Data Points: Harder to reach 300

Published: October 24th, 2011 | Tags: Data Points,

It’s safe to say that defenses around the NFL are finally starting to catch up. True, there were some prolific passers enjoying their bye weeks in Week 7, but the number of 300-yard passers dropped so significantly that it can’t be ignored. And with “only” six 300-yard performances in each of the previous two weeks, you can call this a trend. After 56 300-yard passing games through six weeks, there were a grand total of three in Week 7.

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Redskins WR Moss out 5-7 weeks; RB Hightower done for season

The Washington Redskins announced that wide receiver Santana Moss will be sidelined five-to-seven weeks after undergoing surgery on his fractured hand Monday.

A double whammy for the ‘Skins as, running back Tim Hightower received news that he will out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, according to coach Mike Shanahan via the Washington Post.

Hankerson responds: Rookie third-round wideout Leonard Hankerson is taking things personal, by firing back at the fans who said he ran a wrong route Sunday via Twitter.  Why waste your time, Leonard?

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Broncos coach Fox: RB McGahee suffered broken hand

According to MaxDenver.com, Broncos head coach John Fox said that running back Willis McGahee broke his hand in the third quarter of Sunday’s 18-15 overtime triumph over the Dolphins.

The Miami product had 18 rushes for 76 yards on the ground and a lost fumble.

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Brown Takes Trade Breakdown in Stride

While his teammates enjoyed time off, Brown was busy shuttling around. He was traded from Philadelphia to Detroit last Tuesday in a deal that sent fellow running back Jerome Harrison to the Eagles. But the deal was rescinded when Harrison failed his physical, so Brown returned.

Harrison was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and a Lions teammate confirmed he already had surgery.

"I'm just glad that he found out his situation before it could turn into anything a couple of weeks down the road," Brown said Monday. "That's always good that he found that out and got that taken care of. So I'm excited about that."

A former second overall pick, Brown has been a disappointment in Philadelphia. He's only had 13 carries for 38 yards, and he committed a costly fumble near the goal line in a 24-23 loss to San Francisco earlier in the month.

Since that turnover, Brown has dropped below rookie Dion Lewis and starter LeSean McCoy on the depth chart. McCoy is fourth in the NFC with 569 yards rushing and is second with eight touchdowns.

"It's tough," Brown said. "I was looking forward to more opportunities when I got here, but given the situation, knowing that this is a passing offense and the way things are run ... I guess there's not enough opportunities to go around for everybody."

Brown was one of several high-profile players the Eagles acquired before the season. The moves haven't paid off. The Eagles are 2-4 heading into Sunday night's game against Dallas (3-3).

Brown went home to Atlanta after coach Andy Reid gave the Eagles a week off. He hurried off to Detroit after the trade, practiced with the Lions on Wednesday and was in the middle of game planning when the deal was voided.

"There were going to be more opportunities out there in Detroit for me, more carries than I would have gotten here," Brown said. "But it happens, it's over with and you move on."

Brown was drafted by Miami and went to the Pro Bowl in 2008. He rushed for 4,815 yards and 36 touchdowns and caught 184 passes for 1,491 yards with the Dolphins.

"I'm just trying to keep it professional," he said. "I'm here. I'm a Philadelphia Eagle. Given an opportunity, whatever I'm supposed to do, I'm going to do that to a level of professionalism. If I'm expected to be in a meeting or whatever, I'm going to do things the way they're supposed to be done, and everything will take care of themselves."

Brown may not get a chance to contribute on the field, but he's doing his part to help in the community. He'll speak to students at South Philadelphia High School on Tuesday about stopping youth violence.

"Fortunately for us who are on this level, we have an opportunity and a chance to touch people's lives outside of what we do on the football field," Brown said. "It's really an initiative that's pointed at stopping youth violence. It started when I was in Miami with all of the stuff that was happening in the schools with some shootings and all those things.

"You never want to see that kind of stuff. No matter what background you're from or what kind of struggles you've had in your life, you can always overcome them and that's good."

___

NOTES: DE Brandon Graham practiced for the first time since injuring his knee against Dallas last Dec. 12. Graham, the first-round pick last year, had surgery for a torn ACL and microfracture surgery. "I feel a lot better than I expected," Graham said. ... DE Trent Cole (calf) and LT Jason Peters (hamstring) also returned to practice after missing two games each.

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Hogs' Wilson makes O'Brien cut

Arkansas' Tyler Wilson was the only SEC quarterback named as one of 16 semifinalists for the 2011 Davey O'Brien national quarterback award.

Wilson leads the SEC with 2,011 passing yards and has thrown 12 touchdown passes and three interceptions.

Given how steady he's been, it's a little surprising that LSU senior quarterback Jarrett Lee didn't make the cut. Lee leads the SEC in pass efficiency and has thrown 13 touchdown passes and only one interception. He's also completing 63.2 percent of his passes.

Here's a complete list of the 16 semifinalists: Matt Barkley, USCTajh Boyd, ClemsonKirk Cousins, Michigan StateSeth Doege, Texas TechRobert Griffin III, BaylorLandry Jones, OklahomaCase Keenum, HoustonAndrew Luck, StanfordKellen Moore, Boise StateKeith Price, WashingtonDenard Robinson, MichiganRyan Tannehill, Texas A&MDarron Thomas, OregonBrandon Weeden, Oklahoma StateRussell Wilson, WisconsinTyler Wilson, Arkansas

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The Fifth Down: Monday Matchup: Ravens at Jaguars

Ravens at Jaguars, 8:30 p.m. Eastern, ESPN
Line: Ravens by 9?

You know a franchise is in sorry shape when even opponents are nostalgic about its past. Ray Lewis sounded almost misty-eyed last week when he talked about the glory days of the Ravens-Jaguars rivalry. The teams played twice a year from 1996 through 2001 in the old A.F.C. Central and had some memorable meetings, including a 6-3 game in 2000 that featured 10 sacks and only 374 yards of total offense. “You know, we did have some great rivalries with the Jaguars for many years — for many, many years,” Lewis said, pining for the days of Fred Taylor, Mark Brunell and Jimmy Smith.

?Baltimore and Jacksonville now meet every three years, and any “great Jaguars rivalries” have receded into the past. The Jaguars are on a five-game losing streak since their narrow 16-14 win over the Titans in the season opener, with the rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert completing 48.8 percent of his passes while opponents stack the line to stop the team’s one recognizable star, Maurice Jones-Drew. Lewis also had kind words for another figure from the past: Jaguars Coach Jack Del Rio, a former Ravens assistant. “Anytime you play a Jack Del Rio team, you have to know that they’re going to be ready to play,” he said. Even if you’re not certain who they are.

Pick: Ravens?
(Pick does not reflect betting line)

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Wrap-up: Falcons 23, Lions 16

Thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons’ 23-16 win against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field:

What it means: The Falcons finally looked a little like the team that many expected at the start of the season. It wasn’t a perfect game by any means, but the Falcons went on the road and beat a very good team. That’s what a playoff team is supposed to do. After it looked like the Falcons were about to squander their season before it really got started, they have climbed back to 4-3. That’s good enough to keep them very much in contention in the NFC South as they head into a bye week and hope to get some injured players back.

What I liked: Atlanta’s defense. It held a Detroit team that averaged almost 30 points a game to a season-low 16 points. Although the Lions came on later, they had -1 total yards and zero first downs in the first quarter. That allowed the Falcons to get out to a 10-3 lead.

What else I liked: I keep saying it and I’ll say it again. The Falcons need to remember that Michael Turner is the backbone of their offense. They remembered against the Lions and Turner gave them 122 yards on 27 carries. When you have that kind of ground game, plays like the 17-yard touchdown pass to Roddy White at the end of the first half are going to come naturally.

What I didn’t like: In a morbid sort of way, a lot of Atlanta fans were hoping left tackle Sam Baker would sit out the game with a back injury. He did sit out and he was replaced by Will Svitek. It didn’t make any difference. Matt Ryan still was sacked three times and threw three interceptions. Baker has struggled, but this is proof that he’s not the entire problem on the offensive line.

What’s next: The Falcons have a bye next week. They return to action Nov. 6 against the Colts at Lucas Oil Field.

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OU, Wisconsin Fall and LSU-Bama Set for 1 v 2 Game

The Tigers and Crimson Tide held the first two spots in The Associated Press Top 25 released Sunday after huge victories a day earlier. With both heading into an off week, LSU and Alabama are virtually assured of meeting on Nov. 5 in Tuscaloosa as the top two teams in the country.

It'll be the second 1 vs. 2 matchup involving SEC teams, but the first time came in the conference championship game.

Oklahoma, the preseason No. 1, dropped eight spots to No. 11 after its first loss of the season. The Sooners fell 41-38 to Texas Tech on Saturday night, snapping a 39-game home winning streak. The Red Raiders moved into the ranking for the first time this season at No. 19.

Wisconsin also dropped eight spots after its first loss of the season, falling to No. 12 following a 37-31 loss to Michigan State on the final play of the game. The Spartans moved up six spots to No. 9.

LSU received 49 first-place votes from the media panel. Alabama got nine and No. 5 Boise State had one.

Oklahoma State is No. 3, followed by fellow unbeatens Stanford, Boise State and Clemson. The Cowboys have their best ranking since Nov. 19, 1984, when they were also No. 3.

In the USA Today coaches' poll, LSU replaced Oklahoma as No. 1, followed by Alabama at No. 2, Stanford at No. 3, Oklahoma State at No. 4 and Boise State at No. 5.

The Harris poll top five was LSU, Alabama, Stanford, Oklahoma State and Boise State.

Those two polls are used in the BCS standings, which were due out Sunday night.

In the AP rankings, No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 6 Clemson has its highest ranking since 2000, when the Tigers spent four weeks at No. 5.

No. 7 Oregon, Michigan State, Arkansas and undefeated Kansas State round out the top 10.

Moving into the rankings this week along with Texas Tech were No. 20 Southern California, No. 21 Penn State and No. 24 Cincinnati, which is ranked for the first time this season.

Falling out after losses were Washington, Georgia Tech, Illinois and defending national champion Auburn.

Nos. 13-18 were Nebraska, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan and Houston, which has its best ranking since 2009.

Joining the four teams moving into the rankings at the bottom were No. 22 Georgia, No. 23 Arizona State and No. 25 West Virginia.

For Alabama and LSU, the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup likely will decide which of the SEC West rivals plays in the conference championship and could ultimately determine which teams plays for the national title in New Orleans on Jan. 9.

LSU's only appearance in a 1-2 game was in the BCS title game in 2008. This will be Alabama's sixth No. 1 vs. No. 2 game, but first in the regular season.

The last time there was a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in college football not played in a bowl or conference title game was 2006, when No. 1 Ohio State beat No. 2 Michigan on the final weekend of the Big Ten's regular season and went on to lose the BCS championship game to Florida. Earlier that season, top-ranked Ohio State also played No. 2 Texas.

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Suh Says Ryan’s Injury on Sunday was “Karma”

Ndamukong Suh is firing back at the Falcons, saying quarterback Matt Ryan’s brief injury Sunday was “karma” and hinting that Atlanta has been guilty of dirty play. Ryan was hurt in the third quarter of a 23-16 win over Suh’s Lions.

Atlanta players told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Suh and fellow defensive lineman Cliff Avril taunted the quarterback while he was down. Ryan tweaked a knee when offensive lineman Will Svitek stepped on his left ankle, but he came back in the game a short while later. Suh said: “To me it’s karma for all the bad stuff they’ve done in the past. Their offensive lineman hurt their own quarterback.”

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N.F.L. Roundup: Redskins Lose Two on Offense, One for the Year

That makes five starters lost to significant injuries over the last two weeks, coinciding with a two-game losing streak and a quarterback switch.

“We’ve got a lot of young players,” Coach Mike Shanahan said. “We’re going to get a chance to see how much talent” the players have, “and how quickly they can improve. And, hopefully, it’s quick.”

Hightower is the team’s leading rusher. Moss is the top wideout. Both were hurt in Sunday’s 33-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

In other injury news:

¶ Quarterback Matthew Stafford is day to day after sustaining a right ankle injury in the final minutes of Detroit’s loss to Atlanta on Sunday. Coach Jim Schwartz hinted that the injury was not overly serious, saying that if tests had shown anything too significant, Stafford would be “more than day to day.”

¶ Oakland’s Darren McFadden, the N.F.L.’s leading rusher entering the weekend, sprained his right foot in a loss to Kansas City.

¶ The Denver Broncos’ leading rusher, Willis McGahee, is expected to have surgery this week for a broken finger on his right hand and will not play against Detroit on Sunday.

¶ St. Louis Rams Coach Steve Spagnuolo said that quarterback Sam Bradford remained in a walking boot and that he was not sure of his availability for Sunday against the Saints.

SUH SAYS INJURY WAS ‘KARMA’ Ndamukong Suh, a Detroit defensive lineman, said Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan’s brief injury was “karma” and hinted the Falcons had been guilty of dirty play.

Ryan tweaked a knee when offensive lineman Will Svitek stepped on his left ankle, but he came back and helped Atlanta beat the Lions, 23-16.

“To me, it’s karma for all the bad stuff they’ve done in the past,” Suh said. “Their offensive lineman hurt their own quarterback.”

Atlanta players told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Suh and his fellow defensive lineman Cliff Avril taunted Ryan while he was down.

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NFL32: What we learned about young QBs

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Lions Lean on RB Morris Without Best and Harrison

Starter Jahvid Best is out with a concussion, and ESPN reported Thursday that backup Jerome Harrison has a brain tumor. The network based its reported on two NFL sources it did not identify.

The Lions tried to trade Harrison to Philadelphia on Tuesday, but the deal was voided for unspecified reasons. The Lions listed Harrison as having an "illness" that held him out of Thursday's practice.

"It's a privacy issue and I'm not going to comment on it," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's back on our 53-man roster."

Harrison's agent, Mitch Frankel, did not return phone and email messages.

Detroit wanted to trade Harrison to Philadelphia for Ronnie Brown and a draft pick because it needs help in the backfield following Best's third concussion last Sunday in a loss to San Francisco.

Schwartz will only say that Best will play when he's given medical clearance. Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said he "certainly" expects the speedy, second-year pro to be on the field again this season and Best's agent, Tony Fleming, said his client's status will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.

"Caution is being taken of course, but he should be OK soon," Fleming wrote in an email to The Associated Press.

The Lions (5-1) are expected to rotate Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams along with return specialist Stefan Logan in the backfield against Atlanta (3-3) on Sunday at home.

"All our backs are a little bit different, all of them bring a little something different to the offense," Schwartz said. "We'll use anybody that we have available on Sunday to the best of their abilities."

Morris had five rushing attempts against the 49ers to more than double the number of carries he had over the first five games of the season. The 10-year veteran insisted he is not fired up about getting a chance to play much more against the Falcons.

"I'd be excited if I'm in one, two or three plays," Morris said. "I understand with the injury, I'm going to play more, but I approach every game the same as though I'm going to have to play a lot because you never know when somebody is going to go down and your number is going to get called. I'm preparing for this game the same way I did going into Week 1."

Morris was slowed in training camp by a broken right hand and had just two carries in the season-opening win at Tampa Bay. He had a mere two more carries over the next four games, but has been relatively productive when given a chance to do more.

The former Seattle Seahawk has had at least 15 carries four times in his two-plus seasons with the Lions and responded with 126 yards rushing and a touchdown in one of those games two years ago against Arizona and 109 yards with a score in another such opportunity last year against Tampa Bay.

Linehan doesn't expect the Falcons to overlook Morris, thinking they caught a break not having to chase Best.

"Mo has been in the League a long time, I'm sure they are going to look and say, 'Hey, this guy can do this, you better not fall asleep on him,'" Linehan said.

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East Roundup: Paterno Ties Record as Penn State Defeats Northwestern

Silas Redd ran for 164 yards and a touchdown, Matt McGloin threw for 192 yards and 2 scores, and Penn State clamped down in the second half to give Paterno another milestone victory.

Paterno will try to move ahead of Robinson, of Grambling, for the Division I record next weekend when the Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-0 Big Ten) host Illinois. But he is still far behind John Gagliardi of St. John’s of Minnesota in Division III, who has 481 wins and counting.

Paterno, 84, is in his 46th season leading the Nittany Lions. In Evanston, Ill., on Saturday, he coached from the press box again. He is recovering from injuries to his right shoulder and pelvis sustained after a receiver ran into him in practice on Aug. 7.

Paterno had been feeling better and had been on the sideline for parts of some games, but on Oct. 8, during a 13-3 win over Iowa, two of his players pulled him back to avoid another collision.

That left him sore, he said, and he expressed concern that he might be a distraction to his players on the sideline.

Tying the record against Northwestern (2-5, 0-4) was fitting. When Paterno tied Bear Bryant with 323 wins, he did it against the Wildcats. No. 400 came at their expense, too, last season when Penn State rallied from 21 behind to win, 35-21.

This time, Penn State led, 27-24, at halftime, after Stephfon Green scored on a 1-yard run with six seconds left in the second quarter.

Redd made it a 10-point game early in the third when he ran it in from the 19 after Gerald Hodges returned an interception 63 yards.

VANDERBILT 44, ARMY 21 Zac Stacy set career highs with 198 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns, and quarterback Jordan Rodgers made the most of his first career start, as Vanderbilt (4-3) defeated Army (2-5). Rodgers, younger brother of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, rushed for 96 yards and a score and passed for 186 yards and another touchdown.

BOWLING GREEN 13, TEMPLE 10 Matt Schilz threw a 24-yard pass to Shaun Joplin with 7 minutes 41 seconds left for Bowling Green (4-4, 2-2 Mid-American Conference). Both of the game’s touchdowns came in the final quarter, as Bernard Pierce’s 2-yard scoring run gave Temple its only lead, 10-6, with 11:02 to play. For Temple (5-3, 3-2), two players rushed for more than 100 yards: Matt Brown with 119 and Pierce with 107.

DARTMOUTH 37, COLUMBIA 0 Nick Schwieger, the leading career rusher for the Big Green, carried 29 times for 157 yards and 3 touchdowns as Dartmouth (3-4, 2-2 Ivy League) routed visiting Columbia (0-6, 0-3).

BROWN 35, CORNELL 24 Kyle Newhall-Caballero threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as Brown (5-1, 2-1 Ivy League) won in Ithaca, N.Y. Jeff Mathews threw for 402 yards and 2 touchdowns for Cornell (2-4, 0-3).

HARVARD 56, PRINCETON 39 Collier Winters passed for 403 yards and 5 touchdowns and rushed for a score to lead Harvard (5-1, 3-0 Ivy League) in Cambridge, Mass. Princeton (1-5, 1-2) amassed 556 total yards, 4 yards less than Harvard.

PENN 37, YALE 25 Billy Ragone threw for three touchdowns and ran for one and Pennsylvania (4-2, 3-0 Ivy League) outscored visiting Yale (3-3, 2-1) by 27-5 in the fourth quarter. Brandon Colavita rushed for 156 yards on 18 carries for Penn.

LAFAYETTE 45, FORDHAM 24 Lafayette (3-4, 1-1 Patriot League) overcame a 413-yard passing performance by Ryan Higgins for visiting Fordham (1-6, 0-3).

RHODE ISLAND 38, DELAWARE 34 Behind Robert Bentsen’s three touchdown passes, Rhode Island (2-5, 1-3 Colonial Athletic Association) beat visiting Delaware (4-4, 2-3) for the first time since 2002.

ALBANY 63, CENTRAL CONN. 35 Dan Di Lella threw a team-record five touchdown passes for Albany (5-2, 4-0 Northeast Conference) in a rout at Central Connecticut State (2-6, 1-4).

IN OTHER GAMES Dontra Peters rushed for two touchdowns in a 27-21 victory for New Hampshire (5-2, 3-1 Colonial Athletic Association) over Massachusetts (4-3, 0-1) in Foxborough, Mass. ... Larry McCoy ran for three touchdowns as Duquesne (6-2, 4-1 Northeast Conference) beat visiting Wagner (1-6, 1-3), 37-21. ... Kyle Essington threw for two touchdowns and ran for one as visiting Stony Brook (4-3, 2-0 Big South Conference) defeated Virginia Military Academy (1-6, 1-2), 42-14.

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Video: CBS Sports Seahawks vs. Browns Preview

After a big win over the Giants last week, the Seattle Seahawks will travel to take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. Who will come out on top? NFL.com’s Pat Kirwan and Jason Horowitz preview this game.

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Redskins Running Back Hightower Ruled Out for Season

Readers respond to a Sunday Review article on global warming fading from the American agenda.

Job growth is about new companies that will start small and, if they survive, perhaps grow large.

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Sports Briefing | Football: Goodell: Some NFL Teams Could Be London Regulars

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday the league is looking into whether such a scenario would "advance our cause here by growing the fan base quicker." He is talking to several teams about becoming regulars in the British capital, a development he thinks would be "very powerful and lead us to what we ultimately would like to do — have a franchise here in London."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making their second trip in three years to Wembley to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It is the fifth regular-season game held in London since 2007.

The league decided this month to keep playing in London through at least 2016, with an aim to play at least two games a year.

Goodell said multiple games in Britain could happen as early as next year, and he hopes more teams will agree to make regular trips.

"We want as many teams to come over. We want to see the more popular teams come over," Goodell said at a question-and-answer session with international fans. "Should we focus on just a couple of teams as consistently coming back here to build a fan base around those teams? The Bucs are coming back now for a second time in a five-year period of time. And the idea is, will that allow them to build a fan base quicker?"

Goodell praised the Glazer family, which owns both the Bucs and Premier League team Manchester United, for taking a leading role in promoting the game overseas. He said the Bucs are one of several teams the league has been in discussions with over more London visits.

"Obviously, the Glazer family has an interest over here with Man U," Goodell said. "And I think they want to see the Bucs become a global franchise. And I think that's a great thing for Tampa. I think it's a great thing for the NFL."

The league's ambitions haven't been dampened by a decrease in ticket sales this year. Sunday's game is the first of the five regular-season games at Wembley that is not expected to be a sellout. Organizers say an estimated 75,000 tickets have been sold, with the stadium's capacity about 82,000.

Goodell echoed organizers' claims that the lower sales were caused by the lockout, which meant tickets didn't go on sale until September — several months later than usual.

"We started late," Goodell said. "But we're thrilled with our ticket sales. We obviously love to sell as many as we have, and we're still selling."

He said the NFL has no plans to play in other European countries in the near future, looking to establish as big a presence as possible in Britain first.

"We want to bring our game to continental Europe. The issue is, we want to make a success out of it in the U.K.," he said. "We think this (London) has got all of the basics that we need to be successful. It's got an advanced fan base, a strong media market, a great stadium. We have a long history here. So all those things contribute, let's make it work. And if we can be successful here, then we can take that model, potentially, to continental Europe."

Goodell was joined by Jerome Bettis, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back who is one of several NFL stars who have flown to London to promote the game. "The Bus" was given a warm reception by a knowledgeable group of about 100 fans, but said he's had to tweak his nickname this week to fit in.

"I'm a double-decker now," he said.

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OSU's Berry suspect in alleged assault

Ohio State running back/return man Jaamal Berry is a suspect in an alleged assault that took place early Friday morning in Columbus.

No charges have been filed, but athletic director Gene Smith is aware of the situation and told The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, that Berry will be suspended if he's charged in the incident.

The latest incident occurred at 2:20 a.m. Friday on Vine Street, behind North Market, and involved a 21-year-old non-OSU student. The victim was "struck in the face with a closed fist," according to the Columbus police report. ...

The victim, who The Lantern has chosen not to name at this time, said that Berry and his friend were yelling vulgar remarks at him. After asking why they were yelling, the victim said that Berry crossed the street and punched his friend, and then punched him in the face with a closed fist.

Last month, Berry was treated and released from OSU Medical Center for a health issue after being involved in what university police called an assault. No charges were filed in the case.

Berry has appeared in five games this season and has seven kickoff returns for 150 yards and 169 all-purpose yards.

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Sports of The Times: Burress Finds Redemption Within His Sizable Reach

It was his fault. Plaxico Burress gave no trace of the “Just Give Me the Damn Ball!” attitude that Keyshawn Johnson did in the title of his book in 1997, early in his Jets days.

By all accounts, Burress has been working to fit into the Jets’ offense, after 622 days in prison for carrying a gun into a nightclub in 2008. He wasn’t totally invisible early this season, with 14 receptions and 2 touchdowns in his first six games, but Burress accepted as fact that he was not living up to his own goals, and the hopes of the Jets and his fans.

Burress carried the expectations with him. A willowy receiver, still only 34, could not have totally rusted away in prison. Could he?

“It was feeling worse than it looked,” Burress insisted Sunday after catching touchdown passes of 3, 4 and 3 yards in a 27-21 comeback victory over the San Diego Chargers. He was perfectly willing to credit the touchdowns to the right calls by Mark Sanchez on man-to-man coverage from a cornerback, Antoine Cason, who is listed as four inches shorter than Burress’s 6 feet 5 inches. Burress was also willing to attribute his touchdowns to his acclimation to a new team, a new system.

Everybody knows where he has been. Up the river. Away. Out of circulation. It is the unspoken fact, the P-word. When a reporter says “rust,” everybody knows what that means.

“It takes a little time to get these routes down,” Burress said. “It’s coming. It’s a work in progress. It always is.”

He reported to the Jets in August after missing two full seasons and part of the previous season when a concealed pistol went off, hitting him in the leg, and fortunately doing no more damage in a crowded club. The foolishness suggested somebody who totally did not get it, whatever it is, and could conceivably be just as numb in reporting to the Last Chance Saloon run by the garrulous border gambler himself, Rex Ryan.

But out of this, Burress has emerged as, at least, a teammate, a self-critic.

“You can’t just plug in somebody else after throwing to Braylon Edwards for two years,” Sanchez said, referring to the wide receiver, not exactly an early bird himself, the Jets allowed to walk to make room for Burress.

After six weeks, the Jets were floundering at three victories and three losses, and the summary judgment was that Burress was failing.

“I think a lot of people are putting pressure on him — but not in our building,” Sanchez said.

There is plenty of pressure already on the Jets, some of it put there by the rat-a-tat faux pas from the coach, who did it again last week when he said he would have had a couple of Super Bowl rings by now if he had been chosen coach of the Chargers back in 2007. He had to use up a lot of minutes on his phone to say the right things to Norv Turner, who had gotten the job instead.

Outbursts like these, whether intentional or not, are part of Ryan’s outsize charm. They also put pressure on the Jets to keep up with the sideshows, the controversies.

Actually, somebody else in the building was putting pressure on Burress. The receiver admitted — has been saying all along — that he was not doing his part in fitting into the offense.

“You get so tired of seeing yourself looking bad on film,” Burress said late Sunday afternoon, after his three touchdowns rescued the Jets and Ryan from a humiliation. Burress was the security device — open if needed — that made up for two turnovers, including an interception by Sanchez.

Burress’s touchdowns came in the second, third and fourth quarters. They followed a clumsy miss from Sanchez in the general direction of where Burress was expected to be, up the middle, in the first quarter. Burress saw it as more of the same. He knew where he should have been. He just did not get there as precisely as he should have.

“I said, ‘Hey, man, I didn’t get there,’ ” Burress said later.

This is not for lack of trying, for lack of attention. That is what Sanchez was saying afterward. He said Burress underlined his own routes in the playbook, studied them, worked on them in practice, asked questions like “What about this?” — which is not the same thing as demanding the ball.

“He’s such a big body; you have to stay with him,” Sanchez said, referring to Burress’s wingspan as much as his height.

“You’ve got to feed your studs,” the quarterback added.

•

That began to happen in the normal flow of the game. The Jets recognized that Cason was picking up Burress. With the boobirds already warming up their larynxes, Sanchez hit Burress up high in each of the last three quarters, and Burress said it dated to the way the offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, kept working with him in practice. The opposite was also true. Burress has never demanded the Jets get the ball to him. On Sunday, they did.

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The Quad: After Top 2, Oklahoma St. Has Inside Track

The losses by national title contenders Wisconsin and Oklahoma threw the Bowl Championship Series race into a tizzy. College football, after a few weeks heavy on chalk and light on thrillers, re-emerged as the unpredictable and parity-laden beast that had driven the sport’s popularity and television ratings the past few years.

With Louisiana State and Alabama locked into the top two spots until the two teams meet Nov. 5, the biggest question is which team can jockey into position for a possible spot against the Tigers or the Crimson Tide in the national title game.

Right now, Oklahoma State appears to be that team. The Cowboys are No. 3 in the latest B.C.S. rankings, significantly ahead of No. 4 Boise State, No. 5 Clemson and No. 6 Stanford. Jerry Palm said he did not think Oklahoma State’s edge would disappear in the computers because it has a strong schedule.

“Oklahoma State is in the best shape,” Palm wrote in an e-mail. “They have a slight edge over Stanford in the polls (pretty even really), but figure to be the best computer team with the possible exception of an undefeated SEC champ.

“Unless the voters start coming harder for Stanford, the Cardinal won’t catch O.S.U.”

The B.C.S. rankings are determined by three components: the Harris Interactive poll, the USA Today coaches poll and the average of six computer rankings. Each component counts one-third toward a team’s B.C.S. score.

vs. No. 1 Louisiana State, Nov. 5at Southern California, Saturdayvs. Washington State, Saturdayat No. 8 Kansas State, Saturdayvs. No. 11 Michigan State, Saturday

Computer rankings: The six providers are Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin and Peter Wolfe. Each accounts for schedule strength in its formula. The highest and lowest ranking for each team is dropped, and the remaining four are added and divided by 100 (the maximum possible points) to produce a computer rankings percentage.

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Saints Set Points Record, Beat Colts 62-7

He might as well have had both feet up by the middle of the third quarter.

Drew Brees completed 31 of 35 passes for 325 yards and five touchdowns, and the Saints set a franchise record for points and victory margin in a 62-7 demolition of the hapless Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night.

"I was real proud of how we played tonight, how we handled the week of practice," said Payton, standing on crutches after the game. "We spent a lot of time during the week just talking about us beginning to play our best football, because we really felt while we were 4-2, we hadn't done that."

Payton had called offensive plays from the sidelines since he took his first head coaching job with New Orleans in 2006, but that changed after he was caught up in a tackle along the sideline during a loss at Tampa Bay last week and was injured. Payton had surgery on Monday and didn't attend a practice until Thursday.

Sitting high up in the Superdome for the game against the Colts, he had to like what he saw down below, where offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. called plays for the first time.

Brees had two touchdown passes to Marques Colston and one to Darren Sproles in the first quarter. His fourth and fifth touchdown tosses went to second-year tight end Jimmy Graham in the third quarter.

It seemed the Saints (5-2) could do whatever they wanted, also rushing for 236 yards.

"We had a great game plan. We played with a lot of confidence. Pete did a phenomenal job," Brees said. "It was just our night, one of those games that doesn't come along too often. ... We needed a win like this, especially after the past week and everything we've gone through."

The Saints' point total tied the most in a game by any team since the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970.

The Saints previous franchise high for points in a game was 51 on three occasions and their largest previous victory margin was 42 over Denver in 1988.

When the large video board in the Superdome showed Payton peering out from the booth, the crowd erupted. By the time the third quarter ended, there wasn't much of a crowd left.

Colston had seven catches for 98 yards.

Brees wasn't intercepted before he was replaced by Chase Daniel late in the third quarter, a move that prevented New Orleans' starting quarterback from extending his NFL record of four straight games with at least 350 yards passing.

Mark Ingram rushed for 91 yards on 18 carries but limped to the locker room early in the fourth quarter with what Payton said was a heel injury, adding that X-rays were negative. Sproles carried 12 times for 88 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown.

The Saints had 557 yards and a team-record 36 first downs.

The winless Colts (0-7) are guaranteed to have fewer than 10 victories in a season for the first time in nine years, and at this rate they might not win many games at all.

"That team played better than we did in every area and we just got whooped across the board," Colts coach Jim Caldwell said. "It's one of those things that once you don't do the little things right, there is a lot of bad things that happen to you. Obviously, I have to take responsibility for our team and the way that they played."

Colts quarterback Curtis Painter was only 9 of 17 for 67 yards and had an interception returned 42 yards for a touchdown by Leigh Torrence.

"We just didn't play near well enough," Painter said. "We made a few too many mistakes in the beginning, and any time you're playing a team as good as them, they're going to make you pay. We just kind of got off to a rough start and you've got to credit them. They played well."

For the seventh game this season, Colts star quarterback Peyton Manning was forced to watch because of a neck injury that has sidelined him all season.

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