Injury Roundup: Week 3

We saw some teams lose some key players last week, here's the latest:

Injured Reserve:

Stephen Tulloch- The Detroit Lions lost their starting middle linebacker and defensive leader to a torn ACL, an injury he suffered in celebration of a sack. His reliability and veteran presence on the field will be hard to replace, but I predict that Tahir Whitehead (Tulloch's replacement) will have success, and ultimately keep the job from here on out.

Danny Woodhead- One week after starting running back Ryan Mathews suffered a knee injury that would sideline him for at least the next 4-5 weeks, the Chargers lost another running back. The versatile and reliable Danny Woodhead suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Buffalo last week. The Chargers' backfield is in disarray, with Donald Brown now thrust into the starting spot. Fortunately for the Chargers, they're going up against the Jaguars this week.

Dennis Pitta- Pitta's season is over after he dislocated a hip in the Ravens' Week 3 victory over the Browns. From the outside, this looks like a crucial blow to the Ravens' offense. But, really, it's not that significant. Two veterans signed this offseason, Owen Daniels and Steve Smith, have proven to be reliable targets for Joe Flacco and their presence will cushion the loss of the team's starting tight end.

Tyvon Branch- For the second consecutive season, Tyvon Branch's season ends prematurely. Last year, the Oakland Raider's safety was placed on IR two weeks into the season, this year it's three. Branch is a good player, and has been with Oakland since the team drafted him in 2008. Veteran journeyman Usama Young will take over the starting safety spot next to Charles Woodson.

Matt Cassel, Brandon Fusco- The Vikings lost two starters for the rest of the season, placing quarterback Matt Cassel and starting right guard Brandon Fusco on injured reserve. The real damage is done by the loss of Fusco -- who had just signed a 5-year $25 million contract extension with the team -- his value will be evident once fans see the play of his replacement, Vladimir Ducasse. As for Cassel, well let's just say his time as the starting quarterback in Minnesota is up, and the Teddy Bridgewater Era has begun.

*Injury and contract news courtesy of NFL.com