Welker has torn rotator cuff

[Jangles]

You have a bumper sticker that says you like balls on your chin.......

 

[SammyBlueCat]

The little man has a HUGE heart!

 

[PatsFanStnfrd]

Does he require surgery for his rotator cuffs or can he just rehab it?

 

[jmt57]

Why do people thing ST is this stepchild of a meaningless part of the game? ST is a BIG part of football.

Would you rather (a) be hit by one or two guys that are one or two steps away, or (b) be hit by six or eight guys that you are not even looking at that have converged on you after sprinting from forty yards away?


It has nothing to do with the importance of special teams. It's just physics; the force, velocity and impact of a special teams play is so much greater than a typical pass play. A player is far more likely to get injured returning 100 punts than he is receiving 100 passes.

 

[emoney_33]

Would you rather (a) be hit by one or two guys that are one or two steps away, or (b) be hit by six or eight guys that you are not even looking at that have converged on you after sprinting from forty yards away?


It has nothing to do with the importance of special teams. It's just physics; the force, velocity and impact of a special teams play is so much greater than a typical pass play. A player is far more likely to get injured returning 100 punts than he is receiving 100 passes.

A) Do you have any data to back up your "far more likely to get injured" assertion

and

B) It's FOOTBALL!

 

[Patspsycho]

At any rate this is not good news. How do you rehab an ACL tear with your arm in a sling? I wouldn't be surprised if he is out for the entire season.

 

[Gunnails]

There is a reason most special team players are backups that don't get paid a lot, there is a reason teams are always looking for a new return man.
They get hurt.

It's science.

 

[BelichickFan]

At any rate this is not good news. How do you rehab an ACL tear with your arm in a sling? I wouldn't be surprised if he is out for the entire season.

Thanks, doc, but Welker disagrees with you.

"Welker believes that he will play"

Say he's overly optimistic if you like but obviously he can rehab his ACL, not to mention the report a couple of weeks ago that he was doing well for the early point in time.

 

[emoney_33]

There is a reason most special team players are backups that don't get paid a lot, there is a reason teams are always looking for a new return man.
They get hurt.

It's science.

If it's science then you can prove it with data, so show me some facts. I'm willing to listen.

 

[supafly]

I'd have to agree that ST are a big part of the game, but when you are using arguably your biggest offensive weapon to take more hits, it should be a risk vs. reward issue.

And as pats-1982 correctly suggested, Edelman can be a viable threat at returning punts too. We all saw what he is capable of in pre-season, and is averaging just about the same, minus a yd or two.

The biggest 'reward' should be ball security--in which case Welker should fair catch it in deep territory at times. Besides his one punt return this year for a bigger gain, I can't remember too many times in the past couple of yrs where it mattered that much. In this case, coming back from injury, etc--he should probably have as much risk lessened as possible.

 

[supafly]

Thanks, doc, but Welker disagrees with you.

"Welker believes that he will play"

Say he's overly optimistic if you like but obviously he can rehab his ACL, not to mention the report a couple of weeks ago that he was doing well for the early point in time.

I think it's important that we stay positive, but I certainly think they'll air on the side of caution. There's not much chance, if any, that he'll be rushed back in any way. I think we all have our own guess on his time frame, I will be very happy if we see Wes any time before November.

As far as the report from a couple weeks ago--it is positive that it wasn't Brady part II, infection-wise, etc. Other than that, I don't know how much a report from 10-14 days into a 9-12 month rehab (for his position) should be considered.

At any rate, any good news is a plus I guess--but I know for a fact that you, yourself didn't read too much into a report from 2 weeks into it.

 

[jmt57]

A) Do you have any data to back up your "far more likely to get injured" assertion

and

B) It's FOOTBALL!

No, I don't have any data related to football injuries occuring on special teams, but it's physics - and common sense. Do you think the likelihood and severity of an injury in a two-car accident traveling 15 miles per hour is going to be the same as that of a six-car accident traveling 50 miles per hour hour?

On special teams play the opponent is running at or near full speed. Higher velocity creates a greater impact which results in more chance of an injury. It's not to say a player can't be injured when there is very low speed (such as Brady) or no contact (such as Welker); just saying the nature of a special teams play is such that there is more chance of an injury.

On the flip side there are far fewer special team plays than regular offensive plays. A player may return only one or two punts per game, but be on the field for 60 or 70 offensive plays. So overall his chances of being injured is more likely to be in one of those 60-70 plays than on one of those punts.

 

[BelichickFan]

I think it's important that we stay positive, but I certainly think they'll air on the side of caution. There's not much chance, if any, that he'll be rushed back in any way. I think we all have our own guess on his time frame, I will be very happy if we see Wes any time before November.

I don't disagree, I'm on record as saying I expect him to be PUPed although he could be back Week 1 and he could miss the season. All I am saying is it is just as ridiculous to say he can't make it back as to say he will for sure. And to say the rotator cuff would make it really hard to rehab the knee (the clear implication in the post I replied to) is just silly or Welker wouldn't believe he would be back this year. I don't know when he'll be back - but those who act like they do irritate me to no end.

 

[emoney_33]

No, I don't have any data related to football injuries occuring on special teams, but it's physics - and common sense. Do you think the likelihood and severity of an injury in a two-car accident traveling 15 miles per hour is going to be the same as that of a six-car accident traveling 50 miles per hour hour?

It's not nearly that simple, and the whole "common sense" argument doesn't fly. It's sort of funny that you say "it's physics", science relies on data not "common sense". Your analogy is terrible because it assumes that punt returners always get hit straight on by guys at top speed. Big hits on punt returns are a rarity, without the fair catch you might have a point. This also completely ignores the hits receivers take, especially going over the middle.

On special teams play the opponent is running at or near full speed. Higher velocity creates a greater impact which results in more chance of an injury. It's not to say a player can't be injured when there is very low speed (such as Brady) or no contact (such as Welker); just saying the nature of a special teams play is such that there is more chance of an injury.

Very rarely does a punt returner get hit straight on by a guy at top speed. Most of the time he is being wrapped up after juking, and only when the returner fails to call for a fair catch is he ever hit hard at full speed by a gunner.

On the flip side there are far fewer special team plays than regular offensive plays. A player may return only one or two punts per game, but be on the field for 60 or 70 offensive plays. So overall his chances of being injured is more likely to be in one of those 60-70 plays than on one of those punts.

The data would be a percentage. I'm interested in the numbers, but I don't think it's nearly cut and dry like you seem to believe.

 

[PATSNUTme]

Welker's coming back and HELL is coming with him!

 

[sieglo]

No ... the coordinators sucked and Belichick is clueless for letting them call the plays.

Clearly the coordinators are calling plays that get the offense injured.

 

[HarkDawg]

2 bad injuries, 1 on each half of the body.



Gentlemen.... Welker needs some HGH



I firmly believe HGH is necessary in the event of significant injuries.

-HGH will speed up healing and it will get him back quicker and most likely to the Welker of old.


PED'S are necessary in this sort of situation. Welker should risk a penalty using HGH than not using it and never being the same again.

Nike say's it best... just do it!

 

[HarkDawg]

At any rate this is not good news. How do you rehab an ACL tear with your arm in a sling? I wouldn't be surprised if he is out for the entire season.

worst part of it is..... now



The healing has to occur in 2 different areas. This will have severe implications in how each area heals because the body is healing a 2 front battle versus a 1.


Resources are not going to 1 area, but they are split up.

SOB... this sucks

 

[Patspsycho]

Does he require surgery for his rotator cuffs or can he just rehab it?

The big deal here is that he HAD surgery, which means he had a near to complete tear of the rotator cuff.

 

[Patspsycho]

And to say the rotator cuff would make it really hard to rehab the knee (the clear implication in the post I replied to) is just silly or Welker wouldn't believe he would be back this year.

Please explain how rehabbing a tear in your knee is easy while your arm is in a sling. You do know that a big part of healing from an ACL tear is doing plyometrics?

Also after rotator cuff surgery, the arm must not move under its own power for a good month or two.

Because a fall puts tremendous stress on a shoulder, many doctors advise not playing football for a year. I can give you reference links if you want.