Steelers Troy Polamalu leads through painful example

[stillers4me]

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu sized up Jets receiver Stephen Hill carefully. Don't want to hit him too high. That would tack on 15 yards to his likely completion, and cost around $20,000.

So Polamalu went straight for the man's breath.

Polamalu cracked Hill square in the rib cage, in what could be the biggest hit of the Steelers' season. Sure, it was a completion, but it was the most painful completion the Steelers are likely to allow this year.

Maybe the fact the Jets failed to score in the second half is simply a coincidence. Polamalu's hit certainly didn't inspire a proud defensive unit that's been at or around the top of the league's defensive categories as well as cumulative amount of dollars fined over the last three years.

Maybe it's just what they needed...........

Read more @ http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...en-hill-week-6

[Craic]

I watched that and thought to myself, now THERE is a beautiful hit.

[steeldawg]

I watched that and was screaming "why in the world didn't the clock keep running?".

[ALLD]

Perfect hit with Ryan Clarkesque effects, however if that was James Harrison he probably would have been flagged for the result by hitting a defenseless receiver. Polamalu got the benefit of the doubt because he is Troy and was not on a cell phone while making the tackle.

[HollywoodSteel]

I watched that and was screaming "why in the world didn't the clock keep running?".

I was thinking the exact same thing. Even if they stopped the clock to review they should have started it immediately once they announced that it was a completion. The reason it was a completion was because his forearm came down in bounds after being hit. That is down by contact in bounds.

Instead they let the Jets mosey on up and didn't start the clock until the ball was snapped. And the announcers didn't even say anything. It was a huge screw up that I haven't seen explained at all.

[fansince'76]

Perfect hit with Ryan Clarkesque effects, however if that was James Harrison he probably would have been flagged for the result by hitting a defenseless receiver. Polamalu got the benefit of the doubt because he is Troy and was not on a cell phone while making the tackle.

And yet it still wouldn't surprise me if he got fined for it...

[Craic]

Perfect hit with Ryan Clarkesque effects, however if that was James Harrison he probably would have been flagged for the result by hitting a defenseless receiver. Polamalu got the benefit of the doubt because he is Troy and was not on a cell phone while making the tackle.

Nope, there's no way Harrison would have been called for it either.

The rules don't say you can't hit a defenseless receiver, they say you can't hit him in these specific ways.

(1) Forcibly hitting the defenseless player’s head or neck area with the helmet, facemask, forearm, or shoulder, regardless of whether the defensive player also uses his arms to tackle the defenseless player by encircling or grasping him; and
(2) Lowering the head and making forcible contact with the top/crown or forehead/”hairline” parts of the helmet against any part of the defenseless player’s body.

There's nothing in that hit that would even come close to looking like hitting a defenseless receiver.

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And yet it still wouldn't surprise me if he got fined for it...

Why? The NFL doesn't fine for hits within the rules. (see above).

[steeldawg]

I was thinking the exact same thing. Even if they stopped the clock to review they should have started it immediately once they announced that it was a completion. The reason it was a completion was because his forearm came down in bounds after being hit. That is down by contact in bounds.

Instead they let the Jets mosey on up and didn't start the clock until the ball was snapped. And the announcers didn't even say anything. It was a huge screw up that I haven't seen explained at all.

Ya it was really weird everyone was so concerned about him making the catch in bounds they forgot that if it was a catch in bounds the clock still runs and they would of run out of time.

[GoSlash27]

Why? The NFL doesn't fine for hits within the rules. (see above).

I can think of a few examples where they did, but I get what you're saying.

[Godfather]

I can think of a few examples where they did, but I get what you're saying.

Yep. Suh got dinged for pushing a ball carrier to the ground.

[TheRuneMeister]

I watched that and was screaming "why in the world didn't the clock keep running?".

From that angle it looks like his hand is down i bounds, BUT his forarm, elbow touches down out of bounds(touches the line). That would stop the clock. You can't see whether the knee is down in bounds because its covered by 43. I don't know if there is a better angle, but from that one, the call looks correct.

[HollywoodSteel]

From that angle it looks like his hand is down i bounds, BUT his forarm, elbow touches down out of bounds(touches the line). That would stop the clock. You can't see whether the knee is down in bounds because its covered by 43. I don't know if there is a better angle, but from that one, the call looks correct.

I think you're missing something here. Unless both feet came down in bounds before any part of him touches the sidelines the clock shouldn't stop, since it was contact by the defender that knocked him down. If his forearm or knee came down in bounds first, he is down at the point, regardless of whether or not some other part of him goes out of bounds after, therefore clock should keep running. If part of him touches out of bounds BEFORE the knee or forearm come down in bounds, then it isn't a catch. The Jets don't get it both ways.

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From that angle it looks like his hand is down i bounds, BUT his forarm, elbow touches down out of bounds(touches the line). That would stop the clock. You can't see whether the knee is down in bounds because its covered by 43. I don't know if there is a better angle, but from that one, the call looks correct.

OKay. Maybe I misread your post. Sorry. I'm almost certain that the hand touching the ground does not equal a knee, forearm, or two feet. If I'm getting the rules wrong then please correct me.

[HollywoodSteel]

I think you're missing something here. Unless both feet came down in bounds before any part of him touches the sidelines the clock shouldn't stop, since it was contact by the defender that knocked him down. If his forearm or knee came down in bounds first, he is down at the point, regardless of whether or not some other part of him goes out of bounds after, therefore clock should keep running. If part of him touches out of bounds BEFORE the knee or forearm come down in bounds, then it isn't a catch. The Jets don't get it both ways.

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OKay. Maybe I misread your post. Sorry. I'm almost certain that the hand touching the ground does not equal a knee, forearm, or two feet. If I'm getting the rules wrong then please correct me.

I just watched it again and freeze framed it. His wrist/forearm is absolutely down in bounds before his upper arm/elbow touches the sidelines. Unlike the hand, where you can put it on the ground and still keep going, the wrist/forearm touching the grass is down by contact (if a hit by the defender sent you to the ground). So clock should keep running no matter if the rest if him goes out of bounds a moment later, a minute later or a year later.