NFL Week 3 Injury Report: Who's Hurting the Most After Week 2?

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We're only two weeks into the 2012 NFL season, and already one of the harshest truths about the National Football League is once again becoming plainly evident.

Football is a very violent sport, and injuries are a big part of the game.

The injury bug has bitten some teams and positions harder than others, so let's take a peek into training rooms across the league for an update on some injured stars.

Orakpo, Carriker out for Season

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Talk about adding injury to insult.

As if it wasn't bad enough that the Washington Redskins lost a heartbreaker to the St. Louis Rams Sunday, the team's pass rush has been decimated by injuries.

As Mark Maske of The Washington Post reports, the team lost two of it's biggest pass-rushers for the year when outside linebacker Brian Orakpo tore his pectoral muscle and defensive end Adam Carriker tore his quadriceps tendon.

Orakpo led the Redskins with nine sacks in 2011, and as head coach Mike Shanahan told Maske, his shoes won't be easy to fill in the nation's capital.

Obviously he’s a guy that can do it all. He can cover. He can rush. He can play the run. He’s a very physical, very smart, team player. He’s all the things you look [for] in a Pro Bowl player. And obviously we’ll miss him.

High Ankle Sprain for Aaron Hernandez

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Not only did the New England Patriots shockingly lose to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday (seriously...look it up), but the team also suffered a serious setback on offense.

Third-year tight end Aaron Hernandez suffered what is believed to be a high-ankle sprain in the loss that could sideline him up to six weeks.

However, as is the usually the case, getting concrete injury information out of the Patriots is slightly harder than stealing nuclear secrets from the Chinese, and head coach Bill Belichick was his usually open self when discussing the injury, according to the Associated Press via USA Today:

"No," was all he [Belichick] said Monday when asked if he had any preliminary idea of how long Hernandez would be out. Asked if Hernandez had broken any bones, Belichick said, "I don't really have any update on his status. I think they're still looking at him."

Thanks for clarifying, coach.

Steven Jackson Lands in the Doghouse...on His Groin

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When running back Steven Jackson of the St. Louis Rams missed the second half of the team's victory over the Washington Redskins, many pundits assumed that the ninth-year pro had landed in head coach Jeff Fisher's doghouse after getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

However, it turns out that the 29-year-old injured his groin in the game.

That leaves his Week 3 status in doubt, although Jackson told Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he doesn't expect to be sidelined long and will try to play this week in Chicago.

Jeremy Maclin Aggravates Hip Injury

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The Philadelphia Eagles squeaked out another sloppy one-point win in Week 2, but their victory over the Baltimore Ravens may have been a costly one.

In addition to the loss of center Jason Kelce and offensive tackle King Dunlap to injuries in their home opener, the team also saw wide receiver Jeremy Maclin depart after aggravating the hip pointer that has plagued the fourth-year pro so far this season.

Maclin's status for this week's tilt with the Arizona Cardinals is uncertain at best right now, and Maclin himself admitted to Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer that's he's unsure of whether he'll be able to suit up.

I’m going to try to do everything I can do get out there; that’s the kind of person I am. But at the same time, I took a lot for me to look up and say I can’t go. I want to help my team at the same time, so if I’m not out there and can’t do the things I can normally do, I can’t be out there. We’ll see how the week goes.

Bradshaw Sprains Neck in Wild Win

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The New York Giants won one of the wildest games of the young season in comeback fashion Sunday, hanging 25 points on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarter before emerging with a 41-34 victory.

What makes the comeback even more remarkable is that the Giants accomplished it without the services of running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who exited early with a neck injury.

Ralph Vacchiano of The New York Daily News reports that the injury has been diagnosed as a "sprain," but with the sixth-year veteran missing practice Monday and the Giants on a short practice week before a Thursday night game, it's highly unlikely that the 26-year-old will play in Week 3.

Matt Forte's Ankle Injury Not Serious

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There certainly wasn't much good news for the Chicago Bears during their Week 2 shellacking at the hands of the Green Bay Packers, but it appears there's been some good news since.

Star running back Matt Forte, who injured his ankle in the Bears' loss, does not have the dreaded high-ankle sprain, and in fact according to Gene Chamberlain of CBS Sports there's still a chance that Forte could play this week when the Bears host the St. Louis Rams.

Said head coach Lovie Smith regarding Forte's injury:

He doesn't have a high-ankle sprain. He has an ankle sprain. As far as when he'll be back, I don't know. I was hoping he would look about the way he did today. He looked pretty good today. We're not ruling him out of anything just yet.

It's still rather unlikely that Forte will play against the Rams, but Chicago has to breathing easier now that it appears that its best offensive player will not be sidelined for a significant amount of time.