Culpepper may be out for season

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper may have suffered a season-ending injury at the end of the first quarter of today's loss to Carolina. From a press report (without a direct link, unfortunately):

"The quarterback doesn't appear to be in good shape,'' [Vikings head coach Mike] Tice said. "I'm not a doctor, but the initial tests are not good. It doesn't appear that it's going to be anything that we as Vikings will want to hear.

"Things happen that are devastating. This certainly, if it's as serious as it appears, is devastating to our football team.''

Culpepper ran for an 18-yard gain on the final play of the first quarter when he was hit by multiple defenders. Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble came in from the side and tackled Culpepper's leg and he immediately grabbed his knee.

Culpepper was helped off the field and taken to a cart for the ride into the locker room. The team initially said he sprained his knee.

He was on crutches with a heavy brace around his knee after the game and said he wouldn't know anything until after undergoing an MRI on Monday.

"I'm not talking about anything,'' Culpepper said. "We don't know the extent of the damage right now. I really can't talk about it until we do the MRIs and find out.'' [. . .]

"When Daunte went out, they lost their leader,'' Carolina defensive end Mike Rucker said. "He's the head of that dragon and when he's not there, it takes the air right out of them.''

Brad Johnson, the backup QB, is a fine player (he won a Superbowl with Tampa Bay), but he plays a different sort of game than Culpepper, so the immediate effect of Culpepper's injury will be to take some plays away (specifically the longer passes and the designed QB draws).

At this point, it's only too easy to imagine the team giving up on the season and playing only for the 1st draft pick in the 2006 spring draft. I certainly hope this isn't what happens.