NFL Injury Roundup – Week 17

Well, we’ve finally made it. The 2020 NFL season is set to come to a close this weekend, which means we’re only a week away from what should be the best Wild Card Round of all-time. Thanks to playoff expansion, Wild Card Weekend will include six games scattered across next Saturday and Sunday. It’s hard to imagine a better setup for sports bettors.

But first, let’s get past the final week of the regular season. There is still an awful lot on the line when it comes to the playoffs this weekend. The Washington Football Team doesn’t even know who’s starting at quarterback when they look to try and win the NFC East on Sunday night against Philly. The Rams and Cardinals will duke it out for a Wild Card berth with both teams potentially trotting out their backup quarterbacks. The Dolphins, Ravens, Cowboys, Browns, Colts, Bears, and Giants are among the teams that can still punch their tickets to the postseason depending on what happens this Sunday.

Injuries will play a big role in ultimately determining which teams advance to the playoffs. Here’s a look at a few notable players with issues heading into the final week of regular-season action.

Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams (Thumb)

Two weeks ago at this time the Los Angeles Rams were in first place and in control of their own fate in the NFC West. Two weeks later, LA is facing a desperate situation entering the final game of the season. The Rams were beaten 20-9 in Seattle on Sunday, but they also lost starting quarterback Jared Goff to an injured thumb. Goff hit the thumb on his throwing hand on the helmet of a Seattle defender while making a throw. He remained in the game, but the team revealed afterward that Goff broke his thumb on the play.

The Rams’ franchise QB underwent surgery to stabilize the injury on Monday, but he won’t be ready to play in time for Sunday’s massive game against Arizona. That means Los Angeles will have to start backup QB John Wolford, who has never appeared in an NFL game. Wolford went undrafted out of Wake Forest back in 2018. The Rams are also signing Goff’s old backup, Blake Bortles, off the Broncos’ practice squad.

Rams’ QB Jared Goff underwent surgery today on his broken right thumb in LA and is unlikely to play Sunday vs. Arizona, sources tell ESPN. If he can’t play Sunday, Goff could return for the playoffs if Rams advance there.

John Wolford is Goff’s backup and now in line to start.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 29, 2020

The 9-6 Rams have suffered back-to-back losses for the first time all year with Sunday’s loss in Seattle and last week’s massive upset defeat at home against the Jets. In order to qualify for the playoffs, the Rams will have to either beat the Cardinals at home or have the Packers take care of the Bears in Chicago.

LA is also expected to be without rookie running back Cam Akers, who missed the game against the Seahawks with an ankle injury. His backup, Darrell Henderson, went on injured reserve after Sunday’s game with an ankle sprain of his own. Malcolm Brown may be the Rams’ lone viable running back on Sunday against the Cardinals.

Despite the injuries, the Rams are actually 1.5-point favorites over Arizona heading into the final Sunday of the regular season.

Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals (Leg)

The Rams are likely favored because the Cardinals are facing some uncertainty of their own at quarterback. The Arizona Cardinals took a surprising loss at home to the 49ers on Saturday, and Murray went down late in the game with what the team is describing as a “lower leg injury.” Head coach Kliff Kingsbury said Monday that they are unsure that Murray will be able to suit up this week in LA, but added that he will go through practice in an attempt to prepare as usual.

The Cardinals will not risk their franchise QB if they think he’s too hurt to play at his usual high level. Mobility is arguably the most dangerous weapon in Murray’s arsenal, and if the leg injury makes it too difficult for him to escape the pocket, the Cardinals aren’t expected to rush him back out there.

Murray was injured after a hit by 49ers defensive end Alex Barrett on the final play of Saturday’s loss to San Francisco. The team hasn’t gone into any specifics with regard to the actual nature of the injury, but the fact that no X-rays or MRIs have been scheduled is good news.

Still, Arizona is facing a must-win this week if they want to sneak into the NFC playoffs. The 8-7 Cardinals are currently the first team outside looking in on the playoff picture with the Bears holding the tiebreaker over Arizona despite the teams sharing the same win-loss record. Beating the Rams on Sunday would be enough for Arizona to leapfrog Chicago into the playoffs.

Chris Streveler, who has never thrown a pass in the NFL, is Murray’s backup. The 25-year-old rookie played collegiately at South Dakota before going undrafted. Former Packers backup and UCLA standout Brett Hundley is the Cardinals’ third-string QB.

Alex Smith, QB, Washington Football Team (Calf)

The Washington Football Team made headlines with their decision to cut QB Dwayne Haskins on Monday morning. Haskins was dreadful in Sunday’s loss at home to the Panthers, and he was replaced late in the fourth quarter by backup Taylor Heinicke. Washington’s decision to release the former No. 16 overall pick stemmed from his lack of development as well as a recent off-field issue.

Head coach Ron Rivera said Monday that Heinicke will start Sunday night’s game in Philadelphia if Alex Smith is still too hurt to play. Smith, who led Washington to three straight wins after being named the starter earlier this season, left Washington’s game against San Francisco back on December 13. The 36-year-old has obviously dealt with significant injury issues in the past, and the Football Team won’t put him out there until he’s ready to return.

Report: Washington expects Alex Smith to start on Sunday night https://t.co/qAzFVJ5wRm

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) December 28, 2020

Rivera said that he is optimistic about Smith’s chances of returning this week after he missed each of the last two games with the injury. Washington wound up losing both games with Haskins starting, but the team is still in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. Washington will win the division with a victory over Philadelphia on Sunday night. If Washington loses while the Cowboys beat the Giants, Dallas will win the division.

Washington may also be without top wideout Terry McLaurin, who is still in a walking boot with a high-ankle sprain. McLaurin missed Washington’s defeat against Carolina due to the injury. On the season, the former Ohio State standout has caught 80 passes for 1,078 yards and three touchdowns.

The WFT is currently a 1.5-point favorite on the road against the Eagles on Sunday night.

Deshaun Watson, QB, Houston Texans (Elbow)

The Houston Texans have long since been eliminated from playoff contention, but Deshaun Watson is quietly putting up a huge individual season. Through 15 games, Watson has completed a career-best 70.1 percent of his throws for 4,458 yards with 30 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He has also added another three rushing scores with 432 yards on the ground.

Watson hurt his throwing elbow in Sunday’s home loss to the Bengals this past week. He was injured while taking a sack, but the injury didn’t force him to leave the game. Interim head coach Romeo Crennel told the media on Monday that Watson will be in the lineup this week against the Titans if the team’s medical staff clears him to play.

While the game has no playoff implications for Houston, the Texans do have an opportunity to play spoiler for the Titans. Tennessee can still clinch the AFC South with a loss by either Indianapolis, Miami, or Baltimore, but their easiest path to the division title is to beat Houston. The Titans got the better of the Texans in a high-scoring 42-36 affair in Nashville back in October.The Texans are listed as 7.5-point underdogs at home this week.

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (Rest)

The Kansas City Chiefs clinched the top overall seed in the AFC playoffs with Sunday’s win over the Falcons, which means Kansas City has literally nothing to play for this week. The 14-1 Chiefs staged a last-second comeback to earn a 17-14 win over Atlanta on Sunday, which was good enough to earn the team home-field advantage throughout the entirety of the AFC postseason.

With everything having been locked up, head coach Andy Reid said Monday that backup QB Chad Henne will likely start over Patrick Mahomes in the team’s final game of the regular season this Sunday at home against the Los Angeles Chargers. If his season is done, Mahomes finishes the year with a completion percentage of 66.3 percent with 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns to just six interceptions.

I think @AaronRodgers12 is going to win MVP this year because he and the Packers have been dominate all season from start to finish, plus Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs haven’t played great the last three or four games.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) December 28, 2020

Sitting on the sidelines on Sunday won’t have an impact on the Chiefs’ playoff outlook, but it may wind up being the nail in the coffin for Mahomes’ chances at his second NFL MVP award. As of this writing, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is listed as a sizable -330 favorite to win the award. Rodgers will play in the Packers’ season finale in Chicago on Sunday as Green Bay looks to lock up the top overall seed in the NFC. Barring a disastrous effort from Rodgers, Mahomes is looking like something of a long shot to win MVP at his current +300 odds.