Sometimes, the NFL fines players who are simply playing hard, finishing hits, and doing the right thing.Sometimes, the NFL fines players who are playing dirty.
We've seen cases of both this week. The fines of LaMarr Woodley and Justin Tuck are practically criminal, and the NFL should be ashamed of itself for taking such a ridiculous stand on those hits. Woodley was simply sacking the quarterback, and Tuck was finishing a legal hit on a guy who voluntarily left his feet before getting hit.
I mean, the words to describe this are not words I'm supposed to be using out loud. It's simply beyond stupid. So is Mike Periera's response where he demands silence from those his league is unjustly taking money from.
However, the league came much closer to getting the Jared Allen case right. The overpaid defensive end for the Vikings twice took shots at the knees of Houston quarterback Matt Schaub during Sunday's game. His price of $50,000 is only 0.16 percent of the $31 million he reportedly was guaranteed by the Vikings. But it's still a heavy fine by NFL standards, and one that probably leaves Allen one more transgression short of a one-game suspension.
Of course, none of this makes Matt Schaub's knee any better.
The NFL notes that Allen was fined previously this season, and they note that he actually went after Schaub's knee twice. Allen won't comment until his fruitless appeal is heard, but the video speaks for itself, in my view.
Mike Florio of PFT notes Allen is probably lucky he didn't get suspended. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's clear by the size of this fine, and the NFL's decision to note to Allen that he actually went after Schaub's knees twice, that he's on the brink.
That said, I hope it doesn't slow Allen down. When he's dialed in, he's fun to watch, even for a Packers fan. Hopefully, it's not too hard for Allen to tone down the aggression without toning down the aggression, if you know what I mean. There's a pretty easy-to-discern line between playing hard and playing dirty. And as stupid as the NFL is about that line, there's no way they suspend Allen for hitting a guy the way Woodley and Tuck did.
I'd tell Allen to be careful around Aaron Rodgers on Sunday, but he didn't even get in the same zip code as Rodgers until the postgame handshake in Week One. He'll be all sorts of fired up if he can even breathe on Rodgers this weekend.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-07-2008 @ 6:08PM
jcarlv said...
Reason for fine? Maybe your video prowness edited out the flag he recieved. Oh, wait , there was no flag. If the NFL wants to hand out justice this way, they also should look at the cut blocks and maybe even the way offensive linemen are holding (one reason he didn't get to the same zip code in week one). And calling him overpaid? Coming from a fan whose favorite team just gave a first-year starter at QB how much? Get a grip.
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11-07-2008 @ 6:40PM
dj.hobbes said...
I know i'm probably going to get chewed out for this but those looked like perfectly legal hits to me. Both times he's clearly falling down, not taking a dive. So what's the problem?
It's unfortunate that they were both knee shots but they weren't intentional. Lousy fine.
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11-07-2008 @ 7:38PM
KyleNorton said...
FWIW those are not legal hits anymore. They have new rules about hits like them after Carson Palmer's knee was blown out. I know a lot of people kid QBs about wearing dresses but they are the only player on a football field who stands there in such a vulnerable position.
11-07-2008 @ 6:39PM
chad said...
The quarterback should wear a dress instead of pads. Then we can treat them like what they are
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11-07-2008 @ 7:28PM
Matt said...
Is this the 11th post on this single play?
How much is there to talk about? Schaub is a decent QB but why in God's name are the Texans talked about so much on here?
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11-07-2008 @ 7:35PM
dean said...
Those were both cheap shots on Schaub, especially the last one, because he was at least two yards away and had already thrown the football before Allen came and took out his legs, as far as chop blocks or zone blocking as long as the O-lineman stay above a certain part of the league they will not get flagged or fined and most teams have NFL refs come in during training camp and view the blocks and make sure they stay legal with them, so yes Allen was wrong and should've been suspended and now he has a target on him for being dirty
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11-08-2008 @ 2:25AM
Arlen said...
DJ hobbes....I can understand the first hit as more of an accident...
the second one, however, he can't allow an excuse for coming at the back of Schaub's legs, even if he was already on the ground. Reach up and grab him at the hips...he wasn't gonna have the force to actually bring him down for the sack his only hope was to disrupt his throwing motion, which would mean doing something to the higher part of his body. Mental mistake that deserved some sort of retaliation by the NFL.
Matt, this really doesn't have anything to do with the Houston Texans. It has to do with the NFL's fining policies, which in this case happens to include a victimized Texan player.
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11-09-2008 @ 6:17PM
Mtn man said...
Vikes got lucky again! With all that talent & a know nothing coach, Childress should be fined for only knowing 4 plays. How boring it is to watch a game when one knows what the play is. Running backs up the middle or a short pass from Freotte. Sure hope Wilf get's smart soon!
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12-14-2008 @ 11:29PM
BaldViking said...
Screw the Carson Palmer rule, which should also be known as the "Completely Against the Laws of Physics" rule. You cannot go as hard as Jared Allen does, or just about any NFL defensive lineman and then just stop.
Besides, on the second play, Allen tries to stop and Kevin Williams pushes Schaub over the top of Allen. If anyone got fined for that play, it should have been Kevin Williams.
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