Rodney Peete Leads Injured Pack
The hapless Philadelphia Eagles will be without quarterback Rodney Peete for four weeks after the veteran signal-caller suffered a lacerated right index finger in Monday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Peete suffered the injury when he was hit by two defenders just after getting away a pass in the first quarter of the Eagles' embarrassing 34-0 defeat.
The 32-year-old Peete began the season as a backup to Bobby Hoying but was handed the starting job by coach Ray Rhodes after an 0-5 start. In five games, Peete completed 55 percent (71-of-129) of his passes for 758 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions.
|
The starting role will likely revert to Hoying, who was ineffective in relief Monday, completing 13-of-39 for 134 yards and two interceptions. Hoying has yet to throw a touchdown this season while being picked off five times.
Peete signed with the Eagles in 1995 and took over the starting job from Randall Cunningham in Week Five. He went on to lead the Eagles to nine wins in their last 12 games and a playoff victory over Detroit. He completed 57 percent of his passes for 2,326 yards and eight touchdowns with 14 interceptions.
But in the fifth game of the 1996 season, Peete tore the patellar tendon in his right knee and missed the rest of the year. Peete, who spent four seasons in Detroit and one in Dallas before coming to Philadelphia, split the starting duties with Ty Detmer last season.
Dalman out at least three weeks
SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco 49ers' offensive line, coming ofits worst performance of the season, took another hit today with the news that starting center Chris Dalman will miss at least three weeks with a torn medial collateral ligament.
Dalman went down with the injury in Sunday's 36-22 loss at Green Bay in which quarterback Steve Young was sacked nine times.
Second-year backup Steve Gordon will likely fill in for the 6-3, 297-pound Dalman, who may miss up to five weeks.
Jeremy Newberry, a 315-pound rookie currently on the physically unable to perform list, is expected to be placed on the active roster this week.
Earlier this season, San Francisco lost starting left tackle Dave Fiore to an MCL injury. The 49ers were able to lure Kirk Scrafford out of retirement for Sunday's loss at Lambeau Field, but used him in Fiore's spot rather than his more familiar right tackle position.
Bengals' Blackman gone for season
CINCINNATI -- The Cincinnati Bengals announced today that starting left guard Ken Blackman will miss the rest of the season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to his left knee.
Blackman underwent surgery to repair torn cartilage and remove bone fragments from the knee, which was injured in the Bengals' loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday. He is expected to make a full recovery in time for training camp next season.
The 6-6, 320-pound Blackman was in his third year after being chosen in the third round of the 1996 draft out of Illinois. The 25-year-old became a starter midway through his rookie campaign in 1996.
Anthony Brown, a four-year veteran from the University of Utah, is a likely replacement for Blackman.
© 1998 SportsLine USA, Inc. All rights reserved