Getty Images

Through six weeks, the NFL’s referees haven’t thrown many flags to enforce the new lowering-the-helmet rule. The NFL’s stenographers, however, have typed plenty of strongly-worded letters.

Per a league source, 65 warnings have been issued by the league this year in connection with the standard that prohibits lowering the helmet and initiating contact with an opponent.

Of those letters, the league sent 43 to defensive players, 15 to offensive players, and seven to special-teams players.

Seven penalties (six defensively, none offensively, one for special teams) were called through six weeks, and 11 fines (nine, one, and one) were issued.

Another source with knowledge of the manner in which the league enforces rules described the warning letters as unprecedented. And it could be that the league has opted for warning letters instead of fines to avoid having to essentially admit that a flag should have been thrown for the conduct prompting the warning and/or the official who failed to throw the flag should have been downgraded for missing the foul.

When a player receives a fine, a persuasive defense can arise if: (1) no foul was called; and (2) no downgrade was issued to the responsible official. The warning letters, then, likely are an effort to get the message through to the players (and to the officials) without resorting to fines (and downgrades).

The use of warnings implies that more stringent action will be taken, unless behavior changes. Which means that, in time, more flags will be thrown, more fines will be imposed, and more downgrades will be, um, downgraded.