DeMarcus Ware fined for hit on Ben Roethlisberger

[zulater]

DeMarcus Ware fined for hit on Ben Roethlisberger

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2012/12/...roethlisberger

linebacker DeMarcus Ware was slapped with a $15,750 fine for a roughing the passer penalty against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Ware was given the fine for a hit when he came off the edge and then hit Roethlisberger in the back of the helmet with his right arm. That was questionable enough to merit a fine.

The hit came late in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 24, and luckily for the Cowboys, the 15-yard penalty did not have a negative effect in their overtime win. The next two plays were sacks by the Cowboys defense which forced the Steelers into a 3rd-and-long. Pittsburgh was unable to convert and were forced to punt the ball.

I don't know if Ware should have been fined or not? But I'm glad this came up, because when I watched the game on NFL rewind it seemed to me that Ben got up a little woozy after that play. Not saying he should have came out. But I thought there was a visible after effect. And soon after that play Ben missed a Cowboys blitz that resulted in the first of back to back sacks that ended what was a very promising drive that came within 5 yards of gaining a go ahead field goal attempt.

At the time I thought the missed blitz was on Ben. (I still do, but I'd be interested to hear other's take on this as well) And at the risk of coming off as an apologist I have to wonder if Ben missing that blitz may have had something to do with that forearm shiver that he took from Ware?

In the end I'm guessing Ware thinks his fine was very much worth the final result.

[Mamaduck43]

Ben was 'out of it' after that hit for a while... He tried to shake it up, but my feeling is that the next two plays were affected by Ben's condition.... In fact, I fully expected bad news from the team after the game that he would be out due to a concussion... I felt like I was watching the old Cowboys in the second half - - dirty, dirty, dirty.....

[steelreserve]

Not sure I like that. I thought it was a pretty cheap penalty to be honest. It looked more likely that Ware broke his own hand than did any serious harm to Ben. Yeah, it fit the technical definition of a penalty, but my gut feeling was more of a guilty "oh, we got bailed out" than outrage.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Ben was 'out of it' after that hit for a while... He tried to shake it up, but my feeling is that the next two plays were affected by Ben's condition.... In fact, I fully expected bad news from the team after the game that he would be out due to a concussion... I felt like I was watching the old Cowboys in the second half - - dirty, dirty, dirty.....

dont be a homer. clearly ware was trying to hit the ball as it was coming out of ben's hand. he barely grazed his head. Technically a fairly enforced fine since all blows to a qb's head are illegal, but seriously...


this is stupid. his hand essentially slid off the back of ben's head. hope he appeals the fine and wins it

[SteelerFanInStl]

Ben was obviously shaken by the hit and the penalty was deserved. However, I don't believe that it was intentional.

I still don't like how every personal foul is an automatic fine though. I think that's BS.

[tube517]

National Fine League

[zulater]

Ben was 'out of it' after that hit for a while... He tried to shake it up, but my feeling is that the next two plays were affected by Ben's condition.... In fact, I fully expected bad news from the team after the game that he would be out due to a concussion... I felt like I was watching the old Cowboys in the second half - - dirty, dirty, dirty.....

I don't know if it was dirty. But I think you may be right on the after effects on Ben.

[Dwinsgames]

the league like the american people as a whole have gone soft ....

Flag able offense sure ... fine are you kidding me ?

just like the wazzoos posting to ban guns ( all guns ) on yahoo forums it is clear the inmates have taken over the asylum

[ALLD]

Looked like he tried to clobber Ben intentionally to me.

[zulater]

Looked like he tried to clobber Ben intentionally to me.

Yeah I think you might be right. And if Ben not reading the blitz properly a couple plays later had anything to do with still shaking that off, then that's smart football on Ware's part. I wouldn't mind if the Steelers did the same to Dalton this week.

[steelreserve]

I am not sure how much damage you can really do by hitting someone in the helmet with your arm. Your whole body weight, then sure ... but if you're swinging your arm, you're probably going to hurt yourself before you hurt the guy in the helmet. I don't think many players are dumb enough to do it intentionally for that reason alone.

[ALLD]

Looked just like when the Rat broke his nose. They are gunning for him.

[smokin3000gt]

I didn't think Ben was concussed but it was definitely intentional punch/blow to the back of the head. Surprised Ben was as shaken up as he was immediately after. Like Zu said, he'd do it a a hundred times more and pay the fine if he could.

[zulater]

I am not sure how much damage you can really do by hitting someone in the helmet with your arm. Your whole body weight, then sure ... but if you're swinging your arm, you're probably going to hurt yourself before you hurt the guy in the helmet. I don't think many players are dumb enough to do it intentionally for that reason alone.

If you're as big and strong as Ware I think a forearm shiver to the helmet could at least put a couple temporary cobwebs in someone's head.

And if those cobwebs cause a qb to miss an obvious blitz that he would normally recognize, so much the better if you're Ware.

Again I'm not bitching about it, or using it as an excuse. It's part of the game ( pre Goodell anyway) and I'd like to see one of our guys do the same if he gets the chance.

[Psycho Ward 86]

lol someone needs to put up footage of that play. the world needs to know how gentle that "blow to the head" was. ben was fine, he was just pulling a tom brady (as any qb should) to get the flag

[zulater]

I just watched it again on NFL rewind. The flag was already thrown and still Ben gets up and clearly shakes his head to clear it. In other words he had nothing to gain by embellishing it at that point, and he in fact risked being forced out of the game by that action.

Then watching again it was a pretty severe blow from behind. Helmet or not, I don't think any of us would want to be on the receiving end of that forearm.

- - - Updated - - -

And it was in fact the very next play that Ben missed seeing the oncoming blitz and was sacked on. Then again on the play after that. Prior to that how many times had he been sacked that game? Maybe once? I'll look it up in a minute. But I think there's a point to be made that Ben didn't recognize that blitz because his heasd was still reeling a bit.

Then after the first sack there's a timeout on the field. Ben comes over to the sideline saying something to the coaches, then unbuckles his chin strap pulls his helmet over his nose and doubles over as if in some pain. Then the camera pulls away from him, so who knows?

[zulater]

I just noticed something else. After the play they show Ware on the sidelines getting his left forearm pad adjusted by the trainer and he's flexing his hand as if in some pain.

Yeah it was just a love tap.

[SteelGhost]

Hard hit or not, it was not the way to play in Goodell's league, so the fine is just right