HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- As Jimmie Johnson struggled through the longest winless drought of his Sprint Cup career, team owner Rick Hendrick wondered whether it was time to split up the band.Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus have won six Sprint Cup titles together, and Knaus has overseen the cars for Johnsons 79 victories. But after 15 seasons together, Hendrick at least wondered a little bit whether they needed a change as Johnson went on a 24-race winless streak with 11 finishes outside the top 15.He didnt act on those thoughts, and Johnson is one of the four drivers vying for the Cup title Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.When you have two guys that have been so good and you try to decide is it time, and this year we started off really well, and then we hit a lull in the summer, and it was -- we asked ourselves then, Is this time, do we need to make a change? Hendrick said Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.But when you see things that are so close [to turning around], I think thats when they work harder. We really just sit down and work hard together and try to identify weaknesses, and I think they have both made a commitment -- they want to retire together. They want to finish their careers together.If Johnson wins a seventh title -- tying Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt?Sr. for the most championships in a career -- it will be the first time a driver has won seven titles with the same crew chief.Jimmie personally, obviously, he is by far one of my best friends, and to be able to have seen him grow and mature into the driver and the family man that he is has been awesome, Knaus said Wednesday. Its been a great ride.It hasnt been all milk and cookies -- though Hendrick once had them snack that way to get over a rough patch -- but racing rarely is so peaceful.That could be said for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has two drivers in the championship hunt. For the first time in three years of the elimination-style format, two of the drivers --?Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards?-- come from one team.Theyre not sharing a lot of stuff, Gibbs said. Its going to be up to them individually, and I think both of our guys ... its such a big deal for them. We kind of felt like obviously theyre going to be kind of individually going for it. ... Theyll both kind of be on their own here.Busch and Edwards dismissed the notion they arent working together after they posted the top speeds among the Chase finalists in qualifying.Joe is not in our meetings, Busch said about the work among the four JGR teams as well as affiliate Furniture Row Racing. Dont listen to Joe. Were not sharing with him.Everything right now is all the same -- open notebook. Ive been looking at Carls stuff all day. Carl has probably been looking at [notes from] everybody else as well as I have. Cheap Jordans For Sale . -- Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar will be out for roughly four weeks after tearing his left hamstring. Cheap Jordans Shoes Free Shipping . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. http://www.cheapairjordanfreeshipping.com/ . Inter president Erick Thohir says in a club statement on Wednesday that Vidic is "one of the worlds best defenders and his qualities, international pedigree, and charisma will be an asset. Air Jordan From China .com) - The red-hot Los Angeles Kings will try to extend their winning streak to a season-high seven games when they visit the Edmonton Oilers for Sundays clash at Rexall Place. Wholesale Jordans . Instead of dwelling on the negative, Oates focused on what was good about the clubs recent play. It worked. FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Ryan Fitzpatrick has had a rough few months, and thats probably an understatement.Sure, the quarterback got a big payday after a long contract stalemate when he received a one-year, $12 million deal to re-sign with the New York Jets on the eve of training camp in July.Things have gone mostly downhill since, though. Fitz Magic has fizzled.Small talk has replaced playoff talk these days, including pleasantries about how his sprained left knee is coming along.Im good, thank you, Fitzpatrick said Wednesday. I think with my injury, time is going to continue to heal it and make it feel better. I thought we had a good day of work today, just in terms of getting out there and guys putting the work in. I think our plan so far, is a really good one. I feel good about this week.Fitzpatrick, who turned 34 on Thanksgiving, is getting the start against Indianapolis on Monday night with coach Todd Bowles still focused on trying to win games with his 3-8 squad rather than peek at the future.Many fans and media think its time to turn to Bryce Petty, who filled in for Fitzpatrick against Los Angeles on Nov. 13 and didnt exactly light things up in a 9-6 loss. The seasons over, the detractors say, so why not just throw Petty in there for the final stretch?Bowles said Monday that there will be time for that, without revealing what his game plan is. Well, it could be as early as next week at San Francisco, which means Fitzpatrick could be benched for a second time this season -- and then be a free agent looking for a job in the offseason.Until then, though, Fitzpatrick is focused on building off a solid performance against New England last Sunday in a 22-17 loss. Fitzpatrick went 22 of 32 for 269 yards and two touchdowns, one to Brandon Marshall and the other to Quincy Enunwa, with an offense only slightly resembling the one that set the franchise mark with 5,896 yards last season.I think we did some good things through the air, Fitzpatrick said. Theres some stuff that maybe we missed and we didnt get to, but a lot of that comes down to me putting it in a position to have those guys make plays. The touchdown to Quincy, (he) just went up there and made a play. The touchdown to Brandon was just one on one, Im bigger than you, make a play. Just giving those guys opportunities and giving them throws that they can go up and do that, but they seem to come in bunches.Once you get one or two of those and the confidence gets going, thosee seem to come in bunches, so hopefully that will continue.ddddddddddddFitzpatrick has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that came after he put up a franchise-record 31 touchdown passes and got the Jets within a win of the playoffs. His three fourth-quarter interceptions in the season finale at Buffalo ended that pursuit.He came back with some unfinished business and his return was celebrated by teammates and a large portion of the fan base. He helped beat the Bills in Week 2 of this season, and was the AFC offensive player of the week. The Jets were 1-1 at that point, and things were looking up.The next week, Fitzpatrick was intercepted six times at Kansas City.He never really shook off that performance, was benched five games later, but returned when Geno Smith was lost for the season with a knee injury. Two weeks later, Fitzpatrick sprained his knee and sat while Petty got his chance -- but Bowles went back to Fitzpatrick last Sunday and announced Monday that the veteran would get another chance this weekend .Many members of the same fan base that cheered his re-signing have turned on Fitzpatrick, as well as on other veterans such as Darrelle Revis and Muhammad Wilkerson, who have become the disappointing faces of another lost season.Fitzpatrick insists the Jets remain confident, no matter what anyone is saying outside the facility.Its a day-to-day thing, he said. I thought today we had a really good practice, just in terms of flying around. Especially after a tough loss, you kind of never know how its going to be. But I think we put that behind us and just trying to fly around, and work hard, and thats what we did today. So hopefully we keep that up throughout the week.The feeling inside the locker room has been a common theme this season, especially as the losses have piled up. The Jets have had to fight frustration -- and the growing sentiment by outsiders that theres nothing left to play for this year.Its kind of been a broken record the last few weeks, but being professionals, Fitzpatrick said. Coming in and doing your job every day. Thats the important thing and especially for some of the older guys that have been through stuff like this. Just setting a good example and showing the young guys the way.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '