With the new rule there would have been a flag, you can bet on it. fine and suspension to follow.

Makes you wonder how the new rule will impact the teams that might have made it to the Superbowl if 1/2 of their defense hadn't of been suspended through the year.

I get the helmet to helmet shit,but the pussification is getting ridiculous.

But according to the guy talking, that hit was perfectly legal.

I don't think these guys have ANY type of clue how fast football is. They really think defensive players have the time to perfectly aim at an area less than 15 inches.

Yeah but they showed that Ray Lewis hit where he adjusted perfectly.They should suit up and let the best 8-10 LB's/DE's in the league practice on them till they get it right.

I do sort of.

But tell that to Cleveland. Do you think it's fair that 2 guys get concussions and have to leave the game?

Hell, if I'm a defender and want to win a game, just knock the top receiver out of the game. Without a suspension, that's well worth the $50,000 fine if it means you win the game.

Rodney Harrison is right. Only a suspension is going to make it stop happening.

I'm sorry, they just made the sport more boring.. I hope the owners counter with open statements of bonus that match monitary fines. If the NFL were really worried about the players, they'd balance-out this effort. How about making crossing routes more than 5 yards down the field (past where the bump is OK) illegal? Yeah, after 5 yards, you can only run directly North or South to catch a pass. That might make the hits being delivered more of a "glancing" blow. How about making these $20M+ QBs (who are so darm smart and valuable) accountable for setting up their WRs for those killer blows. All I'm saying is that it's not always on the defender to, sometimes it's just not worth a hard hit to to catch a ball.

Next up, let's really do the right thing and send out a video of the perils faced by defensive linemen... They get beat on, cut, chopped, and cracked all game long, and their $1M salaries don't warrent any widespread public videos of their careers getting ended...

I say let them play, or, if they must, spread the wealth of accountability for safety...

I do too. But when I see a guy with his legs hovering and arms hovering while on the ground after one of those shots, I find myself a little ... well... nauseous.

Yep, you can even see the WR clapping in the video as he sees the flag coming in. Would love to know how the NFL responds to that catch.

Considering how shitty they are at calls that subjective such as PI, and how shitty they are at easy calls such as holding, this should be a treat.

It's really not that hard. Don't lead with your helmet. Maybe it will teach these young players to form tackle instead of knocking everybody the **** out. Most reports I've heard is that teaching these defenders to tackle the right way is not that hard.

Like I said, maybe kill shots add a little flavor, but what if the Chiefs are in an important game and a Safety puts on a kill shot on Tony Moeaki and the Chiefs lose the game and lose Moeaki for 3 weeks from a concussion?
It's good that the NFL is looking out for these players' long-term health. But as a fan, it's also good to know that there are consequences to knocking a player out.

I watched the Steelers-Browns game with a bunch of Browns fans. Nothing is shittier than losing a player for the rest of the game because of a dirty play. If Massaquoi is going to miss time from a dirty hit, I think it's more than fair that the guy who delivered the hit miss time too.

After watching that I wonder what it was like in NE when they were showing this video and the Merriweather play was shown.

That was probably a bit uncomfortable. That play should warrant suspension. The rest of them were all borderline.

I don't have a problem with fines for clearing using the helmet as a weapon, but if "leading with the helmet" is the problem, why not fine the Earl Campbell style running back who open a hole in the line using his helmet? I recall more than a few instances where the player on O uses his helmet, and it's all good.

Perhaps my years of playing D just makes me want there to be balance. Back when "Air" helmets were new, I remember getting the wind knowked out of me with the crown of one!! Leading with his helmet???

And don't fool yourself, the NFL only worried about money. and if it's not the money brought in by putting butts in the seats or replica shirts on some backs, it by protecting their $20M+ investment. It's not about the players (who can't even take their helmets off on the field for fear of creating an identity of theor own), it's about money...

I'm telling you, outlaw crossing routes and slants, and there won't be nearly as many hurt players... Lowers scores perhaps, but less hurt players.. so what are we after, baseball style scores, or baskeball style scores?

The difference to me is that I have rarely seen a defensive player get a concussion from a RB lowering their helmet, defensive players aren't considered defenseless, and it's harder to really launch yourself at a defensive player.

I get that it's a violent game. I think they should try to reduce concussions but easier said than done. What I'm tired of is kill shots that take offensive players out of games. If you don't act now, what's to stop a defensive player from taking out a defenseless superstar receiver? Like I said, a $50,000 fine for getting an unfair advantage? Most players would gladly fork over that money.

This. Sum of all those hits in the video, "clean or not-clean" at full speed, = refs throwing flags more than ever and suspended players that have to sit out games while they await NFL to review contested calls.

The Page hit is a PERFECT example! Page would be sitting out a game or two until the league decides to use it as a prototypical "clean" hit in a example video.

BULLHIT!