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Denver's Julius Thomas said Monday that he never intended to hurt Calais Campbell despite Arizona coach Bruce Arians calling the Pro Bowl tight end's chop block the "dirtiest play I've ever seen" in 37 years in the NFL.
Thomas said he and tackle Ryan Clady would never try to hurt anyone and the play Sunday that sent Arizona's star defensive end out with a sprained right MCL was a matter of miscommunication, not malice.
Broncos coach John Fox passionately defended Thomas, too. He said he's been in the league just two years less than Arians and "it's not the dirtiest play I've seen this year, let alone in 35 years."
Fox said that no matter how bad it looks, Thomas meant only to legally cut block Campbell, which would have been OK had Clady not gotten into his pass protection stance just as Thomas went low and took out Campbell's knees.
"There wasn't anything dirty about a player. There wasn't anything dirty about coaching. It's just something that happened where they screwed up and it cost us a 77-yard touchdown," Fox said.
Campbell is expected to miss one to three weeks.
Arians didn't back off Monday, saying, "You'll never convince me it wasn't premeditated."
HGH testing begins
The NFL has begun testing for human growth hormone for the first time, three years after the league and players' union tentatively agreed to do so. HGH testing was part of the 2011 labor agreement but was delayed because the NFL Players Association was not comfortable with the procedures or science involved. Both sides agreed last month on the new policy, which took effect Monday.
A total of 950 tests will be performed during the regular season, postseason and preseason. In the offseason, about 385 tests will be done. Less than one tablespoon of blood will be taken from each player.
Each week during the season, five players on eight teams will be chosen randomly for testing as part of the normal testing procedures under the NFL's performance enhancing drug policy.
Coach clears Manziel
Cleveland Browns coach Mike Pettine says he has no issue with rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel laughing on the sideline with his team losing.
Manziel was captured by TV cameras chuckling and smiling during the first half of Sunday's game at Tennessee. The Browns were trailing 28-3 at the time Manziel was shown.
Cleveland rallied for a 29-28 win in the largest comeback in NFL history by a road team.
Pettine says he wasn't sure of the context of Manziel's behavior, but added "down 28-3, the way we were playing, I think you could term how we were playing laughable."
Pettine said the young QB has to be wary of being watched "but still I don't consider it a big deal."