Monday, Jon Gruden said he didn’t think defensive end Clelin Ferrell would be able to play in the team’s season finale against the Broncos with a shoulder injury he suffered three weeks ago. Wednesday the team made it official, placing the second-year edge rusher on injured reserve.
Ferrell suffered the injury seven snaps into the team’s Week 14 game against the Colts. He was coming off a two-sack performance the previous week in a late comeback win over the Jets. It was his first sacks of the season and the team was hoping to have him in the next few crucial games which had playoff implications. He left and didn’t return and the team lost all three games.
Not to say there was any specific correlation between losing Ferrell and losing those games. The defense was still routinely giving up over 30 points in most games even with Ferrell on the field, including averaging 33 points allowed in the first six games of the season.
In his absence, Carl Nassib should get the start across from Maxx Crosby.
Returning from the injured reserve list is Jeff Heath, whose impact had been more apparent as the team’s interception leader (3) before suffering a concussion that was apparently serious enough to put him on the shelf for three weeks. He is expected to start the season finale in Denver.
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