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UNDERSTANDING THE NFL'S INJURY REPORT

The injury report released by the NFL is actually two reports. The first is the Practice Participation report, which lists which injured players were able to practice and how much. It also includes players who rested or missed practice for non-injury related reasons. The second is the Game Status Report, which gives the probability a player will play, i.e. Questionable, Doubtful, Out. The Practice Participation Report is released every day of the week (Monday through Saturday). The Game Status Report is released with the Friday participation report (Wednesday for Thursday games, Saturday for Monday games).

In this feature, I'll include the Game Status Listing, my expectation of their likelihood to play, and the player's practice participation throughout the week.

Key:

PLAYER | INJURY | GAME STATUS LISTING | FOOTBALLGUYS EXPECTATION

Practice Participation Listing by Day

* = playing on Monday night

I'll also include a table at the bottom of the article for easy reference.

Here's the latest on every relevant injured player on the practice participation and game status report this week:

QUARTERBACK

Cam Newton | Shoulder | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

After an uneven four interception performance last week against Tampa Bay, concerns about the health of Newton's throwing shoulder increased. When asked, Newton told reporters "it's about managing pain and understanding you have a job to do" and hinted he may be considering another surgery this offseason. He also said he expected to finish the season.

Newton is clearly not at full strength, however. His downfield accuracy has suffered in recent weeks and the Panthers sent in a backup quarterback to throw a Hail Mary from midfield on the final play last week. The Panthers will continue to manage Newton's practice reps -- he didn't throw until Friday this week -- and there are no plans to shut him down. Statistically, it's also reassuring to see him running the ball 14 times over the past two weeks. Newton's ceiling expectation remains in play every week.

Mitchell Trubisky | Shoulder | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Full | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full

Trubisky fully practiced this week and will start. Matt Nagy told reporters Trubisky's shoulder held up through all three days of throwing repetitions. Nagy felt "he put together three really good days at practice." Throwing shoulder injuries are always concerning for quarterbacks. Fatigue can lead to inaccuracy. However, Trubisky looks to be ready to return to his pre-injury role in the offense.

Matthew Stafford | Back | Questionable | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

Stafford is listed questionable with a back injury after a week of limited practices. Stafford has routinely played through injury and there are no indications he'll miss this game. The Lions have not commented on Stafford's injury but beat writer Dave Birkett termed the injury an "aggravation" and "not nothing" in his stories and tweets this week. The Lions offense continues to struggle in recent weeks with Kerryon Johnson out and Kenny Golladay fighting a soft tissue injury. The matchup against the Cardinals looks favorable but the floor on Stafford is low again this week.

Joe Flacco | Hip | Questionable | Backup if Active > inactive

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

Observers at Ravens' practices felt Flacco was moving better than he has in weeks and John Harbaugh said Flacco could dress as a backup this week after finally getting clearance for a full practice on Friday. Baltimore remains in the playoff hunt and Lamar Jackson's playing style puts him in harm's way frequently. Expect Flacco to dress as a very capable backup but don't expect a quarterback rotation.

Sunday Update: Flacco is inactive.

Others of note: Deshaun Watson (shoulder), Aaron Rodgers (knee), Tom Brady (knee), Sam Darnold (foot), and Ryan Tannehill (shoulder) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report and will play without limitation. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

RUNNING BACK

Joe Mixon | Foot | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

After a second consecutive limited practice on Thursday, there was reason for concern about Mixon's availability this week. Although there was not an obvious injury event last week, Mixon saw his target share drop against Denver. Mixon had 14 touches against the Broncos. That's not a concerning number; Mixon has seen similarly mediocre workloads multiple times this season. However, in contrast to previous weeks where the Bengals did not use a serious change of pace back, Giovani Bernard nearly equaled Mixon's workload with 11 touches.

Marvin Lewis expressed no concern on Mixon on Friday but he's been surprisingly upbeat about injured players this year -- some of whom have later been more limited than he's suggested. Between the lack of clarity on the injury, Bernard's increased usage last week, the ongoing injury issues on the offensive line, and the loss of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, there are multiple reasons to fear Mixon's workload this week.

*rashaad penny | ankle | Questionable | awaiting information

Practice Participation: Thurs - Not Listed | Fri - Not Listed | Sat - Not Listed

Penny's status is unclear. He was not listed on the practice participation report any day this week but is on the game status report as questionable. There are no beat writer reports of note but watch for new information on Penny through the weekend.

Isaiah Crowell | Toe | Questionable | Game-time Decision > likely to play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited

Crowell did not practice until Friday and his toe injury was referred to as "a concern" by the coaching staff earlier in the week. Crowell has played when listed questionable this season and there was more optimism from writers around the team after Friday's limited practice. But Crowell is not fully healthy and shouldn't be considered a sure thing until he clears pre-game warmups.

Sunday Update: Ian Rapoport tweeted Crowell is expected to play.

D'Onta Foreman | Achilles | Not Listed | Game-time Decision

Practice Participation: Wed - Full | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full

Foreman returned to the active roster this week and fully practiced. Bill O'Brien praised Foreman's conditioning this week and the Texans did not include him on the game status report. But while Foreman looks healthy enough to play, O'Brien said the team activated Foreman "in the hope he eventually can help us win a game." There's no guarantee Foreman makes the active game day roster this week. He'll have a very limited role if he does.

Others of note: Adrian Peterson (shoulder/knee), Chris Carson (finger), Kenyan Drake (shoulder), Josh Adams (shoulder), Doug Martin (knee), and Austin Ekeler (neck) have fully practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play. Melvin Gordon (knee), James Conner (ankle), Matt Breida (ankle), and Kerryon Johnson (knee) have been declared out. I'll update return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players in Monday's column.

WIDE RECEIVER

Michael Thomas | Ankle | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full

Thomas' missed Wednesday practice caused a short stir of concern mid week. Two consecutive full practices are reassuring. And there were strongly positive tweets from both Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport after the full Friday workout. Schefter called Thomas "good to go." Expect him to see his usual workload.

Julio Jones | Foot | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited

Add Jones to the list of veteran offensive players who caused raised eyebrows with missed practices this week. Jones' Thursday DNP looked worrisome -- especially given his long history of foot issues -- but his mid-week press interview was bluntly positive. Jones told reporters he felt fine and would play. The limited Friday practice was enough for the Falcons to take Jones off the game status report. When that occurs, Jones usually feels good enough to successfully run his usual number of routes.

Odell Beckham | Quadricep | Not Listed > declared out | inactive

Practice Participation: Wed - Not Listed | Thurs - Not Listed | Fri - Limited

Beckham suffered a quad contusion during practice on Friday. The Giants did not appear to be concerned initially and did not give him an injury designation on their end of the week status report. Unfortunately, Beckham must have worsened significantly overnight. The Giants did not clear him to travel to Washington and ruled him out today. More on Beckham in Monday's article but next week could now also be in question.

T.Y. Hilton | Shoulder | Questionable | game-time decision > likely to play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Limited

Hilton's right shoulder was driven into the turf late in the fourth quarter last week. The injury was consistent with an AC sprain on television replays and Hilton was unable to practice much this week. Frank Reich told reporters he was "feeling somewhat optimistic" about Hilton after Friday's practice -- a less than rousing endorsement of Hilton's health. Hilton's immediate on-field reaction cannot be trusted but wasn't reassuring and Reich's comments weren't reassuring either. However, Hilton has played through injury in the past and would certainly like to play against the Texans -- a key divisional rival he's been very successful against in the past.

The Colts promoted Daurice Fountain from their practice squad on Saturday. He's likely being added as a replacement for Dontrelle Inman in multiple wide receiver sets and on special teams and his addition shouldn't necessarily be seen as pessimism for Hilton.

Expect Hilton's status to be determined during pregame warmups. Receivers can play through AC sprains with specialized padding and anti-inflammatory injections. If Hilton has acceptable range of motion and strength in the shoulder during warmups, he'll likely be active. Hilton's lack of practice suggests any kind of hit to the shoulder could knock him out of a few plays or more, however.

Sunday Update: Ian Rapoport tweeted, "Hilton is officially a game-time decision. But based on his history and the importance of the game, it would be a major surprise if he didn't play." That suggests he'll be active and could play effectively today. It also confirms he closer to play-to-play and series-to-series than full strength.

Sunday Update: Adam Schefter tweets Hilton will play today and is "good to go." It's one thing to believe Hilton will play because of circumstance (divisional rival, key game, past performance). It's much more reassuring to hear reports that his health is better than his practice participation suggested.

*Stefon Diggs | Knee | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited | Sat - Limited

Diggs struggled to practice through a knee injury last week and had more swelling than expected 24 hours before game time but was able to play. His snap percentage dipped to 77% -- it's lowest in any game he started this year -- but he looked healthy running routes between the numbers against New England. Despite a week of limited practices, the Vikings did not list Diggs questionable. That confirms he'll be active this week and is a strong sign he may be able to see his usual workload.

Kenny Golladay | Quadricep | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Full

Golladay is not listed on the injury report and will play. It's possible the injury may limit him this week but his matchup against Patrick Peterson and Matthew Stafford's back condition are more concerning factors. If the Lions' offense can move the ball on the road in Arizona, Golladay's target count may be high enough to overcome any injury concerns.

*Doug Baldwin | Hip | Questionable | game-time decision

Practice Participation: Thurs - DNP | Fri - DNP | Sat - DNP

Baldwin did not practice two weeks ago with a groin injury but impressed in pregame warmups, was cleared to play, and looked better than expected while seeing his usual number of snaps. He again missed practice all week this week with a hip injury Pete Carroll says is a little different than his previous groin injury, but related.

(More on this in Monday's article but those comments sound suspicious for a core muscle strain -- a.k.a. sports hernia)

Carroll told reporters Baldwin would be a game-time decision on Monday night. Baldwin looked much better than I expected two weeks ago -- I thought he was much more doubtful than questionable before his effective Week 11 play -- but it's hard not to be pessimistic about Baldwin again this week. I'll update overnight with any news from Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport.

Sunday Update: Adam Schefter's source told him Baldwin "barely made it through the week" and remains a game-time decision for Monday night. He's unlikely to play.

Keke Coutee | Hamstring | Questionable | game-time decision > likely inactive

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

On Monday, Coutee told reporters he was frustrated with his multiple hamstring strains and aggravations. That's not surprising. He's been fighting one hamstring injury or another since August. By week's end, however, Coutee seemed much more optimistic and Bill O'Brien said Coutee was "trending upward." O'Brien's comments strongly suggest Coutee will be active on Sunday but don't provide any actionable information on his snap count or target share. I'll have more on Coutee if any news is reported through Sunday morning.

Sunday Update: Ian Rapoport tweets Coutee plans to wait one more week before playing. He's trending toward doubtful. According to Rapoport, "only a great pregame workout would change that."

Robby Anderson | Ankle | Questionable | Likely to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Full | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

Anderson routinely played through minor injury last season but this year's ankle injury has been a different story. Anderson could not play in Week 8 or Week 10 but returned to his baseline 70-75% snap percentage after the Week 11 bye. It's not clear whether the downgrade to limited practices on Thursday and Friday is a maintenance issue or evidence of another aggravation. I'll update with any available news prior to Sunday morning inactives.

Danny Amendola | Knee | Questionable | Likely to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Limited | Fri - Limited

Amendola is not fully recovered from a Week 12 knee sprain. But his Dolphins face his former Patriots this week and every beat writer seems to be in agreement that Amendola successfully pushed to play during a week of limited practice. Expect him to be active but at risk of limited snaps.

Others of note: DeAndre Hopkins (foot), Courtland Sutton (ankle), Calvin Ridley (ankle/elbow), Sterling Shepard (hip), DeVante Parker (shoulder), Torrey Smith (knee), Randall Cobb (hamstring), Equanimeous St. Brown (elbow), Jamison Crowder (ankle), Jordy Nelson (foot), and Quincy Enunwa (ankle) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Sammy Watkins (foot), DeSean Jackson (thumb), and Pierre Garcon (knee) have been declared out. I'll update return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players in Monday's column.

TIGHT END

Eric Ebron | Back / Illness | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - DNP | Thurs - DNP | Fri - Full

Ebron has been on the injury report with a back issue often in the past few weeks and played effectively. This week's missed practices were due to illness. He returned to a full Friday workout and is not listed on the team's game status report. Ebron will be available for his usual workload. It's also reassuring to see teammate Erik Swoope off the injury report. That allows the Colts to continue their two tight end sets -- and that may be needed with T.Y. Hilton battling a shoulder injury.

Rob Gronkowski | Ankle / Back | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Not Listed | Fri - Not Listed

Gronkowski has returned to play nearly every down for two consecutive weeks after lumbering through most of October and November. However, after showing improvement and closer-to-normal usage in Week 12, Gronkowski got up slowly after tackles and saw his usage slip backward toward his midseason lows. Gronkowski saw only four short targets and was not targeted on any of the team's 13 red zone plays. It's reassuring to see him off the injury report entirely on Thursday and Friday and there's still reason to hope for a rebound in his target and red zone share against a very suspect group of Miami linebackers and safeties in the warmer Florida environment.

Evan Engram | Hamstring | Not Listed | Expected to Play

Practice Participation: Wed - Limited | Thurs - Full | Fri - Full

Engram is off the injury report and fully practiced without a setback this week. With Odell Beckham out with a quad injury, Engram should be in line for a strong target share if he can avoid an aggravation of his hamstring strain.

Others of note: David Njoku (knee) and Jimmy Graham (thumb/knee) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Geoff Swaim (wrist) and Mo Alie-Cox (calf) are doubtful or have been declared out. I'll update return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players in Monday's column.

PRACTICE PARTICIPATION, GAME STATUS REPORT, AND PLAYING EXPECTATIONS

*Note: Monday night players with asterisk practice Thursday/Friday/Saturday.