The first weekend of the 2021 NFL playoffs came and went without any devastating injuries being sustained by the victorious teams.
With just 12 teams remaining in the hunt for the Lombardi Trophy, staying healthy remains as important as ever:
Arizona Cardinals (Eliminated)
Budda Baker was carted off the field Monday night following a scary head-to-head collision. Perhaps the only positive thing for Arizona on Monday was that Baker was responsive in the hospital and never lost movement in his extremities.
Buffalo Bills
Mario Addison is considered “day-to-day” after suffering a shoulder injury against the Patriots. Addison is first on the Bills in sacks and third on the team in quarterback pressures.
Former second-round pick A.J. Epenesa could see more playing time if Addison is out for Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. Epenesa had 24 pressures this season and tallied a quarterback hit when the Bills and Chiefs played in Week 5.
Cincinnati Bengals
Defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi will miss the rest of the postseason after being placed on the Injured Reserve. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the hits on the defensive line don’t stop there with Mike Daniels out with a groin injury and Trey Hendrickson in concussion protocol.
B.J. Hill is primed to step into Ogunjobi’s spot. The backup has been a productive pass rusher, racking up 5.5 sacks, but is 13th on the team in run defense snaps.
Obviously with the Titans, and possibly Derrick Henry, on the schedule, stopping the run will be imperative for the Bengals who allowed 4.3 yards per carry and ranked 13th in yards allowed to opposing running backs.
Dallas Cowboys (Eliminated)
Ezekiel Elliott told reporters on Sunday that he played through a torn PCL for most of 2021. He really struggled in the last 12 games of the season, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry after averaging 5.3 yards per carry in the first five games of 2021.
Green Bay Packers (Bye)
The Packers designated linebackers Za’Darius Smith (back) and Whitney Mercilus (biceps) to return from the IR last week and both could be active this weekend.
Smith played in just one game this season before undergoing back surgery and Mercilus has been absent since suffering his injury in Week 10.
One spot to look out for is the right side of the 49ers offensive line this Sunday where Mike McGlinchey and Tom Compton have combined to allow six sacks and 33 pressures this season.
Kansas City Chiefs
Clyde Edwards-Helaire was unable to play on Sunday night as he is still dealing with a shoulder injury. Backup Darrel Williams was dealing with a toe injury and suited up, but could only make it through eight snaps before bowing out.
That left Jerick McKinnon, who had just 12 carries in the regular season, to carry the load in the backfield. McKinnon finished the day with 61 rushing yards on 12 carries and added 81 receiving yards and a touchdown on six catches.
Edwards-Helaire did practice last Wednesday before being downgraded on Thursday and Friday. His status will be worth monitoring later in the week.
Chris Jones also missed some time after his helmet hit him in the eye, but he returned to the game and shouldn’t be affected moving forward.
Las Vegas Raiders (Eliminated)
The Raiders finished Sunday’s loss without Denzel Perryman who left early due to an ankle injury. The linebacker finished sixth in the NFL in tackles this season after being acquired from the Panthers in a trade during training camp.
Los Angeles Rams
Veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth watched most of Monday night’s win from the sideline after suffering an ankle injury. Sean McVay didn’t have an update on Whitworth following the game.
Joseph Noteboom filled in for Whitworth, just like he did in Week 8. In that game against the Texans, Noteboom didn’t allow a single pressure in 36 pass-blocking snaps.
New England Patriots (Eliminated)
The Patriots were forced to start Joejuan Williams at cornerback with Jalen Mills stuck on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Mills was activated from the list on Monday, but obviously that was too late.
Williams allowed four completions on six targets, including a 34-yard touchdown to Emmanuel Sanders in the loss to the Bills.
Philadelphia Eagles (Eliminated)
Jalen Hurts arrived to his post-game press conference in a walking boot after spending the last six weeks dealing with an ankle sprain. The quarterback sat out two games and was limited in practice since Week 12.
Hurts didn’t run much after suffering the injury, averaging just over 30 yards per game, nearly half of what he gained in the game prior to getting hurt.
Pittsburgh Steelers (Eliminated)
The Steelers did get a surprise return this week in the form of wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster. The pending free agent played his first game since Week 5 and caught five passes for 26 yards, tying a season-high eight targets on 52 offensive snaps.
Smith-Schuster has seen his yards per target go down every season of his career, peaking at 11.6 as a rookie and sitting at 4.6 in 2021.
San Francisco 49ers
Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a sprained throwing shoulder in the first half on Sunday, but Kyle Shanahan still expects his quarterback to be active in practice this week.
In the second half of the win, Garoppolo completed just five of his 11 passes for 39 yards and also threw an interception. The 49ers scored just seven points after torching the Cowboys for 16 in the first half.
Rookie Trey Lance could start if something happens, but the 49ers have been very cautious about letting him play this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tristan Wirfs is in a walking boot after suffering an ankle injury on the sixth play of Tampa Bay’s blowout win over the Eagles. The second-year player was first-team All-Pro this season and allowed just 15 pressures all season.
His replacement, Josh Wells, allowed a sack to Ryan Kerrigan who was among the least productive pass rushers in the NFL this season. Center Ryan Jenson will also be limited until later in the week after suffering an ankle injury of his own.
The Buccaneers played without Leonard Fournette, who was never activated from the IR. Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard combined to rush for 97 yards on 30 carries. Bernard also added five catches for 39 yards in the passing game.
Tennessee Titans (Bye)
After enjoying their bye week, the Titans are expecting Derrick Henry to return to game action this Saturday against the Bengals.
With how banged up the interior of the Bengals defensive line is, a healthy Henry could be a huge weapon for the Titans as they try to defend their home field on Saturday. Henry ran for 400 yards on 94 carries at home this season prior to his injury.