Vikings have likely lost Culpepper for rest of season
Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper could miss the rest of the season after injuring his right knee against Carolina on Sunday, coach Mike Tice said.
“The quarterback doesn’t appear to be in good shape,” Tice said. “I’m not a doctor, but the initial tests are not good. It doesn’t appear that it’s going to be anything that we as Vikings will want to hear.
“Things happen that are devastating. This certainly, if it’s as serious as it appears, is devastating to our football team.”
Culpepper ran for an 18-yard gain on the final play of the first quarter when he was hit by multiple defenders. Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble came in from the side and tackled Culpepper’s leg and he immediately grabbed his knee.
Culpepper was helped off the field and taken to a cart for the ride into the locker room. The team initially said he sprained his knee.
He was on crutches with a heavy brace around his knee after the game and said he wouldn’t know anything until after undergoing an MRI today.
Favre passes Elway
Brett Favre passed John Elway and moved into second place in career passes and yards.
Favre surpassed Elway’s marks early in the fourth quarter of Green Bay’s loss to Cincinnati. Elway had been second with 51,475 yards and 7,250 attempts.
Dan Marino holds the league records with 61,361 yards and 8,358 passes.
•Cincinnati will reassess its security measures after a fan ran onto the field and disrupted a potential game-tying drive by Green Bay.
The Packers, trailing 21-14, reached the Bengals 28 with 23 seconds left. Brett Favre took the ensuing snap, but whistles quickly blew after the fan came onto the field. The unidentified man took the football out of Favre’s hand and ran about 50 yards before being tackled by security guards and removed from the field.
Favre was sacked on the next play, and on the final snap, his underhanded pass fell incomplete.
Cardinals’ Boldin injures knee
Arizona Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin left Sunday’s game with what appears to be the same knee injury that forced him to miss six games last season.
Cardinals coach Dennis Green said Boldin likely tore the meniscus in his right knee, and that an MRI would be done today to determine the severity of the injury.
Buccaneers send Rice home
Tampa Bay defensive end Simeon Rice was deactivated and sent home before the Buccaneers’ game at San Francisco for an undisclosed violation of club policy.
Rice led the Buccaneers with five sacks in six games. Tampa Bay general manager Bruce Allen refused to comment on reports Rice missed a team meeting before the game, but said Rice wasn’t suspended.