The King's Corner

My Two Cents

No player is more valuable to his team than the Vikings' Robert
Smith (below), the NFL rushing leader....

You are Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. You signed 33-year-old
Deion Sanders to a seven-year, $56 million contract with an $8
million signing bonus. You've seen him play well at cornerback
while giving you next to nothing in his other specialty,
returning punts. You hear him say, "I think I can play as long
as I want to play. But what can I gain if I continue to play a
few more years?" You wonder, Why did I sign this guy?...

The league should suspend Raiders defensive end Regan Upshaw for
one game for spitting on Steelers punter Josh Miller....

Hard to imagine the Browns bringing back coach Chris Palmer,
whose team has been outscored 92-0 while gaining only 67 yards
in the last 7 1/2 quarters.

The Book

An AFC coach sizes up Titans cornerback Samari Rolle, who's tied
for the league lead in interceptions with seven.

"He's the closest thing in the NFL to a young Deion Sanders. He's
exceptional around the ball--his instincts, his leaping ability,
his hands, his change of direction. He can just be cruising,
baiting the quarterback, but when he sees a ball come into his
area, he puts on the jets and gets there in an instant. The
Titans are starting to match him up against other teams' best
receivers, and he can shut them down. He needs to play better in
run support, but he's an All-Pro in cover ability."

The Buzz

Born to Run
A record four backs--the Broncos' Mike Anderson (251 yards), the
Bengals' Corey Dillon (216), the Bucs' Warrick Dunn (210) and
the Jets' Curtis Martin (203)--went over the 200-yard mark on
Sunday, doubling the previous mark for the most to do so in a
single week.

Capgate
Pick an adjective: Namby-pamby, weak-kneed, soft. All apply to
the penalties the NFL handed down as a result of its
investigation into salary-cap abuses by the 49ers. The team was
fined $300,000 and lost two draft picks. Former club executives
Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark were fined $400,000 and $200,000,
respectively. Three agents were fined a total of $350,000. Plus,
no one has to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

The Terrell Fallout
"You guys helped put me on trial," angry Denver running back
Terrell Davis told the Denver media last week, after a bone scan
showed he had a stress fracture in his left shin. Davis kept
saying he was hurt; the media, and some inside the Broncos, were
skeptical because MRIs showed no injury.

Match Game

The license plate of which NFL player?

A. Saints wideout Joe Horn
B. Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez
C. Rams quarterback Kurt Warner
Answer below

Answer: Horn

COLOR PHOTO: BOB ROSATO (SMITH)

COLOR PHOTO: JERRY WARD

The Last Word

"If anybody thinks that I'm throwing darts, they're wrong. I'm
not. It may look like it, but I'm not."
COWBOYS OWNER JERRY JONES, on the plight of his 4-9 team after a
27-7 loss to the Bucs on Sunday