S.D. loses Merriman for game, Neal for year

Star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman will miss the San Diego Chargers' home game against Detroit Sunday because of a sprained ligament in his left knee.

Coach Norv Turner said yesterday the injury isn't season-ending.

"I'm not going to speculate, but it could be a couple of weeks," Turner said a day after Merriman was hurt in the second quarter of San Diego's 23-17 overtime win at Tennessee.

With three games to go in the regular season, the Chargers (8-5) lead the AFC West by two games over Denver.

Merriman had two sacks against Tennessee to push his season total to 11 1/2. He's the sixth player in NFL history to get 10 or more sacks in his first three seasons. He had an NFL-high 17 sacks last year.

Quarterback Philip Rivers also has a sprained left knee, but anticipates playing Sunday. Rivers also was hurt in the second quarter but returned to start the second half.

Fullback Lorenzo Neal, the lead blocker for Chargers star tailback LaDainian Tomlinson, suffered a fractured fibula against the Titans and will miss the rest of the regular season.

Bush out for season?

Citing two league sources, ESPN.com reported that New Orleans tailback Reggie Bush will not play again in 2007, but the Saints were not yet ready to confirm reports Bush will be out the rest of the season.

Bush visited with Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., yesterday for a second opinion on his damaged left knee. The renowned orthopedic surgeon reportedly agreed with the diagnoses of Saints doctors that Bush has a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament. The injury will not require surgery.

Not kicking habits

Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun faces an assault charge for an incident outside a restaurant in Englewood, Colo., a case that could bring more discipline from the NFL.

Sauerbrun, fourth in punting in the NFL, was suspended for the first month of last season after using a banned dietary supplement. Upon his reinstatement, the Broncos and Sauerbrun split ways and he signed with the Patriots.

Sauerbrun returned to Denver on a one-year, $1.4 million contract after being granted his release from the Patriots in the spring, and Broncos coach Mike Shanahan admonished him upon his return: "Just stay clean, just stay out of trouble."

Denver police said Sauerbrun was cited for simple assault early Saturday.

"He was cited for a municipal ordinance violation of simple assault that stemmed from an altercation with a cab driver," a police spokesman said. "So Sauerbrun was not arrested, but he was transported to a local detox facility."

Last year, Sauerbrun lost his job to Paul Ernster while serving his suspension. He rejoined the Broncos April 20 and pledged to repay Shanahan for giving him another chance, much as Denver's coach did in 2005 after Carolina gave up on him following a series of on- and off-field distractions, including a drunken driving arrest.

Sauerbrun could face more discipline from the league under commissioner Roger Goodell's get-tough policy on misbehavior.

Garcia should return

Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia is expected to return to the lineup this Sunday against Atlanta after missing two games with a back bruise that has kept opponents guessing about his availability. Coach Jon Gruden is confident the 37-year-old has had adequate time to recover. Garcia, injured Nov. 25 on the first play of a victory over Washington, practiced last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, fueling speculation he might be ready to play against Houston. Gruden waited until just before kickoff to reveal that backup Luke McCown would start. The coach said Garcia probably could have played, but declaring him the third quarterback was "what we felt was the best interest of Jeff Garcia and his health." . . . Quarterback Alex Smith will undergo surgery on his right shoulder, ending a disappointing season for the San Francisco 49ers' former No. 1 overall draft pick. Smith was sacked by Seattle's Rocky Bernard on the third play of a loss to the Seahawks Sept. 30 and was never the same. He sat out two games, then returned for an ugly three-game stint before the 49ers (3-10) removed him from the lineup for the last four games when he complained of a sore shoulder and an aching forearm . . . Quarterback Kyle Orton, who started 15 games with the Bears in 2005, will return to the role ahead of Brian Griese. Orton, who hasn't played since the season finale two years ago, will start Monday at Minnesota . . . Bills safety George Wilson will miss the rest of the regular season with two broken ribs, but the team has no immediate plans to place him on injured reserve while it remains alive in the playoff race.

Vote of confidence

St. Louis coach Scott Linehan said he received a vote of confidence from team president John Shaw a few days before his team's 19-10 loss at Cincinnati. The Rams fell to 3-10 . . . The league and the players' union announced a program to pay part or all of the costs for joint-replacement surgery for former players. The program includes postsurgery rehabilitation at 280 centers and 85 outpatient therapy clinics . . . Torrey Kretschman, 31, a fan who attended the Vikings-49ers game at Monster Park, died when he fell from an upper concourse to the mezzanine level, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on its website.