By the numbers: How to win an NFL game in the first 8 minutes of play

 On Dec. 27, 2025, the Houston Texans beat the San Diego Chargers 20 to 16, after scoring 14 points in the first half of the first quarter! 

By the numbers: 20 years ago, the NFL Vikings eliminated an opponent while gaining nearly zero yardage

 The game in which the Vikings eliminated the Lions while gaining little positive yardage is similar in its statistical oddity to a game played 20 years ago. 

First, the recent game. The Vikings won the game in Detroit with 3 net passing yards, winning 23-10. The Lions had 6 turnovers -- 4 fumbles and 2 interceptions. The Vikings' first touchdown came from a fumble recovery on the 16 yard line. All of the yardage on the 16 yard drive came from running plays. The other touchdown came from a 65 yard running play. Meanwhile, Vikings QB Max Brosmer, who played for the University of Minnesota and is thereby a fan favorite, had 51 passing yards but lost 48 yards on 7 sacks, for a net of 3 passing yards. 

On November 13, 2005, the Vikings beat the Giants in the Meadowlands 24-21 without scoring an offensive touchdown. They returned an interception for a touchdown, a kickoff for a touchdown, and a punt for a touchdown. The defense scored 7 points, special teams scored 14 points, and the offense scored 3 points. 

Press Begins to Argue for an End to Head Shots

Although Wyshynski is right that visors should be mandatory and seamless glass should be eliminated, he's on the wrong side of hockey history when he writes: "Not banning hits to the head across the board is, ultimately, a good thing, because it would severely limit the physicality with which the game is played. The NHL did the right thing by drawing a line in the sand and saying the cheap-shot plays that target a player's head gotta go."

Wyshynski's more recent posts have been counterproductive.

The truth is that it is wrong to ask the referee to decide about the player's intention in any particular hit. It's even worse to ask the corrupt Colin Campbell to make that judgment.

He does get some interesting posts (and a lot of profanity) when he asks readers if violence made them consider quitting the NHL.

Recognizing the need for change

Back in the real world, The Montreal Gazette says that hockey's management "isn't using its head": "No suspension for Boston's Zdeno Chara, nada. Once again the National Hockey League had a chance to send a strong message to protect its players, and once again it blew the call. It's a miracle this decision, or non-decision, didn't launch a modern day version of the 1955 Rocket Richard riot in Montreal. Then again, in a sense, it did."

This after hockey's general managers decided not to ban head shots -- but did call for longer suspensions.

One former general manager and current blogger for The Hockey News called for the league to recognize a distinction between the violent and the dangerous, saying that the league needs to eliminate danger, not violence. Dangerous hits -- those that can end careers -- include hits to the knee, ankle, and head. Player can come back from bruises and even broken arms but the league has recognized that head and knee injuries can end a career (the league has failed to crack down on ankle injuries).

Journalists outside of the profession are quicker to call for change. Bob Herbert of The New York Times said that the NFL needs to protect players' heads.

It seems possible that the NFL will act before the NHL does and if that happens -- the NHL general managers will take the blame for failing to crack down on danger and for failing to fire Colin Campbell.

In Football and Hockey, Players Fear Concussions

Terribly sad stories recently. Two football suicides have been connected to brain injuries, that of 21 year old Penn State player Owen Thomas and of retired Chicago Bears pro player Dave Duerson.

"Duerson sent text messages to his family before he shot himself specifically requesting that his brain be examined for damage, two people aware of the messages said. Another person close to Duerson, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Duerson had commented to him in recent months that he might have C.T.E., an incurable disease linked to depression, impaired impulse control and cognitive decline."

"Owen Thomas was in the early stages of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, a disease that has been linked to depression and impulse control, primarily among NFL players."

The NFL has donated $1 million -- which is pocket change for the league -- to Boston University School of Medicine's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy.

The NHL should match the donation, because it has the same problems. NHL professional fighter Bob Probert died at 45. "Hockey's enduring tolerance for and celebration of fighting will almost certainly be tested anew now that Probert, more pugilist than playmaker, has become the first contemporary hockey player to show C.T.E. after death."

Probert knew that something was wrong. "Probert, however, knew the 16 seasons of pounding he absorbed as one of the league's foremost pugilists as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings had taken a toll. Before he died of a massive heart attack, Probert asked family members to forward his brain to researchers known best for studying concussions in football players."

The NHL needs to act. Clearly, appeals based on the health of the players and of the sport won't work, so journalists who care are pointing out that the NHL should act in order to preserve its own financial health.

The first thing that the NHL should do is to enforce the rules clearly and consistently, and to fire the man who's currently in charge of enforcement, the corrupt Colin Campbell.

NHL Fails To Prevent Concussions

Concussions are increasing in the NHL. With Colin Campbell's corruption now widely known, the fault has to be partly his, and partly the NHL's for failing to fire him.

Part of the reason that concussion rates have risen is that they are being reported more, but the rate should be declining.

As the CBC notes, "The number of concussions reported by NHL players remains unchanged from last season despite the league's attempt to reduce the injury by creating a rule outlawing blindside hits to the head. Dr. Ruben Echemendia, the NHL's neuropsychologist, said Friday that 33 concussions had been reported as of Dec. 1 — the exact same number as a year ago. However, he was quick to note that it doesn't necessarily mean the rule change has been ineffective."

"The league has been tracking concussions since 1997 and typically sees about 75 reported each season — roughly half of which are the result of blindside hits."

It is absolutely true that individual players are taking consussions more seriously than ever before, as Tavares' story shows.

Still, it's a problem that the rate of concussions has not decreased.

The NFL is ahead of the NHL in researching the problem because about 61 percent of NFL players have had at least one concussion in their career, and some quarterbacks suffer a concussion every year. Evidence suggests that concussions are linked to Alzheimer's, but the link has not been proved. The possibility is as ominous for current NHL players as it is for current NFL players.

The NFL however, will find it harder to prohibit head shots than the NHL, as a recent NY Times op-ed by an ex-NFL player noted.

The Mayo Clinic says that the NHL should ban all hits to the head.

The injury that the NHL won't ever be able to stop completely is this: the skate to the neck. Here's what the stitches look like.

Lack of consistency

Still, the NHL is making its job needlessly tough by failing to suspend players in some obvious cases. Carcillo, for example, was surprised to avoid a suspension for this hit.

Of course, with Colin Campbell using his position to settle grudges rather than establish consistent rules, it's no surprise that the policy is inconsistent and even ridiculous.

Another source of concussions is hits from behind, especially boarding, but with the NHL failing to establish a policy on head shots, it's no surprise that other areas of concerns, such as hits from behind, are virtually ignored. Recently, NHL veteran Michael Nylander, playing in the AHL, had his neck broken due to a hit from behind and his career may be over.

Of course, the NFL is facing criticisms too. It's possible that changes to helmets could help -- personally I think they should be softer, more like protection and less like a weapon. But the NFL is not looking into the possibility at this time. Injuries mean that the NFL should not play more games and should cancel overtime, allowing games to end in a tie.

I hope that the leagues solve their problems. As one commentator said, "Just as football players have to get back to leading with their hands and arms, wrapping up tackles with old-school fundamentals instead of going for the kill shot, hockey players have to learn to stay low, stay in sight and hit appropriately. Concussions can’t be eliminated, but they can be reduced. It will take time, but it can happen."

What that article did not say is that the NHL needs someone who is not corrupt to lead the change.

11 Reasons Why The NHL Must Take Head Shots Seriously and Take Better Care of Youth

11 more news stories show that the NHL has to take head shots seriously. With the Pominville incident, in which the league shows that it thinks a head shot is as bad as making a rude sexual gesture, the league showed it does not take the problem seriously.

The league must defend the players or it will eventually be held liable, when the inevitable death of a youngster or concussion of a marquee player occurs. Networks could be held liable too.

1) Muscle Injuries Rattle an Oregon High School: Two dozen Oregon high school football players who went to a hospital last week complaining of sore and swollen muscles — including three who required surgery — probably suffered from an extreme version of a muscle syndrome caused by intense exercise, sports medicine experts said Monday. Youngsters need to be pushed less -- at least, they need to not get muscle damage from anaerobic exercise.

2) College football player commits suicide, had brain disease.

3) Fox TV announcers including Aikman fail to ask tough questions when injured player returns to a football game.

4) A study showed that college players sustain more total hits to the head in practices than in games. "During a full season of practice, each team averaged 2,500 total hits to the head that measured as significant blows (50 to 79 g’s of force) and about 300 hits to the head that were considered in the concussion-causing range (80 to 119 g’s). Each team experienced almost 200 practice collisions that measured above 120 g’s, which experts have likened to crashing a car into a concrete wall at 40 miles an hour."

5) Could we be witnessing the demise of American football as we know it? "The pressure is on football, at all levels, to deal with recent revelations that concussions are more dangerous and pervasive than most people had thought."

6) Despite Law, Town Finds Concussion Dangers Lurk. It's difficult to prevent concussions in teenagers playing football.

7) The House of Representatives is considering action. (But it's Congress -- could take years, unless a young person dies.)

8) Former ref Kerry Fraser blasts NHL on head shot policy, consistency. Kerry Fraser was one of the best.

9)You can sustain a life threatening injury from falling off your bicycle, even while wearing a helmet.

10) Video: Carolina coach miffed after Foligno headshot non-call. There was no suspension.

11) Rutgers Player Is Paralyzed Below the Neck

First Lawsuit Against a League For Head Trauma

Keep an eye on this one:

California’s workers’ compensation system provides a unique, and relatively unknown, haven for retired professional athletes among the 50 states, allowing hundreds of long-retired veterans each year to file claims for injuries sustained decades before. Players need not have played for California teams or be residents of the state; they had to participate in just one game in the state to be eligible to receive lifetime medical care for their injuries from the teams and their insurance carriers.

About 700 former N.F.L. players are pursuing cases in California, according to state records, with most of them in line to receive routine lump-sum settlements of about $100,000 to $200,000. This virtual assembly line has until now focused on orthopedic injuries, with torn shoulders and ravaged knees obvious casualties of the players’ former workplace.

But Dr. Perfetto’s contention that Mr. Wenzel’s dementia relates to his football employment represents a significant shift, several lawyers involved in the California system said. They estimated the case’s potential value at more than $1 million if it reaches its conclusion, probably in two or three years.

NFL Concussion Story Just Won't Die

Kudos to the NY Times for keeping on the story. John Conyers recently questioned the NFL's concussion expert on the subject.

The NHL should get ready for this. The NHL needs to take concussions seriously.


For example, Phaneuf should have been suspended for the hit on Kopitar even though Kopitar was not hurt.

NHL Must Do Better on Concussions

The NFL has been making news by finally admitting it has a concussion problem. Now new research will shine the same spotlight on the NHL.

The New York Times today reported that researchers found that the corpse of fistfighter Reggie Fleming died in part from a neurogenetive disease caused by head trauma.

The news comes as nifty Congressman John Conyers held another hearing on head injuries in football.

In both sports, the ones who pay the nastiest price are the under-21 youth. Both leagues must act now out of common decency -- and to avoid overwhelming liability in the future.

Did NFL Concussion Experts Quit or Were They Fired?

The New York Times has a carefully written article that says that controversial head injury experts quit after extensive criticism of their lack of concern about head injuries.

The article says that Dr. Ira Casson and Dr. David Viano were members of the committee since 1994 and co-chairmen since 2007. The firing or quitting was announced on Tuesday and earlier, on Sunday, the NFL said it will work with the NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) to identify independent neurologists to say whether or not players are fit to play.

I am glad that the NFL is taking the first steps in addressing sport medicine, where doctors are encouraged to get players back on the field at the expense of their long term health.

I hope that the NHL will follow their example -- but first the NHL Players' Association (NHLPLA) will have to clean itself up.

Does the NFL Think the Concussion Problem Will Go Away?

The NY Times is not dropping the story.

The NHL should be proactive on this issue and not wait until it gets shamed into action.

NFL Still In Denial About Concussion Problem

Great story today in The NY Times.