Here's the latest news on key injuries going into Week 8:

John Clayton's injury updates
Team	Comment
	Despite a concussion problem the past two weeks, Cardinals halfback Michael Pittman was cleared to play Sunday's game against the Eagles. He will start ahead of Thomas Jones. The Cardinals have plenty of problems on defense. Tom Burke couldn't practice Friday and doesn't look as though he will be able to play so coach Dave McGinnis will start Andy Bowers and Fred Wakefield at defensive end. They are two undrafted rookies. Terry Hardy is out with a shoulder injury, so the only healthy tight end is Tywan Mitchell. Zack Walz starts ahead of Raynoch Thompson at outside linebacker.
	The bye week has done a lot of good for the Falcons. Wide receiver Tony Martin returns after a four-game absence with a broken clavicle. Martin won't start against the Patriots, but he will play, a return that is welcomed by quarterback Chris Chandler. Martin has always been one of Chandler's favorites. Chris Hudson is expected to start for Ronnie Bradford at free safety. Bradford had a knee scope and is about 75 percent. He may be active as a backup. Chris Draft returns to the starting lineup as the weakside linebacker now that his toe injury has healed. The only scratch for sure is backup tackle Michael Thompson, who continues to be bothered by a foot injury. Bob Hallen will start at guard despite a sore back.
	Ravens quarterback Elvis Grbac did more with the first-team offense Friday, but don't count on him starting Sunday against the Steelers. Grbac has partial tears around the ribs and sternum area, an injury that takes a couple weeks to heal. Coach Brian Billick won't announce a starter until Sunday morning, but it looks more and more as though Randall Cunningham will get the nod. The Ravens have a Monday night game against the Titans in a week so Grbac and halfback Terry Allen should have complete chances to heal. Allen is cutting better on the ankle injury that sidelined him last week, but he hasn't worked enough with the first team to play. In fact, Allen did a little less Friday than he did Thursday, so he might have made the injury a little worse. Jason Brookins will get his second start. No problems for fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo (leg), defensive tackle Sam Adams (knee) and defensive end Michael McCrary (knee). They practiced and are fine.
	The Bills' biggest problem for the Colts game is the offensive line, but there are a couple other minor injuries that bear watching. Naturally, when you talk injuries, you have to talk quarterback Rob Johnson. Johnson was running around practice well on Friday but you have wonder how. He says he has a slight sprain of a foot. He also has a problem with an index finger on his passing hand. Say this about Johnson, he's tough. He's going to need to be because he will be playing behind a battered offensive line. Coach Gregg Williams will have to use effectively the team's fourth- and fifth-best tackles -- Marques Sullivan on the left and Jon Carman on the right. Left tackle John Fina has a bad knee. Williams must find one healthy lineman among Fina, Jerry Ostroski and Jonas Jennings just to have on the active roster for an emergency situation. Ostroski is probably a week or two away from completely recovering from his broken leg.
	Panthers wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad wasn't real coy about his displeasure about not getting the football of late. During Friday's practice, he covered his name on his practice jersey with the words "D.Coy." In the past three games, the Panthers' best player has had only six catches. This is a trick that Muhammad tried a couple of times last season, but this one might be considered more of a distraction for coach George Seifert. First, Muhammad's sign of protest comes when he has a rookie starting quarterback, Chris Weinke, as opposed to a veteran such as Steve Beuerlein a year ago. Second, this incident comes two days after defensive end Jay Williams popped off by saying it was a slap in the face to be benched as a starter last Sunday. Left tackle Todd Steussie missed practice Friday for the first time with a sore knee but he's expected to play against the Dolphins. The Panthers added backup linebacker Dean Wells to the list as questionable because of a calf injury. Dan Morgan and Darren Hambrick are expected to start at outside linebacker. Wide receiver Donald Hayes is okay on the foot he sprained during Thursday's practice. Defensive end Jason Peter was visiting a doctor to determine if he needs further back surgery. He's out. Muhammad and Hayes were each fined $5,000 for illegal crack back blocks on Jets linebacker Mo Lewis last Sunday. Hayes was fined an additional $5,000 for taunting.
	Dick Jauron announced that Shane Matthews will be the Bears starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Browns. Jim Miller, still bothered by a hip, will be the backup, which may be a little strange. Miller hasn't been able to work with the offense because of the hip and has only done handoffs and tosses in drills. The reason that a banged-up Miller has to be the backup is that third-string quarterback Danny Wuerffel pinched a nerve in his shoulder, presumably by lifting weights this week. Matthews handled all of the practice snaps the past two days. He was the opening day starter in a loss to Ravens and was 1-1. Rib injuries opened the door for Miller to take over and he has gone 4-0. It's not out of the question that Miller's hip injury will make him questionable for next week's game against the Packers. So Matthews has to stay healthy against the Browns. No problem for halfback Anthony Thomas, who had a toe injury that is considered minor. He practiced Friday. Free safety Mike Brown has been fine with his knee injury during the past two days of practice. The only question mark is special teamer Larry Whigham, who has a hamstring injury.
	Browns coach Butch Davis said his plan is to get defensive end Courtney Brown on the field for 15 plays a half. Whether he starts or not depends on how well he does in pre-game warm-ups testing the knee that has sidelined him for the entire season. Coming off a bye week, the Browns are healthy. Their only question mark was backup wide receiver Jammi German, who was added to the list as questionable with a knee injury.
	Cowboys coach Dave Campo said he would leave the door open for Emmitt Smith to play, but it doesn't look as though that will happen. Smith missed his third consecutive practice because of his sprained medial collateral knee ligament. The Cowboys are even thinking about bringing halfback Tony Taylor up from the practice squad to give the team an extra back available. Troy Hambrick probably will get the nod for the Cowboys. The rest of the injury report is simple. Receivers Joey Galloway (foot) and Reggie Swinton (hamstring) practiced and will play. Defensive end Peppi Zellner's groin injury won't keep him out of Sunday's game. Quarterback Anthony Wright was placed on the injured reserve list Friday after having a knee reconstruction Tuesday.
	Broncos guard Lennie Friedman, listed as questionable because of a knee injury, returned to practice Friday and may be able to play Monday’s game against the Raiders. Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson and Orlandis Gary continue to compete for the starting running back job, but Mike Shanahan won’t tell the winner until Monday.
	Lions coach Marty Mornhinweg said Friday that halfback James Stewart's ankle injury -- diagnosed as a deep sprain -- is recovering slower than expected, so he probably will miss Sunday's game against the 49ers. Lamont Warren, bothered by bruised ribs himself, practice Friday and is expected to start. Guard Stockar McDougle missed practice this week because of a foot injury, so Tony Semple starts. The secondary is getting healthier. Kurt Schulz starts at free safety. Lamar Campbell probably won't go because of a hamstring injury. Tommy Bennett should be able to fill in for him. Doctors now say that cornerback Bryant Westbrook is ready to play, but it will be coach's decision to let him on the field for the first time this year. He's coming off of last year's Achilles tendon tear. Defensive tackle Luther Elliss is still bothered by an elbow injury and is questionable.
	Packers safety LeRoy Butler practice Friday and looks ready to return after a badly bruised chest injury suffered early in the loss to the Vikings two weeks ago. Butler didn't talk after practice. Forget about Bill Schroeder returning. He's still struggling on his ankle injury, so Corey Bradford is expected to get the start against Tampa Bay. Defensive tackle Gilbert Brown practiced and should be able to play despite a groin injury.
	Halfback Edgerrin James did some work during Friday's practice to see whether his knee was healthy enough to play Sunday against the Bills. Reporters asked if James showed any progress. Coach Jim Mora said yes. They asked if he would play Sunday. Mora said he didn't know. The decision will come down to the pre-game workouts. Without practicing for two days, James started to look as though he might not be able to go. Defensive end Chad Bratzke (ankle) is in the same situation. He practiced a little Friday and there is a chance he might be able to return, but it will depend on the pre-game warm-ups. Wide receiver Jerome Pathon won't play again because of his foot injury. Wide receiver Terrence Wilkins will be able to play after missing a couple of games with a chest injury.
	Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin will finally have a few options at safety. Donovin Darius has recovered enough from his hip injury to be available for most likely backup duty Sunday against the Titans. Coughlin can choose among Ainsley Battles, Darius and Marlon McCree for his two starting safeties. Battles has been bothered by a knee injury but he has started five games at strong safety. McCree has started six games at free safety. Expect Darius to play but not start. Linebacker T.J. Slaughter was involved in limited work during Friday's practice and may be available. Coughlin will probably start Danny Clark at Slaughter's spot on the weakside.
	A rib injury will keep Chiefs wide receiver Derrick Alexander out of Sunday's game against the Chargers, so coach Dick Vermeil will go with Snoop Minnis and Larry Parker as the starters. The Chiefs have only four receivers available for Sunday's game. Alexander joins tackle Victor Riley (ankle-leg), linebacker Gary Stills (groin) and defensive tackle Nate Hobgood-Chittic. Another question mark is linebacker Lew Bush, whose groin injury has Vermeil leaning toward starting Glenn Cadrez.
	Brock Marion returns to his normal spot at free safety. Marion was upgraded from doubtful to questionable, but he practiced enough this week to be deemed the starter for Sunday's game against the Panthers. The only scratch is wide receiver Dedric Ward, who has a foot injury. Right tackle Todd Wade has put his back problems behind him and will start.
	No surprise but Terry Glenn won't play for the Patriots Sunday. Who knows when he'll be able to play. His hamstring injury has kept him out of practice for more than two weeks. Left tackles Adrian Klemm (leg) and Matt Light (shoulder) also didn't practice so expect Grant Williams to start at left tackle against the Falcons Sunday. Nose tackle Richard Seymour practiced on his injured leg and may be available for backup duty. It probably wasn’t a surprise that the Patriots claimed cornerback Ben Kelly, who was released by the Dolphins on Thursday for being late for meetings and not showing commitment. Patriots coach Bill Belichick and Kelly share the same agent, Neil Cornrich. Naturally, Cornrich vouched for Kelly’s commitment. To make room for Kelly on the roster, the Patriots placed one of their injured tackles, Adrian Klemm, on the injured reserve list. Klemm has a calf injury.
	The Saints will give left tackle Willie Roaf a second week to rest his knee injury. Daryl Terrell will get his second start of the season at left tackle. Boo Williams get the start at tight end for Cam Cleeland, who can't go on his ankle injury. Backup defensive end Willie Whitehead is expected to miss the Jets game with a knee injury.
	Jessie Armstead looks as though his streak of 135 consecutive games played will end Sunday against the Cowboys. He hasn't practiced all week because of calf and hamstring problems. Armstead has never missed a game. Raw linebacker Dhani Jones would start for Armstead, who is still listed as questionable but hasn't been officially ruled out. Barring a miracle, though, Armstead doesn't appear to be playing. Even though he's listed as probable, defensive tackle Keith Hamilton is still iffy because of a dislocated shoulder. He's going to try to play. Cornerback Will Allen returns to the starting lineup now that his ankle injury has healed.
	The Jets offensive line has been together for 23 consecutive games. Together, the starting five has produced a respectable 13-10 record. That changes Sunday against the Saints. J.P. Machado starts for right guard Randy Thomas, who won't play because of an ankle injury. It's a critical change because Machado, who has had very few plays with the first unit, goes up against Saints defensive tackle La'Roi Glover. Former Saint Chad Morton will handle the punt return duties now that he's healthy again. Craig Yeast will do the kickoffs. Wide receiver Santana Moss isn't ready to return. He was in uniform doing limited work this week but his return isn't expected until Nov. 18. Wide receiver Wayne Chrebet has recovered from the migraines from a concussion after missing a game. Now, he wants the ball. He's had only 22 passes thrown in his direction this year. It's his slowest start with 15 catches.
	The Raiders appear to have a battered but solid offensive line for Monday's game against the Broncos. Right tackle Lincoln Kennedy will play despite a chronic shoulder problem. Left tackle Barry Sims will play and start despite a persistent foot injury. The only scratch is guard Mo Collins, who has a leg problem. Expect the Raiders to rest Tyrone Wheatley, who has a knee injury. Outside linebacker Elijah Alexander can't play because of a knee injury that is keeping him out of practice, so Travian Smith will start in his place.
	There was a Jeremiah Trotter sighting during Friday's Eagles practice, and the fact that he was on the field offered some hope of playing Sunday against the Cardinals. "You saw Jeremiah Trotter out there," Eagles coach Andy Reid told reporters after practice. "I think that's a day-to-day situation and he's on the mend." Trotter is questionable with a leg injury. The Eagles added backup wide receiver Dameane Douglas as questionable with a quad injury suffered Thursday. Left tackle Tra Thomas is probable with a groin injury that slowed him during the past two days of practice, but he should be able to play. Thomas' groin spasms seemed to loosen up during the workout.
	Of the key defensive players injured on the Chargers roster, only strong safety Rodney Harrison is the one who may not play Sunday against the Chiefs. Harrison hasn’t practiced for three days because of a bad ankle injury. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Harrison won’t play. Tight end Freddie Jones missed all of last week’s practices because of an ankle injury and felt good enough to play last Sunday against the Bills. The Chargers upgraded defensive end Marcellus Wiley from questionable to probable because of a groin injury. Linebacker Junior Seau will also be able to play despite the groin injury that has nagged him for more than a week.
	The 49ers will be without defensive tackle (ankle), center Ben Lynch (ankle), cornerback Anthony Parker (awaiting surgery for a shoulder injury), tight end Greg Clark (hamstring) and halfback Jonas Lewis (groin). Quarterback Jeff Garcia practiced for the second consecutive day despite a right knee that has a medial collateral ligament sprain, but he will be fine. Kick-returner Vinny Sutherland practiced and should be able to play despite a groin injury.
	Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said that it's very doubtful that free safety Marcus Robertson can play on his pulled hamstring. Maurice Kelly will get his second start of the season for Robertson. Kick-returner Charlie Rogers wasn't able to do much practicing on his sore toe, but he wasn't able to do much last week and was able to play. The Seahawks play the Redskins Sunday.
	Bucs coach Tony Dungy has a pleasant but tough decision to make Sunday for his game against the Packers. Warrick Dunn is healthy enough to return to the starting lineup now that his hamstring pull has healed. Mike Alstott was a hot running back last week. The Bucs won't have wide receiver Jacquez Green, who is expected to miss his second game because of a groin injury. Green didn't practice Friday. Wide receiver Reidel Anthony has a hip problem but will start for Green. Defensive tackle Anthony McFarland is out with a knee injury, but defensive end Marcus Jones should be able to play despite a elbow injury.
	Eddie George tried to test his bad ankle and knee Friday and convinced coach Jeff Fisher there is a chance he could play Sunday's game against the Jaguars. But if George plays, expect him to part of a rotation and not be the workhorse back. Mike Green may get the start. Defensive end Jevon Kearse practiced on his sore ankle and should be able to start. Defensive end Henry Ford (foot) and defensive tackle Joe Salave'a (shoulder) also practiced and should play. Four Titans didn't practice and appear to be out -- safety Blaine Bishop (foot and hand), linebacker Keith Bulluck (ankle), wide receiver Chris Sanders (back) and tight end Erron Kinney (calf). Kinney and Bulluck were added to the injury report Friday from injuries suffered at the end of Thursday's practice.
	Cornerback Fred Smoot will play Sunday against the Seahawks but Darrell Green will start. Coach Marty Schottenheimer wants to give Smoot one more week to let his tibia bruise to heal. The only scratches for the Redskins are tight end Stephen Alexander (ankle) and defensive end Dorian Boose (knee).

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.