NOTES 1-5 Chiefs turning to Quinn for spark
Looking to shake his 1-5 team out of a rut, Kansas City Chiefs coach Romeo Crennel announced Brady Quinn will take over as the team’s quarterback in place of Matt Cassel.
“Probably the most impactful move I could make to get everybody’s attention was to change the quarterback,” Crennel said Monday. “I’m not saying Matt Cassel is the reason we are where we are. The stroke of that brush is a broad stroke and everybody is included in it.”
The acquisition of Cassel in a trade with the New England Patriots in 2009 was the first major move made by general manager Scott Pioli after he took the Kansas City job. His second was to sign Cassel to a six-year, $63 million deal that has two years remaining. Quinn is playing on a one-year deal worth $1.5 million.
Woodson sidelined: Green Bay Packers safety Charles Woodson has a broken collarbone and will be out for about six weeks.
Coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the injury, suffered in the team’s 3020 win at the St. Louis Rams.
Woodson, 36, broke his clavicle in the 2011 Super Bowl win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Woodson’s is the latest in a string of injuries for the Packers. They were without four defensive starters against the Rams. They host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Jones-Drew out: Jaguars coach Mike Mularkey ruled 2011 rushing champ Maurice Jones-Drew out of the Week 8 game vs. the Packers a day after he sustained an unspecified foot injury in an overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders. Jones-Drew was hurt in the first quarter and came out after two carries. He has 414 rushing yards on 86 carries this season.
Turner blames towel: San Diego Chargers coach Norv Turner said nobody from the team used Stickum in a Monday night loss to the Denver Broncos on Oct. 15 or in any other game.
He also said it’s a towel, not a substance, being investigated by the NFL.
Turner was reacting to an NFL investigation into whether the Chargers used a banned substance during a 35-24 loss to the Broncos.
“Nobody in this organization has used Stickum in any game,” the coach said. “The question involved a towel that has been used by this organization for over 10 years. It’s used by a lot of teams in this league.”
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the matter is under review.
Pro Bowl on notice: The NFL will consider dropping the Pro Bowl if the level of play doesn’t improve, Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
Appearing on SiriusXM NFL Radio’s “Town Hall” on Monday, Goodell agreed with host Michael Strahan that last January’s Pro Bowl “was embarrassing.”
“If we cannot accomplish that kind of standard (of high play), I am inclined to not play it,” Goodell said.
The league still would select a Pro Bowl team through voting by players, coaches and fans but “just not play the game,” Goodell said.
Vitt returns: Fresh off his sevenweek bounty-related suspension, New Orleans Saints interim coach Joe Vitt is thrilled and relieved to be back.
On Monday, he said his suspension was excruciating.
“I agonized,” he said. “It’s hard to go through that. I’ve been with these guys for seven years. I care very deeply for this team. When you’re not there on game day, win or lose, with guys that you respect and love, it was a challenge.”