cowboyjoe
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Gerald Sensabaugh paid price for avoiding fine 8:47 AM Wed, Sep 16, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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The natural reaction for a strong safety when a receiver catches a pass over the middle is to unleash the kind of hit that sends a chinstrap flying one way and the ball the other.
But that's a no-no in the NFL these days. Eliminating hits to the head of receivers is a point of emphasis for the league, meaning it will cost big money to players who violate the rule.
Gerald Sensabaugh got that memo. He says that's why he has sore ribs after his collision with Tampa Bay's Michael Clayton in the second half of Sunday's season opener. Sensabaugh hit the 6-4, 215-pound Clayton in the chest, which he said was like "running into a brick wall."
"I think it's a disadvantage," Sensabaugh said of the rule banning hits to the head. "A lot of rules are changing because of offensive players. A TE probably has 40 or 50 pounds on you. You can't hit him square every time. You have to hit him low or high, but high is out of the game. I guess you can hit him low, but I think that will cause some injuries too just trying to hit a guy really low when he's not looking. A surprise hit if you hit him low, you can end a guy's career doing that.
"I guess they want to shy away from the concussions and all of that. If you hit him in the middle area, it's going to be a stalemate every time. It's something you have to deal with. I'll be alright and I'll be ready to do it again next time."
