Derrick Morgan gets fined for this!?!

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

First off, it's not even a penalty to begin with, it was a completely legal play. And now he gets fined for it? The whistle hadn't even blown, what was he supposed to do? Just stand there and let Flacco get up? I know it's only 7,500, but the fact that there wasn't anything wrong with the play is what makes it so outrageous. He and Ball dived at the same time, Ball was just closer..so there's no excuse for this shit. The play was still live.

 

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-fantasy/09000d5d822585bf/Titans-defense-sack-4-yd-loss

Edited September 21, 2011 by .AirMcNair.

[BigBen07 285]

This is the type of play I was worried about. Now you can't tackle the QB when he pickes up a FUMBLE? Great. Next thing you know, you block a QB from tackling a DB after he recovers a fumble, you'll get flagged.

Edited September 21, 2011 by BigBen07

[Thanatos 2,847]

Eh. That looks like a late hit to me. Of course, what gets me mad is the inconsistency here, I've seen several of those plays not called as a late hit.

 

This one, Flacco has clearly recovered the ball, and is clearly laying there on it with no intention of getting up, and one guy drops on him, and the other lunges at him. It's a little ticky-tack, sure, and in no way do I think it deserves a fine, unless we're just gonna hand out fines for every penalty now, as it seems like Goodell is intent on doing, but it's definitely a late hit to me.

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Eh. That looks like a late hit to me. Of course, what gets me mad is the inconsistency here, I've seen several of those plays not called as a late hit.

 

This one, Flacco has clearly recovered the ball, and is clearly laying there on it with no intention of getting up, and one guy drops on him, and the other lunges at him. It's a little ticky-tack, sure, and in no way do I think it deserves a fine, unless we're just gonna hand out fines for every penalty now, as it seems like Goodell is intent on doing, but it's definitely a late hit to me.

 

Morgan dived before the whistle was blown. There was no way he could have avoided hitting Flacco. Dave Ball and Morgan both dived at the same time. Morgan wasn't even paying any attention to Ball anyway, he was looking at Flacco, just trying to get to him.

[oochymp 2,393]

that's complete horseshit, the penalty was bad enough now the NFL is fining him for it? I remember talking with a friend of mine who's a Ravens fan when it happened and he agreed, Morgan basically fell on him, which you have to expect when you dive on a fumble

[BigBen07 285]

Eh. That looks like a late hit to me. Of course, what gets me mad is the inconsistency here, I've seen several of those plays not called as a late hit.

 

This one, Flacco has clearly recovered the ball, and is clearly laying there on it with no intention of getting up, and one guy drops on him, and the other lunges at him. It's a little ticky-tack, sure, and in no way do I think it deserves a fine, unless we're just gonna hand out fines for every penalty now, as it seems like Goodell is intent on doing, but it's definitely a late hit to me.

 

One problem: Flacco wasn't touched when he got the ball. At least, it didn't appear that way to me.

[AllYouNeedIsLovie 377]

I don't think it should be a fine, but I can see why the refs called it a penalty. Morgan doesn't have to slam into him when Flacco is already down. All he has to do is tap him. He launched himself into Flacco which was pretty unnecessary.

[SteVo+ 3,702]

You could make an argument that Morgan deserved a flag, but a fine is absolutely ridiculous. They might as well just make all quarterbacks wear red jerseys.

[BigBen07 285]

You could make an argument that Morgan deserved a flag, but a fine is absolutely ridiculous. They might as well just make all quarterbacks wear red jerseys.

 

[oochymp 2,393]

I like Morgan's comments:

 

“I saw the ball loose, so I am going toward the ball to get it. I couldn’t stop myself in the air,” Morgan said Wednesday. “If I really wanted to take a dirty shot on him, I would’ve made it count. It wasn’t anything malicious. He’s not a quarterback when he is trying to get the ball. I don’t have a problem paying the fine if I feel like I am wrong. Even one of the (Ravens) offensive linemen looked at the replay and said, ‘That’s a tough call.’ ” (italics added by me)

 

 

 

Source

 

[Thanatos 2,847]

One problem: Flacco wasn't touched when he got the ball. At least, it didn't appear that way to me.

 

Yeah, I know, that's why I think it's a ticky-tack penalty.

 

On the one hand, what if Flacco gets up? He ain't exactly a small guy.

 

On the other hand, like GoodellFTL said, he doesn't have to launch himself into him. The argument he was going for the ball doesn't work, IMO, because Flacco has clearly recovered it. There is no scuffle for the ball at all. He just wanted a shot on the QB, OR he wasn't thinking about the fact that Flacco was just laying there.

 

There should be an unwritten rule that QBs don't try to fake someone out, like, for example, by starting a slide and then diving forward, ala I think it was Andy Dalton, (who gets a pass because he's a rookie). So, a QB doesn't get on a football and lay there, and then try to jump up and run afterwards- it's the only considerate thing to do considering that the refs are going to penalize anyone who tries to get on the QB as fast as they possibly can- by jumping on them.

 

It would cut down on penalties for both teams if the defense knows the QBs aren't going to try something by using the current rules against them, and the QB doesn't have to get speared when he's already lying down. A win-win.

[Thanatos 2,847]

I like Morgan's comments:

 

“I saw the ball loose, so I am going toward the ball to get it. I couldn’t stop myself in the air,” Morgan said Wednesday. “If I really wanted to take a dirty shot on him, I would’ve made it count. It wasn’t anything malicious. He’s not a quarterback when he is trying to get the ball. I don’t have a problem paying the fine if I feel like I am wrong. Even one of the (Ravens) offensive linemen looked at the replay and said, ‘That’s a tough call.’ ” (italics added by me)

 

 

 

Source

 

Okay, well, I call BS on that. Unless I am totally and completely seeing the play wrong, Flacco has clearly recovered *well* before Morgan leaves his feet to go for the ball.

 

Yeah after watching it a few more times, Flacco has the ball for a good second or two before Morgan jumps on him. Doesn't deserve a fine, but clearly a penalty to me.

Edited September 21, 2011 by Thanatos19

[.AirMcNair. 1,232]

Okay, well, I call BS on that. Unless I am totally and completely seeing the play wrong, Flacco has clearly recovered *well* before Morgan leaves his feet to go for the ball.

 

Yeah after watching it a few more times, Flacco has the ball for a good second or two before Morgan jumps on him. Doesn't deserve a fine, but clearly a penalty to me.

 

A late hit is defined as hitting a player after the play has been blown dead..the play was still live.

 

It's not a penalty. Not by rule.

[Thanatos 2,847]

A late hit is defined as hitting a player after the play has been blown dead..the play was still live.

 

It's not a penalty. Not by rule.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't say it was a late-hit, that was a mis-call, IMO. It was more along the lines of unnecessary roughness- hitting a defenseless player.

Edited September 21, 2011 by Thanatos19

[BigBen07 285]

A late hit is defined as hitting a player after the play has been blown dead..the play was still live.

 

It's not a penalty. Not by rule.

 

Expect for going after the QB it seems.

Edited September 21, 2011 by BigBen07

[Favre4Ever+ 4,476]

Don't agree with the call or the fine. It doesn't really make sense at all. Definitely not dirty, and even like he said... If he wanted to go after the QB.. He could have jumped on Flacco with a lot more force.

[oochymp 2,393]

Okay, well, I call BS on that. Unless I am totally and completely seeing the play wrong, Flacco has clearly recovered *well* before Morgan leaves his feet to go for the ball.

 

Yeah after watching it a few more times, Flacco has the ball for a good second or two before Morgan jumps on him. Doesn't deserve a fine, but clearly a penalty to me.

If you look at the play it definitely looks like with the hit Morgan tries to roll Flacco over, which I see as him trying to get Flacco away from the ball. Just because he's lying on the ball doesn't mean he's got it under control, how many times have you seen a player dive on a ball only to have it squirt out and someone else grab it? Sure, from the angle of the video you can see pretty well that Flacco gets his hands on the ball before he falls on top of it, but from Morgan's angle behind Flacco I don't think you can expect him to see that. What Morgan sees is a player diving on a fumble, he knows that balls often come out in that scenario, so he delivers a hit calculated to force it out.

[KeVo 176]

 

This is madness. Definitely not worth a fine, and probably not even a flag.

[Thanatos 2,847]

If you look at the play it definitely looks like with the hit Morgan tries to roll Flacco over, which I see as him trying to get Flacco away from the ball. Just because he's lying on the ball doesn't mean he's got it under control, how many times have you seen a player dive on a ball only to have it squirt out and someone else grab it? Sure, from the angle of the video you can see pretty well that Flacco gets his hands on the ball before he falls on top of it, but from Morgan's angle behind Flacco I don't think you can expect him to see that. What Morgan sees is a player diving on a fumble, he knows that balls often come out in that scenario, so he delivers a hit calculated to force it out.

 

That may have been what was intended, but since the ref was coming at it from the same angle we were watching it, I can definitely see why he could have thought it was a hit on a defenseless player. From his perspective, which is pretty much the same one the camera shows, it looks flag-worthy to me.

 

But, that said, I don't see why its a fine.

[funnygunny 521]

...

 

its as if the NFL lost revenue over the lockout period somehow and handing out extremely questionable fines is their way to increase it.

[FIDDYDEUCE 81]

A flag maybe, but not a fine. All these fines have become fucking ridiculous. They don't through flags at a hit deserving of a fine but fine a hit deserving of a flag.

[Zack_of_Steel+ 3,014]

He was obviously diving for the fumbled ball. How many times is there a pile up where the person who recovered initially loses the ball in the pile? Nearly every fumbled ball changes possession before getting sorted out, so there is absolutely no reason for that to be flagged or fined.

[Thanatos 2,847]

He was obviously diving for the fumbled ball. How many times is there a pile up where the person who recovered initially loses the ball in the pile? Nearly every fumbled ball changes possession before getting sorted out, so there is absolutely no reason for that to be flagged or fined.

 

Except... there wasn't a pileup. It was just Flacco. Again, did not deserve a fine, but it's a hit on a defenseless player in my eyes.

[oochymp 2,393]

Except... there wasn't a pileup. It was just Flacco. Again, did not deserve a fine, but it's a hit on a defenseless player in my eyes.

it's a hit on a player who dove on a fumble, you've gotta expect to get hit in that situation

[Glanvilles Grits 142]

Ehh. . . Man that's close. Maybe deserved a flag, but I'm not so sure about a fine! NFL is getting ridiculous with these calls. May as well take the pads off and put bra and panties on these big dudes, its getting embarrassing.