PHILADELPHIA – Ty Law knows the truth. Partly because of Law’s aggressive style, defensive backs and linebackers around the league are being closely watched as officials focus on the illegal contact rule as a “point of emphasis” for this season.

The first two weeks of the season have seen a jump in defensive-holding and illegal-contact penalties, according to an NFL spokesman. Through Week 2 of last season, there were 16 holding and eight illegal contact calls, whereas this season there have been 31 holding and 15 illegal contact penalties.

The numbers aren’t as severe as defensive backs had feared. Still, they are angry.

“I don’t like it – that should be obvious,” Eagles safety Brian Dawkins said.

“They didn’t implement this rule for the officials to lay off of it,” New England safety Rodney Harrison said. “They’re going to keep it, and it’s going to get worse as playoff time comes. That’s just the way it is.”

“It just helps the offense out,” New York Giants safety Shaun Williams said. “That’s my only opinion on that. It’s not really an opinion, it’s the truth, so we’ve just got to adjust as defenders.”

Many around the league blame Law and his New England Patriots teammates for the increased scrutiny defenders are under. Enforcement of the rule – where only incidental contact is allowed after the first 5 yards – became a focal point of the NFL’s competition committee after the Patriots’ suffocating performance in last season’s AFC championship game.

In the last five minutes of that tight game, Peyton Manning failed to find a single receiver. Many felt the Patriots got away with manhandling the Colts’ wideouts, and a review of Indianapolis’ final possession showed at least six downfield penalties should have been called.

This season, if referees stick to the plan, those calls will be made.

While the calls haven’t been excessive, there were several in the Patriots’ season opener against the Colts. Harrison, Tyrone Poole, Mike Vrabel and Asante Samuel were flagged for “point of emphasis” infractions.

After the Patriots held on for a 27-24 win, Law was defiant, and still upset, about the rule.

“They can’t call it the Ty Law Rule anymore,” he said. “We can call it the Asante Samuel Rule. Or the Tyrone Poole Rule. … I think it’s going to be a long, hard season for the defenders. They’re going to try to get those guys (wideouts) more statistics. Wide receivers put points on the board. But we’re still going to be competitive.”

That seems to be the rallying cry, and one all-pro defensive back said only a select few would be targeted. Law. Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain of Miami. Charles Woodson of Oakland. Al Harris of Green Bay.

One theory behind the “point of emphasis” focus is that offensive numbers have been declining. The average total yards per game dipped from 656.7 in 2002 to 636.6 last season, while net passing yards dropped from 424.5 in 02 to 400.9 in “03. Points per game also fell from 43.3 in 2002 to 41.7 in 03.

Through the first two weeks this season, total yards (634.3) and points (38.3) are down from last season, while net passing yards are up (406). Also, the average passing yards per team per game is up to 203, from an 11-year low of 200.4 last year.

But a side effect has been increased production from the league’s tight ends. Today’s tight ends are too fast to be covered by linebackers, and too tall and strong to be effectively defended by safeties.

In the first two weeks of the season, 51 tight ends caught passes. In Week 2 alone, 42 tight ends caught 108 passes for eight touchdowns.

Among the top tight ends are Atlanta’s Alge Crumpler (nine catches, 131 yards), Miami’s Randy McMichael (14, 172) San Francisco’s Eric Johnson (13, 146), Baltimore’s Todd Heap (12, 113), and New England’s Daniel Graham (nine, 78, and three touchdowns).

The Eagles have received important production from veteran Chad Lewis and the speedy L.J. Smith. Lewis has eight catches for 82 yards; Smith has six catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns.

“I felt like it was going to give us more room inside, especially tight ends against linebackers,” Lewis said. “That’s usually a pretty physical battle. I felt if they enforced the rule, it would give tight ends more room to work.

“I think as we go through the year, the referees will choose to put more or less emphasis on it. And I think it also will depend on how a defense wants to match up with a tight end if that’s going to be a big factor from game to game.”

It will be interesting to see how much of a factor the illegal contact emphasis has on the season, the playoffs, and the MVP voting. In the 45-year history of the MVP award, never has the recipient been a receiver.

If that changes this season, the receivers should call the accompanying hardware the “Ty Law Trophy.”