Tucked into Sunday night's disastrous29-3 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers lost more than a critical game inside the division.
Nose tackle Ian Williams broke his ankle and could be out long term after going down on a cut block by Seahawks right guard J.R. Sweezy in the first quarter.
After the game, 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis said it's time for the NFL to rethink the dangerous blocks.
"I feel like as a linebacker or a D-lineman, any cut, it's a man sport -- be a man, hit me up high," Willis said, per CSN Bay Area. "Hit like rams. You don't see a ram going and cutting another ram's legs. They hit head to head, pad to pad.
"I feel like that's something the league should look into more. You see some of that stuff, and it's uncalled for. You have a guy who's 300 pounds cutting a guy who's 250 pounds. Do physics to that. Hit the man up high. It should be a good collision."
Willis also said he narrowly avoided a cut block later in the game on a Seattle screen pass.
Now Willis' job becomes harder with Williams likely out for the season. Glenn Dorsey will step in at nose tackle for a 49ers defensive line that quietly goes to work each week, helping the team's cadre of star linebackers shine.
Willis saw one of those linemen go down Sunday night, and he doesn't agree with the tactics that forced Williams out of the game. It's increasingly hard to see why the league would agree, either.
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