Mel Mitchell fined $5,000 for horsecollar tackle vs. Jets

[pats1]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/12/mitchell_fined.html

Mitchell fined
By Mike Reiss, Globe Staff
December 21, 2007 04:17 PM

Patriots reserve safety Mel Mitchell, a standout performer on special teams, was fined $5,000 for unnecessary roughness during last Sunday's game against the Jets.

The fine was for Mitchell's horsecollar tackle of Jets kickoff returner Leon Washington in the fourth quarter.

The horsecollar tackle occurs when a player makes a tackle by grabbing the inside of a player's shoulder pads, from behind, and yanks the player down. Cowboys safety Roy Williams has been the most frequent offender and was suspended one game this week for a horsecollar tackle against Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Williams has appealed the fine.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Didn't see it in all the sleet, but I support fining players over such takedowns even if it's as likely unintentional because it could seriously hurt the ballcarrier or possibly end their career. Watson being tackled in Dallas comes to mind.

 

[Rawky77]

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/reiss_pieces/2007/12/mitchell_fined.html

i am in support of this even though i do not remember seeing it during the game and i am pretty sure no flag was thrown.

So someone at NFL must be reviewing the tapes and sending out fines.

That brings me to a question:

During the Dallas game i remeber a horse collar tackle by Roy Williams on one of our players, might have been Ben Watson, no flag was thrown. Does anyone know if Williams got a fine for this tackle?

it was a very obvious foul so it should have been picked up but then we are the Pats and we hung a big number on America Team maybe they decided that was penalty enough.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

Williams has just been suspended for repeat offences regarding the horsecollar tackle hasn't he so not sure if he got fined for the tackle on Watson but they may have taken it into account for this suspension.

 

[Remix 6]

i saw it..it was on the long kickoff return they had he came from behind and got him

 

[patchick]

i saw it..it was on the long kickoff return they had he came from behind and got him

Yep, and it did draw a flag. It wasn't the nasty sort of Williams straight-down-snapping your ankle horsecollar, more of a sideways yank. But can't fault the penalty/fine regardless.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

the horse collar is a bad thing. the fine is a good thing.

 

[weswelker#83]

Didn't see it in all the sleet, but I support fining players over such takedowns even if it's as likely unintentional because it could seriously hurt the ballcarrier or possibly end their career. Watson being tackled in Dallas comes to mind.

Guys in this forum already predicted that fine in this thread :

http://www.patsfans.com/new-england...showthread.php?t=71104&highlight=HORSE+COLLAR

 

[ShrewBeer]

even though it posed no threat to the guy getting tackled, i support the fine. it will help teach guys that even if you know you are not gonna hurt the guy, dont go it anyway just in case.
if you didnt see it, he tackled the guy by the shoulderpads behind the neck, but instead of the horrible jam-your-knees-in-his-back-and-snap-his-ankles tackle, he kind of dragged him down sideways.

 

[cstjohn17]

Didn't see it in all the sleet, but I support fining players over such takedowns even if it's as likely unintentional because it could seriously hurt the ballcarrier or possibly end their career. Watson being tackled in Dallas comes to mind.

I agree, dangerous play deserves a fine. What ever happened to the hit from behind near the end of the Steelers game? I believe it was Eckel who was drilled from behind, 30 yards away from the play. It was James Harrison that dirty little prick, Mankins slams him into the turf and then a couple of plays later he was to hit someone from behind. What a tough guy, typical steeler bs, sounds a lot like Joey Porter. Anyway it was a cheap play and should have been a fine.

 

[sieglo]

FWIW, Mel Mitchell made a great play, even if it was a penalty. The tackle probably prevented a TD.

 

[TealSox]

Didn't even realize Mitchell played. Glad to see he got on the field after I've been waiting for over a year now.

Lets just say that Mitchell got hit by a bullet from the Roy Williams firing squad and I don't feel too bad for him or mad at the league. To me, it is right up there with face masking penalties. I know it isn't easy to think about how to properly take down a guy, but you can't get in the habit of yanking at the mask or collar.

 

[DaedalusX]

For the sake of the players' health, on every team, I absolutely agree with this rule and with its enforcement here, as well. I don't think Mitchell meant it maliciously and it was one of those incidental, heat of the moment reactions. He's certainly not a repeat offender and Belichick won't let him become one.

On the flip side, I don't think Roy Williams has learned (or cares) about the addition of this rule -- which was added because of him -- and for his horse-collar on McNabb, I really think he should have been suspended for the remaining two regular season games or one playoff game. He's injured or nearly injured way too many players already AND he's already received two warnings from the league this year. He is completely aware of what he's doing every time he does it.

I never thought I'd agree with TO on anything, least of all at a time when he's calling out his own teammate on something, but in this case I believe it's absolutely appropriate.