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NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL’s regular officiating crews are back. Their return couldn’t have come soon enough for many players, coaches and fans. After two days of marathon negotiations — and mounting frustration throughout the league — the NFL and the officials’ union announced at midnight Thursday that a tentative eight-year agreement had been reached to end a lockout that began in June. The deal came on the heels of Seattle’s chaotic last-second win over Green Bay on Monday night in which the replacement officials struggled. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who was at the bargaining table Tuesday and Wednesday, said the regular officials would work the Browns-Ravens game at Baltimore on Thursday night. “We are glad to be getting back on the field for this week’s games,” NFL Referees Association president Scott Green said. And plenty of players echoed that sentiment. “Never thought I would be excited for the refs to come back to work but it’s about time it was definitely necessary!” Cleveland return specialist Josh Cribbs tweeted Thursday morning. Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe chimed in, too. “It was a noble experiment, but I think ultimately a failed experiment, from what we’ve seen. It’ll be good not to have to worry about that when we’re on the field,” he said. “It’s good that it won’t be a distraction anymore.” Shortly after the news broke, Buffalo running back C.J. Spiller tweeted, “Welcome back REFS.” The tentative deal must be ratified by 51 percent of the union’s 121 members. They plan to vote Friday and Saturday in Dallas. For the Packers, Redskins, Lions and other teams who voiced their displeasure with calls that might have swayed games, the agreement doesn’t change their records. But after having replacements for the first three weeks, triggering a wave of outrage that threatened to disrupt the rest of the season, Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck probably spoke for his peers by simply echoing Spiller: “Welcome back.” The agreement hinged on working out pension and retirement benefits for the officials, who are part-time employees of the league. The tentative pact calls for their salaries to increase from an average of $149,000 a year in 2011 to $173,000 in 2013, rising to $205,000 by 2019. Under the proposed deal, the current defined benefit pension plan will remain in place for current officials through the 2016 season or until the official earns 20 years’ service. The defined benefit plan will then be frozen. Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement. The annual league contribution made on behalf of each game official will begin with an average of more than $18,000 per official and increase to more than $23,000 per official in 2019. Beginning with the 2013 season, the NFL will have the option to hire a number of officials on a full-time basis to work year round, including on the field. The NFL also will be able to retain additional officials for training and development, and can assign those officials to work games. The number of additional officials will be determined by the league. “As you know, this has to be ratified and we know very little about it, but we’re excited to be back. And ready,” referee Ed Hochuli told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “And I think that’s the most important message — that we’re ready.” The longest contract with on-field officials in NFL history was reached with the assistance of two federal mediators. Replacements have been used both to play and officiate NFL games before. In 1987, the players went on strike and three games were played with replacement players. In 2001, the first week of the regular season was officiated by replacements before a deal was worked out. One big difference: The replacements 11 years ago generally came from the highest levels of college football. These officials were from lower college divisions or other leagues such as Arena Football. After Seattle’s 14-12 victory against the Packers, their ability to call fast-moving NFL games drew mounting criticism, with ESPN analyst Jon Gruden calling their work “tragic and comical.” The Seahawks beat Green Bay on a desperation pass into the end zone on the final play. Packers safety M.D. Jennings had both hands on the ball in the end zone, and when he fell to the ground in a scrum, both Jennings and Seahawks receiver Golden Tate had their arms on the ball. The closest official to the play, at the back of the end zone, signaled for the clock to stop, while another official at the sideline ran in and then signaled touchdown. The NFL said in a statement Tuesday that the touchdown pass should not have been overturned — but acknowledged Tate should have been called for offensive pass interference before the catch. The league also said there was no indisputable evidence to reverse the call made on the field. That drew even louder howls of disbelief. Some coaches, including Miami’s Joe Philbin and Cincinnati’s Marvin Lewis, tried to restore some calm by instructing players not to speak publicly on the issue. Fines against two coaches for incidents involving the replacements were handed out Wednesday. Patriots coach Bill Belichick was docked $50,000 for trying to grab an official’s arm Sunday to ask for an explanation of a call after his team lost at Baltimore. And Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was tagged for $25,000 for what the league called “abuse of officials” in the Redskins’ loss to Cincinnati on Sunday. Two other coaches, Denver’s John Fox and assistant Jack Del Rio, were fined Monday for incidents involving the replacements the previous week. “I accept the discipline and I apologize for the incident,” Belichick said. Players were in no mood for apologies from anyone. “I’ll probably get in trouble for this, but you have to have competent people,” Carolina receiver Steve Smith said. “And if you’re incompetent, get them out of there.” And now they are out. By BARRY WILNER, AP Pro Football Writer (© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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NFL Reaches Tentative Agreement With Referees

Carolina Panthers (1-2) at Atlanta Falcons (3-0)

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Week 4: NFL Matchups (The SportsXchange)

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) The Denver Broncos are the NFL’s new bad boys. Or maybe they’re just victims of circumstance and perception. They’ve racked up $134,000 in fines already for crossing the line on both tackles and talk, and they’ve watched three of their players get served with suspension letters from the league office. Linebacker Joe Mays is appealing his $50,000 fine and one-game suspension for his vicious hit last weekend that sent Matt Schaub’s helmet and a chunk of his left ear flying. If the NFL upholds his punishment, the Broncos will have to face the Oakland Raiders, the league’s longtime renegades, without Mays, who’s known as one of the game’s hardest hitters and is also considered one of the nicest men in pro football. “ Joe Mays is not a dirty player. He was not intentionally trying to hurt anybody,” coach John Fox told The Associated Press on Wednesday, choosing his words carefully so as not to incur the wrath of the commissioner’s office again. “He was playing football, and in football sometimes there’s a fine line in putting the hurt on somebody and trying to hurt them.” The Broncos (1-2) are already thin at linebacker with Nate Irving (concussion) hurt and D.J. Williams serving a six-game suspension for violating the league’s banned-substances policy, the same infraction that sidelined tight end Virgil Green for the first four games. Mays was docked $7,875 after Week 2 because of his unpenalized hit on Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan after he slid to declare himself down. The latest Mays penalty came a day after the NFL levied a $30,000 fine against Fox and a $25,000 fine against defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio for verbal abuse of the replacement officials during the Atlanta game. “That’s life, man,” said safety Rahim Moore , who was fined $21,000 for his illegal hit on defenseless Steelers receiver Emmanuel Sanders in the Broncos’ opener. “When the coaches curse, that’s not something they intend to do. And we’re not just out there hitting guys for fines. I mean, who wants money taken from them? Nobody does. “So, we just play the game, we’re passionate. At the same time, we respect the rules and regulations here at the Denver Broncos. They don’t teach us to do things the wrong way. We just try to play hard every snap, that’s it.” Moore cringed at the notion that the Broncos are crossing the line willy-nilly. “When it’s all said and done, you want people to be able to get up out of bed the next morning,” Moore said. “And unfortunately, we’ve been fined and had some problems with our team, but we’re trying to win. So, we’ve got to deal with the consequences.” Fox insisted he wasn’t worried that the Broncos might be viewed as the NFL’s new bad boys. “I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve been doing it the same way for almost a quarter of a century,” Fox said. “I know Joe Mays . I know Jack Del Rio. If people want to create that image they can. But I know differently.” The big, bad Broncos? Hardly. “That just makes me laugh,” defensive tackle Mitch Unrein said. “Well, of course, we want to be considered a tough team and you try to set a standard of play: we’re going to play hard and we’re going to hit you hard, but we’re not going to try to do anything cheap. That’s not the name of the game. Unfortunately, some guys have gotten fined for it, but nothing’s intentional.” Mays said after the game that he expected a fine but not a suspension, adding, “it was definitely not my intention to do that. I’m just trying to play fast.” He explained that Schaub “kind of ducked his head toward the end” as he came free and was about to make impact. “So, there’s nothing I can do about it, I can’t take it back,” Mays said. “I guess it’s on to the next game.” Not for Mays, unless he can get his suspension overturned by Art Shell or Ted Cottrell, who are jointly appointed by the league and union to review discipline handed out for on-field conduct. “I think it’s terrible,” defensive tackle Justin Bannan said. “Joe’s one of the best human beings I know, and there’s no way he would maliciously go after a quarterback like that or hit him in the head on purpose. You guys have got to realize how fast these things happen.” Bannan said the league is asking the impossible of players to avoid those types of hits entirely. “Especially on the back end, you’re watching these safeties and cornerbacks coming to hit a guy across the middle and that guy adjusts at the last second or something happens, I don’t know how you adjust in midair going fullspeed,” Bannan said. “Sometimes your head may hit him, and a lot of times, that’s an accident.” If Mays isn’t allowed to play, the Broncos will go with Keith Brooking in the middle. He’d been rotating with Wesley Woodyard at weakside linebacker. Two rookies who haven’t played any defensive snaps, Danny Trevathan and Steven Johnson, would be in the rotation. Mays apologized to Schaub both during and after Denver’s 31-25 loss Sunday, and Schaub indicated Wednesday he didn’t begrudge Mays for the hard hit that left him bloodied and with a chunk of his left ear somewhere in the grass at Sports Authority Field. “It’s a violent game we play. Things happen. It’s the nature of playing football, there are no hard feelings,” Schaub said. “The league does what the league needs to do. He definitely came up and apologized and felt bad about the hit. And I’m fine, so we’ll just move on.” Unrein said it was a shame Mays might be getting a bad rap, though. “It’s a violent game and from ever since you’re a little kid, you’re always preached to go as hard as you can, hit as hard as you can every play,” Unrein said. “Things happen so fast out there, a split-second, if he sees you coming, he lowers his head, too. “And you know, Joe’s such a nice guy, he never plays to hurt anybody. He just plays the game so hard and with so much passion.” Johnson looked at Mays’ empty locker Wednesday and shook his head. “Back in the day, it probably would have just looked like a good hit and they probably would have moved on to the next play and put it on a highlight reel,” Johnson said. “But now the game’s changed. You’ve just got to roll with the punches.” Notes : Help is on the way for QB Peyton Manning , who’s been sacked eight times so far, putting him on pace for a career-high 43: RG Chris Kuper practiced Wednesday for the first time since breaking his left forearm on Aug. 14. Kuper declined comment until he’s played in a game, which may not come until Week 5 at New England. … WR Matthew Willis (hamstring) and CB Quinton Carter (knee) missed practice. By ARNIE STAPLETON, AP Pro Football Writer (© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Broncos: We’re Not The NFL’s New Bad Boys

Week three of the 2012 NFL season is in the books and what a weird, weird week it was. And what about my New York Giants taking it to the Carolina Panthers last Thursday night? Anybody catch that game? We looked good. Real good.

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2012 NFL Week Four Game Picks: Fan’s Opinion (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

NEW YORK — The NFL and the referees’ union have reached a tentative contract agreement, ending an impasse that began in June when the league locked out the officials and used replacements instead.

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NFL reaches tentative agreement with refs