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Arizona Cardinals loses star receiver Fitzgerald for two to five weeks

The struggling Arizona Cardinals lost Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald for perhaps a month or more with a hamstring injury.

``I'd say it will be at least two weeks, two-to-five maybe, two-to-four, it's hard to say,'' coach Dennis Green said at his Monday news conference. ``It's a real strong pull, maybe even a slight tear in there also.''

Two other starters _ guard Milford Brown and nose tackle Kendrick Clancy _ injured ankles in Sunday's 23-20 home loss to Kansas City and might not play when the Cardinals, losers of four in a row, host the unbeaten Chicago Bears next Monday night.

Fitzgerald was hurt late in the first quarter Sunday, shortly after catching a 5-yard touchdown pass from Matt Leinart.

``I was trying to crack back on a guy, and he just kind of moved out of the way at the last minute,'' Fitzgerald said after the game. ``When I was lunging, he wasn't there. I felt it pop on me.''

Fitzgerald has 25 catches for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Last season, his second in the NFL, he caught 103 passes, tied with Steve Smith for most in the NFL. He and Anquan Boldin combined for 205 catches, most for any teammates in league history.

Green said Carlyle Holiday, a quarterback-turned-receiver at Notre Dame, would move up from the practice squad.

``He's been with us two years and had a good training camp,'' Green said. ``I think he's ready to play and help us. We'll decide who the starter is and who the third and fourth receivers are over the next couple of days.''

The injury also means more playing time for Troy Walters, the seven-year NFL veteran who was the team's No. 4 receiver behind Boldin, Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson.

Walters' 26-yard pass from Leinart set up Neil Rackers' 51-yard field goal attempt with 2 seconds to go. The kick was wide right.

Brown's injury to his right ankle could mean the first NFL start for Deuce Lutui, a teammate of Leinart at USC and the Cardinals' second-round draft pick. The 6-foot-4, 338-pound rookie, who grew up in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa, saw considerable playing time in place of Brown on Sunday.

Clancy hurt his left ankle, an injury that Green said probably isn't as serious as Brown's but still could keep him out against the Bears. Green was pleased with the play of rookie Gabe Watson, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan, in place of Clancy.

Although he didn't have a tackle, the 6-3, 340-pound Watson was credited by the coach for helping clog the middle of the line and help hold Larry Johnson to 36 yards rushing, his lowest total in 16 games. However, Johnson broke free on a 78-yard screen pass to set up Lawrence Tynes' winning 19-yard field goal with 1:36 to play.

Linebacker James Darling, out with a calf injury since the second week of the season, is expected to miss the Bears game after a setback last week.

Green praised the play of Leinart in his first NFL start, specifically at the end of the game when, with no timeouts, he directed the team from its 10-yard line to the Chiefs 33 to set up the tying field goal try.

Leinart was 22-of-35 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He completed his first six passes, two for scores.

His only big mistakes, the coach said, were the interception by Ty Law that set up the tying field goal in the fourth quarter, and the failure to throw the ball away on a costly sack late in the game.

``That's not bad,'' Green said, ``for as much as we counted on him during the course of the game.''


© The Canadian Press, 2007

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End: Arizona Cardinals loses star receiver Fitzgerald for two to five weeks
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