November 16, 2014. The St. Louis Rams are facing the Denver Broncos the week before Thanksgiving. With 13:36 left in the third quarter, Peyton Manning’s record-setting Bronco offense takes the field down 13-7, looking for a quick touchdown to turn the tide.

If you know how this story ends, it seems to move in slow motion. Much like the beginning of the movie “The Blind Side,” each second drags on toward the inevitable. The ball is snapped, and the organized chaos of football begins. Demaryius Thomas streaks down the left side of the field, Wes Welker cuts to his right in a slant route.

But Manning’s attention is elsewhere. Emmanuel Sanders has beaten his defender. As he tears downfield, Manning launches a high spiral. Seconds pass. The ball returns from orbit. Sanders lays out for it, a heroic effort on what could be a highlight-reel catch.

Rodney McLeod, the 24-year-old Rams’ free safety, is there in an instant, lowering his 200-pound frame and driving his shoulder through Sanders’ upper body. Sanders hits the ground like a rock, his head making contact with the turf first. It’s more than a minute before he regains his feet – with help. As he heads to the locker room, nearly everyone watching knows he’s about to be diagnosed with a serious concussion.

But this is hardly a unique occurrence. Players regularly suffer career-ending concussions in brutal fashion. This past season, Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage appeared to suffer a seizure after a hit to the head. He was cleared by medical staff and returned to the game just a few minutes later.

Football is an inherently violent game. There’s nothing natural about 250-pound men running into each other at full speed. As it’s described in the movie “Concussion,” “A human being will get concussed at 60 G’s. A common head-to-head contact on a football field? 100 G’s”. Human bodies – even those of top-tier athletes – aren’t built to handle that level of collision.

In 2005, Dr. Bennet Omalu – the subject of “Concussion” – first published his research on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, the degenerative brain disease that, he discovered, results from repeated severe head injury.

What followed were years of the National Football League trying to discredit Omalu’s findings. The league had, in the past, held an ambivalent attitude toward the concussion epidemic facing its players, and their efforts reflected a belief that the situation would hurt their brand.

It was only amidst mounting pressure and a public relations nightmare that the NFL relented, and slowly started working toward finding a solution. But this was not necessarily the role they always wanted to play.

Under Commissioner Roger Goodell’s leadership, the NFL has hesitated to take stances on controversial issues. When All-Pro running back Ray Rice was found to have beaten his fiancée in a casino elevator, Goodell handed down a two-game suspension. That was, until TMZ released a video of the incident and fans saw the ruthless abuse that the NFL had halfheartedly investigated. A national uproar followed, and with his job possibly on the line, the Commissioner suspended Rice indefinitely.

The league’s pattern of sitting on the fence continued into this past season. As President Trump called for athletes who knelt for the national anthem to be fired, Goodell’s administration stayed mum on the subject, eventually taking a neutral stance.

The NFL’s strategy, time and time again, has been to avoid the difficult choice until it is vital to the survival of the league to do so. Nothing is more important than selling the product – “protecting the shield,” as Goodell often puts it.

The NFL delayed taking measures to protect players from concussions until it became easier to change their tune than to fight a losing battle. They will continue to drag their feet while their fan’s support remains. For as long as football is popular in America, head injuries will be regarded as nothing more than an unfortunate aspect of the game.

One of two scenarios will play out: Fans may continue to accept the dangerous parts of the game as a necessary evil, and the NFL may continue to do their best to make the game safer (or at least seem safer). The other scenario will see all the violence and injuries pile up, resulting in people gradually losing interest. The NFL is a multibillion-dollar industry – but football is as popular today as boxing was 60 years ago. The NFL will fade from American culture, taking its brutal nature with it. Another sport will take its place.

There is no in-between, though the former seems more realistic. Football is dangerous at its core, and injuries are a risk players take when they sign six, seven, or eight figure contracts. There is only so much that can be done for the sport to make it safe without sacrificing its spirit and gameplay.

The league will allow it to continue, to some extent, until fans begin to move on. We know where Goodell and his administration stand on the issue. We just don’t know yet where we’ll stand when it’s all said and done.

Will Katcher is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at wkatcher@umass.edu and followed on Twitter at @will_katcher.

The Massachusetts football team held its pro day Thursday at McGuirk Alumni Stadium, with 13 Minutemen participating and two former UMass players, John Robinson and Jalen Williams, also working out.

The Minutemen participants were Ali Ali-Musa, Nick Berus, Colbert Calhoun, Da’Sean Downey, Sha-Ki Holines, Roderick Jones Jr., Malik Lee, Andrew Libby, Logan Laurent, Tedrick Lowery, Jesse Monteiro, Jackson Porter and Matt Tuleja.

The New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns all had at least one scout present.

Tight end, UMass’ top prospect, did not participate after announcing last week that he would retire from football due to nagging knee injuries.

With Brenneman out, the scouts turned their attention to Downey. The White Plains, New York native had six sacks in both his junior and senior season, and finished his Minutemen career with 34 tackles for loss.

The biggest concern for Downey was his weight. As an edge defender, Downey played between 220-225 pounds, and while that was enough in college, he knew that he would have to bulk up to get a chance to play in the NFL. Downey decided to train at a resort in Florida for six and a half weeks to prepare for the pro day, where he ate three to four meals a day at the resorts restaurant.

“I was getting a little buzz just off my play and stuff but I was playing around 220-225,” Downey said. “Since the season ended, I’ve got up to 240, just getting used to that and put on good weight and still move the same. That was my biggest goal.”

During the pro day, Downey was able to show scouts his athleticism and strength, participating in athletic testing as well as on field football drills.

“Today went pretty good,” Downey said. “I got to compete and show my talent in front of a whole bunch of teams at the top level. It’s always a good opportunity. I didn’t do exactly what I wanted to do, it’s a little cold out here, but I’m still happy with my numbers and everything like that. I’m looking forward to the near future.

“It felt unrealistic,” Downey continued. “In a way it felt like I just got here and I was sitting in Coach Walker’s room with guys like Kassan Messiah and Trey Seals and just learning from them and coming out and watching their pro day. Now it’s my turn, you just put your best foot forward and give it all you got.”

Downey dreamed of making it to the NFL when he first came to UMass, but realized the dream could come to fruition his sophomore year after sealing a win against Buffalo with an interception. After the game he talked with then senior wide receiver Tajae Sharpe, who ended up being drafted in the fourth round by the Tennessee Titans in 2016, and made the decision that he would do everything he could to make it to the pros.

“We got back out here and I talked to Tajae Sharpe and we had a long talk that night and in my head I made up my mind right then, that’s what I wanted to do,” Downey said. “I knew it was attainable because he was in a good position to do the same thing. That’s what I wanted for myself.”

Downey doesn’t have a favorite NFL team, but loves the way the Broncos and Raiders play their defense, saying he models his game after pass rushers Von Miller and Khalil Mack.

While Downey was able to display his football skills on the field, scouts use these opportunities to interview the players and get to know them personally, and Downey enjoyed being able to show them what type of person he is.

“Coming from a small school, trying to see my family background and everything,” Downey said on what he was asked about. “Just the little details about my life that might not be out there just because I play football.”

The NFL draft will take place from April 26-28, where Downey will hope to have his name called.

Thomas Johnston can be reached at tjohnston@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @TJ__Johnston.

BACK

Baltimore Ravens (10-6) @

Denver Broncos (13-3)

The Baltimore Ravens handled the Indianapolis Colts without contest last week in Maryland, but they will not have the comforts of home on Saturday, which, if history means anything, may be an issue.

Over the last two seasons, including the playoffs, the Ravens have compiled a 16-2 record at home, while just going 8-9 on the road.

One of those two home losses came less than a month ago to guess who? Yes, a 34-17 trampling in favor of the Denver Broncos. It was the most points Baltimore had given up at home in a four-quarter game since Peyton Manning and the Colts scored 44 against them in 2007. Add the fact that Denver has only lost one at home this season and is riding an NFL-high 11-game winning streak, the Ravens have one heck of a challenge ahead of them.

MCT

Peyton Manning doesn’t even need to have a great game for the Broncos to come out on top in this one. In Week 14, he had his lowest output of the year — a mere 204 yards — yet Denver showed no sign of struggle. Knowshon Moreno and the Denver rushing squad combined for 163 yards on the ground. If the pressure can be taken off of Manning like it was in that in this game, then the Broncos will have an extreme advantage over Baltimore’s defense, with or without Ray Lewis.

Offensively for the Ravens, Joe Flacco’s inconsistency at the quarterback position could be a problem against the third-ranked passing defense of the Broncos. However, taking into account Torrey Smith’s speed advantage over aging cornerback Champ Bailey, expect him to air it out and connect on a few occasions.

The Ravens have surprised more than a few teams in the playoffs in the past few seasons, and I think Flacco will deliver in this one, but there is no way Baltimore’s defense will be able to contain both Manning and Moreno.

In the end, with a high-scoring affair at stake, I’ll take the hottest team in football over a team that has won just two of its last six games.

Final Verdict:

Denver – 42

Baltimore – 28

Houston Texans (12-4) @

New England Patriots (12-4)

When I think of all the hype surrounding the New England Patriots this weekend, I think back to the 2010 playoffs. After defeating the New York Jets that year 45-3 in the regular season, they hosted them again in the divisional round, only to fall seven points short, stunning the nation.

While I don’t think the Houston Texans (lost to the Patriots 42-14 in Week 14) will follow in New York’s footsteps, I do believe they will give New England a run for its money.

The Texans need to come out Sunday as the aggressor. Try something different, such as a no-huddle offense like the Jacksonville Jaguars did against the Patriots in their near-upset in Week 16. In order to set the pace as the extreme underdog, they should start off with some trick plays to throw the shaky New England defense off guard. That will open up the playing field for Matt Schaub and Arian Foster.

For one thing, Foster will not repeat his 46-yard performance that he had in Foxboro last month. Though going up against a better rushing defense than that of the Cincinatti Bengals that he faced last week, he has the tools to run over any defense in the league. And of course, Boston columnist Dan Shaughnessy added fuel to his fire by calling this Sunday’s game another “bye week” for the Patriots.

MCT

For Tom Brady, don’t expect the four-touchdown performance he had in Week 14. Luckily for him, NFL leading sacker J.J. Watt had an off game, recording 4 tackles and no sacks, but expect him to have more of a presence in the backfield on Sunday, providing plenty of pressure on Brady.

New England has all the tools to make it to the AFC Championship game, but Houston will not make it an easy task.

Final Verdict:

Patriots: 28

Texans: 23

ALSO, CHECK OUT NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND PREDICTIONS

Taylor Snow can be reached at tsnow@dailycollegian.com and followed on Twitter @taylorcsnow.

Today on Inside the Park, host Marc Jean-Louis and UMass Sports Weekly analyst Tim Dennehey discuss what one can expect from Peyton Manning in the 2015 NFL season. Who were the winners and losers in this MLB offseason? Massachusetts Daily Collegian editor-in-chief Nick Canelas sits down to discuss the UMass men’s basketball team and if they will make the NCAA tournament. And which team will win that eighth spot in both the NBA Eastern and Western Conferences.

[liveblog]

Anthony Behar/Sipa USA/TNS/MCT

Thursday night: New England Patriots (-7) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Finally, after months of drama surrounding Tom Brady and “Deflategate,” there is real football to be played. The defending champion Patriots kick off the season against one of the top challengers to the throne in the AFC, the Steelers. This game should be close most of the way, but in the end I see New England’s depth tipping the scales. The Steelers will be missing two of their best players in running back LeVeon Bell and center Mike Pouncey, and I think that will enable the Patriots to turn them into a one-dimensional team offensively. The Patriots will struggle at times to contain quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown but Pittsburgh won’t exactly have the answers against New England’s offense either.

The pick: Patriots 30, Pittsburgh 17

Green Bay Packers (-7) at Chicago Bears

Jordy Nelson is a massive loss for the Packers, who learned just how dangerous preseason football can be. In this week one matchup however, his absence won’t matter. Aaron Rodgers – the best quarterback in football – is still surrounded with weapons (Randall Cobb, Eddie Lacy, Devante Adams, etc.), and he is lining up against a Bears defense that allowed 93 points – yes, 93 – in two meetings against Green Bay last season. This won’t be close.

The pick: Green Bay 42, Chicago 20

Arizona Cardinals (-2.5) vs. New Orleans Saints

The Cardinals surprised many last season and they did so despite battling one of the worst injury bugs in the league. This year, however, they enter with a healthy Carson Palmer and several other returning key cogs. On the other hand, I’ve long maintained that New Orleans is one of the softest road teams in the league. I actually think they’ll be okay this year, but they’ll need a few weeks to figure out how to replace Jimmy Graham, and the Cardinals boast of the better home field advantages in the league.

The pick: Arizona 24, New Orleans 14

Denver Broncos (-4.5) vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Broncos are healthy and at home, so why am I picking the Ravens?  For one, I think Baltimore might be the second best team in the AFC, and were probably unlucky to lose to the Patriots in the Divisional Round last season. Joe Flacco is a gamer who elevates his performance in big situations and he makes big throws late in games better than almost anyone in the league. The Ravens are a tough, tough team and I think they’ll feed off the Denver crowd.

The pick: Baltimore 28, Denver 24

Philadelphia Eagles (-3) at Atlanta Falcons

If you like the Eagles this year (I do), there won’t be many more chances to take them giving this week’s spread of only a few points. I don’t think Atlanta will be able to stop Philadelphia at all. Sam Bradford has looked healthy and comfortable and might just be the quarterback Chip Kelly is looking for to sling the ball around. The weapons the Eagles have on offense – Demarco Murray, Ryan Matthews, Darren Sproles and several big-play receivers – will be too much for the Falcons to handle, and I think the Eagles’ front seven on defense will overwhelm a shaky Atlanta offensive line.

The pick: Philadelphia 34, Atlanta 14

Bonus pick: Super Bowl

It’s week one of the regular season, which means everyone who follows the NFL is obliged to make a Super Bowl prediction. I’ll take it a step further and make conference championship predictions as well.

In the NFC, the clear favorites are Seattle and Green Bay and I don’t see anyone knocking them off if they both manage to get home field for the divisional round. I like the Packers to advance. They should have won last year’s NFC championship and I think they’ll have home field on their side this season. In the AFC, it’s the Patriots and a host of contenders including the Colts, Ravens and Steelers. I like the Ravens to come out of that group because they have the toughness, experience and will be healthier this season. As for a Patriots-Ravens championship game, it’s a coin toss. I think New England will be at home, so I’ll take them.

In the Super Bowl, however, I think New England’s secondary departures will come back to hurt them. They lost to the Packers even with Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner last season, and they would fare poorly in another matchup sans that tandem against Aaron Rodgers. I also think Green Bay’s defense will round into a better group this year.

The pick: Green Bay 30, New England 21 in Super Bowl 50

Ross Gienieczko can be reached at rgieniec@umass.edu and followed on Twitter @RossGien.

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Ryan, Chris, and Nick discuss the Indy’s win against Denver as well as their loss of Luck. Also, how the remaining unbeaten teams rank, how good Carolina is, and the Cowboy’s situation following another loss and more Greg Hardy Controversy.

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Nick Souza, Chris Marino, and Kyle DeLuz make their final predictions and break down this Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.

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Chris Marino, Kyle Daluz, and Nick Souza break down the Super Bowl, why the Broncos prevailed, why the Panthers faltered and what it means for Peyton Manning’s legacy.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

On Feb. 7, 1994, Michael Jordan shocked the world of sports by coming out of his retirement to play professional baseball. He signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox minor league program and played one season, putting up 51 RBIs, three home-runs and maintaining a batting average of .202. Although his professional baseball career is incomparable to his impact on the game of basketball, Jordan showed the world that if you have enough spectacular fame in one professional sport, you can give another one a shot.

Fast forward 22 years, and one can find the next dual-sport celebrity athlete launching himself into the spotlight, but this time with far less of an impact. At the beginning of August, the 29 year-old Tim Tebow announced that he would try his luck in professional baseball. He signed a contract with the New York Mets this September and currently plays for the Scottsdale Scorpions, an Arizona Fall League team. The Mets handed out an impressive $100,000 signing bonus when Tebow signed his contract, which in my opinion is an embarrassment.

Let me start by saying that unlike Michael Jordan’s basketball career, Tebow’s professional career in the National Football League was never very impressive. Despite finishing a notable college career with three Heisman Trophy nominations (one awarded) and breaking five National Collegiate Athletic Association statistical records, Tebow failed to carry his talent over to the NFL. In fact, many would call his career a failure despite his fame. During his time with the Denver Broncos, Tebow launched himself into the spotlight, setting an NFL Draft record for jersey sales. But Tebow never put up numbers on the field to back up his popularity. When Peyton Manning came into the picture, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets where his career began to slide downhill. In the spring of 2013, the Jets released him after he only threw eight passes that season. Later that year, the New England Patriots signed Tebow but released him when making roster cuts at the end of August 2013. In 2015, Tebow signed with the Philadelphia Eagles but was released before the official season began after competing for the third-string quarterback spot.

After an embarrassing career in the NFL, Tebow must be crazy to think he will have any success in the professional world of baseball. The last time he played baseball was in his junior year of high school, and yet Tebow expects to pick up the game again like riding a bike. Not only has he been away from the game of baseball for over 10 years, but Tebow has not played in an NFL game in four years. It takes years of hard work and dedication for baseball players to finally make it to “The Show.” If Tebow never made it big in the NFL, he would have had no shot at a baseball career.  What Tebow neglects to realize is that despite being in the spotlight of the sports world for several years now, he does not have the athleticism to match his fame.

Given that no one can persuade Tebow away from the baseball diamond, let us consider his early career statistics with the Arizona Fall League as of right now. In his seven games and 24 at-bats, Tebow has a shallow .083 batting average with a total of two hits and eight strikeouts; he is among the worst hitters on the team. Given his horrendous stats, I would consider Tebow’s professional baseball career as a publicity stunt rather than a pursuit of passion. After all, his first passion was always football.

Many sports analysts have come forward to discourage Tebow from playing baseball, and few seem to be supportive of his choice. Among them is ESPN baseball analyst Keith Law, who attacked not only Tebow but also the Mets organization, saying, “chasing celebrities is no way to run a player-development department, and organization or a league. Everyone involved in the decision should be embarrassed when they’re done counting their money.” My guess is that Law is referring to the Tim Tebow jersey sales that will spike if he has even a shred of success in Major League Baseball. It can certainly be argued that the Mets are more interested in Tebow-generated revenue than his athletic performance, which is a shame to the sport of baseball.

Tebow does not belong in the game of baseball. He gave football his best shot and failed professionally. Now that he is suffering with the consequences of a lousy NFL career, he wants to bring attention to himself by trying out baseball. I always thought of Tim Tebow as more of a celebrity than a professional athlete. My recommendation to him would be to take some acting classes if he wants to stay in the spotlight and pursue a career of fame.

Anthony Ferranti is a Collegian columnist and can be reached at aferranti@umass.edu.