The four Monday night teams have filed their injury reports.
Most notably, Pierre Thomas is ready to return. The Saints have him as probable, so it looks like they’ll plug him back into that third-down type injury. Thomas has missed the last four games. Previously, he averaged 34 receiving and 22 rushing yards in the first six games, with 3 TDs.
The Saints won’t have Khiry Robinson, so Mark Ingram looks like a safe bet for close to 20 rushing attempts. Even with Thomas back, Ingram is the guy who’ll run the football there.
New Orleans also has lasted Robert Meachem as questionable, but he’s not a receiver anybody cares about. (I think.)
Buffalo has Fred Jackson listed as questionable with the groin injury. That could be a three-man backfield, with Boobie Dixon and Bryce Brown. They’re running against a really good Jets defense, so we’re interested in any of those guys. Dixon and Brown averaged about 2 yards per carry in the last game against New York.
The Jets look healthy. Nobody is listed worse than probable.
The Ravens also look fine. They won’t have receiver Michael Campanaro or tackle Jah Reid, but those guys are just backups.
One other note. A reader sent in an email asking why we downgraded Josh Gordon in the Friday supplement. That he hadn’t heard anything about Gordon being anything other than ready to tear it up against Atlanta.
Maybe Gordon has a big game. We’ll concede that’s a possibility. We were just pointing out that Cleveland, in the league-required participation report, said that Gordon was not a full participant in any of their practices this week. On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he was listed as a “limited participant (non injury).”
Maybe the Gordon status is just an attempt by the Browns to lull Atlanta into overlooking him on Sunday. But our leaning is that he’s not going to step in and dominant from the get-go. The Browns have some other capable pass catchers. Andrew Hawkins is a good slot guy, and Taylor Gabriel has been a great deep threat. Brian Hoyer, meanwhile, hasn’t been great at putting the ball in the end zone – just 11 TD passes in 10 games.
NEW YORK JETS vs. BUFFALO BILLS
NEW YORK JETS
PROBABLE: T Oday Aboushi (shoulder), LB Antwan Barnes (knee), G Willie Colon (knee), WR T.J. Graham (neck), LB David Harris (shoulder), RB Chris Ivory (shoulder), S Jaiquawn Jarrett (calf), RB Chris Johnson (knee), C Nick Mangold (shoulder), LB Trevor Reilly (knee), WR Greg Salas (wrist), QB Geno Smith (right shoulder), CB Darrin Walls (calf)
BUFFALO BILLS
OUT: DE Jarius Wynn (knee)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Ron Brooks (groin), RB Fred Jackson (groin)
PROBABLE: K Dan Carpenter (right groin), WR Marquise Goodwin (ankle), WR Chris Hogan (hip), DE Manny Lawson (ankle), QB Kyle Orton (toe), RB Frank Summers (neck), G Kraig Urbik (shoulder), WR Sammy Watkins (groin)
BALTIMORE RAVENS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
BALTIMORE RAVENS
OUT: WR Michael Campanaro (thigh), T Jah Reid (hand)
PROBABLE: TE Owen Daniels (not injury related), RB Kyle Juszczyk (foot), DT Haloti Ngata (not injury related), LB Daryl Smith (not injury related), LB Terrell Suggs (not injury related), G Marshal Yanda (knee)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
OUT: LB Kyle Knox (hand), RB Khiry Robinson (forearm)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Robert Meachem (ankle)
PROBABLE: RB Travaris Cadet (hamstring), RB Mark Ingram (shoulder), CB Keenan Lewis (knee), LB Curtis Lofton (ankle), T Zach Strief (chest), RB Pierre Thomas (rib, shoulder)
