NFL Feature Capsules - AFC: Fisher: Chance to scratch Seattle off winless list
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Jeff Fisher missed his chance to beat San Diego for the first time. Now the NFL's longest-tenured coach has a chance to beat the only other team in the league he has yet to conquer.
Just call him winless vs. Seattle.
Fisher lost his sixth straight game to San Diego 42-17 on Christmas night. In a scheduling quirk, he takes his Titans (7-8) to Seattle (5-10) for Sunday's finale having lost each of the five games he's coached against the Seahawks.
"I wasn't aware of it until someone brought it up this week," Fisher said Thursday. "They're just the next opponent. We're hoping to go up there and find a way to win it."
A win puts the Titans at 8-8, giving Fisher at least eight wins in 11 of his 15 full seasons. That also would give Fisher a victory over 30 of the NFL's 32 teams.
Fisher hasn't had that many opportunities against the Seahawks. Sunday will be the first time he's taken his team to Seattle in this series since 1998. Each of Fisher's losses have been decided by a touchdown or less, four by 11 points total.
"Even before I got here, it was a difficult place to play," Fisher said. "It was difficult when I was with Philadelphia or San Francisco or the Rams. ... They had some good teams. I remember close games, but I don't remember specifics."
Fisher was the interim coach of the then-Houston Oilers when Seattle handed them a 16-14 loss Dec. 11, 1994, in the Astrodome. Then Fisher took his team to Seattle each of the next three seasons. The Seahawks won by a touchdown in 1996 when Michael McCrary blocked Al Del Greco's field goal that was returned for the winning margin; pulled it out by a field goal in 1997; and kicked the decisive field goal in winning 20-18 in 1998.
Titans center Kevin Mawae played for Seattle between 1994 and 1997 and remembers that winning play.
"That was pretty cool," Mawae said.
Not even being at home has helped Fisher. The Titans scored 24 straight points, but blew a 14-point lead when the visiting Seahawks rallied and won 28-24 in Nashville on Dec. 18, 2005.
Tight end Bo Scaife was a rookie on that team. He doesn't believe anyone is thinking of the team's past failures in Seattle, not with finishing at 8-8 within reach after an 0-6 start.
"We know we're a good team. We don't care who we play. We'll play whoever," Scaife said.
The Titans will have some fans in the stands Sunday. Left tackle Michael Roos is from Vancouver, Wash., and estimates 30 friends and family will be on hand. He used his bye week last season to visit Qwest Field for the Seahawks' game with Green Bay.
"It is a loud stadium, from what I remember last year being at that game. Granted, it's the last game of the year. They have a good fan base, and I'm sure it'll be full," Roos said.
It's not just Fisher who has struggled against the Seahawks. This franchise is 1-6 in visits to Seattle, with that lone win back in 1977. Good thing realignment moved the Seahawks from the AFC West to the NFC West.
Fisher said not necessarily. He points to the team's road record since 1995 of 63-56-0 — tied with Pittsburgh for third best in the NFL — as proof of being able to win away from home. The Titans are 2-5 on the road this season.
"It's a challenge for us, but there's no one on this roster that remembers what happened back then. Plus, I think we've got a better team," Fisher said.
NOTES: Mawae was a second-round draft pick by Seattle in 1994. He said it would be ironic if this is his final NFL game, but the 16-year veteran, on track to start each game this season, said he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon. His contract is up after this season, and Mawae said he hopes to return to the Titans after playing for an offense ranked second in rushing and third in sacks allowed per pass play.
Jets' running game expects tough test from Bengals
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Rex Ryan sees a lot of his own team in the Cincinnati Bengals.
A tough running offense? Check. A solid offensive line? Check. A stifling defense? Yep, check there, too.
"We're mirror images of each other, so it's going to be an old-fashioned, knockdown, dragout," the New York Jets coach said Thursday. "This is going to be a man-on-man type challenge."
The Jets are ranked No. 1 in the NFL in overall rushing, and have relied on the run more than any team in the league with their 550 attempts. They expect to stick to that game plan against the Bengals on Sunday night, despite the fact Cincinnati has the NFL's No. 2 defense against the run.
"Watching those guys on film, they play together and they don't ever miss tackles, that's the big thing," fullback Tony Richardson said. "They have a great scheme and what happens is they shut down teams' run and teams are forced to throw the football."
The Bengals are without playmaking rookie linebacker Rey Maualuga for the rest of the season with a broken ankle, but they have allowed just 87.7 yards rushing per game. Only two players — Cleveland's Jerome Harrison and Kansas City's Jamaal Charles — have rushed for 100 yards against them.
"For us, we need to stay patient and keep running," Richardson said, "and realize we might get 1 yard here, 3 yards there or a negative run, but we've got to continue to stay the course."
After all, that approach has gotten the Jets (8-7) to this point, where they'll make the playoffs for the first time since 2006 with a win.
Ryan promised a "Ground-and-Pound" approach when he was hired as coach, and he wasn't kidding. Behind one of the most consistent offensive lines in the league, New York is averaging 166.6 yards rushing per game. The Jets' 2,499 yards rushing are second-most in franchise history.
"We're an all-terrain type of offense," right tackle Damien Woody said. "We can play anywhere. You could put us in the Sahara Desert and we can go get it in."
Thomas Jones has led the way with 1,324 yards rushing, which ranks him fourth in the league. He's also just 12 yards away from surpassing his career high set in 2005 with Chicago.
"It would mean a lot," said Jones, who has been one of the NFL's most efficient running backs over the last five years. "Obviously, being 31 and a lot of people say, 'Hey, you're on the decline the older you get,' to me, I feel like I'm getting better and better each week and better and better each year."
Jones has a career-high seven 100-yard rushing games this season, including 105 yards against Indianapolis last week. His 304 carries are 11 shy of topping his best. Not bad for a guy about whom many wondered if he'd be able to even approach last season's success, when he led the AFC with 1,312 yards rushing.
"I think my first couple of years in Arizona, not getting that many carries, is paying off now on the back end for me physically," said Jones, a first-round pick of the Cardinals in 2000.
The Jets are also making sure he's not too overworked. Both Jones and Richardson have each gotten one day off from practice the last two weeks. Despite the big numbers, Jones was not selected for the Pro Bowl, although he's a first alternate.
"I play to win a Super Bowl," he said. "To me, that's the ultimate goal."
The success the Jets have had on the ground is made even more impressive by the fact the speedy and shifty Leon Washington was lost for the season after just seven games. Rookie Shonn Greene, the team's third-round pick out of Iowa, has received more carries lately and shown signs of being a possible eventual successor to Jones.
"I'm feeling good and getting more and more comfortable with the offense and everything," Greene said.
He had 95 yards rushing on 16 carries against the Colts, and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Greene and Jones will likely split carries Sunday.
"We feel really good about both guys," Schottenheimer said. "The philosophy's been to let them both get carries and whoever's the hot guy, goes."
Richardson has also been a major factor in the team's success on the ground, plowing the way for a 1,000-yard rusher for the eighth time in his career.
"He doesn't have the stats, but that's not what he's about," Greene said. "He's an extension of our offensive line and gets us going."
At 38 and in his 15th season, Richardson hasn't decided on his future beyond this season — only that he wants to help the Jets run into the postseason.
"I love this football team and I'd love to be a part of it for another year or so, so we just kind of have to see what happens," Richardson said. "A lot of those decisions are made upstairs, but I think they understand where my heart is. I want to make the playoffs."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Coach calls out Broncos' inconsistent O-line
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos coach Josh McDaniels called out his offensive line, holding them accountable for Denver's troubles running the ball.
Their response to the reproach? Silence.
The Broncos offensive linemen prefer to keep their mouths zipped out of concern for their wallets. If they do talk, they fine each other. When they don't, they subject themselves to NFL fines. Talk about a dilemma.
They were especially reticent to chat this week after McDaniels again defended his running backs by blaming the blockers for the lack of production. The team is averaging 4.2 yards per carry heading into the season finale Sunday against Kansas City.
It's a pedestrian number for a franchise that hasn't finished with an average that low since 2001.
"If we're not winning the line of scrimmage, like I said before, it doesn't matter what back you have, doesn't matter who you're handing the ball to, you're not going to do a whole lot," said McDaniels, whose team is teetering on the edge of playoff elimination after a 6-0 start. "I'm not taking blame off the backs because they certainly can do a better job of reading certain plays and all the rest of that, but it starts with what we do up front."
It's been a long time since a coach in Denver called out his offensive line.
So, what do they have to say about all this?
Chris Kuper announced he wasn't talking.
Russ Hochstein insisted he would answer no football questions.
Ben Hamilton promised to talk next week.
And Ryan Clady said he had to go get treatment.
That left offensive line coach Rick Dennison to explain the inconsistent play in a conference call Thursday — the Broncos don't have their assistants meet face-to-face with reporters.
"As an offense, we need to do a better job," Dennison said. "That's a group thing, an entire offense in my opinion. We're coaching them up, they're accepting the coaching and they're working hard at it."
Granted, the line has been dinged up this season with only Clady and center Casey Wiegmann starting every game this season, a year after the entire starting unit played all 16 games.
The Broncos also had to place two starters on injured reserve. Right tackle Ryan Harris (toe) was lost for the season in early December, while Hochstein, who supplanted Hamilton at midseason, was lost to a knee injury last week.
Undrafted second-year pro Tyler Polumbus has taken over for Harris, and Hamilton's back in the lineup with Hochstein out.
McDaniels acknowledges those could all be factors in the struggles on the offensive front.
"Any time you're working that closely together and you're counting on one another, you know, it does affect things," McDaniels said. "That's not an excuse for us. I don't think anybody would use it as an excuse. We still have to do well."
The Broncos have relied on rookie running back Knowshon Moreno to carry the bulk of the workload this season. The first-round pick leads all rookies in yards rushing (897) and yards from scrimmage (1,062), although he has yet to top 100 yards in any game and owns just two runs over 20 yards.
His counterpart, Correll Buckhalter, is averaging 5.5 yards a carry, but has been plagued by injuries.
"Until we win the line of scrimmage, which we've done this year a number of times, you're not going to run the ball very well. That's just the bottom line," McDaniels said.
The last time the Broncos dominated the line of scrimmage was against the Chiefs four weeks ago, when they rushed for a season-best 245 yards.
"We've done some really good things in the running game, had some really great days this year," McDaniels said. "And it's kind of been some inconsistencies. And there's no real one thing, you know what I mean? ... It's that we've got to be more consistent with everything we're doing."
Clady has been quite consistent for Denver, earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl this week. He arguably could've gone last season as a rookie, too. He was that solid, allowing only a half sack all year.
He was advised that the media would want to talk to him after he made the Pro Bowl and he agreed. But when reporters gathered around, he dodged them just like the rest of his linemates had.
"He's not afraid to say anything. He just doesn't say very much," Dennison insisted. "I called him up to congratulate him (on the Pro Bowl) and he was watching TV. Then he wanted to get back to his TV."
-- Pat Graham
Harrison breaking tackles, records for Browns
BEREA, Ohio — The shortest Browns player has raised his profile.
Generously listed at 5-foot-9, Jerome Harrison has been told he's too small to play football for as long as he can remember.
"I've heard that all my life," he said, "and I've been scoring touchdowns my whole life. Opinions and thoughts don't define me. Just put in the tape and watch me. Then you can make your opinion."
The current consensus on Harrison is that he's Cleveland's best running back.
The other overriding sentiment running around town is: Where's he been?
Harrison has rushed for 434 yards on 73 carries the past two weeks, out-of-the-blue performances that brought into question why the Browns, whose 32nd-ranked offense has struggled most of the season, didn't try to use the shifty four-year veteran more earlier in the season.
Two weeks ago in Kansas City, Harrison ran 34 times for 286 yards — the third-most in NFL history — to break Hall of Famer Jim Brown's single-game team mark. He followed that up with 148 yards last week against Oakland while setting a club record with 39 tries — one more than Lee Suggs' team record and two more than Brown ever attempted.
Harrison showed he could withstand the pounding, even though he joked that he felt like a busted pinata.
"I'm good now," Harrison said Thursday as the Browns prepared for their season finale against Jacksonville. "I can move a little bit. I took care of my body well this week — a lot of cold tub, hot tub and massages. When the season's over I won't move for about two weeks. I'll just lay in bed and sleep and rest. I feel all right. I really do."
While he's been a workhorse lately, Harrison was a forgotten man for a large chunk of the season. Nicknamed "The Ghost" while running for 1,900 yards in 2005 at Washington State, Harrison was nearly invisible.
In Week 4, starting in place of an injured Jamal Lewis, Harrison had 29 carries for 129 yards against Cincinnati. Over the next seven games, he had just 23 carries and was inactive when the Browns visited the Detroit Lions on Nov. 22.
The second time he faced the Bengals, Harrison was handed the ball twice.
It was around that time that Harrison said he had a "good conversation" with Browns coach Eric Mangini. Harrison was not blocking as well as he needed to on blitzes, and his effort in practice was not up to Mangini's demanding standards.
Harrison took Mangini's words to heart.
"It was just two grown men getting on the same page," he said. "We were working in the same direction. It just wasn't in the same lane, but we were both pushing for the right thing so we just sat and talked. We just cleared up the little bit of misconception that we had. We have a great relationship. I like the guy and everything is working."
While Harrison's size may have been a factor to the colleges that recruited him or the NFL teams that passed him up in the draft, he has made the most of his natural gifts.
In a game of giants, sometimes it pays to be closer to the ground.
"There are some advantages to being smaller," Harrison said. "It's hard to see me when I'm running behind Joe Thomas. He's 6-4 and huge. I'm a little guy. It has its advantage."
This week, Harrison will be on the field with another of the NFL's best "little" backs, Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew, a 5-foot-7, 208-pound battering ram.
The two squared off in college and Jones-Drew remembers Harrison doing damage against his alma mater.
"He tore UCLA up for 280, 290 (yards)," Jones-Drew said. "I've known Jerome for a while and he's been a great back. Playmakers come in all shapes and sizes and a lot of people are starting to know that. He's running the ball like I know he can and he knows he can.
"He's definitely made a mark for himself in this league. People should recognize that playmakers don't have to be tall receivers. They can just be a playmaker. They can be short, big, tall, skinny, whatever. You know they're going to make plays."
Jones-Drew can count Harrison among his, um, biggest admirers.
"My favorite running backs are guys like Jones-Drew, (Darren) Sproles, LaDainian (Tomlinson) — smaller backs, guys people say are too small. Then they go and perform at the level they perform at in the NFL, you have to respect that. I really appreciate and respect what they're doing."
Like Harrison's recent yardage stats, the respect for him is growing too.
The Browns (4-11) have won three straight games, primarily behind a running game that has churned up an average of more than 160 yards in three consecutive games for the first time since 1978.
Quarterback Derek Anderson doesn't expect things to change this week against Jacksonville (7-8).
"We'll stay on the same page with the things we've been doing offensively, control the ball and make good decisions," Anderson said, before nodding with affection toward Harrison.
"And let the little dog run."
-- Tom Harrison
