In his weekly interview with ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Cutler said the reason he was wearing a boot was that there could be ligament damage to his ankle that was originally described as a "high sprain."
“There are a couple of ligaments that we’re a little worried about that’s different than the normal high ankle sprain,” Cutler said. “There are a few other things involved. If I just had a normal high ankle sprain, I wouldn’t be in a cast. [A cast] helps it scar up and stuff, but the normal high ankle sprain isn’t really a concern at this point.”
If the injury is indeed that serious, then the idea that the Bears' starting quarterback would be ready for Chicago's December 1 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings might be a bit premature. Having Cutler in the lineup would be beneficial to the Bears' playoff chances, but we've already seen what happens when he has been left in a game with a serious injury for too long.
If you're analyzing the situation from the glass half-full perspective, look no further than the play of Bears' backup quarterback Josh McCown. McCown has gone 2-1 as a starter in Cutler's absence, and has kept Chicago in the thick of a heated NFC playoff race.
BELICHICK WON’T DISCUSS CALL
Speaking with reporters on a conference call on Tuesday morning, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick declined to comment on the controversial call that ended New England's 24-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
From the onset of the conversation, Belichick maintained that he and his team were not going to linger over a decision that was out of their control.
“I don’t really have any comment about today the officiating or any of those calls,” Belichick said. “If you have any questions on that, you can talk to the league office, the officiating department, let them give their explanation on them. It’s not really our job to call the games, it’s to play it and coach it. There are calls they make, and those are the ones we live with. We can’t let that affect what we’re doing.”
When pressed further about referee Clete Blakeman's explanation of why he picked up the flag after initially calling Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly for pass interference, the Pats' head coach still wouldn't bite.
“That’s what I just said, I don’t really have any other comment on that,” Belichick said. “Whatever the officials think is the only thing that matters. It doesn’t matter what any of us think. They’re the ones who make the calls, so it’s their explanation, their judgment that we all have to abide by.”
Belichick also declined to say whether he believed Tom Brady's final pass for tight end Rob Gronkowski was catchable or not, but one thing he did make clear is that his team has already shifted its focus toward the matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.
“We’ve got to turn the page here quickly and turn to Denver,” Belichick said. “Move on to Denver, have another good week of preparation, get ready to go next week.”
The Broncos are tied for first atop the AFC West, and with another Brady-Manning duel just less than a week away, the media circus is going to continue up in Foxborough.
GREER PLACED ON IR
Jabari Greer on Tuesday officially joined the lengthy list of New Orleans Saints defensive players who have suffered a season-ending injury. The Saints placed Greer, their starting cornerback, on injured reserve, two days after he tore his left ACL against the San Francisco 49ers.
Greer had to be carted off the field Sunday after landing awkwardly while leaping to break up a pass.
Defensive end Kenyon Coleman, cornerback Patrick Robinson, and linebackers Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma are also on injured reserve. Linebacker Victor Butler tore his ACL in June and has been on the physically unable to perform list all season.
Under new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, the Saints have withstood all the injuries and become one of the most improved defenses in the NFL. Greer, in his 10th NFL season and his fifth with the Saints, was one of the mainstays.
"Jabari is having such a great year," Ryan told reporters Tuesday, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune. "He's a great person. We'll miss him in the locker room most. He was having a great year. He was doing everything we asked him to do and then some."
GOLDSON SUSPENSION UPHELD
Buccaneers safety Dashon Goldson's appeal to overturn a one-game suspension and $264, 705 fine was denied by NFL official Ted Cottrell. Goldson received those harsh penalties from the league office after he took a head shot on wide receiver Roddy White in the Buccanneers' victory over the Falcons on Sunday.
Early in this season, Goldson had a fine reduced and suspension overturned by hearing officer Matt Birk. Birk, a former NFL center, was an independent appeals officer appointed by the NFL league office, and his decision was not seen by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell . Goodell would go on to say that "a violation of the rules has consequences," and that a "substantial fine" reflects that.
That hit was also a helmet-to-helmet shot over the middle of the field on a defenseless Darren Sproles. In response to accusations of foul play, Goldson cited personal safety as his biggest concern going forward.
"I'm an aggressive player. We all know that across the league," Goldson said. "I've never tried to hurt anybody. I try to keep my hits within the rules. And that's what I'll do week in and week out. I have to make sure I get guys to the ground, but at the same time I have to be careful."
This hit wasn't quite as egregious, but it did show that this is a player who hasn't changed how he goes about playing the game. If you count the $30,000 fine for striking a defenseless player in the Tampa Bay's opening game at the Jets, the hard-hitting safety has accumulated nearly $300,000 alone this season.
Goldson will be eligible to return to the Bucs Monday, November 25, and will miss this Sunday's game against the Lions, but is the league's punishment severe enough?
The Buccaneers gave Goldson a 5-year $41 million contract in the offseason, and he was also named a one of the teams' two defensive captains before the start of the regular season. It is clear the Buccaneers consider him a valueable asset, both on the field and in the locker room, so don't expect the organization to discipline one of their own anytime soon.
Sitting Goldson down for a game is a good start, but if the NFL is serious about cutting down on concussions and injuries to the head, then the punishment for this particular breed of player need to be more severe. Until then, it's not a matter of if Goldson's dirty antics will strike again, but when.
WALDEN LOSES APPEAL
Colts linebacker Erik Walden will miss Sunday's game at Arizona after losing his appeal with the NFL, a team spokesman confirmed Tuesday.
The decision comes one day after league officials announced they were suspending Walden for one game after he ripped off the helmet of Titans tight end Delanie Walker. Walden, who still had his helmet on, then head-butted Walker, drawing a 15-yard penalty.
The suspension is expected to cost Walden a game check of about $175,000 and will force coach Chuck Pagano to replace Walden in the starting lineup. Bjoern Werner, Indy's first-round draft pick in April, or Cam Johnson, whom the Colts traded for in September, are expected to get the nod.
Walden is eighth on the team in tackles with 28 and has two sacks this season.
MOORE ON RECALLABLE IR
The Broncos placed safety Rahim Moore on recallable injured reserve Tuesday and signed veteran Michael Huff to take his place.
Moore underwent emergency surgery to stop bleeding in a muscle in his left leg Monday. By placing him on recallable IR, the Broncos can bring Moore back to practice in six weeks and onto the active roster if they're playing in eight weeks, which would be the week of the AFC title game in January.
Broncos executive vice president of football operations John Elway said, "obviously it hurts to lose Rahim, he'd been playing so well."
Huff was the seventh pick of the 2006 draft by the Raiders. He signed as a free agent with Baltimore last offseason but played sparingly in seven games this year before the Ravens released him.
BILLS FAN LOSES JOB
The Bills fan who fell from the stands at Ralph Wilson Stadium during the Bills game last Sunday has now lost his job.
According to WKBW.com, Rob Hopkins has been fired by his advertising firm, Eric Mower and Associates. Hopkins' firing comes just two days after he recklessly attempted to slide down the railing at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and ended up causing a head injury to a fan below.
“EMA is very concerned about Sunday’s incident at the Buffalo Bills’ game and we are relieved that the injured were released from the hospital,” the company said in a release. “Rob Hopkins is no longer employed by EMA.”
More bad news for Hopkins: the Bills organization has also banned him from entering Ralph Wilson Stadium, which includes all Bills home games.
“The irresponsible behavior that occurred at yesterday’s game by the fan who fell from the upper deck is a violation of our Fan Code of Conduct and cannot, and will not, be tolerated,” the Bills said in a statement. “This individual will not be permitted back into Ralph Wilson Stadium.”
It's one thing if his actions only were harmful to himself, but the truth is that his actions became a very tangible danger to others.
It also makes sense that Hopkins' company terminated his employment. Advertising is a business that is driven by public perception, and this type of behavior obviously isn't the type of conduct you want your company to be identified with.
COLTS SIGN MR. IRRELEVANT
"Mr. Irrelevant" from this year's draft has made an NFL roster. The Indianapolis Colts on Wednesday promoted rookie tight end Justice Cunningham from the practice squad and waived wide receiver Griff Whalen.
Cunningham, who played at South Carolina, was the 254th and last player picked in April's draft, making him the 38th player honored as Mr. Irrelevant —although possibly the first to have his name read wrong when he was picked. (Paul Salata, creator of the annual "Mr. Irrelevant" ceremonies, is given the honor of announcing the pick, and he told the Radio City Music Hall crowd that the last pick was "Justice Hamilton.")
Cunningham was released in the last training-camp cutdown — ironically, on the same day that last year's Mr. Irrelevant, quarterback Chandler Harnish, was also cut — and was put on the practice squad.
Whalen, brought up from the practice squad after wide receiver Reggie Wayne suffered a season-ending knee injury last month, caught nine passes for 102 yards.
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, Peter Dawson, David Steele, The Associated Press
