In brief: Steelers hand starting QB role to Batch
NFL: The forgotten quarterback is now the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starter.
Charlie Batch, a longtime backup who was relegated to No. 4 status as the Steelers dealt with Ben Roethlisberger’s off-field problems, will make his first start since 2007 at Tampa Bay (2-0) on Sunday.
Coach Mike Tomlin picked Batch over Byron Leftwich, who is recovering from a sprained left knee ligament that occurred Sept. 2. Dennis Dixon started the first two games, but he underwent surgery Wednesday to repair torn cartilage in his left knee and is out indefinitely.
The Steelers (2-0) apparently decided they couldn’t wait until the end of the week to determine if Leftwich’s still-healing knee would hold up to the stress of playing. Batch has had little work since last season, and Tomlin wanted to give him as much time as possible with the starters during the most important practices of the week Wednesday and today.
“It feels good,” Batch said. “I never imagined it would turn out this way, but here we go.”
• Injury sidelines Seattle’s Hill: Seattle linebacker Leroy Hill will miss several games with an injury to the Achilles area of his right leg.
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll didn’t give specifics about Hill’s injury. It was originally announced as a calf strain but Carroll said it was more in the Achilles area.
• Raiders pick Gradkowski over Campbell: Five months after acquiring Jason Campbell to be their starting quarterback, the Oakland Raiders benched him in favor of Bruce Gradkowski beginning with this week’s game at Arizona.
Coach Tom Cable announced the switch after practice, hoping the spark Gradkowski provided in the second half of last week’s 16-14 win over St. Louis can carry over for the rest of the season.
• Patriots lose Faulk to torn knee ligament: New England Patriots all-purpose running back Kevin Faulk has done nearly everything except grab headlines.
He finally made one this week and it brought him to tears: torn knee ligament, out for the season.
Faulk, one of the team’s most valuable players, said he would have surgery in about a month. He left unanswered the question of whether he would play again after being hurt on Sunday.
• Jackson remains Chargers’ property: Holdout wide receiver Vincent Jackson remains the property of the San Diego Chargers despite his agent saying he had deals in place with several teams before Wednesday’s deadline.
Agent Neil Schwartz said he heard from multiple general managers, whom he declined to identify, that the Chargers were asking for “wholly unreasonable” compensation for Jackson, a Pro Bowler who had two straight 1,000-yard seasons. Schwartz said another GM told him that Chargers general manager A.J. Smith seemed to be “squatting” on Jackson.
• Young won’t dwell on benching: Vince Young said he still hasn’t talked with Jeff Fisher on why the Titans’ coach benched him for the final quarter against Pittsburgh. Young also insists he isn’t dwelling over the move.
Young said he’s busy preparing to start when the Titans (1-1) visit the New York Giants (1-1) on Sunday.
• NFL suspends Bucs safety Jackson: Tampa Bay’s improved defense was dealt a blow when safety Tanard Jackson was suspended for a minimum of a year without pay for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
The league made the announcement, saying the fourth-year pro has been suspended indefinitely but will be eligible for reinstatement beginning Sept. 22, 2011.
Soccer: Humberto Suazo of Chile scored twice and Mexican club Monterrey rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Sounders in a Group C match in the CONCACAF Champions League at Monterrey, Mexico.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead after Sergio Perez’s own-goal in the 27th minute, and Michel Fucito made it 2-0 in the 44th.
Monterrey has won all four games to lead Group C. Seattle has lost all four of its matches.
NCAA suspends two Tar Heels defenders
College football: The NCAA suspended North Carolina defensive back Kendric Burney six games and safety Deunta Williams four games on for receiving improper benefits.
Tennis: The United States will travel to Chile in the first round of World Group play in the 2011 Davis Cup, its second South American opponent in a row. The first round is in March.