Sunday, September 23, 2012

Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub lost a chunk of his ear after illegal hit - @USATODAY

A baseball player gives a crooked eye to an umpire and he's ejected. A basketball player on the bench stands up during an on-court skirmish, he's out. Yet a football player can lay a dirty, injurious hit on an opposing player and on-field referees can only throw a flag that brings about the same 15-yard penalty you'd get for dancing in the end zone with a teammate.

Denver Broncos linebacker Joe Mays leveled Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub with a vicious hit that took a small chunk out of the quarterback's ear and temporarily forced Schaub out of the game. It was illegal, it was dangerous and it should have led to an ejection.

But the NFL doesn't eject anyone unless they throw a punch. Aren't ejections for illegal hits a natural evolution in the push toward a safer game? It may not be a full deterrent, but it's better than seeing these sorts of hits on quarterbacks every week.

It was the team's third 15-yard penalty of Houston's series. On the play before, Von Miller picked up Schaub on a sack and drove him to the ground.

Schaub writhed in pain for nearly a minute while being attended to by medical personnel. A television camera shot showed that a chunk of Schaub's earlobe had become bloodied in the hit. He only missed one play.