NFL Capsules: Angry Eagles take on struggling Redskins
The Redskins finally get to play an opponent with something other than a bagel in the victory column. Yep, Washington’s first six foes did not have a win when the teams met, yet the Skins went only 2-4, with losses to the Lions and Chiefs.
On Monday night, they host the Eagles, who know what it’s like to lose to a weak team.
Philly phlopped so badly in Oakland that we can’t see it as anything but an aberration. Bad vibes, bad planning, overlooking a doormat — whatever, the Eagles can’t possibly be unfocused again, particularly in a division game.
Philadelphia is a 7-point favorite against a team in turmoil. That Jim Zorn has survived as head coach, even without play-calling duties now being handled by recent hire Sherman Lewis, is not a total surprise. Should the Eagles run away with this prime-time matchup, though, who knows if Zorn gets another chance? The Skins then go on a bye, which could mean bye-bye to the coach.
If the Eagles want to be taken seriously in an NFC chock-full of talented teams, they can’t slip again to a weakling. Their offensive line, a sieve last week, must step up, giving Donovan McNabb and his many skilled helpers a chance to thrive.
Count on it. EAGLES, 24-10.
New England (minus 14) vs. Tampa Bay at London, England
The Glazers, who own the Bucs, also own Manchester United. Maybe they should skip this one and watch their other football team.
BEST BET: PATRIOTS, 37-7
Atlanta (plus 3) at Dallas
The Falcons’ performances have been eye-openers. Dallas’ showings have made us cover our eyes.
UPSET SPECIAL: FALCONS, 27-23
New Orleans (minus 7) at Miami
After demolishing the Giants, Saints take their high-wire act to South Beach, where Dolphins will try to muscle them. Could happen, but ... SAINTS, 23-20
Arizona (plus 7) at N.Y. Giants
Cardinals almost never play well at Meadowlands. GIANTS, 28-16
Minnesota (plus 5) at Pittsburgh
While everyone applauds Vikings and Steelers on defense, both have become dynamic offensively. Will star CB Antoine Winfield’s health be an issue for Vikes? STEELERS, 24-21
Chicago (plus 2½) at Cincinnati
Both teams were exposed a bit last weekend. Go with the better QB here. BENGALS, 20-17
San Diego (minus 4) at Kansas City
The Chiefs have some confidence after first win and the Chargers can’t find their mojo. CHIEFS, 17-14
Indianapolis (minus 13½) at St. Louis
Nice way to come off a bye for the unbeaten Colts. COLTS, 30-10
Green Bay (minus 8) at Cleveland
The Packers’ banged-up OL is a main reason for such a low spread. So they’ll win it with D. PACKERS, 17-7
San Francisco (plus 3) at Houston
One of these teams will take a big step toward contention. Texans are too inconsistent to trust. 49ERS, 17-16
N.Y. Jets (minus 7) at Oakland
Jets struggle on West Coast (0-4 last season). But hard to believe those were the real Raiders vs. Philly. JETS, 14-10
Buffalo (no line) at Carolina
Jets ran for 318 yards against Bills. Panthers could outdo that number. PANTHERS, 20-10
RECORD: Versus spread, 9-5 (43-43-1 season); Straight up, 9-5 (63-27 season); Best Bet: 2-4; Upset Special: 4-2
League News
Raiders coach won’t be charged in alleged assault
NAPA, Calif. — Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable won’t face charges after being investigated over allegations that he assaulted one of his assistants, ending a two-month saga that was a cloud over the team’s season.
Napa County district attorney Gary Lieberstein said Thursday that the investigation concluded no charges were warranted.
"Our duty is to do the right thing for the right reasons," Lieberstein said. "Under the facts and circumstances of this case, it would be a miscarriage of justice to pursue criminal charges and we will not ask our citizens to give up their valuable time for jury duty, nor will we allow our criminal justice system to be compromised."
Cable has denied the charges from the beginning and said shortly before the district attorney’s announcement that he trusted in the legal system. Cable said he does not intend to speak to the media again until Friday.
"The Raider organization waited patiently for a comprehensive legal process to conclude and now this matter has been resolved," Raiders spokesman Mike Taylor said. "Our focus has been and remains on the New York Jets."
Commissioner Roger Goodell said last week that criminal charges need not be brought against Cable for the NFL to discipline him if he broke the league’s conduct rules.
"We will review the decision announced earlier today by the Napa District Attorney and the facts developed in the underlying investigation," the league said in a statement Thursday. "Following that review, we will take appropriate action, if any, under our policies."
The alleged attack occurred at the team’s training camp hotel on Aug. 5 in Napa, after Cable called Randy Hanson into a meeting with defensive coordinator John Marshall and defensive backs coaches Lionel Washington and Willie Brown.
Hanson told Yahoo! Sports this month that Cable came up from behind him and knocked him out of his chair. Hanson said he broke his jaw and cracked two teeth after hitting a table. Hanson also alleged that Cable threatened to kill him before the other coaches pulled him away.
Calls to Hanson’s attorney, John McGuinn, were not immediately returned Thursday. He told Comcast Sportsnet California that he did not understand the decision not to press charges.
"All I know is they had abundant evidence to proceed, but they chose not to," McGuinn said. "I don’t know why they didn’t."
Lieberstein said there was not enough evidence for a jury to convict Cable of any offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.
He said interviews with the three assistants established that Cable did not punch Hanson or make any verbal threats. He said evidence showed Cable became angry and rushed toward Hanson, but Washington stepped between the coaches.
Cable ran into Washington, who bumped into Hanson and knocked him out of his chair. The witnesses also told authorities that Cable then grabbed Hanson by the shirt but never struck or threatened him. Cable did not talk to police.
Lieberstein said that because Hanson did not file a police report at the time of the alleged incident, police were unable to search the hotel room for any physical evidence that might have corroborated Hanson’s story. He said Hanson did not talk to the police until the end of September, which delayed the case.
"It should be further noted that within the past week and a half, Mr. Hanson showed up unannounced at the police department and made a statement to the effect that since the Raiders had not given him what he asked for, he would now fully cooperate with the prosecution," Lieberstein said.
Lieberstein said there were inconsistencies in what Hanson told the police and what he said in media interviews. He said those were not cleared up in a follow-up interview Wednesday.
"Something happened but even he doesn’t know how it happened," Lieberstein said. "I don’t even think he has a good idea."
Cable has said the pending case was not a distraction to his coaching, and the players have said it has not been an issue around the team.
"Honestly it hasn’t even been in the locker room," receiver Louis Murphy said. "Nobody has really spoke on it. Stuff stays in the locker room. Whatever goes on the outside goes on the outside."
-- Terry Collins
Gov. signs L.A.-area football stadium waiver bill
INDUSTRY, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday he has signed a bill allowing the construction of a 75,000-seat stadium that developers hope will lure an NFL team back to the Los Angeles area.
Schwarzenegger said he signed the environmental exemption bill last week but saved the announcement for a news conference in Industry, where the stadium would be built about 15 miles east of Los Angeles.
The bill nullifies a lawsuit filed by residents in nearby Walnut over the project's environmental impact.
Schwarzenegger called the lawsuit frivolous before a crowd of union members wearing hardhats. Across the street, a dozen protesters from Walnut and other nearby communities held signs saying "No Stadium."
"This is the best kind of action state government can create — action that cuts red tape, generates jobs, is environmentally friendly and brings a continued economic boost to California," Schwarzenegger said.
The governor spoke on the edge of the hilly 600-acre site where the stadium is planned by developer Majestic Realty Co., which helped develop Staples Center, the downtown Los Angeles home of the NBA's Lakers and Clippers and the NHL's Kings.
Renderings of the $800 million venue show sleek glass skyboxes cantilevered over regular seating. The stadium would be bordered by mid-rise buildings with an orthopedic hospital, movie theaters and shops to be built during a later phase of development.
Majestic chief executive Ed Roski, a billionaire, has vowed to build the stadium without any public support beyond the $150 million bond measure by Industry to pay for infrastructure improvements, which the developers plan to repay through ticket sales and parking fees.
Majestic has targeted seven teams it plans to approach after the Super Bowl in February about move to the Los Angeles area: the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers.
The firm has said the teams are in stadiums that are either too small or can't be updated with luxury box seats or other revenue sources an NFL club needs to thrive.
Roski said he's prepared to break ground as soon as a team is locked in and that he's confident that he can raise the $800 million needed for the stadium despite tight credit markets.
"We don't feel at this time that it's going to be a challenge," he said.
Mark Ganis, president of Chicago-based consultancy SportsCorp, said it will be a struggle for a new team in the region to earn enough revenue to pay the high interest banks are demanding for construction loans.
The firm would also likely have to take on debt to buy and move a team to the region, said Ganis, whose firm helped develop the new Yankee Stadium and other sports venues.
"In order to privately finance and operate a new stadium, it would have to generate more in-stadium revenue than virtually any team currently existing in the NFL," Ganis said. "That is a monumental task."
Without guarantees that the team could bring in that revenue, the NFL would be unlikely to approve a move, Ganis said.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league wants to see a team back in the Los Angeles area under circumstances that make sense for the league and the community hosting a team, but declined to specify what those circumstances are.
He said the league was aware of the environmental exemption's passage, but wasn't actively supporting any specific proposals.
Majestic's proposal for a stadium in Industry, a 12-square-mile maze of warehouses, factories, strip malls and topless bars, has gone farther than any previous efforts to bring pro football back to the nation's second-biggest market since the Rams and Raiders left in 1994.
Roski was previously among the backers of a plan to renovate the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for an expansion team. But the new team went to a Houston after the Los Angeles interests were outbid by some $150 million.
Subsequent efforts to renovate the Coliseum and Rose Bowl, and build new stadiums in cities such as Carson and Anaheim were largely thwarted by community opposition and a reluctance to sweeten the deal for the NFL with public funding.
State legislators approved the current plan amid lobbying by Majestic and labor union officials, who argued that the venue's construction and operation would bring jobs to the region suffering from high unemployment.
Backers said the stadium would create over 18,000 jobs and generate over $320 million in salaries for residents of the region.
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor head Maria Elena Durazo said Majestic has guaranteed that the parking lot attendants, concession stand workers and other stadium employees would be paid middle-class wages.
"This is true economic development," Durazo said. "It's going to benefit everyone in our community."
But Rod Faccio, a protester from Walnut, said he didn't see the benefit to his community, which he feared would now be besieged by drunk drivers on game days and other hazards.
He condemned legislators for letting the project go forward without the environmental study that some stadium critics were demanding.
"That's the principal focus: what is the impact going to be?" said Faccio, 46. "Now we're never going to know."
-- Jacob Adelman
Judge refuses to dismiss rape suit against Big Ben
RENO, Nev. — A Nevada judge denied a motion Thursday to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger of raping a woman at a hotel-casino in Lake Tahoe.
Washoe District Court Judge Brent Adams also refused a request by a lawyer for the two-time Super Bowl champ to sanction the woman’s attorney for pursuing the case without sufficient evidence.
The judge said in a one-page order that Cal Dunlap, a lawyer and former district attorney, had met the minimal standards required to avoid the imposition of sanctions in his representation of the former VIP host at Harrah’s Lake Tahoe who accused the quarterback of sexually assaulting her and Harrah’s of covering it up.
"I’m not surprised by the judge’s ruling," Dunlap said. He declined further comment.
David Cornwell, Roethlisberger’s lead attorney, said in a statement the judge’s ruling suggests he was giving the woman "the benefit of the doubt at a stage in the proceedings where a full examination of her contemporaneous statements and conduct is premature."
The suit seeks a minimum of $440,000 in damages from Roethlisberger and at least $50,000 in damages from Harrah’s officials regarding the alleged incident in July 2008 in a penthouse across the street from the upscale Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course.
Roethlisberger was in town for a celebrity golf tournament.
He has denied the allegations and maintains the woman acted voluntarily at all times while in his room.
His lawyers have said the fact that she never filed a formal criminal complaint with police is proof she made up the story to try to secure a big payout from the NFL star.
In a filing last week, the lawyers sought a minimum of $10,000 in counter damages, saying the accuser’s "overzealous" lawyers "turned a blind eye to evidence, no matter how credible, that cast their client’s story in doubt."
Franklin Brockway Gowdy, another lawyer for the quarterback, wrote in the filing that the complaint "is based on the fantastical imaginings of a desperate woman with significant credibility issues."
"In contrast to this house of lies slapped together with two sticks and duct tape, Mr. Roethlisberger is armed with the truth," Gowdy wrote.
The woman alleged in her lawsuit that Roethlisberger lured her to his room under the false pretense of needing his television repaired. She said she didn’t file a criminal complaint because she feared Harrah’s would side with Roethlisberger and she would be fired.
The woman said she determined the TV was functioning properly but as she turned to leave, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback blocked her exit.
She claims he grabbed her and started to kiss her, and she was "shocked and stunned that this previously friendly man, that appeared to be a gentleman in her previous contacts with him was suddenly preventing her from leaving, was assaulting her and battering her."
She said she feared he could or would physically harm her if she tried to fight him off, but that she objected and protested several times to no avail.
-- Scott Sonner
New grass at Heinz Field for 2 weekend games
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are replacing some of Heinz Field’s grass only three games into the season.
Workers tore up the areas between the hash marks and put down new grass this week, in time for the South Florida-Pitt game on Saturday and the Vikings-Steelers game on Sunday.
The Steelers returned to playing on an all-grass field this season because it allows them to re-sod any area that becomes worn. Some bare spots in the middle of the field were noticeable during the Browns-Steelers game on Sunday.
PepsiCo is cornerstone partner for new stadium
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — PepsiCo signed an agreement to become the fourth cornerstone partner for the new stadium for the Jets and Giants.
The New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation announced the multiyear deal on Thursday. No contract deals immediately available.
MetLife, Verizon and Budweiser had previously signed contracts to be cornerstone partners for the $1.6 billion stadium that is scheduled to open next spring with a concert by Bon Jovi. The first NFL game will be played in the summer.
The teams are still looking to sell the naming rights to the new stadium, which is being constructed next to Giants Stadium.
PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of food and beverage brands.
The deal will begin at the start of the 2010 season. It will give the company beverage exclusivity at the stadium for all non-alcoholic beverages. Pepsi and Gatorade will continue to be the official soft drink and sports drink of the teams.
"We have enjoyed great partnerships with the Jets and Giants over the years and now we’re taking it to the next level by joining them in their new state-of-the-art facility," said Jeff Dubiel, Pepsi’s vice president of sports marketing. "With the stadium essentially in our backyard, we’ve seen firsthand the incredible excitement and anticipation it’s bringing to the New York area."
As a cornerstone sponsor, PepsiCo will receive exterior branding on the stadium’s facade, signage throughout the concourses, and in-stadium branding.
"In what is a challenging time economically, the fact that we have attracted four major corporate sponsors for the stadium is significant," said Mark Lamping, president and chief executive officer of New Meadowlands Stadium Co.
Gatorade has been the sports drink of the Jets and the Giants players for more than 25 years. Pepsi has been the official soft drink of the NFL since 2002, the Giants since 2003 and the Jets since 2004.
-- Tom Canavan
Former GM’s wife: Wanted Pats to put 100 on Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The wife of former Tennessee general manager Floyd Reese waited until her husband was on a plane headed to London with the New England Patriots, then called a Nashville radio station to blast the Titans and coach Jeff Fisher.
Sally Reese called WGFX-FM on Thursday to defend her husband on air a day after hearing talk that her husband hates Fisher since losing a power struggle in Tennessee.
Reese was let go when his contract expired in January 2007. He was hired by New England in January as a senior advisor. The Patriots handed Fisher and the Titans a 59-0 loss last weekend that matched the biggest defeat in the league since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970.
Injuries
Browns get two sick players back
BEREA, Ohio — Some rest, liquids and medication have the Cleveland Browns feeling a little better.
Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers and linebacker Kamerion Wimbley returned to the team Thursday after being among 12 players — six of them starters — who were sent home Wednesday with flulike symptoms. The other 10 players remain isolated from the team.
Browns coach Eric Mangini said two of the unidentified players have been diagnosed with Influenza A, which is related to the H1N1 virus. Mangini reported that there have been no new cases of the flu, and that the other ill players have not gotten any worse.
"That’s a positive," Mangini said. "As far as a timetable for the rest of the group coming back, I’m not totally sure yet, but we’re going to keep being cautious with this to make sure we don’t go into the weekend and put the group that hasn’t had it in a position where they could get it."
Mangini said the team will continue to take preventive measures to combat the virus spreading further. He scaled back practice Wednesday and canceled meetings so players would get extra rest in advance of Sunday’s home game against Green Bay.
The NFL recently implemented roster provisions for teams hit hard by the swine flu. If a team has a minimum of six players with confirmed cases of H1N1, the league will allow the team to use practice squad players in games.
"We’re going through the process of talking to the league and documenting different things to see where we are with that," Mangini said. "It’s open communication. We want to be sure what we’re able to do and not able to do."
Mangini expects most of the affected players to be ready by Sunday. The Browns typically stay in a downtown Cleveland hotel on the night before a game, and Mangini intends to go forward with those plans.
The Browns players still sick are: running back Jerome Harrison, center Alex Mack, cornerback Anthony Madison, safety Brodney Pool, tight end Robert Royal, wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Jason Trusnik, defensive end Brian Schaefering, fullback Lawrence Vickers and defensive end Corey Williams.
Mangini said the team’s medical staff has stayed in touch with the sick players who are still away from the facility. The Browns have sent home other employees in high-risk groups, such as pregnant women, to protect their health.
"It’s really about trying to be safe and limit it as much as possible," Mangini said.
Mangini began taking Tamiflu on Wednesday to combat the virus. He said he has never experienced anything like the flu outbreak in his coaching career.
"This is new ground for me," he said. "I checked the (coaching) manual, nothing. But like anything else, you’ve got to adjust. It’s a good reminder to the practice squad guys, you don’t know when you’ll get a chance. We do a lot of work with those guys whether it’s post practice or additional meetings to keep them up to date and ready to assume a role if a role should open up.
"Situations like this are a good reminder of how close you are. Things can change week to week or day to day."
Wimbley said he was feeling much better and thought he would be 100 percent by Sunday. As he spoke to reporters, linebacker David Bowens joked that everyone should keep their distance from Wimbley.
"Man," Bowens said, "I’d stay away from that."
-- Tom Withers
Colts WR Gonzalez nears return to practice
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts receiver Anthony Gonzalez is nearly ready to return to action.
Gonzalez has been out since spraining ligaments in his right knee during a season-opening 14-12 victory over Jacksonville, and the starter opposite Reggie Wayne has not practiced since.
Gonzalez caught 57 passes for 664 yards last season, and he was primed to take over the No. 2 receiving spot after Marvin Harrison was released in the offseason. The non-contact injury derailed those plans, but coach Jim Caldwell said Thursday that Gonzalez could practice this week.
"It’s kind of a day to day thing," Caldwell said. "He’s been feeling really good. He has not obviously practiced to this point, but we do feel that he’s going to start shortly. When that is, I’m not certain."
Safety Bob Sanders is expected to play Sunday at St. Louis after missing all of training camp, all the preseason and the first month of the regular season after surgery on his right knee.
Sanders, the 2007 NFL defensive player of the year, has played in just 43 of 85 games in six NFL seasons because of injuries.
Cornerback Marlin Jackson, a former first-round pick, is not expected back for at least two more weeks after straining the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Kicker Adam Vinatieri is out with a knee injury.
Starting cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who missed the last three games with a left hamstring injury, and left tackle Charlie Johnson, who sat out the Tennessee game with a left knee injury, are both expected to return this week.
Sanders had no setbacks during Wednesday’s practice. He has not played in a game since January, but he is not listed on the team’s injury report.
Sanders did not practice Thursday, something coaches have allowed each week in recent years to rest him and help him stay healthy.
Caldwell said Sanders’ smarts should help ease his transition back to the field. He said if he’s able to play, he’ll likely start.
"The mental aspect, I believe, he’s been on top of for a while," he said. "He has not missed a meeting. He’s been in every single situation he could be involved in. In that regard, we certainly feel he’s going to be up to speed."
-- Cliff Brunt
L.T., other Chargers miss practice with flu
SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Chargers had numerous players miss practice as they continue preparations for Sunday’s game at Kansas City.
Running backs LaDainian Tomlinson and Jacob Hester, wide receiver Buster Davis and linebacker Jyles Tucker were unable to practice Thursday.
Coach Norv Turner said, "We have a little bit of the flu going around."
Others not working were cornerback Antonio Cromartie (knee) and center Nick Hardwick (ankle). Cromartie is expected to play Sunday; Hardwick is out until December.
The Chargers, who have the NFL’s No. 23-ranked defense, made some moves on that side of the ball. Cornerback Antoine Cason, a former first-round pick, was demoted as the team’s nickel back. He was replaced by Steve Gregory, who had been seeing time at safety.
Rookie Kevin Ellison, a sixth-round pick out of USC, will continue as the starter at strong safety. Ellison made his first NFL start in Monday night’s loss to the undefeated Denver Broncos, who lead the Chargers by 3 1/2 games in the AFC West.
Falcons FB Mughelli could miss 2nd straight game
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons fullback Ovie Mughelli didn’t practice Thursday for the second straight day because of a calf injury and could be sidelined against Dallas.
Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner was on the field, but a chest injury limited his participation.
The Falcons expect No. 2 running back Jerious Norwood to miss the Cowboys game with a hip flexor. Norwood, who was injured in Sunday’s 21-14 win over Chicago, said the injury also might keep him out when Atlanta visits New Orleans in Week 8.
Atlanta, which ranked second in the NFL last year with an average of 152.7 yards rushing, has dropped to 24th with a 98.6 average. The Falcons rank ninth with 28.8 attempts per game.
Boldin works out on side, might practice Friday
TEMPE, Ariz. — Anquan Boldin did not practice again on Thursday because of a sprained right ankle, but the Arizona wide receiver did go through some work with a trainer on the sideline.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt says Boldin was able to do "a lot more" than he did on Wednesday, including some jogging, and there’s a chance the three-time Pro Bowler could participate in practice on Friday.
Boldin was hurt in the second quarter of Sunday’s 27-3 victory at Seattle. He returned to play in the third quarter, then left the game for good with Arizona comfortably ahead.
Tight end Stephen Spach also did not practice because of a sprained ankle.
The Cardinals play at the New York Giants on Sunday night.
Steelers’ Polamalu sits out practice
PITTSBURGH — Steelers safety Troy Polamalu didn’t practice for the second straight day while he heals from a left knee injury.
Polamalu is not believed to have had a setback in his rehabilitation, and he’s expected to play Sunday against Minnesota as long as he practices Friday.
Normally, the Steelers require a player to practice only once in advance of a game.
Polamalu returned from a four-game layoff with a torn medical collateral ligament to make an interception Sunday against Cleveland. He jammed his knee into the turf once during that game, but coach Mike Tomlin indicated later he wasn’t reinjured on the play.
Vikings hoping Winfield will be ready for Steelers
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings’ smallest player could leave a pretty big hole in the defense if cornerback Antoine Winfield cannot play against the Steelers on Sunday.
Winfield sprained his right foot against the Ravens last weekend. He missed practice on Wednesday and was not on the field Thursday during the portion open to reporters.
The Vikings defense fell apart against Baltimore when their Pro Bowler left in the second quarter. After forcing punts on the first five possessions of the game, the Vikings allowed the Ravens to score 21 points in the fourth quarter.
The test will be bigger this week against in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers have second-ranked passing offense in the NFL.
-- Jon Krawczynski
Jets’ Ryan thinks WR Cotchery has shot to play
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets coach Rex Ryan says wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery has a "real shot" to play against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.
Cotchery has been bothered by his left hamstring and Brad Smith by his quadriceps. Neither participated in team drills for the second straight day Thursday, but they both did individual drills. Ryan is hopeful that at least one of the receivers will play.
He’s most confident about Cotchery’s chances.
Right tackle Damien Woody didn’t practice because of a lower leg injury, and wide receiver Braylon Edwards was limited by his quadriceps. Both of them are expected to play.
Cornerback Lito Sheppard is most likely out after reinjuring his right leg.
Eagles LB Gaither out for season with foot injury
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles coach Andy Reid says linebacker Omar Gaither will have surgery on left foot and will miss the rest of the season.
Gaither suffered the injury during Sunday’s loss to the Oakland Raiders.
He is the second Eagles middle linebacker to be lost for the season — Stewart Bradley was placed on injured reserve after tearing an ACL in a preseason scrimmage.
On Tuesday, the Eagles acquired linebacker Will Witherspoon from the St. Louis Rams. Witherspoon will start for the Eagles against Washington on Monday night.
Dolphins LB Roth sidelined again
DAVIE, Fla. — Miami Dolphins linebacker Matt Roth was back on the sideline again Thursday, this time with a left ankle injury.
Roth hurt himself practicing for the first time this season Wednesday. He said the latest injury is not serious, but it rules out his chances of playing Sunday against unbeaten New Orleans.
"It’s just a little bump in the road," said Roth, who hopes to miss only a day or two of practice.
"It’s a little setback," coach Tony Sparano said, "but just a little one."
Roth sat out all of training camp and Miami’s first five games because of a groin injury.
