The Ravens lost their starting RB and QB to serious injuries Week 11

Week 11 was a relatively quiet week (so far) for the NFL but definitely not for the Baltimore Ravens who lost both their starting QB and RB to season-ending injuries.

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Joe Flacco – BAL – QB

Flacco suffered a torn ACL and MCL on the last drive of the game. Reports suggest that the injury occurred when Flacco was rolled onto during a pile-up. He actually finished the next three plays before being diagnosed on the sideline.

The immediate impact is that the Ravens lose their starting QB for the season. Expect Flacco to receive an MRI Monday to confirm the diagnosis. The thing to look for is the extent of damage to the ligaments of the knee. An ACL tear is easily diagnosed on the sideline by a physical exam. The MCL, however, is what we need to pay attention to. If Flacco has a significant (grade 3) injury to the MCL, his status for Week 1 of 2016 is a big question mark.

Expect Flacco to have ACL reconstruction surgery once the swelling subsides. The MCL is usually left to heal on its own, but can be repaired if there is a serious tear in the ligament, which would add time to his recovery. If this is simply an ACL and low-grade MCL, I’d expect him back for Week 1 of 2016. You probably weren’t starting many Ravens’ wideouts anyway, but Kamar Aiken and company take a hit in value with Matt Schaub stepping in.

Justin Forsett – BAL – RB

The award for most gruesome injury of the week goes to Forsett, who suffered a double bone forearm fracture after being rag-dolled by Aaron Donald early in the game. Still shots of the injury show Forsett’s forearm at about a 90-degree angle before he was put into an air cast. With a break in both the radius and ulna, Forsett will undergo surgery to fix the bones with plates and screws and will be placed on season-ending IR. The long-term implication is a bit more bright. There should be no issues for Forsett heading into 2016. Expect a full recovery.

Expect Javorius ‘Buck’ Allen to get plenty of touches with the loss of Flacco and Forsett.

Devonta Freeman – ATL – RB

Freeman was sidelined with a concussion early in the game against the Colts. Freeman immediately enters the NFL concussion protocol and his status for Week 12 is up in the air. It takes about five days for a player to progress completely through the protocol. It is impossible to judge the severity of a concussion based off of video so, at this point, it is a complete guess how quickly Freeman will progress.

Be on the lookout for a return to practice around midweek and progression after that. Tevin Coleman, who played in Freeman’s absence, did not do well and even fumbled. It is clear that Freeman is integral to the Falcon’s success. Look for him to be back to full RB1 status upon his return. Still, if you are hungry for an RB pick up Coleman in the event that Freeman won’t be cleared. Someone is going to have to get carries if Freeman’s out, and Coleman is the next man up.

Charcandrick West – KC – RB

West was projected for a big day against the Chargers woeful run defense and was on his way until he pulled up with a hamstring injury. It is difficult to say how severe the injury was, but it was enough to keep him out of the game. West will have a few days to rest and receive treatment before next week’s practices start. A good sign would be for West to begin practicing Wednesday or Thursday, but he will likely be questionable for Week 12.

Spencer Ware did excellent in West’s absence, and is a waiver wire must-add for next week. Whoever is the starting running back for the Chiefs at this point is an RB2 at worst.

Marshawn Lynch – SEA – RB

Although Lynch wasn’t injured this week, his setback leading to his inactivity Week 11 is something worth discussing. Lynch was deemed inactive this week with an abdominal injury. In our last article, we discussed that this could be a sports hernia that may require surgery. Reports now are stating that Lynch is traveling to Philadelphia to see a specialist. This specialist is likely Dr. William Meyers, a sports hernia specialist who treated Arian Foster this year and saw Allen Hurns last week. The worry is that Lynch will need surgery which would set him back four-to-six weeks, essentially ending his fantasy football season. There is a chance that Lynch tries to play through the injury and defers surgery to the offseason, but I don’t see why he would see a specialist if this was his decision.

Thomas Rawls did amazing in Lynch’s absence, producing the best RB performance of the week. He is a must-add in all league formats. It is hard to see the Seahawks risking Lynch’s health while getting such amazing production from the RB position.

The views of this show are strictly our own personal opinions and are in no way affiliated with any institution or any of our employers. All medical knowledge expressed is solely based off our own knowledge and no private patient information was obtained or used to formulate these opinions.

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Asad Khalid, M.D., Jie Chen, M.D., and Rob Williams, M.D. are orthopedic surgeons and sports maniacs at heart. Aman Khalid and Aditya Patel are law students and former “athletes.” Follow the show @jocsanddocs and listen to them on iTunes.