"Good thing most fantasy leagues decided their championship this week, because Saturday's festivities resulted in a roster-wrecking collection of injuries, none more significant than the torn ACL and MCL suffered by Adrian Peterson on Saturday.
The upshot of that knee injury – beyond obviously ending AP's season – is that the Vikings RB isn't guaranteed to be ready for game action when next season begins. In the meantime, Toby Gerhart (11 rush, 109 yds) is slated to start against Chicago in Week 17, and could be the Vikings' starting RB at the outset of 2012.
In other injury news…
During his least productive day of the season (14 touches, 45 yds), LeSean McCoy limped off the field and went to the locker room for X-rays on his ankle. He was, however, able to return to the game, and the Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News quotes Andy Reid as calling it just a "tweaked" ankle. Nevertheless, we could see plenty of Ronnie Brown and Dion Lewis if the Eagles decide to exercise caution in Week 17.
Tony Romo left Sunday's game in the first quarter due to a bruised hand, but is expected to play in Dallas' must-win Week 17 matchup against the Giants. Also exiting early for the Cowboys (who made little effort to win an ultimately meaningless game against the Eagles): Felix Jones (4 rush, 24 yds), who was pulled for precautionary reasons but could be in line for a 20-plus touch workload in Week 17.
Meanwhile, Raiders beat writer Steve Corkran suggested Saturday night that Darren McFadden and Jacoby Ford should both return from their foot injuries in Week 17. Good news for Oakland's playoff hopes, but little consolation for fantasy owners, who saw McFadden explode for 761 total yards and five TDs through Week 6 before his season gradually spiraled down the commode. Run DMC should enter 2012 as a high fantasy draft pick, but he'll also continue to be a major injury risk.
Kevin Smith (17 touches, 61 yds, two TDs) produced a useful stat line despite laboring through his lingering right ankle issue, which could result in some increased work for Maurice Morris next week.
Vincent Jackson (2 rec, 41 yds) was visibly hindered by his groin injury on Saturday, and with the Chargers eliminated from the playoffs, there's a solid chance he'll end up sitting out next week.
Meanwhile, Christian Ponder's early exit due to a concussion may have prompted a surprise QB controversy for Minnesota, as Joe Webb (4-for-5, 84 yds, two TDs; 5 rush, 34 yds, TD) led the Vikings to a win over Washington, prompting Leslie Frazier to tell ESPN 1500 Twin Cities that "Some of the things he does, man, and what it does to the rest of our team – you can't ignore it. It's something we're going to take a real hard look at as we go forward." With Ponder's status iffy, Webb could get an extended audition against the Bears in Week 17."
