Poteat’s Patient Approach Pays Off

In the 71st game of his career — after an overthrown Donovan McNabb pass sailed into his arms — Hank Poteat walked toward the Jets’ sideline without so much as a fist pump. He did not speak. He did not smile. He did not bump chests.

Only a select few knew that Poteat waited eight years and seven seasons for that very moment, the first interception of his vagabond career. When safety Kerry Rhodes found this out, he could not resist a little needling.

“That’s your first one,” Rhodes said. “You aren’t going to celebrate a little bit?”

Full Story: Poteat’s Patient Approach Continues to Pay Off for Him and the Jets - [New York Times]

Related: Poteat’s Been Potent - [New York Post]

Page Undergoes Surgery

Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Chase Page underwent surgery today to stabilize a labral tear in his right shoulder.

Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Birmingham, Ala. Page was placed on the team’s injured reserve list on October 16 and is not eligible to return this season.

Full Story: Chase Page Undergoes Surgery - [MiamiDolphins.com]

Dolphins Re-sign Schulters

The Dolphins decided to jump back in time for some much-needed help in the secondary Tuesday. No, they didn’t sign 1972’s Jake Scott or Dick Anderson. Instead, they landed safety Lance Schulters.

Schulters, who was one of the team’s best defensive backs in 2005, will make the trip to London and play Sunday against the Giants after spending the past several months working out in his home state of New Jersey.

Although he hasn’t played for any teams this year, Schulters, 32, is in solid shape and he has a passport — the two major prerequisites at this point for a team ailing at the position. Schulters spent some time with the Falcons last year, but he couldn’t hold the job.

The safety started all 16 games for Miami in 2005, picking up four interceptions, two sacks and 77 tackles.

Full Story: Dolphins re-sign safety Schulters - [Miami Herald]

GLineTV: Curry Hangs On

David Back in Practice

The Saints are on the mend, both on the field and in the training room. They have just one name on their injury report this week - cornerback Jason David, who returned to practice in limited fashion Thursday for the first time since fracturing his left forearm in Week 3 against Tennessee.

David is not expected to play in Sunday’s game against Atlanta, but he’s getting closer to returning.

The Falcons, meanwhile, have a little more turbulence on their roster, starting with the quarterback position. Coach Bobby Petrino announced Wednesday that he’s turning the reins over to Byron Leftwich, the former Jacksonville starter who signed with the Falcons on Sept. 18.

Leftwich, 27, is a big, strong-armed quarterback at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds. He is known for not being very mobile, but he’s also hard to take down.

Full Story: David Back in Practice - [Times Picayune]

Lee Catches on as Go-to Guy at Tight End

Less than five months ago, when it became apparent Donald Lee had risen to the top of the Green Bay Packers’ depth chart, there was no way to predict he’d get the ball as often as any tight end in the Brett Favre era.

General Manager Ted Thompson did little to address the position in the offseason, despite another disappointing season from Bubba Franks and David Martin’s departure in free agency. In minicamp, it seemed Lee was slipping into a starting role mostly by default — the Packers simply didn’t have a better option.

But Lee has proven to be a different player this season than the one who played for two teams, four head coaches and four offensive coordinators in his first four NFL seasons, always the second or third option at his position behind the likes of Randy McMichael, Franks and Martin.

Full Story: Lee Catches on as Go-to Guy at Tight End - [PackerNews.com]

Tomlin, Broncos’ Lynch offer mutual praise

John Lynch had just finished practice at the Pro Bowl in 2001 when he noticed he had an “urgent” message from Monte Kiffin. When he returned Kiffin’s call, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator told Lynch he had some good news and some bad news.The good news: the Buccaneers had just hired a “great” secondary coach.

The bad news: that coach happened to be a year younger than Lynch.

“I said ‘There’s nothing wrong with that as long as he can coach,’” Lynch, now a safety for the Denver Broncos, said Wednesday. “He told me that he can flat-out coach and it was the truth.”

Full Story: Tomlin, Broncos’ Lynch offer mutual praise - [Pittsburgh Tribune Review]

Jenkins Catches Break with Bye

While this week’s bye was welcomed by all 53 of the Green Bay Packers Tuesday — as evidenced by the Amazing Race along Highway 172 as the players hustled to Austin Straubel airport to leave town — no one needs the five days off more than defensive lineman Cullen Jenkins.

For while a number of veterans — especially quarterback Brett Favre and cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson — are taking the time off to nurse bothersome aches and pains, Jenkins has dealt with more nagging injuries than anyone else during the team’s 5-1 start. None of the injuries has been enough to force him to miss a game, but they’ve taken their toll on a player who looked like a Pro Bowl candidate during the preseason.

“I feel more beat up than I have in any other year,” Jenkins said. “I’ll probably feel better (after the bye), because I don’t think I can feel any worse than I do now.”

Full Story: Jenkins Catches Break with Bye - [Wisconsin State Journal]

Darby Suffers Season Ending Knee Injury

Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Chuck Darby has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the patella tendon in his right knee during Sunday night’s 28-17 loss to New Orleans.Darby was hurt after being blocked on a running play in the second half of the game. He was replaced by rookie Brandon Mebane, who has played in all six games this season and will start in the team’s next game against St. Louis.

Related: Darby’s injury toll includes body blow to Seahawks’ morale - [Tacoma News Tribune]
Hawks already miss Darby - [Seattle PI]

Tomlin Already Escaping Cowher’s Shadow

Nearly nine months into the job, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has yet to experience a number of firsts.That first home-field loss. The first touchdown allowed by his defence before halftime. The first missed field goal by Jeff Reed. The first debate about a questionable coaching decision that arguably costs his team a game.

This, too: The first time someone of importance in the Steelers’ front office says, “Hmm, maybe this guy isn’t as good as we’d thought he’d be. Maybe he isn’t the coach Bill Cowher was.”

With the Steelers off to a 4-1 start for only the third time since 1983, Tomlin - an NFL defensive co-ordinator for a single season before assuming one of the highest-profile jobs in the league - is escaping the scrutiny many rookie coaches receive.

So far, Tomlin’s biggest accomplishment has been getting what was a Super Bowl-winning team only two seasons ago refocused and energized as it takes this weekend off before resuming its schedule Oct. 21 at Denver.

Full Story: It’s early, but Steelers’ Tomlin already escaping Cowher’s long shadow - [Canadian Press]

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