Palmer: hit wasn’t dirty
One replay was all Carson Palmer needed to see.
The Pro Bowl quarterback won’t dwell on the play that doomed the Bengals’ first playoff appearance in 15 years. He tore a knee ligament on his first pass during a 31-17 loss to Pittsburgh.
Palmer slowly shuffled around the locker room on crutches Monday, unsure when he’d have reconstructive surgery and unable to say definitively that he’ll be fully recovered in time for training camp.
As for the tackle that led to it all, Palmer said Kimo von Oelhoffen did nothing.
“I don’t know Kimo personally,” Palmer said. “From what I’ve heard, he’s a classy guy. Football is football. I don’t think it was malicious at all.” The Steelers lineman was stumbling as he came off a block and lunged at Palmer’s legs, crashing into the side of his left knee. Palmer tore the anterior cruciate ligament when the leg bowed.
Although Palmer absolved von Oelhoffen, coach Marvin Lewis thought the officials should have penalized him for a late hit. No flag was thrown on the play, a 66-yard completion to Chris Henry.
Coughlin, Barber iron out differences
Giants coach Tom Coughlin and running back Tiki Barber resolved their differences over remarks Barber made after Sunday’s NFC wild-card loss to Carolina.
Barber said after the game that the Giants were outcoached by Carolina’s John Fox, a former Giants defensive coordinator. Coughlin was clearly displeased with the comments, and expressed that on Monday after taking the unusual step of calling Barber in to look at game films of the 23-0 loss.
“I was upset because in the true concept of team it is not about pointing the finger,” Coughlin said. “It is not about that. We are all in this together.”
Barber – who was not the only Giant to question some of the coaching decisions – backtracked from his earlier statement that it seemed the Panthers “were in our huddle.”
Taylor fined for spitting at Pittman
Redskins safety Sean Taylor was fined $17,000 by the NFL for spitting in the face of Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman.
Taylor was ejected and penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for spitting at Pittman in the third quarter of Saturday’s playoff game. The offense was considered so egregious that Pittman wasn’t penalized for slapping Taylor in the helmet in retaliation.
The amount of the fine is the playoff bonus each Redskins player received for the first-round game, which the Redskins won 17-10.
Rams receiver Snow dies
Jack Snow, a star wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and a longtime team broadcaster, has died. He was 62.
Snow had been hospitalized on and off for the past two months with a staph infection. His family was with him when he died at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, said Duane Lewis, a team spokesman.
Snow, the father of Gold Glove first baseman J.T. Snow, was an analyst on the Rams’ radio broadcasts even before the team moved to St. Louis 10 years ago. He was last in the booth Nov. 20 during a home loss to Arizona.
Around the league
Newly hired Vikings coach Brad Childress fired defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell and is considering Tampa Bay assistant Mike Tomlin for the job. … Tight end Anthony Fasano said he will forgo his final year of eligibility at Notre Dame and enter the NFL draft. … Florida State linebacker Ernie Sims will give up his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. … Former Cowboys defensive back Dwayne Goodrich was sentenced to five more years in prison for three counts of failure to stop and render aid in the 2003 hit-and-run deaths of two good Samaritans. … Greg Lee, an all-Big East Conference wide receiver last season, is giving up his final year at Pittsburgh to enter the NFL draft. … Looking to replace Herman Edwards, the Jets are talking to Jim Haslett, Mike Tice and Joe Vitt, all of whom were head coaches in the NFL this season. … South Carolina safety Ko Simpson and cornerback Johnathan Joseph said they will enter the NFL draft, giving up their remaining two years of eligibility. … The Chiefs finalized the hiring of Herm Edwards as head coach.