Injuries hit NFL teams

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Delhomme has fractured finger

A broken finger - not coach John Fox - may bench struggling Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Fox said Monday that Delhomme fractured a finger on his throwing hand late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's loss to the New York Jets and may be replaced by untested Matt Moore this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The injury could sideline Delhomme late in the worst season of his career. He threw four more interceptions against the Jets, completing only 14 of 34 passes for 130 yards with a passer rating of 12.7. The Panthers (4-7) didn't score a touchdown in the 17-6 loss that virtually eliminated them from playoff contention.

Lions choose Stafford to start

Matthew Stafford has won the Detroit Lions' starting quarterback job.

Coach Jim Schwartz told his team Monday morning that the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft would start Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints. Stafford had been battling veteran Daunte Culpepper for the position, and Schwartz stressed it had been a case of Stafford winning the job instead of Culpepper losing it.

"I've had a lot of very tough decisions in the last few days -- guys making the 53-man roster or not making it -- but none more difficult than at quarterback," he said. "We announced to our team this morning that Matt Stafford is going to be our starting quarterback."

Anderson named starter for Browns

Derek Anderson will replace Brady Quinn and start at quarterback for the Cleveland Browns on Sunday against Cincinnati.

Coach Eric Mangini has decided to go with Anderson, a Pro Bowler in 2007, over Quinn, a former first-round draft pick who opened the season as Cleveland's starter, but was benched at halftime last Sunday in Baltimore.

Mangini believes the Browns have a better chance to move the ball with Anderson.

Area players invited to NFL combine

Willie Young and Ted Larsen of N.C. State and Thaddeus Lewis and Vince Oghobaase of Duke have been invited to the NFL scouting combine, according to representatives of their respective schools.

Executives, coaches and medical personnel from all 32 NFL teams will attend the combine from Feb. 24 through March 2 in Indianapolis to evaluate prospective players for the draft.

Young, a defensive end, finished his career ranked second in N.C. State history with 45.5 tackles for loss. Larsen was a two-year starter at center after moving to the offensive line from defense in the spring of 2008.

NFL fines Jets, former coach

The NFL assessed $125,000 in fines to the New York Jets and former coach Eric Mangini on Wednesday for violating the league's rules on injury reporting with former quarterback Brett Favre last season.

The Jets failed to place Favre, now with the Minnesota Vikings, on the injury report during the final month of last season even though he had a torn biceps tendon.

The league announced it had fined the Jets $75,000, and Mangini and Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum $25,000 apiece. Mangini now coaches the Cleveland Browns.