My point is there is no such thing in the NFL as "clean hard hitting". It is and always has been to inflict as much pain when you tackle so that the other player will remember and possibly be more likely than not, next time, to error in his play. If the game was "clean" there would be no game-at least in the sense that generates fandom and $$$$. We are not dealing with black and white. We are dealing with combat whether we like it or not. Bottom line is there are no nice guys or bad guys just guys-who want to make $$$.
I don't understand your reference to being a "Christian". To me that has zero to do with the subject matter-namely the "dirty hit" on Higbee. A non-believer could feel the exact same thing you do.
My thinking is that all of football is brutal and if "legally" hitting a defenseless tight end in the knees is unforgivable then we need to change to make it illegal. Otherwise, we join a fraternity of hypocrites.
At bottom I see the hit as many here-intentional to injure another player. The difference, I think, is that I see it as part of a brutal, violent sport, where men, drawn to it are not concerned in the least who they injure -including possibly themselves.
Of course this begs the question: why be a fan ?. I don't spend $$$$ to watch games-only the Rams -and that is because I love the "game" but also because it is a significant part of my childhood. I follow the Rams and that's it. I also follow players that I can identify with and respect whether they are Rams or on different teams.