Eric Smith Suspended and Fined
Jets Safety Eric Smith was suspended today for a helmet to helmet hit against Anquan Boldin. Smith will be fined $50,000 for a ‘flagrant violoation of player rules’ and suspended for the Jets first game after their bye against the Bengals. According to PFT, the hit will cost Smith about $76,000 or the equivalent of three game checks for him.
According to Jane McManus of The Journal News, Smith’s hit
… violated Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8(g) of the NFL Official Playing Rules, which prohibit:
“…using any part of a player’s helmet (including the top/crown and forehead/‘hairline’ parts) or facemask to butt, spear, or ram an opponent violently or unnecessarily; although such violent or unnecessary use of the helmet is impermissible against any opponent, game officials will give special attention in administering this rule to protect those players who are in virtually defenseless postures.”
Players have been told repeatedly this season that referees and NFL head office types would be administering this rule very closely, especially with all of the attention that head injuries have been getting by league whistleblowers in the past two years. Goodell is taking a tough line on head injuries and I think he’s right to enforce this rule closely. We as Jets fans have seen some of our favorite players like Wayne Chrebet and Al Toon suffer terrible aftereffects from injuries and I wouldn’t wish their medical woes on anyone.
As long as you’re not sadistic, no one wants to see that kind of a play on a football field. Ever. But it’s the brutal reality of the NFL even though the league is doing what it can to curtail these plays.
I started writing this post with the idea that I was going to be as balanced as I could be, but seeing that play and considering the circumstances make me think that this was completely avoidable. Yes, Eric Smith was in the wrong place at the wrong time — he always is — so ironically this is in keeping with the way he’s played football all season. But Smith is bearing the brunt of the punishment, and public outcry from fans around the league, but I don’t see it as an intended cheap shot at Boldin, but rather bad circumstances that have coalesced around him.
When I watch the tape, here’s what I see:
I see an embarrassed head coach with an axe to grind refusing to give up and who has his quarterback throwing a ball into coverage in a slow developing 30 yard pattern where there are three (maybe four) possible defenders … any of which might make a play and two of which actually do. I see Kerry Rhodes hit Boldin from behind into Eric Smith and had that not happened, Smith makes a play (catch or no catch) on the ball without helmet to helmet contact. AZCentral.com’s Dan Bickley puts the play into (read the whole article before letting your blood boil) a larger context, but those beatwriters in Arizona would be wise to ask their coach why Boldin was being hung out to dry on a fools’ errand that resulting in an unintended accident, but an accident that Eric Smith needs to be punished for nevertheless.
Ah well, someone else is going to have to look clueless in the secondary in the Cincinnati game …
Hat tip to Jane McManus of The Journal News for letting us know ..
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I don’t see what Smith did wrong. Boldin’s head went into Smith from the hit by Rhodes.
Glad Boldin is OK.
I only wish that the League Office would punish game officials for their blown calls instead of defending the indefensible. Clearly on Favre’s INT, the Cards player was offsides. But there was no call by the incompetent officials. Any critiicism of incompetent game officials gets you a fine.
I agree that the Smith hit was helmet to helmet. But it wasn’t deliberate in my opinion. And there was no penalty from the game officials. Were the game officials fined??? But because the Cards, who caused this situation by playing their regulars late in a game already lost, complained and the League Office fined and suspended Smith. In my opinion, a fine would have sufficed.
But then again I believe that game officials should be full time employees, hopefully secure enough to avoid the influence of gamblers and friends and family.
You never want to see anyone get hurt but this was his first violation and I don’t believe it warrants such a heavy fine and a suspension. I can’t recall other first time violators getting such harsh punishment. Also the hit by Kerry Rhodes made it worse and without that im not sure that it wouldn’t have just been a hit in the chest
The hit was maginified by the result. If Rhodes doesn’t touch him, he gets hit in the sternum, which could have been worse for Smith (see Dennis Byrd hitting Merserau). The bottom line is that you can’t lead with your helmet when a player is in a non-defendable/vulnerable position. The league needs to set an example and this was a good as any of a time to set it. Since they should be working on Smith’s replacement during the bye, this makes it even better time for it to come.
Rhodes’ hit drove Boldin’s head down and thus into Smith. The helmet-to-helmet collision was therefore unavoidable.
What are the chances of an appeal? Does the team chip in the fine or is Smith paying everything out of pocket? I didn’t think the hit was intentional. The punishment seems excessive. Arizona also deserves some of the blame for not taking a knee or running the ball with nothing to gain from a TD.
Any chance they can suspend Drew Coleman too. If I have to watch him get toasted by one more slot receiver on 3rd down I’m going to kick a hole in my tv.
Am i the only person on earth that feels that punishment for this hit is ridiculous? Yes, I’m a jets fan but this has nothing to do with me being a fan. I love Anquan, he is one of my favorite receivers because of the determination he shows every day on the field. But the hermit to helmet hit that Eric Smith put on him was clearly unintentional because of the fact that his Anquans helmet was forced downward from the first hit. Marion Barber lowers his head and uses it as a “spear” every time he runs but no one says anything about that I’m guessing because he is on offense but what difference does that make? I feel that fines and especially suspensions should be saved for the intentional late hits and obvious cheap shots. This hit was no where near any of those, in fact i thought it was a good hit. It just ended up being very unlucky that Anquans helmet was forced downward.
i also think it was the hit by rhodes ( who did his job )that pushed boldwin’s head towards smith who was just trying to make a play…who lead with his head but it wasn’t a deliberate head shot at all…like matt said…if rhodes didn’t make the hit 1st smith would have hit boldwin in the chest…i also agree the fine was to exagerated and the suspension was going to far…but becuz it was a brutal looking hit smith had to be made an example of…and bass…i disagree about smith being in wrong place at the wrong time as usual…he was in the right place at the right time making that pick and the hit on boldwin was just trying to make a play that cost him dearly…just my thoughts…
The NFL also said that Smith launched himself at Boldin. It looks like if Rhodes hadn’t hit Boldin, Smith may have launched himself but when they make contact it looks like his feet are still touching the ground, at least to me. I agree that this penalty seems excessive.
The Suspension is excessive, but I have no problem with the fine. There was no intent here and the helmet to helmet was incidental because of the Rhodes hit. In slow motion it looks horrific, but watch it at full speed. There’s no way Smith can make the adjustment in mid air. Smith may not appeal though because he probably wouldn’t be able to play anyway. He got a concussion out of the hit too, and it usually takes a couple of weeks to recover from that.
And while it has nothing to do with this hit, I have to agree with stricter penalties for officials, particularly the Referees when they blow a major call (like the Chargers-Broncos debacle). We need full time referees who are studying this stuff year round to avoid these kind of mistakes
You guys are nuts. He lowered his head and drove it into Boldins. I was once told that a spear (not sure if they use that term anymore) was when you used the crown of your helmet and you lower your head in a manner that you can’t make eye contact upon impact. Smith is guilty. 50K may be excessive, but that was blatent. Didn’t even considered using his shoulder and lined him up from about 5 yards out.
And Go Jets.
My take is that Smith didn’t intend to cause injury, but I think the NFL is right to fine and suspend him, just as a further deterrent for anyone wanting to attempt to make a hit of that type that could seriously hurt someone. If guys know they’ll be suspended for a hit like this, even if it was not really deliberate then maybe there will be less recklessness in future. Letting him off would send the wrong message.
Of course, it sucks to lose a defensive starter if he doesn’t really deserve it, but is being made an example of, but that’s a price worth paying IMO. I’m sure everybody’s reaction would be different if it were Rhodes that was suspended though.
It was a heck of a hit. I’ll say that much. Thank goodness they are both apparently OK.
I think the fine is okay but the suspension is a little excessive. I don’t necessarily think it was a malicious act on the part of Smith but it’s obvious they are making an example of him. If this protects someone else from actually getting hit on purpose with malicious intent, then I think it’s worth it. That was a scary moment.
And yes, I think Drew Coleman should be suspended as well. Maybe we can clone Lowery or something to take that spot.
Look this is total BS!!! Why? Smith gets a crazy fine. The N.O. coach gets fined for criticizing the refs. Jerry Jones owner gets a fine for criticizing the refs. The Patriots however break the rules yet again by getting the fans at Foxborough to interupt pregame walkthroughs for the Dolphins with chants and the like which violate league rules , and yet no penalty . Once again just like destroying evidence that the Pats cheated the commish proves he is a Pats fan. That’s why we got a crazy fine, he is a Bellicheat groupie. Goodell loves him some Bellicheat!
its very difficult to know whne something is or isnt deliberate in football. it all looks deliberate to me. the nfl using the word launching is ridiculous. it all looks like launching. sometimes you launch your shoulder. other time your elbow.sometimes you dive or launch to make a tackle. the penalty is polically correct. tey’ve done it before so they need to be consistent.
perfect timing for a bye. dont you think? 3 winable games w/ rest. these games can make or break us!!!
I cannot see anything wrong with what Smith did. He was aiming to hit Bolden in the chest and it is just bad luck for Bolden that Rhodes knocked him down into Smiths hit. What happened to paying the price for going down the middle? I thought the NFL was a contact sports league, I guess I was wrong.
There’s so much wrong with the fine and suspension and everyone has pointed that out. I have one other problem, what was Smith supposed to do and how should he try to tackle a WR going up for a ball in the future? It seemed to me that he wanted to hit Boldin with his shoulder, which has to be done with sufficient force to make sure the WR doesn’t come down with the ball. Rhodes’s hit lowered Boldin’s head. Should Smith now low bridge players? That would flip them and make a severe leg or head injury more possible than a high body hit, which is calculated to prevent a catch, not injure a player. A low bridge on a defenseless player, traditionally, is considered a dirty play…like on Coach in “The Longest Yard.” A perfectly timed hit at the waist would likely result in a reception. So, what’s Smith supposed to do in the future?