How Long Can ‘Next Man Up’ Stay Successful?
The Ducks have been incredibly hampered by the injury bug so far this season. It was clear in the first game of the season when we watched Kayvon Thibodeaux and Justin Flowe go down with injuries, and it remains evident after Week 5 when the hits haven’t stopped. When asked after the Stanford game whether or not he had seen anything like this in his career, Mario Cristobal answered matter of factly:
“No sir. Not like this.”
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As a coach who has played the game, and been on the sidelines for more than half of his life, that’s a powerful statement. But when you look at the names of players who have been sidelined for the Ducks, you understand the truth in the notion. Take a look at this list of players who have been sidelined at some point this season:
- Kayvon Thibodeaux
- CJ Verdell
- Justin Flowe
- Bennett Williams
- Keith Brown
- Adrian Jackson
- Bradyn Swinson
- Mase Funa
- Treven Ma’ae
- Dru Mathis
- Alex Forsyth
The Ducks have always touted a “next man up” mantra that is common throughout all of sports, but at some point, you have to ask the question: At what point does that next man up simply not offer enough to get the job done?
A few of the biggest injuries that came this week are to RB CJ Verdell and S Bennett Williams, both of whom are now expected to miss significant time going forward. Verdell went down during the game and had to be carted to the locker room, and Williams reportedly suffered a “freak injury” in walk-through on Friday that came in a non-contact situation.
The Ducks have made due so far, getting by with the guys on their roster and relying on depth, but at some point, the chickens come home to roost, and you simply run out of viable players if this keeps up.
Next Question: Realistic Expectations…