Miller, Kreutz Admit Fighting

Chicago Bear center Olin Kreutz will not be suspended by Coach Lovie Smith for breaking the jaw of teammate Fred Miller in a fight last week.

The players admitted Monday they had fought, and Smith said he won’t suspend the players but will discipline them. He wouldn’t be specific.

Miller needed surgery last week after initially saying he injured the jaw in a fall in his home.

“We’re disappointed -- and I really found this out later on in the week -- we’re disappointed in the fact we weren’t told right away,” Smith said.

“But you know when you have a season going like this, guys like to protect the team as much as possible and that’s what happened.”

Miller and Kreutz went to the Bear locker room Monday -- it is often closed after the team wins the previous day -- made statements and took a few questions about the incident.

“We realize it was something very stupid on both of our parts, and it’s not going to happen again,” Miller said.

Miller sat out the Bears’ 17-9 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, ending a stretch of 110 consecutive starts dating to 1998. He will sit out again against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

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Cedric Benson, the Bears’ top draft pick, sprained a ligament in his right knee against the 49ers and will be sidelined for perhaps a month.

Benson got the start -- his first in the NFL -- against the 49ers because Chicago’s leading rusher, Thomas Jones, was sidelined because of sore ribs. Benson had 50 yards in 12 carries.

Smith said he expects Benson to play again this season.

Benson, the sixth-leading rusher in NCAA history with 5,540 yards at Texas, was the No. 4 pick overall in the draft.

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The 49ers put Tony Parrish on injured reserve because of a broken left leg, ending a streak of 121 consecutive starts for the eight-year safety.

Parrish, who was injured against Chicago, has never sat out a game since joining the league with the Bears in 1998.

His lower leg was broken in two places, and he will have surgery this week.

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New York Giant defensive tackle William Joseph has a dislocated elbow and will be out for at least four weeks.

Joseph was injured in the fourth quarter of the Giants’ 24-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

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Seattle outside linebacker Jamie Sharper not only sat out the first game of his nine-year career, on Sunday against the St. Louis, but he’s expected to be out for a month.

Coach Mike Holmgren said Sharper received weekend hospital treatment for a staph infection in his right knee.

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Mike Tice has given plenty of injury reports this season. Monday was the first time his name had to be included.

The Minnesota coach sprained a ligament in his left knee in the first quarter of the game against the Giants when Viking cornerback Laroni Gallishaw blocked Jamaar Taylor into him on a punt return.

Taylor plowed into Tice, toppling the 6-foot-8 coach, who was looking the other way at the time.

Tice said he would continue to coach the Vikings and would wait until after the season to have surgery, if warranted.

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Carolina Coach John Fox apologized to New York Jet Coach Herman Edwards for comments cornerback Ken Lucas made about the Jets quitting during the Panthers’ 30-3 victory at Charlotte, N.C.

Fox, who keeps his team buttoned up and frowns on bravado, also lectured the NFC South-leading Panthers about the consequences of trash talking.

Lucas, who had consecutive interceptions Sunday, said the Jets “kind of gave up after that because they felt they couldn’t score.”

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Coach Steve Mariucci said Jeff Garcia is still Detroit’s No. 1 quarterback, even after Joey Harrington threw for three touchdowns in the Lions’ 29-21 victory over Arizona.