Sigh of relief

Boldin's knee injury diagnosed as just bone bruise

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals got good news Monday when an MRI examination determined ace wide receiver Anquan Boldin's knee injury was nothing more than a bone bruise. -NFL Football-

No timetable was set for Boldin's return, but the team said he wouldn't be out as long as feared. -NFL Football-

Boldin missed three months, including six regular-season games, after tearing meniscus cartilage in his right knee at the start of the 2004 training camp, and coach Dennis Green feared the pain in the same knee after Sunday's 34-13 loss at Dallas indicated a similar tear. -NFL Football-

"He's one of the better players on our team," Green said. "I think that he's established he's one of the better receivers in the game. His numbers reflect that." -NFL Football-

Until Boldin's return, Green expects Bryant Johnson to take up the slack at wide receiver, and he's counting on rookie LeRon McCoy, a seventh-round draft pick who averaged 19.5 yards a catch for Indiana (Pa.) University last season to keep the Cardinals big and fast in their three-wideout sets. -NFL Football-

None of Arizona's receivers has proven as physical as Boldin, though. -NFL Football-

He broke his nose in training camp this year and was expected to miss up to three exhibition games. Fitted with a clear visor to protect his nose, Boldin sat out just one before his return. -NFL Football-

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound former Florida State quarterback and receiver is used over the middle, routinely breaks tackles and specializes in tough catches. He was hurt attempting one in the fourth quarter against the Cowboys, when he leaped for a throw from Josh McCown and came down awkwardly. -NFL Football-

He came out of the game with 39 catches for a team-high 616 yards this season. -NFL Football-

Boldin, the 2003 offensive rookie of the year, had three catches before he was hurt. He has 196 in his career, an NFL high for anyone's first 33 games. -NFL Football-

But on the heels of another disheartening loss in Dallas, where the Cardinals (2-5) are 9-31, the team may have caught a break in a steady parade of injuries. -NFL Football-

Green said two players could return this week at positions of need -- the offensive line and the secondary. -NFL Football-

Right tackle Oliver Ross, one of Arizona's prize free-agency acquisitions after starting 16 games with Pittsburgh last year, has missed four games since breaking his right hand Sept. 25 at Seattle. He has been rehabilitating since having surgery to insert a support plate. -NFL Football-

Also expected back is rookie Eric Green, one of two cornerbacks Arizona drafted in the first three rounds. The other was Antrel Rolle, the No. 8 selection, out for the season after knee surgery. -NFL Football-

Eric Green, a valuable member of prevent formations, hurt his shoulder Oct. 9 and has sat out two games. -NFL Football-

"We've had a lot of injuries, and our team doesn't quite look the way we anticipated it looking," Green said. "I high number of guys on the IR, that's part of the game, though." -NFL Football-

Ross was a renowned run-blocker, and his return might bolster a part of the Cardinals offense which hasn't pushed across a touchdown this year and is averaging 71.1 yards a game. -NFL Football-

Pass protection also has been also virtually non-existent for Arizona passers, probably one reason McCown is starting ahead of less mobile Kurt Warner. McCown was sacked three times, roughed up on scrambles and got whacked in the head by Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware while throwing one of his two interceptions. -NFL Football-

"It's something that happens," McCown said. "When you touch the ball every time, you are going to take some shots." -NFL Football-

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