The Colts Are Just Getting Suffocated By Injuries

by Brad Wells on Dec 7, 2011 10:52 AM EST in 2011 Colts Analysis

On Monday, they officially announced that Jerraud Powers and Terence Johnson were placed on I.R. Powers was the only corner worth a damn in the Colts whole miserable secondary. While serviceable, this is the second year in a row the third rounder from Auburn has ended the season on I.R. He was also hurt all throughout his rookie. Quite simply, the man is made of glass and cannot stay healthy. Injured players are useless players, and while I personally think Jerraud is a good guy, the reality is his future with this franchise (and in the NFL in general) is very much in doubt.

Last night, we got the news that rookie Drake Nevis was also placed on I.R. Nevis has been battling lower back pain all season. Much like Powers in the secondary, Nevis was the only defensive tackle who was playing at a serviceable level for the Colts in 2011. With his season-ending injury, combined with the knee injury to rookie offensive tackle Ben Ijalana that ended his season along with the fumble problems that plague rookie fifth rounder Delone Carter, the 2011 draft class for the Colts is looking like the draft classes from 2007-2010 (aka, it's looking like another Chris Polian-inspired war room suckfest).

But, forget this year's uninspiring draft class. Let's focus on the injuries, because it's now obvious that something is wrong in Indianapolis. Very wrong. From 2007 to now, it seems as if the Colts are just utterly decimated each season by injuries other teams tend to avoid or overcome. For the second year in a row, the Colts are the most injured team in football. Even in their run to the Super Bowl in 2009, they dealt with season-ending injuries to key starters such as Bob Sanders, Tyjuan Hagler, and Anthony Gonzalez. They also had a hobbled Dwight Freeney in that year.

I talk to people in the NFL all the time, and all of them say the same thing: Something is definitely wrong with the Colts training and conditioning staff.

Bill Polian has made a habit in recent episodes of his weekly radio show to address the insane amount of injuries this franchise has had to endure over the years. He's tried to deflect blame from the training staff and the player personnel department by saying that the team did an internal study last year that evaluated all player injures. They analyzed the players' medical history along with the nature of the injuries they'd sustained.

Their conclusion to their own study (which they won't publicly share) was that the injuries were just 'fate.'

You'll excuse me if I don't buy that BS, especially when it is coming from the mouth of a man who claims he has conversations with his star player, and then his star player later says those conversations never took place.

If the study were independent (aka, the Colts or the NFL are not fronting the bill) and from a reputable medical firm or institution, I'd buy the excuse. But for this, it's more than just 'fate.' Either these players are not conditioned or strengthened enough to endure the rigors of this violent game, or the player personnel department is not adequately vetting the 'brittle' players from the 'non-brittle' ones.

Again, injuries happen. No one is freaking out because one or two or even five people are hurt. In Indianapolis, entire starting units are going down with alarming regularity, and it seems no one else in this league is having to cope with a medical chart this long.

Bill Polian stated recently that this season is the worst he's ever seen in his entire career, in terms of injuries.

The bottom line is something is wrong. 'Fate' isn't making Colts players drop like flies. It's something else. It's something that is the fault of human being rather than the mythic 'football gods.' It's something the top brass in this organization must fully and completely answer for, because right now the situation has gone beyond ridiculous.

The only other possible explanation I can come up with for the rash of season-ending injuries this year is the front office is intentionally tanking to ensure the No. 1 overall pick. Were Powers and Nevis really hurt to the point where they couldn't play? Or, were they put on I.R. so that the Colts would be forced to field the Brandon Kings of this league in their secondary, thus ensuring the opponents' offenses would score a gazillion points on them?

At this point, who knows. What I do know is problem is not the result of the 'fate.'

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Is it just me or...

As soon as this team was touted as one of the toughest, healthiest teams in the league (2004-2006) that the injuries hit us hard?

by BswizzleKdizzle on Dec 7, 2011 11:02 AM EST reply actions

Team is getting old

Clark, Addai, Diem, Brackett, Bullitt injuries are either because they are old, or because they had many injuries and new ones are just piling up.

Powers injury sucks now, and I’m not sure he should out. Rest a week, put a cast on it, and lets go back. TJohnson being out is ok, he sucks, and at least Rucker and KT get more reps.

Colts should also activate Ogbu. 3 DTs, especially vs Baltimore are not enough.

by Ty46 on Dec 7, 2011 11:03 AM EST reply actions

Another perspective regarding Colts injuries

I do not believe its either fate or poor conditioning that makes injuries so prevalent on the Colts. Rather its athletic ability related. When you staff a team with less natural ability in football, the players must compensate beyond their bodys natural capabililities.
This results in over extension of muscles, joints etc. This problem compounds itself when Colts need to replace players out due to long term injuries. Like everyone else Colts obtain players from other teams practice squads, most likely less than 100% ready to play physically, and also with less athletic ability required for long term continuous play. The Colts historically have done a very poor job recruiting capable secondary players, most evidenced by their terrible special teams.
In addition, the Colts historically have drafted players with injury problems in their college careers. Defensive linemen are always amongst the highest draft choices; I wondered how a guy like Nevis could slip to late 3rd round after playing for such a highly visible team like LSU; after researching, I learned he had back problems in past.
Same goes for Gonzo, Sanders, Thomas,, ie injury free college careers isnt as much a priority for Colts as other teams.
One other factor, every team has injuries, most at least close to Colts. You just notice Colts more because of the poor performance of back ups (Green Bay last year had as many players on IR as did Colts)

by oldnjcoltsfan on Dec 7, 2011 11:29 AM EST reply actions 2 recs

I think there is something to this

I kind of agree that we definitely lack athletic people, compared to other teams. We just don’t have enough playmakers. Our stars are indeed superstars that would be superstars anywhere they would go. But beyond them, we don’t have many players that are gifted athletically.

Good point sir.

by coltsfanbeforemanning on Dec 7, 2011 11:32 AM EST up reply actions

i completely agree

by 5.56 InYoFace on Dec 7, 2011 12:04 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, they always seem to have more than the average amount of Injuries

However, I’m sure being 0-12 doesn’t help. They probably put players on IR a little quicker because they don’t have any time to mess around.

Also, if you look at the Collin’s concussion and Manning’s neck, neither are the result of poor conditioning.

I will say though, I have questioned their training routines in the past.

by dnpayne on Dec 7, 2011 11:31 AM EST reply actions

Mike Chappell was pretty vehement yesterday in saying that the strength and conditioning staff weren’t at fault. Lots of bang-bang, football type injuries as opposed to pulled hammies and sports hernias. I’ll side with him on this one.

by burc on Dec 7, 2011 11:41 AM EST reply actions

Yeah

But, logic has no place here. It’s obvious that you can condition bones not to be broken and since bones are breaking, that’s obviously Polian’s fault.

by SunnyD1988 on Dec 7, 2011 11:58 AM EST up reply actions

Actually, you CAN condition bones not to be broken

It’s called Wolff’s Law

"It's about the journey--mine and yours--and the lives we can touch, the legacy we can leave, and the world we can change for the better."
— Tony Dungy

by Mark Olson on Dec 7, 2011 1:07 PM EST up reply actions

I wrote this note on my FB before the season started...

The NFL moved the kickoff from the 25 yard line to the 35 yard line because injuries occur on 11% of kickoffs and 7% of plays from scrimmage. I believe we will see more injuries because of the rule change.

Looking at a typical scoring game from last season, the Colts beat the Redskins 27-24. That game had 11 kickoffs (1.21 injury percentage) and 140 plays from scrimmage (9.8 injury percentage).

Worse field position leads to longer drives (average field position last season was 29 yard line), so even more plays at 7% injury rate. It also leads to fewer drives resulting in scoring position, leading to more punts, which are probably almost as dangerous as kickoffs unless a fair catch is called.

I’m convinced that the lowered risk of injury based on the amount of kickoff returns cut down will be offset by the number of punts and plays from scrimmage.

I am yet to compare any numbers to this season’s figures.

by Matt Russell on Dec 7, 2011 11:49 AM EST reply actions 1 recs

Draft evaluation

http://www.stampedeblue.com/2011/4/30/2146026/2011-nfl-draft-grades-breaking-down-indianapolis-colts-draft

You obviously thought the same as everyone else involved with this draft. It was good. Carter was good early. While he has to get over this fumblitis, that is something that can be taught. Nevis was good early, before he got hurt. Ijalana was starting, so that’s a good thing. Castonzo has been a typical rookie LT, decent but exposed.

When you draft good players with no previous significant injury history and they get hurt, that doesn’t mean you really conducted a “suckfest” in the war room. There is nothing to do about it.

Stop blaming the Polians when this issue has absolutely nothing to do with them. Seriously, it’s so old and tired.

by SunnyD1988 on Dec 7, 2011 12:04 PM EST reply actions 2 recs

A lot of people have questioned the training and conditioning of the Colts for YEARS. No matter how much of a homer you are the Colts each year seem to subscribe to the club med training camp method and resting players and overly cautious as I have ever seen.

People cannot even use the “they are being rested for the playoffs” since many years its one and done so a lot of good that does.

by Straight Out The Burbs on Dec 7, 2011 12:06 PM EST reply actions

With all due respect

I don’t think I would classify a draft year as bad when the rookies go out with injuries. There is no way to predict injuries. Period. Although there very possibly could be blame placed on the medical and conditioning staff, we should remember that there was a lockout this year, not that you can blame that, but it is a consideration. The fact that there are a lot of guys on IR could also be because the year is lost, and trying to get guys healthy early for next year is makes some sense. Even if Polian is a butthole, I just can’t accept that the Colts are trying to lose via decisions from upstairs. It just doesn’t make sense to me. Unless Polian is found to have syphilis eating his brain, I can’t accept tanking voluntarily. As of now, I can’t fault the last draft.

by tim55 on Dec 7, 2011 1:28 PM EST reply actions

This is where I think the FO is...ahem "throwing the season"

Injuries happen every year. MOST players play with injuries. But we are not in a playoff run, so I think the FO is just tossing them on IR whereas in the past they would not have. Basically, they are preserving them for next year; hiring scrubs to play and letting the rest of the season play out.

If we were contending for a title, I don’t think we’d see them place guys on IR so easily. Why make Powers any injury any worse? Put him on IR.; let him heal and get him ready for next year.

If they place Angerer on IR I will rest my case (and then we see Mathis and Freeney end up there too (wink wink))

Dear Diary, Kevin is so hot. Today he was raking the yard. God I wish he'd throw me into that pile of leaves.

by GotDebt on Dec 7, 2011 2:56 PM EST reply actions

I dont thik Carter has a fumbling problem

he has a couple fumbles in his rookie year? one coming off being benched for an entire game and then randomly thrown in the next game not to mention he was benched for fumbling 2 games before so they are giving him less touches when h needs more to get used to holding the ball
Yeah he had 2 big fumbles but hes not out there losing the games for us hes been a solid runner this year.
Besides injuries the draft class has been solid on the field Chris Polian didnt cause their injuries on the field and we all liked them while they were playing so i think he did a good job drafting. They played well and showed promise and aything else is out of Polians hands

by C.Settles on Dec 7, 2011 7:18 PM EST reply actions

Agree

Thank you for reminding people that Chris Polian did a good job on the 2011 draft. The big question for the franchise ( other than Peyton’s condition ), is: Was that draft a fluke, or has Chris finally learned how to do his job?

by Ufansince65 on Dec 8, 2011 8:14 AM EST up reply actions