Bart's goof costs him
Bart Scott's ill-advised penalty cost the New York Jets a shutout, and himself a pretty penny.
The loquacious linebacker was called for a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty Sunday when he knocked the helmet off Tampa Bay's Adam Hayward in the third quarter of New York's 26-3 win. The penalty came on a third-down play and extended the drive, which the Buccaneers capped with a field goal.
Scott wasn't fined by the team, but Rex Ryan said he would have to buy game balls for the entire defense - something the coach normally does if there's a shutout. Official NFL game balls sell for about $90 each, but Scott spent about $1,500 for more than 20 of them. He could also face a fine from the league.
"That was a great idea he had," Ryan quipped. "That was outstanding."
Cornerback Darrelle Revis was seen yelling at Scott briefly on the sideline after the Buccaneers scored.
"I kind of got on him and told him that was a selfish play," Revis said. "We didn't need any negativity. ... The dude pushed him first. We're in the heat of battle and he's just trying to defend himself, which you're supposed to do, but at another point, you've just got to be smart and be wise about those sort of situations."
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LONDON HERE WE COME? Could the San Francisco 49ers be headed for a game in London next season? Team president Jed York isn't sure, but he wouldn't be surprised if his franchise is considered for the trip.
Why? Because the Niners play in run-down Candlestick Park. York expects a decision to come from a meeting during the Super Bowl.
"I would certainly think we're a candidate just with being in an older stadium," he said. "We haven't been approached and it's not something we're seeking out."
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HALEY'S EARMUFFS: Some coaches say they don't pay attention to what the media say about their team.
Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley is one of the coaches who actually doesn't.
At Monday's news conference, Haley was asked if he was bothered that a local columnist suggested someone higher up in the organization told him to thank the fans after Sunday's 16-10 loss to Buffalo. The Chiefs narrowly avoided their first TV blackout since 1990 by getting a sellout against the Bills, but could not sell out this weekend against the 2-11 Cleveland Browns.
Haley had no idea about the column and started to get angry at the reporter who asked the question before being told where the line of questioning had come from.
"I don't read, look at anything," Haley said. "I've given explicit instructions to my experts surrounding me that if it's something I have to know about, then you can tell me. That includes wife, friends, and any other family: Don't tell me about it."
Haley did hear one thing about his team over the weekend.
"I saw one thing on TV yesterday and it was by accident - and that was enough for the week," he said. "I'm trying to find the Chargers-Cowboys game and put on an unnamed channel and listen to an unnamed sportscaster pretty much bash the Chiefs as much as he possibly could, which is fine. So that's enough for me, one dose a week."
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FINALLY SIMPSON TIME? One of the bigger disappointments of the 2008 draft might be close to getting onto the field.
The Bengals considered activating receiver Jerome Simpson for their game on Sunday at San Diego. The second-round pick from Coastal Carolina has been inactive for every game so far this season, unable to get the hang of the offense.
"I'm just frustrated," Simpson said. "I think it's done me good because it's humbled me down."
Cincinnati took Simpson with the 46th overall pick last year, knowing it would be a big jump from his small school to the NFL. He got in six games as a rookie and made one catch for 2 yards. An ankle injury was part of the problem last year.
They figured he would be contributing a lot more in his second season, but it hasn't worked out that way. His trouble learning the offense has held him back.
"Man, I've made a lot of changes since I first got here," Simpson said. "I've progressed a lot. I know what to do now. It's become second-nature."
Coach Marvin Lewis said there's a chance he could be active against the Chargers. The Bengals' passing game could use a boost - it has topped 200 yards only once in the last five games. Cincinnati has struggled to throw deep since the late Chris Henry broke his left arm on Nov. 8.
"He's been making progress," quarterback Carson Palmer said of Simpson. "He's come a long way since he's been drafted. He came in and really didn't know a ton about football. He could just play. I think he's learned a lot these last two years."
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KEEPING GOOD COMPANY: Chris Johnson's name now is being mentioned along with the likes of Hall of Famers Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen and Walter Payton.
The Titans running back has rushed for a league-high 1,626 yards, on pace to hit 2,000 almost squarely on the head. If he gains 100 yards on the ground Sunday against Miami, it will be nine such games in a row for the second-year speedster. He would tie with Payton, LaDainian Tomlinson, Larry Johnson, Deuce McAllister and Fred Taylor with nine 100-plus games in succession, trailing only Allen, who had 11 in 1985-86 for the Raiders, and Sanders, who had 14 in 1997, when he was the league's co-MVP with Brett Favre.
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AP Football Writer Barry Wilner and Sports Writers Joe Kay in Cincinnati, John Marshall in Kansas City, Janie McCauley in San Francisco and Dennis Waszak Jr. in New York contributed to this story.
