The Sacramento Bee from Sacramento, California • C7

oia 80lTZL 3IVIS 3383VS Thursday, December 11, 2008 I The Sacramento Bee C7 RAIDERS NOTES Cable swaps out Harris for Henderson 0 V1IM39VIAI Et cetera Quarterback JaMar-cus Russell (ankle) and center Jake Grove (calf) were limited in practice. Russell was in a walking boot after practice but is expected to start Sunday. A decision on Grove, who has missed four games, will come later in the week. Linebacker Ricky Brown (groin) is out for this week. NFL Commissioner Roger Good-ell will attend Sundays game.

Rookie offensive lineman Robert Felton was signed to the practice squad. The Raiders did not add a player to the 53-man roster to replace cornerback Michael Waddell, who was waived Tuesday. and not let that be an issue, said interim coach Tom Cable. Henderson started in Week 2 and Week 3 when Harris was out with an injury. Former coach Lane Kiffin said the team ran away from Hendersons side more than two-thirds of the time and gave him extra help in pass protection.

Since Kiffin was fired, there has been an effort to get Henderson on the field more. It started when Henderson and Harris began splitting time at left tackle and rotated during the Raiders 17-6 loss to Carolina on Nov. 9, with Harris playing all of the second half. Harris was benched in favor of Henderson the following week in Mi ami after two false starts near the goal line helped force the Raiders to settle for a field goal. Harris was praised in the Raiders 31-10 win at Denver on Nov.

23 but has struggled in pass protection since, especially last Thursday. Enter Henderson, whose confidence has been questioned and play criticized by Kiffin and Cable in the past. Harris started for two games after Miami because Henderson graded out poorly in relief against the Dolphins, according to Cable. Its probably not behind me because nobodys perfect, Henderson said. But Ive improved, and thats the main thing about it.

Cable said any issues with Hendersons play are in the past and he wont By Jason Jones jejones sacbee. com ALAMEDA Kwame Harris has 11 false-start penalties in 11 games. The New England Patriots have eightfalse starts this season. No other player has more than six false starts. Thats why, barring injury, Harris will watch from the sideline when the Raiders host the Patriots on Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum.

Second-year offensive tackle Mario Henderson will replace Harris, who leads the NFL with 15 penalties, including two last week in San Diego. The Raiders would like to give Henderson more playing time to see if he can start next season. But mostly its just having so much negative play at that one spot and being able to smooth that out alter the way he calls pi ays to compensate for Henderson. I think you have to let him play, Cable said. He has to fit in the system.

He knows the system, hes played enough now so you have to be able to count on him, and that means youve got to go out and let him play and let it rip in terms of calling the game. You dont want to have to go one way or the other. Henderson will have to deal with Patriots All-Pro defensive lineman Richard Seymour a lot Sunday. Hell be the best player Henderson has faced this season. Ill probably get him a lot, pass and run, Henderson said.

He might help on the run, but most of the time hes going to be lined up ahead of me. Its going to be another good one. Read Jason Jones Raiders blog at www.sajcbee.comraidersblog. 49ERS NOTES Foster getting prepared if Gore cant carry load NFL NOTES Cassel joins family after fathers death Associated, Press SAN JOSE New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel left the team Wednesday to join his family after his fathers death earlier in the week. Coach Bill Belichick said Greg Cassel, 57, died Monday night and Matt Cassel is with his family in Southern California.

Belichick said he didnt know when Cassel would rej oin the team or whether he would start Sunday against the Raiders. Right now, were just taking it day to day, Belichick said. Hes going to take care of what he has to do. If Cassel does not start, rookie Kevin OConnell, a third-round pick from San Diego State who has thrown four passes, likely will take over. Cowboys Dallas cornerback Adam Pac-man Jones might miss the rest of the season because of a neck injury.

Coach Wade Phillips said Jones, who was injured early in Sundays 20-13 loss to Pittsburgh, has a herniated disc, maybe two and will miss Sundays game against the New York Giants. Panthers Carolina owner Jerry Richardson needs a heart transplant and has been placed on a donor waiting list. Richardson, 72, has been hospitalized since last week after complaining he felt ill. Giants New York has refused to pay sus- TONIGHTS GAME Saints (7-6) at Bears (7-6) Time: 5:15 p.m. TV: NFLN.

Line: Bears by 3. Weather: 20 degrees, 10 percent chance of snow. Saints: Whether its with the Chargers or the Saints, Drew Brees never has enjoyed his trips to Soldier Field. Remember the NFC title game? This one wont be much friendlier. Bears: They cant afford another loss if theyre to reach the playoffs, so theyll keep giving the ball to running back Matt Forte and hope he doesnt hit the rookie wall.

Fantasy outlook: The Saints Pierre Thomas is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has run for seven TDs. Forte is the only rookie to lead his team in rushing (1,081 yards) and catches (53). Chicago Tribune pended wide receiver Plaxico Burress a $1 million portion of a signing bonus from a contract signed in September. TheNational Football League Players Association filed a grievance challenging the Giants decision to suspend and fine Burress last week after he accidentally shot himself Nov. 29.

Redsldns Running back Clinton Portis said hes cool with everything and has no plans to sever ties with Washington. Portis and coach Jim Zorn met for 10 minutes to discuss Portis blistering comments made during a radio interview Tuesday. It was something on my chest that I needed to get off, said Portis, who was upset about his lack of playing time in Sundays loss to Baltimore. After we talked, were on the same page. Lions Winless Detroit probably will be without starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper on Sunday against Indianapolis after he injured his shoulder Sunday against Minnesota.

Drew Henson, Drew Stanton and Dan Orlovsky are candidates to step in. 49ers could make another practice-squad move later in the week by elevating running back Thomas Clayton to the active roster. Injuries Cornerback Nate Clements had the pin removed from his fractured right thumb, and he is expected to play this week. Ar-naz Battle (foot), Marcus Hudson (concussion), Roderick Green (illness) and Eric Heit-mann (abdomen) sat out practice Wednesday. Heitmanns injury is not considered serious.

Walt Harris, Justin Smith and Takeo Spikes were given the day off for rest. Allen Ros-sum (ankle) was limited, while Josh Morgan (groin) and Dashon Goldson (knee) went through a full practice. By Matthew Barrows mbarrows sacbee. com SANTA CLARA Frank Gore missed practice Wednesday because of a sprained left ankle, and coach Mike Singletary said the running backs availability Sunday would be a wait-and-see situation. He has an inside sprain, and thats a little bit more sore, a little bit tougher, than an outside sprain to the ankle, Singletary said.

But well see how it goes. Last year, Gore missed one game after spraining his right ankle, and he later admitted he had trouble cutting and pushing off with the ankle for the rest of the season. Gore twisted the other ankle two plays into the third quarter Sunday when a teammate rolled onto his leg. With Gore unable to practice, DeShaun Foster was the first-string running back Wednesday, and Singletary said Foster could get all of Gores practice carries this week. I think that hes running hard, and more and more hes gaining confidence, Singletary said of Foster.

I think for a running back, the more he handles the ball, the more carries hes given, the more chance he has to play, the better hes going to get. Practice-squad carousel Perhaps auguring Gores absence, the 49ers added a running back, 230-pound rookie Carl Stewart, to the practice squad. Stewart spent time earlier this season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who used him as a fullback. Stewart was added to the practice squad just as defensive tackle Atiyyah Ellison was plucked off of it by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Read Matthew Barrows 49ers blog at www.sacbee.comninersblog.

49ers: Taming Wildcat a challenge NFL STANDINGS, INJURY REPORT AMERICAN CONFERENCE know what theyre doing, Sparano said during a conference call. For the Dolphins, the Wildcat is not merely a gimmick. Of the 798 plays Miami has run this season, 76 have been out of the Wildcat, which they unveiled in a 38-13 win at New England on Sept. 21. While the vast majority of the plays have been runs, there also have been two passes.

Both one by Brown and another by Pennington off a flea flicker have gone for touchdowns, another element of the formation that keeps defenses anxious. You dont see it week in and week out, 49ers linebacker Takeo Spikes said when asked why the Wildcat has been so effective. Now you start to see it (more), Spikes said. But to me, the Dolphins are sort of the ones who have brought it out of the closet. Theyre going to be the ones who have more things -more passes more running plays out of the offense.

Opponents also tend to see the Wildcat more when it is successful early in the game. The Patriots discovered that in their first meeting against the Dolphins in Week 3. Miami ran six plays out of the Wildcat that day and scored four touchdowns out of the formation. If you stop it, theres a good chance you wont see it that much, Singletary said. If you dont stop it it gets bigger and bigger.

They find more and more creative ways to use it. FROM PAGE Cl 49ers coach Mike Singletary pointed out Wednesday, is that the Dolphins have two running backs capable of creating big plays. While Ronnie Brown typically takes the direct snap in Miamis Wildcat, he also has the option of handing off to Ricky Williams, who is lined up beside him. For a team thats not disciplined, for a team thats not sound, it could cause a lot of problems because you just dont know who has the ball, Singletary said. Direct snaps to the running back have been around for more than 100 years.

The most recent incarnation in the NFL arrived via the University of Arkansas, where Miami quarterbacks coach David Lee was the offensive coordinator in 2007. The Razorbacks predicament that season was they had two excellent running backs in Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. The Wildcat not only allowed them both to be on the field at the same time, but sometimes to touch the ball on the same play. When Lee arrived in Miami, he and head coach Tony Sparano realized the Dolphins had a similar dynamic with Brown and Williams. Sparano said his tailbacks decision-making ability is critical to the success of the formation.

Whenever youre going to take the quarterback out of the home position and put someone else behind center to handle the football, theyd better be good decision makers and NATIONAL CONFERENCE West tin Fox (groin), WRJosh Reed (back), DE Aaron Schobel (foot), DT Marcus Stroud (hip), Donte Whitner (illness). LIMITED: CB Jabari Greer (knee). Jets- DNP: WR Brad Smith (head). LIMITED: LB Eric Barton (knee), CB Ahmad Carroll (foot), WR Laveranues Coles (thigh), LB David Harris (groin), DT Kris Jenkins (hip), LB Bryan Thomas (shoulder). FULL: WR Jerricho Cotchery (shoulder), CB James Ihedigbo (neck), LB Jason Trusmk(knee).

DENVER AT CAROLINA Broncos DNP: LB Spencer Larsen (groin), WR Brandon Stokley (foot). LIMITED: CB Champ Bailey (groin), LB Mario Haggan (knee), TE Chad Mustard (knee), CB Karl Paymah (groin). FULL: DE John Engelberger (hip), Ben Hamilton (wrist), WR Brandon Marshall (hip), Marlon McCree (ankle), DT Dewayne Robertson (knee), LB Nate Webster (knee), LB DJ. Williams (knee), LB Jamie Winborn (knee), RB Selvin Young (groin). Panthers-DNP: LB Adam Seward (ankle), DE Hilee Taylor (calf).

DETROIT AT I Dl ANAPOLIS Lions DNP: QB Daunte Culpepper (right shoulder), DT Chuck Darby (calf), DT Cory Redding (knee). LIMITED: CB Leigh Bodden (groin), WR Calvin Johnson (hand), WR Shaun McDonald (ankle), QB Dan Orlovsky (right hand), CB Keith Smith (groin), RB Kevin Smith (ankle), DE Dewayne White (calf). Colts DNP: RB Joseph Addai (shoulder), CB Antoine Bethea (not injury related), LB Gary Brackett (fibula), DE Keyunta Dawson (hamstring), DT Eric Foster (neck), DE Dwight Freeney (not injury related), LB Tyjuan Hagler (knee), CB Tim Jennings (not injury related), LB Freddy Keiaho (abdomen), DE Robert Mathis (not injury related), Bob Sanders (knee), RB Chad Simpson (ankle). GREEN BAY AT JACKSONVILLE Packers OUT: Atari Bigby (shoulder), Mark Tauscher (knee) DNP: RB Korey Hall (knee), DT Justin Harrell (hip). LIMITED: LB Brandon Chillar (groin), LB Danny Lansanah (upper arm, ankle), DT Ryan Pickett (illness), DE Jeremy Thompson (ankle), CB Charles Woodson (toe).

FULL: Chad Clifton (knees). Jaguars -DNP: DT Tony McDaniel (toe), WR Jerry Porter (groin), RB Fred Taylor (thumb). MINNESOTAAT ARIZONA Vikings DNP: DE Jared Allen (knee), QB Gus Frerotte (back), Artis Hicks (elbow), WR Darius Reynaud (foot), DE Brian Robison (knee). Cardinals DNP: DT Alan Branch (cheek), LB Clark Haggans (foot), RBTerrelle Smith (not injury related), LBPagoTogafau (knee). LIMITED: WR Steve Breaston (ribs), WR Sean Morey (shoulder), Matt Ware (head).

FULL: DE Bert Berry (shoulder). NEW YORK GIANTS AT DALLAS Giants DNP: LB Jonathan Goff (hamstring), WR Domemk Hixon (ankle, foot), RB Brandon Jacobs (knee), Kareem McKenzie (back), DE Justin Tuck (lower leg). LIMITED: CB Aaron Ross (ankle). FULL: RB Ahmad Bradshaw (neck). Cowboys DNP: WR Miles Austin (knee), RB Marion Barber (toe), Ken Hamlin (foot), Montrae Holland (ankle), CB Adam Jones (neck), LB Justin Rogers (illness), WR Roy Williams (foot), TE Jason Witten (ankle).

LIMITED: Keith Davis (knee), CB Mike Jenkins (hamstring), DT Jay Ratliff (concussion). FULL: LB Bradie James (ankle), WR Isaiah Stanback (shoulder), LB DeMarcus Ware (knee). PITTSBURGH AT BALTIMORE Steelers DNP: RB Carey Davis (calf), DE Brett Keisel (knee), RB Willie Parker (not injury related), Troy Polamalu (calf), DE Aaron Smith (not injury related), Marvel Smith (back), CB Deshea Townsend (not injury re lated), WR Hines Ward (not injury related). Ravens- DNP: WR Mark Clayton (knee), WR Ya-mon Figurs (knee), Jim Leonhard (illness), WR Derrick Mason (shoulder), RB Willis McGahee (not injury related), Ed Reed (thigh), RB Ray Rice (calf), Matt Stover (right ankle). LIMITED: Jared Gaither (shoulder), David Hale (ankle).

SAN DIEGO AT KANSAS CITY Chargers Practice not complete. Chiefs -DNP: Rudy Niswanger (knee). LIMITED: WR Mark Bradley (calf), LB Donnie Edwards (knee), CB Maurice Leggett (shoulder), CB Patrick Sur-tain (quadriceps). FULL: Adrian Jones (ankle), LB Patrick Thomas (hamstring). TAM PA BAY AT ATLANTA Buccaneers -DNP: DT Jovan Haye(knee), DT Chris Hovan (knee), Sean Mahan (back), Jeremy Zuttah (ankle).

LIMITED: WR Michael Clayton (toe), QB Jeff Garcia (calf), QB Brian Griese (right elbow). Falcons -DNP: DE John Abraham (thigh, shoulder), TTodd Weiner (knee). LIMITED: Sam Baker (hip, back), DE Kroy Bier-mann (foot), Erik Coleman (quadriceps), WR Harry Douglas (head), Jason Elam (left hip), WR Brian Finneran (hamstring), CB Brent Grimes (knee, quadriceps), DT Grady Jackson (knee), RB Ovie Mughelli (hamstring), WR Laurent Robinson (hamstring). TENNESSEE ATHOUSTON Titans DNP: CB Cortland Finnegan (hamstring), CB Nicholas Harper (ankle), DT Albert Haynesworth (knee), LB David Thornton (hip), DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin), RB LenDale White (knee). LIMITED: RB Quinton Ganther (hamstring).

Texans DNP: DE Jesse Nading (knee), Chester Pitts (ankle), DE Anthony Weaver(not injury related). LIMITED: Nick Ferguson (knee). FULL: Will Demps (hamstring). WASH I NGTON AT Cl NCI NN ATI Redskins- DNP: LB London Fletcher (foot), DT Kedric Golston (ankle), DT Cornelius Griffin (shoulder, abdomen), Chris Horton (shoulder), Jon Jansen (knee), Pete Kendall (knee), CB Carlos Rogers (illness), CB Shawn Springs (calf), Randy Thomas (knee, neck), LB Marcus Washington (ankle), TE Todd Yoder (knee). Bengals OUT: DE Eric Henderson (neck), QB Carson Palmer (elbow).

DNP: WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (hand), LB Rashad Jeanty (shin), RB Chris Perry (groin), TE Ben Utecht (foot), RB Kenny Watson (hamstring). LIMITED: CB David Jones (knee), Levi Jones (hamstring), Chinedum Ndukwe (foot), DE Antwan Odom (shoulder). FULL: Kyries Hebert (neck). SEATTLE AT ST.

LOUIS LB LeRoy Hill (neck), Walter Jones (knee), WR Koren Robinson (knee), CB Josh Wilson (concussion). LIMITED: DT Red Bryant (ankle). FULL: CJ. Wallace (hamstring), Mansfield Wrotto (ankle). Rams DNP: CB Fakhir Brown (ankle), Josh Brown (right groin), WRTorry Holt (rest), Richie Incognito (ankle), LB Gary Stills (knee).

LIMITED: DT La'Roi Glover (knee), DE Leonard Little (hamstring). MONDAY CLEVELAND AT PHILADELPHIA Browns DNP: RB Jerome Harrison (ribs), DE Louis Leonard (toe), DT Shaun Smith (calf), DE Corey Williams (shoulder), TE Kellen Winslow (ankle). LIMITED: RB Charles All (ribs), LB Beau Bell (knee), WR Joshua Cribbs (back), LB Shan-tee Orr (knee), DT Shaun Rogers (shoulder). Eagles- DNP: Shawn Andrews (back), WR Kevin Curtis (concussion), RB Brian Westbrook (ankle, knee). LIMITED: RB Correll Buckhalter (knee), TE L.J.

Smith (knee). FULL: Jon Runyan (knee), CB Asante Samuel (groin). Read Matthew Barrows 49ers blog at www.sacbee.comninersblog. www.citybicycleworks.com x-clinched division Todays game New Orleans at Chicago, 5:15 p.m. Sundays games 49ERS at Miami, 10 a.m.

New England at RAIDERS, 1:15 p.m. Buffalo at N.Y. Jets, 10 a.m. Tennessee at Houston, 10 a.m. Seattle at St.

Louis, 10 a.m. Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 10 a.m. Detroit at Indianapolis, 10 a.m. San Diego at Kansas City, 10 a.m. Washington at Cincinnati, 10 a.m.

Green Bay at Jacksonville, 10 a.m. Minnesota atArizona, 1:05 p.m. Denver at Carolina, 1:15 p.m. Pittsburgh at Baltimore, 1:15 p.m. N.Y.

Giants at Dallas, 5:15 p.m. Mondays games Cleveland at Philadelphia, 5:30 p.m. INJURY REPORT OPEN 7 DAYS FINANCING O.A.C. DONATE YOUR CAR OUT Definitely will not play; DNP Did not practice; LIMITED- Limited participation in practice; FULL Full participation in practice) TODAY NEW ORLEANS AT CHICAGO Saints-OUT: TJammal Brown (ankle). PROBABLE: Roman Harper (shoulder); RB Deuce McAllister (not injury related).

Bears DOUBTFUL: WR Marty Booker (ribs), RB Jason McKie (quadriceps), RB Garrett Wolfe (hamstring). PROBABLE: TE Desmond Clark (hamstring), DT Tommie Harris (knee). SUNDAY 49ERS AT MIAMI 49ers Practice not complete. Dolphins -FULL: CB Jason Allen (hand). NEW ENGLAND AT RAIDERS Patriots DNP: LB Tedy Bruschi (knee), QB Matt Cassel (not injury related), LB Pierre Woods (jaw).

LIMITED: RB Kevin Faulk (not injury related), CB Ellis Hobbs (shoulder), WR Randy Moss (not injury related), LB Vince Redd (ankle), James Sanders (abdomen), LB Mike Vrabel (neck), DETy Warren (groin), WR Kelley Washington (thigh), DT Vince Wilfork (shoulder). Raiders DNP: LB Ricky Brown (groin). LIMITED: Jake Grove (calf), QB JaMarcus Russell (ankle). BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS Bills- DNP: QBTrent Edwards (groin), CB Dus Any Soldier, Help Support Our Troops! I Donate Your Car, Boat i or RV. Please Call 7 Days a Week.

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