Bailey, now a Bronco, returns to face Redskins

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Singletary's 49ers ready for Bears

Mike Singletary became a Hall of Fame linebacker with the Chicago Bears during a 12-year career spent all with the same club, including the Super Bowl season of 1985.

With the Bears visit the San Francisco 49ers tonight (8:20 p.m., NFL Network) for a weeknight game, it will be no time for Singletary, now a coach, to turn nostalgic about his former team.

Singletary's 49ers (3-5) are desperate to get back on track, mired in a four-game losing streak that dropped them two games out of first place in the NFC West after they led the division only a month ago and were talking playoffs.

Rice, Smith headline Hall nominees

Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith headline the preliminary list of modern-era nominees for induction next year in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The list released Saturday includes 131 players, coaches and contributors.

Hall of Fame selectors will chose 25 semifinalists by Nov. 27, and 15 finalists by Jan. 7.

Polamalu's status remains uncertain

With the Pittsburgh Steelers fast running out of games and his left knee still not healed, star safety Troy Polamalu isn't certain if he will be back this season.

Polamalu is hopeful of playing again, but he said Tuesday there is no definitive date for his return.

Polamalu's latest injury, to his posterior cruciate ligament, was initially expected to be less severe than the anterior cruciate ligament injury that kept him out of the Steelers' second through fifth games. But he won't play Thursday night in Cleveland, the fourth consecutive game he's missed with his latest injury.

Trick play boots falling Broncos

. The Washington Redskins did everything except hold a big neon sign to let the world know that a trick play was in the works.

The Denver Broncos still couldn't stop it. Life was so much easier when they were 6-0.

Energized by the odd sequence that somehow resulted in a first-half touchdown, the Redskins kept the momentum the rest of the game and beat the Broncos' 27-17 on Sunday, ending Washington's losing streak at four and extending Denver's skid to three.

Browns' Lewis slams Mangini

The Cleveland Browns are being beaten and beaten down by coach Eric Mangini.

That's Jamal Lewis' take.

Frustrated by another losing season, the veteran running back blasted Cleveland's first-year coach on Thursday, saying Mangini is pushing his players too hard in practice. But Lewis, who is one of Cleveland's six captains and intends to retire after the season, has not taken his complaints to Mangini.