PITTSBURGH — Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and nose tackle Casey Hampton, forced out of the Arizona game with injuries, are expected to play Sunday against Seattle.

The Steelers aren't as certain about four-time Pro Bowl receiver Hines Ward, who missed only his fourth game in 10 seasons Sunday because of a sprained knee.

The injuries to Polamalu and Hampton, a former Texas Longhorn, left the Steelers (3-1) without two Pro Bowl defensive players during what became their first loss of the season, with Arizona rallying from a 7-0 deficit by scoring 21 consecutive points.

Falcons: Michael Vick's lawyers will make their first Surry County, Va., court appearance today for state dogfighting charges against the suspended quarterback. Vick, already scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 10 on a federal dogfighting charge, is not expected to attend the Circuit Court hearing.

On Tuesday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced that Vick completed an eight-hour class in empathy and animal protection Sept. 18 at the group's Norfolk headquarters. PETA spokesman Dan Shannon said Vick told him "he wished he had gotten to take a course like this five years ago."

Jaguars: Left tackle Khalif Barnes drove through a yard, crashed into a tree and then left the accident scene last weekend, police said. Barnes, already on probation for a drunken driving charge, was cited for careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident. He also was charged with violating a provision of his probation that limited his driving to work purposes.

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