Redskins rally late
Joe Gibbs came back for this?
While his Washington Redskins beat the Denver Broncos 20-17 on a last-second 39-yard field goal by Ola Kimrin on Monday night in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, the Hall of Fame coach saw enough mistakes to fill an entire preseason. And then some.
Still, the Redskins marched efficiently to the winning kick behind third-string quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, offsetting a long night of general inefficiency.
The Broncos were even worse for most of the game.
Fourth-string quarterback Mike Quinn led Denver’s 13-play, 58-yard drive that was capped by a 2-yard TD pass to Jeb Putzier and drew the Broncos to 17-15. Quinn hit Charlie Adams for the 2-point conversion to tie it.
Back came Washington, with a 35-yard pass from Hasselbeck to Darnerien McCants sparking the winning march. Backup kicker Kimrin didn’t flinch on his attempt, and Gibbs was a winner again.
“It was big for us,” Gibbs said. “Denver has a veteran group and we were just trying to come back.”
Coughlin shaking things up
Giving second-round draft pick Chris Snee a starting job on New York Giants’ offensive line has been a move expected from new coach Tom Coughlin.
Having veteran starters Tiki Barber and Amani Toomer as the Giants’ possible punt returners for the preseason opener against Kansas City was a switch almost no one anticipated.
Coughlin made both moves on Monday, moving David Diehl to right tackle and giving Snee, his son-in-law, the open spot at right guard. The change put Ian Allen, who started 11 games last season, in a backup role.
Coughlin hopes Snee can help the running game.
“He is a powerful, wide-bodied run blocker who has shown the ability to play against some of the bigger people inside, and we felt we needed that mass against mass inside,” Coughlin said.
Chargers break off talks with Rivers
The San Diego Chargers broke off talks with unsigned rookie quarterback Philip Rivers.
Rivers, chosen by the Giants with the No. 4 pick in the draft, was acquired by the Chargers in the deal that sent quarterback Eli Manning to New York. Manning was selected by San Diego with the No. 1 overall pick.
“This is very disappointing and unfortunate,” Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said. “Negotiations broke down.”
“We wanted to get him signed before the reporting date, we made an effort. We tried, and we couldn’t come to an agreement. He had an offer until 5 p.m. Sunday. That was rejected, and now the offer is off the table. It will only go down from here.”
Titans’ Sirmon to miss season
A second opinion confirmed that Tennessee Titans linebacker Peter Sirmon will need season-ending surgery to repair his injured left knee.
Sirmon has been the starter for the Titans at left outside linebacker the past two seasons, and had a career-high 141 tackles last year. He hurt his knee during a non-contact drill a week ago while chasing a running back.
Around the league
Oakland Raiders linebacker Napoleon Harris injured his right knee during a training camp drill. A first-round pick in 2002, Harris collided with teammates while blitzing during a pass play. He fell to the ground and clutched his knee before Oakland’s medical staff came over and helped him off the field. … The Carolina Panthers’ unsettled offensive line took another hit when projected starting right tackle Adam Meadows abruptly announced his retirement. Meadows, 30, signed a five-year, $15 million contract with the Panthers as a free agent March 9, but had been kept out of most of training camp by persistent shoulder problems. … Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Jevon Kearse sprained his left knee, but didn’t consider the injury to be serious. Kearse, who signed an eight-year, $66 million deal with the Eagles in March, was carted off the field after he hurt the same ankle he injured in Tennessee last season. X-rays were negative, and Kearse — listed as day-to-day — jogged to his car after speaking to reporters. … Former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis officially retired from the NFL. Degenerative conditions in both knees led Davis to cut his career short after helping the Broncos to two straight Super Bowl titles. … Injured Miami Dolphins receiver David Boston had successful surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left knee, but he’ll miss the entire season.