NFL Week 5 Injury Report (cont.)

C.J. Spiller, Bills (sprained shoulder)

Fred Jackson, Bills (sprained knee)

Heading into last week, both of the Bills' primary backs had about 50-50 odds of playing. The Bills split carries with those two, indicating pretty accurately where they were physically. Both were decent, but far from their normal production. The key is that both were able to come back more quickly than expected, play at an NFL level, and come out of the game no worse than they entered it. Check all the boxes for the Bills' medical staff. Both Jackson and Spiller aren't yet 100 percent, but they are close enough to it that it's time to start thinking of them as back to the normal split. Spiller was the breakout star of fantasy until his injury, but going back to a split hurts his value in the short term. There's a chance to sell high on him right now if you're playing for the now.

Jake Locker, Titans (dislocated shoulder)

The phrase "no structural damage" is a pretty phrase that has lost it's meaning. It's not quite as bad as some -- "it's not a tear, just a sprain" is the one that makes me tear my hair out most -- but it's used more as an excuse than a precise medical term. The vague phrase gets its fog from the ephemeral definition of structure. In the NFL, it can be downright Clintonian. Locker's non-throwing shoulder dislocated again on a tackle, but it's not clear from video what caused it. Most of these happen when the quarterback is driven to the ground, but this wasn't the classic mechanism. Locker's initial injury was on a tackle, where an extra force on his fully extended arm popped it out of the normal configuration. If the shoulder was loose due to ligament, tendon or muscle damage, it would certainly explain why it could have recurred. Locker will eventually need surgery, but right now, the Titans will try to get him by with rehab, strengthening and perhaps a brace. How he responds will determine when he returns to the starting role. It won't be this week and there are some early indications that it won't be quick.

Rashard Mendenall, Steelers (post-surgical knee)

James Harrison, Steelers (post-surgical knee)

Troy Polamalu, Steelers (strained calf)

The bye week is supposed to help teams get healthy. The Steelers got their week off early this year, something that most teams dislike, but with several key injuries, it might have been just the right time for Mike Tomlin. The running back situation has been a disaster, with none of the options either healthy or productive in the window before Rashard Mendenhall was ready to return. That time appears to be now. Mendenhall was "close" in Week 3, but the bye week pushed the team to hold him back and be sure that the knee was ready to take the workload. Mendenhall won't get a full workload back in his first game action, but expect him to get the bigger share of a split. The fantasy key will be whether or not he gets the goal-line touches, but he didn't get those last year, either.

The defense gets both Harrison and Polamalu back. Harrison is returning from preseason knee surgery, as well as two recent back surgeries and a fractured orbital bone, near his eye. He should be back to normal after an extended rehab, but we'll have to see how much the toll on his body has taken. The same is true with Polamalu. He's lost a step over the past few seasons, using his experience and instinct to make up for it. Injuries could sap even more of that speed, leaving him and the Steelers defense vulnerable. Look for Dick LeBeau to make some minor adjustments to his defense over the next few weeks to reduce their dependence on Polamalu. There's some discussion that Polamalu will be put on a play count in hopes of keeping him healthy for the playoff run.

Laurent Robinson, Jaguars (concussion)

Lost in all the discussion of concussions is one fact: given enough time to heal, almost all persons suffering a concussion will return to normal function. That's not to say that having them is good or that repeated impacts, concussive and sub-concussive, don't have devastating consequences down the line, but that single basic nature is seldom discussed. Why? Because it goes against the very nature of sport, and in football, with it's macho posturing and "beast mode" mentality, it's hard to say "sit out." Enforcing timelines, as several sports have tried to do, lead only to under-reporting. Players find ways to hide their concussions and teams have incentive to do the same. Robinson had a concussion in Week 3 and was cleared to play after going through all the necessary testing and exams. Week 4 brought another concussion and this time, well, we don't know yet. The team has not ruled him out and Robinson has not yet taken the tests to be cleared. The cumulative nature of concussions is one that is widely debated, but the Jags and Robinson are going to have to make some hard decisions over the coming weeks.

Bumps & Bruises

Michael Vick suffered a knee contusion Sunday night. Nothing more than a simple bruise ... Mikel Leshoure is still having trouble with his groin. The injury-prone player is a tantalizing talent but will have to prove he can hold up before he gets any fantasy consideration besides spot starts ... Greg Jennings is likely to miss at least this week after re-straining his groin. Re-injuries are often worse and always get more focus from the medical staff ... Julio Jones was limited last week by his lacerated hand. It looks like it could be the case this week. Is it enough to make a start-every-week kind of guy not a starter? No, but it does amp up Roddy White again ... Kenny Britt was held out last week in large part so that he'd be ready for Week 5 and beyond. Things look to be going to plan for the Titans in this regard ... Lance Moore got 15 targets and a strained hamstring next week. He's going to bear watching at practice this week ... Darrius Heyward-Bey is cleared to return to practice. The Raiders' bye week helps him a lot as he continues to recover from that scary concussion ... Scott Chandler returned to practice on Wednesday. The Bills have been very careful in never calling this a concussion ... Dwight Freeney was back at practice for the Colts, but will likely be spotted in if he is able to play ... Word was that Nate Kaeding could be headed for the IR. Instead, he was back out on the practice field. He's still very iffy for Week 5, but he's not done either.