Your thoughts on the Smith-Schuster hit on Burfict?

Looked like hines ward and keith rivers to me

The old school in me says it's clean. Defenders have to keep their heads on a swivel.

The modern, CTE-aware person in me says I understand why it could be seen as unnecessary.

You almost have to "screen" defenders nowadays instead of look for the big shot. Larry Fitzgerald is masterful at this.

Dirty hit. But I absolutely loved it. Love seeing it live. We all do. Threads get started about it. Videos of it get passed around. People talk about it at work. Love the brutality.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
An offensive player blindsiding a defender and then standing over him and taunting doesn't seem super brilliant when you'll be seeing that guy and team twice a year for the immediate future.

He'll be known simply as JuJu Smith after the Bengals knock the Schuster out of him next game.

Dude is definitely target now.

Originally posted by Imfasterthanur:

The old school in me says it's clean. Defenders have to keep their heads on a swivel.

The modern, CTE-aware person in me says I understand why it could be seen as unnecessary.

You almost have to "screen" defenders nowadays instead of look for the big shot. Larry Fitzgerald is masterful at this.

His angle was clean, it was in open space, the only protection the rules give Burfict is to his head, he could have lowered the shoulder right into the chest, would have been just as great a block and just as amazing a hit

i have more of an issue with the taunting after, than the hit itself.

just like Brown said..."KARMA". nothing Burfict didnt have coming.

Two things:

First, it was a dirty hit, and has no place in the game. It actually undermines the game greatly. CTE is an existential threat to football. Intentional hits to the head need to be taken out of the game entirely, for the game to continue existing.

Second, this hit happened because Burfict is a terrible person. He should have been banned from the NFL long ago. Again, there's just no place for guys like this in the league anymore. Things change. There is no place for goons in the NFL anymore. I know that there used to be, but there also used to be room in the game for clotheslines and helmet-to-helmet hits, and the wishbone offense, and leather helmets.... The list goes on. Burfect should have been tossed out of the league years ago.

Good. It's payback time

Originally posted by Still_too_soon:
Two things:

First, it was a dirty hit, and has no place in the game. It actually undermines the game greatly. CTE is an existential threat to football. Intentional hits to the head need to be taken out of the game entirely, for the game to continue existing.

Second, this hit happened because Burfict is a terrible person. He should have been banned from the NFL long ago. Again, there's just no place for guys like this in the league anymore. Things change. There is no place for goons in the NFL anymore. I know that there used to be, but there also used to be room in the game for clotheslines and helmet-to-helmet hits, and the wishbone offense, and leather helmets.... The list goes on. Burfect should have been tossed out of the league years ago.

even dating back to high school, Burfict was dirty AF. he played near LA and he almost ended Barkley's career before it even started when dove at his knees.

Will be 7 on 7 by 2030

Originally posted by Imfasterthanur:
The old school in me says it's clean. Defenders have to keep their heads on a swivel.

The modern, CTE-aware person in me says I understand why it could be seen as unnecessary.

You almost have to "screen" defenders nowadays instead of look for the big shot. Larry Fitzgerald is masterful at this.

Absolutely, in the "old days" no penalty, just a solid hit.

Should have teabagged him instead of just taunting.

You can't lead with the helmet to the head/neck area. Same with the hit a little later in the game by the Bengals S Iloka on Brown in the end zone.

Illegal hit. Poor sportsmanship for taunting.

If the NFL is to continue as a profitable enterprise, these kind of hits must be eliminated. It will take suspensions, not just fines, to do that. Players make too much money for a $30,000 fine to have any meaningful impact. In the meantime, when stars players are on IR people don't watch the games = revenue goes down = owners don't make money.

Change coming...