League’s fine system should show no mercy for Browns quarterback. Matt Bowen
We knew the fine was going to come, and according to reports, Browns QB Brady Quinn was served a letter—the customary practice in the NFL—by the league office today after he took out Terrell Suggs Monday night following one of his two picks in a 16-0 loss.
And I have to applaud the move for a couple of reasons.
Regardless of what you think or hear about the Ravens as a defense—or any team for that matter—cheap shots are going to happen in this league. Unfortunately, they are part of the game, as are the frustrations of players during competition.
I wouldn’t go as far to say that it is an ugly part of the game—because that would be a stretch—but during my own career I witnessed many guys come to the sideline after a series and single out an opponent, announcing that he was going to go after him the next time we took the field. Not with the intent to hurt the guy, but just to let him know that you remembered his hit.
In this instance, Quinn obviously let the course of Monday night affect him—and we all know what he was doing by going after Suggs. He was trying to get a cheap hit in on him. As much as he wants to apologize to Suggs, the Ravens and the league, we all know better in this situation.
However, that is exactly why the NFL has this system of fines in place. I would hope that when the fine amount does become public, it is for a considerable amount because—QB or not—that hit looked dirty.
And I understand why Suggs’ agent, Gary Wichard, expressed his disdain for Quinn and the hit last night to the NFP’s Aaron Wilson, saying, “That cat should be fined as much as anybody is fined that hits the quarterback. That’s ridiculous. I don’t understand what he was trying to do. It was blatant. It was absolutely criminal. It’s about as nasty as it gets.”
Sure, it’s an agent sticking up for his player, right? Of course, but you have to agree with him in some regard, correct? His player is now out for a period of time with an injury because of the low blow from the Cleveland quarterback.
And Wichard does bring up a good point about quarterbacks. You and I both know that this league is driven and paced by the quarterback position, and that is something I will never argue. Because at the end of the day, those are just the facts. But, they have to be treated equally in this situation, because if Suggs was the one delivering this hit on Quinn, I am sure we would hear an uproar from Browns fans over the incident. And it would be a story that wouldn’t die for awhile. Taking out a QB and putting him on the shelf? That would be an issue.
Hey, players get frustrated, just as Quinn did on Monday night when he couldn’t figure out the Baltimore defense. And I can understand that, as long as he has to pay some big coin for it.
Follow me on Twitter: MattBowen41
Check out the Cleveland Browns Team Page at the NFP.
I watched a couple of replays and I'm not convinced Quinn was going after Suggs. It looked to me like he was diving after the ball carrier. It was tough to tell...I'm just a little skeptical, Quinn doesn't seem like the type to dish out a cheap shot. A bad player yes, but not a bad person.
If it wasn't a cheap shot, then why the fine by the league? Can't really argue that one no matter how much Quinn sobs that it wasn't meant to be dirty.
Guy played like garbage and took out his anger on Suggs.
Seriously, I don't believe that Quinn would have the "field-awareness" to take a cheap shot on anyone. He's still at the stage where he's hoping things will slow down. He probably just instinctively crouched down so as to not get hit hard himself.
He should be fined, of course, but he's not a villain.
I have the feeling that the block on Suggs will be the "highlight" - or at least the most memorable moment of Qunin's NFL career.
Matt, Quinn himself says he was not going after Suggs, but rather the ball carrier -- which speaks to Dan's point about "field-awareness" and Quinn's lack of it. Are you suggesting that Quinn is lying and that he was purposely hunting for Suggs?
The Ravens reaction, in my opinion, is more a reaction to the fines levied at them during the Patriots game as much as anything -- when Brady was baby sat by the refs. The Brady Rule has Lewis and company incensed -- and this situation is being used by them to apply the Brady Rule to the other side of the table.
But I agree with posters here -- it did not look like a cheap shot and Quinn is not savvy enough to hunt down a player to cheap shot.
I have read a lot about the hit, and just watched it a bunch of times... and that wasn't a premeditated dirty hit. It was an absolutely atrocious attempt to make a tackle.
How many times do you think Brady Quinn has practiced tackling in the last 10 years? It looked like he went in to make the tackle, then kind of got scared and dove low. I can't stand Brady Quinn, but the replay is nothing like a lot of people seem to be making it out to be.
Didn't look like a dirty hit to me either. At that point Suggs was a blocker, linebackers take out lead blockers by going low all the time. Didn't even look all that low to me. His helmet and shoulders were more like waist/upper thigh area. Unfortunately Suggs knee hit into his rear at a bad angle. Don't think that was premeditated at all. With Thanksgiving coming up I wonder if it reminded Matt's dad of the low blow the Playa' laid him out with...
for anyone thats ever played football there isn't the slightest doubt that was a cheap shot...I dont know what some of you are looking at, I would think it would be obvious even to someone who didnt play how dirty that was.
meateater,
Cheap shot team???? You are obviously and ignorant jackass.
Like the majority here, I have seen the replays and I also do not think this was, as Ray Lewis, the butcher has said, a "pre-meditated " act to hurt a player.
Think of how stupid that statement is. Quinn would have had to "purposely" throw an INT to the oppostion in order to "methodically" place himself in a position to go after a Ravens' players knee.
I agree with the majority here. Quinn was going after the ball carrier, and Suggs got in his path, and Quinn reacted the way he did at the moment.
Should he be fined? Absolutely! Was it a dirty cheap shot, with intent. Absolutely not.
Find something more substantial to write about than this. This is a non issue. He went low on a player, and needs to pay his fine. Multiple players get fined every week in the league. Some of them have also injured another player in the process. Why does Quinn's get a whole article written about it? Bowen has a thing for Quinn.
daskcool,
I guess this was just an accident. From the Wilson Wire:
>>Cribbs also said that he isn't holding a grudge against Ravens defensive lineman Dwan Edwards, who forearmed him in the face, a hit that has drawn a $5,000 fine.
"A friend of Derek Anderson's put me in touch with him," Cribbs said of Edwards, who went to Oregon State with Anderson. "He tried real hard to reach out to me and let me know that it wasn't at all meant to happen like that. It wasn't on purpose at all.'
Edwards told National Football Post that there was no malicious intent behind the hit, emphasizing that it wasn't done out of revenge for quarterback Brady Quinn injuring Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs' knee on an illegal block that drew a $10,000 fine.<<
No, of course not. Not payback at all.
This is another case of the media getting blown by the popular wind. I'll never join a Brady Quinn fan club-- really don't like the player or my impressions of the man himself-- but I can't even let my imagination take me to intent on that play. It looked like he did exactly what he claims he tried to do, which is make a play on Carr...and he probably would have, too, had he not run into Suggs. I haven't worn a helmet in years, but I remember well enough to believe that he didn't even see Suggs. The idea that Quinn, an offensive player, had the situational field awareness and time to get all dark hearted doesn't pass the common sense test.
I've read Rey Lewis' quotes and he has to be the most shameless hypocrite to ever play this game. He clearly head-hunted Brandon Marshall a couple of weeks ago long after the game was still in doubt. Then he stood over and taunted him. He does that kind of crap routinely and gets away with it more than any player in the league He is, at the very least, a thug on the field-- a man who never plays with an ounce of regard for the health or safety of his opponent. He's the last guy that should be throwing stones at the character of another man.
This is just another example of defensive players, who are used to giving out punishment and big hits, unable to take it when they get popped by an offensive player, especially a QB.
Same thing happened with Hines Ward last year.
These tough guy LBers need to suck it up and get real.
WR is vastly underpaid and has...
No one is 'protected' with new...
Offseason training is crucial...
Breaking down the slant route...
Why the rest of the NFL needs...
Nov 18, 2009
04:28 PM
I guess I'm going to be in the minority here, but I watched the vid of this several times and I just don't see it as a cheap shot. Of course, it is pretty rich that a cheap shot team like the Ravens is whining so about a QB hitting a LB. What I saw on the vid was exactly what Brady said, namely he was going for the ballcarrier, and actually made a heck of a play on him, and didn't see Suggs. Suggs was tied up with the RT and not in his line of vision. Suggs came around the corner just as Brady was trying to tackle the ballcarrier.
It's unfortunate that Suggs was injured, but to me this was a case of a guy getting caught up in a play, not a deliberate cheap shot like the Ravens are claiming.