Alexander accepts cracked wrist
By now Shaun Alexander says he’s used to the idea of having a cracked bone in his left wrist.
Especially since the Seahawks’ star running back says the injury took place in Week 1 against Tampa Bay, and it was expected that a crack could develop.
“All these questions would have been tough to answer three weeks ago,” Alexander said on Thursday. “Now, it just is what it is.”
Alexander’s cracked wrist was news on Monday when Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren made the announcement. Previously, it was thought that Alexander simply had a sprained wrist, although he wore a cast to protect the wrist in practice and in Seattle’s past two games.
When Alexander went in for a scheduled X-ray on Monday, the pictures showing a break formed were no surprise.
“It’s better now than it has been,” he said.
Alexander said he believes the injury first happened in the second quarter of Seattle’s season-opening win against Tampa Bay. X-rays taken then didn’t show any breaks in the wrist, but the team’s medical staff believed a crack could potentially develop. Alexander was told it could be a couple of weeks before a break appeared on X-rays.
There was some concern that the break occurred when Alexander was hit by Cincinnati’s Lemar Marshall late in the first half of Seattle’s 24-21 win last week. Alexander said he was hit higher on the arm, although he wore a larger cast over the wrist in the second half against the Bengals.
He finished with 100 yards on 21 carries against Cincinnati, including 44 yards in the fourth quarter and a critical 14-yard run on fourth-and-1 to set up Seattle’s winning score.
Wilfork fined $12,500 for hit
New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was fined $12,500 by the NFL for his low, late hit on Buffalo quarterback J.P. Losman.
Losman sprained his left knee during the play last Sunday and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Wilfork was penalized on the play in the Patriots’ 38-7 win.
“A lot of people say that was a cheap shot,” Wilfork said before he was alerted about the fine. “I’m far from a dirty player. If you know me as a person, you’d understand that. If you don’t know me, don’t judge me. If you don’t know me, get to know me.”
Losman was hurt on Buffalo’s first play from scrimmage when Wilfork dived at his knee just as Losman completed a 4-yard pass to running back Marshawn Lynch. Losman tried to play through the injury, but he left the game after losing a fumble two plays later.
Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards replaced Losman and immediately engineered a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, though he completed 10 of 20 passes for 97 yards in the game.
Wilfork said he was blocked into Losman.
Burress plans to play
New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress got some good news about his badly sprained right ankle.
The second opinion on the ankle showed it was nothing more than a bad sprain, and that Burress can continue his current course of treatment.
Burress will continue practicing on a limited basis about one day a week and intends to play Sunday night against the Philadelphia Eagles at Giants Stadium.
“When I feel good enough to go and practice, I’ll practice,” Burress said after watching the Giants’ workout. “If I am sore, I’ll have limited practice. I’ll just gauge my soreness and manage it that way.”
Burress was examined on Wednesday by Dr. Robert Anderson in Charlotte, N.C. His diagnosis of a serious sprain agreed with the diagnosis of Dr. Russ Warren, the Giants’ orthopedic surgeon.
Burress sprained the ankle in early August in training camp and reinjured it against the Green Bay Packers on Sept. 16. Ronnie Barnes, Giants vice president of medical services, said Burress will continue to receive electric stimulation on the ankle.