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The Atlanta Falcons could lose Julio Jones for the season after the Pro Bowl receiver injured his foot Monday in a 30-28 loss to the New York Jets.
Coach Mike Smith says Jones, the NFL leader with 41 catches, did not get encouraging results from a visit with doctors Tuesday morning. Smith added that Jones will see a foot specialist Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C., for a second opinion.
After five relatively healthy seasons under Smith, Atlanta has been bombarded with injuries this year. The Falcons (1-4) lost four-time Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White to a hamstring injury during Monday's game. A high ankle sprain has nagged White, who has only 14 catches for 129 yards receiving.
Running back Steven Jackson and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon have missed the last three games, and the team isn't sure when they will return.
Two starters, defensive end Kroy Biermann and fullback Bradie Ewing, were lost for the season in Week 1, and right tackle Mike Johnson's year ended in training camp.
Three other starters — Sam Baker, cornerback Asante Samuel and linebacker Akeem Dent — have missed significant time, too.
2018 Super Bowl finalists picked
The 2018 Super Bowl could be headed back to a recent host city. Or to one that hasn't staged the game in more than two decades. New Orleans and Indianapolis, the sites of the past two Super Bowls, and Minneapolis are the three finalists to host the NFL championship game in '18.
Those cities were selected from a pool of six at the owners' meetings Tuesday in Washington.
Minneapolis last hosted the title game in January 1992. A $975 million stadium is going to be built in downtown Minneapolis, with the projected opening coming in 2016.
• The NFL will play a record three regular-season games at London's Wembley Stadium next year, hosted by the Jaguars, Falcons and Raiders. Dates and opponents for the games will be announced when the schedule is compiled next year.
Around the league
Jets • Quarterback Mark Sanchez had season-ending surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday. Sanchez was in a tight competition with rookie Geno Smith for the starting job this summer before he was injured during a preseason game.
Colts • Running back Ahmad Bradshaw will miss the rest of the season after opting for season-surgery on his injured neck. The former Giants star was injured two weeks ago during a game at San Francisco.
Bengals • Cincinnati cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones was found not guilty on Tuesday of an assault charge accusing him of punching a woman in the head at a nightclub. Judge Robert Taylor ruled that the alleged victim was "the initial aggressor in this case" when she poured beer on Jones and brandished the bottle near his face. Jones, the Bengals' third cornerback and a punt returner, still could face discipline from the NFL under its conduct policy.
Bills • Buffalo signed free-agent quarterback Dennis Dixon to its practice squad. With rookie starter EJ Manuel out with a sprained knee, the Bills have turned to Thad Lewis to start against Cincinnati on Sunday. Dixon had three starts over three seasons in Pittsburgh, which selected the Oregon product in the fifth round in 2008. —
Week 6 schedule
Thursday
N.Y. Giants at Chicago, 6:25 p.m., NFL Network
Sunday
Carolina at Minnesota, 11 a.m.
Oakland at Kansas City, 11 a.m.
St. Louis at Houston, 11 a.m.
Green Bay at Baltimore, 11 a.m., Ch. 13
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay, 11 a.m.
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Jets, 11 a.m.
Cincinnati at Buffalo, 11 a.m.
Detroit at Cleveland, 11 a.m.
Tennessee at Seattle, 2:05 p.m.
Jacksonville at Denver, 2:05 p.m., Ch. 2
Arizona at San Francisco, 2:25 p.m., Ch. 13
New Orleans at New England, 2:25 p.m.
Washington at Dallas, 6:30 p.m., Ch. 5
Open: Atlanta, Miami
Monday
Indianapolis at San Diego, 6:40 p.m., ESPN