NFL Capsules - Teams: Giants QB Eli Manning plans to play against Ravens
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Eli Manning got under the center and everything looked normal, for the most part.
He identified the middle linebacker, barked out a few signals and took the snap from Shaun O'Hara. The only thing out of the ordinary was this: Manning was wearing a blue Giants baseball cap to cover his head and the meding 3-inch wound on the left side of his forehead.
Different? Absolutely. But the Giants had their quarterback back at practice and getting ready to start Saturday's next-to-last preseason game against the Ravens in Baltimore.
"I liked his tempo right away," coach Tom Coughlin said after practice. "He got the ball out of his hand quick and made some real good decisions. So we're glad to have him back on the practice field."
Manning, who intends to wear his helmet at practice Wednesday, left no doubt before practice that he will play against the Ravens.
"If everything goes according to plan, yes," Coughlin said.
Manning was held out of the Giants' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. The team was concerned the gash would reopen if he were hit or would become irritated or infected by wearing a helmet.
The 12 stitches that closed the wound were removed Friday, four days after he was bloodied in the game against the Jets. Manning's helmet was knocked off and he was hit by safety Jim Leonhard.
"It's no fun sitting out, sitting out practice last week," Manning said. "At least it was a short week and I didn't miss too much. I like being out there for the games. It is preseason and I was trying to be smart and make sure I get everything healed now where you have a little time."
Manning, who led the Giants to a Super Bowl in February 2008, has started a franchise-record 87 consecutive regular-season games.
"I'm feeling great," Manning said before practice. "Ready, excited about getting out to practice today and getting back into the action."
Manning said the gash is healing and the scar is not too bad. The team plans to add extra padding to his helmet and has talked to the helmet manufacturer, Schutt Sports, about adjustments.
The third preseason game is usually the most important for NFL teams. It's the one that the starters play at least a half.
The Giants' offense needs the work. The unit has been limited in the preseason with starting guards Chris Snee (knee) and Rich Seubert (hand) out The team also was forced to use third-string quarterback Rhett Bomar the whole game against the Steelers because of injuries to Manning and backup Jim Sorgi (shoulder), which meant the game plan had to be reduced.
Snee and Seubert are due back this week and the Giants have most of their tight ends back, too. They have played short-handed most of training camp with Kevin Boss (hamstring), Travis Beckum (hamstring) and Scott Chandler (hip) bothered by injuries.
"It's just something that happens at training camp," Manning said. "You get a few guys banged up, and if it's time to get everybody back, this is kind of the time you want everybody back when you're getting close to the start of the season.
"We've got a long week, a full week between games. So I'm looking forward to a great week of practice and getting everybody kind of back healthy, back into sync of what we're doing."
Shanahan meets with Haynesworth, keeps it private
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan met with Albert Haynesworth on Monday and kept the conversation to himself, saying it's "completely ridiculous" to keep talking about it publicly.
"If you guys want to talk about football, we'll talk about football," Shanahan said. "But to keep on talking about things outside of football to me is completely ridiculous. I did have a conversation with him. If you want to talk about football, we'll talk about football."
So Shanahan gave no response to the strong words uttered by the disgruntled nose tackle following Saturday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Haynesworth accused the coach of mischaracterizing the reason he missed practice last week and said he will stay away from the Redskins' offseason workout program again next year.
Reports say Haynesworth was suffering from a muscle condition called rhabdomyolysis, but Shanahan told AOL Fanhouse on Sunday that he was "not aware of that." Shanahan had given various reasons for Haynesworth's inability to practice, eventually attributing it to a headache.
Haynesworth did not talk to reporters Monday, but was back at practice for the first time in a week.
Shanahan has maintained that the two-time All-Pro tackle must practice regularly to play and work his way back to a starting role. He has made Haynesworth practice and play with the backups.
Haynesworth, who failed a conditioning test and missed the first nine days of training camp practice, said Saturday he shouldn't have been playing with the reserves during the Ravens game.
"We're going to practice him as much as we can and get him ready to play," Shanahan said Monday. "Hopefully he doesn't miss any practices, and when he plays he plays well."
Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, who has worked closely with Haynesworth amid the player-head coach feud, said Haynesworth is "in the mix" to become a starter before the regular season opener Sept. 12.
"Obviously he's a good football player when he's in shape, healthy, ready to go," Haslett said. "We need to find that out here in the next three weeks. ... He just has to get going, that's all. It's time to stop all this and just go."
Haynesworth's teammates are looking forward to putting the dispute behind them.
"Sometimes there's frustration that takes place, but any time you have 80 players on the roster you're going to have little things come up," linebacker London Fletcher said. "Certain things should just stay in the locker room. Nowadays things get out."
Cornerback Carlos Rogers said players are more worried about their own jobs than Haynesworth's situation.
"I don't think it affects nobody in this locker room," Rogers said. "They worry about what they've got to do. That's been going on since the summer. We've really been going without him."
Packers need more from backup cornerbacks
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The idea that the Green Bay Packers' defense isn't itself without cornerbacks Charles Woodson and Al Harris isn't exactly a startling revelation. Still, Saturday night's preseason game in Seattle was tough to watch at times.
The Packers won the game, 27-24, but the first-team defense was missing several key players and it showed. Woodson didn't play because of nagging injuries, and Harris is recovering from last year's season-ending knee surgery.
Even with Woodson and Harris, the Packers will need more from their backup cornerbacks.
"You've got to have two or three playmakers that can make plays that change the course of a game," defensive coordinator Dom Capers said after the game. "And then you have to have an awful lot of good role players, and we're going through that process right now to figure out who's going to be our best role players and who's going to be our best playmakers."
Capers is taking an especially vanilla approach to preseason play with the Packers missing key players such as Woodson, Harris, A.J. Hawk, Clay Matthews, Atari Bigby and Nick Barnett.
Still, Capers was hoping for a more consistent performance from some of his backups. This Thursday's preseason game against Indianapolis will provide another chance.
"We had some guys that got a lot of snaps," Capers said. "We didn't play the pass as well early in the game as I would like to have. So we're going to have to take a look at it. There were some things that I think, again, were real correctable."
Going into training camp, the Packers were hoping for a significant step forward from young cornerbacks Brandon Underwood and Pat Lee.
Woodson, Harris and Tramon Williams are an impressive cornerback trio. But given the pass-happy nature of the NFL and the possibility of injuries testing the Packers' depth at the position, having three good corners isn't necessarily enough for a team that is embracing Super Bowl expectations — especially when their pass rush is a question mark, too.
Green Bay proved vulnerable to multiple-receiver formations last year, and Capers needs to know that he can trust Underwood or Lee going into the Sept. 12 opener at Philadelphia.
"What we've got to see out of those guys is just progress every week throughout the preseason," Capers said recently. "There's no question, right out of the gate against Philly, we're going to see great skill there with their receivers."
Underwood already was on shaky footing with the Packers' front office, not to mention his teammates, on after an off-the-field incident in the offseason. Two women told investigators Underwood sexually assaulted them at a Lake Delton, Wis., condo on June 5.
Police have said the women's statements contain inconsistencies, and said in a news release a few days after the incident that "money was exchanged between the alleged suspect and the alleged victims before the alleged assault."
Police questioned six other Packers players staying at the condo for a charity golf event but cleared them of any wrongdoing. A Wisconsin prosecutor hasn't announced publicly whether Underwood will face formal charges.
Already under scrutiny, the second-year player got picked on by the Seahawks on Saturday.
"He played a lot of plays," Capers said. "We're going to have to look. We played him at both left and right corner, so we're going to, again, see if there was any progress from last week to this week."
Underwood acknowledged that his play needs to even out.
"The big word that I'm going to use is consistency," he said. "I've got to be more consistent. I've got to go out and make sure I stay focused and do it every play, every play get in and do what I've got to do. We made an adjustment for the corners at halftime, to get up there when we're in our man coverage, just to get up there and play press and I honestly feel that it turned out a lot better for us to get out and play everything with no errors."
-- Chris Jenkins
Young, inexperienced Panthers defense playing well
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers can't move the ball and it seems nobody can cleanly field a punt. Thank goodness for the defense.
No, really. The unit that lost five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers in free agency, saw both starting defensive tackles released, the strongside linebacker cut, the strong safety traded and the weakside linebacker blow out his knee has been the lone bright spot in two preseason games.
"Everyone has gone out there and played well and done their jobs," linebacker Jon Beason said Monday. "The key is we're just playing fast and guys aren't making mistakes."
Despite being handicapped by two interceptions, two fumbled punts and another special teams turnover that had the New York Jets starting four drives in Carolina territory Saturday night, the defense allowed only three field goals and 112 yards in the Jets' 9-3 win.
The Panthers gave up just 225 yards and had six sacks in a 17-12 loss to Baltimore a week earlier.
"You really don't know how good you are until you put yourself against an opponent in a game," said defensive end Everette Brown, who had two of Carolina's five sacks against New York. "We know we have to prove ourselves. It's not going to be one of those things where teams lay down just because we show up."
While the defense added team speed, it lost experience and added guys only die-hard fans would know. When asked if he was surprised at how quickly it's come together, the two-time Pro Bowl pick Beason quickly replied, "Absolutely."
"There's so many new faces, you don't have much chemistry," he added. "But I think we're developing that."
Beason is adjusting to a new position, too. He was shifted to weakside linebacker from the middle after Thomas Davis tore a knee ligament in a June workout. Beason, who said he hasn't missed an assignment there in two games, had two tackles against the Jets.
The inexperienced Dan Connor, who replaced Beason in the middle, had a team-high six tackles, including one for a loss.
"Dan's doing great," Beason said. "He's out there having fun and he's flying around making plays. He's leading, he's making calls. He's speaking more than he ever has, so I feel real comfortable about what's going on right now."
The biggest surprise is the defensive line. When Peppers and his franchise-record 81 career sacks left for Chicago, the Panthers entered training camp with a roster of 13 defensive linemen with a combined 36½ career sacks.
But that youthful, speedy group has produced 11 sacks in two exhibition games. Tyler Brayton, the only returning starter, had two sacks against the Ravens before sitting out the Jets game with a sprained left ankle. Brown, who started in Brayton's place Saturday, rookie Greg Hardy, Nick Hayden and Eric Moore all have two sacks.
The depth left Beason wondering aloud Monday "who's going to be here?" after final cuts. There are still a number of defensive tackles rotating in with the first team.
"It's scary, man. Good teams, they're deep at the D-line position," Beason said. "Guys rotate, just like running backs and receivers. Get a hot dog, chips and stuff. But I think if we can have a rotation where guys can stay fresh it's going to show. And I think it has so far."
The secondary, with veteran cornerbacks Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall returning, is the most stable spot. Sherrod Martin replaced the traded Chris Harris, but rookie Jordan Pugh played well Saturday when Martin was sidelined with a groin injury. Four Jets quarterbacks combined for 46 yards passing.
And while neither the Ravens or Jets did much game-planning, the performances provided a needed confidence boost.
"We've got a lot of new people there and I think they've seen some success," coach John Fox said. "Hopefully, we can continue that and stay healthy."
Injuries were a concern Monday. Brayton, Martin, Marshall (knee), cornerback Captain Munnerlyn (calf) and safety C.J. Wilson (hip), who had a 31-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Baltimore, sat out practice. But none are believed to be serious injuries.
So while the Panthers' offense is still seeking its first touchdown of the preseason and special teams gaffes keeping the coaches busy, the mostly anonymous young guys on defense are carrying the team.
"We have guys who know how to play the game, full speed and all out," Beason said. "Sometimes you make mistakes, but usually when you're giving great effort good things happen."
Notes: WR Steve Smith practiced in full pads Monday for the first time in his recovery from a broken left hand. It remains uncertain if he'll play in a preseason game. "I can't make a prediction based on the first day," Smith said "I'm gassed today so I just have to try to get out and hopefully feel better tomorrow." ... QB Jimmy Clausen sat out with a sore toe. LT Jordan Gross (ankle) also didn't work. ... Former NC State coach and Florida State assistant Chuck Amato attended practice, looking thinner but healthy following cancer treatments.
-- Mike Cranston
Alexander lands NFL job, plays catch-up with Rams
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Four months after the draft when he was injured and ignored, former Missouri star Danario Alexander finally landed with an NFL team.
Now, he's got a new challenge: learning the playbook.
The 6-5, 215-pound Alexander has size the Rams lack at wide receiver to go with sure hands and speed that outran Big 12 defenses in a dazzling senior season. But judging from his first practice on Monday, it might be a while before he's ready for game day.
Wide receivers coach Nolan Cromwell was hands-on making corrections, and Alexander vowed to work long hours learning the ropes.
"I'll be here early and late trying to get everything together," Alexander said. "I'll be in my playbook as soon as I get back home. I'm playing the catch-up game now."
Alexander was a second-team All-American his senior season with 113 receptions for 1,781 yards and 14 touchdowns, emerging after three surgeries on his left knee. He required a fourth surgery after getting hurt in practice before the Senior Bowl in January and was on crutches at the NFL Combine, leading to a lonely draft experience.
"It was frustrating at the beginning, watching the draft and seeing all my friends get drafted. But I had to get my mind set. I had to get down to the issue and rehab every day to get to this point where I'm at right now."
The Rams have a glaring need for wide receivers and gave Alexander a tryout in early August, but thought the knee needed more time.
"They wanted me to go get a little bit more rehab and be more game ready, practice ready," Alexander said. "So that's what I did and they made the call."
After three weeks of rehab and getting into football condition, the Rams signed him.
"We always had him on the radar," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "It was just a matter of him getting healthy, and the right fit.
"We just decided to do it, see what we could find out about him in the next couple of weeks and then make a decision from there."
Landing with the Rams, whose training facility is about 100 miles east of Faurot Field in Columbia, Mo., where Alexander excelled as a senior, was a plus.
"The fans, the state, they all embrace me," Alexander said. "They were all pulling for me to sign with the Rams and I'm pretty excited about it."
Alexander said he got a congratulatory text message from Missouri coach Gary Pinkel and was planning on speaking with the coach later Monday.
Alexander wore a brace on his left knee at practice, but said the knee felt "pretty good."
"The doctor said his knee looked pretty good and he feels good," Spagnuolo said. "So the only way to really tell is to get him out there."
-- R.B. Fallstrom
Feeley held out, Bradford to start Thursday
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A.J. Feeley's thumb injury put No. 1 draft pick Sam Bradford on the fast track.
The rookie from Oklahoma gets his first start with the St. Louis Rams this week by default, and with two preseason games to go he has a chance to seize the position that everybody knows will be his eventually.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he will lead this team," safety Oshiomoghe Atogwe said. "He has to play and he has to get a feel and make this offense his own offense, and that takes time.
"Whenever that does happen, it's full speed ahead."
The Rams have a short week with only two practices before playing Thursday night at New England. Feeley wouldn't have been ready in any case because of a sprained right thumb, and he also has elbow soreness.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Feeley wouldn't practice this week and didn't know about next week. Grip will be the issue.
"If it was another position you might be able to get away with wrapping it and playing," Spagnuolo said. "But throwing a football is a little bit different. It will be a comfort thing for him."
Wide receiver Danario Alexander, a second team All-American at Missouri who signed with the Rams on Sunday night, was on the field Monday. He's unlikely to play Thursday, given he's still learning the playbook.
"The scheme, that will take a little while," Spagnuolo said. "He has a long way to go, he has a lot to catch up."
The 33-year-old Feeley has been the starter since camp opened based on experience, even though he has only 15 career starts in 10 seasons. He played well in the second preseason game, throwing a touchdown pass after he was hurt.
"It's one of those things where it went numb for a little bit and I figured in a couple plays it would loosen up," Feeley said. "When you're in the heat of the battle you never want to come off the field."
Spagnuolo didn't know how many plays Bradford would get against the Patriots. The Rams will script the first 15 plays.
"It's a mindset now," Spagnuolo said. "There's a little bit of an adjustment when you're coming in as a starter or when you're coming in second or third series, but I don't think Sam will see it any differently."
Feeley was hurt when he struck the helmet of a blitzing defender on the followthrough of a throw in the first quarter. He was with other injured players on a side field during Monday's practice, with a protective covering on his right hand and a compression sleeve covering the elbow.
Feeley said he was being held out as a precaution.
"It's a little bit of a strain. Rest and a little treatment and I should be good to go pretty soon," Feeley said.
In the meantime, he'll be happy to serve as mentor to Bradford, who was only 6 for 14 for 24 yards playing in driving rain at Cleveland.
"'I'm going to be there with him the whole time to try to get him ready," Feeley said. "He's coming along, he'll be fine. He just needs to relax and play his game."
Bradford was not made available to the media. He's scheduled to talk to reporters on Tuesday.
-- R.B. Fallstrom
AFC
Colts getting mixed results from rookie class
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jerry Hughes came to training camp carrying all the baggage of a first-round pick.
He had the big contract, the high expectations, the pressure to emerge as the best rookie in the Colts' draft class.
Things haven't exactly gone as planned for the pass-rushing specialist from TCU, who is still trying to fit into the Colts defense while his rookie classmates make a bigger impact. Linebackers Pat Angerer and Kavell Conner have impressed coaches with their ability to run and hit, and undrafted rookie Devin Moore took the early lead to become the Colts' return specialist with a strong performance Thursday night against Buffalo.
Fortunately, the Colts have seen this script play out before with defensive linemen.
"It happened to me when I was a rookie" Pro Bowl defensive end Dwight Freeney said Monday. "But you have to be ready because all it takes is an injury and then you're in there. I was basically a third-down guy until the eighth or ninth game of the year (as a rookie), and then there was an injury and I went in."
He never looked back.
Freeney forced three fumbles and sacked Donovan McNabb once in his first career start, the opening act to a career that has included five Pro Bowl selections and the title of Colts' all-time sacks leader. Not bad for a guy who was considered a "reach" in the 2002 draft and who needed time to earn a starting job.
And Freeney isn't the Colts' only first-round pick who had trouble early.
Future Pro Bowlers Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark caught fewer than 30 passes as rookies. Anthony Gonzalez caught 37. Last year's top pick, Donald Brown, rushed for only 281 yards, and cornerback Marlin Jackson had 39 tackles, one interception and one start in his first NFL season, 2005. Peyton Manning even threw 28 interceptions in his first NFL season.
But the Colts have a reputation for finding talent — in the draft and outside of it.
Last year's rookie class included cornerback Jerraud Powers, receiver Austin Collie and punter Pat McAfee — all of whom were starting by season's end. Two undrafted rookies, cornerback Jacob Lacey and right guard Kyle DeVan, even started in the Super Bowl as Indy's top two draft picks, Brown and Fili Moala, struggled.
Coach Jim Caldwell believes pass-rushing ends have a tougher time because they're lining up against the biggest and strongest tackles in the league. The adjustment, Caldwell and Freeney agree, takes patience.
"He's like most young guys, he's learning, he's feeling his way a little bit," Caldwell said when asked about Hughes' development. "It's kind of like a pitcher who has a fastball and a curve ball and then he has to find an offspeed pitch."
The other guys haven't made it look as difficult.
While Hughes has two tackles in two games, Conner, one of Indy's three seventh-round picks, started the preseason opener. Angerer and Conner have also seen the most action at linebacker through the first two weeks though they haven't been flawless.
"I think the hardest part is learning all the checks and being loud," Angerer said. "But if I'm going to make a mistake, I'd rather make it going fast than going slow."
The biggest surprises since camp opened have been Moore, a running back who grew up in Indy; defensive lineman John Chick, who spent the last three seasons in the Canadian Football League; and tight end Brody Eldridge, a fifth-round pick who had 13 receptions in four seasons at Oklahoma.
All have exceeded expectations, and Eldridge got a vote of confidence from Indy's offensive leader Sunday.
"I certainly didn't know what to expect, and I don't know what Bill and the personnel guys expected," Manning said. "We can't have a guy who is one dimensional. It would be too obvious to bring a guy in just to block in non-goal line situations, but he's continuing to develop in the passing game. My guess is that he hasn't had a lot of repetitions, so I think he'll keep improving."
Hughes' task is simply to keep progressing, which isn't easy when you're locked in behind two Pro Bowl ends, Freeney and Robert Mathis.
"It's a little tougher situation for Jerry because you've got me and Robert in front of him, so he's got to get on the field somehow," Freeney said. "There's no rush because there's no dire, dire need there. But he's going to learn the system, he's going to play Colts ball and whenever that happens, it happens."
-- Michael Marot
Jaguars' revamped defense struggling in preseason
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars failed to pressure quarterbacks, get off the field on third down and prevent points last season.
The defensive woes were the focus of the team's offseason, with coaches, players and front office personnel eager to get them fixed.
But after two preseason games, the same problems persist. Jacksonville's revamped defense simply looks like it needs more work.
The Jaguars have allowed opponents to score on four of their first possessions in both preseason games. Philadelphia scored a touchdown and three field goals in its first five drives against the Jaguars. Miami came away with three touchdowns and a field goal in its first five drives Saturday night.
"I don't feel the need to explain a whole lot about preseason effort and how we're putting things together," coach Jack Del Rio said Monday. "I'm more interested in us going out and recognizing what we've got to do better and committing to the work necessary to get that done."
The Jaguars have some excuses: lack of game-planning, several newcomers finding their way, a different defensive scheme and several key injuries.
Three starters — linebacker Daryl Smith, defensive end Aaron Kampman and defensive tackle Tyson Alualu — missed the opener. They returned last weekend, but linebacker Justin Durant and cornerback Rashean Mathis were out.
"We are still trying to get that cohesiveness on defense," linebacker Kirk Morrison said.
Jacksonville gets another shot Saturday night against Tampa Bay, which will be without starting quarterback Josh Freeman.
Kampman, the team's top offseason free agent acquisition, believes everything the Jaguars have done wrong can be corrected.
"Explosive plays are really what we've done," Kampman said. "Some things are really easily correctable with our disciplined eyes, making sure that we're in our gap."
Maybe, but the two preseason performances are a bad sign for a franchise that was hoping for a defensive turnaround after finishing with a league-low 14 sacks last season and giving up 380 points — the most since its inaugural season in 1995.
The Jaguars signed Kampman to a four-year contract worth $26 million, hoping he will return to Pro Bowl form after reconstructive knee surgery in December. They traded for linebacker Kirk Morrison, used their first four draft picks on defensive linemen and parted ways with several aging veterans.
But how soon will all the changes pay off?
Kampman and Alualu, the 10th overall pick, played their first meaningful down together Saturday night and showed promise. They combined to sack Chad Henne on Miami's first offensive play. But it was pretty much the only thing Henne did wrong.
Henne completed 11 of 14 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns against Jacksonville's starters. Backup Chad Pennington was equally efficient, throwing for 54 yards and a score in one series.
Del Rio pointed to issues in the secondary, the one position the Jaguars didn't address in the offseason.
"There are some things that we're doing that we'll need to do a whole lot better ... going forward for our football team to have success that we intend on having," Del Rio said. "We're going to have to play better back there. There are still some basic leverage in tackling issues that we've got to rectify."
He used Anthony Fasano's 55-yard touchdown reception as one example, saying the tight end should have been stopped a few yards from the line of scrimmage instead of running untouched into the end zone.
"It was shoddy leverage and tackling on that play," Del Rio said. "It's real easy to see. Those are basic football plays that we've got to do better, basic stuff. You're not talking about anything other than an eye violation and then a poor job of leveraging and tackling, and when we do those better, it'll look a whole lot better."
-- Mark Long
Chargers confident despite tackle inexperience
SAN DIEGO (AP) — After two exhibition games without holdout left tackle Marcus McNeill, the San Diego Chargers' company line remains the same — Brandyn Dombrowski is doing just fine protecting Philip Rivers' blind side.
"I've got a lot of confidence in Brandyn," coach Norv Turner said Monday. "His guy has not gotten close to the quarterback."
Dombrowski is a second-year pro who gained significant playing time last year at right guard and right tackle.
Rivers was sacked once in Saturday night's loss to Dallas, which Turner said was due to rookie running back Ryan Mathews not being sure where to block. Rivers was intercepted once; Turner said he wasn't pressured, but rather held onto the ball too long.
McNeill might not report until the 11th game, if at all, because he's unhappy about not getting a long-term contract.
The Chargers lost a veteran presence at the crucial position when 35-year-old Tra Thomas retired on Saturday, some two weeks after having arthroscopic knee surgery.
Backing up Dombrowski will be another second-year pro, Tyronne Green, who has had an ankle injury during camp.
"We've got two guys who can play left tackle. Last year we had one, when we started the season — Marcus," Turner said. "We've got two I feel we can play with."
Rivers agreed.
"In fairness to Marcus, Marcus is a great player," Rivers said. "We know what a player he is and what enthusiasm and energy he brings to our team, and we certainly miss him. But at the same time, in all fairness to Brandyn, Brandyn's gone against two of the top guys in the league and played very well. He's hungry and focused and excited and we've got a great deal of confidence in him.
"From my standpoint and the locker room's standpoint, there is no panic whatsoever. At the same time, I say that with all respect to Marcus and the player that he is and we'd certainly love to see him at some point."
Dombrowski has squared off against Chicago's Julius Peppers and Dallas' DeMarcus Ware.
Rivers explained why he ran a sneak for a 1-yard touchdown in a meaningless exhibition game.
"It didn't come in quarterback sneak. The headset was down," Rivers said. "I couldn't get a play, so it was down to 12 seconds, on the half-yard line there, so I just kind of said, 'Let's hurry up and get it over with.' "
Also Monday, the Chargers signed rookie free agent guard Lee Grimes. He was released by Tampa Bay in July.
-- Bernie Wilson
Brady no fan of 'Hard Knocks' show about Jets
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Tom Brady hates the New York Jets. Rex Ryan doesn't like the New England Patriots.
The verbal sparring has started again and there's still nearly three weeks to go before the fierce rivals begin their seasons.
During his contractually mandated weekly appearance on WEEI radio on Monday, Brady was asked about "Hard Knocks," the HBO show giving an inside look at the Jets training camp.
"Honestly, I haven't turned it on," he said in a casual manner. "I hate the Jets, so I refuse to support that show."
The question and answer lasted just 42 seconds and came two-thirds of the way through a 19½-minute interview. But it didn't take long for the Jets to hear about the words from Brady, who usually is more guarded in his comments.
Ryan's, whose tongue is a lot looser, liked Brady's remark.
"It's great. Hey, join the club," Ryan said with a laugh.
The back-and-forth may be calculated to stir emotions. It may be the true feelings of the star quarterback and the brash coach. Or it might be just good-natured, off-the-cuff banter. But their words enlivened the often boring preseason routines.
Ryan isn't a big fan of Brady or the team that has dominated the AFC East, a status that seems threatened by the Jets' addition of key veterans in the offseason.
"Hell, he knows we hate the Patriots, so what's the difference?" the coach said with a smile. "My brother's got a couple of Super Bowl rings. He loves Tom Brady, but I don't have them, so I don't like Tom Brady. I respect him, but I don't like him."
His brother Rob is a former Patriots assistant. Rex took over the Jets last season from Eric Mangini, the former defensive coordinator for New England and a near clone of Bill Belichick when it comes to bland, non-provocative comments.
The third show of the five-episode "Hard Knocks" series airs Wednesday. Last year's featured team was the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I'm sure it's great TV," Brady said. "I'm glad people are liking it, but that's just something that I have no interest in watching. I'd love to say a lot of mean things, but I'd rather not do that, either."
What he did say didn't surprise Jets wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery.
"Tom has always hated the Jets," Cotchery said. "We've pulled up clips a long time ago, even before Rex got here, with Tom saying things at banquets and all that. He's always hated the Jets, so I expected to hear that from him."
The Patriots open their season Sept. 12 at home against Cincinnati and a pair of loudmouth wide receivers — Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco.
Their second opponent? The Jets in New York.
Ryan and the Jets talked a lot before last season's second game, also against the Patriots.
"Talk is cheap," Brady said then, but the Jets backed it up with a 16-9 win.
After becoming coach, Ryan said he didn't go to New York "to kiss Bill Belichick's rings."
Then Belichick was asked if anyone had ever done that.
"Uh," he said, "I don't think so."
Belichick said Monday he hasn't watched "Hard Knocks," produced in conjunction with NFL Films, and doesn't know what day it's on.
Then he took the non-controversial route by saying, "I think anything that NFL Films does is probably worth watching. Nobody does it better than they do in terms of making things interesting, making football interesting."
Few people make things more boring or secretive than Belichick. So don't expect him to invite cameras and microphones into the Patriots coaches' offices, meeting rooms and practice fields for a future "Hard Knocks" series.
"I don't think that's a possibility," linebacker Tully Banta-Cain said with a smile after shaking his head. "We don't allow that."
There might be one circumstance where it could happen.
At least according to Brady.
"It may have to be his final season of coaching," he said on WEEI. "If you ever hear that he's allowed that to happen, I wouldn't think there'd be another year after that. He hasn't told me. Believe me, I have no inside information on that.
"But I think coach Belichick has worked pretty hard over the years to run his practices the right way, his meetings the right way, and I don't think he really wants to give that information away."
-- Howard Ulman
Harbaugh: Ravens' offense still a work in progress
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — Though Baltimore's offense is not in sync and quarterback Joe Flacco has not been sharp, Ravens coach John Harbaugh is not concerned.
"It's always a work in progress, and it will be throughout the season," Harbaugh said on Monday. "I think we're real happy with where we're at, but there are 100 things we need to work on and those are the things we're trying to get better at."
Harbaugh and company have a lot of work ahead of them.
Baltimore's longest play of the preseason has been a fake punt by backup safety Haruki Nakamura, a 51-yard run that set up a touchdown.
The Ravens fumbled three times during Saturday's 23-3 preseason win over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Pro Bowl running back Ray Rice put the ball on the ground twice and wide receiver Donte' Stallworth fumbled once.
Flacco completed just 9 of 16 passes for 72 yards and a below-average 67.7 passer rating.
"I was happy that our punt team set us up and that we were able to score a touchdown," Flacco said. "But the offense needs to be more consistent and we need to be the ones putting us in scoring position. ... We can't fumble the ball that many times. We need to eliminate those turnovers and take better care of the ball."
The second-team offense fared much better as backup Marc Bulger completed 13 of 16 passes for 130 yards and a 105.1 passer rating.
Flacco's top play was a 21-yard completion to three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Despite acquiring Boldin and Stallworth this offseason, the starting offense has sputtered.
Is that a cause for concern or are the Ravens simply keeping their best plays under wraps for the regular season? The latter seems to be a more likely scenario.
"We're going to stick to our process, and this preseason game you're going to see more of them," Harbaugh said when asked if Flacco, Boldin and Stallworth will play more Aug. 28 against the New York Giants. "I think we're right on schedule, but we're not where we want to be."
The Ravens converted only 1 of 10 third downs against the Redskins.
"We just need to move the ball a little better and convert those third downs," Flacco said. "We have to keep the chains moving, and we can't make those mistakes." Added offensive coordinator Cam Cameron: "Our ball security has to be better." Midway through the preseason, the Ravens have three rushing touchdowns and one touchdown pass.
"I think we are on schedule," wide receive Derrick Mason said. "Obviously, there are some things we need to get better at."
Rice rushed for 17 yards on three carries against the Redskins. The Ravens used him sparingly as a precautionary measure.
"It felt really good," Rice said. "I like to get hit. Getting hit is one of the things that gets me going. I haven't been hit all preseason, so it felt good to actually get tackled."
NOTE: The Ravens activated cornerback Lardarius Webb from the physically unable to perform list. He practiced Monday, participating in individual drills. Webb tore his anterior cruciate ligament Dec. 20 against the Chicago Bears. "It was fun," Webb said. "Glad to be out there with my teammates. They welcomed me back fine and dandy. It was great."
Two's company for Bills' banged-up tight end corps
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Tight end Jonathan Stupar can stop feeling lonely. The Buffalo Bills finally brought in a reinforcement by signing free agent J.P. Foschi on Monday to double their healthy corps of tight ends to two.
"It was a sigh of relief to finally get some fresh legs in here and share some reps," said Stupar, who happily shook Foschi's hand as the fourth-year NFL player arrived on the field a few minutes into practice. "I got a chance to say 'Hi,' to him real quick. But I'm looking forward to getting to know him."
The two will have time to familiarize themselves given the state of Buffalo's banged-up unit.
Foschi's signing came after the Bills waived/injured tight end Michael Matthews, a day after he hurt his left foot in practice. Derek Schouman, who opened as last season's starter, is expected to miss up to six weeks after hurting his right knee in a 34-17 preseason win over Indianapolis last week.
There's Shawn Nelson, who's not only nursing an undisclosed injury but will also miss the first four games of the season after being suspended by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. And then there's Joe Klopfenstein, who was placed on injured reserve a week before training camp opened.
Enter Foschi, who has been looking for an opportunity since not being re-signed by the Cincinnati Bengals in March.
"I'm just happy to be somewhere right now," Foschi said. "To be honest with you, this never gets old."
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, Foschi is a blue-collar type player who set career highs last season with 27 catches for 260 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games, including 10 starts. Foschi has also played for Kansas City and Oakland, and originally entered the NFL with the New York Jets in 2004 as an undrafted free agent.
The key reason for Foschi's arrival in Buffalo is his familiarity with head coach Chan Gailey. This marks the third time the two have been together after Gailey was Foschi's head coach at Georgia Tech and the player's offensive coordinator two seasons ago with the Chiefs.
That means Foschi shouldn't have any trouble learning the Bills' playbook under their first-year head coach.
"I think I can probably learn this playbook in seven to 10 days," said Foschi, who's expected to make his debut Saturday when Buffalo hosts Cincinnati in a preseason game. "The plays are all coming back to memory. I feel comfortable."
During practice, Foschi dropped a pass from Trent Edwards over the middle but rebounded by making a nice running catch from Brian Brohm in the right flat.
Gailey described Foschi as "a tough guy," who shouldn't have trouble fitting in.
That doesn't mean the Bills are done addressing the position.
Gailey didn't rule out the team signing another tight end. He added that second-year tackle Nick Hennessey will also get practice time at that spot.
Stupar now has the inside shot at opening the season as the team's starter. Initially signed to the Bills' practice squad in 2008, Stupar made the active roster last season. Used sparingly and mostly in blocking situations, he finished with six catches for 40 yards in 14 games.
"With football, you never know what can happen," Stupar said about his rise up the depth chart. "It's tough to see injuries and stuff like that, but that's part of the game."
Undrafted out of Virginia, Stupar had 80 catches for 803 yards and three touchdowns in 38 games, including 28 starts, in college.
The Bills also announced they waived defensive back John Destin, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Tulsa.
-- John Wawrow
