Roundup

Eagles could be without Westbrook for playoffs

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Brian Westbrook, the Philadelphia Eagles' leading scorer with 13 touchdowns, could miss the playoffs because of a torn triceps muscle.

Eagles head trainer Rick Burkholder said Sunday it's almost certain Westbrook will need surgery, but there's a possibility the speedy running back could wait until after the season.

Burkholder said the team's doctors recommended season-ending surgery, but told Westbrook to get at least one other opinion. A decision on his treatment will be made later in the week.

Westbrook split time with Correll Buckhalter and Duce Staley this season, and was Philadelphia's main punt returner. Reno Mahe or veteran James Thrash would return punts if Westbrook can't play, and Staley and Buckhalter would share the running back duties.

Westbrook was injured in the first half of a 31-7 victory over the Washington Redskins on Saturday night. The Eagles (12-4) clinched the No.1 seed in the NFC on Sunday, thanks to Detroit's victory over St. Louis.

Westbrook, a second-year pro from Villanova, had 613 yards rushing on 117 carries and seven TDs. He also had 37 receptions for 332 yards and four TDs and returned two punts for scores.

Westbrook was injured when he was dragged down by linebacker Jeremiah Trotter for a 2-yard loss on his last play handling the ball.

Owens a no-show as Niners wrap up season

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- When the San Francisco 49ers gathered to clean out their lockers and say their final goodbyes in a voluntary team meeting Sunday, only Terrell Owens declined to attend.

Owens is expected to void the final three years of his contract and leave San Francisco as a free agent, so his absence wasn't surprising. He arrived at the 49ers' training complex later, but had nothing to say to the reporters he has studiously avoided for years.

"I've washed my hands of you all," Owens said.

Owens' departure probably will be the biggest change for the 49ers (7-9), who wrapped up just their third losing season since 1983 with a 24-17 loss to Seattle on Saturday.

Coach Dennis Erickson has big plans for shaping up the 49ers during the offseason -- but they probably won't include Owens, even though the coach would love it if the four-time Pro Bowl selection returned. Almost nobody else thinks San Francisco will pay the hefty signing bonus and salary necessary to keep him.

"Will we be able to keep everybody? Probably not," Erickson said. "Would we like to? Yes. ... [Owens] is a free agent, and he's going to test the market, which he should. Hopefully, we can compete with that."

San Francisco will have a slightly different look on offense next season, whether or not Owens is involved. After spending most of this season learning the 49ers' hallowed schemes and terminology, Erickson plans to be much more involved in the game plan next season -- and he plans to tweak the West Coast offense even more.

Tardiness behind Brown's absence

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Ruben Brown's agent said Sunday that the Pro Bowl guard was left home for the Buffalo Bills' season finale because he showed up late for a practice.

The Bills said Friday that Brown had been excused -- but not suspended -- from playing against New England because of personal reasons.

"I don't want people thinking this is something that it's not," agent Eric Metz told The Associated Press. "One isolated, very small mistake shouldn't damage what has been and will continue to be a very great career."

In response to Metz's comments, Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold maintained the team's position that Brown was excused for personal reasons.

Metz said that Brown had no excuse for showing up late for practice Tuesday, and that the player was both apologetic and eager to play. But that didn't sway the Bills, who barred Brown from taking part in the team's final two practices, and prevented him from boarding the team's flight to New England on Friday.

Brown, selected to his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl, had not been late for any other mandatory team functions, Metz said.

The Bills' vague explanation led some to speculate about the player's desire -- particularly after Brown questioned his own motivation to get up for the team's final game during his weekly show on a Buffalo radio station.

Tomlinson sets receptions record

San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson set an NFL record Sunday with his 93rd catch of the season, the most for a running back who'd also gained 1,000 yards.

The old mark was 92 catches by San Francisco's Roger Craig in 1985.

Tomlinson set the mark on San Diego's first drive against Oakland, when he caught an 8-yard pass from Drew Brees. He also carried seven times for 43 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead.

Tomlinson also broke his team record for most combined yards in a season. A 12-yard run on the opening play of the Chargers' second drive gave Tomlinson 2,173 combined yards, breaking the mark of 2,172 yards he set last year.

Titans QB McNair dresses; O'Donnell gets start

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair dressed but did not start Sunday in the Titans' regular-season finale against Tampa Bay.

That left 14-year veteran Neil O'Donnell making his first start since Sept. 23, 2001. The Titans cut O'Donnell twice this year for salary cap reasons, but they re-signed him on Dec. 18 after losing backup Billy Volek for the season with a lacerated spleen.

It was O'Donnell's first action in a game since Jan. 11, when he came in for two plays in the playoffs against Pittsburgh after McNair hurt his thumb.

McNair has not practiced three straight weeks because of a strained right calf and a sprained left ankle with a cracked bone spur. He now has failed to start two of the past three games, but he started last week in a 27-24 victory over Houston in which the Titans clinched a playoff berth.

• Tampa Bay safety John Lynch hurt his right shoulder late in the second quarter Sunday, knocking him out of the game against Tennessee.

The Buccaneers came into the game with 11 players already on injured reserve. Lynch apparently was hurt on a run by Titans running back Chris Brown with about a minute remaining in the first half.

Defensive tackle Anthony McFarland sprained his left ankle on the Titans' second series. His return was listed as questionable.

Titans' George becomes 17th with 10,000 yards rushing

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George became the 17th player in NFL history with 10,000 yards rushing in his career Sunday.

George came into Sunday's game against Tampa Bay needing 78 yards to reach that mark, and the 1995 Heisman Trophy winner topped that mark with a 4-yard carry in the fourth quarter that put him at 80 yards in the game.

He picked up 7 more yards on his next carry before walking off the field holding the ball up in his right hand to a standing ovation. George already topped 1,000 yards rushing in a season for the eighth time in his career earlier in the game.

The other active running backs already over 10,000 yards rushing include Emmitt Smith, Jerome Bettis, Curtis Martin and Marshall Faulk.

Bears rookie Grossman suffers hand injury

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Rookie quarterback Rex Grossman of the Chicago Bears injured his hand in the second quarter against Kansas City and left the game Sunday.

The Bears said X-rays were negative. He was replaced by Kordell Stewart.

Grossman was making his third NFL start after winning his first two.

Lions owner says Millen will return next year

DETROIT (AP) -- Matt Millen will be back next year as president and general manager of the Lions, who have had the worst record in the NFL during his three seasons in Detroit.

Lions owner William Clay Ford said Sunday he hadn't considered firing Millen, despite a 9-38 record during his tenure going into the team's final game in St. Louis.

"I want him," Ford said before the game. "I don't need any more reason than that."

Millen has two years left on a five-year, $15-million contract he signed after the 2000 season.

Ford said there may be changes on coach Steve Mariucci's staff, however.

Millen, who was not surprised by Ford's announcement, said he is even more determined to turn around the franchise he has run since leaving a lucrative job as a television analyst.

"You come to do a job and you've got to get it finished and find a way to get it done," said the former linebacker, who won four Super Bowls with three teams.

Ford agreed.

"The fans, and I don't blame them, are interested in the won-loss record and I guess that's the barometer you judge success or failure by if you're a fan," Ford said.

However, Ford said he's been pleased with Millen's drafts and leadership.

Ford said a big reason the Lions struggled -- again -- this season was because they have 15 players on injured reserve.

"I think of what could've been," Ford said. "It could've been a lot better."