10/31/05
- [New York Jets] Head Coach Herm Edwards press conference: "We signed two players, T.J. Hollowell was on the practice squad with the Giants, LB out of Nebraska; and Doug Neinhuis, he was with Seattle and went to Oregon State...
On the two players who signed...Obviously the guy that would help right away is the LB for us special teamswise. He can do that. He can be a pretty good special teams guy." (Sports Features)
- [New York Jets] The Jets signed LB TJ Hollowell off the New York Giants practice squad.
- Brown kicks Texans to first win of season 19-16
- WEEK 8: Stats and Stories
- 10/05 - The Pro Football Hall of Fame released a list of 112 preliminary nominees for the 2006 Hall of Fame class Friday morning. Among the names were Roger Craig, Irving Fryar, and Neil Smith (no Pat Fischer or Glenn Presnell). Smith and Fryar are in their first year of eligibility. *Complete List
10/28/05
- [Atlanta Falcons] Steve Wyche of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has "8 predictions for last 9 games" for the Falcons. #7- "LB Demorrio Williams will gain some national attention because of his playmaking skills. He just seems so natural on the weak side."
- Yet one more reason why the Cardinals are the Cardinals: They let defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch walk after last season because they thought he was through after ACL injuries to both knees. Vanden Bosch ended up signing a one-year, $540,000 deal with Tennessee and is second in the league in sacks with 7 1/2. Said Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz: "Anybody who says they thought he'd be (playing this well), I think they'd be lying. He wouldn't be here if people had crystal balls because someone else would have paid him a lot of money and we wouldn't have been able to afford him." (Philadelphia Daily News)
- [St. Louis Rams] Offensive lineman Richie Incognito was excused from practice the past two days due to an illness in his family. (Post-Dispatch)
- [Dallas Cowboys] LB Dat Nguyen made it through a very physical practice Thursday and is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Nguyen's replacement, Scott Shanle, will probably start regardless of what happens. (Dallas Morning News)
10/27/05
- Damien Bauman Signs With AFL New York Dragons
- Rucker refreshed, ready to go
- Injuries to Woodson, Gibson open doors (F.Washington)
- Seahawks kicker honored for Sunday heroics
- Moore grateful Sonics made him center of attention
- Raiders tackle Robert Gallery, who played high school football at Winthrop High in Iowa, remembered his first game after moving from tight end to tackle. It was against West Lyon High, which had a defensive end named Kyle Vanden Bosch.
"I was a freshman. He was a senior," Gallery said. "That was my first game playing tackle also after they moved me from tight end. Does that answer your question about how well I did?"
"It was a long time ago," Vanden Bosch said.
Told that Gallery said Vanden Bosch had won convincingly, the Titans defensive end replied, "I don’t remember it that way." (Nashville City Paper)
10/26/05
- Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch is one of five players NFL writer Peter King features in this week's Sports Illustrated who have flourished with new teams this season. (DallasCowboys.com)
- [Minnesota Vikings] New guard Toniu Fonoti will likely be out at least another week with a broken right hand and probably won't be ready to play in a game until mid-November. (AP)
10/25/05
- Josh Brown Named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
- Josh Brown's kick cause for elation
- NFL.com's Rookies on the Rise:
-Raiders CB Fabian Washington (first round) of Nebraska has seen action in all six games with a pass defensed in two of his past four games. The speedy 5-11 corner also is a consistent contributor on special teams
-On defense, Saints second-rounder Josh Bullocks of Nebraska has helped solidify the defensive backfield. The safety has earned a starting role, starting each of the past four games and totaling 21 tackles and one interception.
- Visa ads give Pats linemen credit
-Go to KnowTheMetaphors.com and click on #71 for Russ's rise to metaphor status.
- Hochstein takes part in singalong for troops
- Panthers get back to work after bye week (Minter)
- Packers put Green on IR
- With Warfield back, Chiefs defense closer to being intact
- Calgary kicker Sandro DeAngelis claimed special-teams player of the week honours. DeAngelis converted 6-of-7 field goals he attempted in leading Calgary to its win over Saskatchewan, accounting for 20 points. He also forced a fumble on a kick-off return.
- DeAngelis dissed by TSN's rookie of the year snub
- Scott Shanle Capable Replacement
- [Tennessee Titans] Kyle Vanden Bosh is second in the NFL in sacks behind Colts DE Robert Mathis. Vanden Bosch has 7.5 sacks, which is 3.5 more than he had in four seasons with the Cardinals combined.
- Holmgren lectures Brown
- Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League have signed WR-LB Wilson Thomas.
- Memphis Grizzlies waived C Kimani Ffriend.
- Seahawks.com Video Interview with Josh Brown
- Green’s injury is doubly costly
10/24/05
- [Oakland Raiders] Charles Woodson and Derrick Gibson, two players who filled key roles in the defensive backfield, each suffered an injury in the first quarter Sunday...
The Raiders will rely heavily on their top two draft picks, Fabian Washington and Stanford Routt, with Washington moving into a starting cornerback role alongside Nnamdi Asomugha. (InsideBayArea.com)
- Green To Miss The Rest Of The Season
- Poor kicking gives Steelers shorter field to work with (Larson)
- Josh Brown FG Wins it for Seahawks
- Brown's confidence kicked up a notch
- 10/05 - Week 7 recap from Huskers.com
- WEEK 7: Stats and Stories
10/23/05
- Ahman Green leaves with knee injury
- Seahawks vs Cowboys: LIVE Instant Analysis from Roger Craig
- Sandro DeAngelis kicks six field goals as Calgary beats the Roughriders 29-21
10/22/05
- Sandro boots nerves aside
- [NBA] Erick Strickland was waived by Dallas after their preseason game against New York, bringing the roster to 16. It must be down to 15 by Oct. 31 (Dallas Morning News ).
- [Kansas City Chiefs] One week after Eric Warfield wasn’t activated for the Washington game — which caused an uproar among fans — he started Friday at right cornerback. It was the first action for Warfield since the 2004 season, when he was considered the top player in the secondary. Warfield missed the first four games this season because of an NFL suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He didn’t suit up last week because the coaches didn’t think he was ready. That changed late Sunday when cornerback Dexter McCleon went down because of a groin injury. (KC Star)
- [Minnesota Vikings] According to media reports, guard Toniu Fonoti, acquired in a Tuesday trade with San Diego, weighed in at 404 pounds, but Tice said the player's size isn't an issue.
"We talked about a weight, and I think we're very agreeable on the weight," Tice said. "He's worked hard. He's already lost six pounds since we got him."
Fonoti is recovering from a broken right hand and isn't expected to do any heavy work on the practice field for a week or two. (Pioneer Press)
10/21/05
- Newly acquired lineman Fonoti needs to shed weight
- Healthy Vanden Bosch on a tear
- Minter, Rucker welcome bye
- [St. Louis Rams] Rookie offensive lineman Richie Incognito practiced for the first time with the team Thursday. Incognito, a third-round draftee who worked at center and guard Thursday, had been recovering from a knee injury that he suffered last spring. He signed a four-year contract Sept. 29 and was placed on the reserve/non-foot- ball injury list. Under NFL rules, the Rams have three weeks from Thursday to decide whether to activate Incognito or put him on injured reserve. (STLtoday.com)
- Schlesinger Among Matchups To Watch
- [St. Louis Rams] Press conference comments from Rams interim Head Coach Joe Vitt:
-On having two rookies starting on the offensive line-- "Outstanding man, that’s exciting. I’ll tell you what, the way [Richie] Incognito practiced today, it’s a very, very bright future for our offensive line."
-On G Richie Incognito participating in practice-- "Well, when you look at the footwork, the quickness, the intent, he has great hand placement. He knows what he’s doing, and again, this is his first day. I’m not putting him in the Hall of Fame. I’m just saying it was very encouraging." (StLouisRams.com)
10/20/05
- Commentary: Shipping Fonoti to Vikes a mistake
- In an interview Sunday night on "60 Minutes", Bill Romanowski admitted to, among other things, using steroids and human growth hormone that he intentionally broke the finger of N.Y. Giants running back Dave Meggett.
Former Raider teammate Adam Treu said he saw the interview but had little to say about it. When asked if any of the revelations surprised him, Treu said, "No. Not really." (InsideBayArea.com)
- Another Crouch-to-Canada Rumor: Quarterback Eric Crouch could be factoring into the Argonauts' plans again. A source close to Crouch said the 2001 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback out of the University of Nebraska could be coming to Toronto before the end of the month for a workout. The 26-year-old came to Toronto last year to meet with the team, see the city and watch a game. (Toronto Sun)
- [Tennessee Titans] The schedule brings defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch back to play the team that let him leave as a free agent. But he's not feeling any bitterness because he now ranks second in the NFL with 6.5 sacks.
"This is the best I've felt since when I came into the league," Vanden Bosch said.
Arizona coach Dennis Green said they had to decide on someone to bookend Bertran Berry and wanted Chike Okeafor. Berry has five sacks through five games this season, and Vanden Bosch said Berry's ability to prove doubters wrong was a good example for himself.
Vanden Bosch chose to sign a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum with Tennessee after talking to former Arizona coach Dave McGinnis, now the Titans' linebackers coach.
"He just told me that it would be a good fit. He said that coach (Jim) Washburn would be a good coach to help me. He makes a lot of people better football players. He just said that there would be an opportunity to come here and play," Vanden Bosch said.
And he's doing just that for the Titans instead of the Cardinals, which Green understands.
"As you know in the National Football League, all the guys can play. It is just a matter of them finding the right situation and the right time," Green said. (AP)
- [Dallas Cowboys] It has not been lost on Parcells that the Cowboys have had their two best defensive performances with inside linebacker Dat Nguyen sidelined with a neck injury. Scott Shanle's performance has Parcells contemplating a free rotation at linebacker as he has on the defensive line. (Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Green's back in running
10/19/05
- [Minnesota Vikings] Newly acquired guard Toniu Fonoti spent Wednesday having his fractured left hand evaluated by Vikings physicians in order to finalize the trade that brought him from San Diego. Tice indicated it will be several weeks before Fonoti will be ready to play but suggested he could challenge for the right guard spot.
In that scenario, the Vikings could move rookie Marcus Johnson to right tackle to compete with starter Mike Rosenthal.
"He is a big guy, and right now from what I hear he is even bigger," Tice said of Fonoti, who is listed at 350 pounds. "I don't foresee anything happening within the next week or anything imminent in the next couple of weeks. But we'll get him to learn the system and get him back into playing shape." (Star Tribune)
- Harvey's future uncertain
- 10/19/05 - Having to sit is no fun at all for Schlesinger
- [Carolina Panthers] Coach John Fox reiterated the importance of Mike Minter catching tight end Marcus Pollard five yards before then end zone, a play that allowed the Panthers to hold the Lions to a field goal and keep it a one-possession game.
Minter was not involved in the defensive breakdown that allowed Pollard to break free. Instead he ran from the other side of the field to help out and chase down Pollard.
"One of the things you always stress, no matter what phase it is whether offense, defense or special teams, is hustle," Fox said. "You just never know what’s going to happen, and that proved to be a game-saving tackle because we were able to put together a pretty good series there defensively and force them to kick a field goal and be down six instead of 10, which would have been a little bit tougher road. It was a critical play." (Freedom News Service)
- Free agent LB Jay Foreman worked out for the Dallas Cowboys Tuesday. (KFFL)
- [Arizona Cardinals] Arizona has released LB Eric Johnson from Injured Reserve. (Dallas Morning News, KFFL)
10/18/05
- Chargers Trade Fonoti to Minnesota: SDBoltReport, VikingsUpdate, Vikings.com
- Ex-Alouette Miles misses Montreal but he's at top of his game for Lions
- Injury Updates (KFFL):
-Lions FB Cory Schlesinger (fibula) is expected to practice during the week and could play during Week 7.
-Packers RB Ahman Green (knee, quad) practiced Monday, Oct. 17 and he said he is starting to feel better. "I felt okay out there," Green said. "It's feeling better." "He looked good," backup RB Tony Fisher said of Green. "He looked real nice and fresh and fast. He looked like the old Ahman Green." Head coach Mike Sherman remained more guarded about Green's health and possible availability for Sunday's game, Oct. 23. "He looked okay," he said. "I'll make a further evaluation on Wednesday when we put the pads on." Fisher would start if Green can't play.
-Houston OG Zach Wiegert (ankle) will not practice Wednesday, Oct. 19 heading into the Week 7 game.
-Chargers OG Toniu Fonoti (hand) will miss at least one more week. The Chargers are still trying to trade him before the trade deadline Tuesday, Oct. 18.
- Saints DB Josh Bullocks, Broncos CB Domonique Foxworth, Bears QB Kyle Orton, Bengals LB Odell Thurman, and Marcus Ware of the Cowboys are the finalists for Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors for games played on October 16-17, the NFL announced today.
Bullocks recorded three tackles and one interception in the Saints’ 34-31 loss to the NFC South-rival Atlanta Falcons. Bullocks’ interception, the first of his NFL career, came in the second quarter as the Falcons were driving deep in New Orleans territory. His 51-yard return helped set up a Saints field goal. (blogs.BengalsZone.com)
- Huskers.com Week 6 recap
- 10/18/05 - Washington observes and learns
- Larger role ahead for Warfield
10/17/05
- [St. Louis Rams] Cornerback DeJuan Groce (hamstring) also worked Saturday and said he's playing against the Colts. "I'm always going to find a way to play, hurt or not," Groce said. "As we get closer and closer (to game time), it gets a little bit better, because we've been doing treatment real hard." (Post-Dispatch)
- Minter's stop key in Panthers' win
- WEEK 6: Stats and Stories
10/16/05
- $33 million man gets a sack (Wistrom)
- Enigmatic Green just goes about his business
10/15/05
- [Week 6-Injury Report] Out- Chargers OG Toniu Fonoti (hand); Questionable- Lions FB Cory Schlesinger (leg), Rams CB DeJuan Groce (hamstring).
- No go for Warfield
- Star Bulletin series on Hawaii's Minor Leaguers: Shane Komine
- Strickland at home
- Brown comments on owner's response
- [St. Louis Rams] Rookie offensive lineman Richie Incognito said that if he receives medical clearance Tuesday, he expects to practice for the first time Wednesday. Incognito, a third- round draft choice, has been recovering from a knee injury that he suffered last spring.
"It's got me real excited," Incognito said. "I'm really looking forward to getting back out there."
Incognito signed a four-year contract Sept. 29 and was placed on the non-football injury-reserve list. That meant he could practice no sooner than the start of Week 7. After Incognito's first practice, the team will have three weeks to decide whether to activate him or put him on injured reserve. (Post-Dispatch)
- Komine sparkles in first two AFL starts
- [Atlanta Falcons] Michael Boley and Demorrio Williams have worked at both outside linebacker spots but Williams admitted — without divulging who is playing where — that he feels he’s a much-better weakside ‘backer because he won’t have to play over bigger tight ends and because his speed allows him to operate better in the open space. Teams that have run right at the 225-pound Williams have had success off tackle and around end because he’s struggled shedding blockers from head on. (AJC.com, regarding the Falcons reshuffling at LB)
10/14/05
- AFL's Rattlers sign Steve Warren
- Mike Brown was within reason to rap Bears
- [Houston Texans] For laughs, the Houston Chronicle is running a weekly look at the Texans’ leading candidate for MVP; kicker Kris Brown overtook punter Chad Stanley in the latest update. (TheNewsTribune.com)
- Sandro gets kick watching ALCS
- >Real Madrid lands Venson Hamilton
- "With the season nearly a third complete" Bill Coats of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch listed "some of the free-agent smashes and flops". Among the "smashes" was Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch:
"The signing of Vanden Bosch hardly created a ripple. He had collected only four sacks the four previous seasons with Arizona. But suddenly the former second-round draft choice out of Nebraska has become a major headache for opposing quarterbacks. Vanden Bosch is tied for the league lead in sacks with six, and the Titans’ defense has benefited significantly."
- [CFL-Edmonton] With experience in NFL pre-season games this summer, Dahrran Diedrick will likely take Mike Bradley's spot as a second return option to Tony Tompkins on kickoffs.
- Few players had more jump or spark in practice this week than Keyuo Craver - and he gets his chance to shine for real tomorrow against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. As expected, the rookie DB will replace Davis Sanchez, who is finished for the regular season with a groin injury. "We think (Craver) has got tremendous cover skills," said Maciocia. Sanchez might return for the playoffs." (Edmonton Sun)
- Steve Feldman, agent for guard Toniu Fonoti, said he believes a deal to trade his client will be done soon. (San Diego Union Tribune)
10/13/05
- Newly required Diedrick takes a backseat to Davis
- Hochstein stars in VISA's "Metaphor" ads
- [Oakland Raiders] With CB/S Charles Woodson likely to be assigned to TE Antonio Gates, rookie CB Fabian Washington is liable to be facing a dangerous seasoned veteran in WR Keenan McCardell. (Silver & Black Illustrated)
- Minter not satisfied with wins
- Four Teams in the Running for Fonoti
- [CFL] Edmonton rookie Keyuo Craver spent plenty of time taking reps at cornerback during practice yesterday, as head coach Danny Maciocia tries to fill the hole caused by injured Davis Sanchez. But to get Craver on the roster, Maciocia will have to take an import (non-Canadian) off the roster. (Edmonton Sun)
- [Houston Texans] Right guard Zach Wiegert is the only player not spending the week adjusting to a new position or competing with anyone to retain his job.
Wiegert, an 11-year veteran, learned long ago not to get overly concerned about such details.
"I don't worry about that stuff," he said. "You do your job. If you're not good enough, they get rid of you. It's that simple." (Houston Chronicle)
10/12/05
- Time for a re-Charge (Fonoti)
- Nguyen remains Questionable, Shanle may get another start
- [Dallas Cowboys] Linebacker Dat Nguyen, who missed the Philadelphia game with a neck injury, practiced today but is still listed as questionable, Parcells said.
Former Nebraska standout Scott Shanle will replace Nguyen in the starting lineup if the former Texas A&M standout can't play, Parcells said. Shanle stared against Philadelphia and recorded three tackles.
"He did a pretty good job," Bill Parcells said of Shanle. (San Antonio Express
- [Detroit Lions] Fullback Cory Schlesinger continues to slowly but surely improve. Schlesinger has not played since breaking a fibula during the Lions exhibition opener. There is a possibility he could see his first action of the season on Sunday.
"He was very busy today," said Mariucci. "He was on the scout team. We kept him out of nine-on-seven. (He did) individual work. He is a special teams player moving around. He is getting close.
"It is nice to see him break a sweat out here. I don't know about his status for this week. We will take it day-by-day and see how sore he feels with all this kind of work." (RoarReport.com)
- [Arizona Cardinals] In one of several roster moves, the Cardinals placed LB Eric Johnson (hamstring) on injured reserve.
- After Week 5, Titans DE Kyle Vanden Bosch stands tied for 1st in NFL (Mathis, Ind.) with six sacks. (BengalsZone.com)
- Diedrick told to keep working
- [NY Giants] If the Giants decide to end CB Will Peterson's season by placing him on IR, linebacker T.J. Hollowell may be activated off the practice squad. The Giants need some linebacker depth since Carlos Emmons (knee) did not practice Tuesday. Emmons, however, says he should be ready for Sunday's game in Dallas. (NorthJersey.com)
10/11/05
- [Tennessee Titans] Kyle Vanden Bosch only needed a week and a chance to play against the Houston Texans to get back on top of the NFL with six sacks. He had one of the Titans' season-high seven sacks, and he now is tied with Robert Mathis of Indianapolis and Bryant Young of San Francisco.
For perspective, Vanden Bosch now has nearly doubled his sack totals in five games this season from the first four years of his career. (AP)
- Near-death experience for Brown: losing
- Big plays, demoralizing loss eating at Brown
- Fonoti's time as a Charger likely coming to conclusion
10/10/05
- Coach: Blocked punt was not entirely Larson's fault (scroll to final item)
- [CFL] Winnipeg vs BC Lions-- The first turnover of the game came in the second quarter on a bad Bomber trick play. Running back Charles Roberts took a handoff and then stopped and heaved the ball to receiver Scott Robinson, but Lions defensive back Barron Miles easily made the interception. B.C. ended up getting nothing from the gift. (CP)
- Toronto vs Edmonton-- Edmonton's Dahrran Diedrick, a Toronto native playing his first game in his hometown since leaving to attend the University of Nebraska, blocked a Prefontaine punt with 13 seconds remaining. Teammate Signor Mobley recovered, but fumbled and it was recovered by Prefontaine, giving the Argos the ball at their 29-yard line. (CP)
- Diedrick ready to contribute for Esks
- Chiefs’ Warfield is itching to drop back into coverage
- [Dallas Cowboys] Dallas Morning News commentary-- "And one more note on Scott Shanle replacing inside linebacker Dat Nguyen: He may not play the run quite as well as Nguyen, but he’s pretty close against the pass. Parcells admitted in training camp that Shanle was better than the other starting inside linebacker, Bradie James, against the pass. He has quick feet and excellent closing speed. He’s capable of blanketing tight ends and running backs. Picking up Shanle late in the 2003 season was one of those excellent under-the-radar moves.
- [Carolina Panthers] The Panthers were down to five healthy linebackers entering Sunday's game because of injuries. They may continue to look for help at the position, and will likely work out some linebackers this week, though they're not looking for a front-line player. Some of the usual suspects who have worked out for other teams in recent weeks include Jay Foreman, LeVar Woods, Jashon Sykes and Corey Jenkins. (Buzzfans.com)
- WEEK 5: Stats and Stories
10/09/05
- Larson struggles, then finds consistency
- Warfield awaits fresh start
- Ex-NFL star running back Craig still on the run
- Last week, during the Chiefs game against Philadelphia, former Chief Neil Smith caused heads to swivel in Section 340 when he huffed and puffed his way with family members to seats about 10 rows from the top of Arrowhead Stadium.
But it was unmistakably Smith sporting Super Bowl bling on a finger — courtesy of his time with the Denver Broncos — and a red Nebraska Huskers shirt.
- Consistent Rucker anchors line
10/07/05
- Wistrom chasing first sack
- Team-player Treu again answers call
- If Nguyen can't go, Shanle's role in defense probably will increase
- Lucas pleased he decided not to lateral the football to Minter
10/06/05
- Record sacked by Rucker
- [Oakland Raiders] Quote to Note- "I wound up visiting with his wife more than with him because I could get a straight answer out of her." - C Adam Treu, describing his phone call to teammate C Jake Grove to express concern over his knee injury, which resulted in arthroscopic surgery. (Silver & Black Illustrated)
10/05/05
- Minter ready for fun
- Raiders' 'Fabian' fights way back into action Raiders' corner ...
- Humble Rucker takes Carolina sack record with a grain of salt
- Raiders' top pick earning his keep
- Broncos to honor former center Nichols as NFL High School Coach of the Week
- Mavericks (re)sign G Erick Strickland
- [Green Bay Packers] Packers rookie wide receiver Terrence Murphy, who was carted off the field Monday night, remained hospitalized recovering from a neck injury in Charlotte, N.C., where director of player development Turner Gill was staying with him. They were expected to fly back to Green Bay Tuesday, coach Mike Sherman said. (AP)
- 10/05 - Look for #71 Russ Hochstein in VISA's "The Metaphors" ad campaign.
10/04/05
- Call Rucker the `Sackmaster'
- Rucker: Gets Sack Record on MNF
10/03/05
- Fonoti to have second hand surgery
- Injury puts Treu back into starting role
- WEEK 4: Stats and Stories
10/02/05
- Rucker: Blame players, not coaches
- Raiders vs Cowboys: In-Game Analysis from Roger Craig
- Raiola: Center of the storm for Lions
10/01/05
- Blitzes blind-side Panthers with science (last paragraphs)
- [Carolina Panthers] Panther players had a debate as to who was the "Best collegiate runner of all time":
Safety Mike Minter and a crowd of defensive linemen showed almost as much passion in the locker room Friday as they had expended in practice earlier. Players were debating who the best college running back of all time was, and there were many strong opinions.
Minter, with backing from fellow Nebraska alum Mike Rucker, made a furious pitch for the Cornhuskers' Mike Rozier. Everyone else, led by defensive tackle Brentson Buckner, opted for Marcus Allen, Herschel Walker or Bo Jackson.