Phillips drawing a fine for his "illegal" hit?

by SBakerTheTouchdownMaker on Oct 27, 2008 7:19 PM EDT

from Ralph Vacchiano's NY Daily News Blue Screen blog:

The unnecessary roughness penalty that S Kenny Phillips took in the second quarter, when he laid out Mewelde Moore along the sidelines, was the correct call. I understand that there was probably no way Phillips could stop his momentum or recognize in time that Moore didn’t have the ball. But he has to. That’s the rule. It’s designed to force defensive players to make the impossible on-a-dime stop. Maybe it’s a faulty rule, but it was called correctly by the officials. Phillips also didn’t help his cause by leading with his head. For that alone, he can expect a fine later this week.

I think Ralph does a great job, and he may indeed be right about that ruling (um, if that's correct then then could throw the flag on every hit), but there's absolutely no way that Phillips gets fined for that. I completely disagree that he led with his head, and I watched the replay several times this afternoon (check out the video via YouTube). While running into Moore, Phillips actually turned his head at the last second to avoid a helmet-to-to-helmet hit. Never did Phillips' helmet ever come close to coming in contact with Moore's. Instead, Phillips led more with his shoulder. Was it a late hit? I think it was by a split-second, but it was not an illegal hit.

Mewelde Moore, Kenny Phillips

(Photo via the LA Times)

I respect Ralph's opinion, but there's a reason why Tom Coughlin had some choice words for the officials on the sidelines and Troy "I hate the Giants with every fiber of my being" Aikman was scolding the officials for an awful call. That should not have warranted a flag, and I'll be floored if it warrants a fine from the NFL.

If Phillips does get fined, then they should fine Bob Sanders and Ronnie Lott $172.6 trillion dollars retroactively for big hits that they amassed over their careers.

This is football. This isn't badminton.

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Comments

true but

The steelers have been hit for a lot of these types of hits the last three weeks. When I saw that flag fly I was satisfied cause we’d certainly gotten hit hard on those in the past.

I tend to agree with Aikman (gasp!) that the league is going to far. There’s no good way to coach a defender to play agressive when it gets them flagged and fined.

by Chicago Steeler on Oct 27, 2008 7:36 PM EDT reply actions

Spot on Sbake

I was screaming that last night, he clearly turned his head away, Moore is lucky he wasn’t decapitated

Giants fan from the womb to the tomb

by Jim Schmiedeberg on Oct 27, 2008 8:47 PM EDT reply actions

There

should be no fine. A flag is more painful to a player than his wallet (depending on his pay). But during the game when your team makes a nice stop and you screw it up by getting flagged AND YOUR A ROOKIE, than you have already been effected more than a fine by some clown in a suit and tie.

It also take away from the player’s natrual instinct taught to him throughout his career, especially a defensive player. They are taught to attack the ball/ QB. Remembering what happened to Kiwi couple a years ago against Tennessee, when he didn’t wrap up and slam V Young. B/c a few games prior, he slammed a QB, got flagged and was penalized for the hit. So when it came to Young, instead of slamming him, he conceded the play thinking it was over and Young embarrassed him and the Giants by coming back from 24 down in the 4th. Converting a huge first down by running it.

by ProudYankee on Oct 28, 2008 1:11 AM EDT reply actions

by big blue wrecking crew on Oct 28, 2008 7:13 AM EDT reply actions

The Cowboys in pink dresses (maybe even tutus)

Thanks BBWC. That gives me a new happy place to go when I’m depressed.

by TerraByte on Oct 28, 2008 11:33 PM EDT reply actions

If i was a coach...

i’d tell my players to talk trash all game against a good team and wait to get hit.. this is beyond ridiculous, All i know is that i rose out of my seat during that play, Kenny is a beast

by Hoyadestroya85 on Oct 29, 2008 10:55 AM EDT reply actions