McCardell Block Ruled Illegal

Yes, I saw the guy twist the leg of Foster. The guy twisted the foot quickly as he got up from the tackle. It was clearly after the play as the players were getting up. The refs should've thrown a flag on the play at the least.

 

Yep.
Foster, Pittman.
Peppers is all scratched up on his face.
Jenkins got hit in the nuts during dead ball conditions. Those are just a couple things I can think of...if Davis wasn't whipping them, I'd expect that there'd be some foul play there too.

 

You may be right on the danger v. tackles. They could consider it. They've already made most blocking on returns illegal for the same reason. It really hurt returns, but some things you just have to do.

An alternative may be to get rid of the exception for clipping within 3 yards of the line of scrimmage. Wasn't the McCardell block also from the back? I don't think a back cut blocking a charging DL or LB is all that more dangerous than the rest of football. Its those ones from the back that are killers.

They made some kind of rule change a couple of years ago about blocking, but I can't remember what it was.

 

I read somewhere that was Sapp. Unlike McCardell, I do believe that was intentional and meant to injure.

 

yeah, I think it's an intent thing. I don't like DBs diving at backs' feet to tackle them, but defenders can tackle, and therefore you're taking away such things as ankle tackles and making it illegal for a player engaged in a tackle to fall below the waist.

McCardell intently went for the knees. A lot of WCO guys teach what McKittrick did in SF, which is kicking out one knee with the leg or knee and blocking the other knee. It's where Denver, Oakland got their dirty line blocking mystiques from, too. That it would be in Tampa doesn't surprise me, but that doesn't change what McCardell tried to do, engaged or not. I don't doubt that he might've mistaken Pittman for unengaged, or at least acted as if he should've been, and maybe he should've been. But it's concerning that, by design, he went for the knees.

All that said, I don't believe it can or necessarily should be outlawed, just called a lot more. I don't know how effective football would be without it, to a point, and there are a lot of grey areas once you do legitimately start trying to protect the trench players' knees.

 

It's the only way to be when you have others around you that pull for the wrong team! (ie, dook, puke, etc.)

 

So was KM ever suspended from all of this? or did I miss that part?

 

Believe it or not this has a positive spin on it possibly... the more word gets out the more the Bucs will be considered a team that plays "dirty"... that happens they'll get every last amn whistle called on them... anything close to a violation they'll get hit... ecspecially in Charlotte... the fans always seem to lean a lil with the crowd... partial or impartial

 

No suspension. The level of the fine is typical for a first time offender. I think Jeff Mitchell got fined about the same amount for an illegal block last year. Suspensions are usually for 3rd time, or more, offenders.

 

Should they take into consideration that a player was injured and how bad?

Face it most of the time these types of blocks are not accidents.