NFL Week 7 Injury Roundup

It’s hard to believe that six weeks of NFL action have already come and gone, but here we are. While we still have two games on tap for Monday, most teams around the league already have their sights set on Week 7. Several clubs are dealing with injury-related fallout from Week 6 action, which may have an effect on how the rest of the season plays out.

How does the Week 7 injury report shake up NFL betting odds moving forward? Let’s take a look at a few key injuries that occurred in Week 6.

Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (Knee)

The Philadelphia Eagles ultimately fell short in their quest to upset the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, and Philly also happened to lose a couple of offensive starters in the process. One of them was running back Miles Sanders, who was injured at the end of his 74-yard run in the third quarter. Sanders left the field and didn’t return after racking up 118 yards on just nine carries in the game.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported afterward that Sanders is slated to undergo an MRI on his injured knee on Monday to determine the extent of the damage. Some within the Eagles’ organization are concerned that it could be serious, which means Sanders may be sidelined for at least a few weeks.

Current Eagles injuries on offense: TE Zach Ertz, RB Miles Sanders, WR Alshon Jeffery, WR DeSean Jackson, WR Jalen Reagor, TE Dallas Goedert, LT Andre Dillard, RT Lane Johnson, G Brandon Brooks, G Isaac Seamalo, OT Jason Peters and OT Jack Driscoll.

Other than that…

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 18, 2020

Sanders has been a steady source of production this season for Philly. Through five games, the Penn State product has carried the ball 71 times for 434 yards with three touchdowns, which is a stellar average of over six yards per attempt. Sanders has also chimed in with another 12 catches for 91 yards in the passing game.

If he’s out for an extended period of time, Philly will have to rely more heavily on backups Boston Scott and Corey Clement in the ground game. Scott ranks third on the team with 67 rushing yarsd on 21 carries so far this season, while Clement has accounted for 30 yards on 11 attempts. Quarterback Carson Wentz is actually the Eagles’ second-leading rusher so far in 2020, with 171 yards on 28 carries.

The Eagles, who dropped to just 1-4-1 on the year with their loss to the Ravens, will host the New York Giants this Thursday. Philadelphia has opened as a six-point favorite over a Giants team that picked up its first win of the season on Sunday over Washington.

Zach Ertz, TE, Philadelphia Eagles (Ankle)

Sanders wasn’t the only starter to leave Sunday’s game for the Eagles. Tight end Zach Ertz also left the game with an ankle injury. He briefly returned to the field afterward, but he was quickly ruled out after that. Ertz is also scheduled to get an MRI to assess the damage. This is a particularly harsh blow to an Eagles team that has already placed another tight end, Dallas Goedert, on injured reserve.

Richard Rodgers is Philly’s No. 3 tight end, and one would imagine he will get the brunt of the work if Ertz will wind up missing any time. Ertz has long been one of the NFL’s most productive pass-catching tight ends, but he has really struggled so far in 2020. Ertz has 24 catches (45 targets) for 178 yards with a touchdown through the first six games of the season.

Fortunately for the injury-plagued Eagles, the rest of the NFC East is a nightmare. The Giants and the Washington Football Team have combined to win just two games, while the Dallas Cowboys just lost QB Dak Prescott for the season. Dallas currently leads the division with a 2-3 record ahead of their Monday Night Football clash with the Arizona Cardinals.

Despite the rash of injuries, the Eagles (+155) still have the second-best odds to win the division this season.

Raheem Mostert, RB, San Francisco 49ers (Ankle)

Raheem Mostert was a breakout star in the playoffs last year for the San Francisco 49ers, but his 2020 campaign has been marred by injuries. Mostert appeared to injure his ankle making a catch late in the first half of the Niners’ win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. Mostert was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game in the third quarter.

The injury comes just a week after Mostert returned from a knee injury that kept him sidelined for several games. Through four appearances this season, the NFL journeyman has carried the ball 51 times for 303 yards (5.9 yards per carry) with a touchdown. Mostert had already carried the ball 17 times before going down on Sunday night.

49ers ruled out RB Raheem Mostert.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 19, 2020

Fortunately for the 49ers, they’re used to playing without Mostert at this point. Jerick McKinnon has gotten the lion’s share of the activity out of the backfield with Mostert sidelined so far this season. The former Viking has racked up 211 yards on 41 carries while also contributing another 17 catches for 117 yards.

San Francisco’s win over the Rams improved their record to 3-3 on the young season, but oddsmakers aren’t too keen on the Niners’ chances of repeating as NFC champions. The .500 49ers have dropped to +1400 to win the NFC, and they currently have the worst odds (+900) of any team to win the NFC West. Seattle (-230), LA (+400), and Arizona (+800) all have better odds as things stand today.

Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens (Ankle)

The Baltimore Ravens picked up a close win on Sunday, but leading rusher Mark Ingram left the game with an ankle injury. He didn’t return to the field, and his prognosis at this point is murky. However, head coach John Harbaugh did say after the game that the team does not believe it’s a serious injury.

The Ravens have a Week 7 bye, which gives Ingram the chance to rest up without having to potentially miss a game. Baltimore relied more heavily on rookie JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards after Ingram left Sunday’s game, while Lamar Jackson is always a viable rushing threat, as well. Jackson led the Ravens with 108 rushing yards and a touchdown on Sunday, while Ingram picked up just 20 yards on five carries before departing.

Ingram, who topped 1,000 yards last season, has picked up 225 yards on 50 carries with a pair of touchdowns so far in 2020. Jackson (346 yards) is the Ravens’ leading rusher once again, while Edwards (218) and Dobbins (154) have contributed, as well.

The 5-1 Ravens are still -160 favorites to win the AFC North this season despite the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers (+140) actually lead the division with a perfect 5-0 record. Baltimore will have a golden opportunity to gain some ground in the divisional race when they face the Steelers on November 1 immediately following this week’s bye.

Dalvin Cook, RB, Minnesota Vikings (Groin)

Dalvin Cook was sidelined for the Minnesota Vikings‘ disastrous home loss to a previously-winless Falcons team on Sunday. Cook missed the game after sustaining a groin injury in Week 5, which led to Alexander Mattison getting the bulk of the team’s carries against Atlanta. Mattison didn’t do much with the opportunity, finishing with just 26 yards on 10 attempts in the 40-23 defeat.

Everyone who thought Alexander Mattison = Dalvin Cook 🤡 pic.twitter.com/aRIC18QhFp

— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) October 19, 2020

With the Vikings set to enjoy a bye in Week 7, Minnesota is expecting Cook to be healthy enough to play when the team returns to the field in Week 8 against the Packers. The Vikings fell to just 1-5 on the year with the loss to the Falcons. While having Cook back in the lineup will help, Minnesota’s odds of making much noise in the NFC North are worsening with each passing game.

Cook leads the Vikings with 489 rushing yards on 92 attempts so far this season, and he still leads the league in rushing touchdowns with seven despite having played a little less than five full games.

The Vikings have tumbled all the way to +6600 to win the division this season. The Packers are still -200 favorites despite Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers, but the surprising Bears (+170) aren’t far behind. Minnesota has fallen well behind the Lions (+2000), as well.