4 NFL Injury Situations That Could Make or Break the Postseason
There is still be one more week of regular-season games left to be played, but it's not too early to start thinking about the 2024 NFL playoffs and the injuries that could have a huge impact on the outcome of it.
Several postseason-bound squads are dealing with untimely injuries to some of their best players. The presence of these stars, or lack thereof, could end up being the difference between an early exit and a deep run.
Even top contenders like the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens—who officially locked up the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences this past weekend—are both ailing ahead of Week 18 and must cautiously weigh the benefits of getting some much-needed rest versus the risk of looking rusty at the onset of the Divisional Round.
With that in mind, here are some of the most notable injury situations that could make or break teams during the postseason.
Baltimore Ravens
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The Baltimore Ravens are surging into the playoffs as the AFC's top seed and a favorite to win the Super Bowl, but even they aren't immune to having impactful injuries potentially making or breaking their postseason. The team is coming off a statement win over the Miami Dolphins and has the AFC's No. 1 seed in hand, but some of its best players missed the last contest and need to get healthy for Baltimore to run the table.
The Ravens were missing some key defensive starters in Week 17, with safety Kyle Hamilton and cornerback Brandon Stephens both absent. Hamilton is arguably the most important player on Baltimore's stout defense—a unit that ranks No. 4 in yards conceded and No. 1 in points allowed—and has made massive strides in just his second professional campaign. The big safety has notched an impressive 86.0 PFF grade for his efforts, which include 61 solo tackles and four interceptions while allowing just 36 receptions on 61 targets. Hamilton suffered a knee injury against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football last week, leading to him missing his first game of the season in Week 17.
Stephens has also been an instrumental part of a Baltimore secondary that holds opponents to a meager 195.6 yards per game through the air and has racked up a whopping 18 interceptions while allowing just 17 touchdown throws. While the third-year corner has only a pair of picks, his coverage abilities have been critical to the unit's success and his consistency allowed him to stay on the field for nearly every snap up until his absence on Sunday.
While those absences, as well as one from veteran offensive guard Kevin Zeitler, didn't cost Baltimore much in a 56-19 trouncing of the Dolphins—nor did the injuries Marlon Humphrey, Patrick Queen and Michael Pierce suffered during the game—the Ravens will need these standout talents healthy for the playoffs. Having the top seed secured gives the team approximately three weeks to rest, a lengthy stretch that could be pivotal as the team gears up to try to win the organization's third championship.
Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins were looking like one of the most dangerous teams in the entire league for much of the 2023 campaign, but a slew of late-season injuries has this squad standing on shaky ground heading into the playoffs.
Star wideout Tyreek Hill hasn't been the same since picking up an ankle injury in Week 14. While the offensive lynchpin only missed a single contest while recovering, he hasn't managed to top the 100-yard mark since incurring the ailment. Prior to Week 14, Hill had ripped off three consecutive 100-plus-yard performances and seemed well on his way to shattering Calvin Johnson's single-season receiving record. After his recent regression, Hill would need a whopping 248 yards in the finale to breech Johnson's mark.
It would be tough for Hill to reach that lofty mark with a healthy Tua Tagovailoa and it'll be even more difficult after the quarterback was banged up over the weekend. Tagovailoa exited Miami's blowout loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the fourth quarter after suffering an injury to his left throwing shoulder. Head coach Mike McDaniel doesn't seem too concerned, telling ESPN's Marcel Louis-Jacques that "it's not a huge blip on my radar right now," but it's certainly something to monitor ahead of the club's prime-time Week 18 clash with the Buffalo Bills that will determine which squad claims the AFC East title.
Besting Buffalo will be an even bigger challenge than it initially seemed after the 'Phins received word that elite pass-rusher Bradley Chubb's season is over due to a torn ACL. The veteran edge defender, who leads the team with 11 sacks, will be sorely missed not only against Josh Allen—who already dissected Miami's defense for 320 yards and four touchdowns on 21-of-25 passing earlier this year—but also against the other star signal-callers Miami will come up against in the playoffs.
The impact of these injuries—and others such as rushing touchdown leader Raheem Mostert's recent knee and ankle problems—is showing up clearly in the odds. The Dolphins not only went from a slight favorite to a three-point home underdog against Buffalo, but DraftKings Sportsbook also moved them to a 13-1 long shot to win the Super Bowl after entering Week 17 with the third-best odds in the league at +750.
Philadelphia Eagles
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The Philadelphia Eagles started out the 2023 season red-hot, winning each of their first five games and 10 of their first 11. Since their overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills in Week 12, however, the defending NFC champions have mustered just a single win in five tries. Following a collapse against the lowly Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, the Eagles are running out of time to right the ship before the playoffs get underway.
Things won't get any easier when the squad travels to MetLife Stadium for a season-ending showdown against the New York Giants. While the Eagles managed to narrowly beat Big Blue on Christmas—their lone victory since the calendar flipped to December—and are favorites to pull off a season sweep, this bitter NFC East rivalry game figures to be a feisty one. It'll be especially tough for the Eagles to come out on top if DeVonta Smith isn't in the lineup due to a sprained ankle.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Smith was seen exiting the stadium in a walking boot following Sunday's gut punch of a loss to Arizona. The star wideout landed awkwardly while blocking on a screen pass and limped off the field, a disappointing finish to a game he contributed just three catches for 30 yards in. It now remains to be seen if he'll be able to suit up against the G-Men, a team Smith torched for 79 yards and a score on four receptions two weeks ago.
While Smith is the No. 2 option in the passing game behind A.J. Brown, he still surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second consecutive year and is a massive part of Philly's offensive plans. His presence commands defensive attention and allows Brown—whose 1,447 receiving yards are the third-most in the NFL—to thrive. If Smith is absent or limited during the playoffs, the Eagles will find it difficult to execute their offense and find their way back in the Super Bowl.
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San Francisco 49ers
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The San Francisco 49ers may have been the NFL's most dominant team for much of the 2023 regular season, but there's some red flags surrounding this powerhouse heading into the playoffs. An injury suffered by superstar running back Christian McCaffrey during the team's blowout New Year's Eve win over the Washington Commanders—a victory that locked up the NFC's No. 1 seed—could come back to haunt the Niners in January.
McCaffrey went down midway through the third quarter with a calf injury. The versatile back was spotted being worked on by trainers and jogging on the sidelines after limping off, but he ultimately never returned to the contest. While it initially seemed to be a concerning development, McCaffrey doesn't seem too worried, telling reporters: "I think it was minor and just made the smart move. … I didn't just want to go in there and make it any worse. With certain things you can't be dumb about it."
Head coach Kyle Shanahan reiterated that the injury is a "mild" one and noted that the team will hold McCaffrey out for a now-meaningless Week 18 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams as a precautionary measure. The extra rest will also give other banged-up players like Ambry Thomas, Arik Armstead and Ji'Ayir Brown some much-needed time to recover.
Considering the 49ers won't be involved in a game that truly matters until January 20 at the earliest, McCaffrey should have enough time to get back to full strength. With San Francisco's offensive attack revolving around the superstar—CMC has racked up over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 21 touchdowns on 339 touches this year—the team will need him at his best if it's going to capture a Super Bowl title for the first time since the 1994 season.
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