Ex-Ravens kicker Stover retires, headed for Ring of Honor

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Former Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover announced his retirement Thursday, ending a career that spanned two decades in the NFL.

A one-time Pro Bowl selection who provided much of the offense for the Ravens' Super Bowl championship team in 2000, Stover leaves the NFL as the No. 4 scorer in the league's history, with 2,004 points and 471 field goals. He's the Ravens' all-time leading scorer with 1,464 points.

"No regrets," the 43-year-old kicker said during a news conference at the Ravens' training complex. "I gave it all I had. I can look back at that and say I did all I could to be everything I could be."

Stover also ranks seventh in the league in field-goal accuracy, with an 83.7 percent success rate.

"Matt has been one of the most reliable Baltimore Ravens we've had in this franchise," general manager Ozzie Newsome said.

Stover will be inducted Nov. 20 into the Ravens' Ring of Honor at M&T Bank Stadium. He kicked for the Ravens for 13 years after spending the early portion of his career with the original Cleveland Browns before the team moved to Maryland in 1996.

"Being part of the Ring of Honor means I meant so much to my team and community," Stover said. "That is an awesome, awesome privilege. To be asked to be a part of that is the biggest honor I can receive."

Stover last kicked for the Indianapolis Colts as an injury replacement for Adam Vinatieri and made a field goal in their Super Bowl loss to the New Orleans Saints in February 2010. Stover didn't play last season.

Stover connected on 471 of 563 career field-goal attempts, making 354 of 418 attempts with the Ravens, and connected on 402 of 403 extra-point tries.

During the Ravens' Super Bowl season, Stover scored all of their points during a five-game stretch in which the offense failed to score a touchdown.

"We don't win that Super Bowl that year without Matt," Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said. "When you win a Super Bowl when you can't score a touchdown in October is quite a remarkable feat. To win two of five games that you don't score a touchdown is something that I don't think will ever be repeated in the NFL.

"We're allowed a little hero worship in Baltimore with our kicker."

Stover, a former Louisiana Tech standout selected in the 12th round by the New York Giants in the 1990 NFL Draft, signed with the Browns in 1991 as a Plan B free agent.

"He'll be revered in this town for as long as people talk about football," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Every time I walk in the stadium, I'll see his name up there in the Ring of Honor, and I'll be hoping our kicker kicks just as well as he always did."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Broncos place kicker Prater on IR with groin injury

The Denver Broncos have placed kicker Matt Prater on season-ending injured reserve.

To fill the open roster spot, the Broncos promoted offensive lineman Jeff Byers from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced Thursday.

Prater has missed the last two games with a groin injury. Steven Hauschka has filled in, connecting on 5 of 6 field-goal attempts in games at Arizona and Oakland.

In his career with the Broncos, Prater has made 71 of 87 field-goal attempts, the best accuracy rate in team history for anyone with a minimum of 50 attempts.

Known for a booming leg, Prater has made nine field-goal tries of 50 or more yards in his career, including two this season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Niners kicker Nedney doubtful vs. Cards after missing practice

Joe Nedney didn't practice Saturday and was listed as doubtful on the San Francisco 49ers' injury report, meaning Shane Andrus likely will be the team's kicker in Monday night's meeting with the Arizona Cardinals.

Nedney also missed practice Thursday and Friday because of a right knee injury that kept him out of last weekend's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Andrus played in Nedney's place but didn't attempt a field goal or extra point in the 49ers' 21-0 loss.

Cornerback William James, who also missed the game against the Buccaneers, was listed as doubtful, too, because of a concussion. Offensive tackle Joe Staley was ruled out for the second consecutive game while he recovers from a broken leg.

Safety Dashon Goldson (ankle) is questionable for the 49ers. Cornerback Nate Clements (ankle), offensive tackle Anthony Davis (ankle), tight end Vernon Davis (ankle), running back Frank Gore (ankle) and wide receiver Josh Morgan (shoulder) are all probable.

Wide receiver Steve Breaston (knee), defensive end Calais Campbell (ankle), linebacker Clark Haggans (groin), running back LaRod Stephens-Howling (hamstring), cornerback Gregory Toler (foot) and defensive tackle Dan Williams (toe) are all questionable for the Cardinals after being limited in Saturday's practice. Cornerback Michael Adams (ribs), defensive tackle Darnell Dockett (shoulder), wide receiver Early Doucet (head), safety Kerry Rhodes (hand, back) and linebacker Reggie Walker (hamstring) fully practiced and are probable.

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Missed point-after try vs. Bears is first for Bills kicker Lindell

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Saints sign ex-Seahawks RB Jones, cut kicker Carney

The New Orleans Saints decided they needed a new running back more than two field-goal kickers.

Hoping to boost a running game that ranks 31st in the NFL through five games, the Saints on Tuesday signed former Seattle Seahawks running back Julius Jones and released 46-year-old kicker John Carney.

The Seahawks released Jones on Oct. 5 to clear a roster spot for Marshawn Lynch, whom they acquired from the Buffalo Bills in a trade. Jones, 29, restructured his contract and took a hefty pay cut right before the start of the season, then carried the ball just 12 times for 30 yards in two games for Seattle this season.

Jones was the Seahawks' leading rusher the previous two seasons, gaining 663 yards last season and 698 yards in 2008. Now he joins a Saints backfield that has been hurt by injuries and bad bounces.

The Saints, who are averaging just 75.6 rushing yards per game, have lost two of three games since running back Reggie Bush fractured a bone in his lower right leg. Pierre Thomas, the team's leading rusher last season, has missed the past two games with a left ankle injury. Backup Ladell Betts lost a fumble that was returned for a score and tipped a pass that was intercepted Sunday during the Saints' 30-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Betts and undrafted rookie Chris Ivory have received all the work at running back the last two games, and Saints coach Sean Payton said as recently as Monday that he didn't plan to look for another option at the position.

"These are guys that we have a lot of confidence in," Payton said Monday of Betts and Ivory. "I felt a week ago that Ladell played very well. ... I thought Chris ran hard (Sunday). We'll keep coaching them. These are our guys. There's no one walking in here to save the day on the street right now."

The coach's stance apparently shifted Tuesday, when the Saints also announced that they signed safety Matt Giordano, a free agent, and waived reserve running back DeShawn Wynn.

Carney signed with the Saints in late September to fill in for struggling Garrett Hartley, who was inactive the past two weeks but is poised to reclaim the job now. Carney made five of six field-goal attempts in two games, missing the final one -- from 29 yards out -- late in the third quarter of the Saints' loss at Arizona.

Giordano is a six-year veteran who spent four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and was with the Green Bay Packers in 2009. The Saints must play at least one more week without free safety Darren Sharper, who began the season on the physically unable to perform list. New Orleans also lost reserve safety Chris Reis to a season-ending shoulder injury two weeks ago.

Wynn has played in four games for the Saints this season and made two tackles on special teams.

Running back Clifton Smith, a former Pro Bowl kick returner who was waived by the Miami Dolphins last month, and defensive back Quincy Butler, who was with the St. Louis Rams last year after being on the Saints' practice squad for part of the 2008 season, also worked out with the Saints on Tuesday, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora reported, citing league sources.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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