Injuries are a part of every sport, but in Week 8 the NFL endured a rash of injuries unlike any the league has seen in a long time, if not ever.
From Le’Veon Bell to Cameron Wake to Steve Smith, an epidemic of season-ending injuries swept through Sunday’s games, leaving the hurt players looking down the barrel of a long recovery and many teams scrambling to make up for losses.
But Week 8 isn’t the outlier; NFL teams have been hit with what seems like an extraordinary number of injuries throughout the first half of this season. The latest edition of the Power Rankings focuses on the biggest losses for each team.
Rank | Team | Previous | |
1 | The Patriots have dominated the first half of the 2015 season, but it hasn’t come without some adversity. New England has dealt with injuries to key players along the offensive line, most notably left tackle Nate Solder and centre Bryan Stork. Right tackle Sebastian Vollmer has switched sides to take Solder’s spot, while undrafted rookie David Andrews has filled in admirably for Stork, who is eligible to return this week and that puts New England in a tough spot. |
1 | |
2 | Until Sunday night against Green Bay the Broncos offence was never able to get into a rhythm, and inconsistency along the offensive line is a big reason why. That starts with the loss of starting left tackle Ryan Clady, who tore his ACL back in May. Uncertainty at the position remains, as Denver went after Browns tackle Joe Thomas in the hours leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline. |
5 | |
3 | The Bengals had been one of the healthiest teams in the NFL, but are now dealing with injuries to a couple of key players ahead of Thursday’s Battle of Ohio. Tackle Andre Smith (concussion) and linebacker Rey Maualuga (calf) are both questionable versus the Browns. |
2 | |
4 | Sure, the Panthers have started the season 7-0 without their best receiver in Kelvin Benjamin, but can you imagine how scary this team would be with him in the lineup? He wouldn’t be dropping wide-open TDs (*cough* Tedd Ginn *cough*). |
4 | |
5 | Jordy Nelson has been missed, there’s no doubt, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offence have been able to get by (less so lately). The loss of Sam Barrington, however, has left Green Bay incredibly thin at linebacker, best evidenced by C.J. Anderson’s 28-yard TD run up the gut with Clay Matthews out the game. |
3 | |
6 | Considering how many teams have lost players this season, the NFC West leaders have been incredibly lucky on the injury front. |
7 | |
7 | The Vikings’ biggest losses have been in the trenches. Offensive tackle Phil Loadholt tore his Achilles in Minnesota’s second pre-season game, while centre John Sullivan has yet to play a regular-season game in 2015, but is eligible to return Week 10. Minnesota is also down on the defensive line with third-year defensive tackle Sharif Floyd, who had taken big steps this season before a foot injury kept him out the last two games. |
9 | |
8 | The Falcons have been able to stay mostly healthy throughout the first eight weeks of the season, avoiding major injuries to key players. |
6 | |
9 | Ricardo Lockette suffered Week 8’s scariest injury, when he was hit on a punt return by Cowboys safety Jeff Heath. Lockette lay motionless on the field for several minutes before being taken off on a stretcher. The Seahawks’ receiver will undergo neck surgery and is out for the season, but, thankfully, the team says the outlook is good. |
11 | |
10 | The up-start Raiders have put five players on season-ending injured reserve, maybe the most important being defensive end Justin Tuck, who tore his pectoral in a Week 5 loss to the Broncos. |
14 | |
11 | The Rams lost starting left guard Roger Saffold for the season after just five games, but the bigger injuries have come on the defensive side of the ball with both linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive end Chris Long missing multiple games with leg and knee injuries, respectively. |
16 | |
12 | Backup running back Khiry Robinson was one of the many players throughout the league who went out with season-ending injuries in Week 8. Robinson, who had seen increased touches in the red zone of late, suffered a fractured tibia in the Saints’ 52–49 win over the Giants. |
15 | |
13 | What once felt like a season of optimism has quickly done a 180, as the Jets’ quarterback situation has become dire. Both Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith were injured in Sunday’s loss to the Raiders, and both, along with leading receiver Brandon Marshall, are questionable for Week 9. |
8 | |
14 | DeAngelo Williams did a fine job filling in during the first two games of the season, but Le’Veon Bell simply can’t be replaced. He has every attribute you need in a running back, and the Steelers are much worse off without him. |
12 | |
15 | Jason Pierre-Paul’s hand has been the most-publicized injury the Giants have dealt with this season, but perhaps the toughest to deal with have been losses in what has turned out to be a horrid secondary. Three New York safeties are out for the year and the Giants’ best corner, Prince Amukamara, has missed the last three games. |
10 | |
16 | The Dolphins’ turn-around on defence after the firing of Joe Philbin began with the pass-rushing dominance of Cameron Wake, who had seven sacks in three games before a torn Achilles ended his season last Thursday. |
13 | |
17 | The Washington offence has sorely missed DeSean Jackson, its best playmaker, who has played in just one game so far this season. But there’s good news for ‘Skins fans, as No. 11 should be back Sunday. |
17 | |
18 | Kiko Alonso, the return in the LeSean McCoy trade, hasn’t played since re-injuring his knee in the season opener in Atlanta. Alonso is a natural playmaker on defence (if you haven’t seen his interception of Matt Ryan, please re-visit it), and was a key piece of Bill Davis’s defence. He’s expected to return Sunday night against Dallas. |
18 | |
19 | The Bills got off to a roaring start, but have struggled over the last month, and that can mostly be attributed to an unfair amount of injuries on the offensive side of the ball, including Tyrod Taylor, LeSean McCoy, Sammy Watkins, Karlos Williams and Percy Harvin. The bye week should help as both Taylor and Williams are expected to be in the lineup. |
19 | |
20 | Like Bell, Jamaal Charles is irreplaceable. Equally as dangerous in the pass game as he is on the ground, No. 25 was the catalyst of a Chiefs offence that is notorious for playing it safe. Sunday’s dominant win over the Lions could be considered a good sign—but c’mon, it’s Detroit. |
24 | |
21 | No one likes to see the career of one of the NFL’s all-time warriors possibly come to an end like Steve Smith’s may have Sunday with a torn Achilles on a 2-6 team. To make matters worse, the loss of No. 89 leaves the Ravens barren in the passing game. |
26 | |
22 | The Bucs have been dealing with a rash of injuries throughout their receiving corps, but the loss of Vincent Jackson is definitely the hardest hitting. Jackson and Mike Evans make up one of the league’s top WR duos, and missing the former for the next month allows defences to key in on the latter. |
29 | |
23 | Andrew Luck may not be listed on the injury report, but how else to you account for Luck’s struggles this season? It’s almost unfathomable. Missing throws, making bad decisions and turning the ball over have become the norm for the former No. 1 overall pick. If a knock is the reason why, sit him for a couple of weeks. |
21 | |
24 | If there was anyone who doubted Tony Romo’s importance to the Cowboys before his broken collarbone, there certainly isn’t now. In the weak NFC East, Dallas will go from one of the NFL’s worst to a contender upon No. 9’s return in Week 11. |
20 | |
25 | While the Bears have kept the status of their star running back mostly hush-hush, reports indicate the injury isn’t as serious as initially feared. Still, missing the multi-talented Matt Forte for any time at all hurts Chicago. |
25 | |
26 | Keenan Allen had the second-most catches in the league through eight weeks (67) until a kidney injury (suffered on an incredible touchdown catch, no less) forced him out for the remainder of the season. It’s a huge loss for Philip Rivers and the struggling, pass-happy Chargers. |
22 | |
27 | The Browns have shown they can be a tough out, but only when Josh McCown’s healthy—which is mostly never. Now it’s back to Johnny Football. |
23 | |
28 | Thanks to surprisingly mediocre play from Andrew Luck and the Colts, the Texans are right in the thick of things in the AFC South, and having Arian Foster in the mix would be a huge boost to Houston’s post-season hopes. Without consistency at quarterback and running back, it’s hard to believe the Texans will stay in the race. |
32 | |
29 | With so many exciting young players on offence, former Broncos tight end Julius Thomas would have been a much-needed security blanket and dangerous red zone target for Blake Bortles. Instead, he’s played in just three games and has only 10 catches all season. |
27 | |
30 | The 49ers have one good thing going for them on offence in bruising back Carlos Hyde, and now they’ve even lost that due to a stress fracture in the running back’s foot. Now, with Reggie Bush one of the many Week 8 victims, Kendall Gaskins joins Blaine Gabbert among San Fran’s starters on Sunday… Zoinks! |
30 | |
31 | Nothing at all is going right for the Lions. Calvin Johnson wasn’t one of the more severe injuries of the Week 8 epidemic, but Megatron is questionable for Detroit’s Week 10 game after hurting his ankle in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Chiefs in London. The bye couldn’t have come sooner for Detroit. |
28 | |
32 | After such a promising start to his rookie season, things haven’t gone so well for Marcus Mariota and his Titans, who have lost six straight since winning the opener. Now with coach Ken Whisenhunt fired, the second overall pick will return from a knee injury (at some point) with a whole new offensive game plan to undertake. |
31 |