Clay Matthews says he want to hit Colin Kaepernick, but that isn't as easy as it seems. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)
Prior to this past Sunday’s game between the Packers and 49ers, Green Bay linebacker Clay Matthews was very vocal about the team’s intent to hit quarterback Colin Kaepernick when he is becomes a runner instead of a passer.
Matthews told local reporters, “It looks as if as long as that quarterback is carrying out that fake, he loses his right as a pocket passer and rules that govern that. We’ll see the hits that are legal and what’s not legal, but we think our game plan fits within the scheme of the officials and what we want to do.”
He later told ESPN radio, “You do have to take your shots on the quarterback, and obviously they’re too important to their offense. If that means (coaches) pull them out of that type of offense and make them run a traditional, drop-back, pocket-style offense, I think that’s exactly what we’re going for. So you want to put hits as early and often on the quarterback and make them uncomfortable.”
After hearing the comments Matthews made, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh wasn’t happy.
He said, “You’re hearing a lot of tough talk right now. You’re hearing some intimidating type of talk — kind of things we were hearing a couple years ago. (It) sounds a lot like targeting a specific player. You definitely start to wonder. A man usually doesn’t tell you his bad intentions. You know what’s being said publicly, not what’s being said privately. I hope their intent is not going to be anything that’s not within the rules.”
Ah, the rules.
As fate would have it, as the backdrop to the Packers-49ers discussion, the NFL sent an officiating video to the media, which they do several times a season. In this one, Dean Blandino, the league’s vice president of officiating, emphasized, as Matthews noted, that quarterbacks running the read-option like Kaepernick can be hit even after they no longer have the ball.
Blandino said, “He is still treated as a runner until he is clearly out of the play. The quarterback makes the pitch, he’s still a runner — he can be hit like a runner until he’s clearly out of the play.
“The quarterback and the running back, they’re both treated as runners. We don’t know who has the football, we don’t know who’s going to take it, so both players are treated as runners.”
We hear the defenseless a lot when it comes to hits on offensive players, but in this case, the quarterback is not defenseless when he’s trying to fool the defense so they don’t know who has the ball.
Concluded Blandino, “The basic concept is, the quarterback position is not defenseless throughout the down. It’s the posture he presents that will dictate his protections. If the quarterback is out of the pocket, he’s clearly out of the play, he cannot be unnecessarily contacted.”
Seemingly unphased by the discussion is Kaepernick, who said, “I’m not worried. It’s football. You’re going to get hit.”
Speaking of Running Quarterbacks
We’re all tired of hearing about the status of Robert Griffin’s knee, but former Redskins cornerback Darrell Green is yet another observer concerned about how long Griffin can last if he plays like he did last season.
Green told SiriusXM NFL Radio, “If he was playing in the era where we were really good under Richie Petitbon, we would be licking our chops for a guy like him. Our philosophy was that when you have a (quarterback) who is so talented, now it comes down to his maturity. We believed — and we may be wrong — that sometimes he would call the play in the huddle and in the back of his mind he’s saying, ‘Man, I’m running this ball.’
“It’s like when we were in the streets playing. … We were waiting for that. You have to learn, even though (the Redskins) have a unique package that they’re running, you better drop back to throw that ball like the players of old.”
Prior to their opener Monday night, Griffin said he is cognizant of being smart and sliding when it makes sense.
“I think it’s ingrained in my head now. I’ll be getting down on Monday night,” Griffin said. “It’s a different mentality in college. You’re trying to get to the pros, and there are lot more different things you can do at that level that are frowned upon at this level. I just know I’ve got to be safe and slide and still play fearless. I’m not going out there and play scared.”
SIMPLY NOTING
*Raiders running back Darren McFadden is intent on staying healthy and having a productive season. “The organization has shown tremendous faith in me, and I’m very grateful for that,” he said. “I feel like it shows real faith in me and in this offense as a whole. They clearly have confidence in my ability and what I can do in a downhill running scheme. I’m so excited to be able to run in this type of offense again. I feel like I owe the Raiders a fantastic season.”
*Why does Giants’ defensive coordinator Perry Fewell like his defensive line? Said Fewell, “We’ve got bigger butts. I think it’s a huge factor in helping us be a better run defense. The mass, the size, the strength is noticeably different for us.”
*The Panthers have six captains this season (the league maximum) and quarterback Cam Newton is one of them. Along with Newton, other captains are wide receiver Steve Smith, tackle Jordan Gross, center Ryan Kalil and linebackers Thomas Davis and Luke Kuechly. Said coach Ron Rivera of Newton, “I’m excited about who he’s becoming. Last year, you could see he was growing. Cam is still growing, but he’s also a little more mature, a little more comfortable, a little more savvy. He’s learned a lot of things, and he can do those things that can help us, that can give us an opportunity to win football games.”
*Cowboys defensive lineman Jason Hatcher has a totally logical reason for why the team didn’t achieve to the expectation levels last season. Explained Hatcher: atcher, “That was a long season. It was a roller-coaster ride. I felt like we had a curse on us. I felt like God had just cursed us and we just had to deal with it. That’s the way I felt. Every time we’d get a little bit of daylight, here comes the darkness. Please don’t bring up last year. We just roll in and start off with the Giants and continue to play great. I hope God just keeps everybody safe on this team. We can go and win some ballgames and do what we need to do.”
