DS Talk » didnt change Dallas post-season position

ASHBURN, Va. - Rookie NFL head coach Jay Gruden pulled a veteran move Thursday, saying he wont absolutely, positively rule out Robert Griffin IIIs return for the Monday night game against the Dallas Cowboys until just before kickoff.Gruden nevertheless gave every indication that McCoy will make a first start in nearly three years. The coach said he was tinkering on thin ice at practice to give both quarterbacks sufficient first-team snaps so that McCoy will be ready to play and so that Griffin can back in the flow after idle weeks recovering from a dislocated left ankle.Colts the starter. Were preparing for Colt to be the starter, Gruden said. But were trying to get Robert some reps, get him ready. But right now it looks like odds are Colt will be the starter, but were trying to work Robert into the lineup and trying to get him reps to get him ready to go because ultimately, when its all said and done, when Roberts healthy, Roberts the starter.We just dont know when that healthy will be.Gruden previously said he wanted to declare a starter by end of Thursdays practice, but maintaining the suspense of even a remote chance of a Griffin return is a classic move to keep the opponent guessing. The Cowboys, at least nominally, will have to prepare for two very different quarterbacks.We will try to keep an eye on what they are doing throughout the week, Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. But we certainly have to be ready for both of them.Griffin was again listed as limited in practice Thursday and has been cleared to do just about everything by the trainers, according to Gruden. McCoy, however, needs all the work he can get because he began the season as the third-stringer and has practiced very little with the starters. Center Kory Lichtensteiger, for example, said he had made probably zero snaps to McCoy in any sort of 11-on-11 practice drill until this week.Were really tinkering here on thin ice, you know, as far as who were giving the reps to, Gruden said. Every time we take Colt out of the game getting ready for Monday night, were taking away from his progression. We have to give Colt the reps right now, but we also have to make sure that were bringing Robert along at a good rate so that when hes ready to go, hes ready to go.The Redskins again declined to make Griffin available to reporters. He is scheduled to make a statement Friday but is not expected to take questions.He wants to play, no question, Gruden said. Hes a great competitor, but he also knows he has to go through the process, and he understands that. Hes still got to get out there and throw these balls in the team drills to the wide receivers to get himself back in game form. Its not so much the injury now as it is more about getting himself ready from a mental-physical standpoint playing football.McCoys last start came on Dec. 8, 2011, with the Cleveland Browns. He made his Redskins debut on Sunday when he led a come-from-behind win over the Tennessee Titans after Kirk Cousins was benched at halftime.If McCoy does get the call, he will become the 24th Redskins starting quarterback in 22 seasons, an run of instability that has seen everyone from Heath Shuler to Donovan McNabb come and go without sustained success. Accordingly, Washington has missed the playoff in all but four of those seasons.Notes: Two other starting jobs for Mondays game are still up for grabs, according to Gruden. Tom Compton could get the nod at right tackle ahead of Tyler Polumbus, who was benched for parts of the Titans game. Also, LB Perry Riley is set to return from a sprained left knee, but Gruden said both Riley and Will Compton could get playing time. ... LB Keenan Robinson was chosen by the league as the NFCs Defensive Player of the Week, an honour that usually goes to someone who makes a highlight play or two. Robinson quietly had a career-high 14 tackles against the Titans. I didnt do anything special, he said. I ran the play-calls and happened to be there for 14 times on tackles. ... Ahead of his first Dallas week, Gruden showed his players a video of highlights from the rivalry. A lot of guys havent been in this organization, myself included, Gruden said. Its always good to see the history of this rivalry and how important it is to the fans, the ex-players, the alumni and this organization in general.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Gerald Green Rockets Jersey . -- The Guelph Storm are moving on to the Western Conference final after defeating the London Knights 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League playoff action. PJ Tucker Rockets Jersey .DeMarco Murray got his 20th carry late in the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, not long after Dez Bryant made his final catch of the day.Sure enough, a 44-17 win over Washington didnt change Dallas post-season position. http://www.therocketsofficial.com/Authen...ckets-Jersey/.Y. -- AJ Allmendingers journey is almost complete. Clyde Drexler Jersey .com) - Generally you want to be the guy who replaces the guy who replaced the legend. Tracy McGrady Jersey .B. -- Canadas Rachel Homan had ideal preparation for the playoffs at the Ford World Curling Championships with a pair of hard-fought wins over tenacious opponents Thursday.NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Pelicans and Louisiana-based Smoothie King have reached a 10-year agreement to rename the New Orleans Arena as the Smoothie King Center. Pelicans President Dennis Lauscha said such a deal had been a "gigantic" piece of owner Tom Bensons business plan since he bought the long-struggling small-market franchise from the NBA in the spring of 2012. "Finding a naming rights partner was key to the long-term financial viability of this franchise in this market," Lauscha said. Benson, who has owned the Saints since 1985, purchased citys NBA franchise — formerly called the Hornets — for $338 million and has consolidated the headquarters and many of the business operations of both clubs. The hope was that with the two franchises sharing resources and cross-promoting one another, the region could better support two major professional sports teams. Officials with both the club and Smoothie King declined to release financial terms of the deal, which also gives Smoothie King an option for a 10-year extension. Smoothie King owner Wan Kim said sponsoring an NBA arena in New Orleans helps his company demonstrate its commitment to the community where it is based while promoting its brand globally. Smoothie King, founded in suburban New Orleans in 1973, has 674 locations in 31 states and in Asia, and is looking to expand both nationally and overseas, Smoothie King President Tom OKeefe said. Of 30 NBA cities, 21 currently have Smoothie King franchises, he said. The arena is officially being renamed on Thursday, in time for next weeks NBA All-Star festivities in New Orleans. Kim, a native of South Korea who attended college and business school in the United States, bought the company in July 2012. He said he initially considered moving its headquarters to Atlantta or Dallas.dddddddddddd "I started to realize a lot of people who live in New Orleans, for them, its very difficult to leave the city," Kim said. "Its a very different city. Its very unique, culturally, and I did start to see why people didnt want to move. "At the same time, I did feel our root is here and I shouldnt give up on that," Kim said. "Not only did we decide not to move out, but we are pretty much telling you (with the naming rights deal) that our group is here and we are sticking with it." As part of the agreement, Smoothie King will be airing commercials during Pelicans broadcasts, as well as sponsoring pregame and postgame segments. The companys smoothies will also be available at concession stands around the arena. Team officials said there were "two or three" other candidates for a naming rights deal, but that Smoothie Kings interests seemed most aligned with the Bensons goals of promoting the business climate in his home state. "Theres no more perfect story to say how businesses can root themselves in New Orleans and grow," said Rita Benson LeBlanc, Bensons granddaughter and a part owner of the Pelicans and Saints. She added that the agreement is "a testament to how New Orleans has recovered (from Hurricane Katrina) and how Louisiana is redefining itself as an economic development engine." The deal might have been completed before this season began, but because Smoothie King products contain nutritional supplements, NBA rules required that all of the companys products be tested to ensure there were no banned substances. LeBlanc said that process took about eight months. "We couldnt have any question as to what are the contents of the products that Smoothie King actually offers," LeBlanc said. 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