Pimps & Hoes - Balding Eagles

[Harlan Huckleby]

I saw the play. Many times. I'll say it again. Clay didn't have his head on a swivel, and wasn't aware of downfield blockers.

Your characterization is ridiculous. Clay is running laterally, in pursuit of a runner who is upfield. The cheapshot came from downfield, behind him. There is no way he can pursue the runner and have his head swiveling. He's focused on the runner, and is not an owl in any event.

This was a dirty cheap shot, and just barely legal.

[Harlan Huckleby]

After rewatching the play, it wasn't even legal. Barbre hit him from behind. The hit rotated MAtthews' body and made it look like he hit him from the side.

This sort of cheap shot can happen on open field runs, especially punt returns, where the pursuing would-be tackler is focused upfield and a blocker comes in from behind. Blaming the defender for not having his "head on a swivel" is just absurd. They have to focus on the runner and are completely vulnerable to a cheap shot Actually there is a rule against that cheap shot block, but I forget the name or how it applies.


Whether those hits are legal or not doesn't matter to me. They are cowardly, cheap plays against an unprotected opponent, like a sucker punch in a bar. Maybe they are part of the game sometimes, but it is nothing I want to see.

[Harlan Huckleby]

Peel-back blocks are illegal if they are below the waist

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/3/19/4125046/nfl-rule-changes-peel-back-block

"Essentially, it is now illegal to block an opponent from the blindside, at his waist or below, from anywhere on the field. "

[Harlan Huckleby]

You also can't hit um high if the blindside block is a "crackback" block. I always thought crackbacks involved hits by wide receivers on linebackers cutting back in to the middle.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/28/nfl-expands-defenseless-player-rule-to-crackback-blocks/

[woodbuck27]

Creaming a player who can't see you coming is part of the game. Doesn't make me ecstatic, it's an ugly play.

A Picture story:







Why I respected a former GM and HC named Mike:



The result of Bad Karma:



Sapp 'the Sap'.

[yetisnowman]

Well semantics aside, I still don't think it was dirty. Borderline maybe. But according to the rules, its legal. So cave man Clay that loves to flex his beastly muscles shouldn't be crying about a retread lineman putting him on his ass. just my opinion.

[Patler]

Huge difference between the hit on Clifton and that on Matthews. Clifton was half the field width away from the guy with the ball, not really doing anything.
Matthews was the lead guy with a shot at the ball carrier.

I don't see that as a cheap shot at all. Mathews' body was more or less facing toward the sideline, but he had his head turned way to the right looking up field. Barbre's head was in front of Matthews chest, and he clearly hit Matthews on the front of the shoulder because Matthews spun like a top, counterclockwise to land on his back, maybe even past, hitting the same should Barbre hit. If Barbre hit him from behind, Matthews would have gone down chest first, or been spun clockwise.

Matthews shouldn't whine about it.

[Fritz]

I think this goes back to a Packer locker room of the past, when Clay embarrassed Barbre in front of his teammates by calling him a pussypants.

Don't be mean to people, Clay.

[call_me_ishmael]

How can anyone say it's not a dirty hit? He could have easily just shoved him lightly and had the same result. Instead he went out of his way to drill him. Dirty hit - no question. Having said that, this stuff happens pretty much every game so it is what it is.

[Patler]

How can anyone say it's not a dirty hit? He could have easily just shoved him lightly and had the same result. Instead he went out of his way to drill him. Dirty hit - no question. Having said that, this stuff happens pretty much every game so it is what it is.

Matthews was the leading guy perhaps in position to tackle the ball carrier for a loss, and you expect Barbre to hit him lightly? What if Matthews regained his balance enough to throw himself into the ball carrier. How pleased would the Philly coaches have been with Barbre if that had happened? Isn't the objective to make sure he does not impact the play? Do you expect Matthews to hit ball carriers lightly when he is tackling them, becaue maybe that will be enough to get them down? Besides, I think it looked like a harder hit than it might have been, because Matthews was completely unprepared for it. The worst part was hitting the ground like a sack of coal.

[yetisnowman]

How can anyone say it's not a dirty hit? He could have easily just shoved him lightly and had the same result. Instead he went out of his way to drill him. Dirty hit - no question. Having said that, this stuff happens pretty much every game so it is what it is.

Shoved him lightly? good lord. So if clay comes quick around the edge and Cutler or Stafford has their back to him you think the proper thing to do is for him to lightly shove them to the ground? Or maybe he should should just caress and cradle them softly to the turf? Welcome to football. Sometimes you get rocked and you don't see it coming. I'm all for the advancement of rules that protect player safety. As vicious as it was shoulder/arms meets chest/shoulder. no head, neck, or knees.

[ThunderDan]

Shoved him lightly? good lord. So if clay comes quick around the edge and Cutler or Stafford has their back to him you think the proper thing to do is for him to lightly shove them to the ground? Or maybe he should should just caress and cradle them softly to the turf? Welcome to football. Sometimes you get rocked and you don't see it coming. I'm all for the advancement of rules that protect player safety. As vicious as it was shoulder/arms meets chest/shoulder. no head, neck, or knees.

I think the caress and cradle should be put in place for 2017!