NFL Capsules - NFC: Camp of 'unfamiliarity' for Redskins special teams

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles center Jamaal Jackson and guard Todd Herremans were both taken off the physically unable to perform list as the team returned to practice at Lehigh University on Sunday.

Jackson has been trying to come back from a torn ACL from the 15th game of the 2009 season and Herremans has been dealing with a sore foot.

Jackson and Herremans did limited work in the morning practice and were given the afternoon practice off. It was still a good sign for both players, especially Jackson, to be back on the field.

The Eagles opened the preseason with a 28-27 win over Jacksonville on Friday night.

"It wasn't a lot, but it was a first step," Jackson said of practicing on Sunday. "And it was a big step for me."

Jackson tore the ACL in a 30-27 win over the Denver Broncos on Dec. 27. He missed the final game of the season and the playoff game to Dallas, both losses.

That injury can keep a player out from 10 months to more than a year. Jackson was back on the field in less than eight months.

"I'm not real surprised," Jackson, who had started 76 straight games before the injury, said. "I haven't had any setbacks and things have gone well in rehab. Dr. (James) Andrews has a plan in place for me and the plan is to add a little bit more each day and see how it goes. My ultimate goal is still to be ready for opening day."

All along Eagles coach Andy Reid said it would be a stretch for Jackson to be ready to face the Green Bay Packers in the opener on Sept. 12.

Now, he's not ruling anything out.

"We'll have to see how it goes," Reid said after Sunday's practice. "We're only one day, one practice into it. Is (Jackson) ahead of schedule? Yes, I would say that."

Herremans, who missed the start of the 2009 season with the same injury, was held out of the final minicamp this spring and the first 18 days of training camp, including Friday's preseason opener against Jacksonville.

"It was tough missing the start of the season last year," Herremans said. "I'd rather be out now than during the season."

Reid said he would like Herremans to play in at least one of the three remaining preseason games, most likely at Kansas City on Aug. 27.

But again nothing's certain.

"We're going to go nice and easy with Todd," Reid said. "You would like to get him in a game in preseason. If he didn't, I'd still think he'd be OK (for the opener). He's a veteran player, but it would be good just to get him up to speed."

Herremans is fine however it works out.

"I'd like to get in a game now," he said. "But if I don't, it's not the end of the world."

For Jackson it's like a fresh start.

"It's been a long time," the center said. "It was good to get out there and move around a little bit, snap a football again, bang around with my teammates and just shake off the rust.

"I still think about the last snap when I got hurt. I think about it every day. At some point I'm going to have to stop and start thinking about this season."

Notes: Safety Quintin Demps, who hurt his knee in Friday's game, has a contusion and should be back on the field soon, Reid said. Safety Antoine Harris has a LisFranc sprain in his foot and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

Packers disappointed with defense in opener

Despite being one of the stingiest defenses in the league by the numbers last year, the unit allowed 45 points in a 51-45 loss in the postseason to Arizona after falling behind 17-0.

The same thing happened Saturday night in the exhibition opener, when Cleveland scored on its first drive and again immediately after the Packers lost a fumble to take a 14-0 lead in a game the Browns won 27-24.

Woodson says those type of slow starts and mistakes in a regular season game will cost a team already shouldering high expectations.

"We had those type of games last year, and we can't allow that to happen again this year," Woodson said. "There's some things we're going to have to fix. Defensively, we're not at all happy with how we played."

Especially against the Browns, who were starting a new quarterback in 12-year veteran Jake Delhomme, didn't get the ball to their versatile playmaker Josh Cribbs all night and ranked 29th in the NFL in offense last season.

Delhomme, who committed 21 turnovers in 11 games in Carolina last season, was 6 of 7 for 66 yards in his only drive, routinely finding his receivers on short routes underneath that gashed Green Bay's secondary, and Jerome Harrison powered in for a touchdown.

After Ryan Grant fumbled, the Packers clamped down for two plays against Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace. But Wallace was able to buy time rolling to his left on third down and found Brian Robiskie in the back of the end zone for a 13-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0 less than 8 minutes in.

Linebacker A.J. Hawk cautioned it was a just a preseason game, but acknowledged there's a little concern.

"You don't want to start out a game like that," Hawk said. "Scoring on the first drive, basically they just drove the ball down the field on us. It was on us to try to come back from that. We had a couple of sudden-change situations, and we eventually got it turned around a little bit."

After a brilliant scrimmage by the defense during the Packers' annual family night the week before, this performance was lackluster. Aaron Rodgers, who wasn't concerned with the defensive performance, said he doesn't want to get in shootouts every week even though they have that capability.

"Nah, I'm not worried," said Rodgers, who was 12 of 13 for 159 yards and a touchdown. "We're going to play a little different, I think, once the regular season starts, both sides."

Green Bay has been tinkering with its defense ever since a disappointing 6-10 mark in 2009. Dom Capers switched the alignment from a 4-3 to a 3-4 when he took over as defensive coordinator last season to capitalize on the Packers' deep group of linebackers, and the freedom in the scheme last year allowed their playmakers to excel.

While the Packers didn't show much of their blitz packages and other wrinkles Saturday night, Capers said he needs to be able to rely on Green Bay's base defense before it can take bigger chances.

"Part of our plan was to let them go out there and play," he said. "We didn't do near as much, but that was part of the plan. But that's no excuse. You've got to be able to execute sound, fundamental football with what you're doing. To me, that's the biggest thing. There's a lot of coaching to do off this tape."

Hawk said there's plenty of time before the season starts to fix the problems. As for what happened in Arizona, he says that's history.

"It definitely doesn't have anything to do with how we ended last season, I don't think," Hawk said. "We'll be fine. ... I don't think that we have any worries about what we can do. We just didn't do it."

-- Colin Fly

Saints looking for another running back

METAIRIE, La. (AP) — The competition for New Orleans' third running back spot could get more intense in the next few days.

Saints coach Sean Payton said Sunday they were pursuing a replacement for Lynell Hamilton, who suffered a torn ACL on Wednesday in a joint practice with the New England Patriots.

Hamilton's injury left the Saints with only two experienced running backs in Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush.

"We're looking right now, so I wouldn't say we're staying pat." Payton said. "We just haven't signed anyone in the last two days. Hopefully we're able to get someone in here that we have a high enough grade on."

One possibility is veteran running back Ladell Betts, a nine-year veteran who rushed for 1,154 yards for the Washington Redskins in 2006. Betts worked out for the Saints two weeks ago — before Hamilton got hurt — but was not signed.

New Orleans has lost almost half its running back carries from last season. Hamilton, who had 35 attempts in 2009, was expected to fill the role of Mike Bell, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason after rushing a team-high 172 times.

Bell was a short-yardage specialist, who had many of his carries as the Saints protected leads in the fourth quarter.

The other two running backs on the roster are P.J. Hill, a second-year pro who was on the practice squad for part of 2009, and Chris Ivory, an undrafted rookie.

"Right now, to be fair to those two players, they have a lot of work ahead of them," Payton said. "Both of them have shown some real positive signs, but there's still a number of things that they're working on to get fully up to speed. I'd anticipate that we'll be able to get someone in here before the Texans' (preseason) game (next Saturday)."

Hill's and Ivory's lack of pedigree is not the issue. Thomas, who has led the Saints in rushing the past two years, was not drafted out of Illinois in 2007. Bell and Hamilton were undrafted free agents, too.

Hill's and Ivory's lack of experience is the concern.

Hill a three-time 1,000-yard rusher at Wisconsin, spent time on the practice squads of the Saints, Eagles and Washington Redskins as a rookie last year without being activated.

Hill had nine carries for 30 yards against New England on Thursday in the Saints' preseason opener. He also fumbled near the Patriots' goal line as he tried to fight for extra yards late in the fourth quarter.

Although he insisted his knee was down before the ball came loose, the play did not help his job security, particularly since he already had fumbled a couple of times during training camp. He bobbled a pitch in Sunday's practice.

"I can't make errors like that," he said. "I've got to be able to hold on to the ball. That's one of our first rules is protect the ball. I'll take that blame even if (the fumble against New England) came out late."

Ivory, who has earned Payton's praise more than once in training camp, faced long odds when he signed with the Saints. He rushed for 534 yards in three injury-filled seasons with Washington State, then transferred to Division II Tiffin University in his senior year.

He gained 227 yards in five games with Tiffin, which went 0-11, before a leg injury sidelined him again.

"He carries his pads well," Payton said. "He has good speed, and he's big and put well together."

Ivory carried six times for 30 yards with a 2-yard score against New England.

"I feel like I have the opportunity to play," he said. "That's why I came here. If (Thomas) came in as a free agent, I know I can do it, too. I think I have a good shot."

Notes: Backup free safety Usama Young sat out Sunday's practice with a groin injury. Payton said it was unclear when he would return or whether the injury was related to the sports hernia surgery Young had in December. ... The best play of Sunday's practice came on a 35-yard pass from Drew Brees to tight end Jeremy Shockey near the goal line. But backup safety Chris Reis, who was beaten despite having tight coverage, insisted Shockey did not get his feet inbounds. Rookie cornerback Patrick Robinson, a first-round draft pick, had two interceptions a day after defensive coordinator Gregg Williams criticized him. "Patrick has a lot of skill but right now he doesn't know how to play," Williams said. "Right now I don't have any trust in him. He has to take the next step up in pro football. He's had too much down time and he doesn't know how to take care of his body."

Atlanta's Turner looks to return to '08 form

Considering how he ran in Atlanta's first preseason game, Turner believes the Falcons are reclaiming an offensive identity they lacked in 2009.

Turner played just one series in a 20-10 victory Friday over Kansas City, but his brief appearance was impressive.

It wasn't so much his statistics. He ran just four times for 29 yards, but Turner burst across the line of scrimmage and into the second level of the defense like he did in '08.

"We wanted to start out fast, obviously, but that wasn't our original plan to call all those runs," Turner said Sunday. "It was the way the game was going. We just moved the ball so well on the ground that we kept it going."

The trade last year for Tony Gonzalez brought one of the NFL's best tight ends to an offense that featured Turner, second-year quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Roddy White.

All three were coming off Pro Bowl seasons, but Turner and his 376 carries — second-most in the league — anchored the offense.

Opponents during the first two months focused first on stopping Turner to confuse Ryan and limit his options with Gonzalez and White. They were largely successful.

"It was an adjustment because defenses give you different coverages, and they had different guys playing run support," Turner said. "We had to get used to how guys were going to defend us."

By early November, Turner's production began to soar as he ran harder and the line created extra space, but he was never the same after suffering a high ankle sprain in the Week 10 loss at Carolina.

Two weeks later, Ryan hurt his toe. He and Turner were not fully healthy at the same time and on the field together for the rest of the season.

Not surprisingly, the Falcons missed the playoffs despite winning their final three games to finish 9-7. It's possible, however, they could've earned a second straight NFC wild-card berth if the running game hadn't struggled in losses at New England and Dallas.

Jason Snelling proved to be a dependable backup, but he lacks Turner's compact size and speed and Jerious Norwood's quickness. Norwood is still listed as the No. 2 running back ahead of Snelling, but he's missed nearly two weeks with a hip pointer and last season had a similar hip injury and a concussion.

Against the Chiefs, undrafted rookie Dimitri Nance of Arizona State emerged with a pair of short touchdown runs a week after performing well in a team scrimmage.

Nance, though, isn't trying to be Turner. He just wants to make the team.

"You know you have the capability of making big plays, but you have to consistently do what the coaches are asking with the right assignments and the right fits," Nance said. "I still have to come out here and work hard every day to get all that ironed out."

Regardless how the depth chart stacks up behind Turner and starting fullback Ovie Mughelli, Turner's performance will make or break the running game.

With Turner healthy and effective in 2008, the Falcons had the NFL's No. 2 rushing attack. Last season, they finished 15th, but Friday's preseason win gave a glimpse of something good.

"When we had no issues running the football, we kept running it," Smith said. "It wasn't structured that way, but we did want to establish the run early. We knew the first unit was only going to play two series and we had another idea of what we wanted to show in that second series."

At 23, LaFell is considered the future of the Panthers' receivers. At 23, the bust label is gaining steam for Jarrett after three ineffective seasons that have produced as many arrests as touchdown catches.

Only Jarrett on Sunday looked and sounded like a different person. He talked of how he's finally matured, slimmed down, got fit, is comfortable with the offense and not ready to concede the open starting job to LaFell or anybody else.

"I just wasn't aware. It was all a part of growing up and becoming a pro," Jarrett said. "I didn't quite fully understand that, what it took. The offseason workouts, watching your diet and the little things, the details of becoming a pro. Once I got it, I took it and I ran with it."

The 6-foot-4 Jarrett has had a good training camp. Down 9 pounds to 209, he looks quicker, yet still has the size to make difficult catches in traffic. While he was chastised by coaches early in camp for running the wrong route, those mistakes are less routine nowadays.

But perhaps most significantly, Jarrett seems to be taking things more serious after spending the past three seasons playing only 29 games with 33 catches and one touchdown.

"When I got here back in the spring the thing I mentioned is I don't care about what he did in the past. He has a clean slate with me," Panthers first-year receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. "What he's going to be judged on by me is what he does from this day forward. And he's done everything we've asked him to do. He's making plays on the ball."

It's what the Panthers expected three years ago when they took the then-20-year-old with a second-round pick in 2007 and then cut Keyshawn Johnson days later.

Jarrett was fresh off setting the Southern California career record with 41 touchdowns in only three seasons. He was supposed to be the big, possession receiver opposite the small and speedy Steve Smith.

Only Jarrett wasn't ready for the NFL. He would get jammed at the line of scrimmage and struggled to learn the playbook as a rookie. Smith embarrassed him after practice one day by telling him to watch film instead of talking to reporters.

Jarrett was inactive in nine games and caught six passes. He topped it off in the offseason by getting arrested for driving while impaired.

Jarrett kept finding the inactive list over the next two seasons, too. He caught just 10 passes in 2008 and 17 last season.

While he did close the season with five catches for 68 yards and his first TD against New Orleans, Jarrett bashing was a familiar theme for frustrated fans.

"I think I took a lot of low blows coming in my first couple of years just because I did have a lot of downs," Jarrett said. "I'm definitely strong and I fought through everything, all the negativity. I just tried to stay positive and focused on what I have to do to become a better player."

The light clicked for Jarrett in the offseason. He started watching his diet. He worked out more and lost weight and caught the eye of coaches in June workouts as they looked to replace veteran starter Muhsin Muhammad, who wasn't re-signed.

"It's all a part about growing up," Jarrett said. "The NFL, if anybody could do it everybody would be doing it. I had to get around that learning curve. I think once I did, especially coming in this year being way under my weight and just being more explosive off the ball. I just thank God for just getting me the work ethic to get to this point."

Jarrett still faces a difficult challenge, and a roster spot isn't even guaranteed. The Panthers took LaFell and Armanti Edwards in the third round of the draft. Kenny Moore and Wallace Wright have spent time with the starters as Smith remains sidelined with a broken arm.

Jarrett, who had one catch for 7 yards against Baltimore last week, is expected to start in Saturday's preseason game against the New York Jets.

"When I got here and they were telling me about the guys they had they said he's been a little inconsistent," Tolbert said. "He's done a great job up until this point, so hopefully he keeps it up."

It's the kind of praise Jarrett has rarely received in an NFL career he still hopes to salvage. He won't turn 24 until next month.

"I got drafted so young ... I was kind of like a teenager in the NFL," Jarrett said. "With that and having the experience of everything that I went through to this point, it's definitely a growth process."

-- Mike Cranston

Rams' offense stalls in preseason opener

The Pro Bowl running back's absence can't be helpful in the development of No. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford, who got sacked four times in a 28-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday night.

The Rams had only 150 yards total offense and got their lone touchdown on a 93-yard punt return by Danny Amendola.

"I think it goes without saying that when your best player is on the sideline, the unit he plays with isn't going to feel the same," coach Steve Spagnuolo said Sunday. "We know what Steven can do, but when he's not in there which could happen in the regular season, the play can't go down.

"We've got to be just as effective."

That puts the onus on an offensive line that's been a focus of the rebuilding effort, but allowed six sacks. Right tackle Jason Smith, who's been hampered during camp by a fractured toe, struggled with his mobility, and guard Jacob Bell missed the game with because of an injury to his side.

Spagnuolo said half of the sacks were because of faulty technique, the other half missed assignments. Of Smith: "He just needs 1,000 repetitions."

Jackson carried the offense on a 1-15 team last season. Despite playing the last third of the season with a herniated disk that kept him off the practice field most of the time, his 1,416 yards rushing was the second-best of his career.

Spagnuolo said Jackson might get a few snaps next Saturday at Cleveland, but said the team would "tread lightly." The Rams mustered 33 yards with a 2.5-yard average in the opener and were lead by Keith Toston, an undrafted rookie who had 16 yards on four carries.

Bradford completed four of his first five passes, but only two of his last eight while getting battered a bit by the Vikings' second-team defense. Bradford said after the game that the back felt "great" and Spagnuolo said the quarterback was not on the injury report.

Spagnuolo liked Bradford's zip on the ball on a couple of throws, particularly on an 18-yarder to Laurent Robinson for a first down on his opening series and on a sideline pattern that was incomplete at the start of the second half. He was most impressed with the rookie's ability to think on his feet.

"He made two really, really good decisions to dump the ball to the back," Spagnuolo said. "I know that's not the most glamorous play, but he made quick decisions. To me that was one of the most positive things he did, he made really quick decisions."

Bradford, who worked out of the shotgun formation at Oklahoma, had some issues on the center snap along with occasional communication woes. The Vikings also batted down a handful of passes, and one of Spagnuolo's biggest disappointments was the Rams stalling at the Minnesota 36 on Bradford's first drive, failing to pick up a yard on third or fourth down.

"I felt like I did some good things," Bradford said. "I felt like I did some things not so good, but that's what the preseason is for. I'm sure we'll find a lot of things to work on."

Bradford is a backup for now behind A.J. Feeley, who also struggled. Feeley was 3 for 6 for 19 yards and narrowly avoided interceptions on two passes that could have been returned for touchdowns.

"As a quarterback, you've got to be productive and move the team. If that doesn't happen, it's always on you," Feeley said. "That's how I look at it.

"We're not where we want to be, that's obvious."

The most significant injuries were to cornerbacks Jerome Murphy and Brandon McRae, who both sprained left ankles and might be out for a while. Murphy was a third-round pick this year.

Several players who missed the Vikings game were set to return to practice, including Bell, cornerbacks Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher and wide receivers Brandon Gibson and Mardy Gilyard.

-- R.B. Fallstrom