The Hit

[Cali-Falcon]

Maybe one of the greatest hits of all-time however the question is was it dirty? The answer is NO. Dunta Robinson clearly hit Jackson with his shoulders not his helmet, and was penalized for it. It sucks what happened to D-Jack, and I hope he gets better soon, but that hit was 100% clean. I am not saying this because I am a Falcon Fan. Want a second opinion? Ask Sanders the #1 Falcons Hater, even he called this hit "truly" clean.

This hit caused a huge momentum shift and basically led to the Falcons fall in 31-17 defeat. There were alot of holding calls missed on Philadelphias O-line which gave Kolb all-day in the pocket. When King Dunlap beats John Abaraham then there is something wrong. This game was not Matt Ryan's fault, he actually played a pretty good game, the one INT was tipped by Tony Gonzalez in what was a VERY catchable ball in the red-zone. Ryan probablly had an average of 2 seconds in the pocket, most of the incompletions resulted in plays being hurried and kudos to Philly's D-Line for that.

Without Robinson the Falcons were back to square one in the game, being left without a true #1 corner. The defense looked like the 08 and 09 defense, helpless. Hopefully Robinson will be back soon and this game can be put behind them, but as for now its back to the drawing board for the Atlanta Falcons. This is a major wake-up call, and next Sunday will show how this team answers after a humiliating loss like this.

Again I feel bad for D-Jack, but that was clean. And now a familiar question resurfaces, can the Falcons Rise up?

Edited October 18, 2010 by Cali-Falcon

[Plunket76]

I'm not sure what a huge momentum shift it was considering it was already 14-0 when the penalty occurred. In fact, the Eagles failed to score on the drive.

[Cali-Falcon]

That's valid, maybe it wasnt a huge momentum shift considering the fact that we were already down 14 but it did change the pace of the game. Philly seemed to be in the driver seat from there on out.

Edited October 18, 2010 by Cali-Falcon

[Plunket76]

I agree, when the officials called the bogus 'defenseless receiver' foul it took away any chance for a game swinging momentum change. There's no way the rules committee had this play in mind when they drew up that penalty.

It was solid defense; pressure forced Kolb to launch a weak pass into coverage and Robinson leveled Jackson short of the first down. The Falcons were penalized for tough, hard-nosed football. They can take out their frustrations on the Bengals.

[Robb4242]

I agree, when the officials called the bogus 'defenseless receiver' foul it took away any chance for a game swinging momentum change. There's no way the rules committee had this play in mind when they drew up that penalty.

It was solid defense; pressure forced Kolb to launch a weak pass into coverage and Robinson leveled Jackson short of the first down. The Falcons were penalized for tough, hard-nosed football. They can take out their frustrations on the Bengals.

The defenseless receiver is pure BS in that situation. A receiver going across the middle looking back at the ball gets drilled in the shoulder/chest area FIRST immediately after getting his hands on the ball is not a defenseless receiver. It's a part of the game. Robinson doesn't make that his when he does it's at best a catch & 1st down, at worst, Jackson makes a move to avoid contact & scores again.

However, the hit was led with the head, and it was high. It was very close and there was helmet to helmet contact, but only after he hit Jackson in the chest/shoulder first. I don't think it should have been called, but the NFL will go by the letter of the law and fine Robinson for the hit.

This is a quote from Rich McKay when the new defenseless receiver rule was about to be approved. By the letter, Robinson's hit violated the rule, even if it wasn't initially helmet-to-helmet, Jackson's head did get hit with force.

In its continuing efforts to make pro football safer, the NFL's competition committee is proposing rule changes to lessen the blows on wide receivers.

At next week's owners meeting in Orlando, Fla., the committee wants to further cut down on the big hits on receivers who go over the middle to catch the ball. Under the change, receivers would be given more of a chance to defend themselves after completing a reception.

"The difference would be that currently the protection provided for the defenseless receiver ends when the receiver has completed the catch, meaning possession of the ball with two feet on the ground," competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said. "We would propose language that would say that if a receiver has completed the catch and has not had time to protect himself, a defensive player is prohibited from launching into him in a way that causes the defensive player's helmet, face mask, shoulder or forearm to forcibly strike the receiver's head."

The penalty would be 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.

Don't agree with it, but the NFL has it in writing and is enforcing it (most of the time).

But Robinson's hit clearly wasn't nearly as bad as what James Harrison of the Steelers did yesterday. He had 2, very obvious head-to-head shots that looked intentional both time and he took 2 players out. IMO, Harrison should be suspended until both players can return at a minimum. It will be interesting to see the difference of what the NFL does to Harrison & Robinson. Robinson took out a bigger named player with his hit than Harrison did with either of his. ESPN already called Harrison's hit on Cribbs "very close" to not being a penalty (you really need to watch that hit if you have not seen it to get a feel for ESPN's bias on that).

As for the defenseless receiver rule, to really see what that should protect against, see Meriweather's hit on Todd Heap yesterday. Heap wasn't catching the ball and was in a defenseless position when he was hit.

[nobkowski]

If they follow the "LETTER" of the law, then he should not get fined.

[high impact]

Ok, I am sorry I have to get my two cents in on the hit from Dunta. If the player catches the ball and continues to run with it then you may get hit/tackled. If you can’t hit a receiver going across the field then he must stop and wait for the defender to make the play. Or are you suppose to just let the guy keep running and not touch him? Come on that was a BS call now if he had dropped the ball then Dunta hit him that would have been a GREAT call, but I am sorry the receiver had the ball. Now if that had been an Atlanta receiver they would have never thrown a flag and it would have been ruled a fumble after the catch and I am sure the other team would have recovered the ball.

[Robb4242]

Ok, I am sorry I have to get my two cents in on the hit from Dunta. If the player catches the ball and continues to run with it then you may get hit/tackled. If you can’t hit a receiver going across the field then he must stop and wait for the defender to make the play. Or are you suppose to just let the guy keep running and not touch him? Come on that was a BS call now if he had dropped the ball then Dunta hit him that would have been a GREAT call, but I am sorry the receiver had the ball. Now if that had been an Atlanta receiver they would have never thrown a flag and it would have been ruled a fumble after the catch and I am sure the other team would have recovered the ball.

I was always under the impression that once the catch was made, you could jack up the receiver. The defenseless receiver didn't come into play if a catch was made. That's not the case however...

"The difference would be that currently the protection provided for the defenseless receiver ends when the receiver has completed the catch, meaning possession of the ball with two feet on the ground," competition committee co-chairman Rich McKay said. "We would propose language that would say that if a receiver has completed the catch and has not had time to protect himself, a defensive player is prohibited from launching into him in a way that causes the defensive player's helmet, face mask, shoulder or forearm to forcibly strike the receiver's head."

That's the rule that was passed.

[basketballjones72]

That was a legal hit, just ask his OWN TEAMMATE Jason Avant, who has already come out stating that it was a legal hit.

And if you can get over his swagger, even Neon Deon on NFL.com talks about how it was legal, because he was going for his shoulder.

[Absolute]

I just re-watched it over and over. He still lead with his shoulder into Jackson's chest. That was good clean football. Revis did the same thing to Royal but since no player was hurt, it was good. Just like the announcer for that game said "That's just good hard football"

[BirdzEyeView]

CLEARLY a clean hit!!!

Oops...my bad...that's UNLESS you are an Atlanta Falcon...In THAT case, you are ALWAYS GUILTY as charged!!!

[Robb4242]

That was a legal hit, just ask his OWN TEAMMATE Jason Avant, who has already come out stating that it was a legal hit.

And if you can get over his swagger, even Neon Deon on NFL.com talks about how it was legal, because he was going for his shoulder.

My 1st attempt at making a gif, so I know it sucks.

But Robinson clearly went in at shoulder level, the force of the blow caused their helmets to contact, and because of the ambiguity of the new 2010 NFL rule on defenseless receivers, technically the right call was made since Jackson's helmet did get struck by Robinson's helmet/shoulder during the process of the tackle.

[Supes™]

I'm afraid that we'll end up with flag football eventually. It was a clean hit.

[Statick]

Yeah, that hit was beautiful and legal.

Remember when Moose and Saragusa got into a little heated exchange about it? Moose said it was illegal and Saragusa said that it wasn't.

[SiViK_OuTkAsT™]

Apparently you are supposed to just step to the side and let him run in for the score.....what a load....

[muskokas finest ©]

I just re-watched it over and over. He still lead with his shoulder into Jackson's chest. That was good clean football. Revis did the same thing to Royal but since no player was hurt, it was good. Just like the announcer for that game said "That's just good hard football"

I don't know what you watched, but Robinson clearly led with the crown of his helmet to Jackson's shoulder, by rule a penalty, but I don't think worthy of a fine.

Moose said it best, "I don't know how you're going to take this out of the game". When you have a contact sport where 180 lb players a running at high speed in the vicinity of 240 lb players, bad things will happen. It's always going to be a subjective call and tough for a defensive player who is told all week to hit hard and separate the ball from the WR.

[BirdzEyeView]

My 1st attempt at making a gif, so I know it sucks.

But Robinson clearly went in at shoulder level, the force of the blow caused their helmets to contact, and because of the ambiguity of the new 2010 NFL rule on defenseless receivers, technically the right call was made since Jackson's helmet did get struck by Robinson's helmet/shoulder during the process of the tackle.

Thanks for the slow motion video clip...You can't illustrate it ANY clearer than that!!

[BenB321]

I should have know McKay would be behind a stupid rule like this. Thanks for nothing, McKay.

[Guest James H.]

It's a factor of chaos theory.

Dunta has a 100 ways to tackle.

DeSean has 100 ways to break a tackle.

Unfortunately, some combination of those result in a nasty collision, and neither player can predict the method his opponent will instinctively execute.

I think the solutions are in science and engineering of the headgear. Why are players still wearing rock hard helmets in an era of carbon fiber and synthetic composites?

Maybe helmets are too rigid and do not absorb enough of the blow before the shock wave reaches the guy's brain. That's where I would focus my attention if this were my issue.

With that... my thoughts are prayers are with all the guys who suffered injuries yesterday.

[Atlfanstckndenver]

I just have to mention this. Their was a Rutger's kid this weekend that got hit and is currently in the hospital paralyzed from the neck down. Thats not in response in anyway to this hit. I think it was clean. But i am not sure that Dunta's intentions where the best on the play.

[Atlfanstckndenver]

This sport is just violent. Ive read Eagles boards that consistently keep calling it a cheap hit. Ive even read people who will go as far as to say, "he couldve just tackled him, he didnt have to hit him so dang hard." THIS is comical and obsurd. Ive been waiting for a hard hit from Dunta all season and i cant say i expected that but wow. I really do hope those two are ok. But i will say this: I hope Desean thinks twice before acting like a cocky bit#$ so much. I almost feel that Dunta was a lil frustrated from the big plays desean had.

[Robb4242]

I should have know McKay would be behind a stupid rule like this. Thanks for nothing, McKay.

**** mcKay for worrying about a person's safety. How dare he. :blink: :blink:

[Absolute]

The league is looking to fine and/or suspend him for that football play. Wow!

[Plunket76]

Robb4242, good work throughout this thread. As you pointed out, this was the proper call according to the way the rule is worded. In fact, the league is now threatening to suspend players for similar hits.

[shc]

Remember when Moose and Saragusa got into a little heated exchange about it? Moose said it was illegal and Saragusa said that it wasn't.

Yep, but then Moose thinks it is totally ok for a receiver to go for a defenders knees like they did to Moore. I would assume that is an offense vs defense mentality, but the fact is, he made the catch took steps and had his head turned toward him.

As I have stated many times, clean hit, and a fumble