Rashard Mendenhall has picked it up over the past couple weeks but Arizona's offense needs that game-breaking element Ellington provides out of the backfield. The rookie, nursing a knee injury that sat him in a Week 13 Cards loss, leads all running backs with at least 70 carries in yards per attempt at 6.0.
No Falcons fan can forget the double-whammy Monday night. Week 5 not only saw Atlanta lose to Geno Smith at home but the also league-leading receiver end his season with a foot injury, sending 2013 on a downward spiral for the dirty bird.
Pitta may return to Baltimore for Week 14 and it couldn't come any sooner for the 29th-ranked offense. This offense struggled to manufacture first downs without Joe Flacco's most trusted short-to-intermediate target
A sprained ankle in Week 4 robbed Spiller of his incendiary burst off the cut, which helped him top Pro Football Focus' elusive rating in 2012. Despite dragging his body onto the field Spiller just wasn't the same until Week 13 following the bye, when he sprinted for 149 yards on nearly 10 yards per carry.
Before Marcus Cannon's leg whip on Monday night in Week 11, Johnson had tallied 34 quarterback pressures and 8.5 sacks in providing a terrifying bookend pass rush along with fellow Greg Hardy. Carolina can really use Johnson at 100 percent in two looming matchups against Drew Brees.
An already poor Bears run defense dove a thousand leagues below the 31st ranked unit after their all-time great OLB hit the sidelines Week 7. Even Benny Cunningham gashed them. Chicago needs Briggs back to have a (slim) chance at the postseason.
It's a tribute to Mike Zimmer that this Bengals defense keeps on ticking after all the catastrophic injuries, including arguably the league's best 4-3 defensive tackle. Brandon Thompson has filled in nicely but doesn't jailbreak into the backfield like Atkins.
Quarterback W-L records are often way overvalued in a sport that holds 22 players on the field at any given time. However, in the case of Brian Hoyer (3-0 in 2013) and the Browns (1-8 without Hoyer starting), I'll allow it.
Dallas has avoided complete disaster in Lee's absence thanks to the late-game heroics of Tony Romo, while the defense is just barely hanging on as one of the league's very best inside linebackers recovers for the stretch run.
Most know Moore for letting Jacoby Jones get behind him in the divisional round, but he's also forging a reputation as one of the best young safeties in the game. An emergency surgery following compartment syndrome leaves his status for return uncertain.
Houston has played well below his potential this year and missed the Lions' dominating Thanksgiving performance with a foot injury — though that was against Matt Flynn. Houston's still the best corner on a roster thin at the position and is sorely needed at 100 percent.
Rodgers' injured shoulder in Week 9 took Green Bay from Super Bowl contenders to long shots (that is if he even returns Week 14).
It seems a yearly theme that when Cushing goes down the Texans defense goes with him. Such is life for a 3-4 team perennially lacking at linebacker.
You could just see the self-loathing on Andrew Luck's face when his underthrown pass led to Reggie Wayne's season-ending knee injury Week 7. The punishment of leaning more on Darrius Heyward-Bey and (for a moment) Griff Whalen just seems way too harsh.
It's not that the No. 2 overall pick was playing particularly well before fracturing his ankle, though you would like your franchise tackle to take his rookie lumps in a full season. Joeckel and Austin Pasztor could prove nice O-line bookend for the future.
Despite missing action with an elbow injury since part way through Week 12, Houston still ranks third in sacks and second in quarterback hurries among 3-4 outside linebackers.
Wake did not look quite the same between Week 3 and Week 7, and was eventually diagnosed with a sprained MCL that would keep him out of a Monday night humiliation at the Superdome. Wake would recover and the Dolphins are 3-2 since his game-winning safety on Thursday night Week 9 — fortunately not too late for the AFC wild-card race.
Peterson topped 200 yards against the Bears' pitiful run defense but it could have been closer to 300 if not for a nagging hammy hurting his breakaway potential.
The Pats ranked ninth against the run in 2012 and now sit second-to-last in 2013. Losing their behemoth nose tackle early this season is pretty directly related — along with losing Jerod Mayo and Tommy Kelly — as the trench replacements have been miserable.
New Orleans' offense seems far more potent when Sproles is 100 percent and this nagging ankle injury has to be cause to worry for Saints fans who watched their team average 12 points over the past two weeks.
The offseason back surgery forced JPP to ease into 2013 and that's just not his style. After finally catching his form midway a shoulder injury is threatening to shut him down for the year. A shame when Justin Tuck is finally regaining his form and Damontre Moore is not ready to start.
In 2012 Cromo was among the NFL's best answers to a deep threat; in 2013 he's just chasing them. The Jets corner has complained about a hip injury, while simultaneously slipping from 16th to 100th in PFF's cornerback grade rankings.
Veldheer immediately returned to form as a borderline elite left tackle in his Thanksgiving performance. His 2013 debut showed just how much the Raiders miss him. Too late for their playoff hopes; just in time for Matt McGloin's tryout.
Foles' concussion led to Matt Barkley appearing in two games this season and two losses against opposition that was playing very poorly at the time. Are we talking 9-3 Eagles without the Foles concussion? That second Giants-Eagles matchup started by Michael Vick and finished by Barkley was frankly disgusting.
Beachum is no world-beater, but he's not Mike Adams or Guy Whimper, which you might as well replace with a dumpster fire at offensive tackle. Beachum's knee must recover posthaste for Ben Roethlisberger to stay upright, and the Steelers to stick around in the playoff picture.
San Diego peaked with its Week 4 win over Dallas, and it's been mostly downhill from there. Freeney left that contest with a torn quadriceps, as did the Chargers' pass rush.
You can only throw to Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis so many times before defenses force you to look for another option. This gets really difficult when they're named Jonathan Baldwin or Kyle Williams. Welcome back Crabtree.
Seattle thoroughly dominated New Orleans at home Monday night but could really use a dangerous, versatile weapon like Percy Harvin when battling elite defenses like San Francisco over the next month or two. The great question is whether that hip holds up long enough for Harvin to make an impact this season.
Bradford probably would've liked a strong run game with Zac Stacy and a suddenly tenacious defense to emerge before his brutal knee injury Week 7. Alas, these are in the hands of Kellen Clemens — a decent caretaker that brings the offensive ceiling way down.
Tampa presents a lot of strong injury candidates including Doug Martin and Mike Williams. We'll file MRSA under "injury" and tab Nicks, once the league's best guard and a centerpiece to Greg Schiano's smashmouth run-heavy offense.
The Titans received brutal play from Ryan Fitzpatrick during Locker's initial hiatus with a hip injury, while Fitz has stepped it up since Locker found his way back on the sideline for good. However, I remain convinced that Tennessee wins the AFC South if Locker — who still owns the division's top passer rating — were to play all 16 games
Aside from garbage time against the Eagles and the opening drives against New York, Washington's offense has been rendered lifeless since Reed went out with a concussion Week 11.
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