Video: Will James Harrison Be Fined?

Posted on October 17, 2010 by adam

I think I’ve mentioned it here at some point, but I’ve felt for quite a while now that James Harrison is the new Greg Lloyd. I’m now starting to believe that Harrison might be even crazier.

On Sunday, he dished out a pair of hits that knocked two Browns wide receivers (Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Mossaquoi) out of the game.

Here they are…

The questions now become: 1) will James Harrison have a lighter pay check this week and 2) should he?

Browns fans are already up in arms about Harrison (even bringing up the Vince Young bodyslam from earlier this season) and asking if he’ll be suspended — not just fined, but suspended — for being a repeat offender. I’m guessing, in a word: No. I’m also guessing that every Browns fan in existence has a poster of Turkey Jones slamming Terry Bradshaw, and loving every minute of it.

Your thoughts, Loungers? Should he have been penalized? Will/should he be fined? Discuss.

Related posts:

  1. James Harrison Talks About Roughing Up Kyle Orton
  2. James Harrison Is Your AFC Defensive Player of the Week
  3. Video: Troy Polamalu Intercepts Passes When He’s on the Sidelines, Too
  4. Facts, Figures and Video: Deshea Townsend and His Place In Steelers History
  5. Whatever You Do, Eric Mangini, DON’T Start Colt McCoy
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  • http://twitter.com/DonnieDraper Richard Whitman

    Hard to say if he should be penalized, but seeing as the NFL throws around with fines like crazy he probably have to pay 15k, don’t you think?

  • Jason

    Definitely not for the hit on Moh. His head was up, that looked pretty clean. The real debate is the hit on Cribbs. I don’t think he should be fined for that one either. After looking at the video a few times, yes he lowered his head, but it seemed like his intent was not to hit with his head but with his shoulder. These things happen when a player is falling down. He will probably get fined, but I think it was just a football accident.

    • Ron

      I actually see it the other way around. On Cribbs, he’s diving into a pile – how in the world does any player control an accidental helmet-to-helmet hit on a play like that? On The Texas Chainsaw Massaquoi, it was hard for me to tell. It looked like JH could have aimed elsewhere and that will probably bring a fine. What boils me is people complaining about the “defenseless receiver” stuff – after a guy has taken three steps, I find it hard to consider him “defenseless.” When he’s up in the air trying to catch the ball, or the ball is four feet over his head, that’s a different story. Massaquoi was not a defenseless receiver in this instance (but he sure ended up a senseless one).

  • RoB D

    Of course he’ll be fined. This is the new NFL which is trying to turn every game into a 63-56 shootout with as little interference by the defense as is possible.

    Signed.
    Bitter old 70`s fan…

  • RoB D

    I think this team is scary good.

    Not saying they’ll win it all but if they keep playing at the level they are capable of on D, the ST”s keeps showing their dramatic improvement is not a mirage, the running game with Mendy keeps working and Ben hits his stride in the 2nd quarter of this season….hard not to be very optimistic.

    It’s great to be a Steeler fan..you could be rooting for the Seahags..so consider yourself fortunate.

  • lenzi

    i think he’ll get fined for the first hit, but what was he supposed to do on the second, step out of the way and let him gain more yards? that’s what happens when you run a crossing pattern in the nfl…

  • TheDirtySteelersFans

    Hell NO! Why would you penalize someone for intentionally injuring another player? That wouldn’t make sense.

    • drinkingclub

      Boo hoo…

    • drinkingclub

      Boo hoo…

  • Mike L

    I see James leading with his shoulder pad on both hits. The first one he hits helmet to helmet but he leads with his shoulder. I do think he will be fine because of his reputation. 10k most likely. This is a key reason teams take risks with the wildcat. Receivers most of the time get hit by safeties and corners, not DL and linebackers that is a huge difference and yes you will have more injuries. This is why it was only a matter of time until Mike Vick was injured.

  • Chet583

    If you pull up weak on a tackle to protect the ball carrier you risk injuring yourself, I don’t understand why the NFL is heading in this direction but I don’t like it.

    • Wardfrisco

      must admit the nfl is beginning to resemble flag football. do they not get it. fans enjoy strong stout defense just as much as 65-56 scores. hate the fact that the nfl keeps throwing fines around on legal but hard hits

  • Anonymous

    I think he will probably get fined for one. I have no idea which. I just think that the most gutless position the NFL can take would be to split the difference and so that’s what I expect.

    Should he be fined? Of course not. In both cases there was a completely legitimate football reason for hitting as hard as he did.

    Against Cribbs, it was helmet-to-helmet but that’s legal against a ball carrier even if you presuppose that helmet-to-helmet was the intent, which it may not have been – remember, the other guy is a target whose movements are not completely predictable. Laying down a big hit also serves a legitimate football purpose. It increases the chances of a fumble, and indeed in this case caused one. Hitting with less force likely yields no fumble. How can you possibly fine a guy for playing the best game he can within the rules of the game?

    Against Mossaquoi, he had a wide receiver with possesion of the ball running towards him across the middle of the field. This time he leads with his pads and delivers a hard hit with his shoulders and forearms dislodging the ball. That’s textbook. That’s what you’re supposed to do. Again, there was a legitimate reason to hit hard. Doing so caused a fumble (or incompletion as ruled on the field). Not hitting hard yields a completed catch. Same argument as before – you can’t fine a player for obeying the rules and playing well.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_UR6KXGPFIFYZSVJNCXCJNHDQJQ Bob Costas

    It sure seems like the main problem with these hits is that the defenders helmet does all the damage. Would putting them back in leather helmets fix the concussion problem?

  • Ieatcats

    maybe on the cribbs one, but Mossaquoi can lay some of the blame on mccoy

  • Mant320

    I’m a Steeler Fan Since 1972 and yes James will be fined for Masquai hit (definitely not suspended). You could see him sizing up both and leading with his helmet trying to inflict punishment with his helmet. However, on the Cribs hit he could have been aiming for the ball to cause a fumble and cribbs ducked at the last moment causing the helmet to helmet. However, Masoqaui was definitely a head to head, he could have easily struck him in the shoulder/arm area causing the fumble.