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
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
