NFL injuries: Beckham, Watt to miss rest of season
Beckham breaks ankle, Watt breaks leg on Sunday
Even with three receivers already down, the New York Giants were in position to win after Odell Beckham Jr.'s touchdown catch.
Then Beckham broke his left ankle, and suddenly their winless record wasn't the Giants' biggest problem.
Beckham was carted off the field just a few plays before the Los Angeles Chargers scored the go-ahead touchdown, sending the Giants to a 27-22 loss on Sunday.
Sterling Shepard and Brandon Marshall had already departed after spraining their left ankles on the same series in the second quarter, and receiver and returner Dwayne Harris broke a foot in the third quarter.
Then Beckham went down, the Chargers went ahead, and the Giants were so depleted that they had to use tight ends as receivers on their final, futile drive.
"I mean, it significantly altered the game," coach Ben McAdoo said. "We had one receiver left at the end of the ballgame."
They will not have Beckham again this season. The injury requires surgery, and the Giants certainly wouldn't rush back their star in what seems a lost season at 0-5.
Giants made it official and said Odell Beckham’s fractured ankle is season ending.
—@AdamSchefter
He has 25 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns, including a 48-yard score early in the fourth quarter that may end up being his last one for a while.
He was then hurt after leaping to catch Eli Manning's high pass and Los Angeles cornerback Casey Hayward pinned his ankle making a tackle. Players immediately signalled the sideline and Beckham was eventually carted off in obvious pain with a hand covering his face.
"It was insane," cornerback Eli Apple said. "Did we even have any more receivers? I thought I was going to have to go out and play receiver."
J.J. Watt breaks leg on SNF
Houston Texans star J.J. Watt broke his left leg Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The team announced that he sustained a tibial plateau fracture.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Texans?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Texans</a> JJ Watt, who the team just announced has a tibial plateau fracture, is out for the season, source said. Another year ended on IR.
—@RapSheet
The defensive end was injured while being blocked midway through the first quarter and fell to the ground.
Watt remained on his hands and knees for a couple of minutes while trainers checked on him. They flipped him onto his back and were looking at his left leg. He was then helped to his feet and looked to be in a lot of pain and didn't appear to be able to put any weight on the leg as he was helped off the field by two Texans officials.
The three-time Defensive Player of the Year returned this season after missing the last 13 games of last season after his second back surgery.
He remained on the sideline under a tent for a few minutes before being taken to the locker room on a cart.
About 30 minutes later, television footage showed Watt walking on crutches to an ambulance before sitting on a stretcher, being moved into the ambulance and taken away.
Houston linebacker Whitney Mercilus also also injured in the first quarter and was ruled out with a chest injury.
Both Watt and Mercilus are expected to miss the rest of the season.
Bill O'Brien confirms DE J.J. Watt and OLB Whitney Mercilus will miss the remainder of the season.
—@HoustonTexans
More injuries around the NFL
The Raiders also lost four players to injuries, with Marquel Lee (ankle), fullback Jamize Olawale (concussion), linebacker Corey James (knee) and cornerback Antonio Hamilton (knee) leaving their 30-17 defeat against Baltimore. Ravens running back Terrance West departed on the opening drive with a left calf injury following a 13-yard run and did not return.
Green Bay's Jordy Nelson, who scored his sixth touchdown early in the fourth quarter, wasn't on the field during the Packers' final drive. Coach Mike McCarthy said he was being evaluated for an undisclosed injury. They had earlier lost rookie cornerback Kevin King, who had a big hit on Ezekiel Elliott on a screen pass on the first play from scrimmage and later left with a concussion in the first half.
Cowboys rookie cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who was playing safety as well, left with an injured hamstring for the second time this season. It was his first game back after missing two games by aggravating the injury in Denver.
The 49ers lost cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon (concussion) and Asa Jackson (hamstring) at Indianapolis. Colts receiver Krishnan Hogan needed help to get off the field after appearing to hurt his lower left leg on a kickoff return midway through the third quarter and did not return. Linebacker Anthony Walker left in the second half with a hamstring injury.