NFL Week 4 Injury Report: Dolphins And Raiders Report 31 Hobbled Players
By Abraham Gutierrez
If initial Week 4 injury reports are any indication, the (1-2) Miami Dolphins will have almost half of its entire 52-man roster nursing some sort of injury when it battles the (0-3) Oakland Raiders across the pond. It’s hard to believe that 22 Fins players will be in limbo for this week’s showdown against the Silver and Black, as the NFL resumes its International Series from London, England.
Wembley Stadium will be filled to capacity to witness this intraconference clash between two franchises desperately trying to get their seasons on track. Opening kickoff is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, and pro football fans in the United States can catch all the action live on CBS Sports.
For the Dolphins, keeping the Raiders’ offense from running wild could be a daunting task, as 11 of the 22 injured players can be found in Miami’s defensive unit. Having that said, the most alarming part about this mountain of injuries is the fact that only three of those players were able to participate in full team practices this week.
Likely to see playing time based on their availability in practice this week will be safety Walt Aikens (hand), tackle Branden Albert (shoulder) and linebacker Jordan Tripp (chest). In contrast, starting running back Knowshon Moreno – who continues to nurse an injured elbow – not only missed practiced this week, but has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game.
Joining Moreno in this week’s list of players who did not participate in team practices are guard Shelley Smith and defensive tackle Randy Starks. Next up on Miami’s list are those players that were able to take less than 100 percent of their normal repetitions.
The following names had Limited Participation in Practice this week, which means their game status will remain a mystery until Friday evening’s final injury report: linebackers Jonathan Freeny (ankle), Jelani Jenkins (abdomen) and Philip Wheeler (thumb), wide receivers Brandon Gibson (groin) and Mike Wallace (hamstring), defensive tackle Anthony Johnson (shoulder), tight end Charles Clay (knee), defensive end Terrence Fede (knee), guard Billy Turner (foot), running backs Damien Williams (ankle) and Daniel Thomas (ankle), safety Jimmy Wilson (tooth), guard Dallas Thomas (shoulder) and center Mike Pouncey (hip).
For the Raiders, head coach Dennis Allen and his staff reported a total of nine hobbled players in their initial Week 4 injury report. Much like in the case of the Fins, Oaktown will also have some defensive deficiencies to deal with, especially at the linebacker position.
Out of the five defensive Raiders on the list, three of them are linebackers – Miles Burris (foot) and Nick Roach (concussion) had limited participation in practice, while Sio Moore did not practice due to an injured ankle. Here’s how the rest of the Oakland Raiders’ Week 4 injury report looks like:
Oakland Raiders Week 4 (Thursday) Injury Report
Full Participation in Practice
RB - Maurice Jones-Drew (hand)
T - Matt McCants (knee)
Limited Participation in Practice
LB - Miles Burris (foot)
CB - Chimdi Chekwa (knee)
LB - Nick Roach (concussion)
Did Not Participate in Practice
S - Tyvon Branch (foot)
LB - Sio Moore (ankle)
QB - Matt Schaub (not injury related)
WR - Rod Streater (foot)
Miami Dolphins Week 4 (Thursday) Injury Report
Full Participation in Practice
S - Walt Aikens (hand)
T - Branden Albert (shoulder)
LB - Jordan Tripp (chest)
Limited Participation in Practice
LB - Jonathan Freeny (ankle)
WR - Brandon Gibson (groin)
LB - Jelani Jenkins (abdomen)
DT - Anthony Johnson (shoulder)
TE - Charles Clay (knee)
DE - Terrence Fede (knee)
G - Billy Turner (foot)
WR - Mike Wallace (hamstring)
LB - Philip Wheeler (thumb)
RB - Damien Williams (ankle)
S - Jimmy Wilson (tooth)
G - Dallas Thomas (shoulder)
RB - Daniel Thomas (ankle)
C - Mike Pouncey (hip)
Did Not Participate in Practice
CB - Cortland Finnegan (neck)
LB - Koa Misi (ankle)
RB - Knowshon Moreno (elbow): Definitely Will Not Play
G - Shelley Smith (knee)
DT - Randy Starks (back)
Practice Status Key
DNP: Did Not Participate in Practice
LP: Limited Participation in Practice - Less than 100 percent of a player's normal repetitions
FP: Full Participation - 100% of a player's normal repetitions
Out: Player will not play
For more Dolphins news and updates, visit Dolphins Central.
Abe Gutierrez is a criminal justice admin whose love for sports led him to become a writer and editor. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com and its partners. His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
