In the defensive huddle, Carson has the same thermos-bottle instincts.

Fletcher is popular with his teammates even though he hogs the conversation in the defensive huddle.

The rest tried to coil into a defensive huddle.

Okay, you got as many of the little sods as possible in a defensive huddle, right?

Then the Cowboys' linebacker preened near the 15-yard line before returning to the defensive huddle.

Soon half the defensive huddle was swarming with finger-pointing and shoving.

He read the Broncos' coverages as if he had been in their defensive huddle.

"In practice, as we broke the defensive huddle, I'd look at him and I could see he was thinking."

But unlike other players who are not in the action and go to the sidelines, Jones is in the defensive huddle.

When the Saints were driving in the final seconds," he said, "you would have paid to get into our defensive huddle.