Merriman could miss ‘a couple of weeks’

San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Shawne Merriman will sit out Sunday’s game against Detroit and perhaps more because of a sprained left knee ligament suffered against Tennessee.

Coach Norv Turner said Monday that Merriman’s injury wasn’t season-ending.

“I’m not going to speculate, but it could be a couple of weeks,” Turner said.

Quarterback Philip Rivers is expected to play against the Lions despite also spraining his left knee against the Titans on Sunday.

St. Louis Coach Scott Linehan was told he won’t lose his job because of the Rams’ 3-10 record.

Team President John Shaw told Linehan it would be unfair to judge his performance this season, given that 11 players are on injured reserve -- including seven starters.

The Rams were 8-8 in Linehan’s first season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia is expected to return this week against Atlanta after sitting out two games and most of a third because of a lower back bruise.

Garcia was injured Nov. 25.

Chicago Bears quarterback Kyle Orton, who started 15 games as a rookie in 2005, will replace Brian Griese on Monday against Minnesota.

Griese completed 61.5% of his passes for 1,803 yards with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith will undergo surgery on his right shoulder, ending a disappointing season. He was hurt Sept. 30.

The 49ers also expect to be without backup Trent Dilfer, who suffered a concussion Sunday against Minnesota. Shaun Hill is likely to start.

Buffalo Bills safety George Wilson will miss the rest of the regular season because of two broken ribs but the team has no plans to put him on injured reserve while it remains in the playoff chase.

Denver Broncos punter Todd Sauerbrun was cited for simple assault early Saturday in an incident outside an Englewood, Colo., restaurant, a case that could endanger his future with the team and bring more discipline from the NFL.

Sauerbrun was suspended the first month of last season for using a banned dietary supplement.

“If he’s guilty, he’s going to have to pay the price,” said Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan, who gave Sauerbrun a second chance after he was arrested on drunk driving charges in 2005 while playing for the Carolina Panthers.

The game between the Washington Redskins and Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 23, a matchup with potential playoff implications, will become the Sunday night game on NBC. It replaces the originally scheduled Tampa Bay-San Francisco game.

The New England Patriots were again a ratings winner, with their Sunday victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers earning an 18.4 overnight rating and 33 share in the nation’s 55 largest markets. The comparable time slot at this time last year on CBS received a 13.7.