Season is moving right along, and the NFL still tries to convince us they are worried about player safety by fining the defense for those “questionable” hits. Be honest. Running backs lead with their helmets on every play, yet never get fined for helmet-to-helmet contact. Until the NFL fines a runing back for initiating the helmet-to-helmet contact, or a receiver for ducking his helmet into the defensive man’s target zone, the NFL has no basis to complain. I have seen too many hits where the defender targets the man’s chest, the runner ducks his head into the strike zone, and the defender is penalized (and later fined) for the contact. I saw A.J. Hawk target Christian Ponder’s BELT, duck his helmet so it missed Ponder entirely, arrive a fraction of a second after the ball had left Ponder’s hand (which he couldn’t see since he had lowered his helmet to miss Ponder), made sure he didn’t land on Ponder after the tackle, and STILL got penalized for unnecessary roughness. I know this happens with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, since they are “Faces of the NFL”, but Ponder is a rookie, and this was his first game!! Really, NFL?? Why not just go ahead and publish the rule that says the defense is not allowed to touch the backs and receivers? That is the result you want anyway.
Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot you still allow full contact on MIke VIck and Ben Roethelisberger.