Lizard King Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Page 1 / 3 Dec 09, 2013 02:21:29 PM [bSP] Gronkowski Spotlights NFL’s 60% Surge in Knee Injuries From 2011 By Erik Matuszewski Dec. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots became the 40th National Football League player to suffer a season-ending knee injury this season, a 60 percent increase over 2011 that comes as defenders have sought to avoid penalties and fines for hits to the head. Gronkowski, a two-time Pro Bowl tight end who’s scored 42 touchdowns in his 44 career starts, was injured during the third quarter of yesterday’s 27-26 win over the Cleveland Browns. After catching a pass down the middle of the field, Gronkowski was taken down after being hit in the right knee by Browns defensive back T.J. Ward, who dove low on the play. Gronkowski will miss the rest of the season with torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, ESPN said, citing unidentified people familiar with the situation. It’s the 40th ACL injury of the season, according to ESPN, up from 32 last year and 25 in 2011. “You see what defenders are doing -- they’ve been put into a tough position getting away from the head,” said Merrill Hoge, who retired as a running back because of concussions and is now an ESPN NFL analyst. “When you lose a guy like that, that hurts not just the New England Patriots, that hurts the National Football League because he’s a guy that people identify with, he’s a significant player and he’s a difference-maker.” With the loss of Gronkowski, the Patriots’ odds of winning the Super Bowl moved to 8-1 from 6-1 at the Las Vegas Hotel’s SuperBook. The Patriots lead the American Football Conference East Division at 10-3, Patriots Player Rob Gronkowski tied for the third-best record in the NFL, with three games left in the regular season. Pats’ Production In the past seven games with Gronkowski in the lineup, the Patriots averaged 32 points a game. Without him for the first six weeks, they averaged 20.8 points a game. “I don’t think too many teams have players of that caliber at any position to just put in another Rob Gronkowski,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said today on a conference call. “One way or another, we’ll have to adjust.” Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Reggie Wayne and running back Vick Ballard, St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, New York Jets running back Mike Goodson, Miami Dolphins tight end Dustin Keller and Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer are among NFL players to suffer ACL injuries this season. In an effort to reduce concussions and brain trauma, the NFL has cracked down on hits by defensive players to the head and neck area of offensive players. Safeties Dashon Goldson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Brandon Meriweather have both been suspended one game this season by the NFL for repeated helmet-to-helmet hits on defenseless receivers. Knees “The defenseless receiver rule has to extend not only to the head, but also to the knees,” said Terrell Davis, the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1998 who now is an NFL Network analyst. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league’s competition committee in the offseason routinely reviews all plays and injuries to determine if rule changes need to be made. Ward, whose hit forced Gronkowski to be taken off the field on a cart, said the rule changes have made many defensive players go low to make tackles. “If I were to hit him up high, there’s a chance I would be fined, so I was just being safe,” Ward told reporters. “Gronk’s a big dude, he’s not small by any means, it just makes it difficult. My intention is not to hurt anyone, that’s not what this game is about and that’s not how I play.” 6-Foot-6 Gronkowski is listed as 6-foot-6, 265 pounds (2 meters, 120 kilograms); Ward is listed as 5-foot-10, 200 pounds. Hoge said the NFL needs to address knee injuries. His suggestion is incorporating a target zone so defensive players can’t deliberately hit above the neck or below the knees. “Nobody is saying you can’t hit the guy as hard you need to hit him still,” Hoge said. “That’s still going to be a part of the game. We’re just saying up around the head and neck area and below the knee, let’s make our emphasis there so we can avoid catastrophic injuries like this.” For Related News and Information: National Football League menu: NI NFL <GO> Top Sports Stories: USPO <GO> --Editors: Michael Sillup, Dex McLuskey To contact the reporter on this story: Erik Matuszewski in New York at +1-212-617-8797 or matuszewski@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Sillup at +1-212-617-1262 or msillup@bloomberg.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 there's no rule change the league can make, or special helmet, or whatever, that will make this game safe. it's a dangerous game. that's why Gronk gets paid. Not just cause he's a rare athlete. It's hazard pay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadwayJoe12 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Firstly, Hoge retired because he was no longer good at football. Secondly, target zone for legal hits? That will just change once you start seeing star dbacks like Revis, Sherman et al start tearing their shoulders trying to tackle guys who outweigh them by 40-70 lbs. Even if they could head hunt, you aren't going to see smaller defensive backs targeting ball-carriers who outweigh them by that much anywhere above the waist, it's just logic. If this happens, you're going to be seeing a whole lot of deion sanders type tackling, just without the coverage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard King Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 How about just taking away the faceguard, 1,000 pads and give them leather helmets that make these guys feel like superman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Firstly, Hoge retired because he was no longer good at football. Secondly, target zone for legal hits? That will just change once you start seeing star dbacks like Revis, Sherman et al start tearing their shoulders trying to tackle guys who outweigh them by 40-70 lbs. Even if they could head hunt, you aren't going to see smaller defensive backs targeting ball-carriers who outweigh them by that much anywhere above the waist, it's just logic. If this happens, you're going to be seeing a whole lot of deion sanders type tackling, just without the coverage. side note Cro is back to where we found him missing tackles in SD by diving right by the runner. appearing to try to make a tackle without all that nasty contact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sperm Edwards Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Merril Hoge (Matuszewski could at least spell the guy's name right if he's going to quote him) retired from football because he kept getting made fun of because of his comical hairpiece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Integrity28 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 side note Cro is back to where we found him missing tackles in SD by diving right by the runner. appearing to try to make a tackle without all that nasty contact. I genuinely think losing Revis as a peer had the biggest influence on Cromartie. Even with Revis hurt last year, he was here as a peer and motivator to Cro. Cro said regularly how much Revis helped him hone his game. Bummer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadwayJoe12 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 side note Cro is back to where we found him missing tackles in SD by diving right by the runner. appearing to try to make a tackle without all that nasty contact. Yea, I noticed that too. He was tackling well towards the beginning of the season, I'm thinking he's either injured more severely than we know and/or he's just playing it safe in a lost year. If he were playing as well as he were last year, it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but since he's not, it's even more glaring. Not for nothing, but even though Milliner has missed a couple, he's a very willing tackler and is active in run support. That and the kid can flat out fly; had a solid, if not unspectacular game this past week and I think all those writing him off after a training-campless off-season are missing his raw skills. I still think the kids going to end up okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BroadwayJoe12 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I genuinely think losing Revis as a peer had the biggest influence on Cromartie. Even with Revis hurt last year, he was here as a peer and motivator to Cro. Cro said regularly how much Revis helped him hone his game. Bummer. Ehh, I think that's a bit overblown. Revis certainly helped him throughout the course of their years together, but he left the team to rehab in Arizona from Thanksgving onward and Cro's play didn't have any significant drop-off then. Cro just had a great year last year, be it due to better health or whatever, I don't think any of it had to do with Darrelle's presence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Cro's got a bad hip that is really affecting his play. The question is, will he ever be healthy again? Probably a moot point for the Jets, he's a goner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeWillie Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 How about just taking away the faceguard, 1,000 pads and give them leather helmets that make these guys feel like superman. I believe this to be very true. Ironically, the equipment that has been developed over the past 20 years to protect players, has allowed those same players to play more recklessly and is also one of the primary reasons players get more frequently and seriously hurt. For example, helmets are no longer protective devises ... they function as weapons. Couple this with the fact that players are freakishly bigger, stronger and faster every year and its no mystery why there are more devastating injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SayNoToDMC Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 No litigation for knee injuries. NFL is fine with this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenorGato Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 How about just taking away the faceguard, 1,000 pads and give them leather helmets that make these guys feel like superman. I agree they should go back to leather helmets. These 260+ pound roided up assholes all think they're missiles with these helmets on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard King Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 I agree they should go back to leather helmets. These 260+ pound roided up assholes all think they're missiles with these helmets on. Maybe it was just propoganda, but when I was playing rugby they told us that rugby has a fraction of the injuries that football does. I think its probably true bc anyone who knows rugby knows it is no bitch sport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSJets Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 A Patriot was injured...a rules change will be coming soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurnleyJet Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Merril Hodge = Jet hating douche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenorGato Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Maybe it was just propoganda, but when I was playing rugby they told us that rugby has a fraction of the injuries that football does. I think its probably true bc anyone who knows rugby knows it is no bitch sport I wouldn't be surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bitonti Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Maybe it was just propoganda, but when I was playing rugby they told us that rugby has a fraction of the injuries that football does. I think its probably true bc anyone who knows rugby knows it is no bitch sport rugby has it's own issues with concussions and skull fractures... broken necks when the scrum collapses resulting in paralysis. I don't know if it's any safer, just dangerous in a different way. the reason why they can't take away the helmets is because the league used to have a skull fracture problem in the 1940s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizard King Posted December 10, 2013 Author Share Posted December 10, 2013 rugby has it's own issues with concussions and skull fractures... broken necks when the scrum collapses resulting in paralysis. I don't know if it's any safer, just dangerous in a different way. the reason why they can't take away the helmets is because the league used to have a skull fracture problem in the 1940s. That is an interesting piece of history.I did not know that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HessStation Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 A Patriot was injured...a rules change will be coming soon.lol it's amazing isn't it. Nothing to see here move along people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neckdemon Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I agree they should go back to leather helmets. These 260+ pound roided up assholes all think they're missiles with these helmets on. better idea. make it illegal to launch yourself at players. wrap up and tackle. stop lauching yourself at the other players. its like every player is just trying to go for the truck stick hit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SenorGato Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 better idea. make it illegal to launch yourself at players. wrap up and tackle. stop lauching yourself at the other players. its like every player is just trying to go for the truck stick hit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLBqFpxl-lE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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