13
Sep
2011
Hit Of The Week: Hines Ward gets blasted by Jarret Johnson (VIDEO)
That's Ward in the center, with his feet in the air (Image via CBS Sports)
With our weekly feature, Hit Of The Week, ReadAndReact will find the most brutal tackle, block or run from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure.
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We’re back with our inauguaral HOTW selection for the 2011 NFL season!
This one comes courtesy of Ravens LB Jarret Johnson, who took the opportunity on Sunday to destroy Steelers WR Hines Ward as he came across the middle at the line of scrimmage, potentially looking to receive a shovel pass of some sort. But Johnson sniffed out the play and sent Ward into next week, forcing Ben Roethlisberger to improvise and throw an INT to Ed Reed, thus continuing the Steelers craptacular opening day display:
(apologies for the less-than-stellar video quality, but this is the best we could find for now … we’ll update if better video surfaces)
UPDATE: Here’s another version of the video, with multiple rewinds of the hit, if you’re into that sort of thing.
On Monday, Johnson said he was just reacting to the play, and didn’t have time to premeditate the hit:
“When I hit him, I didn’t expect him to do a freakin’ flip,” said Johnson. “I was just kind of reacting to the play. You don’t even remember a lot of stuff, and I just remember recognizing the play and kind of sitting back. I don’t remember if I took one step or if I ran or what.”
17
Nov
2009
It gets worse for Cleveland: Josh Cribbs injured on final play
(Photo: Tony Dejak/AP via Cleveland.com)
Since most of the nation had turned their attention elsewhere before the end of the Ravens/Browns MNF game (and who could blame them), you probably missed this one.
On the final play of the game, WR Josh Cribbs – perhaps the sole bright spot for Cleveland this year – was leveled by DE Dwan Edwards after pitching the ball on a hook-and-ladder play, and was taken to the hospital to be evaluated for a possible concussion. Cribbs was imnobilized on the field and carted off on a stretcher as a precautionary measure, but had all feeling in his extremities.
Here’s video of the play:
After the game, Ravens DE Trevor Pryce said the Browns shouldn’t have been running the play in the first place, with the game so far out of reach:
“Running a play like that when you’re down 16 — what are you trying to prove?” Pryce said. “I don’t understand it. I don’t want to say something like that, but heck, it’s the truth.
“Bad things happen when you do something like that. When people are running around like crazy, somebody’s going to get hurt. Dwan hit him because he had the ball. He didn’t try to hurt him. We prayed for Josh. I hope he’s OK. He’s a great player.”
Ummm … I’m pretty sure Cribbs didn’t have the ball anymore. In fact, he took 3 steps without it before getting crushed by Edwards. Some have even suggested that the hit may have been payback for an earlier play where Browns QB Brady Quinn went low at the knees of LB Terrell Suggs following an interception. Suggs did not return to the game, and the severity of his injury is not yet known. When asked if there was any retribution intended, Edwards said, “Absolutely not.”.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse for Cleveland, it turns out that the final play where Cribbs was hurt was set up by their fourth time out of the game. So the play should never have even happened. Yikes.
