Glauber: NFL notebook
New York Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson (21) runs against the Denver Broncos during the second half. (Oct. 17, 2010) Credit: AP
Another feat for Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson is on the verge of achieving yet another significant milestone. The Jets running back needs only 20 or more rushing yards against the Packers Sunday to join Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton as the only running backs in league history to amass at least 13,000 rushing yards and 4,000 receiving yards in their careers.
Tomlinson has 12,980 rushing yards and 4,062 receiving yards during his illustrious career, almost all of which was spent with the San Diego Chargers. Payton, who played his entire career with the Bears, wound up with 16,726 rushing yards and 4,538 receiving yards.
Eli's TDs on top
Eli Manning of the Giants and Drew Brees of the Saints are tied for the NFL lead with 14 touchdown passes, and Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers aren't far behind with 13 apiece.
The quarterbacks are atop the charts in a season that is on a record pace for touchdown passes. Through Week 7, there have been 307 touchdown passes, the most in NFL history at this point in the season.
And if the pace keeps up, there will be a whopping 755 for the season. That would break the mark of 732, set in 2004.
Jones in a tough spot with Wade
Under normal circumstances, the decision would be easy for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones: With his 1-5 team badly underachieving, it's a lock that Jones would be looking for a new head coach after the season. Not so fast.
With the specter of a work stoppage looming in 2011, we're told Jones is troubled by the idea of hiring a new coach - as well as a new staff of assistants - only to have a lockout interrupt part or all of the season.
"You're looking at paying millions of dollars to a new staff, and also paying millions to the old staff," said a person familiar with Jones' line of thinking. "I'm not sure Jerry's inclined to do that."
Asked if Jones was definitely ready to make a change with Phillips, who is signed through 2011, the source replied: "He is not."
In fact, it's a difficult situation for any team looking to make a coaching change for 2011. It could be a very expensive proposition, especially if there are no games and an owner winds up paying two staffs.
Belichick in Halloween spirit
Bill Belichick won't be wearing any Halloween costume when the Patriots host the Vikings on Sunday . . . unless you consider his trademark "hoodie" sweatshirt a costume. But the Patriots coach used to enjoy the holiday when he was a kid, and even won the award for best costume one year.
Belichick remembers his favorite costume was a John F. Kennedy outfit he wore in 1962.
"It was during the Cuban missile crisis, as it turned out," Belichick said. "I think I won the prize there. Everybody was really impressed that the president was able to break away from the Cuban missile crisis to attend a Halloween party - a school Halloween party."
Asked if he had a Randy Moss mask to welcome the recently traded receiver back to Foxboro, Belichick deadpanned: "I don't, but I bet there will be some this weekend."
Moss makes his return to New England for the first time since being traded to Minnesota, the team that drafted him in 1998.
Home sweet home again for Chiefs
It wasn't long ago that the Chiefs were one of the NFL's most dominant teams at home. But last year, they won just one game at Arrowhead Stadium.
The much-improved Chiefs have already tripled that number during their 4-2 start, and they can become only the seventh team in NFL history to win their first four games at home after starting the previous year 0-4 at home. The Chiefs host the winless Bills on Sunday.
Four of the six teams to accomplish the feat went on to finish the season unbeaten at home, and two of them - the 1988 Bengals and the 1998 Falcons - went to the Super Bowl.
