Yesterday in my column about about the NFL fining Brandon Marshall, I wrote:

What if the word concussion did not exist? What if the NFL was forced to label the injuries sustained in football games as what they are: traumatic brain injuries. Would there be traumatic brain injury-related symptoms? Would they put traumatic brain injury in parentheses like hip or ankle?

Limited: Matthew Stafford (Traumatic Brain Injury)

Last year I did an interview with Cameron Worrell that I hadn’t intended as a discussion on concussions. But that’s where the conversation went. What he revealed was quite frightening and I think it is a perfect addendum to yesterday’s piece.

Three things that need to happen for….

BROWNS OVER LIONS

• Even if Calvin Johnson does play he is sure to be limited with injury and Matthew Stafford looked like a shell of himself without the best receiver in football on the field. If the Browns can get some consistent pressure they can control the pace of the game.
• Brandon Weeden (sound it out) can’t have one of those Brandon Weeden games and throw the ball to the Lions three times. Use Willis McGahee, use the screen game and Jordan Cameron, Jordan Cameron, Jordan Cameron.
• Cleveland’s had a top ten defense against the run this year, allowing less than a hundred yard a game. That must continue. If the Lions start gashing the Brown in the run game Stafford won’t need Johnson to move the ball through the air.

RAVENS OVER PACKERS

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In newsrooms and men’s rooms and conference rooms around Chicagoland conclusions have been reached following the Bears 27-21 victory over the New York Giants. The Bears can’t play defense anymore. Dave Toub’s exodus to Kansas City has left the special teams units in shambles. The offense can’t put together four successive quarters. There are no question marks at the end of the diehard sports fan sentences. These are facts and they are indisputable.

Except they’re not.

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DaBearsBlog’s own Jeff Hughes appears on 1490 the Jock in Des Moines, Iowa with Marty Tirrell and Trent Condon.

Who knows what the Reverend will provide us as the season goes along. You see, our little Reverend is a fancy pants going off to help the world. He’s going to Malawi for ten months. Here’s his final stateside Rant of the calendar year.