Colts Brackett docked $5,000 for spearing

Gary Brackett didn’t draw a flag when he dove helmet first into a fallen Ronnie Brown on Monday night.  But upon further review from the league, the Colts linebacker did draw a $5,000 fine from the league this week for spearing on the play.

That Brackett’s hit didn’t trigger a flag on the spot for unnecessary roughness was a little alarming — Brown was down and settled on the turf when Brackett launched onto him full force – but that’s the direction things seem to be going.

As some skinny guy with a big nose and bald spot pointed out in a column earlier today, the tendency for defenders to play “through the whistle” and steamroll prone players is rampant in today’s NFL.

Of course, defenders are just doing business as business is being done.  Because of the notion of ”continuous action,” defenders on the move toward a fallen or falling runner can burrow into the pile and make a running back or kick returner pay. The physics on these kinds of hits makes them even more dangerous because you have an offensive player bringing no energy to the collision pressed against a hard surface (the ground) with limited give.

The most obvious instance of “continuous action” being continually more dangerous was the Week One hit that broke the rib of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb against the Panthers.  McNabb was into the end zone and down for a full beat when a charging Panthers defender, Damione Lewis, toppled a teammate onto McNabb’s back.  And now McNabb’s looking at his second missed game because of a play that looked completely avoidable.

While the proliferation of rules legislating against defenders seems to grow with each season, so too do the cries of the “just put a skirt on ‘em” crowd.  But this – like hitting airborne receivers or going at the head of the quarterback — isn’t about toughness.  It’s about protecting players in defenseless spots from getting their seasons (or more) ruined.