NFL Injury Report, Week 9

By Week 9 of the NFL season, any NFL season, injuries are an issue for every NFL team. Deep bruises and mild contusions are everywhere to be found and mildly sprained ankles (and sometimes knees elbows, and shoulders) are played through with athletic tape and perhaps some aspirin. Ice is everywhere after games even in the falling temperatures: knees get iced, shoulders get iced, and bruises are treated with ice immediately after a bruised player hits the sideline to reduce the initial swelling. If every player who was feeling an ache reported it to the media there would be nothing but wall to wall reports every day of the football season. Here are the reports I've gathered of NFL skill position players who are injured and whose status has changed due to a deteriorated injury or an improved one.

I intend to publish an injury report this Thursday (Week 10) prior to the Thursday night game between Baltimore and Atlanta.

San Diego Chargers
Antonio Gates the skillful and large tight end for San Diego's amazing offense suffered an injury to his left foot that was fixed with surgery in the off season. His left toe and ankle were repaired, but the stress of playing NFL football has caused him to have developed a torn plantar fascia tissue in his right foot...that's the tissue that supports the arch of the foot. It is painful because there are a lot of nerve endings there. In fact he has a cart to support his right foot when he's not playing. He is a receiver who has two feet that are of limited use to him or according to his ability to endure excruciating pain.

Seattle Seahawks
Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck is out this week due to a concussion suffered last week versus the Raiders. Their limited offense is more limited now one would surmise.

Philadelphia Eagles
Michael Vick will be back at quarterback this week and the Eagles may be able to compete more effectively against the Colts with an offensive potential which would seem to be more able to move the ball and reduce the Indianapolis barrage of offense.

Indianapolis Colts
Austin Collie, the Colts tight end, is back practicing after a broken thumb healed sufficiently for him to catch passes...he wore padded gloves this week at practice and isn't ready to play with the still tender thumb not totally healed yet. Joseph Addai and Mike Hart, the Indianapolis running backs, are not expected to play Sunday leaving Donald Brown as the lone healthy back in the Colts backfield on Sunday. Addai and Hart didn't even practice this week.

New Orleans Saints
Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, the New Orleans running backs, aren't ready to return yet and the Carolina Panthers are thrilled. Bush practiced this week but he's still not able to pivot and turn at full speed so coaches have decided to let him rest this week against the Carolina Panthers. Pierre Thomas will also sit out Sunday's game at Carolina...Thomas was still on crutches last week and is expected to return for Week 11...the Saints have a bye next week (Week 10.)

Houston Texans
Houston tight end Owen Daniels will likely miss Sunday's game against San Diego due to a hamstring injury...any action he might see would be limited Texans coach Gary Kubiak said.

Minnesota Vikings
Vikings quarterback Brett Favre will play this week but wide receiver Percy Harvin is tending to a left ankle sprain that caused him to miss practice on Wednesday and Thursday. It's not known for sure whether he'll play Sunday. Sidney Rice, Minnesota's wide receiver, was removed from the Physically Unable to Perform list (PUP) this week and is practicing with the team now though he's not yet on the active roster. He's recovering from off season hip surgery

Arizona Cardinals
Beanie Wells the Cardinals running back experienced swelling to his surgically repaired knee this week, but he is expected to play versus Minnesota on Sunday.

Oakland Raiders
Oakland tight end Zach Miller might miss Sunday's home game versus Kansas City due to a foot injury...wide receiver Louis Murphy is going to miss Sunday's game with a chest contusion. Oakland quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, who's recuperating from a shoulder injury, isn't definite for the game Sunday and his status won't be decided until later this week.

Carolina Panthers
DeAngelo Williams, the Panthers running back, will miss this week's game due to a sprained foot. He is expected back in Week 10.

Tennessee Titans
Titans wide receiver Kenny Britt suffered a hamstring injury last week versus San Diego that might keep him out of game action for two months.

Resources:
www.espn.go.com...accessed 11/05/2010