Bears Jay Cutler Out at Least 4-6 Weeks

Cutler will be out 4-6 weeks as recovers from a torn groin

The Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has been diagnosed with a torn groin and is out at least 4-6 weeks. Cutler’s MRI confirmed the worst and the Bears and fantasy owners need to prepare for life without the 30-year-old quarterback.

Cutler was assisted off the field and in obvious pain during the second quarter. The Bears will now have to rely on backups Josh McCown, who came in for Cutler and played effectively against the Redskins, and 3rd stringer Jordan Palmer.

This is monster setback for the Bears who were enjoying another strong year under Cutler. Chicago is now 4-3 and it would be hard to imagine that they can make a run to the playoffs this season without their gunslinging quarterback.

Season Crashes Down on Ironman Reggie Wayne

Fantasy owners have always been able to lean on Reggie Wayne

Colts veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne tore his ACL last night and is done for the season. This is a devastating blow to fantasy owners and to the Colts organization.

There’s no question that Wayne has been quarterback Andrew Luck’s go-to-guy since he arrived in Indianapolis. Since the 2012 season, Wayne has led the team in both targets and receiving yards.

The loss of Wayne will reverberate through the organization for the rest of the season. Look for the Colts to try and make another blockbuster deal with Cleveland to try and snag breakout wide receiver, Josh Gordon.

 

Bears Jay Cutler Sidelined by Groin Injury

A long term Cutler injury could spell doom for the Bears

The Chicago Bears may have lost more than just a game on Sunday during their 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins – they may have lost their starting quarterback too. Jay Cutler was forced to leave the game early in the second quarter after being sacked by Washington’s Chris Baker. Cutler left the game with 28 yards passing and an interception.

Bears head coach Marc Trestman confirmed that Cutler suffered a strained groin muscle, but has no idea how serious the injury is. Cutler will undergo an MRI on Monday.

The Bears hope to know the true extent of Cutler’s injury after seeing the MRI results, but are optimistic that their quarterback can return after the team’s Week 8 bye. Because Cutler did not suffer a joint or ligament injury, it’s a realistic possibility that Cutler could return without missing any further action.

Jay Cutler has been a number 2 fantasy quarterback for most of the year, so many fantasy owners should have other options in their lineups. For owners who start Cutler, the MRI results should be available by Monday evening.

Bears Jay Cutler Sidelined by Groin Injury

A long term Cutler injury could spell doom for the Bears

The Chicago Bears may have lost more than just a game on Sunday during their 45-41 loss to the Washington Redskins – they may have lost their starting quarterback too. Jay Cutler was forced to leave the game early in the second quarter after being sacked by Washington’s Chris Baker. Cutler left the game with 28 yards passing and an interception.

Bears head coach Marc Trestman confirmed that Cutler suffered a strained groin muscle, but has no idea how serious the injury is. Cutler will undergo an MRI on Monday.

The Bears hope to know the true extent of Cutler’s injury after seeing the MRI results, but are optimistic that their quarterback can return after the team’s Week 8 bye. Because Cutler did not suffer a joint or ligament injury, it’s a realistic possibility that Cutler could return without missing any further action.

Jay Cutler has been a number 2 fantasy quarterback for most of the year, so many fantasy owners should have other options in their lineups. For owners who start Cutler, the MRI results should be available by Monday evening.

Stay Away from Hobbled Ray Rice for Week 3

Baltimore Raven’s running back Ray Rice is listed as doubtful this weekend as he struggles with a hip flexor issue. Last Sunday, Rice suffered a non-contact injury to his hip flexor and needed assistance getting off of the field.

Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh stated in a press conference that Rice will not practice all week and it now looks like he won’t be playing at all.

Rice did not require an MRI, which is an encouraging sign and means the injury he suffered is most likely not long term.

Even if Rice suits up, he’s not a good play against the Texans. A hip flexor strain can be a nagging injury if not treated right. The proper treatment requires a lot of rest which means no practice. Check back around noon on Sunday morning to see if Rice will be active against the Texans.

 

Stay Away from Hobbled Ray Rice for Week 3

Baltimore Raven’s running back Ray Rice is listed as doubtful this weekend as he struggles with a hip flexor issue. Last Sunday, Rice suffered a non-contact injury to his hip flexor and needed assistance getting off of the field.

Ravens head coach Jim Harbaugh stated in a press conference that Rice will not practice all week and it now looks like he won’t be playing at all.

Rice did not require an MRI, which is an encouraging sign and means the injury he suffered is most likely not long term.

Even if Rice suits up, he’s not a good play against the Texans. A hip flexor strain can be a nagging injury if not treated right. The proper treatment requires a lot of rest which means no practice. Check back around noon on Sunday morning to see if Rice will be active against the Texans.

 

Steelers Running Back Le’Veon Bell to Miss at Least Another Month

There’s no telling when Bell might be ready to play again

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is reporting that it will be at least a month until rookie running back Le’Veon Bell will actually be able to play for the Steelers.

Pittsburgh, like the Patriots organization, is known for flat out lying about the injury status of their players and this was apparent again with all the chatter that Bell might be able to return by Week 2.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin did his best to spin the story that Bell had not suffered a Lisfranc injury, but it’s pretty hard to deny that now.

At this point, Bell needs to rest the foot and hope that the injury does not require surgery. For Bell fantasy owners, the season is starting to slip further and further away.

The best case scenario is that Bell might be able to return by Week 6, but the harsh reality is that we may not see him play in a game until some time in November.

Steelers Nightmare – Rookie Running Back Le’Veon Bell Suffers Lisfranc Injury

A nightmare scenario is taking place in the Steel City as rookie running back Le’Veon Bell has been diagnosed with a Lisfranc injury and might need surgery to correct the problem.

The Steelers are reportedly very frustrated and fantasy owners are feeling sick to their stomachs this afternoon.

Surgery would obviously make a bad situation much worse in Pittsburgh for the rookie who was supposed to help the Steelers bounce back from a dismal 8-8 2012 season.

Even if Bell didn’t need surgery, he would need a minimum of 6-8 weeks to recover, which puts the Steelers well into the regular season and possibly far beyond that.

Fantasy owners who burned that draft pick are fuming and the Steelers will likely return to the running back by committee system that won’t work any better this year than it did last season.

Steelers Le’Veon Bell Scheduled for MRI on Sprained Foot

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell suffered a mid-foot sprain in Monday’s preseason game, but will still undergo an MRI at some point on Tuesday. The Steelers want to rule out any ligament damage and ESPN’s Adam Schefter explains that this type of injury sometimes turns into a Lisfranc fracture.

Bell, a second round pick in this year’s draft, had 4 carries for 9 yards before the injury. Bell has been tagged as a sleeper by many experts due to his powerful running style and his 6’1’’ 244 pound build.

Many thought that his abilities combined with the Steelers smash-mouth running style would result in a lot of goal line touches for Bell.

Despite all of this, Bell is not guaranteed the starting job coming into the season. This injury could open the door for Jonathan Dwyer or Isaac Redman to seize the starting job going into the regular season.

Draft Zone: 9th Ranked Quarterback – Colts Andrew Luck

Indianapolis Colts Andrew Luck is the 9th ranked quarterback in this year’s 2013 fantasy draft standings. With an Average Draft Position (ADP) of 62, he’s likely to be taken sometime in the fifth or sixth round of most fantasy drafts.

Luck had an unbelievable rookie season in 2012 throwing for a record-breaking 4,374 yards and 23 touchdowns. With changes to last year’s offensive scheme, it’s a major question of whether or not Luck can repeat his incredible fantasy numbers.

Last season, the young QB relied heavily on deep throws down the field. Former coach Bruce Arians’ offense attempted more passes of 20 yards or more than any other offense in the NFL. This allowed Luck to rack up sky-high yardage numbers. In turn, this also forced him to throw a miserable 18 interceptions, and record a completion percentage of just 54.1%.

As new offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton implements his offense in Indianapolis, the team will likely rely on a more efficient, short passing attack to march down the field. As a result of this, Luck’s numbers may change for both the better and the worse.

For one thing, it’s possible that there could be a considerable drop off in yards, due to many less attempts down the field. The team will still focus a great deal on passing, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Luck record around 4,000 yards again. However, his amazing 4,300 yards from last year may be just out of reach.

Luck’s fantasy value may not improve much from last season, but it also may not decrease either. All things considered, he’s definitely a startable quarterback option. If you draft him, just try and find a solid backup to take in the later rounds as a safety net, like Josh Freeman or Carson Palmer.