An MRI exam Monday revealed the seriousness of the injury, coach Dennis Green said. Berry will undergo surgery to repair the tear, probably this week.

``A big loss for us,'' Green said. ``I've always said Bertrand is the No. 1 leader on our team.''

It is the second year in a row Berry had his season end prematurely. Last year, he missed the final eight games with a torn pectoral muscle.

Berry leads the team in sacks with six, including two against the Lions. He injured his right arm when he sacked Jon Kitna on third down during a successful goal-line stand late in the third quarter.

``It felt kind of weird,'' Berry said after the game. ``Coming off the block I slammed my hand down trying to get his hands off me, and something didn't feel right. I was able to finish the play, but something didn't feel right.''

The big lineman went to the locker-room for X-rays, then returned for a few plays before deciding he couldn't continue.

``He thought, and the doctors thought, it might be an elbow. Of course, we didn't have the MRI until this morning,'' Green said. ``He tried, but he could not push off.''

The surgery will require about four months for recovery and rehabilitation, Green said.

Antonio Smith, a third-year pro out of Oklahoma State, will replace Berry, as he did a year ago.

Berry signed with the Cardinals three years ago after three seasons with the Denver Broncos. In 2005, his first year in Arizona, he had 14{ sacks _ third-most in a season in Cardinals history _ and made the Pro Bowl. He had six sacks before he was hurt last year, and has 26{ in his injury-plagued three seasons with Arizona.

The team's awful start led Berry to call out his teammates on his weekly radio show. On the Thursday before the team's bye weekend, with the Cardinals at 1-7, Berry questioned some of the players' commitment.

``This is not Friday night football in high school where you're just playing in front of your little girlfriend in the stands,'' Berry said on station KMVP. ``You're actually getting paid to do this, so it's your job to go out there each and every day and do the job that you're paid very well to do. When you don't do it, you should not have your job anymore. It's that simple.''

The comments led to a players' only meeting the following week. The Cardinals subsequently lost to Dallas, then snapped an eight-game skid by beating the Lions.

Afterward, Berry praised the Cardinals' attitude.

``I felt it coming in the locker-room, guys were ready to play, they were tuned in,'' he said. ``... Hopefully we can build on this and go forward to the next six games and finish strong.''

They'll have to do it without their leader on the defensive line.