Notes

VIKINGS

Favre: game not ruled out

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Brett Favre is walking around the Minnesota Vikings practice facility without the oversized boot that has been protecting his injured left ankle.

Favre limped through the locker room Thursday before practice with just a wrap on his ankle. He suffered two fractures around the ankle in the gameagainst Green Bay on Sunday night, putting his league-record 291 consecutive-starts streak in jeopardy.

The 41-year-old quarterback was not on the practice field during the portion open to the media Thursday. When asked if he thought he could play, Favre said, “I wouldn’t put anything past me, to be honest with you.”

The Vikings (2-4) play at New England on Sunday. If Favre cannot play, Tarvaris Jackson would step in.

SAINTS

RB Thomas on crutches

METAIRIE, La. - Pierre Thomas hobbled into the Saints’ locker room on crutches Thursday, keeping weight off his sprained left ankle and sounding perplexed about why his recovery is going so much slower than he’d hoped.

“I really don’t know what’s the whole problem. Everybody keeps saying it’s a sprain or maybe a little tear there,” Thomas said. “I don’t know for sure if that’s true. I’m hearing so many different stories. I don’t know what to believe.”

Thomas, the Saints’ leading rusher in 2009, accounted for 280 total yards from scrimmage and one touchdown rushing in the Saints’ first three games of this season. His injury occurred while he was being tackled late in the fourth quarter of a Week 3 overtime loss to Atlanta. Thomas returned for the extra period in that game and gained 23 yards on a screen.

He even returned to practice on a limited basis three days before New Orleans’ Week 4 loss at Arizona.

At that time, Coach Sean Payton sounded optimistic that Thomas was close to returning when he spoke about the possibility of both Thomas and safety Roman Harper (then slowed by a hamstring pull) playing in the Cardinals game.

“They were limited but they got work today and both of them areprogressing quickly,” Payton said then, adding that the players would be game-time decisions that week.

CARDINALS

Breaston back

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona Coach Ken Whisenhunt said there is no doubt wide receiver Steve Breaston will play Sunday when the Cardinals host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Breaston had expected to return last weekend in Seattle but was held out because of the wet conditions. He has missed three games following arthroscopic knee surgery.

Whisenhunt also said he is considering activating inside linebacker Gerald Hayes and rookie outside linebacker O’Brien Schofield. Both have been out all season, Hayes following back surgery and Schofield after reconstructive knee surgery.

Arizona starting outside linebacker Clark Haggans has not practiced this week because of a groin injury.

TITANS

WR Britt denies punch

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee wide receiver Kenny Britt denies throwing a punch during a bar fight in a downtown Nashville night club last week.

Britt said Thursday he was falsely accused by 26-year-old Harold Pointer, who told police Britt joined in a fight and struck him several times during an altercation at the Karma Lounge nightclub in the early hours of Oct. 22. A police investigation into misdemeanor assault remains open.

“We probably had some words throughout the time we were there, and probably the person that did touch him was probably with me, and he probably thought so, and now he’s falsely accusing me. That’s what happens in my life,” Britt said.

RAMS

Jackson expects to play

ST. LOUIS - Steven Jackson says he won’t let finger surgery keep him off the field.

The St. Louis Rams running back said Thursday that he will play when the Rams host Carolina on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome.

Jackson had surgery on the broken ring finger on his left hand Monday. He carries the ball with his right hand and says the injury is, in his words, “no big deal.”

Jackson became the Rams’ alltime leading rusher in Sunday’s 18-17 loss at Tampa Bay, passing Eric Dickerson. He has topped 100 yards rushing three consecutive games.