Printable Page
12/15 05:00 CST Injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons ruin NFL's Week 15
Injuries to Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons ruin NFL's Week 15
By ROB MAADDI
AP Pro Football Writer
First, Patrick Mahomes went down. Then, it was Micah Parsons.
The NFL lost two of its all-time greatest players to serious knee injuries in a
span of a few hours on Sunday, ruining a day filled with exciting comebacks and
fascinating stories.
Forty-four-year-old Philip Rivers played his first game in 1,800 days and
nearly led the 14-point underdog Indianapolis Colts to a stunning upset against
Seattle before Jason Myers kicked a 56-yard field goal with 29 seconds left to
lift the Seahawks to an 18-16 victory.
Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills from a 21-0 deficit to a
35-31 victory at New England, snapping the Patriots' 10-game winning streak and
preventing them from clinching the AFC East.
Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough rallied the New Orleans Saints to a 20-17
comeback victory over the Panthers capped by Charlie Smyth's 47-yarder as time
expired, damaging Carolina's chances to win the NFC South and boosting Tampa
Bay's hopes.
Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams overcame a 10-point deficit and
rolled past the Lions 41-34, dampening Detroit's playoff bid. The Rams lost
three-time All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to a hamstring injury in the
game. He could miss Thursday night's game at Seattle, a battle for first place
in the NFC West.
Jalen Hurts played like the Super Bowl MVP and the Philadelphia Eagles snapped
a three-game losing streak with a 31-0 rout over the woeful Las Vegas Raiders.
But the injuries to Mahomes and Parsons overshadowed everything else that
happened in Week 15.
Even the Chiefs being eliminated from playoff contention was secondary to the
news about Mahomes.
The three-time Super Bowl MVP tore the ACL in his left knee late in the fourth
quarter of a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers that ended Kansas City's
streak of 10 straight playoff appearances and seven consecutive trips to the
AFC championship game.
"Don't know why this had to happen," Mahomes posted on social media before the
diagnosis was announced. "And not going to lie it hurts. But all we can do now
is trust in God and attack every single day over and over again. Thank you
Chiefs kingdom for always supporting me and for everyone who has reached out
and sent prayers. I Will be back stronger than ever."
Parsons is believed to have suffered a torn ACL in his left knee, a person with
knowledge of the All-Pro pass rusher's injury told The Associated Press on
Sunday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the severity of the injury
hadn't been confirmed by tests.
"I'm sickened," Parsons told the AP in a text message.
Parsons' injury is a devastating blow to the Green Bay Packers, who lost 34-26
to Denver on Sunday to fall a half-game behind the NFC North-leading Chicago
Bears.
Parsons was steps away from another sack when he suddenly pulled up and fell to
the ground, grabbing at his left knee.
Asked about the possibility that Parsons tore his ACL, coach Matt LaFleur
responded: "It doesn't look good. I'll leave it at that."
With Parsons, the Packers were Super Bowl contenders. Without him, it'll be
much more difficult to get there. The Packers take on the Bears in a showdown
for first place on Saturday night.
"We all know what type of player he is and the impact he's had on our football
team and to lose somebody like that, it's tough," LaFleur said. "Like I said,
nobody's going to feel sorry for us. We've got to find a way and guys have got
to rally around one another."
Mahomes and Parsons will not only miss the rest of this season but their status
for the start of 2026 is uncertain. Players typically return from ACL injuries
in 9-12 months.
Running back Adrian Peterson tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee on Dec. 24,
2011. He was back on the field for Week 1 the next season, ran for 2,097 yards
in 16 games and became the last non-quarterback to win the NFL MVP award in one
of the most remarkable comebacks in league history.
Quarterback Carson Wentz tore his ACL, LCL and sustained damage to his IT band
and meniscus on Dec. 17, 2017 and ended up watching the Eagles win the first
Super Bowl in franchise history from the sideline. He returned to the starting
lineup in Week 3 the following season, and threw for 3,074 yards, 21
touchdowns, seven interceptions and a 102.2 passer rating in 11 games.
If Mahomes and Parsons didn't damage other ligaments, it increases the
possibility they could return for the 2026 season opener.
Regardless, both star players have a long, grueling rehab ahead.
___
AP Sports Writers Dave Skretta and Pat Graham contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
|
