Giants lineman cries foul
New York Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka said Friday that Washington Redskins tackle Chris Samuels made a dirty play when he fell on the back of his ankle after being beaten on a pass rush on the final play of the NFL season opener.
Kiwanuka hurt his left ankle on the play. X-rays were negative, but the ankle was still sore Friday, and so was Kiwanuka.
Replays showed that Kiwanuka beat Samuel to the outside on a pass rush and started moving toward Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell in the waning seconds of the Giants’ 16-7 victory.
Samuels quickly turned and made a low lunging tackle, wrapping his arms around Kiwanuka’s legs. His upper torso pinned Kiwanuka’s left ankle.
“Honestly, I thought it was a dirty play,” Kiwanuka said. “There’s no question about it. He was definitely beat and instead of recovering or giving up, I don’t know how many options you had, but I just don’t think there is any place for that in the NFL.”
Samuels said he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.
“On that particular play I was just trying to protect my quarterback,” Samuels said through a Redskins spokesman.
Alexander hopes to sign
Shaun Alexander believes his signing is imminent with one of a handful of teams that have provided “a constant flow of calls,” including his hometown Cincinnati Bengals.
“I am ready. I’m in great shape. My workouts have been great. I’m ready to get back and help a team get to the Super Bowl,” said the former Seattle Seahawks running back
It is the first time he has spoken publicly since Seattle released him.
Alexander said he hasn’t had any tryouts since his release, because he hasn’t needed any. Though Denver was rumored to be interested, he’s visited only New Orleans and Cincinnati to look at game plans to explore a possible fit.
Around the league
Philadelphia could play the season opener without their two top wide receivers after Reggie Brown missed his second straight practice with a left hamstring injury. Kevin Curtis is already out indefinitely after having surgery for a sports hernia. … Jacksonville receiver Jerry Porter was ruled out of Sunday’s season opener at Tennessee because of a hamstring injury. … Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters made plans to end his holdout and report to the team by today. … An arrest warrant was issued for Mark Ingram, a star on the New York Giants’ 1991 Super Bowl-winning team who failed for a third time to appear in federal court for sentencing on a money laundering and bank fraud conviction. … Dick Enderle, an offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the NFL after starring at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s, was found dead in his Manhattan, N.Y., apartment. He was 60. No foul play was suspected. … CBS has filed a federal lawsuit to establish its right to use without charge the statistics that underlie fantasy football leagues after the NFL Players Association had threatened to sue the company if it does not pay licensing fees.