Roethlisberger misses practice, likely to sit out Sunday

Roethlisberger misses practice, likely to sit out Sunday
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't practice with the starting offense for the second day in a row Thursday, a sign he is unlikely to play in the team's final regular-season game Sunday in Baltimore.

Tampa Bay's Stovall breaks arm, finished for year
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have confirmed that receiver Maurice Stovall did suffer a broken arm and will be lost for the season according to the St. Petersburg Times.

That's a blow to the offense and�special teams, where Stovall had distinguished himself. It also puts a strain on the depth at receiver for next week's finale against Carolina. It would be shocking to see Joey Galloway play much, if at all. So, they'll possibly be two receivers short when they take the field.

Look for Micheal Spurlock to get some more playing time at receiver after making his debut at the position against San Francisco.

�

At least New England loses in the gambling world

At least the New England Patriots are losers in one arena. While the Patriots are 14-0 on the field, they are 10-4 with gamblers.� New England has failed to cover the spread in four of their last six games. There's some�motivation for you Bill Belichick?

The New York Times reported�oddsmakers have had to put up points — a lot of them — to slow down Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the universe of gamblers who have made perhaps tens of millions of dollars betting on the Patriots to cover the spread. This Sunday, New England is a 21 �-point favorite to defeat visiting Miami (1-13), which won its first game last week.

"If the weather is good - 40 degrees, 5-10 m.p.h. winds — then New England could easily win by 30 points," said Mike Seba, a senior oddsmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants, which sets the line for 90 percent of Nevada's sports books. "But you have to be defensive with the season these guys are having."

�

�

Will Browns let Anderson walk to get McFadden with No.1 pick?

ProFootballTalk.com reports at least one sports radio personality in Ohio is insisting�the Cleveland Browns will allow quarterback Derek Anderson go in free agency to the Miami Dolphins.

In return, the Dolphins would surrender the No.1 selection in the draft as part of required compensation. The Browns would then use the No.1 selection to take Darren McFadden from Arkansas while allowing Brady Quinn to step in as the starting quarterback. The snafu is Cleveland's willingness to part with an estimated $35 million to get McFadden.

Rumor has it, Bill Parcells wants to show some improvement in his first year in Miami and knows he won't be able to do that if he drafts a quarterback with the first selection.

Coles, Pennington could go out like they came in ... together
They came into the National Football League together. The�matured in the offense of the New York Jets. And now, as the 2007 season, winds down it is possible�Chad Pennington and Laveranues Coles, close friends, could be leaving together.

If that's how it turns out in the offseason, this weekend could be remembered as the end of the Pennington-Coles era according to the New York Daily News.

Saturday, the Jets placed Coles on injured reserve, shutting him down with a month-old, high-ankle sprain that limited him to one play last week. Sunday, Pennington could make his farewell appearance for the Jets.

�

If the season ended today ...
The playoff picture is clearing up, but highly coveted spots and seeds are still up for grabs.

Cowboys hoping Ownes will be available for playoffs
Terrell Owens' high ankle sprain will sideline him this weekend in Washington. Everything after that is to be determined.

The best-case scenario is that Owens is ready to go for the divisional game on Jan. 12 or 13. He'll surely crank up the hyperbaric chamber and do everything else possible to make that a reality. But�Owens playing in the Cowboys' first playoff game is far from a sure thing.

"I'm hopeful," Wade Phillips said, "but I wouldn't say confident."

�

Parcells goes to work with Dolphins
Bill Parcells was on the field for Thursday's workout and a firsthand look at the NFL's worst team. He signed a four-year contract last week to become executive vice president of football operations.