No kickoffs a bad idea, says Browns returner

Say it isn't so, Roger. Commissioner Roger Goodell said this week that the league's competition committee will consider eliminating the kickoff in the offseason. The league previously moved the kickoff from the 30 to the 35-yard line to cut down on violent collisions, hoping to reduce head injuries.

But eliminating kickoffs? Pretty soon the game of football will involve no "foot" whatsoever.

Browns return specialist Josh Cribbs doesn't like the possibility that the NFL will do away with kickoffs.

Cribbs, who shares the league record for kickoff-return touchdowns (eight) with Seattle's Leon Washington, said banning the kickoff would change the league "drastically" and that if the move was made the NFL would be "just like intramurals."

Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano suggested that instead of kickoffs, teams would have the option of punting from the 30-yard line or going for a first down in a fourth-and-15 situation. Goodell has called Schiano's idea "interesting."

At least the punting option involves a foot.

Everyone on the outside might be focusing on Peyton Manning's setting more records and the Denver Broncos' getting an eighth straight win to move a step closer to a first-round bye.

Manning is focused on much smaller goals - showing improvement week to week.

The Broncos managed to do just that in a short week as Knowshon Moreno sparked a struggling running game with 119 yards and a touchdown, and Manning threw for 310 yards and another score to help Denver roll past the Oakland Raiders, 26-13, on Thursday night.

Manning extended his franchise record with his 30th touchdown pass on the game's opening drive, became the fastest quarterback to reach 5,000 career completions, and earned his record 12th 10-win season as a starter.

That helped the Broncos (10-3) move a half-game ahead of New England and Baltimore for the second-best record in the AFC. Denver visits Baltimore next week in a game that will help decide who gets a first-round playoff bye.

Rex Ryan says he'll make a game-time decision on whether Tim Tebow plays in the New York Jets' game in Jacksonville against the Jaguars on Sunday.

Tebow, healing from two broken ribs, will travel to his hometown with the team, and Ryan will determine before the game if the backup quarterback plays. Ryan says Tebow, who was limited all week in practice, did a lot more on the field than he had in previous weeks.

If Tebow can play, Ryan said it's possible all three quarterbacks - Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy, and Tebow - could be active.

Arizona defensive tackle Darnell Dockett has received a "six-figure" fine from the Cardinals for an on-field incident in which he allegedly spit at teammate Kerry Rhodes, a source told ESPN.

The exact size of the fine was unknown.

The punishment stems from a directive from the coaching staff to allow the Jets to score when they had the ball deep in Arizona territory in the final minutes. Dockett refused and got into a heated on-field argument with Rhodes. The Jets won, 7-6.

Denver Broncos defensive end Von Miller was fined $25,000 by the NFL for his hit below the knee of Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman last week.

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $21,000 for a horse-collar tackle on Seattle's Washington, his second fine in two weeks.

Green Bay's Tramon Williams was fined $21,000 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Minnesota's Toby Gerhart Sunday.