No major injuries struck the NFC North over the weekend, but holdover issues have the availability of some of the division’s top players up in the air heading into Week 12.
NFL injuries, Week 11: Jay Cutler ruled out for Week 12, status of Aaron Rodgers unknown
Cutler will miss a second consecutive start with a high ankle sprain, while Rodgers waits to find out if he’ll return from a fractured collarbone. Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson is dealing with a nagging injury in Minnesota.
The Bears outlasted the Ravens in a five-hour, storm-delayed marathon to improve to 6-4, but not without a cost: defensive tackle Stephen Paea left with a toe injury during the second quarter and did not return. Paea missed games in Weeks 5 and 6 with a turf toe injury, though it remains unclear if Sunday's injury is related and if it will cost the 300-pounder any more playing time. Having already lost their top two defensive tackles for the season with ACL injuries, the Bears started their sixth combination of defensive lineman this year on Sunday.
The bigger news is that Jay Cutler has been ruled out for the Bears' Week 12 game against the Rams. The quarterback suffered a high ankle sprain in a loss to the Lions and missed the win over Baltimore.
The Lions' only loss on Sunday -- aside from the 37-27 hit in the loss column they took from the Steelers -- was running back Joique Bell, who limped off the field late in the third quarter with a leg injury. The team later announced that he was cleared to return but was held out. It seems safe to assume he'll play against Buccaneers this weekend.
For the first time in what seems like months, the Packers made it through a week without any major injuries. Though Scott Tolzien has played decently over the past two games, his three picks in Sunday's loss to the Giants proved that the Packers have little chance of climbing back into the playoff race until Aaron Rodgers returns from his fractured collarbone. Rodgers said last week he hopes to be on the field against the Vikings in Week 12, but we'll have to wait until later in the week to learn his status.
Following the Vikings' blowout loss to the Seahawks, All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson admitted that he was being "bothered a lot" by a groin injury that kept him from running at full speed. Peterson brushed off the suggestion that he should sit out a game to rest up, but this will be a situation to monitor moving forward. This sounds similar to a nagging hamstring injury AD complained about earlier this season, an injury that didn't cost him any playing time.
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