There is a dirty joke somewhere in these comments from Roger Goodell, but I will leave those alone. Here is what he had to say.
“We want to take the head out of the game,” Goodell said upon receiving the award, via NFL spokesman Greg Aiello’s Twitter page. “The helmet is for protection. It is not a weapon.”
I don’t like headhunters in the NFL. I think they should be fined and suspended, but the nature and speed of the game, sometimes makes helmet to helmet shots unavoidable.
For instance, you are a DB or LB in coverage, the QB is trying to squeeze the ball into a tight window to his WR. You are running as fast as you can to break up the pass, you aim for the chest/shoulder but the WR instinctively braces for the hit by ducking his head, what is that DB or LB suppose to do?
A running back in the open field and a safety is taking a direct angle at him with the intent to put his helmet right on the ball. Instinctively, the running back lowers his shoulder to absorb the blow, but his helmet comes in contact with safety first. How is he suppose to avoid that?
I get what Roger Goodell is trying to do, but some of the hits are just unavoidable and the players shouldn’t be penalized for it.