NFL news: Joe Flacco's knee is fine, Jerry Jones concerned about Sean Lee

The Ravens and Cowboys are fighting for their playoff lives. One team got some good injury news on Tuesday while the other may be forced to play without one of its best players.

By Mark Sandritter Dec 17, 2013, 5:02pm EST

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When Joe Flacco took a low hit late in Baltimore's win against Detroit on Monday, there was some initial concern he may have suffered a knee injury.

His knee appeared to buckle slightly and Flacco walked off the field gingerly before receiving attention from the medical staff. Flacco, however, avoided serious injury and told reporters after the game he wasn't concerned about a possible injury.

"It wasn't really bothering me once the initial hit," Flacco said, via the Baltimore Sun. "I was probably more scared than anything from just what I felt and also just trying to get a couple of yards out of it. Yeah, it feels fine. It feels strong."

Flacco didn't have his best game of the season, but was able to move the Ravens into field goal range during the final minutes to set up Justin Tucker's game-winning 61-yard field goal. Jason Butt of Baltimore Beatdown said it would take a lot to keep Flacco from playing next week:

Flacco's knee will surely be sore when he wakes up sometime Tuesday. He could wind up getting a light workload in practice this week.

But if his knee will allow him to stand, you can bet Flacco doesn't miss next week's game against New England. Too much is on the line for a competitor like Flacco to take time off.

Jerry Jones concerned Sean Lee may be out for the year

Sean Lee missed Week 15 with a neck injury and his potential absence moving forward has Cowboys owner Jerry Jones concerned. Jones said the Dallas defense was "compromised" without Lee because the Cowboys were unable to run certain schemes they had been using all year.

Lee, arguably Dallas' best defender, has been hampered by injuries late in the season. The Cowboy defense wasn't great when he was healthy, but playing without him certainly played a part in Dallas blowing a 23-point lead against the Packers on Sunday. Injuries have been an issue for Lee during his career and Blogging the Boys isn't looking on the bright side:

Given all the false hope that the Dallas Cowboys have put out there in recent seasons, I am not holding my breath for fear of turning the same shade of blue that runs through my veins. We have been down this road far too many times in recent memory. If I had to guess, I would say that Lee's 2013 season has concluded.

Dennis Allen on shaky ground in Oakland

Sitting at 4-10 on the season, Dennis Allen's future in Oakland may come down to the final two games of the regular season. Allen is just 8-22 during his stint in Oakland and according to a report, the Raiders need to finish the year strong if Allen is going to remain head coach.

It's been an up-and-down season for the Raiders, but things have taken a downturn recently with four straight losses. Oakland ranks near the bottom of the NFL in scoring offense and defense. Levi Damien of Silver and Black Pride said it will be hard for the Raiders to finish anything but 4-12:

These players and their coaches have two more games this season but with the both sides of the ball hitting what looks like rock bottom over the past two weeks, there may not be much they could do to pull this team out of its tailspin. A win over the Chargers or Broncos would be a big shocker but it would be seen as more of an fluke at this point.

Injury updates:

Rob Gronkowski hasn't had surgery to repair the torn ACL and MCL in his knee, but the Patriots tight end will reportedly be healthy in time for the start of next season.
Cecil Shorts' season is over after Jacksonville placed the wide receiver on injured reserve. Shorts has been playing through a groin injury for much of the season.
The Giants placed cornerback Corey Webster on injured reserve due to groin and ankle injuries.
LaMarr Woodley suffered a calf injury on Sunday against Cincinnati and the injury will cause him to miss the rest of the season.
Bengals punter Kevin Huber took a massive hit on Sunday, which resulted in a cracked vertebrae and a broken jaw. The injuries forced Cincinnati to place him on injured reserve.
Pat Angerer has played through a knee injury for most of the season and after being inactive in Week 15, the Colts decided to place him on injured reserve. Angerer proved to be a solid part of the defense when healthy.