The NFL has some great traditions. And some bizarre habits.
One particularly goofy quirk comes from the publication of injury reports for practices that didn’t happen. It happens from time to time during the season. And it happens during the bye week before the Super Bowl.
On Wednesday, neither the Giants nor the Patriots practiced. But both teams were required to predict whether and to what extent injured players would have been able to participate in practice, if there actually had been practice.
For the Patriots, the only player whom they think wouldn’t have been able to practice if there were practice was tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose ankle suffered an unnatural, Gumby-like twist on Sunday against the Ravens.
The following Patriots would have participated in practice on a limited basis, if there had been practice: receiver Deion Branch (knee), tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle), safety Patrick Chung (knee), linebacker Dane Fletcher (thumb), safety James Ihedigbo (shoulder), defensive tackle Kyle Love (ankle), guard Logan
Mankins (knee), linebacker Rob Ninkovich (hip), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee), tackle Sebastian
Vollmer (back, foot), receiver Wes Welker (knee), and linebacker Tracy White (abdomen).
Guard Dan Connolly (groin) and receiver Matt Slater (shoulder) would have fully participated in practice.
For the Giants, running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), receiver Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), and safety Tyler Sash (concussion) would not have practiced. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee) would have practiced on a limited basis.
Stay tuned for further updates for who wouldn’t have practiced on days on which there wasn’t practice.