The Dallas Morning News

NFL

SportsDayDFW.com

Friday, January 31, 2014

9C

CONCUSSION STUDY

NFL points to
13 percent drop
League: Results seen
as positive, but
time frame is short
NEW YORK The number of concussions in the NFL
dropped 13 percent from 2012
to 2013, according to data the
league released Thursday and
touted as a result of its efforts
to better protect players
heads.
Using information collected from team doctors during
preseason and regular-season
practices and games, the NFL
also said there was a 23 percent
decrease over the last two seasons in the number of concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact.
Speaking at a pre-Super
Bowl news conference, Jeff
Miller, the NFLs senior VP of
health and safety policy, called
the data positive numbers
from our perspective; positive
trends.
Our perspective is that
rules changes, culture change,
the enforcement of the rules
and the elimination, over time,
of dangerous techniques is
leading to a decrease in concussions. Now all of that said,
were talking about a small
sample size of only a couple of
years, Miller said.
This is an ongoing and important culture-change event,
and so were going to continue
to analyze it and I think that
theres room for continued
growth, he added. So were
pleased with the data, unquestionably, as it relates to concussion, but theres still more to
do.
Some players have expressed concern that the NFLs
emphasis on decreasing hits to
the head could lead to more
low hits and more knee injuries. But Miller said the injury
statistics for the last three
years the only seasons for
which he provided data Thursday show there has not been
an overall increase in damaged
knee ligaments.
Another finding about all
injuries that cause a player to
miss a game or practice, according to Miller: Thursday
night games dont pose a more
significant risk of injury to the
players, at least as relates to the
objective data that weve collected about that day of the
week, as compared to games
on Sundays or Mondays.
Concussions rose nearly 4
percent from 2011 to 2012

Super
Bowl
picks

TIM
COWLISHAW

Columnist
vs. Line Straight
Seattle (+2) vs. Denver
Seattle Seattle
Last week vs. line
2-0 (1.000)
Season vs. line
129-128-9 (.502)
Last week straight
2-0 (1.000)
Season straight
155-110-1 (.585)
Lines through Tuesday; shaded box indicates leader

69 Super Bowl hero

hints at concussions
NEW YORK Former Jets
quarterback Joe Namath, who
led the team to its only Super
Bowl championship, said in an
interview to be aired Sunday
on CBS that he suffered some
long-term effects from concussions while
playing in the
NFL.
Ive been
through some
JOE
things mediNAMATH
cally, Namath
told reporter
Rita Braver in an interview for
CBS Sunday Morning With
Charles Osgood. Ive seen
some things on my brain. But
Ive had some treatment, and
Ive improved. None of the
body was designed to play football. Excuse me, you know,
football, were just not designed for.
CBS released some of Namaths remarks in a news release on Thursday. It did not
indicate whether there was a
follow-up to Namaths remarks
about having seen some things
on my brain.
Namath had chronic knee
problems during much of his
career, and had both knees replaced in 1992.

BRANDON
GEORGE

RICK
GOSSELIN

DANA
LARSON

CRAIG
MILLER

DAVID
MOORE

RAINER
SABIN

KEVIN
SHERRINGTON

Cowboys Insider
vs. Line Straight
Seattle Seattle
1-1 (.500)
121-136-9 (.471)
2-0 (1.000)
179-86-1 (.675)

Columnist
vs. Line Straight
Denver Denver
0-2 (.000)
119-138-9 (.463)
0-2 (.000)
168-97-1 (.634)

Fox Sports SW
vs. Line Straight
Denver Denver
1-1 (.500)
131-126-9 (.510)
2-0 (1.000)
179-86-1 (.675)

The Ticket
vs. Line Straight
Seattle Seattle
1-1 (.500)
128-129-9 (.498)
2-0 (1.000)
173-92-1 (.653)

Cowboys Insider
vs. Line Straight
Denver Denver
0-2 (.000)
134-123-9 (.521)
1-1 (.500)
174-91-1 (.657)

Cowboys Insider
vs. Line Straight
Seattle Seattle
2-0 (1.000)
119-138-9 (.463)
2-0 (1.000)
167-98-1 (.630)

Columnist
vs. Line Straight
Seattle Seattle
1-1 (.500)
138-119-9 (.537)
2-0 (1.000)
175-90-1 (.660)

TIM COWLISHAW

By any measure, Mannings legacy safe

Continued from Page 1C

be a much smaller component

of the argument than it is
unless you truly believe Terry
Bradshaw is one of the two best
quarterbacks of the last 50
years.
This legacy question keeps
popping up, and I guess I have
a little more time to think
about it, Manning said. At 37
years old and in my 16th season, especially in a week like
this, I think its healthy to take
some time to reflect and smell
the roses.
If I had my choice what my
legacy would be, it would be
that I played my butt off for
every team that I ever played
on, was a really good teammate
and I did everything to win.
Thats fair enough, but,
realistically, he will be regarded
as much more than that. In
addition to the Super Bowl ring
(or rings if Denver beats Seattle), Manning is the only fourtime Most Valuable Player in
league history. His 13 Pro Bowl
selections are the most ever.
No quarterback ever started
more victories (167). He has as
many 10-win seasons as Troy
Aikman has seasons played.
In his 16th season, just two
years removed from missing an
entire season following neck
surgery, Manning set NFL
records in 2013 for passing
yards (5,477) and touchdowns
(55). And if you suggest that
passing stats are off the chart in
this era because of rules changes that favor the offense, I ask
this question:
How come Manning has
managed 13 4,000-yard passing seasons and no one else is
close? Drew Brees has seven
and he surely has a couple
more under his belt, but, at 35,
hes not going to get close to six
more.
Besides, whos to say that
after throwing for more than
5,400 yards this season, Manning cant get to 4,000 again in
2014?
When it comes to individual
performance in a team game,
Manning blows away the com-

Newsday

252 to 261 before lowering

to 228 last season.
The NFL Players Association receives the same data.
Yes, there has been a decrease. Frankly, I would like to
see what those numbers look
like over a three-year, fouryear period, rather than a oneyear period, said DeMaurice
Smith, executive director of
the NFLPA.
Well crawl through the
numbers in the off-season and
well take a look.
Ever since commissioner
Roger Goodell was taken to
task by Congress at a 2009
House hearing about brain
trauma in professional football
and, more recently, as thousands of former players sued
the NFL about concussions
the league has been updating
its policies on head injuries almost constantly. Changes this
season included a rule banning
hits with the crown of the helmet, and putting independent
neurological experts on sidelines during games.
The Associated Press

File 2007/The Associated Press

Peyton Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to the Super Bowl title against the Chicago
Bears in 2007. He could be the first starting quarterback to win titles with two franchises.

petition. So what about this

11-11playoff record? Just how
damaging should this .500
record when the games are of
the greatest magnitude be to
the Manning legacy?
The answer is not at all.
It baffles me when people
confuse postseason records
with those of the standard
variety. Yes, an 11-11basketball
or baseball team isnt anything
special.
But an 11-11playoff record,
with one Super Bowl ring included and another on the line
in two days, means Manning
has guided his teams to the
playoffs 13 times. How much
value needs to be placed on
that?
Consider Aikmans 11-4
record. Now in normal circumstances, 11-4 looks demonstratively better than 11-11.

Aikmans three rings give him

the edge, naturally, but his
years of productivity were
relatively brief compared to
Mannings due partly to
Aikmans health and also to the
decline in the team around him
after 1995.
Mannings 13 playoff trips
set him apart from all others.
Tom Brady who remains his
only real competition for best
quarterback of this era has
made 11but has three Super
Bowl rings and five Super Bowl
trips. He is going to finish his
career with the upper hand in
both Super Bowl categories.
Win or lose, Manning will
rank as one of the top quarterbacks ever because of his long
list of accomplishments. The
fact that he is setting records in
the twilight of his career merely
adds to the legacy.

Hes always been a winner,

Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
Hes always been a championship guy. But now he has
banked on the great experience
that hes built up behind him to
formulate an offensive system
thats almost unnatural.
It challenges us in every
way possible. We might play a
great game and that still might
not be enough to win.
Or perhaps Manning will
play great and it wont be
enough against this great Seattle defense. In that case, his
playoff record will be 11-12. And,
for that, someone will call him
a loser without stopping to
consider just how many successful regular seasons those 12
defeats signal.
Follow Tim Cowlishaw on Twitter at @TimCowlishaw.

SEX FOR LIFE

Erectile Dysfunction

Personalized treatments that

are 98% effective.*
Works for men of all ages and
medical conditions.

Premature Ejaculation
Gain Control and Last Longer

Testosterone Therapy
Enhance your libido, lose fat,
gain muscle, improve your
mood and energy.

Guaranteed Results

469-513-7449

If we cant help, you pay nothing!

*Results May Vary.

CALL TODAY for your

confidential appointment!

The Mens Clinic | Since 1998

214-736-9344 Established in 1998 22 Locations

C9 01-31-2014 Set: 22:08:16
Sent by: lmorris@dallasnews.com Sports

BLACK
YELLOW
MAGENTA
CYAN