The Pittsburgh Steelers could find themselves in hot water with the NFL regarding concussions, but this time it isn’t because James Harrison delivered one. Running back Chris Rainey was momentarily unconscious after a collision with Indianapolis Colt corner Jerraud Powers. See if any of this sounds familiar.
“I didn’t examine (him),” Tomlin said. “I just go with the doctors. They said he was fine to come back, so we played him.”
On the heels of the Colt McCoy situation, Rainey’s own account now sounds eerie considering how much we’ve come to understand concussions and head injuries in the past year.
“I woke up, and I’m still here,” said Rainey, who rushed six times for 20 yards and returned kickoffs. “I thought he dove at my head, and I thought there was a penalty.”
“I kept slipping on cuts, and I dropped a couple of passes. I didn’t like it. I’m taking all the opportunities I can, and sometimes you’ve got to deal with getting hit.”
I don’t know if this means the NFL’s newly instituted system isn’t working or if they need to step up education in certain cities. The Steelers would seem to be pretty likely culprits because their players continually fail to understand what kinds of hits are legal, even after repeat offenses drawing fines and suspensions.
James Harrison’s hits are legendary here in Cleveland. In the same game that Rainey returned in, Steelers linebacker Larry Foote knocked an already-wrapped up Austin Collie out of the game with what appeared to be an unnecessary shoulder to the helmet as he was being tackled. Even if Foote is fined, the play stood and Collie’s catch was reversed on a replay challenge by coach Mike Tomlin.
[Related: Not Breaking News: Steelers’ Harrison Doesn’t Understand the Rules]
