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Gosselin: Injuries are no excuse for another mediocre Dallas Cowboys season
RICK GOSSELIN
Columnist
rgosselin@dallasnews.com
Published: 07 January 2014 10:50 PM
Updated: 08 January 2014 12:07 AM
Injuries can be an explanation for the mediocrity of the Cowboys in 2013.
But not an excuse.
Injuries are part of football, and the Cowboys certainly suffered their share. Every team did, in fact. The NFL lost a record 1,600 games by starters because of injury this season, including a record 861 on offense.
The Cowboys lost 62 of the games, including the pass rush of Anthony Spencer for 15 of them. But other teams were battered by injuries — even more critical injuries — yet played on into January.
The New Orleans Saints lost 61 games by starters, including a league-high 53 on defense. Two projected starters in new coordinator Rob Ryan’s 3-4 scheme — end Will Smith and inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma — never played a down because of injuries.
Yet the Saints still finished with a top-five defense, posted an 11-5 record and won an opening-round playoff game last weekend.
The Green Bay Packers lost 70 games by starters, including their Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers for seven games. Right offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga missed the entire season with a torn ACL, and receivers Randall Cobb and JerMichael Finley missed 10 games apiece.
Yet the Packers finished with a top-five offense and won another NFC North crown.
The New England Patriots lost 74 games by starters, including their Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork for 12 games. They lost their Pro Bowl inside linebacker Jerod Mayo for 10 games and their Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski for nine. New England also finished the season without either of its starting offensive tackles.
Yet the Patriots won 12 games, another AFC East title and enjoyed a first-round playoff bye last weekend.
The Indianapolis Colts lost 83 games by starters, including their starting halfback (Vick Ballard) and tight end (Dwayne Allen) with season-ending injuries on opening day. Two weeks later, Ballard’s backup Ahmad Bradshaw suffered his own season-ending injury, and his 13-game absence doesn’t even count in those 83 lost starts.
Starting guard Donald Thomas suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in the third week and Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne went down with a knee injury in the eighth week. Yet the Colts finished 11-5, winning an AFC South crown and then a first-round playoff game.
Over the last two seasons, the Cowboys have lost 133 games by starters because of injury. Only two NFL teams have lost more games in that span — Green Bay (153) and Indianapolis (149) — yet both of those franchises managed to qualify for the playoffs in both seasons.
The Cowboys lost 46 games by starters on defense, which disrupted a chance for continuity in the Tampa 2 scheme of new coordinator Monte Kiffin. The Cowboys lost only 16 games by starters on the other side of the ball but still finished 16 in the NFL in offense, their lowest ranking since 2002.
The defense could have done more for the 8-8 Cowboys in 2013. So could the offense.
The New York Giants lost a league-high 91 games by starters because of injury, including 26 on the offensive line. Starting free safety Stevie Brown missed the season with a summer knee injury, and top cornerback Corey Webster sat the final 14 games with a groin injury.
The Giants rallied from an 0-6 start to finish 7-9, just a game back of the Cowboys in the East.
The NFC East champion Eagles were the healthiest team in the division and the fourth-healthiest team in the NFL, losing only 29 games by starters because of injury. Sixteen of them belonged to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who tore up a knee in training camp.
The New York Jets were the healthiest team in the NFL, losing only 20 games by starters because of injury. Good health allowed the Jets to finish 8-8 despite playing the season with an error-prone rookie quarterback.
The Jets suffered the fewest injuries on defense, losing only five games by starters, and the Bears suffered the fewest on offense, also losing just five starts (all QB Jay Cutler). The Buccaneers and Colts both lost a league-high 60 games by starters on offense.
There were 261 players who started all 16 games for their teams this season, down 35 from 2012.
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RICK GOSSELIN
Columnist
rgosselin@dallasnews.com
Published: 07 January 2014 10:50 PM
Updated: 08 January 2014 12:07 AM
Injuries can be an explanation for the mediocrity of the Cowboys in 2013.
But not an excuse.
Injuries are part of football, and the Cowboys certainly suffered their share. Every team did, in fact. The NFL lost a record 1,600 games by starters because of injury this season, including a record 861 on offense.
The Cowboys lost 62 of the games, including the pass rush of Anthony Spencer for 15 of them. But other teams were battered by injuries — even more critical injuries — yet played on into January.
The New Orleans Saints lost 61 games by starters, including a league-high 53 on defense. Two projected starters in new coordinator Rob Ryan’s 3-4 scheme — end Will Smith and inside linebacker Jonathan Vilma — never played a down because of injuries.
Yet the Saints still finished with a top-five defense, posted an 11-5 record and won an opening-round playoff game last weekend.
The Green Bay Packers lost 70 games by starters, including their Pro Bowl quarterback Aaron Rodgers for seven games. Right offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga missed the entire season with a torn ACL, and receivers Randall Cobb and JerMichael Finley missed 10 games apiece.
Yet the Packers finished with a top-five offense and won another NFC North crown.
The New England Patriots lost 74 games by starters, including their Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vince Wilfork for 12 games. They lost their Pro Bowl inside linebacker Jerod Mayo for 10 games and their Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski for nine. New England also finished the season without either of its starting offensive tackles.
Yet the Patriots won 12 games, another AFC East title and enjoyed a first-round playoff bye last weekend.
The Indianapolis Colts lost 83 games by starters, including their starting halfback (Vick Ballard) and tight end (Dwayne Allen) with season-ending injuries on opening day. Two weeks later, Ballard’s backup Ahmad Bradshaw suffered his own season-ending injury, and his 13-game absence doesn’t even count in those 83 lost starts.
Starting guard Donald Thomas suffered a season-ending quadriceps injury in the third week and Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne went down with a knee injury in the eighth week. Yet the Colts finished 11-5, winning an AFC South crown and then a first-round playoff game.
Over the last two seasons, the Cowboys have lost 133 games by starters because of injury. Only two NFL teams have lost more games in that span — Green Bay (153) and Indianapolis (149) — yet both of those franchises managed to qualify for the playoffs in both seasons.
The Cowboys lost 46 games by starters on defense, which disrupted a chance for continuity in the Tampa 2 scheme of new coordinator Monte Kiffin. The Cowboys lost only 16 games by starters on the other side of the ball but still finished 16 in the NFL in offense, their lowest ranking since 2002.
The defense could have done more for the 8-8 Cowboys in 2013. So could the offense.
The New York Giants lost a league-high 91 games by starters because of injury, including 26 on the offensive line. Starting free safety Stevie Brown missed the season with a summer knee injury, and top cornerback Corey Webster sat the final 14 games with a groin injury.
The Giants rallied from an 0-6 start to finish 7-9, just a game back of the Cowboys in the East.
The NFC East champion Eagles were the healthiest team in the division and the fourth-healthiest team in the NFL, losing only 29 games by starters because of injury. Sixteen of them belonged to wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, who tore up a knee in training camp.
The New York Jets were the healthiest team in the NFL, losing only 20 games by starters because of injury. Good health allowed the Jets to finish 8-8 despite playing the season with an error-prone rookie quarterback.
The Jets suffered the fewest injuries on defense, losing only five games by starters, and the Bears suffered the fewest on offense, also losing just five starts (all QB Jay Cutler). The Buccaneers and Colts both lost a league-high 60 games by starters on offense.
There were 261 players who started all 16 games for their teams this season, down 35 from 2012.
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