On one play Thursday night in Indianapolis, John Ross flashed all of the rewards, and the risk, with taking him No. 9 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft.

He took an end-around from AJ McCarron, displaying top-level speed to the edge and bursting upfield out of the flailing arms of Colts defenders. The one cut he made, from left to right, looked quick and fast, too. But it wasn't quite Ross-fast. And that's because, on the cut, The Enquirer confirmed he sprained his left knee. It is the same knee he had his anterior cruciate ligament repaired while at the University of Washington.

The worst was feared, naturally, with a non-contact moment. But the injury could set him back into the regular season.

Thursday night was just Ross' second game, as he was just cleared for contact on Aug. 14 following labrum surgery after the NFL Scouting Combine in March. While in college, Ross had also suffered a right knee injury (lateral meniscus).

Another injury suffered Thursday night was that to third-string quarterback Jeff Driskel, who suffered what The Enquirer learned were a broken thumb and index finger on his throwing hand following a sack in the second quarter. The quarterback knew something was wrong, shaking his hand on a dump off to Jarveon Williams and then on an incomplete pass to Josh Malone.

He ended his day in a cast, but The Enquirer learned Monday he will not need surgery.

That means the Bengals are deciding if they will carry him through the 53-man roster cutdown and place him on injured reserve (IR), giving him the chance to return to the team late in the year or put him on IR immediately. That would mean he would not see the field again until 2018.

The team also has that decision to make with rookie tight end Mason Schreck, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Washington.

Some good news for the team, however, is that tight end C.J. Uzomah will not have to be put on injured reserve. He severely sprained his left ankle on Aug. 8. Uzomah is still several weeks out of a return to the field, but his season is not jeopardized.

The Bengals open the season at home on Sunday, Sept. 10, against the Baltimore Ravens.

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