I think it is time we learn about Brian Scott, our medical insider for “Inside The Medical Tent.” Brian graduated SUNY at Brockport with a BS of Science with Athletic Training and Sports Management minors. Brian received his MEd in kinesiology at Temple University while working as the head athletic trainer at Paulsboro High School in New Jersey. He then completed his physician assistant studies at Weill Medical College of Cornell University and has worked in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine for the past 20 years.

Brian brings his medical expertise to us each week as an interview on some of the injury statuses of key fantasy players. Join us weekly here as take a look inside the medical tent.

James Conner

Andrew Leduc: What did you see with Conner’s ankle injury? Was he sat the rest of the game as a precaution, or could he miss time?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: Sounds like a mild ankle sprain. He has been quoted as saying it’s nothing serious and has been limited in practice all week. He has a history of ankle problems to the same ankle which he has overcome and avoided surgery on. This could be more of an acute chronic ankle instability issue. Athletes can compensate and overcome this issue, but long term this could come back to haunt him. Looks like he will be available this week barring any set backs.

Prognosis: What did become clear after Conner went down with this injury is the backup situation. Eno Benjamin was the clear beneficiary seeing 8 attempts for 31 yards along with 3 catches on 4 targets for 20 yards. If Conner is playing but not 100% we can probably expect a 50/50 split between the two of them. This would put both players into a low-end touchdown-dependent flex situation. Given the 4:25 start against a tough Ram’s defense, I am playing it safe and sitting Conner this week. If desperate you may be forced to play him.

Julio Jones

Andrew Leduc: Is this the same knee he has had issues with before or was this more of maintenance this past week?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: Speaking of acute chronic injuries, I can’t explain any other reason why Julio has all of a sudden now missed a week. There has been no clear indication as to what the injury to his knee was. Unclear if this is related to an old injury as the team has not released many details. I’m leaning towards the theory that this is likely related to some degenerative changes to his knee. Let’s not forget he is a 33-year-old 13-year veteran wide receiver. He has far exceeded the lifespan of most other players at that position. I don’t see him playing this weekend and if he does he will not be 100%.

Prognosis: It certainly seems as though Julio will sit this weekend after the team signed Cole Beasley. Beasley definitely feels like a temporary option for this offense until both Julio and Godwin can return at full health. Beasley is also a big injury risk, especially after not playing yet this year. I would not be running out to pick him up outside of a desperate need for one week only.

Devin Duvernay

Andrew Leduc: Concussions are always tough to predict. Have you heard anything about how severe his situation is and how much time missed that could mean?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: Concussions are tough to call because there is a lot of subjectivity in assessing the players. Nowadays the medical teams have objective data and methods to conduct ongoing assessments. Ultimately it’s a collective effort between players and medical staff. The only way to gauge how quickly a player returns is by how much they participate in practice. The caveat to that is that a player can practice in full but clearance is not always guaranteed. Read daily injury updates and reports from beat writers who are in attendance at practice for accurate assessments.

Prognosis: Devin Duvernay has been a nice piece so far for an explosive offense in Baltimore. Bateman is still the number one behind Mark Andrews, but Duvernay has proven to have value on special teams and on deep plays. This concussion has obviously set him back though and as you read above, a timeline is really tough to gauge. I doubt we see him this week and at most he would have been a desperation flex play until we see more consistency from him week to week.

Zach Wilson

Andrew Leduc: Are you seeing him on track for a return in the next couple of weeks? He has already been ruled out for week 3, but maybe a return in week 4?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: I think the Jets played this one very smart. No need to rush him back with that injury to his knee that at first appearance looked potentially serious. I always knew there was more than met the eye with his injury and that was confirmed after his arthroscopic surgery. With ample time to rehab and prepare, he should be ready to go as slated in week 4. All reports are he is right on schedule with no setbacks! 

Prognosis: Zach Wilson was poised to lead a surprisingly successful offense in my opinion this year. There is high hopes for what he can do when he returns given what Joe Flacco has been able to do in his absence. I am happy to hear that Wilson seems to be on track to return in week 4 and should hopefully be able to become a weekly starter in two-quarterback leagues or superflex leagues.

Gabriel Davis

Andrew Leduc: A last-minute add to the injury report for Gabriel Davis and missing Monday night’s game, what can we expect this week?

Brian Scott, MEd, PA-C, ATC-ret: He was a last-minute addition to the injury report this past weekend heading into the Bills MNF game. He has been limited in practice all week with an ankle sprain but he has been quoted saying he is “100%” playing against Miami this week. It was a non-contact injury in practice that occurred that kept him out of last week’s game. Probably just precautionary to hold him out given the short turnaround over the weekend from when the injury occurred, but I expect him to play and contribute this week.

Prognosis: Everyone’s WR gem of the off-season showed up in week one and answered the hype with a touchdown. If he is confident he is playing and was able to put in some work this week, then I look for him to restore his position as the team’s number two option behind Diggs. Not only that, but he has a nice early matchup with the division rival Dolphins who got torched by Baltimore in the passing game last week. I expect this game to be high scoring on both sides and the majority of that coming from the passing game given the state of both team’s backfields.

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