The NFL has changed tackle football forever this year

[TexasBoys2288]

The smash-mouth running back will become obsolete due to the lower-the-head rule. I can understand it on the defensive side making tackles at full speed, but sometimes the running back needs to drive through the line like a freight train. This rule is going to hurt the running game making the NFL a panzy league.

As a side note, I'm sure the referees are salivating at the opportunity to to flag and eject Zeke.

 

[JoeKing]

I don't get this rule at all. Naturally I don't want to see anyone get hurt, but how do you play football without being able to lower your head? I'd be more inclined to see them develop some kind of cushioned exo-skeleton for the helmet rather than this dumb rule.

Have you ever even played? If you were taught properly by a coach that knows what he's talking about you'd already know that lowering your head will get you hurt. You should have been taught to keep your head up. This is about safety, not your amusement. There is no exo-skeleton cushion that can protect you if you are putting your head down and in improper alignment to deliver a blow. You obviously don't know what you are talking about but that would be par for the course around here.

 

[erod]

If you haven't seen Zeke run without lowering his head, you either haven't been paying attention, are willfully ignorant, or are just looking for a reason to whine like a *****. Most of Zeke's biggest highlights don't show him lowering his head. Grow up.

The rule also specifically states that a player can't lower his head to initiate contact. It says nothing of lowering his head to AVOID contact.

Apparently, you missed his run against Kam Chancellor. That's now a 15-yard penalty and a possible ejection. That's just one run of many. You're apparently new to professional football.

Basically, Daryl Johnston's entire career would have never happened with this rule.

 

[CouchCoach]

Regarding equipment, I'm not sure they can't do much more to protect the players though. At some point, there has to be the realization/acceptance that football is inherently a violent sport.

At every position, guys have 30-40 more lbs of lean muscle than players of previous generations - and they are tremendously faster and more athletic. Short of putting them in bubble wrap, there may not be a way to reduce injury to an "acceptable level".

I do know though, that if they keep tweaking the rules, the game will lose its mass appeal in the not too distant future.

Dungy had an interesting solution, make the helmets softer or remove them altogether and remove the face masks, if they keep the helmets. His position is that they do not fear head injury because of the equipment; therefore, they do not protect themselves but feel weaponized.

The nature of then game and the size of the individuals playing it will never allow for adequate protection and while this is seen as a move in that direction, this does not protect players, just adds a penalty. If they want to send the message, use what the NCAA does and suspend them for 4 quarters.....without pay. Now, how much does that player want to go at ramming speed with his head?

 

[erod]

Dungy had an interesting solution, make the helmets softer or remove them altogether and remove the face masks, if they keep the helmets. His position is that they do not fear head injury because of the equipment; therefore, they do not protect themselves but feel weaponized.

The nature of then game and the size of the individuals playing it will never allow form adequate protection and while this is seen as a move in that direction, this does not protect players, just adds a penalty. If they want to send the message, use what the NCAA does and suspend them for 4 quarters.....without pay. Now, how much does that player want to go at ramming speed with his head?

How in the world do you police this thought?

Can you imagine....Sean Lee and Zeke Elliott are both ejected in the first half for leading with their heads on running plays.

You want to watch that?

 

[CouchCoach]

Apparently, you missed his run against Kam Chancellor. That's now a 15-yard penalty and a possible ejection. That's just one run of many. You're apparently new to professional football.

Basically, Daryl Johnston's entire career would have never happened with this rule.

Or his cervical fusion.

It is questionable whether this will apply to blockers at the los like the horse collar rule for tacklers, that only applies in the open field.

I really don't see this as anything more than cosmetic so they can say they're doing something. A lot of these cases of CTE were not tacklers or ball carriers and the nature of the game is helmet to helmet within 3 yards of the los. Head contact is inherent as it is in most action sports.

And no one is forcing these players to play and with the actual % of players diagnosed with CTE, the odds are still in their favor. If we had the chance to pick up the kind of coin to set our families up for a long time for 4 years of risk, how many of us would jump at that chance? I, of course, would be a PK and have an exclusion in my contract for tackling ball carriers returning my errant kicks.

 

[CouchCoach]

How in the world do you police this thought?

Can you imagine....Sean Lee and Zeke Elliott are both ejected in the first half for leading with their heads on running plays.

You want to watch that?

No, but what I want doesn't matter. The nature of this, the simmering lawsuit and NFL's continuing fight to keep the information from the players' attorneys and fear of what will happen if this goes public is what is driving this. I do not think this is going to have any effect and they will pick a few instances to show that they are going to enforce it but this will not prevent head injuries. And the refs know which players are prone to use the helmet.

erod, I am not advocating the suspensions, just saying they're not getting any players' attention until it hurts. The illusion is passing a rule changes anything. If it did, we wouldn't have so many penalties and stop downs in the action.

This rule is not about player safety, it is about perception of the public. The owners are sending the message "we care".

 

[GMO415]

RBs couldn't lead with their helmets this season, yet they all did. Just more rules that will never be enforced.

 

[CouchCoach]

Before anyone goes off the deep end thinking this will doom the game, answer this question. Who is responsible for the concussion protocol? The owners? Left up to them and we'd still be at the "bell rung" stage. It was the Neurosurgeons and Neurologists Assn that called the NFL and NCAA out and even went down to how the Pop Warner kids were taught.

Do y'all think for one minute that a business that is losing viewers at the rate this one is and so dependent on that is going to further slow down the game and have more stops, already the #1 complaint of viewers?

Like I said, this is all about perception, don't get carried away thinking they're going to take the collision out of the game. They pay these guys to hit each other.

 

[cern]

it's about legal liability. in the wake of cet's and concussions the league has to show it's trying to mitigate the damages. just a form of damage control, so to speak. in truth, I suspect the league would rather have the hard hits as fans love seeing them.

 

[glimmerman]

Before anyone goes off the deep end thinking this will doom the game, answer this question. Who is responsible for the concussion protocol? The owners? Left up to them and we'd still be at the "bell rung" stage. It was the Neurosurgeons and Neurologists Assn that called the NFL and NCAA out and even went down to how the Pop Warner kids were taught.

Do y'all think for one minute that a business that is losing viewers at the rate this one is and so dependent on that is going to further slow down the game and have more stops, already the #1 complaint of viewers?

Like I said, this is all about perception, don't get carried away thinking they're going to take the collision out of the game. They pay these guys to hit each other.

Will wait and see how the refs call this. Most of the big hits are being led with the pads anyways. Maybe they are just gonna call the iffy ones now. No way they can throw a flag every time a RB lowers himself to protect himself and brace for impact. Worst case is they only throw the flag against us. Lol

 

[CouchCoach]

it's about legal liability. in the wake of cet's and concussions the league has to show it's trying to mitigate the damages. just a form of damage control, so to speak. in truth, I suspect the league would rather have the hard hits as fans love seeing them.

They used to promote it until they got called for it and even had to ask ESPN to stop Jacked Up, a very popular segment that I looked forward to each week. All the while, the cage fighting continues to thrive unabated and that is all about head contact.

But, that is not as All American and football and it does sit well with some that we like the violence of the sport. I admit it, I love seeing a guy de-cleated by a slobberknocker but at the same time I don't want any long term damage to these players. This as close to gladiator sport as we can legally get and I might have had season tickets to that if I had been a fatcat Roman back in that day. Or I might have tried out as the Emperor's jester to get in free.

 

[CouchCoach]

Will wait and see how the refs call this. Most of the big hits are being led with the pads anyways. Maybe they are just gonna call the iffy ones now. No way they can throw a flag every time a RB lowers himself to protect himself and brace for impact. Worst case is they only throw the flag against us. Lol

Well, this is one of the rules that isn't named for a Cowboy.

 

[glimmerman]

Well, this is one of the rules that isn't named for a Cowboy.

When they started the rule for the RB they called it the murray rule. Lol. But I never saw them throw the flag for it.

Next will be the Elliot rule for hurdling players. It’s just to dangerous.

 

[USMarineVet]

Have you ever even played? If you were taught properly by a coach that knows what he's talking about you'd already know that lowering your head will get you hurt. You should have been taught to keep your head up. This is about safety, not your amusement. There is no exo-skeleton cushion that can protect you if you are putting your head down and in improper alignment to deliver a blow. You obviously don't know what you are talking about but that would be par for the course around here.

Yeah I played. Many years. I don't need you to tell me how to play football. And when I knew I had to get that extra yard I put my head down to get leverage and gain momentum so I could smash through and get that extra yard or two. This was taught to me by my head coach, who happened to play in the NFL.

Lowering your head is part of football and if you don't know that then you must have played in some pansy league with pink uniforms. So kindly remove yourself from my nuts.

 

[atlantacowboy]

The game is headed toward a softer version of rugby. Goodell won't rest until the game is so safe that even he can play WR.

 

[cern]

They used to promote it until they got called for it and even had to ask ESPN to stop Jacked Up, a very popular segment that I looked forward to each week. All the while, the cage fighting continues to thrive unabated and that is all about head contact.

But, that is not as All American and football and it does sit well with some that we like the violence of the sport. I admit it, I love seeing a guy de-cleated by a slobberknocker but at the same time I don't want any long term damage to these players. This as close to gladiator sport as we can legally get and I might have had season tickets to that if I had been a fatcat Roman back in that day. Or I might have tried out as the Emperor's jester to get in free.

it's the laws of physics, coach. if two bodies collide, both moving at 15 mph, the force is based on a 30 mph collision.

 

[Diehardblues]

No, but what I want doesn't matter. The nature of this, the simmering lawsuit and NFL's continuing fight to keep the information from the players' attorneys and fear of what will happen if this goes public is what is driving this. I do not think this is going to have any effect and they will pick a few instances to show that they are going to enforce it but this will not prevent head injuries. And the refs know which players are prone to use the helmet.

erod, I am not advocating the suspensions, just saying they're not getting any players' attention until it hurts. The illusion is passing a rule changes anything. If it did, we wouldn't have so many penalties and stop downs in the action.

This rule is not about player safety, it is about perception of the public. The owners are sending the message "we care".

Right!!

The NFL is a sports entertainment business.

Jerry has been on the forefront in transforming a football league into an entertainment entity.

And this is part of it. The perception they care about the players safety is fake news. They only care about protecting the leagues sovereignty and of course revenue.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

I honestly can’t believe some of the ignorants comments in this thread. “You have to tackle standing up now?” “Nfl won’t even make it half a year with the this rule.” “The crippled people are worth my Sunday afternoon entertainment”

This thread needs to be deleted, started over, and someone state what the actual change is for the slower people and not some hot take/one-line/attention grabber.

 

[cern]

I honestly can’t believe some of the ignorants comments in this thread. “You have to tackle standing up now?” “Nfl won’t even make it half a year with the this rule.” “The crippled people are worth my Sunday afternoon entertainment”

This thread needs to be deleted, started over, and someone state what the actual change is for the slower people and not some hot take/one-line/attention grabber.

I nominate you.