Brutal Hit: Trevor Lawrence went to another universe (Update: Al-Shaair suspended 3 games)

SweetT said
Or we can just stop putting all kinda of restrictions, when it comes to tackling a QB. These dudes put their pant legs, one leg at a time, just like everyone else. They have played this game, their entire life, like everyone else. They have the same access to nutrition/weights/performance training/muscle recovery just like everyone else. When you place too many rules for one position, it confuses everyone, including the QB. You can’t give a defender a small strike zone, in game action, at full speed, and not expect this kind of result sometimes. You can’t ingrain a mentality (in a QB), that their actions (sliding/diving/hurdling/etc), will keep them free from big hits, regardless of intent. Once you tip the balance in favor of one side of the ball or position, it’s not football anymore. It’s all just an illusion of fair play and competitive balance. So, if it’s not fair across the board, then make it fair by putting flags on them. That way, everyone knows their place, and everyone has the same competitive edge. If not, then assume the risks. Not saying that the defender was right or wrong, but these things are bound to happen.

OR we can have rules and expect massively paid and highly skilled/intelligent players to follow them. Do you honestly not believe that defenders try to hit QBs harder than anyone else? Forget how hard they train, it’s the single most important opposing player by a wide margin and they’re going to tee off on them if they can.

There have been rules about hitting QBs for decades now - starting in 1940 (!). And it isn’t just QBs - there are other rules about illegal hits on other players. Chop blocks were eliminated in 1981. In 1996 they outlawed hits “away from the flow of the play”. And handfuls of other rules since then to cut down on the violence in what is indeed a violent game. These people have families.

Clearly Al-Shaair had opportunity to avoid or lessen this contact - we don’t have to excuse it. This kind of play happens in every game at some point and the vast, vast majority of players manage to get through it without breaking the rule and causing the Quarterback’s brain to cease communicating with his body.

I don’t understand this compulsion to take what is clearly contact that is outside of the bell curve for what typically happens and use it to condemn the whole rule. The players know it was a bad hit, that’s why they immediately responded. We aren’t going to hear from the PA about this because it isn’t about the rule - it’s about Al-Shaair making an unnecessarily violent illegal hit.

That’s what this is - and we don’t have to tear down the whole system because a particularly violent player can’t control himself.