[TS] Sports of The Times: In the N.F.L., Just Being Good Can Be Enough
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In the new, salary-cap N.F.L., you donât have to be great to win the Super Bowl.
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N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell should have come down harder on the Patriots, given how he has leveled players like Pacman Jones, Tank Williams and Michael Vick.
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But that&#39;s OK. Because after a 31-14 rout of the St. Louis Rams, they can&#39;t be called total losers either. ``It was a whole team effort,&#39;&#39; said quarterback Jay Fiedler
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Last night's postgame buzzword for the Patriots was improvement. Granted, when you're coming off a 31-3 loss, it doesn't take much to utter such a word.
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Sometimes you can just tell. It only takes a few minutes of action, one or two touches, a run off the ball. The talent is obvious, so is the self belief.
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Larry Brown, the most successful coach on the market, is quietly pining for another chance in the N.B.A. The problem, it seems, is that the league is not so eager to give Brown that opportunity.
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Finally, a head coach in the National Football League told us what was in his heart. Of course, in the process, the Falcons' Jim Mora put his foot in his mouth â just where we like it.
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In its latest quest to overcome crowd noise, the N.F.L. may soon allow visiting teams the benefit of a helmet-to-helmet wireless communication system.
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The 1961 and 1962 Green Bay victories over the Giants in the N.F.L. championship games gave the league much-needed celebrity.
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The N.F.C. has only one presumed heavyweight, the Philadelphia Eagles. By contrast, 10 victories in the A.F.C. might not be enough for some teams to reach the playoffs.
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Maybe all the Miami Dolphins needed was the right kind of inspiration.
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It pays to be playing your best football at the most opportune time.
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There are no easy wins in the NFL, as every week is a new challenge. However, there are some games that are more winnable than others.
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Several pro leagues have tried and failed to compete with the NFL. But that isn't stopping  two more from trying
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At the halfway point of the N.F.L. season, the adjustments - personal and professional - are still being made by the rookie class.
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Those Dolphins achieved the N.F.L.âs only perfect season by finishing 17-0. Some 35 years later, the Patriots need three postseason wins for 19-0.
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Just like many of the players they lead, successful NFL coaches have a most unfortunate flaw: They rarely know when it's time to go.