papazoid

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, in an email to 10 million names in its database Thursday, highlighted the league's safety programs and new emphasis on safety in youth football. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9763414/roger-goodell-emails-nfl-fans-league-safety

E J needs to have a great game.

Mario is NOT going after the QB on every play. if you notice he is mostly setting the edge to prevent the run. he takes a couple steps in, engages the blocker with some hand play, then holdsup to see how the play is developing. really can't knock Pettine's system cause the defense looks good, but Mario's "sack" stats could be much better if he was utilized differently.

YES more plays = more risk of injuries. 2012 - 62 plays/game average for season. 2013 - 71 plays/game average thru 4 games.

The NFL season is off to another exciting and competitive start. I want to thank you and all NFL fans for your passionate support. We recognize and remind ourselves every day that we have to earn your loyalty. We take that responsibility very seriously. It includes a commitment to deliver the game that the fans love and the safety that players deserve. As a league, we have an unwavering commitment to player health and making our game safer at all levels. This is, and will remain, our top priority. We hope that our commitment to safety will set an example for all sports. Within the NFL, safety-related rules will always be clearly defined and strictly enforced, and we will continue to work with our players, coaches, and others to identify new and safer ways to play the game. We will build on our ongoing efforts to fund independent scientific research, develop better equipment, educate parents, players, and coaches on safe and fair play, advocate for safety in all sports, and enhance programs that support the health and well-being of NFL players and athletes at all levels. Increased safety for players has been an essential part of the evolution of football dating back to its early days more than 100 years ago. We are proud that the game is safer and more exciting today than ever, but we are never satisfied. In keeping with our history, we are committed to pursuing a path that ensures the rewards of playing football continue to far outweigh the risks. Led by our Competition Committee and medical advisors, every year we will look for new ways to make the game better and safer. There have been numerous safety-related rules changes going back decades: from the 1970s when we eliminated the head slap, to the 80s when we eliminated clubbing, to the 90s when we increased protection for defenseless players, to the 2000s when the horse collar tackle was made illegal. When we identify dangerous techniques, we adopt rules to eliminate them. We will continue to find ways to protect players so they can enjoy longer careers on the field and healthier lives off the field. In recent years we have focused on protecting defenseless players from hits to the head and neck area. A new rule for 2013 prohibits any player – on offense, defense, or special teams – from hitting an opponent with the crown of the helmet outside of the tackle box. The helmet is for protection. It is not a weapon. The goal is to take the head out of the game. Recently, Hall of Fame coach John Madden, who co-chairs our Player Safety Advisory Committee, told me that players and coaches have truly adjusted to the new, safer rules. Coach Madden said the players are back to the fundamentals of blocking and tackling, using the shoulder rather than the head. As a result, the game is safer. One of the most important aspects of safety is providing players with the best possible medical care. We work closely with the NFL Players Association to ensure our players have access to the finest doctors and most cutting edge technology. In fact, a large part of our current Collective Bargaining Agreement with the players is devoted to health and safety protections. Here are a few recent changes we’ve made: • We added non-affiliated neurotrauma consultants to the sidelines to assist our team medical staffs. • Each team also has a separate independent physician to assist players and team doctors on return–to–practice decisions after being removed from a game because of a concussion. • Team medical staffs are using the latest technology – sideline video, smart phones, and tablets – in their care of players. Our commitment goes beyond the NFL. We know that our actions influence college, high school, and youth football. It is part of a shared responsibility to protect the future of our game. We are especially proud of our partnership with USA Football this year to successfully launch “Heads Up Football,” a program designed to ensure that coaches are trained and certified in proper tackling techniques as well as concussion and hydration education. More than 2,800 youth leagues that include 90,000 coaches and more than 600,000 kids have registered for “Heads Up Football” training in its first year. We have made a multi-year commitment to teach a better, safer way to play youth football and look forward to all youth leagues joining the movement. Go to usafootball.com to learn more and see if your league is signed up. If not, urge your coach to sign up for 2014. We’ve also made measurable progress in protecting young athletes from head injuries in all sports. We have supported youth concussion laws that have now been adopted in 49 states. Four years ago, these laws did not exist. Now, almost every child that plays contact sports is protected by a set of procedures governing when they can return to play following an injury. We also have partnered with the national PTA to promote sports safety in schools across the nation. Another important element of our commitment to health and safety is the funding of groundbreaking research. We have pledged more than $100 million to medical research over the next decade, including $30 million to the National Institutes of Health for independent research to advance the understanding of concussions. We have also embarked on a $60 million partnership with GE and Under Armour to accelerate the development of advanced diagnostic tools and protective materials for head injuries. The NFL–GE-Under Armour “Head Health Initiative,” which has already attracted more than 400 proposals from 25 different countries, will reward the best new ideas from around the world in protecting against head injuries. This project and our broader research funding will yield benefits to all sports and beyond. Football will remain the hard-hitting, physical sport that you love. And we will continue to be vigilant in seeking ways to make the game even better and safer. The future of football is brighter, bigger, better, and more exciting than ever. For more information on our health and safety work, go to www.nflevolution.com. If you would like to receive regular updates on the NFL’s health and safety work, please click here. Enjoy the football season. We are grateful for your support.

Jacksonville has traded starting left tackle Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens for two mid-round picks in the 2014 NFL Draft, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora has reported. Monroe had been the Jaguars starting left tackle since 2009 when he was selected eighth overall in the NFL Draft. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/23954523/jaguars-trade-lt-eugene-monroe-to-ravens-fro-draft-picks

In recent years, the NFL has focused on supporting three main causes: fighting childhood obesity through NFL PLAY 60, battling breast cancer with A Crucial Catch and showing appreciation for our military with the Salute to Service campaign. The NFL also springs to action in times of crisis, working with the American Red Cross to raise money and to promote healing and rebuilding after national disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d82054f96/article/a-letter-from-the-commissioner the NFL does not profit from the sale or auction of cancer awareness merchandise. http://www.nfl.com/pink

The Cleveland Browns will honor patients, survivors & families during their nationally televised game on Oct. 3. BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns will celebrate National Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October during the fifth consecutive year of the NFL’s and NFL Players Association’s “A Crucial Catch: Annual Screening Saves Lives” campaign, in partnership with the American Cancer Society, the team announced. The Browns will host the NFL’s first official breast-cancer awareness game of 2013 under a national spotlight on Thursday, when Cleveland hosts the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium, broadcast across the country on the NFL Network and WKYC-TV locally. The game is presented by Cleveland Clinic. http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/article-1/Browns-celebrate-National-Breast-Cancer-Awareness-Month/4995bc23-b644-4ac1-9511-e8c59c019d50 I know some think a "month" is a little to long, but it is a very effective campaign to raise "awareness".

assuming the best.... I would NOT start or play Tyrd Thursday. I think Marrone should "protect" his player and give him 10 more days to get ready for the Cincinnati game.

Tyrd is going to have a "setback" during practice. this will keep him out of games until the bye week. there will be a miracle recovery for the final 5 games to show he's healthy for next year. the bills will tag him again and the exact same scenario will play out. parker demands #1 money and the bills offer top 5.

We're wandering into dangerous ground here, so I'll make this clear from the start: I do not doubt that Jairus Byrd is hurt. Of course, I don't doubt that Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller are hurt, either. There's no doubt in my mind that Marcell Dareus, Kraig Urbik and Aaron Williams are hurt. I'm sure Kyle Williams' heels hurt him from time to time. Leodis McKelvin will probably be hurt when he comes back. There's another thing I don't doubt. If the Bills had given Byrd a long-term contract as one of the top safeties in the league (something in the five-year, $42.5 million range), there's no doubt in my mind that Byrd would have been on the field from the start of the season. http://www.buffalonews.com/columns/jerry-sullivan/its-time-for-the-bills-to-move-byrd-20130930?two-bills-drive

Tension mounting with injured star safety Jairus Byrd, Bills Some within the Bills organization believe he could have already played this season, and that growing disconnect is creating mounting tension between the sides. Furthermore, some in the Bills' locker room believe the Byrd situation, coupled with a dynamic last season in which some teammates and staff members believed Mario Williams' wrist injury was largely psychosomatic at times, has created a climate of uncertainty about the extent of ailments taking players out of games, according to sources close to the situation. http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/jason-la-canfora/23910699/tension-mounting-with-injured-star-safety-jairus-byrd-bills

my biggest concerns #1- Penalties/Mental Mistakes #2- 3rd & 1 can't get a rushing yard when they know were coming.

Cordy Glenn will be playing LG next year.

Ian RapoportVerified account‏@RapSheet #Bills S Jairus Byrd is viewed as a long shot to make his debut today after battling plantar fasciitis, per source. Trying to fully heal

Act IV continues

"An extra roster spot is always a good thing," Whaley said, when asked if Byrd could be exempted for the Bills opener against New England on Sept. 8. Byrd would not have been paid if he wasn't on the active roster for the first week of the season. http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp13/story/_/id/9589292/nfl-grants-buffalo-bills-roster-exemption-jairus-byrd

Rams welcome Sam Bradford contract extension talks Rapoport and Silver spent time with Rams coach Jeff Fisher, general manager Les Snead and Rams president Kevin Demoff in St. Louis this week. "We have decided that Sam Bradford is our guy. If they came to us and wanted to do a contract extension right now, we'd do it in a minute," Demoff told Silver. http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000251130/article/sam-bradford-extension-talks-welcomed-by-rams

I did see him jump offsides at least 3 times....

meanwhile Tyrd is waiting til he is 100% healthy before playing, wants to be the highest paid safety in the league and is "open" to a trade.

Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes says he still isn't 100 percent recovered from the foot injury that kept him out for most of last season and the entire preseason, but he's been in the lineup and his 69-yard touchdown catch beat the Bills last weekend. Had safety Jairus Byrd been in the Buffalo lineup, perhaps things would have played out differently. Byrd hasn't been in the lineup at all for the Bills this year because of his own foot problem and, unlike Holmes, Byrd won't be taking a step on the field until he's certain that he's 100 percent. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/26/jairus-byrd-wont-play-unless-he-feels-100-percent/

ravens 31-17

they showed a stat in last nights game. % chance of making the playoffs: 2-2 = 36% 1-3 = 14%

On the topic of the universally loathed preseason, Goodell floated the possibility of turning some preseason games into scrimmages, or taking them out of season ticket plans, to reflect the increasing worthlessness of the August games. He said there had been no recent conversations about an 18-game schedule, but seemed intrigued by the notion of expanding the playoffs beyond the current 12 teams. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/26/goodell-open-to-more-playoffs-less-preseason/ REDUCE - PRESEASON TO 2 GAMES KEEP - REGULAR SEASON AT 16 GAMES INCREASE - PLAYOFF TEAMS FROM 6 TO 7 PER CONFERENCE