How did the Colts win? Beat up on Peyton

So every team in the AFC will want to find out what magic formula the Colts used to throw off Peyton Manning’s practically perfect offense and hand the Broncos their first loss of the 2013 NFL season on Sunday right.

Looking back on everything Indianapolis did right in a 39-33 victory— and it was a lot—there was nothing special about it: just simple, aggressive, physical, defensive football buoyed by a talented quarterback, Andrew Luck, who could stand just as tall as Manning.

There were no exotic blitzes or fancy coverage. The Colts manned up against Manning’s receivers and plastered them so they would struggle to get separation. They trusted their best 3-4 edge rusher, NFL sack leader Robert Mathis, to lead the charge on hitting Manning. They dared Denver to run, and their linebackers and safeties showed their quickness in plugging the holes in run support.

There’s no doubt Colts coach Chuck Pagano and his defensive coaching staff watched tons of film of Manning playing his best football. They should have noticed the Jaguars had a similar approach last week in making him look like a mortal passer again.

The difference is, the Colts are much more talented AFC team, with a stronger physical identity. There are no superstars in their secondary, just well coached, disciplined cover men who don’t mind mixing it up.

For the first time this season, Manning lost control of the game, and with their leader frustrated, the Broncos’ bigger issues of a porous pass defense and some undisciplined play came to light and prevented Manning from completing one of his classic comebacks.

The Broncos got a monstrous challenge two weeks ago from the Cowboys, but that was a pure shootout where Manning was never quite slowed. The Jaguars could hang for only a half before fading quickly. On the road facing Pagano’s pressure scheme, Denver saw its first true test against an above-.500 opponent that could stand in its way in getting to the Super Bowl.

Looming on the regular-season schedule are a couple of dates with the only undefeated team left in the AFC, the solo West-leading Chiefs. The Chargers, who beat the Colts last week, are also playing some improved defense under another Pagano, John, and have a red-hot QB, Philip Rivers. And as Manning knows, the Patriots (Bill Belichick) and Texans (Wade Phillips) have schemers who have gotten the better of him and his supporting cast with similar in-your-face defensive plans in the past.

Put Kansas City and New England right up with Indianapolis as significant obstacles to making this the dream late-career, second ring for Manning. That’s before mentioning that young, well-rounded, passing/pass-rush team that keeps growing confidence in Cincinnati.

The Broncos hadn’t lost a game going into Indianapolis, but it was clear they were far from perfect, and the Cowboys and Jaguars exposed cracks in the Super Bowl window; a window the Colts just smashed to pieces. Given how the receivers, offensive line and defense let Denver down just as much in Week 7, it will take a lot more than Manning to pick them all up.

Buying the ‘Boys

The Cowboys look like a middling NFC team on the surface, but they should be considered as dangerous as the other division leaders—Seattle, New Orleans and Green Bay.

Dallas didn’t embrace any kind of “moral victory” after a 51-48 loss to aforementioned Denver, but there’s no doubt they have played with a different swagger in taking down division foes Washington and Philadelphia the past two weeks. If you’re keeping score, the 17-3 road dominance of the Eagles made Dallas just 4-3, but 3-0 in the NFC East.

Skeptics will say this is Dallas, and it will still come down to the Week 17 rematch with the same Eagles for the East title. But in a disappointing division, the Cowboys haven’t been disappointing at all, considering their three losses have come against three strong teams in the AFC West (Denver, Kansas City and San Diego are a combined 18-3).

The remaining slate isn’t exactly easy. The Saints and the entire strong NFC North are ahead. But the Eagles, Redskins and Giants have a lot more problems in contrast, and have to deal with similar scheduling obstacles. Although Tony Romo, as usual, is getting too much of the credit/blame for everything good/bad the Cowboys do, there’s a new sense of resiliency. They’re finding ways not to blow games and fight through injuries (see no DeMarcus Ware and DeMarco Murray on Sunday).

Backup plans

Three starting quarterbacks who were on the upswing from last season got knocked out on Sunday. While the Eagles saw Nick Foles (head) join Michael Vick (hamstring) on the shelf and may need to give a rookie the start in Week 8, more concerning injuries to Jay Cutler (groin) and Sam Bradford (knee) may require the Bears and Rams to go with their No. 2 for the longer term.

Here’s breaking down whether the backups give their team any chance:

— Josh McCown, Bears. Two seasons ago, Chicago was 7-3 when Cutler broke his thumb, but freefell with Caleb Hanie playing awful in relief. Although they found McCown too late in 2011, they saw his value behind Cutler. He can keep Marc Trestman’s offense humming with both his arms and legs in defeat at Washington. The real question is, just how much does he need to produce vs. Green Bay, Detroit and Baltimore the next three weeks with the defense  struggling?

— Kellen Clemens, Rams. Let’s start with the good news. Clemens has plenty of experience in Brian Schottenheimer’s offense dating back to their days together with the Jets.  The bad news, the team’s offensive supporting cast has been inconsistent in helping Bradford, and will offer even less chemistry with Clemens.

— Matt Barkley, Eagles. Don’t judge the 2013 fourth-rounder on the situation he was put in, down 17-3 in one-dimensional desperation mode against Dallas. The two interceptions didn’t look good, but if better prepared to start with a more balanced game plan (the Eagles didn’t run LeSean McCoy enough), Barkley has the potential to make a lot of the opportunity.

Game balls

Andy Dalton, QB, Bengals. Dalton (24-of-34, 372 yards, 3 TDs) outdueled the Lions’ Matt Stafford (28-of-51, 357 yards, 3 TDs) in a pass-happy affair in Ford Field, and most important, got Cincinnati its second last-second road victory, 27-24. It helped that Dalton’s explosive big-play receiver, A.J. Green, matched Stafford’s, Calvin Johnson, with 155 of those yards.

Tamba Hali, OLB, Chiefs. Hali made it two consecutive games with 2.5 sacks, this time terrorizing Texans first-time starter Case Keenum with half of Kansas City’s total in the second half. His second forced fumble on Houston’s final drive locked up the Chiefs 17-16 victory.

Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers. There weren’t many pretty offensive stats as Pittsburgh edged archrival Baltimore 19-16 in the typical defensive struggle, but Bell kept grinding out the tough yards (93 on 19 carries) as his team had a rare, strong rushing performance against the Ravens’ defense (141 in all).

Harry Douglas, WR and Jacquizz Rodgers, RB, Falcons. Douglas played the part of a No. 1 wideout for Matt Ryan with both Julio Jones and Roddy White out, burning Tampa Bay’s secondary for 7 catches and 149 yards, including a 37-yard TD. Rodgers caught Ryan’s other two scores in a much-needed 31-23 post-bye win.

Captain Munnerlyn, CB, Panthers. Munnerlyn set the early tone of a physical, 30-15 beatdown of the Rams with a 45-yard pick-six of Sam Bradford on the quarterback’s initial pass attempt. Later in the quarter, he recovered a fumble from wide receiver Tavon Austin to set up a field goal.

East TN football player breaks neck during Friday's game

A Kingston High School football player is recovering at the hospital.

Seth Haynes underwent surgery on Saturday after breaking his neck during Friday night's game against Sequoyah.

Kingston Yellowjacket Head Coach Brian Pankey said the sophomore broke his neck during the opening drive.

"It was on kickoff. He was going for a tackle, the kid was about to go down and Seth, when he led on his shoulder, it looked like it hurt him and he went to the ground and hit his head... He just laid there," described Haynes' teammate, Dustin Kitts.

At first, the team and doctors thought he pinched a nerve. When doctors took him to UT Medical Center, Pankey says they discovered Haynes broke his neck and shattered his number three vertebrae.

"This was his first game back after a hiatus from a knee injury and so for him to put it all out there and then to be laying there when the play was over, for all of us, was very devastating," Mae Ann Shillings said, a friend of the family and Haynes 'former teacher.

Pankey said Haynes was able to move his fingers and toes after the injury.

"I talked to him last night at the hospital and he said he felt like he was paralyzed," said Paul Bolden, Haynes' teammate and best friend.

Doctors told Haynes he will never be able to play football again.

Bolden went on to say, "He's always liked sports growing up. When he heard he wouldn't be able to play sports anymore, it kind of hurt him because he's always loved football."

"I think what's most important is that he's just okay. We all love football, we all love to play sports, but the big thing is that he's just okay," said Jamey Davis, who has known Haynes since he was a child.

Former teammates are sending well wishes to Haynes, including Ryan Wormsley who said, "When I was there we were all extremely close. It's a big family. I knew Seth and you couldn't tell who was a senior and who was a sophomore. We were all brothers."

A Facebook group, in support of Haynes, is growing in the hundreds each hour.

Grambling officials meet, hoping to solve football dispute

GRAMBLING, La. — Two Grambling band members marched down Central Ave. on Grambling's campus Saturday, one's trombone slide gliding back and forth as notes bellowed in the afternoon air.

On a normal fall Saturday, the pair would be two of several hundred members of The World Famed Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band blasting fan-favorite music.

But Grambling forfeited Saturday's football game against Jackson State as the Grambling football team continued its protest of what it says is mistreatment by the university's administration. Grambling players refused to travel from their Louisiana campus for Saturday's game because of issues they have with leaders of the athletic department and the university.

Across the street, one Grambling freshman missed a fadeaway jumper at the outdoor basketball courts.

"I think it's embarrassing for the university," said the freshman, who declined to give his name because he said he wanted to keep a low profile. "I'm just a freshman so I don't know a lot of the details ... and I understand a lot of the students feel a certain way.

"I know that certain things needed to be done ... but I don't think it was a reason for the (football team) to quit like that."

Grambling officials are meeting this weekend in an effort to reach a resolution with disgruntled football players and avoid any more forfeits. Some of the players have demanded the resignation of university president Frank Pogue, but school spokesman Will Sutton said Saturday, "that's not going to happen."

Sutton said that players were given the weekend off but that officials were in touch with some of them by phone. He added that a practice is scheduled for Monday, though it is unclear if players will show up.

The university plans to play next Saturday's scheduled game at Grambling against Texas Southern. It is the school's annual High School Day, which draws in many prospective students from around the region.

Sutton said officials meeting this weekend include Pogue, athletic director Aaron James and coach Dennis "Dirt" Winston, the team's third coach this season. Former Doug Williams was fired after just two games, and Winston replaced interim coach George Ragsdale on Thursday.

Sutton confirmed one of the players' concerns was about travel. The team recently took buses to games in Kansas City and Indianapolis.

"When you have your budget slashed by 57 percent, you have to make choices," Sutton said, adding that the school would "love" to fly the team to distant road games, but that Grambling was contractually obligated to take its band, cheerleaders and dance team on those two trips. He said those obligations led to the difficult choice to put everyone on buses.

Sutton specified that the 57 percent cut in state funding, which has occurred over the past several years, has affected the entire campus, and that athletics was spared significant cuts until this academic year. The athletic department was asked to cut $335,000 from its overall department budget of $6.8 million. Sutton said football was cut by $75,000 to about $2 million.

More than 100 students attended an on-campus rally Thursday to show support for the football team and to voice their own grievances.

Former Grambling offensive lineman Herman Arvie said in a telephone interview Saturday he initially shared the freshman's sentiment until he said he learned more about the players' situation by talking to alumni closer to the program.

"I'm on the players' side now," said Arvie, who played four NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens from 1993-96. "I didn't realize what these players were facing, and I am proud of these guys for taking a stand.

"In retrospect, we didn't have anything in terms of facilities. Twenty years later, what they have has improved drastically from a visual standpoint, but if the conditions are what they say they are, then (Grambling) has taken a step back. Sometimes you have to do things that may be considered detrimental to the history and the program itself. In order to take a step forward, you have to take a couple steps back."

ESPN reported Saturday that it had obtained a letter detailing player complaints, which included mold in the locker room and improperly cleaned uniforms contributing to an increased likelihood of staph infections.

Sutton said that local health department inspectors, acting on an anonymous tip, recently visited Grambling athletic facilities and recommended changes to improve conditions, but did not deem those facilities a health hazard.

Sutton added that buildings throughout campus, including the library, have similar problems because of neglect, and that the conditions football players have complained of are symptomatic of problems campus-wide stemming from substantial budget cuts.

"If people want to get this fixed, there are two things they can do: Make a donation to the Grambling Foundation and the other is lobby legislators to fund Grambling at the level it should be funded," Sutton said.

With the forfeit to Jackson State on Saturday, Grambling has now lost 18 consecutive football games against NCAA opponents.

But Sutton said Williams' dismissal was not related to his "wins or losses, or Xs and Os. Not at all." When asked to clarify why Williams let go if not because of his record, Sutton said, "We don't discuss personnel matters."

Sutton added that the recent change in interim coaches was a move the AD felt needed to made in order to move closer to resolving the impasse with players, who Sutton said supported the decision to promote Winston.

The ongoing chaotic situation first drew public attention on Tuesday, when players angrily walked out of meeting with administrators. Players then refused to practice Wednesday and Thursday, then did not show for buses Friday to travel to Mississippi for Saturday's game.

Pogue released a statement Saturday apologizing to Jackson State, who highlighted its homecoming festivities with a scrimmage instead of a game against Grambling.

"It was with deep regret that I called Dr. Meyers and told her what had happened," Pogue said. "We have had our financial challenges this year, and unfortunately too many of our players don't understand the degree of our fiscal challenges. We are sorry."

"We share many of the frustrations of our players and we continue to work to balance those concerns with the financial restraints that have been placed on our institution by the state. However, though recent events have resulted in an unfortunate homecoming gap in the always exciting JSU homecoming weekend of activities, we ask that JSU alumni and fans respect the right of our football players to freely express their concerns as we do."

For Ortiz and Molina, it's a rematch

The World Series between the Red Sox and Cardinals, which starts on Wednesday night at Fenway Park, will be a rematch from 2004. But only two players are still with the teams.

David Ortiz is the last Red Sox player remaining from curse-busting 2004 Red Sox who swept St. Louis in four games.

“It’s kind of crazy but nobody else is left,” the 37-year-old Ortiz said on Saturday night. “I’m glad I’m still here for this team. This is a great group of guys.”

For the Cardinals, only catcher Yadier Molina is left. Molina was a 22-year-old rookie in 2004. He played in only 51 regular season games that year but started twice in the postseason including Game 4 of the Series.

The primary catcher for St. Louis that season was Mike Matheny, now their manager.

The Sox and Cardinals will be meeting for the fourth time in the World Series. The Cardinals won seven-game Series in 1946 and 1967 before losing in 2004.

A few other updates:

• The Cardinals will start Adam Wainwright in Game 1. He has a 1.57 ERA in 23 postseason innings this season. Wainwright will be facing the Red Sox for the first time in his career.

Shane Victorino (5 of 22), Stephen Drew (2 of 19), David Ross (2 of 11), Jonny Gomes (2 for 10) and Mike Carp (0 for 3) are the only Red Sox to face Wainwright.

• The Red Sox have not named their starters yet but it's almost certain Jon Lester will start Game 1. Lester faced the Cardinals once in his career, in 2008. Only Matt Holliday (2 for 6), Carlos Beltran (1 for 1) and Molina (0 for 3) have faced him before.

• The Red Sox had Sunday off. The team will have a workout at Fenway Park on Monday afternoon. Both teams will work out at the park on Tuesday.

• The Red Sox, counting the postseason, are 57-29 at Fenway. The Cardinals, counting the postseason, are 45-41 on the road.

• The Red Sox did not play the Cardinals this season. But they were 14-6 in interleague games, outscoring their National League opponents by 64 runs in the 20 games.

Veteran Red Sox appreciative of World Series trip

The champions of the American League are given the William Harridge Award, a small trophy named for a former league president.

As tributes go, the late Mr. Harridge could have done better. The award consists of an octagonal wooden base with a silver baseball on top and a gold eagle sitting on the ball. A plaque on the side has the year.

But when the Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-2, Saturday night to clinch the American League pennant, the Harridge Award was never more popular.

Jonny Gomes grabbed the trophy, held it to his chest, and posed for a photograph with his wife, Kristi. Stephen Drew did the same, surrounded by friends and family.

Ryan Dempster took his turn, as did Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Craig Breslow. Koji Uehara raised the trophy over his head and smiled.

The Red Sox have eight players who have been to the World Series before. But for veterans such as Gomes, Dempster, Drew, and Uehara, Saturday night was the realization of a dream that was years in the making.

“All of us have an individual story and an individual path,” Gomes said. “But at the end of the day, we’re all a bunch of grinders who were trying to get somewhere. There’s something inside you — not so much an anger or trying to prove anybody wrong — but a mission to get to the highest level of the game. A lot of us are sharing that feeling now.”

Shane Victorino, who went to the World Series twice as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, put the Red Sox in the Series with his grand slam off Jose Veras in the seventh inning.

Many of the “grinders” had a role in the game, though. Drew saved a run in the top of the inning with a diving stop of a ball up the middle by Miguel Cabrera. Gomes then led off the bottom of the inning with a double.

Once the Sox had the lead, it was Breslow and Uehara who wrapped up the game.

“You wonder sometimes if you’ll ever get this opportunity,” said Saltalamacchia, the catcher Saturday night. “You see so many things happen in this game. [Detroit right fielder] Torii Hunter, a great player for so many years, has never been to the World Series. You never take this for granted because you know what it means.”

When general manager Ben Cherington rebuilt the Red Sox last winter, part of the equation was landing veteran players with something left to accomplish. A Red Sox team that had grown complacent was given new life by players such as David Ross, a 12-year veteran who had been to the playoffs before but never the Series.

Dempster, in the majors for 16 years, had that hunger. So did the July trade acquisition of Jake Peavy.

“We had all those guys come in and we knew it was going to be a fun team. Once we got to spring training, we knew we could compete with anybody,” Saltalamacchia said. “A lot of us were able to get somewhere we haven’t been before.”

Breslow had played seven seasons in the majors with six teams without reaching the postseason before this year. The lefthanded reliever wondered if he ever would get a chance to pitch in games with so much on the line.

Once that opportunity came, Breslow became a star. He has thrown seven innings in seven postseason appearances without allowing a run.

“It’s a great feeling, obviously,” he said. “This is the reason you put on the jersey when you’re a 12-year-old playing Little League. You dream about going to the World Series. We have 25 guys who prioritize winning above all else. I’ve said that from the first day of spring training and it really rings true. We can all feel good about getting here because everybody contributed something.”

Uehara was with the Texas Rangers in 2011 when they won the American League pennant. But he was dropped from the roster after pitching poorly in the ALCS and watched the World Series from the dugout.

Now Uehara is one of the Red Sox’ stars, named the most valuable player of the ALCS after winning one game and saving three others.

‘”I feel honored to play for this team,” he said.

Sox manager John Farrell pitched for eight years in the majors, but never in a postseason game. He enjoyed watching players like Uehara celebrate Saturday.

“I was talking to Gomes before the game, during batting practice. He talked about being in this position now,” Farrell said. “He’s been an everyday player on some good teams, but was out of the lineup in the postseason. To see guys like that who have done so much in their careers to finally get this chance, it’s what we play for. It’s what we work for.

“I’m glad guys like that are part of our team. They’re part of our character. You can’t single any one guy out. They’re all contributed something.”

Game 1 of the World Series will be Wednesday night at Fenway Park against the St. Louis Cardinals. Whatever sense of accomplishment came from reaching the Series soon will be replaced by a desire to win it.

“We have a chance to do something special now,” Farrell said. “That’s not going to get lost by anybody. They felt along that they had this chance. We’re in the process of it now. By no means are we satisfied with where we are.”

Martellus Bennett scores a touchdown for fantasy owners, but nothing else vs. Redskins

The Bears got a late touchdown from their starting tight end versus the Redskins on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to pull out the win. We break down the fantasy implications.

Bears tight end Martellus Bennett only caught one pass during a 45-41 defeat to the Redskins on Sunday, but made it count.

Bennett was targeted just three times during a game where the Bears lost starting quarterback Jay Cutler to a groin injury early in the first half. With Josh McCown entering the game in relief, Bennett finished the game with just one catch for seven yards, but the catch resulted in a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

Fantasy Spin: It wasn't the performance that Bennett's fantasy owners had in mind versus a Redskins defense that was gashed by tight ends early in the season. Now, the bigger issue is what happens with Bennett going forward, now that the possibility looms that Jay Cutler could be out an extended period of time with a groin injury. 

Bennett was able to give his fantasy owners something in return this week, but it would be playing with fire to insert him into the starting lineup if there won't be a reasonable volume coming his way.

The Bears have a Week 8 bye to come up with a new game plan, and Bennett's fantasy owners would be wise to figure that out as well in his absence.

Sunday's NFL Capsules

INDIANAPOLIS - Andrew Luck threw for three touchdowns and ran for another Sunday night, outplaying predecessor Peyton Manning in a 39-33 victory over the previously unbeaten Denver Broncos.

The victory ended the Broncos' 17-game regular-season winning streak in the first game Manning played against his former team since being released in March 2012.

Manning finished 29 of 49 for 386 yards with three TDs and one interception. He was sacked four times and tried desperately to rally the Broncos late.

But the Colts (5-2) took advantage of his and Denver's uncharacteristic mistakes.

Luck converted an early fumble into a TD pass. Indy got nine points out of a second-quarter strip sack, and Luck scored on a 10-yard run in the third quarter, a drive helped by a series of defensive penalties. When the Broncos (6-1) finally had a chance to tie it, Manning was intercepted.

Indianapolis has not lost consecutive games under Luck.

CHIEFS 17, TEXANS 16

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jamaal Charles ran for 86 yards and a touchdown, Alex Smith also ran for a score and the scrappy Chiefs held off the banged-up Houston to remain unbeaten.

The Chiefs were forced to punt the ball to Houston with 1:46 left in the game. But after Case Keenum threw an incompletion on first down, the young quarterback was stripped by linebacker Tamba Hali at his 2. Derrick Johnson recovered the fumble for the Chiefs.

Smith simply kneeled from there as time ran out, allowing Kansas City (7-0) to extend the second-best start in franchise history. The 2003 team began the season 9-0.

Keenum, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Matt Schaub, threw for 271 yards and a touchdown for the Texans (2-5). But he didn't get much help from his run game after Arian Foster left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.

REDSKINS 45, BEARS 41

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Roy Helu's third touchdown, a 3-yard run with 45 seconds to play, lifted the Redskins.

Robert Griffin III completed 18 of 29 passes for 298 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for the Redskins (2-4), who have both of their wins against backup quarterbacks. This time it was Josh McCown, who entered in the second quarter after Jay Cutler left with a groin injury.

Griffin also ran 11 times for a season-high 84 yards against a defence depleted by injuries, but the breakout performance came from rookie tight end Jordan Reed, who caught nine passes for 134 yards and one touchdown.

McCown, playing in a regular-season game for the first time since the 2011 season, completed 14 of 20 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown. Matt Forte rushed for three touchdowns, Alshon Jeffrey had 105 yards receiving, and Devin Hester tied Deion Sanders' NFL record for return touchdowns with an 81-yard put runback for the Bears (4-3).

JETS 30, PATRIOTS 27, OT

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Nick Folk kicked a 42-yard field goal with 5:07 left in overtime. Folk got a second chance after he missed a 56-yarder moments earlier. But Chris Jones was called for unsportsmanlike conduct for pushing a teammate forward to try to block the kick, a new NFL rule.

New York, given new life, ran the ball three times to set up Folk's winner.

Geno Smith threw a touchdown pass and ran for another score as the Jets (4-3) topped Tom Brady and the Patriots (5-2). New England tied it at 27 with 16 seconds left in regulation on Stephen Gostkowski's 44-yard field goal.

New England had defeated New York in six straight regular-season meetings, and saw its 12-game winning streak against the AFC East end.

STEELERS 19, RAVENS 16

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Shaun Suisham drilled a 42-yard field goal with no time remaining. Suisham's fourth field goal of the day pushed the Steelers (2-4) to their second straight win.

Ben Roethlisberger completed 17 of 23 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown. He hit Antonio Brown for a pair of big gains on Pittsburgh's final drive, putting Suisham well within range to win it. Running back Le'Veon Bell ran for a season-high 93 yards on 19 carries.

Joe Flacco passed for 215 yards and a touchdown, but couldn't stop the defending Super Bowl champions (3-4) from losing for the third time in their last four games.

PACKERS 31, BROWNS 13

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers guided an undermanned offence with 260 yards and three touchdowns, and Eddie Lacy ran for another score.

Lacy finished with 82 yards, while tight end Jermichael Finley had a 10-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter before leaving with a neck injury. The team said he had movement in his extremities.

Green Bay (4-2) won its third straight game.

Rodgers finished 25 for 36 in methodically carving up Cleveland (3-4) despite already being without two of his top targets in injured receivers James Jones and Randall Cobb.

The defence took care of the rest against struggling quarterback Brandon Weeden, who was 17 for 42 for 149 yards. The Browns' Jordan Cameron caught a 2-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

49ERS 31, TITANS 17

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Colin Kaepernick threw for 199 yards and ran for 68 and a touchdown. The 49ers (5-2) won their fourth straight before heading to London for a game with winless Jacksonville by jumping out to a 17-0 halftime lead. Frank Gore also ran for a pair of 1-yard TDs as San Francisco cruised.

Tramaine Brock also intercepted a pass, Justin Smith had two of the 49ers' three sacks and Kassim Osgood recovered a muffed punt for a TD.

The Titans (3-4) lost their third straight even with Jake Locker starting after missing two games with a sprained right hip and knee. Locker threw for 326 yards with two TD passes in a fourth-quarter spurt that came up short.

BENGALS 27, LIONS 24

DETROIT (AP) — Mike Nugent's 54-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Bengals. The AFC North-leading Bengals (5-2) won a game for the second straight week by the same score thanks to Nugent's right foot. He made an overtime kick to give Cincinnati a win after it blew a 14-point, fourth-quarter lead at Buffalo

The Lions (4-3) looked like they did enough to send the game to OT, but rookie Sam Martin shanked a punt just 28 yards to midfield in the final minute.

Andy Dalton, who threw three touchdown passes, took advantage with two short passes to set up the winning field goal.

Detroit's Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson on two of his three TD passes.

COWBOYS 17, EAGLES 3

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tony Romo threw for 317 yards and one touchdown and the Cowboys overcame a sluggish start to take sole possession of first place in the NFC East.

Two teams that averaged a combined 58 points per game and allowed a combined 55 totalled 13 punts in a first half that ended with Dallas (4-3) leading 3-0. It was more two inept offences than two dominant defences.

The Eagles (3-4) have lost a franchise-worst nine straight games at home. Their last win at the Linc was over the New York Giants on Sept. 30, 2012.

A Cowboys defensive line missing three of its projected starters pressured and harassed Nick Foles before sending him to the sideline with a head injury on the last play of the third quarter.

FALCONS 31, BUCCANEERS 23

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Ryan threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Jacquizz Rodgers, and the Falcons snapped their three-game losing streak.

Harry Douglas had seven receptions for a career-best 149 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown catch, for the Falcons (2-4). Douglas flourished as Ryan's No. 1 receiver with Julio Jones out for the season and Roddy White inactive for the first time in his nine-year career due to hamstring and ankle injuries.

Falcons safety William Moore sacked Mike Glennon to force a fumble on Tampa Bay's first possession. Safety Thomas DeCoud returned the fumble recovery 30 yards for a touchdown.

The Buccaneers (0-6) controlled the ball in the fourth quarter, but managed only two field goals by Rian Lindell.

BILLS 23, DOLPHINS 21

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Mario Williams forced a fumble when he sacked Ryan Tannehill with less than three minutes left, setting up the winning field goal. Dan Carpenter, released in August after five seasons with the Dolphins, beat his former team by making a 31-yarder with 33 seconds to go.

Rookie Nickell Robey returned an interception 19 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game to help the Bills build an early 14-0 lead, but they had to rally after Brandon Gibson caught his second touchdown pass of the game to put Miami ahead.

The injury-plagued Bills (3-4) ended a streak of six consecutive road losses, including two this season, while Miami (3-3) lost its third game in a row.

PANTHERS 30, RAMS 15

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cam Newton completed 15 of 17 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown in a heated game.

The Rams (3-4) lost their cool with several personal foul penalties — and then lost quarterback Sam Bradford to an apparent left knee injury late in the fourth quarter.

The extent of the injury was unknown and Bradford will undergo an MRI exam.

Bradford was running toward the sideline when he was pushed out of bounds by safety Mike Mitchell and came up holding his left knee. He was carted to the locker room.

Panthers quarterback Captain Munnerlyn intercepted Bradford on the game's first play and returned it 45 yards for a score. Bradford had a long TD pass called back on a penalty.

The Rams were flagged for five personal fouls and Chris Long was ejected for throwing a punch.

CHARGERS 24, JAGUARS 6

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Philip Rivers threw for 285 yards and a touchdown, Ryan Mathews ran for 110 yards and a score, and the surging Chargers (4-3) showed little, if any, issues with a short week, a cross-country flight and an early start time. And they played nothing like a team looking ahead to its bye week.

Then again, the Jaguars have made everyone look good.

Jacksonville (0-7) has lost every game this season by double digits, becoming the first team since the 1984 Houston Oilers to garner that dubious distinction. The Oilers lost their first 10 games that season by at least 10 points.

Rivers completed his first 14 passes, picking apart Jacksonville's defence with short throws and clock-eating drives. He finished 22 of 26.

Mathews topped the century mark for the second consecutive week.

Notebook: Alabama, Seminoles atop BCS

Alabama and Florida State hold the top two spots in the first BCS standings of the season. Oregon was a close third behind the second-place Seminoles.

The BCS is in its final season. It will be replaced by a four-team playoff next season.

The Seminoles (.9348 BCS average) are coming off their biggest win of the season, a 51-14 pasting of Clemson.

The Ducks (.9320) have only played one team that was ranked at the time, but could get a boost in the next two weeks with games against UCLA and at Stanford. Ohio State is a more distant fourth, followed by Missouri in the standings released Sunday night.

The top two teams in the final standings play in the Rose Bowl for the national title in January.

Alabama is No. 1 on the strength of being top-ranked by a wide margin in both the USA Today coaches’ poll and Harris poll. The Crimson Tide are second in the computer ratings. Florida State is No. 1 in the computer ratings and third in each poll. Oregon is second in the polls and fourth in the computers.

Halliday shines in WSU’s loss

Late Saturday, Connor Halliday completed 58 of 89 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns — but Washington State (4-4, 2-3 Pac-12) still lost, 62-38, to No. 2 Oregon (7-0, 4-0).

His 89 attempts broke the FBS record of 83 set by Drew Brees for Purdue on Oct. 10, 1998, against Wisconsin. The 58 completions broke the Pac-12 record set by Arizona’s Matt Scott last season, and his total yards set a Washington State record.

Marcus Mariota threw for 327 yards and two TDs for Oregon, but also fumbled twice for his first two turnovers of the season.

Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti complained following the game about the Cougars leaving in their starters and throwing for two late touchdowns.

Aliotti called out Washington State coach Mike Leach, calling the tactic ‘‘low class.’’ Aliotti apologized for the criticism Sunday night, saying ‘‘I got caught up in the emotion . . . I'm embarrassed.’’

Kelly ‘hopeful’ Rees can play

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly sounded hopeful quarterback Tommy Rees will be ready to play Saturday against Air Force after sustaining a neck injury against USC. Kelly said he expects Rees to practice Tuesday . . . South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said quarterback Connor Shaw won’t need surgery for his sprained left knee. But Shaw is unlikely to play when the 20th-ranked Gamecocks travel to No. 5 Missouri this weekend . . . Ha Ha Clinton-Dix returned from a two-game suspension to Alabama’s defense at a fortuitous time. Starting strong safety Vinnie Sunseri went down early in Saturday night’s win over Arkansas with a left knee injury that coach Nick Saban said could be serious . . . Auburn safety Josh Holsey is out for the season. He injured a knee during last Thursday’s practice. It is unknown if surgery will be required.

Washington legend James dies

Don James, the longtime University of Washington football coach who led the Huskies to a share of the national title in 1991, died Sunday. He was 80. The university said James died at his home in Seattle from pancreatic cancer. Obituary, B11 . . . The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced that it is working with Grambling officials to ‘‘ensure that the appropriate actions are made’’ to resolve the standoff between the school’s football players and administration. Players, who forfeited Saturday’s game at Jackson State, are scheduled to practice Monday, but it’s unclear if any will show up.

Smart money’s on opponents

There’s a harsh reality that Patriots fans, and those who like to back the team at the gambling window, need to accept.

This team is mediocre, at best, on offense. The line is not protecting the quarterback. The receivers drop too many passes. And when Tom Brady isn’t on his back, he doesn’t have enough weapons (even with Rob Gronkowski back) to pile up points the way he has in the past.

Yesterday’s 30-27 loss to the Jets was the proof. After the depleted defense scored a touchdown and helped build a 21-10 halftime lead against an average (at best) opponent, the offense has to do better than two field goals in the second half.

Even if Danny Amendola and Shane Vereen eventually return, the Pats don’t seem to have an offense that will be efficient enough to win (and more importantly cover the spread), even against teams like Miami, Carolina and Pittsburgh.

The Patriots seemed to have a cover in the bag when they went into the locker room at halftime, but it all turned sour and our money went down the toilet. The Pats failed to cover as 31⁄2-point favorites, falling to 3-4 against the spread, and those who follow my picks dropped to 2-3. The teams did manage to beat the 431⁄2-point total, and over bettors improved to 3-4 in Pats games this season.

So what does this all mean for next week’s home game against the Dolphins? Well, the Pats will be favored by as much as a touchdown, but in order to cover, the offense will have to put up at least 24 points, possibly more. With Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo and maybe even Aqib Talib out again on defense, the Dolphins should be able to muster at least two touchdowns and a field goal.

It’s up to Bill Belichick, Josh McDaniels and Brady to get this thing figured out, and coming off a tough division loss, there will be extra motivation.

But remember that harsh reality. No matter what the motivation, the pieces just don’t seem to be in place for the offense to thrive. Hard work only goes so far.

The chalk will be too much to cover. The Pats might win, but not by much.

Take the Fish and the points.

Dodgers 'shell shocked' in Game 6 of NLCS

ST. LOUIS – The Los Angeles Dodgers liked their chances of achieving their avowed goal of reaching the World Series, even trailing 3-2 in the National League Championship Series and playing on the road.

They had soon-to-be two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw on the mound Friday. Let's see if the St. Louis Cardinals can trump that.

The Cardinals did more than trump the Dodgers' ace. They thumped him.

Kershaw, who came in with an 0.47 ERA in 19 playoff innings, was battered for seven runs over four-plus painful innings by the suddenly resurgent St. Louis hitters as the Cardinals routed L.A. 9-0 in Game 6 to win their fourth pennant in 10 years.

Held to a .178 batting average in the series coming in, the Cardinals took out their offensive frustrations on the most unlikeliest of candidates. They assumed control of the game with a four-run third inning in which they forced Kershaw to throw a whopping 48 pitches, then knocked him out in a five-run fifth.

On the opposite side, wunderkind Michael Wacha was cruising through seven innings of two-hit ball.

Catcher A.J. Ellis acknowledged he was "shell-shocked'' at Friday's outcome.

"It felt really great getting on that plane coming here yesterday, knowing who we had lined up, feeling good about seeing Wacha for a second time,'' Ellis said. "But you have to give him credit. He's the real deal. He shut us down twice in this series.''

Friday's matchup pitted the same starters from Game 2, a pitchers' duel the Cardinals won 1-0 on an unearned run. They earned everything they got this time, collecting 10 hits against Kershaw, the majors' ERA champion each of the last three seasons.

Only once before had he allowed as many as seven runs while lasting four innings or less, and that was in 2010.

Matt Carpenter's ringing double at the end of an 11-pitch at-bat was the first of five third-inning hits against Kershaw as St. Louis batted around, then pounced on him again two innings later after driving up his pitch count.

Kershaw said changes to his routine – a five-day break between starts this time, and pitching on three-days' rest in the Division Series – did not impact his performance.

"Thanks for trying to find excuses, guys,'' he told news reporters, "but I just didn't pitch well.''

The Dodgers had invested $234 million in payroll on a team whose mission, as stated by part-owner Magic Johnson, was "World Series or bust.''

Instead, they saw their best starter twice get outpitched by a minimum-salary rookie in Wacha, who held them to seven hits and no runs over 13 2/3 innings, beating them both times to earn NLCS MVP honors.

"This is certainly not good enough. We said that from the start,'' Dodgers president Stan Kasten said. "We have goals. Our goals are to win a championship. We haven't gotten there yet, so we're going to keep working hard to get there.''

The pivotal third inning featured RBI singles by Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina and Shane Robinson – making his first start of the series at center field to add a right-handed bat to the lineup – but also some wasted chances to limit the damage.

Right fielder Yasiel Puig made two poor throws home in the inning, one allowing Beltran to take second and the other one sailing over Ellis' head, with both runners advancing a base.

All but one of the runs in the third scored with two outs, with Kershaw unable to put away hitters as the draining inning dragged on.

"Just didn't seem to be able to stem the tide at that point,'' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Took a lot out of him. That was a lot of pitches that inning.''

The Dodgers entered the series with an apparent advantage because they had their two Cy Young winners, Kershaw and Zack Greinke, rested and ready to pitch in four games. St. Louis, on the other hand, wound up getting only one outing from ace Adam Wainwright.

But L.A. won only once in its co-aces' four starts, largely because it managed a total of two runs in their other three appearances, all at Busch Stadium.

"We had Greinke and Kershaw give us some great outings and we didn't do anything for them,'' Adrian Gonzalez said. "We expected to win with their outings and we didn't, and that's why we didn't win the series.''

There was at least one extenuating circumstance in that shortstop Hanley Ramirez – a late addition to the starting lineup Friday after initially being kept out – was hampered from the first game on after sustaining a fractured rib when hit by a pitch.

The second largest payroll in baseball history is supposed to buy some depth, though. What it couldn't buy was a typically happy Hollywood ending.

It was suggested to Kershaw that the NLCS defeat did not take away from all the Dodgers accomplished in the season, including an NL West title and a stretch where they won 42 of 50 games.

He wasn't buying it.

"It kind of does,'' he said. "What does it really matter, making the playoffs or coming in in last place, if you don't win the World Series? It doesn't really matter.''

10 college football programs facing pressure in Week 8

UCLA has gone into Lincoln, Neb., and rolled past the hometown Cornhuskers, scoring the game's final 38 points in a breezy 41-21 win. The Bruins have tripped to Salt Lake City and sneaked past Utah, taking advantage of six interceptions to eke out a 34-27 victory. Through five games, UCLA holds two of the more impressive road wins in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Another formidable pair of road trips stands ahead: UCLA ends October with trips to Stanford and Oregon, games that will decide whether the Bruins remain among the nation's surprise teams – if not move all the way to No. 1, atop the heap in the Pac-12 and elsewhere – or slide outside the championship picture.

Saturday's game at Stanford marks the third time these two teams have met in 11 months. Stanford beat UCLA 35-17 in the Rose Bowl on Nov. 24, 2012; a week later, the Cardinal beat the Bruins in the Pac-12 title game. If nothing else, Saturday's game might provide evidence of just how far UCLA has come under second-year coach Jim Mora.

A win would also be the first step toward securing UCLA's first January postseason appearance since the 1999 Rose Bowl. In the interim, the program has used through seven full-time and interim coaches, gone up, gone down, lost control of Los Angles to rival USC and, finally, regained some footing under the current staff. While winning at Nebraska and Utah remains noteworthy, the one item still missing from Mora's résumé is a road win against a top-flight Pac-12 opponent.

Here are another nine teams with something to prove this weekend in college football:

Texas Tech

That 6-0 Texas Tech is the lowest-ranked undefeated automatic-qualifying team in the FBS comes as a result of the Red Raiders' smooth first-half schedule: SMU, Iowa State, Texas State and Kansas don't exactly impress the voting public. The second half begins with a trip to West Virginia, which has been woeful on the road – losing to Maryland and Baylor by a score of 110-42 – but solid at home, as evidenced by September's win against Oklahoma State. With Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas still to come, the Red Raiders must show an ability to win games in hostile road environments against Big 12 competition.

Florida

The defense remains elite even as the SEC moves toward a more offensive mindset: Florida's group allows only 4.17 yards per play, by far the top mark in the conference, and has held all four league opponents to 17 points or less. Unfortunately, the Gators' offense – now led by quarterback Tyler Murphy – remains a significant nuisance. After last weekend's loss to LSU, the Gators' only hope at remaining in the SEC East Division race demands a win at undefeated Missouri. The defense should make life miserable for Maty Mauk, the replacement for James Franklin, but the offense needs to step forward while dealing with its own rash of injuries.

Auburn

Auburn has already exceeded its win total from all of last fall, that lost final season under Gene Chizik, and seems poised to make a run at eight or nine wins despite a difficult road through the SEC West Division. Why is Saturday's game at Texas A&M the biggest game of the year? Because with Florida Atlantic, Arkansas and Tennessee up next, a win places Auburn and coach Gus Malzahn on the road toward a 9-1 mark heading into games with Georgia and Alabama to end the regular season. Last year, the Tigers barely sniffed A&M in a 63-21 defeat.

Houston

Houston has opened 5-0 due to the aggressive and opportunistic play of its defense, which has helped the Cougars lead the FBS with a plus-14 turnover margin. At the same time, the offense has cut down dramatically on its own missteps: UH has only four turnovers through five games after committing 35 giveaways a season ago. One thing about that, however: Houston has played the easiest schedule of any undefeated FBS team at the midway point. It's one thing to push past Temple; it's another to do the same against Brigham Young, Saturday's opponent.

Duke

Reaching a bowl game? That's rare: Duke did it once in 1994 and not again until last season. Back-to-back bowl games? Well, that's unprecedented. After dominating Navy in last weekend's 35-7 win, the Blue Devils can move one step closer to securing a second postseason berth in a row with a win against Virginia – a team descending almost in direct correlation with Duke's rise. Now 4-2 with the chance to be 5-2, a win might not merely solidify Duke's bowl hopes; it could make the second half very interesting in the ACC Coastal Division.

USC

It's one thing to be reenergized for the first game after a coaching change, as was USC in its 38-31 win against Arizona on Oct. 10 – the Trojans' first game under interim coach Ed Orgeron. It will take more than just energy to beat rival Notre Dame, which views Saturday's game with USC as a stepping-off point for a charge toward the BCS during the second half. Beating Arizona takes technique, in a sense, since the Wildcats' spread-based offense tests a team's ability to corral players in space. Taking on the Irish demands toughness, however, and could strain the Trojans' already thin level of depth on defense.

Florida State

What's one difference between Clemson and Florida State? Both are ranked in the top five of this week's USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. Both are led by a Heisman-contending quarterback – Tajh Boyd for Clemson, Jameis Winston for the Seminoles. Both teams have the speed on the edges and size inside to compete with the upper tier of the SEC, should push come to shove in January. The one difference, perhaps, may come from Clemson's 60-minute tests against Georgia, North Carolina State and Boston College. In comparison, each of FSU's five wins has been decided long before the fourth quarter.

UNLV

To put UNLV's 4-2 start into perspective, consider two facts: UNLV had won a total of six games the past three years – since coach Bobby Hauck replaced Mike Sanford – and has not won six games in a single season since 2003. How are the Rebels doing it? Well, the current four-game winning streak hasn't come against a murderer's row: Central Michigan, Western Illinois, New Mexico and Hawaii. But with the offense on pace to obliterate school records, UNLV might just have enough punch to secure bowl eligibility in the Mountain West. Whether the team can do more hinges largely on Saturday's visit to Fresno State, the prohibitive conference favorite and an at-large BCS bowl candidate.

Utah

Last weekend's win was Utah's coming-out party as a member of the Pac-12. But beating Stanford – as big as it was in and out of the standings – will be for naught if the Utes can't carry it into a road trip to Arizona, which is reeling after back-to-back losses to open conference play. How crucial was Utah's offseason addition of ex-Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson to the coaching staff? The offense seems tough to stop when avoiding turnovers, but Utah needs to score in bunches to hang with the Wildcats' potent running game.

Bum Phillips, Colorful Football Coach, Dies at 90

Bum Phillips, the homespun Texan who was caricatured as a cowboy but possessed a keen football mind that built the Houston Oilers into one of the N.F.L.’s leading teams of the late 1970s, died Friday at his ranch in Goliad, Tex. He was 90. Outfitted in a white Stetson, work shirt, jeans and cowboy boots — including a powder-blue pair to match the Oiler colors — Phillips was a square-jawed, buzz-cut outsized character with a host of one-liners.

When he became the Oiler coach and general manager in 1975, replacing Sid Gillman, who was long renowned as a master of passing attacks, Phillips was charged with rebuilding a downtrodden franchise. He did just that, developing an outstanding defense anchored by Elvin Bethea at end and Curley Culp at nose tackle, and an offense spurred by the brilliant running of Earl Campbell, all of them future Hall of Famers. And he made astute pickups of unheralded players in twice bringing Houston to the brink of the Super Bowl.

Making the playoffs as a wild-card team, the Oilers lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers — the eventual Super Bowl champions — in the 1978 and ’79 season American Football Conference championship games. When they came home on Jan. 7, 1980, after the second of those losses to the Steelers, a capacity crowd welcomed them at the Astrodome in the late night hours.

“Last year we knocked on the door,” Phillips told the fans, wiping back tears. “This year we banged on it.”

He promised to kick the door down the following season, and went on to trade quarterback Dan Pastorini to the Oakland Raiders for Kenny Stabler, hoping that would bolster the offense.

“Me and Bum are as alike as two piles of cow manure,” Stabler, a native of small-town Alabama, was quoted as saying by Sports Illustrated upon joining the Oilers. “The guy is just an unpretentious cowboy who happens to be a football coach.”

But the Oilers were beaten in a December 1980 wild-card playoff game by the soon-to-be Super Bowl champion Raiders. K.S. (Bud) Adams Jr., the Oilers’ founder and owner, fired Phillips on New Year’s Eve, a few days after that loss, citing his refusal to hire an offensive coordinator, thus ending the Phillips era that Oiler fans called Love Ya Blue.

In 1981 Phillips was hired as coach and general manager of the New Orleans Saints, who had gone 1-15 the previous season. The Saints nearly made the 1983 playoffs, but Phillips could not produce a winning team in his four-plus seasons.

When his Saints were dominated by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth quarter of their Nov. 12, 1985, game, suffering their fifth consecutive loss, Phillips remarked how “the harder we play, the behinder we get.”

He resigned later that month with three years left on his contract and the Saints at 4-8. His son, Wade, his defensive coordinator, finished out the season as head coach.

“There’s two kinds of coaches,” Phillips once said. “Them that’s fired and them that’s gonna be fired.”

Oail Andrew Phillips was born on Sept. 29, 1923, in Orange, Tex., the son of a truck driver. “My name’s pronounced ‘Awl,’ but no one could pronounce it right,” he once told The New York Times. “Even in school, I answered to the name Bum. Oail was my daddy’s first name, too. But he went by the nickname Flip.”

Bum Phillips got his nickname when a younger sister, Edrina, tried to say “brother,” only to have it come out as “bumble” and later “bum.”

“I don’t mind being called Bum,” Phillips once remarked, “just as long as you don’t put a ‘you’ in front of it.”

Phillips played football at Lamar College (now Lamar University) in Beaumont, Tex., served in the Marines during World War II, then played for Stephen F. Austin State College (now Stephen F. Austin State University) in Nacogdoches, Tex. He graduated in 1949, then coached football at Texas high schools.

“‘If you grow up in Texas,” Wade Phillips once recalled, “and your dad is a head coach at the high school, and really successful, he’s the big man in town. You’d go to the barber shop or wherever, and: ‘Ol’ Bum’s a great guy, boy. We all love him.’”

Phillips coached as an assistant at colleges in the Southwest, including a stint under Bear Bryant at Texas A & M, and he was head coach at Texas Western (now Texas-El Paso) in 1962.

He was hired as a defensive assistant with the San Diego Chargers in 1967 when Gillman was their head coach, and became Gillman’s defensive coordinator with the Oilers in 1974.

When Phillips succeeded Gillman as head coach and general manager a year later, his 3-4 defense — three down linemen and four linebackers — proved effective against the run as well as the pass. Wade Phillips became his assistant in charge of the defensive line and linebackers.

Phillips was popular with his players, keeping them fresh by shunning overly long practices and encouraging camaraderie. He had a record of 55-35 with the Oilers, who became the Tennessee Titans in 1997, and he was 27-42 with the Saints. He was later a TV and radio analyst for the Oilers and owned a ranch in south Texas near Goliad.

He is survived by his wife, Debbie, whom he married in 1990, and six children from a previous marriage. His only son, Wade, is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and a former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills. His other survivors include five daughters and nearly two dozen grandchildren.

Phillips could be generous with praise for a fellow coach. Perhaps his best-remembered line came when he saluted Bear Bryant or Don Shula — perhaps both — depending on the version cited.

“He can take his’n and beat your’n,” Phillips said. “Or he can take your’n and beat his’n.”

For Jewish School’s Football Team, It’s Thursday Night Lights

NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Early Thursday morning at a Jewish high school here, Elan Kainen donned the prayer shawl that had been a gift from his maternal grandfather and recited the prayers of the Shacharit service. Nine hours later, he went through another ritual, one involving pads, cleats and a helmet, as he suited up for what might be the final game of his high school football career.

The Hurricanes of Scheck Hillel Community School were going up against a conference rival, the Berean Christian School Bulldogs, with a spot in the postseason playoffs hanging in the balance. For Elan and his teammates, who attend one of the only Jewish religious schools in the nation to play varsity football, Friday evening is for Shabbat dinner. Their gridiron action takes place under Thursday night lights.

For Scheck Hillel’s team, the fall football schedule bends in deference to the string of holidays that run from Rosh Hashana to Simchat Torah. Before getting the usual locker-room exhortation from their coach, players hear a d’var Torah, a sermon about the week’s Torah portion, from a rabbi. At home games, the Israeli national anthem, “Hatikvah,” is played over the stadium loudspeaker.

“Football requires a lot of discipline, not giving up, pushing yourself,” said Elan, 17, who plays both fullback and linebacker. “In Judaism, I feel like the discipline I’ve learned on the field helps me follow the rules.”

His teammate Nathaniel Rub, a wide receiver, drew another parallel: “Going to a Jewish school, you’re put into a community of friends you’ll know the rest of your life. And football is just another kind of team.”

That team effort has a larger, more historic dimension. The Hurricanes represent a continuation, albeit in a form Theodor Herzl never could have predicted, of the Zionist ethos. It held that the oppressed Jews in the ghettos and shtetls of Eastern Europe had to reinvent themselves as robust, physically capable beings as part of their emancipation.

The early waves of settlers to Palestine, and then the nascent Israeli state, adopted the archetype of the “New Jew” grasping a plow in one hand and a rifle in the other. Amid the material comforts of America, young athletes like Elan have chosen to take on a sport of surpassing bodily risk, from torn ligaments to concussions.

For Jeffrey Gurock, a professor of American Jewish history at Yeshiva University who has written widely about Judaism and sports, a team like the Hurricanes embodies both cultural assimilation and Zionist tradition. Its players are taking part in a consummately American sport, and in the football-obsessed state of Florida at that. Yet they also embody a modern variation on Zionism’s mandate that, as Mr. Gurock put it, “the role models for Jews had to be either the victorious Maccabees or at least the courageous Bar Kochba, who fought against the nations of the world.”

Be that as it may, perhaps because of a certain communal (and parental) devotion to what is lovingly called the “Yiddishe kup” — the Jewish brain — varsity football has not been the favorite athletic expression of Zionism in America. While the numbers fluctuate a bit from year to year, for most of the last decade no more than five and sometimes as few as two Jewish day schools have fielded football teams. The day school near Fort Lauderdale that used to be Scheck Hillel’s rival in the annual “Kiddush Cup” game, wryly named for the ritual cup used for the blessing over wine, gave up the sport this season.

Instead of playing tackle football in youth leagues, Elan and his future teammates participated in flag football — a pale imitation with 5 players on a side instead of 11, a field about half the size, and no real hitting. When Alex Froimzon, now a senior quarterback, raised the prospect of trying out for a varsity team in high school, he recalled, “My parents at first were like, ‘Can’t you play baseball or something else?’ ”

Several years before, a former football player and coach from upstate New York moved to the Miami area to escape the harsh winters. That man, Mike Norman, found an online job listing from Scheck Hillel, saying the school was interested in starting a football team. He was soon hired to help David Fried, who until then had been running a flag-football program at the local Jewish community center

“There was a lot to learn,” recalled Mr. Norman, who is Roman Catholic. “No Friday practices. No Saturday games. The first two or three years, there was a lot of naysaying that Jewish kids wouldn’t do it, that the program won’t last, the kids will be too wimpy, they won’t be committed. So we put that out there to the kids, and we went out there with a chip on our shoulder.”

After becoming head coach in 2009, Mr. Norman posted a cumulative record of 19-10 heading into this year. Playing in a league for small independent and religious schools, the Hurricanes had a couple of secret weapons, like calling plays in Hebrew. And, when the team still had the David Posnack Jewish Day School as an opponent, the many Latin American immigrants on Scheck Hillel switched the signal count and audibles to Spanish.

This year, the Hurricanes have struggled at times. The team entered Thursday night’s game with a 2-4 record. Through every game, though, Elan’s grandfather, Dr. Henry Clayman, sat in the bleachers. At just 5-foot-9 and 160 pounds, Elan was the leading tackler on the Hurricanes.

Dr. Clayman had inspired Elan with family stories about Jewish toughness, stretching back to when his parents were raising him in England. His father, a soldier in the British Army, was a regimental boxing champion. One time, his mother heard a bus passenger make an anti-Semitic comment. She pulled the man’s derby over his eyes, clouted him with her umbrella, and said, “Now you have a reason to hate Jews.”

On Thursday night, Scheck Hillel jumped out to a 12-0 lead over Berean Christian, then fell behind. Finally, with less than 30 seconds remaining, Alex connected with Lior Barhai, a junior playing wide receiver, for a long touchdown pass. The Hurricanes won 32-28, earning a playoff spot.

Dr. Clayman was waiting outside the locker room for Elan, so he could take some pictures on the field to commemorate the night. “I was schlepping naches,” he said, using the Yiddish term for deriving pride or satisfaction. “As we always said at Oxford.”

Eastern Michigan Football Player Found Slain

Demarius Reed played prep football at Chicago's Simeon Academy, carefully avoiding any run-ins with the gangs on the city's South Side.

He left his hometown to play ball at Eastern Michigan University, where he was a Communication, Media and Theater arts major. But the 20-year-old receiver dreamed of playing professional football before he was found shot to death Friday in what police believe was a robbery.

Joe L. Reed said he found irony in the tragedy of his grandson's slaying: Demarius was able to survive the dangerous streets of Chicago only to become a victim in an off-campus apartment building in the perceived safety of a university community.

"He was an outgoing, beautiful kid. He wasn't associated with no gang or anything," Joe L. Reed said. "I would say, 'Hey man. Don't go outside.' I wouldn't let him associate with anybody over there."

Over there, he said, is the area near Simeon. Many young people, including prominent athletes, don't make it out.

Prep basketball standout Benji Wilson was shot to death in 1984 after bumping into two gang members near Simeon. In 2002, Englewood High School basketball star and honor student Maurice Davis was shot to death outside that South Side school after an earlier confrontation with other teens.

On Friday, hours after Reed's family learned of his slaying, Joe L. Reed reflected on grandson's gridiron success in high school and most recently at Eastern Michigan, located about 35 miles southwest of Detroit in Ypsilanti.

The NFL often was on Demarius' mind.

"I told him 'Man, you have to stay in that gym,'" Joe L. Reed told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from Chicago. "He would say 'I'm good enough.' He loved the game."

The elder Reed did have reservations about his grandson moving into an off-campus apartment.

"He was on scholarship," he said. "He could have stayed on-campus."

Demarius' roommate found his body about 7:15 a.m. Reed had been shot multiple times and some of his personal items were missing, Ypsilanti police said in a release.

No arrests were made as of late Friday afternoon.

"The circumstances involving his death remain under investigation at this time by the Ypsilanti Police Department," school President Susan Martin said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends, and his teammates on the football team."

She said Eastern Michigan public safety officials were in close contact with Ypsilanti police. Grief counselors met Friday with Reed's teammates, other students and faculty. An afternoon forum was scheduled at the Student Center Auditorium to discuss the case with the campus community.

A Saturday home game against Ohio University will be played as scheduled.

The 5-foot-10, 161-pound Reed played in six games this season, catching 15 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown. He made 18 receptions for 171 yards and scored a touchdown in nine games last season.

Heather Lyke, vice president and athletic director at the school, said Eastern Michigan had suffered "an unbelievable loss."

"Demarius was an influential leader who thrived in the classroom and on the field," she said. "Everyone gravitated to him and often described him as the 'life of the locker room.'"

Current football players at Simeon — perhaps best known as the high school of NBA star Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls — had little to say as they arrived for Friday afternoon's game against Foreman High School.

Before the game, they gathered around his jersey, which was hung on a fence near the end zone. They said a prayer and dedicated the game to him.

Others expressed sympathy for Reed's family and his younger brother, who now plays for Simeon.

"You're thinking about his family," Halethia Jones, a parent of a Simeon football player, told WLS-TV. "I'm thinking especially about his younger brother, who is my son's friend. And I know his family's hurt, and we just want to send our prayers and condolences out to them."