Jets' Sanchez has MRI on shoulder, should be OK to face Bears

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Mark Sanchez beat the Pittsburgh Steelers with a sore shoulder.

Coach Rex Ryan said the New York Jets quarterback had an MRI exam Monday on his right shoulder, which was "kind of sore" after it was banged up early in the team's 22-17 win Sunday. Ryan downplayed the MRI, saying it was strictly "precautionary," and Sanchez should be fine to play at Chicago next Sunday.

"Anytime it's your quarterback, you're going to make sure he's OK," Ryan said.

Ryan said Sanchez banged up the shoulder during the Jets' second drive.

"It was like the first time he ran with the football," Ryan said. "His arm was in an awkward position, but it never affected him."

Sanchez was 19 of 29 for 170 yards with a touchdown rushing and no interceptions, snapping an eight-game streak of being picked off at least once.

"As somebody said, 'Maybe this should happen to you in all these games,' because he played great," Ryan said.

And, would that "somebody" happen to be Ryan?

"No, it wasn't me," Ryan said with a big grin. "Mark and I aren't talking. I'm just kidding."

Ryan also joked that he probably shouldn't have said anything about the shoulder.

"Now that's going to be our story," he said. "Oh, no."

Ryan added that Sanchez might be limited at practice this week because he got "beat up pretty good," along with several teammates in a physical game with the Steelers. He also revealed that he took some practice snaps away from Sanchez -- "one or two" -- last week to "tick him off more than anything else."

Sanchez had been struggling coming into the game against the Steelers, having thrown one touchdown and five interceptions in his last three games.

"You send a message that, you know what? You're my guy, and everybody knows you're my guy," Ryan said. "It will make him accountable, I'll make everybody accountable."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Lions' Stanton suffers shoulder injury; Schwartz mum on starter

Detroit Lions quarterback Drew Stanton has a separated shoulder, reports the Detroit News, citing a source.

Stanton suffered a Grade 3 separation of the AC Joint in his left shoulder in the second quarter of the Lions' 23-20 win over the Buccaneers. The injury is to his non-throwing shoulder and he played through pain for the remainder of the game Sunday, leading the Lions on the game-winning drive in overtime and finishing with 252 yards and one touchdown.

"Drew showed a lot of toughness out there," coach Jim Schwartz said in his news conference Monday. "He suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter and finished the game with it, played the best game that I've seen him play."

Stanton was backed up by Shaun Hill, who started eight games earlier this season after regular starter Matthew Stafford was injured. Then Hill broke his index finger and was replaced by Stanton, who has started the last three for the Lions.

Hill returned to practice last Wednesday for the first time since injuring his hand. He was impressive in relief of Stafford, throwing for 2,206 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in nine games, eight as a starter.

On Monday, Schwartz gave no indication of who would be under center against the Dolphins, saying he would wait until "probably Sunday" to make a decision.

He even mentioned Stafford as a possibility.

"We'll keep an open mind on all three guys and by the end of the week we'll have a pretty good plan to go forward," Schwartz said. "Drew definitely played well but we have a lot of other considerations."

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Favre struggling with shoulder injury; status still unknown

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brett Favre's sprained throwing shoulder makes it difficult for him to put on a shirt or pull on his socks, so the 41-year-old Minnesota Vikings quarterback will wait a few days before he decides about playing against the New York Giants on Sunday.

Favre said Wednesday that he is unsure if he will be able to extend his NFL record for consecutive games started. He hopes a few more days of rest will provide some clarity for him to make a decision by Friday, but Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier said he wouldn't be surprised if it goes right up until game time.

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Favre has started in 297 consecutive regular-season games, a record he cherishes more than any other he has achieved over the past 20 seasons. But if that mark ends Sunday, Favre insisted he is fine with that.

"It really hasn't crossed my mind this week that I've got to get out there to keep the streak going," Favre said. "I think the most important streak right now is we've won two in a row."

Favre didn't practice Wednesday and said it was unlikely that he would get much work in this week. He has played through numerous injuries throughout his career to keep the remarkable streak going, a reputation for toughness that has Frazier thinking that Favre will be ready to go again this week.

"Brett Favre is so, so unique when it comes to recovering from injuries," Frazier said. "I'm optimistic that he will be out there playing on Sunday."

In what he says is his final season, Favre has only reinforced his iron-man reputation. He is playing on a left foot that has two broken bones and also has played through tendinitis in his throwing elbow and injuries to his calf, neck, back and chin.

Still, Favre has thrown a league-high 18 interceptions, and his 69.6 passer rating ranks 29th in the league, ahead of just Arizona Cardinals veteran Derek Anderson and Carolina Panthers rookie Jimmy Clausen.

Favre said this injury, a sprained SC joint, is different. He has never had one like it before and isn't sure how he will recover. It happened when he was crunched by Buffalo Bills linebacker Arthur Moats in the third play of the game last Sunday and is even more significant because it is in Favre's throwing shoulder, which rendered him unable to play the rest of the game.

"I know if I pull my shirt over my head right now, I'm going to feel it," Favre said. "And if you think that way in a game: 'Ooh, if I throw this hook, it's going to (hurt), I may want to throw it to the flat first,' then I probably shouldn't play."

Tarvaris Jackson filled in for the rest of the game, throwing two touchdowns and three interceptions in Minnesota's 38-14 victory over Buffalo. If Favre cannot play, Jackson would make the start.

Frazier said team doctors and trainers are still discussing if a painkilling injection would even help Favre. A sprained SC joint is a rare injury in football, and the location -- where the collarbone meets the breastbone -- can make it more difficult to quickly rehabilitate.

Despite the beating he has taken this season, Favre still said he doesn't have any regrets about returning. He sometimes thinks about the toll that it will take on his body five or 10 years down the road.

"I think had I not played this year, I was going to still feel the 19 years I've played for many years to come," Favre said. "I probably haven't helped myself too much this year. But I chose to play, that's part of it. As an older player, you find it harder, as we all do, to recover from certain injuries. But that's the price you pay."

Frazier said it isn't an option to start Favre to keep the streak alive, then pull him for Jackson early in the game.

"Either he can go or he can't go," Frazier said. "We'd like to make that determination, and when he goes in there, we're at full expectation that he'll play for four quarters. That will be the plan. We wouldn't go into it, get a start, play a couple reps and get out. No."

That's fine with Favre.

"I want to see this through, and that means game and season," Favre said. "But I also don't want to jeopardize the team by just doing it for selfish reasons, and I wouldn't do that. Just treat it day to day, and if the streak's over this week, it's over."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Lions stick with Stanton, even as Stafford tests shoulder

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Matthew Stafford is able to throw again, but Drew Stanton remains the Detroit Lions' starting quarterback.

Stafford threw a few 10-yard passes at the start of practice Wednesday, testing an injured right shoulder that has bothered him all season. Stafford has hurt the shoulder twice and has played only one full game this season.

With backup quarterback Shaun Hill also injured, Lions coach Jim Schwartz said Stanton will start for a second consecutive game when the team hosts the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Stanton went 16-of-24 passing for 178 yards and one touchdown in a loss to the Chicago Bears last weekend.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders QB Gradkowski re-injures shoulder in return

Bruce Gradkowski is likely headed back to the bench for the Oakland Raiders. But it doesn't have anything to do with the quarterback's performance.

The Contra Costa Times reported on Sunday night that Gradkowski re-injured his throwing shoulder in Oakland's 33-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Gradkowski told the paper that his shoulder felt similar to when he suffered a third-degree separation against the San Diego Chargers in Week 5. That injury cost him five weeks.

The fifth-year pro was back into the starting lineup on Sunday in place of Jason Campbell. For the season, Gradkowski is 66 for 125 (52.8 percent) for 807 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions.

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Lions: Too early to tell on QB Stafford's latest shoulder injury

ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Matthew Stafford threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in Week 9 -- the type of performance the Detroit Lions envisioned when they selected him with the top pick in the 2009 draft.

Then, with the game on the line, Stafford headed to the sideline with yet another injury. Not only did the Lions lose the game, but now they have to face tough questions about whether their franchise quarterback can stay healthy.

"I don't question his durability at all," coach Jim Schwartz said. "He hasn't been able to play as much as he'd like to play, but he hasn't been hampered by hangnails or, you know, headaches or anything like that. He's been hit by 290-pound guys going full speed."

Stafford's status is again uncertain after he injured his right shoulder late in the fourth quarter during a 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Jets last Sunday. He separated the same shoulder in the season opener and missed the next five games. Schwartz said the two injuries aren't related, but the team plans to be careful with Stafford.

None of Detroit's quarterbacks were in the locker room Monday when it was open to reporters, although Stafford later told WJR radio he doesn't think he'll play this weekend at Buffalo.

Schwartz said Stafford had an MRI exam on Monday and that surgery wasn't being discussed, but that it's too early to tell how severe this injury is.

"I think I just, all our tests and consultations and everything else, I just won't comment any more on," Schwartz said. "He'll be thoroughly evaluated."

Rookie wide receiver Michael Moore, who played with Stafford at Georgia, was more than willing to vouch for Stafford's toughness.

"We played Kentucky a couple years ago," Moore said. "He took a shot to the face without a helmet on and he was bleeding out the face, and he came back in the second half and we won the game."

Stafford has started 13 games as a pro, with six touchdown passes and one interception in limited action this season. The Lions (2-6) clearly are improving, but their top quarterback has played only one full game this season.

Stafford also missed six games as a rookie with a banged-up left shoulder and a sore right knee.

If Stafford is out, the Lions don't necessarily know who their starter would be. Drew Stanton relieved him Sunday, but only because Shaun Hill, who started the five games Stafford missed earlier this season, was still recovering from a broken arm that knocked him out of a game three weeks ago against the New York Giants.

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Schwartz said Hill could potentially be ready by this weekend, but the Lions have a lot to consider over the next couple days.

They also may need to bring in new kickers after Jason Hanson hurt his right knee Sunday.

"Jason Hanson could potentially miss some time," Schwartz said.

Hanson's injury forced 307-pound rookie Ndamukong Suh to try an extra point, which hit the right upright, costing the Lions a point they could have used later when the Jets tied the game on a last-second field goal. Suh grew up playing soccer, and Schwartz said he was prepared to kick in an emergency, but the coach said he probably should have called a timeout to give his defensive lineman some time to warm up.

"I put him in a bad position," Schwartz said. "It was a crucial extra point in the game -- probably worth a timeout."

According to the NFL, the last defensive lineman to make an extra point or field goal was Green Bay's Dave Pureifory, who made an extra point on Sept. 29, 1975.

Schwartz also addressed comments by Jets linebacker Bart Scott that the Lions played dirty Sunday. Both teams were penalized 11 times.

"You probably have to consider the source," Schwartz said. "Rather than talk about Bart Scott, let me talk about a really classy guy in Trevor Pryce. Trevor Pryce was the guy that ran into Jason Hanson and got Jason Hanson hurt. Trevor Pryce sought me out after the game to apologize. ... To me, that's a very classy player and I think that speaks a lot about the Jets."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Stafford re-injures right shoulder in overtime loss to Jets

DETROIT -- Matthew Stafford's return to the lineup lasted less than two games.

The Detroit quarterback hurt his right shoulder again late in his team's 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Jets on Sunday.

With the Lions leading 20-10, Stafford was tackled trying to scramble deep in his own territory and landed on the shoulder. He separated the same shoulder in the season opener and missed the next five games, not returning until last week's win over Washington.

It's not clear how serious this latest injury is.

"He's very sore," coach Jim Schwartz said. "We took enough time with it that we thought that, any re-injury would be a new injury. We'll see where he is with that."

Stafford, the No. 1 pick in last year's draft, headed to the sideline with 5:19 to play Sunday and was replaced by Drew Stanton. Stafford threw for two touchdowns and ran for one before hurting himself.

"That was a tough situation because he had green grass in front of him and had his chance to break out of there and run," Schwartz said. "But some of those plays we just need to throw it away. We didn't want to throw incomplete passes in those situations. He ran it."

Backup Shaun Hill has been recovering from a broken arm suffered three weeks ago against the New York Giants, which is why Stanton was pressed into service as the game slipped away.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Jags' Britton to undergo season-ending surgery on shoulder

The Jacksonville Jaguars' 25th-ranked offense just took another hit.

An MRI exam on right tackle Eben Britton's shoulder Monday revealed a torn labrum, and the second-year pro will have season-ending shoulder surgery.

Britton underwent X-rays and wore a sling on the shoulder after the Jaguars' 42-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Britton dislocated his shoulder during the second quarter, popped it back in place himself and returned to the game. He dislocated it again on the next series. This time, he couldn't get it back in place without help from team doctors.

Britton said he believes "the damage was done at that point."

Tests Monday revealed the extent of the injury, and Britton plans to have surgery soon. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said if Britton has surgery, he likely would be lost for the season.

Jordan Black, a seventh-year veteran, will replace Britton in the lineup beginning Sunday at Dallas.

Britton has started 22 games for the Jaguars over the past two seasons. His absence is a tangible loss for an offensive line that already lacks depth.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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As 49ers arrive in London, QB Smith nurses injured shoulder

LONDON -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith spent Monday morning at a London hospital having his injured left shoulder examined, and he is still waiting to hear if he will be able to play Sunday against the Denver Broncos at Wembley Stadium.

The 49ers (1-6) flew to London from Charlotte, where they blew a late lead and lost to the Carolina Panthers 23-20. Smith was injured on a third-quarter sack and still had his non-throwing arm in a sling Monday afternoon.

"It's all right. Could be better," Smith said after arriving at the team's hotel outside London from the hospital.

Smith completed 9 of 19 passes for 129 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers. He was hurt when a mix-up on protection allowed Charles Johnson to come in and tackle him on the blind side, driving his shoulder into the turf.

Smith was still in pain and hadn't slept much since the team flew to London overnight. As far as playing against the Broncos, the quarterback said he had no idea.

"I'm still waiting to hear from the doctors," he said.

San Francisco coach Mike Singletary also was in the dark about Smith's status.

"I'm not a doctor, so we'll have to wait and see," he said.

The 49ers and Broncos are playing in the fourth regular-season game in the British capital. The three previous games were sellouts, and this one is expected to be as well.

For Singletary, though, the trip is about making his struggling team better.

"For us, it's a nice chance to get away and regroup, rethink," Singletary said. "It really works to be a bonus for us. It really gives us a chance to kind of get away from the hustle and bustle of the NFL, to come over and kind of think through some things, look at maybe some changes we need to make."

Although Singletary wouldn't be specific on what changes were needed, the 49ers led by seven points until the Panthers tied the score with 1:59 to go. Less than a minute later, backup quarterback David Carr threw an interception that set up Carolina's winning field goal.

"We're going to figure it out this week. It's important for us to continue to try and put the pieces in place that gives us a chance to get over the edge," Singletary said. "We still have a chance to have a good season and accomplish some of the goals that we wanted to accomplish at the beginning of the season."

Linebacker Patrick Willis said the team still has a chance to win the NFC West, since the first-place Seattle Seahawks are just 4-2.

The first step toward that goal is to put Sunday's loss behind.

"Right now we still got to put closure to the game we played yesterday," Willis said. "Hopefully us coming over ahead of time will get us acclimated ... get our bodies ready to play a good football game."

The Broncos aren't due to arrive until Friday, giving them less time to get accustomed to the city and the surroundings.

"We know this a business trip, but at the same time, we have a younger football team, and I wanted our guys to come and get a taste of the culture, a little bit of that, and at the same time get a feel for the environment and the weather and the whole nine yards," Singletary said. "And just be settled by the time the game starts."

And be ready to play another team that has been struggling -- the Broncos fell to 2-5 after losing 59-14 to the visiting Oakland Raiders on Sunday.

"We can't let that loss (to the Panthers) get to us," 49ers tight end Vernon Davis said. "We have to keep moving forward, keep our heads up and do what we have to do."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Smith injures non-throwing shoulder in 49ers' loss to Panthers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith knew the feeling immediately after Charles Johnson's 275 pounds landed on his left shoulder.

Fearing he has the same injury that cut short his 2007 season -- only this time to his non-throwing shoulder -- Smith said after Sunday's 23-20 loss to Carolina that he planned to fly to London with the team and get an MRI there. His playing status for next week's game against Denver is uncertain.

"It's definitely the AC, I think. It's very similar," Smith said, referring to the acromioclavicular joint that's sometimes called a separated shoulder. "But I don't know to what extent. There's not really much to say right now."

Smith, who was injured on a third-quarter sack, said X-rays were negative, but he was wearing a black sling after the game. His injury is complicated by San Francisco's travel schedule. The team was to fly directly from Charlotte to London after Sunday's game.

"As of right now, we'll have to wait and get an MRI," coach Mike Singletary said. "We'll see how that works out and go from there."

Entering the game with a league-high nine interceptions, Smith completed 9 of 19 passes for 129 yards, one touchdown and no turnovers before a mix-up on protection allowed Johnson to come in and get Smith on the blind side, driving his shoulder into the turf.

Then came the familiar pain from 2007.

"You come down with all his body weight on that one point," Smith said. "I knew as soon as I landed on it. Same feeling, same pain."

Smith could only watch as David Carr replaced him with the game tied at 10 and threw a crucial interception with just over a minute left that set up John Kasay's game-winning 37-yard field goal with 39 seconds left.

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Carr completed just 5 of 13 passes for 67 yards, and with the 49ers (1-6) in desperation mode, Smith is hopeful he might be able to return quickly if the injury isn't too serious.

"The left hand doesn't do much," Smith said. "It doesn't really affect throwing. If you can take snaps and hand the ball off, I think you can still be pretty functional."

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Raiders QB Gradkowski exits vs. Chargers with shoulder injury

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders quarterback Bruce Gradkowski made a surprise, brief return at the start of the second half after being knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury.

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Gradkowski was hit hard by San Diego's Shaun Phillips on a pass play in the final minute of the first quarter Sunday. The play was originally ruled a fumble. The Raiders challenged and it was changed to an incomplete pass.

Gradkowski went to the locker room and was replaced by former starter Jason Campbell. The Raiders originally said Gradkowski would not return but he came out to start the second half. He threw two incompletions on one drive and then was replaced again by Campbell.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Lions WR Johnson knocked out of game with shoulder injury

DETROIT -- Detroit's Calvin Johnson sat out the final few minutes of his team's 44-6 win over St. Louis on Sunday after hurting his shoulder making a diving catch near the sideline.

Johnson said afterward the shoulder was sore before heading quickly to the training room. After coming out of the game, he had his jersey removed on the sideline before the shoulder was wrapped in ice.

The ice wrap was gone by the time Johnson spoke briefly to reporters in the locker room.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said only that Johnson "landed funny" on the play.

Johnson caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also caught a ball near the back corner of the end zone, but the play was ruled incomplete after a review because Johnson couldn't get both feet inbounds.

Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

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Colts safety Bullitt to miss rest of season after shoulder surgery

The Indianapolis Colts' beleaguered defense took another hit Tuesday.

The team announced that safety Melvin Bullitt, Bob Sanders' replacement, will miss the remainder of the season after he has surgery on his injured right shoulder. It's not what the Colts needed after giving up 31 points and 174 rushing yards during last weekend's loss at Jacksonville, but that's life in the NFL.

"There's obviously a lot of work to do on that side of the ball, and we've got to get that straightened away," Colts president Bill Polian said on his weekly radio show Monday night. "We've got good players there, but they're not playing well right now."

And now the Colts (2-2) will be short-handed, too.

The Colts said Tuesday that Bullitt will be placed on season-ending injured reserve, but they didn't reveal the exact nature of his ailment. However, The Indianapolis Star reported that Bullitt broke a bone in his shoulder.

"Worst possible news," Leonard Roth, Bullitt's agent, said in an e-mail to the newspaper. "He will be operated on in the next two weeks to repair it and get ready to go next year."

Bullitt, a former undrafted free agent, had started 24 of the Colts' past 36 regular-season games, mostly in place of the oft-injured Sanders, and had become one of the team's most consistent tacklers. So when Sanders went down in the season opener with a torn biceps muscle in his right arm, most people figured the Colts wouldn't lose much by putting Bullitt in the lineup.

Bullitt ranks seventh on the team this season with 13 tackles and has one of the Colts' three interceptions. Now, with Bullitt out for the season and Sanders expected to miss at least two more months of playing time, the Colts' already-thin secondary is in dire need of help.

Veteran Jamie Silva, normally the next in line, went down with a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament during the preseason, and the Colts started the season with just three safeties on the roster -- Sanders, Bullitt and two-time Pro Bowl pick Antoine Bethea. Now they only have Bethea available.

Bullitt hurt his shoulder twice Sunday, the second time midway through the third quarter. He already had put a hefty brace on the shoulder after being injured in the first half, the same brace he wore most of last season.

When Bullitt left the game, recently signed DaJuan Morgan took his place. Morgan has solid credentials as a third-round draft pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. This weekend, he likely will have a chance to start against his former team as the NFL's last unbeaten team visits Lucas Oil Stadium to challenge the Colts.

The team also activated undrafted rookie Mike Newton, a safety, from the practice squad Tuesday and re-signed veteran safety Aaron Francisco, who played with the AFC champion Colts last season after spending 2008 with the NFC champion Arizona Cardinals.

The rash of injuries has hit Indianapolis' defense hard.

Besides Sanders and Bullitt, starting linebacker Clint Session missed two games with a hamstring injury before he returned to play against the Jaguars. His backup, Kavell Conner, had surgery to repair a fractured left foot last week and already has been ruled out of this weekend's game against the Chiefs. Another backup linebacker, Ramon Humber, was placed on the waived-injured list after fracturing his right hand two weeks ago, and the Colts lost six defensive backs to season-ending injuries during training camp.

Plus, Indianapolis must fix a defense that has struggled to pressure quarterbacks the past two weeks and is allowing nearly 150 yards per game, 29th in the NFL.

"The way to develop consistency, and I'm going to paraphrase the great John Wooden here, but the best way to help the team is to improve yourself," Polian said. "So everybody on the team has to do the best they can do. If everybody concentrates the best they can do, if everybody goes out and does the best they can every week, things will work out."

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But it's not just the defense taking hits.

Wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez is set to miss his fourth consecutive game this weekend, and rookie kick returner Devin Moore will be placed on injured reserve with nerve damage in the neck or shoulder area.

The Colts also released defensive tackle Mitch King from the active roster and wide receiver Alric Arnett from the practice squad, and they signed wide receiver Kenneth Moore.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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