There is a lot to be said about a team in the New England Patriots' shoes who don't have a bye until Week 14, yet has mostly avoided the injury bug that typically plagues teams well before that during a regular year.
Although they have dealt with a few big hits, like Kayshon Boutte and Rhamondre Stevenson missing some games and Milton Williams' IR designation, they have been fortunate that more key players haven't dealt with any ailments.
That is, at least, what we were all aware of. It became a talking point this past week after Stefon Diggs revealed he has been playing with a broken finger over the last few games. He spoke about how much he appreciates the way Drake Maye throws the ball, and offhandedly announced he had broken his finger a few weeks prior.
Considering how well he has played for the team this year, it's difficult to fathom that he was playing through an injury that has sidelined plenty of receivers before him. But it hasn't derailed his performance whatsoever, and he will now have to prove it won't become a problem moving forward, starting with Sunday's game against the Bengals.
Stefon Diggs' casual injury admission will hopefully not come back to haunt him
Now that everyone in New England and beyond is aware of Diggs' broken finger, there will inevitably be even more eyes on him over the next few weeks, particularly in the first game since he mentioned the injury against the Bengals.
His impressive production this season has been a welcome sight for the Patriots, as they haven't had a player of his caliber since Julian Edelman retired, and it looks like Diggs will be the first receiver to hit 1,000+ receiving yards this year since the legendary player.
That should continue this weekend against a depleted Bengals team, who are expected to have QB Joe Burrow back in the lineup. But their defense is set to be without perhaps their biggest game-changer, DE Trey Hendrickson, which will certainly work in the Patriots' favor.
Diggs will have to show that the finger has not, and will not, in fact, slow him down this year. It wouldn't have been a concern had he not mentioned it, so now that we've all been made aware, his performance will be viewed even more under a microscope. Any tiny moment that could suggest his finger is more of a problem than he suggested will become a big story.
Because they hope to continue their current win streak and steal a win in Cincinnati, it would be a major step back if Diggs has any issues this week. Hopefully, it won't be noticeable whatsoever, and we don't have to keep talking about it the rest of the season.