As Fate Would Have It, a Different Take on Carolina’s Injuries

The Carolina Panthers made very few changes this offseason.  Salary cap issues, the lack of available free agents that would fit well, and a general satisfaction with the current roster all contributed to the lack of movement made by the Panthers’ front office as far as personnel is concerned.

They dismissed some older veterans in the secondary and at running back, but quickly replaced them through the draft.  They locked down their stars, and added some depth on the defensive line through the draft.  They lost a few players through free agency that they could no longer afford, but quickly noted that there were replacements on the roster, even though they were young and inexperienced.

When all was said and done, the 2009 Panthers looked a lot like the 2008 version.  Maybe like a 2008 version with a playoff-sized chip on it’s shoulder, but still, not a lot had changed.

They were solid at all of the skill positions, and their starting lineup was talented and played well together. 

Depth was a concern though, particularly at defensive tackle, wide receiver, and on the offensive line.  All three areas have young, unproven players as the primary backups.

Then, as fate would have it, 30 minutes into the first practice Ma’ake Kemoeatu ran into a slippery patch of air and popped his Achilles tendon.  He’s out for the year.

Was that catastrophic?  Well, at first glance you would think so.  Kemo is a big man who demands a double team from the opposing offensive line.  He doesn’t get pushed out of the way easy and can effectively play two gaps, closing the middle well against the run.

Interestingly enough, the players that the Panthers have been playing in his old position are all one-gap rushers, and Carolina doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to replace him with another run-stuffing nose tackle.

In a way, this could work out okay for the Panthers.  Ron Meeks likes a more aggressive, attacking scheme anyway, and preferred smaller and quicker defensive tackles in Indianapolis.  Kemo isn’t the best fit for that approach, although it is nice to have a guy like that around for short yardage situations.

But the best part of that injury, if there is one, is that it happened early enough to develop some of our younger talent and find a suitable replacement if none of them work out.

Since the defensive tackle position seems to be working out, fate decided to test the Panthers again when Steve Smith went down with what appeared to be a bad shoulder injury.

Pundits everywhere immediately declared that the season was over without Smith.  Never mind that there are 21 other players who contribute on the field, Smith is Carolina’s best player and apparently the Panthers are lost without him.

Never mind that they were 2-0 in games without Smith last year.  Never mind that in the six games where he caught fewer than four balls, the Panthers were 4-2. 

Sure the Panthers are better with him than without him, but they’re not lost if he can’t suit up. 

Not that it matters anyway, Smith didn’t suffer a serious injury, and will be available in the preseason, if need be.

In the meantime, it turns out that the Panthers will get Dwayne Jarrett more reps in the Y slot at receiver, while Moose slides over to Smitty’s X spot.  That’s a good thing for a receiver who needs to show up this year.

The biggest beneficiaries though, may be Ryne Robinson and Kenny Moore.  While Jarrett plays with the ones, they’ll get more opportunities to make their cases for final roster spots. 

Given the lack of depth at receiver, extra reps for those two now could have a big payoff late in the season.

According to Greek mythology, there are three Fates.  And the Fates have tested Carolina twice, at two of their most vulnerable positions.

But Carolina has three of those, with the offensive line being the third.

Maybe bad news does come in threes, and the third test of fate will be an injury to that unit.

And maybe then Carolina fans will discover that Bernadeau is ready to produce inside, or that Schwartz is capable of spelling Otah, or that Robinson can immediately start in this league.

And in the end, that might be a very good thing indeed.

Maybe the Fates are testing the Panthers now, so that they will be prepared for a fateful day in February.

After all, Kemo didn’t quite fit with Meeks’ scheme.  Smitty isn’t going to miss a game, and really doesn’t need the practice.  And we still have one untested area.

So if you hear bad news about Vincent, or Otah, or Kalil, don’t worry too much.  Especially if it turns out that they won’t miss games during the season.

It’s just the Fates preparing the Panthers for a Super Bowl run. 

And who are we to argue with fate?

Chicago Bears Injuries: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Find all of your Chicago Bears needs at: Love Your Smith

Everyone knows that any hopes of making the playoffs and in turn making a playoff run rely on the core players of the Chicago Bears to stay healthy. There were plenty of stories coming into camp that surfaced around often injured players and there are plenty of instances that have occurred that justify us doing some catching up as we wait for practice this evening…

The Good: Offensive Line, Running Backs – Orlando Pace was a major acquisition but a big question mark when he was signed this off-season. Chris Williams was another big question mark after having back surgery last year and not getting on the field. Both appear to be in top shape early on in camp and have been performing excellent. As a result expect the entire offense to benefit from a quarterback having considerably more time and a running game with even a higher ceiling this year.

Matt Forte had some trouble with his hamstring in OTA’s and took it a bit easy the first days of camp this year. From what I have seen I don’t see any signs that this injury ever even occurred as he has had an outstanding summer. Kevin Jones could play a pivotal roll in the running game as well, he appears to be his healthiest in the his best shape since his early days with the Detroit Lions.

The Bad: Defensive Line – For the most part the defensive line has stayed healthy in preparation for the 2009 campaign with the only exception being its most important cog, Tommie Harris. When he is on, Harris is perhaps the best defensive tackle in the NFL. You can debate that but there is no question he is in the conversation.

The problem is that as of right now, he is behind schedule in where Bears fans would like to see Harris be after word came out that he underwent knee surgery again this past spring. As of now the Bears claim he will be ready to go on time and certain Chicago reporters (David Haugh) actually believe them. If Harris isn’t 100 percent then the entire defensive front suffers. It takes away a double down on a tackle and allows there to be a double team elsewhere.

I understand he may be ready to play and be used a few downs against the Packers in week one but he’s not on pace to be ready the way the Bears need him to be ready until at least week four or five. The rest of the defensive line being healthy helps a ton but the fact that Harris alone is injured makes this a bad situation a brewing for the Bears.

The Ugly: Defensive Backfield – This is a bad situation if all members are 100 percent and ready to go for week one but the fact that this is the most injured unit on the team is a scary thought. We all know that Charles Tillman had back surgery just before camp opened. He has been running and conditioning but is not ready to return to the field just yet.

I understand he may be in game shape come week one but do you really expect him to be at the top of the game if he hasn’t practiced more than a week? Unlikely for even the best players in any sport, let alone a slightly above average corner back.

When it comes to everything physical with Nathan Vasher he appears healthy, just bad. Zack Bowman was supposed to be the saviour for the backfield in a safety position but he continues to fight the injury bug as he has a hamstring injury. Danaiel Manning has missed some time this pre-season but seems like he should be ready to go barring any major news. What does this all mean?

Potentially the starting defensive backfield could look something like this week one in Packerland: CB: Nathan Vasher

CB: Trumaine McBride/Corey Graham

Safeties: Kevin Payne/Danaiel Manning

Tell me that opposing quarterbacks won’t look at that and just think to themselves, “time to eat”.

With Tillman back they are still a weak group but he has the potential to be a pro bowler when healthy. We’ll see how long it takes for Peanut to return to the field but as of now this is a very weak, weakest unit on the team. Due to what is left here this gets filed under “The Ugly.”

Diner Morning News: Injuries Happen

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Rams Preseason Becoming Costly As Injuries Mount

First came a seemingly mild ankle injury to fullback Mike Karney, but since then, the best receiver for the St. Louis Rams is laid up for the entire preseason and a safety is done for the year.

Both Donnie Avery and Eric Bassey were injured during last Friday’s scrimmage at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.

Avery will be back, but will miss four to six weeks after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot. It is unclear whether Avery was injured on one specific play—although he was tackled low by Justin King following a reception—or if it occurred over the course of the evening.

Either way, Avery woke up with discomfort in his foot, and an MRI following Sunday morning’s practice revealed the fracture.

More serious than Avery’s injury was the one suffered by safety Eric Bassey. The fourth-year player from Oklahoma was injured on a non-contact special teams drill. He had 10 tackles last season in 10 games. He was supposed to be an integral part of the Rams special teams this year.

Bassey was placed on injured reserve, and the Rams replaced him on the roster by signing Penn State rookie safety Mark Rubin. Safety Craig Dahl also tweaked a hamstring during Friday’s scrimmage and is listed as day-to-day.

Friday’s scrimmage, which was not all full-contact, also saw defensive tackle Adam Carriker go down with a sprained ankle that will keep him out of action for at least two weeks. Gary Gibson has assumed Carriker’s spot on the first team defense.

Also practicing full-time with the first team “D” is rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis. The rookie from Ohio State is at middle linebacker while veteran Chris Draft moved to the strong side backer position.

It’s unclear when the latest injury occurred, but defensive end Leonard Little was held out of Monday’s practice with a sore neck. Karney’s nagging ankle injury still has him relegated to a bike for the second straight week.

The injury to Avery gives head coach Steve Spagnuolo more looks at some of the other receivers. With the team’s No. 1 option out of commission, the other wideouts have the challenge of impressing the rookie coach.

St. Louis has one of the most inexperienced receiving corps in the league, and Avery—just a second-year player from Houston—was the team’s deep threat and most accomplished wideout.

Seven-year veterans Ronald Curry and Tim Carter, along with rookies Keenan Burton, Brooks Foster, Jarrett Byers and Sean Walker, are competing for roster spots with free-agent acquisition Laurent Robinson, second-year player Nate Jones, and return specialist Derek Stanley.

Robinson, a third-year veteran whom the Rams acquired on draft day from Atlanta, has been the most impressive in camp. Jones spent last year on the Rams practice squad, a spot where he could very likely find himself again this season. Stanley should be a shoe-in to make the club. He is St. Louis’ best kick returner, but is coming off a knee surgery that ended his 2008 season.

Injuries Are a Plenty In Lehigh For The Philadelphia Eagles

It all started with one of the key players in the Philadelphia Eagles offense.  Brian Westbrook had his knee surgery in the off season. Then it was followed out by a clean out procedure.  While Westbrook is rehabbing his knee and ankle (which by the way, he told me, were coming along great [I had sideline passes courtesy of Dave Spadero]), other key players remain sidelined with injuries as well.

First we have our two bookend tackles: Jason Peters, who was signed to a lucritive deal this season, followed up with Shawn Andrews, our new right tackle.  Both of whom have yet to practice completely with the new offensive line as a unit.

Let’s move to the defensive side of the ball where we STILL have no OFFICIAL word on middle linebacker Stewart Bradley.  Rumor is that he has a torn ACL and is out for the season.  As if this wasn’t a big enough hit for our defense, there is the added loss of Jim Johnson which surely will effect our players emotionally in some sense.  We still have Ellis Hobbs suffering from a neck stinger and Trevor Laws is still rehabbing an injury as well and has yet to practice.  I still haven’t even mentioned the loss of Victor Aibimiri who was providing competition for the LDE spot!  This loss isn’t so bad, but with Juqua Parker facing possible penalties for drug possession, it could easily become problematic.

Coming back to the reason I am writing this article, TE Cornelius Ingram. He was an absolute stand-out at camp and a surefire redzone threat that the Eagles so coveted. He has been announced with an ACL tear in his left knee.  The same knee he had surgically repaired last year and ended up missing an entire season at Florida with.  He was projected as a first round talent before his injury and he certainly showed that talent in camp.  This is heartbreaking as an Eagles fan to see our team coming up with a severe case of the injury bug.

All we can do as fans is hope that things work out for the best and wish a speedy recovery (a little Eagles chant wouldn’t hurt either).  I for one still expect a solid performance from the Eagles this year, bar any more injuries, especially to No. 5 (knock on wood).  Let’s hope the Eagles make a move to sign a quality TE out on the market.  Good luck.  Stay true Eagles fans.

Injuries Hit Early For Eagles Training Camp, Stewart Bradley Tears ACL

According to 610 WIP radio in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Eagles starting middle linebacker Stewart Bradley has suffered a torn ACL and is projected to miss the entire season due to the injury.

Bradley is starting his third year with the Eagles. As the 2007 3rd round draft pick out of the University of Nebraska, Bradley stepped into a starting role during the 2008-09 season with the team where he played in all 18 games including regular season and playoff games.

Omar Gaither looks to be the first possible choice to step into the vacant spot.

Injuries Could Already Be Tearing a Fairy Tale Eagle’s Season Apart

First Brian Westbrook’s ankle starts acting up again, which wasn’t completely unexpected for the ageing star. Then during training camp, Shawn Andrews and Jason Peters are sidelined with two injuries which don’t look all that serious. And on Sunday night Stewart Bradley injured his knee and Ellis Hobbs suffered a spine injury, better known as a stinger.

Looking forward to the regular season, this can’t be good news for Eagles fans. If players are getting injured this early in the season how will they cope in the regular season? Sure all of the players should be back and playing again at full health by that time, but what if they aren’t?

At starting running back if Westbrook is unable to play is LeSean McCoy. In his rookie season scouting reports say he is great in the passing game but could be lacking in the running game. Another worry held by experts is that he might not be able to perform at this high level. However with the Eagle’s offense set up for a stable passing attack, he should be able to step into Westbrook’s shoes fairly well. It won’t be easy, and the first few games he starts could be scary, but Eagles fans should put more trust into Reid’s rookies.

If Stewart Bradley is out for any games, in steps either Joe Mays or Charleston Hughes. Both players could contribute to the defense reasonably well, however they won’t be able to put up the numbers of Bradley. If Bradley does get injured again, there could be problems for the Eagle’s defense, and Sean McDermott could be in for a rough year stopping the run.

If these players do get injured the projected playoff run for the Eagles could be more shallow than once thought, and if the second and third string players don’t step up to the challenge, the playoffs could look far away to Philadelphia.

However, I only see these injuries effecting players during the preseason, after all they have just got back from a few months off and they may have not yet adjusted to the workload. As long as LeSean McCoy works hard during the preseason, the Eagles’ offense should be fine, and the defense will need to continue to work on finding a leader without Dawkins, as well as adjusting to a new coordinator, but I still see the Eagles with 10 wins or more.

Raider Rookies Hamstrung By Injuries

When the 2009 NFL draft concluded, there were mixed feelings amongst the Raider Nation, especially regarding the first two selections.

Some were puzzled, wondering why the team had picked speedster Darrius Heyward-Bey number seven overall when the more lauded Michael Crabtree was still available. And just who was this Mike Mitchell dude, anyway?

Many were angry, saying Al did it again, he picked a track star instead of a football player, he reached for Mitchell when he could’ve got him much later, he blew the first two picks.

Others were happy, as they read up on Heyward-Bey and Mitchell and liked that they were team guys, reinforcing the new direction coach Tom Cable has been emphasizing. They liked the potential, the skill, the speed. They liked the picks.

Regardless of your personal reaction, I know we can all agree on one thing now: those hamstrings are getting a little worrisome.

Heyward-Bey is a speed guy. Speed guys depend on their hammys like Drew Rosenhaus depends on Terrell Owens keeping himself in the news. Since an inauspicious debut in OTA’s back in May, Heyward-Bey has been mostly sidelined with soreness in his hamstrings. Much to the Nation’s dismay, during the last OTA open to the media on Wednesday he pulled up with an “audible groan” and left the field with the trainer, not returning.

Nobody is pushing the panic button yet, but one thing is certain: a wide receiver that depends on speed and quickness will not be effective if he has any lingering hamstring issues. At this point Heyward-Bey hasn’t shown the route running precision or hands it would take to transition to more of a move-the-chains possession receiver if he lost a step. That’s not what he’s built for, anyway, nor is it why we drafted him. 

Mitchell is a little less of a concern at this point simply because of his position. Yes, he relies on speed as well, but at safety positioning, proper technique and angles, and good football IQ can make up for losing a little speed. Mitchell’s hamstring is reportedly not serious as well, but has been sore long enough that it’s becoming a concern.

Coaches have wondered aloud if perhaps he worked out a little too hard before the combine and burned himself out a little. Hopefully his layoff while he awaited Ohio University graduation (thanks to an outdated NFL rule) gave him some of the rest he needed to return and be healthy for training camp. The fact that he was still too sore to practice on Wednesday doesn’t bode all that well, unfortunately.

One positive to Mitchell’s injury, or at least the timing of it, is that he can’t hit in OTAs. So if he’s healthy when contact begins, and he lays wood the way he’s shown he can, that’s good enough for me.

Personally, if the injuries aren’t serious, I’m happy with the way the team is handling the situation. It’s hurting Bey’s rapport with Russell and his development, and it’s hurting Mitchell’s ability to view the game at speed and understand pro routes and technique. But there’s no need to expose your young players to the risk of serious injury.

If either or both of the injuries are serious, the team needs to look into the long-term health of the kids and do whatever is necessary, this season be damned. I know that would hurt us all tremendously, and it would set the team back at two key positions that need improvement. But if these guys are close to as good as we all hope they can be then I want them around for the long haul. I don’t want them burning out their tires after one lap around the track this season. Their long-term success with the Raiders is of paramount importance.

If both players are healthy for training camp, then I believe things will work out fine.  They’ll have to work harder to catch up on what they’ve missed, but they both have high football IQ’s and strong work ethics. The training staff has to make absolutely sure they stay hydrated and stretch as much as possible. Hopefully Bey attends Russell’s workout session, if only to learn and observe if he’s not healthy.

If they aren’t healthy for training camp, it will cast a bit of a dark cloud on an otherwise sunny offseason. The optimism we’re all feeling will dwindle just a little bit as we all get the familiar “here we go again” feeling in our gut. We all want to see what they can do. I still think the team will be much improved either way, but without our new toys we won’t know just how much better the team could be.

All we can hope is that the injuries are minor, treated well, and healed up in time for the kids to learn some Raider football.

 

 

Boltbits: Why the San Diego Chargers Can Win the Super Bowl

With San Diego’s newfound success, many people are polarizing in their opinions of the Chargers.

The first wave of new support is giving way to those looking to rebut the team’s chances.  How one feels will not ultimately decide the team’s fate—the team will take care of that all by themselves.

Yet looking through articles/reports that begin to try to attack the Chargers’ potential for success, a notion strikes through them all—the team’s chances are being criticized for the simple reason that those chances are so very prevalent. 

The team right now appears poised for a solid playoff run, not only because of the Chargers’ own merit, but also because of some declining merit around them.

San Diego is facing a playoff picture where no team is truly frightening. 

Last year’s Super Bowl Champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are not even in the playoffs.  Perennial threat New England has seen a decline in its defensive prowess to go along with the loss of leading wideout Wes Welker.  Early monster Cincinnati looks far more human now.

In past years, San Diego had gone in with similarly high expectations.  Before, however, they were one among three or four of the better teams just in the AFC.  They continually played well but were felled by teams that would eventually represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

The separation between top and bottom is much closer than before. 

That advantage means there will not be a downright frightening team to face in the postseason.  The difference in opposition is one great swing in San Diego’s favor.

Another unheralded advantage would be momentum. 

San Diego’s history of solid Decembers has laid the foundation for criticism over the Chargers’ advantage as “the hot team” going into the playoffs.  What is not mentioned within that debate is the matter of scale.

Last year, San Diego was a 4-8 team that scrapped its way through four wins to squeak out a playoff berth thanks largely to the Denver Broncos’ first of two collapses.  They had to fight because they had no other choice; it was win or go home each week.

This year, the team spent most of December with a comfortable edge in its division. 

A brief flurry by Denver (with back-to-back wins against the Chiefs and Giants) quickly slipped back into the Broncos second-half skid.  San Diego was no longer winning by way of pressure; they were winning simply by outplaying opponents despite the opposing team often having more to play for.

That scale is also magnified by one number—11. That is the number of consecutive wins this team is taking into the playoffs. 

A four-game winning streak is a solid call for momentum (just look at the laudations given Dallas with its three wins to close the year), but it is something that happens fairly often in football.

Eleven consecutive games means much more. 

Instead of a cause for optimism, it makes a statement.  Added to that would be wins against a Dallas team fighting for its division, a Cincinnati team that still had hope for a second seed, a resurgent Titans team looking to claw into the playoffs, and an always dangerous Philadelphia Eagles team.

The Chargers have already proven the capacity to overcome injury, as witnessed by just about every member of the defensive front seven missing time to injury (starters and key backups) as well as playing hurt. 

They have fielded a round-robin along the offensive line because of injury, but they will field the healthiest group they have had all year with center Nick Hardwick returning and veteran John Runyan now up to speed. 

In the backfield, they may be a better team with starting fullback Jacob Hester listed as doubtful (though with the extra week, that could easily change) and Mike Tolbert starting in his place.

The Chargers’ running game has been a weak point; however, that has yet to effectively stall the team’s progress. 

Arizona proved in last year’s playoff run that a team with a last-place running game can lean on a great passing game to drive through its entire conference.  The Chargers’ running attack is no longer a major threat, but it is much more respected than the 2008 Cardinals’ rushing game.

Behind San Diego as the 32nd-ranked running team sits Indianapolis, considered the Chargers’ primary threat in the AFC.  Also in the bottom 10 are the Eagles and Cardinals, two highly respected offensive teams.

The team has also faced unfounded criticism over Norv Turner.  He is not a fiery leader, and he likely never will be.  He is a generally calm, measured man who approaches the game more intellectually than passionately.

Yet Turner has turned in significant wins in the playoffs for the Chargers already. 

In 2007, the Chargers defeated the Titans in the Wild Card round, only to stun Indianapolis by taking the divisional round game despite injuries to Ladainian Tomlinson, Philip Rivers, and Antonio Gates. 

In 2008, those same Chargers once again faced a favored Colts team in the playoffs and came away with the win.

With a host of weapons on offense that is at its most dangerous with the improvement along the offensive line, and a defense that looks to be its healthiest since week one, San Diego is in a great position.

It would be foolhardy to outright call the team for the Super Bowl. 

The playoffs are long, and anything can happen. 

Yet all the reasons detractors give for San Diego’s negligent chances are not going to arouse concern.  This is a team not only peaking at the proper time, but it is also doing so in a year where several others are suffering late setbacks.

This year, San Diego looks forward to a great position to make a run at the Super Bowl. 

They have internal and external advantages and will be a dangerous team to face.

 

To take a look at how San Diego’s first step toward the Super Bowl could play out :

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/321169-the-afc-wildcard-from-a-san-diego-chargers-perspective

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Mike Shanahan: Will It Be The Best Of Times? Or The Worst?

As a Redskins fan on Bleacher Report, I felt obligated to write something about Mike Shanahan. I personally think this can be the best opportunity we’ve had since Dan Snyder took control. I could also just be another disaster.

Shanahan obviously has a lot of upside. His two Super Bowl rings are the most obvious thing that comes to mind. It is hard to deny the success Shanahan had with taking a team that was always close, but just couldn’t seal the deal, to the Super Bowl.

He motivated them, and brought in many talented players. Many people would say it wasn’t hard to win two Super Bowls with Elway, but Dan Reeves and Wade Phillips both couldn’t do it.

Out of the eleven offensive starters in Super Bowl XXXII, five were brought in under Shanahan’s watch, including the ultra-productive Terrell Davis. So Shanahan knows how to win. The thing is, without an elite quarterback and running back, he struggles.

The Denver Broncos descended into mediocrity after Elway’s retirement. Shanahan had been spoiled by having a quarterback of that caliber, and didn’t seem to know what to do without one. Unless he gets his hand on an elite quarterback somehow, I’m not sure how he’ll do.

The most important factor for the future will be drafting. With a good staff and talent, any half-decent coach can do fine, so this will be the key. I’ve always been of the opinion that the main problem over the last 10 years has been personal, not coaching nor play on the field. 

The Redskins have never had any sort of depth, which prevents them from playing through injuries. Snyder has to learn his lesson. He was less involved when Gibbs was around, and maybe having another big name coach will cause the same thing to happen.

Shanahan can’t be left to his own devices, however. Shanahan, while skilled at finding and utilizing talent in the first and second round, he has trouble finding late round sleepers, with the exception of running backs.

Having some help, probably in the form of Bruce Allen, to help him will set the ‘Skins on a path toward success. A rebuilding year or two is in order, since he is used to operating with very different personal.

If Snyder keeps his nose out, Shanahan learns how to win without an Elway level quarterback, and he is given a major role—but not complete power—in drafting, the Redskins could be in for—if not a role as an elite team—at least a respectable one.

If one of these happen, this will amount to yet another failed venture by Snyder and Co.

 

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

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