Updated: Vikings' Injury Report

[Box_O_Rocks]

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/vikings/

Thursday, October 26th, 2006 by Judd Zulgad
A day after listing a modest four players on their injury report, Vikings coach Brad Childress doubled the amount following Thursday’s practice. This could in response to the fact New England coach Bill Belichick is listing 13 players on his injury report for Monday’s game at the Metrodome.

Here is the new Vikings injury report:

WR Marcus Robinson, lower back, remains questionable (50 percent chance of playing)

RG Artis Hicks, neck, is added as questionable

RT Marcus Johnson, ankle, is added as questionable

DE Kenechi Udeze, hip, is added as questionable

NT Pat Williams, foot, is added as questionable

WR Bethel Johnson, hamstring, remains probable (virtual certainty)

WR Travis Taylor, concussion, remains probable

WR Troy Williamson, concussion, is downgraded to from probable to questionable

Robinson, Hicks, Marcus Johnson, Udeze, Williams, Bethel Johnson, Taylor and Williamson all missed a portion of practice.

That was one rough practice on Wednesday!

 

[BelichickFan]

I read this little note on RotoWorld :

"Travis Taylor (probable, concussion) missed at least a part of Vikings practice Thursday after working fully on Wednesday.
Unlike Troy Williamson (questionable, head), he wasn't downgraded."

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Childress mimics Belichick by manipulating injury report
http://www.startribune.com/510/story/769559.html

Vikings coach Brad Belichick ... er, Childress ... launched an apparent round of gamesmanship Thursday as his team began preparing in earnest for Monday night's game against New England. Childress closed practice to reporters, doubled the size of his injury report and claimed that all eight players he listed missed a portion of practice.

The moves were a clear attempt to mock the Patriots' similarly misleading approach to injury reports, as well as their tight restrictions on media access.
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...Childress got around the NFL's rules for mandatory practice access by changing the "open" time to a special-teams-only period. Even Childress wasn't on the field for that portion of "practice."

That move could have been a nod to Super Bowl XXXIX, when Belichick utilized closed practices to surprise the Philadelphia Eagles with a unique defensive alignment...

I hope Brad is twisted up over that Super Bowl, nothing like keeping your focus...

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Viking receiver corps catches injury bug
http://www.startribune.com/510/story/769590.html

This is how quickly injuries can change things in the NFL and why there is no such thing as too much depth at a position.
Last Sunday the Vikings dressed five wide receivers for the first time this season, wanting newcomer Bethel Johnson to return kicks, while also having Billy McMullen, Marcus Robinson, Travis Taylor and Troy Williamson on the 45-man active roster.

All entered the game healthy.

On Monday night when the Vikings play host to New England, they figure to be back down to four receivers in uniform, and 75 percent of that group will be playing despite having some type of injury.
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This appears to be especially true for Johnson, who looked surprised when asked at what point Sunday he was injured.

"I didn't tweak my hamstring," he said. "I don't know why they've got me on the injury report. I'm practicing every day. If you're out there you'll see me out there every day."

 

[TruthSeeker]

I love it! The Patriots can dish it out and the Patriots can take it when another team does it right back to them.

Injury reporting changed for the Patriots when the NFL fined BB for listing Richard Seymour as "probable" for a road game and then leaving him at home. BBs argument was that it was a coach's decision to not play him rather than Seymour not being physically able to play (i.e. Seymour was cleared by the team doctors). The NFL said that this didn't matter; you can't list a player as probable and leave him at home even if it's a coach's decision, i.e. coach's decisions must be reflected in the injury report.

You might want to read that again; I'm not sure most people have grasped this yet even a few years later. The NFL fined BB for not including his coach's decision-making into the injury report status. According to the NFL, this is a required part of the injury report. And, boy, does BB use that to his advantage!

Any player with any type of injury must be listed on the injury report. That's the rule. However, the status of the player is a combination of the severity of the injury and the likelihood that the coach will choose to name that player one of the 45 eligible players for the game. What BB is doing with the injury report can be argued to be exactly what he (and all other coaches) should be doing. The fact that it makes a mockery of the injury report is only something that gives BB (and us!) reason to smile. That fine was the best spent money of BBs career.

 

[Brownfan80]

Questionable: Head. haha.

 

[jczxohn1]

Not to mention he has restricted reporters' access to practice for the first time this year. How does it feel to have BB rattling around in your head?