Rookies Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene led the Jets to a stunning 17-14 upset of San Diego in the divisional playoffs Sunday, each providing a touchdown in the fourth quarter. New York faces the Colts in the AFC championship game next Sunday.
The Colts and Saints go down to the wire before improving to 9-0. The Bengals complete a Steeler sweep. The Falcons fall to the Panthers. LaDainian Tomlinson leads the Chargers to a share of the AFC West lead
by Jay Glazer
First Tom Brady. Now Shawne Merriman.
San Diego's three-time Pro Bowl linebacker has elected to have season-surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left knee. Several Chargers players and general manager A.J. Smith have said that the Pro Bowler has informed them of the decision.
"Shawne informed me he did not feel right and thought it best to shut it down," Smith said in a statement. "The road to winning the AFC West just got more difficult, but not impossible. Nothing is impossible. Shawne is a great player and an inspirational leader. He will be missed. We wish him a successful surgery and a speedy recovery."
Several calls left for Merriman have not yet been returned.
Merriman will have season-ending surgery....
Mercury News Wire Services
The surgeon's knife can wait. Shawne Merriman is going to play football, two torn knee ligaments and all.
A day after visiting a fourth doctor, the San Diego Chargers' star outside linebacker decided Wednesday to play this season rather than have surgery on his damaged left knee.
"To be as simple as possible, I just want to play football," Merriman said. "That's what it comes down to. I know what's on the table, I know what's on the line. I put a lot of work in this and I want to play."
Merriman said late last week that he has tears in both the posterior cruciate and lateral collateral ligaments in his left knee, which he hurt in a game at Tennessee in December. He spent several days seeking outside opinions. He returned Tuesday after seeing a doctor in Miami.
Merriman said all four doctors he saw said he needed surgery, but there "just wasn't a time frame on that. My knee still looks pretty good. The decision was left up to me to play. If you give a football player a decision to play, you know, I'm going to play."
Chargers' Merriman to play despite injuries....
In an email to the North County Times, All Pro linebacker Shawne Merriman has revealed that the pain he has been struggling with this pre-season is related to ligament damage in his left knee. He told the San Diego Union Tribune that the damage is in the Posterior Cruciate ligament.
The immediate prognosis is uncertain. Options are still being weighed and the extent of the damage is unknown. Merriman has said that if the choice is left to him he will play with pain rather than miss time. If a surgical solution is necessary, recovery time will be part of the decision. Would the Chargers rather have Merriman at, say, 75% for a whole season or at 100% but only for 10 games?
Merriman's knee injury concerns Chargers....
