Damage Report: End for Edwards
Week 13 was a relatively quiet week with regard to injuries. Many players gave owners brief scares with hand, ankle, knee, and hammy concerns, but all battled through to the end. But, in the end, how many NFL players aren't banged up after 13 weeks of action?
The big game of the week (no disrespect to the Colts and their quest for perfection) was the Pittsburgh-Cincinnati shootout in the Steel City. There were several big players who made their respective owners take pause, so that's where we'll begin this week's wrap-up.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh landed awkwardly on his elbow while diving to the ground to catch a Carson Palmer pass in the end zone. He left the field briefly in obvious discomfort before returning to catch his second TD of the day. CBS reported in its telecast that Houshmandzadeh hurt the elbow two months ago and that it has bothered him for the duration of the season. Aside from the quick trip to the sidelines, you'd never know it from his play.
The Bengals had a second brief scare when Chad Johnson twisted his ankle when being tackled along the sideline. Though Johnson didn't get to break off the celebration dance he promised all week, he did haul in five passes for 54 yards and kept the attention of the Pittsburgh secondary. He'll be just fine for next week's battle for Ohio against the Browns.
In addition to his well-chronicled thumb injury, Ben Roethlisberger also finished Sunday's loss to the Bengals with his knee smarting. Roethlisberger took a shot from rookie linebacker Odell Thurman after completing a pass to Hines Ward late in the first half. The second-year QB kept at it, attempting a career-high 41 passes and throwing for 386 yards, three TDs, and three INTs.
A week ago, Packers fans watched Bubba Franks get carted off of the field against the Eagles after a hit from Brian Dawkins. He recovered quickly enough to return to action against the Bears, but was lost on the opening series to an arm stinger. Donald Lee and David Martin combined to contribute seven catches for 54 yards in his absence.
Braylon Edwards got his wish on Sunday, watching fellow rookie Charlie Frye take the reins against the Jaguars, and contributed two TD receptions. Unfortunately, his breakout performance was cut short when Edwards needed to be helped off of the field in the fourth quarter. Edwards sustained a knee injury that is of the season-ending variety. An MRI was performed late Sunday night confirmed that the rookie tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Brett Favre had a rough day against the top-ranked Chicago defense. The veteran quarterback completed 31-of-58 passing attempts for 277 yards and four turnovers, including two fumbles in the fourth quarter. He also saw a 26-game streak of throwing at least one TD against the Bears end. Favre absorbed a hit on his throwing hand and tore a significant amount of skin on the play. He then hurt his left hand when hit from behind on a blitz. As he always does, Favre shook off the injuries and errors and kept firing. Look for more of the same next week.
Steve McNair left the Titans' Week 13 loss to Indianapolis briefly in the third quarter with a bruised right shin. The Colts brought the heat on McNair all day, sacking him twice and knocking him down repeatedly. He returned to action, only to take a wicked shot from Dwight Freeney in the fourth quarter and watch Larry Tripplett make like a track star to the end zone on a 60-yard INT return. McNair ran the offense for one possession after the hit before again yielding to Billy Volek. He's currently questionable for Week 14 against Houston.
Just when you thought this situation had finally been cleared up, the Vikings' Mewelde Moore carried the ball just once for -6 yards before leaving Sunday's win over the Lions with an ankle injury. Michael Bennett accumulated 89 yards of offense and two touchdowns in his absence in leading Minnesota to its fifth straight win. The extent of Moore's injury is not yet known (pending further tests), but Moore owners or those running with season-long disappointments such as Jamal Lewis should look in Bennett's direction on the wire as the Vikings welcome St. Louis next week.
Miami defensive end Jason Taylor battled through a shoulder injury against the Bills in the dramatic come from behind win. His right shoulder was wrapped tightly to limit motion. He's scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the damage.
The Dolphins lost Gus Frerotte to a concussion in the third quarter down 23-3, forcing Sage Rosenfels into action. Rosenfels connected frequently with Chris Chambers (15 catches, 238 yards) and got great production out of Ricky Williams and Ronnie Williams to lead the comeback. Frerotte will undergo tests early this week to determine his availability for Week 14, but Rosenfels will likely get the nod against San Diego after this performance (272 yards and two touchdowns).
The Ravens lost tackle Jonathan Ogden to a strained hamstring in the first quarter against Houston, making him the third starter on the O-Line to hit the pines. Ogden will be re-evaluated later in the week.
The Rams lost linebacker Dexter Coakley to a dislocated left ankle and broken leg in the first quarter. He's lost for the remainder of the season. Of course, few owners are gambling on a Rams defense that has allowed two TD passes per game on the year.
The Cardinals played Sunday without super kicker Neil Rackers, who hurt his calf in a late-week practice. Nick Novak was signed to fill in for the next two-three weeks while Rackers recovers. Novak kicked three field goals against the 49ers in the 17-10 win.
And, LaDainian Tomlinson owners got a brief scare last night when he headed to the locker room late in the second quarter with injured ribs. Backup Michael Turner took over for the injured Tomlinson to end the half, plunging in from two yards out with 22 ticks on the second-quarter clock. Tomlinson returned to play in the second half, allowing owners to breathe a big sigh of relief. It doesn't appear that the injury is serious, but we'll be sure to keep tabs on him this week ahead of the Week 14 game against Miami.
Be sure to keep an eye on the pages of Yahoo! Sports for updated player and team news as we head into this all-important playoff week. Best of luck!
