As Week 14 begins in the NFL, the league is starting to enter the home stretch of the season. The games are more important and the injury reports are growing as more teams are getting banged up. There are still five weeks left in the regular season as the playoff races are heating up, evidenced by the Detroit Lions‘ huge victory over the Green Bay Packers Thursday night.
The Chicago Bears have some key injuries to skill players D’Andre Swift and DJ Moore, while the Steelers had a surprise on the injury report with wide receiver George Pickens.
Before the Sunday games commence, let’s take a look at the final injury reports around the league.
Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings (-6)
- Falcons: RB Jase McClellan (ankle) OUT; CB Mike Hughes (neck), DT Ruke Orhorhoro (ankle) QUESTIONABLE
- Vikings: CB Stephon Gilmore (hamstring) OUT; LB Patrick Jones II (knee), OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (thigh), LS Andrew DePaola (hand), K Will Reichard (quad), G Dalton Risner (back), DT Harrison Phillips (back) QUESTIONABLE
Another light injury report for the Falcons, as Orhorhoro was listed as questionable — but was a full participant in Friday’s practice.
For the Vikings, Phillips was a late addition to the injury report as he was limited Friday. Van Ginkel was limited all week, while Reichard was a full participant in practice throughout the week.
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles (-12)
- Panthers: WR Jalen Coker (quad) DOUBTFUL; OLB Jadeveon Clowney (knee), CB Caleb Farley (shoulder), LB Josey Jewell (hamstring), TE Ja’Tavion Sanders (neck), OLB D.J. Wonnum (knee), S Nick Scott (hamstring), G Robert Hunt (back) QUESTIONABLE
- Eagles: S Reed Blankenship (concussion), S Sydney Brown (knee), WR Britain Covey (neck), TE Dallas Goedert (knee) OUT
The Panthers don’t have as lengthy of an injury report as in weeks past, but there is some positive news with the injury designations. Sanders was a full participant in Friday’s practice, along with Hunt, so it looks both are on the verge of playing Sunday.
With Goedert out, Grant Calcaterra is slated to get more targets on Sunday. The three-year veteran has already set career-highs this season in receptions (17) and receiving yards (216) and has caught a whopping 85% of his targets. Some good news for the Eagles is the return of wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who practiced fully on Friday and is set to play Sunday.
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5)
- Browns: DT Maurice Hurst (ankle/foot), DE Sam Kamara (concussion), WR Cedric Tillman (concussion), T Jedrick Wills (knee) OUT; CB Myles Harden (tibia), S Juan Thornhill (calf), WR Jamari Thrash (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE
- Steelers: DT Montravius Adams (knee) OUT; WR George Pickens (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE
Each of Cleveland’s questionable players were limited practice participants each of the past two days. With Tillman out and Thrash questionable, expect a considerable of targets to be thrown to fellow receivers Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy.
Pickens ends up as a surprise on the injury report after tweaking his hamstring in Friday’s practice, giving him the questionable designation. Pass rusher Alex Highsmith (ankle) practiced in full and will not carry an injury designation.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-3.5)
- Jaguars: CB Tyson Campbell (thigh), P Logan Cooke (left knee), LS Ross Matiscik (hamstring), LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE
- Titans: G Logan Bruss (knee), OT Jaelyn Duncan (hamstring) OUT; CB Roger McCreary (shoulder), LB Kenneth Murray Jr. (hamstring), DT T’Vondre Sweat (shoulder), LB James Williams (knee), OT Leroy Watson IV (back), OLB Jerome Baker (neck), DB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (hip) QUESTIONABLE
Each of the Jaguars questionable’ players sans Cooke were limited during Friday’s practice. The Jaguars will be without Trevor Lawrence, who was placed on injured reserve this week after sustaining a concussion during last Sunday’s game against the Texans. Mac Jones will start in his place.
For the Jaguars, McCreary, Murray and Sweat did not practice all week. Williams and Lynch were full participants on Friday after both players did not practice on Thursday.
Las Vegas Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5)
- Raiders: CB Nate Hobbs (ankle), RB Zamir White (quadricep) OUT; TE Justin Shorter (back) DOUBTFUL; WR Jakobi Meyers (ankle), RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) QUESTIONABLE
- Buccaneers: LB K.J. Britt (ankle), S Mike Edwards (hamstring), CB Troy Hill (foot/knee), LB Markees Watts (knee) OUT; RB Bucky Irving (hip/back), DB Tykee Smith (knee), LB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (ankle), WR Trey Palmer (hip), DB Josh Hayes (hamstring), ILB J.J. Russell (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE
Meyers and Mattison were both limited on Friday. Backup running Ameer Abdullah is in line to get an increased workout with White and Mattison on the injury report. Abdullah had 118 all-purpose yards in the Raiders’ last two games.
Irving was limited on Friday after not practicing the previous two days. Regardless of Irving’s status, expect Rachaad White to continue to have an increased role in the offense. White ran for a season-high 76 yards on just 11 carries during last week’s overtime win over the Panthers.
New Orleans Saints (-5) at New York Giants
- Saints: TE Taysom Hill (knee), OL Nick Saldiveri (knee), WR Bub Means (ankle) OUT; DE Tanoh Kpassagnon (Achilles), RB Kendre Miller (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE
- Giants: CB Deonte Banks (rib), DT Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder), ILB Bobby Okereke (back) OUT; G Jermaine Eluemunor (quad) DOUBTFUL; OT Evan Neal (hip), LB Dyontae Johnson (ankle), WR Malik Nabers (groin), DT Jordon Riley (knee), OT Chris Hubbard (knee), DB Andru Phillips (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE
Kpassagnon and Miller were both full participants all week. For the Giants, Nabers didn’t practice Friday and was limited Thursday. Nabers has been dealing with a groin issue for most of the season.
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (-6)
- Jets: LB C.J. Mosley (neck); CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring), RB Breece Hall (knee) DOUBTFUL; OL Olu Fashanu (toe), OL Morgan Moses (knee, shoulder), OL Xavier Newman (groin), CB Qwan’tez Stiggers (illness), OL Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle), WR Allen Lazard (chest) QUESTIONABLE
- Dolphins: OT Terron Armstead (knee), LB Anthony Walker (hamstring), OLB Bradley Chubb (knee), LB Cameron Goode (knee), CB Kader Kohou (back), RB Raheem Mostert (hip), LB Blake Ferguson (non-football illness) QUESTIONABLE
Each Jets questionable player sans Stiggers was limited during Friday’s practice. Gardner did not practice all week, while Mosley is set to be placed on injured reserve. For the Dolphins, Walker and Ferguson are trending up as both players were full practice participants Friday. Mostert, Chubb, Kohou and Goode were limited throughout the week.
Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5)
- Seahawks: T Stone Forsythe (hand) OUT; RB Kenneth Walker (ankle/calf), P Michael Dickson (back) QUESTIONABLE
- Cardinals: CB Elijah Jones (ankle) OUT; DT Dante Stills (back), DT Naquan Jones (elbow) QUESTIONABLE
Walker did not practice Thursday and Friday and was limited Wednesday. Given Walker’s status, expect backup Zach Charbonnet to continue to receive some carries. Charbonnet had six touches and a touchdown in last week’s win over the Jets.
For the Cardinals, Stills and Jones were both limited the past two days.
Buffalo Bills (-5) at Los Angeles Rams
- Bills: DT DeWayne Carter (wrist), WR Keon Coleman (wrist), OL Tylan Grable (groin), TE Dalton Kincaid (knee), TE Quintin Morris (shoulder/groin) QUESTIONABLE
- Rams: OL KT Leveston (ankle), TE Tyler Higbee (knee) OUT; OL Alaric Jackson (foot), OLB Jared Verse (ankle) QUESTIONABLE
The Bills could be without two of their top skill-position players on Sunday, as Coleman and Kincaid were limited at practice on Friday. Both will be game-time decisions. Kincaid has missed the last three games while Coleman has missed the last four.
Jackson and Verse were both limited the past two days for the Rams, but head coach Sean McVay expects both players to face Buffalo.
Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-4)
- Bears: OL Ryan Bates (concussion), DB Elijah Hicks (ankle), RB Roschon Johnson (concussion) OUT; WR D.J. Moore (quad), RB D’Andre Swift (quad) QUESTIONABLE
- 49ers: S George Odum (knee), RB Jordan Mason (ankle), T Trent Williams (ankle), LB Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) OUT; DL Nick Bosa (hip, oblique) DOUBTFUL; OL Aaron Banks (concussion), LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (knee), S Talanoa Hufanga (wrist) QUESTIONABLE
Ten days of rest have certainly helped Moore and Swift, but the Bears’ top skill-position players were upgraded from nonparticipants in practice to limited on Friday. With Johnson out, Travis Homer would be the No. 1 running back if Swift can’t go.
As you can see, the 49ers continue to deal with a laundry list of injuries. Bosa hasn’t been ruled out despite his absence throughout this week’s practices. With Mason out and Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, the 49ers’ running game will likely center on rookie Isaac Guerendo, who rushed for 99 and 85 yards in wins over the Seahawks and Cowboys (respectively) earlier this year.
Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (-4)
- Chargers: LB Denzel Perryman (groin) DOUBTFUL; LB Junior Colson (ankle), S Tony Jefferson (hamstring), WR Ladd McConkey (knee/shoulder) QUESTIONABLE
- Chiefs: WR Mecole Hardman (knee) QUESTIONABLE
Perryman was questionable all week, while McConkey was limited during each of the Chargers’ practices. Quentin Johnston, Josh Palmer and Jalen Reagor will likely get more targets in the event that McConkey can’t go.
The Chiefs are as healthy as a team can be at this point in the season. Hardman did not practice Friday after not appearing on the injury report the previous two days.
Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5) at Dallas Cowboys, Monday
Analysis to come
