NFL notes

TITANS

Locker out indefinitely

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker is out with a hip injury and Coach Mike Munchak doesn’t know for how long.

One thing is certain. It couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Titans or Locker.

The coach said Monday that Locker will have another MRI exam Tuesday to diagnose the extent of the injury he suffered Sunday against the New York Jets. The test will give the Titans a better idea of when he can return.

Tennessee (3-1) is off to a surprising start after going 6-10 last year behind Locker, who is playing the best football of his career.

Munchak remained optimistic Locker will be back this season and said any reports on how much time Locker will miss is simply guessing now because the Titans haven’t discussed the possibilities with the quarterback yet.

“He still has swelling so they don’t want to speculate on terming what that means or how long and rehab and how long this all will take,” Munchak said. “He’ll be MRI’d again tomorrow, then we’ll have a better idea exactly what the time frame before he can actually play or get back on the field.”

Munchak said Locker also sprained his right knee on the hit.

Ryan Fitzpatrick now will replace Locker in Sunday’s game against Kansas City (4-0).

The coach did not rule out a fracture or dislocation until after the next tests. Munchak dismissed reports earlier Monday that Locker will miss at least a month, saying that determining the severity of an injury can be difficult early. He also said the Titans will announce how long Locker is out after Tuesday’s tests.

“Then we’ll have to make some decisions and see exactly where we’re at,” Munchak said.

The Titans signed Fitzpatrick in March to a two-year deal, and right now he’s the only other quarterback on the roster. Rusty Smith, a four year veteran, currently is on the practice squad. Smith said he hadn’t been approached yet about being promoted to the roster or heard if the Titans might sign someone else to back up Fitzpatrick.

Locker spent the night in the hospital after being injured early in the third quarter of a 38-13 win over the Jets. Locker was hit first by Muhammad Wilkerson and pinballed off Quinton Coples before grabbing at his hip as he went to the ground. Munchak said Locker couldn’t pull out his foot with his hip caught in a kind of whiplash effect.

He missed five games last season because of an injured left shoulder.

The Titans (3-1) are off to a strong start after going 6-10 last season. They wrap up a three-game home stand against the Chiefs on Sunday before visiting Seattle (4-0) on Oct. 13. They host San Francisco (2-2) before their bye in a stretch that looked challenging even before Locker was injured.

If Locker missed only a month, he would be on target to return Nov. 3 when Tennessee visits St. Louis.

RAIDERS McFadden, others injured

ALAMEDA, Calif. - The Oakland Raiders head into preparations for Sunday’s game against San Diego with uncertainty at four key offensive positions.

Quarterback Terrelle Pryor is still recovering from a concussion that kept him out of Sunday’s 24-14 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Running back Darren McFadden (Arkansas Razorbacks, Pulaski Oak Grove), fullback Marcel Reece and center Stefen Wisniewski are also nursing injuries from the game and Coach Dennis Allen said Monday it was too soon to determine their status for this week.

Allen did get one question answered already. The game time has been moved from 1:25 p.m. Pacific to 8:35 p.m. (10:35 p.m. Central) to give enough time to convert the Oakland Coliseum from baseball to football after the Athletics host Game 2 of the AL division series against the Detroit Tigers on Saturday night.

The NFL and Raiders had been hoping to keep the original start time but that proved impossible when baseball set the start time for the baseball game at 6:07 p.m. Pacific on Saturday. With about 18 hours needed to convert the Coliseum from baseball to football, the game time needed to be switched.

Pryor had been set to start Sunday despite being knocked out last Monday in Denver with a concussion. But the Raiders (1-3) changed plans Saturday night after Pryor asked to wear a tinted visor because of sensitivity to light. That is a symptom from concussions and led to the decision to keep Pryor out of the game.

The other three all got hurt Sunday. McFadden (hamstring) and Reece (knee) both left in the first half and didn’t return, while Wisniewski played the entire game despite having a sprained knee.

Reece underwent an MRI on Monday, while McFadden and Wisniewski did not need further tests. Allen said he does not expect McFadden to miss much time, if any, and that Reece does not need surgery on his knee but offered few other details.

PATRIOTS

Wilfork’s season over

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Vince Wilfork was pursuing a play when he planted his right foot, dropped to the ground and probably ended his season.

“It doesn’t look too good for Vince,” New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick said Monday on WEEIAM. “I think he’s got a pretty serious injury and it’s probably unlikely that he’ll be able to play again this year.”

The Boston Globe reported that the defensive tackle tore his right Achilles tendon in Sunday’s 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Belichick did not specify the injury. Wilfork’s agent, Kennard McGuire, did not respond to requests for comment.

At his news conference earlier Monday, Belichick said he didn’t know much about Wilfork’s injury or whether he would miss most or all of the remaining games. He said he hadn’t met yet with medical personnel.But as the injuries to key Patriots players pile up - Wilfork is a five-time Pro Bowl selection - so do the victories.

They’re 4-0 despite missing one of the NFL’s best tight ends, Rob Gronkowski, for all those games, as he recovers from forearm and back surgery, and their top wide receiver, Danny Amendola, for the last three with a groin injury.

When Wilfork left, undrafted rookie Joe Vellano stepped in and got a sack. And Chris Jones, cut by Houston and Tampa Bay after the Texans drafted him in the sixth round this year, saw his first action with the Patriots, who are thin at defensive tackle behind Tommy Kelly.

ODDS & ENDS

Houston Texans Coach Gary Kubiak said that linebacker Brian Cushing (concussion) will enter the league’s mandatory protocol and will be evaluated later this week. Cushing left Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks in the second half. The Texans led 20-3 at halftime, but lost 23-20 in overtime. … Defensive lineman Michael Bennett is expected to be able to practice this week for the Seattle Seahawks after being carted off the field on a stretcher in Houston. Coach Pete Carroll said Monday that Bennett has some soreness in his back, but was feeling better and should be cleared to practice on Wednesday. Carroll said Bennett was “really scared” but the team hopes he’ll be able to play on Sunday at Indianapolis. Carroll also said that right tackle Breno Giacomini had minor knee surgery on Monday. Carroll is still uncertain whether center Max Unger (triceps) will be able to go this week. Unger missed Sunday’s game.

SEPT. 26 San Francisco 35, St. Louis 11 SUNDAY’S GAMES Kansas City 31, NY Giants 7 Seattle 23, Houston 20, OT Buffalo 23, Baltimore 20 Arizona 13, Tampa Bay 10 Indianapolis 37, Jacksonville 3 Cleveland 17, Cincinnati 6 Detroit 40, Chicago 32 Minnesota 34, Pittsburgh 27 Tennessee 38, NY Jets 13 Washington 24, Oakland 14 San Diego 30, Dallas 21 Denver 52, Philadelphia 20 New England 30, Atlanta 23 OPEN Carolina, Green Bay MONDAY’S GAME New Orleans 38, Miami 17THURSDAY’S GAME - All times Central Buffalo at Cleveland, 7:25 p.m.

SUNDAY Detroit at Green Bay, noon New Orleans at Chicago, noon Kansas City at Tennessee, noon Jacksonville at St. Louis, noon New England at Cincinnati, noon Seattle at Indianapolis, noon Baltimore at Miami, noon Philadelphia at NY Giants, noon Carolina at Arizona, 3:05 p.m.

Denver at Dallas, 3:25 p.m.

Houston at San Francisco, 7:30 p.m.

San Diego at Oakland, 10:35 p.m.

OPEN Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Washington MONDAY NY Jets at Atlanta, 7:40 p.m.

Sports, Pages 22 on 10/01/2013

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