Injury Watch: Megatron likely out 1-2 weeks, Ball bracing for the worst
Here are the major injuries we're monitoring from Sunday's games.
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Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions: Peter King of TheMMQB.com wrote Monday that Johnson could miss 1-2 weeks with the ankle injury he re-aggravated against the Bills on Sunday. Lions head coach Jim Caldwell reportedly considered holding Johnson out in Week 5, but he'll be sitting for sure against the Vikings in Week 6. Johnson has caught just three passes for 19 yards in his last two games, and at this point, it makes sense for the top wide receiver to rest until he's better able to move around on the field.
Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos: According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Broncos are anticipating a major groin injury for Ball, which could keep him on the sidelines for a while. If that's the case, Denver will rely on Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson, both of whom head coach John Fox was happy with after Sunday's win over Arizona.
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Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee Titans: Locker left the field during the Titans' loss to the Browns in the second quarter, allowing backup Charlie Whitehurst to come in and throw touchdown passes on his first two plays to put the Titans up 28-3. However, the Browns ultimately came back to win the game, 29-28, in the biggest road team comeback in NFL history. The x-rays on Locker's thumb came back clean, though he'll have an MRI Monday to assess any other issues. It's one to watch through the week, but Locker may be good to go in time for Tennessee's game against the Jaguars -- a fortuitous engagement for any quarterback.
Calais Campbell, DL, Arizona Cardinals:Bruce Arians insisted that left tackle Ryan Clady's and tight end Julius Thomas' lure block on Campbell was the dirtiest play he'd ever seen. Putting that aside aside, the Cardinals' defense must now contend with the loss of their best remaining defensive lineman for 3-4 weeks with a sprained MCL. It's a big blow with Darnell Dockett and John Abraham already out, and while defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has a bit of time to adapt with the Redskins and the Raiders coming up, the Cardinals face the Eagles and the Cowboys, two offenses you don't want to deal with when your front seven is lacking star talent.
Rashad Jennings, RB, New York Giants: Jennings suffered a sprained MCL in the Giants' Sunday win over the Falcons, and is now week-to-week, according to reports. Others think there's a more flexible timeframe, which means that rookie back Andre Williams, a highly physical runner, will be the main man for the foreseeable future.
Drew Stanton, QB, Arizona Cardinals: Stanton left Arizona's game against the Broncos early after suffering a concussion, leading the way for third-stringer Logan Thomas. He'll go through the standard concussion protocol through the week, and may be ready for the Redskins on Sunday, though that's always a variable process. As to the overall quarterback situation in Glendale... well, that's an entirely different issue.
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Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals: The nerve issue in Palmer's shoulder, which has kept him out for most of the season, may have a resolution soon. On Monday, Bruce Arians said that in order for Palmer to play against Washington, he'll have to do one complete practice. Some reports have indicated that Palmer has had a recent breakthrough in the rehab process, but we'll see how that goes. With Stanton going though the NFL concussion protocol and Palmer a question mark, Arians and general manager Steve Keim will have to start looking as possible auxiliary quarterbacks on the waiver wire.