Injury Report: Bill Belichick's Patriots Will Struggle To Spoil Jets' 2016 NFL Playoff Hopes
By Abraham Gutierrez
One of the craziest aspects about the New York Jets' 2015 NFL season is that Gang Green could run the table, finish with an 11-5 record on the year, and still miss the postseason. The rival New England Patriots would like nothing more than to deal their old nemesis a devastating blow in Week 16 of the 2015 NFL season.
However, in order to do so, Tom Brady and the mighty Pats will have to go throw a relatively healthy Jets team at MetLife Stadium. On Friday, Todd Bowles and his coaching staff revealed who and what was affecting his players in this week's injury report.
Luckily for Gang Green Nation, not a single player has been ruled out of Sunday's ultra-crucial showdown. Nevertheless, there are some reasons for concern, as there are two players who could end up being DNPs when New England comes to town.
Listed as doubtful is Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa, who's dealing with a neck injury that forced him to participate in this week's practices only on a limited basis. The rookie out of Nebraska comes into the penultimate game of the season with 19 receptions for 241 yards in 10 games played and five starts.
The second player that is most likely to not take the field at East Rutherford, New Jersey, is cornerback Dee Milliner, who did not participate in this week's practices due to an injured hamstring and is listed as doubtful to play. The third-year man out of Alabama has played in five games this season, registering only a tackle.
Then, there's the good news for Jets fans — the remaining players in the Week 16 injury report are all expected to take the field. Leading the list of probable players are the Jets' triple-threat of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Erick Decker.
Fitzpatrick has solidified his case as Gang Green's best option, putting together a resume worthy of a franchise tag. The Harvard graduate comes into Week 16 having completed 293 of 484 passes for 3428 yards, 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions for a quarterback rating of 89.6.
Meanwhile, Marshall has earned the only offensive Pro Bowl spot on the roster, thanks in part to his 93 receptions for 1261 yards and 11 touchdowns. His counterpart Erick Decker, who many consider to be one of the biggest snubs of the year, comes in as a pivotal contributor with 72 catches for 930 yards and a respectable 10 touchdowns.
New York Jets NFL Week 16 Injury & Game Statuses
Probable:
Dexter McDougle, CB (Ankle) - Limited Participation in Practice
Geno Smith, QB (Illness) - Full Participation in Practice
David Harris, LB (Back) - Limited Participation in Practice
Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB (Left Thumb) - Full Participation in Practice
Brandon Marshall, WR (Ankle) - Full Participation in Practice
Breno Giacomini, T (Ankle) - Full Participation in Practice
Calvin Pace, LB (Abdomen) - Limited Participation in Practice
Nick Mangold, C (Hand) - Full Participation in Practice
Eric Decker, WR (Knee) - Full Participation in Practice
Kellen Davis, TE (Back) - Full Participation in Practice
Questionable:
Dee Milliner, CB (Hamstring) - Did Not Participate In Practice
Doubtful:
Quincy Enunwa, WR (Neck) - Limited Participation in Practice
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
