After each week of NFL football games for the 2017-2018 season, the Heads 'N Tales podcast will be posting an episode dedicated to injuries and health & safety topics surrounding the NFL. Specifically we will talk about possible prevention strategies, the rulebook, equipment and other injury buzz around the league. My co-host and strategist for these episodes will be one of my closest friends, Josh Boyd (hence the J in "JK"..I'm the K...). Josh and I grew up playing baseball together. Josh was a division-1 center fielder for Monmouth University and experienced his fair share of injuries throughout his career. Although Josh never played organized football, the dude flat-out knows the game of football and undoubtably knows more about the ins-and-outs of the sport better than I do from both a fan and x's & o's perspective. Our intention for these episodes is to spark conversations around topics that are usually brushed under the rug or only minimally covered in the hopes of making football and all sports safer for the athletes who play them.

You are currently looking at the show notes for Week 2!

Week 2 Major Injuries:

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England, Groin
- Will he ever be truly healthy again?
- Can someone his size and position stay healthy at this point in his career?
Greg Olsen, TE, Carolina, Broken Foot, Non-Contact

Marshall Yanda, Guard, Baltimore, Broken Ankle, Rolled up on
Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay, Quad (Same Leg as Previous ACL)
Nolan Carroll, CB, Dallas, Concussion
- Interesting because he went into concussion protocol for 1 hit earlier in the game, got cleared, and then came back only to take another hit which forced him out of the game.
- Both hits were friendly fire.

YOU CAN'T Do THaT:

Ryan Shazier, LB Pittsburgh
- Hit on sliding QB

Kenny Vaccaro, S, New Orleans
- Hit on defenseless receiver

Good example of clean pass break up, Mike Mitchell, S , Pittsburgh

Play @ 2:14

Houston leading by example:

All three Texans tight ends were INACTIVE for Thursday night's game @ Cincinnati.
- CJ Fedorowicz was placed on IR (out at least 8 weeks)
  - ust be serious...
    - He suffered 1st diagnosed concussion of NFL Career last season in Week 14 & missed 1 game.
    - This preseason was diagnosed with a concussion that occurred outside of game action (very little details here) but was cleared from concussion protocol for Week 1 game.
    - Suffered another concussion in Week 1.

Oh Canada:

CFL Eliminates all Padded Practices during the season.
- Now Full Contact padded practices during preseason only.
- Expanding season by 1 week without adding more games.
- 21 week regular season
- 18 games/team
- 3 byes/team
  - All adding up to more recovery time!
- NFL currently allows 14 padded, contact regular season practices

SHORTER COMMERCIALS?! BETTER FAN EXPERIENCE OR CONSPIRACY?

This year the NFL has being trying to have fewer, but longer commercial breaks this year and eliminating the commercial after extra points and again after kickoffs.
Networks like FOX are adding short 6-10 sec ads during quicks breaks in the action.
- Great for the TV Viewer right?!
- But is this a coverup to take to focus away from injuries?
  - Keep an eye out while you watch the Week 3 games!