Jay Ajayi under concussion evaluation

TJ McD was laying the lumber today and Ajayi is a physical runner... he knocked Timmons' helmet off at one point.

Gase had them at full speed because of how poor the tackling was last year. This stuff happens. Hopefully, Ajayi is ok and can return.

Drake was lively today as the #2 and also involved in the upscuttle that broke out. Williams also had some nice plays including a 20+ yard TD. No point in over reacting right now.

 

Happy to see Gase is doing something about the poor tackling. Carol brought in a coach just to teach tackling. I'm pretty sure it's rugby style tackling but it worked for them, their tackling improved and they are avoiding the "leading with the helmet" penalties. Clean form tackles vanished with the onset of highlight shows, I miss them. I would love to see Defenders just making tackles, then lining up for the next play and do it again without the show after every play.

But I'm old and grumpy so what do I know?

 

No excuse for helmet to helmet contact in practice on running backs..enforce stricter rules, assess fines on your own players, change the rules league wide so every team is playing by the same rules..enforce a wrap and roll technique league wide in practice..

And if teams can't figure it out, the league should step in and say there is no more tackling to the ground in practice, that way every player and their team has the same rust when the games begin..

 

I hear you but sometimes hard to execute.

 

I wasn't necessarily disagreeing until the if you dont comply, no tackling in practice. can you just imagine the disaster the product the league would be putting on the field then? People complain now as it is that blocking isnt as good as it was, tackling isn't as good as it was... its because they're limiting it in practice, limiting the opportunities to teach it and the proper technique. Sure, you can question the technique they're teaching now, but with limited padded practices and practice in general, what do you expect... of course the game is going to suffer.

 

Screw that. They have to tackle. It's the NFL for god's sake. These daffodils need to toughen up. Oh boohoo the millionaires get injured. No one is making them be NFL players. There are risks. Don't want the health risks then go play MLB. Want to be an NFL player, might goof up your life in later years. They know the risks. They have to tackle. I'm fed up with the quality of the game being reduced because they want make a bajillion dollars but need to be safe.

 

I hear you man. I just think we all look to football for the purity and dislike the obvious degradation especially in the form of tackling. Now with that said, we have been horrible at even the allowed version of tackling for years. There are other teams that actually tackle well and I'm sure Gase is emulating whatever he knows of their practice conditions. Our LB core last year was pretty putrid at tackling.

 

Ok, tough guy.

It's not such a black and white issue.

 

Study done on repeat concussions:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445193/

 

I'm not really one to normally affix blame to a problem without presenting a solution but when it comes to the poor level of defensive tackling in the NFL today need only look to Lawrence Taylor as the reason.

 

It's because NFL players are wearing bowling balls on the tops of their heads.

http://motorsports.nbcsports.com/20...ts-take-racing-expertise-to-football-helmets/

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-netwo...000217202/Health-of-the-Game-Helmet-evolution

 

Sucks that it happened to Ajayi, but there has to be live hitting during Training camp. They need to prepare their bodies for the actual season.

 

I can see that, all of the flying around and hitting that goes on during a deep pass, or a receiver catching a slant across the middle. Remember that hit between Dunt'a Robinson and Desean Jackson?

 

do they then outlaw tackling in preseason games?

 

They could always just keep the helmets off, or possibly the pads too, but still allow full hitting.

That would force an improvement in tackling technique and discourage the use of the head as a weapon.

 

My understanding is that Ajayi was already stopped and being held up by other defenders when TJ decided to come in and "thud" him. That's the part that the players have to be smarter about.

 

...meanwhile in NE they are doing goal line stands

 

NFLPA would have a conniption.

 

glad to hear gase wants them more physical. thats an area they have been lacking in but damn I hope jay is OK

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if you dont like the direction the leauge is going turn off your tv. money talks

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In one sense they shouldn't. It would make the contact more akin to that of rugby which suffers fewer concussions than football. Admittedly they see more of other types of injury, but there's at least an argument that it would be a simple and effective way to reduce concussions in the NFL.

 

Word is Ajayi was held up and TJ came in and popped him...

Should be fined.

 

You wanna talk about the quality of the game...head injuries continue parents of the great athletes will forbid those athletes from playing the sport..

Simply enforce wrap and roll techniques league wide..strict practice rules on using the head..fines if they are compromised..shoulder on down target points and that's it.

 

College teams don't have preseason games and their games seems cool.

 

Ok look, apparently my post above regarding Lawrence Taylor was completely overlooked because some of the posts that have followed are confusing "tackling" with "hitting"...which is why I lay fault with defenses today on Lawrence Taylor.

Hitting is not tackling. Now granted, prior to Lawrence Taylor coming into the league there were hard nosed defenders that were and still are legendary...Jack Lambert, Joe Greene, Ed Jones and of course Dick Butkus but Lawrence Taylor took the "hit" to new levels. He was fearsome, ferocious, hard hitting. He was the epitome of the adage knocking your dick in the dirt...and as a result, anyone who played defense wanted to be Lawrence Taylor, but that's the problem. Over the years, defenders have abandoned the art of actual tackling...they simply DON'T tackle anymore.

How many games have we all watched in which we've SCREAMED at defenders to "get him"..."tackle him"...watched defenders HIT the running back or wide receiver and he hasn't gone down? That's because no one (for the most part) knows HOW to tackle anymore. All the know how to do is to "hit" players and expect that hit to knock them to the ground. Well, that AIN'T tackling!

I have no issue at all with the Dolphins being in pads and tackling during training camp however, I would really like it if the defense learns HOW to tackle and be able to stop plays dead in their tracks so I won't be screaming at the defenders for letting a 3 yard play turn into a 15 yard gain simply because he's trying to make ESPN's highlight reel.

 

I would blame the VHS as they were able to sell hard hits tackle reels.

Well Dick "night train" Lane did use to clothe line people.

 

The incident happened during a non-live tackling period. Even TJ said this. TJ also said he did kind of want to pop Ajayi, but it still was during a non-live period.

Basically, TJ was confused because it was tackle day. But the period was "non-tackle". TJ admitted he wanted to thump Ajayi.

The only fault is on the staff. There needs to be better communication during these periods. It happened. I think Ajayi will be okay.

But with potential head injuries, I just hope this doesn't become a "thing" moving forward with Ajayi. It only takes one of these concussions and it moves downhill. I'm crossing my fingers.

 

1,000,000 times totally agree and support this statement. When the equipment makes you "bullet proof" you stop fearing the bullets. And it takes bigger and bigger bullets to knock you out. The NFL has recognized the problem and is sponsoring the whole "heads up" program at the little league level, why can't they just do the same thing for the pros????

 

Dick Butkis was the baddest TACKLER that ever lived. Go watch some film of how he tackled, Form tackles that flippin rocked your world. He hit, wrapped up and drove malafala's to the GROUND like nobody I've ever seen.

 

Your going to love our 20 year old mike linebacker...eyes through the hips wrap and roll is his motto...

However, get him by the goal line and he will knock your *** backwards..ive seen it, and it's scary the power he can generate if he wants..most of the time, it's wrap and roll and you don't go anywhere.

 

From the video - "We have found that we can practise a drill like tracking without pads or helmets..."

"According to the PBS "Frontline" Concussion Watch, four Seahawks defensive players have sustained reported concussions in the past three years. Only three teams have had fewer, and the league average has been 7.03.

The Seahawks have led the NFL in scoring defense in each of the past four seasons, and sound tackling has been a huge part of their success. They've limited opposing ball carriers to an average of 1.5 yards after contact over the past three seasons, fifth best. And they've held receivers to an average of 4.38 yards after the catch, tops in the NFL."

http://www.espn.com/blog/seattle-se...ckling-continues-to-work-for-seahawks-defense

 

It's modified Rugby tackling.
I played Rugby when I was young. True Rugby tackling has more of a wrap up in it because the ball carrier is always at risk of lateraling a pass to another player, something you can pretty well ignore in NFL. Also the comparative lack of padding/protection reduces the ability of the tackler to attack the ball carrier the same way as NFL players do.
But the basic method the Seahawks use is based on solid Rugby technique. Hit with the shoulder, wrap the arms, then drive through with the legs

I would disagree slightly about NFL defenders wanting to hit, not tackle - which is true. However, too many NFL players want to dish out the hit, but not take any punishment in return. For example lok at the number of people who bounced off Jay Ajayi last year.. I'm no athlete but I was very good at tackling, and the key to being good is a willingness to take the hit from the runner in order to make the tackle. In Rugby its the not the biggest or strongest guys who are the best tacklers, it is the most fearless. Technique is the second most important thing.

 

Bad tackling form is was a major reason why I had Malik hooker dropping out of the top 10 top 12 where everyone thought he would go..dude is not gonna play long imo.