aluminum seats

Injuries. Maybe it's luck of the draw (and obviously is to a certain extent) and maybe I'm relying on a faulty memory, but it seems to me that consistently over the years wherever Parcells went a common theme was an empty injury report. Even this past year in Dallas--when I think most would agree Parcells had sort of lost it as a coach--I remember looking at the injury report in the paper and there was none listed.

What conditioning coach(es)/programs did Parcells use? Was it different that what Belichick does? Seems that over the last few years it's been such a huge problem for the Pats. One game last year I actually realized my enjoyment of the game was being hampered by the fact that I was EXPECTING an injury to occur. With so much talk right now of the Pats FA pickups, I notice a recurring theme of "if we stay healthy" how dominant the Pats will be. That's always the case, of course, but I don't think I'm alone that the threat of injuries just seems too great now. And I'm not sure why.

Oswlek

Parcells notoriously doesn't even want to hear about players' injuries.

I am kind of glad that you brought this up, though, because I have a theory. I think that NE is more cautious with some injuries than others. Ted Johnson's claim flies in the face of this, but I think that NE is more willing to sit a guy down than many other teams. This is a large reason why they value depth so much; not because injuries are going to happen, but because they don't want a reason to "have" to play a guy. By getting healing time, that also tees the team up to be healthier than most in the playoffs.

Major **********

We use the same conditioning coach as the early 90's Cowboy teams I think. Does anyone remember how those teams did in regards to injurie woes. I don't know who Parcell uses but I'm pretty sure that we had the same conditioning coach back in 2001 when we had a relatively good year injury wise. Willie and Ted Johnson lost a couple of games to injury and we all know the Terry Glenn fiasko but nothing season ending.
Ooops. Allmost forgot Drew Bledsoes injury. I'm not sure you can pin that on the conditioning coach though.

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'I see your Schwartz is as big as mine. Lets see how well you can handle it' 'I hate it when I get my Schwartz twisted'

maverick4

It's not that players are more or less injured under Parcells or Belichick. It's about how the coaches deal with players differently. Parcells probably played guys who were hurt lots of times, and Belichick probably keeps them out of games just to be safe.

Tunescribe

It also might be argued that Tuna was inherently a better one-on-one motivator than BB, and certainly better with the press.

Krazy Koz

not to mention going to the playoffs more with BB. so you end up playing more games and having less rest for the offseason.

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Krazy Koz

I wouldn't say he's any better with the press. Especially after last year with TO and tony homo.

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everlong

The injury that happened to Parcells that I remember the most was Gash getting hurt before the SB. He had been such a monster blocking for Martin that year, was decent catching balls out of the backfield, and was very good picking up the blitz or chipping ends. I think that he would have changed the game plan a little and would have helped Lane out against White. Of course who knows maybe Tuna still would have fallen in love with Meggett for no reason and not given Martin enough touches.

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Rob0729

I agree with everyone who said that they treat injuries differently. I think Belichick looks at at everything at a big picture level. He decides whether sitting a player one week for precautionary reasons will help out for the season as a whole. Maybe losing a player for a game hurts them for that game, but makes him healthier for the season. Besides, based on match ups, that player may not be as crucial as he is in other weeks so it is better to rest him when he won't be as big as a part in the offense or defense rather than risk aggravating the injury and losing him when he is the big part.

I think may players that Belichick deactivates due to injuries during the season would play for other teams without missing a game. That is probably why we tend to be picking up steam late in the season while other teams seem to be slowing down. Nagging injuries tend to pay their toll late in the season.

aluminum seats

I do think there's some truth to the idea that because of adequate depth/long-range planning some guys are held out who maybe don't have to be. Not sure that explains the complete devastation of, say, the secondary the past couple of years, where guys were on IR, Troy Brown had to play defensive back, etc. Of course that's where you could say simple luck plays a part as well.

Put it this way. If it IS luck, I'd say the Pats are due for a run of GOOD luck next year on the injury front.