Was Sunday’s low hit to the left leg of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger legal? Was it dirty?
Head coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that he didn’t have a problem with the hit, but the league might wind up seeing it differently when they review the play this week.
According to the NFL rule book, “no defensive player who has an unrestricted path to the quarterback may hit him flagrantly in the area of the knee(s) or below when approaching in any direction.”
On the platy in question, St.Louis Rams safety Mark Barron stumbled and fell prior to hitting Roethlisberger in his left knee. Former referee Mike Pereira has said on Twitter that he’s determined that the hit was an illegal and that it should have warranted a flag.
Per Pereira, “A defender cannot initiate a roll or lunge and forcibly hit the passer in the knee area or below, even if he is being contacted by another player.”
You can bet that the league’s Vice President of Officiating, Dean Blandino, will be asked to comment on this in the coming days.
I think the hit that injured #steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was a foul. Here’s why: Via @KFC https://t.co/IHkfzIsZ90
— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) September 27, 2015
.@DeanBlandino discusses quarterback protections, illegal shifts and reviewable plays in his weekly media video: http://t.co/0d4OPOhOTZ
— NFL Football Ops (@NFLFootballOps) September 25, 2015
Per the NFL rulebook: #Steelers #BenRoethlisberger pic.twitter.com/nACHYckatz
— Steelers Depot (@Steelersdepot) September 27, 2015
