The New York Times looks at bad tackling around the NFL. Via FO
It was not always like that. Tony Dungy, a former coach and current NBC analyst, recalled that when he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Coach Chuck Noll never held a practice that was not in full pads, even on Friday, the lightest day of the practice week. There was contact every day, although defenders were told not to explode through their hits or bring an offensive player to the ground.
“You got used to hitting and tackling,” Dungy said.
But that was before the salary cap and roster limits. A hard cap and soft tissue do not mix, and avoiding injuries during practice is now the primary concern for teams.
By the time Dungy became the Indianapolis coach, players even had pad-free days in training camp. If the Colts played a Monday night game, they would practice for the next game with no pads, in an effort to spare their bodies. The Colts never practiced in pads on Fridays, and late in the season, as players wore down, Dungy would call for no pads on Thursdays.
So while his players still practiced technique — taking the correct angle to the ball or at most wrapping up the ball carrier before releasing him — the physical aspect of tackling was virtually absent.
“It does show,” Dungy said.
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