It is officially Week 14, and we are officially in the period of the season with the playoff picture coming into focus. We already have two teams eliminated from playoff contention in the Houston Texans and Chicago Bears. Other teams look like sure bets to make the playoffs. And then you have the on-the-cusp teams, the ones who desperately need to make a move if they want a chance to compete in the postseason.
As we have said all year, injuries have always played a big part in the lead-up to playoffs and this season doesn't look like it will be any different. Injuries suffered last weekend by Jimmy Garoppolo, Lamar Jackson, Kenneth Walker III and more will certainly key factors in game planning and team success over the next few weeks of the regular season.
Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a broken foot in their win against the Dolphins. @sportsdocmatt explains what caused it ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/32FynAgCPj
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 5, 2022
As we gear up for the stretch run, let's take a look at last week's top 5 and bottom 5 Banged Up Teams in the NFL.
Healthiest Teams Ranked by BUS Score:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars - BUS: 84.0
2. Minnesota Vikings - BUS: 81.4
3. Kansas City Chiefs - BUS: 80.9
4. Cincinnati Bengals - BUS: 79.9
5. Houston Texans - BUS: 78.5
Least Healthy Teams Ranked by BUS Score:
32. Los Angeles Chargers - BUS: 50.1
31. Los Angeles Rams - BUS: 54.5
30. Denver Broncos - BUS: 58.7
29. New England Patriots - BUS: 59.9
28. New York Giants - BUS: 65.7
As we look at the health rankings in terms of success there are a few outliers, including the Jaguars and Texans, who might have good health on their side but have other factors causing them to lose games. In the bottom portion of the rankings, you have the Giants, who, though unhealthy, continue to get wins (or ties) to keep them in the playoff hunt.
Overall, however, healthy teams such as Minnesota, Kansas City, Cincinnati and even Philadelphia (which sits at No. 6 with a 75.6 BUS ranking) are all top teams in playoff contention. Banged-up teams like the Patriots, Broncos, Rams and Chargers are either all but eliminated or need some big wins to propel them into the postseason.
Health gets even more valuable the farther and farther we get into the season. So how will it affect Week 14? Let's look at a game preview that has health discrepancies, division implications and a lot to prove on the line this weekend as the Philadelphia Eagles take on the New York Giants on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Eagles enter with an NFL-best 11-1 record and in good health. Last week was only the second time this season that they have been out of the top 5 in health, according to ThePredictors.com BUS rankings, as they have often sat in the top-two positions. Currently, they are dealing with injuries to C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Dallas Goedert and Avonte Maddox but have managed to still be a juggernaut on offense and limit teams on defense. Despite their dominance thus far this year many still underestimate them, and the Eagles continue to look to prove they are the team to beat in the NFL this season.
On the other side of the field sit the Giants, who have played injured all year while pushing through narrow victories to stay in the hunt. Following a tie this past weekend against the Commanders, they currently sit at 7-4-1 but have teams in Seattle and division-rival Washington nipping at their heels. They will need to squeeze out a few more wins, and will have to do so while tending to injuries to impact players Xavier McKinney, Adoree' Jackson and much of their wide receiving corps. They will continue to look to offensive stalwarts Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones to lead the way as they fight from the underdog position this weekend.
The BUS Rankings change every week because, well, injuries change every week. Stay up to date by following @NFLonFOX and @SportsDocMatt on Twitter and checking out thepredictors.com for updated BUS rankings and more injury details.
Renowned orthopedist Dr. Matt Provencher and his company, ThePredictors.com, deliver data-driven injury insights to football fans. In this first-of-a-kind role as Athlete Injury and Performance Analyst for FOX Sports’ digital platforms, Provencher provides important predictive player health and recovery information about post-injury performance, the impact of weather, field conditions and more.
