Hopefully your team didn’t go into a food coma like the Jets did in the second quarter of their embarassing loss to the Patriots in last night’s late game. It’s bad enough the Patriots were able to hang 35 points on the Jets in the second quarter but there was no moment lower than when Vince Wilfork blocked a lineman backwards and Mark Sanchez got a double-helping of backside. Sanchez fumbled, the Patriots took it in and never looked back.
No, Sanchez, won’t appear on the injury report for this week but his team’s playoff hopes will. Let’s grab the files and see which patients Doc has to treat this week. But his fellow quarterback, Tim Tebow, will be on the list with broken ribs. Tebow reportedly broke the ribs two weeks ago against Seattle and has been having difficulty breathing since.
Tebow can’t breathe…which is appropriate since all the Jets have done is choke in their four of their last five games after a 3-3 start.
Team doctors were looking at the right hand of Texans RB Arian Foster in the fourth quarter of the win over Detroit. It didn’t appear serious as Foster went back in the game but caused many a Foster owner to take a deep gasp of air.
Also from Thursday, Dallas WR Miles Austin left in the first quarter with a hip injury and didn’t return. While his owners got a big fat helping of zero, Austin is scheduled to get a serving of MRI today to find out the extent of the injury. If he winds up missing time, the values of Jason Witten and Dez Bryant will get a boost with Witten getting the bigger jump. Cornerback Orlando Scandrick also left the loss to Washington with a fractured hand. Look for more on his status early in the week.
New England lost TE Rob Gronkowski to a broken forearm in the fourth quarter against Indianapolis. Aaron Hernandez was okay with getting just four targets from Tom Brady last night and Visanthe Shiancoe was the other tight end for most of the night. Gronkowski is going to be out 4-6 weeks so he should still be kept on the bench if you have the space. He might be able to come back in time to help your team in the semifinals or championship games of your league. Then again, the Patriots didn’t look like they missed all that much against the Jets.
Philadelphia RB LeSean McCoy suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter of their loss to Washington. He’s still in the early stages of his recovery so Bryce Brown looks to be the starter on Monday against Carolina. With the way the Eagles’ season has gone (currently on a six-game losing streak) is there any real reason to bring McCoy back?
Philly sits at 3-7 and is a game ahead of 2-8 Carolina for the worst record in the NFC. (Boy that makes Monday night chores night instead of watching this clunker on ESPN.) It doesn’t make sense to rush McCoy back nor McFumbles (Vick) and coach McLosingStreak (Reid) and is likely to be gone at the end of the year. I expect Brown to get the ball the rest of the season in Philly (gut instinct) and would be a good pickup if he’s still out there.
In Oakland, Darren McFadden is still not ready to return and it’s Marcel Reece’s time to be in the spotlight but he faces a tough Cincinnati run defense. WR Denarius Moore is off the injury list though and would be a valuable weapon to Carson Palmer against a so-so- secondary.
Cincinnati will be without WR Andrew Hawkins for the game against the Raiders. Hawkins has been a marginal fantasy play the last few weeks and was an all-or-none player in the season.
Pittsburgh is dealing with plenty of pain. QB Ben Roethlisberger is out again this week with that rib injury. He wants to come back in Week 13 for Ravens, Round 2 but it doesn’t seem like a prudent move. Roethlisberger and his wife, Ashley, welcomed a baby into the world Wednesday morning and Little Ben, too, is already on the injury list. Like father, like son or something like that.
Byron Leftwich left the game against Kansas City with a rib injury as well and will not play this week so it’s down to Charlie Batch. His ribs are intact but might the Cleveland Browns are bringing the BBQ sauce on the blitz this week and add to the Steeler injury list affectionately called “Ribfest” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
WR Antonio Brown is still at least a week away from playing as he rehabs his ankle injury suffered against the Giants. Fellow WR Jerricho Cotchery is also suffering from an injury to his baby back, baby back, I want my baby back, baby back ribs.
It wouldn’t be a rib report without talking about Cleveland RB Trent Richardson. His are fine and he’ll play so keep the Open Pit on the shelf and the rookie from Alabama in your lineup this week. It’ll be tough against the Steelers’ defense but there’s no doubt he’ll get his touches.
Buffalo RB Fred Jackson had a full week of practices but will still be behind CJ Spiller on the depth chart and get about 1/3 of the carries in this week’s game against Indianapolis. The Colts might have WR Donnie Avery back in their line up this week and if they don’t T.Y. Hilton looks like a great last-minute option.
MJD is still a week away from coming back but he’s shed the crutches and the walking boot. Rashad Jennings got pushed into fantasy irrelevance by Jalen Parmele who should have a good week against the soft Titans’ run defense.
Denver lost RB Willis McGahee to a torn MCL for the balance of the regular season. Ronnie Hillman was the waiver wire pickup of the week and has an easy road ahead of him. McGahee can get McDropped for fantasy purposes.
Kansas City WR Dwayne Bowe has been a pain in the neck to own this season and a pain in the neck after last week’s loss to Pittsburgh. The good news is Bowe is probable. The bad news is Brady Quinn is starting at quarterback and the Chiefs take on a vicious Denver defense. I’m so over Dwayne Bowe. You should be too. Leave him on the bench where birds can fly.
Today determines whether or not Minnesota WR Percy Harvin will play Sunday against Da Bears. Harvin suffered an ankle sprain in week 9 and is close to coming back. He’s missed the last two days of practice with swelling and stiffness but needs to practice today to get on the field. Harvin would still have a tough matchup either way, so the bench looks like a good place to keep Harvin this week.
Chicago QB Jay Cutler is questionable with the concussion he suffered two weeks ago. Jason Campbell got swarmed the 49ers defense and Vikings are salivating to tee off on him this week. Regardless of which one of these two ends up under center, they are both weak, low-end QB plays this week.
And now some speed rounds…
Atlanta WR Julio Jones (ankle) will play this week and is a quality starter against Tampa Bay…Seattle RB Marshawn Lynch is on the injury report but there’s no cause for concern. Put him in your lineup like he puts Skittles in his mouth…New Orleans RB Darren Sproles (hand)Â is expected to play this week but faces a tough 49ers defense…St. Louis RB Steven Jackson’s foot is not an issue and he will play against Arizona…Danny Amendola’s foot injury has him questionable for the game against the Cardinals. He’s likely to be the dreaded late-game, game-time decision so be ready to roll with Plan B…Arizona welcomes back RB Beanie Wells (turf toe)Â from an IR stint but it remains to be seen how effective he’ll be. Wells made little impact in the ground game in the early part of the season before he got hurt. You know that time, when Arizona was 4-0 and one of three unbeatens…Green Bay WR Greg Jennings is practicing but is at least a week away from possibly getting back into action following abdominal surgery…The Packers have already ruled out CBs Charles Woodson (collarbone) and Sam Shields so Eli Manning might be able to capitalize on the defensive backfield being banged up.
As always, leave your comments and questions below. Good luck on Week 12 and hopefully you’re not sick of turkey sandwiches by the time Sunday’s early games roll around.
–Doc
