NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE NOTES

Sherman downplays war of words

San Francisco cornerback Richard Sherman won't get as emotional about playing against Seattle this week as he did when the 49ers and Seahawks met two weeks ago. All of that, Sherman insists, is water under the bridge now. Sherman is so calm and cool this time around that he even smiled and chuckled quietly when asked about critical comments made about him by former Seahawks teammate Frank Clark following Seattle's 21-7 win over Minnesota on Monday. Speaking to a small group of reporters, Clark said that the Sherman era was over in Seattle and that the veteran cornerback needed to worry about his own problems. "Just seems like a guy who's probably tired of hearing the same questions," Sherman said Thursday. "I'd probably be pretty annoyed too if we won a game and somebody comes and asks me about a guy who wasn't either involved in this game or on my team." Clark, a fourth-year defensive end who leads the Seahawks with 11 sacks, was responding to a question about a comment made by Sherman prior to the Nov. 2 game between the two teams in Seattle. At the time, Sherman said the Seahawks were a "middle of the road" team. Clark and other Seattle players took exception. "That's just Richard Sherman being Richard Sherman," Clark said Monday. "He's not in this locker room no more so his opinion really doesn't matter. They've got some problems over there in San Fran that he needs to be worried about. "This is my team now. This is my defense. Richard Sherman, his era is over here. If he's got anything to say about our defense, he can sat it on the field, at the end of the day." Sherman tried to downplay the issue but was asked if it was an elephant in the room. "It's like a mouse in the room," Sherman said. "It's like kids say the darndest things, you know? It didn't bother me at all. It's kind of weird but it doesn't bother me. The era was over in my mind obviously. I'm here." Seattle is 8-5 and can clinch a playoff spot with a win over San Francisco on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. Sherman and the 49ers, conversely, are putting the final touches on a disappointing 3-10 season. It's Sherman's first year playing on a team with a losing record since his rookie season in 2011, when the Seahawks finished 7-9. Unlike the first time he lined up across from the familiar faces in Seattle, Sherman isn't anticipating being very emotional when he sees the Seahawks on Sunday. He spent seven years in the Pacific Northwest before Seattle released him last March while Sherman was still recovering from an Achilles injury. "The nostalgia of seeing your friends and seeing the personnel, all the guys that you played with (is over)," Sherman said. "In a couple weeks, I'll see them again. We'll be out of the season. We'll be doing vacations and stuff. It was cool being back in the stadium and everything. This time we'll be back home. We'll be grinding it out. We know how it went last time and got a sour taste in our mouth."

Jets RB Crowell, WR Enunwa out

The New York Jets will be without two key playmakers on offense against the Houston Texans. Starting running back Isaiah Crowell and wide receiver Quincy Enunwa will not play because of injuries that kept them out of practice all week. Crowell, who is dealing with a toe ailment, leads the Jets with 685 yards rushing and six touchdowns. The game Saturday will mark the first the durable running back has missed in his five-year NFL career. "He's hurt," coach Todd Bowles said Thursday. "There's nothing we can do about it. So, we just move on." Elijah McGuire, who is questionable with an ankle injury, and rookie Trenton Cannon are expected to replace Crowell in the backfield. "It's a good opportunity," Bowles said. "They've been playing some since they've been healthy. ... You like what you see, so they get a chance to prove themselves." Enunwa has been sidelined this week by an ankle injury. He leads the Jets with 38 receptions despite missing two games earlier this season. Rishard Matthews and Deontay Burnett could see increased snaps this week in place of Enunwa. The Jets also announced that backup linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu will also be out with a concussion. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson (sore foot) and linebackers Jordan Jenkins (shoulder/ankle) and Kevin Pierre-Louis (shoulder) are questionable, and Bowles said they are all game-time decisions.

Severity of Wentz's injury still unknown

Carson Wentz has a back injury. The severity is still not known. Two people familiar with the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback's injury confirmed reports that Wentz has a fractured vertebra, but no definitive determination has been made regarding his status, pending further evaluation. Both people spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss Wentz's injury. Wentz sat out practice for the second straight day, increasing the possibility Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles will play at the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. Wentz wore a red jersey and watched the open portion of practice. He's seeking more medical opinions before deciding a course of action. Dr. Andrew Sama, a spine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, said breaks in the spine can be considered stable or unstable. "If considered unstable, these breaks usually require surgery to stabilize the spine to allow healing. Stable breaks are usually treated with rest and sometimes bracing," Sama told The AP in an email. Sama isn't treating Wentz so he doesn't know if he could continue to play through the injury. "It's hard to say without knowing which vertebra is involved and what kind of break it is," Sama said. Sama said stable fractures are treated through rest, physical therapy, and sometimes bracing. "Breaks can sometimes take 6-12 weeks to heal," he added. Foles hasn't taken a snap in a game since Week 2. He took over in Week 14 last season after Wentz tore two ligaments in his left knee. Foles led Philadelphia to its first NFL title since 1960 and started the first two games this season, going 1-1. Wentz has 3,074 yards passing, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 11 games this season after finishing third in the NFL MVP voting last year. He has career highs in passer rating (102.2) and completion rate (69.6 percent). Foles is 21-12 as a starter, including playoffs, in two stints with Philadelphia.