Ryan Clark injury updates

[stillers4me]

Nothing confirmed yet.... but saw this on twitter. Hopefully, he will pass all the tests this week. We will need him against the Giants! Get well soon, Ryan!


Jason La Canfora‏@JasonLaCanfora
Texting w/Steelers S Ryan Clark, who suffered concussion. Says he feels good, recalls details of the game, including his big hit on RGIII

[steelpride12]

Good news that he remembers the game. Probably just a minor concussion that obviously forced him to sit, but won't hold him from practice come Wednesday.

[steelerdude15]

I hope he has a full and speedy recovery!

[86WARD]

And Woodley is injured again?! lol...

[polamalubeast]

And Woodley is injured again?! lol...

what?...link please

[86WARD]

Woodley injured with a hammy. Dwyer, Quad.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2012/10/steelers-injury-report-ryan-clark-lamarr-woodley-jonathan-dwyer-injured-in-win/

[polamalubeast]

wtf

[X-Terminator]

Does Woodley even bother to stretch at all? The guy has the weakest hammys I've ever seen.

[Count Steeler]

Does Woodley even bother to stretch at all? The guy has the weakest hammys I've ever seen.

Guess that's why he doesn't hustle.

[Psycho Ward 86]

hammy's are tough to deal with. they nag for a long time even if they arent that bad, kind of like turf toe

[Craic]

Gotta wonder if this goes back to the trainer/med staff again.

I mean, at this point you just have to wonder how much time he spends on the hammy machine vs. the leg press etc.

[stillers4me]

ryan clark‏@RealRClark25#Steelernation (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/search?q=%23Steelernation&src=hash)! Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!! I'm good, I'll be back out there on Sunday against the Giants! Takes more than that

[Shoes]

ryan clark‏@RealRClark25#Steelernation (http://www.steelersuniverse.com/search?q=%23Steelernation&src=hash)! Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!! I'm good, I'll be back out there on Sunday against the Giants! Takes more than that


Nice....thanks for that Sue!

[86WARD]

We've heard that before...

[HollywoodSteel]

He's got to pass a concussion test Wednesday morning.

[Count Steeler]

He's got to pass a concussion test Wednesday morning.

I hope he is studying right now.

[Devilsdancefloor]

Gotta wonder if this goes back to the trainer/med staff again.

I mean, at this point you just have to wonder how much time he spends on the hammy machine vs. the leg press etc.

i dealing with a lower back at the moment and my right hammy is a freaking mess even though i use both machines and stretch 2 times a work out, so it could also be his back and he doesnt know it :no idea: i didnt know it was my lower back until the spine doc told me

[st33lersguy]

Clark NEEDS to play, the steelers can't start Ryan Mundy against the Giants high-octane offense and expect to win

[SMR]

Clark NEEDS to play, the steelers can't start Ryan Mundy against the Giants high-octane offense and expect to win

Uh...your optimism is duly noted.

:sarcasm:

[Psycho Ward 86]

Clark NEEDS to play, the steelers can't start Ryan Mundy against the Giants high-octane offense and expect to win

seems to me that Will Allen has been getting the majority of the snaps in Troy's absence, and playing much better and deflecting passes

[HollywoodSteel]

seems to me that Will Allen has been getting the majority of the snaps in Troy's absence, and playing much better and deflecting passes

Right, but Troy has already been ruled out so if Clark doesn't play either they will have to start both Allen and Mundy. Not good.

[Seven]

Right, but Troy has already been ruled out so if Clark doesn't play either they will have to start both Allen and Mundy. Not good.

If Clark can't go I'd rather see Allen & Cromartie-Smith than I would Allen & Mundy. I don't know that many people realize just how bad Mundy has been this season. He has been Anthony Smith vs. the Pats bad almost everytime he sees the field.

[GBMelBlount]

Clark is a difference maker on our defense.

If he does not play Ben may have to have a career game for us to win.

[Devilsdancefloor]

I would like to see what the kid golden has to offer as well not sure i want to see cromartie-smith

[Animal Mother]

Not really injury related, but this past game I changed my opinion of Ryan Clark. I used to like him, I used to love the big hits on receivers, but that stuff is now getting flagged. He hasn't adapted save for lowering his aim slightly and trying to get his head out of the way. Here's the thing, that hit on RGIII could have been flagged. Not saying it SHOULD have, but in today's NFL, there would be no surprise if it was.

Second, Ryan seems to have a real chance at playing the ball. I think it was last week when he hit the ball instead of the receiver and the ball came loose. That's when the light came on for me. Why doesn't he start attacking the ball? He seems to line up the receiver while the ball is in the air for a big hit. I got news, it dislodges the ball maybe 1 out of 10 times and half the time it gets flagged. It's not worth it.

Not that this post will make any difference, but I'm really starting to dislike the way we play in our secondary.

[SteelGhost]

Not really injury related, but this past game I changed my opinion of Ryan Clark. I used to like him, I used to love the big hits on receivers, but that stuff is now getting flagged. He hasn't adapted save for lowering his aim slightly and trying to get his head out of the way. Here's the thing, that hit on RGIII could have been flagged. Not saying it SHOULD have, but in today's NFL, there would be no surprise if it was.

Second, Ryan seems to have a real chance at playing the ball. I think it was last week when he hit the ball instead of the receiver and the ball came loose. That's when the light came on for me. Why doesn't he start attacking the ball? He seems to line up the receiver while the ball is in the air for a big hit. I got news, it dislodges the ball maybe 1 out of 10 times and half the time it gets flagged. It's not worth it.

Not that this post will make any difference, but I'm really starting to dislike the way we play in our secondary.

Good point AM. Clark AND Mundy have to understand the new pussyfied rules and play accordingly

[steelpride12]

seems to me that Will Allen has been getting the majority of the snaps in Troy's absence, and playing much better and deflecting passes
I thought Allen stood out a little on Sunday. He made a few strong plays and def. proved he deserves the spot in Troys absence over Mundy.

[Craic]

Not really injury related, but this past game I changed my opinion of Ryan Clark. I used to like him, I used to love the big hits on receivers, but that stuff is now getting flagged. He hasn't adapted save for lowering his aim slightly and trying to get his head out of the way. Here's the thing, that hit on RGIII could have been flagged. Not saying it SHOULD have, but in today's NFL, there would be no surprise if it was.

Um, no, flagging that would have been as blatantly wrong as flagging someone for holding when their hands were in the air. The ref was right there, and it was very clear that he went in hands first to break up the pass. It was done legally, and was still a good hard hit.


Second, Ryan seems to have a real chance at playing the ball. I think it was last week when he hit the ball instead of the receiver and the ball came loose. That's when the light came on for me. Why doesn't he start attacking the ball? He seems to line up the receiver while the ball is in the air for a big hit. I got news, it dislodges the ball maybe 1 out of 10 times and half the time it gets flagged. It's not worth it.

Not that this post will make any difference, but I'm really starting to dislike the way we play in our secondary.
As I've said before, the reason, is because making a good "football play" doesn't get on ESPN. The fact is, over the last two or three weeks, the Steelers have been WR's and QB's as hard as they ever have. The difference, is that they've learned to play football again, and leave the camera splash "look at me mom, I'll be on sportschannel tonight!" plays for other teams.


Good point AM. Clark AND Mundy have to understand the new pussyfied rules and play accordingly

What makes the rules "Pussyfied?" I keep reading this, but am at loss to understand it. Let's see, Ryan cranked RGIII in Sunday's game. Clean hit, no penalty. Very much within the new NFL rules. Three weeks ago, Allen (I think it was Allen) came across the field on a Titan's WR and crushed him. No penalty. Why? Not a head shot. Allen and Mundy have both learned how to hit properly (like kids were TAUGHT how to hit by proper coaches - head on the football - not in the other guys helmet, and wrap up). The difference? Not only is our defense getting better, but we're dislodging more passes.

For anyone who cares, go back and watch last week's game. You'll notice two things on defense, and it's the exact same things I've been saying here. 1. Wrap. Our players are starting to wrap when they hit and guess what - No! It can't be! They're bringing guys down - ESPECIALLY on the run plays. 2. Don't try to get on ESPN - just play the game, break down before you hit, and put your head on the ball. Guess what, no penalties, dropped passes by the opposing offense, and no blown tackles down field.

Pussyfield football my ass - it's actually called playing hard, and playing smart, and it's about time this team got back to it and the fundamentals.

[Animal Mother]

I don't have statistics, but it also seems to me that whenever our safeties go for a big hit to dislodge the ball, a lot of times the receiver hangs on to it anyway. I've seen a small few where yeah, the hit knocks it out, but half of those seem to get flagged. The rule is not necessarily head-to-head, I've seen flags where it is just a hard hit on a defenseless player. Again, my memory is crap, but Clark got flagged not too long ago for a shoulder pad hit because it looked hard and the receiver stayed down (I remember complaining about it). That's the trick by the way, the flag always seems to get thrown if the receiver looks injured.

My opinion is that these guys can be more effective playing the ball. You negate any flags for hits and you have a better chance disrupting the play. The drawback is of course, you miss, the guy catches the ball and runs for a TD. But I think there is real value in ball hawking as opposed to lining up a big hit.

By the way you would have been able to decorate your house with all the flags that would have been thrown if RGIII stayed down and acted injured on that play, you and I both know it. Clean hit, but still a defenseless player. There's no reason to launch there, if he caught the ball, you are better off trying to tackle with a ball swat then pulling your head out and launching your shoulder pad at the guy. If you come in under control, you can make a play on the ball first then get him out of bounds second. If you launch you risk that he catches it anyway and he goes out of bounds (same result) but you get flagged so add 15 yards.

[GodfatherofSoul]

I don't have statistics, but it also seems to me that whenever our safeties go for a big hit to dislodge the ball, a lot of times the receiver hangs on to it anyway. I've seen a small few where yeah, the hit knocks it out, but half of those seem to get flagged. The rule is not necessarily head-to-head, I've seen flags where it is just a hard hit on a defenseless player. Again, my memory is crap, but Clark got flagged not too long ago for a shoulder pad hit because it looked hard and the receiver stayed down (I remember complaining about it). That's the trick by the way, the flag always seems to get thrown if the receiver looks injured.

My opinion is that these guys can be more effective playing the ball. You negate any flags for hits and you have a better chance disrupting the play. The drawback is of course, you miss, the guy catches the ball and runs for a TD. But I think there is real value in ball hawking as opposed to lining up a big hit.

By the way you would have been able to decorate your house with all the flags that would have been thrown if RGIII stayed down and acted injured on that play, you and I both know it. Clean hit, but still a defenseless player. There's no reason to launch there, if he caught the ball, you are better off trying to tackle with a ball swat then pulling your head out and launching your shoulder pad at the guy. If you come in under control, you can make a play on the ball first then get him out of bounds second. If you launch you risk that he catches it anyway and he goes out of bounds (same result) but you get flagged so add 15 yards.

Big hits aren't just about dislodging the ball but intimidating receivers. I think a lot of those Redskins drops are owed to that.

[BnG_Hevn]

I sincerely doubt that ANY NFL WR is "intimidated" by hard hits. If they are, then they need to find other employment. If they are, the other members on the team wouldn't let them live it down b/c let's face it, regardless of how they may pull off "alligator" arms in TV to fans, the other players would call them on it in a heartbeat.

[GodfatherofSoul]

I sincerely doubt that ANY NFL WR is "intimidated" by hard hits. If they are, then they need to find other employment. If they are, the other members on the team wouldn't let them live it down b/c let's face it, regardless of how they may pull off "alligator" arms in TV to fans, the other players would call them on it in a heartbeat.

Really? Receivers don't short-arm passes after they've been hit coming across the middle?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls794MhIkU4

[bayz101]

Really? I'd of done the same thing is Ryan Clark was coming at me that fast! Business decision! :chuckle:

[bayz101]

I sincerely doubt that ANY NFL WR is "intimidated" by hard hits. If they are, then they need to find other employment. If they are, the other members on the team wouldn't let them live it down b/c let's face it, regardless of how they may pull off "alligator" arms in TV to fans, the other players would call them on it in a heartbeat.

Even the best of receivers shit themselves when they hear "footsteps" after getting rocked once already.

[Craic]

By the way you would have been able to decorate your house with all the flags that would have been thrown if RGIII stayed down and acted injured on that play, you and I both know it. Clean hit, but still a defenseless player. There's no reason to launch there, if he caught the ball, you are better off trying to tackle with a ball swat then pulling your head out and launching your shoulder pad at the guy. If you come in under control, you can make a play on the ball first then get him out of bounds second. If you launch you risk that he catches it anyway and he goes out of bounds (same result) but you get flagged so add 15 yards.

Nope. He didn't "Launch into the player. There's a very specific definition to launching: A launch is (1) leaving both feet prior to contact (did that) and springing forward and upward into the opponent (did that), and (2) using the helmet to initiate forcible contact (did not do that) against any part of the opponents body (Article 8j of the 2012 NFL rulebook).

Hence, according to the rule book, he did not launch into RGIII.

Next question, was this "a hit on a defenseless receiver?" The answer, again, is no (again, quoting the rulebook): A defenseless player in this case is a receiver who is attempting to catch a pass (RGIII was doing that), or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself (RGIII qualifies here as well) or has not clearly become a runner. If the receiver/runner is capable of avoiding or warding off the impending contact of an opponent, he is no longer a defenseless player. The prohibited contact against such a player is: "Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him; (And here - is where Clark did it right - he did not "hit a defenseless receiver" as the rules consider a "hit" on a "defenseless receiver"), and (2) Lowering the head and making forcible contact with the top/crown or forehead/”hairline” parts of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body (Clark didn't hit this way either). Note: The provisions of (2) do not prohibit incidental contact by the mask or helmet in the course of a conventional tackle on an opponent" (Article 9a2 and 9b).

As such, RGIII was neither launched on according to the definition, nor was he "Hit as a defenseless receiver" according to the ways a "hit" is defined.

Clark hit him with his hands, actually - hands and chest if I remember right, so no, regardless of whether RGIII stood up or not, there would have been no penalty, because there was no penalty to be called.

As for the rest of your post - you're exactly right. Once our guys decide to play football, and tackle properly, this defense'll tighten right down, especially in the run department.