Meet the Projected Replacements for NFL's Biggest Week 2 Injuries

Week 2 of the 2014 NFL season was besieged with an onslaught of injuries to high-profile players, which frustrated fans and fantasy owners on one hand but on the other, provides an opportunity for their projected replacements to step up. 

Some of those replacements are familiar with this situation, such as in the case of Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins and Kansas City running back Knile Davis, both of whom have come in to replace injured Robert Griffin III and Jamaal Charles, respectively, before. 

In the case of Miami's Lamar Miller, who was the starter last season before being replaced with free-agent signing Knowshon Moreno, stepping in for the latter is a return to form and an opportunity to earn back snaps. 

We'll break down the six biggest injuries from Sunday's games and take a look at how those players' projected replacements fit into the lineup moving forward, whether for a game or multiple weeks. 

Kirk Cousins

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While rolling out of the pocket early in the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III's left leg buckled and he collapsed on the sideline. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Washington's team doctor, Mark Adickes, confirmed that the injury was a dislocated ankle and is believed to be season-ending. 

Pro Football Talk shared that the team hopes the injury will only sideline Griffin for four-to-five weeks, but in any case, Kirk Cousins will be leading Washington's offense for the forseeable future. 

That may not be a bad thing.

On his first pass attempt after coming in for Griffin, Cousins connected with Darrel Young for a 20-yard touchdown. He finished the game 22-of-33 passing for 250 yards and two scores, including a 12 for 12 start. 

Cousins' play Sunday was enough to get fans excited that the team can still win games without Griffin, but Washington doesn't have a quarterback controversy on its hands. Cousins had three interceptions to four touchdowns in the three games he played in 2012, and in his five games in 2013, he had 854 passing yards and four touchdowns but had seven interceptions.

Still, it's the third time in his short career that Cousins will be taking over for Griffin for multiple games, and that's troubling for Washington. 

In comments he made Sunday after the injury, Griffin was supportive of Cousins and his ability to win while he's out. "I believe Kirk is going to go out there and play extremely well," Griffin said, per Andrew Walker of Redskins.com. "This team is going to win games because we have a very good team that’s on the field. One guy doesn’t define this team—that includes me.”

Cousins will get the start next week against Philadelphia, with Colt McCoy backing him up, per Walker. 

Lamar Miller

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A dislocated elbow suffered on Sunday will keep Miami Dolphins running back Knowshon Moreno out reportedly for four weeks, per Pro Football Talk.

Second-stringer Lamar Miller suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter but was expected to return before the end of the game, per Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post, and Miller should get the start in Moreno's absence so long as he's healthy. 

Miller received first-team reps while Moreno missed the first two-and-a-half weeks of training camp while on the PUP list. That experience with the No. 1 offense didn't seem to translate to the field against the Buffalo Bills, however. 

Miller averaged 4.2 yards on 11 carries for a total of 46 yards, but he didn't look like a starting-caliber back. Ryan Tannehill attempted to throw to him five times, but Miller only brought in two balls and had a costly third-down drop.  

Donald Brown

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San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews was carted off the field in the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks after a fumbled exchange with Philip Rivers. Per Michael Gehlken of the Union-Tribune San Diego, the initial prognosis is a sprained MCL.

That's better news than a torn ACL, but though the team does not currently have a timetable for his recovery, he will certainly miss time, per Gehlken.

In his absence, Donald Brown, whom the Chargers signed in free agency, will take over as the primary rusher. Danny Woodhead should continue to get use on passing downs. 

After averaging minus-1 yards on two attempts in Week 1, Brown had seven carries Sunday, totaling 21 yards. He was never a big-yardage back during his career in Indianapolis, with a career-high 645 yards in one season, but he had a nose for the end zone. 

Brown scored six rushing touchdowns and another two on receptions out of the backfield in 2013, by far the most in his career. The Chargers can use him in the red zone, but the question remains whether Brown can be enough of a threat on the ground to keep opposing defenses honest and allow Rivers to pass the ball effectively. 

Andre Roberts

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Washington's injury woes increased Sunday when the team announced that in addition to Robert Griffin III suffering a dislocated ankle, wide receiver DeSean Jackson sprained an AC joint in his shoulder and is day-to-day. 

Jackson, who signed a three-year, $24 million deal with Washington this offseason, went down hard on a hit as he went up to catch a deep pass from Kirk Cousins. 

For as long as Jackson is out, backup Cousins can look for Andre Roberts. He had four receptions for 57 yards Sunday, after only totaling that many yards just three times last season in Arizona as the third-string receiver behind Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd.

In Week 1 against the Houston Texans, Roberts only got two looks and had one catch for 22 yards.

Roberts and Cousins seemed to have chemistry Sunday after the two backups came in behind Griffin and Jackson. Even if Jackson misses little time, if Roberts proves to be an effective target for Cousins, he could keep going to him even as the No. 3 option.  

Knile Davis

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The Kansas City Chiefs' already struggling offense avoided disaster Sunday when star running back Jamaal Charles' ankle injury proved to be a mild sprain, as reported by CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora.

The team is hopeful that Charles won't miss a significant amount of time, per La Canfora, but as long as he's out his workload will be taken up by second-year player Knile Davis. 

Davis saw his workload increase significantly after Charles went out with the injury. In Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans, Davis had just one carry for three yards. Sunday he ran the ball 22 times, totaling 79 yards and two touchdowns in the process. 

His performance was reminiscent of the Wild Card Game against the Indianapolis Colts in which Charles sustained a concussion and Davis came in for him to gain 67 yards on the ground and, again, two touchdowns (one on a reception). 

Charles has had a slow start to the season leading up to his ankle injury with just seven carries for 19 yards and no scores in Week 1. 

Even if Charles misses minimal time, early indications are that Davis will be getting more involved in the ground game for the Chiefs moving forward. 

Brandon Tate

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The good news for Cincinnati Bengals fans and A.J. Green fantasy owners is that he had a negative MRI Sunday after re-injuring his toe and is expected to return after the team's Week 4 bye in time to face the New England Patriots, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. 

As for who Andy Dalton will look to to replace his favorite target, Brandon Tate is the next man up for Cincinnati, slotting in next to Mohamed Sanu. 

Tate can replace some of the big-play threat that Green provides when he's on the field, as Tate demonstrated on Sunday when he connected on a pass from Sanu on a trick play for a 50-yard gain. It was Tate's only catch of the night, but his targets will increase with Green on the sidelines, even if it's just for one week.

His last receiving touchdown was in 2012.