The Concussion Blog Original, NFL Concussion Report, is a weekly compiling of the reported head injuries in the National Football League. Concussions are added to the list each week from multiple sources to give you the reader a picture of what is happening on the field. Each week we will bring you the information along with relevant statistics. If we have missed a concussion or put one on here erroneously, let us know (we will also be using Fink’s Rule to classify a concussion/head injury). It also should be noted that due to the league not disclosing actual injuries until Friday night there may be some added to next weeks numbers.
It has been weeks since you have seen us post about the concussion numbers in the NFL. A quick explanation; at the end of the year with trouble finding Week 17 numbers we search for a few days, then we sit on numbers and cross check with sources which takes time. Finally going through and I.D.ing other factors like helmets and new parameters takes some time. It also helps that the past few years the NFL waits until Super Bowl Week to release their numbers.
Let us first opine about the released NFL numbers via NY Times;
In the preseason and the regular season, players sustained 228 concussions, down from 261 in 2012, when concussions rose 4 percent compared with the previous year. Helmet-to-helmet contact caused almost half the concussions this season, down from 53 percent in 2012. But more concussions occurred when players hit their heads against an opposing player’s knee or the ground.
The whole number for the season is only nine off from what we collected here. Which tells me that what we are doing is as accurate as you can find anywhere outside of the NFL (actual players notwithstanding). But where were the missed nine? I happen to think its a combination of preseason and Week 17. So, we are happy with our collection system.
The 13% drop is both accurate and inaccurate in our estimation. Hows that you ask? In the regular season Continue reading