NFL Nation reporters assess the biggest injuries across the league for Week 11.

AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC West

NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West

AFC EAST

Rex Ryan says the Bills are healthier than they've been in a while, and he's right. DT Marcell Dareus, however, remains the biggest injury question mark. He was limited in Wednesday's practice because of a groin injury that kept him out of a Nov. 7 loss to Seattle. Signs are pointing to him being available this Sunday in Cincinnati, though. -- Mike Rodak

Starting left tackle Branden Albert is ruled out for Sunday's game in Los Angeles because of a wrist injury. Albert dislocated his left wrist and returned to last week's game with a cast, but Miami figured the long-term risk continuing to play Albert, who is one of the team's most important offensive linemen, was too much this week. -- James Walker

Tom Brady (right quad) said he should be ready for action, but one thing that bears monitoring is how much he practices this week. Meanwhile, Rob Gronkowski (chest) took a big hit from safety Earl Thomas and said the wind was knocked out of him, but that isn't all, as he is injured and it could affect his status for Sunday's game. It doesn't get much bigger than those two players for the Patriots, who also have WR Chris Hogan (back) on the injury report. Gronkowski was the only player not present at Wednesday's practice. -- Mike Reiss

The Jets have a bye week to get healthy. The headline injury is Ryan Fitzpatrick's left-knee sprain, which kept him on the bench last week. He looked fine Tuesday in practice, but Fitzpatrick has said there could be stability issues. On Monday, Todd Bowles will announce his QB decision: Fitzpatrick or Bryce Petty. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Cornerback Jimmy Smith missed Wednesday's practice because of a back injury, but the Ravens don't seem too concerned. "He should be out there Sunday," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. Baltimore plays the Cowboys on Sunday and will rely on Smith to match up against Dez Bryant. Overall, it was a good day for the Ravens, who watched four injured players (guard Marshal Yanda, linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Kamalei Correa and cornerback Shareece Wright) return to practice. -- Jamison Hensley

Rey Maualuga (fibula) appeared at practice for the first time since last week, but he was simply working off to the side. That doesn't change their game plan much, as Maualuga's playing time is dependent on the game and has been sporadic. The Bengals also have to make a decision as to whether they want to activate Brandon Thompson, who tore his ACL last season, off the physically unable to perform list. -- Katherine Terrell

Robert Griffin III was cleared for non-contact work Wednesday, but the Browns did not designate him to return, and he can't practice until they do. The signs all point to Griffin returning -- if he can -- on Dec. 11 against Cincinnati. That would give him two weeks plus a bye to get himself fully healthy. -- Pat McManamon

With defensive end Cam Heyward out for the season because of a pectoral injury, the Steelers could use former first-round pick Bud Dupree to crack the lineup. Dupree is still on injured reserve because of a groin injury but is practicing with the team. He wants to play this week. Getting his game-ready explosion back is the final step, he says. After the Steelers' run-defense issues against Dallas, the group needs support, and a few sacks. -- Jeremy Fowler

AFC SOUTH

NT Vince Wilfork (groin), WR Will Fuller (leg) and CB A.J. Bouye (ankle) all practiced Wednesday after missing Sunday's game against the Jaguars. All three are day-to-day, and because the Texans play Monday night, there was no injury report Wednesday. RB Lamar Miller said his shoulder was feeling a lot better than it did the past two games, but he still has been limited, playing less than he was at the beginning of the season. On Sunday, he had 15 carries for 83 yards. -- Sarah Barshop

The Colts are dealing with some minor injuries but nothing they didn't expect. In fact they're on pace to have their entire starting offensive unit for the first time since Week 1 against Tennessee on Sunday. The only lingering question mark is guard Denzelle Good, who missed practice Wednesday because of an illness. "Continuity is great, having all the playmakers that you have on the outside, all the skill positions available and healthy certainly doesn't hurt," coach Chuck Pagano said. -- Mike Wells

The Jaguars are surprisingly healthy considering how late in the season it is. Several players have nagging injuries -- such as RT Jermey Parnell (groin), LT Kelvin Beachum (knee) and WR Marqise Lee (ankle) -- but they are all expected to play against Detroit on Sunday. The Jaguars can't use injuries as an excuse for being 2-7. -- Mike DiRocco

The Titans remain exceptionally healthy. Only one player is on the injury report so far this week. And Wednesdays off might be the way things go for DeMarco Murray the rest of the way. The Titans haven't had their bye yet, and while Mike Mularkey said Monday that Murray's toe was better the day after the game than it was the week before, the team is being cautious with the player who gets the most touches on offense. -- Paul Kuharsky

AFC WEST

The Broncos are on their bye and one player who could certainly use that rest is QB Trevor Siemian. Siemian has missed one start, then played with a left shoulder injury he suffered in the team's Week 4 win in Tampa. He was battered last Sunday in the win over New Orleans, having been sacked six times and hit another 11 times in the pocket. He received an injection in his non-throwing shoulder before adjourning for the bye, as the team hoped the injury would settle down a bit during the time off. He was also held out of most of Tuesday's practice to give him a break from throwing. Siemian said, just before the team left for the days off that "the rest will be good, but I'll be ready to go when we come back.'' -- Jeff Legwold

CB Marcus Peters didn't practice Wednesday because of a hip pointer, but the Chiefs don't appear concerned he will miss Sunday's game against the Buccaneers. Peters was injured in Sunday's win over Carolina. After missing a couple of snaps, Peters not only finished the game but made one of the biggest plays by forcing and recovering a fumble in the final minute to set up the winning field goal. -- Adam Teicher

The Raiders returned from their bye Wednesday with a light walkthrough given that they are essentially a day behind with a Monday Night Football affair in Mexico City against the Texans up next. As such, there were no updates on the injured duo of DT Stacy McGee, who has missed the past two games because of a hurt ankle, and CB Sean Smith, who sat out Oakland's most recent game because of a shoulder issue. Thursday's practice should tell more of the tale. -- Paul Gutierrez

The Chargers could use a boost to the passing game from receiver Travis Benjamin, who has been dealing with a sprained right knee he suffered late in the game against the Raiders in Week 5. Benjamin played only seven snaps two weeks ago against the Titans, and sat out San Diego's loss to the Dolphins last week. The Chargers hope with another seven days rest during the bye week that Benjamin can return to the field for a Week 12 contest against the Texans. -- Eric D. Williams

NFC EAST

The Cowboys are at the point in the season when it's about maintenance. Tyron Smith has back and hip flexor injuries he is playing through. Doug Free has had leg issues. DeMarcus Lawrence has back and shoulder issues. The Cowboys want to make sure those players are ready for game day, if not a practice. Because they have played a lot of games, the Cowboys are confident they will be able to handle limited practice work and still be able to play effectively. Safety Barry Church has started doing resistance training in his rehab from forearm surgery. -- Todd Archer

WR Victor Cruz is trying to make it back after missing Monday night's win over the Bengals because of an ankle injury. Cruz was listed as a limited participant in practice Wednesday, but barring a setback, should be able to play Sunday against the Bears. The Giants missed him against the Bengals as rookie Roger Lewis struggled in his place. Cruz is unlikely to return in a full-time role this weekend, but he would be a welcome addition to the rotation. -- Jordan Raanan

TE Zach Ertz was limited in practice Wednesday because of a hamstring injury. With 14 catches for 152 yards over his past two games, Ertz has been a bigger factor in the offense of late. This is a key injury to watch in front of Sunday's game against Seattle. Starting CB Nolan Carroll remains in concussion protocol. Fellow corner Leodis McKelvin says he'll play despite a hamstring injury. -- Tim McManus

WR DeSean Jackson was limited Wednesday because of a rotator cuff injury in his left shoulder. That's a good sign, but Redskins coach Jay Gruden said they still have "no idea" if Jackson will be available for Sunday's game against Green Bay. Jackson did not play last week but also never attempted to practice. The Redskins want to make sure his range of motion has fully returned and that, because they play again four days later, he won't hurt himself worse. At one point this appeared to be a two-week injury, but there is a level of hope. How much so, though, remains to be seen. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

The Bears finally got some good news, as RB Jordan Howard's name did not appear on Wednesday's injury report. Coach John Fox said after Chicago's 36-10 loss to Tampa that Howard suffered either an ankle or Achilles injury. But Howard practiced without restrictions Wednesday, meaning he should start Sunday in New York. NT Eddie Goldman (ankle) and RT Bobby Massie (concussion) were among the players to sit out. Fox hinted Massie could be back soon, but defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Goldman had a setback versus the Bucs. Goldman missed six weeks this year because of a high ankle sprain. -- Jeff Dickerson

DeAndre Levy (knee) returned to practice Wednesday for the first time since Week 1, but practicing and playing in a game are two different things. Detroit has typically been conservative when players are coming back from injuries, so his practice level will be monitored throughout the week. This, though, is a good sign the Lions will have their best linebacker -- and their top coverage linebacker -- back for their attempted run at the playoffs. Detroit is pretty healthy overall as the bye gave players time to rest. -- Michael Rothstein

Clay Matthews has been down this road before: less than two weeks ago, he returned to practice and proclaimed himself ready to play, only to experience a setback with his hamstring injury. The Pro Bowl outside linebacker was back on the practice field Wednesday, but until he makes it through an entire week without a problem, it won't be safe to assume he'll return. The concern on the other side of the ball is with the offensive line, where LT David Bakhtiari (knee) and RG T.J. Lang (ankle) couldn't finish last Sunday's game. Bakhtiari practiced with a brace on his right knee Wednesday, but Lang was not on the field. -- Rob Demovsky

Captain Munnerlyn (ankle) missed last Sunday's game because of an ankle injury, and the Vikings got a reminder of how much they need their nickel cornerback in a loss to the Redskins. Munnerlyn wasn't able to practice Wednesday, and given how many ways the Cardinals can attack Minnesota's defense, the Vikings will hope Munnerlyn is able to return for Sunday's game at U.S. Bank Stadium. He did some work in practice last Friday, and was working on the side with members of the Vikings' training staff on Wednesday. -- Ben Goessling

NFC SOUTH

The timing for the return of Pro Bowl CB Desmond Trufant remains up in the air as Trufant continues to recover from a shoulder/pectoral injury. Falcons coach Dan Quinn says he firmly expects Trufant back this season despite the alarming pectoral aspect related to the injury. In fact, Quinn is hopeful Trufant will return to practice next week after the bye in preparation for the Falcons' next game against Arizona on Nov. 27. If Trufant remains sidelined, second-year player Jalen Collins will continue to receive increased time as the starter. -- Vaughn McClure

Center Ryan Kalil is listed as questionable for Thursday night's game against New Orleans, but coach Ron Rivera called it a "good questionable.'' In other words, Kalil will start after missing the past two games because of a shoulder injury. That's good news for QB Cam Newton, who took two sacks and threw a pick-six on Sunday because of pressure up the middle due to miscommunication. That's also good for the running game that has struggled without the five-time Pro Bowler. As Newton said, Kalil is his "hidden jewel.'' -- David Newton

CB Delvin Breaux is questionable after missing practice this week. It's unclear if he suffered a setback after returning two weeks ago from a broken fibula, or if the Saints are just giving him extra rest on a short week. But it would be a big blow if he is out or limited on Thursday night, since he's their best and most physical cornerback -- their best bet to match up against physical Panthers WR Kelvin Benjamin. -- Mike Triplett

Center Joe Hawley missed last week's game because of a knee injury, and his replacement, Evan Smith, could be out multiple weeks because of a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken said Wednesday that he was hopeful Hawley could play. Last week, Ben Gottschalk, who got his first time in an NFL game, had to take over for Smith. Gottschalk hadn't snapped the ball to QB Jameis Winston since training camp last year. Going into such a hostile place like Arrowhead Stadium, where nonverbal communication is imperative for Winston and his offensive line, they really need Hawley back. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

There's really no way WR Larry Fitzgerald would miss Sunday's game in Minnesota despite being sore with ankle and knee injuries. But no one should be surprised if Fitzgerald plays through whatever pain he's in to have a monster game. That's just how he is. But other question marks will be S Deone Bucannon (ankle) and DT Corey Peters (foot). -- Josh Weinfuss

DE Robert Quinn admitted himself to a local hospital Monday morning with a non-football-related illness, and though he was back observing practice by Tuesday, Quinn's status for Sunday's game against the Dolphins remains in question. Quinn is the Rams' best edge rusher, a man who can steal some of the attention away from star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. The Rams could also be without their main backup defensive end, Eugene Sims, who is going through the concussion protocol. -- Alden Gonzalez

CB Rashard Robinson made significant progress in his return from a sprained knee last week when he returned to practice on a limited basis and was questionable for the game against Arizona. Robinson even went through a light workout before that game. He looks as if he's progressing toward getting back in this week, which would be good for a 49ers secondary that was scorched for 376 yards by Carson Palmer last week, and now faces Tom Brady & Co. this week. -- Nick Wagoner

RB Thomas Rawls (fibula) is expected to play Sunday for the first time since Week 2. "If he makes it through the week, he's going to play considerably because he's in great shape, and he's ready to do that," Pete Carroll said. "But we're not going to overplay him or try to take it too far too soon." The Seahawks will most likely ease Rawls back in. Expect C.J. Prosise to lead the team in touches against the Eagles, but Rawls should be in the mix. And the coaches are hoping the tandem can lead the run game down the stretch. -- Sheil Kapadia