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  (11:05 AM)

Stephania Bell will be by to chat in a few minutes!

Stephania Bell

  (11:22 AM)

Hi gang: A little post-fantasy mixup. II'm still wallowing in my championship loss. But not for long!! There are playoffs to consider...and then of course, there are other sports that are just ramping up...

Matt NYC

Will Jacobs and Big Ben be ready to play next week?

Stephania Bell

  (11:25 AM)

Hi Matt: Well, you can bet that Jacobs will be ready to go. Even though Coughlin doesn't like to rest his starters, one of the reasons Jacobs didn't play last week was just so that he would be ready for the playoffs. So count him in.As far as Ben, the bye week should help him be ready to go. One thing about concussions is that we never know how serious they are until the symptoms have cleared. We can think mild, but it really is a wait and see to see how long it takes for a player to feel "normal" again. The good news for the Steelers is that Roethlisberger did not suffer a serious neck injury. So at this point it looks promising.

Jay (NJ)

whats up with boozer?

Stephania Bell

  (11:30 AM)

Jay: Boozer is scheduled for a third MRI (actually it was set for yesterday). It really comes down to a decision as to whether he will need surgery or not. Even if there's no surgery, this is not a straightforward injury with his quad tendon, so it's not clear at this point how long it will be. But I would not plan on having him anytime soon. I'm guessing even with conservative treatment it's going to be a few weeks.

Brian: (Birmingham, AL):

Stephania, Is Tyson Chandler hurt? What about Chris Kaman's return? i need a C for fantasy BB and i'm wondering who'll be better come playoff time. THanks!!

Stephania Bell

  (11:34 AM)

Brian: Chandler has been bothered by a stiff neck off and on. Nothing serious, but enough to bother him intermittently. Kaman's arch is still giving him trouble. Apparently the original thought was that he'd be back around New Year's - but that has been pushed back at least a couple of weeks. The challenge with these arch problems is that they're often overuse related - and there's no way to play and not stress that part of the foot....

Steiny (NYC)

What are you hearing about Antonio Gates's ankle injury?

Stephania Bell

  (11:35 AM)

Hi Steiny: Can always count on you to chip in. Gates reportedly came away with what the team is calling just a minor ankle sprain. They have already indicated his status as Probable and don't seem overly concerned. After all his foot troubles this year, I hate to see him have anything else, but it sounds like it's not as bad as it certianly could be.

Anthony (Cali)

Nene missed last night .... is it serious?

Stephania Bell

  (11:38 AM)

Anthony: He missed the game with a stiff neck. Denver doesn't seem to think it serious but would not commit to his availability for Wednesday. The concern with this is whether it's just a minor muscular problem or a signal of something more serious (disc, pinched nerve) that is emerging. That's all the info we have right now so we'll have to wait a bit and see.

Braxton (WV)

Is Paul Millsap's knee getting better?

Stephania Bell

  (11:43 AM)

Braxton: Millsap srpained his PCL, and while it's not something that will require surgery, he really just has to rest it, let the swelling and pain calm down and then get enough strength back to get back onto the court. There is the risk that it can be injured further, particularly if he hyperextends it, but they may put him in a brace to help prevent that when he returns. In other words, this is not the kind of thing that really fully heals, but it can certainly get better enough that he can be functional.

Dustin (Indy)

What are they saying about the Colts Gary Brackett?

Stephania Bell

  (11:46 AM)

Dustin: Brackett will not play this week in the wild card game. He broke his fibula in Week 13 - and although it's typically a 4-6 week healing time, depending on the individual, there is rehab time after to get mobility back in the ankle and strength back in the leg. At this point they're not really giving a target date.

Jon (La Crosse, WI)

Can you be a bit more specific on Zach Randolph's injury? I've heard it described as a sprained knee and also as having a bone bruise. No MRI required, but the official prognosis and how that plays in to a return.. Thanks.

Stephania Bell

  (11:51 AM)

Hi Jon: Good question. A sprain means any ligament injury, even if minor. Even if no ovious damage to the ligament fibers shows up on MRI, the injury can be microscopic and still be a (minor) sprain. There are bruises (bleeding, any tissue) and then there are bone bruises (specifically trauma to the bone itself). Often when there is a ligament injury, there can be a bone bruise that accompanies it (but that is mostly with the more severe sprains). Conceivably though in someone with a loose knee (which many of these tall guys have - just an inherently looser knee), an awkward movement can cause the bony ends to imapct each other in a way that creates pain and potentially bruising. Sometimes they'll call it that based on the mechanism of injury, even if there's no visible bruise. In the end, treatment is rest, anti-inflammatory, a lot of ice, gentle movement - no impact stuff until the pain is resolved. Timeline is very hard to rpedict and it looks like they're saying a week or tow, maybe more (reinforcing the idea that it's nearly impossible to predict). Hope that helps a little.

Steiny (NYC)

What are your hearing on the injury of James Jones?

Stephania Bell

  (11:55 AM)

Well, Jones tore his PCL earlier in the year and then aggravated it again in the Monday night game against the Bears. Sounds like they want him to rest for a month and then they will evaluate the need for surgery. Jones explained it as a nerve problem, so it's unclear whether there is some scar tissue around the nerve, or whether some lingering instability irritates the nerve, or what exactly is the nature of the problem. But the team will evaluate his progress after a month of complete rest and decide what to do from there.

J.B. (Dunmore, PA)

Ms. Bell: With football season over my fantasy chat time ends as well. Just wanted to thank you so much for your insight and for taking the time to answer so many questions this past year. May 2009 bring you everything you want in life.

Stephania Bell

  (11:57 AM)

Wow - JB - thank you for that generous wish...I hope you had a successful fantasy season - but don't disappear! We'll be continuing chats (although I don't know the schedule offhand) to talk football playoffs, and other sporting injuries throughout the year...Come back!

Bill (DC)

What's your take on Brady? Think he'll be ready for training camp and/or the start of the season?

Stephania Bell

  (11:59 AM)

Bill: This is such a big question, especially with the contradictory reports of late. There's no way to say with any certainty one way or the other - it's just too soon. That said, I have no reason to doubt that Brady will be ready to start the year. Yes, he had a setback with an infection. But the infection has reportedly cleared, and since there was no need to return to surgery to replace the graft, he has every shot of being ready to go when the time comes. A lot depends on his rehab from here forward, which I expect he will be diligent at knowing him, and that he has no accidents (stumbles, trips, falls). I like his chances.

Stephania Bell

  (12:00 PM)

OK - thanks to those of you who showed up for the chat today. Sorry for the late start. Keep an eye on our fantasy page for updated chat schedules as they will be switching a bit with the new year. Happy and Healthy New Year to Sports Nation!!!