A model of consistency

Post traumatic stress defense in fatal hit-and-run denied

First Posted: 10/21/2013 ST. LOUIS &#8212; Sam Bradford is done for the season, and the burden for the St. Louis Rams has just become a whole lot bigger.
The quarterback will have will have season-ending surgery for a torn ligament in his left knee, a major blow to a team seeking its first winning record in a decade. He was hurt in the fourth quarter of Sunday&#8217;s 30-15 loss at Carolina that dropped the Rams to 3-4.
&#8220;Even if Sam wasn&#8217;t hurt, we&#8217;d still have some heavy lifting to do,&#8221; center Scott Wells said after the game. &#8220;But this adds extra to it.&#8221;
The extent of the injury was revealed on an MRI exam late Sunday after the return flight, and the team announced the results Monday. Coach Jeff Fisher was to provide details at an afternoon news conference.
Bradford tore his anterior cruciate ligament when he landed on his knee after being shoved out of bounds by safety Mike Mitchell. Fisher said after the game that Bradford was in &#8220;significant pain&#8221; on the sideline. Teammates feared the worst once they saw him carted off the field and on crutches in the locker room.
Kellen Clemens filled in for Bradford and is the only other quarterback on the roster, with the team a week away from a Monday night home game against the Seahawks. Austin Davis, released late in training camp, is perhaps the leading potential backup.
Colts lose WR Wayne
INDIANAPOLIS &#8212; Colts receiver Reggie Wayne will miss the rest of the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during Sunday night&#8217;s win over Denver.
Wayne was injured in the fourth quarter as he tried to come back and catch a low pass. He was not hit on the play.
It&#8217;s a devastating blow for the Colts (5-2) and for Wayne, the 35-year-old receiver who became the ninth member of the league&#8217;s 1,000-catch club last week. Wayne had started 189 consecutive games, the longest streak among active receivers.
Bears lose trio
LAKE FOREST, Ill. &#8212; The Chicago Bears expect quarterback Jay Cutler to miss at least four weeks with a groin injury and Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs will be sidelined around six weeks with a shoulder injury.
Cutler suffered a muscle tear in his groin during Sunday&#8217;s 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins, while Briggs left with a small fracture in his shoulder.
Pro Bowl cornerback Charles Tillman also left with a knee injury, and Chicago (4-3) fell for the third time in four games.
Texans&#8217; Cushing out again
HOUSTON &#8212; Texans Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Cushing is out for the season with a left knee injury that will require surgery.
Cushing was injured in the third quarter of Sunday&#8217;s loss at Kansas City during a low block by running back Jamaal Charles. It&#8217;s the second straight year Cushing has been lost for the year with a left knee injury. He tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee in Week 5 last season.
The Texans signed Cushing to a six-year contract worth $55.6 million before this season.
More tests for Packers&#8217; Finley
GREEN BAY, Wis. &#8212; Packers coach Mike McCarthy says tight end Jermichael Finley suffered a significant neck injury in Sunday&#8217;s win over the Browns and needs more tests to determine the severity.
But McCarthy said Monday that Finley is upbeat and &#8220;performing daily activities.&#8221;
Finley was taken to a hospital after being carted off the field following the hit from Cleveland safety Tashaun Gipson during the 31-13 victory.
Receiver James Jones missed Sunday&#8217;s game with a knee injury. McCarthy said the initial thought was that Jones might miss at least a couple weeks, but added that his availability would be evaluated again Wednesday.

Rams QB Bradford leads injury parade