That still doesn't explain the ridiculous down by contact call and the called back obvious soon to be touchdown we lost because of that crappy refereeing.

Well that's good. This is all getting very silly. There's no way Eric Smith should have been fined or suspended for his hit on Boldin in that Cards/Jets game a few weeks back. That hit would never have been helmet to helmet if it wasn't for the near simultaneous hit from the other side. This is a contact sport. Players can't control which way this or that player might bounce after a hit, slip, grapple or dive.

If the league really wants to cut down on injuries they should concentrate on why players are losing their helmets two or three times a game lately. That never used to happen. I think they'd better fix it. Somebody's going to get killed one of these days.

How does "establishing himself as the runner" have anything to do with helmet-to-helmet contact? There was no helmet-to-helmet. Hilliard got creamed by a hard hit, period.

Night hawk the new protective NFL has been very strict with helmet-to-helmet hits. Even though he got creamed the contact made was helmet-to-helmet which means he could have been fined. Officials have been told this year if it is flagarent or intentional to eject the player. The hit was clearly hit, but fines could have come and might have had Leroy had problems before with this.

The league should fine the f'ing ref who cost us a touchdown on that play. Let's also fine the ref who blew the offensive PI call on the firstTB touchdown.

Following up on earther's comment, can someone please explain to me why many players unbuckle their chinstraps after every play and rebuckle them right before the snap? All the years I played football, my chinstrap was not so uncomfortable that I found this necessary, nor did it affect my ability to talk. Hass is one of the most obvious guys doing this. Also, buckling only three of four snaps like Favre does. Is that just a cool look he's going for?