Austin Pettis suspended for performance enhancing drugs

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 21, 2011, 6:07 PM EST

Getty Images

Rams rookie receiver Austin Pettis will miss the rest of the season and the start of next season after violating the league’s policy on performing enhancing substances.

The Rams announced Wednesday Pettis has been suspended four games by the league.

“Austin’s situation is unfortunate,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said.  ”Obviously, we are disappointed and will miss him during this suspension.”

It’s a rough ending to a disappointing year for Pettis after the Rams took him in the third round. Fellow rookie Greg Salas outplayed Pettis for much of the year before Salas was hurt. Pettis had 27 catches for only 256 yards on the year.

This suspension could be especially problematic for Pettis if the Rams change head coaches. Pettis will already have to re-prove himself to a new coach, and having a suspension hanging over his head won’t help.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are running our first even TTR Playoff Bracket Challenge, and the winner gets a free shirt of the team of their choice. So hurry and enter TTR's Playoff Bracket Challenge for Free!

Tebowmania to be blacked out this weekend?

Posted by Mike Florio on December 21, 2011, 3:35 PM EST

AP

The Broncos and Tim Tebow will face the Bills in Buffalo, on the eve of the day that some would say should be Tebow’s actual birthday.  But the arrival of Tebowmania in Western New York won’t be enough to allow the game to be televised locally.

According to Mark Gaughan of the Buffalo News, a whopping 24,000 seats remain unsold for Saturday’s game.  Factoring in Christmas Eve no-shows, Gaughan says that Ralph Wilson Stadium could see its smallest crowd since 2001.

That dynamic could prompt owner Ralph Wilson to consider making drastic changes.  Though coach Chan Gailey and G.M. Buddy Nix aren’t believed to be on the hot seat, Wilson could decide that bigger names are needed, both to fill seats and to increase the chances of the team making it back to the playoffs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are running our first even TTR Playoff Bracket Challenge, and the winner gets a free shirt of the team of their choice. So hurry and enter TTR's Playoff Bracket Challenge for Free!

Rodgers, Brady, Brees, Johnson and Welker led fan voting

Posted by Michael David Smith on December 21, 2011, 3:48 PM EST

Reuters

Fan voting for the Pro Bowl has come to an end, with more than 100 million votes cast, and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers led the way.

Rodgers received 1,581,982 fan votes, the most of any player in the league. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was second with 1,454,311 votes, followed by Saints quarterback Drew Brees (1,188,893 votes), Lions receiver Calvin Johnson (1,180,777 votes) and Patriots receiver Wes Welker (1,133,787 votes).

Drama continues to grow in the Vikings organization

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 21, 2011, 9:40 AM EST

Getty Images

We’ve written before about the dysfunction in Minnesota this season.

Defensive players are ignoring coaches. The front office and coach Leslie Frazier disagreed on Donovan McNabb.

Getting rid of Brad Childress has reduced drama, but seemingly only pushed it under the surface. The latest issue to bubble up: Players and possibly Frazier weren’t happy about the handling of cornerback Chris Cookafter his arrest.

The team decided to keep Cook on the roster after suspending him two games, but not play him. Essentially, he got a paid leave.

NFL will have independent trainers to monitor concussions

Posted by Mike Florio on December 20, 2011, 11:31 PM EST

Reuters

Though the NFL continues to take small steps in lieu of giant leaps, the process of diagnosing in-game concussions gradually is improving.

The latest step, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, will entail the use of independent athletic trainers, who’ll monitor players for possible concussions and oversee the testing process.

The best news?  The independent trainers will be stationed upstairs, monitoring the action with direct access to the sidelines.  (We’ve been arguing for the NFL to utilize a procedure like this for weeks, dating back at least to Mike Vick’s dirt-on-the-face misadventures.)

Elway finally ready to accept Tebow as the Broncos future

Posted by Mike Florio on December 20, 2011, 8:59 PM EST

Getty Images

Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow quietly has been winning over his doubters in recent weeks.  And one of the few remaining naysayers is no longer saying nay.

V.P. of football operations John Elway, a Hall of Fame and two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback with the Broncos, has been cool to the notion of naming Tebow the team’s quarterback of the future.  Even after a one-week detour from Tebowmania, Elway has offered Tebow a nearly unequivocal endorsement.

“Tim Tebow’s not going anywhere,” Elway told Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press.  “I mean, he’s going to be a Bronco and we’re going to do everything we can and hopefully he’s that guy.”

Harbaugh: Alex Smith is our QB of the future

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on December 20, 2011, 7:34 PM EST

Reuters

Early in Monday night’s game against the Steelers, Alex Smith missed a number of potential scoring opportunities. He wasn’t playing poorly, but the 49ers could have opened up the lead earlier.

It didn’t wind up mattering and Smith closed out the game strong, but I couldn’t have been the only viewer thinking: What could Jim Harbaugh do with another starting quarterback?

Jim Harbaugh is apparently not having these sort of thoughts. Asked Tuesday about Smith, the 49ers coach said he believes Smith is the 49ers quarterback of the future.

Packers sign Herb Taylor

Posted by Mike Florio on December 20, 2011, 4:56 PM EST

Getty Images

The presumably Super Green Bay Packers suddenly have a pocket full of Kryptonite, via a rash of injuries on their offensive line.

They’ve addressed the problem as an initial matter by placing 2011 first-round pick Derek Sherrod on injured reserve and replacing him on the roster with Herb Taylor.

Taylor entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Chiefs in 2007, and he appeared in 18 games with one start in two seasons.  But he hasn’t played in a regular-season game since 2008.

If the injuries along the Green Bay offensive line continue, that streak could soon be ending.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are running our first even TTR Playoff Bracket Challenge, and the winner gets a free shirt of the team of their choice. So hurry and enter TTR's Playoff Bracket Challenge for Free!