Briefs: Packers' Starks, Bishop ruled out against Oakland

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- If the Green Bay Packers are going to become only the eighth NFL team to start a season 13-0, they will have to do so short-handed.

Running back James Starks and linebacker Desmond Bishop will not play Sunday against the Oakland Raiders, the team said Friday.

Bishop, the team's leader in tackles, will miss a second straight game because of a calf injury. Starks, the team's leading rusher, won't play after reinjuring an ankle in Green Bay's 38-35 win over the New York Giants last weekend.

The Packers also will be without right guard Josh Sitton (knee) for the second consecutive game.

Cornerback Charles Woodson (concussion) is probable to play, and Green Bay's struggling defense also might have linebacker A.J. Hawk (calf) back in action. Hawk is listed as questionable for the Raiders game.

Rookie D.J. Smith and second-year player Robert Francois started at the two inside linebacker positions against the Giants. McCarthy said Smith would get another start with Bishop still out. Full Story

Lions cut DB McDonald, sign DT Haye

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The Detroit Lions have released defensive back Brandon McDonald and signed defensive tackle Jovan Haye.

Haye was a starter two seasons ago for Tennessee and played in 14 games for the Titans last season. Coach Jim Schwartz says injuries and the suspension of Ndamukong Suh have hurt Detroit's depth a bit on the defensive line.

McDonald appeared in 11 games this season for the Lions.

Bears S Wright declared out against Broncos

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Chicago Bears have ruled safety Major Wright out for Sunday's game at Denver because of a shoulder injury, leaving them without three starters.

The Bears are also missing their top two players on offense, with quarterback Jay Cutler (broken thumb) and running back Matt Forte (sprained knee) out indefinitely.

Cutler was injured in a win over the San Diego Chargers on Nov. 20, and Forte left in the first quarter of last week's loss to Kansas City after taking a hit to his knee. Wright was also injured in the Chiefs game.

Colts' Caldwell says tight end Clark likely Sunday

INDIANAPOLIS -- Colts tight end Dallas Clark and linebacker Pat Angerer could be back in the lineup Sunday at Baltimore.

Clark has missed the last four games after injuring his lower left leg. Angerer went into last week's game at New England as the NFL leader in tackles but left with a right knee injury during the Colts' first defensive series.

Both were full participants at practice. Coach Jim Caldwell says Clark is likely to play against the Ravens. Angerer is listed as questionable on the team's injury report.

Also Friday, Caldwell acknowledged that one of offensive coordinator Clyde Christensen's daughters went into labor during last Sunday's game. After the game, Caldwell says Christensen was relieved after the game to learn that mother and child were both healthy.

Redskins S Landry out for second straight game

ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins safety LaRon Landry will miss his second straight game Sunday because of a groin injury. Coach Mike Shanahan said that Landry won't suit up against the New England Patriots.

It will be the fifth game Landry has missed this year and the third in four weeks.

He sat out the first two games of the season with a sore hamstring and was later sidelined when he aggravated the left Achilles tendon injury that hampered him most of last year.

Jets G Moore ready, returner McKnight questionable

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Brandon Moore is ready to play, even without any practice this week.

The New York Jets right guard was listed as questionable Friday for the team's game against the Kansas City Chiefs because of a sore hip that sidelined him all week. Moore had offseason surgery on both hips, and had expected some soreness as the season wore on.

"I don't know if anybody is 100 percent," Moore said, "but I'll be ready to go."

Running back Joe McKnight, the NFL's top kick returner, is questionable with a hyperextended right elbow, and Ryan says he will be a game-time decision. Antonio Cromartie would replace him as the primary returner if he can't go, and Ryan expects rookie Bilal Powell to get a few more carries.

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News briefs: Saints rookie RB Ingram dealing with 'turf toe'; Ivory ready

METAIRIE, La. -- Mark Ingram pulled a protective walking boot out of his locker and set it on the floor, then acknowledged that he might have to sit out with a sprained toe on his left foot when the Saints play at Tennessee this weekend.

If that turns out to be the case, the consolation for New Orleans is that last season's leading rusher, Chris Ivory, is eagerly awaiting another chance to play.

Ingram missed practice on Wednesday. He said he still hoped to play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, but also noted he has never had a so-called "turf toe" injury and could not be certain how quickly he would recover.

"At the end of the day, it's like, whatever's best for the team," Ingram said. "If I feel like I can play and bring my best to the table, I'm going to go. But if I can't bring my best to the table, if that's what's best for the team, then I'll sit it down."

Ingram, a 2011 first-round draft choice and former Heisman trophy winner at Alabama, has 122 carries for 474 yards and five touchdowns. He rushed for 54 yards on 16 carries, including a 14-yard touchdown, in a 31-17 victory over Detroit last Sunday night, but hurt his toe during the game.

Ivory, who led the Saints in rushing in 2010 with 716 yards and five touchdowns on 137 carries (an average of 5.2 yards per carry), has played in only two games this season. Full Story

Seahawks' Brock charged with drunken driving

SEATTLE -- Seattle Seahawks defensive end Raheem Brock has been charged with drunken driving, more than a year after he was pulled over and accused of driving 85 to 90 mph on Interstate 5.

The King County prosecutor's office charged the 33-year-old in district court, where he is due to be arraigned Dec. 21.

A state trooper's report says Brock was stopped by a University of Washington police officer early on Nov. 13, 2010, and that a breath test showed his blood-alcohol content to be nearly twice the legal limit.

The report says Brock asked the trooper, "You guys don't take care of your athletes out here?" Brock reportedly said that whenever he was pulled over in Chicago, New Jersey and Philadelphia, police just followed him home.

Moore to remain Jets' consultant for rest of season

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Rex Ryan hoped Tom Moore would stay a while after the offensive guru got to the New York Jets' facility last week.

Well, it turns out the Jets will be seeing lots more of Moore.

Ryan announced that the former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator will work as a consultant from the team's facility for the rest of this season after operating mostly from his home in South Carolina.

The 73-year-old coach retired after last season with the Colts, but was hired in the offseason to help the Jets' offense and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. He'll still be a consultant with the Jets, just a bit more hands on.

Broncos LB Miller returns to practice

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Broncos linebacker Von Miller practiced with a cast covering the injured right thumb that sidelined him a week ago.

Miller, who leads NFL rookies with 10.5 sacks, needed surgery to repair ligaments he tore in his right thumb during a game at San Diego on Nov. 27. He missed last week's win over Minnesota, but said he hopes to return Sunday, when the Broncos host Chicago.

Receiver Eddie Royal (concussion) and left tackle Ryan Clady (knee) both missed practice Wednesday. Royal was injured last week in a collision with a teammate during a punt return and Clady aggravated a knee problem late in the game.

Running back Willis McGahee (knee) also was held out of practice but he said afterward that he expects to play on Sunday.

Cards safety Rhodes limited in practice

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes went through a limited practice, his first workout with the team since he was injured in a game at Minnesota on Oct. 9.

Coach Ken Whisenhunt says Rhodes was able to go through some drills. Whisenhunt says Rhodes' return to game action will depend on how the player's left foot responds to the increased activity.

Rhodes broke a bone in his left foot in the Cardinals' 34-10 loss to the Vikings. Rashad Johnson and Richard Marshall have filled in during the seven games Rhodes has missed.

Jets RG Moore, DL DeVito miss practice

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets right guard Brandon Moore and defensive lineman Mike DeVito sat out practice with injuries, while running back Joe McKnight was limited with a hyperextended elbow.

Coach Rex Ryan says Moore is dealing with a sore hip, but expects him to play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Moore, who has played in 117 consecutive games, had offseason hip surgery that he was still recovering from in the preseason.

DeVito missed the game last Sunday at Washington with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, and Ryan says he's "very, very doubtful."

McKnight wore a sleeve on his right elbow after hyperextending it against the Redskins. Ryan says his status for Sunday is uncertain. Cornerback and special teamer Ellis Lankster sat out with a sore back.

Bengals place DT Sims on IR

CINCINNATI -- The Bengals have placed defensive tackle Pat Sims on season-ending injured reserve after learning his left ankle was more severely hurt than initially thought.

Sims sat out a 35-7 loss in Pittsburgh with the injury, but hoped to be recovered before the end of the season. Coach Marvin Lewis says additional tests indicated the injury was too severe. Sims wore a protective boot on the left foot Wednesday and declines to talk about the injury, other than to say he is disappointed he won't get a chance to play again.

The Bengals (7-5) have signed defensive tackle Nick Hayden to take his spot. Hayden was Carolina's sixth-round pick in 2008 and started 10 games last season. He was released in the final roster cut before the season.

Chargers place DE Castillo on IR, sign LB Triplett

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Chargers have placed defensive end Luis Castillo on injured reserve and signed linebacker Nate Triplett to a two-year contract.

Castillo broke his left leg in the season opener on Sept. 11 and the Chargers kept him on the active roster in the hope he'd be healed toward the end of the season.

Triplett spent seven weeks on the Chargers' practice squad in 2010. Triplett signed with Indianapolis last December and played in the Colts' final five games on special teams. He also appeared in Indianapolis' two playoff games. Triplett played in three games this season for Indianapolis.

The Chargers also signed defensive end Damik Scafe to the practice squad.

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News briefs: NFL suspends 'Hawks guard Moffit four games

RENTON, Wash. -- Seattle Seahawks rookie guard John Moffitt was suspended for four games without pay on Tuesday for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The league announced the suspension will begin immediately even though Moffitt is on injured reserve and out for the season with a right knee injury. He will not be paid for the final four weeks of the season.

Moffitt's agent, Michael George, said that Moffitt's suspension was due to his use of a prescription drug used to treat hyperactivity. George said that Adderall -- the drug that Moffitt used - is banned under the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, unless a player has pre-approval from the league. Moffitt lacked that league approval, resulting in the suspension.

George said there are no plans to appeal the suspension because of the strict nature of the league's policy. George said any appeal could potentially carry the suspension over into next season and that it was best to serve the suspension now since Moffitt was already done for the year because of the knee injury. Moffitt underwent surgery to repair the ligaments just before Thanksgiving.

George emphasized the suspension was not for a substance like steroids.

Moffitt was Seattle's third-round pick in last April's draft out of Wisconsin. He started the first nine games at right guard before suffering his injury in Seattle's Week 10 win over Baltimore. He's one of three starting offensive linemen currently on injured reserve for the Seahawks, along with right tackle James Carpenter and left tackle Russell Okung. Full Story

Vikes facing first blackout in 14 years

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings have plenty of tickets left to sell this season.

Chief marketing officer Steve LaCroix said there are 6,500 seats available for the Dec. 18 game against New Orleans and 5,000 seats remaining for the Jan. 1 game against Chicago.

The Vikings have announced sellouts of their 64,000-seat stadium for 142 straight games, including the preseason, regular season and playoffs. The last time they had a game blacked out in the Twin Cities television market for lacking ticket sales was 14 years ago.

The Vikings fell to 2-10 after Sunday's loss to Denver.

Lions' Pettigrew apologizes for penalty vs. Saints

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew says he's sorry for his actions in last weekend's loss at New Orleans.

Pettigrew was called for a personal foul in the fourth quarter of Detroit's 31-17 loss. He made contact with an official who was trying to get between him and Saints safety Roman Harper after the whistle.

Detroit has lost five of seven since a 5-0 start and drawn criticism for the on-field behavior of its players. Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh is serving a two-game suspension for roughing up a Green Bay lineman in a Thanksgiving loss to the Packers.

Pettigrew has 56 catches for 475 yards this season.

Panthers place DTs Fua, McClain on IR

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers placed starting defensive tackles Sione Fua and Terrell McClain on injured reserve.

Fua and McClain were both third-round draft picks this year and have been starters since Week 1. Fua strained his right hamstring before Sunday's 38-19 victory against Tampa Bay and didn't play. McClain sprained his left knee during the first half and did not return.

It's unclear at this point if either player will need surgery.

The Panthers (4-8) signed free-agent defensive tackle Ogemdi Nwagbuo and added defensive tackle Jason Shirley from the practice squad to replace them.

Packers offer stock for first time since '97

MADISON, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers have an MVP candidate in quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a Super Bowl championship won just 10 months ago and an undefeated team making a run toward another title for Titletown.

The Packers now have hundreds of new owners, too.

The team kicked off a rare stock sale to help pay for another round of renovations at Lambeau Field, giving pretty much anyone a shot at becoming an NFL owner for $250 per share, plus a $25 handling charge.

Sarah Johnson, 34, of Portage said it took her nearly 20 minutes to complete what should have been a 30-second process, but it was worth to wait.

Colts place rookie DT Nevis on IR

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indianapolis Colts have put rookie defensive tackle Drake Nevis on injured reserve with a lower back injury.

Nevis is the third defensive player from Indy to have his season end in less than 24 hours. Cornerbacks Jerraud Powers and Terrence Johnson were placed on season-ending injured reserve Monday.

To fill the roster, the Colts signed defensive back Brandon King from the Miami Dolphins practice squad, claimed linebacker Kevin Bentley off waivers from Jacksonville, promoted defensive back Mike Holmes from the practice squad to the active roster and signed offensive tackle Mike Tepper to the practice squad.

Nevis played in five games and had 19 tackles this season, but was hobbled by a back injury most of the season.

New Jaguars owner clears final hurdle

NEW YORK. -- The NFL's finance committee has voted unanimously to recommend Shahid Khan's bid to buy the Jacksonville Jaguars to the full ownership committee for a vote next week.

The Illinois businessman met at league headquarters with the 10-member committee, which includes current owner Wayne Weaver.

Asked if the team will stay in Jacksonville, Khan says he can't comment until the sale becomes official, but fans "will not be disappointed."

Weaver says he's optimistic the deal will be approved.

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News briefs: Cowboys' Garrett stands by questionable decisions

IRVING, Texas -- Upon further review, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett still sees nothing wrong with how he managed the end of regulation in a loss to Arizona.

He insisted Monday there was no need to call a timeout after getting a first down at the 31-yard line with about 25 seconds left, even though Dallas could have run a few plays in hopes of setting up a shorter field goal.

He maintained he "thought it was the right thing to do" in letting the clock wind down and settle for a 49-yard field goal by a rookie kicker who'd already missed from 53 yards, and who'd made a 50-yarder only because of a fortuitous ricochet off an upright.

And he considered it "not really appropriate" to think he may have added to the pressure on his kicker by then calling a timeout just before the rookie was trying that 49-yarder.

OK, then: How about the decision for Tony Romo to spike the ball after getting the first down that started the wild finish; was that Romo's choice or Garrett's?

Asked next about what special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was saying right before Garrett called the timeout, Garrett again said, "I don't have a great answer for you on that." Full Story

Colts place two CBs on injured reserve

INDIANAPOLIS -- The winless Indianapolis Colts have put cornerbacks Jerraud Powers and Terrence Johnson on injured reserve, ending their seasons.

Powers started all 12 games, intercepted two passes and returned one for a touchdown before hurting his elbow in Sunday's 31-24 loss at New England.

Johnson played in 10 games, made two starts and had 33 tackles before getting injured Sunday. The Colts did not have an update on linebacker Pat Angerer, who led the NFL in tackles before getting hurt on the first play of the Patriots game, or his backup, A.J. Eads, also injured Sunday.

Indy claimed linebacker Zac Diles from Tampa Bay and waived tight end Mike McNeill. The Colts are likely to make more moves this week.

Lawsuit: Painkillers used to treat concussions

A lawsuit filed by 12 former football players against the NFL about its concussion policies says there was widespread pregame use of an anti-inflammatory drug that could put someone with a head injury at increased risk.

Pro Bowl receiver Joe Horn is among the plaintiffs named in the complaint that attorney Christopher Seeger said was filed in federal court in New Jersey on Monday.

It's one of about a half-dozen suits filed against the NFL in recent months by past players who say the league did not do enough to protect them from concussions. As in other complaints against the league, the latest criticizes the NFL's original committee on brain injuries and says the league concealed risks of concussions.

"The difference with this case is what we've learned from our players is that they used to administer a drug called Toradol, which is basically a painkiller ... even when players didn't have symptoms," Seeger said in a telephone interview. "Our experts say that's the worst thing you can do for a brain injury or a concussion."

Jets RB McKnight (hyperextended elbow) might sit

NEW YORK -- Jets running back Joe McKnight, who leads the NFL in kick return average, has a hyperextended right elbow that could sideline him for the team's next game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Rex Ryan says Monday that McKnight had an MRI exam on the elbow, but the coach wasn't immediately certain of the results. Ryan says he doesn't anticipate McKnight practicing Wednesday, and his status would be determined later in the week.

McKnight, injured Sunday at Washington, could not bend his elbow. "Obviously if you're a running back, you have to be able to grip the ball and protect it, so that's something," Ryan said.

LaDainian Tomlinson left briefly with a left knee injury when he slipped on the sideline after a tackle, but Ryan expects him to be fine.

Bills TE Chandler, CB Williams likely to miss Week 14

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Chan Gailey is not optimistic either tight end Scott Chandler or rookie cornerback Aaron Williams will play at San Diego this weekend.

Gailey provided the update, a day after both were hurt in the third quarter of a 23-17 loss to Tennessee. He gave Chandler an "outside chance" of playing after the team's top tight end hurt his left ankle while being gang-tackled and stripped of the ball.

Gailey calls the injury to Williams' right knee not as severe as initially expected. He gave him a "real shot" of returning Dec. 11, when Buffalo hosts Miami.

Buffalo (5-7) has lost five straight.

Gailey expects starting safety George Wilson to miss his fourth straight game with a neck injury.

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