Dear OLine, please keep James Harrison away from Aaron Rodgers

From your comments, nobody would match up with your 3rd stringers. Go away.

FACT: The league determined that Harrison had made attempts to change the way he tackled opposing players and reduced his fines. The league has also issued apologies to Harrison and to the Steelers about 15 yard personal foul penalties that have been called that were later reviewed and found to be the wrong call.

How is he being defiant? You don't change the rules in the middle of a season, have inconsistent calls by the refs on what is and what is not illegal, and not expect a player to be frustrated. Harrison was not the only player frustrated by the new rules. People make a big deal out of it because he contemplated retirement because of the fines.

The rules are the rules whether or not we agree with them. Have we been flagged at times for helmet to helmet hits? Yes. Are we intentionally trying to give opposing players concussions? Hell no! We play a violent style of defense, and people get hurt sometimes. Injuries are part of football.

If Harrison gets through your line, and gets a clean shot on Rodgers, believe me he is going to unload on him as hard as he can. I'm sure Clay Matthews will do the same thing to Ben given the chance. (which with our o-line his chances may be many). He is not going to intentionally try to hit Rodgers in the head, but he will try to hurt (not injure) him. Just like any linebacker would.

Enough with the dirty team comments already. Everyone knows the Steelers play a hard hitting style of defense. We live and die by it. It's been that way since the Steel Curtain of the 70's. The league can make all kinds of rules to protect the quarterback, but were not going to change our style. Were going to throw the first punch and make you remember our number, but were going to do it within the rules, as gray as they may be.

I'm not in agreement that he should keep quiet. Player safety should remain a priority and I applaud the NFL for (finally) focusing on head-to-head hits, but the calls and fines have been inconsistent.

Also, Harrison isn't the only one complaining; a few other players (including Packers) got some words in:

Packers cry foul at NFL fines

I agree with Clay Matthew's mentality:

For the record, I dont' disagree with the idea that the officiating has been inconsistent - I think everyone sees that to be so.

It doesn't change the fact that certain players, by virtue of their actions and their mouths are going to be looked at more closely and be "officiated" a little tighter than others.

Great quotes, thank you. Would you say that Clay Matthews is being defiant. His comments were pretty much the same thing Harrison said earlier this season.

In my eyes it's not defiant at all. It's a bad rule, changed in the middle of October, that is impossible to call, so as a player you have no choice but to keep playing the way you have been taught and played all your life.You either make it more clear cut what is and what isn't an illegal hit (hopefully they do this offseason) or you stop calling the penalties and throwing out the fines.

It just makes all sorts of problems. We already had the spearing rule in place which I thought was fine. The RB can lower his head and hit whoever he wants helmet to helmet when he has the ball. Receivers (like in one of concussions in the Browns game) sometimes fall or lower their body as the defender is already committed to where he is hitting them. Your taught to watch the players hips when you tackle, not his head. It just really bothers me what football is turning into. It's only in the NFL too. You can make that hit in High School and NCAA football and you'll never see a flag... sigh..

I think that's the general consensus. I certainly believe the officiating this year has been painfully abysmal.

A big difference between Matthews and Harrison is that Clay hasn't been flagged and fined like Harrison has.

:happy0005:

OK, cause you said so.

It has been bad since I started watching football.

I love Steeler fans. :happy0005:


[ame="http://forums.steelersfever.com/showthread.php?t=68231"]Steelers Fever[/ame]

Steeler Nation (about a nice article about Aaron Rodgers playing well)

Steeler Addicts

Just wow.

Wow... Stay classy Steeler fans. Geez

Judge all by a few?:wave: