After each week of NFL football games for the 2017-2018 season, the Heads 'N Tales podcast will be posting an episode dedicated to injuries and health & safety topics surrounding the NFL. Specifically we will talk about possible prevention strategies, the rulebook, equipment and other injury buzz around the league.  My co-host and strategist for these episodes will be one of my closest friends, Josh Boyd (hence the J in "JK"..I'm the K...).  Josh and I grew up playing baseball together. Josh was a division-1 center fielder for Monmouth University and experienced his fair share of injuries throughout his career.  Although Josh never played organized football, the dude flat-out knows the game of football and undoubtably knows more about the ins-and-outs of the sport better than I do from both a fan and x's & o's perspective.  Our intention for these episodes is to spark conversations around topics that are usually brushed under the rug or only minimally covered in the hopes of making football and all sports safer for the athletes who play them.  

You are currently looking at the show notes for Week 9!

This week our buddy Evan Guarini joins the show.  Evan is a life long Giants fan and a former captain of the Marist College Men's lacrosse team.  Evan tore is ACL  before the start of his sophomore season and he gives us some insight into what lies ahead for Deshaun Watson.

Week 9 Injuries:

Andrew Luck, QB Indianapolis, Shoulder, Placed on IR this week, out for the year

• Original Shoulder injury happened in 2015?

Luck believes he suffered labrum injury in week 3, 2015 vs. Titans. He wouldn't be first QB to "tough" way through it but not always wise.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) November 5, 2017

• Potentially career ending or career altering?

Deshaun Watson, QB Houston, Torn ACL (In Practice? Tweaked in game last week?), Out for the year.

Not hard to imagine this play causing damage to Deshaun Watson's knee, as @AdamSchefter reported this morning. pic.twitter.com/tMJDhpq6Nt

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 5, 2017

• Discussion with Evan on rehab of ACL and injury itself
  • Evan tore his ACL while playing lacrosse for Marist College
• With so many ACL injuries in the NFL, fans automatically conditioned to expect players to be back without any issues after surgery.
• Are fans more worried about fantasy implications of injury than struggle of the players to actually come back from these injuries? 
• What’s the worst part of ACL rehab/recovery?
• Why not everyone can recover like Adrian Peterson

Jameis Winston, QB Tampa Bay, Shoulder (Again)

• Same injury as week 6 Injury
  • Defender wraps his arms so he cannot brace his fall. Looks like his right shoulder takes the brunt of the hit when he impacts the ground.
  • AC Joint

Dez Bryant, WR Dallas, Ankle

• No video not considered serious

Three Separate Fights in Week 9:

• 49ers/Cardinals stemming from late hit on sliding QB

3rd big fight of the day, happened during #Cardinals-#49ers game pic.twitter.com/WoAgNQgcgW

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 6, 2017

• Bengals/Jaguars AJ Green/Jalen Ramsey Ejected

Jalen: “Let me show you how to pick a fight.”

AJ Green: “Let me show you how you picked the wrong fight.” pic.twitter.com/4KrLAgKBLQ

— Oliver Maroney (@OMaroneyNBA) November 5, 2017

• Bucs/Saints Somehow no ejections

Is it a daytime full moon another fight. Mike Evans with the cheap shot. Should for ejected. Damn Winston @Alex_Kozora @Steelersdepot pic.twitter.com/A8Y6jeGcsK

— T R (@TimotRice) November 5, 2017

• Do fights look bad for the league or do they come with the territory?

• Would fighting in football make it safer?

  • Riley Cote enforcer reference

Updates from week 8:

Kiko Alonzo/Fletcher Cox, neither suspended for hits in Week 8

• Alonzo fined 9k, Cox no fine

Quandre Diggs, CB Detroit, Fined 24k for hit on Jesse James

Thomas Davis fined 48k for hit on TB WR Humphries

As a 13yr vet that honestly tries to play the game of football the way it’s supposed to be played! I can’t imagine that this freakin’ tackle would cost me $48,620! Not a single part of this play was dirty! I love playing this game but if this was illegal then it’s time for me to retire! #AppealOnDeck

A post shared by td58 (@td58) on <time datetime="2017-11-03T00:20:06 +00:00 ">Nov 2, 2017 at 5:20 pm PDT</time>

What do you think? (See below)

This was not a $48,620 hit by Thomas Davis. Flag worthy? Debatable but probably. Fine worthy? Nope. pic.twitter.com/iaS7Hht00D

— Zach Helms (@KeepPounding95) November 4, 2017

NFL Fine structure and Implementation Discussion:

• Click HERE to access the NFL's chart on fines discussed in this episode.

Extended Conversation/Questions for Evan:

• How has your NFL fandom/viewing feeling changed (if at all) this season
• Latest Buzz Topic- NFL TV Oversaturation, Group Discussion

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