for the winning field goal in the final seconds. Cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones also got a 15-yard penalty after the play, making it an easy kick.The NFL suspended Burfict for the first three

Visceral blowback to the NFL’s updated rule that players can’t lead with their helmets to make contact is straight out of tough-guy football 101. Hard-hitting defensive backs say the league is destroying the physical element of the game or lament that it’s changing the sport entirely.“Do they want us to play flag football?” Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard said. “It’s crazy.”Beyond the criticism from old-school players bristling at another rule change or point of emphasis is legitimate confusion as to how the enhanced regulations will actually be enforced. No longer can a player initiate contact with his head anywhere on an opponent’s body http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/jawaan-taylor-jersey , penalized 15 yards or possibly by ejection in egregious cases, and players and coaches — offensive guys, too — are bracing for how it will be applied.“You just hope it’s not called as frequently, because if they are going to call it on every single offensive and defensive lineman, the game is going to be played at a snail’s pace,” 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman said. “It seems like they are neglecting the impact it is going to have on the game, and I don’t think they fully understand the scope and how huge it will be.”Contact to a player’s head and neck has been a penalty for some time now, but this rule was ramped up to take it a step further. A ball carrier or an offensive lineman can’t lower his head into a defender, and a defensive player can’t make any part of his helmet the primary point of contact when attempting to tackle.It’s similar to the NCAA rule that has been in place since 2013, though at the college level, “targeting” carries an automatic ejection, reviewable by replay. The league estimated that just two plays last season would’ve led to an ejection under the new rule that’s forcing players to adjust their approaches.“It’s really hard to change the way you’ve been playing after 20 years,” Cowboys safety Jeff Heath said. “You’re not always thinking about where you’re hitting somebody. You’re just trying to get them down. As soon as you start thinking, and second-guessing yourself, I think that’s when trouble happens. Hopefully it does the job in keeping players safe but doesn’t result in a lot of ejections.”As the NFL alters this rule and another to kickoffs in the name of safety, some players are willing to accept the reasons for changes. Denver’s three-time All-Pro linebacker Von Miller said http://www.jacksonvillejaguarsteamonline.com/gardner-minshew-ii-jersey , “They’ve put in rules to take care of all the players, as well, so I’m good with all the rule changes.”Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said he used to fight the evolution of football “like an old dog,” but has come to accept changes in the name of doing the right thing for players. He expects there to be a wide application of the enhanced helmet rule and doesn’t consider it such a bad thing.“I think it’s across the board because it can happen multiple times on any play, where guys use the top of their helmet,” Carroll said. “We’re just getting out of it. It’s really about going back to really good shoulder-leverage play.”That’s how Josh Norman feels about it. The Washington Redskins cornerback knows he has accidentally made helmet contact with opponents, but as a player not known for those plays considers this a reminder about sound fundamentals.“Head up, bowed neck, tackle with your facemask,” Norman said. “It’s not with the crown of your head. Obviously injuries come. People get paralyzed like that. Nobody should play like that.”To get the message across, coaches Anthony Lynn of the Chargers, Doug Marrone of the Jaguars, Dan Quinn of the Falcons, Mike Vrabel of the Titans and Todd Bowles of the Jets each narrated a clip-by-clip video illustrating how the enhanced rule affects a different position group: running backs , offensive linemen , defensive linemen http://www.losangelesramsteamonline.com/darrell-henderson-jersey , linebackers and defensive backs . Hall of Fame running back Curtis Martin and linebackers Willie Lanier , also a Hall of Famer, and Willie McGinest taped minute-long videos explaining to players the importance of stance posture and technique to avoid unnecessary head contact.In the first test of the heightened emphasis on head contact, Baltimore linebackers Patrick Onwuasor and Kamalei Correa were each flagged for 15-yard penalties in the Hall of Fame game that opened the preseason. Watching that gave Denver coach Vance Joseph a glimpse of what effect the helmet rule will have, pointing out it’s not just on players to adjust.“Coaching that part, in my opinion, is going to be the tough part — not the defenders,” Joseph said. “That’s been taught and that’s been coached for a long time, with the offensive guys using their stiff arm and putting the ball in the proper hand, using their shoulders versus their head. It’s going to take teaching.”It’s going to take some trial and error in games for players and officials to realize how it will actually be called. Veteran Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander figures it could happen somewhere on the field on any play, so he and his teammates will try to toe the line between watching out for it and not thinking so much that it proves costly.“You can’t really change your mindset,” Buffalo safety Micah Hyde said. “That’s when you start playing passive, and you start giving up stuff. I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to explain, it’s kind of when your ankle’s hurt, you tape it http://www.minnesotavikingsteamonline.com/irv-smith-jr.-jersey , you’re thinking about it, and then you might hurt something else. It’s the same along those lines, you can’t really think about it: Just go out there and play football.” The Bengals stuck with linebacker Vontaze Burfict through all his troubles, including a hit to Antonio Brown’s head that led to a playoff loss. They finally released him on Monday after a season of below-average performance.During seven seasons with Cincinnati, Burfict was repeatedly suspended by the NFL for egregious hits and violating its policy on performance-enhancers. He was fined regularly for hits that crossed the line, most notably the one to Brown’s head that helped the Steelers rally for an 18-16 playoff win in the 2015 season.Through it all, the Bengals stood solidly behind the linebacker and gave him contract extensions. His significant fall-off in performance last season led them to finally cut ties.“As we continue to build our roster for the 2019 season, we felt it best to give both the team and Vontaze a fresh start,” new Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “Vontaze has been a good player here — the team appreciates that, and I know a lot of fans appreciate that — but our focus is on the future.”Burfict, 28, was suspended for the first four games last season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers, his third straight season with a suspension. A hip injury and concussions limited him to seven games with only 33 tackles, no sacks and no interceptions, by far the worst performance of his career.Owner Mike Brown and former coach Marvin Lewis had defended Burfict through all his misdeeds, while he still made an impact on the field. Lewis was fired after a 6-10 finish last season http://www.newyorkgiantsteamonline.com/dexter-lawrence-jersey , the Bengals’ third straight losing season, and now Burfict is gone, too.Nobody was willing to draft him out of Arizona State, where he repeatedly drew personal foul penalties. Burfict wrote a letter to NFL teams, and the Bengals — known for giving troubled players extra chances — brought him aboard for the 2012 season.He was their best defensive player and one of the league’s most controversial players, often in the middle of scrums and shoving matches.In 2015, he missed the first six games while recovering from knee surgery and, in his return, led the Bengals to a 16-10 win in Pittsburgh. His tackle on Le’Veon Bell resulted in the running back tearing a knee ligament, adding fuel to the rivalry.During their first-round playoff game at Paul Brown Stadium, Burfict’s hit on Brown moved the Steelers in range for the winning field goal in the final seconds. Cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones also got a 15-yard penalty after the play, making it an easy kick.The NFL suspended Burfict for the first three games in 2016 as a result of his numerous egregious hits, including the one on Brown. The Bengals defended him and stuck with him.Burfict was suspended again for the first three games in 2017 for an egregious hit during a preseason game. He got a three-year contract extension during the suspension, a sign of the Bengals’ attachment to him.During his career in Cincinnati, Burfict had 8½ sacks and five interceptions. He made the Pro Bowl in 2013.