NFL Team Capsules: Giants' O shows life, D improves, Jacobs unhappy
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — After a relatively calm training camp and preseason, the New York Giants finally have some controversy.
Brandon Jacobs is unhappy after being demoted to the No. 2 halfback behind Ahmad Bradshaw, and he mouthed a little more than a week before the season opener against the Carolina Panthers.
The comments to ESPN New York after the Giants' 20-17 win over the New England Patriots caught Tom Coughlin off guard on Friday.
Coughlin took time to sit down with Jacobs to explain that the Giants have always been a team that uses two running backs and that is not changing, even though Bradshaw will get the first call.
"Nothing has changed," Coughlin said in a conference call. "The big thing that is important to realize is that Brandon is healthier than he's ever been prior to the start of the season and that's a good thing, so we're looking forward to the opportunity to play our multiple running game.
Jacobs, who gained 835 yards last season after 1,000-yard seasons the previous two years, expressed his frustration after failing to get a carry on a night that the Giants rushed for 160 yards on 32 attempts.
"No one's your friend in this business," he told ESPN. "This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That's just the way it goes. It's been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this, you're crazy."
Bradshaw, who is Jacobs's close friend, had four carries for 26 yards in limited actions, while D.J. Ware (13 for 60 yards) and Gartrell Johnson (12 for 50) got the bulk of the work.
Coughlin said the team limited Jacobs' carries in the training camp and the preseason (10 for 43 yards) to keep him healthy for the regular season.
However, Jacobs was miffed that Bradshaw seemingly always got the first carry in training camp.
Jacobs, who had offseason knee surgery, said that the NFL is a tough business, especially to players who make it big. He signed a four-year, $25 million contract extension after the 2008 season.
"If I would have stayed making minimum, this wouldn't be a problem," Jacobs said. "Once you get paid, you're always in danger of running into problems like this. It doesn't matter who you are or what team or organization you play for, that's just the way it is."
Coughlin left his conversion with Jacobs with the belief that the two are now on the same page.
"He is well aware of where we are and what we are doing," Coughlin said. "He's very, very confident in his relationship with (running backs coach) Jerald Ingram and he and Jerald are, I believe, on the same page. There is no, I don't believe that there is an issue there."
Coughlin said Jacobs was healthy on Thursday and that did not limit his availability. He caught one pass for 6 yards.
"Brandon didn't get the number of snaps that was intended for him last night but the end result of having him ready to go for the season is still in place," Coughlin said.
Overall, Coughlin said he was pleased with the way Eli Manning and the first-team offense performed in scoring a touchdown on the opening series. He thought the defense, which is one of the major question marks entering this season, made progress. Special teams still need work, particularly on kickoff coverage and returns.
Coughlin refused to say that second-year pro Rhett Bomar had nailed down the backup quarterback job by throwing for 171 yards against the Patriots, including a late game-winning 60-yard touchdown pass to Duke Calhoun.
"There isn't any question that Rhett has improved and he has more confidence, he has more poise, he's running the huddle better," Coughlin said. "He's had a couple of back to back weeks with two-minute experiences that he's handled very well, so there's progress there isn't any doubt about it."
While the defense allowed 383 total yards, it limited the Patriots to 73 yards rushing and staged a great second-half goal-line stand, stopping New England on three tries from the 1-yard line.
"I think that the defense is improving," Coughlin said. "We still have improvement to go. We'd like to get a couple of guys back that are not out there so that they can make a contribution as well but I think we're heading in the right direction."
The defense should get better with starting cornerback Corey Webster ready to return to practice, Keith Bulluck stepping in at an outside linebacker spot and with Jonathan Goff playing solid in the middle.
"I just think a lot of people played hard, and everyone is ready for the regular season," Bulluck said. "It was our last little tune up. You want to go into a regular season with momentum so that's what it is. We played with an energy level. We always went to the ball. We played hard, and that's what we needed going into this regular season."
NOTES: Coughlin was not sure whether starting C Shaun O'Hara (ankle) or CB Aaron Ross (plantar fasciitis) will be ready to practice on Wednesday. ...The Giants need to cut 22 players Saturday to get to the 53-man roster limit.
Redskins make Haynesworth play entire game
WASHINGTON — The conditioning test was nothing compared to Albert Haynesworth’s latest punishment.
In the final preseason game — a game in which 31 of his teammates didn’t even suit up — Haynesworth went from start to finish in the Washington Redskins’ 20-10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. The defensive lineman with the $100 million contract played 49 of 55 snaps on defense and was still on the field in the fourth quarter, huddling with third-stringers and no-hopers.
Haynesworth made jokes about his relationship with coach Mike Shanahan after last week’s game, a signal that relations between the two were perhaps thawing a bit. This time, there was nothing to joke about. Haynesworth bit his tongue, declining comment to reporters after the game.
Receiver Anthony Armstrong, who has never played in an NFL regular season game but appears to be a sure bet to make the roster after a strong preseason, got the night off. So did rookie draft picks Trent Williams and Perry Riley, who, it could be argued, need all the experience they can get as they prepare for opening day.
Haynesworth did not.
Asked to explain the unusual workload for a player expected to be a major contributor, Shanahan sang a familiar refrain.
“He’s got to get in football shape,” Shanahan said. “For the same reasons we’ve talked about. We got to get him some playing time so he can get back in football shape. I got to take a look at the film to tell you exactly how he played, but that’s one of the reasons he’s playing defensive end and nose tackle positions.
“We’ve got to get him as good as he can possibly be and in football shape. There’s only one way to do it and that’s to practice and play.”
Haynesworth’s “football shape” has indeed been an issue in recent years, particularly since he signed with the Redskins in 2009, but the two words have also become the coaching staff’s euphemism to express the need to make sure Haynesworth is buying into the party line after months of rebellious behavior.
Even though he stayed away from the offseason conditioning program, skipped a mandatory minicamp, needed 10 days of training camp before passing a conditioning test and made accusatory remarks directed at Shanahan after a game two weeks ago, Haynesworth is still expected to play a key role in the Redskins’ new 3-4 defense.
Haynesworth initially bristled at the notion of playing in the 3-4 because he thought he would be used primarily as a space-eating nose tackle, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start at defensive end against Dallas on Sept. 12 — assuming nothing else goes wrong.
At the very least, the Redskins now know he can play an entire game, something that wasn’t always a given last year.
“We wanted to get him as many plays as we could,” defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. “We played him at nose and end because guys are going to have to play multiple positions. I thought he held up. He came out early and after that, he stayed in and stuck with it. ... I think that’s encouraging.”
At least Haynesworth’s roster spot is safe, which can’t be said about most of the players on the field Thursday. Devin Thomas helped his cause with four catches for 34 yards and a 27-yard average on four kickoff returns. Hopefuls Terrence Austin and Brandon Banks each caught five passes, but Banks continued to offset his speed and heart by being careless with the ball, fumbling a punt and dropping a pass.
The most exciting player on the field for the Redskins was on-the-bubble linebacker Robert Henson, who had five tackles, a sack and two penalties before leaving the game with an injured right knee. He was to be reevaluated Friday.
“I felt like a guy in my position couldn’t afford to be hurt,” Henson said. “But ain’t much you can do about it. I definitely kind of broke down when it happened. I was kind of emotional about it because I felt, like I said, I’ve got to make plays.”
-- Joseph White
Panthers show diverse plans for rookie Edwards
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers rookie Armanti Edwards looked completely out of place trying to returning kicks for much of the preseason. He appeared awkward and uncomfortable catching passes, too.
Edwards behind center in the shotgun? Now that’s something that comes natural, and perhaps could be the needed wrinkle to jump-start the Panthers’ punchless offense.
Enter Carolina’s version of the wildcat: the “Mountaineer.”
“Brought back old times,” the former Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback said after running six plays in the formation in Thursday’s 19-3 loss to Pittsburgh in the preseason finale. “They put in a couple plays this week for me.”
The formation, which Carolina first practiced on Monday, produced modest results. It couldn’t prevent the Panthers from becoming the first NFL team in at least 14 years to not score an offensive touchdown in the preseason, according to STATS LLC.
But Thursday’s brief stint in the wildcat was a glimpse as to why the Panthers gave up so much to get the speedy and athletic Edwards, the only player in NCAA Division I history to throw for over 10,000 yards and rush for more than 4,000.
“I think it’s something we wanted to take a look at,” coach John Fox said. “It’s an area that he’s done before in the past and we wanted to take a peek at a few plays we put in this past week.”
Eyebrows were raised when the Panthers traded next year’s second-round pick to New England so they could take the slight, undersized Edwards with the Patriots’ third-round pick.
The criticism grew when Edwards, who had never returned kicks in his life, had trouble just catching the ball in practices and lost a fumble in the preseason opener. And he didn’t win many people over with his uneven performance as a receiver, a position he hadn’t played since his junior year in high school.
The 5-foot-11, 182-pound Edwards first lined up at quarterback on the seventh play of Carolina’s opening drive Thursday. Facing third-and-6 from the Pittsburgh 30, Edwards tried to run to the short side, but the second-team offensive line caved and he was stuffed for a 3-yard loss.
He was back out there in the second quarter, handing off to Josh Vaughan on two straight plays for a net 2 yards.
Edwards started a drive deep in Carolina territory in the third quarter and the left-hander rifled a 6-yard pass to rookie David Gettis on first-and-15. He tried to run on the next play, but was dropped for a 1-yard loss.
Edwards passed again in his final play in the formation on third-and-3 from the Pittsburgh 33 early in the fourth quarter. Gettis dropped what should’ve been a first down conversion, and John Kasay kicked a 51-yard field goal on the next play for Carolina’s only points.
The Panthers have used a version of the wildcat in the past with running back DeAngelo Williams and receiver Steve Smith, but have not thrown a pass out of the formation in a regular-season game.
That could change with Edwards, the two-time national player of the year in the Football Championship Subdivision who led Appalachian State to two national titles and a monumental upset of Michigan.
“We talked about it all throughout the summer, that sooner or later we were going to do a little bit of wildcat with me,” Edwards said. “I didn’t think it would be this early.”
The good news — or maybe the bad news — is Edwards’ 56.2 passer rating is better than Matt Moore’s 56.1 in the preseason. Moore and most of the starters sat out Thursday’s game to avoid injury.
But Edwards’ versatility, combined with the news that Smith (arm) and running back Jonathan Stewart (heel) should play Week 1 at the New York Giants after sitting out the preseason, gives Carolina some offensive hope.
And Edwards looked better in other areas Thursday night, too. He caught two passes for 10 yards, had a 17-yard punt return and a 22-yard kickoff return.
“It’s really what he was drafted to do,” Fox said. “We’ll look at him on kicks, punts, even a little bit at quarterback and again at wide receiver. He gives us a lot of looks and opportunities to evaluate.”
Notes: According to STATS, the Panthers are the first NFL team not to score an offensive touchdown in the preseason since at least 1997, when its records begin. Only Tampa Bay failed to score a rushing TD this preseason, while every team other than Carolina had at least one passing TD. ... The Panthers must cut 22 players on Saturday to get to 53 for the regular season. ... Fox said G Duke Robinson (knee), LB Jordan Senn (ankle) and TE Jamie Petrowski (head) were injured against the Steelers.
-- Mike Cranston
Spagnuolo mum on Rams’ QB starter
ST. LOUIS — Sam Bradford will have to wait a few days to learn if he’ll start the St. Louis Rams’ opener. The No. 1 pick certainly has appeared ready for the job.
Bradford’s opening drive set the tone for a 27-21 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night, giving the Rams a 3-1 preseason finish for the second straight season. He was 6 for 6 for 68 yards and a touchdown in his one series. That followed a two-TD effort in his first start last week.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Friday that he’d make a decision in the next two or three days.
“Right now, there won’t be any in-depth starting 22 announcements until we get through these final evaluations,” Spagnuolo said. “I realize the quarterback position is high profile, I respect that.”
Bradford moved to first string when veteran A.J. Feeley, who had been the starter through training camp, sprained the thumb on his throwing hand. Spagnuolo said he anticipated that Feeley would return to practice on Monday but wasn’t sure if Feeley was ready to take direct snaps.
In his two starts, Bradford was 21 for 28 for 257 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. After the game, he wasn’t campaigning for the job.
“If he says that, then I’ll handle it like I know I can,” Bradford said. “But until then, I’m just going to show up, do what I can and hopefully one day I will be the starter of this team.”
Players have the weekend off before beginning preparation for the opener against Arizona next Sunday at home. During the break they can feel good about the progress they’ve made.
Unlike last year when they went 1-15 and ended up with the first pick, the Rams’ summer success may have at least some meaning.
“We’re excited how we’re jelling and come together,” guard Adam Goldberg said. “We’ve been able to execute and come out hot.”
Nobody was getting carried away after beating the Ravens, who rested all their starters. Yet there were signs they might be ready to begin the climb to respectability.
Since the preseason opener, a dud of a 28-7 loss to the Vikings, play has picked up on both sides of the ball. The offense, the NFL’s worst a year ago, put up 36 points at New England, and has scored a touchdown on its opening drive the last three weeks. While taking a 17-7 halftime lead Thursday, the defense held the Ravens to 88 yards and the lone score came on an interception return.
“After that Minnesota game, we felt like we needed to turn things around fast,” middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “I think against Cleveland and New England and now Baltimore, we were able to come out and get something accomplished.”
Defensive tackle Fred Robbins was among the preseason standouts with either a sack or tackle for loss in all four games, including two stops behind the line in the finale. The Rams foiled the Ravens on fourth-and-goal from the 1 when end George Selvie tipped Troy Smith’s pass and linebacker Chris Chamberlain intercepted it, then returned it 83 yards to the Baltimore 12 on the final play of the first half.
Overall, the quarterbacks were 19 for 24 for 247 yards against the Ravens.
“We’re happy with a 3-1 record no matter what season it is,” Laurinaitis said. “But we’re anxious to have them count for real.”
-- R.B. Fallstrom
Schwartz mum on Lions cuts
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz isn’t talking about the cuts he has to make by Saturday night.
The franchise, along with the rest of the NFL, must trim its roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. Saturday.
“It doesn’t do a whole lot of good for us to speak as an organization before we make those moves,” Schwartz said Friday.
The biggest decisions appear to be at running back, where DeDe Dorsey and Aaron Brown, a 2009 draft pick, seem locked in a battle for a backup spot behind Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith.
Linebacker Caleb Campbell, who was drafted in 2008 but missed a season to fulfill a military commission, appears to be on the bubble to secure a spot. Linebacker Korey Bosworth, nephew of Brian Bosworth, broke his right leg during Thursday’s exhibition finale, but Schwartz did not elaborate on the player’s future with the team.
The Lions are 2-30 in the last two seasons, including a 2-14 campaign during Schwartz’s first season here, but the coach said he took it as a sign of progress that making the cut to 53 players will be more difficult the second time around.
“It’s a sign of having a more talented roster when those decisions aren’t easy,” he said. “And honestly, last year, it was pretty easy to get to 53.”
He added that he felt better that the Lions probably are more talented now than when they ended his first preseason here.
“There’ll be more interest in some of our players, maybe from other teams claiming or wanting to execute a trade,” he said. “That’s a good feeling to be in, rather than sitting here saying we’re looking at the bottom of everybody else’s roster.
The Lions, who have lost 20 straight regular season road games, open the season Sept. 12 at Chicago.
AFC
Titans showing signs D-line can pressure, sack QB
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Scan down the Tennessee roster on the defensive line. A collection of castoffs and retreads surround a few key draft picks.
As a result, the Tennessee Titans have given glimpses of the tyrants of old as they chased, harassed and hit quarterbacks even as they stayed cautious in healing up veteran Tony Brown and this year's top draft pick, end Derrick Morgan. This combination looks like the Titans might revive the four-man pass rush they thrive on in setting the tone for the entire defense.
Tackle Jason Jones, a second-round pick in 2008 limited to seven games last season by injuries, said he likes where this defensive line is going into the regular season and expects big things starting Sept. 12 against Oakland.
"I expect us to dominate and be one of the Top 10 defenses or Top five defenses out there, and just go out there and play hard. When you see a Titans' defense, you're going to see us running to the ball, playing hard, hitting and being physical. That's what you are going to see," Jones said.
At one point in Thursday night's 27-24 preseason finale win over New Orleans, Jones looked like he was trying to beat Brown to the quarterback. Jones had steady pressure and one sack.
"Honestly, I think we're ready to go," Brown said. "We're all fresh and firing to the ball. I think we just want to get the regular season started and show all of the hard work we've put in during the season."
Tennessee had only 31 sacks in 2009, down from 44 the year before with tackle Albert Haynesworth. The Titans ranked 26th in the NFL in sacks per pass play and finished 8-8.
So Tennessee spent the offseason trying to add bodies.
The Titans signed Jason Babin, a former first-round draft pick by Houston in 2004 now with his fifth team, signed Brown to a new contract and used the 16th pick overall grabbing Morgan out of Georgia Tech. When end William Hayes, an 11-game starter last season, sprained his right knee during training camp, the Titans signed veteran end Raheem Brock to a one-year deal.
They finished with seven sacks, nowhere near the 19 Carolina racked up to lead the NFL this preseason. But the Titans (2-2) really only worked on blitzes in one game, a 24-10 win over Arizona, in letting their defensive linemen rotate in and out and see what they could get out of rushing only the four.
Seven different players had at least a half sack in the preseason.
"We're getting good pressure throughout the depth chart, which is good," coach Jeff Fisher said Friday. "Everybody's had their opportunity. You know we played three preseason games somewhat generic, played one where we manufactured some pressure. That was effective for us."
The Titans didn't see the top quarterbacks this preseason. Instead they faced the likes of Matt Hasselbeck, Matt Leinart, Derek Anderson, Matt Moore and Patrick Ramsey. They missed Drew Brees on Thursday night when New Orleans coach Sean Payton chose to sit him out with the Saints' opener on Sept. 9.
Fisher said they can see teams working to get the ball out quickly, using the play-action frequently.
"I think people recognize we can pressure with four," he said.
Brown played his first preseason game against the Saints and was limited to between 10 and 15 snaps before going to the sideline to ice the right knee he had surgery on during the offseason. Brown typifies what defensive line coach Jim Washburn looks for as a player who had bounced around and is desperate for his NFL shot. He turned Kyle Vanden Bosch into a Pro Bowler.
The tackle was sitting in a Chattanooga church in October 2006 when the Titans originally called wanting a fill-in during Haynesworth's five-game suspension. Now Brown is entering his sixth NFL season.
How close the Titans get to the top 10 defense they fielded in 2007 and 2008 may rest on those draft picks like the 6-foot-3 Morgan and 6-5 Jones. Their job is simple: Get to the quarterback.
"That's what Washburn wants us to do, and that's what we want to do," Jones said. "So every game look for us to do just that."
NOTES: Fisher isn't announcing his roster cuts until Saturday's league deadline. He also isn't announcing whether Jason McCourty or rookie Alterraun Verner has won the starting cornerback job opposite Cortland Finnegan or who will start at outside linebacker while Gerald McRath is suspended for the first four games.
-- Teresa M. Walker
Colts' Caldwell braces for new decisions
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Now, the Indianapolis Colts can start making their choices.
With the preseason over, coach Jim Caldwell and team president Bill Polian will spend time debating numbers, players and potential as they trim the roster from 75 to the mandated 53 by Saturday night.
"The fact of the matter is that there are not 48 positions determined before we go to training camp. There are probably closer to 38 than 48," Polian said last week. "That is a lot of evaluating to do and a lot of practicing to do."
The Colts have plenty to consider.
Six defensive backs have already been placed on season-ending injured reserve.
The two most prominent names on that list are veteran safety Jamie Silva and third-round pick Kevin Thomas. With three Pro Bowl-caliber safeties, three proven cornerbacks and free-agent acquisition Deshea Townsend likely to make the team, two or three spots in the secondary are likely to still be open.
Safety Mike Newton and cornerback Terrail Lambert have been impressive throughout training camp and much of the preseason. Have they played well enough to earn a roster spot?
"It's more of a body of work," Caldwell said Friday, one day after the Colts finished a winless preseason. "You take everything into consideration. You try to make an assessment of how they'll fit in and if they make your team stronger."
Another area that's been hit hard by injuries is the offensive line.
Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday did limited work in practice this week for the first time since having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Aug. 20, and left tackle Charlie Johnson is still out with a sprained right foot.
That could force the Colts to keep more than their standard eight or nine linemen, meaning they'd have to cut someone from another spot.
"All of it plays a part," Caldwell said. "Sometimes we might feel we need a little depth (at a particular position). Sometimes an injury may have occurred at certain positions where you need to fortify it a little bit more."
The other big decision will come in the return game.
Undrafted rookies Devin Moore and Brandon James have both been impressive, at times, though James muffed a punt that Green Bay recovered for a TD in Week 3. Another player in the mix is cornerback Ray Fisher, a seventh-round pick out of Indiana. Fisher played receiver and cornerback in college, and his versatility could be an advantage if the Colts are trying to save roster spots.
"It's good when they make our decisions tough because it shows us that we have a lot of depth," Caldwell said. "That depth is going to strengthen us however it turns out."
Former Terp Wilson makes self at home with Ravens
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — For cornerback Josh Wilson, the best part about joining the Baltimore Ravens had nothing to do with the team's playoff potential or the proximity to his alma mater, the University of Maryland.
"Being here and being at home is definitely No. 2," Wilson said Friday. "No. 1 is having a pass rush and a front seven that is amazing. I grew up watching these guys."
Operating behind that kind of line should make his job easier — once he settles in.
It's been a whirlwind week for Wilson, who was traded from the Seattle Seahawks for a conditional draft pick. Immediately after Tuesday's practice in Seattle, he was told of the deal and ordered to board a plane for Baltimore.
He took a physical Wednesday, traveled with the Ravens to St. Louis for their preseason finale Thursday and then was back at the team's training complex on Friday for a morning practice.
All the while, Wilson studied a new playbook. The sooner he masters that, the sooner he becomes a part of a defense he's followed since his days at DeMatha High in Hyattsville, Md.
"If I have to sit here and every day, go over this defense, come out here by myself and figure it out, that's what I'm going to do," Wilson said. "Normally I carry my bible around, but right now I'm going to have my bible in my left (hand) and my playbook in my right."
Wilson enhances a defensive backfield that was left short-handed by a season-ending knee injury to cornerback Domonique Foxworth, Wilson's former teammate at Maryland. The Ravens are also without safety Ed Reed (hip), and cornerbacks Fabian Washington and Lardarius Webb are both returning from knee operations.
Barring an unexpected battle with the playbook, Wilson should be in uniform and on the field when Baltimore opens the season on Sept. 13 against the New York Jets.
"He's obviously a guy that has started for two years, so I wouldn't put any limits on what he can possibly do," coach John Harbaugh said. "It's just a matter of how quickly he learns what we're doing and how comfortable we are in putting him out there. But, a situation could dictate that he has to be out there, and that's why we felt like we needed a quality player who's got some experience."
Wilson played in 40 games over three seasons with the Seahawks. He enjoyed his time there — except for the manner in which his stay ended.
"It was definitely not expected to let me go through the practice. I'll remember that," he said.
The selection of fourth-round draft pick Walter Thurmond made Wilson expendable to the rebuilding Seahawks.
"I didn't see it coming," Wilson said. "But when you feel like you're the stepchild and they've got their baby boy over there, they're going to massage him a little bit more than they're going to massage me."
About the only downside to the trade for the 25-year-old Wilson is that he won't get to work with Foxworth in the backfield this season. When both were at Maryland, Foxworth served as Wilson's tutor.
"My true freshman year I was his backup. All I did was listen to what he said," Wilson said. "My sophomore year we were out on the field starting together, and I'm still listening. He coached me up, and I'd say that's one of the guys who was very influential in my life in the football aspect.
"Now, being here, I'm going to go over to his house and get in this playbook with him and do it all up again."
He might also consider asking Foxworth to give him a tour of Maryland.
"Somebody asked me, 'How far is home from here?'" Wilson said. "I don't even know how to get to the highway from here."
Wilson sure knows his way around the football field, even when it comes to returning kickoffs — a chore he would be delighted to do if asked.
"This team is going to do whatever it takes to get to the Super Bowl, and I just want to be a part of that," he said. "I'm going to do whatever they need me to do. If they want me to get back there and do kicks, I'll score touchdowns that way."
-- David Ginsburg
