Super Bowl organizers undeterred by snow

Snow and ice will not stop the Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., organizers assured the public on Wednesday.

As they outlined plans for the Feb. 2 NFL championship game, officials stood amid huge piles of snow outside the home of New York's Giants and Jets.

The stadium has several snow melters that can clear the field quickly, including one machine that can melt up to 600 tons of snow per hour, according to stadium CEO Brad Mayne. Removable snow chutes can funnel snow out of the seating and concourse areas, he added.

Mayne pointed to the storm that hit the region last week, dropping 6.3 inches of snow and ice on the stadium hours before the Giants played host to the Seattle Seahawks.

Officials said that they are prepared to use thousands of trucks and tons of salt if necessary, and that they would consider rescheduling the game only in extreme circumstances.

Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco will wear a brace on his left knee Sunday against New England, a precautionary move after his injury Monday night in Detroit.

Flacco's knee buckled when it was struck by the helmet of oncoming Lions lineman DeAndre Levy. He wore a brace during practice and said the knee felt "stiff."

The former Audubon (N.J.) star has not missed a start in his six-year NFL career.

Washington captain London Fletcher, who has never missed a game in 16 NFL seasons, said he is "about 99 percent certain" that he will retire at the end of the year, the conclusion of a remarkable career for the undersize, undrafted player from Division III John Carroll. The 5-foot-10 linebacker is 38.

West Chester East grad Matt Schaub will try to help Houston end a 12-game skid when he starts at quarterback Sunday against Denver for injured Case Keenum.

New Orleans will have a new kicker on Sunday and an untested rookie protecting Drew Brees' blind side in a pivotal NFC South clash at Carolina.

Coach Sean Payton said that veteran Shayne Graham is the Saints' new kicker, and that Terron Armstead will get his first start at left tackle.

New Orleans (10-4) can win its division and secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC by winning. The Saints also could slide to a wild-card spot with a loss, or even miss the playoffs by losing their last two games.

Seattle's Brandon Browner, 29, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL for violating the league's substance-abuse policy, according to NFL.com.

The cornerback reportedly passed up an offer to reduce his original year-long suspension to three months. He cannot apply for reinstatement until a year from now.

The NFL fined Pittsburgh linebacker Terence Garvin $25,000 for a block that left Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber with a broken jaw and a cracked vertebra, ESPN.com reported, citing a source.

Buffalo coach Doug Marrone said rookie quarterback EJ Manuel will miss Sunday's game against Miami because of a swollen left knee but should be able to play in the season finale against New England. Journeyman Thad Lewis will make his fourth start.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers hasn't been cleared yet for game action after his left collarbone injury and remains limited in practice. But coach Mike McCarthy said he is getting better.

Washington acquired Robert Griffin III's college center, claiming J.D. Walton off waivers from Denver. Griffin and Walton were teammates for two seasons at Baylor.

- Associated Press