NFL preseason roundup
Injury bug hits Lions’ Stewart in loss to Bills ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) – What every NFL coach fears most in the last exhibition game happened to Steve Mariucci and the Detroit Lions on Thursday night.
Starting running back James Stewart separated his right shoulder in the first quarter of Detroit’s 22-16 loss.
Stewart, who led Detroit with 1,021 yards rushing last season, was hurt six minutes into the game and is out indefinitely. The Lions also lost linebacker Brian Williams, who dislocated his left shoulder.
Olandis Gary had the go-ahead score three minutes into the fourth quarter with a 1-yard run, followed by a two-point conversion by holder Brian Moorman, who ran it in off a bobbled snap.
Antonio Brown returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown and Josh Reed had a 34-yard touchdown reception for the Bills (3-1).
Jason Hanson hit three field goals, including a 47-yarder, while Stephen Trejo recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Lions (2-2).
Jets 17, Eagles 9
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets had no trouble keeping their starters healthy. They barely used any of them.
Marquel Blackwell threw two touchdown passes, leading the Jets’ backups over Philadelphia’s second- and third-stringers in the final preseason game for both teams.
Despite resting their starters, the Eagles (2-2) lost a key player when first-round pick Jerome McDougle went down with a left hip and ankle injury in the third quarter. He was taken off the field for X-rays, but the extent of the injuries wasn’t immediately known.
Blackwell, the No. 4 quarterback for the Jets (3-2), was 7-of-12 for 111 yards. He tossed TDs of 8 yards to B.J. Askew and 39 yards to Jonathan Carter.
David Akers, a second-team All-Pro last season, kicked field goals of 37, 40 and 46 yards for Philadelphia. Greg Lewis, a rookie free agent from Illinois, had six catches for 113 yards.
Jaguars 17, Redskins 15
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mark Brunell threw a touchdown pass in the first quarter. It almost certainly won’t be his last for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Brunell was named the starter for the regular-season opener after Jacksonville (3-1) beat the Washington Redskins in the final exhibition game.
Brunell’s future has come into question in the past week, as talk that the Jaguars were putting out trade feelers about the 11-year veteran circulated around the league. Coach Jack Del Rio denied the team was trying to trade him.
Washington starter Patrick Ramsey went 1-for-3 for 3 yards in two series. Ladell Betts (six rushes, 21 yards) did little to distinguish himself as a threat to take the starting running back job from Canidate.
Bucs 34, Texans 3
TAMPA, Fla. – Shaun King threw for 146 yards and a touchdown as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Houston Texans in their final tuneup for the regular season.
The Super Bowl champions (4-1) outgained the Texans (0-4) 243-47 while amassing 17 first downs to Houston’s two in the opening half. Tampa Bay’s starting defense played only one series, but the Bucs didn’t allow a TD for the second straight week.
Tampa Bay opens the regular season Sept. 8 at Philadelphia in a rematch of last season’s NFC championship game. Houston begins at Miami on Sept. 7.
Browns 20, Falcons 9
CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Browns ended the preseason with a win and without any issues at quarterback.
The Atlanta Falcons weren’t so lucky.
Kelly Holcomb passed for 126 yards in two series and William Green had a touchdown run, leading the Browns past the Atlanta Falcons.
Holcomb, who beat out Tim Couch for the starting job during training camp, completed a 68-yard pass on his first throw as the Browns (1-3) tuned up for their Sept. 7 opener against the Indianapolis Colts.
Couch replaced Holcomb in the second quarter and threw a 57-yard TD pass to Dennis Northcutt. Couch finished 7-of-8 for 144 yards.
Atlanta’s Doug Johnson, filling in at QB while Michael Vick recovers from a broken leg, passed for 147 yards and Jay Feely kicked a 51-yard field goal for the Falcons (0-4).
Chiefs 22, Rams 6
ST. LOUIS – Two days after Orlando Pace ended his holdout, the St. Louis Rams put the All-Pro offensive tackle to the test.
Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk didn’t start for St. Louis (1-3) in the final tuneup for the regular season, a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the annual Governor’s Cup game. The Chiefs (3-2) also limited their star players’ exposure or held them out altogether in a game so lacking in drama the biggest cheer of the night came when Kerry Robinson hit a game-winning ninth-inning homer as the Cardinals beat the Cubs at Busch Stadium.
Trent Green played one series, completing his only pass for a 6-yard touchdown to Omar Easy in the first quarter. Priest Holmes didn’t play, a precaution after his hip injury last year, and tight end Tony Gonzalez also sat after a minor knee injury on Tuesday.
Cowboys 52, Raiders 13
IRVING, Texas – Quincy Carter gave coach Bill Parcells plenty of reason to believe he picked the right starting quarterback.
Carter led the Dallas Cowboys to four touchdowns and a field goal on five drives, scrambling to throw a 69-yard touchdown pass and heaving a 49-yarder against the Oakland Raiders’ first-string defense in the preseason finale.
The Cowboys (2-2) scored 31 points in the first half, then added three more touchdowns – including a 96-yard kickoff return by Reggie Swinton – to break the team record for points in a preseason game. It was set by the 1971 club that went on to win the team’s first Super Bowl title.
The lopsided loss capped a disappointing preseason for the reigning AFC champs. How disappointing? Well, with two touchdowns, the Raiders (1-3) actually had their most points yet.
Giants 30, Ravens 24
BALTIMORE – Kyle Boller turned in a spectacular performance in his final audition for the role as starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens.
The rookie threw two touchdown passes to stake the Ravens to a 17-point lead over the New York Giants, who eventually rallied for the win.
Boller, the 19th overall pick in the 2003 draft, gained the upper hand in his duel with four-year veteran Chris Redman for the right to start the Sept. 7 opener at Pittsburgh.
Playing without a host of veterans, the Giants (1-3) took advantage of six turnovers to pull out the victory.
New York coach Jim Fassel rested starting quarterback Kerry Collins and running back Tiki Barber. The Giants did not dress 11 injured players, including tight end Jeremy Shockey (rib) and defensive end Michael Strahan (toe).
Cardinals 31, Vikings 27
MINNEAPOLIS – Arizona lost its starting quarterback early but the Cardinals’ reserves played well enough to give the team its first 4-0 preseason in 12 years.
Third-string quarterback Preston Parsons ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to lead the Cardinals past the Minnesota Vikings (1-3) in the final exhibition game for both teams.
Parsons went 13-for-16 for 156 yards. Running back Damian Anderson had five carries for 119 yards, including runs of 69 and 32.
The game was played despite the Cardinals’ request that it be postponed because of poor turf conditions.
The Cardinals lost starter Jeff Blake to a concussion when Vikings tackle Chris Hovan sacked him on the game’s first offensive play – the sack was negated by a penalty on Vikings cornerback Denard Walker.
Dolphins 24, Saints 10
NEW ORLEANS – Jay Fiedler only threw five times and connected just twice. Then, like most of the starters for both teams, he took the night off to save himself for the regular season.
Fiedler, who played in two series, hit Chris Chambers for a 38-yard gain that took the Dolphins to the Saints’ 14-yard line. He followed that up with a touchdown toss to Derrius Thompson, putting Miami up 7-0 in a game they went on to win.
Ki-Jana Carter, the No. 1 pick overall in the 1995 draft by Cincinnati, gained 94 yards in 25 carries as he tried to lock up the backup spot behind McAlister. He also caught three passes for 26 yards.
Sage Rosenfels played for most of the first half, completing 10 of 19 for 103 yards and two touchdowns. He put the Dolphins up 14-7 late in the second quarter, capping an 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Obafemi Ayanbadejo.