Dunta Robinson hit

[coachx]

http://sports.yahoo....?urn=nfl-wp7531

According to the website of the NFL's own communications arm, Robinson was specifically fined for violating Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 (a) (2) of the NFL Official Playing Rules, which states:

It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture.

(a) Players in a defenseless posture are…(2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner.

Maclin caught the ball and took 4 steps before Robinson hit him. (It is not illegal to lead with your head, mind you. Its only illegal to hit a

receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner.

Please watch the video.

1. How many steps did Maclin take before the hit ?

Answer is 4 steps.

2. How many steps does a reciever have to take before they "clearly become a runner ?"

Well, the NFL was never clear on this. That leaves players and coaches to guess. This is why I believe the league is going easy on Donta Robinson with the minimum fine and no suspension. Maclin had pretty clearly become a runner in my eyes at least.....and I believe most players will clearly identify a reciever becomes a runner after taking 4 steps with the ball.

Some fans simply don't know the rule. Its not illegal to lead with your head when tackling an obvious ball carrier. Players tackle RBs like that all the time. Matt Ryan took a nasty hit to the head by Cullen Jenkins but there was no flag. The rule on leading with you head only protects a "reciever in a defenseless posture." They define that as receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner.

Edited September 21, 2011 by coachx

[jy23]

Collinsworth really irked me talking bout that hit too, he made it seem like dunta was just vicious n a dirty player.

[macdaddy]

Wasn't the issue the helmet to helmet contact? That's still illegal.

[coachx]

Wasn't the issue the helmet to helmet contact? That's still illegal.

Nope. Not after a player is an obvious ball carrier. Not all helmet to helmet hits are illegal.

We see RBs tackled that way all the time. Matt Ryan took a hit to the head from Cullen Jenkins but there was no flag. (Yet there is supposed to be rule protecting QBs).

Here is an article after that violent Eagles / Giants game last season (after the new rules changes went into effect).

http://www.nytimes.c.../24helmets.html

One player was tackled square in the face with the helmet of an onrushing opponent. Another, fighting for one last yard, took a polyurethane bash to the head. Still another player spent 10 minutes mostly motionless among dozens of praying players before medics carried him away on a stretcher after a helmet-to-helmet hit.

No flags were thrown. And after watching multiple replays of each collision in Sunday’s Giants-Eagles game at N.F.L. offices on Monday, Ray Anderson, the league’s tackling disciplinarian, calmly confirmed that each play was legal.

As Anderson watched replays of several legal hits from the Eagles-Giants game, he indicated that none were specifically subject to review next spring. (“Those are football plays,” he cautioned.) But, taken together, they communicated room for reform.

¶As the Giants’ Will Blackmon awkwardly tried to pick up a bouncing punt, Moise Fokou ran into him full stride, face mask to face mask.

¶Corralled by some Eagles but fighting for extra yards, Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw crouched slightly before Keenan Clayton crashed into his head helmet-first.

¶On the kickoff return that left him face-down for 10 minutes and evoked fears of paralysis, the Eagles’ Ellis Hobbs braced for impact by tilting the crown of his head toward the oncoming defenders. Such a maneuver, while somewhat instinctual, is the most common cause of football spine fractures. (Hobbs sustained a less serious disk injury from which he will not return this season.)

¶While jumping to catch a pass, the Giants’ Mario Manningham was slammed in the head by the flailing arms of defender Quintin Mikell. Mikell was penalized for pass interference, not contact to the head.

Here is the rule and statement on this fine one last time straight from the NFL.

According to the website of the NFL's own communications arm, Robinson was specifically fined for violating Rule 12, Section 2, Article 9 (a) (2) of the NFL Official Playing Rules, which states:

It is a foul if a player initiates unnecessary contact against a player who is in a defenseless posture.

(a) Players in a defenseless posture are…(2) A receiver attempting to catch a pass; or who has completed a catch and has not had time to protect himself or has not clearly become a runner.

After reading the rule it should seem pretty obvious why Robinson got the minimum fine and no suspension. The rule is pretty vague and Maclin had pretty clearly become the call carrier after 4 steps with possesion of the ball. Maclin also clearly braced himself for the hit after taking 4 steps.

Edited September 21, 2011 by coachx

[Eddielives]

Dunta Robinson is stealing money from the Falcons. This guy absolutely sucks. Dmitroff definitely missed big time on this signing.