Cowboys' Heath not fined for hit on Seahawks' Lockette

[Diezel Dawg]

In my personal opinion. Heath was headhunting Lockette. Lockette was already being blocked and that hit was not needed. It's crazy the NFL puts ore emphasis on Qb hits/low hits vs. Head hits.
However, it's hard to say what would have happened to Lockette if he doesn't duck. Could it have been better for him or worse.

 

[bjornanderson21]

It was not a dirty hit.

It was a good hit and a good play but unfortunately Lockette lowered his helmet (too much) and he got hurt as a result.

 

[akscoundrel]

It wasn't a dirty hit. Really shouldn't have even drawn a penalty.

I still insist that they planned and likely even practiced the setup of Lockette on that play (the initial defender intentionally gave him inside leverage and then rode him basically right into Heath before he backed off) - but I don't believe that they intended to injure him - just to send a message. In that regard....I think it was a little dirty....not sure if it really warranted a penalty or a fine though.

I doubt it. If that were the case, then the hit would have been more malicious, and more of a blindside.

It wasn't malicious, just made way worse by lockett trying to lower his head. If they practiced anything, it is what everybody else practices, i.e lockettes a beast gunner and we need to contain him.

 

[brimsalabim]

How is it different from targeting?

 

[olyfan63]

To me it looked like Lockette was grabbing his hamstring a couple steps before the hit, like he'd pulled a hammie.
Nothing I've seen has mentioned this.

I've been wondering if Lockette pulled a hamstring, and was starting to pull up just a little bit, distracted by the pain, unable to brace for the blow with his legs, and got lit up as a 1-legged player, leading to being far more the "hittee" than the "hitter", leading to the injury.

Did anyone else see Lockette grab his hamstring before the hit, or is there some other explanation for that grabbing movement?

 

[Boycie]

Makes no sense.

NEW YORK (AP) — Dallas Cowboys safety Jeff Heath will not be fined by the NFL for his hit on Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Ricardo Lockette, who needed surgery to stabilize ligaments in his neck.

Lockette was injured last Sunday in Seattle's 13-12 win over Dallas during a punt return when he was hit by Heath and knocked out. He laid motionless for several minutes and was eventually strapped to a backboard and taken off the field.

Heath was penalized for an illegal blindside block on the play, but the league ruled Friday that it didn't warrant an additional fine.

Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett was fined $20,000 for his late hit on Dallas quarterback Matt Cassel.

Cincinnati safety George Iloka was docked $23,152 for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Pittsburgh tight end Heath Miller.

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AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Heath shouldn't have been fined at all. Lockette lowered his head into Heath. This is a non issue.

 

[kearly]

If you were to sit here and watch footage of all punts that happened on Sunday, you would see this exact hit dozens of times. I'm 90% certain the neck damage and concussion are from hitting the ground, not the hit itself. There was nothing remotely close to illegal about the hit.

I hate it when Mike Pereira agrees with me, but I thought it was just a routine football play with a very ugly result. It wasn't a blindside block. Even if it was one by some kind of quirk in the rules I'd still hate the call, because if they called everyone of those there would be 10 extra fifteen yarders a game and football would be unwatchable.

 

[Ozzy]

To me it looked like Lockette was grabbing his hamstring a couple steps before the hit, like he'd pulled a hammie.
Nothing I've seen has mentioned this.

I've been wondering if Lockette pulled a hamstring, and was starting to pull up just a little bit, distracted by the pain, unable to brace for the blow with his legs, and got lit up as a 1-legged player, leading to being far more the "hittee" than the "hitter", leading to the injury.

Did anyone else see Lockette grab his hamstring before the hit, or is there some other explanation for that grabbing movement?

I thought the exact same thing although I haven't heard anything about the hamstring either in the media.