NFL Injury Roundup: Key News To Monitor Heading Into Week 2

Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season kicked off this past weekend with each team having optimism for the season ahead. Unfortunately but unsurprising, a barrage of injuries came along with the games. Several big-name starters on both sides of the line of scrimmage were forced out of action heading into handicapping Week 2 odds. That is already affecting lines at the best sports betting sites.

Keep reading to stay up to date on the biggest names who are in jeopardy of missing Week 2, and scroll to the bottom to compare spreads, moneylines and totals across NFL betting apps.

NFL INJURIES from WEEK 1

Here’s a roundup of the notable Week 1 NFL injuries to monitor.

Baltimore Ravens

• RB J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the season.
• OT Ronnie Stanley left the game with a knee injury.
• DB Marcus Williams tore his pec.

The Ravens played without tight end Mark Andrews in Week 1 due to a quad injury. Losing Dobbins for the season and potentially Stanley for any amount of games will put additional pressure on quarterback Lamar Jackson to carry this offense.

Cleveland Browns

• OT Jack Conklin (knee)

Losing a two-time All-Pro tackle could slow down what could be the best offensive line in football. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport, Jack Conklin tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the season.

Green Bay Packers

• WR Jayden Reed helped off the field with a right foot injury.
• WR Christian Watson (hamstring) was out Week 1
• RB Aaron Jones injured his hamstring and didn’t return.

Any long-term absence from Jones would be significant, as inexperienced QB Jordan Love relied heavily on his top offensive weapon in Week 1.

Houston Texans

• The Texans have six offensive lineman on injured reserve, including three that were projected starters.

Las Vegas Raiders

• WR Jakobi Meyers left game after sustaining hit to the head in the fourth.
• QB Jimmy Garoppolo was evaluated for a concussion and returned to the game.

The Raiders seemed to get away with Garoppolo’s injury scare, and doesn’t seem to carry any effects heading into Week 2.

Los Angeles Chargers

• WR Mike Williams left with a head injury. Was evaluated for a concussion but returned.
• RB Austin Ekeler left late in the third quarter with what appeared to be a tweaked foot/ankle ailment.

Williams will be okay after returning to the game. The severity of Ekeler’s injury remains undetermined.

Philadelphia Eagles

• LB Nakobe Dean left with a foot injury.
• CB James Bradberry is in concussion protocol and unlikely to clear for Thursday night

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Dean is expected to miss several weeks with the injury but will return to play later this season.

Pittsburgh Steelers

• WR Diontae Johnson (hamstring)
• TE Pat Freiermuth (chest)
• DT Cam Heyward (groin)

Losing Johnson and Freiermuth for any extended period will test the Steelers’ offensive depth. Heyward is a significant loss up front as one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL is set to miss up to eight weeks.

New York Jets

• QB Aaron Rodgers left the game after four snaps and didn’t return. He is confirmed out for the season with an Achilles injury.

OTHER WEEK 1 NOTABLE PLAYER NEWS

Aside from the key NFL injuries, there were various player usage notes to take into account for Week 2 evaluation.

Seattle Seahawks

It was a slow start for Seahawks rookie Zach Charbonnet. The rookie RB played Just 11 of 50 snaps even though the team trailed by two scores the entire fourth quarter. Rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba role was better. He ran 19 routes on 29 Geno Smith dropbacks, resulting in five targets for a 19% target share.

Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles RBs Week 1 usage in a game they got a big lead early and hung on to win:

• Kenneth Gainwell 41 snaps, 16 routes, 18 opportunities
• D’Andre Swift 19 snaps, 13 routes, 3 opportunities
• Boston Scott 8 snaps, 4 routes, 2 opportunities
• Rashaad Penny (healthy scratch)

Los Vegas Raiders

Josh Jacobs handled 393 of the Raiders 465 RB touches last season (84.5%). In Week 1 against Broncos, he handled 21 of 23 RB touches (91.3%).

Jacksonville Jaguars

It looked like Christian Kirk operated as the WR3 in this Jaguars offense. WR routes run on 35 Trevor Lawrence dropbacks in Week 1:

• Calvin Ridley 34
• Zay Jones 33
• Christian Kirk 23
• Jamal Agnew 0

Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals RB usage notes in a game they were down two scores most of 4th quarter.

• Joe Mixon 35 snaps, 16 routes, 18 opportunities
• Trayveon Williams 16 snaps, 9 routes, 2 opportunities
• Chris Evans 7 snaps, 3 routes, 3 opportunities
• Chase Brown (healthy scratch)

WR Tee Higgins ran 33 routes on 33 Joe Burrow dropbacks. He saw 8 targets for a strong 25% share. Finished with zero receiving yards. Higgins is a prime candidate to bounce back in Week 2.

Atlanta Falcons

RB usage notes from Week 1.

• Bijan Robinson 32 snaps, 17 routes, 16 opportunities
• Tyler Allgeier 28 snaps, 10 routes, 18 opportunities (three carries from inside the 5-yard line; Robinson had zero)

NFL WEEK 2 ODDS

Before diving into the NFL injuries, look at the updated NFL Week 2 odds below. The point spreads, moneylines, and totals shown here are from the best sports betting sites and are available to bet on now.