NFL Capsules - AFC: Johnson, Titans return to record-breaking scene
SEATTLE (AP) — The last time Chris Johnson was in a game in Seattle, he ran his way into the record books.
The last time Pete Carroll was in a game in Seattle, he had a humbling defeat — one that accelerated the end of his dynasty at Southern California.
Johnson returns with the Titans on Saturday night in the preseason opener against Carroll's Seahawks at Qwest Field, site of Tennessee's last game on Jan. 3. Johnson that day became the sixth player in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards rushing. He also broke Marshall Faulk's 1999 record of 2,429 yards from scrimmage.
Johnson turned his romp through Seattle into a pay raise. The All-Pro stayed away from Tennessee's offseason workouts before the Titans made him happy by reshuffling some money due to him in 2012 to add to his $550,000 salary this season.
"It's going to be interesting to see how they come out there ready to play," he said, "being that I rushed for the yards on them, or whatever."
Johnson will be in for 10 plays at most, if Titans coach Jeff Fisher sticks to his long history of preseason openers. That means more time for backups Javon Ringer, former Oregon runner LeGarrette Blount and Stafon Johnson.
And Seattle has far more going on this summer than vengeance against Johnson.
Carroll is coaching in Seattle for the first time since his Trojans were upset by Washington in last September's Pac-10 opener at Husky Stadium. The Huskies' first win over USC since 2001 contributed to a four-loss season for USC that helped make a return to the NFL irresistible to Carroll.
Saturday's tuneup is his first pro game since Jan. 2, 2000, when he was leading New England. The second meeting ever in the preseason between the Seahawks and the Oilers-Titans franchise is also Seattle's first glimpse of Carroll's impact on a team that was 9-23 the last two seasons.
"I can't wait," he said.
Neither can the Seahawks' roster. Half of it is new since that '09 season finale against Tennessee.
Since arriving in January, Carroll has been acquiring players and then cutting them soon after. That's what happened to LenDale White. Carroll traded with the Titans during April's draft to get the guy who lost his job last year to Johnson. Carroll then dumped his former record-setting rusher at USC a month later because he wasn't happy with his attitude. White recently signed with Denver.
"It'd really be more interesting," Johnson said of his return to Seattle, "(if) I thought LenDale was going to be there."
Carroll is likely to take some other intrigue away by continuing to rest most of his starters.
Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has spent much of camp watching backups Charlie Whitehurst and J.P. Losman run Seattle's offense.
"It almost reminds me back of my first three years where I wasn't getting a lot of snaps and I was just sort of watching practice," said the 34-year-old Hasselbeck, who spent 1998-2000 backing up Brett Favre in Green Bay. "You almost get spoiled getting all the reps, and it's not much fun to go back to that.
"But ... it's part of how we're doing things. It's probably the smarter way to go."
Hasselbeck has been injured for most of Seattle's last two dismal seasons. Preserving him has been one of Carroll's main summer goals.
"One of the reasons that you can limit Matt's snaps is because he's so gifted at the game," Carroll said. "He just understands it. He gets it."
Whitehurst is back in his comfort zone: preseason football. The fifth-year veteran and former third-stringer with the Chargers has yet to throw a pass in a regular-season game. He's likely to throw many of them against the Titans.
Seattle traded for him and gave him an $8 million contract to have him take over for Hasselbeck after the three-time Pro Bowl passer's contract ends this season. But Whitehurst is getting pushed by Losman for the No. 2 job.
He and Losman will be throwing a lot to Mike Williams and Golden Tate. Williams, a former top-10 pick of the Lions and a former star for Carroll at USC, is playing his first game since dropping out of the league for two years after the Titans released him in 2007.
Tate has been the most dynamic of Seattle's receivers. The rookie second-round draft choice was born and raised in Hendersonville, Tenn. He starred at Pope John Paul II High School, then Notre Dame.
Carroll calls Tate "probably the most exciting guy coming along ... We're going to play him a lot on Saturday night and give him a lot of opportunities."
Colts' young secondary learning from veterans
ANDERSON, Ind. (AP) — Jacob Lacey and Jerraud Powers are still learning their trade.
The second-year cornerbacks have figured out what it takes to win in the NFL, experienced the thrill of playing in a Super Bowl and understand why short-term memories are essential to their success.
Now they're working toward a larger goal — perfection.
"There's definitely a more comfortable feeling now because you feel like you know more about the defense," Lacey said after Friday morning's training camp workout. "We pretty much know the basics, it's a matter of cleaning things up."
Lacey, Powers and safety Melvin Bullitt may not be the foundation of the Colts' secondary — yet — but they're clearly moving in that direction.
The trio has only five years of combined NFL experience, yet accounted for 33 starts in 2009. All three could play bigger roles for the defending AFC champs in 2009.
There's plenty of room for improvement, too.
In 2008, the Colts set an NFL record for fewest passing TDs allowed in a 16-game season (six). In 2009, the Colts started their then rookie cornerbacks six times and opponents took advantage. They threw for 19 touchdowns and Drew Brees methodically picked apart the Colts' depleted secondary in the Saints' Super Bowl comeback.
Clearly, Lacey and Powers weren't the only reason teams were more effective throwing against the Colts last season. Projected starting cornerbacks Marlin Jackson and Kelvin Hayden struggled with injuries and safety Bob Sanders, the 2007 NFL defensive player of the year, played in only two games before sustaining a season-ending biceps injury.
But quarterbacks like throwing at young guys and the Colts have an abundance of them.
When Indy reported to camp last week, only two players in the secondary — Sanders (45) and Hayden (35) — had more than 22 career starts. So Indy signed free agent Deshea Townsend, a 12-year veteran and former Super Bowl starter with Pittsburgh, to lend a helping hand.
Beyond the top six, only two other players have even played in an NFL game. Safety Jamie Silva has made 25 career appearances, primarily on special teams, and recently signed defensive back Marcus McCauley played in one game with Detroit last season.
That's it. So the valued vets have now become mentors.
"Those guys set a great example about how to prepare, how to eat each day and how to take care of their bodies," coach Jim Caldwell said. "They're doing a good job."
The advice seems to be paying off, too.
Bullitt, who spent much of last season playing with a heavy brace on his arm, hasn't used that at all during camp. Lacey and Powers appear to be reacting more quickly to plays, an indication they are more confident in Year 2.
And even they acknowledge it has been different this time around.
"It's just knowing the players," Powers said. "I'm happy I can come here and relax, knowing the ins and outs of it and work on becoming a better football player. I remember getting on the field the first time and going up against Torry Holt and thinking 'This is the same guy I've been watching all the time.'"
Powers, a third-round pick from Auburn, proved last season he can match up with just about anybody. Holt caught only six passes for 85 yards in two games against the Colts.
Even when Randy Moss and Wes Welker took advantage of the rookies, combining for a combined 18 receptions and 273 yards against the Colts in November, it was Indy's young guns who made the big difference.
Powers broke up a short third-down pass to Welker that could have sealed the game. On the next play, Bullitt stopped Kevin Faulk 1-yard short on a fourth-down attempt, setting up the Colts' improbable 35-34 come-from-behind win.
Those players have given players, such as Powers and Lacey, a glimpse of what they're capable of doing if they keep studying the game.
"On paper, it is a young group but it doesn't really feel like it because I think everybody is comfortable in their own skin," Lacey said. "The older guys all bring their own stories and that's something you can relate to. They tell you what to look for, what's going to be run, how to play the game and all of that helps you learn how to be better."
-- Michael Marot
Cheers or jeers? Roethlisberger about to find out
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Maybe he'll take a few snaps, throw a pass or two. Maybe he won't even get off the bench.
Ben Roethlisberger returns to Heinz Field for the first time since embarrassing himself and the Pittsburgh Steelers with off-field behavior that resulted in a six-game suspension and condemnation from his fan base. It's a night he once dreaded but, now that it's here, Roethlisberger said he expects mostly cheers, not jeers and hostility.
Roethlisberger is being greeted enthusiastically by spectators during training camp, but he might get a more accurate gauge of how Steelers fans feel about his offseason sexual assault allegations during Saturday's exhibition game against Detroit.
Roethlisberger has said repeatedly during camp that he is eager to move on and concentrate on football. He only hopes his fans are as willing, too.
"They've been awesome," Roethlisberger said of the fans who've repeatedly cheered him and eagerly sought his autograph during camp. "I think and hope it will be awesome."
Roethlisberger was accused of, but not charged with, assaulting a Georgia college student in March, drawing the NFL's harshest suspension for a player with a clean arrest record. The case ignited the wrath of Steelers supporters who burned his jersey or barred their children from wearing the quarterback's No. 7.
Five months later, with the focus of fans shifting to beating the Bengals and Ravens, it's apparent many believe the Steelers are better equipped to accomplish that with Roethlisberger.
The spirited reception to date encourages Steelers officials, who didn't anticipate hordes of Roethlisberger antagonists lining the practice fields at the Saint Vincent College camp. But they also didn't expect this much enthusiasm and forgiveness so soon. The next test is playing a home game, where fans eager to vent their displeasure can do so with more anonymity than they can on a cozy college campus.
What coach Mike Tomlin isn't saying is whether Roethlisberger or Byron Leftwich will be the quarterback when the starters play the eight to 12 snaps he plans to give them. The Steelers are preparing two starting quarterbacks in camp, Leftwich to start the season and Roethlisberger to finish it after he returns from a suspension that could be reduced to four games.
Roethlisberger definitely wants to play.
"If he says I won't be playing, I'll probably try to talk him out of it," Roethlisberger said. "Coach might think it's better to come back on the road where you're going to get booed no matter what happens. But I want to get back to Heinz Field. That's definitely home."
Even if Roethlisberger plays, Dennis Dixon figures to get most of the playing time at quarterback as the Steelers gauge how far the former Oregon star has progressed since nearly beating Baltimore on the road last season during his one and only NFL start. They're also eager to get a look at promising rookie receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown, both of whom may return kicks, and first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey.
Pouncey is expected to play center and right guard, where he might line up against Ndamukong Suh, the former Nebraska defensive lineman and No. 2 pick in the April draft.
Unlike the Steelers, the Lions — 2-14 last season after going 0-16 in 2008 — have only one starting quarterback to prepare, Matthew Stafford.
"We need to do a better job of supporting our quarterback," coach Jim Schwartz said. "That means playing better defense so you're not behind in the fourth quarter. It means running the ball better. It means giving him different places where he can get rid of the ball so it's not all on his shoulders."
-- Alan Robinson
Ravens' Cody tackles stamina in NFL debut
BALTIMORE (AP) — Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody showcased his stamina and run-stopping ability on full display during his unofficial NFL debut.
In a preseason game against Carolina on Thursday night, the 6-foot-4, 350-pound rookie played into the third quarter and finished with four tackles and an assist in hot, humid weather.
His performance should quell questions about his conditioning — for now.
His play at fullback, however, still needs work.
Drafted out of out Alabama in the second round with the 57th overall pick, Cody created a stir at training camp when he twice failed the conditioning test. He passed on the third try, then earned the nickname "Cheeseburger" from teammate Haloti Ngata during his first practice.
All that was forgotten after Baltimore's 17-9 victory.
Cody said the coaching staff told him two nights before the game to "drink a lot of water" because he was to get a lot of playing time. "I kept by condition really well," he said.
Cody's first official tackle of the preseason came when he collared DeAngelo Williams for a 1-yard loss with 5:19 left in the first quarter.
"It felt good," Cody said. "I wanted to celebrate, but my shoe came off and I had to come off the field."
Unfortunately, his first mention on the play-by-play sheet occurred during Baltimore's opening drive. Lined up at fullback in the goal-line package, Cody flinched and was called for a false start on a third-and-3.
Oops.
"That was a new experience for me in the NFL," he said. "When we do it again, hopefully I can do it a lot better."
Cody played nose guard at Alabama for two years. He started 26 games, twice earned All-SEC honors and helped the Crimson Tide win the national championship last season.
That dazzling ledger is of no use to Cody in Baltimore, where he's nothing more than an eager rookie trying to bring something extra to a defense long considered to be among the NFL's finest. On Thursday, he made a very good first impression.
"He made some plays in some big situations," coach John Harbaugh said. "He really made some stops. He took control of the middle pretty well."
Ngata said, "He did a great job. In the beginning he was kind of slow to get off some blocks, but toward the end he got used to being out there and made some plays."
The result of preseason games are meaningless, but they do serve a purpose. In Cody's case, it was an introduction to pressure and speed associated with playing in the NFL.
"After my first snap, I got the jitters out and started making plays," he said. "Everything was moving fast. The game was moving fast. It's a whole lot different than college. But once I settled down, that's when instincts kicked in and I started doing what I do."
On draft day, Cody was happy to be selected by the Ravens but disappointed he didn't go until late in the second round. Now he's the focal point of Baltimore's 2010 draft because top pick Sergio Kindle of Texas is out indefinitely with a fractured skull.
Kindle, an outside linebacker, was supposed to aid the pass rush. Cody is the designated run-stopper, a job he handled capably in his debut.
"I was running around the field, making plays on every snap," Cody said. "That's going to be the memory: Playing hard, playing for the Ravens and playing in my first NFL game — even if it was a preseason game."
-- David Ginsburg
Jets' Slauson, Ducasse friends despite competition
CORTLAND, N.Y. (AP) — Matt Slauson and Vladimir Ducasse are The Odd Couple of the New York Jets' offensive line.
They're two big men from different parts of the world who have little in common, from their skin color to their paths to the NFL. Even communicating can be a challenge: The American-born Slauson speaks with a stutter, and English isn't the Haitian-born Ducasse's first language.
Still, their desire to be the Jets' starting left guard has bonded them more than they could have imagined.
"Matt's been great," Ducasse said. "He's always helping me out. Whenever I need something, I'll go up to him and ask him. He's always there for me."
And that's despite the fact they're going after the same job.
"I don't want to make this where I'm trying to keep him from being his best so I have the best shot at getting the job," Slauson said. "I don't want that because we're all on the same page. We care about one thing: Super Bowl."
Offensive line coach Bill Callahan is charged with the task of replacing perennial Pro Bowl pick Alan Faneca on a unit that helped pave the way last season for the league's top rushing attack.
"It's awfully competitive," Callahan said. "It's been challenging for both of them."
Ducasse is a 6-foot-5, 330-pound massive, but quiet man who was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, moved to Stamford, Conn., at age 14, and speaks Creole, French and English.
"He's a real, real gentleman," Callahan said, "but he competes and his nasty is growing."
Ducasse learned how to play football in high school and was such a quick study, he ended up starting for three years at left tackle for the University of Massachusetts.
"Vlad's a stud," Slauson said. "He's going to be nipping at my heels the whole entire way, pushing me. If I slip a little bit, he's going to come in and grab it."
Slauson is certainly no slouch. He's also 6-5 but about 15 pounds lighter than Ducasse. He makes up for that with a tough-guy look that matches his intensity on the field with his scruffy chin hair and tattooed arms. Slauson, a sixth-round pick last year, was born in Oregon, went to high school in Colorado and then had a terrific career at the University of Nebraska.
"We're different, but we've developed a really good relationship," Slauson said. "We hang out, talk about all kinds of stuff. I was actually just asking him the other day about what Haiti was like and what his parents did, and how his Dad is an accountant for the Bank of Haiti. It's cool."
While much of the focus in training camp has been on Darrelle Revis' holdout, Rex Ryan's mouth, Mark Sanchez's development and all the new faces on the team, the competition between Ducasse and Slauson is just as important a storyline.
The winner will step into a spot Faneca held down the last two seasons. While Faneca's run blocking ability is still considered outstanding, his age — he's 33 — and declining pass blocking skills made him expendable. So, the Jets cut him the night they drafted Ducasse.
"They're very hard decisions, tough decisions," Callahan said. "When you get attached to someone like Alan Faneca, it's very hard."
Now, both Ducasse and Slauson want to prove the team made the right call.
"You're missing a piece, but Vlad and Slauson are doing a great job of battling, asking questions, wanting to be the guy that we can count on," center Nick Mangold said. "When you have two guys that are doing that, it's a great situation."
Slauson will start in the Jets' preseason opener against the Giants on Monday night. That doesn't mean the competition is anywhere close to being over, though.
"I've just been reluctant to say anything relative to anybody being ahead or not ahead," Callahan said. "I'm the type of guy that just wants to see it play out and see what happens. We've got a whole preseason to go. Let them go for it."
The two have been alternating work with the first-team offense throughout camp.
"It's such a long season," Callahan said, "I may need them both."
Slauson filled in at guard and center last season as a rookie, playing in three regular-season games. Meanwhile, Ducasse is transitioning from tackle to guard — just as Slauson did at Nebraska.
"At the end of it all, I want to become the starter, but I still have a lot of hard work to do," Ducasse said. "The season's long, 17 weeks, so it's not like this battle is going to be over even after camp."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Dolphins' RB Brown trying to stay healthy
MIAMI (AP) — For Ronnie Brown, a moment of alarm interrupted the drudgery of training camp when he felt his foot under a teammate's cleats on the practice field.
Not another injury, Brown thought.
"I got stepped on, and I froze a little bit," he said. "Then you take a deep breath and realize everything's cool."
Despite that close call, Brown is feeling fine and will start Saturday night's exhibition opener for the Miami Dolphins against Tampa Bay. It will be the running back's first game since he broke his right foot last November, also against the Buccaneers.
Brown has a handle on how to carry the ball, and playing triggerman in the wildcat is a snap. But since being taken with the second pick in the 2005 draft, he has had a hard time staying healthy, playing all 16 games only once.
Brown missed the final nine games in 2007 with a right knee injury, and missed the final seven games last year. He knows he's considered injury-prone.
"It really doesn't bother me," he said. "I've thought about it and looked back at the few injuries I've had. I don't think it's lack of preparation or something I didn't do. Sometimes the body tells you, 'That's enough.'"
Brown's body has held up well enough for him to rank third on the Dolphins' career list with 4,081 yards rushing. That's despite missing 20 games in five seasons.
"I don't think I would label a guy who carries the ball as much as he has as injury-prone," coach Tony Sparano said. "I think he's a pretty durable player."
The Dolphins must harbor reservations, though, because they have yet to make Brown a multiyear contract offer. He can become an unrestricted free agent after this year, and Brown knows he needs to show durability to match his ability, because another major injury would seriously hurt his market value.
Just in case, the Dolphins again have Ricky Williams as a backup. He filled in for Brown last year and rushed for 1,121 yards, his best season since 2003.
Brown's goal this year is for both to run for 1,000 yards.
"There are a lot of things that go into that," Brown said. "But that goal is very attainable. It's realistic."
Miami's only 1,000-yard tandem was Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris in 1972. That team went undefeated, and the 2010 Dolphins will be a formidable force if Brown and Williams reach the 1,000 milestone.
"There are a lot of things that have to happen for all those moons to line up properly," Sparano said. "I do know that the ability of both players says it could happen."
Brown has had only one 1,000-yard season, and that was four years ago. But his career average is a healthy 4.4 yards per carry, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2008.
He has been especially effective in the wildcat, averaging 5.9 yards per run and throwing for two scores.
"Ronnie Brown is a huge part of our offense," Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long said. "He's such a hard runner. When we have him in the backfield, it's really fun to block for him."
When he hurt his foot last year, Brown was on pace for his best season, and the Dolphins ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing. They figure their ground game will be even more effective now that quarterback Chad Henne has a year of experience as a starter and newcomer Brandon Marshall offers a primary target.
"We have an opportunity to spread the ball out a lot more, so defenses can't key on one guy," Brown said.
That's assuming everyone stays healthy.
In the first week of camp, the Dolphins lost two backup players to season-ending injuries. When kick returner Kory Sheets went down with a torn Achilles' tendon, Brown was one of the teammates to gather around him.
"You see guys work so hard in the offseason and put so much into it," Brown said. "For an injury to bring all of that to a halt is tough."
He spoke from painful experience.
-- Steven Wine
