Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

With half the season finished, Sporting News’ network of correspondents asked 111 players from 31 teams, Have the stricter tackling rules taken too much of the physicality out of the game?  
Check out what they had to say after the jump…

As always in our midseason poll, players were not allowed to name their team, teammates or head coach for any of their answers.

Have the stricter tackling rules taken too much of the physicality out of the game?

Yes: 90

No: 21

“Yes. The league and officials should be ashamed of some of these flags and the way they keep flagging guys. They are turning the NFL into being soft.” —Ravens LB Terrell Suggs

“Yes. It’s taken away from the brute physical violence that fans like to see. It’s the one thing in the world where physical violence is legal. I understand, obviously, that it’s all about players’ safety and players being able to play with their kids after they’re through playing. But you can also go overboard with it, too. Now, you can’t even touch the quarterback. You can’t hit him in the head, you can’t hit him in the knees. If you don’t hit him in the belly button, you’re fined. It takes away from it a little bit, but it’s also part of being a pro. … He’s our commissioner, he’s our boss. If he says go out there and make a tackle standing on two hands, you got to do it.” —Raiders CB Stanford Routt

“Yes. I don’t think it takes away from everybody, because some players are just going to be who they are and play their style regardless of the rules. It does have some guys worrying about how they should hit a guy that’s in a position where they can get penalized. I guarantee that, if you take a survey, some guys are going to say, ‘No, it doesn’t change me because I’m a football player.’ But some guys definitely are thinking about it because they don’t want to get the flag, they don’t want to hurt their team, and they don’t want to pay the money for the fine. So, yeah, it does change things.” —Raiders OT Khalif Barnes

“Most definitely. A lot of guys focus on how they’re tackling instead of just trying to make a play.” —AFC defensive player

“Yes. There’s too much protecting. You’re trying to protect people in a brutal sport. It’s impossible.” —AFC defensive player

“Yes. It’s taken out some of the physicality. I wouldn’t say all of it. I think with the stricter rules you’re going to have more guys with leg and knee injuries because guys are afraid of getting fined for hitting up high and helmet-to-helmet contact. So you have a lot of guys going out with those ‘bottom-half’ injuries.” —Broncos TE Daniel Fells

“Yes. You can’t win. Hard hits are illegal, that’s how I see it. There’s too many gray areas, especially favoring the offenses. I think it’s taken away from the game, in my opinion. But it is what it is. You’ve got to play by the rules. I play by them. I don’t make them.” —Broncos DE Robert Ayers

“Yes. It is all about safety, but it plays with some of the defensive players’ minds when focusing on a tackle since you’ve got to worry about getting fined. And it’s not good when you have to worry about too many things out on the field.” —Broncos LB Wesley Woodyard

“No. Safety is a big issue these days.” —AFC offensive player

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