Week 9 of the 2020 NFL season got off to a rocky start with a Thursday night game that was altered dramatically by COVID-19 and injuries. Unfortunately, it looks like injuries will make a huge impact in a number of games this week, so here's a game-by-game look at what key players could be absent in Week 9:

New York Giants at Washington Football Team, 1:00 PM

Giants

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Devonta Freeman
 RB Ankle DNP LP LP Out
Ryan Lewis
 CB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Devante Downs
 LB Shoulder LP LP LP (-)
Blake Martinez
 LB Hamstring LP LP LP (-)
Logan Ryan
 DB Hip LP LP LP (-)
Sterling Shepard
 WR Shoulder/Toe LP LP LP (-)

Injured Reserve: S Adrian Colbert, shoulder; LB Lorenzo Carter, Achilles; DB Brandon Williams, groin; RB Saquon Barkley, knee.

  • RB Devonte Freeman will miss Sunday’s game after not playing last week against Tampa. Wayne Gallman will get another start and has rushed for 154 yards on 37 carries, good for 9th best in DVOA among RBs.
  • CB Ryan Lewis was a late scratch with a hamstring injury on Monday night and is out again this week. Isaac Yiadom replaced Lewis and received an overall grade of 60.9 by PFF for his performance on Monday night. Yiadom allowed four catches for 38 yards and a touchdown on seven targets but he’s been poorly graded this season. He is graded as the 100th ranked CB among 108 CBs and has allowed the 90th ranked QB rating in coverage.

Washington

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Geron Christian Sr.
 T Knee LP DNP DNP Doubtful
James Smith-Williams
 DE Concussion LP FP FP (-)
Montez Sweat
 DE Concussion LP FP FP (-)
Logan Thomas
 TE Ankle LP FP FP (-)
Isaiah Wright
 WR Shoulder LP FP FP (-)
Dontrelle Inman
 WR Hamstring DNP DNP Doubtful

Injured Reserve: S Landon Collins, Achilles; WR Steven Sims, toe; RB Bryce Love, knee; DT Matt Ioannidis, biceps.

  • Safety Landon Collins was put on IR after an injury in their last game. He has really struggled this year, posting the 2nd worst tackling grade among Safeties and 57th in coverage. Expect 7th round rookie Kamren Kurl to start in Collins’ place. Kurl has allowed 14 of 16 targets to be caught for 168 yards and has generated poor grades across the board.

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons 1:00 PM

Broncos

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
A.J. Bouye
 CB Concussion DNP DNP DNP Out
Bryce Callahan
 CB Ankle DNP LP LP Questionable
Shelby Harris
 DE Reserve/COVID-19 list DNP DNP DNP (-)
Phillip Lindsay
 RB Foot DNP LP FP Questionable
Diontae Spencer
 WR Shoulder DNP DNP LP Doubtful
Jeremiah Attaochu
 OLB Quadricep LP FP FP (-)
Demar Dotson
 T Hand LP FP FP (-)
Tim Patrick
 WR Hamstring LP LP LP Questionable
Trey Marshall
 S Illness (-) (-) DNP Questionable
Nick Vannett
 TE Foot LP LP FP Questionable

Injured Reserve: TE Jake Butt, hamstring; DT Mike Purcell, foot; LB Mark Barron, hamstring; DT Jurrell Casey, biceps; LB Von Miller, ankle; WR Courtland Sutton, knee.

  • The biggest issue for Denver this week is the loss of DL Shelby Harris. Harris has been the Broncos best defender this season, generating a 10.6% pressure rate which is 13th best among DL. He has graded out as the 7th best DL in pass rush grade by PFF. Denver is decimated along the front 7 with the losses of Harris, Von Miller, Mike Purcell and Jurrel Casey.
  • #1 CB A.J. Bouye is out with a concussion. This could obviously be troubling against a Falcons offense with Julio Jones and (possibly) Calvin Ridley. He hasn’t been great this year, grading out as the 74th ranked CB, but he has only played 87 coverage snaps. Slot CB Bryce Callahan will slide into the #1 role while Rookie Michael Ojemudia would slide into the #2 role. Callahan is an excellent slot CB but playing outside could be a potential issue against Jones. Callahan is PFFs #2 highest graded CB this season. Ojemudia has struggled mightily this year. He has done a decent job not allowing a high completion percentage, at 63%, but has allowed big chunks of yardage. He has allowed 9.54 yards per attempt, 91st out of 108 CBs and his 15.1 yards per reception ranks 93rd.

Falcons

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Dante Fowler Jr.
 DE Hamstring DNP DNP Out
Takkarist McKinley
 DE Groin DNP DNP DNP Out
Calvin Ridley
 WR Foot DNP DNP DNP Questionable
Russell Gage
 WR Shoulder/Knee LP LP FP (-)
Jaeden Graham
 TE Knee LP FP FP (-)
Kendall Sheffield
 CB Concussion/Wrist LP FP FP (-)
Jordan Miller
 C Oblique DNP DNP Out

Injured Reserve: DB Damontae Kazee, Achilles; CB Darqueze Dennard, hamstring.

  • WR Calvin Ridley left last Thursday’s game with a foot sprain and hasn’t practiced this week. Ridley is 14th in the NFL in yards per route run this season. Russell Gage would take his spot in the lineup if he can’t go.
  • Defense ends Takk McKinley and Dante Fowler are both out. McKinley has missed the last 4 games and was subject of trade rumors. Fowler is 2nd on the defense in pressures this year. Charles Harris will start in place of Fowler and has 9 pressures, including 2 sacks, on 104 pass rush snaps this season.

Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts 1:00 PM

Ravens

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Mark Ingram II
 RB Ankle DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
Jimmy Smith
 CB NIR/Back DNP (-) DNP Questionable
Devin Duvernay
 WR Thigh (-) (-) LP Questionable
Chris Moore
 WR/RS Thigh LP DNP DNP Doubtful

Injured Reserve: G Tyre Phillips, ankle; T Ronnie Stanley, ankle; CB Anthony Averett, shoulder; CB Tavon Young, knee.

  • Top CB Marlon Humphrey is out due to COVID on Sunday. Others who are on the COVID/reserve list but would be eligible to play on Sunday assuming they pass the protocols include LB Patrick Queen, S DeShon Elliott, LB L.J. Fort, LB Malik Harrison, CB Terrell Bonds and LB Tyus Bowser. Obviously, everything changes if all or some of these guys are out but based on precedent in the NFL this season, all should play. Humphrey has been excellent this season and is a top 15 graded coverage CB. CB Jimmy Smith has been limited with an injury all week as well and if he doesn't play would be a major blow to the Ravens secondary. The Ravens would have to rely on Marcus Peters and UFA Khalil Doresy at CB. Dorsey has played 4 snaps this season and Peters has graded out with a poor 55.8 PFF coverage grade. Peters has done a good job limiting completions, allowing only 56%, but a 14.2 yards per reception figure, a bottom 25 ranking among CBs.
  • The worst injury of the week for Baltimore is the season-ending loss of Ronnie Stanley. Stanley is the #2 highest graded pass blocking Tackle in the NFL this season after finishing #1 last season. Orlando Brown Jr. shifts over from RT to LT and D.J. Fluker slides into RT. Brown has played 121 snaps at LT this season, is graded as a top 30 overall tackle and has a solid 5% pressure rate allowed. Fluker grades out at 53.2 as a pass blocker this season and has allowed 8 pressures on only 66 pass block snaps. He is a much better run blocker, and his 72.1 run block grade has been good.

Colts

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Ashton Dulin
 WR Knee DNP DNP DNP Out
T.Y. Hilton
 WR Groin DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
Mo Alie-Cox
 TE Knee LP DNP LP Questionable
Ryan Kelly
 C Knee LP FP FP (-)
Jonathan Taylor
 RB Ankle LP FP FP (-)
Jordan Wilkins
 RB Groin LP FP FP (-)
Marcus Johnson
 WR Knee (-) DNP FP Questionable

Injured Reserve: S Malik Hooker, Achilles; WR Parris Campbell, knee; RB Marlon Mack, Achilles.

  • The only potentially significant injury for the Colts comes in the way of WR T.Y. Hilton missing Sunday with a groin injury. He has not played well this season, but the Colts are not very deep at WR. Expect a lot more 2+ TE sets.

Carolina Panthers at Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM

Panthers

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Jeremy Chinn
 S Knee DNP LP LP Questionable
Corn Elder
 CB Neck LP FP FP (-)
Zach Kerr
 DT Toe LP FP FP Questionable
Russell Okung
 T Calf LP LP DNP Doubtful
Teddy Bridgewater
 QB Neck FP FP FP (-)
Donte Jackson
 CB Toe FP FP FP (-)
Marquis Haynes
 DE Shoulder DNP LP Questionable
Chris Manhertz
 TE Shoulder FP FP (-)

Injured Reserve: S Juston Burris, ribs; DE Yetur Gross-Matos, ankle; DT Kawann Short, shoulder; RB Christian McCaffrey, ankle.

  • LT Russell Okung will most likely miss this week’s game against KC after missing the last game against the Falcons. Okung is the 9th highest graded pass blocking Tackle this season and has allowed 10 pressures on 192 pass blocking snaps. His backup is the terrible Greg Little, who grades dead last among 79 Tackles this season as a pass blocker. He posted an incredible 12.1 pass block grade against Atlanta last week.
  • RB Christian McCaffery comes back from IR this week and will obviously be heavily involved against the 28th ranked DVOA run defense for the Chiefs.
  • Rookie Safety Jeremy Chinn is questionable. He has played well this year in that secondary and is 2nd on the team with 4 pass break ups. He also leads the team in tackles.

Chiefs

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Mitchell Schwartz
 T Back DNP DNP DNP Out
Frank Clark
 DE Knee DNP LP LP Questionable
Sammy Watkins
 WR Hamstring LP LP LP Questionable
Taco Charlton
 DE Knee FP FP FP (-)
Eric Fisher
 T Shoulder FP FP FP (-)
Chris Jones
 DT Groin FP LP FP (-)

Injured Reserve: DE Alex Okafor, hamstring; G Kelechi Osemele, knee; CB L’Jarius Sneed, clavicle.

  • Star RT Mitchell Schwartz missed last week’s game and is out again on Sunday. Veteran Mike Remmers has filled in and played well this season.
  • CB L’Jarius Snead and WR Sammy Watkins could play this week after missing the last couple of games. Both are welcome back into the starting lineup.
  • DE Frank Clark is questionable for Sunday and he is 2nd on the Chiefs with 20 pressures and 3 sacks. Taco Charlton would start in his place and he has been effective in limited action, generating 12 pressures on only 56 pass rush snaps this year.

Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills 1:00 PM

Seahawks

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Chris Carson
 RB Foot DNP DNP DNP Out
Greg Olsen
 TE Foot DNP LP FP (-)
Mike Iupati
 G Back DNP DNP DNP Out
Benson Mayowa
 DE Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
Shaquill Griffin
 CB Concussion/Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Carlos Hyde
 RB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Ugo Amadi
 FS Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
D.J. Reed
 CB Hamstring DNP LP LP (-)
Travis Homer
 RB Knee DNP LP LP (-)
Jamal Adams
 SS Groin LP LP FP (-)
Ryan Neal
 CB Hip LP LP LP (-)
DeeJay Dallas
 RB Arm/Wrist FP FP FP (-)
Jordan Simmons
 G Finger FP FP FP (-)

Injured Reserve: DB Neiko Thorpe, hip; S Marquise Blair, knee; DE Rasheem Green, neck; LB Bruce Irvin, knee; WR Phillip Dorsett, foot; G Phil Haynes, undisclosed.

  • The Seahawks are expected to get back Jamal Adams this week, which should hopefully stabilize this Seattle secondary.
  • Starters RB Chris Carson, LG Mike Iupati, CB Shaq Griffin and DE Benson Mayowa all missed last week’s game and are out this week as well.

Bills

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
John Brown
 WR Knee DNP FP FP (-)
Vernon Butler
 DT Groin LP FP FP Questionable
Cody Ford
 T Knee LP LP FP Questionable
Jerry Hughes
 DE Foot DNP FP FP (-)
Micah Hyde
 S Concussion LP FP FP (-)
Quinton Jefferson
 DL Knee LP LP FP (-)
Darryl Johnson
 DE Knee DNP DNP FP Questionable
Taiwan Jones
 RB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Matt Milano
 LB Pec DNP DNP DNP Out
Mitch Morse
 C Concussion DNP DNP LP Out
Josh Norman
 CB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Brian Winters
 OG Knee LP LP FP (-)
T.J. Yeldon
 RB Back DNP DNP DNP Out
Dawson Knox
 TE Calf LP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: LB Tyrel Dodson, hamstring; LB Del’Shawn Phillips, quadriceps.

  • The biggest losses this week come with Center Mitch Morse and LB Matt Milano being out. Milano has missed time throughout the season and the Bills LB coverage unit has suffered as a result. Starting at Center for Morse will be John Feliciano who started last week and played well.
  • It is expected that the Bills will get the return of starting WR John Brown. The Bills offense has, coincidentally or not, struggled with Brown out of the lineup the last two games. Gabe Davis will slide back into his accustomed 4th WR role.

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1:00 PM

Texans

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Randall Cobb
 WR Illness DNP LP FP (-)
Kyle Emanuel
 OLB Concussion DNP DNP DNP Out

Injured Reserve: LB Benardrick McKinney, shoulder; S AJ Moore, hamstring; CB Gareon Conley, ankle.

Jaguars

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Dakota Allen
 LB Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
Gardner Minshew II
 QB Thumb DNP DNP DNP Out
Devine Ozigbo
 CB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Josiah Scott
 CB Not Injury Related DNP DNP DNP (-)
A.J. Cann
 OL Shoulder LP LP LP (-)
Brandon Linder
 OL Hip LP LP LP (-)
Myles Jack
 LB Ankle LP LP LP (-)
Sidney Jones IV
 CB Ribs LP LP LP (-)

Injured Reserve: WR Dede Westbrook, knee; DT Abry Jones, ankle; DB Andrew Wingard, core muscle; CB DJ Hayden, Hamstring; LB Leon Jacobs, knee; TE Josh Oliver, foot.

Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings 1:00 PM

Lions

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Jamal Agnew
 RB/WR Ribs DNP DNP DNP Out
Kenny Golladay
 WR Hip DNP DNP DNP Out
Tracy Walker
 DB Foot DNP DNP DNP Out
Joe Dahl
 G Back LP DNP DNP Questionable
Taylor Decker
 T Back DNP LP FP (-)
Christian Jones
 LB Knee LP LP LP Questionable
Darryl Roberts
 CB Hip/Groin LP LP LP Questionable
Danny Shelton
 DT Wrist LP LP LP (-)
Desmond Trufant
 CB Hamstring LP LP FP (-)
Halapoulivaati Vaitai
 T Foot DNP LP FP Questionable
T.J. Hockenson
 TE Toe LP FP FP (-)

Injured Reserve: DE Trey Flowers, undisclosed; LB Julian Okwara, leg; TE Hunter Bryant, concussion; FB Nick Bawden, undisclosed.

  • The lead story is QB Matthew Stafford being placed on COVID reserve list after having contact with a person who has tested positive. He has not tested positive yet and expectations would be that he can play Sunday.
  • Kenny Golladay has not practiced this week and will miss the game on Sunday. He ranks 8th in the NFL in yards per route run and his return after missing the first 2 games this season, coincides with Stafford playing his best ball. Last week after Golladay went out, Marvin Hall stepped in and caught 4 of 7 targets for 113 yards including a huge 73-yard reception. He will need to step in and along with Danny Amendola and Marvin Jones will carry the water.
  • A big loss on the defense came in the way of Trey Flowers landing on IR. He is the 2nd highest graded pass rusher for the Lions and is 2nd with 13 pressures this season. This is a blow for a Lions team that is already poor in pass rush, ranking 28th in pressure rate.
  • Safety Tracy Walker is out Sunday. He has really struggled, posting a 38.8 coverage grade (worst among 44 Safeties) while allowing 25 of 34 targets to be caught while in coverage (73.5%). He has been burned for 154 yards and a whopping 5 TDs while in coverage. He won't be missed.
  • Starting RG Joe Dahl is questionable. He has graded out as the 38th ranked Guard as a pass blocker but 20th in run blocking among 83 Guards. The Lions do have plenty of depth on the OL so this potential loss shouldn't be a major issue with starting LT Taylor Decker back this week.

Vikings

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Holton Hill
 CB Foot DNP DNP DNP Out
Mark Fields II
 CB Chest DNP DNP DNP Out
Cameron Dantzler
 CB Concussion DNP DNP DNP Out
Harrison Hand
 CB Hamstring LP LP LP Questionable
Dan Chisena
 WR Hip LP LP FP (-)

Injured Reserve: CB Mike Hughes, neck; LB Anthony Barr, pectoral; DE Danielle Hunter, undisclosed.

  • Stop me if you’ve heard this before but the Vikings are missing key pieces of their secondary this week. Starting CB Cameron Dantzler along with reserve CBs Holton Hill and Mark Fields are all out this week. Mike Hughes has been on IR since suffering a neck injury in Week 6 and Kris Boyd left the last game with a knee injury. Boyd should play Sunday, however. Rookies Jeff Gladney and Harrison Hand finished the game for Minnesota on the outside, with safety Anthony Harris forced to play in the slot.

Chicago Bears at Tennessee Titans, 1:00 PM

Bears

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Tashaun Gipson Sr.
 S Foot LP LP LP (-)
Jimmy Graham
 TE Knee/hamstring DNP FP LP (-)
Eddie Jackson
 S Knee DNP LP LP (-)
John Jenkins
 NT Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
Anthony Miller
 WR Toe DNP LP LP (-)
Sam Mustipher
 OL Knee DNP DNP DNP Out
Roy Robertson-Harris
 DE Shoulder DNP DNP DNP Out
Mitchell Trubisky
 QB Right shoulder DNP DNP DNP Out
Cody Whitehair
 C Calf DNP DNP (-) Out/COVID
Cole Kmet
 TE Groin DNP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: T Bobby Massie, knee; G James Daniels, pectoral; RB Tarik Cohen, knee; CB Artie Burns, knee.

  • The Bears got hit by injuries and Covid-19 as much as any team this week. Starting RT Bobby Massie is out with an injury and his backup Jason Spriggs tested positive for Covid. Starting RG Germain Ifedi is also on the reserve list for being in close contact. Ifedi will probably play, however. Starting C Cody Whitehair has not practiced this week due to a knee injury after missing last week’s game against the Saints, but he is out anyway due to COVID. His backup and starter last week, Sam Mustipher, has not practiced this week as well with an injury. So, the only healthy starters from last week who are expected to play this week, LT Charles Leno and LG Rashaad Coward, are the two worst OL on the Bears in terms of pressure rate allowed and pass block grade. Leno’s 6.7% pressure rate allowed ranks 64th among 79 Tackles and Coward’s 9% pressure rate ranks 79th out of 83 Guards. Whitehair is the best OL among the group with a top 5 run blocking grade among Centers.

Titans

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Jadeveon Clowney
 DE/OLB Knee DNP DNP DNP Questionable
Adam Humphries
 WR Concussion DNP DNP DNP Out
Dennis Kelly
 T Knee DNP DNP FP (-)
Brett Kern
 P Wrist DNP DNP DNP Out
Jeffery Simmons
 DL Ankle DNP DNP LP (-)
Tye Smith
 CB Shoulder FP FP DNP Questionable

Injured Reserve: CB Kristian Fulton, knee; T Taylor Lewan, knee.

  • The biggest news of the week is the most likely return of starting CB Adoree Jackson from IR. Jackson was the Titans best CB last season and ranked 16th among all NFL CBs by PFF. He will replace Jonathan Joseph who was cut this week. Joseph was awful this season, ranking 89th in QB rating allowed in coverage and 77th in yards per attempt allowed at 8.76. He was targeted all day against the Bengals last week allowing 8 receptions on 11 targets for 92 yards and 1 TD. In addition, the Titans made a shrewd trade for slot CB Desmond King. King is one of the better slot CBs in the NFL, ranking 3rd best in yards per snap allowed in the slot and is graded out as the 17th best coverage CB in the NFL overall. He missed last week due to a concussion for the Chargers but will play this week. He will replace 7th round rookie Chris Jackson who has allowed the 8th highest QB rating while in the slot and grades out as the 106th ranked CB among 108 CBs in PFF grade. These two upgrades are large for the Titans.
  • All pro Punter Brett Kern is out this week and could be a hidden issue for the Titans this week.
  • Both Jadaveon Clowney and DL Jeffrey Simmons missed practice time this week but only Clowney has been declared out. Simmons is 3rd on the Titans in pressures and leads the defense in sacks with 2. He is the highest graded defensive player on the Titans this year. Clowney leads the Titans in pressure rate of 11% but has no sacks.
  • Slot WR Adam Humphries is out this week as well.

Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 PM

Raiders

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Johnathan Abram 
 S Illness DNP DNP FP (-)
Bryan Edwards
 WR Foot/ankle LP FP FP (-)
Johnathan Hankins
 DT Not injury related DNP DNP DNP (-)
Jeff Heath
 S Hip DNP DNP LP Questionable
Maurice Hurst
 DT Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
Gabe Jackson
 G Back LP LP FP (-)
Josh Jacobs
 RB Knee/Illness FP DNP LP Questionable
Arden Key
 DE Foot DNP DNP DNP Out
Kolton Miller
 T Ankle DNP DNP DNP Questionable
Sam Young
 T Knee LP LP LP (-)
Trayvon Mullen
 CB Hamstring (-) LP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: CB Damon Arnette, thumb; DT Daniel Ross, foot; C Richie Incognito, Achilles; WR Tyrell Williams, shoulder.

  • The Raiders pass rush took a hit with the loss of reserves DT Maurice Hurst and DE Arden Key. Hurst ranks 10th among all defensive linemen in pass-rushing according to PFF, while Key has generated 10 pressures in 126 opportunities. While PFF ranks the Raiders pass rush the worst in the NFL for 2020, Key and Hurst represent 20% of the Raiders total pressures this year.
  • Left tackle Kolton Miller is questionable after missing all of practice this week. The former first-round pick has allowed just one sack and one quarterback hit while playing every offensive snap for Las Vegas. Brandon Parker would be the next man up if Miller can’t go.  Parker has graded out well as a pass-blocker at right tackle this season, but has struggled in the run game. Parker hasn’t allowed a sack this season on 56 pass block snaps but graded out poorly last season in the pass game. He allowed a 9.4% pressure rate, including 3 sacks on only 116 pass block snaps last season.
  • Rookie CB Damon Arnette was designated to come off of IR and will play this week. He has posted a poor 54.4 coverage grade in 3 games this season. His return is timely as CB Trayvon Mullen is Questionable this Sunday. Mullen hasn’t played well either but he has graded as the best coverage CB on the Raiders this year at 61.7. He has allowed, however, a 124.9 QB rating which ranks 90th among NFL CBs.

Chargers

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Casey Hayward Jr.
 CB Calf/NIR FP FP DNP Questionable
Joey Bosa
 DE Concussion DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
Bryan Bulaga
 T Back FP LP FP (-)
Troymaine Pope
 RB Concussion DNP DNP DNP Doubtful
Isaac Rochell
 DE Neck LP LP FP Questionable
Trai Turner
 G Groin LP LP LP Questionable
Justin Herbert
 QB Right Shoulder (-) FP (-)

Injured Reserve: TE Virgil Green, ankle; RB Austin Ekeler, hamstring; CB Chris Harris, foot; S Derwin James, knee; C Mike Pouncey, hip.

  • Trai Turner could be making his much anticipated return in Week 9. The right guard has played just one game all season and has been dealing with a groin injury since Week 2. Cole Toner started at right guard for the Chargers in Week 9, receiving at 51.4 for run blocking.
  • As of this writing, Joey Bosa remains in concussion protocol and will not be able suit on on Sunday if he can't clear it. Bosa's 4.5 sacks lead the team and rank 13th in the NFL. However, LA has the seventh-best pass rush this season, per PFF.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 PM

Steelers

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Mike Hilton
 CB Shoulder LP LP LP Doubtful
Stefen Wisniewski
 OL Pectoral DNP DNP LP Doubtful
Tyson Alualu
 DE Knee DNP DNP DNP Out
Vance McDonald
 TE Illness (-) (-) DNP Questionable

Injured Reserve: LB Devin Bush, knee; T Zach Banner, knee.

  • Starting NT Tyson Alualu is out this week and he has been excellent in the middle of the Steelers defense. He is the Steelers’ 2nd highest graded defensive player, 3rd highest graded run defender in the NFL among DL and 9th highest in pass rush grade. The good news is that the Steelers will have Cameron Heyward in the lineup and with Stephon Tuitt, Pittsburgh will have two of the best DL in the NFL.

Cowboys

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Ezekiel Elliott
 RB Hamstring LP LP LP Questionable
Chris Jones
 P Abdomen DNP DNP DNP Out
Aldon Smith
 DE Knee LP LP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: T Brandon Knight, knee; DT Trysten Hill, knee; QB Dak Prescott, ankle; T Tyron Smith, neck; C Joe Looney, knee; CB Chidobe Awuzie, hamstring; T La’el Collins, hip; TE Blake Jarwin, knee.

  • RB Ezekiel Elliot is questionable this week but should play after being limited with a hamstring issue. Backup Tony Pollard would get the start and has played well in limited action as both a runner and receiver. In his short career, Pollard is averaging 4.9 ypc and the 6th highest DVOA rank among RBs this season.
  • CB Chidobe Awuzie might come back from injury this week after missing the last 6 games. Awuize was Dallas’ 2nd best coverage CB last season and would help stabilize the poor Cowboys secondary a bit.
  • DE Aldon Smith is questionable but expected to play. He leads Dallas with 29 pressures and 4 sacks.

Miami Dolphins at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 PM

Dolphins

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Matt Breida
 RB Hamstring DNP DNP DNP Out
Patrick Laird
 RB Ankle LP FP FP (-)
Shaq Lawson
 DE Shoulder FP FP FP (-)
Jamal Perry
 CB Foot LP LP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: RB Myles Gaskin, knee; DT David Godchaux, biceps; T Austin Jackson, foot; LB Vince Biegel, Achilles.

  • The Dolphins will be without their top two RBs in Myles Gaskin and Matt Breida. Expect veteran Jordan Howard to get the start. Howard has been atrocious this season, gaining only 14 yards on 18 carries.

Cardinals

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Kenyan Drake
 RB Ankle DNP DNP DNP Out
Dre Kirkpatrick
 CB Thigh DNP DNP DNP Out
Jordan Phillips
 DE Hamstring DNP LP LP Questionable
Jordan Hicks
 ILB Ankle/Wrist LP LP FP (-)
Ezekiel Turner
 ILB Toe LP LP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: G JR Sweezy, elbow; LB Chandler Jones, biceps; DB Robert Alford, pectoral; TE Maxx Williams, ankle.

  • Starting RB Kenyon Drake is out Sunday and Chase Edmonds will take over. Edmonds has been spectacular in a part time role, gaining 176 rush yards on 29 carries as well as being the Cards 3rd leading receiver with 222 yards. The Cards run game will be in good hands.
  • CB Dre Kirkpatrick is out although he has graded out as one of the worst CBs in the NFL this season.
  • DE Devon Kennard and slot CB Byron Murphy were put on COVID/reserve and won’t play. Kennard is 2nd on the team with 13 pressures on 144 pass rush snaps. Murphy plays almost exclusively in the slot and is 23rd in yards per route run allowed in the slot among 42 slot CBs. Losing both Murphy and Kirkpatrick puts some extra pressure on Patrick Peterson outside. He is the only other active CB for Arizona to play any snaps in the slot. CB Kevin Peterson will start alongside Peterson and has only played 20 coverage snaps this year. He did play 183 snaps last season and allowed 16 of 22 targets to be caught (72.7%) for 249 yards, including 129 YAC.  That 8.06 YAC/Rec ranked 2nd worst among all NFL CBs last season.

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:20 PM

Saints

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Justin Hardee
 DB Groin DNP DNP (-) Out/Moved to IR
Sheldon Rankins
 DT Knee DNP DNP (-) Out/Moved to IR
Drew Brees
 QB Right Shoulder LP LP FP (-)
Alvin Kamara
 RB Foot LP FP FP (-)
Marquez Callaway
 WR Ankle LP FP FP (-)
Michael Thomas
 WR Ankle/Hamstring LP LP LP Questionable

Injured Reserve: LB Chase Hansen, hip; WR Ty Montgomery, hamstring.

  • The big news from the Saints this week is that both starting WRs Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders will play this week. QB Drew Brees had some shoulder issues in practice but he will play.

Buccaneers

Player Position Injury Wed Thu Fri Game Status
Jamel Dean
 CB Illness DNP FP FP (-)
Mike Edwards
 S Groin LP LP FP (-)
Chris Godwin
 WR Finger LP LP FP Questionable
Ali Marpet
 G Concussion DNP DNP DNP Out
Scotty Miller
 WR Hip/Groin LP LP FP (-)
Jason Pierre-Paul
 OLB Knee LP LP DNP (-)

Injured Reserve: DT Vita Vea, leg; TE OJ Howard, Achilles.

  • WR Chris Godwin is expected to play with a bad finger.
  • Starting Guard Ali Marpet is out for Tampa. Marpet is the 5th highest graded Guard by PFF and has not allowed a sack this season. He has taken every snap at LG this year. Aaron Stinnie would be next in line and he has only taken 16 snaps in his career. This would be the first game that a starting Tampa OL will miss.
  • DE William Gholston was placed on COVID/reserve list but has not tested positive and is expected to play.

New England Patriots at New York Jets, (Mon.) 8:15 PM

Patriots

Player Position Injury Thu Fri Sat Game Status
Carl Davis
 DL Concussion DNP LP (-)
Stephon Gilmore
 CB Knee DNP LP (-)
Lawrence Guy
 DL Shoulder, Elbow, Knee DNP LP (-)
N'Keal Harry
 WR Concussion DNP DNP (-)
J.J. Taylor
 RB Illness DNP DNP (-)
Ja'Whaun Bentley
 LB Groin LP LP (-)
Shilique Calhoun
 LB Knee LP LP (-)
Kyle Dugger
 DB Ankle LP LP (-)
Damien Harris
 RB Ankle LP LP (-)
Ryan Izzo
 TE Hamstring LP LP (-)
J.C. Jackson
 DB Knee LP LP (-)
Dalton Keene
 TE Knee LP LP (-)
Shaq Mason
 OL Calf LP LP (-)
John Simon
 DE Elbow LP LP (-)
Joe Thuney
 OL Ankle LP LP (-)
Deatrich Wise Jr.
 DL Knee, Hand LP LP (-)
Isaiah Wynn
 OL Ankle LP DNP (-)

Injured Reserve: WR Julian Edelman, knee; T Justin Herron, ankle; LB Brandon Copeland, pectoral; RB Sony Michel, quadriceps; DT Beau Allen, undisclosed.

Jets

Player Position Injury Thu Fri Sat Game Status
Blake Cashman
 LB Hamstrings DNP DNP (-)
Jamison Crowder
 WR Groin DNP LP (-)
Sam Darnold
 QB Rt. Shoulder DNP LP (-)
Nathan Shepherd
 DL Back DNP LP (-)
Quinnen Williams
 DL Hamstring DNP DNP (-)
Josh Andrews
 OL Shoulder LP LP (-)
Sam Ficken
 K Rt. Groin LP LP (-)
John Franklin-Myers
 DL Knee LP LP (-)
Jordan Jenkins
 LB Rib / Shoulder LP FP (-)
Connor McGovern
 OL Knee LP LP (-)
Breshad Perriman
 WR Concussion LP LP (-)
Vyncint Smith
 WR Groin LP DNP (-)
Trevon Wesco
 TE Ankle LP DNP (-)

Injured Reserve: S Bradley McDougald, shoulder; DE Kyle Phillips, ankle; WR Chris Hogan, knee; LB Patrick Onwuasor, knee.