LITTLE ROCK — COWBOYS
Murray sits; Costa out
IRVING, Texas - Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray wasa precautionary scratch from the first practice since his return from a six-game absence with a sprained right foot.
Center Phil Costa is also out for the season with an ankle injury.
Murray said hewould return to practice today after missing Wednesday’s session. He said his soreness was normal after being out so long. He rushed for 83 yards on 23 carries against Philadelphia on Sunday in his first action since Oct. 14.
Costa hasn’t played since injuring his right ankle Oct. 21 against Carolina. He also missed all but one series of the first four games with a back injury.
The Cowboys signed tackle Darrion Weems off Denver’s practice squad and added tight end Chase Ford to their practice squad.
VIKINGS
Harvin placed on IR
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - The Minnesota Vikings have placed ailing wide receiver Percy Harvin on injured reserve.
The move was announced Wednesday afternoon, after Harvin missed another practice because of severely sprained left ankle that has kept him out of the past three games.
After an outstanding first half, Harvin’s season deteriorated quickly. He was hurt at Seattle on Nov. 4. Now this, meaning he won’t play the rest of the year.
TITANS Hutchinson out
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Tennessee Titans placed veteran guard Steve Hutchinson on injured reserve because of an injured right knee and claimed guard Mitch Petrus (Carlisle, Arkansas Razorbacks) off waivers from New England on Wednesday.
Hutchinson hurt his knee last week in a 24-10 loss to Houston and will have surgery Thursday. He becomes the fourth of Tennessee’s five starting offensive linemen at the start of training camp placed on injured reserve with only left tackle Michael Roos still active. Roos did not practice Wednesday because of his own sore right knee.
Petrus was a fifth-round pick from Arkansas by the New York Giants in 2010. He was waived by the Giants after the eighth week this season and signed by the Patriots on Nov. 13. He has played in 29 career games.
The Titans (4-8) visit Indianapolis (8-4) on Sunday.
CARDINALS DT issues apology
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona Cardinalsdefensive tackle Darnell Dockett said he’s apologized to teammate Kerry Rhodes for the pair’s on-field run-in during the waning seconds of lastSunday’s loss to the New York Jets.
Dockett said Rhodes has forgiven him and the pair are moving on.
What Dockett described as a “very heated argument” stemmed from Rhodes trying to persuade him to allow the Jets to score so the Cardinals could get the ball back and try for the winning touchdown. Dockett said he was so adamant because he never has quit as a player and when he does it will be time to hang up his cleats and walk away from the game.
The situation became moot when the Jets purposely downed the ball at the Arizona 1 and ran out the clock for a 7-6 victory.
JETS
Tebow: Ribs improving
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - New York Jets backup quarterback Tim Tebow said he did “a lot more” in practice Wednesday than he has the previous two weeks while healing from two broken ribs.
Tebow said despite being limited, he was able to throw passes at full force for the first time in a few weeks. He added that he’s not yet 100 percentand will go for additional X-rays to make sure his ribs are healing properly.
It’s uncertain if he will be active for the team’s game Sunday against his hometown Jacksonville Jaguars.
Tight end Dustin Keller sat out practice with a sprained left ankle, while rookie wide receiver Stephen Hill was out with a knee injury. Wide receiver Clyde Gates also did not participate while recovering from a concussion.
TEXANS
Routt added to roster
HOUSTON - The Houston Texans have signed veteran cornerback Stanford Routt after placing Brice McCain on injured reserve with a designation for return.
Routt started seven games this season for the Kansas City Chiefs before he was released on Nov. 5.
McCain, Houston’s nickel cornerback, had surgery to repair a broken left foot Monday. He must sit out eight weeks, which means the earliest he could play is if the Texans reach the Super Bowl.
Houston needed depth at the position because of McCain’s injury and the uncertain status of Johnathan Joseph, the Texans’ top cornerback who has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury.
Routt, who went to college at Houston, has 258 tackles and 12 interceptions in an eight-year career spent mostly in Oakland.
Sports, Pages 23 on 12/06/2012