Palmer said that middle linebacker Wali Rainer's season-low total of five tackles against Baltimore could be partly attributed to Holland's absence. Even if he can't play, Holland is counting his blessings. On Sunday, he feared a torn ligament or cartilage that would require surgery. A magnetic resonance imaging exam revealed no serious damage. The salary cap and free agency have stripped teams of depth.
Coaches are wary of having their players practice wearing pads.
Because you're afraid to get your players hurt, you're not able to tackle on Wednesday and Thursday as much as you'd like,'' Palmer said. On Sunday, Couch tried to run over Ravens cornerback Duane Starks, then appeared to head-butt Starks after the play. You look around the league and you see these quarterbacks with concussion problems. I guess I'm a big believer that you only have so many throws, so many runs and so many hits in your body.