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Hi Folks,
? As always, we check in right before game time with our opinionated guru=20 buddy Bob Harris from the TFL Report.? For more info on subscribing check= =20 out: http://www.tflreport.com/flashupdate.cfm?? Enjoy! ? Joe ? ? ? lNO MISTAKING WHO IS IN CHARGE OF REDSKINS... [IMAGE].Written By TFL Report Editor Bob Harris| Posted Thursday December= =20 7, 2000 @ 10:10 PT[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE]According to the Associated Press, out of sheer habit, Terry Robisk= ie=20 almost forgot he was in charge during his first practice as interim coach = of=20 the Washington Redskins.=20 In fact, the man really in charge wasn't there at all.=20 Dan Snyder was attending league meetings in New York and wasn't sitting in= =20 his usual white chair on the sideline Wednesday. If he had been there, th= e=20 owner would have seen Robiskie do a double-take to keep from following the= =20 same routine he had when he was in charge of receivers under fired coach= =20 Norv Turner.=20 "Today the whistle blew and I started going out with my receivers," Robisk= ie=20 said. "And I realized I couldn't. I had to go out and stand in the middle = of=20 the field and do whatever it is Norv's been out there doing."=20 And what did Robiskie do in the middle of the field?=20 "I did what I usually do," Robiskie said with a shrug. "Talking."=20 Robiskie made some changes. He eliminated the morning walk-through so=20 players can rest their legs. He simplified the offensive scheme. He spent= =20 more time on special teams, in part because new special teams coach Pat = =20 Flaherty is also trying to nail down a new routine.=20 Robiskie also said he'll have the last word "once the whistle blows" and t= he=20 game begins. Otherwise, he made it clear that Snyder is the boss.=20 "A lot of people want to separate us from Mr. Snyder," Robiskie said. "Mr.= =20 Snyder owns the football team. I know that. I promise you there's very few= =20 things in the building I'm going to say I want to change without calling h= im=20 to say I want to change it."=20 The subject arose when earlier in the day when disgruntled quarterback Bra= d=20 Johnson said Snyder =01* not Robiskie =01* made the decision to start Jeff= George=20 the rest of the season.=20 "I think that decision's made from up top. ... I think it's obvious,"=20 Johnson said. "I think Jeff's going to be the starter the rest of the way= =20 out. In case something happens with him, then I'll be ready to go.=20 Otherwise, I'm just going to finish strong up here and deal with my=20 situation in the offseason." =20 Robiskie said the decision to go with George was a collective one made by= =20 the coaches and Snyder. Turner had planned to go with George for this week= 's=20 game against Dallas. Turner was fired Monday, a day after a 9-7 loss to th= e=20 New York Giants.=20 "If I wanted to change my desk, I'm going to call him and say I want to=20 change my desk," Robiskie said. "If I want to change quarterbacks, I'm goi= ng=20 to call him and say, `What do you think of me changing quarterbacks?' It's= =20 his football team. To try to separate it, we're wasting our time."=20 Snyder was not available for comment. His spokesman, Karl Swanson, said=20 Robiskie "makes all football decisions, just as Norv did. He doesn't need = to=20 ask anybody's permission."=20 Still, Robiskie's remarks might make it even harder for the Redskins to lu= re=20 a high-profile coach for next season. One thing is for sure: The quarterba= ck=20 who led them to their only playoff appearance since 1993 does not plan to= =20 return.=20 Johnson's relationship with Snyder has been frosty since the owner signed= =20 George to a huge contract in the spring and refused to negotiate a new one= =20 for Johnson. While Turner preferred Johnson, George was Snyder's chosen=20 catch.=20 Johnson's contract expires at the end of the season, and he restated his= =20 intention to become a free agent. =20 "I still stand by what I want to do," Johnson said. "We tried to work out= =20 stuff a long time ago, and it didn't work out on both sides. And you've go= t=20 to move on."=20 The only way the Redskins can keep Johnson from becoming a free agent woul= d=20 be to designate him as a franchise player, but that would require an upfro= nt=20 commitment of about $6.5 million from a team with almost no salary cap=20 room. =20 Johnson's career record as a starter is 31-18. George's is 46-74. Johnson= =20 said he would not mind working with Turner again.=20 "I wouldn't have a problem strapping it up with him again at all under=20 different circumstances," Johnson said. "Norv's a tremendous coach. He's= =20 going to go one way, and I'm going to go another way, and you never know= =20 where that road leads in the end." ? ? //////////////// ? lSAINTS PK BRIEN ON THIN ICE... [IMAGE].Written By TFL Report Editor Bob Harris| Posted Saturday December= =20 9, 2000 @ 17:45 PT[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE]According to Ted Lewis of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, "this=20 should be a happy time for Saints kicker Doug Brien. =20 "For the first time since he was a rookie with the eventual Super Bowl=20 champion 49ers in 1994, he's on a team that is zeroing in on a playoff=20 berth.=20 "But as so often happens to those playing the most precarious position on= =20 the team -- there's a little dark cloud on the horizon.=20 "Unhappy with Brien's misses of field-goal attempts in three of his last= =20 four games, the Saints brought in free-agent kickers Michael Husted and= =20 Doug Pelfrey for workouts Tuesday, although neither was signed.=20 "'First of all, we wanted to see who's out there,' special teams coach Al = =20 Everest said. 'And I would hope it makes Doug aware that he has a=20 responsibility to the team and to himself, and that security in this=20 business is success.'=20 "It's the first time in Brien's six seasons with the Saints that his job= =20 appeared anything less than secure. But the working out of Husted and=20 Pelfrey doesn't have him looking over his shoulder any more than he has in= =20 the past.=20 "'I was plenty motivated before,' said Brien, who was told about the=20 workouts by Everest on Monday. 'So it doesn't increase my motivation.=20 "'And it doesn't affect my concentration, either. There's always a long li= ne=20 of guys out there, whether they're here working out or in camp. If you =20 don't perform to a certain standard, that's what happens.' =20 "By Brien standards, he is not having a good year. The fifth most-accurate= =20 kicker in league history coming into the season (80.3 percent) is 17-of-23= , =20 .739. The six misses are Brien's most since 1995 when he was 7-of-12 in si= x=20 games with the 49ers and 12-of-17 in eight games with the Saints. Since th= en=20 the most he has missed has been five.=20 "Brien, the number-two kicker from beyond 50 yards in league history befor= e=20 this season (.700), has been allowed to try only two from that distance, a= nd=20 both were blocked.=20 "'I've been struggling a little bit,' said Brien, who took extra kicks in= =20 practice Wednesday. 'I haven't been hitting the ball as well as I normally= =20 do. =20 "'It's very frustrating, but at the same time, the law of averages plays i= n.=20 I've been pretty consistent over the last five years here, and I wouldn't= =20 say I'm doing horribly. I just expect to do better, and the Saints expect= =20 me to be better.'=20 "It's not so much how many kicks Brien has missed but when he has missed= =20 them.=20 "At St. Louis, he was wide right on a 44-yarder with 2:21 left that would= =20 have given the Saints a 10-point lead. Instead, they had to sweat out two= =20 more possessions by the Rams that could have tied the score. =20 "And last week against Denver, he was wide left on a 43-yarder in the firs= t=20 quarter that would have given the Saints the early lead. Never mind that h= e=20 made three more after that.=20 "That miss had Saints coach Jim Haslett visibly unhappy on the sideline = =20 last Sunday and again on Monday=20 "'It wasn't the hold,' Haslett said then. 'It wasn't the snap. It wasn't= =20 protection.=20 "'He just missed it, and it would have been nice to have had those three= =20 points.'=20 "But Wednesday, Haslett took the unusual step of sitting with Brien at his= =20 locker for several minutes after practice, engaging in what appeared to be= =20 lighthearted encouragement.=20 "'I have confidence in Doug,' Haslett said. 'I can't get inside kickers'= =20 heads, but Doug will fight through this, and everything will be fine.=20 "'Everybody goes through this in a point in their career.'=20 "Maybe so, but kickers and punters are the only front-line players who can= =20 be replaced on a moment's notice, even this late in the season.=20 "'Right now, kicking field goals and extra points is all Doug does since o= ur=20 kickoff guy is Toby (Gowin),' Everest said. 'But we haven't seen anybody= =20 yet we think is better than Doug.'=20 "To be sure, the Saints will bring in two more kickers next Tuesday, Jeff= =20 Hall and Scott Blanton.=20 "And to Brien, who likes to think of each kick being of equal value, no=20 matter the distance or the situation, it is a time to strive to do better.= =20 "'I've been pressing a little too much and trying to make things happen,' = he=20 said. 'I'm not way far off, but it doesn't take too much.=20 "'I don't think I've ever missed a kick at the end of a game that's cost t= he=20 team a game, and I don't intend to start now. I'm doing what I can to get= =20 this fixed and just keep plugging along.'"=20 Also of interest...=20 ESPN's John Clayton reported that Terry Allen will probably get the start= =20 at halfback for the Saints because of the neck injury to Jerald Moore and= =20 the sore shoulder of Chad Morton. Morton may play on his shoulder, but=20 Moore, who has had three recent neck stingers, probably won't.=20 However, neither man was included on Friday's list of early inactives (Ric= ky=20 Williams and Jake Reed were the only offensive skill players on that list= ).=20 As stated in USA Today, WR Joe Horn had 10 catches for 180 yards against= =20 the Niners the last time the two teams met, the third-best receiving yards= =20 game in club history. He needs nine receptions to break the Saints=20 single-season record for catches in one year. Eric Martin holds the team= =20 record of 85. Last week, Horn became only the fifth receiver in club histo= ry=20 to gain 1,000 receiving yards. Martin did it three times.=20 According to Pro Football Weekly, the first person among a throng of =20 well-wishers to meet Saints QB Aaron Brooks when he got off the plane=20 following the Saints=01, huge Week 13 win in St. Louis was an absolutely= =20 exuberant Jeff Blake... While the Saints=01, injured starting QB didn=01,t= travel=20 with the team to the Rams game, Blake continues to make his presence felt = in=20 a very high-profile and positive manner...=20 And finally... PFW also advised against becoming too excited Haslett=01,s= =20 announcement last week that Williams, who underwent ankle surgery November= =20 15, is ahead of schedule in his rehab and could return for the team=01,s = =20 regular-season finale vs. the Rams.=20 Williams was expected to have the cast on his ankle removed late last week= .=20 But Haslett has a tendency to be overly optimistic in his estimations on= =20 his players=01, projected returns following injuries this season and it= =01,s=20 hardly a lock Williams will be ready to rumble before a possible appearanc= e=20 in the playoffs --if even then.=20 The report went on to say that, while Williams has supposedly been=20 diligently working out at team headquarters, riding an exercise bike and= =20 lifting weights, he has kept an extremely low profile, making it hard for= =20 sources outside the organization to get a good read on his actual progress= ... /////////////////////// MCGINNIS NOT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT PLUMMER... [IMAGE].Written By TFL Report Editor Bob Harris| Posted Saturday December= =20 9, 2000 @ 12:20 PT[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE]Tim Tyers of the Arizona Republic reported this morning that=20 Cardinals quarterback Jake Plummer's injured ribs didn't allow him to=20 practice on Friday and whether he plays on Sunday at Jacksonville will be= =20 determined by a dreaded game-day decision, according to head coach Dave= =20 McGinnis.=20 "He hasn't been able to practice for two days, and that's not a good sign= ,"=20 McGinnis said. "If he's not ready to go, there's no reason to play him. I'= m=20 not going to risk him. It makes no sense."=20 If Plummer can't go, number-two quarterback Dave Brown, who is still=20 experiencing soreness in the left shoulder he injured in his only start t= wo=20 weeks ago against the New York Giants, will start. But McGinnis also=20 guaranteed that if Brown does start, number-three man Chris Greisen will= =20 see extensive action. =20 "It's the first I've heard of it," Greisen. "I have to be ready, either = =20 way. Dave will start, but he still has that shoulder problem. It's not=20 really a problem, it's a nuisance, and I know it's hurting him a little = =20 bit, but he can still play quarterback at a high level. I just have to be= =20 ready.."=20 Also of interest... =20 McGinnis said he will take three running backs with the team to =20 Jacksonville. Michael Pittman (hyperextended big toe) saw limited duty on= =20 Friday but will be available. Backup Thomas Jones assumed a larger =20 practice role this week, but Clarence Williams is going for added=20 insurance. =20 "Thomas has been fine the last two days. He seems to be getting a lot =20 better," McGinnis said.=20 And finally... The Cardinals released tight end Derek Brown on Monday... ////////////////////////// lNINERS' OWENS MISSES FRIDAY'S PRACTICE... [IMAGE].Written By TFL Report Editor Bob Harris| Posted Saturday December= =20 9, 2000 @ 07:20 PT[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] ESPN NFL insider John Clayton reports that San Francisco wide receiver=20 Terrell Owens didn't practice Friday but that doesn't mean he won't play. = He=20 had a better week on his turf toe and he may start Sunday against the=20 Saints.=20 Running back Garrison Hearst was the only player of interest included on = =20 yesterday's list of early inactives...=20 Other items of interest...=20 Quarterback Jeff Garcia, who is ranked third in the latest results of fan= =20 balloting for the Pro Bowl, would welcome a ticket to Honolulu for the=20 February 4 game.=20 "If I'm able to be selected to represent this team in the Pro Bowl, I'd=20 definitely be honored and I think it just shows people I've turned a long= =20 way," said Garcia, who threw for 323 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. =20 49ers offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg endorsed Garcia's Pro Bowl = =20 candidacy. "Jeff threw the football in that game Sunday against San Diego = as=20 well as I've seen him throw," Mornhinweg said. "He was on time. He was=20 accurate. His decision making was terrific. That may be his best ballgame= =20 he's played here to date."=20 And finally... Placekicker Wade Richey isn't afraid to talk about the hot= =20 streak he's been on in the past two games. He just isn't sure how to expla= in=20 the way he's made all six of his field-goal attempts, which have ranged=20 between 22 and 38 yards.=20 "They've been short kicks, but they've felt good," said Richey who had=20 missed four of five attempts before this stretch. "So far, so good."[IMAGE= ] //////////////////////// lWATTERS TO START VS. DENVER... [IMAGE].Written By TFL Report Editor Bob Harris| Posted Friday December 8= ,=20 2000 @ 21:05 PT[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE]According to the Associated Press, Seattle Seahawks running back = =20 Ricky Watters will start Sunday's game at Denver, even though he has not= =20 practiced all week.=20 It would be his 111th consecutive start in the regular season, the =20 second-longest streak among NFL running backs and the longest active strea= k.=20 The late Walter Payton played in 170 consecutive games from 1975-87. =20 "I think he'll be able to play,'' head coach Mike Holmgren said. "I think= =20 he's going to be OK.''=20 Watters missed Friday's practice to have X-rays on a sprained toe that he = =20 originally injured in a game October 29 against Kansas City. The X-rays we= re=20 negative.=20 Watters aggravated his injury while playing on the Georgia Dome's =20 artificial turf in Atlanta last weekend and was held out of practice all= =20 week, although he was never put on the team's injury report.=20 Watters, 31, needs 50 yards in Seattle's final three games to reach the = =20 1,000-yard mark for the sixth consecutive season. He is 240 yards behind= =20 Ottis Anderson for 12th place on the all-time rushing list. =20 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email=20 to:cheatsheets-unsubscribe@egroups.com=20 - 0.gif
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