Let’s face it…the “experiment” of weakening the game of American football has failed!

With two weeks remaining in the 2023 NFL season, over FIFTY different quarterbacks have started games due to season ending injuries.  With each succeeding week, more and more players are placed on the injury list.  The more the NFL slackens the rules in regard to practices, the longer the list of inured players gets.

In a recent interview, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said that he began taking ju-jitsu lessons…not because he was interested in fighting or self defense; but because he wanted to learn how to fall.  In ju-jitsu and aikido, the first thing the masters teach is how to properly fall to avoid injury.  With all the injuries this year, perhaps it is time that the coaches started teaching the players how to fall when they re tackled to help avoid injury.

Each year the NFL enacts more “rules” designed to make it safe for the players…well, guess what???? They aren’t working!!!

I grew up watching football…and baseball…with my Dad.  In those days, the players really hit each other hard but there were far fewer season ending injuries.  Granted, it was a broken leg that ended Washington quarterback Joe Theisman’s career, but those calls were rare.  Teams played what John Madden called “smashmouth football”.

Players no longer workout twice a day during camp after coming to camp out of shape from taking the offseason…well, off.  Hitting other than during games is almost non-existent.  As a result, the players don’t know how to take a hit or fall after a hit.

Gone are the days when Refrigerator Perry stands out for his size; ALL of the players are bigger; meaning that it is even more important that a player knows how to safely tackle, be tackled, and how to hit the ground.

Is the NFL going to join the Olympics in flag football or are the NFL powers that be going to wake up and return it to the game the world fell in love with?

Players are having to adjust to the new rules in regards to hitting with the helmet.  If they can learn to how to avoid using their heads in a tackle; then they can learn how to properly tackle safely while maintaining the game John Madden and so many millions loved.