Injury Report: Jets-Patriots Game Has 'Upset Alert' Written All Over It
By Abraham Gutierrez
In a game that has "upset alert" written all over it, New York Jets fans would be glad to know that Todd Bowles will have all but one player available against the mighty New England Patriots, this according to the team's official NFL Week 7 injury report. The Jets first-year coach has been doing a tremendous job of personnel management thus far; and heading into a hostile environment, Gang Green will need all hands on deck to stun the defending Super Bowl champs.
A dozen players make up this week's injury report, but only second-string running back, Bilal Powell, has been ruled out of Sunday's game with an ankle injury. This is the second time that the 26-year-old from Lakeland, Florida has had his name penciled in on the team's list of hobbled players. The fifth-year pro out of Louisville was a non-factor in last week's win over Washington, as he was nursing a groin injury. After participating only on a limited basis during practice, Powell registered four carries for -2 yards and one reception for a single yard versus the Skins. Luckily, Chris Ivory continued his remarkable season rushing for 146 yards on 20 carries and helped seal the victory. Third-string halfback, Zac Stacy gave the Jets starting running back some needed breathing time, pitching in with 46 yards on 13 carries, along with two receptions for 15 yards. With Powell unavailable this week, Bowles will be looking for Stacy to be more involved against a Patriots defense that ranks 22nd in the league, surrendering an average of 115 rushing yards per game. It wouldn't be surprising to also see fullback Tommy Bohanon see some additional carries, as he's been riding the pine without seeing much action.
The only other player in danger of becoming a DNP on Sunday is injury-prone guard, Willie Colon. Despite the fact that the 10-year vet out of Hofstra has been battling knee problems all season long, literally listed in every injury report since Week 1, he's been able to start in four of the Jets' six games. The 32-year-old from the Bronx, New York has limited participation in practice and is listed as questionable.
The final order of business to attend to consists of addressing the key players listed as probable in Week 7. Although there are nine Jets included on this list, by far the most impactful ones are wide receiver Eric Decker (knee), quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (throwing elbow) and wide receiver Brandon Marshall (calf).
Can the New York Jets march into Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and hand the undefeated New England Patriots their first loss of the 2015 NFL campaign? For what it's worth, Bowles will have a full roster to play with in a game that has "upset alert" written all over it.
New York Jets NFL Injury Report & Game Statuses (Week 7)
Probable:
WR Eric Decker (knee) - Limited Participation in Practice
DT Damon Harrison (finger) - Full Participation in Practice
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (right elbow) - Full Participation in Practice
CB Buster Skrine (concussion) - Limited Participation in Practice
WR Brandon Marshall (calf) - Limited Participation in Practice
LB Quinton Coples (elbow) - Full Participation in Practice
CB Marcus Williams (hamstring) - Limited Participation in Practice
WR Chris Owusu (knee) - Limited Participation in Practice
S Dion Bailey (elbow) - Full Participation in Practice
Questionable:
G Willie Colon (knee) - Limited Participation in Practice
Doubtful:
S Jaiquawn Jarrett (knee) - Did Not Participate In Practice
Out:
RB Bilal Powell (ankle) - Did Not Participate In Practice
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
