And Another Hit on a WR Earns a Penalty; You be the Judge!

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Shutdown Corner
Sun Aug 21 09:17pm EDT
Broncos rookie safety Rahim Moore defends devastating hit on Bills receiver Donald Jones

By Doug Farrar

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It was unquestionably the hit of the preseason, and not ina good way — when Denver Broncos safety Rahim Moore(notes) leveled Bills receiver Donald Jones(notes) during the Broncos' Saturday win over Buffalo, it put Moore on the turn for several minutes while players from both teams prayed. Fortunately, Moore was able to get up from the hit and walk off the field.

"I was being a football player," Moore said after the game. "I couldn't really get to the ball to pick it off, which is what I really wanted to do. But my intention was just to hit him. Our coaches want us to be physical, so I'm going to do what I do."

The Bills didn't agree — especially fellow Buffalo receiver Stevie Johnson(notes), who had a few words for Moore after the play.

That's the disconnect with pro football right now - -the speed of the game requires players to make major hits, whether the league likes it or not, and there are cases in which players collide unintentionally in ways that leave one or more players looking to me, however. It's a byproduct of the game, like it or not.

"I didn't even know I was flagged until I ran to the sideline," Moore said. "If it was the wrong thing to do, I apologize, but at the end of the day, I mean no harm to nobody."
But again, the play was as much about the inevitable case of the NFL collisions. Moore was flagged for the play, but the thought process the NFL is carrying though when it comes to hard hits may be fundamentally flawed, and this is a good example.
"I'm not going to fault him. I don't think it was helmet to helmet," Broncos head coach Fox said after the game.

I would agree -- it looked like Moore was leading with his shoulder.

You decide after watching the hit above, dear reader — was Moore in the wrong, or was this yet another example of the NFL trying to legislate an impossible inevitability?

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shu...urn=nfl-wp5513

Moore definitely goes at hin with his shoulder leading him and not the crown of his helmet. You can't say that the helmet to helmet contact was anything but incidental and inevitable. You train guys to jar a receiver to knock the ball loose and I don't know how you can do that without the possibility of some contact like that.

At the point at which Moore lowered his shoulder the ball was still catchable and I can't see any intention on his part to hurt the guy more then he would any other way. NFL football is a violent sport and you can't legislate violence out of it without detracting from the game somewhat. All I can see is that the guy did was he's been coached to do probably ever since HS.

I dunno, I think the refs are reacting to intent now, rather than actual fouls, at least in this case. It doesn't appear that he was trying to make a play on the ball, nor does he appear to be trying to tackle him. It appears he was going for the big hit.

I don't envy the refs their job, not one bit lol

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"I didn't even know I was flagged until I ran to the sideline," Moore said. "If it was the wrong thing to do, I apologize, but at the end of the day, I mean no harm to nobody."

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If you really ment no harm then you don't need to run at a guy who is vulnerable in mid air and cream him on the side line.

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Originally Posted by soulman

Moore definitely goes at hin with his shoulder leading him and not the crown of his helmet. You can't say that the helmet to helmet contact was anything but incidental and inevitable. You train guys to jar a receiver to knock the ball loose and I don't know how you can do that without the possibility of some contact like that.

At the point at which Moore lowered his shoulder the ball was still catchable and I can't see any intention on his part to hurt the guy more then he would any other way. NFL football is a violent sport and you can't legislate violence out of it without detracting from the game somewhat. All I can see is that the guy did was he's been coached to do probably ever since HS.

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You don't need to run at a guy full speed when he is vulnerable in mid air to make good contact but in this case I think the penalty is justified. It is a violent sport but the players need to be protected also to a point where safetys are taking runs at wr. This is a type of play that can end a guys career and possibly seriously injure him for life.

if you watch from the reverse angle you can see he never makes full head to head, didn't lead with his head, and had the Reciever held on and made the catch it was a beautifully timed hit. Nobody likes to see another guy get knocked out, but C'mon already...

it was a clean hit, and it's bullcrap if there gonna keep fining guys for this.... it's going to take away one of the most exciting parts of the games.

I don't watch football for Two hand touch. I watch it for the Defense. I watch it cause I love watching Saftey's make those "blow up" hits. Snot bubblers if you will....

that's freaking football and a bullshit call by the refs. perfectly timed hit.

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Originally Posted by 4th and 26

You don't need to run at a guy full speed when he is vulnerable in mid air to make good contact but in this case I think the penalty is justified. It is a violent sport but the players need to be protected also to a point where safetys are taking runs at wr. This is a type of play that can end a guys career and possibly seriously injure him for life.

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I think they are protected to a point 4th but you can't provide 100% protection against a shot like that without changing the entire way the game is played. If the WR had been in the middle of field and the ball uncatchable and the receiver extended like that I could see the penalty. But in this case it was a catchable ball that just went through the guys hands. Moore started to take his shot before that happened and there ws no way he could stop. He didn't lead with his helmet (spearing)which is what I thought they were trying to prevent.

I don't know about you but I'm tired of these bullshit penalties on players where the helmet to helmet contact is incidental to the guy attempting to make the tackle. There are way too many times when that happens especially with pass rushers. It is a violent sport and you can try to limit the violence but you can't eliminate it on plays like that. It's gonna happen and fining guys won't help if that's how they're being coached to tackle. It's instinctive, not intentional. :drinking61:

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Originally Posted by soulman

I think they are protected to a point 4th but you can't provide 100% protection against a shot like that without changing the entire way the game is played. If the WR had been in the middle of field and the ball uncatchable and the receiver extended like that I could see the penalty. But in this case it was a catchable ball that just went through the guys hands. Moore started to take his shot before that happened and there ws no way he could stop. He didn't lead with his helmet (spearing)which is what I thought they were trying to prevent.

I don't know about you but I'm tired of these bullshit penalties on players where the helmet to helmet contact is incidental to the guy attempting to make the tackle. There are way too many times when that happens especially with pass rushers. It is a violent sport and you can try to limit the violence but you can't eliminate it on plays like that. It's gonna happen and fining guys won't help if that's how they're being coached to tackle. It's instinctive, not intentional. :drinking61:

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All I am saying is that you don't have to hit a guy like that at full speed and clean his clock at the same time. These kind of hits can end a guys career when he is not bracing for the hit and the safety creams him. The guy is vulnerable when he is looking one way and in a different direction someone is comming full speed at a different direction and creams him to a point where he looked seriously injured.

In five years I am betting we will hear about micro trauma- hitting and tackling will be further reduced to the wrap up. If it is such a concern then make the helmets from carbon fiber, place ballasts inside the helmets and wire a customized hans device similar to NASCAR to the necks. Worried about the rest of the body? Exoskeletons are all the rage now

...cue the FOX robots

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Originally Posted by 4th and 26

All I am saying is that you don't have to hit a guy like that at full speed and clean his clock at the same time. These kind of hits can end a guys career when he is not bracing for the hit and the safety creams him. The guy is vulnerable when he is looking one way and in a different direction someone is comming full speed at a different direction and creams him to a point where he looked seriously injured.

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I hear you and although I never played much football I did play hockey and if you didn't come in to a check full on you ran the risk of hurting yourself more than the other guy. It could very well be the same thing here. No matter what, you have to hit them harder than they hit you.