NFL Finale Boasts Several Key Injury Updates

NFL News - January 3rd, 2010 - Written by John

Both the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers will be fighting for their playoff lives against each other today, and only one of those teams got some good pre-game news.

Among the handful of players who will be inactive for the final regular season game of the year, the Dolphins will get a big shot in the arm with the return of Ricky Williams. Williams was banged up last week and injured his shoulder in a 27-20 loss to the Houston Texans.

Miami is fourth in rushing, and a lot of that has to do with Williams, who leads the team with 1,090 yards.

The Dolphins still need a ton of luck to get into the playoffs as the longest shot of the five eligible teams, but beating the Steelers, who have the third-ranked rush defense probably got a whole lot easier.

For Pittsburgh, well, not so much. Troy Polamalu will be out for the seventh-straight week, and the 11th week overall this year. His banged up knee has pretty much set the rules in a disappointing year started by the first injury in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans.

Polamalu only has 20 tackles and zero this year, both career lows.

The Baltimore Ravens have a lot less stress today, needing just a win over the Oakland Raiders to secure a spot in the 2009 NFL Playoffs, and linebacker Terrell Suggs will be there. Suggs was injured last month when he was cut low by Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn during an interception return.

And one of the more intriguing actives this week is Isaac Bruce, who will probably be ending his career today. After spending most of his career with the St. Louis Rams, he is now with the San Francisco 49ers, and will face the Rams in the finale.

Bruce was deactivated several weeks ago by head coach Mike Singletary, but after several teammates lobbied for him to be in the game, Singletary had a change of heart. One receiver even offered to give up his own starting spot to allow Bruce's career to come full circle