Falcons cornerback out for year; Denver tackle’s career in jeopardy

Brett Grimes' season is over for the Atlanta Falcons. Ty Warren's career in the NFL might be over, too.

Their injuries were the most severe on the opening weekend of the season, although a neck strain suffered by Rams tackle Rodger Saffold looked worse.

Falcons cornerback Grimes tore an Achilles tendon - the team did not say which leg - in a win at Kansas City. Grimes got the franchise tag this year when he couldn't agree on a new contract, receiving a salary of $10.2 million. The Falcons also traded for Asante Samuel to boost their secondary, but now will be without Grimes for the rest of 2012.

"Brent has made a number of big plays since we've been here," Atlanta coach Mike Smith said. "He's been the cornerstone at that corner position."

Warren, 31, tore his right triceps in his first game since 2009 as Denver beat Pittsburgh. It's the same injury that sidelined him all of last season. The defensive tackle missed the 2010 season, his last in New England, with a hip injury.

"Obviously, we don't want to lose a player like Ty for a significant amount of time, and this obviously will be," Denver coach John Fox said, "but we'll adjust and, 'Next man up.' "

Saffold returned to St. Louis on Monday after spending the night in Detroit. He was discharged from a hospital after results of several tests were negative.

"We still have some further tests to do, but it appears at this point it's just a significant strain," coach Jeff Fisher said. "So he's very lucky. So that's good news on our behalf."

The bad news: St. Louis lost center Scott Wells with a broken bone in his left foot. He will need surgery, and Fisher said the Rams would use the new "marquee" injured reserve rule that allows them to activate one player off IR for Week 9, and bring back Wells then.

Wells, who got a four-year, $24 million free-agent deal from the Rams, has barely been on the field. He missed the first two preseason games coming off surgery on his right knee.

Bills receiver David Nelson will miss the rest of the season after tearing a ligament in his right knee, while running back Fred Jackson hurt his right knee and is out for three weeks.

Another top cornerback, Jets All-Pro Darrelle Revis, has a concussion. Revis was injured midway through the fourth quarter of the Jets' 48-28 victory over the Bills when he landed on his stomach while diving to tackle C.J. Spiller and was accidentally kicked in the head by teammate Bart Scott.

Cardinals quarterback John Skelton has a low right ankle sprain, and coach Ken Whisenhunt is noncommittal about his status for Sunday at New England.

Tennessee running back Javon Ringer has an infection in his left elbow that ballooned before the Titans' opening loss to New England. Coach Mike Munchak said Ringer has been in and out of the hospital for treatment.

Colts defensive star Dwight Freeney, making a conversion from end to outside linebacker, was awaiting results on tests for a sprained left ankle. Right tackle Winston Justice has a concussion.

Redskins rookie safety Jordan Bernstine is out for the season with torn ligaments in his right knee. He was placed on injured reserve Monday. Coach Mike Shanahan said X-rays were negative on receiver Pierre Garcon's right foot, but that Garcon will have to play through some pain and will be re-evaluated.

The big injury news in New England was whether quarterback Tom Brady has a broken nose; even he is unsure.

Whatever the diagnosis or whether it affects future photo shoots, he'll play Sunday against Arizona.

■ REPLACEMENT REFS - The replacement officials' error that awarded an extra timeout to Seattle in the final minute of its loss at Arizona was the third such mistake in an NFL game in the last nine years.

In 2009, the Cleveland Browns were mistakenly awarded four timeouts in the second half of a 16-0 home loss to Baltimore. And in 2003, the Baltimore Ravens got four in a 44-41 overtime win against Seattle.

On Sunday, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll called timeout with 30 seconds left, but the officials had announced two plays earlier Seattle used its last one when receiver Doug Baldwin was injured. After huddling, the officials determined the previous stoppage had been on an incomplete pass, so the Seahawks were not charged with a timeout.

Teams are required to use a timeout for an injured player in the final two minutes, regardless if the clock is running.

Meanwhile, the NFL has devised a temporary five-week schedule for using replacement officials. A person familiar with the schedule said the setup has been completed through Week 5. The regular officials are locked out and replacements worked the preseason and the first week of the regular season.

■ RAMS - St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said a mistake by the clock operator late in Sunday's last-second loss at Detroit gave the Lions an extra clock stoppage that changed how the finish played out.

The 40-second time clock started three or four seconds before the game clock after quarterback Sam Bradford slid for a 3-yard gain close to the sideline. Fisher anticipated he could let the clock run to the two-minute warning, but instead had to call timeout with 2:03 to go, with the play clock about to expire.

The Rams were set to run on third down after the two-minute warning, forcing the Lions to use their final timeout. Instead, Bradford threw an incompletion and Greg Zuerlein kicked a go-ahead 46-yard field goal.

The Lions had 1:55 to work with on their final drive. Matthew Stafford's 5-yard pass to Kevin Smith with 10 seconds to go won it.

The NFL admitted a mistake by the clock operator basically gave the Lions an extra timeout. Perhaps they still would have won, but it certainly would have changed how the finish played out.

■ BROWNS - Joe Haden, Cleveland's top cornerback, was suspended without pay for four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Haden's suspension begins immediately, and he will not be eligible to return to the active roster until Monday, Oct. 8, one day after the Browns play at the New York Giants.

Haden, who reportedly tested positive in the offseason for the stimulant Adderall, played in Sunday's opener against Philadelphia. He had an interception and six tackles in Cleveland's 17-16 loss.

■ PACKERS - Wide receiver Greg Jennings has a groin injury, and his status for Thursday's game against Chicago is unclear. Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said Jennings was hurt late in Sunday's loss to San Francisco. McCarthy said Jennings "didn't feel very good" Sunday but was better Monday.

■ SAINTS - New Orleans placed recently re-instated linebacker Jonathan Vilma on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he'll be out through Week 6, even if he has not been served a new bounty suspension by then.

Vilma is rehabilitating his surgically repaired left knee and did not play Sunday, two days after his suspension stemming from the NFL's bounty investigation was vacated, but not permanently voided, by an appeals panel.

The panel directed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to reconsider punishment of all four players sanctioned in New Orleans' alleged pay-for-pain bounty pool.