NFL notes

PATRIOTS: New England defensive tackle Vince Wilfork will be fined but not suspended by the NFL after meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell about a hit on Denver quarterback Jay Cutler, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Wilfork was summoned before Goodell after the Broncos claimed tape of New England’s 41-7 win Oct. 20 showed Wilfork elbowing Cutler in the helmet.

However, the tapes that were reviewed during the hearing did not show that clearly, upholding New England’s contention there was no intent to injure. They also showed Wilfork helping up Cutler and patting him on the back after the play.

COLTS: Injured Indianapolis safety Bob Sanders, running back Joseph Addai and cornerback Kelvin Hayden all practiced Wednesday. They could be healthy enough to play Sunday against archrival New England.

None of the three was listed on the team’s practice report, meaning the three players participated in all drills.

The Colts held out of practice two other starters — Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne and cornerback Marlin Jackson — with knee injuries. Wayne was hurt late in Monday night’s loss at Tennessee when another player rolled into his leg, but both players finished the game.

FALCONS: Atlanta rookie offensive tackle Sam Baker will have surgery on his lower back Thursday, leaving his status for the rest of the season uncertain.

Falcons coach Mike Smith said Baker will have a discectomy, and he said the procedure will be performed in California, where he was examined by specialists on Wednesday.

A discectomy is the surgical removal of herniated disc material that presses on a nerve root or the spinal cord, according to WebMD.com.

Baker, from Southern Cal, was the 21st overall pick in the first round. He was the Falcons’ second first-round pick, following quarterback Matt Ryan, the No. 3 overall selection.

RAVENS: Baltimore placed wide receiver Demetrius Williams on injured reserve and signed Terrance Copper, who was cut earlier this month by the New Orleans Saints.

Williams has been bothered since June by a bone spur around his left Achilles’ tendon. Although he caught a 70-yard touchdown pass Sunday against Oakland, the third-year wideout didn’t practice last week and has long been operating at less than 100 percent.

“We hoped it would improve and he could get through the season, but it just isn’t getting any better,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

Harbaugh said Williams visited a surgeon in Los Angeles who recommended surgery “immediately.”

Williams has 13 catches for 180 yards this season.

BILLS: Josh Reed missed practice with an injured right foot, leaving the slot receiver’s status uncertain for Sunday’s home game against the Jets.

Reed refused to rule himself out, though he was limping noticeably after practice and wearing a protective boot. He hurt both his ankle and Achilles’ tendon in a 25-16 loss at Miami last weekend.

Vikings: Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson is facing about three more months of rehabilitation before he’s back to full strength.

Henderson is wearing a walking boot on his left foot after surgery to fix his big toe earlier this month. He’s on injured reserve and finished for the season. Henderson dislocated two toes in Minnesota’s loss at Tennessee on Sept. 28.

JAGUARS: The team expects leading receiver Matt Jones to be in the starting lineup as the NFL considers his appeal of a suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

Jones, a 2005 first-round draft pick, has entered a drug-treatment program hoping to erase a felony cocaine charge in Arkansas. He said Wednesday he still hadn’t heard anything from the NFL about the case after appealing a three-game suspension handed down last week.

Jones leads the Jaguars (3-4) with 38 catches for 455 yards and two touchdowns.

STEELERS: Wide receiver Santonio Holmes accepted partial blame for the Steelers’ 21-14 loss to the Giants, saying he is convinced he would have made a major difference if he had played.

Holmes, tied for the team lead in receptions going into the game, was held out by coach Mike Tomlin after being cited for a marijuana-related charge by city police following practice last Thursday. The case is pending.

“I know I would have, if it comes down to it,” Holmes said. “But I wasn’t there to help the team.”

BROWNS: Wide receiver Joe Jurevicius, whose routine offseason knee surgery was complicated when he contracted a staph infection, could be done for the season.

“Generally, it doesn’t look very good,” said Coach Romeo Crennel.

The 33-year-old Jurevicius, a former Seahawk who signed with the Browns in 2006 so he could play for his hometown team, has been inactive all season. He had arthroscopic surgery on his knee in January and was expected to make a full recovery before he got staph — one of six Browns players to get staph since 2005.

After catching 50 passes for 614 yards and making 12 starts last season, Jurevicius said 2008 could be his last year in the NFL.

Associated Press