The Chicago Bears watched star quarterback Jay Cutler go down in their week two loss to the Arizona Cardinals. For the next two weeks, it sounds like they’ll be watching him on the sidelines. Per reports, Cutler suffered a mild hamstring injury during Chicago’s week two NFC clash and will miss the next two weeks as he tries to work his way back to 100%.

Bears QB Jay Cutler will miss at least 2 weeks with hamstring injury, per sources. Jimmy Clausen now starts. The Bears declined comment.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 21, 2015

The worst part about Cutler’s injury was that he left the game with the Bears still within striking distance at Soldier Field. He also had been performing quite well up until he got hurt, as he had completed his first eight passes. His final pass, an eventual pick-six, was his only incompletion on the day and took a close 21-14 game and pushed Arizona up, 28-14. The Cardinals went on to blow the Bears out from there, but had Cutler stayed in the game, the way he was playing suggested he could have kept Chicago in it.

Week 2

Chicago’s immediate fortunes don’t look great, as they’re now going to have to march into Seattle to try to take down the Seahawks without Cutler. That’s not going to be easy, especially with Seattle trying to get out of an ugly 0-2 hole. Both of the Seahawks’ losses to get 2015 going have come on the road, but they tend to play their best football at home in front of the “12th Man”. That’d bad news for Jimmy Clausen, who will try to step up in place of the injured Cutker.

Clausen wasn’t terrible in his lone start in place of Cutler in 2014, but he couldn’t get a win and he’s unlikely to do so in a brutal environment against a still very strong Seattle defense. That makes the Bears a very bad pick in week two.

Playoff Odds

While things won’t project well for the next two games (specifically week three), there is still a minor chance Cutler could return in two weeks and save Chicago’s sinking ship. Of course, it’s not overly likely. The Bears kept things close with the Green Bay Packers in their week one loss, but after losing to the Cardinals are now not just 0-2 on the year, but 0-2 on their own field. Unless they turn things around with an awesome road record in 2015, they’ll be facing an uphill battle the rest of the year. Few people picked Chicago to be a Super Bowl or even playoff contender, but the few that did could quickly see their bets crumbling right before their very eyes. If you’ve yet to make any hard NFL bets, refraining from picking Chicago to do anything substantial in 2015 is probably a good idea.

The Green Bay Packers made it through week one despite a big injury on their offense. Now they’ll have to make it through another six weeks with another. Per reports, offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga sustained a knee injury during practice this week and will miss up to six weeks after undergoing surgery. Bulaga was initially thought to have merely sprained his MCL, but a closer look showed damage to his meniscus.

Just to add here, Bulaga actually already had the surgery to repair his torn meniscus. Likely out six weeks.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) September 19, 2015

Green Bay opted to clean up the knee now, rather than to wait to see if things improved organically. Bulaga will sit out at least the next six games, but should be able to make it back for the stretch run later in the year.

Week 2 Impact

One of the league’s best offensive lines takes a serious hit going into a huge week two showdown with the Seattle Seahawks. Even at home, quarterback Aaron Rodgers now faces the possibility of getting more pressure than he’s accustomed to with his top pass blocker out of commission. That may not necessarily give Seattle the edge they need to land the upset, but an already evenly matched game just got a lot closer. Don Barclay looks to be the immediate replacement for Bryan Bulaga in Green Bay’s starting lineup, and it will be interesting to see how he holds up against Seattle’s nasty front seven.

Six Week Trial

Barclay will get a ton of exposure starting in week two, and depending on how he fares in quite possibly the stiffest of all tests, he could be the main man at offensive tackle for the next two months. Overall, Green Bay is deep and talented enough to get through even the biggest of injuries, but another body down on the o-line is never a good thing.

Bad Omen?

The Packers haven’t had much luck when it comes to injuries so far this year and it looks like the hits just keep coming. First the Packers lost star wide receiver Jordy Nelson to an ACL tear, while Randall Cobb and Micah Hyde both got banged up before the season opener. Inside linebacker Sam Barrington was the latest to go on the shelf, as the third-year linebacker was being counted on for meaningful snaps at the inside position of Green Bay’s defense, but is already on injured reserve with a foot issue.

Bulaga won’t miss the entire year and while he’s a big loss for now, it’s not a death blow. Of course, another big injury or two, and Green Bay could go from Super Bowl favorites to playoff duds. Bettors beware.

The Denver Broncos won in week one despite getting almost nothing from their offense. If they want to win in week two and get off to a 2-0 start, they may have to find a way to win again with even less. Per reports, starting running back C.J. Anderson is questionable to take the field on Thursday night, when the Broncos will face the division rival Kansas City Chiefs.

Anderson sustained toe and ankle injuries in a rough matchup with the Baltimore Ravens last week, where he managed just 29 rushing yards on 12 carries. Anderson was spelled by backup rusher Ronnie Hillman more than once during the game, as his injuries were impacting his effectiveness. Anderson was originally thought to be fine to face the Chiefs, as head coach Gary Kubiak had publicly stated exactly that following the game.

A few days later, the night of Denver’s biggest game of the young season, and Anderson’s status is suddenly “up on the air”.

His status is up in the air. It’s difficult on a short week. But he’s trying RT @trillogan: @RapSheet any news on CJ Anderson?

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 17, 2015

That news isn’t final, as C.J. Anderson could still fight through the pain and take the field on Thursday Night Football. However, the fact that he’s still in question suggests he very well could end up sitting out and even if he does start, he could see limited action.

While Ronnie Hillman is more than capable of being an effective runner (he proved it several times in 2014), the Broncos got weak production out of their offensive line a week ago and Kansas City’s defense is not an ideal matchup. Juwan Thompson would provide solid depth behind Hillman, but both could be overmatched against a stout run defense that can also put pressure on Peyton Manning.

The problem? An ineffective Manning could be forced into carrying the offense for the second week in a row. Considering he did a horrible job of accomplishing that in week one, there’s every reason to fear a total Denver offensive collapse. If that happens in the hostile environment of Arrowhead Stadium (where Tom Brady famously imploded last year), the Broncos could be in serious danger of losing a huge early season AFC West battle.

It could be too early to worry so much about Manning and this Denver offense. The Ravens are no slouch defense and one bad game doesn’t mean the Broncos suddenly can’t overcome tough obstacles. But the absence of C.J. Anderson certainly won’t help matters in week two. Make your week two NFL bets accordingly.

Update: C.J. Anderson is now said to be active for tonight’s game. He could still be limited but his presence greatly helps the Broncos stick to their run-based plan.

The Washington Redskins will be operating at less than 100% on offense come week two, as star wide receiver DeSean Jackson is out with a hamstring injury. Per reports, Jackson sustained the injury when going for a deep ball in Washington’s 17-10 home loss to the Miami Dolphins, and should miss multiple weeks. Early signs suggest a three to four-week absence for the Redskins’ top receiving threat.

Redskins WR Desean Jackson expected to miss three to four weeks with strained hamstring, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2015

It’s bad news for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who likes to chase the deep ball and just lost his best burner in his wide receiving corps. Jackson had really upped his game in each of the past two years, as he established career highs in receptions (82) and yardage (1,332) in 2013 and put up another 1,1169-yard season in 2014 while averaging over 20 yards per catch. That deep speed will be sorely missed going forward, but a 3-4 week recovery time table is much better than losing D-Jax for multiple months or the entire season.

Next Man Up

The injury forces fellow speedster Pierre Garcon into a major role, as he will now operate as Cousins’ #1 wide receiver. Garcon filled Jackson’s shoes while he was out in week one and performed admirably, as he secured six of eight targets for 74 yards. Just two years removed from leading the NFL in receptions (113), Garcon has all of the talent and ability needed to serve as Washington’s top receiver while D-Jax is out.

The depth behind Garcon could be in question, as Andre Roberts steps up as the second receiver and could be capable of helping out on a high level, but the depth chart at wide receiver thins out badly after that. Washington may have to ask a lot out of the likes of Jamison Crowder and Ryan Grant, two talented but inexperienced receivers who may not be ready to make a substantial impact. Rather than forcing the ball to receivers that aren’t prepared, the Redskins may just lean harder on Garcon and Roberts, while also keeping tight end Jordan Reed heavily involved in the passing game. Reed was impressive with a big role in week one, as he hauled in seven catches for over 60 yards and a score.

Playoff Odds?

Washington might be able to still produce on offense without Jackson, but there is no denying they’re losing a huge element to their passing attack. Garcon will now be the primary deep threat, which could have Roberts very active in the slot and Reed active over the middle of the field and in the red-zone. The Redskins already weren’t being regarded as a playoff contender, while an 0-1 start has them behind the eight ball as they try to turn things around. Quarterback Kirk Cousins was shaky in his first start of the year, and not having DeSean Jackson for the next month won’t calm inner concerns that he (or any Redskins quarterback) aren’t good enough to lead Washington to a division title. If Cousins does in fact prove his critics wrong, it will be in impressive fashion over the next few weeks without one of his top weapons. Needless to say, Washington’s long-term outlook is worse than ever, while they’ll be a tough sell when placing NFL bets over the next 3-4 weeks.

The New York Yankees remained hopeful they’d be getting star slugger Mark Teixeira back in time to make a final push to win the AL East division title. As it turns out, they won’t be getting him back at all.

Teixeira exited the starting lineup with a shin issue just a little over a week ago and landed on the disabled list on September 4th. Mark Teixeira was initially meant to stay on the 15-day disabled list and the attempt a comeback, but a second look at his injured shin showed a fracture in his right leg. With three months looking like the recovery period, Teixeira’s season is officially over.

Cashman just told reporters at Stadium that Teixeira is done for the season. The latest MRI showed a fracture. Recovery time is 3 months.

— Jack Curry (@JackCurryYES) September 11, 2015

The news is devastating for a potent Yankees offense that badly needed to have a full lineup of healthy bats to feel good about making the 2015 MLB playoffs. New York remains within striking distance behind the Toronto Blue Jays (1.5 games out of first place) and can still make the playoffs via the wild card even if they don’t win the division. As close as the Yanks are to making a post-season run, however, this latest injury is a massive blow to one of the better offenses in the majors.

Mark Teixeira had battled some nagging issues earlier in the year but still was largely in the lineup when needed, as he appeared in 111 games and produced a staggering 31 home runs. While Teixeira only batted .255 on the year, he produced 79 RBI and was a huge reason why New York felt they could challenge what amounts to a better Toronto offense.

The Yanks will still have the rest of the month (included another late-September series vs the Jays) to figure things out and try to make a run, but their odds definitely take a hit without one of their star offensive players. Greg Bird will now secure a permanent spot in the starting lineup at First Base. Bird has been a pleasant surprise in just his second MLB season, as the 22-year old has smacked five homers and driven in 17 RBI in just 24 appearances.

The Buffalo Bills made a wise investment on Thursday afternoon, as they locked up stud defensive tackle Marcell Dareus before he could leave as a free agent. The two sides were said to be at a standstill and were not planning on allowing negotiations leaking into the 2015 NFL season, while Dareus contested all along he wanted to remain in Buffalo. The deal finally got done early on Thursday, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the extension was worth a whopping $108 million over six years.

Bills signed Marcel Dareus to a six-year, $108 million extension, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 10, 2015

It’s a big signing for a player who will miss the first game of the year due to suspension, but long-term, the Bills couldn’t be spending their money much better. Dareus is without a doubt one of the top run-stuffers in the game, and his versatility has allowed him to also turn into a menacing pass-rusher. Keeping Dareus long-term shores up quite the deadly front line for the Bills, who also boast Jerry Hughes and Mario Williams on the outside of their defensive line.

Still in His Prime

Just 25 years old, the Bills are getting one of the top interior defensive linemen before he truly enters his prime. With new head coach Rex Ryan running the show, it’s extremely possible Dareus performs even better over the remainder of his contract. That’s hard to believe given that Dareus has upped his sack numbers over the last three years (5.5, 7 and 9 a year ago), but the talent is certainly there to back up the hefty contract.

No Faux Line

Dareus and the rest of the Bills aren’t just about numbers in garbage time, either. This is easily a top-five line in the entire league and that was never made more evident than in 2014, when the Bills finished the year jut outside of the top 10 against the run (11th), 3rd against the pass and 4th overall. With Dareus entrenched in the front line for years to come, the Bills could continue to be a top five defense.

Playoffs, Finally?

Defense tends to win championships or at least get teams close to one, so you’d think Dareus and co. would eventually get the Bills back into the playoffs. They were on the cusp of making it in 2014 and barely missed out, so we very well could see it happen in 2015. Even if it doesn’t, their time is coming soon, making them an increasingly stronger bet to put together a winning season.

*photo credit – Bills100.com

The first week of NFL action is here, as tomorrow brings the first official game between the Patriots and Steelers. Needless to say, injury news is flying around at record speeds and who will or won’t be suiting up in week one could have a big impact on how you conduct your NFL betting.

Healthy Shady

One of the bigger names on the shelf has been Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (hamstring). He’s back at practice and looks ready to start against the Indianapolis Colts, which is great news for the Bills as they play host this weekend. Indianapolis is the mild favorite heading into this game, but a healthy Shady could give the Bills the edge they need. Indy’s run defense was suspect last year and with Arthur Jones recently being placed on injured reserve, McCoy could have his way in a win.

Spiller Out

C.J. Spiller is being counted on for a big passing down role in New Orleans this year, but it will have to wait. Spiller’s knee issue has lingered into regular season preparation and he’s already been ruled out for the Saints’ game against the Arizona Cardinals. The Saints will have to feature Mark Ingram even more in the passing game and may also use Tim Hightower more off the bench.

Other Top NFL Injury News

Victor Cruz was making his way back from a torn patellar tendon, but a recent calf injury has the Giants concerned he may not be ready for week one. In fact, reports suggest it could be a multi-week issue that takes him off the field for up to four weeks. That just means extra pressure on Odell Beckham Jr. when the G-Men head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys. Dallas is the clear favorite here and with one less option in the passing game for New York, that remains the same going into week one.

Cleveland will have access to rookie running back Duke Johnson all week, as he’s gotten over his preseason concussion and can now focus on playing a bigger role against the Jets in New York. Isaiah Crowell is still slated to start this game, while the Browns in general are facing an uphill battle against a very talented Jets’ front line. Getting the explosive Johnson back and healthy certainly doesn’t hurt their chances, however.

Alshon Jeffery looks to be on track to play in Chicago’s home opener against the Green Bay Packers, as he’s battling back from a calf injury. The Bears have been very quiet on the exact injury and how it may impact him, but the Bears badly need him to help their passing game. With or without Jeffery, Chicago is unlikely to take down Aaron Rodgers and the Packers this weekend.

It turns out that the thumb injury which forced the Robbie Lawler-Carlos Condit middleweight title bout off of UFC 193 isn’t that serious at all.

Trading Places

That’s because the UFC has announced that Lawler vs. Condit will now be the new main event of UFC 195 on January 2nd, 2016. That spot was supposed to be for Ronda Rousey’s next title defense against Holly Holm but when Lawler called in the injury, Rousey’s bout was moved forward to UFC 193 on November 14th to take the place of Lawler-Condit. As is stands now, Lawler and Rousey have traded dates as the UFC continues to put up solid fight cards to finish 2015.

The Ruthless Rules

Lawler is coming off a very grueling 5-round war against Rory MacDonald at UFC 189 last July where he successfully defended his title for the first time since winning it from Johny Hendricks at UFC 181. Lawler is on a four fight winning streak and has not lost since losing to Hendricks in their first encounter at UFC 173. After knocking out Jake Ellenberger at UFC 173, Lawler has gone five rounds three fights in a row two of those fight earning Fight of the Night honors. The most recent one of course was his victory over MacDonald last July where he scored a 5th round TKO despite trailing closely in the judges’ scorecards.

Natural Born Killer

Known as the Natural Born Killer, Carlos Condit will be fighting for a UFC belt for the third time in his career. Condit won the interim UFC welterweight title by beating Nick Diaz at UFC 143 but lost to long-time champion Georges St. Pierre in a unification bout later that year. Condit is also a former WEC welterweight champion who defended the title thrice before moving to the UFC. He is 2-3 in his last three bouts but his losses were from top tier competition in St. Pierre, Hendricks and welterweight contender Tyron Woodley. Condit stopped Thiago Alves in his most recent bout last May.

Who Takes This?

A battle of two veteran strikers is what this bout is all about. Like Lawler, Condit is known for his excellent striking and ability to fight under pressure. He is an action style fighter who likes to push the pace and that makes a good striking match-up against the Ruthless One who is regarded as one of the best strikers in the game today and the #8 Pound for Pound best fighter in the Sport. Lawler is currently a slight favorite at  minus 145 while Condit a plus 115. Lawler has shown tremendous improvement and patience in his resurgence but Condit’s championship pedigree and experience cannot be counted out. This looks to be a barn burner of a fight and a big way for the UFC to open 2016.

*photo credit – mmajunkie.com

The Dallas Cowboys’ running game has been in question ever since the team let stat running back DeMarco Murray walk in free agency this offseason. The hit was felt even more when Murray, last year’s league-leading rusher, went to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. While Dallas still doesn’t have a clear-cut replacement for Murray, they at least moved one step closer to figuring their offensive backfield out on Sunday afternoon, when they completed a trade to land Seattle Seahawks running back, Christine Michael.

Dallas trading for former Seattle RB Christine Michael, per league source. Michael returns to Texas, where he starred at Texas A & M.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 6, 2015

Christine Michael burst onto the scene a stud prospect out of Texas A&M just three years ago, and looked to be a major steal for a Seahawks team that had one of the best runners in the league in Marshawn Lynch. It was a luxury pick that was never put into action, while the Seahawks played it safe this year by bringing in proven veteran Fred Jackson. That move rendered Michael expendable, and the Cowboys were one of a handful of teams that were both interested and could use a running back upgrade.

Whether or not Christine Michael actually serves as an “upgrade” remains to be seen, but there’s little doubt his raw physical ability is a welcome addition to a running back corps that previously boasted an unproven Joseph Randle and an injury-prone Darren McFadden. Randle opened some eyes after averaging 6.7 yards per carry in his second NFL season last year, but is still largely unproven and isn’t an overly imposing rusher from an athletic perspective. McFadden still is, but has also gone just one year in his entire career playing a full 16-game season.

It’s possible Christine Michael is the perfect blend of both running backs. If he isn’t, a 7th round draft pick is worth the risk to see if he can be the answer. For now, Michael isn’t the answer. It’s possible no one in Dallas is, or collectively they all are. Dallas has stood by their desire to feature numerous backs in a full blown running back by committee approach, and with a nasty offensive line as great as theirs, precisely how they go about running the ball with their rotations simply may not matter.

What we do know is that a run-based Cowboys offense was very successful a year ago, getting Dallas 12 wins, taking pressure off of a still very effective (if not elite) Tony Romo, and winning the NFC East. That happened with a very good running back touching the ball over 400 times. Now the Cowboys may plan to just split those touches up between three running backs (and also Lance Dunbar). The logic is all three would remain fresh, would stay highly effective and healthy.

Of course, the biggest question is which of them will actually be effective, if any. And if one is head and shoulders above the others, will Dallas ditch their committee plan and ride one main rusher, just like they did in 2014? If the Cowboys want to go further than they did a year ago, that may have to happen. No one knows if that will be the case, but being proactive and bringing in one more talented runner certainly doesn’t hurt their chances.

The Matt Barkley era ends in Philadephia before it ever really began. Per reports, the Philadelphia Eagles have given up on their third string quarterback and have agreed to trade him to the Arizona Cardinals.

Cardinals trade a conditional late pick to Eagles for Matt Barkely. #Scoopage

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) September 4, 2015

Barkley appears to have lost his preseason battle with the polarizing Tim Tebow, and will go to Arizona to compete over the next week for a job with Logan Thomas. The deal is for a conditional draft pick that is expected to be a seventh rounder for the Eagles provided Barkley is on Arizona’s roster for at least six games. If Barkley can show enough upside to convince the Cards’ to give up on the major experiment that Thomas has turned out to be, he should be able to nail down a spot on AZ’s quarterback depth chart.

Cardinals QB Woes

Arizona had a rude awakening under center in 2014, as a very good team was ruined by injuries and subsequent horrid quarterback play. Starter Carson Palmer (knee, arm) twice miss extended runs in the season, which gave way to backup passer Drew Stanton getting solid exposure. Stanton also went down eventually with his own knee injury, however, and Arizona had to try to win defensive battles with Ryan Lindley and Logan Thomas pitching in. It didn’t work out so well, as a hot start helped the Cardinals still make the playoffs, but Lindley’s ineptitude helped punch their ticket out in their first game. Barkley may not be starter material, but in Arizona he doesn’t have to be. Rather, he just needs to give the Cardinals a stronger last line of defense at a position that brought their entire team down a year ago. He’s undoubtedly more experienced and game-ready than Thomas was/is, so it’d be a relative shock if he didn’t render the raw passer useless going forward.

Tebow Time?

As for the Eagles, it seems they’ve been hell bent on getting Tim Tebow on their final roster this entire time, but they needed him to show growth as a passer and beat out Barkley. He surprisingly did that, as he looked quite solid in his first preseason game, regressed over his next two and then closed out his August run in style with a borderline great performance this past weekend. Barkley is arguably a better traditional pocket passer in comparison to Tebow, but the gap is not as wide as some may think, while Tebow undoubtedly brings more to the table from a tangibles aspect. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly seems to have a specific plan in using Tebow, and it will be interesting to see how that unfolds. Update: The Eagles have cut Tebow, leaving them with just one quarterback (Mark Sanchez) behind Sam Bradford for 2015.

Eagles released QB Tim Tebow, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 5, 2015

None of this hurts or helps either team enough to change their playoff or Super Bowl aspirations, as both teams are solid NFC squads with a shot at the playoffs already. The move simply makes Arizona’s quarterback room a little better, while allowing Philly to move forward with the gadget quarterback they needed an excuse to keep around.