Twitter: Eagles Barnett tried the drive-killing fake injury

[G2]

Defeated.

 

[Lutonio]

This is easily the most egregious fake injury to slow down a hurry-up offense I have ever seen.

Only the second worst. This one still beats it.



Edit: See if the watch on youtube option works. NFL is blocking me from embedding.

 

[Manwiththeplan]

Add to that a loss of timeout and I agree.

What would be the point? The automatic first down and 15 yards would be enough of a deterrent. Adding in the loss of timeout and it is now the harshest penalty in the league. More than illegal hits to the head and several other more egregious penalties.

 

[dallas72]

Yeah...these "fake" injuries are getting ridiculous!! I wish the NFL would do something about it....but, I'm not holding my breath.

Force a TO...if they dont have any it's a penalty

 

[gimmesix]

Why not force an injured player to miss 3 plays or even 4? Would eliminate this type of thing largely and could be sold as a "safety" initiative.

So if one of our key players is dinged on a play, you want to hold him out for three or four plays no matter what?

What if it's the final drive of the game and someone like Cooper got hurt and needed to limp off for a play? You want to face two or three downs without him when we wouldn't have to other than because of a stupid rule?

I understand that some are frustrated by these attempts to slow down the game, but I don't believe you can regulate it because of the possibility of it being a real injury. Players who truly have their bell rung or get stung can be down on the turf, checked out and jog off the field ... that doesn't mean their injury wasn't real.

Now, I'm fairly certain that Barnett was faking it, but I can't say that with absolute certainty. I think the benefit of the doubt has to go to the player in that situation.

 

[Einstein]

Why not force an injured player to miss 3 plays or even 4? Would eliminate this type of thing largely and could be sold as a "safety" initiative.

How about they have to miss the rest of that series? Or even more extreme that I think someone on here posted they miss the rest of that quarter. The NFL could fix it if they wanted to, but therein lies the problem.

 

[IceBowler]

Yep-

You'd think they were playing soccer ..

.. or Duke basketball.

 

[TheTruthIsOutThere]

Only problem with that is you'd have to apply it to players that were actually hurt (i.e. wind knocked out of them, slow to get up, etc) too since it would be too difficult to define what's a real and fake injury. It'd be a shame to have a player with the wind knocked out of them being forced to sit for a quarter when they're fine a couple plays later.

Have a third party Doctor that is paid by the league evaluate the player to see if the injury is real or not.

 

[gimmesix]

A 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty where the opposing team gets a first down would suffice.

If that was passed, how happy would you be when we have someone down on the field and we get a 15-yard penalty for it? Game is regulated enough with judgment calls. We don't want officials having to decide when an injury is not an injury.

 

[WarDaddy]

What would be the point? The automatic first down and 15 yards would be enough of a deterrent. Adding in the loss of timeout and it is now the harshest penalty in the league. More than illegal hits to the head and several other more egregious penalties.

The fake injury gives the team a free timeout.

 

[Einstein]

So if one of our key players is dinged on a play, you want to hold him out for three or four plays no matter what?

What if it's the final drive of the game and someone like Cooper got hurt and needed to limp off for a play? You want to face two or three downs without him when we wouldn't have to other than because of a stupid rule?

I understand that some are frustrated by these attempts to slow down the game, but I don't believe you can regulate it because of the possibility of it being a real injury. Players who truly have their bell rung or get stung can be down on the turf, checked out and jog off the field ... that doesn't mean their injury wasn't real.

Now, I'm fairly certain that Barnett was faking it, but I can't say that with absolute certainty. I think the benefit of the doubt has to go to the player in that situation.

Offense is different than defense. I believe that on offense if a player is down it is a 10 second runoff or you are forced to take a timeout.

 

[gimmesix]

Have a third party Doctor that is paid by the league evaluate the player to see if the injury is real or not.

That would probably be the only way, but even then, you couldn't really question the player if he said he tweaked something, had a cramp, etc. It's pretty much impossible to tell someone they didn't have a pain if they said that they did ... and it can be dangerous because not all injuries can be instantly diagnosed.

 

[sunalsorises]

The fake injury is bush league but I don’t want to see the refs have to make another subjective penalty call.

 

[gimmesix]

Offense is different than defense. I believe that on offense if a player is down it is a 10 second runoff or you are forced to take a timeout.

OK. Say it's the defense. Do you want to have to sit your best pass rusher for two or three extra plays with the game on the line if he got dinged up for a play? Punishing players for injuries just because some fake it is a bad precedent.

 

[Beaker42]

I wish they showed a better angle of the catch because it looked like he got in

He didn’t. The ball shouldn’t have been spotted at the 1, more like the 1 foot line.

 

[bigdnlaca]

I remember reading that the best scenario is for any injury to be out for the entire drive. Real minor injuries take about that long for players to get treated so why not fake ones.

 

[texbumthelife]

Why not force an injured player to miss 3 plays or even 4? Would eliminate this type of thing largely and could be sold as a "safety" initiative.

We discussed this before and consensus seemed to be they should miss the rest of that series. I concur and think it would go a long way to stopping this. If a player has to come off the field due to injury:

First time they miss a series.
Second time they miss a quarter.
Third time they're done for the game.

This would protect both the player, and the integrity of the game.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Should be a penalty and a loss of a timeout. But as long as it's tolerated and allowed players will continue to do it. Especially against the boys. The Green Bay game where that one player Smith did it 4 seperate times... Then trots back out on the field fine right after. My gosh, that had me even more livid.

you can’t do this because if you ever assume it’s fake and it’s real, you’re basically saying ‘the hell with player safety’ and the nfl would get unbelievable flak for that. You have to expect each one to be real in the moment, no matter how timely it is.

Why not force an injured player to miss 3 plays or even 4? Would eliminate this type of thing largely and could be sold as a "safety" initiative.

This is a better suggestion. Penalties and fines assessed after the game once it’s known the guy was fine all along.

 

[Sammy]

As someone mentioned before they should have them sit out like 5 plays. It can help solve two easy issues 1) For their safety if it is legitimate injury and 2) For fakers like this guy, who clearly was not injured. A fine or suspension should come from that.

Yes. Any more than a few plays out would incite players who are really hurt to keep playing and maybe injure themselves worse. There's a sweet spot that would stop most "flops" but still not be so harsh that players would decide not to report an injury and get it checked.

 

[Playmaker3128]

The fake injury is bush league but I don’t want to see the refs have to make another subjective penalty call.

yeah then you’ll have players who are really hurt milking their injuries so they can prove they are actually hurt. Worried if they don’t they could be flagged.

Simple solution your hurt you miss two plays as someone mentioned. Make it hurt the defense to do that.