Week two of NFL riddled with injuries

As the season’s second week comes to an end, it seems that numerous players’ seasons have ended as well. With many people questioning the safety precautions the NFL takes in order to keep their players protected it really doesn’t seem that it’s going all that well. Many key players this week were reported to be out for the rest of their games. Although some were worse than others, most teams needed to adjust their lineups in order to keep playing.

With two more games to go until the New England Patriots can start their golden boy Tom Brady again, their trend of bad luck continues with the loss of their second string quarterback, Jimmy Garoppolo, in their game on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Fortunately, he gave his team a comfortable lead until he was taken out after landing on his right shoulder in the second quarter. The hit by the Dolphins linebacker, Kiko Alonso, caused Garoppolo to sprain his AC joint. Garappolo is not expected to play in the next game, but may be healthy enough to return for week four.

The Patriots threw in rookie and third string quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who will have to carry the team on his back until the return of Brady. With the loss of two quarterbacks already, Brissett is the last active quarterback featured on their roster. If this series of losing quarterbacks continue, the Patriots will have to resort to some creative and frankly unheard of options. It will be interesting to see the results of the next two games, as they are vital to the rest of the season if the Patriots can move on to the playoffs.

The Cleveland Browns are also struggling with their quarterback position following the retirement of Peyton Mantalented ning. The team lost their second string quarterback, Josh McCowan, in their game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. Although, he pushed through the pain to finish out the game, he is now officially declared on the teams injured list for next week’s game against the Dolphins. McCowan is out this week due to a shoulder injury and his health will be determined from week to week. Similarly to the Patriots, the Browns will be starting their rookie, Cody Kessler.

This was a rough week for running backs too. Seven different running backs were declared injured for their games that took place this past weekend. Jonathan Stewart, who plays for the Carolina Panthers, injured his hamstring early during their game against the San Francisco 49ers. Doug Martin, of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also suffered a hamstring injury during their game against the Arizona Cardinals. Danny Woodhead, the San Diego Chargers running back, was also escorted off the field with an evident knee injury, which has been confirmed as a torn ACL. Woodhead will be out for the rest of the season.

The Minnesota Vikings experienced a huge loss to their offense over the weekend. Running back Adrian Peterson went down during the third quarter with a knee injury. After receiving an MRI Monday morning, the team’s doctor declared Peterson tore his meniscus. Many thought the injury to his knee would be more severe, but fortunately Peterson will be able to return quicker than expected. Although a torn meniscus can keep him out for a few games, it won’t keep him out for long.

Thomas Rawls, running back of the Seattle Seahawks, was declared injured after getting hit in the lower leg, causing a contusion. Fortunately, the x-rays didn’t display anything too serious. Ameer Abdullah, the Detroit Lions running back, suffered from a foot injury against the Tennessee Titans late in the second quarter. X-rays do not reveal any broken bones, but it is suspected that Abdullah’s foot is sprained.

Many key players suffered injuries in week two of the NFL, but the running back position dominated the injury list. Four dominant wide receivers, Julio Jones, Donte Moncrief, Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett also all suffered from injuries during their games. These past two weeks have been a fantasy football nightmare, with many key players unable to play. These injuries have caused many teams potential to decrease and many playoff hopes hang in the balance.