The NFL Has Forced Pittsburgh's Harrison's Hand

            It seems like James Harrison is fined by the NFL every other week for some form of illegal contact, whether it's roughing the passer, leading with his helmet on a tackle, or coming in late on a play. He's paid literally hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for numberous hits, including ones on Drew Brees, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Colt McCoy, Mohamed Massaqoui, and Josh Cribbs. I don't know if Harrison has a personal vendetta against the Browns or simply elevates his game to the next level against a division rival, but he seems to run into the most trouble when Pittsburgh plays Cleveland. The NFL has even gone as far as suspending him for future games.

          Courtesy of http://www.visualcrack.info/league-is-selling-photos-of-james-harrisons-illegal-hit-on-mohamed-massaquoi.html

            Let me make this clear, the NFL has made the right decisions by enforcing its rules that protect quarterbacks and helpless receivers coming across the middle. There have been far too many concussion-related incidents that can not only end a player's career but cause serious psychological issues in the player's future off the field.

   Courtesy of http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/james-harrisons-hit-on-colt-mccoy-draws-attention/2011/12/09/gIQAz539hO_blog.html

            In typical James Harrison fashion, the Steelers linebacker was involved in a play that would make a weak-stomached fan squeamish. In the first half, Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker, Tim Tebow's favorite target this season (which means the Decker is targeted about three times per game), caught a pass from Tebow that sent him straight into a death trap. Decker was sandwiched between two Pittsburgh defenders, one of whom was Harrison. Roger Goodell and the NFL can pat themselves on their collective back--Harrison seems to have finally learned his lesson. He could have hit Decker high, sending the wide receiver spiralling up in the air, and he would have regained consciousness two weeks later in a hospital bed. However, the NFL has an equally dangerous situation on its hands--hitting players low. Harrison went low, deciding that he had written enough checks to the league, and hit the outside of Eric Decker's knee with his helmet and shoulder. Decker dropped the would-be completion and was visibly in serious pain. He was helped off the field and taken straight to the locker room. The Broncos announced that Decker has a sprained MCL and will be out for the rest of the playoffs.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/nfl/01/08/broncos.eric.decker.ap/index.html

            I guess risking injury to the knee is the lesser of two evils when compared to risking injury to the head and neck, but it is still a scary predicament that the NFL is in. I wouldn't be surprised if Decker is not back to being completely healthy by next season. But under the current rules, this is the type of injury that will become much more prevalent as the league cracks down on hits to the upper half of the body. The NFL has limited options to protect players from bad hits to their legs--fining hits to the knee will start to ruin the game that so many players and fans love if linebackers can only aim for opposing players' shoelaces and belly buttons to avoid penalties, fines, and suspensions. I'm not sure what the next step is to keep players healthy and not handcuff defenses too much, but there will be more Eirc Decker-like injuries if the NFL doesn't find a solution soon.