Thursday, November 23, 2006
Seahawks: Matt Hasselbeck is a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl quarterback. Yet he still has some things to prove. Such as being able to run. Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said it is not certain Hasselbeck will start Monday night's game against the Green Bay Packers. Hasselbeck, listed as probable, must show Holmgren that he can avoid pass rushers and escape further injury to his sprained right knee, which has caused him to miss the last four games. Wednesday afternoon, Hasselbeck, wearing a black, lightweight brace over heavily applied tape on the knee, ran the first-team offense smoothly and quickly. So quickly, some newer starters complained Hasselbeck was rushing them too much. "It's necessary," Hasselbeck said, adding the tempo will increase through the week. "They are just going to have to get used to that [again]."
Saints: Receiver and rookie sensation Marques Colston was not in pads during practice Wednesday, but was able to put weight on his sprained left ankle as he played catch with fellow receivers. "I'm making a little progress day by day," Colston said. "It's really too early to tell at this point. We still have a couple days to evaluate and see where this thing goes. I definitely feel a lot better. We've definitely made a lot of progress in the last couple days. Hopefully things will continue in that positive direction." Colston referred to the sprain, which occurred during the Saints' opening offensive series in their loss last Sunday to Cincinnati, as one of those "little things" a pro football player expects to deal with over the course of a season.
Broncos-Chargers: Center Tom Nalen of the Denver was fined 25,000 for a cut block on San Diego's Igor Olshansky in the final minute of the Chargers' 35-27 win last Sunday night. Olshansky, who threw a punch and was penalized and ejected from the game, was fined 10,000. The play occurred as Jake Plummer spiked the ball at his 35-yard-line with 35 seconds left. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said tapes showed that while the other 10 Broncos stood up, Nalen went at Olshansky's ankles. Olshansky retaliated with a punch at Nalen, was penalized for unnecessary roughness and kicked out of the game.
Vikings: Minnesota placed fullback Tony Richardson on injured reserve, ending his season two weeks after he broke his arm against Green Bay. Richardson had 13 catches for 111 yards this season and provided some much-needed veteran leadership for a struggling offense. The team also signed offensive lineman Jimmy Martin to the practice squad and released tight end Richard Angulo.
Bears: Chicago signed defensive back Andre Lott to a one-year contract after cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. was suspended for one game by the NFL. Lott appeared in one game with the San Diego Chargers and was released on Nov. 15.
Associated Press
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.