Injury Forces Udeze to Sit Out the Season

Minnesota Viking defensive end Kenechi Udeze, a former USC standout and a starter in his second NFL season, will sit out the rest of the season because of an injury to his left knee.

Udeze, hurt in Minnesota’s game against New Orleans on Sept. 25, didn’t play last week at Atlanta. He had arthroscopic surgery Tuesday that revealed a problem more serious than the team originally believed.

Coach Mike Tice confirmed the news after Thursday’s practice, the last gathering of the week for the struggling Vikings (1-3), who don’t play this weekend.

Udeze, a first-round draft pick, made 15 starts and had five sacks as a rookie last season.

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Rookie wide receiver Terrence Murphy, who hurt his neck and was taken off the field on a stretcher Monday night, was put on injured reserve by the Green Bay Packers, ending his season.

Murphy suffered a bruised spinal cord on Thomas Davis’ helmet-to-helmet hit in the second quarter of Green Bay’s 32-29 loss at Carolina on Monday night.

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Bill Coach Mike Mularkey’s secret is out -- wide receivers Eric Moulds and Lee Evans acknowledged that backup Kelly Holcomb would replace J.P. Losman as the starting quarterback for Buffalo’s home game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Mularkey declined to comment after practice.

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Michael Vick said he felt better as he tested his sprained right knee in practice drills.

The Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback says he believes he will start when the New England Patriots visit Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Patriots might be without Pro Bowl defensive end Richard Seymour, who sat out part of practice Wednesday and Thursday because of an injury.

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NFL owners voted to extend their commitment to NFL Europe for five more years. The league set an attendance record by averaging 18,965 fans a game last season, up 20% from 2004.