As always, Steve, the absolute voice of reason! A great point is made: if we're 1-2 [or worse], not playing in preseason 3 might not be our biggest problem. And agree that live reps help a team get ready; but a team can get 95% of the way ready through only practice. But Nerd and Musccy hit the nail on head: PS is about getting into “hitting shape.”
I don’t believe injury is all about Luck. Walter Payton running like he did sans injury was not luck, it was instinct and practice. Though players are born with various amounts of innate instinct [peripheral visions, sensing when and where a hit is coming from, etc] this instinct can be honed through practice. A CB covers a certain way by learning where the help is; a player can also learn where the injury danger is likely to come from and what to do to reduce the odds of it; like when being tackled without PLANTING or BRACING; being aware around ‘the pile;” not doing unnatural things, etc.
Nelson’s injury had nothing to do with Pitts. He leaped to grab a high throw and upon landing tried to cut in a way that knees are not designed to bend. He could have just as easily done that in practice or dodging a wayward low flying Amazon delivery drone while visiting his mailbox.
Cobb’s injury was caused by him bracing. He stuck his right arm out to break his fall and all the kinetic energy of the hit went into his shoulder instead of dissipating in a slide-bounce off the ground. This is what happens when you don’t practice or prepare for being hit! Was Cobb sticking his arm out a reaction to trying not to hit the ground as hard so as not to get hurt? I think normally Cobb is focused on one thing: catching the 1st down! He goes to ground cradling the ball w/ both hands in a fetal position, if he does this HE IS NOT INJURED.
3 guys go down like flies in five minutes is no coincidence! The play I describe w/ CM3 just standing there, probably thinking, “I might get injured if I crash the B gap” is the perfect recipe to get injured, because it is unnatural. On the next series CM3 played with more abandon, probably because he was pissed the D looked like a bunch of guys from the debate team.
We all know the new CBA rules limit hitting and that practice hitting is much less fierce than game hitting; but if we go from playing patty-cake in practice to savage beatings by Bears, Seattle and KC, 3 physical teams, we will probably be decimated by injury anyways.
And I 100% agree exposing AR to live fire behind an OL w/ 3 backups and little cohesion is begging for him to get killed. But, I think the happy median is to let him play 12-15 snaps, using max protect schemes, roll outs and/or quick rhythm/timing passing.
And also I believe and GB staff decided [knowing their players best], after great contemplation and in a quiet moment, that the key to a faster start and reducing injury by gradually acclimating players to real hitting was to play the starters 5 to 6 quarters over 4 games. The decision to abandon this plan constitutes a decision by the staff to increase the odds of injury and losing a game or two early. All because Jordy got hurt on a fluke play. Surrender is not how a football team should deal with adversity.