Hali, with nine sacks this season, has a sprained ankle, but no further damage. That doesn’t mean he’ll be available Sunday to face the Denver Broncos — he was still using a crutch on Monday — but it does not appear that Hali has sustained a season-threatening injury.
Justin Houston, Hali’s fellow defensive line mate, has a “sublexed” or dislocated elbow. There was still too much swelling in the area for him to have an MRI, which isn’t a good sign.
The two defensive stalwarts combined for 20 sacks going into Sunday’s loss to the San Diego Chargers. Without them, the strength of the Chiefs’ team is severely compromised. That makes facing Peyton Manning a second time in three weeks even more unsettling.
Against the Chargers, Hali left in the second quarter. Houston left with the Chiefs leading, 14-3. They lost 41-38. It was a far cry from the 13.8 points per game this defense had yielded this season. But even with the pair healthy, Manning and the Broncos dumped the then-unbeaten Chiefs, 27-17, while racking up 427 yards of total offense.
SCHIANO GETS SUPPORT
The embers were white hot beneath Bucs’ coach Greg Schiano just a few short weeks ago. Now, things are cooling a bit.
Tampa Bay has won three straight, beating the Dolphins, Falcons and Lions. That welcome change came on the heels of eight straight losses that were filled with ugliness.
There was the Josh Freeman trade, the MRSA outbreak, the “Fire Schiano” billboards throughout town and of course a handful of ex-players dealing verbal body blows to their former coach.
After all that, there’s this: “I think it’s tremendous,” co-chairman Joel Glazer said to the Tampa Tribune after the shocking win over the Lions. “The guys are hanging in there and fighting to the end. I think that speaks volumes about Greg. (These are) tough times, but the team has never doubted him in the locker room.”
Schiano handed the ball to Mike Glennon, a rookie who has earned his keep. Their top two running backs, Doug Martin and Mike James, sustained injuries. It could have gone from awful to something far worse, but Schiano has turned the trials into three wins.
They are on the road on Sunday against the surging Carolina Panthers. They may have to go without cornerback Darrelle Revis, who left the Lions game with a groin injury.
CUTLER’S RETURN
Jay Cutler will not play this Sunday against the Vikings, marking the third-straight game in which the Chicago Bears quarterback will be sidelined.
Cutler has a high ankle sprain. He sustained the injury immediately after returning from a groin injury. Meanwhile, Josh McCown has played well in his place, although the Bears lost 42-21 to the Rams on Sunday.
Cutler said Monday that he will be back as early as Dec. 9 for the Bears' Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys.
"I will be playing either that Monday game or wherever we play after that," Cutler said Monday during his weekly appearance on WMVP-AM 1000 in Chicago.
"Let's lean toward the Monday game, though."
Cutler said that he won't need surgery and there's "zero chance" he's finished for the season.
Cutler’s strong arm and experience gives the Bears a great chance as they make the playoff chase, but McCown has proven to be more than capable. In Cutler’s place, McCown has thrown only interception and has been accurate and efficient.
NFL TO INTERVIEW MARTIN AGAIN
Miami Dolphins tackle Jonathan Martin will likely be interviewed a second time by NFL special investigator Ted Wells about the team's bullying scandal, a person familiar with the situation said Sunday.
The second interview will likely be in New York City or California the first week in December, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details about the investigation are confidential.
Martin alleges he was harassed daily by teammates, including Richie Incognito, who has been suspended. Martin was interviewed for nearly seven hours by Wells on Nov. 15 in New York.
Wells spent the past week interviewing Dolphins players, coaches and staff in South Florida, and he also met with Incognito. Wells said his work would continue over the next few weeks on the case, which inspired a national debate about workplace bullying.
Martin, a second-year pro from Stanford, left the team Oct. 28 and has been with family in California undergoing counseling for emotional issues. Incognito was suspended Nov. 3 and filed a grievance against the Dolphins seeking to rejoin the team.
Without both players, the Dolphins (5-6) lost Sunday to Carolina, 20-16. Afterward several Dolphins said the scandal hadn't been a distraction.
No. 1 PICK GETS MORE INTRIGUING
The 2014 NFL draft will, like all drafts, but full of intrigue.
Still, this one is shaping up to be more interesting that anyone would have imagined. Two of last year’s best teams, the Houston Texans and Atlanta Falcons, are at the bottom of the heap right now. What they’ll do with their picks will be interesting.
The Falcons need a defensive end — like Jadeveon Clowney. The Texans could use a quarterback, having put little confidence in Case Keenum (although he is starting against the Patriots Sunday) and watching starter Matt Schaub fall and burn. The Texans, too, could have a new coach with his own ideas of what he wants from a quarterback.
The Jaguars, of course, are still quite desperate for a quarterback. Players like Marcus Mariota, Teddy Bridgewater and Tajh Boyd are all possibilities. A few weeks ago, you would have assumed the Jaguars would pick first.
“Now, who knows,” says Ross Tucker. “If the draft were tomorrow, the Houston Texans would have the No. 1 overall pick, if you can believe that. I don’t think anyone saw that coming.”
WEEDEN EXPECTED TO START
With Jason Campbell sustaining a concussion, the Browns are going back to the player they’ve tried their best to avoid playing this season.
Brandon Weeden will start for Cleveland when the Browns play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coach Rod Chudzinski said they are looking to sign another quarterback. Caleb Hanie is a possibility, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.
Hanie was the Browns’ backup from 2008-2011 and was a reserve last season with the Denver Broncos. He was signed by the Ravens in April, but was cut in August.
The Browns are coming off a 27-11 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Chudzinski says Campbell has not yet been ruled out, but he came to the practice facility and left on Monday. He has to go through the concussion protocol before he can be cleared.
BON JOVI PUBLICIST DENIES BILLS INTEREST
While Jon Bon Jovi is interested in becoming an NFL owner one day, he's not currently pursuing the Buffalo Bills, the New Jersey rocker's publicist told The Associated Press on Monday.
"The Bills are not for sale, and he has too much respect for Mr. Wilson to engage in any discussions of buying the team," Ken Sunshine said, referring to Ralph Wilson, the team's Hall of Fame owner.
Saying Bon Jovi has "a day job that's doing very well," Sunshine added: "It's preposterous to say he's had any discussions with the Bills and Erie County."
Sunshine spoke by phone a day after CBSSports.com posted a story citing unidentified sources that Bon Jovi is among the parties positioning themselves to purchase the Bills after Wilson's death. Wilson, who turned 95 last month, has maintained he has no interest in selling the franchise during his lifetime.
Sunshine didn't deny Bon Jovi's interest in one day being an NFL owner, saying his client has made that no secret.
Bon Jovi has developed relationships with several NFL power-brokers, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
His interest in football went so far as to lead a group to establish an Arena Football team in Philadelphia in 2004. Bon Jovi owned the team through 2009, when the AFL folded for one season.
RODGERS' RETURN
Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the chances of Aaron Rodgers playing Thursday's Thanksgiving game at Detroit are "slim to none."
McCarthy isn't sure whether he'll go with Matt Flynn, who rallied the team from a 16-point deficit to a 26-26 tie with the Minnesota Vikings, or Scott Tolzien, who started the past two games but was benched with 8 minutes 22 seconds left in the third quarter.
Rodgers, who suffered a broken left collarbone Nov. 4 against Chicago, has not played since.
Including their 27-20 loss to the Bears, in which Seneca Wallace took over for the injured Rodgers, the Packers are 0-3-1 without their star quarterback.
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, The Associated Press
