Chrebet placed on IR with another concussion
Updated: Nov. 7, 2005, 2:26 PM ET

Chrebet, who suffered another concussion Sunday in the Jets' 31-26 loss to the Chargers, was placed on injured reserve, coach Herman Edwards announced Monday.The wide receiver suffered at least the ninth concussion of his college and pro careers making a big catch in the Jets' loss. Chrebet considered retiring in the offseason, but decided to return for another season.--football gambling--

With the Jets facing third-and-5 with 2 minutes left and driving for a potential go-ahead score, Chrebet caught a 6-yard pass near the left sideline -- another clutch play in a career filled with them. Chargers safety Jerry Wilson drilled Chrebet as he caught the pass and sent the receiver to the ground on his back, and the back of Chrebet's head violently hit the Giants Stadium turf.Chrebet stayed down as team medical personnel rushed over. Television replays appeared to show that Chrebet lost consciousness at least for a few seconds.--football gambling--

"Wayne's as tough as they come, so if he's down there, you know it's serious," running back Curtis Martin said Sunday.--football gambling--

By the time Chrebet got back to his feet and slowly walked back to the sideline with trainers, it was clear something was wrong. And it looked all too familiar to the Jets.--football gambling--

"I have a lot of concern that he'll be OK," quarterback Vinny Testaverde said Sunday. "It's just hard to see not only a teammate, but a very close friend get hurt the way he was."--football gambling--

Back in the locker room after the game, Chrebet needed help untying his shoes and taking his jersey and pads off. He could barely lift his T-shirt off over his head.--football gambling--
Jets GM Terry Bradway stopped in briefly and whispered a few words to Chrebet and shook his hand, before patting him on the leg and leaving. A few minutes later, Chrebet left the locker room without speaking to reporters. --football gambling--

Chrebet finished the game with three catches for 39 yards, including a 20-yard catch on third-and-18 that helped keep the Jets' last scoring drive alive late in the fourth quarter. --football gambling--

Chrebet, in his 11th year with the Jets, had a post-traumatic migraine early in the 2003 season and missed the final eight games that season with postconcussion syndrome. He considered retiring, but instead chose to come back last season. Chrebet played in all 16 games, but sustained a mild concussion in the regular-season finale against St. Louis.--football gambling--

He missed the Jets' first-round win over San Diego, but returned for the divisional round loss to Pittsburgh the following week -- although he had no catches.--football gambling--
Chrebet has 15 catches for 153 yards this season, and his 580 career receptions rank him second to Don Maynard's 627 on the team's all-time list. --football gambling--Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. --football gambling--

Holmes' status uncertain for next game

BY ELIZABETH MERRILL

Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In his five years in Kansas City, Priest Holmes has scored 76 rushing touchdowns and made nearly that many references about being in tune with his body. -NFL Football-

Holmes' body told him something after Sunday's helmet-to-helmet collision in San Diego, and apparently it's enough to make the Pro Bowl running back iffy for this weekend's game with Oakland. -NFL Football-

Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said Tuesday that Holmes is undergoing another battery of tests to make sure he's neurologically sound. Holmes was knocked out of the game in the third quarter after being smashed by Shaun Phillips and Shawne Merriman, suffering what the Chiefs called a mild head trauma. -NFL Football-

"We're going to get more evaluation on him," Vermeil said, "reports that will confirm to him and give him confidence that he's healthy and ready to go. -NFL Football-

"He's had some problem with a nerve earlier in the season. He wanted to make sure, No. 1, that he feels good about it." -NFL Football-

Vermeil said the Chiefs will update Holmes' status on Wednesday when they release their injury report to the NFL. Two days after Kansas City left the West Coast with a long list of injuries, Vermeil seemed most concerned about Holmes and starting cornerback Patrick Surtain. -NFL Football-

Surtain hurt his knee Sunday, tried to return, then left the game for good. Vermeil said tests showed Surtain's knee is structurally sound, stronger than when he had a physical before he was signed in April. -NFL Football-

"But that doesn't mean he's not sore," Vermeil said. -NFL Football-

Holmes' injury is causing more concern in part because of a shoulder injury he sustained earlier this season. It didn't cost him any playing time, and he leads the team in rushing yards (451) and touchdowns (six). -NFL Football-

With Holmes out, the Chiefs failed to score in the red zone twice in the final 19 minutes and had to settle for a field goal after driving to the Chargers' 3-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter. Holmes has been adept and making something out of nothing in his first seven games, cutting, changing direction and getting creative while the Chiefs have struggled with injuries on the offensive line. -NFL Football-

But even before Holmes' latest injury, Kansas City was struggling to live up to its past glory inside the 20-yard line. In the Chiefs' first four seasons under Vermeil, they had a red-zone touchdown percentage of 64.3 percent. Now they're ranked 23rd in the league in red-zone scoring at 46.2 percent. -NFL Football-

"We have a feeling now what it's like to be a more normal NFL football team," Vermeil said. "Because we haven't been normal down there. We've done the extraordinary down there in terms of rushing touchdowns. No one's done what we've done down there. Nobody. -NFL Football-

"And so you get spoiled. But other teams get better." -NFL Football-

Holmes hasn't been able to finish two of the last three seasons because of injury, and in his recovery time, he's repeatedly talked about being in tune with his body. His body, Holmes says, dictates when he's ready to play. -NFL Football-

It seems to work. At 32, he's still considered the team's main weapon. And the Chiefs still hang on every one of his injury reports. -NFL Football-

"I think everybody's different in those situations," Vermeil said. "We're going through the process with him just like everybody else." -NFL Football-

Reggie White heads Hall of Fame nominees

Associated Press

CANTON, Ohio - Reggie White, a two-time NFL defensive player of the year who died last year at 43, heads a list of players, coaches and contributors eligible for induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. -NFL Football-

White is eligible for the first time along with quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Warren Moon. Other first-year eligible players include running back Thurman Thomas, wide receiver Andre Reed and offensive lineman Dermontti Dawson. -NFL Football-

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and longtime owners Art Modell and Ralph Wilson are on the preliminary list that includes five former head coaches and 11 contributors. -NFL Football-

A member of the NFL's 75th anniversary team, White was named to the Pro Bowl a record 13 straight times from 1986-98. He earned top defensive player honors in 1987 and 1998. He retired in 2000 as the career sacks leader with 198, a mark later passed by Bruce Smith. -NFL Football-

White, who played with Philadelphia, Green Bay and Carolina, died on Dec. 26 in Cornelius, N.C. -NFL Football-

From a preliminary list, Hall of Fame selectors will choose 25 candidates who will advance as semifinalists. That list will be trimmed to 13 candidates, who will join veterans committee nominees John Madden and Rayfield Wright as finalists. -NFL Football-

The Class of 2006 will be announced on Feb. 4, the day before the Super Bowl in Detroit. -NFL Football-

Wilma forces Chiefs, Dolphins to accelerate final preparations
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports WriterOctober 20, 2005
--- nfl ---
MIAMI (AP) -- Hurricane Wilma slowed down Thursday, prompting the Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs to start moving quickly. --- nfl ---
Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas apologetically skipped his normal interview availability, saying he needed to cram two days of film study into a few hours. The Chiefs scrambled to revise travel plans, and league officials worked on new television arrangements and other details.--- nfl ---
When Wilma makes its expected arrival in Florida sometime Sunday, the Chiefs will be long gone. Their visit to Miami was switched to Friday night because of the looming Category 4 hurricane -- which would be the eighth to affect the Sunshine State in the past 15 months--- nfl ---
``This is only about the fifth one of those we've had this year,'' said Dolphins coach Nick Saban, who learned of the schedule switch during Thursday's practice. ``So it's not our first rodeo when it comes to these things, and we know how unpredictable they can be, and we know how dangerous they can be.'' --- nfl ---
It's the third time since the start of the 2004 season that a Miami home game was rescheduled because of a hurricane. The Dolphins lost to Tennessee in last year's home opener pushed up a day by Hurricane Ivan, then were beaten by Pittsburgh in a deluge -- remnants of Hurricane Jeanne -- two weeks later.
They couldn't have picked a better team to send down there and play well,'' said Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil, whose team will fly to South Florida on Friday morning. ``That's the way we're approaching it. We'll go down there and play our best football game of the year. The guys are in a good frame of mind. They accept it. We would have liked it to be a different way but we have no choice.''
The game will be televised by CBS affiliates in primary secondary markets in South Florida and Kansas City. But there will be no national telecast.
``We are not extending the telecast to more markets because we want to adhere as closely as possible to the spirit of our longstanding policy not to conflict with high school and college football during their seasons (which means Friday night and Saturday),'' NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.
Moving the game would seem to put Jason Taylor's streak of 87 straight starts in jeopardy. The Dolphins' standout defensive end hasn't practiced this week because of a foot injury, and linebacker Junior Seau is still bothered by an injured calf. --- nfl ---
Clearly, the Dolphins would have liked the extra time to get those two players ready to face a Kansas City rushing attack that's averaging more than 127 yards per game. --- nfl ---
``We've got to play sometime,'' said Miami's David Bowens, who may start in Taylor's place. ``It gives us a chance to show how we react to an adverse situation. ... It has been 11 years since I played on Friday night -- high school. It definitely takes me back.'' --- nfl ---
Vermeil lobbied for the game to be played in Kansas City, and the prospects of a long plane ride followed only hours later by a game didn't exactly overjoy the Chiefs. --- nfl ---
``Everyone's concern is the safety of the players and the coaches and the fans. And that's what most paramount,'' Chiefs president and general manager Carl Peterson said. ``Obviously, I've never watched the Weather Channel as I have in the last 24, 48 hours.'' --- nfl ---
The teams have two common opponents. Kansas City (3-2) beat the Jets 27-7 in the season-opener; one week later, the Dolphins lost to the Jets 17-7. And the Chiefs were beaten 30-10 by Denver in Week 3; Miami downed the Broncos 34-10 in Week 1, Denver's only loss so far. --- nfl ---
``Look at that game and Denver doesn't look like the same team because Miami didn't allow them to be,'' Vermeil said. --- nfl ---
The Chiefs will face a two-runner attack by Miami, with Ricky Williams set to make his home regular-season, post-suspension debut alongside rookie Ronnie Brown, the No. 2 overall draft pick who's rushed for 343 yards in his first five games. --- nfl ---
``Both those guys are great backs, and they can do different things,'' said Chiefs safety Patrick Surtain, who spent seven years in Miami before being traded after last season. ``We're going to have to be on our P's and Q's because both those guys can hurt us at any time. That's the key to the game -- stopping those guys.'' --- nfl ---
Surtain said he was pleased Williams is back with Miami, saying he hopes the 2002 NFL rushing champion ``regains the form he had a couple of years ago.''
For this game, though, Surtain would prefer Williams have the last weekend's form. Williams had five rushes for 8 yards and six catches for 22 more yards last week in Miami's loss to Tampa Bay, his first game since the end of the 2003 season. --- nfl ---
``Once we get through the mental part and get on the field, it will be fun,'' Williams said of the schedule switch. ``We don't have any Monday night or Sunday night games this year, so it's a chance to take advantage of the national attention and make a name for ourselves.'' --- nfl ---
All, of course, before Wilma becomes the only name on the minds of most Floridians. --- nfl ---
``It's inconvenient, no question,'' said Joe Bailey, the CEO of Dolphins Enterprises. ``But it's also an adventure.''--- nfl ---

Bears sign kicker Gould; LB Odom on IR

Bears sign kicker Gould; LB Odom on IR

NFL.com wire reports

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (Oct. 8, 2005) -- The Chicago Bears signed kicker Robbie Gould to the active roster and placed linebacker Joe Odom on injured reserve. - NFL Football -

Gould, a rookie out of Penn State, was signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in April. He converted one extra-point attempt for the Patriots during the preseason. Starter Doug Brien has struggled this season, missing three of four field goals. - NFL Football -

Odom played in two games this season before injuring his ankle in a game against the Detroit Lions on Sept. 18. He has played in 28 career games with 49 tackles in three seasons with the Bears. - NFL Football -

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

NFL eyes Asia and Europe for future regular season games

NEW YORK (AFP) - National Football League (NFL) officials are considering playing regular-season American football games in Europe and Asia if Sunday's groundbreaking matchup at Mexico City is successful.

Arizona and San Francisco will meet at Estadio Azteca in the first gridiron regular season game to be scheduled outside of the United States.

The stadium staged the 1970 and 1986 soccer World Cup finals and attracted the largest crowd in NFL history of 112,376 for a 1994 exhibition game between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Oilers.

The reconfigured stadium will seat 85,000 for what would have been an Arizona home game on Sunday.

Pre-season exhibitions have been played for years in Asia and Europe as well as Mexico, but the logistics of travel and lodging were easier to handle by staying in North America.

Pulling off a regular-season game in Mexico could open the door to following basketball, ice hockey and baseball in staging regular-season matchups in Asia.

"We think it's clearly a doable project," NFL chief operating officer Roger Goodell said.

"We obviously recognize the geographical challenges when you go to Japan or to someplace in the Far East. On the other hand, teams are becoming better at dealing with those issues. The travel from an East Coast site to London is not that much more significant from an East Coast site to Seattle, quite frankly."

A large obstacle would be convincing any team to surrender one of its eight home games in a season to be played in front of an overseas audience versus its own supporters.

The game played in Mexico was originally slated for Arizona, where the Cardinals have struggled to fans. The club might not be as willing to surrender games in future years once a new stadium opens next season.

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.

Rhodes to be at game; won't call Seattle's defense

NFL.com wire reports

KIRKLAND, Wash. (Sept. 14, 2005) -- Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes plans to be at the Sept. 18 game against Atlanta, but will not be calling plays.

Rhodes was hospitalized last week after suffering from dizziness. He did not accompany the team to Jacksonville, where Seattle lost 26-14. Linebackers coach John Marshall filled in for Rhodes and will call the defense again against the Falcons.

"He's coming back a little at a time. We're going per doctors orders on this," coach Mike Holmgren said. "If they say 'No, he can't be there,' he's not there."

Rhodes will help with game-planning for the Falcons and is expected to be in the coaches box in a supporting role for Marshall. But Holmgren said team doctors are keeping a close watch on Rhodes.

"Coaching a football game is really not that important compared to getting well," Holmgren said. "He must be smart about this. It's very hard for him to back off, but he must right now."

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.