Michael Bennett fined $17,363 for hit on Alex Smith

[StoneCold]

It's not the same game. They are trying to make it safer without taking all the energy out of the game. It's a tough line to walk. But it is a good and necessary road to take. With the way the rule is written that is a penalty. Hopefully at some point they change it so that that is not a penalty as I don't believe Smith was in danger from that hit.

 

[White Devil]

Absolute joke.

 

[Tical21]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

 

[Exittium]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

Haha the crown is now on then left side of our heads?Because that wasnt the crown ofbhis helmet that was the left side closer to his ear hole. You can clearly see hisnl head is tilted to the right as well lol.

 

[McG]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

Yeah, you are a little bit over the top. I hasn't been illegal for nearly as long as you think, by illegal I mean huge fines and/or suspensions. 2010 is when the NFL changed it's policy and started watch helmet to helmet hits much more closely.

Not everyone here is going to cry like a little baby if it happens to "our guy", some sure but that is the nature of the beast when it comes to "homers" on a Seahawks website. That aside, Bennett went to make a play on the QB, Smith stepped up and his head may have made contact with his helmet. The fact that you think this penalty is justified in this situation considering it was a bang-bang play is crazy to me. The rule is in place to avoid obvious cheap shots so they can protect players, namely QBs. The fact that it was a pre-season game, is more than likely why it was called so close. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is an open forum were Football, particularly Seattle Seahawks football is allowed to be discussed, right? That is why were still discussing it. If you don't like the discussion, by all means feel free to ignore it and read/post on another topic, thanks.

 

[hawknation2015]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

Yeah, you are a little bit over the top. I hasn't been illegal for nearly as long as you think, by illegal I mean huge fines and/or suspensions. 2010 is when the NFL changed it's policy and started watch helmet to helmet hits much more closely.

Not everyone here is going to cry like a little baby if it happens to "our guy", some sure but that is the nature of the beast when it comes to "homers" on a Seahawks website. That aside, Bennett went to make a play on the QB, Smith stepped up and his head may have made contact with his helmet. The fact that you think this penalty is justified in this situation considering it was a bang-bang play is crazy to me. The rule is in place to avoid obvious cheap shots so they can protect players, namely QBs. The fact that it was a pre-season game, is more than likely why it was called so close. Correct me if I'm wrong but this is an open forum were Football, particularly Seattle Seahawks football is allowed to be discussed, right? That is why were still discussing it. If you don't like the discussion, by all means feel free to ignore it and read/post on another topic, thanks.

This penalty would have been avoided if Bennett had adjusted his aiming point and hit lower within the strike zone.

If he goes high again, it will cost us another 15 yards.

 

[253hawk]

[youtube]t1etzT-Cgho[/youtube]

This is the new world of the NFL . . . no contact with the helmet or neck is acceptable. This what the Seahawks now call "The Strike Zone."

Bennett should adjusted his aiming point, getting lower when he launched himself, and struck with his shoulder to the near peck of the QB above the waist.

There's a difference between going after a quarterback behind the LOS who is going to dodge every which way but forward and a ball carrier out in the open field. You do whatever you can to get to the QB.

It was the very first play for KC's offense, so it clearly stood out to the refs. Definitely a penalty, considering he also leaves both feet to launch himself slightly.

 

[McG]

It's not the same game. They are trying to make it safer without taking all the energy out of the game. It's a tough line to walk. But it is a good and necessary road to take. With the way the rule is written that is a penalty. Hopefully at some point they change it so that that is not a penalty as I don't believe Smith was in danger from that hit.

I agree that a safer game is better overall from the owners perspective, to the players, to even the fans. The idea behind the tighter penalties are, the owners don't see their huge investment(s) spending the season in the training room or their players careers ended early. The players can actually suit up more and hopefully don't have to deal with the long term health issues as previous generations of players have had to deal with. And the fans get to see their best players on the field more, even if it's a toned down version of the game many of us grew up playing and watching. It's highly doubtful that these calls will ever change, if they do change it will only be more on the side of safety. I'm at the point where I'm under the whole "it is, what it is" way of thinking, I still love the game so I can't really do anything but still watch and stay annoyed with certain parts of the game and how it's called.

 

[hawknation2015]

It's not the same game. They are trying to make it safer without taking all the energy out of the game. It's a tough line to walk. But it is a good and necessary road to take. With the way the rule is written that is a penalty. Hopefully at some point they change it so that that is not a penalty as I don't believe Smith was in danger from that hit.

I agree that a safer game is better overall from the owners perspective, to the players, to even the fans. The idea behind the tighter penalties are, the owners don't see their huge investment(s) spending the season in the training room or their players careers ended early. The players can actually suit up more and hopefully don't have to deal with the long term health issues as previous generations of players have had to deal with. And the fans get to see their best players on the field more, even if it's a toned down version of the game many of us grew up playing and watching. It's highly doubtful that these calls will ever change, if they do change it will only be more on the side of safety. I'm at the point where I'm under the whole "it is, what it is" way of thinking, I still love the game so I can't really do anything but still watch and stay annoyed with certain parts of the game and how it's called.

When this happens to Russell Wilson, I will absolutely be demanding a flag. He has a smaller strike zone, so it makes it even more difficult for taller defenders to get low enough.

 

[scutterhawk]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

Haha the crown is now on then left side of our heads?Because that wasnt the crown ofbhis helmet that was the left side closer to his ear hole. You can clearly see hisnl head is tilted to the right as well lol.

Yep, the "Crown" ? LOLOLOL.

 

[BlueTalon]

He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

This penalty would have been avoided if Bennett had adjusted his aiming point and hit lower within the strike zone. If he goes high again, it will cost us another 15 yards.

Definitely a penalty, considering he also leaves both feet to launch himself slightly.

Getting the penalty is annoying -- not because it wasn't justified, because it was justified. It's like Okung's false starts. They know better, they just have to play with more discipline. When they don't, it costs us. Bennett's fine is an attention-getter, hopefully it gets his attention.

 

[BlueTalon]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

Haha the crown is now on then left side of our heads?Because that wasnt the crown ofbhis helmet that was the left side closer to his ear hole. You can clearly see hisnl head is tilted to the right as well lol.

Yep, the "Crown" ? LOLOLOL.

You guys think the crown of the helmet is a dime-size spot on the top dead center of the helmet? Or if it's not exactly on the centerline of the helmet, it can't be the crown?

 

[brimsalabim]

I get that it was close but a penalty but why the fine? It certainly doesn't look intentional.

 

[hawknation2015]

I get that it was close but a penalty but why the fine? It certainly doesn't look intentional.

That is the lower fine for rushing the passer. If it had looked intentional or was a harder shot, the fine would have been $34,728.

The NFL has discretion when deciding when to level these fines. I think they wanted to send a message to Bennett that this was indeed an illegal play for hitting too high.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... -schedule/

 

[Lords of Scythia]

Bennett tends to go high at times. He just needs to work on his form tackling, going low and hitting the body. Hawk tackling is all about taking the head out of the game. Though this was not nearly as bad as what he did to Colt McCoy:

you could be right. He could smear qbs without hitting them above the shoulder pads. Thanks for putting in the video. GO HAWKS!

 

[Lords of Scythia]

He went too high on the play and appeared to make contact with the facemask. The fact that he is not taking responsibility for the hit is very Michael Bennett.

Yep...according to the NFL...No Fun League...the hit was too high as he made contact with the QB's helmet or facemask.

where's the contact with the facemask? I see his should barely knicking the bottom of his.. because he's wrapped around smith. looks like they're hugging, I see nothing wrong.

You can see smith's helmet jerking back infantesimally when the crown of bennet's helmet hits the edge of the facemask. These old nfl players with the brain disease are really, really suffering. The nfl is doing the right thing.

 

[Hawks46]

I think the NFL needs to make a distinction between forcible contact and incidental contact. Their helmets may have touched but the brunt of the force was to the chest of Smith. The only reason the helmets hit was because the force of the hit to the chest of Smith caused his head to move forward.

Perfect. I totally agree.

After review, this shouldn't have been a penalty, at the very least, it shouldn't have been a fine, as the NFL gets the benefit of looking at this from different angles and slow motion. The fact that Bennett got fined, and quickly was due more to his public rant about QB's, then he goes out and hits one borderline high. They are trying to make a point, which is more political than punitive.

 

[Hawks46]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

I usually agree with your posts and respect your football knowledge, but this post is laughable in a sad way.

The OP posted a video that can be rewound and paused. Look at it in freeze from from :02. At no time does the crown (top) of Bennett's helmet EVER contact Smith's helmet. At the very worst, the side of Bennett's helmet grazes the bottom of Smith's facemask, and even then it's impossible to tell whether that was initial contact, or Smith's head coming down onto Bennett's helmet. Which leads us to:

If Bennett contact Smith's head intially, in ANY way, Smith's head rocks backward. The fact that Smith's head goes forward shows there's nothing pushing the head back, and the force of Bennett's blow to the body pushes Smith's head forward into Bennett. I think it's a bad call, but I understand why it was made and why the NFL would back it up. The only explanation why they fined him after is Bennett's rant about QBs right before he went out and hit Smith. They're reacting to him, thinking he did it on purpose to prove a point, and they had a point to prove as well.

As for Wilson, he gets hit in the head CONSTANTLY. We lost the game to Miami due to Thomas grazing Tannehill's helmet with his hand, yet I see half a dozen of those go uncalled for Wilson every game. Because he's so short, he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. Clay Matthews should've been ejected from that NFCCG after that hit on Wilson. Following the logic that Bennett purposefully hit Smith high and deserved a fine, it was also obvious that Mathews' intent was to injure and put Wilson out of the game, yet Mathews finished out the game. The NFL doesn't have the balls to throw out a player like that in a championship game, even though the intent and infraction was clearly evident and painfully obvious.

After that play, you can't sell me on the fact that the NFL is objective and consistent.

 

[White Devil]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

No.

I see his shoulder connecting with the bottom of the facemask. Bennett's head is aiming for the shoulder. Sorry, this fine is nitpicking at it's finest. In fact the flags that were thrown in the game against Seattle for hits on the QB were all a bit touchy in my opinion. I see Russ get hit this way a bunch, the excuse for no flag or fine is usually because he's shorter and the hitzone is even smaller. He lives with it.

As for the entire argument about the brutality of the game, and the effects of blows to the head later in these guys' lives...that's what you get paid the big bucks for in my opinion. If everybody could do it, and nobody got hurt...the popularity wouldn't be there and neither would the outlandish money. Risk = Reward.

:snack:

 

[Tical21]

Dude. He put the crown of his helmet on the quarterback's chin. This has been illegal for YEARS now. How in the world are we still whining about this? If that had happened to Russell, .NET would be demanding the player face the guillotine. This is a penalty 100 times out of 100 and it should be. This is the EXACT play that the rule changes are trying to prevent from happening.

I usually agree with your posts and respect your football knowledge, but this post is laughable in a sad way.

The OP posted a video that can be rewound and paused. Look at it in freeze from from :02. At no time does the crown (top) of Bennett's helmet EVER contact Smith's helmet. At the very worst, the side of Bennett's helmet grazes the bottom of Smith's facemask, and even then it's impossible to tell whether that was initial contact, or Smith's head coming down onto Bennett's helmet. Which leads us to:

If Bennett contact Smith's head intially, in ANY way, Smith's head rocks backward. The fact that Smith's head goes forward shows there's nothing pushing the head back, and the force of Bennett's blow to the body pushes Smith's head forward into Bennett. I think it's a bad call, but I understand why it was made and why the NFL would back it up. The only explanation why they fined him after is Bennett's rant about QBs right before he went out and hit Smith. They're reacting to him, thinking he did it on purpose to prove a point, and they had a point to prove as well.

As for Wilson, he gets hit in the head CONSTANTLY. We lost the game to Miami due to Thomas grazing Tannehill's helmet with his hand, yet I see half a dozen of those go uncalled for Wilson every game. Because he's so short, he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt. Clay Matthews should've been ejected from that NFCCG after that hit on Wilson. Following the logic that Bennett purposefully hit Smith high and deserved a fine, it was also obvious that Mathews' intent was to injure and put Wilson out of the game, yet Mathews finished out the game. The NFL doesn't have the balls to throw out a player like that in a championship game, even though the intent and infraction was clearly evident and painfully obvious.

After that play, you can't sell me on the fact that the NFL is objective and consistent.

Fine, semantics aside, whatever, it was the corner of the side of his helmet hear the earhole. Whatever. Bottom line is that you can't be anywhere near the quarterback's head. You just can't. For at least five years now. Bennett had plenty of time to get to the correct target, and he CHOSE to go high. It was a clear choice. And you just can't do that. That is how quarterbacks, who we all love to watch, get hurt. I don't necessarily know or care if it is the right rule, I just know that you can't do it. It is going to get flagged every time. If you take a running start at a quarterback and decide to go high, and even moreso, touch his helmet or facemask with your helmet, it is going to get a flag and a fine. Bennett had plenty of time and space to hit the QB squarely in the chest as he is taught to do, and chose to go high.

I agree that Mathews deserved a reprocussion, and that Wilson gets hit high more than other guys, but that doesn't make this right. The fine had nothing to do with Bennett's reputation. You can't get your helmet up there near the QB's head. You just can't. If you do, you should expect a fine. It won't happen every time, but you should expect one.