Hardwick sidelined 3-4 weeks

By: MIKE SULLIVAN - Staff Writer | Tuesday, October 16, 2007 11:58 PM PDT ∞

SAN DIEGO -- Chargers center Nick Hardwick was smiling and in a jovial mood Tuesday despite definitive knowledge that he will miss three to four weeks after spraining his right foot against Oakland two days earlier.

Hardwick had feared the injury might be more extensive, but an MRI exam showed that the injury was just a sprain and not something more significant.

"That's always the case," said Hardwick of his concerns. "It doesn't feel good when it happens and the next day, your spirits get down a bit. You got to find out what's going on inside of there."

Because the Chargers have a bye this week and don't resume play until Oct. 28 against Houston, it's conceivable that Hardwick could miss only two or three games.

The Pro Bowl center was hurt on the seventh offensive play of Sunday's game and was replaced by veteran reserve Cory Withrow, who did a stellar job by all accounts on an afternoon in which LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 198 yards.

While frustrated that he will be a spectator for a while, Hardwick doesn't expect his absence to hinder the offensive line.

"They'll be fine without me," Hardwick said. "They're going to keep rockin' and working hard. Cory is going to do a good job. It's frustrating, for sure, not to be in there. I wanted to be in there when L.T. ran for 198 yards, of course, but I wasn't and we got a win. So, really, who cares?"

Bye week

The Chargers conducted practice Tuesday with coach Norv Turner resting numerous veterans and increasing repetitions for many of the squad's younger players.

The team will practice again today and Thursday before getting three consecutive days off.

Quarterback Philip Rivers said he likes the timing of the bye because the Chargers have won their last two games.

"You'd much rather go into a bye week coming off two wins than coming off two losses," Rivers said. "I've never really bought into the good time or bad time for a bye week. We're not going to change it either way."

Et cetera

OLB Shaun Phillips is one of five finalists for the weekly GMC Defensive Player of the Week award. Phillips had nine tackles and two sacks last Sunday and forced Oakland QB Daunte Culpepper to lose a fumble on a key sack near the end of the first half. Other candidates for the award are Kansas City DE Jared Allen, Tampa Bay CB Phillip Buchanon, Carolina DE Julius Peppers and Green Bay CB Charles Woodson. Fans can vote online at nfl.com. ... RB LaDainian Tomlinson (198 rushing yards, four touchdowns vs. Oakland) is one of three finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week. Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson are the other finalists.