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OXNARD, Calif. – When the Dallas Cowboys had discussions in the offseason about what went wrong in 2012, injuries got as much time as turnover differential, poor blocking and mental errors.
In finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs a third straight season, the Cowboys lost 71 games by starters because of injuries, including 51 on defense. Five defensive starters finished the season on injured reserve, including playmaking linebackers Bruce Carter and Sean Lee.
Disturbed by those numbers, coach Jason Garrett made sure everyone on his staff looked for ways to make sure there wouldn’t be a repeat in 2013.
“We certainly try to look at every phase of our organization – our strength and conditioning program, some of the things we do in practice, nutrition, whatever those things are – to try and give players the best chance to stay healthy,” Garrett said last week at the opening news conference of training camp. “We’ve done a lot of analysis on that, and hopefully some of that will show up and we can be a team that stays healthy throughout most of the season because that’s a big key to success.”
But if the first week of training camp is any gauge, Dallas could be headed for another rocky season injury-wise.
The Cowboys have been hit hard by injuries in Oxnard. On the opening day of practice last Sunday, up-and-coming second-year defensive end Tyrone Crawford went down with a season-ending torn left Achilles tendon. Another defensive end, starter Anthony Spencer, had to return to Dallas to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after an MRI revealed a bone bruise.
Four other players have suffered hamstring injuries, including two starters, four-time defensive tackle Jay Ratliff and right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau. Two young players that were expected to push for more playing time if not starting jobs in 2013 – right tackle Jermey Parnell and tight end James Hanna – also hurt their hamstrings.
Garrett stressed that hamstring injuries are common to plenty of teams this time of year.
“Hamstring injuries have been around for a long, long time,” Garrett said. “Most teams I have been on that’s probably the No. 1 injury people have. There is a lot of running that goes on in football and sometimes guys get jerked a certain way and they pull their hamstring.”
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones agreed.
“If you look at camps, it’s not just something that happens to the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said. “It happens around the league. These guys are more committed to ever to training hard, their diets are better than they’ve ever been. They work really hard. They play hard. They play fast. They compete. (Injuries) come with the territory. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to continue to find a way to do better.”
Garrett said it begins with examining how players warm up, stretch and hydrate.
“We have a great strength and conditioning staff, a great medical staff,” he said. “We make sure those guys are getting what they need. You also want to be on the cutting edge of this kind of stuff. We have a nutritionist and a few other people on our staff who are trying to get with these guys and make sure they are right.”
In order to cut down on injuries, the Cowboys are giving select veterans days off during camp. It began Friday with defensive end Jason Hatcher and wide receiver Miles Austin.
“Those are two guys who have earned their stripes – not that they don’t want to be out here working just like anybody else,” Jones said. “But it’s not their decision. We are trying to do things to keep guys from getting injured, and a little bit of that is management.”
Hatcher said he understands the thinking behind giving veterans like himself a rest now and then.
“You don’t want to wear your horses down,” he said.
But no matter what the Cowboys do, some injuries just can’t be prevented.
“It’s terrible to see those injuries, but we have to find a way to move on,” said Lee, who missed the last 10 games last season with a broken toe. “As tough as it is that those guys aren’t going to be here, we have to find somebody to step up.
“…Football is a tough sport. Guys get injured. You have to rally. You have to continue to move on because if you concentrate on negative things, you are never going to get better. It’s part of the game. You got to deal with it.”
Said Garrett, “It’s just the nature of the league. These are big and strong guys that compete really hard on Sunday afternoons, and sometimes injuries happen.”
Continue reading...
In finishing 8-8 and missing the playoffs a third straight season, the Cowboys lost 71 games by starters because of injuries, including 51 on defense. Five defensive starters finished the season on injured reserve, including playmaking linebackers Bruce Carter and Sean Lee.
Disturbed by those numbers, coach Jason Garrett made sure everyone on his staff looked for ways to make sure there wouldn’t be a repeat in 2013.
“We certainly try to look at every phase of our organization – our strength and conditioning program, some of the things we do in practice, nutrition, whatever those things are – to try and give players the best chance to stay healthy,” Garrett said last week at the opening news conference of training camp. “We’ve done a lot of analysis on that, and hopefully some of that will show up and we can be a team that stays healthy throughout most of the season because that’s a big key to success.”
But if the first week of training camp is any gauge, Dallas could be headed for another rocky season injury-wise.
The Cowboys have been hit hard by injuries in Oxnard. On the opening day of practice last Sunday, up-and-coming second-year defensive end Tyrone Crawford went down with a season-ending torn left Achilles tendon. Another defensive end, starter Anthony Spencer, had to return to Dallas to arthroscopic surgery on his left knee after an MRI revealed a bone bruise.
Four other players have suffered hamstring injuries, including two starters, four-time defensive tackle Jay Ratliff and right guard Mackenzy Bernadeau. Two young players that were expected to push for more playing time if not starting jobs in 2013 – right tackle Jermey Parnell and tight end James Hanna – also hurt their hamstrings.
Garrett stressed that hamstring injuries are common to plenty of teams this time of year.
“Hamstring injuries have been around for a long, long time,” Garrett said. “Most teams I have been on that’s probably the No. 1 injury people have. There is a lot of running that goes on in football and sometimes guys get jerked a certain way and they pull their hamstring.”
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones agreed.
“If you look at camps, it’s not just something that happens to the Dallas Cowboys,” Jones said. “It happens around the league. These guys are more committed to ever to training hard, their diets are better than they’ve ever been. They work really hard. They play hard. They play fast. They compete. (Injuries) come with the territory. It doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to continue to find a way to do better.”
Garrett said it begins with examining how players warm up, stretch and hydrate.
“We have a great strength and conditioning staff, a great medical staff,” he said. “We make sure those guys are getting what they need. You also want to be on the cutting edge of this kind of stuff. We have a nutritionist and a few other people on our staff who are trying to get with these guys and make sure they are right.”
In order to cut down on injuries, the Cowboys are giving select veterans days off during camp. It began Friday with defensive end Jason Hatcher and wide receiver Miles Austin.
“Those are two guys who have earned their stripes – not that they don’t want to be out here working just like anybody else,” Jones said. “But it’s not their decision. We are trying to do things to keep guys from getting injured, and a little bit of that is management.”
Hatcher said he understands the thinking behind giving veterans like himself a rest now and then.
“You don’t want to wear your horses down,” he said.
But no matter what the Cowboys do, some injuries just can’t be prevented.
“It’s terrible to see those injuries, but we have to find a way to move on,” said Lee, who missed the last 10 games last season with a broken toe. “As tough as it is that those guys aren’t going to be here, we have to find somebody to step up.
“…Football is a tough sport. Guys get injured. You have to rally. You have to continue to move on because if you concentrate on negative things, you are never going to get better. It’s part of the game. You got to deal with it.”
Said Garrett, “It’s just the nature of the league. These are big and strong guys that compete really hard on Sunday afternoons, and sometimes injuries happen.”
Continue reading...