If the Chicago Bears plan to remain contenders for an NFC playoff berth, they will need to do it with backups at critical positions on offense and defense. The team announced Monday that starting quarterback Jay Cutler tore a groin muscle in Sunday's Week 7 loss to Washington, and will be out at least four weeks. It was also revealed in the same game, that outside linebacker Lance Briggs suffered a small shoulder fracture that will keep him out six weeks.
Cutler was hurt in the first half against the Redskins, and the offense continued to move the ball well with backup Josh McCown. McCown, with decent mobility but limited arm strength compard to Cutler's rifle arm, has a much tougher task keeping Marc Trestman's passing game going at a high level against better, more complex defenses. That includes the next three opponents after a Week 8 bye: Green Bay, Detroit and Baltimore. Expect Chicago to lean even more on running back Matt Forte and the many shorter routes that are staples of Trestman's West Coast attack.
Briggs, a weakside fixture and the leader of the entire defense, will be missed for both his strong tackling, diagnosis and blitzing skills.The Bears struggled stopping Washington from running or passing, and when not getting takeaways, has been picked apart by similiar balanced attacks this season. The pass rush already has taken a big hit without the pop of Henry Melton (torn ACL, out for season). Briggs is an irreplaceable player in their scheme, and the Bears can't expect his listed backup, Khaseem Greene, to take all his responsibilities.
The Bears are now 4-3 after an impressive 3-0 start that was fueled more by Cutler's improved, steadier play than what Briggs and the defense were doing. Now both sides will face a significant dropoff during a difficult midseason stretch.
WAYNE OUT FOR SEASON
The Indianapolis Colts have lost wide receiver Reggie Wayne for the season, according to multiple reports. They learned of the news when an MRI revealed Wayne tore the ACL in his right knee during the fourth quarter of Sunday night's home win over Denver.
Wayne, a future Hall of Famer and quarterback Andrew Luck's most seasoned, reliable target, was playing in his 189th consecutive regular-season game. Wayne faced the Broncos, with his former QB, Peyton Manning, playing for the other side. The Colts have a bye in Week 8 to figure out how to fill the void of Wayne's receiving production beginning in Week 9.
Luck had a strong performance in outdueling Manning and getting Indianapolis to 5-2, but it's getting more challenging as the Colts keep losing key players around him. Wayne joins tight end Dwayne Allen and running backs Vick Ballard and Ahmad Bradshaw, who all suffered earlier season-ending injuries.
The Colts will need to turn to T.Y. Hilton, who usually works the slot, and straight-line speedster Darrius Heyward Bey as their starting wideouts, with receiving tight end Coby Fleener also seeing plenty of snaps. Expect the team to go sign a veteran for depth in the coming week.
FINLEY OUT OF ICU
Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley was transferred from the intensive care unit after being hospitalized following the scary neck injury he suffered in Sunday's Week 7 home win over Cleveland, and has regained all movement.
The Packers won't know for a while how much time Finley will miss. The injury occured when Finley took a helmet-to-helmet hit from Browns safety Tashaun Gipson while going to the ground making a catch. He was immobile until he was carried off Lambeau Field on a stretcher. Finley's tests in the hospital were negative, but the severity in terms of playing status has yet to be determined.
Before leaving the game, Finley had five catches for 72 yards, including a 10-yard TD that opening the scoring early in the first quarter. The Packers already were without wide receivers Randall Cobb (leg) and James Jones (knee), so not having their top receiving tight end is another unfortunate blow. At least they can now breathe a little easier with Finley's improving condition.
MARTIN HAS TORN LABRUM
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain winless at 0-6, and now they may have lost starting running back Doug Martin for the rest of the 2013 NFL season. NFL Network reports the shoulder injury Martin suffered in Sunday's Week 7 loss at Atlanta is a torn labrum that will require season-ending surgery.
However, coach Greg Schiano came well short of saying Martin's season was over. He acknowledged Martin is likely out for Thursday's game agains the Panthers, but he may not be done for the year.
"I'm not going to get into specifics of exactly what his issue is," Schiano said Monday, according to ESPN. "If it was season-ending, I'd let you know. But we don't feel that it is right now. We're just going to play it by ear."
It has been a disappointing Year 2 for Martin after he shined as a first-round rookie in 2012. Martin has rushed for only 456 yards at 3.6 yards per carry so far this season. Last season, he produced 1,926 yards from scrimmage in keeping Tampa Bay in wild-card contention.
Mike James, who took over the bulk of workload when Martin went down against the Falcons, is expected to continue to do so going forward. He will get his first NFL start in Thursday night's home game against the Panthers.
BRADFORD TEARS ACL
Sam Bradford is done for the season, and the burden for the St. Louis Rams has just become a whole lot bigger.
The quarterback will have will have season-ending surgery for a torn ligament in his left knee, a major blow to a team seeking its first winning record in a decade. He was hurt in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 30-15 loss at Carolina that dropped the Rams to 3-4.
"Even if Sam wasn't hurt, we'd still have some heavy lifting to do," center Scott Wells said after the game. "But this adds extra to it."
The extent of the injury was revealed on an MRI exam late Sunday after the return flight, and the team announced the results Monday.
Bradford tore his anterior cruciate ligament when he landed on his knee after being shoved out of bounds by safety Mike Mitchell. Fisher said after the game that Bradford was in "significant pain" on the sideline. Teammates feared the worst once they saw him carted off the field and on crutches in the locker room.
Kellen Clemens filled in for Bradford and is the only other quarterback on the roster, with the team a week away from a Monday night home game against the Seahawks. Austin Davis, released late in training camp, is perhaps the leading potential backup.
FOLES HAS A CONCUSSION
Nick Foles has a concussion and Michael Vick is still recovering from a hamstring injury, leaving the Philadelphia Eagles uncertain of a starting quarterback next week.
Foles was injured when he was sacked by George Selvie and Jarius Wynn on the final play of the third quarter in a 17-3 loss to Dallas on Sunday. Foles struggled against the Cowboys, completing just 11 of 29 for 80 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions.
Vick has missed the last 2½ games. If neither can play against the New York Giants, rookie Matt Barkley would make his first career start.
Barkley threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter in his first NFL action.
MCKINNIE TRADED TO DOLPHINS
The Baltimore Ravens have traded Ravens' left tackle Bryant McKinnie to the Miami Dolphins.
With the Dolphins having a horrible time protecting quarterback Ryan Tannehill, and the Ravens haven laid the groundwork for the trade when they brought Eugene Monroe on board from the Jacksonville Jaguars, the move makes sense.
The Jaguars received fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2014 in exchange for Monroe.
It is not clear yet what the Dolphins gave up to get McKinnie.
It is unlikely the move had anything at all to do with the recent party-bus incident in which McKinnie was a primary participant. Rather, it was because the Dolphins are on pace to give up 69 sacks and McKinnie had underperformed of late. Also, McKinnie, 34, had failed to earn any of the weight clauses specified in his two-year contract signed in the offseason.
McKinnie played at the University of Miami.
MERIWEATHER SUSPENDED
Washington Redskins’ safety Brandon Meriweather has been suspended for two games by the NFL, a day after two helmet-to-helmet hits on defenseless receivers in a win over the Chicago Bears. Meriweather had been fined already this season, $42,000 for another helmet-to-helmet hit against Packers running back Eddie Lacy in Week 2.
In a statement Monday afternoon, the NFL said that Meriweather was being suspended for “repeat violations this season of NFL safety rules prohibiting hits to the head and neck area of defenseless players.’’ On Sunday, he was flagged in the third quarter for a hit on Alshon Jeffreys, and in the fourth quarter for one on Brandon Marshall in the end zone.
It ties for the longest suspension for on-field play handed out thus far under the labor agreement that went into effect in 2011. Detroit’s Ndamukong Suh, also judged a repeat offender by the NFL, was hit with two games in the 2011 season for his stomp on the arm of the Packers’ Evan Dietrich-Sims. Also, James Harrison, then of the Steelers, was suspended for two games later that season for his late hit to the head of Cleveland’s Colt McCoy.
Meriweather is the second player hit this season with an NFL suspension for an illegal hit in a game—although Tampa Bay safety Dashon Goldson’s one-game suspension last month was overturned on appeal. Goldson was instead fined $100,000 for his hit on the Saints’ Darren Sproles in Week 2.
Meriweather has three days to file an appeal. In addition to Goldson this season, then-Baltimore safety Ed Reed won an appeal of a one-game suspension last season for a helmet-to-helmet hit.
Contributors: Rana L. Cash, Vinnie Iyer, David Steele