- Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis says that ‘All systems are go’ for quarterback Carson Palmer to play Sunday against the Cowboys. (Bengals.com)

- Despite Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returning to practice on Friday, the team has listed him as questionable to face Jacksonville. Big Ben is dealing with a shoulder injury. (NFL.com)

- Baltimore running back Willis McGahee was limited in Friday’s practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Titans. McGahee suffered a rib injury Monday night against the Steelers. (NFL.com)

- Anquan Boldin underwent surgery to repair his sinus fracture and will not play in the Cardinals game Sunday against the Bills. Steve Breaston will start in Boldin’s place. (Arizona Republic)

- The Eagles are reporting that RB Brian Westbrook should play this weekend against the Redskins despite being hobbled by an ankle injury. (PhiladelphiaEagles.com)

Pittsburgh running back Rashard Mendenhall will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his left shoulder in the Steelers’ 23-20 win Monday night against Baltimore.

Rookie halfback Rashard Mendenhall and right guard Kendall Simmons will be placed on injured reserve today. Mendenhall made his first start and he left in the third quarter with a fractured shoulder. Simmons has a torn Achilles tendon.

The injuries to the running backs left the Steelers with just one healthy back, Mewelde Moore. They went into the game with just three. Gary Russell was on the roster until he was released the day before they played Philadelphia, and re-signed to the practice squad.

Not a good start for the rookie back out of Illinois. The Steelers intended to use him in a running back-by-committee backfield with Willie Parker, but Mendenhall had a severe case of fumblitis in the preseason and Parker got the majority of the careers. Now Mendenhall will miss the rest of the season.

Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t looked that great the past two games as he battles shoulder and hand injuries, and now Mewelde Moore is the starting back. Not too mention the offensive line just took another major hit with the loss of Simmons. Even though they’re 3-1, Pittsburgh is in trouble.

JP’s Fantasy Take: Wow, what a bummer of a season for Mendenhall. Carey Davis actually looked like he was ahead of Moore on the depth chart, but he left the game with a twisted ankle. If he’s ready to go in Week 5, it looks like he’d be the main ballcarrier.

- After stumbling to a 0-3 start and looking atrocious while doing so, the St. Louis Rams have decided to make a change. Veteran Trent Green will reportedly start at quarterback this weekend against the undefeated Buffalo Bills as the Rams have decided to bench Marc Bulger. (NFL.com)

- Willie Parker will miss Monday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens after spraining his knee in last week’s loss to the Eagles. Rookie Rashard Mendenhall is expected to make his first NFL start. (NFL.com)

- Packers’ CB Al Harris could be lost for the entire season with a ruptured spleen, which was the same injury that knocked out former Bucs’ QB Chris Simms for the entire 2006 season. Tramon Williams, a second-year undrafted free agent, is currently Harris’s backup at left corner. (National Football Post)

- RB Brian Westbrook reportedly suffered a high ankle sprain during the Eagles’ win over the Steelers Sunday, a game in which “Westy” had to leave the game in the first half. His status for this Sunday’s game is still up in the air, but Westbrook expects to play. (Rotoworld.com)

- Struggling quarterback Derek Anderson is expected to start in Week 4 for the Cleveland Browns, but the team is prepping second-year backup Brady Quinn to play. Anderson could have a quick hook if he struggles Sunday against Cincinnati. (ESPN’s Chris Mortensen)

- Despite his poor performance in Tennessee last Sunday, Matt Schuab will reportedly keep the starting quarterback job in Houston. Unfortunately for Schaub, things don’t get any easier against Jacksonville this Sunday. (Houston Chronicle)

- After destroying the Patriots with it last Sunday, the Miami Dolphins will keep the ‘Wildcat’ package in their offensive. RB Ronnie Brown shredded New England for over 100 yards and four touchdowns while lining up predominately in that formation last Sunday. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

Obviously, the Bulger news is big, but I doubt there were too many owners starting him last week. His numbers are down and I think most of us were expecting him to eventually turn it around and finish somewhere in the top 15. Scott Linehan is apparently desperate and feels like he’s on the verge of getting fired. Trent Green is old, but STL has some weapons so he could be a decent spot starter if he can get in the groove…As for Westy, Correll Buckhalter looks like the primary backup despite all the preseason talk about Lorenzo Booker…Rashard Mendenhall will be a hot pickup this week, but don’t break the bank in Blind Bidding leagues. He faces a tough Ravens defense and Parker could be back as early as next week. But if you can add him cheaply, do so, as you never know with knee sprains…Brady Quinn is a guy to target in larger leagues. The “Bench Derek Anderson” talk seems to be getting louder and louder and Quinn has a chance to be good with all the weapons in the Browns’ offense.

Shawne Merriman has decided to pull the plug on the 2008 season and opt for surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his knee. He’ll miss the remainder of the season.

The loss of Merriman, whose hard hits earned him the nickname “Lights Out,” is a big one for a team that has Super Bowl expectations.

“Shawne informed me he did not feel right and thought it best to shut it down,” Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said in a statement. “The road to winning the AFC West just got more difficult, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Shawne is a great player and an inspirational leader. He will be missed. We wish him a successful surgery and a speedy recovery.”

I’m no doctor but this had to be the right decision all along. Merriman was risking his career by playing on his damaged knee, a knee that four doctors advised him he had to have surgery on. Now he can have the surgery, go through the proper rehab steps and get back on the field again when he’s ready.

Obviously this is a huge blow for the Chargers. Merriman provides a great edge rush and he often disrupts opposing teams’ rhythm by getting pressure on the quarterback and in the backfield. It’ll be interesting to see if San Diego can bounce back from their last-second loss to the Panthers with a trip to division rival Denver this week.

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seahawks wide receiver Nate Burleson tore a knee ligament in his knee and will miss the rest of the season.

The Seahawks got a double dose of bad news Monday, as wide receiver Nate Burleson was lost of the season after tearing the ACL in his left knee and running back Maurice Morris is out indefinitely with a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Coach Mike Holmgren made the announcements at his weekly news conference.

In other wide receiver-injury news, Drew Bennett of the St. Louis Rams is expected to miss at least six weeks after fracturing his foot Sunday at Philadelphia.

“I don’t think it’s season-ending thing,’’ Linehan said. “It looks like something that will heal in the next six weeks or so. At this point in the season, we will see, but right now it is going to keep him out at least a month or so.’’

Linehan said Bennett’s injury won’t require surgery.

Bennett’s spot in the Rams’ starting lineup will be filled by either rookie Keenan Burton, Dane Looker or a yet unnamed veteran player.

The Seahawks’ offense is a mess. The run game is a major issue and now Courtney Taylor (who struggled against Buffalo) is the No. 1 receiver. Matt Hasselbeck is in trouble unless somebody can step up and take some of the pressure off him.