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The Cincinnati Bengals are fighting for their playoff lives and will be doing so with AJ Green the last two weeks of the season.

The rookie receiver has been incredible in his first year out of Georgia, and was on his way to the best game of his career on Sunday against the St. Louis Rams before he landing awkwardly on his shoulder in a play that resulted in a pass interference. It appeared that defender Rod Hood inadvertently kicked Green's leg and that caused the No. 4 overall pick to hit the turf roughly.

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting that it's a Grade 3 sprain and surgery will likely not be necessary.

He hurt his shoulder in the second quarter and was able to come back and play in the second half. He finished with six receptions for 115 yards, but most of his damage came before the injury. After the game Green assured fans not to worry:

It’s nothing serious. I’m definitely not going to miss these last two games for nothing.

It was a big day for Green who became the first rookie receiver in the league to register 1000 yards since New Orleans’ Marques Colston in 2006.Green is now only five catches and four yards away from surpassing Cris Collinsworth’s team rookie marks of 65 catches in 1,009 yards in 1981.

The injury update is great news for fantasy owners. At this point in the season it's deep into the playoffs and you need to stick with your studs. Green will be going up against a Arizona Cardinals' secondary that is ranked 24th against the pass, allowing over 242 yards per game.

While the Cards are suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league, they still allowed the Browns' Greg Little to rack up 131 yards and a touchdown on Sunday.

If you have Green don't be scared off by his injury, start him and expect another 100 yards.

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The world of fantasy football can get mighty complicated, as it invariably has for anyone pinning their hopes for victory on Ben Roethlisberger.

According to Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network, the Pittsburgh Steelers may or may not press Big Ben into starting duty against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night depending on the result of Sunday night's meeting between the Baltimore Ravens and the San Diego Chargers. Roethlisberger suffered a rather gruesome-looking ankle injury against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday of Week 14 and has been limited in practice since.

Presumably, if the Bolts beat the Ravens, then Mike Tomlin would be more inclined to throw Big Ben to Jim Harbaugh's wolves, as the Steelers would have a clear opportunity to pull ahead not only in the AFC North, but also in the race for the No. 1 seed in the conference.

Of course, even if Roethlisberger plays, he's hardly a good bet to put up big fantasy numbers. The Niners' defense is the eighth-stingiest when it comes to fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.

Then again, something is certainly better than nothing for those of you who had the cojones to start Big Ben this week in the first place. Roethlisberger was questionable, at best, coming into the week and would've been hard-pressed to do accomplish much of fantasy significance in San Fran on a bad ankle against a tough D even if he played.

Furthermore, if you're own fantasy playoff success is contingent on the Chargers not choking at home against the Ravens, then you might as well pack it in for the season right now.

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Defensive end Andre Carter, one of the New England Patriots' top defensive players this season, suffered a left knee injury on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Carter was defending the run in the first quarter when he dropped to the ground and clutched his left knee. He had to be carted off the field.

Carter, an 11-year veteran who had had some big years with the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins before ending up with the Patriots this offseason, has racked up 10 sacks this season. Defensive end Mark Anderson has registered the second-most sacks on the team with seven.

Despite adding defensive end Shaun Ellis in the offseason, the Patriots have gotten to the quarterback 33 times this season. They had an average 36 sacks last season.

According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, Carter's injury could be serious.

Tweeted Anderson:

Breaking: Agent Carl Poston just told me "looks like Andre (Carter) has a quad-related injury that will require surgery."

If the Patriots lose Carter, that's roughly one-third of their pass rush that evaporates into thin air. They beat the playoff contending Broncos, 41-23, on Sunday, but the Broncos are not an elite team. If the Patriots expect to go far in the playoffs, they need to have at least a decent pass rush.

The Patriots' loss to the New York Jets in last season's AFC divisional playoff highlighted this fact. Quarterback Tom Brady was sacked five times and Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez wasn't sacked once.

Carter was seen as merely a contributor when he joined the Patriots this season, but he's actually proven to be a difference-maker.

Despite a blowout win over the Broncos, the Patriots are still not Super Bowl favorites, or even favorites in the AFC.

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As if the insult of losing to the lowly Kansas City Chiefs weren't enough, the Green Bay Packers suffered through yet another spate of injuries, with the broken leg of Derek Sherrod serving as arguably the most gruesome, and perhaps the most devastating, to date for the defending Super Bowl champs.

The rookie tackle out of Mississippi State came in to replace Bryan Bulaga, who left the game with a sprained knee in the first half. Sherrod's injury came on a pass play in the fourth quarter, during which Chiefs linebacker Tamba Hali rolled into the back of his leg.

All told, the Packers gave up four sacks on the day, two to Hali. Not surprisingly, Rodgers finished with his worst performance of the season by far—235 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-35 passing. 

The tandem departures of Bulaga and Sherrod leave the Packers without their top three offensive tackles, along with long-time pass protector Chad Clifton, heading into pivotal rivalry games against the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Green Bay needs to win one of those two and/or hope that San Francisco and New Orleans drop another game to secure the top seed in the NFC.

More important than the end of the Packers' 19-game winning streak is the damage these injuries may render to the team's pursuit of a defense of its Super Bowl crown. Green Bay relies heavily on its offense to outscore the opposition, due in large part to the regression of a defense that was among the most opportunistic in the NFL last season.

This year, Dom Capers' D has looked old and slow, with the loss of defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins, the aging of Charles Woodson and the return to mediocrity of fellow corner Tramon Williams.

If the Packers can't protect A-Rod, then they won't be able to score as quickly or with as much lethality as they've been accustomed.

And if they can't score, then they'll be all too susceptible to defeat against the likes of the Lions, the Cowboys and the Saints come playoff time.

Then again, injuries are hardly a new phenomenon for the Packers. They fought through myriad injuries toward the end of the 2010 season and had little difficult getting all the way to Cowboys Stadium.

Still, Green Bay can hardly withstand this seemingly never-ending tsunami of injuries if it's going to survive and advance to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl. At this point, all the Pack can do is keep their fingers crossed and hope that they'll have enough healthy bodies to block for Rodgers when it matters most.

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In yet another devastating blow in a 2011 season full of them for the Chicago Bears, star wide receiver Johnny Knox will undergo back surgery after suffering a lower-back injury in the first quarter of a 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

The defeat leaves the Bears at 7-7 on the season and without their three best players on offense. Chicago lost quarterback Jay Cutler to a broken thumb in Week 11 against the Chargers and Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte to a sprained knee in Week 13 against the Chiefs.

Throw in the arrest of fellow pass-catcher Sam Hurd on federal drug trafficking chargers, and you can pretty much stick a fork in the Bears as far as the playoffs are concerned. Chicago would have to win out against the Packers and the Vikings, hope that Seattle loses another game and have either Atlanta or Detroit drop each of its final two games to sneak in.

Forget about what the other teams would need to do—the Bears would be lucky to win much of anything from here on out. They've dropped four in a row in Cutler went down, with a 24-point beatdown at the hands of the Seahawks serving as the first bona fide blowout of the bunch.

Things don't figure to get much better against Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers and his battered teammates won't be wanting for motivation when the Bears come to Lambeau on Christmas Day. If sewing up the No. 1 seed in the NFC and bouncing back from an embarrassing loss in Kansas City isn't enough to get the Pack going, then the pride of pounding their arch rival should be enough.

In other words, best of luck to Caleb Hanie, Marion Barber and what little remains of Mike Martz's offense as they attempt to keep pace with the prolific Packers.

They'll need it, and then some.

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New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard isn't one of the Giants' biggest names, but after he sustained a right knee injury in Sunday's 23-10 loss to the Washington Redskins, the Giants' hope down the road may be crippled.

Ballard, a second-year pro, took over for Kevin Boss this season in New York after Boss was signed by the Oakland Raiders as a free agent.

Over the course of the season, he's racked up 38 catches for 604 yards and four touchdowns, while acting as quarterback Eli Manning's safety net.

Ballard was hurt in the Giants' final drive of the half on a 15-yard gain and limped to the sidelines before being declared "out" for the second half.

Although his numbers don't jump out, he's been a fairly consistent player for Manning and Co. this season and helped fill the void left by Boss. And at 6'6", 275 pounds, Ballard has been a nightmare to take down for opposing secondaries.

As for the Giants, they are now 7-7 after Sunday's loss and once again find themselves behind the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East after disposing of them in Week 14. Ballard caught four balls for 52 yards and a touchdown in the big win.

Every quarterback, even the great ones, need a checkdown option to make their lives easier. The Giants have been good about limiting the amount of sacks for Manning this season, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been hurried from time to time.

The Giants' last regular season game against the Cowboys could be critical.

If Ballard isn't around, they may not even make the playoffs.

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The Houston Texans are going to the playoffs for the first time ever in franchise history, but they are going to need a healthy Andre Johnson to have a shot at winning in the playoffs.

There's no doubting that when healthy Johnson is one of the best receivers in the NFL.

In his nine years in the NFL, all as a Texan mind you, he's put up 9,635 yards, and 52 touchdowns on 704 catches.

He's one of the more physically imposing wideouts in the league, and he couples that with incredible speed and soft hands.

Simply put, he's one of the best.

Unfortunately the Texans have been without his services for eight games this season, and all of them have involved a hamstring.

He missed six earlier this season with a right hamstring, and then missed the two, including today's 28-13 loss to the Panthers, with a left hamstring injury.

At 10-4 the Texans have the division wrapped up, and frankly their games against the Colts and Titans don't mean as much as getting Johnson healthy by playoff time does.

My advice? Let the guy sit it out for the rest of the year. Obviously find ways to keep him active in practices and in the film room, but concentrate on rehab and rest.

Sure, it would be nice to see Johnson out there, especially so quarterback T.J. Yates can get used to him, but Johnson is good enough to just plug in and go.

He knows the routes and he has that natural ability to go out and get it done, all Yates would have to do is get him the ball.

The Texans need to start thinking like a playoff team, and right now that means saving Johnson for the playoffs.

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The Chicago Bears need to be extremely careful with the health of wide receiver Johnny Knox.

Let's be honest, this year is over for the Chicago Bears.

They aren't going to make the playoffs, and even if they did, because I guess there is still a chance, they are far too injured to do anything worthwhile.

Frankly, their season was over when Jay Cutler went down with that thumb injury. 

Bless Caleb Hanie for trying to fill in for him, but four straight losses just won't get the job done, especially when the playoffs are still in sight.

The Bears continued their losing streak with a huge loss to the Seattle Seahawks today, but the bigger loss may have been losing Knox, who had to be carted off the field after a vicious hit.

He spent almost 10 minutes on the field and had to be taken to the hospital.

According to ESPNChicago.com he has total movement throughout his body and in his extremities, which is great news, but that being said I still believe the Bears need to be careful with him.

I'm sure they are going to be under an obligation to be cautious with him by doctors and the NFL, but if for some reason he feels he can play I don't see that being a wise decision considering the Bears have to go to Green Bay next Sunday night to play a Packers team coming off their first loss of the season.

I don't see the Bears winning that game, and I don't see how Knox would be able to help them anyhow.

With this kind of injury (lower-back) it's important to get the adequate amount of rest, and to be 100-percent certain that the risk of re-injury or worse is extremely minimal.

This goes without saying, but the Bears need to be under a serious moral obligation to be conservative with Knox.

Even if he thinks he can go, which i'm sure he'll want to, there should be no way he sees the field.

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It's tough to put a positive spin on losing a stud running back for the season, but that's exactly whati'm going to try to do with Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden.

Let's play the good-news, bad-news game, and i'll start with the bad news to get it out of the way.

The bad news is that the Raiders reportedly won't have the services of McFadden for the rest oft his season, according to Jason La Canfora on NFL.com:

While Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson made it clear this week that Darren McFadden will not need surgery on his injured foot, it's unlikely the running back will play again this season, according to team sources.

McFadden has been sidelined for the Raiders' last seven games, including Sunday's meeting with the Detroit Lions, and his chronic foot condition remains a concern.

McFadden, who also hasn't practiced on the foot, would have difficulty making it back even if the Raiders reached the playoffs. He has been away from real football activities for nearly two months, so getting him in game condition would be an issue.McFadden has been sidelined for the Raiders' last seven games, including Sunday's meeting with the Detroit Lions, and his chronic foot condition remains a concern.

That's the bad news, and believe me it's pretty bad. McFadden is well on his way to being one of the most dynamic backs in the league , but will finish the year with just 614 yards and four rushing touchdowns on only 113 carries. He also had 19 receptions and one touchdown through the air.

Where's the good news you ask? 

With McFadden down the Raiders have a chance to take a very long look at Michael Bush, and he hasn't let them down so far.

He's racked up an impressive 764 yards and seven touchdowns on 196 rushes as well as 26 receptions and one touchdown in the passing game.

This is a guy that can be an every-down back, and he's proved that in relief of McFadden. Now the question is: Do the Raiders bring him back next year on a new deal, franchise tag him, or let him go?

He's going to be a free agent, so those questions will have to be answered sooner rather than later.

There is one thing we know for sure though, in this NFL you need two backs in order to be truly successful.

The Raiders got a blessing in disguise when McFadden went down. At least now they know they have their second back if they choose to keep Bush around.

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Anthony Hargrove disarmed the Chicago Bears on Sunday of their most explosive offensive weapon.

Most monster hits can be described as bone-crushing, but the manner in which Hargrove laid the wood to Johnny Knox can only be illustrated as spine-snapping.  On a play that exemplifies why flag football leagues treat fumbles as a dead ball, the Seattle Seahawk defender nearly bent a diving Knox in half. 

And he didn’t bend at the waist either.

According to the Chicago-Sun Times, trainers rushed Knox to the hospital after being carted off the field on a stretcher.  10 minutes went by before the staff took enough precaution to avoid further damage to his back.  No timetable has been given on Knox’s return, but his ability to move extremities is a positive sign.

After a loss to the Seahawks, the Bears would be forced to win out to have a remote chance of making the playoffs.  On top of that, they would need teams like the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants to lose.

Chicago’s remaining opponents are the Green bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings.  Minnesota should be an easy win, but at Green Bay, it would be a miracle if the Bears could pull off a victory.  That miracle would be significantly more realistic, though, if Knox were in the lineup.

With Jay Cutler and Matt Forte out, Knox is the Bears only feared offensive player remaining.  Of course, there’s an extremely high chance Chicago’s most explosive athlete next to Devin Hester won’t be able to suit up the rest of the season. 

Maybe 2011 shouldn’t be when the Bears are praying for a return, though.  The way Knox got hit, I’m sure they’ll be fully content with their wide out being able to play again next year.  Back injuries are devastating and a full recovery from one as brutal as Knox’s is a blessing.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer. Follow him on Twitter.

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Adrian Peterson is going to get on the field today but his snaps may be limited by Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier, according to Tom Pelissero’s Twitter feed.

AP has missed the past three games with a sprained ankle but was able to practice all week and said he experienced no soreness or any setbacks over the past few days.

This is a good sign for fantasy owners, who have hopefully been able to continue advancing in the playoffs without a top draft pick, and will be very relieved to have the superstar RB back in their starting lineup.

Unfortunately, Peterson may not have a great game because of Frazier’s expected caution and imposed limitations on his lead back.

It makes sense for the 2-11 Vikings to be very careful with their best player, as they have nothing left to win for in this lost season and only have pride on the line at this point.

Further aggravating AP’s ankle would not be good for his future with the franchise and their chances to find success in the playoffs again in upcoming seasons.

Toby Gerhart has done a decent job in Peterson’s place over these past three weeks and should be expected to get a fair amount of carries in a game the Vikings will more than likely be playing from behind in.

The Saints will score a lot of points, meaning that carries will be limited and Peterson won’t have a chance to pound the rock and put up his usual solid numbers.

Definitely start AP, but don’t expect a monstrous game considering the circumstances. 

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Kevin Smith is expected to play today after he missed last week with an ankle injury, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News.

Smith, who started getting touches for the Lions because of Jahvid Best’s concussion and the ineffectiveness of Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams, had a breakout game in Week 11 vs. Carolina.

He hasn’t been all that effective since then and this ankle issue certainly set him back, but he should be primed for a huge day against the Oakland Raiders.

The Raiders have been allowing an average of over 5.5 yards per carry to opposing teams for the past four games and cannot seem to stop anyone on the ground.

Oakland can't stop anyone on the ground.
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It’s a perfect game to put Smith back in your lineup and you can expect huge production from him as you try to overcome your opponent and take down your fantasy championship.

Unless you have two or more of the top RBs in the league, Smith makes for a perfect starter in your second running back or flex position. If your fantasy league has points per reception scoring, he’s an even better play.

Smith redeemed himself with six receptions and 46 yards in his last game against the Saints and helped owners who didn’t really benefit from his six carries and 34 yards on the ground.

He can do it all and definitely has the potential for a big game, especially against a pitiful group of rush defenders like the Raiders.

Go ahead and place him in your lineup for Week 15. 

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Fantasy owners who are riding Ben Roethlisberger in the playoffs have a difficult decision to make this morning.

Do they trust their steady QB who has led them to the postseason and executed all season long, or do they cast him aside and sign a replacement today?

Sign Smith today if you are hoping Ben is healthy.
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Tim Kavanagh of ESPN notes that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB is about a 50-50 shot to start right now because of his “questionable” status on the injury report.

He’s also been limited in practice and is not clearly indicating, one way or another, what his status will be for Monday night.

If you do decide to roll with Big Ben, you must roster Alex Smith today before your opponent beats you to it.

You cannot take the chance of being caught with your pants down and playing an important fantasy playoff matchup without a starting QB.

If Roethlisberger cannot go tomorrow, you would need to use the San Francisco 49ers’ QB.

Charlie Batch would be an option, as he is slated to get the nod if Big Ben is out, but he’s not reliable and in three appearances this year has zero completions on his two attempts passing.

The inexperience would crush your fantasy team and the Steelers would almost exclusively run the ball with Batch under center.

Smith is on a team that now trusts him and allows for him to throw the ball more and find open receivers. He makes few mistakes and will certainly not harm your team.

While not an excellent option, Alex Smith does prove to be the only serviceable one on Monday night if you choose to roll the dice on Roethlisberger and come up short. 

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After three long, agonizing weeks away with a sprained ankle, the Minnesota Vikings will welcome Adrian Peterson back. More important than that, though, is fantasy owners can rest easy because they need him back for conference championship weekend. 

But the news is not all sunshine and roses, because according to Tom Pelissero of ESPN Twin Cities, Peterson will be monitored closely against the Saints.

That means he is not going to be the 25-30 carry workhorse that he was before he went down with the injury, but that does not mean you should have any apprehension whatsoever in putting him in the starting lineup. 

In fact, you should feel more confident than ever about giving Peterson the go-ahead. 

The Saints defense has been susceptible to the run all season, though overall they are in the middle of the pack in yards allowed per game (110.3). They don't have the big bodies up front to contain a big, physical running back. 

Peterson does not need a lot of carries to be a great fantasy option this week. If he only gets 15 carries, he should easily run for 80-90 yards with at least one touchdown. Plus, he can catch a few passes out of the backfield to add to his yardage total. 

The idea that the Vikings won't feature Peterson prominently is a little far fetched considering how important he is to their offense, and any success that they hope to have against the Saints rests entirely on his legs. 

Peterson is going to be the fantasy monster that he was before he went down with the ankle injury, and the best part of it all is that he is going to be doing it in the postseason. Getting him back at this point is like making a major late-season acquisition that will put you over the top. 

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