The Sports Xchange

Optimism for wide receiver Dez Bryant to return to the Dallas Cowboys for Sunday’s game with the New York Giants took a hit Wednesday.

Bryant, less than six weeks removed from surgery on his broken right foot, did not practice and instead resumed rehab activities off the field.

“He’s making progress every day,” coach Jason Garrett said, refusing to rule Bryant out of the NFC East division meeting at New York.

Garrett didn’t say Bryant would travel with the team Friday, when his status is likely to be determined. Bryant suffered a fractured foot in the third quarter of the Cowboys’ Week 1 victory over the Giants in Dallas and required a bone graft surgery days later.

— Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is taking his team on a special field trip to Ground Zero before playing the New York Giants on Sunday.

The Cowboys are flying to New York a day early to visit the site of the World Trade Center on Friday. Garrett was inspired after he and his wife, Brill, went to the site of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks last summer.

Garrett was a backup quarterback with the Giants and was living on the Upper West Side of Manhattan when the attacks happened. He was among the Giants players who went to the site in the days after to pass out water and greet first responders.

—The Buffalo Bills traveled to London for this week’s game without wide receiver Percy Harvin because of “personal issues.”

Harvin was out of the Bills’ lineup last week with a hip injury and isn’t expected to be available Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Coach Rex Ryan said Harvin’s situation isn’t related to the hip.

Running back Karlos Williams and right tackle Seantrel Henderson are both dealing with concussions and didn’t make the trip, along with defensive tackle Kyle Williams after he suffered a knee injury during the 34-21 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

—Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said after practice that he is “absolutely” confident no other players were involved in running back Fred Jackson’s car accident Tuesday.

Shortly after news broke of Jackson’s crash near the team’s practice facility in which he spun his car at a high rate of speed and hit a stop sign, TMZ reported that Jackson had been drag racing teammate Marshawn Lynch. Renton police later said there was no evidence Lynch was involved. Carroll said Jackson, “lost control of his car, had an accident and he was ticketed for that.”

Jackson was not injured in the accident and will be available for Thursday night’s game at the San Francisco 49ers.

—Washington Redskins wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who sustained a hamstring injury in opener and has not caught a pass this season, is expected to miss at least one more game.

Coach Jay Gruden told reporters that Jackson’s chances of playing this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are “not very high.” Last year, Jackson caught 56 passes for 1,169 yards, a 20.9-yard average, and scored six touchdowns.

—Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen, who missed last Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs because of an undisclosed illness, did not practice Wednesday, but coach Mike Zimmer seemed indicated he could return soon.

Griffen was a surprise scratch last week against the Chiefs because he was not on the injury report. The NFL is looking into the Vikings’ failure to disclose the status of Griffen’s health as required by league rules. He was not on the Friday report and apparently took sick sometime between then and Sunday, requiring an update by the team.

—Houston Texans wide receiver Cecil Shorts, cornerback Kareem Jackson and linebacker Benardrick McKinney are likely out for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, coach Bill O’Brien said.

Shorts missed time with a shoulder injury earlier this season and is now dealing with a hamstring issue. Jackson has a sprained ankle and McKinney is still in the NFL concussion protocol after suffering the injury against the Jacksonville Jaguars last Sunday.

Jadeveon Clowney missed last week with a sprained right ankle and O’Brien said the outside linebacker is day to day this week.

—Being 2-4 might be cause for concern for other teams, but the championship-plated confidence of the Seattle Seahawks is not dented easily.

Through six games last season, the Seahawks were 3-3 and had lost two games in a row. It was presented as a grave situation in contrast to the first-place Arizona Cardinals.

Cornerback Richard Sherman said a 2-4 record isn’t the massive hole some think it is.

“The same size it always is. Not anything to be concerned about on our end,” Sherman said as the Seahawks prepare to visit the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.

— Tight end Dennis Pitta was back on the practice field with the Baltimore Ravens for the first time this year.

Pitta endured nearly two years worth of rehab from hip injuries. He was placed on the physically unable to perform list to start the 2015 season.

He was hurt in 2013 training camp with the Ravens and dislocated his hip in Week 3 of the 2014 season, requiring a second season-ending operation. Pitta is eligible to play Monday at Arizona but will not see action.

—Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper of the Philadelphia Eagles did not practice on Wednesday because of a knee injury and his status for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers was uncertain.

Cooper, who was injured on Monday night against the New York Giants, has 11 catches this season for 205 yards and two touchdowns.

—Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden remains in the league’s concussion protocol, coach Mike Pettine said.

Haden missed last Sunday’s 26-23 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos after suffering a concussion during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 11.

The Browns also have played the last two games without starting safety Tashaun Gispon because of an ankle sprain.

—The Browns claim they haven’t given up on Dwayne Bowe, but the wide receiver in his first year with Cleveland after eight in Kansas City is still looking for his first catch.

Bowe has been inactive for three games and was a healthy scratch in two of them. He has a two-year $12.5 million contract with $9 million guaranteed.

—The New York Giants signed cornerback Leon McFadden off the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad.

The 5-foot-10, 199-pound McFadden has played in 23 regular-season games with two starts for the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers. He has 21 tackles, one pass defensed and six special teams tackles.

—Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward and the NFL reached a settlement on fines for his eye-black tributes to his late father, Craig “Ironhead” Heyward.

Multiple media reports indicated that the league agreed to reduce the amount of his fines and Heyward subsequently announced that he would no longer put the words on his eye black.

Craig Heyward, an NFL fullback for five teams from 1988 to 1998, died of cancer at age 39 in 2006. His son put “Iron” under one eye and “Head” under the other during an Oct. 12 game against the San Diego Chargers, drawing a fine of $5,787 from the league for violating the uniform policy. When Cam Heyward repeated the tribute Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, he was due to be docked $11,576 as a two-time offender.

—The New England Patriots signed running back Joey Iosefa to the practice squad.

Iosefa, 24, was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round in 2015. The 6-foot, 245-pounder was released by Tampa Bay on Aug. 30. He started in 29 of 32 games during his college career, rushing for 2,218 yards and 21 touchdowns.

—The Arizona Cardinals signed cornerback Carrington Byndom and defensive tackle Olsen Pierre to the practice squad.

The team also released cornerback Leon McFadden, who was signed to the New York Giants’ active roster, and defensive end Lawrence Okoye.

— The Indianapolis Colts signed tight end Sean McGrath to the practice squad.

McGrath spent two weeks on the Colts’ practice squad before being released Oct. 5. He has played in 18 games (nine starts) in his NFL career, catching 26 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns. He has seen action in three postseason games.