The NFL issued a warning Wednesday intended to crack down on the kind of hits that left Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson motionless and fans at Lincoln Financial Field stunned on Sunday.
The notice to teams, which warned of the possibilities of huge fines and suspensions for players who deliver illegal blows to the head and neck, came after a weekend of collisions so violent they caught the attention of league executives in New York.
The goal is to send a message to players, one that local college and high school coaches said would resonate throughout all levels of football.
But even with big penalties now looming, the message will have a tough time penetrating professional locker rooms. Although they saw five teammates suffer concussions in six weeks of play, many Eagles defenders said they don't expect to change the way they attack, and offensive players said they understand.
"I'm going to play relentless and play like we always have," linebacker Ernie Sims said. "I believe every other football player in this league is going to do the same."
A common mantra among defenders is that they don't want to injure opponents, but they do want to hurt them, and scare them. Several Eagles said the hit that left their teammate Jackson with a concussion was hard but legal and did not warrant a fine.
"As a defensive player, really the only advantage is to be able to inflict pain, hit people, put that fear in people, and now it's like there is no fear because they know that you can't really get touched anymore," safety Quintin Mikell said. He was among several Eagles who said that if defenders begin hesitating in the split seconds they have to make a hit, they will be less effective and might get injured themselves. He, and others, vowed to not change.
The sanctions, however, will now be steeper. The NFL, which has made a point of trying to protect against concussions, said that referees may eject players for illegal hits to the head and that violators may be suspended for such plays, even on a first offense. The suspension - a move that would hurt not only the individual player but also the team - is seen as a significant additional penalty.
Coaches will be expected to teach players the proper ways to hit, the league's notice said.
"One of our most important priorities is protecting our players from needless injury," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a news release. "In recent years, we have emphasized minimizing contact to the head and neck, especially where a defenseless player is involved. It is clear to me that further action is required to emphasize the importance of teaching safe and controlled techniques, and of playing within the rules."
Of particular concern are helmet-to-helmet hits, on which a sturdy piece of protective equipment becomes a weapon that can increase the pain for another player.
Trickle-down effect
College and high school coaches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania said the added NFL emphasis would trickle down to other levels of play.
"Everything that is a buzzword in the NFL eventually comes down to us," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said.
"It all comes down to using good form," Central Bucks West coach Brian Hensel said. But high schools have the same challenge as the NFL. "The rate of injuries has gone up because high school players, like the pros, are getting faster and stronger with each year."
Shawnee coach Tim Gushue, who last year testified before the New Jersey Legislature on concussions in youth sports, said the NFL's stand could help. "It can only help raise awareness with the high school players," he said. "Anything that raises awareness is a good thing."
The impetus for the latest emphasis was a weekend of violent hits, including the one on Jackson. He reached for a pass and was leveled by a shot from Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson. Both players fell to the ground, motionless. One Eagle said Robinson's eyes rolled back in his head. Jackson suffered a concussion and could not remember the play.
On the same afternoon, several similarly devastating collisions drew scrutiny. It all happened a day after a Rutgers player, Eric LeGrand, was left paralyzed from the neck down after making a routine tackle against Army.
The NFL fined Robinson $50,000 for his hit on Jackson. Fines of $50,000 and $75,000 - huge by NFL standards - were issued to other players.
Eagles coach Andy Reid said he and his staff would have to reemphasize fundamental tackling. Players are taught to keep their eyes up, seeing what they hit, rather than leading with the crown of their helmets, which can be dangerous to the defender and the ballcarrier. But Reid acknowledged that teaching can't fix everything.
"Will there be a big hit somewhere where the hat gets involved? Yeah, because it's that type of sport," Reid said. "I mean, things are moving just that fast out there."
Kurt Coleman knows, and he also knows how dangerous football can be.
When he was a freshman at Ohio State, a routine tackle in a 2006 practice left a teammate, Tyson Gentry, paralyzed. Coleman hit Gentry from behind, Gentry's head hit the ground, and his spine was irreparably damaged. But Coleman said injuries are part of the game. He eventually became close to Gentry, and did not miss a practice after that fateful tackle.
"As far as bang-bang plays, you can't help that. It's a part of football and it's going to be a part of football as long as hitting's allowed," said Coleman, now an Eagles rookie. He is a safety, so a major part of his job is delivering devastating blows that make wide receivers think twice when trying to make a catch in his vicinity. "In order to play well, you've got to fly around, you've got to make hard plays, and you've got to make offensive guys afraid to come across the middle and make plays against you."
'You have to adapt'
Linebacker Omar Gaither was one of the few players who said defenders would have to adjust their games in the face of the new sanctions.
"If you want to play this game, you have to adapt," Gaither said. "If you can't, then you don't have to worry about playing anymore."
The size of the fines caught Gaither's attention.
"I don't have $75,000 to give away, so, yeah, I'm going to be cautious about that," he said.
One concern for defenders is the number of variables at play when they try to make tackles. The game moves so fast that a split-second's worth of timing might make the difference between legally slamming an opponent's chest or hitting his head.
Several Eagles said fundamentals are quickly lost in the heat of competition.
"There's no such thing as a fundamental tackle at this level," said defensive end Darryl Tapp. "You're just trying to get the guy on the ground, honestly. And these guys are so athletic - any way possible to get them down."
Sims admitted to trying to bring pain to opponents.
"I have tried to lead with my helmet before," said Sims, who at training camp last summer left several teammates crumpled on the ground after questionable hits. "I wanted to spear somebody, that's why I did it."
Cornerback Ellis Hobbs stands just 5-foot-9 and weighs 195 pounds. When he's trying to tackle bigger opponents, his speed is one of his few advantages.
"From a smaller guy, we've got to bring it all. And however that comes and in what direction, I'm not really trying to hold myself responsible for that," Hobbs said. "At the end of the day, all my coach needs to know, is, did I separate him from the ball? And did I make the play?"
Even receivers, often left defenseless as they stretch to make catches, sounded skeptical about the need for new rules.
"I've played this game since I was in the second grade. I knew what I was getting into," said tight end Brent Celek, a player often called upon to make catches in the midst of defenders trying to knock him sideways. "That's the risk playing this game. You have to give up some things to make the money and play the sport and do what you love to do."