With the retirement of seven-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan, the job of repeating as Super Bowl champions was going to be difficult for the New York Giants.

Now it might be near impossible with the news that fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora is out for the season with a knee injury.

An MRI yesterday showed that Umenyiora tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee in a preseason game against the New York Jets on Saturday night.

The two-time Pro Bowler will have surgery tomorrow at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. The recovery period is about four months.

Dr. Russell Warren, the team surgeon, never discussed a non-surgical option, coach Tom Coughlin said.

"My number one concern is about Osi," Coughlin said in a telephone conference call yesterday. "I did talk to him on the phone a short while ago and told him that he is in everyone's thoughts and prayers."

Umenyiora was injured when his foot seemed to stick to the turf as he tried to beat Jets tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson to the outside.

Umenyiora was carted off the field with what the team described as a locked knee. X-rays taken during the game revealed no ligament damage. An MRI yesterday found the torn meniscus on the 26-year-old, who led the team with 13 sacks last season.

FALCONS

ROOKIE WILL START AT QB

Matt Ryan will be Atlanta's starting quarterback this season.

The No. 3 overall draft pick was chosen yesterday by first-year Falcons coach Mike Smith, who indicated that Ryan will likely play just the first series of Atlanta's preseason finale Thursday night at Baltimore.

"Everything that you get in this game you've earned, whether it be a touchdown, a win, whatever it is," said Ryan, a former Boston College quarterback. "In some sense, it is satisfying in that light, but trust me, there's a lot of work ahead, and I know that probably just as much as everybody around here."

The Falcons, who went 4-12 last year, host Detroit to begin the regular season Sept. 7.

REDSKINS

TAYLOR OUT 10-14 DAYS

It's touch and go whether Jason Taylor will play in Washington's season opener against the New York Giants on Sept. 4.

Taylor sprained his right knee in the second quarter of Saturday night's 47-3 loss. An MRI performed yesterday morning allayed Redskins' fears of a more serious injury.

"It looks like there's no ligament damage," coach Jim Zorn said. "He could be out for 10 days or as much as two weeks. We are just waiting to see what type of a healer he's going to be."

Taylor has a streak of 130 consecutive regular-season starts, but that was put in jeopardy when the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end had his leg bent awkwardly in a pile during DeAngelo Williams' 5-yard run.

Taylor was acquired in a trade with Miami last month.

BILLS 20, COLTS 7

BUFFALO RUINS OPENING

The Buffalo Bills ruined Indianapolis' grand opening celebration last night.

Xavier Omon ran for one touchdown, Terrence McGee returned a fumble for another score and Rian Lindell kicked two field goals, leading the visiting Bills over the Colts in the Lucas Oil Stadium debut.

"It was a rather disappointing evening for us," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "We wanted to play much better to open up the stadium, but it didn't happen. They outplayed us tonight."

Omon scored on a 1-yard run with 5 minutes left in the half to make it 10-0, and McGee scooped up Joseph Addai's fumble and sprinting 68 yards for a score to make it 17-0 with 1:43 to go.

ELSEWHERE

Bengals: Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer broke his nose during Saturday's game against New Orleans, but coach Marvin Lewis said he should be ready for the regular season.

Raiders: Oakland lost two players from its offense to season-ending knee injuries when receiver Drew Carter and fullback Oren O'Neal went down in Saturday night's 24-0 loss to Arizona.

Bears: Chicago waived former University of Hawai'i receiver Ryan Grice-Mullins. Grice-Mullens, a rookie, left UH after his junior season.