Week 16 NFL thread: The Jason Garrett/Jim Schwartz Death Watch begins

I see the NFL has chimed in on the hit to the Cincinnati punter last week and says league rules classify a punter as defenseless for the entire play, not just the part where he's kicking.

Talk about the further pussification of pro football . . .

 

Kickoff returns - 1 for 58 yards

Work on your trolling.

 

Wow. They really pulled that one out of their asses. Basically, you can't block a punter? That is ridiculous.

Got a link to a story about it? I really want to see the league bullshit its way through this one. I say bullshit because the real issue is the hit looked bad, so the league feels like it needs to have an excuse to do something about it.

Obviously, if this is true, I was incorrect in saying that the only thing potentially illegal about the hit was the helmet-to-helmet contact and that it wasn't illegal simply because he was hitting a punter. Of course, none of the posters arguing with me knew about the rule, either, or they would have cited it.

To be fair, even Mike Tomlin has been critical of the hit. Here's the quote from a Post-Gazette story. http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2013/12/18/Woodley-s-future-with-Steelers-in-doubt-after-latest-injury/stories/201312180025

“The nature in which the block unfolded, obviously, is not what we’re looking for,” Tomlin said, adding, “We’ll wait for potential judgment from the league.”

 

If they can make a tackle, they can be hit. If you do not want them blocked, don't let them tackle.

If you want them to tackle but not be blocked, make them wear a yellow helmet and allow opposing players to hold them.

This guy was placing himself in position to make a tackle on the football. Would a yellow helmet have prevented him from getting lit up? Probably. But in no way can you ask a player to try to figure out who is who when covering a kick.

 

In the ESPN story, the head of officials is kinda giving mixed signals. He mentions that the hit should have been illegal because Garvin hit the punter in the neck and head area, but he also mentions how Huber is a punter and, for whatever reason, is considered defenseless throughout the play.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10155375/dean-blandino-head-nfl-officials-says-hit-kevin-huber-was-illegal

 

Here's the reasoning for "defenseless":

"Even though he's pursuing the play, he still gets defenseless-player protection. You can't hit him in the head or neck, and you can't use the crown or forehead parts of the helmet to the body."

I would think that same protection is extended to everyone else, given current concussion rules.

And re: the "pussification" of football. First, the only people who use that term are ones who don't have to take any hits. Second, a misshapen bowling ball can pop out of a vagina and not (usually) cause permanent damage, while even a hint of a baseball bat to the nards sends guys scrambling to cover their junk. So call it the cock-and-ballsification if you want the right, weak body part.

 

Sometimes you'll see this "rationale" for penalties during the game, as a player is leveled with a clean, shoulder to shoulder hit. The crowd groans, the coaches and bench go apeshit, then five seconds later the flag comes out.

There's no question the refs missed the call during the Steelers game ... should have been a personal foul. But the media obsession over the hit — and the fact the punter had to wobble off the field with a bloody towel under his chin on the "Sunday Night Game of the Week" — has produced the usual over-reaction by NFL spin doctors officials.

That's entertainment.

 

Point made.

I wonder if the "defenseless" tag follows a punter every single time he steps on the field. If a punter is out there and a fake is called, same rules? Don't know; just wonderin'.

 

Kickers are a strange breed in how someone can go from hero to goat in such a short period of time. I wouldn't be surprised if the Saints sign someone off the streets who nails a 55-yarder while Hartley catches on elsewhere and kicks the game-winner to knock the Saints out of the playoffs.

 

Once the ball has been kicked, punter should be treated the same as any other player. We've seen punters make tackles that prevented touchdowns.

 

More Saints shake-up: Armstead replaces Charles Brown at LT. Payton is not messing around.

 

If punters are defenseless throughout the play, they should either leave the field immediately after the kick, or lie down on the ground until the whistle is blown. Once the catch is made they are a football player.