QB Garcia Should Be Ready For Falcons
HOUSTON - Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden said after Sunday's game that Jeff Garcia will play next week against Atlanta, while also acknowledging he knew his starting quarterback's back injury would take two weeks to heal.
Garcia bruised his lower back Nov. 25 during the first series against Washington and has missed the last two games. Gruden continuously classified Garcia's status as day-to-day when interviewed by the media, but inwardly believed revealing too many specifics would ultimately hurt the team.
Garcia was listed as doubtful when the injury report came out on the Friday before the New Orleans game; he did not practice that week until limited action during Friday's walk-through. He was listed as questionable Friday for the Houston game after having limited participation in practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. According to NFL injury report guidelines, doubtful means a player has "at least a 75 percent chance" of not playing. Questionable means there's a "50-50 chance" he will not play.
"I'm sure there has been a lot of debate and I have done the best I can to not let the whole world know what we're doing," Gruden said. "It's hard enough to make a first down in this league if everybody has your game plan, but this was a two-week injury. The medical people said the injury was going to take two full weeks.
"As you know, Garcia will tell you he could have played, and he could have. He played against Washington after he got hurt, but the injury took two weeks to heal. We feel we did the only thing, and that's let the injury take its time to heal. When we walk in the building today, No. 7 will be back."
The Bucs were able to win two of three games without Garcia, who was listed as the third quarterback in Tampa Bay's last two games and could have played if needed.
Backup Bruce Gradkowski played the majority of Tampa Bay's victory against Washington, but struggled. Luke McCown received the starting nod in Tampa Bay's last two games and was 1-1.
However, it is clear Tampa Bay's offense plays consistently better with Garcia under center, and he will prepare to play beginning today.
"As much as it was difficult earlier in the week, I was trying to battle Coach about being back out there," Garcia said. "He was pretty straightforward in the sense of 'See how you feel, but most likely not.'
"As the days went along, and I got some reps out on the practice field, I could still feel like I was working through some aches. But coming out Sunday, the aches seemed to be gone. Full range of motion was there. I felt really good. I'm ready to go."
tampatrib.com.
NFL Today - Week 14
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SCOREBOARD
New Orleans (5-7) at Atlanta (3-9). One of the NFL's least-attractive matchups in prime time lost more star power with Saints RB Reggie Bush injured.
STARS
Passing
- Tom Brady, Patriots, threw four TD passes against the NFL's stingiest defense to keep New England perfect with a 34-13 win over Pittsburgh.
- Peyton Manning became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw 300 touchdown passes, getting four and going 13-for-17 for 249 yards in a 44-20 win over Baltimore.
- Tony Romo, Cowboys, was 35-of-44 for 302 yards and two TDs to lead Dallas to a 28-27 comeback win over Detroit.
- Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks, threw four TD passes and completed 22 of 33 for 272 yards in Seattle's division-clinching, 42-21 win over Arizona.
- Trent Edwards, Bills, threw four scoring passes among his 11 completions for 165 yards in Buffalo's 38-17 win over Miami.
- Sage Rosenfels, Texans, threw three TD passes in his second start of the season and fourth of the year and was 27-of-36 for 209 yards to help Houston beat Tampa Bay 28-14.
- Jay Cutler, Broncos, completed 20 of 27 passes for 244 yards, no interceptions and a passer rating of 141.0 in Denver's 41-7 win over Kansas City.
Rushing
- LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers, scored in overtime and finished with 146 yards to give San Diego a 23-17 win.
- Ryan Grant, Packers, rushed for 156 yards and a TD on 29 carries in the Packers' 38-7 win over Oakland., 1 TD.
- Fred Taylor, Jaguars, finished with a season-high 132 yards on 18 carries in Jacksonville's 37-6 rout of Carolina.
- Chester Taylor, Vikings, had an 84-yard TD run and finished with 101 in Minnesota's 27-7 win over San Francisco.
- Selvin Young, Broncos, carred 17 times for 156 yards in Denver's 41-7 win over Kansas City.
Receiving
- Brandon Marshall, Broncos, caught 10 passes for 115 yards and two TDs in Denver's 41-7 win over Kansas City.
- Randy Moss, Patriots, had two TD catches among his seven for 135 yards in New England's 34-13 win over Pittsburgh.
- Jason Witten, Cowboys, had 15 catches for 138 yards and a TD catch with 18 seconds left to give Dallas a 28-27 win over Detroit.
- Plaxico Burress, Giants, caught seven passes for 136 yards and a score to help New York beat Philadelphia 16-13.
Special Teams
- Will Blackmon, Packers, returned a punt 57 yards for a TD and recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone for another in Green Bay's 38-7 victory over Oakland.
- Shayne Graham, Bengals, kicked four field goals to help Cincinnati beat St. Louis 19-10.
- Joe Jurevicius, Browns, recovered two onside kicks to help Cleveland hang on to beat the New York Jets 24-18
- Mike Nugent, Jets, made three field goals and successfully executed an onside kick in the Jets' 24-18 loss to Cleveland.
- Neil Rackers, Cardinals, recovered an onside kick himself to momentarily take momentum away from Seattle before the Seahawks went on to win 42-21.
Defense
- Marcus Trufant, Seahawks, had three interceptions, including one he returned 84 yards for a TD with 5:29 left in Seattle's 42-21 win over Arizona
- George Wilson, Bills, snatched rookie quarterback John Beck's fumble out of midair and returned it 20 yards for a score in Buffalo's 38-17 win over the Dolphins.
- Clint Ingram, Jaguars, returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter in Jacksonville's 37-6 win over Carolina.
- Kevin Williams and Patrick Willis, 49ers. Williams, a 311-pound DL, returned an interception 18 yards for a touchdown on the game's first play and Willis, a star rookie LB, helped San Francisco limit RB Adrian Peterson to 3 yards on 14 carries in a 27-7 loss to Minnesota.
CLINCHED
Dallas (12-1) clinched the NFC East for the first time since 1998 and moved a step closer to earning home-field advantage in the playoffs with a 28-27 win at Detroit. ... Green Bay (11-2) wrapped up the NFC North by beating Oakland 38-7, assuring an end to the Packers' two-year absence from the postseason with three games left. ... Seattle clinched its fourth consecutive NFC West title with an emphatic, 42-21 victory over Arizona. ... Indianapolis secured a playoff spot for the sixth straight season by beating Baltimore 44-20.
TALK IS CHEAP
Pittsburgh safety Anthony Smith, who guaranteed the Steelers would win, was burned on two long TD passes in New England's 34-13 win. On the 63-yard touchdown to Moss, Smith took a few steps forward and Moss flew by him and had at least a 10-yard edge on Smith when he caught the ball. Then came a strange play in which Moss was the middleman. Brady lateraled toward Moss standing on the right side. Moss dropped the ball, picked it up and lateraled back to Brady. The quarterback lofted a pass to Gaffney, who caught it in the end zone as Smith jumped and swatted at the ball but missed.
MILESTONES
New England beat Pittsburgh 34-13 to become the fifth team with a 13-0 record, joining the 1934 Chicago Bears, 1972 Miami Dolphins, 1998 Denver Broncos and 2005 Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots can become the first team since the 1972 Dolphins to finish a regular season undefeated; those Dolphins were 14-0, then won three postseason games for the NFL's only perfect season. ... Jacksonville's Fred Taylor ran for 132 yards to pass Eddie George (10,441) and Tiki Barber (10,449) on the NFL's career rushing list, moving into 18th place with 10,457 yards. ... Denver WR Brandon Marshall, caught 10 passes for 115 yards, putting him over 1,000 for the season. ... Peyton Manning became the fifth QB in NFL history with 300 TD passes.
STREAKS
Miami lost its 13th straight, 38-17 to Buffalo and is now off to the third-worst start to a season in NFL history, joining Oakland (1962) and Indianapolis (1986). The Dolphins, who host Baltimore next weekend, are one loss short of matching the 0-14 record set by Tampa Bay, as an expansion team in 1976, and New Orleans in 1980. Miami has lost 16 straight dating to last season, matching the eighth longest streak in NFL history. ... Tampa Bay's four-game winning streak was ended by a 28-14 loss to Houston. ... Indianapolis has made the playoffs six straight years.
STATS
After throwing four TD passes in New England's 34-13 win over Pittsburgh, Tom Brady is four shy of Peyton Manning's record of 49 set in 2004 and moved ahead of Dan Marino's 44 in 1986 into third place. Marino holds the second spot with 48. ... Denver outgained Kansas City 453 yards to 129, including a 215-16 edge rushing, in a 41-7 win. ... Patriots' WR Randy Moss caught two TD passes to give him 19 this season - second-best in NFL history and three short of Jerry Rice's 22. ... Buffalo scored 24 points in the first quarter of a 38-17 rout of Miami, the most scored by the Bills in the first since putting up 28 against Atlanta on Nov. 22, 1992.
SWINGS
After a 28-27 loss to Dallas, the Lions have lost five straight. They won six of their first eight games, creating a positive buzz for the first time since Matt Millen took charge of the once-mediocre franchise in 2001. Detroit (6-7) now can't live up to quarterback Jon Kitna's expectations of a 10-win season. ... Derek Anderson got the better of Kellen Clemens in a matchup of quarterbacks who were childhood rivals in Oregon. Anderson, whose Scappoose High School squad beat Clemens' Burns team in the state semifinals in 2000, threw two touchdown passes to help Cleveland beat the New York Jets 24-18. Clemens and Anderson each won once when the Jets' QB was at Oregon and Anderson was at Oregon State. ... The Browns and Jets combined for 19 points in the final 2 minutes, 59 seconds of Cleveland's 24-18 win. Cleveland took a 17-6 lead with 12:59 to play, and the Jets scored a touchdown 10 minutes later. After a failed 2-point conversion, the Jets got a field goal from Mike Nugent, Jamal Lewis ran for a TD and Nugent kicked another field goal with 32 seconds on the clock. ... Philadelphia K David Akers hit the right upright on a 57-yard attempt with one second left in the Eagles' 16-13 loss to the New York Giants. Last January, Akers kicked a 38-yarder with no time remaining to give Philly a 23-20 victory over New York in a wild-card playoff game.
SLOPPY
Tennessee had a 17-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter, a chance to run out the clock while up by 7 in a game the Titans desperately needed to stay close to Cleveland and Jacksonville in the chase for the AFC's two wild card berths. But they gave the ball back to San Diego with 2:24 left in regulation, then went three-and-out in overtime. ... Kansas City went three-and-out eight times and had three turnovers in losing for the sixth straight time, 41-7 to Denver. ... Tampa Bay missed a chance to secure the NFC South title but ended its four-game winning streak by letting Luke McCown get sacked four times. McCown fumbled twice.
SACKS
Patrick Kerney had his third three-sack day in four games for Seattle, which brought down Kurt Warner five times in a 42-21 win over the Cardinals. Kerney leads the NFL with 13 1/2 sacks. ... Denver's Elvis Dumervil sacked and stripped Kansas City QB Brodie Croyle to set up a late score. Dumervil had three sacks. ... Buffalo had a season-high five sacks in its 38-17 win over Miami on Sunday. ... New England's Tom Brady wasn't sacked in the Patriots' 34-13 win over Pittsburgh. In 476 pass attempts this season, he's been sacked just 16 times. ... Kyle Vanden Bosch had three of Tennessee's five sacks in the Titans' 23-17 OT loss to San Diego.
SIDELINED
San Francisco quarterback Trent Dilfer left the 49ers' 27-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with a concussion after taking a hard hit shortly before halftime. Third-teamer Shaun Hill took over in the second half with San Francisco trailing 27-0. Dilfer, a 14th-year pro who has been leading the 49ers' struggling offense in Alex Smith's absence, scrambled in an attempt to pick up a first down in the final minute of the first half. Backup cornerback Charles Gordon made the tackle by driving his left shoulder into Dilfer's helmet. ... Buffalo safety George Wilson was taken to the hospital after he fractured two ribs in the Bills' 38-17 victory over Miami. ... Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman left the game in the second quarter with a left knee injury and didn't return. ... Arizona tight end Leonard Pope was taken off the field on a cart after injuring his right ankle late in the third quarter of the Cardinals' 42-21 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
SPEAKING
''We've played against a lot better safeties than him,'' Patriots' coach Bill Belichick on the Steelers' Anthony Smith, who guaranteed his team would win. New England beat Pittsburgh 34-13.
''That's part of the problem with the Lions. It's acceptable to put up a fight and all those type of things,'' offensive tackle Damien Woody after Detroit lost to Dallas 28-27.
''They're a good football team, but let's be honest, that was garbage.'' - Carolina guard Mike Wahle after the Panthers lost to Jacksonville 37-6.
Arizona TE Leonard Pope leaves with right ankle injury
ASSOCIATED PRESS
SEATTLE -- Arizona tight end Leonard Pope was taken off the field on a cart after dislocating his right ankle late in the third quarter of Sunday's 42-21 loss to Seattle.
After Pope caught a 5-yard pass from quarterback Kurt Warner, he turned upfield and cornerback Marcus Trufant grabbed Pope around the ankles, falling onto his lower right leg.
Pope remained down on the field for more than 5 minutes while trainers placed an air cast around his foot and ankle. He hopped onto the cart and was taken off the field.
''We don't know the extent of how much damage there is with that, but obviously he'll be out,'' Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt said.
Already without second leading receiver Anquan Boldin on Sunday, Pope became more of a target for Warner. Pope had a team-high four catches when he left the game. Pope had 19 catches for 222 yards and five touchdowns entering Sunday.
Bills safety Wilson fractures ribs
December 9th, 2007
Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson fractured a pair of ribs during Sunday's 38-17 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins.
Wilson, who returned a fumble 20 yards for a score in the first quarter, was hurt on a kick return in the same period. The converted receiver departed in the second quarter.
"There's a guy that has so much heart, he was so disappointed at halftime that he was injured that he even expressed to me that he felt he was letting us down," Bills coach Dick Jauron said. "Really a remarkable story in George Wilson, so that was disappointing."
Wilson has two touchdowns this season. He also ran back a Tony Romo interception for a score in a 25-24 loss to Dallas on October 8.
"That's a huge loss for us," Bills safety Donte Whitner said. "What makes George so good is he comes from the offensive side of the ball so he knows what offenses want to do to you, where they want to attack you and where is the weakness of every coverage. I just hope the extent of the injury is not season-ending and he can be back out there soon."
The Bills (7-6) are in the thick of the AFC wild card race. Buffalo and Tennessee have identical records, with both teams a game behind the Cleveland Browns for the last wild card spot. The Bills play at Cleveland next Sunday.
Chargers' Neal sidelined with fractured fibula
December 10th, 2007
San Diego, CA (Sports Network) - San Diego Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal suffered a fractured right fibula on Sunday against Tennessee and is out indefinitely.
The injury occurred in the fourth quarter of a very physical contest, which also saw fellow teammates Shawne Merriman and Philip Rivers leave the game at different points.
Neal has made three Pro Bowls in 15 standout seasons as a lead blocker. He has rushed for 782 yards and six touchdowns for New Orleans, the Jets, Tampa Bay, Tennessee, Cincinnati and San Diego.
Opening Line Report
VegasInsider.com
The New England Patriots are minus 24 points hosting the New York Jets. That’s only four points away from matching the biggest pointspread in NFL history.
Yet laying 24 with the Patriots might turn into a value play. Las Vegas Sports Consultant senior linesmaker Mike Seba made the number Patriots minus 27. The LVSC oddsmakers sent out a recommendation of New England minus 26.
Once the public keeps being reminded that it was Jets coach Eric Mangini who blew the whistle on Bill Belichick for sign stealing spy tactics, the number just may reach the minus 28 that the Baltimore Colts were favored by against the expansion Atlanta Falcons in 1966. That’s the largest spread, according to The Gold Sheet.
The Patriots buried the Jets by 24 points in Week 1 – and that was before Belichick really had a grudge against his former assistant, Mangini. He probably only semi-hated him then.
Tom Brady completed 22-of-28 passes against the passive Jets for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Randy Moss hauled in nine passes for 183 yards. Brady is 11-2 career-wise against the Jets with a 17-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Seba said the only thing that could stop this line from getting higher is bad weather.
“If it is decent weather,” he said, “the line can only go up. Who is going to bet the Jets at any price?”
Oddsmakers had a tough call deciding on the right number for Thursday’s Denver Broncos-Houston Texans matchup before coming out with Houston minus 1 ½.
“I could see it either ‘pick’ or 1 either way,” Seba said. “The Texans have been playing well at home and it doesn’t matter if (Matt) Schaub or (Sage) Rosenfels is the quarterback.”
This is really the first week oddsmakers have to account for dead home teams with no real incentive. On that list for Week 15 are San Francisco, St. Louis, Carolina and Kansas City.
“If a bad team is home you don’t give them any home field advantage,” Seba said in addressing the situation. “You just use your power rankings.”
The Panthers seem to be in a good situation. They draw Seattle at home after the Seahawks just clinched the NFC West title with a strong victory Sunday against Arizona. It’s the Seahawks’ third long trip in four weeks. Seattle hasn’t been a good road club going 6-11-1 against the spread.
But Carolina has dropped six of its past seven. Those brave souls that backed the Panthers Sunday in a failed effort against Jacksonville aren’t going to be so inclined again after witnessing another horrible Carolina quarterback performance, even getting seven at home versus Seattle.
“I don’t know how anyone can play the Panthers,” Seba said. “They have nothing to play for. It is a letdown spot for the Seahawks, but they are playing so well. You either have to play the Seahawks or pass the game.”
There’s inflation on the Monday night game with Minnesota laying nine, 9 ½ or 10 at home to the Chicago Bears.
“It should be 7½ or eight,” Seba said. “But you have to pad it.”
Tennessee is minus four at Kansas City despite losing four of its past five. The Chiefs always are intriguing as an underdog at Arrowhead Stadium, especially off an embarrassing loss.
There was disagreement on what the Washington Redskins-New York Giants line should be. The line opened as low as Giants minus 3½. By Monday afternoon the line had settled in at Giants minus 4½. Seba thought the Giants should be favored by six.
“The Redskins need the game a lot more so I can understand why the number is lower,” he said.
Merriman out for Lions game, could be longer
December 10, 2007
SAN DIEGO (AP) -Star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman will miss the San Diego Chargers' home game against Detroit on Sunday because of a sprained ligament in his left knee.
Coach Norv Turner said Monday the injury isn't season-ending.
``I'm not going to speculate, but it could be a couple of weeks,'' Turner said a day after Merriman was hurt in the second quarter of San Diego's 23-17 overtime win at Tennessee.
With three games to go in the regular season, the Chargers (8-5) lead the AFC West by two games over Denver. The Chargers can win the division for the second straight season if they beat the Lions and the Broncos lose to the Houston Texans on Thursday night.
Merriman had two sacks Sunday to push his season total to 11 1/2. He's the sixth player in NFL history to get 10 or more sacks in his first three seasons; his career total is 38 1/2.
He had an NFL-high 17 sacks last year.
Quarterback Philip Rivers also has a sprained left knee, but anticipates playing Sunday
Rivers also was hurt in the second quarter, but returned to start the second half.
``It was pretty sore this morning, but it shouldn't be anything I can't manage and get better during the week,'' he said.
The team was reluctant to shed more light on the severity of the injuries.
Saints' Bush done for the year
December 10th, 2007
Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush will reportedly miss the remainder of the season due to a tear in the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Instead of traveling with the team to Atlanta, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported Bush was examined by renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Alabama. The newspaper reports Andrews confirmed the original diagnosis, but that surgery would likely not be required to repair the damage.
For the season, Bush has gained 581 yards on 157 carries with four touchdowns, and 73 receptions for 417 yards and two scores. He has also dropped 10 passes and fumbled eight times in 12 games, losing three.
Orton to get start for Bears
December 10th, 2007
Lake Forest, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago Bears have named Kyle Orton the starting quarterback for next week's contest against the Minnesota Vikings.
Orton played in 15 games as a rookie in 2005, but has not taken a snap since. Instead it has been Rex Grossman and Brian Griese sharing time under center, the team a disappointing 5-8 this season under their stewardship.
Grossman is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a sprained left MCL, sustained in Thursday's loss to the Washington Redskins. The starter coming into the season, Grossman played in eight games, throwing four touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Griese was not much better, tossing 10 TDs and 12 picks in seven appearances.
Orton, a fourth-round draft pick from Purdue, completed 51.6 percent of his passes for 1,869 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 2005. The Bears were 10-5 with him under center.
Smith done for season, Dilfer doubtful for Saturday
December 10th, 2007
San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith is out for the remainder of the season as he will have surgery on his separated right shoulder.
Smith suffered the injury in a Sept. 30 game against Seattle, and was trying to come back this season. However, with the 49ers at 3-10 this season and after Smith met with doctors Monday at Stanford Hospital and consulted by phone with noted sports surgeon Dr. James Andrews, the QB then apparently decided to shut it down, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Also, Trent Dilfer is considered doubtful to play in Saturday's game against Cincinnati due to a concussion. Dilfer left Sunday's 27-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with 19 seconds left in the second quarter with the injury. On 4th-and-2 at the Vikings' nine-yard line, Dilfer was flushed from the pocket and scrambled to his left. While stumbling short of the marker, Dilfer was nailed in the head by Charles Gordon and laid motionless for several minutes.
Dilfer eventually sat up and was assisted on the field, and then was taken by cart to the locker room. He went to a local hospital, but was released Sunday night.
It now seems Shaun Hill will get the start at quarterback this week.
Texans' Schaub likely out again
December 10th, 2007
Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Houston quarterback Matt Schaub is likely to miss his second straight game when the Texans host the Denver Broncos Thursday night.
Schaub sat out this past Sunday's 28-14 win against Tampa Bay due to a left shoulder injury he sustained December 2 at Tennessee.
"I don't see anything changing right now," Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. "We're going to get a second opinion on Matt's shoulder here in the next 24 hours. I'm not quite exactly sure where we are sending him for that. I'll have that information for you all tomorrow. I don't think anything has changed. I don't think he'll be available."
Because of Schaub's injury, the Texans started Sage Rosenfels at quarterback this past Sunday. Rosenfels responded by going 27-of-36 for 209 yards and three TDs, but did lose two fumbles for Houston (6-7).
"We've got a few days here, but I'm going to be getting a second opinion I think on my shoulder here and we'll see how things go," Schaub said. "But the range of motion's getting there, I'm starting to work on the strength and get that back in there, so it's a work in progress but it's getting better."
Schaub didn't play in the November 4 game against at Oakland due to a concussion he suffered the previous week in a loss at San Diego. He's still hoping to return this season.
"Because as a competitor, I don't want to shut it down," he said. "I want to get back out there on the field and help my team and be a part of what we're doing here in the end of the season and finish the regular season off right, so I want to get back out there with my guys."
Steelers' Smith tears biceps, will miss rest of season
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PITTSBURGH -- Defensive end Aaron Smith, one of the Pittsburgh Steelers' best defensive players, is out for the rest of the season after he tore a biceps muscle during their 21-point loss at New England on Sunday.
Smith, an excellent run defender and one of the Steelers' most reliable players since breaking into the NFL in 1999, tried to keep playing during the 34-13 loss, but had to be replaced several times.
Coach Mike Tomlin knew that was a bad sign, and post-game tests revealed the tear. Smith apparently was not hurt on a specific play, but may have gone into the game with a partial tear that became worse as he played.
''Being the guy he is, he continued on,'' Tomlin said Tuesday. ''He came out a few times, and that was worrisome because this guy doesn't come out of games.''
Smith is used infrequently as a pass rusher in the Steelers' blitz-heavy defense, which didn't sack Patriots quarterback Tom Brady once. The 31-year-old Smith does have a fumble recovery and an interception this season, and his ability to control offensive linemen regularly leads to sacks by the Steelers' linebackers.
Smith missed most of three games with a knee injury earlier this season and was replaced by Nick Eason. Travis Kirschke is also expected to get more playing time with Smith out.
The injury is not expected to be career threatening, Tomlin said.
Bears sign DT Kennedy to active roster
December 11th, 2007
Lake Forest, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago Bears signed defensive tackle and former first-round pick Jimmy Kennedy to the active roster Tuesday. Terms of the deal were not yet disclosed.
Kennedy, originally drafted 12th overall out of Penn State by the Rams in 2003, spent four seasons in St. Louis before joining the Denver Broncos for the 2007 preseason.
In 53 career games -- all with the Rams -- the 6-foot-4, 320-pounder has amassed 90 tackles and four sacks. Kennedy started all 16 games for the Rams in 2006.
Petrino quits Falcons to coach at Arkansas
December 11, 2007
Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) -- Bobby Petrino resigned as Atlanta Falcons coach Tuesday, a person close to the team told The Associated Press.
Petrino left Louisville to become Falcons coach this season but lost star quarterback Michael Vick during the summer when he came under investigation for dogfighting. Vick was sentenced Monday to 23 months in prison for his role in the grisly dogfighting operation.
Atlanta is 3-10 under Petrino, who replaced the fired Jim Mora.
The person familiar with Petrino's decision requested anonymity because the team has not yet announced it.
Bucs' Stevens suspended for drug violation
December 11, 2007
Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay reserve tight end Jerramy Stevens was suspended without pay for one game Tuesday for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. He will miss Sunday's game against Atlanta and was also fined an additional game check.
Stevens, who signed with the Buccaneers in April after being released by Seattle, was convicted in September of driving under the influence of alcohol in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The charge stemmed from an arrest while the sixth-year pro was a member of the Seahawks.
"When we signed Jerramy this spring, we knew there was a possibility that he could face some type of disciplinary action from the NFL for his prior actions," Bucs general manager Bruce Allen said in a statement released by the team. "Since he has been with the Buccaneers, Jerramy has been a great teammate and productive player for our team."
The 28-year-old Stevens has 10 receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown.