The Blitz Read: Injuries ravage NFL rosters in Week 2

Ron Clements

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The Blitz Read: Injuries ravage NFL rosters in Week 2 image

Games were won and lost Sunday, but the 2016 NFL season is already becoming one of attrition.

The list of Sunday's casualties was pretty substantial. 

Perhaps most significant was a shoulder injury to New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The Patriots are already without suspended quarterback Tom Brady until Week 5. Garoppolo left Sunday's 31-24 win over the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter after throwing for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Garoppolo sprained the AC joint in his right shoulder and he likely won't be able to play in Thursday night's game against the Houston Texans. 

Then there were the big-name running backs who left Sunday's games.

Looming the largest was Adrian Peterson's knee injury suffered in the third quarter of a 17-14 win over the Green Bay Packers. Peterson needed to be carried off the field, unable to put weight on his right leg. He did not return and will undergo an MRI on Monday.

That concluded a day when the San Diego Chargers lost Danny Woodhead with what appeared to be a serious right knee injury and Miami's Arian Foster left the Dolphins' 31-24 loss in New England with a groin injury.

MORE: Biggest moments from a wild Week 2

The Carolina Panthers saw Jonathan Stewart depart with a hamstring injury in Carolina's 46-27 win over San Francisco. And Doug Martin also suffered a hamstring injury, leaving Tampa Bay's 40-7 loss to Arizona in the second quarter. Seattle's Thomas Rawls left the 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Rams with a leg injury and did not return.

The Detroit Lions lost running back Ameer Abdullah (foot), defensive end Ziggy Ansah (ankle) and linebackers Antwione Williams (thigh) and Kyle Van Noy (calf) in their 16-15 loss to the Tennessee Titans. 

Cleveland Browns quarterback Josh McCown briefly left Sunday's 25-20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with a shoulder injury, but did return to throw for 260 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. 

Browns center Cameron Erving left the stadium in an ambulance following the loss. A Browns spokesperson said, "Erving was experiencing cramps toward the end of the game, as well as discomfort in his chest and ribs. He is in stable condition and is undergoing further testing at University Hospitals."

MORE: Football returns to L.A., awakening a long-dormant fan base

Erving was diagnosed with a pulmonary contusion and remained in the hospital overnight.

Indianapolis Colts receiver was evaluated for a concussion after suffering a head and neck injury in a 34-20 loss at Denver. In that same game, Broncos pass rusher DeMarcus Ware suffered a fracture ulna bone and will miss an indefinite period of time. 

Washington Redskins defensive tackle Kedric Golston injured his hamstring early in Sunday's 27-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys and did not return. 

Perhaps the scariest injury happened to New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams, who was taken to a New Jersey hospital after getting hit in the head twice on the same play. Williams was knocked unconscious in the first half against the New York Giants and the game was halted for several minutes.

While trying to tackle Giants tight end Larry Donnell, Williams' neck snapped back and then he was hit a second time in the head by Saints linebacker Craig Robertson. He was immobilized and placed on a backboard before being carted off the field. He suffered a concussion, but was able to move his fingers and toes and the Saints are optimistic Williams avoided serious injury. 

By the numbers

With 263 passing yards Sunday, Saints quarterback Drew Brees moved past Dolphins Hall of Famer Dan Marino for third place on the all-time passing yards list. 

While leading the Panthers to a rout of the 49ers, Carolina quarterback Cam Newton passed Jake Delhomme for the most touchdown passes in team history by throwing four on Sunday.

Ravens receiver Steve Smith caught three passes for 64 yards in the win over Cleveland to pass Hall of Famer James Lofton for 10th place on the NFL's all-time receiving yards list.

Highlights

Patriots running back LeGarrett Blount ran for 123 yards and a touchdown against the Dolphins, including a 26-yard run early in the fourth quarter as he hurdled Dolphins cornerback Byron Maxwell.

Blount wasn't the only one hurdling people Sunday. Baltimore's Devin Hester leapt over a pile during a 48-yard kickoff return.

Hester's return was on kickoff following Isaiah Crowell's 85-yard touchdown run that's the longest touchdown of the young season and the second-longest run in Browns history.

The Cowboys beat Washington thanks, in part, to 292 passing yards and a 6-yard rushing touchdown by rookie quarterback Dak Prescott.

The Giants and Saints were surprisingly locked into a defensive struggle Sunday and the game's first touchdown was scored by the Giants defense as cornerback Janoris Jenkins returned a blocked field goal 65 yards. 

The Atlanta Falcons got a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter from Justin Hardy, who got his first career NFL touchdown by snaring a pass that had ricocheted off Tevin Coleman. It was the only catch of the game for Hardy, a fourth-round pick last year out of East Carolina and the NCAA's all-time leading receiver. 

After Minnesota's defense came up with a fourth-down stop within its own red zone, Sam Bradford and Stefon Diggs almost exclusively drove the Vikings 87 yards on the ensuing possession that ended when Bradford delivered a gem of a touchdown pass over a Packers defender and Diggs' right shoulder from 25 yards out to pad a two-score lead in the third quarter.

Quotable 

Giants coach Ben McAdoo had a pretty good reason for having his team kneel on the ball three times at the 2-yard line after Victor Cruz's 34-yard reception with 1:32 remaining. 

"We didn't want to give Drew (Brees) the ball back," McAdoo said of the decision to have Josh Brown kick a 23-yard field goal as time expired. "That simple. He's a heck of a player, a future Hall of Famer. If you can end the game with a kick, you want to end the game."

Thursday's game

Jets 37, Bills 31

Sunday's games

Panthers 46, 49ers 27
Ravens 25, Browns 20
Titans 16, Lions 15
Texans 19, Chiefs 12
Patriots 31, Dolphins 24
Giants 16, Saints 13
Steelers 24, Bengals 16
Cowboys 27, Redskins 23
Cardinals 40, Buccaneers 7
Rams 9, Seahawks 3
Broncos 34, Colts 20
Falcons 35, Raiders 28
Chargers 38, Jaguars 14
Vikings 17, Packers 14

MORE: Recap scores, stats and more

Monday's game

Eagles at Bears, 8:30 p.m. ET

Ron Clements