Notes

GIANTS

Andrews in hospital

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The New York Giants appear to have lost their second left tackle in Shawn Andrews (Camden Fairview, Arkansas Razorbacks).

Andrews, the 335-pound starter the past three weeks as David Diehlrecovers from hip and hamstring injuries, spent a second day in the hospital Friday for treatment of a chronic back condition. He is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.

With the offensive line depleted by injuries - both starting and backup centers Shaun O’Hara and Adam Koets are out as well - the Giants are left with second-year player Will Beatty for left tackle.

Beatty, though, only got back to playing in spot duty two weeks ago as an extra tight end after missing seven games with a broken right foot. The Giants (6-4) now face a situation where the left side of the line, which also includes fill-in guard Kevin Boothe, may not get the necessary push to create a balanced ground game.

“Certainly, if you had your druthers, that wouldn’t be No. 1 on the hit parade,” offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride said. “Shawn Andrews performed tremendously well for us and was a big part of why we haven’t been sacked the last three weeks.”

The switch from the physical Andrews to a more finesse player in Beatty could put a further crimp in a running game that stumbled to just 61 yards at Philadelphia. But it should not hurt the pass protection, as theJaguars (6-4) haven’t put up much of a rush this year.

“It’s not the way you’d like it, but it’s the way it is,” Gilbride said. “But we think we have enough ability and [Beatty] has enough ability that he can go out and compete and give the rest of the guys a chance to win the game.”

Coach Tom Coughlin indicated any rust on the 6-6, 307-pound Beatty the past two weeks involved his timing more than anything. But the coach indicated that gap has narrowed.

“I think I’m getting back to being the athletic Will, the athleticism they want to see,” said Beatty, who broke his foot in the opener. “Every day, I’m getting faster in my abilities.” SEAHAWKS

Trufant cleared to play

RENTON, Wash. - Marcus Trufant has cleared concussion tests and is set to play for the Seattle Seahawks against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Receiver Mike Williams is listed as questionable.

Trufant took a knee to the head from New Orleans Saints running back Chris Ivory that knocked him out of the game a week ago. He passed an array of tests during the week to clear him to return to practice Friday.

“He did everything just right as far as passing the tests, made it through fine today. So he’ll be playing Sunday,” Coach Pete Carroll said of Trufant. “It’s great to have [him] out there for us, you know with all his experience and all that.”

Matt Hasselbeck practiced all week despite two cracked bones in his left wrist and will get the start at quarterback for the Seahawks.

VIKINGS

Offense could change

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - Darrell Bevell won’t reveal the changes he’ll make in the post-Brad Childress era.This much is certain: the Minnesota Vikings’ offense finally is Bevell’s.

The Vikings fired Childress on Monday and replaced him on an interim basis with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, who will play a far smaller role than his predecessor on Bevell’s side of the ball.

“Every play went through Coach Childress and everything was finalized through him,” Bevell, the Vikings’ offensive coordinator, said Friday. “So, this week, it was a little bit different. I still kept Coach Frazier informed, told him what we were doing, how we felt like we should attack them. But it wasn’t like, ‘I don’t like that, throw that out’ or ‘I like this, put that in.’ There wasn’t any of that.”

Childress called the Vikings’ offensive plays in 2006 before turning over those duties the following season to Bevell, a former college quarterback who broke into the NFL as an offensive assistant with Green Bay in 2000.

However, Childress, who favored a run-first version of the West Coast offense, only partly relinquished control, at times relaying the precise play he wanted to call.

“As long as it’s sound and I can present it to Coach Frazier and he likes the logic behind it, then I don’t believe he’s going to veto anything at this point,” the 39-year-old Bevell said. “I think he has confidence in what our offensive staff is able to put together.” EAGLES

Samuel may miss game

PHILADELPHIA - Coach Andy Reid wouldn’t say it, couldn’t say it really.

With Philadelphia confronting two games in the span of five days, one against a top 10 offense with one of the best wide receivers in the game in Andre Johnson, and another against

an offense ranked 30th in the league,

it might make sense to rest corner

back Asante Samuel and his aching

knee Sunday when the Eagles (7-3)

visit the Chicago Bears (7-3).

And while that’s still what the Eagles

coach may do, he isn’t about to tell

anyone. For now, Samuel’s listed as

questionable ... and that’s it.

“He’s doing better,” Reid said. “He’s

feeling a little bit better. He’s still not

100 percent, so that’s why we listed

him where we listed him. But we’ll

just see how he does here.”

Samuel, the Eagles All-Pro corner

back, missed his third of practice

Friday. Nickel back Joselio Hanson

would start in his place, and rookie

Trevard Lindley would assume Han

son’s role as the No. 3.

BROWNS

Punter signs 2-year deal

BEREA, Ohio - The Cleveland

Browns have signed punter Reg

gie Hodges to a two-year contract

extension, locking up the potential

restricted free agent.

Hodges said Friday that the sides

recently finalized the deal. Hodges

played in eight games last season for

Cleveland after Dave Zastudil was in

jured, and averaged 39.8 yards on 45

punts. He assumed the starter’s job

in training camp this year when Za

studil couldn’t kick after undergoing

offseason knee surgery. The Browns

recently waived Zastudil.

Hodges is averaging 44 yards on

51 punts and leads the NFL with 11

punts inside the opponent’s 10-yard

line.