We check out some of the latest news and headlines from around the National Football League...
LIONS FIRE MILLEN (Detroit Free Press)
Matt Millen's highly criticized and unproductive tenure with the Lions has ended. Lions owner and chairman William Clay Ford announced around 3:30 p.m. that Millen has been relieved of his duties as president and CEO, positions he held since January 2001. The Lions' 0-3 start this season stirred the groundswell for Millen's apparent demise. The Lions have won only one playoff game during Ford's tenure and are an NFL-worst 31-84 since Millen took over in 2001. Millen has gone through three head coaches, none of whom have been able to turn the Lions into a winner...MORE
GIANTS SUSPREND PLAXICO BURRESS (New York Daily News)
The Giants suspended wide receiver Plaxico Burress was suspended by the Giants for one game (and two weeks) Wednesday morning for what Giants GM Jerry Reese said was "a violation of team rules." According to a source, Burress did not show up for work with the rest of the team on Monday, then did not return repeated calls from members of the organization. The suspension will cost the 31-year-old Burress at least $235,294.12 - two-seventeenths of his $2 million salary - and probably more since the complicated, five-year, $35 million contract he signed on Sept. 4 includes a weekly roster bonus that will likely be docked during his two-week absence...MORE
WESTBROOK OPTIMISTIC HE'LL PLAY SUNDAY (Camden Courier-Post)
Brian Westbrook's ankle strain has improved and the Eagles' All-Pro running back is "optimistic" he'll play Sunday night against the Bears at Soldier Field. Westbrook, who left Sunday's game against Pittsburgh in the second quarter, won't practice today, but he said he's walking better...MORE
READY OR NOT MENDENHALL GETS THE CALL (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
This is why the Steelers drafted Rashard Mendenhall in April. They drafted a running back in the first round for the first time in 19 years not so much because they needed a younger back, or because they wanted someone to split time with Willie Parker, or because they did not think Parker would be the same after his fibula was broken in the 15th game last season. They drafted Mendenhall in case, as coach Mike Tomlin might put it, the wheels came off Parker, and Sunday one of them did...MORE
ANDERSON KEEPS JOB, FOR NOW (Cleveland Plain-Dealer)
Derek Anderson will start at quarterback against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and Brady Quinn will be ready, Browns coach Romeo Crennel announced today. Crennel said he'd declined to get into specifics of how and why the decision was made. nderson is 3-5 over his last eight starts, but Crennel said Monday that his performance had a lot to do with the inconsistencies and injuries on the offense as a whole...MORE
BULGER OUT, GREEN IN (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
Marc Bulger was benched in favor of Trent Green at quarterback for Sunday's game against Buffalo, and most likely beyond. The Rams rank 31st in the NFL in total offense (yards per game), and only Cleveland (26 points) has scored fewer points than the Rams' 29. Bulger ranks 22nd in the NFL in passer rating, but his 73.2 rating is still better than fellow Pro Bowlers Peyton Manning of Indianapolis, Carson Palmer of Cincinnati and Matt Hasselbeck of Seattle...MORE
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