Packers receiver Randall Cobb missed a couple of months of the season after a low hit against the Ravens broke his leg.
And while the rules still allow low hits, Cobb didn’t think it was a clean shot from rookie safety Matt Elam.
“I think it was dirty,” Cobb said on Wednesday’s edition of Pro Football Talk at the Super Bowl. “But I don’t think it was meant to be dirty. I think with the new rules in place he was doing the opposite and trying to protect himself from getting a fine and it just caused a low hit.”
Cobb’s right. With the emphasis on wiping out hits to the head, defensive players have started to aim lower. And players like Cobb are paying the price with knee injuries.
“I think we have to create some kind of hitting zone, some kind of targeting zone,” Cobb said. “We’re professional athletes, we can make that type of adjustment. We just need the repetition and practice to make the adjustment.”
It’s unclear when and if the adjustment will be made. The NFL seems to care far more about brains than knees, even though hits to the knees end careers.
But the players should keep pushing for expanded protections, individually through interviews and collectively through the NFLPA.