New York Jets running back Curtis Martin became the second player in NFL history to top 1,000 yards in nine straight seasons to start a career Sunday, joining Barry Sanders as the only players in NFL history to accomplish the feat.
Martin reached the benchmark on an 8-yard run late in the second quarter of the Jets’ 6-0 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in East Rutherford, N.J. The video board said “Congratulations Curtis,” and teammates mobbed him on the field after the gain, while the sparse crowd sitting through a snowstorm cheered.
He finished with 30 carries for a season-high 174 yards.
“It is something that I feel good about,” Martin said. “I’m not big on statistics and individual goals, but this one is special to me. I’m only the second person in the world to do this.”
Earlier in the game, Martin passed John Riggins for 11th place on the NFL’s all-time rushing list. Martin now has 11,488 career yards. Also in the game, Steelers running back Jerome Bettis passed Franco Harris for eighth place on the career list and now has 12,184 career yards.
Martin has reached 1,000 yards every season since he joined the league in 1995 as a third-round pick of the New England Patriots. Sanders ran for 1,000 yards 10 straight seasons.
Falcons, McKay to talk
Atlanta owner Arthur Blank plans to talk to Tampa Bay’s Rich McKay about becoming the Falcons’ general manager. Sportsline.com reported the talking has already begun and that McKay will have the job within 48 hours.
“Two years ago, Rich was on our short list of candidates and today he’s on our short list of candidates,” Blank said Sunday after watching his Falcons lose to Indianapolis 38-7. “I wasn’t able to talk to Rich then. We’re able to talk to him now, so we’re going to pursue that.”
McKay was Blank’s first choice for the job when he bought the team two years ago, but the Bucs wanted compensation. Blank balked, prompting McKay to sign an extension with Tampa Bay. The Falcons’ GM position has remained vacant since then.
The door opened Thursday, when the Bucs said they wouldn’t seek compensation if McKay walked out on the final four seasons of his $2.4 million-a-year contract.
Sign of the times
Bengals receiver Chad Johnson mugged for the cameras with a preprinted sign after his 10-yard touchdown catch against the 49ers, a display of one-upmanship that didn’t sit well with coach Marvin Lewis.
“He got caught up in everything,” Lewis said. “They have a fine player over there in Terrell Owens, and Chad was just trying to answer. Chad’s a fine player in his own right. He ought to just be Chad.”
Johnson, who has repeatedly been fined by the league for uniform violations and touchdown celebrations, held up the sign that read: “Dear NFL: Please don’t fine me again.”
“All I had to do was just score at that end and I’d be all right,” he said. “I was trying to catch the Sharpie thing. I don’t know how close the sign was to the Sharpie.”
Owens was fined last season for pulling a Sharpie out of his sock and autographing a ball after a touchdown.
Can you top that, Take 2
Saints wide receiver Joe Horn made a call on a cell phone hidden in the padding of the goal post after a touchdown against the Giants.
“Would I take it back? No, no,” Horn said. “I knew exactly what I was doing. And I understand, I’m quite sure that I’ll be fined. For what, I don’t know. …
“I wasn’t taunting any other football players. I wasn’t trying to start fights. I was celebrating. The fans love that.”
The Giants’ Michael Strahan called it bush league; Frank Walker said Horn was having fun.
A classier act
Torry Holt’s 100-yard effort Sunday was his ninth this season, tying him with Isaac Bruce for St. Louis’ record. Holt has 102 catches for 1,518 yards and 11 TDs. With games remaining against Cincinnati and Detroit, Holt needs 17 catches and 263 yards to tie Bruce’s team records for catches and yardage in a season.
Sitting this one out
Titans quarterback Steve McNair (cracked bone spur in left ankle) missed his first start in 44 games. Warren Sapp (sprained left foot), who had played 73 straight games for Tampa Bay, also didn’t play Sunday.
Streaking
T.J. Duckett broke the Falcons’ franchise record with a TD in his seventh straight game. … The Titans improved an NFL-best streak to 28 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher. … Tampa Bay’s takeaway streak–longest in the NFL–ended at 54 games. . . . Indianapolis’ Mike Vanderjagt connected on his 34th straight field goal, two shy of NFL record.
