NFL Nation reporters assess the biggest injuries across the league for Week 9.

NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West

AFC EAST

Rex Ryan said Monday that he is "hopeful" running back LeSean McCoy can return to practice this week and play in Monday night's game in Seattle. The first indication about McCoy's availability will come Thursday, when the Bills return to practice. If McCoy's hamstring isn't healthy enough for him to practice Thursday, or especially Friday and Saturday, odds are against his playing against the Seahawks with a bye week looming. -- Mike Rodak

The Dolphins are pretty healthy coming off the bye week, but questions remain with starting tight end Jordan Cameron, who suffered a concussion against the Browns in Week 3 and hasn't returned to the practice field. Cameron has missed four consecutive games and might sit again Sunday against the Jets. You must wonder at this point if Cameron will be able to recover from his serious head injury this season. -- James Walker

The Patriots are about as healthy as they can hope to be as they enter their bye weekend, with coach Bill Belichick giving the players Thursday-Sunday off. While the bye will benefit all players in terms of rest, tight end Martellus Bennett (ankle) is near the top of the list of those who have been playing through injury. Bennett's pass-catching production has tailed off the past two games, and perhaps the ankle is one reason for that. -- Mike Reiss

Two injury concerns for Sunday against the Dolphins: center Nick Mangold (ankle) and cornerback Buster Skrine (knee). Neither played last week. Mangold is out of his walking boot, but he isn't running yet. The Jets will need him against Ndamukong Suh & Co. Skrine did some running on the side, but he still isn't practicing. The secondary depth would take a hit without him. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Wide receiver Steve Smith's status is in doubt after he didn't practice Wednesday because of an ankle injury. If he can't practice Thursday, it's difficult to believe he'll play Sunday against the Steelers. Smith has missed the past two games, and he'll need a couple days of running routes to get acclimated. Mike Wallace has stepped up in Smith's absence, with 217 yards receiving the past two games. -- Jamison Hensley

Will the Bengals bring running back Cedric Peerman or cornerback William Jackson III back from injured reserve? That's about the only question they have at the midpoint of the season, and coach Marvin Lewis said only that they would "make a decision down the road." With tight end Tyler Eifert back in the fold, the Bengals have no major injuries to worry about. -- Katherine Terrell

The Browns should have wide receiver Corey Coleman back Sunday against Dallas. Coleman was cleared and deemed fully recovered from his broken hand and was back at practice running routes and catching passes. The most recent game Coleman played was Sept. 18 against Baltimore, and he had 104 yards receiving with two touchdowns. -- Pat McManamon

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (torn left meniscus) is taking positive steps toward playing Sunday at Baltimore. He got first-team reps during Wednesday's practice and is throwing with precision, teammates say. "He looked like himself. In a sense, it's still probably a pain thing," guard Ramon Foster said. Big Ben said he's managing knee swelling this week. Also, defensive end Cam Heyward (hamstring) plans to return after two weeks away. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

The Texans are banged up heading into their bye week. Running back Lamar Miller, who injured his shoulder in Week 7 against the Broncos, said he was playing through a lot of pain in Sunday's victory over the Lions. Miller said every time he got hit, he had to leave the game for a few plays, and he said he hopes the nearly two weeks off for the bye will help him be ready to play Nov. 13 in Jacksonville. -- Sarah Barshop

Take your pick on the biggest injury for the Colts: wide receiver T.Y. Hilton (hamstring), safety Mike Adams (groin), cornerback Vontae Davis (concussion), tackle Jack Mewhort (triceps) or guard Joe Reitz (concussion). It's Davis because the Colts need him this weekend against quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' offense. Instead of not throwing in Davis' direction as much, Rodgers might not have to worry about facing the back-to-back Pro Bowler. -- Mike Wells

Tight end Julius Thomas is battling an ankle injury, which kept him out of Wednesday's practice. It's an injury he and the Jaguars are going to have to manage the rest of the season because they've already had their bye week. Thomas likely will take it easy on Wednesdays and Thursdays so he can play every Sunday. -- Mike DiRocco

Titans running back DeMarco Murray was limited in practice Wednesday with the toe injury he suffered last Thursday against Jacksonville. Coach Mike Mularkey said the team will be careful with him, but he said he "wouldn't expect [Murray] to miss" Sunday's game against the Chargers. Left guard Quinton Spain remains out with the knee injury he suffered against Indianapolis two games ago, though Mularkey has indicated a return is possible this week. -- Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

When you're set to play the quarterback who leads the league in pass attempts, is coming off a 500-yard game and has 17 touchdown passes with just three interceptions, you'd like cornerback Aqib Talib to be on the field. Talib, who missed this past Sunday's game against the Chargers with a low-back injury, did not practice Wednesday as the Broncos prepare to face Derek Carr and the 6-2 Raiders on Sunday in Oakland. Bradley Roby is a more than capable replacement for Talib in the starting lineup, but the Broncos are at their best in coverage when Talib, who leads the team in interceptions with three, is in the lineup and Roby is in the specialty packages. Talib is a question mark, but the Broncos hope he can practice at least some before the week is out. -- Jeff Legwold

The passing game worked better last week against the Colts, when Nick Foles was the quarterback, as opposed to Alex Smith. There's no reason that shouldn't continue against the Jaguars. A loss that could be more detrimental to the Chiefs would be running back Spencer Ware, who has a concussion. The Chiefs have yet to rule him for Sunday's game, but he would be difficult to replace. He's averaging 5.0 yards per carry, more than three-quarters of a yard ahead of backup Charcandrick West. Ware also leads the Chiefs with an 18.4 yards per catch average. -- Adam Teicher

Cornerback Sean Smith, who suffered an injury to his left shoulder on the second play of the game in Tampa Bay and did not return to the game, was nowhere to be found as the Raiders took the practice field Wednesday. Nor did coach Jack Del Rio, who is notoriously tight-lipped on injuries, have much of an update, as he essentially told reporters to keep an eye on the daily injury report. It seems unlikely that Smith would play Sunday, which means D.J. Hayden, who played on the outside in base defense and in the slot in nickel, and TJ Carrie, who played on the outside in nickel, would again have to pick up the slack. That's just fine with them. "Me and D.J., we had a blast," Carrie said this week of the increased workload against the Buccaneers. -- Paul Gutierrez

The two biggest injuries for the Chargers this week are wide receiver Travis Benjamin and tight end Hunter Henry. Benjamin confirmed that he has been diagnosed with a grade-2 PCL right knee sprain that will not require surgery. He did not practice Wednesday for the Chargers, as he tries to rest the injury but is hopeful to play Sunday against the Titans. Henry's also dealing with a knee issue, but like Benjamin, he is hopeful to play Sunday. -- Eric D. Williams

NFC EAST

The Cowboys will be without starting safety Barry Church (forearm) and cornerback Morris Claiborne (groin) for the next month, but they seem to be in position to withstand the losses. J.J. Wilcox was a full-time starter in 2014 and '15. Orlando Scandrick has been a starting-type player essentially since his rookie season in 2008. Last week, Scandrick made it through his first game in a month because of hamstring strains and believes he is back to form. Wilcox has played well in a limited role but has had coverage and tackling issues in the past. The Cowboys have been able to withstand injuries this season. These will test them, but having experienced players waiting in the wings is always helpful. -- Todd Archer

The Giants are the healthiest they've been since the start of the season. All 53 players on the active roster practiced Wednesday. All eyes, however, will still be on star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. He has been dealing with a hip/oblique injury that limited him greatly the most recent time the Giants played. Fortunately, a week of rest did him well, and he's feeling better. He is expected to be near 100 percent. But Beckham still needs to be monitored because the injury didn't respond well to practice two weeks ago, and he almost didn't play against the Rams. -- Jordan Raanan

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The Eagles' offensive line could be down another starter, as guard Allen Barbre sustained a hamstring injury against the Cowboys and was labeled week-to-week by coach Doug Pederson, which to this point has been code that the player will miss some time. Veteran Stefen Wisniewski is likely to fill his spot. Defensive tackle Bennie Logan (groin) returned to practice in a limited capacity after missing the past couple games with a groin injury. A key figure on the interior, Logan will be monitored leading up to Sunday. -- Tim McManus

The Redskins are on their bye week, but they have some injuries worth watching for the following week. Running back Matt Jones will continue treatment on his knee and see if he can practice next week after missing the game against Cincinnati. Even if healthy, he might lose some carries to Rob Kelley. Wide receiver DeSean Jackson's body is banged up; his shoulder and hamstring were bothering him in addition to head issues. He has been dealing with multiple issues all season, so the week off comes at a good time. Safety Will Blackmon underwent surgery on his thumb, but the Redskins have some hope that he'll be able to play against Minnesota after the bye. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

The bye comes at a good time for the Bears. Chicago plans to use the extra time to freshen up several key players, including right guard Kyle Long (triceps), left guard Josh Sitton (ankle), wide receiver Eddie Royal (toe), nose tackle Eddie Goldman (ankle) and cornerback Deiondre' Hall (ankle). Most are expected to return following the week off, when the Bears travel to Tampa Bay on Nov. 13. -- Jeff Dickerson

The Lions are almost back to full health, with only linebacker DeAndre Levy and right tackle Riley Reiff sitting out Wednesday's practice. Pay attention to cornerback Darius Slay on the injury report this week. The Lions have been cautious with their players returning from injury, so don't feel great about his status until you see him listed on the report as fully working out. Otherwise, Detroit is in decent shape. The Lions even had tight end Brandon Pettigrew (knee) and linebacker Jon Bostic (foot) working out on the side Wednesday, so their returns from PUP and IR could be coming too. -- Michael Rothstein

Randall Cobb wouldn't make any guarantees that he will return from the hamstring injury that kept him out of Sunday's loss at Atlanta, but the Packers' receiver believes it was the right call for the long haul. "You've got to look at the big picture," Cobb said Wednesday. "Nine games in a row coming up. We don't really have a bye, we don't have much time [off], it's going to go straight into the playoffs. We have to make sure that we're looking big-picture." Cobb returned to practice on a limited basis, and coach Mike McCarthy said he would be evaluated Thursday. It was the same thing for outside linebacker Clay Matthews, who also missed last week because of a hamstring injury. -- Rob Demovsky

Running back Jerick McKinnon did not practice Wednesday, but he said in the locker room that he expected he'd return Sunday against the Lions. The Vikings could certainly use McKinnon, after posting just 57 rushing yards Monday in Chicago. McKinnon, who leads the team with 217 rushing yards this season, could also play a bigger role as a receiver if interim offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur implements some changes to the Vikings' attack. -- Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

The Falcons ruled running back Tevin Coleman out for the second consecutive week as he continues to recover from a hamstring strain. The question now is how long will Coleman be sidelined? Coach Dan Quinn said Coleman has the strength back in the hamstring, but the Falcons want to make sure he has the full explosion that makes him so dynamic. Sure, Devonta Freeman can shoulder the load, but the big-play ability of Coleman, with his team-leading six touchdowns, is something the Falcons want back in the lineup sooner than later. -- Vaughn McClure

Outside linebacker Shaq Thompson (sprained knee) did not practice or even show up for practice Wednesday, so he looks doubtful for Sunday's game at Los Angeles. Pro Bowl enter Ryan Kalil (sprained shoulder) was not in pads and did not practice, so his status is questionable at best. Gino Gradkowski, who replaced Kalil in the first half of Sunday's win against Arizona, took the first-team snaps. Left tackle Michael Oher (concussion) made an appearance at practice for the first time in five weeks but didn't participate. He appears at least a week away. -- David Newton

Things are finally looking up on the Saints' injury report. No. 1 cornerback Delvin Breaux and first-round pick Sheldon Rankins, a defensive tackle, both appear on track to return from broken legs this week, which should provide a huge boost to an improving defense. Left tackle Terron Armstead (knee) and safety Kenny Vaccaro (knee) both missed practice Wednesday -- but both were able to play through the injuries Sunday. -- Mike Triplett

The Bucs have already ruled running back Jacquizz Rodgers (foot) and defensive tackle Clinton McDonald (hamstring) out for Thursday night's game against the Falcons. The two biggest question marks are wide receiver Russell Shepard (hip) and defensive end Will Gholston. In the absence of Vincent Jackson, Shepard has caught two touchdown passes the past two weeks, but he's officially listed as "doubtful" on the team injury report. Gholston has a biceps injury, and his right arm was heavily bandaged during practice Tuesday, in which he was trying to work on his pass rush moves with defensive line coach Jay Hayes but wasn't using the arm much. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

There's a plethora of injuries Cardinals will be keeping an eye on during the bye week, including wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald's ankle sprain, cornerback Patrick Peterson's back and safety Tyrann Mathieu's shoulder. Coach Bruce Arians gave the team the week off from practice with hopes that they'd get healthy. -- Josh Weinfuss

The Rams are relatively healthy as they follow their bye with a Week 9 matchup at home against the Panthers. The only players nursing significant injuries are No. 1 cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who sprained his right ankle in Week 5, and one of their starting defensive tackles, Michael Brockers, who has been dealing with ailments in his hip and thigh the past five weeks. Both have been practicing lightly, and both will "probably be a game-time decision," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Tuesday. -- Alden Gonzalez

Running back Carlos Hyde said soon after suffering a shoulder injury against Buffalo that he would miss a game, rest during the bye and return this week against the Saints. That apparently remains the plan, as Hyde began the practice week Tuesday in a blue, no-contact jersey. Hyde is still the focal point of the Niners' offense, and his six rushing scores are among the most in the NFL. Getting him back would be a big lift for the 49ers, who have lost six in a row. -- Nick Wagoner

The question that continues to hang over the Seahawks' season is: When will Russell Wilson be healthy? Wilson appears to be over the right high-ankle sprain he suffered in Week 1. The next two items to check off the list are the sprained MCL in his left knee and the strained right pectoral. Coach Pete Carroll said the pectoral injury will not linger into Monday night's matchup with the Bills. The offense has looked different with an injured Wilson. He hasn't been a factor in the run game and has been forced to get rid of the ball quickly, leading to fewer explosive plays. "He's getting better," Carroll said. "I'm really fired up about that, and we're going to keep progressing as he is able and do what we can to get back to the kind of mix that we like. I know it's coming, so I'm pretty optimistic about it." -- Sheil Kapadia