While the 1972 Dolphins are sipping champagne this morning to celebrate the last unbeaten team falling, the current NFL players are recovering from another brutal week to get ready for Week 11 and the final stretch of the regular season.
Here’s where every team stands in regard to injuries this week:
Arizona Cardinals Injuries
Tight end Zach Ertz will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury against the Rams on Sunday. Ertz led all NFL tight ends in routes run this season and was second in receptions to Travis Kelce.
Backup Trey McBride had one catch for seven yards while playing a season-high 62 snaps against Los Angeles. The rookie second-round pick has four catches for 31 yards this season.
As for Kyler Murray, Kliff Kingsbury considers his quarterback day-to-day ahead of the Cardinals’ game against the 49ers this weekend.
Atlanta Falcons Injuries
Arthur Smith is cautiously optimistic that A.J. Terrell can return to the field this week. Fellow starter Casey Hayward is still on IR.
Terrell was one of the best cornerbacks in football last season, but he’s struggled this season, allowing a league-high seven touchdown receptions and a passer rating of 130.2 when targeted.
Baltimore Ravens Injuries
Mark Andrews has a shot of returning this week despite dealing with both knee and shoulder injuries. He was inactive in Week 9 prior to the Ravens’ bye.
As for safety Marcus Williams, John Harbaugh told reporters he doesn’t expect him to return until sometime in December after breaking his wrist back in Week 5.
Buffalo Bills Injuries
Despite not practicing on Wednesday or Thursday last week, Josh Allen still played against the Vikings on Sunday with that UCL injury in his elbow.
There was a scary moment following Allen’s first interception where he appeared to get injured and took a while to return to the sideline, but he did not miss a snap against Minnesota and threw 18 passes that traveled 10 yards past the line of scrimmage.
Given the nature of this injury, expect Allen’s practice participation to be sparse, but it will take a lot to keep him out on game day.
Carolina Panthers Injuries
It looks like Baker Mayfield will get to start for the Panthers on Sunday after P.J. Walker suffered a high ankle sprain against the Falcons.
Mayfield struggled in his five starts earlier this season, completing just 55 percent of his passes and throwing four touchdowns and four interceptions.
However, the former Heisman winner played well in relief of Walker two weeks ago, throwing for 155 yards and two touchdowns on 20 attempts against the Bengals.
The Panthers will also be without cornerback Donte Jackson for the season after he tore his Achilles. Keith Taylor should be elevated into the starting lineup. He allowed a 25-yard touchdown in relief of Jackson against the Falcons.
Chicago Bears Injuries
Khalil Herbert suffered a hip injury in the Bears loss to the Lions. Herbert has averaged 6.0 yards per carry this season and is the Bears’ second-leading rusher behind Justin Fields.
If Herbert misses time, that could mean more touches for David Montgomery, who already leads the team with 130. Rookie Trestan Ebner could also get increased playing time after playing sparingly through 10 games.
Ebner is a sixth-round pick from Baylor and has 46 rushing yards on 18 carries in his NFL career.
Cincinnati Bengals Injuries
The Bengals opened D.J. Reader’s 21-day practice window on Monday, clearing the way for the defensive tackle to join his team back on the field. He hasn’t played since suffering a knee injury in Week 3.
With fellow defensive tackle Josh Tupou considered week-to-week with a calf injury, Reader’s return could be a huge boost to a run defense that has allowed over 150 yards in three of its last five games.
Cleveland Browns Injuries
Left tackle Jedrick Wills is considered day-to-day after rolling his ankle late on Sunday. He was replaced by James Hudson for the final six snaps of the game.
Hudson has six starts in his career, all of them coming at right tackle.
The bigger news in Cleveland is the return of Deshaun Watson to the practice field. Despite Watson’s presence at practice, he will still need to be inactive for the next two games as he serves out the remainder of his suspension.
Watson will be eligible to play for the first time on December 4th, against the Houston Texans.
Dallas Cowboys Injuries
Stephen Jones told a Dallas radio station that the team believes Ezekiel Elliott will return to the field this week against the Minnesota Vikings.
Tony Pollard had another big game against the Packers on Sunday, rushing 22 times for 115 yards and a touchdown. Backup Malik Davis is now averaging 4.7 yards per carry after gaining 38 yards of his own in the loss.
In his career, the Cowboys are 6-4 when Elliott is inactive and 58-37 when he plays.
Denver Broncos Injuries
Jerry Jeudy played just one snap against the Titans before exiting with an ankle injury. However, that injury is considered minor and he is being classified as day-to-day.
With Jeudy’s status for Week 11 still up in the air and K.J. Hamler probably out again after missing practice all week due to a hamstring injury, a larger role for rookie Jalen Virgil could be in play after he caught a 66-yard touchdown pass.
Detroit Lions Injuries
Even though Kerby Joseph returned from his concussion in time to play the Bears on Sunday, the Lions were without fellow safety Ifeatu Melifonwu who was inactive due to an ankle injury and DeShon Elliott was limited to 29 snaps due to a concussion.
Veteran C.J. Moore played a season-high 32 snaps in Elliott’s absence, lining up at free safety 15 times and in the box 13 times.
Melifonwu has been inactive since Week 5 and has played a total of five snaps all season.
Green Bay Packers Injuries
The Packers will host the Titans on Thursday Night Football this week. Romeo Doubs and David Bakhtiari were estimated non-participants on Monday while Aaron Jones was limited.
There is some good news Randall Cobb could return from his ankle injury this week. However, with the short turnaround, it probably remains a longshot.
Houston Texans Injuries
The Texans got both Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins back this week against the Giants. The duo combined for nine catches and 86 yards with Collins adding a touchdown.
The Texans have gotten pretty healthy in recent weeks with special teamer Neville Hewitt entering Week 11 as the only guy who missed last week due to injury.
Indianapolis Colts Injuries
Shaquille Leonard was supposed to meet with a neck surgeon on Monday to discuss whether he has a shot at returning to the field this season.
The All-Pro linebacker has missed time this season due to back and ankle injuries, as well as a concussion and a broken nose. He’s played in just three games and aggravated his neck injury in practice last week.
Jacksonville Jaguars Injuries
The Jaguars are healthy heading into Week 11, except for Shaquill Griffin who remains on the IR.
Rayshawn Jenkins was questionable on Sunday due to a concussion, but played 62 snaps against the Chiefs.
Kansas City Chiefs Injuries
Both Juju Smith-Schuster and Andrew Wylie were in concussion protocol following the Chiefs’ win over the Jaguars.
Smith-Schuster was on the receiving end of a scary hit on Sunday, but posted on Instagram that he is already feeling better. In his absence, Kadarius Toney had a breakout game, catching four passes for 57 yards and his first NFL touchdown.
Prince Tega Wanogho filled in for Wylie and allowed two pressures in 24 pass blocking snaps.
Las Vegas Raiders Injuries
The Raiders put both Hunter Renfrow and Darren Waller on the IR prior to their loss to the Colts.
Waller has been dealing with a hamstring injury since Week 5 and Foster Moreau has responded with 14 catches for 144 yards and a touchdown in the four games since.
Devante Adams and Mack Hollins were the only two wide receivers to record catches against the Colts. Adams had nine for 126 yards while Hollins contributed two for 18 yards.
Los Angeles Chargers Injuries
There is finally some good news in Los Angeles as both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams are expected to return to practice this week, according to Brandon Staley.
Allen has played just 22 snaps since Week 1 and Williams has been out since suffering a high ankle sprain back in Week 7.
Josh Palmer has been the team’s leading receiver lately, earning 30 targets and catching 20 passes for 207 yards in his last three games.
The interior of the Chargers’ defensive line did get thinner this weekend with the release of Jerry Tillery and things got worse on Sunday when Christian Covington went down for the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle.
The only healthy defensive linemen on the Chargers currently are Morgan Fox, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Jeremiah Attaochu, and Breiden Fehoko.
Los Angeles Rams Injuries
Cooper Kupp is expected to miss multiple weeks after suffering a high ankle sprain against the Cardinals on Sunday.
Kupp is second in the NFL in receptions and fifth in both yards and touchdowns. With John Wolford filling in for Matthew Stafford against Arizona, Kupp had three catches for negative one yard.
Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, and Ben Skowronek are the Rams’ other wide receivers. However, the trio’s total receiving yardage on the season is just 544, nearly 300 less than Kupp by himself.
Miami Dolphins Injuries
Edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah suffered a torn triceps on Sunday and will miss the remainder of the season. He had just 15 quarterback pressures this season, with seven of those coming in Week 3 against Buffalo.
The Dolphins could mitigate the loss of Ogbah with the return of Trey Flowers, however, he remains on IR with a foot injury and doesn’t seem to be returning anytime soon.
Minnesota Vikings Injuries
Andrew Booth Jr. got his first NFL defensive snaps on Sunday with Cameron Dantzler getting moved to IR and Akayleb Evans leaving early due to a head injury.
Booth had a rough afternoon, allowing six catches for 67 yards on seven targets.
Left tackle Christian Darrisaw left the game due to a concussion and was replaced by Blake Brandel who allowed two pressures, including a sack.
New England Patriots Injuries
DeVante Parker returned to practice this week for the first time since injuring his knee in Week 8.
He currently leads the team in yards per target and his 321 receiving yards rank second on the team behind Jakobi Meyers.
New Orleans Saints Injuries
Perhaps no team in Week 10 was missing more key players than the Saints who were without Pete Werner, Marshon Lattimore, Andrus Peat, Mark Ingram, Marcus Maye, Marcus Davenport, and Erik McCoy who was added to the team’s IR.
There was some good news as Jarvis Landry returned to the field for the first time since Week 4. However, Landry continued to disappoint as a Saint, catching three passes for 37 yards on six targets.
New York Giants Injuries
Rookie right tackle Evan Neal was inactive for the second consecutive week due to a knee injury.
Tyre Phillips made another start and allowed his second sack of the season as well as two more pressures. Phillips allowed just one sack and 17 pressures in 271 pass-blocking snaps for the Ravens last season.
Neal has allowed five sacks in seven games this season, but three of them occurred in Week 3 against the Cowboys.
New York Jets Injuries
The Jets are coming off their Bye Week and activated Max Mitchell’s 21-day practice window. The rookie fourth-round pick started the season as the team’s right tackle, but has been out since getting hurt in Week 4.
With Alijah Vera-Tucker out for the season, Mitchell returning could be a boost to an offensive line that ranks 20th in pass block win rate. However, Cedric Ogbuehi has played well in the last two games, allowing just one sack.
Philadelphia Eagles Injuries
Not much went right for the Eagles on Monday night, but it started with adding slot corner Avonte Maddox to the IR due to a hamstring injury.
He was replaced by Josiah Scott against the Commanders and will be for at least three more games.
Scott started two games earlier this season, allowing seven catches for 94 yards and a touchdown on 10 targets.
The Eagles also saw key offensive pieces Jason Kelce, Dallas Goedert and A.J. Brown all leave the game at various times due to injury, but all three returned. It will still be worth monitoring their status as we head into next week.
Pittsburgh Steelers Injuries
After initially being expected to miss multiple weeks, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is expected to return in 7-10 days following his appendectomy on Saturday. He will probably still be inactive for Week 11 against the Bengals.
Damontae Kazee played his first snaps as a Steeler against New Orleans, starting at safety and recording an interception and four total tackles.
T.J. Watt returned from IR on Sunday and played just 37 snaps, getting 25 pass-rush opportunities. Watt recorded just two quarterback hurries in his first game since Week 1.
San Francisco 49ers Injuries
Kyle Shanahan was non-committal but did mention Arik Armstead could return this week from his foot and ankle injuries. After not missing a game for four seasons, Armstead hasn’t been active since Week 4.
In some more positive news, Trey Lance was seen walking without crutches around the team’s facility. He is still expected to miss the rest of this season, but could be on track to return for 2023.
Seattle Seahawks Injuries
Seattle didn’t suffer any new injuries on Sunday, although left guard Damien Lewis did go down with an apparent leg injury.
However, Lewis returned after missing just three snaps and played the rest of the game. The Seahawks will enjoy their bye this week before hosting the Raiders in Week 12.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Injuries
The Buccaneers are off this week following their thrilling victory in Germany, but Leonard Fournette still might not be ready for the Bucs’ next game as he deals with a hip pointer injury.
Todd Bowles told reporters on Monday that it’s too early to tell if Fournette will be healthy to play the Browns in two weeks. He played a season-low 22 snaps against the Seahawks.
Rookie third-round pick Rachaad White made the most of his extended opportunity, rushing for a career-high 105 yards on 22 carries.
Tennessee Titans Injuries
The Titans will travel to Green Bay for Thursday Night Football this week.
Ryan Tannehill was considered a limited participant in Monday’s estimated practice report, but Amani Hooker was listed as a full participant.
The safety hasn’t played since Week 8 due to a shoulder injury.
Elsewhere in the secondary, Kristian Fulton was inactive due to a hamstring injury on Sunday and his replacement, Elijah Molden, made his 2022 debut, but left early thanks to a groin injury.
Washington Commanders Injuries
Despite making progress, Chase Young was not activated for the Commanders’ Monday night win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
It’s also worth noting that Carson Wentz is eligible to return from the IR as soon as next week. However, with Washington now 3-1 under the command (sorry) of Taylor Heinicke, it will be interesting to see if he’s activated or added to the starting lineup.
