How injured have we been?

It has been said many times that the Pats have faced incredible amounts of injuries this year. It has been a bit different than other seasons, in the sense that we have had so many on IR, while also being banged up on a week to week basis.

I thought it would be an interesting excercise to look at who has missed what games to give better context to the amount of bodies missing on a weekly basis.

I didnt count the guys who were injured in preseason or never got off PUP. All of those listed played at least a game for the Pats. If a player was cut, he stopped being reflected on the IR.

Bolded are the projected starters

week 1) Steelers: Stork Wendell Lafell Blount Cadet Wilson R. Johnson Flowers
2) Bills: Stork Wendell Lafell K. Martin Ebner Easley Flowers
3) Jaguars: Stork Wendell Lafell Cadet Hooman Brown T. Wilson Fletcher R. Johnson Flowers
4) Cowboys: Stork Wendell Lafell Dobson Wilson Brown R. Johnson Flowers
5) Colts: Solder Stork Wendell Lafell Dobson Hightower R. Johnson Flowers
6) Jets: Solder Stork Dobson Brown Hightower R. Johnson
7) Dolphins: Solder Cannon Stork Mason Lewis Bolden K. Martin Brown Sheard R. Johnson Flowers
8) Redskins: Solder Cannon Wendell T. Jackson K. Martin Brown Collins Sheard R. Johnson Flowers
9) Giants: Solder Vollmer Cannon Wendell T. Jackson Lewis Brown T. Wilson Collins R. Johnson Flowers
10) Bills: Solder Wendell T. Jackson Lewis Edelman K. Martin Brown Coleman Collins Silega R. Johnson Flowers
11) Broncos: Solder Wendell Lewis Edelman Amendola Dobson Williams Brown Coleman Richards Collins R. Johnson Flowers
12) Eagles: Solder Wendell Lewis Edelman Dobson Gronk Brown Coleman Richards Hightower Easley R. Johnson Flowers
13) Texans: Solder Wendell Kline Lewis Edelman Dobson Brown Wilson Hightower Grissom Silega R. Johnson Flowers
14) Titans: Solder Stork Wendell Lewis Blount Edelman Dobson Chandler McCourty Brown Freeny Easley R. Johnson Flowers
15) Jets: Solder Kline Wendell Lewis Blount Edelman Amendola Dobson McCourty Chung Brown Freeny Easley R. Johnson Flowers
16) Dolphins Solder Vollmer Wendell Lewis Blount Edelman Dobson Brown Coleman Hightower Freeny Martin C. Jones Easley Siliga R. Johnson Flowers

PLAYOFFS:
Chiefs: Solder Wendell Waddle Jackson Lewis Blount Dobson Brown Martin Easley R. Johnson Flowers
That is 171 games lost to injury with players who actually played at least one game this year.

84 lost to startes

games missed by positional group
QB:0
Oline: 44
Skilled positions:46
Dline: 45
linebackers: 11
secondary: 28
There are a couple things that you can take from this, but I will highlight a few:

1. The healthiest our Offensive line has been in any game was when we started 3 of our projected starters. That happened in 12 games. The least healthy was when we were missing 3 starters and our two top backups against the Giants.

2. We had 1 game when we were missing only one skilled position player to injury (wk 8 Redskins). The most amount of skilled players we have been without was 5, which happened yesterday (jets).

3. We have had 5 weeks when we have had an intact linebacker core (Collins, HT, Mayo, Freeny). 8 games without at least one of Collins or HT.

4. The secondary has had very few games with multiple pieces missing. Brown is counted as a starter, but Ryan has obviously emerged in his place since his Brown's injury. The position we have been hurt the least, with yesterday (jets) being the most injured we have been (3 players).

5. The healthiest this offense were weeks 2 and 4 missing 4 guys (2 starters). The least healthy were weeks 14-15 when we missed 8 guys(6 starters).

6. The healthiest this defense has been was weeks 6 missing 3 guys (2 starters). The least healthy was yesterday (jets) missing 7 guys (3 starters).

7. The game with the fewest starters injured was week 2 with 2. The game with the most starters injured was yesterday (jets) with 9.

8. The most important position, and the reason we are still first in the conference has a ZERO in injury games lost. I honestly cant believe Brady isnt getting more recognition for what he has done with such a battered team. Having multiple linemen and skilled guys missing every week, different guys coming in for different roles, its truly remarkable to see what he has been able to pull out of this group.


The pot of gold in all of this, we really may not be that bad off. If you look at week 16 for guys already out for injury, its a pretty long list of players, but only a few that would be deemed irreplaceable. Every team at this point of the season will have guys that fit that mould, but outside of Solder, I think most would look at those injuries and not think it is beyond overcoming. We are definitely banged up, but with 3 weeks until our next game of importance, we might be our healthiest since the halfway point in the season.

I will add to this each week as we find out inactives.

No other team has suffered more injuries than the Pats, except for maybe Baltimore, who has admittedly suffered injuries at the most important position - QB.

Not only is the Pats' IR list long, but so too is their list of walking wounded.
This has become ridiculously unfair, and the Vollmer injury might just have achieved Critical Mass.

Excellent breakdown Fletch, BTW.

The best player they have lost to IR is Dion Lewis. Cannon is close to a top 10 player on the team based on his position. No disrespect to Wendell or Blount or Easely but they were replaceable.

11 or 12 of their top 13 are playing in the playoffs. That is fortunate.

jbb9s said:

The best player they have lost to IR is Dion Lewis. Cannon is close to a top 10 player on the team based on his position. No disrespect to Wendell or Blount or Easely but they were replaceable.

11 or 12 of their top 13 are playing in the playoffs. That is fortunate.

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Solder is a top 5 player at the second most important position. He has been a critical loss to the team.

captain stone said:

No other team has suffered more injuries than the Pats, except for maybe Baltimore, who has admittedly suffered injuries at the most important position - QB.

Not only is the Pats' IR list long, but so too is their list of walking wounded.
This has become ridiculously unfair, and the Vollmer injury might just have achieved Critical Mass.

Excellent breakdown Fletch, BTW.

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I think the everyone focuses on the IR list league wide, but the walking wounded is far more critical since you are playing every week with a short deck. I can't remember a time with so many guys missing multiple games but being able to return.

It's a huge break for the playoff roster, but it was an awful lot to overcome to get to this point. Brady must be exhausted at this point.

Like I said in another thread ... the coaches are the league MVP this year .... it's been amazing.

Also nobody is discussing the increased play time for the subs / role players which is not a preferred way to play but in crunch time in the playoffs these players will be a bit more ready IMO if called upon.

Nothing to complain about if HT, Edelman, Amendola, McCourty and Chung are all close to full strength for the playoffs and, PLEASE, NO ONE GETS HURT NEXT WEEK. Last year spoiled us a bit as to injuries.

If any team can survive multiple injuries to the OL it's a team like us that plays spread and can get the ball out quickly. Gronk, Chandler, Edelman, Amendola, LaFell, Martin and White is a very good skill position group. And Easley is a hell of a player but we still have very good depth along the DL.

I.M. Fletcher said:

Solder is a top 5 player at the second most important position. He has been a critical loss to the team.

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He is good but he is not better than Vollmer by a long shot, Collins, Brady or Gronk or McCourty and he is not more important than Butler whose replacement isn't even in the top 80 DBs in the league. So really i don't see how Solder is top 5. Maybe you are exaggerating. We won't even go into Edelman, Lewis Hightower or Jones.

jbb9s said:

The best player they have lost to IR is Dion Lewis. Cannon is close to a top 10 player on the team based on his position. No disrespect to Wendell or Blount or Easely but they were replaceable.

11 or 12 of their top 13 are playing in the playoffs. That is fortunate.

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Easley is not replaceable.

VrabelJr said:

Easley is not replaceable.

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Saw today that Easley lead all NFL DTs in pressure %. That is something you can't replace.

Coincidentally, sheard is leading DEs.

Question is - at what % will the guys we are supposed to get back for MIA/Playoffs going to be?

We need vollmer. This offensive line has to be key come the playoffs.

jbb9s said:

He is good but he is not better than Vollmer by a long shot, Collins, Brady or Gronk or McCourty and he is not more important than Butler whose replacement isn't even in the top 80 DBs in the league. So really i don't see how Solder is top 5. Maybe you are exaggerating. We won't even go into Edelman, Lewis Hightower or Jones.

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Well, we may agree to disagree then. Our sack rate moved from 2nd in the league to 20th, and we are running about a 1.6yards fewer behind the left tackle with Vollmer in place of Solder. Hard to figure there are more than 2 players on the team more valuable than Solder.

Blount should not be counted in week one because he was suspended, not injured.

I.M. Fletcher said:

Well, we may agree to disagree then. Our sack rate moved from 2nd in the league to 20th, and we are running about a 1.6yards fewer behind the left tackle with Vollmer in place of Solder. Hard to figure there are more than 2 players on the team more valuable than Solder.

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Not really that hard to figure.

And interesting that you so interested in picking a fight that you double down on Solder being in the top 10 by putting him #3.

And by the way Solder played 3 full games this year so your sample size is not adequate to compare stats in the manner which you have, not to mention the 3 of the first 4 games this season were against teams drafting in the top 10 come April.

Patriots won the super bowl and i think every game they played without Easely in 2014/2015 so if that is not the definition of replaceable then i don't know what is.

Easley was putting our defense over the top.

I like this site, Man Games Lost:

NFL Archives - Man Games Lost


To the right axis is the # of man games lost per team. As you can see, NWE is the furthest to the right, and so we are the most injured team in the NFL by that metric.

The size of the bubbles are the approximated expected value of the missing players. So by that metric according to the guy running it, New England is the #6 most injury affected team.

It's probably not perfect. One reason Denver's bubble is so large is that Peyton Manning is counted as a big loss, whereas the Manning that actually played in 2015 was the worst starting QB in football, and thus no loss at all, but it's useful to see this visualized.

jbb9s said:

Not really that hard to figure.

And interesting that you so interested in picking a fight that you double down on Solder being in the top 10 by putting him #3.

And by the way Solder played 3 full games this year so your sample size is not adequate to compare stats in the manner which you have, not to mention the 3 of the first 4 games this season were against teams drafting in the top 10 come April.

Patriots won the super bowl and i think every game they played without Easely in 2014/2015 so if that is not the definition of replaceable then i don't know what is.

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Not picking a fight at all, just replying to someone who responding to something I wrote.

What i said originally was that solder was a top 5 player at a the 2nd most important position. That means league wide, he was one of the top 5 LTs. I don't think anyone is saying otherwise to that. If you disagree, we disagree.

In responding to you, I said there were only two players clearly more important to our team. You took that to mean he's our third best player. He is in the discussion with about 4 other players, but I wasn't attempting to rank him. Maybe it's jones, maybe McCourty, maybe Hightower or Collins, all are great player and would be impossible to properly replace, much like we have experienced with solder.

As for Easley, we have no other DT who can pressure the QB comparatively. Whether or not we won without him means nothing. We had other players who could play that role last season, while we have struggled this season. Doesn't mean we can't win without him, it means we don't have another DT who can do what he does. hicks has been very good, but not your typical penetrating tackle.

I.M. Fletcher said:

It has been said many times that the Pats have faced incredible amounts of injuries this year. It has been a bit different than other seasons, in the sense that we have had so many on IR, while also being banged up on a week to week basis.

I thought it would be an interesting excercise to look at who has missed what games to give better context to the amount of bodies missing on a weekly basis.

I didnt count the guys who were injured in preseason or never got off PUP. All of those listed played at least a game for the Pats. If a player was cut, he stopped being reflected on the IR.

Bolded are the projected starters

week 1) Steelers: Stork Wendell Lafell Blount Cadet Wilson R. Johnson Flowers
2) Bills: Stork Wendell Lafell K. Martin Ebner Easley Flowers
3) Jaguars: Stork Wendell Lafell Cadet Hooman Brown T. Wilson Fletcher R. Johnson Flowers
4) Cowboys: Stork Wendell Lafell Dobson Wilson Brown R. Johnson Flowers
5) Colts: Solder Stork Wendell Lafell Dobson Hightower R. Johnson Flowers
6) Jets: Solder Stork Dobson Brown Hightower R. Johnson
7) Dolphins: Solder Cannon Stork Mason Lewis Bolden K. Martin Brown Sheard R. Johnson Flowers
8) Redskins: Solder Cannon Wendell T. Jackson K. Martin Brown Collins Sheard R. Johnson Flowers
9) Giants: Solder Vollmer Cannon Wendell T. Jackson Lewis Brown T. Wilson Collins R. Johnson Flowers
10) Bills: Solder Wendell T. Jackson Lewis Edelman K. Martin Brown Coleman Collins Silega R. Johnson Flowers
11) Broncos: Solder Wendell Lewis Edelman Amendola Dobson Williams Brown Coleman Richards Collins R. Johnson Flowers
12) Eagles: Solder Wendell Lewis Edelman Dobson Gronk Brown Coleman Richards Hightower Easley R. Johnson Flowers
13) Texans: Solder Wendell Kline Lewis Edelman Dobson Brown Wilson Hightower Grissom Silega R. Johnson Flowers
14) Titans: Solder Stork Wendell Lewis Blount Edelman Dobson Chandler McCourty Brown Freeny Easley R. Johnson Flowers
15) Jets: Solder Kline Wendell Lewis Blount Edelman Amendola Dobson McCourty Chung Brown Freeny Easley R. Johnson Flowers
16) Dolphins Solder Wendell Lewis Blount Dobson Brown Martin Easley R. Johnson Flowers

That is 166 games lost to injury with players who actually played at least one game this year.

84 lost to startes

games missed by positional group
QB:0
Oline: 43
Skilled positions:45
Dline: 42
linebackers: 9
secondary: 27
There are a couple things that you can take from this, but I will highlight a few:

1. The healthiest our Offensive line has been in any game was when we started 3 of our projected starters. That happened in 12 games. The least healthy was when we were missing 3 starters and our two top backups against the Giants.

2. We had 1 game when we were missing only one skilled position player to injury (wk 8 Redskins). The most amount of skilled players we have been without was 5, which happened yesterday (jets).

3. We have had 5 weeks when we have had an intact linebacker core (Collins, HT, Mayo, Freeny). 8 games without at least one of Collins or HT.

4. The secondary has had very few games with multiple pieces missing. Brown is counted as a starter, but Ryan has obviously emerged in his place since his Brown's injury. The position we have been hurt the least, with yesterday (jets) being the most injured we have been (3 players).

5. The healthiest this offense were weeks 2 and 4 missing 4 guys (2 starters). The least healthy were weeks 14-15 when we missed 8 guys(6 starters).

6. The healthiest this defense has been was weeks 6 missing 3 guys (2 starters). The least healthy was yesterday (jets) missing 7 guys (3 starters).

7. The game with the fewest starters injured was week 2 with 2. The game with the most starters injured was yesterday (jets) with 9.

8. The most important position, and the reason we are still first in the conference has a ZERO in injury games lost. I honestly cant believe Brady isnt getting more recognition for what he has done with such a battered team. Having multiple linemen and skilled guys missing every week, different guys coming in for different roles, its truly remarkable to see what he has been able to pull out of this group.


The pot of gold in all of this, we really may not be that bad off. If you look at week 16 for guys already out for injury, its a pretty long list of players, but only a few that would be deemed irreplaceable. Every team at this point of the season will have guys that fit that mould, but outside of Solder, I think most would look at those injuries and not think it is beyond overcoming. We are definitely banged up, but with 3 weeks until our next game of importance, we might be our healthiest since the halfway point in the season.

Click to expand...

Wonderful breakdown Fletch. It answers many questions that occur to me when I hear repeated moans about all the injuries. One minor quibble from an old English teacher: in almost every instance "amount" should be replaced with "number." End of Mrs. Grundy lecture.