Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Kevin Hardy, who suffered a knee injury in last Sunday's game in Dallas, is expected to be out for two to three weeks because of the injury. Hardy underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam on the knee late Monday afternoon at Baptist Medical Center, and the injury has been diagnosed as a sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL).
Hardy suffered the injury on the sixth play of the game in Dallas, which the Cowboys won 26-22. Jeff Kopp replaced Hardy for the remainder of that game, and Kopp is expected to make his first start this Sunday when the Jaguars play the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh.
JAGUARS AMONG LEADERS
In this week's NFL statistical rankings, Jaguars punter Bryan Barker leads the NFL in gross punting and net punting. Through seven games Barker has a gross punting average of 49.2 yards, and a net average of 39.7 yards.
Quarterback Mark Brunell is currently tied for fourth in the AFC with a passer rating of 87.0. Running back James Stewart shares the NFL lead in touchdowns with eight, while kicker Mike Hollis ranks fourth among AFC kickers with 57 points.
Jaguars wide receivers Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell rank third and tied for eighth, respectively, among AFC reception leaders with 39 and 34 receptions. Smith's 560 receiving yards rank second in the conference, while McCardell's 465 yards rank 11th.
Cornerback Deon Figures is tied for third in the AFC with three interceptions, and defensive end Clyde Simmons is tied for eighth with 4.5 quarterback sacks.
