NFL roundup: Packers' Matthews out a month

Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews is expected to be out of action for about a month because of a broken thumb, ESPN reported Monday.

Matthews suffered the injury in Sunday's victory over the Detroit Lions. He was scheduled to undergo more testing on Monday to get a clearer picture of the damage and whether he can return this season.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy did not provide specific information about Matthews' injury.

"I'm hopeful it's not season-ending," McCarthy said Monday, according to ESPN.com. "I think we're all hopeful, but you have to get all the opinions and make sure you always do right by the player."

Matthews has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past four seasons. He had three sacks in four games this year after getting 16.0 sacks in 12 regular-season games and two playoff games in 2012.

---Demoted from projected starter to third team in the span of seven weeks, Matt Flynn fell another peg, when he was released by the Oakland Raiders.

Oakland was Flynn's third stop in three seasons. He made one start and earned a total of $14.565 million since leaving Green Bay as an unrestricted free agent March 19, 2012.

But Flynn was dealt to Oakland for a fifth-round pick in 2014 on April 1, 2013.

---Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a hamstring injury, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

Vick also could miss the following Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, according to a report by ProFootballTalk.com.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said after Sunday's win over the New York Giants that Vick would start if healthy.

Nick Foles replaced Vick and threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in the 36-21 victory.

---Christian Ponder or Matt Cassel will start for the Minnesota Vikings this week against the Carolina Panthers, coach Leslie Frazier said at a press conference.

Josh Freeman, signed to a one-year, $3 million deal for the final 12 games of the 2013 season, will join the team late Monday and begin assimilating the offensive system. Freeman started 59 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

---Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert is expected to miss multiple games with a serious hamstring injury.

NFL Network reported that Gabbert heard his hamstring make an audible pop and could miss an "extended period" with his latest injury.

Chad Henne, who replaced Gabbert in Sunday's loss at St. Louis, would start Week 6 against the Denver Broncos.

---The Denver Broncos were favored to beat the Jaguars by 28 points when opening lines were posted by the Las Vegas Hotel Sunday.

According to The Gold Sheet, that ties the record for the largest margin in a line set by the Baltimore Colts over the Atlanta Falcons in 1966.

---Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone told a Buffalo radio station that he will turn to Thad Lewis to start at quarterback.

Since rookie EJ Manuel is expected to miss at least a month with a right knee injury, Marrone will give Lewis a shot Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel is the only other quarterback on the roster but Marrone decided to go with Lewis, who will be promoted from the practice squad.

---The Bills placed rookie kicker Dustin Hopkins on injured reserve with a groin injury.

Dan Carpenter will continue kicking duties for Buffalo. Carpenter is 11 of 12 on field-goal attempts through the first games.

---Chicago Bears defensive tackle Nate Collins is out for the year with a torn ACL, coach Marc Trestman said.

Collins was injured during Sunday's 26-18 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Collins was replacing Henry Melton, who tore an ACL against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 and is also out for the season.

---Carolina Panthers starting left guard Amini Silatolu is out for the rest of the season after tearing his right ACL during Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Travelle Wharton replaced Silatolu during the game. Panthers coach Ron Rivera said that either Wharton or right guard Chris Scott will move into Silatolu's spot.

---The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Detroit Free Press reported that the Detroit Lions are looking into allegations that longtime center Dominic Raiola verbally assaulted members of the University of Wisconsin marching band before Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

NFL blogger Tom Melton wrote Sunday that Raiola made inappropriate comments toward band members during pregame warmups that included expletives, remarks about their physically appearance and homophobic slurs. One band member told Melton no one in the band did anything to provoke Raiola.

---The NFL will stop using pink penalty flags after Monday night's game between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons.

The pink flags were part of the league's breast cancer awareness campaign. But with players wearing pink accessories, including gloves and towels, the flags caused confusion among broadcasters, fans, players and coaches during Sunday's games.