National Football League

Mounting injuries have NFL teams scrambling to replace stars

Published Oct. 14, 2014 11:01 a.m. ET

Alex Marvez

Injured NFL players are usually dehumanized because the anguish on their faces is obscured.

Helmets, though, aren't designed to mute screams or conceal tears.

Fans and media were given a sobering reminder of the physical risks inherent in the game when New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz suffered a ruptured patellar tendon during last Sunday night's game against Philadelphia.

NBC deserves credit for the camera work and the sideline reporting by Michele Tafoya that captured the moment and quickly identified the exact injury Cruz had suffered. Cruz wailed and wept from the instant he crumpled to the Lincoln Financial Field turf. The images of a helmet-less Cruz covering his face while being carted to the locker room were especially poignant.

Of course, sympathy fades quickly in pro sports. It must for the sake of the entire team. The emotional response is replaced by the practical: How does a team replace key losses?

Here's a look at the impact of players lost for the season during Week 6 and what those clubs must do to compensate:

Cruz (knee): From a purely statistical standpoint, Cruz was on pace for his lowest receiving total (898 yards) since his stunning emergence as an undrafted college wideout in 2011. But make no mistake: Cruz still was Eli Manning's go-to receiver and the one Giants skill-position player who demanded extra attention from an opposing secondary as the league's active leader in catches of 60-plus yards with 10.

Reuben Randle now becomes New York's de facto No. 1 receiver with rookie Odell Beckham Jr. stepping into Cruz's starting spot. Combined with the absence of a strong No. 3 wideout, expect Giants offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo to highlight tight end Larry Donnell more in the passing game and place further emphasis on a rushing attack that will receive a boost when Rashad Jennings returns from a sprained knee by early November.

"We have to figure out what is going to be our best personnel. What are going to be our best formations? What are going to be our best ways of putting people in position to do what they do best that will help out the team?" Manning told Giants media on a Monday conference call. "We have to be smart and creative with that and make sure guys when they are on the field are going to be able to play fast and know exactly what they are doing." That process begins on the road Sunday against the red-hot Dallas Cowboys.

New England running back Stevan Ridley (knee) and linebacker Jerod Mayo (knee): The joy from a second consecutive blowout win against Buffalo was tempered by the loss of two key players. Though the Patriots use a running back-by-committee approach, Ridley was the workhorse between the tackles. Ridley's fumbling issues — six lost in 2012 and 2013 — have overshadowed how much he means to New England's offense. His career average of 4.34 yards per carry is the highest in Patriots history for a rusher with at least 450 attempts. His 14 career gains of 20-plus yards are tied for the franchise record. And his 21 rushing touchdowns since 2012 rank behind only those posted by Seattle's Marshawn Lynch (26), Washington's Alfred Morris (23) and Minnesota's Adrian Peterson (22).

Shane Vereen and rookie James White may receive more snaps with Ridley out, but neither displays the same power rushing style. Brandon Bolden, a good special teams player who is more of a bruiser at 5-foot-11, 220 pounds, will likely see his offensive role grow. A free-agent signing is a given, too.

As for Mayo, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said it best Monday when telling local media, "There's no one guy who is going to, on this team, do what Jerod did. We're lucky to have him, let alone another guy that can do all that, too. It will have to come from a combination of guys somehow." Mayo was Belichick's eyes and ears on the field, ensuring that defensive personnel was aligned properly and helping his teammates read pre-snap keys. Mayo's 52 tackles also lead the team by a wide margin. The Patriots, though, made due and still reached the AFC Championship game after Mayo suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in Week 6 last year against New Orleans.

Deontae Skinner, an undrafted college free agent who was promoted from the practice squad before Week 2, had six tackles against the Bills after Mayo went down. Chris White and Ja'Gared Davis, who have never started an NFL game either, are the other two backup linebackers on the roster as of Tuesday morning.

Jets cornerback Dee Milliner (Achilles’) and left guard Brian Winters (knee): All three of New York's top cornerbacks entering the preseason — Milliner, rookie Dexter McDougle (knee) and veteran Dimitri Patterson (released) — no longer are available for embattled head coach Rex Ryan. The cornerback problems also reflect poorly on general manager John Idzik, who declined to sign a top veteran after losing Antonio Cromartie to Arizona in free agency despite having ample salary cap space available. A Jets secondary that ranks tied for last in the NFL in interceptions with one is left with career backups Darrin Walls and Phillip Adams as the likely starters with Kyle Wilson handling slot duties. Josh Wilson, a journeyman veteran who was signed Monday, also should see action quickly.

Winters will be replaced by Oday Aboushi, a 2013 fifth-round pick who will make his NFL starting debut Thursday night against New England.

Cleveland center Alex Mack (leg) and defensive end Armonty Bryant (knee): One of the NFL's top centers, Mack never missed an NFL snap from the time he entered the league in 2009 to when he was injured in the first half of Sunday's win over Pittsburgh. Mack's absence could be a serious blow to the NFL's No. 3 rushing attack. Browns head coach Mike Pettine said the team should know later this week whether Mack could potentially return in eight to 10 weeks for what could be — gasp! — a playoff run, but that seems like a long shot. Converted guard John Greco is the most likely short-term fix at center, with Nick McDonald (wrist) an option as he rounds into shape after being activated from the reserve/non-football injury list.

Bryant, a 2013 seventh-round pick, was developing into a solid pass rusher. Coincidentally, Rams quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament when hit by Bryant during a preseason game.

Miami running back Knowshon Moreno (knee): He had been playing in his first game back after returning from a Week 2 elbow injury and is now gone for good after surprisingly being placed on injured reserve Tuesday. What made this situation so strange is the fact Miami never announced he was hurt during Sunday's 27-24 loss to Green Bay and that head coach Joe Philbin was vague when asked Monday why Moreno barely played in the second half. Lamar Miller, whose 5.2-yard-per-run average is tied for second in the NFL among running backs with at least 60 carries, will reassume the starting role he had filled in Moreno's absence. Damien Williams and Daniel Thomas will be his backups.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

After the controversy he created by refusing to endorse Ryan Tannehill as a starter before a Week 4 game against Oakland, Philbin probably will refrain from offering any more pointed critiques of his third-year quarterback. So I'll say it: The Dolphins won't consistently win until they get less erratic play from under center.

Tannehill's performance last week against Green Bay was maddening. He tossed two interceptions while posting a first-half quarterback rating of 26.0. The first turnover stemmed from a recurring Tannehill problem in which he locks on to his receiver rather than looking off coverage and/or failing to go through his progressions. Packers cornerback Casey Hayward caught Tannehill staring down Jarvis Landry from the snap and stepped in front of the Dolphins rookie for the pick. The second interception reflected Tannehill's ongoing difficulties in throwing deep. Tannehill misfired on a heave to wideout Brian Hartine that FOX game analyst John Lynch astutely lamented "should not be thrown." Hartline was smothered in coverage by Packers cornerback Sam Shields, who notched the interception. Tannehill also failed to see when Hartline was wide open on another play for what could have proven a huge gain, instead throwing an incompletion to Landry.

The second half was completely different. Tannehill had a 40-yard run on the second play of the third quarter, displaying the kind of athleticism that isn't exploited enough by Dolphins coaches. He completed 10 of his first 11 passes for 132 yards with two touchdowns. Tannehill even looked like Brett Favre on two plays, spinning out of Packers pressure to hit Mike Wallace for a 25-yard gain and later beating the blitz by backpedaling and throwing off his back foot for an 11-yard score to Landry.

I'm not expecting Tannehill to play like Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, a future Hall of Famer whose 2-minute drive to win the game was a thing of beauty. But after 37 career starts, Tannehill must stop making the same fundamental mistakes over and over if he's ever to become a franchise quarterback and for Philbin to keep his job beyond this season. Performances like the one against Green Bay make me wonder if either will happen.

NUMBERS TO NOTE

10: Retired kicker Jason Hanson missed nine field goals in his final two NFL seasons with Detroit (2011-12). The 2014 Lions have shanked 10 of them through six games with the latest attempt at a Hanson replacement (Matt Prater) whiffing on two of his three kicks last Sunday against Minnesota.

4: All four teams with a new head coach in 2014 — Tampa Bay, Washington, Minnesota and Houston — have lost their Thursday night football matchups.

THURSDAY NIGHT PICK

New England 38, New York Jets 13: The string of competitive Thursday night games will be ending at one. As much respect Rex Ryan has earned as a defensive guru, New England has scored at least 27 points in five of its past six games against the Jets. New York has far less talent to work with in this matchup against a resurgent Patriots offense.