McCaffrey, Brown Questionable

The Denver Broncos may have to play Oakland on Sunday without two injured starters, wide receiver Ed McCaffrey and strong safety Eric Brown. Neither practiced Friday and they are listed as questionable.

McCaffrey has a pulled hamstring, Brown a groin injury. If they can’t play, veterans Willie Green and Tyrone Braxton will start.

Quarterback John Elway, who has sore ribs, and fullback Howard Griffith, who has been out because of a knee injury, practiced without complications and are expected to start.

“I don’t know if John is 100%, but he really practiced well,” Coach Mike Shanahan said. “I don’t know if he had any more pain today. Hopefully, he keeps on progressing like he has, and he’ll be ready for game time. Right now, I anticipate him playing unless there’s a setback.”

*

Green Bay General Manager Ron Wolf said there’s only a one-in-five chance Coach Mike Holmgren will still be with the Packers after this season. Holmgren still has not said anything publicly about his future, but Wolf told WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee that the chances of Holmgren returning for the final year of his contract were not good.

“I think the pressure may be such that he may be forced to go out and explore one of these other jobs,” Wolf said in the interview scheduled for showing Sunday. “But it’s our job with the Green Bay Packers to do everything in our power to try to retain him and we will do that.”

*

Fullback Craig Heyward of the Indianapolis Colts remained in fair condition as he recuperated from surgery to remove a benign tumor on his brain. Heyward could be released from the hospital in a few days, according to a hospital spokeswoman.

*

The expansion Cleveland Browns will be allowed to interview coordinators and assistant coaches for their head coaching vacancy as soon as the regular season ends, the league said. Ordinarily, teams are prohibited from seeking interviews with coordinators and assistant coaches until that coach’s season, including the playoffs, is completed.

The league made a one-time exception for the Browns, so the team could get a jump on evaluating potential coaches.

*

The New Orleans Saints have had to reset their sights. After announcing that their having sacked quarterbacks in 59 consecutive games put them within two games of the NFL record, they discovered that the record is 68 games by Dallas from 1976-80. The Saints had targeting a 60-game streak by Washington in the mid-1980s, which is only third on the list. Dallas also is second, with 61 games from 1968-72.