The league is making a bad fine to cover for a bad call. I've watched this play numerous times and not only doesn't smith lead with his helmet, he doesn't even hit with his helmet, he uses his shoulder, and it's not a hard hit, Smith doesn't even fall down. The play more resembled Smith as a brick wall that the receiver ran into rather then a vicious hit.
Eh, thats a little much. The play was over, the guy wasn't near the ball and Smith hit him high and levelled him. I know, they are adults and this isn't a flag league, but that kind of hit could have seriously injured someone. Smith has a bit of a rep, which factors into the league's decision as well, right or wrong.
Smith is reminding me of Eric Barton more and more for the wrong reasons. He just doesn't seem to have the awareness to know when not to unload on someone. Sanders was defenseless on that play and the flag was definitely going to get thrown for that one.
That play was a bang-bang play. There was a good chance of the receiver catching the ball and the hit was designed to separate the receiver from the ball. If he HAD caught the ball, would that hit still have been illegal? I don't know the rule, but I doubt it. That's was stinks about the penalty. Eric Smith had no way of knowing whether the ball would be caught and wasn't going to wait until the ball was dropped or caught to start his motion to hit the receiver. That's my opinion.
The HERR GOODELL FUHRER RULES of football dictate that you must now ALLOW receivers to catch the ball over the middle, wait a reasonable time for them to set themselves and then try to stop them from going all the way for a touchdown by gently pulling on their jersey to drag them to the ground.
Harrison was in the middle of dive and it is very apparent that he pulled up. Watch the replay, the guys has momentum is in a dive himself and pulls up. He can't teleport out of the bloody way. I understand that it MAY get called on occasion (it is a judgement call) but in my mind it shouldn't ever get called. And yet I find people on this board speaking as if the guy got speared in the backfield. This is football. Your QB took off running do a first and slid at the last minute to maximize yardage. To be outraged that he was touched under that scenario is stupid IMO. This is football. A guy layed on your scrambling QB. Get over it and move on. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is nothing more than showing one of the leagues favorite franchises that they are not the only team that will constantly get fined. It's bad enough that the refs called a biased game, but now the league feels the need to pile on? That is non-sense. The refs should have let Smith know he was getting fined. Could have put someone in the hospital for the money instead of making a clean play. But hey, at least Harrison can hit a qb once he slides and gets no penalty or fine. Way to go NFL. Keep being biased little fucks.
:up: I agree whole heartedly. The defenders are in a no win situation. The Smith hit was just part of football IMO. The only reason he hit Sanders in the head was because Sanders lowered his head. Goodell is really screwing things up and the officials and the players don't know what to do. It's the reason Harrison wanted to quit mid-season.
I'm really getting tired of the refs just handing games to the Steelers. They do it all the time. Seattle got ripped out of a SB because the refs made horrendous calls and we know the call history when we play them. Rampant holds, phantom first downs, bullshit penalties, uncalled late hits, clear incomplete passes ruled fumble. The list goes on. Go Pack!
he sure as hell did not try and stop himself. you should watch the replay. Harrison went for him after he was down. and Sanchez slid feet first. the recognized sign that the qb has given up.
