NFL Playoffs Injury Report
- Jake Barkin
- Jan 10
- 6 min read
The NFL is one of the most unforgiving sports in the entire world due to how physically demanding the sport truly is. In addition, every playoff team in the NFL is very vulnerable heading into playoffs as it is a single-elimination format. To make things even more difficult, teams suffer major setbacks heading toward the postseason as it is common for many key players to be battling or dealing with injuries. This article will review and highlight new injuries that can change the entire NFL playoffs.
In the first wildcard game of the NFL playoffs, the Los Angeles Chargers are travelling to Houston to face an injured Texans squad that looks like a shell of themselves from earlier this season. For Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, he will be missing two of his best receivers Stefon Diggs who tore his ACL earlier in the season and Tank Dell who tore his ACL, MCL, and dislocated his kneecap as he will likely not even return for the 2025 NFL season per Athlon Sports. We can assume that C.J. Stroud will be targeting receiver Nico Collins throughout the game as he is Houston’s last reliable and explosive receiver who is currently healthy.
Houston has also been dealing with the losses of their starting safeties Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward which only further weakens the questionable secondary of the Texans. Lastly, Texans right guard Shaq Mason is out for their playoff game against the Chargers with a knee injury sustained in week 16 against the Chiefs. This injury will be very costly for quarterback C.J. Stroud as he has been sacked the second most by any quarterback in the NFL just behind Caleb Williams.
While Houston has everything going against them at the moment, the Chargers, while less severe, are also dealing with injuries. Outside receiver Josh Palmer has officially been ruled out with a foot injury and other outside receiver Quentin Johnston is questionable with a thigh injury. Quentin Johnston has proven that at his best, he can be heavily relied on as in his regular-season finale, he had 186 receiving yards in addition to thirteen receptions. Either way, it can be expected that Chargers star quarterback Justin Herbert will rely on rookie sensation Ladd McConkey to carry the load in the receiving game for the Chargers. Furthermore, both starting Chargers running backs J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards are battling ankle injuries and their status is questionable for Saturday’s big game. Even though the Chargers have two sensational tackles with rookie Joe Alt and the talented Rashawn Slater, their interior offensive line is much worse off and not having either running back guaranteed to play this week only further indicates that the Chargers will struggle to get the ball moving through the ground and will most likely assume Justin Herbert will have to pass for the majority of the game. While Stroud’s offensive line is much worse, he has Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon to compliment Stroud in both running and receiving aspects, unlike Dobbins or Edwards who are not as multiversal. While the Chargers are still favourites on the road and are still the healthier team, I expect DeMeco Ryans to coach his defence well on the ground and force Justin Herbert to be throwing and scrambling for the entirety of the game. This matchup is very underrated and it should be a very close yet entertaining wildcard game.
Heading into Saturday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need all the luck they can get as they are massive underdogs heading into their first playoff game against their rival Baltimore Ravens who just beat them out to win the AFC North. With momentum completely on Baltimore’s side, they are expected to make light work of the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially being able to play at home too. The Steelers luckily are only dealing with one starter who is battling an injury currently. Rookie guard Mason McCormick is questionable for Saturday’s showdown against the Ravens as he is trying to be cleared to play with a broken hand. A working hand is imperative for any offensive linemen especially guards as they have to face strong defensive linemen and nose tackles who are trying to bull rush you every play. Not being able to place your hands in the proper spot will allow opposing teams to rush through or around you leading to quarterback pressure. Either way, Mason McCormick’s abilities will be very limited even if he can somehow be cleared to play with a broken hand.
On the other hand, the Ravens yesterday sadly announced that their Pro Bowl wideout Zay Flowers will be missing Saturday’s playoff game against the Steelers. While this does not seem horrible to most NFL fans, the Ravens understand that they can be vulnerable when playing without Zay Flowers. To explain, the Ravens biggest weapon on offence is their rushing attack through running back Derrick Henry and defending MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. For opposing defences, they have to prepare to stop either Henry or Lamar every play which is very difficult to do as the Ravens are very good at read-options and disguising their plays. However, the Steelers matchup very well defensively as their front seven consists of T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Alex Highsmith, and former Ravens first-round linebacker Patrick Queen. The Ravens tend to struggle running the ball against the Steelers explaining why they split their season series against each other 1-1. If the Ravens cannot run the ball or are simply just losing the game, they will have to adapt to their passing offence even without their strongest target Zay Flowers.
In the passing game, Lamar will have to rely on tight end Mark Andrews who has picked things up after his incredibly slow start to the season. Ravens receiver Rashod Bateman will also become important as he is the Ravens new number-one receiver filling in the absence of Flowers. Many Ravens fans must be questioning their team after they released receiver Diontae Johnson just weeks after trading for him as he would be very helpful in their passing attack. Either way, do not be surprised if the Ravens have trouble throwing the ball down the field if their rushing attack is ineffective. Even as heavy favourites, it is more important than ever for the Ravens to make sure they can run the ball effectively as the Steelers may win this game if they force the Ravens to adapt from their run-heavy offence.
Lastly, the Philadelphia Eagles will be hosting the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon which should be a very entertaining playoff game. The Packers are dealing with more injuries as they will be without their lockdown cornerback Jaire Alexander in addition to explosive receiver Christian Watson. However, both teams starting quarterbacks are currently recovering from recent injuries with both Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love still expected to play. While Jalen Hurts seems good to go after suffering a concussion back in week 16 against the Commanders, concussions often take more time to fully recover and it is questionable if Hurts is truly playing at his best going into the game. It is also worth mentioning that breaking routine and not being able to play for two and a half games may have an effect on Jalen’s efficiency and is something to keep an eye on. For the Packers, their star quarterback Jordan Love is questionable to play after suffering an elbow injury in their regular-season finale against the Bears. Love will be expected to play even if he is not one hundred percent healthy as he has played through injuries this season too. Even with a hurt MCL, Love was still able to play through parts of the injury indicating that as long as he can throw with his hurt elbow, he will be playing in Sunday’s wildcard game. While the Eagles are favourites at home, expect Hurts to struggle early on and find his groove later in the game. Additionally, expect Jordan Love to get the ball out of his hands quickly as it will be more difficult for him to scramble and run with an injured elbow.
That is it for the wildcard round injury report. If you enjoyed this article, feel free to read other NFL-related articles that cover everything you need to know heading into the postseason. Let me know in the comments your thoughts on this article and what teams you think are currently benefiting and suffering from injuries right now. If you want to challenge your sports knowledge, try out our brand-new quiz. Stay updated by following the official X account of Blitz & Brawlers where I will be posting daily articles.
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