Sharper has sprained knee, may miss Sunday game

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Packers Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper has a sprained right knee but has not been ruled out for this weekend's game against the New York Jets.

An MRI on Monday confirmed that Sharper sprained his medical collateral ligament when he took a helmet to the knee during his league-leading seventh interception return Sunday against Buffalo.

Recovery time for such an injury is anywhere from one week to one month, so it's conceivable he's done for the season.

Coach Mike Sherman is optimistic Sharper will be back quickly and is even holding out hope he can play in the Packers' crucial regular-season finale Sunday against the New York Jets.

"I'm not going to rule him out right now," Sherman said. "Another player, maybe. But Darren has been a guy who's come back quickly from injury."

Sharper missed two games after pulling a hamstring on Oct. 7, the only time he has sat out during his six-year NFL career.

Sharper got hurt after picking off Drew Bledsoe's deflected pass in the end zone in the first quarter of Green Bay's 10-0 victory Sunday.

"I thought, 'Man, this is a gift!' and I caught it and after that, I don't remember what happened," Sharper said.

Instead of taking a knee, Sharper ran it out to the 14, where Bills fullback Larry Centers dived into his right knee, knocking him from the game.

Two weeks ago, Sherman admonished Sharper after he fueled an ugly sideline scuffle by zigzagging across the field for 66 yards with an intercepted pass on the last play against Minnesota.

Darren Sharper is being asked to curb his aggressive returns. (AP)

Sharper, who took on more of a leadership role upon LeRoy Butler's retirement this summer, didn't learn his lesson, Sherman said.

"Every time he puts his hands on the ball, he thinks he's going to score a touchdown. He doesn't think anybody can tackle him," Sherman said. "He thought from 5 yards deep in the end zone he could bring it back 100 yards for a touchdown.

"That's his mentality. It's hard to take away that competitive pulse."

Even though Sharper does the right thing and takes a knee in those situations in practice, games are another story.

But Sherman did have another talk with his star defender, who leads the league with 22 interceptions since the start of the 2000 season.

"He knows he should have taken a knee," Sherman said.

Does that mean Sharper will know better next time?

"I couldn't tell you that, honestly," Sherman said.

If Sharper sits out, journeyman Matt Bowen, who replaced him Sunday, will start alongside rookie Marques Anderson.

"I'm not Darren Sharper and I can't be Darren Sharper. He's the Pro Bowl safety, the best in the NFL," Bowen said. "I just step in and do my job to help us win. When someone goes out you are not going to change your whole defense."

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