Gutsy call wins it for Chiefs
Chiefs vs. Raiders: Gambling Vermeil goes for the win instead of the tie against Oakland
By DOUG TUCKER
Associated Press
11/7/2005

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Dick Vermeil was going to be the biggest fool or the shrewdest gambler in the NFL. With five seconds left, Kansas City trailed by three and had the ball on the Oakland 1 and Vermeil faced one of the toughest decisions of his long coaching career. --football gambling--

Have place-kicker Lawrence Tynes - who's on a 13-for-13 streak - kick a virtually automatic field goal and force overtime? Or roll the dice and go for the win? Vermeil went for the TD. Behind center Casey Wiegmann and 10-time Pro Bowl right guard Will Shields, Larry Johnson dived over the pile into the end zone for a 27-23 victory that brought a roar from the sellout crowd and left the emotional head coach in tears. --football gambling--

"Wow! I was scared. I just figured I'm too old to wait," said Vermeil, who recently turned 69. "If we had not made it, then you guys (reporters) would have had a lot of fun with that. It was not an impulsive thing. It was the right thing for us to do." --football gambling--

The sixth straight victory for the Chiefs (5-3) over the Raiders (3-5) kept them one game behind Denver in the AFC West and dealt Oakland a painful loss. Kansas City plays at Buffalo next Sunday. "This is about as bitter a defeat as you could have," said Oakland quarterback Kerry Collins, whose two fourth-quarter touchdown passes put the Raiders on top. "It's tough. You fight your way back in a rough game, and find a way to get ahead, and then it doesn't work out. That's about as tough as it gets." --football gambling--

Johnson and Trent Green made the sensational finish possible when Green hit the wide-open running back over the middle. He sped 36 yards before Nnamdi Asomugha and Stuart Schweigert ran him down at the 1. "Down in the red zone, he put the ball in my hands," said Johnson, who has publicly complained that Vermeil does not give him enough carries. "I'm glad they gave me the opportunity." --football gambling--

Randy Moss, who hadn't caught a pass all day, beat Dewayne Washington in the corner of the end zone for a 7-yard reception with 1:45 left that gave the Raiders the lead.
Then Green, playing through the pain of his father's funeral just four days earlier, whipped the Chiefs 72 yards down the field. --football gambling--

Before going for it, Vermeil checked with his coaches and players. "He was asking questions of everybody to see what everybody thought, what everybody's attitude was," Green said. "No matter how that play ended up, that's where you have to send a message on a football team and I think that was great on his part to have the confidence in us." --football gambling--

The Chiefs were missing their best running back (Priest Holmes), best offensive lineman (Willie Roaf) and best cornerback (Patrick Surtain), as well as two top backups in the secondary.
The Raiders were without two starters, defensive backs Charles Woodson and Derrick Gibson, and that could have made a difference in K.C.'s final drive. --football gambling--

Johnson, who had 107 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries, scored on a 15-yard run for a 20-9 lead with 12:56 left. But then the Oakland offense, shut down most of the day, came alive. Collins hit Jerry Porter with a 4-yard TD pass and Moss, hobbled most of the week in practice, caught his first pass. A run by Jordan converted the two-point play and put the Raiders on top, 23-20. --football gambling--

"When we made the two-point conversion we went up by three. You thought at worst it would be overtime," Oakland coach Norv Turner said. Green tossed a 6-yard TD pass to Tony Richardson for a 13-9 lead at the end of third quarter and, two plays later, Greg Wesley intercepted Collins' poorly thrown pass. The Chiefs took over on the Oakland 35. Johnson broke Schweigert's attempted ankle tackle and went in from the 15.
--football gambling--

Tynes and Sebastian Janikowski each kicked two field goals through a dull first half.--football gambling--

Hamlin out for season

Injuries from nightclub fight sideline Seahawks CB

KIRKLAND, Wash. (AP) -- Seattle Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin will be out for the rest of the season because of injuries suffered last month in a fight outside a nightclub. -NFL Football-

Hamlin was placed on the non-football injury list on Tuesday. -NFL Football-

Hamlin is recuperating at his home after fracturing his skull, sustaining a blood clot near the brain and bruised brain tissue in the attack Oct. 17 in which he was beaten with a street sign. -NFL Football-

Police are investigating the nightclub fight, as well as the shooting death of one of the men who had been involved. -NFL Football-

On Monday, coach Mike Holmgren said Hamlin's headaches were subsiding, and doctors have backed off on some of his medications. -NFL Football-

Since the attack, Holmgren has ordered his players to stay out of the Pioneer Square district at night. -NFL Football-

The Seahawks are 5-2 and play Sunday at Arizona. -NFL Football-

Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

FOX NFL SUNDAY

DON'T GIVE UP, JOEY: Terry Bradshaw on the Detroit Lions benching QB Joey Harrington: "In 1974, I was benched in Pittsburgh, then given the job back, lost it again, and eventually got the job back. I felt sorry for myself, pity, poor me and all that. I think Joey Harrington is doing the same thing. -NFL Football-

"Eventually I got up and asked myself if I was going to allow this to ruin my career, or if I was going to make everybody eat their words for doubting that I can play in the National Football League. Now it's up to Joey Harrington. Don't point fingers. Get up. You will get another opportunity. I believe that Joey Harrington can be a star in this league, but you can't do it if you feel sorry for yourself — I'm not saying that's what's happening — but I expect him to rally the next time he gets an opportunity." -NFL Football-

Jimmy Johnson added: "I think he's going to rally with a different team." -NFL Football-

DIVISION PICKIN': Howie Long shapes up the NFC East: "I think the Dallas Cowboys are the most complete team in the NFC East. You don't know about McNabb's health in Philadelphia, New York's defense is suspect and Washington has a brutal schedule down the road." -NFL Football-

Jimmy Johnson on the NFC North: "Chicago looks like the team that will take the NFC North. Their defense is solid, plus their schedule is a lot easier than Detroit's. Over in Minnesota there are just too many inconsistencies." -NFL Football-

JIMMY WISE ON BRUNELL: Terry Bradshaw on Redskins QB Mark Brunell: "Joe Gibbs has given Brunell time to throw the football and being a veteran he has executed and his confidence has grown. This is my comeback player of the year, possibly going to the Pro Bowl." -NFL Football-

Jimmy Johnson added: "He's doing a nice job, but let's not get carried away. The last two defenses he played against are two of the worst pass defenses in the league." -NFL Football-

CLOSED MIKE: Terry Bradshaw on Rams head coach Mike Martz (who won't return this season due to health reasons) being denied the opportunity to speak to his offensive coordinator during last week's game: "He's still the head coach and should've been able to speak with him. The front office should've stayed out of that. Obviously, he's not going to be there next year. I would suggest Houston because of his great offensive mind. Mike Martz is brilliant offensively and he would be fun to see if that's where he goes." -NFL Football-

PRO FOOTBALL PREVIEW on FSN

FSN Pro Football Preview, with host Chris Myers, NFL insider Jay Glazer and analysts Tim Brown and Jason Sehorn airs at 5:00 and 10:30 p.m. local on Fridays and 10:00 a.m. EST / 7:00 a.m. PST on Sundays. -NFL Football-

PREDICTABLE RESULTS: Jason Sehorn, on the Eagles, who rely on the pass for 80 percent of their offense: "I didn't know you could play in the NFL 80-20 and win football games when everybody knows you're going to pass the football, that you can't run and that you really only have one go to receiver. Take him away and see what they can do." -NFL Football-

ONE-TRICK PONY? Sehorn, on how the Chiefs will do against the Chargers: "Rest assured, the Kansas City Chiefs are watching the game film from last week and they realize one thing that the Eagles did: they took away LaDainian Tomlinson. And the Chargers really had no place to go after that. [Chargers TE Antonio] Gates was kind of a non-factor in that game, the receivers were a non-factor. LaDainian is the engine that runs that car and he was taken." -NFL Football-

MARTZ WON'T WIN AGAINST FRONT OFFICE: Jay Glazer on if Rams head coach Mike Martz will be coming back: "He thinks he's coming back, but under his terms. It's not going to happen under his terms. I don't think he's coming back there. He wants to come back as long as people in the front office are wiped out, that's not going to happen. He will not win that power struggle." -NFL Football-

MEDIA MISSING THE REAL STORY: Jay Glazer on the Patriots chances against the Bills: "Everyone's getting sucked in by the Tedy Bruschi story. That's not the big story here. The big story is Corey Dillon. Corey Dillon has been banged up for the last couple of weeks, his ankle is still not healthy. If Corey Dillon can't go, they have to rely on Amos Zereoue. That really does not spell good news for that offense." -NFL Football-

Week Seven game previews
By PFW staff Oct. 20, 2005
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Detroit at Cleveland
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The story of the week in Motown is the culmination of the long-rumored QB controversy. Joey Harrington and the offense are sputtering, and with Jeff Garcia nearly ready to return from a broken leg, the Lions have not ruled out the possibility of a change behind center. --- nfl ---
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No matter who gets the ball, RB Kevin Jones (2.7 yards per carry) and the offensive line (14 sacks allowed) need to improve. The Browns’ offense is a pass-first system designed to get the ball out of the hand of QB Trent Dilfer quickly. Dilfer doesn’t have great talent around him, and the running game, in particular, is lacking playmakers. --- nfl ---
--- nfl ---
RB Lee Suggs will miss another game with a broken thumb. His replacement, Reuben Droughns, has a long run on the year of 24 yards and an average of 3.8 yards per carry.--- nfl ---
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Cleveland is one of only three teams (Arizona and Washington are the others) that has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season. The Browns know they’ll have to score plenty to win with a run defense that ranks 29th in the league, yielding 140.2 rushing yards per game. --- nfl ---
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Yet Cleveland may be without one of its best weapons, rookie WR Braylon Edwards (arm), whose availability is in doubt. And it remains to be seen whether the Lions are capable of capitalizing on the vulnerability of the Browns’ run defense.--- nfl ---

Vermeil: Chiefs' Sampson 'better' after seizure

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Oct. 7, 2005) -- Kansas City offensive lineman Kevin Sampson was improving a day after being hospitalized in New Jersey following a seizure, Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. - NFL Football -

"He's better; he's coherent," Vermeil said. "They're not allowing him to speak to anybody. We have no other information, but that seems to be good news."

The coach did not disclose the source of his information about Sampson, but said he was told he was in intensive care. - NFL Football -

Vermeil said he had not been able to talk to the player's family.

"His mother's going there right now," he said.

Vermeil said he did not know where Sampson, in his second year with the Chiefs, was hospitalized. Early reports were that he had been taken to St. Mary Hospital in Hoboken, N.J. However, a spokeswoman said Sampson was not at that hospital. - NFL Football -

The Jersey Journal in Jersey City reported that Sampson called 911 about 10 a.m. on Oct. 6 complaining of not feeling well. An ambulance came to a Hoboken apartment and Sampson, 24, asked to be taken to a hospital, but collapsed.

The Journal reported that Sampson was taken to the emergency room of a local hospital and was passing in and out of consciousness. - NFL Football -

"I'm shocked, I'm praying, and I'm frantically trying to get hold of someone," Joe Linta, Sampson's agent, said Oct. 6. He said he had tried to get information from the hospital but was denied.

Sampson, a 6-foot-4, 312-pound right tackle, started his first game with the Chiefs on Oct. 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Syracuse, and Linta had been planning to meet him tonight at the Syracuse-Connecticut football game. - NFL Football -

Sampson's collapse was not the result of drugs or steroids, Chiefs director of player development Lamonte Winston said.

Vermeil had given Chiefs players the week off going into their bye weekend after their 37-31 loss to the Eagles on Oct. 2. - NFL Football -

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

Cohasset holds on to earn tie with Spellman

By KEITH PEARSON
For The Patriot Ledger

BROCKTON - The Cohasset High School football team found itself in a familiar position Saturday. - NFL Football -

For the second week in a row, the Skippers walked off the field after 40 minutes with neither a win nor a loss following a 14-14 tie, this time coming against Cardinal Spellman in nonleague play at Potvin Field.

The game had been delayed one day because of the Eastern Equine Encephalitis concerns.

The game was a defensive struggle with the Cardinals owning a 222-141 advantage in total offense. - NFL Football -

The decision not to play overtime had one coach satisfied and another wishing they had continued.

‘‘We have 39 players on the roster, playing an extra quarter could be too much. (Not playing overtime) is something our entire league agrees with,'' Cohasset coach Tony Rolfe said. ‘‘I stand by the decision completely.''

‘‘I wanted to play overtime, but they don't do it in the (South Shore) league,'' Cardinal Spellman head coach Peter Ambrose said. - NFL Football -

Spellman (0-2-1) had a shot to break the deadlock in the final seconds of the game, driving to the Cohasset 45. Quarterback Mike Dowd looked for his favorite target, Sean Jackman, with a desperation pass, but Nick Zappalo made sure Cohasset would not go home losers with an interception at the 5-yard line.

The Cardinals tied the game midway through the fourth quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run from Chris Young and the ensuing two-point conversion from Justin Murray (20 carries, 74 yards). The touchdown capped a 13-play, 63-yard drive as Spellman pushed the smaller Cohasset defensive line off the ball.

Shane Dorian (13 carries, 65 yards) had given Cohasset (1-0-2) a 14-6 lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter, taking an option pitch 22 yards for a touchdown. - NFL Football -

Cohasset had a 7-6 lead at halftime with both teams exchanging second quarter touchdowns.

After starting slowly while trying to establish a running game, it was the Cohasset passing game that allowed the Skippers to put an offensive drive together. They found success rolling Anthony DiPaolo to the right and throwing on the run. During the drive he was 3-for-3 for 60 yards. The eight-play, 75-yard drive was capped when he connected with Zappalo for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The pair also hooked up for an 18-yard completion on a third-and-10 earlier in the drive.

Spellman also found success with their passing game. They were able to throw short passes for short gains. With 1:31 left in the half at the Skipper 35, Dowd pump faked a pass to the right flat and lofted a high spiral to the back corner of the end zone and Jackman ran under it and made a diving grab to bring the Cardinals within a point at 7-6. - NFL Football -

Dowd finished 10-of-21 passing for 111 yards with a touchdown and an interception thrown.

The Skippers defensive front stuffed Murray on the two-point attempt to hold onto a one-point lead. - NFL Football -

Cohasset will continue their nonleague slate Friday when they host Scituate.

Copyright 2005 The Patriot Ledger

Saints home schedule set

NFL.com wire reports

(Sept. 12, 2005) -- The New Orleans Saints will return to Louisiana in late October to play four of their last five regular-season home games at Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and Saints Owner Tom Benson announced.

The announcement was made in Baton Rouge following a meeting there with LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe, LSU Chairman of the Board of Supervisors Bernard Boudreaux, and other school officials. Commissioner Tagliabue and Tom Benson also consulted with Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who was represented at the meeting by Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District Chairman Tim Coulon. - NFL Football -

The specific weekend day and kickoff times of the Saints' remaining home games were not determined today. However, the Saints will return to Louisiana for the first time in Week 8 (Oct. 30-31) against the Miami Dolphins. They also will play at LSU's Tiger Stadium in Week 9 (Nov. 6-7) against the Chicago Bears, Week 13 (Dec. 4-5) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Week 15 (Dec. 17-19) against the Carolina Panthers.

The Saints' other three home games will be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, starting in Week 4 (October 2-3) against the Buffalo Bills. The Saints also will play in San Antonio in Week 6 (October 16-17) against the Atlanta Falcons and Week 16 (December 24-26) against the Detroit Lions. - NFL Football -

No decision was made today on the site of potential Saints home playoff games this season.

"We had an excellent meeting this morning and quickly developed a dual consensus," Commissioner Tagliabue said. "The first was to continue to give priority to the needs of the region and the second to the scheduling of Saints games in a way that made sense under the total circumstances. Our deep thanks go to Governor Blanco, Chancellor O'Keefe, and Chairman Boudreaux for their support and guidance. We also appreciate the cooperation of the Alamodome officials and the hospitality of the people of San Antonio for their support of the Saints at this difficult time." - NFL Football -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.