NFL considering suspending Joe Mays [Archive]

Denver Native (Carol)

09-24-2012, 10:25 PM

from article:

There is a chance the Denver Broncos could be without starting middle linebacker Joe Mays for a game.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the NFL is considering suspending Mays for his violent hit on Houston quarterback Matt Schaub on Sunday. Schaub’s helmet popped off, he fell to the ground and grabbed his head. He later said he lost a piece of his ear on the play. Schefter reports that Mays will at least be fined.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/48899/schefter-mays-could-face-ban

My son was at the game and said that Schaub lowered his head before the hit. Maybe someone could post the hit on here for all to see again.

MOtorboat

09-24-2012, 10:32 PM

from article:

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/48899/schefter-mays-could-face-ban

My son was at the game and said that Schaub lowered his head before the hit. Maybe someone could post the hit on here for all to see again.

The offensive player lowers his head on nearly every one of these plays, and the defensive player has no time to react. It's beyond ridiculous at this point. Especially if they suspend a guy on first offense, which is what they are about to do.

Yet, an offensive player is allowed to literally battering ram a defensive player with his helmet with no penalty.

It's ridiculous.

OrangeHoof

09-24-2012, 11:07 PM

You see another body running full speed towards you. Which are you more likely to do?

1. Duck your head and try to absorb the blow.
2. Go stiff and upright.

All these threads about some player who shouldn't be fined because the opponent ducked his head before contact is just stupid to me. A player who sees they are about to be hit will, instinctively, lower their head to absorb the collision. It's our natural defense mechanism.

IMO, you should judge intent as best as possible. Did it appear that a player hit an opponent with an intent to injure or willing disregard for player safety? If the answer is yes, suspend and fine him. If the answer is no, then leave it alone.

Was Mays trying to injure Schaub? A few I've read say "yes" based on the previous play, a sack on Manning and the punt catch interference. The way I hear it, some Houston players took offense at what they saw as a cheap shot on their punt returner for which they answered by trying to cheap shot Manning on a sack which the Broncos answered by late-hitting Schaub on one play then the Mays hit on the following play.

That sounds like intent to injure to me although, if I were the league, I would be getting statements before determining intent.

OrangeHoof

09-24-2012, 11:17 PM

The proper way to answer a cheap-shot is like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXEjXVmnAv4

OrangeHoof

09-24-2012, 11:21 PM

This is the Mays hit. Was he going for the head? You be the judge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCYTPluR1hI

Ask how you'd feel if that was James Harrison hitting Manning that way. Be honest with yourself. It was a deliberate blow to the head.

tomjonesrocks

09-24-2012, 11:21 PM

Considering the outcome and the history 1-2 games should be expected.

HORSEPOWER 56

09-24-2012, 11:25 PM

shank

09-24-2012, 11:28 PM

the problem here is that mays lead with his helmet, not his shoulder. what happens happens, i'd be up in arms if the shoe was on the other foot.

HORSEPOWER 56

09-24-2012, 11:35 PM

the problem here is that mays lead with his helmet, not his shoulder. what happens happens, i'd be up in arms if the shoe was on the other foot.

Well, now the problem is, ever defensive player is taught to hit with their head up - to see what you hit. It's for their own safety. If they keep their head up, it's closer to the offensive player's helmet and normally the force of the hit makes the helmets clack together. I'm not trying to defend Mays here because i expected the flag for his hit, but there are so many in every game this year that if there is a violent hit, if it makes a lot of noise, or if it elicits an "Ohhhh" from the crowd, the officials immediately go for the hankie...

shank

09-24-2012, 11:38 PM

Well, now the problem is, ever defensive player is taught to hit with their head up - to see what you hit. It's for their own safety. If they keep their head up, it's closer to the offensive player's helmet and normally the force of the hit makes the helmets clack together. I'm not trying to defend Mays here because i expected the flag for his hit, but there are so many in every game this year that if there is a violent hit, if it makes a lot of noise, or if it elicits an "Ohhhh" from the crowd, the officials immediately go for the hankie...

this is not one of those hits IMO. he didn't even use his arms and lead with the crown of his helmet. regardless of where the contact is made, it's not a safe way to hit. he coulda laid some nasty wood with his shoulder instead of his helmet.

smith49

09-24-2012, 11:45 PM

Ima throw out my opinion hate it or not. I have no love for mays either. I've watched this play over and over and over. Here is what I see. Mays puts his head down and attempts to lead with his right shoulder. Sorry, but that's what the intent looks like to me. Yes, his helmet hits the facemask of schaub. However, if you watch it in slow motion you will see that with schaubs momentum going one way and mays going hard the other way, it causes a whiplash that dislodges schaubs helmet. I know most are going to disagree and that's fine. But If I thought it was an intentional hit to cause injury or an attempt to hit helmet to helmet purposely I'd have no problem admitting it. Also, if mays was attempting to kill him I think he would have sold out all the way to the ground. It's just my opinion and you are free to disagree, but that is what I see and I've watched it time and time again. Slow motion is telling. I don't even blame the refs for flagging really, but I don't think it was as blatant as people think. Also, the ball had barely left his hand so I don't at all think it was late either. Again, it just my opinion.

also, I need to say, that eventhough I dont think it was intentional, I see why it was called as a penalty. He did put his head down, even if I think he tried to hit with his right shoulder, which he did for the most part, its still going to be a penalty. Right or wrong, in todays nfl you cant hit a qb or a reciever like that. They can hit like that, but defenders can't do, and they know it, so they need to avoid it.

Simple Jaded

09-24-2012, 11:58 PM

So the Texans retaliated a hit on their PR by going after the franchise QB? That's reasonable.......

bcbronc

09-25-2012, 12:12 AM

The problem is is that there's no defined "strike zone" on these defenseless player hits. They vary from ref to ref for both receivers and QBs. You can't hit a QB low because of the Tom Brady cry-baby rule, so that leaves above the waist. If you hit a QB in the chest, the impact forces his head forward and it makes contact with the defenders' helmet which makes it helmet to helmet. That leaves about a foot between the belt and the lower edge of the sternum to hit a QB legally. If the QB or receiver lowers his head, even if the defender has already lowered his pad level, and the helmets touch, it's helmet to helmet and the defender's fault.

I understand player's safety concerns with blows to the head, but they have to find some way to determine incidental contact based on where the defender makes contact and where the offensive players body is positioned.

I agree with your post over all, but don't think it applies to this situation. It's pretty clear from the slow motion replay that Mays gives a mini head butt at the point of impact. I'm not necessarily saying he was trying to injure Schaub, but he was looking to get a big hit on the QB. If he makes contact with his upper chest or shoulder, there's no penalty. But the initial contact is clearly the crown of the helmet and that IS a dangerous play.

We're already seeing guys getting better making contact with their chest/shoulder and still laying wood. Mays just needed an extra half step, but he got lazy or selfish.

TXBRONC

09-25-2012, 08:35 AM

the problem here is that mays lead with his helmet, not his shoulder. what happens happens, i'd be up in arms if the shoe was on the other foot.

Agreed. He lead with his helmet end of story and I would be livid if that happened to Manning.

BigDaddyBronco

09-25-2012, 08:44 AM

How the **** do you suspend a guy for his first offense? No problem with him getting a fine, but Mays is no Harrison where he is getting fined every week. No Fun League.

Mike

09-25-2012, 09:09 AM

That was an old-school thump. I hate what the league is becoming.

BeefStew25

09-25-2012, 09:12 AM

I want to guys to think about something for a bit.

Imagine Joe Mays was white, and Matt Schaub was black.

Signed,
RationalFan

Nomad

09-25-2012, 10:57 AM

How the **** do you suspend a guy for his first offense? No problem with him getting a fine, but Mays is no Harrison where he is getting fined every week. No Fun League.

It's easy for BRONCO fans to turn on Mays because it seems many here don't like him to begin with. If Mays gets suspended, then Golden Tate should as well with his hit.

G_Money

09-25-2012, 11:07 AM

If you helmet-to-helmet a QB and rip part of his EAR off, the play after you just got a 15 yard roughing the QB penalty by a different player, then yes, I would expect a substantial fine/potential suspension.

Von's getting a rep as a guy willing to take the extra step and hit with intent to harm, so I understand his penalty. But Mays did a special-teams number on a QB, and there's no way he's getting away with that right after Von planted Schaub.

Time to take our medicine, probably start Brooking in the middle for a game, and move on.

~G

slim

09-25-2012, 11:10 AM

I hope he does get suspended. The defense will be better without him.

I hope they suspend Rahim, too.

Nomad

09-25-2012, 11:12 AM

Eat your own, huh!:lol:

BeefStew25

09-25-2012, 11:12 AM

Is Nate Irving breathing on his own?

Northman

09-25-2012, 11:27 AM

this is not one of those hits IMO. he didn't even use his arms and lead with the crown of his helmet. regardless of where the contact is made, it's not a safe way to hit. he coulda laid some nasty wood with his shoulder instead of his helmet.

I forget what game it was i was watching but a DB laid a sweeeeet hit on a receiver just using his shoulder. But, we all know its always that easy as all it takes is a receiver or QB to lower and change the degree of their body to make it a helmet to helmet, etc. In Mays case, looks like he was dealing a blow. Either out of frustration of the game or payback but he definitely lead with the helmet. From a football standpoint, i love the hit. Its part of the game for me but unfortuantely it costs you a penalty with a possible fine/suspension.

capt. Jack

09-25-2012, 12:09 PM

Maybe they should play "powder puff" football, or flag football?

Dzone

09-25-2012, 12:20 PM

Maybe they should play "powder puff" football, or flag football?
Its moving in that direction. Gooddell wants it to be more like international soccer, so as to appeal to the french

jhildebrand

09-25-2012, 12:23 PM

You may get your wish. I have a feeling the league is gonna stick it to Mays for that Schaub hit. He is the perfect candidate to take a suspension AND fine he isn't a big name, well known player throughout the league.

I posted that yesterday. You had to know this was coming. The league was waiting for the right scenario to suspend someone for a hit and Mays is the perfect candidate.

It will be interesting listening to the fine about player safety all while these refs compromise the players on every play.

Truth be told, the players should walk out and join the refs. The league would fix matters in an instant. I guarantee they would not want to face the prospect of having to reconfigure/reschedule the PO's or Super Bowl. The owners would not want to lose a week's worth of revenue either!

jhildebrand

09-25-2012, 12:25 PM

By the way, it should just be two hand touch on QBs. You can't go low and you can't go high. For some of these smaller or more mobile QB's that leaves a tiny window!

capt. Jack

09-25-2012, 12:29 PM

Maybe they should play "powder puff" football, or flag football?
Its moving in that direction. Gooddell wants it to be more like international soccer, so as to appeal to the french

Scare' bleu! That's lame! :)

swaiy

09-25-2012, 12:37 PM

Pansy league. Schaub will think twice about dropping back and trying to Gogh deep when Mays is on the field.

Buff

09-25-2012, 01:23 PM

So it's official - Mays suspended one game... Our LB corps keeps getting weaker and weaker.

slim

09-25-2012, 01:25 PM

So it's official - Mays suspended one game... Our LB corps keeps getting weaker and weaker.

Addition by substraction.

bcbronc

09-25-2012, 01:29 PM

Pansy league. Schaub will think twice about dropping back and trying to Gogh deep when Mays is on the field.

Haha nice!

Buff

09-25-2012, 01:38 PM

Addition by substraction.

Normally I'd agree, but when a 100 year old Keith Brooking is one of your backups, along with a completely unknown UFA I get a little nervous - especially considering LB was one of our weak spots to begin with.

BeefStew25

09-25-2012, 01:41 PM

We need freaking Holy Diver.

slim

09-25-2012, 01:43 PM

Normally I'd agree, but when a 100 year old Keith Brooking is one of your backups, along with a completely unknown UFA I get a little nervous - especially considering LB was one of our weak spots to begin with.

Well, it's one game and we are playing the Raiders. As a practical matter, the game is already over.

Buff

09-25-2012, 01:47 PM

Well, it's one game and we are playing the Raiders. As a practical matter, the game is already over.

I have nightmares about Darren McFadden.

slim

09-25-2012, 01:49 PM

I have nightmares about Darren McFadden.

Meh, we will sell-out to stop the run....like we did last week. Only the Raiders don't have Schaub or Johnson or Daniels or even Watlers.

Chef Zambini

09-25-2012, 02:28 PM

intent.
previous history.
mays shoulsd NOT be suspended, but...
now that the NFL is being governed by ringling brotheres B & B circus, who knows what will happen !

09-25-2012, 02:32 PM

It was a little helmet to helmet but he wasn't leading with his head. The hit certainly wasn't late. I think the helmet to helmet contact was incidental. If he gets suspended I'll be even more pissed at the NFL than I already am.

BroncoJoe

09-25-2012, 02:40 PM

It's official:

Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays has been suspended one game and fined $50,000 for his brutal hit of Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub on Sunday, according to NFL.com and NFL Network's Albert Breer.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000066219/article/joe-mays-suspended-one-game-for-hit-of-matt-schaub?module=HP11_headline_stack

09-25-2012, 02:49 PM

******* bullshit.

Chef Zambini

09-25-2012, 02:50 PM

horseshit! reactionary decision based on result, not intent or actual event !
does that money go to the riddeel helmet defense fund?
total bullshit !
so disenchanted with the NFL right now !

jhildebrand

09-25-2012, 02:51 PM

I wish we truly had gone Plan A. By that I mean I wish we took a Dont'a Hightower or LB there. I am ok with the Wolfe pick. But if we are going Plan A, spare me Osweiler and grab an OL there.

The Raiders have won at Mile High 4 straight years. McFadden is getting hot and I think Dennis Allen is a PHENOMENAL coach waiting to happen. He knows Fox and this team.

MileHighCrew

09-25-2012, 02:58 PM

merged

Dzone

09-25-2012, 03:12 PM

Dont you love how the media always has to embellish it with an adjective- "Brutal" Hit....

Texanmike02

09-25-2012, 03:54 PM

I'm a Texans fan, as y'all know. Honestly, I hate the rules and they way they are set up but under the current system the suspension is warranted. I miss the days that taking a viscious was part of the game. Some of you guys may remember Ernest Givens. He was a receiver for the Oilers that always took crazy hits over the middle. That was a gift. I hate the defensless receiver rules, I hate the QB coddle. That said, if other QBs are going to be awarded this protection then under the rules the suspension is warranted.

Mike

topscribe

09-25-2012, 04:12 PM

Now I understand. James Harrison is Roger Goodell's son . . .
.

BeefStew25

09-25-2012, 04:14 PM

I want my players eating out of freaking staws and shitting in adult diapers by the time they retire. This bullshit needs to stop.

broncofaninfla

09-26-2012, 11:16 AM

Although I don't agree with the suspension I'm hoping the one game that May's is out turns out to be a blessing as I haven't been very impressed with his play to date. I'd love to see a better option emerge in Mays absence.

Fullback32

09-26-2012, 12:03 PM

I hate the QB coddle. That said, if other QBs are going to be awarded this protection then under the rules the suspension is warranted.

Mike

Look no further than Tom Brady for that. I get so sick of that mama's boy whining to the referee any time someone even breathes on him. While him and some others got coddled, I watch Tony Romo and some others being killed right before my very eyes and the refs look the other way.

Nomad

09-26-2012, 06:21 PM

******* bullshit.

Only way to sum it up! Lesson to be learned.....put your facemask in the numbers.

HORSEPOWER 56

09-27-2012, 06:32 PM

Mays lost his appeal, as expected he'll be suspended this Sunday.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/49087/joe-mays-ban-upheld

Nomad

09-27-2012, 06:38 PM

Mays lost his appeal, as expected he'll be suspended this Sunday.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/49087/joe-mays-ban-upheld

I can't remember but did Dumervil get disciplined for the hit that he did to Brady in your sig. I believe it's a text book tackle but I wouldn't be surprised. Anyway, I don't see the impact of Mays hit any worse. Was it because he hit high and his helmet may of hit Schaubs?

Also, I don't see Mays hit any worse than what Golden Tate did a couple weeks ago? I guess QBs are babied.

HORSEPOWER 56

09-27-2012, 06:42 PM

I can't remember but did Dumervil get disciplined for the hit that he did to Brady in your sig. I believe it's a text book tackle but I wouldn't be surprised. Anyway, I don't see the impact of Mays hit any worse. Was it because he hit high and his helmet may of hit Schaubs?

Also, I don't see Mays hit any worse than what Golden Tate did a couple weeks ago? I guess QBs are babied.

No. Elvis was not disciplined. Probably because after the game when questioned, Brady himself said it was a good hit that he didn't see coming. Had he whined, Elvis probably would've been fined.

Nomad

09-27-2012, 06:50 PM

No. Elvis was not disciplined. Probably because after the game when questioned, Brady himself said it was a good hit that he didn't see coming. Had he whined, Elvis probably would've been fined.

If Mays's technique would have been like Dumervil's and Schaub's helmet flew off, you think the outcome would have been the same? I believe these players have become laxed in making sure their equipment is properly fitted and we see a lot more helmets fly off nowadays. I like the way college has gone to.....if your helmet flies off, you have to sit out a play. Granted Schaub's helmet may have been snug, but was the chin strap buckled/snapped on properly.?

Chef Zambini

09-27-2012, 06:51 PM

Mays lost his appeal, as expected he'll be suspended this Sunday.

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcwest/post/_/id/49087/joe-mays-ban-upheldMays lost his appeal,...
I dont know, some women and certain men might still find him attractive?

MOtorboat

09-27-2012, 06:52 PM

Mays lost his appeal,...
I dont know, some women and certain men might still find him attractive?

Beef.

Simple Jaded

09-27-2012, 06:53 PM

slim

10-01-2012, 09:27 AM

Normally I'd agree, but when a 100 year old Keith Brooking is one of your backups, along with a completely unknown UFA I get a little nervous - especially considering LB was one of our weak spots to begin with.

I hope Joe learned something by watching professional MLB play yesterday.

broncofaninfla

10-01-2012, 11:38 AM

It was only one game and against the Raiders BUT Brooking seemed to be a better option at MLB than what I've seen from Mays this season.

echobravo

10-01-2012, 12:08 PM

It was only one game and against the Raiders BUT Brooking seemed to be a better option at MLB than what I've seen from Mays this season.

I agree, Brooking looked more disciplined than Mays has to this point. Look, your Mike backer needs to be your most disciplined backer. He is the quarterback of the defense.