On Sunday night in Indy, one of the biggest hits of the game came from Colts punter/kickoff specialist Pat McAfee.
Specifically, McAfee applied his helmet to the helmet of Broncos return specialist Trindon Holliday while pushing Holliday out of bounds at the end of a 56-yard return.
But McAfee didn’t hit Holliday with the top of his helmet, and Holliday was not defenseless at the time the helmets collided.
As a result, McAfee wasn’t flagged. According to the league office, McAfee also hasn’t been fined.
It’s the right result, despite the suggestion from many that McAfee would fall victim to the league’s ongoing efforts to promote safety. Plenty of helmet-to-helmet hits are legal.
McAfee’s hit on Holliday definitely was.