Thomas Rawls is the latest RB to be hit hard by injury
The Jocs and Docs Show is back with our weekly injury wrap-up. Dive in as our experts give you what you need to know about the major NFL injuries of the past week.
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Tyler Eifert/Andy Dalton – TE/QB – CIN
Docs (Dr. Khalid)
Eifert sustained a blow to the head early in this Sunday’s game and was declared out for the game with a concussion. Eifert immediately enters concussion protocol and his return is unpredictable. Return from concussions can be anywhere from five days to multiple weeks. I’m sure that the Bengals will not rush Eifert back from this injury to guarantee his long-term health. Concussion protocol entails a very gradual and slow progression of activities. First, the player must be able to attend meetings without having concussion symptoms. The player is then progressed through training, strengthening, and practices in a similar manner. When a player can fully practice without symptoms, he clears the concussion protocol. Owners will need to watch for Eifert’s return to practice by Thursday or Friday, if he is going to play on Sunday.
The Bengals list of injuries continues here with starting QB Andy Dalton. Dalton left the game with a right thumb injury, and was seen in a cast on the sidelines after returning from the locker room. After the game, Marvin Lewis hinted that Dalton had a fractured thumb and ruled him out for next week. The long-term prognosis for Dalton depends on the location and severity of the fracture. A simple non-displaced fracture could allow Dalton to return in two weeks. A fracture extending into the joint would mean surgery and anywhere from four-to-eight weeks of missed time. Dalton is expected to see a hand specialist Monday, which suggests to me that this may be more than a simple nondisplaced fracture. The main issue here is that this is an injury to his throwing hand. Besides the pain that occurs with a fracture, his grip strength will be a big issue. I would be very surprised to see Dalton back before three weeks. Owners will need to monitor Monday’s results, but there are already reports that Dalton will miss the remainder of the season due to the injury.
Jocs (Aman)
With Dalton looking to miss extended time and Eifert’s return too impossible to predict, the entire Bengals’ offense is going to be untrustworthy. A.J. McCarron ultimately looked shaken by the situation, as he had only attempted four NFL passes prior to this week’s game. McCarron was able to move the ball well, but his turnovers and bad decision making could be a problem. The run game will have to step up in order to open the passing game for McCarron. A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard will likely see an uptick in touches, but the offense is going to have its struggles.
Vincent Jackson – WR – TB
Docs (Dr. Khalid)
Vincent Jackson, who was recently recovered from a right knee injury, suffered what appears to be a setback this week. Jackson suffered a sprain in the same knee previously that sidelined him for three weeks. Jackson’s absence from Sunday’s game following his injury was not surprising, because this was the same knee he previously injured. Injury setbacks are often treated cautiously and return to play is very gradual. We don’t know what the exact initial injury was, but I wouldn’t expect to see Jackson practice early this week, and he will likely wear a questionable tag come next Sunday.
Jocs (Aman)
Vincent Jackson has already missed three games this year with a knee injury, and with the Buccaneers trying to make a playoff push, they’re in desperate need of someone to step up. Austin-Seferian Jenkins will be the primary beneficiary, but he looked rusty against New Orleans. Look for the Bucs to rely more heavily on Doug Martin and Mike Evans.
Thomas Rawls – RB – SEA
Docs (Dr. Khalid)
The Seahawks are on a tear recently, but they suffered a setback this Sunday when Thomas Rawls went down with a broken ankle. With a broken ankle, Rawls will almost certainly need surgery to fix the fracture. Rawls also reportedly suffered torn ankle ligaments. It is common for ankle fractures to have some level of ligament damage at the same time that generally heals in the same timeframe as the bone. If the ligament tears are significant, his rehab could be slower than a typical ankle fracture. This injury, torn ligaments or not, would likely cost him the rest of this season barring a very deep playoff run.
The main question here is, will Marshawn Lynch make his comeback early? The simple answer is this. Lynch is approximately three weeks removed from his abdominal surgery. It is very unlikely he would be ready for next week given that he hasn’t even begun practicing yet. Lynch likely still needs another two-to-three weeks before he can return, meaning the surging Seahawks will likely be looking elsewhere for their carries.
Jocs (Kethan)
Rawls has been a better replacement for Lynch than anyone could’ve hoped for. It’s no coincidence that as his production has soared the last few weeks, so has the production of Seattle’s offense. Unfortunately, with this injury, his fantasy season is assuredly over. In the wake of his injury Sunday, Seattle seemed to give DuJuan Harris the majority of touches with some Fred Jackson mixed in. I don’t expect that formula to change much, but I do expect the Seahawks to favor the passing game more, specifically benefiting Russell Wilson and Doug Baldwin.
T.J. Yeldon – RB – JAC
Docs (Dr. Jie)
Yeldon was another in the long list of early injuries this Sunday. By video, it looks like Yeldon possibly suffered a mild PCL sprain but this hasn’t been confirmed. Regardless of the specific ligament that is sprained, Yeldon is very likely to be questionable for next week. Grade 1 knee sprains generally require one-to-two weeks of rest. Grade 2 sprains can take anywhere from two-to-four weeks of recovery. Yeldon very likely falls somewhere in the Grade 1 range. I expect Yeldon to receive an MRI Monday, to better define the injury and recovery. Owners should pay close attention to the results of this MRI, as his fantasy playoff future is at risk here.
Jocs (Kethan)
The Jacksonville offense has been a pleasant surprise this season, and rookie RB T.J. Yeldon has been a nice component. Yeldon has put up solid RB2 production as the Jags’ bell-cow this season. If he can’t go this week, fantasy owners should target Denard Robinson to fill in. Expect Robinson to immediately carry RB2 value until Yeldon returns.
Greg Olsen – TE – CAR
Docs (Dr. Rob)
Olsen was involved in a big end-zone collision and came up holding his knee after the play. On video replay, Olsen’s knee injury looked worse than it likely is. Olsen landed awkwardly on the knee and my best guess is that he has a very mild MCL sprain. Olsen reportedly could have returned to the game but the Panthers decided to hold him out precautionarily. I do not expect this knee sprain to be an issue for Olsen. He will likely rest early in the week, and may even miss Wednesday’s practice, but this would likely only be precautionary. Expect Olsen to be back next week without any issues.
Jocs (Kethan)
The Carolina Panthers’ offense is cruising right now, on par with their superb defense. Greg Olsen was held out because the Panthers were so far ahead and likely did not want to take a risk. Olsen remains the second-best TE behind Rob Gronkowski, and is clearly the main target of the high-powered Carolina offense. The Panthers look to be on a mission right now, and Olsen is an essential piece to their success.
LeGarrette Blount – RB – NE
Docs (Dr. Khalid)
Blount left Sunday night’s game with a hip injury and was downgraded to out at the start of the second half. Based on the video, this is most likely a muscle strain or injury. Muscle injuries are very tricky to recover from because of varying healing potentials. Muscles around the hip are especially tricky because they are used for so many motions for both the leg and the core. This could be a nagging injury for Blount, and we may see him miss or be limited for the rest of the fantasy playoffs. If he does make it back to the field next week, his effectiveness will be a major question with his running style.
Jocs (Kethan)
As one staple of the New England offense returns, another goes out. Blount was putting up decent RB2 value as the Pats’ lead back. The Pats’ backfield has always been an unpredictable thorn in the side of fantasy owners. Having said that, expect an RBBC between Brandon Bolden and James White, with Bolden stepping into Blount’s role and White being the change-of-pace back.
The views of this show are strictly our own personal opinions and are in no way affiliated with any institution or any of our employers. All medical knowledge expressed is solely based off our own knowledge and no private patient information was obtained or used to formulate these opinions.
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Asad Khalid, M.D., Jie Chen, M.D., and Rob Williams, M.D. are orthopedic surgeons and sports maniacs at heart. Aman Khalid and Aditya Patel are law students and former “athletes.” Follow the show @jocsanddocs and listen to them on iTunes.
