Tampa Bay Assistant Missing

An assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was reported missing Monday after he failed to show up for a game the previous day against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Atlanta police issued an alert asking for the public’s help in locating 44-year-old Wendell Avery.

Police spokesman John Quigley said foul play wasn’t suspected.

Avery, an offensive assistant for the Buccaneers, had not talked with his family or team officials since Saturday night, team spokesman Reggie Roberts said.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with coach Avery and his family,” Roberts said. “We have filed a missing person’s report with the Atlanta police department and continue to monitor the situation.”

Avery has not been seen by the Buccaneers since a staff meeting at 10 p.m. Saturday, after the team arrived at its Atlanta hotel, Roberts said. The coach was not at Sunday’s game at the Georgia Dome.

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The St. Louis Rams’ Marshall Faulk had knee surgery Monday, and the team said the star running back is expected to be sidelined three weeks.

The operation removed loose cartilage from Faulk’s right knee, an injury that forced one of the NFL’s best runners to miss Sunday night’s loss to the Carolina Panthers.

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Receiver Raghib Ismail and safety George Teague are out for the rest of the season, leaving the reeling Dallas Cowboys without two more starters. Ismail tore a ligament in his right knee in the first quarter of Dallas’ 16-13 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Sunday and Teague broke his right foot during a fourth-quarter interception that was wiped out by a penalty. . . . For the third week in a row, Seattle Seahawk quarterback Brock Huard is likely to be sidelined because of a lingering concussion. . . . San Diego Charger Coach Mike Riley said quarterback Jim Harbaugh has a mild hernia and that Moses Moreno likely will be the starter Sunday against Miami. . . . Atlanta Falcon quarterback Chris Chandler is doubtful for Sunday’s game at Detroit because of a concussion. . . . Jacksonville Jaguar linebacker Hardy Nickerson had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, an injury that probably will keep him out of Sunday’s game against Seattle. . . . San Francisco 49er offensive tackle Derrick Deese is scheduled for arthroscopic knee surgery today and will be out at least three weeks. . . . The St. Louis Rams released kicker Pete Stoyanovich, a day after he missed two field-goal attempts in a loss to Carolina. Ram Coach Mike Martz said the NFC West leaders will sign Jeff Hall. . . . Kicker Kris Heppner, who missed fourth-quarter field goals of 51 and 33 yards in Washington’s 16-15 loss at Arizona, was cut by the Redskins. . . . Defensive tackle Larry Webster returned to the Baltimore Ravens after serving a third suspension, which lasted eight games, for violating the NFL’s alcohol and substance policy. . . . The NFL has decided Aeneas Williams’ fumble return in Arizona’s 16-15 upset of the Washington Redskins on Sunday was 104 yards, tying a league record, not 103 as originally reported.