Vikings reach terms with kicker Anderson

Minneapolis Gary Anderson is a Minnesota Viking again.

The Vikings reached terms with Anderson two days after kicker Doug Brien missed two extra points and a field goal in an overtime loss to Buffalo.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Anderson, who cut short a fly-fishing trip in Colorado to return to Minnesota and work with punter Kyle Richardson, his new holder.

Terms weren’t disclosed and a call to Anderson’s agent wasn’t immediately returned. Coach Mike Tice declined comment.

Brien will remain with the Vikings to handle kickoffs and long field goals.

Anderson, 43, is the NFL’s oldest active player,and is the league’s leading scorer with 2,133 career points.

Bucs sign Dudley, release Hochstein

Tampa, Fla. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed free agent tight end Rickey Dudley on Tuesday and released second-year guard Russ Hochstein.

Dudley, released by Cleveland before the season, also played for Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden when both were with the Oakland Raiders.

Dudley flourished in three seasons under Gruden, catching 104 passes for 1,454 yards and 18 touchdowns from 1998-2000. He was the ninth player selected in the 1996 draft and spent the first five seasons of his career in Oakland. In 84 career games, Dudley has 195 catches for 2,742 yards and 29 TDs.

Falcons sign three

Flowery Branch, Ga. The winless Atlanta Falcons shook up their roster Tuesday, cutting three players and signing three replacements. The Falcons (0-2) waived defensive end Ronald Flemons, cornerback Rodney Heath and receiver Kahlil Hill. They brought in defensive end Reggie McGrew, cornerback Kevin Mathis and receiver Damon Gibson.

Police defend action at Redskins game

Palmer Park, Md. Police defended the use of pepper spray during Monday night’s Washington Redskins-Philadelphia Eagles game, causing an eight-minute delay.

The Prince George’s County (Md.) Police Dept. issued a statement Tuesday saying officers and FedEx Field ushers responding to a report of a fight in the stands found a fan being kicked to the ground by other fans.

According to police, a sergeant tried to stop the fight, but there were too many people involved. So he used his department-issued pepper spray, which immediately stopped the brawl and sent the attackers fleeing.

“The officer made the decision to deploy the pepper spray to quickly control a potentially dangerous situation with the minimal force necessary to assist the spectator in trouble,” police said.

The fight broke out with about 612 minutes to play and the Redskins on their way to a 37-7 loss.