Suspension Likely After Lewis’ Plea

Baltimore Raven running back Jamal Lewis pleaded guilty Thursday to using a cellphone to try to set up a drug deal and will be sentenced to four months in prison, to be served after the regular season ends in January.

Lewis still could be suspended this season by the NFL, which said Thursday it would have no immediate decision on any punishment.

Team sources told the Baltimore Sun that Lewis was expected to be suspended for two games by the NFL today. The league’s punishment would sideline Lewis for the Oct. 24 game against Buffalo and the Oct. 31 game at Philadelphia, the team sources, which were not identified, said Thursday night.

“I made a mistake four years ago, when I was 20 years old, that I am paying heavily for,” Lewis said outside an Atlanta courthouse after his plea. “It’s a difficult time for me. My family and friends were hurt more.”

Sentencing was set for Jan. 26. The Super Bowl is Feb. 6.

Lewis, 25, pleaded guilty to a crime he committed more than four years ago. Under the plea agreement, which includes an additional two months in a halfway house and 500 hours of community service, drug conspiracy and attempted cocaine possession charges would be dropped.

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Carolina Panther running back Stephen Davis said he expected to play this weekend against the Denver Broncos.

When first questioned about his availability for Sunday’s game, Davis grinned and said, “I won’t know until Sunday.” But when pushed on the topic and asked what would keep him from playing, Davis replied, “A hurricane. Maybe a tornado or something.”

Even so, it’s ultimately up to Coach John Fox to decide whether to risk playing Davis this week.

Davis has sat out the last two games after knee surgery to repair torn cartilage.

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The Green Bay Packers put backup quarterback Doug Pederson on injured reserve, ending his season.

Pederson broke a rib, cracked a bone in his back and tore a muscle in his side in a 14-7 loss Sunday to the New York Giants. He came into the game after Brett Favre was knocked to the ground and sustained a concussion. Craig Nall will now be the backup to Favre.

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Tennessee quarterback Steve McNair, who sat out last week’s loss to San Diego, returned to practice for the first time since bruising his sternum against Jacksonville and spending two nights in the hospital.

McNair said the rest had him feeling physically as well as he had in a long time.

“I went out there ... did everything I possibly could do in a normal practice situation to see if I had any problem, and I didn’t,” said McNair, whose team plays at Green Bay on Monday.

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Center Trey Teague will sit out Buffalo’s game Sunday at the New York Jets because of a left knee injury.... Randy Moss left Minnesota Viking practice because of a sore right ankle, but the All-Pro wide receiver is expected to play Sunday at Houston.