National Football League roundup
(The Sports Xchange) - Atlanta Falcons rookie offensive tackle Jake Matthews officially moved from the right side to the left on Monday. The switch was expected after veteran Sam Baker went down with a season-ending knee injury in Saturday's preseason game against the Houston Texans. He was placed on injured reserve Monday. Matthews, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft, played left tackle for one year at Texas A&M after being on the right side. He said it's an adjustment to switch positions. Lamar Holmes took over for Matthews at right tackle during Monday's practice in Flowery Branch, Ga. - - - Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer confirmed, as expected, that quarterback Matt Cassel will make his third straight preseason start Saturday at Kansas City. Although Zimmer has yet to name the starter for the Sept. 7 regular-season opener, Cassel will be under center barring injury when the Vikings travel to St. Louis. Cassel, who is competing with rookie Teddy Bridgewater, hit 12 of 16 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown and added 30 rushing yards in last Saturday's 30-28 win over the Arizona Cardinals. - - - Cleveland Browns cornerback Buster Skrine underwent thumb surgery and is week to week, the team confirmed. Coach Mike Pettine expects Skrine to be ready for the season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. - - - The return of Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles from a fluke injury is not yet known after a bruised foot kept him out of Sunday's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Charles was injured Thursday when he took a misstep over a curb while moving out of the dorms at Western Missouri at the end of the Chiefs' training camp. Kansas City coach Andy Reid said Monday that X-rays and an MRI show no major injury. - - - The Carolina Panthers' most-important moments Sunday night had nothing to do with a completion, an interception, or even a touchdown. Instead, they were three plays that went for minus-19 yards. Playing in his first game on a surgically repaired ankle, quarterback Cam Newton scrambled three times. The results were an incompletion and two sacks. It's not a good look in the box score, but those plays were ultimately successful. Newton's ankle passed its first real test. - - - New York Jets rookie wide receiver Jalen Saunders returned to the team's practice facility, three days after he had a "medical event" while driving his car. The fourth-round pick was discharged from the hospital Sunday morning. He began practice in the rehab area with Jets trainers, according to Newsday. - - - New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham said he understands - get the points, not the penalties. Graham said he will no longer dunk to celebrate touchdown receptions, which became part of the former college basketball player's routine during his rookie season, and for most of his 41 scores. But with the offseason rule change that penalizes players for "dunking" the ball over the goalpost, Graham drew two penalties and the ire of head coach Sean Payton during Friday's preseason game. - - - Former New York Giants running back David Wilson wants to get his athletics career back on track by pursuing the Olympics. Wilson, whose NFL career ended two weeks ago when doctors recommended he give up football because of a serious neck injury, is taking aim at the 2016 Games in Rio as a triple jumper, according to USA Today. - - - St. Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Coach Jeff Fisher said Pead will need season-ending surgery. He was assisted off the field and carted to the locker room after he fell untouched on a kickoff return during Saturday's exhibition game against the Green Bay Packers. - - - The Pittsburgh Steelers signed offensive lineman Graham Pocic and cornerback Dayonne Nunley. Pocic was released by the Chicago Bears on Aug. 10. - - - The Miami Dolphins signed defensive end Rakim Cox and waived running back Cameron Marshall. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Cox joins the Dolphins from the Minnesota Vikings where he spent a portion of the 2014 offseason prior to being released on Aug. 4. - - - Rookie free agent tight end Justin Jones re-signed with the New England Patriots. Jones was released by the Patriots on Aug. 10, 2014. The Patriots also released rookie free agent long-snapper Tyler Ott. - - - A fan who suffered cardiac arrest at the inaugural football game in Levi's Stadium in San Clara, Calif., died. The unidentified man was surrounded by other fans when he collapsed during the third quarter of Sunday's preseason matchup between the San Franciso 49ers and the Denver Broncos. Paramedics rushed to the scene and administered CPR, but the man was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, according to the Santa Clara Fire Department. (Editing by Gene Cherry)
