Posted by Andy Benoit

Because a handful of teams have nothing to play for in Week 17, deciphering the injury report can be a very inexact – and, frankly, pointless – science. Thus, we’ll only bother analyzing the injury reports from games that carry playoff implications.

Panthers @ Falcons

CB Chris Gamble’s miserable season has already endedwith a thud, as he’s out this week with an ankle injury. WR Steve Smith is questionable and did not practice due to a bad calf.

The only player who is questionable and did not practice for Atlanta is DT Jonathan Babineaux. We’ll use this opportunity to once again state that Babineaux was a major Pro Bowl snub.

Buccaneers @ Saints

Because virtually all of Tampa Bay’s key injured players have already been placed on IR (Arrelious Benn, Jeff Faine, Aqib Talib, Davin Joseph, Cody Grimm), their injury report looks misleadingly thin. Only FB Earnest Graham is worth noting (out with a neck).

The Saints placed KR Courtney Roby (head) on IR this week. Pierre Thomas, fresh at this point because he missed eight weeks in the middle of the season with an ankle injury, will likely continue to handle the kick returns now (though he missed some practice time this week with that ankle). Tight ends Jeremy Shockey (groin) and Dave Thomas (knee) missed practice all week, further opening the door for bourgeoning youngster Jimmy Graham. WR Marques Colston is “questionable” but, more likely, “doubtful” after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday.

Rams @ Seahawks

The Rams are healthy – everyone practiced. The Seahawks had a somewhat surprising contributor at practice Friday: QB Matt Hasselbeck. Looks like he’ll try to play despite a strained left hip. Hasselbeck’s security blanket, WR Brandon Stokley, is questionable after not practicing with a head injury.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

Saints wideout Marques Colston had an arthroscopic procedure done on his right knee Tuesday. He’s had a history of issues with his left knee. The Saints are saying he is questionable for this Sunday against the Bucs.


Clinton Portis thinks he can still be an elite running back. (They all do.)


No surprise here: Chad Ochocinco is expected to sit out the Bengals’ season finale.

We’re refusing to write yet another article on which Niners QB gets the start, which is why we’re passing along the news in Hot Routes this time. (This week’s starting QB will be Alex Smith.)


John Harbaugh says he’ll likely keep his starters on the field against the Bengals. The Ravens can still win the AFC North if the Browns somehow upset the Steelers. Both of these games will be played at 1:00.


Speculation about John Harbaugh’s brother, Jim, joining the 49ers is continuing to heat up.


Devin Hester hopes to keep the Packers out of the playoffs. He says they’re a good team and he’d hate to face them three times in one year.


Is Tuesday night football in the NFL’s future? The ratings for the Vikings-Eagles game were huge (23.7 million viewers).


If the Seahawks win Sunday and make the playoffs, they’ll cost themselves about 10 spots in the 2011 Draft.


Giants Pro Bowl guard Chris Snee is defending his head coach/father-in-law.


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Posted by Andy Benoit

Panthers linebacker Jon Beason believes he’s going to be fined for an illegal hit on Saints wide receiver Marques Colston. And in admitting so, Beason only firmed up his reputation as one of the game’s most outspoken players.

"I'll just get a cherry on top of everything," Beason said in regards to fine, according to the Charlotte Observer. "You live with it. At the end of the day, I'm not going to pull up. I'm not going to stop how I play. My job is to stop people, and that's why I'm here at the highest level."

Beason also echoed Troy Polamalu’s gripes about the power that Commissioner Roger Goodell has. "I just work here, man. I don't make the rules. I don't enforce them," he said. "At the end of the day, the person who will probably fine me is the person who I have to call for an appeal. So it's a dictatorship."

The Panthers star linebacker was flagged after Colston went over the middle to snag a 7-yard pass second-and-two. Beason appeared to hit Colston in the helmet with his forearm.

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Posted by Andy Benoit

We read through all the box scores so that you wouldn't have to. Here's what was pulled out.

Neither quarterback was very good in the Bengals-Dolphins game. Carson Palmer struggled with distance-based accuracy, completing just 17/38 passes. Chad Henne was 24/37 with no touchdowns and an awful interception to Morgan Trent.

For the seventh time in seven games this season, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were both held to 80 yards or less on the ground.

Maurice Jones-Drew had his best game of the season against the Cowboys, rushing for 135 yards on 27 carries.

In his first game since injuring his shoulder in Week 1, Matthew Stafford was 26/45 for 212 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. (DeAngelo Hall, who was outplayed by Calvin Johnson for most of the afternoon, snagged the interception on a brilliant first quarter play.)

Ndamukong Suh is running away with the Defensive Player of the Year award. The behemoth DT recorded two more sacks Sunday, bringing his total to 6.5 on the season. Suh also had five tackles and a game-sealing touchdown off a fumble return.

Only 42,339 people paid to see the Lions defeat the Redskins.

For what it’s worth, Kansas City’s Thomas Jones became the first player in NFL history to rush for 500 yards for a fifth different team. Jones had 77 of the Chiefs’ 274 yards rushing. (Jamaal Charles led the way with 177; he also led the Chiefs with 61 yards receiving.)

Steven Jackson played with a broken finger against the Panthers. He came out in passing situations (one catch, four yards), but rushed for 59 yards on 23 carries (his performance looked better than the numbers suggest).

James Laurinaitis is putting together a Pro Bowl season. On Sunday the second-year linebacker had eight tackles, a sack, three tackles for a loss and an interception (which came on a horrendous decision and throw by Matt Moore).

Mark Sanchez was equally inaccurate, going 16/38 but with two picks (one of which was Charles Woodson plain ripping the ball away from Dustin Keller.)

After catching a pass in 133 straight games, Donald Drive was held without a catch for a second straight game. He was still hampered by a quad injury.

Brandon Lloyd hauled in seven passes for 169 yards. Lloyd has had triple-digit receiving yards in five games this season.

The trio of Ryan Mathews, Mike Tolbert and Darren Sproles combined for 145 yards rushing for San Diego.

The Seahawks were 1/16 on third down against the Raiders.

Danny Woodhead turned in five catches for 45 yards against the Vikings.

In his first game since Week 3, Steve Breaston caught eight passes for 147 yards.

Robert Meachem and Marques Colston both had six catches and at least 75 yards receiving for the Saints.