NFL Week 15: It has to be Tebow, right?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!

My best defense for the hit is that he didn't drive his helmet into McCoy's helmet, rather he drove his facemask into his upper chest, which led to the crown hitting him in the chin. Either way, while I will defend some of his hits, he had plenty of time in this one (he was sizing him up for at least a few steps) to go for his waist. Especially knowing what he knows about his history and propensity for being under a microscope. I'm not one of those guys who expects players to completely chaneg direction at the last second, but Harrison had a number of different violent avenues he could have taken which would have been legal. He chose not to here.

 

This is sensible. I also think sometimes people expect football players to magically change their momentum to avoid hitting someone a certain way, but in this case, Harrison could have gone lower and just didn't.

93, I'm not sure how many he's had this year, but he had $125,000 in fines last year alone. He got flagged in 2009 and '10 for illegal hits on QBs four times and unnecessary roughness on other players (most notably Massaquoi) twice. Do you need Lasik to see this trend? This isn't the horse you should hitch your wagon to.

 

Look at the comments just on this and last week's thread. Even on television, people could see McCoy didn't look right. There is no way in hell he passed a proper concussion screening on the sideline before being sent back in. Not a chance.

It's great that the union is stepping up, but the league office needs to step in. If they aren't willing to do that, they might as well just shut up about concussions and let these guys tear one another's heads off.

 

First fine this season. To me, that says he is learning.

 

The toughest part about hitting a QB low instead of high is the threat of the pass. If you are coming from his front side and he is intending to pass, your instinct is to come high and if he makes a motion to throw, you may want to swat at the ball or get your hands up. If you lower yourself to make sure you don't hit his head, you compromise your ability to do that and you give him better vision down the field.


But coming in high could lead to unintentional helmet-to-helmet contact, I would think.

Not defending Harrison, but to me, this is part of the problem with the rule. See it happen all the time and to me all you can do as a coach of the defensive player is curse your luck and encourage him to come in the same way the next time.

 

^^^^
This.

Unless Dr. Harvey Mandrake (James Woods' character in Any Given Sunday) is the team Doc, the NFL needs to invesitgate this. The NLFPA needs to be screaming about it.

 

That's the best argument for not going for the waist in this situation, you lose the ability to tip any pass. But Harrison clearly decided in his (quarterback or reciever) moment to go for McCoy. And his arms never went for a tip. He was clearly looking to deliver a hit. And as I said, i don't think he was going for helmet to helmet contact, but he has to know, given his past in these situations, that if he thinks, "I am low enough", he has to go a few inches lower than even that.

Personally, even though I realize the bind it puts the Steelers in, I am glad he was suspended. Fines weren't getting it done. Maybe the fact that he puts the team behind the eight ball against San Fran will knock some sense into his head.

@Devil
He did miss quite a few games, five I think, this season, so maybe that skews the stats a bit.

 

If I thought there was any chance this will get through to Harrison, I would agree with you, proud. I just don't see it.

According to NFL Network, he sent out a tweet upon hearing the news. "LOL" Does that sound like he got the message, or even if he is even considering that he hurt his team by getting suspended?

 

93 sure seems to think he's learning his lesson.

I have no doubt he still doesn't get it, nor will he ever, despite 93's claims to contrary. But if punishing bad behavior doesn't change said bad behavior, that doesn't mean you stop punishing it.

And all this comes off as me sounding like I can't stand Harrison, which really isn't close to what I think of him. I've always thought he was defensive menace (in a good way) who could intimidate other teams and wreck a game. But it's come to a point where his penalties are hurting his team as much or more than he's helping it.

 

The other thing about the Harrison predicament is he, and possibly the rest of the Steelers defense, are going to start getting rung up for things that other teams aren't. No ref in his right mind is going to give Harrison a pass on anything close to the line anymore.

 

According to them, that has been happening at least since last season.

 

Yeah, wait till the next time he's on the field. Then they'll see it really happening.