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[texasbirdfan]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...in.3f65455.html

Dallas Cowboys, Vikings are healthiest of the playoff teams

01:44 AM CST on Friday, January 15, 2010

Column by RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News | rgosselin@dallasnews.com

Rick Gosselin

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The Cowboys were the healthiest team in the NFL in 1992 and '93. They won the Super Bowl each season.

The Cowboys again are the healthiest team in the NFL, losing a league-low 14 games by starters because of injury this season. And the NFC East champions find themselves three wins away from another Super Bowl.

The Cowboys lost 11 games by starters because of injury in 1992 when they won the first Super Bowl of the Jerry Jones era, then lost just eight games by starters in 1993 in capturing back-to-back Lombardi Trophies.

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But don't assume a healthy roster gives the Cowboys an edge in these NFC playoffs.

The three healthiest teams in the NFL won NFC division titles, and all three are in action this weekend. The Cowboys visit NFC North champion Minnesota, which lost only 16 games by starters, and NFC West champ Arizona travels to NFC South champ New Orleans. The Cardinals lost 17 games by starters.

Two other teams that rank among the eight healthiest in the NFL also play this weekend – AFC wild cards Baltimore and the New York Jets. The Jets lost 18 games by starters and the Ravens 26.

The Cowboys were one of two teams that did not place a starter on injured reserve this season, joining the AFC East champion New England Patriots.

Pittsburgh and San Francisco shared the league lead with 12 players who started all 16 games. Arizona had 11 and the Cowboys were in a clump of seven teams with 10 16-game starters.

But 17 of the Cowboys' 22 starters of choice suited up for all 16 games this season. Only offensive tackle Marc Colombo, running back Marion Barber, wide receiver Roy Williams and safeties Ken Hamlin and Gerald Sensabaugh were not available for every game. Colombo missed a team-high seven games with a fractured fibula.

The two top seeds lost the most games by starters because of injury in the 2009 playoff bracket. The AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts lost 65 and the Saints 67.

But the Saints were a long way off from being the most battered team in the NFL. The Buffalo Bills lost 103 games by starters and finished with a league-high eight starters on injured reserve.

Denver fielded the healthiest defense, missing only three games by starters because of injury. The Broncos finished seventh in the NFL in defense. Minnesota fielded the healthiest offense, losing only four games by starters. The Vikings finished fifth in the NFL in offense.

Jacksonville lost 50 games by starters on defense and the Bills lost 47 on offense. Both were league highs. The 7-9 Jaguars finished 23rd in defense and the 6-10 Bills 30th in offense.

Buffalo finished the season with three starting offensive linemen on injured reserve and both outside linebackers. Coach **** Jauron was doomed from the start as 47 different players started games for the Bills. Jauron was fired in November after a 3-6 start.

In all, NFL starters missed 1,486 games because of injury last season – 683 on offense and 803 on defense. Only 248 of the 704 starters league-wide managed to start all 16 games and 99 starters finished the season on injured reserve.

Listen to Rick Gosselin on KTCK-AM (1310) The Ticket at 10:35 a.m. each Tuesday.

GAMES LOST BY STARTERS

Here is the injury chart for the 2009 NFL season, listing the number of games lost by starters due to injury, the number of starters who finished the season on reserve lists, the number of players who started all 16 games and the key injury. There are 16 possible starts at each of the 22 positions. So the maximum games lost at any one position is 16. For instance, New Orleans left offensive tackle Jammal Brown suffered a season-ending sports hernia in training camp. So that's 16 games off the top. He was replaced in the lineup by Jermon Bushrod, who missed the fourth game of the season with a sprained ankle. But that would not count in the team total because the 16 of Brown are already on the books at the position. To count Bushrod's would be double-counting at a single position. Division champs in CAPS; other playoff teams in bold:

Team G/L IR 16G Key injury G

COWBOYS 14 0 10 RT Marc Colombo 7

MINNESOTA 16 1 10 CB Antoine Winfield 6

ARIZONA 17 1 11 TE Stephen Spach 5

Denver 17 2 8 RT Ryan Harris 8

NY Jets 18 1 10 DT Kris Jenkins 10

Kansas City 23 1 4 S Jerrad Page 11

Tennessee 24 3 7 OLB David Thornton 5

Baltimore 26 1 10 CB Fabian Washington 6

Tampa Bay 28 1 8 S Jermaine Phillips 14

Pittsburgh 33 1 12 DE Aaron Smith 11

NEW ENGLAND 34 0 6 LT Matt Light 5

San Francisco 36 1 12 CB Walt Harris 16

Green Bay 40 3 10 C Jason Spitz 11

Atlanta 46 4 10 DT Peria Jerry 14

Miami 48 5 5 QB Chad Pennington 13

Chicago 50 4 6 MLB Brian Urlacher 15

NY Giants 51 4 6 S Kenny Phillips 14

Houston 52 6 10 G Chester Pitts 14

Oakland 52 2 8 WR Chaz Schilens 11

SAN DIEGO 54 2 8 NT Jamal Williams 15

Carolina 56 5 7 OLB Thomas Davis 8

Seattle 57 2 6 LT Walter Jones 16

CINCINNATI 59 4 7 TE Reggie Kelly 16

Cleveland 60 7 5 ILB D'Qwell Jackson 10

Washington 61 5 9 G Randy Thomas 14

Detroit 63 5 3 RT Daniel Loper 8

INDIANAPOLIS 63 3 6 WR Anthony Gonzalez 15

NEW ORLEANS 67 3 7 LT Jammal Brown 16

Philadelphia 70 3 8 MLB Stewart Bradley 16

Jacksonville 71 5 8 DE Reggie Hayward 15

St. Louis 75 6 5 DT Adam Carriker 16

Buffalo 103 8 6 CB Leodis McKelvin 13

 

[Lott's Fingertip]

This is such a huge factor in team and fantasy success, and it is so often overlooked. It cannot really be predicted, but it is helpful in analyzing results after the season to help look forward for next season.

The best NFL teams have quality depth and can overcome injuries. Most teams will be severely hampered if they have an above-average number of injuries.

Personally, I am really Flippin sick of this every flippin year:

St. Louis 75 6 5 DT Adam Carriker 16

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

GAMES LOST BY STARTERS

....

Philadelphia 70 3 8 MLB Stewart Bradley 16

Jacksonville 71 5 8 DE Reggie Hayward 15

St. Louis 75 6 5 DT Adam Carriker 16

Buffalo 103 8 6 CB Leodis McKelvin 13

Pretty remarkable how well Philly did considering that number. Stewart Bradley was a HUGE loss that was overlooked by many.It's not an excuse but it does reflect well on the Eagles as to how well they overcame all those issues - pretty deep team all things considered - but when you get to the postseason those things catch up to you.

 

[sho nuff]

Spitz was not that key of an injury for GB really.

Wells was the starter the previous year at Center when healthy...and played well this year.

Maybe "key" was that he missed more games than others...key loss was easily Al Harris.

 

[hauser42]

I would argue that Al Harris was more of a key injury to the Packers than Spitz. Wells was ready to take over for Spitz, while Williams is not Harris. This hurts because I believe Harris is about done, and that Wells should have been traded.

 

[sho nuff]

I would argue that Al Harris was more of a key injury to the Packers than Spitz. Wells was ready to take over for Spitz, while Williams is not Harris. This hurts because I believe Harris is about done, and that Wells should have been traded.

Well...Williams was sort of ready...but Bush/Bell/Underwood were not ready to take over as nickel back.Harris is a big question mark. WHile not as effective as he once was...he was still playing pretty well this year.And I disagree that Wells should have been traded. He was more valuable to them than any draft pick they might have gotten for him. And moreso now with Colledge a free agent. They could put Spitz at LG and keep Wells at Center and be ok there.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I think Kenny Phillips' injury had a bigger impact than anyone on that list. The Giants pass defense went down the drain after he was hurt.

 

[cheese]

Cool report, but I have no idea how they settled on the "key" injuries for each team.

Antwan Odom had 8 sacks in 4 games to lead the NFL before being lost for the season to a nasty knee injury. Reggie Kelly?

 

[valhallan]

Hopefully this sets the record straight for the "every team has injuries" crowd when it comes to the Saints and their play down the stretch. Yes, every team has injuries... but this team had more than usual.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Could have told you halfway through the year that the Bills would "win" this. Amazingly poor luck this year.

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

Could have told you halfway through the year that the Bills would "win" this. Amazingly poor luck this year.

I think they dominated it last year, too. What really hurt, is that so much of it was on OL, too. A position they were weak/inexperienced/non-cohesive at to begin with.And, their IR number seems way off.In hindsight, I wish McKelvin would have missed 16 games, so they could have beat the Patriots.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Cool report, but I have no idea how they settled on the "key" injuries for each team.Antwan Odom had 8 sacks in 4 games to lead the NFL before being lost for the season to a nasty knee injury. Reggie Kelly?

I think they based it on number of games lost - Reggie lost all 16 so that was judged more key I guess.-QG

 

[Koya]

I think Kenny Phillips' injury had a bigger impact than anyone on that list. The Giants pass defense went down the drain after he was hurt.

I remembered when that happened... people didnt seem to be jumping off bridges - they should have been. When I heard Phillips was done, I knew it would be a LONG haul.The lack of a good D Coordinator and underperformance by their D line sealed the deal... but had Phillips not been hurt, the Giants likely find a way into the playoffs imo.

 

[r0llin_game]

Cool report, but I have no idea how they settled on the "key" injuries for each team.Antwan Odom had 8 sacks in 4 games to lead the NFL before being lost for the season to a nasty knee injury. Reggie Kelly?

It was a ruptured achilles.

 

[r0llin_game]

GAMES LOST BY STARTERS

....

Philadelphia 70 3 8 MLB Stewart Bradley 16

Jacksonville 71 5 8 DE Reggie Hayward 15

St. Louis 75 6 5 DT Adam Carriker 16

Buffalo 103 8 6 CB Leodis McKelvin 13

Pretty remarkable how well Philly did considering that number. Stewart Bradley was a HUGE loss that was overlooked by many.It's not an excuse but it does reflect well on the Eagles as to how well they overcame all those issues - pretty deep team all things considered - but when you get to the postseason those things catch up to you.

Since the MLB's all filled in pretty well, I'd say Shawn Andrews was a pretty significant loss seeing the Eagles rushing offense was pretty awful. And not just because Andy Reid doesn't know how to call running plays either.

 

[NYRAGE]

Technically, it says starters, but for the Jets, you can count another 10 games for Leon Washington. Strickland is their 3rd cornerback and he missed 9 games

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

GAMES LOST BY STARTERS

....

Philadelphia 70 3 8 MLB Stewart Bradley 16

Jacksonville 71 5 8 DE Reggie Hayward 15

St. Louis 75 6 5 DT Adam Carriker 16

Buffalo 103 8 6 CB Leodis McKelvin 13

Pretty remarkable how well Philly did considering that number. Stewart Bradley was a HUGE loss that was overlooked by many.It's not an excuse but it does reflect well on the Eagles as to how well they overcame all those issues - pretty deep team all things considered - but when you get to the postseason those things catch up to you.

Since the MLB's all filled in pretty well, I'd say Shawn Andrews was a pretty significant loss seeing the Eagles rushing offense was pretty awful. And not just because Andy Reid doesn't know how to call running plays either.

Not really for two reasons:

1. The Eagles were amongst the worst teams at TE coverage, a job for LBs most of the time, and

2. Will Weatherspoon was a mid-season trade addition as the Eagles stole him for Brandon Gibson to the Rams.

 

[bweiser]

GAMES LOST BY STARTERS

....

Philadelphia 70 3 8 MLB Stewart Bradley 16

Jacksonville 71 5 8 DE Reggie Hayward 15

St. Louis 75 6 5 DT Adam Carriker 16

Buffalo 103 8 6 CB Leodis McKelvin 13

Pretty remarkable how well Philly did considering that number. Stewart Bradley was a HUGE loss that was overlooked by many.It's not an excuse but it does reflect well on the Eagles as to how well they overcame all those issues - pretty deep team all things considered - but when you get to the postseason those things catch up to you.

Since the MLB's all filled in pretty well, I'd say Shawn Andrews was a pretty significant loss seeing the Eagles rushing offense was pretty awful. And not just because Andy Reid doesn't know how to call running plays either.

Not really for two reasons:

1. The Eagles were amongst the worst teams at TE coverage, a job for LBs most of the time, and

2. Will Weatherspoon was a mid-season trade addition as the Eagles stole him for Brandon Gibson to the Rams.

count me in as those who don't think the MLBs filled in all that well. witherspoon was great in his first game agianst washington. after that, not so much. he was ok, don't get me wrong.