I think it's fair to say that when running back Chris Johnson went down during the second quarter of last Saturday's game against the Ravens, so too did the Titans' playoff hopes. In those first 30 minutes, Johnson rushed for 72 yards on 11 carries, and added another 28 yards on his lone reception. After he made his way to the sidelines, Tennessee's running game became much more predictable (LenDale plods right, LenDale plods right, etc...), and Baltimore promptly made the Titans one-dimensional.
And while the Ravens' defense personifies bone-crushing, helmet-removing football, the New York Times' Fifth Down blog raises an interesting question: Did Baltimore's defense "take out" Johnson?
According to CBS, Johnson left the game with a bum ankle, but Fifth Down's George Bretherton wonders if the rookie running back wasn't injured on a seven-yard run early in the second quarter. After Johnson was tackled, and with two defenders hanging onto his lower body, safety Ed Reed, holding Johnson's shoulders, appeared to try to bend him in half. Literally. (You can see the stills here.)
The contortion was so serious that with the whistles blowing ending the play, Titans guard Leroy Harris had to push Reed away. The after-the-play activity resulted in a personal foul call on Tennessee. No penalty was assessed to the Ravens.Bretherton then writes that "If the Ravens were intentionally trying to injure Johnson, such an accusation would not be new..." He points to Rashard Mendenhall's season-ending injury after allegedly texting Baltimore rookie Ray Rice (even though Mendenhall didn't send a text), as well as the whole "We were for putting a bounty on Hines Ward before we were (told we would incur hefty fines unless we were) against it" saga.
CBS commentator Dan Dierdorf picked up on the Ravens' antics. He said: "I give Leroy Harris credit. They're trying to bend Chris Johnson backwards and break him in half and he goes in there to take the guys off of his ball carrier. That's what an offensive lineman is supposed to do."
Bretherton ends by saying that "the consensus has been that the Ravens are just a hard-hitting team that plays until the whistle blows," and I think that's mostly right; the Ravens are annually one of the most suffocating defenses in the league. Do they try to intimidate opponents? Yeah, but it's tackle football, that's how it works. And, sure, they also occasionally come close to crossing the line between tenacious and dirty. I'm just not convinced they were trying to take out Johnson.
That said, I'll understand if Reggie Bush, Mendenhall, Ward, and Johnson choose to disagree with me.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-14-2009 @ 10:04AM
Rorschach said...
In the 1st quarter after the big screen pass, Bart Scott looks like he puts a little hot sauce of Johnson's ankle.
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1-14-2009 @ 11:22AM
Andy said...
Sissy comments. Man up for God's sake!! There was no penalty called and when the whistle blew they came off him. More sorry ass comments from a below average writer for AOL whose team apparently is not in the playoffs. Open both eyes moron and look at him sitting on the sidelines with his ANKLE taped!!! I guess you didn't notice him limping while on the sidelines walking either eh? Maybe your television blocked that view from you or maybe its you tunnel vision? You are a disgrace to your industry. Why don't you write about horse racing or racquetball since obviously you don't know squat about football!
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1-14-2009 @ 11:30AM
Thatsabsurd said...
Unfortunately Andy the ravens bring this on themselves.
Clean it up.
Reed shouldn't be allowed near an NFL stadium with his cheap shot pansy style of play.
Not to mention the cheap ass way of playing associated with Balt.
Clean it up.
We all like hard hitting football but Ravens play cheap shots way to often.
1-14-2009 @ 11:47AM
ryan said...
Obviously, Andy's mock outrage prevented him from comprehending my next-to-last paragraph that begins, "Bretherton ends by saying that 'the consensus has been that the Ravens are just a hard-hitting team that plays until the whistle blows,' and I think that's mostly right..."
But other than all the misstatements in your comment, spot on!
1-14-2009 @ 5:56PM
Laura said...
Before you make such stupid comments why not try finishing an article and understanding it before you run your idiotic mouth!
1-14-2009 @ 11:32AM
jmyharris said...
what goes around comes around!
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1-14-2009 @ 11:54AM
charles said...
Are you serious? This is football, not flag football, so stop whining. Ed Reed is the farthest thing from a dirty player( see Hines Ward) maybe the Titans should tuffen up and stop crying about losing in the playoffs to Baltimore, again.
1-14-2009 @ 11:55AM
A.J. said...
I don't think the Ravens are necessarily dirty, but I did kind of wonder what was going on with that one hit where Chris Johnson got bent backwards like that.
At the end of it all, though, I put that one on the officials for not blowing the whistle soon enough. The Ravens play until the whistle stops, and you can never assume a play is over until that happens.
I also put part of Johnson's injury on Jeff Fisher, too. He seemed very reluctant to put LenDale White in the game, and it's really supposed to be LenDale's job to absorb that punishment level so as to make sure Johnson, who's the big play guy, doesn't. Not saying Johnson can't be an every-down back - just that you're taking unnecessary risks running a guy like that right into the teeth of the most physical defense in football for 3-yard gains when you've got a 245-pound truck whose body is better built for a power run game. White might not be the fastest guy, but he's a specialist, and what he does, he does well.
In a sense, we got a great understanding for why Johnson/White has to be a tandem. We saw what White is without Johnson, but we also saw what can happen to Johnson if he doesn't have white to spell him every few rushes.
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1-14-2009 @ 12:08PM
eddie bee said...
This kind of play happens all the time. To single out the ravens is ridiculous.
You don't think that Albert Haynesworth was involved in some extracurricular activity during that game. Every team has bounties. Only Suggs is dumb enough to talk about it in public
BTW, the ray lewis hit on mendenhall was completely legit and within the rules.
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1-14-2009 @ 12:10PM
knidsrok said...
Really, Ryan? You're using the whole "I'm not saying, I'm Just Asking" question-qua-headline gambit now? Are you really that desperate for click-throughs? I mean, you don't even think they did! Might as well go with the headline:
Hed: "Did Tony Dungy Retire Because He'd Been Caught in a Bathroom Stall with Two Carolina Panthers Cheerleaders?"
Lede: No. No, he did not. As we all know, Dungy retired "to do some things with young men, some hands-on stuff."
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1-14-2009 @ 12:25PM
ravensfan said...
Thatsabsurd, your comments are a stereotype. This is not the typical Ravens' squad. Although more penalties were thrown against them there are many more teams with more penalty yards... meaning that more were of the 5 and 10 yard variety than the 15. In fact, in case you did not notice, the Titans were sloppy in that respect and it may have cost them the game. ...And Ed Reed is not a dirty player and in fact has refined his play this season due to a neck injury.
Ryan Wilson, the 15 yard penalty on the Titans on the "back bending" play was not on Leroy Harris. Ed Reed was trying to pry the ball loose and the whistle was slow to blow. As far as the "bounty" comments, it comes down to semantics, although it should have stayed in the locker room. Players know who has burned them in the past and keep an eye or try to get an extra lick at that player. Its all motivational and it was all blown out of proportion. Of course the Steelers used that to their advantage and good for them. That's what a rivalry is about.
As far as the actual subject of the article, Chris Johnson. Its hard to say what his actual injury is but I blame the coaches for keeping him out (thinking they wouldn't need him to finish the Ravens off...save him for the championship game... and they nearly did it) But If he is a team player and wants to win for the Tennesee fans than he would have been pacing the sideline asking to be put in instead of smiling with his buddies from the bench.
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1-14-2009 @ 12:36PM
Thatsabsurd said...
Nothing wrong with playing hard, hitting hard and until the play is done. As long as it isn't dome cheaply.
Sign that the skill set doesn't exist.
Ravens defense plays cheap.
Not the worst in the league buy any means but still on the edge of dirty and cheap.
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1-14-2009 @ 12:49PM
Witzy22 said...
Stop crying Tennessee. You're making excuses for losing yet another playoff game to the Ravens. Its always the refs fault or the dirty play of the other team. How about show up and match the toughness of your opponent? Until you learn to do this, get used to losing in the playoffs to real competition.
And by the way...wasn't it Albert Haynesworth that planted his cleat in the ear of an opponent after the whistle??! "Haynesworth tried to stomp on Gurode's head, but missed. A second stomp opened a severe wound on Gurode's forehead, narrowly missing his right eye."
Yeah, this isnt dirty play or anything. Have you ever seen a Raven do sonething like this? Plain and simple, NO. Baltimore plays within the rules.
Better luck next year Titans.
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1-14-2009 @ 1:00PM
smasher said...
Even as a Steeler fan, I've always believed Ed Reed is an unbelievable player, so talented and smart. I saw some stuff in the Titans game that I thought was a little excessive though. Several times I saw him go in with his helmet when a guy was already on the ground, I imagine to dislodge the ball, but I'm pretty sure this is how the nfl DOESN'T want folks to tackle (see FINES, 2008). Throw in the bending backward play and the extra elbowing/chopping that (i think it was Suggs or Pryce) gave to a guy when he was already down in the first half, and yeah, there are some "extracurriculars" going on...
BUT, i don't think it is meant to injure anyone. I think these guys will do whatever it takes to get the ball out, intimidate, even get the other team to retaliate and get a personal foul. That is how they play and I give them the same props I give Hines when he blows someone up for a block (legally mind you) when they aren't paying attention. Play to the whistle, know thy enemy, and be ready to play the exact same way.
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1-14-2009 @ 3:55PM
Thatsabsurd said...
Thats exactly what i'm talking about with baltimore always one more stab with an elbow a knee a helmet.
Creepy plays by creepy players. uncalled for extra stuff.
Every play reed does has some type of bullcrap cheap shot thrown in it.
This behavior is from folks that don't quite have all it takes to play the game.
Remember sports illustrated talking about how Lewis is the most over rated pansy in the NFL.
1-14-2009 @ 5:21PM
n2onme said...
If you look a little closer at the play on "bending" Johnson backwards then you will see that Reed is trying to take the ball out of johnson's hands before the whistle blows. Johnson is pulling back causing his back to bend. Also, if you listened to any of the game Dierdorf was bad mouthing the Ravens the entire time. He would never give credit for something they did right, just blaming the Titans for making mistakes.
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1-14-2009 @ 2:41PM
rlau said...
The Raven players don't play to hurt anyone. They don't take cheap shots designed to injur. These are upstanding people....just ask all their parole officers.
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1-14-2009 @ 3:04PM
Valerie said...
Why isn't anyone commenting on the injuries the Ravens suffered during that game against the Titans? (McClain,Suggs)It's called tackle football for a reason...if the game seems too brutal for you, go watch tennis or golf! (not to take away from those great athletes) The reason the Ravens have the #2 defense in the league is because they play hard til the whistle blows! Any self respecting football fan wouldn't want to watch it any other way!
The Ravens have suffered injuries all season (Derrek Mason's one armed receiving, Ed Reed's neck injury) You work with what you have and design your game plan accordingly. Shame on the Titans coaches for not having a back-up plan. If Chris Johnson was all their offense brought to the table for a playoff game then they deserve to lose, especially to a team like the Baltimore Ravens!
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1-14-2009 @ 5:27PM
me said...
How many times a game does Ray Lewis jump on the pile at the end of a play???? he's the ultimate dirty player!!!!!!
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1-14-2009 @ 4:38PM
redskinsfan said...
Freakin crybaby mfrs. the play aint over till hes down or the whistle blows. If he hadnt been trying to fight for more yards they wouldnt have hit him. What if he had broken the tackle and broke it for a touch down you would be saying what a man he is. Its time to get panty waist mfrs like this out of football.
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