T.J. Watt's Hit on Joe Flacco Sparks Potential Punishment from NFL
The Pittsburgh Steelers' dominant 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals was marred by a concerning incident involving star pass-rusher T.J. Watt, who could face disciplinary action from the NFL for hitting quarterback Joe Flacco with a heavy tackle.
Watt's hit, which occurred just after the ball was released, saw him land on top of the 41-year-old Flacco with most of his body weight. The move was flagged for roughing the passer, and given the NFL's emphasis on player safety, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks, Watt could be facing a hefty fine of $17,389.
While some might argue that Flacco landed awkwardly while moving to the side, which could suggest that Watt didn't intentionally put his full body weight on him, the league tends to err on the side of caution in such instances. As a result, even if the play is deemed unintentional, it's likely that Watt will still be fined.
Watt himself was relatively quiet statistically in the game, recording just one tackle, and aside from the flag, he had a largely uneventful day at the office. However, his hit on Flacco has raised concerns about his actions, and if the NFL decides to review the play further, it could have significant implications for Watt's season.
The incident also highlights the NFL's priority on player safety, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks who are often more vulnerable to big hits due to their position. The fact that Cincinnati was flagged twice for roughing the passer on Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers in the same drive, resulting in Rodgers tweaking his wrist and being ruled out for the remainder of the game, further underscores the league's commitment to safeguarding its players.
As the NFL reviews the play, Watt's future is uncertain, but one thing is clear: his actions have significant consequences, both on and off the field.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' dominant 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals was marred by a concerning incident involving star pass-rusher T.J. Watt, who could face disciplinary action from the NFL for hitting quarterback Joe Flacco with a heavy tackle.
Watt's hit, which occurred just after the ball was released, saw him land on top of the 41-year-old Flacco with most of his body weight. The move was flagged for roughing the passer, and given the NFL's emphasis on player safety, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks, Watt could be facing a hefty fine of $17,389.
While some might argue that Flacco landed awkwardly while moving to the side, which could suggest that Watt didn't intentionally put his full body weight on him, the league tends to err on the side of caution in such instances. As a result, even if the play is deemed unintentional, it's likely that Watt will still be fined.
Watt himself was relatively quiet statistically in the game, recording just one tackle, and aside from the flag, he had a largely uneventful day at the office. However, his hit on Flacco has raised concerns about his actions, and if the NFL decides to review the play further, it could have significant implications for Watt's season.
The incident also highlights the NFL's priority on player safety, particularly when it comes to quarterbacks who are often more vulnerable to big hits due to their position. The fact that Cincinnati was flagged twice for roughing the passer on Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers in the same drive, resulting in Rodgers tweaking his wrist and being ruled out for the remainder of the game, further underscores the league's commitment to safeguarding its players.
As the NFL reviews the play, Watt's future is uncertain, but one thing is clear: his actions have significant consequences, both on and off the field.
I feel bad for Joe Flacco, he's been in this game a loooong time, like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in Jumanji 
. T.J. Watt's hit was definitely rough, even if it was an accident. As a fan of the Steelers, you wanna see your guys come out on top, but safety comes first 
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. It's like when Tony Soprano (The Sopranos) had to watch his back in those crazy mob situations - you gotta be prepared for anything 
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. The Steelers will probably just give him a slap on the wrist and move on. After all, as Michael Scott (The Office) would say, "That's what she said" 
... in this case, that's a roughing the passer penalty 
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Still, it'd be cool if they just handed him a slap on the wrist...17k is no joke for a guy who's barely breaking even on his contract. 
Either way, gotta give props to Flacco for still getting up from that one - talk about heart! 
. The NFL needs to make sure they're setting a good example for the rest of us, and if that means handing out some hefty fines when we mess up... so be it 
It's like the NFL is cracking down hard on these kinds of incidents. 
And you're right, quarterbacks are more vulnerable to those kinds of hits because of their position. 
he needs to watch out for that fine lol, $17k ain't nothing 
as for the nfl's focus on player safety, it's a no-brainer 
️ quarterbacks are always the most vulnerable players on the field so it's good they're cracking down 
... it's like, quarterbacks are already so vulnerable with their wrists and knees, no need to make them more susceptible to big hits 
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. The Bengals were being pretty rough on Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers too 
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... we'll just have to wait and see what happens next 
. Like, where was the awareness? The judgment? It's not just about the physicality of the play, but also about the mental preparation and decision-making involved.
. Even the most skilled players like Watt can have bad days or make mistakes 
. But what matters is how we learn from those mistakes and grow as individuals 
. Can we really say that Watt's actions were just a product of his own human fallibility, or was there something more at play?
i mean we all know the nfl takes player safety super seriously but come on tj watt is a beast on the field, can't he just use his strength and speed to wrap up the guy instead of laying him low like that? 
now we'll have to wait and see if watt gets fined for it or not, either way its gonna be a wild ride for the steelers this season 
. just another example of nfl's overzealousness 
either way, it's good to see nfl prioritizing player safety 
The league always tries to cover their behinds when it comes to player safety, so yeah, Watt's gonna get fined. But let's not sugarcoat this, it was a pretty dirty move... 
Not exactly the kind of thing you want to see from a star player like T.J. Watt. 
I think T.J. Watt was just trying to make a big hit 
, that's why most of his weight landed on Flacco 
, but $17k fine might be too harsh