When push comes to shove, the Patriots have proven they can rough up Colts
By Michael Felger/ Patriots Beat
Monday, November 7, 2005 - Updated: 07:17 AM EST

FOXBORO – So how do the Patriots do it THIS time?
Yet again, the Indianapolis Colts are coming into Foxboro as a seemingly unstoppable machine. They’re healthy. They’re balanced. They’re undefeated. --football gambling--

The Patriots are hurting on both sides of the ball and are battling an inconsistency rarely seen under Bill Belichick. Their defense can’t seem to stop anybody, never mind the most prolific offense of this generation. --football gambling--

You look at some of the individual matchups – Dwight Freeney vs. Nick Kaczur, Marvin Harrison vs. Duane Starks – and you wonder how the Pats can stay within three touchdowns of the Colts. And maybe they won’t. --football gambling--

But history tells a different story. The Pats have been here before, and just about every time they’ve defied the experts and handed the Colts a devastating loss. In 2001, the Pats were reeling at 0-2 and the Colts came to Foxboro having won their first two games with 87 points of offense. The result: Patriots, 44-10. This marked Tom Brady’s first start, but the game was won on the strength of a dominating defense (remember Bryan Cox’ hit on Jerome Pathon?). --football gambling--

In 2003, the Pats went into Indy to face the 9-2 Colts. The conditions were decidedly in the Colts’ favor – inside, on the carpet, with a full house of support. The result: Patriots, 38-34. Once again, defense was the key with a goal-line stand saving the day for the Pats. --football gambling--

In the 2003 AFC title game, the Colts came into Foxboro having outscored their opponents 79-41 over the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Pats were coming off a hard-fought, 17-14 squeaker over Tennessee. The result: Patriots, 24-14. Manning was intercepted four times. --football gambling--

In the 2004 divisional round, the Colts once again traveled to Foxboro having put up a huge number the week before with their 49-24 rout of Denver. The Pats were without Ty Law and Richard Seymour. The result: Patriots, 20-3. --football gambling--

In all, the Pats have won their last six games against Manning and the Colts and are 7-1 against them in the Belichick era. Manning, as we all know, has never won in Foxboro (0-6).--football gambling--

What’s the secret? At the end of the day, the answer is as old as football itself: The Patriots have been more physical. --football gambling--

The dome-dwelling, high-flying Colts don’t play that brand of football, and by muscling their receivers, the Pats have thrown Manning out of his rhythm and created turnovers. In the last four meetings between the teams, the Pats have 13 takeaways (seven interceptions, six mbles). --football gambling--

“The (Colts) don’t like it,” said former Pats linebacker Ted Johnson recently. “I remember the AFC title game, they were done in the second quarter. They were done and they knew it. (Tight end Marcus) Pollard (now with Detroit) didn’t want to be out there, that field was a sandbox and they knew we were bringing it. And they couldn’t take it. They don’t like it – at all.” --football gambling--

Much has been made of Belichick’s ability to confuse Manning, but Johnson said that aspect of the matchup has been overrated. He said the key has been the Pats’ ability to chuck the Colts receivers at the line and force Manning to hold the ball an extra second. “Stop the run with the front seven and kick the crap out of their receivers,” said Johnson, simplifying the game plan to its barest element. --football gambling--

The problem for the Pats is that they’ve lost much of their physical presence in the secondary with Ty Law’s departure and Rodney Harrison’s season-ending knee injury. Starks has said he doesn’t like to play physical, which is an attitude that has to change tonight. The physical element will get a boost if Randall Gay can return from the injured ranks. --football gambling--

The Pats also have another bit of history on their side: they’ve always been a better team in November and December than September and October. Since 2001, the Pats have lost just five games after Nov. 1, compiling an off-the-charts record of 39-5 (.886).--football gambling--

Also lost in the Manning vs. Belichick dynamic is the fact that Tom Brady has routinely torched the Colts secondary, with the Pats averaging 31.8 points per game against Indy since 2001.
But, again, most matchups favor the Colts by a healthy margin. --football gambling--
It seems the only way the Pats can win tonight is if they get tough and force the Colts to screw it up. It’s happened before.--football gambling--

Patriots Avoid Date With Grim Reaper
By: Kevin Rousseau

During the middle of the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Bills, I was beginning to form my column around the writing of an obituary for the 2005 New England Patriots. But before I could make a few phone calls to check on the availability of a hall for a reception following the funeral, the patient came back from the beyond and gained a second life with an inspiring seven minutes of football. -NFL Football-

The obituary would have read something to the effect of “Due to an inability to make any game-turning plays, injuries and a lack of discipline, the 2005 New England Patriots will be playing through the motions on their way to an 8-8 finish.” -NFL Football-

Instead, perhaps the 21-16 win will be the wake up call the Patriots need to finally hit their stride this season. And it couldn’t have come at a better time with the Colts coming to town next Monday night. -NFL Football-

For the first three and a half quarters of the game, the Pats defense showed about as much resistance as yellow police crime scene tape. Frankly, the only reason this game wasn’t over by halftime was the ineptness of the Bills to capitalize on a staggering 23 minutes to 7 minutes time-of-possession advantage up until that point. -NFL Football-

My notice for the 2005 Patriots would have also mentioned how the Patriots completely botched a field goal attempt at the end of the half that would have tied the game at 3-3 heading into the locker room. With a timeout still in hand and the clock running down, the Pats uncharacteristically were called for a delay of the game call that negated a successful field goal attempt. I don’t have to tell you what happened on the retry. -NFL Football-

I would have also mentioned that going through life in the NFL with the kind of secondary that made Kelly Holcomb look like Joe Montana is a quick way to finish out of the playoff picture. The soft coverage and lack of decent tackling gave the Bills all the chances they could have asked for in the initial 53 minutes of the 60 minute contest. -NFL Football-

Yet seconds before I would have hit the “send” key on such a morbid tale, the Patriots team that we have come to know over the last few years decided to make an appearance. It started with a Rosevelt Colvin ball strip out of Holcomb’s hands deep in Buffalo territory that was quickly turned into six points. What a noble concept, folks; points off turnovers. Just like they draw it up. -NFL Football-

Mix in a few Tom Brady to Deion Branch bombs and - voila - you’re on your way to a 21-16 lead with just a few minutes to play. -NFL Football-

And perhaps even more refreshing than the offense’s levitation was the way the defense made a stop when it absolutely had to on the ensuing Buffalo drive. -NFL Football-

And that brings us to #54, kids. -NFL Football-

Even though the bar isn’t set that high for the honor, one could make the case that Tedy Bruschi was the most effective player on the Patriots defensive squad on Sunday night, a remarkable feat given the road he has traveled to this point. He was always around the ball and plugged many of Buffalo’s running lanes. Remarkably, a post-stroke Bruschi easily outperforms a perfectly healthy Monty Beilsel in the middle of the defense right now. Brushchi is also a calming influence in an otherwise stormy situation. Does he make everyone around him better? Perhaps. -NFL Football-

But unless he can suddenly learn to be an effective cornerback or strong safety, it won’t make much of a difference against the Colts this coming Monday night. -NFL Football-

Right now, it’s difficult to make a convincing argument that Pats are going to beat the Colts in their Ali/Frazier-style tilt. Only the most naive Patriots fan would think that Peyton Manning isn’t going to shred up that secondary. -NFL Football-

The only way the Patriots are going to be able to win this game will be to win in a shootout. But that would require four quarters of consistent football from an offense that so far hasn’t demonstrated the consistent ability to do so. Sorry. It’s the truth. -NFL Football-

Perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch to say that the season was saved on Sunday night. It was only week eight for goodness sake. But if the Pats came in off a bye, lost to a crummy Bills team and then dropped to 3-5 after putting up a stinker against the Colts, it would have been too far of a hole for anyone to climb out of; even these Patriots. -NFL Football-

At least for now, the reports of the 2005 Patriots demise have been a bit premature. -NFL Football-

Bring on the hype of Peyton and the Colts. -NFL Football-

Idle Zinger thoughts while thinking of going with a Richard Marx-style hairdo the next time I go into Duke’s Rotary Barbershop in Augusta: -NFL Football-

First off, from the Shameless Self-Promotion Department: If you live in the Portland television market, be sure to check out “Pats Game Day” at 8 p.m. next Monday night before the big Colts game. Along with former NFL player Ed McAleney, I will be on the program giving my analysis and commentary. Check it out. -NFL Football-

Oh, if I had a nickel for every time Drew Bledsoe threw down his hands and scowled after a near miss or ill-timed interception, my kids’ college fund would almost be endowed. And this comes from the former Maine chapter president of the Drew Bledsoe Apologist Club. -NFL Football-

Is it me or does Denver Head Coach Mike Shanahan always roam the sidelines as if he is searching for someone to punch. -NFL Football-

News item: A fan won $1 million after kicking a 50-yard field goal during halftime of a recent CFL game. He was subsequently given a tryout with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In a related matter, the Arizona Cardinals will now scout local youth Punt, Pass and Kick competitions to help plug in some holes. -NFL Football-

The Houston Texans are on the clock… -NFL Football-

Have an appointment with my optometrist in a few weeks. Thinking about going with some Bob Griese circa 1974 spectacles. -NFL Football-

After finishing a copy of Mad magazine the other night, I snuggled up with Historic New England and discovered an interesting tidbit. Did you know that the first football club in the United States was the Oneida Football Club from Boston? The group was formed in 1863 and “took on all comers” on the Boston Common. One could make a historical argument that thanks in large part to Oneida and the Harvard-Yale matchups that commenced in 1875 that New England is the birthplace of modern American football. -NFL Football-

This column also appears in the American Journal (Westbrook/Gorham, Maine), the Current (Scarborough/Cape Elizabeth/South Portland, Maine), the Lakes Region Suburban Weekly (Windham/Naples, Maine), the Citizen (Sacopee Valley, Maine), the Reporter (Waterboro/Hollis, Maine), the Sun Chronicle (Saco/Old Orchard Beach, Maine), and online at VillageSoup.com (Belfast, Camden, Rockland, Maine).

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Seattle
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It hasn’t taken long to convince the Seahawks they made out like bandits with their second-round draft pick for the second straight season. --- nfl ---
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Following in the footsteps of SS Michael Boulware, the team’s instant-impact No. 2 pick last season, Lofa Tatupu has improved steadily each week as the team’s starting middle linebacker and is making a case for staying on the field in passing situations as a nickel linebacker after excelling in that role in place of an injured D.D. Lewis in the Week Five win over the Rams. --- nfl ---
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Tatupu has done a solid job handling defensive signals, and his attitude and leadership ability have drawn rave reviews. After the Rams returned the opening kickoff for a TD in Week Five, Tatupu was dead serious when he offered his services on kickoff coverage to special-teams coach Bob Casullo. Tatupu isn’t the only rookie linebacker making his presence felt for the Seahawks.--- nfl ---
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Third-round pick Leroy Hill continues to close in on Lewis for the starting WLB job. With his natural pass-rush ability, our sources believe Hill has quickly become the team’s most disruptive force at the LB position since Chad Brown when Brown was healthy.--- nfl ---
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Dave Albee: Smith's progress softens blow of loss

SAN FRANCISCO

UNLESS YOU HAD Peyton Manning or Marvin Harrison on your NFL fantasy football team, it wasn't such a bad day at Candlestick yesterday. - NFL Football -

The 49ers, even though their wide receivers combined for only one catch, managed to score on the 28th anniversary of the last time they failed to score in a home game. And their best offensive weapon was an onside kick, which really did thrill 49ers fans. And the 49ers makeshift defense held Manning, Harrison and the Colts to one offensive touchdown for the first three quarters.

So 49ers rookie No. 1 draft pick Alex Smith had a quarterback rating (8.5) lower than Brady (Greg, not Tom). And Smith was intercepted more than protesters at a police line. And Smith's favorite target was Cato June, a linebacker, who caught two Smith passes for 39 yards and a touchdown. - NFL Football -

The point is, it could have been worse for the 49ers and Smith. They get a week off with pay to recuperate.

For his first NFL start, the 49ers put Smith behind a battered and beaten

offensive line with a flimsy running game and made him face an undefeated team with a defense that has given up only one offensive touchdown in the first five games. He threw four interceptions, as many as he threw in two years at the University of Utah.

"It seemed so unique that they (the Colts) can sit there and play (the defensive scheme) cover two most of the game and drop seven, drop eight (into pass coverage) and still get a pass rush," Smith said. - NFL Football -

Thus, Smith's NFL regular-season debut should be graded on a curve because the 49ers offensive line left an Indianapolis 500 straightaway for Colts defenders to get to him.

For example, after Smith neatly engineered a 49ers drive to a first down at the Indy 36-yard line in the first quarter, his protection broke down like a Ford Pinto. It wasn't just one guy getting through all the time. - NFL Football -

On the next three plays, the 49ers quarterback was knocked on his back by Colts tackle Corey Smith on an incomplete pass, knocked on his back by Colts tackle Larry Triplett on an incomplete pass and might have been knocked on his back by Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney had 49ers offensive tackle Anthony Clement not held Freeney before Smith threw an incomplete pass.

On the next two plays that Smith didn't hand off the ball, he was tackled by Colts defensive end Robert Mathis attempting a quarterback sweep then Mathis sacked Smith attempting to pass on the next down. - NFL Football -

Then things got worse for Smith.

June intercepted a Smith pass and returned it for a touchdown. The pass was intended for 49ers wide receiver Brandon Lloyd but it appeared his teammate, Otis Amey, ran the wrong route and June, who was covering him, drifted into the passing lane in zone coverage.

"I expected a different look than we got. On third down, I was trying to make something happen," Smith said.

On the 49ers next series, Triplett and Colts tackle Montae Reagor were on top of Smith before he had a chance to step into the throw - which was intercepted.

Then, on the 49ers next series, Smith rolled left to avoid the Indy pass rush yet left end Raheem Brock chased him across the field and teamed with Mathis to smother Smith as he unloaded another pass - which was intercepted. - NFL Football -

The 49ers drafted Smith No. 1 overall because they felt he was a great decision maker. But behind a much maligned and injured 49ers offensive line, the only decision Smith seems capable of making right now is whether to run, duck or contact Lloyd's of London.

"Having three-step drops and not really having time to throw the ball to get to his reads, that's tough for a quarterback," said June, who intercepted Smith twice. "When you've got D-linemen in your face all game, it's tough to make big plays." - NFL Football -

That's what Peyton Manning is supposed to do and why everyone and his frat brother was told to play Manning on their fantasy football team yesterday. Play him as sure as you play the national anthem before a game. Play him as long as "The Twelve Days of Christmas." The Colts quarterback was supposed to cut through the 49ers secondary yesterday like the Blue Angels through the Bay Area sky. - NFL Football -

Well, Manning had one TD toss and passed for only 255 yards against a secondary that had been yielding almost 400. The Colts QB had two of his passes picked off, too. This wasn't his best day.

Besides, the NFL's reigning MVP threw three interceptions in his first NFL start in 1998 so Smith can take away from yesterday's game that things are not always as bad as they might appear.

"My biggest thing is to look at the guys who have been through it before," Smith said. "Peyton set a rookie record for interceptions (28) and he came out the other side of the tunnel and he was better for it."

Smith somehow found something good to come out of 25-point loss where he completed only 9-of-23 passes for 74 yards. Following the game, Manning went out of his way to meet Smith at midfield, as did Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy. - NFL Football -

"I coached against John Elway in his first game and it was very similar," Dungy said. "You can't judge anyone by their first game."

The bottom line is Smith made rookie mistakes and that should be expected. He will learn when to take sacks. He will learn when to throw the ball away. He will learn not to lock onto one receiver. - NFL Football -

Smith will play lesser teams than the Colts and learn how to win.

"I don't regret anything. I'm kind of happy it happened this way," Smith said. "It's going to make me all the better for it in the future and down the road."

Copyright © 1999-2005 by MediaNews Group, Inc. and ANG Newspapers

McNair returns to Titans practice
NFL.com wire reports

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 29, 2005) -- Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair practiced, but did not take part in all drills as he recovers from a sore right foot.

McNair said he didn't even notice that his right foot had been stepped on in last week's 31-27 loss to St. Louis until halftime. But he said he felt good. - NFL Football -

"I just wanted to rest it for a day. I came out there, did something today and felt pretty good. Tomorrow I'll do more, probably all the team (drills). I just wanted to rest. I didn't want to take a chance of going out and getting it even more sore," McNair said. - NFL Football -

The Titans added defensive end Travis LaBoy to the injury report as questionable with a groin injury. Coach Jeff Fisher said LaBoy strained his groin during practice Sept. 28.

But receiver Drew Bennett, who missed practice Sept. 28, was back on the field the next day with his sore foot. - NFL Football -

Linebacker Peter Sirmon (right knee) and defensive end Albert Haynesworth (left knee) did not practice. Fisher said Haynesworth, who sprained his knee on Sept. 18 against Baltimore and missed last week's loss at St. Louis, has enough experience that he could play without practicing.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Ten players fined for Monday night melee

drawing the biggest fine -- $7,500 -- for a hit on NEW YORK (Sept. 15, 2005) -- Nine players were fined for their roles in a fight before Monday night's game between the Eagles and Falcons, with Atlanta defensive tackle Chad LavalaisDonovan McNabb during the game.

Lavalais was fined for using his helmet on McNabb, who hurt his chest on the play. McNabb is questionable for Philadelphia's game Sunday against San Francisco because of the injury.

For the pregame fight, which resulted in Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis and Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter being ejected before kickoff, both players got $5,000 fines. Also receiving a $5,000 hit was cornerback DeAngelo Hall for unsportsmanlike conduct for grabbing an opponent's facemask and then throwing the opponent's helmet.

Three Falcons were fined $2,500 for entering a fight area, which made them active participants: safety Keion Carpenter, cornerback-kick returner Allen Rossum and safety Kevin McCadam.

Along with Trotter, the three Eagles fined for entering a fight area were linebackers Keith Adams, Jason Short and Mike Labinjo.

During warmups, Trotter apparently pushed Mathis, who responded with a punch. Hall also appeared to throw a punch. Then everyone got into it, forcing the officials to intervene.

Trotter and Mathis were ejected after the officials peered into the replay monitor, which is normally used to rectify disputed calls during the game. This time, it helped determine who started the fight and which players were involved.

Moments later, another brawl nearly broke out. As the Atlanta players were trotting back to the locker room, they noticed the Eagles gathering on the Falcons logo in the middle of the field.

The Falcons ran en masse back to the 50-yard line and fought for position with the Eagles, forcing the officials to separate the teams again. No punches were thrown, and both teams went off slowly in opposite directions to their respective locker rooms.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Culpepper glad to shed weight of NFL lineman

By David Whitley
THE ORLANDO SENTINEL

TAMPA - A police officer pulled over Brad Culpepper's car a while back and couldn't believe what he found inside.

Was it really Brad Culpepper?

"Are you the football player?" the cop asked.

It was, only he didn't exactly match the picture of the guy on the drivers license. Forget the faulty headlight, should the cop arrest somebody for stealing about one-third of Culpepper's body?

Wherever it went, a lot of other ex-football players would be smart to follow.

Most people remember the former Leon player as Warren Sapp's sidekick on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive line. He was 280 pounds of beef and bravado.

These days, he operates out of an eighth-floor office with a great view of Tampa. Culpepper is a lawyer for Morgan & Morgan, the ubiquitous personal injury law firm. Clients see the old magazine covers and action photos on the wall, and say that can't be the same chiseled guy in front of them.

"They're astonished," Culpepper said.

He retired from the NFL four years ago, then retired 80 pounds in eight months. Culpepper didn't get sick. He got smart.

"It's not how much money you make," he said. "It's who lives the longest."

That realization slowly is hitting his previous profession. The death of San Francisco lineman Thomas Herrion three weeks ago fired up the obesity debate.

Are football players super-sizing themselves to death? A certain smooth-faced attorney has become Exhibit A in the debate.

The 36-year-old Culpepper spent almost a decade gorging his way through the NFL. He didn't want to. He had to in order to keep up with the inflating bodies around him.

The same ones that statistics show are liable to develop heart disease, diabetes and be dead before they turn 53. While the players are burying themselves in Big Macs, the NFL is burying its head in the sand.

At all levels of football these days, bigger is better. The NFL acknowledges there's a hugeness issue but says it needs more study. The league's medical expert was even on ESPN last week saying we need to define "obesity."

How about when a guy looks like he just ate Orson Welles?

"These are grown men. If they want to retire and weigh 400 pounds, that's their choice," Culpepper said. "Roll over and be dead. But I think it's sad."

Fifteen years ago, 39 players on NFL rosters exceeded 300 pounds. At the start of training camps this year, there were 552.

There have always been behemoths, but even football players aren't naturally designed to weigh as much as the average Subaru. That usually leads to one assumption.

There are steroids in the tank.

"I dabbled a little bit in college," said Culpepper, who graduated from Florida in 1992. "But by me saying that, I swear to God, I never did it in the NFL. You can't."

It's not that players wouldn't because some obviously do. But Culpepper said the NFL's policy dissuades most players from trying to juice up.

Testing personnel used to knock on his door at 6 a.m. to collect a sample. It always would come back negative for steroids. If there were penalties for cholesterol levels, however, Culpepper would have been kicked out of the league.

His daily regimen was big breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, home for dinner. Then before bed, "I'd run for the border," he said. A few tacos or a Wendy's double would serve as a nightcap. Culpepper was lucky to play in a Tony Dungy defense, which stressed quickness over size. That changed when he went to the Chicago Bears, who had Friday night weigh-ins.

"They thought you might be too light if you were playing a big team," Culpepper said.

He was supposed to be at least 275. He missed it once and had to sit out. Incensed, Culpepper started showing up at weigh-ins with a couple of 5-pound weights hidden in his underwear.

"I had to wear a T-shirt to hide the bulge in my pants," he said.

Culpepper played the last 10 games of the season, all of them without the weights in his jockstrap. Then he retired, never intending to become two-thirds the man he used to be.

The first 30 or so pounds just evaporated. Then he started running and eating a more healthy diet. Before he knew it, he was under 200 pounds, his waist size had gone from 42 to 33, and he was running a marathon.

The downside is Culpepper had to toss out two full wardrobes. The upside is he no longer needs two Excedrin PMs to sleep at night, his arthritic left knee doesn't constantly ache and he enjoys that forgotten feeling of actually being hungry.

Oh yeah, he should also live long enough to at least see his three kids graduate from college.

Herrion never will. There's no indication what killed him,, but he was listed at 315 pounds and probably weighed at least 15 pounds more.

The issue only is going to grow because it hardly starts in the NFL. Teenagers hardly can get recruited to college nowadays unless they weigh 280 pounds.

"Maybe it's totally unrelated to the size issue, but I wouldn't be surprised if somebody dropped dead in the middle of a game," Culpepper said. "Especially with the heat. Your heart can only pump so much stuff."

Even if nobody drops dead, you don't have to be Jenny Craig to know obesity leads to long-term problems. The NFL should at least educate the players on the risks.

"They're still convincing guys that they're fit at 340 pounds," Culpepper said.

They think they're just running for the border.

In reality, they're running for the coroner.

Are you ready for some football? TV sure is

For people who simply cannot get enough of the NFL, there are two options -- the NFL Sunday Ticket "SuperFan" package on DirecTV and NFL Network "On Demand" through Comcast digital cable -- that should go a long way in satisfying the thirst for highlights and stats, everything from A (Atlanta Falcons) to Z (Miami defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina).

One of the main attractions of the NFL Network "On Demand" feature is a four-letter word: free. Comcast digital-cable subscribers don't have to pay anything more to receive the NFL Network programming.

That programming ranges from market-specific offerings (in the Bay Area, that means 49ers and Raiders fare) to shows with league-wide appeal.

For the fan interested in 32 teams, the offering that most likely will get his or her attention is "Weekly Replay." Scheduled to be available at 12:01 a.m. Mondays, "Weekly Replay" provides about 12 minutes of highlights of each Sunday game (and, as the schedule dictates, games played Thursday and/or Saturday).

For the fan who filters things through either red-and-gold or silver-and-black glasses, there is "Local Replay," which will have highlights of each 49ers and Raiders game available throughout the season. In other words, if in late November you want to review the Raiders-Patriots opener, you can access clips of that game on "Local Replay."

As of Saturday, the NFL Network "On Demand" page for a San Francisco digital-cable customer listed three sections: 1) 2005 NFL Preview, which had season-preview features of 3-4 minutes for every team; 2) NFL Network Xtra, which had programming ranging from NFL Network's signature show, "NFL Total Access," to a three-part series on the Miami Dolphins' cheerleaders; and 3) Local Zone, which one would assume is where the 49ers' and Raiders' "Local Replay" editions will be found.

Local Zone also provides NFL Films shows featuring the Bay Area teams. The three offerings available Saturday: the highlight film of the 1976 Patriots-Raiders playoff game, the highlight film of the 1977 Raiders-Colts "Ghost to the Post" playoff game and a highlight film of a November 1985 Broncos-Raiders matchup listed as "DEN vs. OAK."

Those three offerings indicated two "lacks" in Local Zone at that point: one, programming about the 49ers and two, a sense of history. That's because a 1985 Broncos-Raiders game should be listed as "DEN vs. L.A." Or, more accurately, it shouldn't be offered in a Bay Area Local Zone.

In any event, DirecTV subscribers who purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket package (access to all the morning and afternoon Sunday telecasts costs $280 for the season) can acquire the "SuperFan" upgrade for an additional $99.

One key component of the "SuperFan" tier is called "Game Mix," which provides a checkerboard-like screen with eight telecasts. Customers who have interactive receivers can click on one of the eight telecasts to get that game full-screen, then can click back to the eight-telecast checkerboard.

Another intriguing feature of the "SuperFan" option is the "Red Zone Channel," which provides highlights throughout the day and switches to possibly dramatic moments in various games. One drawback, though, is only Fox games get the "Red Zone" treatment; CBS games aren't part of the deal.

"SuperFan" customers also receive "Short Cuts" on Mondays and Tuesdays. These are versions of entire games; with almost all non-action trimmed, the "Short Cuts" last 20-30 minutes.

So, say, on Dec. 19, the "Short Cuts" version of the 49ers-Jaguars game could have everything from A (49ers defensive tackle Anthony Adams) to Z (Jacksonville long-snapper Joe Zelenka) in 25 minutes.

Briefly: Blackout restrictions still apply to Sunday Ticket subscribers; in other words, if a Raiders game is blacked out in the Bay Area, Sunday Ticket subscribers won't see it, either. ... The Monday news conferences of Raiders head coach Norv Turner and 49ers head coach Mike Nolan will get live TV coverage this season. At noon, Comcast SportsNet (digital-cable Channel 400 in the Bay Area) has Turner's conference from Alameda. At 12:30 p.m., KBHK (Channel 44) airs Nolan's conference from Santa Clara.

Steve Kroner
©2005 San Francisco Chronicle