NFL Capsules - AFC: Britt says message received from Fisher to focus
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — When Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher told Kenny Britt that he could be hurting the team, the Titans wide receiver said it shot right through him.
Now Britt says he's focused on work and his personal life won't distract him anymore.
Britt dropped two passes and was flagged for a false start in the Titans' final preseason game, prompting Fisher to bench him. They talked briefly after the game with the coach asking him where his head was and the need for him to clear things up before Sunday's season opener with the Oakland Raiders.
Otherwise, he would be benched to avoid jeopardizing the team.
Britt said Wednesday after practice that the words "just shot me."
"I realized right then and there, 'Yeah, this could really hurt the team, me not being focused out there.' That hurt me. That one game I'm out there and making a fool of myself like I never caught a football a day in my life. Coming in this morning, I was straight focused and straight work."
Britt is talented enough the Titans made the ten 20-year-old the first player ever drafted from Rutgers in the first round. He turns 22 on Sept. 19 and at 6-foot-3 and 215 pound, possibly the best receiver Tennessee has had in years. The Titans expect him to be even better after leading the team with 701 yards receiving.
"You look at his size and strength and his speed and you think of a younger Terrell Owens in my opinion," Titans safety Vincent Fuller said. "He can be as good as he wants to be. The sky's the limit for him."
Britt played in all 16 games as a rookie with six starts. Among all rookies, he ranked seventh in the NFL and third in the AFC with 42 catches and fifth with his 701 yards receiving. Overall, he ranked eighth in the NFL averaging 16.7 yards per catch.
His biggest highlight? A touchdown catch in the back of the end zone as time expired to beat Arizona 20-17. He had a career-best seven catches for 128 yards that day, including a 51-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
Oakland coach Tom Cable called Britt a good player who had a fine rookie season.
"We certainly did look at him. We're very aware of who he is and knew him coming out of college for sure," Cable said.
But Britt had some issues this offseason. He was arrested in January when police found three outstanding traffic warrants from two different New Jersey towns. Britt paid $865 and was released. He was all taped up to hit the field in April when coaches held him out, worried he hadn't worked hard enough to avoid a muscle pull.
During training camp, Britt was late for curfew after being ticketed for driving without a license due to confusion over his misplaced license. Britt said he knows he was up and down this preseason.
Veteran receiver Justin Gage said both he and Nate Washington talk to Britt, reminding him how much they need him and trying to keep him positive.
"It's extremely tough for anybody just coming from college into the NFL. You get more money, then the game becomes more of a business. Everybody's detailed to their position, and you have to learn fast and the game moves a lot faster. ... He's still 21 years old. ... At the same time, we have to teach him this is a business," Gage said.
Britt's son, Aiden, turned 1 on Tuesday back in New Jersey, and the receiver said safety Michael Griffin has been helping him deal with the challenge of having a child in another state. But the receiver also is dealing with distractions from media and people online to even friends and family.
"I've got a lot to prove to the guys in the room and people back home, state of Tennessee period. All the fans going out there and watching is I just want to perform for them," he said.
Fisher not only warned Britt he risked being benched but shared that with reporters. The coach also said they are working with Britt to help him focus better and not dwell on bad plays during a game.
"He finished up strong for us at the end of last year. We just need to create an environment where he can just continue to improve," Fisher said.
NOTES: LB Will Witherspoon was excused for personal reasons, and Fisher said he hopes he's back by Sunday. DT Tony Brown (right knee) and offensive tackle Mike Otto (right knee) did not practice. DE Jacob Ford (back) was limited. LB Colin Allred, expected to start Sunday, was limited by an ankle. But Gage (right thumb) practiced fully along with LG Leroy Harris (ankle).
Jaguars' opener could be huge for franchise
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Having grown up in Jacksonville and having played his entire NFL career in his hometown, Rashean Mathis has a solid grasp on the small-market franchise's recent struggles.
The veteran cornerback keeps track of everything going on in his city and in his locker room. So he knows, maybe better than most, the significance of Sunday's season opener against Denver.
"We can't be naive of the fact that this is one of the most important games in franchise history," Mathis said Wednesday. "To understand that, it doesn't put any added pressure on you. It just makes you want to play well. The ticket sales and all the hype — Are we staying here or are we not staying here? — we know winning helps everything."
Winning might be the only thing that keeps the team in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars have sold nearly every ticket for the opener, a good sign for a franchise that blacked out nine of 10 home games last season. But how much of the draw is for Broncos backup quarterback Tim Tebow, the iconic college star who is expected to make his NFL debut in his hometown?
Regardless, the Jaguars insist they are on the verge of turning things around. They hope to eliminate blackouts and build a fan base that makes the River City a viable NFL market for years to come.
"This place is ready to ignite," coach Jack Del Rio said. "Jacksonville's fired up, and when we go out and play well and they see the type of young men we have battling their butts off, I think they're going to like it. I think this place has a chance to explode."
Although Del Rio's plan sounds good, all the momentum built in Jacksonville this offseason could come to a halt with a poor start on the field. Losing to the underdog Broncos probably would pose a major hurdle for the rest of the season, especially with games following against three teams — San Diego, Philadelphia and Indianapolis — that made the playoffs in 2009.
"It's time for us to get out there and handle our end of the bargain," tight end Marcedes Lewis said.
Added running back Maurice Jones-Drew: "We've got to win the crowd over with our play."
Quarterback David Garrard wasn't quite as eager to put so much emphasis on one game.
"You definitely want to perform in this game," Garrard said. "It's the home opener in front of your home crowd, it's the first game of the season. It's big, but still it's the first game of the season.
"If you go into it thinking it's a playoff game or the last game you'll ever play, then you'll beat yourself up trying to make so many plays and doing things you're not accustomed to doing. You've really got to go in with a level head and be smart about things, and not try to do too much."
Jacksonville has done plenty to increase ticket sales.
The team froze ticket prices the third straight season, offered financing plans and created several incentive packages. A civic group called "Touchdown Jacksonville" stepped in and began a ticket-selling campaign to generate buzz and end speculation about potential relocation.
Majority owner Wayne Weaver even asked NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to visit last month in hopes of making a final push. Goodell met with area business leaders, local politicians, team officials and players, then expressed support for the franchise. But he also hinted that fans need to do more to keep the team in town.
Jacksonville had seven of the league's 20 regular-season blackouts in 2009.
The Jaguars hope to have none in 2010 and avoid a third straight losing season. It starts against the Broncos.
"We're glad to see the city has responded to the national scrutiny over how ticket sales have gone the past couple of seasons," guard Uche Nwaneri said. "We want to give them a better product in return. The coaching staff holds us to a higher standard and we're holding ourselves to a higher standard. It's not going out and hoping we win. It's going out and expecting to win.
"That's how we're looking at it right now and we're hoping the fans are right there with us."
-- Mark Long
Marshall gives young Henne inviting target
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — A sheepish Chad Henne recalls attempting the sort of desperation pass a young college quarterback will try: Under pressure, on his heels, heaving a prayer to a tall teammate in the end zone.
More than once, Braylon Edwards came down with the ball for a Michigan touchdown.
"It would happen a couple of times," Henne says. "But that's not your go-to — off the back foot and throw the ball up."
Still, the same play might be in the Miami Dolphins' playbook, now that Brandon Marshall's on the roster. He's the Dolphins' most talented receiver since Irving Fryar more than 15 years ago, easing Henne's burden entering his first full season as an NFL starter.
Henne knows how to make the most of a big target. In 2004, when he was a freshman and Edwards a senior at Michigan, they connected for 15 touchdowns.
"He was just throwing the ball and giving me a chance," says Edwards, now with the New York Jets. "As a receiver, especially a big receiver, that's all you want your quarterback to do."
Edwards is 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds. Marshall is even bigger at 6-4 and 230, and his knack for snatching the ball from defenders has helped him make the Pro Bowl the past two years.
The Dolphins traded for Marshall to upgrade a corps of wide receivers that totaled six touchdown passes last season. Marshall had 10 with Denver.
For Henne, the new teammate reminds him of Edwards.
"When you've got a big receiver that can jump and go after the ball, it makes it a lot easier for the quarterback," Henne says. "They're both very talented, but I feel Brandon's a little more physical. What I've seen in practice, he's going to be one of the greatest."
There were few glimpses of that potential during the exhibition season. Marshall had no touchdown receptions and dropped several passes.
But without question he upgrades an offense that in recent years has been unable to stretch a defense. The Dolphins' new look will be unveiled in Sunday's opener at Buffalo.
"Brandon Marshall obviously adds another dimension to their offense, and you've got to take account of him on every play," Bills linebacker Chris Kelsay says.
Edwards envisions the Dolphins making the most of Marshall's talent because Henne is willing to take risks and throw jump-ball passes.
"Now he has a guy he can do it with," Edwards says. "When you have a guy with a big body and good hands, an explosive receiver, he'll take chances with him. And I bet nine out of 10 times they're going to come out on the winning side, be it a big catch or a pass interference. I think they're going to be a good tandem."
Henne became the Dolphins' starter in Week 4 last year, after Chad Pennington was sidelined by a season-ending shoulder injury. He passed for 2,878 yards, a team record for a first-year NFL starter, but had only 12 touchdown passes while throwing 14 interceptions.
On too many pass plays, a lackluster corps of receivers left Henne with unappealing options. That was the case at Buffalo, when Henne threw three interceptions and the Dolphins lost 31-14.
Now he has Marshall, who caught more than 100 passes each of the past three seasons.
"He can make Chad better, no question about it, in the area of catching contested balls," coach Tony Sparano says. "Even when Brandon is covered, he's kind of not covered. He can still outmuscle you and go get the ball. His run-after-catch helps make you better. And his presence out there can make you better, because the coverage you can get can open up the field."
Marshall usually draws a double team — and loves it on those rare occasions when he finds himself one on one.
"I get anxious," he says. "I start shaking, and foam comes out of my mouth. It's an exciting feeling. It doesn't come a lot. When it comes, I try to take advantage of it."
So will Henne. The Dolphins hope the third-year pro will become the franchise quarterback they've sought since Dan Marino retired more than a decade ago.
Henne wins raves for his arm strength, including from Marshall.
"He has a talented arm and throws a tight spiral, which makes it easy to catch a pass from him," Marshall says. "There are some quarterbacks I have played with in the past that throw it really hard and fast, but maybe the tip of the ball is down, so it makes it hard. His is a perfect ball."
Growing pains are inevitable for the young quarterback, especially given the Dolphins' rugged early schedule. Following the opener, Miami faces four consecutive 2009 playoff teams, including Edwards' Jets on Sept. 26.
The Dolphins need for Henne and Marshall to click quickly. Edwards predicts they will.
"Luckily we have a great defense, so it doesn't bother me none," Edwards says. "But everybody else in the league better watch out."
-- Steven Wine
Sparano: 'Business as usual' for Dolphins
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) — Bill Parcells and Jeff Ireland sat side by side at practice Wednesday, as they often do, assessing the Miami Dolphins' roster.
Only now Ireland is the final judge.
A change in hierarchy announced Tuesday left Ireland in control as general manager, while Parcells remains as a daily consultant. Safety Yeremiah Bell said the timing was odd, with the move being disclosed the week of the season opener at Buffalo, but coach Tony Sparano said he doesn't consider the matter a distraction.
"It's not something that's a surprise," Sparano said. "The first day I got here, I knew eventually this day would come. It's business as usual. The guy I speak to several times a day is Jeff Ireland. For me it doesn't change anything."
The Dolphins said the change was part of a long-range plan when the Parcells regime took over at the end of the 2007 season and hired Ireland shortly thereafter. The regime — including Sparano — took over a team coming off a 1-15 season and took it to the playoffs in 2008.
Bell viewed a reduced role for Parcells as a setback.
"It is unsettling, because he's the guy who turned us around from 1-15," Bell said. "He brought in all the players to turn this thing around, and with him being gone, we're definitely going to feel it."
Actually, the Dolphins say Parcells will remain a daily presence. And Sparano said he was already working more closely with Ireland, while talking with Parcells once or week or less.
"If Bill has something to say to me, he knows where to find me, and he'll come and do that," Sparano said. "There are still things that come up I bounce off Bill. It's a great resource to have in the building. As long as he's in the building — which he is — I'm going to use him."
Quarterback Chad Henne said personnel decisions should be off the players' radar, whatever Parcells' role.
"We move on as an organization, whether he's here or not," Henne said. "We're just worried about winning Sunday."
-- Steven Wine
Rookie RB Spiller gets the nod as Bills starter
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — It took a few short months for Bills rookie running back C.J. Spiller to win the starting job and elevate expectations around town that Buffalo's anemic offense just might have a semblance of a spark.
The one thing Spiller's careful of is to remind everyone that he can't do it alone.
"It's going to take a team effort to get to where we want to go, and I'm just glad to be a part of that," Spiller said Wednesday. "I mean, it's not going to be a one-man show."
No, but it sure looks that way after Spiller ran away with the job by displaying his dynamic potential this preseason. Despite missing the first week of training camp negotiating his first contract, the ninth player selected in the draft turned out being a quick and electrifying study.
Spiller scored three touchdowns in three preseason games — all against first-stringers — and finished with 26 carries for 122 yards. He added three catches and even showed potential in running plays out of the wildcat formation.
That was enough for coach Chan Gailey to tab Spiller as a starter for Sunday, when the Bills open the season at home against AFC East rival Miami.
And Gailey noted his decision would likely have been the same even if Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch — the two split the starting duties last year — didn't miss most of the preseason because of injuries.
"I think he showed in college that he was a dynamic player. And I think that he's shown in his few reps here that he is a very good player," Gailey said. "He's done a good job and he's earned the spot."
Jackson is set to return after missing nearly a month, but will be limited while wearing a pad to protect his surgically repaired left hand. Lynch returned in the preseason finale after missing three weeks with an ankle injury.
While both will to get their share of playing time, Spiller is expected to be a primary focal point. And that means, Spiller understands he's going to get plenty of more attention from opposing defenses.
"Now everybody kind of knows what I'm capable of doing, so of course, the bull's-eye's probably going to get bigger, and I've got to be prepared," he said, noting that's nothing new after his successful career at Clemson.
"That's a good thing to have because I can open doors for everybody else," Spiller said. "If a team's just going to focus on one guy, I wish them well."
The ACC player of the year last season finished his four-year college career with 51 touchdowns, including 32 rushing. He also became only the second college player — joining Reggie Bush — to finish with 3,000 yards rushing, 1,500 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 yards receiving and 500 yards in punt returns.
Spiller's impact was apparent last month. Aside from his running ability, his presence in the backfield kept defenses guessing and opened up the Bills passing attack.
In a 34-21 win over Indianapolis on Aug. 19, quarterback Trent Edwards caught the Colts napping. Faking a hand-off to Spiller, Edwards dropped back and hit a wide-open Lee Evans for a 70-yard touchdown.
In a 35-20 win over Cincinnati a week later, the Bengals opened by neutralizing Spiller. Edwards took advantage by going 5 of 5 for 48 yards to cap a touchdown drive with a 12-yard pass to Roscoe Parrish.
"He takes a lot of pressure off our passing game," Edwards said. "I think if you have that run threat, you're going to keep defenses off balance. You're not going to be so predictable, the pass-rush isn't going to come as hard. And that just helps having that element in your offense,"
The offense could use all the help it can get in having finished no better than 25th in the NFL in yards gained in each of the past seven seasons.
Spiller's both anxious and excited in looking ahead to his regular season debut. And it makes no difference that it comes against his home-state Dolphins.
From Lake Butler, Fla., Spiller didn't root for any one specific team, though he recalled his mother buying a Dolphins jersey when he was young.
"I never really became a fan of their team," he said. "I didn't like them. I didn't dislike them."
Spiller, though, is partial to the No. 21 Bills' jersey he's wearing these days.
"Oh yeah, this uniform fits great," Spiller said. "It's tight. And it's what I need so I can be ready to run."
-- John Wawrow
Palmer's younger brother his backup QB
CINCINNATI (AP) — Carson Palmer's new backup knows him better than anyone.
If the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback has to leave a game, younger brother Jordan will take his place. Jordan Palmer has moved up to No. 2 quarterback for the season opener at New England on Sunday, the first time the brothers have the top spots on the depth chart.
"It is really cool, when you take a step back," Jordan Palmer said Wednesday. "Right now, there's not much time to sit around and think how cool this is because we have so much work ahead of us."
It's something that's never happened in the NFL.
The Palmers are the only brothers to play quarterback together during the Super Bowl era. They're only the second set of quarterback brothers on the same team — Ty and Koy Detmer were with the Eagles in 1997, though Koy missed the season with an injury.
Carson Palmer won the Heisman at Southern California and was the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, taking over Cincinnati's offense a year later. Jordan, who is four years younger, set passing records at Texas-El Paso, was drafted by the Redskins in the sixth round in 2007, played in one preseason game and was waived.
He signed with the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League and was packing for Phoenix when the Bengals called with an offer to be their No. 3 quarterback. His progress over the last two seasons made them confident enough to release J.T. O'Sullivan and elevate him to No. 2 at the end of preseason.
Jordan Palmer didn't see it coming.
"It's definitely a boost of confidence to know there's an organization behind me as opposed to just my wife and my mom," he said, smiling. "That was good. At the same time, I think I'm ready to make the step. I've been preparing like a starter the last two years. The things that Carson does to get ready for the games, I try to do myself."
His main responsibility will be helping his older brother get ready during the week, reminding him of changes in the game plan and helping him see things on the field.
"It is great having somebody that will keep things in check for you," Carson Palmer said Wednesday. "Jordan will tell me like it is. He doesn't sugarcoat things. He tells me when I am wrong and doesn't tell me when I am right. I think that is what is most important. He helps me out tremendously."
So far, Jordan Palmer's playing career has been limited to a dozen passes in 2008, when Carson missed most of the season with an elbow injury.
Their faces and voices are alike, sometimes leading fans to mistake them.
"When he was first here, it was funny because of how similar they are and how often people mix them up," offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth said. "For Jordan to finally get a chance to show his maturity this year, it's good. We've seen it not just in the games, but in practice moreso. You see him helping people out, doing more than just calling plays. That shows you the way he's progressed since he's been here."
Jordan Palmer said his relationship with Carson hasn't been an issue with teammates. The brothers keep all family talk out of the locker room.
"That stuff's away from the facility," he said. "When we come in here, it's business. We come in here, we're teammates, co-workers, colleagues. He's not any easier on me because he's my brother. He's not any harder on me because he's my brother."
The Bengals filled their No. 3 quarterback spot by claiming quarterback Dan LeFevour off waivers from Chicago. LeFevour was a sixth-round pick from Central Michigan, where he threw for more than 12,000 yards and ran for more than 2,500 during his career.
LeFevour's coach at Central Michigan was Butch Jones, who is in his first season at the University of Cincinnati.
"Coach Jones and I are very close," LeFevour said Wednesday. "I've already stopped by there once. It's good to be in town and know somebody."
LeFevour won't be ready to run the offense for some time. In Central Michigan's spread offense, he rarely took a snap under center and ran the ball frequently. He won't get to run nearly as much in the NFL, something he doesn't mind.
"When you see the speed on defense, I'm OK with that," he said.
-- Joe Kay
Mendenhall knows run game a necessity vs. Falcons
PITTSBURGH (AP) — For months, the Pittsburgh Steelers have emphasized upgrading their running game. Rashard Mendenhall is determined to prove all this buildup is a lot more than idle talk.
With the Steelers starting the inexperienced Dennis Dixon at quarterback Sunday against Atlanta, Mendenhall knows that getting the running game going is a necessity to balancing an offense that simply can't be as pass-heavy as it is with Ben Roethlisberger under center.
There were a few flirtations a season ago with the Steelers' running game of the past, as Mendenhall ran for 165 yards against San Diego and 155 against Denver. Still, it was their passing game and one of the NFL's best defenses that were largely responsible for the Steelers' 24 victories the last two seasons.
That's a break from the past, and a trend the Steelers almost certainly can't extend into this season — not with Roethlisberger suspended for four games and Dixon likely to be his replacement for most or all of that stretch.
"When you're running the ball, you give your defense a break and you move the chains and control the game," Mendenhall said Wednesday. "It's important."
Only the last couple of seasons, it seemingly hasn't been all that vital to the Steelers.
Since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, the Steelers have outrushed every other NFL team by about 5,000 yards. Franco Harris (eight 1,000-yard seasons) and Jerome Bettis (six 1,000-yard seasons) were greatly responsible for that. And as Bettis' career wound down, Willie Parker ran for 4,012 yards from 2005-07, an average of 1,337 yards per season.
The last two seasons, the Steelers' rushing leaders combined for 1,899 yards: Parker ran for a team-high 791 yards during the Super Bowl-winning season in 2008, and Mendenhall ran for 1,108 yards last season. With a lesser emphasis on the running game, Roethlisberger passed for a career-high 4,328 yards in 2009.
Being so one-dimensional isn't the Steelers' way, and team president Art Rooney II stressed shortly after their 9-7 season ended in January that the running game must be more efficient.
To help accomplish that, the Steelers drafted center Maurkice Pouncey in the first round. They spent more offseason and training camp time working on short-yardage and goal-line running situations, major deficiencies last season. They also drew up a twin-back set in which Mendenhall and another running back, usually second-year player Isaac Redman, are in the backfield together, but not in the classic tailback-fullback formation.
"It gives the defense a different look, something to be aware of, and keeps them off-balance," Mendenhall said. "We can do more things out of that with Isaac since he's run-capable. And we can do anything we do with our normal package."
Mendenhall also prepared during the offseason to get a lot more carries than the 242 he had last season; Parker had nearly 100 more carries than that in 2006. Mendenhall, the former Illinois star, should get more carries by staying on the field on third down, something he almost never did last season.
"I'm ready — that's what we've prepared for throughout the course of training camp and preseason and that's what I'm looking at," he said. "I'm just ready to do what I'm called to do on Sunday."
Coach Mike Tomlin suggests Mendenhall's role would have expanded even if Roethlisberger played the whole season.
"He's an emerging player," Tomlin said. "He's becoming a veteran player. We're going to call on him. I think that's just the natural maturation process with any player, regardless of circumstances or the quarterback situation. Those are the things we'd be asking of Rashard because it's all just part of where he is."
Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians also believes the Steelers can run the ball better without drastically reshaping the offense or asking Roethlisberger to throw a lot fewer times once he returns.
"We want to improve the running game, but we damn sure don't want to step back in the passing game," he said.
Meanwhile, quarterback Byron Leftwich (sprained left knee ligament) is riding a stationary bicycle and doing other exercises, but is not sure when he can play. He lost his chance to start the opener by getting hurt in the final preseason game.
"I'm not going to go out there unless I'm healthy enough to play," he said. "Hopefully I can speed this process up."
-- Alan Robinson
Delhomme fitting in nicely with Browns
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Resting on the top shelf of Jake Delhomme's locker are a ratty set of shoulder pads, hand-me-downs from New Orleans teammate Billy Joe Tolliver.
Delhomme brought the well-worn equipment with him to Cleveland after seven seasons in Carolina. He wears them during training camp because they're much lighter than new ones, and any break from the summer's heat helps.
Veteran move. Delhomme laughs.
"When I'm done, I'm going to give them to Colt," Delhomme said Wednesday, referring to Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy. "They don't make 'em like that anymore."
The same could be said of Delhomme.
Like his used shoulder protection, the 35-year-old quarterback has seen better days but can still get the job done.
On Sunday in Tampa Bay, he'll begin a new chapter — and maybe the final one — of an NFL career that peaked with a Super Bowl trip and bottomed out last season amid a flurry interceptions with the Panthers, who waived Delhomme when it ended.
He's got a fresh start, and so far it has gone better than Delhomme or the Browns could have imagined.
"It has gone somewhat smoothly," he said before practice, as if almost surprised.
It's been better than that.
Delhomme played exceptionally well during the preseason. So well, in fact, that skeptical Browns fans, who wondered what the team's new front office was doing when it signed Delhomme to a 2-year deal, have become cautiously optimistic that the franchise's dark era is history.
Badly needing a proven leader at QB, Delhomme has filled that role, and in essence, taken control of the Browns. His teammates selected him a captain for the upcoming season, which kicks off against the Buccaneers, a team Delhomme is 9-2 against as a starter.
"That's always an honor," Delhomme said of his selection as an offensive captain along with tackle Joe Thomas. "To be elected captain means more to me than almost anything else because it's voted on by the people who know you best. It's special."
Even more so because he was chosen before playing his first game in an orange helmet. But since the day he arrived, Delhomme has exuded confidence and commitment. Excited by the opportunity to jump-start both his career and the Browns, he has blended in effortlessly.
It's as if he and the Browns were made for each other. A perfect fit.
"It's a fresh start for me," Delhomme said for the umpteenth time. "It's new. It's exciting. I enjoy the guys. I enjoy the locker room. I enjoy coming to work. This atmosphere doesn't happen at all places like this."
He got kicked out of his last place.
After a horrid 2009, the Panthers passed on Delhomme. Shaken by a six-turnover performance against Arizona in the 2008 playoffs, Delhomme threw a career-high 18 interceptions last season. Whenever he made a mistake, he tried too hard to make up for it and made another one. His bad football snowballed.
Looking back, Delhomme, who has thrown 23 interceptions in his last 12 games, believes he knows what he did wrong and won't do it again.
"I'm just going to go out there and have fun," he said.
Delhomme could have re-signed with the home-state Saints — his first pro team — to back up Drew Brees. But he still wanted to play, and Cleveland provided him with a chance to step into the starting lineup right away. It's up to him how long he stays.
Before signing with the Browns, Delhomme did some investigative work. He had heard stories about coach Eric Mangini being overly demanding and difficult. Delhomme didn't want to have any regrets if things didn't work out in Cleveland. The opposite has been true so far.
"I came here with an open mind," he said. "I asked a lot of questions. I didn't want to have my behind kissed. I wanted to come to a place where I could be a part of helping turn something around."
Mangini grinned when told Delhomme checked up on him.
"I did my background on Jake as well and everything that people said about him was positive," he said. "You couldn't find a disparaging word."
Hardworking and humble. Positive and fearless. The praise for Delhomme is both effusive and ubiquitous. It's hard to find anyone to say anything bad about him.
"I can't," said Thomas. "He's a natural leader. He's a great guy and a great quarterback. He's got great command of the huddle. He's not afraid to stand up and say something if a guy is not in the right spot or not doing something the right way."
Delhomme seems to have learned from last year's failures. During the exhibition season, he completed 79 percent (38 of 48) of his passes, threw 2 TDs, no interceptions and had a 110.5 rating. The Browns don't expect those numbers to continue, but they are counting on Delhomme to avoid turnovers.
In five victories last season, Cleveland completed just 33 passes — combined. Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn were on the field, but it was if the Browns played without a quarterback. They've got one now.
Just thinking about Sunday tingles his spine with excitement. He has savored openers since his rookie season and knows this one has more meaning.
"It's always special because you don't know if it's going to be your last season," he said. "That's how I've approached the past couple years. Emotions do fly, there's just something about it, being a part of an NFL team. It's great. It's opening day."
-- Tom Withers
Mathews following Tomlinson, not replacing him
SAN DIEGO (AP) — To Ryan Mathews, there's a distinction: he's following LaDainian Tomlinson, not trying to replace the great running back.
After showing his speed and power in the limited context of exhibition games, Mathews gets to unleash it full-time when the San Diego Chargers begin pursuit of their fifth straight AFC West title Monday night at Kansas City.
Mathews idolized Tomlinson to the point that he wore No. 21 while at Fresno State. On draft day, when the Chargers moved up 16 spots to take Mathews with the 12th pick overall, he suddenly found himself following in L.T.'s cleat marks.
"I'm not L.T. I'm not in here to try to be L.T. or I'm not in here to try to replace him," Mathews said. "He's a legend. What he did here is forever going to stand in the record books. For me looking up to him, I'm in a wonderful position. It's a gift just being able to follow his footsteps and what he did, to be in the same position, same locker room, same teammates, where he just dominated.
"He set a lot of good building blocks and stepping stones for me to start my career off. He just did a wonderful thing."
Tomlinson was released by the Chargers after nine mostly brilliant seasons, the victim of age, injuries and, apparently, getting on the wrong side of general manager A.J. Smith. The New York Jets — who shocked the Chargers 17-14 in the playoffs — thought otherwise, signing the former NFL MVP not long after he was tossed out.
So now L.T's job belongs to Mathews.
"It's going to be fun this year. It really is," Mathews said.
Mathews knows there will be comparisons. He's looking at this as the beginning of the Ryan Mathews era.
"That's what I'm trying to do. It's not really coming in here and trying to prove a point. I'm going to do what I can to help the team win," he said. "Just like L.T. did, he came in here trying to help the team win. He helped turn this program around. He made a legacy doing that. That's one thing I hope I can do and accomplish here while I'm with the Chargers, is build a legacy."
The Chargers have become pass-happy behind $93 million man Philip Rivers, a point Tomlinson emphasized after he joined the Jets. San Diego ranked near the bottom in every significant rushing category last year. Tomlinson, the NFL's eighth-leading running back of all-time, was injured early in the 2009 season and finished with 730 yards on 223 carries for an average of 3.3 yards per carry, all career lows.
While Rivers has aired it out — he's had two straight 4,000-yard seasons — coach Norv Turner does preach balance.
"When we played at our best, we had balance," said Turner, who presided over a team that went 13-3 before flopping in the playoffs. "We just want to have balance consistently. But if we get one of those teams, which we're going to get, that sit up there and play eight, nine guys up there, and dare you to pass, I think people know we're willing to throw it."
There could be a different dynamic with San Diego's passing game this year due to the holdouts of Pro Bowl wide receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill, a Pro Bowler in 2006-07. Unhappy about their status as restricted free agents and the Chargers' unwillingness to give them long-term deals, the two might sit out the entire season.
Whatever happens in the passing game, the Chargers have a fresh set of legs in Mathews, who was the nation's leading rusher at 150.7 yards per game last year, including a game in which he shredded Boise State for 234 yards and three long touchdown runs.
Turner is looking forward to game plans in which Mathews gets 22 to 24 carries rather than the limited carries in meaningless exhibition games.
"Ryan gives us explosive plays," Turner said. "He's got great speed and he's going to crank off some 10-, 15-, 20-yard runs. Obviously if you make those kind of plays in the running game, you get different looks defensively. And I think there's the consistency in the running game. I do believe that the offensive line gets geared up when they have a guy back there and think, 'Hey, if we do a great job, he can turn this play into a big play.' "
Right guard Louis Vasquez agrees.
"Just to see that kind of energy and intensity he has, we feed off it," Vasquez said. "When a running play's called, we're excited. We know that if we open up the hole, he's going to hit it hard, he's going to hit it fast. He's going to make great reads. That's just encouraging us to run the ball even more."
There were a few times in exhibition games when Mathews was so amped up that he ran into his blockers or beat them to the holes.
"I was excited and stuff, just playing too fast. I think I was mentally ready and physically ready, it was just my mind was working too fast," Mathews said.
That's OK with Rivers.
"I think it's easier to slow a guy down than it is to tell a guy to go faster," Rivers said.
-- Bernie Wilson
Tebow time could come Sunday
DENVER (AP) — Tim Tebow will begin his rookie season Sunday in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. — holding a clipboard.
All those fans who have made No. 15 the NFL's best-selling jersey want to know just how far has the Denver Broncos' rookie quarterback has come under the tutelage of Josh McDaniels, the coach who rolled the dice six months ago and selected the Heisman-winning Florida star in the first round of the NFL draft.
Despite the doubts — about his delivery, his release, about how far his gritty running will get him in the NFL.
Tune in Sunday to find out if McDaniels made the right call. Or at least, to see if that's when the answers will start to come.
McDaniels isn't saying whether Tebow will make his debut against the Jaguars or not, suggesting the competition with Brady Quinn to serve as Kyle Orton's primary backup is ongoing.
While Tebow didn't show enough polish in the preseason to unseat Orton, he seemingly showed enough flash to earn the backup job over Quinn.
Although the depth chart lists Quinn as the backup, McDaniels admits that's not worth the paper it's printed on. When asked point-blank this week who his No. 2 quarterback was, McDaniels smiled and said the decision would be based as much on the game plan as on their performances at practice during the week.
"There's a lot of factors that will go into that," McDaniels said.
And playing in Tebow's hometown apparently won't be one of them.
"I'll be happy for him," if Tebow wins the job, McDaniels said. "He'll probably ask for more tickets."
While Tebow was learning from his mistakes and nursing bruised ribs, the result of his first hard hit as a professional, Orton was playing so well during camp that he earned a contract extension through 2011 that gives the Broncos' brain trust more time to formulate the team's long-term plans at quarterback.
It also takes the pressure off Tebow, who can ease into his NFL transition while refining his mechanics, motion and moxie.
Still, Tebow figures to get plenty of snaps this season in special situations to take advantage of his enormous talents that made him a two-time national champion for the Gators.
Tebow has spent six months refining his game in the face of bigger, faster and quicker defenders, but if he thinks he'll play Sunday, he isn't saying.
"That's the coaches' decision," Tebow said. "I'm just trying to do what I'm told."
Even if he spends all afternoon on the sideline, Tebow said Sunday will be special.
"It's very ironic," he said of opening his career in Jacksonville. "It's also very exciting and something that will be very memorable for me."
The Jaguars are expecting plenty of fans to be cheering for their hometown hero as much as their hometown team.
"It's his town, man," said Jacksonville running back Maurice Jones-Drew. "And right on. It's going to be exciting for him. Probably everybody is going to try to be at the hotel and see him. Word around here flies around fast where everybody is staying. My advice to him is to get into a private room and stay in there the whole night."
Tebow's return to Florida is a boon to Jacksonville, where sellouts at EverBank Field aren't a given.
"It's helping us out a bunch. It's selling out our stadium that he's coming in," Jones-Drew said.
That's the kind of shot in the arm that fans in Florida were hoping they'd get for years to come by drafting Tebow, but the Jaguars had other needs and passed. McDaniels grabbed him instead with the 25th overall pick.
"It's nice to have support from people anywhere, so I'm thankful that they did want me," Tebow said. "But I'm happy to be here and be a Bronco."
After all, nobody is a bigger believer in Tebow's transition than McDaniels, who tutored Tom Brady and Matt Cassel in New England and helped Orton to the best statistical season of his career last season after acquiring him from Chicago for Jay Cutler.
Although some call him the greatest college quarterback ever, Tebow is an NFL enigma, a big question mark because of his throwing mechanics and footwork, and the spread offense he ran out of the shotgun with the Gators.
While his detractors say he won't measure up, Tebow's supporters suggest his athleticism, work ethic and pedigree will translate into success at this level, too.
Yet even McDaniels has said it's unrealistic to put a timetable on Tebow's transformation from combination college quarterback to pro passer.
"I'm not going to use the word 'satisfied,' but he's definitely come along," McDaniels said Wednesday.
No rookie, no matter what the position, will be "100 percent" ready their first season in the NFL, and so "we didn't really try to do that," with Tebow, the coach said.
"I think the things that we asked him to do in the preseason, he executed them better as the preseason went on. He did some good things; he made some mistakes," McDaniels said.
McDaniels praised Tebow's grasp of the offense even as his execution lagged at times.
"I think overall he made some strides. I'm very happy with what he knows in terms of our offense," McDaniels said. "The biggest thing is that we understand what he's ready to do and what he's not."
While Orton has a stranglehold on the starting job, Hall of Famer John Elway said he believes the Broncos will find ways to get Tebow on the field.
"I'm sure they're going to take advantage of what he does in the shotgun, especially in third-down situations with the run-pass option that you have with a guy like Tim. He throws the ball so well on the move and has the chance for the big play," said Elway, who attended some practices during training camp at McDaniels' invitation.
Orton said he's not concerned about giving way to Tebow for a snap here or there.
"I guess I haven't really spent too much time thinking about it," Orton said. "I stay in a rhythm. You know, we did some stuff last year with me split out and all types of good stuff and I really didn't feel like it affected my rhythm at all. And I'm not really concerned about it."
Tebow swears he's not concerned about who's the No. 2 quarterback, either.
"My goal right now is just to do whatever I can do to help the team win," he said. "And if that's in practice, being a great scout team quarterback, then that's what I'm going to try to do."
-- Arnie Stapleton
Undersized Gilberry winning friends in Kansas City
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — For a guy who with three strikes against him, defensive end Wallace Gilberry is making quite a splash in Kansas City.
First, he bears the stigma of coming into the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Guys drafted in the first round have to prove they can't play. Undrafted free agents must prove they can.
Secondly, he was brought in for a 4-3 defense, and now the Chiefs have installed a 3-4.
Most critically, he's just not very big in a world that favors mammoth.
At 6-foot-2 and 260, Gilberry might be a giant in the checkout line. On a defensive line in the NFL, the guy across the line could outweigh him by 30 or 40 pounds or more.
But so what? With determination and grit and what one teammate calls his "giant heart," the former Alabama star is figuring prominently in Kansas City's plans this year.
During training camp three weeks ago, coach Todd Haley even said Gilberry might someday work his way into a starting role. That would be quite an upset since the other two defensive ends, Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey, were top-five draft picks who outweigh Gilberry by almost 40 pounds and are making millions of dollars.
"Wallace is in a competition to try to be one of the guys in the front three in the 3-4 defense, and I think he can do that," Haley said. "He's got to play with great technique. He's got to do the things the way he's supposed to do it, and he's got to know what to do."
Gilberry knows coaches sometimes send messages to players through the media. He's trying not to put too much stock in anything he hears.
"You can't worry about that," he said. "Each guy has a role to play and I know my role. I'm trying to execute as best I can to help this team win."
The native of Bay Minette, Ala., was a star for the Crimson Tide. His 60.5 tackles for loss are second in Alabama annals behind only the late Derrick Thomas, a perennial pro bowl linebacker for the Chiefs in the 1990s. But that did not impress anyone enough to make them draft him. He signed with the New York Giants in 2008 and signed on with the Chiefs that November.
His game is technique and quickness. He gets by on determination and guile. He's already surprised a lot of people just staying in the league this long. Now he'll go into the season figuring prominently in the Chiefs defensive plans. On the depth chart this week, he's running second team behind Dorsey at right defensive end.
"I'm just still trying to get better, still trying to show them it would be a good idea to keep me around," Gilberry said. "I come out every day hoping to get better. In no way am I close to being where I want to be. I know all my life I'll carry that tag, 'undrafted free agent,' but I don't care."
In all sports, players who were not drafted, or taken in the lower rounds, have to prove themselves time and again.
"You can't measure a man's heart," Gilberry said. "That's what I play on, emotions and heart. But at the same time, I know it takes more than heart. It also takes the physical attributes and the mental attributes and the football instincts. But I don't even think about all that any more. I came in the way I came in and I'm here to stay.
"I'm going to show them I'm here to stay."
Gilberry's teammates, perhaps with the understandable exception of Dorsey and Jackson, are rooting for him. One of his closest friends on the team is four-time Pro Bowl guard Brian Waters, another player who made good after coming in as an undrafted free agent.
"Wallace is a great example of a guy who's making the best of a bad situation," Waters said. "He came here to play a different type of defense and he's been able to stay through all the changes. There's not a lot of guys who were here three years ago. I cheer for guys like Wallace."
-- Doug Tucker
Campbell excited for Raiders debut
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Jason Campbell has talked about how his trade to Oakland offered a new start to his career following a disappointing five-year run in Washington.
After a long offseason of practice, training camp and preseason games, Campbell starts his tenure as the Raiders' starting quarterback Sunday at Tennessee against the Titans.
"It's exciting," Campbell said Wednesday. "Every year, the first game is always different, this year especially because I am with a new team. There's a lot of new faces on this team, and a lot of guys trying to establish what we're going to be for the year."
Campbell is trying to establish a new identity as a player in Oakland. The Raiders are trying to do the same as a team following an NFL-record seven straight seasons of at least 11 losses.
With former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell at the helm for most of last season, the Raiders had one of the worst offenses in the league on the way to a 5-11 finish. They were second-to-last in the league in scoring with 197 points and gained the second-fewest yards.
The team showed some improvement late in the season after Russell was benched, leading to the draft-day trade for Campbell and subsequent release of Russell.
That was just one of the changes on offense, where new coordinator Hue Jackson has brought in some wrinkles from his time in Baltimore, and rookie center Jared Veldheer and veteran tackle Langston Walker are being counted on to improve the offensive line.
The Raiders are hoping those changes will help second-year receivers Louis Murphy and Darrius Heyward-Bey shine after up-and-down rookie campaigns.
"From last year, it's a big difference," Murphy said. "We're just doing a lot of different motions, a lot of different ways to get open, really knowing what the defense is bringing. I guess it's just being in it for another year, too, it makes you feel much more comfortable. Just from last year, man, we're doing a lot of different things, and we're throwing the ball down the field and giving the receiver a chance to make plays and that's a good thing."
The most important change is at quarterback, where Campbell replaces a player who had the lowest passer rating for a season of any quarterback since 1998.
Campbell started 52 games for Washington since being a first-round pick in 2005. He has thrown for 55 touchdowns, 38 interceptions and has a passer rating of 82.3 in his career. He is coming off his best season, completing 64.5 percent of his passes with 20 touchdowns, 15 interceptions and a passer rating of 86.4.
But the Redskins went 4-12 last season and new coach Mike Shanahan brought in Donovan McNabb to take over from Campbell.
"He's had his own ups and downs, so I think he's been a good fit for us and vice versa," Raiders coach Tom Cable said. "He's come into this thing with an open mind and really opened himself up to this team and you find out real quick what Jason Campbell is all about. He's going to be about team, about hard work and wanting to achieve and I think that's really important at the quarterback spot."
Campbell said he's seen dramatic improvement in the passing offense over the course of the preseason. He led the first-team offense on touchdown drives in each of his final two preseason games.
It will be tougher come Sunday, especially with starting receiver Chaz Schilens out with a knee injury and running back Michael Bush's status in doubt because of a broken left thumb.
"It's been the story of our training camp — in and out, guys in and out but at the same time, other guys have stepped up," Campbell said. "When one guy guys down other guys step up and make plays and that's how it's going to be all year. Of course, Bush is a big part of our offense and Chaz is a big part of our offense and right now we do have to continue to keep pushing forward."
NOTES: The Raiders signed former Giants DL Jay Alford and released OL Erik Pears. ... Bush was limited at practice but Cable says there's a "real chance" that he plays Sunday. ... Trevor Scott, who started camp as an outside linebacker, will be the starting defensive end in place of Matt Shaughnessy, with Quentin Groves starting at linebacker. ... Yamon Figurs will open the season as the kick and punt returner.
-- Josh Dubow
