Brandon Meriweather will miss the first two games of this season after delivering a hit that was very Brandon Meriweather, this time with Torrey Smith the target.
The NFL has made life pretty difficult for the Meriweathers of the league who have only one setting, and it’s “KILL KILL KILL”. I suppose that’s the goal, but changing how you play — and have always played, and what’s made you successful — isn’t easy.
Naturally, Meriweather’s Redskins teammates have come to his defense, even though he’s now been suspended for the second straight season. First DeAngelo Hall raised a valid point.
@nfl how do you adjust your target on a person who keeps changing there strike zone. My guy aim low and the WR lowered his head
— DeAngelo Hall (@DeAngeloHall23) August 25, 2014
Protecting heads is a noble and needed goal, especially with the increased awareness of concussions and head trauma in recent years. But defenders have split seconds to react when a large body catches a ball directly in front of them, and it’s their job to halt the movement of said body. Instinctively both players lower their heads to brace for a collision, and try to power through it. But the defender gets penalized if he can’t lower further than his target.
That’s the reality right now. There’s no way around it, and the defenseless receiver rules which have been around for some time are needed. But playing within them can be damn hard.
Long snapper Nick Sundberg was a little more, um, creative with his criticism.
Sketchyyyyyy… Seems a bit excessive, I mean it’s not like he knocked out his wife in a casino elevator… On video…
— Nick Sundberg (@NickSundberg) August 25, 2014
