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What am I missing?
I’m talking about Jets guard Brian Winters admitting that he played most of last season with a torn groin.
Before I start, I want to make it clear, I have a lot of respect for Brian Winters. He’s a good player. A little penalty prone at times, but a good player. He’s tough as boot leather and gives you everything he’s got. He’s also a good guy.
But this story that broke earlier this week about him playing a big chunk of last season with a torn abdomen and abductor muscles, essentially from Week 2, until landing on injured reserve in late December, is baffling to me.
Look, I give him credit for playing through pain.
“It was horrendous,” Winters said. “I wouldn’t give that to my worst enemy. It was something that was tough and hurtful, from the time I woke to the time I went to bed. Just walking in general was painful. I wasn’t able anything. Going into games, I felt like I was walking on eggshells because I didn’t want to do anything to take me out of the game.”
But playing a guy in this condition for several months doesn’t make a ton of sense to me.
It Winters was in such bad shape and wasn’t able to “be myself” as he put it, why not play Dakota Dozier? Why not play Brent Qvale? Jets re-signed both players this off-season so obviously they like them.
I don’t understand the concept of playing somebody playing for several months when he wasn’t able to “be myself” and was “walking on eggshells.”
Look, if we are talking about a superstar QB, like Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers, playing through a serious injury, because the team would absolutely fall apart without him, that is one thing. Look, I understand sometimes with transcendent talents, you push the envelope with them. Lawrence Taylor played with some crazy injuries.
Look, Winters is a good player, but not irreplaceable. Don’t you think a healthy Dozer or Qvale would be a better option than Winters who could hardly walk?
And the Jets’ offensive line wasn’t very good last year. There is plenty of blame to go around, but a hobbling Winters was clearly one of the issues. The Tampa Bay game comes to mind. The Bucs have a lot of quick, athletic defensive linemen, and they gave the hobbling Winters a tough time.
Todd Bowles has a worldview where he likes to stick with starters come high water.
He often says when asked about lineup changes, “I have my starters.”
You saw how he handled Buster Skrine last year. The guy wasn’t going to be removed under any circumstances, including giving up four touchdowns in Miami.
I just think that when you play players who are severely limited by an injury (Winters) or are struggling with their play (Skrine), you can impact the outcome of games.
If the Jets are going to take the next step as a program, they need to be less rigid when it comes to starting lineup changes.
I don’t get it this Winters’ thing at all.
And this isn’t a shot at him. He played in a tremendous amount of pain.
April 18, 2018
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