This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
The biggest disappointment in Week 11 was the nasty left knee injury sustained by the rookie Bengals quarterback. Burrow was carted off the field following the injury and was later diagnosed with multiple injuries to the knee. Medically, it sounds as though Burrow has suffered what is known as the "Unhappy Triad," a trio of injuries that includes damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the medial meniscus.
The ACL and MCL are two of the four stabilizing ligaments in the knee. These connective tissues along with two menisci fortify and stabilize the knee joint. Their design and structure allows them to divert and absorb the various stresses placed on and through the knee. However, the ligaments can all fail if the knee is subjected to enough excessive force. Furthermore, an injury to the MCL is often accompanied by medial meniscus damage, because the fibers of the ligament are intertwined with the cartilage disc.
The Unhappy Triad usually occurs when the joint is twisted and an outside load is placed through the knee. Burrow's injury was a classic mechanism of injury for the Unhappy Triad as a his leg was planted as multiple players fell into the lateral portion of the knee.
Multiple NFL players have succumb to the Unhappy Triad including Sean Lee, Adrian Peterson and Rob Gronkowski. For quarterbacks, Tom Brady is the most noteworthy player to suffer the injury. However, several All-Pro quarterbacks appear on the list.
The biggest disappointment in Week 11 was the nasty left knee injury sustained by the rookie Bengals quarterback. Burrow was carted off the field following the injury and was later diagnosed with multiple injuries to the knee. Medically, it sounds as though Burrow has suffered what is known as the "Unhappy Triad," a trio of injuries that includes damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and the medial meniscus.
The ACL and MCL are two of the four stabilizing ligaments in the knee. These connective tissues along with two menisci fortify and stabilize the knee joint. Their design and structure allows them to divert and absorb the various stresses placed on and through the knee. However, the ligaments can all fail if the knee is subjected to enough excessive force. Furthermore, an injury to the MCL is often accompanied by medial meniscus damage, because the fibers of the ligament are intertwined with the cartilage disc.
The Unhappy Triad usually occurs when the joint is twisted and an outside load is placed through the knee. Burrow's injury was a classic mechanism of injury for the Unhappy Triad as a his leg was planted as multiple players fell into the lateral portion of the knee.
Multiple NFL players have succumb to the Unhappy Triad including Sean Lee, Adrian Peterson and Rob Gronkowski. For quarterbacks, Tom Brady is the most noteworthy player to suffer the injury. However, several All-Pro quarterbacks appear on the list. These examples set a precedent that should be encouraging for Burrow fans.
Let's take a look at some of the most high profile NFL quarterbacks to tear their ACLs in recent seasons.
The return to play date for the quarterbacks listed above was the first time they appeared in a preseason or regular-season game. Many were active participants in training camp and the practices leading up to their return. A quick look of the data shows that the average missed time for these quarterback was 293 days (~9.6 months). Even the players who suffered more than an isolated ACL tear were usually back in time for Week 1. Oddly enough, former Ravens quarterback and current Jets signal-caller Joe Flacco tore his ACL on the same day as Burrow, just five years prior. Flacco also sustained meniscus damage and was back in time for the start of the subsequent season.
With the data suggesting that Burrow has a realistic shot at being ready for the 2021 season, the next question to answer is, "How productive will he be?" Fortunately, a 2014 study did a deep dive on NFL quarterbacks returning from ACL tears. Their findings reenforced the concepts derived from the table above, reporting a high return to play rate following the injury. Furthermore, the study showed individual performance following the surgery did not significantly vary from preinjury performance. As a result, Burrow should be in the conversation for next year's fantasy drafts and retain his overall value in dynasty and keeper leagues.
Ryan Finley will take over at quarterback for the Bengals, but his performance Sunday didn't inspire much confidence. He finished 3-of-10 with an interception and was sacked four times after taking over for the injured Burrow. Bengals receivers like Tyler Boyd should be downgraded as well.
Turf Burns
Mark Andrews: Andrews was a limited participant in Baltimore's practice on Monday due to a thigh injury. It appears the problem is a thigh contusion, and Andrews seems unlikely to miss time. Consider this a preventative move, with the team operating on a short week ahead of Thursday's game against the Steelers. The Ravens are also dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak that sent running backs Mark Ingram and J.K. Dobbins to the reserve list. Gus Edwards will enter the matchup as Baltimore's feature back.
Julio Jones: The veteran wideout was in and out of the lineup during the second half of Atlanta's loss to the Saints after aggravating his previously injured hamstring strain. The injury itself, along with Jones' age, was always going to make him a high-risk play for re-injury. Unfortunately, that's just how this has played out, and he will remain a precarious play moving forward. Coach Raheem Morris said Jones will likely be a "game-time decision" for Week 12. Have a reliable insurance policy readily available should Jones be a late scratch, but, keep in mind, playing Jones if he is cleared will be a calculated gamble.
Christian McCaffrey: It's looking like another week of bad news for those invested in McCaffrey. The Panthers running back is not expected to play in Week 12 as he continues to nurse a sprained AC joint in his shoulder. I hinted that this was a real possibility in last week's column with Carolina slated for a bye week in Week 13. Hopefully McCaffrey manages to see playing time down the stretch, but the threat of shutting him down for the remainder of the year still looms, especially with the team's playoff hopes rapidly declining.
Joe Mixon: The Bengals offense took another hit earlier in the weekend when Mixon was placed on the injured reserve. Mixon has not played since Week 6 due to a midfoot sprain and will miss at least two more games. Giovani Bernard will remain the starter but has struggled over the past two weeks. Bernard has been limited to a combined total of 48 rushing yards and 54 receiving yards in Cincinnati's last two outings.
Kyler Murray: The Cardinals quarterback is dealing with an AC sprain in his right shoulder, but the injury appears to be a low-grade sprain. He has been limited in practice so far this week but is optimistic about his chances of playing Sunday. Keep an eye on his availability as the week progresses, but it sounds like he will give it a go against the Patriots.
La'Mical Perine: The Jets rookie running back suffered the dreaded high ankle sprain in the team's loss to the Broncos. The injury is expected to result in a multiweek absence, and Perine is a candidate for the IR. The timing of the sprain could easily end his fantasy season, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him held out for the remainder of the year. Veteran Frank Gore is slated to assume a bigger workload moving forward with Ty Johnson moving up the depth chart as well.
