The NFL players, trainers and coaches could be forgiven if they confessed to just wanting to get this season over and done with. What with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in the US and still no fans in the stands, you really couldn’t blame them.  A lot of guys are hurt this week and some are in Coronavirus quarantine still. A brief rundown of who’s in and who’s out for week 13 shows that some teams are going to continue to have issues.

Brees Still Benched

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees is still out for the New Orleans Saints with 11 cracked ribs.  His return this season is in question, but, if the Saints make it to the playoffs and he can walk upright, Brees will probably be playing those games.

Rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins will be a game-time decision for Dolphins coach Brian Flores. Tua jammed his thumb on his throwing hand, very similar to what Brees did last year.

The Atlanta Falcons All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones in still nursing a pulled hamstring and did not practice this week.  He is also unlikely to play against the Saints on Sunday.

The Seattle Seahawks are going to get wide receiver Josh Gordon back off suspension again, thanks to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.  However, he will only be eligible to play in the last couple of weeks of the team’s games.

The bad news for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is that running back Carlos Hyde has a banged up toe and is not expected to participate this weekend.

Cam Newton Taking It Easy

The New England Patriots quarterback Cam Newton got hit hard in the abdomen last week and still walks kind of gingerly. Head Coach Bill Belichick may not let Cam play this week with the playoffs coming up.

The undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers confirmed that their best pass rusher, Bud Dupree, is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL he suffered last week.

The Las Vegas Raiders are pretty banged up, with at least four starters on the IR.  Running back Josh Jacobs is still out with a bad ankle, safety Johnathan Abram has a knee injury and Nelson Agholor also has a bad ankle. Cornerback Damon Arnette is still in concussion protocol.

The Eagles Lose A Few

The Philadelphia Eagles will be playing without their defensive tackle Fletcher Cox, who is dealing with a neck injury. Both cornerback Darius Slay with a strained calf and tight end Zach Ertz with a bad ankle are not expected to play on Sunday.

Both LA Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa with a hurting shin and cornerback Chris Harris with a banged up foot were upgraded from DNP to limited, which is potentially good news for the team this week.

Scrambling quarterback Kyler Murry of the Arizona Cardinals has a hurt right shoulder, but does not seem to want to sit down.

The Cleveland Browns are finally going to get back their outstanding defensive end Myles Garrett for the game this Sunday.  Garrett was on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Burrow In Recovery Mode

Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow has undergone a ‘successful’ knee surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, although he has a long road ahead of him before he can get back on a football field again.  He has already shown a lot of potential in his first NFL season and has a great future in front of him.

D’Andre Swift, a running back for the Detroit Lions, is still out on concussion protocol.  Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford has banged his thumb and is listed as limited.

Defensive tackle Akiem Hicks of the Chicago Bears is still nursing a hamstring, but returned to practice in a limited capacity, while linebacker Khalil Mack has thrown his back out and will not play this week. Backup quarterback Nick Foles has hurt his hip, but practiced this week.

Just as the New York Giants seemed to be getting something going, quarterback Daniel Jones has pulled a hamstring and is questionable for Sunday. Both his wide receivers have been reported as gimpy, as well, as Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton will be game-time decisions.