Injury Roundup: Week 8
Week 8 was full of huge games, a couple devastating injuries and lots of fantasy angst, so really, the same as every week in the NFL. Below you’ll find most of the injuries that forced people out of games on Sunday.
Ryan Broyles has been diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon. This is yet another horribly bad break for the young wide receiver and could put 2014 in question and if he can’t regain his speed, his whole career could be in jeopardy. This injury follows two devastating ACL injuries, the second of which he was seeming to have trouble getting back to 100% from. Unfortunately he’s now at the point where you’ll want to drop him in dynasty formats for someone with more upside. Let’s hope he is able to come back. He is an extremely talented player.
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Brandon Gibson is likely done for the season with a torn patellar tendon according to NFL Network’s Albert Breer. They still need to do an MRI to confirm, but it’s not looking good. Gibson had scored a touchdown in the game, his third in the last two games and was looking like a preferred red zone target for Ryan Tannehill. Rishard Matthews should see more work going forward and Mike Wallace might start getting targets more like a #1 wide receiver.
Michael Vick aggravated his hamstring injury against the Giants and said he felt a pop when it happened. That doesn’t sound like an injury a person returns quickly from. Nick Foles still hasn’t been cleared from his concussion, so it’s hard to tell who the Eagles quarterback will be in Oakland Week 9. This really is bad news for the Eagles offensive players, especially if Foles, when he does return, continues to play like Week 7 Foles instead of Week 6 Foles.
Julius Thomas left the Washington game early in the third quarter with an ankle injury and didn’t return. The severity of the injury is unknown, but he does have a history of ankle problems. We will keep you updated. If this does keep him out we would see more Jacob Tamme and Joel Dreessen, but neither would be reliable fantasy starters.
Robert Griffin III was pressured or hit on just about every snap he had against the Broncos and then was hit hard by nose tackle Terrance Knighton on an interception and he had to leave the game with a left knee injury and didn’t return. The injury wasn’t to the same knee from last season and he was walking on the sidelines and wanted to return, but the game was out of hand and they kept him out as a precaution. This looks like it will be a non-story.
Stevie Johnson had a nice game catching seven passes for 72 yards and one touchdown, but looked like he aggravated his groin injury in the second half. He was noticeably limping around, but played through the pain.
DeMarco Murray was set to play against the Lions on Sunday, but was held out at the last minute. Jerry Jones says that Murray could have played, but the trainers wanted to give him a little more rest. He will almost certainly go next week against the Vikings.
Other Injury Notes:
Jamaal Charles exited Sunday's game against the Browns with a knee injury, but later returned. . . . John Abraham left the game against the Falcons in the fourth quarter with a head injury. . . . Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga was forced from Week 8’s game with a left knee injury. . . . Cowboys’ cornerback Morris Claiborne left the Lions’ game with a hamstring injury. . . . Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah was forced from the game against the Cowboys with a left ankle injury. . . . Cowboys right guard Brian Waters has a triceps injury. . . . Patriots’ right tackle Sebastian Vollmer suffered an apparently serious right leg injury and was carted off the field with his leg in an air cast.
