Weekend not for the weak as injuries continue to plague teams
As careful as the NFL has been about preventing an outbreak of the coronavirus within the league, one thing it can’t control is a rash of major on-field injuries. And that’s what it got Sunday.
Injuries often are the great equalizer in a collision sport such as football. It’s particularly upending when they come in bunches at the same position. Or when it comes in bunches everywhere on the roster.
San Francisco, which also saw quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo sidelined for the second half with a right-ankle problem, might have been hit the hardest — and didn’t have All-Pro tight end George Kittle or standout cornerback Richard Sherman to begin with. Two starters on the defensive line damaged their knees: Nick Bosa, the 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Solomon Thomas. Neither situation looks good.
Top running back Raheem Mostert, who opened the game with an 80-yard touchdown run, hurt his knee, too, and his backup Tevin Coleman left the road win against the Jets. With San Francisco scheduled back at the Meadowlands in five days against the Giants, coach Kyle Shanahan could be in scramble mode.
“You have a little mixed emotions when you lose some guys like that,” said 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who questioned the quality of
the turf at MetLife Stadium. “When you do lose some good guys like we did, that’ll probably be for a while, we need guys to get better.”
Among the guys who won’t be getting better anytime soon after a brutal day is Giants star running back Saquon Barkley, who suffered a severe ligament injury to his right knee. He’ll have surgery and reportedly is out for the season.
The 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year went down hard on the Chicago sideline after trying to fend off Bears safety Eddie Jackson on a 6-yard carry early in the second quarter. He dragged his right leg behind him as he was helped back across the field to the Giants’ sideline.
“Obviously, you know, Saquon is one of the best running backs in this league, so nobody’s going to be able to do what he does, what he’s done,” said his backup, veteran Dion Lewis. “We gotta do what we can do, be ourselves, and do whatever the coaches ask us to do and work hard every day.”
All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, perhaps the most versatile offensive player in the league, departed Carolina’s loss to the Buccaneers with a right ankle injury. He is expected to miss “multiple weeks.”
“It’s tough when you don’t have your best players on the field,” Panthers quarterback Teddy
Bridgewater said.
Also missing — deep breath — for portions of games were wideouts Davante Adams of the Packers (hamstring); the Colts’ Parris Campbell (carted off with a leg injury); the Giants’ Sterling Shepard (toe); and the Broncos’ Courtland Sutton (knee, out for the season).
Also, Broncos quarterback
Drew Lock hurt his shoulder and is expected to miss three to five weeks.
Another deep breath:
■ The Jets also were depleted against the Niners. Already without RB Le’Veon Bell and WRJamison Crowder, they saw receivers Breshad Perriman (ankle) and Chris Hogan (ribs), cornerbacks Quincy Wilson (concussion) and
Arthur Maulet (groin), and center Connor McGovern fail to make the finish.
■ The Chiefs lost defensive end Frank Clark (illness) and cornerback Antonio Hamilton (groin).
■ Indianapolis lost top running back Marlon Mack to an Achilles’ tendon injury last week, and safety Malik Hooker left against Minnesota with a similar issue. The Colts also played without cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, who was sent to the hospital with a pregame stomach ailment.
■ Minnesota was minus running back Mike Boone (concussion) and linebacker Anthony Barr (shoulder) at the end of the game.
■ Washington guard Brandon Scherff left early in Arizona with a knee injury. Monday, coach Ron
Rivera said Scherff will miss a few weeks but that overall the news was positive.
■ The Rams’ Joe Noteboom (calf ), the Eagles’ Isaac Seumalo (knee), Packers center Corey Linsley (hand) and Jaguars center Brandon Linder (knee) also went down with injuries.
While the league’s precautions against COVID-19 have thus far worked extremely well, the injury toll is likely to mount. There was little on-field preparation during the summer, and no preseason games. Virtually no contact in a contact sport.
Nor could players use team facilities to stay in shape, which made soft-tissue injuries more likely to occur. What occurred Sunday, though, is more ominous.