Spurrier not feeling too superior these days

[TK]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2196399

Nov. 1, 2003, 10:42AM

NFL NOTEBOOK

Spurrier not feeling too superior these days

By JOHN McCLAIN

Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle

Entering today's game against the Cowboys, Washington has lost three games in a row and four of five since a 2-0 start. The Redskins have a 3-4 record coming out of an open week that was memorable for how much controversy was generated.

In their three-game losing streak, the Redskins have been outscored 86-46. Quarterback Patrick Ramsey has been pummeled like a tomato can. There's so much infighting and back-stabbing at Redskins Park it's difficult to tell the difference between coach Steve Spurrier's friends and enemies.

Today, however, the Redskins will put aside their differences and be united in their quest to win at Texas Stadium, where they are 0-7 since defeating the Cowboys in 1995. Dallas is 10-1 in its last 11 games against Washington.

Spurrier was at the helm last season when the Redskins finally beat the Cowboys, but winning NFC East games has been hard for the Ol' Ball Coach. Since he became their coach last season, the Redskins are 1-8 in division games. They are 3-8 in road games under Spurrier.

Check out Washington's schedule. The three teams the Redskins have beaten are a combined 9-13. Their next four opponents, counting the Cowboys, are 21-7.

No wonder owner Daniel Snyder and personnel director Vinny Cerrato brought in Joe Bugel and Foge Fazio to watch film and make suggestions. Then, in an effort to stop the run and put pressure on the quarterback, the Redskins signed free agent defensive tackle Darrell Russell, who was coming off a 1 1/2-year NFL suspension.

Russell, 27, is 6-5 and 320. He was an enormous talent who was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1998 and 1999. But his career started spiraling out of control in 2001 when he was suspended for four games for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. Then he was busted again, drawing the lengthy suspension.

Russell was fortunate that 25 counts of being an accomplice to rape in January 2002 and an arrest in Nevada on suspicion of drunken driving after he left a brothel were dropped.

"Snyder's taking a big gamble with me," the well-spoken Russell said after signing. "Enough people are on his back. All I can do is be thankful to him and coach Spurrier for giving me this opportunity. I want to take advantage of it.

"It's a new beginning. You go through life, and you have your trials and tribulations. I feel no one's faced with anything they can't handle, as long as you learn from everything. I'm very concerned about being accepted here. I want to carry myself as a better person.

"I'm sure (his new teammates) will have their questions. I have no problems answering them. This is their team, and I'm trying to fit in. Chemistry is a big factor. I can be the greatest player in the world, but if I don't fit in with the team, I'm useless."

Before the Redskins signed Russell, they consulted with such players as linebackers LaVar Arrington, Jeremiah Trotter and Jessie Armstead and defensive end Regan Upshaw.

"Darrell's a gifted player," said Upshaw, who started next to Russell for two years in Oakland. "He can be one of the best players in the NFL. We can spot him the next couple of weeks until he's ready to roll. Darrell's a grown man. Everybody learns from his mistakes. He's got his life together, and he's ready to go. It's time to take care of football."

Around the AFC

Tipsy

-- Remember when Texans quarterback David Carr came out of Fresno State and some scouts made a big deal out of his release and insisted it would cause a lot of his passes to be tipped at the line of scrimmage? Offensive coordinator Chris Palmer, who coaches quarterbacks, put Carr through drills last season to slightly alter his delivery.

This season, five of Carr's 204 passes have been tipped at the line of scrimmage. Nine quarterbacks have had more passes tipped. And Carr's percentage of 2.5 is better than 11 quarterbacks. By the way, the three leading percentages are Jeff Blake (0.5), Marc Bulger (0.5) and Brad Johnson (0.8).

Like fathers, like sons

-- Peyton Manning and Brian Griese, sons of former NFL quarterbacks Archie Manning and Bob Griese, are on opposite sides today when the Colts visit the Dolphins.

"In 1972, when my dad was playing and Bob was playing, it would have been a pretty far-fetched statement (that their sons would also be NFL quarterbacks)," Peyton Manning said. "I know Brian has faced a lot of the similar things I've faced with comparisons. He's always handled it well.

"He played well against San Diego (three touchdown passes on Monday night), so it'll be a tough test for our defense."

The rookies

-- On draft day, the Ravens tried desperately to trade up in the first round with Minnesota to get quarterback Byron Leftwich. When Jacksonville got him, Baltimore coach Brian Billick traded for a second No. 1 pick to select Kyle Boller. Leftwich and Boller are the starters today when the Jaguars play at Baltimore.

"We legitimately couldn't get the phone call through," Billick said about trying to make the trade to draft Leftwich. "We're thrilled to have who we have. I know they're thrilled to have Leftwich, and this is going to be something that's going to be fun to watch.

"The comparison's going to be drawn for a number of years, and it's going to be fun to watch these two young guys develop into elite quarterbacks."

Dialing long distance -- After catching four passes for 107 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, in Kansas City's 38-5 victory over Buffalo last week, Dante Hall has 11 touchdowns in his career. His 79.8-yard average per touchdown is the best in NFL history for anyone with at least 10.

On the mend

-- Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, one of the most respected owners in sports history, underwent major surgery in Houston recently that caused him to miss the last two games -- a rarity for the founder of the AFL. The 71-year-old Hunt, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer five years ago, is still recuperating and hoping to be able to attend Kansas City's next game Nov. 9 against the Browns.

Passing fancy

-- The Titans, who have an open date today, are 6-2. They played four of their last five on the road and won three of them. There's nothing surprising about their record because they were a preseason Super Bowl favorite, but the way they've gone about it is unusual.

Coach Jeff Fisher and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger deserve a lot of credit for devising a strategy to take advantage of the team's talent. The Titans are fourth in passing (255.3 yards a game) and 27th in rushing (90.6). Steve McNair has the third-best passer rating (105.1) in the league.

The Titans are using three receivers most of the time because their development is a big reason for McNair's productivity.

"Right now, our passing game's working for us," Fisher said. "The quarterback and his supporting cast are doing the right things. It makes no sense to make a dramatic change and not let them do that right now. But I get asked about it a lot, and the answer's always the same -- Steve McNair."

Since Fisher became the head coach 10 games into the 1994 season, the highest the Titans have ranked in passing was seventh in 1999. Under Fisher, their best passing output was 3,558 yards in 2001, when they were 7-9. They're on a pace for 4,084 this season.

Exorcising ghosts

-- Two weeks ago, the Patriots won in Miami, where they had been 0-13 in September and October. On Monday, they play at Denver, where they've lost 12 of 13. ... The Chiefs lead the league with a plus-18 turnover ratio. That's a pace for plus-36, which would be second in NFL history to Washington's plus-43 in 1983. ... Kansas City has forced 27 turnovers, putting the Chiefs on a pace for 54, which would break the record of 49 set by Baltimore in 2000. ... By the way, the Chiefs have 18 interceptions, equaling last season's total. ... The Chargers have won one of their last 11. Drew Brees is 3-13 in his last 16 starts.

Brown and out

-- Teams that have limited opponents to fewer than 10 points this season are 23-2. The Browns suffered both defeats -- 9-6 (Colts) and 9-3 (Patriots). They've scored 14 or fewer points in six of eight games. At 3-5, Butch Davis has his worst record in three years as Cleveland's coach. ... The Bengals are on a pace to throw 25 touchdown passes, their most since 1996. ... Only 14 players remain from the 1999 Pittsburgh team that finished 6-10, the Steelers' last losing season. They've lost four in a row, including three at Heinz Field, which equals the number of losses they suffered in their first two seasons in the new stadium. ... The Steelers led the AFC with 50 sacks last season. They're on a pace for 30. They haven't had fewer than 39 since Bill Cowher became their coach in 1992.

Around the NFC

On second thought

-- Falcons coach Dan Reeves wants to clarify his commentsabout believing quarterback Michael Vick should be back on the field. Reeves said he was misinterpreted.

"Nowhere in there did I indicate anything about getting (Vick) on the field," Reeves said. "The drills I was talking about were with (trainer) Ron Medlin."

Reeves said he meant "football-related drills," not games.

Vick suffered a broken fibula on Aug. 16. His recovery is taking longer than expected. Vick said he would return Dec. 7, then amended it to a week earlier against the Texans.

"We're in agreement," Vick said about Reeves. "I won't come back until I'm ready. That's it. I understand exactly where coach Reeves is coming from. Trust me, I want to be on the field, too, but if I can't do it, how can I go out and play?"

The Falcons host the Eagles today. Last season, it took Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb eight weeks before he was able to return from a broken ankle just in time for the playoffs.

Red-faced

-- Vikings owner Red McCombs got a lot of unwanted attention last week after his team lost at home to the Giants. McCombs, who had been given a game ball by coach Mike Tice the week before, asked to address the players in the dressing room. McCombs told the players they "humiliated" themselves in the 29-17 loss. Naturally, the players weren't happy about being ridiculed that way, especially since they were still 6-1.

The next day, McCombs said he didn't remember using the word humiliated. "My passion got carried away in commenting on things that really were not exactly the way I would feel or think about the team," he said. "I don't carry any heavy feeling at all toward the fact that we really screwed up."

All Saints Day

-- The Bucs are coming off a shutout victory over the Cowboys, and they might get caught looking ahead to the Panthers if they're not careful against the Saints today. Last season, New Orleans swept Tampa Bay.

"Last year's the past, (and it) doesn't help me," Bucs quarterback Brad Johnson said. "We have different players, and they have different players."

The Saints won 26-20 in Tampa and 23-20 in New Orleans.

"If you want to sit around and talk about last year's games or any other game, I can't even remember some of those games," coach Jon Gruden said. "I think in some ways it's (pointless). You might try to use some of it as motivation. I'm sure they're using it as a winning edge. We'll talk about it, but I don't think we'll get into the burning psyche of it."

Sackers

-- The Jets are 2-5 going into today's game against the Giants. They rank first and second in sacks. The Jets have 26, the Giants 24. What makes the Jets' total so impressive is that they've had only 178 passes thrown against them -- fewest in the league. ... When the Giants won at Minnesota last week, it was their first road victory over an undefeated team with at least six victories since 1963. ... Pass-happy Eagles coach Andy Reid has watched his team have as many rushes as passes in five consecutive games. They're last in passing (123.6 yards a game). No wide receiver has a touchdown catch. Donovan McNabb has thrown only three touchdown passes. ... Since the start of the 2001 season, the Eagles are 17-3 when they run at least 30 times. ... The 49ers are using their fourth kicker (Todd Peterson) in the last two seasons. "Is (soccer star) Landon Donovan available from the (San Jose) Earthquakes?" quarterback Jeff Garcia asked. "They probably have someone who could kick. I think Brandi Chastain is available."

Loserville

-- Matt Millen took over a 9-7 Detroit team. Since the start of the 2001 season when he took control, the Lions are 6-33. They've lost 14 of their last 15 games. ... Last season, the Packers (12-4) won the NFC North by six games over the Vikings (6-10). This season, the Vikings are 6-1 going into today's game against the Packers (3-4). If Minnesota wins, it'll have a four-game lead at the midway point. The largest margin between first- and second-place teams in the former NFC Central (now the NFC North) was seven games. In 1985, the Bears (15-1) won the division over the Packers (8-8). ... Last week, the Vikings blocked a punt for the first time since 1989. That's 239 games. ... In 11 games against Green Bay, Minnesota receiver Randy Moss has 58 catches for 1,126 yards and 10 touchdowns. ... After losing 16-0 at Tampa Bay last week, Dallas coach Bill Parcells has been shut out only three times in his career.

BY THE NUMBERS

·2-9 -- Packers QB Brett Favre's record at Minnesota's Metrodome.

·32-15 -- Record of Miami QB Jay Fiedler, who's on the verge of losing his starting job to Brian Griese.

·24 -- Pace for touchdowns rushing by Chiefs RB Priest Holmes.

·7-0 -- Bucs' record after losses, including three shutouts, in Jon Gruden's two seasons.

·11-2 -- Starting record for Rams QB Marc Bulger.

·35 -- Average points scored by the Rams during their four-game winning streak.

·9-20 -- Combined record of the Chiefs' next four opponents, none of whom has a winning record.

·7 -- Rank of the Titans' offense in 1999, the highest of coach Jeff Fisher's career until this season, in which they're tied for fifth in average points scored.

·1988 -- The last time the Steelers started 2-5 or worse.

·12-17-2000 -- The last time the Lions won on the road, a streak of 20 in a row, three short of the Oilers' NFL record.

Quotable

·Colts coach Tony Dungy, who is 8-3 on the road since he was hired by Indianapolis, on what it takes to win away from home: "It helps to have veteran players because most of the issues with winning on the road are psychological. The only real factor that's different on the road is the noise your offensive team has to deal with. ... The big thing is to not make too much of an issue of going on the road. Make it business as usual."

·Bucs CB Ronde Barber on DT Warren Sapp: "I like his charisma, his character. What would this world be like if everybody was like me? It would be a pretty boring place."

·Bears WR Marty Booker on the possibility of starting rookie QB Rex Grossman: "We don't want to feel like we're just giving up. Playing a rookie quarterback might be saying we are. By no means are we counting ourselves out of this yet."

·Saints' coach Jim Haslett on today's game against the Bucs, whom the Saints beat two times last season: "When you're the defending Super Bowl champions, you have to bring your `A' game all the time because everybody's gunning for you. I think they learned a little lesson this season."

·Jets coach Herm Edwards on playing the Giants: "It's like a college game. Half the city goes white and green, and half goes blue. They make a big rivalry thing out of this. It's a fun game."

SUPER RANKINGS

Ranking the leading contenders in each conference to play in Super Bowl XXXVIII on Feb. 1, 2004, at Reliant Stadium:

AFC

1. Chiefs

-- No team in the league is better in all three phases.

2. Colts

-- Offense is still great, but defense must play better.

3. Titans

-- Played four of five on the road and won three of them.

4. Patriots

-- Won their last three without scoring more than 19.

5. Dolphins

-- They are only four points from a perfect record.

NFC

1. Vikings

-- Have to rebound from first loss of the season.

2. Panthers

-- League's second-best running game is awesome.

3. Rams

-- A four-game winning streak with Bulger at quarterback.

4. Cowboys

-- No shame in losing to Bucs but must recover fast.

5. Buccaneers

-- Getting in gear to defend their Super Bowl title.

John McClain covers the NFL for the Chronicle. His NFL Notebook appears on Sundays.