Injury roundup: Patriots' Carter placed on IR

 The New England Patriots have placed defensive end Andre Carter on injured reserve.

Tuesday's move ends the season of the team's leader in sacks with 10 and sidelines a key player on a struggling defense. The Patriots have allowed the most yards in the NFL for nearly the entire season.
Carter started all 14 games. He injured his left quadriceps late in the first quarter of Sunday's 41-23 win over the Denver Broncos and was driven off the field on a cart. He had signed as a free agent Aug. 8 after five years with the San Francisco 49ers and five with the Washington Redskins.
The Patriots also signed defensive lineman Cedric McKinley to the practice squad. He spent part of this season on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.

Chris Johnson expected to play for Tennessee
NASHVILLE — Chris Johnson says he originally feared he had hurt his right ankle badly, but says he expects to be able to play Saturday as Tennessee (7-7) tries to keep its faint playoff hopes alive against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
At first, Johnson thought the injury was worse than the one he sustained in a playoff loss to Baltimore.
This has been Johnson's worst season after missing all preseason before signing a $53.5 million extension. Yet he is 70 yards away from 1,000 yards rushing for the season, which looked unlikely considering his struggles over the first half of the season.
Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew is the NFL's rushing leader.
Texans' Andre Johnson will miss his sixth consecutive game
HOUSTON — Houston Texans star receiver Andre Johnson will sit out Thursday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts because of a strained left hamstring.
Johnson, who will miss his ninth game this season, was sidelined for six consecutive games earlier in the year with a right hamstring injury that required surgery.
Coach Gary Kubiak said Tuesday that Johnson is "very close" to returning to practice, but isn't quite ready.
The Texans (10-4) have already clinched the AFC South, so Kubiak is staying cautious with the franchise's career leader in receiving yards. Houston plays Tennessee in its regular-season finale on Jan. 1.
Darren McFadden still questionable for Raiders
ALAMEDA, Calif. —Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden did some light jogging Tuesday but it remains uncertain whether he'll play again this season after being sidelined with an ankle injury since mid-October.
Wide receiver Jacoby Ford's return is also uncertain. He has also progressed to jogging after sitting out the past month with his own foot injury.
With a short week, the Raiders would be hard-pressed to get either on the field for Saturday's game in Kansas City. Coach Hue Jackson wouldn't rule it out, though.
The outlook is only slightly more optimistic for quarterback Jason Campbell.
Campbell has been throwing passes up to 30 yards in his attempt to return after undergoing surgery for a broken collarbone in mid-October. He has yet to resume practicing, however.
Felix Jones uncertain for Cowboys
IRVING, Texas — Dallas running back Felix Jones missed practice Tuesday because of hamstring tightness. That left the Cowboys with two running backs who weren't even on an NFL roster a few weeks ago.
Sammy Morris, who made his season debut last week, split time at practice with Chauncey Washington, who signed with the Cowboys practice squad Nov. 30. Morris was cut at the end of training camp by New England while Washington was let go by St. Louis in August.
Coach Jason Garrett says he's hopeful that Jones will be able to practice some this week and be ready for Saturday's game against Philadelphia.
If not, Morris is the most logical choice to start since running backs DeMarco Murray and Phillip Tanner are on injured reserve.