[bballguy]

Originally Posted by Big Earl

you can't do that... NFL are cracking down on those type of hits

Lol, you're completely wrong....That's what the league is TELLING players to do now.....Players are being easily penalized for going at the upperbody/head, so guys feel like they have no choice but to go at dudes' knees now...The hit was completely legal.

"I closed on the pass, it was a decision I made just to make a tackle on a big man," Ward said. "Unfortunately he got hurt, but if I were to hit him up high, there's a chance I would've got fined . . . I'm just being safe."

Ward explained that with the NFL rules for illegal hits being what they are, defensive backs like himself are left with little choice: A hit up high could result in a personal foul penalty and a hefty fine; a hit down low may be dangerous, but it doesn't carry the same kinds of risks.

"I've been fined three times," he said. "And I don't like playing for free. You can ask anybody in this league if they like playing for free. No. Repeat offenders, they starting to suspend people for the year. I can't risk that. I won't risk that. I gotta play within the rules. Point blank."

Browns cornerback Joe Haden agreed with his teammate.

"It's a focus on to tackle low because you don't want to get fined," Haden said. "You playing within the rules. I feel so bad that [Gronkowski] went down like that, but TJ was doing everything he had to do to play within the rules. If you're catching the ball like that and he goes up top, there's going to be a fine. They're going to take away a lot of money and everything like that -- throw a flag on the play. But that's the way they want us to do it now. I feel so bad for Gronkowski. At the same time TJ's doing what he has to do. Playing within the rules, and that's just what's going to happen."

"That's what they want us to do," said Poyer. "That's what they preach us to do. That's what they tell us to do. I feel like it's a fair hit. My heart and my prayers go out to Gronk 'cause, I mean, it was nasty. But at the end of the day, that's how they want defenders to come in and hit."

"If you do hit him in his chest and he decides to hunch down or flinch or lower his head," Ward said, "then I could get the chance of being fined."

If the rules protecting defenseless receivers and shots to the head had not been instilled as they are, Ward said, there is a chance he may have attempted a different type of tackle.

"When they set the rule, everyone knew what was going to happen," Ward said. "This can happen if you have those type of situations. It's pretty much inevitable. They forced our hand with this one."