Morning Links: Injury report

Matt Moore Suffers Concussion At End Of The Game: It was not a pretty game yesterday for the the Panthers passing attack as starter Matt Moore struggled all game. At the end of the game he suffered a concussion at the hands of the Giants defense, that puts his status in question. While the severity of the concussion is not yet known, it sounds like it could be a little serious. Despite his ineffectiveness I would imagine if healthy the Panthers would still go with Moore. But this injury at least makes you think of the possibility of 2nd round draft pick, Jimmy Clausen starting next week. Personally I think while Moore’s on a much shorter leash, I think if he is healthy you have to play him. The history of playing rookie quarterbacks early is not good, and in many cases seems to almost stunt their growth.

Eagles Suffer A Rash of Injuries: Not only did the Philadelphia Eagles fail to come back yesterday, but they suffered a number of serious injuries. Quarterback Kevin Kolb and linebacker Stewart Bradley both suffered serious concussions. And Center Jamal Jackson and fullback Leonard Weaver will miss the rest of the season due to serious injuries. Jackson is a major blow to the Eagles as he is one of their best offensive linemen, and will likely miss the rest of the way with a torn biceps injury. While they can kick guard Mike McGlynn over to center it weakens them at the guard spot. I would wonder if the Eagles would consider trying to get Kevin Mawae to unretire to have some veteran depth there. Weaver is another major blow, as he is one of the best fullbacks in the league. The Eagles are now scrambling to find a suitable replacement and with both Jackson and Weaver out their interior blocking is in question. It is unclear yet how Bradley’s concussion could affect him going forward, but reports state that he appeared very out of it following the hit. Bradley was supposed to have a big year for the Eagles so even only missing a few games could go a long way to hurting the Eagles. Kolb was the most recognizable name to go down yesterday for the Eagles, but seemingly is the most easily replaceable. Michael Vick had a breakout game yesterday for Philly and almost led the Eagles back after being in a deep hole against the Packers. Vick was successful with both his feet and his arm and will have fans looking to him if Kolb continues to struggle. Kolb will probably be back next week, but beware of the brewing QB controversy in Philadelphia.

Lions Could Lose Stafford For 4-6 Weeks: Stafford who injured his shoulder after being sacked by Julius Peppers, could miss the next month and a half pending tests. Initial reports said it might just be a week or two, but later reports all put his time table at 4-6 weeks. This is a major body blow to the Lions, who despite having zero chance of competing for the playoffs, could have used this season to get their young guns on offense to develop for next year. Losing Stafford for a significant amount of time will set back that timetable and makes the Lions even less competitive. Shaun Hill will take over at quarterback, but the more immediate concern is the offensive line. Stafford got killed last year, and obviously this year they have failed to protect their “Franchise Quarterback”. As if Stafford’s injury wasn’t enough evidence the Lions, behind stud rookie running back Jahvid Best, gained just 20 yards on 21 carries. Likely the Lions will be picking in the top 5 once again in April, and you can probably write down the top offensive tackle next to their name.