Raiders place Culpepper, Fargas on IR
December 26th, 2007
Oakland, CA (Sports Network) - The Oakland Raiders on Wednesday placed quarterback Daunte Culpepper and running back Justin Fargas on injured reserve.
Culpepper has not played since a week 12 triumph over Kansas City after sustaining a strained quadriceps.
In seven games this season, featuring six starts, Culpepper completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 1,331 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.
Fargas suffered a right medial collateral ligament sprain on December 16 in a 21-14 setback against Indianapolis.
For the season, Fargas rushed for 1,009 yards on 222 carries with four touchdowns. He also caught 23 passes for 188 yards out of the backfield.
Buccaneers: Garcia unlikely to play
Jeff Garcia confessed on Wednesday that he doesn't expect so see much playing time this week. "I'm preparing like I'm going to play, but (Jon Gruden) has expressed the possibility of certain guys not being on the field on Sunday," Garcia told the St. Petersburg Times. Luke McCown will get the majority of the work, if not the start on Sunday.
Packers: Favre wants to play entire game
Brett Favre told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he would like to play the entire game on Sunday against the Lions. However, he also conceded that Mike McCarthy will make the call on his playing time.
Saints: Bush to be game-time call
Reggie Bush did not participate in the team portion of practice on Wednesday. He told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he expects to be a game-time decision for Sunday's game against the Bears. He has missed the last three games with a partially torn PCL in his right knee.
Steelers: Big Ben might sit out finale
Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) hasn't done much this week and it looks likely that he'll sit the finale at Baltimore, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Charlie Batch is the next in line for Pittsburgh.
Outlook for NFL weekend
In past years the final Sunday of the NFL regular season has been a nightmare for handicappers to keep track of playoff scenarios and whether or not teams have anything to play for. But this year, assuming there will be no ties, everything is very simple.
Sunday morning there is only one meaningful game. New Orleans needs a win to stay alive for the remaining NFC Wild Card berth. Even though Cleveland has not clinched an AFC spot, because of playoff tie-breakers it doesn't matter what the Browns do.
In the afternoon Washington owns the advantage for that last NFC slot, and Minnesota will by playing for position in case the Redskins falter. San Diego needs a win to lock up the AFC No. 3 seed and avoid playing blistering hot Jacksonville, while Pittsburgh faces Baltimore with the faint hope of a San Diego loss, and probably without injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The night game is definitely meaningful. If Tennessee wins, the Titans are in the playoffs. If they lose, Cleveland gets in.
Of course Saturday night there will be one other important game, but not for playoff purposes, as New England attempts to complete the first unbeaten regular season since Miami in 1972. Any team can go through a season, play like crap and lose every game. But for the Patriots to avoid all the pitfalls and go 16-0, especially in this salary cap era, it would be an unbelievable achievement.
And thanks to Commissioner Roger Goodell, we can all watch it on television, too. New England was scheduled to play only on the NFL Network, but in his wisdom Goodell arranged it so the game will be simulcast on CBS and NBC. The Sunday game time changes were also excellent moves.
The NFL Network is not available in 74 million American homes, including those subscribing to our local cable company. Sure, NFL is a new network, so you'll catch them making rookie mistakes, like displaying the wrong down and distance during games and showing touchdown replays during important extra points, but any broadcast is better than no broadcast. Plus, overall for the die-hard fan, the NFL Network has many shows that make having it worthwhile.
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Four Cowboys starters inactive for finale at Washington
ASSOCIATED PRESS
IRVING, Texas -- Wide receiver Terrell Owens and cornerback Terence Newman were among four Dallas starters declared inactive Friday for the Cowboys' regular-season finale at Washington.
Backup safety Patrick Watkins (ankle) will also sit out Sunday for Cowboys, who have clinched home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs.
Wide receiver Terry Glenn, whose has missed every game this season with a right knee injury, was listed as probable.
Center Andre Gurode (knee) and nose tackle Jay Ratliff (knee) are inactive along with Owens (ankle) and Newman (knee). Owens has not practiced this week as Dallas wants to rest his sprained ankle before its first playoff game.
NFL game day buzz: Week 17 notes
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New England at N.Y. Giants
New York has previously knocked off a team pursuing perfection late in a season and it came at Giants Stadium, handing a 13-0 Denver team its first defeat on Dec. 13, 1998.
Buffalo at Philadelphia
Philadelphia closes a regular season with Donovan McNabb under center for the first time in four years when it meets the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in a matchup of teams trying to finish at .500.
Carolina at Tampa Bay
Carolina and Tampa Bay have developed a rivalry in the NFC South, and the Buccaneers will be trying to beat the Panthers twice in a season for just the second time and first since 2002. Carolina has won seven of nine against the Bucs and four straight in Tampa Bay since then.
Cincinnati at Miami
The Bengals have lost all six of their games at Miami, including one playoff matchup, since winning their first visit there in 1968. The Dolphins lead the all-time series 12-4, though they lost 16-13 at Cincinnati in 2004 in the most recent meeting.
Detroit at Green Bay
Overall, the Packers have won 12 of their last 14 games against the Lions, including a 37-26 win on Thanksgiving. Brett Favre's 700 completions and 8,155 passing yards against Detroit are his best against any team.
Jacksonville at Houston
Houston has enjoyed more success versus Jacksonville than against its other division rivals, going 6-5 and only being swept once. The Texans, however, weren't too competitive in a 37-17 road loss to the Jaguars on Oct. 14.
Seattle at Atlanta
Atlanta has dropped four straight against the Seahawks since a 24-17 road win on Nov. 30, 1997.
San Francisco at Cleveland
This is the 49ers' first visit to Cleveland since 1993. The teams are meeting for the first time since the Browns won 13-12 on Sept. 21, 2003.
New Orleans at Chicago
This is the first time the Saints have visited Chicago during the regular season since 2002. Including last year's playoff victory, the Bears have won two straight over the Saints after losing the previous three in a row.
Minnesota at Denver
The Vikings have won two straight and five of the last seven meetings against the Broncos.
San Diego at Oakland
The Raiders have been outscored 77-31 in three straight home losses to the Chargers.
St. Louis at Arizona
A loss will send the Rams to their worst season since 1991. St. Louis, though, has won four of its last five in Arizona.
Kansas City at N.Y. Jets
This will be the first meeting between Kansas City and New York since Sept. 11, 2005, when the Chiefs won 27-7.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
The Ravens have won their last two home games against the Steelers, and are trying to avoid being swept by them in a season series for the first time since 2002.
Dallas at Washington
The Redskins have won the rivals' last two games at FedEx Field.
Tennessee at Indianapolis
Tennessee hasn't won at Indianapolis since 2002, losing four in a row by a combined 133-47. The Titans, however, have given the Colts problems the last three times they've played them overall. They lost 22-20 in Nashville in Week 2 this season, but beat Indianapolis at home last season 20-17 on a 60-yard field goal by Rob Bironas, their only win in the last nine games of the series.
Panthers S Harris doubtful for game at Bucs with neck injury
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Panthers starting strong safety Chris Harris is doubtful for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay after sitting out a third straight practice Friday with a sore neck.
Harris missed much of last week's loss to Dallas after being injured. Veteran Marquand Manuel and rookie C.J. Wilson would likely split time at strong safety in Carolina's season finale if Harris can't play.
Harris, acquired in a trade with Chicago during training camp, leads the NFL with eight forced fumbles and is second on the team with 96 tackles.
Tackle Jordan Gross (ankle) practiced for a second straight day and is listed as probable.
Galloway out, Hilliard questionable for Bucs
December 28th, 2007
Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Joey Galloway is going to miss the team's regular season finale Sunday.
The team has decided to keep Galloway out as a precaution. The Bucs have already wrapped up the fourth seed in the NFC playoff race.
Hilliard has a banged up knee. It is unlikely he will play, but if he does it will probably be limited.
Hilliard has caught 62 passes for 772 yards and one touchdown this season, while Galloway has 57 receptions for 1,04 yards and six scores.
Bush ruled out for Week 17
Reggie Bush, still recovering from a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, has been ruled out for this weekend's matchup with the Bears, according to the AP.
Weinke tabbed as Sunday's starter
With Alex Smith on IR and Shaun Hill dealing with back spasms, Chris Weinke will start Sunday's game for the 49ers. "Chris Weinke will start in the game," coach Mike Nolan said to Sports Network. "The backup will be Drew Olson. The third quarterback will come out of either Arnaz (Battle) or Michael Robinson. Hopefully, we'll just stay with Chris Weinke there for the entire game." In three games last season with the Panthers, Weinke completed 58.3 percent of his passes for 625 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
Harrison to start Sunday
Marvin Harrison will start Sunday's game after practicing for a second straight day Friday. Coach Tony Dungy wouldn't commit to how many plays Harrison, who has been out since Oct. 22 with a knee injury, would be in on. "But he'll start the game and we'll see how it goes," Dungy said in the AP.
Kennison ruled out
Chiefs wide receiver Eddie Kennison (ribs) has been ruled out of Week 17.
Jennings unlikely to play
It appears as though Greg Jennings will not play in Sunday's game against the Lions, according to Friday's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He is resting an ankle injury.
Bills safety Donte Whitner to miss finale at Philadelphia
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Bills starting safety Donte Whitner will miss Buffalo's season finale at Philadelphia on Sunday because of the flu.
Whitner did not travel with the team to Philadelphia, the Bills said Saturday.
This will be the first game Whitner has missed this season. He started the first 15 and was third on the team with 102 tackles.
The Bills (7-8), who have been eliminated from playoff contention. They are trying to finish with at least eight wins for the fourth time this decade. 😉