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IN THIS ISSUE 1. Maddox as normal as can be 2. Haslett says McAllister's chances of playing 50-50 3. Emmitt’s career is coming to an end, just not fast
enough for Hambrick 4. Jets ground game getting into gear 5. Green now the man for the Browns…at least one more
week 6. Davenport Done in Green Bay 7. Beuerlein to start for Broncos 8. Warner returns in St. Louis, like it or not 9. Fiedler improving 10. Edge puts 106 on Cowboys 11. Bettis may start for Steelers /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 1. Maddox as normal as can be Clipped from an
article from the associated press posted 11/19/02 on ESPN.com Pittsburgh
Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox is out of the hospital, fully recovered in
less than two days from a spinal cord injury that easily could have been much worse. How long it
takes him to get over the emotional stress of the scary experience may
determine how quickly he returns -- and how well he plays once he does. Maddox breezed
through tests for his cerebral and spinal cord concussions Tuesday before being
released from a Pittsburgh hospital, glad to be out but weary from the
frightful ordeal. Now comes the
hard part: Putting the kind of injury that every athlete fears behind him,
something not all players can easily do. "There
certainly is a psychological effect,'' said Joseph Maroon, the neurosurgeon who
treated Maddox. "When you're lying on a football field, unable to feel
your arms or legs and unable to move, I can't imagine a more frightening
experience. I've seen this in quite a few athletes, and they haven't returned
to function.'' [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 2. Haslett says McAllister's chances of playing 50-50 Clipped from
the Brian Allee-Walsh article posted 11/19/02 on NOLA.com NFC rushing leader Deuce
McAllister has a 50-50 chance of playing Sunday against the Cleveland Browns,
Saints coach Jim Haslett said Monday. McAllister suffered a high
sprain of his right ankle when Atlanta Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney
rolled up McAllister's leg after a screen pass late in the third quarter Sunday
at the Georgia Dome. The injured anterior
tendon is located on the top front of McAllister's ankle. "It's a high-ankle
sprain, but it's not as high as you think," Haslett said. "I saw Deuce
today, and he wasn't moving very well. He'll be in tomorrow for treatment, and
we'll have a better indication as the week goes on." Haslett said reserves
James Fenderson and Curtis Keaton would split time if McAllister can't play. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] Neither Keaton nor
Fenderson have much value if both are expected to split time and Deuce is
expected back in a week. More as we
hear it on this one. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 3. Emmitt’s
career is coming to an end, just not fast enough for Hambrick Clipped from
the Jennifer Floyd article posted 11/19/02 on dfw.com The road may not go on forever for Emmitt Smith and the Cowboys,
but the party does not necessarily end after this season. Both Smith and Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said
Monday they did not view Smith's diminished role, as they evaluate backup Troy
Hambrick, as a sign that Smith is done in Dallas. They said he could easily be
back running the football for the Cowboys again next season. "It should not be a foregone conclusion that Emmitt Smith
won't be with the Dallas Cowboys next year. That idea is unfounded and
wrong," Jones said. "It's been my experience, just as sure as you
start thinking, 'No way,' or got logic figured it will go a certain way, it doesn't.
Emmitt Smith is still very productive, and we need him to win games and we'll
make a decision when the season ends. But, no, I don't know you can say this is
the beginning of the end." Hambrick compared Smith to Michael Jordan, whom he described as
"tarnishing his name and can't even make an easy dunk." Hambrick
defined tarnishing on Monday as a "a guy who has excelled, that has a name
of the great but just don't know when to call it quits." That prompted a
question if he was saying Smith doesn't know when to hang it up. "No, I said Michael doesn't know when to hang it up,"
Hambrick said before cryptically adding the Cowboys' front office needed to
make that decision. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 4. Jets ground game getting into gear Clipped from
the Dave Hutchinson article posted 11/19/02 on nj.com As the Jets embark on a
brutal stretch run amid dropping temperatures, their running game is hitting
stride, which bodes well for the defense, too. As the adage goes, a good
offense can be a team's best defense, which was certainly the case on Sunday
against Detroit. Driven by the tag team of
Curtis Martin -- slowed by a bad ankle -- and LaMont Jordan, the Jets rang up a
season-high 189 yards rushing in their 31-14 victory over the Lions and won the
time-of-possession battle with a season-best 38:44. "Those are the type
of plays and drives we like," Edwards said yesterday. "When we can
stay on the football field, get our defense a rest and put the onus on
(opponents) to stop us. ... Curtis is obviously getting better and I think our
offensive line has been playing a lot better." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] At 5-5 and tied for second
place in the AFC East, the Jets are on a roll winning four of their last five
games. The only problem for Martin
owners is the increased carries that Jordan has had in the past few weeks. Edwards wants to win first, not worrying
about how many carries each player may or may not receive. Obviously Martin is still starter material
for your fantasy squad, but don’t be too shocked to look at the Gamebook Monday
morning and see Jordan with a third or more of the total Jet carries in any
given week. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 5. Green now the man for the Browns…at least
one more week Clipped from
the Steve Doerschuk article posted 11/19/02 on cantonrep.com Jamel White has started six of the
Browns’ 10 games at running back, with rookie William Green getting the other
four starts. With White sidelined by a separated shoulder Sunday, Green made
his fourth start and had his first promising game, denting Cincinnati for 96
yards on 25 carries. Does White think he might be back as the
starter when his shoulder is back at full strength (he hopes to be available
Sunday at New Orleans)? “Not really,’’ he said. “William is
their first-round draft pick, and he’s got to be given opportunities to play. I
don’t disagree with that at all. That’s how the business is.’’ Relatively speaking, White started his
NFL career in the mail room, as an undrafted free agent out of a small school
in 2000. Green came in through the board room, as a first-round draft choice
out of Boston College. Might Green’s emergence, though, be a
good thing for White? Might the offense be a better flow when he gets in the
game as a change-of-pace back? “I don’t know if it makes it better for
me,’’ White said from a locker stall next to Green’s. “I always knew when it
came down to them running William ... if it comes down to, they feel like he’s
an every-down back, I won’t even get in on third down.’’ White has rushed 93 times for 409 yards
(4.4 per carry). Green has rushed 96 times for 257 yards (2.7). Meanwhile, Green was presented with a
game ball for his efforts in Cincinnati. He will start Sunday at New Orleans.
Chances are, White will rest his shoulder at least one more week, putting James
Jackson into the role of Green’s backup. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 6. Davenport Done in Green Bay Clipped from
the Rob Demovsky article posted 11/19/02 on packersnews.com The Green Bay Packers, who
struggled to mount much of a running game in Sunday’s 31-21 loss to Minnesota,
likely will be without their top backup running back for the rest of the
season. Rookie Najeh Davenport
will have surgery today to repair a broken bone in his eye socket, an injury
sustained when he was poked in the eye while tackling Vikings returner Nick
Davis on the opening kickoff. “He’s going to need
surgery,” said Mike Harrison, Davenport’s agent. “He’s definitely
disappointed.” Earlier Monday, Packers
coach Mike Sherman said the surgery likely would end Davenport’s season. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] If you were handcuffing
Davenport to Ahman Green, don’t hesitate to cut him. By all accounts Davenport’s season is over. The most likely replacement will be Rondell
Mealy who was cut earlier this season by the Packers. Assuming you have no glaring weaknesses in other areas, it’s
worth picking up Mealy (when it’s official) to handcuff to Green as an
insurance policy for you the rest of the way.
/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Beuerlein to
start for Broncos Clipped from
the Lynn DeBruin article posted 11/19/02 on rockymountainnews.com Steve Beuerlein shook off a little
morning-after pain with a light jog at the Denver Broncos complex Monday, his
4-year-old daughter Kailey riding high atop his shoulders. Sunday night, Beuerlein figures to be
carrying a heavier load against the Indianapolis Colts, in his first NFL start
since a Christmas Eve nightmare in Oakland nearly two years ago. Coach Mike Shanahan confirmed as much
Monday afternoon, acknowledging that a magnetic resonance imaging test revealed
a second-degree tear in Brian Griese's left medial collateral ligament. The bottom line: Griese is out one to
three weeks. "When you get to the point I'm at
in my career, you start to appreciate every opportunity you get," said
Beuerlein, who turned 37 in March. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 8. Warner returns in St. Louis, like it or not Clipped from
the Bernie Miklasz article posted 11/19/02 on stltoday.com When quarterback Kurt Warner entered the game Monday
night, you could feel the love. The fans who packed into The Ed greeted Warner
with warm, generous, extensive applause before his one series of action. They
chanted "Let's go, Kurt!" They welcomed Kurt back the way we'd hug a
family member who'd returned home for the holidays. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 9. Fiedler improves Clipped from
the Jamey Eisenberg article posted 11/19/02 on palmbeachpost.com Fiedler began throwing a Nerf ball inside the Dolphins' training
facility -- the first time he has thrown a ball since he broke his right thumb
against Denver on Oct. 13. Fiedler will visit a doctor Thursday to find out when he can start
throwing a regular football again, which could determine whether he comes back
Dec. 1 against Buffalo or Dec. 9 against Chicago. "It feels good that it's progressing," said Fiedler, who
still must wear a splint. "I've still got a ways to go, but every day it
feels a little bit better and I'm able to do a little more. I can do a lot of
things now with my right hand, and I'm trying to do as much as I can without
aggravating it." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 10. Edge puts 106 on Cowboys Clipped from
the Mike Chappel article posted 11/19/02 on indystar.com Offensive coordinator Tom Moore eased Edgerrin James back into the
Indianapolis Colts' backfield like a carpenter eases a hammer onto a nail. Wham, wham, wham! "Hey, we don't do that around here," quarterback Peyton
Manning said about bringing James back slowly. "Tom doesn't believe in
that. "If (James) is introduced in the starting lineup, we expect
him to go." James missed the past two games with a strained right hamstring
and damaged rib cartilage. Coach Tony Dungy said on Friday he expected James to
start against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday in the RCA Dome, but insisted rookie
James Mungro also would see some activity. Mungro's exposure came with six minutes to play, and only after
James helped the Colts win their second in a row by wearing down the Dallas
defense in a 20-3 victory. James rushed 24 times for 106 yards. In typical
James fashion, he did his heavy lifting in the second half: 13 carries, 69
yards. "Edgerrin is a funny guy," Dungy said. "He doesn't
seem to get tired." Gene Huey, the Colts' running backs coach, kept an eye on James,
looking for a sign of fatigue or that his ribs were bothering him. Huey
apparently saw no problem, and James sought no relief. "He didn't feel like he needed to come out," Dungy said. So James didn't, until he was replaced by Mungro late in the
fourth quarter. James went to the bench and had a trainer re-tape his right
ankle, but Dungy said James could have returned to the game if necessary. "It's nice to have James and Ricky (Williams) ready to step
in," Manning said. "But Edge is tough, man." "It's always good to have options and you need that type of
depth in this league," said offensive tackle Tarik Glenn. "But Edge
definitely is our guy." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ 11. Bettis may start this week for Steelers Clipped from
the Jerry DiPaola article posted 11/19/02 on pittsburghlive.com Running back Jerome Bettis
may get his first starting assignment in nearly a month Sunday when the
Steelers attempt to stop a two-game winless streak and restart their running
game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Bettis has missed most of
the past four games with a left knee injury suffered against the Indianapolis
Colts on Oct. 21. After Amos Zereoue managed only 16 yards on nine carries
against the Tennessee Titans, Steelers coach Bill Cowher appears inclined to
turn to Bettis. "He got through last
week good," Cowher said. "Hopefully, he'll get through this week as
well, and we'll get him more involved, along with Amos. If they both go through
the week well, we may go back with Jerome starting, coming back in with
Amos." Zereoue is the Steelers'
leading rusher with 512 yards on 132 carries. Bettis has 332 on 87 carries and
is only 28 yards behind O.J. Simpson, who is 11th on the NFL's all-time rushing
list. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW
]]]]]]]]]] /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ |