Early December has turned into a breeding ground for season-ending injuries across the NFL. With several big names and key players placed on the injured reserve altering the Super Bowl picture with four games left before the postseason.
With the likes of Rob Gronkowski, Earl Thomas, and others now out for the year, today’s column focuses on the injury list and how it will impact the race for the Super Bowl over the next two months:
Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots
The injury to Rob Gronkowski is certainly the most high profile of the recent crop of season-ending trips to the IR for star players, but the bigger question will be if the New England Patriots can come up with a plan that hides the loss of their best skill position player on offense. Head coach Bill Belichick’s greatest test to his reputation as one of the best coaches of all-time in using his system to maximize the roster he has to work with will be in these next two months with the Patriots now in need of the rest of the offense to step up to make plays for Tom Brady.
The Patriots have placed TE Rob Gronkowski on injured reserve, per a league source. His season is officially over.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 3, 2016
Luckily for the Patriots, Gronk has missed time in the past with his well-documented injury history. However, to be without the best tight end in the league for the playoffs will considerably change the dynamics in the AFC after most experts expected the Pats to head to the Super Bowl out of the conference. The lack of Gronk will open the door for the likes of the Raiders, Chiefs, Steelers and others, but if the Patriots can land homefield advantage at the end of the regular season, it still might not matter due to the machine that Belichick has built in New England.
Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks
On the defensive side of the ball, the Earl Thomas injury will have the biggest impact on the playoff picture with the Seattle Seahawks now without their star safety. The lack of Thomas will be a culture shock for the Seahawks, who enjoyed Thomas’ durability and lack of injury problems for the past six seasons where he played in every game for Seattle. Now, it will be Steven Terrell who is tasked with filling the shoes of one of the best safeties of this era for the next two months as the Seahawks attempt to win a second Super Bowl under head coach Pete Carroll.
#Seahawks officially placed S Earl Thomas on Injured Reserve, ending his season after the cracked tibia. They signed Jeron Johnson for depth
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 6, 2016
The impact of Thomas’ injury is apparent due to his leadership and talent, but the good news for the Seahawks is the presence of Kam Chancellor at the other safety position to ensure that the backend of the secondary is still well accounted for. With Chancellor and Richard Sherman still there to lock down opponents through the air, the Seahawks defense should still be fine even as they face unknown territory without Thomas there to provide that extra physical element with his punishing hits down the middle. The big question for the Seahawks is still if their offense can produce enough to knock off the Dallas Cowboys in a potential NFC Championship Game matchup. The lack of Thomas will make their goals more difficult, but the Seahawks defense should be fine if the likes of Sherman and Chancellor can step up their individual play to fill the void and Terrell learns on the fly to do a capable job.
Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants
The most recent injury to a star player, Jason Pierre-Paul’s news of a six week absence after undergoing sports hernia surgery could sink the New York Giants hopes of a deep playoff run for the first time since their second Super Bowl win in the Eli Manning era. JPP’s absence is bound to spark a regression from the Giants defense, a unit that silently carried the team through their lengthy run of wins while Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. continued to dominate the headlines in New York.
#Giants DE Jason Pierre-Paul is out 6 weeks following surgery for a core muscle injury, source said. At least, his regular season is over.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 7, 2016
Unlike the injuries to Gronk and Thomas, the Giants likely don’t have an answer to replace Pierre-Paul. JPP is the team’s best pass rusher and is one of the leaders on the defense that played a role in the Giants two Super Bowl triumphs, which makes him difficult to replace. The Giants do have young studs on defense like safety Landon Collins playing out of their mind this season who deserve credit, but it is hard to see the New York pass rush continuing to play at the same level without their most proven and experienced edge rusher. The Giants aren’t considered as contenders to the degree of the Seahawks or the Pats, but their hopes of making a shock run to a Super Bowl like they did in 2008 and 2012 took a huge hit this week.
D.J. Hayden, Oakland Raiders
It might be strange to see a relatively unknown name like D.J. Hayden’s appear in this column alongside superstars in Gron, Thomas, and Pierre-Paul. Still, Hayden’s hamstring injury that placed him on the IR could have a significant impact for the Oakland Raiders over the next two months in a similar fashion to those three other injuries.
DJ Hayden will be placed on season ending injured reserve. JDR: "it's a big blow." #Raiders
— Scott Bair (@ScottBairNFL) December 2, 2016
The Raiders pass coverage woes this season are well documented as the reason many feel they are one season away from being considered as genuine contenders, a problem Hayden’s injury will exasperate. A former first-round pick who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, Hayden was having himself a solid year at long last for the Raiders alongside Sean Smith and David Amerson. Head coach Jack Del Rio and Ken Norton Jr. don’t have many options to turn to, and as a result, the Raiders already suspect pass coverage could be a liability too large for stars like Derek Carr and Khalil Mack to make up for come January.
