Strickland Calls LeVoir’s Hit a “Real Cheap Shot”
Jets CB Donald Strickland received a concussion during the Patriots-Jets game when backup RT Mark LeVoir blocked down on an unaware Strickland during a bubble screen play to Wes Welker. On Monday, Dave Hutchinson of the New York Post asked him about the play.
Monday, Strickland said LeVoir’s helmet-to-helmet hit was against the rules.
”I think it was a real cheap shot,” Strickland told The Star-Ledger. ”He really didn’t have to go at my head like that, especially with the NFL’s precaution about helmet-to-helmet contact.
”It happened. It was a block and he took advantage of it. But I guarantee you the next time we play them it’s going to be a different story. I’m making a point of emphasis to retaliate. That’s the way I feel.”
Lito Sheppard, who didn’t play vs. the Patriots, will likely replace Lowery, and Drew Coleman is expected to step in for Strickland.
Reviewing the play, the force of the block was over the top, seeing as he outweighed the unaware Strickland by at least 100 pounds and had him dead to rights. Based on that, LeVoir might get a letter from the league this week, we’ll see. LeVoir could have made a play on Strickland and not sidelined both of them for the rest of the game, which is from where Strickland’s frustration stems.
The Jets secondary has had a lot of trouble staying healthy this season. While before it was Strickland and Sheppard, it now looks like it will be Strickland with the concussion and Lowery with a high ankle sprain. Beyond all that, the most interesting part of this whole thing is why Sheppard was activated and didn’t play during the game.
Filed under: Main Page
was it clear that the pats guy speared him with his helmet? at the time, i didnt think so, i just thought it was a pancake block and unfortunate situation for strick.
also, you could see the pats guy semi laughing after the hit – which is totally classless, but not unexpected considering the uniform he was wearing. an O-lineman’s dream is to be pulling out in space and see an unsusecting DB to crush
What, Lito didn’t play vs the Pats? I didn’t notice that but he wa active so that’s weird.
Forget retaliating against LeVoir, send some headhunters after Brady and pay their eventual fines. Maybe that’ll teach the dirty Patriots to think twice before trying something like this again.
You must be kidding. This type of block happens all of the time from Pop Warner to college. It was a good stick, Levoir is 6-4 and Strickland is a good head shorter. All blockers have to lower their shoulders to deliver a block, so the idea that you might make helmet to helmet contact is not unusual at all – rather it is common between shorter guys and taller guys.
As for seeing LeVoir smiling? It was a good block, and any player would feel good about that. It was not taunting. As for class – Jets fans should look at their trash talking coach and try to reconcile his behavior with a classy organization. The Jets won the super bowl week 2, and talked major trash. Now they are imploding, seems like class and sportsmanship are not in the Jets vocab.
The Comish better fine and suspend LeVoir or even better make a league example out of him for playing dirty!!
LeVoir could have ended a guy’s career or even worse caused brain damage down the road on a fellow player!
Who am I kidding…..? Goodell is in bed with Kraft, so it will be swept under the rug….. What a shame.
If you think this might help, and if it the account is still active you may want to send the commissioner an email letting him know your feelings about the Patriots RT Mark LeVoir’s helmet to helmet hit as well as his laughing following the hit on Strickland!
Email him at:
Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net
I don’t know I can’t really agree that this was a “cheap shot” on Stric. As a CB trying to make a tackle u should know that u have to keep your head on a swivel. Guys drool for these kinds of hits! It is however unfortunate that he now has a concussion.
I’m a big Jets fan, and I’m sorry to say that they are forcing us fans to look past this season and into the draft and any off season pick ups we can get. Guys are practically giving away tix to the games and its sad to say this as a FAN!
Sure do miss Lean Washington and BIG Kris Jenkins out there! (Get well soon)
Brightest spots of our team has to be “THe Shutdown CB”-Revis and “Mr 5 games str8t with 100 yds rushing-Thomas Jones
OK, now, you see, THIS is indicative of the Jets problems.
Since the copious amounts of trash talk and winning the superbowl in week 2, the Jets are now playing victim.
Disrespected, victimized, maybe strickland had the short term memory (as well as the snot) knocked out of him. I’m pretty sure he was in there to try deliver a monster tackle on Welker, and would have done some sort of victory dance if he’d made a tackle. But he didn’t. He got into the backfield, and got smacked silly.
Man up. You got painted. Is this the response after an impassioned speech that brought a coach to tears? A blocked punt and a single good drive. Incredible.
Off topic- Benigno (who I do not like at all) is drilling Cotchery right now on one of Sanchez’s interception. The play where him and Braylon could have been holding hands and Bodden jumped the route. Basically asking how you can have two receivers that close on a designed play. Cotch had nothing even remotely close to an answer for it. Very awkward radio.
^^ some of guys have Stockholm syndrome.
Who’s side are you are? Screw LeVoir, if I was Strickland I’d be really pissed off too. I’m glad he’s ready to pay some retribution, we need to show we hate them.
Im 99% sure I saw Lito Sheppard on the field at one point. I guess im wrong.
Yep, its time to look at the draft. I’d like to see them draft more defense this year, specifically another CB who we’ll train to specifically shut down Wes Welker. Another priority would probably to get a better DE to get pressure on the QB. Face it, Jenks is just too damn big to hold up to the NFL. We need quicker, more atheletic DEs much like the Giants or the Colts.
If a Jets O-Lineman made that block we’d be celebrating. Wasn’t dirty, and a blocker is not required to use the minimum force neccessary to accomplish his block. He had a chance to make a devastating block and took it.
When you’re on a team that celebrates its coach saying “if you take a swipe at one of ours, we’ll take a swipe and two of yours” you can’t complain when the opponent hits you hard. I feel bad for Strickland that he found himself in an exposed position on that play, but I can’t blame LeVoir for taking that shot.
looked like a clean block to me
Problem with thinking that’s a clean block is that the only way Strickland could’ve avoided it (if he had seen it) would be to drop to all fours and take out LeVoir’s knees. It was helmet-to-helmet and an unnecessary hit on a defenseless player. Was it technically legal? Perhaps, but was it also against the unwritten code? Sure, because like I said, a DB’s only way to defend himself in that situation is to take out an OL’s knee…which is what I’d do to retaliate if I were Strickland and LeVoir was pulling. Block with your arms, don’t lead with your head and leave your feet…bush league.
If I were Ryan and saw Brady in shotgun with 30 seconds on the clock, up 31-14, I would have blitzed 11 and made sure it counted, regardless of when the whistle blew.
Interesting take on this situation from ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook (TMQ):
“Mark LeVoir, New England’s third-string left tackle, was pressed into service in the second quarter against Jersey/B, and mainly played well, though the Patriots’ offensive scheme does not give help to the left tackle. On the second-to-last snap of the first half, LeVoir had an “olé” moment — Bart Scott burned him badly on a swim move and hit Tom Brady as Brady released the ball. On the next snap, LeVoir had help blocking Scott; New England coaches reacted immediately to indication of a problem.”
Would that our coaches react to solve the problem that is Wes Welker.
I think taking out Brady next year or, lol in the playoffs would be awesome.
I’m pretty sure Sheppard came in for one play, missed a tackle and then returned to the bench.
Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah, Wah – Better luck next season
[Off Topic] For those of you who can’t see the Trent Dilfer video, “Righting The Ship,” in the above post, I found it at ESPN’s AFC East Blog:
http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast
FYI: There seems to be problems loading.
Take a cheap shot on Brady? What is wrong with you people! Brady is one of the best players in the NFL, anyone who enjoys football should enjoy watching him play. Same goes for Payton Manning or Drew Breeze.
The fact that so many of Gang Green would opt to retaliate and take a cheap shot on another teams player is an indication of the type of program the Jets have become. Take a look at the play in question, Strickland came straight in, he did not look to the side to see if he was clear, that is why he got blindsided.
Why were his teammates not yelling to let him know about a blindside block. My son’s high school team does that. Some like sackdance99 says to block with your arms? Get real, you square up on the guy and drive through him. Where did sackdance99 learn to play football? This is sad, really sad.
Is there a link to this play ANYWHERE? I was quite intoxicated Sunday and don’t remember it clearly enough to comment.
Although I will say that Sackdance knows his football. And the proper technique to hitting someone is squaring up and “punching” them in the chest with the butts of your palms while powering through them and using your hips to drive. You don’t lead with your head, hence helmet-to-helmet and spearing penalties. I’m pretty sure that’s what SD meant by blocking with your arms. You use your hands/arms so you can control the man you’re blocking. If you lead with your head/shoulder the defender gets a hold of you and you lose your leverage.
I hate the Pats more than anyone but the block was a blindside hit by a OL on a defensive player….did he go high ..yea. so what!! I wished some of our players would pick off defenders like that.
Every year I hear the same crap. If you dont like the way the Patriots play and think they fight dirty than play dirty. I am tired of the disrepect angle we take with these guys. Go get their effing respect by knocking their teeth out.
I’m with Drew. The first thing I would have done Sunday is line two guys up across from Welker to level him the second he came across the LOS. Not Rhodes, of course, since he wouldn’t want to risk getting his uniform dirty for the post game photos.
Belichick is a low life. If he wants to make decisions to lineup in shotgun at the end of a 31-14 game and try to run up the score, then Rex Ryan should have told the defense to take a shot at him, even if it means taking a penalty or a fine. If Belichick can be bush league, why cant we?
As soon as I saw the Shotgun I thought Rex was going to ( and should have ) called a timeout. I would have then blitzed eveyone but Revis and put Brady on his ass.
The Pats and thier coach are classless and should be treated as such. I have zero respect for what they do but as long as we keep letting them do …why would they stop?
JesusRevis, The Jets did just that – they blitzed Brady. They sent seven guys after Brady on the last play. Moss was single covered, Welker pinnned on the inside. Brady went for the guy in single coverage and threw it long so that if Moss could not get it, no one else would.
Brendan, you are correct about using your arms blocking, this works if you are face to face with the defender. It is not so true coming from the side. In any case it was not a dirty block. It was a hard physical block, but not dirty. Dirty would have been taking a shot at the side of the defenseless defenders knee. LeVoir did not do that.
By the way LeVoir was drafted by the Bears out of Notre Dame. He is generally considered a good guy and does not have a reputation for being a cheap shot.
Say what you want about the Pats… We all hate them but I wouldn’t want to be the one playing against them in the playoffs.
I shouldn’t do this but…..
http://49ersnews.com/2008/04/drinks-are-on-strickland/
Strickland really isn’t the best face for the Jets franchise. Rumor has it that is why he ended up leaving San Francisco. He didn’t fit into what Mike Singletary wanted in the organization.
Someday we will have a team that nobody wants to meet up with in the playoffs and everyone can be mad at us when we run the score up.
karnak,
As I said I don’t remember the block very well, so my comment wasn’t about the actual play but just blocking in general. I agree that if you’ve got the angle and the defender is off in his own little world then you lower the shoulder and steamroll them. If that’s what happened here, then more power to this guy. But again, I don’t remember the play (i was celebrating my birthday and stupidly watching a Jets/Pats game for my present).
Here is the play in question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QviSo2F9jJQ
really it was just an unfortunate play for strick. he had no idea the guy was coming. no matter what technique was used, strick was gonna get blasted.
Thank you for posting that JetsRus.
After looking at it, I’m unsure what to think. Trying to put my fan-hood aside, an argument could be made for either side.
On the one hand, he was running square and hit Strickland with his head, but also his right shoulder and Strickland actually turned into it somewhat.
On the other hand, he led with his head. He left his feet (a no-no) and put the brunt of his contact on Strickland’s head and neck.
So is it legal? There’s a good chance it was. Was it dirty? I think it was. For all the hate, violence, and anger at the end of the day this is still a game. Hits like that endanger someone’s livelihood, if not their actual life. The only form of retaliation that matters are wins.
Hutch writes for The Star Ledger.
Brendan, sorry you had to watch this game on your birthday. One thing to make clear, leaving you feet to make a hit really applies to someone making a concious effort to hit another player in the head with the crown of your helmet and thus spearing them. And the rule was really meant to prevent people from tackling with their helmets. i.e. Pat Fisher of the Redskins made a living out of giving people concussions by spearing them.
The rule is not typically applied to blocks where such contact is typically inadvertent. For example, note this block by Hines Ward on Ed Reed, it was not a penalty and Ward clearly led with his helmet and got Reed under the chin strap.
In the case of LeVoir, he was leaning forward squaring his shoulders when Strickland sunk his hips and turned into LeVoir just before the contact. No matter what a blindside hit is going to hurt. Not sure how anyone could have played it differently or how any referee can call it a penalty. And the key thing is that none of the Refs thought it was a dirty play.
Opps. Forgot the link
Hines Ward blocking Ed Reed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R34w3CmDuiY&feature=related
Dirty or not the guy crushed Strickland on a heads up block that most lineman wouldnt even attempt. It was a heads up block as he picked Strickland off and I bet every player on the Pats appriciated the play.
Thats how the Pats are trained play hard (even a little dirty) and win effing games. Again I hate them with a passion but if that was Faneca or Moore laying that block I would still be smiling……dirty or not!
karnak that block by Ward is dangerous to all parties involved. Ward risked snapping his neck, and it should have been called a penalty.
The Strickland block is debatable, but in the end it’s too close to throw the flag. The best “retaliation” that they can do is beat the Pats both games next year.
Can’t even remember the last time I saw someone on the Jets block anyone like that. Probably explains our record.
SD99 I believe the helmet to helmet rule only applies to receivers/RBs/returners in the open field…NOT near the line of scrimmage — linemen bump heads all the time!!!
What the hell happened to “you take a swipe at one of our guys, we’ll take a swipe at two of yours”. That guy’s head should’ve been taken off on the next play, but nothing. Where are all the tough guys on this defense now?
Sadly to say for the Jets it was all talk and NO action! Maybe, just maybe what you need is No talk and play with a chip on your shoulder. I will be impressed when I see the Jet’s defense silently destroy an offense. Then we have arrived! Till then….NFL Draft.
Brendan,
I totally agree with you, any head to head shot like what Hines Ward delivered is dangerous. There ought to be a rule against such hits be it blocking or tackling (where the rule applies). But even then, I can’t see a block like LeVoir’s being flagged.
I also agree with Max that the best thing the Jets can do is to shut their pie holes and do their talking on the field where it counts.
But no more talk about hurting Brady and other such garbage. It does nothing to make the Jets better and only makes people seem ignorant. Again look at the last play, the Jets blitzed Brady with 7 players and jammed up Welker at the line of Scrimmage. The Jets did try to put a hurt on Brady, but he got the pass off before anyone could get to him.
Basically he threw it away, but he threw it towards Moss where Moss would be the only one to be able to get to it. The stuff coming from Rex Ryan just sounds pathetic and makes the whole organization look bad.
So, according to the posts here Brady should be crippled for life, Belichick is actually satan and the only way the Patriots win is by cheating and playing dirty. You call yourself fans? Look in the freaking mirror.
LeVoir is a third string lineman and he leveled a starting cornerback, what’s wrong with this picture? Strickland would have done the same to Welker without hesitation, it’s his job, LeVoir did his job. Get a grip, your season may be gone but anybody who wants to see any player injured isn’t a fan and needs to seek therapy. Jeez, and you wonder why people don’t like New York teams.
karnak,
Where did you learn football? When you drive block, you open-palm “punch” the defensive player. That’s what I meant by using his arms…put your shoulder to him and drive block. Did you learn to block without using your arms? Really?
LeVoir helmet-to-helmet hit Strickland and left his feet…if he shouldered and “punched” him for a pancake, so be it. Using the helmet as a weapon on a defenseless player? Bush league.
spindoctor,
I didn’t say it was an illegal hit, I said it was a bush league hit. A DB, by rule, can’t cut down an OL. My point is, if a DB can’t do that, an OL shouldn’t be able to helmet-to-helmet hit him when he pulls. Plus, on the LOS, butting heads happens all the time, but it’s usually the defensive player that tries to do it to get leverage or knock back the OL. An OL doesn’t want a DL to get in his kitchen like that, so he’ll extend his arms for a “punch.” Oh, but karnak doesn’t think that an OL uses his arms for blocking.
Okay, my bad. Now I realize that karnak thought I meant reach with your hands/arms for a run block. Um, no. Shoulder, then hands…I just assume here that everyone knows football, so I didn’t mention the shoulder. Maybe if LeVoir just put his shoulder in he would’ve gotten a pancake, but the hand punch is usually the part that makes a good pancake.
[...] thejetsblog.com. Please read the complete article and let us know what you think [...]
M Golden loves Karnak the way you must love a slow child.
I was at the game and it was a cheap shot by LeVoir. The play was done and over and he blatantly went after Strickland. Then laughed about it after. It was unnecessary and malicious. Yeah, its football and this stuff happens, but he blatanly went out of his way to knock Strickland out AFTER the play was over. He couldn’t pick on someone his own size, so let’s take a cheap shot.
Writing a letter to
Email him at:
Roger.Goodell2@nfl.net
Nyj13, John, You are giving the Jets fans a bad name.
nyj13, don’t suggest that people are stupid if they disagree with you. It is the tactic of simpletons who can not otherwise convice others of their position.
John, the play was not over. Strickland was reacting to Welker as he made his cut, at that moment he got hit by LeVoir. I have no idea what play you were watching.
It was a tough game for Jets fans to watch, I understand that. Quite frankly with all of the big talk, the Jets played weak and it showed on the field. The final score was closer than the actual game, with the Jets getting pounded on nearly every play until garbage time (Remember the kick off return? Lowery got knocked out cold). Whining does not make a winner and this tough talk is just that, talk, until it shows up on the field of play.
sackdance99, I think we both know what the deal was. And we both have a decent understanding of football, I understand your points about blocking. Been there, done that. But as a football guy, do you really think LeVoir could have blocked Strickland like that?
It was a tough play, Strickland got blindsided and got hurt. But I’m not sure what LeVoir could have done differently except to pull up, he was going full speed trying to make his block, he was leaning into his block on a guy 9 inches shorter than him. Also it is a tough block for a tackle to make, it’s not like pulling across the line of scrimmage, a blocker in space has to adjust to a moving target in the open, and all 300+ pounds of said tackle has to get there fast on the outside, so pulling up doesn’t seem like a good idea either. If you look at the timing of the play, LeVoir’s block helped to spring Welker, who was about to get tackled by Strickland who jumped the bubble screen.
Man, the Jets are certainly a bunch of whiners. Here’s the deal: you got amped up after winning three in a row. Your team is just not that good. Deal with it.
And for all you twits complaining about BB? If you could fire Fat Rex tomorrow and take BB, you would. Admit it.
PS: Everyone knows Goodell is a Jets fan.
Umm that was textbook. Sorry guys, I suffered through Rich Kotite here and I wish we had guys that blocked like that.
This is football you realize? That was not a defenseless reciever, he was going to make the tackle, you take him out.
What are we, liberals?
First FA priority for NYJ 2009: Sign Mark Levoir.