NFL Capsules: 49ers deny sloppy Cardinals NFC West crown
SAN FRANCISCO — The Arizona Cardinals lost their discipline and a chance to clinch a second straight NFC West crown. They threw the ball away, and they fumbled it even more.
Alex Smith threw touchdown passes after two of Arizona's seven turnovers, Frank Gore ran for 167 yards and another score and the San Francisco 49ers kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a dominanting 24-9 victory Monday night.
"I don't think it's anything they did," Arizona tackle Darnell Dockett said. "We lost this game ourselves."
With a relentless defensive attack, San Francisco forced the sloppy Cardinals into five first-half turnovers and kept Kurt Warner from finding a groove. Warner threw two interceptions in the opening half after going 130 passes without a pick.
Arizona (8-5) can still clinch the division by winning two of its final three games.
"Getting a win against a team playing great ball that had a chance to clinch the division, we came out and dominated," Gore said. "They let me get in the zone. Any back who gets in that zone, it's hard to stop them."
Gore had his most productive game since Week 2, running over a defense that held Adrian Peterson to 19 yards in a win over Minnesota last week. Gore was certainly motivated for a big night after getting only 30 yards on 22 carries in a season-opening victory at Arizona on Sept. 13.
Smith, coming off a loss at Seattle last week in which he threw for a career-high 310 yards, connected on TD passes to Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree and finished 19 of 35 for 144 yards. The 49ers (6-7) answered coach Mike Singletary's challenge to make a statement on the national stage against the reigning NFC champions.
The Cardinals matched the NFL high for turnovers this season with their second game with six or more in 2009, much to the delight of the sellout crowd at Candlestick Park. They had seven last season against the Jets in a 56-35 loss.
The 49ers forced seven turnovers for the first time since getting eight against New Orleans on Sept. 14, 1997. They had a franchise-record five forced fumbles, two by safety Dashon Goldson.
"I don't think clinching the division was ever that big of a thing," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "We were wanting to play against an opponent that had beaten us earlier this year, and it was on Monday Night Football, and we had an emotional game against Minnesota the week before. We were excited and we lost our discipline, and that's something you cannot do."
Not long ago, San Francisco hoped this game would be for the division title, but the Niners had lost six of eight following a 3-1 start. They showed up for this one, on a night former San Francisco stars Steve Young and Jerry Rice worked the pregame show for ESPN on the sideline.
"I can't really express to you how proud I am of our team," Singletary said. "That was the thing we talked about all week: 'Let's go out and see how good we can be without killing ourselves.'"
Warner followed the best four-game stretch of his career with a dud — going 16 of 29 for 178 yards and getting sacked four times. Warner joined Johnny Unitas as the only quarterbacks to post a passer rating of at least 120 in four straight games.
"It's a crazy game sometimes," Warner said. "It's like anything in life. You get to a point and you think, 'OK, maybe now we're there.' And then you find out you're not quite there yet. That's what we continue to find out."
It didn't help matters the Cardinals lost star receiver Larry Fitzgerald early in the second half to a right knee injury after Goldson landed on him. He later returned.
Davis caught his 11th touchdown pass of the season, extending his franchise record for a tight end. Crabtree's second career TD reception was a 35-yard catch 52 seconds before halftime. Joe Nedney added a 37-yard field goal.
Arizona finally got on the board on Neil Rackers' 48-yard field goal with 5:52 left in the third quarter, then Beanie Wells pounded into the end zone on an impressive second effort on fourth-and-goal from the 1 early in the final quarter. Ray McDonald blocked the extra-point attempt.
"When you force turnovers like we did tonight, having six, seven, there's no way you can lose," cornerback Dre' Bly said.
Arizona was out of sync from the start. The Cardinals jumped offside on three of four snaps during the 49ers' opening drive.
San Francisco used up its second and final review of the game with 4:39 left in the first quarter, winning that one to give Bly a recovery of Tim Hightower's fumble and a first-and-goal at the 8 for the 49ers.
Smith threw a 5-yard pass to Davis two plays later for a 7-0 lead.
"Each of our backs had a fumble. That's certainly not acceptable," Whisenhunt said. "Obviously it was ugly for us. We're all disappointed and embarrassed."
Crabtree wound up with five catches for 67 yards.
NOTES: Fitzgerald will be re-evaluated Tuesday. ... San Francisco opponents have 11 turnovers in the Niners' two primetime games. ... The 49ers swept the season series after Arizona did so in 2008.
Fitzgerald returns from knee injury
SAN FRANCISCO — Arizona star receiver Larry Fitzgerald left the Cardinals game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night briefly in the second half with a sprained right knee.
Fitzgerald was hurt on the third play of the third quarter when he tried to catch a deep pass from Kurt Warner. Dashon Goldson landed on Fitzgerald's leg and he was helped off the field.
The training staff tended to Fitzgerald on the sideline before he was taken to the locker room. He returned to the field with 3:23 remaining in the quarter but did not catch another pass as the Cardinals lost 24-9. Fitzgerald finished the game with two catches for 22 yards — his worst performance in two seasons.
Fitzgerald is scheduled to have an MRI on his knee Tuesday. He did not talk after the game.
"When he hurt his knee, we thought that there was a big scare, it might be something long-term," coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "But obviously it was encouraging to see him come back. We'll get him checked out."
Fitzgerald has 85 catches for 991 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
League News
Appeals court declines to rehear Williamses case
MINNEAPOLIS — A federal appeals court on Monday rejected an NFL request to reconsider its decision in a high-profile sports labor case involving two Minnesota Vikings accused of violating the league's anti-doping policy.
In a split decision, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the NFL's request for a rehearing before either the full appeals court or the same three-judge panel that ruled against the league in September in the case of Kevin Williams and Pat Williams. Four of the court's 11 judges dissented.
The NFL argued that the ruling hampered its ability to enforce uniform anti-doping standards nationwide. Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL filed court papers supporting the NFL's position, saying it affected their ability to enforce their own rules against steroids and other drugs.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league is considering its options, including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Williamses, who are not related, tested positive in 2008 for the diuretic bumetanide, which the NFL bans because it can mask the presence of steroids. The defensive tackles acknowledge taking the weight loss supplement StarCaps, which did not state on the label that it contained the banned drug.
The players are not accused of taking steroids, but the league has been trying without success to suspend them for four games each because its no-tolerance policy holds players responsible for what they put in their bodies.
The dissenting judges said the 8th Circuit's precedents are inconsistent on the issue of "pre-emption" — whether federal law or state law should govern in a particular case.
"The conflict cited by the petition for rehearing in this case involves an important question of federal law that should be settled, one way or the other," said the dissent, authored by Judge Steven Colloton.
The NFL had argued that federal labor law and the league's collective bargaining agreement should pre-empt state law in this case; otherwise, league efforts against performance-enhancing drugs would be subject to a different set of state laws for each team.
But a federal district court and the three-judge appeals panel disagreed, sending the case back to Hennepin County District Court for further proceedings on whether two Minnesota workplace laws prevent the NFL from enforcing its suspensions against the Williamses.
The three-judge panel's ruling also left two New Orleans Saints who violated the same policy — defensive ends Charles Grant and Will Smith — subject to suspension, but the NFL has been allowing them to play.
Aiello said the NFL is deciding on its next steps.
"While we would have preferred the full Court of Appeals to hear the case, we are encouraged that four members of the court took the rare and extraordinary step of dissenting and doing so at length," Aiello said. "They identified the flaws in the original three-member panel's decision and agreed with our position."
The Williamses' lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in Minneapolis on March 8, and their suspensions remain on hold pending the outcome of that case.
The NFL remains "confident in both the eventual outcome of this litigation and the importance of maintaining a uniform, national policy on performance enhancing drugs," Aiello said.
The Williamses' attorney, Peter Ginsberg, did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment. Angelo Wright, Pat Williams' agent, welcomed Monday's decision.
"We again feel affirmed," Wright said. "We'll remain steadfast until March."
-- Steve Karnowski
Jobs of 49ers' Singletary, GM McCloughan safe
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco 49ers team president Jed York gave a big vote of confidence to coach Mike Singletary and general manger Scot McCloughan on Monday, saying both men would be with the franchise for the 2010 season.
"No question," York said.
York credited Singletary's passion as a positive trait for the coach, who had the interim tag lifted from his title for this season after taking over for the fired Mike Nolan in October 2008 — and he received a four-year contract. Singletary's 49ers were 5-7 heading into Monday night's game against the reigning NFC champion Arizona Cardinals.
"That he's able to instill what he wants into the players, even if that means he has to retool it, he's not too stubborn to say, 'Well, this is who I am, this is who we have to be and you have to adapt to me,'" York said. "He will adapt to his players as well, and you've seen that with the offense a little bit. ... It's something that he has to learn for himself, how he's going to give and how he's going to take. I think he's doing a good job at that."
McCloughan is wrapping up his second season as San Francisco's GM after working the previous three years as the club's vice president of player personnel. McCloughan, York said, is credited for helping draft standout tight end Vernon Davis sixth overall in 2006 and then wide receiver Michael Crabtree with the 10th overall pick this year. McCloughan finally got Crabtree signed Oct. 7 following a 71-day contract impasse. York only looks forward to more strong moves through the draft considering the 49ers will have two first-round picks in 2010.
"I think he's doing a great job," York said, speaking on the field at Candlestick Park. "When you look at some of the young talent that's starting to emerge, when you look at the way Vernon's playing, when you look at the way Alex (Smith) is playing a little bit, I think Scot has a great eye for talent and I think he's great at working with coach Singletary. And together, they're not just trying to find good players, they're trying to find good players that fit the 49ers and that's something that takes working together to be able to build that. And I think we're going to be able to build that even more in the future, especially with two first-round picks next year, and I'm really excited to see what we can do with that."
York also offered support for offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye and quarterback Alex Smith. Raye is the Niners' seventh offensive coordinator in as many years and York would like to establish some continuity in that spot, though he acknowledged, "That's Mike's call."
"I think it's very important to have continuity," York said. "I think Mike has talked about the great job that Jimmy has done. It's a process, it's not something that happens overnight. I think you are starting to see the offense come together a little bit. Guys trust Jimmy Raye, they believe in Jimmy Raye. Even though we aren't all the way where we want to be, I think we're moving in that direction. I think you can see that."
Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in 2005 out of Utah, took over as the starter in place of Shaun Hill after halftime of a loss at Houston on Oct. 25 and has grown with each start. He threw for a career-high 310 yards in last week's loss at Seattle.
"He has to prove it to Mike," York said of Smith. "I think he's going in the right direction. You need a quarterback to win. He's playing well. The quarterback drives it, but you have to have the pieces around it. You're starting to see the pieces around it."
-- Janie McCauley
Falcons: Followed NFL rules in Babineaux case
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Coach Mike Smith says the Atlanta Falcons followed NFL rules in letting embattled defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux play in Sunday's loss to New Orleans.
Babineaux, who was arrested last week in nearby Gwinnett County and charged with felony possession of marijuana, started against the Saints and had three tackles and one quarterback hit.
According to the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players, Babineaux could become a candidate to enter the league's intervention program and face a four-game suspension because of his arrest.
Players can violate the CBA with "behavior, including but not limited to an arrest related to an alleged misuse of substances of abuse." Until Babineaux enters the intervention program, however, he is eligible to play.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, not the Falcons, will decide if Babineaux will enter the program.
"First and foremost, and I want to make this real clear that myself and the organization are extremely disappointed when any of our players show up in a negative light," Smith said Monday. "In terms of this being a league matter and it's a legal process that you have to go through, and with that I don't think it's appropriate for me to comment any more about that."
Babineaux, who has not been available to speak with reporters, said in a statement last week that hopes fans will "have faith that you will see I'm not guilty."
Babineaux and another man, Aaron Robinson, were driving in the fifth-year veteran's 2005 Cadillac Escalade when police pulled them over and found 1 1/2 ounces of marijuana last Thursday.
-- George Henry
Ford Motor chairman not following Detroit Lions
WASHINGTON — Detroit Lions Vice Chairman Bill Ford Jr. said Monday that his role with the NFL team has taken a back seat to his duties as Ford Motor Co. chairman. It may be just as well.
Ford was in Washington to meet with President Barack Obama and submit to the Commerce Department a list of recommendations on ways to revitalize the economy developed at a Detroit business summit.
Asked to assess the Lions, Ford said shoring up the automaker's finances and market share over the past two years have been "all encompassing." Detroit in 2008 became the first NFL team to go 0-16 and is 2-11 this season.
"I've spent almost no time with the Lions and I really don't have an active role there. I just don't," said Ford, whose father, William Clay Ford, has owned the club since 1964. "Everything we're talking about now has been absorbing me and it was a decision that I made, that I had to see Ford through this time.
"So I'm quite out of touch actually with what's going there," said Ford Jr., who has been the Lions' vice chairman since 1995.
The younger Ford did speak out about the Lions after they dropped their third game of the 2008 campaign. Speaking to reporters after a Detroit Economic Club meeting, he said he was disappointed in the team's performance and said fans deserve better.
Ford said then that team president Matt Millen should leave the team, but he didn't have the authority to make such a change. Two days later his father fired Millen, whose Detroit teams were an NFL-worst 31-84 during his tenure.
-- Ken Thomas
Redskins' Mitchell interviews for Southern job
WASHINGTON — Stump Mitchell's agent says the Washington Redskins running backs coach has had a preliminary telephone interview for Southern University's head coaching job.
Mitchell's agent, Burton Rocks, said Monday his client spoke to Southern and is "honored to be considered a candidate."
The Redskins granted Southern AD Greg Lafleur permission to pursue Mitchell, Rocks said.
Southern fired Pete Richardson last week after he coached the team for 17 years, going 134-62. The Baton Rouge, La., school went 6-5 this season.
Mitchell is in his second year as a Redskins assistant head coach, after nine seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. He was Morgan State's head coach for three seasons.
Mitchell played in the NFL from 1981-89.
Steelers' Mundy fined $10,000 for late hit
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Mundy is appealing a $10,000 fine for a late hit on Oakland wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins that led to the Raiders' winning touchdown on Dec. 6.
Mundy drew an 11-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for slamming into Higgins on an incomplete pass during Oakland's final drive. The penalty gave Oakland a first down at the Pittsburgh 11 with 21 seconds remaining. One play later, Bruce Gradkowski threw a touchdown pass to Louis Murphy for a 27-24 victory.
Mundy contends it wasn't a helmet-to-helmet hit, as the NFL states in the letter notifying him of the fine.
Three plays before the penalty, Steelers cornerback William Gay sustained a concussion when accidentally struck by Mundy as the two were covering a 19-yard catch by Murphy.
Jaguars avoid blackout for 1st time this season
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have avoided a blackout for the first time this season.
The Jaguars announced Monday that their home finale against the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night will be televised locally and in secondary markets. The small-market franchise had blacked out their previous nine home games, including two in the preseason.
A civic group called "Touchdown Jacksonville" began a ticket-selling campaign earlier this season, hoping to generate buzz locally and end talk about the team relocating or playing games in London or Orlando. One of the group's first goals was to help sell out the home finale.
The Jaguars have struggled to sell tickets in a sluggish economy. About 17,000 season-ticket holders decided not to renew in 2009.
NFL awards grant to fight childhood obesity
NEW YORK — The NFL's charitable foundation is awarding a grant to study how to better prevent childhood obesity.
NFL Charities will provide a three-year, $1.8 million grant as part of its "NFL Play 60" campaign to The Cooper Institute in Dallas to fund its Fitnessgram program.
The program will be made available to 1,120 schools in the 32 NFL markets over three years. Data on students' fitness will be gathered and analyzed to determine the best ways to prevent childhood obesity.
Dawson to be part of trophy presentation
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson will carry the Lombardi Trophy at the Super Bowl again.
The NFL said Monday it will salute Dawson by having him carry the Vince Lombardi Trophy to midfield and hand it off to commissioner Roger Goodell for the trophy presentation following the Super Bowl. The game is Feb. 7 at Land Shark Stadium in South Florida.
Dawson was the MVP of the 1970 Super Bowl after leading the Chiefs to a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in New Orleans. The Hall of Famer completed 12 of 17 passes in the game, including a 46-yard touchdown to Otis Taylor.
Bart Starr, Don Shula, Doug Williams and Joe Namath were previous participants in the Lombardi Trophy presentation.
Injuries
Raiders' Gradkowski doubtful with knee injury
ALAMEDA, Calif. — If Bruce Gradkowski is unable to start at quarterback for the Oakland Raiders this week, coach Tom Cable isn't quite ready to name former starter JaMarcus Russell as his No. 1 against the Denver Broncos.
"Right now, it's about finding out where Bruce is at," Cable said Monday. "If in fact he's not ready to go, then how do we win the next three football games, period. It's not about this or that, or anyone's opinion. It will be mine and that's what we'll do."
Gradkowski missed the second half of Sunday's 34-13 loss to the Washington Redskins on Sunday with a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and a partially torn MCL in his right knee. Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, returned to the field for the first time since losing his starting job last month but was unable to get the Raiders offense moving.
Cable said he considered replacing Russell with third-stringer Charlie Frye late in the game and did not rule Frye out as an option this week if Gradkowski is unable to go Sunday. Cable said he hoped to have a decision by Wednesday.
"I'll do what's best for this team, what gives us the best chance to win," Cable said. "Right now, it's to figure out where Bruce is at here in the next 24 to 48 hours and then make that decision."
Gradkowski had provided a spark since replacing Russell as starting quarterback for Oakland. He won two of his three starts, engineering comeback victories against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh before the injury. The Raiders trailed 17-10 when he got hurt before getting blown out.
Oakland (4-9) managed only three points and 39 yards in the second half with Russell, allowing six sacks and turning the ball over once. Cable said the Raiders looked like a different team with Russell at quarterback but said the players have to play better to overcome the change.
"Bruce has been doing a fantastic job for us lately," defensive end Jay Richardson said. "It's a shame that he couldn't go back out there. Bruce is a tough guy but if you're hurt, you're hurt. That's just how it is. You could kind of see it emotionally a little bit, the wind left our sails, so to speak, just a little bit, when that happened. But that's part of the game. If a guy goes down, the next guy has to come in and step up, and the team has to rally around that guy."
Gradkowski completed 10 of 18 pass attempts for 153 yards in the first half against the Redskins, leading the Raiders to 10 points. Russell struggled when he came in, going 10 for 16 for 74 yards and an interception.
Oakland has scored seven touchdowns in 105 full drives with Russell at quarterback this season, while getting seven in just 51 with Gradkowski at the helm.
"For us as players you just have to go out there and just play ball," running back Darren McFadden said. "You have to go out there, just say whoever's behind the center, you got to go out and play ball. You can't worry about who's going to be lining up behind the center, who's going to throw you the ball, who's going to hand it to you. Those are things you can't worry about. You have to go out there and play ball."
Russell lost his starting job last month after a disastrous start to his third NFL season. Russell is last in the league in completion percentage (48.0), yards per attempt (5.15) and passer rating (47.7). He has committed 15 turnovers, while throwing only two touchdown passes.
That performance is a far cry from what the Raiders expected when they drafted him first overall in 2007. The Raiders hoped Russell would turn the franchise around and eventually gave him a contract with about $32.5 million in guaranteed money. But his career has sputtered from the start and Oakland is now assured of its seventh straight losing season.
Russell said last week that fans would see "a totally different JaMarcus" when he next got a chance to play, but Cable said he saw too many of the same issues that led to the benching in the first place.
"After looking at it on film, I see some things that are the same. I think that there's a couple things he did that were good," Cable said. "Again, I'll look at all that here in the next 24 hours because if we're heading toward a decision at the quarterback spot, then I pretty much do due diligence in all those things and I'll sit down and look through everything again."
NOTES: TE Zach Miller sustained his second concussion of the season after a hard hit by Rocky McIntosh late in the game and is day to day. ... S Michael Huff is day to day with a stinger. ... WR Darrius Heyward-Bey, who has missed two games with a sprained foot, is making only minimal progress in his recovery and his status is unknown for this week.
-- Josh Dubow
Jets' Sanchez to practice, status uncertain
NEW YORK — Injured Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez will practice this week, although coach Rex Ryan is uncertain what the rookie's status will be for New York's next game against Atlanta.
Ryan said Monday he wants to see how Sanchez and his sprained right knee get through Wednesday's practice before making a decision on who the starter will be Sunday at the Meadowlands.
"It may take a couple of days to figure this out," Ryan said. "You know me, I'm not a guy who's going to string it along and have no decision and not say anything about it. Clearly, if Mark is going to be playing, I want him to get the majority of the snaps, just like I would if Kellen (Clemens) is going to be playing."
Ryan hopes to split the snaps with the first-team offense between Sanchez and Clemens, who started in his place in the Jets' 26-3 victory at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
"I have confidence," Ryan said of Sanchez. "I thought he would play last week at the beginning of the week, but I was wrong. I think we made the right decision."
There were no medical setbacks, Ryan said, and the coach feels good about him being able to play Sunday.
Sanchez didn't make the trip with the team for the game at Tampa Bay so he could rehabilitate the sprained posterior collateral ligament in his right knee 10 hours a day at the Jets' facility.
"Those three extra days of treatment I think are going to help Mark," Ryan said. "We'll see what it's like on Wednesday.
Sanchez didn't practice last week after being injured in the team's 19-13 win over Buffalo in Toronto on Dec. 3, and was upset by Ryan's decision — although he said he understood it. Ryan said he hadn't yet spoken to Sanchez, but could imagine what he was like over the weekend.
"You know the way Mark is," Ryan said. "I can guarantee you that he was champing at the bit watching that game. I'm sure he's proud of his teammates, but the kind of young man he is, he wants to be out there in the worst way."
Ryan said Sanchez also spent some time Saturday at owner Woody Johnson's farm in New Jersey "probably to get away from things" with player development director Dave Szott.
"I think he just wanted to go shoot something," Ryan said with a big laugh when asked what prompted that visit. "No, I don't know. To be honest, I have no idea."
Clemens was 12 for 23 for 111 yards and no turnovers in place of Sanchez in his first start in nearly two years. Sanchez has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and 11 touchdowns, but has been intercepted 17 times while starting the first 12 games.
-- Dennis Waszak Jr.
Eagles WR Curtis may return to replace Maclin
PHILADELPHIA — Eagles wide receiver Kevin Curtis, out since the second week of the season with a knee injury, could return for Sunday's home game with the San Francisco 49ers.
Curtis would replace rookie receiver Jeremy Maclin, who reinjured his left foot in Sunday night's win over the Giants and could be out for two weeks or more.
Maclin left Sunday night in the first quarter with torn tissue in the bottom of his foot. He left Giants Stadium after the game on crutches.
The Eagles are on a four-game winning streak and in sole possession of first place in the NFC East after the 45-38 win over New York. The Eagles (9-4), hold a one-game lead over Dallas (8-5) and a two-game lead over the Giants (7-6).
"Jeremy has plantar fasciitis and he tore one of the two strands in his foot," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "He should be OK, probably not this week, but we're hoping the following week. They say this is usually a two-week deal."
Maclin, the Eagles' first-round draft pick out of Missouri, is second on the team with 46 receptions for 623 yards and four touchdowns. He originally injured the foot in the team's win over Atlanta on Dec. 6. Maclin missed practice Wednesday and Thursday leading up to the Giants game, but was back on the field Friday and started Sunday night.
Curtis has not played since he injured his knee in a loss to the Saints in Week 2. Last week he did practice and made the trip to Giants Stadium, but was inactive.
The veteran wideout said he thought he could go Sunday night. Now, he may get the chance against the 49ers.
"We'll see how Kevin is," Reid said. "He really took quite a few reps, more reps than I thought he would last week. So that will be increased this week and we'll just see how he does. If he's not right, he's not right and we'll work from there.
"He said he felt pretty good. His legs were tired and his wind wasn't where he wants it to be, but he actually felt pretty good."
Curtis, who had surgery in the offseason for a sports hernia, caught five passes for 70 yards in the two games he played before the knee injury.
DeSean Jackson has emerged as the Eagles' big-play threat. Jackson, also an explosive punt returner, scored his seventh and eighth touchdowns of 50 yards or more this season Sunday night, tying an NFL record shared by Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch and Devin Hester.
"I'm stating the obvious here, but DeSean is playing at a very high level," Reid said. "The thing I appreciate about him the most is he loves to play the game. He gets very excited. He doesn't care how big the game is or anything else. He just goes out and plays and enjoys doing it."
Other than Maclin, Reid listed three players with injuries after Sunday's game: tight end Brent Celek (back), defensive end Trent Cole (hamstring) and fullback Leonard Weaver (hamstring). All three are listed as day to day and should play against San Francisco.
Broncos lose rookie safety, re-sign Vernon Fox
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos have lost rookie Darcel McBath for the season with a broken arm, a big blow to their special teams and their defensive backfield.
McBath broke his right forearm in the Broncos' 28-16 loss at Indianapolis on Sunday. He was hurt in the fourth quarter while playing safety in place of starter Renaldo Hill, who had left the game with an ankle injury.
McBath was placed on injured reserve Monday, ending his season. Safety Vernon Fox, one of Denver's final cuts during camp, was signed to replace him.
McBath is the second player on the AFC wild-card leaders to go on IR in the last week, joining standout right tackle Ryan Harris (toe).
A second-round draft pick out of Texas Tech, McBath was the most productive of coach Josh McDaniels' inaugural rookie class aside from tailback Knowshon Moreno, who is splitting snaps with Correll Buckhalter out of the backfield.
Although he's the team's top reserve safety, filling in at times this season for both Hill and Brian Dawkins, McBath made his biggest mark in the kicking game.
"He's been a big part of our special teams," McDaniels said. "He's the personal protecter on the punt team, which is no small chore. He handles all the communication there. He's our leading tackler, very unselfish, plays great on all of the teams. He has been a great addition in that regard and he will be missed in that sense."
Fox is an eighth-year safety who played in Denver last year and had been out of football since his Sept. 5 release.
"Vernon Fox will have an opportunity to compete to fill in right away because he was one of our personal protecters, as well," McDaniels said. "He shared that responsibility all the way through the preseason. I think Vernon can do that right away (and) which I have confidence in him. He's a very bright person, understands that role very well.
"So, if he can do that for us, that would help us not to have to juggle a bunch of balls in the air and move everybody around."
With Hill's status uncertain, another rookie, David Bruton, who missed the Indy game with a thigh injury, could see his first significant playing time Sunday when the Broncos host the Oakland Raiders.
-- Arnie Stapleton
Steelers S Polamalu hopes to play at least 1 game
PITTSBURGH — Troy Polamalu hopes to play at least one more game this season, even though the slumping Pittsburgh Steelers have only a slim chance of making the playoffs.
Polamalu has missed eight games and most of two others with a pair of ligament injuries in his left knee. He hasn't played since the opening series against Cincinnati on Nov. 15 and probably won't play against Green Bay on Sunday, when the Steelers (6-7) will try to end a five-game losing streak.
The five-time Pro Bowl safety said Monday he wants to return "at least" for the regular season finale at Miami on Jan. 3, even if the game is meaningless to Pittsburgh. The Steelers also play Dec. 27 against Baltimore.
"Why not?" said Polamalu, who is wearing a large, protective brace on the knee. "I'm a football player. I'm not a coach, I'm not a cheerleader. What I love to do is play football and be out there with my brothers. That's why. It's always been irrelevant for me whether or not we go to the Super Bowl or playoffs. It's something I enjoy."
Asked last week what it would take to play again this season, Polamalu said, "A whole lot of healing (in the knee). A whole lot of prayers."
Losing one of the NFL's best defensive players has significantly affected the Super Bowl champion Steelers. They are 4-0 when Polamalu is on the field for at least one quarter — beating Tennessee, Minnesota and Denver — but 2-7 when he is out or plays only a handful of downs, as he did against Cincinnati.
Polamalu, who helped lead Pittsburgh to its second Super Bowl victory in four seasons in February, missed the Steelers' second through fifth games with a sprained anterior cruciate ligament. He sat out the last four games with a sprained posterior cruciate ligament that was initially expected to be less severe than his earlier injury.
As the offseason approaches — one that is likely to arrive much sooner than the Steelers anticipated when they were 6-2 — Polamalu is looking for more off-field work.
Polamalu has signed with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, looking to expand on the commercial work he's already done for Head and Shoulders, EA Sports, Nike and Coca-Cola. He also hopes to do some television work.
"It's a lot tougher than it looks. It's hard for me to come out of my shell in the first place," said Polamalu, who speaks softly and is known for his lack of ego and pretentiousness. "It's just not you and the camera, it's you and the 50 people behind the camera. Not only that, it's long hours just to do a little commercial, it takes a lot of time."
-- Alan Robinson
Young day-to-day with mild hamstring strain
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vince Young has had a variety of tests on his right hamstring, and coach Jeff Fisher calls it a mild strain that will keep the Tennessee quarterback day-to-day.
Fisher said Monday he has not ruled Young out for Sunday's game with Miami (7-6) and hopes to have the quarterback on the practice field Wednesday for Tennessee (6-7).
Young pulled up at the end of a 44-yard run, the longest of his career, during Sunday's 47-7 win over St. Louis. The quarterback said after the win that he definitely could have returned for a playoff-type game.
But Fisher also says they will not risk further injury for Young. The coach says it's likely Young will be limited if he plays because it's unlikely the quarterback will be 100 percent.
-- Teresa M. Walker
Falcons place Finneran on injured reserve
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons receiver Brian Finneran will miss the rest of the season after getting placed on the injured reserve list Monday with a torn knee ligament.
Finneran tore his left posterior cruciate ligament on a sideline catch in the Falcons' 26-23 loss to New Orleans on Sunday.
Despite two reconstructive knee surgeries that forced Finneran to the miss the 2006-07 seasons, Atlanta coach Mike Smith believes the 10-year veteran will not retire.
Smith says the injury does not require surgery.
Finneran, who had 11 catches for 111 yards and no touchdowns in 10 games this season, missed three weeks last month with a knee injury.
-- George Henry
Browns punter Zastudil has surgery on right knee
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns coach Eric Mangini said punter Dave Zastudil has undergone surgery on his right knee.
Zastudil was placed on injured reserve last month, ending what had been one the best seasons in his eight-year NFL career.
Mangini provided little information Monday on Zastudil, who dropped 25 punts inside the 20-yard line before he was placed on IR on Nov. 22. Mangini only said "Dave had surgery a little while ago" when asked if Zastudil had undergone a procedure on his non-kicking, plant leg.
Zastudil was averaging 44.7 yards per punt and 39.1 yards net on 49 punts.
When Zastudil went down, the Browns signed Reggie Hodges, who is averaging 40.9 yards on 34 kicks.
Player Moves
LB Chillar agrees to 4-year deal with Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers have agreed to a four-year, $21 million deal with linebacker Brandon Chillar.
Chillar's agent, James Ivler, said Monday that the player will receive $9.5 million through the end of next season under the new contract. The deal was first reported by espn.com.
Chillar has been a key role player for first-year Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers, occasionally playing a hybrid linebacker-safety position. Chillar broke his right hand in the Packers' Nov. 1 loss to Minnesota but is beginning to get back into the team's defensive rotation.
Jaguars activate Bolen, waive Witherspoon
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars have activated fullback Brock Bolen from the practice squad, an indication that Greg Jones' ankle injury could keep him out of Thursday night's game against Indianapolis.
Jones injured his right ankle Sunday against Miami and had X-rays, but coach Jack Del Rio said he didn't have the results.
To make room for Bolen, the Jaguars waived cornerback/kick returner Brian Witherspoon. An undrafted rookie in 2008, Witherspoon averaged 23.9 yards on 76 kick returns and 11.3 yards on 24 punt returns. He returned two kickoffs for 38 yards against Miami on Sunday.
Bolen, who signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in April, spent the first 14 weeks on Jacksonville's practice squad.
Jets waive OT Ryan McKee
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The New York Jets have waived offensive tackle Ryan McKee two days after signing him to the active roster from the practice squad.
McKee, an undrafted free agent from Southern Mississippi, was inactive for the Jets' 26-3 victory at Tampa Bay on Sunday. McKee was among the Jets' final preseason cuts.
New York announced the move on Monday.
