Every week bones break and muscles rip around the NFL. We’ll take a look at the most significant injuries, and what happens next.
Suddenly the AFC West is a real division with a real division race after the Denver Broncos somehow lost to the St. Louis Rams.
That’s not ideal for a team that could spend at least one game without two of its top three receiving options.
Orange Julius is black and blue
Julius Thomas left the Broncos’ loss in the first quarter, and he did it because of the worst injury possible, for him at least. A tight end with a history of ankle problems limped off with an ankle problem.
The initial reaction was the sort of fear that should greet an injury to any player who’s scored just over a third of his team’s touchdowns and leads all NFL pass catchers with 12. But maybe don’t worry?
Thomas sprained his left ankle, but it’s not the dreaded high-ankle sprain. The Denver Post reported the Broncos haven’t ruled Thomas out for their Week 12 game against the Miami Dolphins, though this early in the week that means little. Filed under sort of meaningful and encouraging: he wasn’t in a walking boot after suffering the injury and he didn’t have a noticeable limp.
Thomas will almost certainly miss practice time this week and is likely headed for game-time decision status. And while his injury could have been a whole lot worse, playing without your top red-zone option and rolling with Jacob Tamme instead isn’t ideal with the temperature of a division race suddenly heating up.
But no worries, the Broncos have so many other weapons, right?
Emmanuel Sanders had his head rearranged
When Emmanuel Sanders reached for a deep ball in the third quarter of that game, he found a fast-moving human body instead.
Emmanuel Sanders take a monster hit #Broncos https://t.co/M7GRWSkB7N
— JuanElway™ (@JuanElway) November 16, 2014
That’s Rams safety Rodney McLeod doing some free dental work on Sanders. The wide receiver quite understandably didn’t return to the game, and as he enters the concussion protocol this week his status going forward is in doubt.
That’s true of any concussion case, but in today’s head injury climate Sanders playing a week after taking such a violent hit would make for some interesting optics.
If he’s unable to suit up then there’s a real chance Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will be without both Thomas, and a receiver who’s averaging 95.4 yards per game.
Beyond sheer skill, the Broncos’ offense is effective because its weapons are so widespread and focusing on a single option usually ends in disaster. Suddenly, two of those options who have been on the receiving end for 41 percent of Manning’s passing yards could miss a crucial late-season game.
Ahmad Bradshaw is broken
Indianapolis Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw also has a history of ankle and foot problems. But his latest injury doesn’t fall under the umbrella of typical soreness or a reoccurring problem.
Bradshaw fractured his tibia during a loss to the New England Patriots, and although he’ll see more specialists in the coming days, his season is over.
His loss is a devastating blow, as Bradshaw was thriving in a specific role for the Colts.
He was effective as a runner—and often much more so than Trent Richardson—with 425 rushing yards at 4.7 per carry. But he was excelling in space as a pass catcher, and sizzling as a red-zone option in the flats. Over just 10 games Bradshaw had caught six touchdown passes. His total over seven previous NFL seasons? Three.
Bradshaw had also collected 300 receiving yards during that stretch, already just 15 yards away from a new single-season high. Richardson will now assume a larger role in the Colts’ passing game, but Bradshaw’s hands and immediate change-of-direction ability after the catch can’t be replaced.
