Browns return star Cribbs not on board with kickoff change

BEREA, Ohio -- Kickoffs have defined Josh Cribbs' career in the NFL, and made him an invaluable weapon for the Cleveland Browns.

So the thought of the league abolishing the exciting play irritates the return specialist.

"They need to call it a different league if they do that," Cribbs said. "It'll change the game drastically."

Earlier this week, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league's competition committee will consider eliminating kickoffs in the offseason. In an effort to reduce head injuries and protect players, the league previously moved the kickoff from the 30 to 35-yard line to cut down on violent collisions.

Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano has suggested that instead of kickoffs, teams would have the option of punting from the 30-yard line and going for a first down in a fourth-and-15 situation. While he coached at Rutgers, Schiano witnessed one of his players, Eric LeGrand, get paralyzed on a kickoff in 2010.

Goodell has called Schiano's idea "interesting."

Browns kicker Phil Dawson believes it's illogical.

"I'm all for player safety," said Dawson, in his 14th season with Cleveland. "I do think the NFL has done a good job in the past -- like with the wedge rule. This suggestion doesn't add up. It doesn't address what they say the dangers are because punts are just as violent. There aren't going to be any touchbacks. How many times have you seen a punt returner waiting for the ball to come down and the gunner just kills him?

"It doesn't make sense to me."

Cribbs, who shares the league record (8) for kickoff return touchdowns with Seattle's Leon Washington, can't envision the game he has played since he was a kid not having kickoffs.

"I couldn't ever see that," said Cribbs, sixth on the career kickoff yardage list. "That's like taking the goal post out of the stadium, taking the whole post and uprooting it. Only play offense and defense, just like intramurals. Then play indoors and put flags in our pants."

Dawson believes recent rules changes like banning the blocking wedge, moving the kickoff up five yards and limiting the number of players that can line up on one side of the ball for an onside kick, have lessened the number of violent collisions in games.

However, there are plenty of other plays when hard hits are common. He cited punts as a prime example.

"When the ball is 50 yards down the field, guys are running full speed and you get a lot of cross blocks and guys getting knocked out," Dawson said. "I still wouldn't say it's any more dangerous than any other play. I watch wide receivers get concussions each and every week in the NFL, yet we're going to pick on kickoffs? That doesn't add up to me."

Dawson said taking away the kickoff -- and it's only a suggestion at this point -- would also remove other elements that help make pro football special.

"There is so much scheming, personnel matchups, strategy that goes into each and every kickoff that people will never understand," he said. "All they see is a guy run and kick the ball. But there's a lot that goes into it and it would be a shame to see that much thought be removed from the game.

"And hey, I'm probably someone who would benefit from this rule, so I don't have a vested interest. I'm known as a field-goal guy, so if anything it would help me, so I'm not saying this because I'm mad, I'm a kicker and I'm going to lose. I don't think this suggestion makes sense."

The argument that taking away kickoffs would cost players jobs isn't a sound one, Dawson said. Most teams use the same players to cover punts and kickoffs and only two teams have kickoff specialists.

For both Cribbs and Dawson, the kickoff is as much a part of pro football as the handoff or forward pass. It is engrained in the sport's deepest roots.

"From when I was a little kid I dreamed about having the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl and all the flashbulbs go off," he said. "I want to be that guy. There's so much that can be accomplished on that play for both sides. To think a guy like Josh Cribbs wouldn't have the opportunity to have the career he's had because of all the excitement he's brought the game.

"I can remember Desmond Howard returning a kick for a touchdown in the Super Bowl and what a game-changing play that was."

Cribbs also applauds the NFL's efforts to make the game safer, but thinks it's becoming too muted. Stripping away the kickoff would make things worse.

"It's getting to be too much of an entertainment business instead of a sport," he said. "I know it's a sport and entertainment and there's a lot of revenue involved, but it'd be straight entertainment and no sports. We won't even be on NFL Network, we'll be on MTV.

"It'd be a made-up sport."

Notes

Browns P Reggie Hodges was named the club's Ed Block Courage Award winner, given to the player who exemplifies courage, compassion, commitment and community service. Hodges came back after sustaining a season-ending Achilles injury in 2011. He went on a mission to Jamaica during the offseason, bringing shoes and supplies to underprivileged children. "He's a great locker room guy and a great guy in the community," Dawson of his teammate. "He certainly deserves that award." The Browns did not have a single player listed as questionable, doubtful or out on their injury report. They had 10 players listed as probable.

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Injured stars Mendenhall, Harrison, Polamalu ready to return for Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will be at full strength on Sunday for the first time this season.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall, linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu completed a full week of practice on Friday. They are all listed as probable and will play Sunday for the Steelers (1-2) against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-1).

Mendenhall and Harrison will make their season debuts; Polamalu will play for the first time since a season-opening loss in Denver.

Harrison had minor surgery on his left knee in August and Polamalu has had a calf injury. Each has been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and they have combined to be named All-Pro nine times. Their returns are welcomed on a defense that has blown fourth-quarter leads during each of its losses.

Harrison has not played in a game of any kind since January, so his snaps will be limited.

A two-time 1,000-yard rusher, Mendenhall has recovered from tearing his right ACL on Jan. 1. He has been practicing for more than three weeks.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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NFL refs approve deal, scramble for Sunday return

Fans in Baltimore for the Browns-Ravens game Thursday welcomed the return of NFL officials. (Getty Images)

IRVING, Texas -- NFL referees voted and approved a new eight-year deal with the league on Saturday. Now they all can get back to the business of calling games.

Referees approved the contract by a 112-5 vote, officially ending a lockout that led to a rising chorus of complaints from players, coaches, fans and politicians. The next stop for the refs who gathered in Irving, Texas, was the airport, where most were to hop on planes taking them straight to their Sunday game sites.

The deal came quickly after three weeks of escalating difficulties for league-hired replacement refs, culminating in a disputed touchdown call that decided Monday night's Packers-Seahawks game. With a tentative deal in place, league referees returned to cheers at Thursday night's game between Cleveland and Baltimore.

The tentative contract called for refs' salaries to increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019. The current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years' service.

The defined benefit plan will then be frozen. Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement.

Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option to hire a number of officials to work year-round. The NFL also will be able to retain additional officials for training and development and can assign those officials to work games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the league.

Monday night's game ended in chaos after replacement refs called a touchdown catch for the Seahawks instead of a Packers interception. Many fans and commentators -- and players in the league -- thought the call was botched. Criticism of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and the league kept escalating, and the labor dispute drew public comments from both President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney. By late Wednesday, both sides had a deal.

"It's all history now," head linesman Tom Stabile said Friday. "For us, it was a benefit. It may have been the straw that broke the camel's back."

Line judge Jeff Bergman said he could see Monday night's play coming as he watched at home. He noticed that players were starting to take advantage of replacement officials struggling to keep control of the game.

"The last play of the game was something that was going to happen sooner or later," Bergman said. "It gave us and the league an opportunity to get together and hammer out a deal that was going to get hammered out anyway."

Referee Ed Hochuli, who led weekly tests and conference calls for officials to stay sharp during the lockout, declined to say whether the replacements made the right call.

"You really don't want to see that," Hochuli said. "You don't want to see the controversy. You don't want to see teams lose games that they shouldn't have lost, if indeed that's what happened. We're not making a judgment on that."

Now, the refs have to get used to being fan favorites.

The officials that worked Thursday night's Ravens-Browns game were cheered from the moment they walked onto the field. The difference between the regular crew and replacements was clear. The officials kept the game in control, curtailing the chippy play and choppy pace that had marred the first three weeks of the regular season.

Officials on Friday said they were ready for applause -- and ready for when it inevitably disappears.

"After the euphoria of the moment wears off, probably sometime early in the second quarter, it'll be back to regular NFL football mode," said referee Gene Steratore, who will head to Green Bay for Sunday's game, one week after Packers players ripped the replacements over Monday's disputed touchdown. "Players will be questioning our judgment, our ancestry. Coaches will be screaming at us. And it'll be life as back to normal on Sundays."

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Manning passes for two touchdowns in return, leads Denver past Pittsburgh

CBSSports.com wire reports
Sep. 9, 2012

DENVER -- After 611 days away, Peyton Manning couldn't wait to get back on the field. Ben Roethlisberger seemed determined to keep him on the sideline.

Manning overcame Pittsburgh's 10-minute advantage in time of possession and led a hurry-up offense that helped the Broncos beat the Steelers 31-19 on Sunday night in his Denver debut.

"It's just one game. I try to keep it in perspective," Manning said. "I know how hard I've worked to get to this point. I know how much help that I've gotten along the way, from a lot of people. I'm very grateful for that. It's special. I will definitely say it's special."

The four-time MVP coming off four neck surgeries that wiped out his final season in Indianapolis last year completed 19 of 26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice and bounced up both times without trouble.

Manning got a big assist from another big-time free agent, cornerback Tracy Porter, whose 43-yard interception return of Roethlisberger's pass with two minutes left and the Broncos clinging to a six-point lead sealed the victory.

"I should've called timeout," Roethlisberger said. "The play clock was running down, I hate to burn timeouts. I should've. We were kind of all over the place.

"There's no one to blame but myself. I already told my teammates and coaches that it's my fault. It's on me. It's disappointing. I hate to let my team down, my coaches, the fans. That loss is squarely on my shoulders. I'll take that and get better and learn from it."

Manning, jettisoned by the Colts in March after missing all of last season with a nerve injury that weakened his throwing arm, took only two snaps in the third quarter. But one was a 71-yard touchdown throw to Demaryius Thomas, Manning's first as a Bronco and the 400th of his career.

He reached the milestone in his 208th career game. Dan Marino did it in his 227th game and Brett Favre in his 228th.

"I love those guys," Manning said. "Brett and Dan are two of my favorite quarterbacks of all time. I don't feel like I belong in their category. But to be sort of mentioned among them is a true honor."

Manning, however, didn't even keep the ball for his trophy case.

"I talked to him after the game and said, 'You're going to let me keep the ball right?' He got one of the game balls, so he gave me that ball," Thomas said. "That's great to be able to catch his 400th. Hopefully he'll sign it for me. I can go back and show my grandkids in the record book."

Manning, who hadn't played in a game that counted since Jan. 8, 2011, spent much of his night on the sideline as Roethlisberger led a clock-chewing offense that had Denver's defenders gassed and Manning antsy as the Steelers converted 11 of 19 third downs.

"That's what Peyton kept saying to me: 'You guys killed us on third down.' We did," Roethlisberger said. "But at the end of the day it doesn't matter when you lose the game."

At one point, Roethlisberger had taken 30 snaps to Manning's one -- a kneel-down -- during two monstrous drives that spanned halftime.

"Roethlisberger was awesome on third down," Manning said. "Wasn't much fun sitting on the bench there all night. Great job by our defense in the end, getting that turnover."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said playing keep-away from Manning was the game plan.

"That was our intention," Tomlin said. "We need to possess the ball, we needed to get stops and time of possession is just that, though you look at the scoreboard, they got it done, we didn't. The plan didn't come to fruition."

Whenever he was between the lines, Manning was masterful.

After going to the no-huddle midway through the first half, he led Denver on three consecutive 80-yard touchdown drives, picking apart Pittsburgh's defense with precision.

"It helped a lot," Manning said of the hurry-up. "We're going to use the no-huddle as a change-up. Once we did it, it went so well, the coaches kind of said stay with it. I was kind of afraid that might happen."

So were the Steelers.

The Broncos' last drive stalled at the Steelers 8 and they settled for Matt Prater's short field goal and a 25-19 lead with three minutes left.

That was more than enough time for Roethlisberger to beat them, Manning figured.

Porter, though, stepped in front of Emmanuel Sanders and returned the interception 43 yards for the score, and Roethlisberger was sacked three times on his last possession after going down only twice all night.

"Better late than never," said Von Miller, who had two of those sacks.

"That was a great feeling," Manning said. "I hated having to settle for a field goal down there. ... I wanted to get a touchdown, make it a two-score game. You don't like giving the ball to Ben on a two-minute drive. Our defense had been bending all game but never quite breaking. That was a huge play by Porter. Von was bringing the pass rush at the end there, that was fun to see."

Manning's 71-yard TD to Thomas gave Denver a 14-13 lead, but the drive took all of 36 seconds, and the Steelers had possession for the rest of the third quarter, running 27 plays against a gassed Denver defense.

Roethlisberger found Mike Wallace for a 3-yard TD strike early in the fourth quarter but his two-point conversion attempt was knocked down by Justin Bannan, leaving the Steelers with a 19-14 lead.

Manning drove the Broncos 80 yards, hitting tight end Jacob Tamme for the score from a yard out, then hit running back Willis McGahee for the two-point conversion and a 22-19 lead.

Although this one was a screen pass, Thomas' long TD was reminiscent of his 80-yard touchdown on a crossing pattern on the first play of overtime that beat the Steelers 29-23 in the AFC wild-card game eight months ago when Denver was Tim Tebow's turf.

That changed when Manning was released by the Colts on March 7 after 14 seasons and chose Denver as his destination for his comeback two weeks later after a frenzied free agency tour. The Broncos sent Tebow to Broadway 24 hours later.

Manning looked as good as ever Sunday night.

"What can you say?" Steelers safety Troy Polamalu said. "I mean, he's Peyton Manning. He's the same Manning. Everything anybody has ever said about him is probably the same thing I would say tonight."

Notes

Denver DT Ty Warren, playing in his first game since 2009, sprained an elbow in the first half and didn't return. Also hurt in the first half were Steelers O-linemen Marcus Gilbert (knee) and Ramon Foster (eye). Steelers star LB James Harrison (knee) sat out, as did S Ryan Clark, who has sickle cell trait that makes playing at altitude dangerous.

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NFLPA requests restraining order allowing suspended players to return for openers

Scott Fujita, now with the Browns, is asking a federal judge to lift his suspension. (US Presswire)

NEW ORLEANS -- The NFL Players Association has asked a federal judge for a temporary restraining order that would allow players suspended in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation to rejoin their teams in time to play regular season openers.

The union, which filed the motion Tuesday on behalf of New Orleans defensive end Will Smith, Cleveland linebacker Scott Fujita, and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, argues the players will suffer irreparable harm if they are forced to miss games while their case against the league proceeds.

Suspended Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma had already filed a similar motion when his full-season suspension began earlier. The other three players' suspensions began this week.

The players ultimately want their suspensions thrown out because they argue the disciplinary process was fundamentally flawed and unfair.

U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan, who is hearing the case, has said she found the league's handling of the bounty matter to be unfair to the players and their punishments excessive, but she has also said she is not yet comfortable that federal courts have jurisdiction to rule on a process that was collectively bargained between the union and the league.

She has already indicated, in response to Vilma's earlier request for a temporary restraining order, that she was inclined to wait until players had exhausted their remedies under the league's collective bargaining agreement before she ruled.

Still pending on that front is a decision by a three-member panel that last week heard arguments in the NFLPA's appeal of a system arbitrator Stephen Burbank's ruling that Commissioner Roger Goodell had the authority both to punish the players and hear their appeal in the bounty matter.

The union had argued that because actions alleged in the bounty matter happened on the field, the league's labor agreement calls for someone other than the commissioner to hear players' appeals of the commissioner's disciplinary action.

The three-member panel has indicated that it hoped to rule by this week. If it rules in favor of the players, Berrigan would have no reason to act.

The NFL has said its investigators have concluded that the Saints ran a bounty program from the 2009 through 2011 seasons. The league said the program offered improper cash bonuses to defensive players for hits that injured opponents.

The players have admitted to a pay-for-performance program for big plays such as turnovers and big, clean hits, which also is banned but cannot be punished by suspensions. However, they have denied, some under oath in federal court, that there was a pay-to-injure program.

In addition to the four players suspended, the league also suspended Saints head coach Sean Payton the entire season, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis for half the season, and Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games. Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who is now with St. Louis and allegedly administered the bounty pool, has been suspended indefinitely.

Copyright 2012 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.

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Warren Sapp to return to NFL Network for another year

Posted: 05:30 PM ET May 30, 2012

By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger

Warren Sapp may be out on Inside the NFL after Showtime and CBS declined to renew his contract, but speculation about his tenure coming to an end at NFL Network was just that because NFLN executive producer Eric Weinberger told USA Today that Sapp will be back for at least another year.

"This is probably going to be news to some blogs and articles out there who've said his time is up here," Weinberger said, "but we picked up an option year on his contract." Sapp's on-air duties will remain largely unchanged it seems, including working NFL Network's Sunday pregame show.

Sapp's future at the network seemed to be in doubt after he went on the air and outed former New Orleans tight end Jeremy Shockey as the snitch in the Saints bounty scandal. Complicating matters: Sapp was wrong. In addition to Shockey saying as much, CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman wrote at the time: "...asked people familiar with the NFL's investigation and was told Shockey had nothing to do with the case. Nothing. At all." And commissioner Roger Goodell offered this: "[Sapp's] inaccurate, so we'll start with that."

Shockey also called for NFL Network to fire Sapp. Obviously, they did not.

"Is the league going to come down on their own people when someone does something so wrong and outrageous?” Shockey asked Yahoo's Jason Cole in March. “There should be a standard for punishment, like getting suspended or fined or losing your job. If I say something about officials, the league fines me."

Days later in a statement, NFL Network Senior Vice President of Programming and Production Mark Quenzel said that Sapp had been reminded that "he is an analyst and not a reporter for NFL Network. In the future, if he comes across something he thinks is news, he will let his producers know and before it is reported or Tweeted, that content will be subject to the same verification procedure that our reporters follow.”

And now Sapp will be gainfully employed by NFLN for at least another year.

That wasn't the only reason the former Pro Bowler was in the news this spring. Sapp also declared bankruptcy (and not the good kind), announced that he would play a judge in a reality courtroom series, and that he has a new book coming out, Sapp Attack, which includes unfettered gems like this about former Buccaneers teammate, quarterback Trent Dilfer:

"Dilfer … basically was an interception waiting to happen. There were times we practically pleaded with him, 'We know you're not going to score a touchdown, but please, just don't turn it over.'"

And this is the type of trenchant analysis we can expect for another year on NFL Network.

For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Ryan Wilson on Twitter here: @ryanwilson_07.

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Smith expects Forte to return this season from knee sprain

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith expects star running back Matt Forte to return this season from a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Smith said he "looked pretty good" on Monday, but he wouldn't put a timetable on Forte's return. Chances are he will miss a few games, although he played through a similar injury in 2009.

"Can't tell you exactly when or whether it's this week or next week or whatever, but hopefully we'll get him back soon," Smith said.

Forte was injured in the first quarter of Sunday's 10-3 loss to Kansas City and left the game. Chicago was already missing quarterback Jay Cutler, who is out indefinitely with a broken right thumb.

Smith said the Bears won't bring in a veteran quarterback even though Caleb Hanie is struggling, squashing speculation that they'll sign Donovan McNabb.

"We're not looking on the outside," Smith said. "We're not having a quarterback tryout or anything like that."

He also dismissed a report that offensive coordinator Mike Martz will be gone after the season, saying, "If there is a change that would be made, I'll be making it. I definitely haven't discussed that with anyone."

Martz reportedly turned down a one-year contract extension after last season's run to the NFC championship game, and he has an expiring contract. His name has been linked to head-coaching openings at UCLA and Arizona State, although he declined comment last week when asked about that.

The Bears (7-5) have more immediate concerns.

Three of the Chicago's remaining four games are on the road, starting this week at Denver, and the playoffs no longer appear to be a certainty for a team that had won five straight before dropping the past two. As if Cutler breaking his thumb against San Diego two weeks earlier wasn't bad enough, the Bears' fortunes took another turn for the worse when Forte got hit in the right knee by the Chiefs' Derrick Johnson on a run for no gain deep in Chicago territory with 6 minutes left in the first period against Kansas City.

He stayed down for several minutes while being tended to by medical personnel before walking off the field on his own power. He remained on the sideline for a short while before heading to the locker room, with five carries and 12 yards.

"Anytime you lose your star on offense -- we already lost one -- and to lose the best one we have, that's tough on the offense," receiver Roy Williams said. "That's tough on a team."

Entering the fourth and final season of his rookie contract, Forte sought an extension. Talks went nowhere, but that didn't stop him from having a career year. He was leading the league in yards from scrimmage and was third in rushing entering Sunday's game.

With Forte out, Marion Barber and Kahlil Bell figure to carry the load, and the results were mixed against the Chiefs.

Barber ran for 44 yards on 14 attempts. He also set up behind the line of scrimmage, resulting in an illegal formation call that wiped out his 4-yard touchdown catch and forced Chicago to settle for a field goal in the second quarter. Bell finished with 34 yards on four carries, including a 26-yarder, but the Bears will need more if they're going to get by without Forte, not to mention Cutler.

Hanie struggled again, throwing three interceptions for the second straight week. He got sacked seven times and posted a 23.8 rating for the game. That did nothing to quiet calls for the Bears to bring in outside help, such as six-time Pro Bowler McNabb, but Smith insisted they're standing pat.

"We have our quarterbacks here now," he said.

Cutler's injury led them to put in a claim for Kyle Orton after he was waived by Denver, but the Chiefs got him because they had priority. Once that happened, Chicago signed journeyman Josh McCown as a backup, but he's been inactive the past two games behind Hanie and rookie Nathan Enderle.

When asked if the backups will take more snaps with the first team in practice this week, Smith said, "With the first team? No more than they normally do. Like most teams in the league, you spend most of the reps on the guy that will be playing. And you get some reps for the next guy. That's what we'll do. This week, next week and in the future."

Smith said McCown is progressing but was noncommittal when asked if he would be active for the next game.

"That's hard to say, this week," Smith said. "We have time. Unless there's an injury, Nathan Enderle is our backup quarterback right now. We'll see how the week goes. I can't look that far into the future. But Josh is doing everything we're asking him to do, and he is making progress. But our focus is somewhere else right now."

Notes: Smith said S Major Wright, who left Sunday's game, has a sprained shoulder, and the Bears "should hopefully get back" D.J. Moore this week. He sat out with an ankle injury.

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