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Bill Belichick stands by his decision to go for it on fourth down rather than punt to the Indianapolis Colts.

Brian Westbrook’s status is uncertain after the former All-Pro running back sustained another concussion in Philadelphia’s 31-23 loss at San Diego.

I don’t recall Eagles running back Brian Westbrook taking a particularly vicious hit early in the third quarter, but apparently he was sandwiched between wide receiver Jason Avant and a Chargers defender. Coach Andy Reid told reporters in Philly Monday that it was “too early” to make a decision on whether Westbrook’s season is over.

Westbrook

But Reid showed concern over Westbrook’s two concussions occurring in such a short time period. Westbrook’s the type of competitor who wants to come back from this, but my gut tells me that he will decide to sit the rest of the season out. As valuable as he might be to the franchise, there’s no sense in risking a third concussion in a relatively short period of time.



“The important thing is that we get him analyzed, tested and taken care of,” Reid said. “And we’ll go from there. Not that we didn’t do that before.”



Even if Westbrook wants to return this season, I think the Eagles have a responsibility to look out for the running back’s long-term health. There seems to be more awareness around the league about the danger of head injuries. And while there have been huge strides in terms of testing for concussions, there’s still more to be done.

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) -Clinton Portis is still experiencing “a little blurriness” from his concussion, making it uncertain whether the Washington Redskins running back will play next week against Dallas.

ESPN’s Michael Smith is reporting that former Kansas City Chiefs tailback Larry Johnson will sign with the first-place Cincinnati Bengals this week.

Geoff Burke/US Presswire

Former Chiefs running back Larry Johnson could help the Bengals rest Cedric Benson.

Are you surprised? Well, you shouldn’t be.



Despite Johnson’s troubled past, here are several reasons this move could work for Cincinnati:



1. Little risk



This move has Bengals written all over it, because they are purchasing a stock at its lowest possible point. According to Smith, the deal is expected to be prorated for the rest of the season at the league minimum. With seven games left in the regular season, Cincinnati is getting a former Pro Bowler virtually for free. If it doesn’t work, the Bengals can cut ties with Johnson after the season as easily as they got him.



2. Benson factor



As evident by his recent hip injury, it was just a matter of time before wear and tear began to take hold with Bengals starting tailback Cedric Benson. He was on pace for more than 400 carries this year, and with Cincinnati (7-2) expected to get into the postseason, the team needs to make sure Benson doesn’t peak too early. Signing Johnson allows that to happen. A workhorse in his own right, he can take a lot of the pounding down the stretch that Benson otherwise would take. It’s unknown at this point if Benson will be ready for Sunday’s game against the Oakland Raiders. But having Johnson paired with rookie Bernard Scott next week might not be a bad move while resting Benson.



3. L.J. adds depth



Benson putting up Pro Bowl numbers through the first nine games masked one of Cincinnati’s few weaknesses this year. The Bengals were pretty thin at tailback. The aforementioned Scott broke out in a win against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday on special teams but hadn’t shown much in the backfield during the first half of the season. Brian Leonard is a converted fullback who received some carries and did well with limited opportunities. But mostly it was all Benson all the time. Johnson is a proven commodity who adds experienced depth at the position.



4. Strong locker room



In the past, Cincinnati adding a troubled player would be a disaster. But this is as professional a Bengals team as you’re going to see. Cincinnati has very good chemistry this year and a strong enough foundation to take on Johnson. Winning also helps as the Bengals are one of the best teams in the AFC. Players are not worried about their contracts and all have a common goal in mind of finishing strong and doing well in the playoffs. As long as Johnson concentrates on playing hard for the team and reestablishing his own image individually, this experiment could work for the Bengals.