Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, but now it’s time to focus on Week 2. There’s been a lot going on between the first two weeks of the season, including several things you should probably know about before teams play their second games of the season on Sunday. Let’s catch up on all of the headlines.
Calling in Sick
The Jets will be without the services of starting quarterback Sam Darnold for at least a few weeks. Darnold has been diagnosed with mononucleosis, which is likely to keep him sidelined for multiple weeks. The Jets potentially catch a break by having their bye in Week 4, so Darnold will miss one fewer game. However, Trevor Siemian is likely to start for at least the next two weeks, including Monday night’s game against the Browns.
Adding Injury to Illness
Somehow, it gets worse than Darnold having mono for the Jets. Running back Le’Veon Bell is dealing with a shoulder injury that threatens to keep him off the field Monday night. The Jets have also lost wide receiver Quincy Enunwa to a neck injury that sent him to IR earlier this week. On the bright side, the Jets worked out a trade with the Patriots for Demaryius Thomas, who will help replace Enunwa. Thomas should have familiarity with Siemian from their days together in Denver.
Hurt Again
Once again, the Chargers will be dealing with life without tight end Hunter Henry. After missing all of 2018 with a torn ACL, Henry is back on the sidelines, suffering a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee. The Chargers expect him to miss the next four to six weeks, depriving them of a reliable option in the passing game.
That Was Fast
Derrius Guice made his long-awaited NFL debut last week after missing his entire rookie season with a torn ACL. Unfortunately for Guice, the injury bug has struck again. On Thursday, the Redskins announced that Guice suffered a torn meniscus during the team’s loss to the Eagles in Week 1. Washington was initially hopeful that it would be a short-term injury, but now the Redskins estimate a six-to-eight-week absence. The team hasn’t ruled out placing Guice on IR and looking elsewhere for a running back. In the meantime, Adrian Peterson will likely start for Washington this week after he was a healthy scratch in Week 1. Peterson will likely share time with third-down back Chris Thompson.
Fighting Words
In anticipation of Monday’s game between the Jets and Browns, Cleveland wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had some choice words for Jets defensive coordinator Greg Williams, accusing him of teaching “dirty hits” and “cheap shots” to his players. Ironically, Williams was Cleveland’s defensive coordinator when Beckham suffered an ankle injury during a preseason game against the Browns. Beckham says that some of his new teammates with the Browns have told him that Williams instructed them to hurt Beckham in that game. Williams, of course, was suspended for a year because of his involvement with the Saints during the Bountygate scandal.
