Injuries that changed the course of a franchise

[IrishJimmy]

Agree on Jones. Colts window was closing. Their drafts got worse after Joe Thomas was forced out as GM.

[Sonny9]

With the defense the Eagles had that year, they win the division and make the SB if Cunningham is healthy. They don't lose to the Cowboys, Cardinals, Saint or Buccaneers. They don't lose 23-0 to Redskins and maybe even sweep them. Only game I don't know if they win is against the 49ers.

I respectfully disagree. That 1991 Redskins team was one of the best of all time. 260 point differential and a very tuff schedule.
14-2 with 8 games against playoff teams in the regular season. They went 6-2 against then and 1 loss was a meaningless loss the last game of the season and it took a 4th Quarter comeback to do it. Philly didn't have a RB and their offense was 1 dimensional.
The 1990 Eagles were the same team as the 1990 10-6 team. They split in 1990 and Phillys win came against the backup QBs.

[IrishJimmy]

I totally agree - even though I'm a Birds fan. Joe Gibbs was a far superior coach than Buddy Ryan. Ryan was 0-3 in playoff games and was more bluster than results. The Eagles had no running game and Ryan's defenses also came up small in post-season. A 21-7 loss at home to the Rams is a good example of this. The Ryan era featured some great one liners and a lot of bravado but I'll take Joe Gibbs over Buddy any day and more importantly twice on Sundays.

[IrishJimmy]

I also misspoke based on the year. 1991 no way - with Ryan gone and Rich Kotite piloting the ship they don't get to a Super Bowl. Though he did manage a road win in playoffs.

[Brian wolf]

Have to look at the 1967 Eagles as well. With a healthy, productive Timmy Brown in 1966, the Eagles win 9 games, despite QB Norm Snead not having a good passing season.
Poised to finally challenge the Cowboys more in the new Capital division, Brown suffers a knee injury that not only affects the rest of his career, in which he is traded to Baltimore but the Eagles suffer another losing season before the wheels fall off in 1968, without Brown or Ringo helping the ground game. Snead throws well in 67, but interceptions hurt the team as well and a fully, healthy Brown might have added another win or two. Brown will come back and help the Colts win his second NFL championship but will retire after 1968. As an all-purpose back he is HOF deserving in my opinion ...

[JohnH19]

1999 Rams: Trent Green got injured in the preseason and Dick Vermeil says that they will play “good Football” with Kurt Warner. Surely they did!

I still think Green was better than Warner.

Ralph, you also feel that Bulger was better than Warner. Geeen and Bulger will never make the HOVG, never mind the HOF, so what is it about Warner that makes you feel he is so overrated?

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Randall Cunningham's injury in 1991. Before he got hurt, there were people out there who believed that the Eagles were a SB contender.

If they make a run in 1991 with a healthy Randall (I think they get to the NFC Title Game and lose at Washington), there could have been more motivation to go all the way in 1992. And, if that somehow butterflies away Jerome Brown's death (it probably doesn't, but who knows), the Eagles may do it, and Reggie doesn't decide to leave for GB in 1993.

Also, Randall probably doesn't retire for a year and end up in Minnesota, and Rich Kotite stays longer .

That's the first one I thought of, Randall Cunningham's injury.....

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

'Roger Staubach needing to retire because of concussions after 1979. Often forgotten that that's the reason he retired. Do the Cowboys win the NFC Championship Games in 80, 81, and 82 with him?

[Brian wolf]

Though I am a Staubach fan, I dont feel he may have gotten the Cowboys to the 81 and 82 Championship games because his competitiveness would have gotten more possible concussions. 1980 might have been his last chance, though the Eagles and Falcons were coming on.
Staubach I believe, would have gotten over the hits to the head but the defense might not have been able to get the job done. Even with six defensive turnovers, they couldnt stop the Niners in 1981. Staubach inspired his team but theyre lack of speed on defense would have have caught up to them ...

[Jamie Johnson]

With the defense the Eagles had that year, they win the division and make the SB if Cunningham is healthy. They don't lose to the Cowboys, Cardinals, Saint or Buccaneers. They don't lose 23-0 to Redskins and maybe even sweep them. Only game I don't know if they win is against the 49ers.

I respectfully disagree. That 1991 Redskins team was one of the best of all time. 260 point differential and a very tuff schedule.
14-2 with 8 games against playoff teams in the regular season. They went 6-2 against then and 1 loss was a meaningless loss the last game of the season and it took a 4th Quarter comeback to do it. Philly didn't have a RB and their offense was 1 dimensional.
The 1990 Eagles were the same team as the 1990 10-6 team. They split in 1990 and Phillys win came against the backup QBs.

Another thing to remember was that the Redskins always seemed to have Randall’s number. Eliminate that crazy 1989 game at RFK where Randall passed for over 400 yards, Randall would often get flustered against the Redskins. Richie Petibone knew how to take away Randall’s running lanes, which essentially shut down the Eagle offense. There is no reason to believe had Randall been healthy in 1991 that he suddenly would have overcome his difficulties against Washington.