The injury Rice deals a severe blow to the offense of a Seattle team holding the best record in the NFC through eight weeks. However, the player whose injury had originally left the Seahawks short-handed back in July — receiver/runner/kick returner Percy Harvin — might be available as soon as Sunday, when they play at home against Tampa Bay.

Harvin practiced twice last week, his first work with the team since his hip surgery in late July. Acquired in April from the Minnesota Vikings for three draft picks, the multi-purpose threat has yet to suit up for as much as an exhibition game. Harvin has a roster exemption after spending the first seven weeks on the physically-unable-to-perform list, and has not been placed on the Seahawks’ active roster yet.

Rice’s absence may or may not speed up his return, but it makes his comeback more crucial. The Seahawks have won with defense so far, as the offense has been unpredictable. Rice’s 15 catches were third on the team, and he is tied for the team lead with three touchdown catches. (Pro Football Talk reported that he was injured on a second-quarter incompletion in the end zone.)

The addition of Harvin would add a much-needed explosiveness to the offense — as was the plan when the Seahawks made the huge deal before this year’s draft, and signed him to a contract extension that included $25.5 million guaranteed.

Which of Rice’s knees is injured was unclear. He played with patellar tendinitis in his left knee last season while catching 50 passes; he still played the full 16 games for just the second time in his seven-year career. Before reporting to training camp, Rice went to Switzerland for plasma injections in his left knee. He had not missed a game this season.

Harvin had an injury-plagued season himself in his final year in Minnesota, playing nine games and gaining 1,343 yards receiving, rushing and returning kicks.


FOLES CLEARED TO PLAY


Nick Foles practiced with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday after being cleared to return from the concussion that kept him out of last week’s loss to the New York Giants.

However, he said he did not know who would start at quarterback in Oakland on Sunday. He split the reps with the first team with rookie Matt Barkley, who came in last week after Michael Vick re-injured his left hamstring on the game’s first series.

“That’ll be their decision,’’ Foles told reporters in Philadelphia after practice, referring to head coach Chip Kelly and the offensive assistants. But, he added, he did everything he normally does and felt comfortable. “I feel good, I’m ready to go,’’ he said.

“We haven't seen him out here since he played in the Dallas game,’’ offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said. “We've got to see where he's at. He's medically cleared for us, but we'll see how he responds to the practice reps today.’’

On Monday, Kelly said that he would not name a starter for this week until he had all the information on Vick’s and Foles’ health.

Shurmur added that Vick—who underwent an MRI on his hamstring Monday—attended meetings Tuesday and was seen by team trainers, but did not practice. No results on the MRI have been made public. Indications are that he will not play Sunday and that the starter will be either Foles, who started the two weeks before Vick returned (a win over Tampa Bay and the loss to Dallas in which he was injured), or Barkley, who has not started a game but has finished the last two.

Asked if he knew if the decision would be made based on Foles’ health or on which quarterback practices better, Barkley said, “Hopefully everything’s on merit, but we’ll see what happens. I don’t know. That’s not my decision, we’ll see how that goes.’’


CUTLER NOT RULED OUT


The Bears aren't ruling out an early return for injured quarterback Jay Cutler.

Expected to miss at least four weeks because of a torn groin muscle, Cutler hopes to be back sooner. He says, "that's the goal."

Cutler spoke Tuesday for the first time since he was injured in a loss at Washington on Oct. 20. The Bears said he would miss at least a month and be evaluated week to week after that.

Coach Marc Trestman says the doctors will decide when Cutler is ready to come back, and if it's earlier than expected, that "would be great."

Trestman did not declare Cutler out for Monday's game at Green Bay but said it's "highly unlikely" he would play.


MORE MAN-TO-MAN FOR REVIS


Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano likes to do things his way, whether it's as a defensive schemer or personnel manager. He might be open, however, with his team at 0-7, to letting his best defensive player finally play his best.

Schiano hinted, per the Tampa Tribune, that he is leaning toward allowing top cornerback Darrelle Revis to play man-to-man and press coverage in trying to shut down opponents' top wide receivers, instead of the mostly zone looks in which Revis has been used halfway through his first season in Tampa Bay.

“We need to make sure we’re accentuating our best players, putting them in the best position to make plays better than we have,’’ Schiano said.

The Buccaneers' pass defense was a big problem in Schiano's first season in 2012, a big reason why the team traded with the New York Jets to acquire Revis. So far, because of adherence to the zone, it's been hard for Revis to have the expected impact.

Given the results and how much that plan isn't working, Schiano has no choice but to change up his thinking if the Buccaneers plan on winning a game this season.


SNYDER, GOODELL MEET


Redskins owner Daniel Snyder told NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a meeting Tuesday that he does not plan to change the team’s name, according to a Washington Post report.

Citing two sources, the Post said the focus of the meeting was not changing the name in the face of protests by Native American advocates and others, but gathering information on the team’s plans on dealing with the issue, including assessing and handling opposition to the name.

NFL officials are scheduled to meet on Wednesday in New York City with representatives of the Oneida Indian Nation of upstate New York, one of the most prominent and vocal opponents of the team’s nickname. The NFL meeting with the tribe has been in the works since earlier this month, when the Oneida Nation held a symposium on the name change in Washington during the week of the NFL’s fall league meetings.

It isn't known whether Goodell will attend the meeting with the Oneida Nation.

The Post reported that Snyder’s talks with Goodell on Tuesday were similar to the thoughts he shared in a letter to season-ticket holders on October 9. In that letter, Snyder said, in part: “I respect the feelings of those who are offended by the team name. But I hope such individuals also try to respect what the name means, not only for all of us in the extended Washington Redskins family, but among Native Americans too.”

The team faced protesters in a visiting city for the third time this season when it played in Denver last weekend. Previous protests took place in Green Bay and Dallas.


ALWORTH’S RING FOUND


NFL Hall of Famer Lance Alworth is getting back his Super Bowl ring, 25 years after it was stolen.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department said Tuesday the 1971 ring was scheduled to be sold Nov. 20 at an auction house in Laguna Niguel with an opening bid of $44,000. The ring was reported stolen in 1988 from a San Diego bar that displayed sports memorabilia.

Investigators say Alworth received a phone call last month demanding $40,000 for the ring. The former wide receiver for the Chargers and the Cowboys contacted authorities. No arrests have been made.


MAN DENIES KILLING TAYLOR


The man accused of fatally shooting Redskins star Sean Taylor during a botched 2007 burglary testified Tuesday that he never went into the player's home that night and cast his confession as coming only under police pressure and amid purported threats to his family.

Testifying in his murder trial, Eric Rivera Jr., 23, blamed the shooting on another member of the group of five that drove from Fort Myers to Miami, supposedly to steal large amounts of cash they thought Taylor kept around. Rivera said he and a friend never even got out of the car parked outside Taylor's house.

"I just thought they was going to go in and get the money and come back out," Rivera testified. "I was just sitting in the passenger seat."

Rivera said another member of the gang, Venjah Hunte, had a gun and acknowledged firing the fatal shot. Hunte has pleaded guilty in the case but did not admit to shooting Taylor. Three others charged in the case face trial later.

Under questioning by defense attorney Janese Caruthers, Rivera flatly denied shooting Taylor and denied that he disposed of the 9mm handgun by throwing it into the Everglades. He also denied wearing the type of Nike shoes that left prints around Taylor's house and said the idea of burglarizing Taylor's home was not his.

It wasn't until the group was driving across Florida that Taylor's name came up.

"I found out, they was just saying that Sean Taylor had money in his house, they were just going to go in and get it. They already know where it's at," Rivera testified.

Prosecutors earlier played a detailed, videotaped confession by Rivera, including diagrams he did showing where the group was in Taylor's house when the former University of Miami star was shot. On the stand Tuesday, Rivera said he simply repeated back to investigators the story they had told him, and said he was concerned when they said his family might be in danger.

Contributors: David Steele, Rana L. Cash, Vinnie Iyer, The Associated Press