Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee was ejected and suspended for the rest of the season for this hit on Michael Pittman of the Indianapolis Colts. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Damontae Kazee, safety of the Pittsburgh Steelers, faces a suspension for the remainder of the NFL season after the violent impact on Michael Pittman, receiver of the Indianapolis Colts in a duel last Saturday. However, the suspension has been met with some skepticism by some experts.
The NFL has attempted to cut back on head hits after years of studies explaining the dangerous long-term effects of concussions. However, Kazee’s hit on Pittman seems to have more “culprits” than just the defensive back.
An extremely violent blow
Kazee’s hit on Pittman was one of the violent ones seen in the NFL this season. On the play, Colts quarterback Gardner Minshew was pressed inside the pocket and floated the pass from him to Pittman, which went too long. In an effort to catch the ball, the Indianapolis receiver lunged, leaving himself unprotected, and that’s when he was hit by the Pittsburgh safety with his shoulder on the bar.
As a rule, the blow was illegal, as it was a forceful blow with the shoulder to the neck/head area. Jon Runyan, vice president of NFL operations, said in the letter sent to Kazee, who has appealed the suspension:
“With 8:49 left in the second quarter, you were involved in a play that the League considers a serious violation of the rules of the game. The video of the play shows that you delivered a hard blow to the head/neck area of Colts receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who was in a defenseless position. You had an unobstructed path to your opponent and the illegal contact could be avoided. “Your actions were flagrant and as a result, you were disqualified from the party,” the letter reads.
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Suspension generates controversy
Runyan’s letter and his explanation have generated an adverse reaction from some former players, journalists and analysts, mainly regarding the possibility of avoiding illegal contact. Kazee looks to get to the receiver as quickly as possible to avoid the catch, but as Pittman lunges, the only point to make contact is the head.
Perhaps the harshest criticism came from Tom Brady, the former NFL quarterback, who recently criticized coaching and poor offensive performance. Brady responded to a SportsCenter post announcing the suspension as follows:
“No one likes to see their players injured, but hard hits happen. QBs should not throw the ball in areas where they expose their teammates to these types of hits. Coaches need to coach better, quarterbacks need to read coverages and throwing the ball to the right places and defenders need to target the right areas. Blaming the defensive player all the time is just wrong. We need to improve QB play. It’s not okay for receivers to get hit because of the “Bad QB decisions!” Brady said. Former Houston Texans defensive end JJ Watt responded with an emoji agreeing with the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
Rich Eisen, NFL Network reporter, he noted in his podcast He also didn’t understand what the defender should do. Although the hit was illegal, the suspension was not entirely clear.
“I have a problem in that he could have avoided it, because (Kazee) was going for the hit and he is a safety, his job is to separate the ball from the player, while making legal contact. I don’t know how he could have avoided it, seeing the play and that he was going to make the reception. ‘Should I let him catch it and touch him as soon as he falls?’ I honestly don’t understand it,” noted NFL Network journalist Rich Eisen on his podcast.
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman fortunately left the field under his own power. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Mike Tomlin, head coach of the Steelers, also defended his player before the punishment handed down by the NFL was announced.
“He usually talked about lowering the target, (but) the target was already down and both players were already on their way. It’s just unfortunate. I know he’s not a dirty player. He is not looking to do some of the things that have occurred under those circumstances,” Tomlin mentioned.
The precedent for the League
The NFL argued that the length of the sanction is related to the fact that the Steelers player already had four previous fouls. Tom Butler, Kazee’s representative, noted that most have been withdrawn after being appealed, and should not count in this case.
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 07: Damontae Kazee #23 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the sideline prior to an NFL football game against the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium on December 7, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
Although the NFL seeks to protect its players with penalties on defense, one of the main problems is that it is precisely errors on offense that put its players in danger. If Minshew’s pass had guided the receiver out instead of forward, Pittman wouldn’t have taken the same risk.
As long as these types of passes remain common in the NFL, dangerous hits will continue to be part of the game, no matter how many fines and suspensions are handed out to defensive players.
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