NFL referee Hochuli back on field after botched call

BALTIMORE -- Back in action after his admitted incorrect call last week, NFL referee Ed Hochuli worked Sunday's game between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Hochuli's call last Sunday played a key role in Denver's 39-38 win over San Diego. Denver quarterback Jay Cutler dropped back to pass, the ball slipped from his hand and a San Diego player recovered. But Hochuli, who has refereed two Super Bowls, ruled it an incomplete pass.

Denver retained possession, scored a touchdown and then won with a successful 2-point conversion.

In his return Sunday, Hochuli spoke with confidence on the loudspeaker during the first half.

During the days leading up to the game, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "Mistakes are a part of our game. We do everything we can to avoid them, but Ed's a fantastic official, and he'll continue to be a great official."

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Eagles' Jackson will learn from 'rookie' mistakes

PHILADELPHIA -- Next time DeSean Jackson is racing toward the end zone, the rookie wide receiver should tuck the ball tightly under his arm, take it with him to the sideline and put it away for safekeeping.

Jackson

Jackson's superb start with the Philadelphia Eagles -- he became the second player in NFL history to have 100 yards receiving in each of his first two games -- has been overshadowed by a colossal goof in a 41-37 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night.

Midway through a wild second quarter, Jackson sprinted past defenders, caught Donovan McNabb's long pass in stride and was on his way to a 61-yard touchdown reception. Eager to celebrate his first TD, Jackson casually flicked the ball backward before crossing the goal line. By the time he finished his dance, the Cowboys were calling for a review. The touchdown was overturned, but the Eagles got the ball at the 1.

Brian Westbrook made the mistake forgivable by scoring to give the Eagles a 27-21 lead. Still, Jackson took a lot of grief this week for the careless play. It didn't help that a record audience watched the game on television.

"I had a lot of people messing around with me about it, but I'm just going to move on with it," Jackson said. "I've got a lot more football to play. I'm just not even worried about it."

No doubt coaches and veteran players scolded Jackson, who should've known better because he made a similar gaffe in a 2005 high school all-star game. That time, the showboating Jackson spread his arms for a swan dive into the end zone, only to land at the 1.

"For your first touchdown, that's not how you want to be remembered," McNabb said. "It was a rookie mistake. I don't expect that to happen again, and I'm pretty sure it won't. It was a great play, overall, and we, hopefully, look for more plays like that to happen."

The speedy-but-diminutive Jackson -- he's generously listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds -- was selected with the 49th overall pick in the second round of the draft. He was expected to make more of an immediate impact as a punt returner than receiver, but injuries to starters Kevin Curtis and Reggie Brown gave Jackson a chance.

So far, he's made the most of it. Jackson leads the team with 12 catches for 216 yards. He also has a 60-yard punt return. Don Looney is the only other player to open his career with consecutive 100-yard games, doing it for Philadelphia in 1940.

"I definitely look back at the people to come out of college that come to the NFL, like Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, their (transition) was good," Jackson said. "So, I feel confident about myself. I feel if they can do it, I can do it, too. I just prepare myself with the right mentality and came in and was willing to work."

For a little guy, Jackson has a lot of confidence. He walks around with a Terrell Owens-type swagger, minus T.O.'s bulging muscles and pedigree.

Coach Andy Reid talked about keeping Jackson humble more than once in training camp. He wouldn't say what he told Jackson after the silly fumble.

"I'm not going to get into all that," Reid said.

Jackson isn't worried about the perception he's become too cocky too soon.

"I've got a job to do -- that's to go play football," he said. "We've got games to win, the Super Bowl, it's all of that. All the other stuff, you just leave that alone and keep playing football."

Jackson had a standout career at California. He caught 162 passes for 2,423 yards and 22 TDs in 36 games, and returned six punts for scores.

Before the draft, Jackson worked out with Jerry Rice for two months. Rice tutored Jackson on running routes, advised him on the challenge of playing at the next level and stressed the importance of studying his playbook and keeping his body healthy.

But Jackson's size probably prevented him from being a first-round pick. That put a huge chip on his slight shoulders. Now he's making teams regret passing on him.

"He got his opportunity and has made the most of it up to this point," offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. "He's a natural player. He's smart. He's got instincts. He normally does the right thing. He normally catches the ball pretty well. He'll get better at that. He's put all of that together here early. Now, the challenge is playing at a high level on a consistent basis every play, every game."

And keeping the ball snugly in his possession as he heads into the end zone.

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Lions QB Kitna sprains knee late in loss to 49ers

SAN FRANCISCO -- Jon Kitna sprained his right knee in the final minutes of Detroit's 31-13 loss to San Francisco on Sunday, and the Lions didn't know how long their veteran quarterback would be sidelined.

Jon Kitna

Quarterback
Detroit Lions

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2008 Season StatsAttCompYdsTDIntRat74455024478.5

Kitna, who went 15-of-30 for 146 yards, was hurt while getting pulled down on a sack by 49ers linebacker Parys Haralson with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter. The 12th-year pro hobbled to the bench, where the team's medical staff surrounded him on a rough end to his 36th birthday.

"It feels pretty bad right now," said Kitna, who threw one TD pass and one interception. "I just got beat up all day. The play at the end was a culmination of four or five hits. The first one was in the first quarter. ... I just came down on my knee. Sometimes when you have a bruise or something's there, and then it happens again, the pain is excruciating at first."

Dan Orlovsky replaced Kitna, but his only throw was immediately intercepted by defensive lineman Justin Smith, who hadn't picked off a pass since his rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2001.

Smith also sacked Kitna for a 12-yard loss in the first half, forcing a fumble that was recovered by center Dominic Raiola at the Detroit 2. Kitna has been sacked 12 times in three games this season after absorbing an NFL-high 51 sacks last year.

The Lions are off next week after their fourth 0-3 start in eight years. Coach Rod Marinelli wouldn't speculate on how long Kitna might be sidelined until the team's medical staff did more evaluation back in Michigan.

Orlovsky has thrown five passes in two games this season after spending the two previous years on the sideline as Detroit's No. 3 quarterback. He played in two games during his rookie season in 2005, but has never started an NFL game.

Detroit's third-stringer, Drew Stanton, spent last season on injured reserve as a rookie from Michigan State.

Kitna was downcast after the game, acknowledging disappointment in both his injury and the Lions' 67-yard performance in the first half. Detroit has just 859 net yards in its first three games while getting outscored 113-59.

"We're not consistent enough to win football games, but hopefully we will be soon," Kitna said. "I couldn't seem to get into a good rhythm today."

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Bears' Hester backtracks, says ribs are bruised

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Devin Hester's status remained a mystery and so did the extent of his rib injury. NFC North

Devin Hester has an injury in his rib area, and based on comments he made Thursday, ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert says it's hard to imagine Hester will be ready for Sunday's game. NFC North blog

• Blog network: NFL Nation After telling a few reporters earlier Thursday he had torn cartilage, the Chicago Bears' record-setting return specialist backtracked and said his ribs are simply bruised. Either way, he hopes to play against Tampa Bay on Sunday.

He remains a game-time decision after missing his second straight practice Thursday, but he seemed relieved that tests earlier in the week did not reveal a more serious problem.

"It's a lot better," Hester said after practice. "It's improved a lot, and I'm feeling a lot better."

Hester was taken from the sideline on a cart during the third quarter of last week's 20-17 loss at Carolina.

Hester said he first felt some pain earlier in the game when he landed on another player while being tackled and aggravated it on a kickoff return following a 45-yard field goal by Carolina's John Kasay. The Bears were leading 17-6 when Hester caught the ball a yard into the end zone and sprinted to the 15, where he felt a "real sharp pain" as he twisted to his left before heading out of bounds at the 23.

Hester was still in motion when Julius Peppers, trying to slow him down, extended his right arm and was seen about a second later clutching the left side of his rib cage. He walked over to the Chicago sideline and was carted away with what he thought was a more serious injury.

Instead, he was "very relieved" by the results of an MRI on Tuesday.

"It wasn't what I expected," he said. "I was expecting something [worse] than what it was. But it came out pretty good."

If he can't play, Danieal Manning will have a bigger role on kickoff returns, with Nathan Vasher returning punts.

"[Vasher] is a solid catcher," special teams coordinator Dave Toub said. "He's not a blazer. He's not going to break a 110-yard return for you like Devin will. But he's going to get you the first down. He's someone who's going to catch the ball ... and get you that first down."

Coach Lovie Smith has said Hester does not need to practice this week in order to play, and the Bears could use him on a limited basis, possibly as a decoy.

"It never hurts to have him lined up in there," Toub said. "It just plays on the mind of the other team. Are you going to play him? Is he going to return it, is he going to fair catch it, is he going let it drop? You never know. Those are all things we're thinking about, and that's why it's a game-time decision."

The two-time Pro Bowler is off to a relatively quiet start and averaged just 21.7 yards on three kickoffs against Carolina while returning two punts for 9 yards before the injury. He has six kickoff returns for just 120 yards and is averaging 11.3 yards on 25 punt returns this season.

Even so, losing him would be a big blow.

Last season, he broke his own NFL record by running back four punts and two kickoffs for touchdowns. The third-year pro is fourth on the NFL's career list with 11 kick return scores and needs just two to tie Brian Mitchell's mark.

He also returned a missed field goal 108 yards in 2006 and ran back the opening kickoff in the Super Bowl against Indianapolis that season for a touchdown.

"It's very sore, that's the main thing," Hester said. "But it's getting better. There are more things I'm starting to be able to do."

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Bills' Lynch breaks silence, weighs in on season

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- It's been nearly three months since Marshawn Lynch last spoke with reporters. On Friday, and at least for one day, he ended that media boycott.

Lynch

Lynch's self-imposed silence began after he agreed to pay a fine and apologized publicly in late June for a traffic accident that injured a pedestrian in Buffalo. The 22-year-old running back refused to talk about that incident Friday, focusing instead on football and the Bills' dynamic 2-0 start to the season.

"We can be as good as we play on Sundays, and right now we're playing good," he said. "We just have to continue to keep it up."

Along with quarterback Trent Edwards' efficient passing during the first two games, Lynch has gotten off to a solid start on the ground. A year after he topped all AFC rookies with 1,115 yards, Lynch has already rushed for a touchdown in each of the games after finishing his rookie campaign with seven scores.

Despite only 135 yards rushing and 3.6 yards per carry, Lynch has reached the end zone on runs of 11 and 21 yards, displaying his ability to break tackles and find the end zone in what he calls his "Beast Mode."

"I got in some intense workouts over the offseason," said Lynch, who swims on Tuesdays and Thursdays to help take some pounding off his body. "I feel a little stronger, a little faster."

Buffalo had been using running back Fred Jackson as strictly a backup to Lynch, but last week in its win at Jacksonville the two often found themselves on the field together, with Jackson lining up in various roles. That added dimension has already paid dividends.

"The offense that we have going on now with me and Fred coming out of the backfield, that's something that will be good for us," Lynch said.

This Sunday, Lynch will be going against the Oakland Raiders, the hometown team he grew up watching, and will have plenty of friends and family flying in for the game.

"It's special," said Lynch, who held a football camp for about 500 children in Oakland this summer. "If [my friends] are true Raiders fans, they should be rooting for the Raiders. But they're going to be rooting for Marshawn, too, so it's all good."

For the Bills, a win in Week 3 certainly will be. They haven't won their first three games since a 4-0 start in 1992, en route to the third of four straight trips to the Super Bowl during the Jim Kelly-Thurman Thomas-Bruce Smith era.

"We're comfortable with each other," Lynch said. "We're about putting up points."

And putting up early wins.

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Jags' Porter unlikely to make '08 debut vs. Colts

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Jerry Porter likely will miss a third consecutive game Sunday at Indianapolis.

Although Porter (hamstring) was listed as questionable on Friday's injury report, coach Jack Del Rio said he doesn't believe the team's top offseason free-agent acquisition will play against the Colts.

"He's not likely to play. He's not quite ready," Del Rio said Friday.

Porter, who signed a $30 million contract in February, had surgery to repair a torn hamstring in July and missed all of training camp and the preseason. He returned to practice two weeks ago, but wasn't active in either game.

Without the big-play receiver, the Jaguars (0-2) have struggled on offense. The Jaguars will be without linebacker Justin Durant (groin), receiver Troy Williamson (thigh), center Brad Meester (biceps) and guard Chris Naeole (knee). "Durant's got a good pull," Del Rio said. "He's week to week and could miss another week." Del Rio said running backs Fred Taylor (toe) and Maurice Jones-Drew (ankle) and safety Brian Williams (toe) will play. The trio missed parts of practice this week.

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Broncos' Marshall faces battery charge in Georgia

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Prosecutors in Georgia have filed two counts of simple battery against Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall stemming from a 6-month-old domestic violence complaint.

The charges were filed Sept. 10 in Fulton County State Court. Police allege Marshall threw his ex-girlfriend on a bed, slapped her and damaged an Atlanta apartment on March 4.

Marshall said Thursday he had been waiting for charges to be filed, but it wasn't clear why they came so long after the complaint.

"Like I said before, that's my past," he said.

"Everything that came out in camp was from last year and there was an incident in March, but that's still an open case and we've been waiting six months for those charges to be filed," he said.

"And it's finally here and that's why I have [attorney] Harvey Steinberg for," Marshall said.

Steinberg was in court and didn't immediately return a message. Broncos coach Mike Shanahan declined to comment.

Marshall was arrested March 6 on a domestic violence warrant requested by the former girlfriend. He was released the next day after posting $1,000 bond.

Marshall

It was his third arrest in about a year.

In March 2007, he was arrested in Douglas County, south of Denver, when a woman identified as his girlfriend said he used his vehicle to block her taxi as she tried to leave after an argument. That case was dismissed.

In October 2007, he was arrested in Denver on suspicion of driving under the influence. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while ability-impaired last week and was sentenced to a year of probation.

The arrests caught the attention of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who met with Marshall in August and then suspended him for three games. That was later reduced to one game, the Broncos' season opener at Oakland.

Marshall bounced back against San Diego last Sunday with a club-record 18-catch game. He had 166 yards and a touchdown, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

"I'm excited about this year, footballwise and my career and excited at the direction I'm going in as a person and as an organization," Marshall said. "I'm happy right now."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the league was aware of the allegations in the Atlanta incident at the time it suspended Marshall, prior to the start of this season. He added that Marshall could face more disciplinary action from the league, depending on the outcome of the case.

"We have been aware of these potential charges," Aiello said. "We will continue to monitor the case and review it under our policy as appropriate."

Marshall played Sunday against the San Diego Chargers, catching 18 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos' controversial come-from-behind win.

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