Denver Broncos safety John Lynch is still suffering numbness and weakness from a jarring tackle two weeks ago and could remained sidelined a while.
“John’s such a warrior, he’ll play through any pain, but there’s got to be some kind of common sense when there is no feeling in your fingers, and obviously no strength,” coach Mike Shanahan said Monday.
Lynch had to leave an Oct. 29 game with the Packers in the first quarter after the hit. He returned to practice last week in a limited capacity, but was inactive Sunday against the Chiefs.
Lynch has said the injury was unrelated to a neck surgery he had in 2004.
Shanahan said he wasn’t sure how quickly Lynch would return.
“It’s hard to say until he practices, takes a hit,” Shanahan said. “We don’t want to take a chance on him taking any hits until that numbness wears off. I don’t think it makes any sense.”
The Broncos did not practice Monday and have no workouts scheduled Tuesday.
Lynch has 22 tackles and a sack in six games this season.
Cardinals
The Cardinals believe defensive end Bertrand Berry again has a torn triceps.
The injury to his left triceps came in Sunday’s 31-21 victory over the Detroit Lions. Last year, he was sidelined for the final six games of the season with a torn right triceps. That injury also came against the Lions.
“I think it’s kind of freakish that it happened to the same guy in the same game against the same opponent,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said on Monday.
Berry made the Pro Bowl and led the NFC in sacks in 2004, but has been injury-prone since. He was being examined Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Berry also missed the last eight games of the 2005 season with a torn pectoral muscle.
Through nine games this season, he has 21 tackles, 17 solo, and two sacks.
“Whatever the extent of it is, it’s unfortunate that he has to deal with that because he worked very hard to get back this year and he’s done an outstanding job for us,” Whisenhunt said.
Joe Tafoya and Darryl Blackstock will share Berry’s job.
Adrian Wilson also had to leave Sunday’s game with cramps in his right calf. He also was being examined. Sunday’s problems probably were related to the right heel injury that has bothered the Pro Bowl safety for some time.
Lions
Quarterback Jon Kitna dismissed questions about a back injury Monday, despite concerns raised by coach Rod Marinelli.
Marinelli said Monday that Kitna had a lower back injury, but Kitna disagreed.
“I feel as good today as I have in five weeks,” he said. “I’m fine.”
Marinelli said cornerback Fernando Bryant was questionable for this weekend’s game against the visiting Giants with a sprained foot, and defensive end Dewayne White could return after missing Sunday’s loss at Arizona with an arm injury.
Offensive tackle Jonathan Scott is expected to miss his second straight game with a broken thumb.
Eagles
Desperate and determined, the Eagles found a way to win a game they couldn’t afford to lose. They’ll likely be in the same situation the rest of the way, so they better get used to playing with a season-on-the-line mentality.
“We’re in a position where you can’t overlook anybody or underlook anybody, however you want to call it,” coach Andy Reid said Monday. “Without having to emphasize it too much, I just think that preparation, in this league, you’ve got to focus in week in and week out, play in and play out, or you’re in trouble.”
A 33-25 comeback win at Washington prevented Philadelphia (4-5) from falling further behind in a jumbled NFC. Now the Eagles have a chance to close within one game of a playoff spot with a victory over winless Miami (0-9) in Philly next Sunday.
The New York Giants and Detroit Lions, both 6-3, hold the two wild-card spots. They’ll meet in Detroit on Sunday, so the loser will drop a game in the standings.
After the Dolphins, the schedule gets much tougher for Philadelphia. Trips to undefeated New England (9-0) and Dallas (8-1) loom.
Titans
Tennessee held out defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth against Jacksonville to avoid further injury to his sore right hamstring, but coach Jeff Fisher said Monday the decision didn’t involve much discussion.
“It was apparent that he wasn’t ready. It was all based on the fact that we did not want to subject him to other injury, further risk or losing him for a longer period of time. He was not ready to play because of the hamstring,” Fisher said.
The Titans obviously missed Haynesworth, one of three players with five sacks. They gave up a season-high 166 yards rushing without Haynesworth. Defensive end Travis LaBoy, who also has five sacks, sat out recovering from a concussion.
Cornerback Nick Harper and receiver Brandon Jones each suffered concussions versus the Jaguars. Right tackle David Stewart sprained an ankle.
LenDale White hurt a knee, but Fisher said he expects him to practice. Chris Brown, who has missed four straight games with a sprained left ankle, also is expected to practice.
Bengals
On his way back to town after kicking seven field goals, Shayne Graham started answering all the phone calls and returning the laudatory e-mails and text messages.
For fantasy football players, the Cincinnati kicker was a difference-maker. For his teammates, Graham was a godsend.
He set a team record by going 7-for-7 on field goals in a 21-7 victory Sunday in Baltimore. Graham’s biggest day as a kicker led the Bengals to their first road victory since last Nov. 26, a 30-0 win in Cleveland.
“We’re all walking in the locker room with smiles today, and that’s something we didn’t have for a while,” Graham said Monday.
For the Bengals (3-6), it was momentary relief from a bad season. For Graham, it was the first big moment in one of his quietest seasons. He’d never kicked more than four field goals in a game during his career.
Graham connected from 34, 19, 22, 35, 35, 21 and 33 yards; the seven field goals were one shy of the NFL record, set earlier this season by Tennessee’s Rob Bironas.
The seventh-year kicker is one of the most accurate in NFL history, converting 140 of his 164 chances, or 85.4 percent. He’s been perfect on his last 19 tries, setting a club record for consecutive field goals made.
Saints
Running back Reggie Bush, who was dazed by a helmet-to-helmet hit against the Rams, and left tackle Jammal Brown, who left the game with a lower leg injury, both should be well enough to play Sunday at Houston.
Bush spent several minutes on his back with trainers hovering over him after taking a blow to the head during a fourth-quarter run near midfield. When he finally got up, he jogged to the sideline and raised his arms twice as if to fire up the crowd.
He sat out the remainder of that offensive series, then returned for the rest of the game, scoring twice on 2-point conversions.
“You get dinged like that and our trainers and doctors are very sensitive to that type of injury,” coach Sean Payton said Monday. “He felt better after about a series, so we were fortunate there.”
On Monday, Bush canceled a scheduled media conference to announce a charity event he plans to sponsor when the NBA All-Star game comes to New Orleans in February.
Brown’s injury was described by Payton as a muscle strain in his lower left leg.
Several other Saints starters who sat out against the Rams could return against Houston. DE Charles Grant missed the first game of his career with a sprained left ankle, while linebacker Scott Shanle was sidelined with a sore hamstring.
Giants
A day after losing to the Cowboys for the second time this season and having their six-game winning streak snapped, the Giants were disappointed, not defeated.
“We’ll bounce back, we’ll bounce back,” coach Tom Coughlin said Monday. “The idea being, we have many, many games to play. We have got seven games to play against tough opponents, starting this weekend. We can still determine our own fate.”
The Giants (6-3) can’t afford to mope over the loss that probably ended their chances of winning the NFC East. Dallas (8-1) has a two-game lead and the tiebreaker advantage should they finish tied at the end of the season.
Getting a playoff spot is now the goal, and the Giants can take a major step at the Lions (6-3).
“We’re not panicking,” linebacker Kawika Mitchell said. “We just lost a game. Fortunately we won six in a row and that helped our record. We still have a chance.”
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