Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
Jim Zorn and the Redskins have remained grounded in their early-season success.
In a surprise move under the first-year coach, the Redskins are as smashmouth as ever, relying on a strong running game and stout defense in their 5-2 start.
But wasn’t Zorn supposed to turn the Redskins into a pass-first team? Wasn’t the West Coast offense supposed to be full of high-risk plays, with the hope the touchdowns would compensate for the turnovers? Weren’t the scores supposed to be something like 35-31, regardless of which team had the 35?
Instead, the Redskins have the league’s leading rusher in Clinton Portis. They have more runs (234) than pass attempts (204). They’re outgaining opponents on the ground by a stunning 1,107-605 margin for the season, a differential surpassed only by the New York Giants.
And the scores? The last three have been 23-17, 19-17 and 14-11. They’ve yet to play a game in which either team scored 30.
“I don’t think anyone expected that,” tight end Chris Cooley said. “And I don’t think Zorn expected that we would be running the ball. But it’s what’s working. It’s what we have the most confidence in. We’d like to score some more points, but we’re going to take the wins as we get them.”
SAINTS TEACHING
Ambassadors for the NFL, the New Orleans Saints couldn’t have expected to explain the basic rules of the game in London.
But there was jet-lagged Saints coach Sean Payton on Monday, outlining to a British reporter just what the American version of football is about.
“I think the basic premise is trying to advance the football into the opponent’s end zone,” Payton patiently described. “You only get three downs, or four downs to do it, to make 10 yards. And if you can’t get it to the end zone, you have the option of kicking it through the uprights.”
When the reporter asked what a “down” was, Payton sighed.
“You’re tough,” he said with a laugh. “I’m going to send you a book.”
BUCCANEERSWhen the Tampa Bay crowd cheered lustily after the Buccaneers failed to convert a third-and-short inside the Seattle 10 early in a 20-10 victory on Sunday night, linebacker Barrett Rudd paused to take a look around.
Then he heard the crowd start chanting, “Let’s go Rays!” and he looked at the scoreboard to see his MLB neighbors had tied Boston 1-1 in Game 7 of the American League championship series.
“That happened a lot,” Rudd said. “Every time it did, I’d looked at the scoreboard, and the Rays had scored.”
PACMAN UPDATE
Suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones has entered an alcohol treatment center.
The oft-troubled player has checked into a facility “in another part of the country,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told The Associated Press on Monday.
“It’s totally done through and by the NFL,” Jerry Jones said.
The NFL said Monday it would not comment.
The league suspended Adam Jones for at least four games last Tuesday for again violating its personal conduct policy.
CHIEFSKansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is being investigated for allegedly spitting a drink in a woman’s face at a nightclub, the fourth time in five years he’s been accused of assaulting a woman.
Kansas City police are looking into a report of non-aggravated assault against Johnson for telling a woman that he was going to kill her boyfriend then spitting in her face at Club Blonde on Oct. 10.
PATRIOTSThe New England Patriots put running back Laurence Maroney on injured reserve with a shoulder injury on Monday, ending his season.
BILLSReserve linebacker John DiGiorgio could miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury.