Around the NFC

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 12, 2000

BEARS: The focus of a preseason is typically on the third exhibition game, when starters play into the third quarter. But the Bears' second exhibition game, today against Cleveland at Soldier Field, is taking on perhaps an added sense of urgency. The reason is simple: While the Bears defeated the New York Giants 20-8 last Saturday, it was not a win they were ready to build on. Players described some of their film sessions as bloodbaths. Performances were critiqued in depth, and the consensus was the Bears may have won on the scoreboard but were beaten in too many key areas. The offense converted only three of 11 third downs, and the defense allowed 10 of 20 to the Giants. The tempo-oriented offense that ran more plays than any other in the NFL last season ran 44 to the Giants' 87, rushing for only 60 yards and passing for just 138. Not even Tampa Bay's defense closed the Bears down that thoroughly. It was scant consolation that the Giants played their starters longer than the Bears. Offensive coordinator Gary Crowton summed up the theme of the week with a shake of his head. "We've got a lot of work to do," he said. Against the Browns, more of that work will be done by the starters, some of whom will play as much as the entire first half. Cade McNown will start at quarterback and play at least the first quarter, possibly more depending on the number of possessions and plays. Jim Miller will rest his injured left elbow, so Shane Matthews will follow McNown and Mark Hartsell will play the fourth quarter.

CARDINALS: Defensive tackle Mark Smith, who ended his holdout and reported last Friday, will play some with the first unit in today's preseason game against the Seahawks. Smith played only two games last season because of a contract dispute and a knee injury. "It was his first week of practice really in about two years," coach Vince Tobin said. "It was really high tempo."

GIANTS: After two seasons, Joe Montgomery finally appeared in his first preseason game Friday night against the Jaguars, but with an unexpected wrinkle. He started at fullback, lined up with Tiki Barber. He also shared the backfield at times with rookie running back Ron Dayne, with whom he theoretically is battling for the featured back role. The starting fullback, Greg Comella, missed the game with a back injury. The Giants would like to get Montgomery on the field even if Dayne is the starter, and using him at fullback is one way to do so. The powerfully built, 5-10, 230-pounder is not a classic blocking back, but he can handle some of the position's duties in the Giants offense.

EAGLES: Coach Andy Reid treated his team to a night off and free popcorn at the movies on Thursday. About two dozen players attended a sneak preview of The Replacements at a movie house just outside of Bethlehem, Pa. Reid made the suggestion and the team arranged the private screening through Warner Bros. in Los Angeles. "It's another event to get the team together, to spend some time together in a social setting," Reid said. "The players have been working extremely hard. It's hot out here. I just wanted them to have some fun and have it together."

FALCONS: The longest shot in any NFL training camp this summer may be Jake Arians, a rookie from Alabama-Birmingham trying to win a job as a kicker. His competition? Morten Andersen, the NFL's kicker of the decade for both the 1980s and 1990s. "He's a legend," Arians said, "but I want to be a legend someday. I respect everything he's done -- but we're both competing for the same job." Andersen is the NFL's third all-time leading scorer with 1,840 points. He has kicked 416 field goals in his 18 NFL seasons, including an NFL-record 35 50-yarders -- 13 more than anyone else. But Arians doesn't feel he's competing with Andersen for the field-goal job. "Morten's been around for 19 years," Arians said. "When he decides he wants to be done, he'll be done. But maybe I can bring something else to the table. I think I can help this team with kickoffs." That's where Andersen is showing wear on his 40-year-old leg. Once the best kickoff man in the business, he had only six touchbacks in 85 tries in 1999. Arians boomed 26 of his 44 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks in 1999.

PANTHERS: Wide receiver Patrick Jeffers will miss the season after tearing a knee ligament in Thursday's 13-0 preseason loss to the Steelers. Jeffers, 27, tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee when a Steelers defender rolled on his leg in the first quarter. "They will have to operate on it in a few days," coach George Seifert said. "That's quite a blow and very, very frustrating to us." Jeffers is coming off the best season of his four-year career. He tied Wesley Walls for the team lead with 12 touchdown catches and was second to Muhsin Muhammad with 63 receptions and 1,082 yards.

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