Two Seasons Turn on Hinges

Two plays in the second quarter of two preseason games, taking place at roughly the same time, one in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the other in Charlotte, North Carolina and both involving famous defensive ends. The seasons of the New York Giants and Washington Redskins hinged on hinge joints. In Charlotte, Washington's Jason Taylor got pushed backwards on a running play. About five yards downfield he turned just in time to see Reed Doughty tackling the ball carrier. With his right foot planted, a player fell on Taylor's shin just as the other side of the pile hit him from behind. It looked bad on TV and the reaction of the players on the field as they urged the Washington medical staff to hurry to tend to Taylor, who had screamed in pain when the knee bent the wrong way, seemed to confirm a grim prognosis. Although Taylor did leave the field under his own power, he was limping badly. In Jersey, Osi Umenyiora lined up wide on a third-down play. He took an outside rush to try to go around ... (link)