How the Various Fields are Rated by

[JerseySTEEL]

Speaking of stadiums and playing surfaces. the following are how players in the NFL ranked the playing surfaces at each stadium (Source: NFL Players Association):

1. Raymond James Stadium: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2. Sun Devil Stadium: Arizona Cardinals
2. Bank Of America Stadium: Carolina Panthers
4. Reliant Stadium: Houston Texans
5. Qwest Field: Seattle Seahawks
6. M&T Bank Stadium: Baltimore Ravens
7. Alltell Stadium: Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Invesco Field At Mile High: Denver Broncos
9. Lincoln Financial Field: Philadelphia Eagles
10. Ford Field: Detroit Lions
11. Qualcomm Stadium: San Diego Chargers
12. FedEx Field: Washington Redskins
13. The Coliseum: Tennessee Titans
14. Arrowhead Stadium: Kansas City Chiefs
15. Georgia Dome: Atlanta Falcons
16. Cleveland Browns Stadium: Cleveland Browns
17. Lambeau Field: Green Bay Packers
18. Pro Player Stadium: Miami Dolphins
19. Monster Park: San Francisco 49ers
20. Giants Stadium: N.Y. Giants/N.Y. Jets
21. Gillette Stadium: New England Patriots
22. Paul Brown Stadium: Cincinnati Bengals
23. Soldier Field: Chicago Bears
24. Ralph Wilson Stadium: Buffalo Bills
25. Texas Stadium: Dallas Cowboys
26. Louisiana Superdome: New Orleans Saints
27. Heinz Field: Pittsburgh Steelers
28. Metrodome: Minnesota Vikings
29. Network Associates Stadium: Oakland Raiders
30. Edward Jones Dome: St. Louis Rams
31. RCA Dome: Indianapolis Colts

Comments I received:

Yup!!! Seemed to me there were more injuries this past year too!!! Everytime you turned around someone was out, questionable or a game time decision. Makes it tough to put someone in your lineup when their a game time decision, I remember one week I had left Corey Dillon in the lineup. He didn't play and I was left with nothing. Then the following week, he was a game time decision again, so I didn't play him. I believe he played, had over 100 yards and two t.d.'s

Following up on this one. ...

In the wake of McKay's revelation, Rocky Mountain News staff writer Jeff Legwold reports that the NFL's competition committee has asked the league's medical advisers -- a group headed by Jets team physician Dr. Elliott Pellman -- to study injury rates and severity in the coming years so accurate data can be sorted.

Still more on this topic. ... As posted in this week's Fantasy Notebook. ...

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As initially reported by SI.com insider Don Banks, the possible connection between the increased number of foot and lower leg injuries around the league, and the ever-lighter model of shoe being worn by NFL players these days is fast emerging as a legitimate story.

The league, according to Falcons general manager Rich McKay, who is also co-chairman of the powerful competition committee, is concerned and wants to study the possible correlation.

The NFL wants to have injury data on hand when it discusses the topic with the shoe companies that outfit players, such as Nike, Reebok and Adidas.

McKay said the league also will look into whether the many different stadiums that have switched to the synthetic Field Turf are a factor in the injury outbreak.

"We've changed to Field Turf and maybe the shoes haven't caught up," he said.

In case you missed it, the competition committee has asked the league's medical advisers to study injury rates and severity in the coming years so accurate data can be sorted.

The request comes as the committee revealed last month that injuries were up significantly league-wide.

"There's no question they were up," McKay said late last month. "This is not the first year they were up in relation to the last season. If this is a trend, we're going to take a look at it. We'll look at every tape of a play that leads to injury and see if there is a common denominator."

And the committee, currently meeting in Hawaii, isn't wasting any time either. In addition to discussing some forms of low blocks, and blocks on what are termed "unsuspecting players," they have also discussed the "horse collar" tackle in depth.

Although McKay wouldn't commit to any changes, there is considerable concern after Eagles receiver Terrell Owens suffered a broken leg last season when Cowboys safety Roy Williams tackled him by the back of the shoulder pads.

Williams, in fact, injured other players with the "horse-collar" technique.

"We're going to today watch some tape on that and tomorrow watch some tape on that," McKay said in a conference call from Maui on Wednesday. "Very difficult to figure out if we'll recommend something or not. There is a concern that that tactic could lead to injury.

"We've been very hesitant as a league for a long time to take away means of tackling a runner because so hard as it is, except when the tactic is dangerous and causes injury."

While they're unlikely to publicly admit the technique is dangerous, guys like Owens, Musa Smith and Tyrone Calico offer ample evidence that it causes injury.
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So. ... The question here is: How far should the league go in their efforts to make the game safer?

[clevestinks]

I was afraid we would end up low. Its the field itself. Its always a mess. The stadium is one of the best in the NFL. But the field is usually terrible.

[bigbensgirl7]

very true. Especially at the end of the year...all the wear and tear from everyone using it. The weekends where Pitt, or the area H.S. use it in addition to us, seem to be the worst. However, the stadium itself is awesome...and I would say would rank among the top-the field!

[BlitzburghRockCity]

I still remember the bengal game a while back.. man that field was nothing but sand w/ some green weeds growing around!

For all the work the rooney's put into Heinz, its always gonna be a mess. The weather, all the games played on it..unless they go to field turf, it'll be this way every year.

[clevestinks]

Make you appreciate what J.Reed does.

[WHODEY2005]

Originally Posted by BlitzburghRockCity

I still remember the bengal game a while back.. man that field was nothing but sand w/ some green weeds growing around!

For all the work the rooney's put into Heinz, its always gonna be a mess. The weather, all the games played on it..unless they go to field turf, it'll be this way every year.

Paul Brown is a whole new field after the new turf was put in last year. Place looks great and there isn't a bad seat in the house.

[Prosdo]

Not a big surprise here how low our field is rated. You could see how bad it was during a lot of the home games.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Originally Posted by WHODEY2005

Paul Brown is a whole new field after the new turf was put in last year. Place looks great and there isn't a bad seat in the house.

our field looks nice and new every year too, but ur in the part of the country where weather is a factor, so over time, it'll take its toll. Its inevitable w/ natural surface.

Do you guys have field turf or natural grass?

[clevestinks]

And a s far as not a bad seat in the house? Thats debatable!

[WHODEY2005]

Originally Posted by BlitzburghRockCity

our field looks nice and new every year too, but ur in the part of the country where weather is a factor, so over time, it'll take its toll. Its inevitable w/ natural surface.

Do you guys have field turf or natural grass?

They yanked the failed attempt at natural grass after two seasons of completely crappy grass that was so bad even our own players hated it. We now have field turf.