Tedy Bruschi handled the hits his teammates dished out in practice. Whether he’ll get a chance for more contact in Sunday night’s game remains uncertain.
The energetic catalyst of the Patriots’ defense, who had a mild stroke 8 1/2 months ago, must await head coach Bill Belichick’s decision whether he’ll play against the Bills.
“I’d like to get out there and see,” Bruschi said before Wednesday’s practice, his second with contact. “But it’s out of my control now. I’m a player. I’m a member of the team. So I’ve trusted my coaches ever since I was in high school.”
Belichick said Wednesday that Bruschi hasn’t suffered any setbacks since resuming practice, but didn’t know how ready he is for a game. Even if Bruschi is going to play this week, Belichick probably will not put Bruschi on the 53-man roster until Saturday.
New England has until Nov. 9 to activate him or place him on injured reserve, ending his season. If he misses the Nov. 7 home game against Indianapolis, he still could be activated for the Nov. 13 game at Miami.
Bruschi has said he continues to judge his progress one day at a time.
“You can’t come to any judgments after one day of hitting,” he said.
Raider has emergency surgery
Raiders starting left guard Langston Walker, 26, had emergency surgery to repair a hemorrhage in his stomach.
Walker complained of pain in his abdominal area Tuesday, then the team’s training staff quickly got him to a doctor. The 6-foot-8-inch, 345-pound lineman had an arthroscopic procedure later in the day and is expected to be sidelined a minimum of six weeks.
“From what I understand, it could be considerably longer,” coach Norv Turner said. “It’s a serious deal.”
Concerns about Cowboys RB
When Julius Jones doesn’t play, the Cowboys notice: Dallas is 3-7 with him out of the lineup the past two seasons.
If the running back misses his third straight start Sunday, it will mark his 11th inactive game in a two-year career that has already weathered a bruised rib, bum shoulder and now a sprained ankle.
Asked if Jones was tough enough, coach Bill Parcells responded bluntly: “Yes.”
But Parcells hinted he may be worried about Jones.
“He trains hard. I think he’s a good running back,” Parcells said. “But part of it is durability. Besides vision and instincts, that’s the second critical factor. I’m not saying he’s not durable.
“But I am concerned because next Sunday, if he misses that game, it’ll be 11 1/2 games he’s missed out of 24. You got to be a little concerned.”
Extra points
Ken Dorsey is expected to start for the 49ers in place of rookie QB Alex Smith, who has two strained ligaments in his right knee. . . . Lions cornerback Dre’ Bly is expected to be out three to four weeks after having surgery on his dislocated right wrist. . . . Rams defensive end Leonard Little, whose younger brother was shot to death last week, may miss a second straight game while in mourning. . . . Linebacker Ray Lewis (thigh) and safety Ed Reed (ankle) have been ruled out for Monday night’s game. . . . The Chargers and fullback Lorenzo Neal, 34, reached agreement on a two-year, $2 million contract extension. . . . Arizona QB Josh McCown will start Sunday at Dallas.
