|
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Blaine Gabbert is a sideline spectator again. The Jacksonville Jaguars ruled out Gabbert for Sundays game at Oakland after he sliced open the back of his throwing hand in the season opener. Gabbert caught his right hand on a defenders facemask while scrambling for a 4-yard gain the closing minutes against Kansas City on Sunday. He received 15 stitches to close the wound. He wont be able to practice this week because of concerns that dirt and sweat could get in the wound and cause infection. The team is hopeful he will be able to play Sept. 22 at Seattle. If not, then he should return Sept. 29 against Indianapolis. "Its got to heal and we need to keep it clean," coach Gus Bradley said. "The big concern would be with all the stitches that it could reopen and then the chance of infection occurs. So were going to handle that right. Hopefully we get him back either next week or following the Seattle game." Gabbert has missed eight of the teams last 11 games, including the final six last season. He played through a torn labrum in his left shoulder last season, but ended up on injured reserve because of a forearm injury. He missed two preseason games last month after sustaining a hairline fracture in his right thumb. Team doctors took X-rays of Gabberts hand after his latest injury, but there was no damage aside from the gash. "It was pretty severe," Bradley said. "Theyre worried that some of the skin isnt there. It ripped off part of the skin, so some of those are even open right now even though they were stitched. So the fear of getting infection and sweat from practice and anything that could get in there." Chad Henne will start against the Raiders, and newly signed Ricky Stanzi will serve as the backup. Henne split repetitions with Gabbert during the off-season and in training camp, so he should be able to step into the starting role without any issues. Henne started Jacksonvilles final two preseasons games. "If theres one good out of that now we have a guy thats seasoned, thats played a lot of football for us," Bradley said. "We have a lot of faith in Chad. I know that hes a guy we felt strongly about going through the whole process." Gabbert completed 16 of 35 passes for 121 yards and two interceptions against the Chiefs, including one Tamba Hali returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. He was sacked six times in the 28-2 loss, the worst opener in franchise history. Henne completed 3 of 6 passes for 36 yards in relief. The former Michigan standout started the final six games last season and finished with 2,084 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He lost the battle for the starting job in training camp last month and recently vowed to stay ready for another chance. "Obviously its been a roller coaster, but at the same time, I just try to keep a level head," Henne said. "I go out there each and every day, try to get better and compete and just show the coaching staff that Im ready whenever my numbers called. ... You never know whats going to go on throughout the season. There are injuries that happen, and I just have to stay ready at all times." . The Toronto Maple Leafs were holding a news conference, so they got curious. It didnt take long for them to find out via social media that coach Randy Carlyle was coming back — with a two-year extension — and assistants Greg Cronin, Scott Gordon and Dave Farrish were being let go. .And although FIFAs investigators are preparing to release the findings of a World Cup corruption probe, Hassan Al Thawadi dismissed any chance of Qatar losing the showpiece event. .C. -- Tony Stewart will not race Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, the third Sprint Cup race hes skipped since his car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. . -- Jerry Rice Jr. . Watch the announcement live on TSN.ca at 12:30pm et/9:30am pt. This years honourees will be recognized at the 2014 Hockey Canada Foundation Celebrity Classic, scheduled for June 23-24 in Vancouver. WASHINGTON -- The Charlotte Bobcats have leapfrogged another team, increasing the odds that their return to the playoffs wont be a token appearance. The Washington Wizards have dropped a spot and are having issues. Or, as centre Marcin Gortat put it: "The way we play right now, we aint going to beat anybody, including Milwaukee." The Bobcats blew a 20-point, first-half lead to the Wizards on Wednesday night before winning 94-88 in overtime, moving Charlotte into position for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference. "To go from basically the worst team going to the six seed, I mean, it shows a lot," said guard Kemba Walker, who scored the only field goal in overtime for either team. The win left both teams at 40-38 with four games remaining, but Charlotte won the season series 3-1 and therefore holds the tiebreaker. Both teams want to stay out of seventh or eighth to avoid a first-round series against the two conference powerhouses, the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers. The Bobcats have been in the playoffs only once before, when they were swept in the first round in 2010. "We getting better as a team, we two games above .500," said Al Jefferson, who had 20 points and 18 rebounds. "But does it really matter where were at for seeding-wise? No, we just happy to be in the mix." Walker made a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws in the extra session, and Jefferson added two free throws to account for all of the Bobcats scoring. Charlotte went 1 for 7 from the field in overtime, while Washington was 0 for 8 and got its only point from a free throw by John Wall with 34 seconds remaining. Walker finished with 17 points and 12 assists for the Bobcats, who have their longest winning streak since March 2010. "Hes got courage," Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. "He wants the ball late and hes not afraid to take the big shot." Wall had a candidate for most underwhelming triple-double of the season -- 14 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists -- and Gortat finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Wizards, who were nearly run out of their own building in the first half for the second straight game and are limping toward the finishh line of their first playoff season since 2008.dddddddddddd Among Washington coach Randy Wittmans reviews: "To have no more energy or drive or enthusiasm than we showed in that first half, its disappointing. ... I was just not expecting to come out and go through the motions. ... When you dont put effort in, youre not going to have (a) good showing." Added veteran Gortat: "I guess were immature and just not experienced enough and I guess everything starts in the practice. The first few minutes were walking and just fooling around and this is how you start a game." Such comments put the focus on young All-Star Wall, who went 6 for 18 from the field and committed five turnovers. Wall disagreed with his coachs "go through the motions" assessment. "I dont feel that way," Wall said. "I feel like we competed. ... The last couple of games we havent been able to knock down shots." Wall had called this game the most important of the year, but he also made a whirlwind overnight trip to Texas on Monday to watch Kentucky lose the NCAA championship game. He said that had "nothing to do" with his performance. "I practiced yesterday and had a good day," Wall said. "Came here and had a game today. Its not like I went the night before." Trevor Ariza, who has been battling the flu, went 0 for 6 from the field for the Wizards. Washington was 1 for 15 from 3-point range. The Wizards again made defence optional in the early going, echoing their beatdown by the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. But Washington hit its stride in the third quarter and took its first lead of the game on Bradley Beals 15-foot jumper with 5:28 to play. Jefferson forced overtime with a layup that tied the game with 3.2 seconds remaining. Wall didnt get a shot off as time expired in regulation. Notes: Wizards F Nene, back after missing six-plus weeks with a sprained left knee, was understandably rusty. He missed all four of his free throws and finished with 10 points in 17 minutes. ... It was Walls third career triple-double and second this season. ... Bobcats F Josh McRoberts returned after missing three games with a sprained left ankle. ' ' '
|
