The Week That Was Football: The Injuries From Week 9
Big name injuries highlight this week’s Football Week That Was.
For 2014, The Week that Was: NFL will focus on injuries and their effects.
Tony Romo: Tony Romo missed Sunday’s showdown with the Cardinals with the back injury (fractured transverse process). Early indications are that Romo will play next Sunday but it is hard to be sure. To be colloquial, boy I hope so. From my seat at AT&T Stadium, it was clear that Brandon Weeden was lost out there on the field. He could not get the reads right, could not get on the same page as his receivers and, most disturbingly, looked only at the receiver to which he was going to throw (and for an extended time) thus tipping off the defenders who took full advantage. If Romo sits again next week, I would downgrade Dez Bryant and Terrence Williams dramatically. I need to go back and watch the tape, but I think neither Dez nor Twill caught a ball before garbage time. That is simply not OK. Just not OK.
Nick Foles: Nick Foles left Sunday’s game with what is being reported as a broken collarbone. This is just the latest chapter in what can only be described as a severe regression season for Foles. Foles has thrown more TD than INT only once since week 3. I hope he recovers quickly but I never understood all the fantasy love he received in the pre-season. Temper your expectations upon his return. In the interim do not forget that Mark Sanchez is, well, Mark Sanchez. Just because he is better than Brandon Weeden does not mean you want to own him in fantasy. Move along!
Giovanni Bernard: Giovanni Bernard sat out Sunday’s game but the Bengals did not miss him. Rookie Jeremy Hill rose to the occasion – big time. Hill carried 24 times for 154 yards and a TD and even showed the toughness to return from what appeared to be a possible serious leg injury. Watch the news carefully as Hill is a must start if Gio misses another game. Even if Gio goes, Hill is a very viable flex for shallow leagues and a likely start even in deeper leagues.
Lamar Miller: Lamar Miller left Sunday’s 37-0 thrashing of the chargers after suffering what some are calling a shoulder “stinger”. Miller will get a precautionary MRI but at this point, it seems that he will be good to go next week. Before getting hurt, Miller rushed 11 times for 49 yards and a TD. With Tannehill and the passing game humming, Miller should find plenty of lanes in which to run should he avoid any bad news at the radiologist.
Owen Daniels: Less than two weeks removed from knee surgery, Owen Daniels returned to his key role in the Ravens offense, catching 6 balls for 53 yards on 9 targets. Assuming no adverse effects are reported during the week, Daniels should be in prime position to post solid TE numbers the rest of the way. Gary Kubiak offenses stress the TE and Daniels will garner the spoils. For those who love the numbers, Daniels has averaged 7 targets per game over the last 5 in which he has played. Thus, the numbers support the soft data about Kubiak’s tendencies.
A.J. Green: Returning from the toe injury, A.J. Green caught 3 balls for 44 yards and a TD. The TD is good news but the fact that he was targeted just 6 times is not great news. With a short week before Thursday’s battle of Ohio against Cleveland, Green is a risky play. I would avoid him in daily fantasy and carefully assess my options in year-long leagues (of course, those in deep leagues will likely have no choices but to start him). Final note – if you can get close to full trade value by talking up Green’s Sunday TD, I would strongly consider the move.
Robert Griffin III: RGIII returned from his ankle injury to mixed results. On the plus side, he made it through the game healthy and has a week 10 bye in which to rest. However, he looked a bit rusty out on the field. That said, he did rush 7 times for 24 yards so that speaks to his health and the fact that the skins will run him when they need to. The biggest effect of RGIII’s return is the upgrade to Alfred Morris. The Butler had a big game rushing for 92 yards and two TD. Upgrade Morris but resist buying into the RGIII hype.
Final Thought: Injury news changes quickly so make sure to check back right here at fantasyalarm.com for all the news you need to know.
Player News
Dolphins signed No. 13 overall pick DT Kenneth Grant to a four-year contract.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Grant will sign his contract today. The former Michigan defensive tackle is expected to fill a major void left by Christian Wilkins, who left for the Raiders in the 2024 offseason. Grant totaled 32 tackles, three sacks, and seven TFLs in his final season at Michigan and excelled at stopping the run while also generating 27 pressures in his final season, per PFF.
Beat reporter John Hendrix reports that free agent WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is among the 16 players that the Saints will host for their rookie minicamp.
Peoples-Jones last played regular season snaps with the Lions back in 2023, when he caught 13-of-24 targets for 155 yards. He is highly unlikely to return to fantasy relevance at this point but could perhaps sign on as a special teams contributor.
Titans signed fourth-round pick WR Elic Ayomanor to a four-year contract.
Ayomanor will now begin learning behind Calvin Ridley. Although Ayomanor is unlikely to find a meaningful role in year one, dynasty managers should note his status as training camp gets underway this summer. The former Stanford receiver flashed big-play ability in his two college seasons.
Buccaneers signed seventh-round pick WR Tez Johnson to a four-year contract.
Johnson will serve as a rotational deep-threat option for Baker Mayfield. His thin frame (5'10/154) simply does not lend itself to the repeated hits one incurs in a full-time role. Johnson did earn 100-plus targets in his two seasons at Oregon, though. His big-play style make him a better fit in best ball for now, pending any major on-field breakthroughs.
Giants waived DT Casey Rogers.
Rogers was a 2024 undrafted free agent and logged 33 defensive snaps for the Giants in his rookie season. He is credited with zero tackles and/or sacks. He may find his way onto another roster as a practice squad option.
Vikings signed third-round pick WR Tai Felton to a four-year contract.
Felton is quietly in play to challenge Vikings No. 3 WR Jalen Nailor in training camp. Nailor (5'11/190) caught 28-of-42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as a starter last year, with the latter category buoying his fantasy productivity. Felton (6'1/183), meanwhile, caught 96-of-143 targets for 1,119 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 2.32 yards per route run in his final college season. Fantasy managers should monitor Felton’s training camp reports this summer, as he could have a matchup-based WR5 role if everything falls into place.