Indianapolis Colts lose Marlin Jackson for season; Anthony Gonzalez has surgery, Bob Sanders meets with doctor on elbow

The injuries are starting to pile up for the undefeated Indianapolis Colts.

The team has placed starting cornerback Marlin Jackson on injured reserve, ending his season, and announced that on Thursday, wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez underwent arthroscopic knee surgery.

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In addition, safety Bob Sanders consulted with noted surgeon Dr. James Andrews on an elbow injury he suffered in last week's game against San Francisco.

Gonzalez, who has missed most of the season, suffered a recent setback in practice that led to surgery to clean out loose particles in his right knee, the team said. Gonzalez is expected to miss two to three weeks, a team source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Sanders, one of the Colts' best defenders, made his season debut in Week 7 after missing the Colts' training camp, preseason and the first five games of the regular season after having surgery on his right knee.

Jackson suffered a knee injury during a non-contact drill on Wednesday. A team source told Schefter that Jackson tore his ACL on the final play of practice and is expected to have surgery next week.

Jackson's newest injury came a day after the Colts placed linebacker Tyjuan Hagler on injured reserve with a ruptured biceps.

The Colts signed veteran defensive end Josh Thomas to replace Jackson on the active roster. Thomas played with the Colts from 2004 through 2008, starting in 12 of 68 appearances, and was credited with 172 tackles, including six sacks.

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Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant will enter NFL draft

Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant said Thursday night that he will enter the 2010 NFL draft.

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"I feel this is the best decision for me," Bryant said. "It's what God wants me to do. I'm going to start my training Tuesday in Tampa."

Bryant was declared ineligible by Oklahoma State after misleading NCAA investigators about his relationship with Deion Sanders.

"This year didn't go the way I wanted it to," Bryant said. "It was so hard. And to be honest I had my head down at times. But the NCAA has made their decision. And I respect that. And now I've made mine."

Bryant said he hopes to live up to the NFL production of receivers such as Randy Moss and Anquan Boldin. He is projected as a first-round pick.

"When I talk to the NFL I'm going to be truthful with them about what happened," Bryant said. "It will be what I'm supposed to tell them, which is the truth."

Bryant said after being suspended for most of his junior season, he just wants to play again.

"I love the game," Bryant said. "I have a passion for the game. Football is what I do. And any NFL team that I play for is going to get great effort."

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Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable should be suspended, NOW says

The National Organization for Women believes Tom Cable should not be coaching the Oakland Raiders while the team investigates allegations that Cable has a history of violent behavior toward women.

Cable

Cable said Wednesday he has spoken with Raiders owner Al Davis within the past two days and that his job status was not discussed. Cable said he plans to coach the team for the remainder of the season.

In an e-mailed statement to USA Today on Wednesday, NOW president Terry O'Neill said, "Tom Cable's history of violence against women raises a question: Why is he still the head coach of an NFL team?

"Mr. Cable admits having battered his first wife, and he stands accused of battering two other intimate partners as well. As a survivor of domestic violence, I know that women do not make such accusations lightly. Indeed, women have much more to lose than to gain by coming forward to tell their stories."

"The Oakland Raiders, properly, say they are undergoing a 'serious evaluation' of these recent allegations," O'Neill wrote in the e-mail. "At the very least he should be suspended during this process. ... A man who has admitted battering his wife has no business being a role model for all of us who would like to be able to look up to the head coach of an NFL football team."

In allegations made to ESPN's "Outside The Lines" that were reported Sunday, Cable's first wife, Sandy Cable, and his former girlfriend, Marie Lutz, said the coach physically abused them at various times during their respective relationships.

Cable released a statement Sunday acknowledging striking Sandy Cable with an open hand. Cable said the altercation happened more than 20 years ago and was the only time he's ever touched a woman inappropriately. He stood by that statement Wednesday, declining to answer any questions on the topic.

"We wish to be clear that we do not in any way condone or accept actions such as those alleged," the Raiders said in a statement Monday. "There have been occasions on which we have dismissed Raider employees for having engaged in inappropriate conduct."

O'Neill said she has not contacted the Raiders or the NFL directly. Cable said Thursday he did not believe pressure from outside groups would influence what the team decides to do with him.

"I think it will be handled properly," he said. "I'm going to leave it at that right now."

This is the second allegation against Cable accusing him of violence. Former defensive assistant Randy Hanson accused Cable of assaulting him and breaking his jaw during training camp. The Napa County (Calif.) district attorney declined to file charges in that matter in October.

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Glen Davis of Boston Celtics wants to try NFL when basketball career is over

Glen "Big Baby" Davis has no regrets about choosing basketball over football. That's because he's achieved success and a championship with the Boston Celtics -- and also because he doesn't believe his days on the football field are over.

Davis, the Celtics' 6-foot-9, 290-pound forward, said he eventually wants to play in the NFL.

“

When I become an All-Star in the NBA, when I become a great player in the NBA, then I'll try football. One of my dreams has always been to play football.

”-- Glen Davis

"I will try it," said Davis, who's on the injured list for six weeks with a broken right thumb sustained in a fight. "When I become an All-Star in the NBA, when I become a great player in the NBA, then I'll try football. One of my dreams has always been to play football."

Davis was a terrific two-way football player at University Laboratory High School in Baton Rouge, La., starring at defensive end, defensive tackle and tailback. But he chose to hang up his cleats and accept a basketball scholarship to LSU, where he became an All-American.

"I definitely could have made it to the NFL," Davis said.

He doesn't have a specific position in mind in the NFL.

"It don't matter," he said. "I just want to play."

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Davis is now in his third season with the Celtics. He averaged just 7 points and 4 rebounds per game as a reserve last season, but while replacing Kevin Garnett as a starter in the playoffs, Davis pushed his averages to 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

In August, Davis signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Celtics. He doesn't foresee jumping to the NFL at the end of this contract because he doesn't think he'll reach his NBA goals by then.

"No, we've got too many other great players in front of me -- KG and Rasheed Wallace -- for that to happen," he said.

Davis found himself in hot water with the Celtics after breaking his thumb in an early-morning fight with a longtime friend just two days before the start of the regular season. He apologized to his teammates and was fined for the indiscretion, but was not suspended.

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Greg Blache, Washington Redskins defensive coordinator says enough Snyder bashing

ASHBURN, Va. -- Greg Blache is fed up with criticism of Dan Snyder.

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Win McNamee/Getty ImagesRedskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache took offense at John Riggins' criticism.

The Washington Redskins' defensive coordinator broke his media silence Thursday to launch a vigorous defense of the team owner, saying, "Enough's enough."

Blache said he was moved to speak after reading comments made by Hall of Fame running back John Riggins. In an interview on Showtime's "Inside the NFL," scheduled to be broadcast Wednesday night, Riggins said Snyder is a "bad guy" and that the owner's "heart is dark."

Blache described Snyder as "one of the most generous, kind individuals you could ever meet" and said that people outside of the organization don't get a chance to know the owner. Blache declined to take questions.

In the interview on "Inside the NFL," Riggins was asked why he thought Snyder was a bad guy. He cited the owner's "business practices," then said: "It's driven all by his ego and everything has to come from him. And I just don't think you can be successful in those situations and when you are dealing with someone with the mindset of a child and yet owns a franchise in the NFL."

Asked to comment further, Riggins did, according to a transcript provided by Showtime.

"This person knows nothing about football, absolutely nothing," he said of Snyder. "I don't think they have a clue how a football team comes together, how it works. And yet they are the ones that are basically calling all the shots through a puppet, which is [vice president for football operations] Vinny Cerrato. That is my take on it."

Blache defended Snyder in a meeting Thursday with reporters.

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"This is a man I've known for six years, since I've been here," Blache said. "And in the six years, I've never seen John Riggins here. I met him once at the Beach Blitz down in Virginia Beach -- never seen him in the building. So, to hear such a vicious criticism of somebody I consider not just my employer, but a good friend, bothered me."

Blache cited Snyder's charity work and his dealings with Blache and Blache's wife.

"We've had criticisms from people outside the building saying who Dan Snyder is and who he isn't," Blache said. "They don't know Dan Snyder and that's the problem. Trust me because he and I, we work together. I'm not going to tell you that this is a utopia. There are no utopias in football, and there are no utopias in life. At the same time, enough is enough. Every story, there is one person's side, another person's side, and then behind it all there is a third side and it's the truth.

"I just felt like it was time for somebody to come and throw a little truth out there," Blache said. "We keep hearing these other sides, these other factions, and to be quite candid, the third side -- the truth -- is that this person, all he wants to do is win. That's all he wants to do. He will spend his money, he will spend his time, he wants to win, he is here for the people, for the fans, for the Washington Redskins.

"Nobody pains more when we are unsuccessful than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that cares more about the fans than Dan Snyder. There is nobody that wants to win here, more than Dan Snyder. I just think that it's time to put out there, for you guys to understand, that everything that is wrong with this organization is not Dan Snyder."

Snyder has been a popular target for criticism from fans, ex-players and pundits for the state of the Redskins, who are 2-5 and have won only two playoff games in his 10 years of ownership. Snyder broke his own media silence earlier this week to apologize to the fans on behalf of the organization.

Blache, who stopped speaking to the media four weeks ago for unspecified reasons, walked away after his statement and did not take questions.

After practice Thursday, coach Jim Zorn supported Blache's position, saying: "I would concur that Dan Snyder is a guy that absolutely cares about other people."

"Some of the words that are said are just so harsh," Zorn said. "All the time. It just seems like everybody's down, and part of that is on me. We're losing, and that creates issues. And I think that's more of the problem than anything, is losing, and I want to help change that."

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Tony Romo: Roy Williams talk will not divide Dallas Cowboys

IRVING, Texas -- Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo was defiant Thursday, saying that discussions about why wide receiver Roy Williams has such low numbers will not divide his team.

Williams only has 14 catches for 249 yards and two touchdowns heading into the Cowboys' game at Philadelphia Sunday night.

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Williams said Wednesday that Romo throws better passes to the team's other receivers, and he can't figure out why.

Romo said the two are working hard in practices, even doing extra work, but for whatever reason, the chemistry is not there.

"I don't look at the numbers," Romo said before Thursday's practice at Valley Ranch. "We've been through this before with people trying to intersect and divide a football team. This team is too strong from the core.

"I know the media is going to make certain things appear what they may not actually have been or things of that nature. This team is too committed to winning and too committed to improving to let anything like that or anything [the media] may present to us divide this team."

For the past two days, Williams has discussed his lack of a connection with Romo. He said Thursday that he was getting tired of talking about it.

Romo has completed less than 40 percent of his passes to Williams, which is a smaller percentage than Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin and tight end Jason Witten.

"I didn't complain," Williams said. "I didn't complain that I didn't get the ball. I got seven opportunities in [last Sunday's win over Seattle]. All I said was that, when it comes to me, it's not there. The percentages ... back my case. I'm not saying it can't be fixed because that's what we do every day. We try to work on it and get it fixed.

"I'm not a T.O. [Terrell Owens] or I'm not trying to be a T.O. I don't know why people are trying to put me in that category because I'm happy to win. I've said that 100 times."

Ron - Real not a one-man teamDallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams unhappy, says he, Tony Romo not on same page

Dallas Cowboys receiver Roy Williams unhappy, says he, Tony Romo not on same page

IRVING, Texas -- Roy Williams remains the Dallas Cowboys' No. 1 receiver, at least in his mind.

After putting in a lot of extra offseason work with quarterback Tony Romo, Williams is stunned they haven't made more progress.

"It's just not even close," Williams said. "It's not even funny. Not even close."

Williams does not believe his poor production accurately portrays his performance.

"I'm the No. 1 receiver," Williams said. "But things are just going No. 2's way."

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The No. 2 is Miles Austin, who has produced like a Pro Bowler since moving into the starting lineup. Austin has set an NFL record with 482 yards in his first three starts, scoring on five of his 21 receptions during that span.

Compare that to Williams' statistics in 16 games since arriving from Detroit in a blockbuster deal: 33 catches, 447 yards and three touchdowns.

Considering those numbers, how could Williams possibly still see himself as the Cowboys' No. 1 receiver?

"He gets the ball thrown correctly his way," Williams said of Austin. "I'm stretching and falling and doing everything. Everybody [else] who's been here's balls are there. Our footballs [from Romo to Williams] are everywhere right now."

Williams has caught only 14 of 37 passes thrown his way this season. Only four receivers in the league who have been targeted at least 25 times have caught a lower percentage of passes aimed at them.

Williams stressed that he's pleased that the Cowboys are winning, but he's frustrated that he hasn't been more effective. He isn't asking for more opportunities. He just wants to be put in better position to make plays -- which means getting on the same page with Romo.

"We're going to be fine there," Romo said after Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks. "I know what Roy's doing. It's just a matter of going back and looking the tape and seeing what we have to do better. But it's just part of growing with a receiver."

Dallas Cowboys want to get WR Miles Austin more involved