Monday NFL preview: Patriots, Eagles hit with key injuries
— -- NFL Nation reporters look ahead to what Monday has in store for each team.
AFC EAST
Miami Dolphins: After a slow start, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is consistently looking like the best player on the field for the Dolphins the past few weeks. Suh had seven tackles and a sack in Sunday's win over the Eagles, and he said he's getting a better understanding of how opponents want to block him and playing better off his teammates. Suh has at least one sack in three of the past four games and is playing his best football of the season. -- James Walker
New England Patriots: With No. 1 wide receiver Julian Edelman leaving Sunday's game against the Giants because of a left foot injury late in the first quarter and not returning, his status becomes the top storyline for the team as it prepares for a Nov. 23 game against the visiting Bills on Monday Night Football. Of all the players on the roster, Edelman is arguably right behind quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski as players the team could least afford to lose. Edelman will undergo surgery for a broken bone in his foot, sources tell ESPN, but there is hope he will return this season. -- Mike Reiss
New York Jets: The Jets return to practice after a three-day respite. The focus will be on injured players, especially quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who underwent left-thumb surgery Friday. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie (thigh) and wide receiver Eric Decker (shoulder) also will be evaluated. Look for several players to get a rest day. -- Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Cincinnati Bengals: Tight end Tyler Eifert remains a good fantasy option for players looking for an extra couple of points to close out their weekend. Three times this season Eifert has collected 20-plus points. Most recently, thanks to three touchdowns, he had a career-high 23-point effort in the Bengals' Week 9 win over the Browns. The Bengals certainly wouldn't mind seeing similar production from him Monday night when they host the Texans. -- Coley Harvey
Cleveland Browns: The Browns enter their bye week 2-8. Coach Mike Pettine said players will practice Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then be off until the week before the next game on Monday Nov. 30 against Baltimore. -- Pat McManamon
Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers enter the bye week with momentum after back-to-back wins, a healthy Ben Roethlisberger and two No. 1 receivers in Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant. For a team that has been ravaged by injuries, this is a big week for healing in anticipation of a playoff push. Surprisingly, Johnny Manziel served as a good scouting report for the Steelers' next game at Seattle in Week 12. Outside linebacker Jarvis Jones didn't want to divulge too much about Pittsburgh's strategy against Manziel because "we've got to play Russell [Wilson] next," he said. -- Jeremy Fowler
AFC SOUTH
Indianapolis Colts: The Colts return to practice for the first time since they announced QB Andrew Luck will be out as long as six weeks because of a lacerated kidney and partially torn abdominal muscle, suffered against Denver on Nov. 15. Veteran Matt Hasselbeck will start in Luck's absence. Hasselbeck completed 63.2 percent (48-of-76) of his passes, threw three touchdown passes and didn't commit a turnover in two starts earlier this season. -- Mike Wells
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars have a short week because they play host to Tennessee on Thursday. They came out of Sunday's game with one key injury: defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks was scheduled to have tests Monday on his injured right elbow. He said he wasn't sure how he hurt it because he didn't get hit on it. He did not have his arm in a sling after the game. -- Mike DiRocco
Tennessee Titans: The Titans' loss to Carolina paired with the Jaguars' win in Baltimore means Tennessee is alone at the bottom of the miserable AFC South with only two wins. Tennessee needs to use mind over matter to recover for Thursday night's game in Jacksonville, said tight end Delanie Walker, who expects a relatively simple and straightforward game plan from interim coach Mike Mularkey and his staff. -- Paul Kuharsky
AFC WEST
Kansas City Chiefs: The Chiefs are hopeful starting cornerback Sean Smith, who bruised his knee late in Sunday's win over the Broncos, will be ready to play next week against the Chargers. The Chiefs already lost one starting cornerback, Phillip Gaines, to a torn ACL early in the season, so they don't have a lot of remaining depth. The absence of Smith would be less than ideal against a veteran cornerback like Philip Rivers of San Diego. -- Adam Teicher
Oakland Raiders: The Raiders are going hard with D.J. Hayden. The No. 12 pick of the 2013 draft remained in the starting lineup when TJ Carrie moved back from safety to cornerback because of Nate Allen's return from injury. Hayden got the call over David Amerson. Amerson still plays a lot, of course, but Hayden is the future. It's a bit of a surprise, because Amerson has made more plays than Hayden this season. -- Bill Williamson
San Diego Chargers: Players return to Chargers Park on Monday after taking the entire week off during the bye. The Chargers resume practice Wednesday in anticipation of the team's second AFC West contest against the Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium. At halftime, the Chargers will retire LaDainian Tomlinson's No. 21 jersey, making him the fourth player in franchise history to have his number retired. Tomlinson becomes the 38th person in the team's Hall of Fame. -- Eric D. Williams
NFC EAST
New York Giants: The Giants head into their bye week with a feeling of disappointment following Sunday's excruciating last-second loss to New England. But cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie told his teammates he didn't want to see them pouting. "We went out there and fought with the best and had a chance to win," Rodgers-Cromartie said. "That tells you we can fight with anybody." The Giants are still in first place, but it'll be a fight to the finish in the wild NFC East. -- Dan Graziano
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles should know more about quarterback Sam Bradford's condition Monday. Bradford sprained his left shoulder and received a concussion Sunday. Either injury could heal in time to allow him to play next week against Tampa Bay and either could keep him sidelined. Mark Sanchez sounded as if he expected to play next Sunday. -- Phil Sheridan
Washington Redskins: The Redskins find themselves in the thick of the NFC East race, trailing the Giants by only a half-game. There's a growing sense of confidence in the locker room, a different belief than has existed the past two seasons and players say it has made a difference. The difficult part for Washington is sustaining momentum. After beating Tampa Bay two games ago, they had to play at New England. This week: at Carolina. -- John Keim
NFC NORTH
Detroit Lions: The Lions will have a chance to celebrate the team's first win over Green Bay in Wisconsin since 1991 on Monday, but general manager Sheldon White is going to have to be on the phone looking for cornerbacks. With Rashean Mathis on injured reserve, Josh Wilson on crutches and Nevin Lawson in concussion protocol, the Lions have only Darius Slay, Quandre Diggs and Crezdon Butler as healthy corners. Don't be surprised if there are cornerback workouts for the Lions early this week. -- Michael Rothstein
Green Bay Packers: It will be a strange Monday indeed in Green Bay. For the first time since 2008, the Packers have lost three straight starts by Aaron Rodgers. But it's not only offensive problems that have done them in. They also failed to record a sack for the third straight game. Before that, they had at least one sack in 42 straight games. There's a lot for coach Mike McCarthy and his staff to fix on both sides of the ball before Sunday's NFC North showdown at Minnesota. -- Rob Demovsky
Minnesota Vikings: When the Vikings get home from Oakland and return to work Monday morning, they'll be in sole possession of the NFC North lead. It's the first time they've had the division lead to themselves after the halfway point of the season since 2009. But with a pivotal game against the Packers coming up, the Vikings were trying to downplay the lead Sunday. "It doesn't matter," coach Mike Zimmer said. "It matters at the end of the year. That's the only time I care about it." -- Ben Goessling
NFC SOUTH
Carolina Panthers: The 9-0 Panthers escaped Sunday's win at Tennessee with no injuries but a lot of bumps and bruises. Don't be surprised if coach Ron Rivera returns to Victory Monday and gives players the day off after having them work out a week ago to tighten up a few weaknesses. -- David Newton
New Orleans Saints: The Saints (4-6) are heading into a much-needed bye after imploding over the past two weeks. The immediate question is whether defensive coordinator Rob Ryan's job could be in jeopardy after an atrocious three-week stretch in which the defense has given up 14 touchdown passes. The bye should give New Orleans' defense a chance to get healthier after recent injuries have decimated the linebacking corps, in particular. But it might be too little, too late. -- Mike Triplett
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs should enter a new week with confidence, having doubled their win total from a year ago after a victory over the Cowboys. It should be encouraging for them that they overcame two interceptions by quarterback Jameis Winston and a ground game, led by Doug Martin's 63 yards, that gained only 81 yards on 25 carries. It wasn't pretty, but as coach Lovie Smith said, "I've never seen an ugly win." The Bucs should take victories however they come. -- Andrew Astleford
NFC WEST
St. Louis Rams: After a beatdown at the hands of the Bears, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he was not considering a change at quarterback. But Fisher didn't exactly offer a ringing endorsement of starter Nick Foles, either. Which means it's at least worth monitoring and following up Monday as the Rams simply aren't getting enough from the game's most important position. -- Nick Wagoner
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers return after enjoying their bye week to begin preparation for a Sunday night tilt at the Seahawks with Blaine Gabbert getting his second straight start at quarterback. Gabbert has never faced the Seahawks and, given the way Seattle has owned Colin Kaepernick, why not give Gabbert a go? Especially since he gave the Niners a spark on offense in the Week 9 17-16 victory over the Falcons. -- Paul Gutierrez
Seattle Seahawks: The season isn't over, but the Seahawks' hopes of winning the NFC West probably are. After Sunday night's loss, the Seahawks are three games behind the Cardinals with seven to play. The team will focus on its next opponent, the 49ers, with hopes of going on a run and earning a wild-card spot in the NFC. -- Sheil Kapadia