Chris Balas/On3 ($$$) reporting Mason Graham injury
A couple of posters referenced this in the defensive UFR for the week. I don't subscribe so I can't read anything but the blurb, but maybe this gets things moving and someone has more information to share with the board. Obviously sucks if he's going to be "out for a while".
September 21st, 2023 at 10:48 AM ^
Well, if it had to happen, glad it happened this early in the season.
September 21st, 2023 at 10:49 AM ^
I can't take anymore injury news. First, every important player the Lions have is hurt and now this??? Make it stop!!
September 21st, 2023 at 11:08 AM ^
You are not kidding. Going to the Lions game this weekend and my level of excitement has dropped considerably. I have been to a handful of Lions games maybe a dozen or so, and I have never seen them win in person.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:18 AM ^
The NFL is a war of attrition. Tracy Walker is a good player. If the Montgomery thing is a thing they can pick up a running back to take some hits up the middle. The whole division lost last week. Seattle got embarrassed at home the previous week and were really playing with their hair on fire. Two of Seattle's scores were specifically the result of horrible officiating. Hopefully Campbell will settle down now and not take unnecessary risks. The Lions are still in position to have a good season.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:20 AM ^
I feel ya brother. I'm a Browns season ticket holder and my enthusiasm for the season went from off the charts before the Steelers game to not so much after Nick Chubb's knee got destroyed and Watson played like absolute ass for the 8th straight game as a Brown.
We've got the exact opposite problem that the Lions do. Our D has been playing lights out, only ONE TD drive against them all year and that was on a busted coverage. It's our offense that cant get out of it's own way (hell we gifted the game to the Steelers with two TDs from their defense and four turnovers total).
And we've got a ton of people hurt too besides Chubb - already lost our starting right tackle Jack Conklin for the season - so we're shorthanded against the Titans and it's a short week.
Sigh..........
September 21st, 2023 at 8:17 PM ^
Browns lol
September 21st, 2023 at 8:12 PM ^
Lions lol
September 21st, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
Positive side is there isn’t an offense that remotely threatens UM until November. Sounds like it’s only a couple week injury.
Rayshaun Benny is more than serviceable as a #3 DT as well.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:47 AM ^
I also think Cam Goode, who recorded his first sack in a UM uniform last week, will fill in admirably as well.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:49 AM ^
I want to take solace in this statement but then I think about the Illinois game last year. As Brian pointed out in last week's podcast, this program has a history of not taking some teams very seriously. The difference between going into the 4th quarter up 20-7 vs up 20-17 could be huge.
September 21st, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
There’s no reason we have to limit ourselves to 20 points. We don’t really have to put extra effort into killing the clock, the new rules do that for us.
September 21st, 2023 at 1:15 PM ^
After all the turnovers last week, the offense likely will limit itself. And if they do, that enables Rutgers to gang up on the run. That’s how you wind up with 20 points in the 4th quarter.
It’s annoying, but it’s understandable, since the only way Rutgers wins this game is turnovers and/or special-teams drama.
September 21st, 2023 at 8:22 PM ^
Coaches don’t revamp offenses as a result of one “burn the tape” (now delete the file) game.
They rep what they rep in spring, over the summer and in fall camp.
Executed flawlessly until last week, when JJ went from Zen to the opposite of Zen.
You don’t rep balance all off season and into the season and then abandon balance because of one bad game that ended with a favorably lopsided score.
September 21st, 2023 at 4:17 PM ^
But Illinois was a great team last year. They had a dynamic running back and a stellar defense with a QB that played just well enough to get them by. What team on the schedule will have any of that before Penn State?
September 21st, 2023 at 9:22 PM ^
We need to also remember that Michigan played that game with nearly half its starters sitting on the bench, and that was before the Corum injury. Yes they played us tough but there were more than a few extenuating circumstances that contributed to how that game played out.
September 21st, 2023 at 10:57 AM ^
It's really disappointing to see how many players are injured this early in the season. It feels like the team has no continuity right now. I'm worried about what that means for November.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
Depends on how many are truly hurt and how many are just being cautious during "preseason".
September 21st, 2023 at 11:06 AM ^
Luckily we’re a very deep team, especially in the defensive front seven. This is an opportunity for backups to gain meaningful experience that will be needed in November, December, and January.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:14 AM ^
I share your frustration with the injuries in the secondary, but I can't be upset about a hand injury. A lower body injury would be infuriating, but an injured hand feels like one of those freak accidents that happens after a play when someone accidentally steps on you in the process of untangling a pile.
September 21st, 2023 at 8:26 PM ^
That’s what depth is all about, and making sure guys are healthy by holding them out when making a championship run is smart.
Could actually be helpful because guys we need later in season will have limited wear and tear? Just throwing it out there.
September 21st, 2023 at 10:59 AM ^
Heard from a friend who has 'inside info' that the current estimate is that he'll miss two games.
Sucks, but the schedule is laughable and we are deep on the line. I'm not too worried
September 21st, 2023 at 11:02 AM ^
I'm not worried, but the thought of Graham having a club is disappointing -- just because he's so good with his hand fighting.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:05 AM ^
I dunno, I bet things would be banging at Club Graham
September 21st, 2023 at 1:38 PM ^
Things would get verrrry interesting at Club Mason.
September 21st, 2023 at 4:45 PM ^
club? thought it was a lodge
September 21st, 2023 at 11:13 AM ^
I feel like giving him a weapon like that will only make him more dangerous. Also a lot of his strength comes from leverage and quickness which I think will be fine
September 21st, 2023 at 11:37 AM ^
Can you imagine Mel Tugger trying to deal with a club while on the phone?
September 21st, 2023 at 2:29 PM ^
Tug Cumming.
It's a shame we won't have that guy to kick around anymore.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:54 AM ^
It's amazing to me than any Michigan fan could call a schedule "laughable" after our recent history. Every Big Ten team is capable of beating Michigan on a really bad day.
September 21st, 2023 at 12:49 PM ^
It IS laughable. Is it impossible for Michigan to lose? Of course not.
But if we lose one of the next couple of games and we think "wow Mason Graham would've been the difference here" then we have bigger problems.
September 21st, 2023 at 5:01 PM ^
I think Mason, like Jenkins or Corum, is a Tier 2 type of loss. Its a big deal regardless of who we play. We should be able to survivor against the opponents we face, but Rutgers is better than folks on this stream give them credit for.
JJ is the only guy (or a cavalcade of injuriess...knocking on so much wood right now) I see on our roster that materially alters the outcome in all games left.
September 21st, 2023 at 8:30 PM ^
Shut your whore mouth about JJ.
Why even put this in the universe?
September 21st, 2023 at 2:53 PM ^
Recent history...I've got a short memory so I LOVE UM's recent history when virtually NO Big Ten team, without major help from the zibras, was capable of beating Michigan.
September 21st, 2023 at 8:28 PM ^
You have PTSD from the years of (coaches who shall not be named). UM doesn’t do that any longer.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:00 AM ^
Anything with a hand (short of, like, being shattered to bits) is unlikely to keep a player out for more than 4-6 weeks. And he should still be able to do conditioning and probably even do machine-based lower body weight lifting. As long as he can get back for PSU we're ok.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:07 AM ^
Most of the rumors I’ve seen are saying it’s a hand thing that could be as short as 2 weeks. Even if it’s longer, our schedule coming up is:
vs Rutgers
@ Nebraska
@ Minnesota
vs Indiana
@ MSU
Bye
vs Purdue
Thats 8 weeks for him to get back by PSU, so it shouldn’t be a big issue. He may have a club on his hand but that’ll be fine. The only teams that look like they can even semi functionally run the ball are Minnesota and maybe Rutgers. He’ll get healthy, the rest of our incredible DT depth will play some more, and when he comes back we’ll be adding an All-American before the stretch run
September 21st, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
Does Rutgers have the best rushing attack on that list? I think maybe/probably?
September 21st, 2023 at 7:33 PM ^
And the best defense, not worse than 2nd best anyway. Weird as it is to say, Rutgers may be the best team in that (awful) list
September 21st, 2023 at 11:19 AM ^
There is not a road game listed there that is a gimme.
September 21st, 2023 at 1:03 PM ^
@ Nebraska!?! are you serious....
Minnesota can't throw the ball and MSU is a five alarm dumpster fire.
September 21st, 2023 at 1:08 PM ^
I am going to have to see something more than what Michigan has shown so far before I am comfortable with any road game. I'm not particularly comfortable with the home games.
September 21st, 2023 at 7:07 PM ^
Give him the club cast and he's good to go.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:10 AM ^
I love football and sports in general, but I absolutely hate how much comes down to the health of a team and the frequency of injuries.
Good news that it doesn’t sound long term and that our interior DL should be able to handle this part of the schedule without him.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
The NBA is the worst for this. The question every year should be, "Which team with 2-3 stars will stay healthy?" Because that team will likely win the Ch'ip.
September 21st, 2023 at 2:27 PM ^
The...Ch'ip?
Negged. That's even worse than "natty."
September 21st, 2023 at 5:29 PM ^
The 'ship would be better.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:23 AM ^
Bad news, obviously, but so cool that this program has built depth up the middle. Imagine in past years if we had lost a starter inside for multiple games (like Hurst!)
I know football isn’t like baseball where your defense in the middle is so critical (ala Trammell/Whitaker) and edges and CB’s seem to be the priority, but it sure has been fun to watch our “Football Gifts from God” absolutely dominate! Let’s hope he’s back full speed by Penn State, and no more injury punches to our gut!
September 21st, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
Edges and CBs are important, but nothing is as important as controlling the line of scrimmage. If you can't do it with the down lineman, you have to be unsound in some way. But if you can, you can offset the offense's advantage-of-initiation and deliver your playmakers to the ball, and make them react to you.
DL is one place we can sustain an injury, even if it's to our budding All-American. Hope he comes back healthy and better than ever for the crucial back half of the season.
September 21st, 2023 at 11:54 AM ^
Well if this were the Don Brown years we might be done for, but this is the first time in a long time that the DT position has actual depth, so I think Michigan can weather the storm as long as he's back by November.
Football seems to be one of those games where sometimes you have to be just as lucky as you are good, because one injury to the wrong player derails your entire season. Yes, injuries happen in other sports, but I'm going to assume that its nowhere near to the same frequency.
September 21st, 2023 at 2:37 PM ^
The difference between Georgia/Bama/Ohio State and everybody else is that when they lose a star to an injury, the backup is still better than most team's starter. Ohio State lost Jaxon Smith-Njigba in game 1 last year, didn't matter. We lost Ronnie Bell in 2021, Erick All/Corum/Schoonmaker/NHG last year, didn't effect us too much til the CFP.
We're luckily in a place where every position besides QB, TE and CB a can withstand a few hits without too much of a dropoff.