NFL needs to look at protecting defenders from chop blocks

With NFL players getting bigger and faster, constantly increasing the violence of their collisions, the league needed to take steps to curtail the helmet-to-helmet shots that could have devastating effects.

But that doesn’t mean offensive and defensive players will find a common ground on the issue, mostly because for years defenders have thought the game is slanted in favor of the people paid to put points on the scoreboard.

“I know that feeling, because I played defense and coached defense,” NBC’s Tony Dungy said in a phone interview this week.

Dungy brings up a good point. In addition to enforcing stiffer penalties for illegal hits — suspensions, and not just fines — the NFL should revisit some dangerous offensive techniques to see if the game can be made safer for all involved.

“They have got to take a look at some of the places where the defensive players get hurt too,” Dungy said. “They’ve got to take a look at those cut blocks. They’ve done a good job of eliminating some of those on passing plays, but they have to look at it on running plays too. For all the guys who miss time because of concussions, just as many lose time to those cut-block running plays.

“That would help defenders feel like their voice is being heard.”

A chop or cut is typically a combination block when two offensive players high-low a defender. Those blocks are illegal on pass plays, but legal on the front side of running plays (and on the back side, as long as the two blockers begin the play lined up next to each other).

Why is it illegal to chop-block on pass plays but not with the run? Because the league thinks it would be too difficult to run the ball without the ability to chop-block and get defenders off their feet.

Regardless, defensive players hate those blocks, think hits like those endanger their livelihood — even if they aren’t as potentially life-altering as helmet-to-helmet hits — and are a prime example of the league giving preferential treatment to offensive players.

“Why is it fair for an offensive lineman to dive at your knees?” Dwight Freeney said this year. “If they’re so health-conscious and worried about protecting guys, ban cut blocks.

“You’ve banned everything else. You’ve banned quarterback hits — you can’t hit him here, you can’t hit him there — well, what about cut blocks? Do you know how many serious injuries have come from cut blocks? It’s ridiculous. It’s so one-sided.”

A fine line

Some hits are clearly fine-worthy. But a lot of people around the league have taken exception to Atlanta’s Dunta Robinson’s being fined $50,000 for his shot on Philadelphia’s DeSean Jackson, a collision that resulted in game-ending concussions for both players.

Many people around the league thought that hit — Robinson’s head to the high chest/lower facemask of Jackson — was legal.

Said one team personnel executive not with the Eagles or Falcons: “That’s a dream tackle for us. We teach our corners to hit like that.”

Dungy agreed with the league’s ruling.

“They’re going to have to stop teaching them that,” he said. “They’re going to have to teach them to go a little bit lower than the upper chest, go at the numbers or below.

“You look at the old NFL films with the quarterbacks in the pockets. Those guys got killed to the helmets, and now it’s different. You can’t do that. Defenders have adapted, they’ve been taught a little bit differently, and I think that’s what’s going to have to happen with this.”

Chargers zapped

There are lots of reasons the San Diego Chargers are 2-4, among them losing their left tackle and top receiver to contract holdouts, horrendous special teams, and an inability to consistently establish the run.

One problem that has cropped up in each of the last three losses is defensive breakdowns in third-and-long situations. The Chargers have played well enough to put teams in those spots, yet they can’t seem to get off the field. Seattle, Oakland and St. Louis had a conversion rate of 50% against the Chargers in third-and-seven or longer.

“Collectively, we’re not getting it done,” safety Eric Weddle said. “We try to emphasize not giving up the deep ball and don’t give up big plays, but it’s really no excuse. When you shore up those long third-down situations, you get the ball back to our offense and you take away points.”

Dallas not super

Remember all that talk about the Dallas Cowboys becoming the first team to play in a Super Bowl on their home field?

Now, they’re 1-4 heading into a do-or-die Monday night home game against the New York Giants.

Coming into the season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he felt better about this team’s chances than in any other year since those Super Bowl teams of the early 1990s.

If you’re wondering what happened, you’re not alone. Chargers receiver Patrick Crayton spent the last six seasons with the Cowboys, and training camp this summer, before being traded to San Diego just before the season started.

“After we got that playoff victory last season, and even after we went up to Minnesota and got our butts handed to us, we thought, ‘We’ve made that next step,’ ” Crayton said. “It doesn’t look that way right now. They can’t even be talking about the playoffs now, it’s all about trying to win a game.”

What does he imagine life is like in North Texas these days?

“It’s not a pleasant deal, trust me,” Crayton said. “Texas football is a religion and the Cowboys are the ultimate team. When the Cowboys lose, Mondays are not generally too fun.”

sam.farmer@latimes.com

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