NFL ROUNDUP | News and notes

Rams: Running back Marshall Faulk will miss four-to-six weeks with a broken left hand, even though the injury will not require surgery. Faulk, a seven-time Pro Bowl player, broke the bones that connect the pinkie and ring fingers to the wrist when his hand struck a helmet early in the third quarter of Sunday's loss at Seattle. "They're very, very firm about when he'll be able to come back," coach Mike Martz said Monday. Second-year player Lamar Gordon, who finished the game at tailback, will start on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Also, Martz said quarterback Marc Bulger will get at least one more start despite a poor finish against the Seahawks. "Yeah, Marc's our quarterback," the coach said. "Absolutely. I feel good about Marc." Bulger started in place of two-time league MVP Kurt Warner last week. Faulk missed two games and parts of six others due to injuries last year. He hasn't played a full season since 1999, his first year with the Rams. This season, Faulk has 116 yards rushing for a 2.8 average per carry with one touchdown, and 12 catches for 66 yards. Gordon had eight carries for 41 yards and caught four passes for 25 yards on Sunday, even though he had a severe headache early in the game. "I feel very good about him," Martz said. "I feel outstanding about him after watching him on tape."
Raiders: Kicker Sebastian Janikowski was jailed during the weekend after getting into a fight in a restaurant. He was arrested Saturday night on suspicion of misdemeanor assault, misdemeanor vandalism and public drunkenness, Walnut Creek Lt. Loren Cattolico said Monday. Janikowski, who was cited for drunken driving last October, was bailed out of jail Sunday. Police said a fight broke out at the Walnut Creek restaurant. Several people told officers they had been assaulted by Janikowski, who was "very intoxicated," police said. The player did not resist arrest, Cattolico said. No one had serious injuries.
Eagles: Bobby Taylor is out with a left foot strain and is in the last year of his contract. The combination is as appealing as the Eagles' 0-2 start. While Taylor should soon return to his starting cornerback spot, his future beyond this year remains in doubt. Taylor is still upset the Eagles wouldn't extend his contract in the spring, which led him to skip their voluntary passing camp. "I was simply told I wouldn't be signed to a contract," Taylor said Monday. "I just take that for what it's worth and move on." Taylor reported to training camp on time and started the opener against Tampa Bay. He left the game when he was injured and hasn't played since. "If the Eagles don't sign me back, I'm not going to retire," he said. "I still want to play football. If that results in me playing for another team, so be it." Taylor, scheduled to make $4.1 million in base salary this season, is coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance.
Lions: Coach Steve Mariucci insisted he's not about replace quarterback Joey Harrington with fan favorite Mike McMahon. A few years ago, Mariucci sat down Jeff Garcia when he was struggling early in his career. But the same move is not justified in Harrington's case. "That was a situation where Steve Young got hurt and we threw Jeff out there with very little preparation before he was really ready," he said. "This is a different scenario -- Joey has been the number-one guy for a year now." Harrington had a strong opening game against Arizona with four touchdowns in a 42-24 win, but has thrown six interceptions in losses to Green Bay and Minnesota. "Obviously, we have not been as productive as we were against the Cardinals, but that's not just on the quarterback," Mariucci said.
Dolphins: Coach Dave Wannstedt may invite some free-agent punters in for workouts this week, but said that decision does not automatically jeopardize Mark Royals' spot. Royals is averaging 40.2 yards per punt, placing him in the bottom third of all NFL punters. He said he wasn't surprised by Wannstedt's decision to possibly gauge other kickers. "That's just the way it works. I would too if I were him," Royals said. "You either get the job done or you don't. I've gotten off to a poor start and that's the nature of this business."
Jaguars: Quarterback Mark Brunell's left elbow was stitched Monday to repair a cut sustained in the team's loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Coach Jack Del Rio said the injury played a part in the left-handed quarterback's poor day in Jacksonville's 23-13 loss on Sunday. Brunell was 12-for-23 for 90 yards before being replaced by Byron Leftwich late in the game. For the second straight week, Leftwich led the Jaguars to a late touchdown. Del Rio said Brunell would start against Houston on Sunday if he's healthy.
Vikings: Three small bones on the left side of Daunte Culpepper's spine are broken. Another is cracked. The injury has left Minnesota's quarterback listed as doubtful for Sunday's game against San Francisco, giving the Vikings plenty of uncertainty to go along with their 3-0 start. Culpepper was hurt late in the second quarter of the Vikings' 23-13 victory over Detroit when Lions linebacker Wali Rainer hit him in the end zone on Culpepper's second rushing touchdown of the game. he 6-foot-4, 264-pounder, however, considers himself a fast healer and expects to play Sunday. The small bones he injured are each called a transverse process. "I'm all right, man," he said Monday. "It's just a little sore." Culpepper won't practice until Friday at the earliest. "If he can take any work Friday and we feel comfortable with him, we'll go with it," coach Mike Tice said. "If not, then we'll rest him."
Colts: Starting right tackle Ryan Diem injured his left ankle late in Sunday's victory over Jacksonville when a player rolled up on him. Coach Tony Dungy said Monday it was a high ankle sprain and that Diem was likely to miss Sunday's game against the Saints. Diem's replacement would be Adam Meadows, who started at right tackle in each of his first six seasons with the Colts.