NFL briefs
Ravens’ Ogden may miss Sunday’s game with Bills Pro Bowl tackle Jonathan Ogden did not practice Wednesday and will almost certainly sit out the Baltimore Ravens’ game Sunday against Buffalo with a hyperextended left big toe.
Ogden missed his first game of the season last weekend in Pittsburgh and was listed as doubtful on Wednesday’s injury report.
“It’s getting a lot better,” he said. “I have no idea about this week, but one thing is for sure: I’ll be back for the playoffs. That’s the plan.”
Ogden was replaced last week by second-year player Adam Terry, who practiced with the first-team offense Wednesday and anticipates starting again Sunday.
“It’s what I’m here for,” Terry said. “I expect that all the time. I’m one play away. It’s the reality of the situation. You go in when they need you.”
The Ravens (12-3) need a victory Sunday to guarantee the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a first-round bye. It’s an important game, but Baltimore is even more interested in making sure Ogden is healthy for the playoffs.
By giving him another week off, that would mean Ogden would have at least two weeks – plus a possible bye week – to heal.
“It’s always really huge to have a bye,” Ogden said. “If we didn’t have one, I’d still foresee me being able to go, but a bye would really make things a whole lot easier on me.”
Ogden hasn’t entirely dismissed the notion of playing this week, but the fashion in which he limped around the locker room suggested he will spend Sunday afternoon on the sideline.
“The doctors went over the MRI with me and they said, “You need to rest right now.’ We’ll see what they say tomorrow and we’ll just go from there,” he said. “Right now it feels 100 percent better than it did last week at the same time. That being said, I can walk; that’s about it. If I try to run or do anything, it’s not happening. Last week, just walking was just sending shooting pains up my foot, so it’s definitely made a lot of progress.”
Linebacker Adalius Thomas missed part of practice Wednesday with an ankle injury and was listed as questionable.
Bengals
Center Rich Braham will retire after the final regular-season game Sunday, ending a career that spanned 13 seasons and had him snapping to six starting quarterbacks.
Braham, 36, has the longest tenure of any current Bengals player. He hasn’t played since injuring a knee during the second game of the season.
He is not expected to play Sunday when the Bengals (8-7) finish their regular season against Pittsburgh. Coach Marvin Lewis said Braham will be honored on the field before the game.
Braham is one of only six players with at least 13 seasons in Cincinnati. He was a walk-on at West Virginia, where he developed into a starting left tackle, and was taken in the third round by Arizona in 1994. The Bengals claimed him off waivers during his rookie season, and he has played the rest of his career in Cincinnati.
Braham moved from left guard to center in 1999.
Jaguars
Safety Deon Grant missed practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury and was listed as doubtful for the season finale at Kansas City.
Running back Fred Taylor returned to practice after missing last week’s game against New England and could be back in the starting lineup.
“I feel good. I feel pretty good actually,” Taylor said.
Taylor, who has 1,120 yards rushing and five touchdowns, hurt his right hamstring against Indianapolis on Dec. 10 and aggravated the injury on his second carry the following week at Tennessee.
The Jaguars also ruled out reserve offensive lineman Stockar McDougle for Sunday’s game with a sternum injury.
Rams
The NFC’s offensive player of the week isn’t thinking about anything but the playoffs.
“Those awards are gratifying but there’s bigger business to take care of right now,” running back Steven Jackson said. “I’ll reflect back on all this after the season. Right now, I’m focusing on beating Minnesota and hopefully sneaking into the playoffs.”
To reach the playoffs, the Rams (7-8) must defeat the Vikings on the road and have the Giants, Panthers and Falcons all lose or tie.
In a 37-31 overtime win against Washington, Jackson, in his third season out of Oregon State, rushed for 150 yards on 33 carries and grabbed six passes for 102 yards. In doing so, he became the first Ram to have more than 100 yards rushing and receiving in a game.
In the win, Jackson scored twice: a 64-yard reception and a 21-yard gallop in overtime for the winning points.
“Statisticallywise, it may have been my best game of the season,” Jackson said, “but I just don’t look at the numbers. I make sure I protect Marc (Bulger) and do the intangible things my coach asks me to do.”
Jackson has 2,168 yards from scrimmage this season, first in the NFC, second in the NFL. Jackson has 1,386 yards rushing (third NFC, fifth NFL), the most by a Ram since Jerome Bettis’ 1,429 yards in 1993.
He earned his first Pro Bowl berth this season and leads the Rams with 88 receptions, second in the NFC, fifth in the NFL. His 88 receptions are a Rams record for a running back.
“I think I’m developing as a player and as a man, coming into my own,” Jackson said. “I’m a guy not only working on making myself better, but the other people around me. It’s a team sport and whatever I accomplish, my teammates accomplish.”
Dolphins
The secondary, which has struggled even when healthy, will face Peyton Manning on Sunday depleted by injuries.
The Dolphins placed starting cornerback Andre Goodman (shoulder) and reserve cornerback Eddie Jackson (knee) on injured reserve. Both players were hurt in Monday’s loss to the New York Jets.
In addition, starting safety Renaldo Hill (wrist) and reserve safety Travares Tillman (hamstring) are questionable. Manning is certain to make note of the disarray in the Dolphins’ defense.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Hill said. “Don’t count us out. Whoever is out there is going to do their best job. It’s a great opportunity for everybody, going against a future Hall of Famer.”
Travis Daniels will start in place of Goodman. Miami signed safety Norman LeJeune and cornerback Shirdonya Mitchell off the practice squad.
Titans
Defensive lineman Tony Brown hyperextended his right knee during practice Wednesday and will undergo an MRI exam. Brown hurt his knee when he planted on his leg and went down.
Brown was signed a day after the NFL suspended Albert Haynesworth for five games, and he has played in 11 games with two starts. He had 47 tackles and 13 quarterback pressures.
Defensive tackle Robaire Smith (toe) missed practice and is questionable for Sunday’s game with New England (11-4). Defensive end Travis LaBoy also is questionable with a sore knee. Defensive linemen Rien Long and Antwan Odom already are on injured reserve.
Running back Travis Henry watched practice to rest his sore ankle. Receiver Bobby Wade also is questionable with a mild ankle sprain.
Bills
Kicker Rian Lindell agreed to a five-year contract extension, preventing him from becoming an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
The deal, worth close to $10 million, was reached this week, Lindell’s agent Paul Sheehy said Wednesday. Lindell is a seven-year veteran in his fourth season with Buffalo, solidifying a job that had been in flux since Steve Christie was released during the 2001 season.
“The No. 1 thing was to get the deal done and stay in Buffalo,” Sheehy said, noting that Lindell is happy with being part of one of the NFL’s dominant special teams units.
The move comes as the Bills (7-8), eliminated from playoff contention, close their season at Baltimore this weekend.
Lindell has hit 23 of 25 field goal attempts, a 92 percent success rate that’s currently a single-season best. He’s been particularly effective kicking in the blustery conditions at Ralph Wilson Stadium, while also going 10-of-12 from 40 yards or longer, including two from beyond 50.
He matched a career high with five field goals in a 30-29 loss to Tennessee last weekend.
Lindell has also hit all 32 extra-point attempts, extending his career-long streak to 223 straight since he broke into the NFL with Seattle in 2000. It’s the second longest streak by a player from the start of a career, 11 short of matching the record set by Tommy Davis.
Redskins
Washington placed cornerback Shawn Springs on injured reserve and released cornerback Mike Rumph.
Springs broke the scapula in his right shoulder in the first series of Sunday’s loss to St. Louis, ending a frustrating season for the 10-year veteran. Springs missed the first five games following abdominal surgery and missed another game with a hamstring injury.
Rumph was acquired in the trade that sent receiver Taylor Jacobs to San Francisco in August. He played as a reserve early in the season, but has been inactive for seven of the last eight games.
Jacobs, meanwhile, has caught only two passes this season for the 49ers.
Springs and Rumph were replaced on the active roster by defensive backs John Eubanks and Leigh Torrence. Eubanks, an undrafted free agent from Southern Mississippi, has spent the season on the practice squad. Torrence, from Stanford, played 10 games with Atlanta last year, but was waived following this year’s training camp.
The Redskins also signed tackle Calvin Armstrong and receiver Ryan Hoag to the practice squad.
Panthers
Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme practiced Wednesday for the first time in more than three weeks and could play in the Panthers’ regular-season finale against New Orleans.
Delhomme, sidelined since suffering ligament damage in his right thumb in Carolina’s loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 4, had been unable to grip a football. But he was able to throw Wednesday and worked with the first team. He’s listed as questionable for Sunday’s must-win for the Panthers’ to have a chance to reach the playoffs.
“It’s real good to get your starting quarterback back,” Panthers coach John Fox said. “With his leadership and what he means for this team, it’s important to have him back.”
Chris Weinke has struggled filling in for Delhomme in the past three games. Carolina ended its four-game losing streak with a 10-3 win over Atlanta by running the ball a team-record 52 times. Weinke threw only seven passes, completing four for 32 yards and a touchdown.
The win allowed Carolina (7-8) to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Panthers would qualify with a win against the Saints, combined with losses by the New York Giants against Washington on Saturday and Green Bay against Chicago on Sunday night.
Receiver Drew Carter (ankle) and linebacker Thomas Davis (shoulder) did not practice Wednesday and are listed as questionable.