Browns LB Antwan Peek out for season
Cleveland Browns linebacker Antwan Peek has suffered a season-ending knee injury.
Coach Romeo Crennel said Thursday that Peek ruptured his right patellar tendon while running during Wednesday's workout.
It's a big setback for a Cleveland defense which ranked 30th overall last year and must face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
The club will re-sign Shantee Orr, who was waived last week, to fill Peek's roster spot.
Crennel said Orr will likely see playing time Sunday along with rookie Alex Hall, a seventh-round pick who had an impressive training camp and exhibition season.
Peek was signed as an unrestricted free agent in 2007 after spending four seasons with Houston.
Copyright 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.
Eagles coach Andy Reid's son pleads guilty to DUI
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A son of Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid, already in jail on a road rage charge, pleaded guilty Thursday to DUI and drug charges stemming from a separate incident.
Britt Reid was charged with driving under the influence of a controlled substance and drug possession after he drove into a shopping cart in a parking lot in August.
An employee at a sporting goods store alerted authorities when the 22-year-old Reid had difficulty locating his vehicle after leaving the store. After he got into his truck, he ran into the cart and was arrested.
Reid was out on bail on the road rage charge at the time. He pleaded guilty to flashing a gun at another motorist in an early 2007 incident and was sentenced in November to eight to 23 months in prison.
Britt Reid's older brother, 24-year-old Garrett Reid, also was sentenced in November for an unrelated DUI crash that injured another motorist. Garrett Reid also faces charges he smuggled nearly 90 pills into prison the week he was sentenced.
No sentencing date has been set.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Colts hoping Marvin Harrison's return gives offense a boost
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indianapolis learned how to cope without Marvin Harrison.
Now the Colts need to readjust to getting him back.
After missing 10 straight games because of a left knee injury, Harrison is expected to make his return Sunday in an AFC divisional playoff game against San Diego. If all goes well, Harrison's presence should give the Colts' already potent offense a boost as Indy tries to defend its Super Bowl title.
"With Marvin we can do a lot more things because he understands things better," running back Joseph Addai said Thursday. "With the young guys we had to simplify some things, which is good, but the defense will have to respect him because of what he's done in the past."
With Harrison, the Colts (13-3) could become more dangerous in the playoffs.
Peyton Manning and Harrison have been the foundation for one of the league's highest-scoring and dependable units over the last decade. Each has been selected to eight Pro Bowls and together they have set NFL records for the most completions (898), yards (12,155) and touchdowns (107) by a quarterback-receiver tandem.
Without Harrison, however, the Colts didn't drop off much. They still scored 450 points, won a fifth straight AFC South title and got career-best seasons from two-time Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark.
But during his absence, the Colts also lost back-to-back games to San Diego and New England -- losses many believe might not have occurred if Harrison played. So getting him back in uniform could be a real boon for Indy.
"He's a guy that knows how to play the game and the stage won't be too big for him," coach Tony Dungy said. "That part we're not really concerned about. I think he's going to help us and help us be more explosive."
But plugging injured players into the lineup can be tricky.
Manning has spent the last three months looking for other receivers. He's relied on improvised game plans, which included new formations and moving his old standbys around more often.
In fact, Clark still attributes his big playoff performances last year to shaking off some of the rust in the regular-season finale after he missed four straight games with a knee injury.
Harrison hasn't been as fortunate. Since bruising his left knee after Denver's D.J. Williams rolled into his leg on Sept. 30, his practice time has been sporadic and his playing time nonexistent -- creating questions about how crisp the timing between Manning and Harrison might be.
Harrison did practice Wednesday and Thursday.
"No, I can't say he'll play for sure," Dungy said. "But he practiced well yesterday and we set up sort of a pitch-count for him and he exceeded that because he wanted to. So I think he feels good and we'll see Sunday."
Of course, Dungy has been through this before, too.
Two weeks ago, Harrison appeared ready to go against Tennessee. Instead, the Colts had him work out in pregame warmups then held him out of the game.
The good news is that Harrison, a 12-year veteran, and Manning, a 10-year veteran, have been around long enough to know each other's tendencies and expectations.
The danger, of course, is that they could be rusty Sunday against a San Diego defense that has forced a league-high 48 turnovers and still ranks as one of the best in the league, leaving Manning in a new situation.
"We've never really crossed this bridge before," Manning said. "He's been an unbelievably durable guy during his whole career. I think the most time we've ever not been together was my rookie year when he missed the last four games. It's really the first time it's ever happened, so we'll see, I guess. I can't give you a definitive answer."
Just having Harrison on the field, though, would help.
San Diego (12-5) may have to decide who will face extra defenders, the well-established Harrison or Wayne, the emerging star.
"Defenses don't have to double-team you over there, so it does change your offense some," Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday said. "I don't know that it changed us, but I think it changed a lot of the defenses we saw."
If Harrison does play Sunday, the Chargers will be hard-pressed to make that choice, knowing there could be consequences either way in a winner-takes-all game.
"We don't expect 88 to be as effective as he's accustomed to being, you know, with his knee bothering him, because we're going to hit him," Chargers safety Clinton Hart said. "If he catches it, we're going to hit him. So we think he may be a decoy, if he's out there."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
No Madden cover jinx doesn't mean no growing pains for Vince Young
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Vince Young insisted to every questioner he had no fear of the rumored Madden video game cover jinx. Turns out he didn't have immunity from the growing pains of an NFL quarterback in his second season.
Call it the sophomore slump.
Unlike 2006 when Young won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award with his highlight-worthy comebacks and plays, his touchdown numbers are down, his interceptions are up. He has struggled deciding when to throw or run and at times tried too hard to make something happen.
Veteran receiver Eric Moulds said every quarterback has to learn how to play and win games in the NFL.
"I think Vince is going to come to that scenario. It's not going to happen overnight," Moulds said Wednesday. "You have to realize that football is a team sport. Even though he's a great quarterback, it's going to take 11 guys to make plays."
The only stat coach Jeff Fisher is interested in is his Titans' record. At 9-6, they can clinch their first playoff berth since 2003 with a win Sunday night at Indianapolis (13-2).
"He's started all but one game this year. We have to win one to get in the playoffs. So I think that speaks for itself as far as his development," Fisher said.
"He's had some games where he's lit it up statistically, and he's had some other games where we didn't have to lean on him. He's managed the game as our starting quarterback, and we're about to reach our No. 1 goal this year with him as the starter, and that's to get to the playoffs."
Young is 224-for-364 for 2,389 yards with nine touchdown passes and 17 interceptions. He also has had trouble holding onto the ball with 10 fumbles. The Titans have lost three of those.
He leads all quarterbacks with 376 yards rushing this season and needs 72 yards to reach 1,000 yards rushing in his career. He missed the Oct. 21 win in Houston with a strained right quadriceps, but is 16-11 as a starter -- 7-2 in December.
Young said he feels like he's where he needs to be concluding his second season. He credited teammates like Moulds with giving him confidence and feedback as he works to improve.
"People still fail to realize I'm in my second year. I'm taking real big steps each week ... That means I'm doing something right, so I want to keep doing that so I can continue to take my game to a level where I want it to be at," Young said.
Young's completion rate is up 10 points to 61.5 percent. But he won't come close to the 19 combined TDs of 2006.
The first rookie quarterback in NFL history to lead two comebacks of 14 points or more led the Titans to five fourth-quarter comebacks. This season? Not one. It was LenDale White who helped seal last weekend's 10-6 win over the New York Jets.
Young's part? He got to kneel down a series after having to recover his own fumble.
He had a chance Sept. 16 against Indianapolis only to see a catchable pass missed by receiver Brandon Jones. The Colts smothered Young on the next play to end the would-be rally for a 22-20 win.
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning had a chance to visit with Young at the Pro Bowl when he became the first rookie quarterback to play in that game. Manning said Young's athletic ability is impressive and called him a good guy.
"It seems like he's got the right perspective on it -- as a young quarterback, it's a marathon, not a sprint. Every game you can learn something new," Manning said.
Young's roller-coaster season can be seen in the past two games. He posted his season-high passer rating of 109.6 on Dec. 16 in a win at Kansas City, then struggled in last week's 10-6 win over the New York Jets, who sacked him three times and forced him into two turnovers.
Fisher has had to defend his quarterback several times this season from questions about Young's emotional displays. The coach's answer? He likes Young's competitiveness.
Colts middle linebacker Gary Brackett thinks Young has been hot and cold.
"We know this is the type of game he'll be trying to take over. He can hurt you with his arm, with his legs, and we know they're going to treat this like a playoff game, so we have to be ready to play well," Brackett said.
Young has been at his best under the night lights.
The guy who beat Southern California for the national championship two years ago had his first two-TD game at night in New Orleans on Sept. 24 and his first 300-yard passing game Nov. 19 in primetime at Denver. The Titans lost, but Young finished with a career-best 379 total yards.
Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy warned his Colts that this will be the Titans' first playoff game, and he expects to see Young at his best.
"I'm sure he is going to rise to the occasion and do everything he can. I told them to expect a Rose Bowl-type performance where he takes it upon himself to will the team to victory," Dungy said.
With a playoff berth on the line, that would be a strong finish for the quarterback.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
As Dolphins brace for Parcells' arrival, Cameron wants team focused
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- When deciding who'll coach the Miami Dolphins, Bill Parcells will want someone able to keep teams focused.
Cam Cameron sure is trying.
In a week filled with distractions -- a possible franchise sale, buzz over Miami's first win and Parcells' hiring to lead Miami's football operations -- the Dolphins' first-year coach insists he's thinking only about facing Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Wes Welker and the still-perfect New England Patriots on Sunday.
"It hasn't been difficult because that's the way I approach things," Cameron said Friday, one day after Parcells signed a four-year contract to become the Dolphins' executive vice president of football operations.
Other than saying he hasn't spoken to Parcells, Cameron didn't want to talk about his new boss.
"Until he and I get a chance to sit down and visit, anything that I would say would really take our focus away from New England," Cameron said. "And secondly, it would be self-serving. We don't really need to go down that road or be perceived that way."
Parcells is expected to arrive in South Florida next week.
One of his first orders of business: Deciding the fate of Cameron and general manager Randy Mueller.
Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga, who assured Parcells he would not relinquish majority control of the franchise, has given the two-time Super Bowl champion coach what he called "ultimate responsibility," which includes the ability to hire and fire.
But Huizenga doesn't seem like he's lobbying for changes in those two jobs.
The owner reiterated his "respect" for Mueller and Cameron, and indicated the Dolphins' rash of injuries this season may make it difficult to assess fairly how the rookie coach has performed.
"He's been out there now 14 Sundays, and he's had injuries up one side and down the other," Huizenga said. "It's kind of like sending a guy out to battle and you give him a bunch of bullets and every Sunday you take a couple more bullets away from him. Pretty soon, how is he going to win the war? It's tough."
Still, after an 0-13 start to this season, the reality is that Cameron's job status is uncertain.
So the first-year coach would understandably prefer to talk Patriots, not Parcells.
"That's the way, I think, you give yourself the best chance in the National Football League," Cameron said. "There's all sorts of distractions out there and all sorts of things that make the game great ... but coaches and players, we have to go perform. We have to show on Sundays, we've got to play, we've got to coach, we have a job to do and you can't ever lose sight of that."
Cameron's players seem to be getting the message.
"It has no bearing on this season and what we're doing right now," defensive tackle Vonnie Holliday said. "So all that is for future."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Bills' Whitner getting cold reception before Cleveland homecoming
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Growing up in Cleveland as part of a big family of passionate Browns fans, Bills safety Donte Whitner learned where the line is drawn.
Loyalty to the Browns, it turns out, is thicker than blood.
"I know that a lot of my family is rooting for the Browns," said Whitner, preparing to play in his hometown for the first time with the Bills on Sunday. "Some of them just tell me, 'I want you to do well, but I want you all to lose."'
Whitner isn't surprised, and doesn't take offense. This is a big game with significant implications for both teams -- the Bills are 7-6, and Browns 8-5 -- in the race for the AFC's sixth and final playoff berth.
And before the first-round draft pick landed in Buffalo in 2006, Whitner would've been cheering right along with everyone. He appreciates how the Browns have an opportunity to reverse their troubled history: from Art Modell moving the franchise to Baltimore, to the team enjoying only one winning season since it was re-established in Cleveland in 1999.
That's all different now, and Whitner's making no apologies for being on the other side.
"I want everybody to have a good time and send some family home with broken hearts," he said with a wide grin, while noting he's already sprung for 65 tickets for the game.
"It's a great opportunity for me to go out there and talk a little smack for the rest of the year with everybody at Christmas time," Whitner said. "I'm going to have a lot of fun with this one."
Whitner has had this game circled for quite some time -- "Since I was born," he said.
What makes it particularly special is the meaning for both teams. That's something even Whitner didn't expect after the Bills got off to a 1-4 start and appeared ready to sink further because of injuries.
Whitner has played a key role in the Bills resurgence, anchoring a banged-up defensive backfield that's missing three starters and also without third cornerback Kiwaukee Thomas. Whitner is third on the team with 87 tackles, has forced two fumbles and has an interception.
The injuries have Whitner playing a jack-of-all trades role that includes pressuring the passer, defending the run and filling in as a third cornerback in pass situations. He's the only Bills defender who has been on the field for all 871 plays this season.
Whitner has also become the unit's leader, holding weekly defensive meetings at his home after practice.
"He's been the stable one back there. He has been the leader. He really is the best athlete we have in our back row," defensive coordinator Perry Fewell said. "When you watch the guy, you're so happy that you've got him."
That's not what the skeptics were saying when the Bills selected Whitner with the eighth overall pick, knocking Buffalo for taking the Ohio State product too early.
Whitner, who had 107 tackles and an interception during a solid rookie season, hasn't forgotten the criticism, and has used it as motivation.
"Give me an opportunity to prove you wrong," Whitner continues to say.
It's the same answer he provides when talking about the people who will be rooting against him on Sunday.
"It feels good. I want some of my family to root for the Browns," he said. "I like being the underdog. ... I hope they boo. And I hope we come out with a win."
Whitner can count on one family member who'll be rooting for him -- his grandmother, Rosetta Whitner. The two are very close, and Whitner has begun raising money for cancer research in her honor.
Rosetta was diagnosed with lung cancer last spring, but has been improving steadily after chemotherapy treatments. Donte learned this week that doctors found no sign of the cancer during her last checkup.
Whitner knows she'll have his back.
"If everybody else is going for the Browns, I know she'll go for the Bills. I know that for a fact," Whitner said. "She's the one person I can count on to be on my side."
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved
Steelers S Polamalu likely out Sunday
PITTSBURGH (TICKER) -- Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is not expected to play Sunday when the team visits the unbeaten New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on its web site Friday.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Polamalu developed swelling in his injured right knee when a teammate rolled into him during Wednesday's practice.
According to the Post-Gazette, Polamalu tried running Friday but continues to be slowed by the injury and will likely be unable to play against the Patriots (12-0).
Polamalu has a sprained medial collateral ligament and posterior cruciate ligament in the knee, injuries which have forced him to miss the last two games.
Prior to Wednesday's setback, the Steelers (9-3) had expected Polamalu to return against the Patriots.
Copyright 2007 PA SportsTicker. All Rights Reserved
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