UNDERSTANDING THE NFL'S INJURY REPORT

The injury report released by the NFL is 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
^ = playing on Tuesday 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:

Fast Track High Impact News and Notes

Please scroll down for full details, extensive updates, and the complete table of projected availability.

Game-time Decision

• RB Chris Carson
• TE Tyler Higbee

Trending Doubtful (Likely Inactive)

• RB Carlos Hyde
• RB Mark Ingram
• WR Jamison Crowder
• *RB Devonta Freeman

Trending Probable (Expected to Play)

• RB Dalvin Cook
• RB Phillip Lindsay
• *WR Sterling Shepard
• RB Travis Homer

Activated from Injured Reserve

• TE Dallas Goedert
• WR Jalen Reagor
• WR Michael Pittman

Ruled Out

• WR Michael Thomas
• RB Aaron Jones
• RB Joe Mixon
• WR Chris Godwin
• RB Miles Sanders
• WR Deebo Samuel
• QB Andy Dalton
• RB Jeff Wilson
• WR Emmanuel Sanders
• WR Sammy Watkins
• WR Breshad Perriman
• WR Julian Edelman
• WR NKeal Harry
• WR Alshon Jeffery
• TE Austin Hooper

QUARTERBACK

Andy Dalton | Concussion | Doubtful | Inactive

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

Dalton is listed doubtful but will not play. He did not recover enough to participate in passing drills and has not progressed enough in the return-to-play protocol to have any chance to be cleared to play this week.

Saturday Update: Dalton was downgraded and declared out.

Others of note: Josh Allen (shoulder) and Sam Darnold (shoulder) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

RUNNING BACK

Dalvin Cook | Groin | Questionable | Expected to Play

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

The Vikings list Cook questionable but there are no indications he will miss this week's game.

Mike Zimmer -- usually loathe to discuss injury issues -- told reporters early in the week he "assumed" Cook would play and later said Cook "should be ready to go." Coming out of the bye week and now nearly three weeks since what's been reported to a low-grade groin strain, Cook fully practiced on Friday after two days of reassuring individual drills.

Offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak said Cook could see his pre-injury workload whether he practiced fully or not. Zimmer also implied there would be no restrictions on Cook's workload. Though Cook may not be entirely out of the window of risk for aggravation, he can be expected to see 15+ touches this week.

Chris Carson | Foot | Questionable | Game-time Decision

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

Carlos Hyde | Hamstring | Doubtful | Likely Inactive

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

Travis Homer | Knee | Questionable | Likely to Play

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

No one in the Seattle running back room is fully healthy. There are no reinforcements coming. Seattle has no running backs on their practice squad and COVID rules will prevent the Seahawks from having a new signing join the team in time to play.

DeeJay Dallas fully practiced with a forearm injury and will play. Officially, Pete Carroll told reporters Carson (questionable), Hyde (doubtful), and Homer (questionable) will all workout pregame before a decision on availability is made.

Local reporters believe Homer's Friday practice means he's likely to play through a knee contusion. I'm not sure that's clear yet. It may be that the Seahawks needed to see how Homer responded to individual drills and aren't as comfortable allowing a less-experienced player play without more certainty about his injury recovery. Based on my read of the relative severity of the injuries among Homer, Carson, and Hyde, I think Homer is most likely to be active.

Hyde didn't practice all week and is listed doubtful. Carroll said Hyde would be evaluated pregame and felt the injury was "minor" earlier in the week but the doubtful listing with a soft-tissue injury doesn't sound favorable for his availability or workload. Expect him to be inactive.

Carson is the toughest read of the group.

Carson has been angling to play all week and is the least likely to need practice to be included in the game plan. Unfortunately, Carson's injury -- a midfoot sprain -- is arguably the most difficult to play through. It's possible Carson has a low-grade injury and the team expects him to be nearly recovered and able to contribute this week.

Overnight reports from Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport will be informative on Carson. I'll update throughout the weekend.

Sunday Update: Unfortunately, overnight reports were not particularly informative. Adam Schefter tweeted Carson will "test how he feels in pre-game warmups" and it is a "true 50-50 chance" for him to play. There were no notes on Homer (likely to play) and Hyde (likely inactive).

Without clear evidence Carson is able to play, it's difficult to project a significant and productive role today. It's possible the Seahawks will put Carson on the active roster but plan to use him only if needed should Homer or Dallas be injured. Unless you have no other options, I recommend avoiding Carson today.

Phillip Lindsay | Concussion | Questionable | Likely to Play

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

Lindsay increased his practice participation throughout the week, including working out during team positional drills on Saturday morning. If Lindsay has no symptoms after Saturday's session, expect the team to have him evaluated by an independent neurologist with the intent to clear him to play. It's looking likely he'll return this week.

Sunday Update: Lindsay has reportedly been cleared to play.

Tevin Coleman | Knee | Activated from Injured Reserve

The Niners activated Coleman after a reassuring week of practice. It's unclear how San Francisco plans to divide its backfield snaps and touches. Expect Coleman's usage to depend on how the first few series develop between him, JaMycal Hasty, and Jerick McKinnon.

Mark Ingram | Ankle | Doubtful | Likely Inactive

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

The Ravens were hopeful Ingram would recover from his high ankle sprain in time to play this week. Ingram did not practice. Though listed doubtful, he's unlikely to play.

Damien Harris | Ankle | Questionable | Expected to Play

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

It is sometimes difficult to project whether a Patriots' player listed questionable with a new injury is likely to play or not. Harris was cleared to talk to reporters -- something the Patriots don't do with game-time decisions -- and told reporters his ankle "feels fine" and all local writers expect him to play.

*Devonta Freeman | Ankle | Declared Out | Inactive

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

Freeman did not practice this week. The New York game status report has not been released yet. Joe Judge told reporters Freeman "has a chance" to be ready on Monday night but it's unlikely he'll play without practicing so soon after joining the team.

Saturday Update: Freeman was declared out.

Others of note: Josh Jacobs (knee), Kareem Hunt (ribs), Justin Jackson (knee), Adrian Peterson (abdomen), and Darrel Williams (shoulder) have practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play. Aaron Jones (calf), Joe Mixon (foot), Miles Sanders (knee), and Jeff Wilson (ankle) have been ruled out and will not play. Ryquell Armstead remains on the COVID list and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

WIDE RECEIVER

Allen Robinson | Concussion | Doubtful > Not Listed | Expected to Play

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

The Bears initially listed Robinson questionable but were then required to amend his designation to doubtful because he did not participate in practice during the week. On Saturday, the Bears announced Robinson was cleared to play and was removed from the game status report.

It's rare for an injured player to move from doubtful to cleared to play. It's particularly striking when it occurs with a concussion but I believe this was more procedural than unexpected.

In this case, the Bears likely had Robinson doing workouts on the side by the end of the week and planned to have Robinson participate in football-specific activity on Saturday -- when a formal practice report isn't released. They weren't planning on misleading anyone on the practice report and only changed the Friday designation as a formality due to NFL rules on concussion protocol.

Robinson's Friday and Saturday exercise went as planned. Since they play at home and did not need to travel, they were able to schedule an independent exam on Saturday, which Robinson cleared.

Barring any recurrence in symptoms overnight, Robinson will play Sunday.

*Sterling Shepard | Shoulder / Toe | Not Listed | Expected to Play

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

The Giants have not published their game status report or Saturday's practice participation report but the post-practice press conference from Joe Judge was reassuring. Expect Shepard to play.

Saturday Update: Shepard is not listed on the game status report and is expected to play.

Jalen Reagor | Thumb | Activated off Injured Reserve

Reagor was cleared to return from Week 4 thumb ligament surgery late this week and activated off injured reserve on Saturday. There are no conditioning issues here and the Eagles' receiving corps needs talent. It's possible he'll play a full complement of snaps immediately but it's unlikely he'll immediately see double-digit targets.

Michael Pittman | Compartment syndrome | Activated off Injured Reserve

Pittman will be active this week. The Colts have not revealed how much he'll play or how significant his role in the game plan will be. Expect a limited role with the potential to grow into a bigger role in Week 9 and beyond.

Others of note: A.J. Brown (knee), Adam Thielen (shoulder), Diontae Johnson (toe), JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee), DeVante Parker (groin), Jarvis Landry (hip, ribs), John Brown (knee), and Jerry Jeudy (shoulder) practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play without limitation. Michael Thomas (ankle, hamstring), Marquez Callaway (ankle), Chris Godwin (finger), Allen Robinson (concussion), Deebo Samuel (hamstring), Sammy Watkins (hamstring), Jamison Crowder (groin), Julian Edelman (knee), NKeal Harry (concussion), and Alshon Jeffery (calf) are doubtful or have been declared out and will not play. Emmanuel Sanders is on the COVID list and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

TIGHT END

Dallas Goedert | Ankle | Activated off Injured Reserve

Goedert returns more quickly than expected from a higher-grade high ankle sprain that included a fibula fracture. Some have returned within six weeks of this injury but it's generally a longer term recovery (6-8 weeks or longer). Goedert will be just five weeks from his injury on Sunday.

It's surprising to see the Eagles return Goedert this week with a bye in Week 9. Hopefully, this week's activation is informed more by a reassuring rehab and recovery than the need to have as many talented players back on the field as possible for a critical divisional matchup against Dallas. Goedert isn't the only Eagle to return from injured reserve this week -- Philadelphia added four other players to the active roster on Saturday.

Goedert's matchup with the Dallas linebackers is very strong and Zach Ertz remains out with an ankle injury. It's possible Goedert immediately sees 6-8+ higher leverage targets. It's also possible he struggles to convert at less than full strength. There's too much upside here to ignore. Plan to return Goedert to your lineup immediately and hope he's healthy enough to produce.

Tyler Higbee | Hand | Questionable | Game-time Decision

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

Higbee participated in position drills throughout the week and is considered a game-time decision. Last week, Higbee only managed a late-week limited practice and was ruled out on Monday night. He's closer to returning this week from what's being termed a bruise on the hand but the team has yet to commit to him playing.

Dawson Knox | COVID list | Not on Active Roster | Likely Inactive

Knox remains on the COVID list and has yet to be cleared to play. Procedurally, negative tests could have Knox cleared to return on Sunday morning but it's a tight timetable and Knox was dealing with a calf strain that prevented him from practicing for two weeks prior to the COVID diagnosis. He's likely out this week.

Mo Alie-Cox | Knee | Questionable | Game-time Decision

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

Alie-Cox has a chance to play after two limited practices but the Colts haven't addressed his status beyond the questionable listing.

Others of note: Noah Fant (ankle), David Njoku (knee), Eric Ebron (elbow), Gerald Everett (illness), Rob Gronkowski (shoulder), Robert Tonyan Jr (ankle, knee), Cole Kmet (back), and Marcedes Lewis (knee) practiced, are not listed on the game status report, and are expected to play. Austin Hooper (illness) has been declared out and will not play. Return to play expectations on all inactive and injured players will be updated in Monday's column.

Practice Participation, Game Status Report, and Playing Expectations

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

Note: Asterisk denotes Monday night players who practice Thursday/Friday/Saturday.

Follow me on Twitter @JeneBramel for breaking injury news and analysis throughout the week.