There was a noticeable gap in offensive production between the second quarter and the last drive in regulation. After quarterback Colt McCoy hit Josh Cribbs for a 37-yard gain late in the second quarter, Cribbs limped to the sideline and subsequently to the locker room where he would not return.
While the team told the on-site media that Cribbs experienced an injury to his foot, it turns out that there was a little more to the story than initially reported.
Going inside of an Evan Moore down-field block, Cribbs attempted to jump through tacklers to gain an extra yard or two. The result: an X-ray and four dislocated toes on his right foot, with only his big toe surviving the impact, and nary another snap as he was forced to watch the second half from the sidelines.
“I just couldn’t get back out there,” said Cribbs. “I was about to jump and somebody behind me stepped on my foot right as I was about to jump. They took X-rays and they just told me, ‘you’re done for the day.’ I asked them what the X-rays show, but they didn’t tell me. They just said, ‘you’re done, you’re done.”
For the game, Cribbs totaled two touches that net the team 51 yards. An unsustainable yards-per-touch average, but definitely something the team could have used more of in the third and fourth quarters.
Given Cribbs’ skill set, having functioining toes is integral.
As of now, Cribbs “might be ready” for the upcoming game in Jacksonville against the Jaguars. In the meantime, the always-electric playmaker may want to consider not going airborne every time he’s about to be taken down – his first touch of the game resulted in a summersault with Cribbs landing square on his back (pictured above). Longevity is key, and pretending one is a member of the Flying Wallendas while getting hit by 250-lb men is not the best way to extend a career.
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(Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images)
