Excessive football playing: 15 Yards!

[bobblehead]

Whats up with the Penalty on Mathews for...you know, doing his job. Just like Bishop against Cam a few weeks ago, we had a LB hit a QB; not high near the head. Not low by the knees. But dead center. It wasn't late. He didn't spit on him after the hit. Yet drew a 15 yarder for hitting him too hard.

I've had it. I say we put a flag on the QB and finish what the NFL started.

[Joemailman]

The fact that Clay hit him while moving fast was an obvious intent to injure.

[Smeefers]

The fact that Clay hit him while moving fast was an obvious intent to injure.

Now now now. Be carefull with this thread, or you're going to be accused of being a trans gender woman hater.

[Pugger]

Mike and Mike on ESPN are bemoaning that "penalty" too. I understand the league wants to protect the QBs but that was ridiculous. CM3 gets mugged all afternoon with nary a flag and then when he finally gets in there HE gets flagged. I wonder if Goodell will send MM an apology. Thankfully that bogus call didn't cost us the damn game!

[mraynrand]

Brett Favre always gets those calls

[pbmax]

Hit QB in pocket on any part of his body with your head = Penalty. Its not complicated. Immediately after this, Walden hit Ponder the exact same way. With the ref in the frame watching the entire tackle, there was no flag because Walden put his shoulder into Ponder and slid his helmet to the side. Textbook.

The harder part of the rule is that when the QB decides to run (good luck figuring that out), then those rules are the same for a RB.

[Upnorth]

Hit QB in pocket on any part of his body with your head = Penalty. Its not complicated. Immediately after this, Walden hit Ponder the exact same way. With the ref in the frame watching the entire tackle, there was no flag because Walden put his shoulder into Ponder and slid his helmet to the side. Textbook.

The harder part of the rule is that when the QB decides to run (good luck figuring that out), then those rules are the same for a RB.

You and your damn knowledge taking the steam out of good clean anger!
Also Joe you are a trans gender woman hater.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Hit QB in pocket on any part of his body with your head = Penalty .

I thought it was considered a late hit, didn't occur to me that it was leading with the helmet.

Honestly, I don't know what "leading with the helmet" means. I think it means you can't use helmet as a weapon, meaning a vicious hit. Its impossible to always make contact with shoulder pad. only.

I could be wrong, but think it is still OK to tackle a QB in the midsection, as long as it is not a vicious helmet hit. Same deal as with tackling other players. I think Mathews got flagged (incorrectly) for coming in late.

[sharpe1027]

Hit QB in pocket on any part of his body with your head = Penalty. Its not complicated. Immediately after this, Walden hit Ponder the exact same way. With the ref in the frame watching the entire tackle, there was no flag because Walden put his shoulder into Ponder and slid his helmet to the side. Textbook.

The harder part of the rule is that when the QB decides to run (good luck figuring that out), then those rules are the same for a RB.

Was Ponder even still in the pocket? I thought Ponder rolled out on that play. I have no footage of the play, so I could be totally off on my memory.

[ThunderDan]

Was Ponder even still in the pocket? I thought Ponder rolled out on that play. I have no footage of the play, so I could be totally off on my memory.

Ponder had all sorts of time on that play and eventually rolled right and was out of the pocket.

PB, I thought you couldn't hit the QB with the crown of the helmet.

[swede]

Well now we'll have to get the vid posted, because late hit was the call I remember and I never saw Clay's helmet anywhere but to the side. In my mind, having seen it twice, it was shoulder pad to thorax with one step between release and the awesome collision.

PB is right a lot of the time, though.

[Patler]

Defensive players are supposed to attempt to hold up and not hit or at least lessen the hit on the QB if they aren't going to get there before the ball is released. When the rules were changed, many complained because it requires the defender to guess if he will get there in time instead of going aggressively to the QB. Any hesitation may cause him not to get there in time.

Both Matthews and Bishop wrapped up and finished the tackle. Clearly, neither tried to hold up, or lessen the hit, and neither got there in time, because the ball was released. Waldon on the other hand did not wrap up, did hit Ponder with a good shot, but did not follow through like Bishop and Matthews.

[gbgary]

yup...clay got him with his shoulder. textbook tackle. bogus call. Packers should get an apology later this week...if the nfl has any balls.

[sharpe1027]

Defensive players are supposed to attempt to hold up and not hit or at least lessen the hit on the QB if they aren't going to get there before the ball is released. When the rules were changed, many complained because it requires the defender to guess if he will get there in time instead of going aggressively to the QB. Any hesitation may cause him not to get there in time.

Both Matthews and Bishop wrapped up and finished the tackle. Clearly, neither tried to hold up, or lessen the hit, and neither got there in time, because the ball was released. Waldon on the other hand did not wrap up, did hit Ponder with a good shot, but did not follow through like Bishop and Matthews.

I do not have a replay to look at, but I think that Matthews had virtually no way of knowing whether Ponder still had the ball because he hit him so close to the release. At a certain point in a "text book" tackle a defender is not looking at the ball and is instead putting his head to the side to avoid spearing the guy. Matthews was pretty much bang-bang and while it is likely that the ball was going to be thrown, Ponder could just have easily not thrown the ball (i.e., if he saw Matthews start to pull up, then he would have had time and reason to pump the ball).

If that is a valid call then they are going to have to make a new rule that QBs cannot pump fake and then run with the ball.

[LEWCWA]

Brett Favre always gets those calls

I don't know about that. it seemed like they let BF take a beating compare to some other QB's. Anyhow I know it was just a joke.