Perfect timing for the bye week

posted by Mark Isherwood Sports Producer

DENVER (AP) -- The Denver Broncos went through a quick practice Tuesday, then hit the road for some well-deserved time off. -NFL Football-

The Broncos enter their bye week at 6-2. The NFL did them a favor by giving them the week off smack in the middle of the season. -NFL Football-

"I think it comes at a good time," coach Mike Shanahan said. "You have four preseason games, you've got the regular season, eight games. It's tough mentally as well as physically. This is a time when guys need some time off." -NFL Football-

Even Shanahan and his staff take time off. The coach and many of his assistants will join the player in heading out of town. -NFL Football-

Before they left, they conducted a short practice to go over special situations -- no huddle, hurry-up offense and the like. -NFL Football-

"They're kind of reminders of things that will happen in the second half of the season," Shanahan said. -NFL Football-

The Broncos, who started the last two seasons 5-1 only to fall to 5-3 at the midway point, are showing signs of being a better team than the previous two. -NFL Football-

Shanahan, however, has warned the Broncos that they're only at the midway point. -NFL Football-

"When you've been in it long enough, you understand that we really haven't done anything," Shanahan said. "We have the opportunity to do something, and that's where the focus of this football team is." -NFL Football-

CARSWELL: As expected, the Broncos placed OL Dwayne Carswell on the non-football injured list. To take his roster spot, the team signed OL Taylor Whitley, a third-round pick of the Dolphins in 2003. -NFL Football-

Carswell continues to improve in the hospital from injuries suffered in a car accident last Thursday. He is expected to be out of the hospital later this week or early next week and could make an appearance at Broncos headquarters when the team reconvenes next week after the bye. -NFL Football-

BIG GAME: Even thought the Broncos are off, they'll probably keep an eye on next Monday's big game between New England and Indianapolis. -NFL Football-

Denver trails the Colts (7-0) by 11/2 games for the best record in the AFC. Denver's last two seasons have ended ugly, with lopsided first-round playoff losses to the Colts in Indy. -NFL Football-

Currently, the Broncos have one loss in the AFC and Indy is undefeated. That would be the first tiebreaker if the teams finish with the same record. One other disadvantage for the Broncos: They'll play five of their last eight games on the road, while the Colts will play five of their final eight at home. -NFL Football-

TURNOVER GAME: The Broncos are on an incredible stretch of not committing a turnover on offense in six games. They're on pace to set the NFL record for fewest turnovers allowed. -NFL Football-

Still, at plus-9, they're a distant third in the turnover differential this year, three behind the New York Giants and 11 behind Cincinnati. -NFL Football-

The difference is in takeaways. The Bengals have 28, while the Broncos have 15. -NFL Football-

Meanwhile, Denver's six giveaways are tied for the least in the league with Oakland, which has played one fewer game. -NFL Football-

BRONCO BRIEFS: On the strength of his 11 touchdowns and no interceptions over the last six games, Jake Plummer's passer rating has climbed to 91.3. That's still only tied for ninth in the NFL. ... The Broncos alternated Cornell Green at right tackle Sunday with George Foster, who hurt his knee the previous week and wasn't playing at the level Shanahan was hoping for. ... K Jason Elam went without a field goal attempt for the third time in four weeks against Philadelphia. He is 11-for-17 this season, ranked 30th in the league in accuracy. -NFL Football-

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Packers TE Martin listed as questionable

NFL.com wire reports

GREEN BAY, Wis. (Oct. 28, 2005) -- Green Bay Packers tight end David Martin might miss Sunday's game against Cincinnati after straining his right hamstring. -NFL Football-

Martin, second on the depth chart behind Pro Bowler Bubba Franks, was injured while running routes during a 2-minute drill near the end of practice Thursday, coach Mike Sherman said. He's listed as questionable and was kept out of practice Friday. -NFL Football-

"I was running and just cut a little quick," Martin said. He added that he wasn't certain he'd be able to play this weekend. "Right now, it's up in the air." -NFL Football-

Martin has nine catches and two touchdowns in the last three games. He said he feels pressured to make a quick recovery. -NFL Football-

Franks missed all but one snap of three games with a bruised knee before catching three passes for 38 yards in the loss last Sunday to Minnesota. The only other tight end available is Donald Lee. -NFL Football-

Third-down running back Tony Fisher will be making only his second career start in place of Ahman Green (thigh tendon) and Najeh Davenport (ankle), who both are on injured reserve and out for the season. -NFL Football-

Fisher also has had physical problems after being poked in the eye during the Packers' 23-20 loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Fisher suffered minor damage to his retina. -NFL Football-

He had minor laser surgery Tuesday and missed one day of practice this week. ReShard Lee and Walt Williams, signed earlier this week, will back up Fisher on Sunday. -NFL Football-

Superdome to be ready for 2006

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) --
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Superdome officials say the stadium should be largely cleaned up from Hurricane Katrina and ready for the New Orleans Saints to play at least some of their games there in 2006.--- nfl ---
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The announcement Thursday came as San Antonio officials said they were working with Saints owner Tom Benson to keep the team in Texas. The state must also respond to the team's assertions that its state-owned practice facility has been rendered unusable by damages caused by federal agencies in the weeks following the Aug. 29 storm.--- nfl ---
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The Superdome, severely damaged by high winds, should have a temporary roof in place within 10 days, said Doug Thornton, regional vice president for SMG, which manages the stadium. An environmental assessment of its interior -- damaged by rainfall through holes in the roof and its use as a shelter for evacuees -- should be finished by Dec. 1, he said.--- nfl ---
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"We're working to make the Dome ready for the next season," Thornton said at a meeting of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District Commission, the state board that oversees the Superdome.--- nfl ---
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The Saints have drawn criticism recently with shake ups in upper-level staff, as Benson apparently leans toward moving the team from New Orleans to San Antonio.--- nfl ---

On Monday, Benson fired Arnold Fielkow, the team's top business executive since 2000 and an advocate for keeping the Saints in Louisiana. Fielkow has said that stance led to his dismissal. On Tuesday, Conrad Kowal, senior director of marketing and business development, resigned.--- nfl ---
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The team also sent a letter to the Louisiana National Guard and the stadium commission, saying their Jefferson Parish practice facility, leased from the state for $1 per year, has been damaged so badly by federal actions after the storm that the team cannot return "for some time [if ever]."--- nfl ------ nfl ---
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"These actions have effectively terminated the Saints' lease for the facility and have caused great and continuing damage to the team," said the letter, signed by lawyers for the team.--- nfl ---
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Tim Coulon, head of the stadium commission and the state's negotiator with the team, said Thursday that state officials planned to inspect damage at the practice facility next week.--- nfl ---
"If there's some damage to those buildings, we're going to rectify that," Coulon said.--- nfl ---
Asked it he thought the letter was Benson's first step toward leaving New Orleans, Coulon said he hoped not.--- nfl ---
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"I don't want to speculate, because I haven't heard from him," Coulon said. "But it's not too late [for Benson] to step up to the plate and be the good citizen."
Under the terms of the state's contract with the team, the Saints could argue that the storm has made the stadium unusable, move to another state and avoid paying an $81 million penalty, Coulon said.--- nfl ---
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Coulon said the state would fight such a move, probably in court or in arbitration.--- nfl ---
Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she talked for some time with NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue on Wednesday. She said he is committed to working with Louisiana, but also suggested that the game at LSU's Tiger Stadium on Oct. 30 "is not just a game but a very symbolic event and we should encourage as many people as possible to go."--- nfl ---
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She said she had not spoken to Benson.--- nfl ---
"I'm planning to speak with him shortly," she said. "I needed to speak with the commissioner first."--- nfl ---
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Aske--- nfl ---d about New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin's suggestion that if the team does leave, the city should keep the name, she said, "I think it's brilliant."
But Blanco said she didn't talk to Tagliabue about that.--- nfl ---
"Let's just support the Saints. That's what I say."--- nfl ---
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Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.--- nfl ---
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Falcons QB Vick limited in practice

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (Oct. 7) -- Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick was limited during practice Oct. 7 but is still listed as probable for the Falcons' game against New England.

Backup Matt Schaub took nearly all the snaps during the workout, while Vick was limited mainly to running and agility drills. He missed practice Oct. 5 and Oct. 6. - NFL Football -

Vick sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a 30-10 victory over Minnesota on Oct. 2. Schaub played the final 2½ quarters for the Falcons (3-1).

While Vick has been wearing a brace, he expressed hope Oct. 6 that his knee will be healthy enough for him to play against the defending Super Bowl champions. - NFL Football -

"Yeah, it's getting better, and the only way I can tell that is when I go out there and try to do some things on it," he said. - NFL Football -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Leftwich's Jaguars win in rematch with Pennington

By Anthony Hanshew
The Herald-Dispatch

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Sunday's gathering at Giants Stadium was equal parts football and family, at least from the quarterbacks' perspective.

Former Marshall University teammates Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich squared off Sunday afternoon on the NFL stage, renewing the friendliest of rivalries. Numerous members of the Thundering Herd football family, including their former coach, watched from Pennington's box seats as Leftwich earned the right to boast with a 26-20 overtime victory.

Leftwich closed a physical, hard-fought contest with a 36-yard touchdown to Jimmy Smith, improving the Jacksonville Jaguars to 2-1. Pennington and the New York Jets dropped to 1-2.

"He got me the first time, and I got him this time," Leftwich said, referring to the Jets' victory over Jacksonville in 2003.

Marshall's top two all-time passing leaders were repeatedly knocked to the turf during their reunion. A punishing John Abraham shot to Leftwich's chest resulted in a 33-yard fumble return touchdown by James Reed; Pennington was temporarily knocked from the game, following a blindside shot to his surgically repaired shoulder.

"That's the job of playing quarterback," Leftwich said. "You have to take your shots. You've got to get up from it and go out and be ready to play."

Sunday's matchup wasn't always aesthetically pleasing, but it was competitive throughout. Leftwich completed 16 of 23 passes for 177 yards and two touchdowns, and Pennington connected on nine of 19 attempts for 76 yards.

Pennington was sacked four times and intercepted twice, and Leftwich was picked off once and sacked twice. - NFL Football -

Of greater concern than statistics or perhaps even a loss was the status of Pennington's shoulder. His February surgery kept him from participating in most preseason camps.

"It's frustrating and demoralizing," said Pennington, who led Marshall to an undefeated 1999 season. "You work really hard to get back to play, put in all of the extra hours of work to get back on the field. And then to have something like that happen -- it really tests you."

Bobby Pruett, who coached both Leftwich and Pennington during his Marshall tenure from 1996-2004, caught an early flight Sunday morning to take in the duo's secondNFL encounter. Pruett provided color commentary for Saturday's Troy-South Carolina game (kickoff in Columbia, S.C., was 7 p.m.) and flew to New Jersey early Sunday with his wife, Elsie.

Joining the Pruetts in Pennington's box seats were Chad's family and several prominent Thundering Herd supporters.

"I had a friendship with Byron, too, because we were the same age and went to Marshall," said Pennington's younger sister, Andrea. "Plus, coach Pruett is here and a lot of the Marshall family, so it's a special day." - NFL Football -

Two years ago, Pennington's Jets edged Leftwich and the Jaguars 13-10 in the same stadium. Marshall fans Dean and Debra Cusatis made the easy, 30-minute trip from their New Jersey residence and again were in attendance Sunday.

This time, the drive lasted nine hours. They have since moved to Burlington, N.C., but remain enthusiastic Thundering Herd and Jets fans, attending several games a season.

"It shows how far Marshall's program has come," Dean Cusatis said while grilling burgers outside of Giants Stadium. "They represent very well for a school their size. It makes you feel good because you know you're not a bandwagon fan if you watched Chad play in college for four years and you watched Byron in college for four years."

Following Sunday's action, Leftwich, Pennington and Pruett joined for a jovial chat near the stadium's entrance ramp. Just minutes before, frustration from an overtime loss was unmistakable while addressing the media. - NFL Football -

Funny what seeing friendly faces can do to a mood.

"It's been a good weekend," Pennington said, excluding the obvious. "It's always good to see two Marshall guys out there competing, and you've got (Jacksonville punter and Marshall alum) Chris (Hanson), who is punting as well as anybody in the league.

"It says a lot about our program and where we came from and hopefully where we're going to go."

Copyright ©2005 Herald-Dispatch.com All rights reserved.

Giants-Saints game rescheduled
NFL.com wire reports

(Sept. 5, 2005) -- The New Orleans Saints' game against the New York Giants in Week 2 of the NFL regular season will be played on Monday night, Sept. 19 as part of an unprecedented Monday Night Football doubleheader designed to highlight the national Hurricane Katrina relief effort, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced. - NFL Football -

The game had originally been scheduled to be played in New Orleans on Sept. 18. Due to the devastation in Louisiana caused by Hurricane Katrina and the magnitude of the challenges in the relief and recovery effort in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and elsewhere in the region, the NFL announced last week that the game would be played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The rescheduled game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC-TV. At 9 p.m. ET -- at the kickoff of the regularly scheduled Washington at Dallas game on ABC -- the Saints-Giants telecast will be switched to ESPN in all markets except New York, Louisiana and selected hurricane-affected areas, which will continue to see the game on ABC until its conclusion. Those ABC stations then will go to the Washington-Dallas game. - NFL Football -

"We appreciate the leadership of ABC and ESPN in helping us turn this particular Monday night into far more than a primetime football doubleheader, making it part of the overall Gulf Coast relief effort," said Commissioner Tagliabue. "The New Orleans Saints know the importance of rising to help meet the Gulf Coast's extraordinary challenges, and we salute them, too."

There will be fundraising efforts intertwined with the telecasts of both the Saints-Giants and Redskins-Cowboys games. ABC and ESPN will devote other parts of their programming that day to promoting the evening telecasts and the relief efforts. - NFL Football -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.

Ties that bind
Terry Foster / The Detroit News

But what makes college football so appealing?

Todd Heustess, a free-lance writer based in Miami, travels the country writing stories from various sports venues.

This season, he plans to write about the college football pageantry at Colorado, Texas, Florida and Washington.

"What I have found is college football games are like giant family reunions," Heustess said. "The tailgates and meeting other people is almost as important as the game. You have a connection with all the other alumni around the country that is shared and manifests itself infootball more than anything else."

Mike Cray, who moved to Canton from Cleveland two years ago, won't let go of his love for Ohio State.

"College football has a stranglehold on this country," Cray said. "There is just something about football. The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is so strong in football it makes it more important."

So important that Nitz's wife, Tracy, and 17-month-old son, Gunnar, leave him alone every Saturday during the fall -- all for the love of his team.

Nitz spends all day in the basement on his "comfy couch" in front of his big-screen television. The day begins with a visit to the past, thanks to "ESPN Classic," and ends with a Pac-10 game that goes into the wee hours of Sunday morning.

"I never talk to (my wife) about it," Nitz said. "It is nonnegotiable."