Nfl 2013 superbowl odds

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ACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey is hearing rumors that holdout Maurice Jones-Drew will report soon, but says none of the talk is coming from anyone who matters.

On a conference call with reporters Saturday, Mularkey says he has "heard the same things like you have, but nothing from people that need to tell me. Nothing personally from Maurice."

Jones-Drew wants to renegotiate his $31 million contract, which has two years remaining. The Jaguars insist they have plans to rework his deal.

Jones-Drew could show up in time for the opener, which would ensure he wouldn't miss a paycheck.

Mularkey isn't saying where he heard the rumors, but adds that "I hear things on the street just like you guys do. I can tell you it wasn't on Twitter.


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BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Sidelined and hidden from public view for nearly a month, Browns rookie running back Trent Richardson might play in Cleveland's season opener.

Richardson, who underwent knee surgery Aug. 9, rode a stationary bike before Saturday's practice and remained on the field with his teammates as they began preparing for next week's game against Philadelphia. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said Richardson has been running - and even taking part in some contact drills- and that if he's able to practice this week, he'll face the Eagles.

"If he's ready, he'll play," Shurmur said.

The No. 3 overall pick in April's NFL draft, Richardson had an arthroscopic procedure done on his left knee last month, his second operation since helping Alabama win the national championship in January. Richardson did not play in any of Cleveland's four exhibition games, and before Saturday the 22-year-old hadn't been seen around Cleveland's training facility except for one day when he came out briefly to sign autographs for fans.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Maurice Jones-Drew remains as passionate as ever about his value.

So when the Jacksonville Jaguars running back ended his 38-day holdout Sunday - without a new contract - he had no apologies, no regrets and no concerns about his standing with the franchise.

"I'm in a good place," he said. "I did something I felt was right, and I'm always going to feel right. I'm not going to feel wrong for what I did it at all. And that's why I can come back and not have a negative attitude. I think if you regret things, you're going to come back salty, be a distraction, things like that.

"I don't feel that way `cause what I did was right. No one can tell me it was wrong. Not one person here can tell me what I did was wrong."

Jones-Drew arrived at the team facility Sunday morning, chatted with teammates and then had a 40-minute conversation with coach Mike Mularkey.


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(AP) -- The NFL referees union says the league is "engaged in a misinformation campaign" following unsuccessful negotiations earlier in the weekend.

The two sides failed to reach an agreement Saturday when they met for the third day in a row, and the league said it's proceeding with replacement officials.

The NFL locked out the referees in early June, and hired replacements, whose work in exhibition games has been heavily criticized.

On Sunday, it sent teams a memo saying it upped its offer to the union and thought it was close to a deal, but the union says "there was no agreement ... to do anything other than to meet on Saturday. Any claim that numbers were agreed to before Saturday is absolutely false."

The NFL's memo says it offered more money in order to reach a deal before the regular season started, and thought the union was planning to reach one on Saturday.

In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, the NFL said that on Saturday "the officials immediately did an about-face and made clear that they had no intention of settling within the agreed-upon parameters."

The union says that "after locking out the NFL Officials on June 3 and refusing to negotiate with the NFLRA, the NFL is now engaged in a misinformation campaign."
The statement goes on to say "there was no agreement on Thursday or Friday to do anything other than to meet on Saturday. Any claim that any numbers were agreed to before Saturday is absolutely false."

The NFL has seen and heard the problems the replacements have had this summer, something that tests the integrity of the sport. The speed of the game and the amount of time starters are on the field increase exponentially for real games, making the replacements' task more challenging.

In 2001, the NFL used replacements for the first week of the regular season before a contract was finalized.


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IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Jason Witten is doing everything he can to be ready to play in the Dallas Cowboys' season opener.

Yet no matter how good he feels, the seven-time Pro Bowl tight end won't know until Tuesday if he will be medically cleared. That is when he is scheduled to have a CT scan to determine if his lacerated spleen has healed enough to play.

"You look for in how he's preparing himself to play in the game, then the answer is yes there," owner Jerry Jones said after the team's practice Sunday. "But realistically, how it sorts through relative to what he might do in a CAT scan test Tuesday, that probably will dictate whether he plays or not."

It has been only three weeks since Witten got hurt when he took a hard hit in the side during the Aug. 13 preseason opener at Oakland. He had limited participation in practice Sunday, only his second day back in pads.

Witten's scan is set before the team's departure for the NFL's kickoff game Wednesday night at the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

"If I get cleared, we're playing. It's the only way I believe you can approach the game," said Witten, who was then asked if he was optimistic about getting cleared.

"I wouldn't say optimistic just because as of right now it's been a tough challenge to get to that point," he said. "Optimistic would be if it was in my hands and my control. So no from that standpoint."


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Giants Hakeem Nicks held out of practice status uncertain for Weds against Cowboys

 

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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) --The Minnesota Vikings acquired cornerback A.J. Jefferson from the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday for a conditional draft pick in 2013.

In bringing in the 24-year-old Jefferson, the Vikings continued their approach of adding youthful depth to a rebuilding roster. Cornerback was an area of concern for the coaching staff with Antoine Winfield entering his 14th season and missed the final 10 games of last season due to injury while Chris Cook has struggled with injuries and off-the-field issues in his first two years in Minnesota.

Jefferson was the odd man out in a crowd at cornerback for Arizona. Signed as an undrafted rookie out of Fresno State in 2010, he played in all 16 games last season, the first seven as a starter. He had 67 tackles, 59 solo, with one interception.

The Vikings also claimed offensive lineman Mark Asper off waivers from the Bills and waived offensive lineman Pat Brown and cornerback Zack Bowman. Brown played his first three seasons with the Vikings, seeing limited action in 2011. Bowman was brought in to compete for playing time but was underwhelming during the preseason.


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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) --The Minnesota Vikings acquired cornerback A.J. Jefferson from the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday for a conditional draft pick in 2013.

In bringing in the 24-year-old Jefferson, the Vikings continued their approach of adding youthful depth to a rebuilding roster. Cornerback was an area of concern for the coaching staff with Antoine Winfield entering his 14th season and missed the final 10 games of last season due to injury while Chris Cook has struggled with injuries and off-the-field issues in his first two years in Minnesota.

Jefferson was the odd man out in a crowd at cornerback for Arizona. Signed as an undrafted rookie out of Fresno State in 2010, he played in all 16 games last season, the first seven as a starter. He had 67 tackles, 59 solo, with one interception.

The Vikings also claimed offensive lineman Mark Asper off waivers from the Bills and waived offensive lineman Pat Brown and cornerback Zack Bowman. Brown played his first three seasons with the Vikings, seeing limited action in 2011. Bowman was brought in to compete for playing time but was underwhelming during the preseason.


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BALTIMORE (AP) -- Former Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell is hospitalized in Baltimore.

The team says the 87-year-old Modell is at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Kevin Byrne, senior vice president of public and community relations for the team, did not know Modell's condition. But Cleveland television station WKYC reported that Modell's vital organs are failing.

Modell purchased the Cleveland Browns for $4 million in 1961 and moved the franchise to Baltimore in 1996. The relocation made him a hero in Baltimore but a pariah in Cleveland.

He sold a minority interest in the team to Steve Bisciotti in 2000, and in April 2004, Bisciotti completed purchase of the franchise. But Modell retained a 1 percent piece of the team and is listed in the current Ravens media guide as a minority owner.

During his days as sole owner of the team, Modell served as NFL president from 1967-69, chaired negotiations for the first collective bargaining agreement with the players in 1968 and was a key figure in getting NFL games televised on Monday nights.

Modell enjoyed watching the Ravens practice, always riding in a golf cart because he had difficulty walking. But those visits became more infrequent in recent years because of his failing health.

His wife of 42 years, Patricia, died in 2011

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