Getty ImagesBroncos linebacker Von Miller attracted plenty of attention for his stellar play on Sunday against the Panthers. He also attracted the attention of the league office.
Miller has been fined $21,000 for a low hit on quarterback Cam Newton, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
Defensive tackle Kevin Vickerson also was fined $15,000 for applying a horse collar tackle to Newton.
The 2011 defensive rookie of the year doesn’t believe he broke the rules when making contact with with 2011 offensive rookie of the year below the knee. “How am I supposed to know if he threw the ball or not?” Miller said. “I was down on the ground — actually the guard facemasked me and threw me into the quarterback. I’m supposed to what? Stand straight up and continue with the tackle?”
The play, available on the NFL.com Game Rewind service, shows that Miller wasn’t thrown or blocked into Newton’s lower leg. Instead, Miller was knocked low and stayed low as he pursued Newton and hit him below the knee.
Also, the question of whether Newton had thrown the ball is irrelevant. A quarterback in the pocket can’t be hit above the shoulders or at or below the knees, regardless of whether he has the ball in his hands or not.
Channel Finder
he deserves every penny of that fine too. and the panthers o line should have to match him every penny for being a bunch of turnstiles out there.
Makes me like Von Miller even more.
NFL rules are too convoluted for the people who wrote them, much less the egg head players playing the game
Keep doing what your doing Von. He is number one in the league in tackles for a loss and half a sack out of the lead in sacks. Put him in the running for defensive MVP! It would be pretty cool if the Broncos had both the offensive and defensive MVP.
“A quarterback in the pocket can’t be hit above the shoulders or at or below the knees, regardless of whether he has the ball in his hands or not.”
______
Anybody else read this and have visions of a couple years in the future, where QBs will have a red stripe about 2 inches tall at waist level which will be the only place they can be touched without it being a penalty?
What a bunch of haters! Do you boys even have a team???
A stupid rule that was an overreaction to Tom Brady getting hurt. And I like Tom Brady before anyone rips me.
That was a legendary defensive performance. Not one of VM’ six tackles allowed Carolina to gain a single yard. He forced a pick 6. He sacked Newton. The safety. The pressures. It was magnificent.
Haters gonna hate…
Von Miller is a beast!!!!! One of the best picks we have made. Love that he is on my team, I would be jealous too if he wasn’t.
DPOY… Von is an absolute BEAST! Best OLB in the league, and it’s only his second year.
If Von doesn’t win the DPOY I’ll be surprised…
I know everyone wants to talk about JJ Watt… and he did have an amazing start to the season. But Von has 20 TFL already this year. 20! To go along with 10 sacks!
DROY last year, and DPOY this year… Not a bad start to your career.