A rare, mouth-agape, pro football post

During last night's Bronco/Patriots (no joy in Red Sox/Pats Nation), I watched a Bronco player vomit at the line of scrimmage. On national TV.

But that doesn't come close to comparing to this.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms had his spleen removed after taking several hard hits in 26-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers and was resting comfortably in a hospital Sunday night.

There was no immediate word on how long the fourth-year pro might be sidelined. The recuperation time for a normal person is four to six weeks, though it's unclear how long it might take to heal enough to play football.

''Chris is doing well and we anticipate a full recovery,'' team physician Dr. Joe Diaco said in a brief statement, adding the 26-year-old son of former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms was in stable condition.

Simms had a blood transfusion as part of his treatment and was expected to be hospitalized for several days, Peter King said during a break on NBC's Sunday Night Football, citing a conversation the Sports Illustrated reporter had with Simms' mother, Diana Simms.

Thought he'd injured his ribs. Yeesh.