NFL ROUNDUP News and notes

NFL ROUNDUP
News and notes

Browns: Starting nose tackle Ethan Kelly and backup safety Mike Adams were placed on injured reserve Monday with knee injuries. Kelly left in the first quarter of Sunday’s 19-14 loss at Cincinnati and did not return. Adams came out in the fourth quarter. This is the third straight season that Kelly has ended up on IR. He made seven starts this year, but was inactive for two games because of a knee injury. Adams, who spent the past three seasons with San Francisco, has played mostly special teams with the Browns. He was not credited with a tackle against the Bengals.

Steelers: Willie Parker, the NFL’s leading rusher when he broke his right leg Thursday in St. Louis, was officially lost for the season when he was placed him on the injured reserve list Monday. Parker underwent surgery on his broken fibula but is expected to return next season, coach Mike Tomlin said. To replace Parker on their roster, the Steelers re-signed Verron Haynes, primarily a third down back for them from 2002-06. He missed the second half of the 2006 season with a knee injury and was cut by Pittsburgh before the season began. Parker’s injury likely cost him a chance to be the Steelers’ first NFL rushing champion in 61 years, since Bill Dudley in 1946. Parker was hurt making on a cut on his first and only carry during Pittsburgh’s 41-24 victory in St. Louis. Parker leads San Diego’s LaDainian Tomlinson by five yards, 1,316 yards to 1,311 yards, but Tomlinson had games remaining tonight against Denver and Sunday against Oakland. Four other running backs are within 114 yards of Parker’s lead.

Ravens: Willis McGahee will miss the season finale against the Steelers with two fractured ribs, an injury that further thins an already depleted roster. McGahee’s was hurt in Sunday’s 27-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Baltimore played without linebacker Ray Lewis, cornerbacks Chris McAlister and Samari Rolle, tight ends Todd Heap and Daniel Wilcox, and quarterback Kyle Boller. The list expanded as the game wore on. Besides McGahee, the Ravens (4-11) lost tight end Quinn Sypniewski (concussion), offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden (hamstring) and running back Mike Anderson (strained quad). Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg also left with a foot injury. Earlier this season, defensive end Trevor Pryce and quarterback Steve McNair were placed on injured reserve. Rookie Troy Smith, who received his first NFL start in place of Boller, is expected to start against the Steelers. Boller sustained a concussion two weeks ago in Miami and has not yet fully recovered. Smith went 16-for-33 for 199 yards and a touchdown, but he lost two fumbles and did not get Baltimore on the scoreboard until connecting with Derrick Mason on a 79-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.

Panthers: Center Justin Hartwig sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee in a loss to Dallas and will miss the final week of the season. Coach John Fox said Monday the team plans to place Hartwig on injured reserve and sign another player, although the move will likely not be made until Wednesday. Rookie Ryan Kalil replaced Hartwig in the third quarter against the Cowboys Saturday and will likely start Sunday against Tampa Bay. There was no update on defensive end Julius Peppers, who missed his first game in five seasons Saturday with a sprained right knee.

Lions: A torn knee ligament will keep running back Kevin Jones out of the team’s final regular season game this weekend and could sideline him until the start of training camp. Tests revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Jones’ right knee. He was injured late in the first half of Sunday’s 25-20 victory over Kansas City after being tackled on a short reception. Starting right tackle Damien Woody sprained his right shoulder against the Chiefs, but coach Rod Marinelli said Woody could be ready to play the Packers if he develops enough strength to push off with the shoulder.

Seahawks: Patrick Kerney has a chance to finish as the NFL’s leader in sacks, and to do it against his former team. Kerney is on the cusp of doing that for the first time entering Sunday’s game between NFC West champion Seattle (10-5) and the Falcons (3-12). “It’d be great to put in a good performance there. Those fans in Atlanta supported me for eight years, and I still have a lot of friends there,” said Kerney, who has a career-high 141⁄2 sacks.

Bears: Defensive end Mark Anderson was placed on injured reserve after he hurt his knee in the loss to Minnesota Dec. 17 and was not active against Green Bay on Sunday.

Cardinals: Defensive tackle Ross Kolodziej went on injured reserve Monday and linebacker David Holloway was promoted from the practice squad. Kolodziej has been sidelined with a calf injury.

Associated Press