Six weeks into the NFL season a few things are clear. The Houston Texans are the best team in the AFC, the Atlanta Falcons are a force to be reckoned with, the San Francisco 49ers are the most physical team in the league and the New York Giants can score against anybody.
Making the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl can be a crap shoot for teams, with the fates of championships resting on whether players can stay healthy or not.
As the NFL enters Week 6 on Thursday night, there are some major injuries around the league that could affect playoff races and whether a team will be home come January.
New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, who has missed the past three games with foot and knee injuries, is looking better for this week's game against the San Francisco 49ers. Nicks had swelling in his knee and also had pain in his surgically repaired foot.
Nicks has foot surgery in the offseason and injured his knee in the Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In that game he had 10 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown.
Victor Cruz has stepped up big in his absence, catching 37 balls for 438 yards and five touchdowns. In last week's game against the Cleveland Browns, rookie Rueben Randle got to see extra playing time and made the most of it, catching six balls for 82 yards.
According to running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who spoke on ESPN Radio, Nicks will play this week.
"He's tough," Bradshaw said on ESPN New York 98.7. "I think he will be here this week. He seemed to give me a hint that he would be. Hakeem will be back 100 percent when he does (come back). He's just being careful and taking his time. He wants co come back and be that playmaker he's always been. He doesn't want it to come back on him and he misses game in and game out. I think he is being [safe] about it."
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel will miss Sunday's game against the Tampa Buccaneers after suffering a concussion against the Baltimore Ravens.
Head coach Romeo Crennel announced the move Thursday, saying that Brady Quinn will start for the first time since the 2009 season with the Browns. Ricky Stanzi, who the Chiefs drafted last season, will serve as the backup.
In Sunday's game against the Ravens, the Chiefs fans were heavily criticized by offensive lineman Eric Winston for cheering Cassel's injury.
"It's 100 percent sickening," Chiefs tackle Eric Winston said to the Associated Press. "I've never, ever -- and I've been in some rough times on some rough teams -- I've never been more embarrassed in my life to play football than at that moment right there. I get emotional about it because these guys, they work their butts off. Matt Cassel hasn't done anything to you people."
This season fans have been frustrated by the quarterback, who has thrown for only 1,150 yards and is completing just 58 percent of his passes. He has thrown five touchdowns with nine interceptions and also has four fumbles. He has been seen as a disappointment since signing a 6-year, $62.7 million contract in July of 2009.
"Hey, if he's not the best quarterback, he's not the best quarterback, and that's OK, but he's a person," Winston continued. "And he got knocked out in a game and we've got 70,000 people cheering that he got knocked out. We are not gladiators and this is not the Roman Coliseum. This is a game. This is a game that's going to cost us a lot down the road. That's OK. We picked it. We deserve it. I don't want your pity. But we've got a lot of problems as a society if people think that's OK."
Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss his second straight game after suffering a shoulder injury against the Houston Texans on Sept. 20. He only attempted two passes in that game before coming out.
The Titans have a short week, playing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night football. Backup Matt Hasselbeck is expected to start in his place.
For that same game, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu will also miss the game after re-injuring his calf against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Buffalo Bills will be shorthanded on defense on Sunday when they take on the Arizona Cardinals.
Defensive end Mark Anderson, who the team signed to a four-year, $27 million contract in the offseason to help strengthen the defense, will miss an indefinite amount of time after undergoing knee surgery.
"It looks like he needs surgery and he is going to be out. I don't know how long,'' Bills coach Chan Gailey said to the Associated Press. "He will be back. It is not like he is going to miss the rest of the season. They just said indefinite and they will no more when they go in.''
He hurt his knee in the team's 45-3 blowout loss against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
"(Anderson) has been a very good addition to our football team. You hate to lose people that have his kind of energy and have been playing the way that he has been playing,'' Gailey said. "It hurts your depth, it hurts your pass rush, and it hurts every little thing there. Next guy in line has to step up. We got three defensive ends right now and those guys are going to have to make it happen.''
The Bills signed Anderson and free agent Mario Williams in the offseason to help improve a defense that was one of the worst in the NFL last year.
So far this season the team has not seen a return on that investment, allowing the 30th most rushing yards and the 24th most passing yards in the league. The team also has only 10 sacks through five games.
"It is going to be a huge challenge,'' Williams said. "Mark is a great player. Having him, his intensity, and his demeanor out on the field is definitely going to be a (challenge) for us. We have to be able to pick it up. Not just us needing to do it for ourselves, but to fill in his place and the injuries we have been faced with.''
Linebacker Brian Cushing suffered a serious injury that could be a huge blow for the Houston Texans after starting the season 5-0.
The linebacker suffered the injury in Houston's 23-17 victory over the Jets on Monday night after colliding with an offensive lineman. New York guard Matt Slauson went low on a block towards Cushing, sending him to the ground in pain.
The team confirmed the news that Cushing tore a left knee ligament and will have surgery in a few weeks to repair the damage.
"A big blow for our team," Kubiak said to the Associated Press. "We have to have guys pick it up around him and we've got to find a way to move forward. We're all just disappointed for him. It's a tough day for him."
Cushing was the leading tackler for the team and is the "quarterback" on defense, calling out formations and assignments.
Although he was able to walk off the field, the injury will keep him out of action for the rest of this season.
"I do know that there are crises in this league, and every team has them," Kubiak said. "We've had our share here the last couple of years, and boy, if this is the first one (this year), it's a big one."
Houston is 5-0 and one of the big reasons for their early success is due to the defense and to the play of Cushing. He is one of the top linebackers in the league and previously won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2009.
In 2011 Cushing played in all 16 games, collecting 114 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions.
"Those guys really look to him," Kubiak said. "He's an emotional leader, the way he plays, the way he works, the way he practices. Cush loves it all. That's the thing about him. Guys feed off of that."
These are just some of the injures from around the NFl. For a full injury report from around the league, check out the official report from NFL.com.
