NFL Injury Update – Week 14

Another weekend of losses on and off the field, and perhaps none bigger than the losses suffered by the Baltimore Ravens.

Marlon Humphrey – Ravens Cornerback

At the end of the Ravens comeback against the Steelers, head coach John Harbaugh went for two in an effort to win the game right there, instead of tying it with an extra point. He said afterward that one of his big motivators was the injuries suffered to his cornerbacks. Marlon Humphrey was hurt, and Harbaugh didn’t want the Steelers’ offense to have a chance in overtime.

He missed the two-point conversion, losing the game, and then on Monday, his worst fears about Humphrey were confirmed. The star cornerback has a torn pectoral muscle and he will miss the remainder of the season.

Humphrey is now the seventh Ravens starter to be lost for the season due to injury and the third member of the Baltimore secondary. With Humphrey now on the injured list, a total of $44.3 million in salary is on the Baltimore injured reserve (IR), which accounts for 25% of their salary cap.

Humphrey is a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the best cornerbacks in the league, and the Ravens will miss him in their defensive backfield. But Harbaugh is taking the loss in stride.

“We’ll go on with the guys we’ve got. We have really good players who can step in and play and be ready to go.”

But none of them are as good as Humphrey.

The Ravens are currently in first place one game ahead of the Bengals, but they finish the season with games against the Browns, Packers, Bengals, Rams, and Steelers. They also still sit atop the AFC North odds board at -150, followed in second place by the Cincinnati Bengals at +250.

Kenyon Drake – Raiders Running Back

In the Raiders loss to Washington on Sunday, they lost running back Kenyon Drake for the rest of the season because of a broken ankle.

After the game, Drake took to social media to call for the type of tackle that injured him to be outlawed by the NFL.

“The NFL needs to look at this specific style of tackling. They are throwing flags for taunting and protecting QBs from getting touched, but this is my second straight season being injured by a guy pulling me back and using his body weight to roll up my legs.

“If the emphasis is to protect the players, this should be an illegal form of tackling, like a horse collar.”

The Raiders play at Kansas City on Sunday where they are currently catching 10 points on NFL point spread odds with a low winning expectation.

Adam Thielen – Vikings Wide Receiver

The playoff hopes of the Minnesota Vikings are on life-support after they lost on Sunday to the Detroit Lions. Now they face the Steelers on a short week and will have to play on Thursday without wide receiver Adam Thielen. He suffered a high ankle sprain in the loss to Detroit and he will not be healthy by Thursday.

Minnesota may also still be without running back Dalvin Cook when they face Pittsburgh on Thursday night. The Vikings are laying a pricey field goal based on current NFL odds, but that point spread would surely shorten with Cook’s return.

Tyrod Taylor – Texans Quarterback

Houston quarterback Tyrod Taylor may have been out of job after the Texans lost to the Colts 31-0. Head coach David Culley said that he was going to evaluate every position on the team and make changes where necessary.

At quarterback, the decision has been made for Culley, as Taylor injured his wrist on Sunday, and rookie Davis Mills is now in line to make his seventh start of the year against the Seahawks this weekend.

In his previous six starts, the Texans are 0-6 and are currently catching over a touchdown at home at the BetUS Sportsbook.

Corey Davis – Jets Wide Receiver

The lost season for the Jets took another bad turn this week, as wide receiver Corey Davis was ruled out for the rest of the year after undergoing core-muscle surgery.

Davis signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Jets this offseason, and his first year of that deal finishes with 34 catches, 492 yards, and four touchdowns.

Julio Jones – Titans Wide Receiver

Some good news finally for the Titans when it comes to injuries. Wide receiver Julio Jones has been designated to return from injured reserve, meaning that the Titans now have 21 days to activate him.

Returning from the IR doesn’t mean he’ll play this Sunday against the Jaguars, but it is an indication that his hamstring is getting close to 100%.