in the business of writing any head coach a check through the 2010 season to sit on the sideline. So instead, Lewis will continue patrolling there, even as speculation has begun to swirl that he could be on the firing line. -- NFL Network
Williams' Bears debut may be near
General manager Jerry Angelo said first-round pick Chris Williams ``could play at any time.'' Given the investment the organization has made in the offensive tackle, $9.2 million in bonus money, it's probably fair to expect his debut soon. Williams, who had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back Aug. 6, has practiced the last two weeks and was cleared for full participation for the first time last Friday. He said he's just waiting to be cleared for game action by the medical staff. -- Chicago Sun-Times
Lions could fire Rod Marinelli?
Now the focus has turned to the possible firing of Rod Marinelli, who is an NFC-worst 10-26 since becoming a head coach for the first time in 2006. "I don't look in the future," said Marinelli, who seemed beleaguered at his news conference. "I'm going to get up tomorrow and go to work." Lions executive vice president Tom Lewand was asked whether Marinelli could turn the team around, and he dodged the question by saying he had tremendous respect for Marinelli. "We had an awful game today, but it's an organizational loss," Lewand said. "It's not on any one individual." -- Detroit Free Press
Cowher and Billick are top NFL coaching candidates?
CBS analyst Charley Casserly Sunday said the two names at the top of the list to fill NFL coaching vacancies are now TV analysts: CBS' Bill Cowher and Fox's Brian Billick. -- USA Today
Raiders need to prove Patriots tampering
Now that the Raiders have charged the Patriots with tampering, Oakland is going to have to prove it. If it can, New England could face league-imposed penalties. If it cannot -- and the Patriots always have maintained that Oakland owner Al Davis gave them permission to meet and talk with Randy Moss the Saturday before the trade was completed for the star WR -- then the NFL is expected to discipline the Raiders, likely in the form of a fine. The tampering charges that Davis leveled did not provide the Raiders with a competitive advantage so Oakland would not be expected to be docked draft picks. But it could face a hefty fine from the league if they are unable to back up their charge. Either way, it sets up an intriguing showdown to complement the ongoing one between Davis and former Raiders coach Lane Kiffin. The NFL takes accusations against other teams, and especially tampering charges, extremely seriously. -- NFL Network
Eagles coach still confident in David Akers
Eagles kicker David Akers said he is not worried about his teammates and coaches losing confidence in him. "I can't control that," he said. "All I can control is going out there and doing what I do. I pulled the one a little bit today. I wish I had about three feet for three kicks, and that would be about the difference. But I don't, and I can't take it back. I let the guys and the organization down again." Andy Reid insisted he is still confident in Akers. "David is going to make a lot more of those than he is going to miss," he said. "Down the stretch here, he'll be fine. Absolutely, I'm confident." -- Philadelphia Inquirer
Pats running back controversy brewing?
With Laurence Maroney still struggling to hit his stride, there might be a running back controversy brewing. Both Sammy Morris and and LaMont Jordan have been better overall this season, and they performed much better than Maroney in yesterday's 30-21 win. Morris was the game's leading rusher, gaining 63 yards on 16 carries. Maroney, meanwhile, only mustered 26 yards on 10 carries. He returned after missing the Miami game two weeks ago with a shoulder injury. The key runs yesterday were made by Morris and Kevin Faulk [stats], who scored twice from 2 yards out. "Josh (McDaniels, the offensive coordinator) did a great job of making calls and mixing it all up, and Kevin did a great job with two rushing touchdowns," Morris said. "We were able to stay balanced and stay tough." Maroney once again wasn't hitting the holes with authority, while Morris, Jordan and Faulk ran like bulldozers. -- Boston Herald
Jerry Angelo on Tommie Harris' suspension: Bears 'tried to get his attention'
Speaking publicly for the first time since the Bears suspended Pro Bowl defensive tackle Tommie Harris, general manager Jerry Angelo said he has talked to Harris and resolved the issues. "We tried just to get his attention," Angelo said. "He's going through some things not unlike a lot of people. And we've helped Tommie, like we do every player if we can." Harris said he was late to treatments for his injured left knee and admitted being emotionally distraught over personal issues, including the recent out-of-wedlock birth of his first child. Sources also indicated Harris had an argument with coach Lovie Smith partly over the team's release of wide receiver Mark Bradley, Harris' college teammate and close friend. Angelo said the punishment was consistent with what the team would do with any player. The Bears never considered going after any of Harris' signing bonus from the four-year, $40 million extension he signed before the season. -- Chicago Tribune
Lions deny benching Jon Kitna
The crowd roared when backup quarterback Dan Orlovsky entered the game for the first drive of the second half, but coach Rod Marinelli said the Lions did not bench starter Jon Kitna. Marinelli said the Lions made the change because Kitna had back spasms, not because he went 8-for-16 for 74 yards and took three sacks. "It started in the first quarter," Kitna said. "A little back spasm at halftime. It just locked up, and really I tried to go back out but I couldn't really get out." Orlovsky had never entered a game so early. His only previous NFL experience was four fourth-quarter mop-up appearances since he was drafted in the fifth round in 2005. -- Detroit Free Press
Gruden: Bucs Graham is top NFL RB
Tampa Bay's Earnest Graham is not often mentioned among the game's elite running backs, but Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden believes he should be. Graham has totaled 334 yards on 57 carries (5.9-yard average) in four games this season, and has breakaway runs of 46, 47, and 68 yards. Gruden, playing the role of sports editor/TV programmer, said, "I hope somebody recognizes, maybe one of these fancy cable channels, that we have one hell of a back here. I know they have all these other backs they have to cover but somebody ought to step up to the plate and recognize he is a big-time back." -- Boston Globe
Lions looking to deal WR Roy Williams?
As the NFL's Oct. 14 trade deadline approaches, the most intriguing name to track just might be Detroit wide receiver Roy Williams. Dating back to last April, when Matt Millen was the Lions general manager, Detroit shopped Williams and even proposed to Dallas a straight-up deal for defensive end DeMarcus Ware. To other teams -- and there were a handful that were interested -- the Lions requested two No. 1 picks. Some teams in the league say the Lions still are shopping Williams. But the Lions said this weekend that they are not; the only way they would deal him would be if it were a too-good-to-be-true package that provided not only future draft picks, but also benefited the team this season. Unlikely that happens, but it will not prevent teams from inquiring in the coming days. -- NFL Network
Raiders think Fargas will make difference
The Raiders are anxiously awaiting the return of RB Justin Fargas, who missed two games with a groin injury, in Week Six, and not just because of his tough, decisive running style. Fargas is the team's best pass-blocking back, and rookie RB Darren McFadden has really struggled with that task. -- Pro Football Weekly
Jauron: hopefully Bills QB Edwards will be fine
The Buffalo Bills lost more than a game Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. They also lost their offensive leader. Just three snaps into the game, quarterback Trent Edwards' day ended when he was nailed by Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson, who was unaccounted for on a blitz from the right side of the Bills' line. Edwards fell hard to the turf and the impact of the blow left him with a concussion. He was on his back for several minutes before being helped off the field by the Bills' training staff. "Trent was responding," head coach Dick Jauron said after the Bills' 41-17 loss. "But he was still a little bit groggy. Hopefully he'll be fine as time goes by here. He's pretty sore. They've iced him and will continue to ice him on the plane going back. But he's certainly aware." Edwards has taken a number of hits over the past few games, so it may have been only a matter of time before he took one hit too many. Jauron said it wasn't a helmet- to-helmet hit that knocked Edwards out, but added, "There are other things involved on the hit on the quarterback, so we'll see how that goes." -- Buffalo News
Eagles TE Celek getting married (Today)
Eagles Tight end Brent Celek's big day will be today, when he marries Susie Johnsen, his girlfriend of five-plus years, at the Union League. The game plan fell into place only recently, says Johnsen, 28, a brand manager for Miller Lite. "Neither of us wanted a big wedding - just our families," she says. Since the parents and grandparents will be in from Ohio this weekend, Johnsen drafted florist Ann Catania of South Philly's Ten Pennies to handle arrangements. (Before they bought a house in South Philly and settled in together, Johnsen says, Celek, 23, would greet her at the airport with Five Guys cheeseburgers and a bouquet from Catania's shop.) Johnsen says Celek teammate Stewart Bradley will stand in as best man because Celek's younger brothers, both college players, can't make it. Honeymoon? Maybe later, she says. -- Philadelphia Inquirer
Ravens Ray Lewis defending more passes
Ravens ILB Ray Lewis' play in coverage has been significantly better this season, notes a source close to the team. Entering Week Five, Lewis was on pace to defend far more passes than he ever had in any NFL season. -- Pro Football Weekly
Dolphins continue to run Wildcat package 11 times
The buzz of the NFL for the past two weeks, the Wildcat - in which Ronnie Brown lines up at quarterback in shotgun formation - didn't have quite the impact it did in New England, where Miami scored four times on six snaps. Sunday, the Dolphins tried it 11 times. They gained only 49 yards, but that included five first downs and a touchdown. "They did a good job of defending some of the Wildcat stuff," Sparano said. "But for us it isn't about 60-yard plays there - the bottom line is a 4-yard play in our league is an efficient play." -- Palm Beach Post
Lions Rudi Johnson not happy with his workload
Lions RB Rudi Johnson had five carries for 23 yards and three catches for nine yards. He was not happy with his workload. Asked what was going though his head with the way he was being used, he said: "The way I'm being used? I haven't really been used. So all I can do is try to get on the field and try to help, try to contribute. ... Would I like to help? Yes, I would like to contribute." -- Detroit News
Packers Woodson walking with noticeable limp
After Charles Woodson finished telling reporters that his broken toe was getting better, he walked away from his locker with a noticeable limp. So far, that has defined the 2008 Green Bay Packers: limping, wincing, grimacing but still marching. -- Milwaukee Journal
Falcons' Grady beat Packers with some satisfaction
Falcons nose tackle Grady Jackson wanted to show the Green Bay organization it made a mistake by not re-signing him after the 2005 season. On the Packers' first play from scrimmage, Jackson stormed into the backfield and got a sack on quarterback Aaron Rodgers. "It went well," Jackson said. "I had a good time playing in there. It just felt good to hear the fans calling my name. "It felt good when they were saying that I should have never left. It was a good thing coming back here and getting the win." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Strahan: Fassel wants Raiders coaching job
Warren Sapp, on the NFL Network on Sunday, called the discombobulated Oakland Raiders "a definite sewer." But Fox's Michael Strahan, naming one of his former coaches, says somebody would still want to coach the team: "Jim Fassel would take that job." -- USA Today
Chargers LT, Gates hindered by injuries
Those two players, Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson, are battling injuries they won't let be excuses but that are clearly limiting their effectiveness. Tomlinson, a week after showing so much burst and explosion in gaining 106 yards against Oakland, was again less than himself yesterday. The Dolphins stepped on him, and his big toe was twisted into the ground, aggravating the injury he suffered in the season opener. And Gates continued to battle a hip stinger that yesterday greatly affected his ability to get open. "Obviously there are some things I need to do physically," said Gates, who had one catch for 12 yards. "But once you decide to get on the field, you have to put everything else behind you." Tomlinson, too, offered no justification. "I know my toe is hurt, but there is nothing I can do about it," he said. "I just have to continue to go out there and fight." But there is no denying he is not the same, showing his trademark spinning move on just one 11-yard gain yesterday and totaling just 35 yards on the ground. "The toe is a vital part of the foot," said Tomlinson, who did lead the Chargers with five receptions (for 22 yards). "It's something you need. When that part is injured and it lingers on, it takes away from you being able to be productive in certain things." -- San Diego Union-Tribune
Pats VP Pioli gets NFL exec role
Patriots vice president of player personnel Scott Pioli has been named to the NFL's Management Council Executive Committee Working Group. Pioli joins 11 others within the group, whose purpose is to advise the NFL and the CEC on issues primarily related to operational matters, such as player contracts, free agency, roster rules, organized team activities, and franchise-tag rules. -- Boston Globe
Do Patriots players want O'Connell to play QB?
There's a growing faction in Foxborough that believes rookie QB Kevin O'Connell should be considered for the starting job if Matt Cassel continues to struggle. Having started four years at San Diego State, O'Connell's playing experience actually trumps Cassel's, and his teammates have perhaps more trust in him than they do in Cassel, a fourth-year Patriot. As one team source told us, "You know (the players) aren't crazy about Matt when the best they say about him is that he's 'enthusiastic.' No team wants a glorified cheerleader running their offense." -- Pro Football Weekly
Glazer's been crafty Fox to get to the top
Jay Glazer grew up in Manalapan, N.J., and attended Pace University while working as a stand-up comic and bartender. He picked up whatever internships he could, including one at WFAN. Later, he worked for three Giants news magazines, then got work - for no pay - at NY1 before landing a weekly column at the New York Post. The Post paid only $250 a week, but the job energized him. He said he cold-called "the entire league," making connections he still has. He took other odd jobs while playing "credit-card roulette." All that led to his big break: being hired as an insider by CBS in 1999. He joined Fox in 2004. -- Newsday
NFL QB loves fried foods and Popeye's chicken
Falcons QB Matt Ryan asked what he has learned about the South since being in Atlanta: "There's a lot more fried food down here than there is up north. And the falls are a little warmer. For me it still kind of feels like summer." Does Ryan stay away from the fried foods? "No, I splurge every so often. I try and stick with the healthy diet, but it's too good to stay away from too long." His favorite location? "Popeye's. Popeye's are big down here and Popeye's are one of the things that are big when we travel. I have to get into some of the three-piece spicy chicken." -- Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can O's land Teixeira and Burnett?
The Orioles? There's this pie-in-the-sky idea that they can bring Mark Teixeira back to his hometown, but that would require lots of money, and you just don't see the Orioles doing that. Who knows, they might surprise us. A.J. Burnett also has been thrown into the mix because he lives near Bowie, Md. -- Boston Globe
Sarah Palin traded Rangers sweater for Eagles jersey
Bobbi and Garry Adair of Montgomeryville were on a down elevator last Sunday at the Westin in Center City - he in a Phillies shirt, she in a Donovan McNabb Eagles jersey - when the door opened. In stepped Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her security guys. Palin wore a New York Rangers sweater with "Palin 08" on the back. Bobbi Adair greeted the veep candidate and asked what she was up to. Going for a run, Palin replied. "Not in that shirt you're not," Adair says she told her. Which explains why Palin jogged in a green No. 5 jersey, topped by a pink cap. News anchors later praised her sartorial sense. Adair, who still has Palin's Rangers sweater (which the two swapped in the elevator lobby), has been promised a replacement McNabb jersey from the Eagles. No word on whether Palin wants hers back. "If she wins, I hope I get invited to the inauguration," Adair says. -- Philadelphia Inquirer
O.J. plays race card
All the way to his guilty verdict, O.J. Simpson was complaining he's a victim of racism. As a Las Vegas jury last week deliberated armed-robbery charges, a spy reports Simpson told one associate: "This is really depressing. I feel like I'm back in the '50s - a black man in a white justice system." Simpson in 1995 was able to win acquittal in the murder of ex-wife Nicole and Ron Goldman when his lawyer, Johnnie Cochran, played the race card. Simpson complained to a pal this time around, "The judge is helping the prosecution as much as she can. I only hope one juror does the right thing." No such luck, Juice. -- NY Post
NFL public-relations keeps steroid talk away
For another, pro football isn't under threat of losing its exemption from antitrust laws as was Major League Baseball, which made its pitch to Congress in an effort to prove it was trying to deal with the problem. (Sen. Arlen Specter threatened to yank the NFL's antitrust free pass in 2006, but only in connection with the league's negotiation of exclusive TV packages. Drugs were never mentioned.) The reason the NFL's antitrust exemption isn't on the line isn't clear either, but as Stephen Ross, chairman of Penn State's Sports Law Institute, puts it: "Congress only cares if the people they talk to care. Their constituents aren't complaining, so they aren't either." That there is so comparatively little public outrage over drugs in the NFL may simply be because the league has done such a superb public-relations job. -- Wall Street Journal
Chiefs offensive effort is worst since 1986
The Chiefs have been shut out a few times over the years, but Sunday's weak offensive performance was their worst in 22 years. Kansas City accumulated 127 total yards in its 34-0 loss at Carolina. That was the Chiefs' lowest output since they gained 126 yards Oct. 12, 1986, in a 20-7 loss at Cleveland. They did, however, score a touchdown in that game. "I didn't see that coming," Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said Sunday. "We come in here and act like we never played before. It just wasn't very good." The Chiefs had one first down in the first half, and running back Larry Johnson finished with 2 yards rushing Sunday. -- KC Star
O.J. Simpson may be welcome in prison football team
Maybe O.J. Simpson still has enough Juice to make one of Nevada's prison football teams. "The football games, they're not pro, but we've got a few good guys," a correction officer at Nevada's High Desert State Prison told the Daily News. "It all depends on if he is allowed to be outside." "When he gets transferred to us, he would be transferred to our intake facility at High Desert detention facility," said Suzanne Pardee, a spokeswoman for the Nevada state prison system. But the former star running back shouldn't expect special treatment. "He'll be treated like any other inmate," Pardee said. "We try not to give him any more notoriety than we have to." -- NY Daily News
Who Knew?
A busy scoring day by the Cardinals' offense resulted in a record-setting day for Leodis McKelvin. His six kickoff returns tied a Bills record for rookies or first-year players in a game. He finished with 133 yards, four shy of his career high (137 against Oakland). His current 25.6-yard average is third-best among Buffalo rookies or first-timers (minimum 15 returns) behind Wallace Francis (29.87 in 1973) and Mike Mosley (27.06 in 1982, first-year player). -- Buffalo News
Did You Know?
'The Cardinals are the only team in the loop that has scored more points than it has given up. Overall, the NFC West had been outscored by a league-high 130 points (thanks almost entirely to the Rams' stunning 43-147 differential). Second-worst among the other divisions is the NFC North, at minus-46. -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
How About That?
Reggie Bush is tied for the league-lead with 31 catches in 2008 and his 192 receptions since joining the league in 2006 are most among all NFL running backs (and 6th highest among all players). -- FoxSports.com
Who Knew?
Including the postseason, the Vikings have lost a league-high 40 straight games when trailing entering the fourth quarter -- their last win came in the 1997 wild-card game against the Giants. -- FoxSports.com
Did You Know?
Some interesting numbers entering the second quarter of the season -- Last season's 12 playoff teams are a combined 29-15 this season. -- Rochester Democrat & Chronicle
How About That?
In Mike Holmgren's 10 seasons as coach, the Seahawks have posted just a 10-19 record when playing in the Eastern time zone. -- Boston Globe
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