NFL ‘helmet rule’ has early impact
The National Football League’s controversial new ‘‘use of helmet’’ rule had an instant impact in the opening round of matches yesterday.
It took less than a quarter for it to make headlines when Cincinnati Bengals safety Shawn Williams was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit on star Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.
Williams lowered his head and made helmet-to-helmet contact with Luck, who was diving for a first down while being tackled from behind by another player during the first quarter.
Under the new rule, designed in the hope of minimising head and spinal injuries, officials have the discretion to eject a player for such a hit.
The rule states a foul occurs if a ‘‘player lowers his head to initiate and make contact with his helmet against an opponent’’.
The new ruling has been a major storyline during pre-season with many players speaking out about it, arguing it is impossible to officiate and only creates confusion.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman was one to voice his displeasure publicly in preseason, saying: ‘‘The rule is idiotic and should be dismissed immediately.
‘‘When you watch rugby players tackle they are still led by their head. Will be flag football soon.’’
Luck did not appear to be injured in the collision and did not sound upset with Williams.
‘‘I think it looked worse than it felt,’’ Luck said after the game, won by the Bengals 34-23.
‘‘I didn’t think it was much of a deal. It’s part of this game and I’ll keep working on that part of my game and when to take those chances and when not to.’’
Yesterday’s games delivered plenty of wild results with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers upsetting the New Orleans Saints 48-40 in New Orleans in the highest scoring opening round game in NFL history.
The Cleveland Browns ended their 17-game losing streak that lasted 624 days with a 21-21 tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers in wet conditions in Cleveland.
Browns kicker Zane Gonzalez saw his would-be game-winning field goal blocked late in overtime, denying them what would have been a momentous start to the season.
The Green Bay Packers rallied from 20 points down in yesterday’s late game to knock over the Chicago Bears 24-23 at Lambeau Field.
Green Bay faced a nightmare situation when outstanding quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who sat out the end of last season with a shoulder injury, was taken off in a medical cart in the second quarter with a knee issue.
Rodgers recovered to take the field in the second half and was instrumental in rallying Green Bay, who trailed 17-0 at halftime, to a stunning comeback victory. The 20-point comeback is the largest of Rodgers’ career.