Wally's Take on Injuries - The Sun's "Quotable"

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Toppy Vann
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"Injuries...aren't a major concern if it's not part of the nucleus....

I knowwho my nucleus is.

Every week there are guys who drive you to win.

The same guys every week.

Those are the guys you've got to take care of.

The other guys just follow along.

Our nucleus isn't affected." Wally Buono

Wally's confident that injuries won't affect his team's performance today or this is just spin. Fans know that the replacements he has for the injured guys are for the most part proven commodities who have performed well for the Lions in the past in some capacity or another. The exception being new comer Dennis Mitchell.

This quote from Buono may be the proverbial 'out of context' quote when you read it in isolation. It really doesn't represent what his actions are as a coach or what he does to prepare his team each week. In fact, quite the contrary. The Lions are one of the few teams I have ever heard of in pro who give decent reps and opportunities for 3 QBs both in games and practices. They also preach and teach the value of Special Teams and will make the point that "X " is not new as a starter. He's a starter on ST thus elevating the importance of guys who on some teams are regarded as "role" players.

The Lions have also used and today will use guys from the development roster - Dennis Mitchell. There are numerous other cases where these PR guys get to play at some point in the year or eventually move to the active roster permanently.

This quote for certain doesn't really belie his thinking. It sounds more like a coach not wanting his players to feel that they are so banged up for this game that if they were to lose it's okay. Now he could have said it a bit more eloquently and not referred to some players as "the other guys" who just "follow along" making them sound unimportant which Wally as a coach constantly proves otherwise.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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B.C.FAN
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So Dave Dickenson, Otis Floyd, Dante Marsh and Tony Simmons are not part of the team's nucleus and just follow along? That could be taken as a slight to those four starters.

Wally seldom puts a player in a situation before he's ready.

We know that Buck Pierce, when healthy, can step in and lead the offence.

Dennis Mitchell played most of the preseason at Marsh's spot and has been on the 46-man roster all season. He was active for the first game while Knowlton sat out and on the reserve list for the past three.

Jason Pottinger has been here for a full season and has been the only backup linebacker on the roster for most of the season. He and is more comfortable playing in Glatt's spot in the middle than in Floyd's spot on the short side, so he is still learning.

Chad Mock is fresh off the developmental roster, and gives the Lions two rookies in the starting five receivers. Cory Rodgers is still trying to settle into the offence after four games. I don't expect much from Mock in his first game.
maddeep73
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So Dave Dickenson, Otis Floyd, Dante Marsh and Tony Simmons are not part of the team's nucleus and just follow along? That could be taken as a slight to those four starters
Wow. I thought these guys WERE the nucleus, or at least a big part! I guess when you're 46 deep you have a huge nucleus and these guys aren't the core? Still, Dickenson and Floyd in particular are as core as this team gets.
Keepin' it real
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Robbie
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Toppy Vann wrote:Our nucleus isn't affected." Wally Buono

Wally's confident that injuries won't affect his team's performance today or this is just spin.
With both his #1 and #2 QB's out with injuries, I wonder if Buono still thinks this way.
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