I don’t agree with Chris Collinsworth often. Well, almost not at all. But with 7:30 to play in the first quarter of Sunday Night Football between the Seahawks and 49ers I was faced with just such a scenario – I agreed with him. Mark that one down on the calendar.
The play in particular was as frustrating a play to see as any, and I’m sure if you were watching you’d agree; the dreaded chop block reared its ugly head – again. On the play, Seahawks Guard J.R. Sweezy laid a classic chop block on the back of NT Ian Williams, sending him to the sideline very slowly. Three minutes later it was announced that Williams had a left leg injury and was out for the night. It hasn’t been announced how much time he’ll miss.
But the difficulty I’m facing is where to assign blame. Is the offender, Sweezy, to blame? He certainly understands the vulnerability the victim is in yet he determined the block to be within his repetoire. Or is the NFL to blame for allowing the rule to exist?
To remind you of the wording of the rule: “A chop block is is a block in which one offensive player (designated as A1 for the purposes of this rule) blocks a defensive player in the area of the thigh or lower while another offensive player (A2) engages that same defensive player above the waist.”
So essentially, a chop block is legal when the victim, the Defensive Lineman, is engaged with an Offensive Lineman, while a second OL who was lined up directly beside the first Offensive Lineman, blocks the victim from the thigh or lower.
In last week’s Steelers-Titans game, Steelers Offensive Lineman David DeCastro attempted a chop block. Unfortunately he missed and took out his own teammate, Maurkice Pouncey, in the right knee. The result was nothing short of disaster as Pouncey is on the shelf for the rest of the season.
In an interview with Pittsburgh Tribune writer Mark Kaboly, Steelers DE Brett Keisel had this to say on these dangerous blocks;
“I am not saying all cut blocks (should be banned), but when someone is engaged, then I don’t feel like it is a safe play. Every year guys get hurt. You wonder how many guys have to go down before something happens.”
Note that he is opposed to it when a player is already engaged – that is what makes it more dangerous as the victim is completely indisposed and at a great disadvantage to protect himself. Ironically, his own coach, Mike Tomlin, is on the NFL’s Competition Committee, and he is in favor of the rule!
Keisel is certainly not alone in wanting the rule changed; there have been many, many players particularly in the past year or two who have been outspoken in wanting the same including Jared Allen and Clay Matthews. The injuries suffered from these blocks are oftentimes more serious ones, and from experience I can say enough leg injuries adds up.
Many of you will remember the chop block against Brian Cushing last season vs. the Jets (see the clip below). While perhaps you may argue that he got what was coming to him as the Texans were certainly guilty of that type of block themselves, it’s never a good thing to have a guy playing excellent football out for an entire year. On the play, he was chopped by Jets G Matt Slauson.
What I find incredibly bizarre, the NFL actually fined Slauson $10,000. What? How are you fined for a play that is legal by the NFL’s definition of the rule? Okay, there are always gray areas, but that’s just silly – and don’t get me started on how ridiculous a $10,000 fine is – go big or go home!
I’m not going to run down the lengthy list of players who have been injured from the chop block – just take my word for it that it is lengthy.
With all the attention to player safety, I can’t fathom that the play is still deemed a legal and appropriate play. Thankfully players both past and present are speaking out about it with increased frequency, with much stronger vocabulary. Here is HOF’er Bruce Smith on the rule; “It’s the cheapest, most cowardly play in the game. It’s a guy saying, I can’t play up to your standard, so I’m gonna go directly at your knees and try to injure you.” Too true, Bruce, too true.
Look, I’m all for keeping the physical part of football – it’s not the ballet. But when there is a type of play that causes serious injuries as a direct result of the victims being particularly vulnerable and is almost indefensible, than it has to change.
As I said at the fore, the difficulty I have is whether blame needs to be aimed directly at the NFL or to some players who seemingly no qualms with playing dirty at the expense of the careers of their peers.
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