NFL ROUNDUP \ News and notes

Steelers: Wide receiver Hines Ward had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday and will miss at least one game. Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver, first hurt the knee Nov. 19 against Cleveland -- an injury initially called a hyperextension. He took painkilling shots to play in a 27-0 loss Sunday at Baltimore, but the injury flared up again during the third quarter and he left the game. When an MRI exam Monday revealed a broken bone, Ward immediately underwent arthroscopic surgery. He said the operation was much like that which sidelined quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for three games last season. Ward hopes to return as early as Pittsburgh's home game against Cleveland Dec. 7, though the schedule could work against him.
Panthers: Jake Delhomme is getting too much of the blame for Carolina's offensive woes and will remain the starter, coach John Fox said. "When you drop back to pass the ball it's a team effort," Fox said a day after the Panthers mustered only 264 yards in a 17-13 loss to Washington, which has the 30th-ranked defense. "Whenever you don't play well enough to win I'm not sure it's one guy. It's definitely not just Jake." Delhomme was 23-of-38 for 168 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions against the Redskins.
Buccaneers: Guard Dan Buenning was placed on injured reserve and center Nick Mihlhauser and safety Donte Nicholson were signed. Buenning tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the Bucs' 38-10 loss to Dallas on Thanksgiving Day. The second-year pro appeared in nine games, including seven starts, this season.
Jets: Chad Pennington's surgically repaired right shoulder was fine Monday, a day after the quarterback landed on the arm and had the wind knocked out of him during a scary hit. "I think it's a confidence builder that you can take a lick and get up and finish a game," Pennington said.
Bengals: Running back Chris Perry had surgery Monday for a broken right leg. Perry suffered the season-ending broken fibula in the second quarter of a 30-0 victory in Cleveland on Sunday. Linebacker Andra Davis landed on his lower leg while tackling him at the end of a run. Perry needed a pin inserted to help the bone heal correctly. A first-round draft pick out of Michigan in 2004, Perry has been sidelined for much of his career by injuries. He missed most of his rookie season because of a hamstring injury and a hernia.
Jaguars: Defensive injuries finally caught up with the team, but it wasn't the absence of linebacker Mike Peterson, defensive end Reggie Hayward and safety Donovin Darius against Buffalo on Sunday. It was playing without starting cornerback Brian Williams and backup Terry Cousin. Without them, rookie Dee Webb made his first career start and made three crucial mistakes in a 27-24 loss.
Lions: Coach Rod Marinelli was emphatic when asked if he would start using younger players with an eye toward the 2007 roster. "The guys that are going to play are the guys that have earned the right to play," he said. "We're thinking about this week, not next year." Marinelli was specifically asked about replacing quarterback Jon Kitna with Josh McCown. Kitna has turned over the ball 18 times in 11 games, including 13 interceptions, and has thrown only 12 touchdown passes. He's also been sacked 44 times, including eight in the Thanksgiving Day loss to Miami.
Colts: Ricky Proehl's agent said the veteran receiver signed Monday. The 38-year-old Proehl agreed to a one-year deal that would be prorated on a 1.2 million base salary, his agent Alan Herman said. The team made no announcement about the signing, and coach Tony Dungy said that the team was talking with Proehl. Herman declined to elaborate on the negotiations. "(Proehl) brings a veteran guy who's been in these December and January big games," Dungy said. "A slot receiver who knows how to get open and make tough catches. I think he'd fit into what we're doing."
Chargers: Third-string cornerback Cletis Gordon was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early Monday, the sixth run-in with the law by a Chargers player since April. San Diego police took Gordon, a 23-year-old rookie, into custody in downtown's Gaslamp Quarter about 2:15 a.m., some 10 hours after the Chargers beat the Oakland Raiders 21-14. His car was impounded, and he was released on his own recognizance later in the morning, a jail clerk said. "I think we need to wait until all the facts are brought out," coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "He was brought in. My understanding is he did the test and it was below the number. I don't know. We'll have to wait and see." Gordon wasn't available for comment. "We are all disappointed," general manager A.J. Smith said. "We'll let the legal system run its course. It will be discussed and handled internally." Gordon, who signed as an undrafted rookie, had a wrist injury early in the season and hasn't made it onto the field all year.
Raiders: There's been the Immaculate Reception, the Tuck Rule and now this. Another memorable call that went against Oakland and helped cost the Raiders a game. The call in Sunday's game against San Diego that overturned a fumble and helped the Chargers rally for the tying score in a 21-14 victory. The play came on fourth-and-2 from the Raiders 40 with about 12 minutes left in a game Oakland led 14-7. Vincent Jackson made a diving catch of a 13-yard pass from Philip Rivers, rolled to the ground untouched, then stood up and spun the ball forward in celebration. Oakland's Fabian Washington jumped on the ball for what appeared to be a gift fumble. Referee Mike Carey originally signaled Oakland's possession and the Raiders' offense came on the field. But after the officials huddled, the play was eventually ruled an illegal forward pass and the Chargers were penalized 5 yards. They still gained enough for a first down and San Diego tied the game five plays later, then went on to win.
Associated Press
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