NOTE: This column is a living document. I'll be updating as needed after team press conferences, imaging reports, Monday Night Football injuries, etc. Major changes to the content will be noted in red. I'll also be retweeting any key pieces of news and my own reaction and analysis, so make sure you're following @JeneBramel and checking my timeline on Twitter throughout the week.
INJURY ROUNDS
The most devastating player injury yesterday wasn't suffered by a skill position player. Jacksonville's Luke Joeckel broke his right ankle after being rolled up on during a run. The injury may involve more than just a broken fibula based on the mechanism and early report of a "high ankle fracture." A broken tibia and/or damage to the high ankle ligaments could also need fixation here. Though more extensive damage would prolong Joeckel's rehabilitation, he should be ready to return before training camp next year.
The biggest injury story yesterday broke before the games began, when Calvin Johnson was not able to play through a knee injury. More on Johnson, Michael Vick and David Wilson below.
calvin johnson | knee | day-to-day
Rumors that Johnson was less likely to play than expected hit Twitter an hour or two before the early game inactives were released. Often limited in practice during his career, including with knee issues, there was every expectation that Johnson would be cleared to play despite his lack of practice reps last week.
Of course, Calvin Johnson plays for Jim Schwartz. The only certainty in Detroit is that there will be only the vaguest information released by the players and coaches about injuries. True to form, no one in the local or national media saw this coming until pregame warmups. There weren't many details on Johnson's status after the game either.
Johnson said he was "real close" to playing but wasn't "all the way there." Neither Johnson or Schwartz would talk about the nature of the injury, other than to say it was different than the bruised knee he played through last season. That leaves open all sorts of potential diagnoses -- including muscle strains, ligament sprains, inflamed bursa, etc. -- and a wide range of potential return dates. For now, take Johnson at his word that he was close to playing and expects it to be a short term issue and hope that his practice participation backs that up this week.
michael vick | hamstring strain | week-to-week
Vick left the game in the second quarter yesterday. Chip Kelly said he could have re-entered the game had Nick Foles been hurt. That doesn't match the post-game media reports, which had Vick readying for a Monday MRI and early speculation that Vick could miss at least a week. Vick is not a pocket passing quarterback and must be mobile to be successful. That puts him in a similar category to a running back or wide receiver, positions that rarely return from hamstring strains within a week. I'll have more after the MRI results are reported this afternoon, but expect the Eagles to hold Vick out next week in the hopes he'll be near full strength for their Week 7 matchup at home versus Dallas.
EJ Manuel | LCL sprain | 4-8 weeks
Manuel went down at the end of a scramble on Thursday night. The mechanism -- a whipsawing hit onto an unplanted knee -- matched what we've seen happen to Fred Jackson and Robert Griffin III III in recent seasons. Reports are that Manuel's injury matches that of Jackson and Griffin III, a mid-high grade LCL sprain.
Not too long ago, an LCL sprain was an uncommon injury for a football player. Most players take hits to the outside of the knee and have the inside ligaments (MCL, and if there's a rotational component to the hit, ACL) stressed and torn. Now, with defensive players often going low to avoid helmet-to-helmet contact, penalites and fines, we're seeing an increase in the hyperextension mechanism that stresses the ligaments outside and to the back of the knee (LCL and PCL).
Though, like MCL injuries, the LCL and PCL are only rarely surgically fixed, these ligaments are surrounded by structures that can complicate rehab. Damage to nerves, tendons and other structures can extend the healing process. It also takes more time for the looseness in the joint to improve after LCL and PCL injuries. Laxity in the LCL likely contributed to Griffin III's ACL tear last year after his faster than usual return and likely prolonged the recovery of Keenan Allen after his PCL tear late in his final college season.
So, while four weeks is possible with Manuel, the fact that the timeframe already includes the possibility of six weeks means the longer estimate is probably the better bet. The Bills will absolutely err on the side of caution with Manuel. Game repetitions are key to his development, but Manuel and the team will not risk a more devastating knee injury and send him back out before his knee joint is completely stable.
david wilson | neck injury | day-to-day
The Giants reported Wilson's injury as a neck condition yesterday. That may be accurate, as Wilson was flexing his hands after taking a hit to the head and neck. But team doctors took him to the locker room after the hit and Wilson later said he "passed all test" which suggests that the team may have also been worried about a head injury. Either way -- stinger-like symptoms that lasted longer than 15 minutes or concern for concussion -- Wilson may not be ready to play on Thursday despite his early insistence that he'll be back. I'll update with more information after today's press conferences.
rashad jennings | hamstring strain | week-to-week
Jennings left last night's game in the first half and didn't return. Jennings didn't clearly pull up in the open field, but was obviously laboring after his final carry in the second quarter, unable to run a route out of the backfield and struggling to finish blocks during the team's two minute drill. That makes speculating on the grade and severity of the injury a guessing game and the Raiders didn't provide any details after the game. Expect Jennings to be termed week-to-week, with anything from 1-2 weeks to 2-4+ weeks a possibility.
brian hoyer | torn acl | out for season
Hoyer is still seeking opinions on his knee injury. Rob Chudzinski told reporters it was a torn ACL, but others in the media have reported the tear is partial. Though that's a common reason to seek second opinion, the strong orthopedic consensus is to reconstruct all ACL tears, regardless of grade. Hoyer is doing his due diligence, but expect an announcement that he will have surgery and head to injured reserve sometime this week.
zac stacy | rib injury | day-to-day
Stacy said he just had the wind knocked out of him, but the team announced a rib injury during the fourth quarter yesterday. The Rams had the game in hand at the time of the injury, so there's likely not much cause for concern. With Jeff Fisher unlikely to provide a detailed update today, we may not get a sense of Stacy's Week 6 availability until the Wednesday practice particpation report.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS
One Patriot pass catcher has returned. The other may not be far behind, but it's still useless to speculate on when he'll return.
danny amendola | groin | returned to play
Amendola played 38 snaps against Cincinnati, four weeks after tearing an adductor tendon away from the bone. Amendola met his usual goal of returning at the most optimistic end of the possible timetable. I thought Amendola looked tentative when changing directions early, but improved as the game progressed and showed no sign of tightness after cooling down at halftime. Amendola's usage was package dependent and there were some timing issues with Tom Brady (which weren't limited to that duo yesterday). Amendola looked healthy enough to expect closer to his usual workload next week against New Orleans.
ROB GRONKOWSKI | ARM / BACK | week-to-week
No new news on Gronkowski today. Bill Belichick remains vague on Gronkowski's prospects. Gronkowski himself continues to toy with the media in locker room sessions. A recent report suggested that Gronkowski was targeting Week 6 for his return. I continue to maintain that, while there's no evidence of a setback with his arm or back, there's no timetable for a return. You can trust that Gronkowski will return only when he says "I'm playing this week" and he's on the active roster.
darren mcfadden | hamstring strain | week-to-week
McFadden didn't practice last week and the Raiders remained non-committal in media sessions on his availability for future weeks. With Rashad Jennings possibly out with a hamstring injury of his own and the Raiders facing a key divisional matchup in Kansas City this week, we could see McFadden return if he's close. More likely, Oakland will give him another 2+ weeks of recovery time and a full four weeks to heal through their Week 7 bye.
miles austin | hamstring strain | week-to-week
steven jackson | hamstring strain | week-to-week
The outlook for both players is the same. Both have trouble recovering from low grade muscle strains, both have trouble avoiding compensatory injuries when they return and both are likely to be held out until they're injured hamstring is very close to equal strength of their healthy side. Consider both at least a full week away until they resume football-related drills. Barring a surprise, that puts the earliest likely return for both players at Week 7.
IN THE TRAINING ROOM
Clay Matthews has a broken thumb and could miss 3-4 weeks if he needs pin fixation. ... Ryan Mathews left last night's game in the second quarter with a concussion and will go through the team's concussion protocol. ... Blaine Gabbert was replaced by Chad Henne yesterday after a hamstring injury. Wesley Woodyard (shoulder), Brad Jones (hamstring) and Dannell Ellerbe (shoulder) all left their games early yesterday and will have their status updated today.
I'll be updating this feature throughout the day. Footballguys Insiders will get a full update with additional fantasy perspectives on Wednesday, with analysis of the week's game-time decisions early Sunday morning. Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news and analysis throughout the week.
