NFL League and Player Capsules: QB stability: some teams don't care
Call it the QB Shuffle. Or the QB Quandary.
Whatever it's called, the NFL position that normally needs more stability than any is in a state of flux from coast to coast.
Nine teams — Buffalo, Jacksonville, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Tennessee, Oakland, Philadelphia, Carolina and Detroit — already have used their backup quarterback. Some of the moves were because of injuries, but five clubs already have turned to No. 2 by choice, even if just temporarily.
So what in the name of Peyton and Eli Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees is going on?
"It is getting tougher and tougher to play the position, not only from a physical standpoint of throwing the ball, but from a mental standpoint and what you are seeing from defenses," says Ron Jaworski, the former Eagles starter and now ESPN's analyst for Monday night football games. No one watches more film of quarterbacks than Jaworski, which gives him particular insight into the upheaval at the position through just two weeks of the schedule.
"You always will have the elite guys, but once you start getting beyond No. 12 or 13, it's hard to find the other 19 consistent quarterbacks in this league."
Hard? Maybe impossible. The quarterback changes thus far run the gamut from bad health to bad play to bad vibes.
In Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit and Cleveland, injuries had plenty to do with the switches. Even those, however, merit further examination.
The Steelers knew since April that Ben Roethlisberger would be suspended for at least four weeks. They hoped to get by with Byron.
But Byron Leftwich, an eight-year veteran, hurt his left knee in the preseason, which meant third-stringer Dennis Dixon moved behind center. Dixon was a winner in Week 1, even though the Steelers didn't score a touchdown until overtime, and that came on a long run. He went down in Week 2 with a left knee problem, bringing in Charlie Batch and making wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, a quarterback in college way back at the beginning of the century, the second-stringer.
Now Leftwich, who was waived last weekend and re-signed Monday, is back. And backing up Batch.
"He's been with the starters, he's been with the second team, he's been with the third team," wide receiver Hines Ward sums up Batch's career. "He understands all the wide receivers. He probably understands this offense better than anybody. We feel good, we've just got to protect Charlie."
The Eagles couldn't protect Kevin Kolb well enough and he sustained a concussion in an opening loss. Michael Vick came in and starred, then did even better in a victory over Detroit with Kolb sidelined.
So Vick stays as the starter after coach Andy Reid reversed his earlier decision not to strip Kolb of the job because of injury.
"I think Kolb probably is a basket case right now," says Jaworski, who knows the Eagles as well as anyone. "Kolb was their guy, they traded Donovan McNabb to give him a chance. To yank the guy and take his job away has got to be brutal for him."
A brutal hit by Julius Peppers on Matt Stafford sidelined the 2009 top overall pick with a right shoulder injury in Week 1, and Shaun Hill took over for the Lions. When Stafford is ready, he will step back in.
So, it seems, will Jake Delhomme in Cleveland once his ankle as healed enough for him to replace Seneca Wallace.
Two starters, Jacksonville's David Garrard and Tennessee's Vince Young, are in no danger of losing their jobs despite being taken out last Sunday during losses.
Where things get confusing is in Oakland. And Charlotte. And Buffalo.
When the Raiders dealt with Washington for Jason Campbell, team owner Al Davis compared Campbell with Jim Plunkett, who merely won Super Bowls for Oakland. Maybe he meant JaMarcus Russell, because Campbell has been demoted and Bruce Gradkowski will start against Arizona.
Matt Moore got the quick hook in Carolina, where coach John Fox is in the final year of his contract and essentially is a lame duck. So why not try rookie Jimmy Clausen — even if Moore pretty much saved Fox's job by going 4-1 late in 2009?
Buffalo hired offensive mastermind Chan Gailey as coach, hoping to invigorate an anemic offense. The Bills have scored a league-low 17 points and Gailey has replaced Trent Edwards with journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick.
"They have some game experience and sometimes a change can ignite a football team," Jaworski says of the backup QBs. "But for the most part when you are going to these kinds of players, it's usually a team in trouble. These are not guys who are front-line quarterbacks over a 16-game schedule."
There are so few of those. Jaworski thinks he knows why.
"The league has to find a way to develop quarterbacks," he explains. "I think it got hurt when the Europe league was disbanded. These guys need places to play like the UFL and the Arena League. They need the chance to develop skills and mature as a player, like Kurt Warner."
Warner, by the way, has retired and is showing off his footwook on "Dancing With The Stars." Too bad, because the Arizona Cardinals are probably wishing they had him back behind center right now.
Commentary
Jets better learn fast the camera is still on
The New York Jets and hurly-burly coach Rex Ryan have been selling wince-worthy moments for months. There's no chance they're going to stop now.
Attention, good and bad, was the point behind giving the "Hard Knocks" cameras almost unfettered access to training camp. So for Ryan to feign surprise that his players can't stop acting out — and worse — just because the real season has begun is either disingenuous or dangerously naive.
"Quite honestly, I'm tired of dealing with some of these issues," he said earlier this week, after Braylon Edwards' drunk-driving arrest delivered the latest body blow to the team's reputation.
"I'm tired of the embarrassment to our owner and this organization. Let's just end it. Let's stop it. Whatever it is, however severe or minor, we don't need to be that team," Ryan added. "This team works too hard to be looked at in this light."
There's no condoning what Edwards did, but not much to be gained, either, by excoriating the coach for the lenient punishment about to be meted out. Ryan has only so much leeway because of the disciplinary process set out in the league's collective bargaining agreement.
The Jets can't suspend or deactivate Edwards without risking a run-in with the union. They can limit his playing time, but other than indicating Edwards won't start the game, Ryan didn't seem inclined to keep him on the bench for very long.
Some surprise. Rex learned much of what he knows about the profession from his father, and while his dad was proud to be called cantankerous and rightly hailed as a defensive genius, Buddy Ryan might have taken even more pride in his reputation as a "player's coach."
Guys who played well for Buddy enjoyed a wide berth, and the same seems to be true for the son. That's because both Ryans get a kick out of intimidating opponents and then handing their own players responsibility for cashing the checks. And it works well, at least for a while.
Buddy won a Super Bowl calling the shots in Chicago for one of the most fearsome defenses ever. But after a few seasons, even those nasty Bears got tired of having to back up his boasts. Hard-hitting safety Gary Fencik used to joke that "Buddy was like my favorite uncle; the one I wanted to tell, 'Shut up.'"
Buddy went on to pull the same stunts in Philadelphia and Arizona, but applied even less discipline and never quite matched the success of his earlier years. Two seasons after arriving at the Cardinals' headquarters with the promise of "You've got a winner in town," he was fired and headed back to his horse farm in Kentucky.
Rex arrived in New York with the same sharp tongue. He barely hit the city line before making clear he wasn't there to "kiss Bill Belichick's rings."
"I came to win," the then-rookie coach said in one of his earliest radio interviews, calling out his most successful AFC East rival, "let's put it that way."
Nothing Rex Ryan has done since, including last year's run deep into the conference playoffs, has suggested otherwise. If anything, they've suggested he wants to win too much.
During the offseason, while attending a mixed martial arts event in Florida, Ryan made an obscene gesture toward an overzealous Dolphins fan and was fined $50,000 by the team. Then there were the acquisitions of cornerback Antonio Cromartie and receiver Santonio Holmes, who, like Edwards a season earlier, arrived in New York with plenty of baggage.
And just last week, the league publicly slapped the Jets after a female TV reporter was subjected to catcalls from players in the locker room; owner Woody Johnson, meantime, agreed to foot the bill for a league-wide media training program.
"I think our football team has learned our lessons," Ryan said, noting that he and his coaches and players "have to be held accountable to each other."
Ryan is already well along the career arc his father traced. His players, too, love the spotlight he draws them into and all the freedom he throws around. But unless he gets serious about holding his players accountable, the party is going to end a lot sooner than anybody in New York expected.
Jim Litke is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jlitke@ap.org
Jets owner says Edwards let himself, team down
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets owner Woody Johnson told Braylon Edwards that the star wide receiver's arrest for drunken driving Tuesday morning disappointed the team and himself.
"I just shared with him my feelings," Johnson said Thursday. "I told him exactly what I'm telling you: 'This is not acceptable, Braylon. I'm disappointed. You let yourself down. You let the team down.'"
Edwards was arraigned on drunken-driving charges Tuesday after a breath test showed he had a blood-alcohol level twice the legal limit when he was stopped on Manhattan's West Side, prosecutors said. Edwards apologized to the team, fans and his family on Wednesday.
"This is a serious thing to be accused of, so I'm sorry that it happened to one of our guys," Johnson said, addressing the issue publicly for the first time. "Particularly when we've done a lot to address this particular issue because it does occur in professional sports, as it does in real life."
Johnson said he has spoken to Edwards "three or four times" since the incident and the wide receiver has shown remorse. The team determined that Edwards would be active for New York's next game Sunday night against Miami, but how much he plays would be up to coach Rex Ryan.
Ryan would not comment on the matter Thursday, but said he had a good idea of how much Edwards would play.
Due to the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, any punishment the Jets would dole out, other than what the NFL eventually decides, could violate the CBA. That means the Jets could not suspend or deactivate him without risking a violation. Keeping Edwards active and not playing him could also be perceived as punishment.
"He's not going to start and I think it's about as a significant thing as you can do to a starter, a guy that considers himself in that respect," Johnson said.
He added that the Jets looked into previous similar cases before making their decision, saying there is no precedent to take a stand and deactivate a player.
"That's about as severe an action as I've seen," Johnson said. "Most teams have let the legal process take place. This has happened before. We hope it doesn't happen again here or elsewhere, for that matter."
Two of Edwards' teammates, left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and defensive end Vernon Gholston, were in the car at the time of the arrest. Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum met with those players, and decided no punishment would be dealt.
Gholston said no one else in the car offered to drive, and added that "to my knowledge" Edwards did not seem impaired.
"I think their perception was that everything was OK, I guess," Johnson said. "That's what I heard."
Johnson also responded to criticism from fans and media that Edwards is getting off easy by the team by only losing a start.
"He's losing a lot more than that," Johnson said. "First of all, we don't know if he's losing it, but he's got a serious ticket in front of him and if proven guilty he's got a serious taint on his record. He's going to be a free agent at some point. I would guess if he's convicted of this, this is not going to be helpful. So I think he's got a heavy load in front of him."
It is the latest negative incident for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations and starred on HBO's "Hard Knocks" this summer. The Jets were investigated by the NFL last week for their treatment of a female television reporter, and Johnson must underwrite a workplace conduct program the league is developing for all 32 teams.
Ryan scolded the team in a meeting before practice Wednesday, telling them that they all — including himself — need to stop embarrassing Johnson and the organization.
"You know, embarrassing would not be the way I would characterize it," Johnson said. "It's more sad, rather than embarrassed. This type of thing doesn't represent who we are or who I want us to be and who Rex wants us to be. This is not the goal we're striving for."
Johnson added the Jets will not tolerate drinking and driving, and cited that it has the Player Protect program in place that offers transportation to players free of charge and with confidentiality.
"I think we're just beginning," Johnson said. "We're going to push this as hard as we can push it. There's no tolerance for point-anything alcohol level if you're driving. Zero. I don't want any drinking and driving. That's my personal goal and that's what I'm going to tell them."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
League News
2012 Super Bowl organizers moving ahead with plans
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianpaolis organizers expect the 2012 Super Bowl to be played on its original date, despite growing concerns that an NFL work stoppage could force postponement or cancellation of the game.
At a news conference Thursday, host committee officials said they were moving "full-speed" ahead with their plans for Feb. 5, 2012. They outlined a number of initiatives that either have started or will begin in the next several months, and are beginning to line up volunteers for the biggest sporting event Indy has ever hosted.
And it appears everything is on schedule — for now.
"The NFL has instructed us to be ready Feb. 5, 2012, and we will be," host committee president Allison Melangton said. "I get concerned about things that I can control, not something that I can't."
The biggest concern for football fans is a lockout.
NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith reiterated Wednesday that he is "100 percent" certain league owners will lock out players before the start of next season. The current collective bargaining agreement expires in March, and Smith often points to the league's television deals, which will pay the owners whether next season's games are played or not.
Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, has argued owners will eventually have to pay that money back if games are canceled.
Players are already preparing for the worst.
As early as the summer of 2009, player representatives instructed teammates to start saving additional money for health insurance and living expenses in case of a lockout. Since last week, seven teams have voted unanimously to decertify the union — a procedural step that would allow the union to continue operating as a group and give players the right to sue owners under an antitrust law that bars boycotts of group organizations.
If the NFLPA does decertify, it is not expected to happen until after this season.
In Indianapolis, the questions are all about the Super Bowl.
Colts owner Jim Irsay and Melangton both acknowledged last month that the league had asked city officials to keep blocks of hotel rooms and city venues open for the original Super Bowl weekend, Feb. 4-5, and the following weekend. League spokesman Brian McCarthy later explained both dates were part of Indy's bid for the game, which was awarded the same day NFL owners decided to opt out of the CBA.
Melangton also said Thursday that although the committee has stayed in frequent contact with league officials about the labor situation, it has not taken out insurance to cover the costs of the game if it is canceled.
"Our job is to be ready to run the Super Bowl on Feb. 5, 2012, and that's what we're going to do," host committee chairman Mark Miles said. "If it is a week later, we can pick it up and put it down a week later — if that's what you call a contingency plan."
Committee members are monitoring infrastructure and restoration residential projects on the city's near east side, construction of a new educational and wellness center at Tech High School and an indoor bubble at the University of Indianapolis, where the NFC team will practice during Super Bowl week. It has been dubbed the Super Bowl's legacy project.
They are also making entertainment plans for a downtown street, which is getting an $11 million facelift. Organizers are billing the Georgia Street project as Olympic village meets the Super Bowl.
"It's just going to bleed NFL," Miles said. "There will be a lot of people who won't be able to go to the game, so we want this to be a place that Hoosiers can get into the ambiance of the of game, and for our guests, we want to give them something to answer the question: Why play in a cold-weather city?"
The hope is that Georgia Street will become a meeting place for city residents before and after the game. But will the game go on as planned?
"We're taking our lead from the NFL," Melangton said. "Our direction from them is they're planning to have the game, and we're planning to be ready to put it on."
-- Michael Marot
Pittsburgh's Woodland Hills High has six NFL players
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Pittsburgh's Woodland Hills High School tops USA Football's list of high schools with the most NFL players with six, while three schools have five players in the league this year.
USA Football based the list on the 1,696 players on opening-week rosters.
The New York Jets' Jason Taylor, Arizona's Steve Breaston, New England's Rob Gronkowski, Pittsburgh's Ryan Mundy, Miami's Lousaka Polite and San Francisco's Shawntae Spencer played at Woodland Hills.
"It is a very disciplined program," Breaston said. "Coach (George) Novak does a good job of preparing players on the field and off the field. It is a program that prepares you for the future. A lot of Division I athletes come out of that school. You are always competing, not just against other schools, but within that school. It really pushes you and prepares you to compete at the next level."
De La Salle of Concord, Calif.; Glenville High School of Cleveland; and St. Thomas Aquinas of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., each have five former players in the NFL.
Fourteen schools have three players in the NFL: Corsicana (Texas); Deep Creek of Chesapeake, Va.; DeMatha Catholic of Hyattsville, Md.; Dorsey of Los Angeles; Dunbar of Washington, D.C.; Eleanor Roosevelt of Greenbelt, Md., Glades Central of Belle Glade, Fla.; Lake Highlands of Dallas; Los Alamitos (Calif.); Madison (Wis.) Central; South Panola of Batesville, Miss.; Tustin (Calif.); Vista (Calif.) and Wayzata of Plymouth, Minn.
In rankings by state, California is the leader with 211, followed by Texas (181), Florida (177), Ohio (85) and Georgia (80). Houston tops the hometowns list with 24, followed by Miami (22) and Los Angeles (20).
Redskins-Rams to be televised locally
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Rams said they had met sellout requirements for Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, which now will be televised locally.
The Rams were granted a 24-hour extension earlier in the day.
The Rams are 1-17 the past two seasons, including an 0-2 start this season, but interest has picked up since the team drafted quarterback Sam Bradford with the first pick and made him the starter for the opener.
Injuries
Browns TE Moore dealing with concussion
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Browns tight end Evan Moore thought he had survived a vicious hit. Then the stadium started spinning.
Cleared by Cleveland's medical staff to go back on the field two plays after being clobbered by Kansas City rookie safety Kendrick Lewis, Moore was starting to run when his world began to rotate.
"I went back out and ran the pass route, I knew there was a problem," Moore said. "I was dizzy and felt like I was going to fall over."
On the same day doctors warned Congress about the risks of permanent brain damage to athletes who aren't properly protected from head trauma, Moore recalled his own scare during the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Chiefs.
Moore sustained a concussion — he said the first of his career — on the hard hit by Lewis, who was penalized for unnecessary roughness.
After going down, Moore shook his head as he has done after taking big hits before and jogged to Cleveland's sideline, where he was met by team trainers. He felt normal and told them so. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder had taken jarring hits and figured this was just another one.
"It was a good hit," Moore said, "but I didn't black out or anything. When I took the hit, it wasn't something where I felt like I had a concussion. I felt like I just took a good hit and came off and coach said, 'Are you all right?' I said, 'I'm fine.'"
Or so he thought.
Back in the huddle, Moore listened to quarterback Seneca Wallace call the play and then lined up for a third-and-8 play. He still felt fine. Seconds later, he wasn't.
"I ran a route and didn't feel right," Moore said Thursday as his teammates dressed for practice. "So I told the trainer, 'Something happened, this just ain't right.'"
Moore came off the field again, and this time he was taken to the Browns' locker room, where he was diagnosed with the concussion.
"I want to make it real clear: It's not something where I came off and the coaches said, 'Hey, get back in there, you're fine'," he said. "It was something where I felt fine until I ran again. And as soon as I felt that, we went into the locker room."
The fact that Moore re-entered the game following the jarring tackle led to speculation that the Browns mishandled his injury. Moore, though, said the team acted accordingly and he made it clear that he was responsive to the team's medical staff, which did not detect he was concussed.
Coach Eric Mangini said the Browns treated Moore properly.
"I don't think we lacked caution," he said. "I don't think it was a function of, 'Forget about what happened, send him back in.'
We have the trainer and the doctor on the sideline, that's never a coaching decision. Everybody is doing the best they can to make sure the players' safety is first. I know how good (head trainer) Joe (Sheehan) is and how good our doctors are and we are going to work each game to make sure that we don't put a guy in a spot that he shouldn't be in.
"It's important to us not to do that."
Moore's concussion is the second confirmed by the Browns since the start of training camp. Safety Nick Sorensen was hospitalized following a violent helmet-to-helmet collision during an exhibition game in Detroit last month.
Per the NFL's policy on head injuries, Moore visited an independent doctor to be evaluated and tested for the head injury. He has not been given permission to practice, but said he has not had any symptoms in several days and it's possible he could be practicing again on Friday.
Moore said the league's efforts to educate its players on the risks of head injuries has raised his awareness about them. He pointed to one of the new signs hanging in the locker room that promotes head safety. It's one thing for others preach caution, but Moore, who earned a bachelor's degree in political science and master's in sociology from Stanford, said it's an individual's responsibility.
Moore knows of players who will lie to stay on the field. He's not one of them.
"I love football, but when you start talking about putting your head at risk, it's not happening," he said. "Some guys might still have issues and say they're gonna play anyway — good for them. But if I don't feel quite right, there's no way I'm going out on the field."
Moore knows he can't play forever, but he won't do anything to jeopardize his health or career goals.
If he can survive the NFL's school or hard knocks, Moore want to go to law school.
"That's my goal," he said. "I'm just going to be real cautious with this. I'll put any part of my body at risk but my head."
-- Tom Withers
Browns' Delhomme still out
BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Jake Delhomme still can't trade his walking boot for cleats.
Cleveland's starting quarterback, who injured his right ankle in his Week 1 debut with the Browns, has not been cleared to practice and it appears he will be sidelined for this Sunday's game in Baltimore and possibly next week as well.
Browns coach Eric Mangini has been intentionally vague about Delhomme's status, and the team has given no specifics about the severity of the ankle injury, which the 35-year-old sustained while throwing a costly interception in the first half of the opener at Tampa Bay.
If Delhomme can't play, and that appears the case, backup Seneca Wallace will make his second straight start Sunday against the Ravens. Last week, the Browns didn't announce Wallace would start the home opener and that Delhomme was inactive until an hour before kickoff.
Delhomme hasn't practiced and has not been available to the media this week. A team spokesman said Delhomme was undergoing treatment and will meet with reporters on Friday.
Mangini maintains that Delhomme is getting better. Before Thursday's practice, he was asked if Delhomme's injury could carry into next week.
"Could it?" he asked. "I think there is potential. He's been progressively better each day. I thought he was moving around pretty good today when I saw him. With injuries, I don't really know. Sometimes they ... I don't know."
Delhomme could be dealing with the dreaded high ankle sprain, an injury that can take as long as month to recover from. Mangini said Delhomme is still wearing a protective walking boot, but it's common for players to wear one with similar injuries.
Running back Jerome Harrison (thigh), nose tackle Shaun Rogers, wide receiver Brian Robiskie (ankle) and linebacker Marcus Benard (ankle) also missed practice.
Mangini is optimistic he'll get a few players back for Friday's practice.
-- Tom Withers
Saints CB Gay not yet cleared, Ivory improves
METAIRIE, La. (AP) — While Saints cornerback Randall Gay has not yet been cleared to return from his concussion, promising rookie running back Chris Ivory practiced fully for the first time since spraining his knee in the final preseason game.
Gay, who left the Saints' victory at San Francisco on Monday night after taking a blow to the head, had an independent medical examination on Thursday and will get another on Friday, coach Sean Payton said.
If Gay is cleared in time, the Saints would have the option to allow the reserve defensive back to resume his role in five- and six-defensive back formations, Payton said.
Otherwise, rookie first-round draft choice Patrick Robinson, who was inactive at San Francisco, will be expected to suit up for Sunday's NFC South Division matchup with Atlanta on Sunday in the Louisiana Superdome.
"If Randall can't go, he'll have to be ready to go," Payton said.
Robinson has yet to play on defense in the regular season. He played only on special teams in the Saints' season-opening victory over Minnesota.
The 6-foot, 222-pound Ivory, who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Division II Tiffin, was the Saints' top performing running back during the preseason. He rushed for 146 yards and a score on 41 carries and likely sealed his spot on the regular season roster when he turned a swing pass into a tackle-breaking 76-yard touchdown in the third preseason game against San Diego.
In the final preseason game at Tennessee, he sprained his left knee, but now says he feels uninhibited by the injury.
"If I were to play, I probably wouldn't wear a brace," Ivory said, but added that he could not say for certain whether the coaches would activate him on Sunday. "Whatever it is that they call for me (to do), I'll be ready."
Payton said Ivory's health would not be the only determining factor on whether he plays. He also must demonstrate he understands various aspects of New Orleans' game plan, including pass-blocking.
"If you ask what the transition is for a running back from college to the NFL, it would start with protection — the multiple looks that defenses give you," Payton said. "There's a lot there and certainly you stress upon ball security and all the little things that go into playing that position at a high level."
The possibility of Ivory's return became more pressing after Reggie Bush broke his right leg recovering his muffed punt on Monday night. The Saints also have signed veteran running back Ladell Betts, but waived reserve running back DeShawn Wynn, meaning Ivory was one of only three healthy tail backs on the active roster on Thursday.
Meanwhile, reserve defensive tackle Zach Strief, who regularly checks into games as a blocking tight end, also practiced fully for the first time since injuring his right knee against the Aug. 27 preseason game against San Diego. Reserve safety Usama Young practiced on a limited basis with a strained quadriceps, while reserve linebacker Anthony Waters, who injured his groin in the regular season opener, still has yet to return to practice.
-- Brett Martel
Chargers' Mathews misses second straight practice
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Chargers running back Ryan Mathews missed his second straight practice Thursday with a high ankle sprain.
The rookie's prospects of playing decrease with every missed practice, making it less likely he'll be available for Sunday's game at Seattle.
"He's getting better," coach Norv Turner said. "I haven't ruled (him) out. I'm going to see where we are in the next two days."
Mathews was hurt in Sunday's home victory against Jacksonville.
He tested his right ankle on the treadmill and in some cutting exercises before practice, but did not participate in the session. He said the joint is sore and uncomfortable, but it won't stop him from playing if given the green light.
"I can play," Mathews said. "There's a difference between being hurt and being injured. I can play in pain. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but as long as my bone's not sticking through the skin, I'm good to go. But I know that it's the trainer's decision and I'll go along with whatever they decide."
If Mathews can't play, Mike Tolbert will be the Chargers' primary rusher. He assumed that role after Mathews got hurt in the first quarter against the Jaguars and had 82 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
Arizona's Wells will probably play Sunday
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona running back Beanie Wells went through much more of practice on Thursday, increasing the probability that he will play Sunday in the Cardinals' home opener against the Oakland Raiders.
Wells, who led the team in rushing as a rookie last season, sat out the first two games of the season because of a bruised right knee.
Coach Ken Whisenhunt said Wells looked "really good" in practice. The coach said he is "very optimistic" Wells will play.
Wells said he is tremendously improved from last week and is practicing full speed, not even thinking about the injury.
Safety out again with concussion symptoms
ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Rams safety Craig Dahl is still feeling effects of a concussion.
Dahl was held out of practice Thursday. He was hurt on a helmet-to-helmet hit with Raiders running back Darren McFadden in last week's 16-14 loss at Oakland. Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Dahl showed symptoms after a light workout Wednesday, and after a day of rest will try again on Friday.
Dahl said he was still light sensitive and was experiencing other concussion symptoms.
Defensive tackle Clifton Ryan also missed practice to be examined by another doctor for migraine headaches. He has not been ruled out for Sunday's home game against Washington.
Wide receiver Laurent Robinson also was held out with a foot injury.
Harvin returns to practice
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Percy Harvin returned to Vikings practice on Thursday after missing the previous session with another migraine headache.
Harvin struggled with migraines throughout the preseason, but says he went almost six weeks between headaches. Harvin says he's feeling great and was encouraged with how he was able to recover from his latest episode. He says he's reached the point where he doesn't worry about getting the headaches on a daily basis anymore.
Harvin is also nursing a strained right hip but says that injury is improving as well. He was limited in practice on Thursday, as was quarterback Brett Favre with a sore ankle, linebacker Ben Leber with a back injury and cornerback Cedric Griffin and receiver Bernard Berrian, who both have knee injuries.
Player Moves
Ravens, top pick Kindle agree on 1-year contract
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens and top draft pick Sergio Kindle have agreed to terms on a 1-year contract, even though the linebacker will not play this season.
Kindle fractured his skull shortly before training camp in July when he fell down two flights of stairs. The former Texas standout underwent a series of neurological exams from independent doctors in Baltimore, which led the Ravens to believe he would not be able to play in 2010.
He was placed on the reserve non-football injury list on Thursday. He is expected to sign his contract on Friday.
A second-round pick out of Texas, Kindle hopes to launch his NFL career next year.
Rookie might be ready to get more playing time
ST. LOUIS (AP) — There's a good reason Mardy Gilyard has yet to get much playing time for the wide receiver-needy St. Louis Rams. He's still learning the plays.
The fourth-round pick out of Cincinnati got a late start because his class didn't graduate until June, missed some training camp time due to injury and is the backup at three spots for the Rams (0-2). That's a lot to absorb, so much that quarterback Sam Bradford approached Gilyard last week and asked why he had been indecisive in his routes.
Gilyard has been the primary kickoff return man, averaging 25.3 yards and showing he's fearless.
Elsewhere
Seahawks pick McLoughlin as new president
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — Peter McLoughlin's new role as president of the Seattle Seahawks is strictly focused on the business side of the operation.
Football is clearly in the hands of Pete Carroll and John Schneider.
McLoughlin was introduced as the new president of the Seahawks, Seattle Sounders FC and First and Goal Inc. on Thursday. He comes to the Seahawks after four years as CEO of the NHL's St. Louis Blues and replaces Tod Leiweke, who announced at the end of July he was leaving as the head of Paul Allen's Vulcan Sports and Entertainment to become CEO and minority owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
"There is so much positive here and we're going to continue to work hard to improve things," McLoughlin said.
When Carroll and Schneider were brought on earlier this year, there were questions about the hierarchy of authority and whether the football duo reported to Leiweke, who served as the bridge between the football operations and Allen, the Seahawks' owner.
With McLoughlin coming aboard, it's clear that all football-related decisions are in the hands of Carroll and Schneider and go directly to Allen.
"There's been some conjecture on football reporting. Fact is, football reports into ownership. One of the cool things about Peter and his candidacy is he said to me, 'These football guys have forgotten more than I'll ever know.' He wasn't coming here to draw plays or draft players," Leiweke said. "... Football will continue to report into ownership and Peter is going to do everything he can to support it. He'll have jurisdiction over budgets, annual budgets and those things, but this is a structure like most other NFL teams and really how it worked for us under my leadership."
Mike McCarthy, vice chairman of the Blues, has been named interim CEO while the team conducts a national search for McLoughlin's replacement.
McLoughlin's responsibilities will not be as far-reaching as Leiweke's were. When Leiweke was appointed to oversee all of Allen's sports ventures in 2007, he took on managing the operations of the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers.
McLoughlin is strictly focused on the two franchises in Seattle and the organization that operates Qwest Field.
"We saw a lot of things in the recruiting process that reminded us of Tod in that recruiting process seven years ago," said Bert Kolde, vice chair of the Vulcan board of directors. "I think Tod has made a huge difference to the fan base ... and I think Peter can take that forward."
There are many similarities between Leiweke and McLoughlin, who have known each other for many years. Most obvious is a connection with the NHL, where McLoughlin is leaving and where Leiweke is returning.
Before spending four years with the Blues and helping revitalize that franchise, McLoughlin worked 21 years in various positions at Anheuser-Busch. His final position with the beer giant was to be in charge of negotiating sponsorships that included Super Bowls, the Olympics and the World Cup.
"Peter is a bright, proven leader who believes as I do that the fans always come first and understands the importance of community," Allen said in a statement. "He is experienced in all aspects of the business side of sports."
Despite their past friendship, Leiweke insisted McLoughlin wasn't handed the opportunity to take over in Seattle and that he "earned the right to be here."
"I'm here to be a great fan of both teams, to work hard, serve the fans, give back to the community and to help John and Pete (Carroll) and the Sounders have the resources to put championships in the Seattle community," McLoughlin said. "I just couldn't be happier to be here."
-- Tim Booth
