NFL Monday Medical Report Recap: Falcons Lose Penix Jr., CeeDee Lamb Suffers Quad Injury

Another week passes in the NFL, and another week of injuries looms large. There weren’t too many major losses in Week 5, but there were enough at key positions for some contending teams to cause some concern. The Week 5 schedule started with an All-Pro receiver getting a little banged up, and included another injury to a young quarterback, and a potential season-ending injury for Javon Hargrave. Let’s break down the Monday Medical Report.

WR – CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys embody unfulfilled hope and potential. Heading into Week 5, the Cowboys had a chance to beat a 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team and give an undrafted rookie quarterback, Jalon Daniels, his first career start. Instead, the Cowboys were humbled in front of a national audience, losing 24-16 to the Buccaneers and falling to 2-3 on the season. A major part of the Cowboys’ failure to get moving on offense was losing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. The All-Pro receiver caught just 2 of 5 targets for nine yards in the loss and exited the game with a quad injury before returning and leaving the game again. 

Lamb bouncing on and off the field proved to be a fatal factor in the struggles of the offense. Quarterback Dak Prescott was blitzed aggressively by the Buccaneers’ defense all game and struggled, finishing 8-for-18 for 115 yards and no touchdowns against the blitz. So often, Lamb would provide relief for Prescott as a key receiver when blitzed, and historically, Prescott is one of the league’s better quarterbacks in those situations—partly for his pre-snap intelligence and processing ability, and partly for having a crop of receivers that work for him. None more so than Lamb. 

Prescott found salvation in his other receiver, George Pickens, but it wasn’t enough to help carry the team to victory. Pickens caught nine passes for 130 yards and scored his first touchdown of the season, and he is going to need to step up after an up-and-down start to the season if Lamb is out. There’s no doubt Pickens can do that. The question is—if Lamb is out—who else can help out? Tight end Jake Ferguson has averaged just 6.8 yards per reception and had a day to forget against the Buccaneers. The Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers in Week 6, and it remains to be seen if Lamb will miss any time.

RB – David Montgomery, Houston Texans

Solving one of the worst running games in the NFL was a major point of contention for the Houston Texans this offseason. They improved the offensive line, adding first-round pick Keylan Rutledge and free agents Evan Brown and Wyatt Teller, while trading for David Montgomery. The results aren’t what the Texans would have hoped for through five weeks. Their 35% rushing success rate this season is 27th in the NFL, and they’re 23rd in EPA per rush. Montgomery started the season with a 60-yard, three-touchdown performance, but has since struggled behind an offensive line that isn’t dominating in the trenches. But Montgomery is still a vital part of the offense, which is why losing him could be a big blow.

Montgomery suffered a groin injury in the 28-3 win against the Tennessee Titans in Week 5 and was initially ruled questionable before being downgraded to out later in the day. The Texans’ first win of the season was never particularly in doubt against a Titans’ team in a bit of a hole, and the running game looked potent with Woody Marks finishing with 15 carries for 62 yards. Marks has been better as a receiver, but had his most productive game of the season on the ground.

A hamstring injury for Montgomery is a potential niggling concern if it sticks around and affects his ability to accelerate and generate power. And though the offense did play well in Week 5, do they have the chops to do so again without Montgomery on the ground. The offensive line is still a work in progress, and there’ll be tougher games ahead for the team in general. Montgomery provides work on the ground, as a receiver, and a pass-blocker. Without him, Marks and Dare Ogunbowale will need to step up to create offense on the ground.

DT – Javon Hargrave, Green Bay Packers

After an up-and-down start to the season, the Green Bay Packers have fired back, ripping off two straight wins to move to 3-2 on the season. A Week 4 scrap against the Buccaneers was followed up by a pummeling against the Bears in Week 5. Almost everything was perfect for the Packers, the offense scored—and moved the ball—at will, Jordan Love is back to looking like a top-10 quarterback, and the defense practically gave nothing away, allowing just a single touchdown in the 31-7 win. It was the most well-rounded performance of the season at Lambeau Field.

However, this is the NFL, and no win comes for free. Everything, unfortunately, comes at a cost. The price for the Packers in Week 5 was heavy, with defensive tackle Javon Hargrave leaving the game late with what is feared to be a torn Achilles. Hargrave joined the Packers this offseason and was a key cog on an improving defense, so losing him is a tough pill to swallow. On top of that, the Packers lost one of their top defensive players, Edgerrin Cooper, a week earlier to a season-ending injury. Losing two of your top players to potential season-ending injuries in back-to-back weeks is tough to reconcile with.

The Packers’ depth at nose tackle isn’t great. They’ll likely ask Jonathan Ford to step up, or move Devonte Wyatt into that slot. Wyatt is more of a slasher, but is an equally big body capable of moving across the defensive line. The hope for Green Bay is that the injuries don’t continue piling up and become a momentum staller. They’re starting to hit their stride in an NFC North that is up for grabs.

QB – Michael Penix, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have looked like a revitalised team since Michael Penix stepped back into the lineup. The former first-round pick has been a hit in the last few weeks, leading the Falcons to back-to-back wins against the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers to move the team back to 2-2. Heading into a Week 5 Sunday Night Football showdown with the Baltimore Ravens, Penix had completed 73.3% of his pass attempts for 479 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Finally, it looked like the Falcons were moving in the right direction after feeling like a team treading water.

That might still be the case, but the Falcons hit a speed bump in Week 5, losing to the Ravens in overtime 30-23, but maybe more importantly in the long-term picture, Penix left the game prior to overtime after suffering a rib injury late in the fourth quarter. Penix took a shot on the Falcons’ final drive and was replaced by Tua Tagovailoa, who threw a game-ending interception in overtime. The Falcons had controlled most of the game with Penix under center, and will likely feel aggrieved that they didn’t beat a Ravens team without Lamar Jackson. 

The Falcons won’t ruminate over the loss for too long, but will instead turn their attention to the Week 6 matchup against the Bears, and the health of their quarterback. Penix has battled injuries in his two years in the league, and it would be devastating for the Falcons to lose him for any length of time, especially as he seems to be finding his footing in the offense. Turning to Tagovailoa shouldn’t, and won’t, fill the Falcons with a lot of confidence either. The former Dolphins quarterback is a shell of his former self and would struggle to command the Falcons’ offense in the same way Penix has. 

TE – T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings continue to roll. Their 5-0 record is the best in the NFL following the 23-13 win against the New Orleans Saints, and the offense is finally showing signs of life after a few weeks of poor play. With so much talent on the offense, the expectation was that it would start to click into place sooner rather than later, especially with a play-calling head coach like Kevin O’Connell. However, the Vikings played most of the win against the Saints without veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson, who left the game in the first quarter after suffering a concussion. Hockenson landed awkwardly on his head after being brought down after a catch on the second offensive play of the game for the Vikings and was promptly taken to the blue tent to be evaluated for a concussion. 

The passing game had a 46.9% success rate, per Sumer Sports, without Hockenson in the lineup—a season-high for the offense—as All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson naturally played a prominent role in the win. Hockenson had delivered a massive game in the 15-10 win against the Dolphins a week earlier, catching all of his 13 targets for 119 yards. In a one-game sample size, the Vikings offense comfortably survived without Hockenson, but with the former first-round pick set to enter concussion protocol and potentially miss time, the question will be asked if they’ll miss him down the line.

Hockenson has been a popular target for Kyler Murray in his first few weeks as a Viking, providing a safety net as a tight end that can win in the short area and intermediate areas of the field—especially across the middle of the field, an area where Murray has struggled to access in his eight years in the league. The Vikings can take solace in the fact that they have an off week in Week 6, which will give Hockenson more of a runway to recover and get back on the field. However, concussion recovery times aren’t linear. If that’s the case, there could be more of a continued role for sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew, who caught five passes for 32 yards against the Saints. 

Photo Credit: REUTERS