NFL Capsules: League and Player News: Manning cut as Giants Cruz past Jets in new digs
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning gave the New York Giants a scare, and an unnecessary one at that.
The quarterback was knocked out of the Giants' 31-16 preseason victory over the New York Jets on Monday night when he changed a play in the second quarter without telling anyone and suffered a bloody three-inch gash to the left side of his temple that required 12 stitches to close.
The Giants medical staff found no signs of a concussion, but it wasn't immediately certain whether Manning will play Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin expected a more complete medical report on Tuesday.
However, he tended to brush off the injury that overshadowed a spectacular three-touchdown, second-half performance by Giants free agent wide receiver Victor Cruz. The Paterson native finished with six catches for 145 yards.
"The first thing we'll do is make sure that there is no swelling," Coughlin said of Manning. "If there's no swelling then I think we'll be able to go ahead and get the helmet on and practice."
Manning took the blame for his injury.
"We had a run play with an option to throw a fade that I thought I might try, but Brandon (Jacobs) was coming right up the middle. Sometimes you make a mistake and you get hit in the head. It's preseason, you learn from it."
Manning said he will be back soon, adding he didn't really sustain an injury.
"I really feel like I could go back out and play right now if I had to," he said.
The star of the night was Cruz, the University of Massachusetts product who also had a great week at training camp last week, catching several deep balls.
"Justice has been served," Coughlin said. "A young man, Victor Cruz, really has had an outstanding camp. He has worked his tail off every day, he's made a lot of plays this past week. The writers who were following practice have asked and kind of smiled when we mention Victor Cruz and he was truly outstanding."
Cruz caught touchdown passes of 64 and 34 yards from Jim Sorgi and iced the game with a 5-yard TD catch from Rhett Bomar with 2:24 to go. Cruz jumped around cornerback Dwight Lowery and made a one-handed catch on his long TD.
"It's a crazy feeling just to be at home, and to put up a performance like this is just really great," Cruz said. "It is just so surreal right now. My heart is beating so fast right now."
The performance caught the Jets totally off guard.
"I don't even know who No. 3 is, but he looked like Randy Moss out there with those three touchdowns," Jets linebacker Bart Scott said.
Mark Sanchez led the Jets on three scoring drives, overcoming an interception by Antrel Rolle on his first pass, and played the entire first half in the first football game at the New Meadowlands Stadium.
"Based on the way we moved the ball up and down the field, aside from the interception on the first pass," Sanchez said, "I was happy with my performance."
The teams traditionally meet in the third game of the preseason, but both wanted to be part of the unveiling of their new $1.6 billion, 82,500-seat home that they share.
Both teams struggled at times. The Giants had troubles early on offense, and the Jets' second and third units were poor.
The play everyone will remember is the third-down miscue at the Jets 5 that left Manning gushing blood from his head.
Coughlin had called a run up the middle to Jacobs. Manning decided to throw a fade to big receiver Ramses Barden in the corner of the end zone. The problem was he never called the 'alert' to let the offense know of the change.
Expecting a handoff, Jacobs ran into Manning with his shoulder. The force of the collision knocked the ball out of the quarterback's hands and into the air.
As Manning reached to catch it, Jets linebacker Calvin Pace slammed him in the middle of his back, knocking his helmet off and pushing him face first forward. Manning's head slammed into either Jets safety Jim Leonhard or Jacobs, who were standing next to each other.
Manning immediately fell to the turf and put his hand to his head. He quickly motioned to the training staff for help once he saw his hand covered in blood.
Replays showed blood pouring from Manning's head shortly after he fell to the ground.
Jacobs called the play a miscommunication.
"We had a call and he wanted to change it and do it on the run," said Jacobs, who recovered the fumble. "It ended up not working out. It was a communication issue on both of our parts. Eli will be fine."
Giants center Shaun O'Hara said seeing Manning bleeding profusely was scary.
"When you see a quarterback bleeding like that, it was something out of a Friday The 13th Movie," O'Hara said. "Now we know it's pretty much a laceration. I think, hopefully, it will make him look a little tougher."
Giants and Jets play 1st football game at new home
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Prince Dankwa walked through the parking lot at the New Meadowlands Stadium holding hands with his 8-year-old son, David, about two hours before kickoff.
The 40-year-old Washingtonville, N.Y. man was clad in a green Jets' hat and shirt. His son wore a true-blue Eli Manning jersey.
In many ways the image was appropriate on a night the Jets and Giants played the first NFL football game at the $1.6 billion stadium that is co-owned by the NFL teams and is the most expensive stadium in the country.
Something else also was appropriate. The father and son had a difference of opinion about who was going to win the preseason contest.
"The Giants are going to win.," David Dankwa said. When asked if his father agreed, the boy looked at his father and smiled.
"I don't think so," he said.
While the game was a Jets home contest, there was a touch of blue in the 82,500 seats, many wearing the jerseys of their favorite Giants players, past and present.
The predominant color though was green, and some fans chanted "Super Bowl" walking into the stadium buoyed by the Jets' run to the AFC title game in Rex Ryan's first season as coach.
The only negative on the night was the intermittent rain that fell a couple of times in the two hours leading up to the kickoff and the fire alarm that sounded briefly in the press box in the first quarter.
John Acampora of Monroe Township, who has been coming to Jets games since the mid-1970s at Shea Stadium, including the past 10 years in a Jets' bus, laughed about the rain, one of the few days with rain in the area in recent weeks.
"We started the playoffs last year against Cincinnati and it was subzero temperatures," Acampora said. "We might as well open up with rain."
While most fans said the stadium was long overdue, some were still miffed about having to pay for personal seat licenses that were mandatory for renewing season tickets.
"We have been coming here a long time this is an event for us," said John Juliano of Brooklyn, who has been coming to Jets' games for 15 years. "We're big Jets supporters. We were coming anyway. The PSLs are a big issue for a lot of people. You are charging me for the right to the tickets I have been paying for all along. Thanks. It felt like we were getting squeezed a little bit."
What mattered to Juliano, though, was being around friends as he grilled some sausage. They got to the stadium at 3:05 p.m. for the kickoff some five hours later.
"It was easy getting in here," he said.
The Jets ran on the field at 7:55 p.m. accompanied by roman candles, smoke and flashes of fire from a chimney-type mechanism near the goal line that would have made the Wizard of Oz proud.
Fireman Ed made his first appearance with 3:07 left in the first quarter, leading a chorus of "J-E-T-S" after Brad Smith scored on a 4-yard pass.
Brian DiRossi, 30, of Ronkonkoma, was excited about the game.
"I would be happier if (Darrelle) Revis was here, but we'll see what happens," DiRossi said of the Jets holdout cornerback.
Juliano downplayed the absence.
"Come September that's when we start talking turkey," he said. "I would like them to get over that HBO drama with Revis and move on. I think we have a good club."
There was a lot of good-natured ribbing in the parking lot.
Wearing a hardhat with a Jets' decal, Rosie Tibaldi of Valhalla teased her boyfriend, Gerald Selvaggio of New York City about being a Giants' fan.
"Sitting with them last year was a little tough," Selvaggio said, referring to the Giants missing the playoffs and the Jets reaching the AFC title game. "But for the previous number of years wasn't tough at all, and with the Super Bowl in 2008, the 2007 season, that's still kind of fresh."
Tibaldi, who was using her father's (Tom) tickets to attend the game with her sister, Cathy, and her boyfriend, James Kosky of Queens, smirked about the Giants' recent success.
"We have one more of these hats in the car that we are hoping to get him to wear," Rosie Tibaldi said.
Some people were just lucky to get tickets for the opening game. Mike Collaro of East Stroudburg went online to buy two tickets for him and his girlfriend, Melissa Manger.
"It wasn't too hard," he said.
Jay Wordsman of Denville and his friend, Anne Lee of Somerset, said they just wanted to see the first game in "the new Giants Stadium."
"It's a Jets home game but we want to see the game," said Wordsman, who has been a Giants fan for four decades.
David Dankwa didn't have decades to recall. The 8-year-old's dream was the future.
"Maybe I'll get my own jersey someday and I'll even play on that field," David Dankwa said.
-- Tom Canavan
Injuries
Giants QB Eli Manning suffers big gash to head
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Quarterback Eli Manning changed a play near the goal line without telling anyone on the New York Giants offense and paid a price.
Manning was knocked out of the Giants' preseason game with the New York Jets on Monday night after suffering a three-inch gash to the left side of his temple that required 12 stitches to close.
The Giants say Manning showed no signs of a concussion and was sent home by the Giants' medical staff. His status for Saturday's night preseason game here against the Pittsburgh Steelers is uncertain.
"I feel fine. I feel normal," Manning said in a statement released by the team. "The play was my fault. We had a run play with an option to throw a fade that I thought I might try, but Brandon (Jacobs) was coming right up the middle. Sometimes you make a mistake and you get hit in the head. It's preseason, you learn from it."
Manning said he will be back soon, that he didn't really sustain an injury.
"I really feel like I could go back out and play right now if I had to," he said.
Manning was hurt on a third-down, play-action pass from the Jets 5-yard line with 10:45 left in the second quarter.
Jacobs ran into Manning with his shoulder while expecting a handoff. The force of the collision knocked the ball out of the quarterback's hands and into the air.
As Manning reached to catch it, Jets linebacker Calvin Pace slammed the quarterback in the middle of his back, knocking Manning's helmet off and pushing him face first forward, where the quarterback's head slammed into either Jets safety Jim Leonhard or Jacobs, who were standing next to each other.
Manning immediately fell to the turf and put his hand to his head. He quickly motioned to the training staff for help once he saw his hand covered in blood.
Replays showed blood gushing from Manning's head shortly after he fell to the ground.
Jacobs called the play a miscommunication.
"We had a call and he wanted to change it and do it on the run," said Jacobs, who recovered the fumble. "It ended up not working out. It was a communication issue on both of our parts. Eli will be fine."
Jacobs said he was not sure how Manning was cut.
Pace said he was just playing football.
"As I was hitting him, I looked back and the ball was out," Pace said. "I was really just trying to get upfield on that play. It's a preseason game and you don't want to see anyone get hurt."
Coach Tom Coughlin said Manning never made an "alert" call to tell the offense and Jacobs that he was audibling out of the planned handoff.
"The nature of the play, it should never have happened," Coughlin said. "I didn't know the real extent of the cut. His pants and shirt were all bloody so it squirted."
Manning left the field at the New Meadowlands Stadium with a towel held to the left side of his head to limit the bleeding. He was accompanied by two Giants trainers.
Fans gave him an ovation as he walked off the field.
Pro Bowl center Shaun O'Hara didn't realize how serious the injury was until he saw the replay on one of the stadium's four jumbo scoreboards.
"Initially we were all concerned and scared," O'Hara said. "When you see a quarterback bleeding like that it was something out of a Friday The 13th Movie. Now we know it's pretty much a laceration. I think, hopefully, it will make him look at little tougher."
-- Tom Canavan
Fitzgerald has sprained right knee
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals are promising to proceed with all caution in their treatment of Larry Fitzgerald's sprained right knee.
That could mean the four-time Pro Bowl receiver won't play again this preseason.
Fitzgerald watched practice on Monday in a leg brace. Afterward, he downplayed the injury "a minor setback" but wouldn't set any time for his return.
"I don't set timetables," he said. "I'm just going to do everything they ask me to do, plus some, and hopefully that's going to get me back as fast as possible."
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said that while the team will take a conservative approach, he fully expects Fitzgerald to be back for the season opener at St. Louis on Sept. 12.
Fitzgerald sprained his MCL when he was hit in his only reception Saturday night in a 19-16 preseason win over Houston. He caught the 16-yard pass from Matt Leinart over the middle but took a nasty hit from safety Eugene Wilson. Fitzgerald stayed in for another series before leaving the game for good.
He said any lost time in training camp is significant.
"I'm playing a position that's predicated on timing," Fitzgerald said. You know we have a new quarterback. I need to be out there with him every day, not just on Sunday. I need to be out there Monday through Saturday working with him every single day to build our continuity. So any time you miss as a receiver is not good."
Fitzgerald enters his seventh NFL season widely recognized as one of the best receivers in the game with 523 career receptions for 7,067 yards and 59 touchdowns. Last year, at 26, he surpassed Randy Moss as the youngest player in league history to top 7,000 yards receiving. In six postseason games, Fitzgerald has 42 catches for 705 yards and nine scores. He has topped 1,000 yards receiving each of the last three seasons and four times in his career.
He has been remarkably durable.
Counting the playoffs, Fitzgerald has played in 47 consecutive games and has missed only four — out of 102 — in his career.
Fitzgerald acknowledged this sprain is worse than the one that knocked him out of the team's loss at San Francisco last Dec. 14. He came back six days later to catch a touchdown pass in a victory at Detroit that clinched the Cardinals' second straight NFC West title.
Fitzgerald worked out regularly in the summer with Leinart, who has replaced the retired Kurt Warner, and had said he was having the best training camp of his career.
"That's the thing that's most frustrating," he said. "You put in so much time in the offseason. You work so hard to get your body in shape, then something like this happens and you kind of take a couple of steps back. It really makes you count your blessings and think about how fortunate you are."
With Fitzgerald's longtime receiving mate Anquan Boldin traded to Baltimore, Steve Breaston will fill the No. 1 receiver spot. Until Fitzgerald returns, Early Doucet moves up to No. 2. Doucet sat out Monday's practice to rest sore abdominal muscles.
-- Bob Baum
Injuries put Bills' rookie RB Spiller in spotlight
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — So much for the Buffalo Bills' plan to ease rookie C.J. Spiller into their running back rotation.
With starter Fred Jackson out at least a month with a broken left hand and backup Marshawn Lynch limping on a sore ankle, Spiller's going to have to hit the ground running — and receiving and returning punts — for the remainder of the preseason at the very least.
"I haven't talked to the coaches at all, but I've just got to be ready for however many reps I'm given," the first-round pick said Monday. "It doesn't matter to me if I have to play the whole game. This is football. This is what I love to do."
Spiller, drafted ninth overall out of Clemson, spoke after the Bills returned to training camp for their first practice since a costly 42-17 preseason-opening loss at Washington on Friday. Lopsided score aside, the injury toll on the Bills' backfield was more significant.
Wearing a cast covering most of his lower left arm, Jackson revealed that he will miss four to six weeks after breaking a bone in his hand on the second play from scrimmage.
Jackson hopes it'll be closer to four weeks, which would put him in a position to be ready for Buffalo's opener Sept. 12 against Miami.
He was hurt at the end of a 7-yard run while attempting to brace himself as he was being pulled down by the facemask by safety Kareem Moore, who was penalized on the play. Tests taken over the weekend confirmed that Jackson broke the fourth metacarpal bone.
"It's a huge disappointment," said Jackson, who finished last season as the Bills' starter and led the team with a career-best 1,062 yards rushing. "Standing on the sideline, you can't do much to help your team."
Lynch, who split the starting duties with Jackson last season, was hurt later in the opening drive, at the end of a 20-yard run that was negated by an offensive holding penalty.
Following the team's evening practice, coach Chan Gailey said he expects Lynch to miss two to three weeks, but noted he could be ready for Buffalo's preseason finale at Detroit on Sept. 2.
"Any time you lose two really great players it's a setback," Gailey said. "That part is tough, but it happens all the time. It's part of this business. You've got to deal with it and go on."
The Bills host Indianapolis at Toronto on Thursday.
Rather than using Spiller as the featured running back, the Bills' intention was to use his dynamic potential in several roles, from splitting out as a receiver to using him in a two-back formation alongside either Jackson or Lynch.
Gailey said the injuries will prevent the team from working on those plays and formations until at least Lynch returns.
Gailey did see one benefit, noting Spiller will get additional playing time and allow him to catch up after he missed the first seven days of training camp before signing his contract on Aug. 6.
Spiller will now be sharing the duties with Chad Simpson, who appeared sparingly in 25 games with Indianapolis over the past two years, and undrafted rookie free agent Joique Bell. Buffalo added another running back on Monday by signing Andre Anderson, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tulane.
"Now I'm the next guy in line to try to step up into those big shoes and try to fill them for this preseason," Spiller said. "I'm going to try to do my best."
The ACC's player of the year last season, Spiller is a speedster who proved to be a versatile threat as a running back, receiver and on special teams at Clemson. He finished his four-year college career with 51 touchdowns, including 32 rushing, and joined Reggie Bush in becoming only the second player to have 3,000 yards rushing, 1,500 yards in kickoff returns, 1,000 yards receiving and 500 yards in punt returns.
Against Washington, Spiller had four carries for 16 yards.
"I feel a whole lot more comfortable going into this game than I did last week," Spiller said. "I've just got to step up."
Jackson is confident Spiller can handle the extra workload.
"It's tough, but that's why you've got to stay ready," Jackson said. "He's preparing to be the No. 1 back while we're gone, so hopefully he can pick up things and keep the offense moving."
Notes: WR Marcus Easley missed both practices because Gailey said the rookie fourth-round draft pick is preparing to have surgery to repair an injury to his left leg. Gailey said it's too early to determine how long Easley will be out. ... The Bills also signed WR Aaron Rhea, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Stephen F. Austin, and placed LB Ryan Manalac on waived/injured. ... Rookie third-round pick DE Alex Carrington did not practice after he was hurt early in the third quarter on Friday. ... DE Spencer Johnson returned to practice for the first time since hurting his leg on July 30, the second day of training camp.
-- John Wawrow
Colts lose safety Silva for season with torn ACL
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have lost safety Jamie Silva for the season with a torn ACL, the team announced Monday.
Silva injured his right knee during the second half of Sunday's 37-17 preseason loss to San Francisco and was helped off the field before going to the locker room on a golf cart with a towel draped over his face.
Having appeared in 25 career games, Silva was one of the Colts most-experienced backups in a young secondary. He made his biggest impact on special teams.
"He's a guy that certainly has a lot of spirit," coach Jim Caldwell said after Monday's non-contact practice. "He runs around and makes a lot of plays for us. It's tough to see a guy out for the entire season. He's a quality guy, helped us in a number of different areas."
Silva is the second Colts defensive back to sustain a serious knee injury. Rookie cornerback and third-round draft pick Kevin Thomas injured his right knee during a rookie minicamp and also is expected to miss the season.
The Colts will have their final two-a-day workouts Tuesday, practicing at 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. They will have a short workout Wednesday morning before heading home and then flying to Toronto for Thursday's preseason game against Buffalo.
Indy also has taken some more hits along the offensive line.
Last week, Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday had arthroscopic surgery and is expected to miss two to six weeks. Left tackle Charlie Johnson has been out with a sprained foot, and rookie offensive lineman Jacques McClendon also missed practice last week with a right leg injury.
All sat out Monday along with two new additions — starting guard Kyle DeVan and backup guard Jaimie Thomas — who were hurt in Sunday's preseason game.
Pro Bowl tight end Dallas Clark (upper left leg) and linebacker Ramon Humber also sat out with undisclosed injuries Monday. Pro Bowl safety Antoine Bethea was excused from practice because of a death in the family.
Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney, who sat out Sunday, returned to practice Monday.
Packers RB Grant recovering from blow to head
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Ryan Grant isn't against the NFL's recently toughened policy on concussions. The Green Bay Packers running back found himself wondering if he could've avoided the entire process had he gone down during Saturday's preseason opener instead of trying to walk off the field under his own power.
Grant left the Packers' 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns after three carries after Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown hit him in the left side of the helmet. Grant said Monday that he knew he wouldn't be able to stay in the game, so he made his way for the sideline right way.
The problem? He was woozy enough that he stumbled and had to stop about halfway to the bench, bringing out the medical staff.
"Maybe it would've been a little different if I'd have stayed on a knee and said, 'I just got the wind knocked out of me, let me take a couple plays off and come back,'" Grant said.
Instead, Grant was diagnosed with a concussion, setting into motion the NFL's safety rules, which include keeping players off the field until they show no symptoms of the concussion and having an independent neurologist instead of the team doctor clear them to return.
Grant, who rushed for 1,253 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, underwent a series of concussion tests Monday and passed them; he said he's scheduled to see the neurologist on Tuesday.
Earlier this summer, the NFL announced it would distribute posters for all teams to hang in their locker rooms all season that outline the dangers of concussions in stark terms. In addition to listing the symptoms of concussions, the poster warns that repeated concussions "can change your life and your family's life forever."
An NFL-sponsored study found that NFL retirees were reporting rates of Alzheimer's and other memory-related diseases at five times or more the national rate.
"I hope to have him back tomorrow," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after Monday's practice, the team's first since their exhibition opener. "He has gone through the procedure and saw the doctor today. He'll see another one tomorrow, and I'm hopeful that he'll go tomorrow night."
Grant said he understands why the rules are in place and appreciates that the NFL is putting player safety first, but when asked if he likes the safety rules, his answer was lukewarm.
"I like parts of it. I think there are definitely parts of it that are good," Grant said. "(But) I think with the business of the game it might make some guys a little more leery of saying certain things or doing certain things, which is unfortunate."
Backup QB Hanie sprains shoulder
BOURBONNAIS, Ill. (AP) — Chicago backup quarterback Caleb Hanie sprained his right shoulder in Saturday's loss at San Diego and will be sidelined for most of the remainder of the preseason.
Hanie suffered the shoulder injury in the third quarter of Saturday's game and left in favor of rookie Dan LeFevour. He had an MRI done and wore a sling at camp Monday while watching practice. "It's a non-surgical thing," Hanie said about the injury. "It's just a minor pain. I've got to make sure that I'm pain-free while I'm throwing. If I'm not pain-free and able to throw, then I'm not going to be able to play."
With Hanie sidelined the Bears only have two quarterback in camp — starter Jay Cutler and LeFevour.
"Only having two healthy guys, it's a little bit tougher for that," coach Lovie Smith said about the quarterback position. "We'll look at all our options."
It's unlikely the Bears will sign another young prospect.
"In an ideal world, he would have some experience," Smith said.
Hanie, a former Colorado State quarterback who is in his third season, has thrown only seven NFL regular season passes.
"Obviously the preseason is big for me to show my skill set, how I've progressed," Hanie said. "I feel I did a good job of showing at least some progress in the first game. I just made some good throws with the top group in there and moved around and avoided pressure, stuff like that.
"Obviously if I have to miss games or whatever that will be frustrating, but like I said, I'm glad I at least got one under my belt so far."
Against San Diego, Hanie completed 10-of-17 for 148 yards with a touchdown and one interception. If the Bears bring in a veteran, it's not out of the question Hanie could have his backup status challenged.
"I'm not worried about the No. 2 job," he said. "That's not even a worry for me. I felt like I've done enough to earn that position. What I have is not a season-ending injury, not even a half-season, not even beginning of the season."
LeFevour, a sixth-round pick from Central Michigan, struggled in the game with two completions in 10 attempts for 21 yards. On Monday he threw five interceptions in practice.
"For your first action in the NFL that's a tough situation to be in," Smith said. "A couple passes he would like to have back. I thought we could have helped him a little bit by catching a couple of them, but the guy gets a little bit better each day."
The Bears are fighting their way through several other injuries. Rookie safety Major Wright suffered a left index finger injury and is wearing a cast. Safety Craig Steltz is out with a sprained ankle. Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer has a foot injury and wide receivers Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett pulled hamstrings.
Missing Wright and Steltz is a tough blow for the secondary, but the team won't add another safety.
"We still have some numbers so we probably won't do anything there," Smith said.
Rams rookie tackle injures back
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Rams rookie offensive tackle Rodger Saffold left practice early after injuring his back.
General manager Billy Devaney said Monday the team did not believe the injury was serious.
Saffold was the first pick of the second round and has been starting at left tackle. Saffold had been impressive enough that the team moved Jason Smith, the second overall pick last season, to the right side.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo said a player fell into Saffold's back.
Player Moves
Former Bills LB Aaron Schobel retiring
HOUSTON (AP) — Former Buffalo Bills linebacker Aaron Schobel is retiring, saying he lost his hunger for playing last year.
The Bills released Schobel on Aug. 4 after nine seasons. Schobel was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and his 78 career sacks rank second in Buffalo history behind Hall of Famer Bruce Smith.
Schobel mulled his options for two weeks, and his decision to retire on Monday was first reported by FoxSportsHouston.com. He said in a phone interview with The Associated Press that he had been leaning toward retirement since the end of last season.
"I really didn't have a lot of fun playing last year," Schobel said. "The passion wasn't there, so it was time. I took as much time as I felt like I needed to make the decision, and I think I made the right one."
Schobel, 32, lives in Columbus, Texas, about 70 miles west of Houston, and the Texans contacted Schobel about continuing his career close to home this season.
Another lure to Houston was defensive line coach Bill Kollar, who worked in Buffalo for three seasons before joining the Texans in 2009. The two are close friends, but Schobel felt retiring was still the right decision to make.
"The decision came down to whether I wanted to play," he said. "I didn't really feel like I wanted to do it. A lot of people probably think I'm crazy, but whenever you feel like it's time, it's time."
Schobel had four years left on a $50.5 million contract extension he signed with the Bills in 2007. It's a deal that included a $2 million roster bonus he was due March 1. Schobel did not receive that money, because the payment was due on the condition he passed a physical.
"It's always hard to pass up money, but there's more to life than that," Schobel said. "If I wanted to play, I felt like I still could've. But it was time."
Schobel sold his house near Buffalo in the spring. He has three children, and said the annual move from Texas to New York was starting to wear on them.
"My kids are getting older and I didn't feel like it was fair," he said. "It was getting to the point where it was starting to affect them, so that was the reason not to go back to Buffalo."
Schobel did not participate in any team activities this offseason. He was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list when he failed to show up for the start of training camp.
Aside from considering his family, Schobel said he was unsure if his body could hold up for another season.
"It wasn't just the physical part, but the mental part, too," he said. "After the Bills released me, I weighed all my options and I just decided that at this point, this is what I wanted to do. I was tired of going back and forth. I just decided that this is what I was going to do."
The Texans were hoping to build depth on their defensive line after backup end Tim Bulman sustained a shoulder injury that coach Gary Kubiak says will sideline him for several weeks.
"We have to continue on with what we're doing," Kubiak said. "I wish him (Schobel) the best. He's a good person and a good player."
Houston placed Bulman on injured reserve Monday and signed free-agent James Wyche, one of three defensive ends who worked out for the team last week.
Kollar said he talked to Schobel "quite a few times" about playing in Houston, but never got a clear read on how much Schobel considered coming back for another season.
"I know he was really considering it," Kollar said. "I don't know what turned out to be the deciding factor. He had mentioned that his family, that they kind of wanted to settle down and stay in one place."
-- Chris Duncab
49ers sign running back Brian Westbrook
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Brian Westbrook so wants to be part of a winning team that he accepted a backup job across the country with the San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers signed the free agent running back to a one-year deal Monday with a reported $1.25 million guaranteed, giving Westbrook the second chance he's been seeking in recent months. The St. Louis Rams, Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins were other teams considering Westbrook, who ultimately said his decision wasn't all about money at this stage.
San Francisco finished 8-8 last season and will settle for nothing less than reaching the playoffs this year and ending a seven-year postseason drought.
"My No. 1 concern throughout the process was going to a winning team, a football team that was coached by a man I respect and a team that had a winning tradition and players that would be able to achieve that," Westbrook said when formally introduced Monday night. "I think I found all of those things here in San Francisco. It was a long process but in the end I think it turned out well for me."
Coach Mike Singletary made things perfectly clear with his would-be player: Frank Gore is the Niners' No. 1 back. And that is unlikely to change.
That's fine with Westbrook, who still believes he can be an every-down back but that his banged-up body in recent seasons might be a sign he's better suited to take on a lesser role now.
"Frank's the man," Westbrook said. "He's done tremendous things in the past, Pro Bowls, talented guy, I've respected his game from afar. In Philly, I watched and studied him a whole lot. I'm going to go out there and push him as much as I can, help him as much as I can and I'm sure he'll do the same for me to make me better. Of course he'll be the starter but I'll be the guy right behind him pushing him. Any chance I get, to go out there and make plays."
Westbrook, who turns 31 on Sept. 2, was released by the Philadelphia Eagles in February after an injury-filled 2009 season. He had been looking for a new team ever since, talking to several coaches from various franchises.
"When I talked to Brian Westbrook, I just wanted him to know how much I respected him as a player. The fact that he's still there at this point, I'm just thankful that he was an option," Singletary. "The more we talked and the possibility of that being able to work out, it was great. But the thing I wanted him to know about our team and about Frank: 'Frank Gore is the guy. Frank Gore is our running back. I don't want to lie to you and have you think something different and when you get here it's like wait a minute, I could have gone somewhere else.'"
Westbrook has rushed for 5,995 yards and 37 touchdowns on 1,308 carries in eight NFL seasons all with the Eagles and also caught 426 passes for 3,790 yards and 29 TDs.
Westbrook knows it will take him a little time to get acclimated to a new playbook.
The Niners had a void to fill after Glen Coffee, Gore's backup, abruptly announced he was leaving football after one NFL season.
While Singletary had high hopes for Coffee's career, he is thrilled to get a veteran with Westbrook's resume.
"It's a very young offense. We've got a lot of tools, young guys," Singletary said. "I think he really adds a lot of value in terms of the leadership, the experience, having been a part of good football teams. That adds a lot to our team on the offensive side of the ball."
Westbrook led the NFL with 2,104 yards from scrimmage in 2007, but missed eight games last season with a pair of concussions and an ankle injury while scoring only two touchdowns.
He insists doctors have told him he's good to go and Westbrook doesn't fear taking another hard hit. Yet he welcomes a fresh start with the Niners.
"I am fully healthy. In my mind, last year was a tough season for me," he said. "I spent the whole offseason rehabbing, I didn't have time to prepare for the season so I kind of went into the season blind without any preparation at all. So it was a tough year. I was playing catch up the entire season and obviously wasn't able to do that. This year, I've been able to spend my whole offseason preparing for a football season. Now that my body is completely healthy, I'm ready to go out there and perform."
Notes: TE Vernon Davis (strained right knee) was listed as day to day to return. "Whatever he needs," Singletary said of Davis' timetable. "He looks good, looks strong." ... LB Travis LaBoy, who sustained a concussion the first week, was cleared to practice Tuesday. Fellow LB Ahmad Brooks could begin biking and possibly also running this week as he recovers from a lacerated kidney that he injured Aug. 6. ... Second-team CB Will James will miss 4 to 6 weeks with a sprained ankle, while rookie returner Kyle Williams sprained a big toe and will be evaluated in several weeks. ... New C David Baas showed Singletary enough in Sunday's 37-17 exhibition win over the Colts that he is penciled in as the starter for now. It had previously been considered a competition with Tony Wragge and Cody Wallace.
-- Janie McCauley
49ers trade Balmer to Seahawks
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Defensive lineman Kentwan Balmer was traded to the Seattle Seahawks on Monday after a mysterious absence from the San Francisco 49ers over the past week.
The Seahawks will send an undisclosed 2011 draft pick to the Niners. Balmer left the 49ers last Monday for what coach Mike Singletary called personal reasons.
Balmer, the team's first-round draft pick in 2008 out of North Carolina, missed his fifth straight practice Friday before the team traveled to Indianapolis for its exhibition opener against the Colts.
Balmer's absences had been unexcused since Wednesday. Balmer met Wednesday night with Singletary, but still was a no-show at training camp.
"I moved on the last time we talked. I was done," Singletary said. "When we talked about it, when he wasn't here that morning, I was done. I was already on up the road. It's nothing I really look back at. I'm thankful he's with another team and hopefully he's happy. Whenever I have a player like that, I'll always miss that player in that capacity because I think he's a fine young man. But obviously there are some things he needed to express and deal with. I'm happy for him."
Singletary wasn't concerned about letting Balmer go to an NFC West opponent.
Former 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan, who abruptly departed the club in March, was hired by the Seahawks as a senior personnel executive in June. He is the right-hand man to general manager John Schneider.
Since McCloughan and the 49ers parted ways, San Francisco's operations have been run by Trent Baalke. The 49ers scored 34 straight points and rallied to a 37-17 win over the Colts on Sunday.
The Seahawks expected Balmer to arrive in town Monday night and be ready to practice Tuesday. Coach Pete Carroll said a roster move would be made once Balmer got there.
"He's a big strong kid," Carroll said. "He's another guy that can play defensive end and three-technique for us. He's got a great lower body. He's real physically capable of standing up against the big O-linemen we're going to play in our division. He was active. He's a good technician. We did a lot of homework on him to understand about his background and in college and had good information. What's happened is in the past as far as we're concerned and we feel real good about him getting in here and helping us right away."
Last Thursday, the 49ers signed rookie free agent defensive tackle Will Tukuafu to a two-year contract to help fill the void left by Balmer's absence. Tukuafu, out of Oregon, was originally signed by the Seahawks before they released him June 22.
The 23-year-old Balmer is entering the third year of an $8 million, five-year deal he signed as a rookie. He has yet to start a game and has recorded no sacks in his first two NFL seasons. He has 11 career solo tackles and has combined on eight others in 27 games.
-- Janie McCauley
Bills restock injured lineup by signing 2 rookies
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — The banged-up Buffalo Bills have signed two undrafted rookie free agents, running back Andre Anderson and receiver Aaron Rhea.
Anderson had 2,009 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns at Tulane. Rhea had 1,811 yards receiving and 19 touchdowns at Stephen F. Austin. Rhea initially signed with Minnesota in April before being released last month.
The Bills also placed linebacker Ryan Manalac on waived/injured.
The moves were announced Monday as the Bills returned to training camp after a 42-17 loss at Washington on Friday to open the preseason.
Buffalo lost its top two running backs to injury during the game. Fred Jackson is out indefinitely after hurting his left hand, and Marshawn Lynch hurt his ankle.
Cleveland Browns sign WR Taurus Johnson
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Free agent wide receiver Taurus Johnson has signed with the Cleveland Browns.
Signed by Kansas City as an undrafted free agent last season, Johnson spent 2009 on practice squads in Detroit and Miami. He was waived by the Dolphins last week.
Johnson had 112 career receptions and 12 touchdowns at South Florida from 2005-08. He also returned kickoffs for the Bulls.
The Browns also waived/injured wide receiver Johnathan Haggerty, who was hurt in Saturday's exhibition win in Green Bay.
Elsewhere
Referee apologizes to Titans for call in January
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A few months late, Tennessee fullback Ahmard Hall says referee Ed Hochuli apologized to him for the holding call on Jan. 3 at Seattle that wiped out a 62-yard gain by Chris Johnson.
The running back still became only the sixth man in NFL history to reach 2,000 yards, finishing with 2,006. But that 62-yard run in the fourth quarter of the regular season finale would have put the All Pro close enough the Titans would have kept handing him the ball to chase Eric Dickerson's NFL rushing record of 2,105 yards.
Hall said Monday that Hochuli apologized to both himself, Johnson and the entire team during the referee's four days spent working the Titans' training camp between Aug. 4 and 7.
The fullback first told The Tennessean about the apology before the Titans' preseason opening 20-18 loss Saturday night.
The fullback said it was good to get closure on the whole situation.
Not that it helps now.
"I really don't care about the 'I'm sorry.' That moment could have been a real, real historic moment. CJ probably would've been 30, 40 yards away from the record, and that was taken away from us. The sorry really doesn't mean anything to me. All I can do is move on and try to get the record this year," Hall said.
At the time, Johnson was about to start celebrating in the back of the end zone before the Titans realized Hochuli had thrown a penalty flag near the line of scrimmage. Hochuli later called it a blatant hold by Hall on his lead block against linebacker David Hawthorne. But he told Hall he was graded down for that call, costing him the chance to work a playoff game.
If the run had counted, Johnson would have had 182 of the 234 yards he needed to set the season rushing record.
"I do give him credit for saying he made a mistake," said Hall, a former Marine. "Some people know they're dead wrong and refuse to say they're wrong. He's a special guy for admitting he made the wrong call and letting everybody know that and being open with that.
Notes: Cornerback Cortland Finnegan (groin) returned to individual drills Monday before watching the rest of practice, but it was his first work in a week. Cornerback Ryan Mouton, who had an interception in the loss to Seattle, sat out with soreness along with safety Vincent Fuller (right knee) and linebacker Stanford Keglar (hamstring). Defensive end and top draft pick Derrick Morgan (left calf) also watched. ... Defensive tackle Tony Brown, who remains on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from surgery on his right knee, said he feels ready to return and is waiting to be cleared.
-- Teresa M. Walker
Jets honor Namath, Martin, Maynard
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — On their first day in their new home, the New York Jets honored their past.
At halftime of their preseason game with the other tenant of the $1.6 billion New Meadowlands Stadium, the Jets opened their Ring of Honor by inducting Joe Namath, Don Maynard, Weeb Ewbank — all Pro Football Hall of Famers — Curtis Martin, Winston Hill and Joe Klecko.
Namath, of course, led the franchise to its only championship, winning the 1969 Super Bowl over the Colts. Maynard was his favorite receiver and Hill was a tackle on that team, which Ewbank coached.
Martin was a star running back for seven seasons and led the league in rushing in 2004. Klecko was a Pro Bowl player at every defensive line position.
" I think it's a very nice honor for all of the guys in it and the guys who will go in it," Namath said. "I watch TV and I watch games and I see other teams have honored some of their past players and coaches, and now's the time, with the new stadium, it's the right time."
The Jets have shared a stadium for nearly all of their 50 years, either with the Mets at Shea Stadium or the Giants at the Meadowlands. This time, they are co-owners of the building, and Namath senses it feels like home.
"What's most important is if that's the way the players feel, and from what I'm hearing, that's what the players do feel here," he said. "They're very excited about feeling as if they're going to their own home stadium as opposed to when it was the other place."
The Jets had the distinction of hosting the first NFL game in the stadium, even if the Giants were the opposition. When the real season begins Sept. 12, the Giants will play Carolina. The next night, the Jets host Baltimore.
"Everything's going to turn green in this stadium while we're here," Klecko said while sporting a green blazer with Ring of Honor emblazoned on it. "And to be home in a place you can actually call your own, and call it Jets Stadium — it says it everywhere. Just walk out there and it says it's the Jets' stadium.
"When I used to walk in and I saw Giants Stadium, I used to block it out. I was going to work. It was, 'Get out of my way, I'm going to work. I've got a job to do.' When you go home, you're home for Mom's cooking. Now, they can come home to Mom's cooking here."
-- Barry Wilner
Report: Scientists link ALS, athlete head injuries
NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have found evidence connecting head injuries in athletes to Lou Gehrig's disease, according to a report to air on HBO's "Real Sports" on Tuesday night.
Dr. Ann McKee said in an interview with the television magazine show that she found toxic proteins in the spinal cords of three athletes who had suffered head injuries and then later died of Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS. Those same proteins have been found in the brains of athletes with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease linked to head injuries that causes cognitive decline, abnormal behavior and dementia.
The findings are to be published in the Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology.
McKee, a neurology professor at Boston University who has studied CTE in athletes, noticed that an unusually high number of football players seemed to be affected by ALS. The disease attacks nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, and destroys the ability to move and speak.
She was able to study the brains and spinal cords of ex-Minnesota Vikings linebacker Wally Hilgenberg, former Southern California linebacker Eric Scoggins, and a boxer whose family asked that his name be kept private.
She found the toxic proteins in the spines of all three. The proteins were not present in the spines of athletes with CTE who didn't have Lou Gehrig's disease. Nor had she seen them in non-athletes who died of ALS
Kurt Warner to call some NFL games for Fox
NEW YORK (AP) — Recently retired Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner will call some NFL games for Fox this season, and his debut will involve his former team.
The network said Monday that Warner will serve as an analyst when Arizona hosts the Super Bowl champion Saints on Oct. 10.
Former Seahawks and Falcons coach Jim Mora is also joining Fox as an analyst this season. He will work on the No. 3 announcing team with Dick Stockton and Charles Davis.
Mora was fired by Seattle in January after one season.
