Damage Report: QB Quandaries
By Mike Harmon
November 28, 2005



A quick look around the NFL this week reveals few, but no less significant, injuries to fantasy contributors. After all, every point counts when you're in Week 12 and looking to nail down a spot in the playoffs. The two biggest injuries, from a fantasy perspective, befell starting quarterbacks in advantageous matchups, leaving their owners stunned.

Let's take a look into the injury report for this week.

Fantasy owners had climbed aboard the Byron Leftwich Express after several straight impressive fantasy performances and an enticing matchup against Arizona. He started the day 2-for-2 on passing attempts, causing owners to chuckle gleefully in anticipation of a huge day. Instead, Leftwich sustained an injury to his ankle early in the contest, left the game, and did not return. X-rays later revealed a broken bone in his left ankle, which will sideline him 4-6 weeks.

David Garrard relieved him and did some damage early with his legs, scoring on a 16-yard TD run in the final minutes of the first quarter. He finished 12-for-26 passing for 115 yards, but added 61 yards on the ground. Owners can expect similar stat lines going forward, with Garrard creating plays on the move. With a favorable schedule for the final five games, Garrard is worth a roster spot as a backup, with eyes on possible spot starts against Houston and San Francisco down the stretch.

One week after losing starting QB Marc Bulger for an extended period with a shoulder injury and concussion, the Rams lost backup Jamie Martin to a concussion in the first quarter of Sunday's game against Houston. In didn't matter, as third-stringer and Harvard grad Ryan Fitzpatrick led an improbable comeback over the Texans, throwing for 310 yards and three scores. Fitzpatrick sealed the deal with a 56-yard TD pass to Kevin Curtis (his only catch of the day) in overtime. Martin will undergo additional tests on Monday to better ascertain his availability for Week 13 against Washington. Given his strong effort on Sunday, Fitzpatrick might get the start regardless.

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As expected, Chris Brown turned in a big day for the Titans against San Francisco, but it was his pass receiving that paid dividends for Tennessee. However, he left the game for a spell with an ankle injury and watched eager backup Travis Henry pile up 100 total yards on 14 Touches. The injury isn't considered serious, and Brown will be listed as day-to-day. Henry's big day serves as a reminder to check his availability on the waiver wire for the stretch run should Brown's ankle take a turn in the coming weeks.

Green Bay TE Bubba Franks took an awkward blow to the head and neck from safety Brian Dawkins of Philadelphia and was carted off of the field. He reportedly had feeling in his extremities and acknowledged the crowd as he left the stadium. Initial tests revealed no substantial damage, but Franks was being held overnight for observation. Franks will likely miss Week 13 against Chicago, leaving David Martin as the top TE target for Brett Favre.

Rookie receiver Brandon Jones sprained his right knee late in the first half of Sunday's win over the 49ers and did not return. X-rays returned negative, but Jones will undergo additional tests on Monday to determine whether any ligament damage was sustained. This is the second time that Jones has sprained his right knee this year. He missed one game with his earlier injury.

Chester Taylor had expected to split carries with Jamal Lewis against the Bengals, but a late-week ankle injury kept him out of the lineup. Lewis took advantage of this development and ran for his first 100-yard game of the season. With the terrible Texans run defense on tap for Week 13, the Ravens backfield figures to see a heavy workload.

Going back to Thanksgiving, Kevin Jones injured his quad and left the game against Atlanta after rolling off a 20-yard run to get things started. With the long layoff between games, Jones is expected back in the lineup against Minnesota next weekend. However, if he cannot go, Artose Pinner and Shawn Bryson will split the workload.

We'll be sure to keep a close eye on practice reports over the coming days for those injuries that take a day or two to be revealed.

Mike Harmon is a Yahoo! Sports fantasy expert. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast. Mike is the author of The Savvy Guide to Fantasy Sports.
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