McGahee's OK, Now What to Do With Clark ...

Helmet to helmet should be illegal period. These guys are going to kill someone one of these days.

Legal hit with violent results.  Not exactly like Ravens standing up Mendenhall so Ray Lewis could intentionally try to hurt him (which he did).  I feel bad for McGahee.  It looked like they both tried to get lower to minimize the hit and Willis got the worst of it.  And unfortunately, one day someone will get killed in the NFL.  The players are getting so big, so powerful, and so fast that I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already.

The helmet to helmet rule only applies to quarterbacks.  Yes, an unecessary roughness penalty COULD have been called, but Ryan Clark did lead with his shoulder, so the intent was not to hit helmet to helmet.  As a matter of fact, the only reason it was a helmet to helmet hit was because McGahee tried to lower his shoulder on Clark. 

You should know this, Mr. Mottram, if you watched football.  Then again, you pretty much proved you didn’t when you called Wes Welker "Welkah".  Go get a job with US Weekly and let a real fan write this column. 

ok, it was helmet to helmet, but as you watch the video McGahee drops his head in an attempt to deliver the blow, Clark had already launched… Its hard for me to asses blame. I hated to see it happen, lets face it we all want to see some hard hitting football, nobody wants a player to get carted off the field, ok, well maybe T.O.

Jpe Flacco, gettin’ pickd like to-bacco.

shotime176: If you read what I wrote, you’d see that I actually agree with you. I said he lead with his shoulder and that there was no intent to hit helmet-to-helmet.

As for the "Welkah," that was a joke in reference to the way in which New Englanders pronounce his name. I guess it didn’t translate so well to you. Sorry for the confusion, but I’m well aware of the proper spelling of Welker’s name.

I got it.

In my opinion this was one of the cheapest shots I have ever seen. Rodney Harrison should be proud of that hit since he is the regining cheap shot artist in the NFL.I think Clark should not be allowed to play until McGahee is medically cleared to play. That was vicious and there is no place in the league for that type of player.

this play seemed borderline, they could say oh well and do nothing, or fine him, a suspension would be unreasonable, and just a giving another talking to point to the masses of steelers fan who often claim that pittsburgh is always getting disrespected, I think their should be a fine, it really looked like he was trying to hit him right in the head, and willis was trying to duck, I am not really a big mcgahee fan, but it looked like a cheap shot and don’t think clark’s head will hurt only from the hit when all is said and done.I don’t agree about the lewis trying to hurt mendenhall point,  Lewis was not head hunting in that play, Helmet to helmet hits, i am not sure if a play can be called by the ref, expect unneccarsy roughness, but the boldin hit an this play should serve as excellent examples for  good research for the nfl rules comittee this offseason.

hubbard0705, I agree 100%. Definetly one of the cheapest shots I’ve seen. McGahee should have been penalized, and fined. Bending over, and leading with your helmet, when a tackler has already launched at you, is cheap! A tackler can not stop time, and adjust in mid air, when you decide to lean into him, and place your helmet out front. Luckily it was him getting the brunt of it, instead of the Clark. Here is a link to the vid, so you can watch McGahee purpously lower his shoulder, and hit Clark with his helmet. It is uncalled for, and luckily Clark is okay. http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80e35c6a

A tackler can’t do much more. He bent over, turned his shoulder into him, and hit him. Go out into your yard, run full speed, and bend over at a 90 degree angle. See if you can keep running forward. The reason I say this is, the only way to hit McGahee any lower, was to get at about 90 degrees or lower.

Are you kidding me?? At the speed both were doing and the fact that both players just happened to be setting up to lower the boom on each other, it was just an unfortunate piece of timing that resulted in an ugly, but effective play. At full speed you can plainly see there was no illegal intent.
I am quite unclear on what you all defining as "leading" with your helmet. What other direction is a helmet suppose to be during a tackle. Using it as a spear or battering ram is another thing, which neither were seen, from my vantage point, full spped or super slow mo.

Man Are You All Mental? Its A contact Sport Things like this happen. and Mr Mottram if you look at your video McGahee ducks his sholder to try and take the blow there while Clark is looking down. if you dont beleve me take a look at the video at around 1:45. so if you want to penalise him for unintenshionally hurting McGahee your mental also get you should learn football before you write about it .

the runner got low and the taclker when for a hit. Brian Dawkins always leads with his helmet!  Its a contact sport!

Leading with you helmet, implies that you are putting your helmet out, so that it is the first thing to contact the opposing player. The direction the helmet should be, is anywhere the opposing player is not.

And my reply was sarcastic by the way. I don’t really think McGahee did it on purpose. It was a knee jerk reaction, to prepare for the hit. Some people just automatically think it is the tacklers fault, when helmets clash, and that’s what I was addressing.

How was that cheap?

He got himself.. You really think he tried to take his head and jam it into the other guys head?

Seriously people.. Wake up..

Was it a unfortunate result where it was helmet to helmet contact? Yeah, but Ryan Clark wasn’t out there to kill him, but on that same line, he isn’t going to pick McGahee up and lightly set him onto the ground like he’s a million dollar vase.

Legal hit, plain and simple. It’s clear he was not leading with his helmet and it wasn’t a cheap shot. Anyone who thinks so doesn’t understand that what Clark did is exactly what defensive coaches ask a safety to do. The fact someone got hurt  really should be irrelevant. Was there something illegal about the tackle on Ward when he got hurt? No. As others have said, its a contact (actually collision) sport and injuries happen. Unfortuante? Yes. Illegal/Dirty/Cheapshot? Nope.   

Are we all that foolish that these two guys along with every football game that takes place weather it’s high school college or pro that one of the main ingredients inserted into the game of football is "Hit em and hit em hard" Clark was doing his job and making a statement in the process, Even though it might have been a possible over the line hit,I’m sure that both of those pep talks prior to the game might have had something to do with hitting your opponent hard . Football is brutal, injuries occur all the time, this is nothing new. But this is part of the game, I am sure that the two parties involved (McGahee and Clark) are totally aware what possibly could happen. It almost did. hat’s why these guys were helmets and pads because it is a brutal game.

It ended up being a helmet to helmet hit but Clark did lead with his shoulder. In the replay, slowed way down, it seemed that McGahee lowered his head to brace for the hit and as a result, brought his head forward so that Clark ended up hitting that first. It was not intentional. A penalty? Maybe. A fine? Probably. Suspension? Ridiculous.

This is borderline irresponsible journallism.  We are talking about football here, not ballroom dancing.  McGahee, as the running back, assumes the risk of absorbing violent hits as a primary ballcarrier and makes millions of dollars doing it.  We as the viewing public don’t pay $100 per game ticket and over $200 per season for the NFL ticket to see these men play two-hand tag football.  Teams do not pay defensive players millions of dollars per year to do-si-do and invite the players on the other team to please lie down or step out of bounds to end the play.  This is a man’s game played by men who ALL understand the physicality involved.  Yes, there are occasionally uber-violent, frightening collisions such as this one which sometimes cause serious injury (see: Boldin, Anquan) which at once make us cringe in fear and sympathy but also cheer out of primal excitement.  Much like the ancient romans attending the gladiator battles, we football fans yearn not just for the splendor of the game, but also for the speed, athleticism, strategy, and yes, the violence.

I should start by saying I’m a Steelers fan, but I don’t think that Clark was attempting  a helmet to helmet hit.  I do have a problem with players launching themselves at other players.  Someone is going to ger seriously hurt, not to mention the fact that when you miss you have no chance of recovering and making a play.  Clark launched and I’m sure the league will take a look at it.  A suspension will not result from this play, but I imagine a hefty fine is in order. 

This is borderline irresponsible journallism.  We are talking about football here, not ballroom dancing.  McGahee, as the running back, assumes the risk of absorbing violent hits as a primary ballcarrier and makes millions of dollars doing it.  We as the viewing public don’t pay $100 per game ticket and over $200 per season for the NFL ticket to see these men play two-hand tag football.  Teams do not pay defensive players millions of dollars per year to do-si-do and invite the players on the other team to please lie down or step out of bounds to end the play.  This is a man’s game played by men who ALL understand the physicality involved.  Yes, there are occasionally uber-violent, frightening collisions such as this one which sometimes cause serious injury (see: Boldin, Anquan) which at once make us cringe in fear and sympathy but also cheer out of primal excitement.  Much like the ancient romans attending the gladiator battles, we football fans yearn not just for the splendor of the game, but also for the speed, athleticism, strategy, and yes, the violence.  To call this hit unacceptably violent and over the line is not just ludicrous, but is basically disrespectful of the game and all the men who play it:  past, present and future.  Perhaps our esteemed author would feel more comfortable covering a more civilized sport, such as horseshoes or is the clanging of metal too intense?

check it out girls!!! ya u, football is a contact sport. maybe u girls didn’t know that. you ought to watch pingpong instead of football.Fine maghee for dropping his head to try an injure clark. U guys are pansies!!!!!! football ought to be played like they played in the 1970s. like jack lambert said put QBs in dresses. I say put the offense in SKIRTS!!!!
                                                                                          

I agree, irresponsible journalism. If you are going to make fun of Simms, then you should have checked into the spirit of the rule involving helmet to helmet contact. The rule was designed to protect "vulnerable" players, such as QB’s making a throw, and WR’s who are making a catch. This rule has gotten a little out of control. if you look at the size of an NFL helmet, and consider the proper tackling motion and technique, helmet to helmet contact is an inevitable part of the game. The only hits that the league should punish is when the helmet is being used as a weapon. Anyone who played/plays football knows that it is obvious when a player is lowering his head and intending to enter a hit using the helmet as his primary point of impact, like a human battering ram. This is an incredibly dangerous tactic to both parties involved.         On the Clark play, it was clear their was know intent to lead with his head, therefore it should not be penalized or fined in any way. Unfortunate plays happen, but avoiding helmet to helmet contact is impossible. McGahee was not a vulnerable player and does not deserve special treatment. Both Players went hard, both players got hurt. it was clean, hard-nosed football with an unfortunate outcome.     On another note the league bothers me the way it hands out fines and suspensions on plays that are the result of players playing hard between the whistles, (even Anquan Boldin’s face chattering hit was players playing hard, I don’t believe anyone was trying to do anything dirty on that play)  but don’t go back and make public fines and suspensions on guys like suggs, who replay cameras catch delivering forearm blows to the back of ronnie browns helmet after the whistle, and I see similar stuff week to week. I don’t care how hard the punch/hit is, if its after the whistle its 100% not o.k. and the league is passive on it. I’m sick of that cheap-shot, after the play B.S.-  that is what should be cracked down on and eliminated from the league, not hard nosed football like Clark and McGahee were playing.

sorry the "know" in my second paragraph should be "no" and i meant helmet to helmet contact cant be completely avoided, not that it will happen every time. Also "shattering" not "chattering" in paragraph 3.thank you

Clean hit……………it’s called football………….who’s the Half a mary Florio calling for a super bowl suspension??? Hey Florio What color dress are you wearing to your super bowl tupper ware party???? GO STEELERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone who claims that hit was dirty is an idiot.  Clark let with his shoulder and it is stupid to expect him to account for what someone else does with there head.  Willis took two steps and was no longer in a defensless position, so it is a mute point anyway.  A larger man is running full speed at him and he is being questioned because he brought the wood.  How many times have we seen db’s run over by backs in similar situations?  Willis was trying to make a play for his team, but don’t fool yourself into thinking he didn’t know the risks of catching a pass running in the middle of the hardest hitting defense in football.  If it was safe, it wouldn’t have been the heroic effort that it was.  It just didn’t work out this time.  What have we learned?  Kids, if you catch a skinny post in front of hard hitting safeties who take their job seriously, expect to get stoned.  Why are all these so-called football experts confused about this?

with all the controversy over this bang bang play, let me see you stop this guy running full speed any other  way, the NFL could go to Flag Football. Maybe that will be less violent ladies.

I believe he was trying to lead with his shoulder but the initial contact is helmet-to-helmet. But is the defensive player solely responsible for for the H-to-H contact. McGahee lowers his shoulder and head before the hit too which in effect caused the H-to-H contact. If McGahee hadn’t lowered his head Clark would have hit McGahee in the chest with a shoulder. Helmet to Helmet contact is mostly accidental. Even here when it appears a player was trymg to avoid leading with his helmet it occurred.

Secondly, you would like to see the playing field evened out by a suspension of Clark? So you don’t believe that the Cardinals can win the game or even play a close game.  Many people still don’t think that the Cardinals can win, but as for me, I believe! 

I disagree with most of you. I am a huge advocate of smash mouth football and had been hoping we’d see a round 3 of Steelers / Ravens. However, I think this is a very avoidable situation. Much like the head shots on QBs have been cracked down upon by the officials, I think the same should happen for head shots down the middle. There’s no need for any fine or suspension, but if it gets flagged as unnecessary roughness that will cause defenders to think about hitting someone in the chest or the midsection, which is equally if not more effective as a tackling method.

I am all about huge hits, and hooted and hollered at this one, but there needs to be a more conscious effort by the league to dissuade players from helmet-to-helmet contact, as the damage can be severe. One of the earlier replies said that this is ok just like the Boldin hit, I disagree, as did the league. It would have been very easy in this case, as in most, for Clark to have put the same hit on McGahee’s midsection and had hammered the hell out of him just as much.