No team came out of Sunday's action with more serious injuries than the Baltimore Ravens, who lost two key starters, possibly for the remainder of the 2012 season. First to go down was cornerback Lardarius Webb, who ESPN's Adam Schefter reports did suffer a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Webb was signed to a six-year, $50 million contract on April 6 that included a $10 million signing bonus and $15 million in guaranteed money.
Big blow to Baltimore's defense: Ravens CB Lardarius Webb tore his left ACL today.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2012
The other key injury for the Ravens is inside linebacker Ray Lewis, who injured his triceps during Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys. Head coach John Harbaugh downplayed Lewis' injury, saying "I don't think it's really bad," but the veteran will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury. In addition to Lewis and Webb, perennial Pro Bowl defensive lineman Haloti Ngata fought through knee and shoulder injuries to post six tackles and a sack on Sunday. Second-year cornerback Jimmy Smith also left the game with a groin strain.
The Cowboys didn't come out of the 31-29 loss to the Ravens unscathed. Running back DeMarco Murray suffered a sprained foot and will undergo an MRI on Monday. Defensive end Sean Lissemore (ankle) and first-round cornerback Morris Claiborne (knee) were also injured on Sunday, though Claiborne would return.
Cleveland Browns first-round running back Trent Richardson suffered a rib injury in their 34-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals and will undergo an MRI on Monday. Richardson only gained 37 yards on 14 carries and saw his four-game rushing touchdown streak come to an end with his early exit on Sunday.
Staying with the running back position, Bilal Powell of the New York Jets suffered a dislocated shoulder in their 35-9 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Powell, the team's third-down back, is second on the team with 131 rushing yards. Powell is expected to miss at least one game, which coupled with an ankle injury for Joe McKnight, leaves the Jets thin in the backfield as Shonn Greene and rookie Jonathan Grimes are the only two healthy backs.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kevin Kolb exited Sunday's 19-16 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills with a rib injury. Kolb will undergo X-rays, but with John Skelton completing just 2 of 10 pass attempts and tossing a costly interception that led to the game-winning field goal in overtime, the Cardinals will certainly hope to have No. 4 as they prepare to face the Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers before the bye week.
New England Patriots wide receiver Brandon Lloyd caught six passes for 80 yards on 12 targets, but suffered a left shoulder injury on the final target. Lloyd laid out for a ball down the right sideline on the opening play of the Patriots' final possession, landing awkwardly on the joint. Patriots wide receiver and special teams standout Matt Slater limped off the field following a fourth-quarter punt and running back Brandon Bolden suffered a knee injury while covering a kickoff in the second quarter. The Patriots, who were already playing without starting safety Steve Gregory (hip), lost Patrick Chung to a shoulder injury in the fourth quarter. Without Chung and Gregory, the Patriots had second-round pick Tavon Wilson and sixth round pick Nate Ebner in the back-end of the secondary for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson's game-winning 46-yard touchdown pass to Sidney Rice.
The San Francisco 49ers have a short week to prepare for the Seahawks, who they'll host on "Thursday Night Football." Left tackle Joe Staley may not be available after leaving Sunday's loss to the New York Giants with a concussion. Staley will have to pass the league's protocol before he's cleared to return, which could mean Alex Boone starts at left tackle on Thursday.
In the Sunday night game, a pair of Green Bay Packers — D.J. Smith and first-round pick Nick Perry — suffered knee injuries and did not return. The Packers dressed nine linebackers and were able to account for those absences. Packers cornerback Sam Shields was kicked in the shin and carted off to the locker room in the fourth quarter. The Houston Texans lost right guard Antoine Caldwell to a concussion, with Ben Jones replacing him for the majority of the game. The Texans rotate the right side of their offensive line, so Jones had a lot of experience with the first-team offense before he was pressed into service on Sunday night.
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