NFL Capsules: Rodgers throws 3 TDs as Packers beat Ravens 27-14
GREEN BAY, Wis. — One month ago, the Green Bay Packers were worried that their season was slipping away.
Now they've won four straight after beating the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.
Yes, Monday's 27-14 win was monumentally ugly. But that didn't matter afterward, because the Packers are suddenly sitting pretty in the playoff race.
"It wasn't pretty out there, but a win is a win," Packers wide receiver Donald Driver said. "We had to get this one to stay ahead in the playoff race."
While the Packers (8-4) are in good position to earn an NFC wild-card berth, Monday's win showed they still have some work to do to be taken seriously once they make it to the playoffs.
Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Jermichael Finley. But Rodgers also had a pair of interceptions, two of the combined seven turnovers in the game.
The teams also committed 23 penalties for 310 yards, tying for the second-highest yardage total in an NFL game.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy called the penalties "unbelievable for both sides" but said he was happy with the way his team responded to trying circumstances — something they hadn't done well early in the season.
"I'll say this about our football team: I was very proud and excited the way they overcame the adversity," McCarthy said.
The Ravens (6-6) struggled in coverage without star safety Ed Reed, who sat out with hip and ankle injuries.
But Ravens coach John Harbaugh insisted his team is "still breathing" in the playoff race.
"We've got plenty to be encouraged about," Harbaugh said. "We're in a tight race for the wild card, we are every bit in it. Everybody, they'll say what they'll say. It's a week-to-week proposition in this league."
This week wasn't so good.
Baltimore was called for five pass interference penalties, the most by a team in a single game since the New York Giants in 2001 according to STATS LLC.
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said he didn't think one call cost them the game.
"Bottom line, (the) call was made," Lewis said. "You don't gripe about it, you just keep on moving.
The Packers weren't much better, getting flagged four times for pass interference.
Rodgers was 26 of 40 for 263 yards with two interceptions, only his sixth and seventh of the season.
While Reed's replacement, Tom Zbikowski, came up with one of the interceptions, the Ravens struggled in coverage.
Baltimore's Joe Flacco was 15 of 36 for 137 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions. The Packers sacked him three times.
The win is a continuation of a significant momentum swing for the Packers, who were 4-4 after looking bad in back-to-back losses to Minnesota and Tampa Bay in early November but haven't lost since.
They've worked out some of their pass protection problems — Rodgers was sacked only once Monday night — and their defense appears to be getting more comfortable in the 3-4 scheme installed by defensive coordinator Dom Capers in the offseason.
"If our defense plays like it did tonight, we're going to be tough to beat," Rodgers said.
Leading 17-0 at halftime and seemingly cruising, the Packers suddenly found themselves scrambling after a pair of turnovers, both involving Driver, allowed Baltimore to get back in the game.
The Packers were driving on their first possession of the second half when Driver caught a pass in Ravens territory and fumbled as he turned to run upfield. Flacco made the Packers pay, throwing to Kelley Washington for a touchdown. Washington tried to do a "Lambeau leap," but fans pushed him out of the stands.
Rodgers watched as his first pass of the next possession bounced off Driver's leg and into the arms of linebacker Jarret Johnson. Flacco went deep, drawing pass interference on Packers cornerback Tramon Williams. Willis McGahee scored on a 1-yard touchdown run two plays later, cutting the lead to 17-14 in the third quarter.
After a missed field goal by Green Bay's Mason Crosby, Flacco then threw deep downfield to Derrick Mason, who caught the ball but was called for offensive pass interference against Charles Woodson. Mason compounded the problem by drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty afterward, and the Ravens had to punt from their own 9-yard line.
The Packers got the ball back, and Rodgers threw to Korey Hall and Driver for first downs before finding Finley for a 19-yard touchdown pass and a 24-14 lead with 10:31 remaining.
The Packers allowed a long kickoff return and Williams was called for pass interference, but Williams came back to pick off Flacco in the end zone to preserve the lead.
"It was getting frustrating a little bit out there," Williams said. "But, you know, it can get like that sometimes. As a defensive back, you have to have a short term memory and continue playing. Something will eventually happen in your favor and luckily it did for me tonight."
NOTES: Ray Rice was held to 54 yards rushing and lost a fumble. "You can't give them the ball," Rice said. "I gave it to them. We'll get it corrected." ... The Packers placed OLB Aaron Kampman on injured reserve and signed OLB Cyril Obiozor from the practice squad before Monday's game. ... Finley briefly left the game with a knee injury but was able to return.
League News
Goodell urges upgrades of Dolphins' stadium
MIAMI — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell says the Miami Dolphins' stadium needs more upgrades if South Florida is to remain competitive in bidding for future Super Bowls.
The 22-year-old stadium underwent $250 million in improvements in 2007 but is still falling behind the competition with new stadiums opening in Dallas, Phoenix, Indianapolis and New York, Goodell said Monday.
Miami will host the Super Bowl for an NFL-record 10th time Feb. 7. Goodell spoke at a kickoff luncheon for the game.
"They've done a great job hosting Super Bowls here in the past," Goodell said. "The key thing is to make sure the stadium is state of the art and that it can compete with the stadiums in some of these other communities. They are moving to another level in some of these stadiums."
Deficiencies with the Dolphins' home include lighting and the location of lower-level seats, which are not close to the playing field. The league doesn't seek a retractable roof, Goodell said.
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said the franchise is studying possible upgrades. It's unclear whether the team and league will seek public money. Ross said the Dolphins have yet to come up with a cost estimate or a proposed source of funding.
"We're looking at different ideas," Ross said. "We're still in the planning stage, and it's premature to talk about dollars. We know it's hard to put up dollars in South Florida in this economy.
"We're trying to keep it as low as possible and work with the league. We've got to show a package. That's what we're looking to do — put together a package."
A new stadium isn't being considered, Ross said.
The Pro Bowl will be played in Miami for the first time Jan. 31. Goodell supported experimenting with a new location and schedule slot for the all-star game, which in recent years has been played in Hawaii the week after the Super Bowl.
"If this doesn't work out, it will be my fault," Goodell said.
On other subjects, the commissioner said:
—Players perform in a "very safe environment," thanks in part to recent stricter league guidelines regarding concussions. "We're all learning more about concussions, the medical community as well as the NFL. We've been studying this for 15 years and have changed our policies as the medical science becomes more advanced. Everyone is treating this more conservatively, as they should. It's a serious injury, and you have to be careful. You want to make sure it heals properly."
—Negotiations on a new labor agreement are progressing slowly, with another meeting scheduled this week. "The good news is we're talking. It's pretty clear that things don't happen until you get your back up against the wall a little bit. I would expect as we get a little closer to an uncapped season (in 2010) that things will be a little more focused."
—Despite the league's plan to cut a $100 million annual supplemental revenue-sharing program that subsidizes lower-revenue franchises, teams will still spend competitively. "We have great revenue sharing in the league. We have a number of systems we have collectively bargained that will ensure that."
—He doesn't expect the overtime format to be altered, despite many suggested changes. "I actually think the overtime system has worked pretty well for the NFL."
—Benefits for former players will be improved. "We need to do more, and we will do more."
Rodney Barreto, chairman of the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee, said the need to upgrade the Dolphins' stadium is a community issue.
"The community has to come together and say, 'Look, is this important for us? Do we want to keep doing this?'" Barreto said. "Football is going to be much better if we can be a football-only stadium."
Founding Dolphins owner Joe Robbie paid to build the stadium at a cost of $115 million, and it opened in 1987 as a multi-use complex. It has been the Florida Marlins' home since their first game in 1993, and they're scheduled to move into their new ballpark in 2012.
"With the Marlins leaving in a couple of years, there's an opportunity to make this truly a football stadium and make it a great facility that can host multiple Super Bowls," Goodell said.
-- Steven Wine
Singletary still upset by unfavorable calls
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Mike Singletary is a little miffed by the number of calls he deemed "questionable" during San Francisco's loss at Seattle on Sunday.
Enough so that the 49ers coach planned to write a letter to the league office stating his case, something he does regularly but this time it will be longer than usual.
"Every week we send a letter to the league about different calls that are made or not made in a game," Singletary said Monday. "Just to say this week, there will be several paragraphs that will be going to the league."
Now, Singletary insists he doesn't want to sound like a sore loser here — he acknowledges the Niners (5-7) didn't make nearly enough plays to win — but he is going to stick up for his team on the heels of another narrow, heartbreaking road loss in which the 49ers again found ways to beat themselves.
This time, it was 20-17 to the Seahawks. That came after a six-point loss at Green Bay on Nov. 22, an 18-14 defeat at Indianapolis on Nov. 1 and a 24-21 setback at Houston before that.
The 49ers must regroup for next Monday night's home game against Arizona.
"Frustrated is a great word," Singletary said in summing up how he's feeling. "You go out and you play a game like yesterday and you end up on the losing side, the only thing you tell your players is that we just have to stay together. We have to continue moving forward. The ground work from this, somehow, someway, will be a positive for us going forward, but right now it doesn't feel that way."
San Francisco outgained Seattle 356-292 but hurt its cause with eight penalties for 57 lost yards. Still, Singletary thought the officiating could have been more even.
"The one thing about coach Singletary is he's going to express the way he feels," tight end Vernon Davis said. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. If that's what he feels he wants to do, then so be it. Let him do it. He's got our backs."
In terms of specific plays Singletary will point out in the note, Singletary said, "There were many."
One such example came in the waning seconds of the game. 49ers cornerback Keith Smith was covering the right sideline on Deon Butler's 32-yard reception from Matt Hasselbeck with 12 seconds left. That led to Olindo Mare's game-winning 30-yard field goal as time expired.
"Let me say this before I go too far down this road, obviously there were bad calls made and I think in every game there are bad calls made," Singletary said. "Yesterday, for me, there were just a few more than I had witnessed maybe since I've been in the league. I just want to make sure that our players, coaching staff, our fans, everybody involved with the 49ers, everybody that cares about the 49ers, understands that this is not about the referees. They didn't fumble the ball. They didn't throw interceptions. They didn't make bad plays, we did. So I don't want to put this on the referees. I certainly feel that some of those calls were questionable, but if we had done what we were supposed to do, we overcome that and we win the football game."
All these tough losses could be enough to break a rebuilding team that's trying to avoid a seventh straight losing season, though Singletary insists that won't happen and his players will finish strong over their final four games.
The 49ers know they blew many opportunities on a day Alex Smith had one of his best games yet, throwing for 310 yards and two touchdowns and completing 27 of 45 passes.
Davis caught one of those TD strikes for his 11th touchdown of the season and finished with a career-high 111 yards receiving.
"I think we did some good things. It's all kind of for nothing at this point, especially the day after walking away from the game," Smith said. "I really felt like we were capable of winning. We did some good things, not enough."
Smith isn't concerned about the 49ers losing their team mentality in the midst of all the discouraging defeats away from Candlestick Park.
"That's the strength of this team, that we do stay together," Smith said. "I think the character in this locker room, the guys that we have, the lack of finger-pointing, I think that's a strength that we have."
Left tackle Joe Staley's status is still uncertain, though he hopes to return from a right knee injury for Monday's game. Singletary said Staley would undergo another MRI exam to determine how his knee has healed. Staley has yet to practice, but could return to the field later this week.
Staley has been nursing a sprained right knee that he hurt during San Francisco's loss to the Colts. The team said he would likely miss a month and a half, so Monday would be about on target for him to be back.
"It feels good. It feels a lot better than it was," Staley said. "I haven't practiced yet, so I don't know what it's going to do. I'm going to be smart about it. I'm not going to go out there and expect to be full go."
-- Janie McCauley
Bears coach has little to say on Weis
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith declined comment Monday on a report that former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis would be interested in becoming Chicago's offensive coordinator if the job opened.
The Chicago Sun-Times, citing an anonymous source close to Weis, reported the position would be attractive to him. Ron Turner has the coordinator job currently.
Smith said he couldn't comment on something Weis might have said, adding: "We have an offensive coordinator in place right now. I can comment about that."
The opportunity to work with Jay Cutler could be an attractive one for Weis, who helped Tom Brady develop into one of the game's great quarterbacks as the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator before leaving for Notre Dame in 2004. He also coached two of the Fighting Irish's most prolific passers in Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen.
Colts can clinch AFC's top seed with win Sunday
INDIANAPOLIS — If the Indianapolis Colts beat Denver on Sunday for their record-setting 22nd consecutive regular-season victory, they also will clinch the AFC's top seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.
The NFL notified team officials of the scenario on Monday.
A win over the Broncos (8-4) would make the Colts 13-0. San Diego (9-3) and Cincinnati (9-3) are the only other AFC teams who can reach 13 wins, but they still play each other. The winner of that game would lose a tiebreaker to Indianapolis at 13-3 based on common opponents.
Injuries
Vikings try to move on from Henderson's injury
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings know that injuries are a way of life in the NFL. They happen and teams move on.
Yet many of the most hardened veterans were still shaken Monday, less than 24 hours after middle linebacker E.J. Henderson broke his left leg in chilling fashion against the Arizona Cardinals.
"It's a sick and gruesome reminder of how violent the game can be," linebacker Ben Leber said. "You sometimes, a lot of times, forget about it. You don't think about it. It is a painful reminder of what this game's about."
Henderson was injured in the fourth quarter of a 30-17 loss to the Cardinals. As he chased down running back Tim Hightower, Henderson collided with safety Jamarca Sanford. The captain, an immensely respected leader of a proud veteran defense, went airborne with his left leg flopping brutally to the ground.
He was taken off the field on a stretcher with his younger brother and teammate Erin, who was inactive for the game, clutching his hands and offering support.
Henderson remained in intensive care at a Phoenix hospital following surgery and coach Brad Childress said he hoped Henderson would return home by the end of the week. Childress said the surgery went well and Henderson was in "good spirits" on Monday.
He may have been the only one.
The Vikings (10-2) were dominated by the Cardinals on Sunday night, though the horrific nature of Henderson's injury overshadowed their first loss in six games.
"It's just a vicious injury and something you never want to see happen to anybody, specifically, somebody that's on your team and somebody that is playing beside you all the time," linebacker Chad Greenway said.
Some players were near tears in the locker room after the game, feeling sympathy for a player who had worked so hard to get back after missing 12 games last season with a foot injury. Henderson got off to a slow start this season, but had played well in the last month as the Vikings piled up the victories. He was the team's leading tackler, and had 10 more on Sunday before he was injured.
"Going through what he went through last year, kind of just a quirky injury that held him out, I saw how much it hurt him," Leber said. "He battled back and did everything right all the way through the offseason. He was having another tremendous year. I was just sickened for him. To lose a player like that and a friend like that was hard."
Childress said rookie fifth-round draft pick Jasper Brinkley will fill in for Henderson in Minnesota's base defense, beginning Sunday against Cincinnati. After Henderson went down last year, the Vikings played more of their nickel package, with Greenway and Leber the only two linebackers on the field. That could happen again this time around.
"He's a great rallying force," Childress said of Henderson. "He's a good football player. He's a good leader; a quiet leader. But you get past that.
"You may not replace him physically, but you do get past that. You have to get past it because we have a quarter of the regular season left."
The question is, will Henderson get past it? The nastiness of the broken femur has some wondering if he will ever make it back on the field. Childress said there was no timeline yet for his return.
"You never know. Something like that it's unfortunately so bad you have to actually ask those questions," Greenway said. "But the way he is, he's one of the tougher guys I've ever been around. ... so God willing he'll be able to heal well and get back in due time. And I know the organization we have, they'll support him and be behind him because that's just the kind of people they are."
Leber was more emphatic.
"Oh yeah without a doubt," Leber said. "We don't know right now how long. But knowing his personality and what he's been through, he'll be back. This is not a career-ending type of deal. He'll be back for sure."
-- Jon Krawczynski
No practice for Jets' Sanchez, but may still play
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Mark Sanchez did not practice for the New York Jets on Monday while recovering from a sprained right knee, but coach Rex Ryan is optimistic about the rookie quarterback's chances of playing Sunday at Tampa Bay.
Sanchez sprained the posterior cruciate ligament in the knee while diving for a first down in New York's 19-13 win over Buffalo on Thursday night.
"He's so much better," Ryan said. "We thought we were going to get good news from the MRI, we did. Just the way he's approaching his treatment and rehab and everything else, you can tell he is definitely willing. That's for sure."
Ryan said Sanchez spent the majority of the weekend at the team's facility rehabilitating the injury.
"Treatment, if there's 18 hours a day, that's what it seems like," Ryan said. "He's been here the whole time. His spirits are good. I know he expects to play. We're optimistic he'll play."
Ryan was uncertain whether Sanchez would participate in the team's next practice Wednesday. Sanchez's red no-contact No. 6 jersey was on the field Monday — but it was cornerback Donald Strickland, recovering from a concussion, wearing it. Backup Kellen Clemens worked with the first-team offense and would start if Sanchez can't go.
"He's got that time," Ryan said of Clemens. "He can be with the 1's today. We'll progress it through the week. I think that's only a smart thing to do."
Sanchez will initially wear a brace to stabilize the knee, and could play with it Sunday against the Buccaneers if medically cleared. He already wears a brace on his left knee from a previous injury.
Ryan wasn't sure if he has ever seen a quarterback play with two knee braces.
"Did Joe Namath?" he said, laughing. "I'm not really sure. I think (Dan) Marino might have."
The Jets (6-6) are in the middle of the AFC playoff mix after their win over the Bills, and hope their starting quarterback won't miss any time.
"If it's in the opinion of the medical staff that Mark can't protect himself the way he needs to, then obviously that decision will be easy to where he doesn't play," Ryan said. "Right now, we're feeling very good about where he is now and I think the doctors are, too. Does it take a turn and go south? Maybe it could, but right now we feel very good about how he's progressing."
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Rams S Atogwe may miss rest of season
ST. LOUIS — Safety O.J. Atogwe, one of the St. Louis Rams' top playmakers on defense, could miss the rest of the season with a dislocated right shoulder that likely will eventually require surgery.
Atogwe hasn't ruled out finishing the year while wearing a harness. He said Monday that he planned to speak with his agent and get other medical opinions, while also waiting for swelling to subside.
Coach Steve Spagnuolo described the injury sustained in Sunday's loss at Chicago as significant, with a torn labrum and cartilage damage.
"We don't have all the facts for that one just yet, but it is a pretty good injury," Spagnuolo said.
A perhaps hopeful sign: medical personnel were able to pop the shoulder back into place during the game.
"We've still got a lot of discussions to be had," Atogwe said. "No decisions have been made about it just yet."
The other significant injury for the Rams (1-11) involves rookie offensive tackle Jason Smith, who on Monday failed what is believed to be his third baseline test for concussion-related symptoms. Smith was briefly hospitalized after becoming ill during last week's loss at home to the Seahawks and Spagnuolo said latest test results were lower than Smith's original exam.
Smith was scheduled to see an independent consultant as dictated by new NFL guidelines.
"A lot of concern," Spagnuolo said. "A hard one to figure out. They can all of a sudden be OK."
Atogwe is second on the team with 84 tackles. He leads the team with two fumble recoveries, is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and has two interceptions. He had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the same play against the Bears when he stripped running back Matt Forte in the opening minute.
"He does a great job for us and I love the guy," Spagnuolo said. "He brings a lot of energy."
Atogwe was injured tackling Forte on the last play of the first half when Forte's helmet caught him flush in the shoulder. Craig Dahl, who started three games earlier in the season while strong safety James Butler was hurt, would replace Atogwe.
"It was just one of those freak hits," Atogwe said. "It was perfect placement, I guess you'd say."
Atogwe led the NFL with eight interceptions in 2007 and is finishing a one-year contract after being designated the team's franchise player. He said his contract status will not affect the decision whether to try to keep playing.
"In this game, in this life, you're not promised tomorrow," Atogwe said. "I don't want to take it for granted, the moments I do have."
Quarterback Marc Bulger (fractured shinbone) has been scheduled for an MRI exam on Friday to assess healing after missing his second start. Bulger is still on crutches.
-- R.B. Fallstrom
Lions keep QB Stafford's status close to the vest
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz never wants to share injury information with his opponents.
When the injury is to his starting quarterback, Schwartz plays things even closer to the vest.
On Monday, one day after rookie Matt Stafford left Detroit's game against Cincinnati with an aggravation of his separated left (non-throwing) shoulder, Schwartz wasn't giving any hints to his availability for Sunday's game in Baltimore.
"I've got a pretty good idea of his status, but I don't feel any need to tell Baltimore that information," Schwartz said. "They play Monday night this week, so they are already facing a short week and the difficulties that brings. I'd rather not help their game-planning process by letting them know which quarterback we expect to play."
Stafford originally injured the shoulder at the end of Detroit's dramatic 38-37 win over Cleveland two weeks ago, putting himself back into the game to throw the winning touchdown pass without any time on the clock. He then surprised most observers by starting in Detroit's Thanksgiving Day loss to Green Bay four days later, and was back under center during most of the 23-13 loss to the Bengals.
He aggravated the injury on a botched running play early in the second half, then had to leave the game after taking a big hit late in the fourth quarter.
Stafford said after the game that he wasn't sure if he would play against the Ravens.
"He's obviously very sore, and he's playing knowing that he's going to get hit, and when he does, he'll be in excruciating pain," Schwartz said. "But he's resilient and tough, and he's done his best to stay in there."
Although Stafford was undergoing more tests on Monday, Schwartz said the team does not believe there is any structural damage to the shoulder, and that it hasn't been the reason for the six interceptions Stafford has thrown in the last two games.
"If there was something going on where he could make it worse by playing, we would have to think a lot harder about having him on the field," he said. "Right now, though, it is just a matter of pain management. If he can deal with the pain — and that's a conversation we have on a constant basis — he's our starting quarterback."
Schwartz did acknowledge that, no matter what, Stafford would share practice reps with both Daunte Culpepper and Drew Stanton this week.
"It's a similar situation to when he was having problems with his knee earlier in the year," he said. "We'll make sure that both our number-two and number-three quarterbacks are ready, in case it does become an issue."
The one thing that won't enter the discussion is the Ravens' reputation as a hard-hitting defense.
"That won't be part of the process," Schwartz said. "Absolutely not."
Schwartz also said that the Lions would consider working out punters in case they need to replace Nick Harris, who injured his knee making a tackle against the Bengals but finished the game.
Cornerback Will James, who left the game with a shoulder injury, said he hopes to play against Baltimore. James also said that he is impressed by Detroit's attitude with a 2-10 record following an 0-16 season.
"Last year, when I was in Jacksonville, you heard that the Lions had quit late in the season, but I haven't seen any of that this year," he said. "This team isn't worried about a bad record — we're playing hard every game. That's down to character. Nothing else."
Bengals DT Peko has knee surgery
CINCINNATI — Defensive tackle Domata Peko had arthroscopic knee surgery on Monday, sidelining one of the Cincinnati Bengals' best run stoppers for at least a couple of weeks.
Peko sprained his left knee during a game on Oct. 18 but didn't miss any time. He injured the right knee a few weeks ago and was inactive for a 23-13 win over the Detroit Lions. Second-year player Pat Sims started in his place and had one tackle.
Coach Marvin Lewis said Peko could be available later in the season after surgery on his right knee. Asked if Peko aggravated the injury last week, Lewis said, "Nobody knows. But sometimes the different scans show different things, and so they did another scan last week and felt like probably the thing to do was to go in and scope it, and he would recover more quickly."
Peko is the second Bengals starting defensive lineman to have surgery. End Antwan Odom is out for the season with a torn right Achilles' tendon.
Lewis said that rookie running back Bernard Scott also is likely to miss a second straight game because of turf toe. Cedric Benson and Larry Johnson are available to run in Minnesota next Sunday.
The Bengals (9-3) solidified their hold on first place in the AFC North and secured their second winning record in the past 19 years by beating the Lions.
-- Joe Kay
Steelers' Ward may miss Browns game
PITTSBURGH — Wide receiver Hines Ward strained a hamstring near the end of the Pittsburgh Steelers' 27-24 loss to the Oakland Raiders and is expected to miss Thursday night's game in Cleveland.
Coach Mike Tomlin says that with a short week of preparation, Ward is "very questionable." Ward leads the Steelers (6-6) with 72 catches and six touchdowns and is 78 yards away from his sixth career 1,000-yard season.
Safety Troy Polamalu hasn't resumed practicing and is expected to miss a fourth consecutive game — and his eighth this season — with a left knee injury. Cornerback William Gay also may not play because of a concussion.
Browns' Coleman rests injured knee
BEREA, Ohio — Browns defensive end Kenyon Coleman did not participate in Monday's walkthrough.
Coleman, who missed Sunday's game against San Diego with a knee injury, was hurt in last week's game against Cincinnati. The Browns had 10 other players, including linebacker David Bowens (knee), defensive lineman Robaire Smith (shoulder), linebacker Kamerion Wimbley (knee) and cornerback Eric Wright (hamstring), limited in practice as they began preparing for Thursday night's game against Pittsburgh.
The Browns are thin on their defensive front after C.J. Mosley was placed on injured reserve with a leg injury suffered on Sunday. The team signed defensive lineman Derreck Robinson, who has been with San Diego, Miami and Dallas.
Cleveland has five defensive players on IR.
Browns' Mosley out for season
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns defensive lineman C.J. Mosley is done for the season with a leg injury.
Mosley got hurt in the first quarter of Sunday's loss to San Diego. The team placed Mosley on injured reserve, the fifth Cleveland defensive player to go on IR.
Browns coach Eric Mangini did not specify Mosley's injury, but said the 26-year-old will likely have surgery. Mosley left the stadium on crutches and told some teammates he broke his ankle.
Mosley, who played for Mangini with the New York Jets, was expected to get more playing time with Kenyon Coleman nursing a knee injury and nose tackle Shaun Rogers out with a season-ending injury. Mosley started for Coleman against the Chargers.
Player Moves
Bills re-sign TE Klopfenstein; cut DT Mace
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Bills have shuffled their roster by re-signing tight end Joe Klopfenstein and releasing defensive tackle Corey Mace.
Klopfenstein rejoined the Bills on Monday, two weeks after he was released by the team. A fourth-year NFL player, he originally signed with Buffalo on Nov. 18, but was inactive for the team's game at Jacksonville the following weekend.
His addition provides the Bills three healthy tight ends as Buffalo (4-8) prepares to play at Kansas City this weekend.
Mace appeared in two games for the Bills this season, and had an interception in a 31-14 win over Miami two weeks ago.
