Alex Smith requires emergency surgery; recovery time 6-8 months

[Woz]

3 hours ago, e16bball said:

So what should one do? Look at our team that 3 days ago was 6-3 with a two game lead in the division -- and be miserable? I know many have chosen to do that, and that's their choice I guess, but I watch football for fun. For enjoyment. I don't want to watch my team win and be *IN* the playoffs if the season ended today, and yet be upset because we aren't good enough to win it all. I don't want to watch them win an absolute effing miracle of a game like TB, and yet be bummed because we probably didn't play well enough to deserve a win. I don't want to watch them scrap their ***** off to overcome absurd injuries and still pull out some gutty victories, and yet be down in the dumps because it's clear we aren't a truly elite team as currently constituted.

The problem, e16, is that the long term trajectory of this team is flat. While Smith might not harm the team with turnovers, he won't lead them to wins. As such, they're in the 7-9|9-7 zone. This could be the year where 9-7 takes the division. But it isn't good enough to get through the playoffs, which means they'll end up in the twenties again and probably not get the talent they need to get through it long term.

They're doing enough to draft to help build this team's foundation. I'll concede that point. But there's not enough to lift it up to greatness.

So, yeah, I might be a bit of a downer because we're winning games we shouldn't because I know that's just counting on luck. That didn't come up against Houston (and I'm not just talking about Smith's injury ... the PI call that wasn't called for instance). As constructed and coached, every game comes down to these slight changes in fortune. We don't wax anyone out of existence.

Dammit, I want the '91 Redskins again. Or some close approximation of therein. Kind of like the '18 LA Rams.

[Woz]

4 hours ago, SeanTaylorsaPIMP said:

Here's an article from Dr. David J Chao, former head physician of the San Diego Chargers. This article came AFTER the Schefter news. 

If it is the front end of his projection, Smith would be walking (but not necessarily in game shape) a couple of weeks after the draft. If it's the back end, we're talking about mid-preseason for him to come back. That's PUP territory.

Given that the money is now all guaranteed, you might as well make sure that he's at tip-top health before rushing him back out there.

[Skins212689]

4 hours ago, Doc Draper said:

Not true. Some of us have been fans through the glory years and know what it takes to go to and win multiple super bowls. We aren't going to a super bowl this year either- have you seen what elite teams like the Rams and Saints are doing? Great coaches and great offensive minds, superstars on offense. We don't have any of that- the closest thing we have is a 33 year old Hall of Fame running back. Our Head Coach must have been dropped on his head repeatedly as a kid. 

We have been in the desert for 20+ years with an inept owner who hires inept people. Emerging Great people who are here? They leave. We don't attract top quality people because of the way we treat people. So getting to the playoffs this year is sort of a win for many of us long suffering fans. The NFC East is in a down year, we havent lost too many games and have over-performed all expectations to date.

The best analogy I can give you is: Its 3am in the morning and you're sitting on your stool at the bar, all the hotties have long been gone and its you, 15 other guys and one bartender who is a 6. Are you happy if you pull her? Its not a 10, but sometimes a 6 will float your boat. 

If your not one of those guys than don't take offense to the comment. 

[Doc Draper]

2 hours ago, Skins212689 said:

If your not one of those guys than don't take offense to the comment. 

I never take offense to a person expressing their views! After all we are not communists  I am only surprised when people express their opinion and get upset or melt when someone else presents a contervaling perspective- not saying anyone did here. 

My motto- bring it on, bring it strong 

 

[Skins212689]

19 minutes ago, Doc Draper said:

I never take offense to a person expressing their views! After all we are not communists  I am only surprised when people express their opinion and get upset or melt when someone else presents a contervaling perspective- not saying anyone did here. 

My motto- bring it on, bring it strong 

 

Keep it about football please. It's good you got to see those Super Bowl days. Wish I could say the same for myself. 

[Doc Draper]

That’s what we all want again. It was so much fun and brought the area together because the Redskins were such a unifying presence going back to the late 60’s and early 70’s with Lombardy Sonny, Edward Bennett Williams, JKC, Gibbs etc.. it helps to explain the perspective of gray beards when we saw what a winning franchise is and does. With Snyder it’s been the opposite 

[Thaiphoon]

4 minutes ago, Doc Draper said:

That’s what we all want again. It was so much fun and brought the area together because the Redskins were such a unifying presence going back to the late 60’s and early 70’s with Lombardy Sonny, Edward Bennett Williams, JKC, Gibbs etc.. it helps to explain the perspective of gray beards when we saw what a winning franchise is and does. With Snyder it’s been the opposite 

Yeah, I remember that politics stopped at the entrance to RFK. That team had a way of bringing everyone together. It was a great time to be alive if you were a Redskins fan

[naptownskinsfan]

19 hours ago, Brian23 said:

That could have easily been Cousins getting his leg mangled or even a 24 year old Peyton Manning. You don't plan for injuries and "blaming" someone is just stupid.

 

Things have also not been rosy in the land of 10,000 lakes. 

[

If no team plans for injury, then why don't we have rosters consisting of 22 total position players, and two kick specialists?  

I laugh at the Colts all those years ago when they never had a backup for Peyton Manning.  Sure enough, an injury happens, and no matter the offensive talent they had, their backup was not equipped to even win a third of their games.  The same with the Broncos after Manning left- again, a ton of weapons on top of a very good defense, but they struggled without that plan.  

The fact that we have a system QB as a backup, who has won games when he's needed to take the field, is actually a rarity.  Most teams don't invest beyond the first starter in the NFL anymore, and it's a huge mistake IMO, and it's been proven time and time again when the top guy goes down. 

[naptownskinsfan]

13 hours ago, SeanTaylorsaPIMP said:

Here's an article from Dr. David J Chao, former head physician of the San Diego Chargers. This article came AFTER the Schefter news. 

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/profootballdoc/sd-sp-pfd-alex-smith-leg-fracture-rehab-redskins-1120-story.html

 

 

Now, of course, different doctors have different opinions on these kinds of injuries but Dr. Chao is very well respected around the NFL community and does a great job of putting the injury into the context of the NFL. 

Great read, thanks for sharing.  

Effectively, this is a similar injury to the Theismann one.  However, it is also different, and everyone heals differently.  While it's not a for-sure career ending injury, any number of things could happen that set things back that make it tougher for a comeback to happen.  It's really still too early to tell, but the team needs to be prepared to move on planning to be down a quarterback for much of next season.  

[turtle28]

3 hours ago, naptownskinsfan said:

Great read, thanks for sharing.  

Effectively, this is a similar injury to the Theismann one.  However, it is also different, and everyone heals differently.  While it's not a for-sure career ending injury, any number of things could happen that set things back that make it tougher for a comeback to happen.  It's really still too early to tell, but the team needs to be prepared to move on planning to be down a quarterback for much of next season.  

We have to remember that while Theisman’s broken leg was a career ended, that was 33 years ago!

Since then, a lot of players have had compound fractures and returned to the field the next season or the season after that. They didn’t have quite the speed they once had, but they did return.

Eddie McCaffery and Jets running back/kick returner Leon Washington come to mind and Washington relied on his speed and quicks.

[turtle28]

 

[Brian23]

6 hours ago, naptownskinsfan said:

[

If no team plans for injury, then why don't we have rosters consisting of 22 total position players, and two kick specialists?  

I laugh at the Colts all those years ago when they never had a backup for Peyton Manning.  Sure enough, an injury happens, and no matter the offensive talent they had, their backup was not equipped to even win a third of their games.  The same with the Broncos after Manning left- again, a ton of weapons on top of a very good defense, but they struggled without that plan.  

The fact that we have a system QB as a backup, who has won games when he's needed to take the field, is actually a rarity.  Most teams don't invest beyond the first starter in the NFL anymore, and it's a huge mistake IMO, and it's been proven time and time again when the top guy goes down. 

1

Right, cause every team has got certified all pro backups they can pull and we're the only team that doesn't.

 

Get out of here with that mess. 

[naptownskinsfan]

55 minutes ago, Brian23 said:

Right, cause every team has got certified all pro backups they can pull and we're the only team that doesn't.

 

Get out of here with that mess. 

That's not what I am saying.  Check this link- http://www.footballperspective.com/making-the-playoffs-with-a-backup-qb/

None of those guys who ended up replacing the starting QB were all-pro guys, unless you are counting a situation like the Steelers where Tommy Maddox was succeeded by a high draft pick in Ben Roethlisberger.  At the very least, those quarterbacks are miles better than Curtis Painter could ever hope to be.  

NFL teams have long over-relied on the quarterback position and fail to invest in it is my point.  At the start of the last decade, every team carried three quarterbacks on the 53 man roster.  Now, it is rare to find a team carrying a third quarterback even on the practice squad.  Each team now has an "emergency" QB too, like a Jordan Reed who played high school quarterback and some at the college level.  It is ridiculous that, in a sport where 22 men are on the field, 53 men on each roster, that an injury to one player means you go from a 12-4 team to a 4-12 team, or worse.  That's why I am glad that we've invested in Colt Mccoy all of these years, because you know you have a backup who can come in, has starting experience and win a couple games for you.  That's the point I am making.  

[turtle28]

3 hours ago, Brian23 said:

Right, cause every team has got certified all pro backups they can pull and we're the only team that doesn't.

 

Get out of here with that mess. 

It’s pretty amazing that your post was taken out of context because that never happens in this forum........

[lavar703]

I think the majority of us thought it would be Colt and a rookie.