The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Fwiw Gruden nailed it in his post game presser, before the suspension was assessed..
Paraphrasing "I thought he did a good job of lowering his target.." " The wide reciever lowered his head before contact at the last second so there might have been some contact, but it looked legal to me.."
Not verbatim but damn close.
Rice beaters and pot heads get less of a punishment. . Yes his history proceeds him, but that doesnt mean he should be suspended on legal hits. EEspecially when he made every effort to avoid any illegal contact: lowered target led w shoulder pad
Being known as a head hunter cant be good tho..Seattle s D makes hits like that allllllll day tho smh

Thank you. That's what I've been trying to say, you just said it better.

I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down. He has no idea what he's hitting and he's going to leave this game with a spine injury to himself or someone else. If he would've had his head UP, then I guarantee he wouldn't have had the suspension. It's the way he tackles, not where he makes contact if the facemask is on the numbers.

chiefhog44 wrote:I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down. He has no idea what he's hitting and he's going to leave this game with a spine injury to himself or someone else. If he would've had his head UP, then I guarantee he wouldn't have had the suspension. It's the way he tackles, not where he makes contact if the facemask is on the numbers.

Although that is an obvious explanation it doesn't excuse the blatant non calls against us when they hit our QB in the head or hold or interfere with our receivers and so on and so on.


I don't expect people to live in my so called paranoid world but, through the process of elimination, the clues are there.

FLWSkin wrote:The receiver ducked his head in to the path of the tackle, of course you are going to hit his head, there is no way you can't. But what is the defender supposed to do?

I totally agree with that and would encourage anybody who doubts it to take another look at the play. Merriweather was coming in to tackle the guy at his waist. The WR put his head down so of course they banged helmets. How in the world was Merriweather suposed to avoid that in a split second? Its complete BS. The alternative would have been for him to stand up straight and take the WRs helmet in his own gut.

I don't know that the league "has it out" for Merriweather. But the fact remains that he's never going to get the benefit of the doubt ever because of his history. He's going to get suspended every single time. He's a huge liability for us as a result.

Irn-Bru wrote:I'm 50/50 on whether there should have been a flag on the play. From what I've been able to see, there is helmet to helmet contact, but that clearly was not Merriweather's intent and the receiver ducks into what would otherwise have been a legal hit.

OK, so maybe throw a flag on the play, and maybe — maybe — if you want to make a point, fine him because he's had so many of these hits. This occasion did not warrant it, but perhaps you're feeling high and mighty and decide to send a message. OK.

A suspension, however, is total BS. I could see it if there was a clear helmet-to-helmet hit or any sign of vicious intent, but that just isn't the case.

All your points are reasonable, but don't you think he could find a way to stop leading tackles with his helmet because receivers do change direction and he should realize he already has a history and is under scrutiny for it? I don't see how going in helmet first makes it easier to tackle anyway, in fact it seems like lots of receivers just bounce off them and take off.

I'm more pissed at the team for now being in the same position with our strong safeties as last year. No Meriweather and no Philip Thomas. Here comes number 37 again....

chiefhog44 wrote:I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down.

That sounds like a valid explanation to me and I appreciate it coming from somebody who has coached the game.

It still sounds tough though. Just look at that particular play, if Merriweather had come in to tackle the guy around his waist with his head up (which sounds weirdly awkward to me) wouldn't the WR coming in with his head down have hit Brandon under the chin? With his helmet?

Honestly I respect what the NFL is trying to do, trying to get guys to tackle again instead of just popping each other. It doesn't seem especially fair in this case though IMO.

riggofan wrote:

chiefhog44 wrote:I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down.

That sounds like a valid explanation to me and I appreciate it coming from somebody who has coached the game.

It still sounds tough though. Just look at that particular play, if Merriweather had come in to tackle the guy around his waist with his head up (which sounds weirdly awkward to me) wouldn't the WR coming in with his head down have hit Brandon under the chin? With his helmet?

Honestly I respect what the NFL is trying to do, trying to get guys to tackle again instead of just popping each other. It doesn't seem especially fair in this case though IMO.

Sounds like a formula to break his own neck.

riggofan wrote:

chiefhog44 wrote:I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down.

That sounds like a valid explanation to me and I appreciate it coming from somebody who has coached the game.

It still sounds tough though. Just look at that particular play, if Merriweather had come in to tackle the guy around his waist with his head up (which sounds weirdly awkward to me) wouldn't the WR coming in with his head down have hit Brandon under the chin? With his helmet?

Honestly I respect what the NFL is trying to do, trying to get guys to tackle again instead of just popping each other. It doesn't seem especially fair in this case though IMO.

The league wants him to hit him with his head up and wrapped up... bottom line. Most of the time, Meriweather comes into a hit with his head down and arms behind him. That's going to get someone seriously hurt.

riggofan wrote:

chiefhog44 wrote:I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down.

That sounds like a valid explanation to me and I appreciate it coming from somebody who has coached the game.

It still sounds tough though. Just look at that particular play, if Merriweather had come in to tackle the guy around his waist with his head up (which sounds weirdly awkward to me) wouldn't the WR coming in with his head down have hit Brandon under the chin? With his helmet?

Honestly I respect what the NFL is trying to do, trying to get guys to tackle again instead of just popping each other. It doesn't seem especially fair in this case though IMO.

And to your question, no the facemask protects your chin. Contact should be made with the top of your facemask, not the top of the helmet or bottom of your facemask

I guess this is legal and what he should do

So now Meriweather has vowed to go low, and if it means ruining someone's career, so be it. That's the way the NFL wants him to roll now. Meriweather has no doubt noticed that the fine on Baltimore Ravens safety Matt Elam for taking out the knee and left fibula of Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb in Week 6 was $0.

It is an old article but to be be safe (pun intended) he should go low and follow the rules for now on.

http://www.isportstimes.com/articles/93 ... sroads.htm

Of course the Ravens can get away with beating their wifes, killing people and also taking out peoples legs.

The same as Ray Rice is crazy (see Sundberg's tweets), but dude has to learn how to tackle. What ever happened to wrapping up? Or shoulder-to-midsection?

ACW wrote:The same as Ray Rice is crazy (see Sundberg's tweets), but dude has to learn how to tackle. What ever happened to wrapping up? Or shoulder-to-midsection?

If the rule is that you have to wrap up then everyone should be fined that doesn't, including all the other teams. Doesn't work that way though does it?

I wish someone would post a giff because I can not. The hit showed his intent wans't to hit helmet to helmet when I saw the replay. He lead with his shoulder. I get that he has a history, but if you judge then you should be impartial. Just my

Kilmer72 wrote:

ACW wrote:The same as Ray Rice is crazy (see Sundberg's tweets), but dude has to learn how to tackle. What ever happened to wrapping up? Or shoulder-to-midsection?

If the rule is that you have to wrap up then everyone should be fined that doesn't, including all the other teams. Doesn't work that way though does it?

I wish someone would post a giff because I can not. The hit showed his intent wans't to hit helmet to helmet when I saw the replay. He lead with his shoulder. I get that he has a history, but if you judge then you should be impartial. Just my

The rule isn't to wrap up, but if he wrapped up, and kept his helmet up, he would help his case quite a bit.

chiefhog44 wrote:

Kilmer72 wrote:

ACW wrote:The same as Ray Rice is crazy (see Sundberg's tweets), but dude has to learn how to tackle. What ever happened to wrapping up? Or shoulder-to-midsection?

If the rule is that you have to wrap up then everyone should be fined that doesn't, including all the other teams. Doesn't work that way though does it?

I wish someone would post a giff because I can not. The hit showed his intent wans't to hit helmet to helmet when I saw the replay. He lead with his shoulder. I get that he has a history, but if you judge then you should be impartial. Just my

The rule isn't to wrap up, but if he wrapped up, and kept his helmet up, he would help his case quite a bit.

So he should have gone lower with his head up and even though wrapping up isn't the rule it would have helped him. Ok. He would be endangering himself but I get it. I hope this rule is true for all the other teams though.

chiefhog44 wrote:I'm more pissed at the team for now being in the same position with our strong safeties as last year. No Meriweather and no Philip Thomas. Here comes number 37 again....

Rambo and Clark could be an effective back field.. Rambo was hung out to dry last year and by all accounts it appears to have made him stronger. Thus far hes made tackles and a FF... witht the gang tackling mentality on D if he can get a piece of the ball carrier and slow him down there should be more helmets closing in... low to the knees of course

Just to show how the NFL has always been with regards to the Redskins since I was a kid.

Taylor has lived a controversial lifestyle, during and after his playing career. He admitted to using drugs such as cocaine as early as his second year in the NFL, and was suspended several times by the league for failing drug tests. His drug abuse escalated after his retirement, and he was jailed three times for attempted drug possession.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawrence_Taylor

Why was it that Dexter got kicked out of the league and Taylor didn't? Why was it ok to give Taylor a pass but not Dexter who was the best defensive end in the league IMO? I knew Dexter as a kid. I knew things about him long before others did. Dexter has always been a good man. He didn't get caught having sex with little girls like Taylor, yet he is a great example of what I am trying to show.

http://www.valleymorningstar.com/sports ... 03da6.html

Seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree even

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/l ... -1.1392873

Hall of Famer

http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/membe ... yer_id=212

LT always said he "brought a little extra" when they played the Redskins....he meant a dime bag of crack....yet he's an NFL hero....

I think the common denominator is between Mara and the good ole boys. Same with the other things he has done to effect his own division.

Kilmer72 wrote:

riggofan wrote:

chiefhog44 wrote:I've played and coached football half my life, and I can assure you it's not where he hit him that was the problem or that it was helmet to helmet (as the receiver did duck). It's the fact that he continues to hit people with his head down.

That sounds like a valid explanation to me and I appreciate it coming from somebody who has coached the game.

It still sounds tough though. Just look at that particular play, if Merriweather had come in to tackle the guy around his waist with his head up (which sounds weirdly awkward to me) wouldn't the WR coming in with his head down have hit Brandon under the chin? With his helmet?

Honestly I respect what the NFL is trying to do, trying to get guys to tackle again instead of just popping each other. It doesn't seem especially fair in this case though IMO.

Sounds like a formula to break his own neck.

Actually, that's the way they teach tackling these days. You must have heard the "Heads Up Certified" commercials. It's much more likely to cause a neck or spinal injury to hit with your head lowered.

No I haven't heard that. I never played football Deadskins except in the neighborhood or playground (Hippie not jock here). Just seems to me that the laws of leverage would go against keeping your head up and having an accidental head to head to someone that speared. Just my thoughts on it. Even head up on a knee. I am not a doctor either so maybe I got it wrong.

Kilmer72 wrote:No I haven't heard that. I never played football Deadskins except in the neighborhood or playground (Hippie not jock here). Just seems to me that the laws of leverage would go against keeping your head up and having an accidental head to head to someone that speared. Just my thoughts on it. Even head up on a knee. I am not a doctor either so maybe I got it wrong.

Next game you watch, look for it coming back from the break. The NFL is making a big push to get youth football coaches "Heads Up Certified." Anyway, someone posted a video (I think it was Darth) a couple of years ago, of a football clinic where the kids were being taught to tackle "Heads Up," and I had the same exact reaction as you did. Seemed like a recipe for injury to me. But I did a little research, and found out that it was actually much safer. I'm a bit of a hippie too, as you might have guessed, but I played football growing up, from pee-wee to HS. We were always taught to tackle the old-fashioned way, shoulder into the waist, and wrap him up with your arms. I guess the science has progressed a lot from those days.

FLWSkin wrote:Because if you watch it again you will see that Merriweather was aiming for the spot between the shoulders and hips like they are supposed to and the receiver ducked his head in to that area and the Merriweather actually made contact with the receivers shoulder first. Watch it again, it was a legal hit.

Absolutely correct!!!