Author: viyer.tsn

IRVING, Texas — As the Dallas Cowboys prepare for their 50th season, surprisingly there is nothing brash or cocky about this team.

Instead, there is an air of quiet assuredness in 2010. You can see it resonating with the coaches and players, many who have been with the team for a while now. You also can see it in the proudest Cowboy of them all, owner/GM Jerry Jones. 

Jones has been waiting for that next Super Bowl winner nearly 15 years. With the stars potentially aligning for the Cowboys to play for it all in their home stadium, there are reasons to believe in this team.  

The Cowboys are quietly confident they can win their first Super Bowl in 15 years.

"That’s what you’re seeing: A trust in the system and a trust in what we’re doing," Jones said. "We’re getting to take some of things that we were real good at last year and expanding on that. I think it has a lot do with the confidence of the players in the coaching staff."

In addition to being confident, this talented team is showing more of the intangibles necessary to become a championship team:

Resolve. In two of Wade Phillips’ three years as the Cowboys’ coach, first-place finishes were immediately followed by second-round playoff defeats. Year 2 saw the team finish in third place. Although the team has gone through some adversity, from injuries to criticism, it has avoided calamity through camaraderie. 

"We’re a confident group, and we’ve just experienced a lot together," six-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten said. "The mindset of us as a football team is strong—strong as it’s probably ever been since I’ve been here." 

Experience. With four years of experience in Phillips’ defense and Jason Garrett’s offense, the players maintain their responsibilities and assignments. There is a trust factor between teammates.

"This team is more mature than we’ve probably ever been before," All-Pro nose tackle Jay Ratliff said. "The chemistry here is just really good. If you’re comfortable, you’re going to play fast." 

Tradition. Before Jon Kitna joined the team as QB Tony Romo’s backup last season, he played for the Seahawks, Bengals and Lions and thus hadn’t experienced much success. With the Cowboys, he sees a driven organization, something that easily spills over to the players. 

"They’ve done winning; they have been winning," Kitna said. "They have rings on the wall, pictures on the wall that talk about the winning. There’s a lot more success they can draw off of." 

Hunger. The team finally tasted that elusive playoff win over Philadelphia in January only to be humbled at Minnesota. So it’s a bittersweet feeling that keeps these Cowboys motivated and not overconfident. 

"They recognize that we’ve had a chance, knocked at the door over the last three years," Jones said. "We’ve only had a slight brush with the front door."

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

Observations and opinions from Cowboys training camp in Irving, Texas:

What’s new

America’s Team didn’t really change all that much this offseason. The coaching staff remained intact. Twenty of 22 starters return in ’10, and publicized new full-timer left tackle Doug Free has been a regular since midseason ’09. Stability is a welcome asset for these Cowboys.

Camp battle

Marion Barber and Felix Jones will be battling along with Tashard Choice for carries out of the backfield.

Among running backs Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice, it will be interesting to see who gets the most touches and the ball in critical situations. For Jones to be that back, he must show more durability and better ball security. Jones is now slightly bigger, a lot wiser and not a bit slower.

"You can still see the great acceleration," coach Wade Phillips said. "He’s just more mature and stronger."

Rehab report

Thanks to a relatively clean bill of health, Dallas finished last season strong. Now, the team needs big-play rookie wide receiver Dez Bryant’s sprained ankle to heal. Although Phillips is unsure as to when Bryant can remove his walking boot and begin a full rehab, Bryant was able to do some light pass-catching this week.

Rookie on the spot

With No. 3 tight end John Phillips (torn ACL) out for the season and both No. 2 Martellus Bennett (ankle sprain) and Scott Sicko (concussion) sidelined this week, the Cowboys are scrambling a bit.

Undrafted rookie DajLeon Farr, who was signed just Tuesday, will get plenty of action spelling starter Jason Witten tonight vs. the Raiders. Farr is built similarly to Phillips and Witten but is raw.

2010 outlook

It’s no secret the Cowboys are talented enough to reach Super Bowl 45, and it just happens the big game will be played at Cowboys Stadium. Although that combination comes with great expectations, owner Jerry Jones likes the confidence his team has in reaching that goal.

"We know we can do something about getting there," Jones said.

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

The sports documentary series Hard Knocks will kick off its sixth season Wednesday night on HBO (10 p.m. ET), with an all-access pass to training camp with the Jets. With Super Bowl buzz surrounding the Jets and plenty of larger than life personalities on the team, the potential is there for the Emmy-winning program’s best season.

Sporting News‘ Vinnie Iyer talked to two of the show’s executive producers, HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg and NFL Films president Steve Sabol, about what fans can expect from the show this August:

SN: How big of a presence is Jets coach Rex Ryan?
Greenburg: He’s a dynamic personality and projects that daily. As he speaks his mind, he really sets the tone for the show.

SN: What are some of the story lines that have already intrigued you?
Greenburg: You’ve got a Super Bowl star wide receiver, Santonio Holmes, trying to fit in with the regulars of a new team. Then there’s LaDainian Tomlinson, a Hall of Famer maybe taking on a role he isn’t used to.

LaDainian Tomlinson enters his first year as Jet after playing nine seasons in the NFL, all with San Diego.

Sabol: It starts with the Darrelle Revis holdout, but that could end at any moment. I like the battle at fullback, where you have a rookie, John Conner, and Tony Richardson, the Jets’ oldest player. Then there’s Jason Taylor right there with Tomlinson.

SN: To help you with that, do you sketch up any kind of storyboard in advance?
Greenburg: Not at all. As Steve would say, we’re building a plane as we’re flying it.

SN: Can we get a hint of what we might see in an episode to come beyond the premiere?
Sabol: The theme of the whole second show will be the Jets’ opener (Aug. 16) against the Giants in the New Meadowlands Stadium. With 17 cameras in position and 15 to 20 players miked up, it will be the most documented preseason game in NFL history.

SN: Who so far is the breakout personality of the season?
Greenburg: He is a an unknown guy to many, but it’s Mike Westhoff, who leads the Jets’ special teams. His charismatic style as a coach will bust wide open.
Sabol: You’re going to know a whole lot about Mike Westhoff by the end of the show.

SN: Did you ever expect any season of Hard Knocks to be so hyped?
Sabol: It’s crazy to think about all the billboard ads and publicity posters. It’s the most hyped thing I’ve been involved with. It will also be the most expensive, most scrutinized and most creatively challenging.

SN: With all that footage, how challenging is it just to produce one episode?
Greenburg: With more than 200 hours shot for one week, there’s no bigger crunch in television.
Sabol: It’s the most compounded production cycle you can have with a weakly deadline. We’ve got 25 producers working on it. Liev Schreiber, who’s working on a movie in Spain, does the narration for us over an ISDN line Wednesday afternoon so it’s ready to air that night.

SN: Is there anything that’s off limits for the show?
Sabol: The show is all about access, and they trust us enough with everything. So far, whatever the Jets have promised, they’d delivered. Just with the personal things that come up, you just don’t want to embarrass anyone.

SN: What makes Hard Knocks so compelling to be a part of, especially this season with the Jets?
Sabol: Growing up, I loved the "man on the mission" pictures, such as The Magnificent Seven and The Guns of Navarone, and that’s what you have here with a team that can make a run at the Super Bowl. You have the expected dominant personalities, but there’s always the unexpected. Any time you go into an NFL training camp, it’s a laboratory of emotions. While that comes with a lot of intensity, there’s this great humor and a lot of laughs that come from the ribald nature of the frat house mentality.

Also starring …

While Rex Ryan takes the lead role as head coach, the Jets have many players worthy of the spotlight. A look at five more standout personalities who will get plenty of screen time:

Mark Sanchez, QB. He’s got the looks and the arm to captivate the cameras. "He’s Broadway Joe, circa 2010," HBO president Ross Greenburg said.

Antonio Cromartie, CB. He has always been confident on the field, but his off-field story‹he has many children living in several states‹will also come to light.

Kris Jenkins, NT. The massive run-stuffer doesn’t shy away from making it known just how big a presence he is.

Bart Scott, LB. He came over from Baltimore along with Ryan, so it makes sense that he is the vocal extension of his coach.

Nick Mangold, C. When it’s time to get the doughnuts, he isn’t afraid to make a rookie do it.

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

From the 49ers-Cowboys NFC championship rivalry all the way through their respective successful stints on "Dancing With The Stars," Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith have had an intriguing link as the two of the premier record-breakers to play football.

In a game where what matters most is scoring touchdowns, they rank Nos. 1 and 2 in NFL history. Rice leads with 208 career touchdowns, followed by Smith with 175.

So it’s appropriate they are being enshrined as Hall of Famers together on Saturday night in Canton, Ohio, because they’ve both set the bar high at their positions with their durability and work ethic.

As the game’s documentarian, NFL Films president Steve Sabol has seen plenty of footage of both men in action, talked to hundreds of personnel men and players and coaches about these two greats. For Sabol, the proof of their dominance lies in the numbers.

Take Rice’s most impressive number: 22,985 receiving yards. That total is 34 percent higher than that of the No. 2 man on the career receiving list, Isaac Bruce.

"Rice just doesn’t hold records; he dominates categories," Sabol said. "His career stands as the statistical Everest over the landscape of football."

As for Smith, the NFL’s career rushing record (18,355 yards) comes with an even more impressive stat.

"The most enduring thing about Emmitt is how many carries he had and then how many times he was hit," Sabol said.

Although Rice and Smith often left opponents flustered, along the way, they gained respect from the players and coaches they faced.

"They were incredible at what they did, and you also remember them for being the two of the well-conditioned athletes you’ll ever see," said former Bears and Saints coach Mike Ditka, now an analyst for ESPN. "I certainly enjoyed watching them in every way.

"They both gave everything they got."

Induction Class of 2010

Jerry Rice

Position: WR
NFL career: 1985-2004
College: Mississippi Valley State
NFL teams: 49ers, Raiders, Seahawks
Pro Bowls: 13
Super Bowls: Four (three wins)
Best known as: The best wide receiver of all time and, arguably, the best football player of all time.
Claim to Fame: Rice set the bar for all wide receivers to come with his passion and consistent excellence, and few ever will forget his glorious Super Bowl years in San Francisco catching passes from fellow Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young.
Notable quotes:

"He sets the standard for everyone else." — Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana

"He worked so hard to run the offense. It was built for guys like him. It was timing. It was artistry. It wasn’t just ‘Hey go out there and get open.’ " — Hall of Fame QB Steve Young

"Jerry Rice doesn’t rank in the all-time greats. He is the greatest receiver and maybe the greatest football player of all time." — Saints S Darren Sharper

"Jerry always told me that he never played the perfect game. In his mind, that’s a lofty deal. A lot of people would take a few of his games as perfection." — Hall of Fame DB Ronnie Lott

"It wasn’t about the records. … I enjoyed going out on Sunday in front of 60,000 people and entertaining those people. The way I conducted myself, on and off the field as a professional athlete, the way I wore the uniform, I took pride in that." ¬ Rice

Emmitt Smith

Position: RB
NFL career: 1990-2004
College: Florida
NFL teams: Cowboys, Cardinals
Pro Bowls: Eight
Super Bowls: Three (three wins)
Best known as: The NFL’s all-time leading rusher. Claim to Fame: Smith was the heart and soul of the Cowboys’ Super Bowl teams in 1990s, surviving years of wear and tear to surpass Walter Payton’s once seemingly unbreakable career rushing record.
Notable quotes:

"He’s as much a part of the Cowboys as the star." — Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

"He’s passed the test of time. He’s been there year after year, playing at a high level and with a lot of consistency. He plays the game like it’s supposed to be played. He’s a pro’s pro." — Hall of Fame RB Tony Dorsett

"Some guys have a bad ankle or a charley horse and they say they can’t play. But Emmitt is a team player and he realizes that him on one leg is better than the second guy on three legs." — Hall of Fame RB Gale Sayers

"He would be the first to say he’s a product of the people in front of him, but (linemen) can only gain you so many yards. He did the rest." — Hall of Fame RB Marcus Allen

"For me, winning isn’t something that happens suddenly on the field when the whistle blows and the crowds roar. Winning is something that builds physically and mentally every day that you train and every night that you dream." — Smith

Russ Grimm

Position: G
NFL career: 1981-1991
College: Pitt
NFL team: Redskins
Pro Bowls: Four
Super Bowls: Four (three wins)
Best known as: The integral interior force of the "Hogs", one of NFL history’s most physically dominant offensive lines.
Claim to Fame: Lining up next to star left tackle Joe Jacoby, Grimm brought a rare combination of power and speed to create big holes in the running game and also excel in pass protection.
Notable quote: "Russ was the consummate athlete, everything came easy to him. He was exceptionally quick, had great feet, very fine strength, and was a very smart player. Russ was a great puller, a great trapper, could make terrific adjustments in ballgames. He had it all." — Jim Hanifan, former Redskins offensive line coach

Rickey Jackson

Position: OLB
NFL career: 1981-1995
College: Pitt
NFL teams: Saints, 49ers
Pro Bowls: Six
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: A premier pass rusher and prolific tackler.
Claim to Fame: Entering the league in the final year sacks were not recognized as stats, he racked up an unofficial total of 136 over 15 years, including six seasons in double-digits.
Notable quote: "There was nothing he couldn’t do. You couldn’t say he could do this but not do that. He could rush the passer. He could play the run. He could drop into coverage. He could do all those things." — former Saints and Colts coach Jim Mora

Dick LeBeau

Position: CB
NFL career: 1959-1972
College: Ohio State
NFL team: Lions
Pro Bowls: Three
AFL All-Star games: Two
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: An ironman cornerback and, as a coach, the inventor of the zone blitz.
Claim to Fame: As a reliable, durable secondary stalwart for the Lions, he made his mark as a big playmaker with 62 career interceptions. As a defensive guru, his attacking 3-4 scheme is now used all around the NFL.
Notable quote: "I fashion myself to be a historian of the game. His consecutive games streak at the cornerback position probably won’t be broken. This guy played in 171 consecutive games at corner in the NFL. That alone is special." — Steelers coach Mike Tomlin

Floyd Little

Position: RB
NFL career: 1967-1975
College: Syracuse
NFL team: Broncos
Pro Bowls: Five
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: The dynamic playmaker who put a struggling former AFL team on the map in the NFL.
Claim to Fame: He was more than the face of the Broncos at that time; Little’s arms and legs made him a successful triple threat — runner, receiver, returner — who racked up 8,741 yards from scrimmage.
Notable quote: "Floyd Little helped build the Denver Broncos in the early years and created the opportunity for myself and others to come to Denver and play for a great franchise with the best fans in the world. Floyd was not only a special player but is a man of great character and integrity." — former Broncos WR Ed McCaffrey

John Randle

Position: DT
NFL career: 1990-2003
Colleges: Trinity Valley Community College (Texas); Texas A&I NFL teams: Vikings, Seahawks
Pro Bowls: Seven
Super Bowls: None
Best known as: An unrelenting, always-hustling player who backed up his constant yapping by being a disruptive nightmare to opponents. Claim to Fame: He amassed 137 1/2 sacks, tied for sixth all-time with Richard Dent and first among defensive linemen who primarily played tackle.
Notable quote: "I was lucky to see first-hand what a player of his caliber dedicated to his day-to-day routine. You couldn’t help but work harder when he was going full-bore every day. He made all of us on the offensive line better by facing him at practice." — Vikings G Steve Hutchinson

Are the Vikings sunk? Not so fast.

Just two seasons ago, with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback, Minnesota went 10-6 and won the NFC North. So if Brett Favre’s third annual retirement actually sticks, the Vikings will still have a quarterback capable of winning games.

Assuming Brett Favre’s retirement is real, the Vikings still have a viable option in Tarvaris Jackson.

"I believe in my teammates," Jackson said Tuesday. "Hopefully, they believe in me."

The Vikings would miss Favre’ big-play proficiency, the team would remain loaded with All-Pro talent such as Adrian Peterson, defensive end Jared Allen and defensive tackle Kevin Williams.

"We played football without (Favre) once before," Allen said. "If we have to do it again, we’ll do it again."

Who wins the NFC North?

If Favre doesn’t change his mind, it no doubt tips the balance of power in the division to Aaron Rodgers’ Packers. And it also opens the door for the desperate Bears, who spent aggressively to land top free agents such as defensive end Julius Peppers and running back Chester Taylor.

"I hope he doesn’t come back," Taylor said of Favre, his teammate last season. "I mean, he had a great career. But he’s our opponent now, and it’ll benefit us if he doesn’t come back."

Who else benefits in the NFC?

With the Vikings sure to slide a bit without Favre, it would give the Cowboys and Saints some separation at the top of the NFC.

"To be real with you, it’s going to be a big setback," Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe said. "We are all feeling it today. We are feeling it today to be real."

Considering the East and the South are the conference’s strongest divisions, the middle tier of playoff contenders—Giants, Eagles, Falcons and Panthers—could be right there in the fight with Minnesota for a wild-card berth.

Do you believe him?

The only thing certain about Favre is his indecisiveness. Sure, his ankle hurts today and he’s talking of retiring for good. But considering he didn’t join the Vikings until Aug. 18 last year, it’s hard to take Favre’s word.

"There’s still a lot of time before Sept. 9," Saints safety Darren Sharper said of the season opener. "We’ve haven’t seen a final chapter yet in that book."

Vinnie Iyer is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

Brett Favre threw a major curveball at the Vikings’ season Tuesday by reportedly deciding to retire instead of returning to the NFL for a 20th season and for a second year in Minnesota.

In 2009, Brett Favre threw for 4,202 yards, 33 touchdowns and a career-low seven interceptions.

Coach Brad Childress still calls the situation "fluid," but if Vikings officials can’t talk Favre out of retiring the team’s path to Super Bowl 45 becomes significantly tougher.

Based on their quiet offseason, the Vikings had conducted business believing Favre would return. Without him, the Vikings are left to scramble at the game’s most important position, leaving the rival Green Bay Packers the new clear favorite in the NFC North.

The Vikings without Favre

Foremost, they will miss Favre’s elite arm strength and big-play prowess.

"Favre gave them a tremendous big-play potential, while at the same time not exposing the offense to turnovers," said former NFL lineman Brian Baldinger, now an analyst for NFL Network. "That’s a very delicate balance they can’t replicate with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels."

With Favre last year, it’s no coincidence that wide receivers Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin enjoyed breakout seasons. Although his NFC championship game loss to New Orleans was marred by an interception, Favre excelled at protecting the ball in ’09—seven interceptions, his fewest since becoming a starter.

Favre didn’t force the action too much, knowing he had reliable underneath targets such as Harvin and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and great red-zone production, including Shiancoe’s 11-touchdown season.

Then there are the intangibles. The reason Favre was so good so quickly in Minnesota was that he still had the fire and desire to play the game, and he benefited greatly from playing in a familiar system.

Because of his comfort in the scheme, it allowed him to concentrate more on being a leader and helping to raise the game of his much younger offensive teammates. Favre’s brand of youthful exuberance rubbed off on them.

"He reminded me of a kid in the candy store," said former NFL coach Mike Ditka, now an ESPN analyst. "He was a 40-year-old teenager having fun out there, still with the talent to back it up."

The Vikings with Jackson

Jackson is a good athlete with a good arm, but the dropoff from Favre is dramatic when it comes to decision-making and durability. With Jackson under center, coach Brad Childress would have to change his approach to the ’10 season and again lean heavily on All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson.

Jackson simply isn’t equipped to handle a gun-slinging role. The team must return to pounding Peterson, also mixing in rookie running back Toby Gerhart and getting creative with Harvin as a runner.

The key will be to take as much pressure off Jackson as possible.

Jackson can be effective when everything else is clicking around him, leading the team to the playoffs in ’08. The defense also must be more aggressive and force more takeaways to create shorter fields and easier scoring opportunities for the offense.

Favre was as amazing as one player can be in a team game last year, so the other Vikings must be stronger to compensate. The ’10 Vikings have the talent to return to the playoffs without Favre.

The Packers without Favre

Remember Favre’s team of 16 years? Two years later, they would benefit most from his "real" retirement. Green Bay now has the decided advantage at quarterback and in the division.

"Aaron Rodgers is an emerging superstar, and he is surrounded by high level of talent at the skill positions," NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said. "If they can run the ball a little and protect Rodgers, they’re as good as anybody offensively."

Packers GM Ted Thompson made the correct decision to move on without Favre in ’08, and it should pay off quite nicely this season.

Vinnie Iyer is a writer for Sporting News. E-mail him at viyer@sportingnews.com.

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—The Panthers are not among the flashiest and most controversial NFL teams. When training camp comes around every year, there never seem to be splashy acquisitions or personnel shakeups

Matt Moore is a steady enough quarterback to do what the Panthers ask of him.

So by those standards, it’s been a quite a topsy-turvy offseason in Carolina. Familiar faces such as defensive end Julius Peppers, wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad and fullback Brad Hoover are missing.

The biggest change by far, however, was the anointing of a new No. 1 quarterback for the first time in nearly seven years, when Jake Delhomme unseated Rodney Peete in Week 2 in 2003 and led the team all the way to Super Bowl 38.

Now it’s exit Delhomme, to the Cleveland Browns. Enter Matt Moore. From one undrafted quarterback to another.

Last year, Delhomme struggled with interceptions and then an injury that caused him to miss Carolina’s games in December and January. Moore, however, made the most of his five-game stint—winning four—and earned the respect of his teammates.

"We all have faith in him because of what he did last year when he got a chance," left tackle Jordan Gross said.

Moore did exactly what Delhomme did at his very best: Play off the strong running game, protect the ball and deliver the occasional big play. Moore isn’t about to alter that formula. His passer rating over the coldest, windiest stretch of the season—which included a 41-9 road rout of the Giants in the Meadowlands—was 104.1.

"There’s no reason because things have changed according to the depth chart, that I need to change at all," Moore said. "If I can keep that mindset—just be true to yourself and who you are—everything else will work out."

The Panthers need Moore to be efficient and durable because of the uncertainty behind him. He is the only quarterback on the roster who ever has thrown a pass in an NFL game.

Although the Panthers received plenty of attention for drafting former Notre Dame standout Jimmy Clausen in the second round, neither he nor fellow rookie Tony Pike—nor current No. 2, undrafted second-year man Hunter Cantwell—offers the same poise, grasp of the offense or leadership skills as Moore.

"There’s no question we’re young," Panthers coach John Fox said. "I’m looking forward to seeing (the quarterbacks) in game conditions."

The fact Moore doesn’t need to audition for the starting job in preseason games and can just focus on the regular season should provide added confidence.

"I’ve really just been trying to affirm with (Moore) in his mind, ‘You just be the same guy you’ve been, don’t stand up and shout from the rooftops what everybody else needs to do,’ " Gross said. "Get good at playing quarterback, and the rest will come."

Vinnie Iyer is a staff writer for Sporting News. Email him at viyer@sportingnews.com.