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The Delta Report – Insight into Injuries and Lineup Changes
by Joe Hebert
10/10/2010
Here is an early summary of some of the key injuries and notes from Week 5. Players of interest are identified either with an “I” for injury or a “C” for change of status.
QB
Aaron Rodgers (I) – The Packers have admitted that Rodgers suffered a concussion on the final drive of the game and that Matt Flynn was getting ready to play had the ball come back to Green Bay. Check your Fantasy team’s depth chart to insure that you are ready to go forward without Rodgers if required.
Josh Freeman (I) – Freeman left the game temporarily after taking a big hit. He was replaced by Josh Johnson for one series and then returned. It does not appear that this will be anything that lingers at this point.
Seneca Wallace (I) – Wallace left the game with one play left in the first half due to a sprained right ankle. Jake Delhomme took the final snap of the first half and continued on as quarterback in the second half. Wallace looked to be available if needed on the sideline, but this could be a higher ankle sprain that lingers.
Todd Collins (C) – After throwing four interceptions in the first three quarters of the game, Collins was pulled in favor of Caleb Hanie. When you are 38 years old, this is not a good thing. The Bears are hoping Jay Cutler will be ready next week because it’s clear that neither backup is an ideal option.
Jimmy Clausen (C) – Clausen was pulled late in the game after a dismal outing, his second such performance in the past three weeks. Matt Moore took the field and while his completion percentage was better than Clausen’s, Moore threw two interceptions in 10 attempts. If you haven’t sold Steve Smith already, you may have missed your window.
Shaun Hill (C) – Hill was pulled late in the game with the Lions up big to allow Drew Stanton on the field. This is only relevant because it suggests that Hill will start next week for the Lions and we won’t see Matthew Stafford until Week 8 at the earliest as the Lions have a bye during Week 7.
Bruce Gradkowski (I) – Gradkowski came into the game with a sore shoulder and left when he aggravated that injury by taking a big hit. He had done a nice job of injecting the offense with some energy. Jason Campbell was back at the helm for a bit, but Gradkowski refused to stay down and came back into the game for one series before calling it a day.
Max Hall (I) – Hall took a humongous hit near the end of the first half and yielded to Derek Anderson for a series while he tried to remember what his name was. Hall returned later which is a clear sign that for now, the Cardinals are dedicated to moving forward with him at the helm.
RB
Arian Foster (I) – Head coach Gary Kubiak said Foster hurt his knee just prior to halftime which helped account for a dismal day. Foster only had one carry after half time, but that was also forced by the Texans playing from behind. We’ll keep an eye on this situation.
Maurice Jones-Drew (I) – Jones-Drew left the game briefly with a wrist injury but returned shortly thereafter. It does not appear to something that will prohibit him from any part of his standard game.
Deji Karim (C) – Karim played behind Jones-Drew today due to Rashad Jennings being injured. Karim had 15 carries for 70 yards and a fumble which is not a total surprise for this extremely talented rookie. Jennings better show something when he returns if he wants to keep his primary backup role.
Joseph Addai (I) – Addai left the game due to shoulder injury and was replaced by Mike Hart. Hart ran very well in his place and was more productive on the ground than Addai had been. However, Hart is not near the weapon in the pass game that Addai is.
Jamaal Charles (C) – Owners of Charles can only hope that Todd Haley finally figured out that Charles is much more explosive than Thomas Jones as Charles received 16 carries to eight for Jones. Charles should average over 100 yards of total offense if given 15-20 carries a week.
Matt Forte (C) – With Jay Cutler unavailable for the Bears, the offense swapped gears and we saw Forte carry the ball 22 times while Chester Taylor carried it 18 times. Forte owners can only hope that Mike Martz sees the wisdom of more runs for Forte going forward.
Chris Wells (C) – Wells officially assumed the role of primary back this week after carrying the ball 20 times compared to the four carries that Tim Hightower had.
Felix Jones (C) – Like Wells above him, Jones assumed the throne of the feature back of the Cowboys with 15 attempts at 7.2 yards per carry while Barber had six attempts at 3.1 yards per carry. As always, the concern with Jones is how long he can stay healthy.
Peyton Hillis (I) – Hillis said that he pulled a quadriceps muscle last Thursday and then aggravated it during the game. Look for him to miss some practice and we’ll see how it affects him going forward. Jerome Harrison would benefit from any missed time.
WR
Calvin Johnson (I) – Johnson fell hard on his right shoulder late in the game and did not return. The shoulder was wrapped in ice on the bench. He did not leave the sidelines at that point so odds are that with the Lions having a big lead at that point, the team was just playing it on the cautious side. Still, Jim Schwartz said that Johnson wasn’t able to finish.
DeSean Jackson (I) – Jackson missed a series after suffering a knee injury on a punt return, but he did return to the game after that time. Jackson only had two catches which came on consecutive plays, so he and Kevin Kolb will need to work on finding each other more going forward. Jeremy Maclin had no such issues.
Mark Clayton (I) – Clayton injured his right knee in a non-contact play which is not a good sign. He was carted off in an air cast and never did get back on his feet at any point. Brandon Gibson has taken his spot on the field but it’s Danny Amendola who will take his role as Sam Bradford’s favorite target. This is a season-ending injury.
Dez Bryant (I) – Bryant appeared to aggravate the same ankle that caused him to miss most the preseason action. He has been a favorite target of Romo’s when the team goes to its three-wide package. Sam Hurd stepped in for Bryant for a bit, but Bryant did return though it did seem to impact his play.
Demaryius Thomas (I) – Thomas took a huge hit while on special teams and left the game at that point. He stayed down on the ground for a few minutes before walking off under his own power with what may be a concussion. Thomas continues to be snake-bitten with injuries.
Louis Murphy (I) – Murphy left the game briefly with a leg injury but did return. It does not seem to be an injury that will affect him going forward. The change at quarterback from Gradkowski to Campbell is of far greater concern for Murphy owners.
Mario Manningham (C) – Manningham has now gone two weeks in a row without a catch which is troublesome but not worrisome…yet. Deeper down the Giants’ roster, it appears as though Ramses Barden may have pulled ahead of pre-season superstar Victor Cruz.
Chris Chambers (I) – Chambers injured his finger but later returned. Targeted just three times on the day, this should not affect any Fantasy team that has aspirations of success this season.
TE
Jermichael Finley (I) – Finley left very early in the game due to a right knee injury that was originally called a sprain but later called a hamstring ligament injury. Finley says he’s had this before and the duration could be from one day to two weeks. He’ll have an MRI on Monday. Donald Lee took his place.
Donald Lee (I) – Lee suffered a shoulder injury in the first half and was finished for the day at that point. It was later called a stinger and it seems likely that he’ll be ready to go next week. Andrew Quarless is third on the tight end depth chart in Green Bay.
Martellus Bennett (I) – Bennett suffered a sprained right ankle during the contest. Fortunately, it was his left ankle that gave him trouble in camp at the outset of this season. His availability for next week is unknown at this point.
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