Fantasy Football and NFL News, Rumors and Injury Updates

NFL Injury Roundup - Week 9

November 2, 2007 @ 08:21:08

By Richard Garcia
Edited by Ryan Dodson

Welcome to KFFL.com's Injury Roundup. Each week, we keep you up to speed on all the latest injury news from around the NFL. Whether it's a minor injury or a season-altering catastrophe, we're on top of it. Which players may be sitting out of this weekend's key games? Which ones are ready to step back between the white lines?

Quarterbacks

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson (hand) practiced on a limited basis all week but was able to take all of his normal reps and is expected to start. Jackson did not play Week 8 after suffering a broken finger on his throwing hand in Week 7.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Josh McCown (toe) was named the starter for Week 9 replacing quarterback Daunte Culpepper, who led the team to a 1-3 record in four starts. McCown practiced both Wednesday and Thursday splitting snaps with the first team on Wednesday.

New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington (ankle) was replaced as the team's starter for Week 9 by quarterback Kellen Clemens. The injury isn't believed to be a factor in the change but is due to his ineffectiveness to lead the Jets to wins.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young (quadriceps) practiced all week and is expected to play. Young completed six passes for 42 yards last week against the Oakland Raiders. It was his first game back after missing the previous game in Week 7.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards (sprained wrist) did not practice all week and could be looked at as the team's emergency quarterback this week. He is being replaced by quarterback J.P. Losman as the Week 9 starter.

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub (concussion) did not practice this week and isn't expected to start. He got knocked out of the game when he was hit after throwing his second interception in the game in Week 8. He will be replaced by quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who will make his first start of the season.

Carolina Panthers quarterbacks David Carr (back) and Vinny Testaverde (Achilles') are hoping to play this week. Testaverde hasn't practiced all week, while Carr has practiced. Head coach John Fox hasn't named a starter for this week, but it is expected to be Carr.

The Rest of the Field...

Jacksonville Jaguars will be without quarterback David Garrard (ankle) for at least another week after missing practice all week with quarterback Quinn Gray getting his second consecutive start... San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex D. Smith (shoulder) will start in Week 9 after fully participating in practice all week... Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (oblique) practiced Wednesday and Thursday and will start after looking sharp in practice... Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (elbow) practiced on both Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to play in Week 9... Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Damon Huard (soreness) practiced on a limited basis due to him taking a beating the past few weeks. He is expected to play this week... Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (hamstring) should be fine to play this week after using the bye week to heal a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 8.

Running Backs

Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson (hamstring) practiced all week and is expected to play. It is believed that Johnson and running back Kenny Watson (concussion) will split carries.

San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (ankle) was limited in practice for the third straight week and is expected to play. It is believed that he will share some of the running duties on third downs with running backs Maurice Hicks and Michael Robinson.

Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry (ribs) practiced all week and is expected to play. He missed last week's matchup against the Green Bay Packers and was replaced by running back Selvin Young.

Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis (foot) practiced all week and is expected to be taken off the team's injury list. Lewis handled the majority of the carries last week and is expecting to carry a full workload this week.

Green Bay Packers have made running back Ryan Grant the starter after losing running back DeShawn Wynn (neck) for the remainder of the season. Running back Brandon Jackson will be the primary backup with running back Vernand Morency used primarily as the third-down back.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew (knee) played on his bad knee last week and came out all right. He has taken it easy all week and is expected to play.

New Orleans Saints running back Reggie Bush (rib) suffered a rib injury in the second half of last week's game, leaving the field with five minutes left. He practiced on Wednesday and is expected to play.

The Rest of the Field...

Oakland Raiders running back Michael Bush (leg) has been cleared to practice. He is currently on the Physically Unable to Perform list, and the Raiders have three weeks to decide whether to activate him, release him or place him on Injured Reserve... Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Michael Pittman (ankle) was limited in practice all week and is likely to return after the team's Week 10 bye... Houston Texans running back Ahman Green (knee) participated through a portion of practice Thursday and could play. It will more than likely be a game-time decision on Green... Tennessee Titans running back Chris Brown (ankle) didn't practice Thursday and remains questionable for this week.

Wide Receivers

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison (knee) did not practice on Thursday and is uncertain for this week's matchup against the New England Patriots. Head coach Tony Dungy said it's doubtful Harrison will play, but this could simply be a ploy to throw off the opponent.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Deion Branch (foot) did not practice all week and may not play. It is possible that he could miss up to two more weeks.

New York Jets wide receiver Laveranues Coles (concussion) suffered a concussion last week and is also believed to have suffered a concussion last December in Miami. He didn't participate in practice all week, and his status for this week's game is uncertain.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Brandon Jones (knee) is expected to return to the lineup after practicing all week. The Titans haven't scored on a passing touchdown in four straight games, and he will be looked at to make things happen in his return.

Houston Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson (knee) participated in practices all week. Johnson believes he will not play, but his coaches think that he is likely to play this week.

The Rest of the Field...

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Darrell Jackson (quadriceps) practiced all week and is expected to start this week... Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.J. Hackett (ankle) practiced all week and is expected to play... Oakland Raiders wide receiver Ronald Curry (foot) was limited in practice all week but is expected to play... Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (back) was a little gimpy through practices all week. He is expected to play, but he might not play a full load... Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Reggie Brown (neck) practiced all week and is expected to play... New England Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss (team decision) took a limited amount of snaps all week, but he is in no jeopardy of missing any time... Denver Broncos wide receiver Rod Smith (hip) was placed on IR Thursday and will miss the rest of the season... Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) returned to practice on Thursday and is expected to play.

Tight Ends

New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson (ankle) returned to practice this week on a limited basis. His status for this week remains uncertain. Tight end Kyle Brady (team decision) is also a little banged up, but he should play despite having limited participation in practice this week.

Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis all week and is focused on playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Heap expects to start barring any setbacks after missing two of the last three games.

Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels (ankle) practiced all week after the team said that the injury wasn't as bad as they had expected. He's day-to-day, but he is likely to play this week.

The Rest of the Field...

Green Bay Packers tight end Bubba Franks (knee) did not practice all week and is expected to miss at least two more weeks... New York Jets tight end Chris Baker (back) has practiced on a limited basis this week and is expected to play... Atlanta Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler (knee, ankle) missed last week's game, and after not participating in practice all week, it is unlikely that he will play.

Editor's Note: Dr. Alan Knopf's expert medical analysis will return in Week 10.

Author Bio

Richard Garcia
Garcia served as a managing editor for KFFL. Prior to his time with KFFL, Richard worked in managerial roles with both Frito-Lay Inc. and UPS. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in public relations from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and fulfilled his internship requirements with the Los Angeles Kings Hockey organization in 2001.