Seen on:
as known from New York Timesas known from USA Todayas known from yahoo!
OH

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

Publish Date: 08/22/2022
Fact checked by: Simon Briffa
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - AUGUST 21: Kayvon Thibodeaux #5 of the New York Giants stands up after an apparent injury during the first half of a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium on August 21, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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

FanDuel
4.6/5
FanDuel Review
New Users – Get $350 in Bonus Bets when you wager $5 for 7 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 7 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). ℱ/© 2026 MLB
BetMGM
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, New York, Ontario, or Puerto Rico.
DraftKings
4.5/5
DraftKings Review
New DraftKings Customer: SPEND $5, GET $200 IN BONUSES
Bet now
To be eligible for DraftKings Sportsbook and the Promotion, you must be physically located in AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA (select parishes), MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NJ, NH, NY, OH, OR, PA, PR (residents only), TN, VA, VT, WY, WV, CA-ONT or CA-AB (each an “Eligible Jurisdiction” or, collectively, the “Eligible Jurisdictions”). Must be 21+ years of age or older (18+ if in DC/NH/PR/WY/CA-AB) (19+ in CA-ONT). 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. $200 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 21 days. Bonus Bets and click-to-claims expire 7 days (168hrs) after issuance. Terms: Promos | DraftKings Sportsbook . Ends 9/20/26 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

Video: Thaddeus Moss dirty block on Kayvon Thibodeaux's knees

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!

Read Also
Billy Ray Smith’s Death Exposes the NFL’s Greatest Hypocrisy
Billy Ray Smith Jr. spent ten seasons delivering the kind of punishment ...
NBA Play-In Game Magic vs 76ers: Game Preview and Prediction
Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026 Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Xfinity Mobile ...
BetMGM Promo
Cleveland Browns Top Gut-Wrenching Playoff Losses of All Time
Those fans above a certain age may remember when the Cleveland Browns ran roughshod over most ...
Top 10 St. Louis Blues of All Time
Ryan O’Reilly’s tenure in St. Louis was relatively short compared to others ...
Ty Cobb: The truth about the greatest baseball player of all-time
Growing up, I lived in a house that loved baseball. I remember ...
Shedeur Sanders’ Rookie Season Was a Disaster — Should the Browns Move on
The Cleveland Browns don’t have a quarterback problem. They have a reality ...
No Calls, Botched Calls, and Inconsistencies: Are the Zebras Out of Line? 
On December 28, 2025, the Cleveland Browns defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in ...
Top 10 Dirtiest players in NFL History: The Steelers dominate the list
The NFL has always marketed itself on toughness, intimidation, and controlled violence. ...
The Corrupt Boxing Tournament: The US Boxing Championships and Its Ties to ABC and Ring Magazine in the 1970s
The 1970s was a significant decade for professional boxing, marked by thrilling ...
Pugnis Infra Lineam: The Lowdown on Low Blows in Boxing
The impending rematch and heavyweight unification fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel ...
6 Takeaways from Week 17: Vikings are for real, Burrow is scary, Colts are Pathetic and much more
The Minnesota Vikings will travel to Detroit's Ford Field to battle the ...
Top 5 Takeaways from this Weekends Playoff Games: Cowboys Choke, Dolphins are Soft, and Stroud and Love Look Elite!
For the most part, Saturday and Sunday's games were disappointing if you ...
Top 10 Takeaways from week 17 of the NFL Season
The officiating errors were plain to see in Saturday night's battle between ...
Latest Sport News
Top 15 Indiana High School Basketball Players of the 1960s
The 1960s marked one of the most competitive ...
Top 20 Indiana High School Basketball Players of the 1980s
The 1980s were one of the most talent-rich ...
North Dakota State Must Prove Its Dynasty Works Every Week
College football likes to say you have to ...
Moses Itauma vs Filip Hrgovic: Heavyweight Collison 
Filip Hrgovic represents a step on the heavyweight ...
Cal Poly Opens Tim Skipper’s Era on John Madden Night
Before Tim Skipper reaches halftime of his first ...
Top Betting Sites
Top Betting Bonuses
Our Team
Mike GoodpasterJames ErnestMark LewisAuthor IconJohn Raspanti
+8
Mike Goodpaster
Mike Goodpaster
Chief Editor
James Ernest
James Ernest
Author
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis
Editor
Author Icon
Christopher Carlson
Author
John Raspanti
John Raspanti
Author
Samuel Teets
Samuel Teets
US Sports Veteran
Daniel Kornhauser
Daniel Kornhauser
Author
Marvin Uzor
Marvin Uzor
Author
Ellis Williams
Ellis Williams
Author
Chris Benedict
Chris Benedict
Editor
Shelley Harcar
Shelley Harcar
Sports Writer
Dr. Jay Gee
Dr. Jay Gee
Author
LaMarr Fields
LaMarr Fields
Author

21+ and present in OH. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
CloudflareSSL
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now