NFL notebook: Falcons RB Freeman (knee) ruled out

Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman will miss Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers because of a knee injury, coach Dan Quinn told reporters on Friday. Freeman injured his right knee last week in the Falcons' season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He had six carries for 36 yards and three catches for 14 yards against the Eagles before sustaining the injury. However, Quinn also told reporters that Freeman, who did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday, does not have any structural damage in the knee and there is hope that the injury will not be a long-term problem. Freeman has played in 14-plus regular-season games in each of his first four seasons in the NFL, appearing in all 16 games twice after being selected in the fourth round (103rd overall) out of Florida State by the Falcons in the 2014 draft. After back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons, he rushed for 865 yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games last year. The 26-year-old Freeman, twice selected to the Pro Bowl, signed a five-year, $41.25 million contract extension in August 2017. Without Freeman, versatile Tevin Coleman is expected to start for the Falcons and play a featured role. Coleman has a different running style than Freeman, who is a physical ball carrier who makes the tough yards between the tackles. Backing up Coleman will be Ito Smith and Brian Hill, who was added to the roster from the practice squad earlier in the week, for Sunday's game. --Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returned to practice on Friday after sitting out the previous two days due to an ailing right elbow. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters that Roethlisberger was a full participant in practice, making it likely he will make the start in Sunday's home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Roethlisberger bruised his right elbow on the penultimate offensive play in Pittsburgh's 21-21 overtime tie with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. While Tomlin declined further comment on Roethlisberger's condition, Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey told the Pittsburgh Press-Gazette that the quarterback practiced on a limited basis. Wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster said Roethlisberger lacked the usually velocity on his throws but attributed that to easing his way back slowly, per the Athletic. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Roethlisberger completed 23 of 41 passes for 335 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions against the Browns. He also lost two fumbles on sacks. Fellow wide receiver Antonio Brown, who had nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown in Week 1, lauded Roethlisberger's legendary toughness and left little doubt he expected him to start Sunday. "It's an exceptionalism. He's not average. He's not a regular person," said Brown, per the Athletic. "You have to accept the fact that he's different. He's not bound by how he feels ... he's a difference maker. He's not one of those guys that go by the rules. He's beyond the rules. He's a difference maker." A two-time Super Bowl champion, Roethlisberger has been Pittsburgh's starter since he was drafted in the first round in 2004. --Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers did not practice again on Friday but that will not preclude him from playing in Sunday's matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Packers coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Friday that Rodgers, who injured his left knee in the first half of the season opener versus the Chicago Bears, is "getting better" and could be on the field Saturday. "Tomorrow's practice will be a pretty big indicator," McCarthy said, per ESPN. "So we'll see how today goes, but nothing has changed. He's clearly in the day-to-day. Hopefully he'll be able to do work tomorrow." Even if Rodgers is relegated to a spectator's role again Saturday, McCarthy did not rule out his star quarterback from starting the NFC North matchup against the visiting Vikings. "He could play with no reps," McCarthy said. "We've established that point some time ago in his career. So I think it's no different. You'd like to walk off the field Saturday and have your plan set, but this is the National Football League, things happen. "Guys get sick on Saturday, too. That's all part of our process where we work the practice-squad guys in and everything. So we'll be ready for anything, but I know he wants to play. So we'll see how it goes." A two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and six-time Pro Bowl selection, Rodgers has been going through his normal preparation while backups DeShone Kizer and Tim Boyle have taken the actual snaps in practice. Rodgers was injured in Sunday night's 24-23 win when Bears defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris fell on his left knee with about nine minutes to go in the second quarter. The 34-year-old exited the contest and was carted off the field before returning in the third. Rodgers led a comeback from a 20-point deficit that featured three touchdown passes -- including a 75-yard touchdown pass to Randall Cobb that put the Packers ahead with 2:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. Rodgers completed 20 of 30 passes for 286 yards with those three scores, no interceptions and a 130.7 passer rating. If Rodgers is unable to go, the Packers will turn to Kizer, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns. Kizer was shaky when he came on for Rodgers against the Bears. He completed 4 of 7 passes for 55 yards but also threw an interception and lost a fumble. --Running back Leonard Fournette of the Jacksonville Jaguars could be a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup against the New England Patriots because of a hamstring, coach Doug Marrone told reporters on Friday. Fournette, who is listed as questionable on the injury report, did not practice on Friday, and Marrone said the decision might "go all the way to game time." The Jaguars are expected to see how the second-year pro responds during pre-game warmups before making a decision on whether or not Fournette will face the Patriots. Fournette rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in addition to catching two passes for 13 yards as New England beat Jacksonville, 24-20, in the 2017 AFC Championship Game. The 6-foot, 228-pound Fournette, selected in the first round (No. 4 overall) by the Jaguars out of LSU last year, rushed for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns, in addition to catching 36 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown as a rookie. Fournette carried the ball nine times for 41 yards and caught three passes for 14 yards before being injured in the first half of the season opener last week against the New York Giants. Should Fournette be unable to play, the Jaguars have reserve running backs T.J. Yeldon and Corey Grant, and running back Brandon Wilds could be elevated from the practice squad. --Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson is expected to be sidelined for "a few weeks," the NFL Network reported. Johnson suffered a knee injury in the first quarter of Thursday's 34-23 win over the visiting Baltimore Ravens and did not return. The 6-foot-7, 280-pound Johnson was among the final cuts when Cincinnati trimmed its active roster to 53 players, but he was re-signed shortly afterward. A member of the Bengals since he was selected in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft, Johnson started at least 15 games in six of the past seven seasons. Johnson had 49 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 2017, boosting his career total to 44.0 sacks in 140 games. Cincinnati has plenty of depth on the defensive line, including rookie Sam Hubbard along with Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson. The Bengals also sustained an injury on the offensive line when rookie center Billy Price exited Thursday's game with a sprained ankle, according to the team's official website. No timetable was given for his expected absence. Price, who tore a pectoral muscle as the NFL Combine, was selected in the first round (No. 21 overall) of the 2018 Draft. He started at guard for three seasons with Ohio State before shuffling to center in 2017. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Price was the 2017 Big Ten Rimington-Pace winner as the conference's top offensive lineman and Rimington Trophy winner as college football's top center. He finished his career with school records for both total and consecutive starts (55). --Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon returned to Thursday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens after injuring his right knee, but tests on Friday indicate he needs arthroscopic surgery, which he will undergo on Saturday, according to media reports. Reports earlier said Mixon would seek a second opinion before opting for the surgery. There was no timetable given for his return following the surgery. Mixon, who finished with 84 yards rushing in 21 carries against the Ravens, left the game in the first half, but came back to play in the fourth quarter and made a key 21-yard run to set up a field goal as Cincinnati (2-0) held off a Baltimore rally for a 28-23 victory. "I had to talk myself (in)to going back in," Mixon said. "It's mental toughness. It was real hard. ... It felt weird. The knee was hurting. The mental side of it is you always want to play 100 percent. When it's bothering you, it's hard mentally. I just had to check back in mentally and tough it out physically." The 6-1, 228-pound Mixon was selected by the Bengals in the second round (No. 48 overall) of the 2017 draft out of Oklahoma and rushed for 626 yards and four touchdowns in addition to catching 30 passes for 287 yards as a rookie. Mixon is off to a strong start this season, also rushing for 95 yards in the Bengals' season-opening victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Other running backs on the Cincinnati roster are Giovani Bernard, who will take over the starting role, rookie Mark Walton and Tra Carson. --Guard Josh Sitton of the Miami Dolphins will miss the rest of the season because of a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, according to multiple media reports. Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald first reported the news. The 32-year-old Sitton tore his rotator cuff in the second half of Sunday's victory over the Tennessee Titans, but did not come out of the game, playing all 58 of the Dolphins' offensive snaps. The four-time Pro Bowl selection, who was first-team All-Pro in 2014, will have surgery to repair the tear. The 6-3, 320-pound Sitton, who formerly played for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers, was signed to a two-year contract by the Dolphins during the offseason to bolster a struggling offensive line. Sitton was selected by the Packers in the fourth round (No. 135 overall) out of Central Florida in the 2008 draft and played for Green Bay's Super Bowl XLV champions during his eight seasons with the team. In 2015, Sitton criticized head coach Mike McCarthy's game plan after a game and he was released the following September. He signed with the Bears and after he played two seasons in Chicago, the team declined to exercise the option on his contract and he signed a free-agent deal with the Dolphins. Sitton, considered the Dolphins' best run blocker, will be replaced by veteran Ted Larson, who started eight games for Miami last season. --Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel said that he expects injured starting quarterback Marcus Mariota to play Sunday against the Houston Texans, but also plans to utilize backup Blaine Gabbert. Mariota, who sustained a right elbow injury in the season opener, practiced fully on Wednesday but was limited Thursday, and was seen by reporters on the practice field on Friday. "We are evaluating," Vrabel said of Mariota's injury, according to Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official website. "We anticipate both of those guys playing in the game, OK? We are going to have to do a lot of things to win this football game, and I would anticipate both of those guys playing at some point and time. " ... Marcus is going to do everything he can to get ready, like every player is going to do everything they can to get ready for the game on Sunday." Vrabel didn't give any specifics on how he might use the two quarterbacks, or which one might start. Tennessee's quarterback situation is even more complicated when considering that the Titans are without starting tackles Taylor Lewan (concussion) and Jack Conklin (knee), who both have been ruled out for the game against Houston. Without his starting tackles, Vrabel might be reluctant to exposed the already ailing Mariota to the Texans' pass rush, which could mean more playing time for Gabbert. --Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry was running sprints Friday at the start of practice, multiple media outlets reported. Henry was wearing a brace on his right knee as he ran diagonal sprints, according to the Orange County Register. Henry's appearance at practice was unexpected given that he underwent surgery to repair a torn ACL less than four months ago. It was assumed that Hunter's injury, which occurred on the first day of organized team activities on May 22, was season-ending. He is on injured reserve but is eligible to return after Week 8. The 23-year-old Henry was expected to be a focal point of Los Angeles' offense in 2018. A second-round pick of the Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft, Henry had 36 receptions and eight touchdowns as a rookie. The former Arkansas standout recorded 45 receptions for 579 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games in 2017 before a lacerated kidney ended his season. His 12.9 yards-per-catch average was third best in the NFL among tight ends. Henry's ascension led to the decision by the Chargers not to re-sign longtime standout Antonio Gates in the offseason. Gates returned to the club for a 16th season after agreeing to contract terms on Sept. 2. In other news, Los Angeles wide receiver Travis Benjamin sat out Friday's practice because of a foot injury. Benjamin has not practiced all week. --Quarterbacks who were the No. 1 overall picks by the Rams in their respective NFL Drafts will be facing off against each other when the Los Angeles Rams play the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Rams and quarterback Jared Goff are brimming with confidence after a strong second-half showing in their 33-13 victory over the Oakland Raiders on Monday night. And even with the short week, they are heavily favored over the Cardinals, who got very little going offensively in a disappointing 24-6 loss to the Washington Redskins. Much of the blame fell on quarterback Sam Bradford, leading to an early-season controversy whether he should be replaced by Josh Rosen, the team's first-round pick this year. Bradford completed 20 of 34 passes for the Cardinals, but for only 153 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. "I think he's a little disappointed in his performance, which most of those guys in that locker room are, and they should be," first-year Cardinals coach Steve Wilks said Wednesday. "The way he came back today, along with the other guys, gives me a lot of hope. I say it all the time, we've got a lot of talent in that locker room, but the character is what's going to sustain us. "I think those guys came out and shook it off. We're moving forward. We're not thinking about last week. We're thinking about the Rams and putting ourselves in position to win this game." For his first five NFL seasons, Bradford was a member of the then-St. Louis Rams, who made him the first overall pick of the 2010 draft. This is the first time he will be facing the team that drafted him, but Bradford is not making much out of it. "Not really," he said. "I think if it would have happened sooner in my career, maybe there would be more, but the staff there is completely different. There's only a handful of guys on that roster that were there when I was there. So, there's just really not a lot of connection that's still there for me." Bradford did not get much help in the opener from his running game as David Johnson, who recently signed a three-year, $39 million contract extension, rushed for 37 yards on nine carries. Bradford will remain the starter this week, and the Cardinals will be facing a Rams defense that is loaded with stars. The Rams shut out the Raiders in the second half and even scored a touchdown on Marcus Peters' 50-yard interception return. "They're really talented. I think when you look at them on paper, they're probably one of the most talented units in the league," Bradford said. "The way they played in the second half last week, they played really well." That defense made things easier for Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. "You know eventually, down the stretch you get comfortable, settle in and guys make plays," Goff said. "And that's what we did towards the end." Rams running back Todd Gurley, who rushed for 1,305 yards last season while earning first-team All-Pro honors, ran for 108 yards in the opener as Los Angeles shook off a sluggish start. "I think to be able to go through some adversity, I think says a lot about our football team," Rams coach Sean McVay said. "Really hadn't had anything like that occur, obviously, just with it being the first game. But, I think when you take into account the elements, the atmosphere, some of the unknown with what they presented offensively, even some different things defensively the way that the half ended, they had a lot of momentum. I thought our guys just kind of really embodied that attitude of 'never flinch and never blink' and then they came out and they did an excellent job in the second half. I thought the coaches made some good adjustments as well." McVay gave his team an extra day off after a physical game Monday. "We'll try to get a good day's worth of work or really two good days of work on Thursday and Friday the way that we would normally practice," he said. "But (Wednesday) will mostly be mental and we'll get a walk-through-type setting and try to get a lot of reps, but take that physical toll of the players' bodies." --Few players entered Week 2 of the NFL season as motivated as Shawn Williams. The sixth-year safety for the Cincinnati Bengals had a dubious start to the season, playing less than one quarter before becoming the first player to be ejected under the league's stringent new rules for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Atonement was the goal for Williams in Thursday night's matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, particularly after watching his replacement in Week 1 -- backup Clayton Fejedelem -- preserve that win over the Colts by forcing and returning a fumble for a last-minute touchdown. Mission achieved for Williams, who had a starring role in the 34-23 victory over the Ravens by collecting eight tackles to go with an interception, sack and forced fumble. "There was so much on my mind what happened. I was just trying to put it behind me," said Williams of his eagerness to get back on the field. "With it being a mental week and no practice, I just focused on the game and not what happened in the past. I just wanted to be there for my teammates at a critical moment." Like Fejedelem four days earlier, Williams stepped up during a critical moment with the game still on the line for the Bengals. With Baltimore facing a third-and-10 inside the final three minutes, Williams came in on a blitz and chased down Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, jarring the ball loose just before a pass attempt. Williams' strip-sack was recovered by the Bengals and the turnover led to a field goal with 2:25 to play that pushed Cincinnati's lead to 11 points. "I was trying to get to him before he threw the ball. I think I ran into someone," Williams said. "And I just kept thinking, 'Hold it, hold it. Don't throw it. Don't throw it. Yes! , Got 'em!' I just hoped I didn't run all that way for nothing." Williams had voiced his displeasure over why he was tossed against the Colts, claiming he did not use the crown of his helmet on the hit against Luck and terming the shoulder contact "incidental." However, as he was veering down on Flacco for Thursday's game-saving play, Williams told reporters that another potential roughing call was the last thing on his mind. "Sorry," Williams said. "I didn't think about it." Cincinnati features a new defensive coordinator in Teryl Austin, who took over for Paul Guenther. The Bengals already have five turnovers in two games after forcing only 14 last season. "Our job is to get turnovers," said Williams, who started 26 games in the previous two seasons. "We did well today. ... That's what George always told me. They'll come in bunches."