Injuries, Preparation, and Regulation in the Modern NFL

Reardon's Beard

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Dec 3, 2005
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It's been written ad nauseam how well Bill Belichick adapted to injury challenges this season. Maximizing the production of rookies, non-drafted free agents, and journeyman players - quite a job indeed, yet one of the most overlooked contributions is his knowledge of history and what underlying factors shape the modern game. We see it once and a while, but in many ways there are points and observations made that transcend New England and should be taken more seriously by the National Football League, an organization committed to both player safety and a competitive enterprise.
 
Yesterday my friends and I were reflecting on the incredulous number of injuries this season. We all seemed to agree there was a higher number than in past years, and it has certainly impacted careers, families, and a teams ability to compete. Why and how has this happened? Bad luck? Karma? Speed and intensity of the game? Or is it structural and impacted by management? This has been mentioned in other threads on and off again, and it would be an interesting conversation amongst the longtime veterans of the board, dopes, athletes, medical professionals, and casual observers alike.
 
There are a series of questions to consider: has the NFL and NFLPA tried to protect players to the point that it's made them more vulnerable to serious injury? Are we seeing different types of injuries? Have the helmet-to-helmet hits and concussions been reduced in trade for physically crippling tackles that destroy the ACL and MCL? Anything is on the table here, as Coach Belichick seems to think the lack of preparation is a serious problem and has negatively shaped player conditioning.
 
Patriots coach Bill Belichick is blaming recently instituted NFL rules shortening offseason practice time for what he claims to be an increasing number of player injuries.

"I'm in favor of total preparation for the players for the season," Belichick said during a conference call with Buffalo reporters this week in leading up to New England's home game against the Bills on Sunday. "And I think that's been changed significantly and, I would say, not necessarily for the better when you look at the injury numbers."

Belichick said players are more vulnerable to being hurt because they're less prepared, and described the limits placed on offseason workouts — including training camp — as being counterproductive.

"Personally, I think that's taking the wrong approach," he said. "You have a gap between preparation and competition level. And I think that's where you see a lot of injuries occurring. We get a lot of breakdowns. We get a lot of situations that players just aren't as prepared as they were in previous years, in my experience anyway."
 
 

wutang112878

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Nov 5, 2007
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Reardons Beard said:
Why and how has this happened? Bad luck? Karma? Speed and intensity of the game? Or is it structural and impacted by management? This has been mentioned in other threads on and off again, and it would be an interesting conversation amongst the longtime veterans of the board, dopes, athletes, medical professionals, and casual observers alike.
 
There are a series of questions to consider: has the NFL and NFLPA tried to protect players to the point that it's made them more vulnerable to serious injury?
 
 
These questions are so difficult to answer.  I want to say the speed and intensity of the game is to blame, but I believe over say the past 5 years the rate of injuries has increased more than the speed and intensity of the game has increased.
 
One variable that could be easily isolated is the contact IR injuries.  Gronks and Volmers injuries are probably unavoidable with any training regimen.  Whereas some of the non-contact ACL tears should probably be looked at differently.
 
I think the timing of injuries might be relevant as well.  Training camp has been significantly toned down, so logically we should see the highest rate of 'not used to game speed' injuries early in the season.  While I dont have the numbers to back it up, I feel like there were more IR type injuries later in the season.
 
Oh and according to the NFL ACL injuries are down, not that they have a conflict of interest
 

BucketOBalls

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Apr 5, 2009
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Steak of Turmoil
Just to state the obvious: The concussion protocols mean more stuff counts and an "injury" right now. 
 
In general, the speed and intensity increases mean people can "play through" less injuries also,  so they could have an effect in that sense, even if the direct injury increase contribution is small.