Why am I the only one outraged by the obvious helmet to helmet hit on Bell?

Finally, YES. Agreed.

 

We've already established what the rule is, per the application of it.

I do believe it needs reevaluated. I don't think forward progress should be taken away.

In terms of rules, we don't have to prove that the outcome is impacted, rather it is sufficient that the outcome may have been impacted to garner a closer look. It is just as easy to say, "how do you know the outcome was not affected?" Yes, they ended up scoring but you are now forcing a team into completing yet another successful attempt and the odds change. Nothing is static, good or bad there's impact.

Regardless, the refs got it right the league didn't IMO.

 

While they are at it (reviewing rules), IMO they also need to revisit a receiver must maintain possesion thru contact with the ground. I've seen it called both ways and regardless it should be the same for recievers as it is runners.

 

had it been Ray Rice getting knocking out with his helmet popping off, and the Ravens needed the TD to tie the game, would you still think it was a bad rule?

iMHO, the play HAS to do stop when the helmet comes off, if the play CAN continue, the whole idea of protecting the helmetless player is gone. Suppose its a fumble, a free ball, and play can continue. Well you can just pile on the helmetless player, after all the play is still alive

 

As much as I enjoyed reading the debates in this thread, and as pissed off as I was to see Bell get knocked out by a helmet to helmet hit, I tend to stay away from blaming the ref`s, EVER.
The rules themselves, well that`s another story, I have problems with a LOT of recent rules, but they are what they are, and, at least theoretically, every team has to play by the same ones.
I tend to believe it all evens out, over the course of the season.
There are missed calls, and blown calls that happen ALL the time, in every game.
Some come at more "critical" times in the game, and some, more likely impact the outcome of the game, than others, especially when they occur in the final 2 minutes, but, you can pretty much always make a case that if a team had done things better at other times, in the game, then it wouldn`t have come down to the "blown call".
For instance, if we had scored at all, in the first half...
Also, I don`t seem to recall anyone on this board complaining about the ref`s missing the call on William Gay, for knocking out Jason Campbell, with a blatant blow to the helmet, that lead to a fumble, and recovery returned by us, to set up a score.
Probably, because we feel justified, because of all the non-calls on defenders hitting Ben. Even breaking his nose, without penalty.
Just sayin... This crap happens to every team, and I don`t believe we are victims more than other teams, other than the hits on Ben...
I do believe the rules put in place recently to protect receivers, have put a cramp in our "traditional", intimidating style of defense, but we still manage to get some good hits in here and there.
See, Troy leading with his shoulder, and sending a Lion`s receiver into leg spasms...
Unfortunately, we also get penalized for CLEAN hits, just because they look too vicious. See, Ryan Clark, frequently...
Like I said, tho, we aren`t the only ones that get hosed by the ref`s on a regular basis.
It`s just part of the game, and I think it evens out over all the games played.
GO STEELERS!!!

 

Yes! again TTF ! You got to it before I could.

the rule is not intended to stop the physics that we live by, rather to protect the helmet less player. It helps him NOT to do a virtual rewind of the action penalizing the result rather than the action itself.

Does it help Bell, the one they were trying to protect, to pretend the TD never happened?

Sorry LMAO

 

As for the rule, by ending the moment the player loses the helmet, the offensive team retains possession when the concussion causes a fumble. So I will agree with that. However, I think the helmet rule should have been called on the field, not thru replay. We should only confirm plays through replay, not make additional calls. Otherwise, they could look at every play and call defensive holding on the DB's, offensive holding on the OL, etc, etc.

 

We're talking about two different things here.

1. Okay it was called correctly - no touchdown because the helmet flew off. I get it.

2. But the defender led with his helmet and speared Bell. To me that's a penalty and a fine, just like many times with what happened to Harrison or Clark. I don't get the part some of you are saying the refs were right on this part.

 

You are allowed to lead with your helmet provided you're not hitting a defenceless receiver. Harrison was fined repeatedly for constant hits on QB's or defenceless receivers. This is not the same thing at all. RB's often get hit just like Bell did, it just so happened he laid out trying to get the TD, while also being hit by multiple defenders. That made things far worse for him.

 

No you are not allowed to lead with the "crown" of your helmet and initiate helmet to helmet contact. As the rule reads H to H contact is allowed to occur on running plays inside the tackle box. This happened outside the tackle box.

 

I agree with a lot of these posts and bounce back and forth over it. Yes it would have been nice to say "hey that kid risked his life lets give him the td. But typically they lose bodily control and fumble the. All before hitting the ground, and then you've got an injured player at the bottom of a scrap pile.

if the offensive player is leading with his head, he's not defenseless and really leaves no other choice but to go low to tackle.

The part that sucks is that yes, the very next play we lose our center as well. Not really sure they could really change the rules in any way to make it more fair.

 

Your wrong Shaner, outside of the tackle area which Bell was, you cannot lead with the helmet and spear. It's a penalty and should of been called. End of story....