Extra video games imply extra accidents

There’s one benefit of the Bears not making it to the upcoming NFC Championship Sport for the twelfth consecutive season: No person will get damage.

These additional video games may cause accidents, you recognize. Not less than the Bears don’t have that downside. Until quarterback Justin Fields steps into an open manhole or tight finish Cole Kmet slams a automotive door on his hand, the gamers all ought to make it to spring drills undamaged.

The NFL common season is now 17 video games, and it’s attainable for a wild-card staff to play 21 video games en path to the Tremendous Bowl. That’s probably too many for the human physique to bear.

Because it stands, the damage fee for NFL gamers throughout a season is about 100%. That’s, if you happen to play a season, odds are you’ll get damage.

In keeping with one evaluation, the typical participant has a few 4.1% probability every sport of struggling an damage that may maintain him from enjoying the subsequent sport. Main the best way for essentially the most harmful place? Working backs at 5.2%. Their common of then lacking 3.9 video games can be the very best.

Which brings to thoughts Tarik Cohen, the little Bears operating again who was doing nice till he was tackled on a punt return three video games into the 2020 season, tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his proper knee and fractured his tibial plateau. Principally, that was that. Right here immediately, out of the league tomorrow.

We virtually misplaced Chiefs celebrity quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a excessive ankle sprain Saturday towards the Jaguars. He says he’ll play Sunday within the AFC Championship Sport, however you surprise how nicely he’ll have the ability to plant on that injured proper leg.

We additionally noticed Cowboys operating again Tony Pollard depart his staff’s sport Sunday towards the 49ers with an unsightly ankle damage, exiting with a towel over his face behind a cart.

No downside there. The Cowboys misplaced, so Pollard can take pleasure in rehabbing for half a 12 months. 

Within the midst of the joys of the playoffs, it’s straightforward to overlook that soccer at this degree is thinly hid savagery and that these of us who dig it should not a lot completely different from of us who whooped it up at historic Roman gladiator festivals.

Lower than three weeks after Payments security Damar Hamlin almost died on the sphere after tackling Bengals receiver Tee Higgins, Higgins was once more the unwitting focus of a brutal damage Sunday. Truly, two accidents.

This one concerned Payments defensive backs Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer, who collided helmet-to-helmet over the falling Higgins and knocked one another out. Seeing the 2 males mendacity semiconscious within the snow was a surprising sight. The replay even evinced an ‘‘Oh, wow’’ from TV analyst Tony Romo.

Probably the most superb a part of the crash? White by some means can be cleared to return into the sport.

That reminded one in every of a reckless period we thought had light, one properly described by Corridor of Fame operating again Eric Dickerson in his new e book, ‘‘Watch My Smoke.’’ Within the NFC Championship Sport on Jan. 12, 1986, towards the soon-to-be Tremendous Bowl champion Bears at Soldier Area, Dickerson was concussed by a brutal deal with from Mike Singletary. He writes:

The coach requested me, ‘‘You all proper?’’ I stated I used to be.

‘‘The place are you?’’

‘‘Chicago.’’

‘‘Who’re you enjoying towards?’’

‘‘Bears.’’

‘‘What’s your identify?’’

‘‘Eric Dickerson.’’

‘‘What’s your date of start?’’

That I didn’t know.

Three out of 4 appropriate! Again into the sport Dickerson went.

One remembers the terrifying again damage to Bears receiver Johnny Knox in 2011, known as in a single headline, ‘‘The Most Grotesque Spinal Harm in NFL Historical past.’’ I bear in mind watching that play from the press field and pondering Knox may be damaged in half and paralyzed.

A lot later, Knox stated: ‘‘For me to have the ability to stroll after an damage like that, that’s large.’’

Even when it’s with the limp he now has.

So bear in mind the hazard every Chiefs, Bengals, Eagles and 49ers participant faces as his staff fights it out for the massive prize. And possibly take solace within the Bears’ lousiness, if solely as a result of these guys can lie on couches and watch in security, like the remainder of us.