NFL hypocrisy peaks on Thursdays
There’s no definitive proof that Thursday night games cause more injuries.
But logic tells us a short week puts players and coaches in a more difficult position because the lead-up time is cut in half.
Take this Thursday’s game between the Chargers and Broncos.
Because both teams played last Sunday, they had only three “down” days between collisions.
Worse, the Broncos played Sunday night, costing them an additional four hours of recovery time. And the Chargers had to fly to Denver.
If the NFL had a soul, it would get rid of Thursday games.
At the very least, the league should cushion them with byes beforehand and bigger rosters.
Instead of having only 46 of 53 available players active, why not free up 47, 48 or 49 for Thursday contests?
I’ve never seen or heard a compelling reason why not. Mike McCoy, who isn’t in charge of such decisions, offered me none Friday.
A condensed week puts extreme pressure on not only players but coaches, trainers, and doctors.
When the match pits two AFC rivals with winning records, there’s even more stress.
The absurdly short week only further stessed a Chargers team stretched by injuries and the decisions relating to them.
Consider the banged-up secondary. Brandon Flowers, the team’s top cornerback, was shut down last Sunday by a concussion. Would three extra days have allowed him to play? Two others cornerbacks were on the injury report: Jason Verrett (shoulder) and Steve Williams (groin). Verrett, a key player whose footspeed was needed, decided to play but lasted only three drives before departing. Would a normal week’s rest have strengthened the shoulder?
When Verrett left, the Chargers were down to Shareece Wright, Richard Marshall and undrafted rookie Chris Davis at cornerback. They faced Peyton Manning and an elite group of receivers under pass-happy rules. Safety Jahleel Addae stayed in the game, despite a reported stinger injury that impaired him at times. Friday afternoon, Addae was diagnosed with a concussion as well.
Having a 47th, 48th or 49th player could’ve helped on the margins.
Under-appreciated is how scrapping Thursday games, or increasing the roster, would take stress off injured players whose status is borderline, such as Verrett. One hopes Verrett, a rookie, didn’t worsen his left-shoulder injury by playing Thursday night.
It was surprising Verrett played at all if you exclude his ultra-competitiveness and the intensity of the situation. For him to be only a limited participant this week was, I thought, significant, because neither practice was physically demanding. It was mostly a mental routine, in deference to the short schedule. Verrett hurt the left, non-surgical shoulder two Sundays ago, and though he made a game-winning interception after returning, the pain, unlike the adrenaline, didn’t go away thereafter.
Three extra days only could’ve helped coaches, doctors and trainers make a better evaluation on Verrett.
Commissioner Roger Goodell talks a big game about wanting to improve the sport’s safety, and has backed up some of that talk. But Thursday night contests have nothing to do with the actual game. They relate to the industry of football, and men extracting the bottom dollar from a violent sport.
The business of football was made more evident Thursday in our little corner of the NFL universe.
