Hudson Targeting
I’m so sick of this targeting rule. It should not be an immediate ejection. Should be personal foul 15 yard penalty, if it happens again same player same game ejection. My question is why havnt college coaches fought this rule against the ncaa? I find it unfair to the players when 90% of time the player didn’t mean to target....who agrees?
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:55 PM ^
It was targeting.
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:57 PM ^
This one was, yes.
Last week’s clearly was not. It was shoulder to shoulder. No crown was involved.
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:59 PM ^
I saw 6 or 7 Nebraska hits that were worse, but they were behind by a bazillion points so I guess helmet to helmet hits aren’t targeting in that situation. But when John O’Neill’s crew sees a helmet to sternum hit (or a Michigan defender blocked into the QB’s ankle,) they see that as an opportunity to make a statement about player safety.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:17 PM ^
John O'Neill always has it out for us.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:38 PM ^
Or he just sucks at everything. Not sure which one is true
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:18 PM ^
Agree, saw several that were much worse that weren’t called. Rule needs to change.
September 22nd, 2018 at 11:43 PM ^
The difference is QBs are considered defenseless as they're throwing the ball, so it's a much lower bar for targeting in that situation. You only need "forceable contact to the head or neck area," which Hudson definitely made.
That said, it is absurd that there's no discretion or differentiation between malicious hits and accidental contact. There should be 2 levels of penalties and ejection/suspension should only be applied in the most egregious cases.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:12 PM ^
This question is not about what is/is not targeting, but is the penalty appropriate? As we all witnessed last week (and numerous other times), a player can be ejected for a completely uninententional, incidental collision (per the discretion of the officials).
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:17 PM ^
How about this one:
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:22 PM ^
the issue has to be whether or not the player was 'defenseless'? a running full back is different than a throwing or even sliding quarterback.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:24 PM ^
What about a quarterback on a keeper running between the tackles? Absolutely no difference.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:48 PM ^
have never seen that called, not once. have i missed one/some?
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:53 PM ^
Can't tell if you are joking or not.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:21 PM ^
my comment was in response to the 'quarterback running b/w the tackles' in the context of drawing a targeting penalty. have not seen that called.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:38 PM ^
Hudson + SMU
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:42 PM ^
Um...that's exactly why Hudson was ejected last week.
September 22nd, 2018 at 8:06 PM ^
must have missed it, and apparently it draws strong emotional reaction from some.
September 23rd, 2018 at 12:37 AM ^
The problem is that the penalty is written as if it was an injunction against a specific type of hit that breaks a specific set of rules, but it is actually just "no kill shots". They can't come out and say that, though, because no one likes over-broad, under-delineated rules. So they just give us a pretend rule and continue to eject people for kill shots, whether they actually comport with the written rule or not.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:39 PM ^
It was. He launched at the head of the quarterback with the crown of his helmet. He got screwed last week. That doesen't change the fact that he clearly broke the rule this week.
September 22nd, 2018 at 10:29 PM ^
Disagree. He tackled the QB in normal fashion. There was no "launching".
September 23rd, 2018 at 12:18 PM ^
He lowered his head and struck with the crown of the helmet. That’s why it’s a dangerous hit and a foul. When a tackler lowers his head, he risks a spinal/neck injury to himself and makes the helmet a weapon that increases the concussion risk to the ballcarrier. Hudson just needs to learn to keep his head up.
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:56 PM ^
A full game is excessive with the way it's being called. Current quarter and the next would be a big improvement but I'd be ok with it reverting to a 15 yard penalty.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:21 PM ^
I don't think the penalty is too harsh. This rule is for his own safety. Tackling like that is going to cause concussions and if he keeps it up, he may end up with CTE. He needs to learn not to tackle with his head. Hopefully the harshness of the penalty will discourage him in the future.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:27 PM ^
It doesn’t discourage players when they call it on plays where the contact is incidental and there’s no intent behind it. It’s very rare when there’s a legitimate “he should be tossed” targeting.
Last week Hudson gets a bogus targeting that should have never been called, he has to miss the rest of that game and half of the game today. It was ridiculous and the penalty is far too harsh for what actually occurs.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:17 PM ^
Last week he lead with his shoulder and still got a targeting call. The way the rule is enforced now sucks. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't.
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:56 PM ^
That was Pat Fitzgerald’s idea when the rule first started, and I agree completely. An ejection should only occur after repeat occurrences. The 15 yard penalty is punishment enough.
Interesting sidenote: I’ve had players who say that the best chance for a concussion comes from the head bouncing off the turf after a tackle, and not the tackle itself.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:02 PM ^
I didn’t know pat Fitzgerald said that, I think harbaugh should voice his opinion to media, I’m sure he may get fined? but his voice is always well heard and maybe some other coaches would follow, it’s just not fair to the players to have to sit the next half of game
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:07 PM ^
You are assuming that Harbaugh is against the rule?
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:35 PM ^
I’m saying that harbaugh should stand up for his players, I guess in my opinion I hate the call and consequences r unfair and I think it needs changed. I bet majority of college coaches would agree
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:56 PM ^
It was a stupid play considering he just got tagged last week.
September 22nd, 2018 at 5:57 PM ^
I don’t like the carry over part of if. Also think there needs to be a review process to overturn after games.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:04 PM ^
Idk the rule is way too ambiguous. I just watched a Texas rusher literally punch the passer in the face to knock him down and it was reviewed and called off.
FWIW this one was at least kinda understandable. Last week was a crime.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:06 PM ^
Question: if you're wearing a helmet and leaning forward while running, how can you NOT be leading with the crown of the helmet? Especially since the crown of the helmet is now pretty much the entire helmet, if I understand correctly.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:23 PM ^
Exactly! And the "head and neck area" part of the rule is ridiculous. If you bury your facemask into a QBs sternum it should be considered a great hit. Not a "neck area" targeting ejection.
September 23rd, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^
He didn’t bury his facemask into the QB’s sternum though—he lowered his head and struck with the crown. That’s why he got tossed.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:24 PM ^
^ This. The only logical conclusion to the line of reasoning that created this rule is that eventually a running back/QB/WR who lowers their head into a defender should also get a penalty (maybe not ejected, but maybe?).
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:10 PM ^
Anyone that tries to change the rule is going to get hit with "why don't you want to protect the children? Hey everybody, this asshole over here wants children* to get concussions"
*children being everyone under 25 in 2018
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:11 PM ^
Disagree completely. These type of hits need to be gone. Clearly Hudson didn't learn after being ejected last week, so he definitely wouldn't learn from anything less. If he doesn't want to be ejected, he shouldn't target.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:18 PM ^
How long is the Nebraska QB’s neck? I had no idea it extended all the way down to the middle of his chest. That was a ridiculous call. They clearly singled him out because Harbaugh complained about last week. There were multiple helmet-to-helmet hits perpetrated by Huskers that weren’t called. The call against Hudson was a case of selective enforcement and was capricious in its application. You might say the officials targeted him.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:30 PM ^
He got him in the facemask. This week was legit. Last week was horse shit.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:54 PM ^
I wish someone had video, because not only was the hit not late, it was right in the ever shrinking OK zone of wear a player can be hit.
September 23rd, 2018 at 8:47 AM ^
I do too. Because what i thought i saw, was top of his helmet catches lower part of facemask.
September 23rd, 2018 at 12:27 PM ^
Which is exactly the problem. The top of the helmet would not have impacted the QB had Hudson not lowered his head.
September 22nd, 2018 at 7:03 PM ^
this is correct
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:13 PM ^
I agree last week was questionable but today did clearly fit the rule. My question is how much of nw does Hudson have to sit? Some folks around me in the stands we saying he is out for the whole game. What us the rule?
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
First half of the game.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:20 PM ^
DBL post
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:16 PM ^
College coaches are like teachers--they bend over and take it.
September 22nd, 2018 at 6:16 PM ^
Also the rule doesn’t act as a deterrent. It simply punishes too severely what are typically random incidences of chance.
September 22nd, 2018 at 8:02 PM ^
That's exactly right if I'm understanding what you're getting at. A guy standing upright just letting go of a pass is a completely different story from the likes of the Hudson hit last week and Metellus in South Bend. I'm pretty sure in both instances, they both put a good football hit with the shoulder on the guy. In one you have a receiver who just made a catch and is going to the ground and in the other you have a ball carrier coming through a hole having already made contact with his body trying to keep it's balance and get more yards. In both instances within milliseconds, their bodies are in far different places than they were before. Now tell me how in the hell are you going to judge where you try and make your contact at with impact so as to make a football hit that helps your team get the ball. This is a contact game and it's why you wear a helmet and shoulder pads. There is hitting. I cant stand the fucking idiots who run this game and make the rules. It's so fucking sad. There's no reason that these sort of hits should be placed in the same category as the ones where the player blatantly leads with the helmet and smokes the other player in the head. Especially if it is just a quarterback and he's just standing there. They are making it a serious effort to penalize the players(for certain teams..coughs) and clean up the game. Well, it should go both ways then when some of the dumb fuck refs miss it. They should be dinged when it's right in plain site and not called. Every fucking ref on that field is watching the ball carrier at the goal-line when contact is made. Including the ones in the booth who even probably are listening to the live broadcast on FS1. That miss on Ben Mason was terrible. They should have their own heads kicked in.