NFL Feature Capsules - NFC: Years later, Redskins fans still pine for Bailey
ASHBURN, Va. — Having reached his sixth season in the Mile High City, Champ Bailey has now played for the Denver Broncos longer than he did for the Washington Redskins.
But he's still very much missed.
"I'm not going to lie," the eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback said in a conference call with Washington reporters. "Everywhere I go outside of Denver, the only thing I get: 'I wish you were still with the Redskins.' That's all I get. Even in this city, there's Redskins fans everywhere.
"I know the fan base is bigger, stadium's bigger, a lot more tradition, but I still love being a Bronco."
It was in 2004 that Bailey left the wackiness of Washington for the relative stability of Denver, and he'll return for the first time when the Broncos visit the Redskins on Sunday.
"It was crazy when I left" he said when talking about the Redskins, and the craziness that continues to this day makes it easy to contrast his new franchise with his old one.
"You kind of know what to expect every day," Bailey said. "That's a good thing. When I left there, it was a swinging door. When I got here, it wasn't like that."
Bailey was traded in a rare superstar-for-superstar swap that's a source of debate to this day. With negotiations going nowhere for a new contract, owner Dan Snyder sent the best cornerback in the game and a second-round draft pick to the Broncos for running back Clinton Portis. Portis has since piled up the yards and is within striking distance of the Redskins all-time rushing record, but was he worth both a shutdown cornerback and a high draft pick?
Bailey laughed when asked which team got the better of the trade, then gave a diplomatic answer.
"Honestly," he said, "I think they got what they wanted, and the Broncos got what they wanted. We're both still playing at a high level."
Interestingly, Bailey and Portis haven't met on the field since the trade. Bailey missed the team's meeting in Denver in 2005 with a hamstring injury, and Portis probably won't play Sunday after suffering a concussion in last week's loss to Atlanta.
"It's funny how things happen," Bailey said. "At least he got to play at his old place, and I get to play at mine."
Bailey will also get a chance to see longtime close friend Fred Smoot. It seems ages ago that Bailey and Smoot were supposed to be the tandem that would rule the Redskins secondary for a decade.
Bailey was a first-round pick in 1999, and Smoot came along as a second-rounder in 2001. The Redskins ranked sixth in passing defense in 2001 and fifth in 2002.
"You can start building something special right there," Bailey said, "because good cornerbacks are hard to find and they had two good ones. I didn't understand why we couldn't keep us together."
Smoot left after the 2004 season but returned after two seasons with Minnesota. He's now a bit player in the Redskins defense, getting a handful of plays a game. He was once one of the team's most media-friendly players, but he rarely grants interviews these days and agreed to talk this week only because the subject was his old Broncos buddy.
"I do miss playing with him," Smoot said. "Those were some of my golden years of playing. At the time, I don't think a lot of people realized, me and him had one of the best young tandems out there. I think if it wasn't for Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor, both of us could have got a little Pro Bowl action then, but we weren't winning at the time and the Eagles were dominating."
But when it came time for Bailey to get a new contract, the usually free-spending Snyder decided this was one time he wasn't going to foot the bill. Bailey worked out a seven-year, $63 million deal with the Broncos, and the trade was on.
"I was all for going back there, but it didn't work out that way," Bailey said. "Financially it did me good because I got what I wanted as far as my contract. I came to a good franchise. That worked out great. I was going to a place that was real stable for a number of years."
While the stability has been nice, the trade hasn't brought Bailey much postseason success. The Redskins and Broncos have each won only one playoff game since the trade. This year, however, Denver is off to a 6-2 start under new coach Josh McDaniels, giving Bailey a chance to rub it in with Smoot, whose Redskins are 2-6 and have lost four straight.
"We're going to talk about what team's up and what team's down," Smoot said. "Right now, he's at me."
NOTE: S LaRon Landry and DT Albert Haynesworth said they have been fined for their roles in the sideline altercation in the second quarter of the loss to the Falcons. Neither revealed the amount. CB DeAngelo Hall is also a candidate for a fine, as well as some Atlanta players and coaches. The NFL typically doesn't comment on fines until Friday.
So far, Hargrove's a big success in the Big Easy
METAIRIE, La. — Taped to one side of Anthony Hargrove's locker, next to photos of his two young children, is a letter with the NFL's trademark shield at the top and commissioner Roger Goodell's signature at the bottom.
Hargrove pushes aside his hanging gold New Orleans Saints uniform pants to fully reveal the text, then begins reading.
"It says, 'It's important when I emphasize that your reinstatement is the beginning of the road back to a productive career in the league. I'm counting on you to continue to demonstrate that you can conduct yourself in a reasonable manner. You should understand this is your opportunity to prove that you belong in the NFL.'"
The letter, dated Feb. 12, 2009, formally opened the way for the talkative, energetic defensive lineman to resume his NFL career following his yearlong suspension for drug abuse.
"It's a reminder of what I'm supposed to do," Hargrove said. "A lot of guys, if they get kicked out of the league, they don't make it back. ... I want to be an inspiration. I want to be a testimony for people to be like, 'Listen, if he can do it, what did he do?'"
A third-round draft choice by the St. Louis Rams in 2004, Hargrove seemed to have a promising career ahead when started 15 games in his second season and ranked second on the club with 6½ sacks.
Then he proceeded down a path toward throwing it all away.
Unexcused absences and declining performance, related to what Hargrove now readily admits was drug and alcohol use, got him traded to Buffalo in 2007. He was arrested and briefly suspended after a fight outside a night club during the 2007 preseason, then suspended again in 2008 for a full season.
Now getting another chance in the "City that Care Forgot," Hargrove has so far proved that he cares about his career enough to attend three meetings a week for recovering substance abusers in an effort to stay sober in this city of drive-thru daiquiris stands. He also hasn't forgotten how to play football, as he showed last weekend during New Orleans' 30-20 victory over Carolina.
Seeing an increase in playing time at defensive tackle in recent weeks because of starter Sedrick Ellis' sprained right knee, Hargrove was credited with three tackles, one forced fumble and a pair of fumble recoveries, the second of which he returned for a 1-yard touchdown.
For that, he was named the NFC defensive player of the week, then reacted to the honor with a reference to the wholesome "Cosby Show."
"In the words of my friend, Theodore Huxtable, I'm taking it all in stride," said Hargrove, now trying to be a straight-shooting role model for his son, Tre, and daughter, Amiah Grace.
"It's just a blessing. ... I have to thank this New Orleans Saints organization for the opportunity because if it wasn't for them, none of this would have been possible — without them and God also."
Hargrove smiles and speaks openly, without a hint of embarrassment, about his difficult early childhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., or his more recent troubles with substance abuse.
"Hopefully if anybody that's struggling hears this, maybe they'll open up themselves." Hargrove said. "I have to get it out, I have to express it one way or another. And it's working. It keeps me on the right track. It keeps my mind down. It keeps the stress low and anxiety low."
Hargrove lost both of his parents by the time he was 9. His mother died of AIDS. His father died in a fire. He spent teenage years in Florida, excelled in football at Port Charlotte High School and went on to Georgia Tech, where he performed well enough to get the attention of pro scouts before flunking out.
At 26 years old, he still could have a number of productive season ahead if he doesn't slip up off the field. His teammates are well aware of his past problems and are pulling for him.
"It is an uplifting story to see how in no way does he deny his past or shy away from it," Saints right tackle Jon Stinchcomb said. "It's not a point of pride, but it's also something that he openly will recognize, that he's made some bad choices. ... It's good for most of the guys in this locker room to see somebody who has fallen and get back up and try to do things the right way."
This Sunday, Hargrove will return to St. Louis, the place where he saw his first NFL snaps, and where his life began to spiral out of control just when he was getting his first taste of stardom.
Hargrove said he still feels like he let those old teammates down. Some of them, like defensive end Leonard Little, running back Steven Jackson and quarterback Marc Bulger, still play for the Rams. Hargrove said he is looking forward to seeing them.
"I'll probably cry," Hargrove said. "I get to see some of the faces that was there when I was and put a little more closure to some of these things. ... Once I finally say hi and get a few hugs in, it will settle a lot of things."
-- Brett Martel
Knapp sacked: Seahawks' running game is stalled
RENTON, Wash. — Greg Knapp was having a San Francisco flashback. The former assistant to Steve Mariucci and George Seifert thought he was coaching another one of Steve Young's aerial circuses with the old 49ers.
Seattle's first-year offensive coordinator was dutifully trying to follow last weekend's plan for the Seahawks to run the ball as much as throw it.
Then, down 17-0 in the first quarter against Detroit, head coach Jim Mora gave his play caller a clear order:
"Pass the ball!"
Knapp complied. He called 51 throws for Matt Hasselbeck, even though the three-time Pro Bowl passer has broken ribs and a sore shoulder. Hasselbeck completed a team-record 39 of them in a 32-20 comeback win that would have made pass-happy former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren proud.
The fact that was the only way Seattle could beat the lowly Lions amplified how rocky the transition has been from Holmgren's high-flying schemes to Knapp's ground-based approach.
For eight consecutive seasons, from San Francisco to Atlanta to even woebegone Oakland, Knapp's offenses finished in the league's top 10 in rushing. But now he's in Seattle, where offensive linemen get seriously injured and backs seem to run in place.
The Seahawks are ranked 30th in rushing going into Sunday's divisional game at Arizona, averaging just 84.5 yards per game. Things are so bad, Seattle gave starting running back Julius Jones a game ball after he rushed for 36 yards on 16 carries. The screen pass has become Seattle's best running play.
Call it Knapp's nadir.
"No, I don't take it personally," Knapp said Wednesday. "There's been too many interchangeable parts. I've got to be patient. It's going to take time, especially with everybody that's been hurt."
Seattle has been missing three-fifths of its starting offensive line for much of the season. The entire left side of the line is gone. Six-time All-Pro tackle Walter Jones is on injured reserve. Guard Mike Wahle failed a physical and was released before training camp started. The Seahawks are down to their fifth option at left tackle, Kansas City castoff Damion McIntosh.
Eight different players have run the ball this season. That includes Edgerrin James, the former Cardinal whom Seattle released last week after he averaged just 2.7 yards per carry backing up Jones.
"And keep in mind, it's a new system," Knapp said of his zone-blocking schemes.
Instead of being asked to take a defender out of a hole with sustained drive blocks, Seahawks linemen are now basically getting in the way of any defender who comes into an assigned area. It's then up to the ball carrier to make a quick assessment, cut once and go.
Former Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis used the system to win championships with Denver a decade ago. But, as Seahawks fullback Justin Griffith noted, those Broncos had something these Seahawks do not: continuity on offense.
Griffith was the Falcons' fullback for Knapp and Mora when all three were in Atlanta from 2004-06. He said the same linemen working with the same backs in recognizing defenses each week is the key to Knapp's running game.
"If you can't recognize defenses, you'll be blocking the wrong guys all day," Griffith said. "It's going to take time. We just need to keep grinding. I know statistically it doesn't look like it, but we're getting there."
Asked how long it has taken his new system to take hold with the 49ers, Falcons and Raiders, Knapp just chuckled.
"Well, everybody being healthy, having the same running backs on the field ..." he said, smiling, "it would take probably two-thirds of the way into the season to feel good with it."
Seattle is facing its last chance to rejoin the NFC West race. A win at Arizona would put the Seahawks just a game out of first place. A loss would put them three games back with seven games left.
When these teams last met, the Seahawks rushed 11 times for just 14 yards on Oct. 18. The Cardinals went on to sack Hasselbeck five times and held Seattle to its lowest point total in a home game in seven years while winning 27-3.
"Certainly we want to be able to run the football, I think in order to have sustained success in this league, you have to be able to run the football. You know Greg and my history together, in running the football, so it's something we take seriously," Mora said.
-- Gregg Bell
Boldin says he's 'moved on' after comments Sunday
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona wide receiver Anquan Boldin says he's "moved on" after Sunday's critical comments directed at coach Ken Whisenhunt and his staff.
Boldin said he has no regrets about those comments.
"I said what I had to say and I'm done with it," Boldin said on Wednesday. "For me, it's not even an issue. That was Sunday and I've moved on."
The three-time Pro Bowl receiver was held out of Sunday's 41-21 victory at Chicago because of a sprained right ankle and complained afterward that "no one was man enough" to tell him he was inactive.
He said he felt good enough to play and only found out he wasn't when he returned to his locker after warmups and discovered his gear was gone.
Whisenhunt said after the game that he told Boldin he would not be playing shortly after the inactive list was submitted.
The coach did not want to revisit the incident.
"I have no issues with Anquan," Whisenhunt said. "He's a good football player and I'm just glad to see him back out there practicing today."
Boldin was a full participant in practice on Wednesday and Whisenhunt said he expected him to play in Sunday's home game against Seattle.
"My injury's fine. It's not even an injury," Boldin said. "I'm feeling great. I can make every cut without hesitation, so I'm good."
Boldin injured his ankle on Oct. 11 in the Cardinals' 28-21 victory over Houston. He still played in the subsequent games against Seattle and the New York Giants, but took a direct hit on the ankle Nov. 1 in Arizona's home loss to Carolina.
He sat out practice last Wednesday and Thursday but was able to go on a limited basis in last Friday's workout. Whisenhunt said he decided to sit Boldin because of the soft conditions of the turf in Chicago, which he felt could lead to aggravating the ankle injury.
Boldin's post-game criticism was just the latest in a series of issues for the receiver, who remains upset that Arizona has not signed him to a new contract, something he insists management promised to do. He has one more year after this season left on his deal.
Boldin has been plagued by injuries, including the nasty facial fracture that came at the end of last year's loss to the New York Jets. The injury required reconstructive surgery, but he only missed one game.
Boldin also injured a hamstring during a 71-yard touchdown pass play in the first-round playoff victory over Atlanta and sat out the team's second-round win at Carolina.
Then came the NFC championship game, when he had a nationally televised shouting match with then-offensive coordinator Todd Haley on the sidelines because he was not in the game during what turned out to be Arizona's winning touchdown drive. He immediately left that game, not celebrating with his teammates.
Against Carolina this season, Boldin broke Larry Centers' franchise record for career receptions. Afterward, he said the record doesn't mean anything to him.
Despite his off-field attitude, Boldin has played with his usual effort and intensity. No one has accused him of letting his feelings toward the organization affect his performance on the field.
"Anybody who plays football risks injury," Boldin said. "Every play you're out there risking not only injury but your life. That's just football. You have to take the bumps and bruises and get back as quickly as possible, and that's what I try to do whenever I'm injured."
The 29-year-old receiver, in his seventh season with Arizona, disputes the notion that his hard-nosed style makes him more susceptible to injuries, a perception that could affect the Cardinals' or any other team's desire to sign him to the big-money, long-term deal he desires.
"People always have an opinion, no matter how you play the game," he said. "People talked about Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce for sliding on the turf, not taking hits. Guys that do mix it up a little bit, people have a problem with that. You just have to be you. I'm comfortable with who I am. I'm comfortable with the way I play the game, and that won't change."
-- Bob Baum
Singletary not focused on facing former team
SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Singletary became a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears during a 12-year career spent all with the same club. Photos of Singletary and his Monsters of the Midway brethren still hang in the linebackers meeting room, reminders of the Bears' special 1985 Super Bowl season.
"He's obviously one of the great leaders to walk these halls," Chicago linebacker Lance Briggs said.
For Singletary, this is no time to turn nostalgic.
He would rather not reflect too much on his time with the Bears. He has few ties there anymore and finding a way to beat his former team is all he can think about right now.
Singletary's 49ers (3-5) are desperate to get back on track, mired in a four-game losing streak that dropped them two games out of first place in the NFC West after they led the division only a month ago and were talking playoffs.
"The Bears will always be a team that I love," Singletary said. "The Bears, so many friends, family, memories, that goes without saying. ... I'm glad this is not the first time I am playing the Bears because that would be tough. Now that I have played them a couple times, it's just a matter of going out there and competing against a good football team and trying to do the best I can."
Singletary's goals for his team haven't changed, but it will take an impressive climb to get back in the postseason mix. Singletary liked how his offense played aside from the costly mistakes.
He still believes the 49ers will pull out of this funk, and be better having gone through it.
"In these moments, this is when I am at my best because in these situations you just have to rise above and you have to put your best foot forward," Singletary said. "You have to be positive. You have to look at where things are and just call it what it is. I can't get lost in the reality of the four losses. It's not something that you want."
The Bears (4-4) are trying to find their way, too, following a 41-21 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Both teams had little time to game plan with the quick turnaround.
Chicago's defense was exposed.
"We're in need of a real attitude adjustment," Briggs said.
San Francisco's offense was sloppy. Quarterback Alex Smith threw three interceptions, including two in the final 6:24 of a 34-27 home loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He also was sacked four times.
Smith is eager to get the offense back on track, but the Bears are certain to be fired up after Niners tight end Vernon Davis did some trash-talking.
"I think we can destroy their front," Davis said Tuesday. "The guys up front, I think we can destroy them. I don't see anything spectacular about their front line."
Davis, a captain, later felt the need to explain his comments via his twitter account.
"I know people are talking about what I said today. I wasn't trying to take a shot at the Bears. I was showing confidence in my team," he wrote.
Singletary would be happy about that, just probably not the way Davis did it.
It was while Singletary still lived in the Windy City that, after a lot of soul searching and prayer, he decided he did want to become a coach after all. He had to leave his adopted city to make it happen, but not before Singletary called the Bears first to see if they happened to have an opening.
"When I knew we were going to be coaching, the thing that I did was I called Dick Jauron, who was then at the Bears, the head coach," Singletary said. "And, I told Dick Jauron exactly this: 'Coach, my wife and I prayed about it, we've decided that we're going to be coaching. I'm not asking you for a job, but I am telling you that this year, in the very near future, I will be coaching. I don't know where, don't know when.' And, that was it."
When Jauron called back some time later to say they didn't have a position for him, Singletary accepted a job as inside linebackers coach in Baltimore working for Brian Billick in 2003. And that's where he stayed until coming to San Francisco to join former coach Mike Nolan's staff in 2005.
"He just let me know that I'm not supposed to be there," Singletary said of Jauron, now coaching the Buffalo Bills. "So that was it."
Not that Singletary is forgotten in Chicago. Quarterback Jay Cutler has said he was a Bears fan as a little boy even back to the time when Singletary was still playing.
Bears defensive tackle Anthony Adams, a former 49er who played for Singletary, knows the coach will be ready.
"It will be big for him," Adams said. "He was always telling us how the Niners would always find a way to beat them. He said it always seemed like Joe Montana and them just had his number. Now for him to be a part of it is kind of different, but he accepted the challenge."
While Singletary doesn't want to get caught up in the hype of him facing his old team, the Bears have other things to think about as well.
They still consider themselves a playoff team.
"We have to be able to bounce back, show some toughness, band together as a team and try to get a win on the road," defensive back Nathan Vasher said.
-- Janie McCauley
Harvin's fast, but Vikings rookie plays tough, too
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Percy Harvin was picked in the first round by the Minnesota Vikings primarily for his versatility and exceptional speed. Turns out the kid from Florida is plenty tough, too.
Harvin has five touchdowns — three on passes and two on kickoff returns — in eight games. He has 28 receptions for 369 yards, eight carries for another 39 yards and his average of 30.7 yards per kickoff return ranks second in the NFL behind Miami's Ted Ginn.
Because of a positive drug test before the draft, Harvin dropped to the No. 22 selection, allowing Minnesota to get him.
"I believe I was put on this team for a reason," he said.
Here's what impresses the Vikings the most, however: He has the instincts to adjust his routes on the fly, and he's not afraid to lower his head and run straight up the middle with the kickoff teams sprinting full tilt toward him for the tackle.
"As I say, he's not afraid to die," coach Brad Childress said.
"Just run through the smoke and come out the other end," special teams coordinator Brian Murphy said.
Harvin is proud of the way he doesn't "dance around" when he begins his returns and approaches the pack.
"That's just been part of my game since I was little. I'm not afraid of contact. If I see a hole, I'm going to hit it whether I get hit or not," he said.
Harvin has also made several catches in traffic, his left shoulder taking enough of a pounding to land him on the injury report multiple times.
Then there was the enduring image of Brett Favre's first month with the team, when the old quarterback celebrated his first Vikings touchdown pass by running to the end zone and body-slamming the recipient, Harvin, to the turf.
"He's built like a running back," Favre said, referring to Harvin's 5-foot-11, 185-pound frame. "He plays like he's 6-5."
The Vikings (7-1) host Detroit (1-7) this Sunday. Harvin had a touchdown reception in the win over the Lions in September, though coach Jim Schwartz was pleased his kickoff coverage team was able to keep him from any long returns.
"But he was maybe one tackle away from busting a long one," Schwartz said on a conference call with the Minnesota media. "He has that potential on every play. When teams choose not to punt to you or kick to you, it's a sign of respect. It's a sign of how explosive a player you are. Very few people in this league reach that status. He's a rookie, but he's reached that status."
Schwartz didn't express surprise about Harvin's willingness to get hit, either.
"We evaluated him hard for the draft. There was even a possibility of playing him at running back, which he did at Florida a bunch of times," Schwartz said. "He lined up at quarterback, he lined up at running back, he lined up at wide receiver. Multidimensional player. You can't do those types of things if you're not tough, if you're not strong. It's one thing to be fast, but to be a running back and carry the ball inside like he has in the past, you have to be tough."
From all accounts, Harvin has picked up the offense quickly. He was rarely yelled at by coaches during training camp while reporters are allowed to watch the entire practice, and Childress credited Harvin for his ability to grasp the responsibilities receivers have in Minnesota's version of the West Coast offense.
Receivers coach George Stewart has helped, as has Favre.
"You might have a 10-yard route, but obviously if somebody is standing there you want to cut it down to 8 or not get contact," said Harvin, who also called Favre "the king" at advising how and when to adjust a route.
Despite their 19-year difference in age, Harvin and Favre have clicked.
"I told him from day one: 'Hey, you're not a rookie. Don't play like it. Don't buy into it,'" Favre said. "He can run. He's strong. Good hands. All that can help, but you've got to have wherewithal to make plays when plays are not there. He's got it."
Favre cited his long throw to Harvin in the Green Bay game against heavy coverage. Favre credited Harvin for jumping in front of the defenders and turning what could've been a bad decision into a 51-yard touchdown.
"Percy made me look good," Favre said.
-- Dave Campbell
Favre says he thinks his groin injury will be fine
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The latest injury Brett Favre must fight to maintain his record durability streak is a pulled groin muscle. Back from his bye week, Favre said he believes he'll be fine.
Favre said he was hurt in practice while rolling out during a drill two weeks ago and aggravated the injury in pregame warmups at Green Bay on Nov. 1. The Vikings didn't play last week, giving their 40-year-old quarterback extra time to heal.
"It was a concern for the game. I made it through. With a week's rest I think I'll be fine," Favre said Wednesday. "But I'm not going to make it a bigger issue than it is. It's kind of a new thing for me. To play 18 some-odd years and not have anything like that that probably worried me more than anything. But I think I'll be fine."
Favre said the injury bothered him during the Packers game, but "not as bad" as he feared it might. He told coach Brad Childress, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson to be ready in case he couldn't finish the game.
"I didn't want to have to go into every drive or leave the huddle and say, 'I have to play a little bit cautious this way,' or 'I hope I can get this handoff out there,'" Favre said.
Favre has seemed to relish the wounded warrior persona throughout his career, and he sure didn't appear affected by the injury in Green Bay. He threw four touchdown passes in Minnesota's 38-26 victory.
"I feel pretty good, mentally and physically. Not great, but I don't know too many guys that would say that," Favre said.
Favre has been on the injury report a few times this season for other body parts, but so far he has held up relatively well after having offseason surgery to fix a partially torn biceps in his throwing arm.
With four more games, Favre will pass former Vikings defensive lineman Jim Marshall and set the NFL record for a non-kicker with 283 consecutive regular season games played.
"You have to have muscles to pull them," Favre said with a smirk. "Either that's a sign of old age or I'm developing muscles for the first time in my career."
Favre was listed as a limited participant in practice on the injury report, citing both his hip and his groin. Before the bye, Childress said the groin and hip issues were connected.
The Vikings (7-1) host Detroit (1-7) on Sunday.
Cornerback Antoine Winfield's status is unclear for the game. For the first time since hurting his right foot on Oct. 18, Winfield was in full gear at the beginning of practice while reporters were allowed to watch. He wasn't present at the end.
"Just a matter of giving him more each day," Childress said.
-- Dave Campbell
Rookie QB Freeman keeping success in perspective
TAMPA, Fla. — Rookie quarterback Josh Freeman was everything the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hoped for in his first NFL start.
Humble, resourceful and, of course, victorious. Coaches and teammates were impressed by his composure, too.
"He didn't let anything get to him," linebacker Barrett Ruud said of the first-round draftee's three touchdown, one interception performance while leading a come-from-behind win over Green Bay.
"If you had seen him after the game, I think if he had thrown four interceptions he would have been the same way," Ruud added. "He's not too up, he's not too down. It's a great mentality for a quarterback to have."
Now, the 17th pick in the draft faces the challenge of building on the success that produced Tampa Bay's first win of the season when the Bucs (1-7) go on the road against the Miami Dolphins (3-5).
The 21-year-old threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to overcome an 11-point deficit against the Packers and realizes the solid numbers he posted in his first full game since leaving Kansas State after his junior year heightened expectations for the rest of the season.
"People want to hear a promise that you're going to go out and throw for this many touchdowns every week, but realistically you can't promise that," Freeman said Wednesday. "All I can promise is that I'm going to study, game plan and work as hard as can to get ready to play the next game."
On the way to joining Steve Young (1985) and Shaun King (1999) as the only rookie quarterbacks in Bucs history to win their first starts, Freeman completed 14 of 31 passes for 205 yards.
He was sacked once and described his only interception as "definitely uncalled for."
"I have a lot of things to work on from a perspective of consistency, but we have a lot to build off of," Freeman said. "All I'm happy with is we got the win."
Bucs coach Raheem Morris said the rookie was the "same even keeled steady person" he's known since Freeman was a freshman at Kansas State and Morris was the defensive coordinator there in 2006.
Freeman led a comeback for his first college win, using his mobility to his advantage, much the way he hurt the Packers by moving around and making big plays down the field. That's something the Bucs lacked for seven weeks with Byron Leftwich and Josh Johnson at quarterback.
"That's what big-time quarterbacks do. They keep their eyes downfield, even when they break the pocket, always looking for the big play," Morris said.
"He threw some shots down the field scrambling to his left, scrambling to his right. ... It as just a good start for him. We have to keep building and keep growing, and obviously patience is still going to be a virtue with him."
Thanks to Tampa Bay's bye, Freeman had two weeks to get ready for Green Bay. He'll face Miami with a normal week's preparation and anticipates the Dolphins will try to pressure him more than the Packers did.
"You never know what you're going to get until you get to the game. You just prepare for the worst and roll with the punches," Freeman said, adding that he's excited about starting on the road for the first time.
"I just play my game. I'll study as much as I can, try to learn Miami's defense as well as I can and try to go out and play as well as I can. ... I'm just worried about winning games, finding a way. Whether it's pretty or whether it's ugly, I don't care. I just want to win."
-- Fred Goodall
Injury produces opportunity for Panthers' Johnson
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Landon Johnson came to Carolina armed with a big contract and a gaudy resume.
Twenty months and 24 games later, Johnson likely will finally get the opportunity to start full-time — by default — after the season-ending knee injury to weakside linebacker Thomas Davis.
For Johnson, who led Cincinnati in tackles in three of his first four pro seasons, it's a chance to jump-start a once promising career.
"When I got here, for whatever reason, I just didn't play up to my expectations," Johnson said Wednesday. "It was tough. It was really the first time that I hadn't started ever since I played football.
"My heart goes out to Thomas getting hurt. But I have an opportunity to go out and play well."
Signing the 6-foot-2, 232-pound Johnson to a three-year, $10 million free-agent deal in March 2008 was one of the biggest moves for the Panthers before last season. The Panthers were impressed with his versatility — he started at all three linebacker spots in the Bengals' 4-3 defense — and he was coming off a career-high 143 tackles in 2007.
Johnson was expected to replace aging Na'il Diggs at one of the outside linebacker spots, teaming with Davis and Jon Beason to give Carolina a young unit that would stay together for years.
Instead, Diggs easily kept his job and Johnson sunk to near oblivion. He played almost exclusively on special teams and was even a healthy scratch for a late-season game against Atlanta.
Johnson finished with seven tackles in 15 games.
"There are no excuses for it," Johnson said. "I didn't go out there and perform as well as I would have liked to."
Johnson, who received a $3 million signing bonus, had to take a pay cut last offseason to keep his job and help get the Panthers under the salary cap. He didn't challenge for a starting spot in training camp and didn't record a tackle on defense in the first five games.
But when Davis was sidelined with a strained hamstring, Johnson started on Oct. 25 against Buffalo and had 10 tackles. Davis returned the next week, but he was lost for the season Sunday against New Orleans when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
The coaches have credited Davis with 71 tackles, second on the team to Beason's 80. Davis also had two interceptions and two sacks.
"He was, obviously, playing very, very well," coach John Fox said. "He was one of our better football players on defense without a doubt. He'll be missed. But we'll have to have somebody step in and carry his shoes, and everybody else will have to pick it up around him."
The 28-year-old Johnson can't match Davis' speed, but he showed in Cincinnati that he has a knack for being around the ball. He had 20 tackles and a sack in a game against Pittsburgh as a rookie. Although injuries forced him to bounce between positions with the Bengals, the weakside linebacker spot he's moving into is his favorite.
"It's what I've played the most coming up from high school," Johnson said. "But when it comes down to it, linebacker is linebacker. The reads are a little different from which position you are. But it's still running and hitting and trying to get to the ball."
-- Mike Cranston
