Redskins say Robert Griffin III is fine

Washington Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan said Monday that Robert Griffin III’s left knee is fine and that the quarterback should practice as scheduled Wednesday.

Griffin completed 15 of 30 passes for 132 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions before leaving after his knee was squished by 335-pound tackle Terrance Knighton in Washington’s 45-21 loss at Denver on Sunday.

Griffin tore ligaments in his right knee last season and has mostly struggled since he returned. He has nine touchdowns, eight interceptions and a 79.2 rating.

Panthers’ Mike Mitchell says NFL is targeting him

Carolina Panthers free safety Mike Mitchell said he’s being “targeted” by Commissioner Roger Goodell after receiving his fifth fine of the season from the NFL.

Mitchell was fined $7,875 last week by the league for taunting after he shoved St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford out of bounds during a game Oct. 20. Bradford suffered a season-ending knee injury on the play.

Mitchell wasn’t penalized for taunting in the game.

“I’m being targeted because I play football physical, but I’m not out here cheap-shoting guys and doing dirty plays like I’ve seen people from Detroit do,” Mitchell said. “I’m not going to name names. But I’m not out here doing those things so why I’m getting fined I really have no idea.”

Mitchell went on to say that the fine money “goes right in Roger’s pockets — right in his pocket.”

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Goodell does not make the decisions regarding on-field infractions.

League policy states that the officiating department reviews every play of every game and passes along suspect plays to Ray Anderson, executive vice president of football operations, and Merton Hanks, vice president of football operations, who make the decision to discipline a player for an on-field violation.

“As far as our office singling out specific players, [the] enforcement of rules, including discipline, is based on actions,” McCarthy said in an email to the Associated Press. “Repeat offenses result in increased discipline. That has always been part of the system to create the proper deterrent to violations of rules.”

NFL policy also states that money collected from player fines is donated through the NFL Foundation to various programs, including those to assist former players.

Despite the fines, which he estimates to be in the $45,000 range, Mitchell said he has no intention of changing his approach to the game.

“I’m going to keep playing my game,” Mitchell said. “It’s working for our defense and our team. Like I said as long as I’m not getting penalized and it’s not hurting our team I’m fine with it.”

Mitchell, 26, feels like he has been targeted by the league since joining the league in 2009, adding that he has been fined at least once in every season and more than 10 times during his career.

He called the latest fine, “Roger being Roger, I guess.”

Jets’ David Nelson denies claims by Bengals’ Adam Jones

New York Jets receiver David Nelson denies the claim that he is a “dirty” player made by Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones, saying that’s “inaccurate and untrue.”

Nelson and Jones had a tense moments during the Bengals’ 49-9 victory Sunday, including a hit by the Jets receiver late in the third quarter that angered the cornerback. Nelson was penalized for clipping, and Jones had to be restrained as he ran toward Nelson.

Jones told the Bengals’ website that Nelson was “playing dirty” and said there were three “cheap shots” in the game. The New York Daily News reported that Jones told Nelson he would find out where he lives “and come and get you.”

Nelson wouldn’t detail his conversations with Jones, but confirmed that published reports were accurate.