Wednesday, September 3, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
Injuries headline NFL season
Coaches, doctors scramble to keep players off sidelines
The Associated Press
It is the first entry in the manual handed out to fledgling coaches: "Injuries are a part of the game."
Sorry, but injuries are the game in the 1997 version of the NFL.
The latest in a long list.
—Jerry Rice, the best receiver the game has ever known. Out for the season with torn knee ligaments and perhaps at 34 out for his career, although he is a conditioning addict who had started 155 straight games.
The quote: "It's a tough blow, but we have to move on," 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said of the injury, although he betrayed his rookie status by looking upset.
—Craig Newsome, the Packers' up-and-coming left cornerback, out for the season with — what else — torn knee ligaments. That happened Monday night when Green Bay also lost tight end Mark Chmura, an integral part of its offense, for four-to-six weeks with a less-severe knee injury.
The quote: "It's a huge loss,"
Packers' coach Mike Holmgren said of Newsome. "He's been such a cornerback, and he's getting better all the time. But he's upbeat, and he's a great young man. We have a great medical staff, and he'll be back next year."
Ah, those medical staffs. They have been keeping busy since the beginning of training camp when the Packers lost their top running back, Edgar Bennett, to a leg injury.
Two weeks later, on another Saturday evening, it was the two quarterbacks who guided second-year teams to conference championship games last season — Jacksonville's Mark Brunell with a knee-ligament injury and Carolina's Kerry Collins with a broken jaw.
Sunday more quarterbacks went down, including Steve Young of the 49ers. He sustained his third concussion in 10 months in the same game during which Jerry Rice was hurt.
"It's a mild one," Mariucci said. "A day later, he remembers everything that happened."
Other injured quarterbacks included Seattle's John Friesz, who broke the thumb on his throwing hand when he banged it against a helmet; San Diego's Stan Humphries, who dislocated his shoulder; and Jacksonville's Rob
Johnson, who sprained an ankle in the game against Baltimore.
While Johnson left, the game temporarily to have his injuries evaluated. Steve
Matthews threw his first five NFL passes.
Johnson then returned to throw for the winning touchdown. His ankle is in a cast, and if he can't play against the New York Giants on Sunday, Matthews, who was picked up by Jacksonville after being cut by Kansas City, will have to quarterback.
Two of Carolina's four linebackers, Sam Mills and Lamar Lathon, have had leg injuries. But the heart of the Panthers' defense could be back soon.
Terry Allen, Washington's top running back, broke a thumb. He could play, although a broken thumb on a running back often means fumbles.
Oilers' safety Blaine Bishop, just back from a preseason holdout, broke his arm. He is expected to miss two-to-four weeks.
What can be done? Not much.
The NFL fined Denver's Bill Romanowski $20,000 for the hit that broke Collins' jaw, and Lathon was fined $20,000 for one Kansas City's Rich Gannon, both in exhibition games.
During the past decade, the league put in a series of rules to protect quarterbacks, such as allowing them to ground the ball if they get out of the pocket and tightening the parameters of roughing the passer. Also, a pass rusher now can take just one step, not two, toward the quarterback after he releases the ball.
But the injuries keep coming, some of the injuries mysteries, even to the players who get hurt.
Timm Rosenbach, the Cardinals' former quarterback, effectively ended his career when he tripped on grass during a scrimmage and tore up his knee. Robert Brooks of the Packers did the same on a play away from the ball against San Francisco last year.
"We had Tom McManus in a 1-on 1 drill on grass, and he wasn't even contacted, and he got a knee problem," Tom Coughlin, Jacksonville coach, said after Brunell was hurt. "It's a tough game. It's a dangerous game."
And seemingly getting tougher.
Chiefs' coach defends controversial hit
Schottenheimer cites rules says Broncos' quarterback fair game for blitzing safety
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the continuing controversy surrounding the hit Kansas City's Jerome Woods put on Denver's John Elway, the Chiefs think the rule book is on their side.
Coach Marty Schottenheimer is pointing doubters to the exact page he said exonerates his second-year safety from any penalties that Denver coach Mike Shanahan might ask the league office to impose.
"Find page 84," Schottenheimer said yesterday at his weekly media luncheon.
Shanahan had suggested he would ask the league office to discipline Woods, the Chiefs' player who made the hit late in the first half of the Broncos' 19-3 victory on Sunday.
While the crowd at Mile High Stadium held its collective breath, Elway writed in pain. It turned out Elway had the wind knocked out of him, and he continued to play.
Woods was a few feet in front of Elway, who had scrambled out of the pocket. A moment after Elway released the ball, Woods slammed into Elway's right side - the same place that had been injured during training camp.
But the Broncos are furious when referee Ed Hochull, standing a few yards away, did
not throw a flag.
"After looking at the play (on videotape), I believe there should have been a late-hit call," Shanana said. "He hit John with
an elbow right in the ribs, a full shot, a good two steps (after he threw)."
Schottenheimer, a former member of the NFL rules committee, said Monday that he had not studied the play and could not make much response to the Broncos' claims. But yesterday, he had arguments armed and ready.
"Look it up." Schottenheimer said. "It's very specific relative to a quarterback out of the pocket. It identifies all of the criteria that must be met and I don't have any doubt, based on my evaluation of the video, that it was not a foul.
"I would say without any question that Jerome Woods can sleep easy. In my view, it's not a foul. When the quarterback's out of the pocket like that, there are different rules that apply."
Schottenheimer said he did not mind the Broncos' taking their complaint to the league office.
The passage to which Schottenheimer referred is found in Article 11, paragraph 8.
"That's how we all learn," he said.
"After looking at the play (on videotape), I believe there should have been a late-hit call. He hit John with an elbow right in the ribs, a full shot, a good two steps (after he threw)."
Mike Shanahan Denver coach
headed "Passer out of pocket."
"When the passer goes outside the pocket area and either continues moving with the ball (without attempting to advance the ball as a runner) or throws on the run, he loses the protection of the one-step rule," the passage said. "He remains covered by all the other special protections afforded to a passer in the pocket ... as well as the regular unnecessary-roughness rules applicable to all player positions. If the passer stops behind the line and clearly establishes a passing posture, he will then be covered by all of the special protections for passers."
"I suggest (that the Broncos) read the rule book," Schottenheimer said.
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