Dolphins, consultant didn’t ‘strictly’ follow concussion protocol after Moore hit, league finds

Beasley wrote:The NFL has determined that its concussion protocol “was not strictly followed” by the Dolphins after Matt Moore took a vicious shot to the head in Miami’s Wild Card loss to Pittsburgh.

Team physicians and the unaffiliated medical consultant missed that Moore was bleeding from the mouth -- which is a documented symptom that needed further evaluation -- before clearing him to return after just one snap on the sidelines.

The league did not punish the Dolphins for the violation, but did warn them that “any future deviation from the protocol may result in enhanced discipline, including monetary fines assessed against the club.”

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article128731134.html

I am not surprised that they got in trouble for this but surprised they didn't punished them. I guess with all the stuff that the Patriots got away with they figured they slapped their hands.

rightchea wrote:
I am not surprised that they got in trouble for this but surprised they didn't punished them. I guess with all the stuff that the Patriots got away with they figured they slapped their hands.  

It has nothing to do with the Patriots. I think it has more to do with the fact that the NFL screwed up too. The league has a doctor on-hand for the concussion protocol (what the article calls an "unaffiliated medical consultant"), and obviously he dropped the ball with Moore too.

The message I got from it was, "We can't prove Moore actually had a concussion, but that hit looked bad so we have to at least act like you somehow did something wrong. BAD Dolphins, BAD!" (Slaps wrist.)

So ultimately, Dupree blatantly hits Moore in the jaw and gets nothing more than a 15-yard flag and an $18K fine, while his penalty is somehow offset completely by the light shove Ajayi gave, plus the Fins are now on double secret probation. Seems perfectly fair to me!

If anything, this actually gives teams more incentive to "encourage" defenders to take headshots. Knock someone out of the game, and they'll get into more hot water than you somehow. Gotta love the modern NFL. Or stop watching it altogether like I have.

The most absurd part was this insistence that bleeding from the mouth always = concussion. Huh??? What??? I'm no doctor, but I completely fail to see what the hell one has to do with the other, or why Moore "had" to be taken to the locker room for it. Then again, leave it to the crack Fins' medical staff to totally miss seeing it somehow

I think the point is that there is a protocol teams need to follow, and in the 30 seconds that Moore was on the sideline the Dolphins and the NFL both clearly failed to follow that protocol.

It's not that bleeding mouth = concussion, it's that bleeding mouth is a possible concussion symptom and reason to follow through and make sure there's not a concussion.

Ultimately it's not a big deal because Moore is OK, but it's pretty obvious that the Phins did not have enough time to follow all the procedures with Moore, and they put him back in the game without following the full protocol.

Yes, the NFL saves face, and nothing changes.

Here's the Fins' side of it.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/25/dolphins-believe-there-was-no-concussion-protocol-violation/

DolFan 316 wrote:Here's the Fins' side of it.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/01/25/dolphins-believe-there-was-no-concussion-protocol-violation/

I'd like to believe that a "concussion protocol" would be more comprehensive then asking “Where are we right now?” and “What’s the score?” Why even have a doctor look at him at all if that's all they're going to do??

And the article brings up an excellent point:

Why have a UNC (Unaffiliated Neuro-trauma Consultant) if the UNC can’t override the potentially skewed assessment of whether a player should be cleared to return to action?

What this tells me is that the NFL's renewed "emphasis" on concussions is just a load of crap. They're just trying to cover their ass - period. And that's not a surprise at all.

the NFL states...

“The team doctor took appropriate steps to promptly and fully involve the Unaffiliated Neuro-trauma Consultant (UNC) in the medical evaluation of the player and review of the video. They jointly cleared Mr. Moore to return to the game, but did not recognize that Mr. Moore presented a documented symptom, bleeding from the mouth, that required further evaluation in the locker room under the protocol.”

if the UNC cleared him to return to the game, how can the Phins be at fault? NFL covering their own ass.

and yes, if a player is bleeding FROM the mouth, he must go to the locker room. But there was no visible blood FROM Moore's mouth...

The CBS broadcast backs up that claim. In none of the various images of Moore’s face following the blow to the head is there any visible blood on the mouth or face of the player.

and well, Moore wasn't bleeding FROM the mouth, he was bleeding IN his mouth...

Moore was bleeding because he bit his tongue.

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/armando-salguero/article128836299.html

the NFL protocol does not address bleeding IN the mouth, only FROM the mouth. no visible blood on the outside and no need to follow the protocol. the NFL's own UNC agreed with that assessment.

case dismissed.