Health

It's not just the Texans; it's a league-wide problem. Add Wentz to the list of the league's stars who are out for the year, and it could begin to make the league almost unwatchable.

I don't know how they could possibly do anything to prevent these injuries, but to have so many of the league's biggest names missing the season and the playoffs, it has to be damaging the overall product.

 

What about flag or touch football? It might not be so bad. It would make speed an emphasis. The players are too big and fast for injuries not to be common. Otherwise, unless equipment is revolutionized, I think football is on its way out.

 

The person they injure gets half their game check for as long as the player is out.

 

The problem is, how do you tackle without hitting? A RB running straight up the middle, while being slowed down a bit due to the OL/DL, is an easy target to tackle (and not hit). However, if a WR goes up to make a play, and the corner runs full speed to try to get him down, it's very hard to slow yourself down and think of all the variables to try and tackle without hitting.

In that instance, the CB isn't thinking "ooh, I better slow down, to protect the health of my opponent." The CB is thinking "ooh, if I don't get this guy to the ground as soon as possible, my team might lose this game. I might be benched for the inability to tackle, so I better give 100%."

The game is too fast paced for multiple levels of reactions. There's only reaction: doing my job well (while staying within the rules), so I don't get benched.

Agreed that Gronk should have received a heavier penalty.

But at least, in the case of JJSS, it was a perfect storm. Get a hit on Burfict, a guy my team (PIT) hates? Check. Emotions running high because of what just happened to Shazier? Check. Conference rival? Check. Division rival? Check.

However, you seriously just watched your teammate get carted off, while being unable to move his lower body, and you go and blindside hit Burfict, while leading with your head, and the first point of contact was Burfict's head? JJSS knew exactly what he was doing, who he was doing it to. The ramifications be damned. It was clearly purposefully done, and targeting is also debatable.

I don't think Iloka's should have been a suspension. Penalized in the game? Sure, it was head to head on a defenseless receiver. But It was just unfortunate that Iloka's positioning and Brown's positioning were like that.

 

Clearly all tackles will have contact but the key is arms and the attempt to wrap up. Use only shoulder, helmet, etc.., with no attempt to wrap up is a flag. That's the easy part honestly. Now for you example it's a bit difficult to understand but DBs should play the ball and if not then tackle the WR. Trying to hit a WR to dislodge the ball is borderline illegal now depending on timing so again, doesn't seem difficult to implement.

The hard part is changing such a big part of the game from a training and fan perspective. But should be much less head injuries and more scoring which fans should love.

 

The NFL should consider eliminating (making them softer) the helmets. If players don't have helmets, they won't be using their heads as projectile weapons.

 

The solution for successful teams have never been to draft/sign more durable players, it's to be able to replace players who get injured. The Texans historically have really lacked guys who come in for an injured starter and look like they're almost or just as capable. That just comes from the fact that Smith has traditionally whiffed on almost all his mid-round picks so the Texans have always lacked depth.

 

Totally agree. Injuries seem way worse this year...certainly to high profile players that the NFL banks on.