We've heard the lip service for years about player safety. The draconian rules put in place on how limited you can actually tackle the QB, the concussion protocol, but if the NFL were truly concerned with player safety, wouldn't they have more punishment for people delivering the hits?
I'm not talking about the Shepard play, but hits on guys like Mason Rudolph or helmet to helmet hits like the one put on Gallman. If you want to deter those type of plays, either go to a college rule of ejections or have suspensions that last the length of the time the player you concussed is out.
The league just suspended Burfict, but for the average hit that results in a concussion, you might get a flag - you might not even get a flag. Gallman's hit didn't draw a flag. The hit on Latimer a couple weeks ago didn't draw a flag. where's the disincentive to making a dangerous hit?
That doesn't mean guys aren't going to get hit and get hurt. It's still very fast and large men running into each other with a lot of force. The Mason Rudolph hit I didn't think was dirty at all. You see Rudolph pull up to throw, and Thomas is in pursuit and has to adjust his direction, an instant before contact with Rudolph, and when he hits him, he turns his head sideways, and looks to me he's trying to hit him with his shoulder. It was just one of those weird plays, and part of the force of the hit was Rudolph's awkward position as he's running east and west, and his jaw collides with the side of Thomas running north and south.
I don't think it was an intentional hit to injure Rudolph, just one of those things that are going to unfortunately happen.
It seems to not be a point of emphasis anymore like it was last pre-season. These games are already flag fests, and it seems with the point of emphasis on PI this year they forgot about leading with the head.
A lot of those hits aren't even flagged and yet the players on the receiving end are missing time due to the mandatory concussion protocol. Shouldn't there be a similar time out that a defender delivering the blow gets?
Clay Matthews is getting flagged for hitting with his shoulder, but guys diving at a ballcarrier head first aren't.
The concern is building the most viable legal defense when accused of not being concerned with player safety.
But otherwise adopt the NCAA targeting rule. Sometimes it is questionable, most times it is correct.
And end Thursday Night Football.
Just take their model and implement it to the NFL. Targeting/Ejections/Replay
All of it!
Does that mean player safety is their top priority? Of course not. The bottom line is their top priority.
Just take their model and implement it to the NFL. Targeting/Ejections/Replay
All of it!
I think the college game has gone too far and it's a lot worse.
Do the other players have to wear them? I thought nobody did. It's a good point, maybe they should make everyone have them.
After finally realizing they needed to address it, I think they are absolutely trying to.
But playing games on Thursday nights is absolutely ridiculous. The only part of the game that benefits is the money trail.
Thursday Night games - both from a health perspective and competitive perspective - is the worst part of the NFL right now IMO.
It would go a long way to finally end them.
After finally realizing they needed to address it, I think they are absolutely trying to.
But playing games on Thursday nights is absolutely ridiculous. The only part of the game that benefits is the money trail.
Thursday Night games - both from a health perspective and competitive perspective - is the worst part of the NFL right now IMO.
It would go a long way to finally end them.
Goodell is a moron. TNF is a hot mess, less is more.
I think this is in the officials minds....They cant figure out what is or isnt PI they cant say what is and isn't a catch, and now you'd give them this burden. I think its a good idea with tit for tat but the problem is these officials will get half the calls wrong.
The issue is, these players are a lot faster and bigger than they were. Concussions happened in the past but have accelerated and will continue to do so. its a brutal sport bottom line.
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not sure about the rest of the team as much
You are spot on! They don't want start qb's like Brady, Rodgers, or Brees injured, people are not going to buy tickets to see Haskins or Kyler Murray!
I was obviously being a bit snarky. The NFL has actually done a decent job of legislating dangerous “kill” shots by defensive players out of the game.
Coaches deserve credit too for teaching safer tackling techniques...being done to protect the defensive player from the effects of vicious head shots as much as from the guy they’re tackling.
But it’s just really hard to take the physicality out of the game. Gallman and Shepard both got concussions against the Vikes, and I can’t think of a single play where you could say a Vikes defender took a cheap shot. They were simply playing good hard physical football.
they don't because they're worried about more stoppages and the flow of the game.
but you could solve the game flow issue by having more people watching every camera angle every play for helmet to helmet. they won't invest the resources to do so, therefore player safety is less a priority then they claim.
Then toss in the horrific Thursday and London products - with short weeks and crazy travel into European time zones - and the lack of safety concern grows even bigger. There is absolutely nothing interesting about the Thursday and London games. Zero. Almost every fan I know dreads their team playing in either situation. They were developed solely for the humongous cash opportunity.
And now the NFL has obviously instructed their referees to throw more flags rather than less to appear to side on the caution of safety. But too many times they get it wrong or are inexplicably inconsistent.
I like the idea of suspending players for these helmet hits. College does a similar thing. Or make it like getting a red card in soccer. It's clear that the game is still being taught in many circles to use the helmet as a weapon despite these programs like "Heads Up" to change the culture.
Sorry, it's just not working - yet. Teams/coaches still see value in the big hit and knocking a player out of the game.
Indeed. And the players are somewhat complicit for nearly 25 years by accepting this cap system that drives the NFL business model. How they continuously get hoodwinked by renewing the deal - or most it - every time is a real testament to how much smarter than owners are compared to their "depreciating assets".
Worst union in sports - by far. The NFLPA.
Highly unlikely in my case.
1/ helmets need to be smaller
2/ the face guard needs to be recessed instead of protruding
3/ eventually helmets cannot be hard. they have to be dense and super hard foam that can compress.
here's what the NFL doesnt get because they are too short sighted.
It makes a lot more sense based on the "future" of the sport in terms of youth participation rates to simply admit that playing football for prolonged periods will ahve serious deleterious effects on your quality of life down the road.
they just need to get out there and admit it. The sooner this happens, when society accepts this as a norm, football secures its future as a spectator sport. But if they keep suppressing the knowledge of CTE, and knee replacements the greater fear they foment in the parents of these young children looking to play football.
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you want him to do. Rudolph got killed because if you noticed he had his mouth wide open. I think people forget that you wear mouth guards in football to help protect against concussions, but QBs are exempt from this rule.
Do the other players have to wear them? I thought nobody did. It's a good point, maybe they should make everyone have them.