A struggling team faces mounting challenges as injuries pile up, forcing unexpected lineups and structural shifts. With a third-string quarterback now in the starting role, the loss of the season’s top defensive player to a torn ACL, and a running back committee reduced to three, the roster’s depth is being tested like never before. The combination of key absences and unproven replacements raises serious questions about how the team will maintain its footing. Survival mode has become the new reality as the season progresses.
So many teams would’ve crumbled before this point. A third quarterback making a start in a season by Week 7? The best of those three out for the season with a significant knee injury? The best defender out, too, with a torn ACL? A committee of four running backs — now down to three —...
