Injuries are the NFL's great equalizer. They test a team's depth, its ability to adjust and the psychological mettle of the players left behind.
And so as we enter Week 9, we'll watch the makeup of two more teams stressed in fundamental ways. How will the Tennessee Titans cope with losing the most important player in their offense, tailback Derrick Henry, to a foot injury that is likely to end his season? And can the New Orleans Saints stay afloat after quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending knee injury?
What follows is one reckoning of the most consequential injuries the NFL has seen so far this season. To be clear, it's not a list of the best players who have been hurt. If it were, players like Green Bay Packers left tackle David Bakhtiari would be on it. Bakhtiari is one of the league's top players at his position, and his ongoing recovery from an injury suffered in 2020 has required significant adjustments. But the Packers are 7-1 this season, and their offense is averaging 27 points per game since a Week 1 dud. Through good coaching and roster management, they've managed an exceptional outcome in his absence.
That hasn't been the case for other injuries, however, and it might not be true for either the Titans or Saints. We'll know more about them in a few weeks. For now, let's look closer at the injuries whose impact have already been felt.
1. Christian McCaffrey, RB, Carolina Panthers
Injury: Strained hamstring
Games missed: Five
The Panthers held on to beat the Texans after McCaffrey suffered the injury in Week 3 but have lost four of five games since then. Their offense has averaged 17.4 points per game over that period, sixth lowest in the NFL, and replacement Chuba Hubbard has rushed for only 3.7 yards per carry -- ranking him 34th among 42 qualifying running backs over that time.
Worse, quarterback Sam Darnold has crumbled under the weight of carrying an offense designed to feature McCaffrey. Darnold has committed eight turnovers and taken 15 sacks over those five games. Each is tied for the second most in the league in that time.
Perhaps the Panthers were destined to settle in after a 3-0 start, but it's hard to ignore the impact of losing a workhorse running back whose receiving skills match his ability in the run game. Through the first two weeks of the season, in fact, McCaffrey led the NFL in receptions (13) and receiving yards (145) by a running back. Since Week 3, Panthers running backs have combined for 178 receiving yards, No. 19 in the NFL over that period.
McCaffrey was designated for return from injured reserve, but it's unclear if he will play on Sunday against the Patriots.
2. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Injury: Tendon rupture and fracture-dislocation of right middle finger
Games missed: Three
To be fair, it's not as though the Seahawks were plowing through their schedule prior to Wilson's injury in Week 5. They were 2-2, and it's an open question if they would have defeated the Rams in Week 5 had the injury not knocked Wilson out of the game. But the bottom line is that the Seahawks lost three consecutive games after the injury with backup Geno Smith at the helm.
Smith hasn't played poorly overall, but the Rams did seal that Week 5 victory by intercepting him after receiver Tyler Lockett slipped. And Smith's fumble in overtime put the Steelers in position for victory in Week 6. The Seahawks lost by three points to the Saints in Week 7, and their only win since Wilson's injury was a 31-7 romp over the hapless Jaguars.
Would Wilson's presence have turned any of those other games around? In his entire career with the Seahawks, the team had only one losing streak of as many as three games. It's fair to think he would have made a difference. Wilson -- who had the pin removed from his injured finger -- has a 62.6 Total QBR this season, while Smith is at 44.0.
3. Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
Injury: Torn ligaments in left ankle
Games missed: Seven
Here are a few facts:
Fact No. 1: Thomas hasn't played a down this season because of lingering effects from a left ankle injury he suffered in 2020 -- and he announced this week he will miss the rest of the season.
Fact No. 2: Between 2016 and 2019, Thomas led the NFL in receptions (470) and was second in yards (5,512).
Fact No. 3: Through Week 8 this season, with Thomas sidelined, the Saints had the NFL's fewest completions (114) and second-fewest yards (1,266).
It would be wrong to pin that statistical drop all on Thomas' injury. The Saints also bid farewell to future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees and transitioned to Jameis Winston. (Winston's season-ending knee injury has left the Saints relying on a combination of Trevor Siemian and Taysom Hill.) And to be fair, the Saints have won five of their seven games this season.
But having a vintage version of Thomas on the field this season almost certainly would have influenced the Saints to push the ball harder and more frequently through the air, elevating their offensive explosiveness and putting them in much better position to make a playoff run.
4. Tarik Cohen, RB, Chicago Bears
Injury: Torn ACL in his right knee
Games missed: Eight
The Bears had hoped Cohen would return by now from an injury that occurred more than 12 months ago (Cohen also missed 13 games in 2020). But he has spent the season on the physically unable to perform list, and it's not clear when he will get back on the field. And even though the Bears appear to have found a gem in rookie running back Khalil Herbert, they would have undoubtedly benefitted from Cohen's versatile playmaking as well as his ability to flip field position as a returner.
Through eight games, the Bears are averaging an NFL-low 14.5 points per game. Their offense is plodding at 4.42 yards per play (No. 32 in the league), and they're trying to ease in rookie quarterback Justin Fields. All of that screams for a player with quick feet, excellent hands and the ability to explode in open space. Does that sound like anyone you've heard before?
5. William Fuller V, WR, Miami Dolphins
Injury: Broken finger
Games missed: Four
Fuller has played in only two games this season because of a combination of the finger injury, a suspension and personal reasons. But regardless of the reason, the Dolphins haven't gotten any of the downfield playmaking they hoped for after signing him as a free agent.
Since his career began in 2016, Fuller has 15 touchdown receptions of at least 15 air yards. Seven of them have traveled at least 30 yards in the air. He was one of the most effective deep receivers in the NFL when healthy over that time, and in his absence, the Dolphins have been punchless. They've averaged the second-lowest yards per dropback (5.4) in the NFL in 2021.
Scheme, pass protection and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's ongoing development are also contributing factors. But in the big picture, the Dolphins have had a largely ineffective passing offense as their designated downfield receiver has spent most of the season away from the field.
6. Carl Lawson, DE, New York Jets
Injury: Ruptured left Achilles tendon
Games missed: Seven
The Jets signed Lawson to be a centerpiece in new coach Robert Saleh's pass-rush scheme, but the Achilles injury in August ended his season before it began. Without him, the Jets' pass rush has made contact with the opposing quarterback -- through either a sack or quarterback hit -- on 18.6% of dropbacks. That ranks No. 25 in the NFL and is part of the reason the Jets are allowing 29.4 points per game, the third-worst average in the league.
Let's be clear: The Jets are in the first year of a rebuild. They have started a rookie quarterback in six games and have personnel holes up and down the lineup. But after hiring Saleh, the former defensive coordinator of the 49ers, it was reasonable to project that any success they would have would come from their defensive line. Lawson, by all accounts, was having a great training camp before the injury. His loss has been felt.
7. Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers
Injury: Three broken bones in right foot
Games missed: Five
The first defensive player selected in the 2021 draft, Horn was an immediate starter and had more than done his part to help the Panthers to a 3-0 start. Through three games, the Panthers' defense ranked third in the NFL in points allowed (13). Since then, their points allowed has nearly doubled to 25.8, and the QBR of opposing quarterbacks has risen from 39.4 to 51.8.
Horn's injury came in the same game that McCaffrey strained the hamstring, and the impact of his loss on the Panthers' recent slide should be considered in context. But it also prompted two significant trades that might not have been necessary had he remained healthy. The Panthers have since given up a starting-caliber tight end (Dan Arnold) as well as a 2023 sixth-round pick to acquire two cornerbacks: CJ Henderson from the Jaguars and Stephon Gilmore from the Patriots. It's unlikely the Panthers would have felt compelled to make both deals with Horn still on the field.
8. Rob Gronkowski, TE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Injury: Broken and cracked ribs, punctured lung, back spasms
Games missed: Four
The Buccaneers are 4-0 in the games Gronkowski has missed, but they lost both of the games in which he suffered the injuries. Worse, coach Bruce Arians said he regretted the decision to bring Gronkowski back for the Week 8 loss to the Saints -- he left after five plays with back spasms -- and seems intent on being more cautious as the season wears on.
The Buccaneers have a star-studded group of weapons in the passing game, but there is little doubt that quarterback Tom Brady trusts Gronkowski more than any of them, especially in the red zone. While the Buccaneers remain a Super Bowl favorite, losses to the Rams and Saints could have tiebreaker implications later this season. And it's unclear how much these injuries will limit Gronkowski during the playoff drive. He is the kind of player that makes a really good team great, and he could be the difference between making the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl.
9. Marcus Peters, CB, Baltimore Ravens
Injury: Torn ACL
Games missed: Seven
It's true that the Ravens are 5-2 despite a disastrous run of injuries this summer that cost them three top running backs and their starting left tackle, among other key players. But while their offense has hummed along, ranking No. 8 in the NFL with an average of 25.8 points per game, their defense -- especially against the pass -- has slumped.
Opponents are averaging an NFL-high 296.1 passing yards per game, and the Ravens' interception rate of 1.9% ranks No. 20 in the league. Before he tore the ACL in training camp, Peters was the Ravens' top ballhawk and equalizer in pass defense. He had seven interceptions in 24 games after the Ravens acquired him, returning two for touchdowns.
Passing yardage and interceptions aren't the only measure of a defense. And to be fair, opposing quarterbacks have a 48.1 QBR against the Ravens, the 10th lowest in the NFL. But with Peters out for the season, it's not difficult to look ahead to December and January and see a major obstacle to the Ravens' championship hopes.
10. Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns
Injury: Torn labrum and tuberosity fracture in his left shoulder
Games missed: One
This is a tricky one. Mayfield has missed only one game, and the Browns won it (Week 7 over the Broncos) with backup Case Keenum. But Mayfield is playing with two serious injuries that produce significant pain and require substantial rehabilitation time during the week. Even if they aren't affecting his throwing shoulder, we would be naïve to overlook their impact on a team that has lost three of its past four games.
Mayfield initially suffered the injury in Week 2 against the Texans. Since then, his Total QBR has dropped from 55 to 38.3, the latter ranking No. 27 in the NFL over that period. Most notably, his rate of off-target throws since Week 2 has been 20.8%, third worst in the league.
The Browns have had several other key injuries this season, including to receiver Jarvis Landry and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and there are other contributing factors in their recent skid. But when your starting quarterback is playing with a significant injury -- admirably but ultimately less effectively -- it's impossible to ignore.