CINCINNATI — Pro Bowl receiver Chad Johnson hurt his left shoulder Sunday night during the Detroit Lions’ 27-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, who now have their top two receivers and their starting tailback limited by injuries.
Johnson landed awkwardly on his left side after cornerback Brian Kelly intercepted a pass thrown his way on Cincinnati’s first series. Johnson rolled on the field in pain for several seconds, then went to the locker room for an examination. He did not return, and the team didn’t provide any detail about the extent of his injury.
The Bengals already were missing Pro Bowl receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh and running back Rudi Johnson. Both of them have missed the first two preseason games with hamstring injuries.
Detroit got the better of it in the first quarter, when both teams played their starters.
Jon Kitna had a perfect passer rating of 158.3 for the second straight game. Playing in the stadium where he started the Bengals’ resurgence in 2003, Kitna was much better than Carson Palmer, the No. 1 draft pick who took his place in Cincinnati.
Kitna completed his three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown, leaving him 9-of-10 for 146 yards with a pair of touchdowns in the preseason.
In an ominous sign for the Bengals, Palmer was repeatedly hit as he threw and got sacked once. He was only 6-of-13 for 50 yards with one costly interception.
Buccaneers 27, Patriots 10: With 2007 MVP Tom Brady sitting out for the second straight week, the defending AFC champions sputtered with backup Matt Cassel running the show in a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“I think it was pretty obvious we’ve got a lot of work to do, based on tonight, in all three phases of the game,” said Belichick, who played down the significance of Brady not playing.
Brady remained at home, reportedly to rest a sore foot, and Cassel had limited success moving the ball against a feisty Bucs defense that scored on his third-quarter fumble and intercepted the first pass thrown by successor, Kevin O’Connell.
STEELERS: Pittsburgh Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu could return to practice Tuesday.
Coach Mike Tomlin indicated after weekend practices that the team is ready to remove Polamalu from the physically unable to perform list when the team breaks camp today at Saint Vincent College and heads back to the Pittsburgh facility.
Tomlin said he hopes Polamalu will be ready to practice Tuesday, but “we’ll see where he is.” Assuming there are no setbacks, the four-time Pro Bowler would play Saturday in a preseason game at Minnesota.
RAMS: St. Louis offensive guard Mark Setterstrom fractured his left kneecap in the second half of Saturday’s preseason game and will be placed on injured reserve.
Coach Scott Linehan said Sunday that Setterstrom, a seventh-round pick in 2006 who has made nine starts in two seasons, would have surgery later in the week.
Quarterback Marc Bulger, who hurt his shoulder when hit from behind while preparing to throw in the second quarter, was believed to be fine. Linehan said team doctors were not concerned.
“We’ll just see how he feels throwing tomorrow, if he can,” Linehan said. “From my standpoint I think he’s going to be just fine.”
BILLS: Buffalo tight end Derek Schouman missed practice and is out indefinitely with a strained left knee, all but ending his chance to win the starting job out of training camp.
Coach Dick Jauron said trainers informed him that it will be weeks before Schouman is expected to be cleared for practice, meaning he’ll likely will miss the Bills’ two final preseason games.
“It’s not good, but it could have been worse,” Jauron said.
Schouman was hurt when a teammate was knocked into him while covering a kickoff in the second quarter of Buffalo’s 24-21 preseason victory over Pittsburgh on Thursday. He limped off the field and did not return.
The Bills’ 2007 seventh-round draft pick out of Boise State, Schouman had three catches for 19 yards in three games as a rookie. His season ended in mid-November when he was placed on injured reserve after hurting his calf.
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