Mid-Day Rant: Injuries

Groy should have no problem fitting in with the Wisconsin
offensive line with his size and game playing experience   

There is one thing that all coaches, players, fans and fantasy owners can agree on, they hate injuries.  There is nothing positive that comes out of an injury (with the exception of Tom Brady) and it could change the fate of your season or fantasy team.  Over the past week, there have been certain NFL teams that have suffered serious injuries that could possibly derail their super bowl hopes as well as college teams who have lost their key players. 

The Badgers are one of the teams who have suffered injuries over the last week, but lucky for Bucky, they should be just fine.   The only serious recent injury happened to red shirt junior center, Peter Konz.  He suffered a dislocated left ankle versus the Gophers and is expected to be out for two – four weeks. 

The good thing about Wisconsin is they are not on the short end of cheese curd eating, Spotted Cow drinking offensive lineman.  Replacing Konz will be red shirt sophomore Ryan Groy who has seen playing time in each game this season.  Groy, at 6-5 320 lbs, should have no problem clearing the holes for Montee Ball and James White over the next few weeks.   My estimation is we see Konz on the side lines until the Big Ten Championship (Baring any sort of collapse in Camp Randall or Champagne).

One team whose season has taken a turn for the worse due to injuries is the Houston Texans.  This season could not have lined up more perfectly for the Texans, with Peyton Manning out and a chance at a first round bye in the playoffs.  However on Monday, there were reports that quarterback Matt Schaub had suffered a season ending injury.  This is a devastating blow to the Texans as they now have Matt Lienhart manning the offense.  I would still expect the Texans to make the playoffs but would not expect them to get past the second round when they have to go through New England or Pittsburgh. 

Matt Schaub's injury is devastating not only to the
Texans but to any fantasy owner who had him as his QB.   

Not only was this a devastating loss for the Texans but for any fantasy owner who started Schaub over the past ten weeks.  I know this because I am one of those owners.  I am 9 -1 and was expecting to make a deep run in the playoffs with Schaub at the helm.  In any normal league, Schaub was a top ten fantasy point producing quarterback along with a top 25 overall fantasy producing player. Clearly losing him is a huge blow.  I was lucky enough to pick up both Matt Hassleback and Alex Smith.  I expect either of these QBs to put up enough points along with the respective supporting cast to weather the storm that is the fantasy football playoffs.  I would bet that other owners were not as lucky and will have to settle for the likes of Matt Moore and Tarvaris Jackson.