Jones, the Cowboys' cornerback/punt returner/kick returner/locker room antagonist, returns to the field today, when the Cowboys visit Cleveland in the regular-season opener. Because of an injury to Terence Newman, Jones will also start. The last time Jones played in an NFL game was Dec. 31, 2006, for the Tennessee Titans.

Before and after that game, Jones went everywhere with people who he now calls "knuckleheads."

When Jones played for the Titans, he lived 30 minutes outside of the nightlife of Nashville. In his hometown of Atlanta, Jones was just minutes away from the city and his crew. It is the crew — friends he grew up with, buddies he met while partying — who were with Jones when he got in trouble. Jones accepts responsibility for his troubles, but a yearlong league suspension is on his résumé, not his crew's.

Since coming into the NFL in 2005, Jones has been arrested six times and been involved in 12 incidents.

To get back in the NFL, Jones had to change.

They were left for dead a week ago. They were at .500 two days ago. They have been in first place in the National League West for a few hours. The Dodgers are a flawed team, with no business being in a pennant race, let alone in first place. But the standings are reset in October, and the Dodgers could take it from there, and into the World Series.

This is not the American League, with a Goliath in pinstripes, red socks or halos standing between the Dodgers and the World Series. This is the National League, where the team with the best record has failed to advance to the World Series in seven of the last eight years.

The Dodgers are on pace to win 82 games. In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals won 83, backing into the playoffs by losing nine of their last 12 games.

"It was like, whew, new life," said David Eckstein, then the Cardinals' shortstop. "We had made it.

"It doesn't matter what your record is once you get in. We heard about it the whole year. The end result is, it doesn't mean a thing if you get in."

"No matter what I did or said, there seemed to be a unified message from teams that I was not welcome to compete for one of the many jobs that were available at the quarterback position," he wrote in an email that was distributed to reporters. "It seems that the stance I took in both Minnesota and Miami regarding my rights as a person and player has followed me into free agency."

Culpepper took one final shot at the league, saying: "I now understand why so many people within the NFL community are uncomfortable with a player really learning the business. The NFL has become more about power, money, and control than passion, competition, and the love of the game."

So the Colts are throwing untested players into the mix.

Former practice squad player Dan Federkeil is likely to start at left guard. He's played in 10 career games, with no starts. Meanwhile, rookies Jamey Richard (seventh round, University of Buffalo) and Steve Justice (sixth round, Wake Forest) are the options at center, while third-year veteran Charlie Johnson will slide into the right guard void. Johnson has the most experience of the group (30 games, 11 starts).

It's not exactly a comforting thought for Colts fans already worried about the health of quarterback Peyton Manning, who did not play in the preseason after undergoing surgery in July to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee.

Throw in the fact Lee, who was 5-8 with a 6.29 ERA and banished to the minors a year ago, is leading the AL in ERA and it is quite a remarkable turnaround. But not quite a record-breaking one. Last year, Lee's own Indians teammate, Fausto Carmona went from 1-10 (.091) to 19-8 (.704).

By contrast, the National League Cy Young race has tightened since the D-Backs' Brandon Webb, loser again yesterday, has stumbled of late, opening the door for the Giants' Tim Lincecum, who is close to clinching two-thirds of the pitching triple crown with comfortable leads in strikeouts and ERA, and the Brewers' CC Sabathia, who is 9-0 with a 1.42 ERA since his trade from Cleveland.

At the same time, Mike Pelfrey was just beginning his long-awaited breakthrough as a top-of-the-rotation starter under pitching coach Rick Peterson's tutelage, although nobody was prepared to suggest it might be for real. It was, to be sure, Minaya's lowest ebb as Mets GM, as the silence from the Wilpons was deafening amid the chorus of criticism directed at Minaya and his $138 million payroll.

Now here we are 2½months later, the Mets are in first place, two games ahead of the Phillies, and looking like a real contender, and while there are many factors responsible for this — including the Phillies and Marlins coming back to them, and the relieving of tension in the clubhouse that had evolved with Randolph's increasingly tenuous job status — the two most important have been Delgado's resurrection as a middle-of-the-order force, and Pelfrey's evolution to the pitcher Minaya envisioned when he made him his first draft pick in 2005 as head of the Mets' baseball operations.

Instead of releasing him — as many baseball pundits were urging Minaya to do back in June — Delgado, who seemingly could no longer get around on a high fastball, suddenly finds himself in the MVP discussion. Since June 26, when Delgado was hitting .229 with 11 homers and 35 RBI, he has the most RBI (61) in the National League and raised his batting average 31 points. At the same time, the Mets have gone 41-23 and Pelfrey is 9-3 in 14 starts.

The feeling is Edgar Renteria will not return. The conclusion is simply this: Renteria can't play in the American League. The Tigers thought they were obtaining a steady shortstop and good hitter, but he's been far from that.

There's not much out there for free agent shortstops, so you wonder: Would the Tigers ever be tempted by Julio Lugo?

While it was one of the greatest bust deals ever, Hampton has gone 1-1 with a 3.81 ERA in his last four outings, all quality starts. He is resigned to the fact that he won't be back in Atlanta. But a lefty is a lefty, right?

"It'll be a one-year deal somewhere," said a National League GM, "but given the way he's throwing, I'll bet you there'll be a few teams — especially in the National League - who will be after him."

It will be at least next summer before starter Jose Contreras can expect to return after rupturing his left Achilles tendon last month. Contreras made his first brief clubhouse appearance since the injury Friday, then stayed at length Saturday.

''[Friday] was the first day of rehab and the doctor said it's healing well,'' he said through a translator.

Contreras is using crutches and his left leg is in a surgical boot. Doctors have told him the typical recovery time is 9-to-12 months.

Through Friday, they had 30 blown saves and 30 bullpen losses, both worst in the league. They've lost 12 games on walkoff hits, 21 losses have come in the opponent's last at-bat, and 14 losses came after they led through seven innings.

While Dave Duncan is a tremendous pitching coach, he is not a magician.

''It's a combination of things,'' said Piniella, who planned to set the order today. Ryan Dempster will start the series with Harden and Ted Lilly pitching the two other games either way, he said.

''[Harden] threw some [Saturday] and he felt fine,'' Piniella said.

Harden, who was skipped last time through the rotation after reporting some discomfort in his shoulder, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session today.

''We want to get to the point where we pitch our top people every five days instead of the six days anymore,'' he said. ''We're running out of games for the resting stints that we've had. We've got to get them out there pitching. And with Harden we're going to get him going, and with Zambrano, we'll see.''

If this is it, Thomas, 40, will join Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Mel Ott as the only players who finished their careers hitting .300, with 500 home runs, 1,000 runs, and 1,500 walks. Thomas has a.301 career average with 521 homers, 1,494 runs, 1,704 RBIs, and 1,667 walks in 2,322 games. Pretty impressive career.

Basically, I asked writers to give me their top three in each league or the league they covered. This was done on Friday, the same day it was learned that White Sox MVP candidate Carlos Quentin would have a screw placed in his broken right wrist, likely sidelining him for the year. Some voters were aware of Quentin's injury and still voted for him.

From the 12 respondents, Quentin and Minnesota's Justin Morneau both received four first-place votes. Pedroia received two, while Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Mauer each received one. Morneau also received four second-place votes, Quentin two and Pedroia two.

If so, the Bears' playoff aspirations will be alive and resting a good deal on their ability to run the football. If not, the Super Bowl hangover excuse for 2007 will be just that — an excuse — and general manager Jerry Angelo likely will find himself picking somewhere in or near the top 10 in next April's draft. The Bears were built to win on defense, and if you have any doubt about that, consider that of the 10 signings/extensions done in the offseason, three took care of the most important players on that side of the ball — tackle Tommie Harris and linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs.

While the defense imploded last season in sinking from No. 5 to No.28 in the rankings during Bob Babich's first season as coordinator, the cracks began to appear in the second half of the Super Bowl season. This wasn't an overnight freefall. Injuries took their toll, but those missing parts are all back. That's why the last two games of the preseason — when the first unit allowed seven scores on opponents' last nine possessions — was so bothersome. It's not a new scheme. It's not new players. These were familiar faces, particularly the standout linebackers, making unfamiliar errors that contributed to the Bears having the NFL's worst-ranked defense during August.

For what it's worth, those in the Bears locker room have been secure in their position, as loose as you'll ever find a team on the eve of a season. This isn't a young defense anymore. It's loaded with veterans who have the majority of the big contracts on the roster.

So they better not be a lose-now team Sunday as the Favre Era opens against their old friend Chad Pennington, who inherits the Dolphins, the worst team in football last year.

This is just the season opener and, of course, it's only one game. But Favre vs. Pennington and the front office vs. Bill Parcells serves as a referendum on the massive reconstruction job the Jets did in the offseason that, even after their 4-12 stink job, has made them a favorite for a wild-card spot.

But can you imagine if Favre loses and gets outplayed by Pennington? What will it say if the surgery Parcells did with the 1-15 roster he took over beats Johnson's open checkbook policy? What it probably means is the Jets will start 0-3 with games against the Patriots and Chargers in the next two weeks that will have Favre wishing he remained in Hattiesburg working out with the Oak Grove High School wideouts.

Brady comes back to Foxborough's artificial turf from one of the most rarefied offseasons imaginable. With the world's wealthiest model at his side, he has been juggling the unrivaled pampering of money and privilege and the jangling discomfort of serving as daily prey for the gossip mongers and the stalkarazzi.

And for the first time in the Brady Era in Boston, the iconic quarterback begins a season trailed by a word rarely associated with him: uncertainty. Nursing some sort of injury to his foot (As is the pattern with the Patriots, no one will say what the problem is.), Brady missed all four pre-season games, all losses in which the team looked ragged and leaderless. Brady also opted out of the team's voluntary offseason workout program for the first time since he arrived as an unheralded backup in 2000. It seems a small matter, but it was always part of his charm - that the quarterback would also show up as a grind-it-out workout warrior.

Brady, in short, has been more visible to television viewers this year on shows like "Access Hollywood" than ESPN's "SportsCenter."

The last time he touched a football in game action, Brady heaved a desperation pass to Randy Moss — an incompletion — with 10 seconds remaining in a devastating 17-14 loss to the New York Giants Feb. 3 in Super Bowl XLII. The loss spoiled an otherwise perfect season for the Patriots. For Brady, was it also an intimation of mortality?

I remember a couple of years ago, while Manning was still chasing that first Super Bowl title, coach Tony Dungy became fond of saying, "The minute he wins one, everybody will be saying, 'How about two? And three?' "

Well, here it is, Manning's 11th season in the league. The 32-year-old Colts quarterback is once again surrounded by state-of-the-art weaponry, and it's fair to ask the questions:

How about two Super Bowls? And three? That's not greedy. That's fair. And realistic. Because this quarterback, and this team, were built to win multiple championships. And that's where Manning comes in. As much as he has done in this league, there's still more to do. There's no question he has the support, much like multiple Super Bowl champs Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw. And in the past two years, he has had a defense that has been more than good enough to win multiple championships.

The only thing Manning hasn't done yet is put this team on his back in the postseason and lead it to a Super Bowl title. He hasn't done what Tom Brady has done in New England, consistently playing his best football in the playoffs and willing his teams to victories in the biggest playoff games. Is that asking too much? No, it's not.

He has a $98 million contract and is the league's most visible player, by his choice. It comes with the territory.

Zambrano also revealed that his wife had previously scheduled, non-emergency surgery Wednesday, the day he originally was to have an MRI, and that despite a stressful, hectic day, he did not miss his appointment for that MRI, as reported by some outlets.

Instead, he said he chose not to undergo what was to be the same kind of enhanced MRI he had when hurt in June, a test that requires a dye injection into the joint that needs a lengthier recovery time. Insisting the pain this time was more of a lower grade ''discomfort,'' he opted for the standard MRI the next day.

Notes
Right-hander Rich Harden, who has been skipped a start as a precaution against the ''discomfort'' he recently experienced in his shoulder, threw on the side Friday and reported no problems. He is scheduled to start Wednesday in St. Louis.

Veteran pitcher Jose Contreras went down, and a favorable schedule plus a few young arms helped patch the hole. All-Star third baseman Joe Crede went down, and utilityman Juan Uribe stepped up to keep the team from missing a beat. Key setup man Scott Linebrink went down for more than a month, and it was rough but not back-breaking -- even if closer Bobby Jenks had to build his own bridge in the eighth inning Wednesday.

But remove left fielder Carlos Quentin from the equation, and there is no easy fix.

You don't just find another AL MVP candidate on your bench.

Sure, an injury such as Quentin's freak fractured wrist is the very reason general manager Ken Williams acquired veteran outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. on the morning of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Shortly after the trade was official, Williams was warning us not to expect the 1990s version of Griffey.

''Ricky's really played more out there than Ronnie [Brown], so we'll start the game now with Ricky, but Ronnie will be in the game very soon,'' Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said Friday.

Although getting the nod might have as much to do with Brown's limited repetitions in the preseason as it does with Williams' ascent, the starting gig is nonetheless one final endorsement of confidence from this coaching staff.

It also means less time before Williams gets the opportunity to show what all of the fuss has been about. After all, even a few solid carries in the preseason isn't enough to fulfill anyone's appetite, considering the high praise heaped on Williams this offseason.

The Saints have preached all offseason about getting off to a better start after losing their first four games last season. They are determined to play better at home after posting a 7-9 mark the past two seasons at the Dome.

And perhaps most important, they can't afford to give up ground to the Buccaneers, who won the NFC South in 2005 and 2007, sweeping the Saints both times.

"Just add something else into the pot," Saints quarterback Drew Brees said after running down the list. "It's a big game."

Those two losses to Tampa Bay last year defined the Saints' disappointing 2007 season.

The Hornets improved their roster in the offseason by signing swingman James Posey, who helped the Boston Celtics win their first championship this past June. They also signed Devin Brown and Sean Marks this summer.

Last season, the Hornets won their first Southwest Division title and finished second behind the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference standings. Star point guard Chris Paul finished the season first in the league in assists (11.6) and steals (2.7) and led the team with a 21.1 scoring average during the regular season.

Kiwanuka said Friday that "a dirty play" by Redskins left tackle Chris Samuels nearly injured his left leg and ankle at the end of the Giants' 16-7win over Washington. And both he and his teammates were still steamed about the unnecessary tackle that nearly left the Giants without yet another defensive end.

"Honestly I thought it was a dirty play, there was no question about it," Kiwanuka said. "He was definitely beat. Instead of recovering or giving up or whatever the options were ... I don't think there's any place for that in the NFL."

On the play in question, Kiwanuka rushed around Samuels toward Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell. Samuels tried to bail his quarterback out by grabbing onto Kiwanuka from behind as if he were trying to drag him down. As he dragged down Kiwanuka, he fell onto his legs.

Immediately after the play, Giants coach Tom Coughlin confronted Samuels. "And he said it wasn't intentional," Coughlin said. "I'll leave it at that."

It didn't appear that Coughlin believed him. Kiwanuka seemed skeptical, too.

A fellow linebacker said later, "You only see something like that when you're playing a video game."

On Sunday, it's Harrison who will be officially welcoming Texans rookie left tackle Duane Brown to the NFL. Texans coach Gary Kubiak was asked if his top draft choice, who had a surprisingly trouble-free indoctrination to the ways of pro football during the less-intense preseason, might have a few growing pains ahead of him.

"I bet he does," Kubiak said. "But he's been a rock. He works. He does his job, and he's gotten better every week. This will be the ultimate challenge. He's got to go through these things to become a big-time player."

Brown has shown he deserves to be the starter — "He's our best guy," Kubiak says - so into the breach he must be thrown, charged with protecting quarterback Matt Schaub against a man who can some days be, as the Ravens will attest, a force of nature.

A complication is Pittsburgh's 3-4 defensive set, something Brown rarely saw in college. Knowing the Steelers loomed first on the schedule followed by the Ravens, who also use the 3-4, the Texans have shown the set frequently during pre-season practice.

"I hate not getting to play against the Phillies," said Wagner, still out with left elbow inflammation. "It's fun because they're good, and when you play good teams it brings out the best in you and that seems to be what the Phillies do for us."

But if Friday's bullpen session is any indication, it won't be long before Wagner returns.

"It was a good bullpen," said Wagner, who originally went on the disabled list in August with a strained left forearm. "We'll see how (the elbow) comes back (today) and really go from there. We've made a lot of progress in the last week and a half. A couple of bullpens, throwing everyday, it seems like it got a lot better."

It was the Mets' hope — and Wagner's — that he might be ready to rejoin the team in time for Tuesday night's game against the Nationals. But despite his progress, Wagner thinks he will need more time, just to be on the safe side.

"I think that's what we were shooting for," Wagner said of a Tuesday return. "But I think if we were able to get to the Atlanta series (next weekend) that would be better. We want to see how it's going to bounce back. Continue to go out there and have positive days."

The good news for Wagner is that while there is some normal stiffness after his throwing sessions, he said "there hasn't been any real soreness and no inflammation. That's the positive thing we're looking at right now."

But the season opener is Monday. It's against the Vikings. At Lambeau Field on "Monday Night Football." In other words, KGB is BACK.

"I don't know if it's magic," Gbaja-Biamila said after participating in a full practice on Thursday. "I call it Jesus. I feel good. I feel really good."

Gbaja-Biamila admits the thought of being cut crossed his mind. He no longer starts and as a situational pass rusher who relies almost exclusively on speed, he was a little nervous on the day final cuts were made.

"But, like I say, I always feel like I'm highly favored," Gbaja-Biamila said. "God loves me. He's always going to put me in the best situation."

Gbaja-Biamila's situation on Monday is pretty simple. When the Vikings need to pass, Gbaja-Biamila's assignment is to tackle the quarterback with the ball still in his hands.

Maine is on the 15-day disabled list because of a bone spur behind his right shoulder that he said would require offseason surgery. All indications had been that he would not try to throw again this season. Even the righthander sounded resigned to that fate. This new plan doesn't allow him the time to rebuild his arm strength and return to the starting rotation. If it goes well — not a lock by any means — Maine would pitch out of the bullpen.

"He's done absolutely nothing baseball (related)," manager Jerry Manuel said, "so he's probably still a ways away."

"It's Orlando's job," Eckstein said.

The thing is, the D-Backs do not appear to have much of a chance to keep All-Star and Gold Glove Hudson, who will become a free agent at the end of the season - as will Eckstein — and appears certain to test the market. Moreover, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants would seem to be in the market for a second baseman of Hudson's caliber, and for the Dodgers and the Mets, money never seems an object.

While Eckstein has played 974 of his 998 major league games at shortstop after Preston Gomez convinced the Los Angeles Angels to play him there, he has made a favorable impression at second base in his short time here. He has looked at home at the position, has extensive minor league experience there and believes that may be his position moving forward.

Eckstein is to earn $4.75 million this season on a one-year deal he signed as a free agent with Toronto, and he might be expected to earn about the same, affordable salary next season.

"I forgot who we're playing this week," he said.

Funny, except a lot of the conversation inside the Vikings locker room on Thursday focused on who they're not playing. As in No. 4, Brett Favre, the former Green Bay Packers quarterback and future Hall of Famer who terrorized the Vikings in recent years but no longer is roaming Lambeau Field after the credits rolled on his little soap opera this summer.

Vikings kicker and former Packer Ryan Longwell put it succinctly: "It will just be weird not seeing Brett there."

Gone but not forgotten, Favre's legacy will cast a wide shadow over the Vikings-Packers clash in the season opener in Green Bay on Monday night.

Favre's playing Broadway now, replaced by fourth-year quarterback Aaron Rodgers, whose first NFL start undoubtedly will be scrutinized to the nth degree.

"It's going to be a lot of pressure," Sharper said.

Beyond this, coach Ken Whisenhunt said, "I think the biggest things are moving in the pocket, which he's done a great job of ... and keeping two hands on the ball, especially when there's traffic. That's something he's worked very hard on, and we've worked very hard on."

Warner said ball security is "the one thing I've tried to work on more than anything through this offseason."

"It's even more of an emphasis with the coaches. You never want to make dumb mistakes and put your team in a difficult spot. I hope as the season progresses that it can be a natural thing, a natural reaction to cover up the ball and put two hands on the ball. It's that fine line of being aggressive and trying to make plays ... get out of the pocket but doing it in a smart way and make sure you protect the ball first."

But with no real established starter in San Francisco, he finally got his chance. He responded by beating out Alex Smith and Shaun Hill. Niners coach Mike Nolan sounded much like the Arizona Cardinals' Ken Whisenhunt in describing his team's quarterback battle, saying the position as a whole "got better because of the competition."

O'Sullivan "did the better job on the field, both in practice and in games," Nolan said.

Throughout his travels, "The way I approached it was that I felt that if I did things right and put everything I had into it, eventually I would get an opportunity ... eventually I'd get a chance to play," O'Sullivan said.

O'Sullivan's background is much like that of another once-overlooked quarterback: Kurt Warner.

"You don't want him to play great in his first week," Warner said of O'Sullivan.

"But you're always cheering for guys like that to do well ... people under the radar or people who have been passed over.

"It's always exciting to see guys like that finally get an opportunity."

There was an air of relaxed confidence on the part of the Mets before they took the field against the Phillies Friday night to start a crucial three-game series at Shea. Perhaps that comes from having owned the Phillies thus far this season, taking 10 of 15 games entering Friday night.

"It's got to be the biggest series of the year for us," said Mets interim manager Jerry Manuel, in a bit of understatement before the game.

But just as understated was the Mets' lineup, which was baffled by Brett Myers, who was brilliant in handcuffing them for eight innings as the Phillies took a 3-0 victory in the series opener. The loss cut the Mets' NL East lead to two games.

Before the game, a printout of an e-mail from Phillies great Mike Schmidt hung on the Philadelphia clubhouse door at Shea, encouraging the Phils and telling them that they are better than the Mets - and that the Mets know it.

"That part is true," said Jimmy Rollins, Phillies shortstop and chief Mets nemesis. Rollins said he didn't read all of the note, but he knows enough from last season's Mets collapse to know that Friday night's shutout will keep them on edge and perhaps lead to more neuroses. I think it's only natural if we win all three games," Rollins said about being inside the Mets' heads. "If not, then they'll get the chance to take a deep breath and re-gather themselves. If we win all three games, then naturally you're going to think back to last year."

"Speed, explosiveness and quickness ...," Alexander said. "I don't think that will be an issue."

The NFL MVP season in 2005 that seems so long ago? Even at 31, Alexander said he's the same player. Asked what percent of that running back he is now, Alexander said, "100 percent."

What he needs is a team to believe it and sign him to a contract. The former Seahawks star was released in April after two consecutive subpar seasons and remains unemployed. Alexander visited with the Bengals and the Saints in the offseason and got a sniff from the Broncos but no bites as yet. Alexander has been working out at the University of Washington, running at the Dempsey Indoor and lifting in the weight room. He gets there before the Huskies get there or after they leave, and it helps to inspire him to see the fire in their eyes.

"I went back to the basics," he said. "I'm in the best shape of my life. I've (reached) a lot of personal goals, but I still don't have a Super Bowl ring. I've done everything but win a Super Bowl. I don't care what a team needs, I want to be the guy who's the extra (ingredient) to get them over the top."

He said he wouldn't mind being a backup or part of a 1-2 tandem like the Seahawks will unveil Sunday in Buffalo with his replacements, Julius Jones and Maurice Morris.

Without an effective rush defense, sacks are hard to come by. And when sacks don't happen, the Chiefs' defense isn't as effective as it will need to be against an offense like New England's. Kansas City had four preseason games to warm up for Sunday's regular-season opener. The Chiefs tweaked the secondary, shifted young players into the defense line and struggled to find consistency at linebacker. All the movement and inexperience allowed opponents to average 4.9 yards per rush against the Chiefs, and that was ranked 28th among 32 teams during the preseason.

Sure, rookie tackle Glenn Dorsey would say, the Chiefs' reserves played the majority of the time and might have made the rush defense look worse than it was. Then again, even the Chiefs' starters are young and haven't yet proved they have established the chemistry Edwards wants to see sooner instead of later.

"Do I expect us to make the playoffs?" he asked The Sporting News on July 6. "I'm guaranteeing it."

That took some guts. The Bills haven't been to the postseason since 1999. Their past three records are 5-11, 7-9 and 7-9.

"My feeling is I'm glad he's confident and glad he's expressing how he feels," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "I'm 57 years old, and I don't predict anything. I have seen enough to know you don't know what's going to happen."

Jauron didn't back Whitner directly, but appreciated his safety's confidence.

"Are we confident? Yes. If we aren't confident then we have no chance at all," Jauron said. "Do I like our players? Yes, I do. We have high-character guys who work really hard. Do we have a chance to succeed? Yes, we do. But a lot of things have to go right, and we have to make them go right."

Expectations for the Bills are higher this season in Buffalo, though the team isn't expected to win its division, the AFC East, which features the New England Patriots

Brandon Morrow, the Mariners' answer to Joba Chamberlain, made his first big-league start a memorable one, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning before Wilson Betemit broke it up with a two-out, pinch-hit double, sparing the Yankees further humiliation.

Shortly after the Bombers took the field, the out-of-town scoreboard showed victories for the Red Sox, Twins and White Sox, letting the Bombers know that even a win wouldn't allow them to make up any ground in the wild-card race.

The loss dropped them 8½ games behind the Red Sox, winners of four in a row and six of their last seven games. Given their 6-0 record against the Mariners this season coming into the game, the Yankees had to feel pretty good about their chances against the team with the AL's worst record, but none of those games were against Morrow, Seattle's most prized pitching prospect.

Anderson and Edwards made a terrific duo last season. Edwards, a former Michigan standout, had a career year, catching 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns. After working with Anderson this off-season, Edwards hopes he can improve even more.

"The biggest thing you do in the off-season is work with the guy who is going to start so you guys can get on the same page, get into a rhythm and know each other so you can make off-field adjustments on game day," Edwards said. "If you don't know who that guy is, you can't make those adjustments."

Edwards will be one of the Browns' biggest offensive threats against the Cowboys. He's studied plenty of game tape, and "I think HBO [Hard Knocks] helped me out a little bit, too."

However, it's unclear if Edwards can play at full strength for four quarters.

Edwards missed the Browns' final three preseason games with what he said was a case of "horseplay going wrong."

Edwards was running wind sprints with receiver Donte' Stallworth, the Browns' new offensive acquisition. Stallworth jokingly stepped on Edwards' foot, and his cleat gashed the receiver's foot. Edwards needed stitches and has since been trying to get back into shape.

"We're doing the best we can to make educated decisions, not only for the safety of our fans, but to make sure they get what they've paid for," Turner said yesterday.

Tickets are still available for both tonight's Nationwide Series event and tomorrow's Chevy Rock & Roll 400, the final race for drivers to break into the top 12 in Cup points and qualify for the season-ending Chase for the championship.

RIR has hosted the cutoff race in early September since NASCAR adopted its playoff format in 2004, but this is the first time the Atlantic hurricane season has threatened to interfere with the track's weekend schedule.

According to the latest Weather Channel forecast, rain and wind from the northern edge of Hanna is expected to reach Richmond tonight and last throughout the day tomorrow.

Bowyer, Ragan and Kahne may not figure in who wins the 26th race of the 2008 Sprint Cup season, but going in they are the main players in the event's central drama — the battle for the final spot in this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup.

It is at least mathematically possible that Bowyer, Ragan and Kahne could all make the Chase. That, however, would take a remarkable set of circumstances given the gap between Denny Hamlin, who's currently 11th in the standings, and the three drivers directly behind him.

Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon and Hamlin primarily need only to avoid disaster to secure their slots in the 10-race championship battle that commences next weekend at Loudon, N.H. Kenseth is 109 points ahead of Ragan, who's 13th, while Gordon's Chase cushion is 102 points and Hamlin's is 93. In the first four years of the Chase, the largest gap that's been closed in the final regular-season event at Richmond is 55 points. That's how far behind Jeremy Mayfield was in 2004, the year NASCAR implemented the Chase when he came from 14th to knock Kahne from one of the 10 qualifying spots.

Coach Wade Phillips said the team has limited Newman's activities in practice the last two days as a precaution. If Newman isn't ready, Adam Jones will start at left corner despite missing the entire 2007 season.

"I don't think he's completely back yet," Phillips said. "That's why I say we're being cautious. We want to see how it feels [today]."

Phillips has taken a cautious approach to Newman's recovery ever since Newman suffered a slight tear in his left groin July 28. At the time, Newman was expected to miss three weeks

The franchise quarterback's name does not appear on the injury report for the first time since the opening game of the 2005 season. Brady had been listed as "probable" with a right shoulder injury every game for four seasons, including 48 regular-season and eight playoff games. It is the clearest sign yet that the 2007 NFL Most Valuable Player is ready for Sunday's season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Brady, who has been dealing with a sore right foot, did not take a snap during the Patriots' four preseason games, but had full participation in practice yesterday.

Of course, Brady's most important streak remains alive: He has made 127 straight regular season and playoff starts, the third-longest among quarterbacks, trailing Brett Favre (272) and Peyton Manning (174).

Brady is likely to be without one of his targets Sunday: tight end Benjamin Watson, who had 36 catches for 389 yards and six touchdowns a season ago, is listed as doubtful with a knee injury.

Quentin was removed from the lineup before Tuesday's game because of what the White Sox described then as a sore right forearm, and he hasn't played since. The team said yesterday that he was hurt during last Monday's game at Cleveland.

Quentin, who has been hit by a major-league high 20 pitches this season, will have surgery Monday, according the AP. A screw will be inserted into the wrist, and he will be re-evaluated in 2-3 weeks.

Quentin's slugging made him perhaps the leading candidate to win the MVP award. He leads the league with 36 home runs, is fourth with 100 RBIs, fourth in SLG at .571, sixth in OBP at .394 and boasts a fantastic OPS+ of 149. And he did it all -- or at least was doing it all — for a first-place team.

Should Quentin miss the stretch run, it also significantly weakens the White Sox postseason chances, which would again help the Red Sox. Boston is currently four games up over the Central-leading White Sox and 5.5 games up on the Minnesota Twins in the wild card race.

It was hard to imagine both teams passing the Red Sox with Quentin around. Now it seems nearly impossible.

Casey (neck) has not played since Aug. 19, Lowell (right oblique) has not played since Aug. 12 and Beckett (elbow) has not pitched since Aug. 17.

Also, pitcher Bartolo Colon, as expected, will pitch tomorrow for Triple A Pawtucket at Scranton-Wilkes-Barre in Game 4 of the PawSox Internationl League playoff series.

We'll have lineups for the Red Sox and Rangers soon.

"Shame on us if we sit back and say, 'Everything is fine.' "

There is more to the quote, which Montgomery gave to the Daily News in a friendly sit-down before the all-star break, but that is the heart of it. The Phillies are a good team, maybe just a deep drive from great, and shame on the organization if it doesn't do what it takes to make that jump. The team is that close.

Well, here we are with 140 games gone, 22 to go, and there's nothing else to say but this: Shame on you guys.

Regardless of how the race in the division turns out — and the Phillies may yet pin the Mets in the muddy trough - the organization let down its players and fans by not doing enough to solidify the roster.

Forty-five of the 68 home dates on the schedule so far have been sellouts, already a franchise record. The support and the income have been there. And what have the fans received in return as they waited for the mortar that would fill the cracks in the roster? No offense to the players, because they are doing the best they can, but what the fans got was Joe Blanton, Scott Eyre and Matt Stairs.

Perhaps that isn't the front-office equivalent of sitting back and saying everything is fine, but it isn't far from it.

On Wednesday, he sent the following text message to Kerry Rhodes, the Jets' ball-hawking safety:

"No picks, please. Just PBUs." (That stands for pass break-ups.)

Rhodes and Pennington became good friends over the summer — unbeknownst to the outside world, they roomed together in training camp and they will be the critical pieces Sunday on a 100-yard chess board.

The Jets-Dolphins season opener in Miami is being billed as Pennington versus Brett Favre, but if you want to get technical, it's more of a Pennington-Rhodes duel. Rhodes prides himself on being a cerebral player, and he'll need plenty of brains to outwit Pennington, who has made a career of outsmarting defenses.

The more Pelfrey pitches, the greater the chances for an injury next year, or a decrease in effectiveness. That is not a notion based on paranoia or fatalistic thinking. Instead, it is based on a theory researched by the Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci and now widely accepted in baseball that says that any pitcher younger than 25 whose total number of innings jumps by more than 30 from the previous season leaves himself susceptible to injury the next year, or at least to a much higher earned run average.

Last season, alternating primarily between the Mets and Class AAA New Orleans, the right-handed Pelfrey pitched 152 2/3 innings. Having emerged as a key member of the Mets' rotation this season, he has already compiled 169 2/3 innings, all on the major league level, with perhaps five starts remaining. If he averages six innings in those starts - a conservative estimate - he will finish with 199 2/3 innings, an increase of 47. But that total will go still higher if the Mets make it to October.

"Now, certainly, they've done the studies, and 30 to 35 innings is that danger barometer, the red spot," Warthen said on Wednesday in Milwaukee, standing outside the trainer's room in the visitors' clubhouse at Miller Park. "But we're talking about the playoffs. We're going to have to test the waters."

"I vote for Dwight,'' Sanders said. "I just won't vote for myself. Tell him I picked him, so he's got to say me.''

Well . . .

"You're asking me?'' Freeney said, smiling broadly. "I'm biased. It's the defensive lineman.''

The Colts already have addressed the hypothetical question. They chose both. Last year, Colts owner Jim Irsay invested more than $112 million, nearly $52 million guaranteed, to lock up the duo through the 2012 season.

But what if they had to choose?

Compelling arguments can be made for each player. Would the Colts have won Super Bowl XLI if Sanders hadn't returned for the playoff push? Would Philip Rivers and Billy Volek have had the time to engineer San Diego's playoff upset of the Colts in January had Freeney been on the field and not recovering from foot surgery?

The Madden Cruiser would be parked next to Davio's on the upper level of Patriot Place. Tom Brady would be taking bows at the Republican Convention. Jonathan Kraft would be using the new Vince Lombardi Trophy as a hood ornament for his Benz. Copies of the Globe's "The Perfect Season'' (12 printings by now) would be on every coffee table in New England. A fourth championship banner would be unveiled in the South end zone at the end of a lengthy pregame ceremony. Mercury Morris would be harder to find than Whitey Bulger.

Eli Manning would still be Peyton's goofy younger brother and Ernie Accorsi would still be defending the deal that brought Eli to the Giants. Humble Pie would be on the menu with the Kobe Sliders at the new CBS Scene at Patriots Place. Red hoodie sweatshirts — just like the one Bill Belichick wore in Glendale, Ariz. — would be all the rage. Content with his ring, Junior Seau would have announced his retirement.

There would be no television commercial featuring the Manning brothers eating Oreos opposite the Williams sisters. David Tyree would not be making appearances at Barnes & Noble. There would have been one of those epic springtime garden parties at Bob Kraft's house in Brookline to award the rings. Senator Arlen Specter would be at a podium somewhere, shaking his fist and screaming about cheating.

Tom Coughlin would be an out-of-touch, oldschooler with a big hole in his resume.

Anderson visited Baltimore on Tuesday and returned to his home in Atlanta.

"It's cool," Anderson said. "The organization was real cool. I was kind of nervous."

Former Bengals wide receivers coach Hue Jackson, now Ravens quarterbacks coach, took Anderson on a tour of the Ravens' castle-like facility in Owings Mills, Md.

"When Hue took me down into the locker room, I was nervous to meet all the guys," Anderson said, "but then Ray Lewis, Lorenzo Neal, Chris McAlister, all the guys, came running up to me. It made me feel at home."

The Bengals wanted Anderson to take a pay cut to $1.5 million - a reduction of more than 50 percent. He declined. The club raised its offer to $1.8 million, but Anderson refused. Then his contract was terminated. He was due to make a $3.1 million base with the Bengals in 2008 but had lost his job at right tackle to Stacy Andrews.

And he got it done just a few minutes before 4 p.m., the deadline for the contract to take effect in time for Thursday night's game.

"We always remained hopeful that it would get done before the season started," Giants GM Jerry Reese said in a statement released by the team. "It came down to the last few minutes and we're happy to get it done so we can move forward in our season. It took a little longer than we expected it to take, but Plax was professional about it the whole time."

Concerning the apartment incident, police spokesman Bill Moerschbacher said yesterday it could be two more weeks before their investigation concludes. No citations have been issued.

Paterno said Wallace will be available to play against the Beavers.

"Wallace was not part of that situation, but Evans, Quarless and Koroma were," Paterno said on his weekly radio show. "It's unfortunate. We preach, preach, preach and they stepped out of the line and they deserve what they're going to get. Whatever that's going to be, I don't know.''

Would you like to hear something like that out of Cole Hamels one of these days? Even if he didn't really mean it? Would you like him to seem more a farm horse than a racehorse, to think of him as old school rather than new school?

Let's be clear. There's nothing wrong with what Cole Hamels has been saying this week wrote Philadelphia Daily News columnist Sam Donnellon. He wants to stay healthy so he can make every start down the stretch. Nothing wrong with it at all. He has pitched his tail off for your club this season, been one of the two constants on the Phillies' starting staff. He is 12-8, with plenty of those types of starts in his bright future as long as he remains healthy.

Is he a horse? Those NL-leading 203 innings pitched would indicate he is on his way to becoming one. And yet there is something unnerving about his stoicism, that matter-of-fact approach in which he seems to always balance concerns about his future with the immediate needs of the present.

"I finally surpassed 200 innings," he said after shutting out the Nationals over 7 1/3 innings Tuesday. "I think that's in their minds [coaching staff]. It's in my mind. I just want to be able to finish the season. I truly want to be able to go out there and pitch deep into a game but be smart about it. I don't want to overextend myself because if I overextend myself, it's not really going to benefit the team. Because they're counting on me for four or five more starts. And that's what I'm really focusing on because I know if I can do that, I can really help this team get into the playoffs."

"We are in a one-game-at-a-time mode right now, and one play at a time," Reid said before the start of practice.

Apparently, the Eagles are also back in the one-controversy-at-a-time mode and, as you might expect, Drew Rosenhaus has a starring role. Sheldon Brown sees Lito Sheppard's new agent as a villain, and the Eagles' starting right cornerback unleashed a verbal assault on the high-profile agent before practice.

"I think sometimes agents can ruin players' careers," Brown said. "And what I mean by that is we have an agent who has four players who are disappointed with the way their deal is, and we're going into Week 1, and nobody has accomplished anything with those players."

It gets better.

"If you know the guy's track record and what he brings to the table, it's more of a disappointing thing for me that [Rosenhaus] enticed [Sheppard] to sign with him thinking he could get a deal done," Brown said. "Agents don't get a deal done. The player gets the deal done. Yeah, he put [Sheppard] in a tough spot, but at the end of the day, that's something he has to deal with."

Brown's attack came after he watched Rosenhaus' most recent weekly rant on YouTube.com. Rosenhaus used that forum to lament Sheppard's situation, detailing all the Eagles' cornerback has had to "endure" this off-season. He mentioned the signing of Asante Samuel to a $57 million deal that "dwarfs" Sheppard's contract, then added how unfair it was that his client had to play the role of third cornerback behind Brown.

It was that last part that irritated Brown.

"Obviously, I have enough sense to know that Drew hasn't been with Sheldon Brown for seven years, and I think he has been with Lito for two months, so he hasn't followed my career and he has no film," Brown said. "He probably couldn't even tell you what number I am, so it's completely irrelevant."

"McChunky." "McPuke." "McChoke." "McNasty." McNabb has heard them all.

"I hear 'em at games. Out to dinner, too," McNabb said recently. "Some people are with friends or family, and they just want to shout something to say they said it. Or they may be walking past you and say, 'You guys [bleep],' and keep walking. They kind of want to hear your reaction. And if you don't react the way they expect you to react, now they feel like kind of the fool, you know, 'Maybe I shouldn't have said that.' The way of handling it is very important. If you get in my face and touch me, now we've got a problem, but if you don't, that doesn't bother me at all."

On Sunday, when the Eagles host the St. Louis Rams in their NFL opener, McNabb will start to write the 10th chapter of a convoluted story that began long ago, with fans booing his draft selection, second overall in 1999 (no, this isn't another story about that, but there's no way to write about McNabb and the fans without mentioning it).

On one theoretical hand, he is the most accomplished quarterback in the 75-year history of the franchise, a five-time Pro Bowler, easily one of the top five QBs in the NFL when healthy. He and Andy Reid have been together longer than any current quarterback and coach in the league.

On the other figurative hand — the one that's bruised and scarred, with misshapen knuckles, and bloody, ragged nails — he has failed to bring fans the Super Bowl championship they covet, despite four trips to the NFC title game and one very memorable chance to put it all to rest, on an evening 3½ years ago in Jacksonville that somehow now seems closer to 3½ decades distant. That evening ended in controversy and recrimination that continued to boil for months, amid a messy dispute between the team and Terrell Owens, who inflicted damage on the QB's image as he tried to make McNabb a hostage of his attempts to better his contract. And McNabb hasn't had a solid, healthy season since, or appeared in a subsequent playoff game.

Eagles fans and McNabb have a roller-coaster relationship, one that won't become static until he no longer plays here. The lack of ultimate success figures into it, but there's much more.

It doesn't get much better than this: a supremely confident athlete reaching his apex when his team needs him most.

Pedroia is the AL MVP. Why? A seventh-inning stretch of reasons:

• Playing in Boston is harder than calculus. Pressure is paramount. Pedroia glows in the spotlight. Because of the Manny Ramirez trade and injuries, Pedroia has hit cleanup in four of the past five games despite being smaller than half the kids at Williamsport. All he's done is go 11-for-17 with two home runs and six RBIs.

• He leads the American League in batting average (.333), inflating his statistics with helium during a current 21-for-34 tear.

• He has two fewer extra base-hits than Texas' Josh Hamilton (63 to 65) and the same number as White Sox slugger Carlos Quentin. Those are his primary rivals in the MVP race, which figures to feature one of the most unlikely winners ever, a fact that works to Pedroia's advantage.

• After watching Pedroia reach base the first 11 times in last weekend's series, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen intentionally walked the second baseman. "I never thought I'd walk a jockey," Guillen said. "I must be the worst manager ever, walking a guy that just came from being on top of Big Brown to beat the White Sox."

• Pedroia has just six errors at second base. He's not going to make anyone forget Bill Mazeroski - in fact, when Maz was asked about Pedroia at the Hall of Fame, he didn't know who he was. But he's solid and would rather eat tinfoil than give ground on a double play.

• It's a flawed field. Hamilton is a wonderful story, but the Rangers will be lucky to finish with a winning record. If the White Sox make the playoffs, Quentin could easily overtake Pedroia. Same goes for former MVP Justin Morneau of the Twins. One of their candidacies will be weakened, regardless.

That leaves Pedroia, AL MVP.

"I thought I was going to be a Raider," Elway said, circa-1980-something.

Davis and his inner circle long have contended that former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle blocked the deal, which would have sent five draft picks - three No. 1s and two No. 2s — to the Baltimore Colts. The rest is history. The Broncos since 1983 have made the playoffs 13 times. They've played in five Super Bowls in that time, each with Elway at quarterback, and won two. The Raiders? They've made the playoffs seven times since winning Super Bowl XVIII after the 1983 season. They've played in one Super Bowl since - and lost it by 27 points.

Now, a quarter-century later, along comes JaMarcus Russell. Like Elway, he was the first pick in the NFL draft. And like Elway, the Raiders are projecting him as their long-term answer at quarterback.

"He understands, and he wants to win," Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin said. "He wants to be a part of turning something around, part of a real neat story. He would be the center point of that."

He had better be. If not, the Raiders' franchise would take a huge step backward. And we're talking about a team that has lost 11 or more games for five consecutive seasons. It's different in today's NFL, compared to 25 years ago when the Elway trade rocked the Rockies. There's a salary cap in the NFL of the 21st century. Russell is a virtual rookie, having started one game in 2007, but he received $32 million in guaranteed money as part of his six-year, $61 million contract. If he goes the way of Ryan Leaf, it would take the Raiders years to recover.

Russell is aware of how much is at stake. The state of the franchise, and several people's jobs, are on the line, depending on how he performs in the years to come.

"It was amazing," said that assistant coach, Mike Martz. "He was so clear about what they were going to do, that they were going to the Super Bowl in the third year."

Looking back after Super Bowl XVI, Martz realized that Walsh's predictions were almost exactly right. Nearly three decades later, Martz, 57, is the creative, demanding offensive guru with the gray hair. The 49ers have entrusted him to install the complicated schemes that helped the St. Louis Rams reach the postseason five times. In his first year with the Rams, as offensive coordinator under Dick Vermeil, they went 16-3 and won the Super Bowl after going 4-12 the year before.

Now Martz takes over a dismay-by-the-bay offense that averaged as many yards passing (145) as his Rams teams would get in one half in their heyday. If he can succeed as coordinator here, he can erase the disappointment that led to his firing from that position in Detroit after last season and put himself back in the mix of head coach candidates.

It won't be easy. His quarterback, J.T. O'Sullivan, has precious little NFL experience. The wide receiver corps seems capable, not great. His offensive line has been reshuffled. His fullback, Zak Keasey, is untested at the position and didn't even play on offense in college. Because of injuries, the team rarely had its full complement of veteran receivers in training camp, so it's been difficult to get them in synch with O'Sullivan. "We've been behind the eightball there," Martz admitted. "That's hurt us."

All this made for upright quarterbacks, fewer sacks and improved turnover ratios, all in the face of limited personnel and talent on offense. Still, safe and sure did nothing to prevent six losses by a touchdown or less in Kiffin's 4-12 NFL debut. Those simpleton days are drawing to a close, Kiffin can sense. He has the freakish quarterback with a dynamic throwing arm. His name is JaMarcus Russell. He has a phenomenal running back with score-changing speed. His name is Darren McFadden.

At last, Kiffin has some of the star attractions needed to call the sort of exotic plays he utilized at USC, where he parlayed "Get the ball to Reggie" into an NFL head coaching job at the baby-face age of 31.

Now is the time for Kiffin to work his X-and-O wonders. With Al Davis impatient as ever to win, Kiffin's second season on the job is depending on how this offense performs.

"When you get exciting additions to your personnel, who can do special things, it makes it that much more exciting to game plan," Kiffin said. "Because they do have the ability to make big-time plays. Those types of guys don't come around often, so it's very exciting."

"The other thing," said Bernazard, "is that maybe it has something to do with the new people running the team."

He didn't refer specifically to either Randolph or Jerry Manuel, but with that one sentence, Bernazard may as well have declared:

"See? We were right."

Bernazard still won't say so publicly, but it's clear in conversation with him about the state of the ballclub that he felt Randolph had to go, perhaps felt more strongly about the need for a change than anyone in the organization. And even though the Mets can never defend GM Omar Minaya's clumsy, insensitive handling of the firing, you can't argue these days with the idea that indeed the front office was right.

This sweep of the Brewers, a team the Mets could face in the first round of the NL playoffs, served as punctuation of sorts to their dramatic transformation from moping underachievers to hungry, confident winners that has taken place since Randolph's firing on June 17. So for whatever reason, whether they needed to change leadership to shake off the effects of last September's collapse, or the new manager has made some personal impact on players such as Delgado and Jose Reyes, the Manuel Mets barely resemble the Randolph Mets.

"We want to be in Tampa," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Guys are hungry. We've got something to prove. We really don't want to settle for one. I definitely don't want to stop at one."

The Giants' mission is not proving they are better than one-year wonders. They must prove they are not one-month wonders. They started off their amazing postseason by defeating the Bucs in the wild-card game on Jan. 6 and finished if off by crushing the Patriots' undefeated dreams in a dramatic Super Bowl on Feb.3. A glorious 29 days. They showed no indication during the four-month regular season that they had a championship run in them: 10-6 teams usually make cameo appearances in January.

They will have the support of what should be an extremely emotional crowd Thursday. This is the first time the Giants are playing at home — the preseason doesn't count — since they narrowly lost to the Patriots in the final game of the regular season, the game that gave them the momentum and confidence to win three NFC playoff games on the road and then beat New England in the rematch.

It will be interesting to see how much collateral the Giants have built up with the fans if they revert to how they played at home most of last season when they won only three times. The fans' expectations can't be higher than those of Antonio Pierce.

"Anything less than the Super Bowl for the New York Giants is always a failure," he said.