Nick Collins - The Injury That Set Us Back

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I was thinking, is it possible that if we had a healthy Nick Collins we would have advanced further in the playoffs these past three years? I think we may have.

First, Collins was without question becoming one of the elite safeties in the league. He was an absolute ball hawk that was also a pretty good tackler. Since his injury, our safety play has plummeted, culminating in the TD to VD in the last game that Collins would most likely have made a play on. So, if he was healthy and the elite safety our defense so sorely needs, I think it's reasonable to speculate that we would have been better in the playoffs.

2011 - Lost to NYG at home. Frankly, I don't think Collins makes up the difference - though his presence may have helped substantially with the poor communication and tackling we had that year. Enough to overcome what transpired, doubtful.

2012 - Beat Minn. Obviously. Lost at SF when Kaep went off. Would Collins have made the difference? I doubt it. He certainly would have helped in tracking Kape and maybe preventing the huge plays that burned us. But, I don't think it would be enough for us to win. BUT, at the same time, if we had Collins, we may have been in better position in the playoffs. If I remember correctly, we lost out to home-field by one game. If Collins is healthy, he wins the battle that Jennings lost in the Fail Mary play. We win that game, we get home field. Then, Kaep and Co. come to Lambeau. We'd have had a full week of scouting Kaep in the playoffs then and the weather would have slowed Kaep down somewhat - like it did this past season. So, you never really know.

2013 - Lost vs. SF in a close battle, despite being woefully undermanned. As I alluded to above, Collins makes that play on the VD TD. And I think he'd have made a big difference in stopping some of their pass game - remember that 4th down conversion to Crabtree in the 1st Q that Jennings was nowhere to be found - Collins helps. So, I think we win with Collins. I also think we'd have fared well at Carolina. I don't think it'd be unreasonable to think we could have made the NFC Championship and you never know what happens then.

I know - it's a lot of speculation. But, I think it shows how one injury to a key player can hurt a franchise so much.
 

rodell330

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I was thinking, is it possible that if we had a healthy Nick Collins we would have advanced further in the playoffs these past three years? I think we may have.

First, Collins was without question becoming one of the elite safeties in the league. He was an absolute ball hawk that was also a pretty good tackler. Since his injury, our safety play has plummeted, culminating in the TD to VD in the last game that Collins would most likely have made a play on. So, if he was healthy and the elite safety our defense so sorely needs, I think it's reasonable to speculate that we would have been better in the playoffs.

2011 - Lost to NYG at home. Frankly, I don't think Collins makes up the difference - though his presence may have helped substantially with the poor communication and tackling we had that year. Enough to overcome what transpired, doubtful.

2012 - Beat Minn. Obviously. Lost at SF when Kaep went off. Would Collins have made the difference? I doubt it. He certainly would have helped in tracking Kape and maybe preventing the huge plays that burned us. But, I don't think it would be enough for us to win. BUT, at the same time, if we had Collins, we may have been in better position in the playoffs. If I remember correctly, we lost out to home-field by one game. If Collins is healthy, he wins the battle that Jennings lost in the Fail Mary play. We win that game, we get home field. Then, Kaep and Co. come to Lambeau. We'd have had a full week of scouting Kaep in the playoffs then and the weather would have slowed Kaep down somewhat - like it did this past season. So, you never really know.

2013 - Lost vs. SF in a close battle, despite being woefully undermanned. As I alluded to above, Collins makes that play on the VD TD. And I think he'd have made a big difference in stopping some of their pass game - remember that 4th down conversion to Crabtree in the 1st Q that Jennings was nowhere to be found - Collins helps. So, I think we win with Collins. I also think we'd have fared well at Carolina. I don't think it'd be unreasonable to think we could have made the NFC Championship and you never know what happens then.

I know - it's a lot of speculation. But, I think it shows how one injury to a key player can hurt a franchise so much.


Have no fear! TT found his replacement and his name is Morgan Burnett! even gave him a contract extension. ;)
 

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I won't speculate as to which particular games the Packers would have won but losing Nick Collins was a huge blow to the defense. In addition to being a ball hawk and a good tackler, Collins was very fast for a safety. His loss turned a great strength into (what I consider) the biggest hole to fill on defense. IMO Burnett would have been a better player previously and now had Collins not been injured.
 

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I won't speculate as to which particular games the Packers would have won but losing Nick Collins was a huge blow to the defense. In addition to being a ball hawk and a good tackler, Collins was very fast for a safety. His loss turned a great strength into (what I consider) the biggest hole to fill on defense. IMO Burnett would have been a better player previously and now had Collins not been injured.

I think the same thing can be said if TT would have held onto Woodson for at least another year. Burnett clearly isn't ready to be the guy back there.
 

FrankRizzo

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I was thinking, is it possible that if we had a healthy Nick Collins we would have advanced further in the playoffs these past three years? I think we may have.
We WOULD FOR SURE have.

That guy was an All-Pro caliber player, and still getting better.

You guys think I have some serious pet-peeves with our injuries, the 49ers hate, Jerry Hughes, etc.

Well losing Nick Collins trumps them all.
Just reliving THAT HARMLESS play makes me mad enough to punch kitties, and I love cats.

Collins didn't lead with his head into people's heads or their knees like a lot of cheap shot artists do. I've seen guys necks & heads crushed, bent backwards, and they still play.
Collins head was barely fricking touched, and because the fatso tried to hurdle him.
We've seen hundred of plays before in football where a ball carrier tried to hurdle a guy or a bunch of guys.

Have you ever seen anyone else hurt their neck, career end, on one? No I haven't either.
I can't even remember a boxer getting hit bad enough with a punch to end his career from a neck injury.

So this one play, 10000000000000% fluke bullshcrap, it still pizzes me off like nothing else in our history, barely ahead of Sterling Sharpe's career ending after only about 6 or 7 seasons.
 

7thFloorRA

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The injury sucked, but it happened it 2011. Cullen Jenkins was gone then too. I know it wasn't the intention of this thread and doesn't really have anything to do with it, but I am done hearing these 2 names as crutches for why the defense sucks. I would rather imagine if TT had been able to develop another safety in his entire tenure other than Collins.
 

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We WOULD FOR SURE have.

That guy was an All-Pro caliber player, and still getting better.

You guys think I have some serious pet-peeves with our injuries, the 49ers hate, Jerry Hughes, etc.

Well losing Nick Collins trumps them all.
Just reliving THAT HARMLESS play makes me mad enough to punch kitties, and I love cats.

Collins didn't lead with his head into people's heads or their knees like a lot of cheap shot artists do. I've seen guys necks & heads crushed, bent backwards, and they still play.
Collins head was barely fricking touched, and because the fatso tried to hurdle him.
We've seen hundred of plays before in football where a ball carrier tried to hurdle a guy or a bunch of guys.

Have you ever seen anyone else hurt their neck, career end, on one? No I haven't either.
I can't even remember a boxer getting hit bad enough with a punch to end his career from a neck injury.

So this one play, 10000000000000% fluke bullshcrap, it still pizzes me off like nothing else in our history, barely ahead of Sterling Sharpe's career ending after only about 6 or 7 seasons.

Totally off topic but I was reading your signature and love borland at ILB. I think whoever picks him up (and I really, really, hope it is us) is going to have a gem on their hands. The knock on him is his size but "they" said Ray Lewis to small to be and NFL MLB too. Borland is smart, is build like a brick *********, and has unteachable football instinct. I believe the guy is going to have an all-pro caliber career.

I apologize for this unscheduled interruption, now back to your regularly scheduled program...


Ya the lost of Collins absolutely sucked, believe it or not there are rumors floating out there that he wants to make a comeback, same injury as Petyon, same injury as Richardson who the Packers cleared to play. Just rumors.
 
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Ya the lost of Collins absolutely sucked, believe it or not there are rumors floating out there that he wants to make a comeback, same injury as Petyon, same injury as Richardson who the Packers cleared to play. Just rumors.

It´s not the same injury. Both Peyton and Richardson had spinal fusion at the C5-C6 vertabrae while Collins had it at C3-C4. The difference is that nerve roots leading to the arms and shoulders are affected at C-5 and C-6, and the spinal cord is affected higher up at C-3 and C-4, making it way more dangerous to return from an injury like Collins´.
 

Ogsponge

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It´s not the same injury. Both Peyton and Richardson had spinal fusion at the C5-C6 vertabrae while Collins had it at C3-C4. The difference is that nerve roots leading to the arms and shoulders are affected at C-5 and C-6, and the spinal cord is affected higher up at C-3 and C-4, making it way more dangerous to return from an injury like Collins´.

Thanks for the info! I did not realize that.
 

JBlood

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It´s not the same injury. Both Peyton and Richardson had spinal fusion at the C5-C6 vertabrae while Collins had it at C3-C4. The difference is that nerve roots leading to the arms and shoulders are affected at C-5 and C-6, and the spinal cord is affected higher up at C-3 and C-4, making it way more dangerous to return from an injury like Collins´.
The problem is that once you've removed any motion at 3/4 with a fusion it puts added stress on the levels below it--making an injury at C4/5 or C5/6 more likely. Also, if there is any pre-existing degenerative change at the levels below the fusion, repeat injury becomes more worrisome. There is no strict contraindication to return of an athlete with a single level fusion below C 1/2 assuming everything else is normal, so I suspect Collins had some concerns with his neck below the C3/4 level of his fusion.
 

rodell330

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lots of holes to fill on this defense. This either has to be Teddys best defensive draft ever or else i expect much of the same next year.
 

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