Week five saw players critical to their teams success go down with injuries. On this week’s 2017 Week Five NFL injury report, not only superstars left their respective games with injuries, but their 2017 season come to an abrupt end.
One team that was decimated by injuries was the 0-5 New York Giants who essentially lost their entire receiving corps with various foot and ankle injuries against the Los Angeles Chargers. Odell Beckham Jr. (broken ankle), Brandon Marshall (ankle surgery), Sterling Shepard (ankle), and Dwayne Harris (broken foot) all were forced to leave the game. Unfortunately for Beckham, Marshall, and Harris, their injuries will force them to miss the rest of the season. Never ask the question, “can things get any worse,” because they can. Just ask the Giants.
Other notable injuries include tight end Charles Clay (knee injury) of the Buffalo Bills, quarterback Matthew Stafford (ankle, hamstring) of the Detroit Lions, and defensive lineman J.J. Watt (tibial plateau fracture) of the Houston Texans, arguably the best defensive lineman in the league, is out for the rest of the season just as momentum in Houston was picking up steam.
Below is a roundup of the injuries that occurred around the NFL in Week Five, including some season ending injuries to major players whose absence could have a detrimental effect on their teams season.
2017 Week Five Injury Report
Wide Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. – New York Giants
Odell Beckham Jr. suffered an ankle injury in the preseason against the Cleveland Browns that forced him to miss the Giants first game of the season. This ankle injury he suffered on Sunday against the Chargers is quite different. The most dynamic player in the league went up to catch a pass from Eli Manning and landed awkwardly while being tackled by Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward.
The Giants star receiver was lucky that he only fractured his ankle, because the play looked much worse. It was reminiscent of Joe Theismann‘s injury on Monday Night Football back in the 80’s when Lawrence Taylor broke Theismann’s fibula. Which is exactly what looked like happened to Beckham. The Giants eccentric star receiver underwent surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
Wide Receiver Brandon Marshall – New York Giants
Besides Beckham, Shepard, and Dwayne Harris suffering injuries on Sunday, Brandon Marshall also fell victim to the injury-bug. The veteran receiver nearly made a beautiful over the shoulder catch down the sideline, and probably would’ve made the catch if he didn’t hurt his ankle.
The injury itself didn’t look particularly bad, and at worst he looked as though he might’ve sprained it. But on Monday, Marshall informed everybody via social media that he was undergoing surgery that would infect end his season. Marshall play was just beginning to pickup prior to his injury.
Wide Receivers Sterling Shepard and Dwayne Harris – New York Giants
Sterling Shepard was forced to leave Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Shepard underwent tests following the Giants 27-22 loss that indicated he could miss up to two-weeks. But the Giants have listed their second year receiver as day-to-day, which is a bit of good news considering the extent of the injuries to to their other receivers.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, wide receiver Dwayne Harris is out for the remainder of the season with a fractured foot. Harris was one of four Giant receivers to exit the game against the Chargers on Sunday due to injury. Even though Harris isn’t used much as a receiver, he is crucial to their special teams. Before leaving the game against Los Angeles, Harris returned four kickoffs for 84 yards, as well as 38 yards on punt returns.
Tight End Charles Clay – Buffalo Bills
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Buffalo Bills tight end Charles Clay underwent surgery on Monday to repair a torn meniscus, as well as an MCL sprain. Bills head coach Sean McDermott says Clay is expected to miss a couple of weeks, but he also admitted that he has yet to speak to the doctors, and doesn’t know if his tight ends injury could be season-ending. More details on the length of Clay’s absence will be forthcoming.
At the time of Charles Clay’s injury, he was leading the Bills with 258 receiving yards on 20 receptions. He’s also tied for the team lead in touchdown catches with two. With Clay unable to play, tight end Nick O’Leary will have to step up.
Wide Receiver Chris Conley – Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs improved to 5-0 with their Sunday Night victory over the Houston Texans, but lost wide receiver Chris Conley for the season with an Achilles tear. Conley is the second player the Chiefs have lost to an Achilles injury, the other being Eric Berry. Conley suffered the injury late in the game as he was trying to recover an onside kick, but went down without being touched.
Defensive End J.J. Watt – Houston Texans
The most disruptive defensive player in football, J.J. Watt, didn’t get a chance to make an impact in the Texans 42-34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night. Watt’s injury occurred on the first series of the game. While Watt was engaged in a block, he simply fell to the ground, and was helped to the sideline by the Texans training staff.
Watt, 28, suffered a tibial plateau fracture in his left leg, but didn’t suffer any ligament damage, which is a bit of good news. However, he will be facing a lengthy recovery time, and no timetable has been set as of yet. This will be the second season in a row that Watt has missed. In 2016 he missed 13 games due to a back injury.
Through four games Watt had 13 tackles, but didn’t register a sack.
Linebacker Whitney Mercilus – Houston Texans
After the Texans learned that they’ll be without Watt for the remainder of the season, they also found out that they’ll be without linebacker Whitney Mercilus for the remainder of the 2017 season with a torn pectoral, as reported by NFL Network’s James Palmer.
During Mercilus’s first five seasons in the NFL, he’s recorded 37.5 sacks, including leading the Texans in sacks last season with 7.5.
Quarterback Matthew Stafford – Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford has been sacked 12 times in the past two weeks, and after being sacked in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers, he got up limping. Kawann Short was the Panther who sacked Stafford, and as Stafford’s right leg was bent awkwardly, Short rolled over him.
Lions head coach Jim Caldwell didn’t offer much in regards to Stafford’s health and availability in his Monday press conference. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, depending on how Stafford handles practice this week, will determine if he plays in week six against the New Orleans Saints.
Stay tuned…
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