No fine for Coleman hit
The NFL is reviewing Kurt Coleman's hit on Austin Collie Sunday. Coleman said the referees made a good call.
No fine for Coleman hit
Jonathan Tamari
UPDATE:
The NFL will not fine Eagles safety Kurt Coleman for his hit on Austin Collie that knocked the Colts receiver out of Sunday's game, according to a league spokesman.
"Because the helmet-to-helmet contact was a result of Collie being driven toward Coleman by Mikell's legal hit, there will be no fine for this action," a statement read. "Though there will be no fine issues for this instance, the play was properly officiated. Officials have been instructed to err on the side of the player safety, and when in doubt, will penalize in situations such as this for unnecessary roughness."
FROM EARLIER:
The NFL is reviewing Kurt Coleman's hit on wide receiver Austin Collie Sunday, the league said.
Coleman, a rookie seventh-round draft pick, said the referees made a "good call," but said he has not yet heard from the league about the hit.
"They have a harder time out there than anybody," Coleman said for the referees. "I think the refs made the right call and that’s for the league to decide whether or not they’re going to fine me or whatever."
Coleman and fellow safety Quintin Mikell both hit Collie has he tried to bring in a pass, with Coleman drawing a penalty for hitting a defenseless receiver in the head. Coleman led with his shoulder and appeared to hit Collie's shoulder first. His helmet hit Collie's as he followed through. But the referees said they saw Coleman hit Collie in the head with his shoulder. They considered Collie a defenseless receiver because the pass was incomplete -- receivers are afforded that protection until they complete a catch and become a runner, the referees explained after the game. (There was some debate as to whether Collie had, in fact, caught the ball by the time of the hit, but the referees immediately ruled incomplete).
"I could see how the refs went through the play, because they were going by the rule," Coleman said. "It was just a freak accident the way it all went down."
Coleman said he prayed for Collie as the receiver lay on the ground. As a freshman at Ohio State, Coleman made a routine practice tackle that left a teammate paralyzed after the receiver hit his head on the ground. Coleman said he thought back to that moment, and prayed, as medical personnel examined Collie.
"I prayed for him. ... I said several prayers," Coleman said. "I kind of had a little bit of a flashback to my freshman year in college, but I didn’t want to think that negatively."
Earlier, head coach Andy Reid seemed to see both sides of the issue, defending his player, but saying the NFL was doing the right thing in trying to cut down on dangerous hits.
"I don't see what else he could have done differently," Reid said of Coleman.
"I’m behind what the league’s trying to do," Reid said. He later added, "In the heat of the battle, I can’t sit here and tell you that I’m the calmest guy in the world when I see those things. But when you step back and you look at it, I understand the big picture things."
Hang flags from the players belts. I pulled the flag, you're down Nancy.— mccloudmj
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fortunateson -- you're a loser. beat it- Careful fortunateson, your ignorance is showing. You clearly have no concept of what a cheap hit is.— balitok
- As long as Hobbs doesn't get back on the field i'll be happy.
— Don Cornelius - Your comment isn't worth responding too. It must be hell going through life with such a poisoned mind...— Russ
- Fortunateson - We wouldn't have it any other way. In Philadelphia we play football. Keep cheering your wussy team on. You're only jealous of our reputation, so take your ball and go home to your momma.— Tankmare
- Coleman handled the questions posed to him with class and professionalism. It was a tough call to make and given the NFLs need to be sensitive on the issue, they need to perform due diligence to make sure all bases are covered. Fortuneson has the right to speak with mind - no matter how diluted it is. Go Eagles.— TBR1209
- Nice flame-bait, fortunateson! I'm not hungry, though.— thomast
- There is no way there should be a fine. The contact was incidental. Collie was just as much to blame as anyone that there was head to head contact. It is arguable that he was a defenseless receiver. In fact, if the refs called it a catch, two steps with a football move, clean hit, and fumble, the tape would show that to be a more correct call.— arrowamy
- Don't think it was the right call, but I understand how it as made in the fast pace of the game. The personal foul for hitting Manning at the end of the game, however, was absurd.— bfaiken
First of all fortunateson, Coleman's hit was shoulder to shoulder first. I'm not sure you noticed that after many replays yesterday. It was not an intential helmet to helmet hit. Helmets hit after the shoulder, resulting in Collie's fall to the ground and the way his head hit the ground. How can you say that about Coleman but not mention the hit to DeSean Jackson two weeks ago? In my opinion, Jackson's hit looked more dangerous than the hit Collie took. That hit came out with a penalty and a fine. There was no intention of injury on Colemans part. Cheap hit? I don't think so. Dirty thugs? I don't think so. Mike Vick is an ex-con but he's a hell of a good quarter back as everyone has seen this season. He did his time and deserves to make a comeback and is thriving in his position as QB for the Eagles. As a fan myself, we are tough but calling us low class goons is not proving that whatever fan you are is better. Can you provide an example when you see the Ealges playing like a "bunch of dirty thugs"?- if fortunateson was tied to a tree and left there for good.. the world would be a better place— bradco
fortunateson - either you're collie's wife or the referee that made that horrendous call - he knocked himself silly by coiling to protecting himself, and then things got worse when his head hit the ground. If that hit was illegal, even by the new NFL standards, than I committed adultery this morning when i thought to myself that the girl at starbucks was hot.— CosmoK- That was a legal hit. Fortunately, the guy is OK. Oh yeah.... Cowboys fired Wade Phillips today!— madaboutit
- Thanks Phil, fortunateson, crawl back into the test tibet hat you were born in!— phillynupe4
- I watched both plays, this hit and the one the Ref called on Trent Cole to keep the Colts drive alive. I am one for clean play, but I have to say that these penalty calls were questionable. Ever since the strike a couple years ago, the officiating has been dubious.— junethe4th
- madaboutit, that's obviously what unfortunateson is upset about. Her cowgirls have completely imploded and fired their joke of a coach...sad.— TheCaptain18
- It aggrivated me to see the Eeagles defenders shying away from hitting the recievers after that call was made. They need to keep trying to seperate the ball from the reciever on contact, or they will lose a lot of pass plays that they could have potentially broken up. It looked like they shored that up in the second half though...— smithazz
- Absolutely not! If the NFL levies a fine for that play, it is time for flag football.— billtfla
- heard all week that the refs were being watched, well then they should get the wade phillips memo today also. national fraud league, wow thats kinda catchy— Onlineps2beast
- Even the announcers pointed out that the player made the catch then started to make a "football move" which by definition is not defenseless. Plus Collie was turning and was pushed into the path by a tackle. It was BS and the refs tried very hard to give the game to the Colts.— WCPhan
- I'm pretty steamed at that moronic submission by fortunateson....but calming down after reading that well reasoned very articulate response by Mckeevs 243. And lest we forget here: CONGRATULATIONS to everybody on the Iggles for that teriffic win yesterday. Between the refs and everybody on defense trying to make up for the lack of Peyton's "weapons" by continually extending drives with idiotic penalties.....well done!— TBear
- What a bunch of B.S. How can you have a legal, illegal hit? You can't have it both ways. No fine, then it was a legal hit. Which makes it a fumble and the Eagles ball. OH, almost forgot, the league office never says a referee made a mistake. AND what about the B.S. call on Trent Cole? Why do we have to beat the referee's and the other team every week? Both of those calls resulted in Colt T.D.'s.— craig123
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- That was a legal hit. And I think that is a BS answer from the league on saying that it should have been a penalty. If you can't defend the middle of the field, guys like Manning will throw for 600 yards a game.— realzeel
- That was a legal hit. And I think that is a BS answer from the league on saying that it should have been a penalty. If you can't defend the middle of the field, guys like Manning will throw for 600 yards a game.— realzeel
- just dont get it, mikells legal hit causes collie to strike coleman, not the other way around. this is botchilism. They got this wrong in every way. the refs didnt get it right. its a fumble that the squad mighta ran back. cant wait to see the refs scumbag the bengals tonite vs pitt— Onlineps2beast
- Fortunateson is dumber than John McCain or Sarah Palin and that's saying something.........— boasocal
- It wasn't the right call. It was a freaking catch. If this wasn't a catch what is. Catch 2 steps, tuck, another step. Hit from Mikell, Hit from Coleman, then the ball is free. Collie then hits the ground.
If it was a personal foul they should have given them 15 yards from spot of the catch. Dont get me started on the Trent Cole penalty or even the one on Indys Brackens. New interpretation of the rules and the officials are clueless to call correctly. They better get this figured out before the playoffs.
The NFL, 5 BILLION a year in revenues and still use part time officials.— pking222 - You can always count on at least one idiot Philly basher to post a moronic comment on this site.— vipers19
- I know the ultimate goal is player safety, but I don't get the whole 'when in doubt, throw the flag.' Not only does it put laundry all over the field half of which isn't warranted, but in this case it went from being a legal hit and a fumble recovery, to a 15-yard penalty and eventual Colts score. Huge momentum changer just because the refs 'erred on the side of caution' and threw a flag just because the hit appeared violent. It's still football. Barely
- its football, you get paid to take that risk. soldiers risk their lives for less, so stop all the whining. even desean says its a part of the game... as for the play, heres the right call, catch, fumble, legal hit, eagles ball. refs tried their best to give game to mr. manning and the colts— TheKeeper
- If the NFL is serious about cutting down on injuries, it needs to get serious about the rampant use of steroids, HGH and other PEDs in the league. Pretty soon 400lb linemen will be the norm. This is insane.— p-diddy
Just like "political correctness" which overcompensated for perceived "wrongdoings and inadequacies", and resulted in the demise of common sense, the league officials are now overcompensating in frivolous contact calls. The attraction of football is contact! Protect the players, but don't ruin the sport!— dogman5- What really happened? Collie came down with possession and took 2 steps before being hit by Mikell with a legal hit which dislodged the ball and thus a fumble. Since Collie had put his head down, the resulting helmet collision with Coleman. The referee was then very late in stopping the play for an incomplete pass since he saw that Collie was down and needed medical attention, he decided to stop the play which would mean that he knew he had to change his call from a fumble (since the Eagles were running the ball back) which would have further delayed the medical attention to an incomplete pass. And, since Collie had put his head down as any fullback would do there wasn't anyway that Coleman could avoid the helmet contact so there shouldn't have been a penalty on that play (backed up by all of the Fox announcers). Two mistakes by the same ref on the same play. And as for that light tap on Manning's helmet, Trent Cole was being held on that play prior to the helmet tap. Where was the holding call against the Colt's and where was the penalty on the hit on Vick after he was out of bounds. Nothing! The Colt's are the NFL's darling club and will do anything to make sure they get to the Super Bowl for TV ratings.— steve69
- The guy caught it, took three steps., lowered his shoulder, clean hits, fumble......WTF !!!!!!— mmmike22
- Brian Dawkins wouldn't have been Brian Dawkins if he would have had to play his whole career under today's rules.— SteveS11
There should be a fine on that play-the official who called the pass incomplete in the first place. The league's statement is in error, that play was NOT properly officiated. On a side note, I was hoping Wade Phillips would get a long term contract.— OldNavySteamer- Can we borrow the Cowgirls punter? He seems pretty good and he has been practicing!— NYPHILLYPHAN
- Football is a contact sport. Go play golf if you dont like it.— 420-24-7
- Good call...we knew it when it happened.
The ref's overreacted trying to protect anyone who gets hit hard. Is this the WFL? Pleeez— SFGIANTSSUCK - anyone ever hear of incidental contact? These Ref's were clearly against giving Philly any of the calls. I think it's a conspiracy and the Ref's are in on it with the Bookies this is bigger than you think.— SFGIANTSSUCK
