Last year, I undertook a six year look back at Washington’s “games lost to injury,” under the hope/assumption that the arrival of new trainer Ryan Vermillion might portend a sea change in the team’s injury fortunes. Well, midway through the 2021 season, Vermillion’s training facilities were raided by federal DEA officials, he was put on indefinite leave, and the team crumbled under the weight of its own, collective injuries - and COVID diagnoses - by the end of the season.
Tracking Injuries
The “gold standard” in determining the extent to which NFL teams have been hobbled by injury is Football Outsiders’ “adjusted games lost (AGL)” statistic.