Minnesota left McNair breathless
Steve McNair said he did not remember the crunching blow that knocked him breathless and out of Sunday’s 20-3 loss to the Vikings in Minneapolis, but the feelings were all too familiar for the wounded Tennessee Titans quarterback.
McNair’s day ended on the first play of the second quarter when he was wrapped up low by Minnesota nose tackle Chris Hovan and drilled high by tackle Kevin Williams. McNair’s pass to Derrick Mason fell incomplete as McNair fell to the turf, gasping for air and clutching his chest in pain.
“As soon as I laid on the ground, I knew it,” said McNair, who aggravated the sternum injury that cost him a Week 3 start and threatens to sideline him again. “Same old stuff. Very frustrating.”
Out went McNair, the NFL’s co-most valuable player last season, down the drain swirled Tennessee’s chance to pull an upset at the Metrodome.
McNair will have his bruised chest re-examined today in Nashville.
No prediction from Johnson
Chad Johnson leaned toward the tape recorders, ready to make another prediction.
“Do you want to hear one?” he said.
The Cincinnati Bengals’ chatty receiver paused a second for drama, then shook his head.
“Naw. I’m going to keep it quiet this week,” he said. “Next week I’ll be back to my old self.”
No teasing with antacids, no take-it-to-the-bank boasts. Leading up to the Bengals’ first Monday night game in a dozen years, the gifted receiver with an affinity for the spotlight decided to keep it strictly low-watt.
Coughlin benches Green
Barrett Green lost his starting job at weakside linebacker for the New York Giants because he was late for a meeting during the bye week.
Nick Greisen got the start and had seven tackles in the Giants’ 28-13 loss to the Detroit Lions.
Green, a former Lions player who was signed as a free agent in the offseason, played on special teams and assisted on one tackle.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin refused to say much about the demotion, saying the matter was between him and Green.
Green reportedly was more than two hours late for a meeting.
Panthers’ Davis still ailing
Carolina running back Stephen Davis sat out Sunday’s game against the San Diego Chargers because of a lingering knee injury.
Davis has missed four games this season after Sept. 17 surgery to repair torn cartilage in his knee.
He played last week against Philadelphia, running for 66 yards. But his knee was sore after the game and Davis didn’t practice all week.