LITTLE ROCK — COWBOYS Memorial held

DALLAS - Jason Garrett gave the Dallas Cowboys a day off after his players somehow pulled off a victory in Cincinnati while reeling from a one-car accident that killed one teammate and landed another in jail.

Many players showed up at team headquarters anyway and there was Josh Brent, the defensive tackle who missed the trip after police say he was driving drunk and caused the wreck that killed practice squad linebacker Jerry Brown, his close friend and roommate.

And Brent was back with his teammates again Tuesday for a private memorial honoring Brown. Players and team officials left without talking to reporters after the hour-long service on a chilly afternoon at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, but Garrett had made it clear that Brent was still a part of the Cowboys family.

“We’re going to support Josh 100 percent in every way that we can,” Garrett said Monday, a day after the Cowboys beat the Bengals 20-19 with a field goal on the final play to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Brent arrived at the service earlier than most of the Cowboys players, team executives and staff members. He was in a van with several other people and could be seen hugging Brown’s mother before walking into the building. Brent was one of the last to leave, too. He grew close to Brown during three seasons together at the University of Illinois, and took in Brown when the Cowboys added the 25-year-old to the roster in October.

“It’s a really, really difficult situation for him,” Garrett said. “We want to make him feel that there are people around him who can help him get through this thing day by day.”

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league had “no issues” with Brent being at team facilities while the manslaughter case against him works its way through the courts. Pittsburgh visits Dallas on Sunday in another game with playoff implications for both teams.

Police in suburban Irving say Brent was speeding when his vehicle struck a curb and flipped early Saturday, hours before Brent was supposed to be on the team flight to Cincinnati. Brown was taken to a Dallas hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Dallas County medical examiner said he died after suffering blunt force trauma to his head and neck.

Coe added

IRVING, Texas - The DallasCowboys have released cornerback Vince Agnew and replaced him by signing Michael Coe off waivers from Miami.

Coe, who began his college football career at Arkansas, appeared in seven games for the New York Giants before he was released Nov. 26. He played one game for the Dolphins before being released Monday.

A fifth-round pick by Indianapolis in 2007, Coe has 19 tackles and two fumble recoveries in 35 career games with the Colts, Giants and Dolphins.

Agnew was signed to the active roster Nov. 10 after joining the Dallas practice squad on Oct. 16.

STEELERS Mendenhall suspended

PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Steelers have suspended running back Rashard Mendenhall for conduct detrimental to the team.

Mendenhall has been inactive for the past two games after fumbling in a 20-14 loss to Cleveland on Nov. 25. He was third on the depth chart behind Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman when the team released its updated chart on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Mendenhall has struggled staying healthy over the past 11 months. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the 2011 regular-season finale and returned Oct. 4 against Philadelphia, accounting for 101 yards and a touchdown in a 16-14 victory. Mendenhall strained his right Achilles the following week againstTennessee and never regained a firm hold on the starting job.

PATRIOTS

Stallworth goes on IR

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots have placed wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

The move Tuesday ended his season after just one game, a 42-14 victory over the Houston Texans on Monday night in which he scored on his only reception, a 63-yarder from Tom Brady. The Patriots, who had released Stallworth following training camp, re-signed him Dec. 4 after wide receiver Julian Edelman went on injured reserve with a foot injury.

The Patriots did not give details of Stallworth’s injury and he did not mention it as he talked with reporters after the game.

JETS Edwards returns

NEW YORK - Braylon Edwards is back with the New York Jets - a week after bashing them.

The veteran wide receiver was awarded to New York off waivers from Seattle on Tuesday. Edwards developed a good rapport with quarterback Mark Sanchez in helping New York to consecutive trips to the AFC title game in 2009 and 2010.

Edwards reiterated his feelings for Sanchez last week when he took to Twitter and criticized the Jets organization.

With Coach Rex Ryan contemplating whether Sanchez would remain the starting quarterback or be replaced by third-stringer Greg McElroy, Edwards wrote on Twitter last Tuesday that people shouldn’t blame Sanchez.

“I played there,” he wrote. “Blame the idiots calling shots. Mark is a beast and will (prove) it when given a proper chance.”

He tweeted an apology later that day for his “emotional outburst.”

Edwards was released Monday from the Seahawks’ injury-reserve list after less than one unproductive season in Seattle. He had just eight catches for 74 yards and a touchdown in 10 games after signing a one-year deal in July. He spent last season in San Francisco, catching 15 passes for 181 yards in nine games with the 49ers.

He has 349 career receptions for 5,397 yards and 40 touchdowns.

BEARS Gould out rest of season

LAKE FOREST, Ill. - Chicago kicker Robbie Gould will miss the rest of the season after injuring his left calf.

The Bears placed Gould on injured reserve Tuesday and signed veteran kicker Olindo Mare to a one-year contract. They also placed cornerback Sherrick McManis (knee) and safety Craig Steltz (chest) on IR while signing linebacker Jerry Franklin (Arkansas Razorbacks) to a two-year deal, elevating receiver Joe Anderson from the practice squad and waiving offensive lineman Andre Gurode.

Sports, Pages 24 on 12/12/2012