With Pittsburgh Steelers S Damontae Kazee getting suspended by the NFL today for a hit that concussed WR Michael Pittman Jr. in Saturday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, many people around the league are giving their reactions. Even Tom Brady gave his opinion. The latest person to give their opinion is a particularly interesting one.
Former Steelers S Mike Mitchell posted this on his Twitter account today.
“I don’t know what to tell my safeties anymore,” Mitchell wrote. “I guess just let them catch it. If I were a WR I would dive for every catch. That would ensure no contact and a completed pass. Playing deep safety in today’s nfl where rules are made mostly by people who’ve never played is tough.”
This take is particularly interesting because Mitchell is the assistant defensive backs coach for the Colts. He is in that locker room and has as much reason as anybody to be upset with the hit that knocked one of his team’s star players out of the game. He clearly disagrees with the rules and the decision to suspend Kazee.
Mitchell was known for a big hit or two during his time in Pittsburgh. He even sounded off on the NFL’s rule updates during his time with the team in this video posted on Stadium’s YouTube channel.
“I signed up to play full-speed contact football, and we’re not doing that,” said Mitchell. “I feel like I gotta ask the guy, ‘Hey are you ready for me to hit you right now’ before I hit you, and that’s crazy. I’m gonna mess around and get hurt trying to protect an offensive player because he’s running an over route…Your quarterback shouldn’t have threw the ball messed up.”
This is along the same lines as what Brady opined earlier today. The rule changes in the NFL have allowed quarterbacks to throw reckless passes that put their receivers in harm’s way. Defenders, under the current NFL rules, have very little they can do other than let the play happen and tag them down.
Here is the play in question.
Pittman was in the process of completing a catch that would have been good for about 25 yards and a first down. It is a difficult position to be in for a safety. The NFL is going to call a penalty on that every time in this era, but it would not be received well if he had just let it happen and tagged Pittman down, as the rule book would prefer.
Kazee and his agent are appealing the suspension. If he doesn’t win, he will have to sit out the remainder of the season, including any possible playoff games.
