Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
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Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
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The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
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AP
IRVING, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos are done practicing against each other. Now they have a preseason game to play.
So can there really be any surprises Saturday night after the teams banged against each other during four workouts over two days this week?
“It will be pretty much the same. We’re looking at the basics,” Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. “We know what they’re going to do, they know what we’re going to do. We’re not going to game plan anything.”
At least the game at Texas Stadium won’t be scripted like the practices were.
Most starters are expected to play at least a half Saturday night, more than they did in preseason openers that both teams won.
That means a few extra snaps to watch:
—Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens going against the Broncos cornerback duo of Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly. The last time T.O. went head-to-head in a game against the seven-time Pro Bowler Bailey, Owens had the longest touchdown of his career — a 91-yarder in his final game for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2005.
“Nah, I wouldn’t say I own him,” Owens said with a smile. “It’s going to be challenging.”
The Broncos are trying to trade Warren, and if they can’t make a deal will likely release the seven-year veteran who got a new seven-year contract before last season. Warren didn’t go to San Francisco and wasn’t in Texas this week with the team.
—Cowboys offensive tackles Flozell Adams and Marc Colombo, who both sat out the opener while recovering from arthroscopic knee operations.
Wade Phillips’ second game as Cowboys coach comes nine days after a 23-10 victory over defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis. It’s against the team that gave Phillips his first full-time head coaching job. He went 16-16 with a playoff loss in two seasons with the Broncos before Shanahan replaced him in 1995.
“There wasn’t any bitterness after I left,” Phillips said. “We had a lot of injuries. We went to the playoffs the first year I was there, and the second year (John) Elway was out the last three games. That kind of hurts a little bit.”
Denver went 8-8 in Shanahan’s debut season, then won back-to-back Super Bowl titles after the 1997 and 1998 seasons with Elway.
“It just worked out well for (Shanahan). He’s done a great job and is a great coach,” Phillips said. “But they went 8-8 the next year. They didn’t go to the Super Bowl the next year, so I don’t feel bad that all of a sudden I couldn’t coach the team at all.”
Phillips was Buffalo’s defensive coordinator for three seasons before going 29-19 with two playoff losses in three seasons as Bills head coach.
Phillips was then defensive coordinator in Atlanta and San Diego before Dallas owner Jerry Jones picked Phillips over nine other candidates to coach the five-time Super Bowl champion Cowboys, who haven’t won a playoff game in 10 seasons.
Despite practicing together in triple-digit heat, the Cowboys and Broncos said they got plenty of good work. And there weren’t even any significant fights among opposing players.
“There have been some intense, good practices. ... It’s been very productive,” Broncos safety John Lynch said.
“It was a good two days of work,” Owens said. “It gets a little grueling, kind of thudding up a little bit, but on (Saturday) you get to actually pad it up and really go after it.”
The Broncos announced that wide receiver Javon Walker, who tweaked his surgically repaired right knee during Thursday’s first practice, would miss the game. Left tackle Matt Lepsis, whose return from reconstructive knee surgery has been delayed by a pulled groin muscle, and right tackle Adam Meadows (calf), will also sit out.
Guard Ben Hamilton (concussion) and rookie tackle Ryan Harris (back) are also hurt, and Shanahan said tight end Chad Mustard will play right tackle against the Cowboys.
Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
