Steelers struggle
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward and safety Troy Polamalu will each miss a second consecutive game because of knee injuries.
Ward and Polamalu sat out the Steelers’ 20-3 victory Sunday over Tampa Bay and also won’t play Thursday night against Cleveland.
Ward, a four-time Pro Bowl receiver who previously missed only one game in his nine-season career, had surgery last week to remove several bone fragments from his left knee. Polamalu, an All-Pro safety last season, has a sprained medial collateral ligament.
Partly because of the short week of preparation before the Browns game, coach Bill Cowher said that both starting wide receivers and safeties won’t play. Also out are receiver Cedrick Wilson (ankle) and safety Ryan Clark (groin), both of whom were hurt against Tampa Bay.
Bucs bust up shutout
At least Tampa Bay came away from Pittsburgh with a little sliver of NFL history.
According to research by the Steelers, Matt Bryant’s 27-yard field goal that concluded Pittsburgh’s 20-3 victory Sunday was the first such game-ending kick to break up an NFL shutout in 73 years.
The Steelers franchise also was involved in the previous such game.
During Pittsburgh’s first NFL season in 1933, Pirates kicker Christian “Mose” Kelsch kicked a 21-yard field goal on the final play to secure a 3-3 tie with the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The Steelers were known as the Pirates until 1940.
•Another disappointing season for Tampa Bay receiver Michael Clayton came to an end when the Buccaneers said he’ll miss the remaining four games because of a knee injury.
Portis has surgery
Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis had shoulder surgery that will require six months of rehabilitation.
Portis was placed on injured reserve Nov. 15 after breaking a bone in his hand in a loss to Philadelphia, but his left shoulder had also been ailing him all season. He partially dislocated the shoulder making a tackle in the first preseason game, then jammed the rotator cuff in the regular-season opener.
Judge sets Jones hearing
A judge set a Feb. 1 hearing for Tennessee cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones on a misdemeanor charge of assault filed by a woman who said he spit on her at a nightclub.
Jones’ attorney hoped to settle the case before Judge John Holt and was in talks with the district attorney’s office. But Krystal Webb, the Tennessee State student who filed the charge over the October incident, has hired her own attorney.
Around the league
The Seattle Seahawks put reserve running back Josh Scobey on injured reserve after the special teams standout broke a bone in his upper arm Sunday night. Seattle also released fourth-string quarterback Gibran Hamdan. … Wide receiver Carlyle Holiday was claimed by the Green Bay Packers off waivers from the Arizona Cardinals. The Packers released wide receiver Chris Francies, general manager Ted Thompson said. … The San Francisco 49ers waived safety Tony Parrish, who once started 121 consecutive games before falling out of favor this season. The 49ers released Parrish to make room for veteran linebacker Jay Foreman, who was signed to fill in while starting linebacker Derek Smith is out with a hamstring injury. … The Buffalo Bills placed linebacker Angelo Crowell on season-ending injured reserve, and signed linebacker Roy Manning. … New Orleans defensive tackle Hollis Thomas was suspended for the final four games of the regular season for violating the league’s steroid policy. … The starting time for the Miami Dolphins’ game at Buffalo on Dec. 17 has been moved to 1:05 p.m. PST. Also moved, from 10 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. PST, was the Philadelphia Eagles at the New York Giants.