One thing I forgot, he is a leverage player losing those pounds and taking a beating all year wore him down. I am about 100% sure it was that.
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One thing I forgot, he is a leverage player losing those pounds and taking a beating all year wore him down. I am about 100% sure it was that.
Take a look at Green-Ellis' TD run and tell me Ngata isn't hurt.
PP
Ngata suffered a thigh injury that was describe as a deep contusion of some sort. Don't recall what game that was but I think it's no coincidence he wasn't the same after that injury. Otherwise why else would he pull out of the probowl?
As for his weight I was not a big fan of him losing all that weight in the offseason. He's a run stuffer first in my opinion. I would hope he gains back half of it.
per Baltimore Sun:
Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata and safety Ed Reed have become the latest Ravens to pull out of the game, leaving them with four representatives instead of the original number of eight.
Ngata has been hampered by a thigh injury that didn't force him to miss any games, but team officials believed that it significantly affected his performance down the stretch.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/r...,2874095.story
Haloti said at the beginning of the year that the weight loss was necessary in his mind to ensure a better quality of life long-term. Family history had something to do with it. I don't blame him, and he looks just fine to me at 330.
Considering the pile of money Haloti just received, saying that he's just a run stuffer and would do OK if only he didn't have to deal with all those darned double-teams doesn't cut it.
Guys who can't pass rush and can only beat single blockers are a dime a dozen. That's basically the definition of a backup or rotation player.
However put me in the camp that believes Haloti was playing hurt. His game dropped too quickly and too dramatically at roughly the halfway point in the season for it to be something gradual like too much weight loss in the off season.
Up to that point he was in monster form. He was pass rushing successfully (for a DT). He was beating double teams. He was blowing up plays. He was doing everything we wanted him to do.
Then suddenly it stopped and reports came out about a bad leg bruise. I think it still hasn't healed. But I believe Haloti will recover and return to beast mode in September.