Last Sunday Anquan Boldin took a vicious hit from two Jets defenders and left the field on a stretcher. Yes, there was a so-called helmet-to-helmet contact between Eric Smith and Boldin, but I don't think it was intentional. Here's the footage:
Eric Smith was fined $50,000 and he was suspended for one game by the NFL. I don't think that this punishment is deserved. The NFL wants to ban helmet-to-helmet hits to improve player safety. But in this case they overreact totally. I don't think Eric Smith intended to hit with the crown of his helmet. Actually I think he wasn't ready to hit Boldin that's why he went down, too. Boldin jumped to the ball and was hit in the back by Kerry Rhodes. His body changed speed and direction through Rhodes' hit and Smith wasn't able to adjust. When Boldin and Smith collided, Smith's neck and shoulder muscles weren't tensed, his head shook like a bobblehead. Eric Smith might have suffered a concussion, too. No, I don't think he intended to deliver a blow.
In my opinion the whole incident was an accident with two victims, but the NFL needed a scapegoat for its anti-helmet-to-helmet-hits discussion, so Eric Smith is the black sheep this week!
