Bettis Ruled Doubtful to Play at Baltimore

Pittsburgh Steeler running back Jerome Bettis was downgraded from questionable to doubtful Thursday because of a sore groin. There is almost no chance he will play Sunday in Baltimore.

Bettis ran for the second day in a row, but did not practice, and thus couldn’t convince Coach Bill Cowher he is ready to play. If Bettis sits, it will be the first time in his nine-year NFL career he has missed consecutive games because of injury.

“Certainly, if this was a playoff game and there was no tomorrow, we would have to re-evaluate that decision,” Cowher said. “But that’s not the case and I believe the risk far outweighs the reward.”

Bettis seemed disappointed with the decision, but wouldn’t debate it.

“He told me at practice, and you can’t argue with the head coach,” Bettis said.

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The Chicago Bears signed defensive end Bryan Robinson to a five-year deal.

“He’s been a very steady performer for us,” Bear General Manager Jerry Angelo said.

Robinson would have been an unrestricted free agent after this season.

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The Minnesota Vikings, who have been criticized for failing to control wide receiver Randy Moss, fined him $15,000 for verbally abusing a group of corporate sponsors on a team bus.

Moss was fined Nov. 12, the day after a 48-17 loss at Philadelphia, but the Vikings didn’t announce the fine then, and Coach Dennis Green declined to confirm it Thursday.

But a source confirmed Moss was fined for an exchange with sponsors who shared the team’s bus after the loss to the Eagles.

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Gus Frerotte will be the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos on Sunday while Brian Griese recovers from a concussion.

Frerotte, who relieved Griese and led the Broncos to two third-quarter scores in last week’s 20-7 victory against Seattle, will be making his first start since the AFC wild-card playoff game last Dec. 31.

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Minnesota quarterback Daunte Culpepper’s sprained left knee still was giving him problems and it wasn’t clear whether he’ll start against Detroit.

Green, the Vikings’ coach, said Culpepper’s knee was sore during Wednesday’s practice, in which backup Todd Bouman took most of the snaps.

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The New Orleans Saints have given up on wide receiver Albert Connell.

“He will not be on the field again this year,” Saint Coach Jim Haslett said.

Connell was inactive for the Saints’ game last week in Atlanta and cleaned out his locker Monday.

Neither General Manager Randy Mueller nor Haslett would say what they will do with Connell, but Mueller said the team can’t afford to cut him.

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Former Cleveland Brown running back Mike Sellers and injured cornerback Lamar Chapman were indicted on felony drug charges.

The grand jury indictment, signed by Cuyahoga County Prosecutor William Mason, charges Chapman and Sellers with possession of cocaine and “criminal tools”--money and cellular phones.

If convicted of all charges, the two could face a maximum of three years in jail. They will be arraigned Dec. 27.