The New England Patriots will have to come up with a new plan at running back. Their lead back, Stevan Ridley, reportedly suffered tears of the ACL and MCL ligaments in his knee and will miss the remainder of the 2014 NFL season.

Ridley exited New England’s week six contest via a low tackle and was unable to return to the game. Early reports suggested the Patriots feared a season-ending ligament tear in the knee, and head coach Bil Belichick suggested the injury was “serious” following the game. Mike Reiss confirmed via Twitter on Monday afternoon that Ridley’s season was in fact over.

What’s Next For Ridley

Still just 25 and a very underrated power back, Ridley probably still has a future as a lead rusher somewhere beyond this season. Continuing to be that reliable guy won’t be easy, though, since he’ll be entering 2015 as a free agent with a shredded knee. It also doesn’t help that Ridley has had bouts with fumbling and has never brought much versatility to the table. Considering his constant up and down status with the Patriots, it’s unlikely the team brings him back, unless he signs on for cheap and they don’t feel comfortable with their replacement options. Odds are, however, the Pats like the guys they have, while they could even find another runner in next year’s draft.

That puts a less than 100% on the open market in 2015, where numerous running back hungry teams like the Jaguars, Colts and others could express interest.

Moving on

Regardless of whether or not Ridley is due back with the Pats eventually, he’s done for this year and New England has to move on. For now, that means passing down specialist Shane Vereen gets thrust into the starting slot, while Brandon Bolden and rookie running back James White should also factor into some type of rotation.

Losing Ridley is a big hit, as the Patriots had largely leaned on their rushing attack on offense this year. In fact, Ridley had produced two 100+ yard running efforts and had gone over 19 carries in three different games. If Vereen struggles to stay healthy like he has in the past and Bolden and White can’t make up for the loss of Ridley’s power inside, the Patriots could have issues with balanced on offense.

Each week more big names get added to the pile of NFL injuries. However, while new names keep getting added, each week offers the hope that one of those big names can get off the injury report. Week six has a chance to make that happen for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer, out since playing the first game of the year, has been dealing with a nerve issue in his shoulder and could be back for this week’s matchup against the Washington Redskins. Said to be throwing the ball at roughly 80% power, Palmer is shaping up as a true game-time call for week six.

Let’s take a look at the other key injuries for week six and gauge who may play or miss out on their respective NFL matchups:

Jake Locker, QB, Tennessee Titans

The often injured Locker is once again dealing with a hand ailment. After missing a week with a swollen wrist, Locker is now expected to sit out his week six tilt with the Jaguars due to a thumb injury. That puts backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst back under center and could give the Jags all they need to earn the upset win.

Montee Ball, RB, Denver Broncos

Ball sustained a groin injury last week and could be on the shelf for a while. That forces scat-back runner Ronnie Hillman into the fold, although he’ll likely share the rushing load with Juwan Thompson and/or C.J. Anderson. That could be bad news for Denver, as they’re suddenly under-manned in the running game against a brutal Jets run defense this week.

Reggie Bush, RB, Detroit Lions

Bush hurt his ankle last week and has been labeled “questionable” since. He suggested he’s not a lock to miss this week just yet, but every other report has said it’s very likely he sits out. With the return of Joique Bell and George Winn playing well in week five, it’d be shocking if the Lions didn’t play it safe with their top running back.

Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions

Ditto with Megatron. The Lions used Johnson as a decoy the past two weeks, and it ended up getting him hurt even further in week five. Head coach Jim Caldwell finally admitted resting CJ for week six might be in the best interest of Johnson, as well as the team. Johnson could always shock and get on the field, but it’s looking like he’ll actually take a break in week six.

Jordan Reed, TE, Washington Redskins

Reed’s troublesome hamstring knocked him out of his week one game and he hasn’t returned since. After missing the past four games, the athletic tight end figures to finally make it back into the starting lineup. Washington coaches suggest he won’t necessarily be a full go, but his mere presence could open things up in the passing game considerably for the ‘Skins.

Other notable injuries: Shonn Greene and Toby Gerhart have both been ruled out for week six, giving way to rookie running backs Bishop Sankey and Storm Johnson, respectively.

Week six of the 2014 NFL season has arrived. More importantly, we finally got a good game on Thursday Night Football. After five straight weeks of the prime time affair ending in a lopsided score, the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts came together for a heated AFC South battle that ended in a close score. Indy almost ran away with it with a 24-0 lead after the first period, but the Texans stormed back and barely lost on their home field, 33-28.

As always, there’s more to TNF than just the score or the records of either team (Indy moved up to 4-2, Houston dropped to 3-3). Let’s break down some key notes from last night’s NFL action:

Andrew Luck is Awesome

Luck did lose a fumble late and also threw a pick, but so what? He also helped build a crazy 24-0 lead and at least for one half, executed nearly flawlessly on the road against a solid Houston defense. More importantly, he put up over 300+ passing yards an impressive fifth time in six games. Much like Hansel, he is so hot right now.

So is Arian Foster

Foster is equally impressive, as he has now churned out an insane four 100+ yard rushing days in just five appearances on the road. Houston is just 2-2 in said games, but it’s not because Foster isn’t crushing the opposition. If Houston had an actual quarterback, his ridiculous running displays probably wouldn’t be going waste so much.

T.Y. and A.J. Finally Score

Both T.Y. Hilton and Andre Johnson are the top receiving threats on their respective teams, yet they both entered this TNF matchup with zero receiving touchdowns. That’s pretty inexcusable, but at least both teams correct the gaffe last night. Both Hilton and Johnson finally did catch a touchdown to end their painful droughts, while Hilton even amassed over 220 receiving yards on the night.

J.J. Watt is a TD Machine

Watt returned his second defensive touchdown of the year on Thursday night thanks to Andrew Luck fumbling the ball, and in that same breath also found pay dirt for the third time, overall (he caught a touchdown in week two). Those three scores now give Watt, a defensive player, more touchdowns than Calvin Johnson and LeSean McCoy combined. Color us impressed.

The Colts topped the Texans in Houston on Thursday night, setting week six of the 2014 NFL season off officially. There’s much more pro football action coming our way, though, as several intense matchups are lined up for the masses to see. More importantly, there are some games with some lines that just beg to be bet on.

After taking a look at all of the spreads, we’ve got four picks that could be worth taking a look at this week:

Jacksonville Jaguars over Tennessee Titans (Titans favored: -5)

Both of these teams are terrible. Like, really, really bad. Charlie Whitehurst versus Blakes Bortles. That’s not a joke. That’s the quarterback matchup. There’s not a lot of reason to pick the Jaguars to upset the Titans, other than they’re hungry for their first win and they’re facing the Titans. That’s good enough for me.

Carolina Panthers over Cincinnati Bengals (-6.5)

Carolina has been terrible on defense lately and their offense really hasn’t been much better. However, the Bengals may have gotten exposed a bit last week after getting pounded 43-17 by the Patriots. Cincy is the clear favorite at home and they’re probably the better team, but a desperate Panthers team might be worth betting on.

Upset to Chase: Dallas Cowboys over Seattle Seahawks (-8.5)

This isn’t the biggest upset for the week, but it’s the one to chase. Dallas seems to be a pretty underrated 4-1 team right now, while Seattle seems to be fairly overrated. The Seahawks don’t usually lose in Seattle, but there’s just something interesting about this Cowboys team.

New York Jets over Denver Broncos (-9.5)

Geno Smith and the Jets have been awful. At first we thought they were just a shaky team running into bad matchups. Then they got shutout in week five. Yikes. There’s always next week, and it comes in New York against the Broncos. It’s not the upset to chase, but the line is.

The sixth week of the 2014 NFL season gets going tonight, as AFC South rivals square off on Thursday Night Football. TNF has been a huge downer each week to start the season, but fans will be hoping the sixth time is the charm.

The Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans go head to head to see who deserves sole possession of first place in their division. Both teams stand in at a solid 3-2 and would be in the driver’s seat to take the division with a win on prime time television tonight.

To get a better idea as to what to expect from tonight’s divisional showdown, let’s break down the key points for when these two teams face:

Who Would Get the Blowout?

TNF games have been infamous for being over by half-time. Whether it’s the short week, a talent gap or something we just can’t put our finger on, it keeps happening. Even if the game isn’t over right away, it somehow ends up being lopsided before it’s all said and done. If that happens again tonight, which side is it likely to fall on? Probably Indy. They simply have the better quarterback and better overall offense. If this game gets crazy, it’ll be because they run wild.

That’s probably not going to happen, though, shockingly. This is a divisional game and it’s tough to think Houston would lie down at home. This won’t be some defensive struggle, either, but instead we just might get our first quality NFL contest on TNF this year. Maybe.

Stopping Arian Foster

Foster has had his bouts with his hamstring this year, but he looked plenty healthy last week en route to 150+ rushing yards and two touchdowns. There is some mild concern that a mammoth-sized role will tear him down again much like it did last year, but so far, mostly good. In fact, Foster has 100+ rushing yards in three of four starts on the year. It’s likely he gets a fourth tonight.

Andre Johnson TD Watch

Even at 33 years old, AJ remains one of the better wide receivers in the game today. However, thanks to shaky play at quarterback, he hasn’t been put in position to dominate in 2014. Despite 27 catches through five contests, he has yet to score his first touchdown of the season. Is TNF the perfect time for that to happen?

Andrew Luck, Ablaze

Even when Luck isn’t on, he’s still on. Take last week against the Ravens for instance; Luck tossed two picks but still totaled 300+ yards and two scores. He’s done one or both in every single game this year. Is there any doubt he won’t do so again tonight against the Texans?

The Seattle Seahawks were expected to put on an offensive show and destroy the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football in week six. One of those things happened. Kirk Cousins and the ‘Skins actually kept this one fairly close, though, before the defending champion Seahawks pulled away and took a 27-17 road win.

Ultimately, the Redskins performed much better than anyone thought they would, and this was actually a game until late in the fourth quarter. However, Washington still lost for the fourth time this year. While it was a bit of a downer for Redskins fans, there’s more to this prime time battle than a mere score. Let’s reflect on the night that was and recap last night’s top moments and takeaways:

Russell Wilson Can Ball

Wilson ran wild in this one, showcasing elite vision, agility and open field decision-making en route to 122 rushing yards and three touchdowns (one rushing). Wilson kept Washington’s defense guessing all night, as he used his speed in creases and worked his magic in space, and also used read option plays to throw off the opposition. He balled out through the air, too, as he added two passing scores and a solid 201 yards passing.

Kirk Cousins May Not Be a Lost Cause

A week after imploding against the Giants with a whopping five turnovers, Cousins played mistake-free football and put up 283 yards and two touchdowns in the losing effort. Washington couldn’t establish a ground game and Cousins was under duress all night, yet he still stayed cool under pressure and finished with a stat line against arguably the league’s best defense. It was a nice turnaround considering how awful he looked in week five.

Washington’s Defense Is Legit…Kind of

As good as Seattle’s defense is, Washington’s also showed up and was impressive in spots in this one. They contained Marshawn Lynch for the most part and if they could have figured out Russell Wilson, they may have had a chance to win this game. Their pass defense continues to be their Achilles heel, but they still have the ability to snuff out the run and put pressure on the quarterback.

Oh, What Could Have Been

Percy Harvin could have had a career night, but unfortunately saw a touchdown called back by a crushing penalty three different times. He was all over the field and put his elite athleticism on full display, but in the end didn’t even score once due to penalties.

Another hectic NFL week is almost in the books, as the Seattle Seahawks prepare to wage war with the Redskins in the nation’s capital to close things out on Monday Night Football.

It’s been another crazy week of upsets and climatic endings, with the Cowboys and Texans serving up one intense battle that went down to the wire, and a Cleveland Browns comeback win likely inspired many a NFL fan.

Could that mean the Redskins defy the odds and upend the defending champs on their own field under the lights tonight? It’s doubtful, but let’s take a look at the key points to this game to see how it might end up:

This is Alfred’s House

Alfred Morris certainly doesn’t have an ideal matchup against a tough Seahawks run defense this week, but he tends to be at his best when on his home field. Seattle isn’t quite as nasty on the road, either. The Redskins obviously need to be a more run-oriented team in this matchup, as Kirk Cousins taking it to the air in an out of control fashion like he did a week ago doesn’t bode well at all. Speaking of which…

Kirk Cousins, Which Version?

Cousins was pretty awesome in his first two appearances following an ankle injury to Robert Griffin III. He helped Washington to a blowout win over the Jaguars and then the next week almost won a shootout over a good Eagles team. Last week was a different story, however, as Cousins had the worst game of his career (by far) as he imploded on Thursday Night Football. Cousins totaled five turnovers (four interceptions) and turned a relatively close game into an embarrassing blowout. And he was at home. He probably can’t play that poorly again, but he’ll actually need to be pretty stellar for the ‘Skins to top the Seahawks. It’s a bad matchup, so it will be interesting to see if Cousins implodes again or can keep his mind right and play like he did in his previous two games.

Percy Harvin, X-Factor

Seattle’s defense doesn’t need any more praise. Neither do Russell Wilson or Marshawn Lynch. Both of those guys will get theirs and play big roles in Seattle’s game plan. Harvin is the guy to watch in this one, however. He’s been relatively quiet overall through three weeks, but this matchup just begs for an explosion. Don’t be shocked if he totals 100+ yards and scores more than once.

Ultimately, this is Seattle’s game to lose. Home field advantage probably means little for the Redskins after what we saw last week, while the Seahawks aren’t going to be too keen on the idea of dropping to 2-2. Losing to Washington would probably be a little embarrassing for Richard Sherman and co., too. Look for Seattle to put the clamps down and win convincingly to get to 3-1 as they come out of their bye week.

Pick: Seahawks 34, Redskins 19

Week 5 of the 2014 NFL season is here. The Thursday night game is a thing of the past and soon the Sunday and Monday games will be, as well. However, before the games can sound off or bets can be placed, we all need to find out which big name players are toughing it out through injuries or will be sitting this week out.

Whether it’s for NFL betting or to finalize your weekly fantasy football lineup, knowing the latest injury updates for the biggest names is pretty key. Calvin Johnson playing or not playing can be a world of difference. Let’s run through the biggest names and see what the latest buzz is surrounding their specific ailments:

Carson Palmer Remains Out

Palmer has a nerve issue in his shoulder and has been ruled out for the Arizona Cardinals’ week five duel in Denver with the Broncos. Naturally the odds favor the Broncos in this one, as Drew Stanton makes his third straight start. Oddly enough, Arizona is a perfect 3-0 thanks to Stanton helping them to their last two wins.

Calvin Johnson Expected to Play

Head coach Jim Caldwell has gone back and forth on Megatron’s status, but the latest word is that “the expectation” is that the Detroit Lions will have their best offensive player on the field. Or they won’t. He played last week at less than 100% and seemed to make it out OK, so there’s a decent chance he’ll do the same in this one. Elsewhere, backup running back Joique Bell has already been ruled out of this one due to concussion symptoms. Reggie Bush gets a full workload against the Buffalo Bills at home.

Arian Foster Listed as Probable

Foster played last week despite being questionable, and it looks like he’s jumped up to probably for week five. He still isn’t 100% and is playing with a shaky hamstring issue, so he’s not the safest guy to role with in fantasy leagues. Needless to say, his lack of reliability doesn’t make it easy to bet on the Texans topping the Cowboys this week, either.

Ben Tate Concerned About Status

Tate has sat out with a knee sprain since week one, but has a real shot at finally getting back to the field in week five. He’s expressed concern about it actually happening, though, and has to be considered questionable to play. Playing would be in his best interest if he’s able, as the Tennessee Titans have a pretty leaky run defense. For now, it looks like his status is up in the air.

Vernon Davis Missing Practice

The 49ers’ star tight end has now missed three straight days of practice, which is a pretty good sign that he’s not playing this week. Davis is dealing with a sore back on top of an ankle that really isn’t 100%. Look for the Niners to rest him so they can get him back to 100%.

Week five has begun in the NFL, as the Green Bay Packers dismantled the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday Night Football to get things going. The rest of the teams set off on Sunday and Monday, with a slew of interesting matchups on the docket.

More importantly, there are a handful of solid games to bet on – especially potential upsets. Let’s take a look at four to consider chasing as we make some NFL picks for week five:

Kansas City Chiefs over San Francisco 49ers (Favorite: 49ers with -5.5 line)

Kansas City just demolished the Patriots in front of the nation last week, yet they’re the clear underdogs here. Perhaps they shouldn’t be, as their defense is starting to look legit and quarterback Alex Smith may be out for some blood in this revenge game – his first visit to San Fran since leaving the Niners. It’s a tough road game for the Chiefs, but the 49ers aren’t quite the formidable defense they were a year ago. Smith and co. have a shot in this one.

Houston Texans over Dallas Cowboys (Cowboys: -6.5)

The battle of Texas goes to Tony Romo’s ‘Boys in terms of odds here, but Houston is also 3-1 and isn’t anything to look past. Their defense appears to be legit and if they have a healthy Arian Foster in tow, they could be a handful. Foster is key, though. Without him the Texans aren’t a safe pick to top the Cowboys.

Arizona Cardinals over Denver Broncos (Broncos: -7.5)

Arizona will be without Carson Palmer for the third straight game, which isn’t great news on paper when the Cards’ are on the road against Peyton Manning. They’ve gotten by with Drew Stanton under center so far, though, and enter this matchup at a perfect 3-0. This is a solid line for an undefeated team.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over New Orleans Saints (Saints: -10)

This is the biggest potential upset of the week, and one you might as well chase. Mike Glennon had some success against the Saints as a rookie last year and this 1-3 Saints club has a dreadful defense. It’s true the Saints are a different beast at home in the dome, but if this one turns into the shootout the paper suggests, all bets are off.

Sometimes Thursday Night Football gets so ugly, you don’t even want to talk about it. In fact, we’ve seen nothing but blowouts on TNF the last three weeks. Week four’s “battle” between the Giants and Redskins yielded a 31-point blowout – the second biggest gap in a TNF game. The Packers and Vikings did them one better – literally.

Aaron Rodger and co. were sharp early and did enough late to punish the Vikings into submission, as Green Bay held serve at home and pushed themselves to a 3-2 mark with a convincing 42-10 win. The 10 points came in the final period for Minnesota, who was without starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater due to an ankle injury. Down both Bridgewater and star rusher Adrian Peterson, the Vikings didn’t come close to competing in this one, and fell to 2-3.

But there’s more to this prime time game than the final score or the records. Let’s see what else we learned on Thursday night:

Christian Ponder Wasn’t Ready

A quick glance at Ponder’s numbers show he just wasn’t ready for this game. Rookie passer Teddy Bridgewater was potentially going to start this game all the way up until kick off, but Ponder was instead thrust into action with just two full days of preparation with the first team offense. It was visible that he and the rest of the team were ill prepared. Some credit obviously has to be given to Green Bay’s defense, but Ponder had zero chemistry with his passing weapons and got little help from his running game early. The third string quarterback and one-time franchise savior was out of sync from the beginning and even added two interceptions before the half that buried his Vikings for good.

Truth be told, Ponder could have been a lot worse. He was playing in a hostile environment against an underrated defense and didn’t have Adrian Peterson. He probably did about as well as most expected him too.

Eddie Lacy Lives

Lacy couldn’t muster up even 50 rushing yards in any of his first four games this year. He more than doubled that on Thursday night. Running mad and with distinction, Lacy used a surprising burst and tenacious power to chew up over 50 rushing yards on his first few carries and proceeded to top 100 total yards and find the end-zone twice against the Vikes. It was an impressive performance after Lacy had been criticized all week for not being able to dominate the Bears on the ground a week ago. While he got off to an extremely slow start, it looks like Green Bay’s young running back is finally back on track.

Green Bay Has a Defense

As bad as the Vikings were on offense last night, the Packers really did appear to be that good on defense. Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Nick Perry were all active off the edge in the pass rush, while the Packers also got great push and pursuit from the defensive line up front. They initially sniffed the run out extremely well and forced two great turnovers in the first half. Julius Peppers even cut back across the entire field and returned an interception for a score. They didn’t get the shutout, but this defense suddenly has six straight quarters of allowing just 10 whole points. Few could come away unimpressed.