IN THIS ISSUE 1. Marshall Faulk News 2. Owens not a happy camper in Frisco 3. Garcia having arm problems? 4. Rams as we knew them are going, going . . . gone 5. Woodson vows to return earlier than anticipated 6. Saints wide receivers and offense looking dangerous 7. Chiefs not feeling chipper 8. Gary to play Monday night 9. Vick turning heads 10. Carolina keeping things in perspective 11. George says foot is fine 12. Indy needs to pick up red zone attack 13. Green Bay news Davenport and Green 14. Pittsburgh looking to make statement on Sunday 15. Martin still searches for his game 16. More on Randy's Arrest /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Marshall Faulk News Clipped from an article on ESPN.com posted 9/24/02 Coach Mike Martz said Faulk had no numbness in his neck after injuring it when he was tackled in the second quarter of Monday night's 26-14 loss at Tampa Bay that dropped the Rams to 0-3. Faulk, who appeared to have sprained ligaments in his neck, was scheduled for an MRI on Tuesday, but results will not be made available until Wednesday, a team spokesman said. "I'm not sure what Marshall's situation is going to be," Martz said Tuesday." It doesn't appear to be nearly as serious as we had thought." Faulk felt "quite a bit better" Tuesday. "He's just got general neck soreness and he is much improved, so we're encouraged by that as you can imagine," Martz said."It didn't appear to be nearly as dramatic or serious as what we initially thought." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] If you're a football fan, you have to love Marshall Faulk. If I were going into battle, I would take this guy right by my side. As I am sure most of you saw, the guy was standing their with his head gear on, begging to go back in after taking one wicked shot. Let's face it, Faulk is not the kind of guy that is not going to play because something is "tender." If there is no damage to his neck and the Docs feel that there is nothing he can injure further by playing, I would fully expect Faulk to start on Sunday. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Owens not a happy camper in Frisco Clipped from the Mark Purdy article posted 9/23/02 on bayarea.com Donahue may have one more issue than he thinks, actually. Yes, it is Terrell Owens again. After Sunday's game, the Niners' never-shy wide receiver criticized Coach Steve Mariucci for not being more nasty and for lacking "a killer instinct." The charge is silly on the surface. But it could lead to another autumn of stupidly reckless discontent if it is not addressed quickly. "We just have no killer instinct," Owens said later, explaining his actions. "And I'm not the only one who felt like that. For whatever reason, we did what we had to do . . . It wasn't my decision. I had to go with what they called." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] Looks like between Keyshawn Johnson, Randy Moss, and Terrell Owens, we have a few stars that are getting a little tired of guys like Hines Ward and Peerless Price getting all the glory. Given the well documented past history between Mooch and Owens, this is a bit disconcerting. However, with the bye week coming up for San Francisco this week cooler heads may prevail. Obviously Owens is underperforming and this may be one way of sending a message to Mooch that he wants ball whether they are up or down on the scoreboard. Keep an eye on this but don't read anything too deep into this as of now. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Garcia having arm problems? Clipped from the Glenn Dickey article posted 9/24/02 on sfgate.com THE FLU was the easy culprit for the 49ers' offensive problems against Washington, but I think there's a deeper problem: Quarterback Jeff Garcia's arm isn't right. Even on short passes Sunday, Garcia was throwing the ball in the dirt. The 49ers have two weeks to prepare for the Rams. If Garcia's arm isn't better by then, it's going to be an ugly scene at Candlestick. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] First I have heard about this. Having watched all of the San Francisco games this year, I must admit it looked to me like Garcia lost (as in not found rather than unable to find) a little zip on the ball, but I was thinking that could be mechanics rather than a problem with his arm. Since this is basically speculation at this point, we'll leave it at this until we see or hear more. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Rams as we knew them are going, going . . . gone Clipped from the Bernie Miklasz article posted on stltoday.com 9/24/02 The beautiful passing game: gone. The stylish running game: gone. The creative, offensive genius of coach Mike Martz: gone. The physical toughness: gone. The mental toughness: gone. The relentless hunger to be the best: gone. The swagger: gone. The Rams have lost their edge. They just don't have the old sharpness. They're like a washed-up boxer with slow reflexes. "We have to dig ourselves out of this hole and fight back," Martz said. "We created this situation and we have to be good enough to get out." We've heard a similar mantra for three weeks now. But Martz has failed to motivate, or fix, his team. And its big-name players aren't coming up big. Quarterback Kurt Warner threw four more interceptions Monday. One was returned for a touchdown; another set up an easy TD. For the season, Warner has one touchdown pass and seven interceptions. It's no joke. The Rams were expected to make an epic statement on national TV: "We're the Rams. We still rule. Watch us put on a show, just like the old days." Instead, the Rams revealed all of their flaws, and could not hide from the truth. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] I have been shocked at the demise of the Rams but more so of Kurt Warner. I am thinking you have to give him a bump down after last night. Most if not all of us were convinced that Warner is a great quarterback playing in a great system. Which has failed, the system or the QB? The system is clearly broken down, but to me, so has the QB. Can they both get better? I think they can get better, but I would be shocked if they got it all back to where they were before. If Warner's thumb is fine, then something else clearly is not. I don't but the speculation stating that he was rushed or that his line play caused those poor throws. You are kidding yourself if you believe this. He became the master of fitting a tight spiral into a tiny opening with defenders in his face. Maybe he is more rushed now than in the past, but he threw at least 3 ducks last night without being pressured and hit Buc's defenders right in the numbers on more than 1 occasion. If we are going to let him off the hook because of his poor line play then he must surely be downgraded because it doesn't look like the line is improving anytime soon. Maybe it was just 1 bad night? Could be, but I'll have to see him destroy the Cowboys this weekend before I am ready to call it that. 1 TD to 7 Int's sounds more like a trend than an event as far as I am concerned. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Woodson vows to return earlier than anticipated Clipped from the Raider's Notebook posted 9/24/02 on bayarea.com Raiders coach Bill Callahan said Wednesday that Woodson is expected to miss anywhere from three to six weeks. "I won't miss the season," Woodson said. Woodson added that he isn't so sure that he will miss three weeks, either. "I'm day to day," Woodson said. It is hard to count out Woodson after watching him play more than half the Steelers game with his injury. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] Day to day? Man, give me a team full of guys like this and it's on! Who knows if the guy can come back in 3 weeks, but at least you know he's not here for the paycheck. Expect him back before the season is over at the very least. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Saints looking dangerous Clipped from the Les East article posted 9/24/02 on theadvocate.com Haslett said No. 1 draft choice Dont� Stallworth, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass, played as many downs against the Bears as he had played in the first two games combined. Jerome Pathon and Joe Horn also had touchdown receptions. "All of our receivers can make plays," Haslett said. "I thought Jerome played his best game of the year, and he is our best blocker. He does an outstanding job blocking on running plays. Joe made some nice plays, and Dont� made some nice plays. "We just feel that teams are going to try and take one phase of our game away. We didn't run the ball as well as we would have liked. We have enough weapons on offense with speed. It's going to be hard to defend everybody." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] Take that last line from Haslett to heart. With Joe Horn looking as good as he ever has plus the addition of the super speedy rookie Dont�' Stallworth, the New Orleans offense is as good as advertised. Toss in Brooks who can beat you running or throwing and McAllister providing a serious rushing threat and it's look out Lions come Sunday. I would give all of the skill players a nice bump this weekend and expect Stallworth to continue playing well opposite Horn all season. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Chiefs not feeling chipper Clipped from the Rick Dean article posted 9/24/02 on chiefszone.com It's easy to be hard on the Kansas City Chiefs defense these days. After giving up 496 total yards and 41 points in an overtime loss to New England last weekend, the Chiefs now have the NFL's worst defense, one ranked 32nd in total yards and passing yards allowed, though only 29th in points yielded. Dick Vermeil, as is his custom, tried to be positive as any Norman Vincent Peale disciple when discussing his defense Monday. "There is nowhere to go but up," he managed. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] Fortunately their poor defense allows some of their offensive players to have some great games playing catch up. However, as I said in the Chief's team capsule before the season started, "Oh how the mighty have fallen." To think that the KC defense could go from being a perennial defensive powerhouse to the worst defense in the league is really hard to stomach. They are desperately in need of a solid cornerback as much as anything. My opinion is to not expect them to be special as a team as long as Carl Peterson is still in town, which may be forever. Fantasy wise, I think Holmes looks better than any back in the game right now and see no reason for the Chiefs to stop giving him the rock. At least that keeps it out of Green's hands. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Gary to play Monday night Clipped from the Lee Rasizer article posted 9/24/02 on rockymountainnews.com He's sore. But, he added, he'll "definitely" be ready to return to the lineup for the Broncos' game against the Ravens at Baltimore on Monday. Gary turned his ankle on the second series of Denver's 28-23 victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday when a Broncos offensive lineman rolled on it after the running back had picked up a blitz. But the pain associated with the injury, Gary said, was unlike any he'd ever felt. That's because he had not hurt his ankle since he suffered a broken left fibula in November. Gary believes the earlier injury has something to do with his ankle sprain. "I still have the plate in there," Gary said. "And I think what happened was they hit the plate and disrupted some of the nerves and muscles around the plate." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] I frankly don't like thinking about a plate hitting around on nerves and muscles, but if Gary says he's going to play then we have to believe him at this point. I will say now, just as I have said all pre-season that the best running back on the Bronco football team is Clinton Portis. He may not be the pass catcher, blocker, or know the offense as well as others, but make no mistake about, it he's the best pure runner on the team. Racking up over 100 yards in his first significant opportunity and over 5.7 yards per carry should leave little doubt. But Shanahan is bringing Portis and Lelie along slowly as I think he sees this as ultimately beneficial to their long term contributions to the franchise. Given that, I don't think the last game automatically makes Portis the man in Denver. In fact, the just released Bronco depth chart still lists Gary as the starter. If Gary is gimpy, I expect Portis to see significant time against the Ravens, but that may only mean 10-15 carries. It could turn into plenty more however if the game is out of reach early. If Portis continues to average over 5 YPC and continues to hold onto the ball in the coming weeks, look for him to emerge as the primary back in the Denver offense. Also, depending on the final word on Gary, Portis may be worth a start this weekend if you are in need of a fill in running back. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Vick turning heads Clipped from the Terence Moore article posted 9/24/02 on accessatlanta.com Rarely in NFL history has somebody this young and this talented adjusted this quickly. During plays, Mike Vick is improving by the millisecond. Wide receiver Brian Finneran likes to say of the Falcons' second-year quarterback that he uses his feet to get his arm open. Wonderful. At this rate, you could give Vick plans on how to build a space shuttle, and he'd have the thing ready by the end of the week. He's a fast learner. That's because he's a prolific listener. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] Don't know about wrenching on the shuttle, but given the fact that he's the number 1 rated passer in the NFC this season, Vick is rapidly proving that he can play in this league. My advice for Vick owners is to not be worried about his fairly plain passing numbers so far this season. Without question, we are seeing the evolution of greater things to come. As Vick stated Sunday night, he was only given 10 plays in college then told to go out and win the game with them. Now, he calls more than 10 separate plays on any given drive. Once he has all of it figured out, he'll have the same mad skills he had in college plus an arsenal of plays and the discipline to break down defenses with the best of them. Reeves will open the offense up when the time comes...and it's coming. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Carolina keeping things in perspective Clipped from the Pat Yasinskas article posted 9/24/02 on charlotte.com While fans, understandably, are fired up because the Panthers already have tripled last season's win total and are tied with New Orleans for first place in the NFC South, Fox is preaching calm. "It's one game at a time," he said. "It's `What have you done for me lately?' You remember that when you've been in as long as I have. You try not to go on that emotional roller coaster, whether it's the head coach or the team or your assistant coaches. "You just want to keep a pretty even keel. ... It's a 16-game regular-season schedule. We're only three games into it." Those three games have been as good as Fox could have asked when he left his job as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants to take over a 1-15 team that set a league record with 15 consecutive losses in one season. A large part of the early stages of his job focused on confidence and work ethic. It can be argued that the Panthers didn't have much of either at the end of last season. "When you're coming off of 1-15, I think most guys are willing to do anything to not let that happen again," Fox said. "I think that attitude has helped us sell our program. We're reaping some of the benefits at this point." [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] I guess this is why the games are played? Who would have thought 3-0 for the Panthers? Lamar Smith owners need to keep riding this wave until the tide rolls out. That is, if it does. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ George says foot is fine Clipped from the Jeff Legwold article posted 9/24/02 on tennesseean.com Titan's running back Eddie George, who missed most of last week's practices because of pain and swelling in his left foot, said he feels fine as the Titans turn their attention to the Raiders. George was on crutches as late as Wednesday last week. He ran some in Friday's practice before playing all the way in Sunday's loss to the Browns. He rushed for just 59 yards on 23 carries. "I didn't have any difficulty during the game," George said. "My feet are fine." "That one particular incident that had nothing to do with taping," George said. "I use a steel shank in my [right] shoe. It was a new steel shank and it was causing my other toes to go numb. I had to take that out and go with a different system. It was perfectly fine." George is averaging just 2.8 yards a carry. His 60 carries are fifth-most in the AFC and his 166 yards overall are 10th best. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] I was pretty skeptical last week of his potential performance even if he did play. He played, and only managed 2.6 yards per carry (which is really becoming alarming) but did manage a score. He never has been a high yards per carry guy, but 2.6 isn't going to cut it. Keep him in your line up but make sure to keep an eye on his per carry averages. If they get much lower, I think there becomes a decent cause for concern. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Indy needs to pick up red zone attack Clipped from the Mike Chappell article posted 9/24/02 on indystar.com Getting there is not the problem. However, finishing drives that penetrate the opponent's 20-yard line is a problem that has befuddled the Indianapolis Colts' offense the past two games. "There are a lot of things we can improve on," quarterback Peyton Manning acknowledged Monday afternoon, "and the red zone kind of sticks out offensively." Like snow in July sticks out. One of the NFL's best red-zone units the past two seasons suddenly has lost its way. "We're good enough offensively that when we get down there, we've got to score touchdowns," said offensive tackle Adam Meadows. "One-for-9 is not going to take you very far in the season." It's not as if the Colts haven't given themselves plenty of opportunities to pile up the points. After three games, they've mounted 13 trips into the red zone. Only Miami and Kansas City, with 15 each, and Philadelphia, with 14, have been there more often. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] I am still not putting this on Edge's knee. Let me retract that. I am going to put some of this on the fact that Edge decided to sit out the preseason rather than take reps with his offense to find their groove which does relate to his knee. That said, the knee looks fine, Edge looks fine, but the timing of the offense looks like it still can dramatically improve. Harrison drops an easy TD bomb from Manning as he peaks at a charging safety? Probably not again this season, but it did occur. I expect Edge and the rest of the offense to come out looking very sharp out of the bye and for Edge to start scoring some touchdowns. If Edge can't score on Indy's next two opponents in Cincinnati and Baltimore, than I am worried. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Green Bay news Davenport and Green Clipped from the Tom Silverstein article posted 9/24/02 on jsonline.com Davenport came to the Packers as a fullback and it appears they are going to have to utilize him some more in that role even after he gained 84 yards in 22 carries Sunday in a 37-31 victory over the Detroit Lions. Unsure whether starting fullback William Henderson will play Sunday because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, the Packers will have to work Davenport at fullback in case they need him against Carolina. "Obviously, he came here as a combination back and I thought he did a marvelous job in the game the other day securing the ball as a young rookie and running the football," coach Mike Sherman said. "You want to protect him as a tailback. "But he's going to have to play some fullback. That's just the way it is. I'd rather he didn't at this point, but he's going to have to." The reason Sherman wants to keep Davenport away from fullback is that if Ahman Green aggravates his pulled thigh muscle, he'll have a capable backup ready to fill in. Rondell Mealey has been Green's backup, but he has been slowed by several minor injuries and was outplayed by Davenport Sunday. Green is expected to practice Wednesday and be ready for the Panthers game. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] Good news for Green owners here. We'll keep you posted on Green's condition, but right now we can expect him to be play. Carolina comes to town on Sunday, which is not the cupcake that it once appeared to be for Green owners, but I am sure they will just be happy to have him in their lineups. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Pittsburgh looking to make statement on Sunday Clipped from the Jerry DiPaola article posted 9/24/02 on pittsburghlive.com "We're playing a team in first place coming into our place," Cowher said. "It's an important game, yes. " Important? The truth is this: If the Steelers (0-2) lose to the Browns (2-1), their chances of advancing to the playoffs all but disappear. The Steelers have started 0-3 13 times and have never made it to the postseason. The most recent example occurred two years ago when they won nine of their final 13 games but couldn't get enough help from other teams to earn a berth. The reasons have little to do with the mathematics involved. With a loss, the Steelers would trail the Browns by 2 1/2 games with 13 to play - certainly enough time to recover - but the team would start doubting itself even more than it was doing after back-to-back 30-14 and 30-17 losses to the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] If the Steelers don't play well on Sunday, their fantasy prospects will certainly fall along with their playoff hopes. I don't expect them to fall off completely, but take Kordell Stewart for instance last year. His average QB rating in wins was 87.4 versus 64.3 in losses. Jerome Bettis averaged 5 yards per carry in Steeler's wins versus 3.4 yards per carry for their losses. The Steelers need to find their legs this weekend to establish themselves as contenders. If they fall short of the post season with what appeared in the pre-season to be one of the league's easiest schedules, some changes will certainly be made in Steeler land. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ Martin still searches for his game Clipped from the Shaun Powell article posted 9/24/02 on newsday.com He has a reputation for being as dependable as the sunrise. Just strap on a helmet and pads and turn him loose. Imagine if all facets of life were as reliable as Curtis Martin on Sundays. But Martin has 54 yards rushing after three games. That's reason to wonder. Is this the season when it all catches up to Martin? The Jets better hope he isn't starting to slow down. They just bet seven years and $46 million that he has plenty left. He has been a durable and fine running back for so long that people forget he's something else: human. There comes a time in every player's career when the pain travels a little further than usual, when the injuries heal a little more slowly, when rising off the turf takes a little longer. Martin has been the featured back his entire career, and when you add up his carries and catches, he touches the ball about 400 times a season. Right now, the focus is on a bum left ankle Martin is dragging around from two Sundays ago. Coach Herman Edwards puts Martin at 85 percent. Martin wasn't into numbers yesterday. "There's pain," he conceded, "but I feel I can get out there and perform." After three games, his body begs to differ. Three slow games merely raise questions. A few more will raise flags. [[[[[[[[[[ DODSON'S VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] If any team could use a bye this weekend, it's the Jets. Too bad, they have to strap it on and make a trip down to Jacksonville, a team coming off their bye. I place a lot of the blame for Martin's lack of production on his ankle, but some of the blame goes to Offensive Coordinator Paul Hackett. I can't believe this guy still finds work in the NFL. I would bump Martin down this week again. Jacksonville has a solid front four that Martin will have to break through to get to the weakness of the Jags D. I don't see him doing that frankly. Martin is averaging only 2.3 yards per carry right now, which is not too far over the average height (or length if they are in a 4 point stance) of a typical NFL defensive lineman. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ More on Randy's Arrest: Clipped from the story on ESPN.com Randy Moss spent the night in jail facing a possible felony charge after being arrested for allegedly pushing a traffic agent a half-block with his car. The arrest could keep the Minnesota Vikings' star receiver out of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. The 27-year-old agent stepped in front of Moss to stop him from making an illegal turn in downtown Minneapolis, and Moss used his 2002 Lexus to slowly push the officer a half-block along the street, stopping when she fell to the ground, police spokeswoman Cyndi Barrington said. Barrington said Amy Zaccardi is a city employee but not a police officer and was not seriously hurt. Witnesses called the situation "surreal" but said it was clear Moss did not intend to hurt Zaccardi. Police arrested Moss on suspicion of assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony. He was being held in Hennepin County Jail early Wednesday. Barrington said the county attorney would consider charges. However, ESPN has learned that police intend to charge Moss with second-degree assault, a felony. "He's going to be treated like anybody else," Barrington said. In an interview on ESPN Radio on Tuesday night, Barrington said the typical holding time of a person arrested on a similar charge is 36 hours, but that a hearing could occur as early as Wednesday. "Obviously the media will make this a high-profile case, but we will handle this as we would any civilian who was arrested on an assault case," she said. Late Tuesday night, a Vikings' team source told ESPN that Moss flatly "denied doing what the police said that he did." Meanwhile, the Vikings issued a statement that said the team wouldn't comment about the incident until it had gathered more information. Vikings coach Mike Tice declined comment Tuesday, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday that a person with knowledge of the situation told the newspaper that it is highly unlikely Moss will play Sunday. Moss' agent, Dante DiTrapano, had been in contact with the player Tuesday but declined comment. Jerry Hullerman, 46, said he saw the incident while parked near the intersection. "I saw a really decked-out Lexus pushing the traffic person along," said Hullerman, who was also interviewed by police. "It was really surreal." He said the agent was facing forward while sitting on the front of the car with one hand on the hood and the other hand on her radio as the car pushed her along. After a few seconds, Hullerman said, the man in the car tapped the accelerator and knocked her down. "She fell flat on her face," Hullerman said, adding that the driver didn't get out of his car. Hullerman said squad cars arrived seconds later and officers took Moss into custody. Robert and Delaina Nelson of Robbinsdale, Minn., saw much of the incident and called it one of the most ridiculous episodes they've ever seen. They also said they had no doubt that the driver -- whom they later learned was Moss -- did not intend to hurt the traffic agent. Rather, Delaina Nelson said, it seemed to be a "cat-and-mouse game" in which he wanted her to get out of his way. "He was in the wrong, and she put herself in a dangerous position," Robert Nelson told the Star Tribune. "I think if he had been a madman, he would have just run over her and kept going." [[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]] It's hard to imagine this going down as felony assault, but any delays in processing could keep Moss out of action this week. We will keep you posted as to the outcome of this. I suspect Moss will be let out of jail and play as usual. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/ As I mentioned last week, your feedback is always welcome. Based on the responses from last week, my insight is leaving you speechless! Please feel free to e-mail me at [email protected] with comments or questions. As always, good luck next week! Dave Dodson