Is Clay Matthews getting a free pass?

recbball

All you hear about this week is how terrible Ndamukong Suh is for that cheap shot on a lineman I never heard of.
Matthews tries to take a top line QBs head off, then starts a fight on the sideline where he throws a punch and nothing happens to this guy.
If Aldon Smith would have done this to Rodgers you would have thought the world was coming to an end.

By the way Rodgers commercial with the super fans was hilarious.
http://www.todaystmj4.com/sports/green-bay-packers/222565531.html

digicat

1985fan

I think there's a difference because Suh has pulled this dirty type of play before. Clays no saint but that repeat status is the difference.

JoeBanzai

Looked like hit was out of bounds but otherwise a good hit. I have a feeling the refs let the running QB's take some pretty big hits if they take the chance to run.

perkdog

I dont have a problem with the hit at all, ofcourse it was late however it wasnt a dirty or cheap shot.

Completely different than Suhs BS

Boopotts

The Matthews' hit is not the kind of hit that can end a career; the Suh hit, however, is the kind that could permanently damage a guy's knee.

bigdcards

What do you think the reaction should be for all late hits that are completely clean 2 yards earlier? This one or any other?

recbball

My reaction seeing it in real time was it was a blatant cheap shot. He close lined him out of bounds and then threw a punch. He should have been ejected.
He wasn't on the field running an option, he was out of bounds.
So, because the QB didn't get hurt, there should be no penalty. I think the QB was lucky, someone can get seriously hurt from that type of contact, (see link)

close line

1985fan

It seems ludicrous to me that Matthews won't be fined for that play. Despite all of the NFL's blustering over 'player safety' (ha!) they love these types of plays, always have and always will. Even better that it happened between two elite teams.

Suh is a repeat offender, which is why his fine was such a large amount. I'm sure Harbaugh was on the phone with the league office immediately after the game. Plays like the one Matthews made have no place in football. Kaepernick was clearly out of bounds, and Matthews launched and went for his head. That type of reckless play could easily have turned out much worse.

Mickey71

That hit was very late and a blatant cheap shot. Totally uncalled for.

jdip9

<<<It seems ludicrous to me that Matthews won't be fined for that play.>>>

He really didn't get fined? The TB guy that grazed Geno Smith at the end of last week's game got a $7,500 fine!

Tabe

I thought the hit was late but not dirty. Mathews was already in the air when Kaep was in-bounds. It just looks bad because of the angle Kaep took going out of bounds, which resulted in the contact being a lot later than it could have been. If he'd taken another half step while in-bounds, it wouldn't have been a late hit at all.

Mathews definitely should have gotten ejected for the fight and deserved a fine for that but not for the hit.

And that's coming from a Lions fan.

stown

The NFL fined him $15K.

recbball

Didn't leave his feet until QB was out of bounds, check video on second post.
15k is about right, but should have been thrown out of the game.
Just ask yourself what would have been the NFLs reaction if this were Rodgers, Brady or Peyton Manning?

digicat

<< <i>I thought the hit was late but not dirty. Mathews was already in the air when Kaep was in-bounds. It just looks bad because of the angle Kaep took going out of bounds, which resulted in the contact being a lot later than it could have been. If he'd taken another half step while in-bounds, it wouldn't have been a late hit at all. >>



While Matthews committed his body to the jump before Kaep's foot stepped out of bounds, Matthews foot was still on the ground.

I wouldn't call it "dirty" as much as I'd call it "unnecessary." "Dirty" would be if Matthews grabbed Kaep's mask and yanked him down from behind with it.

jeffcbay

THIS is what dirty is...

digicat

<< <i>THIS is what dirty is...

>>




I think I saw that move in a Mortal Kombat video game....

jeffcbay

<< <i>I think I saw that move in a Mortal Kombat video game.... >>

Tabe

(edit)

Boopotts

<< <i>THIS is what dirty is...

>>



Wasn't that in a preseason game? If so it's even more embarrassing.

Boopotts

If I'm in charge of the NFL (which I'm not, but still), what I would have done there is let the touchdown stand, since the block didn't affect the outcome of the play, but then kick Suh out of the game and make the Lions play with 10 on defense for the remainder of the game.