With the NFL regular season in the rearview mirror, 12 of 14 elite teams are gearing up for what should be a wild Wild Card Weekend.
Raiders (5)-Bengals (4) will kick off the two-game mini slate on Saturday. The Bengals, who finished 10-7 and earned the fourth seed in the AFC by way of securing the AFC North, will have home-field advantage for this contest.
The Raiders, who also finished 10-7 after a stunning overtime win over the Chargers to wrap up Week 18, earned the fifth seed in the AFC and the first of three wild-card spots (they won the tiebreaker over the Patriots for the fifth seed).
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. Temperatures are expected to be below freezing with 10 to 15 mph winds and a chance of snow showers.
The final injury report of the week was loaded, once again: 13 players were listed on the Bengals' side while 12 players were listed on the Raiders' side (two more than yesterday).
Raiders vs. Bengals Injury Report
Not sure what the above abbreviations mean? Click here to skip to our glossary below.
Latest on Raiders-Bengals Injuries
Thursday Update
The Thursday injury report for the Bengals was mostly unchanged day-over-day.
On offense, quarterback Joe Burrow (knee) practiced in full for the third day in a row, making it highly likely he starts without issue come Saturday. Wide receiver Tee Higgins (foot) — who was added to the report yesterday — recorded another limited practice.
On defense, strong safety Ricardo Allen (concussion) was upgraded from limited to a full participant today. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou (knee) was the lone Bengal to miss practice all together — his third straight absence, and he is doubtful to play this week. Cornerback Jalen Davis (ankle) and wide receiver Stanley Morgan (hamstring) are both listed as questionable.
The Thursday injury report for the Raiders included two new names: defensive tackles Quinton Jefferson (foot) and Kendal Vickers (back) were added to today's report as limited participants. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (back/knee) was upgraded from a DNP to limited today. The remaining nine players' statuses were unchanged.
Wednesday Update
The Wednesday injury report for the Bengals was much of the same.
Offensively, quarterback Joe Burrow (knee) once again practiced in full, which is a great omen for his availability for Saturday. Wide receiver Tee Higgins (foot) was a noteworthy addition to the report, though the star wideout practiced in a limited capacity.
Defensively, strong safety Ricardo Allen (concussion) and receiver Stanley Morgan (hamstring) were upgraded to limited participants after missing yesterday's practice. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III (ankle) was upgraded from limited to full today.
Left guard Quinton Spain (ankle), right guard Hakeem Adeniji (ankle), defensive end Sam Hubbard (thigh), kicker Evan McPherson (groin), tight end C.J. Uzomah (knee/hip) and defensive end Cam Sample (hamstring) all practiced in full for the second day in a row. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou (knee) was the Bengals' lone DNP today — his second in a row, while cornerback Jalen Davis (ankle) was limited again.
The Wednesday injury report for the Raiders also remained very similar with zero new additions.
Free safety Tre'von Moehrig (shoulder) was the only player upgraded at all from limited to a full participant. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (back/knee) was the team's lone non-participant.
Linebacker Divine Deablo (shoulder), tight end Foster Moreau (abdomen/ankle), linebacker Denzel Perryman (wrist), center Andre James (foot) and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (hip) were full participants for the second day in a row. Cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. (ankle), running back Josh Jacobs (ribs) and tight end Darren Waller (knee) were limited again.
Tuesday Update
The Tuesday injury report for the Bengals was loaded with 12 players total — six defensive players and six offensive players.
Headlining the report is quarterback Joe Burrow (knee), who the team elected to rest last week while dealing with a knee injury. Burrow was a full participant today, which is excellent news for the entire Bengals offensive corps.
Among the other Cincinnati offensive players listed were tight end C.J. Uzomah (knee/hip), kicker Evan McPherson (groin), right guard Hakeem Adeniji (ankle), left guard Quinton Spain (ankle) and wide receiver Stanley Morgan (hamstring). All were full participants except for Morgan, who did not participate. Uzomah and McPherson were both on the injury report last week and did not play.
The Cincinnati defensive players listed were strong safety Ricardo Allen (concussion), defensive tackle Josh Tupou (knee), cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves III (ankle) and Jalen Davis (ankle) and defensive ends Sam Hubbard (thigh) and Cam Sample (hamstring). Allen and Tupou did not practice, Davis and Hargreaves were limited and Sample was a full participant. Sample and Davis missed Week 18 after missing practice all week.
Noteworthy absences from the report were defensive tackle D.J. Reader (rest), linebacker Logan Wilson (rest), wide receiver Tee Higgins (rest) and running back Joe Mixon (COVID-19). Reader, Wilson and Higgins were healthy scratches against the Browns in preparation for the playoffs. Mixon missed the game after testing positive for the virus and was removed from the COVID-19/reserve list on Monday.
The Tuesday injury report for the Raiders was also significant with 10 players total — five defensive players and five offensive players.
The Las Vegas offensive players listed were running back Josh Jacobs (ribs), tight ends Foster Moreau (abdomen/ankle) and Darren Waller (knee), center Andre James (foot), and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (hip). Jacobs and Waller were limited, while Renfrow, James and Moreau were full participants.
All five played last week, including Waller, who had missed the previous five games, and Jacobs, who leads the team in attempts, rushing yards, touchdowns and recorded a career-high 132 rushing yards against the Chargers. Renfrow leads the Raiders in targets, catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns.
The Las Vegas defensive players listed were defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (back/knee), cornerback Casey Hayward Jr. (ankle), free safety Tre'von Moehrig (shoulder) and linebackers Divine Deablo (shoulder) and Denzel Perryman (wrist). Hankins was the only non-participant of the group, while Hayward and Moehrig were limited; Deablo and Perryman practiced in full.
All five were listed on last week's injury report and all five played, including Hankins, who missed Weeks 16 and 17 and was a game-time decision. Perryman is one of the more noteworthy names on this list: The linebacker, who was named to his first Pro Bowl this year, recorded the sixth-most tackles and third-most solo tackles during the regular season.
NFL Injury Report Glossary
For Daily Practice Statuses
- DNP: Acronym for "did not participate" in practice that day.
- LP: Acronym for "limited participation" in practice that day.
- FP: Acronym for "full participation" in practice that day.
- (-): Not listed.
For Game Statuses
- Out: Will not play this week.
- Doubtful: Unlikely to play this week.
- Questionable: Not certain to play this week.
- (-): Not listed (in most cases means "active").
