NFL 2014 Season Thread

[Ben Kenobi]

But there is NO evidence that he is injury "PRONE" It's just your opinion based on no facts. He hasn't missed a game yet

Mhmm, his own team seems to be betting against his durability. So it seems that if his own team is willing to put significant sums of money on that bet that seems an indication that he's not likely to last. I think his team has a little more information than I do.

[Ming]

So once again... where is the evidence to support your claim that he is injury prone?
The man hasn't missed a start yet.

[Ben Kenobi]

So once again... where is the evidence to support your claim that he is injury prone?
The man hasn't missed a start yet.

Facts. Look at the list of players with consecutive starts and tell me how many were pocket passers vs rushing QBs.

It's not exactly rocket science. There's a reason there's 5 positions devoted to protecting the QB. I actually don't think Rivers is particularly durable, but his style of play is conducive to longevity as he doesn't run with the ball much and stays in the pocket.

Whereas other, more durable players put themselves at greater risk. It's all about risk exposure.

If what you say is true - life insurance wouldn't be a thing. "you haven't died yet, therefore we don't know when you'll die".

[Ming]

Last year, Cutler, Ponder, Locker, Schaub, Foles (just to name a few) were among those injured on hits inside the pocket.

Andy Reid sums it up

"Most (injuries) come off of throws, I think this is the way it's been for a number of years. I don't have the stats. This isn't something new – not in my eyes. ... The more you throw the ball, the more chances they have of getting hurt."

It doesn't matter... QB's can get hurt anywhere on the field.
There is NOTHING at this point that shows that Kaepernick is injury "PRONE" as you claim. He hasn't missed a start.

[Al B. Sure!]

I have seen qbs given the injury prone moniker after two injuries close to each other or early in their careers but a qb being called injury prone before even missing a single game?

you can't be injury prone when you have never been injured

[Sava]

Actually, it is possible that someone could be injury prone before suffering an injury. But in order to make that evaluation, there would need to be evidence, medically, that something was wrong.

Playing style can be a factor, too.

Also, injuries can be the result of bad luck... even repeated injuries.

Overall, I think it's a bad label. In football, everyone is prone to injury. It's a tough game.

[rah]

A contract that protects the team against an injury does not mean the player is injury prone, it just means the team is protected from one.
When you're spending that much money, a little protection is wise.

[Sava]

Seems relevant:

The NFL’s injury surveillance data, courtesy of Edgeworth Economics, shows a slow upward trend in the total number of injuries sustained in all practices and games from 2004 (2,623) to 2012 (3,126); a spike of 4,493 injuries in 2011 was attributed mainly to greater reporting of minor injuries that season. The data also shows a steady annual increase in the number of injuries that require surgery and those that result in eight or more days of missed playing time.

http://mmqb.si.com/2013/12/04/nfl-injury-increase-2013/

There are degrees of injuries as well. In 2013, 269 players were injured enough to have spent time on IR.

Not counting practice squad players, there are 1,696 player in the NFL at any given time. Granted, some players suffer multiple injuries. The average seems to be around 2 injuries per player per season.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Btw, has Ben ever said Doug Flutie (aka, Ben's mancrush) was injury prone? After all, he was a running QB.

Wait... Flutie was white. Never mind!

[Sava]

I think this is a situation where "both can be true".

Seems like BK's Flutie love is a result of the career in the CFL. BK probably liked Flutie a lot when he was a kid. All things being equal, I suspect if BK watched Kaepernick as a kid, he would be a fan.

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben ever said Doug Flutie (aka, Ben's mancrush) was injury prone? After all, he was a running QB.

Wait... Flutie was white. Never mind!

What about Flutie? His knock was never his durability. Flutie wasn't really a running QB. Sure, he scrambled, but his gig wasn't running up the field.

Watch some of his games and you'll see what I mean.

[Ben Kenobi]

Seems like BK's Flutie love is a result of the career in the CFL. BK probably liked Flutie a lot when he was a kid. All things being equal, I suspect if BK watched Kaepernick as a kid, he would be a fan.

The guy was the greatest athlete the CFL ever had. If Kaepernik threw for 5500 yards in a season, maybe I would be a fan of Kaepernik.

[-Jrabbit]

Get some perspective. Kaepernick's been a starter less than 2 full seasons. Got to the Super Bowl as a first-year starter. Has never missed a game.

Kaepernick may not be a top-3 fantasy guy (statistically #9 in '13), but that doesn't mean he's not an excellent NFL QB. (The same can be said of Russell Wilson.) Kaep's track record as a starter is pretty unassailable: 17-6 regular season, 4-2 playoffs. All his stats are top-10, they doubled his throwing load last year, plus he's young and still learning. All the arrows are all pointing up.

Jeez, what does it take to impress you?

[Ben Kenobi]

Get some perspective. Kaepernick's been a starter less than 2 full seasons. Got to the Super Bowl as a first-year starter. Has never missed a game.

Kaep's not even on my radar. He's on my 'massively overpriced' list.

[Al B. Sure!]

Lions lose another offensive weapon to concussions a couple of years after Jahvid Best as TE Tony Scheffler announces his retirement.