They say football is a game of inches.
It's also a game of injuries. In the NFL, one injury to a key player can cause upheaval to a team's depth chart and ultimately its won-loss record.
Falcons fans know this all too well. In 2003, a broken leg kept Michael Vick out for 11 games. Once he returned, Atlanta was on their way to a disappointing 5-11 season.
Finding themselves on the right side of the injury bug is one of the reasons for the Falcons' success this year.
They currently have three players on the injured reserve list: third-string, rookie running back Thomas Brown, tackle Pat McCoy, and free-agent signee corner back Von Hutchins.
Of the three, Hutchins is the only player expected to have a significant impact at the start of the season (but with the Week 11 release of return man Adam Jennings, one can't help but believe Brown would have been a help on special teams). Signed as a free-agent, Hutchins was expected to compete for the starting corner back spot, opposite Chris Houston.
His injury at the first practice of training camp led to Brent Grimes' insertion into the starting lineup and the eventual trade with the Denver Broncos for talented corner back Domonique Foxworth.
Grimes has missed the last two games, but that's created an opportunity for Foxworth and rookie Chevis Jackson, both of whom had good games against New Orleans last Sunday.
Starting rookie left tackle Sam Baker has missed a few games after back surgery and is not expected to play against the Broncos. The Falcons are thin along the offensive line but have played well of late. However, another injury here and quarterback Matt Ryan may find himself looking at a lot more grass.
The Cincinnati Bengals currently have eight players on IR. Thus, the injury-won/loss correlation is complete: The Bengals are 1-8 on the season.
Kicker Jason Elam, Grimes, and defensive tackle Grady Jackson are listed as questionable for Sunday's game. Baker is still out and backup defensive tackle Kindal Moorehead is doubtful.
Oddly enough, Vick is still listed on the injury report. His status for this week? You guessed it: Out.
Speaking of Vick...
The one-time highest paid player in the NFL, still serving a 23-month prison sentence, not only wants to return to the NFL, but "expects" to.
A statement, filed by Vick's attorneys before the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Norfolk, VA, stated that Vick "has every reason to believe that upon his release, he will be reinstated into the NFL, resume his career and be able to earn a substantial living."
If, and that's a big if, Vick is reinstated into the league and finds a team willing to take on the quarterback and his baggage, I'll venture to guess that the salary he earns will be substantial by my terms, but not the terms Vick once knew.
The statement outlines expected NFL earnings and potential signing bonuses that would enable the former Falcons quarterback to pay back the $20.4 million in financial liabilities.
Needless to say, the hill Vick must climb to return to living a normal, every day life is steep. Not only is he serving his federal sentence, he still must face two state felony counts. Once that's in his rear view mirror and assuming Commissioner Goodell allows him to return to the NFL, a team must step to the plate to take the Vick-risk.
Once all that happens, the former face of the NFL must hope he has not left all his skills in Leavenworth, KS.
6 comments Last one added 7 months ago — Leave a Comment
Dylan Reichert 7 months ago
I hope Vick returns to football not in Atlanta but for a team that needs a qb at the time he gets released from jail. He was one of or the best athlete in the nfl in 2006 and should still have the skill when he gets released.
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daniel cox 7 months ago
dylan, he definitely won't return to atlanta. however, i agree. i hope he's at least given a chance to play again. he was one of the best pure athletes in the game, however i don't know abnout his skills. let's be honest, interms of traditional quarterbacking, his skills didn't match up. however, his speed and athleticism made up for a lot of that. you can't help but think he's lost a step or two, or perhaps a little bit of the mental accumen for the game while he's been away. playing in the nfl is not like riding a bike.
thanks for reading!
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Derek Coffelt 7 months ago
When I first saw this headline I thought this was going to be a Satire/Humor article.
I can't believe that the Falcons actually still have Vick listed on their injury report. However, technically he's still under contract with Atlanta so I guess they have to list him as "out". The whole situation with Vick is an extremely charged one, and this just goes to show that you never really know what goes on inside someone's head.
I wrote an article several weeks back entitled, "Role Models: When Sports Figures Don't Measure Up" that talked about how society places athletes like Vick on such a high moral pedestal that they seem like they can do no wrong. So when we see Vick's fall from grace happen so suddenly, it comes as a shock.
I value sports because it has connected me people during a time when I was isolated. I've learned to be cautiously optimistic when it comes to creating an athlete into a role model as did many people (especially here in Atlanta). It's easy to do because sports can give you something to cherish during hard times. You can sit down and watch them and see all of the amazing things they can do and project the qualities they exude into your own life.
Back to the article. I completely agree that Atlanta's O-line can't take much more damage before Matt Ryan starts to feel the pressure teams are trying to put on him. However, if they can hold together long enough to beat Carolina and Tampa Bay down the road, they will silence a ton of critics and probably win the division.
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daniel cox 7 months ago
derek, i appreciate your comments.
yeah, i found that vick nugget (him on the injury report) and wanted to link it in to his recent statement somehow. the headline, i knew, would lead some to believe my article was something other than what it was. but you can't argue with 500 reads. heh...
anyway, yeah, it makes sense--vick's on the team, you gotta list him somehow.
you make a really good point about the high pedestal and when a mistake occurrs, it's almost like fans are shocked. if my buddy, who's generally a good guy, gets arrested for a dui, i'm probably not going to rake him over the coals. i'll acknowledge that he made a mistake and help him move past it. that idea, double standard even, of not treating athletes like regular people has been a topic of conversation, and good conversation at that, on b/r at times recently. i know angel navedo and i have had really good discussions about it.
i'm the perfect example of that idea of the athlete on the pedestal. when i was a kid, back in his heyday--'88-'92--jose canseco was my man. my favorite player...had his posters, his shirts, his cards...everything. even starting lineup, you remember those things?? my mom went all over the southeastern portion of north carolina trying to find the caseco '90 starting lineup figure. but that's off the topic...
...well now almost 20 years later, i feel like i was betrayed. i looked up to that guy, even ignored some of the reports about him with speeding tickets, etc. but the whole steroids thing and what he's become. i almost feel like my fanhood and all the money i spent on his stuff was for nothing. it's a little embarassing and i feel a bit betrayed, my childhood self does--as an adult, i could care less.
but you see my point.
so now, as a father, raising a 16-month old son, when the time comes, if it does, that he likes sports and picks out his favorite players, we're going to discuss the merits of these players on and off the field. so a guy like matt ryan is looking like a good choice right about now.
sorry for being so long winded....if atl beats carolina and tampa they are so in the playoffs...and we will dance in the streets of atlanta.
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Derek Coffelt 7 months ago
I completely agree Daniel.
Again (shameless plug for my article) in my article I indirectly referred to Canseco when I talked about McGwire. He was a huge reason why I started to focus on baseball in the late 90's. Now with his constant indecisiveness and betrayal about his steroid usage just ripped my heart out.
That was one of the times that I learned the hard way that you have to be careful who you look up to as a role model.
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daniel cox 7 months ago
derek, i intend to go back and check out that article.
i only saw canseco for what he was once i became an adult, so it didn't quite hurt me the way it may have for some. with the media covering sports the way it does now, i imagine things are different for young kids and their following of their heroes. i guess i'll learn about that soon enough. it's going to be interesting, for sure. i look forward to discussing some of these things with my kid and sharing some lessons within the mistakes he may find his heroes making.
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