FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork was fined $12,500 Thursday by the NFL for his low, late hit on Bills quarterback J.P. Losman.
Losman sprained his left knee during the play Sunday and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Wilfork was penalized on the play in the Patriots' 38-7 win.
"A lot of people say that was a cheap shot," Wilfork said Thursday before he was alerted about the fine. "I'm far from a dirty player. If you know me as a person, you'd understand that. If you don't know me, don't judge me. If you don't know me, get to know me."
Losman was hurt on Buffalo's first play from scrimmage when Wilfork dived at his knee just as Losman completed a 4-yard pass to running back Marshawn Lynch. Losman tried to play through the injury but left the game after losing a fumble two plays later.
Rookie quarterback Trent Edwards replaced Losman and immediately engineered a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive, though he completed 10 of 20 passes for 97 yards in the game.
Wilfork said he was blocked into Losman.
"I've got one guy tripping me up, and I've got one guy hitting my left leg," Wilfork said. "Of course, that's the only reason I was falling. I'm mad because he's hurt. That's what I regret — him being a quarterback and getting hurt. It wasn't intentional."
WINSLOW HELD OUT: Kellen Winslow missed his second straight practice Thursday with a partially dislocated left shoulder, and coach Romeo Crennel indicated team doctors will decide if the tight end plays against Baltimore. Winslow got hurt while making a catch in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss at Oakland. He landed hard on his shoulder, suffering a subluxation — or separation. The Browns will be cautious with the fourth-year star, who tied a franchise record with 89 receptions last season. Crennel said it was too early to say if the 24-year-old would be ready for Sunday's game with the Ravens.
BETTER THAN BUSH?: Titans quarterback Vince Young thanked Reggie Bush for helping him get tickets to Monday night's game in New Orleans. That doesn't mean Young has forgotten losing the Heisman Trophy to the running back. Young tells "60 Minutes" in an interview performed in June but airing Sunday night that he was angry about not taking the Heisman Trophy back with him to Texas in December 2005. He finished second in voting behind the Southern California running back. "And I wanted to show the world that I was the real Heisman Trophy winner. But on paper, Reggie Bush is the Heisman Trophy winner. (I am) not taking nothing from him; he knows he's a phenomenal athlete," Young said in the interview.
JOHNSON OUT: Running back Rudi Johnson is expected to miss the Cincinnati Bengals' game Monday against the undefeated New England Patriots because of a strained hamstring. The Bengals' injury report listed Johnson as "out" for the game. Johnson didn't practice on Thursday and wasn't available for interviews.
McGEE READY TO RETURN: Bills cornerback Terrence McGee worked out fully for a second straight practice Thursday and is expected to play Sunday, when Buffalo hosts the New York Jets. McGee missed last week's 38-7 loss at New England because of sore ribs, and his return is the first positive news for a banged-up defense that's lost numerous players to injury, including three starters on season-ending injured reserve. With McGee out and fellow starting cornerback Jason Webster (broken forearm) on IR, Buffalo was forced to start backups Ashton Youboty and Jabari Greer against the Patriots last weekend.
ELLIS IS '50-50': Dallas Cowboys linebacker Greg Ellis didn't sound very optimistic about his chances of finally playing. That was before he practiced for the second straight day Thursday. "I think you need to talk to him again," coach Wade Phillips said after the two-hour session. "He practiced and he seemed to be confident after practice. He practiced more." Phillips said it was "probably 50-50" that Ellis would play Sunday for the Cowboys (3-0) against the St. Louis Rams (0-3). Ellis hasn't played since he ruptured his left Achilles' tendon in a game last November.