This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
Week 17 is here. We made it. The 2020 NFL season has been a challenging one in multiple aspects. The league and fantasy managers navigated their way through a global pandemic and endured season-ending injuries to some of the NFL's brightest stars including Saquon Barkley, Dak Prescott and Odell Beckham. Congratulations to all the fantasy players who managed to win the war of attrition and are still fighting for fantasy immorality or are celebrating a Week 16 championship. For one last time in this crazy year, let's take a look at the injuries impacting the regular season finale.
The Rams quarterback recently underwent surgery after suffering a broken and dislocated thumb in the team's Week 16 loss to the Seahawks. Goff was able to finish the game after relocating the displaced joint but, after further evaluation, surgery was deemed necessary.
A dislocation occurs when the bones of a joint are forced out of alignment and do not naturally return to their natural positioning. Goff performed what is medially known as a reduction when he forced the thumb back into place. However, like with most dislocations, the force that resulted in the displacement also disrupted the surrounding stabilizing structures like muscle and ligaments. Additionally, the bone tissue of Goff's thumb also failed, resulting in a fracture. Goff's surgery involved the insertion of surgical screws to stabilize the bone, and he will not be available for the team's pivotal Week17 contest against the Cardinals.
Goff hopes he will
Week 17 is here. We made it. The 2020 NFL season has been a challenging one in multiple aspects. The league and fantasy managers navigated their way through a global pandemic and endured season-ending injuries to some of the NFL's brightest stars including Saquon Barkley, Dak Prescott and Odell Beckham. Congratulations to all the fantasy players who managed to win the war of attrition and are still fighting for fantasy immorality or are celebrating a Week 16 championship. For one last time in this crazy year, let's take a look at the injuries impacting the regular season finale.
The Rams quarterback recently underwent surgery after suffering a broken and dislocated thumb in the team's Week 16 loss to the Seahawks. Goff was able to finish the game after relocating the displaced joint but, after further evaluation, surgery was deemed necessary.
A dislocation occurs when the bones of a joint are forced out of alignment and do not naturally return to their natural positioning. Goff performed what is medially known as a reduction when he forced the thumb back into place. However, like with most dislocations, the force that resulted in the displacement also disrupted the surrounding stabilizing structures like muscle and ligaments. Additionally, the bone tissue of Goff's thumb also failed, resulting in a fracture. Goff's surgery involved the insertion of surgical screws to stabilize the bone, and he will not be available for the team's pivotal Week17 contest against the Cardinals.
Goff hopes he will be able to return at some point during the postseason, should the Rams qualify for the playoffs. This could prove difficult given the demands of his position.
The primary joint of the thumb is called the carpometacarpal joint. It's classified as a saddle joint based on its unique shape that allows for multiple movements, including rotation and opposition. If motion at this joint becomes restricted, quarterbacks can struggle to adequately grip the football ball and may struggle to deliver passes with velocity and accuracy. As a result, Goff's fantasy value for any postseason leagues will be very limited with him coming off surgery to repair the joint. John Wolford will take over as the Rams quarterback.
Turf Burns
Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers: For the second straight week, the Rams lost a running back to a high ankle sprain. Henderson made an early exit in the loss to the Seahawks and appears headed to the IR. Teammate Akers suffered the same injury one week prior but hopes to return against the Cardinals. Despite Akers' optimism, the precedent shown by the numerous other high ankle sprains sustained this season suggests a multiweek absence following the injury is likely. Look for Malcolm Brown to receive the bulk of the workload out of the Los Angeles backfield.
Julio Jones: The Falcons receiver will play on Sunday if given the clearance from the Atlanta medical and coaching staff. Jones has dealt with a lingering hamstring injury all season and recently underwent a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection to aid in his body's natural healing response. However, given Atlanta's place in the standings, there's little incentive to risk Jones suffering a new or more significant injury that could impact his offseason routine. Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage will remain atop the Falcons depth chart should Jones miss his fourth straight outing.
Christian McCaffrey: It wouldn't be right to wrap up the season without mentioning McCaffrey. The former Pro Bowl running back is "probably a no" for the Panthers, according to head coach Matt Rhule. McCaffrey will finish the year with three games played, as a high ankle sprain, a shoulder sprain and a lingering thigh injury contributed to his lost season. For those looking for a sliver of good news, none of these injuries are likely to linger into the offseason, and McCaffrey should be 100 percent for the start of training camp.
Terry McLaurin: The Washington Football Team will likely take the field in a must-win game against the Eagles without their top wide receiver. McLaurin is nursing the dreaded high ankle sprain, likely sustained in the Week 15 loss to the Seahawks. The NFL has flexed the game to the Sunday night contest, putting fantasy managers in a precarious position. Play it safe and consider your other options for the week ahead.
Kyler Murray: The second-year quarterback suffered a lower leg injury late in the team's loss to the 49ers. The team has not revealed much more information on the injury but are hopeful that Murray will be available in Week 17. Without any specifics from which to go off, Murray's availability at practice will be the best indicator of his overall health. If he is a limited participant or fails to log any practices at all, the injury is more significant than the team is letting on. A lower leg injury is particularly worrisome for a quarterback who gains added value from his movement outside of the pocket.
Matthew Stafford: The Lions quarterback added a new injury to his ever-growing list of ailments during Detroit's lopsided loss to Tampa Bay. Stafford, playing with a sprained thumb and cartilage damage in his ribs, sprained his ankle during the team's opening drive. He was replaced by Chase Daniel and remains questionable for the season finale. While Stafford has said he would like to play, look for the Lions to rest their franchise signal-caller and shift their focus to 2021.
Deshaun Watson: The Texans quarterback avoided serious injury to his throwing arm after taking a hard hit against the Bengals. Watson has now suffered elbow injuries in two of the last three weeks, after hitting his "funny bone" in Week 14 against the Bears. The team could opt to hold him out of a semi-meaningless game against the Titans, but Watson insists he feels healthy enough to play. Keep a close eye on his availability in this week's practices. AJ McCarron would get the start should Watson be unable to play.
