FOXBORO -- Just because the NFL's referee lockout has been resolved doesn't mean the game will suddenly be safe. Football is inherently violent no matter who's officiating.
But might the game be safer with the return of the league's regular officials? Patriots player representative Matthew Slater thinks so.
"I think this is a huge step as far as us taking care of player safety," Slater said Thursday. "That's what our whole focus as players and our main concern has been is player safety. Hopefully the game's called cleanly and we keep guys safe and healthy and we go out and have an even playing field for both teams."
During the referee lockout, the NFL was accused for what appeared to hypocrisy of the highest order. While on the one hand the league has promised to place the utmost importance on player safety, on the other hand it trotted out woefully unprepared officials to police its games. In many instances, players clearly didn't respect the authority of the replacement refs and took liberties they might not otherwise take.
Just take a look at the Patriots-Ravens game Sunday night. There were several on-the-field altercations between players from both teams even after the most nondescript plays. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth estimated that night that there were a half-dozen skirmishes in the first quarter alone.
Not only did those shoving matches ruin the flow of the game, but they put players at risk of physical harm.
Then there's the issue of head-shots. Ed Reed was called for a helmet-to-helmet blow on Deion Branch in the fourth quarter, but he got away with a hit to Julian Edelman's head on an incompletion in the first quarter.
It was the type of play that in the past could have been missed by even the most experienced officials. However, for three weeks it was clear that the replacement refs had trouble adjusting to the pace of the NFL game, leaving them susceptible to missing infractions that take place during high-speed, bang-bang plays.
Players know they play a dangerous game. Football is football, some say.
"I'm a professional football player," said Rob Ninkovich. "I'm not really worried about being safe. I got into this not thinking about my personal safety."
But for the others, having the regular officials back at work is reassuring.
"These guys just have experience and you take a little bit more confidence in guys that have experience," Slater said. "Hopefully the game will be called cleanly and fairly for all sides involved.
"It's no knock on those guys that were subbing in. They were put in such a tough position. It's a tough job to do. The game moves very fast and they did the best that they could."