Our roster is decimated by injuries… again. It seems like every season we are one of the snakebit teams. We have our starting LT, C, DE, WR, 2 CBs… all out with long term injury. Looking around the league I have a hard time finding any other team that is this beat up at this early point in the year. Why do you guys think we have such a hard time staying healthy?
Our trainers? Our medical staff? Our playing surfaces? I do think ford field tends to have a lot of knee / ankle type injuries compared to other teams. It’s just a feeling, but I think even opposing teams at Ford field tend to get beat up.
The Packers PB LT has been out all season. Then his backup got hurt too, so they’re playing their 3rd option at LT. Their best pass-rusher, Z. Smith has only played 18 snaps this year. They just lost their shutdown CB to an AC joint too.
Unfortunately, this type of crap happens. The Lions just can’t afford it like the Packers can.
Let’s go through causes we can come up with. Here are mine: Player genetics #1. Some dudes are just more durable. Can be attributed to their play style, flexibility, diet, age, fitness, bone density etc. Goff was chosen over Wentz in part because of durability. Coaching style #2. I think of boxers that either stay tight and defensive with jabs versus those that open up and swing for the knockout but also put themselves at risk. Coaches make small choices constantly to reinforce one style over others. The 49ers play balls to the walls constantly and have suffered more injuries than most. External Variables #3. I mentioned in another thread about the turf, and footwear. These guys play crazy fast and hit hard. Landing incorrectly with bad shoes can send pain up and down the legs and back. Trainers and Medical #4. It’s a delicate balance between strengthen and strain. When to recover and when to play through is as crucial of a decision as when to go for it or punt. Luck #5. Sometimes fate plays a roll even if #1-4 are all in their ideal situation.
With the amount of money these teams invest in their teams, it’s worth a few million to ensure the field, trainers, and footwear are all the best available.
Rams
I will give McVay credit for his style and emphasis on player health through analytics and modern medicine. Snead has also prioritized players with a great health history. His teams have been remarkably healthy year after year and it’s not luck. It didn’t look like Holmes drafted any guys with known injury histories and let guys go that have them. T. Williams had some known issues but they weren’t that chronic and he only did a 1 year contract.
Lions
I can’t tell yet their ability to keep a healthy team. 2 Achilles injuries this early in the season is weird and feels unusual. That’s why I ask about orthotics and the field turf.
Campbell seems to emphasize player health but is benching guys that try not to get hurt or make repetitive mistakes, so will that create an over compensation culture? He want’s “gritty” players and those feel like the ones that will play even if hurt.
There is also that whole issue with the fired head trainer for communication issues. That could be a contributor or not.
I can’t wait to watch the Stones this year man! Probably be the first time I’ve watched them since 2010. Not a big enough fan of the NBA to watch piss-poor basketball.
I’ve said this before, nearly every Lions player with a big contract and guaranteed money is nursing an injury, or sucked so bad they were released. Goff is about the only one actually attempting to play football.
I hate today’s NFL … it’s basically a race to get artificially large/fast and a couple stats to get your guaranteed money, then surprise, surprise, something blows out, so get your street clothes on for as long as possible. The injury rate is insane.
Golladays fake hip injury was a great business decision. It worked great for him.
I understand it’s a business. I don’t want to watch people make business decisions. I enjoyed this sport when it was a game. Not so much when it turned into 100% business.
I’m hoping that these practices aren’t so physical that they are not ready for game day. I understand trying to see what you have, but those kind of practices are not sustainable.
Just my own individual thought here, although I do have a medical background (for what it is worth):
Conditioning, strength training, diet, stretching, etc… all help to improve the players overall strength, speed, burst, etc. However, the basic connective structure of the human body has not changed greatly, meaning muscles get bigger, speed gets faster, cuts get quicker, collisions have greater impact, but the ligaments, tendons, meniscus are the same. This means these pro athletes with their highly trained bodies are putting much more force on the structural parts that cannot deal with the added torque or force of impact. You now have 22 of these enhanced athletes (21 if Tavai is playing) on the field flying around and crashing into each other a higher rate of speed than even 20 years ago. Something has got to give. Just my two cents.
