NFL Capsules - NFC: McNabb has growing pains learning Redskins offense
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Donovan McNabb must have wondered if he was back in Philadelphia.
On the first day of Washington Redskins training camp, a heckler stood near the front of the crowd and criticized every bad pass, every bobbled ball and pined out loud for the return of departed quarterback Jason Campbell.
"Must have been a great catch," the fan yelled after McNabb completed one pass, "because it couldn't have been a good throw."
As the days went by, other fans might have felt that the heckler was on to something. McNabb seemed to be getting intercepted more than he should. He was throwing behind receivers, and earlier this week he unleashed a wounded duck downfield that was picked off easily by Carlos Rogers.
McNabb's performance could be simply a matter of him adjusting to new surroundings and a new offense. Or maybe fans are getting a glimpse of why the Philadelphia Eagles were willing to trade him after 11 seasons.
Naturally, McNabb and the Redskins chalk it up to the adjustment factor after only two weeks of training camp. All sides acknowledge, however, that there have been some growing pains.
"I think it's been different for him," offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said Wednesday. "He's been so comfortable in a situation for 11 years that he's never had to really grind out the system, because that (Eagles system) came natural to him with time. So it's been a little different for him knowing that he's really got to put in the work, and just the book — just memorizing what we're doing, memorizing the verbiage — so it's taken some time for him."
Coach Mike Shanahan noted that McNabb is essentially learning to speak a different language with different progressions and different footwork. Even a good student such as McNabb isn't going to master it right away.
"It's going to take some time where he feels it's second nature," Mike Shanahan said. "It usually takes a couple of years, even for a veteran."
Of course, no one is going to be patient enough to wait a couple of years. The season opener against the rival Dallas Cowboys is only 4½ weeks away. The first look at McNabb in a Redskins uniform in a game situation comes Friday night, when he'll likely get 12-15 snaps in the exhibition opener against the Buffalo Bills.
"It's a growing process," McNabb said. "We know that everything isn't going to be where we need to be for Dallas, but that's why we play the preseason, to kick the rust off a little bit and kind of get our timing and chemistry where we need to be."
Kyle Shanahan said some of the early miscues in camp might be beneficial in the long run.
"You almost sometimes want them to make some mistakes," Kyle Shanahan said, "because quarterbacks really don't remember what you want them to do until they mess it up. They get scarred by it and then they remember.
"Some of the new concepts he hasn't seen, and he has missed some of these throws and missed some of the reads, and I think it's good when that happens in practice, so he remembers them and remembers why it's not a good decision."
McNabb understands where his coaching is coming from.
"Once you make a mistake and you realize what the mistake was, then you eliminate that," McNabb said. "That's for any player. Now if you kind of go through and you don't make a lot of mistakes, and then when you do, you don't have an answer for it? Then obviously you have to pull yourself back and try to find a solution. We've all made mistakes as these days continued on. We've all corrected them and found out what we did wrong."
So there's no need to panic. In fact, there's even time for laughs. McNabb was ready Wednesday when it was pointed out that he doesn't have as much hair as he used to.
"I'm an older guy now. I'm more mature. Responsible. Just really looking for that sexier look from the 30-and-over league — for the ladies who are paying attention," he said.
McNabb is also vowing payback for a locker room prank played by tight end Chris Cooley, who had a youngster hide in McNabb's locker one day after practice. Cooley posted the video on the Internet of McNabb's priceless expression when the boy jumped out and surprised the quarterback.
"That's going to come back on all those guys who were responsible for that," McNabb said. "That's a dangerous thing, having someone jump out of your locker when you least expect it, but it'll come back."
Notes: Albert Haynesworth worked with the starters at nose tackle Wednesday, but only because Ma'ake Kemoeatu was rested after needing an IV for dehydration Tuesday afternoon. Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said Haynesworth needs "to clean up the technique" to play in the 3-4 defense. "We don't want him to spin. We don't want him to 'ole' blocks," Haslett said. "We want him to play with more power. The guy's a very, very powerful guy. I think he needs to use power in his game. I think that'll make him a better football player." ... DL Scott Darrion was carted off the field during Wednesday's practice in stifling heat and treated for dehydration. ... RB Clinton Portis returned after missing Tuesday's practice with a sore left groin. ... WR Malcolm Kelly (hamstring), RT Jammal Brown (hip), WR Mike Furrey (concussion), S Chris Horton (groin) and QB Richard Bartel (hamstring) won't play Friday. ... S LaRon Landry (toe) was limited in practice Wednesday but he will play.
Bear Pascoe holding fort at tight end for Giants
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Watching the New York Giants tight ends at training camp these days is pretty simple — there's Bear Pascoe.
With four of the five tight ends at camp sidelined by minor injuries, Pascoe has gotten almost all the work. Whether it's one practice or two, the second-year pro has been the main target for quarterbacks Eli Manning, Jim Sorgi and Rhett Bomar, and he is loving every exhaustive second.
The performance has impressed coach Tom Coughlin and put Pascoe on the road to earning a spot on the roster.
"I think anyone should welcome this," Pascoe said Wednesday between practices. "It's a chance to get better and a chance to show how hard I can work and that I'm a guy who can last, that I have durability and toughness. I can take that pounding and keep going."
Kevin Boss has the Giants' starting job nailed down despite ankle and hamstring injuries.
There are one or two other spots open, and second-year pros Travis Beckum (hamstring), Scott Chandler (hip flexor) and rookie Jake Ballard (hamstring) aren't doing themselves any good watching from the sidelines at the University at Albany.
"I feel terrible when I look out there and see just Bear out there," Boss said. "I feel terrible for him. It's real hard to watch and sit back there and not be able to help him out."
Surprisingly, Pascoe says he feels great. There might be a little tightness in his calves, but other than that, he's healthy and has improved with the added workload.
Pascoe expects a lot out of himself. He just missed making a diving catch in practice Wednesday morning. While he could have blamed fatigue, he didn't.
"It hit my hands, I should catch it, that's the responsibility as a wide receiver and tight end," Pascoe said. "If it is in our area, we should come down with it."
Tight ends coach Mike Pope teased Pascoe about his workload before practice.
Pascoe's real first name is McKenna, the name of a priest who married his parents. Everyone started calling him 'Bear' as a youngster because he was just a lot bigger than his friends.
Pope likes the idea of mixing up Pascoe's names.
"Coach Pope was playing around before practice when we were stretching," Pascoe said. "He's like on one play I am going to call 'Bear' and on the next I'll call 'McKenna.' We'll fool the defense."
Actually, Pascoe hasn't gotten all the work. Offensive lineman Herb Taylor took a snap or two at tight end and was told to run a 10-yard out. He ran a 20-yard seam pattern and remarkably had the ball thrown in his direction, but never came close to getting his hands on it.
Pascoe laughed about the play, noting Taylor does a much better job blocking than him.
Sorgi said the craziest thing is that Pascoe has not asked the coaching staff for a break. He just says he is ready to go, which is great for team morale.
"He is the kind of guy who will be out there every day, the kind of guy who will fight his butt off for you no matter the situation," Sorgi said. "You need those guys. You want a guy like that on your team because you know if you need a play at the end, you can count on that guy to do the right thing."
A Fresno State product, Pascoe spent most of last season on the Giants' practice squad. He got a chance to play four games late last season, catching one pass and getting a start when the team opened a game in a two tight end formation.
"If I can keep working and improving like I am and show Coach Coughlin my good work ethic, most definitely I think I can earn a spot on this roster," he said. "I am planning on it."
-- Tom Canavan
Rookie FS Allen solidifies spot at Eagles camp
BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Eagles rookie free safety Nate Allen has solidified his position as a starter with his play during training camp.
Defensive coordinator Sean McDermott called Allen unshakable, saying Wednesday that the second-round pick from South Florida has earned the respect of his peers.
The Eagles, who open the preseason Friday night at home against Jacksonville, struggled last season to find a capable free safety after perennial Pro Bowler Brian Dawkins signed with Denver as a free agent.
Quintin Demps, Macho Harris and Sean Jones all struggled trying to win the job. So did the defense as a whole, allowing 27 touchdown passes in 2009, the most since yielding 29 in 1987.
So the Eagles used nine of their 13 draft picks on defensive players, starting in the first round with Brandon Graham, a defensive end from Michigan, and continuing a round later with Allen.
"I feel good with how everything's going so far," Allen said. "There have been nights where I get frustrated with how I've practiced, but I tell myself to keep going, and you've got to learn from your mistakes. I put a lot of pressure on myself because I'm never really satisfied."
He said the biggest challenge to date is learning the Eagles' complex defense.
"No matter how tired and frustrated you are, if you keep working, everything will work out for you," he said.
There were questions before April's draft whether Allen would be physical enough to play in the NFL. But McDermott said Wednesday he couldn't recall Allen missing a single tackle in camp.
And Allen said he had no idea why anyone would be concerned with his physicality.
"I never worried too much about it," he said. "I'm confident in my tackling. I guess that's a thing I was labeled as. Whatever. No big deal."
Note: Starting tight end Brent Celek missed Wednesday's morning session because of illness. Center Nick Cole (knee) and Harris (hamstring) also missed practice.
Saints RB Bush returns; Hamilton injures knee
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Reggie Bush returned to practice after missing one session with cramps, and he might have become even more important for the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints on Wednesday.
No. 3 running back Lynell Hamilton had to be helped off the field after tearing his right ACL during a joint practice against the New England Patriots, whom the Saints will play in the exhibition opener Thursday night. It will be New Orleans' first game since beating the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Miami.
Saints spokesman Greg Bensel said Hamilton, who had been effective on special teams and in short-yardage situations, has a torn ACL, an injury that usually requires a year to recover from.
"It was something that was kind of a freak deal," Payton said after the final practice.
Hamilton, who turned 25 last week, crumpled to the turf midway through Wednesday morning's practice. Trainers rushed out to attend to him, and a few minutes later he limped off the field with a trainer under each arm.
Hamilton appeared in nine games last season, starting one, running 35 times for 125 yards and two touchdowns; he also caught five passes for 48 yards.
"We saw a lot of him a year ago," Payton said. "He played quite a bit for us in the kicking game as well as on offense. He's certainly a guy that factored in last year and contributed quite a bit."
Bush tried to talk to Hamilton after the injury. "I'm hoping for the best and praying for him," Bush said before the extent of the injury was known.
Bush sat out the team portion of Tuesday afternoon's practice without explanation, then said after practice on Wednesday that he was dehydrated and began cramping up.
"Other than that, it was nothing serious," he said. "Practicing today everything was fine. It was just a little bit more precautionary than anything to make sure I was 100 percent for this preseason game tomorrow. I'll be full go tomorrow in the preseason game."
Bush split the running back duties last year with Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell while leading the Saints to their first NFL championship. Bell signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in the offseason, and Thomas has already shaken off a left wrist injury that briefly knocked him out of practice last week.
Patriots linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said that having running backs with different styles is one reason the Saints have been so successful.
"When teams have three-headed monsters or two-headed monsters in the backfield, you've really got to know who's back there and how to play them," he said.
"They're a dynamic group and they can do a lot of things. They present different problems. Each one of them has a different style of running the ball, so you really have to know who you're up against. Reggie's a really fast explosive player and Pierre's a stronger, downhill type of runner, so you've got the best of both worlds in their backfield. So it creates problems for the defense."
The Saints have looked around for running backs, including Ladell Betts, who was released by the Washington Redskins. Also on the roster are P.J. Hill and rookie Chris Ivory.
-- Jimmy Golen
Finneran on another comeback trail for Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Brian Finneran allowed himself a satisfied smile. Another year. Another comeback.
Finneran, 34, is back for his 11th season with the Falcons and on Wednesday proclaimed he felt healthy and ready for the team's preseason schedule, which begins with Friday night's game against Kansas City.
A proclamation of good health is notable for Finneran following major knee surgeries in 2006 and 2007 and another season-ending knee injury last year.
Finneran didn't hesitate when asked if he felt a sense of satisfaction to be playing years after many believed his career was over.
"Absolutely," he said. "After I did it the second time in 2007, even for a few weeks I was done in my head. Mentally, I was done.
"But I just kept chugging along and working hard and I've got two years under my belt now and feeling pretty good. I had a couple of banged up knees last year but nothing serious and I'm back now healthy and I just keep going and working hard. It's a tough sport. Guys get banged up every week. You just try not to be that guy."
The severity of the 2006 and 2007 injuries allowed Finneran to almost casually dismiss the torn left posterior cruciate ligament that ended his 2009 season in December.
Finneran has recovered from far worse knee injuries.
The receiver suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in his 2006 training camp with the Falcons. He also suffered cartilage damage and a displaced knee cap.
The devastating injury could have ended Finneran's career. He needed a year to recover but then also missed the 2007 season when the left ACL again blew out.
That was when even he believed his career was over.
Instead, the 34-year-old receiver played in a combined 26 games the last two years and is back for his 11th season with the Falcons. He made a quick recovery after suffering back spasms at the start of training camp.
"He had a couple of days where he was flat on his back but he was able to get back out here with us," coach Mike Smith said Wednesday.
Finneran expects to play in Friday night's first preseason game against Kansas City.
"The knees feel good," Finneran said Wednesday. "I had a little back issue early in camp the first practice and then I got over that quick. When you're 34 years old, camp is never fun and never feels that great. But I'm feeling all right now. I'll be ready to go Friday night."
The Falcons need Finneran, who for a decade has been a valuable possession receiver. Others, especially two-time Pro Bowl pick Roddy White, are targeted for big plays. The Falcons count on the 6-foot-5 Finneran to move the chains.
Of Finneran's 217 career catches with Atlanta, 167 have been for a first down or touchdown.
The Falcons need Finneran because Michael Jenkins, expected to be the No. 2 receiver behind White, suffered a shoulder injury and could miss four to six weeks. Harry Douglas, a contender to move up as a starter, is still recovering from the season-ending knee injury he suffered in last year's training camp and will miss Friday night's game.
Finneran may not play long against the Chiefs. Smith likely will remove his starters and older players in the first half.
"We're going to work Brian like all the old guys in terms of number of snaps in the preseason," Smith said. "We're familiar with Brian and what he's capable of doing."
Eric Weems, Troy Bergeron, rookie Kerry Meier and such undrafted free agents as Brandon Harvey and Andy Strickland are expected to take most of the snaps at receiver.
"We are deep at that position and if anything this is going to give an opportunity for guys to step up and get some more experience," said quarterback Matt Ryan. "... It gives me more time with them."
-- Charles Odum
Avril hopes to step up on new Lions defensive line
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions don't have many good memories of the Matt Millen era.
They are hoping that Cliff Avril turns out to be one.
Avril, a third-round pick in 2008, has 10½ sacks in his two seasons, but has struggled against the run and never given Detroit a consistent pass rusher.
This season, the defensive end will have to improve his performance against the run in order to earn a regular role on the Lions' revamped defensive line.
"I've got a lot of work to do," Avril said. "We've got a lot of new guys here, and I know I've got to get better."
Lions coach Jim Schwartz thinks Avril is off to a good start, and has made good progress toward becoming a consistent, full-time player.
"Cliff is still a young guy, and at times last year, he played like that," Schwartz said. "But he's taken a step forward in that department. He has had a very, very consistent camp."
Schwartz is most pleased that Avril is showing versatility on the field.
"We know the skills he has as a pass rusher, but we're seeing more from him this year," he said. "He's doing a better job at the point of attack in the run game."
Avril says that the improvement is a combination of several factors, starting with hard work.
"I know that I've got the talent around me that I should be able to take a big step forward this year, so I'm working hard at it," he said. "I've got a better understanding of what I'm doing out there, and of what the whole defense is doing."
Avril has also picked up valuable lessons from newly acquired veterans like Kyle Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams.
"It's great to be able to pick those guys' brains," he said. "It's been awesome to be on the field with two guys like that, and with a young kid like Ndamukong (Suh). We're all learning from each other, and we're starting to mesh as a unit."
Avril, though, knows that Saturday's preseason opener against Pittsburgh will be the biggest test of the new unit.
"We're ready to get out there and hit someone other than our own offensive linemen," he said. "We know what they can do, but we need to work against someone else for a change."
Schwartz is equally ready to see how well Avril and his linemates handle someone other than the Detroit offensive line.
"At this point, our defensive linemen know all of the offensive line's blocking schemes, and the offense knows every defensive lineman's pass-rush moves," he said. "That's not going to be the case on Saturday."
Veteran S Atogwe itching to hit field for Rams
ST. LOUIS (AP) — After a season-ending shoulder injury and contract hassles, St. Louis Rams safety Oshiomogho Atogwe just wants to get on the field and play.
Atogwe has been out of action since he was injured on Dec. 6 against the Chicago Bears, and is ready to get going again.
"I haven't fought in a long time," Atogwe said. "Out on the practice field, this is all sparring. When you're playing against another team, that's when the fight happens. "I'm looking forward to it. I know it's the preseason, but to play, anytime you get to go out to play, it's an opportunity and I'm excited."
The 29-year-old Atogwe, now in his sixth season, has started 60 of 72 career games, and has 19 career interceptions and 19 forced fumbles. He was second on the team last season with 82 tackles, despite missing the final four games.
Atogwe also fills another important role as a coach on the field. His leadership was evident at Wednesday morning's practice.
"The defense was having a rough spell there, and I heard him say something in a leadership way, which is what you always want to have," Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "Now in the heat of the battle in the game, all the coaches are on the sideline. You need that guy in there and that's very, very valuable to have."
There was some question as to whether the Rams would have that at all this season.
After failing to agree on a multiyear deal with Atogwe, the Rams declined to sign him to a one-year tender, making him a free agent. The possibility of a lockout in 2011 didn't help Atogwe's negotiating position, leaving him with limited options.
Ultimately, Atogwe agreed to a 5-year, $31.6 million deal with St. Louis. However, it could end up being a one-year deal if the Rams decline an $8 million roster bonus due to Atogwe next February.
That's not out of the question because safety is one of the few positions of strength on the Rams. The team was pleased with the play of 2009 free agent acquisitions James Butler and Craig Dahl, and has added former Bears player Kevin Payne to the mix this season.
However, Atogwe is not giving up anything without a fight. His work ethic is legendary among his teammates. Long after Wednesday's morning session, he was the last player on the field, working with a blocking sled.
"That's the way you have to approach it," said Atogwe, who claims his shoulder has healed but added he still is eager to test it in game conditions. "Any time you get complacent or comfortable, that's when you'll find a younger player ready to take your spot.
"I've been blessed to play this game. I'm going to put my whole heart into it and get the most out of it and be the best player I can be. That takes work. It's nothing I'm afraid of or am going to shy away from. I enjoy the work. I enjoy the process."
He would enjoy it more if the team has more success. The Rams have won only six games the past three years.
"As a competitor, you always want to be successful in whatever you do," Atogwe said. "You have a sense of urgency to want to get it done. "I think this entire team feels that way. The players we have know what we're capable of. We just have to continue to work and it will happen."
Anderson finally done with Quinn duel
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Derek Anderson was the quarterback Cleveland didn't want.
Almost from the day the Browns drafted Brady Quinn in the first round of the 2007 draft, Cleveland's yell-til-it-hurts fans called for him to be their starter and savior.
Quinn, not Anderson, was the one who got the national TV ad campaign — long before he became a starter.
Even Cleveland's coaches didn't seem to know what to do with the two quarterbacks, rotating them in and out like a whack-a-mole game.
So, by the time Anderson's five-year career in Cleveland came to an end, he felt like there was a mantra playing in his head: Brady, Brady, Brady.
"Every day was frustrating, at times," Anderson said.
Finally, Anderson can stop looking over his shoulder.
Released by the Browns during the offseason, Anderson signed a two-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. He came onboard to serve as Matt Leinart's backup, but has made it a closer-than-expected competition with Leinart having a so-so training camp.
Regardless of whether he supplants Leinart as Arizona's starter or serves as a ready-to-go backup, Anderson is glad to be done with Cleveland and the Quinn drama, ready to move on to a clean slate.
"It wasn't the most enjoyable situation I've ever been in, but I've learned a lot and it made me a better player and a better person," he said.
The appeal of Arizona to Anderson was easy: a fresh start for a team two years removed from the Super Bowl with a merry-go-round full of talented receivers.
The Cardinals wanted Anderson because of his experience, a player who could push Leinart to get better, take over if he doesn't.
They got an added bonus, too.
The extroverted Anderson has kept the Cardinals loose with his pedal-to-the-floor personality, mockingly showing receivers how to run routes, diving on balls during drills, making always-boring meetings not seem quite so dull.
"ADD, man," Leinart joked after being asked what Anderson's personality has added to the quarterback group. "He's a character. He's got a unique personality. We're all very similar in age and it makes it fun for us as a group. He's just Derek. He's got a fun personality, is just all over the place like that."
It's been more than good-natured goofiness.
Leinart has a big head start on Arizona's system going into his fifth season playing under it, but Anderson has worked hard to close the gap.
Behind that make-everyone-laugh personality is an intense worker, a former sixth-round draft pick who took himself from the scrap heap in Baltimore to the Pro Bowl in 2007. The Cardinals saw some of Anderson's work ethic and eagerness to get things right during offseason workouts and he's accelerated it since training camp started.
"His willingness to work, especially in some of the details of what he needs to do to improve," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said of what he's learned about Anderson. "He's made great progress with that in the past few weeks. He hears you, he processes it and he's working on things."
Anderson also has a freedom he hasn't experienced since Quinn's heralded arrival in 2007.
In Arizona, he can just go out and play, be himself, not have to hear the fans' complaints or worry about the in-one-week-out-the-next drama that played out in Cleveland.
"When you've been somewhere for so long, it's time for a change no matter what your job is," Anderson said. "It was time and I'm happy to be here."
-- John Marshall
Seahawks' Curry a test case in new concussion era
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Still in his blue practice pants, leg pads and cleats, Aaron Curry, the new husband and even newer father reached to his wife. Then he picked up their young son Maxwell.
The Seahawks' $34 million linebacker playfully hugged, kissed and lifted the smiling boy, born in October.
The scene showed off the two biggest reasons Curry was so scared on July 31.
Curry had listened all offseason as talk from Congress to kids' leagues raised the nation's awareness of football head injuries.
He learned about players in their 20s who sustained repeated head injuries then had memory loss or difficulty walking decades later. On the first day of Seattle's training camp, he strode past the concussion poster the league now requires all teams to display in locker room areas.
Minutes later, he was flying around in a scrimmage as if he was a possessed man, to show his renewed level of passion following a subpar rookie season. On a pass rush, he rammed his helmet into the side of running back Justin Forsett's.
Just like that, Curry had a concussion.
"The day was very scary for me," the 24-year-old Curry, last year's fourth overall pick, said Wednesday. "All that (research) was going through my head. It was like the world was coming to an end.
"I tried hiding it from my wife and my mom. My wife wasn't coming to practice yet, I hadn't talked to my mom, and we are staying in the (camp) hotel, so I didn't have to go home. I was talking to everyone like I was practicing, but then it was released in the media.
"They were both at my throat. ... The only reason I didn't tell them is because I know how they like to worry, and I like to avoid that."
Wednesday's practice was Curry's first full one since the concussion. Coach Pete Carroll kept saying Curry should be back within days, but he missed nine of them.
In Seattle's Super Bowl season of 2005, Shaun Alexander was knocked out of a division round playoff game with a concussion. The running back started the NFC championship game the following weekend.
"The NFL has done so much excellent research on concussions, but you don't really pay it no mind until you get one," Curry said. "You can't disregard it, you have to accept the research they do, and the new rules. You have to accept how serious it is.
"When it comes to your brain, it's past X's and O's, it's past football. It's about later in life. ... I want to be able to have a full conversation with my kid. That was the big thing that had me scared."
The NFL recently fired the two co-leaders of its concussion committee since 2007 and replaced them with Drs. Richard Ellenbogen and Hunt Batjer, the new co-chairmen of the NFL's head, neck and spine medical committee.
In a hearing before Congress in May, Ellenbogen outlined a six-point approach by the NFL to deal with head trauma. Under the program, the league will build a database that will log every concussion for each player; study the effects of concussions on retired players; improve equipment, notably helmets; advocate for athletes in all sports; advance the understanding of concussions; and revise and continually improve the return to play criteria for athletes.
Curry laughed when told he is essentially the NFL's first test case.
"Yeah, I guess I am," he said.
The outside linebacker said it was "amazing" how quickly Seahawks trainer Sam Ramsden rushed to him after his hit on Forsett. He said Ramsden saw something not quite right with the way Curry was returning to the huddle.
"He tricked me," Curry said. "He said he had to fix something with my facemask — then he hid my helmet."
The league has implemented new return-to-play guidelines for players who sustain head injuries in a practice or game. Teams must now consult with an independent neurologist whenever a player sustains a head injury.
Curry also saw Dr. Stan Herring, a Seahawks team physician who is considered an expert on brain trauma. Herring, who was on the sideline Wednesday as Curry returned to team scrimmaging, is the co-medical director of the Seattle Sports Concussion Program. He recently led an effort to get a new concussion law passed in Washington state that sets conditions for how head injuries are to be dealt with in youth sports.
For a week Curry was tested on recognizing colors and shapes, on short-term memory and focus, on completing sentences and doing word association. He returned to practice this week only after those results matched the baseline results Seattle's doctors got from him — and all other 2009 Seahawks — last summer.
Curry says he never thought he'd had a concussion while starring at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, N.C., or at Wake Forest.
Now, he knows better.
"People say they get so-called 'dinged,'" Curry said. "No, you are concussed.
"I'm just glad I got it taken care of. It's out of my mind now. I'm clear."
Curry is still getting used to his new helmet with different shell and padding that is touted to reduce the risk of concussions. He may not play in Saturday's preseason opener against Tennessee.
Until he returns to game action, has Curry learned through this scare to dial back in practice at least?
He shakes his head from side to side and pouts his lips.
"I'm coached by a coach who won't let (that)," Curry said of new linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. "We don't know what it means to dial it back or calm down. Only thing we know how to do is to not take out a teammate, but everything we do is going to be full speed and at a high intensity and high tempo.
"We are going to do anything with bad intent."
-- Gregg Bell
Injuries
Panthers without 11 vs. Ravens; 4 QBs could play
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — Take the NFL's third-youngest team and subtract several key veterans because of injuries and it leaves Carolina Panthers coach John Fox facing an intriguing preseason opener Thursday at Baltimore.
"There are probably 20-something guys I've never seen take a snap in NFL football," Fox said Wednesday. "You have some of those guys every year from your draft class. We just have a few more this year."
The Panthers' offseason decision to shed veterans and payroll left a trail of inexperience, and training camp has thinned the roster.
Fox said 11 players wouldn't make the trip to Baltimore, including cornerback Chris Gamble, running back Jonathan Stewart and receiver Steve Smith. Starters are expected to play the first quarter against the Ravens.
Matt Moore will start at quarterback in Carolina's first game since seven-year starter Jake Delhomme was released. But Fox said he'll try to get all four QBs in the game in what will be second-round pick and former Notre Dame star Jimmy Clausen's NFL debut.
"It's going to be the first time live since college, so it's going to be fun out there," Clausen said. "Just have a lot of fun and make plays."
Dwayne Jarrett, Kenny Moore and rookie Brandon LaFell are expected to see time with the first-team at receiver with Smith still sidelined because of a broken forearm suffered in a flag football game in June.
Stewart (heel) hasn't practiced since offseason surgery, while Captain Munnerlyn is expected to start at cornerback with Gamble (knee) slowed in camp.
Right tackle Jeff Otah (knee), running back Mike Goodson (ankle), receivers Charly Martin (finger) and Trent Guy (hamstring), safety Aaron Francisco (hamstring), linebacker Jordan Senn (shoulder), tackle Garry Williams (shoulder) and linebacker Thomas Davis (knee) also won't play.
Davis' second torn anterior cruciate ligament in a year led the coaching staff to shuffle the starting spots at linebacker. Jon Beason will start at weakside linebacker against the Ravens after making the Pro Bowl the past two years in the middle. Dan Connor will start in Beason's old spot.
The Panthers will also debut a revamped defensive line after five-time Pro Bowl pick Julius Peppers left for Chicago in free agency and Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu were released.
"I'm looking forward it," Connor said of Carolina's first preseason test. "I think it'll be fun, to see how we are defensively."
-- Mike Cranston
49ers' Balmer misses third straight day of camp
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Kentwan Balmer missed his third consecutive day of practice with the San Francisco 49ers on Wednesday, and now it's no longer OK with coach Mike Singletary and the team.
Singletary gave Balmer a pass Monday and Tuesday to deal with a "personal issue." Wednesday's absence was unexcused.
"I told Kentwan to be here this morning," Singletary said. "He's not here. He is under contract. The fact that he's not here, that speaks to me. What it says, I really don't know. As far as I'm concerned, I don't know what he's doing."
Balmer, San Francisco's first-round draft pick in 2008, is entering the third season of the five-year, $8 million deal he signed as a rookie.
The defensive lineman from North Carolina has been a disappointment so far to the 49ers and was battling just to make the roster this summer. He has yet to start a game or record a sack in his two seasons with the team.
Balmer finished last season on injured reserve after missing San Francisco's final five games with a torn labrum. He declared himself healthy at the start of training camp, but has fallen down the depth chart this summer behind starters Justin Smith and Isaac Sopoaga and veteran backups Ray McDonald and Demetric Evans.
Singletary said the 49ers would "probably have to bring in another player" along their defensive line. The team also is practicing without Aubrayo Franklin, who spearheaded San Francisco's 3-4 defensive scheme last season from his starting nose tackle position.
Franklin had a career season in 2009, and the 49ers designated him as their franchise player in March. Franklin missed all of San Francisco's offseason workouts and has remained absent during training camp as he seeks a new contract. He has yet to sign the team's one-year tender offer of $7.003 million and may not arrive until the end of this month.
Starting right end Justin Smith, the veteran leader of San Francisco's defensive line, said the unit already has adjusted to the absence of both Franklin and Balmer.
"We're moving along," Smith said. "Whatever the situation may be, in football you're used to people going down so it's no big deal. You just roll with what you've got."
Balmer's name has surfaced recently in news reports of an NCAA investigation at North Carolina, which Balmer attended.
The investigation has no impact on Balmer's NFL career, and the 49ers don't believe it has anything to do with Balmer's absence. A 49ers spokesman said the team is now following standard procedure for a player who has left camp, indicating Balmer will be fined for any further absences.
Singletary gave a cryptic response when asked if Balmer was jeopardizing his future with the 49ers.
"I don't want to go there," Singletary said. "I'm done with Kentwan. I'm done. There is not going to be any phone calls (to Balmer). I don't want to say anything further than that. We're doing what we have to do. I don't want to talk anymore about something that's not here."
NOTES: Rookie LB NaVorro Bowman missed practice for the third consecutive day with a shoulder injury. ... LB Travis LaBoy remains out with a concussion suffered early last week. ... Singletary said first-round draft picks Anthony Davis and Mike Iupati, who both were promoted to starting positions on the offensive line, may play more than the other starters in Sunday's exhibition opener at Indianapolis.
Giants' Snee misses 2 practices with knee swelling
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Two-time Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee is the latest offensive lineman battling injuries.
The right guard missed both practices at the University at Albany on Wednesday with a little swelling in his left knee.
Snee said the injury was not serious.
Left guard Rich Seubert returned to practice, wearing a cast on his broken left hand.
Left tackle David Diehl tweaked an ankle in the evening practice.
Receivers Steve Smith and Sinorice Moss were again sidelined with groin injuries. Cornerback Corey Webster was out with a pulled muscle in his buttocks.
Safety Kenny Phillips, who returned to practice this week for the first time since major knee surgery in September, made his best play this week, breaking up a long sideline pass from Jim Sorgi to free agent receiver Victor Cruz.
"That definitely felt good," Phillips said. "I feel like what I've been doing for these last 11 months and the way the coaches have been letting me gradually get in the ballgame has paid off. I'm just looking forward to that next step — no pain, no soreness. I feel good with my range and everything so I'm just looking forward to it. That's all I'm waiting on."
