NFL Capsules - AFC: Slow pace has Colts hoping for rules changes
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL finally figured out how to slow down Peyton Manning — change the rules.
Apparently, the changes are now under further review.
One day after Manning drew two penalties for illegal snaps at Green Bay, coach Jim Caldwell pleaded with league officials to re-evaluate a change that forces players to wait for the umpire to get into his new position before the ball can be put in play.
The league wasted no time in responding to all the complaints.
"The movement of the umpire to the offensive backfield will happen in the regular season," league spokesman Michael Signora said in a statement given to The Associated Press on Friday. "We continue to analyze and review the impact of the change in the preseason, and we may announce some adjustments to the mechanics of the position prior to Week 1."
Colts players and coaches think refinements are an absolute necessity after Thursday night’s debacle in Green Bay.
Over the past decade, Indy has been one of the NFL’s highest-scoring teams in part because the no-huddle offense. The Colts have been so good running it that receivers and running backs learned to take the ball straight to the umpire to save time, and when defenses dared to make changes, Manning often caught them in the act.
But during the offseason, the NFL’s competition committee voted to reposition the umpire behind the deepest player in the offensive backfield. Previously, the umpire stood behind defensive linemen and closer to linebackers, which occasionally had him in the middle of a play.
The reason: Safety.
What the Colts objected to Thursday were the delays between getting the ball spotted and the umpire getting in position to start the play, which visibly frustrated the only four-time MVP in league history.
"The one (illegal snap) on me I thought was ridiculous. Down there by the goal line when you’re snapping the ball to keep them from potentially getting a replay," Manning said after the game. "Also, they’re unsettled. To throw a 5-yard penalty is absolutely ridiculous in my opinion. So I think that’s one thing that will be re-evaluated — at least a do-over of some sort, or a warning, but a 5-yard penalty, that’s ridiculous."
Another concern is consistency.
Instead of simply making calls, things could change from week to week, based on the crews, or even play to play, based on whether the umpire is out of breath. It could even force teams to study how fast each umpire in the league gets into position, so they know when to expect when the ball is put in play.
"We certainly hope not," Caldwell said when asked about the possibility. "We hope that it’s going to be one that is pretty uniform throughout, so that we don’t have to make any adjustments on a weekly basis depending upon who is calling the game."
The controversy could be coming soon to a stadium near you.
Though Indy relies more extensively on the up-tempo pace than others, all NFL teams could eventually find themselves not only racing against the clock but against the umpire at the end of the half or the game — if the rules continue to be applied the way they were at Green Bay.
It could cost teams scoring chances and potentially change the game, which is why Caldwell spent Friday making his case to tweak the rule.
"Let me put it this way, I do think it’s being evaluated," Caldwell said. "It didn’t work well for us last night on a couple of occasions, and so we hope in the evaluation process they’ll find some middle ground and give us an opportunity to use our offense like we’ve done for a number of years."
And that might be enough to appease Manning.
"I don’t think very highly of it right now," he said. "Initially, it’s still a work in progress, hopefully they mean that and they’re still analyzing how it’s going to work. It certainly didn’t seem like it took some of the things that we do and other things do into account when they made the rule. I’m not a big fan of it right now."
Steelers QB Dixon to take snaps with starters
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger is expected to be the Steelers' starter for the second straight week, though coach Mike Tomlin says his top three quarterbacks will play Sunday night in Denver.
While Tomlin declined Friday to identify which quarterback would open the game, Roethlisberger got extensive work with the starters in practice all week.
After Roethlisberger is pulled, Dennis Dixon will get his first significant playing time with the starters. Dixon has started only one NFL game, and he is expected to be Byron Leftwich's backup when the season starts and Roethlisberger's suspension begins.
Dixon has played and practiced well enough to earn time with the starters, Tomlin said.
"We're looking forward to seeing him take advantage of that," Tomlin said Friday. "There's a great scarcity with first-team snaps in the preseason. We've been very thoughtful and diligent about how we dole those out. We've given deference to the veteran players and Byron Leftwich has taken advantage of his. Dennis has taken advantage of those snaps (he's gotten) and is deserving of his opportunity."
As with most teams, the Steelers will play their regulars longer in the third preseason game than in any other. The starters are expected to get minimal playing time against Carolina on Thursday.
"It (the third game) is the first time you get a legitimate number of first-team snaps," Tomlin said.
Tomlin hasn't said if Roethlisberger will play against Carolina, even though the quarterback cannot play or practice once his suspension begins following that game. Roethlisberger drew a six-game suspension in April for his off-field conduct, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to shorten it to four games before the season begins.
First-round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey will start at center and is not expected to split time with Justin Hartwig, the starter the last two seasons. Pouncey got nearly all the work with the first team during practice.
When training camp started, Pouncey was expected to compete with Trai Essex at right guard. Pouncey, who played center at Florida, has impressed Tomlin with his ability to handle all the required blocking calls at the line of scrimmage. Normally, Tomlin said, a rookie cannot handle such assignments.
Starting defensive backs Bryant McFadden (pectoral muscle) and Ryan Clark won't play against the Broncos. Keenan Lewis will start at cornerback for McFadden, while Will Allen will replace Clark at safety.
Clark also sat out last year's regular season game in Denver because playing at a high altitude can trigger a red blood cell condition that caused him to lose his spleen and gall bladder after a 2007 game there.
Matt Stewart, who re-signed last week, will handle all of the long snapping — a sign that Greg Warren's job is in jeopardy. Stewart was cut before training camp started because the team needed a roster spot for newly signed tackle Flozell Adams.
Although unbeaten, Ravens remain far from perfect
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens enter their third preseason game looking to hold onto the football, establish an offensive flow and fortify their defense.
Though unbeaten, the Ravens gave up 401 yards passing in a 23-3 victory over Washington last week. Baltimore has fumbled eight times in two exhibition games. The team's leading rusher is Haruki Nakamura, who ran 51 yards on a fake punt.
Most alarming is a unit that was repeatedly burned by the Redskins.
"You never want to give up a lot of yards," defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said. "I think some of it was the secondary, some of it was pass rush, some of it was maybe not getting deep enough, some of it was great throws and catches. We're not ready to panic by any means. That's something we addressed as far as what we had to really concern ourselves with this week, and they did it."
Eli Manning will start at quarterback for the Giants, his first game action since receiving stitches following a hard hit to the face on Aug. 16 against the New York Jets. He will be going up a defense that last week celebrated the return of cornerback Fabian Washington and is being cautious with Lardarius Webb, both of whom are coming off knee operations.
Baltimore is also without injured free safety Ed Reed, and will operate this season without cornerback Domonique Foxworth (knee).
But the Ravens still have middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who chose to ignore the gaudy statistics the Redskins put up last week and focus on a six-game preseason winning streak that includes a 17-12 win over Carolina on Aug. 12.
"I think we're right where we need to be," Lewis said. "When you turn on our defensive film, one thing that you do like is (that) we haven't given up a touchdown all preseason. That's a bottom-line fact, no matter what big plays or what happened. A few mistakes here and there, correct them and then just get ready."
Baltimore's offense was supposed to be enhanced by the addition of wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth, but the first-team unit remains a work in progress. Then again, the top three rushers from last year — Ray Rice, Willis McGahee and Le'Ron McClain — have a combined 12 carries.
"I've taken my reps in practice. I've gotten tackled by our defense," Rice said. "Obviously, you want to play in the games. But I'm not worried about the amount of carries I'm getting. I've gotten a lot of carries and a lot of work done in training camp."
Rice should see more action against the Giants, simply because coach John Harbaugh plans to use his starters for at least the first half. That might also mean more action for Boldin, who thus far has only two catches for 33 yards.
"I think we had a pretty good week of practice and preparation," Boldin said. "We didn't scheme or game plan for New York. We're really focused on what we're doing — our assignments and techniques."
And keeping a tight grasp on the football. Baltimore's eight fumbles include one by Rice, one by starting quarterback Joe Flacco, two by backup quarterback Marc Bulger and one by Stallworth.
"First thing we need to work on Saturday night is ball security," offensive coordinator Cam Cameron said. "We had five fumbles last week, and the previous week wasn't one of our better efforts either. We think we emphasize it enough, but obviously we haven't. We're going to try to get that corrected. That would be our No. 1 goal coming out of the game."
This is essentially the last chance for the Ravens to get it right in game conditions before the regular season opener on Sept. 13 against the Jets.
"Everybody knows we don't play too much in the fourth preseason game (against St. Louis on Sept. 2)," Boldin said. "This preseason game here really shows where we are."
-- David Ginsburg
Pats defense must rebound from shaky performance
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England's defense must get better if the Patriots want to stop Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. A lot better.
With one exhibition game left before their season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots have plenty to work on after Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams held the ball for long stretches, gained chunks of yardage and exploited weaknesses from the defensive line back to the secondary.
The final score Thursday night was 36-35 with the Rams winning on Josh Brown's 37-yard field goal on the last play — but they dominated the Patriots by a much greater margin.
"(I'm) disappointed in the whole game," New England coach Bill Belichick said Friday, "regardless of how the last kick turned out."
His defense couldn't get off the field quickly and his offense couldn't stay on it when it eventually got the ball.
The Rams had more than twice as many plays, 84 to 38, and held the ball for a whopping 43 minutes, 46 minutes. The Patriots offense had it for only 16:14, barely more than one quarter.
It may have been an exhibition, but Belichick knows it may be an indication of how the defense will play in the regular season.
"I think that the way your team develops its fundamentals and its foundation in the early part of training camp and the preseason definitely is important in the big picture," he said. "If it wasn't, then we wouldn't do it. But, that being said, there's certainly a lot of unknowns going into the season."
Some may involve health issues.
Starting safety Brandon Meriweather left the game after hurting his knee. Cornerback Terrence Wheatley and defensive lineman Ron Brace departed with undisclosed injuries.
Rams wide receiver Donnie Avery tore ligaments in his right knee late in the first half and coach Steve Spagnuolo said Friday "it looks like we'll lose him for the season."
Belichick, famously reticent when it comes to discussing injuries, said he couldn't rule out that any of his players might be in the same category.
"I don't think I can ever say that, no," he said. "Sometimes some things look big and they turn out to be not that significant. And then other times you see things that look like they're not that significant and they turn out to be more than that. So I wouldn't want to try to speculate on what a medical diagnosis will or won't be."
The outlook for the defense is also uncertain heading into next Thursday night's exhibition finale at the New York Giants.
All three Rams quarterbacks — from No. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford, to undrafted Thaddeus Lewis to 2009 sixth-rounder Keith Null — led scoring drives. They scored on seven of their 11 possessions and converted 11 of their 17 third-down plays.
Second-year cornerback Darius Butler, competing for a starting job, had a particularly rough game.
On the opening series of the third quarter, Lewis led a 15-play drive lasting 9:19. On third-and-9 at the Rams 48, an illegal contact penalty against Butler kept the drive moving. Then, on second-and-7 at the Patriots 20, Lewis completed a pass on the left side to Brandon Gibson, who then faked Butler and ran in for the score.
"I know we've got to get better," Butler said. "I know I've got to get better."
If they do, the Patriots offense will have more chances to move the ball.
They threw just 25 passes, ran 11 times and had 2 sacks Thursday. Tom Brady had an outstanding game, completing 18 off 22 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns, two on acrobatic catches by rookie tight end Rob Gronkowski.
"Even (on) some plays that weren't that good, there were positive things," Belichick said.
But for the second straight game running back Laurence Maroney didn't play, sparking rumblings that he might be out of favor. Belichick shot that notion down.
"Oh, absolutely. I sure do," he said when asked if Maroney can help the team. "We anticipated playing all the players in the game (but) we had so few plays on offense. ... We never had the ball. There were no plays to run."
-- Howard Ulman
Bills secondary out to freeze Bengals' dynamic duo
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — T.O. and Chad Ochocinco can go on calling themselves Batman and Robin in Cincinnati.
Bills cornerback Drayton Florence answers with a comic-book nickname for Buffalo's defensive secondary — "Mr. Freeze," a nemesis of the dynamic duo.
It's a message Florence delivered as the Bills prepared to host the Bengals in a preseason game Saturday night, when Terrell Owens will return to Buffalo with his new team for the first time.
Florence meant no disrespect to the Owens, whom he got to know during T.O.'s only season with the Bills last year. But Florence and his Buffalo teammates are serious about blanketing the NFL's most colorful and potentially most potent receiving tandem.
"We don't want to go out there and just see how we match up. We want to dominate," safety Donte Whitner said. "We're not trying to play around. We want to go out there and try to solidify ourselves as one of the top secondaries in the league."
Of all the troubles the Bills endured last season — poor quarterback play, an inability to stop the run and a midseason coaching change — the defensive secondary wasn't one of the problems that led to a 6-10 finish.
The defense finished second in the NFL with 28 interceptions, nine by rookie safety Jairus Byrd.
Despite making the switch to a 3-4 scheme under new coach Chan Gailey, the Bills secondary remains confident because it returns all four starters and its key backups.
Gailey himself has consistently pointed to the secondary as being the team's most complete unit, and is looking forward to watching it perform Saturday.
"We had pretty good challenges in the first two weeks, and I thought they responded," said Gailey, citing McGee's 78-yard interception return for a touchdown against Peyton Manning in a 34-21 win at Toronto last week. "It will be fun to watch and see how our guys respond to this challenge."
The Bills had an opportunity to re-sign Owens this offseason, but chose to rebuild through the draft.
Owens remained unsigned until last month, when the Bengals signed the 36-year-old free agent to a one-year deal last month.
After spending most of last season in Buffalo overlooked in what proved to be a dysfunctional offense, Owens is off to a solid start in Cincinnati. He's leading the team this preseason in both receptions (nine) and yards (108), proving he can complement Ochocinco, something he couldn't do for Lee Evans in Buffalo.
The Bills are the third and final opponent in T.O.'s preseason reunion tour after the Bengals already faced Dallas and Philadelphia.
"When I left, I definitely mentioned I would have been willing and open to come back and that didn't happen," Owens said this week. "I think everybody knows what I brought to the table. Again, my ability speaks for itself. It wasn't the fans that decided not to re-sign me. I think it was more so the head coach."
Owens mentioned several Bills players and personnel he befriended. But notable exception was quarterback Trent Edwards, who never established much chemistry with Owens. Edwards failed to complete a pass to Owens in a 27-7 loss to New Orleans in September, ending the receiver's 185-game reception streak.
Owens had a better rapport with backup Ryan Fitzpatrick.
"What he brought to the table, more so than Trent, was experience," Owens said. "I think he recognized that and he realized my talents out there."
Edwards enters this weekend with an opportunity to secure the starting job ahead of Fitzpatrick and third-stringer Brian Brohm.
Bills cornerback Terrence McGee says facing Owens in practice helped him become a better defender.
Just don't ask McGee how much fun it'll be to see T.O. back in Buffalo.
"Fun?" McGee said. "Before the game it's going to be fun to say 'Hello.' But during the game it's business. I would not smile after a deep route gets caught on me. So it will not be fun and games."
-- John Wawrow
Beadles out to start as a rookie
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Rookie hazing didn't spare Zane Beadles, whose mop of hair earlier this month was reduced to stubble by the Denver Broncos' veteran players.
"It still shocks me every time I walk in front of the mirror," Beadles said.
Nearly as startling: the second-rounder's rise to prominence as an offensive guard this summer.
An offensive tackle at the University of Utah, Beadles has spent the bulk of his first NFL summer learning the finer points of playing in more confined spaces in the pros, though his practice repetitions have increased at tackle since the official end of camp.
"It's been difficult at times," Beadles said, referring to his transition to guard. "There's definitely some differences in all aspects of the game. And it's been an adjustment getting there but I'm getting more comfortable every single day. I've just got to keep working and I'll get there eventually."
While he is again expected to start Sunday night in Denver's third preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Invesco Field, he may actually do so at tackle. Broncos coaches still are trying to gauge whether Beadles can be a viable option there, too.
Coach Josh McDaniels said Friday that there have been "no decisions made on who's going to be our starting left guard as we start the season," adding that first-year player Stanley Daniels still has a chance to unseat Beadles.
Daniels will get early snaps at left guard against the Steelers, perhaps with Beadles playing alongside him, given that All-Pro left tackle Ryan Clady (knee) isn't ready for game activity just yet. Beadles also will play at left guard on Sunday.
"It just means both players are competing and competing hard to be that player," McDaniels said when asked whether his public pronouncement is a referendum on Beadles' play to date. "I think both players understand that they're not where we want them to be — or probably where they want to be, either — as far as their consistency and level of play all the time."
Beadles started the first two preseason games and played almost the entire time.
He's attempting to become a franchise rarity: a first-year offensive lineman starting the regular season opener. Only Claudie Minor (1974), Tom Glassic (1976), Mark Cooper (1983), Russell Freeman (1992) and Ryan Clady (2008) have done so previously for Denver.
Center J.D. Walton, a third-round pick out of Baylor, is virtually assured of joining that group. If Beadles plays alongside him in Jacksonville on Sept. 12, it means the training-camp roommates will become the first pair to start in the offensive trenches for the Broncos in a Week 1.
"We definitely get excited and look forward to going out there and playing," Beadles said. "And it's nice to have someone there who's going though the same things as you that you can study with and bounce things off of. We've had a lot of fun with it so far and we've gone over things each day, 'Let's try to work on this.' It's been great so far."
EXTRA POINTS: Several players sat out Friday's preparations for the third preseason game, including WR Brandon Stokley (groin); S Darcel McBath (forearm); NT Jamal Williams (undisclosed); TEs Richard Quinn (ankle) and Daniel Graham (undisclosed); WR Demaryius Thomas (foot) and DE Ben Garland (Air Force service commitment). ... ILB D.J. Williams is expected to make his preseason debut Sunday. He missed most of camp with an undisclosed injury and when he practiced he wore a non-contact jersey. Williams is practicing fully now. ... RBs Correll Buckhalter (neck/back) and LenDale White (leg) are practicing this week but it's a long shot that either plays Sunday, particularly Buckhalter. The team wants to proceed cautiously with the pair, although coach Josh McDaniels didn't completely rule them out.
Jaguars resting MJD for remaining preseason games
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew is done for the preseason.
Jones-Drew, who missed three days of practice this week, didn’t make the trip to Tampa for Saturday’s preseason game against the Buccaneers.
Jones-Drew’s agent, Adisa Bakari, said Friday that the Jaguars are resting the Pro Bowler the final two preseason games for "precautionary reasons." He adds that Jones-Drew will be ready for the season opener.
Bakari says playing his client now "can only hurt the team." He says the Jaguars know they need Jones-Drew in the regular season, so they "decided they’re not going to play him now."
Coach Jack Del Rio says most starters won’t play in Thursday’s preseason finale against Atlanta. He wants to prevent injury, especially with the short turnaround between games.
