Cowboys, 49ers back among contenders

The rivalry truly began in the early 1970s with three consecutive playoff meetings, was bolstered by Dwight Clark's legendary touchdown catch in the 1982 NFC Championship game and hit its peak a decade later when the franchises faced each other in three conference title matchups.
Such history isn't forgotten at San Francisco 49ers headquarters when the Dallas Cowboys are discussed.
"The very first t-shirt I wore to a game said 'F*** Dallas' on it," said 49ers kicker Joe Nedney, who was raised in nearby San Jose. "My mom was not happy, but I went to a 49er game as a kid and my dad got me that shirt. I was about 10.
"That's pretty much when I decided I needed to start hating the Dallas Cowboys. I didn't know why, but the shirt pretty much said it all."
But in recent years, the majority of cursing by Cowboys and 49ers fans has been aimed toward their own teams.
Ever since San Francisco's 38-28 playoff victory over Dallas en route to winning Super Bowl XXIX in January 1995, the 49ers began a gradual slide that reached bottom in 2004 with a 2-14 campaign. Dallas rebounded from that 49ers loss by winning Super Bowl XXX the following season, but the Cowboys also started slipping and are 0-4 in the playoffs since 1997.

Yet entering this season, there is more optimism surrounding both clubs since players like Jerry Rice and Troy Aikman were donning 49ers and Cowboys jerseys respectively. Dallas and Philadelphia are considered the frontrunners in the NFC East, while San Francisco appears ready to push Seattle for supremacy in the NFC West.
"When the coaches are convinced and the players are convinced, the sky is the limit," Cowboys outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware said. "We have great players on defense. We don't have any holes. On offense, it's the same way.
"Now, it's all about how it's going to jell together during the season. Are we going to be high the first part and low the second part? Teams that get there are consistent the whole way through."
Nedney is just as optimistic about San Francisco's chances.
"This is my third year here and we just keep building on it every year and haven't taken a step back," he said. "You can just kind of tell with the guys and the way we interact with players and coaching staff, there are little intangibles starting to build that you need to have a championship team.
"Having been on enough teams (eight) in the league, I can tell when there's a locker room full of guys just playing football and a locker room full of players who belong to a team. We've got that here. I believe this team is going to get back to championship status here pretty soon."
First things first, though.
San Francisco hasn't reached the playoffs or even posted a winning record since 2002, which was Steve Mariucci's final season coaching the squad. Mariucci wasn't able to win a Super Bowl like predecessors Bill Walsh and George Seifert, but he did lead San Francisco to postseason appearances in four of his six seasons.
That was much more than the brain trust of coach Dennis Erickson and general manager Terry Donahue produced in their two seasons running the 49ers. The duo will be remembered as a disaster because of San Francisco's poor on-field performance and roster decisions. Running back Kevan Barlow and cornerback Ahmad Plummer were given lucrative contract extensions that never paid dividends and first-day draft picks were wasted on such busts as wide receivers Rashaun Woods and Derek Hamilton and defensive end Andrew Williams.
49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young, who is the only remaining member of San Francisco's last Super Bowl squad, said the low point of his 14-year NFL career came in 2004 when the 49ers' only two victories came against an Arizona squad that finished a lowly 6-10.
"Going through that whole year, it was hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel," Young said. "At the time, you really had to be a pro because it was easy to pack it in and not go out and give your best."
Young said Mike Nolan immediately began to change that culture after being hired to essentially replace both Erickson and Donahue in 2005.
Trying to recapture the club's glory years, Nolan said 49ers owner John York wanted to install a coach with power over both personnel and on-field decisions a la the late Bill Walsh during the 1980s. Nolan — whose father Dick was San Francisco's head coach from 1968 to 1975 — oversees a front-office staff that has subsequently revamped San Francisco's roster with better drafts and free-agent acquisitions.

That includes a wild spending spree this off-season to net Nate Clements, who became the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history with an eight-year, $80 million contract, safety Michael Lewis and linebacker Tully Banta-Cain as well as the re-signing of standout running back Frank Gore to a four-year, $28 million extension.
Such moves could help the 49ers continue to rise in 2007 after improving from 4-12 to 7-9 in Nolan's first two seasons.
"I like to be in charge," Nolan told FOXSports.com after the team's final training camp practice. "It's not an issue of control, but you have to have control to be in charge. And although I hadn't done it before, John felt secure in offering me the job. If he envisioned what Bill had touched, I'd like to think I had the ability to touch those same areas.
"Now, it's certainly a long way to make it happen like with what Bill did. But at the same time, the structure in which we're doing things right now I would say is very similar to what he did."
The Cowboys are structured differently, with owner/general manager Jerry Jones and his staff handling front-office decisions. That helps explain why Jones was so willing to accept responsibility for Dallas' decline from being the NFL's elite franchise through the first half of the 1990s.
"The playoffs for me are not the issue," Jones told FOXSports.com during an interview at Cowboys headquarters in Irving, Texas. "I know they have to come first, but I've never thought about this team from a playoff contention standpoint. I've thought about it as a Super Bowl team.
"I've taken the risks in decision-making that give us a chance to be a Super Bowl team maybe more than what I thought another route might (entail). We haven't gotten it done and we've had some things really blow up in our face a couple of times. But the bottom line is I never thought we would be this long out of a Super Bowl."
Although the Cowboys are now on their fifth different head coach (Wade Phillips) in 11 seasons, Jones said his squad's biggest problem was establishing stability at quarterback. Jones said he expected Aikman to play "a minimum of four or five more years" before concussions and back problems forced him to retire after the 2000 season.
Since then, the Cowboys fielded eight different starters until finally settling on Tony Romo midway through the 2006 season. And even though he was voted to the Pro Bowl following a strong debut, Romo can hardly be considered a sure thing after he struggled with Dallas posting a 2-4 record in the final six games, including a 21-20 first-round playoff loss to Seattle in which he botched the hold on what would have been the game-winning field goal.
"Hopefully, we've got the kind of quarterback who can get us (to the Super Bowl)," said Jones, who has declined so far to sign Romo to a contract extension even though he is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in 2008. "It singularly doesn't get you there, but the only success I've ever known we've had a top quarterback."
At least Jones can be certain that Dallas will field a top-notch defense orchestrated by Phillips, whose unit in San Diego produced an NFL-best 61 sacks in 2006. Like with Chargers strong-side linebacker Shawne Merriman, Phillips has the services of one of the league's top young pass-rushers in Ware and arguably as much overall defensive talent to work with as he did with San Diego.
Players also are happy Phillips has instituted a more aggressive 3-4 system than the one previously used under former head coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer "This scheme is heavily predicated on the outside linebackers getting pressure," Cowboys inside linebacker Bradie James said. "The inside (linebackers) and D-linemen are moving around a lot more than before, so that hopefully creates negative plays in the backfield. That's what we've been missing — explosive plays on the defensive side of the ball."
Dallas and San Francisco aren't scheduled to play in the regular season. But the thought of meeting in the playoffs would bring the Cowboys-49ers feud into another generation.
"Growing up, that was the game you always looked forward to seeing," said 49ers fullback Moran Norris, a Houston native. "You've got two teams that have won a lot of Super Bowls, have a lot of history behind them and have had a lot of Pro Bowlers.
"If we keep it going, I'm sure it will be a game like it used to be back in the day."

Alex Marvez FOXSports.com

Kickoff

The NFL will kick off the 2007 season on Thursday, Sep. 6 when the New Orleans Saints travel to Indianapolis to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Colts. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

The NFL's free kickoff event, featuring performances from Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson and Hinder is located at Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis on Thursday, Sept. 6. Gates will open at 3 p.m. John Mellencamp will perform later from the RCA Dome.

On NFL Network
Kickoff Week on NFL Network:
» Peyton Manning finally wins the big one with an MVP performance and you can watch the Super Bowl XLI encore on NFL Network on Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. ET. The telecast also includes Prince's performance in the Super Bowl XLI halftime show.
» The 2006 Indianapolis Colts will be profiled on America's Game on Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 9 p.m. ET on NFL Network. The story of the 2006 Colts is told through the eyes of Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday, narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Donald Sutherland.
» The NFL's free kickoff event, featuring performances from Faith Hill, Kelly Clarkson, the rock band Hinder and John Mellencamp will be simulcast live on NFL Network on Thursday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, preceding the Saints and Colts Kickoff game.

Live games on the NFL Network:
Indianapols at Atlanta, Thurs., Nov. 22 (8:15 p.m.)
Green Bay at Dallas, Thurs., Nov. 29 (8:15 p.m.)
Chicago at Washington, Thurs., Dec. 6 (8:15 p.m.)
Denver at Houston, Thurs., Dec. 13 (8:15 p.m.)
Cincinnati at San Francisco, Sat., Dec. 15 (8:15 p.m.)
Pittsburgh at St. Louis, Thurs., Dec. 20 (8:15 p.m.)
Dallas at Carolina, Sat., Dec. 22 (8:15 p.m.)
New England at New York Giants, Thurs., Dec. 29 (8:15 p.m.)

http://www.nfl.com

Raiders quarterback shuffle

NFL_Czar's Blog
BY NFL_CZAR
Sep 04, 2007 7:49PM

With the agents for JaMarcus Russell still debating how to best guarantee $31 million to their client, Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin can’t seem to choose between Josh McCown and Daunte Culpepper for Sunday’s start against the Detroit Lions.
We know that owner Al Davis prefers Culpepper as his quarterback. Consequently, Kiffin must be in McCown’s corner for now and that’s the reason for delaying any announcement.
During last week’s final cuts, Kiffin and Davis both seemed to get their way.
Davis, who makes the majority of the Raiders’ personnel decisions, allowed the coaches and personnel staff to pick Quentin Moses atop the third round and he got the final say by cutting the defensive end from Georgia. Receiver Alvis Whitted was perceived as a Davis player, but he got the ax, too.
And then there was guard Kevin Boothe, who graded out as the team’s best offensive lineman a season ago. Boothe didn’t fit Kiffin’s new blocking system and was released. And Boothe probably will end up helping the New York Giants.
If McCown gets the start against the Lions, we’ll know that Kiffin won the first big battle with his owner.

Denver pays Rice
Simeon Rice received $2.1 million to sign with the Broncos, who also guaranteed his base salary for this season, and the overall deal is slightly better than what his former team, the Tampa Bay Bucs, were offering before he was released.
However, it will be interesting to see how much Rice plays this Sunday. The Rams passed his shoulder during a physical, but they were leery that he really wasn’t ready to play. The Titans thought the same thing. Rice could end up earning almost $4 million if he hits some incentives.

Leftwich & Baltimore
Byron Leftwich makes sense for the Ravens, who definitely don’t believe in Kyle Boller anymore as the backup. The Ravens, because of their defense, remain a strong Super Bowl contender, and who really knows how much longer 34-year-old Steve McNair can stay healthy? Ravens GM Ozzie Newsome liked Leftwich coming out of Marshall, plus he knows all about him from Jaguars personnel man Shack Harris.
If anyone can fix Leftwich and make him a more accurate passer, it’s Ravens head coach Brian Billick. Now, the deal is whether or not Leftwich will agree to a contract that makes sense for Baltimore right now. This is a better opportunity for Leftwich than vice versa. I mean if he doesn’t sign with Baltimore, who really wants him?

Bulletin board chuckles
The big game this Sunday is Chicago at San Diego, and now the Bears are all hot that LaDainian Tomlinson picked the Bears to run through, past and over in his new Nike commercial. Well, L.T. claims he didn’t; it’s just that he vetoed the Patriots. Well, seriously, he should have allowed Nike to use the Patriots. No one really thinks of New England in the same breath, historically, with Chicago’s defense.

To hear the Bears getting mad about the commercial is pretty funny, too. Do you think Brian Urlacher would turn down a big check from Nike to do a commercial? L.T. took the money and ran. He may do that Sunday, too. I can’t imagine that Urlacher and Co. needed a commercial to get fired up about playing the Chargers and L.T. on opening day.

Finally, the bad news in Chicago is that Rex Grossman won’t have rookie tight end Greg Olsen (knee sprain) available as a reliable check-down receiver against the San Diego pass rush.

Simms and Tampa Bay
The Bucs were the only team to keep four quarterbacks on their final 53-man roster. Fourteen teams kept two quarterbacks while the rest decided on three. Seventeen backups have never started a NFL game and four of them have never thrown a pass in the NFL.

This is why the Bucs kept Simms. He has potential trade value, considering the NFL quarterbacking landscape. He may be fourth-string in Tampa Bay, but he could be viewed by a lot of teams to be better than their backup or third-stringer. Mentally and physically, Simms simply hasn’t looked himself this summer. But that doesn’t mean he won’t come around. And, who knows, if Jeff Garcia goes down in December, Jon Gruden might even turn to Simms if he’s still around.

When a team like Kansas City opts to sign Tyler Thigpen as a third quarterback, you know there is hope for Simms, and the Bucs may eventually do a trade.

Look in the mirror
Arizona’s Rod Graves, who drafted Buster Davis in the third round, said he was surprised the Florida State linebacker refused to sign with the team’s practice squad after being cut last weekend.

“It says something else about the player,” Graves said. “I certainly thought Buster was the kind of guy who would carry a chip on his shoulder and accept that challenge and want to prove that the decision to release him was a mistake.”

When evaluating players for the draft, Graves must make decisions on whether any player has the heart and mindset to succeed in the NFL. Graves can question Davis, but we can also question Graves to risking the 69th choice in the draft on a player who took the money and ran.

College Exam for Football Players

Time Limit: One Month

1. What language is spoken in France?

2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with particular reference to architecture, literature, law and social conditions-OR- give the first name of Pierre Trudeau.

3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to (a) build a bridge (b) sail the ocean (c) lead an army or (d) WRITE A PLAY

4. What religion is the Pope? (a) Jewish (b) Catholic (c) Hindu (d) Polish (e) Agnostic (check only one)

5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters?

6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is on the 5? (a) Bed time (b) 5:00 (c) am or pm? (d) Happy hour

7. How many commandments was Moses given? (approximately)

8. What are people in America's far north called?
(a) Westerners (b) Southerners (c) Northerners (d) foreigners

9. Spell -- Bush, Carter and Clinton

10. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being George the Sixth. Name the previous five.

11. Where does rain come from?(a) Macy's (b) a 7-11 (c) Canada (d) the sky (e) Prince

12. Can you explain Einstein's Theory of Relativity?(a) yes (b) no (c) He wasn't my relative

13. What are coat hangers used for?

14. The Star Spangled Banner is the National Anthem for what country?

15. Explain Le Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium-OR- Just spell your name in BLOCK LETTERS.

16. Where is the basement in a three story building located?

17. Which part of America produces the most oranges?(a) New York (b) Florida (c) Canada (d) Europe

18. Advanced math.
If you have three apples how many apples do you have?

19. What does NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation) stand for?

20. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when (approximately)?(a) B.C. (b) A.D. (c) still waiting

*You must answer three or more questions correctly to qualify

FOOTBALL JOKE OF THE DAY

A guy walks into a bar with a dachshund under his arm. The dog is wearing a Jets jersey helmet and is holding Jets pom poms.
The bartender says,"Hey! No pets allowed in here! You'll have to leave!"
The man begs, "Look I'm desperate. We're both big fans, my TV is broken, and this is the only place we can see the game!"
After securing a promise that the dog will behave and warning him that if there is any trouble they will be thrown out, the bartender relents and allows them to stay in the bar and watch the game.
The game begins with the Jets receiving a kickoff. They march down field stop at the 30,and kick a field goal. With that the dog jumps up on the bar and begins walking up and down the bar giving everyone a high-five.
The bartender says,"Wow that is the most amazing thing I've ever seen! What does the dog do if they score a touchdown?"
"I don't know," replies the owner, "I've only had him for four years."

Carolina Panthers 2007 Preview

From James Alder,

Remember how fashionable it was at this time last year to pick the Carolina Panthers to win the Super Bowl? That worked out well, huh?

Well this is largely the same team that entered the 2006 season with such high expectations. So where is all the love this year? Gone with John Fox's job security?

What's New?

The Carolina Panthers were a popular pick to be Super Bowl contenders in 2006, but struggles in the running game combined with a down year by quarterback Jake Delhomme led to a disappointing 8-8 record. The team didn’t do a whole lot, however, to kick-start this offense other than bringing in former Cleveland Browns line coach Jeff Davidson to take over as offesive coordinator.

The Panthers did scoop up former No. 1 overall draft pick David Carr after he was released by the Houston Texans. Carr, who never came close to living up to his lofty draft status, should be a solid backup to Delhomme, and could potentially push him if he struggles again in 2007.

With the safety position a major concern, Carolina traded with Chicago Chris Harris, who will likely start at strong safety. They also picked up journeyman Deke Cooper to add some depth and competition at free safety.

NFL Draft Picks
1st Round - Jon Beason, LB Miami (FL)
2nd Round - Dwayne Jarrett, WR USC
2nd Round - Ryan Kalil, C USC
3rd Round - Charles Johnson, DE Georgia
4th Round - Ryne Robinson, WR Miami (OH)
5th Round - Dante Rosario, TE Oregon
5th Round - Tim Shaw, LB Penn State
7th Round - C.J. Wilson, CB Baylor

FOOTBALL JOKE OF THE DAY

First Football Game

A guy took his girlfriend to her first football game. Afterward he asked her how she like the game.
'I liked it, but I couldn't understand why they were killing each other for 25 cents,' she said.
'What do you mean?' he asked.
'Well, everyone kept yelling, 'Get the quarter back!'