stevedogc
Third String But Playing on Special Teams
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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.It was a terrible call
Hits on Defenseless Players
NFL rules provide special protection to defenseless players, by prohibiting (a) hits delivered to their head or neck area by an opponent with his helmet (including facemask), forearm, or shoulder, and (b) hits delivered by an opponent with his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/"hairline" parts) against any part of the defenseless player's body (i.e., "butting, spearing, or ramming" a defenseless player.)
Defenseless players are defined as (a) a player in the act of or just after throwing a pass; (b) a receiver catching or attempting to catch a pass; (c) a runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped; (d) a kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air; and (e) a player on the ground at the end of a play.
Isn't that why replay would be crucial here?In one of the GIFs above, it actually looks like a helmet to helmet hit, even though from other angles there's clearly space between the helmets at all times. So I understand how the mistaken call could have been made.
Browner could have easily avoided any chance of a penalty if he hit him a bit lower. He had plenty of time and chance to line him up but instead pushed the envelope on legality and lost. It was a dumb hit.
It's against the rules to hit a defenseless player in the neck area. I like browner and think he was trying to hit within the rules, but a second look shows he committed a penalty without much doubt.
Somebody better at looking up rules can chime in, since they don't seem to make them easily accessible.
By the way, long time fans should know why and when they put in this rule and i don't think it was recently.
Hits on Defenseless Players
NFL rules provide special protection to defenseless players, by prohibiting (a) hits delivered to theirhead or neck area by an opponent with his helmet (including facemask), forearm, or shoulder, and (b) hits delivered by an opponent with his helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/"hairline" parts) against any part of the defenseless player's body (i.e., "butting, spearing, or ramming" a defenseless player.)
Defenseless players are defined as (a) a player in the act of or just after throwing a pass; (b) a receiver catching or attempting to catch a pass; (c) a runner already in the grasp of a tackler and whose forward progress has been stopped; (d) a kickoff or punt returner attempting to field a kick in the air; and (e) a player on the ground at the end of a play.
Darryl Stingley?