Initial review of Browns' handling of McCoy's injury points at system failure – NFL News
An initial review of the handling of Colt McCoy's head injury by the Cleveland Browns reported to have been conducted by the National Football League (NFL) and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) doctors and pointed out at a system
failure at the Browns.
Reports emerging after the initial review indicated that Browns medical staff sent back the player onto the field to resume his play without conducting a proper testing of his head injury.
The review was conducted by Dr Elliott Pellman and Dr Thom Mayer, respective chief physicians of NFL and NFLPA, and it has pointed out at the failure of the Browns to check up Colt properly before sending him back.
A couple of news reports have quoted the league and NFLPA sources as saying that McCoy was not administered the mandatory Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) 2 until Friday morning while all indicators led to prove his injury
was a concussion.
One of the symptoms involved was the request to TV camera crews for not switching on their lights by the team management. In that case the player should have been administered the assessment on Thursday night. The physicians said
it was an abnormal thing for the team medical staff to do in spite of all those indicators.
Reports further quoted sources maintaining that the initial enquiry has framed a set of questions to determine whether the team medical staff conducted McCoy's sideline assessment called 'Maddocks Score'. The review is expected
to continue.
McCoy was injured in Browns game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. He came in contact with the Steelers' linebacker James Harrison in a helmet to helmet hit.
He left the field immediately and was apparently inspected in the locker room but soon returned to resume his play.
The Browns had since come under fire for handling of his injury especially their permission to him to return and play.
McCoy father Brad McCoy who himself had been a school football team coach said his son's injury affair was not handled properly by the Browns. He said when he talked to Colt McCoy he had not remember anything.
"I talked to Colt this morning and he said, 'Dad, I don't know what happened, but I know I lost the game. I know I let the team down. What happened?' "
The team management however defended themselves saying that they had handled his affair properly. They clarified that there was no reason for them to allow him back on the field if the player had not felt fit to return.
"I feel very confident that if he wasn't able to play we would have stopped him," Coach Pat Shurmur said. "I can assure everyone that we followed protocol."
The case is set to further put pressure on the NFL to be very restrict in pursuing team over handling of concussions. Many observers are predicting that the latest incident can pave the way for NFL plans for placement of independent
neurologists to observe and assess concussions during each game.
NFL as a result of an agreement with NFLPA has already committed to place an observer at Press Box during each game to monitor concussions.
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