NFL Capsules - NFC: Some Giants concerned about field at new stadium
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — With the Giants' preseason opener just days away, some New York players have concerns about the first game in their $1.6 billion stadium.
The problem isn't the opponent — Rex Ryan and the Jets.
The issue is the FieldTurf at the New Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Receiver Domenik Hixon suffered a major knee injury in the Giants' only workout on the field during minicamp in June, raising speculation about the surface. He was later waived-injured.
The Giants say they re-examined the field and are satisfied there is nothing wrong with it.
Some players remain wary heading into Monday night's game against the Jets, the first football game to be played in the new facility that is co-owned by the two teams.
Defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka is concerned because Hixon's injury happened without any contact, when he was planting his foot on a punt return.
"I think the Turf did play a big role in that so we're concerned about it," Kiwanuka said. "We know our front office is looking into it and doing everything they can. You just have to go out there and play football. You can't worry about that on the field, but it is a concern."
Giants general manager Jerry Reese said officials from both teams walked the field after Hixon's injury. They made one change, deciding to maintain a single NFL logo in the middle of the field instead of switching trays to Jets and Giants logos for each game.
"We don't feel the field had anything to do with the Hixon injury," Reese said.
Coach Tom Coughlin said all the team's concerns were answered by the people who run the stadium.
"They did some work to make sure the distribution of the granules was even," Coughlin said. "They did a lot of that. They checked each area with a meter to make sure it all met to the specification."
Veteran offensive tackle Kareem McKenzie has no concerns about the field.
"Freak accidents happen like that, that's why they are called freak accidents," McKenzie said. "Typically within the game of football, you have things like that happen and transpire."
Pro Bowl center Shaun O'Hara, the team's union representative, hopes the field is not an issue. He noted that the Giants have been practicing on grass in training camp at the University at Albany, so players will have to adjust on Monday, and chose the right shoes.
"I don't think you can take one injury like that and make a whole episode out of it," O'Hara said.
Fellow receiver Hakeem Nicks called Hixon's injury "a freak event."
Defensive tackle Barry Cofield said once the game starts players have to block out everything and focus on playing. He added that opening the new stadium will be exciting.
"As a guy who has played in the Super Bowl it may not be as easy to get up for a preseason game, but this is like the perfect storm of things surrounding this game," Cofield said. "There is definitely a little extra into it."
What is different this year is that the Giants and Jets are playing each other in the preseason opener for both teams.
Traditionally, the teams have met in the third week of the preseason, with both squads playing their starters for at least a half in what was a final tuneup for the regular season.
The schedule changed this year because both teams wanted to be part of the first football game in the 82,500-seat stadium. This will be a Jets' home game.
"This is a brotherly rivalry with the Jets," O'Hara said. "We share the same stadium and similar fans, so there is that edge to it. The excitement is that it is the first game and it's a chance to block and hit somebody other than your teammates, who you have been banging on for two weeks. While it will be tough to see the Green, we'll be excited in the new stadium in prime time."
Kolb, starters will play one quarter vs. Jags
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Kevin Kolb and the rest of the starters are scheduled to play one quarter when the Philadelphia Eagles host Jacksonville in their preseason opener Friday night.
Kolb, who replaced Donovan McNabb as the team's starting quarterback, will be followed by Michael Vick and rookie Mike Kafka.
"I think what you look from a quarterback to do is to execute the offense and to lead the offense and to make sure that he manages the game the proper way," coach Andy Reid said of his expectations for Kolb. "So that's how I approach it with him. I think that with any quarterback in the National Football League. If they think that they are going to complete every ball then that's a good thing."
A second-round pick in 2007, Kolb has started just two games in his first three seasons. But the organization felt so strongly that he can be the No. 1 quarterback that McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowl pick, was traded to Washington in April.
Kolb filled in nicely when McNabb missed two games last year and became the first player in NFL history to throw for 300 yards in his first two starts.
"Very confident," Kolb said when asked how he feels going into this start. "I think we've got all of our pieces back pretty much. Of course, some of the offensive line are still dinged up, but we've got a lot of guys back out there and like I've said, we've been sharp here the past couple of days. We want to see what it's like game speed and game atmosphere."
Several injured players won't play against the Jaguars, including defensive end Victor Abiamiri, guard Todd Herremans, center Jamaal (Jackson) running backs Mike Bell and J.J. Arrington, wide receiver Hank Baskett, offensive linemen Nick Cole and Fenuki Tupou, defensive tackle Antonio Dixon and cornerback Macho Harris.
Packers tolerate TE Finley's candid delivery
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay tight end Jermichael Finley isn't shy about saying what's on his mind.
The third-year player from Texas said during the offseason that he wants to be the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. He raised eyebrows and drew criticism for bragging about Super Bowl plans for the team this season.
"He is a great player, but he is a moron," retired tight end Mark Chmura said Sunday on his talk show on ESPN Radio in Milwaukee.
Chmura, inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame last month, took exception to Finley shouting "Super Bowl" and "Dallas, Texas," where the championship game will be played in February, during a televised interview at Lambeau Field following Green Bay's scrimmage Saturday night.
Chmura's advice to Finley: Keep your mouth shut and play football.
Finley heard what Chmura had to say and isn't taking the criticism quietly.
"That's just one of those jealousy things, I guess," Finley said Thursday. "I'm not trying to call him out or nothing. But that's how I see it."
Finley, a third-round draft pick by the Packers in 2008, has never met Chmura, who played for Green Bay from 1993-99. Chmura was part of the Packers' last Super Bowl-winning team in 1996.
"I think he thought they stopped inventing the Super Bowl when they won it in '96, so he doesn't want to see that from my standpoint," Finley said.
The Packers tolerate Finley's brashness as long as his play on the field speaks louder. Coaches said Thursday that they like the enthusiasm, energy and confidence Finley exudes.
"He's got that passion," offensive coordinator Joe Philbin said. "I don't think any of his things (he says) are malicious or anything like that. I'm fine with it, so far. We'll let him know if it gets over the line."
Tight ends coach Ben McAdoo agreed, saying Finley's gift for gab is done with the right intentions.
"The No. 1 rule in our room is be yourself and don't spend a lot of energy trying to be somebody you're not," McAdoo said. "I think he does a good job of that. I think he's very honest."
Finley has picked up in the preseason where he left off down the stretch last season. He had 55 receptions — one short of Paul Coffman's team record for a tight end in 1979 — for 676 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season.
Finley followed that up with a six-catch, 159-yard performance in the Packers' 51-45 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals in the wild-card round of the NFC playoffs. In Saturday's scrimmage, Finley led all players with four catches for 55 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown on a throw from Aaron Rodgers.
"The big fella, if you just put it in his area, he's going to make the play, usually," Rodgers said.
At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, Finley's combination of size, speed and athleticism is a recipe for a mismatch. Talk by Finley of being as good as, if not better than, the game's top tight ends might not be so far-fetched.
"He just turned 23 years old, so he's got about four or five years of getting better before he's got to even think about maintaining anything," McAdoo said. "That's going to be our focus right now, is keep chasing greatness."
Vikings ready to break camp, with stars still out
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings held their final public practice on another hot, humid morning Thursday, giving the fans some free entertainment in the form of a high-intensity workout with a brief scuffle.
Of course, the shoving and shouting between running back Toby Gerhart and defensive end Ray Edwards, followed by a spirited knock-it-off confrontation of Edwards by defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, didn't answer any of the big questions marks surrounding the defending NFC North champions.
Brett Farve is still not here. Wide receiver Sidney Rice and cornerback Cedric Griffin are still injured.
The Vikings, though, did not anticipate the absence of wide receiver Percy Harvin for all but the first two days of camp because of his grandmother's death and then a recurrence of migraine headaches. The first team offense also operated for several days, and hundreds of drills and plays, without running back Adrian Peterson, center John Sullivan, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and right guard Anthony Herrera at various points.
"All in all, it's been a good camp," coach Brad Childress said. "We've gotten the young guys a lot of turns. That's the upside of having some guys miss some reps."
Time will tell if the lack of continuity in training camp hurts the team's performance in the regular season, but this veteran group with essentially the entire starting lineup still in place from last year consistently downplayed the significance of the absences.
"Favre coming in, just like he did last year, he's going to flow right through," Peterson said, voicing the widespread assumption that Favre will soon commit to a second season in Minnesota and join his teammates later this month.
Speaking about Favre and Harvin, Peterson added: "We know that even that they're not here they're doing things that will help them eventually to help them prepare once they get back. We have trust in one another that they'll be prepared, so that's what it is."
Favre's agent, Bus Cook, said last week that Favre would visit Dr. James Andrews this week about his surgically repaired left ankle. Cook has not returned multiple messages and Childress said Thursday he had no update. Favre's close friend, kicker Ryan Longwell, said he communicated with Favre on Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon but shed no light on the subject.
"Still on the same track, trying to get healthy," Longwell said.
The Vikings had a special teams walkthrough Thursday afternoon and a few more activities slated for the evening before Friday's scheduled departure from Minnesota State University campus in Mankato and trip to St. Louis for the preseason game against the Rams. The two-a-days are done.
"It was a little testy out there today. As I told the guys, I'd expect it to be," Childress said.
The scuffle between Gerhart and Edwards was the talk of the day around the practice fields. The rookie from Stanford gave Edwards a chip block before he released into his pass pattern, prompting a mouthful from the fiery Edwards and a few shoves between the two.
"He didn't like that chip, I guess," said Gerhart, who has taken his share of hard hits from the rugged defensive line.
Edwards laughed it off later, but for a few seconds he found himself face-to-face with an angry Frazier who was trying to restrain him from charging Gerhart. Defensive end Jared Allen had to pull Frazier apart from Edwards.
"It's hot out here," Edwards said. "Some guys do things you shouldn't do in practice against other players. It happens, but sometimes you have to let those guys know."
Frazier comes across as one of the mildest-mannered men on the field, but Edwards and Allen have felt his wrath.
"Oh, yeah, he gets mad at me and Jared a lot," Edwards said, "so that's not the first time I've seen him that mad."
The Vikings were impressed by Gerhart's spunk, too.
"He's a tough running back. I give him all the credit for that," Edwards said. "He definitely runs the ball hard and definitely does his job well."
As for who was in the wrong?
"I think it's what makes these guys good. You've got to have a little edge to you. You've got to have a little stink about you," Childress said. "Toby's choking it back a little. He understands the rookie role and all that stuff. You're only going to take it for so long. It's the old Popeye deal: 'That's all I can stands. I can't stands no more.' I don't know how it happened. The great thing is the eye in the sky don't lie. We got it all on video tape."
-- Dave Campbell
Best ready to show skills in exhibition opener
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions knew they were getting a talented runner when they drafted Jahvid Best late in April's first round.
They are starting to discover they have gotten more than that.
Best, selected 30th overall out of California, has impressed coaches and teammates with his blocking and receiving ability.
Best never caught more than 27 passes in any of his three seasons with the Golden Bears, but will get more chances in a Detroit offense that already features high-profile receivers like Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and Tony Scheffler.
"Jahvid is going to be a great addition for us," quarterback Matt Stafford said. "He's very valuable in the passing game because you can get him isolated on a linebacker and he's got great instincts as a receiver. We've got a lot of talented receivers, and he gives us another one."
While Stafford is happy to see how well Best is fitting into the passing game, he's surprised at how well he has picked up the blocking scheme. Not Best.
"I've always worked at catching the ball and blocking," he said. "I want to be ready for any role they need me to fill."
That's even true if they need him to imitate Stafford.
"I can sling the ball pretty well," Best said with a grin. "I've never played quarterback at any level in my life, but I've played some wildcat, so if they want me to throw a couple, I'll be ready."
With Kevin Smith unlikely to play in Pittsburgh as he recovers from the knee surgery that ended his 2009 season, Best is expected to get some playing time with Detroit's first-string offense.
"I know what I'm expected to do, because we've worked on it in practice, but a game is different," he said. "The biggest adjustment is going to be the speed of the game. When everyone is going full-speed, it isn't like anything I've faced in college."
Best averaged 7.3 yards per carry in college and scored 29 rushing touchdowns, but isn't focused on making spectacular plays in his preseason debut.
"My main goal is to be assignment-perfect," he said. "I want to make sure that I do the right things on every play. The rest will come."
Lions coach Jim Schwartz feels the same way about Best and the other running backs competing for time. Maurice Morris got a great deal of playing time with the starting unit on Thursday, while Aaron Brown and DeDe Dorsey are also trying for spots in the rotation.
"I don't know that they need to show us any flashes," he said. "They need to be consistent. They need to be sound in all aspects of the game — passing game, protection, running and anything else. That's true for every player, but we have competition at that position."
NOTES: Schwartz and first-round pick DT Ndamukong Suh had a gentle disagreement Thursday about the impact of Suh's short holdout at the start of camp. Suh told reporters that he felt like he had already made up for his missed time, but Schwartz wasn't as sure. "I think coaches and players see that differently. I don't think, at the end of his career, he's going to look back and worry about those days, but he definitely missed some things by not being here." ... Schwartz declined to give any indications of which players would sit out the Steelers game, saying that he didn't expect to start making those decisions until Friday. "There are four or five guys I could probably rule out right now, but I'll wait until I have the whole group. There will probably be guys that we take all the way through warmups Saturday night before pulling them out."
Quirky Dockett making a difference on the field
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Darnell Dockett's unfiltered mouth rankles opponents, Arizona's front office, even teammates. He's a freewheeling, sometimes politically incorrect tweeter who recently posted that he wants to tattoo his face.
Then there was the Shower Incident.
Quirky? Emotional? A boundary pusher? Yep, Dockett is all of 'em.
On the field, though, it's all business, all of the time.
Now that they've come to understand the loquacious defensive lineman's sometimes outlandish ways, Dockett's coaches and teammates are willing to put up with some of the eccentricities that go with his never-back-down attitude on the field.
"I understand Darnell now and I understand where his heart's at and what he's trying to do," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "You are going to have to live with a few of those things as long as they don't cross the line. And I think Darnell understands that better."
It wasn't always that way.
When Whisenhunt first became Arizona's head coach in 2007, he had what could mildly be called a personality clash. Whisenhunt didn't understand Dockett's unconventional ways and Dockett didn't seem to care if he did. All those penalties caused by unchecked emotions didn't help.
Three years into their relationship, coach and player, while not exactly on the same page personality-wise, are at least reading the same book when it comes to football.
"Darnell was obviously a highly emotional, highly intense player," Whisenhunt said. "There is a period where you both have to gain the respect of each other. I've asked Darnell to do some things since our first year and he's done them, besides play good football."
This mutual understanding has made Dockett, 29, more patient with his lengthy, sometimes contentious, contract negotiations.
Dockett has been asking for a new deal almost since the team extended his previous contract in 2006. He has repeatedly voiced frustrations with his usual candor and by skipping voluntary offseason workouts the past two offseasons.
This year, the two-time Pro Bowler was a regular at Arizona's offseason program and has been a lead-by-example presence at training camp, playing hurt, passing up an opportunity for a day off. He's even kept the contract complaining to a minimum, something that can't come easy for someone who likes to talk as much as he does.
"I'm not a money guy, I'm not a selfish guy," he said. "I care about winning. So I'm able to come to work and prepare, like I've got a game tomorrow. I believe in the organization and I'm pretty sure they'll take care of it sooner than a lot of people think."
But with good Dockett comes the occasional bad.
An avid Twitter user, he'll go after anyone or anything, calling Sam Bradford "fresh meat" after St. Louis took him No. 1 overall in the draft. He had a running ripfest on Washington Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth's holdout and subsequent inability to pass his physical. Dockett also had a Twitter duel with teammate Kerry Rhodes and has taken jabs at other teammates.
In May, Dockett apologized to nearly everyone he could think of after posting online streaming video of himself taking a shower. Meant as a joke, the team didn't find it too funny.
Dockett also sparked a skirmish on the second day of training camp by taking a swipe at Matt Leinart's legs and taking the quarterback down, a big camp no-no.
"He's always creating some kind of something," Leinart said.
Dockett has made it all tolerable with his play and work ethic.
The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder has played every game each of the past five seasons — 81 straight games — and earned his first Pro Bowl start last season after leading all interior defensive linemen with nine sacks. Dockett matched an NFL record with three sacks in the 2008 Super Bowl and, as a sign of respect for his intensity, was voted a team captain last season.
This year, Dockett has become a weight-room monster, a mentor for younger players and someone who'll lay into teammates he believes aren't giving their best effort.
Dockett has, in his own way, matured.
"When you have a player who is doing things right, who is helping young players and showing up every day to practice even when he's nicked up, there are a lot of things like that that have really earned my respect for Darnell," Whisenhunt said. "In turn, it makes you want to have that player in your program for a long time."
-- John Marshall
Preseason games primers for Carroll's transition
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Pete Carroll has veterans he needs to spot for cameos. He has prospects who need long looks.
And, hey, what's that red flag he has hanging out of his pocket?
Saturday night, the leader of Southern California's dynasty for the last decade will be coaching his first NFL game since Jan. 2, 2000, when he was leading New England against Baltimore. His Seahawks start the 2010 preseason at home against Tennessee.
That's the Titans. Not the Volunteers.
And it's just a preseason game, something Carroll never had at USC — unless you count those September mismatches against San Jose State and Idaho.
But to hear Carroll tell it, it may as well be the Rose Bowl.
"No, I don't know if there's 'just any game' to me," he said after Thursday's practice. "This is huge. It is what it is, the first game of preseason. But to us, this is the first major test and it's our first opportunity to make major assessments.
"Really, this is blocking and tackling time. Finally."
But it is different, this NFL game.
There's the coach's replay-challenge, and that red flag he would have loved to have had in the Pac-10. Now, the other side has as many or more blue-chip players as he does, every week. There's the 2-minute warning that college ball didn't have. That alone has had Carroll and his staff working overtime and drilling constantly in camp this month, seemingly more than any other special situation.
"There's so much of the (pro) game that's played in the fourth quarter, right down until the end," said Carroll, who was 97-19 at USC from 2001-09, winning seven consecutive Pac-10 titles and two national championships. "There's a lot of situations that come up. We've been drilling a lot of those as a staff, and the players for whom those will come up.
"You know, in the college game, we might have had three or four really critical 2-minute situations in the nine years. So that's different. I look forward to that. ... Otherwise, no, I look forward to being down there on the sidelines with our team and see these guys play. We've worked really hard."
Starters won't play much, as Carroll's competition carousel for roster spots accelerates into the assessment phase. The coach won't say how long veterans such as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck will face the Titans, teasing that "we'll find out on game night."
For Seattle, it's the first gauge of the progress being made on a franchise revitalization that began in January.
That's when Seahawks chief executive Tod Leiweke flew to Los Angeles to court Carroll, even with former coach Jim Mora still on the job. Carroll got more than $30 million to leave USC and gain executive vice president powers, besides being the third coach in three seasons for a team that has fallen to 9-23 over the last two years.
Carroll also brought north his loose, open and loud practices — plus his constant search for competition. He's turned over half the roster since he arrived, often cutting players weeks or days after signing or trading for them. He just signed another one on Thursday, former Chicago Bears running back Adrian Peterson. Gone is wide receiver Matt Simon, whom Seattle signed on Tuesday.
"This is test time for our guys. It's time to see where we are and how far we've come," he said of Saturday night.
Even Hasselbeck isn't certain what to expect from Carroll and his staff this first time out.
"I'm not exactly sure because I don't know how we're going to call a game," the three-time Pro Bowl passer said, referring to his relative lack of familiarity with Jeremy Bates, his third coordinator since 2008. "I'm not sure what coach Bates is going to call. I'm kind of wondering that exact same thing myself."
Carroll was more excited to talk about his first experience with the Seahawks' roaring crowd at Qwest Field. The loud stadium with cantilever roofs and a capacity of 67,000 has the reputation for being one of the best home-field advantages in the league, though it will likely be less than full; even a sellout doesn't mean every seat will be filled in the preseason.
Yet Carroll is bracing for thrills, as if it will be the Los Angeles Coliseum full of more than 90,000 for the UCLA game.
"I can't wait to see the fans and see the crowd. I've heard so much about it," Carroll said. "There's no way I imagine anything close to what it's going to be like going in there for the first time when we're really cranking it up and it's gametime.
"We'll get to see how far we've come."
-- Gregg Bell
49ers counting on Ted Ginn Jr. to help return game
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Ted Ginn Jr. might get to do the very job he's wanted all along in his first season for San Francisco: double duty.
The versatile Ginn appears to be in good position to earn a spot as the No. 3 receiver behind starters Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan. Ginn also will be called upon in the return game for the 49ers, a special teams area that was among the worst in the NFL last season. He could even be returning both kickoffs and punts.
Upgrading the return game has been among coach Mike Singletary's top priorities heading into 2010.
"I just go out and I do what I do best. I love the game and I've been playing the game for a while," Ginn said Thursday. "I've always been that guy who contributes, in any way and every way. That's what I want to do."
Ginn is giving the Niners an early glimpse of just why they traded for him before the April draft. During Thursday morning's practice, he caught a 16-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith in the left side of the end zone. Ginn has long been considered a guy who drops a lot of balls and he had his share in the early days of camp — though he seems to be on track now.
"I just had to get it down," Ginn said. "Spending that time with Alex in the offseason and the time I spent with the coaches it gave me a better understanding and a better feel. Now it's just time to go out and play football."
Special teams coordinator Kurt Schottenheimer isn't sure how many reps Ginn and the primary special teams players will have against the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday. He's not looking for any game-breaking plays — those would just be a bonus at this stage — but rather solid technique and fundamentals while applying the work that's been done so far.
"We want to see where we are right now," Schottenheimer said. "We want to see them go out on the field and see where we are as far as execution. I'm excited about the people we have. I think we have a group of core performers. There's a lot of competition on this team, there's depth. When you have that, it gives you the opportunity to get a lot of people involved."
San Francisco ranked last in the league in punt returns last season at 4.4 yards per return. The Niners were 23rd in kickoff returns with a 21.8-yard average, and their average start position after kicks at the 24.8 yard line ranked 26th in the NFL.
Schottenheimer doesn't expect a transformation overnight, either. He's implementing a new system and fresh ideas. All of that stuff takes time.
"You have to be patient," he said. "They understand the importance of special teams. Coach Sing's been great saying that that's the reason he thought they won the championship in '85 as much as anything in Chicago. To have that experience and to have him talk about it, it really strikes a nerve with the players."
As soon as he was traded from the Dolphins to the Niners on April 16, Ginn was eager to get started. He played catch with Alex Smith in a downpour one day in late April at team headquarters.
Ginn's speed as a receiver and return man could be a big help for an offense hurt by inconsistency during an 8-8 season last year — not to mention all the problems on special teams.
Ginn said from Day 1 he planned to contribute for San Francisco despite a disappointing run in South Florida.
That's all history now. He no longer even thinks of his days with the Dolphins or the heat he took for his lack of production. This is a much-needed fresh start across the country.
On Sunday, he'll suit up for the 49ers for the first time. Everybody is eager to see how that goes.
"I just want to just go out and have fun," Ginn said. "It will be great to get a different feel of some guys, to be able to go out and show and see what I've got. Preseason, we love it. It just shows you what you've got and where you're at at this point. I just want to go out and grow from it. It's all a learning experience."
Rookie returner Kyle Williams could be picking up punt return work, too.
Ginn has been helping Williams get acclimated to the NFL. Williams was a sixth-round pick this year out of Arizona State, where he earned All-Pac-10 honors as a punt returner.
"We have a good relationship, and he's basically taken me under his wing and given me kind of the little tricks and those tips and things about being back there," Williams said. "He's been in the league and been very successful, so anything I can pick up from him will help me."
Singletary isn't sure how the special teams unit will take shape for San Francisco's season opener Sept. 12 at Seattle, or how much he will be able to rely on Williams right away to handle punt return duties while keeping Ginn focused on kickoff returns.
"I think in an ideal situation, you would like to have that, but I think when it comes down to it, you want to win football games," Singletary said of limiting Ginn to kickoff returns. "If Ginn can do both, he might be doing it."
And there's no question Ginn is game to take on the responsibility.
-- Janie McCauley
Rams QB Bradford eager for preseason opener
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The Sam Bradford era begins this weekend when the No. 1 overall draft choice finally steps on the field for the St. Louis Rams in their first preseason game.
St. Louis hosts the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night and Rams fans will get their first look at their expensive draft pick in NFL game conditions. Bradford's contract guarantees the quarterback $50 million and if all incentives are reached, the six-year deal is worth at least $78 million.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo said veteran A. J. Feeley will start at quarterback and go about "12 to 14 plays" against Minnesota.
"Then Sam will get in there," Spagnuolo said. "Then, we'll decide how far we'll go with Sam based on how the game's going. I would think he would get through the second quarter. Then, whether we bring him out in the second half or not, we'll decide. We may not."
It's unlikely Bradford will go against Minnesota's first-string defense and its rugged line. That's fine with Spagnuolo.
"I'm sure Sam is anxious to get in a game. I don't think he's worried about who's on the other side," Spagnuolo said. "If it doesn't happen, that's OK. That's a good football team over there. They've got pretty good players."
For his part, Bradford can't wait.
"I'm really excited and looking forward to getting out there and playing in an actual NFL game," Bradford said after Thursday afternoon's practice. "The butterflies aren't there yet but I'm sure they will be by tomorrow evening. In college, you don't have preseason games. I'm going to treat it like the first game of the year, which it is."
Bradford has not played since the third game of Oklahoma's season last year. So far in training camp, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner appears completely recovered from shoulder surgery that cost him most of his final season at Oklahoma.
Bradford has no worries about his shoulder. In act, he gets a little annoyed being asked about it.
"It's not a big deal to me," Bradford said. "I really don't know why people keep bringing it up. It's part of the game. I've taken hits all my life and it'll jus be another hit when I get hit on Saturday."
Coach Steve Spagnuolo acknowledged he hasn't thought about Bradford getting hit.
"We're not going to let him get hit; we're going to protect him," Spagnuolo quipped. "I mean, that's going to happen. He's a tough guy. We'll keep our fingers crossed that he bounces right back up."
Bradford is the centerpiece of a rebuilding effort for the Rams, who were 1-15 last year in the first season under Spagnuolo and are a woeful 6-42 the last three seasons. He will be looking for specific things in his performance against the Vikings.
"I'm kind of anxious to see how I react to a defense I haven't seen, an NFL defense that I haven't gotten reps against to see what the speed will be like during a game," Bradford said. "From everyone I've talked to, they say the speed definitely picks up during the game. I want to see how I react to all of that."
Backups Keith Null, a second-year player back from last year, and rookie free agent Thad Lewis, will see time in the second half.
The Rams also released fullback Eric Butler to make room for a kicker. Josh Brown remains out with a sore hip.
Falcons QB Ryan ready for offense to perform
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — For Matt Ryan, it's all about the footwork.
The third-year quarterback is excited the Atlanta Falcons will finally play a preseason game with Kansas City visiting the Georgia Dome on Friday night.
Positive results could depend largely on how well Ryan moves inside and outside the pocket. A turf toe injury last season limited his mobility and affected his passing mechanics.
"I wasn't running around a ton at the end of the year with the toe," Ryan said. "I think any time you have a foot injury, you have to go back to basics and really make sure that you are really on top of your footwork. You have to make sure that your feet are in the right spots."
Ryan was knocked out of a Week 12 win over Tampa Bay early in the game and didn't return until Week 15 at the New York Jets.
His first game back was difficult. Nike made him a special shoe to help with mobility, but Ryan finished the game with a career-low 47.1 completion percentage.
Though it hardly helped that the running game averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, Ryan never felt comfortable on his drops. When it mattered most, he completed a fourth-and-goal winning touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez, but Ryan lacked precision on his throws.
Ryan's accuracy impressed Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio during Atlanta's two practices this week with the Jaguars. Quarterbacks were off-limits to contact, but Ryan still threw correctly to his spots without having to think too much about his feet.
Against Kansas City, defensive pressure won't be imagined.
The Chiefs' front-three tandem of Glenn Dorsey, Ron Edwards and Tyson Jackson wants a strong start after their defense finished 31st against the run in 2009.
Ryan will use his limited number of snaps to attain some of the goals he set before camp.
"I'm working to improve my throwing routes that go from right to left a little bit better than I did last year, really with my footwork," he said. "And decision-making — I think it's about making good decisions on first and second down. Being better on first and second down."
With starting receiver Michael Jenkins sidelined the next three to five weeks because of a shoulder injury, Ryan has a chance to look more often for Brian Finneran, rookie Kerry Meier and Eric Weems. He already knows what Pro Bowl wide receiver Roddy White can do, but Harry Douglas, who missed last season with a knee injury, won't play.
Ryan likely will try to complete at least one pass to Gonzalez, the 10-time Pro Bowl tight end who spent his first 12 years with the Chiefs. Gonzalez is excited to face his former team for the first time since his trade to Atlanta last year.
"Any time you step on the field, you've got to bring it," Gonzalez said. "I know they're not going to slow down for me just because I want to sit back and enjoy myself because I'm playing my old team. I've got to go out there and try to get better and try to help this team get better."
Chiefs coach Todd Haley hasn't said how many snaps quarterback Matt Cassel or Kansas City's other marquee players will get.
Rookies Eric Berry, a safety drafted in the first round, and Dexter McCluster, a receiver selected in the second, will likely play into the second quarter.
Kansas City coaches are still trying to pick a starter at running back between Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles.
Falcons coach Mike Smith said Thursday that rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, the 19th overall pick, will start in place of injured Mike Peterson.
-- George Henry
