It's Super Bowl Week and I'm lucky enough to be here in Phoenix to watch the drama unfold. Given all that is at stake, a potential perfect (19-0) season for the Patriots, a David unseats Goliath opportunity for the Giants, there is plenty of drama. Nowhere was that more evident this week than during the anticipation of the injury report status for several key players, most notably Tom Brady and his formerly booted ankle. So how do the injuries shake out for Super Bowl Sunday? Let's take a look.
Tom Brady, QB: The photos of Brady sporting a walking boot the day after the AFC Championship set off a firestorm of speculation about what could possibly be wrong with his leg. Initially, the only clue that there was even a problem was the presence of the boot itself, which represented a wide range of possibilities. The presence of a boot suggested that the "injury" could be located anywhere in the lower leg from the calf to the toe and the seriousness could range from mild to severe. Conspiracy theorists suspected that the boot sighting was staged so as to make the Giants think that Brady was wounded, possibly forcing them to prepare for Matt Cassel. After all, the boot sighting took place in New York, didn't it? Gradually, information made its way out that Brady had suffered a mild high ankle sprain and he was held out of practice for several days prior to the team's traveling to Arizona. On the first day of practice in Glendale, Brady was present, but the ankle was heavily taped and he was seen limping a bit. But Brady seemed to improve as the week went on, moving about with increasing ease and wearing less tape on the ankle. Sure enough, when the first injury reports emerged on Wednesday, Brady was listed, but not because of his ankle! Brady appeared on the injury report for his shoulder, a weekly occurrence during the regular season for years. In other words, this was not a big surprise.
We all know by now that the shoulder will not keep Brady from making a Super Bowl start but what about the ankle? The fact that Brady is not on the injury report because of the ankle tells us that the injury could not have been terribly serious. However, any high ankle sprain, even a mild one, is by definition a more serious ailment than a traditional lateral ankle sprain. Here's the bottom line. Brady will start. Brady will not be thinking about the ankle when the game kicks off on Sunday. But the ankle is not likely 100 percent healthy. High ankle sprains make mobility in general a bit more challenging, and when the foot is forced outward as the leg rotates inward, a maneuver that would be more likely to occur should Brady be forced to run towards his left (his injury was to his right ankle), it would place stress on the sprain. Do that repeatedly and it might start to bother him. Not to mention the inherent risk to the ankle associated with a leg tackle while the foot is planted (This was how Chad Pennington suffered his high ankle sprain). If the Giants can pressure Brady sufficiently, the ankle could become a factor as the game goes on. Don't count on it though. Brady is rarely forced to move excessively outside of the pocket and is even less likely to end up on the ground. Brady (probable) should start well. How he finishes will depend, to a good degree, on how well protected he is.
Jabar Gaffney, WR: Gaffney ended up on the injury report this week after getting his shoulder banged up in practice. Gaffney took a hit to the shoulder from a teammate's helmet and then landed on the shoulder. The Patriots limited his reps in practice Wednesday and Thursday to rest the sore shoulder, but Gaffney was off the injury report by Friday. It appears that Gaffney will be ready to play Sunday.
Kevin Dockery, CB: The Giants are happy to be getting their sizeable corner back in time for Sunday's contest. Dockery has been dealing with a hip flexor injury that has caused him to miss four of the past five games. The hip flexor is a deep muscle that attaches to the trunk and, as the name implies, serves to flex the hip, providing power and drive during running as well as stability during stance. When injured, power decreases dramatically. Dockery says he is nearly fully healthy and he is listed as probable for the Super Bowl. Despite suffering a string of injuries in recent weeks, the health of the Giants' secondary has come together just in time.
Osi Umenyiora, DL: Umenyiora was added to the injury report late in the week with a thigh injury. This looks to be a minor strain and Umenyiora is listed as probable and is expected to play.
Plaxico Burress, WR: Burress has managed his chronic ankle injury very well across the season. Most weeks he did not practice, or at best did limited work in practice, yet he played on Sundays and provided a significant receiving threat. Even in the weeks where he was not much of a playmaking factor, his presence in the lineup forced defenses to account for his whereabouts. In addition to the ankle injury, Burress also had a knee ailment to contend with for a portion of the season. At one point during the season Buress described himself as wobbling "like a little table" with the sprained ankle on one side and a sprained knee on the other. During the recent playoff games however it appeared that the knee injury was a thing of the past and the ankle, although still sore, seemed to be bothering him less. Then this week in Arizona, Burress developed some swelling in the knee which appeared to set him back. Despite suiting up and attempting to participate, Burress was unable to perform and essentially did not practice all week.
Now listed as questionable, meaning there is a 50 percent chance that he plays, Burress has people wondering whether he will be able to go Sunday, and even if he does, can he really be effective? The swelling in the knee is of concern because swelling in any joint will restrict its mobility. If Burress' knee cannot flex or extend sufficiently he will not be able to run well. Any compensation for a stiff, swollen left knee potentially stresses the right ankle further, compounding the original ankle injury. In fact, according to ESPN's Ed Werder, Burress has said that the ankle remains the primary issue, not the knee. Holding Burress out of practice all week gives his knee the best chance for any swelling to subside, and, perhaps more importantly for Burress, gives the ankle additional rest. Of course it also means quarterback Eli Manning has been forced to prepare all week without Burress on the field. If there is any consolation here, it is that this has been the norm for this pair throughout the season, and look how it's turned out so far. Expect Burress to play Sunday, but his effectiveness will be largely dependent on how the two joints feel.