ESPN NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't appear concerned about missing Sunday's game against the Jets despite sitting out Wednesday's practice with a sore quadriceps.

Roethlisberger, the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first 10 starts, plans to practice Thursday and seemed surprised when asked if he would be ready Sunday.

"Yeah, of course," Roethlisberger said. "Yes, I will play Sunday -- as long as coach [Bill] Cowher lets me." Roethlisberger is listed as probable, meaning there is a 75 percent chance he will play.

Roethlisberger appeared to be limping at times during a 17-16 victory in Jacksonville on Sunday night, when he directed the late drive that led to Jeff Reed's decisive 37-yard field goal with 18 seconds to play. Because he was seen limping, Roethlisberger was initially asked if he hurt his ankle. He doesn't remember the specific play on which he was injured.

Steelers running back Duce Staley also missed practice for what the team termed personal reasons.

Plaxico Burress didn't practice but remains hopeful he can play Sunday.

"We are real close to it, to be able to put him out there on the field," Cowher said.

The Jets (9-3) have won three in a row to lead the AFC wild-card race since dropping three of four, but are 0-5 in Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia Eagles: Three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Hugh Douglas is going to see more action in Philadelphia's final four games because starter Derrick Burgess is out with a chest injury.

Darwin Walker is expected to start in Burgess' place when the Eagles (11-1) play the Redskins (4-8) on Sunday, but Douglas should get more snaps than he has since returning to Philadelphia after one dreadful season in Jacksonville.

"I'm just going to do what I can do to help the team," Douglas said. "I feel great."

Douglas has two sacks, seven hurries and 13 tackles in limited action in the first 12 games. He is fourth among active players with 79 career sacks.

"If you don't go out there feeling you have something to prove, it's time for you to leave this game," Douglas said.

Kansas City Chiefs: Priest Holmes consulted with doctors and team officials amid signs the star running back may be done for the year. Coach Dick Vermeil said a final decision would be made Thursday.

"It's all been evaluated," Vermeil said. "I think we'll know something [Thursday]."

Holmes, who set an NFL record last year with 27 touchdowns, was leading the NFL in rushing and scoring when he sprained ligaments in his right knee against Tampa Bay on Nov. 7.

The recovery time originally was estimated at four weeks. But he will miss his fifth straight game when the Chiefs play Monday night at Tennessee, and he and the team both have expressed disappointment over how slowly the injury was healing.

The Chiefs (4-8) have been eliminated from playoff contention and will have only three games left after Monday night. At his weekly luncheon Tuesday, Vermeil seemed to raise for the first time the possibility of Holmes missing the rest of the year.

"I don't want Priest Holmes to feel pressure, because the most important thing is that he heals properly so he can come back and be 100 percent next year,'' Vermeil said. "If it means sitting out [the season] and that's the best thing to do, that's exactly what we'll do."

Buffalo Bills: Tight end Mark Campbell will miss the rest of the season because of an injured right knee.

The Bills placed Campbell on injured reserve. Coach Mike Mularkey said Campbell hurt a ligament, adding it has not been determined whether he will require surgery.

Campbell was hurt during the first quarter of Buffalo's 42-32 win over Miami on Sunday. He's third among Buffalo receivers with 17 catches for 203 yards and five touchdowns, three of them in Buffalo's 37-17 win against St. Louis last month.

The Bills (6-6) are suddenly banged up at tight end as they prepare to host Cleveland on Sunday. Rookie backup Tim Euhus also hurt his right knee against Miami and is doubtful. Mularkey said the team is still running tests to determine the extent of Euhus' injury.

The injuries could leave the Bills with one regular tight end, Ryan Neufeld, who's been used primarily as a blocker. They can also use rookie Jason Peters, a former tight end, whom the Bills have converted into an offensive lineman.

Buffalo also signed tight end Rodney Trafford to the active roster after he spent most of the season on the Eagles' practice squad. Trafford was on Buffalo's practice squad last year, but was released before the start of this season.

Indianapolis Colts: Center Jeff Saturday, who sat out last week's 51-24 win over Tennessee with a torn right calf muscle, returned to practice and could start against Houston on Sunday.

Saturday was replaced by offensive guard Rick DeMulling against the Titans, and DeMulling did a good job in a difficult situation. But getting the six-year veteran back in the lineup would be a plus for the Colts, who could clinch the AFC South title with a victory.

"Jeff actually did well [Wednesday]. He got through everything OK," said Colts coach Tony Dungy.

Tight end Dallas Clark saw some light work before practice and was expected to be a game-time decision. Clark did not play against the Titans due to a strained left calf.

Strong safety Gerome Sapp (bruised rib cartilage) sat out practice and is not expected to play against the Titans. He will probably be out one to two weeks. Offensive guard Tupe Peko returned to practice and might be available against Houston. Peko has missed the last three games with a high right ankle sprain.

Seattle Seahawks: The defense is getting a makeover for this week's trip to Minnesota, with most changes forced by injuries and another coming after the rise of rookie safety Michael Boulware.

The biggest overhaul is on the line, where top draft pick Marcus Tubbs and reserve Rocky Bernard are out. Tubbs has a high left ankle sprain and Bernard sprained a ligament in his right knee in Monday night's loss to Dallas.

Tackle Cedric Woodard, meanwhile, is questionable with a strained left knee. All seven players listed Wednesday on Seattle's injury report are defenders.

Safety Terreal Bierria is questionable with an injured back, one reason Boulware will start. However, coach Mike Holmgren said the rookie is playing well after moving from linebacker at Florida State.

"We need all the playmakers we can get right now, and he has earned the right to start," Holmgren said.

Meanwhile, Chad Brown, the other veteran linebacker, has missed the last two games after arthroscopic surgery to his left knee. He's doubtful this week, along with cornerback Bobby Taylor, who has missed two weeks with a strained right knee.

Coach questions why replay wasn't used: Holmgren said Keyshawn Johnson's late touchdown shouldn't have counted when Dallas rallied to beat the Seahawks on Monday night.

Holmgren said replays and film study showed Johnson was not inbounds when he made the catch, and the coach questioned why replay officials didn't review the play. The TD cut Seattle's lead to 39-36 with 1:45 remaining. Johnson appeared to come down in the end zone with one foot, then land on his elbow out of bounds.

"He didn't score. That was not a touchdown," Holmgren said.

Johnson told reporters in Texas the issue is much ado about nothing, stirred simply because of his reputation for being outspoken. Cowboys quarterback Vinny Testaverde also suggested safety Terreal Bierria pushed him out.

Holmgren called the NFL office Tuesday to express his concerns, but apparently got nowhere.

Cleveland Browns: Quarterback Jeff Garcia's right shoulder isn't the only thing strained. His relationship with the Browns doesn't appear to be much better.

Although Garcia is listed as probable on the injury report and interim coach Terry Robiskie says he is "90 percent healthy," rookie Luke McCown will make his second career start Sunday when the Browns face the Bills.

Garcia was informed of the coaching staff's decision Wednesday. He was not available for comment.

"We told him that we thought Luke went out this weekend [against New England] and did a pretty decent job," Robiskie said. "We wanted to give Luke another week. "He [Jeff] said he was fine with it."

Based on Garcia's previous comments, that's hard to believe. Garcia, who injured his rotator cuff against the Jets last month, hasn't missed a chance to voice his opinion since joining the Browns. Since the preseason, Garcia has seemingly had a problem with one thing or another.

He complained he didn't play enough during the preseason. He criticized the Browns' play calling under Robiskie, the team's offensive coordinator before taking over as head coach last week. Garcia also bemoaned the team's lack of discipline, calling out Browns guards for jumping offside.

Robiskie said Garcia didn't come to the team's training facility Tuesday for treatment on his shoulder, perhaps another sign of his discontent.

San Francisco 49ers: Tim Rattay and Kevan Barlow will sit out Sunday's game at Arizona, leaving the NFL's worst team without its starting quarterback and running back.

Barlow got a concussion in last Sunday's loss to St. Louis, and team doctors won't allow him to play with constant headaches. The injury is just the latest setback for the embattled running back, who has the league's lowest yards-per-carry average for a starter.

After sitting out practice Wednesday, Barlow seemed less concerned by his injury than recent suggestions the 49ers might trade him. Several teams were interested in Barlow last season before he signed a $20 million deal to stay in San Francisco.

"This last year, they couldn't wait to get Garrison Hearst out of here because they wanted me to play, and now they're trying to push me out of here," said Barlow, referring to the speculation.

"I'm not a guy who wants to get traded. I'm not a guy who wants to get cut or released," said Barlow, who accepted "a lot of the blame" for his poor season, but also pointed to his offensive line's inexperience as one of many reasons he's having trouble.

Rattay, who missed three games earlier in the season with two different injuries, now has a torn fascia muscle in his right foot. He must keep weight off his foot for two weeks, coach Dennis Erickson said, likely ruling him out for at least two games.

Washington Redskins: Linebacker LaVar Arrington practiced for the first time since his knee surgery in September and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Philadelphia, although coach Joe Gibbs was pessimistic that Arrington would play

Arrington worked mostly with the scout team and left the practice early for treatment.

Meanwhile, another opening day defensive starter, defensive end Phillip Daniels, had his season officially come to an end when he was placed on injured reserve.

Daniels dislocated a bone in his left wrist in Sunday's game against the Giants. He signed a five-year, $11 million contract as a free agent in March, but he played in just five games because of a groin injury.

Defensive lineman Cedric Killings was signed to fill Daniels' roster spot. Killing spent training camp with the Redskins before being released in September. Also, linebacker Billy Strother was signed to the practice squad. Defensive end Demetric Evans, who has four starts this season, was ruled out for the Eagles game with a hairline fracture in his leg.

New Orleans Saints: Special teams captain Steve Gleason was fined $5,000 by the NFL, the result of his ejection against Carolina last week after he punched Panthers defensive end Kemp Rasmussen in his groin at the end of a kickoff return.

Gleason said the resulting fine was fair. "From what I hear it was in line with what others have gotten."

Gleason apologized to his team mates and coaches for the incident, which caused him to miss the second half of the game.

"I've resolved the situation and now I want to move on," Gleason said.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press