Ian RapoportVerified account @RapSheet
#Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower has a torn pec and is out for the year, source said.
#Patriots LB Dont’a Hightower has a torn pec and is out for the year, source said.
Yeah, they need McClellin back too.David Harris, come on down!
He’s definitely had injuries throughout his career, but this will be the first time he’s played fewer than 12 games in a season.Ted Johnson 2.0. Just can’t stay healthy ever.
True. Imagine they’ll take a look at Giants, Niners, Browns tape.At least this happened before the trade deadline - gives BB and Caserio the chance to at least see what's out there.
Nobody bats 1.000, but we probably won the injury batting title last year - Gronk notwithstanding. We were fairly charmed in 2014 too - Ridley, Mayo, Chandler Jones, not sure there was anyone else who missed substantial time.I want to say "Why can't we have nice things?" but I know that isn't fair, because we do have REALLY nice things with this team, but man, is it just impossible in today's NFL for a team to have a "healthy" season?
The last two times the Pats won the SB they did have relatively healthy seasons by NFL standards. The last couple of times the Pats got a lot of injuries they lost in Denver in the AFCCG. There's a direct correlation.I want to say "Why can't we have nice things?" but I know that isn't fair, because we do have REALLY nice things with this team, but man, is it just impossible in today's NFL for a team to have a "healthy" season?
Hightower is very good but I don’t think his loss will make or break the season.This is 2015 all over again. He’s their most important player on defense, I’m not sure this can be overcome with the goals set so high.
11 tackles, 6 solo, 1 tackle for loss, 1 QB hit against the Chiefs last week. He's looked good so far, I think.How did he look on the Raiders?
Great, in his first game. 11 tackles and a sack.How did he look on the Raiders?
Maybe not, but we’re getting there with the injuries. Edelman and Hightower is a ton of value.Hightower is very good but I don’t think his loss will make or break the season.
Not 50% or 60%, exactly 55%? I think it means nothing.Bert Breer was just on Toucher and Rich and he claimed that the Pats (and other teams looking at Hightower this offseason) knew that Hightower's pec was "55%" torn, whatever that means.
Probably but the next "you get a couple million dollars AND you don't have to practice" contract Belichick gives out would be the first.Geez, Navarro Bowman would look good on our team right about now.
Sunday's Football Notes article in the Glebe noted that the Super Bowl participants in recent years (Pats, Denver, Seattle, Carolina, Atlanta) were all relatively healthy compared to the rest of the league. After a team loses more than 3 starters, however, it's often bad news. Pats have lost Edelman and Hightower and Mitchell, and are likely to lose Rowe. Granted, the last 2 are not in the same category as the first 2, but still. You can throw in Derek Rivers, who looked really promising in training camp.The last two times the Pats won the SB they did have relatively healthy seasons by NFL standards. The last couple of times the Pats got a lot of injuries they lost in Denver in the AFCCG. There's a direct correlation.
Andre Tippet tore his pec and came back strong the following season.Probably but the next "you get a couple million dollars AND you don't have to practice" contract Belichick gives out would be the first.
Bowman apparently needs the whole week to "treat" his knee(s) and is limited to walkthroughs. Having no experience in a scheme like the Patriots defense, he'd have to pick up all of the playbook without any practice time - which is a pretty tough ask of any player, even a former All-Pro.
TSH had Bert Breer (ugh) on and he got into an argument with Fred about whether Ninkovich would get a phone call. Breer was dubious unless "there was a lot of money on the table" while Fred - who was strongly hinting he's talked to Ninkovich - saying that "I KNOW he wants to play this season."
As for Hightower, this is probably the end of his career as a useful player. Mayo just kept tearing up the shoulder/pectoral and tackling is the highest risk activity there is for such an injury. Paging @DaveRoberts'Shoes for more on why pec/shoulder injuries are so hard to overcome for linebackers.
Well if true it means they knew this was a possibility, and I'd say they planned pretty poorly for it. But who knows.Not 50% or 60%, exactly 55%? I think it means nothing.
This is silly. The Texans lost Watt and Mercilus the same week. Beckham, David Johnson, Eric Berry, Joe Thomas are out for the year. The Eagles just lost their left tackle and their best LB. The team we're playing Sunday already lost two interior OL and their best secondary player. The Dolphins and Colts lost their QBs before the season even started, and Minnesota has played without theirs for weeks. It's a bloodbath out there; I would guess the Patriots' injury luck this season is closer to average than to the bottom end.Outside of Green Bay, Pats might have the worst injury luck this year to date. Losing two top 5 players before the halfway point is brutal.
*second (Roman Phifer). But that was a long time ago, and I essentially agree.Probably but the next "you get a couple million dollars AND you don't have to practice" contract Belichick gives out would be the first.
I've torn my pec twice and it's never been a thing going forward - but isn't the determinative question where the tear is? Both mine were apparently in the "hamburger meet" of the muscle and not at the insertion point where the muscle tore off the bone.I’m going back to my standing theory that only three things matter in the NFL - QB, head coach, and overall injury load to a team. Everything else is just window dressing.
As to the prior question, I don’t think pec tears are necessarily a death knell for linebackers in particular, but it is key in the tackling motion, which is the most important part of their job. I think Mayo just had bad luck and was at the end of the line overall - unfortunately I think we’re venturing into that territory with Hightower. He’s got a lot of wear and tear between his time at Bama and his career here
I don't think so, unless its a binary win the Super Bowl or failure expectation. They still have a chance to be one of the handful of teams with a chance to win the Super Bowl and every team has warts.So, should this (plus Edelman) change our expectations for the season?
Arguably the two most important players on each side of the ball are done (aside from Brady of course)
Nink said about a month ago that he hasn't ruled out coming back this season.TSH had Bert Breer (ugh) on and he got into an argument with Fred about whether Ninkovich would get a phone call. Breer was dubious unless "there was a lot of money on the table" while Fred - who was strongly hinting he's talked to Ninkovich - saying that "I KNOW he wants to play this season."
I feel like typically they do not trade to fill gaps like this because I dont think they think a brand new guy, at this point, can grasp the system well enough. I think its more likely they look at a guy like Ayers, who would cost them no picks, and has some understanding of the system, for depth.I'd suspect there may be a trade coming, they are soooo thin at LB now. Or, more Jordan Richards/Chung at LB! Maybe it'll now work out well that David Harris has been kept on ice thus far. Please stay healthy, Van Noy.
But, still.....fuuuuuuuuuck.I’m going back to my standing theory that only three things matter in the NFL - QB, head coach, and overall injury load to a team. Everything else is just window dressing.
As to the prior question, I don’t think pec tears are necessarily a death knell for linebackers in particular, but it is key in the tackling motion, which is the most important part of their job. I think Mayo just had bad luck and was at the end of the line overall - unfortunately I think we’re venturing into that territory with Hightower. He’s got a lot of wear and tear between his time at Bama and his career here
GB has probably had worse injury luck.This is silly. The Texans lost Watt and Mercilus the same week. Beckham, David Johnson, Eric Berry, Joe Thomas are out for the year. The Eagles just lost their left tackle and their best LB. The team we're playing Sunday already lost two interior OL and their best secondary player. The Dolphins and Colts lost their QBs before the season even started, and Minnesota has played without theirs for weeks. It's a bloodbath out there; I would guess the Patriots' injury luck this season is closer to average than to the bottom end.
*second (Roman Phifer). But that was a long time ago, and I essentially agree.
Exactly-you had a “musculotendinous” tear, which is always non-surgical - I had the same thing myself on both sides. If the tendon is off the bone... time to see JimmyI've torn my pec twice and it's never been a thing going forward - but isn't the determinative question where the tear is? Both mine were apparently in the "hamburger meet" of the muscle and not at the insertion point where the muscle tore off the bone.
Casillas from the Giants maybe?He’s definitely had injuries throughout his career, but this will be the first time he’s played fewer than 12 games in a season.
Just a devastating injury. Doubt we win either of the last town Super Bowls without his 4th quarter plays.
True. Imagine they’ll take a look at Giants, Niners, Browns tape.
I don't think they're that thin - they have bodies, between Van Noy, Roberts, Harris, Marsh, Richards, and McClellin coming back. Too bad losing Langi around the same time, though who knows if he could give them much. I see it as more a quality issue than a depth issue. I suspect they'll mix and match these guys, none of whom can come close to replacing Hightower individually but some of whom can plausibly substitute for pieces of his performance (McClellin / Marsh on the edge, Richards in coverage situations, Roberts / Harris on early downs).I'd suspect there may be a trade coming, they are soooo thin at LB now. Or, more Jordan Richards/Chung at LB! Maybe it'll now work out well that David Harris has been kept on ice thus far. Please stay healthy, Van Noy.
Is Andrews that good? Is it his technical abilities as a surgeon, or something else?Exactly-you had a “musculotendinous” tear, which is always non-surgical - I had the same thing myself on both sides. If the tendon is off the bone... time to see Jimmy
I’m going back to my standing theory that only three things matter in the NFL - QB, head coach, and overall injury load to a team. Everything else is just window dressing.
As to the prior question, I don’t think pec tears are necessarily a death knell for linebackers in particular, but it is key in the tackling motion, which is the most important part of their job. I think Mayo just had bad luck and was at the end of the line overall - unfortunately I think we’re venturing into that territory with Hightower. He’s got a lot of wear and tear between his time at Bama and his career here