Washington Times: Reed Doughty Expects To Face Chiefs Despite Concussion

[McD5]

Injury updates: Reed Doughty expects to face Chiefs despite concussion - Washington Times

Please tell me Shanahan isn't this stupid. If so, this is reason number 500 why he needs to be fired.

The season is over, let's not end Doughty's career too. The league ended the career of promising Jahvid Best for exactly this.

Reed's already had two this season.

Rambo can use the reps. And the team doesn't need another lawsuit five years from now.

Reed can take a few weeks off, if not the rest of the season. This is so beyond stupid. What's to gain by playing him?

 

[Fear The Spear]

You know you're having a horrible year, when you have 2 players named Reed that have concussions at the same time

 

[Miles Monroe]

From a story I saw last night, he was already cleared to practice, and the team opted to hold him out another day just as a precaution.

 

[Goaldeje]

I am 100% with McD on this one. 1000% even. What exactly is the point here? We know exactly what we have in Doughty, an effort guy who works his ass off with (relatively) limited athletic ability, and a nice ST player. We have little idea what we have with Rambo, and we need to find out rather quickly. Why not sit Reed the rest of the year, let him get right for next year, and find out what the rookie brings to the table, especially after a prolonged absence, where hopefully he was learning the D and learning from his mistakes?

Hell, if Doughty goes out there and gets another concussion, that might be the final straw for poor Juggy. Sit Reed, Mike. For Jugband's sake.

 

[Ax]

I'm sure Reed wants to sit out and make it easier for someone to take his job.

If he's cleared, he plays. Rambo and others can be worked in along the way.

 

[tshile]

this is the problem with the current situation...

instead of playing guys that need reps we're playing guys that can win football games because this coaching staff isn't sure it'll have a job next year if we finish 3-13; or more importantly, it think it's chances would be significantly better if we finish 7-9 and win out.

there's a lot of guys on this roster that need reps. both for them, and for us so we see what they have.

 

[Ax]

Bullshit. All any coach and/or team should ever try to do, is win.
I'm certainly rooting for 7-9.

 

[tshile]

Bullshit. All any coach and/or team should ever try to do, is win.
I'm certainly rooting for 7-9.

What?

You don't see the value in letting young guys get on the field when the season is lost?

Seems misguided to me. Ignoring possible long term benefits for what, 7-9?

 

[Bulldog]

The argument that we should strive to be mediocre rather than working for the future is what kept the Bullets/Wizards a middling team for 20 years from 1983 into the early 2000's.

Finish with a record just good enough to never be in position to select stars but at the same time be a playoff afterthought.

Somewhere along the way we watered down our expectations so that being average is something to be comfortable with.

At 3-9 in Year 4 any coach playing for his job has already missed the boat.

 

[Ax]

You play, to win, the game.

If you don't want to win, you're a loser.

 

[Om]

I'm with Ax.

As much as it's standard for some fans (and even media) to want a team to NOT win games, be it for draft position or to 'see what the young guys have', it's inconsistent with how professional sports are supposed to work. They do, and should, have one goal: win the next game.

In my mind, no owner, coach or player worth the logo on his shirt should ever approach a given game with any other thought in mind.

Offseasons are made for long-term planning.

 

[Miles Monroe]

Count me in as third on that bus. Play to win, or don't play at all.

 

[Goaldeje]

I don't understand why you all are looking at this as an either/or situation. If Shanny puts youngsters out on the field, I doubt sincerely his gameplan changes with those substitutions. Pretty sure he is still trying to win the game, just using different players. Shit, it's not like the current group of starters has exactly lit the world on fire. Who knows, maybe some of the kids would play better.

Besides which, Doughty in my mind is different. The guy is coming off two concussions, and my money is on that being a league mandated sit within 3 years. Why risk the guy's career for a meaningless game?

 

[SilentThreat]

I'm with Ax.

As much as it's standard for some fans (and even media) to want a team to NOT win games, be it for draft position or to 'see what the young guys have', it's inconsistent with how professional sports are supposed to work. They do, and should, have one goal: win the next game.

In my mind, no owner, coach or player worth the logo on his shirt should ever approach a given game with any other thought in mind.

Offseasons are made for long-term planning.

Absolutely. Players from Peewee all the way up to Pros should maintain a mentality of winning, week in and week out. You cant just turn off competitive nature like a switch. You want a team to win? Winning breeds winning... You cant say "ok men, today we don't care about the outcome of the game, but we want to evaluate you at 100% so you better give it your all." Come on now. These guys are competitors, and they always have been. You don't get to the NFL without a winners mentality.

The last thing this team needs is to pack it in. A lot of these guys are young and will continue to grow together. If he wants to play Rambo because he gives them the best chance to win, i'm all for it, but only if they believe he's the best thing for the team when the clock hits :00 on sunday.

 

[Fear The Spear]

I see both sides of the argument, but the fact that Doughty's long-term health is at stake, that should trump the "play to win", in an instance like this.

It's not like we're fielding a team of Practice Squad players.

 

[Miles Monroe]

I have no issue with sitting Doughty. The guy is far more valuable then people make him out to be, and don't want to see anybodies health put at risk. If you even slightly buy into what Shanny says about people getting playing time, these young guys could be playing if they show enough to earn the spot. I'm not for playing a guy that hasn't proven himself enough on a daily basis in practice and other team activities for the sake of getting a look at him.