Bill Belichick blames new NFL rules for rise in injuries

The Patriots have seen their fair share of injuries this year. They've lost key player after key player, but have still somehow managed to survive.

What is causing all these injuries? The new NFL rules are, according to Bill Belichick.

One of the changes to the NFL rules that came out of the lockout before the 2011 season was that off-season workouts and practice time were greatly restricted. Practicing twice in one day during training camp, a common procedure, was all of a sudden outlawed. The NFL also put a limit on how many padded practices teams could hold and also cut down off-season team activity from 14 days to nine.

So it's a pretty big difference, and according to Belichick, it's made a difference on the injured reserve list as well.

Associated Press:

"I'm in favor of total preparation for the players for the season," Belichick said during a conference call with Buffalo reporters this week in leading up to New England's home game against the Bills on Sunday. "And I think that's been changed significantly and, I would say, not necessarily for the better when you look at the injury numbers."

Belichick said players are more vulnerable to being hurt because they're less prepared, and described the limits placed on offseason workouts — including training camp — as being counterproductive.

"Personally, I think that's taking the wrong approach," he said. "You have a gap between preparation and competition level. And I think that's where you see a lot of injuries occurring. We get a lot of breakdowns. We get a lot of situations that players just aren't as prepared as they were in previous years, in my experience anyway."

USA Today points out that Belichick says he was citing "a matter of record, not opinion". The AP points out that there are only 288 players on IR so far this year, which is the lowest since 2008. However, we have obviously seen the rise in ACL injuries this year.

It's unlikely that these new rules are going away anytime soon, but Bill Belichick is no doubt not the only coach in the league wishing he was allowed to better prepare his players.