Did Jared Allen Cheap Shot Matt Schaub?

An MRI this afternoon confirmed that Texans quarterback Matt Schaub has an injured MCL. Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com is reporting that it is an MCL tear, and Schaub will be out for at least four weeks and perhaps will be put on IR. Coach Gary Kubiak didn't get into any detail in his presser but suggests Schaub will be out 2 to 4 weeks.

Backup Sage ~~Rosenchappa~~ Rosenfels will get the start, and he is likely to put up big numbers (and perhaps big interceptions) in Schaub's absence. Kubiak hasn't decided who Rosenfels' backup will be--either practice squader rookie Alex Brink or some guy they work out tomorrow.

The play that got Schaub limping didn't receive a flag, but it looked like it should have. Vikings DE Jared Allen dove directly into Schaub's knee, without being blocked into it. The above video shows a couple of different angles of this.

Teams have learned that the best way to deal with the Texans passing attack is to take physical shots at Schaub when they can find them, like the Titans did to Schaub both of their games last year, or like what the Charger's Drayton Florence did last year.

It's certainly worth the risk of a 15 yard penalty to take out Schaub's knee. Hard to say if Allen gets a fine. Allen's low hits into Schaub haven't got much publicity if you check out the google news searches as of right this moment.

The video is also an illustration of how the Texans' offensive line is not really designed to be a one-dimensional, pass-mostly team. The Texans only ran the ball 16 times, and the smallish line trying to continuously pass block is no match for physical defensive lines, especially in loud road conditions. It also demonstrates the perils to quarterbacks of on-the- job training for rookie left tackles such as Texans Duane Brown. [Correction: The clueless burnt left tackle in question was Ephraim Salaam]

So cheap hit or not? What say you?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

11-03-2008 @ 9:53PM

Luke said...

If you watch closely, Allen is looking down at the ground when Schaub releases the ball. I think that he most likely could not tell that Schaub had thrown it until it was too late to pull up, if he realized it at all. It's easy to forget in slow motion but he goes from almost flat on the ground to diving for Schaub in less than a second.

11-03-2008 @ 9:57PM

Stephanie Stradley said...

Luke-
It's not a question of whether it is a late hit, but rather whether he hit the QB low.

This is the rule, as published in August 2006.

"If possible, rushing defenders must make a conscious effort to avoid low hits on the quarterback. Previously, defenders were not compelled to make a conscious effort to avoid low hits if momentum was a factor. Penalty: Roughing the passer, loss of 15 yards.
Reason for the change: Player safety."

Allen had already got away with hitting Schaub low in the game. This hit was the one that caused the injury.

Thanks for commenting,
Steph

11-03-2008 @ 11:08PM

Jeff said...

Are you out of your mind? Leave it to a woman to think a hit in the NFL is a cheap shot just because Matt "I get hurt every year" Schaub did something new and got hurt. If you think Allen is a dirty player, you are wrong. Wayy wrong. I think you are ****** crazy you stupid *****.

11-05-2008 @ 12:14AM

Anyone who thinks this is an intentional dirty hit has never played the game. In slo-mo it may seem like Allen had all day to decide how to tackle Schaub, but in real life there was a second. Allen is stumbling and his head is down, he has no idea if Schaub still has the ball or not. The rule is to prevent defenders who are unimpeded from deliberately taking out knees. It is not meant to prevent a scrambling head down defender from trying to stop a quarterback by lunging for him.

11-03-2008 @ 11:46PM

eric meisse said...

of course you think its low, jared allen knows the deal he was doing what he gets paid to do, i think schaubs gonna needs some sammies seeing how your texans are cooked, nothing like favre and my boys in the east 1st place!!!

ian said...

i agree with you, Jared Allen is a good DE, but that was a dirty hit. there is no excuses for these type of plays, you can end a guy's career with this type of hit, i expect the league to fine Allen. This looked intended, because he aimed for the same knee twice, knowing that the Texans were moving up in down the field with the passing game, at least you can say Jared Allen did everything he could to win.

11-03-2008 @ 11:54PM

casey said...

One of my major gripes about the nfl is how big name players get the calls. I promise that if a Manning or Brady had been the victim of this late hit, there would be a flag, a fine and possibly a suspension. I love pro sports, but I am getting very cynical about the equity of the ref calls.

11-04-2008 @ 3:59PM

Specnatz said...

I am one of the most cynical people there are but this is not cynicism. It is fact. Just like NBA star players get calls, Star pitchers get a wider strike zone or star batters get a smaller one. For those that say it is just football and that it was not dirty, either do not understand football or they would be ok if Hared Allen pulled out a gun on the field and shot an opposing player.

Allen went low for one single reason. He was going after the QBs knee and trying to take him down and out.

thames said...

This is as blatant a cheap hit as they come. Hit was late and Allen made no real try to stop the pass. If he really wanted to tackle Schaub it would have been easier and waster to use his hands to wrap him up around the ankles. Instead he lowered his shoulders into his knee from the blindside. He better get fined and suspended for that hit. There's no place in sports for guys who go out there trying to intentionally hurt other players.

11-05-2008 @ 9:41PM

T.C. said...

Look at the video. He was stumbling when he tackled him. It's not like he was standing up and went for his knee! Maybe the NFL should put flags on the QBs so they dont get tackled and hurt. What's next, you wont be able to tackle a running back below the waist! It's FOOTBALL!!

11-04-2008 @ 12:39AM

tsterry said...

cheap shot but maybe not intentional rule should say player should get up from ground before diving at lower leg same as brady,parmer and losmen if your down you should get up before attacking qb not crawl or dive to many good QBs lost this way

11-04-2008 @ 12:42AM

jaayteetx said...

That right there is a D-I-R-T-Y play, anyway you look at it. I do agree that the league/refs have not been letting the players play lately, i.e. calling bs penalty on perfectyly legal hits, but this was a cheap shot at a qb knees. I hope he gets fined and suspended.

11-04-2008 @ 12:57AM

DallasCowboysRock said...

It looks questionable at best, the league will probably fine him for it...

By the way Jeff, sexism isn't cool...

-"Leave it to a woman to think a hit in the NFL is a cheap shot..."

11-04-2008 @ 12:58AM

Robert said...

Whether it's a dirty shot or not, the fact remains: Allen hit Schaub low.
Should have been penalized, should be fined, but obviously Jared Allen's star power is greater than the ignored Texans. We'll see if there's any action by the league, but I doubt it.

11-04-2008 @ 2:14AM

SeeJaySki said...

Allen should have been penalized and the NFL needs to look into the hit. Even in real-time, the hit looked cheap and vicious. Defensive players have been fined for much smaller hits on QB's. There was also another hit by Allen, (low again) on Schaub a couple plays prior to this hit.

11-04-2008 @ 7:46AM

Keith said...

Survey says..... DIRTY!

Another log for the fire:
http://www.inthebullseye.com/archive/2008/20081104.html

J said...

Looking at the replay of this play shows that it's very debatable whether or not J.A. had the intention of hurting Matt Schaub. J.A. was obviously slipping as his momentum had him going in the other direction, but he tried to plant pivot off the block and lunge back at Schaub. If you look closely at the play, he pushes off the block, plants with his left foot which slips noticeably, tries to regain balance with his right foot, and lunges with the left foot again which, you can tell he's slipping because of the distance that it pushed off, his knees were hitting the turf before he was even close to hitting Schaub. Anyone who says he could have had the balance to get up, reach up, and pull Schaub down obviously needs to understand momentum and watch the clip again. Remember, this is in a dome, playing on turf is very different than having cleats that can dig into real dirt.

Was this the safest choice? No, but when does any NFL player make the safest choice? J.A. was doing what he's paid to do, get to the qb as quick as he possibly can, and his momentum caused him to slip.

With Goodell, he's most likely going to get a hefty fine, and a possible suspension. Does he deserve it, I tend to fall on the side of fine but no suspension.

And, to all those who are complaining about how Texans get no love, or are "ignored" the Vikings are no different.

Eric said...

Steph,

Couldn't agree with you more! The blantant cheap shot by Allen, should be answered by the NFL with a fine and/ or suspension! How could it not be?
If the league is, once again, going to turn a blind eye to the likes of face stomping fat Albert's cheap hit's and now this, then their system of league wide rules is a joke.
Give the man a drink and a river to run into...

11-04-2008 @ 7:47AM

TJDestry said...

As you note, the rule says .. "If possible, ... and he was on the ground. A rule saying you have to stand up would eliminate a lot of shoestring tackles and simply wouldn't work -- we'd have replays going, "No, see, his knee is touching the ground, so that was an illegal hit ... "

In this case, I think the hit, while unfortunate, was not intentionally cheap. But, unlike Jeff, I have dated several women and find them very nice indeed.

Arky said...

There was another play where Jared Allen side-rolled into the knees of Schaub - nothing was done on this one either. Seems to me he could have pulled up and not extended the roll....

Also, the horsecollar sack that wasn't a horsecollar on Sage at the end of the game was questionable....

This was my first time to see Jared Allen in action for a full game and I got to say I that I came away with not much respect for the way he plays football....