This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
The Tampa Bay running back will use the team's Week 11 bye to treat a hip injury. Fournette suffered a hip pointer in the Buccaneers' win over the Seahawks and was unable to finish the game.
The pelvis is made up of three fused bones on each side. The largest of these bones is the ilium, located near the upper portion of the hip. A ridge of bone known as the iliac crest forms the upper boundary of the ilium and can be felt when you place your hands on your hips. The crest is poorly protected, making it vulnerable to injury, especially with direct contact.
A hip pointer generally occurs when the area and its surrounding muscles become bruised. Hip pointers are often exceptionally painful as a nerve also runs along the iliac crest. As a result, hip pointers can be very functionally limiting, especially with hip flexion and trunk rotation.
Fortunately, they often heal relatively quickly and can be padded to avoid a recurrence. Look for Fournette to be ready to go for Week 12 against the Browns. Rookie Rachaad White excelled in Fournette's absence, finishing with 105 yards on 22 carries, but Fournette should still be available to split carries.
It appears one of the league's top wide receivers will be grounded for several weeks after Kupp suffered a scary looking ankle injury against Arizona. Kupps' right ankle was injured when the joint was violently twisted underneath a Cardinals defender. He was
The Tampa Bay running back will use the team's Week 11 bye to treat a hip injury. Fournette suffered a hip pointer in the Buccaneers' win over the Seahawks and was unable to finish the game.
The pelvis is made up of three fused bones on each side. The largest of these bones is the ilium, located near the upper portion of the hip. A ridge of bone known as the iliac crest forms the upper boundary of the ilium and can be felt when you place your hands on your hips. The crest is poorly protected, making it vulnerable to injury, especially with direct contact.
A hip pointer generally occurs when the area and its surrounding muscles become bruised. Hip pointers are often exceptionally painful as a nerve also runs along the iliac crest. As a result, hip pointers can be very functionally limiting, especially with hip flexion and trunk rotation.
Fortunately, they often heal relatively quickly and can be padded to avoid a recurrence. Look for Fournette to be ready to go for Week 12 against the Browns. Rookie Rachaad White excelled in Fournette's absence, finishing with 105 yards on 22 carries, but Fournette should still be available to split carries.
It appears one of the league's top wide receivers will be grounded for several weeks after Kupp suffered a scary looking ankle injury against Arizona. Kupps' right ankle was injured when the joint was violently twisted underneath a Cardinals defender. He was unable to put much weight on the leg before being helped to the locker room. Early reports suggest he avoided a traumatic bone injury like a fracture or dislocation, but is instead nursing the dreaded high-ankle sprain. The injury was significant enough to require surgery, as the team announced early Tuesday morning that Kupp will go under the knife on Wednesday. Kupp will undergo a TightRope Fixation on his ankle to address the instability in the distal tibiofibular joint. In the procedure, surgical cord (TightRope) is used instead of screws. The TightRope runs across the two lower leg bones reducing any separation that occurred during injury. Once the joint is back in alignment, the associated soft tissue injuries can adequately heal. The general time frame for return to play following a TightRope Fixation is about six weeks, but there appears to be a wide variety of outcomes. Bears receiver N'Keal Harry missed 11 weeks after undergoing the procedure earlier this season. Kupp has been placed on the IR, so he will miss at least four weeks, but Los Angeles' place in the standings may come into play here. If the team continues to struggle and falls out of the playoff picture, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Rams shut him down for the remainder to the season.
Murray was a late addition to the Cardinals injury report last week and was unable to play Sunday, despite taking part in limited practice sessions. As I have previously discussed, hamstring injuries are one of the most common soft tissue injuries in professional sports. However, the frequency of the injury doesn't make them any easier to treat. Hamstring strains are commonly aggravated or reinjured and individuals that suffer them become vulnerable to a future secondary injury. One of the biggest issues occurs during the healing process as the athlete often reports improvement in symptoms and function following extended treatment. However, the newly formed scar tissue isn't as strong as healthy muscle tissue and can easily be disrupted. When this occurs, the entire healing process is reset and begins again.
It appeared Murray was close to playing but the Cardinals opted to play it safe and protect their quarterback. They could do so again in Week 11 with a Week 13 bye on the horizon. Keep a close eye on his availability in the week ahead and understand he will be a high-risk, high-reward player if he suits up against the 49ers.
Turf Burns
Josh Allen: Allen was able to play against the Vikings despite a sprained ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his throwing elbow. He finished with 330 yards on 29 of 43 attempts for 330 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss. He didn't appear to be hampered by the injury but look for Buffalo to closely limit his reps in the week ahead.
Ravens Offense: The Ravens are planning on having Gus Edwards back in the backfield following the team's off week. Edwards missed the team's Week 9 following a mild hamstring strain. Baltimore will likely ease Edwards back into the swing of things, giving teammate Kenyan Drake a share of the workload. The bye week also appears to have been a welcome reprieve for tight end Mark Andrews who is expected back at practice this week after also sitting out Week 9's win over New Orleans. Andrews' return would bump Isaiah Likely back down the depth chart.
Jerry Jeudy: Detailed imaging on Jeudy's ankle failed to uncover any significant damage and the team is optimistic he will not miss any action. One report suggested the ankle injury was more of a strain than sprain. A strain occurs when the muscle or tendons of a joint are injured while a sprain involves the stabilizing ligaments that connect bone to bone. When the ankle is forced inward, it's not uncommon for the stabilizing muscles to be strained as they are also stretched or overstressed as they attempt to steady the area. Jeudy should be considered day-to-day for now.
Matthew Stafford: The Ram quarterback was unable to complete the league's mandated return-to-play program after entering the concussion protocol midweek. As a result, he did not play in the team's loss to the Cardinals. He should have plenty of time to complete the protocol ahead of Week 11, but it is important to remember concussions do not act in a linear fashion. His status should be updated daily in the week ahead. If Stafford is unable to play, John Wolford would make his second consecutive start. Wolford completed 24 of 36 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown and one interception in the loss to Arizona. The numbers aren't amazing, but he could be a temporary fill-in for fantasy managers looking for a one-week filler due to injuries or bye weeks.
JuJu Smith-Schuster: The Chiefs receiver suffered a concussion Sunday following a violent collision with a Jacksonville defender. Following the hit, Smith-Schuster's upper extremities appear to become rigid as he displayed what is known as the fencing response. The fencing response is a type of abnormal posturing, similar to the positioning seen earlier in the season when Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered his head injury. Posturing, including the fencing response, is a neurological motor response following a significant head injury, often involving the brainstem. Smith-Schuster will need to complete the protocol like any other player before he can return to the field. It is worth noting the receiver has sustained at least two concussions since making his NFL debut in 2017. The effects of multiple concussions are cumulative, meaning symptoms often worsen or last longer. It would not be surprising to see him sit at least one week.
