Arizona Cardinals

Good morning -- Tim Hasselbeck -- We hear Rosie O'Donnell lobbied the Arizona Cardinals not to sign you.

Every Monday morning, the day after my favorite day of the week but still hours before that week's slate of games officially wraps up with “Monday Night Football,” I will bring you my weekly premature NFL power rankings. Why Monday? Because who wants to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday for power rankings? Why 11 teams? I don't really have a good answer for that one. I've always liked odd numbers. What am I basing them on? Who my gut tells me are the toughest teams to beat that week.

BaseballBoston Red Sox -- Optioned 3B Stan Royer to Triple-A Pawtucket.Recalled SS Carlos Rodriguez from Pawtucket.Cleveland Indians -- Optioned IF Mark Lewis to Triple-A Charlotte. Recalled P Chad Ogea from Charlotte.Florida Marlins -- Activated 1B Greg Colbrunn from the disabled list.FootballArizona Cardinals -- Signed DL Eric England and LB Howard Dinkins. Waived Waived K Tim McNamee.

Colt McCoy did not play last Sunday due to post-concussion symptoms, and the Cleveland Browns are waiting for an update on their starting quarterback about his availability for Saturday's game against the Ravens. “First, we've got to get him to the point where he's going to be healthy enough to play,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said in a conference call with Baltimore media Tuesday. “He's still going through the process of coming back from his concussion. As we sit today - I guess it's a Tuesday, but it's really a Wednesday in my world - he's not out there practicing yet.” McCoy has yet to be cleared for contact after absorbing a helmet-to-helmet hit from Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison in an 11-point loss on Dec. 8. McCoy's absence was filled by Seneca Wallace, who completed 18-of-31 passes for 226 yards, which included a 76-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Greg Little in a 20-17 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday.

Former Ravens tight end Todd Heap, who will be back in town on Sunday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, took out a half-page ad in the sports section of Friday's Baltimore Sun to thank Ravens fans for the memories. "Although it was not my decision to leave Baltimore, I accept that change is sometimes necessary," wrote Heap, a first-round draft pick in 2001 who played 10 seasons for the Ravens, in the letter's final paragraph. "Certain that I have a few good years of football left in me, I'm excited about my future with the Arizona Cardinals.

The National Football League debuted in Jacksonville, Fla., and returned to play in Oakland, Calif., as it opened its first weekend of the 1995 season. The Redskins, meanwhile, began their season by accomplishing something they couldn't do all of last year: win at home. They defeated the Arizona Cardinals, 27-7, at RFK Stadium.% Articles, Page 1C

CollegesGeorgia -- Announced TB Sterling Boyd has decided to leave the team and transfer.Navy -- Fired quarterbacks coach Greg Briner.FootballArizona Cardinals -- Signed QB Jay Schroeder. Waived QB Shawn Moore. Cut CB Perry Carter from the practice squad.Washington Redskins -- Claimed WR Leslie Shepherd off waivers. Placed S Keith Taylor on injured reserve.HockeyPD Los Angeles Kings -- Signed D Rob Blake to a four-year contract.

BaseballOrioles -- Activated P Sid Fernandez from the DL. Optioned OF Damon Buford to Triple-A Rochester.Oakland Athletics -- Optioned P Miguel Jimenez to Triple-A Tacoma. Purchased the contract of IF Mike Brumley from Tacoma. Transferred IF Lance Blankenship from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL.BasketballBoston Celtics -- Announced they would not sign G Todd Lichti for the remainder of the season. Activated C Matt Wenstrom from the injured list.FootballArizona Cardinals -- Signed LB Seth Joyner to a five-year contract.

The Ravens just announced that the Arizona Cardinals have returned 250 tickets for Sunday's contest at M&T Bank Stadium. Add that to the 200 tickets remaining, and there are still some good seats available for what will be the team's last home game until Nov. 20, when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.

BaseballDetroit Tigers -- Signed P Cade Gaspar and assigned him to Single-A Lakeland.Milwaukee Brewers -- Signed 3B Antone Williamson and assigned him to Rookie-League Helena.New York Mets -- Signed P Sean Johnston.Toronto Blue Jays -- Optioned OF Shawn Green to Triple-A Syracuse. Announced they will activate P Danny Cox from the DL today.FootballArizona Cardinals -- Announced the retirement of LB Steve Hyche.Miami Dolphins -- Named Bill Zimpfer radio play-by-play announcer.Minnesota Vikings -- Signed TE Brent Novoselsky, WR Odessa Turner and K Cary Blanchard.

The last time Billy Cundiff missed a field-goal attempt (two, actually, against the St. Louis Rams on Sept. 25), the Ravens kicker embarked on a streak of 10 straight field goals. Cundiff got off to a fast start in Sunday's 30-27 win against the Arizona Cardinals, converting all three chances including the 25-yarder with no time remaining. “I was really disappointed in my effort [last week],” Cundiff said of his miss from 51 yards in the Ravens' 12-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars eight days ago. “It was one of the worst kicks of my career.

As a former special teams coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, John Harbaugh has a personal interest in the Ravens' special teams. Naturally, the Ravens head coach had an opinion on the 82-yard punt return for a touchdown the team surrendered to Patrick Peterson in the second quarter of the Ravens' 30-27 win against the Arizona Cardinals Sunday. “Well, you've got to tackle, you know?” Harbaugh said during his weekly news conference Monday. “The punt return, we looked bad on that. We didn't get down the field fast enough. We didn't look fast at all. We didn't tackle.

There were a few veterans who stood up and spoke, but after getting booed off the field at halftime, the Ravens' players mostly sat in silence as the shock washed over them. For the Ravens, there was really no alternative, not after trailing a one-win team by three scores on their home field, not after their offense played in the same woeful manner for the first 30 minutes that it did six days earlier in Jacksonville, Fla., and not after hearing it from their fans who rightfully expected better.

The Ravens just announced that the Arizona Cardinals have returned 250 tickets for Sunday's contest at M&T Bank Stadium. Add that to the 200 tickets remaining, and there are still some good seats available for what will be the team's last home game until Nov. 20, when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster.

The words came straight from Todd Heap's heart. In a half-page ad in Friday's Baltimore Sun, the Ravens' former two-time Pro Bowl tight end thanked the city of Baltimore, its fans and the club for their "incredible support over the years. " Heap, who over a 10-year career became the Ravens' No. 2 receiver all-time, acknowledged in the ad that it was not his decision to leave. The club cut him abruptly in July, in a cost-saving measure, a move that surprised both Heap and Ravens' followers.

Former Ravens tight end Todd Heap, who will be back in town on Sunday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, took out a half-page ad in the sports section of Friday's Baltimore Sun to thank Ravens fans for the memories. "Although it was not my decision to leave Baltimore, I accept that change is sometimes necessary," wrote Heap, a first-round draft pick in 2001 who played 10 seasons for the Ravens, in the letter's final paragraph. "Certain that I have a few good years of football left in me, I'm excited about my future with the Arizona Cardinals.

ASHBURN, Va. -- Nick Novak spent the past few months living with his family in Indiana, waiting for but not knowing whether he would get another chance to kick in the NFL. He kept the same schedule as he did last season, when he played in five games for the Washington Redskins and later kicked in three more with the Arizona Cardinals. He even took Tuesdays off, just as they do in the NFL. Titans@Redskins Sunday, 1 p.m., Ch. 9, 1430 AM Line: Redskins by 10

The Washington Redskins probably will start guard Ray Brown at left tackle Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after tackles Jim Lachey and Tre Johnson were injured in Sunday's 17-15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.Lachey was hospitalized yesterday with a severely lacerated left calf after his leg was stepped on, and he probably will miss the final two games of the season.Johnson is doubtful for this week after suffering a sprained ankle.Vernice Smith and rookie Joe Patton will fill in for Brown at guard.

Lee Evans said his balky left ankle feels better than it has since before the season opener on Sept. 11, but the starting wide receiver didn't sound optimistic about suiting up this Sunday against the visiting Arizona Cardinals. “I'm not really going to speak to this week,” Evans said before Thursday's practice. “I just know right now, it feels a lot better. So as the week goes along, we'll determine what we need to determine. But really, it's about the long term, and I think everybody knows that and that when we come back, it's really go time.

NEW ORLEANS - Saints coach Sean Payton carefully avoided superlatives, even as his team chased perfection in bolting to a 13-0 start. As the Patriots learned two years ago, it's not about pursuing 19-0, it's about pursuing victory in the final game. Maybe when this season is over, a three-game skid to end the regular season, including home losses to the Cowboys and Buccaneers, will turn out to be the springboard his Saints needed entering the playoffs. Momentum can be a fleeting thing, but the Saints grabbed firm control of it Saturday when they crushed the Cardinals 45-14.