This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 8 AM ET on Saturday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.
The postseason has arrived, and even with just four teams in action over the weekend, the injury report features no shortage of notable names. As is often the case during the regular season, a bulk of the health issues are concentrated on the running back and receiver positions. While the availability of some key pieces could well come down to pregame warmups throughout the weekend, let's look at what direction matters are trending in heading into Saturday morning:
QUARTERBACKS
The only injury designations at the quarterback position for Wild Card Weekend belong to backups, as Buffalo's Joe Webb (ankle) and Carolina's Derek Anderson (illness) are both listed as questionable. Anderson is fully expected to suit up for Sunday's late afternoon NFC wild-card battle against the Saints and serve as Cam Newton's backup, while Webb is unlikely to dress for Sunday's early AFC wild-card tilt versus the Jaguars even if healthy.
RUNNING BACKS
The Bills' LeSean McCoy (ankle) was able to work back to a limited practice Friday after being restricted to stretching over the first two sessions of the week. Buffalo will ultimately have notched a proverbial pyrrhic victory over the Dolphins in Week 17 if McCoy is unable to suit up in the game that win helped make possible, Sunday's wild-card battle versus
This column is meant to offer our best predictions on what players will/will not play, as of 8 AM ET on Saturday. For the official active/inactive reports, please see our Latest NFL Player News.
The postseason has arrived, and even with just four teams in action over the weekend, the injury report features no shortage of notable names. As is often the case during the regular season, a bulk of the health issues are concentrated on the running back and receiver positions. While the availability of some key pieces could well come down to pregame warmups throughout the weekend, let's look at what direction matters are trending in heading into Saturday morning:
QUARTERBACKS
The only injury designations at the quarterback position for Wild Card Weekend belong to backups, as Buffalo's Joe Webb (ankle) and Carolina's Derek Anderson (illness) are both listed as questionable. Anderson is fully expected to suit up for Sunday's late afternoon NFC wild-card battle against the Saints and serve as Cam Newton's backup, while Webb is unlikely to dress for Sunday's early AFC wild-card tilt versus the Jaguars even if healthy.
RUNNING BACKS
The Bills' LeSean McCoy (ankle) was able to work back to a limited practice Friday after being restricted to stretching over the first two sessions of the week. Buffalo will ultimately have notched a proverbial pyrrhic victory over the Dolphins in Week 17 if McCoy is unable to suit up in the game that win helped make possible, Sunday's wild-card battle versus the Jaguars. Marcus Murphy -- who compiled an efficient 41 yards on seven rushes in McCoy's stead in Week 17 -- and Mike Tolbert, McCoy's primary backup for the majority of the season, would helm the Bills' backfield if the six-time Pro Bowler has to sit.
The Titans' DeMarco Murray (knee-MCL) is will miss a second consecutive game Saturday, as he'll be unable to suit up for the AFC wild-card battle against the Chiefs. Derrick Henry will once again serve as Tennessee's No. 1 running back in the do-or-die game after logging a career-high 28 carries (for 51 yards) and posting a 66-yard touchdown on his one catch versus the Jaguars in Week 17. Henry should see a healthy workload once more, and he could find the sledding on the ground a bit easier versus a Kansas City defense that allowed 4.2 yards per carry in the regular season.
The Jaguars' T.J. Yeldon (illness) is questionable for Sunday's AFC wild-card battle versus the Bills after missing the last two practice sessions of the week. Even if he's able to give it a go, his touches figure to be limited while playing behind Leonard Fournette and Chris Ivory.
WIDE RECEIVERS
The Falcons' Julio Jones (ankle, ribs) does not carry an injury designation heading into Saturday night's NFC wild-card battle against the Rams, despite logging no better than limited practices this past week. As per beat writer reports, Jones reports that he is feeling "great" and will be ready to play without any physical limitations. The perennial Pro Bowler wrapped up the regular season averaging 109.7 receiving yards per game and 10.6 yards per target over the last six contests.
Teammate Taylor Gabriel (hamstring) also shed his injury designation after practicing fully Thursday. He'll fill his customary role as the No. 3 receiver behind Jones and Mohamed Sanu and will look to improve on the 11.5 YPC he generated during the regular season, a notable drop-off from his 16.5 figure that made him a potent downfield threat during the Falcons' 2016 conference championship run.
The Bills' Deonte Thompson is questionable for Sunday's AFC wild-card road tilt against the Jaguars following a pair of limited practices to finish off the week. Thompson toughed out the same injury in the playoff-clinching victory over the Dolphins in Week 17, bringing in two of three targets for 23 yards over 36 snaps. While he's likely to take the field for the elimination battle, a Jaguars secondary that surrendered an NFL-low 13.00 fantasy points per game to wide receivers in standard scoring formats puts a damper on his overall prospects.
The Panthers' Devin Funchess (shoulder) is questionable for Sunday's NFC wild-card showdown against the Saints despite logging just a sole limited practice this week, which came on Friday. The third-year wideout has been dealing with the injury since sustaining it while trying to recover an onside kick against the Saints in Week 13, but he managed to haul in two touchdowns over the last four games of the campaign. Given the importance of the contest and the fact that he played through the issue over the last month, he's expected to be in uniform against New Orleans, with a final confirmation expected to come following pre-game warmups.
The Jaguars' Marqise Lee (ankle) is questionable to face the Bills in Sunday's AFC wild-card game after logging only a limited Friday practice this week. Lee has been nursing the injury since it forced him from the Week 15 matchup against the Texans in the first half. He missed the last two games of the regular season, but as per head coach Doug Marrone, Lee looked even better than he'd hoped in his aforementioned Friday return. Final confirmation won't come until pregame warmups Sunday morning, but Marrone added that if Lee dresses, he's expected to play the entire contest.
The Chiefs' Albert Wilson (hamstring) is questionable for Saturday afternoon's AFC wild-card home tilt against the Titans despite having progressed from non-participation in Tuesday's practice to a full session Thursday. Given that pattern and the high-stakes contest, he's fully expected to suit up and try to ride the momentum he generated with a career-best 10-catch, 147-yard effort versus the Broncos in the regular-season finale, a game that both Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce were rested for.
KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS
The Bills' Matt Milano (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's AFC wild-card battle against the Jaguars, and given his total lack of practice participation this past week, he appears headed for a game-time decision.
Meanwhile, teammate Shareece Wright (concussion) is already ruled out for Sunday's game.
The Chiefs' Tamba Hali (knee) is questionable for Saturday afternoon's AFC wild-card battle against the Titans after downgrading from limited participation Tuesday to a pair of missed sessions to finish off the week. He's likely to be a game-time decision.
