Associated Press
The NFL notebook …
BEREA, Ohio ó Browns coach Pat Shurmur strongly defended his team’s handling of Colt McCoy after the quarterback sustained a concussion during Thursday night’s loss to Pittsburgh.
Scrambling from pressure, McCoy was laid out by a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit from Steelers linebacker James Harrison late in the fourth quarter. McCoy left the game for just two plays but returned after being examined and cleared by the Browns’ medical staff, which Shurmur said followed the NFL’s exacting guidelines on concussions.
McCoy didn’t begin showing symptoms of a concussion until after the game, Shurmur said.
“If he had shown symptoms of the concussion I wouldn’t have put him back in the game,” Shurmur said. “That was a tough, physical game. Everybody got knocked around. If he had the symptoms he wouldn’t have gone back in ó absolutely not.”
After McCoy was blasted by Harrison, who was fined $50,000 last season for a devastating hit on Browns wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, the QB told trainers he injured his left hand. McCoy was briefly checked on the field before he was taken to Cleveland’s bench, where Shurmur said medical personnel performed mandatory “return-to-play” tests adopted by the league in 2009.
VIKINGS
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. ó The Minnesota Vikings are bracing for the possibility that they will be missing both quarterback Christian Ponder and running back Adrian Peterson against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
Both are listed as questionable for the game, with Ponder bothered by a hip pointer and Peterson still recuperating from a high ankle sprain. Ponder missed the first two practices of the week before returning to work on Friday and Peterson practiced on a limited basis with that injured left ankle.
FINED
OAKLAND, Calif. ó Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour has been fined $30,000 by the NFL for throwing a punch during a 34-14 road loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.