Phillips' father, Bum, who recently passed away at age 90, is fondly remembered as the successful coach of the Houston Oilers, now the Tennessee Titans, from 1975-1980. Phillips, 66, has been an NFL coach in some capacity since '76, when he was Bum's defensive line coach with the Oilers.

Through his five stops as a head coach in the NFL, Wade Phillips has compiled an impressive regular-season record of 82-59. HIs teams have gone 1-5 in the playoffs, but given the Texans' record as two-time reigning AFC South champions, that opportunity is unlikely to happen in 2013.

Phillips is well respected by leader J.J. Watt and the rest of the Texans' defense, a unit whom he turned around from the league's worst to one of its best since becoming their coordinator in 2011. Before then, Phillips went 34-22 with the Dallas Cowboys before being fired in midseason 2010.

While Kubiak is out, the positive of his offense is the promise of Case Keenum as the potential new franchise quarterback. Phillips has been able to handle calling defensive plays and managing an entire team in the past, so given the situation, the Texans are in the best possible hands with the handoff


INCOGNITO SPEAKS OUT


Although indefinitely suspended Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito didn't have much to say about his alleged harassment of offensive line mate Jonathan Martin when asked by a Miami television station, he did make it sound like he wasn't culpable.

A reporter from WSVN approached Incognito as he was walking to his car from an appointment in the Weston area of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. Incognito, under investigation by the NFL for allegedly crossing the line and bullying Martin with racial slur- and profanity-laced voice mail messages among other things, maintained his "no comment" stance.

Incognito, however, did think it was something he was optimistic of getting through without his name and future in the league tarnished. "I'm just trying to weather the storm right now," Incognito said. "This will pass."

The controversy feels like a torrential front that won't go away for a long time with the NFL ready to take the next big action, now that both the league and Dolphins were aware of the messages. The question is whether it will be pouring down even more on Incogntio, or the team itself for enabling him to let the situaton get out of hand.

Also on Tuesday, the NFL Players Association released a statement saying it is monitoring the investigation into Incognito closely amid reports that the Dolphins' coach may have prompted Incognito to get Martin more in line during the offseason.


BRONCOS’ MOFFITT WALKS AWAY


John Moffitt wasn't unhappy with a lack of playing time in Denver. He quit the NFL because he'd lost his love for the game and was tired of risking his health.

The third-year guard from Wisconsin called the Broncos from his home in Seattle this week to notify them he wouldn't be returning to the team following its bye.

Then he announced on Twitter that he was calling it a career, saying, "Football was fun but my head hurts-haha kidding roger goodell. I'm on to new things, thanks to everyone along the way!!!"

The Broncos put him on their reserve/left team list on Tuesday when they activated center J.D. Walton from the physically unable to perform list. They have five days to formally release Moffitt, who left more than $1 million on the table, including about $312,500 for the remainder of this season and $752,500 in non-guaranteed salary in 2014.

Moffitt, who signed a four-year contract for nearly $3 million after Seattle made him the 75th overall draft pick in 2011, said he knows teammates and fans don't understand how he could forgo the fame and fortune of pro football.

"I just really thought about it and decided I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all," Moffitt told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Seattle. "And I think it's really madness to risk your body, risk your well-being and risk your happiness for money. 	"Everybody, they just don't get it and they think it's crazy. But I think what I was doing is crazy."


LITTLE SAYS HE WAS CHOKED 


Browns wide receiver Greg Little accused Ravens safety James Ihedigbo of choking him during a pileup in Cleveland's 24-18 win Sunday. 	After a running play in the first quarter, Little found himself on his back at the bottom of a stack of players. He said Ihedigbo, who was on top of him, put his hands around his neck and choked him.

Little was able to free himself from Ihedigbo's grasp, popped to his feet and then flung the Baltimore player's helmet, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

"I know the ref was saying, 'Let go of his facemask,' but he was choking me, so I'm not," Little said. "There's a thin line between football and just morals, and I'm not going to let a guy spit in my face, choke me, (disrespect) my family or anything like that. It's just how it is. I don't have to say anything to the ref.

"At that point, he's crossed the line."

Speaking to reporters Wednesday in Maryland at the Ravens practice facility, Ihedigbo denied the charge.

"I would never personally cross a line or play outside the rules in any manner," the safety insisted. "I have my hand on his chest. ... . I mean, the refs would have seen it. Other players would have seen it. And I would have been punished for the play as well. That didn't take place."


SAPP: INCOGNITO USED RACIAL SLUR 


Yet another instance of suspended Miami Dolphin Richie Incognito using a racial slur has surfaced—this time from Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp, who said that Incognito called him the “n-word” on the field during a game.

Appearing on the Dan Patrick national radio show Wednesday, Sapp recalled the incident: "One time he kicks me in a game and calls me the N-word. I looked at him and said, 'Oh you want me to punch you in the mouth so they kick me out of the game?'"

Sapp added that he suspected that Incognito was trying to do exactly that, anger him and provoke him into a fight.

"I looked at him and said, 'Really? That's all you got?'" Sapp said.

Sapp’s Raiders team played Incognito’s Rams team in 2006, Incognito’s rookie year; statistics from the game show that Sapp got one sack.

Incognito is now accused of leaving a voicemail for Dolphins teammate Jonathan Martin that included the slur, as well as a threat to “kill” him and seek out his family, among many other apparent incidents of harassment this season. Martin left the team indefinitely last week; Incognito was indefinitely suspended by the team Sunday, and the NFL and the players’ union are both investigating.

The Miami Herald reported Wednesday that some African-American players on the Dolphins don’t consider Incognito racist, and one former player said his ex-teammates see him as an “honorary” black man. A video obtained by TMZ.com shows Incognito shouting the epithet to teammate Mike Pouncey in a bar, seemingly in a friendly manner, with Pouncey’s approval.

Sapp laughed while telling the story of his encounter with Incognito, and told Patrick that he wasn’t offended.

"No. Come on. That's a term of endearment where I'm from,’’ he said. “He only wants to get me kicked out. He don't want to fight. Because the only thing he got to do is call me after the football game, just come over to the locker room and say it after the game. Now we've got a real situation."

Contributors: Rana L. Cash, Vinnie Iyer, David Steele, The Associated Press