NFL Postseason Megathread: Playoffs in the Post-Orton Era

[alfred russel]

Accidental?  Or on purpose?

I say it was an innocent accident by House of Spears, who still suffers from being painted by the bad reputation brush, no matter what he does. 

You're kidding, right?  He's clearly putting all his weight on that left foot.  He even lifted his right foot off the ground.  He didn't even bother faking surprise at stepping on someone's ankle.

One game suspension is much too lenient.  Suspend him for the playoffs (however many games that would be) plus the first 4 games of next year.

Good grief. Stepping on a guys leg gets you a suspension, and you don't even think that is enough?

[Admiral Yi]

U joking Dorsey?

[alfred russel]

U joking Dorsey?

Not at all.

[derspiess]

U joking Dorsey?

Not at all.

It would be one thing if this were his first offense.  But this is the 7th or 8th time he's done something like this.

[Admiral Yi]

Even if it were his first offense it would be a blatant attempt to maim an opposing player. 

[alfred russel]

He stepped on a guys leg. He didn't hurt him. It isn't completely obvious it was even intentional. 

The NFL has been around for almost 100 years. Was there another period people have been suspended for stuff like this? Is there a reason this needs to start happening now; ie; is there an epidemic of players getting maimed by guys stepping on them?

Let the players police it themselves (though if they tried in Goodall's NFL, he would probably suspend the hell out of them too).

[Admiral Yi]

What does an epidemic have to do with anything?  If it's wrong it's wrong and the discussion turns to the appropriate punishment.

[alfred russel]

What does an epidemic have to do with anything?  If it's wrong it's wrong and the discussion turns to the appropriate punishment.

Wrong. The league let players self police the non egregious stuff for almost its entire history. It was working just fine. Then the league turns its leadership over to lawyers, and a couple decades later this is what we get.

There are 22 guys on the field for over a hundred plays a game and a whole bunch of cameras filming everything. Policing things to this degree is a rabbit hole best not gone down.

[Admiral Yi]

To this degree??  What the hell does that mean?  You're talking like 300 pounds on an ankle is a touch foul.

[derspiess]

He stepped on a guys leg. He didn't hurt him. It isn't completely obvious it was even intentional. 

It's blatantly obvious.  As I mentioned, he clearly put all his weight on the one foot that was on Rodgers' ankle.  You don't do that unless it's intentional.

You mentioned self-policing.  In some cases (like baseball) I'm sort of okay with that.  In the NFL I'm not sure it's totally feasible.  How would you self-police this incident?  Go after one of Suh's teammates?  I'm not sure he'd even care about that.

[Admiral Yi]

You mentioned self-policing.  In some cases (like baseball) I'm sort of okay with that.  In the NFL I'm not sure it's totally feasible.  How would you self-police this incident?  Go after one of Suh's teammates?  I'm not sure he'd even care about that.

As I mentioned, chop block.  Guard locks him up, tackle comes down with his shoulder on the side of the knee.

[Admiral Yi]

Dirty play really pisses me off.

[CountDeMoney]

PITTSBURGH -- An MRI did not reveal any ligament damage to the knee that Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell injured Sunday night in a 27-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, a source told ESPN.

But Bell will have to play through considerable pain if he is able to suit up Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens, the source said, making the second-year man questionable at best for the prime-time AFC wild-card game at Heinz Field.

"I know if there is a chance he can be out there he's going to be," quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said after the Steelers' win over the Bengals, "because that's how he is."

Rookies Dri Archer and Josh Harris are the only other running backs on the Steelers' 53-man roster, and the two have 19 carries and 56 rushing yards between them. Harris had a 59-yard run against the Bengals called back because of a holding penalty.

Bell left the game Sunday night with a hyperextended knee after taking a direct hit on his right knee from Bengals safety Reggie Nelson following a 19-yard catch in the third quarter.

Coach Mike Tomlin said after the Steelers won the AFC North for the first time since 2010 that Bell that did not appear to sustain any structural damage. Bell was one of the last people out of the Steelers' locker room, and his injured knee was packed in ice, though he did not have a brace on it or walk with crutches.

The Steelers did not take objection with Nelson's hit even though he and Tomlin exchanged words after the game. Tomlin said there was misunderstanding between him and Nelson, and the latter called his hit on Bell "a football play."

Bell has played in 29 consecutive games since missing the first three contests of his rookie season because of a midfoot sprain. Bell led the AFC with 1,361 rushing yards this season and caught 83 passes, a Steelers single-season record for running backs, for 854 yards.

Bell's teammates voted him Steelers MVP last week.

Saw the midfield squabble between Tomlin and Nelson;  at first I thought it was Tomlin giving Nelson the business over the hit, but apparently Nelson was told by someone that Tomlin allegedly said something about Nelson, and it was a misunderstanding.

[Sophie Scholl]

Goodbye, Kyle. 

  I almost wish he had led the Bills to a win over the Raiders now so he could have retired after another playoff appearance.

[dps]

He stepped on a guys leg. He didn't hurt him. It isn't completely obvious it was even intentional. 

It's blatantly obvious. 

No it's not obvious that it was intentional.  It's only obviously intentional to some people because it's Suh.

Yeah, he's a dirty player and I wouldn't mind if he did something so viscous and so blatant that he gets banned, but this isn't anywhere near that level.