Are Defenses Faking Injuries To Slow Down Eagles?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It's almost impossible to prove, and it seems almost impossible to police. But it started during the opener against Washington, and it seems as if it's continued ever since.
Teams appear to be faking minor injuries as a way to slow down the Eagles offense.
Several times during Thursday night's loss to the Chiefs, the a Chiefs defensive player laid on the ground with injuries that did not keep the player out of the game beyond the next play.
According to two former players, it's probably happening because it's always happened.
"Let me tell you something, trying to run that particular offense, that hurry up offense with three games in 11 days, I knew it was going to be a problem and I knew they had to slow it down and they did, and they can't play that way. Plus, people have figured out how to slow it down. Whenever they get on a little roll, they have a cramp guy. That's a new position," CBS 3's Sports Director Beasley Reece said Friday morning on the WIP Morning Show. Reece played seven years as a defensive back in the NFL for the Giants, Bucs and Cowboys.
"I know they were faking," Reece said. "Listen to me---I don't care what Mike [Mayock] said [they weren't faking injuries], I love Mike, I played with Mike, but listen to me, there's a free safety, there's a left corner, there's an inside linebacker, and there's a cramp guy. It's a new position when you play the Eagles and they practice it! They rotate it and they have guys who can't play, they send them in there for a play, 'Get in there quick and get a cramp!' So there's a cramp guy."
Hollis Thomas, a former Eagles defensive tackle and now a co-host on the WIP Morning Show, agreed with Reece's sentiments.
"A lot of defenses do this against teams like---it's like if we were tired, we'd pick one of us would go down," Thomas said. "Who's the tiredest, who doesn't have enough left in the tank. Sometimes, you might get a miscommunication and two people go down at the same time. Yeah, I knew they were faking it [on Chiefs players faking injuries]."
