Creating a Safer, More Satisfying NFL

[BwareDWare94 723]

Every single year we hear about awful injuries, starting in spring workouts all the way through the preseason, injuries that not only take whole seasons away from the athletes themselves, but from the many fans who love and support them. So how do we fix this issue? Place any suggestions you can.

 

1. You rarely hear about these season-ending practice injuries at any other level of football, so my assumption is that there is something NFL teams do that has a hand in causing these issues. I think it's time to simplify practice a little bit.

 

2. 18 game season, first two games are exhibition and do not count. 4 preseason games is way too damn many, and there's way too much risk involved, at this point.

 

3. Get rid of hitting low in every single way. No more tackling at the knees and below. No more cut and chop blocks of any kind. Do away with this unnecessarily dangerous nonsense.

Edited August 25, 2015 by BwareDWare94

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I don't see how an 18-game regular season is safer. You're basically trading preseason weeks 3 and 4, where starters only play about a half, for two regular season games where starters would play the entire game.

Edited August 25, 2015 by SteVo

[Thanatos 2,847]

Bware is saying 18 games including preseason. First two games are preseason and don't count. So it'd still be a 16-game regular season.

[BwareDWare94 723]

FTR, I also advocate a schedule involving 2 Bye weeks for each team, making the season longer time wise but easier on players' bodies.

[BigBen07 285]

FTR, I also advocate a schedule involving 2 Bye weeks for each team, making the season longer time wise but easier on players' bodies.

They tried that in 1993, but the teams felt it was too disruptive for their daily routines, so they went back to 17 the following season.

[BwareDWare94 723]

They tried that in 1993, but the teams felt it was too disruptive for their daily routines, so they went back to 17 the following season.

 

Now that the NFLPA has negotiated a CBA that lessens the physical toll, I bet players would be more than happy to haven that toll lessened even more.

[BigBen07 285]

 

Now that the NFLPA has negotiated a CBA that lessens the physical toll, I bet players would be more than happy to haven that toll lessened even more.

That's true. Can't see any logistical issues with doing that. Plus the TNF games would be a lot easier on the players.

[theMileHighGuy 656]

A lot of the injuries taking out marquee players the past few years have been just freak non-contact injuries, like Jordy. Von's acl a few years ago was the same way. This plan could lessen injuries a lot, but shit does happen.

 

I do agree about lowering the number of preseason games, but definitely don't think it should be done away with entirely. So many young guys wouldn't have their jobs in the NFL without preseason games.

[BwareDWare94 723]

That's true. Can't see any logistical issues with doing that. Plus the TNF games would be a lot easier on the players.

 

Oh, and here's one more suggestion. A TNF Game to start the season is fine, but none again until after the Bye weeks start, and only teams coming off a Bye can play TNF games.

[butta54 371]

I don't like doing the neg thing, but couldn't disagree with the original post more. All these attempts at softening up football is really creating the injuries. You have to start this conversation with the fact that injuries will happen in football point blank and period. Once you accept that as a fact then you can look at the ideas we are talking about.

 

-Less practice has without doubt caused more injuries in my mind. No more two-a-days and all the extra "veteran days off" and the required non-contact practices...all asked for in the CBA....all thought by players to make things easier. Problem is hiding players from contact and not building their bodies up to the condition for a pounding is causing injuries. Same thing happens on the HS level with small rosters....coaches figure we practice lighter so we don't lose anyone, but as soon as you get into a contact game or practice everyone is hurt. Have to start early and build up over time like anything else.

 

-MHG hit it on the head. Without pre-season we are losing opportunities for guys like James Harrison, Victor Cruz, Tony Romo to make NFL rosters. The elimination of double practice adds value to the pre-season games. Coaches simply have less time to evaluate these days. First game starters get a series or two. Second game a quarter. Third game they do almost 3 quarters. And most don't play in the 4th game. The first and last game are basically nothing for starters already so I don't see changing the number helping any injuries.

 

-Getting rid of cut blocks, and low tackling is just so hard to even hear as a suggestion. First we are talking about attacking the direct essence of the game. But outside of that the safest and best technique to tackle is at the legs with head on the hip and pads on the thighs...wrapping up the thighs is very hard especially with big backs so the ideal spot is to wrap right above the knees. To eliminate that is to push up the concussion-causing "form" tackling.

[Cherry 1,302]

There is no way to prevent injuries completely, especially the majority of season-enders. You can't prevent an ACL tear from a bad landing. The best you can do is keep your starters out during majority of the preseason.

 

I don't know how you'd advocate not tackling below the knee without making every other play a penalty.

[oochymp 2,393]

I think a huge part of why you see so many more injuries in the NFL than any other level is that your body just doesn't bend the same way in your upper 20s and 30s as it does when you're 19-20 and the week to week recovery isn't as complete for older bodies and I don't think less practice time is going to change that at all

[BwareDWare94 723]

There is no way to prevent injuries completely, especially the majority of season-enders. You can't prevent an ACL tear from a bad landing. The best you can do is keep your starters out during majority of the preseason.

 

I don't know how you'd advocate not tackling below the knee without making every other play a penalty.

 

Well, there's this huge area of the body between above the knee up to the shoulders that isn't very hard to hit.

I took it a little far with tackling, but I do believe that cut/chop blocks should be removed from football at every level.

Edited August 25, 2015 by BwareDWare94

[DBR96A 87]

Here's how you create a safer NFL:

 

 

1. Stop assuming that because the players are professionals, they know the proper fundamentals of football. Make the players keep practicing proper blocking and tackling fundamentals their entire careers. Many (most?) injuries are the direct result of poor blocking and tackling fundamentals, as well as QBs who lead their receivers into danger.

 

2. Require every player to wear every pad. Also require offensive and defensive linemen to wear knee braces. I don't give a damn if the knee braces or extra pads make it more difficult to move or run; players will adapt. If a player is discovered to be lacking any pads, suspend him for a game.

 

3. Constantly improve equipment technology, especially helmet technology. Make every player wear a four- or five-star-rated helmet, and ban poor-performing helmets like the Adams A200 Pro Elite, Riddell VSR4 and Schutt Air Advantage. Also consider placing external foam pads on the crowns of offensive and defensive linemen's helmets to absorb more low-grade concussive blows.

[butta54 371]

Listening to Mike Ditka on the radio yesterday...he said he doesn't think, he KNOWS that the lack of padded practices and hitting has lead to the increased injuries. Simply put he said "your body has to be used to getting hit" and that is what the summer is for on all levels.

[ATL_Predator+ 1,196]

I gave butta a postive rep and I actually agree with him more than anyone else in this thread....

 

/thread

[oochymp 2,393]

Listening to Mike Ditka on the radio yesterday...he said he doesn't think, he KNOWS that the lack of padded practices and hitting has lead to the increased injuries. Simply put he said "your body has to be used to getting hit" and that is what the summer is for on all levels.

beyond not being used to getting hit, fewer padded practices make it really hard to train proper tackling techniques, which contributes to a lot of the contact injuries, not sure about the non-contact stuff, though I do wonder if players spend too much time in the weightroom and not enough time working on flexibility

[butta54 371]

beyond not being used to getting hit, fewer padded practices make it really hard to train proper tackling techniques, which contributes to a lot of the contact injuries, not sure about the non-contact stuff, though I do wonder if players spend too much time in the weightroom and not enough time working on flexibility

 

Lots of teams have moved to doing yoga on recovery days.

 

I think the perception is that there are a huge amount of contact injuries when in actuality the soft-tissue injuries are the ones that are skyrocketing. And really it is a result of faster and stronger athletes with more quick twitch muscles, but you are right most don't have the flexibility in their muscles to exert so much explosive moments day in and day out.

 

That's how I KNEW Clowney was destined for some early injuries. Reason LeBron cramps so many times. But its ALL about recovery. The ones that don't recover correctly end up getting hurt every year.

[oochymp 2,393]

interesting clip from last night's Late Show, I understand the interest in eliminating hits, especially as we learn more about the link between repettitive small hits and concussions, and this will certainly help with that, also having something like this would be a great tool to use for teaching proper tackling form, but all I could think about while I was watching it was Butta's point about learning how to get hit and minimize the impact, which this just about eliminates

[seanbrock 1,684]

Not sure how realistic it is to eliminate tacking around the legs. You see guys get blocked into those tackles a lot. I also think watching the game on tv with slow motion replay kind of takes away some of our appreciation as to just how fast things happen on an NFL field with world class professional athletes.

[DonovanMcnabb for H.O.F 2,241]

The NFL is as safe as its gonna get imo. Injuries happen just as much in college football as it does in the NFL.