He has kept up with Jones

Soon after Robert Kraft purchased the Patriots in January 1994, he planned two trips. The first was to meet with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the second was to talk with 49ers officials.

Dallas and San Francisco were two of the NFL's model franchises, and Kraft wanted to learn more about how they conducted business. What he didn't expect was that less than 10 days after the transaction became official, he would be sitting in Jones's luxury box at the Georgia Dome as the Cowboys faced the Bills in Super Bowl XXVIII.

Kraft remembers how Jones - who bought the Cowboys in 1989 - made him remain in the same spot because of his superstitions, something Kraft later did to his own visitors at Foxboro Stadium.

Since that time, Jones and Kraft have become two of the NFL's power brokers, sitting on numerous committees and - albeit with different styles - representing a new generation of owners, and whose focus on marketing and salesmanship have helped their larger-market teams become two of the NFL's richest and most successful franchises.

When Kraft thinks back to his first days as an owner, and going through the process with his son Jonathan by his side, Jones stands out for his welcoming approach.

"Jerry and his family went out of their way," Kraft recalled in the days leading up to today's contest between his 5-0 Patriots and Jones's 5-0 Cowboys at Texas Stadium. "When you came into the NFL in that time, it wasn't the most welcoming situation. Everyone was into their own sphere. In that kind of environment, to have someone like that, it was very nice.

"At the time, we were trying to figure how to sell our stadium out, find things to make our stadium attractive, and learn how to build a team. Everything we wanted to know, he and his son Stephen, who is like Jonathan is to me, were very helpful. Here is someone who had won two Super Bowls in five seasons, so we wanted to pay attention and listen to what he said."

Kraft wanted to adopt some of the ideas "from a brilliant marketer and salesman" but to put his own stamp on them. One of the main points he took from Jones was the importance of having someone to market the team around, and that's one of the primary reasons he signed quarterback Drew Bledsoe to his first contract extension.

"I remember him saying, 'You need the quarterback as the hallmark of the franchise, something to sell and market the Patriots,' " Kraft recalled.

Jones invited Kraft to join him last night for his 65th birthday celebration in Dallas, and joked with reporters in Dallas that Kraft knows "he could give me the ultimate birthday present."

When Kraft thinks back to how he and Jones clicked from their first meeting, he recalled how Jones said he saw similarities in their situations - paying a hefty price for a team, going into debt, purchasing a franchise that hadn't been successful, and acting fast.

"I think he might have seen someone who was driven by the same motivations he was," Kraft said.

They've been close allies since, so much so that as Jones has overseen planning for a new stadium in Arlington, Texas, he sent a delegation to Foxborough to study the ins and outs of Gillette Stadium. In some respects, Kraft said, it was nice to be able to return the favor.

"One thing that I'll always remember was that Jerry was very welcoming, very open, and did it genuinely," Kraft said.

Help is now available at the PUP tent

Following this weekend's action, teams have the option of activating players off the physically unable to perform list. Players on the PUP weren't ready for the start of training camp, and in some cases, teams use the PUP to provide themselves an in-season boost.

New England fans have become familiar with the drill - it's seemingly happened every year of Bill Belichick's eight-year tenure. This week, defensive end Richard Seymour, cornerback Eddie Jackson, and receivers Troy Brown and Chad Jackson will be eligible to join the club.

Overall, there are 18 NFL players on the PUP list, and of the group, one of the most likely candidates to be activated immediately is Bengals running back Chris Perry. Cincinnati's top backup, second-round draft pick Kenny Irons, was lost to a season-ending knee injury, and starter Rudi Johnson has been slowed by a hamstring injury (he missed the Oct. 1 loss to the Patriots).

Some other notable PUP names include Titans receiver David Givens, Jets outside linebacker Matt Chatham, Browns center LeCharles Bentley, Texans offensive tackle Charles Spencer, Raiders running back Michael Bush, and Broncos receiver Rod Smith.

The process by which players come off PUP is twofold.

First, teams can decide at any point between this week and the end of the ninth week when the player returns to practice. From the point of the player's return to practice, the team has a 21-day window on which to decide whether the player is added to the 53-man roster or placed on season-ending injured reserve.

Belichick was asked Friday if any of the Patriots on the PUP list - all recovering from knee injuries - have a shot to immediately return to practice.

"I think there is a shot," he said. "The decision about whether the player is physically able to begin practicing really gets made at the end of this week. It might seem like that decision was made three weeks ago, but it really isn't.

"If you're talking about a decision on whether to activate someone right away, it depends on how they do in Weeks 4-5-6 or 5-6, when you want to try to accelerate things and up-tempo it as you get closer and see how the player holds up with it.

"Then there is another decision to make and that is whether to actually put the player into practice. That decision is based on a number of other factors, such as the roster and injuries at other positions."

Repatriated for a day, Fairbanks addresses the troops

Former New England coach Chuck Fairbanks's visit to a Patriots practice Thursday didn't fly under the radar, but his work the previous four seasons may have. Who knew that Fairbanks was a volunteer consultant to the Dallas Cowboys?

"It was for Bill Parcells, my friend," said Fairbanks, 75. "I spent four years with him, and if I could do something to help him, it's something I wanted to do. Mainly, it was to give him another set of experienced eyes, particularly during training camp, when it came time for him to make up his team."

Parcells, like Patriots coach Bill Belichick, has great respect for Fairbanks's keen eye as a talent scout.

Fairbanks, who is no longer consulting for Dallas but proudly pointed out that he coached Cowboys coach Wade Phillips at the University of Houston, hasn't lost his scouting touch.

When he was addressing the Patriots players prior to their workout, he told them that the last player on the team was just as important as the stars. Then he pulled practice squad receiver Bam Childress out of the crowd.

"I said, 'No. 13, who the heck are you? I don't even know who you are,' " Fairbanks said of a moment that elicited roaring laughter from the players. "He came out and gave me a hug. It was kind of lucky that I picked on him a little bit, because I later found out that he had been honored as the practice player of the week."

Etc.

More bang for Bucs?

The NFL's trading deadline is Tuesday, and as usual, there is expected to be little movement. The Buccaneers, who lost starting running back Cadillac Williams (knee) for the season and top backup Michael Pittman (ankle) for 6-8 weeks, would like to bolster the position and have been working the phones. Tampa Bay brought in a handful of free agent running backs last week, but entering today's home game against the Titans, the team was planning on sticking with Earnest Graham, a four-year veteran who entered the season with 52 career carries.

Keep the clock moving

If you're a Jaguars fan, you pretty much know you'll be home in time for dinner. Favoring a ball-control approach, Jacksonville has played in some of the NFL's quickest games this season, with last week's win over the Chiefs tied for the fifth-fastest at 2 hours 44 minutes. Other games haven't been far behind - a loss to Tennessee (2:48) and wins over Atlanta (2:50) and Denver (2:46). The quickest games have been Texans-Chiefs in Week 1 (2:41), Jets-Bills in Week 4 (2:41), Steelers-Seahawks in Week 5 (2:41), and Buccaneers-Rams (2:42) in Week 3.

Not necessarily in that order

Jon Gruden has a way with words. Asked to explain how the Buccaneers have rebounded from a 4-12 season to start this year at 3-2, he said it's been the doing of new quarterback Jeff Garcia. "I learned a long time ago from [coach] Bud Grant that every coach that is alive needs three things: a loyal dog, a faithful wife, and a heck of a quarterback," Gruden cracked. "Finally, we've got a guy that is really giving us good, consistent play."

Give 'em a break

Eagles coach Andy Reid probably wishes his team could play every other week. Consider this: Philadelphia is 8-0 after its bye week under Reid. In that case, the Eagles couldn't have asked for better timing with their off week as they needed a break last Sunday after starting the season 1-3, the final loss an embarrassing Sunday night defeat to the Giants in which they gave up a franchise-record 12 sacks. They visit the Jets today.

How to right a sinking ship

After reading that Patriots coach Bill Belichick employed some of the management techniques in a book written by US Navy captain Michael Abrashoff, Bill Palmer bought a copy of the book for his son, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who then passed it on to coach Marvin Lewis. That ultimately resulted in Abrashoff being invited to speak to the team last week, with the Bengals hoping that the words of Abrashoff - who wrote about turning one of the Navy's least-productive vessels into one of its best - spark a turnaround after a 1-3 start. Said Palmer: "His biggest message was that he made everyone feel important. He talked about the guy on the ship that dealt with all the sewage and how if he didn't do his job, the whole boat suffers. Whether you're a special teams guy, a backup [defensive back], whatever it may be, everybody's important and everybody needs to feel important."

Coast is clear

The Patriots take their longest regular-season road trip today when they visit Dallas, but they won't be as fortunate next season. Because the NFL predetermines 14 of 16 opponents for every team as part of the rotating scheduling formula implemented in 2002, New England already knows it is assured of four cross-country trips next year, with the team playing at Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Extra points

The Jaguars (3-1) host the Texans today in an important AFC South matchup, but the game has been blacked out in Jacksonville as 4,000 tickets went unsold by Thursday's 1 p.m. deadline. It's the second blackout in the team's first three home games this season . . . The Texans are over .500 through five games (3-2) for the first time in franchise history . . . Former Patriots guard Damien Woody was benched for the Lions' 34-3 loss to the Redskins last week . . . If the Titans win at Tampa Bay today, it will mark their franchise-record sixth straight road victory . . . The winless Saints are averaging a league-worst 5.25 yards per pass attempt . . . The Seahawks are expecting to be without receiver Deion Branch for at least two weeks because of a sprained foot . . . Since the start of last season, no quarterback/receiver combination has connected for more touchdowns than the Giants' Eli Manning and Plaxico Burress (17) . . . Former Boston College quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, who is working as a television analyst for Fox, had a tryout with the Cardinals last week . . . The Cardinals have 13 touchdowns this season, and they've been scored by nine different players . . . Bengals right tackle Willie Anderson is out today with heel and knee injuries, ending his consecutive starts streak at 116 . . . Former Patriots running back Patrick Pass remains without a job, with the Lions bringing him in for a look last week . . . Stoughton High graduate and former Syracuse defensive end Ryan LaCasse, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Colts last year, had a tryout with the Bengals last week.

Did you know?

In their 13-year history, the Carolina Panthers have attempted 6,372 passes in the regular season. In signing 43-year-old Vinny Testaverde last week to shore up their quarterback depth, they brought in a player who has attempted more regular-season passes than the franchise: 6,529.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com; material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report.