The NFL took a big hit this week, no pun intended. In week 6 football saw a bunch of illegal helmet to helmet hits that knocked a few players out of the game with concussions. This week the NFL decided to not change their rules, but they will enforce the old rules about helmet to helmet hits. Players that deliver illegal hits will be handed a stiffer penalty and repeated offenders will be suspended for a couple games.
Where there's change there's bound to be complaining. A few NFL defensive players such as Channing Crowder of the Miami Dolphins, Terrell Suggs of the Baltimore Ravens have expressed their displeasure with the new enforcement of the rules. Suggs says that he will continue to "go 100 miles an hour every play". Crowder expressed his feelings on the subject by saying the owners are just trying to "protect their main assets," such as the Quarterback and Wide Receivers, their main sources of money.
You cant blame the league for trying to protect its players especially given the continuing studies of concussions and the effects that they have on players. Some people are saying that they're turning the NFL into a flag football league or a powder-puff league. I agree with players on the fact that they're trying to too hard to protect the skill positions (don't even get me started on roughing the passer penalty's) but you cant blame owners for wanting to protect their stars. But they're also people, we might tend to forget this sometimes. They're human beings and they can get seriously hurt and the number one rule is "safety first." So be it if its the "No Fun League", players need to be safe and the idea that football is barbaric should not be the first thing that comes to mind when someone thinks about football.
Predictions
Atlanta over Cincinnati
Chicago over Washington
Philadelphia over Tennesse
Kansas City over Jacksonville
Pittsburgh over Miami
New Orleans over Cleveland
St. Louis over Tampa Bay
San Fransisco over Carolina
Baltimore over Buffalo
Seattle over Arizona
Denver over Oakland
New England over San Diego
Minnesota over Greenbay
New York (N) over Dallas
Power Rankings
1) New York Jets
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
3) New England Patriots
4) Baltimore Ravens
5) Atlanta Falcons
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