Thread: Can Someone Explain Why Cutler Sits, BUT A. Smith is Cleared to Start?

Originally Posted by DieHard Bear ina Chair

Let me be clear, I was in no way advocating players with serious symptoms being forced to play or playing when they are in serious jeopardy of long term damage. When I gave my example of how growing up I was back to school the next day & playing sports in a few days, I didn't have any symptoms that lasted longer than the initial day. Maybe I had very low grade concussions, but if you are STILL unable to pass the required tests & physically KNOW you don't feel 100% then I completely understand sitting for a game. What I DON'T like is when people go overboard with safety & wild with hysteria just because they've "heard" of examples of older players having major brain disorders that have not scientifically been proven to be linked completely with concussions. Many older players were also flooding themselves with steroids (proven to have major negative psychological effects) handfuls of prescription painkillers & often times mixed with alcohol. Many people were quick to blame Junior Seau's death on concussion related issues which were also struck down by medical professionals who studied his brain.

Again...my thread wasn't about player's "Man-ing Up" even though some people chose to make it that....I was asking if anyone had information about why Cutler was ruled out so early in the week but many, many reports were stating that Alex Smith was cleared to practice & was a good shot at playing tonight. I was hoping somebody had information about Cutler continuing to have symptoms or not since the ONLY thing I was hearing from every report & coach Smith was that "he is making progress". I just wanted to know why A. Smith was cleared mid-week but Cutler was ruled out.

I just saw this afternoon that A. Smith is now NOT going to play tonights game. This makes me all the more confused as to how a player can be cleared to practice mid-week but not cleared to play the game & what caused him to fail his final tests. More than anything, I guess, is that I wish the NFL would make fans more aware of how they label concussions & the process that follows.

Apparently, NFL policy is now that a player diagnosed with a concussion must pass a series of neurological tests before being cleared to play by an independent neurologist or neuro-psychologist. Alex Smith passed the initial test(s) and was allowed to return to practice under NON-CONTACT conditions but failed to pass the final test to allow return to full-contact/game conditions. Cutler didn't even make it to the non-contact, practice-only level apparently (at least early on in the week) so the Bears all but ruled him out for todays game quite a while ago, knowing there was very little chance he'd be available. The 49ers did have realistic hope Smith would ultimately be available but it didn't pan out like they were anticipating.

In addition, this is Smith's first known concussion while Cutler has already had several. Since there's a growing consensus in the medical community that the long term repercussions of concussions can be cumulative and that each prior one increases the risk of a subsequent one, I would guess that the required testing for Cutler was even more rigorous than for Smith. The bar was higher in other words.

Always take what Lovie has to say regarding injuries with a grain of salt. He is rarely specific and even more rarely predictive. He says canned phrases like "making progress" and "getting closer" almost no matter what. Like every politician does when asked a question that might be controversial or used against him by his opponent if he gives them any ammo.

You're right that this topic (concussions, long range sequelae) is not fully understood yet and other factors may be contributory. But you can certainly understand why the NFL is taking a careful approach to this given how much it has been in the news lately and political/legal "black eye" that could loom if the league came across as willfully ignoring a known danger.

Bottom line is: Smith was "cleared" not to play but only to engage in non-contact drills pending further evaluation. Neither QB was ever cleared to play or you can bet that their teams would want them out there.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Okay let me ask you this.

do you personally think that concussions can lead to brain damage? Forget studies what do you believe?

You want information about why Smith might have played while Cutler was ruled out early? That's easy. Smith passed some of the post concussion tests, when Cutler did not.

As far as Smith being cleared all week until today, he passed every test but the contact test, which is the last and most important test

Finally, you just said this thread was not about players manning up? Who you crappin man? You said

so which is it?

1) Common sense tells me that any sort of brain trauma could "potentially" lead to permanent brain damage. I just feel like people have over reacted a bit to concussions without enough proof or knowledge about them. It's easy to jump on the band wagon & shout against any sort of permanent brain damage, but we simply do not have enough evidence yet. It reminds me a lot of when the whole "Bird Flu Pandemic" shit broke loose...people went hysterical & psychotic over it right away until later on we finally gathered all the required information & realized it was nowhere near as bad as everyone screamed about.

2) Your comment right there was more information than I had read about in dozens of articles. Nobody was saying that Cutler did not pass all the tests while Smith did...the only thing I saw everywhere was "Cutler is progressing" while at the same time Smith had just been cleared to practice non-contact. I just wanted answers so thank you for your input.

3) When I said grow some balls & be a man, that's because it feels to me like every time someone's helmet contacts anything or anyone, people all scream out "concussion!!!" The NFL is so hell-bent on sending a message to its viewers about how concerned they are with player safety & I have a problem with that. They are so quick to pull the plug on anyone during a game & force them to take all these tests & precautions & honestly it bugs me. Part of why I loved racing MX & playing football growing up was the "Man-Factor" for lack of a better word. I loved the brute force & animal instincts of the sports & the fierce competition. When I see a RB run out of bounds just to avoid a hit I get furious. Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Jim Brown, Barry Sanders...these guys would jump over you, stiff arm, & hit the defender harder then they'd hit them. They would do whatever it took to get 1 more yard & I have massive respect for them doing so. It just feels to me like this game with all the new rules (especially roughing the passer 90% of the time) & the hysteria over concussions right now & the players like those I just mentioned, it makes me scream at the tv to Man the f*ck up.

If they came out today & said they can now finally link concussions 100% to serious permanent brain damage & explain how many concussions....how severe the concussions...& how to treat or prevent....I would be totally on board with it.