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THURSDAY NIGHT EXPECTATIONS
Larry Fitzgerald played last week and is listed probable to play this week. There's no risk of him missing Thursday night's game, but I'm not convinced he's at full strength yet. Last week, he had four catches in a solid first half and was shut out afterward. Fitzgerald is safe to use in lineups this week, but his floor remains lower than usual.
There are not quite as many "veteran rest" names on the Wednesday injury report this week. Back on the list of players to watch but not get too concerned about yet include Marshawn Lynch (back), Arian Foster (groin), Demaryius Thomas (ankle), and Reggie Bush (ankle). All did not practice on Wednesday, but are fully expected to play this week as of Wednesday night.
Other skill position players listed on the injury report who I think are likely to play without limitation this week include Ryan Mathews (ankle), Isaiah Crowell (hip), and Jonathan Stewart (hip). Practice participation reports need to be watched closely here, too, however.
San Diego beat writer Michael Gehlken posted a Vine that included a slow motion angle I'd not seen of Mathews' injury on Thursday afternoon. It shows a clear high ankle sprain mechanism. And Mathews was still in a boot as the media observed practice today. Obviously, that makes Mathews much more questionable than I hinted in the previous paragraph.
Before I get to this week's most critical issues on the Wednesday injury report, there are some important injury notes that broke after Monday's Injury Rounds feature published.
Cam Newton was involved in a car accident and has two fractured transverse processes in his back. We know that Newton won't play this week. But I want to highlight three important differences between Newton's injuries and those of Tony Romo (which has been used as a apples-to-apples comparison by many) earlier this season.
1. Romo's injury happened Monday night. Newton's Tuesday afternoon. This isn't a huge difference, but every hour counts in treatment and game preparation.
2. Romo's injury was mid-back, Newton's is (reportedly) lower back. The difficulty with this injury is primarily pain and muscle spasm. There are bigger bones and bigger muscles in lower back. That means relatively more pain and tougher to deal with spasm.
3. Romo's injury was a knee to the back. Newton's occurred as part of a rollover car accident. Though there are no other reported injuries and Newton's overnight observation proved to be just precautionary. But that's a very significant difference in the force of injury and recovery time.
Romo missed just one week of play. But don't be surprised if Newton isn't back in Week 15. If he cannot play, it's not a question of toughness. Both quarterbacks had two transverse process fractures. But these two injuries are not perfectly comparable.
Also, Denard Robinson was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday with a midfoot sprain. It's not been specifically termed a Lisfranc sprain and there are no reports of surgery, yet. I'll take a closer look at the video to see if there's a clear mechanism and have more in a future column.
Oh, and there was the Julio Jones injury late in Monday night's game. More on that below.
jamaal charles | knee/ankle | dnp
julio jones | hip | dnp
c.j. anderson | ankle | dnp
It's an extremely important week in fantasy leagues and these three players have been key contributors for your playoff teams. And while I'd like to be able to write something meaningful about their status, I'm not going to change my approach despite the higher fantasy stakes.
And the unfortunate fact as of Wednesday night is that there isn't enough information to handicap these situations confidently. If we get to Sunday without any additional helpful reports, I'll absolutely share a gut feel based on how the Friday practices and press conferences went. But, for now, I'll share my notes and what I'm watching. And I'll continue to update my Twitter feed through the rest of the week.
Charles: Video consistent with mild high ankle sprain. Andy Reid told reporters Monday Charles had knee swelling, too. Did not practice Wednesday. Has history of playing through difficult lower leg injuries (ankle and foot) and muscle strains and playing effectively. Probably needs to practice on Friday to get full workload with Knile Davis an effective replacement option.
Jones: Reported as "bruised" hip early in the week. Mike Smith "optimistic" -- but he always is. Video not helpful here. On his final play, took brunt of hit to the right side of his body, walked off limping and holding his left side. Some concern for fatigue and limping earlier in the game. Would make you wonder whether "bruise" or "hip pointer" is accurate or whether there's a hip flexor muscle involved here but not enough information to guess. Falcons are most under-reported team in NFL, so we may not get much information by week's end.
Anderson: Has been playing through pain for two weeks. Continues to limp off the field but return to the game within 2-3 plays and finished both games with 20++ touches. Video did not show high ankle mechanism, which is promising. Denver has not hesitated to allow players to rest themselves in practice and game weeks if they wish. Montee Ball (DNP) and Ronnie Hillman (limited) are probably not threats to play this week.
Each one of these injuries and recoveries is an evolving process. We still have multiple days of practice and media sessions to sift through. For now, I think you can be hopeful with each of these players, but it's also still possible any of them could sit this week.