Tony Romo practices, prepared for showdown with Giants

DEC29
2011WRITTEN BY PAUL JACKIEWICZ

According to Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News,  Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo practiced for the second straight day on Thursday and looks like he’ll be just fine for Sunday night’s match up with the Giants.

I think the only way Romo doesn’t play at this point is if his throwing hand has to get cut off.  There’s no way the Cowboys would go with Sean McGee as their starter,  since this is essentially a playoff game.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are running our first even TTR Playoff Bracket Challenge, and the winner gets a free shirt of the team of their choice. So hurry and enter TTR's Playoff Bracket Challenge for Free!

Mike Pereira rips Jon Gruden

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 29, 2011, 10:31 AM EST

Former NFL head of officiating and current FOX analyst Mike Pereira was just getting started when he ripped Jon Gruden on Twitter during Monday night’s game.

With more time to think about Gruden’s failure to understand NFL rules, Pereira only got angrier.

“[Gruden] was a loudmouth as a coach who constantly disrespected officials and he is a blowhard in the broadcast booth who spouts off when he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” Pereira wrote in a column for FOXSports.com.

12/29 Thursday morning one-liners

Posted by Evan Silva on December 29, 2011, 8:04 AM EST

Reuters

Contract-year WR Stevie Johnson expects the Bills to re-sign him.

The Dolphins are banged up entering their season finale.

The Patriots’ tight ends have been dominant this season.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer may be the “scapegoat” for the Jets’ regression.

Ravens DL coach Clarence Brooks discusses his position group.

Offensive coordinator Jay Gruden says the Bengals are “married to” RB Cedric Benson.

Cam Newton doesn't see racism as the driving force behind criticism

Posted by Josh Alper on December 28, 2011, 5:32 PM EST

Getty Images

Back in June, Cam Newton vowed not to “bring race into the game” and he’s doing his best to stick to that as his rookie season winds down.

In an interview with ESPN The Magazine, Newton was asked about the criticism he faced before being drafted first overall by the Panthers. At the time, Warren Moon, who advised Newton leading up to the draft, said that he felt that the critiques of Newton that called him phony or questioned his smile were “racially based.”

Roethlisberger expected to start this weekend

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 28, 2011, 9:51 PM EST

Getty Images

The question no longer seems to be whether Ben Roethlisberger will start for the Steelers on Sunday. The question is how much he will play.

There is nothing else to deduce after Roethlisberger went through a full practice Wednesday.

“He looked all right,” Hines Ward said via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I don’t know if he really ran around or stuff like that. He looked good so, with a week [off], he’s feeling a little better, it definitley helped him.”

Gerry Dulac reports that the Steelers expect Big Ben, center Maurkice Pouncey, and wideout Emmanuel Sanders to play against the Browns.  Dulac writes the Steelers want Roethlisberger to take 25-30 snaps, but the Steelers don’t want him coming off too much rest heading into the playoffs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are running our first even TTR Playoff Bracket Challenge, and the winner gets a free shirt of the team of their choice. So hurry and enter TTR's Playoff Bracket Challenge for Free!

Saints' will not rest starters this weekend

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 28, 2011, 8:14 PM EST

Getty Images

Saints coach Sean Payton knows exactly how tricky this week’s game against the Panthers could be. He was in almost the exact same scenario last year in Week 17 and it turned into a disaster.

New Orleans entered the final week of the 2010 season with a chance to win the NFC South and a bye. The Saints had a tough matchup against an up-and-coming division opponent — the Bucs.

The Saints needed to win that game, and hope that the Falcons lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL — the 2010 Panthers.