Much has been written about the new leg and thigh pad rules coming out of the NFL Competition Committee meetings this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. Yet that group has been working on far more than that.

According to the Associated Press, the committee is examining helmet-to-helmet hits and if the NFL should increase the penalties for such contact. Also, the committee is considering penalties for any player who targets any part of an opponent’s body with the crown of his helmet, according to NFL executive vice president of football operations Ray Anderson.

Anderson said the potential change would benefit the health of both players and there is initial support on the committee to do that.

“When we started playing football we were taught to keep our head up and see where we hit. It’s kind of, for some reason, evolved in a different way now and so we’re really looking hard at that,” Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said.

“We’ve got big, fast, strong guys on great fields now and they just move, run faster and do things at a better pace. We have to continue to look at that. So those are the important things moving forward.”

Giants owner John Mara said the league has successfully reduced concussions, but he didn’t offer any numbers to back up his claim.

Anderson and Mara both said the injury numbers from last season showed the league is making progress in reducing concussions, an issue they will continue to monitor and amend in the future.

– Bill Bradley, contributing editor