NFL Helmet To Helmet Hits: Hit on Ravens TE Todd Heap Helps Spark Major Changes

Baltimore Ravens tight end Todd Heap was not the only player on Sunday to be at the receiving end of a potentially life-altering hit, but Heap was the center of discussion when the NFL announced new rules that police “flagrant” and “helmet-to-helmet” hits.

Since the announcement by the NFL Sunday evening, when initial plans were set in motion to impose suspensions on players that engage in “dangerous hits,” a major debate ensued as to whether these new rules would change the game of football for the better.

These debates have been emotionally charged, and most experts and analysts are completely divided on the issue.

After the game between the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football, ESPN’s Stuart Scott, Matt Millen and Steve Young entered a heated debate on the new rule changes.

Scott and Millen agreed the interpretation of the new rules could vary from referee to referee, therefore making it harder to differentiate a hard hit from an illegal hit.

Millen also argued that enforcing such rules would take the passion and intensity everyone loves completely out of the game, and players would have to resort to a “two-hand touch” style of play.

The fact that the NFL is becoming increasingly restrictive when it comes to physical contact is hard to deny.  However, the implementation of new rules regarding helmet-to-helmet contact is something most agree with.

With the incidents of concussions on the rise, the league needs to take a tougher stand on deliberate acts of helmet-to-helmet contact.  In the past, a player guilty of such a deliberate act would normally receive a small fine—an insignificant punishment when you are making millions of dollars a year.

Under the new rules initiated Sunday, players will receive indefinite suspensions if contact with another player is deemed “flagrant” or “life-altering” when it comes to deliberate helmet contact.

Dealing out suspensions gets right to the root of the problem.  Not only will players’ paychecks be docked, but also having your star player sit out will affect an entire team—not a good thing if you are in the thick of a playoff run.

Meriweather has reportedly received a $50,000 fine for not one, but two disastrous helmet-to-helmet hits on Heap during Sunday’s game.  The new NFL rules are not retroactive to last Sunday, so Meriweather will not receive a suspension.

Heap was lucky to walk off the field under his own power, after he remained motionless for several minutes after the hit.

During the Monday Night Football postgame show, Steve Young described Meriweather’s violation as “the worst of the worst.”  Young knows a thing or two about head injuries as a Hall of Fame quarterback.  During Young’s 15-year career, he was diagnosed with seven known concussions, eventually leading him to retirement in 1999.

The other violation that helped set the new league rules into motion occurred in Pittsburgh, when Steelers linebacker James Harrison viciously laid into Cleveland Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who was defenseless after an errant pass from quarterback Colt McCoy.

Harrison’s fine of $75,000 was the highest of all involved players Sunday, due to repeat offenses in the past.

This is where the debate starts on what is considered a “legal hit.”  Where do NFL referees draw the line during weekly competition?  Will these new rules drastically affect the way these highly-trained athletes prepare for games?

Unfortunately, we will have to wait and see how the league clarifies the brand-new additions to the rulebook.

Injuries are a part of the game and always will be.  Players go into the game knowing the risks involved with playing the sport.  No one set of rules will ever change this harsh reality.

The NFL, however, can effectively reduce serious head and neck injuries by imposing suspensions when players are clearly guilty of vicious helmet-to-helmet contact.

For most players, the thought of not being able to contribute your skills to the game of football because of a suspension, is extremely unnerving—much worse than receiving a meaningless fine.

In the end, the new rules governing helmet-to-helmet contact will be to the benefit of every player that takes the field in the NFL.

Todd McGregor is a Baltimore Ravens Featured Columnist here on BleacherReport.com

Follow my work on Twitter:  twitter.com/ravens023