SPORTS STATS

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) The Buffalo Bills consider two-time Super Bowl-winner Mike Shanahan a legitimate candidate to be their next head coach.

A person familiar with the Bills' search told The Associated Press that the team has contacted the former Denver Broncos' coach. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the Bills are not discussing the search.

Shanahan has been out of football since the Broncos fired him at the end of last season. A message left at his Denver office was not returned.

Read More...

PITTSBURGH (AP) Ben Roethlisberger's fourth concussion since 2006 apparently won't put him on the bench.

Roethlisberger will play Sunday in Baltimore as long as he continues to pass post-concussion tests, coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday. The tests measure a player's memory and reflexes, among other factors, before and after he has been injured. Read More...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs says his right leg feels "really good" and he should play against Denver on Thursday.

Jacobs missed the fourth quarter and overtime in the Giants' 34-31 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday after he was tackled by Thomas DeCoud and Stephen Nicholas on a 5-yard run late in the third quarter. Read More...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is wearing a protective boot on his sprained left ankle, and it's uncertain whether he'll make the trip for the team's game at Denver.

Bradshaw, second on the team with 549 yards rushing, came out of Sunday's victory over Atlanta with the injury. He previously had worn a boot on his right foot because of a cracked bone. Read More...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris will call defensive plays for the Buccaneers after demoting defensive coordinator Jim Bates following a 1-9 start.

The Bucs, who lost to New Orleans 38-7 Sunday, are 26th in the NFL in total defense, allowing just over 378 yards per game. They're last in rushing defense and have allowed 294 points, the second-highest total in the league. Read More...

HOUSTON (AP) Vince Young remained undefeated as a starter for the Tennessee Titans this season thanks to Rob Bironas and his knack for making big kicks against the Houston Texans.

Rob Bironas kicked a 53-yard field goal with less than a minute left and the Titans beat the Texans 20-17 Monday night for their fourth straight victory after starting the season with six losses in a row. Read More...

IRVING, Texas (AP) Cowboys cornerback Terence Newman has an explanation for his sideline scuffle with secondary coach Dave Campo: He was just hyping their undercard matchup on the hoped-for bout between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"We've got a split, 70-30," Newman said Tuesday. "I got 70 (percent), he got 30, so it'll be nice. We're on pay-per-view. ... A lot of people are going to watch it." Read More...

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) The Detroit Lions practiced Tuesday without quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

The injured players watched the workouts that were open to the media. Read More...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Carolina Panthers have lost another linebacker to a season-ending knee injury.

The Panthers placed Landon Johnson on injured reserve Tuesday and signed linebacker Jordan Senn. Johnson hurt his medial collateral ligament in Thursday's loss to Miami in his second start at weakside linebacker after Thomas Davis was lost for the season. Read More...

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Byron Leftwich's season is over after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put the backup quarterback on injured reserve with a sore right elbow.

Tampa Bay also announced on Tuesday that it had signed quarterback Rudy Carpenter from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Read More...