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5 Questions with NFL on FOX's Trent Green

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Updated Dec 3, 2009 10:12 AM ET
     
 
John Czarnecki chats with former NFL quarterback and NFL on FOX analyst Trent Green about some of football's hot topics, including the NFL's current concussion issue: Brian Westbrook and Clinton Portis missed games because of concussions. What kind of advice would you give those players? TG: All I can do is share my own experiences with it. I was someone who was very diligent in my research, I visited not only my own team doctors, but I went to see neurologist, a neurosurgeon and neuro-psychologist and get their opinions. I went online to do more research and try to learn all the new cutting-edge stuff regarding concussions because there is literally new information almost every day. All I would tell them is to make sure they do their due diligence. It's a little bit different than your ankle, your knee or your shoulder. Even those are pretty major components to playing football and there are long-term solutions like joint replacements, but with your brain, you need your brain forever. I would just make sure that they are very thorough before they play again. And just don't assume that they are ready to go. And I can completely understand the competitive nature of it because I know I thought I could go back and play sooner than what I was probably ready to do. Fortunately, for me, both in Kansas City and Miami the medical staff turned it completely over to the neurosurgeons and the neuro-psychologists to determine when they thought it was best before I went out to play again. They wanted to eliminate it as a football decision and make it a medical decision. So, I was very fortunate that both teams had my best interests at heart. I would tell them to be just as thorough as they possibly can. I tried to convince the Dolphins to let me play the next week. I'm glad they did what they did because even to this day I think I could have played, but who really knows? In Kansas City, I thought I was ready after a few games, but they made me sit out eight games. In the big picture, I'm glad now they were conservative about it. But as a competitor, your mindset is to suck it up and go out there and play because there are only so many games. But the brain is quite a bit different and as we learn more and more about it, that is becoming more evident. The Cardinals' inconsistency ... where do you see this team? Are they good enough to believe in as a legit NFC contender? Trent Green:I definitely think the Cardinals are good enough to get back to the NFC championship game. I think you have to understand that they are going through a lot of different changes. Ken Whisenhunt is back calling the offensive plays, something he hasn't done for the last couple of years. They also have a new defensive coordinator in Bill Davis, with Clancy Pendergast leaving to go with Todd Haley to Kansas City. Those are very significant changes. The other fact to consider is they are coming off the high of making the Super Bowl and also the low of losing it like they did to the Steelers. Last year they finished the season at 9-7, but they got hot at the end. I also think they are fortunate to be in the NFC West, which is not a real strong division. So, I definitely think they have a chance. Right now, the offense isn't right there because they are not running the ball as well as they would like. I think Beanie Wells is going to be a good back. I'm sure it is pretty frustrating for them because of the size they have on the offensive line and I know what a good job Russ Grimm does with that group. Cardinals at Rams: You've played with both Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger. How come Warner can still bring it while Bulger has struggled in St. Louis? TG: I think both of them still are very accurate passers. Both have a really quick release and good heads for the game as far as understanding the position and what to do. But Marc is going through some growing pains because he's in a completely new offense this season. He has never run the West Coast offense before, plus he had a hand injury in training camp, missing three weeks and then he also missed a couple games during the season. He hasn't had any real continuity with the offense and he's still learning it. Also, Kurt is playing with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston, plus their reserves are pretty good, too. The Rams just lost receiver Keenan Burton this past Sunday and Laurent Robinson before that. He's got Donnie Avery, Brandon Gibson, who they just picked up off Philadelphia's practice squad, and Danny Amendola. Those are his three main targets and there is quite a difference between those two receiving corps. Kurt may be working with one of the best groups in the league while Marc isn't. The other thing to consider is where the Rams are as a team; they are rebuilding that team. I still think Marc can play, and Kurt can still play at a very high level. But it helps him to be surrounded by the offensive talent they have in Arizona. Which quarterback is under more pressure Sunday, the Falcons' Matt Ryan playing without Michael Turner or Eli Manning trying to avoid a five-game losing streak in New York? TG: I think Eli just because he plays in New York. I just think the expectation and pressure is much greater in New York. I also think that the fact that they started off 5-0 and have lost four straight is a big deal. There's just a lot more being the quarterback of the Giants. I'm not saying that there is less pressure because Matt Ryan is playing in Atlanta, but he's only in his second year. Everybody understands there's going to be growing pains and that there is a learning process. As well as everything went for Matt last season, it's safe to say he will get more leeway than what Eli will get. If you were playing quarterback and your coach told you that up six points with just over two minutes left that you were going for it on fourth-and-two at your own 28, what would your reaction be like? Would you be fired up, or try to talk the coach out of it? TG: I'm an offensive guy and I'm an aggressive guy, so I would be fired up if my coach showed that much confidence in me and the rest of the offense to go for it. Also, I think everybody has to take into consideration the relationship that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have, their history together and what they've accomplished. There's a lot going into that decision. I know my relationship with Coach Vermeil and there were times when I could have some back-and-forth dialog with him, but that's rare. Now, maybe in the back of my head I might have been thinking, "This may not be a good idea." But as a quarterback, I would definitely verbalize yes, let's go for it. We can get this. In the big picture looking back now, if I was anybody else, I would think this is crazy. When I saw the Patriots go for it Sunday night at Indianapolis, I thought Belichick should have made them go the whole length of the field rather than 28 yards. That's the rational part of me talking there. But as a competitor and as a quarterback if my head coach had a belief in us like that, I'm behind him 100 percent. For the rest of the year, this play is going to be discussed for a long time, especially if it decides a playoff spot or home-field advantage. But I don't think Belichick will allow anyone to suffer a hangover effect from this. I think it's ingrained too much in his players to simply go onto the next game and forget about what just happened.
Tagged: Clinton Portis, Cardinals, Steve Breaston, Michael Turner, Keenan Burton, Rams, Donnie Avery, Dolphins, Patriots, Laurent Robinson, Danny Amendola, Falcons, Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Marc Bulger, Redskins, Matt Ryan, Brandon Gibson, Beanie Wells, Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin

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