Suh Fined, Not Suspended

[Guiness]

He thought it was the Comcast repairman illegally entering his property.

I love how he got off on that charge because the video footage did not show him actually pointing the gun at the repairman. smh

If you approach me carrying what appears to be a firearm, I'm going to feel threatened. It doesn't matter if you pointed it me or not, or whether it turns out it was a genuine IMI Desert Eagle, a pellet gun or a carved piece of wood painted black. I know gun laws are very different in the US but there is no way his actions could be interpreted as anything but hostile.

[pbmax]

I don't think this rule is new, its been around. Open field blocking low has been illegal for a couple of decades (not joking, I think it was the 80s). In line play has not changed much except for the crack back block prohibition being extended away from the LOS.

[Patler]

I don't think this rule is new, its been around. Open field blocking low has been illegal for a couple of decades (not joking, I think it was the 80s). In line play has not changed much except for the crack back block prohibition being extended away from the LOS.

Could be, I was thinking it was less than that, but at my age two decades in some things seem like a year or two, and two months for other things seems like forever!!!

[Guiness]

I don't think this rule is new, its been around. Open field blocking low has been illegal for a couple of decades (not joking, I think it was the 80s). In line play has not changed much except for the crack back block prohibition being extended away from the LOS.

Suh's hit would be a peel back block, wouldn't it?

If open field low blocking has been illegal for a while, how did the rule against peel back blocks change anything? Was the new rule only to get rid of it in close line play?

[mraynrand]

He thought it was the Comcast repairman illegally entering his property.

When you live in a neighborhood where repairmen enter properties as they please, you develop a hatred, a killer mentality that you can't help but project onto the field of play. You are protecting your RG-6 coaxial cable, after all.

[pbmax]

Suh's hit would be a peel back block, wouldn't it?

If open field low blocking has been illegal for a while, how did the rule against peel back blocks change anything? Was the new rule only to get rid of it in close line play?

Peel backs were legal (see Hines Ward) and outside the scope of any downfield blocking rules as long as you were above the waist. I am not sure if the peel back rule eliminates them entirely or just when its up around the shoulders like Ward used to do, but I think Suh's falls under a low block rule regardless of the new peel back one.

[Guiness]

Peel backs were legal (see Hines Ward) and outside the scope of any downfield blocking rules as long as you were above the waist. I am not sure if the peel back rule eliminates them entirely or just when its up around the shoulders like Ward used to do, but I think Suh's falls under a low block rule regardless of the new peel back one.

Googling found this for me

What does Peel-Back Block Mean?

When an offensive player blocks a defensive player who is running towards his own end zone (from the side or behind). This type of block below the waste has been illegal outside the tackle box since 2005. On March 20th 2013 the NFL voted to make peel-back blocks below the waste illegal inside the tackle box as well, resulting in a 15-yard penalty.

Not sure how this meshes with what you're saying. It just talks about low blocks, I assume the high ones are still ok?

Great spelling of waist incorrectly twice in the same paragraph!

[swede]

What does Peel-Back Block Mean?

When an offensive player blocks a defensive player who is running towards his own end zone (from the side or behind). This type of block below the waste has been illegal outside the tackle box since 2005. On March 20th 2013 the NFL voted to make peel-back blocks below the waste illegal inside the tackle box as well, resulting in a 15-yard penalty.

I think they meant "below the junk"

[pbmax]

Googling found this for me


Not sure how this meshes with what you're saying. It just talks about low blocks, I assume the high ones are still ok?

Great spelling of waist incorrectly twice in the same paragraph!

Well either it means that Ward's blocks are still legal (not what I thought) OR that they are covered under other rules. It seems they are covered under other rules (Ward's wikipedia page):

Ward often faced criticism for his style of blocking, particularly for his propensity to hit defenders on their blind-side. During a game on October 19, 2008, Ward put a vicious downfield blindside block on rookie Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers. The impact of the block left Rivers with a broken jaw, and caused him to miss the remainder of the 2008 season. Ward was not penalized for this block, nor was he fined by the league as the hit was deemed legal. The league, however, later passed a new rule banning such hits. The so-called "Hines Ward Rule" made a blindside block illegal if the block came from the blocker's helmet, forearm or shoulder and lands to the head or neck area of a defender.[10] In a Sports Illustrated poll of NFL players in 2009, he was voted the "dirtiest player in the NFL."[1]

But back to the original question about downfield below the knees, I think at one time as long as the block was not from behind (head in front of blockee) that it was legal downfield. I believe that was changed some time ago, prior to the peel-back rules changes you cite from 2005. However, I guess it would depend on which action the ref or League finds objectionable. If its peel back then its a recent change (though it has been that way his entire career). If it was simply below the waist from side or behind, he has even less of an argument.

My view of it is that they were out of the LOS (is it 3 feet or yards on either side of the ball?) area so the new 2013 peel back rule can't apply. Nor does it look like a peel back block at all because Sullivan was in front of Suh. I think the announcer was simply too eager to expound on rules changes.

[Guiness]

Well either it means that Ward's blocks are still legal (not what I thought) OR that they are covered under other rules. It seems they are covered under other rules (Ward's wikipedia page):



But back to the original question about downfield below the knees, I think at one time as long as the block was not from behind (head in front of blockee) that it was legal downfield. I believe that was changed some time ago, prior to the peel-back rules changes you cite from 2005. However, I guess it would depend on which action the ref or League finds objectionable. If its peel back then its a recent change (though it has been that way his entire career). If it was simply below the waist from side or behind, he has even less of an argument.

Thanks for that.

Now someone need to tell me why that TB rookie was fined for his shove of Geno Smith! Riddle me that!