Cowboys' Williams suspended one game
Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams was suspended without pay for one game Monday by the NFL after his third illegal "horse collar" tackle of the season.
Williams, whose use of the tactic led to the league passing a rule making it a 15-yard penalty, did it against Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb in Sunday's 10-6 loss. He will miss Saturday night's game at Carolina, which will cost him $35,000 -- one week's salary.
Grabbing the inside collar of the back of the shoulder pads or jersey, or the inside collar of the side of the shoulder pads or jersey, and immediately pulling down a runner brings a 15-yard personal foul.
"He's real strong, especially with his hands. You go to your strength, so he's going to grab somebody with his hands," Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said Monday, before the punishment was announced. "And the way it is now, they tape those jerseys in the back, so you can't grab them, you can't hold on to them. The only thing you can grab is something behind him. And he's coming from behind, he has to learn to lay out. But what he's used to doing is grabbing them, because he's so strong with his hands. He hasn't been able to break that habit, obviously."
This was the fourth violation of the rule by Williams in the past two seasons. Williams was fined $12,500 for such a tackle against the Bears on Sept. 23, and $15,000 for the same violation against Buffalo on Oct. 8. He received a $10,000 fine for a "horse collar" tackle against the New York Giants on Oct. 23, 2006.
Phillips said Monday he didn't expect any league action.
"It wasn't against the rules until a couple years ago," Phillips said. "But that's the rule and we need to abide by it. He just going to have to learn to do it different. And he passed it up a couple times in that game."
Gibbs discusses his future: Joe Gibbs has always said he intends to return to coach the Washington Redskins (7-7) next season. He might be around even longer.
Asked about returning next season as a lame duck coach -- in which he and all of his assistants would be in the final year of their contracts -- Gibbs opened the door to negotiating a contract extension with owner Dan Snyder.
"I'm sure that that'll be something that Dan and I kind of go over," Gibbs said. "I think that happens quite often when you come up -- you've still got a year left and redo things. ... That's why you re-up before the last year's over with."
Gibbs stressed he was not ready to announce that he wants to stay beyond his original five-year contract. For that matter, he also declined to say he plans definitively to coach next season. His stock response has been that he "intends" to return.
"I have nothing to add to that area," Gibbs said Monday. "I'm not going to start down that road, because every time I do, it brings up a bunch of other stuff."
Snyder, through a spokesman, declined comment.
Gibbs is 29-35, including 1-1 in the playoffs, since emerging from retirement in 2004. He turned 67 last month and is the oldest coach in the NFL.
Ravens to start Boller: Determined to end the longest current losing streak in the NFL, Ravens coach Brian Billick intends to start Kyle Boller at quarterback against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday instead of promoting rookie backup Troy Smith.
The last-place Ravens (4-10) have lost a franchise-record eight in a row.
Bumps and bruises: Eagles linebacker Takeo Spikes suffered a torn rotator cuff in Philadelphia's 10-6 win over Dallas on Sunday. Coach Andy Reid said he was not sure when Spikes sustained the injury, but that he played much of the game hurt. Tight end Matt Schobel, who suffered a concussion on a high hit by Ken Hamlin, and guard Shawn Andrews (knee injury) could both be back for the Saints game. … Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder will have his sore left knee scoped today and could miss the remainder of the season. … Titans linebackers Keith Bulluck and Ryan Fowler, defensive back Vincent Fuller and center Kevin Mawae all had tests Monday on injuries suffered in their victory at Kansas City. … Redskins linebacker Rocky McIntosh is out for the season -- and possibly all of next season -- with torn ligaments in his left knee that will require surgery. McIntosh tore both the ACL and MCL in the first quarter of Sunday's 22-10 victory over the Giants.