House Rules-Help

[fantavet]

I've been playing 14 seasons with the Pats. No house rules at all. Basically doing what ever it takes to produce a winner.

My main issue is injuries each year. Every time I play a player that is questionable, more often the not, he gets worse. To the point where I have to sign another player.

To make room I have to release one, take a cap hit etc... A vicious cycle.

Is there a set of House Rules that address the injury problem? It just seems that I'd might be forced to break a rule and sign players just out of pure need for replacement bodies.

I don't know how you vets do it. Seems like I cycle over 60 players each year trying to keep a roster going. I've always made sure that I had a coach that was at least Very Good at avoiding injuries and I still have this problem.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally posted by fantavet:
Every time I play a player that is questionable,

Well, first off, I rarely start a guy who is questionable. Here are the things I do to deal with injuries. They aren't "House Rules," but just my strategy in the various parts of the season:

EXHIBITION SEASON

• I set my "Willingness to Play Injured Players" at 25.
• Any player who is even probable in the Exhibition season is made inactive if possible, which it usually is since I always use a 53-man roster.
• If its not possible to make him inactive, the huge majority of the time you can at least take him off the depth charts, which means IF he plays, it'll only be on special teams.

REGULAR SEASON

• I bump Willingess to Play Injured Players up to 35.
• Unless the game is very important or I have no choice, I don't start guys who are questionable or doubtful at this time.
• Even if the game IS very important, I VERY rarely will start a key, young player who is questionable or doubtful.
• Whenever possible, guys who are doubtful are made inactive. If not possible to make inactive, I take 'em off the depth chart as mentioned in the Exhibition Season.
• If a player goes on the inactive list, I don't activate him until he is fully healed.

PLAYOFFS

• I bump Willingness to Play Injured Players to 60 in the Wild Card & Division Rounds, 65 in the NFC Championship and 75 in the Super Bowl.
• I go with the scout's recommendation as to how ready to start the player is. If the scout recommends that he's a starter on the depth chart, then he starts (assuming his backup hasn't done better than him).

I play this way, and always with coaches who are Good or better at Avoid Injury, and I USUALLY don't have major injury problems (although there is the legendary time when I was starting my 4th Quarterback by the 4th game of the regular season). Injuries will always be part of the game, so the best you can do is to manage them well, and I believe that's what I'm doing with this strategy. My belief is that the #1 key to this strategy is that I ALWAYS structure my roster in such a way as to afford to have a full complement of 53 players on the team. If you look at my WLC Richmond SkyDogs, I'll bet in that 30-year career I only had to make cuts to afford to replace injured guys in less than 5 of the 30 seasons, and that's pretty normal for the way I play.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope it is helpful.

Ben Lewis

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"The media don’t understand what kind of problems and pressures 54 million come wit’!"

[This message has been edited by SkyDog (edited 03-18-2001).]

[fantavet]

Thanks Sky Dog that reply was very helpful. I'll take a look at your dynasty thread. I'm interested in seeing the position allotments you have for a roster of 53.

I've managed my roster very similar to yours, though not quite as conservative. Maybe that has been my problem.

I've moved starters to back up status when questionable etc... just trying to get them healthy. I can't tell you how many times I've had 4 guards on the team and at least 2 were questionable or worse.

It's this kind of problem that forces a move.

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Fantavet

"I'd cut my grandmother if she didn't have at least a 40 in Breakaway Speed"