What would an NFL football off season be without an arrest or two or three. From AP-
Cleveland Browns defensive back Kenny Wright was arrested Thursday after police said he led them on a quarter-mile foot chase that began in the parking lot of the police station.
The 30-year-old Wright faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful restraint, a misdemeanor charge of evading arrest and a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana. He remained in the Pearland City Jail on Thursday night pending a bond hearing Friday.
Pearland police said officers were investigating a disturbance in the police station parking lot around 11:30 a.m. Thursday. When officers approached Wright, he took off running and was eventually caught in a nearby subdivision.
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Police said they found 1.875 ounces of marijuana in Wright’s vehicle.
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Wright, who attended Northwestern State in Louisiana, was a fourth-round pick in the 1999 draft by the Minnesota Vikings. The nine-year veteran also has played for Houston, Jacksonville and Washington. He has seven career interceptions
Wright is a journeyman player at best. Being arrested won’t further his chances of staying in the NFL.
Vinny Testaverde has finally had enough, calling it quits after a 21-year NFL career.
The 44-year-old quarterback said Saturday that he’ll retire after Carolina’s season finale at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
“I just feel like it’s time,” Testaverde told The Associated Press before boarding the team bus for the airport. “Obviously at 44 it does get a little bit tougher as the weeks go by. I’m glad I’m able to do it on my own terms and walk away from the game not only healthy, but to experience some of the things I’ve been through.”
Testaverde was out of the league until the Panthers, desperate for quarterback help after injuries to Jake Delhomme and David Carr, signed him on Oct. 10. Four days and only three practices later, Testaverde became the oldest starting QB to win a game when he led the Panthers to a victory at Arizona.
“It’s going to be, for me, one of my special moments in the NFL,” Testaverde said. “To come in with three days of preparation and go out and help a team win a football game and contribute, I’m proud of the fact I was able to do that.”
Testaverde started five more games for Carolina and completed 94 of 172 passes for 952 yards, five touchdowns and six interceptions. But his body wore down late in the season, and he was sidelined by back pain and a right Achilles tendon injury that kept him out of games and practices the past month.
Testaverde said he started contemplating retirement several weeks ago. “You want to be able to go out there and perform the way you think you can,” Testaverde said. “When you have some things that hinder you from doing that, it makes it tougher.”
Testaverde’s final game will come where his pro career started. The 1986 Heisman Trophy winner at Miami, Testaverde was the No. 1 overall pick by Tampa Bay in the 1987 draft. He got off to rocky start, throwing 13 touchdown passes and 35 interceptions in his second season with the Buccaneers, his first as the full-time starter.
Testaverde weathered the criticism for three more seasons before moving to Cleveland. After the franchise moved to Baltimore, Testaverde made his first Pro Bowl in 1996. Testaverde made the Pro Bowl two years later with the New York Jets, when he had 29 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. Late in his career he played with Dallas and New England.
Testaverde ranks sixth in the league for career attempts (6,701), completions (3,787) and yards passing (45,233). Testaverde has thrown 275 touchdown passes and 267 interceptions. Testaverde also holds the NFL record by throwing at least one touchdown pass in 21 straight seasons.
“I think my years in Tampa Bay have taught me a lot, not only about football, but about life,” Testaverde said. “It kind of helped me grow a tough skin. I went through some tough times as a professional athlete there, but it’s a great place, a great town. It’s come full circle.”
I don’t think he’s quite a Hall of Famer but he had a heck of a career and was a class act.
Cleveland Browns kicker Phil Dawson beat the Baltimore Ravens with what one Digg user aptly describes as “The Craziest Field Goal in NFL History.”
A 51 yard field goal was attempted by Phil Dawson of the Cleveland Browns with no time left on the clock to tie the game and force overtime. It bounces off the pole, then comes down and hits another part of the goal post and bounces back onto the playing field after going completely through the uprights.
It was originally ruled No Good but that decision was quickly overturned. Here’s the video:
I’ve been watching the game for nearly thirty years and have certainly never seen anything like it before.
No NFL quarterback has beaten 31 teams. That’s not surprising: There are only 32 and there were only 30 until the Cleveland Browns (2.0) and Houston Texans joined the league in 1999 and 2002. Now, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning could all achieve that number in the same weekend.
Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have been rivals on the field for years. Now the two Super Bowl MVPs could be taking their competition into the NFL record book.
A week before the Colts and Patriots face each other in that highly anticipated showdown, Manning and Brady have a chance to set up the perfect matchup with an almost perfect scenario this weekend: If each wins, and keeps his respective team unbeaten, the NFL says they will become the first quarterbacks in league history to defeat 31 teams.
“I think it’s better for a quarterback to do it than a coach,” said Tony Dungy, the league’s first coach to beat all 32 teams. “You only play those NFC teams once every four years, so that’s tough to do.”
It’s so difficult that even the NFL’s record-setting ironman, Brett Favre, has yet to achieve the milestone. Aside from his own Packers, Favre has never beaten Kansas City, Green Bay’s opponent next week.
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Scheduling changes also have made it more difficult. Before 2002, teams played one division from the opposite conference every three years; now it’s every four years. So if Manning or Brady fail Sunday, they won’t get another shot at Carolina or Washington until they’re in their mid-30s. At age 38, Favre may not get another chance at the Chiefs.
It’s an anomaly, more than anything else. Still, it’s an impressive achievement to get 31 wins as an NFL starting quarterback. Getting wins against 31 teams requires continuing to get the opportunity year after year.
This was an e-mail I sent in to Bill Simmons (the very funny and actually intelligent sportswriter known as the “Sports Guy”) at 3:45am after reading his latest column… I decided it was good enough to post.
I’m an Indians fan currently living in NYC (yes, the ALDS rocked), and I thought you’d enjoy a few tidbits from the Indians’ announcers and an Indians fan in light of your latest article.
1) Tom Hamilton announced as Blood Pressure Borowski came in that “Indians fans might be shocked to learn that he had more 1-2-3 innings this year than Mariano Rivera.” My brother called me up to tell me this and say “Yep, I was shocked.”
2) Every ex-Clevelander I know has come up to me this postseason and said “You know, this year feels different. I’m not waiting for something horrible to happen that ends it all… I feel like they actually might win!” I’m sure that until 2004, you could appreciate that one.
3) Then again, as I listened online to Game 2, when Youkilis hit that liner on the 11th pitch in the bottom of the 9th, I almost had a heart attack. (I’m 24.) Within 60 seconds of that moment, I’d spoken to my brother in NY, my sister in Baltimore, and my father in Cleveland. And amazingly, we’d all survived.
3a) Indians’ announcer Hamilton about 2 seconds after pausing after that catch said “Cleveland, you can breathe again.”
3b) I hadn’t been breathing.
4) You haven’t seen enough Browns games. That’s the only way you can think that Indians’ fans won’t stay loud in the freezing cold. I’ve been to subzero Browns games at the end of the year when they’re WAY out of it, and you’d think they were still in the playoff hunt. 40 degrees?! That’s like a sauna to Cleveland fans.
4a) The Indians’ announcers in Game 2 noted in about the 4th or 5th inning that the Sox fans didn’t seem as loud as the Indians or Yankees fans had been in the first series. It could be because it’s a smaller park, but Hegan thought that they seemed like they were waiting for the World Series to get really into it.
4b) As a total throw-in, Bill Belichik is an *******. He completely sucked when he coached the Browns, and while he’s not at Jordan/Elway/Modell/Jose Mesa/Steelers level of hatred in Cleveland, that’s only because everyone thought he was too boring to listen to to even hate.
4b2) I think the only reason Romeo Crennel didn’t get fired as the Browns’ head coach after Week 1 is because people are afraid he’ll be the next Belichik: Supposed defensive genius, clueless-looking head coach, sounds like he’s going through the motions in press conferences, never looks like he cares about anything, spends a couple of years squandering great offensive talents (Kosar/Metcalf; Winslow/Edwards), brings in semi-washed up but decent LBs from his old team (Pepper Johnson;Willie McGinest)… it would be typical Browns to let him go and then watch as he somehow turns up in 7 years in his 2nd Super Bowl, citing what he “learned” in those “hard times” as a Browns head coach.
5) Whenever Joe Borowski enters a game, I have terrible Jose Mesa flashbacks, thinking “NO! Leave in Mike Jackson!!” (Betancourt)
6) You know that if the Indians keep winning these games, there’s a strong possibility there will be no good ALCS MVP choice. If Borowski has 4 scoreless innings and 3 saves, would it not be the funniest thing ever if he’s standing up there, receiving the award? Wouldn’t you (in between tears and yelling) crack up at your TV screen? This could really happen.
Miami(0-5) plays at the Cleveland Browns(2-3) this afternoon. Cleo Lemon will get his second ever start as an NFL Quarterback.
I’m not going to beat around the bush on my prediction this week. Cleveland marks the end of the ‘easy’ part of the Dolphin schedule. The Dolphins have been dreadful, but remember they have lost three games by just a field goal. Greg Stoda says there is no reason to pick Miami until they actually win a game. Call it a side effect of the interferon treatment I’m undergoing at present if you want, but I disagree. My prediction- Miami 27, Cleveland 21. Will I still be perfect predicting winners this year? Stay tuned.
There are still three undefeated teams going into Week 6 of the NFL season: the New England Patriots, defending champion Indianapolis Colts, and the surprising young Dallas Cowboys. They top this week’s Power Rankings as determined by the analysts at ESPN.
The Pats and Cowboys have met just nine times, so history doesn’t figure to influence Sunday’s game. But if it means anything (OK, it really doesn’t), Bill Belichick is just 1-3 vs. Wade Phillips.
Raise your hand if you figured Kenton Keith and Craphonso Thorpe (hey, no snickering!) would be integral parts of the Colts’ pummeling of the Bucs. Indy has made a habit of these 5-0 starts.
Can a kicker be rookie of the year? Not only did Nick Folk nail the 53-yarder (twice) to beat Buffalo but his execution of the onside kick was flawless. His only missed FG this season was a block by the Bears.
Want to see a textbook example of how to protect a lead? Check out what the Steelers did Sunday, holding the ball for nearly 25 of the 30 second-half minutes in their 21-0 win over the Seahawks.
The Packers, like most teams, aren’t good enough to turn the ball over five times, commit 12 penalties and still win. ‘We’re not a bad football team, but we’re not great either,’ said Brett Favre after the loss to the Bears.
QB David Garrard is doing the things that make coaches sleep easier — basically, he’s not screwing up. Garrard has yet to throw an interception this season, which helps explain why he ranks 4th in QB ratings.
For the fourth time since Jeff Fisher became head coach, the Titans have started 3-1. Good news for Tennessee: On those three previous occasions, they made the playoffs.
The 144 yards allowed to Detroit was the lowest total given up by a Redskins defense in 15 years. It helped that Washington enjoyed a nearly 10-minute edge in time of possession.
For the first time since their 2000 Super Bowl season, the Ravens won a game despite scoring only field goals. Injuries to the offensive line might force Baltimore to keep relying on Matt Stover for all its points.
Will having a new lead blocker get Shaun Alexander untracked? Leonard Weaver will be the new lead blocker for Alexander now that 15-year vet Mack Strong is retiring after suffering a herniated disc in his neck.
If the Bucs are going to be playoff contenders in the second half, they must find a solution (re: trade) to their RB injury woes. Names being mentioned by the Tampa Bay media: Vikings’ Mewelde Moore, Chargers’ Michael Turner, Broncos’ Mike Bell.
There are confidence boosters. And then there are CONFIDENCE BOOSTERS. The Chargers got the latter in routing the Broncos and can now move into at least a tie for the AFC West lead by beating the Raiders on Sunday.
With Matt Leinart out and 36-year-old Kurt Warner now the full-time QB, the Cards need a solid backup. But The Arizona Republic reports that it won’t be ex-Cardinal Jake Plummer, who has retired.
The Giants go into Monday night’s game at Atlanta having won three straight. Inconsistent play is still a troubling sign, though. Eli Manning on Sunday: 22 yards passing in first half, 164 in second half.
Although the Bears knocked the Packers from the ranks of the unbeatens, just how impressive was the win? The Chicago defense was steamrolled in the first half, and the rushing game produced only 82 yards on 33 attempts.
Will Kris Brown’s 5-FG performance go down as the greatest kicking day in NFL history? It should. He nailed three from 50-plus yards, including the winner from 57 with one second left to beat the Dolphins.
The Panthers are in a precarious state at quarterback. Jake Delhomme is out for the rest of the season. David Carr is banged-up. Undrafted rookie Matt Moore is now the backup. The phone lines will be heating up in Charlotte.
Take away the fourth-quarter, 34-point explosion against the Bears, and this much-ballyhooed Lions offense has been held out of the end zone in its past 10 quarters. But hey, it can’t be Mike Martz’s fault. After all, he’s an offensive genius.
Life figures to get worse before it gets better for the Broncos. They’ve been humiliated at home, have lost three straight and will come out of the bye week with games against Pittsburgh, Green Bay and Detroit.
Don’t look now, but your AFC West leaders are … the Raiders, the only team without a losing record. The next two games (San Diego, Kansas City) should provide a better picture of just how seriously we should take Oakland.
The 49ers rank last in the league in time of possession, and with QB Alex Smith hurt, it doesn’t figure to get better. RB Frank Gore ranks 36th in the league in yards per carry (3.6).
Only Detroit (27) has allowed more sacks than the Eagles’ 19, but despite facing intense pressure, quarterback Donovan McNabb has thrown just one interception this season.
The Bengals hope to repeat their post-bye-week success of 2003 (when they won six of seven after going into the bye 1-4) and 2004 (when they won five of eight after going into the bye 1-3).
The last time the Browns won two consecutive games was 2003, and they sure weren’t going to do it Sunday at New England. But give the Browns credit for putting up a fight, even though, as 16-1/2 point underdogs, they still failed to beat the spread.
How bad has it gotten in K.C.? Tight end Tony Gonzalez is hoping the final-play TD the Chiefs scored to avoid being shut out by the Jags is ‘something we can build from.’ Well, might be easier if the Chiefs had a running game.
The Bills fortunately have a bye week to deal with the anguish of losing a game they should’ve won. But as many big plays as Buffalo made against the Cowboys, Dick Jauron correctly pointed out that it needed just one more.
A tough stretch awaits the Vikings coming out of their bye week. They face four consecutive playoff teams from 2006, starting with Sunday’s game at Chicago, then must travel to Green Bay in Week 10. Minnesota needs to improve in a hurry.
Is Chad Pennington on a short leash? The Jets quarterback has thrown five interceptions in the past two weeks, prompting some discussion that backup Kellen Clemens should start warming up. The Jets need a turnaround. Quick.
Warrick Dunn is expected to reach the 10,000-yard career rushing mark this season. But at this rate, it won’t be anytime soon. He gained just 27 yards in the loss to Tennessee, giving him 9,710 for his career.
Odds are against the Saints’ returning to the playoffs this season. Since the NFL increased the playoff teams to 12 in 1990, just one team — the ’92 Chargers — has made the playoffs after an 0-4 start.
If St. Louis loses at Baltimore on Sunday, this squad will tie the ’62 Rams for the worst start (0-6) in franchise history. And 0-7 is a distinct possibility, given that the Rams must travel to Seattle in Week 7.
How soon will the John Beck era begin Miami? Trent Green is out, and his career might be over. Cleo Lemon is now the starter, but it’s Beck, the second-round draft pick from BYU, who’s pegged as Miami’s future QB. The future might be now.
The Dallas Cowboys are now the most valuable team in all of professional sports.
The Dallas Cowboys wrested the title of the NFL’s most valuable franchise from the rival Redskins, knocking Washington off the top of the list for the first time in eight years, according to Forbes magazine’s annual survey. Thanks to a new $1 billion stadium set to open in 2009, the Cowboys’ value increased by 28 percent — by far the largest jump among NFL teams this year — to $1.5 billion. They climbed from third to first in the rankings, leapfrogging the Redskins ($1.467 billion) and the New England Patriots ($1.199 billion).
The new stadium added about $350 million to the Cowboys’ value. Jerry Jones can now boast that he owns the world’s most valuable sports franchise, according to Forbes. “Our organization’s incentive has always been to have our franchise recognized as being the best, both on and off the field,” Jones said. “This is recognition of the fans and the many constituencies who have helped build the Dallas Cowboys.”
The Houston Texans and the Philadelphia Eagles again round out the top five and remain the only other franchises worth more than $1 billion. Both New York teams also enjoyed big jumps in the rankings because of a planned stadium. The Giants moved from 15th to eighth with a 9 percent increase to $974 million. The Jets went from 19th to 10th with a 10 percent improvement to $967 million. Their jointly owned, $1.3 billion facility is scheduled to open in 2010. The stadium added about $50 million to each franchise’s value. That number is smaller than the Cowboys’ because the venue isn’t as far along. Forbes expects that the two teams’ rankings will continue to climb as the stadium nears completion. The Cleveland Browns were the only franchise whose value decreased. They rank ninth at $969 million, down from $970 million.
Since the Cowboys were already number three with a 35 year old stadium, this was inevitable. Still, Jones has to enjoy holding this coveted status again.
In a stunning move, the Cleveland Browns have traded away Charlie Frye, their starting quarterback, to the Seattle Seahawks for undisclosed draft picks.
Browns starting quarterback Charlie Frye, benched before halftime in the season opener, was traded to Seattle for an undisclosed draft pick on Tuesday, a stunningly swift move as Cleveland clears the way for rookie Brady Quinn.
Frye was dealt less than 48 hours after playing poorly and being pulled in the second quarter by coach Romeo Crennel for backup Derek Anderson in the Browns’ 34-7 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Browns said Frye must pass a physical for the trade to be completed. Cleveland also signed free agent quarterback Ken Dorsey, cut 10 days ago by the club, to a one-year contract.
Amid the changes, the Browns have not identified a starter for Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals. The team has several options, including allowing Quinn, the former Notre Dame four-year star, to make his NFL debut.
Amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this happen. Trading your starting quarterback? After one game?!
As a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, who hold Cleveland’s pick in the first round next year’s draft, I’m quite pleased.
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Brady Quinn missed his fourth day of training camp Monday in a contract holdout that shows no signs of ending anytime soon for the first-round draft pick.
Quinn, who figures to compete for the starting job with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson, has missed six practices so far.
Browns general manager Phil Savage has been in negotiations with Quinn’s agent, Tom Condon, but the team said there was nothing new to report.
“I’m glad we’ve got the other guys out there,” Savage said. “If anything, it’s given Charlie and Derek the chance to get more reps, and that’s a positive.”
Savage characterized talks with Condon as “in the same neighborhood, but not on the same street.”
The talk about being in the neighborhood but not on the same street reminds me of an old Abbott & Costello routine. LOL. This news makes me feel better about the Miami Dolphins not picking Quinn in the first round. I feel Quinn is overrated. Note- I don’t approve of the Ginn choice either.
Hat tip- Dr. Taylor at Poliblog Deportes who sees the holdout as good news for the Dallas Cowboys. If Quinn’s play or the Browns growth is impeded by the holdout, that means a poor record and a better draft 2008 first round pick for the Cowboys. Remember the Browns traded up in order to get Quinn.
