The playoff race in the AFC East continues to heat up as the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins jockey for the lead position within the division each and every week. Complicating that race are the recently upstart New York Jets and the ever-consistent New England Patriots, mere games back but still much in playoff contention.
Scheduling was different this week with the Bills and Patriots having played already on Thursday with Buffalo prevailing 24-10, however, their injury reports can still be found below. As for the Dolphins and Jets, Miami heads out to San Francisco to face the 49ers in a battle between teacher and former pupil Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel, respectively. The Jets face the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota with that game being an unknown with how the Vikings have beaten every other AFC East team so far this year.
Below are the detailed injury reports for each AFC East team heading into Week 13.
Note: With the AFC East injury reports, not every injury on the report will have a detailed analysis. While I do want to highlight every injury, some don’t have any context. For those that do have context, there will be as much medical analysis as I can provide.
Miami Dolphins | New York Jets | Buffalo Bills | New England Patriots
BUFFALO BILLS
OUT
DE Von Miller (Right lateral meniscus tear)
The big focus has been on how long Von Miller will be out following his right lateral meniscus tear suffered on Thanksgiving. I detailed all the possibilities here in the article linked here.
Miller has since come out and stated that he believes he can return as quickly as the New York Jets game in Week 14. This is certainly realistic, but my concern would be how the knee holds up in practice. Will the knee swell up, will he be able to cut and push off the right knee somewhat normally? He will have to line up on the left side of the line to keep that right leg in and minimize having to push off of it.
This is still a wait-and-see approach as he gets through practice this next week. I love the optimism, but setbacks can occur as well.
Update: Miller has been placed on IR, missing at minimum the next four games.
OT Dion Dawkins (Right ankle)
Dawkins was unable to practice all week due to the right ankle injury suffered late in the second quarter on Thanksgiving.
By video, it appears as though he suffered a high-ankle sprain, but with the mini-bye and positional demands, there is a chance he could be ready for the Jets game based on the logic below.
We will need to see how he performs in practice next week to get a clearer idea but his absence could be shorter than what we typically see for a high-ankle sprain. This is Dawkins’s first game missed due to injury. He did miss Week 15 last year due to COVID.
QUESTIONABLE
TE Quintin Morris (Illness)
This is the one designation that cannot be accounted for. He hasn’t been able to practice all week with the exception of a full practice on Wednesday, but that was a walk-through which may have not been enough time to prepare.
If Morris cannot go, then I would expect Tommy Sweeney to get his snaps.
ACTIVE
QB Josh Allen (Right elbow)
Allen remains on the injury report with his right elbow UCL sprain suffered in the Week 9 loss to the New York Jets. He should fall off the report next week after practicing in full all week, but I do not expect this injury to magically go away. He is still working through the injury and should continue to improve as long as he doesn’t aggravate the issue such as getting hit again.
His elbow will likely not be fully better until after the season when he gets full rest and is away from throwing the football so frequently.
LB Tremaine Edmunds (Groin/heel)
Edmunds practiced in full this week after missing the last two games due to a groin injury originally suffered against the New York Jets. He was able to play the following week against the Minnesota Vikings but exited just prior to the second half due to an aggravation of the groin injury.
Looking back, playing against the Vikings despite being hurt allowed the Bills the best chance to win. Getting the following week off also allowed the Bills to get Edmunds right for the final stretch of division games in December.
DE AJ Epenesa (Left ankle)
Epenesa returns to play after missing Week 12 due to a left ankle injury sustained against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11. It’s not clear what the exact injury from Week 11 is, but he appears to be ready to go for Thursday. He didn’t look great running on Sunday, but some extra rehab and tape helped get him ready for the game.
CB Cam Lewis (Forearm)
Lewis remains on the injury report due to a chronic bone infection in his right arm that dates back to college.
C Mitch Morse (Right elbow/right ankle)
After suffering a right ankle injury on the first play of the game against the Browns in Week 11 and playing through the issue before missing last week as he recovered.
He has also been working through a right elbow injury since Week 2 that appears to be a chronic issue at this point.
DT Jordan Phillips (Eye)
Phillips practiced in full all week despite an eye designation. It’s possible that he was poked or hit in the eye at some point during the game.
DE Greg Rousseau (Left high-ankle sprain)
Rousseau returns to the lineup after missing three games due to a left high-ankle sprain suffered against the Jets in Week 9. He hasn’t looked fantastic in practice but may be pressed into service a little faster than the team would like due to the absence of Von Miller.
I would expect they keep Rousseau exclusively on the left side to keep his left foot out and able to push off to bend the edge. If he lines up on the right, he has to put his left foot into eversion and dorsiflexion, stressing the still-healing syndesmosis.
S Siran Neal, S Jordan Poyer, LB Tyler Matakevich, RB Nyheim Hines (Illness- Sunday)
S Damar Hamlin, CB Dane Jackson, S Jaquan Johnson, WR Khalil Shakir (Illness- Monday)
All missed practice at some point Sunday or Monday as another illness swept through the locker room. None have a game designation indicating they will play Thursday.
PUP
G Ike Boettger (Left Achilles)
The Bills opened Boettger’s 21-day window on Sunday, clearing the way for him to eventually return after tearing his left Achilles in the Week 16 matchup against the New England Patriots. I expect them to use his full practice window before he comes back. Keep in mind, they also need to make a roster move to bring him back onto the active roster meaning cutting a player or putting someone on injured reserve will occur.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
OUT
RB Damien Harris (Thigh)
Harris was ruled out earlier this week with a thigh injury in the first half against the Vikings after a carry for no gain, unable to return. He was seen with crutches after the game, indicating the severity. By video, it is a pretty mild-looking hit and potentially to his left side. He was seen jogging off in some discomfort.
While this appears to be a thigh contusion, attempting to run on multiple plays and get hit in the area would limit his effectiveness. His role has been reduced as of late, but his absence only gives more snaps to Rhomondre Stevenson and Pierre Strong Jr.
OT Isaiah Wynn (Foot)
Wynn has been beaten up all season, dealing with shoulder, back, and hip injuries, and now a foot injury. He injured it in the first half of the Week 11 contest against the New York Jets.
He missed Week 12 against the Vikings and will now miss his second consecutive game.
QUESTIONABLE
S Jabrill Peppers (Illness)
Peppers missed Tuesday’s practice with an illness before returning on Wednesday for a limited practice, leaving him questionable for the game.
OT Trent Brown (Illness)
Brown was added to the injury report Thursday with an illness, making him questionable for Thursday.
OT Yodney Cajuste (Calf)
Cajuste injured his calf last Wednesday, just prior to Thursday’s game against the Vikings. He was pressed into service due to the injury to Isaiah Wynn, playing in 100 percent of snaps. I would expect he plays again with another week to recover and play the bulk of snaps.
C David Andrews (Left thigh)
Andrews suffered a left thigh injury with 2:33 left in the first quarter against the New York Jets when he took a hard shot to his thigh running up the field.
He required assistance to walk off the field and early reports indicated that the injury was severe enough to be season-ending. However, he is attempting to play through it, missing last week’s game against the Vikings.
Andrews was limited all week but even a deep thigh contusion would bring on swelling and difficulty in extending the knee due to the weakness within the muscle. If I am a defensive tackle, I am doing everything I can to push him over to his left side to not only have him hit the leg and knock him out of the game but to overload the already weak musculature and prevent him from blocking effectively.
CB Marcus Jones (Ankle)
Jones suffered an ankle injury against the Jets in the second quarter and was questionable heading into the Vikings game. He ultimately played in 55 percent of snaps.
WR Jakobi Meyers (Right shoulder)
Meyers injured his right shoulder on the first offensive play of the game against the Vikings last Thursday. He missed a portion of the game before returning in the second half. He was only able to play in key third and fourth downs before requiring an ice pack after the game.
Considering he was able to return to play and can play this week suggests an AC joint sprain in addition to looking at the film. He will require padding and an injection to get through the game but may be limited to catches to the left side of his body and reduced blocking duties.
CB Jalen Mills (Groin)
Mills was limited this week due to a groin injury that does not have any specifics.
ACTIVE
WR DeVante Parker (MCL sprain)
Parker is questionable yet again after suffering a knee sprain back against the Jets in Week 8. He missed the following game and then had the bye to address rehab. He has played in the last two games, playing in 85 percent of snaps.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
OUT
OL Austin Jackson (Right ankle)
Jackson was ruled out of the Week 13 contest against the San Francisco 49ers with a right ankle injury suffered in Week 12. The team was clear to point out that this was the same ankle, but a different injury than the one that sent him to IR following Week 1.
The original injury was a high-ankle sprain according to the tweet below and does explain the prolonged absence, returning to play in Week 12 before suffering another injury.
Looking at the video, his last play was with 4:40 left in the fourth quarter, though the camera does not show how he re-injured the ankle. Unfortunately, he has already been ruled out, missing yet another game in a lost season for the young tackle.
DOUBTFUL
OT Terron Armstead (Right toe/pectoral strain)
Armstead is doubtful after suffering a Grade 2 pectoral strain in the Week 12 matchup over the Bears. He was injured with 1:25 left in the second quarter, though it isn’t clear which side he injured as he got tied up with his block, falling to the turf just out of view of the cameras.
He was able to walk off on his own and there wasn’t much made of the injury in the game. He was replaced by Brandon Shell who proceeded to allow Tagovailoa to be sacked several times.
Being doubtful, I do not expect Armstead to play. If he somehow does, he will have to wear a shoulder harness to limit his available range of motion through his arm. If it is his left pectoral, he will struggle to keep his block outside and could get beat at times if forcing the arm into horizontal adduction or abduction. This could potentially cause further injury to the area overstretching the already weakened area.
If the pectoral injury is on the right, he could play but the lack of an inside punch will lessen his effectiveness and force his left arm inside to help block, freeing the edge. He did miss six games in 2018 with a pectoral strain, though this injury may not be as severe as last time. I would expect him to miss one to two games and potentially get right before a key showdown against the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.
QUESTIONABLE
RB Myles Gaskin (Shoulder/ankle)
There don’t appear to be any specifics regarding Gaskin’s injuries from either in-game or post-game reporting.
He is questionable after getting limited practice Friday which doesn’t bode well for him to play Sunday. Gaskin has not played often this season, appearing only in three games, making him much of an afterthought.
QB Teddy Bridgewater (Knee)
Bridgewater is still on the injury report due to a knee injury suffered in practice prior to Week 10. Skylar Thompson has stepped up for him as backup QB while Bridgewater rehabs. He has not appeared in a game since Week 6.
ACTIVE
RB Raheem Mostert (Knee)
Mostert has been working through a knee designation since Week 6, though it has only caused him to miss last week with a doubtful designation. He had the autologous chondrocyte implantation procedure that cost him all of last year with the 49ers which may be causing him more problems as of late.
LB Jerome Baker (Hip)
Baker’s hip injury has been lingering since Week 7, suggesting this is a chronic issue at this point. His defensive snaps have been limited since Week 8, appearing in 61, 78, and 56 percent suggesting that he is being used in certain packages or scenarios.
TE Tanner Conner (Knee)
Conner remains on the injury report dating back to early August due to his knee injury that originally had the team considering placing him on injured reserve.
CB Keion Crossen (Shoulder)
Crossen continues to work through a shoulder injury originally suffered in Week 10, at the time, questionable to return. He was able to practice in full all this week and play in 59 percent of defensive snaps along with 50 percent of special teams snaps in Week 12.
DT Raekwon Davis (Knee)
Davis has been battling knee injuries all year with the most recent one affecting his left side, which originally suffered back in Week 8. Prior to that, he suffered a right knee injury prior to Week 1, forcing him to miss Week 3.
OL Robert Jones (Back)
Jones is back on the injury report with a back designation, also missing Week 5 against the New York Jets. It’s not clear if the two instances are related, but there is a history of the issue from this year.
CB Kader Kohou (Thumb)
Kohou remains on the injury report again this week due to a thumb designation after initially appearing on the report coming out of the bye last week. He practiced in full all week indicating that there should be no designation heading into Week 13.
QB Tua Tagovailoa (Ankle)
Tagovailoa was a full participant in practice this week due to an ankle injury that popped up on the injury report following the Week 12 win over the Bears. He did exit the game early, but that was due to the score and not due to the injury.
He did suffer an ankle injury earlier in the season when he was working through his concussions, but it’s not clear if this is the same ankle from before.
NEW YORK JETS
OUT
S Ashtyn Davis (Hamstring)
Davis has been ruled out after suffering a hamstring strain in the win over the Chicago Bears in Week 12. According to this article, he has logged 11 defensive snaps over 10 games, making his absence rather inconsequential. His loss will be more felt on special teams where he regularly logged 60-80 percent of snaps.
He also suffered a hamstring injury in Week 6, forcing him to miss the following week against the Denver Broncos, though it’s not clear if this is the same side.
DOUBTFUL
RB Michael Carter (Ankle)
Carter is officially doubtful with a low ankle sprain, though reports have not clarified which side is affected. Even with a low ankle sprain, he would have had trouble cutting to the affected side and demonstrating any elusiveness, significantly limiting his game.
He was unable to practice all week which does not usually bode well for a player to play, regardless of team. I do not expect him to play and see the bulk of carries go to Zonovan Knight and James Robinson.
OT Cedric Ogbuehi (Groin/Illness)
Ogbuehi suffered a groin injury early in the first quarter of Sunday’s win over the Chicago Bears, playing in just 14 percent of snaps. This comes after playing in 100 percent of snaps in the prior three games.
The Jets do have the ability to bring back George Fant this week from IR if they so choose to fill his spot, though they have not indicated that they would do so at this time.
QUESTIONABLE
OT Duane Brown (Left shoulder)
Brown has lingered on the injury report due to a left shoulder rotator cuff tear suffered shortly after signing with the Jets at the beginning of the season. He spent the first four weeks on IR before coming back, still playing in every offensive snap.
ACTIVE
DT Sheldon Rankins (Left elbow dislocation)
Rankins missed the past two games with a left elbow dislocation suffered in the Week 9 win over the Buffalo Bills. He had the fortune to benefit from a well-timed bye in Week 10 and should be able to return playing with a brace to help protect the still-healing joint.
TE Kenny Yeboah (Calf)
Yeboah returns after missing the last two games with a calf injury that was sustained prior to Week 11 in the Friday practice. He was able to practice in full all week other than a limited practice on Wednesday.
Top Photo Credit: Phinsider.com
