Ochocinco seeks Patriots fan to be roommate to start season

Ever wanted to be roommates with Chad Ochocinco? If you live near Foxborough, Mass., you have a chance.

That's because the newly acquired New England Patriots wide receiver still is looking for a place to live, and he said Tuesday that he's toying with a novel way of getting to know the Boston area.

"I'm going to do something different -- I'm actually going to stay with a fan, probably the first two or three weeks of the season," Ochocinco said. "So that should be fun until I get myself acclimated, I learn my way around and actually just find a place."

Ochocinco hasn't picked the fan yet, but he laid out a simple set of requirements.

"They have to have Internet, and they have to have Xbox, and that's about it," Ochocinco said.

The number of tweets by Ochocinco, who has more than 2 million followers on Twitter, have decreased since he became a Patriot on July 29. So, he was asked Tuesday if he could both be himself and still be a Patriot, and he just smiled.

After signing with New England, Ochocinco said he "will always be me," but he also said he was "going to blend in and do it the Patriot way, which is win. It has been a part of my game to always be me, but there is a certain way the Patriots do it and it's easy for me."

The veteran receiver said he still has a lot of work to do, but he's starting to feel comfortable with his new teammates. He gave fellow receivers Wes Welker and Deion Branch and quarterback Tom Brady credit for his progress.

"I've been able to assume a lot of information in a short period of time," Ochocinco said, while adding "there's still a lot of work to do."

Notes: Patriots coach Bill Belichick said he doubted he would play veterans more than he usually does in Thursday night's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also said it was "probably right" that players who haven't been practicing won't play in the game. ... Belichick said newly acquired Albert Haynesworth and Shaun Ellis are both "day to day" when it comes to returning to the field. Haynesworth has missed the past four practices. "He's in the 'day to day' category and getting some treatment," Belichick said. "He'll be out there as soon as he can." He said Ellis is in a similar situation. Ellis has been placed on the physically unable to perform list. He can resume practicing whenever he is ready, and he still counts against the 90-man roster limit. "He's making progress and getting better," Belichick said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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HBO's 'Hard Knocks' reportedly won't air this season

HBO's popular "Hard Knocks" series apparently has joined the Hall of Fame Game as a casualty of the NFL lockout.

The seventh season of the show has been canceled, according to Sports Illustrated.

"No 'Hard Knocks' this year. I repeat: No 'Hard Knocks,' " SI's Peter King reported Saturday on Twitter.

HBO spokesman Ray Stallone recently told the Sporting News: "We are monitoring (lockout) developments and remain hopeful of presenting a new season of 'Hard Knocks.' Beyond that we are not going to speculate."

New York Jets coach Rex Ryan garnered much attention last season with his profane candor on the show, but teams appeared reluctant to appear on it this season even before labor negotiations stalled. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions said no to HBO, while several others teams, including the Jets, Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos, said they would do the same if asked.

The show debuted in 2001 with the Baltimore Ravens and has been shown intermittently since.

The NFL announced Thursday that it had canceled the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame Game between the Bears and St. Louis Rams in Canton, Ohio.

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Leber predicts abbreviated training camp, full NFL season

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Colts QB Manning should be ready for season, dad Archie says

Archie Manning expects his son, Peyton, to continue being a pain in the neck for NFL defenses next season.

He, like every other football fan, isn't exactly sure when that will be.

The patriarch of football's first family said Monday that his son's recovery from neck surgery isn't going as quickly as the Indianapolis Colts quarterback had hoped, though he should be ready in time for the start of the 2011 season.

"It's just been 10 days," the father said. "He's not where he wants to be. It's just something that came up and had to be done, so hopefully it'll work out."

Manning spoke to reporters during Jim Kelly's charity golf tournament in Batavia, N.Y., about 40 miles east of Buffalo. This year's event, the 25th anniversary of Kelly's first tournament, is expected to raise more than $400,000 for the Hall of Fame quarterback's Kelly For Kids Foundation, which distributes money to numerous children-supported charities across western New York.

Those attending the event included Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger; former Bills stars Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed; and Colts vice chairman Bill Polian, the architect of Buffalo's four Super Bowl teams.

Between the neck surgery and the ongoing lockout, there were lots of issues to discuss.

At the top of the list was the surgery that Peyton Manning had last month to remove part of a bulging disk. It was the second time in 15 months that the Colts' franchise player had neck surgery.

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Two weeks ago, Colts owner Jim Irsay said he expected the recovery to take 6 to 8 weeks. Archie Manning didn't provide an updated timetable for his son's return.

There are, of course, other complications in play.

Manning's contract expired after last season. In February, the Colts put the exclusive franchise tag on Manning -- a move that prevents him from negotiating with other teams. If he signs the one-year deal, he would make $23 million next season.

But until the labor situation is settled, the Colts can't even negotiate.

Without providing precise details, Irsay has said he already has offered Manning a deal that will make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady currently holds that distinction after signing a four-year contract that pays him $72 million for a record average annual salary of $18 million.

There's also the ongoing lockout.

Peyton Manning was one of the players on a class-action antitrust lawsuit intended to end the work stoppage. Archie Manning said both of his sons, Peyton and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, have been working out with teammates, so they'll be ready for the start of the season -- whenever it happens.

"They're not frustrated. A quarterback's duty now is to try to organize his team and have some workouts, so they've both been doing that throughout the offseason on and off," Archie Manning said. "Unfortunately, Peyton just had a little surgery, so he's down right now. They're like all the other players. They love what they do. They want to get back at it and have a season."

The father can't wait for a resolution, either.

"There's really nothing to create urgency thus far. The closer we get probably to July, hopefully both sides kind of say, 'We need to get this done so there can be some practice time,' " he said. "I just sincerely hope they don't miss any games. I really don't want to miss games. The NFL has done such a great job through the years, it's a great product, a great game, and I understand both sides and what they're trying to do. But I'm just like all the other fans, I hope it can get done."

Until then, the Colts apparently will receive updates on their best-known player any way they can, including talking to Manning's father.

"Well, we had a conversation about general things like the twins and how Peyton's doing," Polian said, referring to the two children whom Peyton and his wife welcomed in March. "It was good to see him."

But the Colts would rather see a resolution to the lockout and get their quarterback back on the field quickly, too.

"If things go right, he'll be there for the season," Archie Manning said.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Sharper: Retirement just one option if lockout cuts into season

METAIRIE, La. -- Even as Darren Sharper discussed how fresh he feels, and how ready he is to extend his highlight-filled NFL career to a 15th season, he allowed himself to utter the word "retirement."

The uncertainty surrounding the NFL lockout has left the five-time Pro Bowl safety considering some vastly different scenarios for this fall.

If the lockout wipes out the season, it could hasten the retirement of a player whose 63 career interceptions make him -- at least for now -- the NFL's active leader in that category.

Yet, if it merely shortens the season, or leads to abbreviated training camps, that could give Sharper an edge in his effort to sign a third free-agent contract in three seasons.

"If there's no football in the fall, I'll have to start looking at other options -- maybe some television, or whatever," said Sharper, 35. "But right now, my goal and my focus is playing football, and that's why I'm working out now to be ready for the season ... if it starts."

Although Sharper remains open to playing anywhere, he said his preference would be to stay in New Orleans, where he has been training with Saints players who gathered for workouts organized by quarterback Drew Brees at Tulane last month.

Sharper also is continuing his charity work in New Orleans, announcing Wednesday that he'll host an event July 23 at a suburban minor-league baseball stadium to benefit his foundation for children, as well as the American Cancer Society and a local blood bank.

Saints players and local celebrities are lined up to participate in a home run derby -- with $10,000 going to a charity chosen by the winner -- and a softball game, along with a tailgate-style cook-off and other festivities.

Sharper scheduled the event close to the time the Saints normally would report for training camp at their suburban New Orleans headquarters. Yet, as doubts grow concerning if camps will start on time, Sharper is trying to see the bright side.

A delay would give coaches less time to evaluate or develop young talent, and render more valuable the experience of veterans such as Sharper.

"It's going to benefit older guys that have played the game and know how to play the game," Sharper said. "The thing that I'm looking forward to is, if it gets worked out and it's only a couple weeks of teams being able to prepare, especially offenses being able to prepare and get on timing, I think I'm going to have a great opportunity to take advantage of a lot of those missed, off-timed passes.

"So I'm a little bit excited to see how it's going to work out."

Sharper has spent his past two seasons in New Orleans, each time on a one-year contract. In 2009, he intercepted nine passes, returning three for scores, was named All-Pro and helped the Saints win their first Super Bowl. Last season, he struggled after offseason microfracture surgery on his left knee, which led the Saints to place him on the physically unable to perform list to open the season.

After sitting out the first six games, Sharper came back to play in eight, starting only once, and didn't have any interceptions for just the second time in his 14 seasons.

Sharper didn't want his career to end that way, and he said he feels far more healthy now.

"I've never dealt with a season as frustrating as the past year was, not only not getting back to the Super Bowl and having a chance to repeat, but just not being healthy all year long, nagging injuries, not being able to play like myself," Sharper said. "If I'm going to go out and it's going to be my last year, I want to make sure I go out and leave a mark that year and play at the level that I've played throughout my career. I don't want to be remembered as a guy that hobbled his way out of the league. So that's a little bit of motivation that I have right now."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Williams hopes he figures in Bucs' plans next season

Running back Cadillac Williams will be free to sign with any team he wishes once the lockout ends, but if the seventh-year veteran has his way he'll be back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"Tampa is a very special place for me," Williams said via The Tampa Tribune on Tuesday. "This is the team that drafted me. It's a team that has been through the good times and bad times with me. At the lowest point of my career, the organization was definitely behind me.

"The fan base in and out the community, dealing with different people, it's a very special place to me. I've grown accustomed to the area and living here. Tampa is a great city, great place and most of all, a really great place to play. It's definitely a place I would love to play and finish out my career, but only time will tell."

A first-round draft pick in 2005, Williams overcame severe knee injuries in 2007 and 2008 to play in all 16 games in 2009. He has rushed for 3,677 yards and 20 touchdowns during his career.

Bucs coach Raheem Morris has made it clear he would like Williams, 29, and fellow free agent Barrett Ruud back.

"First of all, you mentioned two guys with great character," Morris said. "Two leaders in our community and two guys that gave us great service throughout their time and hopefully it can continue.

"We'll get a chance to sit down when all the collective bargaining agreement stuff is solved. We'll get a chance to find out if we can have both of those guys back on our football team, the two guys that we know we'll have in free agency right now. We'll just have to wait and see."

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Pats CB Bodden itching to play after missing last season

New England Patriots cornerback Leigh Bodden said he's "firing on all cylinders" and ready to get back on the field after his 2010 season was wiped out due to torn rotator cuff surgery.

After six seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions, Leigh Bodden is anxious to get back on the field with the playoff-caliber Patriots. (Elise Amendola/Associated Press)

"I can’t wait to get out there," Bodden told the Boston Herald in a story for Sunday's editions. "Whenever everything is said and done, I’ll be ready."

With the shoulder injury he suffered last preseason behind him, the seven-year veteran has been working out in Los Angeles during the NFL lockout.

Bodden signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Patriots last year, only to see the team invest a first-round pick on cornerback Devin McCourty in 2010 and a second-rounder on Ras-I Dowling this past month.

Bodden isn't threatened by coach Bill Belichick's decision to stock up on defensive backs in an increasingly pass-happy league.

"Me going down this past year. Then (Jonathan) Wilhite went down. I remember those guys telling me, in some of those games, we dressed only three corners. That’s something you just can’t have. You need depth at that position.

"Bill knows what he’s doing with his draft picks. He knows what he wants. You never can have too many cornerbacks in this league. Teams have three, four legit wide receivers, so you have to be prepared for that. Having an extra cornerback is not wrong in my opinion."

Bodden spent five seasons with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Detroit Lions before joining the Patriots in 2009. He started 14 games for New England that season and registered 55 tackles and five interceptions.

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Lockout affects new Titans coaches' preparation for season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The NFL lockout makes it even more difficult for new coaches. They can't work with the players they have on their roster, and there's no wooing of free agents who could fill gaping holes.

So the Tennessee Titans, who went through the latest coaching change, are doing all they can -- watching film and preparing for the April 28-30 NFL draft.

Coach Mike Munchak said it's strange not being around the players as part of an offseason program. But he does know the players well from his 14 seasons with the franchise, even if he can't talk to them now.

"At least I don't have that learning curve," said Munchak, who was promoted from offensive line coach. "I've watched a lot more defensive tape than I've ever watched."

But both of his coordinators are new to Tennessee, with Chris Palmer busy learning the offense and Jerry Gray studying up on his defenders for a team that's trying to bounce back from a 6-10 season.

Gray believes the coaches understand the process they're going through with the lockout.

"So we're getting everything from film because we can't talk to them (the players)," Gray said. "The film is kind of getting us the direction of what we think we have to draft. I think that's really the good thing."

The Titans are deep into their pre-draft visits with players who could fill big needs at either quarterback or on defense. They pick No. 8 overall and must replace Vince Young, whom they plan release or trade once a labor deal is reached. Rusty Smith, a rookie in 2010, is the only quarterback currently on the roster.

A defensive tackle also could be attractive to the Titans, who want to improve their run defense.

Over the past week, quarterbacks such as Auburn's Cam Newton, Nevada's Colin Kaepernick and Florida State's Christian Ponder visited the Titans. The team also met with defensive tackles Nick Fairley of Auburn, Marcell Dareus of Alabama and end Da'Quan Bowers of Clemson.

LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson also visited Nashville, even though the Titans have their starting cornerbacks, Cortland Finnegan and Alterraun Verner, under contract for 2011. But Munchak recently noted the value that shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis provides for the New York Jets.

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"The value of someone like him, who can come in and be that dominant that quickly," Munchak said of Peterson. "Yeah, he's one of those rare corners who can come in and be a very, very high pick."

Gray said the Titans are looking at all areas in the draft. They have nine draft picks after receiving two compensatory selections last month for the free-agent losses of tight end Alge Crumpler (to the New England Patriots) and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (to the Detroit Lions).

Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin was in Tennessee on a one-year deal, but the Titans aren't sure which of their other players will wind up free agents. That group could include linebacker Stephen Tulloch, defensive end Jacob Ford and left guard Leroy Harris.

"So we're kind of looking at all the areas to see where we could get better overall," Gray said. "You want to be cognizant of who your free-agent guys are because those guys are still there, too. They can't just up and leave, so they're kind of in limbo, and that helps us because it's a lot like they're not there and they are."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Bears' Cutler can silence doubters with standout season

I give Jay Cutler credit for using some of his considerable offseason downtime to tell his part of the troubling story from January's NFC Championship Game that won't die.

What the Bears' much-maligned quarterback seemed to want to convey the most to Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times was something his face and body language didn't after he exited with a knee injury: that he cared.

"To get to the point we were and the opportunity we had -- I'm frustrated just like everyone else," Cutler said. "I think I've been through a lot here in Chicago, and I would have loved to play."

You want to take the guy's word for it. You want to believe that, with his team on the doorstep of the Super Bowl and his terrible showing up to the point of his injury, Cutler would have liked nothing more than to get back on the field and do everything humanly possible to help the Bears win.

But the TV images of Cutler's look of disinterest and general sense of being disconnected will linger. So, too, will the flood of criticism from fans, media and many current and former players questioning his toughness for not fighting through the pain and returning to action.

Perhaps it is unfair, given that Cutler was dealing with a Grade II medial collateral ligament tear in his left knee (which, interestingly, he says he hasn't yet tested since the title game). Nevertheless, it is likely to continue to be something he won't be able to live down any time soon and nothing he can say will change that.

What Cutler does could be a different matter. Roaring back from this with a standout season while leading the Bears to a Super Bowl victory would be a good place to start.

Follow Vic Carucci on Twitter @viccarucci.

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End of the line? Favre inactive for Vikings' season finale

Brett Favre was the NFL's ultimate iron man for 19 years, inspiring coaches and teammates with unparalleled toughness and thrilling fans with a daredevil's verve and a showman's sense of the moment.

Yet the once-irrepressible Favre never looked older or more fragile than in year No. 20. The magic of last season, and most of his brilliant career, never seemed farther away.

It had to end some time. And Favre says that time is now.

The 41-year-old quarterback sat out Minnesota's season-ending 20-13 loss to the Lions on Sunday with a concussion, and it appears that perhaps the toughest man to ever play in the NFL had his career end not on the field trying to rally the Vikings to another victory, but on the bench as a third-string rookie floundered in Favre's place.

No one -- not even Brett Favre -- can play forever.

"I know it's time, and that's OK. It is," Favre said after the defeat. "Again, I hold no regrets, and I can't think of too many players offhand that can walk away and say that. Individually and from a team standpoint, it was way more than I ever dreamed of."

He also retired in 2008 with the Packers and 2009 with the Jets, only to return to the field both times when the football bug bit him in the summer. He knows that there will be doubters again.

"I don't know for me if it's ever easy," Favre said. "I'm sure throughout this year, the comment has been made that, 'We'll wait and see in August or September' and that's fine. It's time. I'm OK with it."

If this indeed is the end -- for real, this time -- for Favre, one of the most colorful and celebrated careers in league history concluded with a season filled with interceptions, injuries and insults.

He was picked off 19 times this season and his 69.9 quarterback rating is the lowest of his career. The Vikings sunk to the bottom of the NFC North after starting the season with Super Bowl aspirations, coach Brad Childress was fired during the season and Favre was fined $50,000 for failure to cooperate with an NFL investigation into allegations that he sent lewd photos and messages to a team employee when both worked for the New York Jets in 2008.

Favre's reputation took a serious hit from the humiliating scandal, which tarnished the image of one of the league's most popular players. He declined to comment on the fine after the game.

His long-awaited union with receiver Randy Moss also was a spectacular failure and his cherished streak of 297 straight starts ended three weeks ago, with a sprained throwing shoulder making it impossible for Favre to let those famously zip-filled passes rip from his right arm.

And just for good measure, the Metrodome roof caved in to provide a perfect metaphor for Favre and the Vikings' 2010, forcing the Vikings to play "home" games at Detroit and at the University of Minnesota's outdoor stadium in December.

"It's been a wonderful experience for me," Favre said. "This year did not work out the way we would have hoped, but that's football. I don't regret coming back. I enjoyed my experience here."

He was listed as doubtful for the game against the Lions on Sunday, having failed to pass the necessary tests to be cleared to play during the week. The Vikings announced that he was inactive about 80 minutes before kickoff, and Joe Webb started his second straight game at quarterback.

"He's a guy who loves football to death. You can tell. He played up until he was 41 years old," Webb said. "I admire him, he's a great mentor for me. I'll always keep in contact with him."

The season started reluctantly, with Favre having serious reservations about coming back after having surgery on his ankle last summer. He also wondered if he could duplicate his incredible 2009 performance, which he called the best of his career.

Childress had to send three of Favre's closest friends on the team -- Ryan Longwell, Jared Allen and Steve Hutchinson -- on a private plane to Hattiesburg, Miss., to coax the old man into coming back for one more shot at a Super Bowl.

But that sensational 33-touchdown, seven-interception masterpiece he put together to help the Vikings reach the NFC title game last year was doomed from the start. Injuries to his two best receivers made it difficult for Favre to get going, and that indestructible body of his finally started to break down.

"All indications, when I talk with him, and we've had many, many discussions -- this is it," coach Leslie Frazier said. "I don't even think it'll be an issue in the future. I don't see any situation that's going to change his mind. You might say, 'We'll, we've been down that road before," but it's different now. Things are different, in his life and in the organization's life as well."

The website Deadspin published the tawdry allegations about Favre's supposed advances on Jenn Sterger in October, and he spent the next two months sidestepping questions about it while being exposed to the kind of public humiliation that he's never had to deal with before.

His record starts streak ended against the Giants on Dec. 13. He was knocked out of three games this season -- against New England on Oct. 31 with a gaping wound on his chin, Buffalo on Dec. 5 with the shoulder injury and Chicago on Dec. 20 with the concussion -- and also played through two broken bones in his foot, tendinitis in his elbow and injuries to his neck, back, ribs and calf.

Renowned for his ability to recover quickly, Favre missed three of his final four games and played a total of less than two quarters over the final five games as the Vikings fell apart.

Childress was fired after a 3-7 start and the Vikings finished 6-10, putting them in last place for the first time since 1990. Favre's team also finished with a losing record for just the second time in his 19 years as a starter.

"One game, one season does not define me," Favre said. "There will be people saying it's a shame you went out that way, this and that.

"I am truly grateful for the opportunity that, by the grace of God, I got a chance to play this game and play it at a high level and I'm honored. I hope that people admired the way I played, my passion for it, because I hold no regrets."

Assuming this is the end, Favre departs as the career leader in victories (186), yards passing (71,838), touchdown passes (508), attempts (10,169), completions (6,300) and interceptions (336). He was drafted in 1991 by Atlanta but never completed a pass for the Falcons before moving on to Green Bay, where he spent 16 seasons, won three MVP awards and led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in 1997.

After the Packers grew weary of his indecisiveness about retirement, they traded him to the Jets. He spent a forgettable season in New York before joining the Vikings in 2009.

There were a few highlights for Favre in 2010. He threw his 500th career TD pass against the Jets on Oct. 11 and threw for a career-high 446 yards to rally the Vikings from a 14-point deficit with less than 5 minutes remaining to beat the Cardinals on Nov. 7.

Favre got one last victory under his belt when he won the coin toss before the game on Sunday. When the final whistle blew, Favre waved to the fans and jogged past his teammates, up the tunnel and into the team's locker room.

"That's the thing every player and former player that I've talked to ... will tell you that what you miss is the guys, the fellowship, the bus rides, locker rooms, winning and losing together, celebrating together," Favre said. "That's the things you're going to miss. If I sat here and told you I would not miss that, I'd be kidding myself. From a playing standpoint, there's nothing else left to do."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Coughlin to return for eighth season as Giants coach in '11

LANDOVER, Md. -- Tom Coughlin will return as coach of the New York Giants next season, and his status wasn't in question at all, according to team co-owner John Mara.

Speaking Sunday after the Giants were assured of missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season, Mara put an end to any speculation about Coughlin's future.

"There was never any doubt in my mind, never any doubt in (co-owner) Steve Tisch's mind, never any doubt in (general manager) Jerry Reese's mind," Mara said.

New York finished its season Sunday with a 17-14 victory over the Washington Redskins, but the Giants didn't get the help they needed to claim the NFC's remaining wild-card berth.

The Giants went 10-6, making New York and Tampa Bay the first NFC teams since 1991 to miss the playoffs despite double-digit victories. Instead, another team with a 10-6 record -- Green Bay -- got the conference's last postseason berth.

"You wanted the other part of the package," Coughlin said. "To win the 10 games was nice, but we all wanted to win the 10 games so we could get a chance to play next week as well."

The 64-year-old Coughlin has been the Giants' coach since 2004 and led them to the Super Bowl title at the end of the 2007 season. But he also oversaw late swoons the past two seasons.

The Giants started 2009 at 5-0 before dropping eight of 11 down the stretch, including poor efforts in their final two games to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

This season, New York had a 9-4 record going into an NFC East showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles two weeks ago -- then led that game 31-10 with 8 minutes left. But Michael Vick and the Eagles came all the way back to beat the Giants 38-31, with DeSean Jackson scoring a touchdown on a 65-yard punt return on the final play.

The Giants could have clinched a playoff berth last weekend by beating the Packers, but lost 45-17.

"We had put so much into the Philadelphia game, to be honest with you," Coughlin said, "and then to lose it like we did -- and actually, we practiced well that next week, but we didn't have the passion and the emotion."

He, for one, showed plenty of both on the sideline Sunday.

After one of Eli Manning's passes went off Mario Manningham's hands and ended up as an interception in the first quarter, Coughlin barked at Manningham as the receiver left the field. The coach also hustled over to slap hands with Manningham after he caught a 92-yard TD pass from Manning about 2 ½ minutes into the second half.

Coughlin later made his way onto the field for pats on players' backsides after his defense forced one of its four turnovers. And he was cursing after Lawrence Tynes missed a 39-yard field-goal attempt.

After the game, Coughlin was asked whether he had any doubts about whether he would keep his job.

"I have no doubt," he replied, "but we just have to see about that."

Not very long after that, Mara made everything perfectly clear.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Cowboys coming to end of disappointing, surprising season

IRVING, Texas -- Here's how the Dallas Cowboys likely will close a season that can't end soon enough: With a third-string quarterback making his first career start and everyone holding their breath on extra-point attempts.

Just when it seemed like the Cowboys might salvage something from the final months of this season, their fortunes turned again. All the mistakes that drove them to being 1-7 and got their coach fired, and had mostly disappeared under interim coach Jason Garrett, returned with a vengeance Saturday night in Arizona.

They threw two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. A cornerback blew an assignment, clearing the way for a 74-yard touchdown pass. They made a valiant comeback anyway, yet continued to do things like get penalized for celebrating a touchdown and kicking an extra point wide left. That last goof gave the Cardinals a chance to win it with a field goal, and that's exactly what they did, but only after converting a fourth-and-15 against a defense that had played well most of the second half.

"This has been quite a year of disappointment -- real disappointment, real surprise," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Some of those things we were doing out there have been with us since the day we walked out of training camp, unfortunately."

This kooky 27-26 loss did such a good job of capsulizing everything that has made 2010 so forgettable, there was even an injury to the starting quarterback.

Jon Kitna strained an abdominal muscle -- while throwing a touchdown pass, of all things -- and might not be ready to start in the finale Sunday at Philadelphia. That means Stephen McGee would have the chance to show what he can do with a whole week of preparation.

McGee was forced into action for the first time in his two-year career Saturday night and looked nervous. He had reason to be.

Garrett made it clear the team lacked faith in McGee by declaring him an emergency-only option even though the playoff hopes were gone. The Cowboys preferred using the 38-year-old Kitna against another team already eliminated from the playoffs, valuing a better chance of winning over the chance to see what the kid could do. Then Garrett called mostly running plays.

Finally allowed to throw, McGee went 11 of 17 for 111 yards and a spectacular touchdown to Miles Austin. It covered 37 yards and put the Cowboys ahead 26-24 with 1:41 left. That's when David Buehler jerked the extra-point try to the wrong side of the left upright.

"I think I just rushed it a little bit," said Buehler, who became the first Dallas kicker with two missed PATs in a season since 1995.

McGee was sacked once and didn't have any turnovers. He threw some balls in the dirt and had poor timing with Austin and Jason Witten, but that was to be expected since he'd never thrown to them in a game or even a practice.

"There was a little bit of getting comfortable, just getting the feel of it, getting the cadence, getting the guys moving, getting the play in and out quickly, little things that I wanted to be on top of and that were going through my mind," McGee said. "Other than that, I felt like I was out there playing ball again."

The Cowboys thought Kitna had a hip pointer. But a painkilling shot didn't help, and it was later diagnosed as a strained abdominal muscle. The pain extended toward the groin area.

"I think it's doubtful from what I heard in there that we're going to have Jon back," Jones said after the game. "The trainers didn't give me any encouragement."

Had the Cowboys (5-10) pulled out the win, they would have clinched a winning record under Garrett. Instead, they are 4-3 with another near-miss. His three losses have been by a total of seven points. There's little solace in that, though, because Dallas had plenty of close losses under former coach Wade Phillips, too.

This one was bizarre even by 2010 standards. Dallas' defense forced Arizona to go three-and-out on its first series, yet the Cardinals were up 14-0 the next time their offense took a snap. They hit one big play, courtesy of Mike Jenkins' coverage of a rookie receiver, and mustered just two field goals.

"I feel playing the way we are, we're building on something," tight end Jason Witten said. "To lose that way, it's hard."

The Cowboys have surrendered 423 points, more than any season in franchise history. And there's one game left.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Ailing Cribbs endures season of struggles with Browns

BEREA, Ohio -- Joshua Cribbs used his right hand to show what's wrong with his right foot.

Bending his fingers back, the Cleveland Browns' Pro Bowl return specialist explained that his toes were jammed back into the soft tissue of his foot earlier this season, an injury that has forced him to wear linemen's cleats for protection.

"It's excruciating pain," Cribbs said. "I can't even describe it."

Summarizing his season is just as hard.

The NFL's career leader in kickoff returns for touchdown hasn't broken one this season for the Browns (5-9), who have been ravaged by injuries. But even before he was hurt Nov. 14 while being tackled on a 37-yard reception, Cribbs wasn't the usual Cribbs.

With opposing teams scheming to keep the ball out of his hands on kickoffs and punts, Cribbs hasn't been able to do what he does best -- give Cleveland's offense quick points or a short field. He has averaged a career-low 20.4 yards on 33 kickoff returns this season.

"It has been humbling," said Cribbs, who had his contract reworked last winter by the Browns after some contentious negotiations. "But mostly it's been disappointing for me not to give some great fans what they deserve in my play, from an individual and team standpoint.

"I want to do so many great things to help my team and produce and wasn't able to. So I take that as a personal loss. But at this point, it's football and I want to play."

There's no denying Cribbs' heart. An undrafted free agent, he has fought for and earned everything he has. But without him at his best, the Browns' special teams have suffered.

Cribbs missed only one game after dislocating four toes, sitting Nov. 21 at Jacksonville. He has been on the field every other Sunday, but it's obvious that he hasn't been himself.

Not even close.

Cribbs can't push off as usual or accelerate. He's not hitting any holes or creases quickly enough to pop a big return. He's not breaking tackles. And the injury has inhibited the Browns from using him at quarterback in the Wildcat formation or at wide receiver.

Cribbs has two catches for 11 yards and one rush for minus-11 since being hurt.

"There are things I can't do," said Cribbs, his hooded sweatshirt covering his head. "The coaches are working with me, trying to allow me to do what I can. But it's football. I could easily sit down and be like, 'Coach, I'm going to try to take care of myself for next year.' I love football too much. Even my teammates ask me, 'If you ain't good, why don't you sit down?'

"This is what it's all about -- pushing through injuries, going to work when you don't have to and battling. This is Cleveland. How do I look with a foot injury and I can't go to work and make the money I'm supposed to make, and people got to work with worse circumstances than me? So I just gotta push through the injuries and do as much as I can for my team."

Cleveland's coaches know Cribbs' limitations. They understand he's hurting and that only a full offseason of rest will make him well. But until the season wraps Jan. 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cribbs intends to give his best.

As long as he can walk, Cribbs will run out and play.

"I don't want to get taken out," he said. "They are going to have to pull me off the field. Somebody is going to have to say, 'Look you can't play, your leg is broken.'"

Last season, Cribbs accounted for 2,510 all-purpose yards. With two games to play this season, he's at 1,109 yards. But despite the substantial drop-off, Browns coach Eric Mangini appreciates Cribbs' toughness and determination.

"I would obviously love for him to have the same level of production that he had last year, and he would love that too," Mangini said. "It's not like he ever sits back and says, 'I haven't done as much as I have hoped and better luck next year.' Josh is trying to be as helpful and productive and explosive as he can."

Cribbs is understandably frustrated. He's powerless to speed up his recovery. There's nothing to do but make the most of a bad situation.

If the Browns have designs on beating the Baltimore Ravens this week or the Steelers next Sunday, Cribbs might need to find a lane, get through it as fast as possible and not stop until he scores.

Does he have one in him?

"Oh yeah," he said. "That's what I'm trying to get done, what I'm trying to accomplish. I need to score for my football team. I need to score to keep things rolling for myself. But most importantly, for our football team, to let them know that we still have a powerful and dangerous kickoff return unit. We've yet to show that, but we're still working at it."

For Cribbs, it's been a painful process.

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Eagles S Allen out for season with ruptured patellar tendon

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles rookie safety Nate Allen has a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee and will have season-ending surgery.

Allen, drafted with the second-round pick Philadelphia acquired from Washington in the Donovan McNabb trade, is the fourth defensive starter to go down for the season.

A potential fifth, middle linebacker Stewart Bradley, is out with a dislocated elbow and may not return until the playoffs.

Allen was hurt in the Eagles' 38-31 win over the New York Giants. His knee appeared to buckle while he tackled Mario Manningham.

He'll join rookie defensive end Brandon Graham, defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley and cornerback Ellis Hobbs on injured reserve. Rookie Kurt Coleman, a seventh-round pick, takes Allen's starting spot.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Broncos' Tebow earns second start of season against Texans

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos don't care if everyone knows it, including the Houston Texans: Tim Tebow will start again Sunday.

Rather than keep everybody guessing, interim coach Eric Studesville made the unusual move Monday of announcing that Tebow would be under center when the Broncos (3-11) play host to the Texans (5-9).

Studesville said Kyle Orton is still bothered by bruised ribs and that Tebow did a good job managing the game plan, the team and the crowd in his first NFL start Sunday despite Denver's 39-23 loss at Oakland.

"Well, the reason right now was that we felt that Tim played well yesterday, ran our offense effectively," Studesville said. "Compounding that was the fact that Kyle still was rehabbing ... and we just felt like prolonging this later into the week wasn't the best thing for our preparation and practice."

So, now the Texans don't have to worry about preparing for two quarterbacks, one a right-handed prolific passer and the other a rookie southpaw.

Studesville thought the benefit to the Broncos outweighed any concerns about the Texans knowing it.

"I think they'll certainly have tape on him now to have a game plan," Studesville said. "What they'll do differently ... we're going to do some things differently because we'll have more information on him too, now. So, how that all plays out I'm not exactly sure."

Tebow, who was stunningly selected with the 25th overall pick in the April draft by former coach Josh McDaniels, had thrown just one NFL pass before Sunday and most of his two dozen snaps had come in specialty situations such as short-yardage and goal line packages.

His repertoire was limited Sunday because of bad weather and offensive coordinator Mike McCoy's conservative game calling but he showed enough to merit more playing time and perhaps more of a chance to throw the ball.

"We know more now about Tim and what he can do in a game, we can give him things," Studesville said. "But the entire game plan is still based on what we think gives us the best chance against the Houston Texans, and that's what's going to determine the volume of the playbook more than anything else."

Asked if team owner Pat Bowlen might have suggested the move to ensure there isn't a sea of empty seats at Invesco Field on Sunday, Studesville said he indeed met with the owner and chief operating officer Joe Ellis in the morning but that it was his decision alone. He said Bowlen and Ellis agreed with his call.

Although Studesville gave his team the day off Monday, both quarterbacks reported to Dove Valley, Orton for treatment on the ribs he bruised in a loss at Arizona on Dec. 12, and got the news.

Studesville said Orton didn't object.

"No, he's a professional," Studesville said.

Tebow had moments of greatness and moments of grief in his first career start.

By the time the first quarter ended, he had joined Kordell Stewart and Michael Vick as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to run for a 40-yard touchdown and throw for a 30-yard touchdown in the same game.

He was a bit lucky: his 40-yard scamper was supposed to be a hand-off and his 33-yard touchdown strike went through the hands of cornerback Stanford Routt before Brandon Lloyd caught it as he rolled out of bounds.

Tebow admitted after the game that on his touchdown run, he was supposed to hand off to tailback Correll Buckhalter on third-and-24.

"My reaction was it was seven points no matter how it happened," Studesville said Monday.

So, it's forgivable when a rookie goofs up?

"Forgivable? No," Studesville said. "But I'm happy it worked out in a good way."

The Raiders were impressed by the NFL's most intriguing pro prospect since Vick joined the Atlanta Falcons out of Virginia Tech in 2001.

Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha got a good hit on Tebow late in the game but Tebow, who weighs nearly 250 pounds, doled out a lot of punishment himself.

"A lot of guys will either slide or they'll try to take the path of least resistance. But he's going to go head-up with a guy, every time. He's a big guy, tough to bring down," Asomugha said.

That's the concern about Tebow: can he last in this league with that same style that helped him win two national titles and a Heisman Trophy at Florida?

"He's a tough runner. He runs like a back," Raiders safety Michael Huff said. "Once he gets more experience throwing the ball, he'll be a good quarterback."

He's definitely a work-in-progress quarterback who needs more polish in his footwork and throwing mechanics to go with his high energy and enthusiasm.

Tebow completed eight passes for 138 yards and ran eight times for 78 and wasn't picked off Sunday.

"People said he couldn't be an NFL quarterback but he made some good throws, he had some good runs," Oakland linebacker Quentin Groves said. "He does what suits him best and that's what it is."

And what best suits him right now is throwing occasionally and running -- he averaged 9.8 yards a carry.

"He earned a lot of respect from me today," defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said. "He's a lot better athlete than you think he is. You heard so much about him and then you play him. He made a couple moves out there today that surprised me. I think he's got a bright future."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Chargers will stay in San Diego for at least one more season

SAN DIEGO -- The Chargers say they will play in San Diego in 2011.

Beyond that is anyone's guess.

The team told Mayor Jerry Sanders on Wednesday that it will not exercise its 2011 escape clause. The announcement came amid recent speculation that the Chargers could be headed to Los Angeles.

"We decided to make it now, especially given all the rumors that have circulated over the last week or so about Los Angeles," Chargers spokesman Mark Fabiani said. "It seemed to be the right time to do it."

Last week, a report that sports and entertainment powerhouse Anschutz Entertainment Group was buying 35 percent of the team fueled rumors the Chargers would move if AEG succeeds in building a stadium it has proposed for downtown Los Angeles. Fabiani denied the report. He said Wednesday that no offers are pending or imminent.

The Chargers recently announced that owner Alex Spanos is looking to sell a minority stake to help with estate planning. The 87-year-old Spanos, a billionaire developer who lives in the northern California city of Stockton, revealed two years ago that he suffers from dementia.

Spanos and his wife, Faye, own 36 percent of the Chargers. Their four children, including Dean, the team president, each own 15 percent. Two minority owners control the other 4 percent. Fabiani has said the Spanos family will continue to hold a controlling majority stake.

The Chargers declined to make Dean Spanos available for comment.

Embroiled in a contentious search for a new stadium since 2002, the Chargers have long been rumored as a possible tenant if a new stadium is built in Los Angeles. The team began play in 1960 as the Los Angeles Chargers of the AFL. After attracting small crowds at the Coliseum, it moved to San Diego before the 1961 season.

"We don't have a crystal ball," Fabiani said, "so we cannot predict what will happen beyond the next year, year and a half. We understand that people would love us to make a forever commitment, but we also hope people understand that in their own lives or their own business, no one would reasonably ask someone to make a commitment so far down the road. That's not how the world works. We also hope people understand we are doing everything we reasonably can do. To say otherwise would not be responsible. It would not be honest."

Between Feb. 1 and April 30 of each year through 2020, the Chargers can announce their intentions to leave if they pay off the bonds used to expand Qualcomm Stadium in 1997. That figure is currently around $26 million.

The Chargers are exploring building a $750 million stadium on a downtown parcel east of Petco Park, the home of Major League Baseball's San Diego Padres. That site has been described as the last, best chance to make something work in the county. The Chargers eventually could seek hundreds of millions of dollars in public assistance.

The Chargers are determining whether or not a measure can be placed on the ballot in 2012.

"Obviously if we get something on the ballot in 2012, we'll be playing here in 2012," Fabiani said.

"If at the end of 2011, there's no support for a financing plan from city leaders, obviously at that point we'd have to look at other options. Again, you're asking me to predict something I can't predict. We just don't know," Fabiani said.

Los Angeles has been without the NFL since the Raiders and Rams moved after the 1994 season.

"The L.A. thing has a life of its own," Fabiani added. "We can't control what goes on in L.A. They're going to do whatever. They're not going to do it because of us. We're going to be one of the two or three teams that will be part of this story. We hope fans recognize that to build a stadium anywhere in California is an extraordinarily difficult thing to do."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Giants fill-in C Koets out for season; OL Diehl out indefinitely

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants center Adam Koets tore ligaments in his knee and will miss the rest of the season.

Not only was Koets hurt Sunday in a 41-7 win at Seattle, but starting tackle/guard David Diehl has a partially torn hamstring and an injury to a muscle in his hip, a person familiar with Diehl's injury said Monday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the team.

Diehl, who has started every game since joining the Giants in 2003 as a fifth-round draft pick, is going to be listed week to week by the team.

The team does not know how long Diehl will be sidelined.

Koets, who played a number of positions on the line on Sunday, started three games for regular center Shaun O'Hara.

Guard Rich Seubert was moved to center against Seattle because the team was concerned about the crowd noise.

The Giants did not say in which knee he tore the anterior cruciate ligament.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Injuries claim Panthers QB Moore, LB Connor for season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers' miserable year took an even darker twist Monday when tests revealed starting quarterback Matt Moore has a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder and will require season-ending surgery.

Moore was injured when Sedrick Ellis drove his right shoulder into the turf on a sack in the second quarter of New Orleans' 34-3 rout on Sunday. In the last year of his contract and after failing to move the Panthers except in their lone victory this season, Moore may have played his last game in Carolina.

But coach John Fox's reluctance to commit to struggling Jimmy Clausen over fellow rookie Tony Pike as Moore's replacement further illustrated his predicament as the Panthers (1-7) flirt with being one of the lowest-scoring teams in NFL history.

"The two quarterbacks on the roster, we'll take a look at them this week and decide who gives us the best chance to win," Fox said.

To make matters worse, the only bright spot for the Panthers this season -- the defense -- took its own hits. Starting middle linebacker Dan Connor is lost for the season after breaking his hip Sunday, and the team has decided not to bring back weakside linebacker Thomas Davis this season from his second major knee surgery in a year.

Fox also confirmed Jonathan Stewart sustained a concussion Sunday and gave no timetable for fellow running back DeAngelo Williams' return from a foot injury.

The Panthers can't seem to hit bottom.

Moore's injury may end a stunning fall after he finished 4-1 as a replacement last season, leading to Carolina's decision to release seven-year starter Jake Delhomme. Moore threw five touchdowns, 10 interceptions, lost two fumbles and had a passer rating of 55.6 this season.

And he's been Carolina's best QB.

See all the action from Sunday all over again -- for free. Watch online and in HD with the NFL Game Rewind Free Trial. Learn More.

Fox yanked Clausen, the second-round pick from Notre Dame, shortly after he threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown by Jabari Greer Sunday. Clausen has one touchdown pass, four interceptions, two lost fumbles and a 48.0 passer rating.

Pike, a sixth-round pick from Cincinnati, took over and was 6-for-12 for 47 yards against the Saints.

None of the three QBs led the Panthers into the end zone Sunday, leaving them with 88 points at the halfway point of the season. Failing to reach double digits in points in half their games, they're on pace to score 176 points. That's not far off from the pace that would leave them in the top five for fewest points in a season since the 16-game schedule was adopted in 1978.

"We're just out of sorts a little bit," Fox said. "Whether it be somebody seeing the right read, turning the protection the right way, throwing the ball accurately. A variety of things that have occurred to us offensively, not just at the quarterback position."

While Fox said signing another quarterback is unlikely because "I'm not sure there's a huge list available right now," he's ready to experiment.

Fox said third-round pick Armanti Edwards, a college quarterback at Appalachian State who had been converted to receiver, would get some snaps at QB in practice this week.

"If we did not bring in another quarterback, he would be the next best emergency quarterback that we have," he said.

The embattled Fox also has problems at linebacker. Connor was playing well in his first full season as a starter. Davis, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in June, was hoping to come off the physically unable to perform list by Wednesday's deadline.

"It's been 5 ½ months and I think in his best interest I wouldn't want to rush that and risk another injury," Fox said on the decision to place Davis on IR.

Davis agreed with the assessment, and is confident Carolina will re-sign him.

"It was a joint decision and ultimately, and I appreciate them for this, they left it up to me," Davis said at halftime of Monday's San Antonio-Charlotte NBA game. "They left me the option of whether I wanted to do it and I made the decision to go ahead and shut it down."

The speedy weakside linebacker was having a breakout season in 2009 when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in a November game against New Orleans. He was making a rapid recovery seven months later -- clocked at 4.47 seconds in the 40-yard dash -- when he suffered the same injury in a June workout.

The Panthers didn't put him on IR and Davis had said he was determined to play this season despite Carolina (1-7) being in the midst of a terrible season. But Davis acknowledged his knee still isn't 100 percent.

"It's very tough. I know how much hard work I've put in," Davis said. "But even bigger than that, I know how much I want to be out there with my teammates week in and week out. I think of how much work we've put in to get this thing going and it's just not happening right now."

The move means Davis will enter free agency not only with the uncertainty surrounding the expiring collective bargaining agreement, but not having played in more than a year.

Davis believes he'll be in Carolina next season.

"That was a concern going in, but I know what I'm capable of," Davis said. "I have the utmost respect for the organization, and I feel like they're going to do a great job of handling the free agency situation. I've pretty much been assured by them that I'm going to be a Panther, so I hope that it all works out."

Asked if staying in Carolina was what he wanted, Davis didn't hesitate.

"Definitely," he said.

Fox indicated Jon Beason would likely move back to middle linebacker with Jordan Senn a candidate to start at weakside.

The roster shifting means more headaches for Fox, who tried to backtrack from a day earlier when he seemed to blame the front office for offseason moves that slashed payroll and left Carolina as the NFL's youngest team.

"That by no means is an indictment of our personnel by any stretch," Fox said. "I like our football team. I wish we were playing better."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Colts WR Gonzalez out for season with left knee injury

The Indianapolis Colts announced Saturday that they have placed wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez on season-ending injured reserve with a left knee injury.

Gonzalez is the 12th Colts player to go on IR this season.

The receiver was Indianapolis's first-round draft pick in 2007, but he has been slowed by a series of injuries the past two seasons. Last year, Gonzalez wound up on injured reserve after spraining ligaments in his right knee in the first quarter of the season opener.

This season, Gonzalez sprained his right ankle in the season opener and didn't return until Monday night's victory over the Houston Texans. That's when he hurt his left knee after apparently being tackled out of bounds.

NFL.com senior writer Steve Wyche reported Friday that the league will not fine Texans safety Bernard Pollard for the hit on Gonzalez. No penalty was called on the play.

To fill Gonzalez's roster spot, the Colts promoted running back Andre Brown from the practice squad. The team needed depth at running back with starter Joseph Addai (neck/shoulder) and backup Mike Hart (ankle) injured, leaving 2009 first-round pick Donald Brown as the probable starter in Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Colts announced later Saturday that Addai, Hart, tight end Brody Eldridge (rib), linebacker Clint Session (elbow) and defensive back Justin Tryon (foot) didn't travel with the team to Philadelphia.

Brown, a fourth-round pick last year, was waived by the New York Giants on Sept. 4, then joined the Denver Broncos off waivers. He played in three games and had just two carries for minus-1 yard, then was released Oct. 16. The Colts claimed him off waivers two days later.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Staubach, Aikman lament Cowboys' struggles this season

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Exactly 100 days before the Super Bowl, Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman aren't expecting their old team to make it.

They can hardly believe it, either.

"To be done before you get out of the month of October is pretty shocking," Aikman said.

Like many fans, the Hall of Fame quarterbacks expected big things from the Dallas Cowboys this season. They also had more than the usual reasons to root for their old team: Staubach is the chairman and Aikman the vice-chair of the Super Bowl host committee. Aikman also is broadcasting the game for Fox.

But Dallas is 1-5, closer to earning the top pick in the draft than a berth in the playoffs. And the Cowboys just lost quarterback Tony Romo to a broken left collarbone.

So instead of becoming the first team to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium, the Cowboys appear ready to join the worst records of the Jerry Jones era: 1-15 in Aikman's rookie year and 5-11 in Aikman's final season and each of the next two years.

"I thought we would be more 5-1 than 1-5," Staubach said. "I still feel we can be a respectful team the rest of the year. But we have put ourselves in a hole."

Both spoke Thursday at a luncheon at Cowboys Stadium celebrating the countdown to the Super Bowl. Jones took part, too, and the owner said he's hopeful the new starting quarterback, 38-year-old Jon Kitna, can lead a turnaround.

"I felt better when (Romo) was healthy and was able to give us what he has to win these games," Jones said. "On the other hand, I'm not about to dismiss the opportunity here with Kitna. That'd be nuts. Plus, I think he gives us a much better chance than to have the mentality that we don't have a chance to win a lot of ballgames."

Romo doesn't need surgery, just six to eight weeks for the bone to heal. Jones said it's too early to say whether or not Romo will play again this season.

"The faster he heals, the better I like (the chances)," Jones said. "We have to see what the circumstances are at that time. We have to see how well we are playing."

Jones brought up a saying that he often heard from his college coaches: "They remember what you do in November." His point was that even "if we don't have an opportunity to be in the playoffs, we want to be playing good."

Aikman can commiserate with Romo -- he broke his left collarbone in 1998. Aikman missed five games, plus a bye week, then returned to lead the Cowboys to a division title.

"It was my non-throwing shoulder, so you'd kind of think that you could go out and play as long as you can tolerate the pain," he said. "But I couldn't throw the ball. I couldn't open up my left shoulder at all to make a throw. And then you certainly are at risk in the pocket of injuring it even further."

Aikman isn't ruling out a few more starts for Romo.

"If you're healthy and you're told that you're capable of playing and the medical staff signs off on it, to me, you play because that's what you are paid to do," Aikman said. "But I'm not the one paying bills and writing the checks, so it's easy for me to say that."

Staubach said he's available to play if things don't work out with Kitna. Although he's 68, Staubach was known as Captain Comeback.

"I have offered to play quarterback on Sunday," Staubach said. "My arm is in good shape. I think I can help them without Tony out there. I don't know Kitna. He's a nice guy, though. But he's about my age, isn't he? He is a veteran good quarterback, but I'm a veteran quarterback, too. ... I want the Cowboys to get back on track. If I could help, I would get out there and do it."

How about you, Troy?

"The way they're protecting these quarterbacks, I think I could play now," said Aikman, one month shy of 44 -- and just a few years older than Brett Favre. "I've always said: If I didn't have to get hit, physically, I think I could play. And they're not letting the quarterbacks get hit, so I think I could do it."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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