Tag: NFL injuries (Page 3 of 4)

Tony Romo to miss four weeks

Tony RomoESPN.com is reporting that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo could miss up to four weeks because of a broken pinkie finger.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has a broken pinkie on his throwing hand and will be out four weeks, a team source told ESPN’s Michael Smith.

Romo initially was diagnosed with a pinkie sprain in Sunday’s 30-24 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Veteran quarterback Brad Johnson, the Cowboys’ holder on kicks, is Romo’s backup.

The Cowboys have lost two of their last three games after starting the season 3-0.

For a team that just lost to the Arizona Cardinals, this is crippling for the Cowboys. Their offense is going to look quite different with “Elbow Pads” Johnson in there. That’s not to say that Johnson is going to be a complete waste (he does have plenty of weapons around him), but all of a sudden Dallas looks incredibly vulnerable.


Ouch! The upside is that owners with Tony Romo are probably doing pretty well record-wise, so maybe they can weather the storm for four weeks. Then again, maybe not. Brad Johnson seems like the easiest move to make, though there’s no guarantee that he has enough left in the tank. He’s a vet, however, and he’s walking into an offense with a ton of weapons. Trent Edwards is out there on a few waiver wires and he has nice matchups in Week 7 and Week 9. Matt Cassel has nice matchups the next two weeks but it looked like he’d post big numbers against a shaky Chargers defense and was unable to have any success. Matt Ryan is on bye this week, but looks like a decent start the following three, while Marc Bulger has three nice matchups in the next four games (though he hasn’t shown much of anything this season).

NFL News & Notes: Carson Palmer to play

Carson Palmer– 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)

Steelers’ RB Rashard Mendenhall out for season

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.

Rashard MendenhallRookie 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.

NFL News and Notes: Rams bench QB Marc Bulger

Marc Bulger– 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.

Chargers’ LB Shawne Merriman out for season

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.

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