NFL reviewing Russell Wilson's concussion test

[bigskydoc]

The NFL's Concussion Protocol states

In the event... a player sustains a mechanism of injury ("big hit") that is reasonably expected to give rise to a concussion, and/or a concern is raised by another player, coach, game official, ATC spotter, or Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant, the player shall be removed immediately from the field by Club medical personnel.

If a player exhibits or reports signs or symptoms of concussion on the field and does not require emergent transport for more serious brain injury and/or cervical spine injury, he must be removed and evaluated by the Club medical team.

So basically, if there is a "big hit" with a mechanism of injury consistent with potential concussion, anyone on the field can raise the concern, and the player has to be removed from the field and evaluated for concussion prior to returning to the field.

Russ definitely had a mechanism of injury consistent with concussion, and he was raised his hands to his head afterward. He exited the field when told to, but did not undergo an evaluation.

We can complain all we want about inequity in enforcement of the protocol, but it is very clear that protocol was not followed.

 

[RockinHawks]

So, tons of injuries with several players done for the season, NFL focuses on procedure violation of a healthy player. OK.

The NFL should be HEAVILY FINED for subjecting players to unnecessary risks, forcing them to play a game with only 3 days between all out physical exertion.
Sherman pointed this out last Year....JJ Watt MIGHT have escaped injury had he been given ENOUGH TIME to recuperate between games.
I get the rea$on that the NFL doe$ the Thur$day night Game$, eh?
They are PRETENDING that they have the players best interest at heart, but doing RIGHT by them would cost them too much money.
Their FAKE CONCERNS piss me off.

This...100%.

 

[ringless]

On a side note, I always find it interesting that all 32 teams in the league have a fan base that thing the league is out to get them. This one is no different, it use to be the scheduling and 10am games. Although this season has one of the most favorable schedules and times ever.

It's not a conspiracy. Russ isn't the first player to be taken off the field of concussion protocol and testing, although reading this forum you'd think it's never happened. (Happens every week?) it just so happens he was a QB. If they really wanted to screw the hawks why do it on 4th down? Why not on a first down? Why not earlier in the game? Ridiculous to think that was orchestrated.

Here is another possibility, as far fetched as it may seem. The ref, as an individual perceived the hit, and location of contact a certain way, and possibly had a genuine concern about a fellow human being. Just because Russ said he was okay doesn't mean he was, you can have a concussion and not know it. Let's say he did have one (he may have) and the test was done in the manner it was. Then he had a second one later in the same game, what happens to your 100m+ franchise QB? What happens to be quality of life later?

 

[sc85sis]

Honestly, this is on Russ and the team docs. Russell should have known better than to try to circumvent the rules, and the docs should never have allowed him on the field without following the concussion protocol. One or two more plays with Russ on the sideline would not have made a difference in the game.

 

[Shanegotyou11]

On a side note, I always find it interesting that all 32 teams in the league have a fan base that thing the league is out to get them. This one is no different, it use to be the scheduling and 10am games. Although this season has one of the most favorable schedules and times ever.

It's not a conspiracy. Russ isn't the first player to be taken off the field of concussion protocol and testing, although reading this forum you'd think it's never happened. (Happens every week?) it just so happens he was a QB. If they really wanted to screw the hawks why do it on 4th down? Why not on a first down? Why not earlier in the game? Ridiculous to think that was orchestrated.

Here is another possibility, as far fetched as it may seem. The ref, as an individual perceived the hit, and location of contact a certain way, and possibly had a genuine concern about a fellow human being. Just because Russ said he was okay doesn't mean he was, you can have a concussion and not know it. Let's say he did have one (he may have) and the test was done in the manner it was. Then he had a second one later in the same game, what happens to your 100m+ franchise QB? What happens to be quality of life later?

This. First time I saw Russ look out of it.

 

[Hawkpower]

On a side note, I always find it interesting that all 32 teams in the league have a fan base that thing the league is out to get them. This one is no different, it use to be the scheduling and 10am games. Although this season has one of the most favorable schedules and times ever.

It's not a conspiracy. Russ isn't the first player to be taken off the field of concussion protocol and testing, although reading this forum you'd think it's never happened. (Happens every week?) it just so happens he was a QB. If they really wanted to screw the hawks why do it on 4th down? Why not on a first down? Why not earlier in the game? Ridiculous to think that was orchestrated.

Here is another possibility, as far fetched as it may seem. The ref, as an individual perceived the hit, and location of contact a certain way, and possibly had a genuine concern about a fellow human being. Just because Russ said he was okay doesn't mean he was, you can have a concussion and not know it. Let's say he did have one (he may have) and the test was done in the manner it was. Then he had a second one later in the same game, what happens to your 100m+ franchise QB? What happens to be quality of life later?

The problem is two fold: First of all, Russ hardly showed any signs of being woozy.....and if the hit was so vicious as to make Walt think it would cause a concussion, why didnt he throw a flag?

And if anyone was going to be sent out for concussion protocol it should have been your boy Stanton who was taking like 10 seconds to get up by the end of the game.....so why no send off for him?

Secondly, the way Walt was gifting you guys every gift possible to keep you in the game, its hard not to be suspicious that this was one more act of strangeness in a game that was filled with ways to keep you from being blown to the rafters.

And as it turns out, Russ was fine, just like he said. No reason a corrupt official should have the absolute authority to force a player off the field and then consequently punish the team that doesnt perform his dog and pony show. Let an arbitrary doctor upstairs make that call.

 

[KitsapGuy]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ChrisNowinski1/status/929822619565805574[/tweet]

 

[seahawkfreak]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ChrisNowinski1/status/929822619565805574[/tweet]

NFL is extremely stupid. All they are doing is going through the motions. They are seriously just setting themselves up for more litigation. Not saying I'm an expert or have a solution but they are having some serious inconsistency problems when it comes to their rules and or actions in regards to player safety.

 

[chris98251]

The way it happened I blame the officials and the medical staff, Russell if being concussed out smarted the whole staff and the officials, went off the sidelines set in tent got out of tent back into game and nobody stopped him till after he had ran another play.

Being able to do all that kind of proved to me he was alright.

 

[Lords of Scythia]

Boxers get knocked out by shots to the jaw all the time. The jaw is part of the head.

 

[Year of The Hawk]

To me it seemed like Russ and the team didnt know he was in concussion protocol. I think they thought he was pulled off for a play because he caused an injury timeout, he hurt his jaw and didnt have a concussion.

This incident was most likely caused by poor communication from the referees not being clear as to why he was being pulled off.

This.....

 

[chris98251]

Well getting hit in the chin and watching him get up I thought he may have a cut also, it was unclear what was happening.

 

[Torc]

Stanton didn't get pulled out because he wasn't getting hit in the head....he was slow to get up because he was getting pummeled in general. He had whole body aches, not a concussion.

Wilson sure didn't look concussed to me when he got up and jogged to the sidelines - he never had that 'go limp' moment that really makes you worry. That being said the ref absolutely did the right thing - if he suspects a concussion he needs yank the player for testing.

From what I could see on TV, Russell evaluated himself and put himself back in the game - absolutely he broke the rules. As far as punishment, the NFL should be taking into account that the team (whether it was the doctors or coaches) realized the error and had him checked out as soon as he came off the field two plays later. That shows there was no intent on the part of the team to ignore the protocols.

 

[Hawkpower]

Stanton didn't get pulled out because he wasn't getting hit in the head....he was slow to get up because he was getting pummeled in general. He had whole body aches, not a concussion.

Wilson sure didn't look concussed to me when he got up and jogged to the sidelines - he never had that 'go limp' moment that really makes you worry. That being said the ref absolutely did the right thing - if he suspects a concussion he needs yank the player for testing.

From what I could see on TV, Russell evaluated himself and put himself back in the game - absolutely he broke the rules. As far as punishment, the NFL should be taking into account that the team (whether it was the doctors or coaches) realized the error and had him checked out as soon as he came off the field two plays later. That shows there was no intent on the part of the team to ignore the protocols.

Your middle paragraph is confusing....you state (accurately btw) that Wilson did not look in any way concussed.....and then you say that the ref did the right thing in sending him off the field since he suspected a concussion.

So.....suspected it based on what??

RW didnt show any signs of trouble. And obviously the ref didnt think the hit was to the head because he didnt drop a flag....

So there lies the problem. And the reason why I have no problem with Russ essentially telling them to take a hike. No reason he should have been sent off the field and one more suspicious act by that crew.

The NFL should be investigating why he was sent off the field more than looking into Russ and the staff for circumventing a BS request.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

He's a Seahawk, that pretty much says it all.

 

[WmHBonney]

So the same ref that was calling a completely lopsided game, decides to pull RW for one play. Huh.

Interesting.

Now imagine this happening to a QB during a game-winning drive in the playoffs, because the ref thought he saw the QB get hit in the head. By the time he clears protocol, the backup has already come in and lost the game.

The blind idiot didn’t bother throwing his flag, but he’ll send Russell off the field for a headshot anyway.

This is what I am thinking. If it was a shot to the head of the QB, (it was), then why was there no flag?

 

[seahawkfreak]

So the same ref that was calling a completely lopsided game, decides to pull RW for one play. Huh.

Interesting.

Now imagine this happening to a QB during a game-winning drive in the playoffs, because the ref thought he saw the QB get hit in the head. By the time he clears protocol, the backup has already come in and lost the game.

The blind idiot didn’t bother throwing his flag, but he’ll send Russell off the field for a headshot anyway.

This is what I am thinking. If it was a shot to the head of the QB, (it was), then why was there no flag?

There was a flag.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK_GqdtNNc8

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Yep, flag came out right away, and for once it was the right call.

 

[mikeak]

To me it seemed like Russ and the team didnt know he was in concussion protocol. I think they thought he was pulled off for a play because he caused an injury timeout, he hurt his jaw and didnt have a concussion.

This incident was most likely caused by poor communication from the referees not being clear as to why he was being pulled off.

This.....

He went and sat in the tent that is used for checking concussions......... RW knew and ignored it

 

[SoulfishHawk]

Because he wasn't hit in the head, he was hit in the chin. More will be made out of this since he's on the Seahawks.