BOCA RATON, Fla. _ NFL owners passed a spate of rules changes Tuesday at their annual meeting, the most significant of which eliminates all chop blocks.
Offensive linemen are now prohibited from hitting a defender low while another hits him high in a move that some on offense suggest is going to encourage defenders to hold more and prevents their linemen from getting to the second level in the run game.
But Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, a member of the NFL competition committee, says the move was done for safety.
“I don’t think the chop block doesn’t necessarily help the defense as much as making offenses adjust and the offensive player go a little further to get the guy blocked without an opportunity to injure a guy,” Lewis said.