professional football

Strolling around the Superdome on Monday, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte ran into Emmitt Smith, the NFL's all-time leading rusher and now a TV analyst.

Denver -- On the streets of northeast Denver, it is hard to celebrate the indictment of Willie Clark for the murder of former Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams because he represents yet another life wasted in a long-running, vicious cycle.

"Mewelde Moore," someone said to running back Willie Parker in the happy Pittsburgh Steelers' locker room as Sunday night turned into Monday morning, "looked just like you out there."

"Now that's high praise," Parker said, grinning.

Deserved praise, too.

IRVING, Texas -- For most of the afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys pretty much stunk.

Wade Phillips won't agree with that.

Neither will Tony Romo.

And -- "Praise the Lord" -- the Rev. Terrell Owens might even accuse me of bearing false witness.

"A win is a win, and we are happy to win" was the echo of all the Cowboys players and coaches on Sunday.

In the topsy-turvy world of all things Bronco, there is Marcus Thomas.

A 305-pound defensive tackle who now has an interception this season after his grab of an errant Jeff Garcia throw Sunday, but no sacks.

With a smile born in his own trek through the college football desert, Denver Broncos linebacker Jamie Winborn was making the rounds among some of his co-workers recently.

"Hey, where'd you go to school?" he'd say, the answer already known before the question was asked.

"Are they undefeated?"

Week 5 NFL preview capsules. All times Eastern.

SUNDAY:

Tennessee Titans (4-0) at Baltimore Ravens (2-1), 1 p.m.

Quick, which team has the longest active regular-season win streak? It's the Titans, who have won seven in a row, dating to last season. The Ravens are tough to beat at home.

PREDICTION: Titans, 16-10

The worse things get for Al Davis, the more fun Mike Shanahan's press conferences become.

Two weeks ago, Shanahan suggested Lane Kiffin was likely to beat his dubious standard of longevity working for the Oakland Raiders' megalomaniacal owner. Shanahan lasted 20 games. At the time, Kiffin had coached 18.

Tuesday was my day off, but when I heard Al Davis was holding a news conference at Raiders headquarters, I dropped what I was doing (my Mount Rushmore origami project) and sped to Alameda, Calif..

You don't want to miss an Al Davis news conference.

Charming Al Davis made one of his rare appearances at Raider Interplanetary Headquarters on Tuesday, which meant that he thought he needed to be charming.

Well, the Oakland Raiders owner was firing a coach after all. Charm is important at times like this.