The hit that caused New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski to suffer a knee injury Sunday became a flashpoint for the issue of hitting players' legs in the NFL. Cleveland Browns safety T.J. Wardtold ESPN.com that the NFL rules forced him to hit low.
The Providence Journal wrote that the NFL's emphasis on banning headshots has encouraged defenders to target knees, and that didn't make several members of the Patriots very happy.
That follows along the lines of a Q&A that NFL Evolution did with St. Louis Rams team physician Dr. Matthew Matava, who said last week that players have talked to him about the need to hit low.
-- Bill Bradley, contributing editor
