Ravens unsure what to make of new helmet rule enforcement

The Baltimore Ravens walked away from their preseason opener Thursday night perplexed over the NFL's new helmet rule and the officials' enforcement of it.

"I feel like they're trying to harp on it a lot more in preseason, so they're going to throw flags even on times when it's not necessarily head to head, just to make people aware of it," said safety Bennett Jackson, according to ESPN's Jamison Hensely. Jackson was penalized for leading with his helmet on a tackle. "I spoke to the ref. He even said, 'Hey, it's preseason, we got to throw the flag.'"

In an effort to reduce head injuries, the NFL implemented a new rule for the 2018 season that prohibits a player from lowering his head to initiate contact on an opponent. A violation of the rule calls for a 15-yard penalty, potentially an ejection, and the possibility of a fine from the NFL.

The Ravens drew three flags against the Chicago Bears for leading with their helmets on tackle attempts, including Jackson's hit, which he thought displayed "perfect" technique.

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"I'll wait to see the TV copies and see what they look like," head coach John Harbaugh said postgame of the penalties. "So I really don't know. If I knew, I would give you an opinion on it. I don't know enough about the rule to understand it right now."

Ravens linebacker Kamalei Correa was also flagged for leading with his helmet in the third quarter.

"It's really about a reaction," Correa said. "It's all up to the refs and what they call. At the end of the day, us as players, we're really just trying to go out and play as hard and as fast as we can."