|
 "I'm in favor of total preparation for the players for the
season," Belichick said during a conference call with Buffalo
reporters this week in leading up to New England's home game against
the Bills on Sunday. "And I think that's been changed significantly
and, I would say, not necessarily for the better when you look at
the injury numbers."
Belichick said players are more vulnerable to being hurt because
they're less prepared, and described the limits placed on offseason
workouts — including training camp — as being counterproductive.
"Personally, I think that's taking the wrong approach," he said.
"You have a gap between preparation and competition level. And I
think that's where you see a lot of injuries occurring. We get a lot
of breakdowns. We get a lot of situations that players just aren't
as prepared as they were in previous years, in my experience
anyway."
Belichick was specifically challenging several new rules negotiated
into the NFL labor deal that ended an offseason-long lockout in
2011.
Teams were prevented from holding two-a-day practices during
training camp. Limits were also placed on how many times players
practiced in pads throughout the year. In the spring, offseason team
activity time was reduced from 14 to nine weeks (10 if the team
changed head coaches).
What's in question is whether injuries are, in fact, on the rise in
the NFL, as Belichick suggested.
Though he didn't cite specific numbers, Belichick said he was citing
"a matter of record, not opinion," in saying injuries league-wide
have been on the rise over the past three years. League spokesman
Michael Signora disputed Belichick's assertions. "We carefully monitor player injuries," Signora said. "There
is no evidence that the new work rules have had an adverse
effect on the injury rate or that injuries have in fact
increased."
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The NFL declined to released its numbers. But according to
STATS, the number of NFL players finishing a season on injured
reserve has risen significantly over the past 14 seasons.
From 2000-06, there was an average of 239 players on IR. That
average has jumped to about 314 over the past seven years.
The low over that span was 192 in 2001, with the high being 353
in 2010, but that was before the new offseason rules came into
effect.
As of Monday, there were 288 players on IR, the lowest total
since 287 in 2008.
Those figures, however, don't include players who have been on
injured reserve and released by their teams during the season.
It has also been difficult to measure how many regulars have
missed games due to injury.
The Patriots (11-4) have been beset by a rash of injuries to key
contributors this season. They have six starters on IR,
including tight end Rob Gronkowski (right knee), offensive
tackle Sebastian Vollmer, linebacker Jerod Mayo, defensive
lineman Vince Wilford (Achilles tendon) and safety Adrian
Wilson.
Belichick insists injuries are up.
"When you see the number as high as they are, then I don't think
that's a randomness that's been two years in a row," Belichick
said. "I've got to think there's some correlation there."
___ AP NFL website:
http://pro32.ap.org/ [Associated
Press]
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