Kayvon Thibodeaux was injured in the Giants’ Week 2 game vs. the Bengals on Sunday, leading many to question whether the block that injured him was, in fact, legal.
The injury to Thibodeaux came in the second quarter of the game, when second-year tight end Thaddeus Moss worked his way to the right behind the offensive line, eventually going low and taking the rookie EDGE defender out.
Thibodeaux was down on the ground for several moments before waving off an injury cart and walking off the field on his own power.
Not good pic.twitter.com/zcKK6ull4O
— S͎ønnÿ (@SonnyxDigital) August 22, 2022
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Reports on Monday indicate Thibodeaux will miss three to four weeks with a right MCL sprain, and could even be in line to play the Giant’s Week 1 opener.
Regardless, any who witnessed the unfortunate incident — such as former NFL linebacker and Fox Sports commentator Emmanuel Acho — decried Moss’ block as “ridiculous, dangerous and cowardly”:
This is ridiculous, dangerous and cowardly! Straight cowardly. Prayers up for Kayvon Thibodeaux.
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) August 22, 2022
Was block that injured Kayvon Thibodeaux illegal?
Moss performed what is termed a “cut block” on Thibodeaux, in which a player blocks another player below the waist.
One could argue whether players should be attempting cut blocks in what amounts to a meaningless preseason game. But, from a legal standpoint, Moss’ block was not only not dirty, it was legal. That’s even after the NFL in 2021 expanded the definition of illegal cut blocks.
Per Rule 8, Section 4, Article 5 of the NFL’ 2022 rulebook:
Blocks below the waist are prohibited in the following situations:
A) By players of either team after a change of possession; or
B) By players of the kicking team after a free kick, safety kick, fair-catch kick, punt, field goal attempt, or try kick; or
C) By players of the receiving team during a down in which there is a free kick, safety kick, fair-catch kick, punt, field goal attempt, or try kick.
D) By players of either team during a scrimmage down prior to a change of possession unless the contact occurs in the tight end box. (Note: Players are prohibited from initiating contact below the waist of an opponent outside the tight end box, except against a runner or a player who is attempting to catch a forward or backward pass).
The “tight end box” is the sticking point of the rule. The NFL defines it as an “area two yards outside of the normal tackle position and extends five yards on either side of the line of scrimmage.”
Because Moss’ block was well within the tight end box, it was allowed by rule.
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Moreover, Moss’ block did not meet any of the other criteria that would otherwise make it illegal:
- Illegal cut block (cut block outside the tight end box on a scrimmage down)
- Clipping (hitting a player below the waist from behind)
- “Peel back” block (a blocker is moving toward his own line OR approaches the opponent from behind or from the side)
- Chop block (engaging an opponent below the waist after he is already engaged above the waist by another blocker)
- Crackback block (coming back toward the football and blocking low or hitting a player in the head or neck area)
The only other rule that could allow for Moss’ block to be deemed illegal is if Thibodeaux was a defenseless player. Thibodeaux, who saw Moss coming and did not shed his cut block attempt, did not meet any such criteria, including:
- A player who receives a “blindside” block when the path of the offensive blocker is toward or parallel to his own end line
- A player who is protected from an illegal crackback block
It’s unfortunate that Thibodeaux was injured on the play. But the play that resulted in his injury was neither illegal nor dirty.
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