The Steelers' Lawrence Timmons has been fined $21,000 for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez last Sunday, and Timmons isn't pleased about it, Joe Starkey reports.
↵↵↵"What can you do? I was just playing ball," Timmons said. "I lowered my target like you're supposed to do. I can't help it if he slides or falls. It's a tough spot to be in."
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It's hard to disagree. You can watch video of the hit here. Timmons does indeed lower his target, and while he does barrel into Sanchez, he hits him in the head rather than in the torso because Sanchez falls forward. I understand the NFL's stance on helmet-to-helmet hits, but the league (in addition to handing out fines arbitrarily) isn't willing to engage with the core problem, which is that it governs a sport in which it's common for incredibly athletic, muscle-bound 250-pound men to bash into other men at top speed. I just don't think Timmons ultimately had a ton of control over where he hit Sanchez, given the circumstances.
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