Although Stafford plays through pain routinely, there was concern on Wednesday that his throwing hand was too bruised and swollen to handle quarterback duties. Stafford returned to practice on Thursday and Friday and observers noted no limitations as he threw. The Lions list him questionable -- as they often do when they see players as probable to play -- but there's no doubt Stafford will play. While there's some risk of an in-game aggravation should Stafford get hit, contact a helmet, or get stepped on again, he can be expected to perform well. His matchup also looks favorable. The Tampa Bay secondary will be without Vernon Hargreaves, T.J. Ward, and Josh Robinson.
Tyrod Taylor | Knee | Questionable | Backup if Active
The Bills offered no clarity on Taylor's status after Friday's limited practice. He's considered a game-time decision but Sean McDermott told reporters it was possible Taylor would be active but not ready to start. Taylor suffered a bruise on his left patellar tendon on the first play of last week's game and fought through multiple additional hits to the area before finally calling it a day in the fourth quarter. And that's the rub again this week. This isn't a structural concern and there's little risk of catastrophic injury. However, despite a relatively anemic Indianapolis pass rush, it's impossible to expect Taylor to avoid taking any hits on the front of his plant leg. If Taylor plays, it's likely his mobility will be limited and it's possible he'll be unable to finish.
***Sunday AM Update: Though Taylor hasn't been ruled out, Adam Schefter reports Buffalo plans to start Peterman.
Others of note: Tom Brady(Achilles), Cam Newton (shoulder), Dak Prescott (hand), Jameis Winston (ankle), and Blake Bortles (wrist) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Paxton Lynch(ankle) has been declared out. I'll update return to play expectations on all inactive players in Monday's column.
RUNNING BACK
*Dion Lewis | Illness | Questionable | Expected to Play
Practice Participation: Thurs - Not Listed | Fri - DNP | Sat - Limited
Lewis returned to a limited Saturday practice and was -- as per the Patriot Way -- listed questionable on the game status report. Beat writer Doug Kyed reported Lewis is expected to play Monday night after a source told him Lewis was "100 percent." I'll update with any news of note through Sunday morning.
I use a long list of resources to write this column each week. There are a handful of teams that are under-reported and difficult to find actionable information about each week. The Lions do not fall into the first category but they definitely fall into the second. A Twitter keyword search for all things Ameer Abdullah returned absolutely nothing this week. Not even a generic "listed as questionable" -- literally no mention of him at all. Last week, Abdullah told reporters his status was up to Jim Caldwell and the medical staff, essentially hinting he was going to be inactive. After a week of limited practice, I think there's a chance he plays this week. But neck injuries are tricky. He must show enough strength and range of motion to protect himself in a contact situation. Regardless of Abdullah's health, the Lions have made it clear they plan to lean more heavily on Theo Riddick now.
***Sunday AM Update: Ian Rapoport is reporting Abdullah is unlikely to play, though "it's more for play than injury reasons."
Forte continues to play with a degenerative knee condition that swells and limits him intermittently. He's managed 29 and 35 snaps since taking three weeks off to rest his knee and felt good enough to get 18 touches last week. He continues to see 40-50% of the team's offensive snaps. The Friday DNP is a slightly different line than usual but the team's beat writers expect him to play. 12-15 touches remains a reasonable expectation.
Practice Participation: Wed - Not Listed | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited
Darkwa returned to a limited practice on Friday after missing practice on Thursday with an illness. The Giants did not update his condition on Friday. Though listed questionable, I think he's more probable than doubtful.
Practice Participation: Wed - Not Listed | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Full
Brown was limited in practice with a toe injury last week, looked hobbled during warmups at times on Monday night, then had 101 receiving yards on 15 targets. The Steelers gave Brown Thursday off this week but he took every other practice repetition. Brown's usual ceiling expectation is in play again this week.
Robert Woods | Shoulder | Questionable | LIkely Inactive
On Wednesday, Woods started his third consecutive week without practicing and Sean McVay told reporters there was no timetable for Woods' return. Woods again missed practice on Thursday before being cleared for individual drills on Friday. Though listed questionable, I don't expect to see Woods active. He hasn't yet been cleared for contact and there's little upside in risking an aggravation this week.
***Sunday AM Update: Both Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport tweeted Woods will not play but is expected back next week.
Shepard missed practice on Wednesday but returned to consecutive practices at the end of the week. He said he felt good after going full speed in Thursday's individual drills and the followup Friday workout is reassuring. Hamstring injuries always carry a risk of aggravation for receivers but Shepard has missed minimal time since the injury last week and is likely to see his usual workload. Watch for any unexpected weekend reports of concern.
***Sunday AM Update: There's a line buried in the middle of an overnight NFL.com article stating Shepard was unlikely to play. It was picked up by Rotoworld this morning and caused a stir on Twitter. I've seen no reports from beat writers of concern and Shepard's midweek comments remain reassuring. There were no overnight reports on Shepard from Ian Rapoport or Adam Schefter. It's something to track but I think it's reasonable to expect Shepard active until a more definitive report.
*Chris Hogan | Shoulder | Pending | Likely to Play
Practice Participation: Thurs - Limited | Friday - Limited | Sat - Pending
Hogan stopped short of guaranteeing his return on Thursday after his first practice in a month. But you could see he was excited to be back and his practice on Friday strongly suggests the Patriots are hopeful he'll be a part of Monday night's game plan. Like Golden Tate and Jameis Winston and many others with shoulder injuries this year, the Patriots held Hogan out until he was ready for contact to limit any risk of aggravation. Hogan's shoulder injury shouldn't have limited his conditioning and if he's cleared for contact he should be ready for his pre-injury workload.
Practice Participation: Wed - Full | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full
The reports on Anderson after Thursday's limited practice were odd. Some reports said he left practice and looked unlikely to play this week. Others said the injury was new -- after he'd already been listed on Wednesday report with a hamstring concern. Admittedly, it's possible Thursday's injury could have been different and compensatory and Anderson's demeanor might have suggested a significant strain. But Anderson was back to a full practice on Friday and is not listed on the game status report. Expect another full workload.
Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full
Matthews was not quite ready to return last week. The Titans' decision to rest Matthews last Sunday looks to have paid off. Matthews did more on Wednesday this week and was then cleared to return to a full practice on Thursday. He's not listed on the game status report. An in-game aggravation cannot be ruled out, but Matthews has now had over a week of workouts and the risk is much less this week than last. He'll likely face off against Patrick Peterson, who missed time this week with a hamstring strain of his own.
Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full
After twisting his knee on the fourth snap of the game in Week 11, Benjamin needed two weeks of rest to calm down inflammation and pain from what's been reported as a meniscus tear. While he's likely to need offseason surgery, Benjamin returned to full practices this week and is going to play. Conditioning and aggravation are concerns -- as is the potential for Nathan Peterman returning to the huddle as the starting quarterback.
Practice Participation: Wed - Full | Thurs - Full | Fri - DNP
It's rare to see a player not practice on Friday after two mid-week full practices. The questionable tag is not helpful in Carolina. The Panthers routinely list players questionable if they've been on the injury report during the week. The tone of the local reports suggests Funchess will play through his sore shoulder, as he has through toe and other soft tissue injuries this year. I'll update with any weekend news.
***Sunday AM Update: Funchess is expected to play.
Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Full
Maclin fully practiced on Friday and is expected to play. However, the back injury has flared up on him multiple times this year and he's continued to take painful hits to the area recently. Despite the full Friday practice, we've seen Maclin inactive unexpectedly on Sunday morning. Watch pregame reports and don't assume he's playing without confirmation he's active.
Amari Cooper | Ankle | Questionable | Limited if Active
ESPN's Dan Graziano reported the Oakland coaching staff met on Friday assuming Cooper would be inactive after showing slow improvement in rehab sessions. But Cooper talked the medical staff into allowing him to participate in individual drills. The coaches felt Cooper looked good enough to list him questionable. Asked about Cooper's availability after practice, Jack Del Rio told reporters he had "some thoughts on it but I don't need to share them" with the Chiefs. While the Raiders have left Cooper's status open, I think it's very unlikely we'll see them play Cooper. He's clearly not fully recovered, at risk of an aggravation, and was not considered in the offensive game plan at any point this week. If Cooper is active, he's unlikely to see a full snap count or be highly targeted.
***Sunday AM Update: According to Ian Rapoport, Cooper "impressed the team with how quickly he improved late in the week" and a source gives Cooper a "good chance" to play. Even if he's comfortable in pre-game warmups, it's tough to project Cooper for a full complement of productive snaps with only one surprise limited practice in two weeks.
Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - Full | Fri - Limited
Sanders is not healthy. Though he's managed a full practice this week, the Broncos continue to limit his reps during the week. Sanders has seen his snap count drop from 90% and 96% in his first two full games back to 88% and 85% over the past two weeks. Vance Joseph told reporters he expects Sanders to play but recognizes his receiver is still sore.
Patterson has played through hip soreness for multiple weeks. Though limited in practice, the Raiders expect him to play again this week. He'll face a Kansas City secondary without Marcus Peters.
Mike Williams | Knee | Questionable | Game-time Decision
Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full
Williams returned to a full practice on Friday but the Chargers were not ready to commit him to the active roster on Friday after practice. Anthony Lynn told reporters the team wanted to be certain Williams responded to Friday's practice without difficulty. Barring an unexpected issue on Saturday, Williams is primed to return to a limited role.
Sunday AM Update: Williams is expected to play.
Others of note: Marqise Lee (knee), Jermaine Kearse (shoulder), Will Fuller (ribs), and Josh
Bellamy (illness) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Robert Woods (shoulder), Allen Hurns (ankle), John Brown (toe), and Maurice Harris (concussion) have been declared out. I'll update return to play expectations on all inactive players in Monday's column.
TIGHT END
Zach Ertz | Concussion | Questionable | Awaiting Information
The Philadelphia media expected Ertz to be cleared on Friday after his return to individual workouts on Thursday. Ertz remained limited on Friday, however, and the team listed him questionable. That's not necessarily an indication Ertz won't be cleared to play. The return-to-play protocol is managed by the team. Though most players return to a full practice, a player does not necessarily have to be cleared for contact by the team before heading to an independent neurologist for full clearance. The Eagles may always have planned to wait until after Friday's practice to send Ertz to the independent neurologist. Though the Eagles are in Los Angeles already -- they never returned home after last week's west coast game -- it's possible they arranged for a late Friday or Saturday evaluation. We'll know Ertz's status in advance of game time and I'll update here.
***Sunday AM Update: The news on Ertz is not reassuring this morning. Adam Schefter reported the Eagles "still want to look" at Ertz on Sunday morning. Ian Rapoport says Ertz's status "may hinge on how he feels this morning." It would be very unusual for a team to send a player for clearance by the independent neurologist without feeling he's ready to play. The Schefter and Rapoport tweets strongly suggest Ertz hasn't had the independent examination. If that's accurate, Ertz will not play today. Schefter and Rapoport reported Ertz as doubtful and a longshot. I'm not sure why they're leaving the door open, but I'll update with any surprising positive news.
Greg Olsen | Foot | Questionable | Expected to Play
Practice Participation: Wed - Full | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full
Olsen fully practiced this week after being reassured by Dr. Robert Anderson that the soreness he experienced in his first game back was not structural or concerning. Two weeks ago, the Panthers planned to limit Olsen to certain offensive packages. While the Panthers have remained cautious, Olsen has said: "It's now or just kind of forget it for the year." And there have been no local reports about limiting Olsen's snaps this week. While Olsen may be limited, I think it'll be up to him. If he's feeling good early and conditioning is a non-factor, we may see him closer to 80% of the Panthers' offensive snaps than 50%.
Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Full
Walker left last week's game with a high ankle sprain. The mechanism looked minor and despite resting until Friday, Walker is not listed on the game status report and ready to play. There's a slight risk of aggravation but Walker can be expected to see his usual workload.
Others of note: Jimmy Graham(ankle), Charles Clay (knee), David Njoku (wrist), and Vance McDonald (ankle) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Jordan Reed(hamstring) has been declared out. I'll update return to play expectations on all inactive players in Monday's column.
***The Bengals will be without at least five defensive starters. Cornerbacks Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick, safety Shawn Williams, and linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Nick Vigil are all out this week. And, though the Bengals list him questionable, Geno Atkins was in a boot Thursday after practice and looks unlikely to play. If Darqueze Dennard sits with a knee injury, Cincinnati could be without seven important defensive pieces.
***Alec Ogletree is expected to play through a painful elbow injury but watch his pregame status carefully. There's still a chance the Rams hold him out.
***Telvin Smith had fully practiced after missing last week's game with a concussion. But he was listed DNP and Friday and is now questionable. The Jaguars sometimes list players fully expected to play as questionable but this looks like an ominous downgrade rather than an end-of-the-week precaution.
***Those who spoke with Trey Flowers in the locker room see similarities in his practice participation and media comments to last week when he didn't play. If he's active, it'll be in a rotational role.
***Deone Bucannon returned to full practices and isn't listed on the game status report. The Cardinals hinted they'd ease Bucannon in slowly but his practice participation suggests they may give him a bigger workload than anticipated.
***The Chiefs move Dee Ford to injured reserve. Tamba Hali could play this week but his status should be considered snap-to-snap.
OFFENSIVE LINE NOTES
Key Starters Declared Out:
Ronald Leary-DEN (back)
Rick Wagner-DET (ankle)
Julie'n Davenport-HOU (shoulder)
Mitch Morse-KC (foot)
Jermon Bushrod-MIA (foot)
Mike Remmers-MIN (back)
Marcus Cannon-NE (ankle)
Justin Pugh-NYG (back)
Oday Aboushi-SEA (shoulder)
*Note: Monday night players with asterisk practice Thursday/Friday/Saturday.
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NFL Sunday Morning Injury Updates - Week 14
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