Safety Brandon Meriweather returned to the Redskins defense last weekend with a whimper rather than a bang.
Meriweather didn’t draw any penalty flags for drilling opposing players in the head and/or neck with his own helmet, a longstanding habit of his that resulted in a one-game suspension earlier this season. He also didn’t go after the knees of his opponents, something he said he’d do in order to end careers of others rather than earn another suspension for himself.
Meriweather explained on Tuesday how he was able, for one game at least, to play Goldilocks and hit just right.
“I think I played the same,” Meriweather said, via the Washington Post. “I still was aggressive. I aimed a little lower. I celebrated with my team. We got the win...To be honest, I didn’t even think about it. I just went and just let what happens happen. I’m not trying to think about it and say, ‘I’m gonna aim lower. I’m gonna aim higher. I’m gonna do whatever.’ I’m gonna just play and whatever happens happens.”
We’ll see if Meriweather can continue to avoid the temptation of the hits that got him in trouble with the league, but last Sunday’s game certainly provided Meriweather with evidence that one can play a game of football without going out of one’s way to hurt opposing players in the head or knees.