NFL ROUNDUP \ News and notes

Vikings: Cornerback Charles Gordon is in Charlotte, N.C., preparing for surgery on his broken left ankle. Coach Brad Childress said it will take about five months before the defensive back and punt returner is back to full speed. Gordon suffered the injury Sunday when a Packers defender rolled up on his ankle during a punt return. But Childress expects Gordon to be able to resume his career once he completes rehabilitation. Defensive end Jared Allen practiced Wednesday and continues to play through a third-degree sprain of his right shoulder.

Lions: Daunte Culpepper will start at quarterback for the second straight week. “He got one under his belt right now,” coach Rod Marinelli said. “He’s coming out here and he’s just a worker, man.” Culpepper was 5-of-10 for 104 yards in his Detroit debut against the Jaguars.

Redskins: DeAngelo Hall didn’t exactly return Terrell Owens’ trash talk, but the cornerback did have a message for his old adversary: “He’d better worry about this defense.” Hall responded to comments the Cowboys receiver made Tuesday at a book signing in New York. Asked about the possibility of facing Hall in Sunday night’s game against the Redskins, Owens said with a smile: “At the rate he’s playing, I’m looking forward to a big day.” Hall and Owens have a history. Owens was fined $35,000 by the NFL in December 2006 for spitting in Hall’s face during a game against the Falcons. “You know, we’ve definitely hooked up a couple of times,” Hall said. “I got the better of him one time; he got the better of me one time, but it’s competition. It’s the best against the best. If he’s worried about me, he’d better worry about this defense. It ain’t necessarily me. Anybody could be on him at any given time.”

Titans: Defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch doesn’t know if he will be a game-time decision again Sunday against Jacksonville. Right now he’s just trying to heal up his injured groin muscle. Vanden Bosch suffered a slight tear Oct. 5 against Baltimore, and the injury has limited him since. He has been deactivated two of the past three games and had to leave the other two games early. He sat out practice Wednesday and said he is seeing progress. But Vanden Bosch wants to know his return will be for the rest of the season once he’s back on the field. Receiver Justin McCareins (concussion) did not practice, nor did defensive tackle Jason Jones (foot). Starting right guard Eugene Amano (knee) was given the day offt, linebacker Keith Bulluck sat out (rib) and safety Michael Griffin was ill. Fullback Ahmard Hall was limited as he recovers from a concussion.

Bills: Safety Donte Whitner’s return to practice 10 days after separating his right shoulder opened the possibility he could play against the Browns on Monday night. If Whitner can play, it’ll be a remarkably quick recovery for a player with such an injury, which sometimes takes as long as a month to heal.

Rams: Coach Jim Haslett said he’d probably decide today whether Steven Jackson will play this weekend, keeping the backfield in limbo for another day. The return of the team’s feature back from a thigh injury that has sidelined him two of the last three games would provide a nice lift for a sagging franchise that has lost three straight after a 2-0 start under Haslett. But Jackson was not running close to full speed while taking less than half of the practice snaps Wednesday.

Bears: Kyle Orton doesn’t need encouragement to play at Green Bay. He needs his sprained right ankle to heal. To that end, Orton said it’s “getting better every day” and he’s “preparing like I am” going to play Sunday. He’s just not sure he will. The same goes for former starter Rex Grossman. “I am preparing as if I’m going to play,” Grossman said Wednesday. “They haven’t told me anything.” So the mystery continues, although coach Lovie Smith said there’s “a good chance” Orton will play if “he makes progress like he has.”

Chiefs: Defensive end Jason Babin was added and will probably see action Sunday against New Orleans. Added to the practice squad was linebacker Kyle Shotwell. Defensive end Brian Johnston, a rookie who’d been playing in place of injured starters, was placed on injured reserve and is gone for the year.

Associated Press