The Hit on Michael Pittman

[Colts And Orioles]

o


Many Colts fans were outraged at the hit on Michael Pittman yesterday.

Looking at the hit objectively as I possibly can, I did not see it as a dirty play. Pittman laid out for the catch, and the defender turned his head and hit Pittman with his shoulder. Yes, the Steelers defender hit Pittman in the head, but with Pittman stretched out and reaching for the ball, there really was no other place to hit him. And I don't think that he was aiming for Pittman's head, I think that he simply hit the first body part that his shoulder collided with, which was (unfortunately) Pittman's head.

So, let's assume that it was a dirty hit ...... what was the alternative for the Steelers' defender ??? The alternative was to not hit Pittman at all, and watch as Pittman lay out and make an outstanding catch to the delight of the roaring home crowd.


And so, in my rat's ass of an opinion, it comes back to this ...... football is an extremely aggressive and physical game, and I believe that in an effort to make it "safer" the NFL has actually not only made it unfair for defensive players, but has also made it more dangerous for defensive players ...... you can get hurt if you're constantly worried about getting penalties for unnecessary roughness and/or late hits that are not late in a sport that is so fast and so violent. If I were a head coach, I would tell my defenders to just continue to play the game the way that they were taught to since they were in high school, and to let the chips fall where they may with unfair roughing calls ...... I would rather have a 15-yard penalty called against my player as opposed to having my player lose his natural instincts in a sport as fast and as violent as is tackle football.

o