McCoy Plays Well In Loss to Steelers
October 17, 2010While We’re Waiting… James Harrison, Helmet-to-Helmet Headhunter
October 18, 2010Hours after the game, one thing really sticks out in my mind. Again, I don’t want you to think I have a vendetta against James Harrison. I don’t. I am almost more upset with the referees who have failed to throw flags. After doing a bit of research, I uncovered this body slam of Vince Young by James Harrison which I had already forgotten. On September 19th James Harrison picked up Vince Young and suplexed him to the turf. I will note that Harrison was NOT flagged on this play either.
In fact, according to The National Football Post, Harrison was fined $5000 … and then named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week. Granted, Harrison had a great game including 11 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a tackle for a loss. Despite his production, he committed a penalty that is supposed to be frowned upon, and yet referees didn’t even throw a flag. Harrison wasn’t flagged on either hit this Sunday, and the NFL owes the fans an explanation. Will they suspend Harrison because of his multiple offenses this season?
Videos of all the hits below…
Here is the hit on Massaquoi…
Here is the hit on Cribbs…
55 Comments
So many defenders are no longer looking to tackle but make these huge kill shots. Craig, do you really think anything more than just a fine will occur? Not a chance. The NFL can talk a good game about all of this but its just for show. My prediction – 15 grand and thats it.
I don’t know. Two infractions in one game and three that I know of overall in the same season? I don’t even know about previous years.
[…] fans are already up in arms about Harrison (even bringing up the Vince Young bodyslam from earlier this season) and asking if […]
I lost my mind on those two plays. This is a guy trying to make a highlight, not concerning himself with the health of others. The referees should be fined as well. The NFL has claimed to put so much money and research into the effects of head injuries in this sport. Vowing to improve player safety… then this happens. Tighten up Mr. Goodell. Apparently, not everyone got that memo.
The ridiculous thing is TJ Ward was flagged and called dirty by the Bengals and media for a much cleaner hit than either of Harrisons. I’ll be interested to see how the national media handles this. so far I havent heard anyone call him a dirty player.
If you watch the whe Woodley hits Cribbs he is knocked foward and his head comes down into the path of Harrison. And the other one maybe wreckless seems the receiver was stumbling down when Harrison came through causing the hit to go to the head. Sort of hard to stop on a dime not to hit someone. Your picture fits all your guys whining comments Craig.
Craig–good work digging the Young hit up. I guess we’ll see how serious the NFL is about preventing concussions. On the ‘treatment’ side, they are obviously serious b/c neither Cribbs nor Massaquoi came back in when a few years ago, they probably would have. But, this means jack if the NFL doesn’t work on the ‘prevention’ side of the problem and make its referees enforce the rules as they are written.
Two infractions in one game?
Let’s be clear: Cribbs was a RUNNER, not a QB dropping back to throw or a defenseless receiver. There was nothing illegal about that. Learn the rules.
As for the Massaquoi hit, what was he supposed to do? The receiver was still bobbling the ball when Harrison started his hit and Massaquoi lowered his head and fell forward into Harrison. Harrison was trying to jar the ball loose so it was an incomplete pass. It sounds like Browns fans expected Harrison to concede the catch and TOUCH him down?
That pretty much sums up the difference between the Steelers defense composed of Pro Bowlers and the Browns defense composed of role players. This is a man’s game. Get your boys off the field if they can’t handle it.
DH… we have been through this here with TJ Ward and Jordan Shipley. This isn’t about my preference. This is about the rules in the NFL as they have been defined. No matter who has the ball, runner or not, you aren’t allowed to hit him helmet to helmet.
You need to learn the rules.
http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/penaltysummaries
The rules were changed this year. According to NFL.com:
“The reworded rules prohibit a player from launching himself off the ground and using his helmet to strike a player in a defenseless posture in the head or neck. The old rule only applied to receivers getting hit, but now it will apply to everyone.”
You might want to start reading up on things before you start criticizing other people. Doesn’t matter if you are a runner or a receiver, the rules apply the same.
Like I said in the earlier comments, Led with the crown on the first hit and then hit a defenseless WR and went for the head again. To me it was on purpose too. BOTH times he looked to be head hunting. He saw MoMass coming across and nailed him. Suspended or I won’t be satisfied.
The Cribbs hit was 100% legal. The Massaquoi was nasty and close but 100% legal as well as the receive lowered his head while juggling the ball.
Thanks Titus… And it isn’t even about whether we agree or not. A lot of us felt that TJ Ward’s play on Shipley was tough because Shipley was trying to catch a touchdown. Still, if we have to take it on the one hand and get the flags tossed, it is a bitter pill to swallow to see James Harrison get two knockout shots in without a single flag at all.
I agree, especially with all the hysteria over Ward’s hit when it wasn’t even with his helmet, but his forearm. If the league can’t be consistent in the application of their rules, then what’s the point?
Bunch of sore LOOOSERS! Steelers kick ur BUTTS! “He hits to hard”….ITS FOOTBALL YOU JERKS. Lets put flags on them and play flag football if that makes you feel better………..They still will kick ur BUTTS!
Much like Dan Gilbert is a fan of Comic Sans, he is a fan of caps lock and poor grammar.
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/10/17/cribbs-is-fine-likely-will-play-next-week/
I’m 100% positive that those hits were legit and super awesome because of the HEAVY DROP D TUNING AWESOME BLUE CALLAR MUSIC HAPPENING IN THE BACKGROUND WHEN THEY HAPPENED!!1!
Congrats to Steeler Country for going .500 in the last two games vs. Cleveland. You’re great.
I for one accept the play-by-play and color guy’s apology. I mean Harrison is a defensive MVP and a great player. He would never be a head hunter.
im all for hard hitting players but u needed to follow the rules…and if you dont u should be flagged…since it was 2 hits i say 50 grand fine..and to you steeler fan who is the loser when you are on a browns blog?
Was Steeler Country trying to talk there? If so cool story bro.
I didn’t even think they had internet access in those trailerparks in Pittsburgh.
Come on Craig! It’s a mans game!! Seriously, its always fun when the idiots show up.
I just don’t have much faith that the NFL will step up and suspend a star defender from one of their high profile teams. We’ll see.
@Mark: They did it for Shawne Merriman! Oh wait, you mean if the MLB wasn’t under fire that he probably would’ve won DPOY? Hmmmmm….Not likely.
A positive drug test is different from a judgement call for hits on the field. The NFL will find a way to give him a slap on the wrist, a fine. Don’t get me wrong, I hope he is suspended. But because the punishment is arbitrary (unlike the drug punishments) the league will weasel around it.
Steeler Nation, would you please go back to bed. It’s a school night.
As a fan of the game I hate seeing people get hurt or knocked out. I think the Cribbs hit wasn’t dirty. The hit on Texas Chainsaw would’ve garnered a flag from me if I were a ref though.
Cribbs was running the Flash package, therefor he was the QB…look back to the last super bowl the steelers won….Harrison had an unacceptable hit late in the game and did not get flag thrown, and I believe he got defensive player of the game.
james harrison is also a repeat offender of beating his girlfriend too. this guy is such a dirt ball and he probably head butted his girlfriend just like he did today with cribbs and mo mass.
good article from yahoo sports about the hits
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Watch-James-Harrison-destroy-the-heads-of-two-Cl?urn=nfl-277524
Why isn’t anyone talking about the REAL STORY here. Not a single Browns player took any revenge. The Browns have like 12 tight ends plus the biggest running back in the NFL. They should have called a play, send a big guy across and just dive head first into Harrison’s face. How are you going to let 1 guy take out not one but two of your players with head first hits?! The refs certainly aren’t going to do anything about it – come on it’s Pittsburg. That’s ridiculous. He didn’t even have his hands up when he made those hits. In no way shape or form was he trying to “TACKLE” anyone. I’m all for it being a MAN’S GAME. I like how manly the steelers are trying to head dive into Hillis’s knees because they’re afraid of getting punished.
I won’t care at all if Harrison doesn’t get fined, and get’s taken out to eat by his coach for this hits. But he should have been laying on his ass trying to remember his first name after those hits – and I’m pretty pissed off at the Browns for not sending a message.
And congrats to all the Steeler fans for barely covering the spread against a team down both quarterbacks, and then cribbs, and then their no one receiver – you guys are awesome.
break out the dresses for not only quarterbacks, but all the cleveland browns. cribbs tries to run through a tough physical defense and gets clocked because he stopped, and wasn’t paying attention. and then mccoy throws a “hospital ball” leading his receiver right into a linebacker. teach the browns how to play pro football before you criticize the steeler defense for playing pro football.
I agree with what DH said, as vicious as the Cribbs hit was, he was the ball carrier, thus negating any theory of him being defenseless. If we go by the rule book, the Cribbs hit was 100% legal. Unfortunate, but legal.
Conversely, I couldn’t believe the hit on Massaquoi wasn’t a flag. The NFL instituted this rule to prevent exactly what Harrison did; leaving his feet and leading with his head at a defenseless WR that couldn’t even see him coming. Still, would you be that shocked if the NFL didn’t levy a fine? Not this guy.
Ike, it was not legal. Harrison used his helmet as a weapon on that play – you can see him change his head position as he goes in for the tackle especially if you watch it in slow-mo. That is the definition of an illegal play. You may not use the helmet as a spear or ram, which is exactly what he did.
Tsunami, what, you wanted a Browns player to do a helmet hit on Harrison? Thank god they didn’t. Plenty of the time the “tackler” ends up with a concussion in addition to the target. Not the right thing to do there and not a smart thing either.
To anyone, if you think these should be legal hits, fine, that’s up to you. By definitions of the rules, though, they aren’t. I want to see Ward get tackled (a lot), but not by a horse collar. It’s both unsafe and against the rules. Just because the stiller fans who come to troll here can’t read the rule books doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t.
I dont think Harrison is a dirty player, or had dirty plays. The simple thing is that he led with his head. That is illegal and should be addressed by the league. If he blew them up with his head up instead of spearing the 2 players then its a legal and good play. It wasnt though.
Incredible difference in reaction here compared to Wards hit. With Ward you guys talked about how you (the commentors) liked the hits and how Cincy was known as a bunch of whiners. Now Harrison hits a defenseless receiver and I see people calling for his suspension? Odd.
Harrison should have been flagged, but the reaction of these hits compared to Ward’s hit around here is 180 degrees different. So many of you seemed proud of Ward and claiming that Cincy was just crying. These hits were no worse than the Ward hit.
Tsunami, the last paragraph falls flat. 18 point margin is a massive gap in the NFL. Don’t act like the Steelers didn’t play well and dominate.
Tsunami: I was hoping for a shot at the knees. Let him think about all season long from crutches. Mangini’s halftime adjustments should have included a bounty.
The T.J. Ward hit was somewhat different, in that he led with his shoulder, and actually was attempoting to break up a TD pass in the endzone. Was it still an illegal hit? Yes. Should he have been fined? In my opinion, yes.
However: the two Harrission hits weren’t really even attempted tackles, especially the one on cribbs. I’m with Tsunami here, he didn’t even lift his arms. He appeared to be trying to injure the ball carrier on both plays. He wanted nothing to do with Hillis, though…
lol I love this talk of “It’s a mans game!” as if hitting cheap shots on two defenseless receivers is something a man would do. Then again this ignorant dribble is coming from fans of the team with the rapist at the helm.
Lets all call Roethlisberger “Therapist” (The Rapist). K? Good
If the helmet to helmet hit was on rothlisberger and he had to leave the game all of the steeler fans would be whining too. I would love to change the rules and see tj ward headhunt rothlisberger…he is a complete duesh
The shots at Massaquoi and Young definitely looks to be worse than the Cribbs hit, because in both those cases it looks an awful lot like Harrison is not just trying to tackle but instead break their necks.
However, he’s a popular player on a popular team, so something tells me he’s likely to be under different rules than TJ Ward.
Harrison has been dirty player for quite some time now. I remember watching the “mud bowl” between the Dolphins and the Stillers a few years ago and saw Harrison intentionally step on the back/shoulder of Ricky Williams. Ricky got injured on that play and missed the rest of the season, maybe two years ago… I think Ricky tore his pectoral or something… IDK, I just remember the thugness of Harrison.
If Harrison continues playing “thug life” he or an opponent will have the same fate as Eric LeGrand
Comment #3-
I do like the Stiller trash laughing in the video of Harrison “Roethlisbergering” Vince Young.
I liked the old days when there was integrity and respect and players used skills to tackle, not injure. It’s easy to make hits like this when a players’ attention is on getting the ball- no toughness required.
Let’s bring back some integrity and skill, not just the big free-for-all.
If I were an NFL defensive player, I would rather beat a team when all the opponents guys were healthy, that would bring satisfaction- not a sucker-punch to put them out of the game.
I am not talking about just this incident, just the attitude of some players over the years. Some people may like this kind of play, but I don’t think the idea of this game was to injure the opponent, it was to outplay them.
[…] while we have done our fair share of coverage on the topic over the last few hours, Harrison has done himself no favors with his […]
Cleveland is for loosers! Glad I can give u somthing to smile about!
Is that some sort of poorly formed fat joke? Or maybe you’re saying Cleveland is for people who have lost a lot of weight and no longer fit in their older, now baggy pants?
Can we count how many Super Bowl Rings the Browns have NONE……HEHEH
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmShvC3blDo
Here a nice song about ur City Written by The City of Pittsburgh