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San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is taking on another coach.
Less than a year after an on-field confrontation with Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz over a postgame handshake, Harbaugh is miffed with New York Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride.
Harbaugh accused Gilbride on Friday of making outrageous and incendiary comments about All-Pro defensive end Justin Smith in an effort to influence officials prior to Sunday's game between the teams that met in the NFC title game in January.
Harbaugh made his remarks in response to Gilbride's answer to a question Thursday about what makes the 49ers' front line so hard to block on passing plays. The long-time Giants coordinator started off by saying the linemen have ability and great, quick players who are tough.
What angered Harbaugh is what followed.
"Smith is a beast on the inside, he's strong, he does as good a job of grabbing a hold of offensive linemen and allowing those twists to take place. He never gets called for it so he gets away with murder," Gilbride said.
Harbaugh kicked off his news conference Friday with a statement in response.
"Kevin Gilbride's outrageous, irrational statement regarding Justin Smith's play is, first, an absurd analogy," Harbaugh said. "Second, it is an incendiary comment targeting one of the truly exemplary players in this league. It's obvious that the Giants coaching staff's sole purpose is to use their high visibility to both criticize and influence officiating."
Around the league
Jets • New York placed cornerback Darrelle Revis on season-ending injured reserve on Friday, a few weeks after coach Rex Ryan said the team would wait until after knee surgery in case there was a "0.0002 chance" Revis could recover in time to play in the Super Bowl.
Redskins • Robert Griffin III took part in Washington's full practice Friday for the first time this week and appears set to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Griffin was full-go after being limited Wednesday and Thursday while recovering from a concussion suffered in last week's 24-17 loss to Atlanta.
Lions • Police in a Detroit suburb say they have closed their investigation into a traffic accident involving Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. In a statement Friday, Dearborn police say the accident was minor and fault cannot be determined. Suh declined to comment after practice. Steve Vines of Livonia says it's not minor and he has at least $500 in damage. He says Suh sideswiped his vehicle Thursday and didn't stop. He says he followed Suh to the parking lot of the Lions practice facility.
Suh is being sued for more than $1 million by a woman who claims she was injured in a December car crash in Portland, Ore. He was also cited for speeding in Portland in March.
Suspensions appealed
All four players punished in the NFL's bounty investigation have filed appeals with the league. People familiar with the situation say the players have asked Commissioner Roger Goodell to remove himself as arbitrator because they do not believe he can be impartial.
One of the people also says New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma expects to play at Tampa Bay on Oct. 21 while his appeal is pending.
Last week, the commissioner upheld his suspensions of Vilma and Saints defensive end Will Smith, and revised his suspensions of Cleveland linebacker and former Saint Scott Fujita and free agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove.
League levies fines
Tennessee Titans safety Michael Griffin has been fined $21,000 by the NFL for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Vikings receiver Michael Jenkins. The league says Friday that Griffin committed unnecessary roughness against a defenseless player.
Fined $15,750 by the league were Green Bay linebacker Nick Perry, Seattle defensive end Chris Clemons, St. Louis defensive end Robert Quinn and San Diego linebacker Melvin Ingram.
Perry was docked for striking Colts quarterback Andrew Luck in the neck and head area. Clemons unnecessarily drove Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to the ground. Quinn made helmet-to-helmet contact against Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb. Ingram struck Saints QB Drew Brees in the head and neck area and drove him to the ground.
Jets guard Matt Slauson was docked $10,000 for his illegal block on Texans linebacker Brian Cushing that tore ligaments in Cushing's left knee, sidelining him for the season.
Around the league
Jets • New York placed cornerback Darrelle Revis on season-ending injured reserve on Friday, a few weeks after coach Rex Ryan said the team would wait until after knee surgery in case there was a "0.0002 chance" Revis could recover in time to play in the Super Bowl. With safety Eric Smith being sidelined by a knee injury this week, Revis' roster spot was filled by rookie safety Antonio Allen, the team's seventh-round draft pick who was signed from the practice squad.
Redskins • Robert Griffin III took part in Washington's full practice Friday for the first time this week and appears set to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Griffin was full-go after being limited Wednesday and Thursday while recovering from a concussion suffered in last week's 24-17 loss to Atlanta.
Lions • Police in a Detroit suburb say they have closed their investigation into a traffic accident involving Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. In a statement Friday, Dearborn police say the accident was minor and fault cannot be determined. Suh declined to comment after practice. Steve Vines of Livonia says it's not minor and he has at least $500 in damage. He says Suh sideswiped his vehicle Thursday and didn't stop. He says he followed Suh to the parking lot of the Lions practice facility.
Suh is being sued for more than $1 million by a woman who claims she was injured in a December car crash in Portland, Ore. He was also cited for speeding in Portland in March.