Boobirds chirp in Big Apple

And they say Philadelphia fans are nasty.

Guess what Matt Dodge heard Monday night in the New York Giants' preseason home opener? Lots of boos.

The boos were a reminder that the punter failed to kick the ball out of bounds in the closing seconds of the Giants' December meltdown against the Eagles.

DeSean Jackson returned the punt 65 yards for a touchdown, capping a 28-point comeback in the final 71/2 minutes that gave the Eagles a 38-31 win, a victory that helped them capture the NFC East.

"It was pretty brutal," Dodge said, referring to the booing Monday. He managed to turn the jeers into cheers, hitting his first punt 63 yards.

"First, they were booing. And then, they were like, 'Oh, he did a good job,' " Dodge said. "It was pretty interesting."

In his second season, Dodge is fighting veteran Steve Weatherford for the punting job. Dodge is averaging 48.2 yards with a 37.0 yard net. Weatherford is averaging 50.5 yards with a 46.5 net.

Coach Mike Munchak said that Tennessee hasn't talked about trading Chris Johnson and that the answer would be "no" if the star running back asked for such a move.

Munchak said Johnson is under contract for two more years and Tennessee hopes he'll be a Titan even longer.

The Titans say they want to make him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. Johnson reportedly wants more than $35 million guaranteed and $13 million per year.

The Carolina Panthers recently gave DeAngelo Williams a five-year deal worth $43 million, with $21 million guaranteed.

Jim Harbaugh will take out many of his starters early and give backups more meaningful minutes when the San Francisco 49ers play Houston on Saturday.

The third preseason game traditionally is a dress rehearsal for the regular season, with many starters playing into the second half.

Quarterback Alex Smith and other starters might only play the first series and possibly return late. With most of his first-team units set, Harbaugh said he wants to see what rookie Colin Kaepernick and others competing for backup spots can do against starting units.

Pittsburgh Steelers punters Daniel Sepulveda and Jeremy Kapinos are in one of the few position battles up for grabs on the defending AFC champions.

The two are getting equal playing time during the preseason, and their numbers are nearly the same.

The NFL is experimenting with an eighth on-field official in a dozen preseason games. A deep judge, stationed in the middle of the field behind the secondary, also was used in eight exhibition games in 2010. There is no timetable for making the position a permanent part of officiating crews.

The NFL has not added an on-field official since 1978, when it was a run-oriented league.

- Associated Press