NFL | Michael Vick plans guilty plea for Virginia state charges

SURRY, Va. — Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick plans to plead guilty to state dogfighting charges, a step that could allow him to qualify for an early release from federal prison and into a halfway house, court papers show.

In a motion filed Oct. 15 in Surry County Circuit Court, Vick's attorneys asked to have him enter his plea by video teleconference. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Oct. 30, Surry County Circuit Court administrator Sally Neblett said Tuesday.

The court papers note that allowing Vick to appear on two-way video would save the government the considerable expense of transporting him from prison in Leavenworth, Kan., to Surry County. His guilty plea would also allow him to pursue a halfway-house program.

Under federal rules, Vick is ineligible to be released to a Residential Re-entry Center in the federal system until any pending charges against him are resolved.

Browns suspend

TE Winslow

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns unveiled their own defensive scheme to shut down Kellen Winslow.

The team suspended their talented, emotional tight end for one game without pay for critical comments Winslow made after Sunday's loss at Washington.

Winslow, who spent three days at the Cleveland Clinic earlier this month with an undisclosed illness, revealed he had a staph infection before lashing out at Browns general manager Phil Savage as the Pro Bowler's teammates dressed after their 14-11 loss to the Redskins.

Winslow complained that the team, which has had at least six cases of staph in the past three years, asked him to conceal his illness. He also vented at Savage for not checking on him while he was in the hospital, said he felt the Browns were treating him like a "piece of meat," and said he considered requesting a trade.

Savage shot back with a 352-word statement on Tuesday, suspending Winslow and calling his comments and behavior "unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily disparaging to our organization."

Season likely over Harrison

Rodney Harrison, the hard-hitting but injury-plagued safety of the New England Patriots, appears to be done for the season — and perhaps his career — after re-injuring his right thigh muscle.

"He's had a slight tear all season," Bill McLaughlin, a marketing representative for Harrison, said Tuesday. "He was getting treatment on it."

The 15-year veteran apparently tore the quadriceps muscle while chasing scrambling quarterback Jay Cutler on the last play of the third quarter of the Patriots' 41-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Monday night.

Romo will miss Sunday's game

Tony Romo will miss his second straight game because of his fractured right pinkie, and he did not sound confident he would be able to return before the Cowboys' Nov. 9 bye week.

Brad Johnson will start Sunday against Tampa Bay, one of his former teams.

"Brad is going to go this week unless something happens that I don't foresee," Romo said. "It will be very difficult to change. Right now we've got to get two wins going into the bye and go from there."

Notes

• Coach Herm Edwards hinted that Kansas City running back Larry Johnson, under NFL investigation for allegedly assaulting a woman, could be benched for a second straight game regardless of what the league decides.

"Decisions of all that will take place when it has to be made," Edwards said. "I don't have to make a decision on who's starting, not starting. That's kind of where that's at. Whatever I do ... I'm going to do the right thing for the football team. That's where it stands with me."

The Chiefs released kicker Nick Novak and signed Connor Barth.

• Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu has not been ruled out of Sunday's key game against the New York Giants despite suffering the seventh concussion of his career.