Low hit by Thaddeus Moss on Kayvon Thibodeaux was legal, and clean

Legal?

Sunday night’s cut block by Bengals tight end Thaddeus Moss caused a knee injury for Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. Although Thibodeaux appears to be in good health, the hit was so severe his ACL was strained.

It was legal. For decades, cut blocking — long recognized as the only way for smaller players to get larger opponents down — was perfectly legal and unrestricted. The NFL has been trying to restrict the practice in recent years. The league has eliminated the practice of blocking below the waist from the tackle box.

Moss hit Thibodeaux within the tackle box. No flag was raised. There should not be any fine.

Check out the top sportsbooks for betting on the NFL

4.6/5

FanDuel Review

New Users – Get $250 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5 for 5 days

Bet now

Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT). Hope is here. GamblingHelpLineMA.org or call (800) 327-5050 for 24/7 support (MA). Visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD). Call 1-877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 21+ (18+ D.C., KY, WY) and present in select states (for KS, in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino). First online real money wager only. Min $5 wager required for 5 consecutive days.$5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable bonus bets which expire 7 days after receipt. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Call 1-877-770-7867 (LA). ™/© 2026 MLB

4.5/5

BetMGM Review

Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win

Bet now

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET (Available in the US) 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY) 1-800-327-5050 (MA), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ only. Please Gamble Responsibly. See BetMGM.com for Terms. First Bet Offer for new customers only (if applicable). Subject to eligibility requirements. Bonus bets are non-withdrawable. In partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel. Promotional offers not available in Mississippi, Massachusetts, New York, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.

4.5/5

DraftKings Review

New DraftKings Customers: Spend $5+ Get $150 in Bonuses

Bet now

GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD), 1-800-981-0023 (PR). 21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/NH/PR/WY). Void in CAN. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino (KS). Pass-thru of per wager tax may apply in IL. 1 per new DraftKings customer. $5+ first-time bet req. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets. Stake removed from payout. Reward issued as $50 in Bonus Bets every 7 days via click-to-claim for 14 days. Bonus Bets and click-to-claims expire 7 days (168hrs) after issuance. Terms: sportsbook.draftkings.com/promos. Ends 10/11/26 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DK.

It can cause serious injury.  A torn ACL can permanently change a career and derail it for many months. But that does not make it a dirty hit, as once again, it was legal. How can it be a dirty play if it’s within the game’s rules? Let’s face it if it was a rookie free agent trying to make the Giants that got blocked like that in the fourth quarter, nobody would care.

Chris Simms stated on Monday’s Live that Moss should have aimed higher and toward the hips. He could still have eliminated Thibodeaux without damaging his knee. Maybe he could have, but Thibodeaux could have played the play properly and not been standing flat-footed absorbing the blow.

It was preseason, which raises more questions and concerns. Thibodeaux may be fine, but it is a technique that NFL players are increasingly disapproving of. So if players want it to stop maybe, they should lobby for all cut blocks to be made illegal?

“That’s the rules. They allow it. We do it as well,” Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters after the game. “Gotta do a good job playing it. It’s tough luck. Whatever the rules are, those are the rules.” So if the coach with the injured player says it was legal and they do the same thing, why is this being blown so out of proportion?

The Hit

Thaddeus Moss dirty block on Kayvon Thibodeaux’s knees

Twitter explodes

Twitter is the place for reactions, and it was no different after Moss cut block, and the clown show was led by Rich Eisen, who I might add knows very little about football.

Warren Sharp

2022-11-29 21:27

DIRTY AF https://t.co/sDkIWPcWsN

27201 1541

People, especially on TV, love sensationalism and causing controversy, and Eisen is doing nothing more than that. Moss made a legal, clean block, and Thibodeaux used poor technique, but nobody will tell you that. Everybody, let it go!