As I was skimming ESPN earlier today, I noticed that there is a new rule to protect quarterbacks in the NFL. Directly relating to the hit that Kansas City Chief's Bernard Pollard put on Tom Brady, the NFL has outlawed below the knee hits...
So lets get this straight... If a player tackles a quarterback near the head, its a flag? And if he tackles him at the knees or below, its a flag? Why not tie defensive players hands behind their back in order to protect the quarterback? The rule has limited the hitting area to the size of a strike zone...
If Player A (who is on defense) is knocked to the ground during his pass rush by Player B (on the offense)... While on the ground, the quarterback wanders near Player A, to the point where Player A reaches out and tackles the quarterback by his leg. By rule, this is a flag. Some may see it as a great defensive play.
Unnecessary hits (helmet to helmet) are... well... unnecessary. However, tackling below the knees is far from a helmet to helmet hit... When Carson Palmer was injured in the PLAYOFFS - based on a GREAT defensive play - no rule was implemented or even addressed. Tom Brady gets hurt on a very similar play and yet there is a massive rule change...
I cannot speak for all defensive players, but I assume that their intentions are not to drastically hurt the player to the point of surgery. Football is a contact sport. Over-protecting the quarterback not only complicates the game, but it gives quarterbacks an unfair advantage. Something players like Tom Brady don't need.
Go Grossman!
Jesse Cook
jdcook@email.arizona.edu
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