Michigan Wolverines facing injuries to Roy Roundtree, Carvin Johnson as Notre Dame Fighting Irish await

Michigan could be missing receiver Roy Roundtree and safety-linebacker Carvin Johnson when it visits rival Notre Dame on Saturday.

Great Debate: Cowboys to the Super Bowl?

As part of our ongoing “Great Debate” series, ESPN.com’s Matt Mosley and ESPNDallas.com’s Tim MacMahon were asked to discuss the Dallas Cowboys‘ chances of reaching the Super Bowl. You might have heard that it’s being played at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Will the prospect of becoming the first NFL team to qualify for a hometown Super Bowl give the Cowboys some extra motivation? We’re about to find out over the next six months.

Now, let the debate begin:

MOSLEY: Tim, let’s dive right into this thing without exchanging too many pleasantries because the two of us have never exchanged a lot of pleasantries. I wish we’d had this debate before the preseason games, because the Cowboys’ first-teamers were embarrassingly non-competitive in matchups with the Chargers and Texans. But since I don’t put one ounce of stock into the preseason, I’ll argue that the Cowboys will become the first team in NFL history to play host to a Super Bowl in their own stadium. It sort of makes me queasy to espouse that type of optimism for this franchise, but I honestly think they have a lot of the intangibles that are necessary to make this happen.

The most important ingredient is quarterback Tony Romo. I think winning his first playoff game last season against the Eagles was huge for his confidence. I think we both agree that he has the talent to lead a team to the Super Bowl, but he desperately needed to get the Seattle-New York monkey off his back.

In 2009, Romo learned to put his teammates before himself. It was an important lesson for a guy who forged a reputation based on his devil-may-care approach. As backup quarterback Jon Kitna explained it to me last season, Romo realized that decisions he makes on the field affect everyone in the organization. He ended up with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions and was able to strike a nice balance between his improv work and his willingness to throw the ball away. He remembered Bill Parcells bellowing in practice,”The throwaway’s a good play!”

Oh wait, I need to take a break and let MacMahon say something.

MacMAHON: Glad to see Parcells’ wisdom is still fresh in your mind, Matt. Perhaps you recall his oft-repeated line about putting away the anointing oil in regard to Romo.

You really think one playoff win is proof that Romo is ready to carry the Cowboys to a Super Bowl? What about the next weekend? He failed to get the Cowboys in the end zone during a lopsided loss to the Vikings.

Of course, it’s not all about the quarterback. The Cowboys’ biggest concern appears to be their aging offensive line, which got whipped by the modern-day version of the Vikings’ Purple People Eaters. The Cowboys have to cross their fingers that right tackle Marc Colombo and left guard Kyle Kosier can come back strong from knee injuries that could sideline them for the season opener and beyond.

It would be wrong to rule out Romo as a potential Super Bowl quarterback, but it’s foolish to consider him the favorite in a conference that features a couple of guys who have done it before and have great supporting casts (New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Minnesota’s Brett Favre). Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers is also arguably more likely to be a featured attraction at JerryWorld in February.

Perhaps I should pacify the New York branch of your Beast readership by mentioning Eli Manning, who has as many playoff wins on Texas soil as Romo.

MOSLEY: Tim, we both know that Wade Phillips let that Vikings playoff game get away from him when he opted for a long field-goal attempt from a shaky kicker instead of doing the logical thing and going for it on fourth-and-1. And when Flozell Adams suffered an injury in the second quarter, the game was effectively over. But you’re correct in saying the offensive line is a major concern. We’ve learned to appreciate the work of Kosier when he has been out of the lineup and his backup, Montrae Holland, hasn’t exactly been a road-grader in the preseason. But wait, I’m arguing against myself.

As crazy as it might sound to longtime Adams apologists such as yourself, Doug Free will be an upgrade at left tackle. He’s had a good preseason and the Cowboys’ great offensive line coach Hudson Houck, who mentored future Hall of Famer Larry Allen, raves about Free’s work on the left side. Once the season gets rolling, perennial Pro Bowlers Andre Gurode and Leonard Davis will return to form.

You talk about the Saints like they’re invincible, but I seem to recall the Cowboys going into the Superdome last December and pushing them around. The Saints won a Super Bowl with someone named Jermon Bushrod playing left tackle. The Cowboys might be long in the tooth along the offensive line, but they have better units than the Eagles and Redskins for sure. The Giants have been just as banged up as the Cowboys throughout training camp, so those offensive lines are pretty close.

Last time I checked, Rodgers hadn’t won a playoff game, so I’m not sure why every national pundit suddenly has him in front of Romo. And surely Favre’s ankle can’t hold a lot more lubricant. Without Sidney Rice in the lineup the first half of the season, Favre will be missing a major weapon. If the Cowboys can secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs this time around, I think they’ll get a bonus game at their home stadium.

Obviously I’m winning the debate at this point, but I want to give you some more reps. Other than being worried about the offensive line and the talented players on other teams, what’s your biggest reason for the Cowboys not going to the Super Bowl?

MacMAHON: No wonder you dropped out of Baylor Law School all those years ago. You do a fine job of shooting holes in your own case.

You blame Phillips (1-5 postseason record as a head coach) for making a poor decision in a playoff loss. Does his new contract somehow guarantee that won’t happen again? You mention that the Cowboys had a shaky kicker situation last season. Has that changed? They’re crossing their fingers that David Buehler can get the job done. He’s money on kickoffs and sprints against disappointing draft picks, but he’s never attempted a field goal in the NFL and was erratic at USC.

Of course, you could point out that the Cowboys had no reason to be confident in their short-yardage offense instead of just pointing the finger at Phillips for not going for it on fourth-and-1. After all, your perennial Pro Bowlers couldn’t pave the way for Marion Barber to get a yard on four tries against the Chargers in December. I hate to use actual facts in this debate, but Barber’s conversion percentage on third- and fourth-and-1 ranked among the lowest of backs with at least 10 such opportunities last season.

And you totally lost me with the Flozell Adams turn. You begin by saying how much the Cowboys missed him in the Minnesota massacre and follow it up by declaring that Doug Free is a significant upgrade. Sort of a false start, which is fitting.

Free is certainly an upgrade, but Jared Allen was far from the biggest problem for the Cowboys in the playoff loss. That was Ray Edwards, the Vikings’ other end, who wreaked havoc from the first time that annoying horn blew. Which gets us back to whether Colombo can get completely healthy.

But the biggest reason I’m skeptical about the Cowboys’ Super Bowl aspirations? Because I remember what happened when they were supposed to be Super Bowl frontrunners a couple of years ago. I can’t just hop back on the bandwagon. I’ve got to see it to believe it.

MOSLEY: Tim, that’s a fascinating conclusion you’ve reached. You need to see them reach the Super Bowl before you can be convinced they can get to a Super Bowl. And to compare this current group of players to the ‘08 “frontrunners” is completely unfair. That locker room was home to Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and Terrell Owens.

With those players “safely” in Cincinnati now, the Cowboys have a completely different team. The arrival of Keith Brooking in ‘09 via free agency was a huge thing for this team. He’s an excellent linebacker, but more important, he’s a tremendous leader. He and safety Gerald Sensabaugh were big-time additions to this defense.

The Cowboys had one of the top defenses in the league last season, and they have a chance to be better in 2010. The other three NFC East teams have major questions. And I think the Saints are about to go through a Super Bowl hangover season. Which NFC East team has a better defense than the Cowboys?

Which NFC team has a better quarterback than the Cowboys — outside of the Saints? You could make an argument for Favre, but all that lubricant in his ankle is going to bring him down at some point. And Rodgers has more pressure on him than Romo, because the Packers have a suspect defense.

You’re making a passionate case against the Cowboys going to the Super Bowl, but in your heart of hearts, you know they have an excellent chance. I’m going to give you a shot at a closing argument here. To this point, all of your statements have been summarily defeated by a man with half a law degree. Time to sound the retreat, sir.

MacMAHON: The Cowboys’ cheerleading team has clearly lowered their standards to let you join the squad.

I’ll grant you that this is a much more mature team than the band of misfits that melted down in 2008. The Brooking-T.O. swap certainly worked chemistry wonders, and guys such as Romo and Jay Ratliff have grown into good leaders.

The Cowboys should certainly be considered NFC East favorites, having won the division two of the past three seasons and adding Dez Bryant to their talented core. They merit consideration as Super Bowl contenders, but with their difficult schedule, I don’t see the Cowboys claiming home-field advantage. And I wouldn’t bet on them winning a playoff game in Green Bay, Minnesota or New Orleans.

You declare that the Cowboys have an excellent chance to play a home Super Bowl. I’d downgrade that to a decent chance. Go ahead and crack the anointing oil if you wish. I’m keeping the lid on my bottle until February.

Redding and De Angelis escape serious injury

Both riders were involved in the crash in Sunday’s Moto2 race at Misano, which resulted in fatal injuries to Shoya Tomizawa.

Favre on a Saints beatdown: ‘It’s football’

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — We won’t have the X-Files scandal to keep our attention over the next week, so we’re moving on to Plan B: The aggressiveness with which the New Orleans Saints will come after Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in Thursday night’s regular season opener.

If you recall, the Saints put a beating on Favre in last January’s NFC Championship Game, collecting two personal fouls in the process. The NFL later acknowledged a third penalty should have been called. The game left Favre with bruises on his ankle and thigh — he said Sunday that the photographs that surfaced of his injuries were taken three days after the game — and led Vikings coach Brad Childress to accuse the Saints of hitting him outside the spirit of the NFL’s rules.

Childress reiterated those sentiments Sunday, telling New Orleans reporters: “What I hate to see are late hits or attempts to hurt anybody. I don’t think there’s a place for that in the game.”

Asked if he thought that happened last January, Childress said: “Yes, I would have to say that, yes.”

Let’s get something out of the way right now: There is no way that Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is going to change his approach. Childress knows it, Favre knows it and Saints coach Sean Payton essentially said as much Sunday. Childress’ best hope is that a public discussion leading up to the game brings the issue to the attention of the eyes that matter — i.e. game officials — in hopes of maximizing the chance for penalties and warnings. After all, I doubt the NFL wants to see a future Hall of Fame quarterback taking post-throw hits all night in their marquee national season opener.

To his credit, Favre refused to join in on the discussion and actually welcomed the type of all-in blitzes the Saints specialize in. (More on that latter topic Tuesday.)

“Had it been us doing that to [Saints quarterback Drew Brees], we probably wouldn’t feel that way,” Favre said. “They would be getting those questions. It’s football. If you’re able get the opposing quarterback out. … Are there cheap hits that happen occasionally? In every game. The ones on the quarterback are more obvious. People see them.”

The Saints might do it with a little more machismo, but face it: Every team wants to knock out the opposing quarterback. Not every team has a defensive coordinator like Williams, who told USA Today this summer that “we have to do better in sending messages to every offense about how physical it’s going to be when they play us. Those messages are out there, starting with No. 4 [Favre].”

But it’s not as if the Saints have some kind of novel approach. Success often relies in some part on pushing the envelope. You just hear the Saints talking more about it than some others. And last year, it helped them with the Super Bowl.

“I thought they played with great energy and effort,” Payton said of his defense in the January matchup. “I thought there was one foul that was called. Certainly you could make a case one way or the other, but ultimately the next weekend, or two weekends later, [we] played in Miami for the Super Bowl.”

And isn’t that the bottom line?

What we learned from Notre Dame

What we learned about Notre Dame in its 23-12 win over Purdue:

1. Runs, too, shall pass: So much attention was put on new coach Brian Kelly’s pass-based offense. But the opener proved that the Irish can run the ball too. In fact, they ran it 10 more times than they passed it, with Armando Allen and Cierre Wood combining for 151 yards on 25 attempts (six yards per carry). Notre Dame will need to continue to run the ball effectively to beat the physical teams on its schedule.

2. The defense does have depth: One of Notre Dame’s biggest concerns, and the coaches acknowledged it, was a lack of depth on defense. It didn’t seem to be too much of a problem versus Purdue. Starting safety Jamoris Slaughter went out early with an injury, while linebacker Darius Fleming was sidelined often by cramping. But the defense simply filled in, and nose tackle Ian Williams said a solid rotation on the line kept him fresh. This is still a defense that can’t afford too many injuries, but it may have more depth than originally thought.

3. Coaching matters: The Irish had only two penalties and one turnover. They were very solid on special teams and were well-conditioned when the fourth quarter hit. In other words, they looked like a solid all-around team for the first time in a long time. There is still much room for improvement, but the team appears on the right track under Brian Kelly.

Elías wins amid tragedy at Misano

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Desormeaux will miss three weeks with injuries from spill

Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux will be out of action a minimum of three weeks after sustaining a cracked vertebra as a result of a spill he was involved in during the running of Friday’s second race at Saratoga.

Buccaneers cutdown analysis

Click here for a full list of Tampa Bay’s roster moves.

Biggest surprise: The Buccaneers kept seven wide receivers, one or two more than the norm around the league. The two guys that many thought were on the bubble — simply because of numbers — that made the team are Preston Parker and Micheal Spurlock. Parker’s an undrafted rookie out of North Alabama and Spurlock’s a converted college quarterback. Both have return skills.

No-brainer: Cutting wide receiver Michael Clayton was costly because the Buccaneers still have to pay him $3 million in money that was guaranteed to him when he signed what now looks like a foolish contract last season. But, seriously, it would have taken a rash of injuries at receiver for Clayton to have had a real shot at a roster spot. After drafting Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn and trading for Reggie Brown to go with Sammie Stroughter, the Bucs had four young receivers they liked. They kept Clayton through camp just in case there were injuries or one of the young receivers wasn’t as good as advertised. Williams has been better than expected and Benn, Brown and Stroughter are what the Bucs thought they were. Clayton still could have been kept around as insurance. But when you’ve got a young team and are trying to build good chemistry, it doesn’t make much sense to keep around a veteran who once was a No. 1 receiver to be the No. 5 guy.

What’s next: Tampa Bay’s roster is far from set in stone. General manager Mark Dominik showed last year that he always is looking to upgrade the talent on his roster and the Bucs have room for improvement. In particular, the Bucs could be looking to add depth to a thin offensive line and for a defensive end with some pass-rush skills.

Baltimore Ravens cutdown analysis

Check here for a full list of Baltimore’s roster moves.

Biggest surprise: The biggest name on this list, and perhaps in the AFC North, is backup quarterback Troy Smith. He nearly had Baltimore’s starting job two years ago but an illness knocked him out of the running and opened the door for starter Joe Flacco. The Ravens were open to trading Smith but couldn’t find a suitor. Shayne Graham was the preseason favorite to win Baltimore’s kicking job after signing as a free agent. But after a stiff competition in training camp and the preseason, incumbent Billy Cundiff edged Graham, who statistically is one of the NFL’s most accurate active kickers. Receiver Demetrius Williams was another surprise.

No-brainers: Tight end Davon Drew’s fate was sealed early when the Ravens drafted two rookies at his position high in the draft. Todd Heap, Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta all looked solid this preseason, making Drew expendable. Cornerback Travis Fisher was another player who had an opportunity to show what he can do. Because of injuries, Fisher spent a brief time with the starters this summer but played poorly and didn’t take advantage. Baltimore also pulled off a trade for backup linebacker Antwan Barnes with the Philadelphia Eagles for a conditional draft pick. The Ravens were deep at linebacker and gained back a pick for next year that they lost to the Seattle Seahawks recently in the Josh Wilson trade.

What’s next: Baltimore may scan the waiver wires to see if there’s any hidden gems available in the secondary. Cornerback depth is always welcomed on the Ravens and safety Ed Reed going on the physically unable to perform list makes adding another safety an option. Otherwise, Baltimore’s roster is stacked and ready to go. It’s time for the Ravens to prepare for their Week 1 showdown with the New York Jets on “Monday Night Football.”

Ravens players cut:

K Shayne Graham

WR Eron Riley

CB Travis Fisher

TE Davon Drew

RB Curtis Steele

OT Devin Tyler

DB Brad Jones

LB Albert McClellan

DB K.J. Gerard

QB Troy Smith

WR Demetrius Williams

OL Joe Reitz

OL Bryan Mattison

CB Chris Hawkins

WR Justin Harper

A real stinker for Florida’s offense

The first post-Tim Tebow game at Florida is in the books, and it wasn’t pretty for the Gators.

That’s not all on John Brantley, either. In fact, a lot of what went wrong Saturday for Florida in its sloppy 34-12 victory over Miami (Ohio) wasn’t Brantley’s fault.

In short, it might have been the worst overall offensive showing of the Urban Meyer era.

The Gators couldn’t get right the most basic aspect of offensive football — the snap.

There were more than 10 snaps that were either bad, fumbled or simply not executed. It was a miserable day for senior Mike Pouncey, who was moving over to center from guard to take over for his twin brother, Maurkice Pouncey.

Equally disturbing for the Gators was that they couldn’t run the ball with any consistency. There were a ton of negative-yardage plays because of bad snaps, and Florida finished with just 99 rushing yards. Even that figure is deceiving because Jeff Demps broke a 72-yard touchdown run.

Without Tebow, it remains to be seen who will get the tough yards on this team.

Florida was playing without at least three potential starters in its offensive line. Tackles Xavier Nixon and Matt Patchan were out with injuries, and senior guard Carl Johnson missed the game for unspecified reasons.

Brantley, making his starting debut, finished with just 113 yards passing. He threw two touchdowns and wasn’t intercepted, but one of those touchdowns came on a fourth down desperation heave in the final minutes that was tipped and caught by Chris Rainey. Brantley also had what should have been a touchdown pass in the first half dropped by Deonte Thompson.

The Gators managed just three offensive touchdowns. The first one was scored by cornerback Janoris Jenkins on a 67-yard interception return.

One game hardly makes a season or defines a season. But this is an offense that has a ways to go if the Gators are going to get back to Atlanta for a third straight year and play in the SEC championship game.

Nothing against the effort Miami (Ohio) put up, but had the Gators been playing anybody in the SEC on Saturday, they’d probably be 0-1 right now.

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