Meriweather Fined $50,000

[PatsDeb]

I saw a replay of that earlier, it was a good clean hard hit.

But it was launching again, and borderline out of bounds, wasn't it? I just thought the refs were going to be all over him after the earlier hit on Heap, but they didn't call anything. If it was legal, why did he get a fine?

 

[reflexblue]

But it was launching again, and borderline out of bounds, wasn't it? I just thought the refs were going to be all over him after the earlier hit on Heap, but they didn't call anything. If it was legal, why did he get a fine?

From what i remember Meriweather was running hard so he didn't have to launch himself and Mason was definetly in-bounds. BM hit him with his shoulder in the upper torso which sent Mason flying.

I just went back and watched the hit again. Mason was in bounds by 2-3 yards, so he wasn't that close to the side lines. No BM didn't launch himself, he was just running real hard when he hit Mason.

http://www.nfl.com/partner?partnerType=rookies&module=HP_cp2

 

[eagle eye]

If what I'm reading in this thread is real then I'm fearful for the future of the NFL. Next thing they will be playing flag football!

It was a bad hit he got fined as he should be but thats the end of it.

We all loved Troy and Tedi when they were Patriots but don't get those guys confused with the guys who have to be pc when making comments about helmet to helmet hits and the likes.

Vince Wilfork said it lifted the team and I believe him. At least somebody was out there trying to do something. I don't believe for one minute that he went head hunting but these things happen with the speed of the game. Thing is he shocked the Ravens and made them think about things and the New England D was on top after that.

 

[mosi]

Anybody wonder what the punishment would have been if we were talking about an Indy player and not a Ravens player?

 

[Deus Irae]

Anybody wonder what the punishment would have been if we were talking about an Indy player and not a Ravens player?

No television after 8:00 pm, for 3 days!

 

[Bobs My Uncle]

This is nuts, plain and simple. What Brandon did was against the rules and potentially dangerous. He launched at Heep's head helmet-first. If he had led with his shoulder, which he could've done, it would've been an entirely different matter.

I'm not sure anyone can claim with 100% accuracy what Meriweather's intended target was. He may well have intended to hit Heap with his shoulder but Heap moved such that he couldn't and he hit him head to head instead.

Therein lies the problem in all of this. The game is played at ridiculously fast speed and involves players in motion at those high speeds. It's inevitable that some mis-targeted hits will occur.

Would be a damn shame if a player gets suspended for such an incident.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

Helmet to helmet hits happen all the time in games but people just don't notice. Hey Ted Johnson did that every play; he would crack the lineman's head with his helmet to stun him and then slide off and make the play. There were about 8 helmet to helmet hits during the game but because it is the Patriots with our self-loathing media it got a lot of attention.

 

[mb6592]

Someone please tell me how many more routes Baltimore WR ran over the middle after 'the hit,' or how many more catches (if any) over the middle after 'the hit.'

Hey, how many passes did Tom Brady complete in 2008 after Pollard hit him in the knee? That make it OK? Football's rough and things happen, but the rule clearly disallows helmet-to-helmet hits. You'll never know if he meant to do it, but you can't argue that it was a helmet to helmet hit, and that's why he's being punished.

The NFL has f-cked this game up by skewing the rules so much toward the offense. The only hope defenses have is to deliver devestating hits since they aren't allowed to play with their hands anymore. Now hard hits are being called unsportsman like (did anyone see the B.S. unnecessary roughness call on safety Jim Leonhard?). They are killing this game. I will quote an astute poster "If Leonard's hit was dirty then shut the nfl down." If the NFL is going to try to shut down hard hitting play, then they need to relax the rules a bit for the defense and let them use their hands more, otherwise I agree with QB12, just get rid of the pads and play two hand touch.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Still waiting for some soft, whiney loser to answer my question about if there were any Baltimore catches over the middle after 'the hit' . . .

Some soft, whiny loser explained that on Monday. Said they switched to zone defense and took those throws away. His name was Belichick.

 

[BadMoFo]

When you were smoking in the boys room, I was playing with men.

That's TMI.

YouTube - Cheap hit by Meriweather on Heap

Cheap shot all the way.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Some soft, whiny loser explained that on Monday. Said they switched to zone defense and took those throws away. His name was Belichick.

QB12s **** is way bigger than BB's

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Yeah that was a Great hit, I want to see that EVERY week. I want opposing WR's and TE's to be terrified of catching a pass.

Yeah, that was awesome and Brandon celebrated that hit and why not...guys should always celebrate after giving up a 20 yard completion on 3rd down.

 

[reflexblue]

Yeah, that was awesome and Brandon celebrated that hit and why not...guys should always celebrate after giving up a 20 yard completion on 3rd down.

Did i say i like celebration. No i did Not. I want to see him making clean hard hits, i don't care whether he celebrates or not, but i prefer he and Others don't. You seem to have something personal going on with Meriweather, i've seen others celebrating hits on the team and you don't seem to have a problem with them.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Helmet to helmet hits happen all the time in games but people just don't notice. Hey Ted Johnson did that every play; he would crack the lineman's head with his helmet to stun him and then slide off and make the play. There were about 8 helmet to helmet hits during the game but because it is the Patriots with our self-loathing media it got a lot of attention.

Ted Johnson...if they fined him now it's debatable he could write the check...because he's brain damaged. That's almost as intelligent as your racial comment...you're on a roll.

 

[blackglass3]

Did i say i like celebration. No i did Not. I want to see him making clean hard hits, i don't care whether he celebrates or not, but i prefer he and Others don't. You seem to have something personal going on with Meriweather, i've seen others celebrating hits on the team and you don't seem to have a problem with them.

Quoted for truth. This guy could have a 3 sack 3 pick game, and Mo will be at the forefront saying "Yeah, but he took a bad angle on (X) tackle...what a bum!"

 

[RoughingthePasser]

Todd Heap is a tough dude to take down.
Meriweather's hit wasn't that bad-he was trying to set some boundaries for that meathead.

 

[BadMoFo]

Of all the controversial hits, I thought Dunta Robinson should not have been fined. No helmet to helmet hit and Desean still had the ball in his hands when he delivered the blow. As far as defenseless, are they saying he should allow him to make the catch and take a step before hitting him. No way.

YouTube - DeSean Jackson And Dunta Robinson injured

Harrison's were both vicious hits by an intense player, but they were both clearly helmet to helmet. I agree with a fine on the first one but the one against Cribbs, I thought helmet to helmet is OK when the guy is already running with the ball?

YouTube - STEELERS James Harrison hard hit on Browns Mohamed Massaquoi 10-17-10

YouTube - STEELERS James Harrison hard hit on Browns Joshua Cribbs 10-17-10

Meriweather's hit was just stupid, and pretty cowardly. Heap was already on his way down and the ball was well out of his grasp. It was probably the least vicious, but just stupid and a fine was well deserved.

YouTube - Cheap hit by Meriweather on Heap

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Quoted for truth. This guy could have a 3 sack 3 pick game, and Mo will be at the forefront saying "Yeah, but he took a bad angle on (X) tackle...what a bum!"

That's bs since I've never had a word to say about Brandon before this season. And I've never been a fan of celebrating plays that fail. I defended Ellis Hobbs against a lot of people who couldn't tolerate his celebrating successes simply because they couldn't stand him... Bill wants his players to celebrate successes as a team. He doesn't want them celebrating individual accomplishments that are hollow because the team failed to achieve it's goal in the process...

 

[Sciz]

Meriweather's hit looked worse than it was because Heap was falling as Meriweather launched up. Harrison is the real scum of the week.

 

[PatsDeb]

I saw a replay of that earlier, it was a good clean hard hit.

I stand corrected; you are right. I saw a replay of the Mason hit on NFL Replay and it was not helmet to helmet, or launching, and it was clearly inbounds. I don't know why he was fined for this hit.