Vick hopes his example helps Burress get back on his feet

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick's advice for Plaxico Burress is to put his family ahead of football.

Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles' Pro Bowl quarterback, said Wednesday he hopes Burress uses him as an example in his return to the NFL. The former New York Giants receiver spent nearly two years in prison for a gun charge and was released Monday.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick reveals in his forthcoming autobiography that his propensity for trying to lie his way out of trouble -- particularly his dogfighting operation -- only made his consequences more severe.More...

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Vick has made a remarkable comeback to the league after spending 18 months in federal prison for dogfighting charges. He led the Eagles to the NFC East title last season and was voted The Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.

Vick hasn't communicated directly with Burress, but shared his thoughts on what he would say to him.

"Just take your time coming back and getting acclimated. Think family first and football second and it'll all work out," Vick said. "It's great that he'll get a second chance. We'll pray for him, we're going to support him 100 percent and we're in his corner and we just want him to excel."

Vick was reviled when he came back, and there was an outcry from animal rights groups when the Eagles signed him in August 2009. But Vick won over fans in Philadelphia -- and outside the city, too -- with his sensational performance on the field and his service in the community.

Burress doesn't have to overcome similar animosity, though he still faces some challenges.

"Hopefully he'll use my situation as an example and go out and try and emulate what I've done in his own way," Vick said. "That's what it's about. It's about growth and it's about learning. Things in life happen in stages, and those are some things you have to go through as an individual."

The Eagles are rumored to be a potential home for Burress, and they were even listed on one betting website as the favorites to land him at 3-2 odds. But a person familiar with the team's thinking told The Associated Press that Burress isn't in their plans.

That makes sense considering the Eagles already have two standout receivers: DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Jackson has been to the Pro Bowl twice and Maclin has star potential. Jason Avant and Riley Cooper give the team depth at the position.

Burress would fit in perfectly as a situational receiver inside the red zone because of his size. But it's likely he would prefer a team that would offer him a chance to be the No. 1 or No. 2 target.

"He definitely brings a lot to the game, his passion, enthusiasm and the way he plays," Vick said. Vick and several other Eagles have said they would welcome Burress to Philadelphia.

It's not their decision, though.

"We haven't even gone there," Philadelphia coach Andy Reid said during the team's annual playground building event. "There is nothing you can do there."

Vick was 29 when he returned. Burress turns 34 in August. While age is a factor, Vick said Burress' position helps him.

"It's actually easier being a receiver and coming back and playing the game," Vick said. "You have to get your legs back up under you. I was a guy that had to live that. It's tough. You think you can do it, but you have to take that time out and make sure you're ready to go."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Late-game call helps Steelers slip past Dolphins

MIAMI -- Officials overturned a Ben Roethlisberger touchdown and called it a fumble, but the Pittsburgh Steelers retained possession, then kicked the game-winning field goal on the next play Sunday to beat the Dolphins.

Jeff Reed made an 18-yard kick with 2:30 left, and the Steelers escaped with a 23-22 win.

One play earlier, with Pittsburgh trailing 20-19 and facing third-and-goal at the Miami 2, Roethlisberger fumbled the ball as he dived across the goal line on a quarterback draw. The play was ruled a touchdown as both teams scrambled for the loose ball in the end zone.

After a replay review, referee Gene Steratore announced that Roethlisberger had fumbled before scoring. But Steratore said his crew had no clear evidence as to which team recovered the ball, so the Steelers were awarded possession at the half-yard line, allowing Reed to kick the winner.

The Dolphins then lost the ball on downs, gaining just 4 yards in four plays.

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Hillis helps Browns overcome T.O. show as Cleveland gets first win

CLEVELAND -- Another fourth-quarter lead was in danger of disappearing when Cleveland's offense met before taking the field.

Three losses in three weeks had stung the Browns.

It was time to change, so running back Peyton Hillis and his teammates gathered and laid out their plan.

"The message was," Hillis said, "'We've got to pull this one out.'"

This time they did.

Hillis, a human battering ram in helmet and shoulder pads, rumbled for 102 yards and a touchdown, Phil Dawson kicked three field goals and the Browns survived a big day by Cincinnati's Terrell Owens for their first win, 23-20 over the Bengals on Sunday.

The Browns (1-3) had dropped their first three games by a total of 12 points and in cookie-cutter fashion, failing to finish down the stretch and frustrating coach Eric Mangini with silly, self-inflicted mistakes.

Learning from their errors, they overcame a costly penalty against rookie safety T.J. Ward, made a crucial sack of Carson Palmer in the closing minutes and withstood a 10-catch, 222-yard performance by an unstoppable Owens, who moved into second place on the NFL career list in receiving yards.

"We didn't falter," said Hillis, who has surprisingly become Cleveland's best offensive weapon. "The defense came up big and we grinded out the final four minutes. It proves we are improving, and it was good to show our fans we could pull out a win and they could say, 'Hey, we actually got a team.'"

The Bengals (2-2) thought they had one, too. But after having their eight-game winning streak in the AFC North snapped, the defending division champions have some new questions and concerns.

"We're 2-2 and we lost to a team that's 0-3 and is better than their record," said Palmer, who went 25 of 356 for 371 yards and two TDs. "We have to find a way to dig deep. We have to move past this game because this one really hurt. This one stings a lot."

After taking a 23-10 lead in the third quarter on Dawson's 22-yarder, which moved him within one field goal of tying Hall of Famer Lou Groza's franchise record of 234, the Browns nearly let another lead slip away.

With Cincinnati driving for a possible go-ahead touchdown, linebacker Matt Roth sacked Palmer and forced Bengals coach Marvin Lewis to call for a punt with roughly five minutes left.

Cleveland took over at its 11 with 4:41 remaining and was able to run out the clock by giving the ball to Hillis, acquired in an offseason trade with Denver for quarterback Brady Quinn. On second-and-7, Hillis bounced outside and picked up 24 yards to put the game on ice just before the two-minute warning.

Quarterback Seneca Wallace, who made his third straight start in place of the injured Jake Delhomme, then took a knee three times to expire the clock -- a victory formation the Browns hadn't used since last season and one they haven't even practiced.

"We've been playing closer and closer to the way I believe we can and had not gotten the result," said Mangini, who presented a game ball afterward to his oldest son, Jake, who attended his first NFL game. "It's important to know it's something we know we can do on a consistent basis."

One of Palmer's TDs was a career-best 78-yarder to Owens, who ran wild in Cleveland's secondary as the Browns double-teamed Chad Ochocinco.

Cincinnati's offense finally lived up to preseason hype, but failed to come up with the necessary conversions down the stretch.

"We're frustrated," said Owens, wearing dark sunglasses at the postgame podium. "I don't think personally, I'm frustrated. From the standpoint of us knowing we have offensive weapons and we're not moving the ball like we're capable of moving it -- that's where the frustration comes in."

A personal foul against Ward for a vicious hit on rookie Jordan Shipley helped the Bengals pull within 23-20 on Palmer's 4-yard shovel pass to Brian Leonard with 10:44 left.

On third-and-goal, Palmer's pass intended for Shipley was incomplete, but Ward delivered a forearm to Shipley's head in the end zone and was nailed with a penalty, giving the Bengals an automatic first down. Shipley laid dazed with a concussion and was helped off the field.

The Bengals felt Ward was excessive.

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"A ridiculous play," Owens said. "The guy's defenseless. I just hate to see a guy get hit like that in the head. For him to take a cheap shot like that, that's uncalled for. At one point, I thought he was out cold. His eyes were rolling in the back of his head. You never want to see a teammate in that situation."

Ward didn't see anything wrong with his hit, which will likely draw a hefty fine from the league.

"I hit him with my shoulder," Ward said. "They (Bengals) tried to yap at me, but I ignored them. I would do it again."

The Browns went three-and-out the next time they got the ball, and Palmer passed the Bengals down field after huddling with Owens and Ochocinco on the sideline several times in the second half. Cincinnati got to Cleveland's 37, but Ochocinco was called for interference on third down and Roth pulled down a scrambling Palmer from behind on the game's biggest defensive play.

"It's a huge sigh of relief," Roth said. "We finally got the monkey off our back. We've got to keep this thing rolling."

Notes: The Bengals lost both S Roy Williams and CB Jonathan Joseph to injuries. Williams hurt his right knee in the second half. Joseph injured his right forearm trying to tackle Hillis in the second and did not return. Owens passed Isaac Bruce (15,208) into second place on the league's career yardage list. Owens has 15,325 yards, second only to Jerry Rice's 22,895. Owens also jumped Bruce (1,024) for fifth in receptions with 1,030. ... Hillis has scored a rushing TD in four straight games, the first Browns back to do that since Greg Pruitt had five in a row in 1975. ... Browns WR/KR Joshua Cribbs had 107 return yards, putting him 12th on the career list with 8,443.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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