Elsewhere around the NFL:

New York: The Giants and Bears are reportedly competing for the services of recently fired Bills interim head coach Perry Fewell as defensive coordinator. NFL.com’s Jason LaCanfora reported that Fewell was “very likely” to lead the Bears defense, but the former Bills coordinator is reportedly scheduled to interview with the New York Giants Thursday. The Giants have been tight-lipped about their search for a new coordinator and have already been rumored to be looking for an external candidate for the position.

Pittsburg: According to Ken Laird of ESPN 1250 in Pittsburgh, Pittsburg Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is expected to be fired “in the near future.” NFL.com’s Jason LaCanfora calls the report “premature.” Arians came under heavy criticism in Pittsburgh for bucking the traditional ground game to go with a pass-heavy offense, often with questionable playcalling. If fired, Arians would be scapegoated for the defense’s season-long troubles after he led the offense to one of the most productive seasons in franchise history.

Cincinnati: Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis reiterated that Chad Ochocinco’s knee is fine and that he’s only suffering from a bruised ego. “He’s healthy as I think he’s Twittered all over America,” said Lewis. Ochocinco is practicing with the knee bruise Tuesday, so he should be fine for his rematch with Revis Island on Saturday.

New Orleans: Saints placed LE Charles Grant on injured reserve with a torn triceps muscle, ending his season. Sean Payton said nothing of the injury in his Monday news conference, but it’s believed to have occurred in the second quarter of Week 17. The loss of Gant on defense is a big blow to the New Orleans Saints postseason march.

Houston: The Associated Press has voted Texans SLB Brian Cushing the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
He won in a landslide, getting 39 votes to Jairus Byrd’s six, Clay Matthews’ three, and Brian Orakpo’s two. Cushing recorded 134 tackles this season, which ranked fifth in the NFL.

Miami: Coach Tony Sparano wouldn’t fully commit Monday to Chad Henne as the Dolphins’ starting quarterback for 2010. “I haven’t really discussed it yet,” Sparano said. “I haven’t really looked at the whole body of work.” Sparano did admit he was “really pleased with what Chad did” in his 13 starts.

The contract is rumored to be worth nearly $50 million. Shanahan arrived at club headquarters at 3ET Monday. The rest of the Skins’ coaching staff will reportedly undergo a “sweeping change,” with Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer as the apparent favorite to take over the same position in D.C. Shanahan’s son, Kyle, will coordinate the offense and has already been relived of his duties in Houston.

NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi also reported Monday that Mike Shanahan will be named team president, giving him significant influence over all player personnel. It has been widely rumored that Shanahan will release one-time back Clinton Portis and draft a QB with the teams first overall selection in the 2010 draft.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Seattle: The final year on Nate Burleson’s contract is set to void after the Super Bowl. Burleson will become an unrestricted free agent in March, meaning Seattle Seahawks may have to replace two of its top three receivers this offseason because Deion Branch is expected to be released.

New York: Giants fired defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan on Monday. Despite a slew of pricey offseason pickups (Chris Canty, Mike Boley and Rocky Bernard), the Giants’ defense took a significant step backward under Sheridan. Only the Rams and Lions gave up more points per game and New York ranked 18th in sacks after finishing first and sixth in 2007 and 2008 under Steve Spagnuolo. Sheridan was promoted from LBs coach before the season. The New York Giants figure to look outside the organization for a replacement this time and no favorites have surfaced to date.

Cincinnati: Chad Ochocinco said on Twitter that his MRI “went well” on Monday after he tweaked his knee in Sunday night’s loss. According to the Bengals’ website, “all indications point” to the injury being a bruise and involving no structural damage.

Tennessee: Coach Jeff Fisher confirmed in his season-ending press conference that Vince Young will return as the Titans’ starting QB in 2010. Young let the team to a 6-2 finish after replacing Kerry Collins during the teams week 7 bye.

Denver: Broncos WR Brandon Marshall cleaned out his locker immediately after the Denver Broncos’ season, removing his nameplate and all. “It’s empty,” beat writer Frank Schwab observed, adding that the move “left quite a message.” Marshall is headed to restricted free agency, but is likely to go directly on the trade block. The trading period opens in early March and expect least 6-8 teams to be interested.

Bill Cowher: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, CBS analyst Bill Cowher “appears unlikely” to coach in the NFL in 2010. The Bills got Cowher to do a second interview, but he clearly doesn’t want the job.

McDaniels announced Friday he’s benching Marshall, his Pro Bowl wide receiver, for the team’s pivotal season finale against Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. “Our word for the week has been accountability. And we’re looking to put the 45 guys on the field on Sunday that want to play together, want to help us try to win and qualify for the playoffs,” McDaniels said. ” … And anybody that showed any indifference to that, we’ll play without them.” Considering the latest rift happened during week 17, we could have seen the last of Marshall in a Denver uniform.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Denver: Eddie Royal (neck/head) has been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. The Broncos will play without Brandon Marshall, Tony Scheffler and Royal. It’s turning into a terrible situation for Kyle Orton and a Denver Broncos team that is still alive in the playoff chase.

New Orleans: Saints QB Drew Brees will get some rest in the New Orleans Saints’ regular-season finale at Carolina, likely keeping his NFL-record completion percentage intact. Coach Sean Payton has decided to start Mark Brunell in place of the star quarterback for Sunday’s game.

New Orleans:Saints FS Darren Sharper (knee) will not play in Week 17. Sharper is just resting, along with the majority of the other Saints starters. He’ll be ready for the Saints’ playoff opener in two weeks.

San Diego: Billy Volek is expected to get his most extensive playing time in two years when the red-hot San Diego Chargers host the Washington Redskins in a meaningless regular-season finale Sunday.

Tennessee: The Titans are discussing the possibility of a new contract for Chris Johnson, according to ESPN’s Len Pasquarelli. Johnson, who is one of the leagues top backs, is scheduled to make only $550,000 in 2010 per his rookie deal. It would be a good idea to lock up Johnson if the Tennessee Titans had the opportunity and avoid franchising the speedy back when he reaches free agency.

Buffalo: The Bills are expected to interview Brian Billick and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer about their head coaching vacancy, reports Yahoo’s Jason Cole.

Oakland: Raiders QB Bruce Gradkowski (torn MCLs) is out for Sunday’s season finale. It’s unfortunate that Gradkowski got hurt in Week 14 because the Raiders’ offense was showing signs of life with him under center. He doesn’t have much of an arm, but his mobility and decision making was leading to production.

Thomas’ ribs are only bruised, so he’s likely just being sat for precautionary reasons. Thomas should be ready for the playoffs, especially since the Saints have a first round bye.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Pittsburg: Steelers WR Hines Ward (hamstring) is listed as probable for Week 17. He returned to a full practice on Friday, which is something of a surprise after the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Ward is dealing with two separate hamstring injuries. Ward won’t be 100 percent against the Miami Dolphins.

Atlanta: Tony Gonzalez (calf, questionable) returned to Atlanta Falcons practice Friday, albeit in a limited manner.
Gonzalez appears to be a game-time decision for Sunday’s tilt with the Bucs. We suspect that Gonzalez will be ready to play on Sunday.

New York: Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot, questionable) was held out of Giants practice Friday. Last week Bradshaw was only listed as probable, which is a bad sign that his status for this week was downgraded. Even if Bradshaw was able to play on Sunday, he has a bad matchup against the Vikings.

Denver: Brandon Marshall (hamstring) has been ruled out for Week 17 against the Chiefs because of a coach’s decision. Coach Josh McDaniels interestingly said it was an accountability issue and Marshall didn’t want to play through his hamstring injury. The loss is a major blow to Denver’s offensive arsenal, as Marshall is the team’s only weapon at wide receiver.

Miami: Ricky Williams (questionable, shoulder) was limited in Friday’s practice. The Fins aren’t planning to give Ricky a full workload even if he’s active.

Oakland: Three Oakland Raiders were fined a total of $40,000 Thursday for their actions in last week’s penalty-filled game against the Cleveland Browns. Tight end Tony Stewart got hit with the biggest amount, being docked $25,000 for “making intentional physical contact with a game official.” Stewart said Monday he was arguing with the officials after he claimed he was punched by Cleveland linebacker Alex Hall on a kickoff return. Stewart said the official put his hand on his chest and Stewart pushed it aside, leading to the penalty and ejection.

New England: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said he spoke with coach Bill Belichick this week about his desire to play Sunday against the Houston Texans, and relayed Belichick’s response. “You’ll play, don’t worry about that. You’ll be playing.” Yeah but how long will he play is the key. Not long is our guess.

Denver: The NFL has fined Denver Broncos receiver Brandon Stokley $25,000 for making contact with an official that led to his ejection from last weekend’s game at Philadelphia.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

San Francisco: Isaac Bruce stated in a conference call with St. Louis media Wednesday that there’s a “75 percent” change he’ll retire after this year. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “those who know Bruce say it’s closer to 100 percent.” The San Francisco 49ers do plan to let Bruce play in their season finale Sunday against the Rams, with whom Bruce spent nearly his entire career. It will be interesting to see if Bruce makes the Hall of Fame. While he does rank second all-time in receiving yards and fifth all-time in receptions, Bruce made only four Pro Bowls and was never named All Pro.

Miami: Dolphins placed ILB Channing Crowder on injured reserve with a “right foot injury,” ending his season. Early reports out of Miami Dolphins are Crowde suffered a Lisfranc foot fracture, which would jeopardize Crowder’s availability for 2010 training camp. Still only 26 years old, Crowder should be a Dolphin next season. He wraps up the year with a highly disappointing 51 tackles in 13 starts.

Minnesota: Vikings TE Visanthe Shiancoe missed Minnesota Vikings practice Wednesday with a thigh injury. He should be fine for this weekend, but he’s currently listed as questionable.

New York: QB Eli Manning’s foot injury kept him limited in Giants practice Wednesday. He is in no danger of missing the last game against the Vikings.

New York: WR Mario Manningham was held out of Giants practice Wednesday with a shoulder injury. This is the first we’ve heard of any injury so it shouldn’t be too serious. Look for him to start in week 17 against the Vikings.

Green Bay: Packers coach Mike McCarthy says he plans to play his starters and try to win the game on Sunday against Arizona. This goes for Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver.

Atlanta: Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez (calf), QB Matt Ryan (toe), and RB Michael Turner (ankle) were all held out of Atlanta Falcons practice Wednesday. Ryan is the most likely of these three to play in Week 17 at Tampa Bay. Gonzalez never returned after straining his calf in the second half of last Sunday’s win, and sitting out practice indicates that the injury is serious. Turner probably should have been shut down for the year sometime ago.

The Cardinals are still alive for the No. 2 seed in the NFC following Chicago’s Monday night upset of Minnesota and most likely will decide to play all starters in Week 17 after all.

While it’s still a long shot for coach Ken Whisenhunt’s team, the Cards now have something to play for. In addition to beating the Pack, the Cards need the Vikings to lose at home to the Giants in Week 17 and the Dallas Cowboys to beat the Eagles. They’ll know which approach to take early, as the Vikings play at 1ET and Arizona hosts Green Bay at 4:15ET.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Philadelphia Eagles: DeSean Jackson is believed to be the first player in NFL history selected for the Pro Bowl as both a position player and a kick returner. Miles Austin and Sidney Rice are the reserve receivers in the NFC, with Jackson and Larry Fitzgerald as the starters. Percy Harvin had a very strong argument as the kick returner, but it’s hard to quibble with the most explosive player in football this season.

Carolina: Panthers DE Julius Peppers has been elected to the NFC Pro Bowl for the fifth time in his career.
Peppers will earn a $1.5 million bonus, bringing his 2009 salary to $18.2 million. The Carolina Panthers defense has been on fire over the past six weeks, with Peppers leading the way. He’s up to 10.5 sacks on the season, with five forced fumbles.

Minnesota: Vikings CB Antoine Winfield admitted that he suffered a setback with his foot injury against the Bengals in Week 14. Winfield has been really bad in two straight games and it culminated with Devin Aromashodu burning him for the game-winning touchdown on Monday Night Football. Winfield clearly isn’t 100 percent. The Minnesota Vikings should consider shutting him back down until the playoffs.

Oakland: Raiders QB Charlie Frye will start for the Raiders against the Ravens Sunday. As expected, Frye gets the nod over J.P Losman and JaMarcus Russell. He threw for 333 yards last week, but was picked off three times and the Raiders didn’t score any touchdowns. Frye is not a long-term solution for the Raiders.

Oakland: RB Justin Fargas had his knee drained on Monday and is now questionable for week 17 against the Ravens.

Indianapolis: Colts WR Pierre Garcon has been ruled out for week 17 with a hand injury. Expect Hank Baskett to fill in for him.

Cincinnati: Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has said that the results of the early games could have an impact on how much time the starts play on Sunday night. The Bengals would have a shot at the 3 seed if the Patriots lose to the Texans.

Kansas City: The Kansas City Chiefs have made it a goal to get RB Jamaal Charles to 1,000 rushing yards. He will need 139 to do it, so expect him to see alot of carries early and often. Since Larry Johnson was released, only Chris Johnson has more rushing yards.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Baltimore: According to his agent Ralph Cindrich’s Twitter account, backup QB Troy Smith has notified the  Baltimore Ravens that he wants to be traded. Smith “wants playing time” Cindrich writes and plans to “seek (a) trade” after the Ravens’ playoff run. One has to wonder why Smith decided to speak up a one week before his team attempts to secure a playoff birth against the Raiders on Sunday.

Tampa Bay: In an interview with Pewter Report, CB Ronde Barber threatened to retire if the Bucs do not retain head coach Raheem Morris. “Absolutely it will,” Barber said when discussing the impact Morris’ status has on his future. Morris has led his team to a 3-12 record and there is talk that Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be targeting target Bill Cowher as his replacement in the offseason.

New Orleans: X-rays came back negative on Pierre Thomas’ ribs Monday, though he remains questionable for Week 17 at Carolina. Thomas suffered the injury just before the half on Sunday and didn’t come back for the third or fourth quarters.

Carolina: The Charlotte Observer reports that Carolina Panthers coach John Fox and GM Marty Hurney will be “offered the opportunity” to stay with the organization in 2010 by owner Jerry Richardson. Fox, whose contract is up after 2010, will not be offered an extension. A potential NFL lockout in 2011 may have influenced Richardson’s decision, as the team could opt to reduce its expenses.

St. Louis: Rams RB Steven Jackson confirmed that he has a herniated disk but says that no surgery is needed and he plans on playing in Week 17. Jackson experienced new symptoms leading up to Sunday’s game against the Cardinals, and was inactive for the first time all season.

Miami: Despite missing most of the second half with a shoulder injury, Ricky Williams said after Sunday’s game, “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Ricky suffered the injury early in the third quarter, missing out on a 2-yard touchdown vultured by Lex Hilliard. He sat out the remainder of the game with the exception of a 3-yard catch with three minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Indianapolis: Colts QB Peyton Manning completed 14-of-21 passes for 192 yards and no touchdowns, before being pulled in the third quarter of Sunday’s 29-15 loss to the Jets. With the undefeated season now officially a moot point, the 14-1 Indianapolis Colts will likely use their front-line players even less at Buffalo in Week 17.

Philadelphia: Brian Westbrook rushed nine times for 32 yards and added two catches for five yards in Sunday’s win over the Broncos. So much for easing Westbrook back in off his concussions. He was on the field for five snaps on the opening drive alone and was also called upon to run shovel passes, screens and dives. The committee was pretty even in this one, but Westbrook will gradually get more and more work as long as he can stay healthy. Westbrook staying healthy is key to the Philadelphia Eagles playoff run.

Philadelphia: Donovan McNabb completed 20-of-35 passes for 322 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in Sunday’s win over the Broncos.

San Francisco: Frank Gore rushed 28 times for 71 yards and a touchdown and added four receptions for 81 yards to lead the San Francisco 49ers over the Lions, 20-6. Gore is finally finishing strong after ankle woes slowed him down the stretch the past two seasons.

Arizona: Kurt Warner completed 24-of-38 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns in the Arizona Cardinals’ Week 16 win over the Rams. If the Vikings win on Monday night, Ken Whisenhunt may elect to rest Warner and others next week against Green Bay’s 12th-ranked pass defense.

Carolina: Steve Smith broke his left radius in Sunday’s win over the Giants. Smith’s season is obviously over and he will have surgery on Monday.

Jerome Harrison ran 39 times for 148 yards and a touchdown as the Browns defeated the Raiders 23-9 in Week 16. Harrison set a franchise record for the most carries in a game and was highly productive for a second straight game.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

Washington: Washington Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth denies reports that he told teammates to show up late for a Christmas day practice and sources tell the Washington Post that the $100 million man will start Sunday night. Its clear that Haynesworth doesn’t care for the defensive scheme and was reportedly laughing with teammates when Jim Zorn went with the ridiculous fake field goal play twice last week.

Chicago: Chicago Bears beat writer Brad Biggs thinks that Devin Hester (calf) is unlikely to play against the Vikings Monday. Hester was unable to put in a complete practice all week and the 20 degree weather will likely keep his calf tight.

Chicago: The Bears placed LE Adewale Ogunleye (leg) on injured reserve, ending his season.
Ogunleye, 32, is expected to fully recover from this small fracture in his fibula, but his career with the Bears may be over. He’ll be a free agent after this season and the Bears traded for Gaines Adams to possibly take his spot. Ogunleye finishes the season with 6 1/2 sacks.

Indianapolis: The Colts signed QB Drew Willy off their practice squad Saturday, a sign that Peyton Manning will likely rest Sunday. If you haven’t been convinced to bench your Indianapolis Colts yet, this should be the final straw. Willy will start the game as the No. 3 QB but will become Curtis Painter’s backup if/when Manning takes a seat.

Carolina: DeAngelo Williams (doubtful, ankle) traveled with the Panthers to New York for Sunday’s game against the Giants. The fact that Williams made the trip is a glimmer of hope that he will play, but we still doubt it.

Minnisota: Vikings WR Percy Harvin was not on the Vikings’ final injury report. Harvin practiced all week and no one seems concerned at all with the rookie’s neck problems. He should resume a full workload as a major part of the game plan Monday night.

Elsewhere around the NFL:

San Diego: Chargers QB Philip Rivers completed 21-of-27 passes for 264 yards with two touchdowns as the Chargers clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC Friday night. Rivers has now thrown for more than 4,000 yards in two consecutive seasons and is having an MVP-type year. It could have been even better tonight, but the Chargers sat Rivers down for the entire fourth quarter.

Oakland: Raiders RB Justin Fargas (knee) missed Raiders practice again Friday. Fargas is unlikely to be active against the Browns, which sets up Michael Bush to start after posting 133 yards and a TD off the bench in Week 15. The matchup is favorable and Bush can definitely play, but relying on any Raider in fantasy championships is a gamble especially when Darren McFadden will be involved as well.

Philadelphia: Brian Westbrook could be a decoy, part-time player or third-down specialist. All that matters is he’ll be back on the field. Westbrook completed a full week of practice and is expected to play for the Philadelphia Eagles against Denver on Sunday after missing five weeks with a concussion. “We’ll see how his numbers go and how he feels,” coach Andy Reid said Friday. “I’ll stay in communication with him throughout the game. He’ll have a chance to play. He’s done well this week.”

Washington: Redskins defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has been sent home from practice. Coach Jim Zorn told reporters Friday he sent home Haynesworth for disciplinary reasons. Zorn says Haynesworth will still play Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys but might not start.

Carolina: Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams is doubtful for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants after missing his third straight practice with a sprained left ankle.

Buffalo: Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was limited in practice Friday and his availability for Sunday’s game in Atlanta will be a game-time decision. Fitzpatrick participated in individual workouts but not in practice. Interim coach Perry Fewell said he hopes Fitzpatrick might be available against the Falcons.