Wadsworth Gets First Start

Andre Wadsworth says he “may get pancaked one or twice” when the Arizona Cardinals play Seattle on Sunday.

His biggest worry will be Howard “Big House” Ballard, an 11-year veteran offensive tackle who is 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds.

“If he gets his hands on me--big, long, powerful hands--I’m through,” the rookie from Florida State said after learning he’ll start at left defensive end. “I have to make sure he doesn’t get them on me. His arm is about as big as my leg.”

Wadsworth, the Cardinals’ first-round draft choice, ended his 44-day holdout on the eve of Sunday’s 38-10 loss to Dallas. He made only one tackle in his debut.

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PACKING THEM IN: Opening weekend of the season brought the second-highest total attendance in league history, just short of 1 million.

A total of 999,081 fans attended the 15 games, with an average of 66,605. The record is 999,778 on Nov. 16-17 of last season. The biggest paid attendance was at the Sunday night game, Oakland at Kansas City, where 78,673 tickets were sold.

With all games sold out in advance, there were no blackouts for the first time in the 25-year history of the league’s current blackout policy.

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ETC.: The Green Bay Packers lost pass-rushing linebacker Antonio London for the season when he tore a knee ligament during practice. London, 26, who beat out veteran Seth Joyner during training camp, injured his left knee during the two-minute offense drill at the end of workouts. . . . The Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver Willie Jackson, who had 103 catches over the last three seasons with Jacksonville, to a two-year contract. The Jaguars released Jackson on Aug. 30. . . . Baltimore Raven quarterback Jim Harbaugh worked with the first-team offense and declared his right arm physically sound and said he would start Sunday against the New York Jets. But Coach Ted Marchibroda declined to name his starting quarterback, noting that Harbaugh wasn’t terribly sharp. . . . Al Lerner, owner of the new Cleveland Browns, and the city have agreed to split any stadium cost overrun above $283 million to a cap of$293 million, Mayor Michael White said.