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The Rams' announcement that Marc Bulger could miss three to six weeks with a broken tibia (shinbone) could prevent him from auditioning for a job that likely wasn't going to be his anyway.

An $8.5 million salary for 2010 was going to make it tough for the Rams to justify keeping him unless Bulger played at a high level while the Rams won a few games down the stretch.

Kyle Boller becomes the starter for the time-being. The Rams' starter beyond this season might not be on the roster.

Bulger is a tough guy. He stayed in the game against Arizona even though he had a strained groin and hamstring, a potential concussion and a broken leg. It's unfortunate for him that his career in St. Louis might end this way.

I am traveling back from St. Louis. More on this one Tuesday.

ST. LOUIS -- Bryan Burwell, Brian Stull and I spent some time Monday discussing the Rams' quarterback situation on 101ESPN St. Louis.

Audio here.

Bulger has come to symbolize the Rams' struggles even though the team does not have a better alternative. What to do? We talked about it, drawing parallels to what the 49ers faced when they selected Alex Smith.

We also discussed concussions, Kurt Warner's willingness to leave the game Sunday after possibly suffering one, the Rams' chances against Seattle and the Cardinals' plan for Matt Leinart.

By the way, the Cardinals had no new information on Warner's status. It sounds like he'll play in Week 12.

I am heading to the St. Louis airport shortly and heading home.

ST. LOUIS -- Rams quarterback Marc Bulger might not play against the Seahawks in Week 12 after suffering multiple injuries against the Cardinals.

Bulger suffered a strain to what coach Steve Spagnuolo called his "groin-hamstring" area. Bulger also sustained a blow to the head. He will undergo tests for potential concussion Tuesday. Bulger also awoke Monday with swelling in his knee. He will under go an MRI exam on the knee this afternoon.

Also on the injury front, fullback Mike Karney is undergoing an MRI for a potential neck injury. Defensive end Leonard Little is undergoing an X-ray on his lower back. Right tackle Jason Smith is undergoing tests after suffering a potential concussion. Running back Steven Jackson has soreness in his lower back (a "muscle strain" was what Spagnuolo called it).

Bulger's injuries were most serious. Spagnuolo did not sound concerned about Jackson's ability to play in Week 12.

Our decision -- OK, my decision -- to establish clear tiebreakers for ESPN.com's Power Rankings didn't convince everyone.

The Saints prevailed over the Colts in the No. 1 spot last week on the fourth tiebreaker: previous ranking.

The first three -- head-to-head results, overall record and which team won most recently -- failed to break the ties.

"Mike, you guys had a tough decision to make, but by your own rules, you've gotten it wrong," Andrew from Indianapolis wrote. "There is no clarification on the scope of this third tiebreaker. The Colts currently have a 18-game regular-season winning streak whereas the Saints lost the last game of the 2008 season. I believe you have some re-ordering to do."

Thanks for the feedback, Andrew, but we cannot un-ring this bell.

The way I read the tiebreaker, both teams won in the previous week and both teams had won every week this season. I wasn't going to dip into last season. The Colts lost in the playoffs. Should that count? I'm comfortable with the tiebreakers as interpreted, even though it's tough to say one team is clearly better than the other at this point.

Let's clarify the third tiebreaker to include which team won most recently this season.

By the way, the chart shows rankings from last week, with Week 11 losers in red. New power rankings appear here Tuesday.

And now, the power rankings revisited ...

The reckoning: Three games featured lower-ranked teams defeating higher-ranked teams:

• (28) Oakland 20, (4) Cincinnati 17. And to think, I almost started Carson Palmer in the NFC West Gridiron Challenge. The Raiders have allowed only eight touchdown passes all season.
• (27) Kansas City 27, (6) Pittsburgh 24 (OT). Todd Haley would have traded this one for a victory over the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.
• (16) New York Giants 34, (14) Atlanta 31. Both quarterbacks needed to make big plays, and they did. Eli Manning and Matt Ryan combined for five touchdowns and one interception.

Still to play: (22) Tennessee at (13) Houston on "Monday Night Football."

Homing in: The Browns and Rams both lost at home despite inflicting injuries upon opposing quarterbacks. We should expect nothing less from the only teams without at least one home victory this season.

Rising in defeat: The Redskins? They played the Cowboys tough on the road and nearly won the game.

Northbound in a hurry: The Chargers have won five in a row. The Titans will have won four in a row if they can beat the Texans. The Jaguars, Vikings and Cardinals have each won three in a row, but Minnesota doesn't have much room for improvement in the power rankings. Arizona could challenge for the top five after the Bengals and Steelers lost to weak opponents.

On a roll: The top seven teams in the NFC standings (not the power rankings) have won a combined 21 games in a row (Saints 10, Vikings 3, Cowboys 1, Cardinals 3, Eagles 1, Packers 2, Giants 1).

Free falling: The Bears and Broncos can't find the ripcord, while the Seahawks have been outscored 66-15 since taking a 14-0 lead over the Cardinals in Week 10.

My early favorite for the No. 1 spot: Indianapolis. The Saints are also worthy. What's not to like about teams with 10-0 records?

ESPN's Merril Hoge wants the NFL to adopt a universal standard for dealing with concussions.

His standard would require players to go without concussion-related symptoms for seven consecutive days before playing again.

The Cardinals expect to find out Monday whether quarterback Kurt Warner suffered a concussion against the Rams. Warner appeared clear-minded after the game.

The facts: The Seahawks fell to 3-7 with a 35-9 road defeat to the Vikings in Week 11.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Seattle played the Vikings to a scoreless tie after one quarter.
• Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completed 19 of 26 passes for 231 yards while taking just one sack.
• Hasselbeck avoided serious injury despite absorbing an awkward double-hit that appeared to place significant torque on his previously injured back.
• Receiver Nate Burleson bounced back from a poor showing against the Cardinals.
• Justin Forsett caught eight passes for 80 yards working as a receiver out of the backfield.
• Rookie guard Max Unger continued to distinguish himself as arguably the Seahawks' most promising offensive lineman.
• Linebacker David Hawthorne finished with 15 tackles and one quarterback hit.
• Defensive ends Darryl Tapp and Cory Redding each had first-quarter sacks.

Looking ahead: The Seahawks face the Rams on the road in Week 12.

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

The facts: The 49ers fell to 4-6 with a 30-24 road defeat to the Packers in Week 11.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Tight end Vernon Davis made an overhead catch almost worthy of Ghost-to-the-post comparisons. Davis has become a big-time receiving threat down the middle of the field. Though his game isn't perfect, Davis has become a Pro Bowl-caliber tight end. He showed why again Sunday with six receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown.
• Rookie Michael Crabtree caught a touchdown pass for the first time in his NFL career. He finished with four receptions for 77 yards.
• Quarterback Alex Smith tossed three second-half touchdown passes on his way to an 88.8 passer rating.
• Running back Frank Gore had a 42-yard run.
• Receiver Josh Morgan gained 76 yards on a kickoff return.
• Outside linebackers Manny Lawson and Parys Haralson each recorded sacks.

Looking ahead: The 49ers face the Jaguars at home in Week 12.

The facts: The Rams fell to 1-9 with a 21-13 home defeat to the Rams in Week 11.

The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.

• Steven Jackson became the first player in Rams history to record five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. He carried 24 times for 116 yards and a touchdown.
• Second-year defensive end Chris Long recorded a sack for the third game in a row. He has played better lately, a good sign for the Rams given how much they invested in him.
• Rookie Brandon Gibson caught five more passes, giving him 12 receptions in the last two games.
• The Rams finished with eight quarterback hits, including one that knocked Kurt Warner from the game. That was a tribute to coach Steve Spagnuolo's blitz schemes. The Rams impressed the Cardinals as a well-coordinated team, and Arizona's Ken Whisenhunt said so afterward.
• The Rams held the Cardinals scoreless in the second half.

Looking ahead: The Rams face the Seahawks at home in Week 12.