Times wires
Thursday, January 10, 2013
OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ravens LB Terrell Suggs has been quiet lately.
He has no sacks and just seven tackles over the past six games, including Sunday's 24-9 wild-card victory over the Colts.
But the five-time Pro Bowl pick and last season's NFL defensive player of the year has a few valid excuses. He missed the first six games of the season with a partially torn right Achilles tendon sustained in April. Then he tore his right biceps against the Steelers on Dec. 2 and missed two games, including the meaningless season finale against the Bengals.
"The fact that this guy came back from an Achilles … I am marveled the guy has played at all this year," defensive coordinator Dean Pees said.
Suggs said this week the Achilles tendon flared up against Indianapolis but he was determined to finish the game. And he has not missed practice time this week for Saturday's game against the Broncos.
"I look at it as this has been a bonus that we ever had the guy," Pees said. "I never dreamed that we'd ever have the guy at all this year. So anything we've gotten out of him, to me, is a positive and a bonus."
More Ravens: RB Bernard Pierce, who sustained a knee injury Sunday, returned to practice and was expected to play. WR Torrey Smith was limited by a sore back.
Broncos: Offensive coordinator Mike McCoy has interviewed for the coaching vacancies in Arizona, Chicago and Philadelphia. But he said he has had no problem maintaining his focus on his current team: "I told (his interviewers), 'Listen, there are certain things I may not know about your organization or certain things I haven't researched as much as I would have liked. But all my time and effort in preparation last week was in breaking down our opponents.' The last (interview) we had, I said we need to be done by a certain time because we needed to move on."
Patriots: To prepare for the season, S Devin McCourty spends some of his offseason doing hot yoga workouts. He will spend up to two hours at a time in a saunalike room. "It's so hot in there," said McCourty, whose team faces the Texans on Sunday. "It gets to the point where it's hard to just sit in there and stay. I think it definitely helps for mental toughness. … And at different times during the game, I could be tired, but I really won't think about it. I'll really just think about playing."
Texans: CB Johnathan Joseph said he is back to full speed after hamstring and groin issues. He missed two games, then was slowed during the regular-season finale against the Colts. "(It's like) night and day," Joseph said. "I was able to play, but I wasn't at my best. I can say I'm 100 percent right now."