NFL Helmet To Helmet Violence: What the Experts Are Saying

Helmet-to-helmet hits have become a huge concern in the NFL almost overnight after Week 6, when multiple players were destroyed with hits while in defenseless positions.

Since then, the NFL said it is going to enforce the rules more strictly and that there will be bigger fines and possible suspensions for offenders of the rules. DeSean Jackson, Josh Cribbs and Todd Heap were just a few of the players who were the victims of these hits and they were scary to watch, especially Jackson, whose head snapped back on the hit.

Inside, you'll find the insights of those who are playing or have played the game, NFL officials and those who cover the game and find out what they think about this latest change to the way the game is played.

Steve Young

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 18: Monday Night Football Analyst Steve Young talks just prior to the start of the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field on October 18, 2010 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by J. Mer

When talking after the Monday Night Football game last night on ESPN, Steve Young was asked about what exactly a devastating hit was and he believed it was any hit that made you cringe watching it.

He said it's clear the league doesn't want it in the game and will make sure it's taken out, especially because the game is so popular on television. Young said it's not fair that it's come to this but that's the way it's going to be legislated.

Young said you can't and the league won't define what a devastating hit is. He went on to say this came about in part because quarterbacks and wide receivers aren't as football savvy as they used to be and it has led to more of these hits than we're used to in the past.

I feel like Young was way off base with his argument. Players are bigger, faster and stronger these days, not less intelligent. He just seemed out of touch with what is going on in the league.

Matt Millen

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ATLANTA - DECEMBER 31: ESPN analyst Matt Millen watches pre-game warmups before the Chick-Fil-A Bowl between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Tennessee Volunteers at the Georgia Dome on December 31, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hokies beat the Voluntee

Matt Millen was bothered by this decision because it was made by people who have no idea what is going on in the field. He went on to say that he could care less about it being a TV game during the same segment with Steve Young.

Millen said the game was about competing on the field and that you can't take the competition out of the game along with the toughness that is synonymous with football. He also said that it was "stupid" that one week of football will change how the game has been played for years.

The former player went on to say that the NFL needs to define what these hits are and it's stupid that the league has not done so.

Millen's assessment of the situation showed why he should have never left the booth in the first place. It's good to see him really bringing something to the table as part of ESPN's coverage team.

Trent Dilfer

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CHARLOTTE - DECEMBER 2: Trent Dilfer #12 of the San Francisco 49ers fades back to pass during the NFL game against the Carolina Panthers at the Bank of America Stadium on December 2, 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Image

Trent Dilfer joined the debate between Matt Millen and Steve Young and called the decision "a joke" and said that the NFL is going to rob us of what we love about the NFL.

Dilfer said the league is taking four or five plays out of thousands and changing the rules because of a small sample. He went on to say that there was only one really bad hit this past week and it's the Brandon Meriweather hit on Todd Heap and that the others were just casualties of the football.

The former Super Bowl winner went on to slightly disagree with Young's opinion that it was because of poor play, blaming it more on the increasingly complex defenses that we've been seeing in recent years.

Rodney Harrison

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SAN FRANCISCO - OCTOBER 5: Rodney Harrison #37 of the New England Patriots grips the ball as he is grabbed by Arnaz Battle #83 of the San Francisco 49ers during an NFL game on October 5, 2008 at Monster Park in San Francisco, California.

Rodney Harrison is infamous for his hits on opposing players and racked up countless fines for doing so. On Sunday night, during his work on NBC's broadcast coverage, he talked about how to keep these types of hits from happening in the future.

"You didn't get my attention when you fined me five grand, 10 grand, 15 grand,'' Harrison said. "You got my attention when I got suspended...You have to suspend these guys. These guys are making millions of dollars. I only learned when they suspended me and I wasn't out there to help my teammates. If they're going to change the nature of these hits, you're gonna have to suspend guys.''

It's a very accurate assessment of the situation. These guys are making millions upon millions of dollars and a couple thousand is nothing to them. However, they live to play the game and if they're not on the field it's going to eat at them and it will stop.

Clinton Portis

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PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 03: Clinton Portis #26 of the Washington Redskins runs the ball against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 3, 2010 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

During his weekly radio appearance on 106.7 The Fan's The Mike Wise Show with Holden Kushner, Clinton Portis was asked about the crackdown on big hits in the league and he said he saw the need to protect guys when they're defenseless but at the same time, feels that if you tell players not to hit as hard, it will take the excitement out of the game.

Portis went on to talk about how hits like we've seen are part of the DNA of the game.

"This game [has] always been violent," Portis said. "People like to see the mano a mano side of things. Like to see people collide. That's what makes football...the greatest is the violent side.

"At the end of the day, somebody gonna be proven to be No. 1. It's everybody colliding, and who gonna be standing there at No. 1 at the end. I think that's the excitement of football and it's always been that way. For it to come in and change now, I know people are bigger, stronger and faster, so the collisions are getting tougher. But at the same time, I think that's what makes the game of football football."

It was amazing insight from Portis, who suffered a concussion last year. He couldn't be more spot on about what this rule enforcement is going to bring to the game.

Mike Ditka

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WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 18: Pro Football Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka (2nd R) testifes during a hearing of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee with (L-R) NFL Players Association Executive Director Gene Upshaw, NFL Commiss

During a radio appearance on Mike and Mike in the Morning, Mike Ditka was speaking about the issue with helmet-to-helmet hits and his solution was simple, remove the facemasks.

Ditka has spoken about this idea in the past and reinforced it again, saying that if the face isn't as protected, players won't be as willing to use the helmet as a weapon and lead with their head. He said with the way helmets are, they're weapons and players just throw themselves at offensive players.

It's an interesting idea but something that will never, ever happen, especially with the league's focus on concussions.

Jim Trotter

Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated wrote online about how the NFL has no choice but to defend players who are hit while in a defenseless position.

He wrote that players are much bigger than their counterparts were in different eras of the game and that the league has to step in when players like Brandon Meriweather and James Harrison ignore safety and commit violent hits, especially when players like Harrison are unrepentant after the fact.

I can't say I disagree with him. These are large men running full speed into each other and sometimes the players have no time to try and protect themselves from a huge hit and serious injury.

Adrian Wilson

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Safety Adrian Wilson #24 of the Arizona Cardinals celebrates during the 2010 NFC wild-card playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at the Universtity of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2010 in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardina

In Jim Trotter's Sports Illustrated piece, he talked to Adrian Wilson, who has had his own issues with the league because of hits and his opinion on suspensions for those types of plays and how they come about.

"The thing is, I don't want my teammates to be without me," said Wilson, to Sports Illustrated. "But it's really hard because you only have that split-second to determine what to do. It's crazy. I try my best to use clear judgment and make clear decisions, but a lot of those collisions are unavoidable. You're either going to let them catch it and take a step to see what's going on, or there's going to be a collision."

That's the hardest thing about this situation. These plays happen in an instant and sometimes there's no malicious intent involved in the plays. Some plays are clear cases of headhunting but suspending someone for something they can't really control? It's going to cause a lot of issues.

Ray Anderson

Ray Anderson went on Mike and Mike in the Morning today to talk about the NFL's decision to suspend players for vicious hits.

"If it's an illegal hit under the rules, then you're going to be held accountable," Anderson said. "The defender has to adjust his target area. He has to wrap up...We've got a responsibility to make sure players adapt," Anderson said. "Coaches can adapt in their teaching...and then we can get back to worrying about what dance clear-headed receivers are doing in the end zone."

Anderson is right. Players don't tackle anymore. They launch themselves at players and lead with their head. If players tackled the way you're supposed to tackle, these hits wouldn't happen as much as they do. It's dangerous to be moving that fast and then launch yourself at a defenseless player.

Tom Jackson

Last night, on Monday Night Countdown, Tom Jackson spoke about the crackdown on violent hits and he admitted to living for the big hits as a linebacker during his playing days.

However, he said that the game has changed since then and went on to talk about having to do stories on players who have been paralyzed from hits sustained during games. Jackson was emotional and clearly concerned about the health and well-being of today's players if this continued.

Jackson is one of the best ESPN has to offer when it comes to the NFL and it showed why last night.