The Dolphins Make Me Cry.com - Forums

Gronk's season is over. MRI tomorrow. Believed to be a torn ACL

that sucks for NE .. .. they still win the division but won't get past their 1st playoff game

One can hope. They are the one team that every year figures out how to pull a win out of nothing (look at today and the Saints game).

And they still pulled it out today

This is good news for the Fins with the Patsies coming to Miami next week.  Miami has had problems covering TE's this year, so this is welcome.

When have they not had problems covering tight ends?

The only game MIA has played in which the leading receiver for the other team was a TE was week 1 against CLE (which MIA won).

The Patriots always seem to pull out close games like they did today.

I think they have six fourth quarter comebacks this season.

That was a brutal and ridiculous hit and what's worse is that it was not only "legal," but seemingly what the league is pushing for in terms of where players are NOT hit. Players have gone from aiming too high to aiming too low. Unfortunate overreaction, and hopefully it will be addressed, but I have I idea how. I'm not a fan of Keller or Gronk, but I also don't derive any satisfaction in seeing a player get hurt, and both of those were career-changing (is Keller ever going to be the same? His was the worse of the two) hits that wouldn't have taken place five years ago. So what does the league do? They're damned either way- players are permanently hurt from taking head shots, the media swarms to the crisis, and the league coughs up millions in a lawsuit or the league quietly begins losing players to devastating knee injuries in an effort to protect head hits. -EK

If the NFL want to sway from high hits and are going to let players hit low, the only way to do this safely without running the risk of career ending knee blowouts is to remove the helmet and shoulder pads to reduce the collision impact speed. I can't imagine many players wanting to hit the knees with their bare head.

It will turn the game into rugby but it will be safer for the players.

I agree.  The best way to make the game safer, is to remove all the so called "safety equipment" which is really a weapon.  Get rid of helmets and all hard plastic, allow the players to wear soft foam padding only and the old school leather helmets. 

I do not like seeing players injured but this definitely helps Miami for the upcoming game.

I think this is on purpose. I think a lot of defensive backs don't like the fact that they've been told they can't aim for the head, so they are PURPOSELY aiming for the knees in the hopes that a few injuries there the league will relax the head hit calls. I know that sounds extremely callous, but I honestly believe that most NFL players have EXTREMELY low standards. Basically most of them are little more than thugs when it comes to integrity.

I think you sorely underestimate the amount of respect these professionals have for their fellow players.  No one wants to be the man that ends another man's career with a low hit.

However, defenders are playing for contracts as much as the offensive players.  If delivering hits to the upper body results in penalties and fines, defenders will have no choice but to go low instead.  Defensive players will try the most effective method available to get their opponents down.

I don't think they want to hurt anyone, but I do think they are purposely hitting them low knowing full well what could happen. If you don't believe that then you haven't been listening to what the players are saying because when asked they are claiming that is EXACTLY what they are doing and basically saying the league is to blame.

Still don't understand what happened to putting your arms around a guy and tackling him?

100% this. -EK

That's what I just said: defenders are hitting low even if it is more dangerous, because it's their job to get the opponent down.

You, however, said that defenders are hitting low with the hopes of causing injury to get the league to reverse the rule.  That's a huge difference.

That's a nice slogan and all, but if you expect a 5'11" 185lb DB like Johnathan Joseph to tackle a 6'4" 230lb WR like Brandon Marshall (to say nothing of a 6' 230 RB like Arian Foster) by "putting his arms around him and tackling," that's not very realistic.

Technically I said "with the hopes a few injuries...", I never said THEY wanted to hurt anyone, just that they realize that there ARE going to be some injuries. They would rather it not be them, but if it so happens, well that's on the league not on them.

We are saying the same thing, I just think the players are less worried about someone from the other team getting hurt then you are. Remember that the league already had to put a stop to bounties on players. They didn't seem to have a problem with getting paid to hurt players from another team.

It's not a 1 on 1 game. There are 11 defenders and only 1 ball carrier. All you have to do is slow him down, the other 10 will bring him to the ground. That's how the game was played for decades before it became the norm to simply throw your shoulder into a guy's knees and HOPE that he goes down.

Defenders have been launching into big upper body hits (instead of wrapping up with their arms) since they stopped wearing leather helmets.  The current rules just mean you have to aim lower.

I have to admit, I have to feel sorry that Gronk is injured like this.

Yeah he has burnt us many times, but he is a great player and also a fun character, a bit like Bernie Vince of the Adelaide Crows who got traded out this year to Melbourne. Sure they get up to a bit of naughty stuff off field (like being photographed partying with porn stars) but they're careful enough not to have anything really X rated out there (unlike our other local sports scallywags, Warnie & Wazza) or have done something really despicable or against the law.

Hopefully it's not to bad and he's able to resume his (football) career soon.

I agree with Pappy. 

Would a rule requiring the same type of tackles we expect from Pee-Wee players and high school players change the NFL game?  Yes.

Would some claim adopting the same rules as Pee-Wee is wousification of the game?  Yes.

Would it make it even more offense friendly resulting in higher scoring games?  Yes

But....

Would it mean that NFL players come closer to being role models?  Yes, no more "how come we aren't allowed to tackle like that, that is how the pro's do it" from overly aggressive pee wee players. 

Would the game be safer?  Yes.

Plus, with the exception of very few fans, most fans prefer an offensive friendly games.  While some fans may have fond memories of the Green Bay Packers defeating the Chicago Bears 2-0 on October 16, 1932.  Most fans would take Arizona Cardinal/Green Bay Packers 51-45 on January 10, 2010 as a more exciting game than a great defensive struggle.