FanHouse Injury Report

Every week when the dinner bell rings on Friday evening, we'll be here to provide you a comprehensive injury report for the NFL weekend to follow. For those injuries that go right down to the wire, drop by our live Fantasy Fanhouse experts live chat from 10 am to 1 pm every Sunday and we'll take care of you on those bloody game-time decisions. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Baltimore Ravens

Todd Heap - Heap comes into the weekend listed as probable and he practiced in limited workouts Thursday. He should be fine to go on Sunday.

Willis McGahee - You asked for it suckas. Get ready for a lot of this throughout 2008. Willis practiced Monday, but then lightened the load on Wednesday and Thursday making him an iffy "Q" for Sunday. Check back at game-time, but coach John Harbaugh said he isn't counting on McGahee. Ultimately, I suspect he will play, but Ray Rice will go if McGahee sits.

Kyle Boller - In case you suck at paying attention, Boller is out for the season.

The Buffalo Bills

Trent Edwards - Edwards looks fine to go on Sunday, which is good, because he has a thigh bruise. Wuss.

Every week when the dinner bell rings on Friday evening, we'll be here to provide you a comprehensive injury report for the NFL weekend to follow. For those injuries that go right down to the wire, drop by our live Fantasy Fanhouse experts live chat from 10 am to 1 pm every Sunday and we'll take care of you on those bloody game-time decisions. As always, please feel free to chime in with opinions, updates, and rumors in the comments.

The Baltimore Ravens

Todd Heap - Heap comes into the weekend listed as probable and he practiced in limited workouts Thursday. He should be fine to go on Sunday.

Willis McGahee - You asked for it suckas. Get ready for a lot of this throughout 2008. Willis practiced Monday, but then lightened the load on Wednesday and Thursday making him an iffy "Q" for Sunday. Check back at game-time, but coach John Harbaugh said he isn't counting on McGahee. Ultimately, I suspect he will play, but Ray Rice will go if McGahee sits.

Kyle Boller - In case you suck at paying attention, Boller is out for the season.

The Buffalo Bills

Trent Edwards - Edwards looks fine to go on Sunday, which is good, because he has a thigh bruise. Wuss.

The good news is that Al Wilson appears to be okay after suffering what's being called a sprained neck in Sunday night's game against the Seahawks. This AP article seems to indicate that the middle linebacker could return to practice as early as this Wednesday, and might even play against San Diego next week. This dude is clearly tougher than a bad piece of steak - he's already been playing through thumb and chest problems this season, and now may even play right on through a sprained neck. But it's great, obviously, for him and his family, to see that Al is alright after a very scary moment when he was strapped down, taken off the field, and rushed to an area hospital.

The bad news is that unlike Wilson, the Broncos are in serious trouble. After Al left and was replaced with Keith Burns, the Seahawks trampled over the defense, which has been struggling to close out games lately. So much for the unprecedented depth of this team. And next week, the Broncos will see LaDainian Tomlinson again, which ends the following string of running backs this defense has had to face in consecutive weeks: LT, Larry Johnson, Shawn Alexander, and an encore of LT. So far they've lost all of those games - coincidence? If the defense isn't completely burned out by now, they will be after next Sunday. Thank goodness they get a break in the following two weeks, before having to deal with Frank Gore, the NFC's leading rusher. Of course, the secondary will get their workout against Cincinatti, when Ocho Cinco and TJ Houshmandzadeh come to town.

In other injury news, Fullback Cecil Sapp is out for the year with a broken leg, meaning the oft-injured Kyle Johnson will be starting for the rest of the season. And Jason Elam should be okay after straining his hamstring on one of the most bizarre series of plays in Bronco history. More on that later.

Click on this link. Tell me what you see.

No, it is not the Chiefs' starting lineup. It is the injury report. Six starters are either out, doubtful, or questionable. Sammy Knight has been upgraded to probable.

It is really quite a list. Brian Waters and Tony Gonzalez are perennial Pro Bowlers. Derrick Johnson is a Pro Bowl-caliber player. Tamba Hali was a sleeper possibility for defensive rookie of the year. Greg Wesley was having his best season in several years. Kevin Sampson... well, he had to be replaced by Kyle Turley.

The Chiefs are still going to be favored against the Raiders, but the game is going to be a lot tougher than it should be. Chris Bober, replacing Waters, was nothing more than a turnstile against the Dolphins. Jason Dunn, replacing Gonzalez, is a fine blocker, but is as much of a downfield threat as Lawrence Tynes is. Keyaron Fox, replacing Johnson, forgot that the most important part of tackling is to actually bring the ballcarrier down. Eric Hicks has not had a sack in about forty years. And, of course, there is Turley, of whom nothing more needs to be said, except that I already did.

I suppose I should take some solace in the fact that all these injuries came when the Chiefs are facing the Raiders. Yet, I cannot help but worry. Only the win against the 49ers was easy; otherwise, the Chiefs have scratched, clawed, and hung on for dear life to win games. The Chiefs absolutely cannot lose this game if they want to keep any hope alive for the playoffs. As Herm Edwards has said all year, "You play to win the game." The only problem is that, well, you need to actually play.

Alright Colts fans, it's time to cringe. Yes...Dwight Freeney, Brandon Stokley, Bob Sanders, and Adam Vinatieri are all game time decisions for Sunday's game. Those are 4 of our best players. However, Coach Tony Dungy is remaining calm.

"It's not really who doesn't play that matters," Dungy said Friday after the final full practice of the week in preparation for the 2-0 Colts' game against the Jaguars (2-0) at the RCA Dome Sunday at 1 p.m. "It's who plays and what they do. We've had guys who have gone in games and done a good job. That's the way you have to do it. We have confidence in everybody on our roster. That's the way we develop it and I think the guys will do fine."

I like the optimism Tony, but I'm sorry, if those 4 players are missing, it's going to hurt. Neither of the 4 players, along with 5 others, participated in drills on Friday.

According to the Colts official website, the injury report is as follows...

• Diem (hamstring, questionable), running back DeDe Dorsey (ankle, questionable), Fletcher (knee, questionable), Freeney (buttock, questionable), cornerback Nick Harper (ankle, questionable), tight end Ben Hartsock (hamstring, questionable), Hayden (groin, questionable), Jennings (knee, questionable), linebacker Freddie Keiaho (knee, questionable), guard Ryan Lilja (knee, questionable), defensive tackle Montae Reagor (knee, questionable), defensive tackle Darrell Reid (elbow, questionable), Sanders (knee, questionable), guard Jake Scott (knee, questionable), Simon (knee, questionable), Stokley (ankle, questionable), defensive end Josh Thomas (hip, questionable), Utecht (concussion, questionable), Vinatieri (right groin, questionable), middle linebacker Gary Brackett (calf, probable), running back Ran Carthon (finger, probable), linebacker Gilbert Gardner (hand, questionable), defensive end Ryan LaCasse (foot, probable) and quarterback Jim Sorgi (right shoulder, probable).