1.   -- Linebacker KYLE CLIFTON has a slight cartilage tear in his right knee, but will continue to play.

2.   They learned that the knee pain that knocked Mark Langston out of his start against Minnesota on Sunday resulted from a slight cartilage tear.

3.   Worse, Piazza has had a bum right knee since the end of May, when it was discovered he had a slight cartilage tear.

4.   Backup Lorenzen Wright, who has a slight cartilage tear in his right knee, could return late in the week.

5.   Sullivan went down with a slight cartilage tear in his right knee.

6.   Simon Culhane steps in as fly-half for Andrew Mehrtens, who underwent a successful operation in Johannesburg to repair a slight cartilage tear to his knee.