NFL ROUNDUP \ News and notes

Bengals: Running back Chris Perry, a first-round draft pick who gained only 1 yard this season, will have surgery to repair a hernia that kept him off the field for much of his rookie season. Coach Marvin Lewis said Monday that the club hasn't decided whether to put Perry on injured reserve and add another player to the 53-man roster. The Bengals have lost 15 players to injury since the start of training camp, taxing the budget. "We've been well over the budget this year for what you want to spend," Lewis said. "That's the thing you've got to look at." The Bengals planned to use Perry as a complement to Rudi Johnson in the backfield, but the rookie hurt his hamstring in the final preseason game, was slow to pick up the offense and then developed the "sports hernia." He appeared in only two games. The injury was initially thought to be an abdominal strain, but Perry visited a specialist last week who detected the hernia. Even if he stays on the roster, he won't play Sunday.
Vikings: Mike Tice will return for at least one more year as coach, and nothing short of a lucrative contract extension could make him happier. Despite a second straight late-season slide, Minnesota on Monday picked up Tice's $1 million option for 2005, ending much speculation about the coach's future. "I'm pleased," Tice said. "I want to remain the football coach of this football team because we've come a long way in three years." Tice would have become a free agent Jan. 31 if the club failed to exercise the option by Saturday -- one day before Minnesota's regular season finale at Washington. Instead, the 45-year-old coach will have a chance to improve his 23-25 record and reverse his team's reputation for fading down the stretch.
Redskins: Running back Clinton Portis, linebacker LaVar Arrington and cornerback Ade Jimoh will not play in the season finale against Minnesota. Also, cornerback Fred Smoot is unlikely to play after spending Sunday night in a Dallas hospital with a mild kidney bruise. Portis tore the right pectoral muscle in his upper chest in Sunday's 14-10 loss to the Cowboys. Trainer Bubba Tyer said Portis won't need surgery, but that the injury would probably have sidelined the running back for several weeks if the season were not about to end. Ladell Betts will start in Portis' spot. Arrington played only a few plays Sunday in his second game back from knee surgery. Tyer said Arrington was limited after developing some tendinitis in the knee during his 11 games away. Jimoh severely sprained his right ankle against the Cowboys. His injury, coupled with Smoot's, left the Redskins without enough defensive backs to a play a regular nickel defense during Dallas' game-winning drive in the final two minutes.
Broncos: Defensive tackle Trevor Pryce said Monday he'll be back in the lineup for the season finale against Indianapolis after missing every game since the season opener. Pryce had back surgery shortly after that game and has been on a long rehabilitation, trying to regain strength in his legs. He said he felt good in pass-rush drills last week, which made him think he could come back this week and play at about 75 percent effectiveness. "It's not going to be something where I'm back to what I was before I hurt it," Pryce said. "But if I can go in and draw some attention off Reggie" Hayward and some other teammates, he feels he'll be doing his job.
Jets: Defensive end John Abraham will probably miss the regular-season finale against St. Louis because of a sprained right knee. Though coach Herman Edwards said Abraham might be listed as questionable for the week, Abraham said there would be no point in playing because he is not at full speed. Abraham, who made the Pro Bowl this season, has missed the last three games with a sprained lateral collateral ligament.
Bears: The team on Monday continued to insist that Bernard Berrian had a touchdown catch that could have given them a win over Detroit. Officials wiped out Berrian's 43-yard, game-tying TD reception with 1:26 remaining Sunday, calling it an incomplete pass even though replays showed it was a good catch. The Bears went on to lose 19-13, their fifth loss in six games. Replays showed Berrian had both feet in-bounds and possession of the ball before he fell out-of-bounds. But after a long review of the play, referee Terry McAulay said it was incomplete because the ball was moving when Berrian hit the ground.
Falcons: Coach Jim Mora wants every starter, including quarterback Michael Vick, to practice this week. Last week, Mora decided Vick, tight end Alge Crumpler, nose tackle Ed Jasper and cornerback Jason Webster wouldn't play at New Orleans. Running back T.J. Duckett, a 254-pounder who's hard to stop in short-yardage situations, missed his second straight game, but Mora expects the injured players to be on the field when the team returns to practice Wednesday. Atlanta visits Seattle on Sunday, after which point the Falcons won't play again until the divisional round of the playoffs Jan. 15-16.
Associated Press