Early NFL Injuries to Monitor for Divisional Round Playoffs & How Betting Lines Could Be Impacted
By Chris Amberley in NFL Football
Published:
- The Divisional Round injury report may be light on stars, but still features plenty of quality starters
- Jalen Hurts (shoulder) is off the injury report and should be at full strength versus the Giants
- Check out our breakdown of the NFL injuries ahead of the Divisional Round and how they might impact the betting lines
Unlike the opening weekend of the postseason, there are no serious injuries to starting quarterbacks ahead of the Divisional Round. A few are dealing with nagging issues, but none of the eight starters are in jeopardy of missing their game.
Nevertheless, all eight teams are still dealing with injuries in some form. As of Wednesday night, no stars are in danger of sitting out this weekend, but there are plenty of key contributors whose statuses are in doubt.
NFL Injuries Ahead of Divisional Round Playoffs
| Player | Injury | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence (JAX) | Toe | Questionable |
| Brandon Scherff (JAX) | Abdomen | Questionable |
| Mecole Hardman (KC) | Pelvis | Questionable |
| Frank Clark (KC) | Groin | Questionable |
| Clyde Edwards-Helaire (KC) | Ankle | Questionable |
| Isaiah Hodgins (NYG) | Ankle | Questionable |
| Azeez Ojulari (NYG) | Quad | Questionable |
| Landon Collins (NYG) | Ankle | Questionable |
| Brandon Graham (PHI) | Illness | Questionable |
| Robert Quinn (PHI) | Â Back | Questionable |
| Lane Johnson (PHI) | Â Groin | Questionable |
| Avonte Maddox (PHI) | Â Toe | Questionable |
| Alex Cappa (CIN) | Ankle | Questionable |
| Â Jonah Williams (CIN) | Â Knee | Questionable |
| Â Tre Flowers (CIN) | Â Hamstring | Questionable |
| Â Jordan Poyer (BUF) | Â Knee | Questionable |
| Â DaQuan Jones (BUF) | Calf | Questionable |
| Â Jordan Phillips (BUF) | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Â Dane Jackson (BUF) | Knee | Questionable |
| Â Jason Peters (DAL) | Hip | Questionable |
| Jayron Kearse (DAL) | Knee | Questionable |
| DeMarcus Lawrence (DAL) | Foot | Questionable |
| Javon Kinlaw (SF) | Knee | Questionable |
| Jauan Jennings (SF) | Ankle | Questionable |
| Samson Ebukam (SF) | Ankle | Questionable |
Trevor Lawrence may be on the Jaguars’ injury report, but it’s solely because the team is forced to list the nagging toe injury he’s been dealing with for quite some time. It certainly wasn’t an issue during last Saturday’s miraculous comeback victory, and it won’t be a limiting factor this weekend against the Chiefs unless he aggravates it.
Jaguars vs Chiefs Injury Report
The rest of the Jags are in fairly good health with the exception of star guard Brandon Scherff. The former first-round pick missed Tuesday’s practice with an abdomen injury and got in only limited work on Wednesday.
As for the Chiefs, the only concern is the pelvis injury to MeCole Hardman. The speedster hasn’t played since Week 9, after starting the year on pace to set a new career high in touchdowns.
KC did get some good news as it activated running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire from IR, leaving the door open for him to play on Saturday.
Giants vs Eagles Injury Report
Fresh off an upset of the Vikings, the Giants are dealing with only small injuries ahead of their matchup with the Eagles. The most notable is to promising young linebacker Azeez Ojulari, who had to leave New York’s Wild Card victory due to a quad injury. Ojulari got limited work at practice on Wednesday however and told the media he plans to play in the Divisional Round.
A week of rest looks to have done Philly plenty of good, as star QB Jalen Hurts is off the injury report. Hurts sat out a pair of Eagles games in Weeks 16 and 17 with a shoulder injury and was far from healthy in their season finale against the Giants.
From @GMFB: #Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has escaped the injury report for the first time in nearly a month, while we check in on the latest with Sean Payton. pic.twitter.com/GsJy2rTV2P
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 18, 2023
The third-year pivot is arguably the most important player on either team, and his clean bill of health has contributed to the spread already moving in the Eagles’ direction early in the week.
Bengals vs Bills Injury Report
Cincinnati’s offense struggled to sustain drives last weekend in large part due to its offensive line issues. Two of their starting linemen, Jonah Williams (knee) and Alex Cappa (ankle), are legit question marks for Sunday’s matchup with the Bills after a third starter (La’el Collins) was placed on IR last month.
A look at the #Bengals offensive line that is likely to be down 3 starters in Buffalo this weekend pic.twitter.com/PLS3XvoCwC
— Kelsey Conway (@KelseyLConway) January 18, 2023
That spells trouble against a Bills defense that ranked sixth in pass rush productivity and 14th in sacks. The Bengals’ offensive line concerns have helped contribute to Buffalo moving from 4.5 to 5-point favorites since the opening Divisional lines, and could drastically reduce Joe Burrow’s effectiveness.
On the other side of the coin, three key Bills defenders are questionable. Defensive backs Jordan Poyer (knee) and Dane Jackson (knee) have gotten in just limited work at practice this week, as has defensive end DaQuan Jones (calf). Buffalo is hopeful all three can go, as the team’s IR already features standout defenders Von Miller and Micah Hyde.
Cowboys vs 49ers Injury Report
Dallas has a short turnaround ahead of their Sunday showdown with San Francisco. Starting left tackle Jason Peters suffered a hip injury in the Wild Card Round and was forced to leave the game. He’s in jeopardy of missing the Divisional Round which would be a huge blow against the Niners number one ranked defense.
On the other side of the ball, Cowboys defenders Jayron Kearse (knee) and DeMarcus Lawrence (foot) are both questionable but insist they’ll play.
San Fran meanwhile, has a trio of starters on the injury report, including starting d-linemen Samson Ebukam (ankle) and Javon Kinlaw (knee). Both have been at practice all week and are expected to play.
The Niners will have eight days off in between games compared to only six for Dallas, giving the already favored 49ers a major competitive edge.
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Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
