Trent Green is out

King, just taking your words and using a different situation than you imagined here. Hoops had it right -- only Chiefs fans are screaming bloody murder on this one.

 

Not murder. Just fair play and justice.

 

White Sox suck, I know we can agree on that.

 

I don't buy this argument that he should've slid sooner. The point is, he slid. Once he did, he was off limits. You can't hit a sliding quarterback. Doesn't matter when he slid, if momentum made you do it, whatever. It doesn't matter.

The benefit of the doubt always always always goes to the QB in that situation. Not saying I agree with it, because everybody gets boned by bogus roughing the passer calls now and then. But that's the way its set up. QB's are protected.

Maybe there wasn't malicious intent. It doesn't matter. It should've been a 15-yard penalty, and there should be a fine handed out... because you can't hit sliding quarterbacks. Period.

 

How do you avoid making contact when you're already in the air, before the quarterback decided to slide? If you can answer that for me, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

Going back a page or so here, but Whitlock's column was wrong twice. First, he said "led with his shoulder into Green's head" I didn't see it like that. I saw the shoulder hit the chest, driving the head into the ground. Not a big deal, but still something I think.

Also, after ranting for the entire column he wraps it up by finally pointing out "Kennison's push didn't help." I guess I haven't actually read the rule recently, but isn't it sort of like roughing the kicker, i.e. if you're blocked into it, it doesn't count? I don't know how hard Kennison can push — he's old and frail, so I doubt hard — but by admitted that Kennison pushed at all, doesn't that negate everything else Whitlock argued?

The quarterback sliding rule sucks. I understand why it's there, but it just sucks. If Geathers is approaching with a full head of steam — probably pretty hard to stop the big guy at that point — AND pushed in the back by a blocker, and Green tries to duck underneath him with a slide, how is that Geather's fault? Green waited as long as he possibly could to slide, and he waited too long. He's the one running the ball. He's the one taking the chance here. The defender shouldn't have to judge whether the QB is about to slide, or going to throw in a duck and a juke and keep going.

I'm glad Green's alright, but I'm also glad there wasn't a flag.

 

You don't. You're an unfortunate victim of circumstance. If the hit came just as Green's ass hit the turf, then I'd give some thought to this argument of when he slid vs. when Geathers left his feet.

But you CAN'T HIT A SLIDING QUARTERBACK. Intent or lack thereof doesn't mean anything.

Green was sliding, Geathers hit him. That we can all agree on. It should've been a penalty, and it should be a fine... because you can't hit a sliding quarterback. Guys have been penalized for brushing sliding qb's as they try to go jump over them. Geathers might have tried to get out of the way, but he didn't. Nor was Kennison the sole reason Geathers wound up in that position.

It was a split second decision by both Green and Geathers. The hit is worthy of a flag and a fine. That's all I'm saying.

 

The thing is Oz is Green started sliding an instant before Geathers lunged at him. Now, does that mean Geathers could/should have stopped? I'd say no. But still, a hit on a sliding QB is a hit on a sliding QB.

 

I just watched the video frame by frame at youtube, and I stand by my thoughts. BUT ...

If Kennison did hit Geathers, why wasn't he called for a block in the back?

 

For the same reason the Chiefs didn't get called for three blockd in the back on Dante Hall's 90-some-yard punt return against the Broncos years ago -- sometimes, referees do miss calls.

 

Or maybe Kennison didn't really hit him? The video shows that Geathers was already lunging at Green. And since he was already going low on Green, I think it's obvious Geathers knew Green too was going down.

 

No offense, but Bengals fans did not have a leg to stand on in trying to vilify KVO for that play.