Last Sunday night we got to see Cris Collinsworth lose his mind when Dunta Robinson delivered a hard hit on Jeremy Maclin as he was completing a catch. You can see the clip as well as someone else’s overreaction. Robinson saw Maclin catch the ball and had a split second to react, he lowered his helmet and drove his shoulder into Maclin. Maclin dropped down and braced for the hit. Because he went lower Robinson’s helmet hit Maclin’s and then the key part of the play happened. Maclin went down, and stayed down.
Because Maclin got hurt everyone was outraged. Need some proof? The hit happened with 6 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Later, with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter an eerily similar play happened. Roddy White went over the middle and caught a pass, he looked up and had a split second longer to react than Maclin had. Roddy went low, lower than Maclin, but the defender went low too and led with his helmet. Helmets collided. Then both players got back up and got ready for the next play. How outraged was Collinsworth about this hit? He never acknowledged it even happened.
I’m not saying that Robinson was not somewhat reckless. He probably could have gotten lower. But I don’t think he could have known he would hit Maclin in the helmet. This is all beside the point anyways. Penalizing for this type of hit is hypocritical. How is it different, or worse, to lead with your helmet on a runner as opposed to a receiver or quarterback? Last week we saw Nick Collins lost for the season due to a helmet-to-helmet hit on a ball carrier. Later in the day Kyle Arrington of the Patriots crashed down on Ryan Matthews at the end of the Chargers game. Matthews went low to brace for the hit and got the best of the helmet-to-helmet contact. Arrington was hurt, no foul on either player.
These examples only concern the ball carrier. The most violent hits generally occur around the line of scrimmage. A fullback barreling through the hole looking for the first man to deck. A linebacker crashing into a guard to fill a running lane. Giving penalties only for blows to the head of a QB or wide receiver would be like if we collectively decided as a society to only give out traffic tickets for speeding even though we know there are other more dangerous forms of driving because it is more visible, oh wait, bad example.
The rule is intended to protect defenseless receivers, but really the rule should read: “No leading with your helmet to a defenseless receiver’s helmet, if that player gets hurt.” That is the only time anyone ever cares.
What is the solution? I don’t have one. I haven’t seen a good one. You can’t take the hitting out of football. Rules like this are making the game impossible for the players. They can not control some of the actions that are now being called fouls. Is this good for the game or not?
