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SPORTS / STEELERS & NFL

Lindebacker duo could set Steelers record for sacksSaturday, October 18, 2008 By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

LaMarr Woodley picks up fumble from a sack and scores against the Ravens at Heinz Field in September.

The Steelers already have the top sack tandem in the National Football League with outside linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.

It might not be too long before they boast the top linebacker sack tandem in their history -- especially if the sacks keep piling up at the current pace.

And that, on a franchise that can tout some of the top linebackers in league history, is saying plenty.

"When you have two of 'em like that, you've got to make a decision, you've got to decide which one you want to block," said inside linebacker James Farrior. "Then, when they pick, that's where you've got 'em."

"They can't game-plan one guy because we have good backers on each side," defensive end Brett Keisel said.

Harrison, second in the NFL with 61/2, and Woodley (51/2) have combined for 12 sacks in five games, making them the No. 1 duo in the league, regardless of position. The closest tandems are outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and nose tackle Jay Ratliff of the Dallas Cowboys (9) and defensive tackle Kevin Williams and defensive end Jared Allen of the Minnesota Vikings (9).

It's the main reason the Steelers, who had 36 sacks last season, are tied for first in the AFC, second in the NFL, with 18 sacks-- already halfway to their 2007 total.

But Harrison and Woodley also are setting another heady pace.

They are already halfway to the franchise record for sacks in a season by a linebacker duo (24) -- set by Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd in 1994 and tied by Jason Gildon and Joey Porter in 2000.

"I look at both of them and they're both doing the same things right now," Farrior said.

Exactly.

If they're not sacking the quarterback, then Harrison and Woodley are, at the very least, performing their other function: pressuring the quarterback.

Woodley is tied for the team lead with defensive end Aaron Smith with eight quarterback hurries. Harrison is second with 6.

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What's more, Woodley is coming off his best all-around game with the Steelers, getting two sacks and playing solid against the run and pass in the 26-21 victory in Jacksonville.

"If he continues to work hard and put his foot on the pedal, the sky's the limit for that kid," right tackle Willie Colon said. "You'll have two All-Pro linebackers."

The Cincinnati Bengals (0-6), whom the Steelers (4-1) visit tomorrow in Paul Brown Stadium, have a pair of solid offensive tackles in Levi Brown and Stacy Andrews. They will need them to contain the league's most productive linebacker duo.

"If you can get those guys one-on-one with a tight end or running back, we expect them to win that battle every time," Keisel said. "If Aaron and I can create pressure inside, or the other guys, where they have to check down two guys on us, it makes it that much easier for [Harrison and Woodley] to get one-on-one pressure."

So far, none of this is surprising.

Harrison was voted to the Pro Bowl in his first year as a starter after registering 81/2 sacks in 2007. Woodley, a No. 2 pick last year, played sparingly as a rookie, but he had four sacks in 80 snaps during the regular season and two more in a playoff defeat to the Jaguars.

As he plays more, his comfort level grows. So does his sack total.

"We still have to understand it's only his second year," said inside linebacker Larry Foote. "But he's on the right road."

More sacks could be coming against the Bengals, who have allowed 19 in six games, second most in the AFC with the Steelers.

"Once I started getting a lot of reps, some of the things became easy, became natural," said Woodley, a defensive end at Michigan who won the Lombardi Award as the nation's top lineman in 2007.

"At defensive end [in college], I didn't have a chance to rush [like an] outside linebacker or drop into coverage. Once I started getting reps, it became a lot smoother."

First published on October 18, 2008 at 12:07 am

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Steelers Notebook: Parker, Hampton not ready to playSaturday, October 18, 2008 By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Willie Parker and Casey Hampton, a pair of Pro Bowl players, were each hoping to return against the Cincinnati Bengals after missing the past two games with injuries.

They will have to wait another week.

Parker did not practice for the third day in a row and will be replaced by Mewelde Moore when the Steelers try to win their eighth consecutive game in Cincinnati tomorrow.

Hampton practiced on a limited basis yesterday, but he is not expected to play and will be replaced at nose tackle by Chris Hoke, who has played very well in Hampton's absence.

They will be joined on the sidelines by left tackle Marvel Smith, who did not practice all week because of back spasms. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by Max Starks, who started four games at left tackle last season when Smith was injured.

After signing a one-year, $6.9 million tender as a transition player, Starks, a former two-year starter, has played only sparingly this season. When Smith was injured in Jacksonville, he was bypassed for Trai Essex as a replacement.

"One thing I've learned is you can't get emotional about anything," Starks said. "Emotion in this league leads to inconsistencies. It can be good one time, but not on a consistent basis. I'm just preparing to beat the Cincinnati Bengals, once again, in their home stadium."

After returning to practice Monday, Parker stepped in a hole while working out individually Tuesday, aggravating the sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

Rookie revival

Limas Sweed might not be the only rookie wide receiver to finally get some playing time in Paul Brown Stadium.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he might try to work two of his highly regarded rookie receivers -- No. 2 pick Jerome Simpson and No. 3 Andre Caldwell -- into the offensive lineup.

Simpson has appeared for only a few snaps in three games and does not have a catch. He was inactive for the other three. Caldwell has dressed for only one game but did not play. Caldwell might return kickoffs if Glenn Holt can't play.

Sweed will be the fourth receiver against the Bengals because Dallas Baker (shoulder sprain) will not play. Barring injury, Sweed likely will not get a lot of playing time because the Steelers have not used a lot of four-wide receiver sets.

"It's one of those things, you just have to be patient and just keep working," Sweed said.

"The more you work, the quicker it comes to you. But, if you take days off or chill around and don't take it serious, it takes longer to come."

Put a mike on Ike

Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson laughed the other day when he recalled some of the verbal battles he used to have with former linebacker Joey Porter. But he said he still jaws with some of the current players, especially Larry Foote, James Farrior and Ike Taylor.

Ike?

Apparently, Taylor might be the biggest trash-talker on the team, even outdoing the always verbose Foote.

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"That's what y'all don't know," Taylor said. "Ask anybody on offense or defense."

As safety Ryan Clark walked by, Taylor grabbed him and said, "Who you think talks most on defense?"

Without hesitating, Clark said, "You."

"Ike talks a lot," said fellow cornerback Bryant McFadden. "Looks are deceiving. He talks a whole lot. I need to mike him up one day. "

No opinions, no fines

Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison has decided to limit his opinions on a lot of matters, not just officiating. Getting fined $20,000 will do that to a player.

When asked if the effectiveness of the Steelers' 3-4 defense is based on the performance of the outside linebackers, Harrison said, "I don't know. I can't answer that question. I would state my opinion, and my opinion gets me fined. That's why I have no comment."

Asked about the performance of linebacker LaMarr Woodley, Harrison said, "I see him playing out there at left outside linebacker. Other than that, I'm giving my opinion and I have no comment."

Then, when asked about the Bengals' running game and running back Chris Perry, who has fumbled five times, he said, "Once again, that would require an opinion. I have no comment."


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NFL Notebook: Dolphins LB Porter fined for commentsSaturday, October 18, 2008 From wire dispatches

Miami Dolphins linebacker and former Steeler Joey Porter was fined $20,000 yesterday by the NFL for comments critical of beleaguered referee Ed Hochuli and his crew in Miami's loss at Houston.

On the first play of the Texans' drive for the winning touchdown late in the game, Porter stripped quarterback Matt Schaub. Hochuli ruled the play an incomplete pass rather than a fumble, saying Schaub's arm was moving forward when hit.

"I know for sure that I had both his arms when the ball came out," Porter said after the game. "I'm looking for an apology or something on Tuesday or Wednesday on NFL Network, but it will be too late by then. The game's over. I thought we won the game, actually, but they kept getting calls."

Dolphins fullback Casey Cramer is expected to miss the game against Baltimore tomorrow because of an ankle injury and be replaced by newcomer and former Pitt fullback Lousaka Polite.

Cramer missed practice for the third consecutive day. Polite was signed Thursday after sitting out the first part of the season.

Polite, also a former Woodland Hills High School player, spent three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys when much of the Dolphins' regime was there. He played in five games last year with the Chicago Bears.

Broncos

The NFL fined cornerback Dre' Bly $20,000 for inappropriate remarks about officials after Denver's 24-17 loss to Jacksonville last weekend. Bly was agitated over an illegal-contact call he drew in the third quarter, plus a pass-interference call on Broncos safety Marlon McCree in the waning moments of the game.

Ravens

Baltimore officially ruled out starting offensive tackle Adam Terry and return specialist Yamon Figurs for its game tomorrow against the Dolphins. With Terry sidelined with a sprained right knee and lateral meniscus issue and right offensive guard Marshal Yanda out for the season with three torn ligaments, former second-round draft pick Chris Chesterwill start at right guard. Four-time Pro Bowl lineman Willie Anderson will start his second consecutive game at right tackle.

Patriots

Quarterback Tom Brady has undergone a second procedure in 10 days on his injured left knee, according to a published report. The Boston Globe reported yesterday that Brady had the procedure Wednesday for an infection in his left knee that was operated on Oct. 6. Brady suffered the season-ending injury in the opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.


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Bengals' decline swift, steep By Joe Starkey TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, October 18, 2008

Finally, an answer to the rhetorical question posed in the Cincinnati Bengals' now-obsolete victory chant, which went like this: "Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals?"

Everybody.

Everybody's beating dem Bengals, who are 0-6 going into Sunday's game against the visiting Steelers and who have slipped farther and faster than anyone could have imagined as recently as the start of the 2006 season.

Back then, the Bengals looked like the rising star of the AFC North -- perhaps of the entire league. They were young, cocky and immensely talented, coming off their first division title in 15 years.

Their coach, Marvin Lewis, had resurrected the NFL's equivalent of the Pirates.

On Sept. 24, 2006, at Heinz Field, the Bengals beat the defending Super Bowl-champion Steelers, 28-20, to improve to 3-0. Star quarterback Carson Palmer, back from a serious knee injury sustained against the Steelers in the previous year's playoffs, threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to cap the come-from-behind win.

No team in the five-year history of the AFC North had beaten the Steelers twice in a row at Heinz Field. The Bengals just did. They had the look of a juggernaut.

And then, they didn't.

A few days ago, a reporter asked Steelers linebacker Larry Foote what he would have said if somebody told him, on the night of Sept. 24, 2006, that the Bengals would win just 12 of their next 35 games.

"I would have been shocked," Foote said. "But this is a team game. You need everybody on one page, and you can just tell they're not."

The Bengals team that takes the field Sunday will have 11 different starters from the one that beat the Steelers early in '06. Most significantly, Palmer is out with an elbow injury. His replacement is nondescript Harvard alum Ryan Fitzpatrick.

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"They've lost a lot, personnel-wise, and I know they've had some internal problems that have been pretty public," said Steelers safety Troy Polamalu, a housemate of Palmer's at Southern Cal.

Opinions vary on precisely what event, if any, triggered the Bengals' demise.

Some point to Sept. 25, 2006 -- the day after the big win at Heinz Field -- when second-year linebacker Odell Thurman was arrested on DUI charges. Talented young receiver Chris Henry, who was in the car with Thurman, soon would be suspended because of an unrelated matter.

Thurman was ready to rejoin the lineup at the time, having nearly completed a four-game suspension, but he never did play for the Bengals that season and hasn't played a down since. His problems were part of a litany of legal issues that sideswiped the team.

Poor personnel decisions and bad luck have contributed, as well. A week before Thurman's DUI arrest, former first-round draft pick and promising pass rusher David Pollack sustained a career-ending neck injury.

Most of the Bengals' problems, though, seem self-generated.

This past offseason, for example, star receiver Chad Ocho Cinco repeatedly demanded to be traded and threatened to sit out the season. Lewis, who's 42-44 without a playoff victory in his six-year tenure, was adamant that he didn't want to trade Ocho Cinco.

Of course, Lewis also was adamant that he didn't want Henry back on the team, but club owner and president Mike Brown overruled him and brought Henry back in August.

Ocho Cinco doesn't think the Bengals' continuing off-field drama has affected the team.

"Once you're inside the locker room," he said, "the stuff off the field doesn't really bother anybody."

At least one ex-teammate disagrees. Four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Willie Anderson, a respected team leader in Cincinnati, refused to take a pay cut in early August, was released and signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

"They didn't cut me because I couldn't play; they cut me because I said I didn't want to play there anymore," Anderson told Baltimore reporters. "That was me not wanting to deal with non-football issues that I had to deal with for so long. After 13 years, you kind of get tired of dealing with non-football issues."

Some trace the Bengals' demise to the first-quarter hit former Steelers defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen laid on Palmer's knee in the '05 playoff game.



"That's where the downfall started," says ESPN's John Clayton, pointing out that Henry was injured on the same play, and that Ocho Cinco -- then known as Chad Johnson -- started to become more of a locker-room distraction during and after that loss.

Palmer had his best season in 2005, before his reconstructive knee surgery. He completed 67.8 percent of his passes with 32 touchdowns and a 101.1 passer rating that year -- all career bests.

However, Foote doesn't believe the von Oelhoffen hit precipitated the Bengals' problems, pointing out that Palmer passed for 28 touchdowns the next season.

"He came back and had a good year," Foote said. "There's something a lot bigger going on there than that one hit."

Joe Starkey can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7810.

Images and text copyright © 2008 by The Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Reproduction or reuse prohibited without written consent from PghTrib.com



Steelers' Starks ready for action By Joe Starkey TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, October 18, 2008

Max Starks finally will get a chance to give the Steelers something in return for their $6.9 million investment in him.

Starks will make his first start of the season, replacing injured Marvel Smith (back) at left tackle Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

"I welcome all challenges," Starks said. "I don't fear anything, except for God."

It will be Starks' fifth career start at left tackle. He started four games in place of an injured Smith late last season. Starks started 30 games at right tackle before Willie Colon replaced him last season.

Starks will be matched against Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom, who leads the team with two sacks and will be responsible for protecting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's blind side.

"I want to keep him safer than his parents do," Starks said.

INJURY UPDATE

In addition to Smith, running back Willie Parker (knee) and nose tackle Casey Hampton (groin) are expected to miss Sunday's game.

Parker didn't practice Friday. Hampton was a limited participant.

Hampton said he might test his injured groin in warm-ups but likely won't be back until the Steelers play the New York Giants on Oct. 26.

Mewelde Moore will start in place of Parker; Chris Hoke for Hampton.

FAST START

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has a chance to equal the best winning percentage in a coach's first 22 games with the Steelers.

Tomlin is 14-7 heading into the Cincinnati game. Bill Cowher was 15-7 (.682 winning percentage) through his first 22 games.

LINE PROBLEMS

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Cincinnati's veteran offensive line has stayed healthy this season but hasn't opened many holes for a running game that ranks second-to-last in the NFL at 72.2 yards per game.

Last weekend, against the Jets, halfbacks Chris Perry and Cedric Benson combined for 20 yards on 15 carries.

"I'll say it starts with me," guard Bobbie Williams said. "I'm not looking past my own mirror. All I can tell you is that the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to get my best."

DROPPINGS

The Bengals averaged fewer than nine lost fumbles per season in their first five years under coach Marvin Lewis.

This year, they have lost six already, including three by tailback Chris Perry and two by quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

BRIGHT SPOT

Amid the Bengals' misery, rookie linebacker Keith Rivers has shone.

Rivers is second on the team in tackles (50) and had a 39-yard interception return against Dallas.

"I thought all along that Keith would hit the ground running," Lewis said. "It's not like we're asking him to learn Chinese. He's playing essentially the same position that he played in college (at USC)."

Joe Starkey can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7810.



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Fine won't alter Steelers' approach By Mike Prisuta TRIBUNE-REVIEW Saturday, October 18, 2008

The prevailing comment was "no comment."

That's what linebacker James Harrison had to say Friday afternoon regarding strong safety Troy Polamalu's State of the NFL address on Wednesday.

Linebacker Larry Foote also had no comment regarding Polamalu.

Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau didn't have a chance to decline comment; he wasn't made available following yesterday's practice despite an interview request.

And so it went.

In the wake of Polamalu's declaration that the NFL had "lost the essence of what real American football is about," and was thus becoming "kind of like a pansy game," what more was there to say?

"For us, it's about concentrating on Cincinnati," said wide receiver Hines Ward, who thankfully offered up something other than a "no comment" reaction to an issue that's gone national in scope.

"When Troy speaks, he's very passionate about it. He voiced his opinion and that is his opinion, but we're moving on."

Fair enough.

But before the Steelers hit Cincy and begin piling up more fines for blocking and tackling the way they're supposed to, Polamalu must be saluted for his from-the-heart expression of what the NFL has become.

That isn't quite a "pansy" game, at least not yet.

But, in its present state, the NFL is a place where the cost of doing business is becoming cumbersome for the players.

Whether that's because of safety concerns, as the NFL maintains, or because of money, as Polamalu contends, isn't the point.

The point is, the game has become something less than it should be due to

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over-legislation.

By yesterday, Ward had finally received word that there was a specific play the NFL had a problem with when it fined him $10,000 for "unnecessary roughness" in the Jacksonville game Oct. 5.

It was nothing more, in Ward's estimation, than what should be considered an aggressive but common exchange between a wide receiver and a defensive back (in this case, Ward and the Jaguars' Rashean Mathis).

In that same game, Harrison had been penalized for hitting a quarterback (David Garrard) who could have easily pulled the ball down, rolled out and made a play had Harrison not responded with what should have been interpreted as good, solid defense.

And safety Ryan Clark had been penalized and fined for hitting wide receiver Matt Jones (had Jones caught the ball instead of missing it, Clark would have been congratulated for making a necessary tackle).

Harrison's subsequent fine for suggesting the official that penalized him might have had a bet on the game was warranted; he was expressing his frustration, but did so in a manner the NFL can't and shouldn't tolerate.

The rest were classic examples of pansy calls and pansy fines.

The NFL has become a place where certain players (quarterbacks, for example) are over-protected and others are improperly targeted.

Whether the motivation for such a bastardization of the game is safety or money, the product suffers either way.

The Steelers' response must be to continue to play the game the way they believe it should be played, the way they're capable of playing it and the way they're coached to play it.

Although that's becoming a more expensive proposition by the week, they simply can't afford the alternative.

Mike Prisuta can be reached at [email protected] or 412-320-7923.



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Parker out for Bengals game Associated Press

PITTSBURGH - Pro Bowl running back Willie Parker didn't practice for a third consecutive day Friday and won't play in the Steelers' division game in Cincinnati on Sunday.

Parker has missed the past two games with a sprained left knee. He returned to practice Monday and was expected to play against the Bengals, only to aggravate the injury while working out on his own Tuesday, according to coach Mike Tomlin.

Parker, who was hurt Sept. 21 in Philadelphia, will be replaced by Mewelde Moore. Making his first start since 2005, Moore ran for 99 yards against Jacksonville on Oct. 5.

Also not practicing Friday was left tackle Marvel Smith, who will be replaced by former starting right tackle Max Starks.

Copyright Observer Publishing Co.

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10/18/2008

Steelers rookie wide receiver Sweed to debut Sunday

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Nearly 11 months after Ben Roethlisberger requested it, the Pittsburgh Steelers are about to give their quarterback what he wanted: a tall, rangy receiver who can get open downfield. A guy whose height makes him a difficult matchup for defensive backs, the kind of receiver they haven't had since Plaxico Burress. Ben Roethlisberger, meet Limas Sweed. Sweed, a second-round draft pick in April out of Texas, is expected to play in his first NFL regular-season game Sunday in Cincinnati. Sweed dressed for only one of Pittsburgh's first five games, and didn't play in any. With backup receiver Dallas Baker injured, Sweed finally fits into the Steelers' rotation. His debut, weeks later than expected, was substantially delayed as Sweed went through the adjustments all NFL rookies must make. "He's come a long way," said Roethlisberger, who asked the front office for a tall receiver at the end of last season. "It's hard because you don't get a lot of work in practice with me because I've got to work with the other guys (the starters). I'm sure if he gets a chance, he'll do just great." Sweed wonders if the fans who questioned why he hasn't contributed to the offense understand that breaking into the league as a receiver is nearly as difficult and complex as it is for a quarterback. "A receiver is just like a quarterback in a sense," Sweed said. "He has to make so many reads on the run, and that enables him and the quarterback to be on the same page. So it just takes time and I understand that. I'm very patient and when my opportunity comes, I'm going to step in and make the best of it." The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Sweed's 20 touchdown catches were second in school history at Texas, and his 12 scores in 2006 tied a single-season record. That was college ball, and Sweed said the complexities of the NFL are greater than many might realize. In college, Sweed said, a quality receiver can watch one videotape of an opponent and know what the secondary will do on nearly any passing play. In the NFL, a receiver might be required to adjust multiple ways on a single play call depending on the coverage, and be in sync with the quarterback while doing so. "Here, you can run five different routes off a streak. You've got five different options based off five different kinds of coverages," Sweed said. "That's the biggest thing, learning the coverages. In college, they don't disguise coverages." Nate Washington's development into a reliable No. 3 receiver has helped keep Sweed on the bench. Washington, who wasn't drafted out of Tiffin University, has 13 catches, only four fewer than Santonio Holmes, who led the NFL with 18.2 yards per catch last season. "I wouldn't say it's tougher (than expected)," said Sweed, who has had a problem with dropped balls during practice. "I expected it to be tough. But at the same time, I understand that you've got Hines Ward here. The guys you're sitting behind have put their time in. I just take that opportunity to sit back and learn from it." The Steelers may expand Sweed's learning curve on Sunday, when he will line up in their four receiver sets. No doubt Sweed is eager to catch a pass in a game that counts, something he hasn't in more than a year. A wrist injury kept Sweed out of Texas' final seven games last season, and his last reception was Oct. 6, 2007, against Oklahoma. He had eight catches during the Steelers' preseason, when he began learning the importance of running each route precisely and correctly. Even cutting off a route by a yard can result in an incompletion because the quarterback might be throwing to a precise spot. "This game is a lot faster and a lot more mechanical (than college football)," Sweed said. "If you don't stick to your mechanics, nine times out of 10 you won't win. You won't win the route and you won't be open, and you've got to stick strictly to the techniques." Copyright Associated Press 2008

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October 17, 2008

Who’s on Line? Even the Referees Don’t Know

By JERÉ LONGMAN

PIEDMONT, Calif. — After the 2006 season at Piedmont High, Coach Kurt Bryan and an assistant sat around

with a dry erase board, trying to coax a Ouija board’s connection with football’s innovative spirits. Their aim

was to keep this Bay Area school, with a small enrollment (785 students) and generally small but athletic

players, competitive against bigger schools with bigger players.

Steve Humphries, the assistant, had an idea: What if the offense featured not one quarterback but two? Not

bad, Bryan said, but things would really get interesting if all 11 players were potentially eligible to receive a

pass.

Hence, the A-11 offense was born.

To its proponents, the A-11 represents the logical and inevitable evolution of a game that is becoming faster

and more spread out at all levels. The alignment diminishes, or eliminates, the need for a traditional

offensive line, where players can weigh 300 pounds even in high school. And, coaches say, it reduces injury

because it involves glancing blows more than smash-mouth collisions.

To its detractors, the A-11 is a gimmick that cleverly but unfairly takes advantage of a loophole in the rules.

To these critics, the offense places an inequitable burden on defenses to determine who is eligible for passes

and makes the sport nearly impossible to referee.

Whatever one thinks of the offense, it complies with the current statutes of the National Federation of State

High School Associations. And it is as entertaining to watch as it is radical in design.

“My wife says it looks like basketball on grass,” said Coach Johnny Poynter, who has installed the A-11 at

Trimble High in Bedford, Ky., fearing injuries would leave his team unable to finish the season in a more

conventional offense.

By placing one of the quarterbacks at least seven yards behind the line of scrimmage, and no one under

center to receive the snap, the A-11 qualifies as a scrimmage kick formation — the alignments used for punts

and extra points. Thus interior linemen are granted an exception from having to wear jersey numbers 50

through 79. (The exception was intended to allow a team’s deep snapper not to have to switch to a lineman’s

jersey if he was a back or an end.) Any player wearing jersey numbers 1 through 49 and 80 through 99 is

potentially eligible to receive a pass.

Piedmont’s basic A-11 formation calls for a center flanked by two guards, who are essentially tight ends. Two

quarterbacks, or a quarterback and a running back, line up behind the center, with three receivers split to

each side.

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Under football rules, seven players must begin each play on the line of scrimmage and only five are permitted

to run downfield to receive a pass — the two players at the end of the line and three situated behind the line.

The difficult task for a team defending against the A-11 is to quickly and accurately figure out who those five

eligible receivers are.

Prior to each Piedmont play, only the center initially goes to the line of scrimmage. The two “guards” and the

split receivers each stand one and a half yards off the line. Then, just before the ball is snapped, Piedmont

shifts into formation for the signaled play. With this simple movement, the possibilities for eligible receivers

become dizzying.

According to Scientific American magazine, a standard football formation permits 36 possible scenarios for

taking the snap and advancing the ball; with the A-11, the possibilities multiply to 16,632, providing a

controlled randomness to the offense and potentially devastating chaos to the defense. Even the center

becomes eligible to catch a pass if he is at the end of the line of scrimmage.

In the next 10 or 15 years, offensive tackles may effectively become extinct at football’s upper levels because

defensive ends and linebackers, as much as 100 pounds lighter and far faster, will be too evasive to block,

Bryan said. A possible counter would be to spread the field with an A-11 type offense that can throw long or

short or run draws, options and counter plays.

“The dimensions of the playing field haven’t changed in over a hundred years, but athletes don’t resemble

what they did 100 years ago,” Bryan, 44, said. “Something has to give. There are some football purists who

think the game is going to revert back. That’s crazy. People love excitement, entertainment. The game has to

adapt to its athletes. Athletes don’t adapt to the game.”

N.F.L. rules governing jersey numbering are more limiting than high school rules, and coaches fear leaving

their million-dollar quarterbacks unprotected by a standard offensive line. College rules permit the

scrimmage kick formation only when it is obvious that a kick may be attempted. Still, some coaches, like the

innovative Mike Leach at Texas Tech, find the A-11 intriguing.

“In the college game, can you totally eliminate offensive linemen?” Leach said. “I don’t know, but this

presents some ideas all of us should think about.”

It is impossible to know exactly how many high school teams are using some aspects of the A-11. Bryan

guesses 500 to 1,000. He said the offense is permitted in 40 or more states, but the National Federation of

State High School Associations said the figure could not be confirmed.

The national federation will hold a football rules meeting in January, but at this point, it is too early to tell

whether the scrimmage kick exception will be left alone, tweaked or overhauled, said Bob Colgate, the

federation’s assistant director.

Mark Dreibelbis, who supervises high school officials in North Carolina, where the A-11 is prohibited, said the

offense was unfair to defenses trying to determine which receivers were eligible.

“We deemed it is deception and by rule it is unsporting,” Dreibelbis said, adding, “I contend it can’t be



officiated effectively.”

Mike Webb, who supervises officials in West Virginia, said the A-11 “ruins the balance between offense and

defense.”

Even in Piedmont, an affluent community surrounded by Oakland, the A-11 was met with skepticism last

season when the Highlanders lost their first two games in the new offense.

“We almost had a team mutiny,” center Trevor Fleshman said. Bryan said he got an anonymous call saying

that A-11 stood for “all 11 coaches potentially getting fired.”

After Piedmont won seven games in a row and made the playoffs, the resistance dissipated. “I have a lot of

respect for the coaches for giving it a chance,” said Jeremy George, a nifty runner and passer at quarterback.

Local referees attend clinics to study the A-11 and receive flashcards from Piedmont that depict the school’s

most common formations.

“I think good high school officials can handle this offense,” said Sam Moriana, the coordinator of high school

officials in the East Bay.

This season, after an 0-2 start, Piedmont has won two of its last three games. At a recent postgame party, one

player’s parents presented Bryan with the ultimate symbol of acceptance in Northern California — a bottle of

A-11 wine.

Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company

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MIAMI (AP) — Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter was fined $20,000 Friday by the NFL for comments critical of beleaguered referee Ed Hochuli and his crew in Sunday's loss at Houston.

On the first play of the Texans' drive for the winning touchdown late in the game, Porter stripped quarterback Matt Schaub. Hochuli ruled the play an incomplete pass rather than a fumble, saying Schaub's arm was moving forward when hit.

"I know for sure that I had both his arms when the ball came out," Porter said after the game. "I'm looking for an apology or something on Tuesday or Wednesday on NFL Network, but it will be too late by then. The game's over. ...

"I thought we won the game, actually, but they kept getting calls."

Hochuli has been at the center of several disputed decisions this season, included a call he acknowledged he blew that helped Denver rally past San Diego.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Report: Brady had procedure to clear out infection in knee

ESPN.com news services New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady underwent a second procedure on his injured left knee Wednesday to clear out an infection, The Boston Globe reported, citing a West Coast source close to Brady.

Brady initially had surgery on Oct. 6 to repair torn ligaments, and doctors said the procedure went well. But Brady began to feel ill this week due to the infection, according to the report.

Brady's agent, Donald Yee, did not respond to a phone call or an e-mail from The Associated Press. Calls to the Patriots and the doctor who performed the first surgery in Los Angeles, Neal ElAttrache, were not returned.

Dr. Nicholas DiNubile, a knee specialist and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, has not examined Brady's knee injury, but said that generally, an infection must be aggressively treated and monitored, according to the report.

"This can happen to anyone having a surgery, but it's a relatively rare occurrence after knee procedures," DiNubile said, according to the Globe. "The earlier you recognize and treat it -- that's surgery and antibiotics -- the less likely you're going to have problems down the line. The best-case scenario is that they got it early, and if everything goes right, he would be back at the same time as was expected."

Brady had surgery 29 days after he was injured in the Patriots' season opener, on a hit by Kansas City Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard. Brady reportedly tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Due to second player suspension, Dallas must pay league office

By Chris Mortensen ESPN.com The Dallas Cowboys are being "fined" for the suspension of Adam "Pacman" Jones under NFL policy, the league confirmed Friday.

As of Aug. 1, teams are required to submit to the league a portion of the salary forfeited by players who are suspended without pay under the personal conduct, substance abuse, or steroids policy, beginning with a team's second such suspension in a league year.

Cowboys wide receiver Mike Jefferson was suspended in September for four games under the steroids policy.

When applicable, the club must remit a portion of the player's salary to the league, capped at between $200,000 and $500,000 per suspension.

Under this policy, the Cowboys will pay to the league office $20,588 for each game that Jones remains suspended, up to maximum of $200,000 for this suspension.

However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday the figure is a "little high" and that Dallas will be paying closer to 40 percent of the $20,588 per game.

On Tuesday, Adam Jones was suspended for at least four games for his most recent violation of the personal conduct policy. The league said Jones was involved in an alcohol-related incident at a Dallas hotel on Oct. 8 involving a bodyguard assigned to him by the Cowboys.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will determine the ultimate length of Jones' suspension after Dallas' Week 11 game against Washington on Nov. 16.

Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN.

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