Troy Polamalu

The Pittsburgh Steelers removed All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu from the game in the fourth quarter of a 17-13 victory over Jacksonville on Sunday after Polamalu sustained "concussion-like symptoms. " Polamalu did not play in Pittsburgh's final two series. He stood on the sideline with his helmet on and watched as the Steelers held on to win their second straight. Polamalu made a key stop on Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew midway through the quarter, forcing Jacksonville to punt.

James Farrior stood in front of the whiteboard at the entrance of the Steelers' locker room and grabbed a marker. Just in case some of his younger teammates don't understand what's at stake over the next month, the linebacker - who turns 37 today - decided it was time for his colorful annual reminder. "Don't [expletive] mess with my money," Farrior wrote, then outlined the bonus each player receives depending on how far his team goes in the playoffs, including the $88,000 that comes with getting to the Super Bowl.

The 49ers won't know until tomorrow whether they will be facing league MVP Shaun Alexander and Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck when they host Seattle. Coach Mike Holmgren said yesterday he believes Alexander (foot) and Hasselbeck (knee) are "capable of playing" against the 49ers, "but we're going to have to see how it all sorts itself out. " Lewis out, Polamalu in The Ravens officially ruled out Ray Lewis for tomorrow's game against the Falcons after the linebacker had a minor procedure to have a pocket of blood drained from his back . . . Steelers...

Ben Roethlisberger joked that the broken thumb on his throwing hand was "still attached" after Sunday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Pittsburgh Steelers are still tied for lead in the AFC North because of it. Roethlisberger threw a short touchdown pass to Weslye Saunders in the first half, and the Steelers took advantage of four turnovers by Chiefs quarterback Tyler Palko in a 13-9 victory that allowed them to keep pace with Baltimore atop their loaded division.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - When the last player drafted in 2009 trotted onto the field, the best team of 2008 was doomed. A few minutes after Ben Roethlisberger wobbled off the field yesterday with a possible concussion, Ryan Succop kicked a 22-yard field goal with 8:28 left in overtime and the Kansas City Chiefs snapped a team-record 10-game home losing streak with a 27-24 victory over the stunned Pittsburgh Steelers. Chris Chambers’s 61-yard catch-and-run set up Succop, and “Mr.

PITTSBURGH - Jeff Reed kicked a 33-yard field goal with 4:32 gone in overtime and the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers again relied on Ben Roethlisberger’s ability to lead clutch scoring drives to beat the Tennessee Titans, 13-10, in the NFL season opener last night. The Steelers, their running game stuffed by Tennessee’s defense, didn’t get going until Roethlisberger began repeatedly finding Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward open downfield. Roethlisberger went 33 of 43 for 363 yards, with Holmes making nine catches for 131 yards and Ward, despite a potentially costly...

PITTSBURGH — Mark Sanchez promised his Jets teammates he wasn’t losing this one. Not to a team the Jets had never beaten on the road. Not even after successive demoralizing losses led to speculation they were collapsing. Sanchez didn’t lose it. But before he could celebrate, he waited out two agonizing minutes as one of the NFL’s best last-gasp quarterbacks nearly stole a victory the Jets desperately needed. Sanchez stood up to the pressure created by the Steelers’ defense and his team’s two-game losing streak, scrambling for the Jets’ first...

DENVER - Rarely has playing it safe paid off so well for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tyrone Carter started in place of safety Ryan Clark as a precaution last night and made the big play that sparked the Steelers to their fifth straight win, taking the first of his two interceptions 48 yards for a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 28-10 triumph over the Denver Broncos. Clark nearly died following a game in Denver two years ago because of a rare blood disorder that is aggravated by playing in high altitude, so Steelers coach Mike Tomlin decided to hold him out of the game.

Troy Polamalu never planned on leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers. Still, the defending AFC champions didn't want to take any chances, signing the star safety to a contract extension through the 2014 season. Polamalu, the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, actually signed the contract at Pittsburgh International Airport on Saturday just before the team boarded a plane to Baltimore. The 30-year-old took to his Twitter account to announce the deal, tweeting "I am happy to say that I will retire a Pittsburgh Steeler!"

The Patriots' Wes Welker was listed on the injury report with a neck issue after Steelers safety Troy Polamalu violently twisted the slot receiver's head while making a tackle Oct. 30. A big hit by the Giants Nov. 6 resulted in Welker being listed with a rib issue. Last week, Welker was limited in practice with a knee injury, and he's been listed as probable on the injury report for tonight's game against the Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. But true to Welker's style - and coach Bill Belichick's preference - the receiver hasn't said much...

Tyler Palko wasn't even sure how many interceptions he threw Sunday night. At first he guessed it was four, and it might well have felt like it. In reality it was only three. Perhaps he was counting his fumbled snap, too. Whatever the case, the journeyman quarterback was responsible for four turnovers that the Steelers managed to capitalize on just enough to eke out a 13-9 victory, which doomed Kansas City to its fourth consecutive loss and kept Pittsburgh in a tie for the AFC North lead.

The Patriots' Wes Welker was listed on the injury report with a neck issue after Steelers safety Troy Polamalu violently twisted the slot receiver's head while making a tackle Oct. 30. A big hit by the Giants Nov. 6 resulted in Welker being listed with a rib issue. Last week, Welker was limited in practice with a knee injury, and he's been listed as probable on the injury report for tonight's game against the Chiefs at Gillette Stadium. But true to Welker's style - and coach Bill Belichick's preference - the receiver hasn't said...

FOXBOROUGH - The two players who started at safety for the Patriots in Pittsburgh Sunday had different assessments of New England's defensive performance. Patrick Chung offered a positive review, but James Ihedigbo was harsher. Players were at Gillette Stadium for workouts, treatment, and film review of the 25-17 loss to the Steelers, in which Ben Roethlisberger completed 72 percent of his passes for 365 yards and the Steelers converted 10 of 16 third-down opportunities.

Today, 4:15 p.m., Channel 4 (Line: Patriots by 2 ½) When the Patriots run New England has a stable of versatile (and, more important, healthy) tailbacks to run at the Steelers. BenJarvus Green-Ellis will get first crack at denting the Steel Curtain. Green-Ellis is a hard-charging, north-south runner who gives as much punishment as he takes. He won't dazzle you with jukes and jives, but he will bowl you over. Rookie Stevan Ridley has impressed with his tough running and nonstop motor.

The Rooneys aren't the only Irishmen who own the Steelers. Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. apparently has a stake as well, because he has been at his best against one of the other AFC powers. The Patriots quarterback is 6-1 in his career against the Steelers, including two victories in AFC Championship games. In the 2004 loss at Pittsburgh, Brady completed just 58 percent of his passes and threw two interceptions. In the other six games, he hasn't completed less than 66.7 percent, and he has thrown 14 touchdowns against one interception.

After a poor showing in the regular-season opener against their rivals, the Ravens, the Steelers' defense was written off as suddenly too old. But the Steelers have won three straight entering Sunday's game with the Patriots, and have the top-rated passing defense and second-rated defense overall in the NFL. Stories of the defense's demise were premature, apparently. "I have no idea where anyone would get that impression," Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien said yesterday via conference call.

Football Star running back Adrian Peterson agreed yesterday to a contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings that includes $36 million in guaranteed money and as much as $100 million over the next seven years. Peterson, a Pro Bowler in each of his four seasons, has begun the final year of his rookie deal on a $10.72 million salary … The Giants placed middle linebacker Jonathan Goff on injured reserve with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and signed rookie defensive end Justin Trattou from their practice squad … The Raiders will be without tight end...