NFL ROUNDUP News and notes

49ers: Defensive lineman Bryant Young could miss the rest of the San Francisco season after a torn ligament was discovered in his right knee Monday night. Young, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who's tied for the NFC lead with eight sacks this season, won't need surgery but will be out three to six weeks. He was hurt while tackling Seattle's Shaun Alexander in a 27-25 loss to the Seahawks on Sunday. An MRI exam revealed a complete tear of his MCL and a torn meniscus. Young, whose career has been revitalized by a move to defensive end this season, also sprained his ankle when a pile of players rolled over his leg on the play. Young was on crutches when he returned to the 49ers' training complex from a doctors' appointment. He was disappointed, but hopeful he could return before the end of his most impressive year since his last trip to the Pro Bowl in 2002. "I'm staying optimistic and positive," Young said. "I'm just going to attack this rehab and get back as soon as I can." Young was helped off the field and into the locker room after getting hurt, and fans chanted his name at Candlestick Park. Young re-taped his ankle and even returned to the game for one play, but couldn't continue. The injury briefly took Young back to 1998, when his season ended with a nasty broken right leg in the fourth quarter of a game against the New York Giants. Young needed extensive rehab and a metal rod inserted into his leg, but returned to make 11 sacks in 1999. "Just the way it felt and how it was kind of contorted, I immediately thought it felt worse than it is," Young said of Sunday's injury. "I was determined not to get carted off the field again, though." Young was a rookie from Notre Dame on the 49ers' last championship team in 1994. He has been a stalwart on the defensive line ever since, missing just one game over the last 61/2 seasons since his broken leg. After years of doing the dirty work and enduring double-teams on the interior of the 49ers' line, Young moved to end this season new coach Mike Nolan's 3-4 scheme. He has thrived in the spot, chasing quarterbacks with the vigor of players a decade younger. "He's the heart of this team, and he knows what it takes to win," said Andre Carter, a defensive end-turned-linebacker who may get more playing time at his original position with Young out. Fortunately, we're in a position where we're deep enough to fill the spots." Rookie Ronald Fields and veteran Travis Hall will see more playing time in Young's absence.
Rams: Quarterback Marc Bulger likely will miss a few weeks with an injury to his throwing shoulder. Results of an MRI exam Monday revealed no tear or separation. The injury was described as a bruise after a 38-28 loss to the Cardinals, and interim coach Joe Vitt said Bulger was "sore, very, very sore." Bulger also sustained a mild concussion and told the team's Web site: "It's going to be at least a couple of weeks. We'll see if it's longer." Bulger needed three weeks to recuperate from his last injury, two games plus the team's bye. He got sacked by safety Adrian Wilson in the third quarter on Sunday and needed his left hand to put on a hat after making it to the sideline. Backup quarterback Jamie Martin finished Sunday's game and likely will start this week at Houston, with rookie Ryan Fitzpatrick moving to second string. The 36-year-old Martin led the team to victories over the Saints and Jaguars, the first two victories of his NFL career.
Colts: Indianapolis, known until this season for numerous shootouts, proved on Sunday that in a year when the defense has improved dramatically, it can still win high-scoring games. The Colts defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 45-37 on Sunday to improve to 10-0 in a season in which it has played games with such scores as 10-3 and 13-6. "Fortunately, our offense bailed us out," Colts coach Tony Dungy said Monday. "We moved the ball and took the momentum from them." Dungy said that he never was worried about his offense. "We didn't have our rhythm coming out of training camp and weren't on all cylinders in the preseason," he said. "There was never any concern about people catching up to us, or us not playing well enough." The Colts' outburst Sunday came after they scored 40 points against New England and 31 points against Houston. They lead the league with 305 points in 10 games, five more than San Diego. "These last three weeks, we've had people play us a little differently, play us with a little one-on-one on the outside," he said. "I think we've shown we can play the other way ... Our offense is still pretty good."
Dolphins: Miami Dolphins defensive leader Zach Thomas likely will miss the next two games with a separated right shoulder. The middle linebacker's status for the rest of the season was not known as doctors evaluated the severity of the injury sustained in the first half of the Dolphins' 22-0 drubbing at the hands of the Browns. Coach Nick Saban said the seriousness of Thomas' injury would determine options, ranging from playing in a shoulder harness to surgery. The Dolphins play (3-7) at Oakland (4-6) on Sunday. Thomas, the club's leading tackler and its vocal and emotional sparkplug, got hurt trying to hit Browns rookie quarterback Charlie Frye. Thomas charged Frye and attempted to wrap his arms around the QB, who got off his throw.
Giants: Offensive left tackle Luke Petitgout, who injured his knee in the Giants' 27-17 win over Philadelphia Sunday, could play this week in Seattle. Coach Tom Coughlin said Petitgout has no structural damage to the knee. He left the game at the start of the second half and was replaced by veteran Bob Whitfield. The team is still awaiting results of MRIs on center Shaun O'Hara, who sprained an ankle, and defensive end Michael Strahan, who has neck and shoulder stiffness.
Buccaneers: Carnell "Cadillac" Williams walked with a little more pep in his step. That's what a confidence-restoring performance will do for a young running back. The rookie rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time in nearly two months during Sunday's 30-27 victory over Atlanta. Now, he and the Bucs hope he's finally shrugged off a lingering foot injury that hurt his production. "I did need a game like that just to reassure myself I can get it done on this level," Williams said Monday. "And for me to actually contribute the way I did, I feel petty good about myself now. ... I think this is behind me. I don't even really want to talk about it anymore because I feel like it's not an issue." The fifth pick in the draft became the first player in NFL history to begin his career with three 100-yard games, gaining 434 yards before a sprained arch in his left foot forced him to sit out two games and part of a third. He's struggled since returning and had been limited to 82 yards on 45 carries in four games prior to Sunday's 19-carry, 116-yard outing against the Falcons.
Jets: Quarterback Brooks Bollinger will start Sunday's game against New Orleans despite a concussion that sidelined him for most of their loss to Denver. Coach Herman Edwards said Monday that Bollinger underwent several exams and still had a small headache, but is fine to play. Bollinger took a hard hit from Al Wilson in the first quarter of New York's 27-0 loss and exited with a concussion that left him vomiting on the sideline. Vinny Testaverde went into the game and sprained his right ankle, leaving his status in doubt for this weekend. Testaverde is listed as probable, but if he's too sore to practice this week, Kliff Kingsbury will be the backup quarterback. Kingsbury replaced Testaverde late in the game, the fifth quarterback the Jets have used this season.
Associated Press