Head-to-Head Hits & New Rule Discussion

hoorta

''The fundamentally old way of wrapping up and tackling seems to have faded away,'' Anderson said. "A lot of the increase is from hits to blow guys up. That has become a more popular way of doing it. Yes, we are concerned they are getting away from the fundamentals of tackling, and maybe it has been coached that way. We're going to have to look into talking to our coaches.''

Yup, it's gone from "tackle the guy with the ball" to tackle the ball. If you can put your helmet on the ball to cause a fumble, GOT FOR IT!!!.

SportsCenter had a blurb on ALL the hits in question, and I was able to take a look at them frame by frame, and here's my take.

The Desean Jackson hit was pretty much unavoidable, it happened too damn fast.

The hit on Todd Heap was BS, the guy should get suspended for it. The defender could clearly see Heap was going to miss catching an overthrown ball by at least five feet, THEN he lowered his head and cold-cocked Heap in the head. Utterly unnecessary. Poster play for what the league is trying to outlaw. What ever happened to sportsmanship?

I've mellowed on Harrison's hit on Massaquoi- MoMass was ducking and trying to cover up. But if TJ Ward got a 15 yarder and a fine for a similar hit on Shipley, Harrison deserved(s) no less.

The one that's upsetting to me is the hit on Cribbs. If it's not illegal, it should be. Harrison could see Cribbs was in the process of going down- and only his head and shoulders were exposed. Harrison lowers his head and creams Josh in the helmet. HELMET FIRST. You can see Cribbs' head snap sideways at least six inches from the impact- he's lucky he didn't wind up with a broken neck. NO effort to assist the tackle by going with his hands to the shoulder pads.

Then the thug is clueless post game and "I only hurt people- don't want to injure them". Well Mr Harrison- you helped make this bed of no head shots- now you're going to have to live in it. And believe me the rest of the league is well aware of your tactics now, and if you don't want to get suspended on a regular basis, I'd suggest you change them.

The Fan Of STEEL

calfoxwc

I take it that that picture is going to be sexually assualted by ben rapistberger?

The Gipper

@the-fan-of-steel said:

I think this discussion is giving me a headache. Someone please earhole me and put me into an unconscious bliss!

miktoxic

@silverback said:
Well, you guys may as well cut TJ Ward now. With the rules changes they are proposing an enforcer type in the secondary will be rendered useless. All the bitching and moaning the xxxxs in this country, especially within the Browns fanbase, looks to be causing the league to crack down on "devestating hits". That means even if a hit is 100% by the rules legal,the player can be suspended if he hits too hard.
This is the fukkkking destruction of the NFL as we know it, and you clowns are sitting around applauding it. We should all have fun talking smack on which one of us has the better flag football team for the next decade. This shit is knee-jerk reaction at it's very worst.

Destruction of the NFL, and we are all witness!

YEP AND YOUR COACH IS GOING ALONG WITH IT! HA!!!

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin favored stricter enforcement of helmet hits.

"I'm all for player safety," Tomlin said Tuesday. "I think it is the proper initiative that the NFL has. I think we need to safeguard the men that play this game to the best of our abilities and make it as safe as we can.

"We've used words like flagrant and egregious and lowering the strike zone and those are words you use as a coach to make sure you're playing within the rules ..."

Tomlin, however, still thinks Harrison's tackle on Massaquoi was legal.

hoorta

@silverback said:
Well, you guys may as well cut TJ Ward now. With the rules changes they are proposing an enforcer type in the secondary will be rendered useless. All the bitching and moaning the xxxxs in this country, especially within the Browns fanbase, looks to be causing the league to crack down on "devestating hits". That means even if a hit is 100% by the rules legal,the player can be suspended if he hits too hard.
This is the fukkkking destruction of the NFL as we know it, and you clowns are sitting around applauding it. We should all have fun talking smack on which one of us has the better flag football team for the next decade. This shit is knee-jerk reaction at it's very worst.

Destruction of the NFL, and we are all witness!

If the NFL is getting to sissy for you, there's always UFC.

EDIT..... :lol: you guys may as well cut Harrison- that's if the goon doesn't quit first.

I ain't said squat about hits too hard, and neither has anyone else for the most part. The league is justifiably going after unnecessary kill-shots before it winds up with another Darryl Stingley on it's hands. Ahem- there's guys who would rather make the highlight reel on ESPN for blowing a guy up than bothering to make a sound, fundamental tackle. Oh and I've seen it happen where the guy launches himself, the offensive player manages to bounce off, and it's six.

Especially Browns fans? Bulls**t. This isn't just Browns fans POed about Harrison. I'm sure Ravens fans are equally up in arms about that sucker blow to the head on Todd Heap. I live in Bengal country, and rest assured, they haven't forgotten the cheap shot Hines Ward delivered that busted their guys jaw. Obviously you haven't been watching ESPN lately- this is NATIONAL news. Or you guys are just in denial. Just wait until Benny Boy or another marquee Steeler player gets knocked out for a couple of games with a similar shot- and I can guarantee you trolls will be singing a different tune.

miktoxic

and for those who don't know the difference between a tackle and a 'devastating' hit:

TACKLE

DEVASTATING HIT

chessgoon

First, let me congratulate the browns on finding a keeper at QB. McCoy looks to be the first good QB the browns have had in about a decade. Secondly, every browns fan, including everyone on this board, gets down on their knees and prays every night that their team will find a linebacker like James Harrison. Period. And I know for a fact that every one of you would be singing the praises of such a player if he was a Brown. What Browns fan's heart doesn't go pitter-patter when they see footage of Jim Brown concussing players with forearm shivs? You all do. Admit it. What browns fan doesn't chortle at footage of Turkey Jones dropping Terry Bradshaw on his head? You all do. Admit it. Who among you didn't pump their fist when TJ Ward laid a stick on Mendenhall with 3 min left in a game that was already over? You all did. Admit it. So what's Harrison's crime?- The same crime that is committed on your team twice a year since forever. He was bigger and stronger, hit like a truck, and he wore black and gold.

Mark O

Per Rich Eisen on twitter..

Harrison will be hit with a $75,000 fine for the hit or hits on Sunday.

Guess the league disagrees with the Steeler fans who live here who say the hit wasn't illegal huh?

TheClevelandSound

Per Adam Schefter Twitter: Reported on NFL Live - James Harrison fined $75,000 and as repeat offender.

http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter

Vagitron

@theclevelandsound said:
Per Adam Schefter Twitter: Reported on NFL Live - James Harrison fined $75,000 and as repeat offender.
http://twitter.com/Adam_Schefter

Hope a bunch of others catch heat, like Dunta Robinson for example.

DieHardBrownsFan

Homotron said:
Hope a bunch of others catch heat, like Dunta Robinson for example.

He should have been fined $7,500,000. And suspended the rest of the year. xxxxing roided up criminal.

miktoxic

meriweather's hit on heap was the most blatant and he shoulda been suspended.

Vagitron

@diehardbrownsfan said:
He should have been fined $7,500,000. And suspended the rest of the year. xxxxing roided up criminal.

lol

? c-dawg

Where are the "fair hit" chumps now?

Let's hear it.

Vagitron

c-dawg said:
Where are the "fair hit" chumps now?
Let's hear it.

Sooo wait because the league fined him the hit was heinous? The league fines everything now. Once again frame by frame the Mo-mass hit it was his shoulder not his helmet that knocked Mo-mass out. How many of you have even played competitive football? You are taught to hit under the chin/upper mass. It's ingrained! very earlier in the competitive process. You then add in physics with speed, weight and burst and there isn't a TON a defender can do to alter body positioning. Ad a defender you don't want that guy catching the ball so you try and jar it loose. You all are a bunch of god damn babies. If A steeler got laid out and I watched it frame by frame and saw the evidence I'd say the same. It's the NFL, not two hand touch. Guys are going to get smacked. Funny against the Bengals most of you were applauding Wards hit on Shipley because it sent a message but when Harrison does it no dice? Make up your xxxxing minds. It's because two of your Browns got knocked out of the game. Flip the script and it's a non-issue. The hits weren't dirty and no I wouldn't sing a different song if it were Ward/Wallace/Are or someone else sidelined. IT's FOOTBALL!

Keep crying girls.

TheClevelandSound

Homotron said:
Hope a bunch of others catch heat, like Dunta Robinson for example.

Dunta Robinson $50,000 and same for Brandon Meriwether.

Vagitron

@theclevelandsound said:
Dunta Robinson $50,000 and same for Brandon Meriwether.

Yea I saw when I clicked the link, thanks for posting it either way.

NewEraDawg

I think the whole league is a bunch of crooks . What happens to the blind assed, striped dummy , blind to any and all indiscretions by squeeler players ?????

He needs to get a job as restroom attendant

Steelhammer92

I've never seen so much whining from Browns fans in my life. You'd think Harrison pulled out a gun and shot Cribbs and Massaquoi on the spot judging by the non-stop crying going on. If the Browns thought the shots were cheap, they should have taken care of it on the field. Are they afraid of the big bad bully James Harrison? Or that 5'11 200 lbs receiver that has been terrorizing Cleveland for a decade now? Cleveland hasn't had an intimidating player on defense since they came back in 1999. Rogers was the closest thing to that and was responsible for countless late hits on the QB that you guys all celebrated.

The thread starter acts all high and mighty, yet he had an avatar of Roethlisberger down on the ground and injured before changing it yesterday. A couple weeks ago everyone was defending and bragging about TJ Ward. You guys all loved it when the Browns knocked Ben out of the game a couple years ago and when he had his motorcycle crash. The majority of you are nothing but hypocrites. So keep on harping about the big bad Steelers. Nothing's going to change the fact the Steelers have dominated the Browns for the past decade, and will continue to do so because of their strong management. The Steelers have fielded perennial playoff contenders for close to 20 years now.