BIGGEST INJURY QUESTIONS FOR ALL 32 TEAMS IN WEEK 11

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

James Conner, more important than ever with Le'Veon Bell done for the year, entered the week in concussion protocol but participated in practice Wednesday. Coach Mike Tomlin is optimistic, saying he hopes this week's practices "lay all those discussions to bed" about Conner's availability for Sunday against the Jaguars. 

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Joe Flacco missed Wednesday's practice with a right hip injury, ramping up speculation that Lamar Jackson will make his first NFL start. John Harbaugh said Flacco doesn't have to practice to play and declined to discuss who could start Sunday against the Bengals. "I don't feel like we owe anybody any answers," Harbaugh said. Jackson, who has played in specialty packages throughout the season, is the only one of the five quarterbacks drafted in this year's first round who hasn't started. He would face a Bengals defense that ranks last in the NFL and became the first in the Super Bowl era to allow more than 500 yards in three straight games. "I feel like I'd be very prepared," Jackson said. "I'm trying to sponge everything in. ... Whatever happens will happen." Flacco has missed only six games in his 11-year NFL career, starting Baltimore's past 41 games. 

CINCINNATI BENGALS

A.J. Green remains the biggest absence on the practice field, but considering he's supposed to be out until December, attention turns to the linebackers, who have been one of the weakest units on the team. Nick Vigil is still not practicing, and while Vontaze Burfict returned to practice, Preston Brown did not practice Wednesday. Brown was sporting a large brace on his knee. With Vincent Rey also limited, the Bengals are dangerously thin at one of their weakest positions. 

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Cornerback Terrance Mitchell still plans to return for the final four games of the season. Mitchell had surgery to repair a broken wrist Oct. 1 and was placed on injured reserve. The hope was that he could return, and his rehab and treatment have gone well enough that the Browns expect him back some time after the bye. 

AFC EAST

BUFFALO BILLS

The Bills are expected to have QB Josh Allen (elbow) healthy and back in the starting lineup when they return from their bye week to host the Jaguars in Week 12. One question will be whether top tight end Charles Clay (hamstring) is able to play after missing last Sunday's win over the Jets. He was listed as week-to-week and did not practice before that game. 

MIAMI DOLPHINS

The Dolphins head into the bye week in desperate need of good health news. Adam Gase said he wasn't sure they would have 46 healthy players to be active if they had a game this week. Ryan Tannehill threw passes last weekend, and the Dolphins are hopeful that if he continues to throw without much pain, there is a chance he could play Nov. 25. He isn't out of the woods yet, but it is the most optimism we've seen on an injury that kept him out the past five games. Receivers DeVante Parker (shoulder) and Jakeem Grant (foot) are expected to miss some time, but Gase indicated that neither injury seems to be season-ending. There is optimism that Laremy Tunsil, Ja'Wuan James, Ted Larsen and Charles Harris are close to returning and could do so on Nov. 25 vs. the Colts. 

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is the player who probably will benefit most from the bye, as he has missed three of the past four games (back, ankle). Getting Gronkowski back, as well as starting right guard Shaq Mason, would naturally be a big boost to the team. No. 2 TE Dwayne Allen (knee) has been walking with the aid of crutches and didn't take part in the team's lone bye-week practice. -- Mike Reiss

NEW YORK JETS

The Jets are on their bye week, giving QB Sam Darnold extra time to rest his strained right foot. He wasn't close to playing last week, but he's out of his walking boot, which is an encouraging sign. Still, he's far from a lock for Week 12 against the Patriots. He hasn't practiced since suffering the injury. The Jets will err on the side of caution, so there's a chance he might not return until the following week against the Titans. Josh McCown would start again in his place. 

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON TEXANS

On Wednesday, running back D'Onta Foreman practiced for the first time since he tore his Achilles tendon nearly a year ago. This opens the 21-day window the Texans have to move Foreman from the PUP list to the active roster or put him on injured reserve. While Foreman said he's confident he will play this season, head coach Bill O'Brien cautioned that before the running back takes the field, the Texans need to make sure he's in good enough shape to contribute. 

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Clayton Geathers (knee) and Malik Hooker (hip), the two starting safeties, and veteran Mike Mitchell (calf) all missed practice Wednesday. Geathers' not practicing might be more of a precaution because he missed two of three days of practice last week before starting against Jacksonville last weekend. Hooker practiced all three days despite being on the injury report all three days last week. Mitchell has been out since he left the Week 8 game at Oakland in the second half. 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Center Brandon Linder is finished for the season after right knee surgery on Tuesday, and Tyler Shatley will take over as the starter. He has started eight games (six at center, two at left guard) in his four-plus seasons with the Jaguars, including four at center last season when Linder was out with an illness. The offseason will be interesting for the Jaguars because they have two starting linemen coming back from serious knee injuries (LT Cam Robinson is the other), the right guard is a free agent, and the right tackle is not expected to be back. 

TENNESSEE TITANS

The Titans are hoping right tackle Jack Conklin is able to return after missing last week's game due to a concussion. Mike Vrabel said Conklin is making progress but is still under protocol. As a former player, Vrabel doesn't take concussions lightly, so expect the Titans to use extreme caution regarding Conklin's situation and not rush him back. Wide receiver Taywan Taylor missed last week's game with a foot injury that he suffered against Dallas. He didn't practice last week but ran on the treadmill after wearing a walking boot. 

AFC WEST

DENVER BRONCOS

The Broncos have some optimism that rookie running back Royce Freeman, who has missed the past two games with an ankle injury and still leads the team in rushing touchdowns with four, will be ready to play at least some of the game Sunday against the Chargers. Freeman practiced Wednesday on a limited basis, and Coach Vance Joseph said, "If I'm a betting man, I'm betting on Royce that he plays Sunday." With Freeman back in the lineup, the Broncos will have the most productive part of their offense -- the running game -- at full strength, something they've said will be key as they work through the injuries in the offensive line, given that guard Ron Leary and center Matt Paradis are both now on injured reserve. The Broncos are expected to lean more on their bigger personnel groupings with a play-action component in the passing game. They have a bigger variety of options from the playbook if both Freeman and Phillip Lindsay are in the lineup. 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The Chiefs are confident that WR Sammy Watkins (foot) and LB Anthony Hitchens (rib) will be available against the Rams after missing last week's game. Watkins in particular would be a welcome addition against a high-scoring opponent. Watkins either didn't play or played little in Kansas City's two lowest-scoring games of the season. 

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Defensive end Joey Bosa was a limited participant in practice Wednesday; marking the first time he practiced since reaggravating a bruised left foot during practice in the lead-up to the team's season opener against the Chiefs. Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn said he'll slowly ramp up Bosa's activity in practice this week, but he did not rule out the possibility that the Ohio State product plays for the first time this season on Sunday at home against the Broncos. 

OAKLAND RAIDERS

The Raiders' wide receiver corps is in tatters because weeks after the team traded Amari Cooper to the Cowboys for a first-round draft pick, Martavis Bryant is out indefinitely with a PCL injury, and Jordy Nelson will be questionable to play Sunday at Arizona with a bone bruise in his knee. As such, seventh-round rookie Marcell Ateman should be activated for the first time in his career. The Raiders also promoted rookie Saeed Blacknall from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Still, expect Brandon LaFell and Seth Roberts to be the starting wideouts against the Cardinals. 

NFC EAST

DALLAS COWBOYS

Left tackle Tyron Smith did not practice Wednesday because of a tight back. Although the team does not believe it will keep him out of Sunday's game at Atlanta, this raises a concern because he has had back issues the previous two seasons. Smith did not play last year at Atlanta, which played a big part in Dak Prescott's being sacked eight times. The Cowboys feel better protected with veteran Cameron Fleming ready if something happened to Smith, but the five-time Pro Bowler is coming off his best game of the season last week at Philadelphia. Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin (knee) also did not practice, but he is expected to play Sunday and will do more in practice as the week goes on. 

NEW YORK GIANTS

The Giants only had a jog-through on a short week Wednesday, but starting free safety Curtis Riley (shoulder) was listed as having not practiced. Coach Pat Shurmur again brushed if off by saying that there weren't any major injury concerns, that this was normal game wear and tear. The Giants have veteran safety Michael Thomas ready to step in if necessary, so there wouldn't be a big drop-off if Riley is unable to play. 

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The Eagles could be getting two key defensive players back in time for their big game at the Saints. Coach Doug Pederson is optimistic that DT Tim Jernigan (herniated disc surgery) and CB Sidney Jones (hamstring) will play this weekend. Jernigan has yet to play this season. Pairing him back up inside with Fletcher Cox would provide a boost to the Eagles' pass rush. 

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Left tackle Trent Williams (thumb) already has been ruled out for Sunday's game vs. Houston, and coach Jay Gruden said there's a good chance that running back Chris Thompson (ribs) won't play either. But there are three players whose status is more questionable: receiver Jamison Crowder (ankle), place kicker Dustin Hopkins (groin) and cornerback Quinton Dunbar (shin/hamstring). Crowder underwent an MRI earlier this week, and there was no further damage. The ankle is taking a while to heal, but Gruden was optimistic that Crowder will return at some point soon. He still isn't quite right cutting on his ankle. They're more perplexed by Dunbar because there's nerve damage in the leg. He can walk fine; it just hurts to run. As for Hopkins, they'll see how he feels Friday, but they worked out five kickers Tuesday just in case. 

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO BEARS

The Bears have almost all of their key players healthy as they prepare for Sunday night's showdown against the Vikings. Linebacker Khalil Mack and wide receiver Allen Robinson both returned to action last week. Mack (2.0 sacks) and Robinson (six catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns) had huge roles in Chicago's victory over Detroit. The only lingering injury question is when the Bears will bring tight end Adam Shaheen off injured reserve and add him to the active roster. Shaheen began practicing with the team last week. 

DETROIT LIONS

Detroit is getting beaten up at this point of the season. Besides sending RG T.J. Lang (neck) to injured reserve, the Lions had nine players on the injury report Wednesday; that's an approximation since Detroit went through a walkthrough instead of practice. The main one to pay attention to is WR Marvin Jones Sr. (knee), who would not have practiced. While Adam Schefter reported that Jones had a bone bruise, the chances of him playing against Carolina seem slim. If he can't play, figure that the Panthers will pay more attention to Kenny Golladay. Two of Detroit's three tight ends are on the injury report: Michael Roberts (shoulder) wouldn't have practiced, and Luke Willson (shoulder) would have gone on a limited basis. That leaves Detroit, for now, with one healthy tight end. Defensive tackle is now also a concern with Damon Harrison (shoulder) limited on Wednesday and A'Shawn Robinson (ankle) surprisingly listed as someone who wouldn't have practiced. Considering Detroit's porous run defense, if either or both are out or limited, that could give Carolina's running backs and Cam Newton a big advantage. For a team that has lost three straight, these are a bunch of concerning injuries -- and that doesn't include CB Darius Slay (knee), who was limited. That's an upgrade from last Wednesday, though, when the Lions' No. 1 corner was out. 

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Wide receiver Randall Cobb, CB Kevin King, OLB Nick Perry and S Kentrell Brice won't play Thursday against the Seahawks, while LB Blake Martinez and CB Bashaud Breeland were listed as questionable. Martinez played through a sprained ankle Sunday vs. Miami while Breeland suffered a groin injury. Cobb and King both missed the Miami game with hamstring injuries, and Perry (knee) and Brice (ankle) were injured during that game. 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Stefon Diggs said on NFL Network that he's "back to feeling normal" after missing the Lions game with an injury to his ribs, and he expects to play against the Bears on Sunday Night Football. Diggs was a full participant in practice, as was Linval Joseph, who has an ankle and shoulder injury. Dalvin Cook was no longer on the injury report after seven weeks listed with a hamstring injury, which is a good sign for the Vikings' offense going forward. But even coming out of the bye, Minnesota's injury report was far longer than Chicago's. The Vikings are still without Anthony Barr (hamstring) and Andrew Sendejo (groin) and could be without David Morgan (knee) after all three did not practice Wednesday. Adam Thielen injured his calf in the lead-up to the Lions game but was able to play through the injury in Week 9. He was limited on Wednesday (also listed with a low back injury) along with Tom Compton (knee), Xavier Rhodes (foot) and Mike Remmers (low back). 

NFC SOUTH

ATLANTA FALCONS

Deion Jones' status is still a mystery, though the Pro Bowl linebacker was activated off injured reserve after undergoing early-season foot surgery. Coach Dan Quinn didn't commit to Jones playing Sunday against the Cowboys, and Jones only said he was "close" when asked how he felt. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Falcons take an extra cautious approach and keep Jones inactive this week

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Wide receiver Torrey Smith worked on the side for the first time since injuring his knee a month ago, but he appears at least another week away from returning to the lineup. While he has been out, first-round draft pick DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel have played well, so the team isn't rushing Smith back. Smith said that had this been the playoffs, his rehab would have been more aggressive. 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Left tackle Terron Armstead appears likely to miss some time with what the Saints have listed as a shoulder injury (the NFL Network reported that he'll miss three or four weeks with a pectoral injury, but that has not been confirmed). Regardless, Armstead seems unlikely to play Sunday vs. the Eagles, which is a big blow since he has been playing at an All-Pro level this year. The good news is that the Saints have a reliable veteran backup in Jermon Bushrod, and the rest of their loaded offensive line has been playing great as well. 

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

Linebacker Lavonte David has a sprained MCL, and a source told ESPN that he "could miss some time," though nothing has been decided yet. He did not practice Wednesday, but when he left the game Sunday against the Redskins, he returned in the fourth quarter to play through the injury and was surprisingly effective against Adrian Peterson. "That just goes to show that most people can't grasp what adrenaline does in a game," coach Dirk Koetter said. Defensive end Vinny Curry (ankle), offensive tackle Demar Dotson(knee/shoulder), safety Justin Evans (toe), wide receiver Chris Godwin (ankle), defensive end Carl Nassib and cornerback M.J. Stewart (foot) all missed practice. 

NFC WEST

ARIZONA CARDINALS

Nine Cardinals didn't practice Wednesday, but the most concerning was safety Budda Baker, who has a foot injury. Steve Wilks said Wednesday that Baker will be "fine" but didn't know how long his injury would take. Losing Baker would be a blow for a secondary that relies on him in a variety of ways. His versatility allows the Cardinals to line him up as safety or move him into the box as a nickel corner

LOS ANGELES RAMS

The Rams are expected to have a clean bill of health, with the exception of WR Cooper Kupp, who tore his ACL on Sunday against the Seahawks and will be out for the remainder of the season. Josh Reynolds is expected to start in Kupp's absence. Reynolds also filled in when Kupp was sidelined for two weeks with a knee sprain. 

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Coming out of this week's bye, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan expects to have all 53 players available for at least some level of participation in practice next week. That rare occurrence would mean positive steps forward for linebacker Reuben Foster (hamstring), safety Jaquiski Tartt (shoulder) and receiver Pierre Garcon (knee), all of whom did not play last week against the Giants but are expected to return after the bye. The amount of injuries plaguing the Niners this season has made it difficult to get a full evaluation of the talent at some key positions, so entering the home stretch relatively healthy should at least allow the Niners a better sense of what they have as they head toward the offseason. 

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

The Seahawks will likely be without linebacker K.J. Wright on Thursday night against the Packers. He's listed as doubtful after not practicing this week because of his troublesome knee. Barkevious Mingo, who normally plays strong-side linebacker when Seattle is in its base defense, could again move over to the weak side for Wright. The other big injury question is defensive end Dion Jordan, who's listed as questionable with a recurring knee issue of his own. He was a full participant in practice the past two days, which bodes well for Thursday.